grit by brit – Page 17

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Football Field Workout

September 9, 2013 No Comments

How bout dem COWBOYS?! I’m starting my week on super positive note by celebrating a big (yet ugly) Dallas Cowboys victory over the New York Giants. 1-0 is a great start to the season! While watching the game last night, I had the idea to create a workout that would help me get a body like a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader (DCC)… Personally, I know several of the DCC ladies and let me tell you what, they work their booties off! I’m talking boot camps, hours of practices, strength training, hard-core dance rehearsals – it’s no joke. So, in the spirit of football season and in acknowledgment of the awesome bodies of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders – here’s boot camp style football field workout just a for you! No equipment is needed. The entire workout should take you about 45 minutes and expect to burn 600 calories. Enjoy and GOOOOOOOO COWBOYS! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation, Just for Fun

How to Handle Post-Workout Muscle Soreness

September 5, 2013 9 Comments

I hope your answer to this question is, “AWESOME!” While that may be true in the short-term, the day after a tough workout can often be pretty painful – muscle soreness anyone? Sore, achy muscles are a natural part of getting stronger, leaner and fitter. When we life heavy weights or take on a new workout regimen, we get micro tears in our muscles. Now don’t worry, these tears are actually beneficial because they force our muscles to rebuild, which burns a lot of calories and increases lean muscles mass. On the downside, we also feel the aches and pains – not so fun.

The good news is that you can effectively prevent and manage muscles soreness so that you don’t find yourself on the sidelines. Here are some of my “tried and true” tips for keeping the pain at bay:

Keep Moving – Contrary to popular belief, the worse thing you can do is be still. When we stop moving altogether, our muscles build up lactic acid and get stiff. Even though you may feel sore after a booty-kickin’ workout, try to do some light cardio the next day to keep blood flowing and prevent stiffness.
Eat Bananas – Bananas are full of potassium which prevents muscle soreness and cramping. Eating 1 banana post-workout will help prevent aches and pains.
Stretch – When muscles are repairing, they contract. Make sure to stretch and lengthen your muscles often. Fitness experts recommend at least 2 days per week of stretching. Remember to do dynamic stretching (stretching while moving/light stretching) before your workouts and static stretching (stretching while being still/deep stretching) ONLY after your workout. You should NEVER do static/deep stretching before a workout because your muscles are not warmed up and you’re likely over-strain your tendons or pull a muscle.
Stay Hydrated – Sufficient hydration is the magic answer to almost all body issues. Your body needs a lot of water to refuel after a tough workout so make sure your are giving it an adequate supply. Muscle pain is often a result of dehydration.
Ice & Ibuprofen – As a former college basketball player, Ice & Ibuprofen was my ultimate remedy after tough games. If you experience inflammation after working out, place an ice pack the swollen area and take some Ibuprofen. Remember, swelling is often a sign of overexertion or injury, so you may want to take it easier next time or consult with your physician if you experience continuous swelling.

Hope this tips are helpful. Now go get your workout on! Lots of Luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Don’t push deadlines…push your limits!

August 9, 2013 No Comments

Wishing you a wonderful weekend and encouraging you to make the most of your time! Often it’s easy for us to procrastinate and push the deadlines for our goals. BUT this weekend I encourage you to schedule some “YOU” time. Make time to exercise, update your planner, spend time pursuing your goals and most importantly, spend time with the people you love. We can accomplish so many things when we JUST DO THEM. Shock yourself this weekend! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Clear Your Mind of Can’t

July 4, 2013 4 Comments

Happy Independence Day to my US blog followers! I hope you enjoy some rest, relaxation, quality time with the people you love and (of course) a good workout! For those of you outside of the US, this blog post is also for you 🙂

On this day of freedom, remember that we are free in every capacity: emotionally, physically and spiritually! So, relish in that fact. Clear you mind of can’t. Anything you want in life, anything you desire to experience, all of it, IS YOURS! So, today, let’s accept our freedom. Be grateful for it. And let NOTHING hold us back from pursuing our dreams!

