Spice Up Your Exercise Routine

Exercise is a wonderful way to keep your body in optimum shape. However, after a few months of working out, it's possible to become bored with the routine. Here are some way you can make your workout program more interesting and get the results you want.

A number of exercise experts suggest that you stick to a workout regimen for at least three months. It usually takes about this long for your body to become accustomed to exercising. This doesn't mean that you can quit at the end of the three-month mark, but it does mean it's time to change things up a bit to keep you interested in exercising. You can also tell that you should try new exercises if you stop breaking a sweat after engaging in your usual workout.

For myself, I particularly enjoy shaking things up with a good ol' dance workout.  I teach Ballet Fitness classes out of the home, but at home I have used  New York City Ballet: The Complete Workout [Import] for years.  

Adding world dance to your home fitness repertoire is both fun for the body and mind, and fabulous for the spirit!  Two programs I have enjoyed for years are Wyoma African Healing Dance  and The Goddess Workout bellydance series.  This is a really empowering series for those particular days when you need to tap into your feminine essence and feel lovely!

Before modifying your routine, think about the exercises you were doing before. If you were running on the treadmill or jumping rope, add a new activity to your workout. Add more weight training, spend about 30 extra minutes on the elliptical machine, or go swimming to get your cardio in.

It may also help for you to work out with a friend. A partner can help you to take your exercise regimen to the next level. A friend can also spot you when you're lifting weights or help you work out with the medicine ball. Taking a class at the local gym will also give you new and exciting ideas that will make exercising much more interesting.

Even after you've re-vamped your exercise program, adding meditation and mind/body practices can help to make your health habits more well-rounded.  Meditation helps to eliminate anxiety as well.  If you are looking for an inspirational place to begin with meditation, Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga is a beautifully written book.  

Meditating daily can also help to boost your creativity and self confidence, so you'll be more likely to notice the improvements in your body as you come up with even more ways to work out.

A Beginner's Guide to Eating Raw

Many men and women have heard about the benefits of the raw food diet, but they’re unsure what it is exactly, and how they could incorporate it into their own lives.  When you first look into getting on the raw food diet, it’s because you feel sluggish or like something in your body is “off.” We’re tired, overweight, stressed and unable to make sure we get the proper nutrition.  

A raw food diet doesn’t always mean you’re a vegetarian. Many raw food followers eat meats and dairy products without cooking them first. This is a personal preference you’ll have to make.

Benefits of Following a Raw Food Diet

You might have every good intention in the world of eating healthy – you shop for vegetables and fruits, thinking you’re making sure that you get all the right vitamins and minerals. 

10 Ways To Get Yourself Walking More

How many steps do you need to take daily to lose weight and boost your healthy fitness levels? You may have heard that 10,000 steps a day is needed for the average person to achieve and maintain a healthy level of fitness. But where did this number come from? And why is walking, which seems rather effortless, so important in keeping fit? 

As it turns out, the simple act of walking improves healthy blood flow, contributes to a healthy heart, and can even crank up your metabolism, allowing you to lose more weight and get fitter quicker than those who walk less.

And regarding the 10K daily step recommendation, the Japanese came up with the magic “10,000 steps a day” figure as a marketing device to sell more pedometers. But they must have done their research, because medical authorities everywhere agree that 10,000 steps daily (approximately 5 miles) is a good number to aim for if your goals are to lose weight and get in shape. Let's look at 10 simple ways to walk more every day that you can implement immediately and easily.

1) Know Your Numbers

One great way to get yourself walking more each and every day is to remember that it takes roughly 2,000 to 2,500 steps to equal 1 mile. When attempting to lose weight by walking, it is good to know exactly what you are up against. For instance, a 150 pound person will have burned between 80 and 90 calories after walking 1 mile at a moderate to above average pace.

A 180 pound individual will burn approximately 95 to 100 calories walking that same mile. Knowing that the more you walk the more calories you burn, and the more weight you lose, is a smart way to keep you constantly looking for opportunities to walk more during your daily routine. 

Also, purchase and constantly refer to a pedometer, and simply by monitoring your daily step count, you will unconsciously start walking more.

2) Change Where You Park

If you drive to work, park as far away from your usual entrance as possible. You can also walk more rather effortlessly by choosing a side or rear entrance as opposed to the traditional front door when you enter your workplace.

Depending on your personal situation, this could easily add an extra 2,000 or 3,000 walking steps during the normal five day work week. And as you will learn in walking tip number four, parking away from your coworkers has other advantages as well.

