Get the most out of the Fall weather

Today was absolutely perfect running, biking, or walking weather in Chicago. Tomorrow is September 1st, and we all know what this means. Its shorter days, more darkness, and soon enough snowy cold weather is in the near future. So, with this being said it is time to make the most out of the weather we have now. Here are some outdoorsy things you can do to make the most out of your exercise programs:

• Take a walk on Lunch
• Walk your pet a little longer then the quick run in and out
• Play a sport - Soccer season is in the mix
• Bike
• Run
• Do some dips on a park bench
• Play with your kids outside

Did you know...about AB exercises?

Did you know that doing more crunches actually involving a twisting motion, like the bicycle, heel taps, or cherry picking, will shape up your abs faster and quicker. The twisting motion will challenge your core at all angles rather then just a up and down motion. Try this workout below to challenge your abs in sitting and standing positions.

10 Minute Ab Workout

1 Minute--Knee Raises with Opposite Arm
This exercise is basically doing crunches while standing up with a twisting action from the opposite arm. You will feel this exercise in your obliques. The object is to pull your knee as high as you can and bring the opposing arm to the knee cap on each side. This will cause a slight twist in your abs. Focus on keeping knees up and where the crunch feeling happens. Stay pulled up and balanced. Do this exercise at a moderate pace. Get your heart rate up.

1 Minute--Plank
View picture below, and hold for 1 Minute.

1 Minute--Bicycle
View picture above (left), lie face up on the floor, arms behind head. As you switch legs try and focus on connecting each opposing elbow to the knee. Do this at a light and steady pace. Focus on your abs.

15 Woodchoppers on each side
View the picture above (right), focus on twisting at the core and lunging to the floor on the opposing side. Don't get in a habit of using your momentum to twist (this may cause injury).

1 More Plank (You have one more after this in this routine)
Hold for 1 Minute

1 Minute--Russian Twist
This exercise is very similar to the bicycle. The only difference is during the times that your legs are bent your going to pass a medicine ball through. Its tuff but you can do it.

1 Minute--V-sit
Sit in a V. Your legs are up and your upper body is also off the ground. The only part that i on the ground is your butt.

1 Minute--Kicks
Stand up, kick your leg straight out in front of you. Alternate legs. It will boost your heart rate again.

And last....

The last Plank.
Ready...Hold! You have 60 seconds left on the clock!

Do this on Alternating nights. You'll have a six pack in know time.

In between these exercise rest for 15 seconds.

CHEERS!

Featured Exercise

The Plank exercise is a great way to shape up your abs completely with dedication. The form is easy, start by placing your forearms on the ground and forming a plank with your forearms and feet. Hold this position keeping your body parallel to the ground for the required time. I try and do this daily with my exercise routine. I have been working up to holding it for 2 minutes. It's tuff, but it's the price I'm willing to pay for great looking abs!

Try it!

For an extra bonus, you can also use the plank on your obliques. To start turn your body to one side and place only one forearm on the ground with your feet also sideways. Extend the other arm straight up so you are lateral to the floor. Your arm should be at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Hold for 1 minute on each side...work up to 2 minutes.

Challenge yourself.

:) CHEERS

The Recipe for Success

When trying to turn things around and make a lifestyle change many factors come into play. It is important to know that making a change in diet, rest, and exercising will all make the perfect recipe for a successful lifestyle change. Lifestyle changes don't have to be drastice. Start out small; maybe increase the amount you attend the gym each week by one day, tell your self that you will not be taking any elevators or escalators, start taking stairs when you can or even park a little further away then you normally would. When it comes to diet go to the store and buy healthy food choices for lunches. This actually will also give your wallet a break on small purchases throughout the week you don't need on unhealthy foods. And at last, give yourself a bedtime and try (just try) to get the same amount of sleep each night. (This is always the most difficult for me.)

All of this are just some of the options you have when choosing to GET FIT. It all about where to start and imagining yourself at the end of the battle. Plus, you will start to feel really great, full of energy and healthy!

CHEERS! To a new you.

8 Minute Workout for Better Sleep

Upside-Down Relaxation/Minutes:0:00-2:00

• Sit facing a wall (or your headboard) with your butt about 6 inches away from it.
• Lie back and extend your legs up the wall.
• If this is too intense a stretch for your hamstrings, slide your butt farther away from the wall.
• If it's not enough, scoot closer.
• Let your arms rest by your sides, palms facing up, and breathe gently, feeling the stretch in the backs of your legs.

