Sharjez
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Posts by Sharjez
If You Hate Running,Try This!
Aug 1st
Here’s how to change up your workouts — and stay motivated.
When it comes to exercise, you know you need to include cardio, strength and flexibility training, but if you’re fed up with the same old running, lifting and stretching, energize your workout with some new ideas.
Cardio
If you’ve had enough of the treadmill, try… More >
Kid-Friendly Workouts for Time-Crunched Moms
Jun 3rd
Including the little ones in your exercise routine can help you stick with it.
Finding time to exercise is always challenging. Make it easier — and more fun — by including your kids in your workouts! Here’s a quick rundown of what you can do without having to call a sitter.
Exercising With Your Baby
Because your little one is portable, there are many options for working out with a baby in tow.
Head out with the stroller. If you like exercising with a group, join a stroller-walking program. More than just good exercise, research shows walking with a group also helps moms ward off postpartum depression. But if you prefer to walk on your own, keep increasing the challenge by adding hills or intensity. “Even just skipping with a stroller ups your workout — and it makes you feel good,” says exercise physiologist Felicia Stoler, R.D., F.A.C.SM.
Pilates. Pilates is the perfect mom and baby exercise, says postnatal Pilates expert Jennifer Gianni. “You get one–on–one face time throughout, which creates a bonding time for you and your baby,” she says. Try an exercise like push–up kisses: Start on your hands and knees, or in a full push–up position, with the baby lying on the floor next to you; lower yourself, give your baby a kiss, and then push back up. Once she can hold her head up, have her do bridges with you: Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat, hold your baby on your pelvis as you lift it (and her) toward the ceiling. She’ll love the ride — and it’s good resistance for you.
Bouncing baby. Once your baby is old enough, put her in a bouncer. Then stand in front of her and bounce too! Create your own cardio routine with jumping jacks, jumping rope or other plyometric exercises.
Exercising With Your Toddler or School–Age Child
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children get at least one hour of physical activity a day (it doesn’t have to be consecutive). By working out, you can be a real role model for your impressionable child; research shows that active parents raise more active kids.
Head to the playground. Climb, swing, slide and hang with your kids. “Pumping your legs on a swing is basic flexion and extension — it’s a workout,” Stoler says. Get reacquainted with the monkey bars. When was the last time you tried a static hang? “We lose that kind of strength so fast,” she says.
Take a ride. Bike together, or jog alongside your little one as he rides. Get creative: Sprint up ahead, do 10 push–ups, and then sprint back. He’ll get a kick out of watching you (and you’ll get some intensity).
Rock and roll. “I’m a big fan of music and dancing,” says Stoler, the mother of an 11–year–old and an eight–year–old. Turn on the stereo and dance with your kids. Make sure your feet are really moving. And let everyone take turns leading the dance.
Try a fitness DVD. A recent Mayo Clinic study showed that children who trade sedentary screen time — watching TV or playing video games — for active screen time, such as working out to a DVD, double their energy expenditure. Find exercise DVDs for kids and parents at your local library.
Take a class together. More fitness centers are offering classes like family yoga. If you have older kids, try taking tennis lessons or a martial–arts class together. You’ll both learn something — and you’ll have fun doing it.
Here are a handful of other fun activities that will get your heart rate up while also bringing a smile to your child’s face.
- Play tag.
- Go hiking together.
- Have a relay race.
- Go roller–skating at a skating rink.
- Toss a Frisbee.
- Play kickball in the street.
- Set up fun exercise stations in your basement.
- Play Twister.
Mar 29th
Small Weight-Loss Goals
Five simple ways to shed pounds
For those of us who’d like to be a bit slimmer, stepping on the scale can be truly disheartening. You do the mental calculation of how much you weigh minus how much you want to lose, only to think: How am I ever going to accomplish that? But perhaps that’s the wrong way to think of weight loss: Setting smaller goals may make it more likely you’ll succeed in a big way.
Even small goals have their benefits: If you’re overweight, shedding just 5% to 10% of your body weight can have significant effects on health. “Any of the major risk factors — blood sugar [for diabetes], blood pressure, cholesterol — are also weight-associated,” says Molly Kimball, R.D., sports and lifestyle nutritionist at the Ochsner Clinic’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. “So losing weight will improve numbers, and it’ll help with conditions like sleep apnea and chronic acid reflux.”
Setting a series of smaller objectives may also make it more likely you’ll break the common cycle of dropping pounds only to gain them back. “This is true of everything, not just weight loss,” says Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., a former personal trainer and the author of The Most Effective Natural Cures on Earth: The Surprising Unbiased Truth About What Treatments Work and Why (Fair Winds Press, 2008). “It doesn’t matter what your goal is, you have to cut back on things in a manageable way.” Here, a handful of doable goals to jump-start your weight-loss efforts.
