A certified personal trainer and fitness instructor with a bachelor's degree in health education, Nicole loves living a healthy and fit lifestyle and helping others do the same. Nicole was formerly SparkPeople's fitness expert and editor-in-chief, known on the site as “Coach Nicole.” Make sure to explore more of her articles and blog posts.
Read More of 's Blogs:
BIG News: SparkPeople Workout DVD Now at Walmart!
I'm excited to share some news that we've been keeping under wraps for months: This January, Walmart stores across the country are stocking SparkPeople's critically acclaimed 28 Day Boot Camp workout DVD at an everyday low price! You'll find it in the fitness section of the store (not with other media and DVDs). This is a major highlight for me personally, and another great milestone for SparkPeople since so many more people will be exposed to our healthy and sane approach to fitness and weight loss thanks to this. To celebrate, we're offering a great deal to people who purchase the DVD at a Walmart store!
Posted 1/6/2014 5:00:00 AM By: : 48 comments 29,329 views
Your Fittest Year Starts Right Here!
If you're resolving to lose weight, get fit or tone up in 2014, then I have some news for you. It's going to take hard work, willpower, dedication, and some sweat (but not necessarily blood or tears). But you can make it easier—even fun—by joining SparkPeople's 4-week January Jumpstart Challenge, which includes an easy-to-follow workout plan, built-in support, and motivational prizes!
I created the January Jumpstart Challenge to motivate and inspire you to get off to a strong start in the new year. This "bootcamp" style plan isn't highly intense, but it does involve a commitment to daily exercise so you can get real results in just four weeks—talk about a great way to start the year!
Posted 1/2/2014 6:00:00 AM By: : 63 comments 81,789 views
The 100 Best Workout Songs of 2013
This is one of my favorite posts to write every year: sharing this epic list of get-your-body-moving motivational workout songs of the year. Unlike all those holiday treats and sweets, this is one thing you can enjoy in December that won't make your pants fit tighter.
All year long, I've been compiling a list of the best workout songs that were released (or popular) within the last 12 months. Here, you'll find all the songs that people like you were dancing, running, cycling and lifting to throughout 2013.
But that's not all: This list is the BEST of the best! I asked members of SparkPeople.com, America's #1 weight loss and fitness website, to vote on their favorites. Find out which song took the top spot as best workout jam of the year, whether any of your own favorites made the list, and how you can download a brand new 60-minute cardio workout mix of the top 15 songs (as voted on by exercisers like you)!
Posted 12/18/2013 5:00:00 AM By: : 60 comments 375,679 views
.jpg)
Want to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain? Burn It to Earn It!
Forget about all the food for a minute. Let's talk about the fitness. Holiday weight gain is a concern for many, but it's not just because of the food. Sure, we eat more rich foods than we probably should this time of year, but we also let our workouts go by the wayside. We're stressed out and busier than ever with mile-long to do lists. The uncooperative weather doesn't help—dark mornings and evenings make you want to curl up in bed—not to biceps curls. So how is it that we can manage to do everything else but not squeeze in a workout? And what does that say about our priorities (and our commitments to ourselves)?
Let's do things differently this year, starting with Thanksgiving. The solution really is simple. We know what causes weight gain and we know how to maintain and lose weight, too. So for the next few weeks, I propose a new philosophy that will keep winter weight gain at bay: Burn it to earn it.
Posted 11/25/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 130 comments 59,144 views
Earn 500 SparkPoints with Our New Welcome Guide
Good morning, SparkFriends!
This morning we launched a brand new Welcome Guide on your SparkPeople Start page today. You'll find it just below the section for Step 1 on your Start page. Check out the screen shot below to see where it is.
Posted 11/13/2013 10:00:00 AM By: : 32 comments 27,433 views
6 Reasons Why You'll Love the Spark Activity Tracker
I'm not much of a "gadgets" person, but I am a results person. While I don't go for every trend or spend a lot of money on the latest technology, I will invest in things that have a big benefit to me. If that means a premium iPhone app, an amazingly accurate GPS watch (love my Garmin Forerunner), or a simple activity tracker, I'm generally skeptical at first, but very loyal once I find something that works.
