Strength Train

Why Strength Training is a Must for Everyone
How to Start a Successful Program
-- By Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer

Think you're too old to start a strength training program? Well think again! Strength training is just what your body needs to fight the loss of muscle and bone mass and strength.

Does the idea of strength training seem like something reserved for bodybuilders lifting several tons of weight? Well, it shouldn't! Everyone, no matter how young or old, should be doing some kind of regular strength training. This could be at the gym, or at home using very little equipment. Resistance bands and balls, small hand weights, water and even your own body weight can be used as resistance when designing a strength training program.

So what's the point? If you've never participated in a strength training program, why start now? Here are some very important reasons strength training makes a difference in your quality of life:

* Improves your ability to do everyday activities: The stronger your muscles, the easier it is to get groceries out of the car, get a package off of the top cabinet shelf, push the lawnmower?..the list goes on and on!
* Improves your balance and stability: The stronger and more resilient your muscles, the more balance is sturdier. This will help you with daily activities and decreases the risk of falls or accidents as you age.
* Builds muscle strength: Adults lose between five and seven pounds of muscle every decade after age 20. Strength training will help prevent this muscle loss, and rebuild what you may have lost.
* Decreases your risk of osteoporosis: Inactivity can lead to a decrease in bone density, leading to brittleness. Studies have shown that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis.
* Reduces blood pressure: Strength training can be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of high blood pressure by strengthening the heart, allowing it to beat more efficiently.
* Increases calorie burn: Strength training increases the body's metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day. This aids significantly in long term weight loss (and weight maintenance).
* Reduces low back pain: Research has shown that strength training can increase low back strength and alleviate low back pain.

Time spent on strength training can literally help you turn back the clock and feel younger each day. Here are some principles to remember when putting together a program:

* Start by strength training 2 days/week, building up to 3 days/week for more of a challenge. Make sure you have at least one day of rest in between each session.
* Start with 2-3 exercises each for lower body and upper body and 1-2 core exercises (abs, lower back). Examples of exercises can be found in the Pregnancy Exercise Demonstrations and Post-Pregnancy Exercise Demonstrations in the blue left-side menu of the Resource Center.
* Start with one set of each exercise (12-15 repetitions- slow and steady), using light hand weights, resistance bands or your own body weight. As you progress, you can work up to 2 and then 3 sets.
* As you add additional sets, rest 30 seconds to a minute in between each one.
* Never hold your breath during the exercises. Always exhale when exerting force (on the hard part of the movement).
* Always warm up before and stretch before and after each session.
* Pay attention to proper form and technique, as they are very important for injury prevention and producing results.
* When selecting a weight, it should be heavy enough that you feel the muscle working and the difficulty increasing as you get to the 15th repetition. The weight should be light enough that you can do 15 repetitions without pain or breaking proper form.
* Strength training should never be painful! If you experience pain, stop the exercise immediately.

No matter what your age or current shape, you have a lot to gain from regular strength training. Just remember to consult your doctor before starting any exercise program. It is one of the most important things you can do to ensure your health for many years to come.

Menu Ideas!

I am always preaching to my clients "PLAN YOUR MENU" it is the best way to keep up healthy eating. When you are hungry and have no plan and no groceries that is when you set yourself up for failure. I do it all the time! So to help you this week here are some food ideas. Most of my recipes come from Clean Eating magazine and The Eat Clean Diet cookbook.

Slow cooker chicken cassoulet
Cassoulet is a traditional French dish that is more like a stew.
1 can of navy, pinto or black-eyed peas
4 boneless chicken breasts
sea salt and pepper to taste
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 2/3 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 medium onion
4 celery stalks trimmed and chopped
4 garlic cloves passed through a garlic press
1/4 c sundried tomatoes (not the ones packed in oil)
3 large carrots peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped fine
1 tsp thyme

1. Spread beans in the bottom of your slow cooker pot.
2. Season poultry with pepper and sea salt. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides for about 5 minutes. Place on top of the beans in the slow cooker. Add water or chicken stock.
3. Saute the onions, celery, garlic and sundried tomatoes, carrots and herbs using the same skillet. Spread the mixture over the ingredients in the crock pot. Cover and cook for several hours.

Vegetarian Hash
3/4 pound small potatoes left unpeeled
1 small acorn squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp sea salt
olive oil cooking spray
4 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cups broccoli, shredded
1/2 cup red and green bell pepper thinly sliced
2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss potatoes and squash with rosemary, salt and pepper. Place on baking sheet misted with cooking spray. Drizzle with 2 tsp ol, tossing gently. Bake for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring every 10 minutes.
2. Heat remaining 2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over med heat. Saute shallots, broccoli and bell peppers for one minute. Add potato-squash mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice.


Ways to change your oatmeal
* Dried unsweetened fruits, such as apricots, cranberries, blueberries, golden raisins, figs and dates
* Unsweetened apple sauce
*Fresh raspberries, blueberries or sliced strawberries
* Open a can of pumpkin and add a spoon to your oatmeal (pumpkin is one of the top ten healthiest foods, add a little cinnamon (great for digestion)
* Walnuts, pecans, almonds or pine nuts

ENJOY! xoxo

Daily OM

I have shared this web site in the past it is amazing DAILY OM. It is odd how right on it is with me and what is going on with my life. I would like to share my lesson from today on balancing. Something I am not good at. I need work on balancing what I give to people to what I give to myself. I need to balance work and play. I need to balance my time and the list goes on. What are you working on in your life? Do we ever get in balance?
October 19, 2009
Balancing Your Daily Activities
Sagittarius Daily Horoscope

Your desire to do things other than what you are responsible for could leave you feeling blocked today. It might be that you have an abundance of energy that needs to be channeled creatively in a way other that’s different from your normal obligations. Striking a balance between what you have to do and what you would like to do could help you relieve some of the frustration you may feel. Perhaps you can make a list of the things you need to do during the day as well as the things you would like to do. As you work through your responsibilities, you may want to schedule in a break with an activity that is motivating and that will energize you. While you may not be doing what you want to do all the time today, you can still have time for the things that pique your curiosity and stimulate you.

Penciling in time for activities that are engaging both motivates us and funnels creative energy into everything we do during the day. We will never really have time to do everything that we want because of our responsibilities. Once we realize this, we can think of more healthy ways to incorporate activities that are interesting for us into our lives. Doing this fuels us when we are not so motivated. By balancing what you wish to do with what you have to today, the things that hinder you will dissolve and you will find an abundance of creativity.

JUMP ROPE

If you only have 10 minutes to workout (AND EVERYONE HAS TEN MINUTES)
what should you do?

JUMP ROPE!

Did you know that jumping rope for 10 minutes is equivalent
in calorie burn to running 3 miles?

Start jumping as long as you can and keep adding
on every day or week until you get up to 10 minutes!

I have a client that has lost 52lbs and our cardio was JUMPING ROPE!
xo

Think yourself well by Abraham

You could stand here sick with ten illnesses today, and tomorrow have no evidence of any of them. Your body has the ability to replenish itself that fast. But most of you do not have the ability to change your thoughts that fast. So the amount of time that it takes between sickness and wellness is only the amount of time that it takes for me to figure out how to let it in -- for me to figure out how to feel good, when I'm looking at something that makes me feel bad

--- Abraham

Bootcamp workouts Rock!