The In's and Out's About Ups and Downs

Do 36 Push-Ups and Lunges Every Other Day

These exercises are oldies but goodies. Push-Ups and Lunges will help sculpt muscle, so you'll sport a more streamlined appearance. Do three sets of 12 of each exercise every other day. Push-ups target your arms, chest, upper back, and abs while lunges work your butt, hips, and thighs. Quick tip to make sure you get the most out of each exercise: Make sure your back and legs remain in a straight line during your push-ups (don’t let your bootie pop up higher than your back) ; it'll improve muscle tone. Also, you can build even more muscle with the lunges if you hold free weights or filled water bottles,  in each hand while doing them.

Pssst Its A Secret

What is one of the best ways to say fit? You guess it...exercise! Surprise, Surprise! I know being committed and inspired are required to make it a daily part of your life. Unfortunately there isn’t a “how to for dummy’s” manual that works for everyone. But there are 3 fitness secrets that might help you. Maybe one or two will speak to you.

1. Go to a Pro aka personal trainer: You need someone to help you work hard and safe. You need to use equipment the right way to get results. Only a pro can help. Not the gym rat who has been a member for 20+ years. He may spend hours upon hours a day there but that DOES NOT mean he knows jack. A personal trainer will help you to exercise well in the proper manner. Most people usually ignore this and end up hurting themselves.

2. Follow an effective exercise routine: I can’t stress this one enough! Variety makes fitness fun. Incorporate different kinds of exercises in your exercise routine to maintain overall fitness of the body. Do NOT just skip cardio training because it is boring. Guess what? Doing just Mat Pilates is not going to give you a 6 pack. It is essential that you undergo cardio training as well as strength training. In addition, getting rest is also important to prevent the muscles from being over-strained.

3.Watch Yo Mouth: Guess what doesn’t work? Eating fatty foods and except to burn off the calories in your next workout session. Being fit doesn’t work like that. It is important that you eat healthy foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, etc. in your regular diet that provide a heavy dose of proteins and vitamins is beneficial.

What Shouldn’t You Do?

Yes, when you are new to exercising you might experience soreness in the calf region and muscles at the initial stages. However, this is not the reason to stop exercising. The main reason for this is that the body needs time to get used to such strain. It will surely take time to get used to this pain but once your muscles are acquainted, there will be no problems. A little muscle soreness is not an excuse to stop all together.

HomeBody

Its almost that time of year again when a lot of people tend to make resolutions, and invariably, top of the list is to get fit. Many people need a more economical choice of fitness then an expensive gym membership. Here's an idea: a home gym.

Some Benefits include:

#1: The price is right! Gym memberships can easily run into hundreds of dollars, and if attendance slackens off after the first few months, which commonly happens, people could be paying out for a service they are not using. You are basically donating your money to the gym each month. A home gym involves an initial cost outlay only.

#2: Convenience. Only have 30 min and don't want to waste time traveling to and from the gym? It's  no problem if there is exercise equipment in the house. A home gym cuts down on gas costs and travel time, as well as fitting easily into individual lifestyles.

#3: Privacy is key. A lot of people either dislike their body and are worried about putting it on display in a public setting, or think perhaps they look foolish or cannot keep up with others when they exercise. Working out at home in your own gym removes these concerns, providing a safe and emotionally secure environment.

A home gym needs to have 2 elements for success. It needs to be both functional and motivating. Use calming colors on the walls, such as blues and greens, and try to make good use of the available natural light. Also make sure there is a music center and television available to provide entertainment. You wouldn't want to waste time making a fun workout playlist if you can't use it, right!

Love To Hate

I have a love/hate relationship with Burpees exercises. It seems like everytime I go take a fitness class the instructor wants me to do them. I always internally groan but they are very effective. Few movements hit as many muscle groups and deliver as intense a cardiovascular workout. After performing 10, no matter how fresh you are, you will be breathing heavily. After performing 75 consecutively, you’ll be on the floor for 5 minutes like a boxer down for the count. Well, that’s is what I feel like but I know a few peeps who can do hundreds in minutes.

Burpees basically combine a squat, pushup, and vertical leap. Think about the amount of mass (your entire body weight) you move over a large distance (your full height plus the height of your vertical leap) and you’ll understand just how many calories you can quickly burn with this exercise.