There’s the obvious answers: wash your hands, cover you mouth when you cough, and get a flu shot. Of course, people involuntarily (or voluntarily) forget to do these things from time to time. Lucky for us, there are even more ways to help prevent the flu. These tips work great even if you ARE part of the 85% who wash their hands (I know only 85%, isn’t that gross!? ) Anyways…

Here at Smooth Fitness we’re all about…well you guessed it…fitness. And when you involve yourself in fitness regularly, it means you’re staying active.  Did you know staying active may help you prevent the flu? That’s right. The key is to not overdo it.

Aerobic exercises like jogging, brisk walking, or cycling (try this recumbent on for size) can improve your immune system, as long as you don’t push too hard. A general rule of thumb is to perform a moderate aerobic exercise for around 30 minutes a day. According to some schools of thought, too much exercise can actually hinder you when it comes to fighting off the flu.

Of course, being active is only part of the equation. Can you guess what the other part is?…Okay I don’t have that much time to wait. EATING HEALTHY! We aren’t introducing ground-breaking material here, folks. These are things that healthy people do regularly.

Try to include a good amount of fruits and veggies into your diet. If vegetables aren’t your thing, make them your thing. Already eating vegetables? Focus your eating habits even more. Look for dark colored/leafed vegetables. Research shows that healthy dark veggies are rich in antioxidants, with lots of Vitamin C (even more than “non-dark” veggies.) Avoiding vegetables because they taste boring? ( I’m ashamed to even think that.) If so, check out this awesome recipe from Runner’s World for great-tasting chili that will help keep you warm AND fight the flu.

That’s it. Short and sweet. All in all, there’s nothing new here. Preventing the flu is all a part of staying healthy and to stay healthy, you have to exercise regularly and eat right. If this is starting to sound like a broken record, stop listening to music and get to work on preventing the flu!

Cold weather doesn’t just deter the folks who regularly exercise outside. Many people hate just walking the short distance in the parking lot from their car to the gym! Whatever the reason is, people don’t like cold. Lucky for you, we specialize in the “cold-haters.” Enter the wonderful world of home fitness.

Developing a “fitness center” in your home is a great way to stay true to your goals, without having to compromise with the weather. The best part is you don’t need a lot of equipment to get the end result you desire.

Smooth 5.65 Treadmill
One of our most popular models, this treadmill packs a lot for the price. With 12 speed and incline programs, and 15 levels of incline to increase intensity, the Smooth 5.65 is extremely versatile. The SmoothSound Audio system allows you to plug in your audio device and play your favorite tunes right through the built in speakers. Worried about storage? The SmoothDrop Folding Frame allows for easy storage when it’s not in use, making this a convenient, minimally invasive part of your home gym.

Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical
Ellipticals have become increasingly popular over the years and for good reason. The CE 3.6 Elliptical offers you a natural fluid motion which helps reduce stress and strain on your joints. The elliptical, like the treadmill, is versatile in that there are multiple programs you can choose from, or you can create your own personalized workout. Along with cardiovascular fitness, the CE 3.6 gives you a full upperbody workout as well with moving handlebars. Improved for 2012, this is a great purchase for the fitness novice or veteran.

65cm Stability Ball
Looking to tone up? Our 65cm stability ball is a great tool to have in your home gym. There are endless exercises for stability balls that will help you achieve the body you want.  Gentlemen, don’t be fooled! These exercises are great for women and men alike.

5lb Kettlebells
Kettlebells are entering the mainstream of standby workout equipment, and it’s not hard to see why. Due to its design, the kettlebell makes you work hard to maintain your balance.  By combining cardio and strength training, kettlebell exercises can give you an intense workout in as little as 20 minutes. If you have always wanted to try kettlebell training but don’t know where to begin, there are some great beginner exercises out there for you.

With equipment like this, you can build a home fitness center tailored specifically to you. And the best part? You don’t have to step a foot outside in the cold weather. Be sure to check out our other products for your home gym, and let us know how you beat the cold weather fitness blues in the comments section below.

Take dieting for example. As one of the most common resolutions out there, there’s no doubt many people have taken multiple stabs at this one, only to find themselves back at square one sooner or later.

Starting a diet is easy. Sustaining a diet is trickier, especially if you aren’t used to it. People don’t like diets. The truth is, we like the idea of dieting more than dieting itself. We need to turn that idea into an action. The good thing is there are plenty of tips to kick-start your diet in the new year.

Make a Plan…and Stick to It

And so the proverb goes, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” You have to develop a plan before you “go on a diet,” otherwise you will have no clue “where you are going.” Use a daily meal planner to help you out.

