Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Dare To Succeed

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Success is the result of small steps taken each day. The sum total of all that you do shows in every accomplishment. One of the reasons success is so sweet is because it is not something that is easy to attain. Success is the result of your desire, your vision, your hard work and perhaps most importantly, your perseverance. Is there something you would like to accomplish? Are you ready to commit? Do you dare to succeed?

The definition of success is different for everyone, especially women. From making your family happy to being healthy and in control, women find success in the areas where they can make a difference. Women have come a long way in dictating their own success and their definition of success is always changing. But that is true for most accomplishments; once achieved, we usually aim for something greater.

Taking your fitness level to a new high is a great example of success. Each step you take, each goal you make, each record you break, brings you closer to your goal and makes you successful each and every day. You only need to look at where you started to notice how very far you have come.

If you have ever tried to lose weight and lost the battle, this time will be different. Make a promise to yourself to not give up. If you don’t give up, you will succeed. There is no other alternative. Just keep trying and your diet and exercise routine will become easier. Cravings for food will go away. Muscle soreness will alleviate. You will become slimmer, trimmer, stronger and fit. Just don’t give up.

Many of us are as afraid of success as we are of failure. It seems like such a crazy thing to say. But it is true. We hesitate to commit to a fitness program because we have failed in the past and are afraid of failing again. But what is failing but a misstep in your road to success? Failing is only a pitfall, not a life sentence. Each day, each hour, each moment, you have the power to succeed. Don’t be afraid of failure and never be afraid of success. Just don’t give up.

Success is measured by each step that we take. It is a journey, not a windfall. Perhaps that is why we appreciate it so much, once we reach it. My hope for you is that you make a commitment to follow your dreams and take the steps necessary to reach your goals for your own personal success.

Stay Motivated Even While You Work

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Sticking to a diet and fitness program is not always an easy thing to do. Especially if you work a full-time job, the workload and the amount of time you spend away from home, may be keeping you from a healthy, exercise workout plan.

Even if you spend 40 plus hours sitting behind a desk, staring at a computer, there are exercises that you can do to help you stay fit and keep your muscles working.

Of course, I urge you to get outside as often as you can. Visit the gym regularly or set up your own special exercise place at home. Aside from sharing meals and praying together, exercise and physical activity is one of the greatest ways to spend quality time with your family.

Below are some exercises and diet tips you can try away from home. These easy-to-do exercises and diet suggestions will keep you motivated, even while you work.

1. Sit in your chair. Extend one leg out straight in front of you. Hold for two seconds. Then raise it up as high as you can, and hold it again for two seconds. Repeat with each leg 15 times.

2. Stand facing a wall and press the toes of one foot against the wall as if you are tip toeing on the wall. Continue to press your toes, feeling the stretch in your arch all the way up your leg. Switch feet and repeat 10 to 12 times.

3. Consider keeping some lightweight dumbbells at your desk. You can do multiple exercises without leaving your work area. Stand facing with dumbbells in each hand, elbows bent at the waist. Bend your knees and lower your body to a squatting position and hold for eight counts. Stand back up and lower weights to your sides. Repeat 10 to12 times.

4. Each time you go to the restroom, do large and small arm circles with both arms. Standing with legs apart and arms stretched out on each side, make large circles with both arms to the count of 20. Put arms down by side and shrug shoulders to the count of 10. Stretch arms out to sides again and do 20 small circles with both arms. Bring arms back down by your side and shrug to the count of 10.

5. Take the stairs not the elevator as often as possible. Before starting work or especially at the end of the day, try to make a point of walking as much as possible. Park as far as possible. If you can, bring a pair of sneakers to make it more comfortable to walk.

6. Get up from your desk and go talk to your co-workers instead of e-mailing them. This will give you a chance to move your body and also, allow the opportunity to have a one on one with your co-workers or subordinates. If you are the boss, run some of your own errands rather than always sending your assistant.

7. Rather than eating out every day, consider bringing a homemade lunch with lots of vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Foods like these will keep you satisfied and help you to slim down quicker.

Like Lycopene For Healthy, Beautiful Skin And Other Health Benefits, Too

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Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that can help to prevent sun damage and make your skin supple and beautiful. A brightly colored antioxidant, lycopene gives the skin an attractive, healthy glow. It has also been known to prevent the oxidation of cholesterol thereby to slow the development of atherosclerosis, a thickening of the arterial walls of the heart.

Mostly found in tomatoes, the lycopene content is increased when the tomatoes are cooked. Another good way to get the most lycopene from your tomatoes is to pair them with olive oil. Olive oil has many great health benefits, too. You can rub the tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and enjoy it as a snack or accompaniment to your regular meal.

Antioxidants help to combat free radicals and if you exercise outdoors you need the extra boost of antioxidants to help protect your skin cells from damage. Lycopene also protects against cancers of the cervix, pancreas and breasts as well as protecting against heart disease.

Pink grapefruit, also contains lycopene, although not as high of content as tomatoes, pink grapefruit is low in calories and helps to metabolize proteins so that your body can get the maximum benefit. If you are trying to lose weight, grapefruit is a great food to include in your diet.

