This is the fourth in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to come up with today’s list of motivational tips.

Motivation is one of the biggest factors women need to be fit for life. Trainers stress that women’s bodies take different strategies to stay fit than men’s, primarily in that women gain, store and burn fat in different ways.
Women in general have less muscle than men and unfortunately lose it faster by comparison as they age. That makes it harder to keep fat under control.
With that in mind, women need to tweak their workouts to adjust for the differences.
After a good warm-up of 5-10 minutes, trainers advise that women mix in several cardio workouts in intervals, such as several sets of strength training followed by 3-5 minutes on the exercise bike, back to strength training and then onto a treadmill for another interval of cardio.
Another big key is to break up meals into 5-6 per day, of course following healthy eating tips discussed earlier this week on this blog.

If you have had trouble getting or staying fit in the past, one final topic for this week is about motivation.
It’s extremely important to set goals, so that you’re not just aimlessly traveling through a workout program. You wouldn’t go on a vacation road trip with no road map, so why would you work out without any clear goals?
Research on your own, consult a trainer and/or plan out goals you want to attain.
It may be an extremely common one, like a target weight loss. Or set a more unique objective, such as being able to walk the 20-mile public trail near your house or complete a 5K run.
Maybe it’s to fit into the jeans that you used to look so good in 5-10 years ago.
Whatever your goal, write it down and then set out to meet it. Set one major goal, or come up with multiple small goals. Small goals can add up to great things in the end.
Know that there can be some setbacks along the way, but if you keep on the right track you should eventually get to where you want to go. And you’ll be a lot more healthy for it.

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

This is the third in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to come up with today’s list of diet tips.

It takes exercise and proper nutrition to make a fit person. For women to improve their health, they have to focus on cleaning up their nutrition as well.
It takes discipline to eat right and also time and research. The biggest key many trainers suggest is this: “The closer a food is to its natural state, the better it is for you.”
It can take some time to get used to eating healthy, but in the end you shouldn’t really miss the unhealthy food.
Fresh fruits can satisfy your sweet tooth and vegetables will fill you up and help provide energy. Get carbs from whole grain pasta and breads and bake fish and chicken rather than frying it.
Of course, drink lots of water, too. By all means, cut out soda pop.
Here’s a smart food choices checklist:

Avoid these foods
Soda pop
Trans fats (check labels)
Deep fried foods
Iceburg lettuce (little nutritional value)
Salad dressing loaded with sodium and fat
Pastry loaded with sugar
High-fat snacks and chips
White bread
Most fast-food restaurants
Breakfast cereal loaded with sugar and low in fiber

Eat these foods instead
Green and brightly colored vegetables
Dark leafy greens and lettuce
Fresh berries and fruits
Lean chicken and turkey
Nuts
Whole grain breads and pasta
Fresh ocean fish
Low-fat yogurt (add your own fruit and berries)
Low-fat milk and/or soy milk

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

This is the second in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. For today’s article, I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to come up with a list of interval training tips.

Who wouldn’t like to spend less time on something and get better results?
That could apply to women who add interval training to their workout routines.
Novices or experienced females alike should consider adding interval training. The basic premise is that you vary your pace instead of working out at the same steady clip, which takes more time and often isn’t very strenuous.
Instead, exercise near peak exertion level for a minute or two, then back down to a slow pace and repeat the process.
This can help you lose weight while gaining strength and endurance at the same time.

Here are four interval training examples to consider:
1. Treadmill – After stretching, start with a light five-minute jog.
Then run hard for 30-60 seconds at near peak speed, then follow with 60 seconds of light recovery at a very slow jog or brisk walk.
Repeat the process 5-6 times
Close with a five minute cool down jog. You can increase the full-go running time or amount of interval rounds after several weeks if desired.

2. Speed Walking – Try the same concept as No. 1, only change the pace of your walking to fit the above time schedule.

3. Aerobic squats – Do squats without weights for 25 seconds at a brisk pace, while also making sure to keep proper squat form.
At 25 seconds, hold the bottom position steady for 10 seconds.
Repeat these intervals for 5-6 go-rounds. Once you can handle that, think about, increasing the time and rounds.

4. Lunges – Try the above squat interval pattern for lunges and feel a great burn as well.

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

This is the first in a four-part series on women’s fitness tips. I have spoken with trainers and female athletes to help come up with today’s list of seven essential exercises women should do.

