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.