May 9, 2024

Walking for Fitness

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Walk!

Walking is effective cardiovascular exercise. Walking for fitness requires no additional equipment, and can be done right from your front door.

Ramp up your walking for fitness workout by adding in a few exercises at regular intervals:

Heel Raises: Stand keeping your torso straight. Lift and lower your heels.

Toe Raises: Stand keeping your torso straight. Lift and lower your toes.

Squats: Stand with your feet hip width apart. Bending from your knees and hips, sit back and lower your body toward the ground about six inches. Stand back up to return to your starting position.

 

*Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Get Motivated by Voluteering

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Volunteer!

What’s one sure fire way to ramp up your workout motivation instantly? Volunteer at a local athletic event or race. As each athlete passes, you’ll be inspired to reach your own fitness goals. Get motivated by giving back to your community where you train and race.

Here’s how to get started:

Research. Look in your local newspaper for a listing of events or do a simple online search of your community events. You’ll truly find a volunteer niche for everyone from walking, running, cycling, track competitions, weight lifting events, swimming, triathlon, and many supporting many charitable organizations.

Reach out. Call or email the event director or volunteer contact and ask where you may be most helpful. So many volunteer duties exist from a few days prior to the event to the event day itself such as from working the check-in tables, timing,  manning a water stop, to crowd control at the finish line.

Invite friends to join you. Send out a quick email or group text with time, day and details encouraging others to join in.

Be cheerful. Athlete volunteers have an extra special understanding of the details needed for competition. You’ll be able to make the athlete’s experience extra special by anticipating what they need, when they need assistance and how they need your support. Draw from your athletic experience and pay it forward.

 

 

 

 

 

Circuit Training for Every Situation

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Circuit Train!

What’s one workout mode that can be done indoors or outdoors, with or without equipment, whether you’re a beginning or advanced exerciser? Circuit training! Circuit training means moving from one exercise to the next without rest.

Set up a circuit of exercises. Choose from 3 exercises to repeat, on up to 10 or 12 exercises to perform consecutively.

Choose your format. Circuit strength exercises only, or alternate strength exercises with cardiovascular exercise in a circuit format.

Circuits are limited only by your creativity. Use whatever is around you, with safety as primary concern. Tables, chairs, benches, trees, steps, wall can all be used to assist your exercises. For example, Wall Squats, Bench Pushups, Chair Tricep Dips.

 

*Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Drink Your Water!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Drink Water!

It’s no secret that drinking water yields numerous health benefits. So why is staying adequately hydrated a challenge for so many? Here are a few ideas to staying properly hydrated for your fitness, and your day:

 

Set your phone alarm. Set your alarm on your smart phone for every three hours as a reminder.

Pre-fill your water bottles for the day. Set the bottles on the counter, your desk or wherever you spend a lot of time, as a visual reminder.

Pair drinking water with other daily activities. Get up, drink a glass of water. Drink a glass of water before each meal. Drink water every time upon arriving home, Drink water before, during and after your workout.

Choose water first. Whenever out or at a friends house, order and drink one glass of water first.

 

Get Functional with Your Fitness

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Get Functional with Squats!

If your fitness goal is to complete your activities of daily living with greater ease and less effort, consider adding functional exercises like Squats into your workout routine.

Squats: An effective exercise that strengthens the entire muscle chain of your body. Although you’ll feel the lower body working the most, your internal stabilizing muscles are also working to maintain proper form, posture and control.

Here’s how to get started:

Consult a Fit Pro to learn proper form based on your ability. Every body is different, and therefore approach to a specific exercise may slightly differ as well.

Maintaining posture is paramount. Maintaining proper alignment is a prerequisite to performing an effective squat.

Master form before adding the load of weights. Adding load without controlling the motion increases risk of injury. Technique matters!

Choose free-weights if appropriate. Free weights require stabilization, instead of relying on the tracking of machine.

Progressions are endless. Varying the mode of the load creates an increased challenge for intermediate and advanced exercisers. For example utilize an exercise band, hold one or two dumbbells, incorporate a stability ball, stand on a balance disk, add a simultaneous upper body exercise, vary pace or vary the range of motion.

 

*Consult your doctor before beginning exercise.

 

High Intensity Jump Rope for Fitness

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Jump Rope!

Jumping rope has total body fitness benefits all in one workout. You’ll strengthen your heart and your muscles. Jump ropes are economical and portable. Jumping rope is also useful for coordination and agility. Begin with ten to twenty seconds of jumping, followed by twenty seconds of rest, and build from there by adding ten seconds.

A few reminders:

Every workout should begin with an 8-10 minute warm up and conclude with a 10 minute cool down.

Wear proper athletic footwear.

Be mindful of jumping on a suitable surface.

Choose a jump rope length based on your height.

Proper postural alignment is important when performing high impact activity.

Adjust your jumping style and rhythm based on sustainable intensity. For higher intensity, jump the rope on every hop and turn of the rope. For lower intensity, jump the rope on every other hop and turn the rope slower.

Requires a base level of fitness. Jumping rope is high impact and high intensity and may not be suitable for beginning exercisers.

 

*Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.