Veg Vivaciously: Weekly Fitness Tip

Showing posts with label Weekly Fitness Tip. Show all posts

11/04/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Ab Exercises (work your core in 10 mins)

I remember when I first started working out, I thought I would never get my stomach down. I looked a little bit like a post-pregnant woman. The only problem is that I've never been pregnant. It was quite sad and discouraging for me to look at myself and see how I let my body go.

Finally I decided to target my abs...shortly after I realized I just wasn't "into" crunches. I mean I hated them! I know its someone out there saying, "well do them any way"...well that's easier said than done. My problem is that I am the type of person that has to actually "like" the exercises I'm doing. I realized right away that if I don't like doing something, whether its good for you or not, I won't make it a consistent habit. I knew I NEEDED to find an abdominal workout that would really be fun, different and that I could actually do on a consistent level.

My first introduction to working out my abdominals was not on purpose. I inadvertently learned how to do this while doing yoga. Yes Yoga! Yoga was a great introduction to targeting those abs. Those standard planking, side planking, and boat pose positions...all target your midsection. Those positions are great for the entire core! However, they also target the midsection, which is the strongest part of your core. It's just an added bonus that your arms and legs gain strength while performing those positions too. Doing yoga, really showed me that working out can be relaxing and not so "hard core" and strenuous all the time.

I also discovered a few other exercises, simply from watching men at basketball practice. I was out walking/running on a bike path at the beach, one day. Ironically, at a certain point on the path it leads to a basketball court. So as I was catching my breath and taking a break, while sitting on a bench...I watched some guys prepare for their basketball game. I thought the exercises they did were awesome. I immediately noticed how similar some of those core planking moves looked to the ones I learned in yoga. But there were a couple of other moves that were new to me. I literally got up right from where I was sitting and tried them. I felt them in my abdomen immediately and knew those exercises were keepers!

Now I know its difficult to do these exercises without specific examples of what I'm talking about. So here are a few youtube videos, just to show you how these exercises are performed. Try them with the videos. You'll be surprised at how you can work your abdominals and your entire core in about 10 mins!

Happy Ab (Core) Exercising!

*The youtube videos posted within this article is for the intent and purposes of showing various ways of targeting the abdominal section with a variation of exercises. Veg Vivaciously is not affiliated with the people and/or organizations represented in the videos.*

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Related Posts:

8 Walking Tips

Quality over Quantity

Women and Weights

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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10/07/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Quality Over Quantity

This weeks fitness tip is simple...Quality over Quantity!

I'm sure you're wondering what does this mean? Well...this is simple...If you can do 20 crunches that are of perfect form, do them and be satisfied...feel accomplished. I'd rather see someone do that than to see someone build high numbers doing 100 crunches in imperfect form.

Imperfect form can do more harm than good. Aside from the bodily harm one can incur from exercising incorrectly, you really aren't doing yourself any true service when you're doing them wrong. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying don't have goals and don't push yourself. Just don't try to keep up with the Jones'...keep up with you.

I work out 6 days a week, but I also listen to my body. Sometimes I walk as a warm up and sometimes I run. Sometimes I work out for an hour and half, then sometimes I work out for 20-30 minutes. It's about what I have on my plate that day and how my body is feeling...but more importantly its about perfect form. Sometimes I end my workout early when I hear my body say that it "feels the burn" and not to wear it out. It's shocking but sometimes my shorter workouts are more intense than my longer workouts. That's because I've put in far more quality in a shorter amount of time.

Now maybe that situation doesn't pertain to you, maybe a better situation is doing less intense exercises. Well here's a true story for you. I was watching a friend of mine workout who had just had a baby. This lady had lost 20lbs and was looking really great in (I'm guestimating) 4 weeks time. She had a c-section, so she couldn't really do the strenuous exercises she wanted. But, oh how she wanted her pre-pregnant body back. You know what she did? Stretching and walking. That's right! Stretching and walking! And she looked amazing. She started out walking about 4 blocks per day, but she walked those 4 blocks in perfect form. Her stretches gradually increased to building back up her core...and eventually she added more miles to her walking and she looks like she never had a baby.

The moral to this story is: what works for me may not work for you, find what works for you and stick with it...but in moderation. So again, it's fine to push yourself, but also know what your limits are and don't push yourself to where you're doing more damage to your body than good. When you find yourself getting into this situation, this is a time when less IS more. You will be able to escalate yourself to doing more as you train your body to get into the habit of working those targeted muscles...but everything in due time.

Peace and Blessings to you...Have a wonderful weekend...see you all again on Sunday!