3) Walk on the Spot

When you catch yourself standing still, walk in place. You can do this all day long whether you are at home, at work or just about anywhere else. And if you do not believe that a few short steps at a slow to moderate pace will make any difference in your overall fitness levels, think again. The formula to remember is body weight x distance = energy burned walking.

Notice that speed is not mentioned in the equation. Generally, you can burn a few more calories by increasing your 1 mile walking speed to 13 minutes or less, but this is not necessary. Simply by increasing your overall walking steps gradually each day, you burn more calories. And this even works if you are simply walking in place at your cubicle.

4) Shop More = Walk More!

When shopping, practice these smart tips for boosting your healthy walking efforts. Before you start shopping for groceries, and when you are done for the day, take one circuit of the store's interior perimeter. And instead of trying to find the closest possible parking spot to the front of the building where you are shopping, park farther away.

Not only does this help you burn more calories and get more steps in your day, but it might also protect your vehicle from scratches and dings which are much more likely to occur when you park in a congested area full of cars and unmanned shopping carts. You can also return your cart all the way inside the store after grocery shopping to add even more walking effortlessly.

5) Get off the Bus Sooner

If you use public transportation to get to and from work, and to run chores and take care of personal business, you can quite easily choose exactly how much extra walking you do every day. Begin by getting off of your bus or metro one or two stops before your usual departure, walking the rest of the way.

This may be tough at the end of a long hard day at work, but you can definitely practice this on your way into your job. Aside from burning more calories and helping you lose weight, this activity also helps you become better acquainted with your environment. You may even be able to save some money depending on your route departure.

 

6) Find a Walking Buddy

This next tip will not only get you walking more every day, but it uses the wonderful power of socialization to help have a positive impact on someone else as well. Contact a friend or family member who you know would also like to lose weight and become more fit. Schedule walking sessions together, and they can be as simple as a leisurely stroll around your neighborhood, or a serious trek on a local walking trail.

With a good friend or neighbor, you will invariably find yourself becoming engrossed in conversation, and besides catching up on the latest gossip, you will inevitably end up walking more than you would if you were alone.

7) Walk After A Meal

If you are really serious about losing weight and getting fit by walking more every day, why not go big or go home and double up on your health dose? You already know that moderate walking increases your metabolism, burns fat and helps you become healthier in so many ways. But did you know that if you schedule low to medium intensity walking sessions after you eat that you also speed up your digestive system?

A 2008 study in Germany showed that walking at a slow to regular pace on a treadmill after eating a large meal sped up the rate at which food moved through the subject's stomachs. And if you are diabetic, or at risk for diabetes, walking for just 15 minutes after you eat can actually improve your blood sugar, moving it towards healthy levels.

8) Walk to Talk to People in the Office

Here is another workplace tip to get you walking, and if you are very busy on the phone and computer interacting with coworkers during a regular workday, this one tip could prove invaluable in helping you lose weight and improve your fitness by walking more. When your boss sends you an important email which you must then forward along to your team or your coworkers, deliver the news in person.

Instead of picking up a telephone to discuss a deal or some other workplace situation, walk to your coworker's office and have a face-to-face conversation. Pop into your boss' office physically if there is a matter you need to discuss, instead of using the electronic options for contact. These practices could also pay corporate-ladder dividends as you will be increasing your exposure, and you could be seen as an employee that takes action.

9) Establish a Work to Walk Ratio

In today's technology-based society, there are more people working from home than ever before. While this offers incredible freedom, it can also be a killer. Someone who was previously very active and logged thousands of steps a day at his or her previous job may now find that they are putting on weight and becoming lethargic. This means it is very important for at-home workers to walk as much as possible during the course of a typically sedentary day.

To increase your daily walking regimen, work for 25 minutes and then walk for 5. Or you could employ a 45 minute work/15 minute walk ratio to every working hour. There is an abundance of free timers and stopwatches available online, which can keep you dedicated to this simple but effective effort at improving the amount of healthy walking you participate in each day.

10) Walk Before You Watch Your Favorite Show

Did you know that in the United States alone, the average person now spends more time sitting (9.3 hours a day) than sleeping (7.7 hours a day)? That means a total of 17 hours out of each and every day you are inactive. This could be due in large part to your television viewing habits. Here are a few TV watching tips to get you walking more.

