Get Out of Your Fitness Rut! My Story

The first thing I need to admit is that I am only just coming out the other side of a serious lack of motivation with my own health and fitness. That's right! A fitness professional who has helped hundreds of people to reach their health and fitness goals can go off track. We all go through periods where motivation is lacking. Although this hasn't been ideal for me, it has really helped me to empathize with people who are going through a struggle to get on top of their weight loss goals. Let me tell you a little more about my story.

My Story:

A few years ago I was living my dream. Part of the 'Green Machine' training for a job that I always wanted to do. Extreme fitness training, abseiling down buildings and elevator shafts, jumping out of helicopters and being part of a highly trained team was all in a days work. Literally in an instant that dream came to an end with no way to return. My sole reason for gaining top fitness for 10 years was cut off at the legs. I found myself lacking motivation to stay fit. I knew a lot about how to get fit and stay trim from my experiences but the desire to stay that way literally disappeared. One day I looked in the mirror and I was 25kgs (55lbs) overweight. Once at this point I became injury prone and it was a vicious cycle or 'too injured to get fit' and 'needing to get fit to stop being injured'.

The Turning Tide:

There is nothing like a serious health scare in your family to wake you up. The news that my father was undergoing urgent triple bypass surgery was a real wake up call. Knowing that heart disease was a part of my family history got me thinking hard about life. Whatever your current situation and the physical challenges you face, there is something you can do to stay active. No excuses. All you need is a catalyst for change.

Step 1: Own your current situation

The time came where I had to brush aside all the excuses and take charge of my health and fitness. Being overweight really is a choice. It's the choice to not invest in your own health by giving yourself at least 30 minutes a day to engage in being active. It's a choice to over indulge in poor nutrition over a prolonged period of time. The first step in change is to acknowledge your current situation and take responsibility for where you are.

Step 2: Any exercise is good exercise

Whether you are walking around the block with your dog, engaging in a boot camp session or training for a charity event, anything that you do towards staying active is a victory. My motto that I use for myself and my clients is 'moving is winning'. If you are moving your body in some way then you are winning your own health and fitness battle. Incremental gains are the best way to get fit without injuring your body. This philosophy will get you back to your best.

Step 3: Get organised with your nutrition

Time and time again, I see that being organised with food preparation is the main obstacle to clean eating. Having good eating habits is generally more of a logistical challenge than a temptation challenge once you get started. That is not to say that you won't have urges to eat junk once you are clean eating. Prepared meals help big time. While you are getting your weight down to a manageable level it's a good idea to be strict on your nutrition.

Step 4: Find your motivation

Take time daily to ponder on what you want for yourself with your health and fitness. How do you view yourself as a person in regards to your appearance and health? Wanting to look good is perfectly naturally and you don't have to look like a fitness model to be happy. Picture yourself and your partner and kids growing old together and cling to that feeling to keep you on track with your health and fitness goals.


Mark Tulloch is a fitness professional with a background in the military. He is the co-founder of

Boot It Fitness which trains bootcamp and fitness business trainers

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Recovery After Exercise: Being At Your Best Day In Day Out Requires Effective Recovery

The ability to continue to train day after day, week after week, without flagging or injury comes down to lots of factors, but for me the most important of which is recovery. If you finish a hard ride, set of intervals, race or even endurance ride and simply stop you probably aren't giving your body the best chance to repair damage done by the next time you ride. Of course recovery is a very personal choice. I have a set way to recover which I know is different to my cycling peers, that doesn't mean that I am right and they are wrong or vice versa but that I have found my body works better following a different regime.

I'll start with immediately after an event, session or ride. The first thing I do is sink a recovery shake. I go for one with a high amount of carbohydrates with protein and other vitamins. You can shop around and try a few out to decide which one suits you best, again another personal preference. Once I've drank my shake I do one of a few other things depending on if I've finished a race and am away from home, or a ride or training session and am at home. If I'm at home I'll clean my bike and then jump in shower, following that I'll stretch and eat. If I'm at an event I'm unable to shower and clean my bike so I go straight into stretching (I do still clean myself and my bike - when at home!).

