Fitness4Her

Women's Fitness

Get Fit For A Healthy Lifestyle

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Daily exercise is essential to women’s fitness and any healthy lifestyle. Not only does it regulate the body’s ability to process the foods that we eat, it also helps to burn excess calories and reduce fat. Exercise, just 30 minutes each day, can help to balance hormones, lessen the risk of many illnesses and restore your vitality of youth.

Making exercise a priority is sometimes hard to do. Day to day responsibilities and activities take up a good portion of your day, I know. But, daily exercise is just as important as eating every day, so why not make it a regular part of your daily regimen?

Just like going to your job each day or cooking dinner in the evening, in order to give exercise the importance it deserves, you must make it a priority and let it become a habit that is impossible to break.

You know that it is entirely possible to enjoy exercise and make it something you wouldn’t dream of missing. You’ve no doubt seen countless others, who make exercise a must do rather than a sometimes do. So what separates them from you? Do they have some sort of magical abilities or are they stronger willed than you? Break free of your excuses and give exercise the attention that your body deserves.

There are many ways that we can plan ahead to be sure we get the most of our gym time. It is entirely possible to get a full blown workout in as little as 30 minutes a day, but to be sure you get the most of your workout time, you might want to consider the following tips.

1. Come to the gym in your workout clothes if possible. Less time spent in the locker room will give you more time to dedicate to your workout.

2. Empty your bladder before beginning your workout. You can’t always help having to disrupt your workout when nature calls, but a quick stop when you first get there will allow you to spend your time exercising rather than running to the restroom to pee.

3. Alternate days for working different areas of the body, this way you can spend your time working hard on specific areas at each session.

4. Take shorter rests between sets. This will move your workout along and allow you to burn more calories. When you take shorter rest times, your heart rate is increased, therefore giving you a mild cardio workout too.

5. To boost cardio benefits, while still saving time, mix strength training with cardio. Between sets of resistance exercises, do 2 minutes of jumping jacks, jump on the elliptical machine for 2 minutes or hop on the treadmill for a quick 2-minute run.

Get Your Best Body, Now

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Strengthen your muscles, melt the fat and improve your metabolism. It’s more about what you eat than what you do, but both play integral parts in how your body processes the calories that you feed it. A well-balanced diet and daily exercise have always been the hallmarks of a healthy lifestyle.

Restrictive diets are never good. The best diets are those that include a serving of protein at every meal to help your body build and repair cells. Protein plays an integral part in maintaining muscle, bones, skin, cartilage and blood. Your body also uses it to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. Protein also helps to boost metabolism.

A balanced diet also includes other nutrients in addition to protein. Eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be overcomplicated. When planning your menu, keep in mind that each meal should be a combination of protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates and calcium.

You probably noticed that I included fat as one of the essential players in a well-balanced diet. While bad fats can wreck your diet and increase your risk of certain diseases, good fats protect your brain and heart. Omega-3s are considered healthy fats and are vital to your physical and emotional health. A diet that includes healthy fats, like salmon and avocadoes, can help improve your mood, boost your well-being, and even trim your waistline.

Eating foods high in dietary fiber (grains, fruit, vegetables, nuts, and beans) can prevent constipation, help your body process foods better and lower your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It can give your skin a healthy glow and help you to lose pounds and manage a healthy weight.

Carbohydrates are one of your body’s main sources of energy. But most should come from complex, unrefined carbohydrates (vegetables, whole grains, fruit) rather than sugars and refined carbohydrates that have been stripped of all bran, fiber, and nutrients.

Calcium is essential for building healthy bones and teeth. As well as leading to osteoporosis, a calcium deficiency in your diet can also contribute to anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Whether you are a man or woman, it is vital to your health to include calcium-rich foods in your diet and get enough magnesium and vitamins D and K to help calcium work for the betterment of your body.

The Heart of a Healthy Lifestyle

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Heart disease is still the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States. That does not mean it has to happen to you. You have the power to prevent heart disease, no matter if you are 17 or 77, you can make healthy lifestyle changes that will lower your risks of heart disease or stroke.

It’s important to make healthy lifestyle changes as early as possible since the risks of heart disease increase dramatically during menopause and after. But it is never to late to take action. Protecting your heart can be as simple as taking a brisk walk, eating more vegetables, and seeing your doctor regularly.

Diet and exercise are two factors that are prominent in creating a heart healthy lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight is important for a vibrant, vigorous life. Unfortunately, research shows that American women are eating more and moving less.

If you need to lose weight, the best approach is a gradual one. Don’t skip meals, don’t fall for fad diets, and don’t give up. Do eat 3 to 5 meals every day. Do make your portion sizes smaller. Do eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.

There are many diets that can help you lose weight. If you have struggled with weight gain and loss in the past, take it day by day. Use a fitness journal to chart your efforts, recording your current weight and measurements. You will want to keep track of everything you eat and drink so you will know what food choices work and which ones don’t.

Exercise at least 6 days a week. Alternate your workouts between cardio activities and strength training exercises. Build up your strength and implement circuit training into your routine, adding weights and coordinating weightlifting with cardio. It has been proven that just 30 minutes of exercise each day will help to improve heart function and protect your health.

Regular physical activity not only improves heart function, it also relieves stress and depression, major factors for heart disease and other health conditions. Daily exercise is good for the body, mind and soul. It increases endorphins, opens your lungs, improves circulation, and energizes every cell in your body. Follow that up with adequate sleep each night, so your body has time to restore all that energy and give your heart the rest it needs.

Affirmations For A Healthy Lifestyle

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Many people spend their lives trying to attain wealth, which they equate with happiness. However, there is no greater wealth than our own health. Yet, we rarely appreciate our health, until it is gone. Unfortunately, once we compromise our health, it is not so easy to restore. Many times the cost of our loss of health can’t be bought back, no matter what our wealth.

Begin today by celebrating your health and making a promise to live a healthier life. There is no better gift that you can give to those you love than being healthy. Just as you care about their well being, they want you to be healthy, too. The extra time you spend exercising and preparing healthy meals will be an investment that will pay off for you and everyone you love.

Managing your weight is just one part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise and activity are a must for staying healthy. If you can, engage someone you love to join you for a bike ride or even a long walk. Make this a regular routine that you will both look forward to. Nothing relieves stress better than a half hour of exercise after a long day of work. It is so much better for you than sitting in front of the television hour after hour. Just get up every so often and exercise next to your chair, if you have to stay by the tube.

In addition to exercise and diet, I keep a fitness journal. I write down everything I eat and drink each day and all of the exercise and activities that I engage in. To keep me inspired and motivated to stick to my fitness program, I start each day by repeating affirmations that give my mind, body and soul the direction and encouragement to stay focused and attain the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Below are 10 of my favorite affirmations that I use to help encourage my decision to live a healthy life.

1. I am changing my lifestyle to a healthy way of living.
2. My body responds to my thoughts.
3. Everything I eat nourishes my body.
4. I love to exercise.
5. I am physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually balanced and healthy.
6. I love and approve myself.
7. Every day, I feel stronger and healthier.
8. I am choosing progress over perfection.
9. I am responsible for my health.
10. I live a healthy lifestyle