Fitness

So, you want to get your kids moving, and you’re looking for someone to inspire them. Would you consider an aquatic animal?

The New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center in Boston, Massachusetts has a new program aptly titled “Move It!” to help kids get some exercise, and a little fun with seals while they’re at it.

Five northern fur seals will be featured in a new exhibit at the New England Aquarium. The seals can run on their flippers and dart around the water at great speeds. But how exactly does this entice kids to get active?

The nationwide, all-female fitness centers Curves has just launched a new weight management plan that helps you say goodbye to yo-yo dieting once and for all.

Available to all Curves members, this new plan offers monthly classes that teach you how to rev up your metabolism, eat all day long and enjoy a variety of foods without gaining weight. Curves experts know that diets that forbid certain foods never work in the long run. Therefore, their Weight Management Plan shows you how to safely and satisfyingly incorporate your favorite eats into your weight loss plan while not sabotaging your efforts to meet or maintain your weight loss goal.

Well, it’s definitely summer time and that means golf season is in full affect. Golf originated in Scotland in the 12th century and has been very popular ever since. I strongly believe that golf is a game of mental toughness, natural ability or skill, and a little bit of luck. I play once or twice a year so I am definitely no expert, but I have trained my share of golfers and have had great success with them.

I cannot promise that all mental health professionals take their own advice, but I try not to speak outside of my own experience. I suppose I could say the same thing for dance instruction. Recently, when working with a fairly new salsa student, I encouraged him to try to get the pattern of the basic step cemented by just walking around his house left-right-left-pause, right-left-right-pause, stepping toe to heel rather than heel to toe. While I worked with him for almost an hour just reviewing all the details of the basic step, I was reminded yet again what a great workout just this basic dance step can be. If you really concentrate on proper technique and body isolations, you are using a lot of different muscles, and I find just one song can have me out of breath.

When I first started to lose weight, my number one goal was a smaller number on the scale. That was my sole focus. (Well, that and I REALLY wanted to wear a smaller pants size, if I’m being totally honest.) I never wanted to lift weights, never wanted to grow any muscle - I just wanted to avoid embarrassment if the tag on my shirt was sticking out.

Once I had been successful with the weight loss, though, I was still unhappy with the look of my body. Reading online one day, I was struck by the idea of lifting weights, but I didn’t want to bulk up. I gave it a try, though, and now I’m addicted. Lifting weights is terrific for women and the benefits are endless. Here are my top five.

Last week we discussed core stability training and the importance of staying hydrated. Over the next few weeks, we are going to discuss the importance of stretching. Today, the topic is focused on self stretching.

Wedding Season Week 8:

“Learn to relax. Your body is precious, as it houses your mind and spirit. Inner peace begins with a relaxed body.” (Norman Vincent Peale)

Tip: Remember to warm-up and cool down before and after your workouts. I understand that it takes time away from the actual workout, but it’s worth it.

Tennis is a rather popular summer sport. The game of tennis was founded by a couple of friends back in the 1800s in the United Kingdom. The world’s first tennis club was founded in 1872 in England and the tennis market and popularity has grown ever since.

The sport of tennis is not only fun, but it provides several health benefits as well. One of which, according to Dr. Jack Groppel, is that people who play at least three hours of tennis a week cut their chances of death from any cause or health risk in half. I don’t know about you, but I am going to start playing a little more tennis according to that statistic.

Another benefit is that competitive tennis burns more calories than aerobics such as in-line skating or cycling. Lastly, according to Dr. Jim Gavin, tennis outperforms other sports in developing positive personal characteristics such as self-esteem and self-worth.

Have you been doing the same workout routine day in and day out? Well, it’s about time to change that. I have designed a workout that works your entire body while making you sweat from head to toe. The workout is designed to keep you moving from one exercise to the next without pausing or taking time to catch your breath; which means this workout may not be for everyone.

If you have heart problems or have been told what to do by a doctor; please listen to their advice. This workout starts off with a nice heart-racing warm-up and and back-burning cool-down. Lower back pain is one of the biggest problems the majority of my clients have, thus I tend to work the lower back at the end of each workout to help increase strength and flexibility without taking away from the actual workout. Be careful and please use proper technique while performing these movements.

I’m sure you have all heard about the 10,000 steps per day thing, right? Well, I am a firm believer in it. The purpose of this goal is to get the sedentary, or couch potatoes, up on their feet more often. The average person’s stride is between two-and-a-half to three feet long, which calculates out to around 2,000 steps to walk a mile; while 10,000 steps is nearly five miles.

Again, this is a goal to motivate those who need a little extra kick in the butt to get moving. Set a goal for walking 10,000 steps and once you beat that for a week straight, up your goal to 11,000 steps per day.

Wow, it’s the middle of June already? Does time fly or what? Last week we discussed Olympic lifts/exercises and the importance of proper form and technique. By perfecting these lifts, your technique for easier lifts will be much better. This week we will be taking a trip down Core Stability Blvd.!

Wedding Season Week 7:

“If you think you can or think you can’t; you’re right!!”

Tip: Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day and during your workout. Try to avoid sugary sports drinks or high sugar/carbohydrate fruit drinks. These drinks are only necessary when you are working out for extended amounts of time and your electrolytes are depleted, otherwise water is the only necessary fluid to put into your body. Try to intake 80 to 100 ounces a day if you exercise at a moderate to high intensity level.