Getting Ready for Spring Part 3

  Spring is just around the corner, and even though its cold now, we will soon be breaking out the tank-tops and sundresses. My past posts have been about cleaning up the food-part of your life, but this post is different. A healthy diet is necessary but an active lifestyle is key to over-all health. Spring is about new beginnings for everything and everyone, and its a great time to start a healthy journey or take yours up a notch!

#1
Starting Your Active Lifestyle. This is easier, much easier, than it sounds!  Maybe you don't think you have time, the equipment, or know-how to workout or get active, but you don't need a lot of any of those! Being active can be accomplished in a number of ways! Like; parking your car out a little further from the store, walking or riding a bike to work or school(if you live near enough), or walking the dog. Working out doesn't have to take hours, 20 or 30 minutes is plenty! You don't need any equipment but your body to get results! I encourage you to take a few minutes to think about how you can incorporate working out into your day. I like the saying, 'If you have time for Facebook, you have to workout!' because it is true! Spring is a great time to jump start your active lifestyle because the weather is warmer and you can be outside a lot more, plus you want to look good in those short-sleeves and bathing suites right?

 #2
Kicking your Workouts up a notch. So, maybe you are already pretty active, but you are doing the same old thing everyday. Most people(including myself) are guilty or doing the same exercise everyday. Changing it up every week or so is very important to see results. Spring is a great time to try out new workouts or exercises. I know for myself, I am working on sculpting my arms to look good in tank-tops and short-sleeves. Also, its important to focus on the whole body, not just one part of it. I am not just lifting weights to try and tone my arms, but I am working my whole body with several different workouts. Here is a quick, full-body workout you can try to get ready for Spring!

50 Squat Jumps( Works the legs. Starting in a squat and jump, landing with bent knees, repeat.)
10 Push-ups (Works the chest, arms and core. Start in a Plank position and press up and down.)
10 Butterfly Crunches.( Works the thighs and core. With the legs in a lifted 'butterfly' position, and arms behind the head, bring you head to met your feet.)
50 Calf Raises (Works the Calves. Standing up straight, simple go on your tippy toes and the back down. repeat)
50 Bumble Bee Pulses (Works the shoulders and arms. Standing or sitting, hold your arms out to your side and pulse up and down)
50 Bunny Hops ( Works the legs. Bend your knees and start 'hopping' up and down in place)
50 Duck Squats (Works the legs. Start with you legs a little wider than your shoulders and your toes pointed out. Squat up and down.)

See? Working out doesn't have to take a lot of time, equipment or know-how! That workout is pretty simple, but repeating it a few times or pairing it with a run or some yoga can make it a full-blown exercise routine! Please be careful and only do this workout if you are able! I don't want you to get hurt!

I hope this post encourages you to be active and start a working out, or take your daily workouts up a notch! Getting Ready for Spring is exciting and fun for every part of your life! If you liked this post, check out my other Spring post (Getting Ready for Spring Part 1 and 2) and please share with a friend!

Pictures are from http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

Keep healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Ab Burning Workout

This is a workout that I made a few days ago and I wanted to share it with you! It is made to target mainly the abs but it also works several other body parts. I did it in about 30-40 minutes so its not a really long workout. I was sweaty when I finished, which to me, means it was a good workout!

Get ready to burn those abs!

100 Jumping Jacks
50 Crunches
50 Squats
25 Push-ups
15 Tricep Dips
20 Vertical Toe Touches
20 Bicycle Crunches
30 Genie Abs
100 Jumping Jacks
50 Sit-ups
50 Squats
25 Push-ups (or to change it up you can do V-Push-ups)
50 Plank Runs
40 sec. Side Plank (Per side)
5 Burpees
20 Plank Punches
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Plié Squats
10 Push-ups
10 Leg Lifts
10 Lunges (Per Leg)
20 Leg Pulses
50 sec. Low Plank
Child's Pose
Downward Facing Dog
Ankle Holds
Deep Breaths.

