March 18, 2024

Are You Up For a Double Ab Challenge?

Fit Body:

Double Ab Challenge!

Double up on your ab challenge with this crunch-plus exercise. Begin lying on your back on the floor. Hold a stability ball between your ankles and knees. Next using both legs lift the ball up off the floor and stabilize your hips and legs. Then  perform a traditional abdominal crunch. Holding your legs still while performing a crunch adds an extra ab challenge.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Add Function to your Fitness with Stairs

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Get Functional with Stairs!

Stair climbing is one of the most functional exercises. Think of how many times you may step up or step down during the day. Stair climbing strengthens your heart and lungs, your muscles, your balance, your agility and coordination.  Start slow and easy after a proper walking or range of motion warm up of 8-10 minutes. Form is important when climbing stairs for exercise. Keep your upper body straight up, with your ears over your shoulders and your shoulders over your hips. Even though you’ll be looking down to insure safe stepping, focus on looking down with your eyes only rather than slouching your entire upper body forward and down. Ten stairs is a great repetition range to begin, followed by walking or marching in place to keep heart rate moderate during rest periods. Then, climb the next set of 10, and so on.  So whether you revisit the classic stair climber machine at your gym or find a flight of stairs in your community, consider adding function to your fitness with this exercise.

 

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Make Fitness Opportunities

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Make fitness opportunities!

You may not have the time or finances to join a gym, but that shouldn’t stop your workouts. Look around you to create fitness opportunities in your everyday environment. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

 

Make an obstacle course out of the playground equipment at your local school.

Use the picnic tables at your neighborhood park for pushups and planks.

Use the track at the high school for a cardio sprint-interval workout.

Use a flight of stairs to log a stair-climbing workout.

 

 

 

Become A Beginner!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Become A Beginner With Your Fitness!

A great method to increase motivation and maintain interest in your fitness is to learn a new sport or skill. Be vulnerable and put yourself out there as a beginner. What activity would you love to try? Here’s how to get started:

To get ideas ask your friends what workout or sport they enjoy?

Do an online search to see what gear and knowledge is involved, as well as where the sport is offered in your community.

Poll your friends for their impressions about the facilities and instructors your internet search revealed. Still sound interesting?

Sign up! Better yet, invite a friend to join you!

 

Make your workout WORK!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Make your workout WORK!

Want results from your exercise? You’re going to have to WORK! Your cardio workout should be challenging, that’s the point. So, ditch the workouts leaning on the bars of the cardio machine, forgot the exercise when you’re checking your email the entire time, get rid of workouts when you’re chatting it up, distracted and putting forth half-effort! Your fitness= you get out of it, what you put into it. If you’re cruising through your exercise, check yourself:

1. You should be breathing harder than normal.

2. Your perceived exertion (how hard you gauge you’re working) should be somewhat hard.

3. You should have to focus on proper execution of your exercise.

4. You may be sweating.

5. You should feel fatigue for about 30 minutes post workout.

Should the Stationary Bike be on your cardio list?

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Stationary Bike!

Whether your new to fitness or a seasoned veteran, keep the stationary bike on your cardio option list. Here’s why:

Non-impact. The bike is non-impact, which means there’s no impact stress on your joints.

Intensity is controllable. Add resistance or decrease it. Add elevation or decrease it. Your workout is up to you.

You have options. Choose between a recumbant bike or upright bike. If you have difficulty stabilizing your torso without back support, choose a recumbant bike. If you have knee or hip concerns and a large range of motion is difficult, choose a stationary bike.

 

*Consult a physician before beginning exercise.

 

Give Your Fitness the Thumbs Up!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Thumbs Up Arm Raise!

Strengthen your upper back muscles with this exercise on the ball. A strong back means standing up straight for longer, and with greater ease. Here’s how:

Lie on a stability ball face down with your feet flat on the floor wide for balance. Lift your chest away from the ball so your body is straight and core is stable. Extend both arms straight down toward the floor. Next rotate your palms forward so your thumbs point up. Lift and lower your arms. Perform 10-15 reps.

 

*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.

 

Fitness Opportunities are Everywhere!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Fitness opportunities are everywhere!

LOOK around you, there are fitness opportunities everywhere! Not all exercise has to be structured to count toward your fitness. With creativity and imagination, fitness opportunities can be found in a park, school yard, soccer field, housing complex, and so on. Here are a few to get started:

Wall: Wall Squat- Stand with your back against a wall and your feet about 12 inches from the wall. Keeping your torso on the wall, slide down the wall about 12 inches. Hold for ten to thirty seconds.

Stairs: Stair Intervals- Jog up 10-20 stairs. Turn around and immediately walk down the stairs. After ten seconds rest, repeat the stair interval.

Bench: Pushups- Place your hands on a bench about shoulder-width apart. Extend your legs out straight so only your toes are on the ground. Keeping your torso straight, lower your chest toward the bench, and then return to your starting position.

 

*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Do this with your exercise once a month…

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Try a new workout or exercise at least once a month.

Muscles like unaccustomed exercise. Mixing up your workout forces muscles to learn a new pathway to work. What does this mean for you? Motivation stays high and results keep coming! Here are a few ideas to get started:

Ask friends what exercises they enjoy.

Get a guest pass to a gym.

Purchase a punch card for an outdoor workout.

Join a community-sponsored class.

Register for a local race.

Take lessons for a sport.

Swap workout equipment with a friend.

Try streaming workouts or YouTube.

 

 

WORK for your fitness!

Get Fit Quick Tip:

WORK HARD for your fitness!

Your workout is supposed to be challenging, that’s the point! Challenging is where results happen. There are no short cuts, easy roads or lazy days when it comes to improving your health and fitness. Instead of being afraid of hard work, discomfort, sweat and burning muscles, embrace the effort! Here’s what may happen during a high-quality workout:

You may sweat.

Your muscles may burn.

You may become fatigued.

Your heart rate may increase.

Your breathing may become challenging.

You may be physically uncomfortable.

You may have to dig deep mentally.

You may struggle to complete the workout.