Category Fitness

Knowing how much exercise you need each day is only half of the equation. You also have to know which type of activity you need. Exercise is broken down into two types of energy systems: aerobic and anaerobic, or cardio and strength training, respectively.

Aerobic

Exercise activities falling under this category are further broken down by intensity into moderate and vigorous. Moderate includes brisk walking, running (at a slow jogging pace), swimming, mowing the lawn, etc.; aerobic exercises get your heart rate up and can be performed for a long period of time. You should break a sweat, but still be able to talk while doing them.

Vigorous exercise includes such things as marathon running, long distance cycling and lap swimming. They get your heart rate up into the 70% to 80% of your target heart rate (220 minus your age). While doing activities at this intensity level, you are sweating more, breathing harder and you won’t be able to say more than a few words at a time.

Anaerobic

These include strength training activities like weightlifting or heavy kettle bell swings. Anaerobic exercises can only be performed for a short period of time due to the body not being able to produce enough energy to last longer than from a few seconds to three minutes.

To reap the most benefits from anaerobic, you should reach a point where it is hard to do the next repetition. Once you can do 12 to 15 repetitions per set, increase the amount of weight; your repetitions per set will then drop accordingly.

How Much Time Do You Need?

Most experts agree you should aim to get at least 30 minutes of exercise, or some type of physical activity, six days a week. This is further broken down into 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise spread over four days per week. Alternate in at least two days per week of anaerobic exercise that works all of the major muscle groups, such as the:

• legs
• hips
• back
• abdomen
• chest
• shoulders
• arms

Give your body time to rest and repair itself on the seventh day.

Exercise Session Duration

Many busy working professionals have a hard time finding a 30-minute chunk of time each day to exercise. However, what various studies have found is that three 10-minute periods of exercising per day is just as beneficial as one 30-minute period. For instance, you could go for a brisk walk in the morning, at noon and again in the evening; the health benefit is the same as walking briskly for one 30-minute period. Almost everyone can find a few 10 minute periods in their schedule each day.

For even more health benefits, keep the same intensity level, but double your weekly aerobic activity to 300 minutes. Another option, as you get more fit, is to gradually change out some of your moderate intensity level exercises for more vigorous ones.

Why You Must Make Exercise A Priority

If you are serious about your health and fitness plans, you definitely must make exercise a priority to accomplish your goals. Did you know that the human brain will always cause you to move toward your most dominant thought? This is why a simple thought can create such incredible results in your life, and in the world around us. This is also why when you make exercise a top priority in your life, your desired results come quicker, and they are easier to maintain over time.

Human beings are intrinsically lazy, but crave direction and order. This is why scheduling activities leads to a much higher success rate in anything that you do. And when you habitually do things over and over at the same time on the same day, it is hard to get out of that rhythm. Also, often time in our lives we get better results when we insist on them.

Here are a few simple ways to make exercise a priority in your life, setting up an autopilot delivery of the benefits that exercise delivers:

Schedule Your Exercises

There are a reason that calendars and day planners are literally a billion dollar a year business. People do more things that are written down and scheduled than they do as a matter of impulse. Scheduling your exercise regimen on a daily, weekly and monthly basis where you must refer to it and hold yourself accountable will instantly program your mind and body for the desired physical and mental preparation before the scheduled exercise.

Make Exercise a Habit

Did you realize that human beings will unconsciously make a habit out of anything they do for a given period of consecutive days or sessions? Multiple scientific studies have shown that repeating the same behavior or action, on the same schedule, at the same time 17 to 21 times switches an activity from the conscious mind to the unconscious, where actions are automatic, and not a choice.

Make exercise a priority at the same time and stick to that schedule religiously, and you will find soon enough that it is virtually impossible to miss a workout.

Do Not Take No for an Answer

If you decide that you are going to exercise no matter what set of obstacles gets in your way, you will definitely accomplish your weight loss, health and fitness goals. Human beings are constantly achieving levels of performance which were previously considered impossible. And you can do the same when you simply refuse to put exercising on a back burner.

The human brain is the most powerful and capable computer of all time. When you schedule exercise at the same time, achieve 17 to 21 consecutive exercise sessions and develop the unwavering mindset that exercise is a top priority in your life, you may be surprised at how easy it is to achieve your health and fitness goals.

If you’re not very active when you start out with your exercise workout routine, it would be a good idea to read 15 Minute Fitness Tip #6 “Exercise Tips for Those Who Live a Sedentary Lifestyle” for a good place to start.

Chances are, your job requires a lot of sitting. And thanks to the marvelous advancements which technology has given us, we do not need to be nearly as mobile as we used to as human beings.

We originally evolved as walking creatures, exploring and shaping our world by frequently moving. But for many, modern day “sit down” jobs have joined a remote control equipped, couch-centered home life which has led to a very sedentary lifestyle.

However, there are some easy-to-follow exercise tips for people looking to improve their health and fitness that do not include heavy weightlifting and running marathons. Incorporate the following simple exercises into your daily routine, and you will improve your energy and fitness levels in no time.