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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9/30/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Women & Weights

There comes a time in every woman’s workout routine when she must encounter weights. Even if its just the 1-5 lb weights. We must encounter them and I don’t know about you, but for me, I’ve always had this LONG moment of silence before doing anything with them. It was almost like I wasn’t sure that I would come back alive. *Smile* I’ve done so much research about weight lifting and discussed the subject with various trainers and a few body builders who shared a lot of insight. So much that I was moved to not only implement weight lifting into my workout routine, but to share what I’ve learned with you.

One of my main fears was that I would bulk up and look “manly.” However, studies show that weight lifting is an effective way to burn calories AND lose weight. So lifting weight helps you tone, define and lose weight! A woman’s body is built in such a way whereas it is impossible for her to bulk up and look like a man by lifting weights. Why? A woman has too much estrogen and not enough testosterone to remotely be able to do so. It’s just not naturally possible. Elite FTS states, “These ‘grocery stand models’ are most likely pumped full of some extra juice. This is why they look like men. If you take the missing link that separates men from women and add it back in, what do you have? A man!”

So my main fear was a huge misconception. Lifting weights can help women build a toned, sculpted, feminine body, and build stronger bones. Plus it can boost your metabolism, making you not only look great but feel great, too. Now, by no means am I saying lift weights and stop cardio. You really have to be well rounded and implement both. I was instructed to do about 20-30 minutes of cardio before weight lifting. And I can really feel the difference of doing the cardio right before.

Now for those of you who say that Cardio is better than Weight Lifting, I wouldn’t say one is better than the other. Cardio is definitely needed for a healthy heart. However, while cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours AFTERWARDS than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle. So essentially your body is always in burn mode with weight lifting/strength training.

Now…if you’re wondering why your scale hasn’t moved but you’re eating right and working out consistently…maybe it’s time for you to kick up your workout routine a notch…add some weights…See what happens.

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References:

A WH Fitness Faceoff

10 Reasons Why Heavy Weights Don’t Bulk Up the Female Athlete

The Best Strength Training For Women

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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9/23/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Making Time in a Hectic Schedule to Exercise

When I first started working out, my number one excuse was "making time" for working out. I really didn't have the time. I've never been a morning person so getting up earlier than I need to begin my day was out of the question. To fit exercise into my already crazy schedule when I was already praying for at least 6 more hours in a day, was next to impossible, or so I thought.

I learned rather quickly to break up my workout in intervals. I know this sounds crazy, but I would break my exercise routine up into three 20 minute workouts. Sometimes even four 15 minute workouts. Who said the hour workout had to be all at once?

In the morning, I would get to my office, shut the office door and I would stretch and do some maneuvers while sitting in my seat at my desk! Afterwards, I would sip on a cup of green tea.

For lunch, I would walk, then eat. At this time I was a beginner, so I would only walk a half mile or so, strolling, not speed walking. My point was to move, do something, even if it was just a stroll through the park. Then I would come back to work and eat my lunch at my desk. (walking tips here)

In the evening, I would stretch again, or try to do wall pushups, crunches on the edge of my bed...something right before bed. I would even bend over or lunge while sweeping and vacuuming...again, whatever it took to get my exercise in. Sometimes, I would even do stress yoga stretches, which helped me sleep like a baby.

As silly as it sounds, these little things really got me into working out. While I didn't see fast physical results, I noticed the difference in my temperament, attitude, behavior, I was able to sleep much sounder than before, and I would even wake up a little more rejuvenated than previously too.

After doing this for about 6 months, I eventually bought a pedometer and started monitoring my walking. When I realized how far I've come by evaluating myself, it just made me want to kick it up a notch. I started walking to work, the store, taking the stairs...just doing what little bit I can to get my work out in. The next thing I know, I was uping my half mile to a mile then to a mile and half, then to two now I can walk at the very least 7 miles without it being a chore.

If I can do it, you can to! Just remember, DO NOT compare yourself to other people. Compare yourself to you! Think about where you were yesterday, last week, last month, last year and where you are today, where you want to be...and compare that. Here's a link from Womens Health Magazine and Fitness Magazine with a series 20 minute workout routines to help get you started.

There will never be another you, so remember, no matter how hectic your life...make yourself a priority. This is you loving yourself.

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This content was originally from Veg Vivaciously, a website that teaches healthier alternatives one veggie at a time. You can get your FREE (food, hair and skin care) recipes, tutorials and other writings and tips directly at www.vegvivaciously.org. PLUS you can stay connected and join the Veg Vivaciously community on Facebook, Twitter and/or even download the Veg Vivaciously Toolbar and/or Phone App to stay in the know!

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11/04/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Ab Exercises (work your core in 10 mins)

10/07/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Quality Over Quantity

9/30/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Women & Weights

9/23/2011

WEEKLY FITNESS TIP: Making Time in a Hectic Schedule to Exercise