Category: Fitness

Proper fitness and optimal nutrition go hand in hand when it comes to your health. Learn great fitness tips and new ways to give your body the exercise it needs to compliment your Reliv regimen.

Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

The Truth About Holiday Weight Gain

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By Director of Product Development & Fit3 Trainer Tina Van Horn

In the chaos of travel, family, food, and shopping, it’s hard to feel like yourself! After Thanksgiving and Christmas, I could feel the extra water weight from the heavy meals and treats. However, by making smart choices after those days, that water weight became a distant, sugar-laden memory. I did not really gain 5 pounds during the holidays and neither did you!

Most of us have been led to believe that holiday weight gain is inevitable. This is a myth! We are so sold on this notion that we significantly overestimate the amount of weight we can actually gain. By the time January rolls around most of us think we have put on 7-10 pounds when in reality the average holiday indulgences add up to around only 1 pound. That’s pretty good news, but the flipside is that most of us don’t lose that pound after the holiday season, and it contributes to the “weight creep” that occurs over months and years.

Fit3 is your post-holiday recovery plan! Dig out your weekly tracking sheet and pick a couple of things you CAN do today! You CAN take your Reliv shake and drink lots of water. It’s also the time for resolutions, so start now by hitting the gym! You don’t have to do anything crazy or dramatic. Just do something today to get yourself back on track to making better choices.

My other strategy is to get rid of the leftovers! Yes, throwing them away will be a little painful, but not every day is a holiday. We will go back to our busy lives and stay on track!

Remember this through the end of this year and as you enter 2019. Make a choice today that you will feel good about tomorrow!

Fitness, Nutrition

Workout Moves To Get You Through The Holidays!

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By Product Marketing Specialist & Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

The holiday season is busy for everyone, but that’s no excuse to completely abandon your workout plan. Travel and family gatherings may disrupt your usual routine, but if you are willing to be creative, you can sneak in some exercise right in the middle of the holiday festivities.

Check out my favorite moves for maintaining your fitness through the holidays:

  • Walk! Walk! Walk! – Go for a walking tour of the Christmas lights. Participate in a Turkey Trot or Jingle Bell Walk/Run. Get some extra steps in while shopping by parking farther away from the store. Invite the family to join you for a stroll after your big holiday meal. Get the kids outside to burn some energy. Tromping through the snow is a great workout. Strap on your fitness tracker and try to hit your step goal every day! Little bursts of activity throughout the day add up to big benefits.

 

  • Pushups – Of course this one will be on the list. Do 5 pushups every time you eat a Christmas cookie. Make the kids do one before they open a gift. If you are watching one of your favorite holiday films, knock out a few every time a bell rings. Make it a game!

 

  • Squats – Pick up your niece or nephew and start squatting! They will be squealing for more while all of the other kids line up to take turns! If the kids are too big, a frozen turkey will do for added resistance. Or you can just look around the house and find something heavy-ish to lift. If you are hitting the road, do some squats whenever you make a pit stop.

 

  • Planks – Start a new tradition on Christmas morning. For example: Whoever can hold a plank the longest gets to open the first gift. Just one minute a day and you’ll be ringing in the New Year with a super strong core.

 

  • Stretch – Sit in the glow of the lights with holiday music playing and spend a few minutes stretching at the end of each day. This is the perfect time to sip on a Reliv shake and focus on what’s really important to you during this season.

 

  • Fit3 Workout Video – Crank up the high-energy holiday tunes and press play on your favorite Fit3 workout! Just make sure you don’t get tangled up in tinsel when you do the kicks and punches.

 

The most important part of the season is to enjoy it and have fun! Make these moves part of your family activities.

Love & Lunges,

Coach Tina

fit3, Fitness, Nutrition, Weight Loss

Why Your Scale Isn’t the Be-All, End-All

By Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

There is this little device in my bathroom that appears very innocent and demure, but it can be a very powerful, deceptive, two-faced, no-good, lying hunk of junk! That scale just sits there—ready to ambush me and lure me into its lair where, inevitably, I will find despair and disappointment. Yes, I am being a bit dramatic, but you know exactly what I am talking about.

In my head I have an ideal weight for myself. In my head I also have a realistic weight for myself. Those numbers are about 15 pounds apart. So maybe I should rephrase the first part of the statement to say “In my head I have a fantasy weight for myself.”