Winding Down Twist/Minutes: 2:00-3:00

• Sit cross-legged on the bed and exhale as you place your right hand on your left knee and left hand on the bed behind your tailbone.
• Gently twist your torso to the left.
• Allow your gaze to follow, looking over your left shoulder. Breathe deeply, then return to center and repeat on opposite side.

Nighttime Goddess Stretch/Minutes: 3:00-5:00

Lie on your back with knees bent.

Place the soles of your feet together, then let your knees fall open, forming a diamond shape with your legs.

Rest your arms on the bed.

If you feel any strain, elevate your legs by placing a pillow underneath each knee.

Child's Pose/Minutes: 5:00-7:00

• Sit up comfortably on your heels.
• Roll your torso forward, bringing your forehead to rest on the bed in front of you.
• Lower your chest as close to your knees as you comfortably can, extending your arms in front of you.
• Hold the pose and breathe.

Rock-a-Bye Roll/Minutes: 7:00-8:00

• Lying on your back, hug knees in to chest.
• Cross your ankles and wrap both arms around your shins with clasped hands.
• Inhale and rock your body up to sit; exhale as you roll back.
• Continue for 1 minute, then roll back, extend arms and legs, and drift off to sleep.

from fitness.com

Best 6 Stretches

1. Active Pigeon

Target: The Piriformis (a deep gluteal muscle)

• Begin in a full push-up position, palms aligned under shoulders.
• Place left knee on the floor near shoulder with left heel by right hip.
• Lower down to forearms and bring right leg down with the top of the foot on the floor (not shown).
• Keep chest lifted to the wall in front of you, gazing down.
• If you're more flexible, bring chest down to floor and extend arms in front of you.
• Pull navel in toward spine and tighten your pelvic-floor muscles; contract right side of glutes.
• Curl right toes under while pressing ball of foot into the floor, pushing through your heel.
• Bend knee to floor and release; do 5 reps total, then switch sides and repeat.

2. C-Curve

Target: Lower Back

• Sit on floor with knees bent, feet on floor about 12 inches in front of butt.
• Interlace fingers behind hamstrings, pointing elbows out to sides.
• Round back, tightening pelvic floor and pulling navel in toward spine; focus on your belly button with jaw pulled in. Inhale through your nose.
• As you exhale, draw navel in even tighter and lift left leg, pushing left heel toward wall in front of you while pulling back with pinkie toe; at the same time, push down on right foot (not shown).
• Return to start and repeat.
• Do 5 reps; switch sides and repeat.

3. Modified Cobra

Target: Abdominals

• Lie facedown on the floor with thumbs directly under shoulders, legs extended with the tops of your feet on the floor.
• Tighten your pelvic floor, and tuck hips downward as you squeeze your glutes.
• Press shoulders down and away from ears.
• Push through your thumbs and index fingers as you raise your chest toward the wall in front of you.
• Relax and repeat.
• Do 5 reps total.

4. Hamstring Stretch Series

Target: Hamstrings

• Place a small folded towel behind your head and lie faceup on the floor with legs extended and feet flexed.
• Bend right knee to chest and interlace fingers behind hamstrings as close to your groin as possible; gaze at your chest and keep your chin down, neck long (not shown).
• Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor and extend leg, pushing through the heel and contracting quads.
• Return to start and repeat; do 5 reps.
• Repeat, turning thigh outward (heel points in), for 5 reps.
• Relax and repeat, turning thigh inward (heel points out, toes point in), for 5 reps.
• Switch legs; repeat series for a total of 15 reps on each leg.

5. Split Squat

Target: Quads, Calves

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.
• Step right foot about 12 inches in front.
• Curl toes of your left leg under; keep weight equal between both feet. Interlace fingers, placing hands under ribs; press shoulders down away from ears.
• Tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor; tuck your pelvis under and squeeze glutes.
• Slowly bend both knees, coming down in 3 counts; feel the stretch along the left quad.
• Press into floor to rise back to start in 3 counts.
• Do 5 reps; switch legs and repeat.

