Posts from — October 2009

You can approach Halloween one of two ways: Eat all the treats or indulge in moderation and offset any extra calories — a lot more figure-friendly. Here are six helpful tips and swaps to help you enjoy Halloween in a healthy way, inspired by Arnel Ricafranca, owner of Fitness Boot Camp.

1. Eat a healthy snack before going to a Halloween party and you’ll be less tempted by unhealthy party food. Be sure to include lean protein and such complex carbohydrates as brown rice before eating some sweets to decrease blood sugar spike.

2. Choose hard candies such as lollipops and pick dark chocolate over light chocolate for extra heart health benefits.

3. Exercise before attending a Halloween party and add 15 minutes to your cardio session.

4. Eat the least unhealthy Halloween treats such as jelly beans, pretzels, trail mix or popcorn balls.

5. Consider buying candy that you don’t like to avoid the temptation of eating it when handing out candy to trick-or-treaters.

6. Plan Halloween recovery exercise now for the day following a Halloween party and stick with it. Reward yourself with health, not more treats.

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Target: Glutes, hamstrings
Move: Prone hip extension

Your butt workout should strengthen your gluteals. And it should also lift and shape your butt giving it a youthful, athletic appearance as a testament to hitting the weights regularly. If your thigh exercises fail to boost your butt, try this lower-body workout and you’ll experience a booty breakthrough.

Setup: Lie face-down on a gym bench with hips planted at one end to allow legs to move freely.

Action: Engage your abs and lift both legs higher than hip height. Hold for three counts. Then slowly lower legs ensuring to keep muscles flexed throughout the action; that’s a training technique that allows you to work butt muscles more deeply than relaxing them between reps. Perform three sets of 12 reps.

To intensify, either increase reps or sets, or secure a 10-pound dumbbell between your feet.

What’s your best butt-toning move? Could you feel these hip extensions work your glutes? Try hip extensions, and then post your comments below.

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A version of this article appeared in Sun Media’s 24 Hrs. commuter newspaper.

Flexibility is an important component of fitness. But when yoga or Pilates lack appeal rather than seduce you into sensuous flowing relaxation, is there any new mode of flexibility that will be equally as effective at lengthening while strengthening?

In Globe Life’s Sweat column, Amy Verner writes about gyrotonic, an under-appreciated bodywork. She spoke with Crispin Redhead, gyrotonic instructor, who is a former dancer and aerobics teacher about gyrotonic’s health benefits and how quickly you can expect to see and feel results. Ms. Verner writes:

It doesn’t take long, though, before I become more comfortable with the various spinal movements (forward, backward, sideways, spiralling), which I do straddling the tower’s bench, my hands outstretched on the rotating handles like I’m stirring a massive cauldron of soup. For beginners, Mr. Redhead always sets the tension light so that they don’t muscle through the movement. “It’s important to strengthen and be in control of the tiny muscles first,” he says.

To learn more, read the complete story, “Meet Gyrotonic, Pilates’ More Lively Cousin”, and then please join the discussion below.

Have you tried private or group gyrotonic sessions?

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Target: Biceps
Move: Across-body dumbbell hammer curls

Michelle Obama credits her firm, toned arms to hammer curls, which she performs as the last exercise in her biceps workout. Not only will dumbbell hammer curls tone your biceps and forearm muscles by working your upper arms from a new angle, but they’re also a welcome addition to your library of at-home strength-training routines. Mix them into your biceps workout twice a week to pump up your strength and see eye-catching results in less than a month.

Setup: Take hold of a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing inward.

Action: Tuck elbows to sides, raise one dumbbell across your body until forearm is in front of upper abs. Lower to thigh and repeat across-body curl with other arm. Perform three sets of 12 reps. Tip: When elbows are fully flexed, avoid leaning back to leverage the curl, and keep a relaxed tension on the biceps during the movement, even between repetitions.

To intensity, either add reps or increase sets or weight load.

Originally published in Sun Media’s 24 Hrs. commuter newspaper.
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Dress like an athlete for optimal performance this autumn whether you exercise to look fit or feel healthier.

Fall workout apparel and exercise gear is about picking appropriate clothing to enhance the actions of your workout. You know your body best, but not all workout clothes and trends will improve your workout or complement your style. Because fall is a time when you change up your workout, Fiterati’s fall fitness fashion guide for cycling, gym, running and yoga presents outfits that camouflage your trouble zones, keep your body dry, adjust to moody weather and protect your joints from the cold after sweating it out doing the hottest fall classes and moves.

Read on and discover how to easily update your workout wardrobe and what items you’ll need to pull a look together, plus get tips and recommendations from Fiterati.

Workout clothes for cycling
Workout clothes for the gym
Workout clothes for running
Workout clothes for yoga