Pre Season Tips for Student Athletes #HealthyStart

Posted on August 5, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

I’ve always kept my boys ready for fall season sports by taking them to the gym during the summer.

School is starting in a few weeks and, in addition to academics, my family with three teen boys is gearing up for a jam-packed fall season of sports. For the last several years, my husband and I have been switching gym memberships in the summer to one that will allow children over 10 to come in and workout alongside their parents. This has offered us a chance to keep everyone in decent shape during the hot, hot summers here where, out of necessity, spend too much time indoors in the air-conditioning reading and playing video games.

It’s not a good idea to let your child go from reduced activity in the summer to hard-core training in the late summer sun once school starts. While bodies do benefit from a little extra rest in the off-season, athletes who ignore working out in the summer will not only be huffing and puffing during sprints but are putting their bodies at risk for muscles strains, tendonitis and heat exhaustion or worse. Experts say that most sports injuries that happen in the early weeks of a sports season are from a lack of pre-season training.

Here are some Pre Season Sports Tips I’ve put together to make sure that your student athlete (middle school, high school and college) is taking measures to have a safe and successful season.

In addition to pre-season training, it’s also important to ensure your student athlete has been given a clean bill of health before stepping onto the playing field — in fact, most school-sponsored teams and league sports required that parents bring in signed paperwork as proof that their child has had a recent physical. Even if your child’s sports organization doesn’t require a check-up, it’s still a good idea to be seen by a medical professional before the season start to review immunization records, discuss any health and safety concerns, and be proactive about any unexpected problems.

Stepping up to the start line at a fall cross country meet takes months of pre-season training.

On your mark, get set, go! Get ready for fall season sports with pre-season training and a physical.

MinuteClinic at CVS Pharmacy is a convenient way to take care of kids’ sports physicals without the hassle and wait time of trying to make a last-minute appointment with a pediatrician. No appointment is needed to see a medical professional – the young athlete is in and out quickly, seen by a qualified medical professional, and supplied with everything needed to ensure practice starts on day one (trust me, it’s so embarrassing to sit on the bench for the first week of school while mom gets the paperwork thing sorted out).

MinuteClinic can also get students current on their vaccines and immunizations. I figured my oldest son who is 18 years old and heading off to college later this month was long done with vaccinations – but I found out that most colleges now require meningitis and pertussis (whooping cough) shots before the first day of class. Click on the links to find out your state’s requirements for meningitis and pertussis immunizations.

MinuteClinic is offering $10 off a sports physical from now until 9/7/15 and a FREE Johnson & Johnson coupon book with $29 worth of savings! Check the store locator to find the nearest MinuteClinic in your area.

Pre Season Sports Tips for Student Athletes @MinuteClinic #HealthyStart #Ad

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What sports do your kids play . .. or what were your athletic endeavors as a child? I was on the gymnastics team until 10th grade! Please share in the comments below – XOXO Jennifer

I have received promotional consideration from MinuteClinic and Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. All opinions are my own.

4 No-Cook Jicama Wraps for Dog Days of Summer

Posted on August 4, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

I have a jicama wrap for you . . . and a jicama wrap for you . . . and a jicama wrap for you (I’m pointing to all of y’all)! I’ve been having this love affair with jicama for a while now, you’ve probably seen some of the posts here and on Instagram– this is one of my favorite, Three No-Cook Jicama Recipes for Summer. I now have a new addition to the no-cook meal solutions — Four No-Cook Jicama Wraps! It’s the perfect solution for the dog days of summer — and speaking of the “dog days,” check out my Lucy helping me with yoga!

I revisited this jicama obsession when I noticed that my grocery store started stocking jicama “tortillas” in their produce department. They are made in-house and sold in the convenience prepped veggie section – I did a little jump for joy when I first spotted them sitting there waiting for me. I’ve drooled over all the jicama “taco” recipes on Pinterest, but I’ve never been able to slice my jicama that thin (cause I’m not losing a finger on the mandolin)! Yay, now I have people that do that for me!

I originally made this collection of jicama tacos (or wraps or rollups – what does one call them?) to showcase the OPA by Litehouse™ Greek Yogurt Dressings. I love those dressings, they taste so rich and indulgent but they have fewer calories than traditional dressings . . . and more protein, too!

Some of the perks of these jicama rollups – the are Paleo friendly depending exactly what you put on top; they are crispy, crunch and low calorie; and, whoot-whoot – there is no heating up the kitchen with the oven.

Sliced Black Mission Figs + Arugula + Artisan Reserve Blue Cheese + Balsamic Syrup + OPA by Litehouse™ Blue Cheese Dressing

Black Beans+ Mango Pico de Gallo + Cilantro + OPA by Litehouse™ Jalapeno Ranch Dressing

Matchstick Carrots+ Thawed Frozen Peas + Radish Slice +Fresh Dill + OPA by Litehouse™ Feta Dill Dressing

Quinoa + Tomato Slices + Flat Parsley + OPA by Litehouse™ Ranch Dressing

Full disclosure on this one — the quinoa is cooked, obviously. It was leftover — use any leftover grain that you have like brown rice, wheat berry, couscous and so on!

