This time of year can be one of the busiest for many people, with time demands of the holidays adding to already hectic lives.
It can be more difficult than ever to get proper exercise.
Here are four 20-minute workout ideas to help you get a quick fix for exercise.
1. Vibration machine workout – Step onto a whole body vibration machine and improve your workout in a fraction of the time. In 20 minutes you can burn up to 90 percent of muscle fibers, compared to just 20-30 percent in traditional methods.
2. Home workout — If you’re so busy that you really can’t even leave your house, then get in a quick workout in your living room. You can do sit-ups/pushups, use a workout DVD, perform stretching exercises or abdominal workouts, etc.
3. Circuit training — Perform a home gym circuit in which you start by walking or running on your treadmill for 2 minutes. If you don’t have a treadmill you can even go up and down your steps to get the blood flowing. Then do a set of pushups for 15 seconds and then sit-ups for the same time. After that, run another 2 minutes and repeat pushup/sit-up circuit. After this, lift weights for preferred exercises for sets of 12 and take only 30-second breaks in between. Do as much as you can in 20 minutes and you’ll break a nice sweat.
4. Interval training — When running, start out with a jog for 3-5 minutes, then run at a faster pace for 5 minutes. Back off down to a slower speed for 1-2 minutes and then run at even faster speed for 3-5 minutes before finishing with a cool-down job. You could also use interval speeds for walking, alternating how fast your pace is.
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

Black Friday has come and gone, but there’s still plenty of shopping left to do and great deals that can be found.
Why not give the gift of fitness to a family member, friend or co-worker?
Here are 20 great fitness gift ideas to consider. It’s a gift that will keep on giving.
20 – Subscription to Fitness magazines
19 – Fitness DVDs
18 – Workout clothes
17 – Heart rate monitor16 – Yoga essentials, such as mat
15 – Free weights
14 – Power blocks13 – Exercise mat
12 – Exercise music (Cds or downloads)
11 – Kettlebells
10 – Power Plate machine
9 – Rowing machine
8 – Workout bench
7 – Recumbent exercise bike
6 – Upright exercise bike
5 – Home gym
4 – 3G Cardio Vibration trainer machine
3 – Elliptical machine
2 – Functional trainer machine
1 – Treadmill machineFor lots more information on nearly all of the above mentioned gift ideas, visit www.AtHomeFitness.com. You can visit one of their super stores in Arizona or shop online to arrange delivery anywhere in the U.S. and beyond. There are special financing options available, as well as free shipping for any order of $500 or more.
Don’t wait until New Year’s Day to make a fitness resolution – get started on the path to better health today.

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

Here’s your Thanksgiving Day NFL schedule complete with when and what to watch the games.
You’ve worked hard all year long, take some time to enjoy two of the most American traditions there are today: Thanksgiving and football.
GREEN BAY (10-0) At DETROIT (7-3)
Thursday, 12:30 p.m., Fox
SERIES RECORD—Packers lead 91-65-7
LAST MEETING—Lions beat Packers 7-3, Dec. 12, 2010.
LAST WEEK: Packers beat Buccaneers 35-26; Lions beat Panthers 49-35
WHAT TO WATCH —The Lions are playing in their 72nd Thanksgiving game and the Packers for the 20th time. Detroit has lost a franchise-record seven straight in its annual showcase—by an average of almost 23 points a game. The Super Bowl champion Packers have won a franchise-record 16 straight games, including the postseason, since losing to New England on Dec. 19, 2010. Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers is the first NFL player to have a 100-plus QB rating in 10 straight games in a season. Lions QB Matthew Stafford is hot as well, having equaled a career high with five TD passes in last week’s comeback win over Carolina.
MIAMI (3-7) At DALLAS (6-4)
Thursday, 4:15 p.m., CBS
SERIES RECORD – Dolphins lead 7-5
LAST MEETING – Cowboys beat Dolphins 37-20, Sept. 16, 2007
LAST WEEK – Dolphins beat Bills 38-5; Cowboys beat Redskins 27-24, OT
WHAT TO WATCH – Both teams enter with three-game winning streaks. Miami is only the third NFL team to win three in a row after starting a season 0-7. Cowboys QB Tony Romo is 18-2 in November games.
SAN FRANCISCO (9-1) At BALTIMORE (7-3)
Thursday, 8:20 p.m., NFL Network
SERIES RECORD — Ravens lead 2-1
LAST MEETING — Ravens beat 49ers 9-7, Oct. 7, 2007
LAST WEEK — 49ers beat Cardinals 23-7; Ravens beat Bengals 31-24
WHAT WATCH — Two brothers will be taking the traditional Thanksgiving football game to a stadium instead of the family’s back yard. For the first5 time in NFL history that two brothers will face each other as head coaches. John Harbaugh is in his fourth year with Baltimore, and younger brother Jim Harbaugh is enjoying an outstanding rookie season with the 49ers.

