Love Your Legs

No muscle group is more taken for granted or abused than our legs. We stand on our feet for hours at a time, we run, we jump, we walk, we shop, we walk our dogs, we go to the mall, we cook … well, you get the picture.

There’s nothing more attractive than well-shaped ankles that lead into nicely muscled calves that continue on to strong knees merging with muscular yet feminine thighs that end with a nice curvy yet firm rear end. With summer fast approaching and bikini season around the corner, a sexy pair of legs certainly adds to the allure of those short shorts or the mini skirt still sitting in the back of your closet begging to be worn. Don’t throw them out … because with this workout as a part of your regular exercise regimen, which includes at least 3 to 4 days of cardiovascular exercise (for which you need your legs, too) you should be able to get into those sexy short shorts!

Form and Posture

When doing lunges and squats it’s critical your knees never go beyond your toes, because if they do, you are putting undue pressure on your knees and ankle joints, which for most of us tend to be the weakest links in our legs. It’s a catch 22 situation — lunges and squats are good for strengthening the muscles surrounding the knees, hence strengthening the joints there and making them less prone to injury, but if you do injure your knees then you can’t do lunges and squats without being in pain. So protect your joints while you still can! And they’ll protect you.

The Exercises

Squats 3×15 — there are endless variations of squats – you can increase intensity with dumbbells in each hand, or as you get more comfortable, switch to a barbell. Further intensify it by doing it on a BOSU Balance Trainer, with weights in each hand. Here, I’m describing the basic squat.

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart with your toes pointing forward, shoulders wide, abs contracted, hands by your sides, or to make it tougher, hands out in front of you at 90-degrees from your body.
• Bend as low as you can – as if to sit in a chair, ensuring your butt sticks out behind you so your knees are directly in line with your toes and never further ahead of them.
• Your goal is to ultimately be so low that the tops of your thighs are parallel to the floor. Be sure not to bounce at the bottom position.
• Return to standing position.

Lunges 3×15 — there are perhaps more variations of lunges than you can think of as well! You can do walking lunges, reverse lunges, side lunges, dumbbell lunges, barbell lunges … you get the picture, and the list is endless. My favorite variation is to stand with the back leg on a slightly raised platform (just even three to four inches raised). You will be amazed at how much the intensity is increased in that position.

• Stand with your feet staggered…a stride’s length apart, back heel lifted, abs contracted, shoulder wide and hands by your sides.
• Lower yourself so the thigh of the front leg is as parallel to the floor as possible keeping your torso erect, with your front knee in line with your toes and your back knee pointing down.
• Contract your buttocks and press through the front heel to straighten your legs and come back to standing position.

Leg Extensions 3×15 — this requires the use of the machines in your gym. A variation you can try at home is to wear ankle weights and add many more repetitions since your ankle weights won’t be more than 2-5lbs at most.

• Sit in the machine and adjust yourself so your ankles are firmly positioned under the pads.
• Slowly raise the pads and stop the motion when your knees are locked in front of you.
• Stay at the top for a two second count and then slowly lower to the starting position.

Seated or Lying Leg Curls 3×15 — this requires the use of the machines in your gym.

• Sit in the machine and adjust yourself so your ankles are firmly positioned on top of the pads and your legs are stretched out straight in front of you. You can hold the handles by your sides for balance or support.
• Slowly curl the pad downward until your knees form a 90-degree angle. Hold for two seconds and slowly raise your legs back into the starting position.

Step Ups 3×15 — this can be done either on a block or a bench and can be done with or without dumbbells. This does require a slight bit of coordination and balance so be careful when you first get started. You can vary this by doing alternate leg step ups, same side leg step ups, double steps, or step up and lunge at the top of the step. Find what works for you and gives you the best burn!

• Stand in front of a bench with both feet on the floor.
• Place your right foot on the bench and stand on the bench by bringing your left foot onto the bench.
• Step down with the left leg.
• Return to original standing position by placing right leg on the floor.
• Repeat the first step with the left leg alternating first steps between left and right legs.

Calf Raises 4×15 — you can use the machine at the gym for seated or standing calf raises, or you could simply do this in your home with dumbbells in each hand. Again, find what works for you and gives you the best burn!

