Step up Cut down
cardio, step up
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Some of you might be doing step aerobics for your work out. It's a great workout and provides you with a wonderful aerobic exercise. But after awhile you may find the challenge of the exercise waning. Here are a few tips to "step" up your step routine.
* Add and Extra Riser to your step. Even if you can't handle say two risers for the whole routine, use them for the first 15 or 20 minutes then do the rest of the session on the single risers. Then add a minute or two to the time each week until you can do your whole routine with the extra riser.
* Exercise to upbeat music. I have a step at home and sometimes I exercise while watching a TV drama. It's okay, but when I put in a music tape with some upbeat music, like a Bill Gaither Homecoming video, I am really working out.
* Move faster. Of course, be safe, but try to get in more steps per minute.
* "Hop" to it. On some moves, add a little hop.
* Work out with someone else setting the pace. Watch an exercise video or take a class or work out with a friend.
* Add weights to the workout. Carry small hand weights while doing the arm portion of the exercises. This adds resistance and increases the intensity of the workout.
Remember, as the pounds come off you have to work harder to achieve the same level of intensity in your workout. Some of these techniques can add that intensity as you need it.
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on 1/29/2008
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0 |
6.9
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You'll Find You Actually Like Healthy Snacks
healthy snacks
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This afternoon I was eating some strawberries and I really enjoyed them. But it got me thinking. Where did I ever get the idea that a treat was a donut or piece of cake. Don't get me wrong I still like them and on occassion have one. But I've always liked fruit and fresh veggies. So, why did I ever trade them in for cakes and cookies? Maybe it's our culture. Maybe it's because growing up poor I got sugary treats so rarely that I equated them with personal success. It really doesn't matter why. Somehow, I turned my back on some of my favorite foods.
I'm discovering that watching my diet is not a matter of choosing between something good tasting and something healthy. It's simply choosing something good tasting which is also healthy, like the grapes I had at lunch full of vitamin C and antioxidants (whatever they are) and generally low in calories. So, the next time you reach for a Twinkie, ask yourself if there isn't something you like equally well that is better for you. I suspect the answer will be yes.
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on 1/28/2008
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1 |
11.1
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5 Ways to Keep Exercise Fun
motivation, plateaus, variety
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Another way of assuring that you stay motivated is to make exercise fun. If you perceive your workout as a chore, you more than likely will not stick with it. Here are some techniques for making your workout something to look forward to.
1. Add Variety: If your weightlifting is getting tedious and boring, change one of these factors: 1. Vary how often you do an exercise and the number of sets and reps you do. 2. Find an alternate exercise; for example, if you always do the bench press using a barbell, try doing it with dumbbells or on a machine. 3.v Change the order of the exercises you do for each muscle group and the muscle groups themselves.
2. Include Friends and Family: Training with a workout partner not only makes your training session more fun, safe, and intense, but will also increase the likelihood of your showing up at the gym. Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are similar to yours and who is willing to spot you correctly and motivate you to do your best.
3. Fight Discouragement: If once in a long while you blow off a workout because you choose to go out with friends, just accept and enjoy your choice--do not feel guilty. Otherwise, the sense of failure can make it harder to get yourself back on track. Focus on how much progress you have made so far, not on how far you have to go.
4. Expect and Prepare for Plateaus: If you feel you have reached a plateau and/or are bored, do not give up--this is a natural part of working out. Make sure to vary the exercises, sets, repetitions and order of your workout--continually search for new ways of making your routine fun and exciting.
5. Schedule your Workout: If you always exercise on the same days at the same time, your routine will become a fixture in your life, not a whim. Not going to the gym will feel unnatural. Including exercise into your busy schedule will be an adjustment, and staying motivated will be equally challenging... read entire entry
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on 1/23/2008
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1 |
40.7
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RICE For Injuries
injury, rest
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If you suffer from a sports related injury, use R.I.C.E. The term stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. This should be a standard for injured beings.
Rest - Take a break from exercise or any type of movement that may stress the injured area. A minor injury should be rested for one or two days, while more severe injuries may need longer.
Ice - Ice the affected area. Icing reduces pain, limits swelling and bleeding, and encourages rapid healing. Wrap ice in a towel to avoid direct contact with the skin.
Compress - Compress the injury with a stretch bandage. Make sure not to wrap it too tight, just enough to support the injured area comfortably.
Elevate - Elevate the limb. If possible, try to keep the injured part above the level of the heart. At the very least, try to keep it higher than the hips. This helps limit swelling and also prevents movement of the area that is injured.
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on 1/22/2008
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5.7
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Plan for Goals Instead of Just Setting Them
goals, planning
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New Year's Resolutions are becoming a joke nowadays. People set them knowing they're not going to keep them. This is sad because January is a great time to get started. Many of us are budgeting for the coming year so we can include fitness costs in our planning. Prices on gym clothes and equipment are often low. Gyms are competing for your business. And there isn't a big eating holiday for almost 4 months. So, it is a good time to plan for your fitness goals of the coming year.
But you will need more than a resolution to succeed, you will need goals and a plan to achieve those goals. Resolutions tend to be vague. We say things like "This year I will get into shape" or "This year I'll lose weight." Those are so vague as to be practically useless. Neither of them address specific behaviors and how you are going to change them. That's why you need behaviorally-driven goals and action plans to support them.
Here's an example:
This year I will work toward a schedule where I will increase my aerobic exercise to three hours a week and my strength training to two hours a week. To do this I will need to do the following:
- Join a gym and make an appointment with a trainer to set up a safe and effective way to do this.
- Register for an aerobics class at our local community center.
- Create a schedule of days and times to work out and enter them into my day planner for the next three months.
- Begin this week with 15 minute work out sessions and increase the time and intensity of my workouts by about 10 percent a week until I reach my goal
That is just an example, but my point is that it's easy to make the new years resolution. But you should take that extra step and actually MAKE A PLAN on how to keep your new years resolution.
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on 1/22/2008
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0 |
5.6
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