Alternative to Going to the Gym

Don’t like working out at a gym?

Let’s face a fact: Some people are too scared to exercise in front of others. For those who already exercise at a gym, it’s not a problem for you. Maybe you’re already fit; maybe your personality allows you to not care about what others think. But for others, sometimes working up the courage to exercise is more work than actually exercising.

Let’s face another fact: You don’t need to go to a gym to exercise. This is great news for people who prefer to keep their exercising to themselves. Here are some ways someone can get into shape at home without feeling social pressures.

1. Buy an XBox Kinect or Wii.

Already have one? Perfect. Fitness games are a fun and exciting way to do exercise in your own home. Many games like Just Dance have exercise modes that help you calculate your calories burned. Now, of course, it’s not perfect, but it gives you an opportunity to have fun while moving. This is a great one for people who have space in their bedrooms or when they have the house to themselves. It’s also fun and entertaining when you do it with your friends.

My recommendations:

Just Dance
In October, Just Dance 2015 will be coming out for everyone to enjoy! It has brand new songs, including “Happy,” “I Love It,” “Burn,” and “Love Me Again.” They even have Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero” and Love Letter’s “Only You,” which features a slow dance for a couple! Keep in mind that it’s focus is not a full body workout, but it still helps you work up a sweat and get your heart rate pumping! Click here to see this song.

Zumba Fitness

I LOVE Zumba Fitness, especially World Party. It is a challenging workout that helps me learn new dances, music, and helps me burn just as many calories as I would spending twenty minutes in misery on the elliptical. What I love about Zumba Fitness World Party is that they use real instructors instead of animations. This seems like a small detail but it really makes a difference in the quality of the game. Click here to see a live demo.

Harley Pasternak’s Hollywood Workout
Mr. Pasternak is a famous trainer for actors, dancers, models, and everything of that sort. He’s also a trainer for normal people like you and me. I’ll admit, many of the exercises overlap in the different focus areas, but it’s a great way to track the progress you’ve made. The workouts are only 25 minutes long, so they’re great for busy people. Harley Pasternak created a Harley Bar for easy traveling which can be utilized in the game. It also gives you an option to add weights or have no weights, which will affect the calories you burn! Click here for an entire single workout example.

2. Download a mobile app to help track your dieting and fitness.

This can really help you realize what you’re eating, how much you’re exercising, how many calories you’re burning, and how active you might be. You might be more active than you think you are! If tracking isn’t your thing, I would still try a free app for a month so you can see data on what you’re eating and doing!

My FREE recommendations:

Nike Training Club
The best part of #NTC is that you have so many workouts to choose from. They do a great job tracking progress, creating workouts, and customizing fitness for you. This is geared towards women, but men can certainly benefit from these exercises as well.

Fitbit

This is a beautiful app. The general look of the dots are really wonderful and clear. You can track your fitness, diet, personal goals, and even sleep! The best part of this is that it syncs up with MyFitnessPal (which has a larger food database). You don’t even need to own the $99 Fitbit Wristband, but in case you do, it syncs up easily with this app.

Calorie Counter & Diet Tracker by MyFitnessPal

This is an incredibly simple app that simply helps you log food, exercise, and calories burned/gained. You can enter in your weight and set a goal weight and it gives you a calorie allowance. I love finishing a log for the day and having it predict where I will be in 5 weeks if I do what I did that day. It’s a great way to reflect and prepare for what you can and should eat. The best part about all of these apps is finding a yummy low calorie food unexpectedly!

Human – Free

This is a pretty incredible app that tracks your movement and pushes you to do at least 30 minutes of one exercise a day. Most sedentary people tend to be able to get in at least 30 minutes of movement each day, so that alone is motivating in itself. The best and worst part of this app is that it keeps going all day. Great for tracking, bad for your battery. Make sure you charge your phone every day for reliability!

3. BOSUⓇ

Did you really think I wouldn’t list the BOSUⓇ? The BOSUⓇ offers a COMPLETE body workout without ever stepping foot inside a gym. The little blue half ball is the perfect package of fitness.

