Empower Blog

First of all, you can get a great workout without buying any equipment at all. Just step outside and take a long walk, a slow jog or climb the nearest hill. Stop and do dips or push-ups off the curb or nearest park bench. Lunge the length of your block. Pause and do a few squats at every stop sign. I’m sure you get my point.

I’ll admit a pair of properly-fitted sneakers would be a good investment; on the other hand, barefoot workouts are all the rage now so maybe you can even skip the shoes. But if you’re willing to make a small investment in your health, I would recommend purchasing a step platform (would you expect the creator of step to leave this off her “must have” list?), a set of graduated-sized dumbbells (ex.: 8, 10 & 12lbs) and an ab ball.

Don’t just use the platform for cardio stepping. Use it as a bench for weight training too. It also makes a great seat to plop down on when you need a breather. Just don’t let it become a substitute shoe tree.

A variety of dumbbells allows you to adjust weight according to the strength of the muscle you are working. For example, most women can lift more weight with their biceps than their triceps. And as I preach to my class participants, you are much stronger than you think you are. Pick up a heavier weight than you believe you can handle and give it a lift. You’ll probably surprise yourself. What do you have to fear? It’s not like it’s glued to your hand and you can’t put it down if you need to. Just try not to need to. You’ll be amazed at how much faster you’re fitness level improves if you just push yourself a little.

Lastly… well not lastly because I can go on and on about fitness equipment, but thirdly, an ab or physio ball is ideal for core training, stretching and targeting specific body parts. One day when we have more time to talk, I’ll teach you a killer hamstring exercise using the ball. It’ll make your muscles scream “mercy.”

Did you know that how you treat your body in the minutes and hours after you exercise has a direct effect on not only muscle soreness, but also muscle strength and growth, and staying hydrated?

What to do first: Cool Down
When you are done exercising, the first thing you need to do is cool down. Even if running was all that you did, you still should do light cardio for a few minutes. This brings your heart rate down at a slow and steady pace, which helps you avoid feeling sick after a workout. Walking on a treadmill for five minutes is a good and easy way to cool down as well.

Next Up: Stretch
After a workout, muscles naturally contract. Stretching prevents muscles from shrinking and allows them to rebuild, which allows you to get the full benefit from your efforts. Stretching after exercise also relaxes your muscles, helps speed circulation to joints and tissues, and helps removal of unwanted waste products, which helps to reduce muscle soreness and stiffness.

Drink Water!
After your workout, you need to keep replenishing your fluid levels. It’s recommended that you drink 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished. Then, drink water regularly afterwards. You may not feel thirsty anymore, but you still need to replenish yourself to avoid getting dehydrated.

Last but not least: Refuel
Eating is one of the most important items to do after a workout. You need to replenish the carbs you have burned through as well as repair your muscles and boost your energy level. It’s recommended that you eat within 90 minutes of your workout, but the sooner the better. Look for foods that are packed with complex carbohydrates and high in protein, like a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread.

So, the next time you complete your workout, remember to follow these post-workout tips to get the most out of exercising!

There are different schools of thought on this question, but in my opinion it comes down to what your goal is.

• If you want to develop cardiovascular endurance – such as training for a 5k – then do your cardio workout first.
• If you want to gain strength or build lean muscle, then do your strength workout first.

For the general cardio enthusiast who wants to be able to do a long-term, sustained cardio workout with ease and comfort, it may be best to perform the cardio workout while the muscles are fresh. An appropriate workout might be to perform the cardio portion first, then progress into a light strength program working all the major muscle groups involved with that activity (walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc).

If your primary goal is strength/build lean muscle, it would be best to do the strength component of your workout first. This allows the muscles optimal energy to complete the workout at the highest level and without early fatigue. Performing the cardio work right after the strength workout can also help with recovery by removing any waste products accumulated by strength training and by supplying the muscles with oxygen and nutrients.

Regardless of which you do first, it is important to warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout. The best choices include mild cardio exercise such as walking on a treadmill, or dynamic movements such as calisthenics.

We all have times when we 'fall off the wagon' and somehow miss our workouts. There are legitimate reasons why we have to put exercising on the back burner – life happens! The problem is that sometimes once we start down that path, there's no end to the excuses we come up with to take a break from exercising.

Did you know that it takes only about two weeks to start losing your level of cardiovascular fitness when you stop exercising? And that after about three to four weeks without exercise you'll start losing muscle? Don't forget that losing muscle is the worst thing you can do when trying to lose fat!

