Fitness Life Stories

Before you work out it is VERY important that you stretch before.

WRIST EXTENSOR

Extend your right arm in front of you with your palm up and your elbow straight. Point your fingertips toward the floor by bending at the wrist. Using your left hand, pull the back of your right hand toward you gently. Hold for 20 seconds; repeat three to five times with each arm.

KNEES TO CHEST

Lie on your back. Bend your knees, and lift your feet off the floor. Grasp your knees with your arms and pull your knees toward your chest. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat three to five times

TRICEPS STRETCH

Place your right hand behind your head, palm facing your head. With your left hand, grasp your right elbow and pull downward until you feel a stretch in the back of your right arm. Hold for 20 seconds; repeat three to five times with each arm.

CALF STRETCH

Face a solid structure such as a wall with your right foot ahead of your left, toes straight ahead. Bend your right knee, press your hips forward, and lean into the wall. Keep both heels down, your left leg straight, and your right knee over your ankle. Hold for 20 seconds; repeat three to five times with each leg.

All these stretches I have found helpful. Stretching is so easy-so why not just do it every time??

Not only is stretching great before and after a work out- it is great to wake up in the morning and just stretch in your bed to wake yourself up!

I have always wanted to try Yoga. It looks fun and relaxing while offering your a great source of physical activity. I like it because any age group can participate.

Yoga has many styles, forms and intensities. Hatha yoga, in particular, may be a good choice for stress management. Hatha is one of the most common styles of yoga, and some beginners find it easier to practice because of its slower pace and easier movements. But most people can benefit from any style of yoga — it's all about your personal preferences.

The core components of hatha yoga and most general yoga classes are:

• Poses. Yoga poses, also called postures, are a series of movements designed to increase strength and flexibility. Poses range from lying on the floor while completely relaxed to difficult postures that may have you stretching your physical limits.
• Breathing. Controlling your breathing is an important part of yoga. In yoga, breath signifies your vital energy. Yoga teaches that controlling your breathing can help you control your body and quiet your mind.

The health benefits of yoga

The potential health benefits of yoga are numerous and may include:

• Stress reduction. With its quiet, precise movements, yoga draws your focus away from your busy, chaotic day and toward calm as you move your body through poses that require balance and concentration.
• Increased fitness. As you learn and refine new poses, you may enjoy improved balance, flexibility, range of motion and strength. And this means you're less likely to injure yourself in other physical endeavors or in your daily activities.
• Management of chronic health conditions. Yoga might help with a variety of health conditions, such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, by helping with sleep problems, fatigue and mood. Yoga also can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure.
• Weight loss. If you're overweight or have binge-eating disorder, yoga may help you make the healthy lifestyle changes necessary to gain control of your eating and drop those extra pounds.

This video gives you a quick lesson in Yoga.

If you are interested in taking yoga classes, learning more about Yoga techniques or its health benefits check out these sites.

You may feel silly having a chart up in your house or a "fat" picture of yourself up on the fridge: but it helps. If you have a goal that you want to reach, write it down. Keep a journal that you record what you eat (calories,fat etc.) and how much physical activity you do. I have a calender on my fridge that I keep track of what I do to stay healthy. It keeps me motivated and I can track my progress!

Once you start recording your daily routine- it will become apart of your daily life. You will no longer have to thing about "is this good for me"- you will just know.

If you are a tech-savvy person there are many online journals and help with getting healthy. I found this free one very helpful http://www.fitday.com/webfit/Index9.html

Or you can just keep a small notepad in your purse, car or wallet.

After a long day of work, making dinner for the family, and cleaning the house; the last thing on your mind is to throw your running shoes on and hit the gym.  According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, you need to do two types of physical activity each week to improve your health–aerobic and muscle-strengthening. For Example, 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking) every week and muscle-strengthening activities 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest,  shoulders, and arms). Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week. This will give you a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity and for two of those days do some weight lifting. Find more about a fitness plan that works for you at http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/adults.html

Everyone knows that the holiday season is the season for gaining weight. I found this fun workout that is only 10 min that will help you shed some of those unwanted pounds. The nice thing about this is that you don't even have to leave the home.

Here are some workout tips that should help you:

• Stretch before you start
• Pick a cardio exercise you enjoy
• Drink plenty of water throughout the entire workout
• Mix it up: Don't do the same routine every time.
• Limit your workouts to 30-40 min

I know working out is not the most fun, but you will feel better about yourself when you are done. I hope some of these tips helped!