1. Work up a sweat. When you're breathing hard and sweating, your heart will pump better, giving you more energy and help you look and feel best. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles. Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging, or dancing. Follow-up with activities that help make you stronger such as push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool-down with more stretching and deep breathing.
2. Work those abs by doing crunches rather than sit-ups. Lie on the floor with knees bent and arms crossed in front of your chest. Pull your belly button in towards your spine and slowly contract your abs, lifting your shoulders 1-3 inches off the floor. Shorten the distance between the bottom of your rib cage and your pelvis. Slowly lower your shoulders without relaxing all the way.
3. Yoga practice helps stretch out muscles and ligaments, tones the body, detoxifies and clears the mind.
4. Can't find time to exercise? Get off the bus or park a block before your destination and walk the rest of the way.
5. It's important to take a break when you're sick. Exercise puts a temporary stress on the body and immune system, which may prolong your illness.
6. Cooling down helps your body recover from the stress of exercise and helps the circulatory system return to a resting state.
7. Another reason to get off the couch: A recent 14-year study shows that individuals who got regular exercise experienced 25 percent less joint and muscle pain as they aged compared to less active people.
8. Regular physical activity improves the body's ability to pump blood which improves reaction time, concentration, creativity and mental/physical reactions.
9. Approx. 53% of people who are obese don't eat more than their thinner counterparts. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the difference is that they have a much more sedentary, inactive lifestyle compared to people without weight problems.
10. Don't get stuck in a cardio rut...try something new! Take a yoga class, wall climb, hike, skip a rope, or go power shopping. Set realistic goals and reward yourself to stay motivated. It really works!
11. If you are pressed for time, take the stairs, walk to the store or ride your bike. The benefits of exercise are cumulative.
12. Exercise burns calories. Walking for 30 minutes a day will burn around 1,500 calories a week. Over six months this totals a staggering 39,000 calories - the equivalent of over 11lb of fat.
13. Physical activity should be a daily occurrence. Raise your metabolism, clear your mind and feel healthier by walking, running or jumping for a minimum of 20 minutes a day.
14. Walking, climbing or running on an incline burns more calories than going at the same intensity on a flat surface. It'll also sculpt the quadriceps, hamstrings, buttocks and calves.
15. Aerobic exercise gives you an instant calorie burn while anaerobic exercise (i.e. weightlifting) raises metabolic rates and increases " longer-term calorie expenditure."
16. Exercise increases the body’s metabolism rate and the ability to burn off fat. The body's metabolism starts to slow down 8 hours after we wake up. Exercise in between these 8 hours and your food will digest much quicker.
17. Need another excuse to hit the weights? Lifting weights increases endurance and flexibility, protects your joints, increases bone mass, energy levels and metabolism. The benefits of strength training continue when you're at rest! Your metabolism stays raised even if you are inactive.
