Exercise of the Week: Butt Kicks!

Butt kicks are a fun exercise to do as part of a dynamic warm-up or even as a fat burning interval. The nice part is that after a long day of sitting this movement of trying to kick your heel up to your butt will allow your quads to stretch and help to realign your thigh muscles.

Here’s how to complete the butt kicks exercise:
1. Stand with your feet hip width apart
2. Stay on the balls of your feet
3. Kick one heel up to your butt
4. Lower that leg and kick up with the opposite leg
5. Repeat for 20 reps or 10-20 seconds

Tips to remember:
1. Keep your chest up
2. Breathe naturally
3. Kick as high as you can with your heel but don’t overstretch
4. Land softly on the balls of your feet
5. Stop if you feel any pain

Butt kicks can also be done moving forwards and backwards in a straight line. I would first recommend getting comfortable doing them in place and then you can try moving in space. Have some fun with them!

Circuit Training Workout

I created this sample beginner circuit training workout that you can do right at home:

1A. Push Ups x as many reps as possible (you can do them inclined if you’d like)
1B. Backward Lunges x 15 reps on each leg
1C. Band Horizontal Row x 12 reps
1D. Jumping Jacks x 30 seconds

One you complete 1 round of all 4 exercises rest for 1-2 minutes before completing 1-2 additional sets of the circuit.

This sample circuit training workout will work your entire body in just 4 moves while getting your heart rate up. Remember to move at your own pace and improve with each workout. Enjoy the circuit!

What is Circuit Training for Weight Loss?

I saw that one ND reader said they enjoyed circuit training for weight loss and then it dawned on me that many of our readers may not know exactly what circuit training is.

Circuit training typically consists of a group of high-intensity exercises grouped together. Each exercise is completed in succession with as little rest between them as possible.

Although you can come up with aerobic training circuits, when most people describe circuit training they are referring to a group of resistance-based training movements (machines, free weights, body weight exercises, etc) that will keep their heart pumping quickly for an extended period of time.

It’s actually simpler than it sounds and can be a great way to increase strength, improve muscle tone, and burn body fat. Tomorrow, I’ll give you a 4 exercise sample circuit so that you get a better idea of what one looks like!

Lose that Last 5 Pounds

I was speaking to a large group of people this weekend and one thing I heard from a few attendees was that they were “stuck” trying to lose that last 5 pounds.

If this sounds like you and you need a little push to get the weight loss started again I have a few suggestions for you:

1. Write down your daily meal plan. Take a look to see if you’ve been sneaking a few “extras” in there subconsciously throughout the day. They can really add up over time…

2. I would also see if you can add just 10 more minutes to your workouts. I’m not asking you to put another hour or entire day in at the gym, but rather a few more minutes of high quality work.

3. Relax. Find a way to reduce inflammation and acidity in your body by destressing. You may take a nightly walk or even a yoga class to unwind. A lot of times when you’re stuck trying to lose weight it has to do with your body refusing to lose any more weight because of what is going on internally. Learn to breathe and relax.

I hope these 3 quick tips help and definitely let me know if you have any other suggestions or successes to share!

3 Progressive Ab Exercises

Today I want to safely guide you through 3 different exercises you can do to strengthen your abs and core before moving on to traditional crunches.

A good example of a level one exercise to master is the "plank." It's a powerful static exercise to engage your entire mid-section and tighten your waistline.

After you master the plank I would move onto an exercise called a "chop." This adds a little bit more of a dynamic movement where you're resisting rotation and as a result strengthening your core.

Once you master both of those you can try a more challenging traditional ab exercise called "reverse crunch" or leg lift.

Although I don't believe you need to do crunches or sit-ups to get great abs you should be more balanced through your core and lower back after mastering the previous 3 exercises and will now be more equipped to safely handle these types of crunching movements.

Don't Just Work Your Abs!

I know you want to work your mid-section to flatten your stomach, but did you know all those ab exercises can be bad for your back?

