An important part of creating a healthy lifestyle is watching what you eat between meals.

Is it better to exercise at home or at a gym? While working out at home is cheaper, it really depends on your personal needs and preferences where you work out. If you are self-motivated and prefer the solitude of exercising solo, workout at home. If not, here’s what to look for when joining a gym for aerobic activity.

• Where is the facility located? Research shows that people are most likely to stick with an exercise program when the gym is located close to either home or work.
• Does the facility have the type of aerobic equipment that you want to use and is it well maintained? Be sure that there are a variety of machines. Beware of “out of order” signs, particularly those that linger for over 24 hours. Give the equipment a test drive to ensure it operates smoothly and quietly. Also, is it well maintained and is it in good working order?
• Are there signs or diagrams near each piece of aerobic equipment explaining how to use it? If an instructor is not available to assist you, signs can help you use it on your own.
• Do not be discouraged if at first you can exercise for only a few short minutes on some aerobic machines. It takes time for your body to adapt to each new piece of equipment, particularly if you are a beginner. Pace yourself by starting off slowly and gradually increasing the exercise time.
• Do the aerobic equipment and/or types of aerobic classes available interest you? If the activities offered are cycling, rowing and swimming but you want to play racquet sports and run on an indoor track, look for a facility that offers more variety.
• If you are interested in aerobic classes, is the floor a sprung wood floor, which lessens impact to the joints?
• Are there a variety of classes offered throughout the day? Does the schedule offer separate classes for beginners through to advanced participants? As you become more experienced and your work and family schedules change these factors will become important in helping you to continue with your exercise program.
• Is there a variety of equipment available for use in classes? A wide variety of classes, including those using equipment, will help to keep you motivated and provide new training goals. Read the rest of this entry »

Exercise. Don’t leave home without it. Having trouble fitting a trip to the gym into your busy day? Don’t sweat it, just sweat it at home. Exercising in your home is the most convenient way to fit aerobic activity and muscle strengthening into your day. Depending on your schedule, you can exercise when it works best for you. Plus there’s no traffic to beat either on the road or in the gym, no time schedules and you can enjoy the comfortable surroundings and privacy of your home.

There was a time when we only Read More Here

Here are a few training plans to get you started.  Click on each of the links below for a full plan outline.  Also don’t forget to visit our YouTube channle for lots of demonstration videos at - http://bit.ly/bodybreak-on-youtube.

•     Walking
•     Running
•     Strength Training

For more information on getting and having fun, visit us at www.bodybreak.com.

Heart Rate

Your target heart rate (THR) helps you exercise at a safe and effective pace that’s right for you. The key is to make sure activities aren’t so hard that you get discouraged and not so easy that you don’t see results or fail to get into the fat burning zone. The answer is to work in your target heart rate zone. This is based upon your age and fitness level and is designed to give maximum aerobic and fat burning benefits for you as an individual. The easiest way to calculate your target heart rate is 220 minus your age then multiply that number by 50% and 85%. The numbers represent lower and upper end of your target heart rate zone.

220 – ________ = ________ x .50 = ________ ( Minus your age ) ( THR ) ( lower THR ) 220 – ________ = ________ x .85 = ________ ( Minus your age ( THR ) ( upper THR )
While you exercise, your heart rate should fall between these two numbers. If you are just starting, strive to Read the rest of this entry »

Evaluating Your Fitness Level

Measuring your fitness level regularly is one way to find out if you’re making progress. Most fitness centers have trained staff who can evaluate your body composition, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance, but it can be pricey. If you don’t have access to all the toys and tools of your gym, don’t panic. You have everything you need to measure your fitness level in your own house. The 3-Minute Step Test measures your aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness level based on how quickly your heart rate returns to normal after exercise.

Equipment needed:
Stopwatch or clock with a second hand; a friend to help you keep count; a 12-inch bench, box, or step. Goal: Step on and off the bench for 3 minutes straight while keeping a consistent pace and then see how quickly your heart rate will come back down. Execution: This test is based on a 12-inch step, so use one as close to 12 inches as possible, otherwise your results will be skewed. Stand facing the step. When ready to begin, start the clock or stopwatch and march up and down on the step. Try to step up 96 times per minute at a steady pace. When 3 minutes are up, stop immediately, sit down on the step, and count your pulse, use your wrist or neck (you can also use a heart rate monitor) for one full minute.

Keep Fit & Have Fun

The BodyBreak Team – www.bodybreak.com

Safety

Always warm up and cool down. If you decide to jog at a moderate intensity for 15 to 45 minutes the best warm up is a very slow jog for about five minutes. And the best cool down is a five-minute fast walk. Some people like to finish their warm up by stretching the muscles that will be used in the chosen activity. To date, there is conflicting research as to whether warm up stretching helps prevent muscular injuries. However, there is no controversy over cool down stretching. To maintain or increase your flexibility, your muscles must be stretched after every workout. After your workout, your muscles are warm and fatigued and in an ideal state for stretching.

• Follow the rules of safe stretching.
• Never stretch cold muscles. Warm up or gently exercise first, then stretch
• Hold the position. Do not bounce. A stretch should last 8 to 20 seconds.
• Never stretch to the point of discomfort. If you feel you could hold the stretch indefinitely without pain, then you are not over stretching.

Progress cautiously. In the early stages of a program, you should try to increase the length of your workouts by no more than a couple of minutes at a time. If it hurts, do not do it. If you are in pain your body is telling you something is wrong. Slow down or seek the advice of a medical or fitness professional.Beware of over-training. When overdone, exercise can jeopardize your health and fitness. If you feel fatigued, lethargic, irritable, heavy-legged, lose your appetite or develop sleep problems, you need to slow down. Listen to your body. It will tell you when you have had enough

The BodyBreak Team – www.bodybreak.com

For over twenty years Hal Johnson and Joanne McLeod have helped millions of Canadians discover a new way of incorporating fitness and healthy living into their daily lives.  You may have come to this blog because your goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, to drop a few pounds, firm and tone, or to learn more about nutrition and add some of our favorite recipes to your repertoire. Just by setting a goal in your mind, you’ve taken an important step. Your next challenge is to commit to that goal completely, giving it 100 percent of your effort. We have found this to be a path to true success.

As the old proverb says:  “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step”.  You’ve just taken it by reading this post.  Over the next few we will look at what you need to get started.

Keep Fit & Have Fun

The BodyBreak Team – www.bodybreak.com