6. Quadrupeds

Target: Shoulders

• Kneel on all fours with wrists aligned under shoulders and knees under hips, toes curled into floor (not shown).
• Bring your forehead toward the floor and slide the pinkie edge of your left hand along the floor in front of you (keep your right palm flat on the floor).
• Press shoulders down away from your ears and squeeze your glutes.
• Return to starting position by pushing down on your right palm and sliding your left hand back toward your shoulders.
• Do 5 reps; switch sides and repeat.

from fitness.com

Importance of flexibility

As you age, your muscles naturally lose strength and size and can become less supple and stiffer. This can affect the range of movement around your joints, which may lead to stiffness in the muscles and joints. It is this loss of tissue elasticity that can cause muscles and joints to tighten up.

One of the key reasons that muscles lose their natural suppleness and flexibility and can become prone to tears, aches, and pains is being inactive. If the situation is not remedied in time, loss of flexibility could lead to permanent changes in posture and normal muscle function. It is therefore imperative to maintain muscle flexibility as an important component of overall fitness.

So, what exactly is flexibility?

Flexibility can be termed as the ability of your joints and body parts to execute their full range of motion. Flexibility is required in all your day-to-day activities such as bending, walking, lifting, etc. Being flexible allows your muscles to remain moble. But, like most things, flexibility decreases with age and it is very important to include flexibility exercises in your daily workout regimen.

The Benefits of Flexibility

There are a number of ways to test your flexibility. One of the most common ways, according to fitness experts, is to check if you can touch your toes while standing up with both legs straight. (You could check out various fitness sites available online for a more exact test.) If you find that you feel stiff, lacking in flexibility, suffering from bad posture or would like to increase your flexibility to improve your normal exercise routine, flexibility training is a must. Aerobic exercises and weight training include rapid and jerky movements, which can lead to joint and muscle fatigue. On the other hand, stretching exercises, yoga, and Pilates consist of gradual movements that can help to achieve greater flexibility.

Other Benefits

Being flexible helps to reduce soreness of muscles and improve posture. Stretching for slow gradual movements and holding each position for up to 30 seconds (without pain) helps reduce muscle soreness after exercise. Stretching also improves muscular balance and posture by realigning tissue and thereby reducing the effort it takes to maintain good posture throughout the day.Helps decrease risk of injury and improve physical performance. Flexible joints require less energy to move through a greater range of motion. This decreases your overall risk of injury and increases physical performance as well. Stretching works towards decreasing resistance in muscle tissue during any activity. Helps increase blood and nutrients to tissues. By stretching, you increase the temperature of your tissues and this increases transportation of nutrients and overall circulation. This in turn increases the range of motion and reduces degeneration of your joints.Helps reduce lower back pain. Stretching helps relax muscles. The more flexible your pelvic muscles, hamstrings, hip flexors, and quadriceps, the less stress to your lower back. Helps to enhance enjoyment of other exercise. In addition to decreasing soreness and fatigue of your muscles, stretching also helps relax both mind and body during any activity or exercise.

Ways to Improve Your Flexibility

So, what are some different ways to stay flexible? The best way to maintain flexibility is to stretch regularly. Whatever your age, you must incorporate stretching at least once a day. Even if it is not part of an exercise regimen, there are several simple stretching exercises that you can do at your desk or even in front of the TV. If time is short, focus on stretches that work the larger muscle groups such as shoulders, hamstrings, hips and lower back, and calf muscles. It is these areas that are prone to stiffness and soreness as we grow older. But remember to always be careful to not overdo it.

Flexibility exercises should also be incorporated into your normal exercise program, which may involve resistance (strength) training and cardiovascular exercise (walking, jogging, swimming and cycling). By doing so, you can improve both the quantity and quality of your muscles, joints and overall health.That being said, yoga is an effective way to complement your exercise routine for greater flexibility. Unlike most other physical exercise that work only on a physical level, yoga involves both your mental and physical capabilities. There is a balance of energy between the body and the brain as well as increasing your flexibility, toning your muscles, and improving your lung capacity. All basic yoga poses work towards increasing the flexibility of the body so that it is capable of performing more complicated poses as time goes by. It would be wise therefore to incorporate yoga as a regular part of your workout program.

There are several ways to improve your flexibility. Stretching and exercise help considerably but you also need to keep an eye on your diet and nutrition. Eating junk food and snacking on fatty and sugary snacks can make matters worse. You can promote fitness by combining a balanced diet (full of fresh fruits and vegetables) along with nutritional supplements that support joint health and improve your mobility. Taking a supplement like GoFlex can help you incorporate the nutritional building blocks required to support healthy bone and cartilage structure and improve flexibility. Ask your doctor whether a supplement, like GoFlex, is the right choice for you.
from fitness.com

Time to get back on the wagon..

