Workout Variety

Variety is the spice of life. It can also help jumpstart your workout programs.
If you feel they have fallen a little bit flat lately, or that you’re having trouble getting over the hump to reach certain fitness goals, consider changing things up.
Here are five tips to change up your fitness routines.
Switch up your exercises – Although this seems obvious, some people continually do very similar workouts week after week, month after month and even year after year. Take advantage of the versatility of a home gym by tweaking the way you perform lifts of certain body parts, or find different ways to work out with free weights. Find a different way to work out the body parts, such as doing a pushup circuit at different angles instead of always doing bench presses to build the chest muscles.
Change your workout length – If your workout normally lasts 45 minutes or an hour, change it up every few weeks by shaving 15 minutes off the time.
Increase the intensity and amount of weight used for sets, but do fewer sets and take less time between exercises. This will create muscle confusion, force you to step up your effort and make it more interesting because it will be different. And the best part is you’ll get done a little bit quicker.
If you use a treadmill or elliptical machine a lot, change the speeds and lengths at which those workouts are conducted.
Change your techniques – Many lifts on a home gym are done with both arms or legs at the same time. To change things up a little, though, do lifts where you exercise one arm at a time, for example, on triceps extensions or one-legged extensions. This will work your muscles in a more concentrated way and serve as another way to change things up.
Change your workout time – If it’s getting harder and harder to stay motivated to work out, consider changing what time you exercise for a week. If you usually exercise in the morning, try working out at night after work a few times. Maybe you’ll like one better than the other, but a change even for a few days can make a difference in the quality of workouts.
Change your music – A small, but sometimes helpful tip is to change up the music you’re listening to. Take some time and think of songs that will get you pumped up to work out. If you don’t usually listen to music, then consider putting a CD on that will get you moving a little quicker.

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

When is walking not walking? When you spice up your treadmill workout program with some creative twists that add a whole new aspect to an old standby in many workout rooms.
Any physical activity you do is beneficial to some degree, but if you are looking to get more out of your treadmill workouts I will offer some advanced tips for treadmill walking this week.
Today, here are some ways to setup a treadmill workout plan for beginners. Follow this program for cardio walks on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays:
* To begin (weeks 1 to 3):
Warm up for 5 minutes by walking at 1.5 to 2 mph, then get off the treadmill and stretch.
Get back on the treadmill, walk for 20 minutes at 2 mph and then stretch afterwards. Total workout time is 30 minutes.
* Now we’re moving (weeks 4 to 7):
Follow the same warmup and stretching, but then walk for 30 minutes before stretching afterwards for a total workout of 40 minutes.
* Stepping it up (weeks 8-12):
Follow the same warmup and stretching, but then walk for 40 minutes before stretching afterwards for a total workout of 50 minutes.
* Add interval training:
If you want to add more to your walking program, then also walk on Tuesdays, Thursdays, leaving Fridays and Sundays for rest days.
Once you’re comfortable with the walking, consider doing speed intervals on Tuesdays and Thursdays and perhaps adding incline intervals on Saturdays to build more endurance and strength.
That is, for speed intervals walk at a faster pace for 1 or 2 minutes at say 3 to 3.5 mph then return to your normal comfortable speed. For inclines, put the treadmill at an incline of 1 to start and when you’re comfortable you can take it to a higher level.
Gradually increase your effort level with the speed and incline intervals but if you stick with it should make a noticeable difference in your fitness level.

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

Check out our selection of Landice Treadmills

When is walking not walking? When you spice up your treadmill workout program with some creative twists that add a whole new aspect to an old standby in many workout rooms.
Any physical activity you do is beneficial to some degree, but if you are looking to get more out of your treadmill workouts I will offer some advanced tips for treadmill walking this week.
Today, here are three ways to change up your walk to make it more interesting and more productive:

Interval training – If you normally walk for 20 minutes on the treadmill at 1.5 or 2 mph speed, change things up by walking at a faster pace for different portions of the workout. For instacne start with a 5-minute warmup but then bump up the speed to a higher level for 3 minutes. Then go back to your lower setting for 5 minutes, followed by another bump-up interval. You’ll burn more calories that way and improve your conditioning level. Tweak the interval jumps to fit your ability level.
Incline training – Raise the incline on the treadmill to work out your legs in a different way. This will break up the monotony of always doing the same flat-plane workout.
Strength moves – At the end of your walking workout perform some strength moves while still on the treadmill. You can do lunges, squats and side steps, using the treadmill handles to assist with balance if necessary.

