I don't know why I wasn't smiling in this picture, but regardless I am on week 2 of my new workout plan and eating right and it's going so great!

It's amazing how quickly you can get back into a great grind once your head is in it and your routine is there. This is why I have always said you need to 'want it' if you arn't it will just continue to be the motions and you won't be pushing yourself.

What do space travel, a pencil, and kettlebells have in common? This guest post by Flaman Fitness customer, Harley Rivét, shares his journey of discovering kettlebell workouts and how they positvely impacted his functional fitness. In a few short months, Harley was able to improve his strength, endurance, and physique by training with these simple but effective devices.

You know when you get in a rut and you try to get out of it and then you might not necessarily fall back in but you can see your not quiet going the direction you want to .... Well this is what happened to me.

Life happened I got busy and then I was ready to get back on track- ready to start back again. And I would.. But then I would struggle to get into a good routine. I ended up hurting my shoulder on the trampoline so that has been all sorts of not fun with lots of chiro-ing and massage therapy.

A recent exercise and weight study revealed that young rats prone to obesity (there really is a strain that are like this) are much less likely to become obese if they run during adolescence than if they don't run.Not that this is stunning.

But, here's the interesting part, they also were metabolically healthier, and had different stomach microbes, than rats that keep the weight off by cutting back on food (and not running).

Sort of a diet alone vs. exercise test.

In essence, the runners, while weighing the same as the dieters at the end of the study, seemed better set up to avoid weight gain in the future.

Now, what doesn't make the trainer in me happy is hearing the stories of people amping up their training routine too quickly, only to get injured and quit their new active lifestyle before it really takes off.

Don't let the pull of the sunshine lure you into a false sense of security; you are not invincible. Don't get caught in the common, yet vicious, cycle of not exercising and feeling guilty, then exercising too intensely too quickly and getting injured, getting discouraged, and quitting.

Break the cycle by following these three simple steps.

I was feeling a little drained of energy recently.. So I did what any smart individual does when they are tired, I tried to sleep more. So I slept and slept.. But I wasn't getting any results when it came to my energy. I was working out regularly but it was very intense exercises (Bootcamps and Spin) that and Teaching Bootcamps and Spin wasn't Helping either . So I tried to sleep more and more . To no avail I wasn't getting anywhere with all the rest I was getting.

Start owning your health choices; adopt what I call the "Captain Obvious" approach to health!

Adopting a healthier lifestyle shouldn't be expensive or complicated. I am not arguing it won't be challenging. Adopting a healthier lifestyle will be an intense process - an ultimately rewarding process, but nonetheless a lifelong and intense process. Modifying a habit takes perseverance, dedication and mindfulness.

What I am saying is, you don't have to spend oodles of money on cleansing programs, protein powders or the latest miracle food to achieve your health and wellness goals. The health and wellness industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry because it feeds on selling the belief that everyone has to participate in the new "it" workout, buy certain supplements and/or live by the current restrictive nutrition regimen to achieve their health goals.