Get Foam Rolling in Your Life, the Right Way

Alright some of you may still be wondering what the hype about foam rolling is. Is it just a trend? Does it actually do anything? Why does it hurt so bad? Well hopefully I can answer some of your questions and influence you to try it out and enjoy it like I have.

First of all, what is foam rolling? It is more scientifically known as SMR, or Self-Myfascial Release. It is a soft tissue therapy (muscles, tendons, fascia, connective tissue) that you apply to yourself with the goal to release tightness and soreness, also referred to as trigger points.

Some of the Benefits of foam rolling include:

• Increasing range of motion
• Increasing long term flexibility
• Decrease Muscle Soreness
• Decrease Muscle Pain long term
• Increase Neuromuscular efficiency
• Maintain normal muscle length
• Address muscle imbalances
• Aid with Injury prevention

Think of it as a little Therapeutic massage to yourself. Ok maybe a little more painful at times, but the more you do it the less painful it will be! 

Alright first order of business, how to choose the right foam roller? You can order them for as cheap as $8 off amazon if you’d like. You want it firm. It needs to be hard enough so that it’s pressing into you, rather than you pressing into it. Personally, I like the firm, solid black classic.

Now lets talk Technique. You may have seen people just roll around up and down on these things. Thats not exactly right. You should roll around for about 30 seconds to break things up, but then start to feel where you have tension and target that spot to release that tension. You want to push through that spot, relax, and feel it release. You will feel pain, but try to stay on that point until it releases. Then move on to the next spot. This is a slower process that most people think. 

When should you foam roll? Ideally every day, but you can start out with a few days a week. Before and after your workout is perfect. You will notice that your muscle soreness will decrease, and it’s a nice warm up before you get started. 

What Muscles to target? Well most commonly tight on humans is our IT bands, or the outer thigh. Your IT band connects your hip down to the outside of your knee. Since so many of us sit, or bike, or run, we aren’t getting that lateral movement, so that naturally tightens up. This can cause a pull on your knee and you will feel pain. Roll through that IT band, break up that tightness. Other points that are my favorite to target are your quads, calves, glutes, and back. I find my glutes are often in knots, so I just sit on the foam roller and knead through the soreness. Along with the benefits above, you will start to notice a longer, leaner look to your muscles if combined with regular exercise and a healthy eating routine. 

A common mistake? Most people always want to stretch their hamstrings, it feels good, but I suggest you stay away from it unless you are foam rolling them as well. Here’s the deal, our hamstrings are usually over lengthened. Think about it, hips are tight & short (sitting the majority of the day), hamstrings are over lengthened & being stretched through the day. Foam rolling breaks up the muscles, helps reduce the length of the muscles back to normal, and then you will feel stronger and better when you stretch them.

So there you have it, my quick 101 crash course on foam rolling. Have other questions? Let me know, comment below. Think someone else could benefit from this information? Share this blog post and spread the word, and let me know how your next foam roll session goes :)

ALSO ON THE BLOG......

POWER DOWN AND MEDITATE - My new healthy habits

I’m sure you’ve all had the post-tech-screen-binge hangover feeling where your eyes burn and you feel like you’ve just consumed way to much information about your social network. If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself looking at your phone first thing in the morning and last thing before you go to bed. This has been weighing on me and I’ve decided something needs to change. With this Back on Track 30- Day Fitness Challenge, part of the program is focusing on a healthy habit each week. Participants email me their healthy habit that they want to work on that week and I check in with them throughout the program. By the end of the month we will have a few new healthy habits that we can be proud of and that have brought us closer to our overall goal of living our healthiest, happiest life. 

Well I couldn’t just stand on the side lines! I’ve dedicated myself to the program as well. My healthy habit that I am working on this week is powering down all electronic screens at least 30 minutes before I go to bed, and not turning them on for at least 30 minutes after I wake up in the morning. The second part of this routine is adding in at least 5 minutes of meditation in those 30 minutes both morning and night. Now before you think the word “meditation” means weird woo woo type stuff, give it a chance. Meditation can be done in many different forms. In fact, prayer is a form of meditation which is something I’m sure most of you already do. The last few days have been amazing with this routine! I sleep better, my eyes don’t hurt from the blue light and squinting, my morning is more peaceful and my day goes better. 

