Girl, Get Strong! » Workin’ Out

Great Tips to Improve Work Life Fitness Balance

Sian — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:20:22 +0000

A balanced life creates contentment and satisfaction in professional and personal areas. Obtaining balance is an ongoing process that continually evolves as your professional life and home life develop. When your life is unbalanced, an unmanageable schedule and a conflicted home life may ensue. Prevent overwhelming feelings and conflict by implementing basic work-life balance tips.

Set Boundaries

Determine your priorities at work and your personal life, and define your boundaries for each setting. Keeping clear boundaries allows you to remain fully present in the current setting, according to Dartmouth College. For example, leave thoughts of work at the office and place distracting technological devices, such as the celllphone, in a drawer or out of sight. Removing distractions enhances the quality of your time while at home and work. In addition, compartmentalize thoughts of your personal life when you show up for work. Your productivity increases when you remain focused on one task at a time.

Manage Time

Time management is paramount to achieving a balance between work and life. Track how you spend your time for one week. Evaluate inefficient tasks and timeframes, and determine how you can consolidate or eliminate tasks. For example, consolidate your errand running to one day a week. In addition, keep a weekly to-do list and post it for all members of the family to view. This will help prepare you for upcoming events, as well as effectively communicate events and plans with family members. Effective communication helps prevent timely misunderstandings, reports the Human Resources Office at the University of Connecticut.

Ask for Help

Obtain a secure support network at work and at home. Supportive coworkers can cover for you or help you complete some work tasks when unexpected situations arise. Teaming up with others may alleviate overwhelming feelings. In addition, securing adequate support at home, such as a neighbor, close friend or relative, can assist you with household responsibilities or child care during work-related travel or long hours. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. However, always try to return the favor, as everyone needs help from time to time.

Nurture Body

A healthy balance between work and life will be difficult to obtain if you are physically or mentally unhealthy. Take time to nurture yourself to ensure good overall health. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetable, and incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Exercise can help increase your energy, enhance your focus and relieve stress. Plan family activities that involve exercising, such as flying a kite or playing Frisbee, so you and your significant others reap the benefits. In addition, establish a consistent sleep routine to promote feelings of restfulness.

Read even more tips at LiveStrong.com

Why you Might Want to Consider Becoming a Runner

Sian — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:01:22 +0000

A fitness program should include the basics of aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching or flexibility, according to MayoClinic.com. For many people, running is the preferred form of aerobic exercise, offering physical, emotional and financial advantages. Before you start a running program, consult your doctor to be sure you don’t have any medical issues that could cause problems or increase your risk of injury.

Inexpensive

You don’t need equipment or a gym membership to run. If you have a good pair of running shoes and comfortable clothing, you’ve spent all you need to spend. Don’t be tempted to cut corners in the matter of running shoes. A good pair of shoes will ensure you have secure footing, protect your feet and joints, and prevent injuries. Clothing should be absorbent and easy to wash.

Convenient

A runner may choose to pound the pavement on a sidewalk or run down a country road. High schools and colleges often have tracks that a runner can use to exercise, usually for free. Many parks have running trails, and if you live out in the country, you can run on footpaths. Running on the beach not only provides a scenic setting, but you also get an extra workout from running in sand. You burn 1.6 times more calories per mile when running on wet sand than you would running on a hard surface, according to TheRunningAdvisor.com.

Good for Your Body

Running is one of a number of exercises such as swimming, cycling, jumping rope or dancing that provide aerobic benefits. It also strengthens the muscles in the legs, buttocks and back and helps burn calories. Running over difficult terrain can promote balance and coordination due to changing surfaces and inclines. Because running is a weight-bearing exercise, it can help prevent osteoporosis and keep bones strong.

Good for Your Mind

Running for exercise may improve your thinking skills and mental health, according to SteadyHealth.com. Improved blood flow benefits all of your body, including the brain, by providing more nutrients and oxygen. Running outdoors also provides visual stimulation. Vigorous exercise such as running causes your body to secrete chemical substances called endorphins. These chemicals literally make you feel good, and people who run regularly often talk about the “runner’s high” that occurs when endorphins kick in.

Good for Your Health

Vigorous exercise helps lower blood pressure and maintain elasticity of the blood vessels, according to Vanderbilt University. Deep breathing during running exercises the lungs and promotes the full use of your lung potential. Running can also help to normalize your weight and prevent weight gain as you age. Almost anyone can start a running program; just don’t try to do too much, too fast. Consult a doctor before you start and then work up gradually.