• Stand with your feet hip width apart, shoulders back, abs contracted and raise yourself onto your toes as high as you can.
• Hold for two seconds and then lower yourself to the ground. Try and avoid bringing your heels all the way to the ground.

Don’t forget to stretch out the muscles you’ve worked by doing simple static stretches after you’ve worked out.

Remember no bouncing!

Our legs are most forgiving of us and yet will appreciate the work we put into it and reward us with shapeliness fairly quickly if you follow these exercises. Like the biceps they take form and build rather quickly, allowing you to quickly see the fruits of your labor. Make lunges and squats your friend and pretty soon your legs will be your favorite body parts to workout because your butt will ride firmer and you’ll fill out those boot cut jeans nicely!

Gyrotonic Expansion System

Named by Forbes as a “Hot New Fitness Trend” in 2006, everyone from dancers to athletes to celebrities to us “lay people” can all benefit from the Gyrotonic Expansion System. Like Pilates, it makes you leaner, longer and stronger, but it doesn’t stop there, it also makes you more flexible and makes your core stronger.

Gyrotonic or the Gyrotonic Expansion System (GXS) is a therapeutic movement system based on movements found in ballet, swimming, yoga, gymnastics and tai chi. This system, originally developed by Juliu Hovarth a Hungarian ballet dancer who had his career cut short by an Achilles tendon injury, is meant to stretch and strengthen muscles and improve flexibility and mobility in joints. “Unlike most conventional exercise machines where linear or isolated movement patterns are performed creating uncoordinated strength, the Gyrotonic Expansion System emphasizes multiple joint articulation without compression, thus strengthening ligaments and each attachment.” (www.gyrotonic.com)

The benefits
The exercises are performed in undulating, spiral and circular movements helping release stiffness and increase range of motion in joints. This is also considered particularly beneficial to those suffering from arthritis. Marc Darrow, M.D., assistant clinical professor at UCLA School of Medicine stated, “As we age, the collagen in our ligaments and joints wear down. The Gryotonic System counters by gently stretching the areas and bringing additional blood and nutritional supply.”

And it isn’t just for the “yoga dancer” types, quite the contrary, golfers and tennis players greatly benefit as well, since this greatly loosens up the pelvis region. Done correctly it can help improve a person’s golf game by 20 to 40 percent (results vary by individual, of course). This is especially helpful for most sports where you tend to favor one side of the body over the other, which over years of use can cause your body to be seriously misaligned. Gyrotonic helps to strengthen both sides of your body, thereby correcting any misalignment you might have.

A few of the benefits:

• Improve posture
• Help back/neck and shoulder problems
• Rehabilitates injury and prevents future injury
• Improves blood circulation
• Releases tension
• Improves balance and coordination
• Increases flexibility
• Provides a general sense of well being

How is it done?

Based on Gyrokinesis (exercises allowing one to work the entire body through seven natural elements of spinal movement: forward, backward, left side, right side, left twist, right twist and circular, which is the group mat system of movements), the exercises are done on a Gyrotonic machine also called the “Tower” with pulleys and weights to create resistance. The Tower is designed to hold the body weight, allowing its user to let go of tension allowing you to strengthen the inner core muscles and lengthen and tone the outer muscles to give you a more streamlined figure. There is a combination of spiral movements, when worked in conjunction with the breath, to help to create a feeling of balance and “freeness” making you feel like you’re performing a dance. However, if you feel you need more of an active workout and all this “fluidity” is too “fluffy” for you, increasing the speed and intensity of the accompanying breath work can apparently increase the intensity of the cardiovascular stimulation. You essentially learn to twist, turn, bend and stretch the pulley system thereby increasing your endurance, strength, mobility and flexibility.

Gyrokinesis and Gyrotonic Expansion System seek to bridge the gap between traditional exercises such as Pilates and Yoga and the more untraditional alternative form of energy healing such as Reiki, Qi Gong etc. This system is thought to combine exercise and movement with energetic awakening. Gyrotonic students are said to have the sensation of “feeling alive and peaceful, open and grounded” after each session. It is viewed by many as not just an exercise system, but a journey for both the mind and the body to embark on in complete harmony.
www.gyrotonic.com

Create your Chest

You’re a woman; you don’t need to work on your chest muscles … or do you? I mean, we are endowed with breasts, isn’t that enough? Why do I need to work on muscles that aren’t even visible? you might ask. The answer quite simply is this: Well-developed chest or pectoral muscles will not increase your cup size, but they will make your breasts ride higher, make them appear more ‘perky’ and improve your posture!

