You’ve made time to get to the gym, worked hard and left satisfied with your effort. But there’s one more thing to take care of next: your appetite.

Soon you’ll be hungry because of the extra calories you’ve burned.
To avoid having the munchies the rest of the day, eating the wrong things and counter-acting the positive steps you’ve made, eat the right kind of post workout snack or light meal.
A snack after exercising will also help with muscle recovery, repair and growth. A low-fat, high-protein snack is essential after a workout.
Here are seven excellent post-workout snacks/light meals:

1. Low-fat protein bar
2. Grilled chicken breast
3. Skim milk or even chocolate milk
4. Non-fat yogurt
5. Turkey sandwich (pick smart toppings and skip the mayo)
6. Fruit
7. Tuna/tuna salad

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Ideally, each of us who wanted to follow a workout routine would have a professional trainer there to help us.
The trainer could come up with a workout program and then be there to help us with motivation and tips along the way.
The truth is that most of us don’t have the money to train regularly with an expert, or maybe even consult with one at all.
However, there are ways you can help yourself the way a pro would.
Here are five training tips I’ve picked up from trainers to help your workout:

1. Know when to push yourself harder – Too often people get in a comfortable workout routine. It’s important to do more than just plod along at the gym if you want to get the best results.
If you are performing reps of 12 or more on certain exercises with correct form, then most trainers would tell you “Time to move up! Try going up 5 or 10 pounds.”

2. Write it down – Record your workouts in a notebook. It will help you chart your progress and set goals, as well as offer a visual reminder if there are blocks of days missing where you slacked off. On the flip side, it will be good positive re-enforcement to see a consistent workout record written down.

3. Take it slow – One of the most common mistakes I see at gyms, and trainers comment on, too, is that people lift weights too quickly.
Good form requires that you lower the weight slowly and in control and then power it up in a controlled motion. Slow down and feel your muscles work.

4. Don’t cheat – If you’re doing barbell curls, don’t cheat by swinging your back. On the bench press, don’t arch so much that half your back is in the air. It’s usually more important to use less weight and have good form than to excessively cheat, although some trainers will cite exceptions for advanced lifters.

5. Check it out – Look in a mirror if possible to watch your form. You’ll be able to get a better idea what your form looks like. On squats, for example, you want to go down to a position where your knees are parallel, but don’t go past parallel. Looking in the mirror will help you get a better idea of how you’re doing.

As we get older, unfortunately our joints get creakier.
That’s just the way it is, but through exercise and knowledge it’s possible to keep your joints working a lot better a lot longer than they would otherwise.
The older you are, probably the more stiff you feel when you get out of bed in the morning. As the day goes on, though, you should feel a lot better as you loosen up.
Here are seven tips to ensure that your joints will keep feeling loose longer, and keep you feeling younger:

Stretch, stretch, stretch – Get a real light stretch in, then a light warmup walk, jog or exercise bike session in for about 5-10 minutes and then stretch out fully. Stretching and flexibility are the key to everything you do in a workout.

Stay grounded – To get a cardio workout and burn calories without burning out your joints, pick exercises that are low impact.
If you have sore knees, ankles and/or bad hips, then avoid running altogether or cut back.
Instead, do exercises in which one foot is on the ground at all times, like walking. Or try an elliptical machine – it’s not nearly as demanding on the joints as running.

Take the straight path – If your joints are troubling you, avoid activities with lots of twists, turns and sudden starts and stops, like basketball and tennis.

Schedule rests days smartly – You know how sore you get, so mix in lighter workouts the day after a real hard one and then a rest day. A good method is to exercise in two- to three-day cycles and then have a light day or complete off day follow. Use common sense because you don’t want to push it too hard.

Check your treads – Just like a car won’t run as well on old, worn-out tires, so to you should have good tennis shoes to exercise in. Make sure you have shoes that aren’t too worn out. If joint problems are a concern, it would be a good idea to speak with a doctor or trainer about looking into insoles. I’ve found that the top specialty athletic footwear stores have pretty knowledgeable people if you want to save some money and avoid a doctor for shoe/insole advice.

Cross train – Exercise in different ways to avoid repetitive use injuries from doing the same things over and over.
This will also help keep your workouts more fun. It would be pretty boring for me if five days a week I did basically the same routine each time.