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

Unlike the NFL football games most of us will watch on Thanksgiving Day, we can know the score of our turkey dinner before it happens.
The average person will consume around 2,000-3,000 calories at a Thanksgiving dinner. Additional snacks and drinks during the day can boost the total to 5,000 or more calories.
Back by popular demand, here’s A.D.’s Thanksgiving dinner scorecard:
Turkey, white meat, 6 oz. – 330 calories
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
Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks and there’s nothing wrong with overindulging some, but there are ways to avoid popping the button of your jeans.
Eat slowly, drink lots of water and eat a good meal earlier in the day to avoid eating too much at dinner. And try to mix if a good walk after dinner.
Have fun and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

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

Accelerated Vibration Training (AVT) is a breakthrough way to exercise for people of nearly all ages and the 3G Cardio AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine is one of the best ways to do it.
In fact, the 3G Cardio AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine was ranked second in the world in a recent comparison researched by www.vibrationplatereview.com. The machine was presented with a “Best Buy Award” and received a rating of 96 out of a possible 100. The model was also awarded 6-of-6 stars by the website.
Another review site, www.vibration-machine-reviews.com, also bestowed a “Best Buy Award” to the 3G Cardio AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine. Those reviewers commented, “The 3G Cardio 6.0 AVT™ Vibration Machine packs quite a lot of quality into a mid-level price point.
“The 6.0 AVT™ Vibration Machine boasts an oversized platform, an extremely sturdy frame and a very good overall unit weight (267lbs), adjustable frequency range of 30-50 Hertz and good options for customizable programming, great overall feel with a comfortable and powerful vibration level and easy to hold upper handles,” the review site continued. “We really like the overall fit and finish of the 6.0™ Vibration plate and rate it is one of our top picks.”
The 3G Cardio AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine is available exclusively through At Home Fitness’ superstores in Arizona or online at www.athomefitness.com.
At a retail price of $4,999 and a weight of 267 pounds, the 3G Cardio AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine incredibly has the same sized workout platform (34×28) to stand on as a $12,000 vibration machine listed on the report.
When it comes to vibration machines, the actual physical weight of a machine is a good indicator of just how good a unit is and the 3G model literally stacks up with just about any competitor.
The AVT 6.0 machine has a base that measures 45x36x28 and matches any other model with a Hertz capacity of up to 50 and an amplitude that can be be adjusted from 1-4 mm. It can be purchased in black or silver.
Vibration training machines create instability, which the body senses and reflexively contracts muscle tissue involuntarily to stabilize and react to the stimuli.
The result is all three types of skeletal muscles are instantaneously called into service because of the near-immediate level of fatigue. No longer is there a “progression of muscle fatigue” as in normal
strength training.
AVT, also known as Whole Body Vibration Training (WBV or WBVT), can work up to 95 percent of the muscle fibers, compared to as little as 20 percent with standard equipment.

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

PHOENIX – At Home Fitness has reached an agreement to add a major product line to its chain of fitness superstores in Arizona.
“We are very excited to announce that we have added the 3G Cardio line,” said Bryan Dorksen, co-owner of At Home Fitness, Arizona’s largest specialty fitness dealer. “We will be carrying their accelerated vibration training machines and treadmills.
“We are very excited to have earned the right to carry their products. The 3G Cardio AVT™ 5.0 Vibration Machine and AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine have already won two Best Buy awards.”
Accelerated Vibration Training (AVT) is one of the fastest growing areas of the fitness industry, with more and more people taking advantage of the highly effective method of training.
Vibration training machines create instability, which the body senses and reflexively contracts muscle tissue involuntarily to stabilize and react to the stimuli.
The result is all three types of skeletal muscles are instantaneously called into service because of the near-immediate level of fatigue. No longer is there a “progression of muscle fatigue” as in normal
strength training.
AVT, also known as Whole Body Vibration Training (WBV or WBVT), can work up to 95 percent of the muscle fibers, compared to as little as 20 percent with standard equipment.
So in a lot less time than using traditional exercise methods, people can get a much better workout.
Many experts say people can get great benefits from performing WBV training just 30 minutes three times a week.
And the 3G Cardio AVT™ 5.0 Vibration Machine and AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine are two of the best on the market when it comes to combining quality with value.
“The top-rated vibration machine retails at $8,000, while the AVT™ 6.0 Vibration Machine is ranked second overall and will be available at At Home Fitness for just $4,999,” Dorksen said. “We are extremely happy to be able to bring that kind of value to our customers and look forward to a great partnership with 3G Cardio.”

