Fight Winter Weight Gain - Top Ten Eating Tips

As fitness professionals, one of the number one dietary questions we receive is ‘What should I eat?” The question generally stems from the fact that the person asking has started a workout routine and is looking to make the complete lifestyle change to maximize results. Many people turn to various trends, including diet fad books and magazine articles featuring celebrities’ weight loss success stories using the latest fads. However, most of the people who ask us this question are tired and wary of fads and just want healthful advice. The question is really, “Where should I begin?” If you are making a dramatic change or series of changes to your diet, we highly recommend paying a visit to your doctor. Once you are ready to fight winter weight gain, follow our Top Ten Eating Tips.

10. Avoid imbibing Monday-Thursday

(and, don't make up for lost time over the weekend).

Bottom line up front, you will lose weight if you stop, or reduce, your alcohol consumption.

9. Don't eat fried food

Some of our recruits are under the assumption that some foods are ALWAYS healthy anyway they are prepared. NOT SO!

8. Cut down on your red meat consumption

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Vol. 293, No. 2: 172-182), indicate a link between eating red meat and colon cancer.

The long-term project studied the amount of red meat eaten over a decade by a group of 149,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 74. The results indicate that the "people who ate the most red meat were 30%-40% more likely to develop cancer in the lower part of the colon, compared to people who ate the least." ¹

7. Cut back on sugar drinks

Or, cut them out altogether while on the weight-loss path. Don't forget that your drinks contain calories, too. Jamba Juice and Starbucks have more than a few drinks on their menu with over 500 calories, and some upwards of 680 calories!!! The amount of carbohydrates and sugars packed into these drinks acts like a nuclear sugar bomb on your blood sugar levels.

6. Maintain portion control

Again, just because the protein in chicken is good for you, doesn't mean you need to eat the entire chicken for dinner! ²

5. Stop eating after 8pm

(unless you are pulling the night shift!)

Your body goes into rest mode and doesn't need the extra calories to sustain it. If you are craving a sugar snack, try having it during the day when you can still burn the extra calories.

4. Get enough sleep

Study after study shows that sleep deprivation may have a link to over eating and weight gain. ³

3. Drink plenty of water

Don't substitute coffee, teas, soda or juice if you are thirsty during the day while maintaining a moderate or sedentary job. Side note: if you are out in the field or doing athletic activity, you will need to add salt to your water in order to hydrate your body.

2. Add color to your dishes

Just because you are trying to lose weight doesn't mean you need to dress your food down. Add splashes of color with vegetables like bell peppers, which also happen to be rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene and fiber. ⁴

1. Variety is the spice of life

Strive for a balanced diet including a daily dose of fiber!!!

Written by Stephanie Weichert.

Sources:
1,2 www.cancer.org
3 www.medicinenet.com
4 www.wholehealthmd.com

Ken Weichert (a.k.a. “SGT Ken”) is a Six-time Soldier of the Year, Master Fitness Trainer and veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Desert Storm. Ken and his wife Stephanie, a Certified Personal Trainer, founded START Fitness, a group exercise and hiking business that delivers military-style workouts to Soldiers and civilians since 1998. Ken and Stephanie have led thousands of Soldiers to better health through Operation Fit to Fight, a tactical fitness instructor training program designed to prepare Soldiers for Basic Combat Training, deployments, leadership schools and post-deployment reintegration. Operation Fit to Fight creates tactical athletes who lead by example and are ready to perform necessary duties in response to natural disasters or in defense of our country! Ken and Stephanie currently produce health and fitness programs for GX magazine, and for the National Guard website.

Attitude Adjustment

I was watching Oprah.

I tuned in because she had a show about women's health. Most of it featured women who have trouble sleeping, have a low sex drive, are depressed, and pop too many prescription pills. They all admit they don't eat well and don't exercise enough. "Hello?!," I yelled from the couch. Why don’t they realize that eating right and exercising are the most important things you do all day?

