The Body Studio Fit Club & The Body Studio for Fitness

Cutting your intake of refined carbohydrates is good practice for overall health, but did you know it can help you sleep better?

In an ongoing study on women's health, researchers analyzed 53,000 older women's food diaries. The scientists found that women who ate more refined carbohydrates, like white pasta and sugary desserts, were more likely to have insomnia.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that consuming more whole grains, fiber, vegetables and whole fruit was associated with less insomnia.

Consuming refined carbohydrates produces stress hormones that will interfere with a good night's sleep.

Eat healthy and sleep well, everyone.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Have you had your vitamin D level checked? A sufficient vitamin D level is associated with good health in many ways. Some studies found that low vitamin D levels may be associated with hearing loss in Seniors.

A study by Columbia University students, on people over 70, found that those with a low vitamin D level were more likely to suffer from some form of hearing loss than those with a normal vitamin D level.

Two of the best natural ways to get vitamin D are from direct sunlight and eating fatty fish, like salmon. You can also get vitamin D from fortified milk.

Be sure you are getting your vitamin D!

Knowledge is power.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Here is a simple workout you can do at home. It will burn mega calories in a short period and raise your metabolism for hours. Do it in the morning, before you get on with your day. There are modifications listed if you need to take it down a level due to your ability.

Perform 2-3 rounds of these four exercises (with a 30-second rest in between each exercise):

1 minute See-Saw Plank or modified knee plank
Rest
1 minute frog leaps or alternating knee lifts
Rest
1 minute Up-Down Plank or modified shoulder tap plank
Rest
1 minute alternating Front Lunges or wall sit
Rest

If you completed this workout, congratulations! You just burned mega calories and raised your metabolism!

(Please consult your physician before starting any workout program.)



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Use resistance bands to strengthen your leg muscles at home. Resistance band leg kickback works the hamstring and gluteal muscles and is an effective, low-impact exercise for the back of your legs.

Put the resistance band around the mid-calf on your planted leg and place it around your mid-calf on the back leg as well. Keep good posture throughout the exercise. Meaning, keep the crown of your head up toward the ceiling. Hold on to something stable for balance if needed.

Press your back leg behind you and lift slightly without arching your back. Toes face straight ahead. For a challenge, hold for a three-count. Now, lower your leg back to the starting position. Keep tension on the band

Work your way up to 15 repetitions on each side. Do 1- 3 sets.

Start shaping your legs and rear end today with the resistance band kickback! You will feel your muscles toning up right away.

(Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise routine.)



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Personal Fitness Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches!

If your standard pushups are no longer challenging, try something new. "Spiderman pushups" are an advanced variation of standard push-ups. Pull your knee toward your elbow, on the lower part of your push-up motion. Alternate sides with each repetition. The Spiderman Push-up engages your obliques and core more intensely than standard push-ups.




Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Walkers and runners take note. The standing calf stretch is a must to add to your routine. This stretch can help you avoid foot pain from plantar fasciitis.

Lean against a wall or the back of a sturdy chair. Place one leg forward and one back. Bend the forward leg at the knee and keep the bottom of the foot planted on the back leg. Press your back heel into the ground and lean forward. You should feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. Hold for a count of 20 or longer, and switch sides

Stretching is an essential part of being fit. It is easy to skip if you are short on time, but regular stretching will help avoid injury.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Exercise is a good thing. But remember, too much of a good thing may be a bad thing.

Do not to overdo it when exercising. When we start an exercise program, we often push ourselves to do an excessive amount of exercise to get results fast. Doing excessive exercise is not healthy.

Set realistic daily and weekly exercise goals to keep yourself from getting injured or burned out. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 150 minutes of cardio for overall health and 280 minutes for weight loss. Stick to the recommended amount, just like a medical prescription.

The same goes for strength training. For lasting results, don't overdo it.

Exercising excessively causes body aches, fatigue and injury.

Exercise mindfully for a lifetime of fitness.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

It helps to "meal prep" a few things ahead. We recommend meal prep to our clients. That way, healthy tasty things are prepared beforehand for late nights during the week.