If you spend all day hunched over behind a desk then you’re shortening and weakening your chest muscles, making it all the more necessary that you spend time toning and balancing your pectorals. Follow these exercises, and you will find you stand taller and pack a more powerful push!

Dumbbell Chest Press
You’ll do 4 sets: the first set should be 15 repetitions; then 10 reps; then 8 reps; then 6. Allow a 30-60 second rest in between sets

• Lie down on the floor or a flat bench (or a stability ball to make it more challenging) with a dumbbell in each hand, resting on your thighs with palms facing outward.
• Lower your elbows to your sides until they’re bent at 90-degree angles with forearms parallel and wrists in a straight line with elbows. (This is your starting position.)
• Slowly and in a controlled manner, extend both arms up and directly over your chest, with palms facing forward, until your arms are almost straight but not locked.
• Lower to starting position and then repeat according the number within the set you are doing.

Incline Press
You’ll do 4 sets of 8 repetitions

• This is the same exercise as described above only at an incline. So, either use an incline bench (adjusted to a 45-degree angle) or use a stack of pillows under your head and shoulders if you don’t have access to a workout bench.
• Follow the exercise as outlined in dumbbell chest press.

Decline Press
You’ll do three sets: the first set is 8 repetitions; the second 6 reps; the last 4 reps

• Same exercise, but now on a decline.This requires a workout bench, which allows you to lower it such that your head is lower than the rest of your body at a 45-degree angle.
• You will probably have to reduce the dumbbell weight to accommodate gravity and until you are comfortable with this position. It’s fine to do less than the recommended amount of repetitions until you are more at ease.
• If you feel light headed even for an instance, immediately put the weight down and bring your head back to neutral position.

Chest Flies
You’ll do 2 sets of 15 repetitions

• You might have to use lighter weights for this exercise than you do for the presses to avoid injury.
• Lie on the ground or on a flat bench (or stability ball for added challenge) with a dumbbell in each hand, above the chest, with elbows only slightly bent and palms facing each other.
• Lower the arms to the sides and down, until they’re more or less level with your chest, but there’s no change in the bend of the elbow. (Almost like you’re opening your arms to give a bear hug).
• Squeeze your chest to bring your arms back to starting position (bear hug).

Push-ups
You’ll do anywhere from 2 sets to whatever it takes to feel fatigued

• You can do this with your knees bent or full body stretched out. You can also vary the intensity by having your arms positioned closer to your body with your elbows tucked tightly by your side.
• If all you are able to do are 2 push-ups, that’s fine! Don’t beat yourself up about it. Just be sure to rest a minute and do two more, or even one more if that’s all you have in you.
• Remember you have to start somewhere, and before you know it, you’ll be doing 8-10 push-ups without a problem!
• Doing an exercise to fatigue means doing it till you feel like you just don’t have it in you to do another single rep. In the case of a push up, doing it till you feel like your arms won’t support you anymore. (But, please don’t fall on your face! Believe me I’ve done it!)

Do these exercises as part of your total body workout regimen as they are, or modify them to suit the level of your abilities. There are also ways to do these exercises with barbells and cables, the latter enable you to isolate the muscles more, whereas exercising with dumbbells require you to stabilize your arms which engage the core muscles, giving you a greater workout. Whatever works for you, the key is to get out there and do it.

If you need assistance with form or posture, don’t hesitate to write to us! We’re here to help you meet your fitness needs and help you challenge yourself constantly!

Benefits of BOSU Balance

BOSU stands for “Both Sides Utilized” or, more commonly, “Both Sides Up.” It is basically a stability or balance ball cut in half, so that it has a stable side (a platform that can be used in step aerobics among other things) and an unstable side (a balance ball that can be used for core training among other things). The essence of BOSU is to improve balance.

In the article entitled “The Critical Core,” I emphasized the importance of the Core for a myriad of reasons from improved balance and stability to better posture. In my opinion, there is no better device to exercise this critical core than the BOSU Balance Trainer or the BOSU ball as it’s commonly called. Simply stand on the BOSU ball, on either side and you will see what I mean. Either side up challenges you to maintain balance, keeping your core engaged at all times to maintain your equilibrium.