• Doctor David Dunstan, PhD, explains that we must be thinking about fitness all day long. Exercising during the lunch break is great advice, but you need to incorporate exercise throughout the day as well. You can easily do this on the job by alternating sitting and standing whenever you have the chance.
• And the next time that you need to contact your coworker down the hall, take a walk instead of shooting out an e-mail. You can also stand and even pace whenever you place or receive a telephone call, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and take regular breaks scheduled throughout your day which get you out of your chair.
• You can also adopt a NEAT attitude, and that does not mean cleanliness and more organization. NEAT stands for “non-exercise activity thermogenesis” in this case. People often forget that stretching, bending and turning are all very important for keeping us limber and avoiding injuries, and these simple exercises can be performed all day long by even the most sedentary individual.
• If you telecommute, walk outside in a sunny park during a conference call. And scheduling a brisk 10 or 15 minute walk in the afternoon close to your quitting time will not only help you become more productive at the end of the day, but also delivers wonderful fitness rewards.

As long as you embrace improving your health, you can turn your sedentary work and home environments into fun and active centers of fitness by taking very small steps. Stand when you can, schedule multiple breaks throughout your day for even small periods of physical activity, and do not forget to stretch and bend.

These simple tips for those with a sedentary lifestyle can have a wonderfully positive cumulative affect over time, and help you reach a better overall fitness level that leads to a longer, healthier and happier life.

7 Everyday Tasks You Can Turn Into A Workout

If you burned only an extra 100 calories a day, that would lead to 10 pounds of weight loss over one year. Ramp that up to an additional 200 calories a day over your current everyday activity level, and you just dropped 20 pounds in a year. But the problem with most 21st-century human beings is not the desire to lose weight and get in shape, it is the lack of having a significant chunk of time in a very busy and hectic daily lifestyle to exercise.

However, you can achieve the weight loss and fitness goals you are striving for by turning the following 7 everyday tasks into simple workout sessions which burn at least 100 calories.

1. Did you know that simply carrying an infant for 20 to 30 minutes can burn 100 calories? You probably never have thought about your crying newborn as being an alarm bell which can help you lose weight and get in shape, but this mini-workout can do exactly that.
2. When was the last time that you did your dishes by hand? This is a great task you can turn into a workout, and if it lasts for 40 minutes, you have just burned 100 calories.
3. Every household usually has a particular person that regularly walks the family dog. But you may want to take this task upon yourself, since a 26 minute walk with the household hound can help you burn at least 100 calories.. Bigger and more energetic dogs simply mean more calories burned, and a better workout.
4. Give your living room a quick makeover, and not only does your house have a whole new look, but you have just created an awesome new 14 minute workout. That is all the time you need to spend moving furniture to burn 100 calories.
5. If you live in a cold climate, you no doubt despise having to shovel snow. Not anymore, as a simple 15 minutes of snow shoveling raises your heart rate, and your calorie burning potential, making this previously dreaded task something to look forward to.
6. And while some people love to cook, at the end of a long, hard day, not everyone wants to prepare the family meal. However, simply cooking for 34 minutes can now be considered a workout as well as a daily chore, and it burns 100 calories to boot.
7. Finally, 20 minutes of mopping the floor, mowing the lawn or washing your car will also burned 100 calories.

By looking at these common (and sometimes dreaded) daily tasks as opportunities for becoming healthier and a little more fit, your attitude about accomplishing them will be much more positive. Now you can be happy about getting enough exercise when your dog begs for a walk, and mowing the lawn once a week all of a sudden does not seem like such a horrible chore at all since it’s now part of your exercise routine.

In today’s information society, you probably are well aware that exercise is the hallmark of a fit and healthy individual.

Today’s sedentary lifestyles can be dangerous and even deadly, but how much exercise is enough to significantly impact your fitness and health levels? And if you are just starting out, what can you reasonably do to make a difference?

With more than 80% of all Americans getting less than the required amount of exercise every year, it is crucial that you know exactly what you need to do to positively impact your overall health and longevity.

One major study showed that individuals who exercised intensely for 30 minutes per day actually got better health benefits than those who performed the same exercises for one hour a day. This seems to support other studies which claimed that 30 minutes of moderately intense activity or exercise significantly boosts our immune systems, and is the minimum daily requirement for physical fitness.

The good news is that sedentary individuals can break up those 30 minutes a day down into easier to swallow bite-sized chunks. So, you’ll need to set your schedule for three times a day of 10 minutes of uninterrupted, moderate to intense exercises.

Starting Out Getting Enough Exercise

Just be sure that if you are starting out from a very inactive lifestyle, stretch first, and do not overdo yourself. When just beginning, touching your toes, doing deep knee bends, or performing a few jumping jacks will be enough to get your heart rate up.

Also, the average person can briskly walk at a rate of between 3 and 4 miles per hour, meaning a quick paced one mile walk can be accomplished in just 15 to 20 minutes.

Stand More Whenever You Can

This is something which is feasible for just about everyone, and can be added to your work and home schedules easily. But why is exercise so important? The World Health Organization and other major fitness minded institutions have linked breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, obesity and several heart diseases to a sedentary lifestyle that features sitting as a prominent feature. So remember, “Stand when you can.”

If you are getting 30 minutes of medium to intense physical exercise every day, pat yourself on the back. You are doing what is minimally required to live a fit and healthy lifestyle. And if you are not currently getting at least one half hour of exercise a day, it is never too late to start. Get out of your chair and on your feet for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, and you can avoid the many dangers which a sedentary lifestyle delivers.

10-Minute Verses 30-Minute Workouts

As busy working professionals, finding a 30-minute block of time each day is not always easy. However, almost everyone can find three 10-minute blocks of time per day. But then the question begging to be asked is “Are three 10-minute workouts as beneficial as one 30-minute?” According to exercise experts, the answer is “Yes” and in many cases, three shorter workouts are more beneficial than a longer one.

