These are great suggestions - Thank you Lifescript and Thank You Suzanne Schlosberg - passing this information along to whomever might be reading this blog. The suggestions work for men as well as women also. Too many of my friends (myself included!) could find these suggestions useful.
I especially like the bit about rewarding oneself from your hard work.
Thorne
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11 Ways to Get Fit in 2011
Published January 04, 2011
Dig out those sneakers. You will finally get in shape this year. We asked experts for 11 workout strategies to keep you motivated…
You’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get fit. But will you keep it?
Within six months of starting a workout program, 70% of participants drop out, says Gregory Florez, founder of FitAdvisor, a health coaching company in Salt Lake City, and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Boredom, burnout and lack of progress are among the top reasons.
Your best defense: recording exercise details, building balance and nine other smart moves to keep you on track and in shape.
Here’s how:
1. Track workouts like the pros.
Take a tip from successful athletes: Record details of your training sessions.
Keeping track of speed, distance, exertion level and how the workout felt provides insight into your exercise habits.
“Seeing your progress on paper sustains motivation and increases commitment and focus,” says sports psychologist Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and health at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Use an exercise diary or online log such as Movescount, a free tool that analyzes workouts using detailed charts and graphs.
Runners and walkers can monitor pace and distance using a system such as the Adidas miCoach PACER (about $139) or Nike+iPod Sports Kit ($29). Both involve clipping a stride sensor onto your shoe, then uploading the data from each workout to your computer.
Both Nike+ and Movescount let you share routes or compare results with others in an online fitness community. 2. Set up a simple, low-cost home gym.
You can cover your workout needs without spending much, says San Diego trainer Pete McCall, M.S., an exercise physiologist for ACE.
There’s no need for high-priced treadmills. You can work your abs, legs and butt for under $60 with the following:
3. Boost your balance.
As you age, your sense of balance declines, increasing chances of falling and injuring yourself, whether you’re playing racquetball or just stepping off a curb.
“It’s the most neglected fitness component,” says Liz Neporent, a New York City fitness consultant with a master’s degree in exercise physiology.
“People think about cardio, strength and maybe flexibility, but everyone should be doing exercises to improve balance.” Most yoga classes and DVDs include balancing poses you can modify to your level.
Neporent also recommends the Wii Balance Board (approximately $118), which provides instant feedback on how much you wobble, which leg is stronger, and whether you’re performing a move correctly.
Or try the Bosu Ball, which looks like half a physioball glued to a thick platter. You can perform exercises while standing or sitting on the ball, and with your hands placed on either the dome or flat part.
4. Try kettlebells.
Invented in 18th-century Russia, kettlebells are the latest craze in fitness studios. These iron weights – which look like cannonballs with thick handles – build muscle strength, stamina and flexibility and come in a variety of weights.
Like dumbbells, kettlebells are used to tone muscles. But you can also swing them through various arm motions, using core muscles to control the weights, which provides both strength training and cardio.
“Kettlebells are incredibly efficient,” says Jessica Matthews, a San Diego group fitness instructor and ACE-certified personal trainer.
A 20-minute kettlebell workout burns a gut-busting 20 calories per minute – as much as running a 6-minute mile or cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace, according to research conducted by the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse.
Just be sure you learn proper technique from an instructor before you pick one up. That will keep you from accidentally hurling them or throwing out your back.
5. Find out your fitness level.
Knowing your starting point helps you devise an appropriate workout plan.
“Fitness evaluations give you the lowdown on stamina, strength, flexibility and balance,” Neporent says.
She recommends this test: Map out a 1-mile course, then time yourself walking or running the course at your fastest pace.
Note your time and take your pulse immediately. One minute later, take your pulse again.
Repeat the test in two months to see how much faster you complete the mile, and how quickly your pulse recovers.
If you work with a trainer, ask him or her to implement more tests and explain your results in context with others at your age and fitness level.
6. Announce your fitness goals publicly.
“Make yourself accountable by telling someone else,” Florez says.
Let loved ones know, or post your aspirations on Facebook, Twitter or a site like Movescount.
If your workplace offers a wellness program (many larger companies do, including Pfizer, IBM and PepsiCo), ask colleagues to join you.
Just make goals realistic. Many people crumble under pressure if they strive for too much, says Weinberg.
7. Become a fitness gamer. Fitness video games, such as those for the Wii ($199) and Microsoft’s Kinect ($149), are becoming more sophisticated and challenging, says trainer Florez.
“With the first generation of fitness gaming, you could just flip your wrist. Now, you actually have to move.”
Plus, you can work out from home and have fun while you’re doing it. For best results, look for games that require moving your legs and butt, not just arms and torso.
But use games to keep you motivated and supplement regular exercise, not replace it; they don’t offer a vigorous enough workout, according to a 2010 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.Japanese researchers tested 68 active Wii Sport and Wii Fit Plus games - including tennis, boxing, yoga, strength and aerobic activities.
Only one-third raised heart rate enough to count as moderate-intensity exercise; two-thirds offered light-intensity workouts.
