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Fitness is critical to your overall health. This shouldn’t be new for you. Some people think that you only need to workout if you are overweight. But the truth is, exercise is critical for your body to function optimally.

Outside of the aesthetic reasons people engage in exercise, there are many other overlooked health benefits that are critical to improving quality of life and long-term health.

Daily activity that is 30 minutes in duration, completed in one session, 2 fifteen minute bouts, or 3 ten minute bouts has numerous benefits outside of weight loss and improved appearance.

10 REASONS YOU SHOULD BE EXERCISING 30 MINUTES EVERY DAY

If everyone walked for 30 minutes daily between 3-4 miles per hour it would:

1. Improves your Cardiovascular Health – Exercising delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. This increased blood flow strengthens your heart and lungs making them work more efficiently. Exercising will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. Combat Chronic Diseases – Reduce the risk of type II diabetes by 58% if persons at high risk

3. More exercise means more energy – Having 30 minutes of exercise may not seem much to people, but you may be surprised how effective a 30-minute workout can be. For a quick 30-minute exercise, people end up feeling more energized throughout the day, and even until the evening. The more a person improves his or her stamina and strength, the more he or she finds it easy to do tasks every day. Even climbing stairs and carrying groceries would seem like a simple task after 30 minutes of frequent exercise.

4. Ward off viral illnesses – Exercise activates your immune system. This leaves you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.

5. Reduces the Risk of Cancer – Reduce risk of breast cancer by 20% in white and African American women. Reduce mortality with patients who have been diagnosed with breast cancer by 25%. Also, it can reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer among overweight adults

6. Improve Your Brain Power – Keeping yourself fit not only improves your body, but it also helps improve your mental functions. One of the effects of exercise is that it increases the levels of serotonin in the brain. This increase leads to improved clarity and mental function as well as improves your productivity

7. Live longer – Studies show that people who participate in regular aerobic exercise live longer than those who don’t exercise regularly. E xercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. At least 30 minutes of exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.

8. Improves your Mood – Exercise releases endorphins which promotes feelings of happiness and combats feelings of depression and anxiety.

9. Walking helps alleviate symptoms of depression – Reduce the risk of depression. Walking for 30 minutes, three to five times per week for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of depression as measured with a standard depression questionnaire by 47%.

10. Weight Management – Decrease overall bodyweight and percent of body fat

Exercising for thirty minutes straight, in two 15-minute bouts, or three 10-minute bouts everyday is a small price to pay for improving your health, reducing your risk of chronic disease, obesity and maintaining a high quality of life.

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If you aren’t enthusiastic about exercise, but know that you need to do it, then you will be excited to learn that I am about to give you steps to “cure” your lack of motivation. Get ready to transform your body…

Get Motivated to Work Out with a Fitness Partner

What’s so motivational about having an exercise partner? An exercise buddy makes you more accountable. When you set a date to workout with a partner, you’ll more likely to stick to it because someone else is depending on you to show up.

An exercise buddy can also be a source of motivation and inspiration, especially if they have an upbeat attitude towards working out. When searching for the perfect exercise partner, don’t choose someone who “whines” about each exercise or gives up too easily. This obviously won’t help you in your quest to get lean.

Working out with a partner also makes the time go by more quickly. Having someone to talk to during a workout keeps you from looking at the clock every five minutes to see if it’s time to stop exercising. Still, too much talking can be a distraction, so it’s important to strike a good balance.

Choosing the Right Exercise Buddy

Look for someone who has fitness goals that are compatible with yours and who’s at roughly the same level of fitness you are. It’s not going to work if you’ve just starting to walk, and your partner is a seasoned runner. Talk to a prospective exercise partner and make sure your goals, abilities and personalities are compatible.

How to Find an Exercise Partner

A local health club or YMCA is a good place to start looking for an exercise buddy – or join a walking or running club to hook up with another fitness buff. There are even online sites designed to help you find an exercise partner – but be careful. Check the person out first – and meet them in a public place. Your local church or job can also be a source of potential exercise partners.