   And that's the Ab Burning Workout! Just as a reminder, make sure that you are capable of doing all the exercises in this workout. I don't want anyone getting hurt! If you tried this workout, let me know what you thought! If you have any questions about the workout or a particular exercise in it, let me know in the comments below!

Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

FitBit

  On Black Friday I got a FitBit Flex . Its a fitness tracker that tracks your steps, calorie burn, active minutes, your sleep and you can log your food, workouts and water intake. I had been wanting one for a while and I am so excited that I finally have one!

Why I wanted a FitBit
 I wanted a FitBit because I wanted to be able to track my activity and calorie burn more accurately. My Dad had owned a Jawbone in the past but he hadn't had too much luck with them working well for a long time. And, since I don't own an Apple device I needed a fitness tracker that had an app for the Samsung devices. FitBit fulfilled all those requirements!

What do I think so far?
I love my FitBit! I wear it all the time, except for in the shower. It is waterproof but I don't want to take any chances! I love getting up in the morning and seeing how well I slept that night and during the day I can check my calorie burn and number of steps! I am much more aware of the need to move more now because I want to reach by daily goals!  I also love the fact that I can set silent alarms to go off to wake me up! The FiBit on my wrist just vibrates enough to wake me up! Its much nicer than an annoying alarm clock!

What does a FitBit do?
Well, for starters, its a fitness tracker. It tracks your movement, calorie burn and activity level as well as your sleep and number of steps. You can program it to wake you up in the morning, remind you during the day to get moving and you can check it with a tap of the finger to the device to see how close you are to reaching your goal! It so motivating to check it during the day and see your progress. It also tell you how many calories to eat based on your needs. As you log your food during the day it tells you how many more calories you need to eat! There are also challenges you can try to compete against other FitBit owners.

  I didn't do any research into other brands of fitness trackers, besides the Jawbone because I knew which one I wanted for my needs. My Dad has ordered a fitness tracker from WiThings and I am excited to see how this one is different from my FitBit.

Let me know if you have a FitBit or other fitness tracker and how you like it, what all it does and how long  you've had it!

Please share my blog with a friend if you have enjoyed my posts! Also, follow be on Pinterest under Hannah Plunkett!

Keep it Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Turkey Trot

  Thanksgiving day my family and I went to run in the Turkey Trot 8k. The Turkey Trot is a 8k run that benefits the Kidney Foundation.  For most of us it was our first race ever! We had to get up really early and spend the start of the day freezing outside. Not a typically start to a Thanksgiving day right? But, the excitement of the people around us kept our thoughts away from the cold!  My Mom, little brother and little sisters did the 5k fun run/walk while my older brother, Dad and I ran in the 8k. I had been training for this since we signed up, but I didn't realize how different running by yourself and running among so many other people was! I loved the energy that running with other runners gave me! My Dad and I kept together and I am proud to say that we ran more than we walked!

  Here is us getting ready for the run! My toes and legs were freezing....all until I started running! Then I wanted to take my jacket off because I was getting so warm!

  Mom and my little brother. He wasn't too happy about getting woke up so early, but he was great through the whole thing!

  The morning of the race we didn't have much to eat for breakfast, just something that would give us energy but not make our stomachs too full. I had a yogurt and coffee and I  wasn't hungry or anything until after the race.

  So since this was my first ever race, I  learned a few things. Firstly, make sure that your layers are easy to take off while running. I made the mistake of pinning my race number over the zipper of my jacket so I couldn't take it off too easily. Second, Covering up my ears and hands was a great choice! Like I said in a previous post, its important to keep your ears, face, hands and feet warm!

