Gliding Toward Fitness: Getting Started with Rowing
So you\’ve been working out on a rowing machine and are a little tired of looking at four walls? Putting your muscles to work with an oar (or two) out on the water is an enjoyable way to get fit and maybe take up a new sport. The American Heart Association says rowing is among [...]
Exercise and Nutrition Tips for Staying in Shape on the Road
Whether you travel for business or pleasure, you may know what it\’s like to fight the "travel tummy." This is what may happen when you veer from your usual fitness and dietary routines while on the road. The telltale sign? The clothes you wore when you left feel a lot tighter on the return trip. [...]
Getting Strong Through Resistance Training
What is it? Resistance training – sometimes called weight training or strength training – is a "specialized method of conditioning designed to increase muscle strength, muscle endurance and muscle power," according to the American Sports Medicine Institute (ASMI). Resistance training can be done in several ways: with resistance machines, free-weights (dumbbells and barbells), rubber tubing, [...]
The Best Abdominal Exercises
Dread doing endless sit-ups? Experts now say that classic sit-ups are not the best way to strengthen your abs. Try these exercises instead. Top tummy toners Most experts recommend the following exercises to be safer and more effective than sit-ups for toning your tummy: Bicycle maneuver. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back [...]
Thinking About a Gym at Home?
The situation: You need to exercise. No denying that. The problem: Should you invest in a treadmill, workout bench or other home equipment? That brings up another problem: What if you shell out the cash and don\’t like it? "So many people buy equipment because they think it will motivate them. Often it doesn\’t. You [...]
Five Steps for Your First 5K
You may not have a marathon on your mind, but if your goal is to run in a race for the first time, proper training is still very important. A 5K (3.1 mile) race is a good place to start. Having a short race to train for could be just the motivation you need to [...]
Toning – Getting a Chiseled Look and Well-Defined Muscles
Men generally like to build muscle while women prefer to "tone" their muscles. Toning involves making the muscles firmer and more defined – not bulkier. But, the two strategies are really very much the same. Men simply bulk up more than women when they lift weights. This is because they have more testosterone, a hormone [...]
Ice Skating: The Smooth Way to Fitness
The origins of ice skating may date back 4,000 years. One theory holds that men in northern Europe slid on the ice on pieces of wood or bone while hunting. Now that most people don\’t have to cross the frozen tundra to seek a meal, ice skating has evolved into a great way to exercise [...]
Getting in Shape With Indoor Rowing
Using a rowing machine can be a great way for some people to improve fitness through low-impact exercise. The smooth, rhythmic motion of rowing uses many muscle groups, but does not have the pounding that comes with some weight-bearing or high-impact exercises. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) suggests that your overall fitness program [...]
Tennis Anyone?
Serve \’em up! There are few athletic events more satisfying than whaling on a tennis ball and watching your opponent swat air with the racquet as the ball whizzes by. Along with being just plain fun, tennis is mentally and physically challenging. It\’s also a great social outlet you can enjoy with your family and [...]