With Memorial Day behind us, summer has unofficially started. Pools are open which, in turn, means bathing suit season is here.
Are you ready? Me? Sorta.
Innergy Fitness owner, trainer and nutrition expert Stephanie Hanson recently shared a few secrets with me to help us feel better during the summer months. You know the routine: we're wearing tank tops, shorts and bathing suits. We want to feel good about doing that. Stephanie's tips can help. They don't require any crazy weight loss regime, diet pills or ridiculous exercise program. They're along the lines of the smart, simple strategies that I have been preaching for years.
If your days are packed with office goodies and your nights are full of holiday parties, I feel ya. There is temptation at every turn. You don't have to gain weight during the holidays, though. A few simple tricks can help you start 2015 without adding a single pound.
Whether it's aerobic exercise, yoga or weight lifting workouts, exercising for as little as 30 minutes a day will change your life. Weight loss aside, exercise makes you feel better, look better and improves your health. You could consider is medicinal.
I promise.
All it takes is 30 minutes most days of the week. That's it. Really. In the time it takes you to watch half of "The Bachelor" or an old episode of "Sex and The City" you can squeeze in a workout and save your life.
If you're a relatively healthy adult, there is no excuse.
You can greatly improve your health with the 30-minutes a day mantra. Gretchen Reynolds reiterated this in the New York Times Magazine in a Q & A titled Double the Workout, Double the Benefits?
In a notable study from 2011,
people of all ages who exercised very moderately, for about 15 minutes a
day, or approximately half of your current regimen, reduced their risk
of dying prematurely by about 14 percent, or the equivalent of three
additional years of life. Those whose workouts were twice as long — like
yours, 30 minutes per day — saw an additional drop in the risk of
premature death, but only by 4 percent. Using that data, other
scientists have estimated that people who go really big with their
workouts, increasing their exercise time from 50 minutes per day to 120
minutes per day — a 140 percent increase — achieve only about a 5
percent added decrease in their risk of dying too young. Exercise beyond a certain level may even be counterproductive. When
researchers tracked 52,000 adults for 15 years, those who ran 5 to 20
miles a week at a fairly pokey pace of about 9 to 10 minutes a mile
received the optimal mortality benefits, the study authors write. The
fastest runners and those who completed the most miles every week did
not live significantly longer, on average, than people who didn’t run at
all.
Yes, You HAVE the Time to Exercise 30 Minutes a Day!
Every day, I meet women and men every who ask me how I squeeze in my workouts. I have made it clear that exercise is my "non-negotiable". I don't give those up. I get at least five workouts in a week.
But here's the thing: they aren't always ball-busting, go-all-out-affairs. Some days it's a brisk walk, a treadmill run, yoga, pilates, hula hooping or a quick weight workout.
Recently, I was in a time crunch, so I walked 10 minutes to the park with my daughter and the dog. While she was playing, I jumped rope for about 20 minutes, on and off, and walked back home. That was a quick workout that also allowed me to spend time with the kid. She had fun watching me jump rope, as well.
The majority of us aren't professional athletes, models or actors. We don't need to "look a certain way" for the cameras or be able to dunk a basketball. But we DO need our bodies to work for us in every day life: lifting the kids, moving furniture, running up stairs, even getting in and out of chairs.
A simple 30-minute session of exercise will get the blood flowing, stretch and strengthen your muscles and make you feel better mentally, too.
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I asked that question this Saturday when I was able to find a parking spot for my 10:30am yoga class at 10:22 at Equinox. Stick with me. This was the first Saturday of 2014 that the parking lot wasn't completely full and I didn't have to arrive at the gym at 10:15 to get a spot for the 10:30 class. In fact, the class wasn't even nearly full. I wasn't stuck in the corner near the dirty yoga mats. I was able to secure a spot smack dab in the middle of the room. This got me wondering: Have we already given up on our 2014 resolutions to get in better shape?
Experts say most people give up just after a month. I know that sticking to a diet and staying committed to an exercise program isn't easy. It's much easier to cancel a 6am workout in favor of an extra half hour of sleep in or go to happy hour after work versus a hitting the gym on a Monday.
I am not a doctor, scientist or medical professional but I do have years of "exercise experience" and acquired knowledge. When you exercise your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body. You know that "runner's high"? Thank those endorphins. Exercise truly is nature's antidepressant and the fountain of youth.
Fighting through a barre class!