Watermelon is another good source of lycopene. A fruit that is low in calories and sugar content, watermelon keeps your skin hydrated too. It’s such a sweet fruit, but its high water content makes it an excellent choice when you want to improve your skin’s suppleness and lose weight too.

Supplements containing lycopene are also available. It is always best to get your nutrients from the foods that you eat, however, if your diet doesn’t include some of the antioxidants you need, you may want to consider taking a vitamin supplement.

Fitness4Her is a diet, exercise program and journal designed exclusively for women’s fitness. With healthy recipes, step-by-step exercises and the support of an online membership site, members can access articles, reviews and blogs that offer tips and updates on the latest in fitness and health.

Five Facts About Staying Fit

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1. Exercise controls weight. A combination of resistance and cardio exercises will help you burn calories and fat. When you burn more calories than you consume you will lose weight. Exercising regularly will help stabilize your hormones and prevent weight gain. Workouts that include resistance exercises build muscle. Muscle burns fat and calories in order to grow. The more muscular your body is the more calories and fat your body will burn to sustain your muscle growth. Muscle is smaller than fat so even if you don’t see an automatic change in the scale, replacing body fat with muscle will shape your body and trim your waistline. Keep up your fitness program and you can stay fit for life.

2. Staying fit improves your mood. Want the remedy for a stressful day of work? Put on your walking shoes and go out for a 30-minute walk. You will come back relaxed and in a much better mood. If you really need to burn off some stress, head to the gym and add some weights to your regular workout. Not only does exercise release those feel-good endorphins in your body, a good workout challenges your skills and gives you a feeling of confidence. Exercise gives your energy, too. Perhaps one of the reasons we feel so good after a vigorous workout is that our bodies crave activity.

3. Moderate exercise boosts brainpower. Exercise not only strengthens your body, it also has been proven that regular exercise boosts brainpower. As it turns out, people who spend their time engaged in physical activity are also doing wonders for their mental capacity. Exercise is the key to living a healthy life. It has been proven that working out regularly when you are young will improve your cognitive function as you reach middle age and even protect you from dementia, as you grow older.

4. Exercise helps your body stave off diseases. Cardio exercises improve heart health and circulation. These exercises reduce blood pressure and cholesterol, major causes for heart disease. Regular exercise of at least 30-minutes a day, has been shown to have a significant effect on pre-diabetic patients. People with diabetes find it easier to manage the disease when they exercise regularly. Exercise improves circulation, too.

5. Staying fit reduces your risk of injury. Back injuries can be reduced with strength training and cardio exercises. Lifting weights will help to strengthen your muscles so you can lift without using your back muscles. The exercises that sculpt abs also work to develop the core muscles thus making your back stronger. Exercise improves flexibility and coordination, which helps to protect you from falling or pulling muscles and ligaments when lifting or over stretching.

These are just five facts about fitness. There are many reasons to want to stay in shape and exercise regularly. It all starts with the right kind of attitude and the right frame of mind. Start zoning into your fitness mindset and make fitness a regular part of your healthy lifestyle.

Boost Your Brain Power with Exercise

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A healthy body begins with a healthy brain. This organ is responsible for all of the functions needed to keep your body healthy and fit. Your brain controls your muscle coordination, balance, and movement and you can keep this vital organ healthy and strong with a regular exercise routine.

Exercise not only strengthens your body, it also has been proven that regular exercise boosts brain power. As it turns out, people who spend their time engaged in physical activity are also doing wonders for their mental capacity. Exercise is the key to living a healthy life.

It has been proven that working out regularly when you are young will improve your cognitive function as you reach middle age and even protect you from dementia, as you grow older.

We all know that a sedentary lifestyle wreaks havoc on the physical body, causing muscles to weaken, including your heart muscle. New studies have shown that the brain, too, suffers without regular physical activity. The good news is that it’s never too late to get back in the game. Whether you are 17 or 70, you can improve your body and your brain when you engage in a regular exercise routine.

But what is it about exercise that makes it so good for the brain? Exercise causes the brain to release certain hormones that actually help improve memory. It also increases circulation, regulates respiratory and improves cardio functions, all of which attribute to a healthy brain.

As little as 20 minutes of resistance training can improve long-term memory nearly 10%. Working out at least 4 times a week, alternating cardio exercises and activities with resistance training can reduce the risk of depression by nearly 20%. Staying fit builds confidence and self-esteem. Even for beginners, completing their first exercise class can make them feel stronger and more confident. That reason alone is why many participants return for their next session.

Exercise is mood altering, too. You may have noticed that taking a walk, playing tennis or getting busy in the garden can lift your spirits when you are feeling angry or depressed. Exercise increases the body’s production of endocannabinoids resulting in an endorphin rush to make you feel happy.

Fitness has been proven to add so much to our health and to be completely honest–it is so much fun. An important part of the body’s requirements, exercise builds muscles, increases stamina and boosts brainpower. Reasons enough to make exercise a priority for a lifetime. Be smart; start exercising for a better body, mind and soul.