Stretching will untighten any firm muscles and help increase blood circulation to them. This will reduce muscle soreness and injury risk. Some riders' do a specific cool-down session on the bike or a turbo trainer. This will be a reverse of a warm-up the idea being to reduce heart rate and relax muscles in a similar way to stretching. I don't do an exact regime I just finish an event or ride by dropping to an easy gear and spinning my legs out. This should help to flush out any lactic acid build up. Again this element of recovery is very important if you want to train again the next day.

What people do on rest days, or as I call them recovery days, is again a very personal thing. I, as the change in day name suggests, do a recovery session. If you know your maximum heart rate or maximum minute power you can use simple calculation to work out at what percentage of these you need to train below in order for it to be a recovery ride. If you are training using power you should remain at less than 35% of your maximum and with heart rate you need to be below 60%. If you can use both this will ensure you remain in what is called the recovery zone. Training any higher than these will mean you are causing unnecessary strain on your muscles, they will not be recovering. I thoroughly believe you should do all recovery rides indoors, you are unable to monitor rides outside well enough to ensure you only use the recovery zones, and as said anything above this and you aren't recovering. Hills, traffic and weather will be a factor in your rides outside and all have the potential to turn a recovery ride into an endurance one. The maximum I do is a half hour recovery ride. The other option is to do nothing on your rest day, again this works for some but I find my legs are very heavy and tired after a day where I do nothing at all.

The final element of recovery is prolonged periods of rest. Sounds daunting to anyone who hasn't or doesn't take regular time off from training and racing but sometimes it is needed. A perfect example of when to take a prolonged period of rest is at the end of the cycling season. By the end you should be starting to tire, you may not realise it, and you may feel like continuing your training straight into the off season but you will struggle to maintain form throughout the winter without a rest beforehand. The issue will be that if you start to flag and your training is progressing as well as you'd like you may be forced to rest during the off season and destroying a lot of your hard work. So seriously consider taking rest between seasons. Depending on how hard you are training and what you are training for you may find that rest at other points in the season is necessary too, but this can be monitored by training progression, resting heart rates and other fitness and performance indicators.

As I say above, recovery is very much a personal element to any training program, you need to experiment with different recovery techniques and continue with those that are effective and not bother with those are not. Hopefully if you take some of this advice your training will become far more effective and your muscles less sore, win-win.


Pav Bryan - Owner & Coach

Pav Bryan Cycling Coach

Advanced Wattbike Cycling Performance & Fitness Testing, & Coaching

http://www.pavbryan.com

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Nutrition And Exercise Plan For Fat Loss

INTERMITTENT FASTING AND 2 DAILY WORKOUTS

Get the 1st of 2 daily workouts before you have your 1st meal of the day. Wait 12 hours of not eating a meal before your workout to burn maximal body fat for energy. If you wait that long than your body has burned up most of its blood sugar stores through the night and early morning. Your body burns blood sugar first for fuel during a workout before it's able to burn body fat (adipose tissue). Since you have fasted for 12 hours your blood sugar is low and so it only takes a few minutes to burn that up resulting in immediate fat burning for energy.

You will simply workout on an empty stomach again later in the day for your 2nd workout to burn more fat.

Bonus tip - add 100-200 mg of caffeine to your system 30-60 minutes before both workouts to boost energy, increase strength, increase desire, focus, and best of all, to burn more fat! Caffeine will work with the body resulting in a slightly more fat burn during exercise. Do not add sugar or creamer to your caffeine. Try a cup of coffee, caffeine pills, or some green or black tea for example.

POST WORKOUT MEALS FOR BOTH DAILY MEALS

Now, 15-60 minutes after your workout is the best time to consume carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fat. This is important for muscle recovery, preventing muscle loss, healthy hormone production, and best of all, fat loss! If you fail to eat during this window of opportunity you will slow metabolism, increase muscle breakdown, and will be unable to fully replenish muscle energy for your following workout. Make sure your protein is a complete source like eggs, meat, fish, or soy protein. Make sure your carbs come from nature instead of a box. Fruits, vegetables, and oatmeal are great choices. Finally, add healthy fats like nuts, seeds, eggs, and olive oil for overall health including healthy hormone production. Eat foods that are not processed and are in its most natural state. For example brown rice beats white rice. Or 9 grain bread over the highly processed white bread. Find the diet that works well with your particular taste buds as everyone is a unique individual. There is no limit because your only eating twice per day, your energy requirements are higher due to a 2 a day training protocol, and because you are eating only after workouts thus feeding muscles instead of fat (adipose tissue).

