Swimming is one of the best non-weight bearing activities out there and I totally recommend implementing a swim routine into your workout. It’s a great way to burn an enormous amount of calories all while having a blast in the water. Non-weight bearing refers to no weight or pressure being forced onto the joints, thus great for those with injuries, arthritis, or pain.

Although indoor pools are somewhat hard to come by, they are definitely worth the small cost to use. You may find indoor pools at your local health or fitness club, university, YMCA, or hotel. Before starting your swimming workouts, here are a few things you should know:
Read Full Post >

Fitness classes are becoming more popular these days, and not only do they offer an intense workout, but enjoyment as well. Fitness classes are a great way to exercise with friends without getting bored and are usually offered for free at your local health club. Most fitness classes are designed to target the cardiovascular aspect (getting the heart rate up) while only a few integrate the entire body into the workout. Below is a list of the most popular fitness classes.

Spinning:

Spinning is an aerobic exercise that takes place on a stationary bike. The class is designed to target the heart rate as well as the lower body (quads, hamstrings, and glutes). Each class typically consists of loud motivating music combined with varying speed and resistance levels to maximize the workout. Spinning is an intense workout that burns around 600-1000 calories per hour (depending on the person). This is a great class for those with knee/ankle problems and varying fitness levels due to the fact that you can exercise at your own pace. Give it a shot!
Read Full Post >

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.
Read Full Post >

There has been a constant battle between which foods are the right foods to eat after a long, hard workout. Honestly, I strongly believe that it depends on the type of exercise you are doing. Weight lifting is an anaerobic exercise, which means it is done with little or no use of oxygen. Jogging is an aerobic exercise, which requires the muscles and body to use oxygen.

So, according to the latest news about which foods are most beneficial after exercising, protein takes the cake. I honestly recommend eating within 15 to 30 minutes of working out and intaking a combination of the two depending on the type and intensity level of the workout.

After weight training, I recommend intaking more protein than carbs and vis-versa with prolonged running. The body needs both after long bouts of exercise to help replenish (carbs), rebuild (protein), and repair (protein) what was lost and broken down.

See Matt’s Top 10 Post-Workout Snacks.

Are you in your 40s and having trouble with weight loss? The first step is to start a routine. Figure out what days and what times work for you and devote that time strictly to exercising. Try not to let anything or anyone distract you during this time.

Secondly, start slow and gradually progress to longer, harder workouts over time.
Read Full Post >