Take a healthy step with #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter! Pick up tips, ideas, solutions, find accountability, get motivated and have fun chatting with others also on their fitness journey.

Here’s how to join:

1. Log into your Twitter account.

2. Enter hashtag #HealthyWayMag.

3. See questions posted for discussion noted as “Q1″ for question 1. “Q2″ designates question 2.

4. Chat with other participants and have fun!

Monday April 25, 2016 #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Sponsored by RunnerBox:

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Build Fitness Momentum

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Weight Training Works!

You lift weights every week in the form of groceries, your children, your dining room chair, the bag of dog food, various items in and out of your car. Want to make your daily tasks easier? Start a weight training program. Lifting and carrying are required daily actions that can be completed with less effort by logging a strength workout as little as 2 days each week. Consult a Fitness Professional to outline a program specifically for you, as well as learn proper form and technique. Here are few other benefits of a weight training program you may not have thought of:

Shape your muscles. Muscles give your body shape and contour. You’ll look fit.

Builds independence and confidence. You’ll easily be able to lift and carry what you need, when you need without having to wait for assistance.

Decrease stress. If you’ve had a long stressful day, you’ll leave the muscle and mind tension in every repetitions and set. The result is a relaxed and total-body tension free you.

Improves body awareness. General awareness of posture and alignment will improve, especially if you’re working with free-weights, as you have to stabilize your body on every set.

*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Weight Training Works!

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

Stretch Break: To ease lower body tension, perform this stretch. Lie on your back with both legs straight on the floor. Using both arms, gently pull your right knee in toward your chest. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. With both arms gently pull your left knee into your chest. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release.

*Consult your physician before performing exercise.

Stretch Break

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Pain should NOT be included in your workout!

Every exerciser will benefit from being able to differentiate between pain (injury, radiating pain, limited range of motion, numbness, tingling) and muscle fatigue (muscle burn, feeling tired.) Pain should not be a part of your workout. If you’re having pain with exercise, STOP! Discontinue that exercise, regroup and try a different exercise or mode of exercise entirely.  The following 4 statements provide a general definition of pain and should NOT be experienced during or after your workout. Common sense is paramount. If an exercise doesn’t “feel quite right” during a workout, it probably isn’t.

Sharp, shooting, stabbing pain in your muscle or around your joint.

Sudden loss, restricted or change of range of motion.

Pain that is nauseating, leads to dizziness or instability.

Pain that worsens with exercise.

No Pain, No Gain?

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Try new exercises on a regular basis!

Our body (and our mind) likes unaccustomed exercise! Expand your fitness horizons by trying new exercises every 4-6 weeks. Here are 3 ideas to get you started:

Ask your friends what physical activities they enjoy. Tag along!

Revisit your childhood activities. Did you love a particular sport or physical fitness activity growing up? Try it again.

Research. Google search sports and fitness for your home town and see what activities pop up.

Expand your Fitness Horizons

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Use an Exercise Band!

For just about $20.00 you can buy an exercise band at your local sporting goods store. Exercise bands are portable, adjustable and effective! Band thickness determines the difficulty. Choose the band intensity based on your fitness ability. Read the box for recommendations. A few additional points to keep in mind:

Safety is always the first priority, so be sure to read all instructions. For example, don’t put your body weight or lean on the band, don’t stretch the band more than three times resting length and always double-check the anchor point. Also, be sure to check the band integrity at regular intervals. Any holes, thinning or splitting means the band should be replaced immediately.

Effectiveness is insured by keeping tension on the band throughout the range of motion. What does this mean? Keep the band taut without slack to keep tension on your muscles.

Enlist the help of a Fitness Professional to outline exercises appropriate for you. The sky is the limit on the number of exercises at your disposal with an exercise band. A Fit Pro will also provide instruction how to properly anchor the band for each exercise. 

*Always consult your physician before beginning exercise.

Invest in an Exercise Band!

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.

Get Motivated by Voluteering

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Break it down!

If you’re short on time, find a way to adjust or modify your schedule to keep your fitness on track. Here are a few ideas to keep you going:

Double up. If time is tight on your scheduled workout day, double up on your cardio the following day if possible.

Impromptu physical activity. Add in fitness everywhere and anywhere. Take the stairs, walk the errands.

Body weight exercise. Revisit the old days of gym class, and perform a circuit of Push-Ups, Planks and Squats to overload your muscles.

Back to basics. Seated stretching and range of motion are exercises that may be performed anywhere without equipment, and both have health benefits.

Short on Time?

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Take a Can-Do Approach

Instead of focusing on what you can’t do, approach your wellness plan from what you CAN do. Focus on the positive, and that’s where your mind will lead you. For example:

One at a time. If you’re not convinced you can eliminate junk food all together, start by eliminating one junk food meal each week.

Focus on the present. It’s a wonderful accomplishment that you were a collegiate athlete, however where is your fitness now? Focus on your current fitness base and build from there.

Increase in small steps. Building fitness too fast, too soon is a common mistake of those new to exercise. Build your fitness in small steps to allow your body to adapt to your goal. Each small step mastered will increase confidence and therefore motivation.

Can-Do Fitness Approach

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Check your Attitude!

Check your attitude and leave your ego at the door! Fitness has peaks and valleys, so prioritize a positive attitude for long term success. Your attitude is your choice!

Here’s how to do it:

Let it go. Fall short of a goal? After reviewing your actions, let it go. Holding on to regrets will only increase your self-doubt and anxiety, hindering your progress.

Be realistic. Where is your fitness now, today? Take inventory of your current status, design a plan, then move forward.

Commit every day. Life happens, how do you respond? Make a commitment every day to continue your fitness journey. There’s always a way to make exercise happen, if you want it badly enough.

Make a vision board. Make a collage of words, pictures or quotes of what you plan to accomplish in your fitness. Place the board where you will see it many times each day. Each glance will give you energy and motivation to keep moving forward.

Surround yourself with positivity. Spend time with those who support you, who strive to improve themselves, who focus on the bright side of things, and who practice problem solving to stay on pace toward a goal.

How’s your Attitude?