Let Freedom Ring! xoxo, Brit

Cardio, Home Workouts

SKIP into Shape! New Jump Rope Workout

May 30, 2013 8 Comments

I’m back on the road for work this week which means more Hotel Gym Workouts! There are jump ropes in the fitness center of my hotel, so this morning I made up a new jump rope circuit to “skip” into shape. It was a GREAT way to fight hotel gym boredom and to include some plyometric training in my routine. I felt super athletic while doing the exercises and got a good sweat!

Here are the details…

Calories Burned: 400-500
Duration: 40-45 minutes
Focus: Cardio + Lower body power and explosion from the jumping and burpees
Brit’s Commentary: Our bodies are SO efficient! This means we constantly need to change our workout routines so that our bodies have to adjust and thus, get stronger and burn more calories. Mixing a jump rope circuit into your usual cardio routine is a great way to SHOCK your body.

Remember, if we do what we’ve always done, we’ll get what we’ve always got. #GRIT

Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Why not have a BIG life? The World is Yours!

May 26, 2013 10 Comments

Happy Sunday guys and gals! I don’t have much to say to today. Just wanted to spread a little encouragement…

Life is short, but it’s also sweet. What are you doing to make the most of this life? What are doing to make your deepest dreams and desires come true? Whatever you are doing…keep on fighting! As long as you never quit, your dreams WILL become a reality. Why? Because you are powerful beyond measure and because the world is yours!

Say it…believe it #GRIT

Be blessed! Lots of luv, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

5 Fabulous Tips for a Healthy Body + Gorgeous Hair

May 19, 2013 1 Comment

If anyone ever asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up, my answer was always (and still is ) a “Talk Show Host.” This weekend was like taking a step toward my childhood dream! My “fit friends” from SportyAfros.com and I got to share health and hair tips on Good Morning Texas (that’s me on the right) – woo hoo!

Then we got to share more tips during the Dallas/Fort Worth International Natural Hair Meet Up Day! I was a health and wellness expert panelist for the event and shared all of my GRIT by Brit health and fitness advice! I also disclosed my personal tips for keeping my hair healthy and well-maintained despite my long sweat sessions at the gym.

Below are Whitney Patterson and Alexandria Williams, the co-founders of SportyAfros.com and amazing hostesses of DFW’s International Natural Hair Meet up Day!

whitney and alex

Each member of the panel, including me, lives a VERY active lifestyle. Obviously I’m a fitness instructor, but the panel also included a triathlete, a running coach and a personal trainer. While most would think that our love for fitness is what unites us, it’s actually our combined love for good health AND good hair.

That said, here are our Top 5 tips for a healthy body + gorgeous hair:

Stay hydrated – Drinking plenty water is critical for healthy hair. Not only does hydration speed up your metabolism (i.e make you sexy) it’s also needed to moisturize your scalp and thus your hair. Drink up ladies so we can keep those locks flowing 😉
Conditioner is key – I cannot say this enough. You must keep your hair moisturized! Our hair has to maintain an adequate level of natural oils to look and feel healthy. Since I sweat almost every day, I have to wash my hair a lot which strips it of natural oils. So, I always do a deep conditioning treatment and I keep a bottle of leave-in-conditioner in my gym bag to spray down my hair after workouts.
Breath & Meditate – Stress and anxiety causes hair thinning and dryness. If you notice a lot of breakage in your hair, check out your stress level. You may benefits from a little yoga or simply have some quiet time for reflection and relaxation.
Bye bye rubber bands – Make sure that the hair elastics you are using are gentle on your hair. If you are like me and wear a ponytail while you work out, be careful! We often wear our hair pulled back too tight and use hair elastics that cause breakage. Try to find a hair tie that is silky and smooth. A loose ponytail is always better than a tight one!
Biotin is your buddy – Take a Biotin supplement – trust me! It’s a great vitamin for your hair, skin and nails. It’s not expensive and it’s a super effective way to ensure your body is getting the nutrients it needs to keep your hair healthy.

Keep these tips in mind as you continue on your healthy journey – I hope they help you as much as they’ve helped me. My mom (middle), little sister (left) and I want to wish you a wonderfully beautiful week!

