Better Body San Diego Podcast Better Body San Diego

We've all heard of "time zones," "slow speed zones," "construction zones," "no fly zones," "school zones" and the like, but I would like to introduce you to the NO EXCUSE ZONE. As you embark on a new month and a new fall season, you have an important choice to make. Are you going to jump on the train to a healthy and fit lifestyle or opt for a layover until the New Year’s resolution season rolls around? 
NOW is do or die for establishing a fitness routine before the busy holiday season arrives. Don’t miss out on this small window of opportunity to get back into the healthy habits that you may have abandoned during the past months. It’s time to bust through your excuses and establish a routine that will get you the results you want. Welcome, to the NO EXCUSE ZONE.
Fitness Together Mission Hills offers personal training with qualified professionals by regular appointment in private suites. Exercise and nutritional programs are custom designed to fit your needs and abilities. Call 619-794-0014 for more information or to schedule a free fitness diagnostic and private training session. See what others are saying about us on Yelp and San Diego CitySearch.

What does it take to be a runner? Short shorts, bright socks, $100 shoes, a GPS watch and personalized playlists? Maybe a dog, water bottles attached to your hips and joining a running gang that meets before sunrise to get mileage in?Well, in all actuality, being a runner only means putting one foot in front of the other, again and again, until the next thing you know you’ve put together enough continuous steps to run one mile, then two, three and four. It really is that simple. If you are new to running and not sure where to start, follow these 10 simple steps to make running fun, enjoyable and part of your regular fitness routine. 

http://fitnesstogether.com/missionhills - With summer temperatures on the rise, it can be hard to focus on your workouts and keep your eye on the prize. As sweat drips down your face and clothes stick in various places, it's a lot easier to throw in the towel and accept defeat, instead of sticking to your routine and beating the heat. To keep from melting away this summer, overcome the intense hot sun with a consistent fitness routine that is active, cool and fun. 
Say Hello to Hydration
Drinking enough water throughout the year is an important component for everyone's lifestyle. But when temperatures climb in the hot summer months and you are active outdoors, consistently drinking enough water is even more critical to maintaining your health and safety.
Hydration before a workout in the heat is really important. And the more you perspire during your workout the more water you need to drink.  Drink eight to 12 ounces of water before you work out in the heat and then consistently throughout the workout. Drink a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. You've just had six to eight hours of having no water in your system so it’s important to replenish your water supply first thing in the morning.
While drinking an adequate amount of water is an important factor when exercising outside in the summer, it's also important to keep tabs on other elements that can contribute to heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Some of these additional contributing factors include body size, exercise intensity, fitness level, age, humidity and air temperature.
You can get twice the effect working out in the heat than when you are inside. You can work out for a shorter amount of time and reap the same rewards as long as you monitor hydration and watch for the warning signs of heat exhaustion.
Working out in the heat does provide some elements of danger, so take extreme care if you feel dizziness, headache or begin to feel faint, as these are all common signs of heat exhaustion.
Hit the Pool to Stay Cool
Summertime equals swimming time for most kids and families, but taking your workouts to the pool can also be a great way to stay cool while being active this summer. Swimming laps is a great total body cardio and resistance training workout, but you don't have to be a strong swimmer to benefit from exercising in the water. A good non-swimming pool workout  is simply running or walking back and forth in the shallow end of the pool as many times as you can in a set amount of time to get a high-intensity but low impact workout. Alternating between treading water and resting in the deep end of the pool for a set number of one-minute intervals also can be an effective summertime workout. The power of water as a built-in resistance tool can allow you to burn a maximum amount of calories in a relatively short amount of time.
Head Indoors for a Healthy Exercise Environment
If grueling hot temperatures are weighing you down and keeping you from getting in your outdoor workouts, take your exercise routine inside for a more stable and consistent environment. Working out indoors can help protect you from the outdoor elements of the summer season and allow you to focus more on getting in a good workout, and less on how hot you are. It also can provide a good opportunity to try out new equipment, small group classes or exercises that you commonly may not do in an outdoor environment.
In your journey for health, discipline is one of the best things you can do for yourself. When it comes to beating the heat, don't let hot temperatures be an excuse and don’t let them stop you from getting your workout in. Once the "excuse cycle" begins, workouts fall by the wayside, only for us to look up down the line with regret. Whether you work out inside or outdoors, the most important thing this is to keep your exercises fun and challenging, while maintaining consistency when the "heat is on," OR OFF.
Fitness Together Mi(continued)