Every time you do a sit-up or crunch you are flexing your spine and potentially putting your back at risk. This doesn’t necessarily mean you shouldn’t work you abs, but there is a right way to do it to stay safe.

One tip I like to give my clients is to choose an abdominal exercise to complete first and then immediately follow it up with a lower back exercise. That way there you will strengthen both the front and back of your mid-section and create a healthier and stronger core.

In my next post I'll show you 3 ab exercises to work your way up safely from beginner to advanced!

Bridging Workout for Your Glutes

In my last post I explained how to do a static bridge to strengthen your glutes and posterior chain muscles and today I want to give you a few variations on how to do that exercise:

Static Bridging:
• Hold for 30-60 seconds
• Rest for 60 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times

Dynamic Bridging:
• Lift your hips off the floor and then lower them to 1 inch above the floor completing 10-15 “up and down” repetitions
• Rest for 60 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times

Dynamic Ball Bridging:
• You can use the same form and technique as the static or dynamic bridge except you are keeping a stability ball under your shoulders and head while completing the exercise
• Complete either variation on the ball and then rest for 60 seconds and repeat 1-2 more times
• You can keep your arms by your sides, overhead, or folded across your chest

Enjoy the bridging workouts and feel free to add them to any warm-up or use them at the end of a workout when you’re exercising your ab and core muscles!

Exercise of the Week: The Bridge

The exercise called the “bridge” is a great posture to help realign your hips from sitting all day. It’s also fantastic for strengthening your glutes, lower back, and other posterior (back side) muscles. I often use this exercise as part of a dynamic warm-up to “wake up” the glutes and get them firing.

Here’s how to complete the bridge:
1. Lie flat on your back
2. Pull your feet into your hips
3. Lift your hips high off the ground into a full “hip extension”
4. Squeeze your glutes and hold for 30 – 60 seconds

Tips to remember:
1. Keep your feet, shoulders, and head flat on the floor
2. Make sure to keep your feet under your knees and not too far out in front of you
3. Breathe naturally throughout the exercise
4. Concentrate on squeezing your glutes together and lifting up
5. Start by keeping your arms by your sides stretched out straight – eventually you can fold your arms across your chest

This is an example of how to do a “static” bridge where you are not moving up and down. It’s the best way to start to activate your glutes and hip muscles. Once you advance up you can get into more dynamic bridging movements. In my next post, I’ll be back with a bridging workout you can do 1-2x a week!

30 Minutes a Day Keeps a Heart Attack Away

Did you know that just 30 minutes of exercise 3x a week can cut your risk of premature death by 60%?

Here are the study details:

After participants of this new study followed a walking, rowing, or jogging program for 3 months the Department of Cardiology in New Orleans were amazed at the results. Researchers from this study also believe that the exercise helped to decrease stress in participants with heart conditions, which in turn lowered their mortality risk significantly.

The researchers have noticed a connection that stress can quadruple your chances of an early death if you have a pre-existing heart condition. Personally, I think 30 minutes 3x a week is a fair trade of your time for the positive benefits you can get from exercise. Are you currently getting 30 minutes of exercise 3x per week? If so, what are you doing?

Source: The Department of Cardiology in New Orleans, American Journal of Medicine

Stay Safe by Using Proper Form when Lifting

I was doing some online research when I came across one of the best examples of a popular lifting technique broken down into easy tips that anyone can follow. There is also an image on this webpage clearly depicting proper form in a 3-step fashion when lifting an object from the ground.

This isn't just a skill you need when in the gym… if you plan to keep your back healthy when doing chores around the house or at work, you’ll want to follow these safety tips and bullet points:

• Keep a wide base of support.
• Squat down,
• Maintain good posture
• Lift slowly
• Hold the object close
• Use your feet
• Lead with your hips
• Set it down slowly

The website also gives one of my favorite reminders to "avoid turning or twisting your body while lifting or holding a heavy object." These tips and photos will hopefully serve as a reminder of how to stay safe by using proper form when lifting an object up from the ground!

For the full article visit Central Health