Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Taylor

According to a recent study conducted by the YMCA of America, 74 percent of children ages 5-10 get less than an hour of exercise every day. The majority of parents surveyed blamed financial hardship, technology and lack of time for the decline of youth fitness. In my opinion, there are a few things wrong with this explanation.

First of all, technology costs money. Computers and video games are expensive. A lot more expensive than a pair of sneakers to wear outside to play. Not only do these things cost money, but they also take time to use.

If parents limited their child’s access to video games, television and the internet, not only would there be some money for extracurricular activities, but there would be plenty of time as well.

As parents and authority figures, have to set an example for our children through our own actions. Less than 20% of American adults are physically active 3 or more days a week. How do we expect our children to understand the importance of fitness if we do not practice what we preach? A child who grows up with parents who belong to a health club or a running group, who play in adult sporting leagues or participate in any regular physical activity will see this behavior as normal.

It’s understandable that in these financial times, parents have to work more to support a family. I won’t argue that point. What they do with their children during the valuable family time that they get, however, is the key to creating good habits that will be carried into adulthood. If a parent comes home from work every night only to sit on front of the television with the family, not only will there be no physical activity, but there will be very little meaningful interaction. Why not go for a walk as a family after dinner? Play a game of basketball in the driveway or wiffle ball in the back yard. Find anything physical that you can do as a family and commit to at least 2 nights a week. It’s not enough, but it’s a great start!

... By Karli Taylor

Though the majority of the population should be trying to fit more exercise into their busy lives, there are plenty of people who are working out a little too much. Too much? Is that possible?

Too much exercise may lead to overtraining, which in turn can make you susceptible to both illness and injuries. How do you know if you're doing too much? If your workouts suddenly feel harder than usual, or you're gaining fat despite the fact that you're working hard, you may be experiencing overtraining. If this sounds a little too familiar, it's time to take a look at your workout routine.

Do you workout 6 or 7 days a week for an hour or more? If you do you may begin to notice beginning signs of overtraining. If you are experiencing regular insomnia, elevated resting heart rate, muscle fatigue, achiness, loss of motivation and energy or loss of appetite, chances are that you are overtraining.

In your quest to improve your fitness, you are actually on your way to decreased fitness and even poorer overall health. The next step, if you don’t listen to these signs that your body is giving you, is increased susceptibility to colds and other sicknesses and overuse injuries of muscles, bones and joints.

If you experience any of these symptoms, chances are that you're not resting enough or you're doing the same exercise too much. Your body needs time to recover or you will never improve your strength, tone or overall fitness. If you are suffering from over training, what can you do?

The most important thing you can do for yourself when you experience overtraining symptoms is to rest. It's better to take a week or so off from exercise and come back fresh than to permanently injure yourself. One week will not cause a decrease in your fitness levels, and it will significantly improve your performance when you return.

If you are not feeling these symptoms right now, be preventative. Build rest into your fitness routine and mix up your workouts. Doing the same workout day after day can also lead to overtraining, boredom and possible injury.

... By Karli Taylor

Looking for something new and different to add to your fitness routine? How about Pilates? Pilates is an effective way to build strength in your core muscles for better posture, balance and flexibility, and it’s not just for the hard core fitness buff. If you're considering taking a Pilates class for the first time, here's what you need to know before you head to the gym.

Pilates, named for its creator, Joseph Pilates, who developed the exercises in the early 1900s, is a method of exercise that consists of low-impact flexibility and muscular strength and endurance movements. A typical routine includes 25 to 50 repetitive strength training exercises put together into what is known as a profile.

Pilates can be adapted to provide a gentle strength training and stability program or a challenging workout for seasoned athletes. By practicing basic Pilates regularly, you can achieve a number of health benefits, including improved core strength and stability, improved balance and posture and improved flexibility.

Because it's essential to maintain proper form to get the most benefit, arrive early to your first class and let the instructor know that you have not practiced Pilates before. A small amount of extra attention for your first experience will make a huge difference.

... By Karli Taylor

Now that you have forever banished on-your-knees push-ups from your workout vocabulary, the next obstacle standing in your way from being a total fitness buff is that pull up bar… The pull-up has been haunting many of us since grade school fitness testing, and surprisingly is equally as hard for men as it is for women. By adding the following moves to your weekly fitness routine, you will be seeing the view from above the bar in no time.

First things first- get used to holding your body weight up off of the ground. Simply practice hanging from a bar with straight arms, hands shoulder width apart and palms forward. Until you can hang tight for 90 seconds, this is as far as your pull-up training should go.

Once you have mastered the bottom half of the move, it’s time to work on the top. Stand on a bench or a chair that is high enough to place your chin just above the bar. Grab on to the bar slightly wider than shoulder width with your elbows bent by your sides. Step off and hold yourself up over the bar for as long as possible. Once you can hold for 30 seconds, it’s time to progress!

Sometimes a little negativity is a positive thing- in motion that is, not in attitude. Start in the same position that you have been practicing, but this time, allow yourself to drop to a straight arm hang. Control the movement and try to fight the pull of gravity all the way to the bottom. Once 5 or 6 repetitions of this gets easy, it’s time to move to the final step!

Starting from the bottom, there are a few techniques that will get your body used to the pull-up. If your gym has an assisted pull-up machine, you are in luck. Set the weight to a little less than half of your body weight and do 5 or 6 repetitions. If you do not have access to an assisted pull-up machine, have your workout buddy or trainer assist you on each upward pull. Once you can get 6 done with ease, you should be able to do a real pull-up or two on your own!