Fitness Exercises

Fitness Exercises that can be Performed in 10 Minutes or Less

Most people understand that exercise is important for their overall health and well-being. However, many complain that they just don't have enough time in their schedule for exercise. With the fast paced lives that most of us lead, it's understandable that most of us are time starved and without the proper time for exercise.

However, exercise is essential to our health, so it is important to understand that even a brief amount of exercise performed on a regular basis can go a long way to improve your life.

10-15 minutes of exercise performed 3-4 times a week will do a lot to improve every aspect of your physical health. No special equipment or props are needed. In fact, a number of exercises can be done in the morning while you are still in your pajamas. Some routines may be so easy that you may be tempted to think that they are not doing much good as all. However, if performed properly on a consistent basis, 10 minutes of exercise can get you in shape.

Here are a few exercises that you can do in just 10 minutes to improve your total fitness health.

1 Minute Back Stretch

• Sit with your legs straight out in front of you and your back straight.


• Place your right palm flat on the floor behind you as you twist your head and shoulders so that you are looking over your right shoulder.


• Make sure that you keep both buttocks flat on the floor.


• Hold for 15 then do the other side.

Repeat twice.


1 Minute Back Scratcher

• Sit with your legs stretched out in front of you and your back straight.


• Stretch your right arm and bend it at the elbow as if you are going to scratch your back between your shoulder blades.


• Reach your left arm behind your back to touch or hold the fingers of your right hand.


• Hold this position for 30 seconds.


• Repeat on the other side.

2 Minutes of Sit Ups

• Lie flat on the floor on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.


• Place your palms on your hips and run them up to your knees, pulling yourself up by your stomach muscles.


• Do as many of these sit ups as you can in 2 minutes.

5 Minutes of Step Ups

• Find a step of about 6-8 inches of height. Step up with your left foot.


• Raise your right foot to join it.


• Take your left foot off of the step and then your right foot to join it.

Repeat For 5 Minutes

1 Minute of Press Ups

• Lie on your stomach.


• Bend your arms at the elbows and place both hands flat on the floor with your thumbs at shoulder level.


• Keep your toes flexed and on the floor.


• Push on your palms to raise your upper body.


• Your back and shoulders should be flat and your buttocks should not be sticking up.


• Fully extend your arms but do not lock them.


• Now slowly lower your body back on to the ground and repeat as many times as your can in 1 minute.

Congratulations! You have just completed 10 minutes of exercise that did a lot to increase your cardio-fitness, helped to maintain the strength in your arms, shoulders and legs, and increased the flexibility in your joints. If you don't have a lot of time to work out, try performing these exercises for 10 minutes 3-4 times per week, and you will see and feel a great difference.

Exercise - Interval Training

When it comes to exercise, the word “intervals” puts fear in many people’s minds. Intervals are sometimes misunderstood but adding them to your exercise program can help you burn fat and get in shape quicker.

Intervals are not for everyone. To begin performing intervals, you should be in good condition and a physical from your doctor is highly recommended.

What are intervals?

The easiest definition would be periods of high intensity exercise followed by recovery periods of low intensity exercise.

Here's an example. You are following a walking program and have been walking briskly for thirty minutes a day, four days a week. You feel pretty good but would like to lose weight a little quicker.

Intervals might be perfect for you. Begin your regular walking program and, after five minutes, jog for ten, twenty, thirty seconds or more. Your heart rate will begin to increase and your breathing will pick up after this period, return to walking briskly until you have completely recovered. You then begin to jog again.

In the beginning you may only want to perform two or three of these short jogs. That's fine. Do what's comfortable for you. Later, as you become more accustomed to this routine, you can add more jogs or increase the length of time you jog or both.

During each period of jogging, your heart rate has increased. When you stop jogging and continue walking, your heart rate will be at an increased rate for a minute or so. This is an added benefit. During aerobic exercise you want your heart rate to increase, which makes it stronger and makes you healthier.

Intervals work great on a treadmill. You can increase the speed for however long you want, or you can increase the height, so you are walking at the same pace only going uphill.

