Prism Fitness Group

Functional Fitness Equipment

Regular Exercise is Important to Immunity and Mental Health

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Regular Exercise
Effective exercises don't necessarily need to be complicated to be beneficial, and you don't need a lot of space to be efficient. Keep this in mind as you integrate movement into your daily life so you can be successful. Click To Tweet

It’s hard enough to commit to regular exercise during normal times, but at a moment in history when everyone’s schedule has been turned upside down, it can be an even bigger hurdle.

And even though time may be a little more abundant, the collective level of uncertainty and worry may be increasing your stress level and affect your overall well-being.

While you don’t have to commit to taking on something extreme right now, like marathon training, finding 20-30 minutes per day to move your body can give you big benefits.

According to the Mayo Clinic, physical activity pumps up the production of endorphins, which are your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters.  Tapping into your natural mood elevators can have lingering effects beyond the workout time and can help you tackle all the challenges that may be surrounding you right now. Exercising also reduces levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which are your body’s stress hormones. In addition to boosting your neurochemical functions, exercise can provide an opportunity to briefly step away from any stressors in your new schedule and focus on your mind-muscle connections.

Exercise has also been shown to create positive changes in your immune system by quickly circulating immune cells in the body and increasing the ability to kill bacteria and viruses. Keeping up with immune health is especially important right now, and is top of mind for many people.

Effective exercises don’t necessarily need to be complicated to be beneficial, and you don’t need a lot of space to be efficient. Keep this in mind as you integrate movement into your daily life so you can be successful.

Here are a few ideas to get you started with just a few pieces of equipment:

Resistance Bands

  • Bicep Curls (Hold handles in each hand in underhand grip and put middle of band under one foot. Lift hands from thigh to 90 degrees)
  • Front Raises (Hold handles in each hand with an overhand grip and put middle of band under one foot. Lift hands from thigh until they are straight out from chest.)
  • Side Raises (Hold handles in each hand with an overhand grip and put middle of band under one foot. Lift hands from thigh out to side until they are parallel with the floor)

SMART Medicine Ball

  • Jack Front Presses (Feet move in and out jumping jack style while ball presses in and out from chest)
  • Figure 8 Skaters (Move ball in figure 8 in front of body while hopping side to side on feet.
  • Halo Slam Balls (Move ball around head in semi-circle, when in front, slam ball down. Repeat)

SMART Stability Ball

  • 30 second wall sits (Sit in squat position with ball on lower back between body and wall. Hold.)
  • Stir it up (Elbows on ball, move in circles)
  • Stability Ball Donkey Kicks (elbows on ball, one knee moves toward ball, extends fully, repeat other side)

Stay fit and focused through the holidays.

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yoga flip fit and focused

Use these tips to maintain your calm, stay fit and focused, and ease the chaos of the season.

Increased social commitments. Gift shopping. Decorating, cooking, and houseguests.

While all of these are wonderful, they can add extra items on a to-do list that is already chocked full. This disruption of routine can cause anxiety or stress, even if you look forward to all of the traditions of the season. 

Schedule time for self-care.

Consciously scheduling moments to rest and rejuvenate can help you hold on to the joy this season is all about.

Yoga and Stretching: Try adding a short yoga or stretching sequence to your morning routine. Starting a busy day with a mind-body connection can be grounding and can leave you feeling better prepared to tackle your full schedule.

stretch on mat

Massage or Foam Roll: Don’t let the tension and anxiety get out of hand. Schedule a mini-session of massage or foam rolling at the end of the day to relieve those worked up muscle spasms. Those extra trips around the mall can leave your feet sore, so treat them to a little foot care while catching up on your favorite seasonal movie during some downtime.

Foam roller

Keep your gym schedule: It can be tempting to throw your gym schedule out the window when your schedule gets full. Don’t. Maintain your sanity by maintaining your workouts! Consistent workouts will help to boost endorphins and help burn off those extra cookies that may find their way to your plate. Plus, if you’ve been good about keeping your schedule, you’ll fly right into the new year with good habits.

Whether you’re looking to massage your lats, quads, lower back, or any other large muscle group, or trying to achieve a killer core body workout, The Grid is certain to suit your needs.

Let Go Notions of Perfection: It’s not always easy, but keep a realistic idea of what can and cannot be accomplished at this time of year. Find joy in the people, places, and things that come your way this season, and let go of the burned pies and negative emotions that will inevitably make an appearance this time of year.

