Jamme's Crunk Fitness Blog

Stress KILLING Your Workout? Breathe Deep……

crunkfitness — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:05:00 +0000

We all know that exercise is a wonderful way to relieve stress. But what happens when you are too stressed and tired to exercise? You have a long day and the last thing you want to do is exercise even though you know that it will help you feel better and relieve the stress. All you feel like doing is crashing on the couch, turning off your brain, turning on the idiot box and doing it all over again the next day. This can become a vicious cycle. You don’t exercise because you are too stressed and tired but lack of exercise causes you to be more stressed and tired. So what’s the answer? What’s the way out?

Well, first let’s take a look at stress. What is stress? It’s no more than the thoughts and reactions we have based on the way we deal with our life circumstances.

Stress, according to Webster’s Dictionary is: a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension.

A life of minimal stress is vital for good health and physical fitness. In order to become successful and consistent with our health and fitness regimen we MUST take measures to reduce the stress in our lives. Reducing stress is not so much changing our circumstances as it is changing ourselves and how we deal with our circumstances. Most often we can’t control what happens or what other people do but we CAN control ourselves and what we do. So how do we change the way we deal with stressful situations?

Consider deep breathing and meditation. Deep breathing helps to relax the body and deliver an abundance of oxygen to the cells causing the body systems to function more efficiently whereas stress induced shallow breathing has the opposite effect and causes health problems. Deep breathing even helps to clear and focus the mind. Read more on deep breathing.

Meditation is helpful in clearing the mind and gaining focus, as well. It’s an opportunity to appreciate peace and quiet in a world filled with chatter and busyness. Meditation helps us to gain perspective on the truly important aspects of life and direct our minds to positive ends. Read more on meditation.

Take 5 or 10 minutes each day to energize and revitalize yourself with simple deep breathing and meditation practices. You will be amazed at how quickly stress vanishes allowing you to get up, get out and get CRUNK!

- Jamme Morginn

Fitness Expert

Creator of Jamme’s Crunk Fitness Hip-Hop Workout

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BURNOUT – Don’t let this be YOU!

crunkfitness — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:55:20 +0000

I’m done with being over-weight. I want to be thin and sexy. I want guys/girls to notice me. Right now I just blend into the background. They don’t even see me. They look past me to get a peek at the girl/guy with the HOT body! I want to look like THAT!

I think I’ll get a gym membership and start working out. I really want to get in shape fast so I’m going to the gym everyday. As a matter of fact…I can go to the gym twice each day. I’ll go in the morning before work and then again after work everyday. I’m on a mission. Look out world! Here I come!!!

Hey, this working out thing is not so bad. Geesh! I’m getting REALLY tired. How long have I been doing this? What?! Only four minutes? OMG! I’ve got 56 more minutes to go?! Wait a minute! Look at all these HOT people n here. They’re doing it just like it’s nothing. OK…I’ve gotta get a hold of myself. I can do this! OK… I can’t do this. My head is about to explode! I’ve gotta stop. This is nuts! I’ll just come back after work.

Hmmm. Looks like the after-work gym crowd is a little different. Even MORE hot people. I’m a little intimidated but I’m determined to have that hot sexy body so I’m going to stick with it. Gosh this is tough…but I did it! I made it through a whole hour! Yay me! Tomorrow morning I’m going to workout for TWO hours.

Wow! Is it morning already? …O…M…G…! I am soooo incredibly SORE. I can’t move. I can’t keep doing this. Maybe it’s not so bad being overweight. After all…it’s who I am INSIDE that counts, right? This working out thing just isn’t for me.

BURNOUT – Don’t let this happen to YOU! If you burnout, you will never reach your goal. Pace yourself. Do something active that you really enjoy. Give yourself a lifetime to lose weight and gain a healthy lifestyle. Slowly but surely you’ll get there and stay there!

-Jamme Morginn, Fitness Expert

Jamme is creator of Jamme’s Crunk Fitness, The high-energy hip-hop dance workout that’s so much fun you forget that you are working out!

