As we graduate to becoming adults, we also graduate to becoming more stressed.  Work is demanding, people are demanding, kids are demanding, rush hour traffic can tip you over the edge.  We are faced with STRESS constantly.  While we are massively accumulating this added stress, what are we doing to alleviate it?  Some of us simply choose to escape life through vices, such as alcohol.  Some of workout to help deal with stress.  And there are other, more dangerous ways of coping as well.

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or otherwise not relaxed, try some Yoga.  Yoga is a great way to redirect you thoughts and mind to a place of inner focus instead of on budgets, plans, after school games, and what you are going to prepare for dinner.  Yoga can definitely compliment other activities you employ to reduce stress.  For example, I choose to workout to help with stress, but doing Yoga on non-workout days is a better benefit.

Below are 10 Yoga moves that are simple enough for beginners but effective enough for anyone in coping with stress.  Face it, life will only get more stressful in the days to come.  Learning how to alleviate it could be a life saving tactic!

For each pose below, hold the yoga position for 5 deep breaths.

Perfect to do after cardio, during a long commercial break, or just before you pull on your bikini, this equipment-free circuit is enough to seriously sculpt your glutes and thighs in just five minutes.

How it works: Perform 1 set of every exercise back to back, doing as many reps as possible in 60 seconds for each one.
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You'll need: Nothing!  You can do this workout at home or wherever you are!

​Reps: As many as possible in 60 seconds, alternating legs

Stand with feet wide, knees and toes turned out about 45 degrees, hands on hips. Lower into a deep plié by bending knees out over toes.

Rise up, and as legs extend, slide right heel into left, squeezing inner thighs together until heels touch.
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Take a wide step back out with right foot and repeat on opposite side. Do as many reps as possible with good form for 60 seconds.

Reps: As many as possible for 30 seconds on each leg

Stand with feet together and hands on hips. Cross right leg behind left and lower into a curtsey lunge by bending both knees about 90 degrees.

Rise up out of lunge and balance on left leg as you lift right knee into a passé position by turning knee out to side and tapping right toes lightly to the inside of left knee.
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Immediately lower into curtsey lunge and repeat. Do as many reps as possible with good form for 30 seconds, and then repeat on opposite side.

Reps: As many as possible for 30 seconds on each leg

Begin in a split stance with left leg forward, hands on hips. Lower into a lunge, bending both knees about 90 degrees.
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Extend legs, shifting weight into front foot, extending back leg up behind hip while reaching front arm out in front of shoulder and extending back arm out to the side (palms down).
Immediately lower into lunge and repeat. Do as many reps as possible with good form for 30 seconds, and then repeat on opposite side.

Reps: As many as possible for 30 seconds on each leg

Balancing on right leg, perform a single-leg squat by bending right knee and pushing hips back. As you lower into a squat, left leg extends straight out to side (tapping toes lightly on the floor) and both arms reach down towards right foot.
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Rise up out of squat, bend left knee to slide left foot into right, and reach both arms overhead. Do as many reps as possible with good form for 30 seconds, and then repeat on opposite side.

Reps: As many as possible for 30 seconds on each leg

Lie on right side, propping torso up with right elbow directly below shoulder, left hand on hip. Hips should be stacked with knees bent about 90 degrees, toes pointed. Keeping knees pressed together, internally rotate left leg, lifting left heel towards ceiling.
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Press away from the floor with right forearm and lift right hip as left knee turns up to ceiling, pressing the inside edges of feet together. Lower hip as left leg rotates back in. Do as many reps as possible with good form for 30 seconds, and then repeat on opposite side.

With Spring right around the corner, getting out and getting more active naturally follows suite.  Below is a great full body workout you can do virtually anywhere!  No equipment needed (but adding weight is always good) and you don' t need a lot of space.  Best of all:  you can complete this in 10 minutes!  Who doesn't love a 10 minute workout???

3. Walkouts — 10 reps total

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend at the waist and place hands on the ground.
• Without moving legs, slowly walk your hands out in front of you until you're in plank position.
• Perform a push-up.
• Walk hands back in and come back to standing. Repeat 10 times.