The weekends sometime are full of excitement and activity's that may lead to breaking your diet and skipping your workouts. It is nice to have a break from the workout world too. Monday is the day to get back on the wagon. Start again with exercise and making smart food choices.

Stop feeling guilty for the weekend choices and except that you weren't perfect. Must I remind you, nobodies perfect. You didn't cheat to bad over the weekend or if you did, just jump back on that fitness wagon.

Rolling-rolling-rolling, keep that wagon rolling..CHEERS!

Sore Muscles?

Yesterday, I participated in a Spinning Class at the gym. I love these classes, it always seems that your heart rate get going, as well as, you can push yourself harder and harder. The workout is great. However, the after effect sometimes leads to muscle aches and pains. How to deal with this is the question.

1. Make sure that before you even enter the gym or start your program you are hydrated. Your body is made up of 70% water, you lose water throughout the day. Make sure that you are continuesly replenishing this source. Your muscles need it.
2. After your program do a cool-down for 10-15 minutes. This will cool down the muscles controlling some of the lactate acid build-up, that happens during a workout.
3. Eatting protein one to two hours after a workout also will help with muscle soreness. The protein will help to rebuild the muscles that have been torn during a workout.
   
4. Hot and Cold Shower Water, this is another trick, while your showering after a workout change the water temperature back in forth. 2 minutes on hot (not so it burns you), 30 seconds on cold, 1 minute on a moderate temperature in between the two. Repeat 3 times.
   
5. Some people swear on an ice bath.
6. Make sure to replenish the fluids again at the end of a workout.
7. Depending on your soreness level, you can hit the gym again the next day. This will create more lactate acid in your muscles and they will start to recover faster. Be careful of overtraining and listen to your body. It is good if your hitting the gym again, do lower body if you did upper body the day before. Do a warm-up of Cardio or try a different machine.
   

If you start to feel muscle pain during a workout, you should stop, this will reduce the risk of injury. Muscle aches and pains should only last 1-2 days, sometimes even three days.

Happy Lifting and Training, CHEERS!

Weight Training 101

If you want to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights. Diet and cardio are equally important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you've hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can:

• Help raise your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you'll burn all day long.
• Strengthen bones, especially important for women
• Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance
• Help you avoid injuries
• Increase your confidence and self-esteem
• Improve coordination and balance

Getting started with strength training can be confusing--what exercises should you do? How many sets and reps? How much weight? The routine you choose will be based on your fitness goals as well as the equipment you have available and the time you have for workouts.

The Basics

If you're setting up your own program, you'll need to know some basic strength training principles. These principles will teach you how to make sure you're using enough weight, determine your sets and reps and insure you're always progressing in your workouts.

1. Overload: To build muscle, you need to use more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is important because the more you do, the more your body is capable of doing, so you should increase your workload to avoid plateaus. In plain language, this means you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should be able to finish your last rep with difficulty but also with good form.
2. Progression. To avoid plateaus (or adaptation), you need to increase your intensity regularly. You can do this by increasing the amount of weight lifted, changing your sets/reps, changing the exercises and changing the type of resistance. You can make these changes on a weekly or monthly basis.
3. Specificity. This principle means you should train for your goal. That means, if you want to increase your strength, your program should be designed around that goal (e.g., train with heavier weights closer to your 1 RM (1 rep max)). To lose weight, choose a variety of rep ranges to target different muscle fibers.
4. Rest and Recovery. Rest days are just as important as workout days. It is during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change, so make sure you're not working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.

Before you get started on setting up your routine, keep a few key points in mind:

1. Always warm up before you start lifting weights. This helps get your muscles warm and prevent injury. You can warm up with light cardio or by doing a light set of each exercise before going to heavier weights.
2. Lift and lower your weights slowly. Don't use momentum to lift the weight. If you have to swing to get the weight up, chances are you're using too much weight.
3. Breathe. Don't hold your breath and make sure you're using full range of motion throughout the movement.
4. Stand up straight. Pay attention to your posture and engage your abs in every movement you're doing to keep your balance and protect your spine.

By Paige Waehner, About.com
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/a/weight101.htm

Exercise 101

There are some basic principles that govern the world of exercise, and knowing them can help you set up and manipulate different components of your workout.

The F.I.T.T. Principle

FITT is an easy way to remember the exercise variables you can manipulate to avoid boredom and to keep your body challenged:

• Frequency - how often you exercise
• Intensity - how hard you exercise
• Time - how long you exercise
• Type - the type of exercise you're doing (e.g., running, walking, etc.)

