Jump Rope

Looking for a new exercise? Jumping rope is an oldie, but goodie. Jump rope is one of the most effective cardiovascular exercises. It is inexpensive, can be performed almost anywhere, and is fairly easy to do.

To find the right size rope for you, step on the center of the rope with one foot. When holding the handles up, they should come to chest level.

Below are a few tips for using a jump rope:

• Keep your back straight with your head up
• Keep your shoulders back; don't hunch
• Keep your elbows close to the body
• Focus on a soft landing. Use your muscles to brace your impact rather than jarring those joints.

Once you have the basics down, you can get creative! Knee jumps, scissor jumps, one-foot jumps, etc. The possibilities go on and on!

Family Activities

Recent data suggests that over 1/3 of today's youth are overweight or obese. Spending quality family time doing physical activities together is one key to reduction and prevention.

Here are just a few ideas:

• Go for a bike ride
• Play at the park, on a jungle gym, or monkey bars
• Jump on a trampoline
• Go swimming
• Play a game of tag
• Kick or throw a ball
• Turn on music and dance

Be creative! Physical activity doesn't have to be conventional.

Keep in mind that kids should get at least one hour of physical activity per day.

Take a Break!

While exercise is important for all and training is essential for any athlete, it is also okay to take a break every once in a while. Rest is an important principle of exercise.

When strength training, you should allow yourself 48 hours before working those same muscle groups again. Even when performing cardio exercises, such as running or biking, it is a good idea to rest at least one day a week.

Rest allows your muscles to adequately repair themselves. Continuous or prolonged use without the time to fully rest and rebuild can actually weaken muscles, ligaments, and tendons and lead to injury.

Psychologically, rest also allows you to re-energize and prepare for future workouts.

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years. There are many yoga styles that range from extremely athletic to peaceful and relaxing. No matter the style, yoga has several benefits.

• Flexibility: Most poses focus on stretching and elongating the muscles.
• Strength: Movements often require a static muscle contraction that can increase one's strength and endurance.
• Posture: Proper posture is emphasized in yoga, which can transfer to one's daily posture.
• Balance: Many poses focus on improving balance.
• Relaxation: Yoga is often as much about deep breathing and the release of tension as going through the movements.