Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Take Your Workout To The Next Level

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Anyone interested in women’s fitness should be aware of the importance of taking your workout to the next level. It simply is not okay to do the same exercises time and again at the gym or at home. Sure, any exercise is better than none. But if you think about it, doing the same exercises over and over are not much better for your body than walking around the house.

Once our bodies become adjusted to any form of exercise the benefits of the exercise decrease. The exercise is no longer a challenge to our muscles or our cardiovascular system, which sometimes results in a plateau in our workout. It simply isn’t doing for us what is used to do and the brain is most likely the culprit behind this plateau.

The brain in all of its glory, is probably the strongest part of your body. So when it is subjected to a new challenge, such as exercise, it must work hard in accomplishing this task. It super charges the cardiovascular system, alerts the muscles involved to become engaged and sends out enough hormones to accomplish the mission. All of this work burns calories as the body adjusts to the new challenges and the muscles work hard to bear the additional weight and stress. This is how the body works in the beginning of a new level of workout, however, it doesn’t remain that way.

As the brain becomes familiar with this workout, it seeks out a path to complete the task. In the meantime, the muscles are getting stronger and so the exercises are just keeping everything the same but not providing the challenge your body needs. You can of course, add more weight to your workout to increase the benefits, but there are other exercises you can do to give you even better results.

Confusing your muscle groups is a great way to build strength and tone your muscles too. During your strength training exercises take a minute and run in place, do jumping jacks, jump rope or hop on a treadmill or an elliptical machine. Reversing exercises, walking backwards, running backwards, working your biceps and your triceps are all great ways to train opposite areas of your muscles for better overall toning.

No matter what your level of women’s fitness, you can improve your workout and keep it interesting. And an interesting workout is a fun workout and we all know that a fun workout is a successful workout that can keep you fit for the rest of your life.

Lose Weight Easy When You Learn To Train Your Brain

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The hardest part about dieting is giving up foods that you enjoy eating. If you want to keep the weight off, you know you must make certain changes in your lifestyle that will most likely be permanent. Certain foods must be avoided and others must be monitored carefully. Sometimes even the thought of giving up these comfort foods is more than we can endure, so we give up on our diet before we even get started.

It’s not just giving up the food we love that makes us cringe about starting a new diet and fitness program. Sometimes it’s the commitment to working out that makes us stop in our tracks. This may be because we don’t want to start an exercise program that will interfere with our favorite television show. We are reluctant to make the necessary changes needed to change our lives, yet we are unhappy because we don’t have the courage to make the changes we need to make. Does this sound familiar?

We are forlorn to give some of these habits up because they have become part of who we are and what we do. The brain does not want to have to change its path. It is the driving force that keeps us trapped in our habit. The brain loves a good habit. The good news is that it is actually easy to trick the brain, all you need to do is substitute one behavior or habit for another.

It really is that easy. While it is hard to give up something we enjoy, it is much easier if we replace it with something just as exciting and enjoyable. Say you want to cut back on soft drinks and have decided to replace your lunch beverage with water. Rather than craving that sweet taste, allow yourself a morsel of something sweet at the end of your lunch. Choose something that won’t blow your diet up but something that will satisfy your needs. Then the following week, as your taste buds begin to wake up, try a different substitution that contains less sugar and calories.

Replace the sugary soft drink with a nice walk and enjoy a nice cold bottle of water to quench your thirst. As the weight begins to drop off and the fat melts away, you will have all the motivation you need to keep your brain in check. Just remember all you need to do to train your brain is to feed it the messages you want to live by, not the other way around. Your brain only knows what you tell it and you can train it to be your most powerful ally.

Imagine You With A Beach Ready Body

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Do you feel a sense of jealousy or animosity when you see a woman with a beautiful body? Have you ever felt inferior in the presence of an athletic woman? Many times women feel this way because they can’t imagine themselves looking that way. But it is possible to imagine yourself with a better looking body and yes it is possible to imagine you with a beach ready body.

As a matter of fact the best motivation for women’s fitness is to get a clear picture of how you want to improve your body. So, you start by imagining the size you want to be. You begin to look at these toned bodies and replace curiosity with your former jealousy. Rather than feeling intimidated, you want to learn their secrets to getting a body that you can truly be happy with.

Now, I am not saying that you shouldn’t be happy with the body that you have. I believe every woman is beautiful and the female body is a work of art. But it is your happiness, your health and your longevity, which are the deciding factors in your desire to improve your body and it starts with your imagination.