Right before your favorite television programs are about to begin, and you are going to enjoy some relaxing time on your cozy couch or recliner, take a walk around your neighborhood for 15 to 30 minutes. You can also hide the TV remote, forcing yourself to exercise by walking whenever you want to change the channel. And during commercials, get up and get active, even if you simply walk to every room in your house or apartment.

Remember, your 10,000 recommended daily steps do not have to be taken at once, and any effort made to increase your daily walking is going to pay off with excellent health benefits. This will happen whether you hit the magic 10K number or not, even with small, daily efforts. And according to a major study conducted by Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke and published in "Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise" in 2004, women log a little more than 5,200 steps per day. Men total a little more than 7,100 steps per day, simply going about their regular routines.

This means finding the motivation and time to squeeze in a simple 3,000 to 5,000 extra walking steps each and every day. And going over the magic 10,000 step number just helps contribute to your overall fitness and weight loss even more. By practicing these 10 ways to walk more every day, you will quickly begin to feel better both physically and mentally, and you will also lose weight and provide a positive boost to your overall fitness levels.

How CrossFit Benefits Both Your Heart & Overall Fitness

General fitness and heart health are closely linked. Just like your other muscles, the heart is a very important muscle that also needs regular exercise to stay healthy. 

You may think that its regular function is exercise enough, but, when you don’t exercise regularly the heart can begin to accumulate high levels of bad cholesterol and eventually become diseased.

What Is CrossFit?

CrossFit is an intense exercise that helps whip the body into shape while also promoting optimal heart health. Heart health is just as important as general fitness because the heart is responsible for regulating all systems and providing oxygenated blood throughout the entire body.

The average adult is 5’7 or taller, meaning that the blood has to travel a long way to reach the extremities and back.

With proper heart health, however, the body will function at its best and facilitate the precention of early death through heart disease and heart attack.

With the help of CrossFit, you’ll be able to get into shape and reach peak fitness levels.

Origins Of The CrossFit Exercise Program

CrossFit is a recent fitness craze that has taken the nation by storm in just a few years. It was created by Greg Glassman, a coach and former gymnast in Santa Cruz, California, over many decades. The ball began rolling when Glassman developed his own website where he would post daily workout routines or what he called, “the workout of the day.”

Initially his first following consisted of firefighters, police offers, and military types and members, but, from this original group the popularity of his workout routines began to grow.

Devoted followers of CrossFit are now so numerous that they’re called CrossFitters, and gyms all across the United States have incorporated this amazing and intense workout program as part of their services.

Glassman’s goal with the CrossFit program is to present total body fitness in a meaningful and assessable way. This means that one’s work capacity will increase across a long range of time.

The CrossFit programs offered are often very diverse. The locations, routines, and even trainers take the program and, using the same principals, create a workout that works for them and their clients. Many people enjoy CrossFit on the beach, in the gym, and other places where one can get the most out of the environment while rigorously training their bodies.

How It Works

One of the main points of a CrossFit program is that there is no set routine. This simply means that each time you engage in a workout, you’ll be trying new moves to keep things interesting and get your body to try a wide range of exercises.

There are at least 50 basic exercises that are used to create every “workout of the day.” With so any options, the routines never become complacent and you will always be engaged and ready to see what the CrossFit workout will throw at you next.

This elite program is defined as a workout routine that will optimize fitness. Due to the ever-changing routines and movements performed at high intensity, your body will receive a total workout while facing new physical challenges every time you exercise.

The best part of CrossFit for most people is that it promotes community. Gyms often offer these classes to groups of people at one time so that individuals come together and have a common goal and activity in mind. Many have agreed that this is one of the reasons CrossFit so effective and enjoyable.

Basic Routines

The basic routines of CrossFit include Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and track and field. The goal is to increase core strength and conditioning through the mentioned exercises and the other basic moves that create the different routines every day.

To really engage in the CrossFit experience, the workouts are created for full-body functional movements. These include movements such as:

·         Lifting

·         Pulling

·         Pushing

·         Crawling

·         Running

·         Twisting

While these may sound simple, the other trademark of a CrossFit workout is its intensity. One of the positives of CrossFit is that because the workout is inclusive of the whole body, it can be accomplished in an intense but efficient 15-20 minute session. 

Many CrossFit trainers want their clients to be moving as quickly as they can as they go throughout the workout. It is meant to be a like a short but powerful burst of exercise that will provide the body and your heart with the regular exercise needed to stay strong.

Benefits

There are many benefits to the CrossFit program. While some people may get carried away and push themselves much too hard, those who take things day by day and pace themselves will soon experience excellent benefits.