  The race was a mix of downhill, uphill, through neighborhoods and on highways. I was a little unprepared for this because I had been training going up and down my drive way and on the treadmill. I have made a mental note to change up my training for future races. The race started and the runners were let out in burst, so as to not crowd the running space. I was thankful for this because going around people is not always easy. As we ran through the neighborhoods there were people in front of their houses cheering us on and blasting music to keep us going! There were volunteers who handed us water and called out our times as we past the mile makers.  I was very thankful for those people, and for the running community. Every one was so nice and encouraging no matter what their abilities were!

  Like I said before, this was my first race so obviously I didn't win or finish in very good time. I started out slow and from start to about mile 2 I was still getting warm and I was a little uncomfortable. Once I got warm though I was feeling great and I was able to push a lot harder than normal for me! Running with my Dad was a lot of fun too! We were able to stay together and talk while we ran! We finished in just under an hour ( My older brother's time was 45 or 46 minutes) and afterwards the feeling of relief and pride was wonderful! I had just completed my first race and I was so proud of myself! No, I didn't have great time, but I finished and that in its self is something to be proud of!
After the race we went on to have thanksgiving dinner and I felt at liberty to stuff myself and not worry about it! After all, its thanksgiving!

This post really isn't informational or a healthy tips or anything, its just my take and story from my first race! I hope it inspires you to go out and try something new, run your first race like me or something else! Let me know if you have ever done the Turkey Trot or any other race! What did you think and how long was the race?


Remember to follow me on Pinterest and Keep Healthy and Safe!

H.Banana

The 'Wear Yourself Out and Feel Good About it' Workout

A few days ago I wrote down a workout which combined a few parts from several workouts that I have been doing. I was wore out at the end of it, but proud too because when I read over it I was amazed that I was able to do all of this in a short amount of time! Before I go on, I want to say that this workout may not work for every one. Please be careful and stay with in your means to avoid injury. Make sure you can do these exercises without harming yourself.

Here is the workout, get ready!
*
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Crunches
20 Squats
10 Push-Up
*                                (Repeat from * to * 5 times)

15 Super-mans
20 Donkey Kicks per leg
20 Lunges per leg
15 Dips ( I call then Bridges dips....)
10 Squat Jumps
30 Kettle Bell Swings

#
40 Jumping Jacks
30 Sit-Ups
20 Plie Squats
10 Push-Ups
#                           (Repeat from # to # 2 times)

50 Flutter Kicks
20 Burpees
15 Bicycle Crunches
10 Plank Knee to Elbow per leg
10 Single leg dips per leg
10 Shoulder (Or V) push-ups

*
12 Lunges per leg
15 Squats
12 Step-ups per leg
5o second plank
*                                   (Repeat from * to * 2 times)

Garb you ankles and hold for 20 seconds.
Bring knees to chest and hold for 20 seconds per leg.
Take 10 really deep breaths.

Well that it! I was sweating up a storm when I finished this, but I also have new workout to add to my collection! Let me know if you try and it and what you think! If you have any questions, leave it in the comments or email the blog at healthypinner@gmail.com . Please be careful and stay within your abilities.
If you liked this post, let me know and share it with a friend.

Keep Healthy and Safe!
H.Banana

Turkey Burner

So, Thanksgiving was yesterday and you probably had a typical Thanksgiving dinner right? With the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and so on. So now its time to get back on track again! Here is a great workout to help you jump start you workouts after Thanksgiving. Its called the Turkey Burner from Spark People .

Get ready, 'cause here is its!
                                                The Turkey Burner Workout:

                                                         50 Jumping Jacks
                                                         40 Plie Squats
                                                       30 Burpees (Groan..!)
                                                       20 1-leg push-ups
                                                       10 bicycle crunches.

Sounds easy enough right? LOL, that's what I thought too! Man, I really don't like burpees... But I felt it work and I worked up a sweat and that's what I was going for anyways! Try this workout even if its not after Thanksgiving. Use it in your daily workouts!

Let me know what you think about this post and please share it with a friend!

Keep Healthy and SAFE!
H.Banana

Ps. Remember to keep you health in mind and never do a workout that you aren't capable of.