Mar 22nd
Recharge in 10 Minutes
Boost your well-being with these energizing tips
Sure, you have a lot going on in your life, but that’s exactly why you should take more breaks. Taking care of yourself isn’t optional; it’s vital to your health. A little downtime is all you need to recharge your body and look your best. Here’s how.
Revitalize
Take a mental vacation. Close your eyes and picture yourself in a serene setting that soothes you. Doing this for just five minutes can boost your energy. If you’re on the road, stop at a local park and step out into nature to clear your mind.
Energize
Free up some minutes to get active. Go for early-morning walks and enjoy the solitude at the start of your day. Follow up with after-dinner strolls or bike rides.
Hydrate
If plain water doesn’t entice you, try a glass of sparkling water garnished with frozen strawberries and fresh lime. Or get a healthful boost from a cup of tea. It’s loaded with flavonoid antioxidants, which are believed to protect your body’s cells from damage.
Refresh
Soothe aching feet with a custom-blended footbath. Mix your favorite moisturizing body wash, Epsom salts and warm water and ease your feet into the bath. Let the events of the day fade away.
Mar 15th
To Eat Right, Use the Buddy System
A partner can help you stay on track.
Sound familiar? You come home starving from an exhausting workout to find your family eating pepperoni pizza in front of the television. Suddenly, your plan to grill fish and steam veggies is, well, losing steam. Next time, summon the help of your personal support system. Your chance of success soars if you’ve got friends urging you on.
Who and where should you recruit?
At Work
Best Buddy: A health-minded peer or supervisor who eats lunch around the same time you do.
Why: Make her a healthful-eating role model.
How Your Buddy Can Help: She can eat lunch with you once or twice a week to help you stick with your food plan. She can also take lunchtime walks with you and dissuade others from plying you with bagels and birthday cake.
At Home
Best Buddy: A friend who lives nearby.
Why: You might think it’s okay to lean on your family — but the experts warn against it. Focusing kids on dieting can lead to eating disorders. And having your spouse restrict your diet can lead to resentment.
How Your Buddy Can Help: She can take evening walks with you and exchange low–fat recipes. She can also go grocery shopping with you and help you make healthy choices.
At Parties
Best Buddy: A chatty and social pal who’s also invited to the fete.
Why: You’ll spend more time socializing and less time grazing at the buffet table.
How Your Buddy Can Help: Meet before the get–together for a pre–party snack of something low–cal but filling, such as fruit. When you arrive, stay hydrated and away from temptation by sipping a glass of water. When you do approach the goodies, have your friend accompany you.
Dining Out
Best Buddy: A pal with a good track record of restraining herself at restaurants.
Why: She’ll help you refuse other friends’ urgings to try “just one bite” of their fettuccine Alfredo.
How Your Buddy Can Help: Ask your buddy to split a salad or another healthful appetizer with you as well as a sensible main course if neither one of you is starved. If others order alcohol, ask her to abstain with you. For dessert, share a fruit sorbet — or just chat over tea.
Mar 8th
Find More Energy, Every Day
All-natural ways to put pep in your step
Do you wake up bleary-eyed? Fuel up on coffee just to stay alert? Crash as soon as you hit the couch? You’re not alone. Here’s how to tap into natural energy sources and get the most out of your day.
Add more steps. Lace up your sneakers and kick-start your metabolism with a quick 10-minute morning walk. Squeeze in another brisk walk after lunch. And in the evenings, skip TV, put on headphones, and take one last 10-minute walk. Surprise! You’ve just logged the half hour of cardiovascular exercise that experts recommend you get several times a week.
Dress to impress. Give yourself a performance boost with a polished look. Whether you’re heading to an important meeting at work, preparing for an interview or shuttling the little ones around town, a comfortable, stylish outfit will put more confidence — and energy — into your stride. Remember: How you dress affects how you feel and how others view you. So dust off a sleek power suit, a favorite pair of jeans or stop-’em-in-their-tracks pumps, and you’ll be ready to take charge throughout the day.
Don’t overexert. Take time to relax. Soothe hands and arms with a scented lotion — the fresh fragrance will engage your senses. Or give yourself a “stealth massage” by rubbing the lobes and tips of your ears. Still feeling sluggish? Step outside. The fresh air will invigorate you and help clear your mind.
Eat power foods. Protein and fiber-rich meals will help you stay energized all day. For breakfast, try hard-boiled eggs with fruit, or peanut butter with banana slices on whole-grain bread. A chicken-topped salad with light dressing fits the bill for lunch. For dinner, add avocado and tomato slices to grilled salmon.
