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