Many of us need an Attitude Adjustment.

There is a comic strip that I love … it is a doctor asking a patient why he doesn't exercise. The patient says he doesn't have a free hour in the day. The doctor asks, "Do you have 24 hours a day to be dead?"

If we change our attitude about what we eat and do during the day, the doctor would not have to ask that question.

Many people make the mistake of thinking of food as a gift, our one pleasure for the day. In reality, it's simply a fuel to keep us living, and moving. We are supposed to eat in order to move – and move a lot.

Instead of moving a lot, we work hard for everyone else and sit at a desk or in the car most of the day, then collapse on the couch. No wonder we are depressed, overweight and sick. We need an attitude adjustment in food and fitness.

Working out gives me the sense of satisfaction I crave from that fatty dish or second glass of wine. Being active stops me from yelling at my husband. It works like caffeine to wake me up but makes me sleep like a log. It prevents injuries. Studies show that exercise and eating right can get you off of many medications. People who exercise crave bad food and alcohol less often. They are nicer to be around.

So I ask, why put your health off until tomorrow, when you might be too sick to do anything at all by then?

Life is too precious to waste. The best thing you can do all day is turn off Oprah, put down the soda, and go for a jog on your way to the health food store.

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube
- Nikki on Facebook

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Make it to the New Year Without Gaining Weight

The best way to make it through the holidays without overeating and drinking is to have a plan. Here are my 10 Fitness resolutions to make it through the holidays and avoid a New Years weight loss resolution.

1. I will make dates to see my friends and family and do something that doesn't involve eating and drinking. I will walk through the park, ice skate, cross country ski, walk the mall, take a yoga or cardio class, or run on a treadmill right next to my friend.

2. I will think of food as a fuel, not as a gift, which means passing on food that is high in fat and sugar, and taking HALF the portion everyone else heaps onto their plate.

3. If I have to be at a restaurant, I will identify the 3 healthiest things on the menu and pick between those.

4. I will follow the food pyramid daily, and I will take a daily multi-vitamin.

5. I will not eat any bad food that is lying around the office. I will bring healthy snacks to my desk that are sweet and/or salty, like whole wheat crackers, almonds, grapes, or chocolate soy milk.

6. I will drink no more than 2 alcoholic beverages at parties and events (if necessary, cut extra drinks with spritzers) and I will have a snack before these events so I don't attack the buffet line.

7. I will drive less and walk more. I will take the stairs when possible and never go a day without some exercise.

8. I will invest in a gym membership, if I don't have one already, and I will use it. If I don't have the money right now, I will buy an inexpensive workout DVD.

9. I will weigh myself everyday so that I remember my goals and can feel good about the choices I made yesterday.

10. I will reward myself when I stick to these resolutions with something free or inexpensive that makes me happy and inspires me to look and feel good. I will get a new workout outfit, music download, or take the afternoon off to go on that hike with the kids….

Also, remember what is done is done; don't beat yourself up for what you did yesterday if you slipped. Always look ahead. Live a healthy and active lifestyle day by day.

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube
- Nikki on Facebook

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

How To "Time" Your Diet For Faster Muscle Growth

It's true that the grueling workout you've invested at the local "iron jungle" will stimulate your muscles to grow bigger and stronger. But ultimately it's your diet that will provide the "building blocks" for this new growth.

However, there's more to a bodybuilder's diet than mountains of canned tuna and protein powder. Timing your meals just right will provide you with a competitive edge that will allow you to build muscle faster and help burn those extra layers of fat covering up your hard work.

Here's how...

>> Early Morning

When you wake up, you're at the end of a 7-9 hour fast and your muscles are screaming for nutrition. Start off with a potent protein drink for fast absorption mixed with some complex carbs for fueling your day.

>> 1-2 Hours Before Your Workout

You're about to send your muscles into the "combat zone" so shouldn't you provide them with the ammunition they need to "take the hill"?

