You are currently browsing the archives for the Fitness Tips category.
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| « Aug | ||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
March 22, 2007 by erin.
So, you’ve finally decided to begin a fitness program. CONGRATS!!! You’ve done the hardest part… you made a decision. Now, where to get started… Here are some great tips.
Target HR: 220 - age - resting HR X desired intensity
(60-85%) + resting HR
Example: 220-26-38 X .85 + 38 = 170 BPM
Posted in Fitness Tips | No Comments »
March 2, 2007 by erin.
Do your feet fall asleep on the elliptical trainer? If so, don’t freak out, you’re not alone. Many people have the same problem and report that it usually happens about 30 minutes into the workout. There’s a simple explanation why this happens. And yes, it can be avoided.
When you’re on the elliptical, your feet probably never leave the foot pads which puts continuous pressure on the nerves in the bottom of your feet. If pressure is not relieved, your feet will lose sensation. To prevent this from happening, make sure that you have on proper footwear with good cushioning and plenty of room in the toes. Also, try picking your feet up while on the machine, wiggling your toes every few minutes, and/or loosening your shoe laces.
To get more tips on how to prevent your feet from falling asleep while on the elliptical trainer Click Here.
Posted in Fitness Tips | No Comments »
January 8, 2007 by erin.
This exercise is is truly a total body toner. It’s a mean calorie burner, recruiting many muscle groups including core, shoulders, quads, hams and glutes. It’s also a great balance challenge. Throw these Stationary Lunges with Oblique Medicine Ball “Drops” into your program and boost your fitness to the next level. Here’s how…
Posted in Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
January 1, 2007 by erin.
GET FIT IN 2007
Everyone seems to start the year off strong with their new year’s resolution of losing weight. They join the gym and hit it hard for the first month going 5 – 7 days a week… not as hard the second month, maybe 3 days a week… by March, you might see them once a week and by April they forget how to get to the gym. Does this sound familiar? Has this happened to someone you know, or are you the guilty party? Don’t be discouraged, the past does not equal the future. I am here to share with you how to stay on track with your goals and make 2007 you’re healthiest year yet!
1. So you indulged through the holidays and now find yourself holding on to a few extra pounds. The first thing to do is forgive yourself. You can’t change what you have already done, but you can do something about it starting today. Make a commitment to start making healthier choices right now. What are you going to do today to take the first step to a healthier, happier you?
2. Set SMART goals: Specific; Measurable; Action oriented; Realistic; Timely. Example: instead of saying I want to lose weight, redefine your goal in terms of specific elements that will help you achieve your desired weight loss. A. I will reduce my intake of dietary fat by 135 calories per day within the first two weeks of my new lifestyle. B. I will commit to aerobic exercise for a minimum of twenty minutes, three days per week, for the next three months. C. I will commit to sticking with my strength training routine for at least two days per week for the next three months.
3. Break larger, long term goals into smaller, thirty day goals. Your ultimate goal may be to lose 100lbs, but if after two months of hard work you measure 12lbs of weight loss, you might get discouraged to think that you still have 88lbs to go. Instead, set yourself up for success by breaking it down into smaller, thirty day goals. It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose one pound; and, a healthy rate of weight loss is 1 – 2 lbs per week. Setting a goal to lose 4lbs in one month is very attainable; and, if you actually lose six or eight, you will feel great and be highly motivated to continue with your plan.
4. The key to successfully adopting healthy habits is to start by making small lifestyle changes. The more drastic the change, the less likely you will be to adhere to your plan. Start slow; especially if you are a beginning exerciser. As you become more comfortable with exercise, you can increase intensity and duration. They same applies to nutrition. Start by making small changes to positively impact your nutrition. As these small changes become habit, make additional changes. Before you know it, people will be calling you a health nut! And don’t get discouraged; it takes most people six months to adopt new habits.
5. Consult with a fitness professional to help design your plan of action. Working with a trainer has many benefits. A personal trainer wears numerous hats when training clients – educator, motivator, confidence builder, role model, comedian and, most importantly, unique repetition counter. A qualified trainer can help you set realistic goals and can also be a great source of accountability. Other benefits of working with a trainer include ongoing fitness evaluations, a personalized, balanced, progressive program tailored to your specific needs, insurance that you are performing exercises with proper form, tempo, and intensity, and a flexibility program to target any posture deviations and tight muscles you may have.