Bonus tip - to get even better results eat certified organic labeled food when possible.


http://www.harrisburgpersonaltrainerjosh.com Get 1 week free boot camp trial 717-343-4955 or take advantage of all my follow along workout finishers and get free online personal training with me, Josh Wolfe

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Body Weight Skull Crushers

I read somewhere that Skull Crushers are the only exercise that has a "warning" in their name. I can only image how the name came about, but what I do know is that it's probably one of the single best Triceps Exercises you can do. What's even more awesome about this exercise is that you don't even need a gym to do them! Body weight Skull Crushers can be just as effective and getting those shirt busting guns that you're shooting for!

Body weight Skull Crushers

Guys may laugh off most body weight exercises because they think they need to be lifting mass amounts of weight to build muscle. This really isn't the case and you can visit any cross-training gym or take a circuit / bootcamp style class so see some really hot physiques that were built from mostly bodyweight exercises. For the women fear not, you're not going to get the bulk the guys will anyway because of purely genetic reasons, and this is an awesome exercise to help tone the upper arms.

What are Body weight Skull Crushers?

They're a variation of the common Skull Crusher Tricep workout. With weights, you're laying on a bench and extending a barbell to your forehead. With the bodyweight version you're using gravity, positioning, and well... your body's own weight.

How to Do Body weight Skull Crushers.

1. In the Gym: On a Smith Machine or rack set, adjust the bar to waist height or slightly higher. Outside the Gym: You can use just about any stable object that allows you to grasp with your hands like a counter top or staircase railing.

2. Keep your abs tight and form a plank as you grasp the bar from the upright position. (Note: a pair of lifting grips will ease hand fatigue and give you a more stable grip.)

3. Lower your body, bending at the elbows until your forehead is about to touch the bar. You'll want to focus on keeping your elbows tucked into your sides as much as possible. Pause.

4. Return back to the starting position, and that completes one full rep!

Tips:

The higher the bar, the less you'll be working the Triceps. The lower the bar, the more you'll hit the triceps.

This is not only a great Triceps Exercise, but it's a good stability exercise. Because you're also engaging your core in "planking" you'll probably even feel it in your abs as well!


Los Angeles Personal Trainer Riley Daye is part of the GymPaws Workout Gloves Fitness Team. His areas of study include Weight Lifting, Strength Training, Nutrition, Body Building and Sport Specific Training.

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31 Workouts In 31 Days

At first when you hear the words 31 workouts in 31 days you may assume this feat was accomplished by working out every single day consecutively for a month straight with no break. Surprise, surprise, this was not the case in this scenario.

In actuality, after these 31 workouts in 31 days were completed, there was still a total of 11 days completely free from any type of physical activity during that time period.

Funny thing is, this personal challenge didn't actually develop until mid-month when I looked at my monthly calendar tacked to the wall and tallied how many exercises I had completed up to that point. Using a monthly wall calendar is a very easy, simple way to keep track of a number of important happenings going on in your life, including the days you exercise and workout.

How About Challenging Yourself To 31 Workouts In 31 Days?


For this challenge I determined a workout would need to be at least one hour in duration with some type of elevated heart rate activity. To help maintain inspiration to get the same number of workouts as there were days in the month, diversifying my activities really helped me stick with it. The activities I alternated between were tennis, Bootcamp classes, running, and walking.

Whenever I finished working out, I would write the initial for the exercise in the corner of the box for that particular day. If I went running with my dog in the morning, I wrote a capital R in the box, Bootcamp class at night was a capital B, etc.

I used the same blue marker each time when marking my calendar to help keep everything looking uniform. Plus doing it this way helped make it much easier to glance at the calender and see exactly how my exercise progress was coming along or see if there were large gaps of space in between workouts. Three days in a row was the longest I went without working out.

If you've never used a monthly wall calendar, you may really find them to be a useful tool to help you stick with a particular goal you want to strive to meet. Try one out sometime and see if it helps you stick with healthy living habits like proper nutrition and a regularly occurring exercise routine. You may find that this is one of the best tools to help keep you focused on a goal you are trying to achieve.


