 Want to know a secret for staying fit? Running (or walking) the stairs. Living in the city has its advantages. It also has the ability to make you a little lazy. The escalators. The public transportation. The elevators. My building has two elevators and being the 15th floor, I use the "up" machine daily.
 Sometimes you have to sweat to really feel the workout. And sometimes, you don’t have time to complete an entire workout. What do you do?
You split it up throughout the day. This workout is designed so you can either complete it in one go, or split it up throughout the day. All you need for this workout out is a nice pair of shoes and a pair of dumbbells. Repeat the workout for 4-6 weeks, or keep it up for longer being sure to increase your weight load every few weeks. When it says cardio, that can be walking, running, biking, hiking, etc. You choose.  Ready to ramp up your fitness routine? This 12-week program will ramp up your heart rate, increase your endurance and build muscles in places that you didn't know muscles existed.
The routine uses a jump rope, dumbbells and a medicine ball. More importantly, this routine involves circuits. Circuit workouts help avoid fatigue, but they also prevent your body from anticipating the next move. A free download of the workout is available at the end of the post. It will be a lot simpler to print this one out.  I don't know about you, but I'm a big fan of workouts I can do anywhere. The gym has never felt "real" to me. I prefer to be out in the world. I want to feel the wind and jump up and down from real logs, not manufactured boxes...sometimes I just gotta be in the world. And hey, sometimes, I just don't want to go to the gym.
Because of this need for nature and aversion to the gym, I stick to a lot of circuit strength training workouts. Relying on body weight and being in tune with my body has helped me build better muscle and lose body fat where it isn't needed (hello tummy, I'm talkin' to you!). I designed this workout after having my baby and it really helped me pull everything back together. But whether you just had a baby or have never had a baby, this circuit workout will strengthen the whole body. I recommend performing this circuit daily or every other day. This workout is perfect for those worried about chronic inflammation or other body issues. You can perform these circuits in conjunction with one day of sprints to see similar result to somebody training for an endurance race. I know this because I am living proof. I look like I run every day, but I don't. Not any more. I find that moving a lot at a slow pace keeps me healthier.  Got 20 minutes? If you do, then this lunchtime workout is perfect for you. We've created this simple circuit that you should do during your hour lunch right before eating.
We recommend that you do this right before lunchtime (or any meal really) because you will be in a fasted state and your body will be forced to burn fat instead of muscle or energy that would have been sourced from food. Studies show that women who exercise in a fasted state use more stored fat than muscle. Be sure to plan your meal beforehand, so you don't go into Monster Mayhem and devour an entire jar of peanut butter. After this workout, it would be smart to eat a balanced carb-protein-fat meal. Aim for 25-30 grams of protein and solid complex carbohydrate. A peanut butter sandwich and celery sticks wouldn't be bad. Or a protein smoothie (may we suggest a peanut butter banana smoothie). If you are doing this before breakfast, maybe you will eat a spinach omelet, or a blueberry banana spinach smoothie. No matter what, make it a smart choice. Okay, enough talking! Here's your workout:  Face it-- you're not Arnold or some rich celebrity that can afford to workout for hours a day (or afford it!), but you are capable of living an active lifestyle. Those who change from a sedentary to an active lifestyle see wonderful changes, both physically and mentally. Why? Well, the body is working properly. The body is doing what it was meant to do: move and work.
But maybe you aren't fully committed to trading your potato chips and Netflix for Nike shoes and day hikes just yet. I'm not saying that the chips and TV are acceptable, but I'm not here to force you into a lifestyle. But, I am hopeful that you can start thinking about making a change; after all, you are reading posts about health and nutrition...that right there is a positive step toward a healthier lifestyle. So how can you go about making a permanent change? One day at a time with small steps toward a total change. This is a process and it begins with making smart food choices and incorporating fitness into your routine. From here on out, I want you to visit our site every three days and pick a new habit to incorporate into your day. Simple. Today, I want you to use this post as your new change. Today, you are going to start walking every day before dinner. Fancy people like to call trampolines rebounders, but we are regular folks here, so we will just say trampoline! As kids, we all loved jumping on trampolines and were super jealous of the neighbor who had one in the backyard.
It turns out that trampolines aren't just super fun; trampolines offer a wealth of health benefits. From weight loss to improved balance, working out on a trampoline can change your fitness life. After reading this post on trampolines, you just might throw out your tennis shoes and buy a trampoline for your living room.  Building muscle and burning fat is easy once you get the hang of it, but there are things that you can do to accelerate your progress or even shed some remaining body fat if you've hit your weight goal but want to adjust your body composition. Here are a few tips.
 You read that title right. This is an "all-day" workout. This workout is designed for folks who are busy sitting at a desk all day, or at home and only have a few minutes to spare every now and again. You aren't really working out all day.
The idea is to perform a strength training or cardio-style exercise every hour. By doing so, you are keeping fit, building muscle, and giving your body the movement that it needs. Remember, our bodies were not designed to be sitting in a chair all day. |
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