10 TIPS TO GET THE BEST SLEEP EVER

Hi Friends!

For as long as I can remember, I have struggled to get a good nights sleep. I would wake up in the middle of the night, be restless and just toss and turn all night. I have made a few changes over the last couple months and have seriously had some of the best sleeps ever. I have noticed huge changes in my mood, energy, diet, workouts, health, productivity and overall wellbeing from getting these good sleeps in so I wanted to share my little tips and tricks with you all on the blog today! If you're interested, just keep reading!

1. Establishing a Sleep Schedule
Establishing a regular sleep-wake schedule is key to regulate your body's clock. When you establish a regular sleep pattern, it allows your circadian rhythm to operate at its best keeping your hormones in check allowing for deeper sleep.

2. Relaxing Bedtime Routine
Prepare for sleep by getting your body into a calm, relaxed state. Some of my favourite ways to do so are a hot bath, reading in bed with a hot tea, or meditating. Avoid stress like work.

3. Essential Oils
One of my favourite ways to wind down and relax before bedtime is by using essentials oils. I often put a few drops of lavender or ylang ylang into my nebulizer to get the scent in the air. I have also been loving my Sleep Well Therapeutic Roll On Oil by Province Apothecary to help me relax and put me into a deeper sleep.

4. No Electronics
I know we all love to watch some tv before bed but I can't stress enough how much of a change I have seen without using electronics a couple hours before bed. Bright lights can decrease melatonin, a natural hormone your body secretes that helps to maintain your sleep-wake schedule, making it harder to fall and stay asleep.

5. Comfortable Bedsheets
I often overlooked just how much of a role good bedsheets play in getting a good nights sleep. It is definetly worth the splurge on top quality, organic bedding. I have been wanting Cariloha sheets for a long time now and a few months ago finally splurged. I picked up the Cariloha Resort Bamboo Bedsheets and have fallen in love since day one. Not only are they super suuuper soft, they are also thermal regulating, odor and allergy resistant, environmentally sustainable AND they have a lifetime warranty. Best. Sleeps. Ever.

6. Cutting Caffeine
We all love a cup of Joe but being aware of how late you are drinking it is very important. Even if I am going to the gym after work, I have been trying not to consume caffeine after 3pm. This is different for everyone depending on tolerance but for me I find this works best. Drinking coffee too late in the day can delay melatonin release and cause sleep disturbances and restlessness.

7. Exercise Daily
Aside from the numerous health benefits of exercising, being active also helps with overall quality of sleep and sleep duration. Whether it's lifting weights or going for a 15 minute walk a day, exercise can decrease stress, fatigue your body & mind, and in turn result in better sleep.

8. Sleep Environment
This one is so key. Keeping your bedroom dark, cool, calm and quiet helps you to fall and stay asleep. You have to turn your bedroom into a sleep haven. Bright lights decrease melatonin as i mentioned earlier so try to keep your room dark before and during bedtime. Our body temp naturally drops as we fall asleep so keeping a cool bedroom can jump start the process and make it easier to fall asleep. A quiet bedroom or one with soft relaxing music or white noise encourage relaxation and in turn goo sleep. And lastly calm. Keeping the room without electronics or stress eases our minds into a good sleep. I also find it helpful to have my room organized so my mind is decluttered and calm, ready for bed.

9. Natural Supplements
Other than essential oils, sometimes I'll take natural supplements to aid with my sleep. Of course it's never good to depend on something to make you fall asleep, but I do like to use these from time to time. Some of my go-tos are Camomile Tea, Natural Calm Magnesium Supplement, and Melatonin.

10. Progressive Relaxation
If you can't fall asleep or struggle to stay asleep, progressive relaxation may be worth a try! It is a relaxation technique used to relax the body and mind by developing the ability to recognize and relieve tension. Muscle tension consumes energy inefficiently and decreases circulation in the body, resulting in a buildup of toxins and tension causing aches and pains. Progressive relaxation consists of alternately tensing and releasing different muscle groups. Basically you hold each muscle contraction for 3 to 5 seconds followed by a relaxation phase of 10 to 15 seconds where you release the tension. Noticing the differences between sensations of strain and calmness allow us to experience the relaxation.

That's all guys. I hope you find some of these tips helpful in your everyday life and start getting some great sleeps in! If you have any other tips or tricks to get a great nights sleep, feel free to comment them below!