Created in 1999 by David Weck, this versatile piece of equipment can be used for any aspect of your exercise regimen, be it cardiovascular, weight training, flexibility training or even rehabilitation from injury.

BOSU and its uses
Coaches of professional teams from Basketball to Skiing, from Tennis to Martial Arts, including Olympic athletes all use BOSU balls to improve strength, balance and conditioning.

• BOSU balls can be used for motor skills development of infants as young as nine months of age.
• It is also used as a vital tool in physical therapy to facilitate rehabilitation from injury and also injury prevention.
• You can use it too! Whether it’s in your own home or at your gym, a BOSU ball is easy to integrate into your workout. This increases the caloric burn of your regular exercises.
• A BOSU ball helps you develop a greater awareness of your body’s flexibility and symmetry. It provides you the ability to be keenly aware of your body’s position at all times.

How to use a BOSU Ball
As with any exercise, if you’ve never done it before, check with your local gym, ask a trainer, use the comment cards below to ask for more explanation or simply Google the exercise to see the proper technique. You should use caution as you would with any new workout equipment.

• Core training — Simply standing on the BOSU ball with the ball side up is sufficient to challenge your core as you strive to maintain balance with your body shifting in and out of equilibrium. (Abdominal and lower back exercises are made more challenging on the BOSU ball.)
• Strength training — Stand on the BOSU ball while you do your weight training. Arms, shoulders, chest exercises take on a new dimension. Push-ups, squats, lunges can all be done on the BOSU.
• Cardiovascular training — For added challenge, do jumps, side hops, step-ups or step aerobics using the BOSU. As you progress to more advanced stages, you might even try running in place on a BOSU or even skipping. A 10-minute workout will feel like the burn of a 30-minute workout.
• Flexibility training — Certain yoga poses can be made more challenging by performing them on the BOSU Ball, for example plank pose, warrior poses, tree pose to name a few.
• Sports Specific training — Doing plyometric drills to improve short bursts of speed and power, such as that required for tennis, football, basketball, etc. are all possible on the BOSU ball.

The beauty of the BOSU Balance Trainer lies in its simplicity. Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or a weekend warrior, balance, stability and awareness are some of the most important components to physical fitness and athletic success. The BOSU Balance Trainer develops all of these qualities simultaneously.

While it is something I would highly advocate you purchase for your home gym arsenal, realize that you have to spend time on it to get comfortable with it. Expect to fall off ungracefully more than a few times before you are able to actually perform any exercises on it. Take your time to get used to it and find your own sense of balance on it. Persistence will pay off and pretty soon you’ll be balancing like a pro! No better way to “Change, challenge and confuse your body,” (which you know, is the number one motto to improve your workouts). Happy balancing!

Making Fitness Fun

Many of us go through the motions of doing our exercises because we know that it’s necessary for our health and wellbeing. We know all the positive elements that it provides us, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we enjoy it. It just means we do it because we must. Just like we close our noses and swallow awful tasting medication because we know its good for us, not because we like it.

Doing exercises mindlessly however, just because you know you have to “put in your time” reaps a lot less benefit than being conscious of each workout. Sure, it will get you some benefit because 50 percent of something is better than 100 percent of nothing. However if you’re going to put any effort at all into working out, shouldn’t you put into it as much as you can so that you can get out of it the maximum benefit? Isn’t your time worth that?

Here are some ways you can make exercising fun!

Classes

• Most gyms these days offer a wide array of classes, ranging from the conventional step aerobics, kickboxing and the like to the unconventional pole dancing (yes, it’s a newer form of exercise, which we’ll talk about another time).
• If you don’t belong to a gym, there are still choices for you at your local YMCA or community center. Be sure to check with them.
• Many stand-alone studios offer Yoga and Pilates classes for really reasonable prices (the more you sign up for, the cheaper the rate), and most studios offer you the opportunity to test them out with one free session.
• Dance Classes — mix up your workout by signing up for a tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop or salsa dance class. This way you can learn a new dance and get fit doing it!
• Martial Arts Classes — an excellent way to burn calories and learn a few self-defense moves as well.
  Boot Camp — No, we’re not sending you to the Armed Forces. Adventure boot camps are quickly becoming popular. An intensive immersion with instruction program, these boot camps promise to deliver results typically with four to six weeks.