We already know that exercise is good for us. We try to work out on a regular basis, reminding ourselves that the payoff is well worth the effort. The best advice is really to stay consistent. Make your exercise time a priority – schedule it in your planner, write it on your calendar, block it out so that nothing else can be scheduled in during this time. If you have to miss one session, just make sure you make the next one and get right back into your routine.

Consistency is the key to success in health and fitness. Commit to exercising at least three times each week. Commit to strength training at least twice a week. You made a commitment to yourself that is worth keeping - so keep it!

Of course! I’m a self-proclaimed fan of the 30-minute meal. At this point in my life, I simply don’t want to spend more than 30 minutes making dinner – I’d rather be playing with my little girls. I’ve probably bought every cookbook claiming to have “fast” recipes. I particularly love cooking in the Fall and Winter as its the perfect weather for Crockpot meals.

The cooler temperatures lend themselves to soups, stews, casseroles, and warm dishes. I have a wonderful cookbook filled with low-fat, healthy Crockpot meals. Not only can I continue to serve healthy options for my family but I can make them in advance, let them cook all day, and come home to dinner that is ready to go – so simple! Plus, most Crockpot meals can feed my family for two nights!

Try acting like a 2-year-old. I’m not suggesting anyone assume the attitude of a toddler but rather act like a 2-year old physically. If you have a toddler like me you know how their engines run full-steam ahead until they crash for nap or bedtime.

We’ve recently had lots of rainy weather, cooler temps, and been stuck indoors. Of course that hasn’t tamed my daughter’s need to burn off her 2-and-a-half year old energy. So I’ve been getting down on her level. We’ve been crawling and rolling all over chasing her little sister. I’ve been running after her around the house playing games and hide n’ seek.

Even though I workout regularly, but I can tell you that keeping up with a toddler’s every move is a workout of a different kind. On the days you’ve missed a workout and want to spend time with your little ones, get down on their level and keep in step with them. I can assure it may not target your “problem areas” directly but it will absolutely count as exercise.

Survey says: One of the #1 reasons for not exercising on a regular basis is “lack of time.”

Think about it: Time in reality is probably the least likely thing to keep someone from exercising. With 24-hours in a day, it is likely that we can find at least 10 to 20 minutes to talk on the phone, surf the net, watch TV, or read a magazine. Yet we still perceive ‘time’ (or the lack of it) as the reason for not finding that same 10 to 20 minutes to exercise.

A few minutes can make a huge difference: Many studies have shown that short bursts of very intense exercise (interval based training) can produce the same results as traditional, longer duration endurance training.

The proof: A study done recently and published in the Journal of Physiology took 16 college-aged students and had them train using different duration programs.Half did 90 to 120 minutes of continuous moderate intensity cardio each day. The other half performed about one fifth the overall workout time but trained using 30 second bursts of high intensity work followed by 4 minutes of recovery. Despite the huge difference in training time both groups had similar improvements in training results.

So, move more: Keep in mind all physical activity, not just formal exercise, can add up to a healthier body. So in-between those intervals (the other 23.5 hours of the day) try to find ways to simply move more. Here are a few suggestions:

• Take the stairs
• Allow for a movement break every 30 minutes you are stuck at a desk (get up and down 5-10 times in a row or do some shoulder rolls)
• Find something physical you can do during the commercial breaks of your favorite TV time (like crunches and push ups)
• Go for a walk while you are having leisure talk on the cell phone
• Keep your housework moving briskly
• Stand and balance on one foot when in the grocery store line
• Take the dog for more walks
• Get outside and play with your kids
• Park farther and walk

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If not, how can we help you? Send in your questions (info@fitnessem.com) to be answered by one of the Empower personal trainers.

By Heather Hawk

We all know that finding time for fitness can be a challenge.

Whether it’s work, family, or school we all have life pulling us in several directions. Having my own company provides me the luxury of working from home a few days a week so squeezing in a workout early morning or mid-day is usually convenient. Lately, my work has had me on location most weekdays. By the time I get home I want to spend all the time I can with mygirls before their bedtime.

I was finding myself stressing out over when to fit in my workout. So I decided to combine the two activities and I’m using my playtime with my girls to be as physical as possible. My oldest, who is three, loves to crawl over and under furniture, jump, run, and climb through the jungle-gym at the park. Instead of simply cheering her on from the sidelines, I’m now right by her for all her fun and exploration.

You’d be amazedhow exhausting it can be keeping up with a three year old…I know I’m working up a sweat, burning calories, and using my muscles in very different ways.