Get your exercise groove on!

Put on those tunes and get pumped to move. There's nothing like a good song to get you going!

I have a confession: I always get lazy before a workout! I'm not even kidding, before every workout, I sit myself down and realize that I begin to make up any excuse I can thinkof to avoid getting out of my house and driving to a dance class or the gym! Other than pure will power (which, let's face it, is difficult to muster more often than not!), the only thing I can think of that ever helps me get my head out of that mind set is a really good song.

Not only does music help me concentrate at work, it helps me to want to move and keep on going! A good song with a really great hook is usually all I need to get myself off the couch and, at the very least, dance like a fool for an hour in my kitchen! 

So I'd like to share with you my top three make-me-want-to-jump-up-and-move workout tunes of this week:

First up, let's take it back to the 80's with Duran Duran's The Reflex and Human League's Don't You Want Me Baby! We all need to take it back every now and then...

And someting that's a little more recent than those first two... Surfer Blood's Swim:

Enjoy and get moving! Sound off in the comments below and share your favourite tune!

Did you know that exercise does more than slim your figure?!

Read on to discover 24 fabulous benefits of getting your exercise groove on!

We often talk about how exercise will help you control those cravings and lose the weight you want to lose. But there really is so much more to exercise than that! Exercise comes with many benefits, both physical and mental! For example, it makes you strong, physically yes but also mentally. Think about it: when it would be so much easier to just plop yourself onto the couch after work or stay bundled up in blankets early in the morning, and you stll get yourself up and moving? Mental strength!

In my internet searchings for interesting tidbits to share, I came across an article at BC Living, 24 Awesome Benefits of Exercise. Here are 24 awesome (like they said) reasons why we should all get at the very least, 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. If you are like me and looking for some motivation, this article will be a big help!

Until tomorrow everyone! Get your exercise on!

Image source: captainchas.com

Train Like an Angel!

It's not all fluff and poses for the Victoria's Secret models. They work to be runway ready!

Whether you are interested in fashion or not, you have undoubtedly seen many many times, images and ads of terrifyingly thin models and photoshopped movie stars floating around. Almost everywhere we look now, there they are: skinny girls and doctored photographs setting an impossibly high and unhealthy standard for body image.

Here's a different image of a model:

It is refreshing to see a company and it's models promote a healthier lifestyle and share their workouts. Yes, these women still seem incredibly small but at least we know they actually work for their figures. Aside from the videos they share, here's another tid bit to consider: many of the wings they wear on the runway are actually quite heavy! These models have put up to 50 pounds of extra weight on their backs while still keeping their walk tall and stilettos firmly on the ground!

In preparation for this year's show, they've started sharing new videos and tips from celebrity trainer, Justin Gelband, to help viewers and fans "Train Like an Angel!"

Don't get jealous; get fit! Until tomorrow PGX'ers...

Image source: Hello Daily News

Feeling thirsty PGX'ers? Drink water!

Skip the sugary drinks!

When you are really thirsty, what better drink to quench that thirst but water? As delicious as juices and sodas can be, they are almost always loaded with sugar. Check out this visual comparison! From left to right: soda, fruit nectar, sports drinks, orange drinks, juice punch, and water!

Muscles cramping after your workout? Drink more water?

Just the other day, my dad mentioned to me how he woke up in the middle of the night with a severe leg cramp. It didn't sound like a lovely way to wake up and roll over for a new comfortable spot on the pillow, that's for sure! Why did this happen? Well, here's a little back story to the midnight muscle cramp episode...

My dad exercises regularly and like any good workout, it leads to a healthy sweat. Post workout, he, like anyone else who exercises, feels thirsty; that need to replenish the water and electrolytes the body looses. He would satisfy that thirst with water and cue end of workout session. So what went wrong? Why did that severe muscle cramp happen? I suggested to him that he was short on electrolytes in his system due to his vigorous exercise routine and needed to replenish them. As excellent as it is for you, water just isn't enough when you need electrolytes.

What can you do to get more electrolytes? There is the usual option of sports drinks such as Gatorade. But these drinks, as our visual diagram shows, are full of sugar. If you want to replenish your electrolytes without all the excess sugar of sports drinks, try to get them through nutrition! Make sure you are getting enough potassium (banana's anyone?), calcium and magnesium by eating the right foods.

For potassium, try eating bananas. Potassium is an excellent mineral, promoting a healthier metabolism, balanced blood pressure and better nerve health! Since my father increased his potassium intake by adding more bananas to his diet, he has been able to avoid episode two of severe muscle cramps without affecting his exercise routine! Did you know that baked potatoes can be a good source of potassium as well?

Calcium and magnesium-rich foods are also useful in restoring your electrolytes and can be included in your diet by drinking milk and by eating more leafy green vegetables, cheese, kale, broccoli, nuts, and avocados (just a few examples).

Want to learn more about restoring your electrolytes the natural, less sugar-laden way? Check out LIVESTRONG's article, How to Restore Electrolytes in My Body Naturally.

Image found on Tumblr. Original source unknown.

Looking for some extra exercise? Opt for the stairs!

Find out what the stairs and tower racing can do for you!

In our search for the perfect workout that will get your heart pumping and muscles burning, sometimes we miss the obvious choices. If you are the gym and trying to decide which machine to use, try the stair climbers! Even more effective in boosting cardio and toning up those muscles are a real set of stairs.

Whether you walk or run up them, you will definitely gain more than when you take the elevator. Stair climbing is a low-impact workout and will not harm your knees! If you want to avoid high impact on your joints, it's the way back down that you have to keep in mind. That's when you walk or (if you must) opt for the elevator. But I'm willing to bet that if you opt for those stairs, you'll find yourself in better shape before you know it!

We're not the only ones who like the idea of running up the stairs. A recent trend that is on the rise—no pun intended—is stair-climbing races, or tower races. Now there are more than 100 tower races in the US and 60 around the world, most of them for charity. Exercise, health, and charity: what's not to like?

On top of the cardio boost and stronger legs you gain from stairs, you can also use the rails to pull yourself up and keep your arms working like L. A. Times writer, Roy Wallack. Check out his story on this lofty racing trend and you may just find yourself inspired to join in on the climbing fun!

Stair Climbs: Getting a leg up, by Roy Wallack, L. A. Times Health.

Keep it healthy everyone and conquer those stairs! To learn more about the when, where and why of tower racing, check out Towerrunning.com.

Image source: njhealthandbeauty.wordpress.com