Video - Moderate Cardio Workout

This workout may not feel "moderate" to some, but if it's too much, just do 1 set - it's only 4 minutes long - you'll probably be sweating already!  Then play the clip over again when you're ready to add more.

And be sure to warm up first, as there is no warmup included in this video, and that is very important before a cardio workout. You can start with some gentle jogging in place, a few jumping jacks, then stretch, and you should be good to go. Go easy your first time, and stop to rest if you need to. Be sure to breathe throughout. And remember to cool down and stretch when you're done! (Watch it through once first, as there are no verbal instructions, so you have to watch the screen for the cues.)

Moderate Cardio Week 6
Try this if you want to lose fat around your belly, build a six pack, and have a better body than you do now. Easy to follow.



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Lifetime Fitness: Building a Healthier You

Many people end up abandoning perfectly good fitness programs and weight-loss regimens before they even lace up their sneakers.

Why? Because in a world filled with fast food, instant messaging, and the internet at your fingertips practically 24 hours per day, anything without a quick payoff goes against the grain of the typical American instant gratification ethic. While it would be nice to actually drop inches in just a few days like what most miracle fitness ads proclaim, managing weight and losing weight through physical fitness is a slow and steady process that takes time and commitment.

Physical Fitness (Photo credit: Justin Liew)

Setting weight management goals for yourself can be a good motivator. Gradual weight loss, for those people who wish to shed off some extra pounds, is usually the safest.

That is why health and fitness experts have come up with the idea of lifetime fitness in order to teach people set realistic goals. These lifetime fitness programs generate dietary regimens that cut your normal calorie consumption by 500 to 1,000 calories per day (usually gradually, and depending on your current weight and fitness goals) - or emphasize burning the same amount with exercise.

Lifetime fitness teaches you how to maintain a physically fit body and at the same time enjoy yourself and live a happy, contented life. It gives you the chance to strike a balance between the two (exercise and diet), and make exercise, be it team sports, cycling, or walking, something you will truly enjoy.

Lifetime fitness embodies the concept that making a long-term healthy lifestyle change is essential to keeping the pounds off once they are gone.

Here are some more facts about lifetime fitness:

1. Lifetime fitness programs offer you comprehensive and wide-ranging fitness and health support and guidance.

These fitness programs provide you with helpful methods of maintaining health, build up and encourage your competence, and take care of your family’s physical fitness as well.

Cover of Lifetime Fitness (4th Edition)

2. Because the goal of lifetime fitness is to provide you with long-term achievements as far as physical fitness is concerned, these programs utilize numerous types of fitness equipment that will tone and manage your health and different muscle groups throughout your body.

3. Lifetime fitness programs and centers also often provide nutritional products such as food supplements that will aid in the formation of good blood cells and tissues thereby helping your body obtain optimal health.

Lifetime fitness centers and programs may also provide you with up-to-date fitness magazines that offer substantial information about fitness and health, and inspirational stories as well. These articles will give you insight on how to bring balance and live a life that is healthy and fit.

Indeed, staying fit and healthy can be a long and winding road and there are instances when you may find your enthusiasm fading occasionally. Nevertheless, with the comprehensive programs provided by lifetime fitness plans, you can stay on the right track to a healthier you.

Making Use of Moderate Exercise to Get Fit

Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and then you get home and see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? But you refuse, and tell them you can't today because you're too tired - even though you feel bad about it.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after just 30-minutes of activity.

Walking the Dog. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you will feel a lot better mentally? It has been proven that even 30 minutes of moderate exercise improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that, you may also find it easier to sleep at night.

Regular exercise also promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive yourself and your life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and relieving depression.  And of course it strengthens your body and improves the function of all of your physical systems.

If you're just starting to exercise and your fitness level is low, you can start out with only 15 minutes for 3-4 days a week. You can increase the time you spend exercising once your body starts to adjust. But remember DON'T ever force your body! Listen to your body, be sure to warm up gradually, and stretch afterwards, and if something hurts then stop.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy while improving your fitness level:

1. Go walking. Make use of your surroundings. In most areas walking is quite possible, and if it's not in your neighborhood, try a change of scenery and to go a local park. You can walk your dog, or with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting sunlight and fresh air that is also good for your body.

Cardiac yoga sample exercise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. Start out by learning a few of the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body and mind with energy. You relax and at the same time you stretch and strengthen!

3. Get engaged in sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Just have fun, and you don't have to take it too seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend would be a great example of having fun while getting great exercise.

4. Join an exercise program at work. If you do not have an exercises program at work, then why not start one? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. It can be a social time to get to know the people you work with better, and also encourage you to continue with your physical activity.

5. Take advantage of household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises you can do around the house. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform some of these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fat at the same time?

Making moderate exercise a part of your daily routine can burn a surprising number of calories, and start getting you fit before you know it. Just doing 30 minutes every day of these moderate exercises can burn anywhere from 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

Video - Jillian Michaels Shred Workout - Level 1

Sorry if I haven't published a full workout video in a while.... Today I'll make up for that, and post a full-length Jillian Michaels workout - one of my favorite trainers. I love her no-nonsense style combined with an upbeat energetic attitude, but without being too "perky" about it all. This is Level 1 of Jillian's popular 30-Day Shred program - a great program for interval training and fat burning. If you want to grab the DVD, or other levels, see resources below the video.

Join me now, as I'm going to work out right along with you - I've been needing a good workout myself these days!

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred: Level 1
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred Level 1 will burn fat with this interval training fitness system, combining strength, cardio, and abs workouts that blast calories to get you shredded and ripped. This workout is from Jillian Micheal's the DVD 30 Day Shr...