Listen to your body – If your body is hurting more than usual, then take that signal as a clue you need to slow down or take the day off. You should be OK after a day or two off, but if the problem continues then seek a medical opinion.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Most people would probably like to strengthen their core muscles.
In my Jan. 21 blog, I listed many reasons why having a strong core can improve your overall physical and even mental health. Core strength allows the abs and back to correctly support the spine. When core muscles are weak, an imbalance is created and bad posture and/or injuries can result. Needless to say, your jeans won‘t fit as well either.
But some people may be thinking, “That’s easier said than done.”
Or, “That would take way too much work. How can I build up my abs (the key to your core) with a busy schedule?”
The truth is, it’s not all that hard to strengthen your entire core (considered from the waist to underneath the shoulders) and firm up your belly in the process
Here are five ways listed below to power up your core. Of course, these must be combined with a sensible diet to achieve the most positive results.

1. The Plank – The hottest new exercise I’ve heard of in the last five years or so in the Plank. Get into the plank position on the floor by raising up from your hands and knees, line the wrists up under shoulders, and keep your back straight, abs and glutes tight.
Hold yourself up for reps of 30 seconds, 60 seconds or more if you can do it.
Once you get good at that, a few weeks later try the side plank, raising yourself up from a side position.

2. Swiss Ball crunches (aka exercise ball crunches) – Lie back onto the Swiss Ball with your feet firmly planted on the floor and do crunches. You can do straight-ahead crunches, or try to turn to one side or the other at the top.

3. Seated Rotation – In a seated position with your knees bent and legs together, put the arms in front, roll back slightly and rotate the spine right and left.

4. Swiss Ball Dumbbells – Try doing some of your standard dumbbell exercise, like dumbbell chest presses, while lying or sitting on the Swiss Ball instead of a standard bench. Without a solid bench, this will really work your core to help provide balance and stability.

5. Take an exercise class, or follow a program on your own – Activities like Yoga and Pilates will greatly help build your abs and the rest of your core.

There are lots more good exercises for the core out there. Research them more on your own or ask a trainer.
But remember that even if you build up the strength in your core, you can still have fat around your stomach. It will take a good diet to really notice a big difference in the abdominal area.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

People with a strong core – the muscles from the hips to shoulders- are naturally going to look better.
Their posture will be better aligned and most likely they’ll be trimmer than people who don’t pay much attention to fitness.
Did you know there are a number of other examples of why it’s highly beneficial to have a strong core?
Here are the top five reasons it’s important to have a strong core:
1. A younger you – Having a strong core keeps your spine aligned better and as a result there’s less wear and tear on your body.
2. Performance boost – With your body better aligned, you’ll naturally have better balance, agility and strength. Consequently, you’ll feel better in everything you do.
3, Aches and pains go away – Many people who have complained of back pain for years and then gone on a serious workout program that focuses on their core report a drastic drop in pain. That makes complete sense. If your stomach and back muscles are firmer and holding your spine in place better, in a lot of cases it won’t hurt as much.
4. A smarter you – You read that right. Some studies have even shown that a properly aligned spine allows the brain to receive the boy’s signals more clearly.
5. A better looking you – And finally, yes, you will look better with a stronger core. With stronger muscles in your stomach, back an shoulders, your posture will present a much more confident you.
So no more slouching, get to work on tightening up that core today.

On Monday I’ll list some of the best exercises to strengthen your core.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Are you looking to cross train during the cold winter months? Or, maybe you’re just looking for a fun way to change things up from day after day of doing the same basic workouts inside.
In the warmer months there are a seemingly endless number of ways to get exercise away from the gym. In the winter, not so much. Open your door when it’s 10 degrees out and tell me how many people you see out on and about in the neighborhood.
Don’t despair, there are a number of fun winter sports you can try.
Here are five winter sports you might want to look into, ranked in order from easiest to hardest. With the Vancouver Winter Olympics right around the corner in February, this list arrives at just the right time:

Cross country skiing – This is not an especially hard thing to learn to do, but depending on how hard you push yourself it can be an extremely grueling aerobic exercise.
It burns about as many calories as any athletic activity, up to 500-600 in an hour.
For beginners, though, plan to follow short ski routes and get the hang of this sport while breathing in fresh winter air.