Clubs

• If you’re into running, and are thinking that it’s a solo sport, think again. Runners are among the most social groups. Find a local running club, which is great motivation to stay on course. You’ll get the benefit of a professional coach, access to a track (perhaps) and most importantly, you’ll find people to run with at your pace, while being motivated by some of the exceptional athletes who train there with you. There are groups in every city that also help you train specifically for marathons, should that be a goal of yours.
• If you’re a new mom or have a young child that you want to workout with, there are kid-friendly options, too. Here are a few:
• Moms in Motion is an international club with local teams in more than 50 cities, 18 states and 4 countries momsinmotion.com
• Stroller Strides is another international fitness club with local franchises. The group offers moms the opportunity to get a great workout along with their baby. strollerstrides.com

Leagues

• Tennis, football, soccer, baseball, softball, basketball etc. — whatever your game, you can find a team to play on, or a league to belong. Apart from providing the camaraderie of like-minded individuals, leagues are another great way to stay committed to the sport of your choice.

If none of these options appeal to you, or you’re not really looking to add to your already full social calendar, then create your own exercise group with like-minded friends. Instead of meeting at a local coffee shop or at the mall — meet at the gym. Work out side-by-side on cardio machines, spot each other with your weight regimen, or commit to sharing your food log. Accountability is the best way to stay on course. You’re less likely to hit the snooze button if you have someone waiting for you at the gym.

Attractive Arms

If you’ve been following along from the beginning, you’ve developed a pretty well rounded base of information regarding your core, flexibility, stretching and the like. You know that weight training is a big element in healthy living, particularly for us women who lose bone density, as we get older. It has been proven that weight training can help offset the reduction in bone density. Let’s look at basic exercises specific to different muscle groups.

Today we’re focusing on your arms, biceps and triceps.

Understanding the lingo

• The first position, in which you start, is referred to as starting position.
• Repetitions are the number of times you can do an exercise without a break, with your final “rep” bringing you really close to “muscle fatigue” meaning you just couldn’t squeeze in one more “rep.”
• Sets are the number of times you repeat the repetitions. Typically between 2 or 3 depending on weight and goal.
• So when you hear 3×15, it means 3 sets of 15 repetitions. Insert a 60 second break in between sets to stretch out the muscle you’ve just worked.

Form and posture

• Never lock your joints. Even if an exercise calls for your arms to be straight, always have them bent just a touch. This prevents strain on your joints.
• Never “break” your wrists. Which means always make sure that when you have a dumbbell or barbell in your hands, your wrists don’t bend back unnaturally. They should form straight lines with your forearms.
• For best posture, stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees (like elbows) should be slightly bent (never locked), chest up, abs tight (belly button to the spine) and don’t let your shoulders round forward, i.e. don’t slouch.
• Your body shouldn’t sway back and forth as you lift and lower. If you find that you can’t control it, do your dumbbell exercises with your back against a wall which helps eliminate unnecessary momentum.
• Do the exercises in a slow and controlled manner. Try not to swing your arms; introducing momentum reduces the work on the muscles, because inertia has taken over.
• Exhale when you exert. When you are doing, for example, a bicep curl, where you stand with your arms by your side, exhale when you raise the dumbbell toward your chest (working against gravity), inhale when you lower them back to starting position.

The Exercises

Dumbbell Curl 3×15

• Stand with a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing upward.
• Keeping them close to the body, bend elbows to curl dumbbells up toward shoulders, exhaling as you do.
• Return your arms in a slow and controlled manner to starting position, inhaling as you do.

Triceps Kickback 3×15

• Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, elbows bent at a 90-degree angle more or less in line with your back.
• With feet hip-width apart, bend at the hips and knees as if you were about to sit in a chair (skiing position).
• Extend both your arms behind your body, keeping them close to your torso, straightening your arms, but not locking your elbows.
• Return your arms to starting position.

Hammer Curl: 3×15

• A slight variation of the bicep curl, this one calls for dumbbells in your hands with palms facing your body while you bring the elbows up toward the shoulders.
• Return to starting position.

