Wear Red Day - Feb. 2, 2018

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death. Wear Red on Friday, Feb. 2 to show your support of American Heart Month. You can also pledge to move more. Encourage your valentine to be active with you for more than 2.5 hours per week. Together we can #movewithheart.

It was a chilly day for the Houston Heart Walk, but it turned out to be beautiful. We could even bring our dogs! Yay!

Do you know your blood pressure measurements? Have you heard about the new guidelines? 

Check out this healthy eating article from the CDC, NIH and American Heart Association. 

 Did you know your heart beats about 3 million beats per month? Did you also know your heart is as big as your fist? Last, did you know your activity level is the greatest potential risk for heart disease?

Active Travel - A New Way to Relax

Chicago is a wonderful city to be active, especially in September. All of the following pictures were taken within walking distance of each other. You can even rent a bike and visit everything in downtown.

Denver too! There are so many ways to be active in Colorado.

 

3 Ways to build a healthier taco during #NationalTacoDay

In Houston, we love tacos. We eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are probably even dessert tacos out there somewhere. Here are a few easy ways to build a healthier taco. How do you make a healthy taco?

1. Add tons of veggies (and fruits)... a majority of your taco filling should be delish produce

2. Substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream

3. Add less cheese and rice and more beans 

Walk and Bike to School Day is October 4

Can you walk or bike to school with your kids? Is it possible to take one day per week and help lead a Walk to School Bus? See how to start this by viewing this article. 

Use your car less and muscles more

Active commuting is a trendy buzz phrase now, although it's the oldest form of transportation. Check out these ways to enjoy your commute.

 If you have a long commute during the workweek, spend less time in your car on the weekends. Bike to the grocery store and walk to your neighborhood park. Check the savings in driving costs we would have if we kept our cars parked for trips less than one mile.

Biking or walking to work is uncommon for most commuters, with only 3.4% of Americans traveling this way. Can you change part of your commute so that you are walking farther from your parking spot? Can you drive into the city and take one of the many bike-friendly trails into the office?

Birthday Freebies in Houston

1. Yogaleena offers a free class on your birthday. Check out more information here.

2. Free Starbucks drink. Check out more information here.

3. Free Luby's Birthday Meal 

Fitness can be FREE

Try these many free sources for fun workouts that can be done anywhere (with WiFi :)

1. ToneItUp on YouTube (there are tons of other workouts too - I just can't personally recommend them :)

2. Amazon Prime

3. Your library - books, videos and digital media (Hoopla, here in Houston)

4. Sworkit App - check out this article from the Washington Post that explains how a study at the University of Florida determined the top 30 fitness apps based on the quality of their workouts. 

5. Pilates for Beginners - https://thebalancedlifeonline.com/product/pilates-for-beginners/