Roasting your vegetables brings out all the natural sweetness and makes a simple, delicious side dish for any protein, but it takes some time. Take some time on weekens and oven-roast enough vegetables for the whole week. Cooking time varies, depending on the vegetable. Some are denser and take longer to roast than others. 375 degrees is a good roasting temperature for veggies. Cut them into small pieces and lightly coat them in olive oil, salt, and pepper. Season them to your taste. Keep an eye on them and take them out when they begin to brown. So yummy!

Eat your veggies, everyone!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

The stability ball can add many new exercise options to your workout routine. The Stability ball knee tuck is an exercise that works your core and upper body.

Lie face down on the ball. Walk yourself out on your hands. Your shins should remain on the ball. Keep a plank with your core.

Pull your knees toward your chest while rolling the ball under your legs. Engage your abdominal muscles and lift your rear as you roll the ball in. This exercise works arms, chest and shoulder stabilizers, and core.

Work your way up to 15-20 repetitions and three sets.

Get a stability ball for home and give it a try!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Personal Fitness Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches!

Keep on a healthy nutrition track by eating a healthy snack or small meal every 3 to 4 hours.

Eating at regular intervals for energy throughout the day is so important. Think about fueling yourself up with good nutrition every three to four hours. This may sound like a lot of food, but keep the serving size small, and you will feel satisfied, not stuffed.

Many of us go for long periods without food when we get busy. We skip lunch, and by dinner time, we feel exhausted and hungry, which is not good for the body. It encourages fat storage and overeating at dinner time.

Split your day into sections. For example, if Breakfast is at 7:00 AM, have a small snack 3 hours later at 10:00 AM, Lunch is at 1:00 PM, have another small snack at 4:00 PM, and Dinner is at 7:00 PM.

Eating at regular intervals will help your metabolism to stay revved up, keep your blood sugar evened out, and keep your energy up throughout the day.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Often, we do things for others and neglect our own mental health. It is critical for good health to schedule time for yourself on your appointment calendar regularly. It may seem we need a vacation of several days to feel refreshed, but a short break in your day can also help you feel refreshed.

At the studio, our clients are constantly thinking about work and in meetings all day, sometimes they can't even sleep. This is not healthy

Scheduling in "me time" may seem impossible, but if you do it regularly, you will become more efficient and creative when you are working. You will feel refreshed and ready to work.

What calms you? Is it meditating, reading, walking, yoga, weightlifting, sewing, riding your bike, singing, or sitting in nature? Whatever it is, schedule it regularly for overall better mental health. Set a minimum time and stick to it. It could be just 20 Minutes every other day, but that 20 minutes will help calm you. Something to look forward to when you are stressed and busy. Scheduling in time for yourself can make a big difference in lowering your stress level.

Do it today!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Today is my birthday. When I was a little girl, each birthday, my mom used to read the book "Happy Birthday to You" by Dr. Suess to me. Thanks mom! I loved it!

I wrote a poem in that spirit and want to share it here. I wrote it with those in mind who may struggle with self-esteem and self-doubt. Self-confidence is something I continue to work on myself.

My birthday wish is that we all find our inner strength, self-confidence and inner peace.

"Celebrate you, a Birthday Poem"

Today is your day! Celebrate your uniqueness. See it as strength and not as a weakness.

Individual traits that make you quite rare help you to see things and be more aware. Things in the mirror you find unattractive are all unique gifts that help make you adaptive.

Use your struggles to continue to grow into a person who gives off a glow. A light that shines bright through the darkness of night, to stop you from running and put up a fight.

Try to be smarter, examine your cracks to help build up an armor that fends off attacks. No more looking to others to brighten your days. Find your own ways, to celebrate life and give yourself praise.

You are Strong. You are beautiful. Show yourself love. The mirror reflects your creator above.

You are one of a kind. You stand out in a crowd. At the top of your lungs, shout this out loud:

"I AM AS I WAS MEANT TO BE. I LOVE MYSELF AND I'M PROUD TO BE ME!"

"Celebrate you, a birthday poem."
by, T. Gordon

Have a super day!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

If you are experiencing back discomfort from hours of sitting at a desk, be sure to take stretch breaks. Stop and stretch every hour. Stand up and walk around for a minute.

The following stretch can be done in your chair and helps alleviate back soreness. Be sure not to force any stretch through pain. Ease into the stretch.

