Holiday Fitness Tips

December 17, 2009 by Gail Grannum  
Filed under Exercise & Fitness

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Holiday Fitness Tips

What are tips to keep fitness as part of your holiday? Plan ahead and be realistic. How can you enjoy yourself and not completely surrender?

Start the day with a brisk walk around your neighborhood. Be kind to yourself during the holidays, brief (15 minutes) routines are okay. Just don’t give up exercising each day. (If you need to…take a day off, just not two in a row, okay?)

  • This is a great way to spend time with focusing your day or spending quality time with a rarely seen friend or family member.
  • Also, you will feel great knowing you have raised your metabolism earlier in the day.

Did you know that if you eat right after exercising, it is not stored as fat?

Remember to hydrate with water. You will be tempted with other fluids during the holidays. So make sure you focus on including extra water. It helps flush your system.

Home Workout Alternatives

List five things you can do at home that will combine fitness with family time. This way you won’t beat yourself up if you really can’t get to the gym.

  • How about squats and standing on toes while brushing teeth
  • Arm exercises while watching TV
  • Gentle stretches at the computer

Each person will have different needs and challenges.  Just be active to the best of your ability. Enjoy your holidays without guilt or surrender!

Leave a comment, sharing examples of home holiday exercising alternatives. Thanks!

Recommended Reading:

Fit and Healthy On The Road: Keeping-Up With Fitness Goals While Traveling

9 Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain
Healthy Holiday Eating

Essential Equipment For Your Fitness Goals

June 12, 2009 by Gail Grannum  
Filed under Exercise & Fitness

Continuing with our fitness goals series, we’ll now discuss fitness equipment. To create an effective fitness plan, you need the correct equipment.

First priority when preparing for your fitness training should be proper exercise apparel.  Too many make the mistake of buying equipment first. Keep in mind that your fitness workouts will only be enjoyable if you are comfortable.

Before buying anything, dress yourself up with proper exercise apparel.

  • To enjoy your fitness training, choose close fitting and comfortable clothes with sweat absorbing material, such as seamless tank tops. Exercise apparel made with cotton is a good example.
  • After apparel, you should select the proper footwear. Use running shoes to jog or run, use cross trainers for indoor exercises.
  • Make sure you wear proper close fitting socks to avoid blisters.
    Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer Monitors Fitness Training

    Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer Monitors Fitness Training

    Durability is also important, as you might be doing heavy exercising. Make sure you wear something that will last and will not rip or tear while you’re working out.

Essential Outdoor Gadgets

It would be great if you could incorporate outdoor exercises into your fitness plan. The fresh air and change in scenery will do you good mentally and physically.

  • When going out for a power walk, run, or bike ride, consider bringing an MP3 player. Good exercise music can help your pace and keep you company on the road.
  • Bring a small water bottle or wear a camel pack (small fitting backpack with water and drinking spout) to keep you hydrated.
  • Make sure to wear a personal warning device such as bright shirt or reflective vest over your exercise clothes.
  • Bring a mobile phone for emergencies and make sure someone knows where you are going or running and what time you should be back. Fitness training and safety do come in hand-in-hand.

Indoor Fitness Training Gadgets

When purchasing equipment, focus on you fitness program. Make sure they are in-line with your fitness program or you’ll end up with white elephants. All you need for your fitness workout is a wide and properly ventilated area in your house, along with a few fitness training gadgets.

The biggest mistake you can make is buying too much too soon.  Aim for at least two aerobic and strength training equipment.

  • One basic aid you can use inside and outdoor during your fitness workouts is a Pedometer. One good pedometer that has a large display for the visually impaired, a 7 day history so you can see progress (or lack of), calculates calories and distance in addition to steps is the Omron HJ-112 Digital Pocket Pedometer (Amazon affiliate link) .
  • For aerobic exercise, try a treadmill, stationary bike, rower, or simple things such as a jump rope, a stepper, or aerobics videos.
  • For strength training, there are all-in-one or multi-exercise machines, and weight training bench and barbells. Or for something simpler, buy a range of free-weights and resistance bands. Before buying, make sure you try them out first.
  • It is also advisable for you to get at least one soft-foam exercise pad for floor exercises.
  • You might also want to stock a variety of aerobic and weight training videos to watch and exercise with to keep things fresh.

