Steps to Success
May 22, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
1-Set your schedule and stick to it - pick a time of the day and don’t vary. Consistency builder habit which leads to great results. Set your goal for at least 3 weeks. In 3 weeks, a habit is learned.
2-Set realistic goals. It is important to set a goal and achieve it, adding difficulty as you can handle it.
3-Chart your progress. Place it on the refrigerator where you can see it often. Put a picture of your favorite ‘in shape person’ next to the chart to remind you where you’re headed.
4-If you fall off the horse, collect yourself and get back on! That’s OK. Just re-evaluate your goals if required, but by all means, begin again!
5-Begin each session by stretching and loosening your muscles through a warm up routine.
6-Do the exercises slowly and in a controlled smooth and fluid manner. Steady effort will build strong muscles.
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Are you Walking for Good Health?
April 10, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
My husband ordered myself and he a Pedometer…now what in the world is a Pedomter? But something that helps you keep track of how many steps you take a day…and the ‘magical number’ we’ve heard to help keep you healthy is ‘10,000 steps per day’! And today, being my first day with the Pedometer, I took 6,818 steps…and that is with walking a little over a mile on the treadmill…so what if you don’t do a mile on the treadmill? Well, that means, in order for you to get that ‘10,000 steps per day in’ you are going to have to do a lot more walking…
But when you have something like the Pedometer, which costs about $20 to $30 - it helps make you accountable, and if that is what you are looking for, the Pedometer is for you. You set your settings, then clip it to your belt and away you go. You don’t really think about it unless you want to see how many steps you have taken, and believe me, you take more steps than you think when you are up and about. But can you make a point to get your ‘10,000 steps in a day’? That is the question.
By having the Pedometer on, it tracks how many steps you take a day and if you are not at the magical ‘10,000′ then you can do extra walking to get there. You can get out in the evenings, take the kids to the park to play while you walk around the track. One mile gets you about 2,500 steps. That means you are one quarter toward your goal. You’ll need to think of other ways you can get where you want to be. Parking in the ‘back 40′ of a parking lot is a good way, go to the mall and just walk and window shop is another good thing to do. Also, making a couple of trips around the grocery store before finally grocery shopping works. Start a social group, get family and friends together at a certain time to walk, it makes it much more interesting and accountable.
And just think, if you can get to 10,000 steps per day, what great condition, health and fitness, you will eventually be in, and all by just taking steps. No hard work out or big time running, just walking 10,000 steps per day!
What better way to do it than just do it - Take the first step!
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How to walk off belly fat
April 9, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of CNN.com- By Tracy Teare
Sure, you know walking is good exercise. But here’s something you might not realize: You can give your waistline (and other body parts) a serious trimming by tweaking that walk around the block.
Walking up an incline can help you lose pounds faster than on flat terrain.
The three women below each walked off at least 35 pounds, much of it around the middle, using one of these secret weapons: plyometrics, hills, or intervals. The strategies also strengthened their legs more quickly than plain old walking sessions, so they could walk longer and faster to burn more calories.
After six weeks of walking four to six times a week, you will feel stronger and look slimmer where it counts. Health.com: Walk a little, live a lot (longer)
Secret weapon: Plyometrics
Adding bounding, jumping, and skipping moves (called plyometrics) to your walk is a fun way to spike the intensity. You’ll burn up to twice as many calories –and significantly more belly fat — per minute than you would just walking at a moderate pace.
“These moves vary the walking pattern your body has grown accustomed to, so you engage different muscle fibers,” says Joy Prouty, veteran Florida-based trainer and American College of Sports Medicine-certified health-fitness director. “And that helps shape and define your body.” Health.com: Walk this way
It worked for Claire Jefferson-Glipa, 31, of Riverside, California.
Adding one-minute bursts of plyometrics to the Stroller Strides classes she leads each week — along with making healthy changes in her eating habits –helped Jefferson-Glipa drop 36 pounds in just nine months. “It’s so exciting that my clothes are looser,” she says.
Make it work for you
Try this workout from Prouty, gradually adding more plyometrics as your fitness level improves. It can be done either outside or on the treadmill (just be sure to step off the machine to do the plyometrics moves).
• 1. Walk 15 minutes, building to a moderate pace.
• 2. Do 30 High-Knee Steps forward (alternating legs); skip for 30 seconds, then walk at a moderate pace for one minute.
• 3. Do 15 Traveling Lateral Squats (turn and move sideways as you squat) in slow motion, followed by five Squat Jumps (squat slightly, then swing arms up as you jump). Knee problems? Rise up on your toes instead of jumping.