This is interval training at a low level but you still get benefits from it. You can follow a similar routine in your other aerobic exercise as well.

For instance, if you are riding a bike for exercise, every so often pedal faster until you begin breathing heavier, and then return to riding as before.

You can see that interval training is not only for athletes. It's one of the fastest and most effective means of reaching a top level of fitness and decreasing body fat.

Do these three or four days a week and watch your fitness level go up while your pounds begin to disappear.

Is Golf Good for Your Health ?

Can golf be good for your health? Absolutely! The United States Golf Association believes this as they advise that when you play a round of golf, you walk the golf course if you can. Riding in a golf cart should be avoided, if at all possible.

Golf courses want you to ride a golf cart to play the course, as they want to get as many rounds played in as short an amount of time as possible. They also get more revenue from renting the cart to you. This is business, but their business does not help your health. Walking the golf course gets your heart pumping and circulates blood throughout your whole body. This is great low level cardiovascular exercise.

Walking is also a great way to enjoy the pleasure of walking in the outdoors away from it all. This will relax you and probably improve your golf game. The more relaxed you are, the better you play.

Walking is a great form of exercise. This fact has been published in many articles and medical and health journals. There are studies that show that walking the golf course during an 18 hole game of golf is equivalent to between 40% to 70% of an intense aerobics class. Playing 18 holes of golf and walking the course has also been shown to equate to a 45 minute workout. It is also been shown to be the same as walking 3 to 4 miles. There are also studies that show walking the golf course is beneficial for lowering your bad cholesterol as opposed to riding in a cart. Riding in a cart did not provide the same health benefit.

As you are walking the golf course, take in the great scenery that is offered on a golf course. These areas are groomed and kept up on a daily basis. While you are walking, you can think about your next shot. You can also think about your last shot and get in a good mind set to make a good shot on the next stroke.

Most golf courses are not flat. They have hills that must be traversed. Riding a golf cart, you usually do not notice the change in elevation. Walking those hills will really give you a great appreciation for the lay of the land. This should also give you ideas for how best to play your shot.

As with any exercise plan, you should check with your doctor. Your doctor can best determine if you are capable of walking for 18 holes on a golf course. Chances are the doctor will enthusiastically recommend it.

Go out there and enjoy walking the golf course. It could improve your golf game. It will certainly improve your health. If you are having a bad day on the golf course, taking your focus off of your game by enjoying the scenery while walking can be a great stress relief.

Home Exercise Programs Designed For Weight Loss

Home exercise programs are a great way to keep fit and lose weight. Along with proper diet and nutrition, an exercise program can help speed your metabolism and burn calories faster. There are a number of home exercise videos that will give you the direction and motivation you need to burn fat and lose weight quickly. But, why are exercise videos a great option in your home exercise program?

The Convenience Factor:

Exercise at your convenience. By performing regular exercises you will place a greater demand on your body's stores of fat and you will cause your metabolism to increase dramatically. Your body will burn fat as a source of energy at an accelerated rate and the end result will be a slimmer, more toned you. Your level of fitness will improve with each workout routine you perform. Exercise videos are a great way to learn the best exercises to burn fat and build lean muscle and you will be able to exercise in your very own home at your convenience.

Inexpensive:

There is no need for expensive gym memberships or extravagant exercise equipment. Fun, fast-paced exercise videos featuring well-know fitness experts and celebrities will give you the inspiration and direction you need to create your very own, highly effective home workout routine. How much would you have to pay to have Denise Austin as your personal trainer? With home exercise videos, she'll be available to you 24 hours a day for pennies a day.

All levels:

Home exercise videos are available for any fitness level from beginner to advanced. As your level of fitness increases you can move on to more advanced exercise routines to keep your body healthy and make weight loss much easier than with dieting alone.

