Fitness on the go

The challenge to work fitness into business travel

Just got back from a three-day business trip. Traveling can be a real challenge to stay fit. Lots of sitting on the flights as well as sitting in meetings. There's dessert and alcohol temptations as well.

I managed to do a decent job in the hotel workout room in the mornings for about 25-30 minutes of combined cardio and weights. The effort was fair, but as I've said recently, an effort is better than no effort.

I found an article on work-outs for those on the go and share it. I hope it helps you find new ideas and stay motivated.

Just Gotta Run

End of the summer season and start of school is coming rapidly, and I've switched my workout routine a bit. Motivation and time have both been problems lately, Going to the gym just isn't as appealing these days.

It's important to keep some focus and realize that an effort and a game plan are better than nothing.



Lower intensity workouts like a slow jog or a brisk walk are still a good fitness tool. You'll have to walk longer to burn the same amount of calories that a short, more intense workout would burn. However, when you are working at a lower intensity, you burn fat for your energy.

Combining a jog or brisk walk with some basic exercises like crunches or push-ups provides additional benefit.

Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid for Bodybuilding Success

Have you been visiting the gym, or working out at  home, for a long time but still haven't met the fat loss/muscle mass levels you want?  Maybe the problem is one of these five reasons:

1.  Do you have a training plan that is suitable for your level of fitness?  If you try to do too much, too soon, you may get frustrated and quit.  Or if you don't even have a plan, you can feel scattered and not organized.  You can spend more time trying to decide what to do, than actually doing anything.  Talk to a personal trainer at your gym and have him/her help you develop a plan tailored just for you.

2.  Besides a good training program, you need to  have a sensible meal plan that will enable you to lose fat and increase muscle mass.  You have to eat properly so you supply your body with what it needs to recover from your training and give you adequate energy.

3.  Have you set realistic goals?  Do you know what you want to accomplish with your body building training?  It is essential to have a clear picture of what you want your final results to be.  You need to identify and focus on this target each and every day.  At night, before you go to sleep, visualize what you want to look like and keep a "vision board" where you see it often.  On this vision board, put pictures to inspire and motivate you to keep working towards your goals.

4.  If you expect to just take supplements to reach your goals, you must realize that supplements only work hand-in-hand with your training regime and a good body building diet.  Supplements by themselves won't get you where you want to go.  Get your diet and workout programs finalized and then add supplements.

5.  Make sure you get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night.  This is when your muscles grow.  They become fatigued during a workout and need time to rest and recover.  Don't waste your workout efforts by not getting enough rest!  Remember, also, that if you are lacking in adequate rest, your body produces more cortisol.  This adds body fat and reduces muscle mass.  If you have trouble falling asleep, try not to eat late in the evening, don't watch disturbing programs on television, don't do something that requires intense concentration, and try to spend time just relaxing and being calm before it's time to go to bed.

Achieve Fitness by Swimming

U.S. Men's 2012 Olympic Swim Team 

The London 2012 Olympics got me thinking about different exercise programs for fitness. Swimming is an often overlooked fitness approach that has some benefits.

Swimming is an option for those who are injured with reduced exercise options. Here are some reasons to consider a swimming program for exercise.


1.  Swimming is probably the gentlest aerobic exercise available to you!  Unlike jogging, aerobic dancing, or even brisk walking, it doesn't damage your joints, bones, or feet.  If you are overweight, have joint problems, or have been injured, this is the perfect exercise for you.  It's great for people with arthritis as it improves the body's fitness without pressure, which could make some ailments worse.

2.  The water in the pool is a form of resistance, and as your body moves through the water, the resistance improves your muscle tone.  Your body becomes more flexible and your cardio fitness also improves.

3.  Take a class at your a local YMCA, gym, or health club.  Even public pools offer classes.  You may not need many lessons to relearn the proper way to do the different strokes, but having these lessons can make your swimming workout more effective.  Learn a variety of strokes so you can vary your workouts as your fitness increases.

4.  Find different places for your swimming workouts.  You can chose to go to a public pool, swim outdoors, go to the local YMCA, or a community center.  Maybe you have a friend who has their own pool!  Vary your routine so sometimes you are swimming indoors and other times you are swimming outdoors where you can enjoy nature.

5.  If you are extremely out of shape, learn strokes that are not as intense as others.  As you gain in fitness, you can add more strenuous strokes and vary your workout.