A stronger, more toned body is the first and most noticeable benefit of engaging in the CrossFit program.

When you take the time to focus on the whole body rather than just a few section, you can begin to tone, strengthen, and work even the hard to reach places while working out others.

Heart health is another huge benefit of CrossFit.

As long as you are not overworking yourself and pushing far beyond the limit, you will be able to healthfully increase your heart rate during your exercise which can get the blood flowing almost effortlessly.

CrossFit may be intense but it is designed to give you general fitness for the entire body. When paired with a healthy diet, plenty of rest, and emotional and spiritual wellbeing, CrossFit can do wonders for your body and your life.  

If you are looking to go a bit deeper into the conception, birth, and journey of CrossFit, the following book is one that I have enjoyed immensely.  It is an engaging account of the grassroots beginnings of the CrossFit method, and a beautiful take on the primal principles of humanity and fitness.  Learning to Breathe Fire is wonderfully written, and I am a bit of a picky reader.  Check it out.

Some other books you may enjoy, along these same lines are:

• Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health & Life; 
• Spartan Up! A Take-No-Prisoners Guide to Overcoming Obstacle and Achieving Peak Performance in Life
• Ready To Run: Unlocking Your Potential to Run Naturally
• Breaking Parallel: A Guide to CrossFit Gymnastics and Body Movement
• The Champion's Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train and Thrive

Tips and Tidbits for a Great Camping Experience

When it comes to camping, the best rule of thumb is to plan, plan, and plan some more. The more you have planned out, the more successful your trip will be in the end. This will leave you wanting to go back to camping again really soon.


Make a List and Check It Again

Make a list and check it three times. Be sure to make lists under each category of camping, for example:

* Bedding requirements
* Tent supplies
* Cooking equipment
* Toiletries
* Bug spray and sunscreen
* First aid kit contents
* Food and water checklist
* Flashlights, batteries, matches, etc.

Make a list for everything you can think of that you will need as you go along. Think about sleeping, eating, having fun in the sun, getting wet if there is a lake and so on. This way you will not forget anything.


Check Out Nearby Necessities

If you are uncomfortable with just using what you have remembered to bring along, then check the campsite and see how close the nearest general store or food stand is to your site. In addition, you may want to check out the nearest medical facility to ease your mind just in case of emergency.

Look into the closest repair shop for your vehicle or camper if you have one. These things may seem trivial now, but thinking about them and making sure you know what you are up against is a wise choice indeed.


Focus on the Fun

There is a lot of time, effort, and certainly packing that goes into camping. However, don't forget to focus on the fun. Look into activities such as kayaking, fishing, rock climbing, and hiking while you are camping.

Taking lots of pictures to scrapbook on the way home is a great idea and a wonderful way to keep kids busy and occupied. On the way up to camping, everyone is excited. On the way down, however, everyone always wants to know, “Are we home yet?

Don't forget to pack some toys for all ages. If you are camping in the fall, a football toss is great fun for everyone. Summertime and bubbles just go together hand in hand. And, of course, graham crackers and marshmallows for s’mores are always unforgettable. Frisbees, horseshoes, and bacci ball are all great favorites, as well.

These are just a few tips and tidbits to make your camping experience a delight!

Planning Your Container Garden

The first thing you need to decide when planning a container garden is whether you’d prefer to grow your plants indoors or outdoors.  A lot of people think container gardening is only for indoor growing and patios, but containers can actually be useful for any garden situation.

Containers are great for growing almost any type of plant, because they offer great versatility.  If you plant your garden in containers and you need to move it later, it’s easy to do it.  Not so if you have a traditional garden! 

If you’re expecting very bad weather, you can temporarily move containers to a safer location, like indoors or into a garage or basement.  But there isn’t much you can do for a traditional garden. 

If you find your plants aren’t doing well because the space you chose is too sunny or too shady, there isn’t much you can do with a traditional garden, but you can easily move potted plants to a better location.

If you choose to have your container garden outdoors, you need to be sure to choose a good location for it.  You’ll want to choose a place that has the proper amount of sun for the plants you wish to grow, but it also needs to be a place that’s very accessible.  It’s easy to lose motivation to work on your garden if it’s several hundred yards away from the house!

Be sure to locate your plants as far away from streets as you can.  Pollution from cars, as well as the dust they kick up, can damage your plants and contaminate them.  You don’t want to be eating all of that pollution, so locate plants as far away from those roads as possible.

