Hi! My name is Mollie Nichols. I am the new fitness blogger for TWIN! I love to inspire good lifestyle habits with friends and family as a reminder to both you and myself to to achieve a happy and healthy lifestyle ☺ If you could wake up every morning and be happy would you do it? My solution for you is “The Happy Drug!” Each day that we wake up is a reminder that we’ve survived another day, we haven’t only survived, but we have yet another day to breathe and to live. Life is a gift and our bodies are a gift, but we must wake up every day and realize that. One of the simplest ways to be happy is to decide every morning that you are in a good mood. Fitness releases dopamine in the brain and it is actually this chemical that is associated with feelings of pleasure and happiness. Exercise is also known for lowering anxiety and depression; boosting your energy; and reducing your stress levels because your body becomes so immune to the stress of working out. Your body is then able to adapt to other forms of stress in your life. Exercise really is this so called, “Happy Drug” that everyone longs for amidst a stressful school or workweek. That being said, I want to share with you the five parts of my morning routine and it all starts with the “Happy Drug”
Suggestions:
2. Get some Vitamin D
3. “The Happy Drug” A Quick Morning Workout
4. Protein Smoothie
5. While you get ready . . .
Thanks for reading, Have a happy & healthy week! Xo, Mollie
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By Jessie BaconIf you can’t already tell by the snow on the ground or the abundance of “omg it snowed” snap stories, it’s winter. During the winter seasons, I find myself having less motivation to workout and care for the food I’m putting in my body. In this post, I’ll be giving you tips to improve your routine and your will to stay with your fitness mindset.
By Jessie BaconHappy Thanksgiving everyone! The holidays are my favorite time of year because of the traditions, family time, and the food. Thanksgiving is obviously a day that your health habits get put on hold and rightfully so. Enjoy the food, and the special moments you will be sharing with your family instead of how many calories you’re eating. The next day just kick it into high gear by cleansing and working out hard. Today’s blog post will include a post-Thanksgiving cleanse. As for exercising goes, try and get two workouts in the day after (I know it sucks), but you will feel so motivated after you complete the cleanse and a hard a$$ workout. You can look at my previous posts for great HIIT workouts that will get you sweating like crazy. Happy eating:) Black Friday-
Before eating anything this day squeeze the juice of 1 lemon and add that to 30 ounces of hot water. This will help get your digestive system moving efficiently, and it will help immensely with bloat. Then, have some ginger based green tea along with that hot lemon water. It’s so so important to have hot liquids an hour before you eat because it will help move all of that food out of your system before you consume even more food. Also, along with the food plan you can snack on nuts, vegetables, high fibrous fruit, or unprocessed whole food sources throughout the day. Just make sure you are also sipping on lots of tea and water throughout the day! Breakfast: For this day, the cleansing plan includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in fiber, nutrients, and water. Green Smoothie 1 cup of spinach 1 medium sized apple The juice of 1 lime ½ cup of pineapple 8 ounces of coconut water ¼ cup of ice After all of your ingredients are in the blender just blend!! Lunch: The key to this lunch is to have high fiber, high protein foods. Veggie Omelette 2 eggs and one egg white ¼ cup of spinach ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes Mushrooms (Not everyone's favorite but I dig it) Herbs of your choice The beauty of omelets is that it adds great protein and vegetables to fill you up, and give you great nutrients. Add all of those ingredients to a pan and cook the vegetables for some time first and then add your egg mixture after! Along with this omelet have a side of fresh vegetables, fruit, or nuts to keep you full. The key is to try and stay away from dairy or any processed foods so whatever falls into that category you’re safe to eat it. Just make sure it’s a whole food source because this will actually cleanse you more. Dinner: This salad will be filled with vegetables to the rim with healthy fat sources and protein sources. I’m also giving you a low sodium salad dressing choice that will not bloat you. Garden Salad: 1 cup of romaine lettuce 1 cup of spinach ¼ cup of mushrooms ¼ cup of carrot 1 hard boiled egg ½ red pepper ¼ cup of cherry tomatoes Handful of almonds Salad Dressing: 2 tbs. Mustard 1 tbs. Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tbs. Balsamic Vinegar Pinch of salt Pinch of pepper This salad is so good for you and cleansing purposes. It’s filled with nutrients that are vital to your health. If you want to add lean meat sources like fish or chicken into the salad, also that’s all good. I understand that the ingredients for today's food can be expensive, but it’s one day where it’s vital to eat all of those fresh fruits and vegetables! By: Jessie Bacon So with Thanksgiving coming up, I’m assuming that you want to most likely either look amazing or just overall prepare for all of the food that you will eat. This workout is quick, fat burning, and you will sweat like crazy, so it’s perfect in a time of midterms and the holidays. HIIT stands for high intensity interval training and it’s basically an insanely hard workout for thirty minutes that alternates intervals to increase metabolism and burn more fat. This specific workout is used on a treadmill and I’m assuming a majority of you have access to the Rec Center which has those machines. The beautiful treadmill area in the Rec Center. Take advantage of it! You can also change up the different speeds and formulate different intensities to fit your various fitness goals! I recommend doing this workout and then after completion you do an ab workout or focus on arms and legs! I understand that people are very busy preparing for possible midterms or to leave on time for break so this workout is effective and quick! Happy running and Go Gophers. By Jessie BaconLAKE OF THE ISLES Majority of you most likely know what the Lake of the Isles is and or have walked the path. Recently, my parents and I during Parents weekend went and walked the 2.8 mile route. Looking at all of the houses, the Minneapolis skyline, and all of the beautiful lakes on a 70 degree sunday was one of my favorite memories so far since coming to the U. Lake of the Isles connects with Lake Calhoun and Cedar Lake and it has trails for walking, running, and biking. I highly, highly, highly recommend on a nice day, that you split uber with your friends (will range two dollars) and go walk the paths of the lakes. The nature will de-stress your body and you’re getting a light workout at the same time. Lastly, stop at the Lake of the Isles Bakery and get the Puppy Dog Tails, literally so freaking delicious you won’t regret it. (A picture I took on the walk) STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE PARFAIT GUYS. THIS IS SO GOOD. IT’S SERIOUSLY A GAME CHANGER. I had this for breakfast the other day and my first thought was “Wow this will be going on my blog”. The ingredients go together so well and they’re all healthy and overall just great for you. Have this for breakfast or lighten up the amount of “product” you use for a nice snack. Ingredients: Strawberries, Purely Elizabeth granola AKA the best and cleanest granola you’ll ever find, and lastly 80 calorie strawberry cheesecake greek yogurt. Something magical about this combination that you need to try. Also, if you’re feeling adventurous put your parfait in a cool mason jar for an added effect. LOOK HOW GOOD THAT LOOKS. Ok have a good day and a fantastic week!! Go Gophers. By Jessie BaconHIGH INTENSITY INTERVAL TRAINING
As the school work increases and the available time for you to workout decreases, high intensive interval training might be the workout for you. This new workout phenomenon has gained its popularity for a reason- it burns fat and calories effectively in a short duration of time. Essentially you alternate a moderate-intensity exercise with a high-intensity exercise to increase your heart rate which maximizes fat loss. Below I’m providing you with five HIIT exercises that take thirty minutes to complete but are created to burn fat fast which raising your metabolism. No gym required or weights required except for the last day, but can also be completed outside. Day 1: FULL BODY Complete 4 Circuits of These Exercises:
Day 2: LEGS Complete 4 Circuits of These Exercises:
Day 3: ABS Complete 4 Circuits of These Exercises:
Day 4: Cardio Complete 4 Circuits of These Exercises:
Day 5: Running
This week try some of these exercises out and the beauty of HIIT is you can always customize your workouts to your ability and the type of body part that you want to focus on. Fall Food Ideas- Also, during the fall people tend to find themselves craving comfort food and often comfort food isn’t always the healthiest. I will provide you with a healthy breakfast and a healthy snack that are both satisfying and overall healthy for you! They’re also dorm friendly, and I know this because I make them all the time. Healthy Breakfast: -½ cup of original oats cooked with directions -½ apple chopped -2 teaspoons of stevia -2 teaspoons of cinnamon -2 tablespoons of chopped pecans -1 tablespoon of almond butter -½ banana Mix all of these ingredients together and I promise you it will be the most satisfying oatmeal that has a great mixture of good complex carbohydrates and healthy fats. Healthy Snack: Pumpkin Milkshake -1 frozen ripe banana -2 teaspoons of stevia -¼ cup of pumpkin puree -½ cup of any plant based milk unsweetened -2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice -½ cup of ice By Jessie Bacon Health and wellness both have been a love of mine for the last three years. I’ve gone through so many “lifestyle” phases, and I can finally say that I’m perfectly content with my life- something I thought that I could never say. It has been a long journey with plenty of adversities, but nothing great comes from minimal effort. For the first two years, I only looked for improvement in my physique and based