Well, the arm of the federal government who governs health and fitness has recommended that citizens get at least two and a half hours of exercise per week or more, depending on the type of exercise they get and their fitness levels and age. I think this is not nearly enough personally for optimal health, but I suppose that it would make sense for the general public in the US who are largely not used to exercising and need to get off the couch more often in order to ensure they are as healthy as possible.

They further clarify that for some Americans that may mean that things that are fairly normal, like raking the yard, mowing (not with a riding mower, but a push mower for more resistance), or doing housework that is more than just light housework that gets more of a heart rate increase going than lesiurely activities, will suffice as long as they do it at least 2 1/2 hours a week, but it it’s vigorous then they may be able to trim a little off that hours requirement. I really don’t agree with that since anything less is totally unacceptable by most standards.

This reminds me of the old food pyramid requirements, which greatly reduced the amount of fruits and veggies and emphasized too much on the carbohydrates as a necessity and a higher percentage of the American diet, instead of emphasizing more lean protein and fiber infused foods, which helps keep us healthier and our bodies working at their optimal levels better than the other foods on the pyramid. Try using some excellent home exercise equipment to meat these goals, or at least get outdoors and do it if you find that some of these fall days are still warm enough to get out and enjoy some sun and get a longer workout in.

It’s a bare minimum, and that’s how it should be looked at, instead of as a “bible” of fitness goals and exercise hours required per week to keep your health and wellness at peak levels for as long as possible. However, since it is set out by the federal government, some may take it as good, solid advice, which I just don’t think is the case this time. I think you need to go by what makes you feel best. For me, optimally, I’d love to work out every single day.

This is what makes me feel fit and trim and on the ball, and I wish I had the time and resources to be able to do it every day, but that’s just not the case at this juncture in my life. One day it will be. I can’t imagine that two and a half hourse would make anyone feel their best. But that’s just me. This may be ideal for some.

I know you’ve all been there, and I know I certainly have been there. Heck, even the most dedicated exercisers, runners and fitness addicts go through phases like this in their life, or so I’ve heard because I’m not one of them. We all have periods in our life that are simply too busy, hectic, or emotionally draining to be able to dedicate our time and energy the way we should to our exercise and fitness regimens.

For example, it’s one of those times for me right now. I happen to be taking a class that is mathematically related (yeah, bad news right there, considering I’ve been mathematically challenged my whole life), and we’ve had an extremely busy schedule socially and with family obligations and engagements over the past month, so my workout schedule has suffered tremendously. It’s not like I’m taking a whole week off of working out, but I certainly have whittled it down to about twice a week in these past few weeks.

The ironic part of this is, that this just creates more stress. Working out for me is a huge outlet to blow off some steam, so when I don’t get to work out, I notice that my stress levels go up more easily, and it’s even harder for me to get up stairs, etc., which tends to put more stress on the body and the heart, so I can see why people who simply never work out are more prone to heart problems and overall bodily deterioration faster than those that do work out.

So, if you find that you’re having a hard time fitting those workouts in to your busy schedule, or fragile state of mind, take heed that you’re not the only one. But also know that you may be hurting the situation more by not working out, more so than the time you think you’re saving by not doing it.

Tony Little makes a new little stepper that is supposed to help sculpt the problem areas on women – their butts and thighs (aka saddle bags) away with using the piece of equipment regularly. Of course, anything that is reasonably priced that claims to help sculpt and tone these huge problem areas for me, I’m a sucker for, so I got online and purchased one, except I found that the reviews on that particular product were mixed, so I ended up going with something called a Body Slender machine that was very similar but looked more sturdily constructed and costs about $60 used.

I purchased mine off Amazon (go figure, I’m addicted to their great buys), and it happened that the person who was selling it lived right down the road from me practically, so she dropped it off in like two days, so on top of getting a good deal, I also didn’t have to pay for shipping which made me really happy!

It’s a very cool little contraption, and it’s small so you can grab it and pull it out if you’re feeling guilty about vegging in front of the tv all day and want to get a little physical activity in as well. It’s easy to do right in front of the tv actually. When you first step on the machine, it feels a bit awkward, and you do have to balance from side to side in order to get a good rhythm going. This is part of the exercise though, since forcing your body to balance requires specific muscle groups to do work, and this helps them to contract and sculpt themselves.

At first I thought it was fairly easy, but I was out of breath after about five minutes of doing it straight through. Now, I know I’ll build a better tolerance after doing it a few times, but I think it targeted different muscles than I’m used to and that contributed to my early fatigue. One note is that is it tough on carpet, so you definitely do want to get a workout mat to place it on.

