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Stuck on what to do while on the treadmill? Or just need a new idea? Use this workout as a guideline, and adjust the speed and incline to your fitness level. You can also follow the workout on the workout poster, and again adjust it to your current fitness level. 3 minute warm up - 3 mins 3 min run 1 min walk x's 5 - 20 mins 2 min run 1 min walk x's 4 - 12 mins 1 min run 1 min walk x's 3 - 6 mins 4 min cool down - 4 mins 45 minutes total. Stretch. Good times! Performing intervals on the treadmill is an easy manageable way for you to increase your cardiovascular level and lung health while burning unwanted calories. When we are consistent with our exercise routine, and are reasonable in what we're doing, we naturally progress ourselves into a higher fitness level which allows us to enjoy other activities without running out of gas too soon! Don't give up before the miracles happen within your body! Have fun! 
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Written by Mary Ellen Coffey We know it's not only difficult to plan the time for exercise, but sometimes it's harder to find the energy to do it. Especially when you spend the majority of your day at work, and, or taking care of your family's needs. Considering your schedule, possibly it's just not practical for you to exercise first thing in the morning, and by the end of the day you have nothing left, so exercising may be the last thing on your mind. But, it's during these busy times in your life when it's important for you to make the time, and take care of yourself physically as well as mentally. Could that sound selfish? To take time for yourself when you have so much to do? We've all been there, and it's not selfish. Taking care of yourself is not only necessary, but a priority. And exercise should be at the top of your list. Here's five simple exercises you can do to increase your strength and energy throughout your busy week. You don't have to do them all at once to receive the benefits. You can spread them out during your day. The important thing here is to just get them done. These exercises are simple, practical, and doable. Circuit through one to three times. Aim for two to four times per week to help you develop body awareness and base strength. Do each exercise for 30 seconds then rest 15 seconds and move on to the next exercise. Squats Butt back as you squat (sit) down, thighs at least parallel to the floor, keep your chest and eyes forward, push thru your heels to stand up, and squeeze your butt cheeks together tight at the top, yes that matters! Pushups On your knees, or hands on a counter, or the floor, anyway you want, it's all good! Hands are shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Keep your elbows close to your body as you drop down. The core stays tight as if bracing for a punch. Push yourself back to starting position. Reverse fly squeeze Stand tall with good posture, arms out straight in front of your body shoulder height, palms up. Keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Arms stay straight while bringing them backwards and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Plank knee touch Plank position on forearms, body is straight from shoulder to ankle. While staying in the plank position lightly touch knees to the floor, and back up to straight plank position. Try to keep your butt tight. 4 pt superman 4 point position. Knees and hands on floor, knees under hips, hands under shoulders, back flat and parallel to the floor. Straighten your right arm reaching forward as you straighten your left leg back pushing thru your heel. The hips stay pointed towards floor, reach and stretch, alternate right side and left side. This workout is geared towards those having difficulty establishing an exercise routine. When time is tight this is a perfect way to introduce exercise movement into your days. You can do this exercise routine at work or home. If doing this workout at the office you don't have to worry about getting sweaty or uncomfortable since these are simple bodyweight movements that are not overly exhausting, but that doesn't mean they are not effective. A little bit here, and a little bit there benefits you more than you realize. Before you know it you'll be exercising regularly, and enjoying the many health benefits that come with having a consistent exercise routine.  reposted and written by Mary Ellen Coffey When we make the decision to lose weight we want to focus on losing unhealthy body fat and not healthy muscle. Strength training builds healthy lean muscle while burning unhealthy body fat We may think that "dieting" or "cardio" without any kind of strength training is all we need to get us to our weight loss goal. The scale number may in fact change, but without strength training you'll lose healthy muscle, and that's not what we want when we're trying to lose weight. We need that healthy muscle. Losing healthy muscle is not the way to lose unhealthy body fat Muscles are "calorie hungry." The more lean muscle you have the more calories you burn even at rest. According to the American Council on Exercise, "Muscle is very active tissue with high energy requirements for maintenance and rebuilding processes. Even while we sleep, our skeletal muscles are responsible for more than 25% of our calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase in our metabolic rate; likewise, a decrease in muscle tissue causes a corresponding decrease in our metabolic rate." Strength training or resistance training is what we need A basic full body strength training routine two or three times a week will help you build healthy lean muscle while blasting unwanted, unhealthy body fat. Strengthening fundamental movement patterns is a good place to start: Squat, Pull, Push, Press, Hinge, Core. When you begin a strength based program be sure to start with a weight you can comfortably lift while keeping good form. As your body adapts to these new demands you'll gradually increase the weight. Here's a workout example using fundamental movement patterns: Squat: Box squat (With legs shoulder width apart sit down on a chair, knees track over toes. Keeping your spine long and chest forward. Stand up by pushing through your heels. Repeat 10 to 15 times) Pull: One arm row (Left knee on a bench, right foot on floor, bend forward at the hips, left hand on bench and weight in right hand, keeping your back straight pull right hand towards hip. Repeat 10 to 15 times) Push: Pushups (Start with your hands on a counter, keeping your back straight, bending at the elbows, let your chest come to the counter and push away. Repeat 10 to 15 times) Press: One arm press (Stand tall holding a weight in one hand at shoulder height, press up towards the ceiling while keeping your hand lined up with your shoulder at the top of the movement. Repeat 10 to 15 times) Hinge: Hip hinge (With your back towards a wall, move away far enough to bend at the hips, slight bend in the knees, push hips back and lightly touch buttocks to the wall, keeping your back straight. Repeat 10 to 15 times) Core: Plank (With your forearms on the floor and elbows under your shoulders, lift your body so you're parallel to the floor and straight from head to ankles. Stay tight and hold this position or keep your knees on the floor and hold. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds) By sticking with these basic movement patterns you'll help strengthen your whole body. Add in 30 minutes or more of walking a few times and week and you'll be well on your way to building healthy muscle while losing unhealthy body fat. Strength training teaches you how to use your body better As you gain lean muscle and become stronger, you'll learn how to move your body better. The potential for injury from a sudden fall, or lifting something heavy off the floor will decrease. Also, numerous studies show the mental benefits of exercise should not be overlooked. Your feel good hormones, serotonin and norepinephrine, are naturally elevated through exercise. This offers an antidepressant effect and especially helps with anxiety and, or depression. So whenever you're feeling gloomy or blue, just hit the weights and before you know it, you'll be feeling much better. Weight loss or fat loss, what's the big deal? Now you know. Focusing on losing unhealthy body fat and gaining healthy lean muscle by committing to a balanced, progressive, and consistent strength training program should be a priority in your quest for healthy living. The scale is not an accurate picture of how "healthy" your body is. Your body fat percentage is a much better indicator. Taking your age, height, and weight into consideration, a healthy range for the average fit women should be between 21% and 30%. For the average fit man the range should be between 14% and 24%. "Nothing happens until something moves." ~Albert Einstein  |