10-Minute Workout Health Benefits

There are several health benefits derived from multiple, but short, exercise sessions:

• increased metabolism
• heart health
• weight maintenance

Increased Metabolism

Various studies have shown that three short blasts of intense exercise boosts your metabolism more, and keeps it higher longer, than a long but less intense workout.

Heart Health

And shorter workout sessions benefit heart health too. According to a study done by the Healthy Lifestyles Research Center at Arizona State University, fractionated exercising was more effective at lowering high blood pressure than longer sessions.

Weight Maintenance

Short workout sessions are great for maintaining your weight or maybe even losing a few pounds. Because most 10-minute sessions concentrate on cardio training, not only are you burning calories while exercising, but as noted above, you keep burning more calories longer due to an increased metabolism.

30-Minute Workout Health Benefits

While three 10-minutes exercise sessions do have their advantages, one 30-minute session per day works better for some people for these reasons:

• available time
• strength training
• losing weight

Available Time

For some working people, especially those with long commutes, it is actually easier to exercise for 30-minutes during the middle of the day than it is to do it either before leaving for work or after getting home.

Strength Training

Weight training lends itself better to longer workout sessions. One way of burning more calories is to increase your lean muscle mass, but in order to do that, you have to do strength training. More muscle mass means you will burn more calories in a given period of time.

Losing Weight

To lose weight, you have to get your body into the “fat-burning mode”. This usually happens at about 20 minutes into your workout, so you can get a good 10 minutes of “burn” in a 30 minute workout; if you are doing 10-minute workouts, you never get to that point.

Doing Both Workouts

Because a balanced weekly workout should include both strength training and cardio, you can get the best of both worlds by doing three 10-minute workouts four days a week and one 30-minute workout each day on the weekend. That way you get both types of training in a full week and still get one day of rest. We already discussed “6 Reasons Not to Skip Your Workout” and next we’ll dive into “Exercise Tips for Those Who Live Sedentary Lifestyles” and some everyday tasks that you can turn into a workout.

While you can think of a hundreds reasons why you should skip your workout, have you ever thought about reasons why you should not skip? Before we get to those reasons, ask yourself these questions:

• Why Do I Want to Skip Working Out?
• How Will I Feel If I Don’t?
• Is There An Alternative?
• Why Do I Want to Skip Working Out?

Is there something going on in your life that is causing you to not workout? Are you mentally or physically stressed in some way? Actually pushing through it and exercising can make you feel better.

How Will I Feel If I Don’t?

If you skip your workout, most likely you are going to feel guilty about it and mad at yourself. Do you really need that extra pressure? The mental consequences will be far less if you just go ahead and do it.

Is There An Alternative?

If you don’t feel like doing your normal full-blown workout, is there something you could do instead? For example, if you don’t feel like running, how about walking for 30 minutes instead? Anything you do is better than doing nothing at all!

6 Key Reasons to Not Skip Working Out

1. Repetitiveness Forms Habits – If you want working out to become part of your healthy lifestyle, you have to work out on a consistent basis for it to become a habit. Skipping just one workout can undo what took months to create.
2. Makes You Feel Good – When you work out, endorphins, serotonin and dopamine are all released into your system. These three naturally occurring chemicals elevate your mood and decrease stress.
3. Improve Your Physical Stature – Working out tones your body, builds muscle and helps you lose weight. This leads to having better posture, your clothes fitting better and generally having a better image of yourself.
4. Provides Long Term Effects – Working out increases circulation, builds strength, endurance and flexibility. All of these things can help you have a better quality of life in the future.
5. More Quality Sleep – Working out makes you tired physically, resulting in more restful sleep more often.
6. Time for Yourself – Sometimes we give so much of our self that it seems there isn’t any “me” time in a day. Exercising gives you that time away from everything where you can concentrate on yourself.

The next time you consider not working out, unless you are really sick, think about all the good reasons why you should strap on your running shoes or hit the gym. Once working out becomes part of your healthy lifestyle, you will look forward to each exercise session as a way to build a better you.

5 Tips For Fitting In Exercise Around Work

We are all busy these days, but what is your reason for not exercising – a lack of time or motivation? The point is regardless of your schedule, you have to make time and want to exercise if it is going to happen at all.

If you have the desire, but your schedule is such that you really do have a hard time finding time to exercise, commit to doing what you, when you can. These 5 tips should help you get started…

Tip #1 – On your day(s) off

Some working professionals find it easier to get in longer workouts on their non-work days. They don’t have to get ready for work, endure the commute both ways or try to struggle through a workout when they are already dog-tired from working. During their workweek, they can usually slip in some quick 10-minute workouts and still take one day off to rest and repair their body.

Tip #2 – On the way to and from work

Any exercise that you get is better than nothing. Some people get their exercise on the way to the office and again on the way back home. For example, if you drive to work, park at the far end of the parking lot and walk in the rest of the way. Do the reverse at night – walk back to your car.

If you use a public form of transportation, get off a stop or two from where you would normally get off. Walk the rest of the way to work; at the end of the day, walk back to the stop where you got off.

Tip #3 – During your lunch break

Most people don’t need all of their lunch break time to eat. Before eating is a great time to get out of the office and go for a walk. Just allow yourself enough time to get back and eat. If you have a fitness center on-site or close by, go there and get in a quick workout; allow time to cool down, shower and eat before returning to work.

