4 10-minute Fat Burning Routines

May 28th, 2008

Have you noticed that the trend in fitness is to do shorter, higher intensity workouts?  I think this is a great idea.  We’re all busy and a shorter workout is appealing.  Warm up for a minute or two before beginning the workouts.  And if you’re a little out of shape, slowly work up to the higher intensity so you don’t hurt yourself. 

Here you go:

4 10-Minute Fat Burning Cardio Routines

By Calabrese MS, CSCS Kelli
eDiets Contributor

No time to exercise? Everyone has 10 minutes they can steal. Studies prove several 10 minute bouts of exercise throughout the day are equally beneficial for your health and calorie-burning as one longer continuous session.

If you spend your day at a desk, take 10 minutes out of every two hours to get up, get moving and get closer to a body you can be proud of. You will return to your desk refreshed, with more mental clarity and a renewed sense to continue working knowing you are closer to reaching your fitness goals. Giving your metabolism a boost several times through the day, adds up to more fat burning.

The following four 10-minute workouts can easily fit into your day, help burn off your meals and, most importantly, you’ll have fun getting fit.

Climb Your Way to Fitness — Start out with two trips up and down a flight of stairs. For your next two trips, pick up the pace going up the stairs, and walk down at a moderate pace. For trips five and six, take giant steps by placing your foot on every other step. Walk down at a moderate pace. The seventh and eighth trip you should vigorously pump your arms (think Rocky) as you climb, then walk down slowly. If necessary, hold on to the railing when descending the steps. Finally for the last two minutes, perform quick steps up and down on the bottom step (like a football drill).

Million Dollar Boxing Body — Stand up in your office or anywhere you have a few feet of space around you. For the first minute, step side to side with your hands up as if to protect your face. For the second minute, make the side step a little deeper so that you are squatting at the mid point. For minutes three through five, plant your feet and work on repeating 16 of each of the following punches with each arm; cross punch, jab and upper cut.

For minutes six and seven alternate 16 kicks to the front with 16 kicks to the side and 16 kicks to the back. Arms are protecting your face. For minutes eight and nine, shift your weight from side to side and shadow box using any combination of punches that feel good to you. For the tenth minute stagger your legs and shift your weight front and back (alternating feet every couple of seconds) as you throw jabs.

Jump for Fitness — You can use a rope or pretend. Start out with the standard jump with feet together for one minute. For minute two, jump side to side. Minute three, jump front and back. At minute four, jump on the corners of an imaginary square. At minute five, alternate hopping on the right foot then left. Minute six, jump so that the rope is going to go under your feet twice in one jump (or pretend). Minute seven, hop on the right foot for 10 jumps then the left and continue to alternate. Minute eight, go for speed, jumping as quickly as you are comfortable. Minute nine, spin the rope backward, and finally for the 10th minute, perform jumping jacks with your feet as you spin the rope.

Speed Play — Begin by walking and after a minute or two, accelerate until you have reached your peak speed, then slow down until you feel recovered. When you are ready, repeat another bout of accelerating. Continue to play with your speed for a total of 10 minutes, getting in three to five exercise bursts. This activity helps you to get intune with your body and pay attention to how you (and your heart rate) are feeling.

It may take time to work up to performing some of these exercises for the whole 10 minutes. If you can make it for up to four minutes, or even one minute, be pleased you made the effort and try for a little longer next time until you build up to 10 minutes several times a day. You can choose to do all four routines once a day for variety. Or choose routine to be repeated several times a day then switch the routines daily or weekly.

Exercise is one of the very best things you can do for heart health, anti-aging, detoxifying, boosting metabolism and fat burning. Make a conscious effort to plan for several short bursts of exercise throughout the day. Short exercise bursts help to improve heart rate variability which is the greatest predictor of health. Take 10… You are worth it!

Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS is author of Feminine, Firm & Fit. For more information go to www.KelliCalabrese.com, e-mail Kelli at KelliCalabrese@Comcast.net.

Do you look like your dog?

May 21st, 2008

I have always been a German Shepherd lover – but I don’t know that I look like my dogs…..but these people DO!

These are pictures of people who won the “I look like my dog contest.”  No matter how many times I see them, they make me chuckle.

11 tips for sticking to regular exercise

May 21st, 2008

As part of the Happiness Project, this blogger/author has written an interesting list of ways to stick to an exercise program–something we all need (at least now and then).  I found the list to be unique – not the same old “put your shoes by the door” tips.

100 Tips to Improve Your Life

May 20th, 2008

You’re going to love this list.  Each item links to a short, creative article.  

4 Easy Ways to Go Organic

May 17th, 2008

Dr. Al Sears has taken some of the mystery out of going organic.  Below is his newsletter article on the subject.  I found it helpful and interesting.  Cheryl
 

Al Sears, MD
12794 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 16
Wellington, FL 33414

Doctor’s House Calls
May 19, 2008

Going organic is a good idea… Organic foods are higher in nutritional content, from vitamins and minerals to antioxidants. 

They’re also free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other toxins that cause hormonal imbalances, many kinds of cancer, birth defects, and other serious illnesses.

