How To Encourage Your Friends to Live a Healthy Lifestyle...Hump Day 7/13/2016

THROW BACK PHOTO

Can you name the Event & Year?

How To Encourage Your Friends to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

...Lead by Example

If you're like most people, you have some rather unhealthy friendships. I don't mean relationships with friends who chip away at your self-esteem, make self-destructive choices, or consider you their number-one crisis management resource (although, you may have some of those, too).

In this case I'm talking about friends who spur you on to order fries and dessert when you're out, would rather get a root canal than go for a jog, and who consider "broccoli" a swear word. When your friends live unhealthy lifestyles, it can be difficult to find a common ground amid the Margarita Mondays and Taco Tuesdays. Double the difficulty if your healthy habits are new for you. Your friends might feel blindsided by this new (albeit improved) you, and never mind the fact that munching on the lonely side of carrot sticks among the plates of gooey, cheesy nachos and fried mozzarella sticks is just plain hard.

Need some help with how to handle this tricky situation?

Keep your eye on the prize. You've worked too hard to give into the temptation of bar food on a regular basis. Which, to be honest, isn't even all that great. Don't let one moment master you. Instead, load up on water and a healthy, satisfying snack right before your outing. And think hard about the ingredients that went into the food in front of you. Mentally dissecting that queso dip may make you lose your appetite for it. Even better: you can almost always find a healthy happy hour snack option. Whether it's a plate of veggies and hummus, veggies and salsa, steamed edamame, or some decadent-tasting shrimp cocktail, healthy options exist if you're willing to seek them out (even if it means asking the server for something that isn't on the menu). You never know when a little positive peer pressure might kick in, and have your buddies reaching for the black bean burger sliders.
Offer up some alternate activities. Enroll in a healthy cooking class, art class, or even a kickboxing class. Or, how about subbing out Marg Mondays for Walking Wednesdays? Maybe even research an upcoming charity walk that supports a cause you and your friends are passionate about. You never know - your group might be wanting to make a change in their own health habits as well, and may just need a little nudge from you. Plus, chances are that you are a powerful walking advertisement for healthy living, with your increased energy, stronger physique, and lower stress levels.
Don't put off your own success for the sake of your pals. Does your trainer session conflict with Sunday brunch? Go exercise! Nobel Peace Prize recipient Albert Schweitzer once said that "Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing." Your pals will likely end up admiring your dedication to exercise, and may be inspired themselves. Not only that, but you'll feel so much better for having stuck to your priorities.

The best case scenario is that your friends will be inspired to improve their own health, too. Regardless of that, however, if your friendships are worth their weight in hot wings, they will be accepting and supportive of your efforts to improve your health.

Keep up the good work. You never know how far the ripples of your perseverance will spread to those around you.

Our Trainers are here to help! Our Philosophy

Time to put one in...You deserve a high five!

Terry Rice

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK

Get to the Park for this Great Workout

10 Rounds of 10
Step Ups
Push Ups
Groiners
Box Squats

BODY COMP ASSESSMENT AUGUST 12!

Body Fat Re-Test

For those of you who pre- tested and paid for the Body Comp retest, GET TANKED will be testing at the Studio August 12th. We will will have a sign up sheet available next week for you to get Re-Tanked!

IT'S 2016 HALFTIME ...ARE YOU ON TRACK?

Tips for getting your 2016 resolutions back on track

Not to bum you out, but we've officially passed the mid-point of the year. If you're as surprised and horrified by this information as we were, don't panic; you still have 183 days to make the best of your resolutions.

Health & fitness goals

Let's be honest; most of us spend the first day of January dunking cheese fries into bacon fat in an attempt at alleviating our hangover pain. As such, it's not exactly the best date on which to begin executing on our health goals. July 13, however, may make for a slightly better start date, as you're likely to have some momentum going into it because we're already deep into swimsuit season. Not sure where or how to begin to tackle your forgotten resolutions? Here's a guide to kick-starting your diet and exercise plan.

The hardest part of getting in shape is knowing where to start-but with a clear direction, an open mind and a solid dose of dedication, it can be done. Whether you're looking to overhaul your lifestyle or simply get back on track after a derail, we put together a guide to jump-start your wellness journey. From delicious, simple recipes to exercises you can do in your own home, try these tips for a healthier, happier you.

Diet

We've all heard the age-old adage time and time again-breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Well, it is! Always eat a healthy well balanced breakfast to help wake up your metabolism.
Pre-plan your work-week lunches so your not tempted to get a quick take-out fat bomb burger.
Find ways to to work a healthy dose of vegetables into your diet and meal plans

Exercise

Take steps toward incorporating more exercise into your existing workout routine, perhaps adding a workout on Saturdays. You'll look better, feel better and the sense of accomplishment is highly rewarding.
Remember to take advantage of rest days, your body needs to recover from all the work you're putting in... Take a long walk on rest days to loosen up sore muscles and be in the outdoors.

Note: Research has shown that it's easier to change your environment than it is to change your behavior, so rather than keeping a cupboard full of cookies and hoping you'll have the willpower to eat them in moderation, we suggest you purge them from your life altogether.

HEALTHY RECIPE OF THE WEEK

How to Make Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt

Incredibly easy to make, grilled zucchini is a quick and delicious summer side dish.

For more tender zucchini, leave slices in the pan an extra 1 minute on each side. When the flesh starts to look translucent, the zucchini is done.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 medium zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Directions

PARMIGIANO-CRUMBED: Prepare base recipe. Chop 1 1/2 ounces ciabatta bread. Place bread and 1/2 teaspoon thyme in a food processor; pulse 10 times. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Add bread mixture; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Combine zucchini, bread mixture, and 2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano. Serves 4 CALORIES 94
MINT GREMOLATA: Prepare base recipe. Combine 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint, 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon rind, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and 2 minced garlic cloves. Divide zucchini evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with gremolata. Serves 4 CALORIES 72
CAPRESE "SALSA": Prepare base recipe. Combine 1/3 cup diced tomato, 2 ounces sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, and 1 minced garlic clove in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar to tomato mixture; stir gently. Divide zucchini evenly among 4 plates. Top zucchini evenly with tomato mixture. Serves 4 CALORIES 106

SCHEDULE ONLINE

Check out our new Conditioning and X-train PACK classes online

Click here to view our class schedule and get committed!

Statistics show that when you schedule your workout ahead of time, you are more likely to follow through and stick to your plan.

Sticking to your plan means reaching your goals! Did you know that you can book your classes online 30 days out? That's a month of making your workouts happen! Are you up for the challenge?

Let us know if you can't make it...

We understand plans may change. With that in mind, we have a very simple cancellation policy:

If you can not make it to your scheduled workout session,

please be respectful to our trainers and other clients.