Here are three great videos that show how to use BOSUⓇ in your home:

BOSUⓇ App

In addition to helpful videos, BOSUⓇ has a helpful fitness app as well as many helpful tools online. Although the BOSUⓇ app costs $1.99, it is packed with quality videos of complete workouts for any part of your body. It even includes a reminder to switch up your routine if you spend a lot of time doing one workout!

BONUS:

This is the sneakiest way of exercise: Doing everyday tasks. Glamour has a great list of ways to add exercise to your daily routine.

This entry was contributed by Shannon Bolen, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University in music education and currently listens to Matt and Kim in her car.

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Fair Weather Exercise

You wake up, roll over and search out the window. You squint, wondering why it’s so dark and twist your neck to find the time. After all, the darkness outside should only mean that you can roll over for a few more zz’s. You find the time and you do a groggy shrug as you realize you did not wake up any earlier than need be. You twist to see the window through half-closed eyes and make out the large storm clouds and the blowing tree branches. The alarm buzzed for your morning workout without seeking the sun’s permission.

If the sun couldn’t find the energy to rise, you feel no obligation to beat it. You hit snooze until the 45 minutes you had devoted to set aside for you and your body pass by. When you can’t push it off any longer you rise, dress, and step out of the house into the storm to face the day.

The morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. The hours drag by, lunch is composed of office meetings, and errands after the workday ensure that there is no other time to shake loose. At the end of the day your brain is fried and it is all you can do to eat dinner and take care of the family, check stocks, or plop on the couch to watch mindless reality TV. Meanwhile, the intermittent rain starts again while you promise that tomorrow will be a new day.

It happens. Some people are more affected by negative weather patterns than others. There exists that breed of people who celebrate storm clouds and rain and take the opportunity to sit by the window and enjoy the show. Others are fueled by light and sun and overcast weather signals a less than optimal day.

Should the weather really dictate your life? An off day is not indicative of anything. We all need days to sleep in and recuperate. However, letting those off days trudge into a wearing routine implies more serious problems. Lacking the energy to rise at the sound of the alarm or barely being able to make it through the day laying the blame on the weather are symptoms of bigger imbalances. Your life should not be subject to the whims and fickleness of the skies.

Analyze your habits. Is your inability to rise a sporadic occurrence that follows the occasional overcast day or a regular pattern where the sound of the alarm makes every morning look like a storm is about to break?

Don’t let the weather make or break your day. The secret isn’t the weather. The energy you have is what determines how you greet the day, rain or shine. The lower your energy, the more gloomy weather you will exacerbate your sluggishness.

Go back to the basics if you need tips on how to start the day off right regardless of the weather.

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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60 Resources for Ab and Core Workouts

Spring and summer typically bring heightened interest in being fit and looking good. However, we are now in the fall season and (brace yourself) winter is quickly approaching.. Whatever your intent is, there is no reason why you cannot rededicate yourself at any point of the year to a stronger core or more defined abs. Regardless of whether your desire is to look good or to reach peak physical performance, these 60 resources will aid you in your commitment and offer workout routines and nutritional tips to help you reach your goal. My favorite page just might be number 60, but dig through and see if you can find your own favorite.

Happy shredding!

60 Resources for Ab and Core Workouts

1. The Lower Abs Trifecta

2. Best Moves and Foods for 6 Pack Abs

3. Top 5 Moves for Shredded Lower Abs

4. Core Workout Timed Training Session

5. 8 Exercises to Target Your Lower Abs

6. The New Rules of Abs

7. No More Crunches? Abs-olutely.

8. 12 Best Foods for Your Abs!

