The practice of yoga is great for combatting stress, stretching your body, and building muscle. Yoga is a pretty easy practice that anyone can get into. If you’d like to get started in yoga or just want to learn a few new poses, here are three poses that we recommend for everyone:

1. Pigeon Pose

A great hip opener and back bend, Pigeon Pose is a versatile post. Starting on all fours on the ground, bring your right knee into the center of your hands. Then kick your right foot out by your left wrist. Sink into this stretch while keeping the back leg straight. Sink as low as you can for the stretch. You should feel a stretch in your back and hips. Hold for 30 seconds to a minute in the beginning and hold longer as you master the pose. Then switch sides and repeat.

2. Warrior I Pose

Great for hip flexors, this classic pose is common part of any vinyasa set. Warrior I Pose is basically a high lunge. Start by stepping forward with your right foot. Then you can either stay on your toes in a high lunge or you can bring you back heel down to a 45° angle to stretch the calves and for more stability. Next reach your arms up straight above your head. If you want more of a balance challenge, bring your hands together and release your index fingers. Then look up at your hands. Hold this pose for 30 seconds to a minute. Then step back bringing your feet together and do the left side.

3. Basic Forward Fold

The Basic Forward Fold is good for releasing tension in the head and neck and stretching the spine. Start by standing straight with your feet hip distance apart. Then inhale while you stretch your arms up and out, looking up. Then gently forward fold with a soft bend in the knees, winging out your arms. Do not place your arms forward as it can put tension on your lower back. Keep your back straight until you get about halfway down. Then start to round your arms bringing your hands to the floor. Your head and neck will release. Try to keep your legs as straight as Our personal trainers in Ballantyne, NC recommend three yoga poses you should know. Whether possible. Hold for 1-2 minutes. Then repeat 3-5 times until all the tension is released.

These yoga poses are a great place to start. To learn more about yoga, our Everlasting Changes personal trainers can help. We offer a variety of fitness options including yoga to get you in great shape. Call now for three risk free, complimentary sessions. We offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all of our packages.

You probably know that crunches and sit-ups alone won’t give you sculpted abs. Only a drop in overall body fat will uncover your stomach muscles.

It is fully possible for you to do this with an effective combination of fat burning cardio, resistance training and clean eating. My clients routinely drop fat and transform their bodies. You can do it too.

Here’s how to get beach-worthy abs…

1) Exercise a minimum of 4 times per week. It is important to dedicate yourself to working out a minimum of 4 times a week if you want to transform your abs. Anything less than this won’t make a large enough impact on your progress.

2) Make sure your workouts are effective. What makes a workout effective? It includes intense cardiovascular training coupled with effective resistance training. Walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes isn’t a fat blasting routine. Neither is a leisurely 20 minutes on the elliptical machine. The truth is that you can dramatically increase your results while investing less time when your workouts are effective.

Cardio exercise is all about maintaining an effective level of intensity. This doesn’t mean that you should be out of breath or gasping for air, but it does mean that you need to push yourself.

Resistance training is the second key part of a fat burning workout. This means working your major muscle groups against resistance in a way that stimulates your metabolism. Again, the key here is to find the right intensity and to keep each muscle group guessing.

3) Eat a clean diet. Diet is a big stumbling block for most people. If your diet is out of control then your abs will be too. You can’t trim your waist without trimming the junk out of your diet, regardless of how intensely you exercise.

Keep calories in check. Do you know how many calories you eat? The best way to find out is to record everything you eat for a few days. Tally the number of calories that you eat each day and do an evaluation—feel free to recruit me to help out with this part. Together we’ll chart improvements for your diet and adjust your calories for maximum results.

Just say “No” to junk food. While this may seem obvious, your definition of “junk food” may need an alteration. Refined sugar is one of the biggest culprits in the junk food world—it is found in soft drinks, blended coffee drinks, cookies, cakes, packaged snacks, and other sinfully sweet treats. Processed fat is another monster. As a rule of thumb you can safely view all processed or refined items as junk food.