Winter Workout Tips

As the weather gets colder I begin to dread going outside for the run that I know I need. I kept asking myself that surely there had to be a way to make this easier!  Well, thankfully I found several post on Pinterest that have given be helpful tips for working out in the winter. And today, I'm going to share them with you!


The first tip is to dress for the weather! But you need to be careful because you don't want to be in the middle of your run and want to take all your layers off! A tip from EatPrayRunDC suggest to dress like its 20 degrees warmer outside than it really is, that way when you start to get warm from the workout you don't start roasting in your clothes! Here is a Winter Guide to Layering Clothes .

 While we are on the topic of dressing, here are a few tips that I found various places.
   Keep your feet, toes and ears warm! You don't want freezing body parts to slow you down!
   Where clothes that allow you to move freely and don't weigh you down.
   Make sure your shoes aren't mesh or too thin. You might even need to get a pair of shoes just for winter workouts!
I have a few favorite Winter must have for my workouts. They are: Ear warmers (Nice toasting ears instead of frozen ones!) Thick socks! (No more frozen toes!) Neck warmer or Cowl ( I don't suggest running in a scarf because that can cause difficulties. Cowls are shorter, kind of like a short infinity scarf.) What are your favorite winter workout must? Share them in the comments!

Here is us getting ready for a hike last Thanksgiving! No, I wouldn't run in that jacket, but it was and still is great for hiking and low impact outdoor activities!

The second tip is that you need to drink water! Just because its cold outside doesn't mean that you need to drink less water than you did in the summer! Fill your water bottle up just as full as you did in the summer!

Stay motivated! Sometimes trying to get yourself to leave your cozy place by the fire can be so hard! Find some friends to workout with or set a goal of your self (Or both!) Let me know how you stay motivated!

Lotion up! I hate chapped lips, cheeks and hands and they can be so uncomfortable! Applying lotion and lip butters can help relive and even prevent chapped skin. Several places have suggested using coconut oil to treat the chapped areas.


Now, I can't lie, I sometimes just hang up the idea of going outside for a workout. I either run on the treadmill or do something different for the workout that day. I don't want to run in below-freezing weather or when its snowing outside, so here are a few indoor workouts that I like to do instead!

Pop Sugar's 9 workouts to try this winter

Indoor HIIT workout for the winter

Indoor Cardio Crusher for the Winter



There are so many other workouts out there so feel free to search around for yourself! Let me know what you like to do for a winter workout and if you workout outside!


I hope this post helped you and if it did please share it with a  friend!

Keep it healthy and Safe
H.Banana

ps. Follow be on Pinterest! I am under Hannah Plunkett!

Get Ready for Ski/Snowboarding Season

Sure, it is still fall right now, but its never to early to start getting ready for the ski/snowboarding season. If you are planning to go to the slopes this year, or you just want to get in shape for winter, Listen Up!
My family and I are going on a ski trip this holiday season, and I don't want to come off the slopes sore, so I am going to start getting ready them now! I have been searching Pinterest for a while now, and I have found several workout and tips for getting ready for the ski/snowboarding season. Here are a few of them:

Yoga for Snowboarding

Exercises Every Snow Boarder Should Do

Get ready for the ski season

And lastly my favorite : Prepare for the winter ski season

I will be trying Snowboarding for the first time this year, and I'm super excited. Have you ever snowboarded? Which do you like better, snowboarding or skiing? Let me know!

I believe that its important to be in good shape for any sport to avoid injury and soreness. I hope that these workouts keep me from getting too sore, and help me preform better on the slopes! Sometimes I just do the exercises alone (Depends on which ones) and sometimes I pair them with a cardio session or something like that! Remember to have fun with it, Stay Safe and within you abilities, and that progress is progress no matter how small or big!

Keep it Healthy and Safe, and let me know if you found this post helpful!
H.Banana