Gregory L. Gomez, a LAUSD teacher who's also on journey to develop a healthy life in an effort to lose weight and get in shape. Follow his progress on http://HealthyChoicesInLife.com as he strives to lose nearly 100 pounds by eating healthy and maintaining a consistent exercise routine. Get a FREE monthly Healthy Choices Newsletter along with a Healthy Eating eBook just for stopping by at http://healthychoicesinlife.com/five-simple-healthy-recipes-for-kids.

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Congruent and Functional Exercise

Exercising congruently and in a functional manner are important since exercising incongruently and in a non functional manner can cause undue stress on your joints, and your body. Excessive exercise or "chronic cardio" can often do a lot of damage on your body. While cardiovascular exercise does have its benefits, doing too much or the wrong kind can cause a lot of wear and tear on your joints and even your adrenals.

Exercising congruently is more applicable and important when doing weight training as training with weights in an incongruent manner can often lead to injury. Weight machines such as MedEx, Nautilus and Hammer Strength when used correctly can virtually eliminate the chance for injury as well as being a much more efficient way to strength train. A full range of motion is not always needed when doing weight training exercises as it places undue strain on your body, particularly your joints and ligaments.


When doing weight training it would benefit one to not do a full range of motion because you are trying to build strength and not push the range of motion or increase the range of motion with an exercise. In physical therapy although when repairing a muscle, joint or ligament it is advisiable to increase the range of motion in a safe gentle manner for proper healing.

Walking is a form of cardiovascular exercise that almost anyone can do, and will not wear out your joints, or your body (in particular your adrenals). Walking can benefit someone even if done for 20-30 minutes a day and can be done daily for up to an hour. Beyond an hour there is not much benefit to walking more. Walking will benefit those that work or live a rather sedentary lifestyle. Being sedentary can often have many detrimental impacts on our physical and mental health.

By walking and hiking one can counter act the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. If someone does a job where they expend a lot of energy and run/walk a lot, I would only walk on days off.

While sprinting and bodyweight exercises aren't optimal they can be used when free weights or weight training machines aren't available. Sprinting can also be done in short spurts 1-3 times a week (not more than 15-20 minutes a time and with breaks) can be very helpful in sports conditioning as well. While bodyweight exercise can help build strength it won't develop as much as one would when using free weights or weight machines. This is because strength gains are only really significant when your muscles are is pushed as much as possible which is difficult to do with bodyweight exercises in an efficient manner.


Check out my other article on functional exercise here: http://jheldt.hubpages.com/hub/Introduction-to-Functional-Exercise

Also check out my paleo and health blog at: http://www.paleoredux.blogspot.com

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What You Need to Know About Running in the Sun

Running on a treadmill or riding on an elliptical in one place can be boring exercise regimen for some people. Why not run outside right? When running outside you can run at your own pace, have variation of hills for resistance, you not staring at a wall, and last but not least you can enjoy the nature of the sun when it is nice outside. A good amount of sunlight exposure can provide good amount of Vitamin D, which promotes healthier skin and stronger bone density. Yet there are some things to consider when running outside, because you can be at risk for certain diseases.

Benefits of Running in Sunlight

Unlike running inside a gym or a recreation center, your body will be able to produce other benefits like the production of vitamin D. According to an author from Environmental Health Perspectives, Nathaniel Mead, vitamin D can be synthesized in the skin through the exposure to UV radiation. With the presence of vitamin D, it can enhance calcium and phosphorus absorption, controlling the flow of calcium into and out of bones to regulate bone-calcium metabolism. Without Vitamin D, your bones will not properly form efficiently and your skin will not receive enough essential nutrition to stay healthy.

Cautions of Running in Sunlight

Like most essential nutrients, there are some side effects that you can have if you have too much exposure to UV radiation. According to United States Environmental Protection Agency, you can be at risk with skin cancer, premature aging, eye damage, and immune system suppression. Keep in mind that having some good that is more than needed doesn't mean that the results will end even better. When running outside be sure to have the proper sunscreen to protect your skin from UV radiation. Do not stay outside longer than you have to. To protect your eyes, make sure you have the proper eye wear in order to prevent certain eye damage like cataracts.

Have Fun

Aside from making the right decisions to stay safe when running outside, be sure that you are having fun when you exercise outside. Running outside is not for everyone, so if you do not like to do it do not do it. You will cause more harm than necessary. If you plan to go run, be sure to have a plan on how you want to accomplish your goals in a safely manner while running in the sunlight. Once you have a plan, pick the best route for you to run and finish your race.