LOSE WEIGHT EASY AS 1, 2, TEA!

crunkfitness — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:51:32 +0000

Does your appetite always seem to win your weight-loss battles? We know WHAT and HOW MUCH to eat but the appetite just won’t cooperate. We pile our plates high and run back for second and third helpings. The thought of appetite control drugs is downright scary; side-effects, mysterious ingredients, product recalls. Surely there is a better way, right?

This is where “Tea” comes into the pitcher! Get it? Pitcher/Picture? Sigh…never mind. Anyway…Herbal tea is a safe, natural and effective way to control the appetite. It also helps to boost our energy levels. Drink a cup before breakfast and through out the day between meals. This helps to curb our appetites so that we feel more full and satisfied when we eat smaller, healthier meals.

Before bed drink a cup of herbal tea for cleansing. It helps us to lose weight and get rid of that heavy, bloated feeling. As we sleep, the tea works to cleanse and detox the body. The next morning…well…let’s just say the situation is usually worked out! Eh-hemm…

There is a variety of brands and flavors of appetite control or weight-loss and cleansing teas; with and without caffeine. Check out the nearest health food store and find the tea that is best for you but be sure to consult with your physician first. And as always…combine your healthy eating with regular exercise and drink plenty of water.

Ditch the drugs! Lose weight the healthy way. It’s easy as 1, 2, TEA! www.crunkfitness.com

- Jamme Morginn, Fitness Expert

IT’S FEBRUARY! Do you know where your New Year’s Resolution is?

crunkfitness — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:44:31 +0000

Oh yeah…”That!” you say. If you have lost track of the whereabouts of your New Year’s Resolution, then fear not – you are not alone.

Research Statistics: New Year’s Resolutions 40 to 45% of American adults make one or more resolutions each year. Among the top New Year’s Resolutions are resolutions about weight loss, exercise, and stopping to smoke. Also popular are resolutions dealing with better money management / debt reduction.

The following shows how many of these resolutions are maintained as time goes on:
- past the first week: 75%
- past 2 weeks: 71%
- after one month: 64%
- after 6 months: 46%

While a lot of people who make new years resolutions do break them, research shows that making resolutions is useful. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to meet their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions. http://www.proactivechange.com/resolutions/statistics.htm

___________________________________________________________

Let’s talk about getting back on track…

Most often when we set goals we look at the big picture.

I’m going to lose 50 pounds.
I’m going to be debt free.
I’m going to keep a clean house.
on and on…

These, among many others, are great resolutions. However, there is one vital flaw. Let’s change these resolutions a bit.

I’m going to lose 50 pounds by ______ing everyday.
I’m going to be debt-free by _______ing everyday.
I’m going to keep a clean house by ______ing everyday.

Get the point? We MUST break down the big picture into achievable daily goals. Key words…achievable and daily. For guaranteed success make small gradual changes each day. Don’t overwhelm yourself and get burned out by attempting to do too much too soon. That’s an expressway to failure. (Remember the tortoise and the hare?) Take time and pace yourself. If your goal is to lose weight, remember that it took a certain length of time to gain the weight. Give yourself at least that much time to lose it.

We still have time to get back on track. Let’s back up, re-resolute, jump in and run to win! Keep going…you can do it! http://www.crunkfitness.com

-Jamme Morginn, Fitness Expert

Eat Now, PAY Later…High-Interest Health

crunkfitness — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:26:38 +0000

Are YOU living your life on high-interest credit? Of course this philosophy led to the economic recession at hand but what about your health economy? Are you headed for a health recession? Hmmmm.

We live in a microwave society where we want it NOW. It doesn’t matter if we are prepared to PAY for it. Yes, it might appear that things are fine for a period of time but sooner or later the system will begin to break down, collapse and die. When we think, plan and prepare for the future we are more likely to enjoy a healthy, thriving economy – financially AND healthwise.

Let’s think about what we are eating and how we are treating our bodies. We must realize that we are not invincible nor are we immortal. We can avoid needless suffering and disease by treating our bodies a little better and being responsible for our own health rather than depending on the medical industry to fix what we are destroying. Remember…the doctors are just “practicing!” They don’t know EVERYTHING nor can they fix everything.

