As you start your post natal exercise program and workout routines, you’ll be confronted with 3 huge lies about exercise. These are the things I keep hearing from people who don’t know what they’re talking about. I wouldn’t care as much if these lies didn’t act as hurdles for so many well meaning moms as they start on the road to fitness success.

I’m sure there are more than 3 lies you’re going to hear, but these are “The Big Three” causing the most trouble. I’m not going to engage in the debate over low-fat versus low-carb versus high protein. I’ll save that for another day. These are the things we can all agree on and move forward toward our fitness goals.

1. More is better.
   Even God rested one day a week. It’s probably a good idea you did the same thing. You might want to even consider resting 3 or 4 days each week. Working out is only one half of the fitness equation. The other is resting. Your body regenerates and rebuilds when it’s resting. That’s when your muscles are restored and grow back even stronger. If you’ve been working out 7 days a week, 365 days a year, try this and see if you don’t make even bigger gains than before. You’ll be surprised. Less is more. Workout to live, do live to workout.
2. I don’t want to look like a guy.
   You won’t! Even if you try with every ounce of energy in your body, you’ll never look like a guy. Moms are always apprehensive when I suggest lifting weights. The instant answer is always “Eeek! It’s so gross when women look like men.” I agree, it is gross, but it won’t happen and here’s why. You don’t have enough testosterone in your body to look like that. If you see a women with all sorts of muscles bulging all over the place, you can almost always bet she’s been artificially enhancing your bodies ability to build muscle.
3. Reducing fat in specific areas.
   If you do crunches all day long you’ll build the muscles in your abs, but you won’t reduce the fat directly from your belly. It just doesn’t happen. When you burn fat, your body takes it from all over, not just your stomach. It’s impossible to tell your body where you’d like it to burn the fat. This doesn’t mean you can’t do some spot shaping or toning through specific workout routines.

Can we finally put these exercise myths to bed? It’s extremely frustrating to try spot reducing and not get the results. It’s frustrating to try to get in your best shape and shy away from the weight room and there’s nothing more frustrating to workout 7 days a week and not see the results equal the effort. No more lies!

Too many times, I’ve allowed my pregnancy to put a hold on my workout routines.  You don’t want to let that happen to you but you know you can’t continue in the same way you have before you were pregnant.

Here are some thing you can do the make sure your exercising safely for you and your baby.

Don’t do this.
There’s a lot you can do when you’re pregnant, but a few things you don’t want to do.  No running.  If you’re used to running, try walking further than you’re used to running.  No horseback riding, scuba diving, sprinting, downhill skiiing, or any contact sports.

Try these.
Some safe exercises during pregancy include speed walking, light jogging up to 2 miles a day, cycling on dry pavement, cross-country skiing, and swimming in nice luke-warm water.

Lighten up a bit.
When it comes to resistance training, simply lighten up a bit.  You NEVER want to lift anything very heavy.  Remember, if you’re asked to be a spotter, you have the potential of lifting, so don’t do it.

Loosen up a bit.
Make sure you’re wearing loose clothing that doesn’t pinch or bind.  You’re already uncomfortable enough.

Slow it down a bit.
Start your warm-up slowly and make sure you’re finishing everything up nice and slow too.  Never ever push yourself too far.  Less is more when you’re pregnant.

Don’t heat up too much.
When your body tempurature goes up, you’ll be sending blood to the surface of your skin to cool down.  This takes blood away from your uterus.  You should never go in a sauna, hot tub or steam room when you’re pregnant.  The rule is,  you don’t want to raise your body temperature more than 2 degrees Fahrenheit or 1.1 degrees Celsius.

Drink Drink Drink.
It’s even more vital than ever to keep yourself hydrated.  Make sure you’re starting your workout with all the water your body needs.  The moment you start to get thirsty, answer your bodies call with water.  No need for sports drinks, there’s nothing better than water.

Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to your body.  Keeping fit will make your pregnancy better, child-birth easier, and recovery quicker.

