GET TRACKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

Good Morning my fellow fitness warriors!

Today, I am going to "side-track" from the fitness tips and give you some insight on some physical and social environments that possibly play a HUGE factor in your health and fitness lifestyles as well. 

Have you ever wondered if where you live and the spaces surrounding you make a difference in your health and well being? 

Well, I've been doing some research on a specific neighborhood that's been getting HUGE recognition as the new "it" spot for the place to live. It's PORT RICHMOND, Philadelphia! Yes, you read right! It's the part of the city that all health and fitness experts have been raving about. It's surrounded by the Delaware River, has a newly developed running/walking trail and where inner city dwellers want to move to.

 

As part of my research, I conducted several participatory observations of the Port Richmond Neighborhood, watched the natural interactions of neighborhood residences, interviewed several people and asked them about their experiences and how they see Port Richmond and read literature pertaining to similar edge cities and factors that contribute to why people want to move to neighborhoods like Port Richmond.

I've found that people like a lot of the same things such as space, accessibility to public transportation and resources, neighborhood cohesion, affordability and it's only a short distance to center city. 

There were parts of the research where I thought racial distribution would be an issue when people thought about moving to Port Richmond but there was actually no data/evidence supporting that people used race as a determining factor when choosing to live here! 

Port Richmond is the happy medium between living in a compact center city and living in an overly isolated suburban space. It connects people to the fast-paced lifestyle of the metropolitan area yet grounds families in a pleasant atmosphere. 

It's amazing how these simple things that we take for granted every day are the necessary things most people look for when they're looking for the right spot to build health and well-being. I hope that you find your way to Port Richmond now that you know a few things and the benefits of living in the Port Richmond Neighborhood! Check out their neighborhood! http://portrichmondphl.org/

See you later! :) 

WEEKEND WARRIOR FITNESS TIPS

CALLING ALL MY WEEKEND WARRIORS!


Do you dread taking the Annual Physical Fitness Test? Do you prepare for the fitness test 1-2 months out? Do you lack motivation to work out to exceed standards? Are you passing with just the minimum standards to meet regulation? Do you strive to maybe one day get that 300?

If you answered yes to any of these questions...you've come to the right place! I'd like to talk about how changing my mental thinking standards about the fitness test and mentally and physically preparing for that 300 finally got me there! Come back for daily tips to improve on reaching that 300 goal!

It took me 5 years from the day I joined the military to finally get a 300 on my Army Physical Fitness test. We all know it's only taken once a year so it gets easy to wait 2 months out before most of us prepare for it. My mentality was "OK, I need 17 push ups, 53 sit ups, and an 18 Minute  two mile run to pass" (This is roughly the minimum standard for Army Females) It may be different for other branches.

Sounds easy enough right? Wrong! When I had those numbers in my head, I had the worst time preparing for the fitness test. Most of us struggled to just get even that! It wasn't until I changed my mental thinking that my numbers started to rise.

For months, I reminded myself that in order to pass the Army Physical Fitness Test I had to have 50 push ups, 85 sit ups and a 15 minute two mile run. I overestimated the numbers so I had wiggle room. And it sounds crazy but it worked! It got to the point where I couldn't remember what the "minimum" 60% standards were anymore and I prepared for just those maximum numbers. And I never looked back!

How I started? Different Story but I want to give you this first tip: Strive for that 300, strive to be the best, strive to really give it your all! And the most important part...you can do it!

TIP: Write down the maximum number needed for your fitness test that will get you 100% across the board. If you use your phone all the time...set alarms or notifications reminding you everyday. Mentally prepare yourself by doing this and telling yourself you WANT this! 

FOOD FOOD FOOD!

Good Morning aspiring health and fitness Enthusiasts!

I hope the walk/jog wasn't too cold and you felt good! How was your breathing? Did you find a good rhythm to walk to? Let me know what worked for you!

