Ten-Minute Difference

It’s amazing what even a modest amount of regular physical activity can do for your heart health:

It all starts with a step. Take one — or a few thousand — today!

Source: Wall Street Journal: The Guide to Beating a Heart Attack

Jump into Spring!

With the mild winter we’ve had, you may have found it easier to stick to your exercise routine. However, if your shoes or routine need some dusting off, let’s discover some motivation to take our fitness to the next level as spring-time rolls in!

We know that exercise can bring the benefits listed below, so why aren’t we more diligent? It may be because of our daily demands. Most of our running around nowadays happens in our cars, not on foot. Every little bit of activity can add up, though, so the next time you feel limited in your exercise with time or equipment, remember the following:

Benefits of Exercise:

∙ Balance

∙ Stronger bones

∙ Lower body fat

∙ Lean muscle

∙ Faster metabolism

∙ Self-confidence

∙ Lower cholesterol

∙ Reduced pain

∙ Improved mood

∙ Lower stress

∙ Better sleep

∙ Healthy joints

∙ Digestion function

∙ More energy

Ways to Fit in Fitness:

• Ride your bike to work
• Park your car further away from your destination
• Climb the stairs during a break
• Walk around the office building before going in
• Take 15 minutes during your lunch break to walk
• If you take a train or bus to work, get off one stop prior to your destination

Exercise Guidelines:

• A well-rounded exercise routine should incorporate aspects of endurance, muscle strength, and stretching
• Most health experts recommend at least 30 minutes of activity, at least 5 days per week
• If you’re trying to lose weight you may need upwards of 60 minutes each day
• The key to sticking with an exercise program is to find one that fits into your schedule and is enjoyable

Sticking to Fitness:

• Listen to music or books while exercising
• Watch your favorite TV show, the news or a movie as you workout
• Consider joining a health club (there are even senior centers & female-only clubs available)
• Join a team (swim, golf, tennis, basketball, volleyball)
• Set up a few sessions with a personal trainer to introduce you to new forms of exercise
• Plan out your day: will you exercise in the morning, at lunch, or in the evening on a given day
• Set up a home gym, walk at a mall, stroll the community parks, or take some laps at a school track
• Exercise with a friend or family member

Today is a great day to start your new exercise routine!

Need a Mood Boost? Get Active

A recent study published in the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology finds more evidence that being physically active is great for boosting your mood and general feelings of happiness:

“We found that people who are more physically active have more pleasant-activated feelings than people who are less active, and we also found that people have more pleasant-activated feelings on days when they are more physically active than usual.”

“Our results suggest that not only are there chronic benefits of physical activity, but there are discrete benefits as well. Doing more exercise than you typically do can give you a burst of pleasant-activated feelings. So today, if you want a boost, go do some moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise.”

– Amanda Hyde, study researcher and kinesiology graduate student at Penn State University

When you need that boost, you know what to do!

Source: Exercise Makes Us Happy — It’s Science

23 and 1/2 Hours

Insightful video. Something to think about as you decide on potential goals/resolutions for the upcoming new year!

Beat the Cold

Do you find your exercise slipping during the winter months because it is just too cold to get outside or even get out of bed? You can adjust, it just takes time!

To warm up, you can take a quick, hot shower, put your clothes in the dryer for a few minutes, or even better, just start moving. If you like to exercise outside, do it! It just takes time for our bodies to acclimatize.

Try warming up for a few minutes inside before you head outside. Jogging in place, doing jumping jacks or other low-level aerobic exercises are some ideas to help you warm-up before you hit the cold.

Dress in layers and don’t be afraid to overdress. Be prepared for changing temperatures and wear a hat to keep your head warm along with some gloves. The important thing to remember is your body can become acclimatized to colder temperatures if you are exposed to them often.

We don’t want the weather to determine the outcome of our exercise, so no matter if you exercise indoors or outdoors, keep moving don’t let anything get in your way!

Ideas to Help You Move More

Be creative. Find different ways to move more!

Pick up the pace while shopping.

March in place while filling up the gas tank.

Do some muscle- strengthening exercises during commercial breaks as you watch TV.

Park farther away from your destination and walk.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Take two steps at a time when you climb stairs.

Dance in your car. While you’re stuck in traffic, work your abs. Concentrate on your rib cage — pretend you’re a salsa dancer and swirl around. Not only will you see your waist whittle and your abs harden, you’ll release lower back tension.

Keep a jump rope at your desk and use it during your breaks.

Walk around your office building, inside or out, at least once an hour.

Work your butt. When you’re in the car or standing in line, contract your buttocks for fifteen second intervals. Tighten your muscles as you breathe in and then breathe out and release. It not only firms your butt, but relieves stress.