But organic food isn’t always easy to find and the labels can be confusing.

To make it easier for you, I have a few suggestions…  

#1: Know What the Labels Mean

Trying to figure out which foods are really “organic” can be difficult because there are so many different labels. Anything carrying a seal 100% Organic means the food contains only organically produced ingredients. It must carry contact information for a USDA certifying agent; it usually bears the “USDA Organic” seal.

If the label says Organic, it means 95% of the ingredients that went into making the food are organic. The remaining 5% must be on a national list of accepted ingredients. These products also have to contain contact information for the independent, USDA-regulated certifying agent.

Made with organic ingredients means the food contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients. They also have to provide the certifying agent’s contact information. But the remainder of the ingredients aren’t necessarily organic. And they can’t carry the “USDA Organic” seal.

Foods with less than 70 percent organic ingredients may include any organic ingredients on the ingredients list only. They also aren’t allowed to carry the “USDA Organic” seal.

#2: Buy Local

Farmers’ markets are popping up in a lot of communities these days. Look for one near you. Locally grown produce is often more nutritious than store-bought, simply because you’re getting fruits and vegetables that are in season, and they don’t need to be transported over long distances. That means they’ve ripened closer to harvest, which makes a big difference in nutritional content.

#3: Avoid These Hazardous Foods (See Cheryl’s comment below)

• Milk: Commercial cattle are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. They eat grains laced with pesticides. And they’re simply diseased animals. All of that stuff gets concentrated in their milk. The USDA performed analyses of commercial milk in 2004 and found pesticide residues in all samples tested.1 Organic milk is readily available in most supermarkets. Make this a priority purchase.

• Peaches/Apples: These two fruits contained the highest concentration of pesticides of 45 kinds of produce the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit consumer health organization. They used the USDA’s own analysis to rank food safety. Avoid commercial versions of these fruits. Even washing won’t offer you (or your children) enough protection.2

• Peanut Butter: Kids love it. Unfortunately, more than 99 percent of peanut farmers use conventional farming techniques in this country, including fungicides and other toxins.3 So skip the Skippy – it’s bad for you and your children.

• Imported Produce: Many fruits and vegetables out of season in our hemisphere are in season in South America. Blueberries, tomatoes, grapes and other produce often come from Chile, Argentina, or Peru during the winter months. Steer clear of them. Many have far more pesticides and other dangerous chemicals than domestic varieties.

#4: Explore Your Options

Here are a few web sites to find out where you can get healthy, nutritious foods. If you’re interested in finding grass-fed beef (which I strongly recommend over commercial beef), check out www.localharvest.org and search for healthy ranches according to your zip code. My personal favorite is US Wellness Meats: www.grasslandbeef.com.

The Environmental Working Group also offers sound advice and information on food safety: www.foodnews.org. They offer a great list of fruits and vegetables and the amount of pesticides they contain, along with free guides and news updates.

You can also look for a farmer’s market near you. Use this web site hosted by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers: www.caff.org.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

Cheryl’s Comments:  “#3 Avoid these hazardous foods” is a little too strongly stated in my view.  While I agree that pesticides and hormones are problematic and should be monitored, it is a complex issue.  Organic foods cost more and some individuals cannot afford the extra cost.  And because foods are not labeled with the amount of pesticides and other chemicals used in their production, it is difficult to know which producers’ crops are more hazardous. 

In general, I recommend that health conscious individuals work within their budgets and move toward purchasing organic foods.   Some foods are more likely to contain pesticides, hormones, and other chemicals.  Here are several articles you might find helpful. 

10 MOST IMPORTANT FOODS TO BUY ORGANIC

Article One, Two, Three

Smoking Decreases as Income Increases

May 15th, 2008

Among Americans, Smoking Decreases as Income Increases

Gradual pattern is consistent across eight earnings brackets

by Rob Goszkowski

Washington, D.C. — The Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index is helping to crystallize the relationship between income and smoking in the United States.

While researchers for Gallup and the Centers for Disease Control have previously documented higher smoking rates among lower-income Americans, the current results based on interviews with more than 75,000 individuals across the United States allow for a closer examination of the relationship between household income and smoking behavior.

Nationwide, the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index reveals that 21% of Americans say they smoke. As the accompanying graph illustrates, the likelihood of smoking generally increases as annual incomes decrease. One exception to this pattern occurs among those making less than $6,000 per year, an income bracket often skewed because many in that bracket are students. Among those making $6,000 to $11,999 per year, 34% say they smoke, while only 13% in the top two income brackets (those with incomes of at least $90,000 per year) say the same — a 21 percentage-point gap.

Full article here

Lose Weight, Get Fit

May 5th, 2008

I like the information provided at ediets.com.  The articles are short but detailed enough that you can get inspired to take action for better health. 

If you have difficulty losing weight, this article may help you learn how to speed up your metabolism.  Good stuff. 

If you want to lose your love handles, this article will help.  Watch the video – wow. 

If you’re short of time but want to workout, here are the 10 most effective exercises.