8. Stay entertained while you exercise.
Listening to music, a podcast or an audiobook makes workout time fly. But fast music may be the most effective.
In a 2010 British study of indoor cyclists, conducted by Liverpool John Moores University, subjects rode farther, pedaled faster and produced more power when the music sped up.
But it has to be the right tunes.
Cyclists performed better and believed they weren’t working as hard when they listened to music they liked, according to a 2010 Brazilian Sao Paulo State University study.
So if your gym is blasting music that grates on your nerves, wear headphones and crank up your own tunes.
9. Train for an event.
If you haven’t exercised in a while, a 5k walk or run is the perfect start. Many running specialty stores offer programs to get novices in shape.
For a small fee, you get a training schedule, nutrition tips, injury-prevention advice and, best of all, a group of fellow walkers and runners to keep you on track.
“Instead of waking up grumbling, ‘Forget my workout,’ you pop out of bed thinking, ‘I’m in training! Gotta head out the door!’” Neporent says.
10. Join a class. “Women tend to like the social aspect of exercise, so a group environment can be appealing,” Matthews says.
“People have so much fun [in a workout class], they don’t think of it as exercise.”Ever thought about indoor cycling? Wondering what Pilates is all about? Or, if you’re not the exercise type, try a dance-based class, like Zumba, Latin dance or hip-hop.
Look for a beginner-level class, or one that’s easily modified for novices. If you accidentally end up in advanced yoga, your hamstrings could be screaming for weeks.
11. Reward yourself.
Toned triceps are a great payoff for all your efforts, but working toward an additional prize can give an extra motivational boost.
For example, if you complete an 8-week fitness boot camp, treat yourself to a new workout outfit.
“I had a client who put a coin in a jar for every mile she ran,” Neporent says.
“Every few months, when the jar would get full, she’d count the money and treat herself to a splurge.”
Suzanne Schlosberg is author of The Ultimate Workout Log (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and co-author of Fitness for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
What’s Your Fitness Style?
Some people find it easy to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and go for a five-mile run, while others simply hit the snooze button. Aspects of your personality determine the kind of exerciser you are, so if you're in a fitness rut, it's time to put your unique interests back into the workout equation. Take this quiz to find out what types of exercise are right for you.
Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!
Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter!
You’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get fit. But will you keep it?
Within six months of starting a workout program, 70% of participants drop out, says Gregory Florez, founder of FitAdvisor, a health coaching company in Salt Lake City, and spokesman for the American Council on Exercise (ACE).
Boredom, burnout and lack of progress are among the top reasons.
Your best defense: recording exercise details, building balance and nine other smart moves to keep you on track and in shape.
Here’s how:
1. Track workouts like the pros.
Take a tip from successful athletes: Record details of your training sessions.
Keeping track of speed, distance, exertion level and how the workout felt provides insight into your exercise habits.
“Seeing your progress on paper sustains motivation and increases commitment and focus,” says sports psychologist Robert Weinberg, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and health at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
Use an exercise diary or online log such as Movescount, a free tool that analyzes workouts using detailed charts and graphs.
Runners and walkers can monitor pace and distance using a system such as the Adidas miCoach PACER (about $139) or Nike+iPod Sports Kit ($29). Both involve clipping a stride sensor onto your shoe, then uploading the data from each workout to your computer.
Both Nike+ and Movescount let you share routes or compare results with others in an online fitness community. 2. Set up a simple, low-cost home gym.
You can cover your workout needs without spending much, says San Diego trainer Pete McCall, M.S., an exercise physiologist for ACE.
There’s no need for high-priced treadmills. You can work your abs, legs and butt for under $60 with the following:
- One of the most versatile pieces of equipment: the physioball, a thicker, sturdier version of a beach ball. Sit on it to do biceps curls, kneel on it for balance work, or lay down to do crunches. (Prices start at $37 through online retailers.)
- Buy used dumbbells on Craigslist, says McCall. Since there aren’t any moving parts, there’s little risk involved. Some sell for as little as a few bucks each.
- For cardio, check your TV listings for fitness shows.
“If you have FitTV or ExerciseTV [networks], look for On Demand workout videos, from entry level to very advanced,” McCall says. You may already be paying for it.
- For $7.99 a month, Netflix’s Watch Instantly feature offers a variety of fitness videos for your computer or TV.
- To find workouts and instructors that inspire you, check out Video Fitness, an online community where people post reviews and swap videos.
3. Boost your balance.
As you age, your sense of balance declines, increasing chances of falling and injuring yourself, whether you’re playing racquetball or just stepping off a curb.
“It’s the most neglected fitness component,” says Liz Neporent, a New York City fitness consultant with a master’s degree in exercise physiology.
“People think about cardio, strength and maybe flexibility, but everyone should be doing exercises to improve balance.” Most yoga classes and DVDs include balancing poses you can modify to your level.
Neporent also recommends the Wii Balance Board (approximately $118), which provides instant feedback on how much you wobble, which leg is stronger, and whether you’re performing a move correctly.