Tip #4 – Before or after work

Some people can’t break away during their lunch time, so it is better for them to exercise before leaving for work and again once back home. For cardio training, it can be as simple as doing some exercises that don’t require any or very little equipment. For strength training, add in a couple of days per week that center around using dumbbells or resistance bands.

Tip # 5 – Taking the stairs

Climbing stairs is great cardio exercise. Once in your office building, take the stairs up instead of the elevator. Granted you are not going to walk up 50 or 60 flights, but you can climb for a few flights and then take the elevator the rest of the way.

Another good opportunity to get in some exercise is if your cafeteria is a few flights up or down from your office. Walk there and back instead of taking the elevator. Be sure to eat a healthy lunch.

If you are a person who stays home a lot, you can get some more ideas by reading “Stay at Home Exercises”. If you are truly motivated to exercise, you will find ways to fit it into your busy schedule.

Even if you can’t find a large chunk of time in your day, there are some things you can do to take advantage of small chunks that you may have throughout the day. Below are 5 tips on how to work in some exercise into your day.

1) Dress for the Occasion

Many times the desire to exercise diminishes if you have to go and get changed into your workout clothes. Or maybe by the time you got changed, your “window of opportunity” is gone. The way around that issue is to put on your workout clothes right away when you get up. That way when an exercise opportunity comes up, you can take advantage of it right away.

2) Be Prepared

If you do have small chunks of time that show up during your day, have a routine or workout ready that you can do in that amount of time. There are many 10-minute workouts available on the Internet. Studies have shown that three 10-minute sessions per day are actually better than one 30-minute session.

Also, have a longer routine ready that you can do if you get a longer chunk of time, such as 30-minutes. Maybe a run or walk planned or an exercise video. Otherwise, you may squander away an opportunity trying to think what you could do in that amount of time and end up not doing anything.

3) Exercise Together

You don’t have to exercise alone. If your kids are younger, think about buying an exercise stroller where you can jog while pushing the stroller ahead of you. If your kids are older, have them exercise with you. Not only will the exercise do them good, but you will be instilling the healthy exercise habit in them.

4) Ask for Help

Make time for you to get out and exercise whether that is a jog around the neighborhood or going to a gym. If you have family in the area, ask a grandparent to watch your kids for a couple hours once or twice a week. Arrange for your spouse or significant other to watch the kids once s/he is home while you go exercise. Or hire a babysitter to come in once or twice a week for an hour or so – anything that can get you out of the house and to exercise.

5) Buy your own personal trainer

No, I’m not talking about buying a person that comes into your home to work with you, but you can have the next best thing by buying a few exercise videos. It is almost as good as hiring a personal trainer. There are loads of videos available regardless of your fitness level, from those just starting out to exercise boot camps for the more advanced fitness buff. Having exercise videos makes it easy to pop one in the DVD player and work through a session while your kid is napping in the afternoon.

6 Fitness Ideas For Couples

Ninety-four percent of couples that work out together stick with their fitness programs for the long-term. Part of the reason for the high success rate is accountability of one partner to the other. By each motivating the other, one would let the other one down by not working out.

Couple fitness differs from partner fitness in that there is a deeper commitment to make the other one happy. Once the workout is over, partners usually go their separate ways, however with couples, they go home together.

While there are several different types of couple physical activities, some lend themselves to working out together better than others. Here are six exercises that are great for couples.

Zumba

Based on several different Latin moves, including salsa and hip-hop, what can be more enjoying than watching your partner move to the music. While dependent on weight, duration and intensity, you can burn between 325 to 725 calories in an hour-long class.

Water Aerobics

Exercising in water lends itself well to couples fitness as water aerobics is usually in a group setting anyway. Depending on your weight, you can burn anywhere from 350 to 500 calories during an hour class.

Cycling

Whether you cycle on separate bikes or on a bicycle built for two, cycling is a great way to both burn calories and spend time together outside. Leisure biking at 10 mph burns about 300 calories per hour. Power biking at 24mph can burn up to three times that amount.

Tennis

Regardless if you play singles against each other or as a couple, tennis is a great workout and a good way to learn how to work together as a team. An hour-long game can burn up to 345 calories for a man and up to 590 for a woman.

Weight Lifting

While all of the other exercise activities in this article are cardio-centric, weight lifting is great for couples who want to do strength training. One can spot while the other one lifts; then switch around. A 150-pound person can lose up to 300 calories in an hour-long session.

Resistance Training

Partner-assisted resistance training can run from kickboxing, to throwing a medicine ball, to pulling against each other using a fitness band and everything in between. An hour session burns around 300 calories.

And who knows, spending all this quality time together exercising could trigger a spark to another great couple exercise activity – lovemaking. A 30-minute romp between the sheets burns around 145 calories. And for more ideas take a look at “How to Make Exercise More Fun” and Enjoy!

If something is fun, you are more likely to stick with it; exercising is no different. It should be something you look forward to doing each workout day. Below are 4 tips to make your next workout something you look forward to doing.

Exercise with a partner

Not only does exercising with another person make you accountable to them, and harder to skip a workout, but it gives you someone to keep you company. That partner can be your better half, significant other, a personal friend or someone you met at the gym. Also it can be safer if you are with someone you know.

Give yourself a challenge

If you exercise, you most likely have a competitive spirit in you. To make things more interesting, give yourself a challenge. That could be anything from exercising more times per week, to walking/running greater distances, to learning new routines or exercises. Whatever it is, you will have more fun if you are working toward some goal.

