Empower Blog

Partner Up. One of the best ways to ensure you stay committed to a workout schedule is to find a training partner.

Now I realize that time doesn’t always allow for us to workout with someone but whenever possible meet up with a friend. A partner can help you push your limits by encouraging you to get those few extra reps or to grind through another ½ mile on your cardio.

On the days that I’m feeling the effects of lack of sleep and tempted to put off my workout, having a set exercise date with a training partner keeps me from throwing in the towel. Keep in mind that you and your partner don’t have to be at the same fitness level…actually someone who is slightly more advanced can help to motivate and push you to new goals.

For me, cardio is my weaker point (strength training is what I prefer) so I try to find a friend to hit the pavement with me. I have several people I exercise with including my husband, mom, sister-in-law, and a few friends. I’ve found that having more than one person to call keeps my workouts interesting physically and mentally…and the time flies much faster with someone right by you.

So look into recruiting some partners to keep you committed and motivated!

There are different schools of thought on this question, but in my opinion it comes down to what your goal is.

• If you want to develop cardiovascular endurance – such as training for a 5k – then do your cardio workout first.
• If you want to gain strength or build lean muscle, then do your strength workout first.

For the general cardio enthusiast who wants to be able to do a long-term, sustained cardio workout with ease and comfort, it may be best to perform the cardio workout while the muscles are fresh. An appropriate workout might be to perform the cardio portion first, then progress into a light strength program working all the major muscle groups involved with that activity (walking, jogging, biking, swimming, etc).

If your primary goal is strength/build lean muscle, it would be best to do the strength component of your workout first. This allows the muscles optimal energy to complete the workout at the highest level and without early fatigue. Performing the cardio work right after the strength workout can also help with recovery by removing any waste products accumulated by strength training and by supplying the muscles with oxygen and nutrients.

Regardless of which you do first, it is important to warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for the workout. The best choices include mild cardio exercise such as walking on a treadmill, or dynamic movements such as calisthenics.

Work the core. A strong core is about more than a super 6 pack!

The stronger the core muscles, the stronger you will be in everything you do, from getting out of a chair or walking to sports. As an added benefit strengthening the muscles of the abdomen, hips and lower back helps to prevent back problems.

Core strengthening exercises and chronic low back pain were evaluated in a study conducted at the University of Technology in Perth, Australia. Group-A performed core strengthen exercises and after 10 weeks showed a significant reduction in the intensity of their back pain as well as their functional disability levels.

These improvements were still apparent at a 30-month follow-up. Group-B underwent other commonly prescribed conservative treatments. These participants demonstrated no significant change in back pain or functional disabilities after intervention.

Survey says: One of the #1 reasons for not exercising on a regular basis is “lack of time.”

Think about it: Time in reality is probably the least likely thing to keep someone from exercising. With 24-hours in a day, it is likely that we can find at least 10 to 20 minutes to talk on the phone, surf the net, watch TV, or read a magazine. Yet we still perceive ‘time’ (or the lack of it) as the reason for not finding that same 10 to 20 minutes to exercise.

A few minutes can make a huge difference: Many studies have shown that short bursts of very intense exercise (interval based training) can produce the same results as traditional, longer duration endurance training.

The proof: A study done recently and published in the Journal of Physiology took 16 college-aged students and had them train using different duration programs.Half did 90 to 120 minutes of continuous moderate intensity cardio each day. The other half performed about one fifth the overall workout time but trained using 30 second bursts of high intensity work followed by 4 minutes of recovery. Despite the huge difference in training time both groups had similar improvements in training results.

So, move more: Keep in mind all physical activity, not just formal exercise, can add up to a healthier body. So in-between those intervals (the other 23.5 hours of the day) try to find ways to simply move more. Here are a few suggestions:

• Take the stairs
• Allow for a movement break every 30 minutes you are stuck at a desk (get up and down 5-10 times in a row or do some shoulder rolls)
• Find something physical you can do during the commercial breaks of your favorite TV time (like crunches and push ups)
• Go for a walk while you are having leisure talk on the cell phone
• Keep your housework moving briskly
• Stand and balance on one foot when in the grocery store line
• Take the dog for more walks
• Get outside and play with your kids
• Park farther and walk

Click “Like” if you found this helpful!