Don’t forget to check out my past round-up of Three No-Cook Jicama Recipes for Summer.

4 No-Cook Jicama Wraps for Dog Days of Summer #CLblogger #LivingLitehouse

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Are you a fan of jicama? What is your favorite no-cook recipe for the dog days of summer? Please share in the comments below!

Sharing my Stay Lean Secrets + #BowflexBody Giveaway

Posted on July 30, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Bowflex Body.

I am totally in love with Bowflex Body, a collection of premium nutrition products that features a French Vanilla Fitness Shake powder with packets of “mix-ins” including fat-burning rich chocolate, protein-boosting peanut butter or antioxidant-packed mixed berry. Bowflex Body is one of my secrets to staying lean. The other tactics I used to keep my body weight and fat ratios where I want them include with eating adequate protein spaced through the day, monitoring my carb intake (but keeping some for quick energy) and continuity and variety in exercise — I like to mix it up with running, obstacle training, CrossFit, yoga, paddle boarding to keep my body and mind prepared and motivated. Anyway, I’ve shared about this great product earlier in the summer along with a Bodyweight Leg Workout – if you missed it, check it out! Also, read to the bottom of the post, because I’m hosting a giveaway.

I really love the idea of the mix-ins to the base protein shake. It kind of reminds me of asking for a “booster” at that not-to-be-named smoothie chain I pass on the way home from the gym — but with hardly any of the sugar that those types of “healthy” blended beverages hold in disguise. The raspberry smoothie in a 16-ounce small size packs 290 calories, just 2 grams of protein – and 54 grams of sugar! Compare that to 125 calories, 15 grams of high quality protein and only 5 grams of sugar for the Bowflex Body French Vanilla Protein Shake — I’m sticking with the latter to stay lean!You can workout all you want, but you won’t get to that point of good muscle definition if you’re not lean. Yes, I stay at a low body fat through exercise, but also by making sure I’ve been eating enough protein spaced through the day.

Staying lean this summer with Bowflex Fitness Shakes

So, instead a smoothie shop stop, I’ve been sticking my blender bottle pre-filled with a scoop of the French Vanilla Fitness Shake and a couple of the boosters in my gym bag to refuel with after a hard workout or intense run – or often just to see me through a session, since I’m usually breaking sweat over the lunch hour. All I have to do is add cold water and shake, shake, shake!

One thing I’ll say about Bowflex Body products, they really do taste great straight from the blender bottle mixed with plain water. Other protein powders I’ve used have often had a chalky, hard to swallow texture if they weren’t combined with some sort of milk (alike almond or coconut) – or pureed up into a smoothie with banana for creaminess. But, really and truly, the French Vanilla Fitness Shake stands on its own merits for deliciousness. Plus, the exclusive blend of premium ingredients combined with powerful antioxidants, essential nutrients and immune enhancing ingredients help burn fat, build lean muscle, and protect my body.

I’ve been drinking these shakes all summer, and they’ve helped to curb my cravings and made me feel full longer – it’s been a great addition to my protein challenge when it’s not convenient to whip a steak or rotisserie chicken out of my purse. With only 125 calories per serving and 15 grams of the highest quality proteins, a shake makes a great meal replacement once a day to drop a few pounds quickly and safely (check out the success stories here). I suggest adding the Peanut Butter Protein booster (+10g) for sustained energy.

I’m happy where my weight is, and honestly I could stand to gain a little muscle in some places (uhhh, my booty), so at dinner time, I use the Vanilla Fitness Shake as my beverage of choice along with the light salads and grilled dishes I typically eat. For the ladies who “wine,” you’ll find yourself in such a leaner place if you swap out your nightly “sip” with a protein shake – 5 ounces of wine has 123 calories and has no protein while 1 scoop of the French Vanilla Fitness Shake mixed with water has 125 calories and 15 grams protein!

Premium French Vanilla Fitness Shake: Start with this powdered mix as your base and blend into water or your milk of choice. The instructions say use 8 ounces of liquid but I’ve used more and it still tastes great. Not only does it taste super creamy and delicious, but for just 125 calories, you get 15g high quality protein, 5 g prebiotic fiber, only 5g sugar and 16 potent antioxidants including acai, goji, pomegranate, mangosteen, spinach, kale and more. It is also lactose free, soy free, low sodium and low fat.

Rich Chocolate Booster for Fat Burning: Toss in one of these 10-calorie packets to kick up your metabolism with Garcinia cambogia, green coffee bean, African mango and cocoa exacts.

