Working Out Without Working Up Too Much of a Sweat

Summer is here, and with it the hot, sticky weather. Unless you are heading for the beach or pool for a swim to cool down, it can be hard to stay motivated to work out in the warm weather.

Fortunately, there are some workouts that you can do which can help you tone, trim and burn calories without getting soaked in sweat. One of them is bellydancing. It can be fast and fun, and help you feel sexy and feminine too, instead of too macho.

Shimmy: The Complete First Season

and

Shimmy: The Complete Second Season

can help you stay fit and bring out your inner goddess.

Another idea is yoga. It can keep you fit and also aids in developing lean muscle. For any woman who wants to be strong but not too bulked up, these DVDs are ideal.
Namaste Yoga: The Complete First Season

Namaste Yoga: The Complete Second Season

Namaste: The Five Elements in Yoga

For a harder yoga workout, you might consider trying Kundalini Yoga. It emphasizes transformation through a series of poses, and there are therefore no levels in Kundalini as there are with other forms of yoga.

Kundalini Yoga With Gurmukh

Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond

Kundalini is particularly good for losing weight:
Fat Free Yoga – Lose Weight & Feel Great w/ Ana Brett & Ravi Singh NOW W/THE **MATRIX**

Weight Loss with Kundalini Yoga DVD

Yoga for Weight Loss (Deluxe 3 DVD set with over 30 routines))

So if you are looking for some great ways to stay fit during the summer, or all year round, without getting too hot and sweaty, pop in a DVD and start to shimmy or strike a [yoga] pose.

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You Are Never Too Busy to Keep Fit

Many people claim that they do not work out because they have no time in their busy day. One of the main reasons for this is because a lot of people think that exercise is something which only takes place in a gym for hours at time and involves a great deal of agony.

The good news is that studies have shown that any physical activity can count when it comes to keeping fit. Even a simple walk will help you improve your fitness. But other things can all add up as well, from cleaning the house to cycling with the kids or even a round of golf.

So now that you know these all count, you need to do more of them. But if you say that you have no time, you need to thing again. How are your hours really passing by? You might work 9 to 5 like a lot of people, or go to school, but there have to be at least a few ten-minute breaks in your day for you to work in some fitness activities.

Yes, that’s right, even as little as 10 minutes, 4 times a day, has been proven to be as effective as a single 40-minute burst of activity.

So, to sum up, all activity counts, and no matter how busy you are, even a short session can all add up to big results. That being the case, you should now start to look at ways you can work in fitness during your daily routine.

Start as soon as you get up with a few minutes of stretches, yoga, calisthenics, Pilates or tai chi. You don’t even have to get out of bed for some of these activities.

Look for ways to work movement into all of your daily activities. For example, when you are on your way to the office, walk or take your bike. If it is too far, and you take public transport, get off a stop earlier, or a stop later, and walk from there. You will not only get in more exercise, you will get a whole new change of scenery as well.

If you are doing the housework, turn up the music and pick up your speed. Go up and down the stairs several times as your own free stair-climber.

Are you stuck in the office with barely a break? You don’t have to be. Take a walk at lunch time, get a little pedal cycle to put under your desk, or try desk yoga. Talking on the phone? If you are in a cubicle, jog in place, do knee to chest lifts, and more. If you have your own office, put them on speakerphone and do yoga, toe touches, and more while you work.

Heading home from work? Park the car but don’t go inside. Walk around the block a few times, and get the family to come with you.

At the end of the day, when you are watching TV, don’t just sit there. Get up and walk around, stretch, sit ups, crunches, jog or dance in place, use hand weights, do yoga. Try your kids’ Wii system and do Dance Central, and more.

Don’t exercise too close to bed time, as it can be very stimulating and boost your energy level, but a walk before bed, using some light weights, or doing some yoga can be an excellent way to end the day.
Fitness has been proven to give many health benefits, especially if you do a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. It’s a new year, and time for a new you. Why not grab your iPod and a water bottle, and get moving for better health.
FURTHER READING
Fitness Basics: How to Add Exercise Easily to Your Day, Every Day (Health Matters)

Outdoor Fitness Fun for the Whole Family (Health Matters)

New Year, New You (Health Matters)

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Calculating Your Body Mass Index

Do you know your number? Most people don’t. And that’s a shame, since your number can offer a peek at your health.

By your number, we mean your body mass index (BMI), which indicates whether your weight falls within a desirable range for your height.

Depending on your classification, you may or may not wish to think about losing weight.

It is a useful tool to determine whether or not you need to lose weight because it takes into account all body types.

Here is a really handy Body Mass Index Calculator

http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/

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Exercise and Fitness for Busy Women

Regular exercise helps to prevent back pain by increasing muscle strength in your abdominal or ‘core’ area. A solid core means a strong back, and this kind of lean strength helps with all your daily tasks that involve lifting and climbing.

 

In addition, it helps ward off the kind of frailty that one sees in the elderly.

 

And the best news is, in a lot of cases, you don’t even have to break a sweat to get the benefits.

 

Great exercise options for women include:

 

— yoga

— pilates

— walking

— swimming

— water aerobics

 

For those who don’t mind breaking a sweat, there is:

— jazzercise

— jogging or running

— volleyball

— rollerblading

— dancing of all kinds

 

Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated or even planned. For instance, you can:

 

– do housework quickly and to music

– take the stairs instead of the elevator, both up, and down, to use different muscle groups

– do yardwork, such as raking leaves, mowing the lawn

 

Even the busiest business person has time to exercise, though, so now you have no excuse.   Get off one stop before or after your usual stop on the way to work or on the way home, and walk the rest of the way.  Then make it 2 stops and so on.  Walk to the corner store instead of taking the car, and save gas at the same time.

 

The biggest enemy of exercise is supposedly not having time, but if you are spontaneous and creative in your exercise choices, you should be able to work these and other fitness activities you enjoy into your daily life.

 

Exercise, fitness

 

Learn about more of the best strategies for women who want to exercise and keep fit.

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