Load up on some complex carbs that will provide the long lasting fuel you'll need to power through your intense workout. Add a full dose of protein to provide a ready source of amino acids and give your muscles a head start on the growth process as you stress the muscle cells during your workout.

>> Immediately After Your Workout

You've used up the glycogen (stored carbohydrates) in your muscle cells as fuel for your workout and if you don't replenish them fast, you're bound to short circuit your growth.

Within 45 minutes to an hour after your workout you need to down a high-glycemic, high protein drink while your body is primed for fast absorption. Take in between 75 - 100 grams of sugar and about 25% of your day's total protein requirement along with a healthy dose of monounsaturated fats to help stimulate testosterone production.

>> Before Bed

You're about to enter another long period of fasting at bedtime, but it's also a prime time for your body to repair and build muscle. The problem is that your metabolism slows way down when you sleep so a large meal before turning in has the potential to trigger fat storage.

To provide the building blocks your body needs for growth while minimizing fat storage, eat a light meal consisting of slow-digesting protein and some easily digestible carbs. A bowl of cottage cheese with some fruit is ideal or mix a scoop of protein powder into some milk or water. My favorite is a scoop of chocolate protein powder mixed in with low fat cottage cheese. It's like a muscle-building DESSERT!

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

The Secret Weapon That Keeps Me in Shape

Want to know the secret weapon that keeps me in shape?

A great soundtrack tailored for my mood and workout! That is why I don't include standard music on my DVDs and instead have sugggested playlists on my site.

I think your workout music should be different each day to keep you interested, even if you've jogged that same path, used that same peice of equipment at the gym or done that DVD twice this week. Good music motivates, energizes and entertains you. Here are a few sample lists from my website nikkifitness.com. Maybe some of these songs will energize your workout this week!

Fall Workouts-Just Added: 2008
Click on any song to buy from iTunes.

Stonger - Kanye West
Give It Up - LCD Soundsystem
Disturbia - Rihanna
4 Minutes - Justin and Maddona
All Nite (Don't Stop) - Janet
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
Here it Goes Again - OK Go
Swing - Savage & Soulja Boy
Take You There - Davidson Ospina Remix
Strip Tease - Danity Kane
Crank That - Soulja Boy
Touch My Body - Workout Remix
Watch My Feet - Dude 's Nem
Feedback - Janet
Just Dance - Lady GaGa

Interval Training (alternating fast and medium speeds):
Click on any song to buy from iTunes.

Come to Me - Diddy
Can't Stop - Maroon 5
Should've Said No - Taylor Swift
Mansard Roof - Vampire Weekend
Piece of Me - Brittney
American Idiot - Green Day
Shut up and Drive - Rihanna
Rock and Roll All Nite - Poison
The Distance - Cake
You Could Be Mine - Guns n Roses
Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall
Mr. Brightside - The Killers
Lose Yourself - Eminem
Heaven - Los Lonely Boys (Cool Down)
Follow Through - Gavin DeGraw (Cool Down/Stretch)

Country 1
Click on any song to buy from iTunes.

Your Company - Keith Urban
Last Name - Carrie Underwood
She's a Hottie - Toby Keith
Should've Said No - Taylor Swift
Teardrops on My Guitar - Taylor Swift
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - Miranda Lambert
Stay - Sugarland (Cool Down Song)

There are many more playlists on my site, and I am always looking for suggestions. Email me to join my newsletter or give me suggestions.

Find more workout playlists at the Military.com Fitness Center.

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube
- Nikki on Facebook

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

Combating Fear in a Street Fight

Facing a real street fight, it’s natural to feel fear and anxiety. But once your prospective attacker smells that fear, he knows he has you! Here’s how to wipe the fear from YOUR face...before wiping the smile off of his!

Facing live, man-eating sharks, body-slicing laser "death machines" and a crumbling evil fortress ready to self-destruct, James Bond never seemed to lose his cool.

