When reaching for a health goal, we often ask ourselves, “how much time exactly am I supposed to spend exercising?”  Well, the answer to this is relatively simple.  When it comes down to it, you should be moving your body every day.  However, there is a such thing as too much exercise, too.  If you aren’t giving your muscles the time they need to rest and recuperate, you could actually be doing more harm than good.

So, we wanted to clear the air.  And not only help clarify how much you need to be exercising in order to reach your health and wellness goals, but also, just how much you need to be moving your body in general.

Our bodies are our greatest tool.  They are capable of so much, and we need to show our appreciation by keeping them healthy and happy.  We’re all guilty of getting caught up in our busy schedules, and maybe not giving our body’s the little bit of TLC they deserve.

But, how do we change this?

Think about it this way.  You should be moving your body every day.  This doesn’t mean hitting the gym every day.  But it does mean stretching your limbs and getting your blood flowing.  Go for a short walk when you get home from work, or spend five minutes every morning stretching each muscle.  Our bodies crave movement in order to fight off stiffness and fatigue, especially when we’re most likely spending the majority of our day working. 

When you are trying to reach a specific fitness goal, you’re range of movement obviously has to be a little more intensive than a walk around the block.  But how often you’re pushing your body is still important.  While moving your body every day is necessary, so is a day of rest from any workout.  Your muscles need time to recover from all that hard work you’re putting in.  So, pick a day to skip the gym and stroll around your block instead. 

And, to see the best results when reaching for your health and wellness goals, remember to switch it up.  Challenge your muscles in different ways.  Alternate between running, yoga classes, and riding your bike on different days of the week.  Throw some circuit training and strength building exercises in there, and you’ll be feeling stronger faster than you can even say, “fitness.”

The goal to understanding whether or not you’re moving your body enough is really just to be in touch with yourself.  Remember it’s important to treat our bodies right by taking them out for a spin each and every day.  But also remember, that our muscles do need rest in order to keep working hard and keep us going.

We all love to take advantage of the beautiful summer weather.  And, what better way to do so than exercising outside?  It’s so great to be good to our bodies, and enjoy the outdoors all at once.  While a sunset jog and outdoor yoga are both awesome, here’s a few fresh ideas that we have on our list of outdoor exercises for the summer.

Fitness Scavenger Hunt

Honestly, this isn’t as tricky as it sounds.  And, trust us, it doesn’t require nearly as much planning as you think either.  You can make up as little as three rules, and those rules can be super simple.  Like any scavenger hunt, you find something, and then do something.  See, easy.  So, one of your rules can be find a bench, and each time you find a bench, do 12 chair dips.

Grab your friends and get everyone in on the fitness scavenger hunt.  Because the only thing better than enjoying some endorphins under the summer sun, is doing so with your friends, too.

Paddle Board

Just add water to enjoy this relaxing, yet still rigorous workout.  Stand up paddle boarding is great for your core, your balance, and honestly a great way to get some serenity out on the water.  You can paddle board in a pond, lake, or the ocean (but, psst, little pro tip, it is definitely much harder in the ocean with the different currents and waves).  Paddle boarding’s at the top of our list because we love when a good workout also becomes a great hobby.  It’s so much less fun when exercising just feels like another job.

And, another plus side, they now make paddle boards that fold down to the size of a lounge chair.  So, compact car?  No problem.

Run a Race

Signing up and training for some sort of race during the summer is really fun.  The term “race” being used pretty loosely here, because it really doesn’t matter how fast you run, or even walk.  It’s honestly just really rewarding to finish something you’ve signed up for.  Not to mention, the money from most races goes towards a good cause.  So, find an organization you care about and see if they put on some sort of 5k walk or half marathon.

Volunteer

The most rewarding way to get outside and work out is to get outside and volunteer!  There are so many volunteering opportunities that get your body moving.  Walk dogs at the local animal shelter, plant a community garden, organize a neighborhood clean-up day.  This is probably our favorite, fresh way to sweat it out under the summer sun.  Not only are you being good to your body, but your being good to your community, too.

So, whether it’s renting a paddle board, or seeking out some shelters in your community, try to take your workout with you this summer.  Because you don’t need to confine yourself to the gym when you’ve got the whole world and some sunshine all in your corner.

You may have heard of dry brushing in the past, but are a little unsure of what it is exactly.  Dry brushing is an important tool in helping your body detox.  It helps exfoliate your skin by brushing away that surface layer of dry and dead skin cells, while also stimulating lymph nodes, improving cellulite appearance, boosting circulation, and so much more.

While dry brushing provides these great benefits, most people are still hazy on what it is specifically, how to do it, and why.  So, we’re here to clear the air and tell you everything you need to know about dry brushing.  And, why you definitely want to add it to your daily routine.

What it is

Basically, dry brushing is just brushing your skin with the soft, but stiff, bristles of a non-synthetic brush.  Sometimes we forget that our skin is our largest organ.  And, it is an organ of elimination, so about one-third of our bodies’ toxins are exerted through our skin.  Dry brushing helps make this process easier by ridding skin of dead skin cells and unclogging pores.

Dry brushing doesn’t just help your body detox from the skin’s surface, but it also stimulates your lymphatic system, which is what’s pushing all those toxins out from the inside.  And, as if helping make it easier on your body to get rid of those nasty toxins wasn’t enough, dry brushing also is proven to help minimize the appearance of any cellulite on the body.

How to do it

Okay, so you know what dry brushing is, but now you need to know how exactly you’re supposed to do it.  Easy.  Just buy yourself an all-natural bristle brush.  We prefer one with a longer handle so that it’s easier to reach each part of your body.  Then, every day before you shower, brush yourself.  It’s important that you start at your feet and always brush towards your heart.  And, make sure you use long, sweeping strokes.  After you brush and shower, then moisturize.  It’s important to note that, while dry brushing may leave your skin a little pink at first, you should never brush so hard that your skin is red or scratched.

So, by doing just a little bit more before your shower each day, you can be doing your skin a big favor.