Eat more frequently. The key here is to never let your metabolism “crash” by going hours without eating. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to skip breakfast—as this is the meal that ‘breaks the fast’ that your body goes into each night. Stick with eating small meals every few hours and always avoid stuffing yourself.

Do you want to flatten and sculpt your abs once and for all? Simply decide that you really want it. Commit to yourself—you deserve it.

See me for fat-blasting workouts that deliver results. Together we will get you on a programme that will melt the fat off your abs, exposing shape and definition.

Call or email me today to get started. Let’s do this!

Time for bed…

If you’re not getting adequate rest (close to 8 hours each night) then you’re more likely to be hungry, overeat, and put on fat.

How does this work? Something like this…

If you’re tired, you won’t feel like cooking a healthy meal, and you’ll opt for fast (fattening) food instead. This very same lack of energy will also likely cause you to skip the gym. On top of that, sleep deprivation causes your metabolism to slow down, and if you’ve not heard, that is not something you want when trying to shape up.

Quick & Creamy Chicken Soup

By using flavorful ingredients, like roasted red bell peppers and white bean hummus, this soup tastes like you slaved over it all afternoon– but really takes less than 20 minutes to throw together. This recipe is a great way to fit some quinoa into your diet. Quinoa is a protein-packed seed that is considered a “super food”. It’s s a complete protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids, and is gluten free.

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 5

1 cup roasted red bell peppers
3/4 cup white bean hummus
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken
dash salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Take 1/4 cup of the roasted red peppers, slice into strips and set aside.

2. Place the remaining red peppers in a blender along with the hummus and chicken stock. Blend until smooth.

3. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa and chicken. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Bring to a boil.

5. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the slices of red pepper and chopped parsley.

Nutrition

One serving equals 248 calories, 11g fat, 644mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, and 20g protein

As a busy professional, it’s hard to get a moment to think, no less put in the time to live the healthiest lifestyle. Between juggling meetings, managing your staff, and meeting your deadlines, most of the time you can’t make it to the gym or cook a healthy meal. Luckily, at Everlasting Changes, our private trainers are here to help. Most of our clients are busy professionals like you, so over the years we’ve learned some helpful tips for anyone to fit fitness into their busy schedule. Here are some of the tips we recommend:

1. Find A Gym Near Your Office

Having a gym near your office makes it easy to go when you can. Even if you only have 30 minutes between calls. If your gym is right next door to your workplace, you can sneak away, do a couple reps, and be back in time to for your call.

2. Rethink Your Commute

Rather than driving every day, consider biking or walking to work. If your commute is too far to bike or walk, there are still some things you can do. First consider driving half-way to work, then biking or walking the rest of the distance. If this also does not work, look for the parking space furthest from your office. Even if it’s just a ten minute walk, it will make a measurable distance.

3. Sign Up For A Healthy Meal Delivery Service

With new meal delivery services, you can skip grocery shopping and meal planning all together. There are tons of meal delivery services that range from pre-made organic meals to smoothie packs to monthly protein snack packs. They’ll save you time, while still ensuring your diet stays on track.

4. Keep A Stockpile Of Healthy Snacks

Whether you keep them in your desk drawer or briefcase, have healthy snacks always on hand. This will help keep you from grabbing unhealthy vending machine options or ordering fast food when you’re putting in late nights. Consider protein bars, nuts, and dried fruits, as they are filling and good for you.

5. Learn Some Desk Exercises

Working out while working is a great way to stay on track when you are super busy. Adding a few desk exercises throughout the day can go a long way. A quick search on Google pulls up tons of exercises you can do at your desk. If none of these work for you, our private trainers can work with you to find some desk exercises that target your specific needs.

6. Hire A Private Trainer

Private trainers are perfect for busy professionals. Not only do we work around your schedule, we can show your exercises that can have the most impact for the least amount of time. With private training, your workouts will be faster and more efficient.

These are just some of the ways you can fit healthy living into even the busiest schedules. For more tips and techniques, call now for three risk free, complimentary sessions. We offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all of our packages.