Chair Dips 2x fatigue

• Use a chair or a bench for this. If using a chair, be sure to prop it against a wall so it can’t slide out from under you.
• Sit on the edge of the chair with your hands shoulder-width apart and fingers facing forward.
• Slide your hips off the seat by walking forward until knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Keeping your shoulders down and elbows pointing behind you, lower your hips toward the floor as if you were about to sit on the floor, but don’t let the hips reach that far.
• Return to starting position and do as many as you can, until fatigue.

Standing Barbell Bicep Curl: 3×15

• Hold a barbell with palms up, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, elbows in line with shoulders, arms straight but not locked.
• Bend elbows and curl bar toward shoulders.
• Return to starting position.

Triceps Extension: 3×15

• Lie on your back with a weight in your right hand.
• Extend it upward (straightening elbow) and steady it with your left hand so that your left hand crosses your chest to hold onto your right arm between the bicep and the elbow.
• Keep your right elbow directly above your shoulder and slowly bend it, bringing your right hand toward left shoulder (as if you could cross your arms across your chest while gripping opposite elbows).
• Return to starting position, exhaling as you do. (Remember, exhale when you exert, and here the exertion is greater when you return to starting position — against gravity).

Naturally there are many different exercises that can target the multiple muscles that comprise the biceps and triceps. The ones that I’ve mentioned should get you off to a running start. Over time, we’ll build on this so that you have a large repertoire of exercises to choose from. After all, we have to continue to change, challenge and confuse!

Break for Wellbeing

We’re all familiar with the phrase “stop and smell the roses” (or the 20th century version “stop and smell the coffee”), which essentially means to take a break from our hectic schedules and enjoy the simpler things in life.

We all know we should do it, but in our daily role as mother, sister, daughter, professional, friend, volunteer, homemaker, chef, among others, how many of us really do take the time to slow down, much less stop to smell the roses?

There are only 24 hours in a day and there’s only one of you, you say! Well, that’s precisely the reason why we need to consider the long-term implications of this hectic fast-paced lifestyle and realize that we’re doing physical, mental and spiritual damage to ourselves. It’s difficult to live without our day-planners, pocket calendars, Blackberries, Treos or lists we make each day — but, the fact is, if you step back and take a look at your schedule for the past few months, heck few years, you’ll find very little downtime.

I challenge you to track yourself for a few months to see what your weekends are like, see if there is anytime during those 48 hours where you just stop and sit, not read, not talk on the phone, not watch TV, not DO anything, but rather just BE. Just sit and listen to the rain outside, or watch your cats frolic with each other or just stare into space and think. You might find that you don’t.

However, there are ways in which you can do this:

Rid yourself of clutter of any nature.

1. Determine what kind of clutter you have. Because, whether you’re a pack rat and can’t bear to throw anything away (physical clutter) or have an overly packed schedule (mental clutter) or even things in your life from your past, traumas you experienced as a child (emotional clutter), this all contributes to your hectic life.

2. Clean out the closet. This is something you can do both literally and metaphorically to help you slow your pace. A good rule of thumb for your physical closet — if you haven’t missed it in a year, you probably will never need/use it again … throw it out or give it away to someone less fortunate than yourself.

3. Try and lighten your calendar by spacing out social engagements. Don’t plan more than one thing on the weekend. Better still, if you plan a social activity one weekend, try and leave the next one free of any obligations.

It’s ok to say NO! — We all feel the need to be the good friend, make the effort to be the one to reach out, volunteer at our kids’ school or the charity of our choice because we believe its part of what defines who we are. Be that as it may, allow yourself to do it in moderation. It’s all right to occasionally say that you’re not available (not because you have a conflicting appointment, but because you just need some downtime).

We often find that our way of coping with emotional issues is to fill our lives with as much activity as possible, leaving no time to actually think or process uncomfortable thoughts. We all bring emotional baggage into our relationships be it from our childhood or past relationships — at some point it’s up to us to refuse to allow that baggage to rule our lives. It’s up to us to free ourselves of that cloud that hangs over our head — whether its through therapy or reaching out for love and support from one’s family, it is important to come to terms with your past and put it behind you so that your present and future can be more fulfilling.

Meditation or quiet time helps.