Unlike other models of this machine, this one does not slip like many other people complained about with other stepper machines, it pretty much stayed put the whole time I was using it instead of scooching all the way across the mat the whole time. A good mat of course helped as well since it helped grip the metal bottoms in place. All in all, I like the machine, as far as results, I think I will definitely see results after I start using it consistently, judging from how it worked my butt and thighs those first few times.

I got my thigh rocker machine in the mail today. It’s basically the same thing as Tony Little’s Rock n Roll Stepper, but it’s supposed to be a little better quality and didn’t get as bad of reviews for rocking around on the floor too much and bunching up the mat below it. I bought it off Amazon (imagine that), and ended up getting free shipping because the seller happened to live only ten or so minutes away from me! I was pretty delighted with that as well.

Well, other than telling you I ordere it, there’s not much else to say about this machine, other than the fact that it is an easy machine that is supposed to target the butt and the thighs, which are two of my biggest genetic weaknesses and something that I’ve always struggled with whittling down throughout the years.

I’m hoping this rocker will be a simple yet effective machine to add to my workout regimen, which seems to be a getting a big stale at the moment. I will have a full review of this thigh rocker for you hopefully in just about a week. I want to make sure I have time to really try it out and figure out all the pros and cons of this little machine before I review it.

Since gyms today face competition from other public and pay gyms, and also from the ever increasing range of home fitness equipment like elliptical machines, treadmills and recumbent bikes as well as more sophisticated equipment, like pilates machines and weight machines that look like they belong in a professional gym, they are trying to offer more incentives to get your business. And who can blame them? T

hey’re a business too, and they also need to get people coming through the door, but why is it that some still only offer complementary fitness assessments and also tailoring a fitness routine for their clients – at no charge. What I mean is, get you a tailored fitness routine that fits your goals and lifestyle and weight loss and maintenance goals, without draining your wallet because you have to have a “personal trainer” do it for you.

I do know a lot of people who are huge fans of personal trainers because they say that a trainer not only motivates them to get off their butt and move (of course you have to get to the gym first to take advantage of this feature), but also because trainers show them different exercises all the time that get them out of the rutt they’ve inevitably trapped themselves in as well as to create that muscle confusion that is so important to getting and maintaining a sculpted set of muscles and keeping it.

If gyms would just give you a free consultation and show you what you can do though, and then maybe once a month or every two weeks, depensing on how often you happen to work out, maybe show you a set of different exercises to do to kick it up a notch and also to keep your muscles working up to the next level, that would be ideal and also a good money saver for those of us who don’t care to pay hundreds of dollars to get those personal training sessions a couple times a week.

I have to admit I was thrown for a loop when I started to hear about how something called “zumba” was getting to be a new exercise sensation, but I figured it had to do something with dance, since the latest exercise crazes seem to be all about dance. Take belly dancing and the new striptease workouts that seem to be uber popular today, zumba is along the same lines, only it takes another spin – an international one, and makes it more of a fun, funky workout that also tones abs, thighs and ever those flabby arms, plus proponents say you’ll have a blast doing it.

Zumba is actually a latin inspired routine that combines hot dance moves with aerobics, and usually lasts almost an hour, and works all of your muscles. So basically you get a total body workout and massive calorie burning capabilities.

If you go to a zumba class, you’ll want to make sure to wear scant clothing since you will almost certainly be sweating your derriere off in no time with the agressive and fast moves, but you’ll also have a great time doing it. It’s sort of like tae bo, only maybe not as intense, and with dance moves instead of elegantly orchestrated “karate” types of moves, and not with the militant aspect, instead with a fun, festive atmosphere. Sounds like fun!

The cool thing about zumba is also that instead of those methodical step counts and lots of talking from the instructor, they set the exercise to the music, which is very lively and will make anyone want to get up and dance around the room. It sounds like zumba will not only be great for toning the whole body, but if someone is watching their diet and trying to lose weight, it sounds like zumba will really be excellent for burning lots of excess calories.

I just saw an interesting headline on how the practice of yoga, one of my favorite switch up exercises for when I’m sick of the old treadmill or elliptical routine with my floor work that I do most of the time, can lead to a better sex life. I could sort of see how this could be true, simply because of the way yoga helps you control your breathing. Sometimes, especially with men, their breathing is so uncontrolled that they can’t properly come to a climax, and with women, breathing very much matters in her enjoyment and utilization of sex as well.

The only other way I thought of that yoga may help me personally in the sexual dept. is that it stretches the muscles and opens up areas of the body that normally may not be so stretchable and open, so as far as positioning in sex, you know how the more flexible you are can spice things up a little in the bedroom – especially for women, who tend to be the more flexible when it comes to these things anyways.