Peanut Butter Booster for Muscle Management: Add a packet of this booster to help grow, maintain and provide workout recovery benefits to your muscles. This advanced protein formula gives you an additional 10g on top of the 15g already in each serving of shake.

Mixed Berry Booster for Extra Antioxidant Benefits: This refreshing mix-in gives the already vitamin and antioxidant-loaded vanilla shake an extra one-two punch of protection with blueberry, raspberry and strawberry extracts blended to help fight free radicals.

Use the discount code BOWFLEXSHAKE to get 20% off products along with free shipping and handling. You can also enter the giveaway to win a Bowflex Body Sample Pack that includes the vanilla shake (3 packs) along one each of the boosters plus a pack of their Daily Energy and Pre-Workout Energy (Sample Pack is also available for sale at Bowflex with free shipping and handling). Enter for chance to win via the Rafflecopter app below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Summer Perfect Partner Watermelon WOD #LivingOnTheWedge

Posted on July 14, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

What’s the point of bringing a big, yummy watermelon home from the market if you need help getting it out of the basket, into the car and up the garage stairs to the fridge? “No thanks, I’ve got this,” is what I tell the twerp well-meaning bag boy who always tries to help. Hey, I’m not just your ordinary produce-shopping mom – I’m a fruit-loving foodie who’s turned herself a lean, mean lifting machine thanks to adding functional exercise (aka CrossFit) into my workout routine about three or four years ago.

TheFitFork.com Living On The Wedge

While I don’t care to set records or go for “max” when lifting weights (nor could I) during a CrossFit WOD, I do feel like adding weight to my workout regimen has helped me tremendously as a runner, an athlete and busy working mom who’s just living her crazy life and might be getting a little older in the process. Last year for my summer of #LivingOnTheWedge, I shared a CrossFit inspired Watermelon Workout – I’ll never forget swinging a 25 pound watermelon kettle bell style and having it fly out of my hands across the yard. Oops! And, who could forget the Watermelon Pool Workout from earlier this summer – I certainly know the swimmers grinding out their laps that morning I filmed it had something to talk about!

This month, I’ve created a Partner Watermelon WOD that lets you share pleasure and pain of working out with a friend who loves watermelon as much as you!

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Partner Watermelon WOD (8 Sets of the Following):

(6 Reps) Watermelon Burpee-Squat Handoff: One partner does a traditional burpee while the other partner simultaneously squats with a watermelon – then the watermelon is handed off for the next rep.
(6 reps) Watermelon Box Step Up: One partner steps up with watermelon at chest or held straight overhead while other partner uses small watermelon for Russian Twists (12 to 20 twists, or until box step ups done). Partners switch off and perform repeat exercises.
200 Meter Run or Walk: holding watermelon at chest.

You may be laughing at the video, but watermelon makes a great piece of workout equipment in a pinch – you can lift it, swing it, jump over it, squat with it and more. Plus, you can purchase them in a variety of weights – the smaller “personal-sized” melons are awesome. If you didn’t get enough workout inspiration, here’s a Summer Squat Challenge to get your rear in gear – of course, use a watermelon for your weighted squats!

Working out with a watermelon isn’t so crazy when you start seeing the results of this muscle-making melon – plus, who can argue with gobbling it up as a nutritious snack afterward?! Made of 92% water, watermelon is obviously hydrating. But did you know the fruit can help you with workout recovery? A recent study in the Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry reports that drinking watermelon juice before a hard workout helps to reduce an athlete’s heart rate and next-day muscle soreness. That’s because watermelon has an abundance of an important amino acid called L-citrulline, which the body converts to L-arginine, to help with blood vessel dilation and improved circulation.

I’m winning at this watermelon workout thing and to the victor comes the spoils – at that is first dibs at devouring the watermelon! Okay, okay, I’ll split it up fairly between my workout friends!

About to share watermelon with my Cross friends - Jennifer Fisher, thefitfork.com

About to enjoy the fruits of our efforts! Sharing watermelon with my Cross friends

Grab a friend, a watermelon and WORKOUT! #LivingOnTheWedge @watermelonboard #sponsored

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The average size of a watermelon from the market is about 20 -25 lbs. Guesstimate the weight of the biggest one you’ve ever brought home – 47 pounds for me!
What are you doing to work up a sweat this summer – other than just stepping outdoors?!

Share in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer

4 Ways Sports Injuries Build Better Athletes

Posted on June 24, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

I am participating in a sponsored campaign hosted by the maker of Advil® PM and I received financial compensation and a free sample of Advil® PM caplets. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve never met anyone who enjoys being physically injured, and the insult of having your body kick you to the bench seems even more painful (at least mentally) to athletes. So, in no way am I endorsing injuries as a way to be a better athlete – for heaven’s sake, take care of yourself! But, if a physical issue, (biomechanical, accident or otherwise) does come your way, I’m here to tell you that you can use the setback to your advantage.