For more information about running or if you are looking for a good running program to start visit http://www.fitnessvehicle.com for the latest topics about running and online consultation for your fitness goals.

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How to Get Rid of Muscle Soreness

So you have a problem, the problem is muscle soreness, but how do you get rid of it? Well the answer is it completely straightforward, but I will explain what works best for me.

It is important to stay hydrated when getting over muscle soreness, and if you use the following techniques, muscle soreness won't be slowing you.

The first, very easy technique, is to use a rolling pin to rub your muscles. Now, they actually have foam rollers to do this, but if you don't have one on hand you can probably find the answer somewhere in your kitchen. When your muscles are repairing it is very important that you keep them loose, so I recommend using a roller before, after, and sometimes in between workout sessions.

The next solution is pretty well known, and that is to have extra protein shakes throughout the day. I say protein shakes because it is a way to get extra protein because I am assuming that a person who is exercising vigorously on a routine basis is eating a proper diet that is still with foods that have protein. By drinking protein shakes throughout the day this will give your body the extra protein that needs to recover after you have damaged your muscles. I recommend always drinking a 100% whey protein shake immediately after an intense workout. By doing this, you will definitely decrease the amount of muscle soreness you will experience in the following few days.

Sometimes we overlook taking ibuprofen or a type of anti-inflammatory because we forget that they are only for relieving pain. They relieve pain by reducing the swelling we have created in our muscles from working out. I would like to mention that I wouldn't recommend taking these on a regular basis. I would only take them after leg day or a day when you really need it. The reason I say not to take it continually is because it can do serious liver damage if you taken on a regular basis and can even inhibit your ability to recover from tough workouts.

I go to the why a lot with one of the wrestling coaches that coach me and that I now coach with to work out. He always used to recommend that I get in the cold bath after my tough workouts because it would reduce the swelling and I feel better after. However, I was always reluctant to do so because it's just simply called and I didn't want to. It is pretty easy to do this at home though because all you need to do is fill up your bathtub with cold water and then put some ice in it to make it even colder. Of course we first game is going to suck, but you will soon get used to it and maybe even enjoyed. If you can stand it for about 10 to 15 minutes you will get out feeling much better than you did before you got in.

I always have people shake their head at me when I say this last one because it sounds counterintuitive and people always tell me I'm overtraining. This only makes me remember the two or three a day football practices in high school when I was incredibly sore but still went out and practiced day in and day out. Sometimes when you are sore it is better to exercise that area a little more. I don't recommend going crazy and making the work out very intense, but I do recommend you do some light exercise with those muscles that are sore so that you can loosen them up and rid yourself of some of that lactic acid that is built up in your muscles. Once you get your blood circulating have a protein shake. Once you get more blood going to those muscles your body will be able to deliver protein and other nutrients much more effectively. I think the key to this point is that the exercise should not be a killer workout, but only a way to loosen things up.

The real key to preventing muscle soreness is recognizing what type of physical condition you are in. It is not a bad thing to be sore, but it's not good to be so sore that you have trouble completing daily habits. So if you haven't listed in a while start with a lower weight than usual in anticipation that you will be sorer than normal.

Previously, I recommended using the roller before, after and in between different workouts, and it is important to note that you will always want to do a pre-workout stretch as well as a post workout stretch. It is very important to stretch on your days off as well. Yes, I said days off, so I will know what I think is the obvious but worth mentioning, which is to take a few days off per week to rest.

One of the most important aspects in recovery is simple, easy, and is often overlooked by its significance. You need to sleep, and when you're really sore you need to get extra sleep. When you are soaring you should be getting between 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Some people recommend that you always get a minimum of eight hours per night, but as a 23-year-old I often get between six and eight per night.

At the very beginning I mentioned to stay very hydrated by consuming a lot of water, Gatorade or other drinks that will replenish electrolytes lost through sweat, and drinks with vitamin C and other antioxidants, such as tea or juices, that can help rid your body of toxins built up in your muscles. Take your supplements and vitamins as well, such as fish oil supplements with dinner. Lastly, I'll recommend a few other tips similar to other ones that I went more in depth on, and they are as followed: apply heat or sit in a sauna to help loosen muscles and stretch, have someone give you a massage, and use common sense.


