Discontinued!! Go to www.StepItUpwithSteph.com for all video blogs!

Hey Everyone!

I'm Stepping It Up! Now, all of my videos and info are in ONE PLACE!

www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

See you there!

Weekend Challenge! 60 Second Morning Meditation

Happy Friday!

This weekend, I'm challenging YOU to start your day with 60 SECONDS of some sort of meditation. By "meditation", I mean just sitting (or standing or laying), still for 60 seconds with your eyes closed, focusing on hearing your breathing, and focusing on...something. And repeatedly thinking about that something. You could think about, "Today is going to be a great day," or "I am awesome and want to share my gifts with the world," or "I am happy today." Whatever you do, just KEEP IT POSITIVE!

Starting your day off with this quick 60 seconds for yourself will help set the tone for your entire day!

Hey Gym Skipper, I'm Talking to YOU!

It's really easy to do. In Chicago + winter areas: Blame it on the snow, ice, sub degree windchill temps, annoyance of layers, fear of frostbite, etc. BUT, Don't be a gym skipper JUST BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER. Step It Up with Steph is about Stepping It Up MENTALLY and physically. So, how can we change our thoughts to convince ourselves to NOT skip the gym when it's freezing outside and the weather is less than convenient?

1. View trecking it to the gym in the freezing cold as a CHALLENGE! How fast can you speedwalk there? Or if you're driving, how much can you stretch out your face so that it doesn't feel numb while you're waiting for the heat to get hot?

2. Remember, you burn calories by putting on and taking off clothing! On the other hand, if you want to slowly dress and undress yourself before and after the gym, try to use your clothing to aid you in some stretches - be creative! (I do this all the time and love stretching my arms with my shirt and engaging my abs while putting on my pants!)

3. Keep your eye on the prize: imagine and visualize how AWESOME you will feel afterwards. Not only did you "work out", BUT you ALSO changed your mindset and Stepped It Up, mentally. Not only did the horrible weather not stop you from working your body, but now, NOTHING can stop you!

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Kev Steps It Up & Uses Cubicle Crunch @ Work!

After recording a post-college edition of our college show, "Keeping It Real with Steph & Kev" (to be posted tomorrow!), Kev and I were at dinner when Kev busted out some Cubicle Crunch stretches! Watch as he shows us how he Steps It Up in his daily life in his cubicle at work. For more info on Kev, go to his website!

Special Guest Dr. Mike: How to Prevent Blood Clots!

Special guest and friend Dr. Mike stops by to talk to us about preventing blood clots in our lower legs! Use these EASY and quick moves! For more info on Dr. Mike, visit him online at HealthFitnessMD.com

I'M Stepping It Up! Winter Jacket Shopping

How do YOU Step It Up and STAY WARM in the winter? As a Floridian and 2 year Californian, the first snowfall screamed to me: Steph, Step It Up and GET A WINTER JACKET! (I'm talking quietly so we don't get our camera confiscated in the store.)






(Since the taping of this segment, I HAVE ordered a winter jacket online, and will definitely show it off once it arrives!)

Taking It To the Streets! Construction Workers Show Us How to Step It Up!

Meet Rich and his crew: Rich shows us what a workout his job is! And I give him some ways to Step It Up at the end of the day!

Dad Shows Us How to Sit in a Chair Properly!

Sick In Bed Stretches

Do these quick stretches to revitalize your sick body without getting out of bed!

Carpet Installation: What a Workout!

While I'm home under the weather, I've had the pleasure of learning about the carpet installation process! Watch a few moves that show how much exercise is really involved in carpet installation. My favorite move is at the beginning, but I think it's pretty bad for the knees....

Overcoming Fears

How do YOU overcome your fears?

Let's talk about a fear many of us have: a fear of FLYING. I faced my fear head on yesterday as I flew back from Florida to Chicago. I'm a nervous wreck before I get on flights. So much so that I purposely barely leave enough time to get to the gate before final boarding! I also feel the need to tell my seat mates that I'm a nervous flier so that they understand when I look around like a spaz and always keep my eyes on the flight attendants for some sort of sign that things are going good or bad.

When I tell people I'm a nervous flier, they usually ask if it's my first flight. They then look confused when I say, "No...I usually fly at least twice a month." They kind of laugh, and then I (nervously) laugh, too.

See, I have always been anxious flier, but things have gotten worse since a pretty turbulent filled/redirected-due-to-bad-weather flight I was on a few months ago.