Get even more tips from LiveStrong.com

Who Else Wants to Have an Athletic Body?

Sian — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:29:38 +0000

An athletic body, with its strong, lean physique, is often sought after by individuals who wish to improve their outward appearance and overall health. Athletes have various body types depending on the individual and their sport of choice. However, most athletes develop a large amount of muscle mass during training and usually have a low body fat percentage. Although exercise is a fundamental component of developing an athletic physique, several other factors must also be considered.

Aerobic Exercise

Fat loss is key when attempting to develop an athletic build. To achieve a lean body while trying to build muscle, incorporate a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity every week into your workout regimen, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Examples of moderate aerobic exercise include walking, bicycling or swimming. Alternately, to shed fat more quickly, choose more vigorous types of aerobic activity for longer periods. For example, jog or run 45 to 60 minutes a day, five days a week.

Building Muscle

Muscle-building exercises sculpt your body for a lean, defined look. In addition to aerobic exercise, perform weight-bearing exercises that target your arms, legs, back, chest, shoulders, legs, hips and abdomen. You can use free weights, such as dumbbells, to perform strengthening exercises, or use your own body weight as resistance. For example, perform pushups to target your chest, shoulders and arms, squats for your hips, buttocks and legs, pullups for your back, shoulders and arms and crunches for your abdomen. Complete eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise at least twice a week.

Nutrition

Feeding your body wholesome, nutritious foods goes hand in hand with developing a healthy, athletic build. Consume a wide variety of foods that offer carbohydrates, protein and fat. Carbohydrates, found in breads, pasta and sugar, give your body fuel for performing tasks. This nutrient should be consumed before, after and sometimes during exercise. Choose complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains, to give you longer-lasting energy. Consume lean proteins, such as fish, low-fat dairy products and lean beef, to feed your developing muscles. Choose foods low in saturated fats to keep your body lean and healthy.

Rest

Skimping on your sleep can hinder your weight-loss and muscle-building results. Lack of sleep causes fatigue during the day, meaning you will not be giving your all during workouts and other calorie-burning activities throughout the day. In addition, your body repairs itself while at rest, such as rebuilding muscle broken down during workouts. Without adequate restoration time, muscle can’t be properly rebuilt. Strive for approximately eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night to keep you going strong through workouts and to maximize your results.

More tips at LivingStrong.com

6 Core Truths

Sian — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:08:16 +0000

There’s much more to your belly than meets the eye. Most people target the six-pack surface muscles but neglect the deep abdominal ones, namely the transversus abdominis, iliopsoas, and diaphragm. Not only do these key players cinch your waist, they enhance crucial functions of your body — breathing, digestion, and relaxation — and help you stand up straighter.

They are the source of your center of gravity. “When you engage and strengthen this internal support system, it’s like accessing an additional power source,” says Jill Miller, a Los Angeles-based yoga teacher and creator of the Core Integration fitness DVD. But you improve oxygen flow, increase your energy levels, and feel more grounded. You still need to work the outer muscles, too. “In real life, the core muscles never work alone. They interconnect with all the muscles of the body to provide mobility and balance,” says Eva Pelegrin, founder of Attune Holistic Fitness in New York City. Try this routine for a week and you could start to see a toned tummy that functions as well on the inside as it looks on the outside.

Strengthen the Insides

Start with these exercises from Jill Miller that stretch the diaphragm , massage the digestive organs, and provide a strong foundation. Do the six moves as a routine two to three times per week, with a day off in between.

1. Revolved Ab Pose

What It Does: Helps you use your abs in concert (unlike crunches, which isolate one muscle group)

How to Do It: Lie on your back with your arms in the shape of a T and legs lifted so they’re perpendicular to the floor. Shift hips a few inches to the left, then exhale and drop both legs slowly to the right, stopping before they touch the floor. Hold for a deep breath, exhale, and return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side. Alternate for 20 reps, 10 on each side.

2. Abdominal Vacuum

What It Does: Stretches the diaphragm and other deep core muscles; massages the colon, stomach, and other digestive organs to improve functioning

How to Do It: Lie on your back, knees bent, feet on the floor. Inhale and raise arms overhead behind you. Lift your spine one vertebra at a time until your hips are high. Exhale as you relax your abs, lowering your spine down. A natural vacuum will draw your belly in. When your hips are on the floor, lower hands to start position. Repeat 7 to 10 times.