9. How to Get Perfect Abs

10. How 15 Minutes Can Change Your Life

11. 10 Minute Intense Abs Workout

12. 5 Killer Moves for Yoga Ready Abs

13. The Best Yoga Poses for Flat Abs

14. 41 Exercises to Do On a BOSU Ball

15. How Long Does It Take to Get Six Pack Abs

16. HIIT Workout Clip for Abs and Obliques - Training Cardio & Abs

17. Core Vs. Abs: The Smackdown

18. Core Conditioning-It’s Not Just About Abs

19. Lumbar/Core Strength and Stability Exercises

20. 7 Core Moves That Are More Fun Than Situps

21. Core Strength and the Athlete: Keeping It in Perspective

22. How to Sprint Your Way to a 6 - Pack

23. 8 Ways to Spice Up a Plank

24. Chair Exercises for Older Adults

25. 3 Non-Boring Ab Exercises to Try

26. 70 Best Abs Exercises

27. Advanced Core Exercises- Bosu Ball Total Body and Core Routine

28. Dance Fitness With Tony Dovolani – Abs and Core

29. Best Swimming Stroke for Abs

30. 10 Nontraditional Ab Exercises For a Powerful, Rock Hard Midsection

31. My Top 15 Non-Traditional Muscle-Building, Fat Blasting Workouts... No Sissies Allowed!

32. 15 Olympic-Inspired Exercises to Try Today

33. Fast Abs

34. Core Training – Do You Know About These 3 Things? (Many Don’t)

35. Why and How to Strengthen Your Core for Pregnancy

36. Abs Diet Power Review

37. How to Strengthen Your Core

38. 7 Flat-Ab Tips for Men

39. 12 Surprising Facts About Your Abs

40. Bend to Build Midsection Muscle

41. Forget Crunches: How to Actually Strengthen Your Core

42. What Causes Muscle Soreness After Exercising

43. Is Your Core Weak? Take This Test

44. How Strong is Your Core?

45. 14 Plain Greek Yogurt Recipes to Shrink Your Belly

46. 10 TRX Exercises to Sculpt a Tight Core

47. The Six Pack Abs Shopping List

48. How Do the Abdominal Muscles Affect Posture

49. Pilates 3D

50. Do You Have a Core Muscle Weakness

51. 14 Uber Lower Abs Exercises to Flatten Your Belly and Carve Out a Sharp V-Cut

52. CrossFit Ab and Core Workouts

53. Strength, Core, Balance, and Agility

54. Core Concepts

55. Apps for Ab Workout

56. Are Abs Really Made in the Kitchen?

57. Meal Planning

58. Developing Strong Abs for Martial Arts Training

59. 8 Best Core-Strengthening Exercises for Endurance Athletes

60. Let’s Draw Abs!

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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How to Create a Home Gym

“Ughhh, I don’t want to drive all the way to the gym. But I really need to work out. But my favorite show is about to start. And plus, it’s freezing cold outside.”

I don’t know about you, but these are my thoughts sometimes when I’m debating whether or not to go to the gym.

Here in Ohio, the weather is changing…temperatures are beginning to drop and sooner or later, the infamous Ohio snow will be on its way. So with cooler temperatures and winter approaching, I figured I’d give you some tips on how to build your own gym….. at home!

There are countless different kinds of workout equipment available these days, but here are some of my favorites and essentials!

This blog post was contributed by Allie Squires, a PR and Marketing intern with Hedstrom-Ball Bounce & Sport. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Strategic Communications, and you can find her in the kitchen, watching Food Network and trying new recipes.

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The Importance of Stretching

It is easy to forget about stretching or choose to skip stretching as a way to shorten workout time. Skipping your stretching might save you time in the short term, but it leads to a higher chance of pulled muscles or other injuries that could hinder you from training or exercising. Taking shortcuts at the expense of stretching is not the road you want to take.

If you’re looking for a generic stretching regiment to loosen up tight muscles be sure to check out just a few of the ways you can stretch out on the BOSU® Balance Trainer. Be sure to educate yourself or talk with a trainer about stretching that is right for you and your training routines. Or, if you already know, don’t give into the temptation of skipping your sessions.

Happy stretching. May the power of flexibility be ever on your side.

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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5 GIFS to Enhance Your BOSU Workout

Sitting through YouTube videos of favorite fitness routines can get old. Sometimes you just need a break from the person's voice, the cheesy music, or maybe you just need to see the routine done once and you've got it. Fitness GIFs are your salvation!