There are all kinds of tools, tables and calculators available to give you a range of healthy weights for your height. While they might give you a reasonable range, they are also very arbitrary. Meaning: They don’t take into account all of the cool things that make “you” who “you” are. In other words, your scale only has the capacity to communicate with you in one language.

I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a Victoria’s Secret model (It has nothing to do with ice cream! I can’t do anything about being 5’5 ½” tall, but I have not come to terms with that). I have moved past my sixth grade aspiration to wear the same size jeans as “Christi C.” (Those jeans are out of style now anyway.) I know that I will never run fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I have even come to celebrate and appreciate that I have what’s been called “an athletic build” (i.e. not always what women want to hear).

Now that I’ve matured and had a couple of babies, it’s probably time to reevaluate my definition of ideal weight. I found an article that suggests your ideal weight is “the weight you’re at when you’re doing everything you can to promote good health.” What a great perspective! (Be sure to read the last page.)

When you started Fit3, you probably had an ideal weight in mind. This program has the capacity to get you closer to that goal. But the focus is more on helping you experience good health, in everything you do. We want you to be healthy, so you can enjoy life and not be limited in any way.

Your scale can’t measure that!

fit3, Fitness, Healthy Living Tips, Nutrition

How To Workout With Your Kids

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By Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

Fitness friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages. I met a new walking buddy, Lilly, recently at a local 5K and we had an interesting conversation. I learned that her favorite movie is the original The Wizard of Oz and how much she enjoys studying the Revolutionary War, how she plays golf and volleyball and loves the dance exercise class at the YMCA. Lilly, who happens to be a very mature 10-year-old, even has two pesky little sisters who were in a wagon being pulled by her mom behind us. By the time we crossed the finish line, I had told Lilly some entertaining secrets about my sister, her 2nd grade teacher, and she told me how her dad turns every question into a history lesson (insert the pre-adolescent eye roll). I helped her forget that she didn’t want to be walking in a 5K and she helped me forget that my feet hurt. It was a win for both of us!

If you have kids or grandkids, it can be difficult to squeeze in a workout. But if you include them, you have a built-in fitness friend! Just keep the moves simple and find ways to interject a little competitive fun. For example, challenge them to see who can do the most jumping jacks in 30 seconds. You can even break a sweat together with one of the Fit3 workouts.

Kids and teens should get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. I know it can be tough to tear them away from their electronic babysitters, but it can be done and you can still get in a good workout too.

Here are a few ideas to get the whole family moving:

  • Turn household chores into a game
  • Crank up the tunes for a dance party during commercials
  • Walk or run for a charity special to your family
  • Walk or run in a holiday 5K
  • Do community service or volunteer work together
  • Have a weekly sports night
  • Make up a playground workout
  • Use your kids as “weights” when you strength train
  • Run relay races in the backyard while picking up sticks
  • Compete to see who can rake the biggest pile of leaves

The possibilities are endless when it comes to helping your family stay active. Find out what works for your schedule and for your family’s lifestyle and you will end up having so much fun and making lifelong memories together!

 

Fitness, Nutrition, Science & Health

Power Your Workouts With ProVantage®

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By Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

There’s no better time than now to perfect your workouts with the optimal performance nutrition found in Reliv’s ProVantage®. Designed with a patented plant-based protein formula, ProVantage meets your nutritional needs for both immediate and long-term athletic performance.

“Whether you’re working out in the gym or your backyard, you need the right nutrition to perform your best,” says Dr. Carl Hastings. “ProVantage delivers that nutrition and the patent confirms the uniqueness of a formula designed to deliver real results.”

Walk into any fitness center or grocery store today and protein powders are in abundance. There are so many to choose from—it is overwhelming! So what makes ProVantage different? No other performance supplement harnesses the power of plant-based protein with the combination of powerful antioxidants and supercharged amino acids.

Let’s take a look at how this synergistic blend of ingredients works:

One of ProVantage’s key ingredients is lunasin. This cell-protecting protein and naturally-occurring peptide combats the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by strenuous exercise. Your body will feel the difference and thank you for this.

ProVantage also has medium chain triglycerides, or MCT’s, which work to help reduce body fat and increase muscle mass. MCT’s also improve muscle repair and muscle quickness while providing more energy than carbohydrates. So your workouts will be fueled all week long!

Say goodbye to your midday slump. The CoQ10 and grape seed extract promote energy production, combat free radicals and support the immune system.

So how do these superior ingredients translate to everyday performance fuel?

Work harder. From adding extra reps at the gym to hiking further up that hill, discover the stamina to power through fatigue.