6.  As with any exercise program, be sure to check with your doctor before you begin.  Even if you have a health concern that precludes other exercise regimes, you might be able to begin swimming with the aid of a kickboard, paddles, or flippers.  This is also true if you have recently been injured and are still recovering.  There is no reason you cannot begin an exercise regime, with the consent of your doctor, to decrease the time it takes to recover and begin getting your body totally in shape.

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Easy-to-Follow Weight Training Program For Beginners

Are you ready to get into shape, or improve the shape you're already in?  This muscle and basic-strength weight training program may be just what you need.

As with any new exercise program, visit your healthcare professional first to see if there are any restrictions on what you can do.  Also, changing your eating habits to eat a healthy diet will go a long ways towards increasing your fitness and safeguarding your health.

Before you begin this formal program, remember that any plan works well if it's designed for your body and fitness goals.  Talk to a personal trainer at your health/fitness club to see what he/she advises.

You will be able to find the equipment and free weights you need at almost any health/fitness club.  If you prefer, and you have the equipment at home, you can do your workout there.

Remember, it's important to take your medical condition into consideration before beginning.  If you have injuries, joint damage, or have just had surgery, factor these conditions into your training routine.  As your fitness level improves, you can ramp your routines up a little bit at a time.

Here are the steps to follow.  For each of the nine exercises, do one set of twelve repetitions, gradually increasing the number of repetitions, so by week eight, you are up to three sets of twelve repetitions:

1.  Warm Up:  The best way to warm up is with aerobics.  This should only take ten minutes or so.

2.  Squats or Leg Presses:  If you're just beginning, leave the squats for later and use the machine leg press for starters.

3.  Chest or bench press.

4.  Dead Lift.

5.  Crunch.

6.  Seated cable row.

7.  Triceps push down.

8.  Lateral pull down.

9.  Over head press.

10.  Biceps curl.

11.  Cool down and stretch - Yoga stretches would be nice to incorporate into your cool down.

Pay attention to your form or have a friend or someone at the health club "spot" for you to make sure you are doing the exercises correctly for the maximum benefit.

Talk to the personal trainer at the health fitness club to determine how long you should rest between repetitions.  This will depend on what your fitness goals are.  Also, have him/her help you determine how heavy your beginning weight should be.  There are a lot of different formulas to help with this.

Summer Cardio Exercise Quandry

Head for Cover, Beat the Heat, and Keep the Cardio Going

Summertime can be a really tough time for fitness. The outdoor exercise options become limited by the heat. Here are four quick indoor exercise options to keep on the fitness path.


1. Elliptical Trainer

This is a great way to get into shape and increase your endurance without high impact on your joints.  Runners especially like to use this machine as an alternate to running outdoors.  An average build person can burn 300 calories in just half an hour.

2. Step Aerobics

Step aerobics are a lot of fun and the only equipment you need is a step pad about 6" high.  It's not the easiest workout by any means, but it's not complicated.  Your hips, butt, and legs will get a major workout and you can burn up to 400 calories in just half an hour.  The easiest way to do stepping is to start with your right foot, step up on the step, step up with your left foot, then step down with your right foot, followed by your left foot.  About half way through you can change to starting with your left foot.  A good intense workout would be to try to do 40 steps in about two minutes.

3. Rock Climbing

This exercise isn't for the squeamish and requires training and specialized equipment.  It uses the strength and power in your legs and arms and burns almost 400 calories in half an hour.  Many cities have climbing gyms. A climbing gym can also open up a potential new group of friends.

4. Handball and Raquet Ball

Your heart rate and legs will get a great workout with the sprinting you'll be doing with one of these sports.  Go to a health club where you can get training with a personal training and take your time learning to do it well.  An average sized person can burn more than 400 calories in just half an hour!

Four Fitness Tips for the Fourth

Get Fired Up on the 4th 

I hope that most everyone has the day off today. The holiday is both a day of celebration as well as reflection on the freedoms we've gained becoming a nation over 200 years ago.

TIPS

1, Be active today - hit the pool, workout, go for a walk, or do a fun run.
2, Reach out and spend time with friends or family
3. Make the menu healthy
4. Eliminate or moderate the alcohol

Fit Family Summer

Just add water for a fit family summer

Today is the summer solstice marking the official beginning of summer. We get kids out of school for the next 1 1/2  -2 months.

What will you and your family do this summer?

Any season is the right season for family time, but summer is an especially good season for family togetherness and fun. Summer is also a good time to ramp up fitness for you and the rest of the family.

A summer vacation doesn't have to be all about lounging around the pool or being lazy. A vacation can be a great time to be active and work on your own fitness. Also, a vacation is a perfect opportunity to spark a child's interest in the outdoors and an active life.