Stay gorgeous! xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

Get FIT and WELL with an Outdoor Workout

May 14, 2013 1 Comment

It’s Spring – yippee! The sun is shining and skin is showing, so take your workout OUTSIDE. A recent study showed that exercising outdoors improves “mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalization increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.” Source: Outdoor Fit

Above: Me teaching PiYo on the Wet Deck at the W Dallas Hotel last Saturday

Not only are outdoor workouts fun, they also provide lots of extra health benefits. Here are my top 3 reason you should take your sweat session out doors this Spring:

Burn More Calories – Running and cycling outside takes more energy due to overcoming wind resistance and balancing on uneven terrains. Also, people are naturally more enthusiastic when they workout outdoors and put more energy into their works resulting in higher calorie burn 🙂
Get some Vitamin D – UV rays from sun exposure give our bodies lots of Vitamin D which increases energy and vitality. Soak up those rays but don’t forget your sunscreen!
It’s FREE – Unlike working out in gyms or fitness studios, most outdoor workouts are absolutely free! Like my Pilates/Yoga class that I teach every Saturday morning at the W Dallas Victory hotel. Several yoga studios and boot camps offer free outdoor workouts in the Spring and Summer so keep you eyes peeled for special events. Better yet, try a track workout! And when in doubt, nothing beats a good old-fashioned run in the park with a jammin’ playlist 🙂

Enjoy the outdoors! xoxo, Brit

Inspiration & Motivation

3-Day Detox Cleanse by Dr.OZ

May 12, 2013 36 Comments

So, some of my best friends have been ranting and raving about the great results they’ve had with the Dr. Oz Juice Cleanse. Have any of you tried the cleanse before? Were you successful? Obviously, I have serious FOMO (fear of missing out) and have to try it for myself. I already went shopping and bought all of my ingredients (see pic below).

I’m especially excited about bathing in Epsom Salt every night! Growing up, my mother (a true country woman) would ALWAYS make me bathe in Epsom Salt to help soothe mosquito bites, achy muscles or open scrapes from playground accidents. No matter the issue, an Epsom Salt bath was her go-to cure.

What’s really interesting about this “cleanse” is that the drinks actually include A LOT of food. I spent $90 at Central Market today buying all of the ingredients. If you look closely at each of the drinks, they each include almost 4 full servings of fruits and veggies – that’s AMAZING! I have a feeling that the drinks are going to be very filling 😉

Also, I’m infatuated with Coconut Oil right now. I like to use it on my skin and in my hair for deep conditioning, but never have I ingested it. This will be a first. Last, the almond butter, almond milk and flax seeds are nice additions to help ensure I get sufficient protein Altogether, this cleanse is HEALTHY, BALANCED and LEGIT according to GRIT by Brit!

Follow me on Twitter @GRITbyBrit for my pictures and progress updates over the next 3 days. Also, please share your cleanse stories if you’ve decided to try it too!

Hope you had a great weekend – CHOOSE to have a great week ahead!

Inspiration & Motivation

5 Day Diet FOCUS Plan

April 21, 2013 8 Comments

Hey Gang! So I have a confession to make…

I have been eating TERRIBLY for the past 2 weeks. Not sure what my problem is, but I’ve developed some nasty habits (i.e. adding croutons to salads, snacking on candy, too many simple carbs for breakfast – sticky buns anyone?) The fact of the matter is, I’ve been making a lot of excuses to eat crappy food, and the excuses have got to stop – today!

While getting ready for my work week, I put together this 5 day diet FOCUS plan. Keep in mind that I’m a vegetarian, so if you are trying the plan for yourself and want to add some lean meat to one of the meals, by all means go for it!

Here’s my game plan for the next 5 days (Monday – Friday). Each day, my diet will look like this:

Breakfast – 1 cup black coffee, 2 cups water, fresh fruit w/Greek yogurt OR w/ all natural peanut butter
Min morning snack – 1 serving of nuts or trail mix, 1 large glass of water
Lunch – Large veggie salad with oil/vinegar dressing (NO croutons, cheese, or meat), 1 large glass of water
Afternoon Snack – fresh fruit, 1-2 cups hot green tea
Dinner – 1 serving vegetarian protein (black beans, humus, lentils, etc.), 2 servings of veggies

I’ll be tweeting my progress all week, so follow me @GRITbyBrit – wish me luck and have wonderful week!