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If you already walk, walk faster. Simply picking up the pace can burn 25% more calories. If walking faster for your full 30 minutes is too daunting, try 2 minute intervals of more brisk walking, alternating with 2 minutes of your normal pace.
Advanced plank pose. For beginner plank, keep both feet on the floor.
If you already do crunches, do your crunches on a balance ball. Using an exercise ball engages 40% more of your upper abs and 47% more of your side abs. To engage your inner abdominal muscles, do plank pose and hold it for 30-60 seconds.
If you already do cardio, add strength training. Don’t substitute, you need to add a 30-minute total body strength training workout two to three per week to the cardio you’re already doing. A study showed that individuals who did both intense cardiovascular exercise AND total body strength training lost twice the body fat and four times the belly fat compared to those who just did cardio. And remember that the more muscle mass you have, the more calories your body burns even while you’re just sitting in front of the computer.
If you already strength train, lift weights while standing on one foot, a wobble board or an inflatable disk. By forcing your body to focus on balancing, this will engage more core muscles without you really even noticing.
I liked the ideas in this related article as well, http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33916015.
http://weight-master.blogspot.com/2009/08/weight-management-and-fitness-forum.html
Check it out for lots of other good info on weight loss and fitness.
Solomon doesn’t clarify in this proverb whether he meant the entity that controls emotional/moral activity or the actual physical heart, but either way it applies! Christians have long been careful to avoid things that may corrupt their morality, their figurative hearts. Research today reveals the importance of avoiding things that corrupt our physical, literal hearts.
Possibly the most important way to guard your physical heart is to exercise. You’d have to be living in a cave not to know you need to exercise.
]]>Use these general guidelines to help you develop a stretching routine:
- Stretch at least two to three times per week; but daily is best! Twice a week will maintain your current level of flexibility; to improve, stretch daily for a couple of weeks.
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Then a lightbulb went on. I was not a sedentary person. I did aerobics several times a week and lifted weights regularly. I carried a heavy backpack all over my college campus, more often than not walking across campus from one class to another, rather than driving as most students did. A few weeks before, I’d run/walked the running portion of a triathlon. These are not things that out-of-shape people do. Just because my heart was pounding didn’t mean I was out of shape. If I were so out of shape, I wouldn’t be out there scrambling up a steep hillside.
In that moment I realized that I had always defined myself as an unfit person. Too many memories of hated elementary school PE, in which we had to run a mile once a week and I never was able to make it running the whole mile. Of recesses when I always got picked last for whatever team sport was in season. Of high school PE, in which I once nearly puked when the teacher made us run a mile. I didn’t make it the whole mile that time, either.
From step aerobics in high school to the stationary bike my freshman year of college, I gradually got addicted to a regular exercise program. Now I’ve walked pretty religiously for almost ten years now. And in fact, right after I graduated from college in 2003, I “walked” 1200 miles on the Appalachian Trail (carrying between 25-40 pounds). Not the 2100 that I hoped to walk–the entire Trail–but no small physical (or mental) feat, nonetheless. The image of my adolescent couch potato self, sitting all afternoon in front of the television and snacking, propelled me up many of those mountains!
There are physical fitness stories far more impressive than mine, but I hope you are inspired to believe that you can do it too!
I still enjoy a long, brisk walk, but for the last couple of years I have been working on building up my running endurance. I’ve had a hard time being consistent with this, though. Nevertheless, last month, after not having run very consistently since March, I surprised myself by running for 30 minutes straight! This really excites me, considering that up until about seven years ago I did not think of myself as a fit person. I’m extremely proud of the fact that, coming up on my 15-year reunion, I’m in better shape now than I was in high school. (And I wear a smaller size too!)
I like walking and running because aside from shoes and some cute workout clothes, it’s free. It doesn’t require any special equipment. I can walk out my front door and get a great workout, and I can always do it when I’m traveling. I always work out with a heart rate monitor, which I was introduced to while working at the Lifestyle Center of America in Oklahoma. My husband (a software engineer) calls me a fitness nerd, but I just call him a computer nerd back! (And anyway, now he’s uses a heart rate monitor too.) I currently use the Suunto t3, though I’ve used Polar heart rate monitors in the past and liked them as well.
A few years ago a friend and I trained for our first 5k using this Beginner 5k Training program. I’ve found that it really helps to have a written plan to follow, one that causes me to push myself and improve. I’ve actually trained through this program about 3 times now, but somehow I always seem to lose my motivation by the time I’ve gotten to the end of the training program and I wind up slacking off to walking and losing some endurance, so I have yet to push past the 5k/3-mile barrier.
