Summer Total Body Circuit Exercises

As the seasons begin to change, it is also a great time to change your workout plan. Try adding variety this spring by adding a circuit to your routine. Circuits are great because they incorporate cardiovascular fitness, muscular fitness, and flexibility. The American Council on Exercise has created a great total body circuit. http://www.youtube.com/acefitness#p/u/29/nEACOMXtHoA

The equipment needed include a jump rope, medicine ball, and dumbbells. If you do not have these items you may replace them with other exercises.

For ideas of new exercises visit: http://www.acefitness.org/workouts/default.aspx.

Sneaky Soda

Sodas, or soft drinks, have become a big component in the typical American diet. Sodas are sneaky because the body does not “see” the calories in soda like it “sees” the calories in food. Therefore, you will eat the same amount of food whether you drink a soda or not. These extra calories are then stored as fat. Sodas have NO nutritional value that is why they are considered “empty calories”.

Try this experiment at home. Look at the nutritional label of your favorite 12 oz soda can. Figure out how many teaspoons of sugar are in your favorite soda. First write down the total number of calories in the 12 oz can. A typical soda has 150 calories. There are 15 calories in one teaspoon of sugar. So determine the number of teaspoons of sugar that is in the soda can by dividing the number of calories by 15. A typical soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar in it. Now measure out 10 teaspoons into a pile and look at the mound of sugar in one 12 oz can of soda!

In the 1950s, a standard serving of soda was 6.5 fluid ounces. Today it is common for a serving of soda to be 20oz, 32oz, or even 64oz! Because soda is so good at sneaking extra calories into your body, it is recommended that you skip drinking soda daily. When you do enjoy a soda, use the original serving size by drinking only half a can. Or consider drinking a diet version which is made from artificial sweeteners so that they are lower in calories.

A Runner's Complete Workout

Often times runners forget that warming up and cooling down are important for any type of physical activity. A warm up prepares your muscles, tendons, ligaments and mind for the challenge ahead. This not only helps reduce the risk of injury, but it also helps improve your performance during the workout.

A cool down is the perfect time to implement flexibility training into your workout plan. Your body is already warm and pliable which is ideal for stretching. Stretching is especially important for repetition activities such as running. Your muscles have been going through the same motion over and over again, and stretching those muscles after a run can help lengthen them out. This in turn helps prevent many common running injuries.

The American Council on Exercise has developed a complete running workout. This workout provides sample warm-up and cool-down exercises, as well as, appropriate strength training exercises for runners to do 2-3 times per week. Visit this site to learn more about this workout program: http://www.acefitness.org/workouts/21/#program

Super Salads

Salads are a GREAT option for lunch. Not only are they a nutritious, low-calorie meal, but they are also easy to throw together. So how do you create a super salad? Begin with a base of 2-3 cups of greens (greens are only 8-12 calories per cup!). Try mixing two different types of greens, for example, 1 cup of spinach and 2 cups of lettuce. Add color to your salad by adding a variety of vegetables. Vegetables are low on calories, but high in vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and other important nutrients.

Colorful veggies to try:
-Red beets
-Orange bell peppers
-Zucchini
-Yellow squash
-Green beans

Add variety to your salad by adding any of the following:
-2 oz. chicken (skinless, grilled with no sauce)
-2 oz. salmon (steamed or grilled, no sauce)
-2 oz. tuna fish (canned, packed in water or grilled, no sauce)
-2 oz. boiled potato (plain) leftover from the night before
-1/2 cup of cooked pasta (plain - no dressing; the idea is to add a controlled amount of your own dressing at the end)
-1/2 cup (4 oz.) beans (such as kidney beans)

After you create your salad, add 2 tablespoons of your favorite salad dressing. Controlling the amount of dressing you use is the secret to creating a super, low-calorie salad.