If you like the solitude of walking or running outdoors and need a silent partner to keep you motivated, take your dog along. What could be more motivating than a wagging tail? Dogs don’t see exercise as work – only fun – and that’s motivating in and of itself. Whether you choose a human or canine fitness buddy, don’t underestimate the importance of working out.

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Dog’s need exercise. We need exercise. So you should understand why having a dog to go for a run with and exercise is a massive advantage. I mean, you need to walk the dog anyway, so why not make the most out of it…

* Dog-A-Thon

What’s a “dog-a-thon?” It’s a walk-a-thon with your faithful dog by your side. Make your early morning and nightly dog walking a heart healthy experience for both of you. Treat it like an interval session.

Start each walk with a slow stroll while you give your pup a chance to sniff and relieve himself. Then continue on with a “good boy” reward in the form of a quick sprint. Finally, slow it down again as you walk to a nearby landmark; then turn around repeat the intervals all the way home. It’s a great way to schedule two quick cardio sessions every day.

* Tug Your Tummy Tight

Here’s a good abdominal workout. Grab a strong tug toy and spend a little one-on-one time with your pooch playing tug-of-war. Start with the tug toy and your dog stretched out in front of you and tug him side to side, then closer and closer – using your stomach muscles to reel him for a quick hug. Repeat 5 or 6 times to get a handle on your “love handles.”

* Cut and Run Sprints

Every dog loves a good chase, so why not use that to your advantage? Take your buddy to a yard with a good amount of wide open space. Call him to chase you as you sprint about 10 to 15 feet. Then turn quickly to cut and run the other way and have him continue the chase. Set yourself up for a session of 5 or 6 back-and-forth sprints – take a 60-second break – then repeat one more session to complete your workout.

* Stretch and Throw

This is a great warm-up or cool-down exercise – or both. A simple game of fetch with a tennis ball allows you to extend and stretch your arm muscles if you concentrate as you throw. You can even add a forward stretches down to the floor while your dog runs to retrieve the ball.

Exercising and getting fit with your dog doesn’t have to be complicated. Just get out and get moving. Establish a routine and stick with it. Your dog will love the quality time you spend together and you’ll reap the benefits of better health and lower stress with each session you complete.

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If your live in a hot location, like I do, then you’ll be happy to know that there still are some exercises you can do – despite the intense heat!

Here are 7 ways to exercise despite the heat wave:

Do Yoga Indoors- I love yoga and before the heat wave, my family never showed much of an interest in it but now that we cannot all go outside as much as we used to, we’ve found some great yoga DVDs that we can all enjoy together. You can also join up classes at the local gym, church, rec center or other locations.

Play Some Wii- Video games have never been as good for you as they can be right now with the Nintendo Wii and the Kinect. Both of these devices feature technology that encourages you to get up and move while you play. You can get workout games, fitness games or even regular games that require you to move around to play. It’s exercise but it’s indoors in the AC.

Visit an Indoor Gym- On the same theme of indoors with the air conditioning, you can visit an indoor gym to get your regular exercise. Sign up for a program or membership and you can go and enjoy it whenever you want.

Play Indoor Basketball- You still enjoy all of your favorite sports such as basketball during a heat wave, you just have to find an indoor court or gym. Nearly any outdoor sport can also be played indoors at the right facilities. Check and see what is available in your area.

Go Swimming Indoors (or Short Periods Outdoors)- Indoor pools are an excellent way to get regular exercise during the heat wave. If you don’t have access to an indoor pool, you can swim outside with proper hydration and protection but only for short periods of time.

Go for Late Night or Early Morning Walks- Another way that we find to get exercise even during the heat wave is to go for late night or early morning walks. It is not as hot then and we can get some time in before the real heat of the day sets in. The hours of 3pm to 7pm are typically the hottest part of the day.

Dress for the Occasion- When you do have to go out in the heat or exercise outdoors during the heat wave, wear the proper clothing and try to go out during non-peak heat hours. Lightweight, loose-fitting clothing is the best choice.

When hot temps get you down, these ideas will get you back up and moving. Always keep an eye on your local forecast, stay well hydrated and be careful when outdoors in a heat wave.

