Bench Donkey Kicks

Adding to the butt toning (or building) regimen, here is another one of my favorites, donkey kicks. These require really no equipment. You can do these on a bench, as shown, or the floor. I would strongly recommend that you place a mat or fold up a towel for your knees.  


Take your right knee and bring it toward your right elbow, while engaging your core, then swing the right knee out and up, and engage your glute muscles on the lift. Do a set of 20-25 reps, then repeat on the left leg. Opt for 2 sets on each leg.

The donkey kick works your lower back, core, legs and glutes. With every lift you are toning all your glute muscles.  This movement is great as an alternative to doing squats.   


No excuses - go ahead and have at it!

Lying Leg Curls

The focus of this exercise is the hamstrings and glutes. The back of the thighs that tend to be forgotten in regular workouts. Grab a moderately heavy dumbbell and a fitness mat and get ready to hit the floor. 

First, get down on your hands and knees and place a dumbbell between your feet. Being sure to have one end of the dumbbell supported by the top of the soles. Hold the dumbbell securely and then lie onto your stomach.  Place your hands under your chin and rest your head on top of them.  

Now, keeping your thighs on the mat, begin to curl your knees up while keeping the dumbbell locked in between your feet. 

Continue with this movement, raising and lowering the weight for 15-20 reps. 

This is one simple, yet very effective move to build those muscles in the back of the legs. Enjoy!!!

When I Started My Yoga Practice

It was in mid-March of 2013, that I would think seriously about making yoga part of my lifestyle. For years, I felt that yoga was “too soft” and “tranquil” for me. I stretched, worked on my flexibility and even had countless conversations with people who swore by yoga. I just wasn't completely captured as it being something that would stimulate my current workout routines. It just wasn't my "yoga" moment.  However, it had always been in the back of my mind.  Especially, when I knew of all the benefits that yoga possessed. 

On March 21, 2013, my time had come. I decided that yoga would become part of my regular lifestyle. Not sure if it was due to my renewed spirit after the thyroid cancer experience or the fact that this time out, I vowed to be a much better resource to my trainees and my network with fellow instructors. Heck, the common goal for us is having a healthier lifestyle and a better quality of life.

I dove deep into my yoga practice and welcomed it into my life like a new found love. Looking back, I’m appreciative that I began my practice at this time of my life.  I don’t think I would have truly practiced it before or made the time. I was all weights and strength building with moments of teaching Zumba. Things happen when they are supposed to...right? 

We have the power over our bodies.  We can either take care of ourselves or not.  We can fuel ourselves with the right nutrients or not. We can stress out over everything or develop a method to controlling that stress.  Yoga brings it all together getting you to start from within – your mind, your spirit, your body. I appreciate that. NAMASTE!

Spinning - As in Indoor Cycling

Often times, I enjoy being a participant in a fitness class as much as I do being a fitness trainer. It gives me a chance to truly absorb the class and provide genuine feedback to my clients and trainees. It’s one thing to know about different classes and training techniques, but it’s something all together different when you can express these sessions from the view point of a trainee.

Spinning class. I was encouraged to attend one of my fellow yogi’s spinning class.  I had never taken a spinning class before and found myself to be a bit intrigued to attend this one.  It was at a nice spot in the Hingetown area of Cleveland, called Harness Cycle.  Of course, I had to visit their site to see just what the studio was about and I liked what I saw. I created an account and she and picked a Friday evening. The club’s “Happy Hour” cycling class offering $5 for the session. Nice, right?

            I packed my padded cycling shorts because I had imagined that there would be some soreness in my “saddle” area.  They provided towels and water.  The instructor assisted me with setting up my bike and then it was time for the class to begin.  I have to say, I love seeing other instructors display passion and energy in their classes. This instructor was definitely showing hers. Her music playlist was on point and had nice variety. The class was 98% packed and there were people of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and gender.  A perfect mix. 

            Ordinarily, I am a pretty coordinated individual.  At a few times, I found it difficult to pedal a mile/minute and “tap” at the called out increments. Tapping is when you “tap that butt” on your seat. Love it…lol.  Her mix of using weights along with pedaling as well as tying in some push-up movements on the handle bars was impressive. The energy level was high and even if you needed to pedal at your own pace, it was okay too. 

            Would I do it again? Yes, I plan on it. Was my butt sore, yes, but I’m used to soreness especially when I know that I will be taking my body into new fitness dimensions.  You don’t have to be a size 2 to attend a spinning class, so erase that from you mind. I plan on sharing it with my trainees and who knows, I see a “fitness field trip” one evening on the horizon.

Looking to check out a spinning class? Check out this article and by all means, prepare your butt for the ride!

Squat Touches

The target areas for this exercise are your quads, glutes and hamstrings. Stand and place your feet together, squat down, placing a slight, not deep bend in the knees and clasp your hands together. Be sure to not let your knees go past the tips of your toes. 