Try developing your diet in phases. The first phase might be where you start to cut back on unhealthy foods. The second phase may be where you try to consume a targeted amount of calories per day. And so on and so forth. It’s okay to be ambitious when planning, but set realistic goals at each phase. Remember, success takes time.

Produce with Produce

In order to get the results you want, focus your diet around fruits and veggies. These guys are packed with nutrients, and most are low on calories. Why don’t we like veggies when we’re young? Because they taste “yucky.” For those of you still stuck in your adolescence when it comes to produce, try a V8. One 12 oz. bottle of V8 100% Vegetable Juice contains over half of your daily vegetable requirements, and they make tons of great (not yucky) flavors!

Just Run With It

Obviously we love running here. You don’t have to love it to do it, and do it effectively. The bottom-line is that running, along with other forms of cardio, is a key ingredient in dieting. You didn’t think it was all about food did you? Cue the broken record you’ve heard over and over again: in order to have an effective diet, you have to eat right AND exercise. With equipment like treadmills and ellipticals, it’s easier than ever to exercise. For those of you who want to run but need that extra push, check out Runner’s World’s great Running 101 program for help on getting started.

At the end of the day, stay consistent as realistically as possible. That means you aren’t expected to be a robot. You’re going to cheat on your eating habits. You are going to miss a workout or two. All that is fine, but remember to keep the final goal in your head at all times, and your diet will be a successful one in 2012.

-       Eat Healthy Food

-       Lose Weight

-       Get Fit

These are really great goals to have in the New Year. These are also very generic goals. Therein lies the problem with these resolutions, or any resolution for that matter. We find comfort in generic goals. We’re committed, but we aren’t really committed. If we kinda stick on track, we feel good about ourselves, and if we fall off the path, we don’t really feel that bad. Check out these tips on how to set specific, realistic health and fitness goals for the New Year.

Eat Healthy Food

Eating healthy makes sense to everyone. As with many things in life, people understand they need to do it, they just don’t know how to do it.

We don’t need a lot to keep healthy, but we often feel like we do. To stay within your range, divide your caloric intake into more balanced meals. So for the person looking to take in 2500 calories, instead of having a 400 calorie breakfast, 700 calorie lunch, and 1400 calorie dinner, eat 5 meals at roughly 500 calories a piece. Still feeling hungry after a balanced meal? Wait 20 minutes. For many, it takes up to 20 minutes for your stomach to tell your brain your full! Check out Fitness Magazine or Men’s Health for tips on what to eat.

Lose Weight

This goes hand in hand with the first goal. In general, if losing weight is your goal, you want to burn more calories than you consume. That doesn’t mean you stop eating though. A good balanced diet along with cardiovascular exercise is an important combination for calorie burning. You probably have a life outside of losing weight. As little as 20 minutes a day on a treadmill or elliptical can help you lose weight, and you never have to leave your home.

Get Fit

Merriam-Webster lists one definition for fit as “adapted to the environment so as to be capable of surviving.” While I would say that’s somewhat extreme in the context of fitness as we more commonly think of it, this definition isn’t completely out of line. If being fit is your goal, you’ll want your body in a state where you can exert aerobic exercise regularly. The goals mentioned before, along with some weight lifting, can help get you there!

Think of it as driving to a new destination. You have to cover the distance from Point A to Point B; you can’t just instantly arrive where you want to be. There are turns to make, and sometimes you may take a wrong turn, and will have to find your way back to the right path. But you will eventually arrive, and these tips will help you get there.

Set realistic goals

Losing weight and getting in shape are probably the most popular new year’s resolutions, along with quitting smoking. Then there are others such as giving up soda, cutting back on junk food, and even doing more volunteer work. Those are all great goals to have. But how do you quantify them? Do you want to lose one pound? Ten? Fifty? How much junk food are you eating now, and what qualifies as cutting back? Without clear goals and specific milestones, it’s easy to quickly lose your way, and go right back to the bad habits you’re trying to break.

If you want to lose weight, first calculate how many total pounds you want to lose. Then attach certain amounts of loss to specific time periods. For example, if you want to lose 20 pounds, figure on losing the recommended two pounds per week. But then give yourself a little bit of cushion, too. Instead of saying you’ll lose 20 pounds in ten weeks, shoot for losing five pounds in three weeks. Keep working in increments of five pounds until you meet your goal. Trying to lose five pounds is a lot easier than losing 20, both physically and mentally.

Apply this to any other resolution. If you smoke one pack a day, reduce the number of cigarettes you smoke by one per day, or even one per week, if it’s really difficult for you to quit. If you want to volunteer more, calculate how much free time you can spare, and what causes you want to support, then make a calendar with volunteer time scheduled, and reminders set up, just like any other appointment you’d keep.

