Don’t wait until Jan. 1 to set a resolution to get fit. Usher out 2010 by starting a physical fitness routine now and make it the best Christmas present you’ve ever had. It’s “Get back into shape week” here at AtHomeFitness.com — today here’s a quick look at how much physical activity a person should get.
The U.S. Government has a great “Physical Activity Pyramid” that illustrates how people should incorporate physical activity into their lives.
A pyramid is only as strong as its base, so picture the “activity” pyramid as starting with the most important aspects at the bottom and working its way up to things that can be cut out.
At the base of the activity pyramid, it’s suggested people should try to get 30 minutes or more of physical actability a day. Before you say, “No way, I can’t work out for 30 minutes every day,” it’s important to note that many people already do a lot of these things without even thinking about it.
Physical activity simply means movement of the body that uses energy, such as walking, gardening, washing your cars, walking the dog, mowing the lawn or playing with your kids. For health benefits, physical activity should be moderate or vigorous and add up to at least 30 minutes a day.
At the second level of the pyramid going up are three basic categories:
* Aerobic exercise (3-5 days per week, 20-60 minutes). Examples are Running on a treadmill, elliptical machine.
* Flexibility exercise (2-3 days a week) Static stretching of major muscle groups, hold each pose for 10-30 seconds.
* Strength exercise (2-3 days a week, 8-10 exercises, 1 set of 8-12 reps) Examples are biceps curl, triceps press, bench presses, squats, pushups, pull-ups.
At the third level of the pyramid is “Recreational Activities”, which should be done 2-3 days a week. The bottom two levels are most important, but if you can add rec activities such as golf, bowling, softball, soccer, yoga – then more power to you.
Finally, the “Do Sparingly” top level of the pyramid are activities that have little value to your health. Limit the time you spend playing on the computer, watching TV and taking escalators. Use the stairs!
For more on the Physical Activity Pyramid go to:
http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/physical_activity.html

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.com

Don’t wait until Jan. 1 to set a resolution to get fit. Usher out 2010 by starting a physical fitness routine now and make it the best Christmas present you’ve ever had. It’s “Get back into shape week” here at AtHomeFitness.com — today here are some reasons why fitness is so important.
People make time for appointments to get their teeth cleaned, pets checked by the vet, oil in the car changed, meeting friends for dinner and lots more things. Too often many people overlook the most important thing they have going for themselves – their health. Getting regular physical activity along with eating a healthy diet are the two most important things you can do for your health.
To get started, people should understand that physical activity doesn’t always have to mean joining a health club or setting up a fancy home gym, although that can certainly help a lot.
People of all ages can benefit from a moderate amount of physical activity each day, such as 30 minutes of brisk walking, or 15 minutes of jogging.
Previously inactive people who begin physical activity programs should start with short sessions (5-10 minutes) and build up to the desired level of physical activity.
Regular physical activity can greatly improve quality of life. Staying active can extend your lifespan, protects against the development of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, hypertension, obesity, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and depression. Exercise helps people stay more independent as they advance into their elderly years.
Physical activity can help blood flow in the lungs and heart remain healthy and even keep brain chemistry healthy. It may even improve mood and cognitive functioning.
Unfortunately, studies show that more than 60 percent of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amount of activity. Incredibly, approximately 25 percent of U.S. adults are not active at all.
A 1993 study concerning causes of death in the U.S. ranked tobacco as the No. 1 killer and at no. 2, you guessed it, lack of exercise/poor diet, followed by No. 3, alcohol.
If you are not physically active consult a doctor and come up with a plan to gradually begin an exercise program. It is never too late to start exercising regularly.
Isn’t this an appointment worth taking the time to make — and keep?

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.com

Thanksgiving and turkey go hand in hand. A close third is mom and football. I’ve gotta give mom the edge if I had to pick one, but I’d sure miss the football games.
Anyway, hopefully you were able to get to where you wanted to be for the holiday. To help you enjoy the day, the following is an AP preview of what the NFL has in store for Thanksgiving 2010.
Happy Thanksgiving!
NEW ENGLAND (8-2) At DETROIT (2-8)
Thursday, 12:30 p.m., CBS
OPENING LINE — Patriots by 6
SERIES RECORD — Patriots lead 5-4
LAST MEETING — Patriots beat Lions 28-21, Dec. 3, 2006
LAST WEEK — Patriots beat Colts 31-28; Lions lost to Cowboys 35-19
___
NEW ORLEANS (7-3) At DALLAS (3-7)
Thursday, 4:15 p.m., FOX
OPENING LINE — Saints by 3
SERIES RECORD — Cowboys lead 15-8
LAST MEETING — Cowboys beat Saints 24-17, Dec. 19, 2009
LAST WEEK — Saints beat Seahawks 34-19; Cowboys beat Lions 35-19
___
CINCINNATI (2-8) at NEW YORK JETS (8-2)
Thursday, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network
OPENING LINE — Jets by 8?
SERIES RECORD — Jets lead 16-7
LAST MEETING — Jets beat Bengals 24-14, Jan. 9, 2010
LAST WEEK — Bengals lost to Bills 49-31; Jets beat Texans 30-27.