I’ve sustained my fair share of injuries over the years through running, CrossFit, gymnastics, yoga, working out and enjoying an overall active lifestyle – everything from concussion, stress fractures and bone contusions to cuts that required stiches, oozing road burn, ripped palms, a multitude of pulled muscles, sprained ankles, wrists and ribs and more. Thankfully, nothing of a very serious nature and that a little Advil® PM couldn’t help me though!

Getting a good night's rest is important to recovering from minor sports injuries.

“No, no! I don’t need to go to the hospital!” Uh, I’ve said that before . . . .

However, I believe the time spent sitting on the proverbial sidelines can help an athlete heal both physically and mentally, especially if the right mindset is kept. Think of your injury as a way to embrace these four factors that will ultimately help you mend on the inside and out – remember that tough times don’t last, but tough people do!

4 Ways Sports Injuries Build Better Athletes

Box jumps gone bad – careless form leads to injury.

Confronts Problem: Some injuries are complete and total fluke accidents. However, the majority of problems caused by exercise are driven by careless, reckless or single-minded behavior – even ignorance and denial are reasons people hurt themselves in sports over and over. Admit it, you know a guy who jacks his back in the gym every month. Whether you are piling on miles with terrible running form, are an adrenaline junkie who puts thrill before skill, or just unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, getting injured forces you to look at the issue rationally and figure out ways to rehabilitate and keep it from happening again. Or, so I hope!

Even if a sports injury is minor, it's a good idea to take it easy for a few days.

Taking some rest is a good thing!

Forces Rest: As much as a go-go-go, type-A personality athlete might feel like he or she is withering away physically and emotionally when slowed down by injury, the forced rest is actually quite beneficial – muscles actually get stronger during the recovery phase of a workout, not during the actual effort! There is some time that you don’t have to use it, before you lose it. Take this as a not-so-subtle hint to sleep in, move slower and focus on nutrition. It will take at least a couple weeks for strength athletes to notice any signs of muscle atrophy and, in the same vein, endurance athletes shouldn’t expect to lose any significant VO2 max during the same period of break. However, if an injury is more serious, you will want to work with your doctor of physical therapist to develop an alternative training plan that will keep you at an agreeable baseline of fitness – so that when you’re able to jump back in, you’re not starting from square one.

Dislike turned to love while recovering from an injury.

Expands Horizons: When life hands you lemons, you make lemonade! Finding an alternative form of exercise to keep fit through an injury may just introduce you to the newest passion in your life – an experience never fully realized had it not been for the initially unwelcomed introduction. For example, runners may find they love swimming, weight-lifters may find they love sculling, tennis players may take to yoga and, heck, who doesn’t want an excuse to play golf all day long?! Even if you can’t wait to get back to your first true love, the change of pace will do your mind and body good!

Tests and Strengthens Resolve: A sports injury can really put a person’s resolve to the test, especially when it comes to staying on course. This ability to stay focused, determined and put a plan into action is a testament to the strength or weakness of your resolve – or, another way to say it, it’s the “steering mechanism” that drives you to a desired outcome. Will you crash and burn, stall out and give up, or keep after it until you reach the finish line? Playing the victim (or poor me), blaming, making excuses and complaining when it comes to dealing with an injury just weakens your resolve and lessens the likelihood of you ever achieving the athletic goals you first imagined. Once you are healed, being fearful and dwelling in the past will likely also keep you from that personal victory. Just keep looking forward, staying positive and celebrating your milestone achievements on the road to health and recovery.

Whether you are an everyday athlete or an elite superstar, managing the pain and the restlessness that often comes with being sidelined due to injury can be lessened with Advil® PM. I’ve used this safe and effective over-the-counter pain reliever and non-habit forming sleep aid with great results to treat the aches, pains and minor injuries I’ve dealt with running and working out over the last 25 years. It’s always so hard to sleep when your muscles are trashed from a marathon, or that headache from a day in the sun won’t go away —Advil® PM to the nighttime rescue!

Of course, before taking Advil® PM, you’ll want to consult with your physician to make sure this product is right for you. You can visit AdvilPM.com for more information and a coupon!

4 Ways Sports Injury Make You a Better Athlete #ad

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Have you had a sports-related injury? What happened and how did you get through it? Please share in the comments below. XOXO – Jennifer

thefitfork.com

The Fit Fork

Category Archives: Fitness

Pre Season Tips for Student Athletes #HealthyStart

4 No-Cook Jicama Wraps for Dog Days of Summer

Sharing my Stay Lean Secrets + #BowflexBody Giveaway

Summer Perfect Partner Watermelon WOD #LivingOnTheWedge

4 Ways Sports Injuries Build Better Athletes