Freshen Up Your Spring Workout Wardrobe

You've been working hard all winter, so give yourself a treat! Purchasing new workout clothes is a great way to both reward yourself as well as incentive yourself to continue working out. When you feel good about yourself, you're more likely to keep it going. And, a good pair of running shorts and a new top is the perfect way to boost your confidence and show off that body you've been working so hard on!

Today, we've put together a few of our favorite spring workout gear picks that will bring you through the season!

Marika Tek - Poly Long Sleeve Hoodie
This long sleeve hoodie will add an extra layer of warmth before the spring season comes for good. Pick one out in a fun, fresh color like pink!

Lululemon Speed 1/2 Zip
For you men out there, check out this long sleeve zip up, with built in reflectors for running in the early morning or evening. It's a nice enough workout piece that you can wear it outside of just running or those early Ultimate Bootcamp mornings.

Timex Ironman Sleek 50-Lap Watch
This slim, lightweight watch will help you keep time and track your workouts, and look great with your new spring season workout clothes! 

Ello Glass Water Bottle
Stay hydrated during your workout with this fun, fresh water bottle. Not only is it nice to look at, but it’s made of odor-free, stain-free, clean-tasting glass and only made with eco-friendly materials.

 

So, go ahead and splurge a little and enjoy your workout time with your new gear! Happy Spring!

Dragging This Morning? Working Out After Daylight Savings Time

Happy Monday Morning, Indeed! No one likes waking up on a Monday morning after "springing forward" during Daylight Savings Time. It's darker out, it feels earlier then normal and not a great way to start off the week! At Ultimate Bootcamp, we embrace the weekend that we move the clocks forward! For us, this is the start of the spring season and an increasing number of daylight hours moving towards the summer. We understand that the timing transition can be difficult for some, especially helping you stick with your exercise routine, so we've put together a few tips to help boost your workout routine with the recent time change!

Think in Real-Time
Forget about Daylight Savings Time! Don't wake up, look at the clock and think, "So, the clock says 6am, but it's really 5am..." It doesn't matter what time it was a few days ago. Accept the fact that the time has changed and put the rest out of your head. The sooner you stop living in the past, the easier it will be to move on. Yes, we get it might take a day or two, but by Wednesday, you'll be loving the fact that you can drive home before sunset!

Stick to Your Schedule
A one-hour time difference is no reason to alter your schedule. Whether that means going to bed at night so you can wake up for your morning workout routine, or having a daily snack at 3pm so you can make it to dinner, try to continue your usual daily activities like normal.

..But Vary Up Your Workouts
It's a pretty well known concept that mixing up your workout routine is key to sticking with a fitness regiment. At Ultimate Bootcamp, we vary up our workouts to keep things interesting and keep those muscles guessing. Spring is the perfect time to try something new. Whether that means taking your first Ultimate Bootcamp class for the first time, or heading outside for a run after work instead of your usual morning gym treadmill run, this week is the perfect week to try out something new.

 Head Outside


To most, 50 degree weather might not seem like a heat wave. But we're New Englanders that have toughed through multiple blizzards this season and it's finally starting to be bearable outside. So, whether it is walking a few extra blocks before hopping on the T, or going for a hike on the weekend, take advantage of the time and just go outside. Getting sunlight and the fresh air will help make that time transition that much easier, because you'll be thinking ahead to the summer!

Benefits of Epsom Salt

Need relief from sore muscles?  Feeling fatigued and stressed? Are achey joints limiting your favorite activities?

A relaxing epsom salt bath might just be the perfect remedy.

Epsom salt relieves sore muscles

Epsom salt is actually a combination of magnesium and sulfate.

Magnesium is a very important mineral.  It helps keep our body in balance in numerous ways by being a "conductor" for other important body functions.

Magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and kidney functions, absorbs calcium for strong bones and produces energy for our muscles to move efficiently.

Since ancient times, magnesium-rich Epsom salts have been used by healers all over the world.  Now, Epsom salt is an important tool active people, such as bootcampers, runners and cyclists, should have in their training regime.

You might already be taking magnesium supplements without even knowing it.

Magnesium is an electrolyte.  It's often found in popular sports drinks along with sodium and potassium.  But some people have difficulties absorbing magnesium from their diet.

