WATERMELON FIT | EXERCISE IDEAS & WELLNESS TIPS FOR EVERY SEASON

Posted on January 3, 2023 by Jennifer FIsher

This post sponsored by Watermelon.org.

Happy 2023! A new year is a great reminder that watermelon can be incorporated into a fit and active lifestyle year-round! I’m sharing some fun ways to use watermelon to fuel workouts and even be part of your fitness routine during every month this year. Let’s get watermelon fit in 2023!

You might be wondering, “Is watermelon only a summer fruit?” No! The good news is that these days, a ripe watermelon is always nearby in any season – spring, summer, winter and fall. More than 30 states in the U.S. boast watermelon crops and the harvest timing starts on the East coast and rolls westward. When the U.S. season is finally over (it’s very long here in Texas, lucky me!), farmers in Mexico and other parts south of the border can deliver fresh watermelon plucked just a few days from the field. Also available markets are watermelon juice, watermelon seeds, and even frozen chunked watermelon flesh can be found in most stores on the freezer aisle. Read more about the Watermelon Year ‘Round story HERE!

WINTER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

This easy-to-make warm punch featuring watermelon juice is naturally sweet and delicious, bejeweled with fruit and fragrant with seasonal spices. Brandy optional! Perfect for holiday entertaining, including brunches, open houses, cocktail parties and more!

Finding Watermelon in Winter: If your market doesn’t have fresh watermelon, check the freezer aisle for chunks (usually next to the frozen berries), or packaged watermelon seeds, or watermelon juice. If you have the planning gene, you can also meal prep all this watermelon goodness for the freezer when it is more abundant.

Good-for-you Watermelon Drinks: Make a mocktail for winter celebrations using watermelon juice, citrus juice and fresh ginger – or my recipe for Mulled Watermelon Cider is always welcomed with a crowd. Or, take the chill off cold days (or blustery outside runs) with warmed watermelon juice with a squeeze of lemon, fresh ginger and pinch of Himalayan Sea salt – it’s a homemade hot sports drink! My recipe for Hot Watermelon Lemonade is also a unique sports recovery drink.

Vitamin C: Not only is watermelon hydrating (over 92% water), it’s also high in vitamin C that may help you get through the winter season well.

Indoor Home Workouts: Stay inside and work toward your fitness goals. No weights? No worries, you can use a watermelon (from a few pounds to 20+ pounds) as your exercise equipment! I’ve shared lots of fun watermelon home workouts, here’s a watermelon workout to try this winter – WATERMELON HOME WORKOUT!

SPRING WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Spring Salads: Take advantage of watermelon benefits and toss chunks into your grain bowls and salads, heck – throw on an entire wedge! Adding watermelon is a great way to dress up boring salads with some unexpected color and sweetness. Check out a few of my favorite watermelon salad recipe I’ve come up with over the years:

Watermelon Holds for Fitness: This season, if you want to add a watermelon to your workout, try a static hold to complement your runs, walks or dynamic strength training sessions. Static holds are isometric exercises that hold the body in one position for a duration of time. This means your muscles don’t contract and change length as in dynamic exercises, but you still benefit from the “time under tension.” Here are some static holds to try: most variations of planks, v-sit (boat pose), squat hold (or wall sits), overhead hold, front hold, and glute bridge hold.

How to Pick a Ripe Watermelon: Look for the “field spot” where the watermelon was resting while it grew. The more yellow, even almost yellow-orange, the riper – quite white means not ripe! Also, this takes a bit of intuition, but if the watermelon feels “heavy” for its size, this typically means it will be juicer and sweeter. Some also say rounder watermelons are sweeter than elongated watermelons, but I’m not so sure of that! I’ve had great watermelons of every shape. Also, you can look for “sugar webbing” (the coarse, brown web texture on some watermelons)/

SUMMER WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Floats: Yes, watermelon floats! This makes the fruit a fun item not just to eat in the summer but to play pool games with at a party. My kids always loved to stand on paddle boards and toss the watermelon back and forth to see who would fall off first! The buoyancy of watermelon also makes it useful for pool workouts by adding resistance when you push or pull it under watermelon.

