Be Fit’s 20 Minute Cardio Power Debuts Monday.

May 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

People don’t always have an hour to spend exercising or have access to a gym.

You don’t need either with the new 20 Minute Cardio Power program from Liongate’s Be Fit.

On Monday, Lionsgate will be premiering an all-new, BeFit Go video, BeFit Go | 20 Minute Cardio Power.

Be Fit Be Fits 20 Minute Cardio Power Debuts Monday.

Be Fit’s 20 Minute Cardio Power debuts Monday

The 20 Minute Cardio Power workout is an intense, calorie blasting cardio circuit workout that boosts metabolism through a unique combination of exercises that include ski jumps, air squats, and jumping lunges.

Why Cardio Power?

The Cardio Power program will give you results in just 20 minutes a day.

Increased Heart Health

Your heart is a muscle just like any other, it needs to be worked to become strong. By getting the heart pumping at a faster rate on a regular basis you will keep it in shape and healthy.

Increased Metabolism

The more intense your cardio session, the more noticeable increase you will see in your metabolic rate. An increased metabolism means an easier time maintaining your weight, or even losing weight!

A better life!

Performing cardiovascular exercises changes the hormonal profile in your body by releasing “feel good” hormones called endorphins, which block pain and enable you to experience euphoric feelings. People who partake in regular cardio exercise often have a better outlook on life because they’re getting the stress-relief benefits from these hormones.

Be Fit has replaced Exercise TV by offer a variety of challenging workouts from fitness icons like Denise Austin, Jillian Michaels, and Mary Helen Bowers for free!

To start the Cardio Power program and to see the other workouts from Be Fit, click here.

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 I am not an affiliate of Lionsgate Be Fit. 
Filed Under: At Home Workouts, Motivation To Exercise

The Best Way To Motivate Someone Isn’t With Words

May 15, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Do you ever have the urge to tell your work out buddy that’s trying to encourage you with phrases like “keep it up” and “you’ve got this” to shut the you-know-what up?

You would think that having a fitness partner that tries to motivate you with encouraging words would help you work longer and harder.  But, recent research shows that verbal encouragement isn’t all that helpful and may even be de-motivating.

Brandon Irwin, assistant professor of kinesiology, worked with researchers at Michigan State University on the study “You Can Do It: The Efficacy of Encouragement in Motivating the Weak Link to Exercise Longer During an Online Exercise Video Game” to determine how to increase motivation during physical activity. They learned that individuals do tend to work out longer when they are with a partner that is perceived to be more skilled than they are as long as they keep the verbal cues to a minimum.

Quite please The Best Way To Motivate Someone Isn’t With Words

Less Is More

In a separate study, 115 participants were told to do planks for as long as they could.  One group of participants were told they would be exercising with a partner who was slightly better than them.  The partner was a looped video recording.

The other group was also told they would be exercising with a partner that was slightly better than them.  In this case the partner was also a recording, but for this group the partner provided verbal encouragement.

The researchers were surprised to find that the group that did not receive the verbal motivational cues exercised longer.  They expected the opposite would be true.  The conclusion is that when you are exercising with someone that you know is slightly better than you and they keep verbal encouragement to a minimum you are motivated to work out longer.

“Our research suggests that the best virtual workout partner is someone who is a little better than you and doesn’t encourage you under certain conditions,” Irwin concluded.

The researchers’ best guess for why the results turned out the way they did is that those who received encouragement from a partner perceived to be more skilled may have interpreted the comments as condescending.

Irwin feels that data could provide insight for designing electronic media including successful social and video games.  Ultimately the best virtual work out partner would be someone who was skilled but silent.

What About A Real Life Work Out Partner?

Anyone that works out with a buddy could take a tip from this study and not pour on the “way to gos” and “atta boys or atta girls” too thick. The best motivation is having a workout buddy that’s a mentor that you can strive to be like, but that doesn’t rub it in that you’re the weak link.

Given that the research shows that being too vocal can back fire, even fitness instructors may need to ratchet back their vocal enthusiasm when it comes to pushing people, especially those that are new to class.

