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!

Cross Train for Better Fitness

     The great Motivational Speaker - Zig Ziglar - used to say "If you are hard on yourself - life gets much easier" or something like that. His point was - if you work hard and practice your healthy habits regularly - you can win at whatever you set out to do. Now,  lets be real - I have about as much chance of winning Wimbledon next year as winning a big lottery jackpot.  The same goes for making the cut in the Masters.

    And still - if you or I set a realistic target - like "I will lose 20 pounds before Christmas vacation". That is an achievable goal. Or - "I will walk 3 miles every day this week".  I will pass on the fat-food drive thru and, instead make an egg-white omelet with plenty of chopped veggies for breakfast. \

Start a new, healthy habit or two. Let go of those unhealthy ones. If you've been inactive for a while, start small. And then gradually increase your pace and the intensity of your exercise. The ultimate goal - if you really want to shed those extra pounds - is to work your body hard!

   If you want to kick-start your fitness program - try working out with weights. If you think lifting weights is just for pumped-up hard-bodies who flex their muscles at Venice beach, think again. The good news is building muscle benefits everyone! Women and Men - at any age. In fact, older people may have the most to gain from weight or resistance training, because strength is so crucial to functioning independently.

All sorts of professional athletes, from basketball players to Tiger Woods and Rafael Nadal  have used cross training in their fitness regimens. Cross training is also making its way into the average person's fitness routine.
cross training doesn't require specific exercises. In fact, as long as you create variation in your activity, you can enjoy the benefits of cross training!  The key is to vary your activities between aerobic conditioning, strength training, endurance, and balance. Vary your workouts to emphasize each one of those areas.

You really can exercise and get rid of those extra pounds - for good!

Speeding Up Your Weight Loss

Are you exercising regularly and find yourself not losing weight? Or maybe your weight loss is a little slower than you'd like? You might want to add more strength training to your fitness program.

Many fitness buffs use weight training every other day to keep their body toned and firm. You don't have to press 250 pounds or look like the esteemed Governor of California to benefit from using weights. You can even lose more weight and enjoy a chiseled, more muscular look without ever stepping foot in a gym! Simply use your own weight – like you do when you do the classic push-up!

Muscle has enormous fat-burning capacity, even when your body is at rest. Building only five pounds of muscle can help you to burn 150 to 250 extra calories per day!

If you want to use weights as a part of your strength training program you might want to consider the following tips to keep yourself safe. If you've been out of the habit of daily exercise for a long while you might want to start with an OK from your doctor.

If you are new to using weights or gym equipment, get some expert advice from a friend or someone who has more experience than you. Building Muscle takes time – be patient and don't expect immediate results! You'll feel the difference soon enough. Before too long others will notice how good you look!

5 Tips to get you rolling:

1) Always warm up and stretch the muscles you will be working. Your muscles need time to adjust to demands before you start.
2) Don’t try to lift too much weight too soon (gradual and progressive resistance is much better).
3) Take time to cool down after exercise. Walk around for a few minutes, (this lowers your heart rate and boosts flexibility).
4) Always make time to stretch after you exercise (this can help you prevent injuries).
5) Avoid energy bars and sports drinks during moderate workouts. Unless you are working out for two hours a day or more, you’re consuming calories your body doesn’t really need.

You really can exercise and lose weight fast! Add some strength training to your fitness plan. Do push-ups, squats and pull-ups during half time. Join the thousands of slim and trim fitness lovers who use an Indoor Rowing Machine

You'll feel better and look better!

See Yourself Win the Battle of the Waistline

    A sportswriter once asked a famous baseball player how many hits he expected to get in the big game later that same day. The famed slugger didn't waste a moment before responding "I expect to get a hit every time I step up to the plate!"

    Did he? Of course not. In any given year the best hitters might safely get a  hit 3 of every 10 times they come to the plate. They know the numbers. They are well aware of the stats - and yet they believe they can get a base hit every time they step up to the plate! They focus on the positive outcome they want.

    And they work towards that positive outcome. They exercise daily and condition their bodies to stay in top physical form. ( Babe Ruth excluded here - history is full of the legendary poor eating habits the Babe enjoyed. ). The time they spend in batting cages toning their timing and swing would tire most of us.

   The average tennis pro today spends several hours daily just hitting tennis balls! That doesn't include the hours spent running and in strength training! They walk out on that court believing they can hit ace after ace. They know in their heart they can get to balls most of us would never even try for! They have positive expectations built upon a solid foundation of preparation.

    These athletes have invested the time, focus, and hard work required to reach the pinnacle of their chosen sports!

    We can't all expect to hit 90 mph fastballs like A-Rod or get to incredible shots like Kim Clijsters does on a tennis court. And we can practice some of the very same healthy habits the pros use to stay in fantastic shape!

    If you want to trim up your waistline and get your body into a slimmer, sexier shape - why not do what the pros do? Exercise - hard - every day! Build up a good old fashioned sweat! Work your heart and lungs for at least 20 minutes most days of the week. If you want better results - pick it up to 30 or 45 minutes of heart-pumping cardio exercise daily.

    Every other day work on strength training - in addition to your daily cardio regimen. You'll start seeing ( and feeling ) results in a matter of weeks!

   You won't even need to hire a personal trainer or join that fancy ( and expensive ) health club! Turn that extra room into your own home gym! Put s TV and DVD player in and watch your favorite TV shows while you get in your best shape ever!  Pick up some inexpensive home fitness equipment and work out when you want to.

   Spend a lot of time on the road? No worries, many hotels offer fitness rooms. Or do the stairs as many times as you can muster for a great cardio workout! If the weather outside is nice - start your day off right with a healthy run .  Buy a Jump Rope
and toss it in your bag -  get a great workout wherever you are!

    Ride your bike or simply start by going for a daily run!  Call a friend and play some tennis or head out to the golf course ( just skip the cart and walk) . Who says getting in better shape has to be dull and boring?  If you want a better looking body - do like the pros and try these ten tips for better fitness!