Variety:

It is a good idea to change your exercise routine on a regular basis to keep your body challenged and make continued weight loss possible. After performing the same exercises over and over your body will require more advanced workouts to continue to burn excess fat and calories. Exercise videos will allow you to make progress at your own pace and give your metabolism the boost it needs to burn fat for energy. From Ballet to Hip Hop, there are exercise videos for every interest. Different types of exercises will cause your body to respond in different ways. You will be able to find a variety of exercise videos that will give you the types of workouts you need to gain muscle tone and lose weight fast.

Regular exercise is critical to your health and well being. Find the exercise videos that suit your lifestyle and your goals and you can begin exercising in your very own home immediately. Your body will thank you for your efforts and you will look and feel better than you have in years. weight loss is drastically easier when dieting is combined with exercise. Home exercise programs and fun videos you can do in your home are a great way to get in shape and experience fast weight loss.


Resource :
Author : Tina Titas
Tina Titas is a columnist for http://www.FunExerciseVideos.com -- where you’ll find the best exercise videos as a great price.

(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)

Health Club Secrets

Health Club Secrets : 5 Monster Tips for Choosing a Health Club

With the New Year coming in, people by the droves put their New Year's resolutions in gear. For many health clubs, the month of January marks the easiest time of the year to entice and underdeliver the hopes and desires of the unsuspecting public.

Now, of course, that'll never happen to you........will it?

For the type of person that continually gets wrapped up in the "deal of the day," it most certainly will. Most people have no idea what the telltale signs of a great health club operation are.

Naturally, many clubs know this and fully take advantage. Does it really make sense for all of the area clubs to offer the most "specials" in the month where the overall demand reaches its peak?

What other successful industry does this?

Not one that I can think of.

Understand that many clubs encourage you to join in the months of January and February knowing full well that you not be frequenting the place in two months.

But your money is!

The key resides in the fact that you must find the clubs that actually have your best interest at heart. Which clubs are going to encourage you to get in better shape?

To give everyone a little piece of mind, I've compiled a short list of monster tips to help insure that you involve yourself with a club that will give you the most success.

(By the way, two of these tips are "underground" and industry insiders are the only ones that REALLY know about them.)

1. Check the cleanliness. Clubs don’t care about keeping the club clean don’t care about keeping you happy. Period. Always give a good look in the locker rooms and cardio deck.

2. Gauge the pressure. The more pressure that is being put on you to join right then, the less service you are likely to get. Use your head. Today only specials are a scam. Peer pressure always puts you in a bad spot. (Important Note: monthly does not mean month-to-month. Make sure you know the difference.)

3. Judge value, not price. Price is what you pay. Value equals what you get for what you pay. Generally, the higher the rates, the more value you get. Of course, make sure to judge this for yourself. Just don’t get stuck in the “low price” mindset. Always look for “high value”

4. Ask about the management history. Clubs with a history of better service tend to have stable management. If a club switches managers every 3 months, it’s not a positive sign and usually means that ownership either continually chooses poor management or it’s a sign of dissatisfied employees. Be sure to ask.

5. Always check the Better Business Bureau homepage on any clubs that you are looking to join. If a club has a bad mark, you can bet it’s pretty intentional. The Bureau doesn't just hand out bad marks without just cause.

*Bonus Tip: Check out ripoffreport.com and look up the names of clubs that you are interested in. This resource encompasses reports from many dissatisfied customers from many types of businesses.

Take these 5 tips and apply them to your area. While they will not tell you everything about a club, they will prevent you from becoming a member of the worst clubs and allow you to be more comfortable working out in the New Year.



Resource : Health Club Secrets
Author : Brad Howard
Brad Howard is the author of the wildly successful book "Health Club Secrets Revealed, What Industry Insiders Don't Want You to Know" and has been an industry veteran for years. For more details, make sure to visit www.healthclubsecrets.com.
Do you want to know how the diet and fitness industry makes most of it's money? Send an email to hcsecrets@aweber.com to get the free report "How the Diet and Fitness Industry Exploits Your Deepest Desires" as my gift to you.
Copyright 2006 Brad Howard




(Note: This article is the opinion of the author and may or may not be substantiated by scientific fact.)