Moving against the tide

1. Slimming Skaters
   Start with your feet together, toes pointing forward, arms by your side. To begin, take a wide ‘skate’ step with your right foot to the right side, then drag your left foot toward it, reaching your left arm forward while bringing your right elbow back, as if you were skating. Then, quickly change directions and repeat the movement on the opposite side. Repeat as many times as you can, alternating from left to right, for a total of one minute. This double-duty move not only tones and sculpts your inner thigh muscles, while you change directions quickly from side to side, it also burns off jiggly bulge.
2. Side to Side Plies
   Look straight ahead and stand with your feet positioned about three feet apart. Your knees and toes should be pointing out at about 45 degrees and your hands should be resting on your hips. This four-count move starts with a simple ballet plie. To do: Bend your knees and lower your hips towards the ground as low as you can. Keep your shoulders stacked over your hips, your back straight and knees pointing out over your toes. Dip down into the plie and hold it for 30 seconds. Then, slowly straighten your legs and slide your left heel into your right, squeezing your inner thighs together for a count of 30 seconds. Take a big step back out to the left and repeat plie, then slide right heel in. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement 10 times.
3. Crescent Kicks
   Standing with feet hip-width apart, arms relaxed by your sides, look straight ahead. Step onto your left foot, brush your right leg forward off the floor and create a large circular sweep from left to right with your leg. Then step onto right foot, and repeat on the left. That’s one rep. Repeat this move 10 times. This kick tones and slims your inner thighs as you help control your leg through a circular range of motion, while also stretching your inner thigh muscles as you open your leg to the side.
4. Inner Thigh Attitude Pulse
   Stand on your left leg and lift your right leg a few inches off the ground, bending at the knee. Now turn your knee out to the side. Bring right heel towards the ceiling and bring leg across the front of your body so that your right knee is past your left leg. Lower right leg towards the floor and lift it up as high as you can, keeping heel up. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement 15 times on your right side, then 15 times on your left.
5. Towel Squeeze Bridge
   Lie down on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, arms relaxed on the ground by your sides, looking straight ahead. Place a folded hand towel between your knees. Squeeze your knees together into the towel to really activate your inner thighs, and lift hips off the floor, as high as you can, towards the ceiling. Hold for two counts, then lower down. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement  15 times.
6. Seated Bent-Knee
   Sit with your hands pressed on the floor besides your hips. Your elbows should be slightly bent but not locked. Bend your knees in towards your body. Keep your knees touching and your toes pointed while looking straight ahead. Then, lean slightly forward and contract your abdominals. Trace your toes on the floor and open your knees out to the sides, then draw your knees together until they touch. That’s one rep. Repeat this exercise 20 times. This movement not only sculpts and shapes your inner thighs as you close your legs, but also tones your abdominals and hips as you maintain the move’s forward lean.
7. Frog
   Lie on your back with your arms relaxed on the ground beside you. Slowly bend your knees in towards your chest, drawing your abs in. Flex your feet and turn your knees out to the sides. Your heels should be touching. Now, press your legs out, widening them at a 45-degree angle. With both legs extended and turned outward, squeeze the backs of your knees together (your inner thighs). Bend your knees back in, maintaining the same 45-degree line on the way back. That’s one rep. Repeat this movement 15 times.
8. Butterfly Stretch
   To nix next-day soreness and increase flexibility, finish this routine with a relaxing stretch. Start seated, with the bottoms of your feet sandwiched together and your knees relaxed, out to the sides while holding onto your ankles. Gently lean forward, lowering your chest towards your feet until you feel a deep stretch in your inner thighs. Hold this position for 30 seconds, and then relax. Note: Since this is a stretch, you only need to do this movement once.

(Source: sanotea, via glitteringsweat)

gonnabefitasfuck:

readytolift:

littlewaternymph:

healthyfitandlovely:

• The proper activity done a few minutes before eating can encourage food calories to get shuttled into the muscle cells, before it has a chance to get stored as body fat.
• Increases insulin sensitivity and burns some extra calories.

Air squats are the best option out there for a quick workout before meals.

Read more about it in Tim Ferris’s book “4 hour body”.

By rebloging this I accept this challenge, and I will do my best to accomplish it.

sounds good to me!

I’ve decided I am going to do this. Mostly because I am pretty much OBSESSED with squats and I will think of any excuse to do them. Do this challenge, it looks awesome!

Definitely doing this!

Yeah, why not! :D Starting this.

(Source: streetbutterfly, via adjusttheaction)

(via recoverykitty)

keepcalmanddieton:

eatcleanmakechanges:

Great breakdown!

(via imgTumble)

(Source: must-be-better-with-every-day, via recoverykitty)

food-and-jewelry:

everything

(Source: dancinginmyundies, via eatcleanmakechanges)

joanned:

timtamslam:

It doesn’t matter if you’re slow, fast, thin, overweight, just starting, or a veteran of the sport –you’re a runner.

It’s simple:if you run, you’re a runner.

Running makes us better as individuals not just by improving our health, but by making us patient, perseverant, and confident.

Running is even more powerful when we band together. There’s strength in numbers and our pre-conceived notions about our abilities are often shattered.

We’re all runners. Some of us just need inspiration to keep running.

May this be our rallying cry to find the runner in all of us!

(Taken from strengthrunning.com)

Definitely needed to see this after my doctor’s visit today and what it meant for my running. Post to follow… I warn you, it’s a long one, but a lot went down today. 

(via running-to-healthy)

muffintop-less:

What is “Clean Eating”?

Clean eating is simply eating foods as close to their natural state as possible. Foods that are highly processed or contain highly processed ingredients are not considered “clean” foods. There are certain aspects of “clean eating” that vary from person to person, however that is the basic explanation of it!

The following foods are typically not considered “clean”: cookies, chips, crackers, candy, white breads and pastas, sugary cereal, fast food, frozen dinners and most packaged goods.

For those interested in switching to a healthy, clean-eating lifestyle, here are a few tips:

• Start making your own meals from wholesome lean proteins, veggies, fruit and healthy fats. Basically, eat as close to natural as possible!
• See my grocery list for an example of clean foods!
• Remember healthy food does not have to be expensive. Check out my tips for shopping on a budgetif this is a concern!
• Toss (or donate if you’re so inclined) and avoid buying the following: soda, diet soda, fruit juice, sports drinks, cookies, chips, crackers, candy, ice cream, pudding, jell-o, flavored yogurt, condiments like mayo, ketchup, ranch and other fattening/sugary dressings and marinades, deli meats, processed meats, white breads and pastas, sugary cereals, packaged processed crap, granola bars. Most are full of sugar and processed, chemical junk! Sugar spikes insulin and promotes fat storage and has been linked to numerous, serious health conditions such as obesity, heart disease and some types of cancer.
• Recipe possibilities are virtually endless and there is no need for healthy food to be boring. Use popular search engines like Google to look for “clean eating” recipes.
• Start slow. Try swapping out on meal a day that is typically unhealthy. So for example if you usually grab a doughnut or pastry for breakfast, try making a healthier breakfast with eggs and old-fashioned oatmeal with cinnamon & Stevia! (Remember not to buy the pre-sweetened variety). It only takes 5 minutes to make and will give you tons of healthy nutrients and energy to tide you over for several hours! Each day, aim to make your choices healthier. In time it will become habit!

(via slimginger)

(via adjusttheaction)

eatcleanmakechanges:

food-and-jewelry:

good information

Love this info!

(Source: fitisgood)

eatcleanmakechanges:

food-and-jewelry:

yes

Feel those thighs!

(Source: fitisgood)