Search Results for: blog kids amp strength training

Gyms Catering to Members with Health Issues

Are you getting the most out of your gym? When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago her doctor recommended she follow a regimented fitness program. She started going to a run-of-the-mill gym in her very small hometown and worked out with a trainer. However, she never quite felt comfortable with the exercise routine and she ended up canceling her gym membership less than a year later. I always thought that had she found a better gym (unfortunately there are only two gyms in the city she lives in) she would have stuck with the program. … Continue reading →

Is One Really Enough?

I got into weightlifting when I was a freshman in college. I was dating a guy who was obsessed with bodybuilding. He was competing for Mr. Wisconsin… or was it Mr. Universe? In any event, A. couldn’t go a day without working out (or eating egg whites), so needless to say, much of the time we spent together was at the gym. And while our relationship may have failed (he loved his body way more than he loved me) I left with a great parting gift—-a toned body and tight grip on how to design a fitness routine that worked … Continue reading →

Exercising on the Road: No Excuses

Hopefully, you have been inspired by the change of seasons (and perhaps my blogs) and are now a few weeks into your new fitness routine. Now that you are advancing nicely you want to make sure you stay on track. This means following your exercise regime regardless of if you are at home or on the road. Whether you are traveling for business or you’re taking a short family vacation, being away from your gym shouldn’t be an excuse to halt your workouts. Executing your fitness plan on the road may be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Instead of looking … Continue reading →

Why You Want to Build Muscle as You Age

Did you know that at about age 35 the average person gains roughly one-and-a-half pounds of fat each year? And while we are gaining that fat we are also losing (on average) half-a-pound of muscle per year? If that doesn’t motivate you to get moving consider that a pound of muscle burns 35 calories per day—just to stay alive, while a pound of fat burns just two calories per day. Doctors say it’s one of the downfalls of aging. Most people lose muscle and increase the fat layer in their bodies. Fat tends to move in because muscle moves out, … Continue reading →

Fitness Can Be Fun

Not only can it be fun, it should be fun, especially for children. These days when most kids would rather be sitting in front of the TV, the computer or spending time playing handheld video games it is harder to get them motivated to exercise. When parents hear the word exercise, most think of working out in the gym on a treadmill or lifting weights. But for kids, exercise should be any activity where they are physically active. That means playing soccer, basketball, and football, attending dance class, riding bikes or simply participating in a game of tag. Fitness is … Continue reading →

Dear Heather … Hiring a Personal Trainer for Your Child

After a brief hiatus, our weekly Dear Heather … feature is returning to the fitness blog here at Families.com So if you have fitness questions, concerns or just want to know something, feel free to send it my way and I will do my best to get your questions answered. Dear Heather, I am very worried about my daughter. She’s 9 years old and she’s already much taller than most of the kids in her class or her age. But over the summer she started putting on weight and I know she is getting teased at school. I’m concerned about … Continue reading →

Personalized Workout for the Busy Mom

You asked for the answers and here we go. We talked about building the busy mom workout earlier today and now we’re going to build a personal program for the busy mom. As most of us know between our commitments to work, school and the kids, there are just never enough hours in the day. This workout program is designed to help you meet your goals despite the time crunch. It takes about a month to really get used to this so adjust your expectations accordingly. Sunday Take the family out for a brisk walk on Sunday. You can go … Continue reading →

I Want to Know How to Build My Own Exercise Program

Last week, I asked and you answered. One of the things you wanted to know about was how to build your own exercise program. An exercise program needs to consist of three basic elements: cardiovascular exercise, strength training and flexibility. These are the three tiers of fitness that you want to address. Cardiovascular Training Cardiovascular training refers to building fitter heart and lungs. Exercises you might do to increase your cardiovascular fitness include: walking, running, bicycling, roller blading, jump roping and more. Essentially, you want to hit your target heart rate and maintain it for at least 15 to 20 … Continue reading →

The Back to School Challenge

Are your kids back in school? Last week was our first week back after a very long summer (14 weeks) and I honestly don’t know who was happier about school kicking off again! But with the kids back in school, now is a great time to take inventory on where you are in your fitness program. I know a lot of people struggled with their fitness programs over the summer whether it was due to the weather (in Texas it was either blazingly hot or pouring rain), due to having the kids home or due to some other issue. Back … Continue reading →

Give Your Metabolism a Boost

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If you ask a group of people why they exercise, 1 in 3 will tell you they are doing it to lose weight. If your goal when you dive into your workout is to lose weight, then give yourself a boost by doing your workout first thing in the morning. You should start your day off with a positive affirmation of being healthier, smarter or better than you were before. The Early Bird Catches the Worm Start your workout early whether you are walking, dancing to a workout tape, hitting the gym or doing some strength training. Do it first … Continue reading →