Welcome To Health & Wellness Post

WomanFlex-243x300Through strength training and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle, I have achieved better health, a strong core, strength and definition in my arms and legs, and confidence … confidence in walking alone at night, and confidence in myself and my abilities. Now, I want to take what I have learned and share it with you through my health site so that you too can achieve your fitness goals while improving your life.

Three important things you should know about strength training:

1. Strength training (different from bodybuilding) is no longer just a man’s sport and it doesn’t make women big and bulky.

2. Strength training is a leading way to lose weight because muscle burns fat. The more muscle you have, the more fat you’ll burn.

3. Strength training slows down the aging process.

About The H&W Post:

This site is dedicated to teaching others how to gain better health by eating right, exercising regularly, and strength training. As the owner of this site, I am a big believer in avoiding “diets”, drugs, and weight loss supplements. And I believe good health and weight loss can be achieved naturally, with dedication, determination, and consistency … for the rest of your life.
I have a passion for strength training and I would like to share with you the knowledge I’ve gained and the experiences I’ve encountered. So please subscribe to The H&W Post and use the free information to assist you in changing your health habits. And live a longer healthier life!

 

Low Impact Personal Transportation Options

Walking is a great way to get in shape for some people, but it can also be something that is difficult for others to do; especially over long distances or when running. Kids and elderly are mostly the ones who may suffer from painful experiences when walking or running. Their knees tend to hurt. Kids then become cranky and our elderly loved ones feel the need to sit down and relax often. This can make it difficult to go shopping or to an event of some kind. However, you can make it easier on the people in your life by offering low impact personal transportation options for them to use.

The Challenge of Walking

There are some places that are easy to walk or jog in. Some people feel more pain when they are walking on concrete than they do when walking in a park. They may feel more pain walking in areas that are unlevel. Kids may end up aching because of normal growing pains that every child must deal with occasionally. Elderly may have less cartilage in their knees and therefore feel more pain with each step they take. Although walking is easy and considered low impact, it can still cause issues for some people. The challenge increase as the speed does, and even overall healthy adults who are active can feel pain when attempting to jog to work.

What Causes Pain When Jogging?

Most people say that they feel pain when jogging because of the constant jarring that their feet, ankles, and knees feel. This could be caused by improper shoes and there are running shoes that may help you through it. They are lighter than other tennis shoes and give you a sole that is shaped to work best for running. Most of the time, its not something you should let stop you from jogging because it is healthy to do it, but you may want to take along something to help you reach your destination if it becomes too painful.

Low Impact Personal Transportation Options

Mobility ScooterIf you know someone who is elderly and still wants to be active, a child who sometimes refuses to walk for long distances, or feel pain when you walk too much; it makes it hard to get out and do the things you may want to do. You should know that you do not have to give up walking through the zoo, spending time at the mall, or doing anything else you may enjoy. You simply have to find ways to make it easier. For instance, a single wheel scooter seen at ScooterSmarter can help your children have fun and your elderly family members can be comfortable. As long as a person is able to stand and balance themselves, they can use these transportation options and if they are unable to do so, there may be other options for them to consider. In short, pain does not have to stand in your way of having a good time, no matter what age you are. Simply look for your ideal transportation options.

Best Activities for Burning Calories

Burning CaloriesMost people have a few extra pounds that they want to lose. They want to tone and tighten. They want the cardio exercises and they want to feel better. It is all a part of getting healthy and staying healthy and good health depends on more than simply eating healthy. There are a lot of great activities for achieving your goals, but there are some that work better than others. They are the best activities for burning calories and they are also going to tone, tighten, and improve your cardio health.

Gym Workouts that Burn Calories

Resistance training and aerobics are great ways to burn calories at the gym. You can do both low impact and heavy-duty stuff if you want to. You can also take part in jump roping, using machines to ride a bike or stair climbing machines. The main thing is that you need to be on your feet and active. You can join a Zumba class and start doing Pilates. There are a lot of great things you can do at the gym, but there are some people who would rather get out of the gym and still burn them. Others say that instead of using a treadmill, you will burn more if you get out into nature for a hike or even a slow paced walk through the park.