With our skin being highly pourous, an Epsom salt bath might be the most effective way to increase your magnesium intake.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF EPSOM SALT BATH

NATURAL ANTI-DEPRESSANT

When magnesium is absorbed, it helps produce seratonin which is a mood elevating chemical. Many  anti-depressants contain seratonin. When we're stressed, it lowers levels of magnesium in our body. Take an Epsom salt bath to help replenish magnesium and increase seratonin levels.

REDUCE INFLAMMATION

The body's tissues can become inflammed for any number of reasons.  External and internal forces can cause inflammation in the body. Epsom salt baths have been know to reduce the inflammatory effects of muscle strains, bruises, bronchial asthma and even headaches.

RELIEVE SORE MUSCLES

Delayed onset muscle soreness is a common occurence when trying a new fitness activity like bootcamps. When you perform exercises, microscopic tears occur in the muscle. The human body has the amazing ability to repair, and strengthen, these muscles. Soaking in Epsom salt can help increase blood flow to repair these tiny tears faster.

Directions:

Pour 2 cups of Epsom salt into your next bath and soak for at least 12 minutes. Some Epsom salt bath mixtures also contain a mixture of other soothing bath oils and fragrances. My favorite is a refreshing spearmint!

Hyperpalatables and Food Addiction

Here it comes.  That irresistible urge.  The overwhelming need to fulfill your deepest desire.  It's a dream full of chocolate-covered deliciousness.  It's...your food cravings!

Maybe it's your inner Cookie Monster seeking a sugary fix. Or, perhaps you just NEED to sink your teeth into a juicy burger.  Would you like fries with that?  Of course! The salty crunch hits you with delight. You grin with happiness. But wait. You want more.

Your brain, or more specifically the dopamine in your brain, is urging you to seek rewards.  That happy grin you experience when biting in to your favorite food is exactly what the dopamine wants. Dopamine doesn't care if your body really requires food or not, it simply seeks a smile.

Food addiction has been a hotly contested topic in nutrition circles. Does food addiction even exist?  Can't people just control their cravings? New research shows that not only does food addiction exist, but that some foods might be even more addictive than cocaine!!!

Just Say No to Sugar

Overcomsumption of hyperpalatables - sugary, starchy, fatty or salty foods - interferes with the flow of dopamine in your brain.  Calorie-dense junk food smothers the reward that you feel after biting into your favorite food treats, leaving you wanting more.  And so begins the endless cycle of feeding a craving that can only be satisfied by eating more.

In modern times, we've become addicted to hyperpalatable foods like sugar-sweetened drinks and salty, starch-based snacks.  Literally addicted.

In the last few years, breakthrough research has opened our eyes to the complex nature of hyperpalatables and food addiction.

New studies shows that consumption of sugar-sweetened foods can induce the same long-term changes in neurochemical brain activity that chronic drug users experience.  Other researchers are finding that sugar is even more addictive than serious hard drugs like cocaine and heroin.

It's a pretty safe bet that we'll soon be faced with "Just Say No to Sugar" campaigns.

But kicking the hyperpalatable food habit isn't easy. In animal studies, rats have shown signs of withdrawal when their sugary diet disappeared from their cages. They got angry, fought with other rats and even became addicted to other drugs when offered.

Humans aren't that different.  How would you feel if someone stripped that half-eaten bag of potato chips out of your hand?  You would throw a fit just like the children on Jimmy Kimmel when their parents told them they at all their Halloween candy.

Luckily with the new body of knowledge surrounding food addiction and potential causes, help is more readily available through specialized nutritionists, doctors and Food Addicts Anonymous.

If you're looking for ways to be proactive about reducing the need for hyperpalatable food rewards, here are some tips:

• Avoid contact with your favorite hyperpalatable foods.
  Just as an alcoholic can't drink in moderation, you, most likely, will have a hard time eating just one of your favorite treats. Encourage colleagues to keep your favorite foods out of your sight.  Don't bring home foods from the grocery store you know you will ravage...even if your significant other wants you to buy it.
• Rationalize your cravings
  When you find yourself craving a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels, try telling yourself that "it's the dopamine talking". Then, ask yourself: "Will I regret not eating this food 24 hours from now?" Chances are you won't.
  