Vary your routine

Regardless of what you do, if you do the same thing long enough, you will get tired of it. Exercising is no different; to keep your interest level high, vary your exercises or routine. You should be doing cardio, strength training and taking one day off per week anyway, but instead of doing the same cardio routine, mix it up.

Maybe one day you’ll walk or run; another day ride bike; a third day swim laps or do water aerobics. Even if you have different workouts each day that you exercise, don’t get into the rut of doing the same routine on the same day each week. As they say “variety is the spice of life.”

When strength training, focus on working a different set of large muscle group each time you work out. For example, one day do upper body; the next day lower body. Every once in a while surprise your body, and out of the blue, throw in abdominal core routine. Just like in cardio, you can further mix it up by varying the types of exercises you do within each type of workout.

Reward yourself

All of us like rewards as recognition for accomplishing something. Make it a point to reward yourself when you accomplish a fitness goal. It can be anything as long as it is something you enjoy or can use. For instance, maybe you decide to go see a play when you reach your weight-loss goal. Or buy a new exercising outfit because your old one no longer fits.

Usually you want your reward to support the goal you have achieved, but it doesn’t have to. Maybe your reward for reaching your weight-loss goal is a small dish of ice cream or some other food you have been craving. As long as it is in moderation and you do it only this once, go ahead and indulge – celebrate your accomplishment with something you want and will enjoy.

If you keep your workouts fun, you are more apt to stay exercising. Now go out and enjoy yourself!

Here Are 5 Exercises You Can Fit Into A 10-Minute Workout

Study after study has shown that multiple 10-minute intense workouts throughout the day are more beneficial than one 30-minute less intense one. Not only does it rev up your metabolism better, but it keeps at a higher rate for a longer period of time. But to get the maximum effect from an abbreviated workout, you have to increase the intensity.

Here are 5 non-equipment exercises that you can fit into a short workout:

• 50 jumping jacks
• 15 squats
• 15 push-ups
• 15 lunges
• 15 dips

Perform three sets of each exercise. Take a short 10 second break between each set.

Jumping Jacks

Also known as side-straddle hops, this is the same exercise you did as a kid. From the standing position, arms at your side and legs together, jump up and spread your legs to shoulder-width apart or more. At the same time raise your arms over your head and touch your hands together. Then jump up again and return to the starting position.

Squats

The starting position for this exercise is standing up straight, feet shoulder-width apart and arms stretched outward in front of you with your palms facing down. Inhale, tighten your abdominal core muscles and while keeping your back straight as possible, bend at the knees while looking straight ahead. Once your butt is even with your knees, exhale and return to the starting position.

Push-ups

These can be started from the position of either your knees on the floor, or knees up and legs in a straight line with your back. With your weight resting on your arms and keeping your back straight (like you had a board strapped to your back), bend your elbows and lower yourself down to the position where your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Push yourself back up to the starting position.

Lunges

From the starting position of standing up, take one big step forward making sure to keep your back straight. Bend your forward knee to about 90 degrees. At the same time, on your other leg, drop the back knee toward the floor, but not touch the floor. Now, push yourself off with your front foot and back to the starting position.

Dips

The last exercise requires a chair, bench or other elevated flat surface. From the starting position of your arms behind you, hands resting flat on the elevated surface, your body at about a 45 degree angle from upright and facing away from your elevated surface, bend your elbows and lower your body down until your forearms are parallel with the floor. Now push yourself back up to the starting position.

Between all of these exercises, you get a good workout of your upper and lower large muscle groups in addition to working your abdominal core in ten minutes of time. Perform the three sets in circuit training fashion, meaning to run through all of the exercises one-time before going back to do the first one again, and enjoy the burn!

In the previous 15 minute fitness tip we took a look at exercising while you’re traveling. Next up, we’ll look at “5 Tips for Exercising When You Are a Stay at Home Mom”.

Unless you are prepared, it can be hard to stay on a fitness routine when traveling. However these 4 tips can make exercising while away from home easier (and even fun).

So, the next time that you need to travel, there’s no reason to worry about how you are going to stay on top of your fitness goals.

With just a little thought, you may discover that taking a break from your usual form of exercise can actually improve the results you’re after.

Think outside of your usual box and most of all while you’re traveling, have fun with it.

1) Pack for success

Part of being prepared is having the things that you need to keep on your exercise regimen with you. These items don’t take up much room and weigh very little:

• Exercise clothing
• Swimsuit
• Jump-rope
• Resistance tubing
• Hand grips
• Music and headphones
• Exercise video or DVD

2) Work out along the way

Wear your exercise shoes when traveling. If traveling by air, you can get some walking in while waiting for your plane to load or during a layover. If driving, stop occasionally at a wayside rest or rest area – someplace safe – to get out and walk. If you travel by train, periodically walk up and down the cars.

3) Take advantage of opportunities

Once you are at your destination, look for ways you can exercise. Usually hotel desk clerks can give you directions to trails or parks where you can walk/run. If you have a membership to a nationally known gym, ask if there one by that name nearby or if there is a gym that has guest or a one-day pass that you can buy.

Many of the hotels have their own small fitness centers on-site where you can get on a treadmill, ride a stationary bike or use their elliptical trainer. With the equipment right there, there is no good excuse for not exercising!

Is your hotel room above the ground floor? Take the stairs instead of the elevator! Does the hotel have a pool? Jump in and swim some laps or do some water aerobics.