I feel like I know what I need to do to overcome this fear, and most of those things I'm already doing: saying HI into the cockpit when I first board the plane so that I can see the pilots (and honestly, so that the pilots can see me, and in my twisted mind I think that if they make a connection with a passenger, they will take better care of the plane. LOL oy.) I ask the flight attendants if they think there will be turbulence, and I insist that my dad check the flight path and let me know if there's bad weather on my plane's path. I'm collecting all of the information that should logically CHILL ME OUT! But, nonetheless, I still tense up at every tiny bump during the flight.

I'm considering looking into a "Fear of Flying" class (thanks, Dad), but I'm interested in hearing about how YOU handle your fear of flying, or any fear for that matter?!?!

How do you STEP IT UP when it comes to your fears??!

Day After Tgiving Fruit Salad w/ Jason!

Dad does Turkey Squats & Lifts! LOL

Watch as my dad hilariously performs some exercises that YOU can do with your turkey today! (That is my family and friends laughing in the background.)

Holiday Stretches version 2!

Check out these Holiday Stretches you can do tomorrow after your wonderful Thanksgiving meal, or anytime after you've eaten a lot!

WSBT 2's Holiday Stretches

Holiday Stretches version 1!

Check out some Holiday Stretches that YOU can do this Thanksgiving!

WNEM TV 5's version

Pilates It Up with Mo!

Fed Ex Steps It Up! Taking It to the Streets!

Watch as a Fed Ex delivery man shows us how to properly lift heavy boxes - he knows best, because after all, it is his job!!

Taking It to the Streets! Bus Stop Squats

It's my 1 year anniversary with Step It Up with Steph, so I AM STEPPING IT UP!!! Starting today, I will be Taking It to the Streets, and talking to everyday people about Stepping It Up in THEIR daily lives!

Learn from Bill, who does squats while waiting for the bus at the bus stop!!

Hamstring Stretch @ the Wall!

Happy Friday! Do Plank CORRECTLY!

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Better Posture - Stronger Upper Back!

Taste Testing Kale w/ Tanya!

Per my newsletter (if you didn't receive it this week, email me! Steph@StepItUpwithSteph.com) we are eating some healthy sweets!

Squash It Up! with Outtakes

For more great tips, sign up for my newsletter HERE!

I HATE cooking, but making squash is so easy and it's SO TASTY, that I just can't resist! Find out how to make squash by watching this video!

Neck Rolls!

Roll Your Neck & Loosen Up to start off your week!

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Cubicle Crunch Airing Today!

My segment, Cubicle Crunch, airs on WNEM TV 5 Saginaw today. If you missed it, you can watch it HERE.

Below is a cubicle stretch to do in honor of Cubicle Crunch!

CUBICLE CRUNCH airing TMRW! WNEM TV 5 Sneak Preview!

CLICK HERE!

Stretch Out Your Pits!

In honor of my Cubicle Crunch segment airing on WNEM TV 5 Saginaw this weekend, the next few videos will be more exercises YOU can do ON THE JOB!

Wine w/ 1/2 the Calories!

Laundry Workout!

For more tips, go to www.StepItUpwithSteph.com!

Confession: Halloween Sugar OD!

Get some tips right in your inbox!

Pumpkin Seeds - a yummy snack!

To get my e-zine with other tips to Step It Up, go HERE!

Pumpkin Carving workout!

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Loosen Up Your Shoulders @ Work!

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Walking with Grandma! Take a WALK!

Go HERE to get quick tips to Step It Up in YOUR daily life!

Happy Friday! Hangover Cure.

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Desk Back Stretch!

Got a Pain in the Butt? Office Glute Stretch!

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Butterfly Stretches!

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Airplane Stretches! Special Guests JJ & Matt

Not sure why the top is cut off online...it's not on my computer! Enjoy these stretches on your next flight!

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Side Stretches with the Sis!

Go to Step It Up with Steph for more quick stretches!

Meow & Moo - Reduce Back Pain & Lengthen Your Spine!

Do this simple stretch in the morning and at night - let me know if you notice a difference in your back!

Pumpkin Up: Check out Pumkin Abs featured in Rachel's Shedding It Website!

Check it out at the link below!!

Pumpkin Up: Pumpkin Abs

Typing Stretches!

Take an afternoon break from typing and stretch out your fingers and wrists!

Pumpkin Abs! with special guest, Tanya

At this time of year, who doesn't have a pumpkin in the house?! Put it to good use and work your abs!

