Exercise Time Well Spent
August 2, 2011
August is hot in most parts of the country but not so much here in sunny southern California. Fortunately we have had moderate temperatures, and we all get to enjoy summer a little longer before kids go back to school. Whether your kids are starting school or have started, now is the perfect time to begin mapping out the new fitness goals and routines. It seems like the optimal time to begin a new exercise program once the kids are off to school, and your schedule begins to have a little consistency. Now it just becomes a matter of using your time wisely.
It has happened to the best of us. We have the best of intentions of completing our daily “to do” list, and sometimes life just happens and then neither do the checks on our list. What are you wasting your time on? That may sound like a harsh question, but you know when you say “I’m so busy I can’t find time to exercise,” you know that is just an excuse right?
In a perfect world we would have time every day for our favorite type of exercises. This isn’t always the case. The Surgeon General recommends 30 – 60 minutes of exercise “most days of the week”. If you don’t have a block of 30 minutes does that mean you should lie on the couch and eat bon-bons? Nope. It just means you should do two smaller blocks such as 15 minutes of crunches or lunges during your favorite TV show, while cooking dinner, or after you put the kids to bed. You can have a more intense workout the next day. Research has shown you can even break it into ten minute segments! Now that should be an inspiring option to chose over no exercise.
It doesn’t have to be a full hour to count. Every bit you do adds up. So, on those days where you think it just won’t work time wise – I dare you to find 10-15 minutes that DOES work. The body will benefit, the mind will be happy, and the spirit will feel rejuvenated.
So in a crunch, here is a the perfect full body 10 minute circuit you can use at home, you don’t even need a gym.
10-10 MINUTE SUPER Circuit:
30 jumping jacks
10 dips
15 lunges on each leg
30 crunches
30 front leg kicks each side
10-20 push-ups
30 side leg kicks each side
30 second plank hold
30 plie squats
30 oblique crunches each side
As you get stronger, you may be able to work through this rotation 2-3 times in your ten minute workout session. This is a great metabolism boost, calorie burner, and body energizer. I look forward to hearing how you feel after you complete this ten minute workout.
For more training routines you can check out my fitness and inspiration book, “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously FUN!” This is a twelve week program, complete with exercise descriptions, photos of each movement, motivational guidelines, tracking system, progressions for each level of fitness, weekly upgrades on fitness programs, and most of all, FUN creative workouts that leave you more energized, looking great, and feeling fantastic!!! Or if you would like a more specialized program to specifically meet your needs and goals be sure to check out my online training programs or online nutrition.
Back to School, Fitness Basics
August 2, 2011
The summer season is about to wind down quickly and the kids are headed back to school. The first week or so of school is typically getting back into good study habits, remembering note taking skills, and using the basic learning tools.
The same should apply when you are beginning or refreshing your fitness routine. Going back to the basics is always a solid building block to set your foundation. With good form and fitness techniques, you are bound to get results faster, safer, and better quality.
Here are the TOP 5 form reminders to remember during your “Back to Basics” workouts:
- Back Straight: Keep your spine long and straight during activities and you will get to keep your spine for a long time. If you need extra support try using an upright bench or even perform the exercise in a seated manner. Keeping the spine straight will improve its strength naturally, so no need for extra back support braces. (These can actually weaken the muscles surrounding the spine because with the support they are no longer fully engaged.)
- Muscle vs. Momentum: Be sure you are “lifting” the weights using your own strength and not swinging to maneuver the weights. (We have all seen “that guy” in the gym who is swinging on the lat pull down bar and looks as if he is about to pull his shoulders out because the weight is too heavy. Don’t be that person). If you find yourself using momentum, drop the weight to a lighter amount and continue to add to the repetitions. It is much better to have proper form to strengthen the body, rather than try to manipulate a heavy weight.
- Abdominals pulled in: This should probably be the number one reminder. It is imperative on every movement you perform, to keep the abs pulled in towards the spine. Plus you can actually strengthen the muscles just by keeping them pulled in. You can use this technique in your day to day activities like standing up. Before you stand up, pull the abs in real close to the body. Pretty soon you will be creating a new healthy living habit, and as a result, your waist will look like it has shrunk!
- No locking: Keep a slight bend on the elbows and knees when performing the exercises. They should never completely “lock out” or become straight. It can damage the joint. This will also provide you better balance when you performing an exercise standing up.
Coordinate Breathing: An easy way to remember when to inhale and exhale is to exhale when your exert (the two “e’s” go together). For example if you are doing a biceps curl, begin with an inhale, then on the exhale (when the muscle is exerting or working) curl the bicep lifting the hand up towards the shoulder. The breathing does not have to be a massive inhale and exhale, just keep it close to natural breath.
Enjoy these tips, they are easy enough to apply to your current fitness routine or the new routine you are beginning this season.
For more training routines you can check out my fitness and inspiration book, “Fast and Fierce Fitness Made Fabulously FUN!” This is a twelve week program, complete with exercise descriptions, photos of each movement, motivational guidelines, tracking system, progressions for each level of fitness, weekly upgrades on fitness programs, and most of all, FUN creative workouts that leave you more energized, looking great, and feeling fantastic!!! Or if you would like a more specialized program to specifically meet your needs and goals be sure to check out my online training programs or online nutrition.
Sleep on This Thought
February 16, 2011
We all know that getting enough sleep is good for us, but now a new study suggests that getting too little shut-eye can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular disease that can result in early death.
Researchers found you have a 48% chance of developing or dying from heart disease, and a 15% chance of having or dying of a stroke, if you sleep less than six hours, or have disturbed sleep. According to the study, published in the European Heart Journal, the results came from a meta-analysis of 15 other sleep studies. (A meta-anaylsis integrates a number of studies into one study.) Researchers followed nearly 475,000 adults from eight countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, and Israel for seven to 25 years.
“There is an expectation in today’s society to fit more into our lives. The whole work/life balance struggle is causing too many of us to trade in precious sleeping time to ensure we complete all the jobs we believe are expected of us,” said Professor Francesco Cappuccio of the University of Warwick Medical School in the United Kingdom and a lead author of the study. “The trend for late nights and early mornings is actually a ticking time bomb for our health so you need to act now to reduce your risk of developing these life-threatening conditions.”
Cappuccio says getting between six and eight hours of sleep regularly is optimum. “By ensuring you have about seven hours of sleep a night, you are protecting your future health and reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases. If you reduce your sleep below a certain level, five hours or less, you run into trouble,” he said. “Not just tomorrow because you are tired, but you build up a steady risk of developing a chronic condition late in life. Sleep is not a commodity that can be traded off.” There are only 24 hours in the day, no matter how you look at it, and every day you need to have those seven hours of sleep.
Dr. Michelle Miller, also from the University of Warwick and co-author of the study, says sleep deprivation actually causes a number of changes in the body. “Chronic short sleep produces hormones and chemicals in the body which increase the risk of developing heart disease and strokes, and other conditions like high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.” All of those conditions are also risk factors for heart attack and stroke. Hormone changes can lead to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance–both markers that lead to type 2 diabetes and increases in blood pressure. Chronic lack of sleep can activate a chemical in the body called cytokines, inflammation markers that are the basis for atherosclerosis–or hardening of the arteries–also common in people who have heart attacks and stroke. This is especially important for women, as we have discovered the number one cause of death is cardiovascular disease, you can refer back to the “Heart Healthy Habits” article.
In contrast, getting too much sleep can also have negative implications. Cappuccio says sleeping more than nine hours could be an indication of illness–including cardiovascular disease. “Long sleep rather than being the cause of disease is more likely to represent an early marker, the early stages of chronic conditions like depression.”
Did you know, sleep deprivation has to be considered a lifestyle risk factor similar to smoking, alcohol and lack of exercise? This is something that can be easily preventable with a bit of schedule adjustment and time management. You really do have control over this lifestyle risk factor.
According to American Heart Association spokesman Dr. Ralph Sacco, sleep is under recognized as a potential cardiovascular risk factor, and while this study provides intriguing evidence of the relationship, there is still a lot that is unknown about sleep disorders and their connection to heart disease and stroke.
“This is an association study that adds to evidence about an association but cannot determine mechanism or causation,” said Sacco. “We can’t make any causal claims yet based on this study that demonstrates an association but it raises suspicion about sleep disorder and cardiovascular and stroke risk.”
Here is a “Super Simple 7″ to live by which will improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. They are:
1. Get active and stay active
2. Eat nutritious and healthy foods daily
3. Maintain a healthy weight within your range
4. Stop smoking
5. Control cholesterol (see #1)
6. Manage blood pressure (see #1)
“Heart Healthy Habits”
January 27, 2011
I have created a top 10 list for you to enjoy about easy and healthy habits you can create and your heart will benefit.
