'INVEST in 20 MINUTES A DAY'
It sounds so easy but millions of Americans find 20 minutes of exercising each day very hard to fit into their schedule and yet it is the best form of detox you can do to sweat out toxins and get each of your organs systems working at optimum levels. So how do we get excited about exercising enough to make it a priority?
Just ask anyone who has had heart surgery and they will tell you. Since their personal traumatic experience from escaping a brush with death.....they now wouldn't miss a day of exercise for anything. What's 20 minutes of exercise each day if it means extending your life span another 10-20 years?
However, in designing a perfect health and fitness program, there are several variables we need to look. Sticking points and plateaus have a lot to do with following the wrong workout. First one has to assess how old you are? Are you underweight or overweight for your height? Are you 20 or 50 pounds overweight? Do you have a health condition that could limit your results? Do you prefer to exercise alone or with a friend or group?
No matter what program you decide on, it should complement your lifestyle and provide a certain amount of enjoyment. Are you a walker, a stretcher, a dancer, a swimmer, love tennis or golf.... ?
Whatever your preference, it's advisable to begin on a small scale and gradually build into a longer exercise routine. The biggest problem we have today is lack of movement in our daily lives. Most of us sit hour after hour at work looking at computer screens. After we leave work we go home, eat dinner, then flop down again to watch our TV screens for the rest of the evening.
It sounds so easy but millions of Americans find 20 minutes of exercising each day very hard to fit into their schedule and yet it is the best form of detox you can do to sweat out toxins and get each of your organs systems working at optimum levels. So how do we get excited about exercising enough to make it a priority?
Just ask anyone who has had heart surgery and they will tell you. Since their personal traumatic experience from escaping a brush with death.....they now wouldn't miss a day of exercise for anything. What's 20 minutes of exercise each day if it means extending your life span another 10-20 years?
However, in designing a perfect health and fitness program, there are several variables we need to look. Sticking points and plateaus have a lot to do with following the wrong workout. First one has to assess how old you are? Are you underweight or overweight for your height? Are you 20 or 50 pounds overweight? Do you have a health condition that could limit your results? Do you prefer to exercise alone or with a friend or group?
No matter what program you decide on, it should complement your lifestyle and provide a certain amount of enjoyment. Are you a walker, a stretcher, a dancer, a swimmer, love tennis or golf.... ?
Whatever your preference, it's advisable to begin on a small scale and gradually build into a longer exercise routine. The biggest problem we have today is lack of movement in our daily lives. Most of us sit hour after hour at work looking at computer screens. After we leave work we go home, eat dinner, then flop down again to watch our TV screens for the rest of the evening.
TRY 6 MINUTES A DAY
There are lots of ways to fill in 20 minutes of exercising but if you prefer to workout at HOME here are a few suggestions....
Invest in a treadmill. Set it up with a TV in front of you and instead of sitting down and watching TV when you come home, go walk on your treadmill. Before you know it, 20 minutes zooms along and you will have burned 200 calories.
Another home workout that helps detoxify your body is to purchase a portable trampoline. Jump for 60 seconds, get off and REST for another 60 seconds. Get back on and do the same thing two more times. N.A.S.A. research tells us this '6 minute routine' is equal to a 20 minute treadmill workout.
There are lots of ways to fill in 20 minutes of exercising but if you prefer to workout at HOME here are a few suggestions....
Invest in a treadmill. Set it up with a TV in front of you and instead of sitting down and watching TV when you come home, go walk on your treadmill. Before you know it, 20 minutes zooms along and you will have burned 200 calories.
Another home workout that helps detoxify your body is to purchase a portable trampoline. Jump for 60 seconds, get off and REST for another 60 seconds. Get back on and do the same thing two more times. N.A.S.A. research tells us this '6 minute routine' is equal to a 20 minute treadmill workout.
WHY USE WEIGHTS?
Increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall fitness, particularly as we age. We also know that weight lifting is the best way to build muscle mass. Still the number of women who actually participate in any formal or consistent weight training workout is still extremely low.
Most women who exercise spend most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise.
Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, here's a few reasons why you should take up strength training:
You will be physically stronger!
You will lose weight faster! As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, so you burn more calories all day long.
You decrease your risk of Osteoporosis because weight training can increase your spinal bone mineral density by 13% within 6 months.
You decrease your risk of Heart Disease because weight training can improve your cardiovascular health by lowering LDL ('bad') cholesterol, increase HDL ('good') cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
You reduce your risk of Diabetes because weight training can increase glucose utilization in your body by 23% in just four months improving the way your body processes sugar.
Increasing and maintaining adequate muscle mass is one of the best ways to keep body fat at bay and to improve overall fitness, particularly as we age. We also know that weight lifting is the best way to build muscle mass. Still the number of women who actually participate in any formal or consistent weight training workout is still extremely low.
Most women who exercise spend most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise.
Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, here's a few reasons why you should take up strength training:
You will be physically stronger!
You will lose weight faster! As your lean muscle increases so does your resting metabolism, so you burn more calories all day long.
You decrease your risk of Osteoporosis because weight training can increase your spinal bone mineral density by 13% within 6 months.
You decrease your risk of Heart Disease because weight training can improve your cardiovascular health by lowering LDL ('bad') cholesterol, increase HDL ('good') cholesterol and lower blood pressure.
You reduce your risk of Diabetes because weight training can increase glucose utilization in your body by 23% in just four months improving the way your body processes sugar.