Author: Shaun T

I love to dance. I live for dancing. There’s no better feeling than what I call “living in the 8’s.”
But dancing isn’t just fun. It also provides health benefits, which is something lots of people don’t even realize. So while I love to dance, I also know that it’s good for my body—and my soul.
Here are the benefits.

It’s not just physical fitness

Dance is also mental fitness. Especially as we get older, it’s important to “exercise” our brain. And when you’re dancing, whether it’s just for fun or in a group-exercise setting, having to remember the steps and put them to the beat of the music challenges your brain as well as your body. It improves your memory, your coordination, and your focus.

It brings people together

Taking a dance fitness class, or even dancing at home with friends using a workout program like CIZE, creates a feeling of connection. It’s hard to feel lonely when you’re dancing with friends! That’s why dance has always been a social function at gatherings like weddings and school activities. Dance is the ultimate way to break down language barriers and enjoy life together.

It’s a great workout

Dance is a great cardio workout and really good for the heart! You’ll burn a ton of calories, sweat, and of course have fun. A secret bonus of dancing is that it also strengthens your core. I got my hip-hop abs all from dancing!

It increases your flexibility

Depending on the type of dance you are doing, you may notice your flexibility and mobility start to improve. As that happens, so does your range of motion, which in turn gets you greater results .

It’s a stress reliever

I know this is true for me. If I’m having a bad day or feeling overwhelmed, the first thing I do is turn on some music and just get lost in the moves. I always come out on the other side with an improved sense of calm and happiness. By that same token, dance can also help with depression.

It can help you lose weight

Can you lose weight with dance? YES! I always say my body looks its best when I’m dancing. If your goal is weight loss or improved overall body tone, dance training is a great way to help you achieve your physical body goals.
The bottom line is that dance is fun! And when you’re having fun, you forget everything else. While not everyone may want to do pushups and burpees or go for a run, everyone likes dancing, even if they aren’t “good” at it. If you want to make your life better, be in the best shape of your life, and feel greater happiness, there’s a simple answer: dance more!

You may have heard me say it before: Form over speed equals results.
This isn’t just a slogan on a shirt or something I say in my videos. This is a true statement that I wish more people would understand. When you have great form, you’re able to achieve a better range of motion. With better range of motion, you will definitely get better results.
So let’s talk about a few simple movements: planks, push-ups, plyometrics, lunges, and squats. Making some small tweaks to how you’re doing them can help get you to good form. And good form with these leads to good form in most movements. Just keep a close eye on your form while you’re working out—either face a mirror or put your phone in selfie mode. You don’t have to even hit record on the phone; watch yourself on the screen and see what your body looks like through different movement patterns.
I promise you that these simple tweaks will create a huge impact in your workout routines—and your results!

Plank

Do It Right: Plank is the foundation of many movements, especially those that activate the core, so maintaining proper positioning is critical to your results. Place your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Your butt should be down and your back flat. Press all the weight into your heels. Your neck and head should be in alignment, so be sure to look slightly out, not directly down at the ground. Be cautious of letting your hips sink to the mat or pike up in the air. To modify plank, simply drop the knees to the ground and keep the rest of your body in alignment. Whether you’re on knees or toes doesn’t really matter—do whatever is right for you and your body. Just make sure to follow these guidelines so you’re getting the most out of this movement.

Push-Up

Do It Right: Push-ups are a functional exercise and a great way to work the upper body without equipment. A lot of the principles of plank also apply to the push-up—with a few minor tweaks. There are of course multiple kinds of push-ups, but for the standard one, your arms should be slightly wider than the shoulders so that the work is in the chest. All of the other plank principles apply as far your body alignment is concerned. Same goes for modified plank. Don’t stress out over range of motion at first. Over time you’ll be able to go deeper into your push-up as you perfect the movement. In the beginning it’s better to perform the move in a modified position and focus on form, rather than try to do it on your toes with bad form. Form breeds results, but it also protects us from injury.

Plyometrics

Do It Right: People are often afraid of injuring their knees with plyometrics, but when done with excellent form, they’re completely safe. First, you have to go down to go up! In other words, your movement for any plyo work should start with a squat or soft bend in the knees. Second, land softly. Just think toe, ball, heel. These are the parts of the foot that you want to land through in order to not put undue strain on your joints. Third, finish where you started…in a squat. If you need to modify any plyometric movements, simply remove the jump but keep the “explosive power” by squatting and rising up onto the balls of the feet.

Lunge

Do It Right: Lunges are a great functional movement and are especially effective at working the lower part of your body. It’s important to keep your body in the proper position by ensuring that your ears, shoulder, and hips are in alignment. Toes should be tracking forward, and you should have a wide enough stance to be able to drop your knees down toward the ground in two 90-degree angles. Don’t let your knees push past your toes. The motion should be up and down, not forward and back.