Three simple steps:

1. Get your BOSU ready.
2. Turn up the music.
3. Watch and learn.

Alternating Lunge

Bent Knee Boxer Crunch

Bicep Curl

Four Squat Across

Prone Reverse Flye

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Calories: Popular Halloween Foods & Drinks

One of the most beloved holidays of the year is quickly approaching: Halloween!

Costumes, trick-or-treating, parties, a plethora of foods and drinks…

It’s easy to get carried away in the fantastical holiday. Who doesn’t love watching scary movies, dressing up, and going for a hayride?

If you are trying to watch what you eat, then October 31 may be a day that you are dreading this year. You may see your friends knocking back drinks and eating cookie after cookie after cookie…

But I digress. Let’s take a look at how many calories are in some of the popular foods and drinks you may want to indulge in this Halloween.

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Keep in mind that this nutritional information may vary depending on the manufacturer or your specific recipe, but this at least gives you an idea of what to expect.

Dress up, spend time with friends, enjoy the holiday, and—yes—have some Halloween food! Just be mindful of how much you’re having.

Happy Halloween!

Sources:
http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-brachs-candy-corn-i89817
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/en/food/calories/caramel-apple-with-nuts-3184051
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/calories-in-cocktails-bloody-mary_f-ZmlkPTY3NTg2.html
https://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/generic/apple-cider
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/homemade-popcorn-ball-427296
http://www.food.com/recipe/severed-fingers-halloween-cookies-135850

The blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She wants to go trick-or-treating.

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Keep Calm and Hike On

When I get home from work, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is staying inside to exercise….so I head for the trails. When the weather is just too perfect to pass up, going for a jog or hike on the trails is a great way to enjoy nature and stay fit.

I have recently discovered some beautiful trails in my hometown and take advantage of them any chance I get. You don’t need to search very far from your backyard to find a trail or two. I think you’ll be surprised at the hidden gems you’ll find!

Walking or running outside is an ideal activity; it’s great for both your physical and mental health. Whether you hike up a steep, rocky mountain or walk along a smooth path, you can experience plenty of health benefits from walking or running a few miles a day outside.

Benefits of Walking/Hiking in the Great Outdoors:

Builds strength- Some people don’t think that walking is enough exercise to keep you healthy, but combined with a healthy diet and regular stretching, walking will strengthen your muscles.

Burns calories- By maintaining a moderate pace and exercising on natural inclines/declines, your body will burn more calories!

Boosts your mood- There’s no greater feeling that compares to enjoying the beauty of nature. Something about taking in all of the sights, smells and sounds around you is an instant mood elevator. You’re guaranteed to leave the trails in a better mood!

Calms anger- Walking around outside with no distractions is an easy way to help people calm down and relax.

Escape from technology and distractions- When I go for a run or walk on the trails, I sometimes like to leave my phone in the car. Instead of keeping up with social media, checking emails and listening to music, just look around you and take in nature!

Connect with nature- Getting out of the house and changing up your usual workout routine will allow you to appreciate your surroundings.

Byers Woods in Ashland, Ohio is one of my favorite trails. Especially in the fall!

I’m a sucker for sunsets, and Freer Field in Ashland, Ohio has some awesome trails through the woods and gives you beautiful views like this one!

Ready to find some trails near you? Trail Link is a great site to use that shows you local trails and paths nearest you!

This blog post was contributed by Allie Squires, a PR and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce & Sport. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Strategic Communications. Her favorite hiking spot is the Grand Canyon and would one day like to hike the Appalachian Trail. 

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10 Fun Fall Activities

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She enjoys decorating her house for the holidays.

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A Few Favorite British Snacks and How to Make Them

Seen in Covent Garden, London 

One of the most amazing things about traveling to another country is to experience their cuisine. I love London's street food and markets! They're always so colorful and the aromas are very different each day! Not only that, Scottish fish is most delectable. When I first went to the UK, I didn't know anything about the cuisine. I knew about a few things like fish 'n' chips, Shepherd's pie, and pasties (Thank you, Cousin Jenny's in Traverse City!) but not much more than that. What surprised me the most about the British cuisine is the love and acknowledgement of Indian food! Incredible.