Many of you know that I've been a Fitbit fan for many years. I still love the Fitbit and think it's a great device. It happened to be the tracker that really resonated with me, but that's not necessarily because the Fitbit is better or more accurate than anything else. From my perspective, any activity tracker that has the basic features you need and is easy to use can work wonders even if it's not the best or the most impressive. Regardless of the brand or type of device, the biggest benefit you'll get from any activity tracker is that wearing it each day as motivation to set and reach new goals. For me, that's why I love certain gadgets and data.
I'm proud to have been involved in the testing and developing of the Spark Activity Tracker's online features. After years of using an activity tracker, I had more than a few ideas on how to make our tracker great. For people who don't already have an activity tracking device—or for those who simply want a more streamlined experience—the Spark is an affordable gadget worth checking out. I love it for all the reasons I fell in love with my Fitbit years ago—but as loyal as I've been to the Fitbit, I have to admit that The Spark has several more perks that you won't find in other activity trackers.
Here are six reasons why I think you'll love the Spark as much as I do.
Posted 11/6/2013 5:00:00 AM By: : 45 comments 28,485 views
6 Smart Ways to Stay on Track This Season
The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and the couch is looking a whole lot comfier. This time of year, attendance at the gym drops and our desires to exercise and eat right fall lower on our priority list. Between back to school, tailgating, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, the year-end frenzy at work, Christmas, New Year's and everything in between, it's no wonder we need to "restart" again on January 1.
As fall morphs into the busy holiday season, let's choose to make this year different. Let's commit ourselves to just one simple goal to stay on track. You might not be able to do everything perfectly between Halloween and New Year's Eve, but you can do something.
SparkPeople has a lot of fun, simple and effective challenges that are the perfect pick-me-up for your program. I would recommend choosing ONE program listed below to focus your efforts. These are all great ways to re-commit this fall and hit the ground running this holiday season!
Posted 10/25/2013 5:00:00 AM By: : 27 comments 43,370 views
SparkPeople's Start Page Has a New Look!
Update 10/21/13 9:55 a.m.: SparkPeople's new Start page is now live! Read below for details and a video showing you how to use your new page. Thanks!
Good morning, everyone!
Today we are very excited to announce the launch of a big enhancement to your SparkPeople experience. We know, we know: Change is often viewed as a dirty word. It's something people don't always like, especially from a website that you are used to using a certain way. But this change has been many months in the making and has even been tested and approved by a group of SparkPeople members who got a sneak-peek! We wanted to get it just right—and we are confident that YOU are going to love what you see, too!
Posted 10/18/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 168 comments 48,637 views
15 Halloween Workout Songs to Burn Off Candy Calories
A few years ago, the night I taught Spinning happened to land on Halloween—not once, but two years in a row. I figured that anyone willing to show up on Halloween night to work out is pretty dedicated (or childless?), but either way, I wanted to make the workout festive and fun. I created a healthy Halloween workout mix for the class, dimmed the lights, and handed out my homemade granola bar treats when the ride was over.
It may be silly to some, but creating your own Halloween-themed workout playlist could motivate you to work out on Halloween (a must if you're going to be dipping into the candy jar that day), and it's one of few ways to have fun that doesn't involve eating candy!
So here is my healthy Halloween playlist: 15 spooky songs to help you to burn off those candy calories—and have fun doing it.
Posted 10/14/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 182 comments 158,350 views
.png)
The 30-Day Skinny Jeans Workout Plan
No matter what the season, body hugging trends like fitted ("skinny") jeans and leggings appear to be staying with us for a while. That may be even more reason to keep up with your healthy diet and fitness plan year-round!
As a fun way to motivate our readers to keep working toward their goals, I developed a brand new challenge that is sure to kick your butt—and legs and abs—into shape. I know how much people love plans they can follow, so I created the 30-Day Skinny Jeans Plan. Don't be alarmed: Even if wearing these trendy pants isn't high on your priority list, I promise you'll get a lot out of the challenge, including motivation, support, and new workout combinations designed to help flatten your belly, strengthen your legs and re-shape your rear.
