Absolute Wellness

Corporate Health & Wellness- Personal Training- Nutrition

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Dumbbell only workout! #casschats

Not having a gym membership is no excuse to not be active! For this workout all you need is your body and two dumbbells (or even one is fine!) Between sets do an active rest including running in place, butt kicks, or jumping jacks. Keep that heart rate up. Try to move to the next exercise quickly. You got this!

1. dumbbell deadlift (12 x 3 )

2. sumo squat with dumbbell (12 x 3)

3. Triceps extension (10 x 3)

4. Curl to press (10 x 3) 

5. Dumbbell step up ( 45 seconds - 1 minute x 3)

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Weekend Warrior Workout! #casschats

It’s the weekend! Yay! 

Don’t let the weekend be your excuse to get off track with your goals. Find 20 minutes each day this weekend to complete this quick and easy workout. 

20 jumping jacks

15 body weight squats

12 bicycle crunches

10 burpees

12 lunges 

10 push ups (knee push ups if needed)

1 minute wall sit

Repeat 3 times :) 

Be the warrior of your weekend! 

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HIIT WORKOUT #casschats

Want a fun way to do cardio? No treadmill needed. All you need is your body! 

HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. It is a great way to accomplish a workout in a short amount of time while burning a lot of calories! These workouts will make you sweat! Give this one a try. HIIT workouts can be a combination of any types of exercises YOU LIKE TO DO. This way working out never gets boring. 

Do each exercise for 45 seconds and take a 10 second break between each exercise. After a full cycle, you can take a 2 minute break! 

1. Jumping jacks  2. Mountain Climbers 3. Squat Jumps 4. Burpees 5. Knee or Wall Push Ups 6. Walking Lunges 

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How much protein do we really need? #casschats

Protein is the biggest talk in the fitness world constantly, but many people still don’t seem to know much about it or it’s benefits. We think protein = muscle, which is true. But how much do we need? When do we need it?

What is protein? Protein is a nutritional compound that holds essential amino acids. It helps to build tissue in the body. Without protein, life would not exist. “They are the building blocks of the body”. 

Protein intake varies from person to person depending on your weight, activity level, and sex. For a sedentary male 56 grams of protein and for a sedentary female 46 grams of protein is normal. So, if you are active, this number would be much higher. Do some research to find our your optimal protein needs! A common recommendation for gaining muscle is 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, or 2.2 grams of protein per kg. 

Many people eat WAY TOO MUCH PROTEIN. Eating excessive amounts of protein will not make you “swole” or “buff”. This protein will then be stored as fat or simply secreted from the body when you go to the bathroom. If you are eating a healthy diet, you are most likely getting enough protein already. Eat what you need, and you will see results. 

There is a correct time to ingest your protein for optimal “gains” in the gym. Experts say consuming protein within 15 minutes to an hour after a lifting/cardio workout is the best way to restore muscle and help muscle production. This helps the body to rebuild muscle using the protein molecules instead of using it’s own tissues. Protein can obviously be eaten any time throughout the day and provides the body with great energy as well. 

Protein also helps us to lose weight. Protein is an amazing filler and keeps us full for much longer compared to carbs and fat. It can reduce our appetite which equals less cravings and less weight gain.  

Depending on your diet and eating lifestyle some great sources of protein include: PLANTS, EGGS, NUTS, BEANS, QUINOA, LEAN MEATS, PROTEIN POWDERS, ALMOND MILK, DAIRY, ETC.

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Happiness isn’t a size #casschats

We all think if we lose that 10 pounds or gain more muscle or look a certain way it will make us more happy. But in reality, happiness is not going to come from the way you look. Focusing on mental health is just as important as focusing on your physical health and appearance. If you are on a fitness journey, make sure that you are doing it for yourself to be the best and most healthy version of yourself. Don’t lose weight or gain weight, because you feel like that will make you fit in with society best. 

The best way to be successful in reaching your goals is to be happy with the process and the hard work that comes along with health and fitness. Build a healthy relationship with food and exercise. Don’t punish yourself for bad days. There is always tomorrow. One bad meal or one lazy day does not put you back to square one. Having a healthy relationship with yourself and your body will make your goals much more attainable and make losing/gaining weight not so miserable. Workout because you love your body, not because you hate it. Making exercise a positive activity is what will make working out more fun. Do activities that make you happy and make you FEEL good. and most of all, LOVE YOUR BODY ENDLESSLY, it is the only one you have. 