No shame in opting out: You may feel an increasing pressure to say yes to every invitation and person. Be sure to identify boundaries and really recognize the obligations you are truly capable of. It can cause undue stress to fulfill the ones don’t work for you. If you feel bullied or pressured into meeting another person’s expectations, take the “opt-out route” if it conflicts with your needs or the needs of your loved ones.

Taking time to mindfully reflect on what truly matters, helps us keep our perspective and keeps the joy alive in our hearts.

Fun is Essential to Long Term Fitness Success

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Fitness Partners

Remember being a kid and running, jumping, and moving your body all day, being so immersed in play that you completely lost track of time? You weren’t thinking about how many calories you burned while you ran, or if you made sure you got enough plyometric jumping in for the day. Play is just as important for adults, and fitness is the perfect realm to incorporate some fun into your life.

Fitness is not a punishment

So many times people go to the gym and go to war with their bodies for poor food choices or to make up for lost time. Instead, consider ways to connect your physical activity to a broader sense of enjoyment or fulfillment. The sense of connection & playfulness is missing from our adult attitude about physical activity and exercise. Too often, exercise can be just another chore you need to fit into your day. It can be refreshing, and even joyful to bring back the playfulness and fun to physical activity. 

In fact, in a study published in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, exercise participants reported better moods and energy when they enjoyed the chosen activity.

Giving yourself a fun, physical challenge while doing something you love, it can be a great way to find long term fitness success. 

Try a Fitness Challenge

Sometimes it takes setting a goal to create a pattern of progressive work and a habit of consistency. Your goal could be to run an ultra marathon, do 50 pushups a day for a month, or be able to perform a specific fitness feat you haven’t been able to do. Try connecting with like-minded people to boost the sense of friendly competition.

In any case, by setting an end goal, you’ll have to create a plan on how you will meet your set challenge. Training and practicing for your goal can be just as can immersive as a kid playing outside all afternoon – if you have a good fitness fit. 

Finding Your Fitness Fit

It is vital to find an activity that’s a good fit and connects you to the joy of moving. When you move beyond the results-oriented idea of “just getting it done,” you open the possibilities to enjoy the journey.

Take your personality into consideration. Running can be very reflective and solitary, while group training adds an element of being social. Add in the unexpected if it suits you: tree climbing, tug of war, or a “Simon Says” Bootcamp. Try surrounding yourself with equipment that sparks joy and engages you to play, like our colorful line of SMART products: medicine balls, stability balls, and body-weight straps, and core wheels.

Our SMART Medicine Ball Challenge

Challenge your balance as you work up to this fitness feat! 

Remember, you must have strong legs and stable ankles to try this challenge. Work on squats, balance, and stability as part of your training.

Tips: 

Place hands on the ground in front of you to stabilize. Move one foot on a medicine ball, and then the next. Shift your weight back as you lift your torso up.

Two New Year’s Resolutions in One. Get Fit AND Stay Organized!

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Here’s a great solution to crossing off two popular New Year’s resolutions with one action.

 

 

Do you have an unused space in your house or business? Turn it into a mini gym!

The combination of exercises you can do with medicine balls, stability balls, fitness cables, smart mats, and foam rollers can keep your fitness schedule packed. And if you run out of ideas, look no further than the myriad of exercises – printed right on the products!

 

Plus, the Essential Storage tower holds all the products in a stylish, compact, and organized way. With all these products within easy access, you’ll lose the excuse of not having time to get to the gym.

 

Cardio, Strength, & Stretch in one system

 

Here are a couple ideas to get you started with your new mini-gym.

 

Build a Strong Core:

Medicine Ball Twists – Sit with feet on ground, lean back with back flat. Tap medicine ball from side to side, working your obliques and abdominal muscles. Try 3 sets of 10.

 

Build Leg Strength

Wall Sit with Stability Ball – Position ball between your back and the wall. Ease down into a squat positon. Hold for 60 seconds. Repeat.

 

Stretch Your Muscles

Partial Sun Salutations on the Smart Mat: Start in High Plank, then drop to low plank, keeping your elbows close to your ribs. Next, ease into up dog by lowering your body toward the ground, lifting your torso up, and positioning the tops of your feet on the floor. Finally, turn your toes under, heels toward the ground, and positon into an inverted V, or down dog. Repeat.