All from my knowledge.

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10 Tips To Make Working Out Fun For Those That Dread Exercise

Fitness is sometimes one of those words that makes people cringe, and words like workout and exercise can conjure up feelings of dread and anxiety. But, the reality is that fitness and exercise does not have to be dreadful, or very hard, overwhelming or boring.

The truth is fitness is very important. It is one of the best ways to ensure that you live a long and happy disease and heart attack free life.

Then, there is always the aesthetic factor as well, because let's face it, people that are fit look great, their clothes fit well and they usually have rockin bodies.

Being fit also results in being vital, energetic and it provides the ability to be vibrant and live a much fuller lifestyle where one can enjoy many activities that unfit and overweight people cannot.

So, once one accepts all the benefits of fitness and makes the decision to take the big plunge, the rest is fairly easy. Exercise does not have to be hard, it can be very fun, as long as you choose activities that you enjoy.

There are many ways to get fit without engaging in the usual gym type routines, which, are just not for everyone. Exercise can be a positive and an uplifting portion of your day.

The Impact of Cardio

Cardiovascular workouts, also known as aerobic activity are essential for heart health and weight management. And, while some love to sweat it out on an elliptical or a treadmill, it's not for everyone.

But, the good news is that there are many ways to get the benefits of cardio workouts without ever stepping into a gym or on a machine. Whatever activity you choose, stick with it and do it on a regular basis, this is what is most important.

How To Make Exercise More Fun

1. Sports

If you love sports, then, by all means use that as a form of cardio workout. All active sports increase the heart rate and get you moving. Some examples include, basketball, swimming, football and soccer.

2. Pump Up The Volume

Music is a great motivator to get people moving. Dance to your favorite tunes in your living room. It's private and fun!

If you would like a more structured workout try one of the many great workout DVD programs available on the market, some popular choices are, Hip Hop Abs, Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred and Richard Simmons has a whole line of DVD workout programs for beginners that are easy to learn and stick with.

The great thing about these types of DVD's is that they can be very motivating because the instructors know how to pump up their audience.

3. Workout While Watching TV

Try a few sit ups, and other exercises that speed up the heart rate while watching your favorite TV show.

Sit ups, leg lifts, or even jogging in place while tuning in to your favorite program is a great way get exercise in every day, and the show will be distracting enough that before you know it, you'll be done!

4. Feel The Exercise High

Exercise produces splendid hormones in your body called endorphins that make you feel really good, maybe you have heard about the runner's high? Well that's what it's all about.

So, take the time to enjoy them and anticipate when you will feel them again. Give yourself a short while following a workout, simply to relax and relish the feeling of the endorphins coarsing through your body. This is a positive feedback that will keep you coming back for more each day.

5. Make Exercise Your Own

Making up your own workout routine is a fantastic way to stay in shape and you will not need to join a gym.

6. Outdoor Lovers Rejoice

If you love the outdoors then say hooray, because there is a wide variety of cardio exercises that fit the outdoor lifestyle.

Hiking, rock climbing, swimming or just walking in the park are just a few examples of very effective workouts that are fun and can be made to fit with an active lifestyle.

7. Hire A Personal Trainer

If you have always had a hard time with fitness and working out, a good personal trainer can really help.

They offer not only their knowledge and expertise in fitness and exercise, but they can also keep you motivated and on track.

An experienced trainer will know how to deal with negativity, self-doubt and clients who want to quit, and they can be very helpful in these areas.

Also, the fact that you pay them can help you stay motivated, after all, who wants to waste money?

8. Get A Workout Partner

This is a great way to make exercise fun and the time pass quickly. Walk with a friend in the neighborhood while gabbing and you won't notice the hour of great exercise you just achieved.

9. Play With The Kids

Kids are very active and energetic, and you can lose 10 pounds just running after them for one afternoon. Playing with your kids is a fun way to get a good workout, without it feeling like work.

10. Find What Motivates You

It's a fact of human nature that humans will do whatever it takes to get what they want. So, what motivates you to get fit? Is it to have a beach body? If so, then pin pictures of beach bodies all over your house, this can be a huge motivator to work out and get fit.

