Bust a Move!!

13Apr2011

If you needed an excuse to try a zumba, salsa or ballroom dancing class ... here's your opportunity ... again, another great idea from my daily Whole Living email!!  And, as an added benefit outside of the physical workout vigorous dancing gives, there are brain health benefits too.

"Hit a salsa club with friends or just blast 80s tunes in your bedroom while nobody’s looking. A 125-pound person burns about 180 calories in 30 minutes of vigorous dancing. Bonus: Researchers at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine found that older adults who took part in certain leisure activities, like dancing, experience reduced rates of cognitive decline."

Upper Body Umph

06Apr2011

Today's exercise tip comes from my daily Whole Living email and talks about taking just a few minutes every day to tone your upper body and arms ...

"Unlike most exercises, working out your arms pays off almost immediately. So before you settle in with the DVR tonight ...

Do 10 standing push-ups:

Place hands on a wall at shoulder height and stand with arms fully extended.

Bend elbows until your chest is a few inches from the wall and push back."

"Then try 10 tricep dips:

Sit on the edge of a chair, place hands on either side of your hips

Slide hips off the seat

Bend your elbows to about a 90-degree angle behind you

Lower your hips, stopping before you feel shoulder pressure, then press back up."

Do this series every night this week and you’ll really see the difference by next Sunday."  Find more ways to tone your arms here.

What do You Think ... ??

30Mar2011

One of the stores I frequent here in SC is receiving several pieces of exercise equipment in their weekly shipment this week ... and these are all gonna be marked @ $6/ea. -- a great deal!!  The items will include exercise bands, exercise ball, hand/ankle weights, resistance bands ... and something I've never heard of before -- slimmer belts (also called shaper or trimmer belts). So I decided to read more about this exercise product ... what does it do, is it really helpful and effective, would it benefit me, etc???  Here's what I found out:

What does a slimmer belt do?? -- basically, they fit around your middle and harness your body heat, 'causing a person to sweat (kind of like a 'sauna effect') and thereby supposedly shedding excess water weight and trimming fat. Of course, there are more complicated models that use electrodes, magnets, vibration, etc.

Some articles I read promoted the use of this product in place of exercise ... I DO NOT believe that is the most effective way to lose weight ... an individual still needs physical exertion to help maintain good physical condition. Another article I read mentioned using this product along with your regular exercise routine, to enhance the toning and weight loss around the middle of your body ... sounds good, but does it really work??? (Slimmer Belt info; Benefits of a Slimmer Belt)

Is a slimmer belt helpful, effective for weight-loss?? -- in everything I read, it's really about personal opinion/experience ... of course, companies that produce or distribute these products will say that you must use a slimming belt along with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise. And, as a few people said, it promotes the loss of water weight, which can be gained back again after drinking a glass of water. So, do these belts help while exercising ... well, I couldn't find a clear answer to this question. Some say yes, some say no ... again, I think this comes down to personal experience.  You're best bet for long-term fat loss around your belly is gonna be ab exercises such as crunches, planks, etc. (About Slimming Belts; Slimming Belt to Lose Weight;

Would a slimmer belt benefit me?? -- I'm not sure ... still mulling it over in my mind.  It's very enticing ... getting a 'jump' on toning down my belly & abs ... though I do know ultimately regular exercise is the best way to go long term. Since the product I'm looking at is only $6 (which is a fraction of the cost of other slimming belts), I may give it a try and see what the results are ... hmmmmm ... still thinking about it ...

What do you think about slimming belts and their usage???

Commercial Breaks = Great Workout Time!!

23Mar2011

Today's exercise tip is short, sweet and to the point ... it came from my daily email from Whole Living magazine ... here it is:

Make the choice to move during the commercial breaks of your favorite crime show or sitcom. "Instead of heading for the fridge or fast-forwarding through the Geico gecko, squeeze in a mini-workout. In an hour-long show, you'll have 15 to 20 minutes of commercials to do 10 reps each of squats, lunges, and bicycle crunches to tone abs and legs."

And might I add ... what about doing some short, but intense bursts of cardio too??  For example, if your show normally has 5 commercial breaks ...take 1-2 of the commercial break segments and doing some jumping jacks, running in place or quick stair stepping if you a set of aerobic steps.  And I mean ... really do some jumping jacks or running in place ... as fast as you can, to get the most out of those few minutes of cardio exercise. Then use the other commercial breaks for your core workout.

If you need a wider variety of exercises to keep things fresh and new, definitely refer to the Exercise menu choice on my blog ... over there on the left side of the page ... and review some of the videos from Sean Foy and 4321fitness.com. Or, just head to the bookstore or Amazon.com and pick up a copy of his book ... Sean Foy has SO many different options you could choose from for this!!

As I write this, I keep thinking ... wow, what a GREAT idea!!! To use what is normally wasted time for a productive core workout is wonderful ... but, be warned ... no longer do you have the excuse of 'I don't have time!' ... because whether you watch CSI or Biggest Loser (what better motivation??!!), there is now enough time for a short cardio & core workout

So here's your assignment:

1) Figure out how many commercial breaks your favorite show contains ... and if you watch TV more than once a week, try to do this exercise idea each time you view a show

2) Plan out cardio and core exercises within those commercial breaks (cardio, core, cardio, core, or core, cardio, core, core ... etc., etc. ... however you'd prefer)

3) Then GET MOVING and make wasted time now productive time

Good Luck