Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Women’s Fitness Begins With Inspiration

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Women understand that in order to become successful with any weight loss or exercise program they must first be inspired to do so. Inspiration is a powerful tool that gives women the courage to make changes in their lives. But finding the inspiration is not always easy.

Inspiration, it has been said, is a divine influence directly exerted upon the mind and soul. Once a woman is inspired to do something, she becomes influenced to make a way to get that certain thing done, like in the case of exercise. Once a woman becomes inspired to stick to an exercise program, she usually follows through with it.

Of course along with inspiration, it takes commitment and dedication. The three of these add up to a successful exercise and fitness program for women and men. But it all starts with finding inspiration.

Inspiration for women’s fitness can come from all kinds of places. Simply consider the benefits of women’s fitness and it won’t be long before you will feel compelled to exercise more and eat healthier. Weight control can be reason enough for some women to stick to their program. However, others may need more convincing.

Women who exercise regularly and eat a well-balanced diet have a greater chance of successfully controlling their weight. In addition, they are generally stronger, more agile and have a lesser chance of becoming injured while performing normal tasks.

Women who stick to a healthy diet have a less chance of developing diseases such as Type II Diabetes. Combine that with regular exercise and many conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis can be delayed or even avoided. That’s because strong muscles protect bones and joints from further wear and injury.

Cardio activities such as walking, running, dancing, elliptical training or playing sports all help to strengthen the heart and build endurance. These exercises combined with strength training exercises and a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients while being low in saturated fat, low in sodium, low in cholesterol and low in sugar, will help you to control your weight and lead to a healthy and happy lifestyle. And that’s something to get inspired about.

How To Dump Your Love Handles

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If there are 50 ways to leave your lover, certainly there must be one sure way to dump your love handles. But the truth be known, dumping your love handles requires all-over women’s fitness. To rid yourself of the fatty area around your waist known affectionately as love handles, you need to combine diet and exercise to get long-lasting results.

Exercise as well as diet must play equal parts in women’s fitness. Not only will the combination of the two help you to achieve your desired weight and size, both have the power to make you feel good and look great.

To dump your love handles once and for all, commit to an exercise program that consists of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn fat, and resistance exercises that build strength. Power walking, jogging, swimming, skating, cycling, elliptical training and playing games like tennis and racquetball are terrific ways to get the aerobic exercise you need.

Your six muscles referred to as the abs are the Transverses Abdominis, Two Internal Obliques, Two External Obliques, and the Rectus Abdominis. Working these muscles will not only give you the famed six-pack abs, they also give you better posture, for back pain relief, and help you when you bend-over, or reach for objects on upper shelves.

Resistance exercises that emphasize core strength are some of the best ways to tighten your abs and flatten the tummy. These exercises work the muscles in the stomach, sides and back. The following exercises are based on the Pilates principle of engaging the core muscle. To engage the core muscles you need pull your stomach in and imagine that you are pressing your belly button into your spine.

Hold this position throughout the exercise.
• Pilates 100
• Single Leg Stretch
• Pilates Roll Over
• Squat with Double Hammer Curl

For step-by-step instructions on doing any of the above exercises as well as others, simply click on the Exercise Section under Members Only. Don’t forget your towel, exercise mat and water bottle, handy tools that make your work out work for you.

Five Ways To Make Affirmations Work For You

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In order to get the best results from your affirmations, you must fully believe in the power of what you are saying to yourself. You must believe it to achieve it. With all of your senses, you must feel the reality of your affirmations.

See it with your eyes. Visualization is a process where you envision the new you, the person who is physically fit, on top of her game, able to conquer the challenges that come her way.

1. Listen with your ears. Everyone loves a good listener, even you. Why not give yourself the same respect and attention that you extend to others. With complete attention given to your affirmations, say them aloud and listen to the words as you repeat your declarations. Fully believe that each of your affirmations is true and completely possible to achieve.

2. Reach out and touch it. As you repeat your affirmations, let the feeling of success flood over you. Allow yourself to really concentrate on what fitness will mean to you. Perhaps a chance to play with your children or grandchildren, maybe it’s to walk on the beach without feeling self conscious, allow the driving force behind your weight loss goals to fill your mind. Grasp that force and take ownership of the desire to become the person that you want to be.

3. Consistency trains the brain. Try to say your affirmations at the same time each day. The morning is usually the best time, as it readies your mind for the day’s tasks and sets it on the path to success. Even if you only allow yourself 5 minutes, try to make it the same time of day for the best results.

4. Go to your private place. When you say your affirmations, retreat to a private area of your home for the privacy you need to concentrate on what you are saying. Repeating them in front of a mirror has the advantage of being able to look yourself in the eye and know that what you are saying is possible.

5. If you want to achieve it, you must first believe it. As I said in the beginning, you must believe it to achieve it. Believe in your affirmations. Don’t say things to yourself that you simply do not believe is possible. If you want to make it simple, concentrate on just one affirmation each day or each week. Repeat this command to yourself daily and you will begin to see the results. Believe that you can… and soon you will find that affirmations work for you, too.

10 Tasty Foods That You Can Eat To Lose Weight

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As strange as it may sound, some foods actually help you to lose weight. They require so much work eating and digesting them that they will cause your body to burn calories just processing them. Most of them are high in fiber or have properties that make them unique in the way that the body processes them.