3. Elevated Leg Lift

What It Does: Works the diaphragm and the iliopsoas muscles; improves your posture

How to Do It: Lie on the floor with your pelvis resting on a cushion or towels. Reach arms overhead, palms face up. Engaging your core, raise the left leg and lift the right an inch off the floor. Hold and breathe deeply for 30 seconds. Repeat with the other leg, alternating 15 times on each side.

Tone the Outsides

Eva Pelegrin designed these moves, which primarily work your outer abdominals and upper body, to improve your posture, take pressure off your lower back, and support you all day long.

1. Basket Twist

What It Does: Improves spinal flexibility while toning core, back, and arms

How to Do It: Sit on the floor and hold a weighted ball or any heavy object (even a basket of magazines); bend knees slightly. Lean torso back and draw navel in while keeping the spine straight. Contract your abs and move ball or weight from side to side, keeping abs tight. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 on each side.

2. Leg Thread

What It Does: Improves agility, cardiovascular health, hip flexibility, and stamina

How to Do It: Crouch on toes with feet shoulder distance apart, palms on floor, navel drawn in. Pivot on ball of right foot, rotate hips right, and extend your left leg out to the side , keeping it parallel to floor. Repeat with right leg. Alternate legs quickly. Do 3 to 5 sets of 10 on each side.

3. Superwoman

What It Does: Strengthens the core while toning arms and upper body

How to Do It: Start in a push-up position, knees on the floor, palms resting on a small towel. Draw shoulders down, navel in. Without arching your lower back, slowly move your hands forward until your chest touches the floor. Release and return to start. For more of a challenge, use upper body to slide hands back to starting position. Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps each.

Get even more healthy ideas at Martha Stewart Living

The New Yoga on a PaddleBoard

Sian — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:56:50 +0000

Paddle boarding, an ancient form of surfing, is gaining popularity as a high-intensity, low-impact platform for group fitness classes from calisthenics to yoga. Experts say it may feel like walking on water because paddle boarding works on the flat water of a lake or pond and doesn’t involve waves.

“Paddle boarding is a form of surfing. A paddle board is basically a surfboard that’s thicker, more buoyant, so it can hold you standing up in flat water,” said Scott Bumbalough, founder of Maui B’s Stand Up Paddle Boarding, which is based in Florida.

“For fitness classes we take a one-hour lap around the lake,” he said, which in this case is Lake Ivanhoe in Orlando, Florida. “Buoys are placed at intervals and at each buoy we do an exercise such as squats, push-ups, squat thrusts on the board.”Bumbalough encountered paddle boarding, which probably dates back to ancient Polynesia, while living in Hawaii, where it was a popular way for surfers to train when the surf was down.

“It’s a high-intensity, low-impact workout,” said Bumbalough. “The class probably works about 85 percent of the muscles in body.”Bumbalough said he brought paddle boarding to Florida in 2007. Since then it’s spread throughout the nation as a hugely popular sport that can be done anywhere there’s safe water.

Peace, serenity, and six-pack abs are among the many benefits that have accrued to Nani Sadowski, a healthcare consultant, since she started exercising on the paddle board two years ago.”I have a very stressful job, so it’s very relaxing to be on the water,” said Sadowski.

She also does paddleboard yoga, which she explained is a complete practice from sun salutations to the final resting pose done on the water. “I prefer yoga on paddle board because you have to focus that much more on your balance,” said Sadowski. “You look down and see the water below you. Any fear is more a question of mind over matter.”

Shirley Archer, a Florida-based fitness expert and spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise, has tried paddle boarding and finds it is a very effective core workout that requires balance.

“You can’t fake it in the water … It provides you with immediate feedback,” Archer, who is a certified yoga and Pilates instructor, explained. “Yoga on the paddle board simply expands on this concept because many yoga postures require good balance.”

She said that paddle boarding, while ideal for those seeking a new challenge, would likely work out only for people who enjoy the outdoors and who don’t mind getting wet.Sadowski said she has only fallen off once, perhaps because there is one instructor for each five students in her class.

“They watch us like hawks the whole time,” she added.Her devotion to paddle boarding has transformed her body.

“People always comment on how toned my arms are, how great my posture has become,” she explained. “When I was off work for a couple of weeks I went out every day for two hours,” she said.

The result? I’m 38 years old and I actually got a six-pack.”