On-the-Go/Travel Fit Chick Hacks

Hi friends!

Travelling is super exciting, but it can often be difficult to stay on track when you are not home for long periods of time. Healthy options while travelling can be difficult to find and not to mention expensive! Whether you're going on vacation, or just heading out for a day trip, these are some of my fit girl hacks that I find super helpful!

1) BYOS (Bring Your Own Stevia)
I always carry packets of stevia in my purses, travel bags, etc. Having stevia on hand is the perfect way to naturally sweeten your coffee, iced tea, oats, etc without adding extra calories and empty carbs to your meals.

2) Aminos As Juice
I also always pack my BCAAS (branched chain amino acids) whenever I know I'm going to be out of the house for a while. I love to sip on my chilled aminos as an alternative to sugary juices. I love drinking my aminos during my workouts, but I found that drinking them during the day helps me beat sugary cravings and reduce muscle soreness while tasting delicious. Some of my favourites include: Her BCAA's by 1UP Nutrition which also have glutamine and collagen added, as well as Her Aminos by NLA for Her. Seriously these taste just like juice!

3) Pack Snacks/Meals
There is nothing worse than hunger striking while you are out and about and having no healthy options around. To help stay on track, and save some money (airports can be super pricey), I will often pack meals with me like chicken, sweet potatoes and zucchini, but if that isn't an option or for longer trips, these snacks are super helpful! Some of my go-to fave snacks to pack are: protein bars, nuts, protein powder, little almond/peanut butter packets, oats (super easy to make anywhere that offers hot water/microwaves) and fruit. All of these options are travel friendly so you can stick them in your backpack or luggage and keep them on hand during your trip.

4) Stay Hydrated
Sipping on water throughout the day not only increases energy, reduces fatigue and boosts immune system; it also provides a ton of other benefits like reducing hunger acting like a natural appetite suppressant.  Sometimes, when you think your body is craving sugar, your body is really just calling out for water! Staying hydrated will make you less tempted to reach for sugary foods and drinks.

5) Keep It Moving
Sure it's great to rest and relax on vacation, but for me, exercising is what makes me happy and keeps me sane. I love to check out new gyms in the area I'm staying or get creative at the hotel gym. If a gym isn't an option, plan a sightseeing day trip that involves lots of walking or maybe even hike up a near by trail. If the weather is nice, rent out some bikes and go exploring with friends for the day. There are a ton of fun ways to get creative and be active!

My boyfriend Jacob and I getting a lift in at Gold's Gym on our recent trip to Orlando, Florida.

6) Pickup Some Essentials
If you're staying for a couple days, I always find it super helpful to hit up the local grocery store and grab a couple small essentials to snack on like: eggs, fresh fruits and veggies, greek yogurts, cheese strings, toast, peanut butter, oats etc. Having these around will allow you to have healthy options when you are hungry between meals as well as save some money on buying snacks out!

7) One and Done
You're allowed to enjoy your vacation and treat yourself here and there, but don't turn it into a cheat meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Pick one high-calorie item every day or every couple days (depending on your fitness goals) that you want to try like the local gourmet ice-cream shop for dessert and enjoy it, then move on and get back on track!

I hope you guys find these tips helpful to incorporate into your travels!

NTC WORKOUT: #GETOUTHERE

To celebrate Nike.com arriving in Canada, this weekend I had the opportunity to partake in a Nike Training Club workout. The class took place outdoors led by Nike master trainers, Eva Redpath and Ryan Lauderdale and Olympic Athletes including Paula Findlay. We got out there braving the cold weather, geared up head to toe in Nike's latest cold weather gear and heated things up with an intense HIIT workout. We turned the core of Downtown Toronto into our gym with an incredible view of the skyline and the stunning lit up CN tower. 

My boyfriend and I geared up head to toe in Nike's latest cold weather gear.

The workouts are inspired by the NTC app. They are only 45 minutes long but don't be fooled, that is definitely is enough to give you a full body burn! Trust me!

Pictured alongside Nike Toronto's local trainer Megan Moniz and our boyfriends.

I wish I could describe how amazing it felt to push through such an incredible workout and be surrounded by such positive energy. I am so glad I got to be part of this unreal experience. If you guys ever get the chance to participate in a NTC class, I highly recommend you do :) #GETOUTHERE #betterforit

Couples Fitness Photoshoot with Mark Ruddick Photography

Hey readers!