There are also foods that are so full of nutrients compared to their fat or caloric content that they make excellent choices when you are trying to lose or maintain weight. Although there are many more, I chose to highlight 10 of my top tasty foods for losing weight.

Apples
An apple a day will help to keep you healthy and strong. High in fiber and antioxidants, vitamins and good taste, an apple will help to curb your appetite if eaten before a meal.

Oranges
So sweet and juicy, who can resist the King of Vitamin C? Eating oranges takes a lot of work and time, and is full of potassium and antioxidants.

Carrots
Excellent for eye health, carrots are very low in calories. High in beta carotene and vitamins B and C and K, it is a dense vegetable that requires a lot of chewing when eaten raw, thus being one of the foods that helps you to lose weight.

Tomatoes
Full of antioxidants like lycopene and vitamin C, tomatoes aid in digestion and are perfect when paired with red meat.

Parmesan Cheese
An excellent source of protein and calcium, parmesan is lower in fat than most cheeses and its long aging process means that it breaks down easily in the body because it is literally pre-digested.

Nuts
A good source of protein, nuts are a healthy and low calorie way to add healthy amino acids to just about anything that you eat. It only takes a handful to turn a cup of yogurt into a devilish delight.

Oatmeal
Containing both soluble and insoluble fiber, oatmeal is low in fat and calories and aids in digestion. This cholesterol-lowering super food, is a great choice for breakfast or snack. Also tastes great when sprinkled on yogurt or eaten with fruit.

Cottage Cheese
A great source of calcium and protein, cottage cheese can be eaten with fruit for optimum taste and nutrition. Easy to digest and low in calories, it’s great as a breakfast dish or mid-morning snack.

Fish
Baked or broiled, fish is an excellent source of protein and provides a satisfying meal for at any time of the day. Pair with veggies and a slice of whole grain bread for a well-rounded meal that is low in fat and calories.

Chicken
Baked or broiled, that’s my motto. Remove the skin from the chicken and rub the meat with olive oil before cooking. If you find it too dry, you can cook with the skin on but remove before eating.

Salad Greens
High in fiber and vitamins, salads can be a wonderful way to help you control your weight. Substitute a half of an avocado, sliced or chopped and a half tomato in place of salad dressing. Use the natural juice from the tomato and the creaminess of the avocado and you’ll cut down on much of the calories and fat associated with some gourmet salads.

Making Your Metabolism Work For You

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Most of what controls your metabolism is totally involuntary. You see, some people are born with a high-burning metabolism, while others have a rather slow metabolism and may tend to gain weight easier.

Gender plays a big role too, in how the metabolism functions. Most men have a metabolism that is 10 to 15 percent higher than women’s; mainly because of their larger size and greater muscle mass.

Metabolism is simply the total of all body processes that burn calories – your metabolic rate plus your activity level.

Whether you’re a man or a woman, your metabolism naturally decreases with age. Scientists have estimated that metabolism slows about 5 percent per decade, beginning at age 40, as we lose muscle mass and increase body fat.

However, your metabolism doesn’t have to deplete so rapidly. You can burn more calories and thereby lose more weight, just by making some changes in the way you live.

  1. Build muscle. Strength training with dumbbells or resistance bands at least twice a week is essential to boosting your metabolism. And here’s the really good news: Your metabolism stays pumped for many hours after you finish your workout.
  2. Get moving. As with the 30 Minutes To A New You Exercise Program, at least 30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise every other day will raise your metabolism. I’m talking about walking, jogging, cycling, swimming or some other form of fun activity a minimum of three times a week to complement your strength training exercises. Both types of exercise work together to increase endurance, build strength and help to burn fat quicker.
  3. Eat regularly, every day and don’t skip meals. This may be hard to comprehend for someone who is trying to lose weight. But starving yourself is the absolute opposite of what you need to do if you really want to lose weight. Instead, eat five portion-controlled meals a day to keep you metabolism working at its peak.
  4. Don’t eat sugar. Sugar throws your metabolic system into fat storage mode. Aim for a diet with a predominately low glycolic index that break down gradually to maintain blood sugar levels. Eat a couple of pieces of fruit every day to satisfy your sweet tooth
  5. Be sure to eat breakfast. It’s a fact that people who eat a healthy breakfast are skinnier than people who don’t. Be sure to include a protein at breakfast and at every other meal.
  6. Pop a pepper. If Mexican and Thai are favorites, you’re in luck. “Spicy food that has hot peppers in it appears to boost metabolism,” Lieberman says.
  7. Drink green tea. You can stimulate metabolism longer and more effectively by drinking green tea rather than coffee.
  8. Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water essential to flushing the body of toxic byproducts that are released when fat is burned. Cold water may also give your metabolism at least a small boost because energy is required to heat the body.
  9. Avoid stress. Physical and emotional stress activates the release of cortisol, a hormone that slows metabolism and is responsible for increased belly fat.
  10. Sleep, rest and relaxation. Getting enough sleep is key to keeping your metabolism working at it best. Research shows that people who don’t sleep for seven to eight hours a night are more prone to weight gain. In addition, it has been determined that lean muscle is regenerated in the final couple of hours of sleep each night. So those last few hours of sleep really are important.