Exercise Articles

Five Minute Fixes

Tired of feeling like the path to health and wellness is a long, drawn out path?  Then start small!  Use these quick five- minute fixes to boost your health and to reach your goals one step at a time!

• Wear a pedometer to determine the distance you walk each day.  Shoot for 10,000 steps per day.  If you aren't reaching that goal, add an extra mile to your routine or take the steps instead of the escalator whenever possible.
• Add jumping to your exercise routine : also known as plyometric moves : to build muscle and improve your bone density.  Try jump squats or scissor lunges in your next routine.
• Spend the extra money to purchase good work out necessities : clothing, shoes, bras, supports, etc.  Purchasing the better brands versus going the cheaper route will ensure that you use them and that they are the best for your workout.
• Consider the other ways that you can lose weight without really trying : clean the house and burn 200 calories or work in the garden and burn 272 calories.
• Even if you travel or spend all day in a car or on a plane, still try to fit in physical activity. Take advantage of bathroom breaks by stretching and doing some light exercise.  Walk briskly through the airport in between flights if traveling by plane.
• Build better bones and as much bone density as you can by doing weight-bearing activities like running or jumping as much as you can in your twenties and thirties.
• Yoga has many health benefits for your body and your mind.  Even if you are a novice, take a class and try something different.
• Work out with your significant other or a friend or family member.  This allows you to be a spotting partner for one another or just spend some quality time together working out.

Fitness for All: Yoga for Beginners

If your New Year's Resolution included getting healthy and trying new forms of exercise, then you may be considering trying out one of the most popular forms of exercise and relaxation : yoga.

Yoga can be intimidating if you choose to head straight to the gym and taking a class, so we offer these four beginners poses that you can practice with before you move onto some of the more challenging poses in public.

Mountain Pose :

To do it, stand up straight and plant your feet firmly on the floor. Bring your shoulders back as if you were trying to stand up super straight, but keep your arms relaxed. In one variation of this pose, you leave your arms at your side and feel the energy shoot through your back and legs (in a good way). In another variation, you take a deep breath as you lift your arms above your head with the palms of your hands facing each other. Reach for the stars with your fingertips and feel the stretch in your back.

Cobra Pose :

The cobra pose stretches your lower back, improves flexibility and works your arms. Start by lying face down on the floor with the tops of your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands near your shoulders, as if you were going to do a pushup. Use your arms to push your torso, abdomen and even hips off the floor. Keep your legs flat on the ground. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, return to the starting position and repeat the sequence.

Warrior Pose :

Stand in a normal position and then turn your right foot out at a 90-degree angle. While keeping your shoulders relaxed, place your hands on your hips. Extend your arms out to your sides and the palms of your hands face down. Your arms should be parallel to the floor. Bend your right knee at a 90-degree angle and slide your left foot back 3 or 4 feet, depending on your flexibility. Your right thigh should be parallel with the floor and your knee over your ankle. Line your chin up with your right shoulder so you look past your fingertips. Hold this pose for a minute before switching sides.

Sculpt Your Body with These Moves

Even though sweater and parka weather are upon us, ‘tis the season to sculpt away that unwanted fat, because let's be honest any season is the perfect time to sculpt away that unwanted fat, right?

To fight fat and sculpt, you need to target your biggest problem areas : like your glutes, thighs, and love handles. Follow these fat-busting moves to get in the best shape this season (or any season!)

Problem : Under arm jiggle.

Solution : Tricep dips.

Sit on the floor or a bench with knees bent at 90 degrees and palms facing out, behind you. Raise your body up and down, dipping your rear until it hovers just above the ground. Keep your elbows pointed straight behind you, and you should feel it in your triceps. Do for 60 seconds and repeat three times.

Problem : Flabby chest

Solution : Push-ups

Doing push-ups for 30 seconds followed by a 15-second hold is the key to scoring a toned chest.

Repeat 3 times. (If you can't do a traditional push-up, try an incline variation, placing your hands on a bench.)

Problem : Belly fat

Solution : Mountain climbers

Hold a high plank position for 30 seconds, keeping a flat back.  Quickly bring right knee to right elbow, then left knee to left elbow in fast movements for 30 seconds.

Problem : Love handles

Solution : Side forearm plank

Start with a traditional forearm plank, elbows under shoulders and forearms parallel, abdominals engaged. Slide your palms toward your centerline so your thumb and forefingers connect. Then stack your left hip on your right, placing your left palm on your left hip. Use your abs and pull your navel to your spine as you press your shins and thighs together. Reach your left (or top) arm up to the sky to open your chest while you press your hip up. Press up 10 times. Repeat on right side.

Ineffective Workouts to Avoid

Despite what many people believe, not all workouts are actually effective and conducive to losing weight and toning up.  There are a number of workouts that you will see people doing at your gym any given day of the week that are actually ineffective.

Unless you have the best form and are using some of these machines like textbook, then you actually may be doing more harm than good to your body.

The following are some examples of the least effective exercises that you can do:

Despite what many people believe, not all workouts are actually effective and conducive to losing weight and toning up.  There are a number of workouts that you will see people doing at your gym any given day of the week that are actually ineffective.

Unless you have the best form and are using some of these machines like textbook, then you actually may be doing more harm than good to your body.

The following are some examples of the least effective exercises that you can do:

• Behind the Head Lat Pull Downs: Unfortunately, only those with very mobile shoulder joints can keep their spine straight enough to get a good workout from the behind the back lat pull down bar. The move done wrong can actually tear the rotator cuff.
• Behind the Head Military Press: This exercise done similarly to the behind the head lat pull down, can cause the same problems with the rotator cuff that other exercise could cause.
• Lying Leg Press (with knees bent too deeply): This exercise is typically done to work your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes and is done on a machine where you use your feet to push a weighted plate up and down.  If you bend your knees too far, then you can seriously injure your back and/or knees.
• Squats on a Smith Machine: While the Smith Machine is generally an effective machine, the bar on the machine doesn't give, which can force the body into risky positions, including placing their feet too far in front of them while doing their squats.
• Using Bad Form on Cardio Machines: While using bad form is not good on any machine, using bad form on cardio equipment is a big no-no. Hunching over can throw off your alignment, jarring your spine, shoulders and elbows.
• Always Lifting with a Weight Belt: Unless you have a back injury, are lifting a lot of weight or if you have some other medical reason, then a weight belt is not necessary.  Wearing a weight belt too often can weaken your core muscles, throwing off your entire workout.