Follow these tips and get started on the right track in 2007. With patience, persistence, and a little hard work, you can achieve your goals. To jump start your success, Erin Graham Fitness is offering a free fitness consultation. Find out your starting statistics, define your SMART goals, and put a plan in action with the help of Erin Graham, certified Personal Fitness Trainer and Lifestyle & Weight Management Consultant. To contact Erin Graham Fitness Click Here. Call today to make your appointment!!
Posted in Life, Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
December 21, 2006 by erin.
This morning I am snowed in!! I think it’s safe to assume that much of Denver is snowed in and will be for the next few days. If you are fitness minded and have no equipment available to you, you might be a little disappointed to have to miss a few workouts…. Well, I have good news for you. With a little creativity, you can properly challenge your muscles and keep up with your routine with little or no equipment. Try these exercises; I know you’ll love them.1. Dips: find a chair, table or stool to hold on to. Sit on the edge of it with your hands close to your body. Extend your legs in front of you and shift your bottom forward to hang off the side of your support device. Keep your buttox close to the edge of the support and bend at the elbows until they are flexed to a 90 degree angle. Pause, then push up and mindfully contract the muscles in your arms.
2. Push-ups: Any variety will do. You can prop up on your toes or your knees with your hands directly below your shoulders. Keep your back in a neutral alignment… no sagging. Draw your abs in and contract your glutes to support your core. Bend at the elbows until your chin is about 2 inches from the floor, then push back up to starting position. To add a new dimension to it, as you push up, rotate your body to be perpendicular with the floor and your arm extended toward the ceiling. Push your hips up to feel your obliques contract. Hold that position for two seconds before returning to starting position. Alternate side rotations.
3. Body weight Squats: Stand with your feet hip width apart, toes pointed forward, abs drawn in, and neutral spinal alignment. Crouch down like you were going to sit in a chair, keeping your back straight. When your knees are bent to 90 degrees, push up through your heels and back to standing position while contracting your quads and glutes. For variety, stand with your feet together or stand with your legs spread wide and toes pointed outward. You can also do these on one leg.
4. Static lunges: Stand with a staggered stance with feet a little wider than normal step. Kneel down to make sure that both knees are bent at 90 degrees. Stand up, centering your weight evenly between your legs. Keeping your back straight, kneel until your forward leg is bent at 90 degrees (back knee in NOT touching the ground). Push up from your front heel and your back toe to starting position. For variation try with feet a little closer to isolate the quads more, or with feet farther apart to isolate the glutes more.
5. Floor Bridges: There are two variations. One with both feet on the floor and one on one leg. Try with both feet first and if it’s not challenging enough, do them on one leg. Lie on you back with your arms along your sides, palms down, knees flexed, feet flat on the ground. Draw your abs in, push up through your heels to raise your buttox toward the ceiling. Contract your glutes and hold the up position for two seconds before slowly lowering to starting position.
5. Crunches: All varieties… regular, oblique, reverse, leg raises, bicycle crunches… you can do most core exercises without equipment. Just remember to draw your belly button in towards your spine to activate the deep fibers of your core muscles.
6. Stair walk: if you have stairs, take them two steps at a time. This will get your heart rate up and strengthen your legs.
7. Jumping Jacks: Just another classic way to sneak in some cardio training. Try sets of 20-50 jacks.
8. Running in place with high knees: while jogging in place, bring your knees up as high as you can (above your belly button). This will work your hip flexors as will as core.
9. Locate the archived fitness video and do come aerobics!!
Think body weight exercises. There are numerous ones not mentioned above that can be done in place of the gym.
Another thing to consider is nutrition. If you are stuck at home, in a hotel… or any confined space, your steps will be limited. In other words you will not expend as much energy as you would normally. This means that you do not need to intake as much energy (food) as you normally would. A good estimation of maintenance calories on a snow day is about 150- 200 less than a normal day.
