I spend hours scavenging the internet for new music to use in my group fitness classes. The right music really sets the tone for my students' workouts! Here are the songs I am currently using in my classes:
ZUMBA
Convention Warm-Up - DJ Francis
Algo Me Gusta De Ti - Wisin & Yandel (featuring Chris Brown and T-Pain)
Bajo la Tormenta - Serfio George's Salsa Giants
Anaconda - Nicki Minaj (clean version)
Fireball - Pitbull (featuring John Ryan)
Que Que - Dillon Francis, Diplo, and Maluca
Bend Ova- Li'l Jon (featuring Tyga)
La Perla - Zumba Fitness
La Cata (radio edit) - Edalam
Wine it Up - DJ LBR (featuring Nappy Paco)
Mi Mulata - Frankie Negron
Propuesta Indecente - Romeo Santos
Drop the Game - Flume & Chet Faker
YOGA
Evil Beauty - Blackmill
Angels - The xx
Afterglow (Akira Kiteshi Remix) - Phaeleh
Spirit of Life - Blackmill
Lullaby - The Cure
Intro - The xx
Crystallize - Lindsey Stirling
Let It Be- Blackmill
Death Letter - Johnny Farmer
No Ordinary Love - Sade
Lost (Chill Version) Sunlounger & Zara
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Sunday, December 14, 2014
Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget
I had a super tight food budget this week, and I wanted to share with you how I was able to make it work. You won't see any ramen noodles or $1 fast food value menu items in this meal plan! All these meals are fast, easy, healthy, and CHEAP!
I see recipes in fitness magazines all the time that are labeled "quick and simple", but they have fifteen ingredients and a 30 minute prep time. I'm sure they are healthy and delicious, but who has time for that? My nutrition plan for this week is truly easy, using only a few main staples.
I only spent around $30, and kept my hunger at bay all week!
I see recipes in fitness magazines all the time that are labeled "quick and simple", but they have fifteen ingredients and a 30 minute prep time. I'm sure they are healthy and delicious, but who has time for that? My nutrition plan for this week is truly easy, using only a few main staples.
I only spent around $30, and kept my hunger at bay all week!
First I planned out several meals that I could divide into portions. I chose skinless, boneless chicken breast for my main courses, and I found a family pack for $1.99/pound.
Lunches and dinners would be chicken quesadillas and various chicken salads and wraps. Breakfast is boiled eggs and oatmeal, and snacks are apples and bananas with peanut butter.
I was able to get everything I needed for a grand total of $30.61! I trimmed the fat from all of the chicken and threw it in the crockpot with several different seasonings that were already in the pantry. I boiled all 18 eggs at once for easy breakfast prep.
After the chicken was done, I prepared several quesadillas, put together some chicken salad with the Greek yogurt and relish I purchased, and set the rest of the chicken aside for other meals.
I had some other items in my fridge and pantry that I combined with these entrees to make complete meals, so it would cost a little more if your fridge is completely empty.
One evening I combined the chicken with barbecue sauce and had some canned beans on the side.
Another day I had a Caesar salad with lettuce I purchased, a chopped boiled egg, chicken, and some Caesar dressing that I found in my kitchen.
One meal was chicken tossed with light honey mustard dressing from my fridge, wrapped in a tortilla I bought with the $30.
Two boiled eggs and a serving of oatmeal was plenty for my morning meal. Half an apple or a banana with a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter made an awesome snack for both mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
Yes, most of these meals are boring, but they're all simple, healthy, and inexpensive. A little planning and preparation can go a long way when you're trying to cut calories and cost!
Yes, most of these meals are boring, but they're all simple, healthy, and inexpensive. A little planning and preparation can go a long way when you're trying to cut calories and cost!
Workout of the Week: Yoga
Right after high school, I gained a lot of weight when I transitioned from the life of a physically active high school student to a lethargic college girl. The absence of sports and PE really took its toll on my body. I got back into working out in my early twenties to lose weight, and began experimenting with different workouts.
I had heard yoga was great for your body, and was popular among celebrities, so I decided to give it a try. I bought a book on yoga that described its history, as well as provided illustrations of asanas (yoga poses). I discovered that many of them were stretches that I had done in gymnastics classes as a child, and I started practicing them regularly.
Within a few months, I was just as flexible as I had been as a child! This was exciting to me! It doesn't take long to become flexible. It just takes consistency.
Although I had the stretching down pat, I didn't understand the breathing patterns that go along with yoga. I signed up for a live class, and was a little confused because most of the class was centered around respiratory exercises, and all the postures were extremely basic.
I continued to focus on my stretching, and didn't attend more yoga classes for a while. After I began teaching Zumba, my muscles became tighter and imbalanced. The few minutes of stretching I was doing after my workouts wasn't enough to counterbalance all the wear and tear that high impact aerobics was doing to my body, so I knew I needed to seek out more yoga.
I started doing yoga videos at home, and soon gained a deeper understanding of the yogic philosophy. The main goal of a yoga practice is to gain mastery over the mind. It's not easy to relax your mind and think of nothing. With consistent practice, I was able to start controlling my thoughts better.
Yoga became my sanctuary. I started going to classes again when a new yoga studio, Sutherland Yoga Studio, opened up in town. It was so much easier to leave my cares and worries at the door when I practiced in a group setting than when I did yoga at home. There was always a distraction: laundry, cleaning, the phone, or whatever. When I went to a class, the entire hour was focused only on my practice.
Even though I am a fitness instructor, I didn't want to teach yoga, because that was ME time. I didn't want to think. When I'm instructing, I have to constantly think about what comes next, while simultaneously helping others with their practice. I like to just DO yoga.
I had heard yoga was great for your body, and was popular among celebrities, so I decided to give it a try. I bought a book on yoga that described its history, as well as provided illustrations of asanas (yoga poses). I discovered that many of them were stretches that I had done in gymnastics classes as a child, and I started practicing them regularly.
Within a few months, I was just as flexible as I had been as a child! This was exciting to me! It doesn't take long to become flexible. It just takes consistency.
Although I had the stretching down pat, I didn't understand the breathing patterns that go along with yoga. I signed up for a live class, and was a little confused because most of the class was centered around respiratory exercises, and all the postures were extremely basic.
I continued to focus on my stretching, and didn't attend more yoga classes for a while. After I began teaching Zumba, my muscles became tighter and imbalanced. The few minutes of stretching I was doing after my workouts wasn't enough to counterbalance all the wear and tear that high impact aerobics was doing to my body, so I knew I needed to seek out more yoga.
I started doing yoga videos at home, and soon gained a deeper understanding of the yogic philosophy. The main goal of a yoga practice is to gain mastery over the mind. It's not easy to relax your mind and think of nothing. With consistent practice, I was able to start controlling my thoughts better.
Yoga became my sanctuary. I started going to classes again when a new yoga studio, Sutherland Yoga Studio, opened up in town. It was so much easier to leave my cares and worries at the door when I practiced in a group setting than when I did yoga at home. There was always a distraction: laundry, cleaning, the phone, or whatever. When I went to a class, the entire hour was focused only on my practice.
Even though I am a fitness instructor, I didn't want to teach yoga, because that was ME time. I didn't want to think. When I'm instructing, I have to constantly think about what comes next, while simultaneously helping others with their practice. I like to just DO yoga.
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