Simple Systems: The Most Important Workout Component

Let's face it, if you want to get the most out of a workout, you need a heart rate monitor. Knowing your heart rate is vital to knowing if your workout is going good or if you need to alter your out put. Here are a few of my favorite heart rate monitors ranging in price and perks for beginners to marathoners.

The Polar FT4F is a great first heart rate monitor watch. It is simple, has a back log of ten workouts, and well priced at about $60. 

The Polar RS300X SD Heart Rate Monitor watch is definitely a step up from the introductory heart rate monitor. This is great for monitoring speed and distance while jogging and is compatible with both Mac and PC. Yep, you can view your workout trends and totals via your computer! This is a step up in price at about $100

Garmin has done well with the Forerunner 305 GPS Receiver with Heart Rate Monitor. GPS locates you and know exactly where you have been along with the speed and distance you covered. This watch is great for marathoners and half marathoners and it makes complete sense why! MotionBased also gives a precise workout overview even when you are indoors. This watch is not for the novice with a price of about $300.

Get Toned with Yoga

Yoga is one of my favorite weekly routines

and something that I have seen great benefits through.Although I usually listen to a yoga podcast for instructions, I recently created a yoga flow that has quickly become a favorite for all over toning.It should only take 25-35 minutes depending on how long each pose is held and works the arms, core, bum,and legs!   

Start with mountain pose inhaling and exhaling. This is a meditative beginning ans should take about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Go in to a sun salutation, hold yourself in plank for 20 seconds, then complete another plank position on your fore arms before continuing to chaturanga, up dog and down dog. Stay in down dog for at least 30 seconds alternating weight between the left and right legs. Complete at least two more sun salutations before moving on to warrior.

After final downward facing dog, jump your feet between your hands and come back to standing position. Make sure to inhale when you stand up. Do one more forward bend and and extend your back so it is straight halfway though. bed forward again, then inhale as you come back to mountain. Roll into warrior one with arms above your head. Hold this for 30 seconds to 1 minute before arching backward. hold again for 30 seconds. Place back foot flat and go into warrior two, hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute before leaning body forward and go into side angle pose. Hold pose for 30 seconds to one minute. Come back up to warrior two and hold for thirty seconds, then go to reverse warrior for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Bring legs together and go into forward fold. continuing forward fold and warrior flow with the alternating leg.

After completing the warrior flow and another forward fold, bring leg back and move to warrior one. Make sure to get your balance first, then flow into a warrior 3 with arms in alignment with your ears. Make sure the your hips are even and facing the ground. Hold the warrior 3 position for up to 1 minute. Place the raised leg behind the planted leg and go into a forward fold, rotating from left, to middle, to right in 15 second intervals. Complete with alternating leg after the forward fold.

After the warrior 3 forward fold is completed with both legs, rotate feet so the are both parallel three feet apart and fold forward for thirty seconds. Come up with a straight spine and rotate front foot forward. stretch your body over your front foot and go into a triangle pose. Use a yoga brick here if needed. Hold for 30 seconds to 1 minute then come back up to warrior 1 and go into dancing shiva for 30 seconds. Complete another forward fold and go on to alternating foot, then complete one more forward fold and lay down on the floor.

Bring legs into your chest and rotate your head to the left and body to the right. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and alternate sides. Drop legs to the floor and place arms palms up. Go into Shavasana, the resting pose.

Mountain Pose

Keep pelvis tucked in, shoulders back, and abdomen tight. the entire body should be active during this pose.

Plank Position

Keep back straight and pelvis tucked under. Arms should be straight under shoulder.

Plank Position Fore Arms

This is the same as plank but with fore arms on the ground, not just hands.

Chaturanga

Body should be a few inches off the flour and completely straight. Elbows are tucked into your sides. Roll up from here to up dog.

Upward Facing Dog

The roof of your feet should be on the ground with thighs and knees off the ground. Arms are straight and eyes are looking upward.

Downward Facing Dog

Your spine should be straight here. The goal is to have your feet touching the ground with straight legs and arms. Head and arms should be in alignment with the spine. Make sure you do not shift your legs too close to your body in trying to touch heels to the floor.

Standing Position

Go from mountain pose and inhale while raising your hands above your head. exhale and go into a forward fold with straight legs.

Forward Fold

If you are in pain in this pose, do not push yourself as far.

Back Extension

Your back should be straight in alignment with your hips.

Warrior One

Front leg should be bent with knee above heel and back leg facing forward and bent. Make sure to tuck your pelvis in and keep your hips even facing forward.

Warrior Two

The front leg should be bent with the knee above the heel. Back foot is perpendicular and hips are even like between two sheets of glass. Shoulders are down and arms are straight.

Warrior Three

Supporting leg should be straight and back leg flexed. Arms should be equal with your ears. The goal is to have a slightly bowed back. 

Reverse Warrior

For this, everything is the same as warrior two but you are bending back. Arms should be arched in a half circle.

Forward Fold

Straight back with legs at least three feet apart. try to pull yourself farther forward

Dancing Shiva

Supporting and lifted legs are bent. Arms are parallel with the floor and foot is flexed. Keep shoulders down and back straight.

Traingle Pose

Both front and back leg should be straight. Front leg faces forward and back is perpendicular. Stretch forward keeping hips positions straight up from legs. When you cannot go forward anymore, lean your torso down as far as you can.

Triangle Pose

Your body should be straight with hips and chest in alignment. Make sure your hips and chest do not stick out. If they do, raise your torso up until you are aligned.

Shavasana

Entire back should be resting on the ground.

