Add Some Spring to Your Step!

Now that the weather is (finally!) warmer it's the perfect time to add a little spring to your step! After being cooped up indoors all winter, being outside and getting some fresh air will do your body (and soul) some good. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy spring outdoors with your friends & family.

Take a Walk - Experts say adults are suppose to walk an estimated 10,000 steps per day, however in recent studies, it has been found that people are only walking an average of 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. Taking a walk not only helps you reach your daily fitness goal, but it is good for the mind and soul as well.  Getting fresh air and enjoying the scenery can wash away a stressful day or give the perfect venue for a meaningful conversation. Here are some ideas of how to get those extra steps in this spring:  

• Take your dog for a walk instead of just letting him out the back door. Your loved canine needs the increase in doggie steps too! 
• Meet up with friends and take a walk around your neighborhood. Getting lost in conversation is the perfect way to add up those steps! 
• Walk to the store. If your destination is close enough to walk to - go for it! 
• Park at the back of the parking lot. Forget trying to snag the space closest to the entrance, those few extra steps will quickly add up. 
• Take a walk around the block on your lunch break. Taking a short break from your desk will keep your body moving and your blood flowing. You will return to your desk ready to concur the rest of the day. 
• If you are interested in keeping track of how many steps you take per day, pick up a pedometer or try one of the new health trackers like Fitbit, Nike, or the Up Band. 

Take a Hike - Find a local trail in your area and go explore! Hiking is a great activity to do with a spouse, a friend, or family member. Bring a camera for some unforgettable pictures or a picnic for a rest along the way.  

Bike Ride -  Plan a date to ride a bike, it is a great activity to do with the kids, with a friend or in a group. If you don't own a bike, a lot of major cities have bike rentals that you can take advantage of. There are also group bike tours that you can join within your community and if you're feeling adventurous, join a U.S bike tour or travel overseas! 

Plant a Garden - Spring is the perfect time to start a garden and believe it or not, it can even be a workout! After a day of digging and planting, you're going to be feeling the burn.  You can plant your favorite flowers or even start your own fruit and vegetable garden. Fresh fruit and veggies are great to cook with during the summer and they taste fantastic, just make sure deer and wildlife don't get to them before you do!  

Spring is such a great time of year, so try and take full advantage of the weather before it gets too hot. Your kids will enjoy spending time outdoors and so will you! What are your favorite spring activities? 

New Year, New Fitness Routine!

It’s January, the start of a new year and a month filled with resolutions to be healthier and to get more active. (Raise your hand if one of your New Year’s resolutions was to hit the gym more!)  If walking into a gym and running on a treadmill either bores or intimidates you – remember that there are SO many options out there for fun ways to get active. It doesn't matter if you're in a gym, at home, outside, or somewhere totally new to you... getting active is what's important and having fun doing it will KEEP you active!  There are so many options out there to try this year, here are a few of our favorite finds:

Take a hike: If you live somewhere that ISN’T experiencing the upcoming historically low temperatures, then get out and explore!  Find a local mountain and go ahead and start with the easy trail!  Not only will it get you moving, but walking, hiking and exploring can clear your mind and be unbelievably relaxing! 

Spinning: We keep hearing about the trendy Soul Cycle andFlywheel, but just what are they exactly? Spinning is indoor cycling, usually accompanied by fun upbeat music. It involves using a special stationary exercise bicycle with a resistance setting that you modify throughout your workout. Spinning focuses on endurance, strength, intervals, high intensity spurts and recovery. This is one where you might get addicted!

Dance Classes: You can either check out the schedule at your local gym for classes like Zumbda, or you can look up a local dance school. Many have adult classes in jazz, ballet, hip hop, and even tap dancing! Need some extra encouragement? This is a GREAT activity to do with girlfriends. Trying to get your spouse involved? Try a Salsa dancing class or other upbeat ballroom dance that will be fun, get you moving, and might even spark some romance!