If you’re helplessly bound to schedules and calendars, then schedule in some downtime for yourself, even if its just five minutes a day. Find a quiet place where you can relax and concentrate with the least amount of distractions, sit comfortably and find a word or phrase that works at calming you down or stare at the flame of a candle.

According to a paper presented at the 2006 Annual Meeting of Neuroscience, studies conducted at the University of Kentucky found that meditation increased alertness in students better than napping or caffeine. While research regarding the effects of meditation is in its infancy, it may very well be that it could help maintain brain function and alertness throughout life.

Perhaps, the only time we truly stop and slow down is when we’re incredibly sick. Not just a cold or sore throat, because even that doesn’t seem to slow us down these days, but truly sick. Yet, sadly, that’s our body’s way of telling us that it’s taking matters into its hands. That if you can’t take care of it, and then it won’t take care of you.

Yes, there’s only one of you and this is precisely why it’s important to slow down. You want to stay healthy both physically and spiritually, because you’re no good in all your roles if you’re not. So kick up your feet and just sit for a while.

Baby Gets a Workout: Exercising During Pregnancy

Conventional wisdom used to be that it was unsafe to exercise while pregnant. This couldn’t be further from the truth. While you might not go out and run a marathon during your pregnancy, maintaining a consistent exercise regimen can ensure a healthy pregnancy, easier delivery and quicker return to pre-pregnancy weight and size after you deliver the baby.

Prior to beginning or continuing any exercise schedule, it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider. If you were active prior to the pregnancy, you are probably able to continue the same level of exercise while making minor modifications, as your pregnancy stages require.

If you were sedentary before you became pregnant, it doesn’t rule out starting now. Just do it slowly and consistently. Simply start out by walking daily for 15 minutes and build up from there — even if it’s just 5 additional minutes per week. It is also vital that you find good pregnancy exercise books or DVDs to guide you. Do your research before you start so that you don’t inadvertently do any damage.

Benefits of exercising while pregnant

• Strong back and core muscles will relieve or even prevent backaches. As you progress through the pregnancy and get bigger, your spine tends to curve to compensate for the burgeoning belly; stronger muscles help you maintain better posture.
• Exercising helps to boost your energy level and gives you a greater sense of control over your body, which is now beginning to do things and behave differently than what you know.
• It helps to strengthen your joints and prepares them for laxity in the joints, which would make you more prone to sprains and twists.
• Helps with labor and delivery — regular exercise teaches you to breathe correctly, which helps you gain control of the pain during labor and might also provide added endurance in the case of a long delivery.
• Getting back in shape after the baby is delivered is easier and quicker.

Safely exercising during pregnancy

The most important rule of all — listen to your body.

• If you are dizzy, lightheaded or experiencing cramps, if you’re having any sort of abdominal pains or if you have a racing heart, vaginal bleeding or uterine contractions — stop exercising immediately and seek medical attention.
• Moderation is key — yes, initially you can still run 10 miles a week if that’s what you did pre-pregnancy, just don’t try setting any personal records for speed or time. A good rule of thumb is that you don’t want to be huffing and puffing, because if you’re not getting enough oxygen, then your baby certainly isn’t either.
• Swimming is the best form of exercise — not only does it provide a great cardiovascular workout, it also places the least amount of stress on your joints.
• Many yoga centers offer prenatal yoga, which not only assists with flexibility and breathing, but also is a good de-stressor.
• Avoid working out in the hottest parts of the day to prevent overheating — if possible work out in the air-conditioned comfort of a gym.
• Don’t do something new — now isn’t a good time to try out the 3 Cs (change, challenge, confuse your body). If you’ve never done it before, don’t try it now.
• Avoid jarring/bouncing exercises like horseback riding, mountain biking or even surfing, even if you’ve been doing them before. You want to avoid putting yourself in a position where you could injure yourself and consequently your baby.
• Drink enough water and get adequate nutrition — forget the old wives tale about eating for two, but certainly do increase your caloric intake by about 300 to 500 calories per day.
• Stop competing with yourself — you’re not in a race to get to the perfect dress size or the ideal weight, your only goal is to stay healthy and that your baby is born healthy. Shelve all your athletic goals for after the baby is born.

You will find that you have to evolve your exercise regimen as your body goes through its various stages. For example, as you get bigger and it gets harder to breathe, you might want to stop running to prevent oxygen deprivation and also to prevent damage to your bladder.