Sign up HERE to get my weekly e-zine with tips on how YOU can Step It Up in 30 seconds or less!

Banana Nut SMOOTHIE Time!

Delicious protein-filled smoothie as a snack or part of a meal!



Sign up HERE for my weekly newsletter with 30 second tips to Step It Up in your daily life!

Quick Lunches & Squats w/ Arms

A few people answered that they dislike lunges and squats, so I made a little video with tips to make these exercises more FUN! Let me know what you think!

Quick Pilates - including outtakes!

Yesterday I asked: What is your lease favorite exercise? I got a ton of responses (thank you!), but Kate's response is what I focused on today! (Hope you enjoy the out-takes...:)

The Voice That Talks You Out of Exercising

You all know what I'm talking about! Check it out HERE.

LAUNCHING TODAY: Online Personal Training!

Go HERE to sign up!!

Online Personal Training: LAUNCH TMRW!

www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Get a Post-Break Up Bangin' Bod!

I'm Back!!

Quick Fruit Smoothie!

Two cubes of ice, one banana, 3-4 strawberries, pour in a little bit of vanilla soy milk, and wa la! You have a completely natural fruit smoothie, made in less than 60 seconds!

Self Esteem Boost!

Quick - write down five things about yourself that you like. Then say them outloud to yourself. If it's hard for you to write down five things, it may mean that you could benefit from this exercise the most! 

Which Day Do You Remember?

Why is it that we often remember bad days? Is it because most of the days surrounding the bad day were good? If someone was very depressed and sad everyday, it seems like they would remember a good day, since it's different from the days they are used to experiencing. So which day do you remember - the good day, or the bad day? Whichever day, remember that your thoughts become your reality.

Do Something Nice for Someone Else

Today, make it your mission to do at least one thing nice for someone else. It can be as simple as holding the elevator door open for 5 seconds to let someone in, or it can be as time consuming as fully listening to a random person go on and on about something for 5 minutes, as if they are grateful that someone is listening to them! Do something nice for someone else today - and as a bonus, watch how your kindness may come back at you in the future.

Visit me at www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Video: Stretch the Sides of the Neck

Copy and paste the link below into your browser to watch the video - with or without volume! Stretch out the sides of YOUR neck TODAY!

http://vimeo.com/3325654

Kind Words

When's the last time you've said something kind, compassionate, or sweet to someone? Maybe it was 5 minutes ago, but maybe it was 5 months ago. Speaking kind words may seem underrated, but kind words are necessary to breed a positive and compassionate community for ourselves and others. 

Reflect on this quote from Mother Theresa: "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless."

Burn Brightly without Burning Out

"Burn brightly without burning out" - Richard Biggs

What a great quote! For many of us it's hard to find that perfect balance between working/playing hard and still maintaining some sort of mental and physical homeostasis. Today briefly reflect on your weekend and see if there were times when you may have ignored yourself when you wanted to sleep in or stay home and rest, but instead did something extra that you knew you didn't really want/need to do. 

Replacing Pop (Soda) with...

Are you a huge pop drinker? (Or "soda" drinker for all you non-midwesterners!) By "huge" I don't just mean people who drink 4 cans of coke per day. This can apply to you if you drink half a can a day. However much (or little) pop you drink, can you think of a healthier alternative for your body? The obvious choice is water, but let's be honest - when you go from coke to water, water tastes VERY boring! How about weening off the pop, and starting to integrate more Gatorade, Vitamin Water, or 100% Fruit Juice into your liquid diet? Notice if your body feels differently when you replace the sugary, non-nutrient filled liquid with a more healthy and natural alternative.

List of Worries

Do you ever go through an entire day, worried about something that's going to happen tomorrow? Do you feel like your thoughts of worry are a constant part of your state of mind? Could you list at least one thing that you are worried about right now? If so, how about making a "list of worries" that literally lists any worry or worries that you have at the present moment. Once you've listed the worry, try to let it just remain on the list, rather than taking up precious space in your mind and time in your life.

Shoulder Rolls

Here's a great exercise to do throughout the day to relieve tension that so many of us hold in our shoulders!

http://vimeo.com/3271219

Check back daily for motivational tips, and now in video! Watch on silent at work, or turn up the volume at home.