While squatting, tap your right foot forward, then tap it out to the right side, tap to the rear and return your right foot back to the starting position. Continue the touches on the right side, completing one set on the right. Then, switch to the left foot. Repeat. Do another full set on each leg. 
Your quads, glutes and hamstrings will thank you!

Fun with Grace and Elegance

You can truly gauge how fun your exercise routine is when you are asked to share it with a group of little and not-so-little girls. Grace and Elegance is a local group that instills many basic fundamentals in the development of lovely young ladies.  Part of their mission statement is to empower young women with a purpose to succeed and overcome odds.

 

Eating healthy and exercising is also a part of the guidance from the volunteer leaders of this group. 

We had fun! Talk about the energy level being high! I truly enjoyed their enthusiasm for learning. Of course, I had to bring in the balloon game. Can’t be around a group of kids without playing with balloons.  We talked about good foods and bad.  Then, they were so very anxious to do Zumba.

When we got started with Zumba, their faces lit up and we had a party. You would have thought that they would have tired me out.  Funny thing, they were so cute, they raised their hands and asked for a break…LOL!

I had to share.  Our children are wonderful and it is worth all of our efforts to continue to work together to help guide them into becoming healthy, beautiful and smart women (and men). 

Are You Getting Ready for 2014?

As we wind down this last week of October, I began thinking that this is the time of year where so many people decide that if they haven't achieved their fitness goals, no need to start now. It is during this time when we start to think about holiday parties and family gatherings. With these gatherings come food, food and more food. Who is thinking about sticking to a healthy lifestyle? What's done is done. If you haven't reached that goal, there's always next year.

My question is WHY WAIT? Why wait to get started? Why take a break if you have been disciplined enough to make it this far? Why let this time of year tempt you into thinking that you should let your healthy lifestyle fall by the waist side? I hope it's not due to the thinking that you'll just start over next year - 2014! 

This is the time of year when you should maintain your "healthy lifestyle" right? Since, when does a lifestyle take a break? I'm sure no one ever decides that they will take a break from bathing, a break from the hairdresser/barber, a break from living? This is when you end the year with just as much force as you did in the beginning, when you set your goal for the year. A year is 12 months, so who are you cheating if you slack off? YOURSELF that's who.

During this time, review where you currently are and set your year-end course to either completing your initial goal of 2013 or getting as close to reaching it as possible. Don't cheat yourself or the healthy lifestyle that you have been living or started living.

 

End this year with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment!  That way, when December 31, 2013 - New Year's Eve - comes around, you will be celebrating your success!!!

 

Feel free to share how you will remain on course to a better and healthier you the rest of the year.

My 2-Cents On...Sitting

I know life happens.  We grow up, we have jobs, careers, families, etc…. Those who have jobs that consist of sitting, have a far greater challenge in becoming very relaxed (pun intended) about their bodies. Think about it. For most, having an office job, your routine may be similar to this – leave home, sit in the car (or bus) to work, sit in a chair for the day at work, sit in the car (or bus) on the way home, sit to eat dinner (when you can if you have little ones), sit and watch TV then lay down for bed. 

That’s a great deal of sitting.  Just how many hours a day does one actually sit with a routine like that?

It’s easy to become adjusted to that routine. Oh, and then on the weekends! If you are socializing, or running around with family, I'm willing to guess that your mind isn’t on eating right.  Or, on the numbers of beers or glasses of wine you may be consuming. And, yes, you're sitting doing those things too.

Take into consideration that over a long period of time, years for most, while your routine has become second nature to you, your body has become the major item of value that you have neglected. Of course there were signs.  Discovering that those jeans you favored so much have gotten extremely tight.  Or shopping and finding out that your clothing size has increased.

 

Take a moment to look at this IDEA fitnographic (click here). Images can do so much more than words.   

 

As stated in the fitnographic, the longer you sit, the higher your risk of certain types of cancer. So, when you "sit" down and think about your routine and how much sitting you do, I hope that you come to the conclusion that it's worth so much more to your valuable body to have it up and moving, rather than "sitting" around.

 

That is my 2-cents on sitting.

 

 

 

Weighted Rear Leg Lifts

The target areas for this exercise are your glutes and hamstrings. You will need a pair of ankle weights for this exercise.

 

Attach the ankle weights onto each leg. Get on all fours. Keep your back parallel with the floor, don’t arch it. Extend your right leg out and begin to raise your leg upward, as shown, then lower it back down to the starting position.  Barely let your toes touch the floor. Raise and lower the right leg again. Repeating to complete one set on the right side. Then, repeat on the left side. 

 

Your butt and hamstrings will love you!

Weighted Side Leg Raises

The target areas for this exercise are your hips, butt and the obliques. You will need a pair of ankle weights for this exercise.