I’m a huge supporter of powering down screens before sleep and here’s some reasons why:

• First off, you’ll sleep better, meaning your quality of sleep improves drastically! With before bed screen time you never truly get into REM sleep where all the rest and recovery actually happens. 
• If you’re trying to lose a few pounds, you are much more likely to have success if you’re getting enough sleep!    
• You will also be able to reduce stress, and stay away from mood swings and depression. When our tech screens are constantly on we can blur the lines between work and home life. We need our home life!
• Our productivity, organization and critical thinking skills are compromised when we spend too much time distractedly jumping from one site to another. We may develop issues with focusing on a face to face conversation.
• And you get to cuddle undistracted, morning and night with your love! That by itself is worth unplugging! 

Ideally we should be powering down 2 hours before bed, but I’m starting with 30 minutes and so far its been great! Baby steps. 

Some tips for success with powering down:

• Get an actual alarm clock instead of using your phone.
• Get an actual, paper book to read at night and in the morning if you like to read. This will be much better than staring at your phone to read. Or have a journal by your bed to write in!
• Leave your laptop and phone charging in a different room at night so its not right next to you.
• Think of all the things you can get done in the morning if you’re not glued to your phone! You can stretch, meal prep, read a book, clean, shave your legs, workout… haha just saying

If you listen to any podcasts or read any productivity books you’ve probably come across the same common theme that I have, and thats the power of meditation! The majority of powerful, successful, and productive people make time for meditation in their day. The benefits go on and on but to name a few common ones: 

• reduces stress
• improves concentration abilities
• increases self-awareness
• can increase happiness
• can slow aging
• can benefit cardiovascular and immune help. Where to start? try out this app HEADSPACE and see what you think. I know most of you are thinking you don’t have time for meditation but just give it a shot and see if it helps clear your mind in your busy life! Start with just 5 minutes a day! 

Well there you go, now you know the healthy habit that I’m working on and I’d love to hear yours. Comment below and share this with a friend who may want to jumpstart their fitness goals with this 30 day Back on Track program.

30 - Days Back on Track..... Join the Challenge!

SIGN UP NOW AVAILABLE!! click here

Summer's come and gone, we've had our trips, we've soaked up rays, we've ate our fair share of s'mores, popcicles, and icecream, kids are ready for school (and so are the moms!), and it just sort of feels right to get back on track with our fitness! September is a month to reset some goals, create some healthy habits, and enjoy the awesome produce thats in season right now! 

Well I have just the thing for you! Join in my 30 Day Fitness Challenge that I've designed to fit your needs! Whether you're a student going back to college this fall, or a mom juggling everyones schedules, or going back to a new work schedule and feel like you're always on the go!

This guide includes quick and effective workouts that will change your body, rev up your metabolism, burn fat, and strenthen muscle and endurance. With this daily functional training you will be able to run further, jump higher, pick up your kids, carry your groceries, hike a mountain, whatever this crazy life throws at you! But best of all you will look and feel AMAZING! 

Combine the workout endorphins with the meals I've planned for you and you have the perfect combo. The meals and recipes were put together with you in mind. They are quick, simple, and affordable! You'll even get a healthy lunch packing guide each week! Learn how to meal prep for healthy lunches to pack with you whatever your week has in store. 

The focus will be on creating healthy habits, one week at a time. We will be setting goals and checking in on eachother. 

If all of this wasn't enough, you'll also have the chance to win some awesome prizes as extra motivation! I'm awarding your hard work and dedication with my favorite protein powder, bars, shoes, and a free month of training with me! How cool is that?

Make sure you tell your workout buddies so you can all keep each other on track and lets do this! Hurry and sign up before September 1st and start the month with a bang.

I'll see ya there!  

SAMPLE PAGE FROM THE PROGRAM

Wednesday Wisdom: Got a case of Constipation?