• 4. Walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes.
• 5. Repeat step 2.
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• 6. Walk for five minutes at a moderate pace, then five minutes at a slow pace to cool down.
Secret weapon: Hills
To triple the number of calories you burn, go to where it’s hilly, Prouty says. Walking on hills can burn tons of calories and fat, so you’ll work that stomach pooch off faster than you would on flat terrain. Uphill walks are great for strengthening and shaping your lower half — plus, you’ll feel stronger and go faster on level ground. Health.com: Tips if you don’t have time to walk
It worked for Robyn Kammerer, 33, of Rowayton, Connecticut.
Kammerer dropped 50 postpregnancy pounds in four months by eating healthier and walking every day on the hills near her home. “If I’m out of breath at the top of one of these killer hills,” she says, “I remind myself that I can now wear skirts that haven’t fit in years.”
Make it work for you
Start by changing your walking routine: Twice a week, replace 25 percent of your flat route with short or gradual hills. (New to walking? Start with 20-minute walks that include five minutes of hills.) After two weeks, seek out longer or steeper hills, and add 10 percent more climbing each week. Your goal is to do between one-half and two-thirds of your workout on hills.
Live in a flat area? Substitute this treadmill climb: After a 10-minute warm-up, gradually increase the incline from 0 to 2 percent for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, gradually decrease the incline in the same amount of time, finishing with 5 to 10 minutes of flat walking. Each week or two, increase the incline by 1 percent.
Secret weapon: Intervals
Alternating moderately paced walking with short, faster-paced intervals lets you amp up your walk without tiring yourself out. You’ll also dump stomach weight more quickly and torch more calories than you would on a steady-paced walk. By peppering in a 30-minute walk with 10 one-minute speed bursts, for example, you can nearly double your calorie burn. Health.com: The ultimate walk-it-off plan
It worked for Virginia Cox, 42, of Belmont, Massachusetts.
Doing 15 miles’ worth of interval walking a week (plus cutting down on starchy foods and sweet treats) helped Cox shed 45 pounds of baby weight in just six months. “I look and feel great because of walking,” Cox says. “Plus, I now fit into the jeans that I wore when I was in my 20s.” An unexpected bonus: She’s sleeping much better, too.
Make it work for you
Warm up at an easy pace, then walk at a moderate pace for 10 minutes; increase speed for one minute, Prouty says. Do another 3 minutes at a moderate pace; repeat one or two times, then do 10 moderately-paced minutes.
As you get stronger, add more intervals, aiming to alternate 1-minute speed bursts with one minute of moderate walking
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8 Ways to eat more healthy
March 16, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
How The Biggest Loser Contestants Eat
Like most overweight Americans, many of The Biggest Loser contestants have a history of eating and drinking the wrong types of food and beverages, and consuming too little of the right kinds.
At the ranch, the contestants learn to:
1. Veggie-load in every way possible.
2. Amp up their fruit intake by skipping sugar juices and adding fresh fruit to nutritious smoothies.
3. Learn to love (and pronounce) quinoa (KEEN-wah)—it’s a grain and a protein!
4. Eat lean cuts of meat and poultry.
5. Eat sandwiches with one slice of Ezekiel bread, which is full of fiber.
6. Select whole grains such as brown rice and whole wheat noodles.
7. Eat fish several times a week.
8. Minimize consumption of red meat and high-fat dairy foods.
Courtesy of enews@biggestloserclub.com
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How to Increase Exercise in Daily Life
March 6, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Exercise is important in daily life, as it serves to maintain a healthy body. Therefore, you stand a better chance of fighting off diseases that are brought on by stress and lack of exercise.
Step 1
Start slow. Begin by engaging in less stressful exercises like, walking for 30 minutes a day and walking up and down the stairs.
Step 2
Add flexibility exercises. Begin and end your walking sessions with some stretches to increase flexibility.
Step 3
Add strength training. Strength training can also be incorporated into your daily routine by holding 3lb dumbbells as you walk.
Step 4
Add calisthenics. Sit-ups and push-ups are also advisable, starting with five then moving the target higher with time. The sit-ups help in reducing fat stored around the stomach, while push-ups burn fat on the upper back and the upper arms.
Courtesy of www.ehow.com
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What is really in you Hot Dog?
February 27, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Beef and Port - Both are high in protein - and in unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol; the meat could come from pig and cow skeletal muscle and by-products.
Mechanically Separated Turkey - A pastelike substance produced when tissue is removed from bones through a high-pressure sieve. This product is versatile and cheap - and not just for turkey dogs.