Grilling Watermelon: Many of us are outside, grilling all the things in the warm weather months. Why not grill watermelon?! Grilling watermelon lends a smokey, savory vibe to the light sweetness that is oh-so magnificently summery. Check out my recipes for Grilled Watermelon with Cherry Balsamic Salsa and Spicy Sweet Watermelon Shrimp Kebobs for summer meals with watermelon inspiration.

Watermelon Juice: Quench your thirst this summer with watermelon juice. I simply collect the juice from a watermelon while cutting it up. It’s easiest to do this if you cut it in a big rimmed baking sheet (so juices to spill out onto counter) and then pour juice out one corner of pan into mesh strainer over glass jar to remove any seeds and excess pulp. I also collect the juice that seeps out of cut watermelon and collects in my plastic storage container. This raw juice stays fresh for up to 72 hours in the fridge or can be frozen for several months. Learn more watermelon juice benefits at my post, Watermelon Juice – How to Prep, Store and More.

FALL WATERMELON FIT TIPS

Watermelon Ruck: Rucking is a big fitness trend right now, but it’s actually ages old and really simple. A ruck is just a walk, hike, run, or other similar workout with a weight on your back. In simple terms, you wear a rucksack (aka backpack) and walk! Rucking and watermelon are a natural fit. Stick the watermelon in your backpack for weight to carry, and when you’re done, slice it open and enjoy as a refreshing, way to refuel.

How to Ruck-Cut a Watermelon: If you’re out on a ruck, then simple slices or wedges of watermelon with the rind on will be the easiest to prep and also to eat. You’ll want to carry a camping knife in a protective sheath for safety. If it’s a personal-sized watermelon, just whack it in half and dig the flesh out with a spoon (or an implement from your Swiss army knife). Also, it’s a smart idea to stash a big zip-top bag in your rucksack in case you need to carry leftovers home! If you’re not cutting the watermelon until you get home, check out my favorite way to cut and store a big watermelon in 5 minutes.

Fit & Fresh Watermelon Workout + Juice as Exercise Sports Drink

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored byWatermelon.org, however all editorial opinions and content, unless otherwise noted, remain my own – as does the enthusiasm for watermelon.

Many of us are still avoiding the gym and working up a sweat in the family room, garage or backyard instead. But, what to do if things start to get boring or you don’t have the right equipment on hand?! Do what I do and just improvise to freshen up your home fitness routine – and add a WATERMELON to your workout!

Grab a watermelon or two, and sweeten up your home sweat sesh with this fun workout. Full body, cardio and strength with exercises that use a tote bag to allow a greater range of movement in this watermelon workout. Exercise can be both serious, and practical (what a great fitness hack)! -- and don't forget watermelon and watermelon juice is the perfect pre and post workout snack for runners and athletes.

This Freestyle Fresh & Fit Watermelon Workout will sweeten up your home workout and bring a smile to your face – it’s a silly and a serious sweat sesh at the same time. If you know me, you gotta realize by now that exercising with a watermelon is one of my FAVORITE home fitness hacks. I’ve done everything from watermelon pool workouts to home watermelon workouts you can do inside on a mat to high intensity interval workouts with watermelon for the backyard or park.

Use watermelon as impromptu "weights" in your workout! It's a great fitness hack!

Jumbo, standard and personal-sized watermelons offer different weight options. I’ve used watermelons as big as 30 pounds to exercise with – you DON’T want to drop them! Today, I’m keeping it more moderate (but still challenging) with a 15-pounder and a 5-pounder mini watermelon.

Also, I’m showing many watermelon exercises with an “in the bag” trick that allows the unwieldy, round-ish fruit to be used safely for even more movements. Adding a watermelon to a totebag with sturdy handles is a great way to turn it into a piece of equipment you can swing like a kettle bell, hang over your shoulders like a wieght vest, and more safely hold overhead or in other exercise positions without worry of dropping and smashing the watermelon . . . or your face!

The Freestyle Fit & Fresh Watermelon Workout, lets you choose your order of cardio exercise holding watermelon and strength exercise with watermelon. I’ve squeezed my demo of this garage or backyard watermelon workout on super speed above so you can get the idea.