After a summer of traveling, eating strange foods, and changing time zones, I thought I’d hit on the topic of constipation. Yes I know its not glamorous but its real life! There’s a lot of factors that go in to a healthy track system in our bodies and I wanted to share my findings. There are also a few misconceptions that are going around that I wanted to clear up. A regular schedule is a happy schedule ;) 

Here are my top tips to keep your insides running regular

1. fiber PLUS water: We’ve all heard that fiber helps us poop right? Which is true, but the second and very important part to this point is that if you are increasing your fiber intake, you need to increase your water intake as well. Fiber increases the bulk of your stool so it can move along on its merry way, but water is crucial for it to move. So remember, if your increasing fiber, make sure your getting enough water as well.

Suggested Fibrous foods:

    • prunes• green Veggies• ground flaxseed (can throw into smoothies, oatmeal, yogurt,         etc)  • Low sugar Fruits with fiber (kiwi, apple, avocado)  • rolled oats

Suggested Water consumption:

    • Adult Males: 12-14 Cups/day

    • Adult Females: 8-10 Cups/day

2. Natural Laxatives (used the right way): You may have used over the counter laxatives in the past, but did you know that over time those products can cause more harm then good? They can inhibit your bodies natural process creating dependence on them. Here’s some healthy, natural laxatives:

    • Chia Seeds - soak them in a liquid before consuming. This creates a gel like coating         that can act as a lubricate in your system. (try my overnight oats recipe here)

    • Aloe Vera - Aloe vera latex also has anti-inflammatory components that reduce swelling     and and improve function of the digestive organs. It also actually helps increase the         water content in your intestines.

    • Probiotics - or “good bacteria” in your gut that makes your body able to balance various     types of “bad bacteria.” They help create a healthy environment in your gut. Probiotic         foods include things like kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi and probiotic yogurt. If you can, try to buy dairy products that are organic, as they are easier on digestion, such as goat milk products, organic kefir, raw dairy products or dairy that doesn’t contain A1 casein. It’s possible that low-quality pasteurized/homogenized dairy, or too much dairy in general (especially if someone has symptoms of lactose intolerance), can cause inflammation and contribute to digestive dysfunction.

3. Regular Exercise: Last but definitely not least, exercise helps get those muscles moving that push your waste through your body. Not to mention it helps with other causes of constipation such as relieving stress! If you’re feeling a little backed up, try going for a run, but don’t go too far ;)

Well there you have it! Here’s to healthy and regular bowel systems, Cheers!

Wednesday Wisdom- 3 Simple Summer Swaps to keep that bikini bod!

Summer is full of pool parties, back yard barbecues, Weddings, vacations, and a lack of structure. No one wants to be burdened with a bunch of diet rules and regimens with all this fun stuff going on! Which is why I came up with some of my favorite, easy healthy swaps to keep you on track this summer. You can still enjoy all the summer parties, without losing all your hard work in the gym. It just takes learning a few healthy habits and making educated decisions. 

1. The Ice-cream Swap: Something that always sounds good in the summer is icecream, and its a party dessert favorite for sure. An occasional ice-cream won’t kill you, but an everyday addiction is what we want to avoid. Try making some healthy frozen treats to give you that same sweet and refreshing satisfaction. 
   1. mix plain frozen yogurt with fruit. pour into popsicle molds or plastic cups. Freeze for a few hours. Remove and enjoy like a popsicle or with a spoon!
   2. Banana Ice-cream: keep frozen bananas in your freezer at all times. Chop them up and blend in blender or food processor. Can mix in PB, coco, or cinnamon for a healthy combo!
   3. The Cone Trick: If you’re at a party and they’re serving up ice-cream, go for the smallest portion option. When you serve ice-cream in a bowl, you naturally serve up more. When you have to fit it in a small cone or cup, the portion is going to be smaller, but appear bigger when served like this. 

2. The BBQ swap: What’s summer with out a BBQ? Well you’re typical BBQ menu can be packed with extra calories and sugar. But don’t worry, healthy swaps to save the day!

    1. Go for the green salad over the fruit/jello salad. You’ll save on sugar and calories.

    2. Wrap your burger in Lettuce, lose the bun! Lower your carbs, keep the protein.

    3. Skip the chip bag. Just by leaving out the potato chips you’ll save loads of empty calories and that unhealthy fat that we don’t want in our bodies. Instead, if you’re in need of something salty, bring some grilled or baked veggies to the party with you’re own salty seasoning. You’ll benefit everyone there with this healthy side dish. 