Ready for summer? Warmer weather, shorts, tank tops and bathing suits are just around the corner. Are you ready for it? What if you spent the next 30 days dropping excess pounds and getting into better shape before hitting the beach? Then you could ride out the summer months fitter than ever and more likely to eat healthier, indulge less and stick with your workout schedule.

Sound good?

I’ve got just the no-fail fat loss plan to get you there. Follow these 5 steps to transform your body over the next 30 days…

1) Go Gluten Free: Going gluten free for 30 days is such a simple way to accelerate fat loss. Just think of all the extra carbs and calories that you’ll be saving yourself from. And it’s not so bad, once you get used to it. Wrap sandwiches and burgers in lettuce or on top of a pile of greens.

2) Exercise 5x’s Each Week: Take the next 30 days to really focus your efforts in the gym. Train as if you were preparing yourself for an athletic event, with the mindset that each and every workout is important in seeing you through your goal. Make a log of each time that you exercise, noting the duration, intensity and activity.

3) Go Sugar Free: Sugar is the biggest thing holding you back when it comes to dropping fat and getting lean. And not just refined sugar. I’m talking about all sugars. Take the next 30 days to cut out all sweeteners and limit your intake of sweet fruits. This will be hard at first, especially if you have a sweet tooth, but the rapid change in your body is fantastic incentive to keep going.

4) Enjoy Protein and Veggies: Enough about all the things you can’t eat, let’s talk about what you can eat. Your meals should be a variety of protein and veggies. For protein stick with organic, hormone-free meat that has been roasted, baked or grilled. For veggies, avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, and instead stick with an assortment of colorful, fiber-filled veggies.

5) Join My Program: The quickest way to get your body into tip-top shape is to join one of my fitness programs. I’m here to get you into the best shape of your life, with my proven, effective system. Make the commitment now, and together we can make the body of your dreams a reality.

So there you have it, 5 simple steps to transforming your body before summer vacation!

Remember, the next 30 days are going to pass whether you jump on board with a fitness plan or not. So, you’re going to spend the next 30 days simply getting older and more out-of-shape OR you could buckle down and finally make your amazing transformation.

The choice is yours.

I’m here to see you through it all. Call or email now and let’s get started!

Your Fit Lifestyle

When you decide to focus on body transformation for 30 days, something amazing is going to happen. You’re going to learn how to live lean, and as you watch the fat melt away you’re going to want to stick with it. Past 30 days. Past 60 days.

Once you get into the groove of health and fat loss, the momentum will carry on.

And as a result you’ll live out your days in amazing shape, loving life.

Hey, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Wine Poached Chicken Salad

Here’s a delicious new take on chicken salad. The chicken is poached in white wine to be tender and flavorful. Find fresh greens and an assortment of colorful veggies to add to your salad, don’t limit yourself to the ingredients listed below.

Something magical happens when you poach chicken in wine and the serve it over a bed of vibrant produce…try it and see!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need

Serves 6

For the Wine-Poached Chicken

2 quarts low sodium chicken broth
4 cups white wine
2 yellow onions, halved
4 cloves Garlic, smashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

For the Pomegranate Mixed Greens Salad

6 cups Mixed Greens
½ cup pomegranate seeds (arils)
3 tablespoons roasted, salted pepitas
½ cup jicama, peeled and chopped
2 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped
Classic Balsamic Dressing

Instructions

1. Place the broth, wine, onions, garlic and thyme in a large pot over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then gently add the chicken breasts one at a time. The chicken should be fully covered by the liquid, add more broth if needed. Return to a boil.

2. Once the liquid boils, turn off the heat and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to poach for 30 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and onions from the liquid. Once cool enough to handle, shred the chicken and slice the onions. Combine the chicken and onion in a bowl and generously season with freshly cracked sea salt and black pepper.

3. On each salad plate arrange a bed of mixed greens and top with pomegranate seeds, pepitas, jicama, avocado and a scoop of the chicken. Drizzle with Classic Balsamic Dressing and serve immediately. The chicken will keep up to 3 days in the fridge. Enjoy!

Nutrition

One serving equals 394 calories, 18g fat, 143mg sodium, 12g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 4g sugar, and 44g protein