Another great way to use the whole fruit is to DRINK THE WATERMELON JUICE. There are so many great reasons to drink this fit and fresh beverage. It’s 100% natural, just juice from a watermelon. No funny colorings, preservatives or added sugars. Of course, there are some natural fruit sugars in it, but that’s a good thing in my opinion because topping off glucose stores during and after intense, prolonged exercise is needed for optimal performance.

Also, Vitamin C and amino acid l-citrulline, both found in watermelon and watermelon juice, are beneficial for my active lifestyle. There are more watermelon benefits for runners and athletes. For example, some studies have shown that Vitamin C can help boost immunity during high training cycles and that l-citrulline may help to minimize post-workout fatigue and soreness by increasing reparative blood flow to the muscles.

Another sports hydration trick I like to do with watermelon juice is to mix it with an electrolyte drink mix for even more “oomph” on those days when I’m slogging through many miles in the Texas heat. To save money and have more control over the ingredients (I don’t want artificial colors or flavorings), using a recipe for homemade electrolyte powder (with sodium, potassium and magnesium) is the ideal mix in for watermelon juice. I also water down the watermelon juice too so the natural sweetness doesn’t overwhelm me when I’m out there working hard in the sun and my stomach is a little off.

There are several ways source watermelon juice. It’s can be expensive, but purchasing already prepared is an option. But buyer beware, make sure you are getting the actual juice and not some sort of sugar-added drink. If you want a lot of juice in a hurry, you can put cubed watermelon in your blender, blend up and pour through a strainer to pull the pulp off (Watermelon.org has a great demonstration of how to make watermelon juice this way).

BUT the method usually share when people ask “how to make easy watermelon juice” is to just pour it off the container of my big watermelon I buy every week in the summer. Once cut, juice slowly seeps out and I always pour it off every morning to drink later – even freezing portions. ALL OF THE WATERMELON JUICE you seen in that sports bottle above was poured off the cutting up of a single watermelon. But that makes total sense actually, as watermelons are nearly 93% water!

Drop me a comment if you try the watermelon workout or making watermelon juice!

Do More Blue: How Color Affects Mood for Workouts, Exercise

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

Colors can subconsciously affect your feelings and moods and, in turn, have an impact on workouts and your choices in exercise. This includes both the colors seen in your environment (like what color the walls are painted) and the color of your fitness clothing you wear. In past posts, I’ve mentioned how other colors are tied to exercise – like RED and PINK. But, what about BLUE?

Without doubt, blue is a very popular color. In fact, it’s the most popular color in the world being favored by 35% of the world’s population. I’m guessing blue is so beloved because it’s one of the rarest colors found in nature. Blue is linked to the sky and water and can stimulate calming and peaceful feelings. These serene side effects of blue make it a great color for being mindful and focused.

*Blue is a calming and focused color for yoga!*

Because of these calming zen vibes, blue (especially a lighter hue) is a great color choice for yoga wear or lounging around after an intense sweat sesh for recovery!

*I now understand why the heaviest weight plates are blue!*

Blue is on the lower end of the electromagnetic visible light spectrum. The wavelength of blue is shorter other colors – for example, blue has a 25% shorter wavelength than red. There have been studies done that show gym weights painted blue seem lighter than the same poundage of weights painted red! Blue may make things seem lighter or easier to have less perceived effort. That is great for productivity. Wearing blue, especially bright and vivid hues, may help you have a productive and focused session at the gym – “Do More Blue”!

“Blue” personality athletes like rules, training schedules, and logging results.

According to color personality tests, people who are “Blues” look at exercise in a methodical and orderly way, tracking data details and progress as they move along their fitness journey. I would guess they are less “play it by ear” and more “follow a plan” type people. It’s my guess (and experience with them) that Blues like to participate in sports with defined rules!

Blue has other connotations as well. Sometimes people who are feeling down might say they are blue. But more often blue has positive connotations – “Blue Ribbon” meaning top-notch, first place, or winning to “True Blue” connoting reliability, trustworthiness and loyalty.

After all is said and done, what really matters is what is YOUR mood in blue. If blue makes you feel good then wear it and paint your home gym walls in it! If you are more “blah” about blue, then just sashay down the color spectrum until you fine a color and hue that speaks to YOU!