Limit your resolutions

Let’s be honest. You’re not going to make over your entire life in just a few months. True change takes time, and the more pressure you put on yourself, the more difficult it will be to stick to those resolutions. Instead of trying to lose weight, get in shape, give up soda, and quit smoking all at once, tackle those goals one at a time.

Decide which goal is most important to you. In this instance, it would be quitting smoking. That’s the best thing anyone can do for their health. Work on that first, and once you’ve conquered it, then start on another one like getting in shape. But you still need to incorporate specific goals and time periods into your plan. If you decide to quit smoking, and procrastinate on everything else, you may be right back where you started next year.

You don’t even need to fully complete one goal before you start working on another. You could, say, reduce the amount you smoke by half, then start walking a certain distance a certain number of times per week. The less you smoke, the easier it will be for you to walk. The more you walk, the better you’ll feel. The better you feel, the more encouraged you’ll be to continue on your path to better health.

Reward yourself

Passing those milestones will be a little more enjoyable if there’s some sort of reward in it for you. Sure, you could say that better health and being thinner should be reward enough, but again—let’s be honest. These kinds of resolutions are difficult to stick to. Adding a little extra incentive doesn’t hurt, and can really help.

Here’s the important thing—decide on appropriate rewards. If you’re trying to lose weight, don’t reward yourself with a huge slice of cheesecake after you’ve dropped ten pounds. That’s just sabotaging your efforts. Make the reward for that resolution non-food-related. Maybe buy yourself a new pair of jeans that you can now fit into since you’ve lost weight.

If you’re trying to get in shape, once you get to the point where you can walk either a certain distance or amount of time, one way you can reward yourself is to buy a treadmill so you can continue on your path to fitness. If you want a more low-impact workout, consider an elliptical machine. Since you’re making new year’s resolutions in the dead of winter, it may be difficult to walk or run outside in the first place, depending on where you live. Having a treadmill in the house means you’ll be able to walk or run when it fits into your schedule, regardless of what the weather is like. And if you do begin a new workout regimen when it’s cold out, remember to follow a few important winter health tips to make it easier to stick with it.

Don’t give up if you have a setback

Just come to terms with it now—you will have setbacks. You’ll indulge one night at dinner and have two heaping helpings of that casserole you love. You’ll polish off the last of the Christmas cookies when you have a bad day at work. You’ll get stressed and smoke a few extra cigarettes. You’ll decide not to get on the treadmill one day because you’d rather curl up on the couch with a book…or the remote. It’s okay. Setbacks are normal. How you react to them is the key.

If you get off track like this one day, just remind yourself that it’s just that—one day. You have tomorrow. And the next day, and many more after that. Making a mistake one day doesn’t ruin your entire year. Losing only four pounds in those three weeks instead of five doesn’t mean you’re failing and you should just go ahead and eat whatever you want and forget about losing weight. Accept that setbacks will happen, and don’t beat yourself up about it. Get back on track—or on the treadmill—the next day, and move on.

Remember that you’re in the process of accomplishing something that takes time, effort, and perseverance. The end result will be worth it.

It’s okay to give yourself a little vacation from exercising, especially at this time of year with so much else going on. But be careful. This is also the most treacherous time of year, with all kinds of treats available at work, at home, and in the stores. Not to mention, because you’re so busy, you may opt to eat out more often to save time. Even if you scale back your workouts, there are still some great holiday fitness tips you can follow to keep the pounds from creeping on over the holidays.

Make Good Choices

You’re out shopping, it’s busy, you don’t have time to go home and make a healthy meal, so you decide to eat at a restaurant. Don’t feel guilty about it, just choose the good things off the menu. It’s cold out, so have some soup as an appetizer. It will warm you up, and also help you feel full so you don’t overeat. Just choose a broth-based soup rather than a creamy one. Better yet, start your meal with a healthy salad, and go easy on the dressing.

This time of year brings out all the comfort food—casseroles, stews, pastas, and things smothered with cheese, gravies, and sauces. Save those dishes for home when you can control the ingredients and portions, and go for the healthier entrees when you’re eating out. A lot of restaurants offer healthy options on their menus, but if they don’t, ask if that chicken can be broiled or grilled instead of fried. Many places will accommodate special requests. Most importantly, skip the dessert. If you really want something sweet, grab one cookie from the kiosk in the mall rather than having that big slice of cheesecake.