Downhill skiing – I find downhill skiing a bit trickier for beginner’s to learn than cross country skiing because of the speed involved on the hill and added coordination needed.
Once you get the hang of it, though, downhill skiing is a great activity to do with family and friends.
It improves balance, flexibility, and strength in the legs and core and it’s a lot of fun, too.

Snowboarding - Snowboarding also is a great way to experience outdoor winter exercise and fun. It works the legs very well, and especially the ankles, which are used for steering.
It’s just flat out good for your mental health as well to kick up fresh powder with the board.

Ice skating – I’ve always found ice skating tougher to do than skiing, but others could have a different opinion. It’s a low-impact exercise unless you’re doing a lot of jumps, but another excellent way to build up leg muscles and exercise in a fun way.
One tip I’ve heard for beginners is to make sure you skates fit right: Most ice skates run about a size smaller than normal street shoes. It can be painful to try and use skates that are too big or small.

Ice hockey – It’s hard enough for me to try to stay up on skates, so I have not tried to ice hockey is one of the few sports I haven’t tried to play before. But if you can skate well, and like team sports, you might consider playing hockey.
Most larger communities, and some smaller ones depending on the location, offer open ice opportunities for hockey.
If you find you like it and do OK, then you could look into joining a league. Just watch out for the Hanson Brothers (sorry, a little “Slap Shot” movie joke reference).
Of course there are lots of other winter ways to get at least a little exercise, ranging from going on a walk, to sled riding, to even having a snowball fight. And there’s always curling, too, if anybody can figure out the rules to that sport.
I hope some of these tips helped some. Enjoy the cold, but try to stay warm, too.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

If you’re open-minded enough to be reading this, then chances are you’re willing to try jump-roping as part of your fitness routine.
Jumping rope was fun for most of us as kids and it can be a great part of your workout routine, too.
Here are some tips to get you up and jumping again:

STRETCH FIRST – If you opt to jump rope at the end of the workout then you should already be well-stretched. If jumping rope is all you plan on doing that day, or it will start your workout, then make sure to stretch well first.
Get a brisk walk in or light jog and then fully stretch out, paying special attention to your leg muscles.
Jumping jacks would be a good final tune-up to do before picking up the rope.

START WITH THE BASICS – Jumping rope sounds pretty easy and it is once you get the hang of it.
But if you haven’t done it for a while, it can take some getting used to.
It takes a good deal of coordination, agility and stamina to jump for very long at first.
Make sure you do the basics right:
* Hold the rope handles in each hand and let the rope touch the back of your heels on the ground.
* Try some practice jumps, swinging the rope for full revolutions.
Once you get the hang of it, try jumping rope for no more than five minutes a day. You don’t want to get too sore early on.
* After several weeks, if the jumping rope is going OK, then bump up your time to 10-minute sessions.
* It’s OK to mix in short rest moves, such as turning the rope to a side flip without jumping and then start jumping again.
Another tip is don’t jump too high – this is an endurance workout. Turn the rope with your wrists doing the work not your arms.
* Get some fast-paced music going. This will really help.

A FULL WORKOUT – After a few weeks of the longer sessions, you should be ready to really go after it for 15 minutes or more. You may even be mixing in occasional double jumps – rotating the rope twice before your feet hit the floor – between a leap.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

One of the first exercises most people learn as children is jumping rope.
Turns out, it’s an activity that can serve people well throughout most of their lives, too.
If you’re fit enough to jump up and down more than a few times, you should be OK to try jumping rope again.

Bruce Lee was once quoted saying that 10 minutes of jumping rope is as good for you as 30 minutes of running. I’m not sure if that’s been actually proven true, but in this fast-paced world most people would give jumping rope a try based on that advice alone.

Jumping rope will rev up your heart rate very quickly. In 10 or 15 minutes you can burn 200 calories or more depending on the speed you jump at and your body weight.

Some of you may have thought right away upon reading this that jumping rope would be too hard on your body.

However, many trainers I’ve talked to say running is actually considerably harder on the hips, knees and joints. When jumping rope the exertion is better cushioned because you land on the balls of your feet and the calves and shins act as shock absorbers. When jumping rope wear basketball shoes or supportive cross trainers if possible to provide better support than specialized running shoes.

However, before beginning a new jump rope program, consult a doctor or trainer if you’ve been inactive. As with any new training method, start slowly and gradually train harder.

So get out the jump rope, or go buy one and get going on your way to a great aerobic workout. And remember one more thing, jumping rope is a lot of fun!

