1. Watch the Sugar

Sugar from such things as fruit juices and fruit snacks may seem low in fat but once ingested the sugar turns to extra calories and finally more body fat. These fruit juices and fruit juice snacks can have more sugar then a typical soda.
Reduction of sugar is important to good health; therefore always check out the sugar content of anything you put in your mouth, even if it appears to be healthy.

2. Throw out the Scales

People often get obsessed with their weight and not losing weight, when in reality you should be more concerned with the loss of body fat. This is because weight doesn’t accurately reflect the level of your fitness, so make sure your losing inches, the weight will come later.

3. Tight Muscles

Just like aerobic exercise is necessary to get back into shape, strength training can be to. It’s essential for people in any age group to add extra muscle to their bodies, this muscle burns calories and is necessary for overall good health. As well
Strength training should help you achieve your fitness goals faster and help you to maintain them.

4. Increased Protein

So many diets today stress the fact to eat more or less protein, in reality though the body needs protein to rebuild muscle and tissues that it broken down during exercise. If you are exerting yourself more then you once did adding protein to your diet will only help to build that lean muscle you will need to burn calories.

You will need at least 30% to 50% of your diet dedicated to carbohydrates, 20% to 30%protein and 20% or 30% from fat. If you stick with this equation, you will benefit.

5. Be Realistic

Wouldn’t it be nice to just run a mile and not feel tired or be in pain days later and see instant results.

However, it is important to be realistic about several things. First, you need to understand that you more than likely will not (or should not) start out with a hard work out if you have not been in a regular exercise routine. Start out slow and do not set yourself up for failure by expecting miracles overnight.

Getting fit takes time and with commitment, you will reach your goals.

6. Track Progress

Sometimes when trying to get in shape, you will be sweating and out of breath and not seeing any results. This isn’t true, a lot is going on within the body, sometimes it takes time for the body to begin to use fat for energy and this switch takes some time.

Keep track of two things in particular. First, track your measurements, this is important by knowing where you began, you can then begin to gauge your success. It’s like anything without measurements change may not always be visible even though a change has been made, remember you do see yourself every day; it’s hard to see a difference sometimes. Second, track your routines so you can determine what is working for you and what is not. This is key in adjusting your routines accordingly; with a few simple changes a lot of progress can be achieved.

Write it down! it doesn’t matter where just keep track and in no time you will begin to see results.

Cardio is a necessary fitness component everyone must take part in. It’s a love for many but others may hate everything about it. If cardio isn’t being included in your fitness plan, add to see the new benefits you can see and feel.

Cardio, short for cardiovascular exercise, is any movement that gets your heart rate up and increases blood circulation throughout the body. There are various forms and methods of performing cardio exercise - all which will have specific benefits and guidelines.

The whole concept of cardio is that by performing a movement you must use more energy resulting in calories being burned, thus losing weight and excess body fat. Depending on what kinds of fitness goals you have different cardio workouts may benefit you more, especially if you are targeting to lose weight in certain areas of your body.

Cardio workouts don’t just help you lose weight there are many different benefits of cardio workouts which should just give you definite reasons as why you must include them:

Benefits
• Stronger heart and lungs
• Increased bone density
• Reduced stress
• Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
• Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
• More confidence about how you feel and how you look
• Better sleep
• More energy
• Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get older

Looking for tips to help you get on track? Want to know how you can stay motivated? In this next section are some tips and ideas about cardio and ways that you can start, continue, and maintain your workout.

• Quick and efficient. Try to get at least 30 minutes of cardio exercise 3 days a week. You need to either split this up into two 15 minutes intervals or all at once. This is just so you will see the listed benefits above. Try something easy that you think you can do that way you can build a positive outlook on your cardio workout and not get discouraged--walking, running, going to the gym, vigorous yard work--whatever you want.

• Make it a habit. Make sure you continue with your workout. Measure your goals and keep track of the progress you have made, this will further your success and give you an idea of what you can achieve and how you did it.

• Be Enduring. Start slow, change comes with time and that’s why patience is necessary, weight lose may not be obvious after your first few workout but stay positive if you have changed your eating, included a working routine than results will come. Make your goals long term, and then put your focus on daily changes you are making this will allow for changes in intensity and duration of your workouts later on.