Not a single bead of sweat when tied up, helplessly facing certain death at the hands of a giant 7 ft henchman of the sinister Dr. Destruction.

Sure, Bond makes it all look so easy...but it doesn't play that way for YOU when you have a 7 ft monster who looks like he just got out of prison snorting in your face because you made him spill his drink.

Faced with the prospect of "throwing down" with someone who looks like he has the advantage over you in a fight, your brain triggers a release of the hormone adrenaline into your system that's designed to give you that extra power to either run REALLY fast away from danger...or fight for your survival.

This "adrenaline dump" forces your chest muscles to tighten up and you'll tend to hold your breath, restricting your intake of oxygen. The result is tunnel vision; dry mouth; shaky voice; rapid, shallow breathing; dizziness; single focus fixation; greater anxiety; and the possibility of sheer panic.

Not only are these physical signs a "come and get me" signal to your enemy, but they also limit your ability to actually take him out unless you can control it.

So you wanna know how YOU can have that calm, cool, collected façade of James Bond when staring up into the snorting nostrils of a violent attacker (no guarantee of being lavished by exotic models in the end)?

The answer is what is known as "Combat Breathing" and here's how it works...

When you start to feel your body affected with any of the previous symptoms of adrenaline overload, your goal is to take control of your breathing and reverse the effects of reduced oxygen intake.

You do this by simply breathing OUT through your nose for a 4-count, focusing on breathing with your diaphragm and bringing the air seemingly down into your stomach.

Then you hold your breath for a 2-count before slowly breathing IN for a 4-count, and then holding it again for another 2-count.

This can all be done "secretly" WITHOUT anyone even knowing your doing it and all it takes is 2-3 "rounds" of this breathing pattern to reverse the outward signs of fear and allow you to think clearer to focus on your flight of fight options.

Practice this while reciting the word "breathe" as you're doing it and when faced with a stressful situation, you can use this word as a mental cue to trigger the initiation of your combat breathing pattern.

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

Does the "Pump" Really Help Build Muscle?

It's time to set the record straight on one of the most debated topics in bodybuilding…whether or not the "pump" you get from high repetition weight training has any place in maximizing the actual SIZE of your muscles.

Many fitness consultants dismiss the "pump" you get from high repetition weight training as just a temporary increase in muscle size and a short-lived "ego booster" with no real purpose toward gaining muscle.

Well it's true that the effects of the pump go away within about 30 minutes once the muscle fibers relax and the blood is able to once again flow freely through your arms, chest, shoulders, or whatever other "show off" muscles you're working on.

But looking deeper, there's more to what's happening than just the psychological benefit.

You see, your muscles are comprised of various types of fibers but for our purposes in the gym we'll focus mainly on the two most important - your "Type 1" and "Type 2" fibers – which each have a very distinct function in the body and ALSO require different forms of stimulation in order to optimize their activation for growth.

While your "Type 2" muscle fibers are "strength-focused" and respond best to very heavy weights with low repetitions (about 4-6), your "Type 1" fibers have a greater capacity for blood flow and respond best to "pumping" sets using lower weights with higher reps (about 12-15+).

So what does this mean to you?

Well, if your goal is to increase your STRENGTH for sports requiring a lot of short term power such as powerliting, sprinting, or if your main goal is to impress your friends with how much you can bench press, focus your training more on heavy weights and low reps which focus mainly on your Type 2 muscle fibers.

But if SIZE is what you're looking for, you MUST include sets of higher reps (about 3-6 sets for a muscle group, hitting failure at about 12-15 reps) and go for the pump!

While the actual size increase you feel from the pump is only temporary, you're literally "training" your Type 1 muscle fibers to adapt to the increased demand of blood flow.

Over time, these muscle fibers react by increasing in thickness while increasing the number, density and size of your capillaries in order to handle the increase in blood supply you're calling for through high intensity exercise.

