Strickland Fitness

Besides doing a little bit of cleaning around the house, Springtime culminates the season of new beginnings. Forget all the new year's resolutions you've already decided to drop (and forgive yourself, more importantly) and let go of any of your winter workout blues. Spring is here and it's a great time for a new start (or kick-up) with your workouts! Spring is a great time to get serious with your activities for a couple of reasons. One, summertime (aka bikini time for many) is just right around the corner; you can practically touch it. With it being this close, it gives you that extra motivation to step up your game. And two, although spring is this close to the sunny season, it still gives us a few months to get our workout on just in time and to prepare for summer. 

Spring Equinox is heading our way this week (Wednesday to be exact) and for those who are ready to stop hibernating, we suggest you start slow if you haven't worked out in a while. We also suggest that you take advantage of the better weather and go outside for your workouts! There's no better workout partner than the outdoors sometimes. If you are, however, live in one of the colder climates and would prefer to work out inside, here's a great video to get you moving. Enjoy the sweat!

Happy March everyone! Spring is almost here and this month there will be a lot of celebrating going on, courtesy of St. Patrick's Day. As with other special days we commemorate, St. Patty's usually calls for hanging out with family and friends and eating special meals – this time heaping servings of corned beef and cabbage, shepherd's pie, soda bread and beer. Lots and lots of beer. It's easy to get off your healthy kick when this Irish holiday comes around every March 17, but with some planning, you can avoid the pitfalls of these celebrations. It doesn't mean you should enjoy the festivities less. We're just offering a few suggestions that will help you feel better about what you eat and continue to stay active.

Above is a great video on a few useful tips that you can try when preparing your St. Patrick's Day meal. Since it's best to keep things in moderation and to never feel like you're "missing" out, it might be a good idea to incorporate a few of these ideas in your meal while leaving the most important dishes (i.e. the infamous corned beef and cabbage) in tact. Meanwhile, below is a short workout that you can do the day after eating all that yummy food (you can substitute the keg for weights). Enjoy.

Here at StricklandFitness.com, we love highlighting new gadgets that can assist you in your quest to good health and great nutrition. Thus, we continuously post about all the new trends out there that can become your best friend during those tough workouts. However, it should be duly noted that the fitness industry as a whole is quite huge. A current study states that the health and fitness industry is a $26 billion dollar giant money maker. That's a lot of weights, gym memberships and iPhone Runkeeper apps being purchased yearly. Are some of them worth it? Of course. In a tech-obsessed world, sometimes these apps can make or break someone new to fitness, and determine whether or not they'll stick to their workouts. Also, have you ever tried running a mile, much less a 5k (or marathon) in ill-fitting and badly-made running shoes? These are investments that are worthwhile and needed. 

Other fads and gadgets, meanwhile, are not worth the money and should probably be ignored. Most of us are probably never going to own another thigh master again, but that's only one fad to ignore. The following video will tell you about other fitness and diet knick-knacks that you might want to avoid. 

In just two days millions of Americans will eat chocolate and candies en masse for Valentine's Day. A CNN study states that last year alone, over fifty-eight million pounds of chocolate were sold in the United States during Valentine's Day week. You read that right, fifty-eight million. And although it's just one day out of the year, these V-Day treats can last quite a while, with some of those heart-shaped boxes sticking around the fridge well into Easter (when you can stock up again). Add to that the rich and luxurious meals many of you will be eating and well, maybe it's time for another great workout.

Instead of (or besides) going for these fatty treats to celebrate this love-filled day, how about going for a workout with your Valentine instead? There are different workouts out there that are not only good for the body and heart, but can also be fun and romantic. Here are a few ideas:

1. Yoga: Yes, dear friends, yoga can be quite a sexy and lovely activity for you and your honey. Couples yoga promotes proper breathing and communication, which will definitely help you and your loved one get connected. It also allows for some great bonding time that will have you feeling refreshed, relaxed and in tune with your bodies post practice, leaving room for romance later on.

2. Bicycling: Tandem bikes anyone? Bike riding is one of those activities that make adults feel like they're kids again – free, no stress and the motion that they're flying (on the ground). These feelings are nothing but good news for couples who need some time to unwind together. Bicycling is also great for the core, so that's an added bonus.

3. Golf: Playing a round of golf can make for a fabulous Valentine's Day plan for you and your mate. Not only will you be outdoors enjoying the scenery together, but golf can also bring out the competitive nature in both of you. Friendly competitive nature, that is. Add to that all the walking involved and you've got yourself a fitness-friendly and fabulous time with your partner.

For those twosomes who'd rather stay in together but still want to get their sweat on, check out the video below.

I know what you're thinking – this is a fitness blog – why are we about to embark on a foodie's journey to Super Bowl game day snacks? Well, because as we all know, fitness without proper nutrition is like ping without the pong. They need to go hand in hand. And although many of us use food journals to plan out our healthy meals, there are those special times (holidays, birthdays, Super Bowl parties) when we really need to be more aware of what we're eating. Now it doesn't mean we can't have delicious and satisfying munchies come game time, because what's a Super Bowl party without a chip? It just means that chip doesn't have to be a super oily one. 

Below are a few healthy recipes available online that you might want to try out this Sunday. If you're hosting the fete, this is to your advantage because you control what's being served. However if you, like most folks this year, are heading out to someone else's shindig to watch the big game, then think about bringing one of these healthy dishes along to share. It could help drown out some of the other junk food that will be waiting for you when you get there. 

1. Healthy Chicken Wings – No game day is complete without some sort of chicken wing passing through your hands and landing in your mouth. Make sure it's not only delicious but nutritious, too, with this recipe.

2. Chips and Dip – Like the aforementioned wing, chips and dips are staples in any Super Bowl party. Enjoy the Doritos commercial  but pass the bag to the next person, because this recipe will satisfy your crunchy craving.

3. Vegan Nachos – Speaking of chips, they usually graduate into full-blown super cheesy (and fattening) nachos during game day. This is a much lighter, yet still scrumptious, alternative.

4. Game Day Chili – This specific recipe calls for ground beef, so all the meat-loving folks won't miss their fill. However, ground turkey can also be a savory substitute and will make this chili even healthier.

5. Fruit/Veggie Plate – No link needed here. Just cut up your favorite fruits and vegetables in season and serve it up right along with the other goodies on Sunday. When something healthy is available, people will snack on them. 

For more ideas on healthier alternatives to game days treats, check out the video below. Enjoy!