Just remember, its pointless to try to maintain a strict exercise schedule now at the risk of causing injury to your body thereby putting yourself in a position where you might not be able to go back to the exercises you’re used to pre-pregnancy. If you listen to your body closely, it will tell you what it is capable of doing. So listen well, be well and here’s to a healthy baby!

Geeky Gizmos Galore

Gadgets are everywhere: Heart rate monitors; iPods; pedometers; GPS readers that track heart rate, mileage, distance, cadence, speed; sunglasses with built-in earpieces for music/phone (the list is endless); ab rockers and rollers and sliders and wheelers and belts, all demonstrated in 60-second infomercials by women with flawless figures — where do you draw the line?

The bottom line is you don’t “need” anything. You can simply lace up your sneakers and head out the door without a single gadget. There’s a school of thought that prescribes the simplistic approach, the premise being, the easier it is to get out the door, the more likely you are to exercise regularly; the more you have to prepare for it, the less likely you are to be consistent.

But gadgets are fun you say!

Should the quest to use a gadget tug at you endlessly, here’s the low-down:

Heart-rate monitors

This involves a strap that you wear around your chest under your sports bra (Adidas offers a line of sports bras that actually have chest straps built in) which then relays your heart rate to the wrist watch component thereby allowing you to monitor your heart rate at all times. This is particularly great for interval training. A simple rule of thumb to follow for your absolute maximum heart rate (an area that you probably shouldn’t get to very often) is to subtract your age from 220. (For example, if you’re 40, then your heart rate should not exceed 180 beats per minute (bpm) and in fact should probably stay closer to 170 bpm unless you’re in exceptional cardiovascular health.)

Pedometers

A pedometer counts the number of steps you take. It’s clipped to your waistband and from the moment you wake up and walk to the bathroom, you’re counting steps! On average, about 2,000 steps makes up 1 mile, and this is a great way to motivate yourself to increase your daily cardiovascular exercise. Simple ways to do that are:

• Parking your car further away at the grocery store, instead of shooting for the closest spot
• Going to the restroom on another floor of your office and using stairs instead of the elevator
• Mall walking — combine your love for shopping with exercise by doing a couple of laps around the perimeter of the mall first, before going into your favorite stores to shop Body-fat percentage weighing scales

These machines help you to identify not only your weight in pounds or kilograms but also offer up your average body fat percentage and often your BMI (body mass index — not a great indicator at all, but that’s a separate article) as well. These machines are to be taken with a grain of salt, because they have not been scientifically proven to be very accurate and your level of hydration plays a large role. If you weigh in at three different times in the day, you’ll be amazed to see the level of fluctuation. One way to use them would be to be consistent about the time of day during which you weigh in, and then they can be used as a yardstick of progress, less for accuracy and more for consistency. I still say your clothes are the best judge!

If you prefer to get your exercise at home, then spending a few hundred dollars on a gizmo that promises you amazing results if you use it just ten minutes a day for three days a week isn’t the answer. Remember if something sounds too good to be true then it probably is, and you cannot expect to see results without putting in genuine effort. The things to remember about almost any exer-gadget are:

1. They ONLY target specific muscles and we all know you get a much greater value by targeting multiple muscle groups at the same time. (Functional training is another topic for another day.
2. You do not develop an abdominal six-pack simply by doing crunches or any of those machines which isolate your abdominal muscles — simply because you first have to eliminate the fat surrounding the abdominal muscles.
3. Abdominal fat is the hardest to lose and the easiest to gain. When you do bicep curls, its bicep muscles you’re building, similarly with abdominal crunches its abdominal muscles you’re building, but the muscles are hidden behind layers of fat and the only way to eliminate fat is cardiovascular exercise and resistance training. Essentially, it involves exercises to increase your metabolic rate, and believe me when I tell you there are better ways to do this than doing 1,000 crunches daily! While gadgets profess to make your life easier and more functional, unless you’re a serious athlete, there’s no real reason to invest hundreds of dollars in a high quality heart rate monitor or GPS system to monitor your speed, pace, etc., just getting out there an hour a day four to five days a week is good enough! However, if you think it will help you alleviate boredom, keep you motivated and stay focused, then go for it! Anything to keep your heart rate up!