"Fit is not a destination,  it is a way of life”. 

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AB CIRCUIT #casschats

Try this ab circuit to get your belly burning! Make sure to keep a good posture when completing any abdominal exercise (or any exercise for that matter)! Keep your pelvis neutral and chest and head tall. 

V-Ups (10)

Leg lifts (10)

Bikers (15)

Flutter kicks (15)

Plank leg lifts (12)

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Spice up your salad! #casschats

Feeling in a rut with eating healthy? Salads never sound fun until you find a really good salad that makes you want to eat it all the time. Try out these two recipes and feel free to add or take away any part of the recipes :) 

Apple cranberry walnut salad

-Apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, feta cheese, spinach

-Top with a sweet low-fat dressing (raspberry balsamic, etc)

-You could even add chicken or tuna to this salad

Southwest Chicken Salad

- 1/2 Can of corn,1/2 can of beans, avocado, 1/2 tomato, romaine lettuce, grilled chicken with taco seasoning

- Add cilantro dressing or dressing of choice 

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HEALTHY (and yummy) 4TH OF JULY TREATS! #casschats

Don’t lose your progress this summer! Keep up your good habits and enjoy these healthy and fun desserts for the 4th even the kids will love! 

1. Watermelon cake

http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53075/skinny-mini-watermelon-cakes-recipe/

2. Banana split pops

http://www.delish.com/holiday-recipes/g1434/healthy-july-fourth-desserts/?slide=4

3. Banana split kebabs

http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a47628/banana-split-kebabs/

4. Raspberry buttermilk ice pops 

(http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a35671/raspberry-buttermilk-ice-pops-recipe-clv0813/) 

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Activities you need to do this summer! #casschats

Summertime is the perfect time of the year to spice up your activities! Make a checklist and accomplish these five things this summer!

1. Hiking: Find a path close to you or check out High Cliff State Park! High Cliff is located in Sherwood, WI.

2. Yoga in the park: Empower Yoga offers FREE yoga sessions in City-Park, Appleton on Wednesdays at 6pm.

3. Play tennis: Tennis is a great sport to get into in the summer! Check out your local tennis courts at schools or parks. Get some friends together and play!

4. Bike ride: Go for a bike ride outside with friends and family on local paths located in parks near your area or ride on designated areas on the road! Biking “up-north” is also a great way to see nature and get some sunshine. There are various bike trails in Appleton as well.

5. Canoeing/Kayaking: Water activities are also a great way to get active this summer and see the beautiful outdoors. Check out Fox River Kayaking company or any company near you! Go down a river in your city or check out a new area.

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Tips for getting started with exercise! #casschats

Getting started with fitness can be challenging if you lack motivation. But once you get started, there is so much you can accomplish. Don’t let yourself be what holds you back from reaching your goals. If you are getting started, here is what you need to keep in mind!: 

1. Make fitness a habit: Try to think of fitness as something as important as brushing your teeth, or showering. It is something you should do every day. Going to the gym 3-4 days a week may sound impossible to some people, but prioritizing your time is all it takes. Find 30-45 minutes to set aside to get a workout done. Anything is possible when you make it a priority.  

2. Be okay with being a beginner: A lot of people get excited about trying something new and can jump into things they aren’t ready for and injure themselves. Know where you are and accept that. You will work up to “bigger and better” things. Start somewhere and give yourself time to improve. Don’t jump into an intense workout program that will make you too sore or exhausted to keep up with. You will slowly progress! Rome wasn’t built in a day. 

3. Find something you enjoy: Finding a type of exercise you enjoy is so important to be successful in meeting your goals. Don’t be afraid to switch it up and do different things for each workout. Getting bored can cause you to give up and lose interest really quickly. Find what makes you excited to get up and move! (zumba, yoga, biking, walking, etc)

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Make stretching a priority! #casschats

Sometimes we make goals for ourselves that we fall off of really quickly... I think stretching is one of those things. BUT LET’S TRY TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY. Stretching is so important for our muscles and for our posture. Having tight muscles can lead to postural imbalances as well as pain in the lower back, knees, and neck. 