  
• Identify Stress
  Stress is toxic. I've never met someone who reached for a fresh salmon salad after a horrible work commute, a bad argument or a stressful day.  It's the hyperpalatable foods that we "de-stress" with.  Identify your sources of stress by writing them down (it's okay if it's a long list).  Choose one source of stress that you can better control over the next 30 days and tackle it.
• Get a natural dopamine high.
  Breathing exercises, meditation, yoga, walking and working out all release dopamine naturally. Checkout Natalia Sedo's guest blog about relaxation for other wellness tips.

 Jill Tomich is an ACE-Certified Health Coach and co-founder of Ultimate Bootcamp. While writing this article, she avoided eating sweet potato chips by making a hot cup of herbal tea.

Relaxation: A Key To Health And Wellness

Natalia Sedo, NP

Today's guest post is from Natalia Sedo, a Boston based Adult Nurse Practitioner, Integrative Nurse Coach and Personal Life Coach. She has over 20 years of experience in helping people identify and achieve their personal, professional and wellness goals. Exercising is just one aspect of living a healthy lifestyle, something we know that our Bootcampers all strive to do. Read Natalia's blog below with some tips for how to manage and deal with stress levels for overall improved personal wellness. For more information about Natalia and to read her bio, visit Nataliasedo.com.

As a seasoned nurse practitioner and personal life coach, I have counseled thousands of people on how to improve their health.  An emerging and significant concern among my clients is how to deal with stress. High levels of stress can negatively impair our personal and professional success in ways we may not be aware of. It can also contribute to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity.

A 2010 report from the American Psychological Association entitled "Stress in America" identified the most prominent adverse effects of stress:

Cognitive ability

Reacting prematurely, reduced impulse control, greater use of stereotyped judgments, making greater mistakes in cognitive tasks, poor memory, slower performance in shifting attention between tasks, and difficulty making decisions.

Body

Headache, muscle tension or pain, chest pain, fatigue, change in sex drive, stomach upset, and sleep problems.

Mood

Anxiety, restlessness, lack of motivation or focus, irritability or anger, sadness or depression

Behavior

Over-eating or under-eating, angry outbursts, drug or alcohol abuse, tobacco use, and social withdrawal

Incorporating relaxation techniques into your life can help reduce everyday stress, boosting your energy and mood. If you can put aside 10 to 30 minutes a day, one or more of these techniques will be highly beneficial.

Exercise

Chemicals called neurotransmitters, produced in the brain, are stimulated during exercise. These neurotransmitters decrease pain, influence our mental acuity and emotions. Exercise helps us to feel better and to feel less stressed.  To achieve this, aerobic activity 20 minutes, a minimum of three days a week is recommended. However, even a 5-minute walk can produce a benefit.

Take a “time out” to breath 

Take 3-10 slow, deep, breaths, pausing after each breath. The key to deep breathing is to breathe deeply from the abdomen, getting as much fresh air as possible in your lungs. When you take deep breaths from the abdomen, you inhale more oxygen. The more oxygen you get, the less tense, short of breath, and anxious you feel. You also feel more alert. Allow the stress and tension to be released with each breath. Deep breathing triggers a relaxation response in your mind and body.

Express gratitude

A positive outlook decreases stress and increases the feeling of joy or wellbeing. Before bed list the best things that happened during the day or week. Fall asleep with those thoughts. In the morning, you will wake up in better spirits.

Do things you enjoy

Scheduling activities, whether it's dropping by your favorite bookstore or taking a long, hot shower, can quickly bring your life back into balance. Even the anticipation of doing these activities decreases stress. Give yourself permission to enjoy life in frequent bursts.

Get a good night sleep

Sleep deprivation leads to fatigue and decreased mental and physical effectiveness during the day. Most adults need around 8 hours of sleep. Since caffeine and alcohol disrupt sleep, it can be helpful to avoid them up to 8 hours before bedtime. Doing a meditation before bedtime is also a valuable technique to transition your body and mind into a peaceful state.

Relaxation techniques reduce the harmful effect stress has on your mind, body and spirit. Just as importantly, relaxation techniques provide clearer thinking during potentially stressful situations. Incorporating one or all of these tips into your life will help you open the door to a more productive and relaxed lifestyle.