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1) Everybody starts at a different fitness level Don't compare yourself to other peoples’ fitness level. Each of us are unique with our own body shape and abilities. Embrace who you are and do the best you can do. 2) Move forward from where you are right now Set a short term attainable goal. If you want to run two miles without stopping, and you're at one mile now, then you just need to practice running more. Work towards adding a little extra distance each week until you get to your two miles. Progression takes time in anything you choose to do and patience is your friend. 3) Don't exercise like a maniac When most people begin a fitness program they usually overdo it by exercising at a high intensity every workout. At that high rate it won’t take long before you burn out and quit altogether. We don't have to exercise hard every workout. It’s important to give your joints and ligaments time to adjust, otherwise an injury is not far off from taking you down. Ease into your exercise routine, you want to make this a habit that sticks. 4) Pay attention to how your body is feeling If you're getting overly tired or overly sore it's time to lay off a bit and rest up. Recovery time is needed and good for you, so don't view it as a set back, or something negative. Rest up by doing less strenuous workouts during this time such as moderate walking or simple mobility work. A gentle yoga or mat Pilates class would also be great, and can help you get more in-tune with your body. Positive things happen when you allow your body to heal and rest a bit. Sometimes what we take out of our fitness program leads to greater results in the long run. By keeping these simple tips in mind you will experience greater success in sticking with your exercise program. Strive towards having your exercise routine become a healthy achievable habit by staying safe and injury free so you‘ll get the most from your workout and time while improving your health and well-being. 
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What do you want to achieve through exercise? Most of us want to be healthy, fit, and strong. And don’t we want to feel successful and accomplished when we are done exercising? I know I do. What’s your exercise routine like, do you mindlessly go through each movement, or do you stay engaged? It matters, first in the time you spend exercising and second in the way your body moves during exercise. All in all efficiency in movement matters because really, who wants to waste time, and having body awareness by engaging the muscles we are working has a positive influence on our bodies as a whole. It transfers over to other parts of our lives, such as our posture by the way we carry ourselves throughout the day, as well as our breathing, and also improves other activities we may enjoy. When you take the time to exercise mindfully and efficiently you’ll receive benefits you haven’t even considered simply by going through your exercise routine with more thought and care.  Hi There! Great news to share with you! I will be posting workout videos very soon so you can workout with me! My focus will be on strength building specifically with kettlebells. I'll have how-to videos plus workouts that will take 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 45 minutes to complete. Stay tuned, workout with me, and let us get strong together! Kindly MaryEllen   Did you know that the average person strength training on their own goes about it incorrectly?
To help you get the most from your workout embrace the fact that there is a learning curve and awareness to strength training that has to do more with your body position, breathing, and core engagement. Strength training with sloppy or careless form could set you up for injury and prevent you from moving forward and reaching your healthy living goals. If you pay attention to how your body feels during exercise you may come to enjoy it much more. So keep these two often overlooked thoughts in mind while going through your strength training routine Body Awareness Having a sense of body awareness keeps you in-tune and engaged in what you are doing, so be aware and alert to how your body is moving through space while exercising. Pay attention to your posture whether you’re standing tall or bending at the hips, be sure not to hunch over, and maintain core engagement as if bracing for a punch as you go through each exercise. Focus on the movement you're doing and breathe. Typical breathing during strength training is to exhale while you’re pushing, pulling or lifting the weight or when the movement is most difficult and inhale on the return. And always keep in mind that if something hurts don't do it. Slow Down Speed is not always your friend. When the average fitness enthusiast speeds up movement it turns sloppy. Going through an exercise quickly just to get it done, or partially by not using your full range of motion makes that movement not only less effective but possibly a waste of your time. Don’t give in to sloppy movements which will eventually get worse as time goes on. Exercise is part of a well-balanced healthy-living lifestyle, so one of our goals is to stay injury and pain free especially as we age. We can be kinder to our bodies, more proficient with our energy, and get the most out of our time and workouts by taking our time. In general spend between 30 to 45 minutes on your strength training workout using correct form and a pace that allows you to finish each movement properly. By focusing on your body awareness and slowing down a little you'll establish good habits that will stay with you long after your exercise session is done. To your health MaryEllen While I was in the middle of my workout today I was taken back a little by how challenging it felt, and the first thing I thought was gheeze I’m not in my 50’s anymore! Ha! I got through it just fine, but it was challenging and I had to push myself to continue. Which made me think that maybe it’s time to slow down and not expect so much out of myself, and as soon as that thought entered my head I gave it a swift powerful sidekick out the door! That is a slippery slope I don’t care to go down because it’s so darn easy to back off and slow down!
