Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Beautiful Skin Is Possible With Regular Exercise

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Exercise offers so many benefits to women’s health that we often overlook the fact that exercise can improve the health and beauty of our skin, too. From increasing circulation to helping to rid the skin of toxins, exercise can give a woman’s skin a natural glow that can’t be found in any of the finest skin products.

• Aerobic exercise builds endurance and promotes circulation by increasing the heart rate. As this occurs, blood is circulated quicker throughout the body, thereby increasing circulation and depositing nutrients to the skin cells, which helps to improve a woman’s skin.

• Both aerobic and strength training exercises help to rid the skin of potentially damaging toxins. Sweating during exercise helps to clean clogged pores. Be sure to keep a clean towel to wipe sweat away.

• Exercise has been found to increase collagen growth in some people. A main component to keeping skin looking young, collagen is the fiber that protects the skin from wrinkles and lines.

• One of the most amazing benefits of exercise is the ability to improve acne-prone skin. That’s because exercise helps to reduce stress, a major contributor to break-outs. When women are under stress, their adrenal gland produces male type hormones that in turn cause blemishes and clogged pores.

Exercise has long been known to help control weight, build strength, improve flexibility and provide lifelong benefits for healthy living. The facts above are proof that exercise can help to give a woman beautiful skin as well. This evidence is reason enough to begin an exercise program today.

If you are looking for an exercise program that will help you to lose weight and get in shape for life, Fitness4Her offers complete step-by-step exercises that will get you started and keep you motivated to reach your fitness goals.

10 Affirmations That Will Get You Geared For Fitness

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Daily affirmations are a wonderful way to start the day and get you geared for fitness. Before leaving your home or beginning your regular schedule, take some time out to repeat your daily affirmations. This helps to set your mind on course before it gets bombarded with hundreds of other commands, complaints and other responsibilities common in everyday life.

Affirmations are a gift that you give to your psyche to boost its power and bring your dreams to reality. Instead of internalizing your goals, write them down on paper and repeat them to yourself. Then turn the goal into affirmations to command your mind to take action. You may be surprised at how well this works, especially if your goal is to get physically fit.

Women’s fitness is my goal for life. I believe a healthy body is the foundation for everything I want to do in life. I feel great and I want to look great too. Plus a physically fit body is much more able to take care of the many jobs that I tackle each day. Fitness ensures me that my body will be strong enough to not only withstand but also welcome the challenges that I face each day.

Below are some of the affirmations that I have used in the past and that I have shared with many of the women I have trained.

1. I will eat healthy today.

2. I am losing weight.

3. My clothes fit better because I am losing pounds and inches.

4. I feel stronger because I exercise.

5. Exercise makes me feel exhilarated.

6. I crave fruits and vegetables.

7. My body is improving every day.

8. I love my body.

9. I am full of energy.

10. I am beautiful today.

Choose any or all of the 10 affirmations above. You can not go wrong with affirmations, but in order for them to work, you must believe in what you say. Believe it to achieve it. Fitness4Her will help you every step of the way.

Herb Chicken Fillets

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An easy to prepare meal the whole family will enjoy. Cleanup time is minimal. Double your fitness fun and use your time wisely while this delicious dish is marinating. Go for a bike ride, do some crunches or take a nice long walk before you begin cooking.

2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp low sodium Worcestershire sauce
(6) 4 oz chicken breast or salmon fillets
2 Tbsp Italian bread crumbs
2 Tbsp of grated low fat Romano cheese
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp basil

Directions:

1. Combine lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce in small bowl.
2. Pour over chicken and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Discard marinade.
4. Mix bread crumbs and all other ingredients together and use to cover chicken on both sides.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or cook on the stove. Yummy either way.
6. I serve with sweet baked potatoes.

Health Benefits:
Chicken is a low fat source of protein. It is low in cholesterol, low in sodium, low in sugar, low in calories. It is easily digestible and relatively inexpensive compared to other meats and seafood. The great thing about chicken is its versatility making it an easy go-to main dish.

