Are your workouts working for you? Not sure? One way to tell is by using a method called the rate of perceived exertion, or RPE. It helps ensure that you’re working out to your optimal level! Aim too low and you’ll just be going through the motions without much benefit. Aim too high and you could end up frustrated, burned out, or injured!

So how do you find a pace that’s just right? Think of exertion on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being no exertion (sitting in a chair, for example) and 10 being the most you can possibly do. A moderate walk might put you at a 3. Remember, it’s not about how fast you’re walking, it’s about how strenuous it feels. Aim for a range between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong), say experts at the American Council on Exercise. You should feel you’re exerting yourself enough to gain cardiovascular benefit, but not so hard that it’s difficult or uncomfortable to sustain your workout.

As your strength and fitness level increases, bump up the intensity to compensate, aiming to stay within your newly defined 3-to-5 range. The best thing about perceived exertion is that you can use it for any workout — walking, jogging, bicycling, bench stepping, climbing stairs, or performing low-impact aerobics! And be sure to keep checking in when you’re working out!

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Want dancer’s legs without having to go to dance class? Here’s a move that will help give your legs that long, lean appearance!

You’ll need a chair for support. Start by standing tall, with one hand on the back of the chair for balance and the other on your hip. Begin in “first position” (think ballet), with your toes turned out and your heels touching. Keep your back straight and your abs tight. Dip down by bending at the knees, keeping them square over your toes. Lift your heels off the floor, pushing from the balls of your feet. Straighten your legs, squeezing your buttocks and inner thighs, then lower your heels, returning to the starting position.

The move has four steps — plié down, lift heels, push up, and heels down to starting position. Repeat the series for two sets of 8 to 12 reps each. Rest for 15 seconds between sets. Fabulous! It’s that simple!

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For years, the common knowledge has been that if you want to lose fat, you have to do aerobic exercise. But while it is in part true, that belief unfortunately led many women to think that they could skip strength training. A study changed that way of thinking.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics recently found that strength training — or weight lifting — plays a key role in controlling a woman’s weight. They discovered that women who lifted weights just twice a week were able to avoid the slow, one to two pound weight gain per year that’s so common in middle age. While that might not sound like a lot, over the years it can really add up. Another plus? Women who lifted weights had healthier hearts.

So how does lifting weights help keep you slim? It’s simple — strength training builds muscle, and muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn, 24 hours a day — even when you are asleep! So if you aren’t already, make strength training a part of your fitness program. Your efforts will pay off for years to come!

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In addition to being essential to general health and well-being, exercise is helpful in managing many MS symptoms. A study published by researchers at the University of Utah in 1996 was the first to demonstrate clearly the benefits of exercise for people with MS. Those patients who participated in an aerobic exercise program had better cardiovascular fitness, improved strength, better bladder and bowel function, less fatigue and depression, a more positive attitude, and increased participation in social activities. Since 1996, several additional studies have confirmed the benefits of exercise.

Inactivity in people with or without MS can result in numerous risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. In addition, it can lead to weakness of muscles, decreased bone density with an increased risk of fracture, and shallow, inefficient breathing.

An exercise program needs to be appropriate to the capabilities and limitations of the individual, and may need to be adjusted as changes occur in MS symptoms. A physical therapist experienced with the unique and varied symptoms of MS can be helpful in designing, supervising and revising a well-balanced exercise program. Any person with MS who is initiating a new exercise program should also consult with his or her physician before starting.

Periods of exercise should be carefully timed to avoid the hotter periods of the day and prevent excessive fatigue. With some guidelines, a good exercise program can help to develop the maximum potential of muscle, bone and respiration, thereby avoiding secondary complications and gaining the benefits of good health and well-being.

Source:National Multiple Sclerosis Society

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Ok it is time to shake the cobwebs from this blog and shake it up. The next Walk Kansas starts March 9th. Who in Kansas is going to join in with me and do this 8 week program?

For information follow the link above and lets rock Kansas. Let’s show the country we can move up the ranks as being in the top ten healthiest states to live in. Being in the backside of the top 30 is unacceptable. Let’s rock the house on March 9th.

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Resolutions ready? Take the plunge

12/29/2007By KALEY LYON

Hays Daily News

It’s back!

As 2008 draws near, The Center for Health Improvement is preparing for a repeat of what turned out to be its most popular event yet, Pound Plunge.

The program, which encourages locals to eat healthy and exercise right, shocked staff members and the entire community when about 1,500 people signed on last year to drop the pounds.

While it’s too soon for exact numbers, the second annual event is expected to be another big one, said Stephanie Schaffer, fitness manager.

“They keep coming in every day,” Schaffer said of this year’s registrations. “I’m expecting a lot more.”

