26 November, 2009

Get Out of the Gym

Filed under: Working Out — Joanne @ 2:49 pm

autumn

With autumn in full swing, many of us who dread the cold and dreary weather find exercising more difficult. Plunging temperatures and cloudy skies make the outdoors inhospitable to exercises like running and walking, or even fun activities like playing sports. Who wants to bundle up just to get sweaty underneath all of those layers of clothing?

You may think that the gym is the only solution to maintaining your exercise regimen on colder days, but it’s not. When your personal trainer isn’t around to help, think outside the gym. Instead of running on the treadmill or doing a stint on the stair climber, do something that burns calories and increases your productivity: do some chores!

The fall is a great time to get outside and do that yardwork you’ve been putting off.

rake

Start by raking up all of those leaves lying around, suffocating the lawn. Place them in a bag for pickup, or if you’ve got a garden and potted plants, keep them since they make a great mulch that provides nutrients for soil. Burn 236 calories an hour if you’re 130lbs, 281 calories if 155lbs and 345 calories if 190lbs.

gardening

After you’ve cleaned up the leaves, follow with some gardening to prepare your yard for the winter and spring. Pull up weeds, plant bulbs of flowers you’d like to bloom in the spring (e.g. lilies), and remove any spent plants that won’t be returning next year. Burn 295 calories if you’re 130lbs, 352 calories if your 155lbs and 431 calories if 190lbs.

Just because the fall is here, it doesn’t mean you can forget about lawn care. You’ll still need to mow the grass, with a manual push mower, of course! That will help build some muscle and strengthen your core. Burn 325 calories if you’re 130lbs, 387 calories if your 155lbs and 474 calories if 190lbs.

apple

And finally, the gutters. Cleaning the gutters will help with rainfall levels that are usually heavier this time of year. This task can be dangerous, so make sure you get someone to help you keep the ladder steady. Burn 207 calories if you’re 130lbs, 246 calories if your 155lbs and 302 calories if 190lbs. Or, you can go apple picking instead, since it’ll burn the same amount of calories if you carry the apples with you.

15 November, 2009

Working on Your Obliques

Filed under: Abdominals — Joanne @ 9:01 am

obliquesYou may know them as your love handles, muffin top or spare tire. Technically, those not-so-affectionate terms are for the obliques, a common area targeted by clients of Personal Trainer Toronto.

The obliques refer to a section of the abdominal muscles that run along your sides, extending from the lower ribs to the hips. There are the external and internal obliques, both located in the same area but run diagonally in opposite directions. Any twisting or bending movement to the side at the waist require the assistance of these muscles. They are also required to compress the abdomen if both sides of the body are contracted.

If you’ve got love handles, the obliques won’t be visible since they’ll be hidden under layers of subcutaneous fat. While it’s absolutely imperative that you continue to strengthen the area with specific exercises designed for these muscles, you’ll need to reduce your overall body fat percentage in order to make your hard work more visible.

Personal Trainer Kin Sze has a great exercise that strengthens the obliques. Windshield Wipers may look easy, but after a couple reps, you’ll definitely feel it in sides of the abdominals. If you don’t feel anything, extend your legs out to straighten them completely and try the exercise again. You can also add leg weights, but you most likely won’t need them!

An important point to remember when performing Windshield Wipers is to keep your back flat on the floor along with your outstretched arms. Keep your palms flat against the floor. This will help maintain your balance as well.

Some other exercises that are great to improve the obliques are bicycle crunches and side bends.

An important point to consider is that while you can strengthen both the internal and external obliques, only the external portion will be visible if built up (think about that the next time you see someone who’s ripped).

2 November, 2009

3 Tips For Stronger Bones

Filed under: Human Anatomy — Joanne @ 2:33 pm

bone

Need we write about the benefits of having strong bones? We’re sure we don’t have to convince you that having stronger bones is beneficial for your overall health. Good bone density is vital and although aging can negatively affect the state of our bones, we can eat and do things that help maintain a healthy skeletal structure.

Help reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis and brittle bones susceptible to fractures by following these 3  bone strengthening tips.

hiking

1. Stress out your bones!
Putting stress on your bones is the key to building bone density. Applying stress to the bones forces them to resist this stress by becoming stronger and denser thus, becoming less brittle and porous.

Stressing out your bones requires applying weight on the bone, whether it’s from your body or from weights. Strength training and cardio can both help in this department. Some of the best exercises for improving bone density include weight lifting (obviously),  tennis or even just walking at a good pace carrying weights. Swimming can help, but it’s not as effective since your body is supported by buoyancy provided by the water.

2. Don’t neglect areas.
Okay, so we’ve determined that just about any physical activity can apply stress to the bones. Basketball, running, martial arts…what doesn’t put stress on the bones, would be a better question. While this may be true, what’s important to remember is that each time you exercise, you may only be targeting one part of the skeleton and leaving the rest sorely neglected. For example, running really only targets the bones in the lower part of the body, so remember to do something for your upper body, like carrying weights at the same time or supplementing your workout with strength training.

3. Increase intensity.
Walking may put some stress on the bones, but it’s not enough to positively affect bone density for those of us who do it everyday. Your body has become accustomed to this activity, making it less effective than something that requires more effort. Your bones need to be stressed, and that means doing something out of their comfort zone. If you choose to walk, increase your pace and try a hillier terrain. And don’t forget to hold some weights to target your upper body at the same time.