Walking for Health

You want to start with something you know you can do every day.  So starting off by lifting heavy heights or doing sprints right away are going to leave your body sore and make you less likely to workout the next day.

Lunch Break Walking

A great way to start a workout routine is by taking a half hour walk during the lunch hour.  The goals right now are to get your heart pumping, break a little sweat and make your body to want to do it again the next day.  Once you get into a routine, your body will crave the exercise and will begin to want more.  Also, walking will prepare your legs for the running you’ll be doing in the coming weeks, which we’ll get into in my next article.

By Kevin Finley

Mind Exercise

Consider isometric exercise. First, place your left hand flat across your right chest and shoulder. Take your right hand and extend it to the side. Make a fist and imagine that you are pulling a beautiful new Mercedes in front of you. The car is heavy, imagine the brakes on, but pull with all your might—if you can pull that monster 5-series hard enough, it will be yours.

In reality, there is no car, no handle, and no brakes. But if you put your mind into that visualization, your pecs were rippling under your left hand and if you were in front of a mirror you saw the pump.

But you never touched a weight.

That was your mind working the muscle. And that’s the only way a muscle works to achieve the anaerobic effect that builds strength and size.

Mind Exercises

Mind Muscle Control

This is nothing new to weight lifters. The mirrors in gyms are not for the benefit of looking at beautiful bodies, the mirrors are there so lifters can better focus on the muscle they are working. The mind, not the weight, creates the catalyst for a chain reaction that is anaerobic (without oxygen) and creates ultimate strength. It only lasts a minute or so, which is why boxing rounds are so short.

My brother used these techniques to break handcuffs, pop tennis balls in his hands, bend quarters and even survive hanging. Crazy? No, there’s plenty of evidence, in first hand witnesses, video and print.

Exercise with No Results

If you’ve been working out on a regular basis with no results, then you are not truly making the mind-muscle connection. Sometimes I call this ugly face exercise: it’s the point when you are exercising where you grit your teeth, your eyes are not really focused and you may not for the moment know where you are or what you’re doing, other than giving it 110%. That is when you’ve your anaerobic range. That is when you’ve told your body to deliver more nutrients for muscle tone and strength and for bone density. Your body is devouring carbs and you’ve also sparked your metabolism to stay on the ready for the next 24 hours, thereby burning more calories.

So, want to exercise brainless or do you want to incorporate some mental muscle?

By Laura Dayton

Home Exercise Routines

This workout will combine quick bursts of cardio to get your heart rate up in the right target zone (to find out what this zone is for you check this article out on calculating your target heartrate and then incorporate strength moves to get you lean and toned.  The best part is you can do this routine virtually anywhere, even while catching up on your favorite TV shows!

Jog in place for 5 minutes—it’s always best to warm-up into any routine

15 push-ups—drop on the floor and pump these out without a break

15 chair dips—keeping the momentum, place your hands on a stationary chair or chair step and extend your feet in front of you; lower yourself until your arms are bent at the elbow at 90 degrees and parallel to the floor, and then raise yourself back up until your arms are straight

Jump rope for 5 minutes—if you don’t have a rope, just jump in place keeping your heart pumping

Home Exercise Alternatives

30 lunges—hands on hips and feet together, extend your right leg and drop into a deep lunge until your left knee is almost touching the floor and then push yourself back to the starting position and repeat with your left leg in front. Do 15 on each leg for a total of 30 lunges

15 bicep curls—grabbing either 5 or 10 pound weights, or you can get creative and use filled water bottles or even canned goods; as long as you feel the burn my the last few

Stair stepping for 5 minutes—finding either a step or raised surface alternate stepping your feet one at a time up onto the stair and then down; you will stay in the same place, but with one foot on the stair and the other under you as you quickly switch the positions of your feet

15 squats—squat down low and work to keep your weight balanced on your heels

Home Exercises

15 upright rows—grabbing your weights or water bottles stand with your feet shoulder width apart and arms hanging in front of your hips; pull your arms upward in front of your torso until your upper arms are at shoulder height and bent at the elbow.  Lower your arms and repeat.

Scissor step for 5 minutes—place your hands and feet on the floor and bend at the waist so that your bottom is toward the ceiling.  Alternate hopping your right foot forward and then switch positions so that your left leg jumps forward as your right goes back

30 second plank—placing yourself in the push-up position, hold yourself up concentrating on pulling your abs in and keeping your back straight

30 crunches

5 minutes sideways hops—facing forward with your feet together jump first to the right and then the left; keep yourself working and sweating!

15 side arm raises—with a weight in each hand and your arms at your side, keep your arms straight and lift them until they are shoulder height and parallel with the ground.  Lower your arms and repeat.

30 front punches—with the same weights alternate punching one arm in front of you and then the other for a total of 15 punches on each side.

5 minutes running in place—gradually work yourself into a cool-down

You’ve just done a perfect total body workout while getting your pulse moving and lungs working.  The strength moves will help build muscle and the combined cardio will help you torch calories, and the best part is you didn’t have to spend a penny!