You do not have to kill yourself exercising, either. I've said this a million timeson this blog but there are a number of ways you can get your heart pumping, burn some calories and do your body some good:
Work out with a trainer - I started working out once a week with trainer, Steve Burgess, and it has truly changed my exercise game. I've learned so much.
Another trick? Try logging your workouts. It's a great way to set goals for yourself and monitor your progress. I have logged my workouts since college. There's nothing better than looking back over the past few years, seeing what you did on a particular day and how you felt about it.
The Takeaway
Don't give up on those resolutions to get in better shape. It's one of the best things you can do for yourself to make you feel better in an instant. The weight you lose or extra muscle you gain are simply a nice bonus.
Hula hooping has changed my stomach. It's like a corset for your core.
I blogged about how to get started with your hula hoop but you have emailed and told me that you still can't quite get the hang of it. Hopefully this "tutorial" Tracy Kornet & I have produced will help.
I use a weighted hula hoop at home.Any hoop will do. Tracy & I broke out the sparkle pink, non-weighted version for this video.
Hula hooping is great exercise. Really. The folks in the 50's were on to something.
Hula hooping is not just a retro 50's phenomenon. It can change your ab game. It strengthens your abdominal muscles, particularly your obliques, creating a natural corset effect that can create your slimmest stomach ever. It also works your legs and can be a decent cardiovascular workout if you do it a high intensity for an extended period of time. I came out of the hula hoop closet last month with myEmpower Cardio Core Fitness Hoopbut some of you are still struggling to get the hang of it. Admittedly trying to learn how to hoop isn't automatically easy. It takes practice.
Here's how to start hooping using a weighted hula hoop:
Don't gyrate your hips in the direction of the hoop. That is mistake #1.
Stand with one foot in front of the other, maybe your "dominant" foot when beginning.
Once you give the hoop that first "turn" around your waist, start rocking your weight from one foot to the other. No jumping, just think of a pumping & rocking motion.
Again, practice. One direction will be easier than the other. Clockwise was initially easier for me but I focused on getting stronger going counter clockwise and now I'm pretty good both directions.
The great thing about hooping is that you can do it any time of day. I do it while brushing my teeth for two minutes with my electronic toothbrush (kinda weird but whatever). Or if I can't get to the gym, I hoop for 30 minutes for a cardio/core workout. I probably do it for at least five minutes six days a week.
I'm obsessed.
*Remember: flat abs start in the kitchen. No amount of hooping, cardio, ab work or spinning will give you a flat stomach if you're eating too much crap every day. A quality, balanced diet is key. I'm a huge fan of the Mediterranean diet approach to eating.
You laughed, you snarked and, as a dear friend from high school, said "You really want the guys at The Ticket to see this?" I don't care.
Why?
Because I am convinced hula hooping is a fun, low impact way to tone your core and legs.
Tuesday morning, I was pressed for time but still wanted to get my blood pumping before an 11:30am meeting. The babysitter didn't come until 10am. I didn't want to pack up everything and run to the gym, blah blah blah. So I decided to break out the weighted hoop that had been collecting dust underneath my bed.
Using a weighted hula hoop, think two pounds, I worked the green monster for about 35 minutes. It was an outstanding, low-impact option that had me sweating. I wasn't able to do it nonstop, as I kept messing up. I also performed the gyrations both clockwise and counterclockwise and found out I am much more adept at doing it clockwise than "to the left." This was a great "do what you can" exercise option. I was able to squeeze in a solid workout while watching TV at the house. I didn't even have to brush my teeth. My 21-month old daughter, Jordan, got a kick out of watching me gyrate like a crazy lady. I like that she sees exercise as a fun, playful thing. She's already into doing downward dog with me when I practice yoga.
Beyond that, it was a WORKOUT. Twenty-four hours later, my obliques and quads are sore. The good sore which is a testament to a workout done well. Don't believe me about the benefits of hula hooping? Check out this recent review of it in Health Magazine:
Start with the basic moves until you feel comfortable, then step up to
more advanced ones, mixing and matching for your own personal
head-to-toe tone-up. Do any combination of moves for 30 minutes (you’ll
burn 150 to 250 calories per workout) three times a week for four weeks
and you’ll lose 3 to 6 inches all over your body.
I did a few of the suggested "toning exercises" such as the "Windshield Wiper" and "Cross Chop with Lunge".
If you're looking for a fun, alternative workout, this is a great one to incorporate into your overall routine. And just because I'm all for self-deprecating humor....here's another pic:
There are some different versions of weighted hoops. Here are three that I have tried, including the one I own:
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