• Put your Body First. Learn more about how your body responds, try to forget about your workouts intensity, duration and try things like speeding up and slowing down during a workout. Track how your body responds to these changes, do you feel tired or can you speed up more? This is so you can base your workout on how you feel not on what someone else told you that you have to do. These customized workouts allow you to feel confident about how you are working with what feels right for your body.

• Get Outside!. I know the weather can be bad sometimes, but not every day, try to take your workouts outside. This will allow you to switch up the environment and decrease boredom. As well you get to explore your area. Think about it, when was the last time you went exploring in your own neighbourhood parks, bike trails and walkways. This will take your mind off the workout and connect you back with your body and environment.

• Switch it up. Change up your workout. You can pretty much do any kind of workout just as long as it gets your heart rate up. By switching your workout week to week your body doesn’t have a chance to get use to it and you will continue to see results. Discover new workouts you like or things you like to do this can only help you.

• Be Happy with your Body. Your body is an amazing machine. It can repair itself, become stronger, and grow. You have the ability to change your health and help live longer and feel better. It has many abilities, so take advantage of it and improve it.


Conclusion

Now with the benefits and some tips to help you appreciate cardio and its ability to help you, go out there and use these tips and change your body. The time is now! so seize the day and make a difference for yourself. Your deserve it!

Swimming is a great way to include a different kind of work out in your cardiovascular exercise routine. If you’re a runner or like aerobics but it’s the dead of summer then you would probably like an exercise that you don’t have to sweat as much. Or maybe you would like to try and take a load off your joints and hit the pool. Swimming has long been known for its therapeutic and claiming atmosphere.

Swimming is a great overall exercise. It works every major muscle group in one constant motion that is easy on your joints (knee, hips, and shoulders). Swimming has many health benefits as well such as lowering blood pressure, increasing your cardio vascular endurance, and strengthening muscles.

Swimming can also be used as either a warm up or a cool down after an exercise. As a warm up, swim vigorously to increase heart rate and get blood moving throughout the body. As a cool down swimming laps in a very slow pace will help to lower your heart rate, bring oxygen to every part of your body, and help bring nutrients to begin to repair your torn muscles.

Swimming does burn calories at a rate of about 3 calories a mile per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh 150 lbs. and it takes you 30 minutes to swim one mile (1,760 yards or 1,609 meters), then you will be using about 900 calories in one hour. However, many swimmers do not swim that quickly, and many cannot swim for that distance or duration. So try to split the workout into a bunch of small increments in order to reach your calories burn rate.

Swimming is a great exercise but doesn’t give you the same payback that land exercise does only because you can’t increase your body temperature. Which is less work for the body because it doesn’t have to lower the body’s temperature, on land however sweating exercise increases calorie use for up to 18 hours after the workout has been completed. This is a major benefit of sweating is the amount of calories the body has to use in order to sweat. Swimming though does exercise almost the entire body - heart, lungs, and muscles - with very little joint strain. It is great for general fitness, just not a great way to drop excess pounds.

Has it been a while since you have worked out and you would like to get back in shape? Have you noticed that you don’t have time to work out regularly because it takes a lot of time out of your daily routine? Well I have put together a workout routine that any beginner could try that helps work the entire body.

Firstly, I like to warm up with about 5 to 7 minutes of light to moderate cardio this can be jumping jacks, walking on treadmill, or skipping rope. Any exercise will do just as long as it gets your heart rate up.

Secondly, I like to begin with 5 to 10 push ups. Now if you aren’t able to lift your full weight then have your knees touch the ground as you lift just your upper body off the ground. This would be called a half push up and this will help you build muscle to finally being able to do the regular push ups. Now if you are able to do the regular ones 5 to 10 reps of 2 to 3 sets. Push ups work your back, chest, triceps, and bicep. Here is the proper way to complete a knee push up:

1. Lie with your stomach flat against the floor.
2. Lift feet off floor, bringing heels towards your buttocks. Bend knees to form a 45-degree angle or L-shape.
3. Extend hands next to your body at shoulder height, keeping elbows bent.
4. Exhale (breathe out) as you push your body weight off the floor by extending arms from a bent elbow to straight elbow. Be sure to have proper alignment: a straight back, with ears, shoulders and hips in a straight line. Hold abdominal muscles in tightly (pretend you are squeezing your belly button into your spine).
5. Inhale (breathe in) as you bend elbows and allow your body to lower to floor level. Lower your body until your face is about 2-3 inches from the floor.
6. repeat

