04 Thursday Oct 2018
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burning calories, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, exercising, gym, incline, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, run, running, treadmill, walk, walking
Next time you hit the treadmill, raise the incline. Exercise physiologist Tom Holland says the “zero setting” on most machines is actually slightly downhill. He says a 1-point-zero incline will be flatter, and help you burn more calories.
17 Monday Sep 2018
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, gym, inspiration, inspire, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, not in the mood, workout
Go to the gym anyway. Research found you’re 70% more likely to exercise if you just see other people working out. Think of it as exercise peer pressure. Because seeing other people exercising can subliminally inspire you to be more active! That’s why it’s good to hit the gym during peak hours – so you have the best chance of seeing others being physically active.
05 Tuesday Jun 2018
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cellphone, class, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mobile, mobile game, video games, videogames, workout, Yoga
Don’t play a video game on your phone while you’re waiting for your gym class to start. According to a study from the University of Illinois – since mobile games can be mentally stimulating and raise our blood pressure – our brain registers it as activity. And that makes us less likely to want to exercise. In fact, when people played a mobile game for just 5 minutes, they exercised half as long as people who didn’t play a game. So if you need to kill 5 minutes, meditate or listen to music. Your brain won’t think you’ve already been active, and push you to rest sooner.
23 Wednesday May 2018
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behavior, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, gym, habit, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, work out, workout
You need to develop so-called “instigation habits” – that prompt you to work out. That’s according to Dr. Alison Phillips, psychology professor at Iowa State University. So what is an “instigation habit?”
It’s something that not only reminds you to go work out – it makes working out a no brainer. For example:
Make driving past the gym on your way home from work part of your new commute.
Or, make your workout clothes your new pajamas – so when you wake up, you’re already dressed for exercise…
Or put your gym shoes so they’re blocking the front door. So you can’t open it without touching them.
Dr. Phillips’ research suggests it can take at least a month of repeated behavior to develop this so-called instigation habit that’s impossible to ignore.
But once you repeat the same behaviors day after day, she found that having an instigation cue that prompts people to automatically go to the gym works to increase exercise frequency.
01 Thursday Mar 2018
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anxiety, anxious, bathing suit, being naked, being nude, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, gym, gymnophobia, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, locker room, naked, nude, phobia, therapy
No, it’s NOT the fear of going to the gym. Instead, it’s the extreme anxiety some people have of being naked! And we’re not just talking about the normal discomfort of being nude around other people. With gymnophobia, people don’t even want to see themselves naked, alone, in a mirror. And their fear can be so extreme, they won’t even shower without wearing SOME clothing – like a bathing suit.
So, what causes gymnophobia? Psychologists say it usually boils down to a negative experience someone had while they were nude. For example: They may have been bullied while changing in the school locker room. Or someone may have made a comment about an unusual birthmark. That can cause people to obsess over their appearance, and worry that they’re too imperfect to be exposed. And their only solution is to “hide” their body – even from their own eyes.
The good news is that, like most phobias, having anxiety about being naked is something that can be overcome with therapy.
10 Wednesday Jan 2018
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, fitness, get in shape, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, mantra, treadmill, workout
Instead of saying “I WANT to be in great shape,” say “I’m getting in better shape every day.” Because the word “want” signifies we lack something – in this case, fitness. And when we feel we’re lacking something, we tend to get discouraged. But focusing on our current exercise progress – by saying “I’m getting in better shape every day” – reminds us that we have what it takes to be successful……And that motivates us to get on the treadmill.
08 Tuesday Aug 2017
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bone health, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, exercising, glass of wine, going to the gym, grapes, gym, heart health, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, muscle health, nuts, one glass of wine a day, polyphenols, red wine, resveratrol, University of Alberta, wine, workout, workout at the gym
Would you believe it’s the wine! That’s according to a study from the University of Alberta. They found that the polyphenols in red wine, nuts, and grapes may be just as good for us, if not better, than exercise. That’s because they all contain a compound called resveratrol, which improves bone, muscle and heart health in the same way a workout does. But before you break out the corkscrew, remember… the benefits only come from one glass a day – not the entire bottle. Also, it doesn’t mean you should stop exercising altogether.
27 Tuesday Jun 2017
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, energy, exercise, exhausted, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, low enrgy, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, mental pep-talk, pep-talk, tired, workout, you can do it
Next time you feel your workout dragging, and your energy flagging, give yourself a mental pep-talk. According to the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, trying to convince yourself NOT to feel exhausted can actually make your workout feel HALF as difficult – and power you through. So, tell yourself things like: “You’re doing great!” “Keep pushing!” and “Feeling good!”
12 Friday May 2017
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audiobook, burn calories, calorie burn, calories, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, download, exercise, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, motivate, motivating, motivation, muscles, workout
If you’re having trouble motivating yourself to get to the gym – or go for a run – try this: Download an audiobook. A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that people went to the gym 50% more often when they had an audiobook to listen to.
And once you get to the gym, focus on exercises that use your legs. You’ll burn a lot more calories. That’s because our legs house the biggest muscles in our body – so working them increases our calorie burn.
02 Tuesday May 2017
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Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, fitness, fitness brag, gym, inspiration, inspire, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, social media, Tuesday, Wednesday, workout
Tuesday. Or at least that’s the day we’re most likely to “fitness brag” on social media. And getting in a workout on a Tuesday is a good idea. Exercise psychologist Dr. Michelle Cleere says a workout early in the week can inspire you to keep it up. But if we don’t get a workout in by Wednesday, we’re more likely to blow off fitness for the entire week.