Worry less, sleep more. There’s nothing more rejuvenating than a good night’s sleep. Before you snooze, write a list of the things that are nagging you and save it for the next day. Move your alarm clock so you can’t see the minutes pass by. To minimize tossing and turning, go to bed and get up at approximately the same time every day. When you’re rested, you think more clearly, work more efficiently and perform your best.
What is my ideal weight? 5 tips for finding your happy weight
Mar 1st
If you’re trying to lose weight, you probably have a goal, your ideal weight, in mind. A good question to ask yourself is, “Where did I get this number?”
Is it what you weighed in high school? Is it what health experts suggest you should weigh, based on your age, body frame and body type?
While weight loss is an admirable goal for a woman who is truly overweight, many women who want to lose weight don’t need to. In study after study, researchers have found that the majority of normal weight women think they need to lose 10 or 15 pounds: what I call vanity pounds.
Why is this a problem? More >
Feb 28th
The Hunger Scale
By Bob Greene, bestselling author of The Best Life Diet.
When you’re hungry, you need a strategy in place to help you handle your appetite. That’s why I recommend the hunger scale. This tool for gauging how hungry you feel is going to help you set some limits and avoid eating mindlessly. When you use it properly, the scale allows you to get feedback from your body so that you know when to stop eating.
The hunger scale is a 10-point scale based on the different stages of physical fullness (or emptiness.) The beauty of the scale is that it gives you guidelines and lets you see that hunger isn’t just hunger — there are times when you do need to eat and times when you can get by without eating.
More than anything, the scale will help you avoid the peaks and valleys of hunger; you’re not going to feel stuffed, and you’re not going to be ravenous. That, in turn, is going to lead to smarter, more mindful eating, and as a result less body fat. It may feel awkward to use the scale at first, but after a while you’re not even going to have to think about it; cutting off your eating at the appropriate time will just come naturally.
The scale below helps you answer two questions: ”Do I need to eat?“ and, when you’re already eating, ”Should I eat more?“
10 Stuffed: You are so full, you feel nauseous.
9 Very uncomfortably full: You need to loosen your clothes.
8 Uncomfortably full: You feel bloated.
7 Full: You feel a bit uncomfortable.
6 Perfectly comfortable: You feel satisfied.
5 Comfortable: You’re more or less satisfied but could eat a little more.
4 Slightly uncomfortable: You’re just beginning to feel signs of hunger.
3 Uncomfortable: Your stomach is rumbling.
2 Very uncomfortable: You feel irritable and unable to concentrate.
1 Weak and light-headed: Your stomach acid is churning.
When you begin eating, your hunger level should be at 3 or 4. But keep in mind, don’t skip meals if you’re not at 3; it’s important to adhere to the three-meals-a-day guideline.
What you don’t want to do at any time of the day is fall below a 3 or 4, because that means you’ve waited too long to eat, making you vulnerable to overeating. When you’re feeling starved, you want to eat anything and everything in sight.
You should stop eating when you get to 5 on the hunger scale. That’s the point at which you can be confident that you are eating a little less than what your body is burning. You’re not really hungry, but you’re not really full either, an indication that you are just slightly undereating.
You don’t ever want to hit the point where you feel even a tiny bit uncomfortable: satisfied, yes; uncomfortable, no.
The great thing about the hunger scale is that after you’ve used it for a while, knowing when to stop eating is going to become almost like second nature. It will still be a conscious act, but not one you have to think much about.
Low-carb? Low-fat? Study finds calories count more
Feb 26th
By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer
AP – Debbie Mayer, who was part of the clinical trial, poses at her home in Brockton, Mass.
LOS ANGELES – Low-fat, low-carb or high-protein? The kind of diet doesn’t matter, scientists say. All that really counts is cutting calories and sticking with it, according to a federal study that followed people for two years. However, participants had trouble staying with a single approach that long and the weight loss was modest for most.
As the world grapples with rising obesity, millions have turned to popular diets like Atkins, Zone and Ornish that tout the benefits of one nutrient over another.
Want To Lose Weight? Relax
Feb 18th
By Martha Edwards
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Meditation and yoga may not burn as many calories as a tough session on the treadmill, but they might be the most effective activity you can do if you want to lose weight, according to recent studies. Experts believe that relaxing might be the key to successfully battling the bulge because it can help eliminate your cravings for fatty and sugary foods.
The reason why is pretty simple: “By learning and practising relaxation techniques as part of a wider lifestyle change programme, women have effective tools to manage stress and emotions without resorting to unhealthy eating,” says Dr. Caroline Horwath of the University of Otago in New Zealand. And, according to the findings, weight loss achieved through relaxation was maintained in the long run — which is not true of most dieting approaches.
So relax! Of course, by that, we mean take some time to yourself to do something healthy. Relaxing in front of the TV with a jumbo-sized bag of chips doesn’t count.