A Better Life in 2011

    One week into the New Year and many are focusing on new, healthy habits. If you're one of the many who is intent upon making your life better in 2011 - Congratulations!  Or maybe you're just determined to lose a few pounds. Whatever your fitness goals - congratulate yourself for making healthy choices!

    If you're like so many, busy parents or students you may find it hard to sneak away to the gym for an hour every day. No Worries! Save your money and time in the new year - Skip the expensive health club and work out at home!

Most fitness experts recommend a twofold approach to better overal fitness. Working your heart and lungs - cardio or aerobic exercise - is something you can ideally fit in every day. Strength training might be better left to just every other day.

     Try some of the following moderate exercises and get your heart and lungs working! If your heart is beating noticeably faster—it’s probably moderately intense. Try to sneak in at least 30 minutes, most days of the week.Here's just a few ideas:

• walking briskly (a 15-minute mile )
• light snow shoveling
• chasing your children around the yard. ( Just try to keep up! )
• riding your bike at a casual pace.

     Want better results? Try something more vigorous: If you are breathing hard and fast and your heart rate is increased substantially during physical activity, it’s probably vigorously intense.
Examples include:

• jogging/running
• rollerblading/inline skating at a brisk pace
• cross-country skiing
• most competitive sports (basketball, tennis, or soccer)
• jumping rope.

     Experts suggest that  you don’t even have to do all 30 minutes at once. They say you get the same health benefits from breaking 30 minutes up into three 10-minute or two 15-minute intervals. Everyday activities like climbing several flights of stairs or parking farther away from store entrances are a good start. But if you don’t do that activity for at least 10 minutes at a time, it doesn’t help you meet the recommendation for 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity. For most of us, losing those extra pounds is easier by exercising more vigorously or for more than 30 minutes.

     Want to burn even more calories? Try strength training. This consists of resistance exercises,  using weights - including your own body weight - or workout bands. Strength training or resistance exercises can be done anywhere. An example of a goal to work toward could be to do 8 to 12 repetitions of 6 to 8 strength-training exercises twice a week.
   Here's a few ideas:

• push-ups
• pull-ups
• biceps curls
• sit-ups
• shovelling heavy snow
• indoor rowing ( develops your heart, lungs and muscles! )

Both strength training and cardio exercise are important. Strength training will help you maintain healthy bones, and develop and tone muscles. Make 2011 your best year ever! Make this your year to enjoy life more in a slimmer, healthier body!