3. The Party Approach: My third tip isn’t necessarily a swap, but more of a strategy. When you have a busy party week coming up, with weddings, holidays, etc. go in with a game plan. Decide on what dessert you want to splurge on, and what you’re going to say no to before you go, so that you don’t have to make the decision when the cake table is staring you down. 

    - For example, cousins wedding is next weekend. My plan may be, “If there are cookies, i’m having one. But if it’s just cake, I don’t even like cake so that I can skip.” easy enough!

If you know you have a holiday weekend coming up, plan the rest of the week so you’re eating really healthy, then the weekend splurge won’t be as big of a deal. It’s all about being prepared and planning ahead. 

    - For example, if I know my cousins wedding is next weekend, Friday night, Monday through Thursday I’ll eat my lean and green for dinner, balanced meals throughout the day, and stay clear of sweets. Then when Friday night comes around, I’ll enjoy a slice of wedding cake and really enjoy it, without the guilt. 

Keep it balanced, plan ahead, and you’ll be just fine! 

NEW TRAINING PROGRAM!!!

So excited to introduce my brand new program to you guys! I call it the Track Star Stair Master program. While in Paris I had access to an awesome park with hills, stairs, benches, and space to run free. That was my gym for 6 months, no equipment, no fancy stuff, I would just use my sandbag for weight days, and the park for the rest. Well I thought since it's summer, so many of you have access to good weather, bleachers, parks, stadium track and field, or some kind of stair set with open space. I wanted to share this guide that is full of 12 awesome workouts that are all unique and fresh to add to your routine. This guide is meant to be added to your current workout schedule. I recommend adding in 2-3 Track/Stair days with 2-3 days of weight workouts. 

I'm also really excited about the meal guide portion of this program. I've turned the focus to the best meals to consume pre & post workout. I've prepared you with the best foods to fuel your body for your best workout! Also, I've included how to re-fuel your muscles after your sweat session. You will be able to maximize your results from the workouts with the right fuel. I've included my favorite recipes that I know you'll love! 

I love these workouts! If you're a busy mom, you can bring your kids along with you to the track and they can totally be entertained. You get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and catch some rays while you're at it. These workouts are awesome to do with a partner or group, so tell your friends and have them purchase the program with you! You can both follow a long together and meet up for extra motivation! (please only one user per purchase though, thanks for the honesty :)

If you want a fun and convenient way to work your entire body, get your heart rate up and sweat, then look no further, this program is calling your name girl!

Find it right here and lets get started!

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Getting the most out of a short workout!

Short on time? Want to know how to get the most bang for your buck with your workouts? Having worked a lot with young moms who are crazy busy juggling life, and being a busy woman myself, I’ve learned how to make the most out of precious workout time. You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to get results. Its all about Quality, not Quantity. Your eating plays a huge part as well, but thats a discussion for another day. Whether you’re traveling and don’t have much equipment, or you have 30 minutes in between carpool pick ups, these are the tips I’ve discovered to get the most out of a quick workout.

1. More muscles = greater calorie burn. Think of your muscles as calorie burners. Exercises that incorporate more muscles at once will burn more calories than a single muscle isolation exercise. For example, a squat with a shoulder press is going to burn a lot more calories than just sitting at a shoulder press machine and isolating the shoulder muscle. Take away message: When you’re short on time, combine exercises to work multiple muscles at one time.
2. The bigger muscle groups will burn more calories than smaller muscle groups. This may seem obvious, but I thought I’d point it out anyways. Similar to my last tip, if muscles are calorie burners, the bigger once will burn more right? So for example, your legs and back are bigger muscle groups than your arms or abs. When you want to burn more calories quickly, add in some explosive leg movements to the workout. Take away message: work bigger muscle groups for a bigger calorie burn. Stay clear from single muscle isolation exercises if you’re short on time.
3. Minimize your rest time. When you only have 1/2 hour you want to be working through as much of that 1/2 hour as you can! this means shortening the rest time in between workouts. HIIT and Tabata are great styles for quick and effective workouts. With tabata you typically do 20-30 seconds full out intensity, with 10-15 seconds rest in between. Keep spiking your heart rate through the entire workout. Avoid resting over 30 seconds between exercises. This means getting rid of distractions and committing yourself for the time you have. Take away message: When you’re short on time, use it effectively, working more, resting less.

