Gettin' Fit & Healthy with Rickie

  Make it your own               This post is really a gentle reminder that the most important thing when it comes to your workout or being healthy is 'Make it your own.'  Regardless of the latest, greatest trend or a video you saw on tik tok, fitness is and needs to be personal.  What works for one person may not work for you or vice versa.  You need to find the activity, movement, workout, etc. that gets you motivated.  If that means you strap on roller blades/skates or go skateboarding, snowshoeing that is what you should do.  There is no rule that says you need to spend an hour in the gym with weights, equipment or the hot group fitness program.  If there is something that speaks to you and it gets you up and moving, do it!     I hope in all the workouts I have posted, that you realize you make the workout your own.  If you don't enjoy that type of workout it's okay, I just want you to move. Ke...

  It's a beautiful day for a walk outside!!     The fresh air, sound of crunching leaves, gentle breeze brings leaves floating down.  This is fall, at least here in the northeast it is and it is a great time to take your fitness routine outside.  Yesterday was one of those days for me, after fulfilling a commitment there was still enough time before the sun went down to get in a good sweat, some quiet time and prepare for the new week.  Below is my 'Final  Sunday of Summer' workout.     I began with a gentle paced walk to get the blood flowing to my muscles and let them get nice warm, as I felt warmer I picked up the pace, for you this could be running or a gently jog.  I like to do a mix of a faster walk and jogging, full out running has gotten a little rough for my back and hips.     I planned my route so I would come to areas where there would either be benches or nice flat open space for some exercises no specific distance...

Start the Fall season with a workout refresh...      AAHH Fall!!  Cooler weather, shorter days accompanied with the beautiful colors.  This is a great time of year to take your exercise outdoors, enjoy the scenery, colors and fresh, crisp air.  If you have a friend always asking you to hike or if you were just considering it yourself, fall is the perfect season to start.  The color changing leaves or the fresh fallen leaves can make hiking so calming at the same time energizing.  A few more bonuses to hiking in the fall, less humidity, cooler temperatures, fewer bugs and so peaceful. If you can't tell from all these descriptions I am a person who enjoys hiking and just getting outdoors.  Many of our vacations involve some kind of hiking or biking and enjoying what nature has to offer. If you are lucky you may experience some wildlife, who wouldn't love to come upon a deer, bunny rabbit or turkey nibbling along the trail.  Anyway enough ...

Stressed, anxious!?!?     Are you feeling stressed, having a tough time defusing after work or just cannot seem to wind down for a good nights sleep? Stress affects are bodies in many different ways, sleep, mental acuity, mood, eating habits, physical health and more. Now may be the time to consider dipping a toe into the 'mind / body' fitness.  I know yoga is not for everyone, some worry they cannot do yoga others think 'it is just not my thing to be quiet, be still and the gentle slow movements are weird.'  Consider approaching mind body fitness in a different way by adding some nice gentle stretches at the end of the day or maybe you need that quiet time in the morning.  To help with the 'mind' portion of fitness, prior to the stretches find somewhere you can sit quietly and bring your focus into your body rather than everything that is happening around you.  Please keep in mind that our brain is always working so you will need to on occasion gently remi...

Boardwalk Workout      Those who know me well know I love the beach and here on the east coast we love our boardwalks. Boardwalks feature food, games, rides, stores, all kinds of fun stuff and of course the opportunity to just have a seat on a bench and enjoy the view of the ocean, sunrise or sunset or just people watch.  Boardwalks are also great for getting in your outdoor exercise with an amazing view. You can go with your traditional run, walk or bike but it also provides the chance for some creativity.      The workout below was my 'boardwalk workout' during a recent beach trip but it can of course be done anywhere.  Replace the benches with picnic tables, railings, fence boards, etc. Now lace up your shoes, dress comfortably and get ready to sweat.     Begin with 3-5 minutes of easy walk or jog to warm up than pick up the pace for 5-7 minutes or pick a spot to which you would like to do you first round of exercises.   💦...

  Hey all ,  A new workout below that can be adjusted to fit your time frame.  You can do all of it, do 1 block at a time, do all the blocks but only go through once or twice.  Whatever you need to do to take of your physical & mental health & fitness.     I realize when we are in the summer season, it can be tough to carve out time for yourself but remember if you don't take care of yourself you cannot take care of others and you deserve it.  You can find several workouts on this page to give you some variety and flexibility.     ENJOY and Happy Summer to all!! Total Body III Full work out is 3 rounds of each block, blocks 1 & 2 doing 12 reps of each exercise, between each round do cardio move following this symbol💓 for 30 seconds.  Block 3 is also 3 rounds but preform each exercise for 30 seconds. Block 1 12 reps each exercise Around the clock lunges - Stand feet hip width apart, step forward right leg into front lunge, ...

Let's Just Be...      W e are all feeling the gradual return to normal, which also leads to adding more to our schedules, children's activities, returning to the work place or just outings with friends or family.  Frankly we are trying to make up for lost time.  You may be one of the lucky individuals who has discovered you were enjoying that free time and have decided to make a conscious effort to leave time in your schedule, unscheduled.  For that I say good for you, I do feel one of the good things to come out of this pandemic is we all learned our daily schedules, including our children's, were packed leaving us very little time to "just be" with family, friends or even yourself.      I would like to task you with trying to hold on to some of that time we gained over the past year, hold on to some of the new habits or connections that bring you joy or some stability in your lives.  As we return to our regular or new normal schedules ...

 Meditation? not for me...     Has anyone ever said to you 'Have you tried meditating?'  I am sure many of you have thought no that is not for me or you envision sitting in an awkward position, humming 'om' or spending 30 minutes just sitting in one spot. Meditation is not about religion unless you wish to introduce it to your session.  None of those things are required to reap the benefits, meditation just like exercise can be adapted to your needs.  You don't need to spend a lot of time just find a few minutes out of your day, find somewhere quiet to sit without being disturbed.  You can sit on a chair, on the floor or a cushion on the floor.  Just be comfortable with the spine long and tall with the crown of the head reaching up towards the sky and the body relaxed.   Your meditation session can be as  short as 3 minutes up to as long as 30 minutes.  I do recommend beginning with short sessions and as you get more comfortabl...

  New Year, New Workout     We are now 3 weeks into the New Year and some of you may already be losing interest in your fitness or health resolution.  Remember variety is key for boredom, success and injury prevention also important to note it is okay if you do not get in a full hour workout everyday.  If you need go for a shorter workout even if it is 15 minutes it's ok and if you need a rest day(s) take them.      This work out is all about adjusting to your schedule. Full body circuit:  You will find 2 circuits below choose to do both in one workout, just do 1 circuit, choose to mix in some cardio before, in between and / or after the strength circuits. Begin with a 5 minute warm up, always and move into some cardio work ie; treadmill, elliptical, bike, etc. Circuit #1 Squats Bent over row Bicep curl to overhead press Pushup to superman Bicycle     10-15 reps each exercise repeat circuit 3-5 x Circuit #2 Reverse lunge - one leg a...