Workout Video! 3 exercises for amazing abs!

As you know as I am the Celebrity Fitness & Lifestyle Expert for FitPerez and have recently shot some amazing fitness videos for all the fabulous readers out there!

I have a great video that covers 3 of my favorite ab exercises, which you can do as circuit or straight set. 

I love these exercises because they cover all aspects of the abdominals and work the upper, lower and obliques.

Do this at the end of your workouts or dedicate a training day to abdominals, to really target this area!   
  

>>>>>   Watch the video here!  <<<<<

Tune in for more great workout videos and fitness exclusives right here on my official blog.

Be fit!

Courtney

Is social media causing low self-esteem in women?

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Today we are focusing on giving our mind a workout, with some thought provoking insights into the world of social media and its effect on how we think about ourselves and others.

Most of you would be very familiar with platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr etc. It goes without saying that most people would have at least one social media account (and some of us have a good deal of them). Social media is a great tool to help people connect with others and through platforms like Facebook, many of you are able to keep in contact with family and friends all over the world, or follow your favorite celebrity on Twitter, or browse through amazing photographs on Tumblr - very cool! :)

Social media has changed the way we all use the internet and its intentions are to connect people, which is a great notion. However, social media also brings out some other interesting "trends", which highlights some important issues regarding users personal esteem and their "true self". Now, more than ever before, people are weighing their self-worth on how many Facebook "Fans" they have, if anyone "Liked" their post or how bad they felt when didn't have any messages in their inbox today telling them how totally inspirational they were! (This one I overheard while standing in line at the movie theater - seriously!)

Furthermore, there seems to be an increasing trend of the "Sending you all a sneaky bikini/underwear/abs/topless/nude shot" as if it was taken without their knowledge, or that the camera just happened to snap a photo of them, while they were holding it, with perfect hair and makeup, posing into the mirror, with an Instagram filter over it, with a matching pair of expensive underwear on...yes you get the picture! It was so "unexpected" that they had to post it to 15 000 people immediately! And re-tweet it for weeks after!


After chatting with some young women recently, they expressed their concerns about this type of thing happening on their social networks. Seeing other girls who posted staged "Kardashian-esque" photos of themselves day after day, updating their status multiple times per hour with what sounded like a life of grandeur, as if they themselves were starring in their own award winning reality show (the "reality" part is ironic!) 

After viewing this type of behavior, these women truly believed that these other people's realities must be so amazing and that their own lives/bodies/activities could not live up to these standards. In turn, what once was a place for seeing photos of their friends holiday in Brazil, quickly became the place in their minds that only these far more "popular" people could exist. 

However for these women, they found it interesting to see that while they thought they were suffering from low self-esteem, it was really the "poster" who needed the validation from others about their lifestyle or body. If no-one "Liked" their picture or told them they were amazing, then how were they going to get through the day!

"Researcher Soraya Mehdizadeh from York University in Canada asked 100 students, 50 male and 50 female, aged between 18 and 25 about their Facebook habits.

They all took psychology tests to measure their levels of narcissism, which the study defined as ‘a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and an exaggerated sense of self-importance’.

Those who scored higher on the narcissism test checked their Facebook pages more often each day than those who did not.

There was also a difference between men and women – men generally promoted themselves by written posts on their Facebook page while women tended to carefully select the pictures in their profile." (Published in the Journal of Cyberpsychology, Behaviour And Social Networking).

For women, young women especially, it can be hard these days to navigate oneself through the gauntlet of media that is fed to you each day, not to mention through the countless images are flashed before your eyes. There are whole websites dedicated to "thinspirations" and "fitspirations", not to mention thousands of hashtags, bitly links and Instagram uploads, all there telling you what to look like, what not to look like, how to live your life etc. It can be very overwhelming!


So how do you get through all this information and visual stimuli without going crazy and thinking you are not good enough?

1. Don't think too much into what other people post, the photos they put up (especially their "sneaky bikini/underwear/abs/topless/nude shots" (haha) or their supposedly Kardashian type lifestyles. They need the admiration of others to fuel their own purposes and that is something that they have to deal with. (It would also be very time-consuming posting, reposting, retweeting etc. all day long, so think of all the extra time YOU have to actually DO real things with your life).


2. A lot of images you will see have had careful planning. There are people that want you to think they look totally polished 24 hours a day! We all know this is not the case, so don't stress out. Just like in the magazines, a bit of editing or an Instagram filter will do wonders for a photo and it can look totally different to the original one. Also I have seen a lot of people post old photos of themselves doing fun things as if they happened last night, to give the illusion that they are living a nonstop rockstar life. Sad but true!


3. Find true role models who you look up to! There are plenty of fabulous people out there that can inspire you to be the best person you can be.


4. Let go of the obsession with who "Liked" your post, who commented on your wall (or if you are someone that has a public page) how many "fans" you have. Unless you are a business, then it really doesn't matter. There are no popularity police and judging yourself on what other people think of the photo you posted yesterday is not a productive way to live.


5. If you are someone that finds yourself constantly over exaggerating your lifestyle on social media then stop for a moment and think about why you are doing it? Is it to make yourself feel important? Is it to gain the admiration of others? Is it to give the illusion that you are living Richard Branson's life? (haha)


Don't get caught up in the "illusions" of social media. Believe in yourself and don't be distracted by what others are doing. Find some "true" role models and work on making your own life a fabulous one!