Best Activities to Burn Calories

One of the great things about burning calories is that it often goes along with cardio exercising. Therefore, you need to focus on the things that put your body to work in every way. You can go bowling or dancing, cycling or golfing. The choice is yours. There are low impact things you can do and very active things. There are some who feel that yoga is a great way to burn a lot of calories at one time and that it also strengthens your core. Swimming, skiing, and other types of activities are both fun sports and great to take part in. As is going out in a canoe because it gets your heartrate up and gives your upper body a total workout.

Get Active, Stay Active

Virtually anything you do can make it so that you are healthier and happier. All you really have to do is find a way to get on your feet each and every day. If walking in the park becomes boring; take a hike. When hiking becomes routine; you can visit a new area or go to an area that allows mountain climbing hikes. If water skiing season ends; try snow skiing. If you get bored with a canoe; try to discover a difference between kayak and canoe. Surprising to many you burn quite a few calories kayaking.  When those get boring and you want to move onto other things, you may even consider trying to get on a stand-up paddle board or something else. You will lose more calories doing things that you feel are fun and exciting. Changing it up will keep it interesting. As you do new things, you will also tone different parts of your body. That is better than a gym any day.

Benefits of A Healthy Mouth

When you think about meeting new people, you may not always think about the fact that the first thing the person will see is your smile. However, whether you think about it or not; it is true. People talk to you and they see your smile and they may even glimpse your teeth. Therefore, if you want to make a great first impression; you should always do your best to ensure you smile brightly. There are also other benefits of a healthy mouth that may surprise you.

The Importance of Good Dental Hygiene

Good oral hygiene is obviously a great way to prevent bad breath, gum disease, and tooth decay so that you never have to worry about a person’s first impression of you, but there are more substantial reasons to work toward a healthy mouth. It may make it easier for your doctor and you to find out about medical issues since many of them show up in your saliva. Mouth sores and other medical issues may give doctors a heads up on whether you have diabetes, liver issues, Parkinson’s disease, or aids in your system. A drop of saliva can also carry cancer markers and help doctors monitor you if you are at risk for osteoporosis. Your mouth and saliva can also help your body by blocking bacteria and viruses that may make you sick.

Saliva is your main defense against many issues, but still yet; one of the main things that can lead to infections and disease is plaque. Plaque buildup on your teeth can make it harder for you to gain control of diabetes and resistance to cardiovascular disease. Women who do not brush often and have excess plaque or develop severe gum disease may also risk not being able to carry a baby to term or having that baby weigh less than it should.

Teaching Kids Healthy Habits

With all the benefits of a healthy mouth, why would you skip teaching kids to take care of their mouth? From birth, kids have saliva and it is often a great way for doctors to test for illnesses, such as strep throat. Kids are also going to eat candies and drink sugary drinks. Even if you monitor their intake of these things, it can still cause cavities which may give plaque more places to hide and eventually the child may develop pain and other issues. Beyond that, seeing a dentist early can help you and your child plan ahead. The dentist will be able to tell you if your child may have overcrowded adult teeth or if their teeth buds have formed properly.

Visit Your Dentist Regularly

Most people, especially children, should brush their teeth daily and then reinforce the healthiness of their mouth by visiting their dentist often; at least once a year for a cleaning and checkups. There are a lot of great dentists for kids like Metro Kids Des Moines available all over the US and it is never too early to start teaching your child to take care of their mouth and teeth. Are you ready to find a dentist in your area and teach your kids how important their smile is to them and their future?

 

KW: metro kids des moines

Link To: dsmpd.com

Bath Time Fun for Kids

Dove For BabiesEveryone knows that cleanliness is a good thing for all people. It is something that most all of us do on a daily basis and feel very dirty if we happen to miss out on our daily showers. However, what you may not realize is that kids need to bathe daily, more than any other person. This means that it is extremely important that you make bath time fun for kids, especially since most kids would rather avoid them.

Why Bath Time Matters

Good hygiene should start long before body odor becomes an issue. In fact, even babies should take baths frequently, although most do not need baths daily until they are more mobile. The reason children should take baths daily is because they are often exposed to more germs than adults. They go outside to play and may put their hands in their mouth afterward, they go to daycare and cough or sneeze without covering their mouth, they share hair accessories or do any number of other things that you may not want to know about; including sit on toilet seats that are shared by any number of other people. With all those things combined, the chances of illness spreading are quite high. The only way to lessen the risk is to teach kids from a very early age to wash their hands and bathe often.