If you have your plants indoors, you’ll need to be sure to select a very good spot.  Most plants need to be fairly warm, so you’ll need to choose the warmest spot in your house if you use air conditioning. 

Many plants won’t do well in very chilly homes, so you might need to choose a room for your plants and keep the vent closed in that room so it stays warmer there. If you can, choose a sunny room with a lot of natural sunlight.

Plants thrive best with natural light.  If you don’t have a room with a lot of sunlight, you’ll have to use special plant lights for your plants.  You can’t use just any fluorescent lights, because plants won’t thrive. 

You need to use lights that are specially designed for growing plants.  They contain a broad spectrum of light, which is closer to natural light than standard bulbs. You may also have to adjust the humidity in the room with your plants. 

Some plants thrive better in higher humidity, and others do well in lower humidity.  You may need to invest in special equipment to adjust the humidity if you’re raising very delicate or picky plants.  You probably won’t have to do this unless you’re growing exotic varieties.

Next, you’ll need to choose which plants you want to grow.  Be careful!  Too many people choose to plant far too many varieties, and end up frustrated.  Don’t grow anything you can easily pick up cheaply at the grocery store! 

Stick to growing fruits and vegetables that you really enjoy and have a hard time locating locally, or those you find too expensive or too low quality.  Tomatoes are a favorite for home gardeners, because their quality in stores if often very poor.

Finally, decide whether or not you want to grow your plants organically.  If you’re growing indoors, this will probably be very simple to do.  But if you’re growing your plants outside, you may find the frustration of dealing with pests is just too much for you.  Don’t feel guilty if you find organic gardening too difficult.  You can always try it after you have more experience.

Gentle Exercises for Pregnancy

There are many benefits of exercising during pregnancy, but it’s important that you choose safe exercise programs if you choose to exercise while pregnant.  

The first thing you need to do is consult with your doctor regarding your overall health to ensure that exercising during pregnancy isn’t going to be a problem. Below are a few tips associated with safe exercise during pregnancy.

• Keep It Light – It’s important that you don’t push yourself too hard while exercising during pregnancy. There are many changes going on inside your body such as an increased blood volume, which can be dangerous if you overdo it when working out. Therefore, when you do exercise, don’t overdo it and keep it light.  

      The most important thing I found for myself to take note of when I exercised throughout pregnancy, was my breath.  So long as I never pushed myself to being out of breath or "racy", I knew I was doing okay.  The goal during pregnancy should never be to 'get fit'.  Maintenance of good health and preparation for childbirth itself should be the primary focus.

• Leave Out the Weights – Your body already has extra weight due to pregnancy (larger uterus, umbilical cord, placenta, baby and additional blood volume), so there is no need to add weights to your morning exercise routine. In fact experts warn against it as lifting too much has been known to increase the chances of a miscarriage.

• Choose Low-Impact Exercises – During pregnancy, your joints will soften and loosen as your body prepares for the necessary bone-spreading of labor/delivery. Therefore, it’s best to choose low-impact exercises such as Pilates, Yoga, swimming, etc. while you’re pregnant. Avoid exercises that require a lot of jumping, bouncing and hopping.  I regularly used the Gazelle, which I found had me feeling incredible afterwards since it is so low impact.

• Stay Balanced – When exercising while pregnant, you should choose exercises that allow you to stay balanced. Since you have a baby growing inside of you, your balance is naturally going to be affected ... not to mention, your center of gravity will be changing almost daily!  Choose exercises that you know are not beyond your means for maintaining a solid balance.

• Safe Exercises – While there are many forms of exercises that you can do while pregnant, a few of the most popular (and enjoyable) include water aerobics, cycling and swimming. Water aerobics is popular due to the weightlessness that it provides during the second and third trimesters, which helps keeps pressure off the joints.  And being in the water during pregnancy feels so incredibly amazing.

Cycling is a great low-impact exercise as well. However, due to the fact that you’re pregnant, it’s best to do this on a stationary bike to avoid getting off balance. Plus, you can do it inside no matter what the weather is outside!

Finally, swimming is another great option as it is also low-impact and very relaxing. If you were a regular swimmer before pregnancy, you may want to limit your swimming during pregnancy so you don’t overdo it.

Keeping up with a gentle exercise routine during your pregnancy will be worth its weight in gold.  The physical benefits are apparent, but moving your body will help maintain your overall health emotionally and mentally as well.

Read on for the next part of the Mom's Pregnancy Guide, "Preparing for Multiple Babies".