When you workout at sufficient intensity, time and frequency, your body will improve (also called the Training Effect) and you'll start to see changes in your weight, body fat percentage, cardio endurance and strength. When your body adjusts to your current FITT levels, it's time to manipulate one of more of them. For example, if you've been walking 3 times a week for 20 minutes and you've stopped seeing improvement, you could change your program by implementing one or more of the following ideas:

Frequency - Add one more day of walking
Intensity - Add short bursts of jogging, speedwalking or hill training
Time - Add 10-15 minutes to your usual workout time
Type - Do a different activity such as cycling, swimming or aerobics

Changing any of these variables every 4 to 6 weeks can help you keep that training effect going.

Progressive Resistance (the Overload Principle)

In order to improve your strength, endurance and fitness, you have to progressively increase the frequency, intensity and time of your workouts. A simple way to stimulate your body is to try different activities. If you normally walk on the treadmill, try riding the bike which will use different muscles and allow you to burn more calories. If you've been doing biceps curls with dumbbells, change to a barbell.

Specificity

This principle is just how it sounds...how you exercise should be specific to your goals. If you're trying to improve your racing times, you should focus on speed workouts. If your main goal is simply health, fitness and weight loss, you should focus on total body strength, cardio and a healthy diet. Make sure your training matches your goals.

Rest and Recovery

While we often focus on getting in as much exercise as possible, rest and recovery is also essential for reaching your weight loss and fitness goals. While you can often do cardio every day (though you may want to rest after very intense workouts), you should have at least a day of rest between strength training workouts. Make sure you don't work the same muscles two days in a row to give your body the time it needs to rest and recover.

_{American College of Sports Medicine. "ACSM Physical Activity Guidelines." Accessed March, 2009.}

_{American Council on Exercise. (2003). ACE Personal Trainer Manual, 3rd Edition. San Diego, CA: American Council on Exercise.}

WebMD, Diet and Health Check

Check this link out. It will show you what it takes for a lifestyle change--calorie intake, exercise, knowledge of a diet. It takes about 15 minutes to complete and will give you excellent feedback on how to meet your goals. Remember, change does not happen overnight, it takes time and effort to get where you want to be. And it will be worth it.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/diet-health-check/default.htm

Motivation

How do you keep yourself motivated? After a long days work, do you really want to go fight or wait for a machine at the gym? Most of the time the answer to that question is "No". Summertime is great, when your workouts can take place out doors, and you don't have to worry about visiting a sweaty gym; running through parks, working on a tan, and sweating your butt off. Theres nothing better, right?

I was the story of a 12 hour work day, hardly got the time to eat lunch and ran around all day long. My relief was going to the gym during the winter, and running or biking outside during the summer and fall. Listening to my music would always be my rescue from my customer service way of life.

My first advise is to download some tunes to run, walk, or ride to. This will make doing the deed a little more enjoyable. Secondly, remember how you feel at the end of the aerobic activity; your full of energy, the day doesn't matter anymore, your ready to get on with your night, things feel good in your mind, and your excited because you had a good workout. All of this makes it worth while to exercise, ask yourself, " Why wouldn't you do it?"

Exercise is not the easiest activity. It will take lots of effort and sometimes pain to get your muscles, mind and body into a consistant cycle and working together. I could never wake up early enought to workout in the morning, although when I did it made the day that much better, my exercise cycle was at night. I would always grab an afternoon snack around 4ish, because I new by 7ish I was going to be starving. If I ate before I worked out, it was a lost cause and sleepiness would set in.

Find a workout schedule that works for your lifestyle. Don't dwell on it because that will be the first thing you think of when considering a workout program. Also remember, diet and exercise work hand-in-hand, so make smart eatting choices for your new healthy lifestyle change.

Heres to your lifestyle change and finding your motivation, CHEERS!

Banana's - A Great Fruit to Add to Your Diet

Bananas are full of bunches of vitamins, minerals and are also a good source of fiber. When starting a day with a banana on cereal or by itself can do wonders to your day. Not to mention the benefits of having one after a long, intense workout. During long exercises your body loses vitamins and minerals and a banana replaces these nutrients as well as giving you the energy you need. Depending how you like your bananas, ripened or not, they can satisfied a sweet tooth as well.