Smile at a Stranger

Today, try smiling at a stranger. If he/she doesn't smile back, don't feel rejected; just try again! :)

Attending Workout Classes

Sometimes it’s hard to motivate yourself to work out. That’s why gyms offer fitness classes! Pick a workout class this week to attend at your gym, pop in a workout DVD, or youtube an aerobic video!

www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Visit my website! www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Good Living List

A friend gave me this idea – make a list of things to do that promote “good living”, such as doing yoga, eating well, getting enough sleep, talking to friends, laughing and having fun a few times each day, etc. Obviously this list is customizable for you, but it’s not a checklist. Instead, it’s more like a reminder, a reflection, and a motivator. You can use this to look at each day and night to either reflect on the day or to prepare for the next to remind yourself of what you consider to be “good living”.

Being Present While Multi-Tasking

Sure, we all pride ourselves on being able to effectively mutli-task. But are we sacrificing precious time by doing so many things at once? At first the answer to this seems to be an obvious NO, we are using our time more efficiently! But when we reflect on this concept longer, it may be possible to see that when we multi-task, it’s more difficult to be present and fully give our attention to the people or things that deserve it. We might actually be missing out on special interactions or experiences by doing so many things at once. While multi-tasking is important, it’s as important to maintain a present state of mind and be aware of all of the tasks we are doing, instead of mindlessly juggling everything at once.

Extra Exercise

Park your car further from your destination, and enjoy the extra exercise of a quick 30 second walk!

As Blessed As You Want to Be: The Power Of Staying Positive

From the Daily Om:

Our thoughts are not simply ethereal pieces of information that enter our minds and then disappear. The words and ideas that we think can shape our lives and drive us toward success and happiness or failure and distress. How you think and feel can have a profound effect on your ability to recognize opportunity, how well you perform, and the outcome of the goals that you’ve set for yourself. When you maintain an optimistic outlook and make an effort to harbor only positive thoughts, you begin to create the circumstances conducive to you achieving what you desire. You feel in control and few of life’s challenges seem truly overwhelming because it is in your nature to expect a positive conclusion. An optimistic mind is also an honest one. Staying positive does not mean that you ignore difficulties or disregard limitations. Instead, it means spending time focusing only on the thoughts that are conducive to your well-being and progress. For the rest of this short article, please go to: http://www.dailyom.com/articles/2009/17100.html

Dreaming Your Dreams, Or Living Them?

Dreams aren’t just meant to be dreamt; they’re meant to be lived! What are your dreams? What is one dream you have? Sometimes even articulating our dreams can be a challenge. But once we do, it’s very important to begin living them. If we don’t live our dreams, no one else will live them for us! Moreover, by us living our dreams, we actually give other people non-verbal permission to live theirs.

Check out my website: www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Act Out of Love, Not Fear

Does fear hold you back? Do you not take risks because you are afraid of what might happen if you fail? Take a few minutes today and reflect on yesterday. How many times did you do something or not do something out of fear? You can even write these down if you’d like. Then, count how many times you acted out of love. Notice how when you act out of love, you normally receive love in return. Acting out of love rather than fear is a very freeing concept and one that will only propel us to do greater things with less anxiety and less worry. 

Visit me online! www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Inside the Box

How often do we look back and say “Geez, I wish I had viewed this differently…” It’s not that we necessarily are regretting what we’ve done, but moreso we are a little surprised that we hadn’t taken a look at the whole picture. It’s like we are in our own little box and are unable to view things from an outsider's perspective. It’s difficult because generally we have so much invested into our lives and so going outside of ourselves to get a different point of view is literally like crawling outside of our box to get a different view. Hard as this may seem at the time, it’s important to become conscious of where our viewpoint is, (usually inside of the box), and work towards viewing our life outside of our box.

Visit my website: www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Allowing Exercise to Regulate Healthy Eating

Many dieters switch from diet to diet in attempts of finding the solution that will solve their weight issues. Often times these diets are only involving food and dieters may not include exercise. However, instead of first putting so much focus on the foods we eat, what if we first put the emphasis on exercising, on moving our body, on burning calories, and on strengthening our body? It’s a proven fact that most people feel better – both physically and mentally, and have a more positive view of themselves when they exercise. I believe that if we get the body moving, exercising, and feeling good, then we won’t crave as much the junk food, the sugar, and the fattening fast food. Through exercising, we will start to become more in touch with how our body feels and then when it comes time for a “diet”, we will be more apt to naturally fall into a healthy one.

***Expect daily posts to resume this week!***

Visit my website: www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

I'm STEPPING IT UP!