So there you have it! 3 easy tips to follow when creating an effective, time efficient workout. Now here’s a little circuit I put together using only your body weight, and maximizing calorie burn with multi-muscle exercises, and incorporating larger muscle groups. 

THE CIRCUIT: (do 45 seconds each, with 15 seconds rest in between)

• Plank with cross knee crunch (alternating legs)
• Forward and Back squat jacks
• Push up - Pike toe taps
• Surfer Get ups

(FULL VIDEO HERE.)

Rest 30-40 seconds after each round. Repeat circuit 3 rounds for a 15 minute workout. 

You can check out more of my Time Efficient, Body weight workouts in my online trainer programs at www.bodydesignbybrit.com/store

WEDNESDAY WISDOM: Are some fruits better than others? Breaking down High Sugar VS. Low Sugar Fruits

Since its summer time, I thought I'd write a little bit about my favorite summer treat, FRUIT! So many good fruits are in season this time of year, I love it! But fruit definitely fits in the category of "moderation is key". Fruit is healthy, of course, but it contains sugar. Sugar is the main cause of weight gain, and by controlling our sugar intake, we can better reach goals of weight loss if that's what we're aiming towards. With my clients I suggest sticking around 35g or less of sugar per day for weight loss. This adds up quicker than you think! I typically recommend 1-2 pieces of fruit per day. Sugar from fruit is much better than reaching for a bag of skittles or a donut because you're getting the fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc, that comes with a piece of fruit. But I was curious, what fruits should I be more cautious about with my sugar intake?

Here's a list of 5 low sugar fruits to keep around this summer, and also my favorite way to eat them! I have also included the top 5 highest sugar fruit which you should try to limit in your diet. 

Hope you enjoy this Wednesday wisdom!

Lowest sugar fruit:

1. Avocado: only 1 gram of sugar per avocado! Basically my favorite food ever, I can eat it any way! But I really love it in a smoothie or with cottage cheese and salt and pepper, simple and delicious!
2. Raspberries: only 5 grams of sugar per cup. I love raspberries fresh like candy, or stirred into plain yogurt and made into a healthy Popsicle! 
3. Blackberries: only 7 grams of sugar per cup. I love black berries stirred into some plain yogurt and granola for a light pre workout breakfast.
4. Strawberries: only 7 grams of sugar per cup. I love strawberries dipped in melted dark chocolate for a guilt free sweet treat to end the night. Or in my favorite summer salads {spinach, strawberries, avocado, red onion, slivered almonds, feta cheese, vinaigrette dressing}
5. Casaba Melon: That bright yellow, round fruit about the size of a cantelope, with slightly wrinkly skin. It is the lowest sugar melon with 5 grams sugar for 1/2 cup. Try one sliced with cottage cheese, or sliced with a drizzle of lemon juice.

Highest Sugar Fruits

1. Lychee: 29 grams of sugar per cup! Yikes! But loaded with calcium, so moderation is key. They take so long to peel open that you probably couldn't get to a full cup unless you have all day ;)
2. Figs: 27 grams of sugar per cup. However, they are packed with healthy fiber, so maybe just don't eat a whole cup at once :)
3. Mango: 23 grams of sugar per cup. Mangos are my favorite, so I had a hard time putting them on the list, buuuut I always split the mango with my husband, or put just a few frozen cubes in my smoothie, so it's never quite a full cup ;) For your next date night, instead of buying a tub of ice cream, split a mango! It's very romantic, and healthy!
4. Cherries: 18 grams of sugar per cup. No wonder they taste like candy! If eating cherries, only grab a few, avoid sitting next to a bottomless bag.
5. Grapes: with 15 grams of sugar per cup, be careful. a cup can go pretty quick with these convenient little poppers. If I eat grapes I have them as a frozen sweet treat when I'm craving a Popsicle. Simply stick a bundle of fresh grapes in your freezer for an hour or two. Great poolside summer snack, just watch your portions! 

Enjoy some fresh in season fruit this summer, try new recipes or keep it simple, just remember portion control. HAGS :)

-Britt