my health off of that. But I truly wasn’t content until I worked to improve my mental state. During the duration of this blog post, you will read my top two personal tips on creating a better version of yourself; mentally and physically. I’m not an expert, but I’ve read enough books/articles and watched enough videos establish my credibility. But what’s greater than having knowledge from all of those sources is that I have experience. So today I am going to share my two "secret" tips on wellness. It’s a long post, and I promise it won’t be like this every week. I’m very sorry. Tip #1: Partake in yoga classes- By no means am I a yogi or relatively even close to that. I’m the type of yoga participant that is always falling over during some pose or aimlessly looks around to see what the hell everyone else is doing. I am proud to say though that I can do the splits and I take pride in that even though it’s not about this subject. I’ve always heard about how yoga affects your mental state but I never actually realized that until I started taking three classes of it a week. Being a college student, I deal with a high amount of pressure. Not only the mental state type of stress but the physical stress on my body from working out. During the duration of the last four weeks, I’ve made it my goal to attend three yoga classes a week. Yoga seriously has improved my flexibility, my overall approach to being present in certain situations, and being conscious of the importance of taking care of myself. Many types of yoga classes tailor to your specific fitness goals and levels:
Tip #2: Set goals that are achievable and that spark your interest- If you set goals that aren’t doable or desirable, you’ll lose the ambition to complete them, and you never will improve your lifestyle. Think about what’s most important to you. Don’t set goals based on the people around you because everyone is different. Some of the best goals to improve your overall lifestyle aren’t always physical related but rather mental related. Improving your mindset will help enhance your lifestyle goals by having a more positive attitude towards fitness. Set small goals rather than large goals that will take years to complete. By doing this, it will keep you motivated because you will see small improvements along the way versus in a couple of years. A couple of examples of small goals that I have implemented in my life include:
Implementing small daily goals will help improve your routine, and they will become so uniform to the point that you won’t even think about them anymore. So for the forthcoming week I challenge you to:
Have an awesome week, happy homecoming, and go Gophers. By Julia & Jenessa AndersonWe want to start out by saying I hope everyone has enjoyed the TWIN blog along with all the different categories and individuals who were part of it! We thank you for the views and support and wish everyone an AWESOME summer! Be sure to catch up with us on our instagram accounts as we will continue giving fun tips and ideas for a healthy and fit lifestyle! Keep in mind, it is summer. Therefore, get out, get active, and have some fun! Until next time, BEST SWEATS!
-Julia and Jenessa By Julia & Jenessa AndersonDo you want more out of your mundane ab routine? There seems to be a new trend upon us when it comes to ab workouts. Say goodbye to boring old crunches and hello to “Ab Vacuuming”! I know, it sounds absolutely ridiculous! Basically this exercise uses breathing techniques to work the inner abdominal region. When doing basic ab exercises you are primarily only working your external abdominal muscles. Stomach vacuuming allows your internal abdominal muscles (Transversus Abdominis and Lumbar Multifidus) to be worked, giving your abs a more “sculpted” look. Being able to exercise your inner abdominal muscles will allow your core to become tighter and your waistline to become smaller. Here’s how it’s done: Step 1: Stand in an upright position with hands placed on your hips. Breathe air in through your nose, expanding your stomach outward full of air. Step 2: Once stomach is expanded, hold for 3 counts and push all the air out of your stomach through your mouth, squeezing your stomach as far in as you can. Step 3: Once stomach is squeezed as far in as possible, hold this position for about 15-20 seconds. (With time you will be able to hold it longer) Remember, practice makes perfect! We would highly recommend watching videos on stomach vacuuming as well to perfect your own technique. Our personal favorite is the video from http://www.cosmopolitan.com/health-fitness/a43027/flat-ab-hack-vacuum-your-stomach/ By Julia & Jenessa AndersonAs many of you know, swimsuit season is right around the corner! There is no need to fret ladies because we have some great tips to help you “beat the bloat”. Here is a list of the best things you can do to flatten your tummy. Eat Pineapple! Pineapple? Yes, Pineapple! Eating this delicious fruit has been proven to decrease bloating. This is because of a magical enzyme within the fruit called bromelain. Bromelain eases digestion and helps break down proteins, therefore leading to a flatter stomach. Don’t go crazy with the pineapple though, too much of anything isn’t necessarily good