Okay, we all have times that we really don’t want to workout. But we live in a world that tells us “more is better”. Take more vitamins. Drink more water. Buy more toys. What about “exercise more”? Is this good advice?

The answer is not simple. Of course, if you sit on the couch all day, please, exercise more! But if you exercise on a regular basis, for example, five days a week, doing more, like adding a sixth day, can lead to overtraining. Overtraining can also be caused by adding more distance, time, weight, or increasing intensity too quickly. Ignoring the warning signs can lead to serious injury or illness and a lot of time off of exercise to recover.

How do you know if you are overtraining? Many of the symptoms may surprise you. Among the more obvious:

• Extreme fatigue
• Chronic injuries, such as tendonitis, bursitis, and sprains or strains that come on slowly without any major trauma
• Persistent muscle and joint stiffness and/or soreness
• Increased susceptibility to upper respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses

Consider the possibility of overtraining syndrome if you experience these more subtle symptoms:

• Changes in mood including irritability, apathy, depression and/or loss of interest in exercise
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite
• Elevated resting and exercise heart rate
• Decreased immune system function

If you exercise consistently and you find you are more tired, cranky, sore and any of the other symptoms above with no other explanation, evaluate your exercise routine. Start by taking a week off of all exercise to recover and rest, then re-start with a light workout. If you feel fine, slowly build back up. If not, take more time off. I guarantee you will come back stronger and happier!

Yes, it’s spring cleaning time again! I don’t know about you, but I love clearing out the old things that don’t serve me and making room for the new. Some people feel that way at the New Year, but spring does it for me.

I’m starting to notice how I talk to myself and even more so, how my clients talk to themselves. And you know what? We’re often unkind. So, how about “spring cleaning” our counter productive, unkind self-talk?

Listen to your words: what do you say to yourself when you make a mistake? Are you kind, or do you put yourself down in a “that figures” sort of way? How we talk affects how we act, and how we act affects our results. Spring clean the unkind words…it will give a better return than dusting the back of the book shelf!

To your health,

Heather Moreno
PeopleFit USA , President

In this year’s January issue we talked about developing new habits instead of making New Years resolutions. My challenge to you was to make a list of six new habits you’d like to acquire this year and to put in place a systematic plan to develop those habits.

The word habit often connotes a negative meaning to us. We think, or are told by others, about all the bad habits we need to stop. The American Heritage Dictionary definition of habit is: a pattern of behavior acquired by frequent repetition. It doesn’t judge good or bad.

So how can we more easily develop good habits? If frequent repetition is the key, a plan is needed to ensure their development. Otherwise, our good habits can become one-hit-wonders that never last. Try these three techniques:

1. Calendar it – if the habit you want to acquire is exercise, down time, going to bed early – something that can easily fall victim to your schedule – put it on the calendar. That’s where you put important appointments for others (doctor appointments, kids activities) so why not yours? Schedule it and protect that time as you would any other.
   
2. Make a note – for habits that require continual effort throughout the day –drinking more water, stretching frequently at your desk, smiling when you pick up the phone to make a sales call – jot notes and pin them up where you will see them regularly.
   
3. Ask for help – Family and friends that love you will be happy to help (and you can return the favor). So, if you want to add extra fruits and veggies to your day, ask the family member who does the shopping to pick up your favorites. Or, when a friend asks what she can bring over for a snack, request fruit salad.

Put these three easy suggestions into practice and your good habits will develop quickly. Soon you’ll be looking for new ones!

Most parents are so busy keeping their children busy during the summer that they forget to have fun too. Kids go to camp, join leagues, and take classes . . . why not us? Many cities offer adult leagues such as softball and soccer and classes like sailing, scuba, water skiing and rowing. Do a Google search or call your town’s parks and recreation department to find an array of opportunities.

Now is the time to start shaping up for all of these sports. Many water sports require upper body strength and balance. Here is where strength training comes in. While training the leg muscles is important, make sure to develop a routine that includes working your chest, back, shoulders, arms and your abdominal muscles. If you’re new to strength training, hire a coach or trainer to make sure you are exercising properly to get the most benefit (tone and strength) without injury. It is worth the investment.

If you are a strength training veteran, shake it up. Using free weights and cables give a more real-life workout, mimicking the actions of many sports moves. Take up Pilates or work on the exercise ball. Many traditional free weight exercises performed on a bench can be taken to the ball, adding a new dimension to the exercise.

Does tennis or soccer interest you? Start training with lateral movements and side to side drills. Interval training (pushing hard for a minute or two, followed by recovery, repeating the cycle) during your normal workouts will help you train for those sports that require a lot of start and stop movement where short, intense bursts of energy are required. Your workouts will also be more fun and burn extra calories.

Do something different this summer. You might actually have fun getting and staying in shape. Isn’t that a dream come true?

• Develop a plan and create personalized exercise strategies to help you meet your goals most quickly
• Hold you accountable so that you are much more likely to stay on track and see results
• Provide you with fitness motivational tools so that you know what you’re doing is working and are motivated to keep going, and
• Support you all the way – No guilt. No grief. Just results!

Call toll-free 877-348-2100 today for a free consultation to see if a Custom Fit Coaching program is right for you. We have just a few spots left in our spring coaching schedule. If you want to approach summer more fit and confident, call us today!

In the past, consumption of sweet potatoes peaked during the holiday season but they were then forgotten during the rest of the year. Now, this delicious and healthy food is attracting national attention as one of the hottest veggies around, with lots of year-round recipes available. The sweet potato may be one of nature's most delicious, versatile and nutritious secrets . . .  well, secret until now!

The sweet potato is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. It can help control your weight, preserve your memory, control diabetes and reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. After extensive research, the Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked the sweet potato as the most nutritious vegetable, considerably higher in nutrition than even spinach and broccoli.

This vegetable provides twice the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A and more than one-third the requirements of vitamin C. It is an important source of vitamin B6, iron, potassium and fiber. Containing no cholesterol and virtually no fat or sodium, one medium sweet potato contains only about 150 calories. Not bad for one veggie!

The National Cancer Institute recommends diets that provide 6 mg of beta-carotene a day. The ideal way to get this recommended amount is by including bright orange and dark green vegetables in your diet, such as the sweet potato. Fruits and vegetables are nature's best sources of beta-carotene and vitamin C, two nutrients with well-documented anti-cancer effects, determined in a study by the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health.

Sweet potatoes are naturally full of flavor and sweetness, making them the perfect ingredient in most recipes. Their versatility, plus the added health benefits, makes them a great addition to any meal, any time of the day. Available all year long, sweet potatoes can be baked, broiled, sautéed and grilled. Enjoy!

To encourage you to experiment with this nutritious food, Susan’s Healthy Gourmet is offering sweet potatoes in two of their April Specials: Sweet Potato Soup and a side of Sweet Potato fries when you order the BLT Tuna Burger!

About The Author: Susan Johnson is the founder of Susan's Healthy Gourmet, which provides fresh, nutritionally balanced, and calorie-controlled meals that are individually prepared and packaged to order. To learn more you can call 1.888.396.3257 (EZ-MEALS) or visit them on the Web at www.susanshealthygourmet.com (be sure to mention Heather Moreno & PeopleFit USA when you call). You can also register for Susan's the popular online monthly newsletter, Susan's Healthy Lifestyle, at http://www.susanshealthygourmet.com/newsletter/default.asp