Make Bath Time Fun for Toddlers

Most toddlers enjoy bath time or at least certain parts of it. They may enjoy splashing around, but not the “getting a bath” part of it. This is where it becomes very important that you do what you can to make it more fun for them. You can do this easily using bath toys that are designed to entertain them. You can have basketball hoops and balls that are bathtub friendly, water squirters, empty bottles, and a variety of other things, depending on what your child enjoys. Toddlers who grow bored with bath time may enjoy having a waterproof book to “read” while they are in the tub or using shaving cream to “paint” themselves. You can also add in a tiny bit of food coloring to change up the colors a little.

Interesting Bath Time for School Aged Children

Kids Shower Time

As kids become preschool and school age, the thrill of splashing around can sometimes fade away. Kids love to be entertained. They enjoy experiencing new things. You can purchase bath fizzes which will change the color of their water or put a little bath slime into it. You can teach them to turn their hands into water squirters or put a mirror down where they can see their hair do silly things with shampoo in it. Many young children also enjoy taking a shower using kid friendly shower heads, which use bath water to create a shower that they can spray where they want to, even on their own heads. This is also a great way to ready them for times when they will one day need to take a big kid shower.

The truth is, it does not matter what you do to encourage your child to bathe often. You are doing them a favor by lessening the risk of illness and teaching them about good hygiene, which is something they will carry throughout their lives. You simply may need to find a way to add bath time fun that your child will enjoy.

 

Health Benefits of a Hot Shower

EagleBath-300x200Whether it is morning or evening when you do it, a shower is a wonderful thing. It can warm you up, it can cool you off, and it can relax you or revive you. Most people make it a routine part of their day to day life. Others, skip showers and may only take one every other day or so. Those people who skip out on the daily shower though, are missing out on more than just a clean body. There are a lot of health benefits of a hot shower, especially if you use the best shower head available.

Hygiene and Hot Showers

Each day, whether you are working or playing hard, you come into contact with other people and germs. You spend the day touching door knobs, brushing shoulders with other people, etc. Washing your hands can help avoid catching a cold, but it does not remove all the germs from your body. Combine that with the fact that your body sweats, even if you are not overly hot that day and you have a recipe for odor and other issues.

A cold shower may feel great sometimes, especially during the heat of the summer after you have been outside all day, but cold showers are not necessarily able to remove all the germs that you come into contact with. A hot shower using a good shower head is the best way to relax, but is it really the best way to handle cleaning your body to remove odors and germs.

The Right Temperature

There are a variety of opinions regarding the right temperatures for showers. Some professionals recommend a cooler showers, while most people enjoy hot showers. The reason for this is because the hotter the shower you take, the more likely it is that your skin will lose some of its natural moisturizing abilities. Hot water removes oils that your skin has on it and this can cause you to feel as though your skin is over dry, flaky, etc.

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This means, it is fine if you want to get in and enjoy a hot relaxing shower using a dual shower head to relax your body, but when it comes time to soap up, you may want to use a soap that offers moisturizers and cool the temperature of your water down a little. However, you do not want to go all the way cold with your shower either. The key is to use a temperature that is warm instead of hot when you are washing with soap and shampoo.

Time It Right

TimeAre you trying to figure out which time is the best time for your shower? The answer is not simple. There is some proof that those who shower in the morning have a more active mind when it comes to work throughout the day because it can wake them up. If you are not able to go to sleep at night, though, sometimes a relaxing warm shower can help. If you have oily skin, you will want to wash in the morning time to clear up any oils that form during the night. Dryer skin should shower in the evening hours. You should shower at night if your job gets you dirty and you want to have clean sheets for a longer period of time, but if you work out in the morning, do you really want to carry that sweat with you all day?

As you can see, there is no perfect answer for everyone. Base it on your personal preferences and what your life and body dictates.

 

Health Benefits of Hunting

HuntingCamo-300x218Most people have heard the term, “the thrill of the hunt”, but did you know that hunting may offer a variety of health benefits for those who take part in it on a regular basis? It can be something that is exciting and relaxing. It is something that keeps your mind sharp and your reflexes speedy. It can also help you maintain vision because you are going to be focusing on something that may be far away from you. Your ears stay focused on the sounds around you. You breathe the fresh air of the forest and pollution is not going to be near you. Are you ready to hear more reasons why you should take part in hunting?