Pilates: This is one of our favoites - Pilates is a body conditioning routine that may help build flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance in the legs, abdominals, arms, hips and back. If you have any back problems this helps strengthen your spine and pelvic alignment while working on your breathing to establish a strong core or center.

Tennis Lessons: Keep an eye out for deals on deal sites such as Groupon. They often offer discounts on packages of tennis lessons, court time, even other things like golf lessons. This is a great way to try new things! 

Barre Classes: Ballet dancers always keep themselves fit and have amazing bodies. We might not all be able to dance like them - but we can work out like them! Barre classes are hot, hot, hot right now. If you live in NYC or LA you can't walk outside without tripping over a new ballet-inspired/barre fusion/dance-ilates studio, and the trend is spreading....FAST! We bet there's already a class offered in your hometown.

Winter Sports: Take advantage of the weather and try getting outdoors. (If you live in the northeast, you might want to wait until this freezing weather passes!) Find a local mountain and take a ski lesson, try cross country skiing, or even take your kids to a local ice rink.  You might think you’re just having innocent fun, but you can burn 300-800 calories gliding around that rink! Even the simple act of taking a walk in the snow is challenging and you will find yourself exerting a lot more energy than on a regular snow-free walk. 

Trampoline Classes: YES - you read this right! Your childhood dream has come true and it has given a new meaning to the term 'bouncing off the walls!' It might not seem like hard work but this new fitness trend has sky rocketed and is becoming more and more popular as trampoline sports centers open around the country. Places like Bounce! have great classes for adults and even children! 

Self-defense classes:  Everyone should know how to defend themselves if you find yourself in a threatening situation, this is a fun way to get a workout in… and you’re learning at the same time! 

AND REMEMBER... Now is actually the BEST time to try those classes at the gym that you have always been too intimidated to walk in to. This time of year you will be surrounded by others who are taking classes for the first time.  A lot of people hit the gym and try new classes in January so you won't be alone. Also – most instructors know that there are newbies in January and alter their teaching to help everyone get up to speed. 

Staying active is so important for your well-being and there is no time like the present to try new things. So grab your buddy and try something new!  It will be fun and if nothing else- your ab's will get their own workout from all the laughter that will be had. 

How To Stay Healthy Physically and Mentally During the Holidays from Beth

We hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season and spending time with loved ones or simply taking some time for yourself.  

During the holidays it can be easy to get caught up in all the chaos that goes into preparing but it is very important to remember to stay healthy physically and mentally. Our fitness & wellness expert Beth Bielat sent us some tips on how to keep our composer during this holiday season.

How to stay healthy physically and mentally during the holidays...

One of the most important things to do is to try and keep your daily routine. Try and stay on your fitness plan and exercise! If you find that there is not enough time during the day and you have to skip the gym to hit the mall, travel to see friends, or even just because you're cozy hanging with family  - there are still a few things you can do.  When shopping, park in the parking spot furthest away from the entrance, wear comfy shoes and power walk as you travel from store to store. Take a walk with the family in between opening gifts and one of the many meals! Exercising every day is very important, so even small bits here and there are beneficial.

If you're attending a holiday party, eat a healthy snack before you go so you don't show up hungry. Eat sensibly between parties and special events. The holidays are a time to celebrate, so if you overeat or "mess up" your eating habits it is not the end of the world, get back on the horse the next day. Drinking a lot of water helps you stay hydrated and full longer. You can even make it special by adding fizz and a splash of fruit juice to give it color and flavor.

The holiday season can take a toll on your mental health just as much as your physical health. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, meditate for a few minutes each day. I find that when I wake up and before I go to sleep are the best times for me. Throughout your day make sure to BREATHE! and make sure to practice your abdominal, relaxed and rhythmical breathing techniques.

The most important tip I can give is to remember that the holidays are about spending time with your family and friends. They are a time of joy and happiness. Pray for gratitude, serenity, love and peace and let go of all the things that you can not control and that aren't important.

Happy Holidays & Best Wishes!