Beginning July 26, I’m committing to keeping this exercise log for at least 4 weeks alongside my food log so that you will be able to compare my calorie intake with my activity level. I’ll be keeping track of any changes in my BMI and waist size as well. The t3 gives me the calories burned and average heart rate for a workout, so I’ll also include these in my log. (It’s unlikely the calorie count is 100% accurate, but it’s fun to get a general idea.)
My current fitness goals are:
- Run/walk or some other cardio workout 4x/wk
- Strength train 2x/wk
- Stretch after every aerobic or strength training workout
- Abs at least 6x/wk
- Yoga 1x/wk
- Build up to running 5 miles, then
- Increase my pace to a 10-minute mile
Like my food log, this post should help me stay on track with my own fitness program while perhaps giving you ideas about your own. That said, we are all at different levels and you should never attempt to do something beyond your ability and comfort level. Additionally, if you have previously been inactive, consult with your physician before beginning an exercise program.
Come along for the ride!
Most people think that aging and a lower metabolism go hand-in-hand. However, a lower metabolism is primarily a result of decreased activity and lost muscle mass—not just another birthday candle on the cake.
Unless you make an effort to maintain it, you will lose about five percent of your muscle mass per decade—as much as five to seven pounds! Unfortunately, fat replaces those five to seven pounds. Even if your diet doesn’t change, if you’re not actively building muscle, your body will store more fat as you age because the calories that used to be burned up by your muscles are now being stored as fat. This leads to a common scenario, especially for middle-aged women: “overfat” but not overweight.
Body composition is expressed as a percentage of fat mass in relation to the rest of body mass—muscles, bones, organs, etc. It’s quite possible to be at your ideal weight and still have a high percentage of body fat. While vitally important for fat-burning and heart health, aerobic exercise has little or no effect on muscle mass. In contrast, strength training increases muscle mass and will markedly delay the loss that naturally occurs with age.
Strength training can enhance self-esteem and super-charge a weight loss program. Muscle is more metabolically active than fat. In other words, the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn—even when just sitting around! Regular strength training also aids in lowering blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol, boosts the immune system and reduces risk of osteoporosis. In fact, weak muscles are often as much a contributor to osteoporosis as are dietary causes. It even reduces your risk of injury, because muscles tend to work as shock absorbers. For seniors, maintaining muscle mass means staying independent longer.
Put simply, strength training uses resistance exercise to build muscle. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends
-
one to two sets
-
of eight to 12 repetitions
-
of eight to ten different exercises for all the major muscle groups
-
two to three times per week.
Your muscles need a two- to three-minute rest between each set. Additionally, with the exception of abdominals, allow your muscles to rest for at least 48 hours between strength training workouts.
Your goal dictates the number of reps you should do: If you want bulk, lift heavier weights and perform only six to eight reps. If you simply want to tone, do ten to 12 reps of lighter weight. You know your weight is heavy enough if the last rep is difficult to perform.
Your strength training routine needs to be progressive. In other words, when the twelfth rep becomes easy to perform, add two to five pounds. You will not continue to improve unless you force your muscles to adapt to a new level. Doing the same routine over and over again year after year will ensure a lack of progress. Instead, change your program every four to six weeks.
Adding variety will also keep your body from adapting too quickly. If you use the machines at the gym one day, use free weights the next. Or stay home and do lunges, squats and pushups—exercises that don’t require any equipment.
Many people don’t strength train because they think it requires the expensive, fancy equipment you see in gyms. Not so! Simple sit-ups, pushups, lunges and squats are strength training exercises. In addition, sporting goods stores sell numerous types of equipment, such as stretchy bands and hand weights, that can easily be used at home and or even when traveling.
When strength training, never use fast or jerky movements. Always lift slowly and breathe out as you lift the weight, breathe in as you lower it. Lift to a count of two, lower to a count of three or four. If you have never strength trained before, consider consulting with a certified fitness professional to learn proper form and appropriate exercises for your level before beginning.
Be warned that when you first begin strength training, you may lose inches but actually gain weight. Muscle weighs more than fat does, so even as your body composition changes the scale may not reflect that change at first. Keep on—you will see results!
