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Exercise: It’s Good for the Heart

Most of us have already failed miserably at keeping our New Year’s Resolutions, according to the radio this morning at least 80% of us have given up on them already. This is pretty typical after the first week or two, but even if you’ve struggled with them a little so far, you have a whole year to perfect them so don’t give up hope! This year one of my many resolutions was to start exercising again. I, like most people, put on a few extra pounds during the holidays. When you have kids around there seems to be an endless … Continue reading →

Proper Plank Exercises

Not be mistaken with planking—the strange fad where a person lies face down in an unusual place and is photographed—planking exercises are a great way to improve stability and strength in your abdominal muscles. The basic plank is to start by lying on your stomach. Lift your body up, resting on your forearms and toes. Your body should be in a straight line…no butt up in the air and no curving of the back. Keep your head relaxed and look at the floor. Hold the position for 10 seconds. As you progress with this exercise, you can hold the position … Continue reading →

Exercise Helps Back Pain

Lately, I’ve had a lot of trouble with lower back pain. It isn’t something that started suddenly. I remember the first time I really felt like I hurt my back. I was 42 and bending over the bed to change my baby’s diaper. Yes, I realize having a baby at 41 probably put enough strain on my back alone. Anyhow, I bent over and something went kapow and I could hardly stand up. I walked funny for about a week until it cleared up. Just from bending over! (The copyright holder of this work released this work into the public … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Flexibility Exercises

In my last blog I talked about the benefits of cardio, something I have recently incorporated more of into my fitness routine. Despite wanting to spend more of my fitness regimen doing cardio (with my biggest goal right now being to lose weight), I know that I also need flexibility exercises. Flexibility exercises have many benefits. Perhaps you are like me when it’s time to stretch. You sit down on your bottom, stretch your legs out in front of you and attempt to reach your toes. Notice the word “attempt.” I can’t do that…yet. But with flexibility exercises, my body … Continue reading →

Exercise Focus: Pilates

What is Pilates? Developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, Pilates is a physical fitness routine that focuses on the mind controlling the muscles. Joseph Pilates believed the mind and body were connected and developed a system he believed would strengthen both. The routine is designed to improve flexibility, endurance, and strengthen the core. Pilates is adaptable to any physical level through modifications of the exercise movements. The modifications help prevent injury for those on different physical levels. Pilates is a popular method of exercise with many claiming they feel stronger, leaner and more graceful in their movements. … Continue reading →

Squeezing in Exercise When You Sit All Day

Sitting all day long is not good for your health. So if you work in an office or any type of job where you are sitting for long periods of time, you will need to get creative. Since I work from home, spending several hours most days of the week writing, it can be very easy to get comfortable and stay comfortable. I used to workout before I started my assignments. I figured it was better to get it out of the way but now I have changed things up. I try to get in 30 to 40 minutes of … Continue reading →

Relieving Back Pain with Exercise

Back pain is something I have struggled with for years. I used to think that exercising would only worsen my back pain. I will admit that when I finally got into an exercise routine it did take a little getting used to. But then I reached this point where back pain rarely happens. When my back pain does kick up, it is usually because I have stopped exercising for a couple of days. So I have definitely learned that exercise relieves my back pain. I recently read that some people are afraid of pain so they don’t exercise at all. … Continue reading →

Toning Those Flabby Areas

In my quest to get healthy and lose some weight, I have been working on some new things. The latest is toning. I want to get rid of any “soft” areas of my body where they shouldn’t be soft. I have found some great toning exercises that really help. Think about some of the areas that we most want to tone. Start with the upper arms, which can be an area of flab for many. To do this exercise you will need a light weight, five pounds or less. Start with your right side by extending your right arm straight … Continue reading →

Five Basic Exercises for Successful Labor

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Delivering a baby requires a little flexibility. I’m not talking about compromising your birth plan, either. When you’re trying to squeeze a seven or eight pound baby through a space that is pretty small to begin with, you’re kidding yourself if you think you won’t have to contort into a number of rather awkward positions to make it happen. If you don’t stretch and limber up your muscles beforehand, you can expect quite a bit of extra soreness after you deliver. Who wants extra pain? Getting your body ready for delivery is not difficult, it just takes a little planning … Continue reading →

Exercise for Type II Diabetics

Exercise is important for everyone, but regular exercise is especially important for people with Type II diabetes. With regular exercise, diabetics may be able to control nerve pain and/or peripheral neuropathy, nerve damage that mainly affects the legs and feet. Regular exercise can also help a diabetic maintain a healthy weight and regulate their blood sugar. But, some diabetics avoid exercise because they are already overweight or suffering from some physical ailment. They may even avoid getting started on an exercise regiment because they cannot exercise for very long. Just remember – any movement is good movement. While the American … Continue reading →