It goes without saying, you’re going to be the best at the things you love. This applies to work, school and even fitness. If you don’t love working out, you’re going to do them half-heartedly and not see the gains you were hoping to see. This will only compound your frustration and dislike of exercise.

So, here are 6 steps to help you fall in love with exercise. Go down the list and check off the items that apply. The ones that don’t apply are probably the ones that are holding you back. As with most things, there’s the 80/20 rule. 80% of your frustrations are coming from 20% of your activities. Let’s take a look:

• Stay hydrated and cool.
  When you’re sweating, your body is becoming dehydrated. That’s where all that moisture beading up on your skin is coming from. So, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water during your workout. When you feel thirsty, have a drink of water. Don’t make your body wait. Before your workout make sure you’re getting plenty of fluids into your tank. Try to drink at least a quart of water before you even begin.
• Conquer insomnia with exercise.
  Try exercising around 5pm at night. This is a perfect time to help you get a good nights sleep. Too soon and you’ll be pooped long before your day is done. Too late and your body will be too hyped to sleep.
• Aerobics for at least 20-30 minutes.
  Studies show the amount of fat your body burns increases dramatically after 20 minutes of aerobic exercise in your target heart zone (70-90% of your max heart rate). If you’re exhausted 15 minutes into your workout, slow down, but keep your heart rate above 70% of max. Most people who are worn out too soon, are pushing themselves too hard. Slow down and increase the time. The benefits of this will show up in more rapid weight loss and that keeps us all motivated.
• Mix it up to keep your interest.
  Don’t get caught in an exercise rut. If you’re usually running, try roller blades or even speed walking. If you’re aerobics class is getting dull, spend some time on the tennis courts. When you mix up your workout routines, you not only decrease boredom, you also increase the effectiveness of your workouts.
• Take a fitness vacation.
  Almost everyone who goes on vacation ends up putting on 5-10 lbs or extra weight while they’re away. Turn this whole concept on it’s head by booking a fitness vacation. You’ll still go to exotic places and have time for relaxing by the pool, but you’ll also kick start your post natal exercise plan. They’re even family friendly spas which will teach you (and your kids) to eat right and make exercise fun.
• Heat things up OR cool them down.
  Working out in colder climates will burn more calories because your body expends energy just keeping things warm. But, don’t worry if you live in a warmer climate. Working out in a warm and humid environment requires your body to expend extra energy keeping you cool. Try to break things up be getting out of your normal environment. If you live in Florida, plan a vacation to Aspen for some skiing. If you live in Minnesota, plan a snorkeling trip to the Florida Keys.

There you go, 6 simple things you can do to get from exercise boredom to exercise excitement. It’s no secret, physical fitness for moms, dads or anyone is about lifestyle. When exercise becomes a normal part of your lifestyle, it becomes something you love. How many people sit down each night and struggle to find something interesting to watch on TV because wathing TV is what they do every night. It’s their lifestyle. You’ll even endure a boring program if it’s part of your lifestyle.

Entering the gym for the first time can be intimidating. Machines you’ve never seen, people who are already physically fit, and all of them talking a language you’ve never heard. Let’s take a minute and go through some terms your might hear in the gym. Learn these and you’ll be sounding like a world class body builder long before you look like one.

Set: A group of exercises. For example, you would do a set of 6 push-ups.

Rep: Each time you lift a weight and return it to the starting position, you’re completing one rep. Most sets are made up of several reps. You might hear someone say, 3 sets of 15 reps. That means you’re going to do 15 complete movements, stop briefly and do it again, stop briefly and then do 15 again. Did that make sense?

Fartlek: This one always makes my husband laugh. He finds excuses to use it in every day conversation. it’s also known as interval training. If you’re running at a nice even pace and then briefly kick up the effort and return to your original pace, you’re doing interval training or Fartleks.

Aerobic: When you’re body is consuming oxygen and converting it into energy, you’re doing aerobic exercise. This usually involves taking your heart rate to between 60% and 80% of it’s max. It’s best to engage in aerobic exercise for at least 20 - 30 minutes.

