Miracle Exercise, the Plank!

Want to spend just minutes a day, reduce stress and improve your mood? Sitting at a desk for hours can tighten the muscles and the plank can help to relieve that tension. The plank, an isometric exercise, offers many benefits and requires no equipment and minimal space. Plank exercises help increase flexibility in the posterior muscle groups throughout the body. The shoulder girdle expands and stretches the various muscles around your shoulders, collarbone and shoulder blades. Planks even stretch the arches of your feel as your toes hyperextend to support your weight. Posture can improve, making your appearance more attractive and when you engage your core to stabilize the hips and spine, you possibly reverse postural deficiencies.

There are many variations of the plank. There are elbow planks, side planks, or lifting opposite arms and legs planks. Start with just a few seconds a day in the plank and before you know it you'll be holding it a minute or so and wondering why you didn't do this exercise before. When you strengthen your core, your back also benefits. There are so many exercises to choose but why not pick one that has so many benefits?

Why Jump Rope?

Do you want a quick calorie burner? Then this is for you. Jumping rope can burn 135 calories in 10 minutes. It is also a portable workout, you only need about 10 inches of room above your head, and about four by six feet of floor space. It is very aerobic so always make sure you have your physician's okay to start an exercise program.

To challenge yourself try jumping on one foot, alternating from left to right foot. Or jump as fast as you can on both feet. Jumping rope gives you a whole body workout in a short amount of time. You will sculpt the chest shoulders, arms, and legs.

The really lovely thing is that jump ropes are inexpensive. You can pick one up for under $5 or get a weighted one for just a little more. Add some burpees or push ups and you have a quick workout that will boost your metabolism for the whole day. What's not to like?

Tired of the same old grains?

Do you always cook rice or potatoes? Do you know there are a ton of other grains out there that are nutritious and worth trying out. Millet goes great with sweet potatoes or whatever veggies you have on hand. It has a nutty taste and improves in flavor if toasted before cooking. Buckwheat or kasha, is another wonderful grain and is delicious when roasted. I like a savory dish that combines sautéed onions, mushrooms, salt and pepper with the roasted kasha. If you have leftover kasha, try is as a breakfast dish, with soy milk and almonds and raisins thrown in. Yummy! By now everyone has heard of quinoa (pronounced keenwah) I'm sure. It is great in pilafs or cold salads. It can be also ground into flour for baked good, great if you have a gluten intolerance. Some other tasty grains are barley, wheat berries, brown basmati rice, wild rice, and amaranth. Mix it up, try something different than the same old pasta or potatoes tonight.

Hop like a kid again, it's good for you!

Want to keep your bones healthy and strong? Then you should add some hopping and jumping to your fitness routine. Studies show that bones should be jarred to add mass and reduce the loss of bone mass as one ages. If you have a set of steps you could trying jumping on both feet from one step to the ground about 20 times every day or so to get the benefits of bone "blasting." Activities like playing tennis or basketball help the bones too by the constant jumping or side to side movements. Swimming, while a low impact activity, doesn't too a lot for the bones. If you are a bike rider try standing up to pedal to put a little extra stress on the bones. You could also join the kids for a game of hopscotch, do some jumping jacks, or the next time you get some really good new, hop up and down. You might look silly but your bones will be happy.

Stuck in a fitness rut?

Do you do the same old workout everyday? Do you feel like your fitness has plateaued? Not excited about working out? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then maybe you want to set a weekly fitness goal. Recently I was feeling bored with the same old 3 mile run and my strength workout. So I added a new strength routine that has me using weights while in a plank position. It works my core, triceps, biceps, glutes, abs, and quads.  In just a few weeks of doing the new exercises I feel stronger. I now alternate my running days with the strength workouts.

When you decide to set a goal pick something that is specific, like shaving 30 seconds off your next 5K race time or setting a personal record for how many push ups you can pump out. The American Council on Exercise has come up with an acronym for setting realistic goals. It is SMART and stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. The last one can help you maintain your focus by putting a time limit on what your goal is.  Whatever the goal, it may help you get over that boredom you have been experiencing in the same old workouts and make you fitter and stronger.

Burpees, anyone?