4. Squats — 20 reps total, 10 seconds rest, repeat

• Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes angled outward.
• Keeping chest tall, bend and push knees outward as you sit back into your heels, until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
• Push through heels, and use legs and glutes to come back to standing.
• Repeat for 20 reps.
• Rest 10 seconds. Repeat once more.

​Are you going to give this one a try?  I will! - Bodynista

Are you looking for a great fat blasting workout this week?  Treadmill or walk/jog/sprint intervals are a great way to burn fat in a short period of time.  Think of this kind of workout as a HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workout on the treadmill.  The goal is to get your heart rate going up and down versus staying steady with a straight walk or jog.

Speeds will be different for everyone and will depend on your fitness level.   For this workout, you should determine your speeds for  a brisk walk, jog, and a sprint.  For me a brisk walk is anywhere from 4 -5 mph, depending on how my body is feeling that day, a jog is around 5.5 -6 mph, and a sprint is around 7-7.5 mph.  The intervals are short, so challenge yourself, but don't hurt yourself - we have all seen some kind of treadmill blooper!

Some important tips before you get started:

• Have the right shoes - you want to help your body, not hurt it.  If you don't have decent workout shoes to absorb the shock from jogging and sprinting, you could end up with joint pain from doing this.
• Breathe correctly - it takes practice to not constantly breathe in and out of your mouth.  The goal is to breathe in through you nose and out of your mouth.
• Keep your core tight and your head up.  The natural tendency is to slouch forward and head down, but keeping your core tight and head up helps you get more air and makes jogging and sprinting a bit easier.

​See below for the 25 Minute Treadmill Fat Blasting Workout.

Barre workouts, they are the new trend.  If you are not familiar with Barre, essentially it mixes elements of Pilates, dance, yoga and functional training. The moves are choreographed to motivating music. In each energizing and targeted workout, you'll use the barre and exercise equipment such as mini-balls and small hand weights to sculpt, slim and stretch your entire body.

For those who want to workout, but are looking for something different than the norm, Barre may be the way to go.  It's at least worth a try, right?  Below is a link to a 15 minute Barre routine you can do at home and with minimal equipment (hand weights and chair). I believe we all have a chair and if you don't have hand weights, use 2 canned goods!

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 15 MINUTE BARRE WORKOUT!

Do you have a fantastic workout you would like to share?  Comment below!  Bodynista

Looking for a great, quick, full body workout?  Below is a full body workout that requires no equipment and can be done anywhere!  One time through this workout is 10 minutes, the goal is to do 2 rounds.

1:00 Jumping Jacks – Keep strong arms and legs (no noodle limbs). Do these at a fast pace with controlled breathing. Engage your abs. Move your arms to increase the cardio effect of this move, though stationary arms with your hands behind your head is OK, too.

0:30 Side Lunges – Keep your hands on your hips, your back straight and your core engaged. Lunge to the side so your working leg is at a 90-degree angle during the lunge. Don’t let your knee extend out over your toes. (This may result in knee pain and injury.)

0:30 Squats – Keep your feet shoulder width apart, arms straight out in front of you. Engage your core and squat, as if sitting in a chair behind you. At the bottom of the squat, your legs should form 90-degree angles.

1:00 Jog in Place – This one-minute interval can be intensified by jogging with high knees, but it isn’t necessary unless you just want to amp it up. Don’t just shuffle those feet for a minute; jog so that each foot is lifted at least six inches off the ground.

0:30 Burpees – You should know how to do a burpee by now, but in case you forgot: Start by standing up straight. Go immediately into a squat position quickly. From here, in one fast motion, shoot your legs out behind you and your arms in a push-up position. Do a push-up with your core engaged and your back straight. Quickly bring your legs in and return to the squat. Now jump as high as you possibly can. Land and go immediately back into a squat and that is one burpee. This is quite literally a full body exercise!

0:30 Lunges – With your hands on your hips, step forward with one leg. Bend that leg to a 90-degree angle with your knee never extending out past your toes. To come out of the lunge, push off with your foot and return to centre. Now do the other side. You should feel this in your quads and glutes.