Anaerobic: This means “without oxygen”. If you’re doing weight training, you’re not really relying on the oxygen consumption to fuel your energy. That’s anaerobic. It works when you’re pushing yourself extremely hard as well. If you’re sprinting and taking your heart rate between 80% and 90% of it’s max, you’re engaging in anaerobic exercise. Basically, you’re breathing in and out so fast, your body doesn’t have time to absorb the oxygen.

Max Heart Rate: There’s a rough calculation you can do to figure out your ‘max heart rate’. It’s not the most accurate, but it will get you really close. 220 - your age. So, if you’re 30, you’re max heart rate would be 220 - 30 = 190. You can also wear a heart rate monitor and push yourself as hard as you can and record the maximum heart rate recorded. Be careful, don’t push too hard and hurt yourself.

Flexion: This is when you move your arm, leg or other body part from it’s normal position to it’s “flexed” position. For example, flexing your biceps.

Extension: Moving your body part back to it’s normal position (see Flexion above).

Working to failure: Continuing to do reps (see above) until you can’t successfully do any more.

Circuit training: Workout routines that involve little or no rest periods. This is a way of turning your weight training into an aerobic workout.

Resistance training: Normally called weight training. It’s anything that involves creating resistance in your movements. This is usually accomplished by using weights. If you’re trying to curl your arms up and put a weight in each hand, you’re providing resistance.

Rest period: This is the time between sets. If you’re rest periods are too long or too short, you’ll not have the success you are looking for.

Spotter: These are people who stand with you when lifting weights in the event you can’t complete the movement. It’s a safety precaution and one you shouldn’t take lightly if you’re called on to be a spotter. Spotters will also act as motivational coaching encouraging you to do one more rep.

That’s it for now. If there are any terms I overlooked, please leave them in the comments area and I’ll add them to this list.

Most muscle injuries in the gym come from 1) doing an exercise improperly or 2) not stretching your muscle. Don’t let an injury put a halt to all your hard work reaching your postal natal exercise goals. It’s the one thing motivation can’t overcome. For that reason, stop right now and really assess what you’ve been doing up until now to properly stretch.

If you’re like the rest of us, you need some direction in adding stretching to your workout routines. Here are 8 simple tips to maximize the impact stretching will have on your body.

• Stretch every day.
  Even on the days you don’t plan to exercise, take some time to stretch all of your major muscle groups. These are the days when your muscles are in recovery and you really need to make sure they regenerate properly.
• Stretch when your muscle are warm.
  Warm muscles are pliable muscles. When you try stretching cold muscles you’re asking for an injury. Don’t do it.
• Make sure your stretching every muscle group.
  Chest, shoulders, lower back extensors, hip flexors, rotators, quads, hamstrings and calves. They all need a little bit of attention. Even the ones that stretch as well. Give them extra attention.
• Don’t force it.
  You never want to truly force your muscles to stretch. Developing a flexible body takes time. Don’t try to force your body into a position it’s not ready for yet.
• Don’t bounce.
  Make your stretching slow and methodical. You don’t want to use your body weight to force your muscles to stretch. That’s what bouncing does and it’s not good. Nice, easy and smooth will get you further than jerky and bouncy.
• Keep it to your natural range of motion.
  If you don’t normally move your body in the way you’re stretching it, it’s probably not a good stretch. Keep it within what’s normal.
• Breath!
  Your body needs oxygen and when it’s stressed it needs it more, not less. When you hold your breath, your body tends to naturally panic and tense up. That’s the opposite of what you want.
• Keep the weird stuff to the circus guys.
  Don’t try wrapping your legs around your head. That’s an unnatural position and one you don’t need to put your body into. A lot of the people you see getting into these strange contortions are double-jointed. Don’t try it.

Hopefully, with these simple tips you’ll find stretching something you enjoy and look forward to doing every day. It will pay off in a leaner looking and more agile body. Good luck.