1. Cardio – Women should get cardio exercises in at least 3-4 times a week for sessions of 15-minutes or more depending on your age, fitness level and how hard you work out. Treadmill, elliptical machine, walking, jogging, cycling and swimming are some of the many ways to get a good cardiovascular workout.

2. Squats – This is arguably the single best strength training exercise you can do because it engages so many body parts. You can do squats without any weight at all to start and then step it up by using a home gym or free weights. Squats will strengthen and tone your legs, engage your abs and also provide a cardio workout all in one. Make sure to keep your back straight and don’t go down past a 90-degree knee angle on your descent.

3. Lunges – A great functional exercise, lunges are super for the legs, too, and mimic walking in an exaggerated fashion. They also help improve your balance. Take a long step forward, while keeping your back in a straight position. Bend the front knee to 90 degrees and keep your weight on the back toes and at the same time lower your back knee toward the ground.

4. Push-ups – Whether you do them with perfect form a Marines drill instructor would approve of, or with an “assist” by having the knees on the floor, push-ups are still a great way to strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, traps and abdominal muscles.

5. Abdominal exercises – The biggest area most women say they want to improve is their stomach. You need to be doing ab exercises and pick which ones work for you, and of course improve your diet, too, to tone abs.
Two of the best exercises are “The Plank” and ab crunches on a fitness ball.
For the Plank, lay face down on the floor or use an exercise mat. Place the elbows and forearms underneath your chest. Prop yourself up to form a bridge using your toes and forearms and keep your back flat and hips parallell to the ground.

6. Biceps-triceps dumbbell exercises – Besides wanting a flat stomach, the next biggest complaint for many women is that they want to tone up their arms, especially the flab on the back of the arms. Perform biceps curls with a dumbbell and also do triceps kickbacks with dumbbells.
Some people may not be as familiar with how to do triceps kickbacks, so here’s how: To work your left arm, place your right hand and right knee on a bench for support; slightly bend your left leg; Keep the left arm at a 90-degree angle for the shoulder, and maintain a 90 degree angle at the elbow; with your upper arm parallel to the floor, move the lower arm up and down to work the tricep. If you feel a burn in the triceps, you’re doing it right. Reverse the instructions to work out the right tricep.

7. Bent-over rows – Tie it all together by doing this great exercise for the back, which also works the biceps too and improves overall posture. Get in a stance with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend the upper body forward so you’re close to a 90-degree angle. With ab muscles engaged, grasp dumbbells or barbells and lift them up to a point between your chest and belly button.

It’s extremely important to use correct form for all these exercises, so if you’re not sure exactly what you’re doing ask an expert. And it’s just as important to properly stretch before and after exercising.

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

Spring is just around the corner and many people are working out in the gym in order to try and firm up so they don’t emerge on the beach looking like they were hibernating bears.
It’s important to not only exercise consistently, but to eat right if you want to have the flattest stomach possible.
Here is a 12-pack of food items to put on your next shopping list to help you firm up and be healthier:

1. Oatmeal – A great way to start the day, loaded with fiber that will help you feel full well into the day
2. Plain yogurt – Also a healthy breakfast choice and great source of calcium.
3. Strawberries – Great for you, tasty and can sweeten up your oatmeal or yogurt. They’re better for you than buying artificially sweetened products.
4. Unsweetened tea – Tea is an underrated beverage, which is rich in antioxidants and can even help speed up metabolism.
5. Walnuts – Will help your overall health, and help satisfy hunger pains in a healthy way.
6. Whole grain bread – A much healthier option that white bread. Be careful as some breads advertised as “wheat” are not whole grain.
7. Broccoli – Put it on salad or mix in with a chicken stir fry. It’s loaded with vitamins and minerals that are not only healthy, but will help keep your waistline down. It’s high in fiber and low in calories.
8. Spinach – Go with spinach or leafy green lettuce for your salad instead of Iceberg lettuce, which has very little fiber.
9. Fish – An excellent source of protein and omega-3.
10. Chicken – A great way to get protein, is even healthier if you take the skin off.
11. Fat-free or 1 percent Milk – Outstanding source of calcium, vitamins, and protein. Soy milk can also be nutritious.
12. Apples – The old favorite really will help keep the doctor away. It’s much, much better to snack on an apple a day than a bag of chips.