Hi Everyone!

I'm STEPPING IT UP! 

Visit my new website:

www.StepItUpwithSteph.com

Have a great day!

Create Your Own Happiness

What are YOU doing to create your own happiness? So often we look to other people, and things, to bring us happiness, as if we think that magically happiness will find us. But why should we expect that we can sit back passively, waiting on someone or something to make us happy? Isn't it more empowering to believe that happiness is in our own hands? We can literally create our own happiness because being happy comes from within ourselves - it comes from how we treat ourselves, view ourselves, talk to ourselves, and what we do for ourselves. So today, and everyday, let's try to make an effort to do something to create our own happiness and in doing so, assert our power to make ourselves happy.

Defenselessness

How often do we feel the need to defend ourselves to others? How much time to we spend defending our actions and feelings to someone else? Defending yourself may be a conditioned response to a certain person, or you may only defend yourself because you are sensitive about certain things. Regardless of why you defend yourself, think about what good comes out of this behavior…then think about what would happen if you didn’t feel the need to defend yourself – if you simply allowed yourself to be more defenseless and experienced what that felt like. At first it will probably feel uncomfortable and almost definitely will not be easy, but it may bring about more peace and calm not only in your own body and mind, but also in your relationship with others.

Grumpy Agent Becomes First Class Hugger

Over Thanksgiving I tried to get on an earlier flight at the airport – the agent at the gate was quite rude and complaining about his horrible day to passengers. He was very short with me and made me feel like I was a bother for trying to get on the earlier flight. Looking at this as a challenge, I decided that I would try to get him to lighten and soften up before I boarded the plane. I periodically went up to him to check in, and try to crack a joke or ask him a personal question. Eventually, he ended up smiling at me when he told me I was able to board the earlier flight. 

How surprised was I when I got to my gate over Christmas, and low and behold, it was the same man working the gate! He recognized me and we waved and smiled at each other. I walked up to him and we chatted for a few minutes, and then he told one of his employees to change my ticket to first class! When I boarded the plane, he even gave me a hug and told me to come visit him whenever I’m flying. I’m still a bit shocked at how grumpy this man at seemed when I original met him, and how he warmed up after I relentlessly continued trying to be his friend J

Deciding to Keep Exercising

Once you’re working out, it may be easy to keep going. Or, you might hate every minute of it and make rationalizations for cutting your workout short. If you ever try to convince yourself to stop working out or to work out for 20 minutes instead of 40, think about this: What else would you be doing with your time? Will you really miss the extra 20 minutes in your day? In a few hours, are you going to be more happy that you gained 20 extra minutes in your day, or that you worked out your body for 20 extra minutes? 

Neck Break

Take a break in your day and slowly roll your neck down, around, up, and back around and down. Do this two times and then reverse directions. Don't forget to breathe!

Eat an Extra Piece of Fruit Today

Eat an extra 

apple, 

orange, 

pear, 

banana, 

handful of strawberries, 

grapes, 

blueberries, 

or raspberries 

today.

Choosing Not to Take Offense

Often times when we feel offended, we forget that it’s our choice whether or not we take offense. If we feel insulted or neglected, we are making a choice, consciously or unconsciously, to take offense and hence feel that way. Although we may think that we “automatically” feel offended by something, or that it’s impossible to not feel offended, we actually can start consciously choosing not to take offense. 

Pilates Exercise: Pull Your Belly Button In!

Place your hands on top of your belly button. When you inhale, feel your tummy expand and get bigger. When you breathe out, try to pull your belly button in, towards your spine. You can work on this while sitting, standing, or lying down. When you’re doing any sort of ab exercises lying down, pull your belly button down so much that you press your back flat into the mat. From this position, start doing your crunches, leg lifts, and any other ab exercises, remembering to pull the belly button in!

Step It Up Daily in the New Year!

Instead of making blanket resolutions like "I will begin to do yoga" or "I will workout more" or "I will be more kind" or "I will think more positively", let's make a resolution that can be applied daily or weekly in 2009. In other words, let's Step It Up more often in the new year! "I will practice yoga 3 times per week" or "I will do cardio exercise 5 times per week" or "I will say something nice to 2 people every day" or "I will change something negative into something positive once a day". Making more concrete resolutions will help ensure our commitment to Step It Up more often in the new year.

Reflect on the Past Year

Take a few moments today to reflect on the past year - what have you learned? What are you grateful for? What would you like to do differently in the new year? Try to write down a few of your reflections and feel free to look at them periodically in the new year.