Or try the Bosu Ball, which looks like half a physioball glued to a thick platter. You can perform exercises while standing or sitting on the ball, and with your hands placed on either the dome or flat part.
4. Try kettlebells.
Invented in 18th-century Russia, kettlebells are the latest craze in fitness studios. These iron weights – which look like cannonballs with thick handles – build muscle strength, stamina and flexibility and come in a variety of weights.
Like dumbbells, kettlebells are used to tone muscles. But you can also swing them through various arm motions, using core muscles to control the weights, which provides both strength training and cardio.
“Kettlebells are incredibly efficient,” says Jessica Matthews, a San Diego group fitness instructor and ACE-certified personal trainer.
A 20-minute kettlebell workout burns a gut-busting 20 calories per minute – as much as running a 6-minute mile or cross-country skiing uphill at a fast pace, according to research conducted by the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse.
Just be sure you learn proper technique from an instructor before you pick one up. That will keep you from accidentally hurling them or throwing out your back.
5. Find out your fitness level.
Knowing your starting point helps you devise an appropriate workout plan.
“Fitness evaluations give you the lowdown on stamina, strength, flexibility and balance,” Neporent says.
She recommends this test: Map out a 1-mile course, then time yourself walking or running the course at your fastest pace.
Note your time and take your pulse immediately. One minute later, take your pulse again.
Repeat the test in two months to see how much faster you complete the mile, and how quickly your pulse recovers.
If you work with a trainer, ask him or her to implement more tests and explain your results in context with others at your age and fitness level.
6. Announce your fitness goals publicly.
“Make yourself accountable by telling someone else,” Florez says.
Let loved ones know, or post your aspirations on Facebook, Twitter or a site like Movescount.
If your workplace offers a wellness program (many larger companies do, including Pfizer, IBM and PepsiCo), ask colleagues to join you.
Just make goals realistic. Many people crumble under pressure if they strive for too much, says Weinberg.
7. Become a fitness gamer. Fitness video games, such as those for the Wii ($199) and Microsoft’s Kinect ($149), are becoming more sophisticated and challenging, says trainer Florez.
“With the first generation of fitness gaming, you could just flip your wrist. Now, you actually have to move.”
Plus, you can work out from home and have fun while you’re doing it. For best results, look for games that require moving your legs and butt, not just arms and torso.
But use games to keep you motivated and supplement regular exercise, not replace it; they don’t offer a vigorous enough workout, according to a 2010 study published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.Japanese researchers tested 68 active Wii Sport and Wii Fit Plus games - including tennis, boxing, yoga, strength and aerobic activities.
Only one-third raised heart rate enough to count as moderate-intensity exercise; two-thirds offered light-intensity workouts.
8. Stay entertained while you exercise.
Listening to music, a podcast or an audiobook makes workout time fly. But fast music may be the most effective.
In a 2010 British study of indoor cyclists, conducted by Liverpool John Moores University, subjects rode farther, pedaled faster and produced more power when the music sped up.
But it has to be the right tunes.
Cyclists performed better and believed they weren’t working as hard when they listened to music they liked, according to a 2010 Brazilian Sao Paulo State University study.
So if your gym is blasting music that grates on your nerves, wear headphones and crank up your own tunes.
9. Train for an event.
If you haven’t exercised in a while, a 5k walk or run is the perfect start. Many running specialty stores offer programs to get novices in shape.
For a small fee, you get a training schedule, nutrition tips, injury-prevention advice and, best of all, a group of fellow walkers and runners to keep you on track.
“Instead of waking up grumbling, ‘Forget my workout,’ you pop out of bed thinking, ‘I’m in training! Gotta head out the door!’” Neporent says.
10. Join a class. “Women tend to like the social aspect of exercise, so a group environment can be appealing,” Matthews says.
“People have so much fun [in a workout class], they don’t think of it as exercise.”Ever thought about indoor cycling? Wondering what Pilates is all about? Or, if you’re not the exercise type, try a dance-based class, like Zumba, Latin dance or hip-hop.
Look for a beginner-level class, or one that’s easily modified for novices. If you accidentally end up in advanced yoga, your hamstrings could be screaming for weeks.
11. Reward yourself.
Toned triceps are a great payoff for all your efforts, but working toward an additional prize can give an extra motivational boost.
For example, if you complete an 8-week fitness boot camp, treat yourself to a new workout outfit.
“I had a client who put a coin in a jar for every mile she ran,” Neporent says.
“Every few months, when the jar would get full, she’d count the money and treat herself to a splurge.”
Suzanne Schlosberg is author of The Ultimate Workout Log (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) and co-author of Fitness for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons).
What’s Your Fitness Style?
Some people find it easy to wake up at 4:30 a.m. and go for a five-mile run, while others simply hit the snooze button. Aspects of your personality determine the kind of exerciser you are, so if you're in a fitness rut, it's time to put your unique interests back into the workout equation. Take this quiz to find out what types of exercise are right for you.
Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!
Talk to us on Facebook and Twitter!
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