If you’re loving the idea of “Do More Blue,” check out this collections of Blue Ribbon Burpee Variations I put together:

Try these winning "blue ribbon" burpee ideas that kick up the traditional full-body exercise for even more challenge in your workout. — *Check out the video demo of unique burpee variations in this Pin Story!*

Also of interest. Did you know the blue lenses on sunglasses aren’t there JUST to look cool.

Blue tint on glasses is usually for the purpose of making objects crisper, improving color perception and creating a calming effect. For certain sport-specific glasses, the blue lenses help to reduce sun glare that comes of the snow, water or roads.

Disclaimer: brought to you as part of my relationship with adidas as an ambassador. However, all opinions, suggestions, comments and enthusiasm are my own.

3 Ways to Make Exercise a Habit in Middle-Age and Beyond

Posted on May 18, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by Celltrient™, however all opinions, anecdotes, and enthusiasm are my own.

Even though I’m a kid at heart, my body sometimes still reminds me I’m in my 50s . . . maybe a little less resilient, not quite as strong/fast, and sometimes just plain low-energy and tired. Not really things I want to hear and feel when I’m still working my rear off to remain a competitive athlete through each passing decade of my life.

Learn these three ways to make exercise and healthy living a lifelong habit, even if you are already in your 40s, 50s or beyond. Consistency, keeping things fun and taking proper care of your body with the right foods and supplements are important strategies to aging well. Supplements like Celltrient that support the cell’s mitochondria may help. Use discount code JENNIFER at celltrient.com to save.

Many of these differences I’m noticing can be blamed on “Age Associated Cellular Decline.” That’s scientist-speak for “the body’s cells just don’t replicate as efficiently from age 40 and beyond.” But thankfully there are ways to optimize the health of aging cells and redefine “getting old.” Eating nutrient-dense food and taking a supplement (like Celltrient™) that can offer additional cellular health support and are two daily strategies I employ. And, so is regularly getting enough exercise. Ensuring your fitness journey is consistent can be a challenge for some, so today I want to share my top three ways to make exercise a habit, especially as you move into and on through mid-life.

Exercise in mid-life can be hard for so many reasons. You may still have kids at home, senior parents who need assistance, and the daily stress of career and/or running a household – time seems so limited! Of course, there are other reasons people in middle-age and beyond don’t exercise either – it’s never become a routine, they are intimidated, it seems hard or boring. And, so on. Everyone can come up with an excuse, even I do sometimes!

But, for the most part (except for some travel, post-partum, injuries, and well-deserved recovery days, etc.) I have exercised consistently for my whole adult life. When people ask me how I’ve managed to be so steadfast in my sweat sessions, I culled it down to these three things: 1) I show up, 2) I find a way to make it fun, and 3) I fuel my body with the proper care to make it function at its best.

#1 Show Up:

Perhaps the most important way to create a lifelong fitness habit is to just SHOW UP. For example, I really can’t say I initially liked waking up at 4:45 to go to a boot camp, but I was ALWAYS glad that I got up and did it. You’ll better afterward too, no matter what time of day it is. Try it, and at some point . . . “showing up” becomes what your body is conditioned to do. It’s a habit, it’s part of raison d’etre! If you are having trouble showing up, then ask yourself what the obstacle is – and remove it. Can’t get to a group fitness class due the extra time rush hour adds to the commute? Well, then run the stairs in your office building and skirt traffic. Sleeping through your alarm clock? Consider going to bed an hour earlier so you can wake up and show up on time! Motivation waning? Then find an accountability partner to join the journey with you!

*Mowing the lawn is considered exercise – and I think it’s fun!*

#2 Keep Fitness Fun:

Don’t look at exercise as a chore to dread, instead make it fun! Maybe the gym or running isn’t for you, but there are so many creative things you can do to stay fit! If you are a people person, group classes, boot camps and fitness meet-ups with friends in recreational sports leagues like tennis, golf, and bowling are FUN! Or, even adventous outings like rock climbing, ninja park visits, skiing, learning how to trapeze and more! If you are more of a one-wolf-pack sort of person, any type of solo endurance sport will probably seem fun – cycling, swimming, running, or a solitary paddleboard ride are some ideas. Even gardening and mowing the lawn!