In other words, while it's best to include BOTH types of training to maximize growth, if you're training for muscle SIZE…yes…the pump counts!

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

A Healthy and Inexpensive Holiday Gift Idea

It will be holiday shopping season before you know it, and this year people need to save money while they shop. I have a gift suggestion that is good for anyone, is healthy, inexpensive, and that people will actually use!

It is a healthy holiday gift basket containing fun items I have tested and researched for their health benefits:

• Epsom salts for men, aromatherapy bath salts for women
  
  
• All natural Burts Bees products like shampoo, conditioner, sun block, face wash, lip balm or lipstick (My favorite is their Milk and Honey Body Lotion)
  
  
• Dark chocolate covered almonds (both are good for you and together they make a guilt-free treat much better for you than cookies)
  
  
• Fitness Magazine of your choice tailored to man or woman like Men's Health, Woman's Health, Shape, Fitness, Prevention, Self, etc.
  
  
• A NikkiFitness DVD!
  
  
• Vodka and club soda or red wine (vodka/soda/lemon is the mixed drink with the least calories – way less  than eggnog - and red wine in moderation is healthy)
  
  
• Almond butter and blackberry jelly
  
  
• Wasabi dried peas (healthy, delicious and great for entertaining)
  
  
• Hand sanitizer
  
  
• Green Tea
  
  
• Honey
  
  
• Multivitamins
  

If you still have cash left over, throw in a yoga matt, exercise tubing, or free weights. Show your loved ones you care about them without wasting your money.

Fitness - Fit it in!

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube
- Nikki on Facebook

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.

How To Supplement DURING Your Workouts!

I'm sure you've heard how important "post-workout" protein is for jumpstarting the whole "recovery process" and begin building muscle, right?

And it's TRUE...but here's what kills me...

It's not like your triceps are just kicking back after your dumbbell kickbacks, waiting for you to end their abuse before they BEGIN their recovery.

WHILE you workout, your body is ALREADY trying to manage the damage you're putting it through!

So I say, "Why wait until the END of your workout to provide your muscles with the 'support' they need to grow?"

Here's what to do...

Add some "Branched Chain Amino Acid" (BCAA) powder to your workout drink!

BCAA's are basically "broken down protein" so it's safe and rapidly consumed by your starving muscles.

That means that by consuming them DURING your workout, you'll basically "SHOTGUN" the nutrients you need into your muscles at a time when they're screaming for help.

BCAA powder can be found in bulk powder form very inexpensively online is one of the ingredients in my personal "During Workout" supplement recipe I offer at my website that shows you how to make your own supplement formulas and save a TON of money (www.HomemadeSupplements.com).

I use a few other "ingredients" in my personal formula to really jack up your training, but BCAA's are a key ingredient on the "growth" side.

The powder is relatively tasteless so you can even add it to plain water if you're brave, but I use Kool Aid in my formula.

Give this one a try by adding just 15 grams of BCAA powder to your workout drink!

More from Jeff at:
- www.CloseQuartersCombat.com
- www.AdvancedMassBuilding.com
- www.OptimumAnabolics.com
- www.CombatTheFat.com

Jeff Anderson is a 10 year veteran of the U.S. Army, a Master Fitness Trainer, and Master Instructor of Close Quarters Combat self defense. A full time fitness and self defense author, Jeff has trained thousands of men and women in the practical application of advanced military fitness methods as well as close combat tactics for "real life" self defense.

The No-Equipment Workout for Fitness on the Road

The most important part about staying in shape while traveling, for work or vacation, is packing workout clothes.

When you have a chance to exercise, the excuse "I don’t have sneakers and a pair of shorts" stops way too many people before they even get started. It is worth finding room in your bag because of the stress, bad food and sitting involved in traveling. Your body wants you to move. You'll get rid of stress, burn calories and release those feel-good endorphins.

If you don't have access to a gym or weights, there are plenty of things you can do with your own body's resistance. Here are 10 of the 20 moves that make up my exercise-on-the-road routine. In my next column you'll get the other 10 moves, and they get more intense.