for you! Fiber it Up! Eat foods higher in fiber to move food through your system more quickly allowing yourself to “de-bloat”. Personally, we are obsessed with apples and have one every morning. It’s a quick and tasty way we get more fiber in our diets. Other foods with good fiber content are avocados, whole grains, black beans, brown rice, pears, and oatmeal. There are many others as well these are just our favorite sources. Say No to Extra Sodium! Extra added sodium causes your entire body to retain water. So it is best to try not dousing your food in salt and sticking to lower sodium foods. Some foods you may want to limit or steer clear of are cottage cheese, canned veggies, certain dressings/sauces, high sodium soups, bacon, soy sauce, hot dogs, and chips! The main thing is reading the nutritional content on food items to really be aware of what is going into your body. Start Every Morning with some Lemon Water! Lemon helps in aiding digestion as well as reducing water retention. This is important when wanting to reduce bloating in the lower stomach region. We start our mornings with one full glass of lemon water on an empty stomach and it really works wonders! For added flavor try it with some cinnamon, honey, or ginger. Replace White Rice with Brown
I know all of our sushi lovers are having a mini panic attack right now but have no fear! White rice isn’t terrible for you however, if given the option of brown rice, CHOOSE IT! Brown rice is a complex carb, meaning it will digest through the body slower than white rice. By digesting slower, the brown rice won’t stick to your stomach, and it will keep you fuller longer. By Julia & Jenessa AndersonWhat’s all this rave about protein? Many people have questions about what role it plays in weight loss and wellness. Hopefully, we can help give you a greater insight of the wondrous powers of protein! In terms of Weight Loss: Proteins require more work to digest and more energy to be put to use in the body. Because of this you actually burn more calories while it processes. It is true ladies! Protein actually keeps you fuller longer. This helps curb cravings so you are able to resist that bag of potato chips! The reason protein keeps you feeling full is because protein takes longer than other nutrients to leave the body. In combination with exercise, the amino acids in protein help the body keep lean muscle while strictly targeting the loss of body fat. This is exactly what you want to be able to get that “tight and toned” bod. Cheers to that! When you workout you are losing both fat and muscle. Protein helps keep lean muscle while repairing tissue and speeding up your recovery after exercise. Our favorite forms of Protein: GNC’s Total lean collection (Chocolate Peanut Butter) I highly recommend this brand not only for the quality of the protein but the TASTE! It is so delicious and if you are a Reese’s lover (like us), you will LOVE this flavor. Other flavors include vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, banana, and more! Egg Whites Egg whites can be a little bland we’re not gonna lie, however, with a little spice for flavor it’s all the rave! Egg whites are an excellent, and easy source of protein. I recommend buying the carton of egg whites instead of separating each individual egg (that gets excessive and wasteful). We love adding cayenne pepper and a little chili powder in order to spice up the egg whites with flavor, and suppress our appetite with the pepper as well. “Perfect Fit Meals” Coconut Chicken Breast
Healthy prepackaged meals are perfect for college students that are always on the go! It’s fast and easy and more importantly, packed with 32g of protein! This particular brand is a must for us because it's BPA free and dietitian designed. By Julia and Jenessa AndersonI think we can all agree that mornings are rough. It is time to start making them more enjoyable with some energizing stretches! One of the biggest benefits of taking the time to stretch in the morning is that it will help improve blood circulation and increase energy levels. Better blood circulation sharpens and improves one’s concentration throughout the day! Who wouldn't want that? In addition, stretching in the morning also increases your flexibility and posture. Stretching is an underutilized tool that will help keep your body feeling healthy and happy! Here are some “Rise and Shine” stretches you can do without even leaving your bed. Enjoy! "Pillow Stretch" This pose is the best for stretching out your entire spin and back. Place a pillow on your lap with your legs straight out and lightly grab onto your lower legs. Make sure your forehead hits the pillow to get the full effect of the stretch. "Full Loop Stretch" This stretch is sure to get the blood flowin! It will help circulate energy in your chest, heart, and throat. Begin kneeling and bend your upper torso backwards, grabbing onto the heels of your feet. Hold for about 30-45 seconds. “Child’s Pose” Start by kneeling with both feet together. Lean forward so your chest touches your knees and place your hands straight back towards your feet. Your face will be placed face down. This one looks awkward I admit, however, it is a great stretch! “The Mermaid Stretch”
