Congratulations to the 40+ amazing members we had for the 6 Week Spring Total Refresh. Each week our members participated in 3 workouts, nutrition sessions, tracked their food and workouts, won raffles prizes, and most importantly motivated each other to keep pushing!!
Now that the 6 weeks have come to an end...what's next? It's so important to keep the momentum going! So here are some great tips and information to take with you as you continue your health and wellness journey.
What are good health and fitness made of? According to Medical News Today, think:
A) The way I feel inside and out.
B) My quality of life
C) The renewed focus I have throughout my day.
D) My ability to move more freely.
E) My overall psychological frame of mind
F) My down days disappearing and giving way to happier, more content days.
Our goal at Health and Fitness Total Refresh is to help empower you with a sense of wholeness and well-being so that you can take the reigns when the class ends and carry through on your own, indefinitely. If we have done our job right, you will be addicted to the work outs and addicted to eating healthier choices at mealtime.
Good health and fitness are about so much more than the physical act of choosing the healthier foods and doing the actual exercises. Good health and fitness are about all the intangibles and benefits of all that hard work and discipline and most importantly it is about a change in how you view these healthy ways for the long haul, not for the 30-day benefit.
It is a proven fact that exercise helps release the happy hormones in our bodies called endorphins and fixes our brains toward happier, more productive lifestyles. It takes a bit of getting used to, to manage all the extra happy energy we have once we incorporate exercise and healthy eating into our lives. Endorphins help relieve stress and pain but occur naturally in our bodies unlike opioids that are manufactured to give temporary relief to pain. There are a few things we can incorporate into our lives that increase our chances of experiencing endorphin plateaus throughout our everyday.
Here is a short list:
*Giving
*Dark Chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa)
*Exercise of any kind
*Laughing
*Yoga and Meditation
*Journaling
Just as there are things we can do to boost and maintain endorphin levels; a setback can create low endorphin levels and that can contribute to depression and headaches. Although endorphins are not a guarantee of good health, endorphins do aid in our overall well-being.
According to Healthiline.com dopamine and endorphins are slightly different. “Dopamine is synthesized from the amino acid tyrosine by the hypothalamus called substantia nigra and the adrenal glad medulla. Dopamine has multiple effects in the body including boosting mood, inhibiting prolactin secretion, enhancing body movement, and helping the sympathetic nervous system. Endorphins are polypeptides made by the pituitary gland and central nervous system. Endorphins primarily help us deal with stress and reduce feelings of pain. Dopamine production increases due to endorphin activity.” It is worth noting that endorphin release varies from person to person so paying close attention to the combination of methods you use to achieve the full benefits of an endorphin rush is worth your time.
Now is the best time to start incorporating those endorphin principals so that when the class breaks for the summer you will be ready to take over your happy health routine and please remember to share your discoveries with us. You never know who you will be helping along the way.
Here are some tips to help you get started:
1-Find exercises that you enjoy doing.
2-Exercise outside if that gives you the most pleasure.
3-Set realistic goals and let your body take the time it needs to accomplish them.
4-When it comes to foods, everything in moderation. Denial creates resistance, moderation creates acceptance of your choices.
5-Try new things that are healthy for your body and mind. Don’t let life get stagnant.
6-Try not to compete with anyone but the person you were yesterday.
7-Set up fun challenges for yourself to test how far you’ve come.
And as always, remember you have access to all the nutrition notes and exercise videos to help you along the way! I hope you all feel refreshed and ready to take on the summer! Great job to all that participated, we are so proud of you!!
-Alex & Kara