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

Football Tips to Beat the Summer Heat

With the temperatures sky-rocketing throughout the country, it comes at the worst possible time for football players young and old who are beginning training camps.
From junior high and high school, to college, to the pro football ranks, more emphasis than ever is put on watching for the danger sings of heat stroke and dehydration.
Here are my super seven tips for coaches and players alike to help beat the heat at football practice:
1. Plan ahead – Hydration doesn’t start when you take the field for a morning practice. It starts the night before when you must drink ample liquids and then that morning, when you should consume more fluids.
2. Practice in planned spurts – Many coaches run practices with 5-10 minute increments, followed by quick built-in water or rest breaks. Don’t go too long without a water break.
3. Light-headed? Take a break! – If you feel light-headed or dizzy, go take a break. Don’t take chances.
4. Monitor player weights – Keep charts to monitor player weights before and after practices. If too much weight loss is occurring, a trainer may want the player to sit out and get better hydrated.
5. Drink electrolytes – In addition to water, sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade can provide electrolytes that help you stay hydrated.
6. Seek shade – Seek shade during rest breaks. If it’s not available, put a cool towel over your head.
7. Don’t chance it – When most people can barely walk around in summer’s high heat and humidity, football players are out on fields in full equipment and running and tackling under the hot sun.
Even though they may be in superior condition, dehydration can affect anyone.
Take extra precaution when it comes to practicing in the summer heat and don’t chance 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.com

No matter how good our intentions or commitment, sometimes there just isn’t time for fitness.
We’ve all had probably a day, or stretches of them, where so many things are on our plates that getting in our usual workout or even close to it is impossible.
If you use a little creativity, though, there are ways to still squeeze in some opportunities for fitness, or at the very least take steps to relieve your stresses.
Here are my great eight tips to squeeze fitness into a busy lifestyle:
1. Do light stretching – If you’re cooped up at work, or watching a house full of kids, you can still take a break to do stretches such as shoulder rolls, toe touches and some calf stretches. It will keep you from getting really tight and relieve stress.
2. Take the dog for a longer walk – If you didn’t make it to the gym, get a little extra exercise by taking the dog for a longer walk than usual.
3. Walk on the treadmill - If you only have 10-15 minutes to spare, you can still loosen up by walking on the treadmill.
4. Take a short bike ride – Ride your bike around the block a time or two, or take it to the store. Even a short little bike ride can help let out some of the stresses of the day.
5. Do a pushups/sit-ups circuit – Do a couple sets of pushups then sit-ups, take a rest and repeat. This is a great way to burn off some calories in a short amount of time.
6. Do a shorter weight workout – If you only have a fraction of your usual workout time, sometimes it does feel good to do an abbreviated workout. Skip certain lifts and do fewer sets.
7. Relax before bed time – I’m not always real good at this as I often watch TV until close to bed time, but a great way to ensure a good night’s sleep is to quietly unwind your day. You can lay on the floor or a couch and quietly unwind, listen to relaxing music or read a book.
8. Get back to working out ASAP – Don’t beat yourself up too badly if you get into a fitness rut. But get back on track as soon as you can. We all miss a few days or even a week or more of our regular fitness routines, but if you miss much more then you might wind up playing catch up to where you were at.

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

Great Snack Ideas

OK, we‘ve snacked on fruits and vegetables and then satisfied our sweet tooth in Part II of the snacks under 100 calories series.
Naturally, the final installment consists of salty-savory snacks to balance things out.
Many of these are perfect to bring on a picnic, or store in your desk drawer at work when the late-afternoon hunger pains kick in,
To get a taste of salt-savory snack relief, consider these tasty treats that won’t expand your waistline too far:
* 60 Baby Goldfish crackers
* 1 Laughing Cow Light Creamy Garlic and Herb cheese wedge and 3 Triscuits.
* 1 string cheese stick
* Rold Gold Classic Style pretzel sticks
* 4 slices of low-fat honey ham rolled in a lettuce leaf topped with 2 teaspoons honey mustard
* 2 tablespoons water=packed tuna with 1 teaspoon light mayonnaise and a dash of onion powder
* 5 ounces tossed salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and 1-4 cup fat free dressing
* 1 100 calorie pack of microwave popcorn (3 cups).

There you go, the whole gamut of snack ideas has been covered in this three-part series. Hopefully some of them help you out, or make you think of other low-calorie ideas that will help fill snack-time needs.
(Source: Arkansas Extension Service).