Back in September, I had the awesome opportunity to work with Mark Ruddick of Mark Ruddick Photography. He is a London based photographer who specializes in fitness and fight photography, so of course Jake and I did a couples fitness photo shoot.
It was so amazing to work with a photographer who appreciates fitness as much as we do and the best part was that he knew exactly how to position us to make the photos look perfect. If anyone is looking for fitness or fight photos in the London area, I highly recommend you check him out! It was such a great experience and I wanted to share some of the final photos with you guys.

Trying to capture the perfect shot was actually a killer core workout!

Since Mark specializes in fitness/fight photography, we thought I'd be fun to throw on these punching gloves and play around a little bit. I promise nobody was hurt in the process!

If you thought planking was hard...try planking on your boyfriend!

All photos shot by Mark Ruddick Photography

Thanks for stopping by :)

Workout of the Day: Legs and Booty

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today I'm sharing my leg and booty day workout from this morning with you. I did a lot of barbell work and felt amazing after this, not to mention exhausted. If you're looking to change up your leg day routine, I highly recommend giving this workout a try! Or even incorporating a couple of these exercises into your next leg day. I love to switch up my routine! I like to start with the bar for most of these exercises to warm up and then work up to my heavier working sets. I hope you enjoy this and let me know if you try it :)

Workout:
- 10 minutes on the stair master to warm up
- Stretch to warm up muscles
- Sumo Squats 4x10
- Front Squats 4x10
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts 4x10
- Cable Glute Kickbacks 4x10
- Reverse Hip Abductors 4x10
- Hip Thrusts 4x10 (I love to do these on the leg extension machine to take the pain off my hips and really target the glutes)
- Glute Pushdowns on the Assisted Pullup Machine 4x10
- Cool down Stretch

What I love to do if I don't know a particular exercise is to look it up online! There's tons of videos that show the exercise and give tips on form as well. I also have videos posted on my Instagram of pretty much all these exercises so you can click here to see those!

Positive Quote of the Day: 

xoJess

Ways to Make Cardio More Fun!

Hey Readers! Let's face it. With this kind of cold weather around, we often dread leaving our beds. While cardio is great for increasing heart rate and burning calories...it can also be super boring! Exercise is key in staying healthy, so why not enjoy it? Here are some ways I like to spice up cardio and beat the cardio boredom!
 1) WATCH TV/VIDEOS- When I'm watching something it distracts me from checking the time every 30 seconds and my workout goes by way faster! My home gym has individual TVs for each cardio equipment piece which is amazing! But at school unfortunately we don't so I use my phone or iPad to catch up on some tv shows and youtube videos.

 2) MAKE A NEW PLAYLIST- I always have the best workouts on days where I refresh my music. Music is an awesome way to get pumped up and the same old songs can lose motivation after a while so it's nice to spice it up once in a while. Create a fun workout playlist to give you some energy and motivation. Some of my favourite artists for the gym are: Timeflies, Sean Paul and Beyonce.

 3) DO AN INTERVAL WORKOUT- Beat that boring hour long steady state cardio session and actually burn more calories in less time. Yeah you heard me, I said burn more calories in less time! HIIT (high intensity interval training) has been proven to be a quick and effective way to burn a ton of calories. You basically just switch up your speed and incline to go full intensity for about 30 seconds to a minute followed my low intensity for about 1 to 2 minutes after to recover. There are tons of awesome HIIT workouts you can find online. Let me know if you would like me to post some of my favourites!

 4) TRAIN WITH A FRIEND- I don't know about you guys but I love working out with a friend. It pushes you to work harder and you have fun too! If you're new to the gym, this is a great way to feel a little more comfortable and to get some inspiration from your BFF! Working out is a great way to spend time with your friends. Heavy dinner dates and going out to clubs can get in the way of your goals, but this way you're making time for friends in a healthy way.