Get free weights or use heavier items in your home/office to do exercises.

Rent or buy exercise videos. It’s like having a health club in the privacy of your own room.

Bottom Line: Find something you enjoy and move more!

Optimize Your Workout Time

Time. Don’t we wish we had more? A common excuse as to why we don’t exercise is, “I don’t have the time.” Listed below you will find some ideas of how to make exercise a priority and how to optimize the time you spend doing it.

Schedule your Exercise

If you schedule your exercise as if it were an important appointment, you will be more likely to stick to it. Find a time each week that will be most realistic. You may have to adjust it each day, but at least you have the time blocked out on your calendar.

Intervals or Circuit Training

Our bodies are machines that want to be efficient and use the least amount of energy as possible to get the work done. Because of this, our bodies get used to doing the same exercise. In order to keep our bodies from being efficient at the exercise, mix it up. You can add variety through activity, intensity, resistance, speed and repetition.

Interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with what is called active recovery, which is typically a less-intense form of the original activity.

By doing intervals, you are essentially taking your heart rate and muscles on a rollercoaster ride — highs and lows of physical demand.

For example, do  3-5 minutes at your normal pace, then insert 30-60 seconds of increased speed, then return to your normal pace. How you feel should determine the length and speed of each interval, but don’t be afraid to push yourself.

If it is your habit to walk two miles per day in 30 minutes, you can easily increase the intensity of your walk (as well as its calorie-burning potential) by picking up the pace every few minutes and then returning to your usual speed.

A great trick is to use landmarks, trees and mailboxes, etc. and tell yourself you will go at the increased pace until that point. Then you can return to your basic pace. Another trick, if you listen to music, is to do an interval during the chorus of the song and return to the normal pace during the verses.

Benefit: You will burn more calories in a shorter amount of time with intervals than you will doing your usual workout at the same pace. You’ll also be amazed at how changing the tempo of your cardio or lifting repetitions will improve your fitness.

Get moving today!

Winter Exercise Tips

Warm up this season by finding ways to stay active! Break the ice by adapting any of the following ideas:

Take up a winter hobby. From skiing and ice-skating to snowshoeing, there are great winter activities that burn mega calories and can mix up your normal workout routine.

Get creative at home. You could invest in a new workout DVD, purchase new or used fitness equipment, or even use your own body weight for a killer workout.

Join a gym. Most gyms offer classes and have a variety of exercise equipment to keep your workouts interesting. Your gym may even have a sauna to help you warm up this season!

Dive in. Find an indoor pool. Swimming is a great way to build endurance and keep your body lean through winter. You could try water-aerobics classes or lap swimming.

Walk it out. In some cities, people use the mall to walk like a track. You don’t have to fight the cold, and you can complete your holiday shopping at the same! Bring a friend or your baby in the stroller.

TV. Look for a fitness channel from your cable or satellite provider, or find a fitness website you like and get a workout by following along with the online program. Using the WiiFit or Kinnect are other options.

Housework. Get your home sparkling for your guests by hanging up lights, shining the floors, vacuuming, and dusting. Even simple activities add up when becoming fit.

Set a new goal. It could be anything from losing five pounds, to training for an upcoming 5k. You could even set out to break your push-up, pull-up, or sit-up record.

Try something new. Age should never be a boundary. You may be sore after snowboarding, but the more you go, the easier it will get. Choose activities appropriate for your abilities and ones that you’ll enjoy.

Find a team. Search online or call your local community center to find a league in your area. Make new friends, socialize, and get a workout at the same time.

Let it snow. Get a workout and create memories by building a snowman with your kids or grandkids. You could also make one hundred snow angels or shovel the snow.

With a little planning and creativity you can stay fit all winter long and you will not only feel better but you’ll look better too. Don’t use winter as an excuse to not be physically active!

Reduce Your Stress Through Exercise

Did you know that regular exercise and physical activity can combat stress and anxiety? It is true! Exercise releases endorphins and other feel-good brain chemicals that can boost your mood and reduce your anxiety. It may also increase your self-esteem, improve your sleep and help you better cope with your daily challenges and worries.

At first exercise may seem like another thing to add to your to-do list and create more stress. Over time, the Harvard Medical School reports that you can learn to enjoy exercise and even depend on it for stress and anxiety relief.

The key? Choose activities you enjoy! If 30 minutes all at once does not work for you, fit in two or three 10 to 15 minute sessions each day. Find a way to fit exercise in regularly and take note of how you feel. It might be a great way for you to manage your daily challenges and stresses.

Source: Harvard Medical School; Harvard Health Publications: Exercising to Relax; February 2011