In these days of a tighter economy, a vacation may not be possible for everyone. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to spend active time together as a family whether or not on vacation. There are many options close to home and on a budget that are available during the summer.

Swimming pools are the perfect place to play and be active. Spending time with your family at the pool has so many potential pay-offs. Water safety is a very important reality of children and families. Make this summer about helping your child learn to swim or boosting swimming skills. You may discover your child is the next Michael Phelps.

The pool is a great place for games like water polo or marco polo. A hour or so of an active water game boosts everyone's metabolism.

Summer is a great time for hiking as well. A hike is a great time to enjoy nature and spend time together. A brisk several mile hike - especially on more difficult terrain - is another inexpensive option.

Backyard games like volleyball or badminton combined with a dash of healthy food is another quick, inexpensive idea.

Creativity and motivation are really all that's necessary to make this a fun family summer.

ENJOY THE SEASON!

Maintain Exercise Focus

Education 

Lack of knowledge is one of the easiest to correct problems when starting or pursuing an exercise plan. Being properly prepared is essential. A well-planned program is needed to begin, and a clear vision of goals is also required.

I believe that gym membership is an important tool for anyone who is invested in a healthy level of fitness. A gym offers many options for equipment, group classes, and if desired personal training.

I've been a member of 24 hour fitness for sometime and have used many of the benefits listed above. Another benefit for 24 hour fitness member is their newsletter which has many tips and motivational pieces. The table below contains good tips on exercise across all of the age groups.

Week 4 

Week 4 until summer is coming up. Stay tuned for week 4's tip! 

Be a Weekend Warrior Parent

We're now in week 5 of the six weeks until summer countdown 

The goal for this week is to step up the exercise. Stepping up the level of exercise can mean a different things to different people. It could mean exercising more frequently or exercising with greater intensity or maybe both.

I want to point out an often discounted idea that exercise can be fun. The fun angle is especially important when it is family exercise. It is very important to me as a father of a young child to be a role model for an active life. Childhood obesity as well as adult obesity continues to rise, and a sedentary life is the path of least resistance for many.

Exercise doesn't have to always involve a gym or a group of adults. Exercise can be a brisk family walk, a game of backyard tag, or any other active fun family game.

Keep yourself and your family in the exercise game.

Bells & Whistles

Add Dumbbells to your Workout

By Bells, I mean dumbbells, and you'll be whistling a happy tune if you use dumbbells as part of your workout routine. In my mind, dumbbells have two key features that make them an ideal tool in the workout portfolio of both beginner and advanced alike.









Versatility

• The weight range for dumbbells ranges from only a few pounds to over 40 pounds making it easy to find the right weight for a challenge. 

• Dumbbell exercises are available for every muscle group of the body 

Portability

• Light dumbbells are easy to store at home or even carry with you for outdoor workouts 

Here are five interesting dumbbell exercises you will enjoy.

1.  Arm Curl:

a.  Hold a dumbbell in each hand, hands at your sides,  the palms facing each other;
b.  Stand with your feet almost shoulder-width apart;
c.  Tighten your abdominal muscles and inhale;
d.  Rotate one arm so that the palm will be facing up, bend the arm at the elbow, and raise the dumbbell to your shoulder;
e.  Lower the arm to the beginning position and repeat the movement with the other arm;
f.  Repeat.

2.  Bent-Over Rowing:

a.  Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart;
b.  With the palms facing your body, hold a dumbbell in each hand;
c.  Keeping your back straight, bend over forty-five degrees,  keeping the dumbbells at shoulder-width;
d. Tighten your abs, lift the dumbbells straight up, then straight down, keeping control;
e.  Make sure the dumbbells do not go any higher than parallel to your shoulders;
f.  Keep your wrists controlled without any excess motion;
g.  Your legs do not move;
h.  Stay bent at forty-five degrees until you have finished all repetitions.

3.  Lunge

a.  With a dumbbell in each hand and your arms by your side, stand up straight, palms facing your thighs and feet shoulder-width apart;
b.  Lunge forward with one leg, knee bent, and front thigh almost parallel with the floor, and rear leg slightly bent at the knee, your balance on your toes;
c.  Return to your starting position and repeat with the other leg.

4.  Triceps Extension

a.  You can sit or stand to do this exercise.  Keep your back straight and feet firmly on the floor;
b.  Tighten the abdominal muscles, grip the dumbbell firmly with both hands, and raise it above your head;
c.  Flexing your elbows to their full range of motion, lower the dumbbell to the back of your head, using very controlled movements;
d.  Return to your starting position and repeat.