The 12-week weight loss program will begin on Jan. 10 and end April 3. Each team must consist of four members, and the deadline to register is Jan. 6.

The beginning of the year is a good time to have such an event — New Year’s resolutions often help keep participants motivated, she said.

“New Year’s is a time when a lot of people in our country set goals,” Schaffer said. “The big thing is to lose weight and to exercise. It’s just a perfect time of the year to implement a team like this.”

Overall, the routine will be about the same as last year. Participants will receive a weekly nutrition or exercise tip to help them drop pounds and keep them off, she said.

The teams also will weigh in each week to track their progress, and at the end of the program, the team with the highest percentage of weight lost will receive a prize.

Unlike last year, when only the first place team received a financial award and free membership to the center, the top three teams will be rewarded.

Also unlike last year, team members will have the opportunity to weigh in on new digital scales, and individuals’ blood pressures will be recorded at the beginning and end of the program to gauge improvement, Schaffer said.

The program isn’t limited to the center — it strives to include the larger community and encourages participants and other local entities to get involved, she said.

“It’s just about getting people moving,” Schaffer said. “It’s just to teach people about fitness and exercise and nutrition, and they love it.”

Schaffer said she expects many of last year’s participants to try it again, and there also are many new team members already signed up.

“I think we’ll have people who did it last year who had great success. They’ll come back,” she said. “I think you’ll have people who did it last year and maybe have found out they need to do it a different way this year. And then you’re going to have the people who are going to come back, and this motivated them to lose weight and keep weight off.”

Deanna Staab, Hays, is one such individual. She participated in last year’s health challenge and has continued losing weight ever since.

At November’s Pound Plunge reunion, Staab took first place for having lost, and kept off, the highest percentage of body weight since the challenge began in early 2007.

Staab lost 13 pounds during pound plunge, and by continuing to eat and exercise healthy since then, has lost an additional 24 pounds.

“I really enjoy it,” she said. “I feel better and started exercising regularly, so that was the key — just to lose a little at a time.”

Staab’s team dubbed themselves the “hot tamales,” and the team support is what kept her going, she said. Her goal for Pound Plunge 2, which she has already signed up for, is to lose an additional 10 pounds, she said.

“I’m just happy about it,” Staab said. “It’s a good deal and everybody should sign up. It just gives you an idea of where you’re at and what you should be doing.”

Reporter Kaley Lyon can be reached at (785) 628-1081 Ext. 138, or by e-mail at klyon@dailynews.net.

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Thinking of kicking your walking routine up a notch with jogging? You should! It’s a great way to burn even more calories and reap additional cardiovascular benefits at the same time! But remember, the key to success — and to avoiding injuries — is starting off on the right foot! The experts at The American Physical Therapy Association offer these tips for new joggers:

• Alternate the pace. Gradually go between jogging and walking until you build up your endurance, rather than suddenly converting to jogging only!
• Do the talk test. If you can’t carry on a conversation while you jog, you’re pushing yourself too hard. Slow down!
• Look for give! For the sake of your joints, choose dirt, a rubberized track, or a similar soft surface over asphalt and concrete.
• Watch your feet. Keep an eye out for injury-prone obstacles like logs, rocks, and holes in your path. Be careful!

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These are all great reads I encourage anyone to check them out and spread the word about them.

Simple Toning Meditation posted at Tupelo Kenyon

Why excercise is absolutely necessary posted at 360 Degree Success

Your Friends are Making you fat posted at Witch on White Mountain

The Crude Reality Of Bodybuilding posted at MuscleBolism: Build Muscle Beyond Anabolics

When Business is Incontinent posted at Trust Matters

Dominic Acito.com - Stretching Guide posted at Dominic Acito

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Be 40 But Look and Feel Like You?re 20 posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living

The General Motors (GM) Diet posted at Random Expressions

For the Love of Food | Old Bat News posted at Old Bat News

Weight Loss Without Cravings And No Diet posted at Addiction Recovery Blog

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Want to have an attractive, firm, flat stomach? You’re not alone! But did you know that there’s a lot more to your abs than just good looks? Your abdominal muscles are vital to almost every activity you do — from running and playing tennis to picking up a bag of groceries and standing up tall! Think of your abs as the “core” from which all your power comes!

So why not tap into this energy source? Make sure you do some type of abdominal-building exercise at least three times a week, whether it’s the ever-popular crunches or the core-building moves of Pilates. Put working out your abs on your to-do list! Not only will you be stronger, but you’ll enjoy the lean, sleek physique that goes along with fit abs!

The best part is that it won’t be long before you see the results of your efforts — even if you’ve had a baby — because this muscle group bounces back fast once you get started. So get those abs moving!

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