Stand in front of a mirror and really assess the way that you look. Take this step before you begin to shop for a swimsuit. Notice your body style and appreciate the things that you like about your body. Now, imagine yourself the way you would like to look and ask yourself what is standing in your way of getting what you want.

Every great work begins with an idea. Every idea is born from imagination. Imagine you with a beach ready body and begin to make plans to transform that dream into reality. No matter how much you weigh or what your current level of fitness, you can improve the way you look, feel and perform.

I recommend a workout that includes resistance or strength training exercises alternated with cardio exercises. Following the Pilates principles of engaging the core, I find that these exercises allow me to build muscle, reduce fat and give me the stamina I need. The big bonus is that I am proud of my body and am always ready for the beach, but it wasn’t always that way. It started with me imagining myself in a beach ready body and making the decision to not let anything stand in my way. As a result, I am stronger, healthier and better able to keep up with my family and friends.

Back To Basics Exercising

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Women interested in fitness may be considering boot camp training in an effort to get in shape. The truth about this type of training is that it might just give you the best-looking body you’ve ever had. That’s because this back to basics training combines strength training, cardiovascular and agility exercises that train various muscle groups for an effective workout.

Be sure to check with your physician before beginning a boot camp training program or any new exercise regimen. Once you get the okay, select a program that best suits your personality and fitness goals. If something doesn’t seem right for you, check around and find one that does. It’s more important that you like a program and are willing to participate 100%, than to dread going there and then eventually give up. Remember, it’s your time, your body and your money, so make sure it works for you.

Boot camp training exercises combine strength training and cardiovascular exercises in short 30 to 60 second intervals. You may do 30 seconds of jumping jacks followed by as many squats as you can do in the same amount of time, then switching to 60 seconds of jump roping, followed by a set of abdominal crunches. Designed to work a variety of muscle groups, boot camp training can get your body into ultimate shape.

Trying new exercises and workouts is a wonderful way to stay in shape and keep you motivated to stick with your women’s fitness program. I believe in exercising for at least 30 minutes at least six days a week. It’s especially important, as we get older to keep our bodies in tiptop condition. I believe staying healthy is something we owe to ourselves and those that we love.

When asked what exercises I do to stay in shape, I can always answer that I like to combine strength training, cardio and Pilates to my workout. I love boot camps, especially those that are held outside in the fresh air. That is one of the advantages of a boot camp. While there are several that are gym based, many boot camps train outside with plenty of space to run. The outdoors allows for greater creativity, thus keeping the workout highly interesting and loads of fun.

So if you are looking for a way to take your workout to a whole new level, by all means give boot camp training a try. Look around, find a program that works for you and get to work. It won’t be long before you get that beach body that will turn heads this season.

Let In The Light With Affirmations of Love

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Affirmations are like opening the windows and letting the light from the sun shine in. Overcome with negative thoughts and confusing messages from outside sources, affirmations unleash the bonds of negativity to bring forth our own natural light from within. Affirmations are a positive way to affirm your beliefs and resolve to make positive changes in your life.

When you want to improve your body and make it healthier, affirmations can be essential in helping you reach your goal. Affirmations should be spoken aloud and with conviction. You absolutely must believe what you are telling yourself. A positive attitude is essential to harnessing the power of your affirmations.

Positive thoughts and possessing a positive attitude are the weapons needed to conquer negative thoughts and the damage that a negative attitude can have. Negativity is like a weed that grows rapidly to choke out the light and air from all living things around it. If not conquered, it can grow out of control. However, positive thoughts and actions proclaimed through affirmations can squash negative thoughts and feelings.

If you are trying to lose weight, you probably know by now that it is not easy. It’s hard to make lifestyle changes like those needed to reduce calories. There may be foods that you need to avoid; you may feel like you have been dieting without any results. This can lead to negative thoughts and feelings of defeat.

Fight these feelings of negativity with affirmations that let in the light. Affirm that you are losing weight, that your clothes are fitting better. Affirm that the foods that you eat now will help you grow stronger and keep you fuller longer. Reflect on the benefits that you are enjoying because you have made the decision to eat healthy foods.

To help you get started, write down some affirmations that you feel strongly about. Read and reread them so that they feel real to you. Stand in front of a mirror and repeat the affirmations to your reflection. Believe in yourself and let the light in with affirmations of love for your life, your body and your soul.

Your physical health depends on a healthy mind and soul. Stress is responsible for many illnesses and that is why it is important to feed our mind and spirit with positive affirmations. A positive attitude has been known to cure sickness as well as helping the weak conquer the mighty. This only proves that an “I can” attitude really does work.