Be fit, well & vibrant :)


Courtney

7 ways to improve your eating habits this week

 

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Hello Fitness Friends!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Did you get up to anything new, fun or exciting? I have been busy trying out all the new Slim Secrets Speedy Recipes which are delicious! There have been so many great submissions and congratulations to the winners! If you haven't yet checked out the recipes then make sure you do. Super easy to make and they take no time at all.

Over the past week I've had a few questions from readers regarding ways that they can improve their diets, without making drastic changes. If you consider yourself someone that eats quite healthy, but could improve in a few areas, this this post is for you.

Sometimes we have those little "extras", which might not seem like a lot at the time, but could be adding a few kilograms to our waistline each year. It's important to make small changes which you wont even notice! Most people eat out of habit and are not consciously thinking about their food as they prepare or eat it. We go into an auto-pilot mode. ie. pick up the coffee, add 2 sugars, fill up half the cup with milk and we are on our way. All we have to do is change those habits and you could be saving yourself a lot of calories and extra time at the gym.

I have put together 7 ways you can improve your eating habits this week - read on to find out what they are...

1. Old Habit: Full fat milk in your coffee

Swap it for: Small amount of skim/low fat milk              

Even better: No milk (yes I know most of us are horrified about the though of black coffee, but I have been drinking it for years and once you get used to it its great!)

2. Old Habit: x 2 slices of white toast with breakfast (even worse, the really thick, white, cafe toast!)

Swap it for: x 1 slice of wholemeal toast           

Even better: Swap toast for more protein (scrambled egg whites) or even some fresh fruit or low fat, low sugar yoghurt. 

3. Old Habit: Orange/Fruit juice from a bottle

Swap it for: Freshly squeezed juice from a blender with some vegetables added (beetroot, celery, spinach are great additions)    

  
Even better: Blend whey protein with some berries/fruit for a high protein, after workout, repair drink!


4. Old Habit: The 3pm chocolate fix (Giant Freddo Frog, KitKat...whatever is in your desk!)

Swap it for: x 2 squares of Organic 72% Dark Chocolate

Even better: Slim Secrets Afternoon Snack Attack Bar. Delicious, high protein and low fat, this will fill you up way more than x 2 squares of dark chocolate will!


5. Old Habit: Eating dessert every time you have dinner at a restaurant

Swap it for: Ask the server if they make you a fresh bowl of berries (raspberry, strawberries, blueberries) or fruit salad.


6. Old Habit: Adding sugar to your beverages

Swap it for: Sachet of Splenda

Even better: Buying your own packets of natural sweetener Stevia and taking them with you in your bag.


7. Old Habit: Snacking on roasted, salted nut mixes with dried fruit

Swap it for: Non-salted nut mix (no dried fruit)

Even better: Natural almonds, pecans, walnuts (non salted).
 

Do you have any ways that you save on calories by making a simple swap?

I hope you all have a great week and let me know if you attempted any of the above changes to your eating habits! Once you make the change you will see a difference.

Be fit & well :)

Courtney

What exercises can I do to tighten my inner thighs?

Hi Everyone,

This week in my "Ask the Trainer" column (courtesy of the amazing Slim Secrets) I was asked a very popular question that concerns most women...

Hi Courtney! What exercises can I do to tighten up my inner thighs?

The inner thighs are a trouble-spot for most women and usually are one of the last places that seem to shrink with regular exercise. Using cardio workouts to burn off the extra 'layers' on your body, you can then work your inner thighs with these moves:

- Plié Squat

- Side Lunge

- Cable Adduction

Try for 3 sets of 15 reps per exercise.

If you really want to tighten up those inner thighs, then do these exercises up to 3 times a week, on non-consecutive days, or add them to your normal leg routine.

Be fit & well :)

Courtney 

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3 step guide to gorgeous glutes

 Hi Readers!

I get many requests from clients for exercises that tone and shape the glutes and the secret to a "perfect behind" is working this area in all directions. Working the three major muscles, the gluteaus maximus, medius and minimus, you can sculpt and shape your glutes to perfection!

Need to lift, tighten and tone your tush? Try my gorgeous glutes workout below. For maximum results, do this workout twice a week and include some weight to increase the intensity.

Move 1: Side Step Up

Standing alongside a bench or step, step up with your left leg, so that your right leg is still on the ground. Squeeze your glutes and push through your left heel, driving your right leg up. Lower right leg down so the ball of the foot touches the floor and immediately lift again. Complete for 15 reps then change sides.

Repeat 3 x 15

Move 2: Squat with leg raise

Standing with your feet wider than shoulder width, toes pointing forward, squat down sticking your bottom out behind you. As you straighten up, extend your left leg out to the side into a leg raise. Hold for 1 second and lower down. Return to the squat position and continue for 12 reps.

Repeat 3 x 12

Move 3: Lying Glute Squeeze

Lie flat on your stomach with your arms folded under your chin. Keeping your legs straight, point your toes and slowly raise your left leg vertically, until you feel a squeeze in your glutes. Make sure you keep your hips flat on the floor. Lower and repeat for the right side.

Repeat 3 x 12


Bonus! Finishing Move: Pop Squats

Standing with your feet wider that shoulder width, jump in so that your feet are close together and then explosively jump out again into the squat position. This is a plyometric move, so you should be moving quite quickly between each section of the move. Continue this move until failure! (Pop squats are quite taxing on the knee joints, so if you have knee concerns then skip this one).

Have a great weekend and remember to hit the gym, drink plenty of water and snack of some delicious Slim Secrets bars :)


Courtney

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