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The Exercise Habit
February 20, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
How much exercise do I need?
How do I get started?
Sneak exercise into your day
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Go for a walk during your coffee break or lunch.
- Walk all or part of the way to work.
- Do housework at a fast pace.
- Rake leaves or do other yard work.
Start out slowly. If you’ve been inactive for years, you can’t run a marathon after only 2 weeks of training! Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.
How do I stick with it?
- Choose something you like to do. Make sure it suits you physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.
- Get a partner. Exercising with a friend or relative can make it more fun.
- Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your exercise routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like vacuuming or mowing the lawn.
- Choose a comfortable time of day. Don’t work out too soon after eating or when it’s too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you’re too stiff in the morning.
- Don’t get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise, such as weight loss.
- Forget “no pain, no gain.” While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn’t. Take a break if you hurt or if you are injured.
- Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for example. Find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play a sport you enjoy, such as tennis.
Making exercise a habit
- Stick to a regular time every day.
- Sign a contract committing yourself to exercise.
- Put “exercise appointments” on your calendar.
- Keep a daily log or diary of your exercise activities.
- Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began exercising? Or is your heart rate slower now?
- Ask your doctor to write a prescription for your exercise program, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for how long.
- Think about joining a health club. The cost gives some people an incentive to exercise regularly.
How can I prevent injuries?
Pay attention to your body. Stop exercising if you feel very out of breath, dizzy, faint, nauseous or have pain.
Benefits of regular exercise
- Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity
- Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, which makes it easier to move around
- Reduces some of the effects of aging
- Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression
- Helps relieve stress and anxiety
- Increases your energy and endurance
- Helps you sleep better
- Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories)
What is a target heart rate?
The chart to the right shows the target heart rates for people of different ages. When you’re just beginning an exercise program, shoot for the lower target heart rate (60%). As your fitness improves, you can exercise harder to get your heart rate closer to the top number (85%).
What is aerobic exercise?
Examples include walking, jogging, running, aerobic dance, bicycling, rowing, swimming and cross-country skiing.
What is weight-bearing exercise?
Examples of weight-bearing exercises include walking, jogging, hiking, climbing stairs, dancing and weight training.
What about weight training?
What is the best exercise?
Walking is an aerobic and weight-bearing exercise, so it is good for your heart and helps prevent osteoporosis.
More Information
Source
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Reviewed/Updated: 12/09
Created: 01/96
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Top Excuses for Skipping a Fitness Workout
February 20, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Written by Jeff Behar and Lynn Glenn
Some people like working out, but let’s face it even the most energetic people sometime feel like skipping a workout. The following are some of the most common excuses for missing a fitness workout. Are any familiar to you?
Most Common Excuses for Missing a Fitness Workou
t
- Read more
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February is American Heart Month
January 25, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of American Heart Association
Hypertension is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms. One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet, about 21% don’t even know they have it. Of those with high blood pressure, 69% are receiving treatment, yet, only 45% have their blood pressure controlled.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a widely misunderstood medical condition.
The blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries, stretching them past their healthy limit and causing microscopic tears. Our body then kicks into injury-healing mode to repair these tears with scar tissue. But unfortunately, the scar tissue traps plaque and white blood cells which can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries. Read more
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Sunshine Corn Salad
January 3, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Now that it’s the beginning of the New Year and we have enjoyed so much of the good foods from Thanksgiving to New Years, its time to get back to our healthy eating habits. Here is a great salad that we all can enjoy. What a treat but you can have this salad all year long! Black olives would be great too!
Like the colors of summer, this salad combines corn, bell peppers and yellow squash for gorgeous visual appeal. What a delightful way to enjoy these garden vegetables. (We fixed this corn salad for Christmas dinner and used red and green bell pepper, was just as good and a little darker in color).
Serves 4 1.5 Cups per serving
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley, divided use
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 tablespoon water
1/2 medium orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow summer squash (about 2 1/2 ounces), diced
1 tablespoon pine nuts, dry roasted
In a medium serving bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon parsley, mustard, salt ad pepper.
In a small microwaveable bowl, combine the corn and water. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer. Run the kernels under cold running water for 30 seconds to coll. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to the serving bowl.
Add the bell peppers, squash and pine nuts. Toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1 teaspoon parsley.
Nutrition Tip: As soon as corn is harvested, its surgars begin to convert to starch. The sooner it’s eaten or processed after it’s picked, the better. That is why frozen corn can be just as sweet as - or sweeter than - corn that sits for days in the produce department.
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