Other
 |
Site Navigation
Exercise Equipment
Exercise Equipment Deals
Exercise Equipment Tips
The more you want to use it, the more we would recommend that you go for high quality treadmills.
When you understand the basics of a quality treadmill, then it will be easy to find one that is perfect for your home and budget.
Long or short workouts determine the quality of motor you need for your treadmill.
I usually end my treadmill routine with about 15 minutes of quality stretching.
Researches have shown, that during exercising most people forget to breath deeply or they are unable to integrate their breathing pattern with the exercises causing them muscle pain and fatigue after the workout.
Post-Holiday Recovery - Recommit to Your Workouts One sure way to feel better about things is to starve yourself for the next three days.
Okay, not really. The real trick is to get back to your workouts, renew your commitment to being healthy and vow you'll never stick your face into a big plate of pulled pork ever, ever again (although a small barbecue sandwich is just fine).
Sometimes, an overindulgent holiday is the perfect motivation to recommit and I have some workout ideas for you, depending on your mood:
What about you? What's your go-to post-holiday workout? Leave a comment and tell us how you get back to normal after a long holiday weekend. Post-Holiday Recovery - Recommit to Your Workouts originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 05:00:05.
From Monday's poll, I can see that many of you spent the weekend doing what I did - snarfing down everything in sight. The worst part about a holiday like the 4th of July is the lingering post-holiday food hangover (or, perhaps, a hangover of another sort), which leaves you feeling out of sorts, lethargic and, maybe, a little guilty.
Exercise of the Week: Curtsy Squat I like this move because it targets the outer thigh, along with the quads, but the crossover can put strain on the knee if you're not careful. There is an awkward angle and doing this on a step can exacerbate it, so skip this move if you have any knee problems or if you feel any pain doing this exercise.
Do it right: Stand on a step or platform and cross the left leg behind the right, taking it down to the floor. Try to avoid twisting the right knee as you lower into a squat (the range of motion on this will be small, particularly if you're on an elevated platform). Push back to start and repeat for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps.
Exercise of the Week: Curtsy Squat originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 05:00:35.
"How many squats, lunges or step ups can a person do before her head explodes?" This was what one of my clients said recently and I give myself credit for not saying, "Gee, I don't know. Let's find out!" Actually, her comment was understandable since squats, lunges, deadlifts and step ups are often the foundation of any lower body routine. It's easy to get into a rut but, sometimes the smallest adjustment can change an exercise and make it feel like something new and wonderful (or, at least, effective). The curtsy squat falls into that category because it's almost like combining a crossover step up and a squat into one exercise.
Exercises of the Week - Work Your Hamstrings Giving your hamstrings some regular love will keep them strong and fit enough to support your knees and make it less likely that you'll pull a hamstring muscle, which is painful and frustrating. I've highlighted three of my favorite hamstring exercises, but feel free to leave a comment telling us your favorite hamstring exercises as well.
Deadlifts are my all-time favorite for working the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. If you're new to this move, use a light weight at first because your lower back will need time to build strength for this move. You'll also want to perfect your form, working to keep the shoulders back and the back flat throughout the exercise.
Doing these on one leg is tough, but great for working your balance and stabilizer muscles.
Hamstring rolls are another favorite of mine. The ball, of course, adds some instability to the movement which forces you to engage your lower back and core to stay on the ball. Not a bad deal.
Exercises of the Week - Work Your Hamstrings originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 at 05:00:32.
I've talked about the importance of strong quads before, but strong hamstrings are also important for keeping you injury free. In fact, many lower body injuries we experience, from knee pain to muscle pulls, are often due to an imbalance between the hamstrings and quads. It's not hard to see why the quads are sometimes stronger than the hamstrings when you think of the exercises we do on a regular basis. Squats, lunges and step ups are very quad-intensive, leaving your poor hamstrings neglected, a serious exercise crime that could lead to jail time.
Reader Success Story - Lunchtime Workouts One About.com member has found a way. As Occasional Lunchtime Exerciser says, "About once or twice a week, I exercise during my lunch hour. It's a great change from my morning workouts and gives me energy for the rest of the day."
So, how does she manage it? She has it down to a science, focusing on interval training or circuit training to get the most out of her limited time. She rinses off, fluffs her hair and gets back to the office within her allotted time. Impressive!
She also offers some great suggestions for how to make lunchtime workouts easier. Check out the rest of her story and share your own, if you've got one. Do you ever do lunchtime workouts? If so, how do you manage it? Reader Success Story - Lunchtime Workouts originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 05:00:31.
Lunchtime workouts aren't the easiest to squeeze in and the logistics can be maddening - What will you do in such a short period of time? Can you really make it back to the office without smelling like a sweaty mess?
