When did everything start hurting so much? Remember when you could move around without pain? Getting older brings on a certain set of challenges. Aches and pains start happening during simple, everyday activities like walking or climbing stairs. Even just squatting down to pick something up can be tough on the knees as you get older.
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When you first search for a weight loss solution, balance is probably not the first thing on your mind. Even so, balance training is something any worthwhile health coach or weight loss program will incorporate. This is especially important as you age.
Having lean, strong legs is a common fitness goal among women. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there and women make mistakes that do not end up working towards achieving this goal.
Cardio, strength training and nutrition play their roles, but in what capacity? How do you use these tools to get those muscles to grow, the fat to burn and that lean look you’ve always wanted? What is foam rolling?A foam roller is a piece of hard-celled foam in the shape of a cylinder, or ball. It comes in different levels of densities from soft to hard, which allow different levels of pressure to be applied to your muscles. You can get them in 1’ or 3’ lengths or 6” – 8” posture balls. They could be smooth, ridged or …… and some even vibrate. You could even use a tennis ball to get at some hard to reach areas like behind the shoulder blades.
Foam rolling is also called myofascial release and is done to work out the “knots” in your muscles, much like therapeutic massage or self-massage. The knots are myofascial adhesions that develop in our muscles through stress, overuse, movement imbalances or just everyday training. Like many professional women, whether an entrepreneur, executive, or administrator, you probably spend the majority of your workday sitting at your desk. I’m also willing to bet you don’t just work 9 – 5. I think those days ended back in the 80’s.
Sitting for long periods of time has such a damaging impact on your health it is now being referred to as the new “smoking” Check out my article The Dangers of Sitting for more information. If you're like most people, your day is filled with work, household chores, errands, taking care of kids, grandkids, or aging parents and trying to squeeze in a little "me time". Part of that me time, is mostly likely fitting in a workout. And not just any workout, you want one that's effective, time efficient & that you can do right at home. I mean, who has time to drive to the gym? You're a busy woman! Even if you do, you've been running around all day, and don't want to take up any more of your time in the car.
We all know that if you want to lose weight you need to burn off more calories than you take in. Well that’s a very simplified way of looking at it, but in general this is what needs to happen in order to burn body fat.
What complicates matters is that we all digest foods a little differently and how many calories we burn through out the day is also very individual. With all the activity trackers out there, I think it’s safe to say that most people know it’s important to get your steps in each and every day. The surgeon general recommends you strive for 10,000 steps per day to maintain a healthy fitness level. That equals about five miles a day. This is also approximately the equivalent to 30 minutes of physical activity.
Lately there has been a lot of research into the ill effects being sedentary has on our bodies. During the day most of us are tied to a desk and remain there for long stretches of time. We commute to and from work in our cars, and return home only to sit in front of the TV.
The average heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day. That’s nearly 3.5 billion times in the course of a lifetime. The heart is only about the size of a fist and weighs between 7 and 15 ounces, yet it pumps up to 2,000 gallons of blood throughout your body per day. This is how our organs and other tissues receive oxygen and nutrients needed to stay healthy. Most of us don’t ever give this a second thought, but that’s a lot of work for one muscle and a huge responsibility with very little rest! So why not take some time to take care of the most important muscle in your body
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AuthorLisa Swanson is an ACE certified Health Coach, Personal Trainer and Orthopedic Exercise Specialist as well as a certified PN level 1 nutritionist. With over 30 years experience helping women turn their lives around she can easily adapt programs to meet your specific needs. PodcastCheck out my interview with the Magnificent Midlife podcast on staying fit and healthy long-term.
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