If you want one exercise that works your whole body, this might be the one for you. Don't have much time for exercise, this is for you! Burpees, when done right, can burn more calories in just a few minutes than many other exercises. When you add the push up to the burpee you have an exercise that works the arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles.

In addition when you have conditioned with burpees it helps with everyday activities like carrying groceries, a toddler, or lifting that suitcase overhead to shove into the overhead bin on an airplane. Burpees will also boost your endurance and conditioning for other sports and activities. What's not to like?

If you go on Utube you can find many examples of how to do a burpee correctly, with or without the pushup. So what are you waiting on? Burpee on!

EPOC- what the heck is that?

If you have never heard the term don't worry, I hadn't either till I returned to college. The acronym EPOC stands for excess post-exercise oxygen consumption. Essentially it means that after exercise your body is trying to replace the oxygen stores that became depleted. When one works out at a high intensity more oxygen is consumed and therefore a greater debt is accumulated. Over time, doing a high intensity workout can increase the VO2 max, which is the body's ability to use oxygen for energy. Working out a higher intensities means that when you go back to doing slower workouts, they will feel like a breeze. Runners do interval training for this very reason. Some believe that interval training burns more calories in a shorter period of time. But back to EPOC, which is basically that you continue to burn calories long after the exercise is over.

For a mini workout, try jumping rope!

Were you one of those kids who loved jumping rope? You may not be a kid anymore but you can still derive great benefits from breaking out the jump rope and spending a few minutes a day jumping around. The jumping motion, which has the muscles expanding and contracting, helps the lymphatic system to move toxins and waste around the body, readying them for elimination.

Jumping rope also works the legs, abs, arms, and heart. It is considered a good exercise for increasing bone density, strength and agility. You can also do it anywhere and it only requires one small piece of equipment. What's not to like? Be a kid again and get yourself a jump rope. You might even get some remarks about how great your skin is looking. When the lymphatic system is healthy, the skin looks more radiant and beautiful.

Plyometrics anyone?

Have you heard the word and wondered what it meant? Plyometric exercises are movements that are explosive and designed to increase speed and power. This is something that every runner desires, especially in shorter distance races, when one does not have a long time to increase speed. Plyometrics were developed by Russian scientists during the Cold War. A system of exercises called "Jump Training" used repetitive jumping in order to increase of speed and explosiveness of Russian track and field athletes. Dr. Verkhoshansky developed this type of jumping and published his studies on this new form of training in 1964.

Runners and any athlete who wants to mix up their routines to avoid staleness would do well do add plyometric exercises. There are benefits to the muscles, tendons, and the nervous system and when these are improved through the plyometric exercises, one can run faster, jump higher, and hit harder. A word of advice, if you haven't worked out in a while it is a good idea to work on strength and flexibility with cardio, weight training, and stretching before embarking on the plyometric exercises. Once you feel like you have gained strength and can run twenty to thirty minutes or so without stopping or getting winded, then you are probably ready to do some "jump training."

Baby steps to better fitness! Take the five minute challenge!

Did this happen to you this morning? You are planning a beach trip this weekend so you tried on your bathing suit and went "oh no." If you are not feeling too happy about the way you look then maybe it is time to try a "5K to couch" training program or find a boot camp in your town. But if you think you don't have time then try this five minute plan.

Start with five minutes a day of walking, jumping rope, throwing a frisbee, or attempting to juggle. Set your inner child free with whatever activity gets your heart rate up. Do another five minutes the next day and whenever you find you have a few extra minutes throughout the day continue with a cardio activity. Everyone can usually find a few minutes of free time and after a week of doing this you will realize you feel better and your skirt or pants may even be looser.

The worse thing we can do though is beat ourselves up over our looks or our size. Beauty comes in all packages. Being able to chase after the grandkids or keep up with the teens can be very gratifying when we feel fitter. Rome wasn't built in a day so why not start out with baby steps on the path to better fitness.

Reacting to Stress

We all respond to stress in different ways but the bottom line, too much stress, not so good. If you are one of those drama queens who reacts to every little thing that happens, you might want to evaluate your responses. Research shows that too much stress might actually destroy some of our brains cells. If you are like me you want to keep as many of those brains cells as possible, and even grow some new ones along the way.