Strengthens Your Cardio

When you have been sitting still for an hour or more, waiting for that big buck to show his head, you are going to feel excitement when he finally steps into your view. This excitement keeps your heart pounding and your blood pumping through your veins. Add to that the simple fact that your heart is always filled with anticipation of when that next target will come into view. This makes it a surefire way to keep your cardio system working at peak performance.

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If you are hunting with a good dog and you hear them barking in the distance, you will need to run ahead and find out what he may have found. This is exercise, especially if you are following him through the woods waiting for him to point out something you may have missed without his help.

Stress Relief for Hunters

StressRelief-300x300Hunting with the best optics for AR 15 can also help you relieve stress. You will know when you take aim that you are looking at a sure shot. However, beyond that, you will be able to relax while you are waiting on that next target. Even if your mind is alert and focused, you will be breathing slower. Your ears will be listening to the sounds of the forest around you, which is always soothing to the soul of a true woodsman. The thing is though, that you can think through the problems at work, the problems at home, or how to get up enough money to fix that car in your backyard while listening out for the one sound you have been waiting on.

Are You Ready to Improve Your Overall Health?

Whether you take to the woods alone or with a group of friends, you can improve the relaxation of your hunt by reading through the long range rifle scope reviews and finding a scope that works for you. Your choice should be based on the type of hunt you choose to go on. If you are going out on a weekend long hunting trip, you can expect even healthier benefits. Why not embrace the thrill of your next hunt and find out what health benefits of hunting you can find? Your mind, your body, and your life may improve much more than you ever dreamed possible.

Health Implications of Wearing a Baby Wrap

Everyone is talking about baby wraps. Baby wraps, slings, and carriers are everywhere nowadays because it allows busy moms to keep their hands free while still providing a little extra snuggle to the little ones they love. However, there are still people who are skeptical about them. A lot of them appear to be a slip of cloth that dangles from the parent’s neck. Some parents worry that they will be uncomfortable and others worry that there is no support for the child inside of them. To show you whether they are a good option for you or not, here are some of the main reasons people choose baby wraps.

What Are Baby Wraps?

BabySling

Baby wraps or baby slings are often simple pieces of cloth that are in essence a long sling. Often they will be held up by the parent’s neck or shoulders. The baby inside of it will be wrapped and held tightly against your body. A lot of parents like this option because they can nurse their infant while doing other things, such as dealing with an older child.

Carriers are slightly different because they do offer support and many can be worn in other positions. Some can hold infants and toddlers. They may allow you to position an older baby so that he is able to face out into the world and see all that he wants to. Others are designed specifically for use facing the parent’s back or chest. It will spread out the baby’s weight around the parent’s back, shoulders, and waist.

Is It Safe to Use?

There is a little debate about some of the front facing baby carriers. Many parents and pediatricians do not feel that having a small baby face outward is a good idea. Some of the front facing baby carrier reviews indicate that a baby may become over stimulated and perhaps not have the support that other positions may provide. This is because the child will have to lean forward or spend all of their time arching back to rest against you.

For parents, the main concern may be having to hold the weight of a sleeping infant or toddler comfortably. Most parents would not want 25 pounds hanging from their neck, especially if they already have back issues. For most parents, this is not a major concern, but if you purchase a wrap or a sling, you may find that you would rather have a carrier instead if the weight needs to be spread out further.

Dadcarrier-170x300The good news is, regardless of which type you choose, they are safe for parents and infants as long as you follow a few simple things. One of the main things to consider is the weight average for the carrier you plan to use. If you have a 30 pound child and the weight rating for your wrap is only 15 pounds, you may be in danger of hurting your little one. On this same note, if you choose a carrier that is for older toddler aged kids and you have an infant, you could also be putting your child at risk. It is always best to make sure that your child will fit inside of it and have room to grow.

Another issue for some parents is that they do not know how to use it properly. According to even the best baby sling reviews on the internet, learning how to put them on can be a challenge. If you are not sure how to put it on, you could be putting your child at risk for falling. Therefore, practice is sometimes a good thing to do until you get the hang of putting your child into a wrap. Some parents may also recommend that you keep a close watch to see if the child is slipping down further than they should be.