Top 10 Holiday Sleep Tips from The Bedtime Network

We all know that getting a healthy amount of sleep can be a struggle.  The holiday season makes this even tougher for some of us as we might be traveling to see loved ones, heading on a vacation, or hosting family and friends at your place.  To help us get our zzz's this holiday season, our Camp Reveille sleep experts Lisa Mercurio & Cindy Bressler from The Bedtime Network gave us some tips on how we can get a good nights sleep this holiday season!

The Bedtime Network's Top 10 Holiday Sleep Tips

10 – Traveling this holiday season? Planes trains and automobiles throw off tons of inadvertent light.  Pack a good book but even more importantly, don’t forget your sleep mask. If traveling through multiple time zones and jet lag is a factor, check with your doctor and consider a bit of melatonin.

9 – Having guests?  Why not make their bed first and sleep in it.  If you’re really worried about your guests and their comfort zone, give the sleeping accommodations a whirl yourself.  It’s the best way to discover whether or not the mattress is satisfactory, the room temperature is comfortable, and/or if you’ve forgotten something.  We like to leave a choice of pillows for our visitors as well as a variety or choice of blankets.  It’s hard to know what people like in advance, but just in case, a few extra throw blankets or an extra pillow can make the spirit bright.  A bit of luscious foot cream (we like Sabon’s) on the nightstand along with a bottle of water will make it feel just like home (though at that point, they might not want to leave!)

8 –Wine, women and song: the party doesn’t have to end, even when you stop drinking.  A woman’s body doesn’t process alcohol as efficiently as a man’s.  Therefore, remember that a good night’s sleep is easily disrupted by alcohol if your consumption doesn’t stop at least two and preferably three hours prior to bedtime.  Try to wrap it up earlier and you literally will be able to “sleep it off.”  Insist on playing the party line to the end? Well, the old rules of hydrating with extra water will still help.

7 – Overeating:  It’s hard for the body to multi-task, that is, to sleep while digesting an exceptionally heavy meal.  Rich foods and desserts so commonplace at holiday time will not only wreak havoc with your waistline, but they’ll also disturb your sleep.  Bedtime Network’s nutritionist Gayle Reichler recommends that you go light on protein and sugar and even consider having, “breakfast for dinner.”  Check out her Holiday Recipes that won't make you sleepy.  

6 – Exercise can go by the wayside during this busy holiday season, but it’s the best way to combat the extra calories as well as the added stress.  If time is really tight and you find that you simply cannot get yourself to the gym, go out for a walk.  The fresh air and added benefits of Vitamin D from sunlight will help regulate your sleep schedule.

5 – Keeping lists is always at the top of our list, but during the holidays, it can be virtually impossible to track your tasks, your gift giving and even your day-to-day responsibilities.  Don’t let the “worry train” visit you at night when you start to re-trace your steps.  Instead, keep a pad by your bedside to jot down those last minute ideas that cross your mind when there should be nothing but thoughts of sugar plum fairies.

4 – A warm bath before bedtime is not only a relaxing practice, but it also helps to establish communication between your brain and body.  The warm water will raise your body temperature.  Once you’re safely tucked under the covers, your body temperature drops and the brain will receive a natural signal to fall asleep.  We love this as a ritual.  During holiday time, add a few drops of essential lavender oil. Soak. Breathe. Release. Zzzzz.

3 – Turn off.  We’re not talking about the road, but rather, the lights.  The addition of computer screens, smart phones and all manner of devices are exposing us all to blue light which informs our brain that it is not time to sleep, even if it is.  Try to limit your use of electronics 60 to 90 minutes before bedtime.  This is a good practice even when the holidays are not in full swing.

2 – Night Moves.  Stretch.  Stretch.  Stretch.  Chances are good that the tension between your shoulders is permeating your mood and your sleep.  Tune into Elisabeth Halfpapp’s gentle nightly system for mind and body Night Moves, and you’ll be sleeping better than your cat and dog. 

