She Sweats: 3 Things You May Be Missing In Your Exercise Routine

She Sweats: 3 Things You May Be Missing In Your Exercise Routine

by | Jul 2, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture

Your life is based on you—what choices you make, what steps you take, what food you intake is all on you! Your exercise routine is not any different. What type of exercise you are able to do depends on your fitness level, the time that you have available, and the goals that you are looking to accomplish. Even if you are not a fitness expert, you know that you are supposed to exercise for thirty minutes a day, five days a week, though what a lot of people don’t know that there three things that you need to fit into your routine. You see, an exercise routine is similar to a diet. In order to get the maximum benefits of your diet, you need to be sure to eat all of your green veggies, bright fruits, and take some time to work in your protein. If your Half-Year Revolution is to begin a routine workout plan or even if you’ve been working out long before July 1st, make sure to incorporate the following: Cardio, Strength Training, and Flexibility.

 

It’s All About Cardio!

 

If you go to consult a doctor or a physician about starting a new workout plan, talk to you about cardio.

Cardio is short for cardiovascular, another term used to reference the circulatory system. Cardio exercises increases the heart rate and helps to improve the circulatory system. Examples of such exercises include, but are not limited to: running, swimming, dancing, walking, aerobics, and cycling. Cardio programs should always stay in your personal fitness level; general guidelines for cardio exercise include [1]:

• For health benefits, do moderately intense cardio for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, vigorous cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week.

 

OR

 

• For weight loss, you may need to do 60-90 minutes of activity several days a week.

Fitwirr, a fitness blog, states that aside from weight loss and improved heart health, cardio exercises

improve brain function and sleep, increases bone density, and alleviates depression.

 

Popeye Muscular

 

While performing cardio exercise the only materials that are required are you, you, and you, strength

training requires a bit more. With strength training, you lift weights to strengthen muscles, bones, and

connective tissue. Strength training is just as, if not more, important than weight loss as cardio. With the

assistance of dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, and any other muscle-strengthening tool you can

get your hands on, you will build lean muscle tissue which raises metabolism and reduces body fat. The

general guidelines for strength training are [1]:

• Choose 8-10 exercises that target the major muscle groups, such as, the lower body, chest, back, etc.

• Beginners should do one set of 8-16 repetitions of each exercise to fatigue. More advanced exercisers can do 2-3 sets.

• Train each muscle group 2-3 non-consecutive days a week.

• Work each exercise through its full range of motion and use good form.

 

S-T-R-E-T-C-H

 

If you have ever been to a fitness class you are aware that the first thing done before the workout is

stretching, so why is it often overlooked? Stretching is a definite must-do before any cardio exercise or

strength training is to be done. Stretching is relaxing, and it helps our bodies feel good. It can be done

anytime and practically anywhere, but is most important before and after workouts. The more you

stretch, the more flexible you will become. The general guidelines for stretching are [1]:

 

• Stretch your muscles when they’re warm.

• Do static stretches with a focus on tight areas.

• Stretch a minimum of 2-3 days a week, 7 days maximum.

• Stretching should not hurt. Be sure to stay within your range of motion.

• Hold each stretch for about for approximately 15-30 seconds, and repeat it 2-4 for each stretch.

 

Site:

[1] http://exercise.about.com/cs/exbeginners/a/exbasics_2.htm

She Sweats: 5 Ways To Continue Your Health Journey

She Sweats: 5 Ways To Continue Your Health Journey

by | Jul 2, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture

1. Eat healthy

 

Make sure you know what is in your food. Most people look how many calories are in an item, but you should really what you are putting into your body. Avoid: “Artificial Flavors, Enriched Wheat, Hydrogenated or Fractionated Oils, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Potassium Benzoate and Sodium Benzoate, Artificial Coloring, Acesulfame-K, Sucralose, Aspartame, BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydrozyttoluene), Propyl Gallate, Sodium Chloride, Soy, Corn, Potassium Sorbate, Soy Lecithin, Polysorbate 80, and Canola Oil,”(Torres, 2013)^[1] or, in short, all processed food items.

 

2. Do not become discouraged

 

Just because you haven’t dropped ten pounds in two weeks like you hoped you would, doesn’t mean that you haven’t made any progress! If you get up every day or every other day and do some type of physical exercise during some time and point of your day, you are making progress. All achievements are not visible with the human eye. You may be breathing a bit better, you might be making better food choices, regardless, you are working to become a better, healthier you! Keep up your routines and one day you will wake up to find that you will need to update your wardrobe.

 

3. Try new activities

 

If running on a treadmill becomes more of a to-do as opposed to a must-do, it might be time for you to shake up your routine a little. There are plenty of physical activities that can be fun, different, and provide an empowering workout. Depending on where you live, depends on what you may find, but here are a few activities that you could look into…

 

• Martial Arts: Self-defense and a good workout in one? Sign me up! There is not one standard form of martial arts, leaving you with many options to choose from.

 

• Swimming: Did you know that swimming increases your muscle tone, strength, and flexibility? Swimming is a great exercise for any gender and age, and why not learn how to prevent yourself from drowning?

 

• Cycling: Trim a little off of your waistline while getting in touch with your inner child-self. Cycling is another amazing activity that is not gender or age specific, and good for your muscles and heart.

 

• Dancing: To be or not to be graceful or on time. The benefits of dancing range from, but is not limited to, improvement of your heart, memory, an increase in balance and energy. No wonder why dancing has thrived so much in the recent decades.

 

4. Set Goals

 

Goal setting is the number one tool needed to stay motivated! Setting goals and posting your goals, whether it be on dry-erase board, vision board, or on your phone’s lock screen, is a big help when it comes to not only fitness goals, but goals in life in general. Constantly acknowledge the goals that you have set, and pursue them to your maximum human ability. Plan for a diversion so that if one may so happen, you know how to work past it. Planning for an an uh-oh it’s negative, it’s called you being prepared.

 

5. Get a workout partner

 

Workout partners can be a great motivational booster and can assist in making exercise more pleasurable. On the contrary, if you do not have the proper workout partner, they may be able to halt your journey. It is important to sit down and explain your goals and plans with your partner, and make sure that you both are on the same page. Otherwise said partner can become a diseased fish in a tank full of healthy ones—simply, a bad seed. A good workout partner can help time pass faster, make you less likely to cancel, be encouraging, and celebrate your success, no matter how big or small it may be.

 

Source:

[1] www.wakingtimes.com/2013/03/04/20-ingredients-to-memorize-and-avoid-in-any-

 

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