Walk More

It may be tempting to park as close as possible to the store or the mall when you’re out doing your holiday shopping. Besides, you may end up carrying a lot of bags, and who wants to haul them all the way across a huge parking lot? Well, here’s the thing—you don’t have to wait until you’re completely done shopping to put your things in the car.

Park a little farther out (there are probably more spaces available out there anyway), and walk briskly across the parking lot. Even if it’s only for a couple of minutes, it’ll get your heart pumping. Don’t believe it? Wear a heart rate monitor while you’re shopping to see just how all the activity is benefiting your body. When you’ve accumulated a few bags’ worth of purchases, take them out to the car, and then come back for more. Just be sure to park in a well lighted area, and to keep your shopping bags covered so as not to tempt thieves. You can get a walking workout in a little at a time while you get your shopping done. Who says multitasking is impossible?

Don’t Graze

Whether it’s an office potluck, or just someone bringing in some treats from home, there can be a lot of sweet and not-so-healthy temptations at work. Potlucks are fun, especially this time of year, and it’s really nice when someone takes the time to bake cookies or cake to share. But all that food lying around the office makes it very easy to mindlessly eat all day while you’re sitting behind a desk.

Stick to your usual eating regimen, whether it’s three meals a day, or five to six smaller meals. If you want to indulge in something someone brought from home, work it into your meal, taking the extra calories into account, rather than eating between meals and just adding to your daily caloric intake. If the temptation is very difficult for you to resist, keep healthy snacks available, carrot or celery sticks with a tablespoon of peanut butter, or have a small handful of nuts such as almonds or walnuts, which have been shown to help lower cholesterol. You’ll still get the satisfaction of snacking without all the sugar and calories. Finally, remember to take breaks, get up from your desk, and walk a little.

The most important thing to remember is not to beat yourself up if you do gain a couple of pounds over the holidays. When they’re over, get right back up on the treadmill, and get yourself back on a regular workout schedule. You’ll be back on track in no time.

Fitness Gifts Under $100

Kettle Bells: A kettle bell is one of the most versatile pieces of exercise equipment. It can benefit any person who is looking to tone problem areas or can be used to increase the intensity of aerobic routines.
Resistance Bands: Resistance bands can be used to add intensity to any strength exercise. They make fitness accessible anywhere because they are easy to transport. These useful fitness tools can also be used to increase the intensity of aerobic routines.
Stability Ball: Exercise stability balls are a very popular exercise tool. They can be used for many purposes. Some uses include increasing the difficulty level of abdominal workouts and providing an unstable surface to incorporate more core muscles when performing kettle bell exercises.
Push Up Bars: Help develop upper body strength with push up bars. Push Up bars provide a great range of motion with on the go convenience.

Fitness Gifts Over $100

Elliptical Machine: Elliptical training machines are some of the most popular pieces of fitness equipment. They provide the benefit of aerobic exercise coupled with exercise motions that tone all major muscle groups. The low impact motion allows for intense exercise without joint impact.
Treadmill: Treadmills have always been extremely popular gifts for runners in your household. Treadmills are very effective for aerobic fitness training as well as weight bearing exercise.
Exercise Bike: Exercise bikes provide a convenient, low impact cardio workout. They are easy to use and have proven to be effective at raising the heart rate, developing cardiovascular fitness, and burning calories while limiting the impact on knees and leg joints.
Home Gym: This gift will provide all of the benefits associated with purchasing a barbell set alone, but will also provide more exercise variations.

For tips on selecting the right elliptical trainer, treadmill, exercise bike or home gym, please take a look at our elliptical buying guide, treadmill buying guide, exercise bike buying guide and home gym buying guide.

Many Thanksgiving side dishes are built with enough ingredients to be a main meal by themselves. This is half of the fun; however, it can be very unhealthy. Developing some scaled back side dishes can promote a much healthier menu. For example, if you normally make your stuffing with some form of meat inside of it, try your recipe with a leaner cut of that meat, or use an alternative such as turkey if you normally use pork. After all, the main Turkey provides plenty of protein for the meal, so leaning out the meat portions in the side dishes can result in healthier plates. Additionally, you can cut back on the sodium in the string-bean casserole by making your own cream of mushroom soup or by buying low sodium soup in place of what the standard recipe calls for. Sweet potatoes seem to get sweeter and sweeter each year as more sugar is added. While a topping of brown sugar over some already sweetened potatoes is delicious, try making the sweet potatoes with less added sugar. You might be surprised at how sweet they are naturally.