Overall Health Implications

In most cases, a baby wrap is completely safe for parents and their child. You just need to do a little research and find the best baby sling for you. Often, the best one will be the one that makes you and your infant the most comfortable. It may also depend on what you want to do while baby wearing.

 

Astaxanthin: A Potent Supplement

Having only surfaced in the last 10 years, Astaxanthinwas the unknown health supplement.  It seemed almost no one knew about the many benefits of taking this powerful antioxidant and, therefore, its supply was plentiful on shelves of most health food stores. But that changed recently when Dr. Mercola appeared on Dr. Oz’s show touting it as a “#1 supplement” we should all be taking.

Suddenly, store shelves were emply of Astaxanthin and it was a product difficult to find.  And once stores finally restocked their shelves, some of them chose to raise their price on this sudden best-seller product.

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So what’s the big deal with Astaxanthin?  Well, for starters, Astaxanthin has 10 times more the antioxidant powers of beta-carotene.  In addition …

  1. Astaxanthin is way more potent than Vitamins C and E, making it a great product for your skin.  You may have heard that the best vitamins for your skin are Vitamins A, C, and E (”ACE your skin”).  Since Astaxanthin is more powerful than Vitamins C and E, and beta-carotene, it is going to be a great choice to add to your skin care regimen.  Simply put, it helps reduce wrinkles and age spots and you will most likely age better if taking Astaxanthin regularly.
  2. Astaxanthin helps protect our bodies against heart disease and cancer.
  3. It assists in keeping the brain healthy.
  4. It relaxes the eye muscles and helps prevent cataracts.
  5. Astaxanthin is also believed to protect our skin against harmful rays from the sun.
  6. It increases strength and endurance, making it a great supplement for athletes.
  7. It boosts our immune system.
  8. And recent studies show that Astaxanthin may even assist in preventing obesity.

But before buying Astaxanthin, there are some important things you shouId know.  Such as …

  1. Astaxanthin is a natural antioxidant that comes from marine algae.  It is also found in many types of seafood; however, the richest source for Astaxanthin is found in Haematococcus pluvialis algae (look for this on the label when purchasing Astaxanthin supplements).
  2. Astaxanthin is fat soluable, which means it needs to be taken with a good fat supplement, such as fish oil, in order to provide good absorption.  Some companies add a fat supplement to their Astaxanthin capsules for this reason.  (Again, check the label.)  However, it is best to take Astaxanthin with food.
  3. Because Astaxanthin is fat soluable, it should not be taken if you are using obesity products such as Orlistat or Ally.  These products block the absorption of fat in your body and, as a result, will prevent the Astaxanthin supplement from being absorbed as well.

 

Warning: Pain Relievers, Like Tylenol, Can Cause Death

Each year, over-the-counter pain relievers containing acetaminophen are to blame for more than 100,000 calls to poison control, nearly 56,000 emergency room visits, over 26,000 hospitalizations, and more than 450 deaths from liver failure.  

Many consumers believe that taking over-the-counter medications are safe as long as taken as directed.  The truth is, even a low dose of acetaminophen can put us at risk for severe liver damage, a liver transplant, and even death.  But you would never know it just by reading the warning on the label.

Most likely, your acetaminophen bottle has this simple message on it,

“Warning:  Taking more than the recommended dosage can cause severe health problems, including liver damage.”

As it turns out, however, this widely used pain reliever causes liver failure even at doses that are within the recommended range.  Doctors have reported cases of liver failure among individuals who were taking acetaminophen while following the dosage rules on the package.  From these individuals, doctors have concluded that when acetaminophen is taken by consumers who are not eating (perhaps due to vomiting, fasting, or anorexia), or are drinking alcohol, the pain reliever would become very toxic and the consumer would basically be taking an accidental overdose, possibly resulting in liver failure.  Yet, the warning on acetaminophen packaging is weak and does not convey the serious risks.

Why isn’t anyone changing this?

When comparing the above statistics to the millions of people taking acetaminophen without harm, the liver failure and death rates are fairly low.  However, they are high enough that you would think the FDA would require the drug companies to list stronger warnings on their labels … that is, if the FDA is at all concerned about our safety.  The FDA’s own guidelines require drug companies to list adverse drug events on packaging “even if there are only one or two reported events.”  With acetaminophen, there have been many.  It appears to be a case of the FDA protecting the pharmaceutical companies.