1 – Do something kind for yourself that influences your sleep in a positive way each and every night.  15 minutes of meditation, breathing, and/or listening to music can make all the difference.  We recommend BedtimeBeats – The Secret to Sleep as the ultimate music before bedtime.  We also like the “Deep Sleep” app for iPhone by Dr. Andrew Johnson. Portable.  Inexpensive.  Non-addictive.

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Love, The First Ladies of Sleep

Lisa and Cindy

Lisa & Cindy of The Bedtime Network

How Much is Too Much? From Beth Bielat

The holiday season is officially here and temptation is all around us!  It can definitely be hard to refrain from over doing it.  In an effort to help us stay healthy and happy this holiday season, our Reveille fitness and wellness guru, Beth Bielat has some tips on how to determine when too much becomes too much! 

How much is too much food and alcohol?

Everyone is different. Our calorie intake and alcohol consumption can vary from person to person, gender to gender, size to size, etc. But here are some general guidelines:

In an article from Mayo Clinic the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that "if you choose to drink alcohol you may do so only in moderation - up to one drink a day for women or two drinks a day for men". If you are Diabetic and have another medical condition or you are taking medications, you should consult your doctor.

With holiday festivities, quite often it may be that you end up having a few extra drinks and alcohol use is a slippery slope. It's easy to drink too heavily, leading to serious health consequences. Be careful, not only is drinking and driving a problem, the calories can add up fast. Here’s how the problem grows…more drinks, more calories, poorer choices in food, and alcohol slows your metabolism. So it’s a double or triple whammy.

As for food intake, calories add up so quickly. A few bites here, a few bites there, a drink and the next thing you know – pow – 1000 new calories. Do that for a few nights and you’ve already gained a pound, right?

Some feasting tips:

- Choose shrimp, veggies and fruits.
- Stay away from fried foods, the creamy stuff and anything with pie crust.
- Don’t go to parties hungry!
- Don’t eat unless you are hungry - and you shouldn’t be too hungry because you ate a healthy snack a few hours prior...right?
- While cooking and baking, chew gum! I know this sounds funny, but it works!
- Drink lots of water.

Some healthy cooking tips:

We don't want you to end up like this little fella...

Keep cut up vegetables and fruits in the fridge. If healthy snacks are easily accessible, you will tend to reach for them more than slaty chips or sugary sweets.  I even always include big vegetable and fruit salads as part of holiday meals so that the whole family has healthy fresh options throughout the meals.

You would be surprised how far a tablespoon of butter or oil will go for some recipes that include stuffing, sautéing, etc. I make a huge serving of healthy stuffing with just one tablespoon of butter. I sauté lots of onions and celery (and sometimes mushrooms), then I add skim milk to a loaf of healthy whole wheat bread, (I mush everything together with my hands) Bell’s seasoning and some chicken broth. Yummy, my family loves the treat and it’s a tenth of the calories of regular stuffing.

Some breathing tips:

First, you must be conscious of your breathing and how you are feeling. If you are feeling stressed or anxious try some deep breathing techniques. Take some deep inhales through your nose into your belly and draw the breath up into your chest – like a wave. Then, on the exhale…just sigh through your mouth. You can even make a sighing noise on the exhale. It feels really good. If you are home alone, you can even give a good yelp on the exhale a few times – that feels good too.

Some other helpful tips: 

- Try to stay calm during holiday shopping or other overwhelming events.
- Start holiday planning as early as you can. You feel so much more “in the spirit” if you are not rushed, irritated and panicking.
- Be organized: Organize your time, your lists, your holiday wrapping etc.
- Try to find time to “get it together” and create a positive intention for your holiday experience. For instance, “I am going to have fun, stay calm, and enjoy my time with friends and family.” 
- If something unexpected happens, go with the flow. It’s not the end of the earth to change some plans mid-stream, right?
- Most of all – have fun, remember the purpose and spirit of the season.
How about some random acts of kindness? Remember "Kindness" is a Reveille Arch Ideal! 

Remember to keep checking our Camp Reveille blog for more tips and recipes from our experts on how to stay happy and healthy during the holidays!