After going hiking today with one of my hiking buddies, I started thinking about hiking safety. There are several things to take into consideration. Sun Safety Sun can damage your skin, even when it is cloudy and you think you won’t get burned. Wearing sunscreen is a must! I recommend keeping a small container of sun screen in your car or hiking backpack. Stores like target sell small, convenient tubes of sunscreen or you can squeeze some into a reusable liquid container. I also like to add a light colored hat and sunglasses when hiking in the summer. Since the … Continue reading →

I know from experience that sometimes it is hard to stay motivated to exercise. I have gotten in slumps before that have lasted longer than I would like to admit! I have come up with some ideas to try to help you stay motivated and get moving. These ideas have helped me get out of a slump, and hopefully they can help you too! Workout Shoes Keep your workout shoes in sight! This may seem odd but there is some truth in the saying- out of sight, out of mind. I have noticed that when my workout shoes are tossed … Continue reading →

Sometimes we forget two very important aspects of working out. That is remembering to warm-up and cool-down. Before we start an aerobic exercise our muscles are cold and tight, meaning they are not totally prepared for a workout. Doing a warm-up helps prepare your body for your workout and decreases the risk of a muscle strain. A cool-down helps you bring your heart rate down and allows you to transition back into your daily routine. Your warm-up can be a less intense version of what your aerobic activity is. For example, if you are going to go for a three … Continue reading →

In this economy it might be hard to afford a gym or have sessions with a personal trainer. Sometimes lack of a gym might be used as an excuse not to exercise. However, regardless of your financial situation, there is always a way to exercise. I currently don’t belong to a gym. I attend a twice a week workout class at the local community college which averages to about $5 a class. Although I enjoy my class, two days a week is not enough for me to get in all the cardio I need. I have come up with two … Continue reading →

I recently wrote a blog about the importance of stretching and how it can improve flexibility and reduce the chances of being injured. While stretching is important, it is also vital that a person knows the right way to stretch. Believe it or not you can injure yourself if you don’t stretch the correct way. There are different types of stretches and different times when they should be performed. First of all, stretching is not warming up. People sometimes confuse the two. So before you even begin stretching, you want to first warm up. A good warm-up routine is to … Continue reading →

I am quickly discovering that one of the key components to maintaining a fitness routine is to find the best time of day to exercise. If you don’t find your niche you will be floundering around. I have been doing some of that lately. My problem is that I do better with schedules and routines. During the school year I am forced to be awake by a certain time in order to get my children ready for school. Now that summer is here, I find myself getting up at different times with different things on my agenda. The lazy days … Continue reading →

Many people shirk the fact that bending and stretching should be performed at the beginning of any exercise. It should also be done at the end of each session of any type of physical fitness. Some people just want to get their exercise “in” for the day and basically they rush through the movements of it. Bending and stretching helps you to perform your exercise routine more easily and with greater flexibility. It prepares our bodies, particularly our joints, for what is about to take place. When we are flexible it promotes good posture and balance. It also helps to … Continue reading →

It’s annoying, I know but the old saying goes: “practice makes perfect” for a reason. Practice does make your technique perfect and good technique is essential to help you achieve your fitness goals. Technique: Correct Form From walking to running to weight lifting to dancing in an aerobic class, every type of exercise requires a correct form. When you perform the exercise correctly, you minimize your risk of injury while maximizing your results. By practicing correct technique you also become more aware of your own body as well as how far you can push it. Personal trainers often advise changing … Continue reading →