Those are of course all just suggestions. You might want to try completing your fitness training equipment slowly, and spread the cost over time. Having the proper fitness training equipment will surely help you achieve your fitness goals in no time. Click Here to take survey

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The First Step to Fitness : Defining your Fitness Goals

Review: Weight Loss Through Dietwatch.com

June 6, 2009 by Gail Grannum  
Filed under Healthy Eating Nutrition

Diet, fitness, feeling good, and lots of support are what you need when you want to lose weight. This is what you will receive if you join a dietwatch.com plan. Dietwatch.com was started by Jennifer May, a nutritionist/dietician and it is one of the first comprehensive online weight loss programs available that provides you easy access right in the comfort of your home.

You can begin exploring dietwatch.com by getting a free profile for yourself and taking a tour of the website. The free assessment tool will help design a plan suitable for you, depending on your weight, age, lifestyle, and your current exercise level. You will be asked to choose one of their 4 diet plans. These include the no restrictions plan, the reduced carbohydrate plan, the heart healthy Mediterranean plan, and the vegetarian plan.

  • It is necessary to track your meals and your level of physical activity for a successful weight loss program. Dietwatch.com makes it easy for you with the help of some wonderful tools that allow you to track your calorie intake, the amount of carbohydrates and fats you are consuming, and even your exercise level.

Losing weight becomes easier with a dietwatch.com plan due to its comprehensive weight loss program.

  • This includes a personalized meal planner, customized shopping list, and a nutrition tracker to keep a check on what you are eating.
  • Its nutritional calculator allows you to calculate the fat and calorie content of different foods. The Dietwatch.com planner allows you to maintain a daily food diary. Simply enter the food that you eat and the planner will keep a running total of your calories, fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

As a member of this wonderful weight loss program, you also gain access to an extensive database on different vitamins and minerals and their nutritional values and functions

  • You can track your fitness goals by simply entering the name and the length of each exercise that you have done and their handy tool will provide you with the amount of calories you have burned. You can choose from among various exercise programs which include aerobics, strength training, and flexibility programs. These help you design a workout which is best suitable for you.

Feeling good is one aspect that is often not given much attention in a weight loss program. However, dietwatch.com provides you with tools and articles on how to have a good body image, manage your emotions, think positively, and goal setting. You can also get inspirational messages and tips in what is called as the “meditation room”.

If you need help or support in your weight loss program, you can use its wonderful and supportive community. You can search for members who have similar goals and interests. You can ask questions and get feedback from other members and experts in their forums. Or simply share your experiences. You can send individual messages or chat with other members. And of course, through this section you can also receive daily tips for diet and advice from experts.

What’s more, dietwatch.com plans are very inexpensive. You can get all the information you need to lose weight by just logging on and that too anywhere and anytime. So, if an online weight loss program designed by professionals sounds good to you, go join dietwatch.com.

Related Posts Include Other Program Reviews and Other Diet and Nutrition Articles

Fit and Healthy On The Road: Keeping-Up With Fitness Goals While Traveling

June 6, 2009 by Gail Grannum  
Filed under Exercise & Fitness

It’s inevitable that you will one day have to travel, whether on business or on a family holiday, but that doesn’t mean you should leave your fitness goals behind. Travel can be a great time to explore new places to workout. At the very least, you’ll experience something different in your fitness training.
If you’re staying at a hotel, chances are it has a fitness center where you can do your fitness workout routine. Most hotels now have top-of-the-line equipment and may even offer free sessions with a personal trainer or free exercise classes. Some hotels may have a pools; swimming is an excellent aerobic exercise so do not miss out on this opportunity.Traveling Fitness Goals
If you’re staying at a motel with no gym, you can go to the nearest park for your fitness workout. Make sure you always bring a pair of running shoes. We’re lucky that we live in a time when running shoes are barely heavier than the socks we wear so there should be no problems there.
If you take your fitness plan seriously, then you should always pack a couple of pieces of fitness training equipment in your luggage.

    One light and effective exercise tool would be a jumping rope. It balls up tightly and weighs next to nothing.