You can even exercise right in your room. Jump the rope you brought, do some push-ups and crunches, and if your room has a DVD player, throw in an exercise video. If not, put on your headphones and listen to some motivational music while exercising. While watching TV, work the hand-grips.

4) Rent a bike or play a round of golf

If the weather is nice at your destination, consider renting a bike (mountain or otherwise) and ride on some designated bike trails or paths. If you like to play golf, but did not bring your own clubs, rent some and play a round or two of golf while carrying your golf bag.

The point is if you are prepared and motivated to exercise, opportunities abound regardless of where you are. Take advantage of them! Not only will you feel less stressed, but you will be mentally sharper and sleep better.

HIIT Success Tip #1 – Start Slowly

If you’ve never worked out at a high intensity before, then take it slowly.  You can either lengthen the rest time between intervals or you can begin with only one HIIT workout per week. As your fitness improves, you can decrease the rest time.

HIIT Success Tip #2 – Pay Attention to Your Body

In general, experts recommend around three HIIT workouts per week. Consider taking a “three days on two days off” approach. This approach allows you to rest just about the time that delayed onset muscle soreness kicks in.

If you notice that you’re not recovering quickly and muscle soreness has you struggling to get out of bed or in significant pain, cut back on the HIIT workouts. Also realize that some weeks are just better than others. You might have a week where you’re on fire and having great workouts with little soreness.

The next week you may be able to barely finish your second workout. This is a sign from your body to ease up. Pay attention to it. HIIT won’t do you any good if you’re injured, and pushing too hard or too fast can absolutely result in injury.

HIIT Success Tip #3 – Know What to Expect and Be Prepared

HIIT will leave you breathless and flat on your back on the floor. You’ll sweat, a lot. You may feel like you just can’t continue. This is why a heart rate monitor is a good idea. It’ll let you know if you’re in the zone.

If your heart rate is over your maximum heart rate or creeping close, you know to pull back a bit. Conversely, if you’re only at 50% of your max then you know you’re capable of more.

HIIT Success Tip #4 – Mix it Up

Interval training can become boring. If you’re doing the same workout every single time, you’ll lose motivation. With a loss of motivation comes a loss of intensity. To stay engaged and enthusiastic, keep your HIIT program varied. You might look to a personal trainer or a cross fit blog to provide workout ideas.

HIIT Success Tip #5 – Measure the Results

It can be difficult to know just how much you’re gaining from HIIT. Consider not only taking a before and after photograph, but also track your fitness improvements.

Did you run a 200 in the fastest time yet? Did you manage to achieve 100 squats in your squat Tabata? By tracking your workouts and your results, you’ll be able to watch your fitness improve and the weight come off.

HIIT Success Tip #6 – Listen to Music

Intense intervals are exhausting. You may need all of the encouragement you can get. Motivating music is often effective to not only make you feel more energized, it also tends to distract just enough that you’re not focused solely on the discomfort you’re feeling.

HIIT Success Tip #7 – Workout with a Friend

Finally, consider starting a HIIT workout with a friend. You can keep an eye on each other’s form, compete with each other, and help one another say motivated.

High Intensity Interval Training Can Get You over a Fitness Plateau

High Intensity Interval Training is a proven way to improve both your anaerobic and aerobic fueling systems. If you’re looking to overcome a fitness plateau and want to achieve a new personal record HIIT can be the single most important change to your existing program. You’ll burn more fat, lose weight quickly, and improve your fitness; and you’ll accomplish all of this while spending less time working out. How cool is that?

Getting Started with HIIT – High Intensity Interval Training

Interval training means alternating between intensity levels. You generally alternate between low and medium to high intensity. High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT for short, leaves no room for anything less than your maximum effort.

But what is your maximum effort?

Maximum effort can be measured a number of ways. One simple method is to first identify your maximum heart rate. There are charts that you can use which take other elements into consideration, however you can also find a general range by subtracting your age from 220.

For example, if you’re 40 years old then your maximum heart rate should be 180 beats per minute. With HIIT the goal is to hit about 95% of your maximum heart rate. Continuing with the example of a 40 year old person then 95% of 180 is 171 beats per minute.

Now a normal resting heart rate is generally around 60 beats per minute. So if you’re almost tripling the heart rate then you can image what it feels like. The good news is that this intensity level only lasts for a minute or less.Then you get to rest.

The maximum heart rate method is only effective if you’re performing a cardio workout and if you have a heart rate monitor. If you’re training in sit-ups or pushups then your heart rate doesn’t apply. Instead, you’re performing the movement as fast as you can until your time is up. In twenty seconds you might get 20 sit-ups or 15 pushups if you’re very well trained. In subsequent rounds the number of sit-ups or pushups is likely to decrease as your body fatigues.

So you can use heart rate to estimate intensity. You can also perform a maximum number of reps in a specific amount of time, 20 seconds for example. You can also estimate your intensity level by simply exercising as hard as you can for the duration.

Here’s an interesting tidbit for you, in studies, women tend to be better able to work out at a higher intensity for a short duration than men, based on measurements of their cardiac output and VO2 Max.

Warm Up Before Getting Started with HIIT

It’s important to identify a means for measuring your effort. There’s no right or wrong method and the method you choose may very well depend on the type of HIIT program you choose. Before we talk about creating your HIIT program, let’s discuss the importance of warming up before you work out.

HIIT isn’t something you just get up off of the couch and do. Warming up is essential for proper form, recovery, and to prevent injuries. Your warm up will depend on your chosen program. For example, if you’re going to do a squat Tabata then you might warm up by jogging a quarter mile and then performing 20-30 slow and deep squats. You want to thoroughly warm up the muscles that you’re going to be using.