As the years started piling on my body, I inevitably became slower and saw VO2 Max declines – even with more work, more muscle and more training. Honestly, this was really hard for me and the fun factor– from going from “could win the race outright” elite runner to “just being an age-group winner.” I would fake smile at those well-meaning but depressing compliments people gave – “you are really good for your age.” It started making running seem like a burden and something I was failing at. When I stopped looking at my watch so much and comparing present self to old self, the joy came back and I remembered why I loved to run in the first place. However, a person can get burned out on simply running for decade after decade, so I started adding new challenges I thought were exciting – obstacle course racing, adventure racing, hybrid fitness competitions (running + strength). And also was always ready to try out any fun class, or fitness challenge, or crazy exercise equipment that crossed my path. Moon bounce shoes, hula-hooping challenges, drum stick workouts, yoga, zoom workout classes, hip-hop lessons and more. Even putting on a colorful outfit or socks sometimes makes my workouts seem more fun! Find YOUR fun, be willing to switch it up as needed for motivation, and a lifelong fitness habit will be much easier to create!

#3 Proper Care of Your Body:

Eat right the significant majority of the time. I’m not going to tell you what, when or how much you should eat – it’s really a personal thing. If weight is an issue for you or eating to fuel performance isn’t in your knowledge bank, then work with a medical professional or nutritionist to find the dietary eating pattern that works best for you. Eat to fuel your goals. Elite endurance athletes eat a lot different than healthy mid-lifers who walk a few miles a day and practice yoga when they can. Of course, sleep is important too – we all know that by now, but it can unfortunately elude many of us in middle age and beyond. So put a priority on getting rest – it’s much more important than staying up late to scroll on your tablet or watch TV. Finally, take supplements target to address your specific concerns. As a 50+ competitive/elite athlete, I take several supplements that are invaluable to my workout performance, recovery and well-being. One that I’ve come to rely on is Celltrient Cellular Nutrition, specifically the Strength formula (but they also make and Energy formula and Protect formula ).

For more information on cellular health and why and how we age at the cellular level, check out these informative, research-based articles HERE and HERE.

If you have any questions about Celltrient™ and cellular nutrition or just creating a lifelong fitness habit, drop a comment here or find me on Instagram @thefitfork Also, check out my past articles that focus on Age-related Cellular Decline, Three Ways to Age Less and Do More and How Cellular Nutrition Helps Redefine Aging for Aging Athletes.

If interested, save with my Celltrient Discount Code JENNIFER on product purchases (excluding bundles and subscriptions) at Celltrient.com. Find the Celltrient product best suited for you with the Product Recommender

Best Yoga, Sports and Running Bras: Handful Bra Review from Customer of 10 Years

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Jennifer FIsher

You may have heard rumors about the perfect running bra or even dreamt of a sports bra so magical that would make you look like a goddess and feel amazing and super-powered at the same time. Well, I’ve been wearing bras from Handful Activewear forever-ahhhh and have kinda been keeping it my little secret to being so fabulous – – but now I just need to share (I also have a Handful coupon code at the end of this post)!

So, welcome to my long-overdue Handful Bra review – hopefully it will help give you insights about the best bra for runners (and yogis, and gym, and ! I first met Jennifer, the founder of Handful Activewear, at a national running-niche retailer convention close to 10 years ago. We had a lot in common, besides sharing the same first name – both mothers, both entrepreneurially-spirited, both with a love of running, yoga and all things fitness. She hooked me up with the Handful Adjustable Sports Bra, my favorite to date and arguably the brand’s flagship, based on the years they’ve had it, it’s versatility, and all the core and limited-edition.

I remember the handoff vividly, Jennifer asked me what size I was and grabbed a Handful Adjustable Sports Bra off her sample rack and said, “it’s yours, enjoy!” The handful bra was purple (so fun!), soft and had some nice, natural-looking padding that looked like might help compensate for my lack of curves. I ran to the convention center restroom to try on my new flattering running bra – and WOW, instant love.

*You never forget your first handful bra (10 years ago).*

I wore that purple running bra for every workout – no chaffing, super soft fabric, bands and straps that didn’t pinch, and it was moisture wicking. Three-way adjustable straps so that I could wear with multiple style tops – regular tank or tee, racer back tank and halter tops. I ordered more bras and they became my number one bra not just for workouts but for everyday dressing too (I currently own 19 handful bras, lol). Yes, I do actually get out of fitness apparel and into “real” clothes occasionally and Handful bras are flattering sports bras, super comfy and flatter (not flatten) boobs like typical, tight sports bras.

