Health and Fitness Advice From the Experts at Kohl’s #GetActiveWithKohls
(Photo: Getty Images)
January is almost done — have you been keeping up with that New Year’s resolution to stay fit? Whether you have or not, Kohl’s is here to make sure you stay on track.
The retailer has enlisted a few experts to educate, encourage, and motivate folks to get active and to make that lifestyle change to help us keep up New Year’s fitness goals beyond January! We spoke to health and fitness guru Bob Harper from Daily Burn, and Kevin Curry, nutritionist from Fit Men Cook, on how to stay on course with healthier living for the rest of the year.
Bob Harper, Kevin Curry, Lea Michele, and other experts at Kohls #getactive event. (Photo: Courtesy of Kohls)
Bob Harper, host of America’s Biggest Loser, has worked out with everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Michelle Obama, who bought him onto her “Let’s Move” initiative. Bob chatted with us about staying motivated and working up the courage to face your fears working out at the gym.
Yahoo Style: How important is your look when you are working out?
Bob Harper: I love clothes, and when it comes to my workout clothes, I go basic, stay in black and keep it simple. But what I really love is fashion — when I work out really hard, I get to wear these amazing clothes that look good on, and when my clothes look good on me, I feel more confident. Working out and eating right for me translate into so many different aspects of my life. It makes me feel confident, and I tell people: This is a lifestyle choice!
Look good and feel good!
Women’s Gaiam Om Mesh Capri Yoga Leggings, $37.99, Kohls
Wome’s Nike Performance Dri-FIT Half-Zip Running Top, $55
Nike Dri-FIT bra, $30
Adidas NEO Cloudfoam Race Women’s Sneakers, $62.99
Fitbit Alta Wireless Activity Tracker, 4129.99
YS: How can you help someone who doesn’t like the gym or working out to get into fitness?
BH: You have to find something that is going to spark an interest … when you find that, you find out what it is you like to do. I can’t make someone do a workout that they don’t like. They won’t do it. The fun part [about] fitness [is it] becomes a laboratory [of sorts] in finding different [workout options]. So it’s like, am I going to try CrossFit, SoulCycle class, some sort of indoor running class? Whatever the case, you’ll find something that you like to do, and you will be more inclined to [stay active].
YS: Going to the gym can be quite intimidating. What advice would you give to someone who wants to make the change, but has anxiety about being in a place where everyone seems to look fit already?
BH: You know what, I have been in fitness for a long time, and those people in the gym are more inclined to embrace you as opposed to reject you. Gym people love what we are doing, so we want to get you onboard, and get you excited about it. The intimidation is valid, because you are putting yourself in a new situation. The best things in life are scary first — “Are people going to look at me or judge me?” But if you find that inner strength to get in there and take that first class, [to] walk into that gym for the first time, that fear is going to start to subside. But it is a hard thing to do at first.
Eating healthy with Kevin Curry. (Photo: Fit Men Cook / Instagram)
Kevin Curry, nutritionist and food Expert of Fit Men Cook, dished to us what he thinks will be the next trend in healthy eating — and it’s got nothing to do with kale!
YS: What advice can you give someone who wants a healthier 2017?
Kevin Curry: First thing is to set a goal — there are so many times when people start something and they don’t even know what they are working towards! You need to have something to remind yourself of why you are doing what you are doing. Setting a goal is very important! [Whether it’s] weight loss, muscle gain, or a 5K run, you need to give yourself an incremental amount of goals. And its not just about one goal, it’s goals, throughout the year, to help you stay motivated.
Second thing, start small! I have said myself so many times, “New Year, new me,” and by February, I’m like, “I have broken every single promise!” Start small to build up your confidence, so you don’t get burnt out. The reality is, you are trying to undo years of bad habits and behavior, so it is going to take some time to do that. You can’t just do everything from scratch, you have to start small and build up tolerance.
“The third thing is to forgive yourself. You are going to screw up, you are going to get off the wagon — and it’s OK. You have to learn how to get yourself back up and keep going! And lastly … have variety! Don’t eat the same thing every day. I encourage people to go out and try different cuisine, check different recipes. I advise people to try a new food every week, whether it’s broccoli or Swiss chard. Google a recipe, and try it and mix it into different cuisines — there are so much variety in the diets of Chinese cuisine, Mexican, etc. This will enrich your diet, so you have variety!
YS: About fad diets — what advice do you give someone to break the cycle there?
KC: The best way to stop fad diets is to never start. Stop having goals like “I have to lose 10 pounds in 30 days!” You have to have longer [term] goals, and you can’t rush them and in turn, cut out entire food groups and [make] drastic changes. This is more about a lifestyle change — it’s taken you a lifetime to get to this point, so it’s going to take awhile to undo all those habits — which is why you should not do fad diets at all. If you give yourself a treat meal where you can have anything you want and if you have plenty of variety in your diet, I promise you, you won’t even have as many cravings. But it’s important to plan around your treat meals, so you won’t fall off the wagon as often.
Hawaiian tuna poke bowl with seaweed, avocado, red cabbage, radishes, and black sesame seeds. (Photo: Getty Images)
YS: What food trends do you think will dominate 2017?
KC: I have seen a lot of pickup and interest in poke bowls and power bowls. We are moving towards fresh ingredients, where you can add variations of fresh fish, vegetables, etc., and have it all in one power bowl.
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