Fit Body:
Stop wasting time! Get moving while stuck in line.
Stuck waiting in line or waiting for an appointment? Do a few exercises to make use of the time.
Toe Raises. Lift your toes, then lower. Do 10 reps.
Heel Raises. Lift your heels, then lower. Do 10 reps.
Stand on one leg. Hold for 10 seconds.
Standing weight shifting. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lean to the left and then the right. Do 10 total reps.
Standing Knee Raises. Alternate lifting your knees as if climbing stairs.
Fit Body:
Look for fitness opportunities around you!
Exercise does not always have to be structured to count toward your fitness. There are fitness opportunities all around you- LOOK! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
While waiting in line: Toe Raises/Heel Raises.
While shopping: Carry what you can. Skip the cart.
While waiting for an appointment: Abdominal bracing. Sit up tall. Pull your belly button in toward your spine. Hold for 10 second intervals.
While watching your kids soccer game: Stand! Don’t sit.
While stuck in traffic: Inhale/Pull your shoulders up. Exhale/Pull your shoulders down and back.
While on the phone: March in place.
Fit Mind:
Keep thoughts positive!
You are what you think you are! Strong, powerful, capable? Weak, tired, defeated? Mental fitness is part of a healthy lifestyle. Mental, emotional and psychological fitness is what keeps you focused, determined and moving along the path to accomplish your goals, especially when times are tough. Adopt a workout mantra to repeat while exercising to keep self-talk positive. I am strong. I am powerful. I am capable. Repeating your mantra when workouts are tough or focus is lacking will serve as a moving meditation, powering you forward and through. You will become what you believe, think, say and do. Keep it positive!
Ready to get healthy? With a new year comes new resolve to improve ourselves in so many ways, including our health. My advice this time of year is to be consistent with the basics:
Don’t worry so much about what exercises to do and in what order you should do them; just show up. Set a goal to show up 2 times each week for the first month, then 3 times each week in February. Can’t make it to the gym? No problem: get outside for a walk or take the stairs all day-all intentional activity counts!
Pack your gym clothes, shoes and water bottle the night before to avoid rushing around the next morning. You’ll develop a routine and soon it will become part of your ‘out the door’ mental checklist: do I have my gym bag? Water bottle? Check!
Bring a piece of fruit with you everywhere you go. Having something on hand will prevent impulse eating decisions. Ask yourself ‘am I hungry enough to eat this apple?’ And if the answer is no, you’re probably not actually hungry.
Mark your progress in a calendar or another physical and visible space to hold yourself accountable. When you can see that you made it to the gym 4 weeks in a row, you’ll want to make sure you continue in the 5th and 6th weeks, and even beyond!
For more fitness tips follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahPace_Fit
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Fitness Breaks!
Whenever you’re out and about or working on a project at home, add in fitness breaks! Anything goes as long as you’re moving your body for 10 minutes… and having fun! Fitness breaks are limited only by your imagination.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Cross-Train for Consistency.
Consistent workouts is what leads to results. How do you stay motivated enough to be consistent? Cross-Train!
Do an entirely different workout anywhere from once a week to once a month. This means you’ll be working your muscles in a different mode or angle than during regular workouts. Changing the angle your working your muscles most days allows you to still log a workout but also decrease risk of injury from overworking or doing the same thing for days and weeks. Try a class. Join friends. Go outdoors. Doing something completely different will keep your mind interested, your motivation up, and your body changing.
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.
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:
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.
Get Fit Quick Tip:
Why are you not working out?
Often skipping a workout comes from 3 areas that you’re lacking: interest, focus or time. Here are a few ideas how to get motivated again.
No interest?
Revisit childhood. What activities did you enjoy? Remember, not all exercise has to be structured to count toward your fitness. Run, jump, hop, play, bike, walk, swim, play basketball, soccer, dance…
No focus?
Do circuit training. Perform 1 minute of cardio, then perform 1 strength exercise. Repeat alternating until all sets are complete. Time will zoom by, keeping your mind and your body busy.
No time?
Split up your cardio and strength training into 5-20 minute sessions. For example, do a 20 minute walk in the morning followed by a 5 minute body weight strength routine in the evening. Find little bits of fitness to add into free moments during the day.
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