• B6 - Lack of B6 in a diet can cause weakness, irritability and insomnia
• Potassium - Helps to regulate blood pressure; may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke; essential for helping muscles to contract properly during exercise and reduces cramping up

Here are other healthy facts:

• A medium-sized banana provides 400 mg of potassium -11% of daily value- and contains 110 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
  
• Bananas also contain plenty of carbohydrates which are the body's main source of energy. They are also easy to digest.
• Research also shows that serotonin and norepinephrine in bananas may naturally help sufferers overcome depression. They are the good mood food.

Some of this information was found on www.essortment.com

Stretching

When starting to workout aerobically it is always important to stretch. Usually, I will stretch a little before beginning my program. Doing this will warm up the muscles a little before they need to be in full force and ready for exertion.

It is important to not do a full stretching routine in the beginning or while your exercising. This may fool the muscles in thinking they are done with your program and it will be hard to finish exercising. For example, I will warm up my hamstrings and quads before a run or bike ride. I always will stretch my calfs before and after running to prevent shin splits. I will also do a few isolations; shoulder rolls (forward and backward), head rolls (side to side). Now It's GO TIME.

At the end of your cardio workout, take at least 10 to 15 minutes for stretching. Each stretch should be held for 15-20 seconds. While stretching make sure you are not bouncing to reach farther. Hold each stretch.

Stretching after each exercise program will protect your body from pulled muscles and soreness.

• Stretching increases flexibility. Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring.
• Stretching improves range of motion of your joints. Good range of motion keeps you in better balance, which will help keep you mobile and less prone to falls — and the related injuries — especially as you age.
• Stretching improves circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Improved circulation can speed recovery after muscle injuries.
• Stretching can relieve stress. Stretching relaxes the tense muscles that often accompany stress.

-Benefits from MayoClinic

CHEERS to happy stretching.

When to check with a doctor before beginning an exercise program

Keeping physically active is key to a healthy lifestyle. But sometimes it's best to check with your doctor before you start to exercise.

By Mayo Clinic staff

Regular exercise can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease, and strengthen your bones and muscles. But before you put on your workout shoes, you may want to talk to your doctor.

Although physical activity is perfectly safe for most people, sometimes it's important to get a doctor's OK before you exercise. Just when a person needs to see his or her doctor isn't known. But most experts suggest you talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program if any of the following apply:

• You've had a heart attack.
• You have asthma or lung disease.
• You have diabetes or heart, liver or kidney disease.
• You feel pain in your chest, joints or muscles during physical activity.
• You have arthritis or osteoporosis.
• You've had joint replacement surgery.
• You experience symptoms such as loss of balance, dizziness or loss of consciousness.
• You take medication to manage a chronic condition.
• You have an untreated joint or muscle injury, or persistent symptoms after a joint or muscle injury.
• You're pregnant.
• You're unsure of your health status.

The American College of Sports Medicine also recommends you see your doctor if two or more of the following apply:

• You're a man older than age 45 or a woman older than age 55.
• You have a family history of heart disease before age 55.
• You have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
• You smoke or you quit smoking in the past six months.
• You're overweight or obese.

Working with your doctor ahead of time may be the best way to plan an exercise program that's right for you. Consider it the first step on the path to physical fitness.

What's A Normal Heart Rate

from Edward R. Laskowski, M.D.

For an adult, a normal resting heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). For a well-trained athlete, a normal resting heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 bpm. In healthy adults, a lower heart rate at rest generally implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.

To measure your heart rate at home, simply check your pulse. Place two fingers on the thumb side of your wrist, or place your index and third fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by 4 to get your heart rate per minute.

Keep in mind that many factors can influence heart rate, including:

• Activity level
• Fitness level
• Air temperature
• Body position (standing up or lying down, for example)
• Emotions
• Body size
• Medication use

Although there's a wide range of normal, an unusually high or low heart rate may indicate an underlying problem. Consult your doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 bpm (tachycardia) or below 60 bpm (bradycardia) — especially if you have other signs or symptoms, such as fainting, dizziness or shortness of breath.

Calorie Counting Calculator

Follow this link to assure you body is getting the calories it needs daily.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Calorie_Calculator.asp?sitearea=&level=

Nutrition and Activity Quiz

This is recommended by the American Cancer Society to Score your Nutrition and Activity Level.

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/Ped_3_1x_Nutrition_and_Activity_Quiz.asp

Finding Your Target Heart Rate

Getting your heart rate up seems simple. Pushing it to your target heart rate (THR) and keeping it constant is another piece of the workout pie.

A few pointers:

• Finding your Resting Heart Rate: Try to find this first thing when you wake up in the morning. This way there has been no stimulates add to your body. To do it, take your pulse for a minute. Record this number.
  
• Your Intensity Level: Your intensity for your THR should always be at 85%. Personally, I make sure I have a range for my heart rate. At an intensity level of 65% you are burning fats and carbohydrates, increasing this level you start to burn only carbohydrates and build cardio endurance. It is good to know this range to keep your heart rate up during intense workouts.
  

Here is the formula:

220 - (your age) = X

X - (your resting heart rate) = Y

Y * (your intensity level, .85) = Z

Z + (your resting heart rate) = Your THR

An Example:
220-(26) = 194
194 - (59) = 135
135 * (.85) = 115
115 + (59) = 174
174 = My THR

220 - (26) = 194
194 - (59) = 135
135 * (.65) = 88
88 + (59) = 147
147 = Heart rate of Intensity of 65%

Thus, when I workout I want my heart rate to stay between 147 - 174. I know I will be burning more fat staying closer to 147 for longer periods of time. And on the other side of the spectrum I will be working on my cardio endurance and burning only Carbs staying at 174 beats per minute.

Helpful Hint:

• It is easiest to take you pulse on your wrists if running outdoors. Use the machines gauges at the Gym. That way it doesn't interrupt your workout.
• This will be most benificial when working a Cardio Workout equal to or > 30 Minutes.

CHEERS to a Strong Heart!!

Five Steps to a Better Body

Exercising your right to a better body means having one that functions well on the inside and outside. This does take time, but the rewards are worth it. You will feel positive about yourself and project that to those around you. Begin with an assessment of where you are and where you want to be.

Then, make your move with these five steps:

1. Get Your Heart Going

The technical terms for this type of exercise are cardiovascular or aerobic training. Exercises like walking, running and swimming will help you build strong heart and lung muscles and help you control your weight. This type of exercise also tones your muscles.

2. Build Muscle

While walking and running will help you tone, you can also lose muscle with too much aerobic exercise. And since your goal is to look good on the outside as well, you will want to build some muscle. Maybe you don't want to look like Arnold Schwartzenegger, that's okay. Using weights to strengthen your muscle will add more mass to them. Muscle needs food to thrive. Building muscle will allow you to use the food you eat more efficiently so that you can reduce body fat and get the shape you want.

3. Eat to Live

Learn to eat to live not live to eat. Eating a balanced combination of foods in the balanced quantities will help you get and maintain the body you want. That means you need to eat carbohydrates (starches), protein (meat and dairy products) and yes even some fat. Every body is different, but the general rule is to eat what your body will use.

4. Get Your Rest

You've heard the saying, "Too much of a good thing." Exercise and rest go hand in hand. You actually wear your body down during exercise and build it up with rest. Too much of one or the other can have different, yet disastrous effects. For those over thirty, it takes the body about 24 hours to fully recover from an hour of strenuous exercise, so it's a good idea to take a couple of days off a week. Daily rest is also important, get it.

5. Keep at it and Reward Yourself

Most people start off well, yet finish poorly. A fitness program is a lifetime commitment, not a short term project. In order to keep a level of persistence, you need to reward yourself periodically. Maybe it's an extra day off from training or a piece of chocolate. It's your choice, but don't forget it.

from www.getfit.com

Everydays A New Day

Rise and shine, start fresh with a new mind set for the day. It does not matter what happened yesterday or even what will happen tomorrow. Today is your chance to start reaching new goals and habits for a healthy lifestyle. Your goal today is to find something inspirational about fitness to help to achieve where you want to be. Post this on your refridgerator.

Stay upbeat and positive. Remember you are full of energy today and ready for new beginnings.

Heres to your healthy commitment. CHEERS!

Body Mass Index

http://www.findmybmi.com/?OVKEY=body%20fat%20weight%20scale&OVRAW=Google

Body Fat Index Calculator

online body fat percentage calculator

Listing your personal fitness and weight goals

The first step is to accept the challenge for your personal goals. List what you want to strengthen, tone, and work on in terms of your physical appearence. Staying true to yourself and addressing the problem areas is the first part of the challenge.

Change does not happen overnight so prepare to be patience with results. This can get frustrating, stay upbeat and positive. You will reach where you need to be.