Get Motivated!
Join #HealthyWayMag Fitness Chat Monday 11/21 at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern) on Twitter!
Pick up exercise tips, inspiration and accountability. Find support on your fitness journey and solutions to your challenges. Discover how others are making healthy living happen. Here’s how to join:
1. Log into twitter.
2. Enter #HealthyWayMag to follow the conversation.
3. Chat with others, exchange ideas and have fun!
Be there for your opportunity to win a giveaway from ROLL Recovery.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Lunge Stretch for Runners
Stretch your leg muscles with this Lunge Stretch: Begin kneeling on your right knee, with your left foot forward and flat. Place one hand on the floor on either side of your body for support, or place your hands on your hips. Let both hips fall forward, feeling a slight stretch in the front of your right hip and thigh. For more of a stretch lift your right knee up about two-three inches off of the floor. Hold for 10-30 seconds, then release. Repeat the stretch kneeling on your left knee, and your right foot forward and flat.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Get Functional!
If you’re having trouble lifting or carrying, try adding a Squat with a Bicep Curl to your workout routine:
Stand with your feet hip width apart. Hold a weight on either side of your body. Bending from your knees and hips, lower your body down about 12 inches, keeping your elbows straight. Upon standing up, bend both arms into a bicep curl. Repeat the squat and extend your elbows again.
If you’re having trouble bending or reaching, add a One Leg-Hold and Reach to your exercise outline:
Stand on your right leg only. Stabilize your torso and reach your arms forward, without losing your balance. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to your standing upright position. Do 10 reps. Then, switch and stand on your left leg only, reach forward and hold.
*Consult your physician before performing exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Quiet your mind!
Meditation does not have to happen sitting on the floor, in a quiet room. In fact, meditation or the action of quieting your mind and calming your body can happen anywhere, at any time. Here’s how:
Sit, stand or lie down comfortably. Close your eyes if possible.
Inhale and picture in your mind a place, person, object or space that gives you complete and total peace and calm.
The key is to make the experience “real” in your mind picturing every detail, and involving all of your senses. What do you see, hear, feel, smell?
Perform 3-5 inhale and exhale cycles as you take your mind into your experience fully.
Next open your eyes, shake out your muscles, and enjoy the mental refresh.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
GO WALK!
Walking provides stress-relief because:
Fresh air is energizing.
Natural light boosts mood.
Provides a distraction.
Forces deep breathing.
Circulates blood and decreases muscle tension.
Forces range of motion and decreases muscle and joint soreness.
Low-impact exercise means reduced pressure on your joints.
Can be social. Invite your friends!
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Mindset Matters!
Emotional wellness is just as important as physical wellness. If your workouts have been off track, check your mindset. Get your mind right and your body, and your workouts, will follow. Here’s how to get started:
Communicate clearly. What exactly is it you want to accomplish? Be clear.
One action a day. Take one action, behavior or motion toward your goal each day. Taking regular consistent action will build momentum.
Review. Ask yourself what is working and what is not working. Be willing to adjust your course along the way.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Breathe and Move!
Stressed out? When you’re stressed out breathing becomes shallow and muscles become tight. Eliminate stress from your body and your mind with these actions:
Inhale for 2-3 seconds pulling your shoulders up to your ears.
Exhale slowly for 3-4 seconds pulling your shoulders down and back.
Repeat 3 times.
Next head out for a 5-10 minute power walk. Move your arms as you walk and turn over your legs quickly. Walk your hallway, your office, your complex or around the building. A brisk walk forces deep breathing. Deep breathing is where muscle tension is reduced and stress relief happens. Enjoy!
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Always warm-up for your workout!
A warm-up is an essential component of your workout and should NOT be skipped, or even abbreviated. Prepare your body for exercise with 8-10 minutes of dynamic (moving your body continuously) exercise. You’ll prepare your muscles and your cardiovascular system for the increased work load of exercise. A proper warm-up is any movement of your major muscle groups aerobically. For example:
Walking. Walking outside or on the treadmill makes a great warm up for just about every activity. Start slow and build up speed.
Calisthenics. Jogging, jumping jacks, hopping are all great warm up activities that move many muscles and increase our core temperature.
No load exercises. Perform your weight exercises, without weight. No load exercises are great to develop muscle memory patterns as well.
Range of motion exercises. Move each joint through it’s natural range of motion. For example, wrist circles, ankle circles or knee bending and extending. Do 5-8 reps.
*Consult your physician before beginning exercise.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
3 Workout Etiquette Reminders
Your workout is exactly that, YOUR workout. Pick up after yourself and clean up your area when done . Here are 3 etiquette reminders next time you’re at the gym:
Rack your weights! Please take your weights off the bars, off the machines and up off of the floor when done. Place them on their proper rack, so others don’t risk injury lifting weights that are too heavy just to clean up your mess.
Take turns! Allow another exerciser to “work in” a set on your rest interval if possible. If you notice someone waiting, please offer a work-in set to make the best use of everyone’s time.
Put equipment back where it belongs. Wandering around the gym floor looking for equipment is a waste of time. Please return equipment like safety collars, different attachments and rack pads to their proper place.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Cross-Train once a week!
In a workout slump? Mix up your workout to keep motivation high and interest fresh. Take your favorite workout and tweak it slightly for a new challenge. Cross-training doesn’t have to be complicated. Change the angle at which you’re working muscles, and the result is your body (and your mind) has to learn something new. A slight adjustment will do. For example, love to run? Try the elliptical machine. Love to cycle? Try water jogging. Love to swim? Try running. Love the stationary bike, try walking on the treadmill.
Subscribe
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest