Da nueva vida con comida, actividad física y diversión

Can you believe four months have already passed this year?! With spring in full bloom and summer on the way, it’s the perfect time to re-evaluate what brings new life to you personally. It might be a new exercise class or even taking time to breathe and stretch before and after your workouts. Whatever you choose to bring joy to your life, we want to let you know our team is here to guide you and help make you happy.

‍Soup-a-loop
‍April showers bring May flowers, but they also help bring carrots! With International Carrot Day falling on April 4th, we wanted to take a bit of time to highlight this orangey delight.

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Apart from its crunch, deliciousness and proclivity for being a cartoon rabbit’s favorite food, carrots are full of fiber, antioxidants, potassium, vitamin K1 and beta carotene (a pigment that’s converted into vitamin A by your body). Along with the myriad of nutrients that carrots provide, they have many other health benefits, including:

• Lowering cholesterol
• Lowering weight
• Improving eye health

To celebrate this root vegetable, we have put together a recipe for a fantastic carrot soup that’s sure to put a little hop in your step. Feel free to print off the recipe and use.

‍Fancy Carrot Soup

‍Ingredients:
‍One sweet potato
4 carrots
Half an onion
1 carton of veggie broth
1 tbs of butter
Pinch of saffron
Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

‍Instructions:

1. Dice onion
2. Peel and cut sweet potato and carrots into small pieces
3. Heat a large pot and add butter
4. Cook onions till translucent
5. Add carrots, sweet potato and broth
6. Cook until boiling
7. Lower heat and simmer until everything is soft
8. Blend everything using an immersion blender OR regular blender. (Whichever you have)

Add saffron and spices. Stir and taste until you're happy. Eat it all.
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‍Our Monumental Members
conscious_content87

‍“Turn your pain into passion.” Is only one of the inspirational messages brought to you by one of our members, @conscious_content87 on IG. His feed is a cornucopia of messaging to inspire the desire to BE BETTER. You can bet he never skips leg day. Or shoulders. Or chest. With his muscle-destroying circuits, he does an amazing job of making workouts look easy. In fact, he created the chest circuit you saw on social media that had your jaw on the floor. Don’t worry, he probably has an exercise for that too. 😄  In fact, we wanted to really get the know the man behind the handle and asked him a few questions this month:

1. When did you start working out? Why?I am a Retired Army Veteran and being physically and mentally tough is a demand in the Military. As I was exiting the Army, I was a leader of soldiers, and they depended on me to be more than myself and set the standard. I wanted to continue with that leader spirit. Of course, life happens as well. I was in a lousy relationship and felt unattractive. I wanted to change my appearance out of depression and anger. I feel like a lot of people start their journey that way as well. You feel unattractive, and you want to feel attractive to your significant other. Along with injuries I sustained while being in the Military, I paid a lot of attention to the things I would do in physical therapy. I wanted to use those ideas to turn it into what I do when I’m at the gym.
2. Who inspires you?People who try, I love to see people strive for consistency. You don’t have to be the best to me; it’s the fact that you keep trying. But the one person that I used to follow before all of this got started was @dnicolemonroe; she actually started out at fitness connection. Now she’s on tv and has sponsorship deals etc. I’d love to meet her one day; watching her workouts makes me want to be more creative.
3. What’s your go-to treat on your cheat day?My go to is Gyro’s. There is a Mediterranean place I go to, and it has the best Gyro’s I’ve had in a long time or I’ll go to Frezko Taco Spot (only on Tuesday).
4. What would you tell someone just getting started in the gym?Take your time. Don’t let the gym intimidate you. Keep coming back; the result won’t happen overnight, but when the results do happen, you’ll have a story to tell.
5. What’s your favorite part about working out at Fitness Connection?It became a family, especially at the Allen, TX one. They know me and care about me. Last year my sister and niece passed away, and Alyssa baked me some cookies. From the managers to the trainers, they have accepted me and have shown nothing but care and support. Plus, the turf that’s there; I love working out on turf makes me feel professional.
6. What’s your go-to motivational quote?It can be done. Leaders lead!!! - Cornell Lockett

Check @conscious_content87 out on Instagram for more words of wisdom and workouts of awesomeness.
‍oh.hey.its.chante

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Self-proclaimed Queen of Intentionality, @oh.hey.its.chante does her workouts with purpose. She inspires us to never quit, especially when we have fallen down. It’s easy to stop when you fail, but according to Chanté, “Every day is a work in progress.” One of her best traits is her passion for being the best version of herself—even when that involves backtracking on fitness goals. She lets us know IT’S OK. Her dedication motivates us and encourages us to always get back on track. Thank you so much for your self-love and patience. It’s something we all could use a little more of. Follow @oh.hey.its.chante on Instagram for more life-affirmations and inspiration.