http://fitnesstogether.com/missionhills -- The total package of living a healthy lifestyle not only includes being physically fit, but also mentally strong. The same energy and attention you put into building your body's strength, endurance and flexibility should also be applied to having a positive attitude and perspective on life. It takes combining mental and physical strength with solid nutrition habits to build a body and brain that can successfully work together to accomplish your life's goals.
Mind Over Matter
Living a well-balanced healthy lifestyle starts with focusing on your mental, physical and nutritional health during your daily life activities. If you are not 100 percent on your nutrition, training and attitude, one or all of those is bound to suffer. Your attitude in the weight room, on the elliptical or while using the battle rope has to stay with you while you are on the construction site, taking care of the kids or sitting in your office.
One of the first steps to obtaining a strong body and healthy mind is to have solid, attainable goals before beginning the journey of health and fitness. Without a goal, or at least a vision in mind, you will most likely end up spinning your wheels or finding yourself working toward the impossible. Set your sights high, but be aware of the fine line between being realistic and completely impractical.
An example of a realistic and challenging goal might be to add 20 pushups to your existing maximum set of 15 within eight weeks. This type of approach gives you a clear-cut goal that can be broken down into smaller increments, making the challenge both mentally and physically achievable. Setting goals this way is much easier to manage and keep track of, and, make little tweaks along the way. Strength of the mind and the body will follow.
Active Lifestyles Breed Healthy Habits
Proper nutrition and exercise go hand in hand for achieving mental and physical health. While illness, stress, depression and other outside influences can take their toll on mental and physical health, each of these conditions has been shown to be diminished with the right diet and exercise plan.
While there is no one right way to train or eat, and while not every diet or program works for everyone, the two must be combined and work synergistically for the best possible outcome. The hormonal response the body puts out when undergoing these activities has been proven by science time and time again to illicit happy thoughts and less stress.
To accomplish total body health and fitness, it's important to incorporate strength training, cardio and mobility into your fitness regimen. A consistent cardio routine is key to keeping the heart healthy, enhancing your body's recovery and improving longevity, while lifting weights is an integral component to building strength, burning calories and accelerating fat loss. Weight training builds lean muscle, which in turn burns more calories because your body must use energy to build and maintain your muscles. More calories burned can lead to an increase in fat loss, making for a healthier and happier you.
Eat Well to Be Fit
When people think about eating healthy, the first thing that often comes to mind is reducing what they eat and taking away certain foods. Many people skip meals in an effort to lose weight and become more fit. This is not the answer, as you have to focus first, on simply eating to establish a healthy nutrition plan, which is all about portions size, frequency and quality of calories in. While you may lose weight (by skipping meals), you are in no way getting more fit. You are not building or retaining lean muscle. You are not recovering from your workouts. You are not getting vitamins and minerals. You are not feeding your brain. You are not going to keep your hormones in check and you are simply not feeding your body the raw energy (calories) it needs.
It is important to choose the right foods at least 95 percent of the time. Eat(continued)