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

We hear all the time that children in the USA are getting fatter and fatter, and less and less active.
What can you do as a parent to help ensure that your kids will be fit for life?
Here are some tips to get your young kid headed in the right direction:

Pick age appropriate fitness activites – When kids are in preschool and grade school, get them involved in games or activities where the focus is on fun and they’re running, jumping, riding, kicking, etc., and developing skills that can be used in a variety of sports.

Don’t specialize too soon – I think it’s best for kids to be exposed to many different sports, even if dad was a diehard baseball player, or mom was a college swimmer. Parents will likely expose their kids to sports they liked, but also should let them try other activities. It will help them see what they like to do and also build coordination and fitness by developing a wide variety of skills.

Practice, play at home first – Make sure your child has at least some experience in a sport before signing them up for the local little league, whether it means to give them some lessons or invite a favorite aunt, uncle or friend over. Even a few times playing a sport in your own back yard will help them feel a little better before going to an organized practice.

Plan family fitness activities – If the parents are sitting around on the couch all weekend, there’s a better a chance the kids will lounge around, too. Instead, plan family activities that center around physical activity, like hiking or biking, or even traditions like going on after-dinner walks as a family

Focus on fun – Whatever physical activities your kids are doing, make sure the focus stays on having fun. Little League team sports can get serious in a hurry, but win or lose make sure your kids know it’s a game – and games are supposed to be fun.

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

For women who are fortunate enough to have a healthy pregnancy, most doctors highly recommend at least doing light workouts during much of the nine-month term.
Women will understandably see a decrease from their normal endurance levels at times during the pregnancy and should work closely with their doctor to set up a safe exercise program. If you are truly serious about being in the best shape possible before, during and after the delivery, make exercising a priority of the day, not something you try to fit in if possible.
Above all else, though, women are urged to listen to their body and stop exercising that day if they are not feeling well.
Here are some specific pregnancy workout tips to consider:

What exercises should pregnant women do?
For women with a healthy pregnancy, there are many options. After consulting with a doctor you can likely pick many of the activities you already enjoy.
* Swimming, water aerobics, yoga, biking, walking and, in many cases, even jogging (early on) are great to do.
* Getting in the swimming pool is especially recommended both before and after the delivery because the buoyancy of the water allows you to move around freely, while avoiding jarring your body.
* Walking is also highly recommended, both outside or inside on a treadmill.
* Also, many types of light strength training workouts are acceptable, but talk with a doctor first.

What are some benefits to exercise during pregnancy?
* Exercise will help you feel better mentally and physically in many cases, increasing a sense of control during a time of many changes for the body and boosting energy levels.
* Exercise releases natural endorphins that make us feel good.
In the case of pregnant women, exercise can even help relieve backaches by toning muscles and therefore improving/helping with posture.
* Help constipation by increasing movement in the digestive tract
* Even help sleep better, by working out some of the daily stresses.
* Most importantly, help better prepare the body for birth by improving endurance and strength.

When to stop exercising
* Remember that if you can’t carry on a conversation while exercising, many doctors say that is too strenuous for you during pregnancy.
* Be especially careful to keep your balance. Some women are dizzy early on in pregnancy and as the baby really grows in the third trimester the center of gravity can throw off a woman’s step as well.
* It can also be harder to breathe, so stop if you feel: overly fatigued, dizziness, heart palpitations and/or shortness of breath.
* In warm-weather cities, avoid working out during the hottest time of the day.

Chances are you will be monitored closely by a doctor during pregnancy. Don’t forget to ask a lot of questions during this time about exercise. It’s one of the best things an expectant mother can do for herself – and the new baby on the way.

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 have a spring break trip planned or other warm-weather vacation coming up soon where you’ll want to look good, it’s not too late to shape up.
Whether you’ve been exercising a little bit, or not at all there are several things you can do to at least drop some pounds and trim up.
Of course, any big improvements to your body will take considerable time -don’t believe the infomercials or fad diets that promise quick, miracle fixes.
However, for a one or two-month spring break shape-up plan, follow these tips.

Resistance training
Perform exercises that use resistance training to strength your muscles and improve definition. Also consider weight training for similar benefits.

Aerobic/cardio training
Get started on burning calories right away by doing aerobic exercises, such as jogging on a treadmill, riding an exercise bike, using an elliptical or even undertaking a serious walking regimen.

