New Year, New You
Have you set your New Year’s Resolutions yet? If you haven’t had a chance, don’t worry. There’s still time. Now is the ideal time to think about how you want to improve in 2019.
If one of your resolutions is to exercise, lose weight or just get healthier in general, a great way to get started is an InBody assessment at BeFit SRQ. These assessments tell you what you’re made of — and give you a roadmap to improve your body composition. Plus, InBody assessments are absolutely free for BeFit SRQ clients.
Here’s another perk of being a client: if you refer a new BeFit SRQ client, you get a free session yourself. Or, if you’re a new client and you want to work out with a partner (since we know it can be easier to stay motivated with a friend onboard), you’ll both receive a free bottle of doTERRA Wild Orange essential oil. So come out to the studio and take advantage of this offer!
The clock is ticking and it’s almost the New Year. Aren’t you excited to get started on your goals?
Exercise of the Month: 5 Best Stretches for Tennis Players
Tennis is a great all-around sport. It’s good cardio, you can enjoy it with friends and you can play it at all ages. During a single hour of play, a 150-pound person burns 414 calories playing singles and 288 calories playing doubles. And the longer you play, the more you burn.
Get ready to play some more tennis with these recovery stretches for tennis players:
Elevation Wall Hamstring Stretch
- Lie down on your back close to a wall or fence.
- Extend your legs up on the wall with the soles of your feet facing up. Your tailbone should be where the wall meets the floor. It should stay in contact with the ground.
Elevation Wall Gravity Groin Stretch
- Lie down on your back close to a wall or fence.
- Extend your legs up on the wall with the soles of your feet facing up. Your tailbone should be where the wall meets the floor. It should stay in contact with the ground.
- Keep your legs extended and spread your legs as wide as possible. Then try to work them further apart.
Supine Glute Wall Stretch
- Lie down on your back close to a wall or fence.
- Put one foot on the wall with your tailbone on the ground. Bend the knee of your leg that’s on the wall to a 90-degree angle.
- Place the ankle of your other leg below the knee of your wall leg. You should feel a stretch near the outside of your hip.
Supine Low Back Twist
- Lie down on your back with both legs straight.
- Bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle and bring it across your body until it touches the floor. Keep your right shoulder on the ground and your right arm extended, looking in that direction.
- Hold your position. Breathe slowly. Use your left arm to put gentle pressure on the outside of your thigh. After feeling the stretch, extend your bent leg.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
Side-Lying Quad/Hip Flexor Stretch
- Lie on your right side with your right leg and arm extended.
- Flex your left knee and grab it behind your ankle. Work your heel to touch your backside. Try to keep your hips forward.
- Repeat on your opposite side.
For more information on these stretches and some photos to help guide you, click here.
Swap This Food for That
There are lots of healthy food swaps you can easily incorporate into your daily life. By making some small substitutions, you can make a big difference in your food intake. In fact, just by eating 50 calories less than you usually do every day, you can drop five pounds over the course of a year.
Try these quick substitutions:
- Eat an open-face sandwich that uses one piece of bread instead of two.
- Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- Use corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas on taco nights.
For more tips on how you can make food substitutions, click here to read this article.
Wild for Orange
The doTERRA essential oil of the month is perfect for starting off the New Year with renewal and energy — it’s Wild Orange. This citrus oil is not only a powerful cleanser, it’s also uplifting to your mind and body. It can help with muscle pains, stomach aches, and depression, along with many other health issues.
Want to combine Wild Orange with other essential oils for a powerful experience? Just mix together two drops lemon essential oil, two drops lime essential oil, two drops Wild Orange essential oil, two drops grapefruit essential oil and two drops bergamot essential oil in a diffuser. Then get ready to enjoy a fresh, invigorating scent.
Join Us Outdoors in January
The weather is wonderful in January, so it’s the perfect time to get outside and enjoy the fun activities Sarasota has to offer.
One of my favorites is the Taste of St. Armands. On Saturday, January 19 from 5 to 8 p.m., come out to the Circle Park for a showcase of the wide variety of restaurants on St. Armands. You’ll find fare ranging from Cuban to Italian, seafood to Floribian. This time, over 17 restaurants will participate.
You can combine art and exercise by checking out The Fence, an outdoor exhibit on view now at Nathan Benderson Park. This traveling photography experience showcases the work of photographers from around the world. You’ll see photos representing seven categories: home, streets, people, creatures, nature, play and food.
Participating in the 19th Annual Scrub Jay 5K/10K is another fun way to take in the great outdoors in the New Year. On Saturday, January 12, come out to Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey and run a course that includes scrubby flat-woods and a portion on the Legacy Trail.
I’m so excited about what 2019 will bring. Here’s hoping it’s full of happiness and health!