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

Great Snack Ideas

When you‘re counting calories and trying to stay fit and trim, dessert time can be a difficult time.
It can be hard to watch someone scarf down a big piece of chocolate cake covered with a cherry topping.
However, there are still lots of ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without blowing your diet.
Maybe one of these healthy snack ideas under 100 calories consisting of sweet-tasting treats will do the trick:
* One 6-ounce light-fat free yogurt
* 5 vanilla wafers
* 1-2 cup lemon sorbet with 1-4 cup blueberries
* 1 skinny cow fat free fudge bar
* 1 Yoplait light smoothie
* 1-2 cup low fat cottage cheese with five strawberries
* One slice toasted raisin bread with 1 teaspoon light butter
* 1-2 cup instant, sugar free chocolate pudding
* 10 jelly beans
* Two large graham crackers squares with one teaspoon peanut butter
* 14 frosted mini wheat squares
* 1 Quaker granola bar
It‘s OK to satisfy your sweet tooth some, but just limit the portion sizes and calorie counts. That’s what these quick snack ideas should allow you to do. (Source: Arkansas Extension Service).

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

Great Snack Ideas

One of the hardest times to stick to a nutritional diet is this: When you’re hungry and in a hurry.
Too often it’s easy to reach for junk food or swing through a fast-food drive-thru to satisfy your hunger cravings.
But don’t do it, at least not very often.
Instead, maybe one of these healthy snack ideas under 100 calories consisting of fruits and vegetables will do the trick:
* 28 grapes
* 1 cup blueberries or 2 cups raspberries
* 1-2 medium cantaloupe
* 15 strawberries dipped in Cool Whip Lite
* 45 steamed edamame (green soybeans)
* 2 tablespoons each of mashed avacado and chopped tomatoes stuffed in 1-2 mini pits
* 1-2 red bell pepper dipped in 3 tablespoons hummus
* 1-2 apple with two teaspoons of peanut butter
* Raw vegetables in 1-4 cup fat-free dressing
* Small baked potato with 1-2 cup salsa and 2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
* Large celery stick filled with 1 tablespoons light cream cheese.
There you go with some fast and easy snack ideas. The key is pre-planning to make them and have them ready ahead of time in your fridge or to pack on the go.
(Source: Arkansas Extension Service).

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

Have you ever over-indulged at a meal and wondered later just exactly how much will I have to work out to burn this off?
Most of us probably have had that type of experience, but really had no idea what the answer is.
HealthPoint in Ohio recently printed a list of several interesting examples of just what it takes to work off some selected high-calorie meals or snacks.
We’ve all seen the calorie counts of certain fast-food items before, but to contrast them by how much exercise it would take to burn them off provides quite an eye opener.
Without further adieu, here you go. If you eat this, then do that (stats are based on a 200-pound male) …
* Eat a McDonald’s angus bacon cheeseburger (790 calories), then run for 65 minutes at 65 mph.
* Eat a Whitman’s six-piece chocolate sampler (408 calories), then do 93 minutes of yard work.
* Eat a piece of apple pie (411 calories), then do 97 minutes of yard work
* Drink a Starbucks caramel macchiato (190 calories), then walk for 35 minutes on the treadmill.
We are all going to have diet slip-ups at times and that’s understandable. It’s important to note, too, that depending on your metabolism rate and how good of shape you’re in you can even burn some calories while at rest.
However, this list definitely should make people stop and think how much exercise one trip through a fast-food drive-through can undo.
Stop and ask yourself next time the urge for a double-cheeseburger or fancy dessert comes: Is it worth 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.com

President Obama Workout

Anyone who’s ever seen video clips of President Barack Obama playing basketball, or the shirtless pictures of the Prez on the beach that recently surfaced, can tell that he makes fitness a priority.
But just how does Obama stay so fit as he approaches age 50?
A “Men’s Health” magazine article included these tidbits about Obama’s workout regimen before he was sworn in as president
* Tries to work out six times a week, usually in the mornings
* Loves to play pick-up basketball games whenever he can. Assessing his game, Obama said he can “drive left but gets pushed around in the paint.”
* Uses workouts as a stress reliever. Follows a routine and thinks without interruption. Listens to his iPod or reads the newspaper while on the treadmill or Stairmaster.
* Aims for 90-minute workouts. Alternates between two days of cardio with four days of weight training. Equipment used includes stationary bicycle, elliptical machine and treadmill.
* Tries to adapt to keep exercising while on the road, working in aerobic and strength training with whatever equipment is available.

As president it’s likely thrown a limit at times into how long he can work out at times, but Barack and Michelle Obama are still excellent proponents of physical fitness. They have also worked hard with programs designed to prevent childhood obesity.
And now that you’ve seen a few insights into Obama’s fitness routine, you too can set up a workout plan fit for a President.

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