Terms you should know:
Repetitions (“reps”): one count of an exercise
Sets: a group of repetitions; ie, 8-12 reps
|
Major muscle groups |
Corresponding Exercise (without equipment) |
|
|
Pectorals |
Chest |
Pushups |
|
Deltoids |
Shoulders |
Laterally raising arms |
|
Biceps |
Front of the upper arm |
Pushups, pull-ups |
|
Triceps |
Back of the upper arm |
Pushups, dips |
|
Abdominals |
Stomach |
Crunches, sit-ups |
|
Back |
Upper, lower and mid-back |
Rowing, back extension |
|
Gluteals |
Hips/buttocks |
Squats, lunges |
|
Quadriceps |
Front of the thigh |
Squats, lunges |
|
Hamstrings |
Back of the thigh |
Squats, lunges |
|
Calves |
Back of the lower leg |
Toe raises |
Health information appears daily in the media nationwide. You’d have to be living in a closet not to know what’s good for you. For most of us, ignorance isn’t the problem. So if we know what to do, why don’t we do it? The apostle Paul knew this struggle: “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:15)
“There are individuals whose minds are prepared to recognize the importance of things that unprepared minds ignore or throw away,” say James Prochaska, John Norcross and Carlo DiClemente in their book Changing for Good. These researchers uncovered a predictable pattern of change by studying thousands of individuals who changed successfully.
Successful “self-changers” followed this pattern whether they overcame smoking, depression, low self-esteem, or obesity. Precontemplators typically deny their problem and resist change. Contemplators acknowledge their problem and, though perhaps not ready to act, know what overcoming it will take. When they begin to contemplate the solution rather than the problem, they progress into preparation, intending to act within the next month. The action stage begins when they make the move they’ve prepared for. However, without maintenance, relapses to contemplation or precontemplation often occur. A maintenance plan is crucial to long-term success. Finally, successful maintenance leads to termination: the problem is solved when they have reached the criteria that eliminate risk (i.e., smoking cessation, ideal body weight, or cholesterol below 200).
This six-stage program offers hope to previously unsuccessful self-changers. Prochaska and his associates also discovered distinct processes used during each stage, giving the self-changer control over the cycle of change: Learn what stage you are in and apply the appropriate processes for that stage. It’s not about having the willpower to say “no”; it’s about making use of every available tool. Even those who aren’t ready to act can begin the process.
How does this research relate to health? People who feel they have tried everything without success often resign themselves to “fate”. Others believe their health is pre-determined by genetics, and their actions don’t matter. But this concept is not Biblical. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.” Galatians 6:7 Thousands of studies reveal the link between our choices and our health. Heredity loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger! The leading causes of death in America are lifestyle-related. These and many other diseases can be prevented, even reversed, through nutritional excellence and regular exercise.
Your first step is to assess what stage you’re in.
1. Did you solve your problem more than six months ago?
2. Did you take action on your problem within the past six months?
3. Do you intend to take action in the next month?
4. Do you intend to take action in the next six months?
Precontemplators answer no to all four questions. Contemplators answer yes only to question 4. People in the preparation stage answer yes to 3 and 4. Those in the action stage answer yes to 2, and those in maintenance answer yes to question 1.
Next apply the appropriate processes. Precontemplators and contemplators use consciousness-raising to recognize their problem and learn more about the topic. What risks does your behavior entail? How have others overcome a similar problem?
Precontemplators begin using social liberation and continue through the action stage. Social liberation involves modifying your environment to facilitate change. For example, instituting a no-smoking area at home or work.
Emotional arousal and self-reevaluation are employed during contemplation and preparation. Emotional arousal may be a sudden emotional experience surrounding your problem, alerting you to your defenses against change. Self-reevaluation involves careful analysis of your problem. What might life be like if you overcame it? Does your behavior conflict with your values?
Commitment begins in preparation and must be maintained through action and maintenance. Commitment involves stating, privately and publicly, that you are choosing to change. Doing so acknowledges that you, not your circumstances or other people, are responsible for your behavior.
Use rewards during action and maintenance to recognize your hard work! Rewards can be simply self-praise, or a purchase made with money you might otherwise have spent on your problem behavior.
Countering, environment control, and helping relationships facilitate your change during action, maintenance and beyond. Countering substitutes new behaviors for the one you want to overcome. Environment control involves changing your environment to encourage healthy behaviors and discourage your problem behavior. Self-change does not preclude the encouragement and nurturing of a support system. Whether they be your family, friends, church or a formal support group, helping relationships are vital to your success.
Whatever your goals—lose weight, exercise regularly, save money, or floss daily—you have more than “willpower”, you have the tools for success!
The Six Stages of Change Are
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation
- Preparation
- Action
- Maintenance
- Termination
Adapted from Changing For Good: A revolutionary six-stage program for overcoing bad habits and moving your life positively forward by James O. Prochaska, Ph.D., John C. Norcross, Ph.D., and Carlo C. DiClemente, Ph.D.