Take That Fitness Routine Outside This Spring

I guess you can say my last couple blogs have had some Spring Fever. Now that we are stuck inside four walls from a harsh winter there's some revamping that we can do. This is the perfect time of year to reignite your motivation and freshen up your health and fitness regimen. I got to chat with fitness expert, Laura DeAngelis, to help kick off the season with some makeover tips for your routine.

Laura has her fitness certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). She is also the founder of www.lauralovesfiness.com which she opened in 2011.

Hey there Laura, how are you today?

I'm doing well. How are you?

I'm doing great, and talk to us a little about some of these tips that you have for revamping that fitness routine to make it more appropriate for Spring.

Well my favorite part of Spring is being able to take the action outside. After this extremely harsh and long winter that everyone in the country has just been through, this is the perfect time to soak up the daylight and those extra daylight hours by taking a long walk after a long day at work whether by yourself, with a significant other, or a friend in the neighborhood. Another idea is to join a sports league, maybe take on softball. It's really the perfect opportunity to get moving and burn some calories and be outside while you're doing that.

You brought up an interesting point with the softball league because more and more we are seeing adult leagues popping up showing that joining a league isn't just for the kids anymore.

Absolutely. That's so great because adults can feel like kids again because many local parks and recreation departments or local community centers have sign up sheets for games like kickball, dodgeball, softball, and even pickup basketball games. It's a great way to reconnect with the kids inside of you and have some fun.

Now if you don't want to sign up for a league then maybe instead of going to Happy Hour try going to the park with some coworkers to shoot some hoops for a little while. You're still blowing off some steam after a crazy day at work, while burning calories and probably laughing a lot in the process. It's a really great way to feel good and get some exercise this Spring.

You're right. It's definitely is a great idea to get some exercise and blow off some steam without having to get to Happy Hour for a couple drinks.

Absolutely. There are lots of ways to blow of that steam and exercise is one of the most positive ways to make it happen.

I definitely agree. Now in addition to getting outside, how else can we use the Spring time to help motivate us to keep up with those exercise regimens?

One thing I like to tell people in the Spring is that it's the perfect time to freshen up your fitness wardrobe and that can include some accessories. So basically you can toss out those old sweaty tees and replace them with some bright tank tops or a really cool pair of crosstrainers. Now you can even use technology to brighten things up a bit. That's because we now have this new LGG Flex 2. It's comes in the Volcano Red for Spring and the Platinum Silver for U.S Cellular. Now this smart phone got all kinds of buzz at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas this year because of the brilliant clarity on the 5.5 inch curved full HD screen.

What this can mean is that if you have fitness apps or if you want to look up some fitness videos to get some exercise ideas or check your form then it will look great on this phone. Also if you are outside and you're having some fun with your coworkers or just goofing around on your own then you can get some great pictures on here with the 13 megapixel camera. Overall this is a really nice motivating tool to keep with you throughout the Spring.

It definitely sounds like it and sounds like a very quality product to help you improve and stay motivated. I like that you brought up the form aspect of fitness because you have a good majority who know what to look for with their workouts and then you have a group of people who are doing the workouts but they don't realize how important form actually is.

That's a really great point. I'm all about injury prevention, and proper form, stretching, warming up, and cooling down are just some simple steps you can take to make sure you're getting the most out of whatever workout you're doing.

Well let's go more in detail for some of those steps that we all can take to get the most out of what we are doing.

So there are two rules that I like to follow whether it's Spring or any time of year. The first is to find a routine you enjoy. It doesn't matter if you're dancing, swimming, or weight lifting. If you find something you like then you will be able to stick with it.

The second rule I like to bring up is to get fitness on your schedule. So plug it into your task calendar on your smart phone or if you are old school like me then write it on your calendar that you keep on your desk. Maybe even put a sticky note on your refrigerator. This way it's a visual reminder of the good that you want to do for yourself. These are two things that you have control over.

One thing unfortunately that we can't always control especially with the change of seasons is getting sick. Exercise does boost your immune system, but the change of seasons does sometimes cause people to catch colds and those germs are around us. So if you do get sick, you don't want to be sidelined one moment longer than you have to be. That's why you want to make sure that you have the new Cold-Eeze Cold Remedy Plus Natural Multi-Symptom Relief Cold and Flu Quickmelts. These are formulated with Zinc-Glucanate to shorten the duration of a cold. The also contain elderberry, peppermint, and licorice to help relieve your symptoms like a cough, chest congestion, or sore throat. So you will want to keep these around and it will help you get back in the game as soon as possible if you get sick.

And getting sick is never fun to deal with so these are something we should keep on hand to keep us as healthy as we can. It can also help to put our minds a little bit more on the workout than getting back in the game.

Definitely. And one other thing that I like to tell people is if you are cleaning out your closets, it's also a great time to clean out your pantry too. You may have some tins leftover from holiday presents or chocolate from Valentine's Day. Go ahead and toss it or bring it with you to work one day. You know if you bring it to work, it will get demolished after putting it in the break room. Regardless of what you do with it, don't keep it around. You want to get rid of it and stock your pantry with healthier items this Spring. That includes your whole grains like brown rice, Quinoa, some beans, and also spices. Make sure to revitalize that spice rack a little bit. Adding some spices to things like chicken and fish will make healthy foods that much more appealing. Eating healthy and working out go hand in hand and will help you feel really great all season long.

Right, and if it's not in the house then it's not a temptation.

Exactly. Out of sight out of mind. That's the trick a lot of us need to abide by. Also in the same token, I always tell people not to deny themselves. Life is short so if you really do want a treat then please have one. It's just everything in moderation and keeping track of what you are putting in your mouth and your body.

I agree with you about that. Keeping it in moderation and monitoring what you're putting in your body. Now do you have any more tips for revamping that fitness routine?

Just to reiterate my point from earlier, get outside. You may be wanting to bust out of the four walls of your gym, and there are lots of exercises you can do in the great outdoors. Take a yoga mat if you don't necessarily want to be barefoot on the grass, but you can everything from pushups to crunches, and lunges. You can even bring a jump rope to the park and enjoy the great scenery while you are jump roping away. Just mix up the venue and it will really add a boost of energy to your routine and keep you moving forward.

Awesome, I love the tips. Where can people go for more information?

For more tips, people can go to www.videopump.tv or you can check out my blog at www.lauralovesfitness.com.