Tag Archives: muscle tone

How Often Should I Be Exercising?

Before starting any exercise routine make sure that you get the “okay” from your physician. Once you have his blessings make out a schedule either on paper or in your mind of an escalating exercise plan. Keeping a journal is particularly helpful. In a journal you can note your exercise session concentrating on how you felt, the time that you exercised and for how long. You can also jot down the areas that you felt were improving in terms of recognized muscle tone and how you felt when you were exercising. It is best to work up to a higher … Continue reading →

Keep Yourself Fit: Get a Massage

A massage benefits your health, physically and mentally. A massage sounds so decadent and luxurious that it is often associated with pampering the rich and the famous. However, the fitness benefits of massage are so profound that even health insurance companies are getting involved to help cover the bills. If you have ever been injured, massage can help you heal your body because it smoothes the flow of the body’s fluids and helps muscles to relax. Massage can decrease the tension in muscles that are sore from a workout or that have lost vitality after being bound up in a … Continue reading →

Belly Dancing

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Last spring, I took this great class at the Lifetime Fitness club – it was an introduction to Belly Dancing. At the time that I signed up for it, it was relatively inexpensive about $30 or $40 for an 8 week course in Belly Dancing. We would meet for one hour per week and I admit to some trepidation that first night when I showed up. After all, as much as I love dancing – we’re talking about belly dancing and this is a beautiful form of dance that can be as simple and as complicated as you might imagine. … Continue reading →

Evaluate Your Child’s Motor Abilities: Take This Quiz!

It’s easy to tell when a child has major problems with muscle tone or coordination. Yet it’s possible for children to have problems with muscle tone which are more subtle. When we’re focused on cognitive abilities, we might miss motor problems in our child which need attention. Observe your child in these scenarios, and ask yourself these questions: Gross Motor Ability 1. When my child hugs me, he feels: a) like he’s using upper body strength to squeeze me back. b) somewhat flaccid without much grasp. c) rigid and stiff, with his muscles seeming a little tight. 2. If I … Continue reading →

Activity versus Achievement

When it comes to working out, people can get discouraged when their fitness program seems to plateau. It can be hard when you workout every single day and yet, you don’t seem to make any improvements. Your weight loss stalls. Your muscle tone doesn’t seem to develop. Your abs don’t tighten up. You work. You sweat. You hit the gym every day. But somehow, nothing is happening. When this happens, you probably feel intensely frustrated and unfortunately, people who experience this type of frustration are more likely to give up their workout programs altogether. Before you throw in the towel, … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action 30-Day Challenge – Day 4: Strength Training

Good morning again! If you performed your cardio earlier today, I hope you are feeling warmed up and ready to go. If you are just joining us for strength training, take a few minutes to stretch yourself out thoroughly and march in place for about two minutes before we get started with Day 4 of the Spring Forward to Action 30-Day Challenge – Strength Training. Strength training is great for people looking to improve their overall fitness as well as reduce weight. Muscles burn more calories than fat. Toning and strengthening muscles will also improve your overall appearance and give … Continue reading →

Spring Forward to Action 30 Day Challenge – Day 3: Flexibility

You should perform flexibility exercises 2 to 3 times per week. Flexibility exercises increase your range of motion as well as increase the support around your joints. The more flexible you are, the more you minimize risks of injuries to your joints. Flexibility exercises will also help tone and firm muscle appearance. Sagging arms, loose thighs and calves, even abdominal muscles can benefit from a good flexibility workout and help you achieve a more fit and trim appearance. For our flexibility exercises today, you will not need any equipment. Instead, you should be dressed in loose, comfortable clothing. You need … Continue reading →

I Must! I Must! I Must Increase My Bust!

I love that line, I love that chant. I’ve been wracking my brain for the last two hours to try and remember what book it came from. I think it’s a line in a Judy Blume book that I read when I was younger. My daughter isn’t old enough to read Judy Blume yet, so I’ll have to go with my gut on that one. Increasing bust size is a familiar issue that some women face. They may feel their bust is inadequate. Or they may feel the reverse is true, they may want to tone down their bust. Either … Continue reading →