Disney Does Healthy

Next week, my husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary up at Disney and I am getting so excited! Today was the finishing touches day where we set up all of our reservations and I got a pretty good idea of what will be happening. We are passholders, so we will also get a sneak peak of the new Fantasyland expansion on the trip. All this has left me very excited and given me the idea to talk about some of my favorite (healthy) dining locations throughout the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot... Hollywood Studios will wait for another day :)

Quick Service

There are a few different dining options at Disney, counter service is usually the cheapest and can be quite tasty!

1. Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe serves sandwiches and burgers. The good news is that they have a lots of vegetarian options like a veggie sandwich that is delicious and a veggie burger. I am not quite as keen on veggie burgers since they can be quite unhealthy and tend to fall apart, but Disney's are pretty good. The Cafe is located in Tomorrowland across from Cinderella's Castle and is open for lunch and dinner. Perk, kids get grapes and carrots with their meal!

2. Yak and Yeti in Animal Kingdom has some of our favorite food in the parks! It is pan-Asian and delicious. Although I have never been to the quick service area, I wanted to add it in because of all the wonderful things I have heard. The menu includes dumplings, pork and chicken dishes and sweet and sour veggies upon request. I have also heard they will do steamed vegetables on request as well. This is a great option if you are wanting some good Asian food but don't want to make the trek to Epcot. Yak and Yeti is also right next to the Expedition Everest ride... Bonus!

3. Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom's Adventureland is a great place to stop in for some healthier sweets. I feel like we stop here every time we go to Disney since they are one of the healthiest options for some cold, tasty sweets! Aloha Isle mainly specializes in Dole-whip. You can get a few different flavors including vanilla pineapple swirl and orange. They also have Dole whip floats available with orange juice if you really want to splurge!

Seated Dining

1. Tokyo Dining in the Japan pavilion at Epcot is a great place to watch the fireworks while eating sushi, noodles, and the many grilled options. It is a step up in price from the quick service options, but it is good. The best thing abut the restaurant is the fireworks view. With massive windows facing the water, you are front and center to Epcot's night showcase. If you are wanting to kick the meal up a bit, opt for the Teppan dining next door at Teppan Edo. After dinner, check out the massive shopping area downstairs, it is a must see anytime we are in Epcot!

2. La Hacienda de San Angel has one of the best dinners I have ever eaten at Epcot. The Pescado a la Talla is what I get every visit and what all others in the party wish they had gotten. Tilapia with roasted corn and sweet cactus leaves is just filling enough to be worth the price and does not leave you with the feeling you will need a wheelchair to leave. Be prepared, you will be doing a lot of sharing if the others with you got something else.

Tip: This location has an amazing view of the fireworks as well, make sure to ask for a table near the windows and have a reservation around 8:30 if you would like to see them. 

3. Yak and Yeti has made it on both the top quick service and seated dining lists because it is just that good. The Seared Miso Salmon is amazing and the Dim Sum Basket for Two is a must get! This is also one of the few locations that has a good salad with Ahi tuna, mixed greens and ginger dressing... Yum!

Character Dining

Disney is synonymous with character dining since most people are there to see the characters anyway, right? Sadly, I have only ever gone to one Character Dining location and have not been terribly eager to visit another. On our next trip to Disney, we will be eating at Cinderella's Royal Table. This is the restaurant inside the castle and offers character dining with Cinderella. Once we go, I can let you know about the foods, but until then, there is The Crystal Palace.

The Crystal Palace is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and has all of the Winnie the Pooh characters available to autographs and pictures. The characters are great and the food is ok, especially for the price jump from your quick service and seated dining locations. For this, you are definitely purchasing the character time more than the food. On a brighter note, it is one of the best breakfasts I have had at the parks. Yes, there are plenty of unhealthy chocolate pancake and french toast options, but they also have an omelet bar where you can get an egg whites omelet along with some bran muffins. 

This is, of course, not the place for a healthy breakfast smoothie or chia overnight oats, but it is a pretty good option for breakfast with some characters on the side!

15 Minute Tone at Home

Total time: 15.5 minutes    Calories burned: 120    Workout intensity: Very intense

Amanda Russell has been featured in the latest Women's Health magazine with a 15 Minute Tone at home workout. I love these little tid bits on health and working out that magazines like Women's Health and Shape do, but I rarely every do them for fear that I will not get as good a workout. If you have ever felt this way, I completely understand! That is why, I have done the 15 Minute Tone at Home workout... to let you know if it is worth your time!

The workout is comprised of four exercises you do in 30 second intervals and with 4 reps each. The first 30 seconds was alternating leg squat kicks, followed by a one minute break and 30 seconds of jumping lunges. This was done 4 times total before moving on to the final two sets. The final two exercises were 30 seconds of stacked foot push-ups and 30 seconds cross body mountain climbers done in the same 30 second/1 minute ratio.

The first exercise was great, I loved the squat kicks and could definitely feel it in my legs. The jumping lunges were a bit more difficult and left me feeling very unbalanced quite a few times. I had to change from jumping lunges to regular after the second rep due to pain from an old ballet injury in my knee. The regular lunges were great and I do not feel I missed out on much. This first part of the workout was the cardio section for sure, my heart rate got up to 85 bpm and stayed there almost the entire time. 

Exercises three and four were more geared towards the torso and arms. The push-ups were rather intense for my arms, but I did not feel any real difference between the stacked and original versions. The cross body mountain climbers did a complete number on my abs, with a little extra for my obliques and inner thighs.

The work out was great, overall! I worked up quite the sweat in fifteen minutes, but was very happy it was over. Although it was nice to change up my workout routine, I did find myself bored about mid-way through.  This is the type of workout I would do again if I was short on time and wanted something very intense but did not care about fun. 

For the full article, check out the Women's Health November issue.