Stop Eating Your Food Out Of A Bag

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Do you make the mistake of eating your food from a take-out bag or container? I urge you to break this habit if you want to make healthy eating and women’s fitness a part of your life. Mealtime should be enjoyable, but I have to wonder how much joy one can get when they can barely see their food. Food should be seen, heard, smelled and enjoyed. Not eaten in seclusion as if it is a forbidden piece of fruit.

The plating of the food is almost as important as the taste. Perception is the key to portion control when eating a fine meal. A trick-of-the-trade in the restaurant business is to use glasses and plates that show off the food, so that customers perceive a higher value. The same proves true when you are serving food at home. The prettier the presentation, the more satisfied we tend to be with the meal.

The mind plays such a critical part in portion control, thus playing a major role in weight control. Brain activity signals the release of hormones that stimulate appetite and also leave your stomach with that feeling of satisfaction. When you can see, smell, hear and properly taste your food, your mind becomes as satisfied with the meal as your tummy, making it easy to stop eating.

If you have ever eaten a meal from a bag, take-out or frozen food container have you found the tendency to overeat? Many times, food eaten in this way is so dissatisfying that we don’t finish the meal. Then 30 minutes to an hour later, we find that we are still hungry. Much of that is because our mind is not satisfied with what and how we ate our last meal. The brain is a powerful tool when it comes to eating and dieting.

We all know how big a role the brain plays in coming to terms with losing weight. Most of us have experienced times when we wanted to change something, but it was only when we were really ready, when our mind was really set upon change that we were able to move forward. Dieting, weight loss and women’s fitness really is dependent on the mind.

So indulge your mind, by following this simple little rule. Take your food out of the bag, dress up a little plate and feed your brain right along with your tummy. You’ll enjoy your meal, nourish your body and satisfy your brain all at the same time. This is a great way to multi-task when you are a busy woman.

The Top Five Pre-Workout Foods That You Need To Know About

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Many women interested in fitness want to know what the best foods to eat before a workout are and exactly when and if they should be eating before exercising. The answer is simple if you follow my diet plan, especially designed for women’s fitness.

I suggest 5 sensible meals a day rather than 3 larger meals. This way, no matter what time of day you choose to work out, you will be well-nourished but never over-stuffed. Of course, you should never eat too close to the time you will be working out, because your body needs time to digest the food. Strenuous exercise on a full stomach could cause digestive distress.

Choose foods that provide fuel for the body such as carbs and eat protein to help your body build muscles and supply much needed nutrients to all of your cells. There are many foods to choose from, but I have provided the top five foods that are low in calories and fat in relation to the amount of good stuff like vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids that they contain.

1. Oatmeal will boost your energy level and help you have a better workout. If you love working out or going for a power walk or jog first thing in the morning, it’s best to stop in your tracks and have a steamy bowl of oatmeal to give you the power you need to get up and get moving and keep going throughout the day.

2. Fruit provides natural sugar that your body can convert to sugar and then use as fuel. The easily digestible properties of fruit allow the nutrients to be absorbed rapidly by the body and help to sustain it throughout your workout. Combined fruit with yogurt for an energy boosting snack that will keep you satisfied throughout just about any physical activity.

3. Peanut Butter is rich in protein and easily digestible. Just two tablespoons can have as many as 9 grams of protein. A good choice of protein especially if you will be working out within the hour.

4. Yogurt contains both protein and calcium so is an exceptionally good food to eat before your women’s fitness workout.

5. Green Tea is full of antioxidants. In addition to drinking water, green tea is effective for helping to rid your body of toxins and will keep you hydrated during your exercise program.

Some women like to eat a small snack about 30 minutes to and hour before working out. If you need to eat that close to your workout time, then choose a very light snack that is easy on the tummy like Greek yogurt or a spoonful or two of peanut butter for protein and a nice ripe banana to provide a healthy carbohydrate to keep you energized without dragging down your workout.