On Tuesday, I’ll offer tips on setting up a jump rope program.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

In many parts of the country chances are you won’t be riding your bike much in the winter.
Hours of riding trails, or maybe even days at a time if you take long-distance trips, can seem like distant memories as snow and ice cover the roads.
Chances are you still try to stay in shape over the winter, but it can’t be nearly as much fun as riding the trails and roads if that’s your favorite sport.
However, there are some good ways to make the most of the biking “offseason.”
Here are six tips to get you through the long “layover” between bike trips:

Cross country ski – If you can’t beat winter, join it. Rent some cross country skis and give it a try. Take a lesson if possible. It takes some getting used to, but you’re not going nearly as fast as downhill skiing so falls shouldn’t hurt too much. This is a great way to breathe in fresh air, see beautiful scenery and get aerobic exercise similar to biking. Your legs will get a great workout too.

Go snowshoeing – Less common, but snowshoeing can be a lot of fun too. You’d have to live in an area with a lot of snow.

Focus on strength training in gym – Rebuild your body with weightlifting (focusing on legs), do plenty of ab work and mix in agility drills, too, like plyometrics.

Walk the dogs – Take your dog (or dogs) out for regular walks. Maybe even consider volunteering to walk dogs for the local shelter. This could be a physical and mental boost each time you do it and it’s great cross training.

Swim - Hit the muscles a different way by swimming instead of biking. A great cross training method for the winter.

Ride the exercise bike – Most avid cyclists I talk to don’t totally give up pedaling during the winter. Buy yourself an exercise bike, or get yours tuned up, and go to town indoors.

At Home Fitness consultant Aaron Dorksen’s blog deals with a variety of fitness topics, ranging from workout tips, motivational ideas and feature stories on how exercise impacts people’s lives. E-mail him with comments, questions or ideas for future blogs at aaron@athomefitness.net

Chances are that high school or college baseball, and women’s fast pitch softball players, will have regimented offseason workout programs to follow that their coaches gave them.
For adult recreational athletes who play baseball or slowpitch softball, they might not be quite as sure what kind of workout plan to use. Usually, there’s no coach to guide them, unless you’re talking about where to head after the game for beer and chicken wings.

Here are some baseball/slowpitch workout tips for adults based on my experience as a player and in talking to many different trainers:

* Legs, legs, legs – The first thing I hear from retired players who had to give the game up before they were ready is they say their legs went out on them. That they couldn’t run well anymore.
Legs are key for any age, though, in baseball and softball. You have to be able to run well and even for a team’s big, heavy power hitter it can still help a lot of they can improve their running.
The offseason is the time to work the most on your legs. Stretch well before, after and even a little during the workout. Strengthen your legs by doing squats, leg curls, leg extensions and dead lifts.
Also, build your cardio in the offseason with lots of time on a treadmill and/or elliptical. Check past blogs I’ve written for tips on these, such as the benefits of interval training.

* Upper body strength – It sure helps to have a strong upper body as well, but don’t confuse bulk with strength. It’s better to be strong and flexible for baseball/softball than so big you have trouble moving well.
You may have to adapt your workout some as you get older.
The biggest change I’ve made is in the way I exercise my chest. I used to really enjoy the flat-bench, barbell bench press and made excellent progress in the weight I could use. However, years of grinding away took its toll and I developed a shoulder Impingement in my mid-30s.
In consulting a sports doctor, I began doing a lot of rotator cuff and other stretches for the shoulders and started back lightly with dumbbell bench presses.
I have felt just as strong doing dumbbell bench presses, gradually increasing the weight the last few years, and my shoulders feel a lot better.
Besides dumbbell bench presses, other excellent upper body lifts for softball and baseball are pushups, dips, triceps kickbacks and pushdowns, barbell curls, seated rows, front lat pulldowns, upright rows and pull-ups.

* Keep the core strong – Work out your abs and core at least 3-4 times a week and make sure to hit the stomach muscles with different types of crunches, not just straight ahead. Side bends and side twists also work.

* Start swinging, throwing early – When it gets closer to your season, you can get ahead of the competition by starting to throw and swing the bat indoors. If you have access to a batting cage, that’s even better.

Even though there’s snow on the ground in many parts of the country, including where I’m at in Ohio, the sunny days of summer will be here before you know it. A good workout program is a great way to help pass the time until then.