EPSOM SALTS? YES, EPSOM SALTS!
We’re three days into the New Year and I haven’t broken any of my New Year’s resolutions yet. That’s because I resolved not to make any this year. Nope, this year there will be no broken promises to myself, no disappointments for my lack of willpower and no beating myself up for eating something delectably decadent and chocolatey. I am easing up, embracing my human frailties and, while I will continue to try to eat and live healthfully, I won’t feel guilty about a misstep or two in my journey.
So, having said that, I recognize that January is the month that finds the most people hitting the gym, watching what they put into their mouths and vowing to lead a healthier lifestyle. And kudos to them all. I hope the goals they set are realistic and attainable. To that end, I offer the following fitness tips on getting and staying in shape from wellness expert Sadie Lincoln and fitness and nutrition expert Jay Cardiello. (And, yes, they include Epsom salt. Who’da thunk it?)
Sadie Lincoln, founder of barre3 – a style of whole-body health classes that combine ballet barre work, Pilates and yoga – has attracted A-list celebrities and national magazines to her unique brand of fitness. She recommends that those starting to exercise begin with 10-minute sessions, such as a routine at the kitchen counter to develop lean legs and a lifted rear. (Here’s a video of a sample workout). If you feel OK, keep going, she says, but don’t push so hard that you feel defeated.
“You might spend an hour working out, and that’s great,” Lincoln said, “but what really counts is full body health and how that hour impacts the rest of your day.”
Among Lincoln’s tips:
- Keep four rubber bands on a 12-ounce bottle of water and remove one each time you refill it throughout the day to remind you to drink.
- Eat more foods with fiber, healthy fat and healthy protein, such as almonds, fish oil, avocados and apples with peanut butter. She also advises against sugar late at night or early in the morning. Here’s a recipe for Slow Cooker Moroccan Stew.
- Soak in a warm bath with about 2 cups of Epsom salt three nights a week. The Epsom salt will relax you, soothe your muscles and help you sleep, she said. At times, she’ll also add lavender essential oil.
Jay Cardiello is a globally recognized fitness and nutrition expert and founder of JCORE, which offers a multi-faceted wellness program and a diet and healthy lifestyle plan. Cardiello, who trains Hollywood heavy hitters, chart-topping Grammy winners, TV personalities and top-ranked athletes recommends the following tips:
- Work out in bed when you wake up, because doing pushups or planking on an unstable surface will train your body to fire up quickly. (Editor’s note: Do this only if maintaining your balance is not an issue for you.)
- Stand on one leg while brushing your teeth or do squats to help build muscles and improve your balance. (Here’s the site to subscribe to his weekly workouts).
- Dance while getting dressed, a way to burn 50 calories and boost your mood.
- Listen to music while working out and smell peppermint beforehand. Both help alter your perception of how hard you’re exercising, making the workout seem a bit easier.
- Keep a journal of your exercise and diet, and share your progress and setbacks with supportive friends.
- Immediately after a workout, add Epsom salt to cold water and soak up to your navel. Exercising tears your muscle fiber, triggering more blood flow to that location and prompting the muscle to expand, says Cardiello said. Putting cold water on the inflammation increases the range of motion.
“One of the most imperative things is changing your behavior,” Cardiello said. “We quick-fix twice a year – at New Year’s and the start of beach season – but nothing is going to happen overnight. A pattern has to be broken.”
About Sadie Lincoln
Sadie Lincoln is a renowned wellness expert, media personality and founder of barre3 fitness. From her flagship studio in Portland, Oregon, Sadie has created a unique style of whole-health fitness classes combining the disciplines of ballet barre work, Pilates and yoga. Her modern approach offers serious results, accessible programs and inspiration for balanced living. Workouts have attracted A-list celebrities, major publications such as Self, Fitness and In Style and everyday moms – just like Sadie. To learn more, visit http://www.barre3.com or the new barre3 mobile app.
About Jay Cardiello
Jay Cardiello is a globally-recognized fitness and nutrition expert, a personal trainer to celebrities, a contributor to leading media outlets and a published author. He is the Fitness Editor-at-Large of Shape Magazine for which he has a monthly magazine column and a weekly blog on Shape.com, a contributing editor for Men’s Fitness, the Resident Celebrity Fitness Editor for both Star and OK! Magazines, a member of the advisory board for Muscle & Fitness, the Fitness Ambassador for FitFluential and a highlighted personality on Facebook as chosen by the Facebook team. Jay is the founder of JCORE which offers his multi-faceted wellness program: the JCORE Accelerated Body Transformation system, the JCORE dietary supplement range and the JCORE diet and healthy lifestyle plan. He is also the author of the recently published Cardio Core 4 x 4 (Rodale 2012), which he describes as a “20-Minute, No-Gym Workout That Will Transform Your Body!” To learn more, visit http://www.cardiellofitness.com.
About Epsom Salt (Well, you may not know … and you’ll even find crafts to do with the kids on this site.)
Epsom salt – actually magnesium sulfate – is one of the most versatile household products, with uses ranging from creating at-home spa treatments to soothing achy muscles to helping start or improve gardens. It’s been used therapeutically for hundreds of years, and it’s gaining a new generation of fans looking for a safe, economical alternative in a sea of expensive, over-the-counter remedies. Epsom salt is easy to use, easy to find in your local pharmacy or grocery store and it costs about the same per use as a cup of coffee. For more information, please visit http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org.
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No formal resolutions for me either, but these tips are definitely doable! Now if only those certain foods would stop calling me…
Haha! Love your comment! Oh how I know about those foods that call my name. (I’m putting the cheesecake down now and stepping away from the refrigerator.) I agree that the tips are doable – and, after a few hours of shoveling the 10+ inches of blowing snow we have on our driveway, I think both my husband and I are going to be in need of an Epsom salt bath. Maybe I better eat that cheesecake, after all. Lol! xo, Mel
LOVED this. So informative, unlike posts found elsewhere. And thanx for the video. It’s a real gift and definitely a saver. I will be shaping my legs — and the rest of my body in 2014.
That’s the best part about shoveling snow – the calories burned! Have the cheesecake!