Your Metabolic Firestarter
Welcome to Day 8 of ‘The 14 Days of Simplicity’
If you want to kickstart your metabolism and get that internal firestarter working for you and not against you, listen up!
You need more muscle on your body! Why? Because muscle burns about three ties more calories then fat. Everyday that we age our body is losing more muscle mass and is more easily able to gain body fat, especially visceral fat around our vital organs, so you need to start now!
The key is to add a combination of targeted strength training moves to your weekly routine, that will not only challenge your larger muscle groups such as your chest, back, shoulder and legs but also your smaller stabilizing muscles of these areas as well as a balanced whole-core-trunk stabilizing and strengthening routine.
Some easy ways to incorporate muscle strengthening and building moves into your day:
- When watching TV hold plank for your first commercial, do pushups for the second, lunges on one leg for the third and the opposite leg for the fourth. Repeat this every time a commercial comes on. Now you want snack on sweets, instead you’ll be firming up your sweet cheeks!
- Hold Uttkatasana (seated chair pose) while you brush your teeth or wait for the kettle to boil or smoothie to blend.
- At work set the timer on your phone for 2 minutes, stand up and push your chair supported against the wall, now squat – tapping your bum to your chair for the full 2 minutes until the bell rings.
Simple, yet effective tips that won’t change your body overnight but will get you going and have you amazed at how these small intervals of movement change your level of motivation, help you choose healthier meals afterwards and how much better a connection you are building within yourself. I firmly believe and educate that EVERY single step you take in the right direction is an AMAZING one, don’t judge it, don’t attach to it, just frigging do it!
For those of you who have more then a few moments to spare and are ready to kick some ass in your health and give some juice to your Metabolic Firestarter, I want you to hit it hard with a schedule that looks like this:
Monday – Pilates or Vinyasa based yoga
Tuesday – 20 minute strength training circuit plus 20 minutes of interval based cardio
Wednesday – Vinyasa based yoga
Thursday – Front Body Opener Yoga class – think chest, heart, hips and quads
Friday – 30 minute combo of strength training and cardio built into a circuit
Saturday – Vinyasa based yoga
Sunday – chill out or go for a walk outside, do a gentle yoga practice or simply enjoy
That’s right 6 days per week of exercise, put your eyes back in your head LOL, YOU WERE BORN TO MOVE not to sit 2-3 hours per day driving or 8 per day in your office chair.
I choose yoga more then anything else because it pulls every aspect of not only only your physical health and well-being together but also your mental and emotional pieces, plus everywhere in between hiding in the layers of life. You are asked to hold, squeeze, open, breath, flow, endure and smile through it all. Learning to be okay with being uncomfortable can give you some of the best answers and tools to uncover and peel back the many layers of who you are.
Yoga is also my TOP choice for reducing stress, managing cortisol, increasing your body’s response to insulin and diminishing insulin-resistance, improving your sleep, balancing out your hormones, banishing belly bulge, increasing your bone density and teaching your insides to smile brighter enough to see and FEEL it on the outside. What ever form of movement you choose, all I ask is that you be consistent, you pick something that brigs you joy and become part of a group or environment that will elevate you higher, cheer for you when you do well and pick you up when you don’t.
Love your body, nourish it well, move it often and feed it joy!
Much love and potential to you all
Jenn xo