Exercise

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People spend hours on exercise machines of various description. Do they really help you lose weight or build muscle? OR is there a better way?

I own and use a lot of exercise equipment. I really do not like going to a gym to use machines sweated on by lots of people.

However I found that using my Pilates or Elliptical walker (even though I use the arms along with leg movements) do not leave me feeling like I did a great workout nor do they do much for my muscle building and therefore weight loss.

Remember that the more muscle you have the more fat you burn – even when you sleep. I like that idea of losing inches while I sleep, don’t you?

See if this is you – I would get on the machine and plug in my headphones and attend Workout University while doing my workout. I got through a whole lot of material while walking or climbing or cycling over the years.

And then I noticed something that changed my workout routine and habits drastically.

The point of the workout is to do what? Catch up with the latest news or self development course? I don’t think so.

So what do you think happens for your body when you divide your attention between the walking, running, cycling, etc. and the visual/audio input?

You get out of your workout what you put into your workout. If your routine on the machine gets to the point of being automatic and mindless (which happens quickly) you maybe pay 10% attention to the exercise most of that happens while you program your routine for the day) and that leaves 90% of your focus on your music or video subject (well, except for the15% on the cute person on the next machine).

You cannot expect to get 100% benefit from 10% focus regardless of what you activity you do on life.  When you do something, anything, do it at 100%.

I discovered when I stopped using the machines and paid attention to what I did with my body (breathing into the muscles, noticing and focusing on the muscles involved with each movement, etc.) suddenly I got way more benefit from my time and energy.

In fact I found fat dropping off as never before. My muscles developed so fast I had to cut back on the weights I used so my biceps didn’t get squeezed in my blouses! Yikes! Unreal!

After years on all those machines, going to workouts with no equipment led me to the elimination of the saddlebags I stressed over all my life. And then it happened in just six weeks and, more importantly, that pear shape never came back to haunt me!

For me, isolating muscles to work on them (as in doing circuit routines on my versatile Pilates) and cardio warm-ups, just didn’t pack the oomph I sought. Going to full body workouts that use upper and lower muscle groups simultaneously made all the difference, not just in how I look but also in how I feel energy-wise, clarity of thinking and also in my mood.

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Working your abs with an exercise ball can be an exhilarating way to get a great workout! Exercise balls are fun and simple, but they add an edge to a workout. The most basic ab routines to do with an exercise ball are a basic crunch and a medicine ball crunch.

A regular crunch will require the use of a larger inflatable exercise ball. These balls are bouncy, and they are used often in low-impact aerobics classes. To do a crunch on them requires more balance than a regular crunch and helps build up your thigh and ab muscles. Put the ball firmly on the ground and then sit on it. Make sure the ball isn’t moving before you lie back.

Your feet will stay on the ground, and you can do a crunch on the ball. Do not try to do as many reps with the exercise ball crunch as you do with regular crunches. Because you will be working on your balance, you will not need to do as many crunches to get a great workout.

The second basic way to work your abs with an exercise ball is to use a medicine ball. These balls are smaller, but they look the same as the large exercise balls. Some medicine balls are tightly inflated, but others are hard.

To do a crunch with a medicine ball, simply do a traditional crunch. Instead of putting your hands behind your head and pulling forward, hold the medicine ball in your hands. As you come up into the crunch, twist your torso slowly to the left. On the next crunch, twist your torso to the right. By doing that, you can build up the muscles along the sides of the abdominal wall.

Once you have mastered working your abs with an exercise ball with these basic routines, you can begin to branch out. Try doing standing crunches and holding the ball against you. Though it may be simple at first, you will discover that your muscles will need to work harder as you try to balance the ball on your midsection.

You also can try doing a reverse crunch on the large exercise ball. You will need excellent balance, as you will have to hold yourself up with your hands. However, if you can pull them off, these exercises are a great way to add a bit of variety to your ab workout.

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Recently, my boyfriend has taken up running as a cardiovascular activity to help him get into better shape. Already an experienced personal trainer who is familiar with weight training, he began to take a more active interest in pursuing cardiovascular exercise as a way to help him improve his overall health.

It isn’t a secret that there is a strong correlation between those who exercise all of the time and don’t get sick versus those who don’t really exercise and find themselves sick or feeling sluggish. Exercise is good for you. It helps to keep your blood circulating smoothly and promotes new cell growth in your muscle tissue, which is great for burning more calories later. In turn, when you exercise, you are typically more motivated to make wiser food choices and you are also prone to just generally feeling better overall. The change for some people who have never exercise but who have recently started to exercise can be quite dramatic. For example, there was one story of a woman in the news who lost over two hundred pounds simply by starting a fitness routine that involved walking once a day for thirty minutes. After she made it through her first thirty minute walk and realized that it didn’t kill her, this made her even more motivated for her second walk the next day. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, she was jogging in between her walks. Today, she feels better than ever.

