HIIT, High Intensity Interval Training, is my favorite class to teach.  I love it because it is fast paced and you can get a total body workout in less time.  

HIIT is a training technique that alternates periods of high intensity with periods of rest or active recovery.  By bringing your heart rate up to 80%-90% of it's max and then back down, your body is working harder than it would keeping your heart rate at a steady level.  Because of this, you will burn more fat and calories while you work as well as after you exercise.  It also pushes you to use both your aerobic and anaerobic systems which is great for your heart.  

HIIT can be done with any type of exercise and different intervals of intensity.  Since it is intense, HIIT shouldn't be done more than 1-2 times a week.  

Let me know if you have more questions or want to give HIIT a try!  

I don't love the idea of a "summer body".  Your body should be fit and healthy all year long!  It's not about how your body looks - it is about healthy you are and how you FEEL.  However, I get that it is so much harder to workout in the dead of winter with the cold weather and short days with limited sunlight.  Plus you are wearing all those cozy cold weather things, like sweaters and sweatshirts, that hide your body.  I guess that is why you see many get back into fitness in the spring to get ready for wearing tank tops, shorts and bathing suits during the summer months.  

Even if you are like me and have kept up your healthy ways during the winter, now is a great time to think about keeping it up and maybe even tightening it up a bit.  We have six short weeks until the official start of summer! Here are some easy things to start doing now to feel your best for the warm weather months and after.

• Drink 8 Cups of Water Daily
• Strength Train Twice a Week
• Cut Out After Dinner/Late Night Snacks 
• Walk 30 Minutes Each Day
• Schedule Workouts for Each Week

Don't let eating well, exercising and taking care of yourself be just to get a "summer body".  Do it to feel your best and to live a healthier life.  That will make you more confident, which will make you feel great in whatever you are wearing!

Everyone knows you should be getting enough sleep. Experts says anywhere between 7-9 hours a night is ideal for most people. Everyone is different, and some need less sleep than others, but it is safe to say most people are not getting enough.

Sleep is important for just about every bodily function. Specifically talking about health and fitness, your body recovers from workouts while you sleep and sleep can affect your ability to lose weight.

Those who are sleep deprived take in more calories. Not just because they are awake longer, but because sleep affects levels of hunger-regulating hormones. Feeling tired makes you crave more food than if you were well rested, and you are more likely to reach for (unhealthy!) sugary snacks for quick energy.

Other hormones are also impacted by your nightly slumber. Growth hormone (GH) and acetylcholine are essential to the metabolism equation. They're released when you sleep and work to repair and build muscle tissue. Over-exercising and skimping on sleep can get in the way of burning fat and keeping your metabolism revved. Stress increases belly-broadening cortisol and suppresses your GH levels.

If you aren't getting 7-9 hours of quality sleep each night, here are a few things to try:

- Get to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time (even on weekends)

- Shut off your electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime

- Keep those electronics out of the bedroom!

- Make sure the temperature in the room isn't too warm (some say 63 degrees is great)

- Have a bedtime routine and keep it the same each night. It will signal to your brain it is time to start shutting down and get ready for a great night's rest.

I love, love this quote.  I also believe it is true.  There are so many factors that can affect your health and lots of confusing (and conflicting) information about nutrition and exercise, but this proverb details the most important things to keep in mind.  Don't eat too much, get more exercise, laugh and love.  If you do these things, you most likely will be feeling pretty great.