John called his long time business friend Dave to play a round of golf,  “Want to head out and play 18, Dave?”
 
Dave replied, “I’d love to, John, but I’ve been struggling with this joint pain. I’m looking to get surgery on it.  I’m embarrassed to tell you, because you are always so on top of it, never have any problems, and are mentally strong.“
 
John noticed every year how his friends were getting more out of shape and struggling with nagging injuries and chronic pain.  While John stayed in great shape, good health, and kept his young looks, his friends were mentally shot, didn’t do nearly the things they used to, and lived with more stress, anxiety.  And all of his peers were slowing down tremendously. 
 
John said “You know, you can do something about that before your life becomes miserable, and I wouldn't want to do surgery.”
 
Dave responded, “you’re right, I’m becoming dependent on the meds.  What do you do to stay in shape, John… take some diet pills or something?” 
 
John said, “Heck n...

If you're trying to improve your nutritional habits, try your best to keep this mindset.
Allow yourself to learn from failures and move forward instead of beating yourself up for them. If we didn't make mistakes, we wouldn't be human!

"Work hard, play hard!" Had a great time with the team in Madison last night cheering on the Badgers!

This time of year, falling on ice and snow can be a major health concern.
To stay stable and confident on your feet this winter, incorporate these exercises into your routine!

This time of year, falling on ice and snow can be a major health concern.
To stay stable and confident on your feet this winter, incorporate these exercises into your routine!

We've all been there. The morning alarm clock comes on blaring way too early, and without a second thought we smash the snooze button and drift back asleep. Only when the alarm comes back ten minutes later, we're still not ready. If you're in an endless cycle of snoozing your alarm multiple times each morning, the negative effects may be showing themselves in your daily life.

While 10 more minutes may feel like long enough to get the sleep you need, the quality is fragmented and poor. Because of that your body stays in a state of limbo between sleep and alertness, which is why you feel so groggy and it takes so long to become functional after getting up. Along with that, snoozing an alarm can cause oversleeping, not only in terms of getting to work but also for your body's health. When your body gets too much sleep, it causes additional grogginess throughout the day. Finally, your body likes to stay in a rhythym. By snoozing the alarm you can throw it off that rhythym, disrupting not ...

Welcome to 2023!
The New Year is the ultimate reset button. However, just having resolutions isn't going to help you be successful. To do that, you'll need goals and a plan to reach them. 

There are two main flaws to many New Year's Resolutions: They are too vague and don't contain a plan. You've probably had or heard of a few of the common ones like losing weight/going to the gym more, even buying a new car or house or golfing more. Let's take the gym one as an example (for obvious reasons). How many times did you go to the gym last year? Let's say you went twice. You could meet your resolution in the first week of January, but then what? Along with that, there's no outline for you to stick to. Going to the gym once a week may be more than you've done before, but it still won't really be enough to make changes. You could also go 5 times in a week, take the next month off, then restart the cycle.

Instead of falling into these traps and realizing in March that you completely forgot abo...

Southwest Chicken and Beans

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast. DICED

1 package reduced sodium taco seasoning

15oz can unsalted black beans, rinse and drain

1.5 cups frozen corn

3/4 cup pepper stir-fry vegetables  (onions, green, red, yellow peppers). Chopped

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup shredded cheese (reduced fat)

DIRECTIONS

Spray a 10in skillet with cooking spray. Can use a WOK

Add chicken to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally

Add seasoning mix, beans, corn, stir-fry mix, and water

Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is no longer pink

Top with cheese and serve

OPTIONAL: serve over rice and flavor with Chinese sauce

Are you struggling with plantar fasciitis?
One of the most effective remedies is stretching and strengthening the area.
Try these couple exercises to reduce pain and improve mobility!

Merry Christmas from everyone here at Northstar Fitness!