1:00 Jump Rope – Any jump rope will do, or just pretend if you dont have one. For higher intensity you can use a rope with weighted handles. ​

0:30 Mountain Climbers – In a push up position, bring your knees up toward your chin one leg at a time. Do these quickly, one leg after another, so that your legs are always moving. Try to keep your body as straight as possible to get the most out of this move.

0:30 Speed Skaters – This is a side to side move. Aim to have your arms and body positioning like that of an Olympian speed skater. Stand on one foot, bend your standing leg and push yourself off to the other side. You should be traveling several feet with each jump. When you jump and land, bring your arms across your body in one smooth movement. Land only on the opposite foot, and keep your other foot off the ground. With each jump to the side, land with a slight knee bend. You will feel this in your quads and calves.

1:00 Butt Kickers – Jog in place. With each step, kick high enough to try to get your food to hit your butt.

0:30 Lunge Kicks – Step forward into a lunge, then kick your back leg out in front of you. Return to the center and switch legs.

0:30 Squats – With your arms straight in front, squat as you’re sitting in an invisible chair. Keep your abs engaged and avoid extending your knees past your toes. 

1:00 March in Place

0:30 Side Lunges – Lunge to the side so your working leg is at a 90-degree angle during the lunge.

0:30 Push Ups – Preferably on your feet, but knees if needed.

Once round of these intervals takes 10 minutes. Are you going to give it a try? 

Are you one of those people who cannot seem to find the time to workout?  OR maybe you are thinking about getting into a workout routine, but you just have not started or you don't know where to start.  Whatever the case may be, working out your body is important.  It only adds to your overall health and life span.

Below is a QUICK 6 MINUTE workout that you can do just before you hop into the shower!!  This is a fantastic way to start the day, loosen up your body and get your blood flowing!  Best of all,  regardless of fitness level, these moves will work you.  If you are advanced, this will take you less than 6 minutes, so that mean you can double it!!!  What do you have to lose but weight, tiredness and feeling like you don't want to go to work?  

Do you have a case of the Monday's?  Don't worry, its nothing a bit of exercise cannot fix!  Joking aside, if you struggle to stay on a fitness routine, Monday is a day you want to work out.  In you mind, this will set the precedent for the rest of the week.  This means you are more likely to stay on track with your workouts for the remainder of the week.

Below is a good workout to start the week off with.  It combines body weight strength training with cardio.  No weights needed, but your legs will be on fire.  Be sure to warm up before doing this one - at least 3-5 minutes.

Are you going to give it a try?  Bodynista

Looking for a good workout to do today?  Something quick and effective?  I am sure you have heard of CrossFit, but you may not be 100% sure what CrossFit is.  ​According to the CrossFit website: "CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide."  CrossFit and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts tend to be very similar in nature.  

It's also important to consider what may be the best workout for your overall goal (weight loss, tone, performance).  This article will guide you toward the best Crossfit/HIIT workout for meeting your fitness objective. [https://buffedd.com/what-is-the-best-hiit-workout/]

​Do you or does someone you care about need to lose weight?  Bodynista offers a fantastic line of weight loss products from Total Life Changes to get you into the body you deserve and help  you take your life back.  Check out testimonials from people who have used Total Life Changes products.  Shop for your new body by visiting our Total Life Changes Store Page.​  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​

What I love about CrossFit/HIIT workouts is that they can be done at all fitness levels. Here is a quick CrossFit/HIIT workout that most anyone can do, from beginner to advanced and best of all, no equipment is needed.  You can do this workout anywhere, home, park, vacation...

Try to challenge yourself and do 3-5 rounds.  If you are a beginner, you may only get through 1-2 rounds, which is totally OK.

CROSSFIT/HIIT WORKOUT

1. 30 Jumping Jacks
2. 12 Push Ups
3. 30 High Knees
4. 8 Burpees
5. 30 Bicycle Crunches
6. 30 Squats
7. 12 Push Ups
8. 30 Bicycle Crunches
9. 10 Jump Squats
10. 30 Jumping Jacks
11. 25 High Knees
12. 1 Minute Wall Sit

REST 1 MINUTE

Did you give this workout a try?   How many rounds did you get through? - Bodynista