Amber Balcaen In Two-Piece Workout Gear Shares Fitness Inspiration

She Golfs

Amanda is an avid golfer. In golf, even if you’ve mastered the swing, you’ll never be satisfied if your mental game is weak, and vice versa. Golf is sneaky demanding of both physical and mental strength,” she told Golf. A comprehensive review published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that golf's health benefits are extensive, including mind, body, and even lifespan. Benefits include improved longevity, decreased risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke, good mental health, and improved strength and balance.

She Takes Baths

Amanda enjoys hot water therapy in the form of baths. Why should you consider a soak? Baths have been linked to better sleep and even found helpful to minimize anxiety and depression. One recent study even found that they may even boast cardiovascular benefits.

She Snowboards

In the winter, you can find Amanda snowboarding. “Jackson is a Hole vibe (I’m sorry I’m this way 😂),” she captioned an Instagram post from the slopes. According to the University of Rochester, snowboarding, like skiing, is a great cardiovascular workout. “Because they are also weight-bearing exercises, they strengthen your bones as they tone your muscles,” they say. “Cardiovascular or aerobic exercises also work to reduce your risk for chronic diseases, and lower blood pressure. They also help you maintain a healthy body weight. Through regular aerobic exercise like skiing and snowboarding, you lower your risk of developing conditions like diabetes and heart disease, having a stroke, and perhaps even getting cancer.”

She Lifts Weights

Amanda also strength trains. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength and weight training help reduce body fat, preserve and increase lean muscle mass, and burn calories more efficiently. Strength training may also help you:

• Develop strong bones
• Manage your weight
• Enhance your quality of life
• Manage chronic conditions
• Sharpen your thinking skills

[slidetitle num="6"]Pilates[/slidetitle]

Yoga

Amanda is a yogi. “Through controlled breath and meditative movements, practicing yoga has taught me how to stay calm during difficult situations. About three years after I discovered the practice, I became certified in Baptiste-style training. It was an intense 200-hour journey that transformed my mind because it forced me to sort through my own issues before having the capacity to teach others. I now teach whenever I can, and I continue to practice yoga at least a few times a week—the length of each session ranges from 10 to 90 minutes, depending on how stressed I am that day,” she told Golf. “I’ve reaped more mental benefits from yoga as I’ve become physically stronger, and that’s why golf and yoga are far more similar than people realize.” During her recent travels she even did yoga at the SFO airport.

Pilates

In her recent video Amanda does Pilates. Why is pilates a good workout? According to the Mayo Clinic there are lots of benefits to the workout, as it “strengthens the body's inner core while increasing its flexibility resulting in improved overall health.” It can also promote longer, leaner muscles, injury prevention, relief from stress and back pain, enhanced athletic performance, and heightened mind-body awareness.

She Does Squats

Teixeira is seen doing different types of squats in her Instagram video. According to Piedmont, squats are very beneficial. “Although the movements appear relatively simple, squats can take time to master. Joel Hardwick, ACSM EP-C, EIM2, an exercise physiologist at Piedmont Atlanta Fitness Center, says practice will pay off…Hardwick explains that squats are a compound, multi-joint movement, which means they exercise several muscle groups. When you perform a squat, you work your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, core and part of your back. A squat has more overall benefits than, say, a bicep curl, which strengthens an isolated area.”

She Does Lunges

Teixeira is also seen doing different types of lunges in her Instagram video. Lunges have a lot of benefits. The Mayo Clinic states, “The lunge is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the lunge targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the thigh, the gluteal muscles in the buttock, and to a lesser extent, the lower leg muscles. The lunge is a great conditioning exercise for many sports, especially those that involve lunging movements, such as tennis, basketball or soccer.”

She Does Planks

Teixeira is also seen doing plank exercises in her Instagram video. Allina Health reports that they have a lot of benefits. “The plank is a simple, effective bodyweight exercise that strengthens your core, as well as muscles in your upper and lower body. Core muscles, which include your back and abdomen, help you maintain posture and balance as you stand, sit and move throughout the day.”

Bicycle Crunhes

Another exercise that Teixeira is seen doing in her Instagram video are bicycle crunches. ACE Fitness states that they are very beneficial. “The bicycle crunch is the top exercise for strengthening your rectus abdominis — the muscles in front of your abdomen — according to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), beating exercises like the captain's chair, crunches and the ab roller. Bicycle crunches also play a role in supporting your back during everyday activities like running, bending over and lifting.”

She Engages Her Muscles

When Teixeira does exercises, she makes sure to have the right form. That way, her muscles are engaged. Teixeira shared her secrets to doing this when doing lunges in this Instagram post. “The way you perform your lunges can change the muscles it activates. 🤓 When you step forward you will activate more your quadriceps muscles than the glutes. But if you step backwards you will activate more your glutes than your quads. And if you keep your chest up you will feel more in your quads while if you keep your chest forward you will feel more in your glutes. I always perform it stepping backwards and with my chest forward to activate more the glutes than the quads because you know, us Bikini girls are all about the 🍑.”