It’s really much deeper that losing weight to “look good” in our clothes and in swimsuits. It’s about LIFE. Do you want a life of various illnesses, expensive prescriptions with “side effects” requiring prescriptions, daily injections, pain and fatigue? If the answer is YES, then continue to live your life on credit. Eat everything you want, don’t exercise, continue to live with stress and you will surely get there.

However, if the answer is NO, then begin to change your life TODAY! Make healthy decisions that promise a healthy future. Be kind to your body. Give it nourishing food and refreshing water. Exercise and get plenty of rest. Take care of your spiritual health. Feel good. Turn down those offers to live your life on high-interest credit. Cash in…on good health!

Jamme Morginn-Fitness Expert www.crunkfitness.com

YOU Can Stay on Track with EASY Healthy Eating Habits

crunkfitness — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:04:36 +0000

Getting healthy and fit does not have to be hard. You can do things to make it EASY! Do you find it challenging to eat right? In today’s busy lifestyle, eating on the run has been a great enemy of the healthy diet. We run around doing this and that all day and never think about eating until we get hungry.

Eating On The Run

This is dangerous because we end up eating whatever is convenient…and those things are usually not healthy.

Here’s a few easy tips for SUCCESS… Take a little time and go to the market. Pick up several healthy snacks. Try nuts, dried fruit, trail mix, yogurt, fresh cut fruit and veggie trays, sunflower seeds, whole grain crackers, microwave-ready baking potatoes…and more. Keep these types of snacks within reach at all times. Keep some in your car and at work. Make them easily accessible at home. Leave your fresh cut fruit and veggie tray out on the counter so that whenever you pass by you can easily grab a piece or two. Keep a fruit bowl handy. Place a container of nuts by your computer.

As you eat these healthy snacks throughout the day, you curb your appetite, increase your body’s metabolism (rate of burning fat), and increase your energy level. Also you are not starving at mealtime so you eat less and you are able to make better decisions about what you eat. Drink plenty of water and exercise regularly and you’ll watch the pounds melt away. Easy.

…and keep it CRUNK! www.crunkfitness.com

- Jamme Morginn, Fitness Expert

CRUNK FITNESS – It’s Time for YOU to “Get CRUNK!”

crunkfitness — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 07:18:07 +0000

Getting CRUNK with Jamme's Crunk Fitness

Crunk Fitness is all about YOU: your style, your flava, your swag! Find the fitness regimen that’s right for you. When we enjoy what we do, we are more likely to continue and get results. Gone are the days of boring, treacherous and grueling workouts. If you like to grunt and growl during your workout then that’s just your swag. Do it to the full. But if growling isn’t quite your idea of fun, then there are lots of more inviting options from boxing to break dancing.

Perhaps you are at a beginner workout level. You might want to start off with a brisk 30 minute walk up to 5 days per week. If you are motivated by the energy of others, then check out a really cool group exercise class at your local fitness center. Find a workout buddy to hold you accountable. Outdoors type? Cycling, running or hiking might be for you.

Whatever you decide to do, consistency is the key. Start off slow with a workout regimen with which you can keep up. Increase your frequency and intensity as you develop. Remember…too much, too soon = burnout = giving up = no results. Pace yourself (remember the story of The Turtle and the Hare) for a life-long journey of healthy physical activity. Keeping it CRUNK means keeping it healthy and fit!

Jamme Morginn is the creator of Jamme’s Crunk Fitness Hip-Hop Workout – a fun, high-energy hip-hop dance workout for all levels. Jamme’s Crunk Fitness combines the latest hip-hop dance moves with basic aerobics movements to create a super-effective hip-hop dance party workout simple enough for beginners yet stylish enough for serious dancers. The whole world loves Jamme’s Crunk Fitness – It’s so much fun you don’t realize you’re working out. Visit www.crunk fitness.com.

- Jamme Morginn, Fitness Expert