Below are a few snacks I enjoyed during my time in the UK. If you have any suggestions or any recipes you'd like to share, email melaniesmith62699@gmail.com!

Although most people associate the warm centers and crispy shells of croissants with Paris, this is a beloved treat throughout the UK. Many shop owners take pride in their croissants because the process is time consuming! You don’t get 72 layers of flaky goodness in 10 minutes, you know. Watch this great, entertaining video showing how to make your own croissants. Delicious and hilarious.

Some people make this from scratch because the almond croissant is a delicious sweet treat for anyone, but bakeries will use “stale” regular croissants and fill them with almond filling and top them with a generous amount of almonds. It’s incredibly tasty and if for some mad, mad reason you have extra croissants from the last recipe, definitely make an almond croissant!

One of the most interesting things I tried while in London was Fentimans’ Rose Lemonade. I took my first swig and was taken by surprise! It’s carbonated! It seems to be the only company who makes rose lemonade commercially, but it boasts of using pure rose otto oil from Rose Valley in Kazanlak, Bulgaria. Since most people don’t have easy access to Bulgarian rose otto oil, here is a substitute recipe using rosewater.

Possibly the best and the most common snack I saw while in the UK, I present: The Toastie (which deserves a capital T). Some regions from the US call it a toastie as well, but others refer to it as grilled cheese. However, most cafes have packaged cold sandwiches to choose. There are different types of toasties with cheese like ham, vegetables, or even salmon! Once you choose what you want, those magical words come from the barista/cashier/helper’s mouth asking, “Would you like that toasted?” Always respond with a solid “Yes, please,” and prepare to have your boring bread and cheese sandwich toasted to a warm, cozy meal. Toasties can use butter on the bread, but using a toastie maker is a healthier option. If you wish to venture away from the classic cheese toastie, try some of these creative recipes!

“I know fish and chips is more known to be an English treasure,” said a man from Wales, “but Scotland is where you want to go. The fish just taste better in Scotland.” Fish and chips is typically cod or haddock, but here in the USA, it’s not as freshly available to oh, most of the country. Experiencing GOOD fish and chips can make the difference between it being a healthy dish or a fatty dish. Here is a recipe for a healthier option of frying: Oven baking!

Again, this is another French treasure seen often in England. Macarons are the most beautiful, friendly cookie ever invented. They’re not to be confused with macaroons (coconut cookies, very delicious as well), but they are often mistaken for each other by name. These colorful pastel cookies are perfect for any and every occasion, and they can be filled with practically anything! They’re a bit challenging to make, but the reward of biting into a successful cookie is worth the practice. You can learn how to make them with this video.

Be sure to visit a pub! They typically serve a dinner roast or meal.

In case you do go to Great Britain, I'm sure you'll discover a new favorite dish with each meal! The names of British food are fun and creative too, like neeps and tatties, bangers and mash, rumbledethumps, or bubble and squeak. Definitely try famous dishes like haggis or stargazey pie! For more about British food that might not be easily found in the States, visit below for more links.

Buzzfeed: 18 Weird and Wonderful British Foods You Need to Try
10 British Foods with Strange Names
Top Ten Great British Dishes and Recipes
Differences between British and American Food Terminology
Food and Farming Facts about Britain

Want to learn more about visiting Great Britain? Click here.

This entry was contributed by Shannon Bolen, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Bowling Green State University in music education and is pursuing a Master’s degree at the Glasgow School of Art.

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The Versatility of Swimming

Energizes the young. Reinvigorates the elderly. Competitive sport. Leisurely pastime. Indoor activity. Outdoor adventure. Part of therapeutic rehabilitation. Core of intense training regimen.