What do you think?  Do you work out with a partner that tries to encourage you or are you the motivator?  If you’re trying to do 20 push-ups, how helpful is it to have someone who has easily mastered the 20 in your ear saying, “Come on.  I know you can do this!”?

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Filed Under: Health and Wellness News, Motivation To Exercise

Get Ready for Summer With The 30 Day Squat Challenge

May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment

With spring comes the dreaded thought (for some of us at least) of putting on shorts or even worse . . . . . a swimsuit.  But, there’s still time to get your buns and thighs in shape for the pool or beach. Squats are not only the most popular functional fitness exercise, they are one of the the most effective at strengthening and toning the lower body. Get started on the 30 Day Squat Challenge today and have a toned tush by summer.

The Perfect Squat

When you execute a squat you’re engaging the hamstrings, quads, and glutes.  The squat is not just a vital exercise for increasing the strength and size of the legs and buttocks, but they will also help improve core strength. You don’t have to go to a gym or load up with a weighted barbell to get the benefits from squatting.

Squatting is something you can do at home, in your hotel room when you’re travelling, and at your desk at work.  As long as you execute the squat using proper form you shouldn’t experience knee, hip or lower back pain. If you’re new to doing squats you may want to check out your form in a mirror before you start the 30 day challenge to make sure you’re doing them correctly.

The perfect squat will look like this:

b7e4b0551df4b1aa1ecdac3d7f6a2569 Get Ready for Summer With The 30 Day Squat Challenge

 

The basic rules for a proper squat are:

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Filed Under: Motivation To Exercise Tagged With:

The Six Core Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day.

March 26, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If you’ve got your running shoes out and are training for a 5K, 10K or bigger event, having a strong core is the key to your overall success.  It’s true that to be a good runner you need to spend time running.  You also need to spend some time on exercises that will increase your overall stability and core.

Jason Fitzgerald, a 2:30 marathoner and running coach warns people to not let their ‘engine outpace their chassis.  Fitzgerald says that it’s important to remember that your aerobic fitness develops at a faster pace than your structural. What does Fitzgerald suggest?  Strength training and core work so that your chassis can keep up with your engine.

You’re Only As Strong As Your Weakest Link

On days that you’re doing cross training activities like strength training, cycling, and swimming, take a few minutes and incorporate these six key core exercises into your routine.  Doing all six will only take 10 to 15 minutes and taking the time to do them will pay dividends on race day.

1. Rotational Lunge – This is a very active standing core exercise.  You can use a light weight medicine ball or dumbbell.  Starting position is standing with your the ball or dumbbell at chest level.   Step one leg forward into a lunge while you rotate to the opposite side, or as I like to say, “rotate towards the open leg”.  Step back to starting position.  Change legs. Repeat for 16 repetitions, alternating.

                                                                      1dc9b959fab0c248322f96a314fc1b32 The Six Core Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Lateral Lunge With A Twist – You can use a small weighted medicine ball or dumbbell for this exercise.  Stand with feet side by side, ball in front of your chest.  Keep hips forward while stepping right leg out to a lateral lunge position rotating ball past the knee.  Step back to center. Change legs.  Alternate legs for 16 repetitions.

                                             e153175cbe262694f2a990924687f2c4 The Six Core Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filed Under: Motivation To Exercise

Twenty Reasons Why You Should Get 30 Minutes of Exercise Every Day.

March 13, 2013 By Leave a Comment

You already know that a daily dose of exercise is one of the best things you can do for your health.  What you may not know is that 30 minutes a day of cardio and strength exercises effects every single cell in your body.  Exercise is the secret sauce to a longer, more productive existence.  And the best news is you don’t have to do P90X or Insanity-type workouts to get the benefits (although those are certainly solid programs).  Moderate, but regular, doses of exercise does a body good too!

