Category Archives: Fitness

Workout Wednesday: Loosey Goosey Plane Ride

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Our visitors this weekend live very similar healthy lifestyles to Mike and me. Amber, a new friend of mine, is a fitness and nutrition enthusiast and we found common ground in our health goals. It was a breath of fresh air to be around someone just as analytical and knowledgable about natural health.

Before they got on the plane, they wanted to get in a workout. I totally understood their plan. It always helps to have exerted yourself before a long flight. It gets fluid to your joints, stretches out and activates your muscles, and frees any built up energy so you can relax more easily once you finally board the plane. It can even help you sleep!

So try to squeeze in one of my workouts before a flight, and lessen the discomfort and staleness.

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I hope you’re all having happy days :)- Ash

Workout Wednesday: 20-minute Total Body #6

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Prelude: This day is always kind of a weird one. On one hand, 12 years ago was the first (and still the biggest) historical event to happen in my life. It was a horrific day that changed countless lives. On the other hand, America’s reaction, the coming together of a country, was pretty spectacular.

So today, I recognize the anniversary of the sadness and the loss but also of a galvanized country. Every September 11th, let’s remember what we’ve already been through and how we reemerged. Hold on to that unity. Have a chat with your neighbor, ask your coworker about their day, get excited about nothing with a child in your life … live it up, because you never know what will come tomorrow.

And on that note, I really hope that “living it up” includes doing a workout with me!

Here is our workout for this week. No weights or equipment required! Actually, you don’t even need much space for this. So clear some floor in you living room, dorm room, vacation bedroom, or even kitchen! There are no excuses to skip this one. When a workout uses only your body weight, you define the intensity.

Did you hear that? When a workout uses only your body weight, you define the intensity. Your workout is only as awesome as the effort you put in. And those muscles you’re working for don’t just create themselves. Sweat is your friend! Now get at it 🙂

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I hope you’re now panting and sweating. Have a happy day knowing you’ve already done your workout 🙂

Mindful Monday: AHH! Too Many Options!!

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For the last year or so, I’ve been deeply entrenched in the exponential growth of the natural health industry. People are realizing, slowly but surely, that the typical Western diet and lifestyle leads to a very unhappy and diseased body. Finally.

Thanks to my Mom, I was exposed to the alternative diet and exercise routine from a young age. Natural health in ingrained in me. But as I grow older and talk to more and more people about their personal stories I have realized: there is no such thing as the correct health routine. Continue reading →

Wednesday Workout: 16 Minute Total Body #1

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I know there are a few readers who come to this page only for the workouts. That makes me pretty happy because that means people are catching on to how awesome they are. It is very important though to vary your workout. Eventually, muscle memory gets the best of your body and your workouts aren’t as effective. The variation can be as drastic as starting a different activity, or as simple as switching up your intervals.

So this is the first of the 16-minute total body. Try to mix these in with the 20-minute workouts to keep your body guessing. Continue reading →

Womanly Monday: The Cup

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Men by warned, THIS POST IS DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU. It concerns menstruation and, unless you’re very curious, don’t read any further.

Ladies, welcome! For the last several months I’ve been testing a product called the Diva Cup. It is a long-lasting, eco-friendly, healthier, cheap alternative to tampons and pads. Continue reading →

Workout Wednesday: Total Body #5

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Summer time can be tough to keep a workout schedule. Why would you go to the gym when you could be laying in the sun?? Fortunately, there are tons of workouts you can do outside, in the sun, while on vacation.

Personally, vacation is my break time. Every body needs some down time to recover. I usually come back even stronger from a week-long break. But a few times while in Maine, I felt the overpowering urge to do a bit of yoga and one of my Total Body workouts. Sometimes I just wake up needing to do something positive to start the day, working out is usually it. Continue reading →

Workout Wednesday: Total Body #4

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This past Saturday was the last class of the first ever session of my boot camp. Luckily I found some great friends to be my guinea pigs and they were perfect. So enthusiastic and responsive. It was really fun to teach them every week and I learned a ton. Unfortunately (but really very fortunately) I got a second job and won’t have much time to nurture this fun gathering I call my bootcamp. The jury is still out until I can see how this new routine settles in. I’m really crossing my fingers that I will be able to muster the energy to do more.

But until I figure that out, I’ll keep doing (and posting) workouts. So here’s this gem from the last week of class. Get sweaty and enjoy!20 minute total body 4

Also, if anyone has any questions about form, pain, awkwardness, etc, feel free to comment and ask! I usually answer within 12 hours. Hope you’re all having happy days 🙂

Workout Wednesday: Total Body #3

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This weekend was hot in San Diego and VERY busy in Hillcrest. Our bootcamp class was early in the morning to avoid the Pride Parade traffic. We started with a bit of cloud cover but 5 minutes in, the cloud peaked out and we started sweating. Unfortunately it was too late for us to move to shade but we learned two lessons:

  1. Exercise in the shade whenever possible, no matter the weather when you start.
  2. Drink LOTS of water. Not just while sweating but when resting, walking, working, etc. The more you stay regularly hydrated, the less quickly you dehydrate when water is inaccessible.

On that note, enjoy this workout. And enjoy that sweat! With the sweat, out come toxins, stress, and fat. 🙂

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Love and a big, sweaty hug – Ash

Wednesday Workout: Total Body #2

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Last Saturday was the second day of my Happy Bootcamp Workout. My head was a little more organized and we had a great workout. It was a scorchingly hot day and despite our shady spot, most of the ladies were dripping sweat by the end. Our post-workout smoothies were hard-earned.

Enjoy and feel free to comment with any questions!

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Workout Wednesday: ABsolutely Exhausted

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I’m back! I’m officially back. I took a brief hiatus while we moved from Illinois to California and I’m finally unpacked and ready to start blogging again. Thank goodness! I missed you guys.

I taught the first Happy Bootcamp Workout last Saturday and had a blast. The women that came were a group of friends I haven’t seen in a long while and it was wonderful to motivate and help them to health. I’ll be teaching the same ladies for the next 3 weeks!

The reason I mention this is because I’ve been struggling with what to share with you all, and what to reserve for paying, bootcamp clients. Then I realized, I definitely can’t put together two great workouts per week and I definitely don’t want to deprive the non-San Diegans the chance to do them too!

So weekly workout posts are here to stay. Bootcamp clients will get the added benefit of working out with friends in the beautiful San Diego sunshine. They will learn to perfect the form of each exercise and will receive the motivation they need to get (or stay) on the track to healthy. I will be a ready source of any kind of exercise or nutrition advice and all the workouts we do together will be posted here for easy access! Even without exclusive workouts, that’s a pretty sweet deal.

Enough of the chatter, on to today’s workout. We did this last Saturday at Bootcamp and man it was an awesome workout. I was sweating and burning just watching them!

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I hope you’re having a wonderful Wednesday. Love and a big smile – Ash