Posted in Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
December 8, 2006 by erin.
Many have asked me what’s the best exercise to build and shape shoulders. You can always do military presses but they don’t work all three heads of the deltoid (front, medial, and lateral). It’s a great exercise, but far from ideal. After you finish shoulder presses, you would have to do lateral raises, front raises and rear delt flys to work the whole muscle. Here’s a time saving shoulder exercise that does the “triple” trick.
This exercise is great because you are isolating all three heads of the deltiod in one fluid movement. Also, slowing down the movement and pausing at critical points in this exercise forces you to to control the movement with your muscles and not rely on momentum. It’s total, burning, isolation and it will give you the results you desire… strong, shapely shoulders.
Posted in Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
October 20, 2006 by erin.
It seems that every one is busy these days. No one has the time to take care of their most precious commodity… their body. Taking care of your body should be on the top of your priority list. It has to last you a LONG time.
Being active and healthy doesn’t necessarily mean a rigorous work out schedule. There are things that, perhaps, you could do differently that would sneak some activity into your life without you hardly noticing. Try some of the following tips and get on track to increase your health and fitness level.
There are many reasons to live an active life. Daily physical activity is a healthy habit for children because it supports a healthy weight and prevents high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels. Exercise is essential for older people too because it can delay or help prevent chronic illnesses. Daily exercise has numerous benefits for people of all ages.
benefits of Exercise
Posted in Life, Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
October 13, 2006 by erin.
During the first few days at a higher altitude where the air is thinner and contains less oxygen the body responds as follows:*breathing rate (ventilation) increases
*blood pH decreases, becoming more acidic
*muscle pH also decreases and becomes more acidic
*use of carbohydrates as an energy source increases
*use of fat as an energy source decreases
These changes lead to a slight increase in resting metabolic rate (RMR), the amount of energy your body expends at rest in a 24 hour period. Research indicates a 6 - 28% increase in overall RMR in women and men at high altitudes. Within a few weeks, the increase in RMR lowers, but does not return completely to baseline, so metabolism is slightly elevated at higher altitudes.
It might seem that you can expend more calories while exercising at high altitudes; but, this is not necessarily true. There’s not a huge difference in the amount of calories burned at a higher altitude during exercise even though it may feel as though you are working much harder. The few extra calories used are a result of increased breathing to get more oxygen into the body, which means more work for the rib cage and other muscles involved in ventilation. So even though ventilation increases to deliver the oxygen necessary to sustain activity, it doesn’t mean a person is expending more energy while exercising.
Posted in Fitness Tips, Exercise, Wellness | No Comments »
October 2, 2006 by erin.
It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose one pound. If you are trying to lose weight, this caloric deficit should be achieved though a combination of diet and exercise. For everyone that wants the weight off yesterday, I have news for you… it is inadvisable to try to lose more than two pounds per week. Two pounds is 7000 calories… that’s a lot. So be patient and persistent and you will get the results you want.Try one of the following combinations of diet and exercise to have weight loss success.
1lb / week
*200 calorie / day off of your diet in combination with 300 calorie / day energy expenditure. (easily done by giving up soda and taking a brisk 45 minute walk per day)
2lb/week
*500 calories / day off your diet in combination with 500 calorie / day energy expenditure.
(this can be done by making healthy substitutions in your diet and vigorous exercise for 60-90 minutes per day)
Posted in Nutrition, Life, Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »
September 29, 2006 by erin.
Exercise Name: Pullover to Forward Lunge
Muscles Involved: Latissimus Dorsi, Hip and Knee Extensors
Description:If you are using resistance bands, use a door hook and secure the band at the top of a door frame. Make sure there is equal resistance on both sides of the band. Standing in an erect posture, grasp one handle in each hand using a pronated grip and an extended arm position(palms forward, arms overhead). Initiate the movement by stepping forward into a lunge position while simultaneously pulling the bar downward in the sagittal plane keeping the arms extended(keep arms straight, pull straight down). The back should remain flat while the knees and hips flex and a full range of shoulder extension is attained. Return to the start position in a slow, controlled manner. Alternate legs with each repetition.
Posted in Fitness Tips, Exercise | No Comments »