1) Warm-up. Start with a simple march and then jog in place for a minute. Move to a step-touch while lifting arms to the sides. Add an alternating hamstring curl and biceps curl with both arms. Then finish up the five-minute warm-up with light jumping jacks.

2) Push-ups with a glute raise. Start with regular style or add a multi-tasking move by lowering to the knees and adding lower-body sculpting. After the first modified push-up raise your right foot to the ceiling. Repeat 10 times on the right side after each push-up and then 10 times on the left side. You've just worked your pecs, triceps, core and glutes.

3) Low leg low ab crunch. Next, lie on your back and straighten your legs 80 percent straight, knees together and feet on the floor. Put your hands behind your head and crunch up for 50.. Be sure to keep your eyes on the ceiling, knees together, neck long and chin lifted.

4) Cardio interval. Jump rope (pretend to hold the rope and swing it for extra biceps work) for one minute or count to 100 — alternate from one leg at a time, to feet together and hopping. Maybe hop twice on one leg at a time. Have fun with it. For all cardio intervals in this workout, march in place for at least 20 seconds afterwards to get your heart rate back down to a comfortable level.

5) Triceps dips. Sit on a bench, footstool or chair with your hands at your sides and palms on the bench knuckles up and fingertips curling around towards the floor. Lift yourself off the bench and slightly forward. Lower your backside toward the floor while bending your elbows at 90 degrees. Finish the move by pushing back up so elbows extend again. You can make this more difficult by straightening the legs or lifting one leg off the floor.

6) Inner thighs. Lie on your right side and balance on your right elbow and right hip. Bend your left knee to place the left foot in front of your straight right leg. Be sure to keep the right foot parallel to the floor and lift the right leg 30 times. Repeat on the other side. Next lie on your back with your legs extended over your ribcage. Turn the toes out and flex the feet. Begin to open and lower the legs to the sides, away from one another. To finish the move, bring the heels back together. To intensify, only bring heels in halfway and press against your inner thighs with your hands for a true "thigh master" resistance move. Repeat step one on the left elbow and hip.

7) Cardio. Stand up and do 20 jumping jacks with the right foot in front, 20 with the left foot in front and 20 alternating and crossing feet.

8) Outer thighs. Now lie again on your right side, and prop yourself up on your elbow but this time in a half-side plank. Bend the right leg lift hips off the floor. Keep the left leg straight as you lift it for 25 reps. Keep the abs tight because you're working them as well in this multitasker. Repeat on the other side.

9) Planks. Alternate from a middle plank (looks like a freeze frame of the top of a push-up) to a side plank and hold each for a count of 10 seconds. middle, right, middle, left equals one repetition. Complete 5 repetitions.

10) Cool down. Do a 5 minute cool down with the same moves in the warm up and then stretch your hamstrings, calves, quadriceps, hip flexors, inner and outer thighs, glutes, triceps, pectorals, trapezious and rhomboids (upper back), and lower back with standing rolls or cat/cow.

Remember to drink a lot of water, and maybe treat yourself to a new exercise clothes as a souvenir to celebrate your healthy habits on the road.

Nikki
Crunch Manhattan Group Fitness Instructor/Personal Trainer

More from Nikki at www.nikkifitness.com:

- Military Wife Workout DVD
- NikkiBeachBride Destination Wedding Workout
- Nikki on YouTube
- Nikki on Facebook

Nikki Fitness is a personal trainer, group exercise instructor, writer and publicist living in New York City. She started as a cheerleader at Syracuse University, but became certified in fitness before her beach wedding so that she could get back in shape. Laura, a graduate student, working mom, and military wife, inspired Nikki's Military Wife Workout (MWW) for all military wives. Find more articles by Nikki at her article archive. Learn more at www.nikkifitness.com. For more Nikki Fitness blogs, visit her blog archive.