When and How to Change Your Workout Routine

Hey everyone! Happy Tuesday! I just did one of my favorite FASTer Way to Fat Loss® workouts and it got me thinking about people who are not happy with their fitness or nutrition routines but don’t know what to do.

Navigating the world of nutrition and fitness is a lot like looking for your soul mate. If it’s long term success that you are after, you need to be compatible, feel stimulated and get something in return. 

Raise your hand if you have been stuck in a nutrition or fitness relationship and you weren’t happy because you lined up for the one that made you turn your lifestyle upside down and become something you’re not. Or maybe you got caught up in the one that made promises it couldn’t keep if you gave up a major food group. Maybe you ghosted your family and friends and started spending way too much time in the gym. 

You are not alone.

There are a few tell-tale signs that you need to break up with your nutrition and fitness routine.

1. You’re bored – whether you’ve pulled a 180 and overhauled your lifestyle into something you are not OR you have been following the same food and exercise plan for months, it is hard to stay committed to anything that you are not excited about. When you’re bored, you lose motivation. And if the plan doesn’t fit YOUR lifestyle, you will probably fall off the bandwagon.

2. You’re tired and/or getting injured – if you are depriving yourself of certain foods, it could cause other major problems…cut carbs and you have no energy, get irritable and may blow you thyroid out of service, cut fat and you increase cravings and develop skin issues. On the other hand, if you’re spending more time in the gym than with family and friends, you could be overtraining which leads to exhaustion, continuous soreness and even injuries. Food and exercise should make you feel good.

3. You’re not getting the results that you want – if your body isn’t changing or your progress has stalled it could be because you are not fueling your body properly or because you are training the same way day in and day out. A nutrition and fitness routine is important for your body, but not if it is keeping you from getting the results that you want. 

So, if you are bored, tired or not seeing the results that you want, it is time to change your routine. Do something different that will shake things up -> Try a new program like the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® - if you haven’t tried the premier online nutrition and fitness program, it is time to sign up! My next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss® starts December 31 with prep week where I will get you all set up with the tools and strategies to THRIVE through the 6-week program and reach your goals. 

I hope you will join me in the FASTer Way to Fat Loss® program. You won’t be bored, you will be energized and you will see amazing results. To register, click here.

Thank you for reading! Let me know that you did by leaving me a comment or a question!

5 Essential Stretches for Happy Legs

After having a meniscectomy on my left knee (after two ACLs a lifetime ago), I rehabbed and returned to running and other fitness activities a little happy camper. About a year later, that same knee became very unhappy and for the longest time, I didn't know why. I could hike, run, yoga...and then out of the blue my knee would hurt. It got so bad that I stopped running.

It took many visits with my chiropractor and an osteopath to figure out what I should have known all along: Stretching is essential for happy legs (and knees)!

The muscles in my left leg are weaker because of my knee injury and therefore work harder. Working harder causes the muscles to tighten putting a strain on my joints ---> in my case my knee feels this directly. If I take the time to stretch the muscles, the tightness is reduced and the strain removed.

If you are like me and struggling to solve a pain issue and are not stretching enough, please try these 5 Essential Stretches for Happy Legs.

Here's how they look after a warmup walk to the plaza in my neighborhood.

Quad stretch - Standing upright I pull my leg behind me with the same side hand. While pulling my foot toward my butt and keeping my knee pointed down, I focus on keeping my hips forward. It is not my goal to touch my foot to my butt, but to feel the stretch on the front of my leg.

Hamstring stretch - Standing with the leg to be stretched a little ahead of me, I keep that leg straight while bending the other knee slowly. At the same time I lean forward at the hip keeping my chest up. While in the stretch I focus on keeping my hips back ---> when I make this adjustment, I instantly feel the difference in the stretch. This stretch can also be done with the leg elevated or better yet, laying down.

Glute stretch - While standing upright, I raise one leg and pull it toward my chest with both hands. While keeping my body still and hips forward, I pull my leg across my body until I feel the stretch. I try not to allow my upper body to twist.

Hip & glute stretch (aka standing pigeon pose) - I place my ankle just above the opposite knee and then sit back slowly. I try to sink as low as I can, keep my hips square and top knee flat to increase the stretch.

Calf stretches - There are two sets of calf muscles to stretch. The first stretch is most common. While standing I step one leg back and bend forward with the other. I keep the back leg straight and the foot on the ground for the entire stretch.

The second stretch is similar. I bring the same leg in a little closer and bend the knee to feel a little different stretch.

What I'm wearing: top, capris, shoes

These are the stretches that are working for me and helped get me back in my running shoes. I do them after every workout and sometimes in the middle of a workout.

PS -Always warm up your muscles before performing any type of stretching.

PPS - I am not a doctor. I am only sharing what has worked for me personally.