As an AA-cup kinda gal, I was very appreciative of the natural-looking, subtle curves created by the bra’s removable pads. In fact, I started ordering extra Lights Out™ Bra Pads to add to bras I already owned, they were that magical! This is also how I discovered that Handful Activewear supports breast cancer survivors with a program that offers these and gives 12.5% of revenue from their Battle Cry Pink bras year round to YSC® (Young Survival Coalition) in recognition of the 1 in 8 women (12.5%) who will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

*My “go-to” sports bra, the Handful Adjustable!*

Handful Adjustable Sports Bra, as I mentioned, works really well for my not-so-curvy figure and is ideal for A, B and small Cs*.In my opinion, it’s the best sports bra made. In addition, being able to move the straps in three configurations (regular, x-back, halter), the actual straps also adjust in length which helps make the various styles fit better. Plus, I’m the person that always has to adjust the straps upward, I guess I have a small torso or something. The fabric is super soft, I have never chaffed, and the gathering in the front helps hold the bra closer to your chest as not to flash the world more than you want when bending for a toe touch or deadlift.

Handful Bra, save 10% code THEFITFORK10 — The Handful Y-Back Bra in action.

Handful Y-Back Bra is described by Runner’s World as “the right bra for C to D* cups who need a little extra support.” It offers secure support for running and other high impact activities. I also like the Y-Back a lot (despite not being anywhere near a C or D) because it’s very flattering and the slightly higher neckline doesn’t look prudish, but provides a little extra cleavage and chest coverage. I feel like the Handful Y-back bra also makes my very small front look the most filled out, in a natural way. It’s soft, no chaffing either and my only issue has been that it’s not adjustable and the Y-back could be just a teensier “shorter” – but that’s just me, I have a weird body.

Save 10% at handful.com with code THEFITFORK10 — *Handful Double Down Bra (and YES, they make leggings too)!*

Handful Double Down Bra is a newer full coverage sports bra I recently tried and I love the stylish straps and ample coverage on the sides and back that is billed to “help eliminate side boob, spillage, pinching, and other unpleasantries.” It’s true, there is no side boob with the extra wider band and fabric area under the arm and around the rib cage. I know people are thinking “Jennifer, you have NO side boob,” which is technically true. But my back is wide (and specifically my lats are big) which spills over the back of bras often – I call it “lat splat”! The Handful Double Down Bra support and comfort are both A+ and the strap design will get you lots of “ooh where did you get workout top?” compliments. It comes with the “thin” Lights Out™ Bra Pads which probably works well for most of y’all – minimal padding that compliments your natural gifts and also to keep any nipple action from causing a distraction. BUUUUT, with my boy-ish figure, I swapped the pads out for the thicker ones – again, so happy they sell these bra pads a la carte!

Other Handful Bras for your consideration (but I’ve not tried, so can’t properly review):

Handful The Closure Bra: Offers a front zip closure for easy-on/off convenience no struggling post-workout pulling a sweaty bra over your head. Front mesh panel for extra coverage, yet cooler. Made in XS – XL, but looks like it would work for bigger-chested ladies. Read reviews of women who are D and DD who swear by it. Again, the care and comfort of big boobs is outside my personal knowledge base, but this bra sounds like an excellent solution.

Handful FaV Bra: I want to try this new running bra style ASAP! Flattering and functional, the FaV Bra has a deep V in front and cute keyhole design in the back to give you a playful look without sacrificing coverage. With that deeper neckline, I think probably works best for A, B and maybe C cups.

Use my Handful discount code THEFITFORK10 to save on your next purchase at Handful.com

*You will notice that Handful sells their bras by XS – XL sizing, not cup size – so refer to the sizing charts for the best fit. Also, some of the photos here may be of past-season colors. Handful has a core collection of colors, but is always changing up others to fit your style fresh and fun!

Note: This post contains affiliate links – I earn a small commission on each sale and proceeds help to offset expenses for The Fit Fork. Thank you!

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