Recover faster. Don’t settle for sore muscles. A precise balance of nutrients can shorten recovery time.

Get stronger. The right protein helps you build higher-quality muscle than you ever thought possible.

Simply mix 1-3 scoops daily with water or your other favorite beverage, depending on level and intensity of training.

Bottom line: ProVantage delivers a performance edge that is unparalleled! See for yourself how ProVantage outperforms all the others….the proof is in the powder!

Business, Fitness, Uncategorized

5 Things We Learned From The Winter Olympics

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By Social Media Coordinator Michaela Bukaty

The Winter Olympics have come to a close and Champions have been rewarded, but we are still in an Olympics state of mind. There is so much that we can learn from these inspiring athletes beyond their health and fitness routines. It’s easy to overlook the nontangible characteristics and strengths held by Olympians, but it takes so much resilience, patience and motivation to do what they did. Anyone can watch the reruns of figure skating or ski jumping and see the looks of determination on each competitor’s face. These incredible people had a mission and put themselves out there to succeed.

Upon reflection, there is a lot we can learn from Olympians that translates to our business:

  • Follow Your Dream. Dreams can be intimidating, but don’t let your fears get in the way of pursuing them. Also, don’t let others belittle your dreams. I bet every single Olympic Champion faced someone in their life that didn’t believe in them—and look where they are now!
  • Live Your Passion. Once you follow your dream you can truly live your passion and enjoy the life you want! Do you want to stay home with your kids and provide for them? Find a job that fulfills both passions. With Reliv, you can work anywhere and at any time while also providing essential nutrition to your whole family.
  • Always Persevere. At points, you might feel like giving up, especially in the beginning. Don’t! Always persevere and you will be your own version of an Olympic Champion. You will see your success by working hard and sticking with it.
  • Encourage Others. Find your support system and build them up! Always be encouraging others to live their dream and passion. If you encourage your customers and your downlines to be successful, they will be motivated to succeed. Others’ success is your success.
  • Have Fun and Keep Going! Like Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tom Pinnock always says, “If you’re not having fun, you’re done!” Have fun with what you do and always keep going.
fit3, Fitness, Healthy Living Tips, Reliv HQ, Science & Health

4 Strength Training Tips Everyone Should Know

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By Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn

For many people, turning 40 can be a dreaded milestone. For the health and fitness conscientious, however, turning 30 could be considered the new 40.

Why 30, you may ask? From the time you were born until around the time you turn 30, your muscles grow larger and stronger. But during your 30s, you naturally start to lose muscle mass and function. This is called sarcopenia or “muscle loss with aging.”

The good news? Muscle-strengthening activities help increase or maintain your muscle mass and power. Steadily increasing weight and repetitions will give you even more benefits, no matter your age.

That’s why, if you haven’t already, it’s time to get serious about adding strength training to your workouts. I know machines at the gym can be confusing, so don’t even look at the intimidating guys (and ladies) who hang out in the free weights area!

Continue reading “4 Strength Training Tips Everyone Should Know” →

Fitness, Healthy Living Tips, Nutrition

Form a Reliv-Vitamin D Friendship

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By Copywriter Alisa Reale

When it comes to your body getting enough of this vital nutrient, just 15 minutes soaking up the sun (without sunscreen) every day will increase your vitamin D production. And, on days when the sun isn’t shining, one serving of Reliv Now® or Reliv Classic® contains 400 IU, which is 100% of your recommended daily value. One scoop daily of Reliv Now® for Kids contains 50% of the recommended daily value for children.

In other words, vitamin D and Reliv go hand in hand for your overall health.

Putting it in Perspective

Twenty to thirty minutes of sun exposure each day produces approximately 10,000 IU of vitamin D in the skin. Kids and those with darker skin will need more sun than this. In comparison, drinking 6-8 ounces of pasteurized milk gives your body only 100 IU.

Continue reading “Form a Reliv-Vitamin D Friendship” →

Business, Fitness

Reliv Podcast: Building a Business Around the World with Reliv

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In this episode of the Tom & Tina show, Executive VP of US Sales Tom Pinnock chats with Jennifer Weaver about how Reliv is helping her reach many more people than she could operating her own fitness studio. You’ll also hear Fit3 Head Coach Tina Van Horn’s interview with Reliv’s biggest fan – four-year-old Joshua. Plus, stick around to hear our latest promotion winners and lots more exciting highlights from Reliv special events!

Listen to the Podcast online.