 

 

Stocking Stuffer Gift Ideas for the Fitness Fanatic in your life

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Do you have a fitness fanatic on your holiday shopping list? Or, maybe someone who needs a little more TLC in their life? We have some last minute, stocking stuffer gift ideas for your family, friends (and heck, why not buy one for yourself!)

 

 

Stocking Stuffer ideas

 

Fitness Finds

 

1. Quick Flip Handles & Fitness Cables

 

Our innovative Quick Flip handles allow you to change out different resistance levels by swapping bands. By allowing the cables to be interchangeable, you can create your own resistance system to strengthen and tone from head to toe.

 

Here’s how it works:

Easy Cable Insertion/Removal

  1. Simply lift the two sides of the flip-lock cable cup.
  2. Insert the cable plug through the hole (from the bottom).
  3. Then push down on the cable cups until they “click” into their secured position under the cable plug.
  4. Repeat for each cable cup (for Triple slot handle).

 

 

 

 

 

 2. Strength Bands and Mini Flat Bands

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Strength Bands provide smooth, constant resistance throughout the range of motion. The versatility of the resistance bands allows users to add assistance or resistance to any training routine. Bands can also be used for assisted pullups, stretching, conditioning, speed training, rehabilitation, and aerobics.

 

 

 

 

 

3. Weighted or Speed Jump Rope

Do you know that jumping rope burns approximately 650 calories per hour? It’s a super-efficient cardiovascular workout!

Our durable Speed and Weighted Jump Ropes are designed with rubber grip handles that contours to the hands of the user, taking pressure off the wrist. Both jump ropes are fully adjustable; change the length of the rope to fit any height.

Choose between a speed rope and a weighted rope for a comfortable and challenging workout based on your training goals. The speed rope is lightweight, making it easy to maneuver and accelerate to a sweat-dripping pace. Use the weighted version to add additional resistance to your exercise routine to turn up the intensity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Self Care Products

 

1. Nano Foot Roller

 

Increase flexibility and relieve pains in the foot and forearm areas. Patterned surface promotes blood flow.

 

 

 

 

Still have room under the tree? Try this:

 

2. Smart Recovery Self-Guided Muscle Release Roller

 

The Self-Guided Foam Roller is used to release muscle tension before, during and after workouts. It features 9 movements that are printed directly on the foam roller for easy reference. It is 2-ft long, which is wide enough to use on backs. The durable polyethylene foam is designed for moderate to heavy use while still holding its shape.

 

 

Happy Holidays from Prism Fitness Group!

Shop all our Self-Guided Product line!>>

 

Click on the photo to watch  a workout video sampler!

 

 

 

 

 

3 Benefits Of Being Outdoors

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Summer is fading. Back to school is almost here (or already started!). Before the daylight hours shorten too much, be sure to soak up as much time outdoors as possible.

 

Go for a walk after dinner. Squeeze in another sunset boot camp. Take a long bike ride. Get in one last hard swim in your nearest lake. Especially if you live in a climate where the snow piles up, and the outside activities do an about-face, you will want to sneak in some summer-specific activity.

 

Here are a few reasons why you will want to #getoutside these last few weeks of summer.

 

1.Your vitamin D levels will go up

 

According to a Harvard study, Vitamin D has disease-fighting powers that can affect everything from osteoporosis to cancer to depression to heart attacks and stroke. Direct sunlight on the skin is responsible for the creation of the biologically active form of the vitamin. 10 – 15 minutes is all that it takes for a daily dose. Remember, of course, to use common sense to avoid the dangers of too much sun.

 

 

2) Being outside may help improve mental health, stress, and overall physical health.

According to a Stanford-led study, there is quantifiable evidence that spending time walking in nature may lead to a lowered risk of depression. It has also been shown to reduce blood pressure and, according to one study, show “promising effects on self-reported mental wellbeing immediately following exercise in nature which is not seen following the same exercise indoors.”

 

 

3) Time outdoors may correlate to higher quality academic performance.

According to one Finnish study, there is some evidence that promoting a physically more active lifestyle may benefit the development of reading skills. This is excellent news for children gearing up for back-to-school. Get them outside as much as possible in these last few days before school starts.

 

 

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