When the brain is signaled that danger is present it will release adrenaline. When this happens the heart rate, as well as blood pressure goes up. If no physical threaten is present, you don't need to be spiking increases in cortisol. Over a prolonged period this could kill brain cells. Taking a walk in the woods or enjoying a relaxing bubble bath might help to relieve anxiety or unnecessary worrying. Writing in a journal about a stressful situation could also help alleviate some of the tensions we hold in our body when we get upset.

Whatever tool you find to help you combat the stress in your life, it could help save your brain cells and maybe even change your brain chemistry.When high levels of cortisone are present in your brain, the cells are sending signals continuously. Even hear the expression "worked themselves to death?" It probably meant their brain cells never got a rest because they were continually responding to stress. If you happen to see a saber tooth tiger however, run as fast as you can!

Restoring equilibrium!

The days are longer now, the sun is shining more brightly, so why not take in the fresh air? Stepping outside to take some deep breaths can do a lot to restore our equilibrium. With the sun's rays becoming stronger, yet not those scorching rays of summer, there is no better time than now to fit in a walk or run. Life is all about balance and finding the time to do the things that are really important. I would rank taking care of the heart the most important and there are many ways to do this. Smiling at someone you meet on the street or letting a past slight go can help to create inner calm in a crazy world. Holding on to old hurts does not achieve anything. We have all seen grumpy old people and they are not much fun. It could be that they too just need someone to smile at them to put their world right again.

Neuroplasticity, in the news a lot!

If we want to continue to have great brain health there are some very simple things we can do. Some of the things that affect positive neuroplasticity (the capacity of the brain to change with experience) are physical activity. Seems like a no brainer, no pun intended, but even light exercise such as walking promotes cognitive function. Wonder how you can fit more walking into your daily routine? Take the stairs at work, park at the outer edge of the parking lot when shopping, or walk to the office!

In addition, learning something new that is interesting and requires your focus for long periods of time can have amazing effects. Taking a class that requires homework or learning a language could have you focusing for quite a while. However, it is good to get up from your desk every twenties minutes or so. It keeps one from getting stiff and gives your brain a little rest, ready to tackle those verb tenses when you sit back down.

Another way to improve brain health is simply diet. Incorporating more fruits and vegetables into your diet insures that you get antioxidants. Eating more of these fiber rich foods can affect neuroplasticty in a positive way. Instead of reaching for the chips or candy bars at work, pack some fruit before leaving home. Your waistline and your brain will be healthier and happier.

Halfway through January!

 I thought I would check in with my readers and see how it is going with the New Year's Resolutions. I would love to hear from anyone who has some ideas on how to make their resolutions stick. I, for one have not had much luck. I resolved to do less complaining but I am beginning to wonder if to complain is just human nature. When I really look at my life I have it pretty good. I live in a lovely neighborhood, I'm healthy, and I have friends. When there is something that we complain about constantly it's either time to change it or just accept it.

Maybe the key to our resolutions is to give ourselves a break. There is no point in beating ourselves up for slipping. That never accomplished anything. If we resolved to exercise everyday but we miss a day or two, there is always tomorrow, right?

 "To err is human, to forgive is divine." Why not apply that to ourselves? When we feel ourselves slipping in our resolves, we can look around and take pleasure in having friends, family, and the chance to start a new day, tomorrow!

We have many chances to get it right!

Have you made some New Year's Resolutions and already feeling like you aren't sticking to them? Don't get discouraged, it takes time for new routines to stick. Maybe you resolved to have a better diet and eat more meals at home. If you find yourself sliding off that band wagon try this idea when you do eat out.

Have you noticed that restaurant portions are usually gargantuan? If you ask for a to go container when your server brings your food you won't  be tempted to eat everything on the plate. You will have a lunch for the next day, making dining out both economical and better for the waistline.

Another way to save calories when eating out is to order a couple of selections from the appetizer menu. Often one can have a delicious soup and salad that is gratifying and healthy without breaking the  budget. If the restaurant serves whole grain bread then you are getting healthy carbs as well.

Most importantly don't feel guilty about the choices you make when trying out a new diet plan. It doesn't do any good to beat yourself up. There is always tomorrow and a chance to get it
right… Happy 2014 and best  of luck in your New Year's resolutions!