Winter is upon us!

Shoveling is one of the most common causes of injury in the winter season, resulting in over 11,000 injuries and 100 deaths every year.

Proper form is a great preventative for most of these injuries, so today Dakota has some tips for correct form and things to keep in mind to best minimize the chances of injuring yourself when clearing snow!

Fat is most commonly viewed as the "bad guy" when trying to eat healthy and lose weight.

However, fat is an essential component of healthy eating and has many benefits, as long as you're eating the right kind!

Learn from Jarrod which fats are healthy and how to utilize them!

If you struggle with reaching the energy you once had, check out these key items.

Include them in your routine, and you'll regain your energy levels while rolling back the clock to feel younger and healthier!

Are you struggling with low back or hip pain, or just don't feel like you can do everything you want to? Hip immobility is a common root of these problems, so check out this stretch to help increase mobility and alleviate pain!

Happy Holidays from all of us at Northstar Fitness! This month we will be doing a food drive to help out those in need. All collections will go to the Rotary Lights. Help spread some Christmas Cheer this year by helping our community and donating to your local food drive!

The oblique muscles are another integral part of the core. They are responsible for keeping us stable and strong, especially when doing any movements requiring trunk rotation. Check out Jarrod's video to learn bicycle crunches, an exercise that will improve those obliques and increase your core strength and stability!

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone here at Northstar!

     The holiday season a common time to lose track of healthy habits. While we're spending time with family and friends this weekend, here are a few simple tips to make staying on track a little easier!

Slow-Cooked Chicken

Here’s a SUPER easy fitness dinner. It’s filled with muscle-building protein and dotted with fiber-rich veggies to keep you on track with your fitness goals.

Putting dinner in the slow cooker before you leave for work in the morning is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you’ll be eating a healthy dinner that night. This chicken breast comes out so tender that it literally falls apart—it’s delicious. Enjoy!

Courtesy of RealHealthyRecipes.com

What you need
Servings: 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 lbs organic, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
12 dried figs, chopped
1 cup butternut squash, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh sage, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large skillet place the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.

 Which type of exercise endurance training vs. strength training best decreases the risk for coronary disease?

We've been taught to exercise daily through endurance training to best decreases the risk for coronary disease.   But when look at all the components of energy metabolism we see that strength training in fact is superior in decreasing the risk for coronary disease (McGuff & Little, 2009). 

When exercising at a low-intensity steady-state an individual is not able to achieve complete glucose depletion which results in a reduced ability of these muscles to store glucose.  Glucose storing capacity is reduced when glucose elimination is incomplete and leads to extra glucose in the bloodstream.  This extra glucose in the bloodstream will be diverted to fat cells which in turn increases the risk of developing coronary disease.  Endurance training such as running, for example, does not facilitate complete glucose depletion and thus decreases...

We've been taught that to get the best heart health, you need to go all out cardio to do so.  That's great when you are younger, but once life started getting in the way, the intensity slowly decreased.  Or you were injured trying to get back in shape. 

Now you yearn for the days when you were full of life, free to do what you liked, and wanting to break free of the chains of fad diets.  

Could it be that we were taught incorrectly, or that what you were taught didn't apply to your body type, capabilities, and fitness level?  Well, there's a new kid on the block, and it's making all the difference.  

The key is resistance training, but not just any.  It is resistance training that matches who you are, what you can do.  Safely.  And the results is a superior heart and physical health.  It's what will allow you to turn back that clock and allow you to live decades younger, not worry about fad diets, and let you be...