Swimming engages a broad spectrum of people with varying backgrounds in pursuit of varying objectives. Swimming is a versatile and an age-old pastime. It’s been around for as long as there have been bodies of water and the versatility of the sport suggests that it will be an undisputed favorite for ages to come (unlike those sports like wrestling that are subject to disputes and debates). The sport is still being revitalized: swimming experienced a bit of a shake up when some people took it upon themselves to take underwater moves to a new level. Remember that phase in 2013 when everybody started dancing to the Harlem Shake? You can dance; er, move erratically, under water as the Ball State swim team proved during the Harlem Shake craze.

Swimmers and their tricks. They should stick with flips and backstrokes and leave the dance moves to the pros.

Why is dancing so popular? Well, that answer is going to differ from person to person. However, there are benefits to swimming regardless of whether the people engaging in the sport realize it or not.

The key to swimming might be body size. Of course there is more than one way to open a door, as burglars well know, but bells and whistles such as keys do make the whole process a lot smoother. This fun infographic details the body size of swimmers. The trend is: taller is better. We all know that Michael Phelps is a towering giant and have heard the legends about his dinner plate sized hands. Both he and Nathan Adrian certainly don’t disprove this theory.

A swimmers body tends to have a little more mass than, say, a runner’s body because the water supports their bodies. Is balance a concern for swimmers at all? It seems as if all they need is to have enough balance to know which direction they are going and emphasis is better placed on power and momentum.

A Norwegian study took a look at mini-swimmers: babies. The study compared babies that were exposed to swimming earlier to those that were not. They resolved that the babies who took swimming lessons had improved balance compared to those who did not. The goals of this study were more closely aligned with an interest in the development and maturation of children than creating children with superior athletic prowess but it does speak to the link between balance and swimming.

For older swimmers, the proper techniques of swimming are reliant on the premise that the swimmer has balance control. Without training, it is natural for a swimmer to swim through the water with the hips submerged at a depth lower than the shoulders and head. While this is the natural reaction when first placed in the water this habit creates drag and resistance for the swimmer. It is better if the swimmer raises the lower torso, hips and legs so that they are parallel with the shoulders and surface of the water. It is not natural and requires conscious focus and balancing skills for those who are new to the sport.

Training with the BOSU® Balance Trainer leads to a stronger core, increased trunk control, and improved balance. For the competitive or leisurely swimmer, from the high school athlete to the Olympian powerhouse, a taller build might be key to having natural talent, but that talent can only be unlocked with diligent training.

If you’re looking for training to compliment your swim workouts, try the BOSU® Balance Trainer. I would recommend that you use it as a dry land workout. The swim world was shaken up enough with underwater Harlem Shakes.

Harlem Shakes go underwater.

BOSU® Balance Trainer workouts stay above ground.

This entry was contributed by Stephanie Berger, a Public Relations and Marketing intern at Hedstrom - Ball, Bounce and Sport. She studies at the University of South Carolina and is addicted to breakfast foods and sunshine.

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Bring on the Pumpkin!

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, it’s that time of year again.

The leaves are changing colors.

It’s getting dark earlier in the evening.

Halloween candy is being packed onto grocery-store shelves.

ABC Family’s 13 Nights of Halloween will start on TV soon.

It’s getting colder…
Okay, let’s not think about that one. Let’s think about the positives, like the abundance of pumpkins that are beckoning to be used in any and all meals we can possibly think of.

Pumpkin rolls. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin spice lattes. Pumpkin. Pumpkin. Pumpkin. And if you’re like me, you don’t mind because you fully embrace the fall season and all the delicious recipes it brings with it.

In honor of this special time of year, here are 10 of my favorite healthy (well, healthier), pumpkin recipes. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

Healthier Pumpkin Bread

Healthier Pumpkin Pie

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Pumpkin Pie Protein Overnight Oatmeal

Low-Fat Pumpkin Cake Roll

I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Dairy Pumpkin Bisque

Pumpkin-Seed-Coated Lentil Patties with Ginger Dipping Sauce (Vegan)

4-Ingredient Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Try not to let the cold weather that is quickly approaching get you down. But if it does, use the weekend to dish out some of these pumpkin recipes. I hope these keep you busy!