    You can also get in some nice weight training by bringing resistance bands. They may not do exactly as well as real weights but they’ll give you a good enough fitness workout for the meantime. (Note- please read our review on Bodylastics travel items)

    If you have a laptop, make sure you have your fitness workout videos in there. You can hook it up to the speakers on your hotel TV, or just being a fitness video with you and pop it in the room’s DVD player. For floor exercises, you can use the towels or sheets as your mat, but be sure to ask for replacements after (wink).
    If you really can’t bring anything, or if you forget, you still have something you can use for your fitness workout: your own body.

    • You can do traditional fitness training by running in place, doing jumping jacks, doing push-ups, crunches, squats, lunges and yoga. (Note to reader; if you are interested in yoga, please read our yoga series)

    If you’re on a business trip, it’s best to do your planned fitness workouts in the morning. Pack your own sports bars, bring your vitamins and always keep yourself properly hydrated.
    Now, say you’re going on a family vacation, it doesn’t mean you need to leave your fitness goals behind. You can still sneak in a workout or two by hiking, biking, boating or simply playing with Frisbees, or touch football. Play is also a form of fitness training you know.

    • On the road, one big no-no is disregarding your fitness plan by not eating right. Remember that your diet is directly related to your fitness goals. Of course you should always try the local delicacy but do try avoiding the all-you-can-eat buffets.

    With these tips, you won’t have any worries – or excuses – about your fitness goals and not getting your fitness workout done.

    Related posts:

    1. Reaching Your Fitness Goals, One Victory at a Time
    2. The First Step to Fitness: Defining your Fitness Goals
    3. How Your First Personal Trainer Meeting Supports Your Fitness Goals
    4. Holistic Fitness Find the Right Fit

    Reaching Your Fitness Goals, One Victory at a Time

    May 19, 2009 by Gail Grannum  
    Filed under Exercise & Fitness

    In Defining Your Fitness Goals, we focused on the importance of having the proper goals in order to achieve your desired fitness level. Now let’s talk about setting the goal and making it achievable.

    While you may be tempted to set a goal that at once audacious and daring, you should always be realistic. Setting the bar very high is sometimes advantageous, as even if you fall short and only reach 50% of your fitness goal, it’s still quite good. That may work for some, but it won’t work for many others. The reason why many people fail to reach their fitness goals is not because of lack of trying, it’s because they get discouraged when they don’t see the developments immediately.bigstockphoto_fitness_assessment_161241

    The first thing you need to do is to set your fitness goal to paper. There is something about writing things down that makes them more real, kind of like a contract with your self, instead of just lip service. Write it down, and then make a detailed fitness training plan with specific steps toward reaching it.

    Keep your goal ‘visible’ all throughout the day. Post it on your vanity, your dresser, your cubicle or office desk, on the key holder in your house, on the dashboard of your car. Do not allow yourself any time to forget that you are heading towards a goal.

    Whatever your overall fitness goal is, you need to break it down into little steps in order to make it achievable and realistic. These are what I like call “Fitness Milestones.” Each fitness milestone is a stepping-stone to your “absolute goal” or main goal.

    Make sure you choose a fitness workout that is appropriate for your goal. For example, your main goal is to lose 50 lbs, you can create a fitness plan that will allow you to lose 10 lbs in a month. If you’re goal is to compete in a marathon, you can train to run 5 miles a week, adding 1 mile per week until you reach your desired miles, etc.

    To keep your fitness workouts fresh, you can try enlisting the help of an exercise buddy, then switch buddies every now and again. To keep things interesting, reward yourself every time you achieve a fitness milestone. For example, get yourself a nice spa or beauty treatment after every milestone. When you reach your halfway mark, you can make your personal reward extra special. Ramping up the rewards you give yourself can make reaching a goal really enjoyable.

    If you’re feeling the strain, take a load off. Taking a break for maybe a day or two won’t impact your fitness program overall, it might even be beneficial as you get to recharge your batteries.

    Remember that it’s the journey that counts, and reaching your fitness goal is only the last part. There’s all that time in between that you should enjoy. Succeeding does not have to be all pain and sacrifice. Reaching your fitness goals should be challenging yet fun. Click Here to take survey