Place your hands underneath your back side and slowly bring your neck and head backwards. Keep your legs straight as you lean back and make sure there is a solid arch to your back. By Julia & Jenessa AndersonDo you ever walk by a park and reminisce the old days when you would play for hours on end?! Well you're in luck because this week we are featuring exercises that are perfect for your local playground! Spring is here and we should all be looking for fun new ways to get out and get active. Try these workouts alone or with a buddy, and more importantly, have fun releasing your inner child! “Hang-Loose” 3 x 12 reps For this exercise, securely place your legs into sturdy monkey bars. Start by hanging upside down with your arms crossed over your chest. Gradually move upward until your head is at the same height as your knees. Now, make your way back down (Be sure legs are entirely secure before performing the upside down crunches). “The bench jump squat” 3 x 12 reps Find a park bench and start in a bent standing position, from there jump on to the bench. Once on the bench, go down into a squat. After finishing the squat, jump backwards off of the bench, and start again! “Swing Low” 3 x 15 reps Start in a plank position with feet balanced on the center of the swing. Once stable, bring feet forward while having the swing come closer to the center of your body. Your knees should make it fairly close to your abdominal region. (Should be in a “fetal-like” position) “Monkey pull-ups” 3 x 10 reps Start in a standing position. As you hold on to the leveled monkey bars above, pull your body weight as high above the bars as you can go. Slowly come back down to standing position and start again. “The Bee’s Knees” 3 x 20 reps Start off in a standing position facing the slide. Step up with your left leg and raise your right knee as high as you can. Step down and return to beginning position. After 20 reps, switch legs so that the left knee is now in the air. Repeat this 3 times. “Slide Lunges”
3 x 15 reps (per leg) Pick one leg to start as the front leg, and place the second leg onto the slide. Start in an upright lunge position and gradually lower yourself until your front leg has reached a 90 degree angle. Repeat for each leg. (Try to keep your back as straight as possible) By Julia & Jenessa AndersonWorking out with a partner has always been a positive experience for us. Being that we are twins, we tend to make almost every day a partner fitness day! There are many benefits to partner fitness including heightened performance, increased motivation, and a fun social experience. The competitive aspects of partner workouts tend to make people work harder than they would alone. But the most satisfaction comes from being able to share this experience together. We are going to display 5 of our favorite partner exercises that target various regions of the body. Note: our repetition and set numbers are based on what we are used to performing, however, you may want to either increase or decrease the number of reps based on your own challenge level. “Sharing is caring” 4 sets of 15 reps Description: Both partners start flat on their back, one with the yoga ball one without. Bring yourselves up at the same time in a sit-up position while keeping your feet planted. The person carrying the yoga ball, hand it off to your partner. Then gradually make your way back flat on the floor. Make sure when doing this exercise you move at a slow-steady pace. It will help create a better “burn” in your abdominal region. (Note: you can substitute the yoga ball for a medicine ball or other forms of weight) “Double Whammy” 3 sets of 12 reps Description: Start off with one partner lying down on their stomach and the other standing directly behind. The partner standing behind will then grab the legs of their partner as they prop up into a push up. Go down into a squat every time your partner does a pushup. Make sure to bring arms to a 90-degree angle for every push-up. “Give me 5” 3 sets of 12 reps Description: Both partners face towards one another in a plank position. With a steady count, high-five one another using opposite hands. Try to keep your body as parallel to the ground as possible. “Lean on me" 3 sets; hold for 35 seconds each Description: While one partner does a wall sit, the other will perform a tricep hold on their partner's knees. Make sure the partner participating in the tricep hold keeps their arms at a 90-degree angle to get the ultimate burn. The partner participating in the wall sit, keep your legs at a solid 90-degree angle as well. Once 3 sets are complete, switch positions with your partner. “Throw Down” 3 sets of 15 reps Description: Have one partner start on the floor, facing upward. Lift legs up towards your partner who will then grab them. The partner standing up will then lightly push the other’s legs downward. Whoever’s legs are being pushed, make sure to resist hitting the ground and bring legs right back up to your partner. For a greater burn, have your partner push your legs downward in different directions.
We hope you enjoyed some of our favorite partner workouts! Stay tuned with us for weekly fitness lifestyle tips. Have an awesome day and best sweats! -Jenessa and Julia |