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She loves pumpkin roll with cream cheese filling.

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To Meat, or Not to Meat...

I love vegetarian dishes, but I’m not a vegetarian!

Oh, how I love my vegetarian friends! I love their choice in lifestyle, their meals, their recipes, and their willingness to help share their recipes to meat eaters like myself. I absolutely love seeing photos of the meals they eat posted on Facebook and helping them celebrate their tasteful victories with a solid “Like.” Most of the time, I wonder what ingredients are used in the dishes and where in the world they find them, but I usually find them at most large chain grocery stores.

In reality, we make vegetarian dishes all the time: pastas, plain cheese/vegetable topped pizzas, stir fries, potato salads, regular salads, a plethora of soups… But the mindset of these dishes being vegetarian might not be recognized. In my youth, I strangely thought that the stereotypical foods of vegetarianism were off limits to me, as if somehow, meat eaters had enough food in the world and we needed to conserve “vegetarian” foods for the vegetarians. Those specially marked items on menus were only for vegetarians, and because I wasn’t truly a vegetarian, I couldn’t order it. Crazy, right? I came from a small town with seemingly limited diet options.



After high school graduation, I remember trying a black bean burger at a restaurant for the first time. Where had black bean burgers been my whole entire life? I was in love with my new discovery and couldn’t wait to try more foods I thought were off limits to non-vegetarians. When I spent a weekend visiting Paris, I tasted one of the most beautiful foods I have ever laid my eyes on: tabbouleh (pictured to the left). Yum. Not even Parisian! This was one of the first dishes I made when I got back to the States.

Working with ingredients we aren’t quite used to is very tricky, especially with grains like couscous and bulgar. I’ve been making rice since I was a little girl, but only with a rice cooker. It’s takes a few tries to get the amount of water correct with the amount of grain because the instructions never seem to reach the full potential of grains (in my opinion).

Many vegetarians have taken the artistic liberty of creating extremely colorful dishes and exploring meals from different cultures to expand their food palette. I always knew I liked the idea of being a vegetarian, but I could never fully commit myself to it. After my incredibly memorable experience of eating tabbouleh in Paris, I knew that I had to explore different ethnic dishes and taste what else the world had to offer.

I encourage everyone to try a bean burger at a restaurant sometime, to try tabbouleh in Paris, and to find a great recipe that uses tofu. You’ll make great discoveries and you’ll find things you don’t like. If being a vegetarian is something that interests you, this is a great way to start. The truth is that most vegetarian dishes can be turned into a meatier dish with chicken, beef, pork, or fish. It’s easy to make dishes for both meat eaters and non-meat eaters.

Things to keep in mind:

Just because it’s vegetarian doesn’t mean it’s healthy. If you’re a calorie counter, keep a watchful eye on the grains like bulgar and couscous, which can really up your calories.

Just because it’s vegetarian doesn’t mean you’ll lose weight. So many other factors in dieting, exercise, and genetics affect your weight. Eliminate the truly unnecessary foods like sweets and junk food before you eliminate meat from your diet if you want to lose weight!

Sources of protein are found in food other than meat! Large amounts! Out of all of the vegetarian myths, I wish I could debunk this one the most. Think about all of the herbivore animals out there that OBVIOUSLY find protein. This myth makes NO SENSE.

Every vegetarian has a reason for not eating meat. I love that so many of my friends have made this choice and have introduced so many new recipes to me.

Below are a few helpful links to some great and tasty vegetarian dishes. Tag @bosu_ambassador in photos of your favorite dishes, and we’ll retweet the tastiest, healthy ones!

Healthy Vegetarian Recipes by Health

25 Best Vegetarian Recipes by Cooking Light

19 Popular Vegetarian Foods, Ranked From Worst To Best

25 Most Popular Vegetarian Recipes

Ina Garten's Tabbouleh Recipe

Recipes, Tips and Techniques for Cooking with Couscous

Six Easy Bulgar Recipes

53 Ways to Spice Up Boring Tofu

Sandra Lee's Black Bean Burger Recipe

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Make Your Tailgating Snacking a Touchdown

Fall is here, which means one thing: FOOTBALL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING. I’m Ohio born and raised and a recent graduate of The Ohio State University, so you can guess who my team is.