 5) SET GOALS- signing up for a 10K or a tough mudder definitely helps push you at the gym. Keeping these goals in mind often gives you that extra motivation to run that last mile. I do the Sporting Life 10K every year in May, so I often train beforehand to get better and beat my time from the previous year. Even setting small goals like running one mile without stopping are effective because it feels so good to accomplish them! No matter how big or small your goal is, set it and it will give you something to strive for and give you some awesome motivation!

xoJess

Tips for Newcomers/Gym No-No's

Hi readers!
 Hope you're all enjoying the new year so far! Mine basically consists of early mornings, enormous amounts of caffeine, SNOW EVERYWHERE (why did I choose London Ontario for university again?), note taking in lecture and workouts in a packed gym. One of my new year fitness goals was to try new things. I enrolled in two dance courses that count towards classes in University. I took dance composition and modern dance. I will basically be dancing 5 days a week for 2 hours among incredible dancers with crazy amounts of competing and performing experience. Although I have danced since I was younger I never considered myself competitive level and choreographing dances and performing scares the heck out of me. Guess it's time to overcome that considering that's what my semester will consist of. Pretty excited for our intense core abs series to start next week though! During dance class today I was amazed by the dancers who seem so comfortable and look like professionals that could do this in their sleep. Their dancing seems to be flawless and effortless. I felt so inexperienced and new to everything. It made me think of the newcomers in the gym this 2015. They are trying to make a healthy positive change and it's hard coming into a place with all these experienced fit people and having no idea what's going on. You come in surrounded by all these new machines, people benching 350lbs, and everyone doing their thing. We were all there at some point and instead of bashing them we should try to give them advice and encouragement to continue their amazing health/fitness journey. I decided to create a post with some tips for newcomers. I really wish someone would have given me some encouragement/advice when I was just starting out but after meeting my boyfriend he definitely helped me get the hang of things and still motivates and encourages me everyday. So don't worry guys I got you covered! Hopefully you'll find these helpful.

1) MAKE A PLAN- planning which days you are going to workout and what exercises you will do is key. Set up goals and how you will achieve them. Coming in with your workout in mind or written down will prevent you from looking lost, intimated and confused in the middle of the gym now knowing what to do next and plus you're more likely to stick to it! GOING TO THE GYM WITHOUT A PLAN IS LIKE GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE WITHOUT A LIST. The extra couple minutes to plan will be worth it.

2) STAY CONSISTENT- you are not going to see results right away. Doing one workout is not enough to make a full body transformation. Make sure that you are committed to the process. That means getting your sleep, making healthy nutritional food choices, doing your workouts, not overdoing it with partying and never giving up. Make getting healthy/fit your priority and I promise you it will be worth it. So stick with it and achieve your goals!

3) MAKE ATTAINABLE GOALS- if your goals are too far-fetched you will be disappointed and likely quit. But on the flip side if your goals aren't making you work for it then that's a waste of time too. Don't take shortcuts, it will take time. The only way to achieve these goals is through hard work, consistency, discipline, determination. Have some fun with it too to keep it exciting! If you shortcut your efforts, you ultimately shortchange your results.

4) SWITCH IT UP- whether you're going to do your usual cardio regiment or the same old leg day sequence...you need to change it up. This could be exercise order, sets, reps, weights, intensity technique or even the overall makeup of your training. Adding these changes to your workout will allow your body to experience different stimulus and build more strength, size, and/or balance. So try out some new variations, just give it some time before you switch again! And on the plus side if you ever have an exercise planned and the machine/bench/weights you need are busy, you'll have an alternative!

 5) NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING- you can train 6 times a week but if you're diet is sloppy, you will not make progress. You have to eat according to your goals in order to see results. Eat healthy, nutritional, whole foods and it will make a world of a difference.

6) DO NOT CURL IN THE SQUAT RACK- this is seriously the most frustrating and probably the best way to make people hate you at the gym. You want to avoid this. There's only one place to do squats...the squat rack. If the squat rack was for curling...it would be called the rest of the gym.

7) LADIES DO NOT BE AFRAID TO LIFT HEAVY- it will not make you bulky, women do not have enough testosterone to look manly. You will however find yourself with a nicer butt, strong core, strength, confidence and a positive outlook. It will do your body good and enhance your female curves!

8) GUYS DO NOT SKIP LEG DAY- they are a whole half of your body and look silly if your only working upper body. Balance is key and legs need to be trained too.

 9) PUT AWAY YOUR WEIGHTS/EQUIPMENT- nobody enjoys hunting through the gym to find their weights placed in a random corner. If you used them, put them back after your done. Same with wiping down machines, you want to leave the machine clean so the next person after you can use it as well. We all need to respect others in order to maintain a functional environment and that involves cleaning up after yourself.