 

Attach the ankle weights onto each leg. Get onto your knees. Lean slightly to the right, place your right hand on the floor and your left hand on the side of your head.  Extend your left leg out straight.  Begin to raise your leg up to hip level as shown, then lower it back down to the starting position.  Continue to raise and lower the left leg. Repeating to complete one set on the left side. Then, repeat on the right side. 

 

 

This is the “happy hips” exercise. [Smile]

Rear Leg Extensions with Bands

The target areas for this exercise are your glutes and hamstrings. You will need a resistance band for this exercise.  

  

Get on all fours.  Wrap the resistance band around your right foot. Hold onto the handles with both hands and place your hands on the floor (as shown above). Be sure to hold the handles securely. 

Extend your right leg up and outward, as shown, return back to the starting position.  This time not letting your right knee touch the floor. Repeat.  Continue on right leg to complete one set on the right side.  Then, do the left side.  

Your butt and hamstrings will thank you!

Star Crunches

The target areas for this exercise are your abs, thighs and core.  No equipment is necessary which makes this great for when you're traveling, or at home watching TV.  

Simply, lay on your back.  You can place a mat down for comfort if needed.  Extend your legs upwards and your arms above your head.  

While you focus on squeezing your abs, lift your shoulders off the ground, and extend your arms forward as you open your legs. 

As you close your legs, lower your arms back to the beginning position. That is one rep. Repeat for your desired number of reps to complete the set. 

Simple, yet effective. Enjoy!

Kayaking

Working out has so many forms, one such form that I've jumped into is kayaking.  I love the water and what a nice way to burn some calories while enjoying nature.  

As mention from this site, kayaking is a low impact activity that improves your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility.  Some specific benefits include:

• Improved cardiovascular fitness,

• Increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders and chest, from moving the paddle, 

• Increased torso and leg strength, as the strength to power the kayak comes mainly from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs, and

• Reduced risk of wear and tear on the joints and tissues, since paddling is a low impact activity. 

According to the American Council on Exercise, a 125 lb person burns about 283 calories per hour while kayaking. A 200 lb person burns a whopping 454 calories.  Which makes sense, because the heavier you are, the more energy you expend when you exercise.  

No matter what form of activity you do, it's going to be much better than sitting on the couch. 

If you have any interest in learning how to kayak or canoe in Northeast Ohio, click here to check out the Akron Power Squadron's site on classes, 41 North Coastal Kayak Adventures or look on the American Canoe Association list of classes near you. 

So let the mind flow like water. Face life with a calm and quiet mind and everything in life will be calm and quiet.

~ Thich Thien-An

Side Plank Hip Raises

Developing your core is very important.  Core strength and development is beneficial to having a strong back, good posture, upper and lower body toning, just to name a few.  This exercise, side plank hip raises, is another one of my favorites.  

Get yourself situated on the floor. You want your body to be straight, over lap your right leg so that it's in front of your left, have your left arm straight, extending directly under your shoulder as shown.  It is important to not drop your shoulder.  Place your right arm on your head. 

Here's the fun part, lower your hip to the floor, then bring it back up to the starting position. Continue to lower and raise your hips, being sure to balance yourself and not drop your shoulders.  Do 10 - 15 reps then repeat on the other side. 

This exercise is a nice one for your obliques (side abs), as well as core development.  Have fun!

Toe Touches

I love when you can do an exercise that is not only easy (yes, I said easy, well the more you incorporate this one into your routine, the easier it gets), requires no equipment, effective and can be done anywhere - home, traveling, in the gym, or in your living/family room. 

Let's focus on the abs - toe touches.  Just lay on the floor, bring both legs up.  You can cross your legs at your ankles if you like. Extend your arms up. Keep your legs straight and use your abs to lift your shoulders off the floor and touch your toes. Lower your self back to the floor and repeat.  The objective - to touch your toes with your finger tips. 

Simple, right? 

Single-leg Stability-Ball Glute Cable Kickback

When it comes to exercises, you have to remember to change things up often.  Keep your body guessing.  Next time you’re at the gym, grab a stability ball and strap on an ankle collar of a cable pulley. I don't recommend this one for a beginner, but for those who are more advanced with their workouts. 

The cable pully needs to be at the lowest setting.  Step a few feet away from the pole and lie facedownward on the stablity ball. Be sure your stomach and upper thighs rest on the ball.  Your head and neck are to be parallel with the floor.  Arms are shoulder-width apart. 

With your knee slightly bent, curl your heel upwards and maintain pressing your hips into the ball.  Squeeze your glute on the up and then slowly lower your leg back to the starting position.  Do one set on this leg and then repeat for a set on the other.

You will love the feeling in your butt and hamstrings after this one.  It's called the feeling of accomplishment.