5.  Squat

a.  With a dumbbell in each hand, hang your arms at your sides with your feet hip-width apart;
b.  Tense the muscles of your abs, stand tall, and pull your shoulders back.  Keep your balance firm;
c.  Without leaning your upper body forward, start moving as if you were going to sit down;
d.  As you lower your body, bend at the knees and move your butt backwards;  don't arch your back; only lower until your thighs are parallel with the ground;
e.  Return to your original position and repeat.


Dumbbells are a centerpiece in almost every gym. Also, they are relatively inexpensive to purchase either new or used at sporting goods stores. So, add dumbbells to your workout today.

Pick up the Pace with Cycling

Pick up the pace with cycling

Cycling provides a powerful fitness and weight loss exercise. You gain benefit in strengthening leg muscles which translates to better endurance in other activities such as walking or stair climbing. In addition, there is less impact on joints reducing the risk for joint damage. The aerobic benefit from moderate intensity cycling is a great way to burn calories.  Peddling at a speed of 12-14 mph will burn up about 500 calories an hour.  peddling at twelve to fourteen miles per hour.

A variety of choices are available for cycling as well. You may choose an indoor spin bike, road bike, or a mountain bike. Each choice for cycling has benefits and drawbacks. Fair weather is a great time for a family bike ride. Enjoying nature or camaraderie of the group is also best done in the outdoors. However, outdoor cycling requires more preparation, and fickle weather can ruin a good bike ride.

Indoor spin cycling while for more boring has several advantages including the all important removal of the bad weather factor. Less preparation or gear is required for indoor cycling. As I mentioned previously, a group spin class can be a great motivator.

Getting some physical exercise from cycling bike riding will help you burn calories, strengthen leg muscles, and boost your energy. Get motivated today. Pull out your bike and go for a ride or get to the gym for a spin class!

s.

Sunday NFL and the Treadmill: A Fitness Recipe

Treadmill workouts are a good tool in the fitness arsenal. Treadmills have several advantages over outdoor running including:

• Ease on the joints 
• Immunity to weather 
• Variation of incline 

A good workout can be had without the need to run. Brisk walking, especially on an incline is  great way to burn calories and raise the heart rate. 40 minutes of walking on a steep incline burns equivalent calories to a brisk run.

TIME is the key to success in treadmill walking and also a big barrier to success use of the treadmill. The time spent on the treadmill workout is usually very boring. Music, TV, or a friend can counteract the monotony of the treadmill.

A quick tip for Sunday treadmill walking - distract your mind with an NFL game while you walk. The average NFL game last 3 hours. Watching even a single quarter will nearly finish your workout. Try this tip next Sunday. Not an NFL fan? - this trick works for regular TV shows as well.

Join the Group: Fitness Class Tips

I was inspired yesterday after attending a 24hr fitness spin class to write about group exercise classes.






Group classes are a great way for consistent, accountable exercise. The biggest road block for most of us when we think about group exercise class is seeing lots of fit people that look like they could put you to shame in an exercise class.

I encourage you don't let your anxiety about looking bad in a class stop you from taking a step to better health and fitness. Here are some quick tips to help you get going and keep the exercise habit in your weekly routine.

1.  Get Support 

Ask a family member, friend, or co-worker to go with you.  You can bring your own support and encouragement to a class. You can also work to make new friends in your class. Feel comfortable sharing your worries or struggles.

2.  Get Information 

Talk to the people at the gym or watch a class or two before you jump in. There are diverse choices in class from cardio training like spin class, yoga, or weight training. Figure out what kind of class or classes you are interested and able to do.


3. Get Prepared 

Pack and prepare for the class the day prior to the class. You eliminate mental excuses not to attend if you eliminate barriers. Also, get any equipment has as yoga mats or biking shoes to help you fully participate.


After a few weeks, you'll have created a new fitness habit. You'll end up feeling good . . .physically and about yourself because you took the first step to become a better you!

Motivation on the Go

Even though Jillian Michaels is no longer part of the Biggest Loser, she still a great motivator for fitness and weight loss.

I found that she has podcasts in itunes. I plan to subscribe and give some of them a listen.  A podcast is a great way to pass the time and get motivation while stuck in the commute to or from work.

Check out the Jillian Michaels Show on itunes. I'll have some feedback next week after listening to a few episodes. Let me know what you think.