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For many people exercising is a chore but it doesn’t have to be especially during the warmer months when your children are out of school. There are several activities that can be enjoyed by you and your children that are not necessarily “exercises” but are none-the-less calorie burning. Your older children may not enjoy these moments as much as younger children but it’s worth the shot to get you and your family outdoors for some family time and exercise.

The Frankenstein Walk

It sounds strange that a “Frankenstein” is considered an exercise but this simple walk will burn calories and certainly be the cause of some giggles. The Frankenstein walk is just as it sounds.

Walk in an open area and kick one leg up at a time. As you do this raise the opposite arm and bring it down to touch your toes while keeping your back straight. You may not be able to bring your toes up too high if you’re out of shape but after a couple of times you’ll be accustomed to the movement and find it easier to perform. Also, hold your transverse abdominal (core) in tightly and you’ll get a great ab work out.

Leap-frogs

This has been a long time favorite for young kids in gym class but that doesn’t mean you can’t do them with your kids on a sunny day. Head to your favorite park and leap-frog with your kids until they get bored.

Have your child sit in the crouching position, place your hands on her shoulders and hop over her. If your child is too small this may be a moment that you get to leap only once but they’ll love the idea of climbing over you. The interaction is just as important as the “exercise.”

Hopscotch

The great thing about hopscotch is it entails just as much movement to create the hopscotch squares as it does to play the game. Drawing the squares with chalk causes you to bend and twist in ways that will exercise your legs and waistline. Your kids will enjoy drawing the grid with you and love the fact you’re hopping on the squares, as well.

Jump Rope

Burn some calories with this family friendly activity. Though it may take some extra coordination to get used to the ropes; it’s a way to tone your legs and receive a great cardio workout.

Kick a Ball

You can play a traditional game of kickball if you have a family the size of the Duggar’s but the average household is much smaller so spend a half an hour kicking the ball with your little ones instead. You may not even get to kick the ball but you will definitely get to chase your children around while they kick it. This simple activity can give you an easy thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise and a child who is ready for bed when the time comes.

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Doing some desk-exercises, are a great way of keeping your body and muscles going into break down. Here are some of the best exercises you can do from your desk…

Exercise One – Side Stretches

To help whittle your waist and keep your spine aligned and supple, side stretches are excellent exercises to do at your desk. With your arms raised over your head or akimbo with your hands on your hips, lean gently over to each side as far as you can safely go. Please use caution if your chair is unstable or if it is on wheels. You can do this a few times on each side at several times throughout the day.

Exercise Two – Arm Raises

In order to help protect against carpal tunnel syndrome, poor circulation, and weight gain, you should do arm raises several times a day. There are different methods of doing these simple exercises: raising your arms straight over your head, raising them to the sides, or even behind you. Each method works a different set of muscles, and all will temporarily increase your heart rate, keeping your metabolism revving.

Exercise Three – Butt Squeezes

The easiest exercise that you can do at your desk is butt squeezes. You can even do them while you are on the phone or typing up a report. Simply squeeze and release your buttocks muscles several times. This is the number one exercise that will help prevent “office chair spread” of your hindquarters.

Exercise Four – Leg Lifts

Of course, these are not the type of leg lifts that have you lying down on the floor and swinging your legs around. At your desk, you can easily straighten your knees and lift your legs out in front of you. You can also march with your feet in place. This will exercise the large muscles in your legs. For easy calf exercises, you can raise your feet up on the toes and lower them. Be sure to use your muscles when you do these exercises for maximum effect.

Exercise Five – Stress Relievers

Many of the exercises already described here will really help to relieve stress of your desk job. However, there are some other great stress relief exercises you can do at your desk.

Gently stretching your neck, or rolling your head around, will reduce neck and upper back stress. Lifting your arms in front of you and bending your hands up and down at the wrist will help to relieve the stress of typing and help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.

As you spend year after year hunched over your desk for eight hours every day, you may find your muscles atrophying, and your hips and waist spreading. Not only can you help prevent that weight gain and loss of tone, but you can alleviate stress with these five quick exercises. Exercising at your desk only takes a few minutes, and will do your body and mind a world of good.

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