May 21, 2009 -
Along with helping boost my metabolism and keeping my backside firm, I strength train for one very practical reason: strength. Here are a few moments from the last week where I utilized my strong muscles, and the moves that got them there:
- Moving an upright piano: squats for dead lifting the instrument with three wonderful volunteers.
- Using the loppers to prune unruly trees: pec fly
- Pulling out stubborn weeds: all the variations of rowing, especially the classic bent-over version.
- Opening the top window of my freshly painted double hung and sticky windows: standing lat pulls.
- Carrying my two very full bags of groceries for two blocks: biceps curls and arm raises.
- Giving a piggyback ride to my tired 4-year-old for a few too many city blocks: planks and core work — staying stable while hauling her 36 pounds around kept me out of pain.
Have you found practical uses for your strength training? Share them in the comments section below.
- 2 Comments
Mar 30, 2009 -
Whether you're exercising to tone up for tank top and skirt season or you're working out mostly for the health benefits, we could all use a little motivation to get moving. So here are five encouraging facts about working out that will give you more than one reason to hit the gym on your lunch break.
Exercise combats fatigue.
- 8 Comments
Mar 16, 2009 -
My pal DearSugar writes about sex daily. She can tell you how to have a better orgasm, and I can tell you the health benefits of having them regularly. Having sex not only relieves stress, but it also boosts your immunity.
- 23 Comments
Jan 07, 2009 -
There are so many reasons to exercise, from deeper sleep to boosting your immune system, but I have a few more work-related reasons to add the list. Exercising before or during your workday will improve your productivity. Adding workouts to your workweek doesn't just help your boss; exercising on a workday helps with stress management and can make you happier.
- 9 Comments
Nov 07, 2008 -
At a time when money is keeping worried people up at night, finding ways to get quality rest is a challenge for more people than before the economy was a constant stress. Efficient solutions are important for busy gals like us, and this two-in-one formula is a welcome fix: exercise can help you battle the money-induced stress and get you to sleep through the night.
A recent study involving insomniac patients in Brazil found that moderate cardio exercise has a calming affect on anxiety and improves sleep quality, both in the amount of time it takes to fall asleep and total sleep time.
- 6 Comments
Nov 05, 2008 -
October may have been Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but we've all been affected by the disease in one way or another and it's important that we keep on top of breast cancer news and research throughout the year as well.
Researchers have recently found that the higher a person's body mass index, the more likely she is to develop breast cancer. Obese women are also more likely to live shorter lives and suffer a recurrence of their cancer, and may also get a more deadly form of breast cancer (inflammatory breast cancer).
- 1 Comment
Sep 29, 2008 -
It seems like almost anyone who's ever had stomach issues for more than a week has been diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. If you've got IBS then you know it's no fun, but it's also not an excuse to skip your exercise routine. In fact, Reuters recently reported on a new study that found that regular exercise can relieve constipation and feelings of bloating in folks with IBS.
- 11 Comments
Sep 02, 2008 -
If you've been relying on cardio as your main form of exercise, it's time you think about stepping it up, especially if you suffer from neck and/or shoulder pain.
Recent research has found that women with work related neck pain (often a result of poor posture from sitting all day) experienced significant relief by regularly practicing strengthening exercises that work the neck and/or upper back. So add resistance exercises such as reverse flies, lateral raises, and rows to your plan and you'll not only tone your upper body, but you could also reap the benefits of being free of aches and pains in the long run.
- 3 Comments
Aug 26, 2008 -
A daily dose of aerobic exercise is good for your mind just as much as it is for your heart and waistline.
One of the many downfalls of aging is that our brains become not as sharp as they used to be resulting in forgetting things easily along with the reduced ability to pay attention. Recent research out of the Netherlands has found that aerobics can boost cognitive processing speed, motor function, and visual and auditory attention in older adults.
- 4 Comments
Aug 05, 2008 -
Any migraine sufferer will tell you that exercise is the last thing on her mind during an attack, but a new study has found that exercise may help lessen the pain when it comes back the next time.
The research claims that the simple combination of aerobic exercise and muscle relaxation will not prevent migraines from occurring (bummer), but can actually help ease migraine pain if and when you get migraines in the future. If you're a migraine sufferer, you won't have to add anything too extreme to your routine, either: just 45 minutes of aerobic exercise and 15 minutes of progressive muscle relaxation is all it takes.
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