You can head right over to www.sparkpeople.com/skinnyjeans now to check out the challenge, or keep on reading for more details on how the plan works and what to expect.
Posted 10/1/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 95,000 views
Say Hello to Our Little Friend: The SPARK Activity Tracker
It's an exciting time here at SparkPeople.com! After 12 years of helping people reach health, fitness and weight-loss goals with our free online programs and trackers, we have a new innovation that's been many months in the making. (Do you know how hard it is to keep something like that a secret for so long?)
Today, we are thrilled to announce the release of the Spark Activity Tracker, a tiny (and fun!) little reminder to fit more fitness into your day. About the size of a quarter, it's the first—and only—activity tracker that fully integrates with your SparkPeople.com experience.
If you need a little extra motivation to be active each day (and really, who doesn't?), then keep reading to find out what it is and how it can help you achieve your goals.
Posted 9/30/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 81 comments 47,541 views
Join Us for Just a Minute of Exercise on September 26
It's good for you. It's easy to do. It makes you feel good. It's fun, too!
What is it?
A simple fitness routine, just 60 seconds long, that kids and adults the world over are following in hopes of breaking a world record! This minute-long workout will take place wherever YOU are at exactly 10 a.m. (your local time) on Sept. 26 as a way to raise awareness about the importance of daily physical activity.
Children everywhere will be participating in schools, but this event is for the young at heart, too—and we need adults like you who care about health and fitness to help spread the word at your workplaces, at home, and in your child's school. After all, we could all benefit from an extra minute of exercise in our days, right?
Just watch the workout video created by kids (embedded below) who are helping spearhead this program. That alone is worth your time (cuteness abounds!).
Posted 9/25/2013 12:00:00 AM By: : 41 comments 27,527 views
.jpg)
Get Back on the Wagon: 5 Tips to Start Fresh this Fall
Summer is winding down and now my favorite season of the year is here: fall. I have always felt nostalgic and dreamy this time of year. I think it's because I enjoyed school as a kid and still associate the autumn season with the start of a new school year that promised good times, good friends and even better memories that still live with me today, like the smell of bonfires, Friday night football games, donning my favorite new back-to-school clothes, and my feet crunching on leaves in the crisp weather. Fall even smells better, if you ask me.
Why not harness the magical power of this new season (which begins officially on September 23) to recommit to your healthy living goals and weight-loss program? You may not be heading back to school like you did in years past, but that doesn’t mean that you can't reinvent yourself all the same.
Posted 9/21/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 121 comments 135,816 views
You Asked: ''How Do I Create a Calorie Deficit or Burn More Calories Than I Eat?''
It sounds like you're referring to a "calories in vs. calories out" type of equation. First you need to understand that one pound of fat is made up of roughly 3,500 extra calories. So in order to lose one pound of fat, you need to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories.
Posted 8/18/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 53 comments 492,348 views
hCG Injections for Weight Loss: Do They Really Work?
What if I told you that we've discovered the secret to weight loss—something so amazing, easy, and effective that it can help you drop several pounds a day, lose that stubborn belly fat for good, and finally "fix" your metabolism so that you'll never suffer from weight problems again? Sounds great, right?
All you have to do is never eat any brand name foods from big food companies, eliminate all artificial sweeteners, white sugar and flour (and a handful of other things), switch to a 100% organic diet, eat big salads at lunch and dinner, consume no more than 500 calories a day and inject yourself with a special "solution" each day while you do it. Your reaction to that should be "no thanks, I'll pass," but many others think it sounds like the weight-loss breakthrough they've been waiting for.
It's called the hCG diet. If you haven't heard of it, it's not your fault. Proponents of this diet claim that it's so effective that the government has worked hard to cover it up for years because it would solve obesity and health problems that would put pharmaceutical companies out of business.
That may seem plausible. I love a good conspiracy theory myself. But the deeper you dig, the more red flags you'll find about the hCG diet and its infamous injections.
Posted 7/24/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 226 comments 666,718 views
‹ Back Read More Entries ›