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

Staying fit won’t be fun 100 percent of the time, but you should try to make it as enjoyable as possible.
Why? Because if something is more fun, you’re more likely to do it consistently and will do a better job.
And, let’s face it, we only live once, so we should try to do things we enjoy as much as possible.
So, when you’re in the gym choose exercises you enjoy. However, that doesn’t mean to skip body parts that are harder to work out. Yes, you still have to exercise your legs.
When you’re away from the gym, look for fun ways to stay fit by cross-training.
Here are 10 ways to exercise and have fun at the same time:
1 Play with your kids – Don’t just watch them play, but interact for several hours. You’ll no doubt move around plenty and burn lots of calories.
2 Work on the flower beds – Make your property look great while getting some good exercise at the same time.
3 Chop some wood – This is one of my favorites. You’ll have a nice pile of wood for fires and also get a great workout.
4 Play a sport – Whether it’s a city rec league slowpitch softball game, pickup basketball game or just playing catch in the backyard, this is a fun way to stay active.
5 Go fly a kite – A great way to enjoy a nice day, smile a lot and run around.
6 Clean the house – OK, this one is not actually a lot of fun, but if you look at it as “this is my workout for today,” you can get a lot done and feel good about it afterward.
7 Speed shopping – Do your grocery store of mall shopping at a brisk pace to mix in a cardio workout. Just watch out for the old ladies when turning the aisle corners.
8 Go for a family walk – A great way to get the whole family some healthy exercise.
9 Run with your dog (or after him) – A fun way for you and Rover to bond and get lots of exercise.
10 Play Frisbee – If you can get the form down to throw it right, playing Frisbee is a lot of fun and provdes excellent cardio benefit.

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

Exercise can not only boost you physically, but mentally also.
The term “healthy body, healthy mind” couldn’t be truer.
In fact, for some people exercise literally is the best medicine.
Other times, exercise is recommended in addition to medication and/or psychotherapy to help with mental health issues.
Seek a doctor’s advice before beginning an exercise program to help with anxiety or other mental health issues.
Studies have shown that regular exercise can improve a person’s mood, and reduce anxiety, in addition to improving overall physical health.
Here are three great reasons exercise can help with your mental state:
Distraction – Focusing on exercising can help block other thoughts that you might be anxious about.
Improves body chemistry – Exercise releases pent up adrenaline, which will help you have less “nervous energy” as they say for later in the day.
It also releases endorphins, which are hormones that make you feel good.
Better self-esteem – Last, but certainly not least, if you follow a regular exercise program you should feel better about yourself and that will boost your self-esteem.

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

Sometimes the hardest part of getting fit is just getting started.
Other times, people can get in an exercise rut and burn out, while many people simply aren‘t as consistent as they’d like to be.
Wherever you’re at on the exercise curve, if you’re not doing as well as you’d like here are five tips to help you get more motivated:
1 Write down your goals – Saying your goals out loud isn’t enough. Writing them down will help you reinforce them and be there for you to look at regularly.
2 Chart your progress – Keep track of your workouts to help serve as a motivator and also chart your progress. Writing down an exercise log can also help you have better direction and makes it easier to tweak your workout program.
3 Visualize – Form a picture in your mind of how you want to look and what type of fitness things you want to be able to do. This can have a great effect on you to actually realize that mental picture.
4 Get help – It’s very tough to do anything all by yourself. If you can get a workout partner, and-or have family and friends support you, it will make things easier.
Things as simple as a spouse watching the kids for a few hours each week to help you get more time to exercise can make a big difference.
5 Keep it interesting – Learn different ways to change up your workout plan to keep it fresh. Maybe exercise on the treadmill three times a week, but also try to go to the park two other times when it’s nice out.
Another example would be to mix it up between riding an exercise bike, and actually going out on the trail on a bike when you have a little more time.

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

Adding just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day may add three years to your life, a ground-breaking study conducted in Taiwan has found.
Ideally, people should exercise three to five times a week for 30 minutes or more.
However, doing at least something is still a lot better doing nothing.
In fact, the study conducted in Taiwan has found that exercising for just 15 minutes a day can add three years to a person’s life.
This should be added motivation for those who think “why bother exercising” if they can’t be hard-core fitness people.
Experts hope that by pointing out that even getting lower doses of exercise can be very beneficial will help get more people off the couch.
Lead researcher Chi Pang Wen of Taiwan’s National Health Research Institutes said 15 minutes a day of moderate forms of exercise, such as taking a brisk walk on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike, would improve anyone‘s health.
“(Exercise is) for men, women, the young and old, smokers, healthy and unhealthy people,” Wen told Reuters news service. “Doctors, when they see any type of patient, this is a one-size-fits-all type of advice.”
Wen and colleagues published their findings in medical journal “The Lancet” earlier this month.
They tracked over 416,000 participants for 13 years, recording their health records and levels of physical activity.
After accounting for variables such as differences in age, weight, sex and many health-related factors, the researches concluded that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day increased life expectancy by three years compared to those who remained inactive.
“The first 15 minutes … the benefits are enormous,” Wen said.
As had been reported in many other studies, exercise can also lower the risk for cancer and many other diseases.
“Sooner or later, you are going to die. But compared to the inactive group, the low exercise group has a reduction of 10 percent in cancer mortality,” Wen said. “None of the other papers were able to conclude … what specific amount of exercise would be enough.
“Ours is the first one to say that 15 minutes would be enough,” Wen added. “We hope this will make it more attractive for inactive people, that they can allocate 15 minutes a day, rather than 30, which is more difficult.”

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