SparkPeople Community Director and Fitness Coach
Jen Mueller left her first career in corporate finance to earn a master's degree in health education. She is a busy mom of four and holds a number of fitness certifications (including ACE's Health Coach, Personal Trainer, Medical Exercise Specialist and Behavior Change Specialist). She is passionate about helping people reach their health and fitness goals. In her spare time, Jen loves running, kickboxing and spending time with her family. Jen enjoys blogging about raising healthy children and how small behavior changes can impact health and quality of life.
Read More of 's Blogs:
8 Signs Your Cardio Workouts Are Doing More Harm Than Good
Aerobic exercise (think running, biking, and jumping rope) is good for your health, helps with weight loss and generally makes you feel good. But believe it or not, you can have too much of a good thing—even exercise. It's important to find the balance between challenging yourself, making exercise a regular part of your daily routine, and doing more harm than good. But where exactly is the line where a healthy amount becomes too much?
Posted 3/19/2014 5:00:00 AM By: : 68 comments 479,350 views
Find Your Solemate With 5 Easy-to-Follow Flowcharts
Wearing the correct shoes while exercising can mean the difference between a comfortable workout and one filled with pain or injury. But with thousands of workout shoes on the market, how do you know which one is right for you? Use the questions in following five guides to narrow down your options and find your perfect "solemate."
Posted 2/14/2014 12:00:00 AM By: : 179 comments 518,186 views
Take This Many Daily Steps for a Healthier Heart
For anyone looking to lower their risk of diabetes and heart disease, an increase in physical activity is a common prescription from doctors. But often the advice ends there and patients are left asking themselves, "How much additional exercise do I need?" and, "What kinds of activity should I be doing?"
A recent study shows that even moderate increases in physical activity can have a big impact on your risk for certain diseases.
Posted 1/23/2014 12:00:00 AM By: : 49 comments 57,685 views
6 Races So Fun, You'll Forget You're Exercising!
Perhaps you’ve considered training for a 5K, but the idea of running or walking a traditional race just isn’t motivating enough to get you off the couch and out the door. These days, there are a wide variety of races to participate in, from the local run through your neighborhood to some of the more entertaining (and crazy!) runs popping up across the country. Have you ever thought about running from zombies, crawling through mud or sprinting through glowing trees and tunnels?
Fun runs like these can break up the monotony of traditional races, and can also be motivation to pick up the running habit even if you’re not that into it. Here’s a guide to some of the races gaining popularity as people look for fun ways to get up and moving.
Posted 9/6/2013 10:00:00 AM By: : 62 comments 67,736 views
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You Didn't Reach the Goal, But You're Still a Success
Instead of being thankful for the things I can do, it’s much easier for me to get frustrated about the things I can’t. I’d love to be able to run an 8 (or even 9!) minute pace comfortably. I’d love to be naturally flexible without having to work at it, and it would be great if I had endless energy for my early morning workouts. I demand a lot from my body, and honestly, it gives me a lot in return. I think I need to take a more positive attitude towards my body and my accomplishments. How about you?
Posted 6/21/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 106 comments 52,509 views
Most Americans Think Their Diets are Healthy
If you've recently started tracking calories and watching portion sizes, chances are you've been surprised that your morning cereal is really three servings instead of just one. Or that the salad from your favorite restaurant you thought was a healthy option really isn't. It's easy to convince yourself that your diet is fairly healthy until you really start measuring and tracking your food throughout the day. That's why I'm not totally surprised by a new survey that says most Americans consider their diets to be at least "somewhat" healthy.
Posted 5/23/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 186 comments 75,745 views
Do You Have 'Quick Fix' Dieters In Your Life?
When it comes to losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle, everyone has to do what works best for them. I can give all kinds of reasons why a balanced diet and regular exercise is the way to go. But in the end, everyone has to find a style of eating and activity that they can live with for the rest of their lives. It’s not my place to judge whether or not someone is right or wrong if they choose to go about weight loss in a different way.
Posted 5/16/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 109 comments 37,512 views
How Full is Your Glass?
Most of the time, I’m running around like a crazy lady all day long. I’ve got work to do, errands to run, kids to take care of, chores at home, etc. I’m sure a lot (if not most) of you can relate. I bring a lot of it on myself because I’m the type of person who likes to get everything done -- right now. For a long time, I considered my busy routine to be a drag. I was easily overwhelmed, stressed out, and felt like I never had time for me. And to be quite honest, those feelings made me sad.
More recently, I’ve taken a step back to look at my life from a different perspective. Instead of getting so bogged down in all of the day-to-day details, I’m trying to adapt to the chaos and appreciate all of the good things in my life. I’m trying to see my life for what it is so that I can start taking small steps to make it better. Instead of wishing things were different, I’m putting together a plan for change.
Posted 5/15/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 101 comments 55,404 views
Should You Keep Your Weight Loss Plan a Secret?
Most people who decide to make a lifestyle change will tell at least a few others about their intentions. All of a sudden you’re buying more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and you’ve dusted off those gym shoes to go for a walk a few times a week. Something is up, but how many people do you tell? Do you tell anyone at all, or just let them figure it out for themselves? New research shows that sharing your goals could negatively affect your behavior and success.