Squat

Do It Right: There are many variations of squats, but for standard squats, your feet should be about hip distance apart. You want all the weight in your heels, so much so that you can slightly lift your toes off of the ground. Push your butt back but keep your back flat, shoulders pulled back, and chest lifted. To modify a squat, simply decrease your range of motion or turn your toes out ever so slightly to open up your hip flexors and ensure that your knees don’t track inward.

Do you ever feel like you have let life start to get the best of you? You get busy, and when that happens your nutrition tends to be the first thing that starts to go. Eating out, drive-through restaurants, grab and go…we all become victim to this cycle. When that happens, I often feel out of control and I need to gain back the control in order to feel happiness.
So how do you gain control over your nutrition and start to get your life back in order? One way that I find really helpful and that I try to do at least once—if not twice—a year is a cleanse.
Now before I continue on, I want to remind you of a few things. First, you should not cleanse often. This is something to do when you need to reset your body. It is not a lifestyle, it’s more of a quick fix when you feel like it’s time to get things back in order.
Also, cleansing is not easy. It can be very challenging both physically and mentally, so you have to go in with a prepared mindset. In addition, when it’s time to end your cleanse and go back to your normal way of eating, don’t derail your results by making your first meal an unhealthy one.
Okay, now that we have gotten those reminders out of the way, let’s talk about the benefits of cleansing in greater detail so you can decide if this is something you want to try.
1. Cleansing is helpful in removing the toxins that we endure in our daily life. Even if you try to eat organic food as often as possible, you are still exposed to pesticides, chemicals, and preservatives; too much exposure to these over time can lead to health issues eventually.
2. Cleansing is also a great way to strengthen our immune systems, which we need to be strong to keep us healthy in a world that is filled with so many germs!
3. Probably a lot of people’s favorite reason to cleanse is to lose weight, and this is why I said earlier that cleansing should only be done a few times a year. This is not a weight loss solution. Instead, cleansing helps boost your metabolism by cleaning out the toxins from your fat cells.
4. When our bodies are filled with tons of toxins, we often get headaches, don’t sleep well, have digestion issues, and may even suffer from depression. Simply cleansing can increase your quality of life, and you may find yourself sleeping better, feeling happier, and digesting your food properly.
There are a lot of cleanses out there. Once you have decided to cleanse be sure to do your research and find the one that is best suited to you, your needs, and your lifestyle. And remember, once you complete your cleanse, do your best to keep a healthy lifestyle moving forward. You just put in the work to reset your body—don’t damage it by going back to old habits. Take this opportunity to bring new healthy ways to your life for good!
I will be honest. The first cleanse I tried, I was scared and nervous and it only lasted 24 hours.   However, I learned more about myself and what nutrition parameters work within my body, and I was able to be more successful when I tried my second cleanse.
It is okay if it takes you a couple tries to get it right. Health and nutrition are all about taking the “good” parts of many things, seeing what works with your body, and incorporating them into your journey.
Good luck and happy cleansing!

Spring has officially sprung, which means better weather (usually) and preparation for summer. Spring is the perfect time to evaluate your fitness and life goals. Use this time to renew and rejuvenate by trying out some of the tips below.

1. Clean out your closet

You might be wondering what cleaning out your closet has to do with life goals and fitness goals; my answer would be everything! When we are decluttered and organized, we tend to operate more efficiently and feel better. Go through your closets and drawers and get rid of clothes that you don’t wear, are stained, are too big, or are just out of style. This will also allow you to make room for new clothing that you will be inspired to purchase after crushing your fitness and nutrition plan.

2. Clean out your pantry

Okay, this one is going to be tough. I totally get it! But after you clean out your closet, head into the kitchen and clean out that pantry. Remove all the food that you know is not good for you. While I do believe in eating 85 percent healthy and 15 percent fun, I also know that the less temptation there is in your house, the better you will stay on track with your nutrition. Don’t just get rid of your temptation foods, check expiration dates too. We often stick something in the pantry thinking we are going to eat it, and next thing we know it’s been in the back of the pantry for years. Clean out that pantry and I guarantee you will clean up your diet!

3. Clean out your refrigerator

Ideally your fridge is always stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, but the refrigerator is another place where sometimes we stockpile foods we don’t need, aren’t great for us, or are expired and we didn’t even realize it. Trust me: Take the time to clean up some of these areas of your life and watch your motivation for sticking to your goals rise! A secret tip going forward—to enhance your tastebuds, your health, your body, and your mind, try to restock your fridge with foods that expire within two weeks. These foods lack the preservatives that negatively affect our health. Fresh foods will make sure your spring has really sprung!