‍Keep Moving Forward

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This month we asked a question on social media about the benefits of walking. For avid exercise enthusiasts, walking seems like a no-brainer. But to others, the benefits of just walking for a little bit each day can have huge bonuses to your health.

Just a 30-minute jaunt can help:

• Increase heart health
• Lower the chance of heart disease and stroke
• Improve balance
• Strengthen bones
• Boost overall strength
• Enhance endurance
• Reduce body fat

While 30 minutes is key, walking longer will only add to your health benefits. If you find yourself not being able to complete a 30-minute walk every day, some alternatives to add to your schedule can also help.

These include:

• Walking the dog (or A dog; like a neighbors)
• Subir las escaleras a donde quiera que vaya
• Aparcar más lejos del trabajo o bajarse del autobús una parada antes
• Camine 10 minutos en lugar de 30 y aumente desde allí

No importa cómo llegues, el objetivo es que sea una parte permanente de tu día. Esto mejorará su salud y lo ayudará a mantenerse en forma y feliz.

‍No te enfurezcas contra la máquina

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A lo largo de los años, ha habido una leve controversia sobre qué es mejor: ¿pesas libres o máquinas? En Fitness Connection, creemos que la mejor de las dos es la que más disfrutas usando. ¿Hemos descubierto la respuesta? Un poco, pero los beneficios de cualquiera de los dos ejercicios no superan a los del otro, así que te recomendamos que elijas tu propio camino (o deja que nuestros instructores expertos te guíen).

‍Pesos libres
‍No tienes que estar entrenando para ningún Strongman® para aprovechar los maravillosos beneficios de las pesas libres. De hecho, quemarás más calorías cuando tengas más masa magra (ver músculo) que solo con ejercicios cardiovasculares. Si quieres perder esos molestos kilos o tonificarte, el entrenamiento con pesas es el complemento perfecto para tu rutina de ejercicios. Puedes empezar de a poco e ir aumentando gradualmente, pero el entrenamiento con pesas puede ayudarte:

• Aumente su fuerza
• Mejore la flexibilidad y el equilibrio
• Apoya la salud del corazón y los huesos
• Estimula el metabolismo
• ¡MUCHO MÁS!

Máquinas de gimnasio
‍Sabemos lo intimidantes que pueden ser las máquinas del gimnasio. No querrás detener a nadie ni avergonzarte metiéndote boca abajo en ellas. Todos empezamos donde tú estás, así que no te avergüences de pedirle ayuda a un miembro del equipo de Fitness Connection. Después de todo, las máquinas son tus amigas. Además de identificar músculos específicos, nuestras máquinas de gimnasio también pueden ayudar a:

• Limite sus tiempos de entrenamiento
• Mantenerte a salvo
• Disminuir la tensión en las articulaciones
• Use más peso sin lesionarse

Hicimos una encuesta en línea para ver qué forma de hacer ejercicio preferías. ¿El ganador? De cualquier manera, ambos tipos de ejercicio son una excelente manera de ayudar a su salud. Si usted personalmente prefiere uno sobre el otro, ¡hágalo! El MEJOR entrenamiento es aquel que disfrutas.

‍Aprecia lo que te rodea
‍Después de devorar una sabrosa sopa de zanahoria y realizar un circuito de ejercicios completo con miembros destacados que consiste en pesas libres y máquinas de gimnasio, no olvides hacer una cosa: disfrutar de la vida. La primavera está en plena floración y es la oportunidad perfecta para tomarse un respiro de vez en cuando y disfrutar del aire libre. Huele las flores o el césped recién cortado. Observe cómo cae la lluvia o cómo la vida silvestre vuelve a formarse. Esta época del año trae nueva vida y alegría a todo lo que nos rodea, así que aprovéchalo todo y aprecia tu mundo.