It is so easy to say you’re going to start working out, but putting your words into action is another thing altogether. I was recently told by my doctor that I was as healthy as an ox, and that I just needed to lose the ox. So, I finally started a consistent workout. After all, someone had to stop making excuses and take my health seriously. Here are some tips I will share with you beginners who, like me, have only thought about getting your body moving.
1. Start with your water intake. Increase it, and cut out sodas and sweet drinks that make you sluggish. The general recommendation is (8) 8-oz. cups of water daily. I keep a personal plastic bottle filled and within reach. Your goal is to grab and go.
2. Put your tennis shoes and work-out clothes in the car. If you have to go home first, you may never leave. I love to swim, so I always have a swimsuit, towel, and flip flops in the trunk.
3. Schedule your time wisely. My favorite time to exercise is around my son’s soccer schedule: 45-minutes before the game starts, and during his 1.5 hour practice. Perfect!
4. Start slowly. Test classes, instructors, DVD instruction, and gyms. Don’t take a class that you find too intimidating or that bores you to death. If you don’t like the class or the instructor, move on to something else. You don’t want to get turned off before you get started.
5. Don’t feel like you have to do every activity that is offered, or the same activity all of the time. Change it up at your own speed. If I don’t feel like working on my arms, I focus on my legs one day and my arms the next.
6. You don’t have to do an activity for any specific length of time. Do what you can handle and try to go a little longer each time.
7. Don’t feel like you have to invest a ton of money: walk the dog, hit tennis balls against a wall, help your child practice a sport, ride a bike to your destination, or put your favorite music on and dance. What did you do when you were younger? Do that!
Angela Russ-Ayon, Owner, Russ InVision Co.
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About the Author: Angela Russ is a mom-preneur, children’s author, public speaker, and award-winning artist/producer of interactive music for young children. She speaks nationwide on the subject of child development and is the sole-owner of the Russ InVision record label, on the web at AbridgeClub.com © 2013 Russ InVision. All rights reserved. read more →
I Am Enthusiastic AB Movement
Lying on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor about hip width apart, place your hands behind your head where your head meets your neck. Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor feeling your abdomen muscles contracting. Keep your eyes focused upward. When you are at your highest point, say “I”. Return your upper body back to the floor. Lift your upper body off the floor again and say “am.” Return your upper body back down to the floor. Lift your upper body off the floor again and say “enthusiastic.” Repeat as needed.
Ellie Peterson, Inspirer, Power of Positive Workouts
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Swimsuit Ready Challenge
This exercise is part of our Swimsuit Ready Challenge (April 2-30, 2012). Do this exercise and comment below “I did this!” to be entered to win our $100 and $50 giveaways. You may enter up to one time per day through April 30th.
Also – be sure to share this on Facebook, Pinterest and other sites to let your friends cheer you on or – better yet – join in on the challenge so they can hang out on the beach with you this summer! read more →
Pass the Ball
Grab the ball (or you can use a pillow if you don’t have a ball) with your hands.Start with the legs in the air and your lower back pressed down into the floor or mat.
You are going to be passing the ball or pillow back and forth from your upper to lower body and reverse. Maintain control in all your movements and do not throw your body; pull your body slowly and consciously.
Pull both sides of your body into the center with your abs. Pass the ball or pillow from your hands to your legs; grab the ball or pillow with your legs. Do it again and pass the ball to your arms and return to the start position.Start with 2 sets of 20 reps to see how you do!
JJ Flizanes, Author of Knack Absolute Abs: Routines for a Fit and Firm Core, Invisible Fitness
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Swimsuit Ready Challenge
This exercise is part of our Swimsuit Ready Challenge (April 2-30, 2012). Do this exercise and comment below “I did this!” to be entered to win our $100 and $50 giveaways. You may enter up to one time per day through April 30th.
Also – be sure to share this on Facebook, Pinterest and other sites to let your friends cheer you on or – better yet – join in on the challenge so they can hang out on the beach with you this summer! read more →
Run Your Butt Off
To add shape and tone to your rear end…run on mother earth, Not a treadmill, stairstepper, bike or ellipitical machine. They don’t do anything for your butt muscles, mainly because the design of the machine doesn’t allow the butt muscles to contract and activate…and if you don’t use it you will lose it!
When you run outside you activate the three major groups of your lower body – your thighs, hamstrings and butt muscles. Unfortunately when training on a machine…the machine, by virtue of their design, only activates your thigh muscles….which is why so many of my female patients/clients complain to me that they have been using a machine steadily for weeks and hasn’t noticed a difference in the rear end.
Let me also say that the faster you jog, sprinting or interval training really firms up the muscles because the faster you run the stronger your butt muscles have to contract in order to propel you forward.
Dr. Len Lopez, President, Work Horse Fitness
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Swimsuit Ready Challenge
This exercise is part of our Swimsuit Ready Challenge (April 2-30, 2012). Do this exercise and comment below “I did this!” to be entered to win our $100 and $50 giveaways. You may enter up to one time per day through April 30th.
Also – be sure to share this on Facebook, Pinterest and other sites to let your friends cheer you on or – better yet – join in on the challenge so they can hang out on the beach with you this summer! read more →
This is a great booty busting exercise that promotes both a strong booty and core. Use balance and focus to perform this effective exercise. You can add a little weight to your ankle if you need more of a challenge.
Okay – you’ve checked your butt out in jeans all winter long – what is it going to look like when you slip into your bikini this summer? Let’s work to get that booty tightened up for swimsuit season:
This prize for our Swimsuit Ready Challenge comes to us from Dawn at RunningatDawn.com.
About Dawn
I am a USAT certified triathlon coach, as well as an experienced marathoner and triathlete.
The Prize
I’m offering three months of virtual coaching for running or triathlon, either to get you to a goal race or simply to improve your fitness. We’ll talk about your goals, where you are now, how much time you have to train and what you do and don’t like to do.
I’ll then customize weekly workouts for you and deliver them via TrainingPeaks. Every week I’ll review how your’re doing and use that to build the next week of your plan. You’ll also get unlimited email contact with me for the duration of your coaching, so you can always reach me with questions or comments.
Enter to win this prize – just add a comment like “I want this!” to let us know you want this prize. Then – share it with your friends and go check out the other prizes that are available this month in our Swimsuit Ready Challenge!
(If this is the first prize you’re entering to win, you’ll need to Register for a login – it is super easy, just follow the instructions and you can use the same login over and over again to enter to win the prizes.) read more →
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