By Caitlin Chock

The importance of your Back

We cut and split wood for fire, pulled crops from trees, planted and harvested gardens, hunted and killed game, and some people still today wash clothes by scrubbing them on rocks. For women there was the milking of cows, kneading of bread and churning of butter, while men used their larger upper body strength to build roads, streets and towns.

For the most part, everything I mentioned involves the muscles of the back, the upper body’s largest muscle group. For the most part, many Americans do not perform any of the aforementioned daily chores. If you don’t have a job that involves a lot of physical labor, run a farm or own horses, you most likely do not to enough work for your back. We have so ignored these important muscles in recent history that back problems and even spinal deformities are on the rise. The Dowager’s hump at the base of an old lady’s back can now be seen on teenagers.

Put Your Back on Top!

In a few more million years we may evolve into a slug-like creature that requires only minimum movement to survive. Until then, we need to work our bodies the way they’ve been working for the last million years. That means walking—every chance you can. It means doing squats, properly with knees over your feet and back straight. It means lunges and some stair or hill climbing.

We still use our biceps for carrying, and guys like to give those guns some extra work. The triceps, unless you’re into fighting sports, probably needs some work. Dips are great and if you want to really get the job done, push-ups can’t be beat for chest and triceps. Do them off your toes, your knees or put your toes on a bench or chair for a real burn.

Back Exercises

The problem lies in the largest upper body muscle group, the back, which is difficult to work without specific exercise. The best exercise is the pull-up. A pull-up bar, even if you only hang to start is a great beginning. Eventually work up to pulling your body up in a chin.

The other thing you need is a rowing movement. Tennis and swimming are great, so is golfing and basketball. If you don’t participate in those sports, you’re going to need some rowing either in a kayak or with some exercise bands. Lifting properly, keeping the weight close to your legs, back and arms straight and using your leg power to stand up right will save your back from injuries.

Put your back training on the top of your list of body parts. Train it at least three times a week, and don’t forget hyperextensions, Cobra moves and pelvic raises to keep that lower back muscle in tune.

By Laura Dayton

For more weight training exercises, especially for women, refer to Laura Dayton’s total guide to women’s weight training, available at www.lauradayton.com.

Beach Yoga for Seniors

Yoga is one of the best forms of exercise for an elderly person’s health. Yoga focuses on the body, mind, and spirit. It cultivates a state of overall health and well-being. Certain Yoga techniques work to normalize blood pressure, balance the nervous system, strengthen core muscles, decrease stress, stimulate blood circulation, regulate breathing, and aid with sleep. Yoga is part exercise and part meditation. Practicing yoga on a regular basis can strengthen your body, relax your mind, and provide inner peace.

Yoga for Seniors

Trying to find a yoga class that’s right for you can seem daunting. Hatha, Iyengar, Anusara- what do these all mean? If you are an elderly person, you may think that joining a beginner’s class is best. However, even beginner’s classes can be fast paced, and the instructor may not have experience teaching seniors. The best class for a senior to take is a “Yoga for Seniors” class or “Ageless Yoga”. These types of yoga classes are specifically designed for seniors and persons with decreased mobility. The instructors will have experience working with seniors, and will be able to tailor the class to an elderly person’s needs.

What can you expect from a yoga class designed for seniors? The instructor will most likely check in with each student to find out what their issues are. You will be reminded to breathe and to rest in “child’s pose” as needed. If you need help with the poses, props and support from the instructor will be available. The pace of the class will typically be slower than the pace in other styles of yoga because students may need extra time getting in and out of poses. However, with time and patience, most students will be able to do a variation on most poses.

Seniors Yoga

Older people can sometimes be very strong, flexible, and fit, so you can expect the class to be diverse. Yoga for older people is also about building community. The diversity of students in the classes can be inspiring and helpful, and can lead to new friendships.

Any yoga instructor practices what they teach because yoga is a lifestyle, not just a class they teach a couple times a week. As such, your yoga instructor will be glad to answer any questions or concerns you might have. If you are unsure about taking a yoga class, you can always talk to an instructor beforehand so that they can give you any additional information you might need.

By Jasmine-June Cabanaw

But things are what they are, and everyone seems to feel like if they want to be fit that joining a gym is the only way to do it. It doesn’t have to be like that though. There are methods of getting in shape that have been around a lot longer than gyms and there are lots of exercises that require very little or no equipment. I bet you’ve already even done a lot them.

Pushups at Home

The pushup is probably the best and most classic example of an exercise that requires no equipment. This one exercise alone can make a noticeable change to your chest, shoulders, and arms. There are endless ways to vary it up as well. Putting your feet up on a wall at an angle will make them harder because you are putting more weight on your arms. You are changing your position and therefore you have less leverage. You can gradually progress to walking your feet up the wall all the way until you wind up doing handstand pushups! On the other side of it, if you keep your feet on the floor and walk your hands up on to a ledge, step, or any other sturdy surface that it higher than the floor, you can give yourself better leverage. This is a good technique to use in order to train towards doing one armed pushups. By doing a one armed push up on an angle you can get better at the technique and gradually build towards doing them on the floor. Experiment with different variations on the push up and it can stay fresh and challenging for you.