Sit in a chair with your feet positioned firmly in front of you. Grab the seat of your chair with your right hand. Rotate your body toward your right-hand side. Look backward over your shoulder. Keep your back relaxed, your abdominal muscles engaged, and your shoulders lowered. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds, then release and rest. Repeat the stretch at least three times on each side.

It is easy to get engrossed in work, so setting a “Stretch Alarm” to remind yourself to stretch is helpful. Without regular stretching, your muscles can get very stiff and sore.

Stay well and stretch.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

If you are considering using resistance bands for resistance training at home but are concerned that this type of training may not provide the same benefit as dumbbells, you can be confident that resistance band training is a viable option for gaining muscle and improving overall health for people of any age.

The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine recently published a study of women aged 66-84. These women followed a 12-week program using resistance band training only for exercise.

At the end of the study, these women showed significant gains in functional fitness. They also improved their glucose levels, total cholesterol and HDL levels!

Resistance band training is easy to do anywhere, even when on vacation.

Be sure to get instructions on using them properly and start using them at home. You will feel a difference in no time.





Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Exercise improves your body's strength and agility, but did you know it also improves your brain performance?

Research has shown that cardiovascular exercise helps create new brain cells. Enhancing brainpower and brain activity.

Exercising increases the production of cells that are responsible for learning and memory. So, working out also sharpens your memory.

All the more reason to exercise, especially as we age.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Staying hydrated is an essential part of staying well. In fact, studies find that staying hydrated may boost a particular immune response to enable your body to fight viruses better. It also helps to keep your mucus membranes moist, allowing your body to fight off viruses more efficiently.

A tip to boost your immune system even more is to infuse your water with citrus or cucumber slices and herbs. Choose the flavors you like best, which will also help you drink more.

If you aren't sure how much to drink, eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily is a good rule of thumb. 8×8 is very easy to remember.

Carry a refillable water bottle with you, drink it and fill it up many times during the day. Aim for 64 ounces a day.

It's an easy way to help yourself stay well!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

A goblet squat is an effective combination exercise for the upper and lower body. You could use a kettlebell, a dumbbell or a water jug. Make sure to get some instruction on proper form.

Form points:

1. Stand and hold the dumbbell, kettlebell, or weighted object at chest height. On your squat, ensure your knees stay behind your toes, bring your elbows to your legs and keep your chest and head uplifted.

2. In the standing position, press the weighted object above your head with your abs contracted and squeeze your glutes.

A combination exercise like this one is a great time saver. Just be sure, when you combine two exercises, that your form stays true on both.




Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

A side plank with a reach-through is a challenging exercise for your core. If you have already mastered a side plank, challenge yourself to this one today.

Lie on your side on the mat and raise up on one elbow and the side of one foot. Your whole side should be raised off the ground. Line up your body in a straight line. Keep your lower side lifted. Feel your abdominal muscles stay tight to support your weight. Use your upper arm to reach under your side and lift it back to the start position. This motion will activate your obliques and work your balance even more than a basic side plank. Work your way up to holding this plank for 60 seconds on both sides.

Modify, if needed, by planking from your bent knees to one elbow.

Planking will help to build a strong core.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Does it feel like you have a more challenging time resisting sweets or getting motivated to exercise than others? Well, you may not be imagining things.

We are all unique, and that goes for each of our weight loss and health challenges. Many factors weigh in.

Scientists are now focusing many research projects on genes and how they may affect our eating and exercise behaviors.

The scientists at, The National Institutes of Health recently discovered "Prkar2a", a gene in mice that drives the craving for sugary and fatty foods and their urge to exercise or not. The Prkar2a-negative mice ate less high-fat food and drank less sugar solution than mice with the active gene. Prkar2a negative mice also exercised less.

The next step in this study will be to research the role this gene plays in human obesity.

The hope is that discoveries like this will help us all to be able to take better control of our health and eventually help to lower obesity rates.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

As stressful as life gets, working out is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Working out will induce "feel good" hormones, called endorphins, into our systems and help lift our spirits.

Get up and go outside for a walk, use your exercise tubing or go for a bike ride. Whatever you are doing for exercise, continue to get up and do it. It will lift your spirits and raise feelings of positivity.

Work out today. It will help you to feel more peaceful.