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.com

When watching a sporting event, most of us always want to know the score.
But what about when you sit down at the table for the biggest eating even to the year: Thanksgiving dinner? Do you want to know the calorie count?
The average person consumes around 2,000-3,000 calories at a Thanksgiving dinner. If you snack and drink throughout the day, that total can easily rise to 5,000 or more calories.
It’s Ok to break your diet now and then, but there are tips you can to not get totally out of control, such eating slowly, drinking lots of water and eating a good meal earlier in the day to avoid overindulging.
Knowing the calorie county of a Thanksgiving dinner may also help.
Below is a typical Thanksgiving dining list for people and how many calories are involved.
So before you reach for that extra dinner roll or piece of green bean casserole, now you’ll know what it will cost you calorie-wise.
Thanksgiving is a great time to spend with family and to eat good food, but remember to dine in moderation. Your body will thank you later
A.D.‘s Thanksgiving dinner scorecard
Turkey, white meat, 6 oz. – 330
Stuffing, 1/2 cup – 180
Mashed Potatoes, 1/2 cup – 150
Candied Sweet Potatoes, 1/2 cup – 150
Green Bean Casserole, 1/2 cup – 120
Gravy, 1/4 cup, 75
Dinner roll with butter, 2 – 110
Cranberry Sauce, 1/2 cup – 190
Jello mold, 1/2 cup – 120
Wine, 2 glasses – 240
Pumpkin Pie, 1 slice, 180
Whipped cream – 75
Ice Cream, vanilla, 1/2 cup – 145
Coffee, with cream and sugar, 2 cups – 50
For a grand total of 2,115 calories for the meal
Source: Health-e Illinois
If you’ve eaten all this, sit on the couch for a little while and watch some football. Then go take a walk, it’s time to start burning some calories away.

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.com

You can have your cake and eat it, too, as the saying goes.
You can have some turkey as well. Just be smart when it comes time to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner Thursday, and the dessert to follow, and snacks throughout the day, and maybe some drinks as well.
Of any holiday, Thanksgiving Day may be the most centered around eating.
If you follow a few simple tips, though, you can avoid going home stuffed like a turkey yourself:
Drink plenty of water
Water is a model’s best friend and it knows how to be a good friend to you, too, if you let it. Water can help control your appetite by letting you feel full faster. If you’re drinking beer, mix in some glasses or bottles of water during the day.
Eat a good pre-turkey meal
Don’t show up at the Thanksgiving feast on an empty stomach. Eat a good breakfast that day, preferably with protein and fiber to help digest the turkey legs to follow. Maybe even eat some fruit, like an apple, an hour or so before Thanksgiving dinner. It’s always better to space out small means instead of one giant one during the day. And it will really help you eat less at the Thanksgiving dinner.
Take your time eating
It takes 20 minutes for your body to know that you’re full. Enjoy your food, lift your head up from the plate to talk during the meal and enjoy each bite. There’s nothing wrong with putting your fork down a few times, too. It doesn’t constantly have to be in motion.
Go for quality, not quantity
Don’t waste your calories by loading up on items you can have year-round, like mashed potatoes, gravy and rolls. Instead, go easy on those high-calorie foods and take small samples of other things, too, that you rarely get to eat, such as sweet potatoes, certain types of vegetable casseroles and a piece of pumpkin pie.

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.com

With Thanksgiving coming up on Thursday, it officially kicks off the holiday season.
If you’re lucky like me, I actually usually go up to four Thanksgiving meals counting my extended family and and annual work carry-in.
Before you know it, then it’s time soon after for numerous Christmas festivities and New Year’s Eve and Day.
If you’re not careful, you might wind up ushering in 2011 with a very unwanted present – a big gut.
The average American packs on 5-10 extra pounds between Thanksgiving and New Year’s day.
Here are some tips to make sure you give yourself the gift of fitness – not the gift of being stuffed like a turkey:
* Control your diet – Eat smaller meals rather than one epic smorgasbord. Eat an apple or other healthy snack one hour before you sit down at Aunt Maggie’s Thanksgiving feast to help curb your appetite.
* Be disciplined with your workout schedule – It’s even more important than usual to stick to your workout schedule. It will not only help you burn off extra calories, but aid with stress relief from staying at your mother-in-law’s house, or dealing with cousin Bryan’s seemingly wild pack of indoor dogs and cats.
* Be forgiving of yourself – Don’t beat yourself up too badly if you slip up on your diet once or twice, or miss a workout or two. Just try to compensate by getting back on the treadmill or jogging trail as soon as you can.
* Make time for yourself – Finally, with all the demands other people put on you, which can result in great family memories, make some time for yourself, too. And that time should include fitness!
* Get plenty of exercise – Burn calories before you sit down to eat big meals and try to work out the next day to run them off 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.com