Here are twenty reasons why you should get (at least) 30 minutes of exercise a day:

1.  Heart Disease – Getting some regular, daily exercise can reduce your risk of fatal heart disease. And when you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

2.  Increased Brain Power – Exercise is the single best thing you can do for your brain in terms of mood, memory, and learning according to Harvard Medical School psychiatrist John Ratey and author of the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain. Exercise increases mental clarity and may help reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimers.

Exercise Blocks Twenty Reasons Why You Should Get 30 Minutes of Exercise Every Day.

Exercise is the secret ingredient to a long and healthy life.

3.  Depression – A study published in 2005 found that walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a day three times a week had a significant influence on mild to moderate depression symptoms. When you exercise you secrete chemicals called endorphins which are the body’s own natural anti-depressants.

4.  Diabetes – Studies show that exercise has the potential to control diabetes by nonmedical means, reduce the severity of the disease, and significantly reduce the risk of long-term complications

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Filed Under: Fitness, Motivation To Exercise

The Five Yoga Poses You Should Be Doing Everyday

March 4, 2013 By 4 Comments

Let’s face it.  Most of us aren’t working on balance and flexibility. At least not like we should be.  Our focus is on the workout. Whether it’s running, CrossFit, HIIT, or spin class, you put your attention on the fat burning part of the program.

Maybe you do a few stretches when you’re done if you have time. Or, like many of the participants that come to the fitness classes I teach, you start putting your equipment back in the closet when the cool down song comes on and head out the door without doing so much as a basic quad stretch. You don’t have time for three or four minutes of stretching or yoga poses.

When you skip the stretch you’re short changing yourself on a critical component of the workout.  Not only does stretching improve flexibility, which is beneficial to overall athletic performance and reduces the risk of injury, it also increases blood flow to the muscles decreasing muscle soreness.  Although the reviews are mixed, some studies suggest that stretching can actually increase muscle strength after a weight bearing workout.

There’s nothing that compares to the way a warrior or triangle pose feels after a high intensity interval training workout.  It’s the icing on the cake.  It’s your reward.

I know you’re busy, but I’m betting you have five minutes to spend practicing and perfecting these 5 yoga poses:

1.  Warrior – My favorite of all of the poses. It makes me feel strong and complete. Keep the front leg in bent knee position, and back leg straight.  Arms are held wide and long. Hold the pose on each side for 30 seconds.

d68f25b375e9c7d630fbdb1ca14789d6 The Five Yoga Poses You Should Be Doing Everyday
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Filed Under: At Home Workouts, Motivation To Exercise

A Half Marathon Training Tip That Might Work For You Too.

February 27, 2013 By 1 Comment

I’ve started training for my annual half marathon that takes place in April.  The real challenge this year is that due to peer pressure I’m signed up for two half’s in a row.  The week after the annual April half marathon event I’ve got 13 miles to run again in another city.  I’ve got my work cut out for me.

The biggest problem living in Illinois is that in the winter it’s hard to get in any distance runs except on a treadmill which I’ve never been a big fan of.  I’ve read, and even written, about strategies that will make treadmill running more bearable.  I’ve incorporated many of the tips into my workouts.  Recently, I’ve been doing my own version of extreme hills which is helping me stay motivated and challenged.

But, despite having a great playlist, mileage tracker and the hill challenge, I still have trouble staying on the treadmill for a distance that resembles a half marathon training run. The boredom and mental fatigue are winning!

Wheel of Bike A Half Marathon Training Tip That Might Work For You Too.

I have a love/hate relationship with the yellow spin bike at the gym.

Going For A Spin!

I have found the way to extend the cardio workout is to put a short cycling stint in immediately after the run.  In the gym where I work out we have spin bikes in the cardio section of the fitness center and no one is ever on them at the hour that I’m there so it’s easy for me to get off of the treadmill and right onto the bike.

It’s been several years since I’ve done any serious cycling.  I’m amazed at how much I love the way the spin bike makes my legs feel! Totally different than the running or other activities that I do.  Yet I can’t help but wonder if spending the time on the bike will have any impact on my half marathon training or if I’m just wasting my time.

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Filed Under: Motivation To Exercise, Running
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