There are some people who never fully benefit from all that exercise has to offer though. These are the people who have the gym membership because they think that by paying money for a gym membership, it will motivate them to use the gym more frequently, thus increasing the number of times that they work out. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, most people who own gym memberships: a) never go to the gym except, of course, when the holidays roll around and/or b) go to the gym but only so that they can eat more afterward. The second type of gym goer is the most common. This is the person that we see at the gym consistently, over and over again. However, for as often as we see this person at the gym, they never seem to be making any headway in terms of muscle development or weight loss. Part of this is due to the fact that they simply do not know how to utilize the weight machines/equipment the right way. But part of it is also due to the fact that many people are made to feel guilty to do the gym routine. They go to the gym thinking that if they run thirty minutes or more on the treadmill and the treadmill tells them that they’ve burned “X” amount of calories, that this will then mean that they have a calorie deficit which can then be filled with the junk food of their choice.

As studies (and real life) have proven, exercise is good for you, but you have to make sure that you are doing it effectively. You only get out of life what you put into it, and the same thing can be said for your body in terms of exercise and diet.

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Everyone knows that exercise is very important for several reasons; it helps to maintain muscle tone and strength, keeps you active, and it keeps you fit. All of these are needed as the body ages. It is very important for seniors to stay fit and healthy to avoid broken or fractured bones, muscle weakness and deterioration, and more. When you were younger you probably didn’t plan specifically for muscle strength and bones but here you are now and it is time to depend on how you prepared for old age. Falling is something that you want to avoid and for those times when you can’t you don’t want your bones to practically shatter at a mere slip.

If you don’t already have an exercise routine or you think that you need to change yours how will you know what is the right amount of exercise for you and how do you know which exercises will be safe for you. It’s good to know that even those who suffer from heart diseases and other conditions can still exercise safely to stay fit and maintain strength.

Plan to exercise for at least thirty minutes a day every day. If that seems like too much at first you can start by only exercising two to three times per week. It’s very important that you remember to allow yourself a warm up and cool down period along with each exercise routine. This gives your body time to adjust to the exercise and to build up and slow down your heart rate each day.

Before starting any exercise program check with your doctor to make sure that it is safe for you to begin. Take along a paper that list the exercise that you plan to do and how often so your doctor can look at it to see if there should be any modification before you begin. It’s also important to stop exercising if you feel sore or if you have any short term illnesses such as the flu, pneumonia, or even the common cold.

Always wear comfortable clothing when you are exercising but don’t allow your clothes to be too baggy on you or they may cause you to fall. You also need to wear comfortable shoes and socks when you are exercising to prevent falls. It’s easy to turn your ankles when your foot is not supported. This can cause an injury, sprain, or even broken bones.

Staying healthy is as important as taking your medication on a regular basis. You also feel better when you are in shape and you exercise daily. It doesn’t matter if you exercise at five in the morning or at noon everyday as long as you find a time that fits great for you. This is your life and it is important to maintain your health. Exercising will also help you handle stress and give you a positive outlook on things. You become stronger all together and it will show when you are around people and you have fewer health illnesses and conditions.

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Brace yourself, I am going to share with you a suggestion that will change your life:

Exercise. Daily.

How many of you have ever fallen off the workout wagon? Even I’ll raise my hand to say “Yes,” to that one, and I am a personal trainer. Life happens. We lose track of our priorities. We lose motivation. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be excited to wake up every day at 4:45 a.m., but life is full of surprises, isn’t it? Working out six days every week for at least an hour at a time not only helps my physical strength and endurance, it gives me stamina in other areas of my life. I feel energized, I feel motivated, more awake during the day than ever before.

Certainly you have heard people say “You will feel better when you exercise!” But, it is tough to comprehend until you dive in and find out for yourself. If you have fallen victim to the trials and tribulations of a sedentary lifestyle, I challenge you to change that. Set your alarm an hour earlier tomorrow. Or, bring your tennis shoes to work and walk over your lunch break. Find a workout partner who will join you for an afternoon of activity.

Many of us forget that our heart is a muscle, and like any muscle, if we don’t use it, we will lose it. Give yours a workout on a regular basis. In order to ensure that I exercise, I have to do it in the morning. Otherwise, excuses galore will present themselves. If that sounds like you, I would suggest you also set aside time in the morning. Others of you may be able to squeeze in time later during the day. The first few days of your new routine will be a challenge, without question. It may feel like you are getting nowhere. You will want to hit snooze on the alarm. You’ll find something to do over lunch. You will have too much to do after work. Do not let those excuses keep you from living and feeling your best.

My advice: Aim for three weeks of daily exercise. And then keep going

You can do it, and you should do it, because you only live once. Now get up, and get moving!