If you’re going to do a rowing HIIT workout then you might row a slow 250-meter row followed by 20 squats. Then you’d row a medium intensity 250-meter row followed by 10 squats. You’d finish it up with a hard 250 meters at about 75-80% of your maximum effort. Then it’d be time to begin your workout. Your muscles would likely be sufficiently warm.

Skipping this step can result in injury. Remember, when you’re warming up you’re not just warming up your leg or arm muscles. You’re also warming up your heart and lungs and preparing them for your workout. Work out for at least three minutes before any HIIT workout and make sure you feel mentally and physically ready to begin.

Creating Your HIIT Program

High Intensity Interval Training isn’t something you do every day. Most experts recommend performing this type of workout just three times a week. There are different approaches depending on your fitness level, your current fitness program, and whether you’re starting a new fitness program or integrating HIIT into your existing program.

HIIT for Beginners

If you’re new to exercise and fitness or beginning a new fitness program, then you may want to begin with just one HIIT workout each week. You can then gradually increase the number of workouts depending on how your body is feeling.

For example, let’s say you decide that you’re going to start running. Generally, you’ll probably run three to four times each week. One of those weekly workouts would be a HIIT workout. The others would be running for time or distance at a moderate or low intensity level.

What you’ll find with this type of approach is that your running fitness progresses more quickly. Someone who is beginning a running program and doesn’t include a HIIT workout or two each week will not likely reach their running goals as quickly. With HIIT you might hit your goal of being able to run a 5k at eight-minute mile pace in a few months. It might take another beginner runner a full year or more to reach this milestone.

Sticking with running for a minute, in addition to performing a HIIT running workout, you can also perform other strength training workouts for runners. Lunges, squats, and box jumps are all exceptional workouts to consider. You can do these in Tabata format, which is 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest. The work rounds are repeated eight times, which equates to four very intense minutes of exercise.

Integrating HIIT into Your Existing Fitness Program

If you’ve been working out for a while and you have reached a plateau in either your fitness or weight loss, then HIIT can help. Without changing your movements, you can integrate a Tabata or interval type plan into your existing program.

Let’s take cycling as an example. If you’re an avid cyclist, either stationary or on the road, you might ride as hard and fast as you can for 20 or 30 seconds. Decrease the resistance on your bike and increase your repetitions to increase the intensity. You should feel like you can’t possibly continue. If you have a heart rate monitor then go ahead and shoot for that 90-95% of your maximum heart rte.

Remaining on your bike, you’ll then ride at a slower intensity for 90 seconds. You should be able to regain your relaxed breathing by the end of those 90 seconds. Kick it back into gear and ride at a high intensity for another 30 seconds. Recover and repeat. You’re done when you’ve repeated the cycle 8 times.

Whether you run, cycle, row or you love the elliptical at the gym, you can easily apply HIIT to your existing fitness program.

However, you may want to mix it up to stay motivated, engaged, and to strengthen the foundation movements for any given exercise. For example, in order to run faster and longer you need strong hip and gluteal muscles. Squats and lunges are two of the best exercises for improving the strength of those muscles. You can integrate a squat Tabata into your regular fitness routine.

You might run at a moderate pace and distance for three days. One day you perform interval runs and one day each week you do a Tabata squat routine. You’ll undoubtedly notice the difference in your strength and speed after just a few weeks of HIIT.

If you’re not interested in starting a regular fitness program, but would rather try a wide variety of exercise routines, consider creating your own HIIT program.

For example, on Monday you might run 400-meter sprints followed by a rest that is exactly as long as it took you to run 400 meters. If it takes you two minutes to run 400 meters, then you rest for exactly two minutes before running another 400. The next day you might perform a sit-up Tabata followed by a pull-up Tabata on the third day. You’d then take two days off.

On your first day back you might do a push-up Tabata followed by a rowing workout and so on. If you take this approach you’ll probably want to plan your week’s workouts in advance so you don’t have to try and figure out what you’re going to do each day.

Remember to warm up before you work out and to cool down too. The cool down may be as simple as walking for a quarter mile. Let your heart rate and breathing return to normal.
We’ve talked a lot about the different approaches to High Intensity Interval training. Let’s take a look at a few different sample training programs. You can use these programs as they’re written or to help you design your own.

Sample Treadmill HIIT Program

Warm up before you start.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday – Run for 30 seconds at 90-95% your maximum heart rate or as fast and hard as you can run. Rest for 30 seconds. Stop the treadmill and stand or sit. Repeat this process 10 times. If you’re new to HIIT you might rest for 60 or even 90 seconds between each 30-second run.

Tuesday – Rest day.

Thursday – Spot focus. Tabata sit-ups or Tabata push-ups. 20 seconds maximum effort, 10 second rest repeated for eight cycles.

Saturday – Spot focus. Tabata push-ups, squats, or jump rope.

Sunday – Rest day.

The Treadmill HIIT can be changed to be a stationary cycle, elliptical, or rowing machine.

Sample Strength Training HIIT Program

Warm up before you start.

Monday – With a heavy dumbbell in each hand, for example 40 pounds, perform 20 lunges on each side. Rest for three minutes between each round and then repeat four times.

Tuesday – Squat Tabata (you can also back squat, front squat, or overhead squat with a heavy bar 20 reps with a 3 minute rest in between each round). Repeat five times.