More Jillian Michaels Interval Training Workouts: 
   

Interval Training For Beginners

Interval training has become quite popular for beginner and expert fitness enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re doing cardio or strength training, exercising in intervals boost your results. If you’re looking to lose weight or get in shape, consider adding interval training to your current workout.

Interval Training (Photo credit: Atlantic Cadets Atlantique)

What Is Interval Training?

Interval training is the process of increasing intensity for a short period of time. For example, if you’re running you might run at a ten minute mile pace for five minutes. You would then increase your running pace to an eight minute mile for one minute. Then you’d return to your normal pace.

You can add intervals to your strength training routine. Instead of running faster, you might add more repetitions to a set. Or you might add weight to a few repetitions.

What Are the Benefits of Interval Training?

Interval training offers a number of benefits. The first and perhaps most apparent is that you’ll push yourself just a little bit harder which burns fat and builds muscle. Intervals can help you get past the mindset that you just can’t work out any harder. Your perceived maximum effort changes.

Intervals also help you get stronger. In the case of running, you’ll actually increase your ability to run faster and farther when you add intervals to your workout. When you’re strength training or toning your muscles, interval training helps you achieve results faster.

And interval training has been proven to burn more calories during a workout. That means you’ll see results faster. If you’re working out to lose weight or get in great shape, fast results help you stay motivated.

It's also easier on your heart and body - the human body was not designed for endurance exercise, but naturally gravitates towards higher and lower intervals of exertion. Exercising in intervals means helping your body perform in the way it was meant to, and strengthening all of your systems in a natural and healthy way.

Plus it's just fun! Varying your exercises, and exercise level, gives you a great workout and keeps you from getting bored, so you enjoy your exercise time more. And that's really the best motivator of all.

Jillian Michaels for Beginners If you want fast results with your home work out, consider trying the Jillian Michaels for Beginners series. Jillian Michaels is known as the toughest trainer in the world. She’s reached popularity through the show, The Biggest Loser. A no-nonsense trainer, she pushes you hard, and helps you achieve your goals. She’s now helping people around the globe with her iFit workouts, her books and her highly reviewed DVDs.

One of her most popular DVDs is the “For Beginners” series. There are two DVDs in the series, Frontside and Backside. As you might guess, each DVD focuses on interval training for a specific area – your abdominals and your rear end. She combines cardio and strength training to offer six workouts per DVD. It’s more than enough to get you through a week of workouts. The interval training session are designed for beginners however, regardless of your fitness level you’ll see results. You don’t need any special equipment and the DVDs retail for less than the cost of lunch on Amazon.com. If you want to get in shape fast, try interval training with Jillian Michaels. You’ll be beach ready in no time!

Jillian Michaels For Beginners Series:
   

Adding Strength Training To Your Fitness Routine

This week we are focusing on a few beginner-type resources for those new to an exercise program. If you're out of shape and haven't worked out in a while, it is important to ease back into it at a pace gentle enough to prevent injury (and getting discouraged), but consistent enough to really start making exercise a habit you enjoy. It's also important to add strength training into your routine.

Strength training offers a number of significant benefits. It helps your bones and muscles stay strong. It prevents disease and helps you develop better body mechanics. Muscles look sexy too. However, the most important reason to add strength training to your fitness routine may be because it helps you lose more weight.

Strength Training Circuit-2 (Photo credit: Phil Manker)

At the Gym Or At Home?

The first question to answer is do you want to go to the gym or work out at home? If you’re using weights, it is recommended that you first make sure you’re lifting them properly. Improper form can cause serious damage and injury. But you don’t have to use weights to strength train. You can use the weight of your body and objects around the house as well.

Split Routine

The next step is to create a strength training plan. Ideally, you’re adding it to an existing routine. That means you’ll want to break up your strength training into smaller segments. For example one day you can work on your upper body. The next day you can focus on your lower body. You might spend another day targeting your core muscles.

Finding Exercises

Most people already know the basics. You’re familiar with a push up and a sit up. These are strength training exercises that you can begin with at home. However, you’ll probably advance beyond these basics pretty quickly. There are many videos, DVDs, and books you can use to help you create your exercise training plan.

Circuit strength training (Photo credit: Kizzlexy)

If you’re planning on heading to the gym to use the weights or buying weights for home use, be sure to get a quick education on how to use the machines and proper form. Working out with the proper form will help you get faster and better results. It also helps prevent injury.

Start Small

It’s okay to start small, especially when you’re adding a new fitness program or routine. Consider ending your workout with five minutes of strength training. Experts recommend strength training after your muscles are warmed up. You may want to walk for a few minutes before you train.

Additionally, you’ll probably start with your body weight or with light weights. Experts recommend being able to do eight to ten repetitions and three sets. If you can’t complete the sets then you may be using too much weight. As your strength increases so too will your confidence. You’ll begin to see your body change, and you'll also begin enjoying your newfound sense of strength and fitness - it's a great thing!

 

Video - Fun Kids Game of Crazyball

Here is a short 6-minute video of a fun game you can play with your kids with just a ball and a wall. It can be played against an inside or outside wall, a garage, or even a fence. It's great exercise, and she gives helpful tips for exercising with kids throughout, including stretching at the end. Keep in mind that, as she mentions, kids naturally exercise in short bursts - so you don't need or want to really make them exercise hard for long periods of time. It won't be fun anymore, and it's really hard on the body too (this goes for adults as well, which is why we so often emphasize the benefits of interval training). Have fun, and let them exercise at their own pace.

Check out the video, and feel free of course to improvise and make up your own rules and variations!

Fun kids game - crazyball with www.DawnBland.com
Youth Fitness. This is an excellent game to play with your child for cardio, speed and hand eye coordination