Follow this simple 10 minute stretching routine: 

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Standing calf stretch: This stretch is so important because tight calves can lead to knee pain, back pain, and movement dysfunctions. 

Kneeling hip flexor stretch: Tight hip flexors are one of the main causes of back pain and bad posture. These muscles can pull your upper body forward and lead to a hunched over appearance. 

Pigeon stretch: This stretch is a savior for tight hips and hip joint pain.

Happy baby: This is another great stretch for tight hips.

Figure 4 stretch: Doing this stretch can loosen up the glute muscles and hamstrings. This is great for relieving the back of tension. 

Door stretch: Can’t forget about the upper body! This stretch is a great one for opening up the chest and stretching out the pectoral muscles. These muscles can round out our shoulders when they become tight and give us a hunched over posture. 

Neck stretch: End with simple neck stretches by lightly pulling the head to one side and switching. This can relieve tension in the neck and shoulders. 

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Track your fitness with these helpful and free apps! #casschats

Sometimes we think we can do it all, but life can get in the way of our fitness goals. Having a fitness app is so helpful to staying on track and on top of your goals. Check out some of my favorite health and wellness apps! 😀⬇️ 

1) fitbit: if you have a fitbit I’m sure you know about this app! This is the app that coordinates with your fitbit. It tracks your steps, sleep, exercise, calories burned, etc. You can enter your eating, drinking, and weight. I find this to be one of the most effective fitness tracking apps because it actually does most of the work for me. If you are struggling to find something to motivate you I would highly recommend purchasing a fitbit. You can challenge friends who also have the fitbit to step competitions and it is a fun way to add a social aspect to fitness. You can get them for super cheap now days if you get the older versions. They are just a constant reminder to stay on track with your eating and exercises. 

2) myfitnesspal: If you don’t feel like spending the money to get a fitbit, this app is just as good. This app can also track your food, fitness, and weight loss. Only thing is that it requires you to enter everything manually where as the fitbit app enters your exercise right from your device. My fitness pal sends you emails and reminders to get moving and stay motivated. You can also add friends on this app and motivate each other! 

3) Sworkit: This app is one of my faves! It is a workout in your pocket. Sworkit is full of workout ideas that you can follow along to. It separates the workouts into categories like lower body, upper body, abs, etc. You can mix and match the workouts to customize your perfect workout! You can set the time that you want to do the workout and it will show you count downs for each exercise right on your phone. I love that it shows videos of actual people doing the exercises so if you have any questions about something you can easily see how to do it! Check it out!

4) Workout: This app is more for people who are into heavy lifting or using weights, but they can easily be customized to be body weight exercises or more beginner! Workout has helped me so much with training clients and thinking of new exercises to target certain parts of the body. This app shows you all of the parts of the body and you can click which area you are trying to target. It will then show you a variety of exercises and a video/pictures of how to do it. This is super helpful if you are losing some creativity with your workouts or need some new ideas. This app also has workouts that you can select and follow at the gym or at home. There are two free pre-made workouts and a bunch of others that you can unlock or pay for. Such a good one! 

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Healthy, yummy, and quick breakfast ideas! #casschats

We have heard “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” our whole lives and it is so true! Starting the day with a healthy breakfast packed full of energy and protein is a great way to get your metabolism started. Most people don’t eat breakfast because they find it boring or they don’t have time. Here are some fun and easy ways to prep for breakfast on the go or just some healthy ideas in general. (All of these ideas were found on Pinterest!)

Breakfast egg muffins: These are super easy to make and can last you a week with no hassle. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. All you need is a muffin tin, 6 eggs, and vegetables of choice (peppers, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli). Combine all ingredients into a bowl and whisk generously. Add salt and pepper. Pour the mixture evenly into the muffin tin. Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Store these in the fridge, microwave when you need them, and take on the go in the morning. Quick and easy and packed full of protein!  

Avocado toast: This has been all of the rage lately! And there is a good reason... It’s so yummy and simple to make. All you need is one avocado, you can use half of it for one piece of toast. Mash up your avo in a bowl and add salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc. Spread on your toast of choice and add your favorite toppings. My favorite is a fried egg and red pepper flakes. You can also add tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and really ANYTHING YOU WANT. That’s the great thing about avo toast, you can make it as fancy or as basic as you want. Give it a try! 

