FunFearlessFitness

F U N F E A R L E S S F I T N E S S . C O M
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On the road to a healthy lifestyle, fitness is your essential traveling companion. Have fun together!

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I get asked: What is the best time of the day to exercise? Answer: Whatever time you do it.

Or . . . Which is the best cardio machine? Answer: The one you'll use.

Or . . . What's the best diet? The one you will follow.

These answers may be simplistic, but they emphasize a basic point - we can TALK about health, but what's important is to DO IT! Let's improve your health and well-being one step at a time!

Exercise challenge of the day: Kettlebell swings done interval-training style. Do 20 swings with a medium-heavy kettlebell,

rest 20-30 seconds, and repeat until you can't! This fantastic total-body exercise challenges you from shoulders to core to hips to toes. And, as you'll quickly discover, it is both cardio and strength, rolled into one! Here's how to do it: Standing with legs spread, take a two-handed overhand grip on a single kettlebell. Bend your knees into a partial squat while allowing the kettlebell to travel between your legs. Then explosively straighten your legs, pushing hips forward, as the kettlebell swings up and out. The weight should reach just above shoulder height at the top of the swing before smoothly reversing the motion.

Weight training challenge of the day: do a DROP-SET on the FINAL SET OF EACH EXERCISE! Rep out like normal on this final set, then reduce the weight by 10-30% for an additional 3-8 reps. Tell me you don't love the burn!!

So are you confused about stretching? First, a distinction should be made between pre-workout preparatory "stretches" - designed to limber and warm the body - and those that follow a workout - designed to relase muscle tension, ease soreness, and improve range of motion. Before intense exercise, most trainers recommend keeping it simple - aerobics and short-duration stretches (held for under 10 seconds) to improve athletic performance and reduce injury risk. In contrast, post-workout (or any time that your muscles feel tight), do longer-duration static stretching - held for 15 to 30 seconds or 5 slow, relaxing breaths.

Remember to Balance! Stay in muscular balance, that is. For both aesthetic and functional reasons, it is imperative to equally challenge all opposing muscle groups. Of course, this doesn't mean you need to do everything in every workout. Indeed, body-part splits may provide the best physique results - just remember to balance one workout with another!

Here's a factoid: Checking pulse rate on the neck can be dangerous, especially for older exercisers. Plaque deposits in the carotid artery could actually be disrupted, leading to a stroke in the brain. The best location for taking a pulse is the inside of the wrist. Remember that heart rate indicates exertion during physical activity - and exertion is what promotes cardiovascular fitness and energy expenditure!

Rant of The Day! Let's end the muscle weight vs. fat weight debate: The only thing that matters is that if you have more muscle (a lower body fat percentage at a given body weight), you will look better (and smaller) than if you have a higher body fat percentage at that weight. Does it matter that the scale is the same? Noooo. Does it matter that you look different and your clothes fit better? Yesssss.

What's up with eating before bed? Sometimes considered a no-no, the truth is that feeding your body before sleep is not just acceptable, it can be important. In particular, a meal of slow-digesting protein (cottage cheese is a popular favorite, for good reason) can actually fuel muscle recovery and growth. The bottom line? Avoid junk food (like heavy, fatty, or sugary snacks). But you knew that already . . . .

During the dog days of summer, it's worth taking note that exercise plays an important role in the body's temperature-control system. Execise has a

positive impact on comfort, wakefulness, vitality, mood, and quality of sleep. Working up a sweat is cool! Remember, however, that hot-weather exertion can easily lead to dangerous dehydration. Current hydration guidelines for active adults are to drink 2 cups of water before exercise and continue consuming fluids while exercising.

Ideally, your water consumption will match the amount lost through perspiration. Unsure how much you sweat? Weigh yourself before and after a workout - you'll probably be surprised by how much fluid weight is lost. Remember that for every pound of water-weight, you must rehydrate with 2 cups of water. For most people, plain water is sufficient to rehydrate - sports drinks are only recommended for events lasting longer than 1 hour. Otherwise, such flavored drinks contain excessive unnecessary calories.

Stay healthy by staying hydrated - but you don't need to skip a hot-weather workout either! Do you need another reason to drink more water? How 'bout this? The disks of your spine (which cushion the vertebrae) are hydrophilic and require sufficient hydration to stay "full." This means that back pain can actually be relieved by preventing dehydration! Isn't that refreshing?