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Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

You have the power to boost your immune system naturally. Eating foods that contain vitamin C boosts your immune system naturally. Fruits and veggies, high in vitamin C, can increase the production of white blood cells, which fight infections in our bodies.

So, be sure to include foods high in vitamin C in your diet to help protect your body.

Some foods high in vitamin C are citrus fruit, red bell pepper, broccoli and strawberries, to name just a few. Eat some of these fresh fruits and vegetables every day. You could put them in your salads, make a red pepper hummus, or steam some broccoli as a side dish tonight. Boost your immune system naturally.




Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Personal Fitness Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches!

Do you skip workouts often and find it challenging to eat healthy? If your answer is yes, you are not alone. Many people struggle with these things. There is something that can help.

Find your motivation. What motivates you? Some of our clients charge themselves $5 each day that they don't log their food or do their exercise, and then donate it to charity at the end of the month. If you think about it, you know what will motivate you.

Why is completing your daily activity and eating a healthy diet important to you? Why do you want to lose weight? The answer to this question is different for everyone.

No one can force you to do anything you don't want to do, so once you figure out why you must, it will be a powerful push toward a healthy lifestyle!

Take the time to write down why being active daily and eating a healthy diet is important to you.

Writing down your reasons for exercising, and reviewing them daily, is one of the secrets to a lifetime of fitness.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Here is a HIIT workout you can do at home with no equipment. It burns lots of calories and will raise your metabolism for hours.

Perform 2- 3 rounds of these 4 exercises (with a 15 second rest in between each exercise):

1 minute Plank with alternating side toe tap outs
Rest
1 minute Alternating Side Squats
Rest
1 minute Push-Ups
Rest
1 minute Alternating Reverse Lunge
Rest

Repeat this 2-3 times. Modify exercises as needed.

If you completed this workout, congratulations! You just burned mega calories and raised your metabolism.

Please consult your physician before starting any workout program.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Physical activity is essential for everyone, including children. With school starting back up children will be sitting more during school. They spend much time on phones and laptops after school as well. We need to make a concerted effort to get kids moving!

Since both you and your child need to exercise, if you are a parent or caretaker, find activities you can do together. Do activities that are fun and challenge each other. Physical activity will get you in a healthier state of mind and help you bond with each other.

Try one of the following exercise sharing activities.

How many pushups or modified pushups in one minute?
Each of you hold a plank as long as you can.
How many chair squats in a minute?
How many sit-ups in a minute can each of you do?
Compare how many steps you each get in a day.

Come up with a few exercise sharing activities you can both participate in and do them daily. See who comes out on top and who has improved the most after a month. Doing this may get you and your kids more mindful about getting in exercise.

Make it even more interesting; whoever improves the most in a month gets a prize!

Exercise also helps relieve stress, so keeping the whole family active is good.

Stay active everyone.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Changing just one thing, to be healthier, can get you moving in the right direction, and more things will likely follow. "Small changes make a big difference", is our mantra at The Body Studio!

Something as simple as eating a freshly prepared vegetarian meal a few times a week, or walking 20-30 minutes a day, can be the start of better health.

Try adding in one new healthy activity this month. Give yourself the whole month to make it a habit, then add another in September. Changing too many things at once can be overwhelming. Small steps work well.

It takes years to develop bad health habits, and it also takes time to change.

Making one small change for better health can be the start of many more healthy choices in the future.

Take a step in the right direction today!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Small changes in your self-dialogue can make big life changes.

Change "I wish" to "I will" and see what happens next!



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.

Got 15 minutes? Here's a 15-minute bodyweight "HIIT" workout you can do at home this weekend. It will burn mega calories in a short time and raise your metabolism for hours.

Perform 2- 3 rounds of these four exercises (with a 30-second rest in between each exercise):

1 minute up-down planks, Modification - Knee plank
Rest
1 minute Alternating Side Squats, Modification - chair squat
Rest
1 minute See Saw Plank, Modification - knee plank
Rest
1 minute Alternating Reverse lunge, Modification - seated single leg lifts
Rest

(Modify exercises as needed to accommodate physical limitations)

If you completed this workout, congratulations! You just burned mega calories and raised your metabolism!

Please consult your physician before starting any workout program.



Danny & Theresa Gordon are Entrepreneurs, Certified Personal Trainers & Lifestyle Coaches.