Wednesday – Rest day.

Thursday – Rest day.

Friday – 20 seconds of burpees followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat for eight cycles.

Saturday – Pull-ups or push-ups Tabata.

Sunday – Deadlift 20 reps followed by a 250-meter row (or run or cycle). Repeat 5 times.

As you can see, any exercise or fitness program can be easily adapted to include HIIT workouts. Whether you hula-hoop, prefer endurance exercise, or enjoy the gym fitness equipment you can get better results by including a few High Intensity Interval Training workouts each week. Before you get started with HIIT, let’s take a look at “Tips for HIIT Success” for some final tips to help you achieve a positive outcome.

Want to Know Why and How HIIT Works?

Chances are your fitness program is primarily cardiovascular. You may walk, run, row, dance or bike. Perhaps you spend most of your time on an elliptical machine, spin bike, or stair stepper.

If you integrate a bit of strength training into your current fitness program then you may have a very well rounded program. And yet you are likely not getting the weight loss and fitness goals you desire. You’re putting in the time and the work but not enjoying the results you truly want.

HIIT can be the game changer, the difference maker, and the solution you’ve been searching for. Here we’ll show you how HIIT works and why it really does produce faster weight loss and fitness results in less time. But don’t take our word for it; let’s take a look at the research and the reason why High Intensity Interval Training is so effective.

Dramatic Fat Burning Results

HIIT has been shown to promote Human Growth Hormone release. This wonderful hormone is a natural one that your body produces. However, as you age the amount of growth hormone decreases. After all, you’re not growing anymore. If you exercise and your muscles and tissues need repair, then HGH is released to help your body repair itself.

When released, HGH also boosts metabolism, burns fat and facilitates muscle building. It also changes the way your body uses and converts energy. Your body does this because it knows you need fuel to repair your muscles and tissues.

The Journal of Obesity reported on a study that showed significant fat burning results after 12 weeks of HIIT. The study focused on young overweight male. They were randomly assigned to a control group or a HIIT group. The HIIT group spent 20 minutes exercising three times a week for 12 weeks.

The majority of the 20 minutes was rest and recovery – between short bursts of intense exercise. And by intense exercise it means that you’re getting up to 95% of your maximum heart rate. The results may surprise you.

The study participants had a reduction of total fat mass that averaged 4.5 pounds. They reduced their visceral fat, the fat under your skin, by 17%. They also showed marked aerobic improvements and their aerobic power increased by 15%.

Some other studies, particularly one published in the journal, Cell Metabolism, seem to indicate that HIIT changes your DNA expression; specifically the genes that are involved in fat metabolism. The study indicates that when you use HIIT as part of your training program, your body automatically turns on the genes that increase your production of lipolytic enzymes, aka fat busting enzymes.

How HIIT Works for Insulin Sensitivity

Diabetes occurs when the insulin receptors become desensitized. It can happen when a person has a diet that is often high in glucose, sugar. The presence of glucose triggers the pancreas to release insulin. However, after a prolonged period of this constant signaling to release insulin, your body begins to shut down those insulin receptors.

When this happens, fat storage is increased because the glucose cannot be processed correctly. So a person with a diet that is often high in sugar – like most Americans – begins to gain weight and take steps toward pre-diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

HIIT has been shown to increase insulin sensitivity. It makes those insulin receptors work again so your body processes glucose effectively. You don’t store fat, you burn it.

One study looked at volunteers with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. They performed one interval training session and saw improved blood sugar regulation for the next 24 hours. Other studies have shown that middle-aged adults who are fit but inactive were able to enjoy improvements in their insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation after just two weeks of interval training.

Increased weight loss, fat burning, and insulin sensitivity are all spectacular results. However, you may already be at your target weight and not at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. So what are the benefits for you? Can you get better, faster, and stronger with HIIT? You bet you can.

Aerobic Capacity, Endurance, and Strength

High Intensity Interval Training has shown that it provides improved health and fitness for all. A team of Canadian researchers tested a wide variety of men and women at various stages of health – from healthy to fighting cardiovascular disease. The participants performed cycling intervals. All patients showed significant improvements in their health and fitness.

Surprisingly, the cardiac patients showed great improvements and the intense exercise didn’t cause problems for any of the patients.

According to a 2011 study presented at the American College of Sports Medicine, just 2 weeks of high-intensity intervals improves your aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of endurance training – Shape Magazine

If you’re training for a race or you want to get over a fitness plateau then HIIT may be the ideal program for you. One study found that after eight weeks of doing HIIT workouts, participants could exercise twice as long as they could before the study, while maintaining the same pace.

We’ve already mentioned a few of the compelling benefits for integrating HIIT into your current fitness program. Namely, they’re:

• HIIT burns a ton of calories
• More efficient, and shorter, workouts
• Enjoy faster results
• Boost metabolism
• Increased fat burning

However, there are other benefits we’ve yet to discuss. They include:

• You don’t need any equipment to participate in HIIT.
• It’s applicable to just about any workout. From running to weight lifting, you can add HIIT to your program and enjoy results.
• You continue burning calories and fat long after your workout is over.
• It’s seriously challenging, so you won’t get bored.
• It’s quite fun and easy to add to your weekly routine.

So you’ve read the data and you know the facts. You know that if you want to burn fat and get in shape fast then High Intensity Intervals are for you. But how do you get started? Let’s take a look at “Getting Started with High Intensity Interval Training” next and take a look at a few sample HIIT fitness plans.