Thirdly, I like to do normal crunches. These crunches may be hard for a beginner to do especially if you aren’t use to the motion. This is when I recommend the half sit up. The half sit up is like a normal crunch but you don’t lift your upper body fully off the ground, about half way should work. You will really start to feel even the half sit ups because the abdominal muscle contract all together when the exercise is being completed. Now 5 to 7 half sit ups or crunches can be completed with 2 to 3 sets. Proper way of doing a normal crunch.

1. Lie down on the floor on your back and bend your knees, placing your hands behind your head or across your chest.
2. Pull your belly button towards your spine, and flatten your lower back against the floor.
3. Slowly contract your abdominals, bringing your shoulder blades about one or two inches off the floor.
4. Exhale as you come up and keep your neck straight, chin up.
5. Hold at the top of the movement for a few seconds, breathing continuously.
6. Slowly lower back down, but don't relax all the way.

Fourthly, I like to do basic lunges. The lunges are when you are standing up and take one step forward, with that very same foot that took the step that leg should be bent in a 90 angle. You should be able to do 5 to 7 lunges and do 3 sets. The lunges work your butt, hips and thighs. Here is the proper way to do a lunge.

1. Stand in a split stance, with feet about 3 feet apart. You want both knees to be at about 90-degree angles at the bottom of the movement, so adjust accordingly.
2. Hold weights in each hand (or place a barbell behind the neck) for added intensity.
3. Bend the knees and lower the back knee toward the floor, keeping the front heel down and the knee directly over the center of the foot.
4. Keep the torso straight and abs in as you push through the front heel and back to starting position.
5. Don't lock the knees at the top of the movement.

Fifth, squats should be performed either the same day or a different day depending on how you feel after the lunges. This is the proper way to do a squat:
There are many different types of squats, including the free standing squat. Stand with feet hip-width apart and squat, keeping back straight, abs in and knees behind your toes. Let your butt lower down and squeeze butt to stand up

This exercise also works your butt, hips and thighs but in a different way than the lunges. You should be doing 5 to 7 reps and 3 sets I focused on the lower body exercise as a beginner because they are the largest muscle groups which burn the most calories and will also be a lot easier to complete.

This workout may be hard at first that’s why I recommend you don’t over exert yourself and only do as many reps and sets you can handle. As time goes on and you keep up with this routine then you can build up reps and sets. This routine should take about 20 to 25 minutes to do and you should be taking a break between sets of 2 to 3 minutes. I also suggest doing this routine twice a week taking a day off in between to rest and adding a third day when comfortable.

A rep is one reputation of the exercise
A set is a group of reputations.

Skipping rope is one of the most effective exercise out there it burns just as many calories as 10 minutes of jogging (131 calories/10 mins) and 10 minutes of aerobics (120 calories/10 mins) .All these activities vary in intensity but burn similar amounts of calories, so if you can’t go for a jog or aerobics isnt your favourite activity than jumping rope is the next best thing. Here are some techniques to jumping rope:

Basic jump - This is when both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.

Alternate foot jump (speed step) -This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.

Criss-cross-This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.
Double under-To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples (”quads”), and quintuples (”quins”) are not uncommon.

Combination jumps-There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, and Long Rope.
Leg under x- The leg under x is a complicated trick where the jumper puts the left hand under the right leg and the right hand over the left leg.

Other-Many other variations are possible, including: “skier”, a side-to-side jump keeping the feet together; “bell”, a front-and-back jump keeping the feet together; “scissors”, a jump putting one foot forward and the other back, then switching back-and-forth; “jumping jack”, a jump putting the feet apart and then together; and “can-can” a jump with one leg up and bent, followed by a jump with both feet on ground, followed by a jump kicking the foot out.

Jumping rope can be one of the best additions to a fitness routine someone can consider. Starting in small increments and moving up to the 10 minute marker is your best bet especially if you’re a beginner.