On any given Saturday you can find me watching football on the couch, at a bar, sitting in the stadium cheering on my Buckeyes, or one of my favorites….tailgating.

There’s nothing better than stadium parking lots fired up with team spirit on a fall Saturday with friends, family and of course, delicious food. I don’t know about you, but after hours of continuous snacking on greasy, unhealthy, fried food, I feel like I should go run a marathon…but I’m so full I can’t move.

I’m here to tell you that you CAN enjoy football Saturday and all its yummy snacking without the guilt! Using some of these easy tailgating snack swaps for the next big game will leave you cheering in the end zone!

SWAP

- Burgers for chicken sandwiches

- Pork bratwurst for turkey bratwurst

- Queso dip for pico de gallo

- Queso for guacamole or hummus

- Fried snacks for baked

- Big bowls of dips for individual servings

- Mayo and sour cream for yogurt or Greek yogurt

- Full fat cheese/milk for low fat products

- Buns and bread for whole wheat tortillas or lettuce wraps

- Tortilla chips for whole wheat pita chips or veggies

- Cookies and brownies for delicious, fresh fruit skewers with dip

- Alcoholic beverages for flavored water, iced tea or 100% fruit juice

It’s also really easy to sit for the entire game (which can sometimes be up to 4 hours.) So instead of becoming a couch potato or permanently stuck in your lawn chair, try some of these fit tailgating tips to stay active during the game.

TRY

- Standing instead of sitting for the whole game

- Passing a football, Frisbee or baseball during halftime

- Playing corn hole during the game (only if you have the game on TV close by obviously!)

- Do a push up/sit up competition with your friends every time your team scores

Tailgating shouldn't leave you feeling guilty because of the mass amounts of potato skins and chicken wings you consumed. You can still have a great time cheering on your team while enjoying delicious and HEALTHIER snacks!

Try out some of my personal favorites for smarter game day snacking:

Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip




Buffalo Chicken with Skinny Ranch




Fruit Skewers with Vanilla Honey Yogurt Dip




Happy snacking! And of course, GO BUCKS!

This blog post was contributed by Allie Squires, a PR and Marketing intern with Hedstrom-Ball Bounce & Sport. She recently graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Strategic Communications and thinks dogs are better than cats. 

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7 Tips to Reduce Boredom at Work

Oh, work.

The thing we must do to be able to pay our taxes, bills, and for the occasional vacation.

Mondays are the worst. You come in, tired, and can’t wait for the day to eventually be over.

Wednesdays give you hope. You are halfway through the week—surely you can make it to Friday.

That’s right… FRIDAY. The best day of the work week. Usually, the day flies by because of your anticipation of the much-needed weekend.

But the time from Monday to that much-needed weekend often drags on and on.

If you are in a job position where you are constantly on the go, then the weekend might appear sooner than you thought it would.

However, if you are in a job position that has you cooped up in a cubicle all week long, then chances are boredom occasionally strikes.

Hey, that’s okay! I’ve learned that staring at a computer screen all day because I’m reading, writing, and researching is a lot more mentally exhausting than it may seem.

Boredom is often brought on by the acknowledgement that you need a break, but you have no idea what to do. Sure, you can check your social media accounts to see if any of your friends have tagged or shared content with you, but, in the end, you’re still looking at a computer (or phone) screen.

Take a real break and try to overcome your boredom.

Here’s what I suggest:

But keep in mind, you should only allow yourself a couple of breaks throughout the day—you still have a job to do, after all! That’s why it’s important to make your breaks count.

I hope these help with your boredom!

This blog entry was contributed by Adena Siefert, a PR and Marketing Intern at Hedstrom – Ball, Bounce and Sport. She recently graduated from Ashland University with degrees in Sport Communication and Public Relations. She enjoys swimming and eating trail mix.

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