How about good health? Are you worried about your senior years? Many people don't until they have a heart attack at 50 and, unfortunately, for some it's too late to do anything differently.

For health reasons fitness needs to start early, so as we age we can stave of heart attacks, diabetes and various cancers and instead live active, energetic and productive lives, all of which, is best achieved by following a regular cardio workout regimen.

Maybe you want to set a good example for your kids, so they grow up with a fitness mindset and live healthier lives?

The point is to find what would motivates you to workout out and stick with it and the rest is easy.

Final Thoughts

Fitness does not have to be dreadful, like a job. There are many ways to make exercise more fun, and reap all the benefits and rewards that it brings. Remember, anything that keeps you moving for sustained periods of time and is performed on a regular basis, at least, 3 times per week is exercise!


Russell (Rusty) Hart is the founder of the Health, Fitness & Sport Club, an online network of websites devoted to the promotion of health, fitness and wellness. The sites encompass a wide variety of health and fitness activities including general health matters, pilates, yoga, crossfit, treadmill training, running, kettlebell, swimming, and more. Also covered are Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Positive Thinking, the Law of Attraction and related topics. Those interested can visit the HF & S Club home site at http://www.healthfitnessandsport.com and http://www.healthyhabitsmatter.com

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How Quickly Can You Improve Your Fitness?

The question of how quickly you can improve your fitness is not an easy one to answer. Why, because it depends on many different factors! And some people may see results faster than others.

The good news, however, is that if you stick to a consistent training program throughout a four week period, you'll be surprised at just how much you can achieve!

Starting From Scratch: What You Need to Know

If you're starting from scratch, that is if you really wouldn't call yourself fit at all, then it's important to know that you're not going to able to run a marathon after just four weeks. However, it might be possible to run a 5K in four weeks, if you're careful and you're not completely unfit to begin with.

Even if you have a base level of fitness, one important thing to remember is that your body needs to adapt to whatever kind of exercise you're doing. Even if you don't get too out of breath running, for example, you might find that if you run too much, you'll get a leg injury that will set you back weeks while you recover.

This is why, as frustrating as it can be, you need to build your fitness gradually over a four week period and beyond.

What You CAN Achieve in a Short Space of Time

What you definitely CAN achieve after just a few weeks of following a fitness program is a very solid foundation for continued fitness. As long as you work out consistently (e.g. 4 days per week, every week) then this will set up a habit that will serve you very well in the future.

You'll also be very surprised at how quickly you find things becoming easier. For example, you might start out running for just one minute at a time, and walking for a couple of minutes in between each run. However, after just a few weeks, you'll probably be able to run for 15 minutes or longer. Now THAT is amazing progress.

The key here is not to compare yourself to people who have already been working out for a long time. Instead, compare yourself to where you've come from. If you can climb a big flight of steps without stopping to catch your breath when just a few weeks ago you could barely make it up the first few steps then that is massive progress that will improve your everyday life!


Russell (Rusty) Hart is the founder of the Health, Fitness & Sport Club, an online network of websites devoted to the promotion of health and wellness. The sites encompass a wide variety of topical activities including, pilates, yoga, crossfit, treadmill training, equestrian, running, kettlebell, swimming, and more. Also covered are Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), Positive Thinking, the Law of Attraction and related topics. Those interested can visit the HF & S Club home site at http://www.healthfitnessandsport.com and the Health, Fitness & Sport online Sports Store at http://www.sportsandoutdoorsx.com/

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Easy Ways for Small Business Owners to Stay Fit

Fitness Tips for Busy Schedules

It can be hard for small business owners to find time to hit the gym or dedicate at least 30 minutes every day to work out - long hours at the office often roll over into family time in the evening, leaving no time to get out and be active. Many business owners spend most of their days sitting behind a desk, making their lack of movement and even bigger reason why they may want or need to get some extra exercise to avoid certain health risks. Although it may seem difficult to find time to be active, there are some simple ways to start getting fit and healthy while doing your everyday tasks.

Take Your Meetings on the Go

Meetings are usually taken in a traditional conference room or office setting, sitting down and discussing different topics at hand. As if this was not sedentary enough, many meetings are also taken over mealtime, meaning that business owners are not only inactive but also consuming calories during these scheduled times. When the situation allows, take meetings on the go - hold "walking meetings" when computers and documents are not needed. This helps get not only the business owner up and moving but also the other associates within the business, helping to push for a healthier office culture.