Don’t forge the warmup
If you haven’t been especially active, your quick shape-up program might not get off the ground if you don’t stretch properly because you’ll be at risk for injury.
Walk or jog lightly on the treadmill for five minutes or easily ride an exercise bike for that duration. Then, stretch all the major body parts for 15-30 seconds each before getting into your main workout.

Spring shape-up workout plan
Now, here’s your spring shape-up workout plan:
* For the first two weeks, do strength training (resistance and or weight workouts) three times a week, and do cardio for a half hour four times a week.
Do a strength workout that will hit each of the major muscle groups, with at least a day or rest between each strength day. Do upper and lower body workouts each time.
* After two weeks, you can bump up your strength workouts to four times a week and cardio to five if you have been feeling OK.
* Obviously, you will also have to honestly evaluate your diet to. You’re not going to squeeze into a bathing suit or swim trunks very well if you’re eating a lot of junk food.
Cut out soda pop and eating late at night immediately, and up the amount of fiber, fruits and vegetables and water in your diet.
* As always, check with a doctor before starting any new workout plan if you have not been active. Check my past blogs for more exercise and weight and strength training tips.
Get started today! There’s not a lot of time left, but there are more than enough days to still make a big difference how you’ll look next to the swimming pool or ocean.

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

Strength training with weights can help people of just about any age, from teenagers to people in their 80s or 90s. Who knows, maybe there are even some 100-year-olds who do light arm curls or leg lifts.
Recently, my mother-in-law who is in her 60s was told by a doctor she should begin a controlled weightlifting program to strengthen her muscles after being diagnosed with early stage osteoporosis.
When some people think of weightlifting they automatically picture the hulks on the cover of muscle magazines, or mammoth football players who look like they could lift a small car out of a snow drift.
But the truth is that weightlifting can benefit people of all ages, men and women alike.
If you’re interested in weight lifting but aren’t sure how to go about it, here are 10 basic tips you should know:

* Before starting a weightlifting program, or any new fitness regimen for that matter, check with your doctor. A doctor can help decide if you face any risks or need to make modifications for your health and safety.
* Talk to a trainer or research on your own by reading books or magazines to find a beginner’s program that fits your goals.
* Emphasize proper form over trying to lift the most weight you can. it’s much more important to use proper form because if you’re doing exercises wrong there is a much greater risk of injury.
* For beginners, make sure you can do 12-15 repetitions of an exercise several workouts in a row before considering to increase the weight you’re lifting.
* Remember that diet is just as important as the effort you put in at the gym. You will make the biggest strides if a healthy diet is combined with a strong weightlifting program.
* If you work out at a gym, don’t be intimidated by other weightlifters. We all start somewhere and all have our adversity we face from time to time. Work hard, do your best and you can feel just worthy of being there as the next guy or gal.
* Find a workout partner if at all possible. This will help give you added motivation and also a spotter during the lifts who can give you feedback.
* Write down your workout records in a log book. This will help you chart progress, set goals and provide motivation.
* Remember to schedule at least one or two off days during the week as recovery time is crucial to building muscle.
* Finally, don’t give up. Stick with it and you will see results in no time. A strong, muscular body will help make you feel years younger and better support your spine and the rest of your body.

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

You’ve seen the commercials: 10 minutes a day and you’ll have a flat stomach. Wear this special belt and it will melt away fat. Blah, blah, blah.
Just like with life in general, when it comes to advertisements to trim your belly fat, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
The truth is that it takes a steady, disciplined approach over the long haul to have a trim waist line. Here are seven tips to help flatten your stomach:

1. Do at least 30-minutes of cardio three times a week to burn calories and help boost your metabolism, which will help you burn fat. Treadmills, jogging outside, elliptical machine and exercise bikes are excellent ways to get cardio workouts, but even walking briskly will help, too.
2. Follow a regular strength workout program and write down your results to help chart progress.
3. Do proper abdominal exercises at least three times a week. Exercise ball crunches and the plank are two of the best.
4. Include fiber in your diet and reduce the amount of bad carbs – foods like white bread, pastas and white rice should be limited. Eat brown rice and whole grain bread instead. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
5. Drink lots of water. People should consume 6-8 glasses of water per day. It will help fill you up so you eat less and also cleanse the body.
6. Don’t eat late at night. This can make a big difference.
7. Eat 5-6 small meals during the day instead 2-3 big meals. Eating numerous small meals will actually help speed up your metabolism.

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