|
|
|
November 2007
BUILD YOUR CORE
Trouncing through fresh snow is a lot of fun, but it also takes a lot of work! A strong core will take much of the work out of it so you can focus on the fun. What comes to mind when we mention your body's "core?" Most people would say
your stomach muscles and doing crunches. Actually your 'core' runs from your neck down to your tail-bone and encompasses all that stabilizes and connects the top half of your body to the bottom half. We're going to skip those exercises
that you probably know and give you something new to play with this winter.
Side Plank
Lie down straight on your side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and your forearm on the ground. With your feet double stacked one on top of the other, lift up from your top hip and raise your body up, so that you're
balancing on your foot and forearm. Your body should form a straight line from your ankle to your shoulder. Hold this position without sagging or bending. Slowly lower back to the ground. Repeat exercise 10 times on each side, and
repeat for 2 sets.
Hip Cross Over
Lie on your back with your arms extended out from your sides with hands flat to the ground. With your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, twist your legs to the side until they touch the ground, or as far as is comfortable while
keeping your arms flat against the ground. Bring your legs back to the center and repeat on the other side. Progress this move by not allowing your feet or legs to rest on the ground or take it a step further and perform this with your
legs completely straight. Perform 2 sets of 8-15 repetitions.
Hand Walk
Stand with your legs straight and bend forward at your hips so that your hands are on the floor. Keep your legs straight and draw your abdominals in as you walk your hands out straight in front of your body. Once you are completely drawn
out, like you're going to perform a push-up, return to the starting position by walking your feet up to your hands using "baby steps," sliding your feet along the floor. Do 2 sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Back Extension
Using a stability ball, lie on top of the ball with your hips in contact with the ball - about where you're belt would be. Place your feet against the bottom of a wall and keep a slight bend in your knees. Cross your arms across your
chest and pivot forward from your waist over the ball so that your upper body is about parallel to the floor. Raise your upper body back up so that it is in line with your lower body. Do 2 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
Complete the above exercises using just your body weight. Once these become easier, you can either slow them way down, hold them longer, or in some cases add weight. As with the exercises in last month's newsletter, be sure to work within
your own body's limits.
Do these exercises 2-3 times a week and see how much stronger you feel in everything you do!
LOSS ISN'T THE ONLY GAIN
Feeling like all this exercise isn't doing you any good? Well hang in there. There is proof that exercise is getting you somewhere even when it appears the numbers on the scale are not at a steady decline. The March 2007 journal of
Metabolism published a study that gives us all a further incentive to keep with the program.
The study took 24 middle-aged men who didn't exercise regularly and were at various physical levels - eight lean, eight obese, and eight obese with Type II diabetes. The participants all did the same exercise program, which was one hour
of aerobic exercise five times a week for three months. However, unlike most studies, they were ordered to NOT lose any weight. They were instructed to eat enough calories to compensate for the extra calories that they burned.
At the end of three months the men all weighed the same. The researchers went to work poking, prodding and measuring; looking for changes. Two significant things stood out. In all of the men, their waist size shrank by about and inch
and a chemical produced by fat tissue in their bodies declined. This is significant because fat tissue doesn't just sit on our bodies, but is metabolically active making chemicals and hormones that harm our cardiovascular system. So with
their waist size shrinking, less fat is making less damaging chemicals which not only harm our hearts but our entire body system.
The three months of exercise didn't produce results on the scale but body shape changed externally and internally the benefits were measurable. So, if your goal is to lose some extra pounds just remember that regular exercise has benefits
well beyond the pounds that we see on the scale.
A LITTLE TOO COZY?
Are the dark and cold mornings keeping you in your bed instead of enticing you out to exercise? It's tempting to skip those workouts as the days get shorter and fill up with holiday preparations, parties and vacations. With the added
calories from gatherings and the added stress involved with the hectic schedule we tend to let things go and look ahead to the "New Year's Resolution." It is now, more than ever, that you need to stay active! Here are a few ideas that
might help to get you going and out of bed!
Shorten Your Workout
Take a few minutes off of your regular routine. If you normally do 45 minutes of cardiovascular exercise, knock it down to 30 and increase the intensity a little. Do intervals instead of steady state cardio and burn more in a shorter
amount of time.
Exercise Wherever You Can
Park at the end of the lot, take the stairs, rake the leaves instead of using one of those awful blowers, even rake that neighbor's yard who doesn't get around so well anymore - do whatever you can to keep moving. With friends and family
out of school, take a trip or two out for sledding, skiing, snowshoeing or a waterfall hike. Every little bit will help burn off that holiday treat from lunch.
Play At Gatherings
When you get together with friends and families, plan an activity to do. Play a pre-Thanksgiving meal game of football, rake the leaves into a big pile for the kids to jump in, walk around after a meal and look at the holiday decorations
in the neighborhood.
Back to Basics
For your strength training, trim your routine down to basic compound movements - squats, lunges, presses, pulls, core rotations. Hit the major muscle groups now, and leave the smaller, isolated movements for when you have more time.
Doing 20 minutes of full body exercises twice a week will keep that muscle mass maintained for the weeks ahead.
Still don't think you can do it alone? Come join us for some early morning classes to get you through. With a supportive, inquisitive group of fellow exercisers, you'll think twice about sleeping in knowing that you'll have to explain
your absence! The excuse of "I didn't feel like it" might not go over so well with those of us who got up and wanted to see your smiling face..
|
|