Posted 5/9/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 286 comments 77,588 views
Poll: Are Negative Usernames Helpful or Self-Defeating?
The idea for this blog came from a member, and when I saw it I knew it was something I wanted to talk about. It's something I wonder about all the time as I read blog comments on The SparkPeople Blog, answer questions on SparkPeople and interact with the Community. Here was her suggestion:
Posted 4/17/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 922 comments 54,777 views
The Single Best Exercise for Weight Loss
Often people will ask me to share the best exercises for weight loss. They want to know what kind of cardio activity is going to help them lose weight faster than anything else. Even if they don't enjoy it, they are willing to try whatever is going to help them reach their goals more quickly. My response is always the same. So are you ready to hear what the magic exercise is? What's going to help you lose weight keep it off long-term, and get fit?
Posted 4/5/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 365 comments 879,530 views
Find Out How Many Calories You Burn After Exercise
We’ve always heard that the positive benefits of physical activity continue long after your workout session is over. More energy, less stress and those “feel good” endorphins are some of the immediate effects. But what about the mysterious “afterburn” that a lot of people talk about? Do you really continue burning more calories after the workout, or is it really just during the workout that matters? A new study finds that it’s possible to burn more calories throughout the day--in fact, up to 14 hours later.
The study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, took 10 healthy males and examined their energy expenditure under two different sets of conditions. “During the first session, participants were mostly inactive, but they stood and stretched for two minutes every hour. They could also perform everyday tasks, such as washing their hands and brushing their teeth, as needed. During the second session, participants followed the same routine, but then cycled vigorously for 45 minutes.”
Researchers found that participants burned 190 additional calories while at rest throughout the day after vigorous exercise (defined in the study as a 73% max heart rate), compared to when they did no activity. The increased calorie burn lasted for over 14 hours--and continued even into the first few hours of sleeping. This is the first study to use a metabolic chamber (a highly controlled environment) to estimate calorie burned after vigorous physical activity.
The number of calories each person burns during--and after--a workout will vary. It depends on many factors: gender, age, genetics, type of workout, etc. But it’s something to keep in mind as you weigh the benefits of exercise, and whether or not the time and effort is worthwhile. I think exercise is a key component of any healthy lifestyle, regardless of how much exercise you can do or how intense it is. Previous studies have also shown that your body's metabolism stays revved after a workout and that generally, the more intense the workout is, the greater the post-workout "afterburn" will be. This study just gives one more reason to get off of the couch and get moving--no matter how much or how little time you have!
What do you think?
Posted 3/29/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 126 comments 294,006 views
How Should I Train for a Mud Run?
Last summer, I surprised a few family members by asking if they wanted to form a team to do a mud run. I’m not known as adventurous—or as someone who likes to get dirty—but mud races were becoming so popular among runners (and non-runners alike) that I was ready to step out of my comfort zone and try something new. To my delight, the race was lots of fun and definitely something I’d do again in the future.
Mud runs have exploded in popularity over the past decade. Today, you have no shortage of mud-related "obstacle" races from which to choose. Each race is different, so it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into before you sign up.
Posted 3/11/2013 12:00:00 PM By: : 90 comments 222,292 views
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5 Foods I Never Feed My Children
One of my biggest priorities as a mom is providing my kids with a healthy diet. Sometimes I'm met with success (they love vegetables), but other times it's a little more difficult ("Eww! What is this?!?"). I try to expose them to a wide variety of healthy foods, so that eating this way becomes a normal part of the rest of their lives. My kids are 6, 4 and 1, and even though I control most of what they eat at this age, I still shake my head at some of the food that's served when I'm not around. My kindergartner can't go to a Girl Scout meeting, sporting event or even morning snack at school without adults serving her junk food. So when I'm given the opportunity to bring something, I see it as a chance to show kids that healthy food can taste good.
Sometimes I get flak from other parents (including my own) because I don't let my kids order whatever they want at a restaurant or limit the foods I bring into our home. I don't think I'm denying my children the joys of childhood by not serving them many common "kid foods." If substituting vegetables for French fries or telling them they can't have the corndog on the menu is the worst thing I do as a mom, I think I'm on the right track.
At the same time, I realize that putting some foods off-limits often makes them the "forbidden fruit," and they can become the food my kids want most. Just like adults, completely denying yourself the foods you enjoy makes you more likely to binge on them later. I don't want my child to go crazy at a friend's house because their mom serves chocolate milk and I only serve plain. My kids get treats and snacks they like, but there are certain foods they will just never get from me. Recently, I read an article about the top foods nutrition experts won't feed their kids, which inspired me to write this blog. Wondering what foods are on the "off limits" list for this personal trainer's kids?
Posted 2/25/2013 6:00:00 AM By: : 206 comments 190,714 views
Eating Habits of ''The Biggest Loser'': Inspirational or Bad Example?
"The Biggest Loser" is a television show that's gained increasing popularity over the last few years. Contestants lose astounding amounts of weight in a relatively short period of time, inspiring others who watch the show to try and follow in their footsteps. The contestants are forced to dramatically overhaul their eating habits. But are the methods they use healthy? Do they help them establish habits they can maintain long term?
Posted 2/13/2013 7:00:00 AM By: : 1042 comments 72,234 views
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