Invest in a Standing Desk

Since so many business professionals and business owners sit behind a desk all day, a very simple, healthy change that can be made is using what is called a "standing desk." Standing desks can either be a small podium that is placed on top of a traditional desk or an actual desk that is made specifically for the user to stand. Standing helps to increase blood flow throughout the body and specifically to the brain, helping not only a business owner's health but also productivity and alertness. If purchasing either of these items is not an option, consider using another high table somewhere in the office.

Switch Seats

Business professionals are switching their traditional office chairs for more fitness geared alternatives. One of these alternatives is using a stability ball as a desk chair. Using this helps to improve posture and strengthen core muscles since it takes some amount of control and balance to stay seated on this type of equipment. Additionally, those suffering with back pain have reported improvement in their symptoms by using this unconventional chair. Stability balls are generally inexpensive, but it is important to choose one that allows you to reach everything on your desk comfortably.

For many small business owners, there is simply not enough time in the day to focus on getting to the gym and getting active. By incorporating these simple "in-office" fitness tips, it can help improve an individual's fitness levels and overall health. Although these methods will never replace exercising, they are a step in the right direction for those business owners who work long hours, are always in meetings or do not have time to spare on a daily basis to get in a good workout. Make sure to share these fitness tips with fellow employees - their bodies and overall health will thank you!


If you own a small business and need help making your business more profitable, you may want to call Stacy O'Quinn. Stacy has helped dozens of individuals create a legitimate home business using Dani Johnson training tools and techniques. If you would like more information on how Stacy can help you too, click here.

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How To Choose The Best Recumbent Exercise Bike Correctly?

Choosing the best recumbent exercise bike for you can be a daunting task at times, especially if you do not know exactly what to look for in such an exercise machine, in order to help you reach your fitness goals. These bikes can be used either for weight loss or for toning up your muscles, and they are certainly an outstanding cardiovascular workout for those who want to get rid o the extra fat and to stay healthy in the long run.

Why Opt For Such A Fitness Machine In The First Place?

In order to understand the numerous benefits of recumbent bikes, it must firstly be mentioned that these machines are named like this because they place the user in a slightly reclined position. The seat of this bike tends to be slightly higher and wider than that of a regular bike, thus distributing the overall weight of the user in an efficient and even manner, while reducing the overall amount of pressure the rider usually resents in the back.

In addition to being cost-effective and easy to use, recumbent bikes are also the best choice for those who suffer from lower back arch pain or shoulder pain, and who do not want to give up exercising. Besides this, these bikes are also designed to be stationary, meaning that they are amongst the safest types of exercise equipment available on the market. You can now enjoy a complete workout routine in the privacy of your own home, without the hassles!

How To Choose The Best One For You?

1. Pay Attention To The Intensity Settings

Different recumbent bikes come with different intensity levels, and while some of them offer a low to medium intensity (perfect for beginners who only want a light exercise), others are more hardcore and they allow the user to set the intensity to the maximum. It is highly recommended to opt for a recumbent bike that comes with all levels of intensity, so that it will rise up to your continuously changing fitness level and it will keep you challenged and engaged in your exercise routine for months to come.

2. Check The Warranty

The warranty is the second most important thing you need to pay attention to, and the overall length of the warranty offered by the manufacturer is usually a great indicator of the bike's general quality rating. The longer the warranty, the more likely it is that you have made a great investment. Ideally, you should look for a recumbent bike that comes with a warranty of at least 24 months, although most of them are covered over a period of as much as 5 years.

3. Choose A Bike That's Within Your Budget Range

The price of the bike is yet another important factor to consider, as you can get a recumbent bike for as low as $200, and you can also get one that costs up to $2,500, especially if you are looking for a high-end, fitness/gym-like quality. Take your time, do your research and pick the one that offers you the best quality for the money!

4. Check The Seat

Last, but not least, the seat of the recumbent exercise bike is as important as the other three factors detailed above. It is highly recommended to try it inside the store prior to buying it, to make sure that the seat is comfortable enough and it is neither too soft nor too hard, as otherwise it can take its toll on your spine and it can impact your training.


More information about recumbent exercise bike you may see by click this link.

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