Pullups for Fitness

Pull-ups and chin-ups are also among the best exercises for building the upper body and they require very little equipment. If you don’t have a pull-up bar then try to find a park or playground with monkey bars nearby. I love to take my workouts to the park when the weather is nice. I find it beats working out at the gym by a landslide. Pull-ups and chin-ups can also be varied in many ways. Technically speaking a pull-up is done with your palms facing away from you (overhand grip) and a chin-up is when your palms are facing towards you (underhand grip). But there are many other ways to vary these two basic themes as well. You can do a mixed grip with your palms facing each other. You can also vary the width of your grip, the position of your legs, or the placement of your head on either side of the bar. And of course let’s not forget the granddaddy of them all: the one arm pull-up.

Way to Lunge

Squats and Lunges are two of the best exercises for your legs. And while these are great exercises to perform with weights, they can also be very effective with just your body weight. Even if you have strong legs, doing an endurance workout with just your body weight consisting of hundreds of squats and lunges can lead to you having a hard time getting up out of a chair the next day. Taking squats and lunges and turning them into plyometric exercises is another great way to add a new challenge with no equipment. All you need to do is jump on your way up and then land right into the lowering phase of the next rep. Repeat until your legs are quivering and your heart feels like it’s going to explode. Then rest and repeat. Or go into another set of pushups while you wait for your legs to recover. Of course, squats can be performed with one leg as well–and this is just the tip of the iceberg!

Creative Exercise

Your creativity is the only limit to finding ways to vary these fundamental exercises. Experiment for yourself and don’t feel the need to conform to the limits of conventional methods. Finding new challenges and adding different variations is one of the keys to success in the world of fitness.

By Al Kavadlo

Stuck in a workout Rut?

If you continue to do the same thing you did years ago, your fitness will stop improving, you will stagnate, and actually start to burn fewer calories.The key to avoid getting stuck in a fitness rut is to change and mix-up your workout.  You can keep doing one routine for a period of 4-6 months, but by having a variety of different moves and exercises to choose from, you will not only avoid boredom (and possibly burn-out!) but always keep your body guessing as to what will be coming its way next.  Adding new stressors to the body will ensure that you are constantly working different muscle groups, doing so by different angles, and thus keeping your fitness level improving.

Hit the Rut Head-On!

This can be done in a number of ways; choose a different machine or exercise even for the same muscle group when you are doing your weight routine.  Do tricep dips one day, tricep kick backs another, and skull crushes a different time.  Build a arsenal of different apparatuses that you are familiar with and an array of exercises.  There are a plethora of moves to be discovered and will make your routine more effective, leaving you more toned and fit.  With your cardio routine, pick different activities: bike, run, stair-climb, play a vigorous game of basketball, or take a new class.  Go shorter and faster in one session and longer and steadier another.  They say variety is the spice of life, so take than and apply it to your fitness routine!

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru

Core Strength Exercise

For athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike, your core is vital to not only look your best, but to complete your routines and sports to the best of your ability.  Your core is responsible for holding you in the correct form when performing exercises, keeping your posture upright when running, and every other activity you undertake.  By toning and building these muscles you will make yourself more efficient, and improve your overall fitness.

Head Stand Core Strength

It is important to focus on each muscle and to do each exercise correctly. You may not be able to complete them all perfectly at first, because many of the smaller muscles are weaker and unused to being stressed, but be diligent and eventually you will have a stronger center.  Start by doing one set of each exercise and then gradually work your way up to three sets three times a week with at least one day of rest between them.

• Bicycle crunch: Lying on the floor, back flat and raise both legs to 90 degree angles.  Alternately bring your right elbow to your left knee, return to the starting position and then bring your left elbow to your right knee.  Continue until you’ve done a total of 30 (15 on each side).
• Bridge: Lie on the ground with your back and feet planted on the ground.  Your knees will be bent toward the ceiling; while keeping your shoulder blades pressed down, raise your butt upward until your lower back and upper thighs are at a 45 degree angle on the floor.  Squeeze your butt to hold yourself there for 3 seconds then return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Back Raises: Lie face-down with your stomach on the ground, legs straight behind your.  Interlace your hands and rest them behind your back.  In one motion, raise your upper body and legs off the ground so that your arms reach back toward your legs and only your pelvis is fixed on the floor.  Gently return to the ground and repeat 10-15 times.
• Plank: Resting on your forearms and toes, keep your body straight and parallel to the floor.  Contract your abs, pulling them inward and be sure to keep your back flat.  Hold this position for 30 seconds, rest, and that is one set.  When you’ve mastered that, try holding the position while doing a set of 10 leg lifts for each leg.

By: Caitlin Chock, Home Fitness Guru