If not, how can we help you? Send in your questions (info@fitnessem.com) to be answered by one of the Empower personal trainers.

By Heather Hawk

We all know that finding time for fitness can be a challenge.

Whether it’s work, family, or school we all have life pulling us in several directions. Having my own company provides me the luxury of working from home a few days a week so squeezing in a workout early morning or mid-day is usually convenient. Lately, my work has had me on location most weekdays. By the time I get home I want to spend all the time I can with mygirls before their bedtime.

I was finding myself stressing out over when to fit in my workout. So I decided to combine the two activities and I’m using my playtime with my girls to be as physical as possible. My oldest, who is three, loves to crawl over and under furniture, jump, run, and climb through the jungle-gym at the park. Instead of simply cheering her on from the sidelines, I’m now right by her for all her fun and exploration.

You’d be amazedhow exhausting it can be keeping up with a three year old…I know I’m working up a sweat, burning calories, and using my muscles in very different ways.

By Heather Hawk

Remember the days when you had an hour (even more) to focus on exercise? You could train without worrying about making dinner, finishing work, or taking the kids to their next activity. Well, with our busy lives a 60-minute workout can sometimes be a luxury.

The good news is you can take advantage of shorter spurts of time and still get an effective workout. You might feel that the 15 or 30-minute chunks of free time aren’t sufficient, but that’s absolutely not true.

Only have time for a quick workout? Use the shorter segments of time to hit it hard. Whether it is strength training or cardio, you can raise your heart rate, work up a sweat, and exhaust your muscles with a challenging 15 to 30 minute session.

Don’t throw away your entire workout just because you don’t have an hour—this will get you nowhere. Make the most of the time you have—break it up—you will feel better, look better, and still see results!

Welcome to the Empower blog. We are here to help you in your quest to become an active, healthy, and strong woman.

Empower offers a realistic approach to leading a healthy lifestyle. By incorporating fitness, nutrition, and wellness expertise, Empower motivates and inspires women to be active, healthy, and strong.

This blog is a forum for helping woman of all ages find an approach to fitness and wellness that is both realistic and enjoyable. Our bloggers are all experts in the field of woman’s health and fitness. They are writing to cover a broad range of topics that go beyond fitness—to help you achieve and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle that is realistic for you.

Gin Miller—One of the industry’s top professionals, best known as the innovative force behind the Step Training revolution. Not only was she a founding member of Reebok University, she has also contributed to magazines such as Shape, Fitness, Fit, Family Circle, Self, Good Housekeeping, People, USA Today, Glamour, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Ladies Home Journal, Weight Watchers, and Parents magazine. Television appearances include CNN, The Today Show as fitness correspondent, CBS Fitness Matters, Fit TV, ESPN, and numerous others. (Click here to read more about Gin Miller)

Heather Hawk— A national health and fitness correspondent for television and radio. Heather has been seen on all the major networks as well as various cable stations including Discovery Health, ESPN, Lifetime, HSN, QVC and HGTV. Heather hosts “Smart Living,” launched as part of a national health and fitness campaign in 2004. She also hosted the popular news segment “Fit on Fox” on the Fox network for 7 years. Since 1996, Heather has been teaching listeners how to eat well, train properly, and create a healthier lifestyle through her radio show “Hawk On Health”. (Click here to read more about Heather Hawk)

Rachel Howe— As the owner of Momentum Fitness, Inc. in Massachusetts, Rachel has created a unique fitness boot camp that has taken off with tremendous success. As a fitness consultant, she provides customized services and content to other fitness companies, insurance agencies and private organizations. As a mother of three and business owner, Rachel understands first-hand the energy required to maintain an active, yet healthy lifestyle today. Her positive attitude and encouraging manner allow her to teach, motivate and inspire people to change their lives for the better every day. (Click here to read more about Rachel Howe)

Donna Savage and George Kessler are the great minds behind Empower products. Working together, they develop the solutions that help you get fit. Working with Empower’s fitness experts, Donna and George bring Empower fitness products to life. They welcome your questions, ideas, and feedback. Their posts will focus on how and why Empower products are developed.

Empower is here for you. We look forward to providing you useful information, workouts, tips, and tricks. We welcome your perspectives, your questions, your ideas, and your feedback.

Sincerely,

The Empower Team