1. Sodium Check – the recommended daily intake for sodium is 1,300mg. Many processed products are very high in sodium. Think about eating more natural products versus man-made products. (FYI – a Whopper has 1,310mg of sodium – a full day’s worth of sodium)
2. Hydrogenated Oil – it is best to eat food with no partially hydrogenated oils or trans fat on the nutrition label. Note: products can say that they have zero trans fat if it is .5g or less.
3. Calcium – according to a Harvard Study, people with low calcium in their diet have more calcium in the smooth muscle cells and that makes the arteries constrict and raise blood pressure. Study shows you can get calcium – 3 servings from low fat yogurt or low fat milk to satisfy the calcium requirement.
4. Nutritional Value: read the labels on products. It should have 20% or less of RDA for carbohydrates and aim for 5grams of fiber. This is especially important if blood-glucose is high.
5. Good Lifestyle – unfortunately good habits do not just cancel out the bad habits. For example, if you are smoking and not exercising but you think by eating fruits and vegetables, it will balance out, you are wrong.
6. Good Fats: fat-free doesn’t mean it is better than low fat. Many times fat-free foods add sugar and sodium in attempt to make the product taste good. Both monounsaturated fats like olive, canola, and peanut oils and polyunsaturated fats like in salmon, nuts and flaxseed can even lower cholesterol. Approximately 30% of calories can be from healthy fats.
7. Down time: it is important to leave yourself quiet time daily. Those who do not, have a higher risk for anxiety, mental stress, and potential chronic heart stress. As little as ten minutes a day can make a significant difference.
8. Legumes: try eating legumes 4 times a week and it can reduce risk of cardio vascular disease by 22% according to a large-scale study from Tulane University. Lentils are rich in soluble fiber and can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.
9. Whole Grains: three servings of whole grains per day rather than one serving can reduce the risk of death from heart disease by 30%, according to the Iowa’s Women’s Study.
10. Tea Time: both green and black tea are high in flavonoids, which can inhibit the clumping of platelets, blood clotting cells. This can prevent constriction in the arteries, which controls blood pressure and maintains normal blood flow.
**If you would like additional training, nutrition, and healthy living tips, you can visit LauraMak.com for more inside secrets. Be sure to sign up for our FREE weekly ezine, Mondays with Mak Attack Fitness, created for the health conscious fitness enthusiast who wants to feel good on the inside and look great on the outside!
Finding Happiness
January 3, 2011
The good news is in – happiness can be measured, but not bought. According to the December 2008 issue of Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Source they discovered this in their research. Those are two observations made by researchers as they studied well-being from the scientific perspective — sociological, biological, genetic and psychological.
Age, genetics, and a sense of purpose are significant factors in happiness. Money? Not so much. Poverty is not conducive to happiness, but once basic needs are met, income levels don’t change life satisfaction much.
Among other highlights of the happiness research:
* Health: People in excellent health are almost twice as likely to be happier than those in merely good health. Poor health makes 70 percent less likely to be happy, compared with those in good health. And, a sense of well-being is linked to greater longevity and less risk of disease.
* Higher levels of education: They discovered intelligence boosts happiness.
* Social connectedness: also increases happiness. This factor may explain why women are happier (and commit suicide less) than men, who are more likely to be socially isolated, especially after they retire.
* Genetics: Numerous studies have shown that genetics accounts for up to half of individual differences in both well-being and positive personality traits, which are closely linked. And women tend to be slightly happier than men.
* Life circumstances: Regardless of genetics, people respond to life events, and long-term levels of happiness may change after major life events such as marriage, divorce or the death of a loved one.
* Midlife crisis: This plunge is real, no matter where you live or what your circumstances. According to a study of about 2 million people in nearly 80 countries, mental distress peaks at midlife. In the United States, this typically happens for women at around age 40 and for men at around age 50.
* A happiness boost: Some researchers suggest focusing on intentional activities, the ones you choose to engage in mindfully and actively, as a good way to boost long-term happiness.
* Golden years glow: Contentment swings up later in life. People in their 60s and 70s tend to be as satisfied as younger people. No one knows for sure what causes the upswing. It could be acceptance of weakness, more maturity or more appreciation for life as friends and loved ones die. And, happier people may live longer, affecting the data. (Finally something we get to look forward to as we grow older!)
Remember these eight factors that contribute to happiness cannot be found in a bottle, pill, or prescribed. Happiness does depend on you and your choices. Chose to be happy, and surround yourself with people, things, and thoughts that make you happy.
Smiles – Laura Mak 
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