What you can do to protect yourself.

Acetaminophen is found in many over-the-counter medications (such as Tylenol) as well as numerous prescription drugs (such as Vicodin, Lortab, and Lorcet).  You can protect yourself by:

  • only using one acetaminophen product at a time
  • avoiding the pain reliever during vomiting or fasting
  • and avoiding alcohol while using the drug

Half of the people who overdose on acetaminophen do it unintentionally.  They are not aware of either how much they are taking or that they are taking it under conditions that could make it toxic.  Taking precautions will help decrease your chances of liver damage.

10 Important “Don’ts” To Ensure A Successful Workout

When I first got serious about exercising, I just kind of jumped in and learned as I went along, putting all my faith into the person leading my workout class.  But believe me, as time went on, I came to realize there were plenty of things I was doing, or not doing, that were preventing me from having a successful workout.  So I want to share some “don’ts’ to follow if you want to have a safe, successful, and injury-free workout.  I guess my first “don’t” is don’t always rely on the instructor leading the class, as she usually has new people coming in all the time.  Unless you are lucky enough to have a personal trainer, you may be missing out on small, but important, things you need to know.

Here are 10 other important things to know to ensure you will have a successful workout:

  1. Don’t wear improper footwear. Improper footwear increases the pounding on your joints and can lead to injury.  When purchasing shoes, shop at stores that specialize in athletic shoes and choose shoes specific to your activity.  If you don’t know, then ask the salesperson.  And always replace the shoes as soon as they begin to show signs of wear.
  2. Don’t try to burn fat only in an isolated area. You can firm muscles in an isolated area, but you’ll be unsuccessful if you attempt to isolate fat burning to one part of the body.  Such as your stomach, thighs, hips, or arms.  Incorporate cardio into your workout with the goal to reduce all over body fat.  That being said, unfortunately, the areas that gain fat the fastest will be the most stubborn areas to let it go.
  3. Don’t stretch before your workout. Like me, you probably grew up being told to always stretch before a workout.  Now experts are saying that is wrong!  Your muscles should never be stretched while they are still cold as this puts you at risk for pulled or torn muscles.  Go straight for the warm-up.  Which brings me to the next “don’t”.
  4. Don’t skip a warm-up before your workout. Or you will increase your risk of injury.  If you skip a nice warm-up before a cardio workout, you raise the heart rate too fast.  And skipping a warm-up before lifting weights could result in torn muscles.  A 5-10 minute warm-up is needed to get the oxygen and blood flowing.
  5. Don’t assume cardio is enough. Cardio is a great fat burner, but don’t forget strength training.  Keep in mind that we begin losing muscle at age 30.  And strength training builds muscle, which increases metabolism, which burns more calories.   It is very important to do both.
  6. Don’t use bad form on cardio marchines. Never set the resistance so high that you have to hunch over or hang on to the handrail with a death grip.  Doing so is preventing your body from a good workout and it can throw off your alignment, which jars your spine, shoulders, and elbow.  And never read while using cardio machines, as this will take away your focus on form.  No matter the exercise, you’ll never have a successful workout if your form is bad.
  7. Don’t think “no pain, no gain” is always true. Yes, some muscle aches and pains are normal and should be expected.  But sometimes pain is your body telling you to back off.  Joint and bone pain,  muscle strains, or ligament and tendon strains are all signs that something is wrong.  They will only get worse if you choose to ignore them because of the “no pain, no gain” theory.
  8. Don’t think drinking water during a workout causes cramps. Quite the opposite is true.  If you are thirsty, you are dehydrated, and this actually increases your risk for cramps.  Always stay well hydrated.
  9. Don’t skip the cool-down. Just like you should take 5-10 minutes to warm-up, you should also take 5-10 minutes to cool down giving your heart rate a chance to slow down properly.  Never just come to a sudden stop at the end of your workout.
  10. Don’t let loss of motivation put an end to your workouts. You may be pumped up about your workouts for a long time, and then suddenly feel unmotivated.  Loss of motivation is a sign of over training.  When this happens, take a break or change the pace.  You may skip the weights and only do cardio for a while.  Or rest a day between workouts.  Another option is to reward yourself with a massage or new workout clothes.  (That sounds good to me!)