4. Refresh your playlist

I don’t know about you, but nothing motivates me as much as music does. Take the time to go through your playlist and delete songs that no longer motivate you or you have played so much that you’re sick of them. Then find new songs that really get you motivated. Make different playlists for different moods. If you need ideas for playlists, I have a few free ones available for download. Just head over to my website after you finish this article to access my free music mixes.

5. Take it outside

You might know me from the at-home workouts I have created. It’s completely okay to take those workouts outside! Whether it’s grabbing your laptop or iPad and doing those workouts in the sunshine or just going for an afternoon walk, one of the best things about spring is taking those workouts into the fresh air. Throw the frisbee, play tennis, jump rope, go for a run…the possibilities are endless.

6. Find a farmers market

I don’t know where you live, but often in the spring you can find farmers markets popping up all over the place. Not only do you get out in the sunshine, but you are buying the best possible food to put into your belly. It will be fresh, local, and grown with love! This piggybacks my secret tip in No. 3 above!

7. Drink more water

As the temperature rises it will be crucial for you to up your water intake, especially if you’re getting more active outdoors.
Water for your body is like oil for your car: It helps the engine run smoothly, but when there is no oil in the car, the engine locks up! The body does the same thing—no water in the body and the body shuts down! The current health industry recommendation is to drink a minimum of eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day. Another fun tip—add chopped fruit (lemons, limes, strawberries, etc.) to give the water some natural flavor!
Spring is an amazing time of year. Do a little bit of spring cleaning and get motivated to head into summer with the best YOU yet.

Getting results can be challenging. Often when we don’t see results, we get frustrated and lose our momentum, setting us on a path of self-destruction. I have 10 simple steps that will ensure you’re not only getting results but that you’re also keeping your journey on a forward-moving pathway.

1. Do what you like, not what you are told

There is so much advice out there that it can be overwhelming: It’s hard to know what to listen to and what not to listen to. Just because one form of exercise or eating is popular right now or works for someone else doesn’t mean that you have to do it (or that it will even work for you, your body, and in your life). Find the things that you like and do more of those. For example, one of my friends does not like running. So even though I enjoy running, I don’t encourage her to run for her fitness, because she doesn’t like it. When you like what you are doing you are more likely to stick with it, rather than just doing something someone tells you to.

2. Stop making excuses

When you drop the excuses, you will find all the answers. You need to reframe how you look at things. You aren’t too busy. You can make the time if you really wanted to. Nutritious food isn’t too expensive. There are ways to eat a healthy diet on a budget. Instead of making excuses, start creating solutions.

3. Stop gossiping and get to work

We live in a voyeuristic world filled with reality television, celebrity gossip, media sensationalism, and tabloids. This often infiltrates our daily lives, causing us to gossip. Gossip takes us down a treacherous path and can lead us to lose sight of our goals and purpose. Stay away from gossip at work and instead get to work!

4. Get out of your own way

Sometimes we are our own barrier. In order to get results we have to get out of our own way. Don’t be the thing that holds you back. Be open-minded, be free, be ready for change.

5. Learn when to change it up

Being a creature of habit is not a bad thing, but you do have to be aware of when it’s time to change it up. Maybe you aren’t getting the results you want from your workouts; perhaps it’s time to take a new class or add heavier weights. Maybe you aren’t getting the results you want on the scale; maybe it’s time to clean up your nutrition and eat different foods. (See my grocery list.) They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to see different results. So know when it’s time to make a change!

6. Stay knowledgeable

Information is power. The more you know, the more you grow as a person. One of the best things you can do for yourself is arm yourself with information. Let’s say you have decided that you want to try intermittent fasting—the best thing you could do is learn more about it before jumping into it without the right knowledge behind you. Get books, subscribe to blogs, listen to podcasts, and arm yourself with as much information as possible to make the right decisions for you and your body.

7. Put your body first

So many of us put ourselves last when instead we need to put ourselves first. You have to be your first priority. On airplanes they always tell you that you have to put on your oxygen mask first before helping others. Why? Because if you can’t breathe, how can you help others? The same is true in life and in fitness. You have to take care of you first. When you are healthy and happy, you are better equipped to be there for your family and friends.

8. Stop complaining

Negative energy is toxic. Do yourself a favor and try to limit your complaining. When you feel the urge to complain, think instead about what you could say that would be positive. Take a no complaint challenge, and enlist your friends and family to take it with you.

9. Get away from negativity

It’s been said that you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Evaluate that circle of influence. Are they negative? Are they positive? Try to surround yourself with as much positivity as possible to really radiate through your life.

10. Stop procrastinating

Make a plan for your day and stick to it.  Have your workout clothes ready before you head to the gym or have your DVD already set up before you start your at-home workout. Make sure you eat before you work out to fuel your body correctly for the workout. Don’t give yourself the opportunity to pause or to tell yourself “no” before you take action. JUST DO IT!