10) DON'T BE A WEIGHTHOG- there is nothing more frustrating than trying to find dumbbells only to see the person next to you using 4 sets of different weights for their super double triple drop supersets. Be aware that other people may need some of those weights as well and use them sparingly.

 11) GOOD FORM AND FULL RANGE OF MOTION- try to focus on keeping good form and full range of motion in exercises before upping your weight. Lifting heavy with bad form and no range of motion does much more harm than good, and usually results in injury. You can use the mirrors to check on your form or ask a friend/buddy to check for you.

 12) PRACTICE GOOD GYM MATH- don't be that person loading up their squat with 5x 10lb plates. 10lb plates are meant to be added to slightly up your weight not make up your entire stack. Use a 45lb and a 5lb to make up your 50lb instead of the 5 10lb plates. It's probably going to actually be easier to balance and even looks heavier! ;)

13) GUYS...DO NOT HIT ON GIRLS AT THE GYM- fellas...the ladies are at the gym to train, not to be creeped out and hit on by you. It is not the time and place for that. There are much better scenarios for this. Don't be that one guy that girls avoid because he makes them uncomfortable. I'm not saying you shouldn't talk to opposite genders at the gym, but keep it respectful and appropriate. Pickup on social cues.

14) BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S SPACE- if someone is in the middle of a set, don't disrupt them by getting in the way of their range of motion. It's annoying and frustrating to have to stop and move because someone decided to get too close to you. Be mindful of other people's space and try not to invade it. It's dangerous and disrespectful.

15) DON'T BE AFRAID- it's understandable to be nervous, but keep in mind not everyone is looking at you. People are busy doing their own workouts so don't feel stressed out about yours. You showed up and that's the most important part. You're trying to become a better version of yourself which involves showing up and trying new things. You'll get the hang of it in no time. Don't be afraid to ask for help with exercises, form, spots, etc. The gym community is usually really friendly and open to helping one another out as long as someones not in the middle of a set you should be okay with asking for some advice!

xoJess

Workout of the Day: Glutes and Hammies

Hi Everyone!
Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday and all my fellow students are enjoying their last day of break! Glutes and Hammies are by far my fave muscles to train!
Here is today's full workout.
-Warmup 10 Minutes steady state on stairclimber
-5 minutes of stretching - Romanian (stiff leg) dumbbell deadlifts (with raised toes on plate to feel it more in my hamstrings) 4x15 with 20-25 lb dumbbells
-Hip Extensions with cable (15lbs) 3x15, superset with:
-Glute Blaster Kickbacks with cable (15lbs) 3x15
-Hamstring cable curls unsupported (15lbs) 3x15
-Glute pushdowns on assisted pull-up machine (70-90lbs) 3x15
-Hip thrusts on smith machine (45lbs on each side) 3x15
-Glute hamstring raises 3x15
-5 minutes of stretching/foamrolling

 A little tip for people who are unfamiliar with some of these exercises...type it in on youtube and you can watch videos on how to perfect these exercises! That's what I always do when I'm unsure of an exercise and it really helps. I also post exercise videos quite frequently on my Instagram http://www.instagram.com/jessfitnessbarbie if you wanna check those out!
Wishing ya'll a great week!

 xoJess

New Year, New Me. Fitness Goals for 2015

Hi fitfam,
Thought I'd start my first post on my new blog off with some new year inspiration. I'm going to be sharing my fitness/health goals for 2015 with you guys...and now I'll also be held accountable! Feel free to follow my fitness journey here or on my IG @jessfitnessbarbie where I'll definitely be keeping you up to date on my progress with these goals. Also feel free to join me in working at/achieving these goals!

1) do 5 unassisted close grip pull-ups
2) do core/ab exercises more often (3x a week)
3) yoga/meditate once a week
4) squat a plate (5x5)
5) try new healthy recipes (ex. protein crepes/waffles)
6) log my workouts and meals via (holding myself accountable helps keep me motivated)
7) try new fitness group classes (zumba and hiphop are such high energy fun ways to get some cardio in)
8) stick to my IIFYM (if it fits your macros) diet plan
9) train for a challenge (ex. Sporting Life 10K, OPA Bikini)
10) Say yes to adventure (take more chances) Happy New Year and Happy Training!

xoJess