I was thinking about how most people move their bodies when their walking. Sometimes I get self conscious if I move my arms too much or walking too fast. When I am taking brisk walks with my dogs, I really like to get my whole body in motion.

I've experienced that when I'm actively moving my arms and legs, twisting my core and keeping a good posture..I definitely can get a full body workout in just 30 minutes. Keep walking/jogging this week and then next week we can add just a little bit more intensity.

Today, I was thinking about how the food you eat is the BIGGEST part of being healthy and fit. I spent most of my exercising life just exercising and fluctuating my eating habits. I tried going cold turkey and eating just grilled chicken and salad. Turns out, that actually doesn't do much for my body when I incorporate exercising. It took me a couple months to figure out some of the ins and outs of food that helped my body change. I'm still experimenting and learning but definitely see progress. It was very slow progress for me because I LOVE eating and habits die hard.

I started with eating a healthy breakfast first because it was the only time I knew I could make a conscious health decision when starting to eat healthy. I was never a coffee/soda/tea drinker so it made it easy to not have to cut that out first. You definitely can start with eating a healthy breakfast and I recommend buying lots of eggs and liquid egg whites. (Yes, that sounds bad but it's actually great). I was wasting so many egg yolks just to get the egg whites but later learned the liquid egg whites were just fine! Today I'm having 2 whole eggs + 3 egg whites + 1/2 cup lean ground turkey + 1/2 cup chopped spinach scrambled! It's delicious, try it and let me know what you think!

Make breakfast your new healthy meal for the next 5 days and you'll start building new healthy habits!
Remember, you WANT this and you CAN have it!

Leave Comments/questions you may have and I can give you advice on what I know worked for me! 

One Change at a Time

Good Morning!

I could barely sleep last night because I kept thinking about what I would write about in my next blog! I dreamt of so many different things and decided I’d like to reach out to those that don’t know where the starting point is but are ready to get started to start (Prepare to Prepare!)

First and foremost,

Have you told yourself how AWESOME you are and how much you WANT to be healthy and/or lose weight? Be happy knowing you have the strength and power to do whatever you DESIRE!

• TODAY! After you’ve realized how much you WANT the change, go out for a brisk walk/jog for 20-30min.   – Focus on your breathing rhythm, how many steps per breath you take. Try counting 1, 2, 3, exhale and see which foot you land on. Then once you get moving faster, you can control your breathing by counting steps! For some, the weather may be freezing so bundle up and get to stepping! That’s all! Forget about the naysayers and enjoy the experience of positive change!

If you are at the beginning stages of getting healthy and fit and you haven’t run ANY distance since probably high school or any form of exercise, then keep coming back for tips on the progress to building yourself up!

SEE YOU LATER! :)

Prepare to Prepare for Change!

Hey! 

My name is Amanda and I'm giving tips on how to get started to start your new year fresh and fun! There are tons of resolutions that get started but don't quite make it to the finish line because of piss poor planning! BUT it's not your fault! Our whole lives we've been taught to eat healthy and exercise regularly but no one tells us how to do it and how to get started! 

I joined the military 8 years ago in the worst shape of my life and was put on a weight control plan before I was allowed to leave for Basic Training. I spent a few weeks running, doing push ups and sit ups. I controlled my eating (slightly) just to make weight to enlist. There was no step by step guide to help me get started on starting my fitness/health goals. I've learned through failing and failing and failing and then piecing together things I've experienced and learned. I hope that you will follow me on my experiences and try them for yourself! 

For my first blog I'd like to tell you my first step in starting to start your health and fitness life! 

Believing in yourself that you WANT to be healthy or lose weight! 

Telling yourself you NEED to lose weight won't change your long term goal!

So, start with "I WANT to be healthy, I WANT to lose weight" 

Actions follow Desire so if you desire something...most likely you find a way to get it! 

Follow my blog if you desire to be healthy and lose weight - I'll post daily steps/tips you can incorporate each day in becoming the better you!!! 

SEE YOU TOMORROW! :)