Most people know the importance of getting a good cardiovascular workout.
Also known as aerobic exercise, cardio strengthens your heart, strengthens lungs and increases lung capacity, elevates the metabolism level, burns calories, helps you lose weight and reduce stress, increases energy and can even help you sleep better.
But what should someone who wants to do cardio workouts but has joint problems?
You can’t exactly go for a 30-minute run several times a week if your knees are shot.
Here are three tips to get a cardio workout without stressing your joints:
* Do low-impact exercises – Try an elliptical machine instead of a treadmill, or go cycling. For extremely painful joints, get in the water and try swimming. Use a recumbent bicycle if your back is sore.
* Keep it straight – Limit activities in which you make a lot of turns, twists, pivots, starts and stops. This means to stop playing sports like tennis or basketball as much because they can put a lot of strain on the joints.
Once again, the elliptical machine is a good choice to keep it straight. In the winter, consider trying cross country skiing.
* Build a support system – Strengthen the muscles that offer support around your knees, hips, and back. That can reduce pain by improving alignment, posture and overall joint performance.
Many light dumbbell lifts help stabilize muscles, along with leg lifts while you’re sitting on the floor or using a machine (leg extensions) can help accomplish this.

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.com

You’re going to the gym regularly, working hard and getting stronger.
But you still aren’t getting toned up the way you’d like, especially around the midsection.
Chances are you need to transfer some of the energy and dedication you bring toward exercising to improving your diet.
Changing your diet can give you very quick results that allow you to feel better about yourself.
If you are a little, or a lot overweight and you are not having the fitness success you’d like, focus on your diet – and change you eating habits. You may find that after dropping even a few pounds it may give you an instant boost for your workouts as well.
Here are seven basic good diet tips you can start implementing today to improve your health, and improve your overall body physique.
1. Drink 8 glasses of water each day.
2. Spread out meals every 2-3 hours instead of just eating one or two big meals during the day.
3. Eat lean proteins such as chicken, certain types of fish and pork
4. Eat vegetables as often as possible
5. Don’t drink beverages like soda and or alcoholic beverages such as beer if you’re serious about losing weight. Cutting out pop entirely from the diet can cause the average person to lose five pounds right away.
6. Eat whole grain foods whenever possible, avoid white bread and white rice.
7. Eat whole foods whenever possible

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.com

If getting older is making it tougher and tougher to go running or get a good cardio workout, try stretching more to loosen up your muscles more before and after workouts.
To really get into the workout nice and limber, try warming up more beforehand and afterward and consider buying a foam roller to help with the stretching.
A foam roller is a product that lets people give themselves a massage, which is also known as self-myofascial release. A foam roller is actually a form of soft tissue therapy that many people pay top dollar to get from a massage therapist. Massage is often used by athletes and recommended by physical therapists.
If you’ve had pain in certain areas a foam roller can help relax the contracted muscles, thus allowing an increase in blood flow to the affected areas. The pain or stiffness can be greatly reduced or even eliminated over time.
Foam rollers can improve workouts or even overall athletic performance in many areas. Many people who are involved in yoga and pilates also incorporate foam rollers into their stretching routines.
There are a number of different foam rollers on the market that vary in stiffness. Talk to a sports medicine doctor, trainer or trained fitness store specialist for more information on foam rollers and workout plans that you can use them for.

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.com

After a woman gives birth there’s a great deal to think about.
It can seem like a full-time job to regularly feed and diaper the baby, feed herself, and do other chores.
It gets easier over the first few weeks and months and that’s also when a woman is likely to gradually shed the extra weight gained during pregnancy.
For women who started out near an average weight and gained the normal 25-30 pounds, most doctors say it shouldn’t take more than a couple months to get back to their original weight.
To help women drop the pounds more efficiently, and most importantly safer, here are seven tips to drop excess pregnancy weight courtesy of my wife’s research from various doctors:
1. Eat a normal diet – Many experts say not to diet because it could lead to extra weight gain due to stress. Plus, women who breastfeed need to have all the energy they can to nourish the baby and are encouraged to up their calorie counts.
Eat a well-balanced diet with good variety
2. Plan healthy snacks – Get energy boosts throughout the day from snacks such as apples, carrot sticks, and crackers.
3. Eat super foods – Pick meals high in nutrients and low in calories and fat.
4. Breastfeed – There is some argument on whether or not breastfeeding actually helps women lose weight, but it is excellent for the baby’s health and let’s women consume an extra 300 calories a day.
5, Drink plenty of water – My family’s doctor recommends a minimum of eight glasses of water a day for a woman who is breastfeeding. Drinking water can also help a new mom feel fuller and avoid eating as much junk food.
6. Exercise – Carrying the baby around the house and doing daily chores will get you exercise right from the start. Talk with a doctor to plan when and how much exercise you can add and try to find time to exercise. In addition to allowing the mom’s muscles to get toned again, working out can also relieve stress and improve her mood. When baby gets a little older, go for a walk around the block with him in a stroller, or put baby in your pack and play nearby while you jump on the treadmill at your house..
7. Rest up – It’s easier said than done, but new mom’s should get as much rest as they can. The old adage is “sleep when the baby sleeps” but also try to sneak in naps if hubby or one of the grandparents can watch the baby for a few hours.

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.com