Do You Speak Up?

Do you see someone harassing someone else and don’t say anything? Do you witness injustice around you and don’t speak up? Do you allow someone to do something to you that you don’t like, and you don’t speak up? Do you not speak up because you think someone else will? Are you afraid of what may happen if you speak up? Are you afraid you might get pulled into the situation? Or are you afraid of other people judging you? Whether you do or don’t speak up, reflect on why, and think about whether you need to speak up more – after all, if you don’t speak up, who will?

Taking Responsibility

When we think about taking responsibility, we usually think about being responsible for something or someone, or acting responsibly, i.e., not stupid or immaturely. However, taking responsibility can mean something totally different: it can empower us to be responsible for our own feelings and thoughts and avoid blaming others. Taking responsibility for our own lives can be challenging, but once we realize that our moods, feelings, and thoughts are completely in our control, taking responsibility will seem like the right thing to do.

Sugar is the New Cocaine

I love sugar and sweet treats. In fact, often I crave something sweet and am not satisfied until I get it. Interestingly, a friend of mine (who is a doctor of Naturopathy) sent me an article recapping a research study, which concluded that refined sugar is far more addictive than cocaine! 94% of rats who were allowed to choose between sugar water and cocaine chose sugar. Even rats who were originally addicted to cocaine quickly switched their preference to sugar once it was offered as a choice. Also, the rats were more willing to work for sugar than for cocaine! I’ll spare you the greater details of the study, but wow - this explains the difficulty I have between choosing between a chocolate brownie and a plate full of veggies! However, becoming conscious of your addictions is the first step in breaking them. What do you think? Sugar is the new cocaine - does anyone else feel they may have a sugar addiction?

Lend a Hand

Hold the door open for an extra 5 seconds when someone is following us into a store.

Help someone carry their groceries out to their car.

Allow two people to pull out in front of you while driving (instead of the usual 1 or 0).

Ask someone who seems to be struggling if you can help them.

There are infinite ways in which we can lend a hand to someone who may or may not be in need. Let’s step it up and lend a hand whenever we can. 

Work Out Harder with Non-Workout Based Goals

In my spinning classes, we do speed drills. For the longer speed drills and when we are riding at 90 to 100% of our maximum speed, instead of having students envision themselves on a road, going for the finish line (although I do give them this option), I encourage students to think about a goal or a dream they have, and use the speed drills to push themselves towards that goal or dream. Whether you’re in a spinning class at 100% speed or walking on the treadmill, try meditating on something you’d like to see come into fruition, and push yourself harder or longer to reach that goal while working out. 

Shoulder Rolls

Roll the shoulders forwards in a circular motion a few times, then backwards a few times. Then pull the shoulders up to the ears, bring them back, and slowly release them down. Doing shoulder rolls is a quick way to loosen up the shoulders, upper back, and neck muscles, and also a good way to get in touch with and release any tension that may be building up in your body. 

Complaining

We’ve all had days when everything seems to go wrong, and all we want to do is complain. We’ve also had days in which someone has complained to us, and we wonder, “Gosh, do I sound like her?!” What good does complaining do? The more we send out negative energy and vocalize what we don’t want or don’t like, the less positive energy we are able to send out to attract what we DO want. Next time you find yourself complaining, try to stop, reel it in, take a few deep breaths, and replace the complaint with something you are thankful for.

Step It Up!

Eat an extra serving of fruit.

Do cardio for an extra 5 minutes.

Hold the door longer for a slow-poke behind you.

Drink an extra glass of water.

Do 10 crunches while watching TV.

Let two cars go in front of you (instead of just one).

Drink a cup of green tea.

Somehow, someway, today, Step It Up!

Hunched Shoulders while Exercising

Something I've noticed in my workout classes is that almost everyone ends up hunching their shoulders when they are lifting weights, doing cardio, or even just stretching. While lifting weights, we are either unaware that our shoulders are rounding forward and hunching up towards our ears, or we are lifting too much weight and sacrificing proper form. While doing cardio, we often pay so much attention to our limbs that are moving and sacrifice our posture. While stretching and relaxing, the tops of the shoulders tend to make their way up towards the ears, regardless of if we are bending over or lifting our arms straight up. So wherever we are, whatever workout we're doing, let's try to pay attention to our hunched shoulders while exercising, and try to relax the shoulders while still getting a great workout.