When faced with a time crunch which exercise would you choose? Many People are just too busy these days to find the time to workout. They are simply too busy with family and career to attend the hot new classes at the gym down the street. For most time is critical, so they need workout routines that are efficient in both aerobic and strength training, while being done in a short amount of time.

The Best of Resistance and Aerobic

If you choose only one form of exercise to meet your needs, you want one that will offer you the best of both worlds. There is one activity you may not have thought of, jumping rope. A good jump rope routine is more than child’s play. It is the best cardiovascular exercise there is. It provides a maximum workout in a minimal amount of time.

Skipping through a rope is more than a good cardiovascular workout, it also develops coordination, agility, and rhythm- three areas that are important not only in your workout but in your everyday life. As well, jumping rope helps you tone your body.

Even though it appears your lower body is doing most of the work, it is equally challenging for your upper body. Constantly rotating the rope while keeping your arms up and away from your body works all of your major muscle groups. Your calves, thighs, and buttocks are used for jumping while your shoulders, upper arms and forearms must turn and grip the rope. No wonder it is no easy feat for an extended period.

Since jumping rope offers both an aerobic and strength workout it’s perfect for people who only have time for one form of exercise. Another great reason to choose this form of exercise, is its portability. You can jump rope anywhere- indoors or out. You can put it in your purse and take it with you when you travel. The real kicker of this sport is that it costs next to nothing.

To get started, all you need is a rope and a good pair of shoes.

Size Matters

When choosing a rope, look for one that is adjustable to your height. The right size rope has handles which extend to your chest if you stand on the center of it and pull the handles upward.

The surface

When jumping you should stick with a padded surface or jump on ground with some “give.” Stay away from hard surfaces like cement to save you from injury.

Beginning Workout

Start out at a moderate pace and slowly build up your endurance over the following weeks. You want to be able to do at least 20 to 30 minutes at a brisk pace. Try to fit this workout into your schedule 2 or 3 times a week for best results.

• Tips:
• You do not have to jump high-just clear the rope.
• use your whole arm to turn the rope
• The faster you jump, the more calories that you burn!
• The more you bend at the knee, the more you feel the burn in your leg and butt muscles.

Q. I have been working out for about 2 years now and have made a lot of great changes. I am the mother of 4 children and my body has been through a lot in the past five years. I decided that, after my last baby, I was going to work hard at getting my body back in shape. But, the one thing I’m having trouble with is that I have very muscular thighs. I’ve been doing aerobics, squats, and lunges but nothing is happening. I really want to slim down the muscle in that area and have a toned, well defined look. Can you please tell me what kind of workout routines I can do to help me reach my goals?

A. I’m happy to say I faced the same problem when I first started my training program. Everyone told me to do squats and lunges also. They kept telling me to get the lean look that I was after, I would have to work them extra hard. I don’t disagree with them totally. I just think it would have taken a lot of time to reach my goal in that way. So I decided to back off of the weights and started running daily to lean out my legs. I WAS NOT running hard or sprinting, but kept up a good moderate pace for at least 45 minutes.

Remember, distance runners tend to have long, lean thighs, and sprinters usually have the big muscular quads.

Add this to your workout routines and try to remember to eat a clean diet and keep lifting weights to shape the rest of your body. Since you carry a lot of muscle on your lower portion, you will benefit from building muscle on the top portion of your body. Building up your shoulder, back, and chest muscles will automatically give you a leaner look down below.

There are plenty of exercises you can do to increase your chest size, but it’s often the little things you don’t think about that hold you back. Find one of the best workout routines for chest and then add in the following 5 tips:

1. Fuel the rebuilding
   Resistance training breaks down the muscle tissue in your body. Your body then rebuilds these tissues bigger and stronger. The building blocks for this reconstruction process are found in clean proteins. Make sure you’re consuming at least three servings of good quality protein each day. You’ll want to consider supplementing with a low calorie protein mix to help reduce your daily caloric intake and still provide the protein your body needs.
2. Warm Up Always
   Before you set your hands on the weights make sure your stepping up with about 10 minutes of cardio work. You want to make sure you’re warming up your muscles so they can stretch and move more freely. This will maximize the effectiveness of your workouts.
3. Streeeeeetch
   Cooling down is just as important as warming up. Make sure you’re giving a good quality stretch to each major muscle group after your workout. The best way to ensure this is to you’re holding each stretch for at least 20 seconds. This will help prevent stiffness the following morning and increase your flexibility.
4. More With Less
   By doing more reps with smaller weights, you’ll decrease your chance of injury and increase your muscular strength without bulking up. Using lighter weights will help shape your muscles as well.
5. Consistency is Key
   Don’t miss a workout, even if it’s an abreviated one. Consistency will pay huge dividends when it comes to resistance training. If you can’t make it to the gym, use some home made weights. A gallon milk jug filled with water, or even a bag of dog food will make due in a pinch.

These may seem like small insignificant elements to your fitness routine, but they can make a difference you wouldn’t expect. They’re easy, simple and extremely important.

Have you stopped seeing results with your post natal exercise and workout routines? It could be because you are pushing yourself to hard. It just may be that your body is adjusting to what you have been doing, and you need to change things up a bit. Sometimes all it takes is cutting back on a few calories or spending less time on the treadmill. Most people spend too much time in the gym concentrating on the wrong part of their training. In order for our bodies to burn more calories we need more muscle. More muscle = more calories burned.

When is comes to training, most people spend too much time on their cardio (running or biking) when they should be doing more weight training. The problem with this is that too much cardio can be harmful more than helpful when it comes to getting in shape. It’s not that I’m trashing cardio. I love to run. I try to run almost everyday. I just don’t think most people realize the importance of weight training in their fitness program

For our diet, the problem seems to be the desire to have to count calories. Learn to trust your stomach. Soon you will learn that it is natural to be hungry every three hours. Everyone has indulgences in food and after they eat, they run it off. Cardio conditions the heart and lungs but it’s not going to change your bad eating habits. The answer to why our body is not responding lies in our unhealthy diet and not enough time spent lifting weights. Most people run every day or do spin classes five days a week with only two sessions per week of weight training, and then they wonder why the fat isn’t coming off. If this is you, try cutting back on your cardio and concentrate more on your weight training. Then you will see the difference.

One of the secrets to keeping your weight off is to raise your metabolism. The aisles of your local drug store or stocked full of artificial ways to raise your metabolism, but these aren’t true lifestyle changes that last.

If you look at the list of 10 ways to raise your metabolism, you’ll see most of these are very simple. They’re things you can do right now to positively impact your life as you continue with your post natal exercise routine.

1. Make sure you eat enough calories: Just the act of digesting your food, allows your body to burn more calories

2. Do some kind of aerobic activity 4 to 5 times a week: By adding aerobic activity to your post par-tum exercise routine you will give your body the fire it needs to burn even more calories, even when watching tv.

3. Add strength training By replacing 10 pounds of fat with 10 pounds of muscle you allow your body to burn an extra 100 calories a day.

4. Drink green tea: Green tea has been studied and proven to help you burn more calories.

5. Spice up your food: By adding hot and spicy foods to your diet, you are allowing your bodies metabolism to rev up and burn more calories. Cayenne pepper can be used in a lot of recipes.

6. Increase your workout intensity: Your body burns more calories when you are active then when sitting at your desk.

7. Eat 6 small meals a day instead of 3: Your body burns more calories digesting food. Eating 6 smaller meal will keep your body from going into starvation mode, and stop you from binge eating.

8. Get enough sleep each day: Your body can not metabolize carbs properly with out enough sleep.

9. Drink plenty of water: Drinking cold water makes your body work harder to raise your body temperature. Studies show that if you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day you could lose up to10 pounds in a year.

10. Include clean protein to your diet: Your body burns more calories burning protein than sugar or carbs. Protein also helps your body to build more muscle, giving you the ability to burn even more calories.

Between diet and exercise you can raise your metabolism so you can burn lots of calories all day long, even at rest!