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January in July: Re-Commit to Your Resolutions this Summer 
Do you make health and fitness resolutions to start out the New Year, but end up abandoning them before the first summer heat wave? Are you having a difficult time living a healthy and fit lifestyle this summer with the lure of outdoor barbecues and poolside parties?
Have no fear – resolutions aren’t just for the start of the New Year any more.
Now that you have hit the mid-point of the year, July is the perfect time to re-align your health and fitness goals. Close out the second half stretch strong and feeling great with the following tips to re-commit to your resolutions and incorporate fitness into your daily activities.
Set Real Resolutions for Real Results
One of the biggest obstacles for staying on track and achieving your resolutions is setting realistic goals that focus on long-term health and fitness results. Short-term goals of losing a certain amount of weight in only a few days or weeks is not only potentially dangerous, but can set you into a vicious start/stop workout cycle. Instead, break out your long-term fitness goals into short-range achievements that you can realistically accomplish. This approach will leave you feeling motivated and focused as you progress toward your ultimate fitness goals.
People generally set unrealistic goals.  So when they don’t achieve losing “100 pounds in six months”, they feel like a failure. Try to be realistic, taking into account the time you have available, work and family commitments and how committed you are to sticking to the nutrition side of the program.
The biggest battle is good nutrition, which means sticking with real, unprocessed whole foods. You shouldn’t have to be a rocket scientist to understand food labels. If you don’t know what the ingredients are on a food label, put it back on the shelf and move on to healthier options. Keep it simple and keep it real to stick with your health and fitness resolutions. Portion size, frequency and quality are key.
Carve Out Time for Fun Fitness Activities On the Road and At Home
Summer is a great time to take a break with a relaxing vacation. But that doesn’t mean you should vacate from a consistent exercise program. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. The 30-minute sessions should include aerobic exercise to work the heart and lungs as well as resistance exercises on alternate days to strengthen your core, tighten your stability and improve balance. If you’re unable to commit to a full 30 minutes, break it up into 10-minute sessions throughout your busy day.
In a short 10 minutes, you can do some pushups, squats and some walking lunges. No matter where you are on vacation, have a resistance band in your suitcase and either walk or run. On alternate days, do bodyweight exercises for 30 minutes. Not much time taken out of your day. Most resorts have posh fitness facilities and great staffs; check it out.
When you’re at home, the summer may make you feel lazy. But it actually is the perfect time to be active outdoors with your friends and family. Whether you prefer a solo early morning walk, run, bicycle ride or swim before temperatures heat up or an evening bike ride and sunset walk with your family, it’s easier to find time to work out if you schedule it before or after the busy part of your day. As summer turns to fall, you may need to adjust your workout schedule to align with your family’s back-to-school commitments.  Just make sure that working out and staying fit is a top priority for you and your family.
Find Something You Love and Someone You Love to be Around
If you are struggling with taking the first step to an active lifestyle, start out simple by finding an active outlet that you enjoy doing.  If you can grab a partner in fitness to share the experience, that’s even b(continued)

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STAY GREEN WITH AN ACTIVE FITNESS ROUTINE
While tree leaves and backyard lawns are well known for appearing in shades of glorious green colors this time of year, you also can bring some green to your fitness routine as you embark on living a healthy and fit lifestyle this spring. Summer is the perfect time to focus on the Three R’s of the environment by incorporating the following green tips into your active fitness routine.
Reduce:  While the common attitude in today’s culture is, “more is better,” the health and vitality of the planet relies on fewer toxins in the air for the betterment of the world and the people who live in it.  You can not only improve the health of Mother Earth but also your fitness level by focusing this spring on reducing the car exhaust and emissions that escape from your vehicle and household into the atmosphere. You can reduce your family’s carbon footprint by riding your bike to run errands, drop off/pick up your kids from school and perform any other transportation duties around your neighborhood. You also can reduce the electricity you use to work out by trading in the electrically powered treadmill for an outdoor track or running/walking path.
Reuse: The past generations of our grandparents and great-grandparents lived in a time when reusing everything was more of a norm than it is today. You can get back to your roots and make the Earth a better place to live for future generations by reusing many of your day-to-day items, ranging from plastic grocery bags to sandwich baggies and water bottles. You can start implementing a zero-waste philosophy during your workouts by eliminating the waste of plastic water bottles and paper water cups commonly found at workout facilities and endurance events. Instead, bring your own reusable water container with you during all of your workout activities and carry a reusable bottle with you throughout your day to ensure that your daily water drinking routine is green.
Recycle: One of the best ways to make your workout routine green this spring is to incorporate your daily calorie burn with giving back to the community once or twice each month. For instance, you can volunteer at a local recycling center to get a good workout lifting and organizing recyclable goods. You also can get up and get active outside the house by recycling your lawn and garden clippings.   Take your workout routine to greener levels this summer by incorporating these few simple tips into your daily life and fitness regimen. By getting outside and getting active you will not only make a difference in your health and fitness, but also help to make a difference in the world and community in which you live.