After a long delicious afternoon meal, there is dessert! Saving room for dessert is nearly impossible and by this point in the meal most families and friends are too stuffed to fit in another bite. This makes choosing a dessert difficult. A traditional pumpkin pie is a good option as it does not have a top crust. If you make a fluffier pie by adding more eggs to the recipe you can turn it into a more custard like consistency which may settle better for those who already have overstuffed bellies. You can also just cut the crust out entirely and make a pumpkin spiced mousse instead. Other dessert options may include basic sugar cookies, ginger snaps, spice cake, fluffy Bundt cake, and bread pudding.

Remember the most important part of staying healthy at a Thanksgiving celebration is portion control regardless of what is served. Still, keeping the calorie count down on what goes into the food will benefit everyone involved. We hope these ideas may help you make your Thanksgiving celebration healthier this year.

Find Candy Alternatives

If you plan on handing out treats on Halloween consider some alternatives to sugar-rich candy. Handing out non-food options such as stickers, small party favors, little toys, or other non-candy items are a healthy way to keep Halloween fun while cutting down on some of the sugar intake. Also, having less candy in the house before and after Halloween will help keep your own temptations at bay.

If you plan to host an adult Halloween party, consider some healthy snack alternatives. Instead of filling every bowl with a sweet treat, only fill a few with candy and fill the rest with pretzels, chips, fruits, vegetables, or other savory hors d’oeuvres. This will keep the party fun and full of delicious treats with healthy options available.

Control Your Candy Intake

When it comes to regulating how much candy you are eating it can be difficult to resist if there is candy overflowing through your home. One way to avoid this temptation is to buy candy on Halloween day only. This way, the candy won’t be a constant temptation for weeks prior to Halloween. When it comes to controlling how much candy your children eat, one system that usually works well is to limit the number of pieces they can have each day. This method works well because it helps to avoid mood swings, energy spikes, and stomach aches that can result from overindulging.

Halloween is Not Just About Candy

Halloween is a great Holiday full of fun activities. There are a number of organizations that put on haunted hay rides, haunted houses, and other fun events. Consider heading out to one of these events and then head out trick-or-treating. This can add a great experience to you Halloween plans and will limit the amount of time spent trick-or-treating which means less candy. Also, don’t forget the all-important pumpkin carving. This can be a very fun activity that does not involve intense sugar intake.

Halloween Marks the Beginning of Holiday Temptation

The Holiday season is the hardest time of year to keep that perfect body and healthy lifestyle. We are constantly surrounded by delicious treats and huge feasts. Look at Halloween as your first challenge that kicks off the holiday season. Use Halloween as a gauge to judge where your pitfalls may be and start thinking of strategies to change your approach. When it comes to exercise consider the onset of winter weather and start adjusting your lifestyle to accommodate indoor exercise. Push yourself to continue filling the house with healthy foods and continue to limit the number of holiday sweets that can so easily start filling up the cabinets and shelves.

Another way to break out of your workout rut is to increase the intensity of a workout. Muscular fitness workouts offer a great example of this. Depending on your goals you may want to increase the level of resistance or the number of repetitions or both. However, always be sure to make your increases in small increments as your body is ready for the challenge.  It is better to add challenges like steps on a staircase as opposed to huge spikes in intensity that can lead to demotivation, fatigue, or even injury.

A big cause of demotivation and eventual workout frustration can be overtraining. This is one of the fastest ways to fall into a rut. If you work your body too hard you may not be giving your muscles enough recovery time. Becoming physically and mentally drained by the frustration of being tired and weak all of the time with no results can be extremely unhealthy. The best way to cope with overtraining is to re-evaluate your workout plans. Try reducing workout intensity if you are extremely sore and even lower resistance levels if necessary. Also be sure to evaluate your diet, water intake, and sleep patterns to ensure you are giving your body what it needs to complete workouts. To avoid overtraining in the first place be sure to set realistic goals and add small bumps in intensity over time.

Workout ruts can be difficult, but there is always a method to reduce their occurrence and to break out of them. The most important thing is that you are still working out. It is better to be doing something than nothing. But, don’t be afraid to try new things and to challenge your body. Eventually you will find the right methods that work for your body and you can kiss that workout rut goodbye.

Quick Tips for Breaking out of Your Workout Rut:

-Set attainable goals.

-Track your progress.

-Find a friend to workout with.

-Build intensity gradually to avoid becoming de-motivated and over-tired.

-Setup a workout schedule and stick to it.

-Don’t punish yourself for missing a workout. Be flexible, but always get back on track.

-Add new activities into you workout routine.

-Try a group fitness routine if motivation to go to the gym is sparse.

-Remember to vary your exercises and try new things. Your body will thank you for it.

-Find ways to deal with stress, lower levels can improve workout routines.

-Listen to music or watch TV during workouts to avoid boredom.