So what if my workout is a little ambitious, and seriously it is within reason, it’s okay. In order to stay strong and active in our lives we have to continually challenge ourselves, but we know there is a fine line between challenging ourselves and overdoing it. The goal is to have the health benefits of our exercise routine outweigh the risks, not the other way around. We don’t want to overdo it, especially as we age, but we have to make sure we’re doing enough to challenge ourselves so we receive those health benefits. The key is to listen to your body and be aware of little changes that may be happening that could signal that you’re overdoing it, like not sleeping well, or excessive soreness, or maybe some irritability. I know for me personally my body goes through uncomfortable changes when I don’t exercise regularly, I feel lethargic or my body aches and feels stiff. A challenging exercise routine, within reason (which by the way will look different for each of us because exercise is a journey, and we each have a unique fitness level), will help us stay engaged in our lives and may very well be our fountain of youth. So what’s the take away? Don’t let a demanding exercise routine, whatever that is for you, intimidate you into slowing down or backing off. And I know as we age things do get harder, but we just need to simply do the best we can during each workout (which as we know, some days will be better than others), and just keep moving forward, because every single day we have a new opportunity to prioritize our health and wellness and embrace the positives that are given to us through a challenging but attainable exercise routine. When the process of exercise feels like a daunting task that overwhelms you and just makes you shut down and not want to do it at all, then you need a plan.
First, think of exercise as something you enjoy, otherwise you won’t do it. Second, find an exercise routine that you can realistically do most days of the week. Mark it as your workout time specifically done to raise your heart rate and work your muscles. Third, write down all your workouts and look them over at the end of each week. This will help keep you motivated and help you stay on track. Some workout examples could be walking, running, high intensity interval training, full body strength training, Pilates mat work, calisthenics, the choices are endless which also makes it very overwhelming, but if you stick to the basics you can’t go wrong. Start with a basic strength training program three times a week which includes these five fundamental moves, a push, pull, squat (or variation of, such as a step up or lunge), hinge, and press. Include an anti-rotation such as a Pallof press. Start by doing each exercise 12 times for three rounds. In addition to strength training add a basic cardio program that raises your heart rate above what it normally is for a specific amount of time. Anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes is good. Any type of cardio that you enjoy will work here such as, but not limited to, brisk walking, elliptical, treadmill, rowing machine, cycling, spin class, or walk/run. The key is to raise your heart rate and breath a little heavy. As you get more comfortable with your exercise routine start to add some stretches or foam rolling at the end of each workout to help keep your muscles happy. When all is said and done however it remains up to you, and only you, to take that first step towards an exercise routine. It won’t happen unless you make it happen. Begin with a plan in your head, write it down, and keep moving forward even if you miss a workout or two, and before you realize it you’ll be deep in a regular exercise routine and feeling stronger and healthier every day! Happy New Year! By M.E. Coffey 12/31/21 I just went with the flow during this workout and couldn’t have felt any better. Starting out with those 150 swings kicked my butt a little, but honestly made the rest of my workout so enjoyable! Hahaa😅 15 kettlebell swings every min for 10 mins (alternating between the 20kg & 24kg) Three rounds⤵️ 2R/2L kettlebell get ups 8R/8L Bulgarian split squats 5R/5L kettlebell front squat to one arm press 15 plank shoulder taps 2 band assist chin ups😉 Foam roll. Good times! ❤️  My interval workout today. 43 minutes of incredible cardio. Heart rate up, heart rate down... The best part of my run... really, is when I get done, and I stretch, and move on with the rest of my day... and I feel marvelous.😊 No only because I completed another fitness goal, but because all day long I feel the energy of that run. My heart, lungs, and mind are charged up in a very positive way, and I feel simply amazing. A little bit of kick ass cardio goes a long way! Jump on the treadmill and choose a speed that works within your fitness level. I keep the treadmill on a 1% incline, but you could have no incline or more. Whatever is best for you. 3 min warm up 2 min run, 1 min walk x's 5 - 15 mins 1:10 min run, :40 walk x's 8 - 16 mins :15 run :45 sec walk, :30 run :30 walk, :45 run :15 walk x's 6 = 6 mins 3 min cool down And stretch. Don't forget to stretch! 🌵🎄  Here's a quick efficient kettlebell workout for those of us who like to get things done! 20 kettlebell swings 8 goblet squats 5 inchworms :20 :20 :20 side plank, front plank, side plank 5 to 8 rounds Quick fit tip: don't shrug your shoulders as you swing the kettlebell, lats stay engaged. And breathe with the movement. Quick inhale thru the nose as the kettlebell goes down, and forceful exhale thru the mouth as the kettlebell comes up.  You’re thinking it’s a cardio blast kind of day, and you’re at the gym, or wherever, and maybe you want to get on that treadmill, but you’re not sure what to do, besides walking that is, since you already know you don’t like running for 30 minutes without stopping, and you are totally not into dull steady state cardio anyway. No excitement there!🤪 And you know you want to get your heart rate up, and feel those endorphins, and burn some calories, and usually you like to have a plan, because sometimes you just can’t wing it, but unfortunately you don’t have a plan right now, so you’re not sure on what to do. But wait! Don’t give up, here‘s a doable, easy peasy plan. But, it’s up to you to adjust the speed to your current fitness level. I say current fitness level because if you stay consistent with your workout routine your current fitness will improve and soon you’ll have a new current fitness level!😉❤️ Easy peasy treadmill workout: 5 minute warm up - 5 mins 1 minute run, 1 min walk x’s 5 - 10 mins :30 run :30 walk x's 10 - 10 mins 1 min run 1 min walk x’s 5 - 10 minutes 5 minute cool down - 5 minutes 40 minutes of heart pumping, lung sucking, endorphin happening, calorie burning fun! Good times!  |
