Moderation applies to more than just your diet...

While the catch phrase on top of the website page is 'Do you have time to eat that?', the actual website name is 'Moderation For Life'. This is such an important concept that Americans seem to have a really hard time grasping. Our culture is very much based on quantity and excess....with the mentality that the more you have, the better! While there are some things that this is true for - like love :), can't ever have enough of that! - this is not great when it comes to food. Almost all of our blog posts up to this point have discussed this topic.... that moderation is the key with your diet. You don't have to completely eliminate sweets and your favorite foods from your diet, but it certainly needs to be portion controlled and not done with every meal. But with a little moderation, you can still enjoy your favorite treats. My mom's rule is 80% of the time you eat a balanced diet, with lots of veggies, fruits and whole grains... and the other 20% of the time you can splurge a little!

However, this is a topic that we have discussed a ton on our blog, so I'm going to shift gears a little bit. Let me let all of you in on a little secret....Moderation does not only apply to your diet! Your exercise routine needs moderation, too!

If someone were to only strength train, they would be unbalanced. Similarly, cardio alone is not the answer. And while a workout routine with a mix of cardio and strength training is great, you can apply moderation even more to this. By that I mean that your cardio routine should not consist of only running. Your muscles respond most to a variety of activities. That means that for strength training you alternate training the upper body, your back, legs, abdomen, etc. For cardio, you can switch it up from running, to stairs, to high intensity workouts, to plyometrics, etc.

Really the combinations are endless, and your body will respond much better than it would to a one-note workout routine. My mom does a great job of alternating her workouts (and has been doing so for years, she's one smart lady!) - stairs one day, then running, then circuit strength training, then CrossFit. She's always up for a new workout.

I get bored if a do a given workout too many times, so I'm always on the lookout for a new workout. I've done P90X, CrossFit, NikeTraining (which is a free iPhone app), plus biking, stairs, and running. Lately I've been very interested in the Tone It Up workout plan. It's two girls who have founded this company that has a nutrition plan you can pay for, as well as workouts that you can obtain for free from their blog and on youtube. I'm going to share a few links below that I particularly enjoy!

Shredmill great challenging workout! Mostly cardio will a few extra moves thrown in

Itty Bitty Bikini tough abdominal routine, you will feel the burn here!

Bum Workout tone up that booty!

HIIT high-intensity interval training - a great cardio routine that keeps you guessing. The changes throughout help the time to fly by!

If you have any workout routines you particularly enjoy, please share them! We're always looking for another fun and challenging way to stay in shape :)

Make sure to check in tomorrow for a blog post on eating healthy while on vacation!

Mary