Eat a GOOD Breakfast

I'm not a nutritionist, but from experience I know that when I eat a good, healthy, high-protein breakfast, that day's diet is very different from the days when I either skip breakfast or opt for half a piece of toast. Of course there are the breakfast obstacles: lack of time, on the run, looking forward to a big lunch, etc. But when you compare the days that you eat eggs, fruit, and orange juice to the days when you eat one piece of toast or a bowl of sugary cereal, I'm sure you'll agree that the types of foods you eat for most of the day seem to follow the suite of what you ate for breakfast. What you put in your body for the first time each day sets the expectations for what you'll be putting into it for the rest of the day. So let's try to eat a GOOD breakfast, for our body's sake, for our morning's sake, and for the sake of the entire day ahead.

30 Second Meditation

So you may not have 30 minutes, or even 3 minutes, but we ALL have 30 seconds in our day that we can put aside to sit, in quiet, and try to still our mind. Stilling the mind does not necessarily mean stopping the mind or restraining thoughts; rather, we can use 30 seconds a day to find inner calmness and peace by concentrating on thinking about nothing. Of course thoughts will move in and worries may creep up, but in the 30 second meditation, we won't allow ourselves to focus on them. Instead, we will focus on thinking about absolutely nothing, and try to create stillness in our minds that's generally hard to find. We can do this lying down, sitting in a chair, or standing up. However we practice our 30 second meditation, we will do it with a clear intent and a sincere desire to create peace, calmness, and stillness in our minds.

Listening Instead of Hearing

So many times we miss out on valuable conversations because we only hear the words coming from the other person in the conversation; we aren't actually listening to what they have to say. At first glance, the words "hearing" and "listening" may seem to mean the same thing, but really we can hear all sorts of things without actually listening to them. From my perspective, when we simply hear another person talking, it's possible for the words they are speaking to go in one ear and out the other. However, when we actually listen to another person talking, we are fully present in the conversation, focusing our attention on what they are saying, and actively partaking in the conversation. Next time you find yourself not fully committed to a conversation with another person, try listening to that person instead of just hearing what they have to say.

Your Own Yoga Practice

I took my first yoga class in high school. I absolutely hated it! I ended up tensing my muscles more than relaxing them and felt extremely uncomfortable in all of the postures. I felt like everyone around me was so much more advanced than me, and I was trying to do the advanced positions like everyone else, but failing. A few years later, in college, for some reason I decided to try it again. This time I tried to ignore how advanced the other students were, and just concentrate on relaxing. This new approach completely changed my experience. Instead of my mind racing 1000 miles a minute in anticipation of if I would be able to move into the next pose or hold the next position like everyone else, I just allowed myself to move at my own pace, accepting how my body was able to move and not comparing to others. Especially for beginners, I think it is extremely important to emphasize the non-competitive nature of yoga. Everyone has their own limitations, their own edges to push, and their own unique bodies and minds. Let's respect our individual selves and allow ourselves to be comfortable with where we are: on our own mats, in your own yoga practice.

A Simple Stretch

You can get a nice stretch while standing or even sitting on the couch or at your desk. Stand or sit up nice and tall, arms down at your sides. Inhale, stretch your arms out, and slowly raise them up. Exhale with your arms up overhead, stretching through your fingertips and making sure to release your shoulders--don't hunch! Take one more inhale here, and then exhale, bringing your arms out and down to your sides. Repeat as many times as you'd like. Each time, feel your torso lengthening and your rib cage expanding as you inhale. You're not only stretching, but you're also creating more space in your body, which is a wonderful thing!

Getting There is the Hardest Part

Do you have a gym membership you’re not making use of, and it's not because you don't have the time? Could you maybe squeeze in 20 minutes of exercise, but you can’t motivate yourself to go to the gym? Sometimes getting there is the hardest part, then once you’re working out, you wonder why it took you so long to get there in the first place. If this sounds like you, here are a few things to think about to get yourself motivated:

What else will you be doing for the next 20 minutes?

The cookies you’re eating will be there when you get back.

You’ll feel more energized afterwards.

Your body deserves to be taken care of.

You’ll work out for 5 minutes then see how you feel.

If not now, when?  The time is NOW!

Are You Breathing?

Stop. Listen. Do you hear your breath? I didn’t think so! Inhale and count to 4, then exhale and count to 4. Do this as many times as you’d like until you begin to naturally inhale and exhale for 4 counts each.