Exercise Articles

Fitness for All: Resistance Band Workouts

If you are looking for something different to do to change your typical workout routine, pick up a set of resistance bands and give some of these exercises a try!

Resistance band workouts

Front Squat - Stand on a tube band with the feet slightly wider than your shoulders and center of the band between the feet. Holding a handle in each hand, bring the top of the band over each shoulder, securing the band in place by crossing your arms at your chest. Sit straight down, chest up, abs firm, pressing your knees out over your toes. Rise back up to start position and repeat for 8-12 reps.

Bent Over Row - Stand over the center of the band with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend slightly at the knees and hinge at the waist, keeping your hips back. Grasp each handle with hands facing the outside of your knees. With elbows bent, pull the band up toward your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together until your elbows form a 90-degree angle. Lower and row for 10-12 reps.

Bench Press - Anchor a tube band on the bench legs, and lie on the bench, face up. Grabbing a handle in each hand. position them at shoulder

height (so your thumbs touch the front of your shoulders). Extend the arms straight up overhead to full extension, moving your hands toward each other at the top. Lower back down and repeat for 10-12 reps.

Overhead Press - Stand over the center of a tube band with feet shoulder-width apart. Grip each handle, positioning your hands at shoulder level with palms facing each other so your thumbs touch your shoulders. Press straight up, rotating your palms forward as you fully extend your arms. Lower back down slowly and repeat for 8-10 reps.

Russian Twist - Sit on the floor with legs extended, wrapping the center of the band around the bottom of your feet. Hold the free ends in each hand. Slightly bend your knees, keeping your feet on the floor, and lean back at a 45-degree angle. Rotate the band right by bringing your left hand across your body and your right hand down by your right hip. Contracting your oblique muscles, bring the band toward your right hip while keeping your middle and low back neutral. Return to starting position and rotate left then right for a total of 10-12 reps on each side.

Fitness for All: Spring Cleaning Workout

Sure, you would be hard-pressed to find a woman or a man who says that they actually enjoy the thoughts of spring cleaning.  But, if you just take into consideration how many calories are burned while you are doing your spring cleaning, then you may be a little more excited when spring rolls around this year.

Spring cleaning exercises

The actual number of calories burned will depend on your weight, gender and age, but their calculators that you can find online (FitDay or NutriStrategy) that will help you to calculate your actual calories burned.

So, dust off your mops, break out the cleaner and begin to sweat off the weight!

Editor's Note: The calories burned estimates listed here are based on one hour of cleaning for a 155-pound woman.

Gardening: 226 calories 

Window washing: 226 calories 

Scrubbing floors (on hands and knees): 291 calories 

Laundry, ironing: 84 calories 

Sewing repairs: 36 calories 

Dusting: 97 calories 

Scrubbing toilets, tub: 246 calories 

Vacuuming: 317 calories 

Cleaning gutters: 258 calories 

Moving furniture, household items: 387 calories 

Painting, papering, plastering: 317 calories

Sweeping: 194 calories

Mopping: 153 calories

Healthy Living: Joining a Gym- Things to Know Before Signing Up

When making the decision to join a gym, one may find themselves with more questions than answers.

Fitness experts suggest the following pieces of advice that may help you when it comes time to choose the right gym for your needs:

Tips on joining a gym

• Location, location location. Location is one key aspect in deciding what gym may work best for you.  Chances are that if your gym isn't close to your home or workplace, then it will become a hardship to you to try and get to the gym on a regular basis.  Plus, there is always the benefit of saving gas money if you choose a gym that is relatively close to your home or office.
• Research the gym. Find out important details about each gym that you are considering starting your membership with. How much does it cost? What services do they offer that are included in your membership fees? Are lockers an additional cost?  Is there a discount for seniors or students?  By asking the right questions you will find out everything you need to know about the gym before you hand over any money.
• Knowing the hours that the gym is open is a very important. If you would prefer to do your workout before work, then the gym you choose needs to be open prior to your work hours.  If you would like to work out after work, the gym needs to be open later at night.  Choosing the right time to go to the gym is important, as is whether the gym is extremely busy at that time.  If you are constantly waiting around to use equipment because the gym is overcrowded at certain times, you may want to choose a different gym that is more accommodating or has more equipment.
• Comfort in the gym. When you enter the gym, do you feel comfortable with the way it is set up, the cleanliness of the gym and the way the other members act towards one another? If you are going to be spending your hard-earned money, then you need to feel comfortable in the gym.  Cleanliness is also important and will let you know how the owners take care of the gym.

Winter Workouts

Even though it may seem like winter may never be over, soon enough in just a few short weeks it will be.  But before you gear up for spring and getting back outdoors to take in nature and get some exercise, here are some winter workouts that you need to make time for before the spring flowers bloom.

• Take a spin class.  These intense indoor cycling classes can burn hundreds of calories and keep your bones strong.
• Put your swimsuit on and hit up the local indoor pool.  Once spring and summer roll around no one wants to be swimming indoors, but on those cold winter days, nothing feels better than taking some laps in a warm swimming pool.
• Hit the wall and find somewhere with an indoor rock-climbing wall.  This non-traditional cardio exercise not only exercises your body, but also your brain.   It can also burn up to 650 calories an hour!
• Ice skating isn't just for kids, figure skaters or hockey players.  Visit your local indoor ice rink (or outdoor ice rink if you have one close by) and tone your legs, core and butt while having fun and stabilizing muscles that assist with balance and coordination.
• Try a boot camp workout.  Inspired by military training, these “booty-busting” classes are gaining in popularity all over the country and combine strength training moves with high-intensity cardio for a full body workout.
• Put on your boxing gloves and pretend you are Rocky!  Most gyms or community centers offer basic classes in boxing and because this is such a multi-faceting workout, you will notice that you are toning up more than bulking up the more you try it.
• Tai chi is another good winter workout to try when the winter blues have got you down.  Tai chi is a low-impact exercise with its roots in ancient China.  Tai chi helps balance yin and yang, improves cardiovascular health, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve balance.