Banana protein oatmeal smoothie: If you are really not into breakfast, try doing a protein smoothie instead! These are just as nutritious as eating a regular breakfast and give a great amount of protein and energy. All you need for this is protein powder, peanut butter, banana, oats, milk/almond milk, and ice. My favorite way to make protein smoothies is using almond milk, a scoop of vanilla (vega) protein powder, frozen berries, spinach, and banana. You can really add whatever you want to make a great smoothie! These smoothies can be prepared the night before so you can easily grab it from the fridge and take on the go to work or wherever you are headed! 

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Lower Back Pain #casschats

Do you suffer from lower back pain? One of the main causes is tight muscles. Stretching can help relieve lower back pain and it might work for you! Follow these simple stretches to give you some pain relief and sense of wellbeing. Hold each stretch for 20 seconds and do them 2-3 days a week for best results! 

Hip flexor stretch: go down on one knee like you are proposing to someone, lean into your hips and stretch out the front of the thigh of the leg that is kneeling. 

Knee hug: lay on your back and bring one knee up to your chest and hug

Hamstring stretch: Lay on back and lift one leg straight up, lace fingers around the back of your thigh and pull towards you until you feel some discomfort.

Cat cow: This yoga move can also help back pain. Get on all fours and go through a process of rounding out your back and sucking in your tummy to arching your back and looking up. Do this 10 times. 

Piriformis stretch/thread the needle: Lay on your back with both knees bent, take one leg and cross it over placing your ankle on top of the other knee, reach your hands through the hole you created and lace your fingers around your thigh. Gently pull forward on your leg to stretch. 

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PROTEIN POW(D)ER! #casschats

Looking for a great protein powder? Look no further! 

Incorporating a good amount of  protein into our diet is so important and it is not always possible with our busy work days and schedules. Using protein powder to add into our daily intake can really help weight loss and muscle building. There are so many choices on the market and sometimes it can become overwhelming to decide which product is best for you. The protein powder that I use is called “Vega Essentials”. I use vega because their protein is completely plant based. I don’t eat meat, so that is why I was drawn to this product. Your needs may be different than mine, but I think this powder could be good for anyone no matter your eating preferences! Here’s what makes it so good:

20 grams protein

Veggies & greens

Vitamins & minerals

16% DV fiber

1 gram Omega-3 ALA

130-140 calories

1 gram sugars

Gluten free

There are three flavors: vanilla, mocha, chocolate. I love the vanilla because it isn’t super detectable. My favorite way to use this protein powder is to make a simple protein smoothie after my workout or as a meal replacement. I usually add almond milk, a banana, frozen berries, and a half scoop or a full scoop of Vega. So delicious! You can also scoop some in your yogurt, pancakes, oatmeal, or even in baking recipes! This protein really helps me feel more full throughout the day and has added an extra bonus to my simple smoothies. Check out Vega’s website for even more protein packed options. There is something for everyone. https://myvega.com/products/categories/all

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YOUR BODY, NOT BEACH BODY! #casschats

Why does society make us think that we need to look our “best” each summer to be able to wear a swimsuit or to step foot on a beach. Summer is not the time to start to care about our bodies, we should take care of our bodies year round. BUT there is no certain way we should be pressured to look when summer time rolls around. There is not one specific body type or one specific size we should try to be when warmer weather comes. The most important thing is to be confident in our own skin and to respect our bodies. Feeding our bodies with healthy foods, exercising, and practicing good mental health is so important! The beach WILL accept any body you give it. Don’t worry. If you are confident and you take care of yourself and YOU ARE HAPPY with your body, why should it matter. Give summer the body you have, and give it with confidence! We are all beautiful and perfectly imperfect in our own way.  Here are my tips for having summer confidence: 

1. Treat yourself to a cute swimsuit that makes you feel confident and fits your body well. There is nothing better than being comfortable and looking good while doing it! 

2. Eat foods that make you feel good, and don’t make you feel guilty. Don’t forget to have healthy foods this summer at BBQs and parties! Have your favorite foods but don’t neglect fruit, vegetables, etc!

3. Indulge often and do it smart. Portion your favorite summer treats so you can enjoy them without punishing yourself for it. Don’t go on a binge, and try to have self control while eating snacks and treats. 

4. COME TO MY “Be YOU” WORKSHOP ON JUNE 19TH-23RD. SIGN UP ON www.abswell.com