Yoga also helps us all with a more quiet acceptance and nurturing of our bodies, instead of us beating up on the way our bodies look or constantly trying to do punishing exercises to make our bodies look better. Yoga practice helps us to almost worship our bodies as they are, helping us to come to a complete acceptance and loving of our bodies, which definitely makes good sex a lot easier and better, especially for us women, who tend to beat up on ourselves too much and put high unlikely standards on ourselves.

Yoga helps you not only physically but also spiritually, and this also may translate into the bedroom, making you a more generous lover, which your lover can’t help but reciprocate in return. It also helps us to communicate better with others and accept others as they are since “namaste” is the prime meaning in yoga, which means in essense “the soul within me honors the soul within you”. We’re not talking tantra here, that’s a little different, but yoga is closely tied to this body of thought.

I have been experiencing that familiar old exercise boredom in the past few weeks, where I literally have to peel myself out of my office chair or off the house sofa to either go to the gym, or go downstairs to our basement ellitpical machine to get my workout in. It’s familiar to everyone who works out. It’s called workout stagnation.

You get tired of doing the same old routine and need to add some spice and variety to it, just like married couples need to do to keep their love lives interesting, only with this you are making sure your body stays in tip top shape by changing your routine both for interest sake and also for the sake of muscle confusion which helps you keep muscle tone and helps you also burn more calories.

An example of switching up your workout, taken from a page in a well diversified workout week for me, is what I’m about to share with you. Not only does it switch up the types of exercise I’m doing, but it also works different muscle groups in different ways, so I’m not always working out the same muscles and building them up but neglecting others.

It also kind of goes with my mood that day. That means that if I’m feeling mellow and just want to do a more relaxing, peaceful workout to fit my mood, then I’ll go for yoga, but if it happens to be beautiful out that day and I feel like getting outdoors, I’ll go for a long power walk or jog/walk around the neighborhood.

I did all of the above, plus working out on the elliptical in the week I’m detailing. One day it was so beautiful outside, just the right mix between fall crisp air and the summer sun was still shining and it was warm, so I went for a nice long power walk, coupled with on and off jogging (I never jog exclusively because my ankles and my muscles hurt too much from the impact). This was perfect not only for the different workout it offered, but I also got a mood boost from the natural sunlight and felt refreshed and rejuvenated when done.

Another day that week I did my yoga DVD, which helps with my flexibility, breathing techniques, and stress management, as well as helped me to build those all important core muscles. If you switch it up like this every week, not only will you not get bored, but you’ll be giving your body parts equal opportunity when it comes to circulation and muscle buildup. You’ll also be much more likely to not skip your workouts if you keep it interesting.

Well, there’s a relatively new expression for the way a woman looks in tight pants when she’s either had too much to eat or when she has more flab than knows where to go in the midsection. You know how those low riding jeans are so popular now? Well they’ve also spurred a new pheonomena in the world of fashion don’ts called Muffin Tops.

A “muffin top” is exactly what is sounds like. Just like muffins often spill over their circular tins or their muffin paper cups when you cook them or buy them at the bakery, our bellies and sides of our bellies can balloon over the sides of our pants. They can also spill out the front, creating an even less appealing protrait of lack of fitness.

How can you get rid of the muffin top look by exercising? Well, first off, you do have to institute some eating restrictions because the less calories and fat you consume, the less spare flab you’ll have in your mid section and around the midsection of your back, which means that you will have less to squish out of the sides and over the top of your pants. What amazes me about muffin tops is that lots of very young (we’re talking teens) girls have them, even if their legs are really skinny. You can obviously see them too because of the skimpier styles that are in for teens, like cropped shirts and low riding pants.

In the gym, what you can do is to do exercises that require a lot of side bending and torso strength moves. You can do situps to the side, since these strengthen and tone the sides of the abdominal muscles, and you can also really hone in your ab workouts to tone and sculpt the abs. Yoga may be good to strengthen the back and help tone any “back fat” areas that may get missed in traditional workouts, which also contributes to the muffin top look.

There’s no denying that pop star Madonna looks great for her age, now 50 years old. Heck, I’m sure there’s lots of fifty year old women who’d love to look like her, but I almost wonder if it’s too much. I mean Madonna is sculpted, but sometimes I feel like she looks overly sinewy to the point of wondering if she just goes totally overboard in her workouts and has so little body fat that God forbid she got very ill, she may be in trouble if she lost a lot more weight.

I also worry a bit about the kind of example she may be setting. I doubt she’s really setting examples for young girls any more since that’s not really her demographic at this point and at her age, but the kind of example she sets for women who are getting a little older. I mean, do you have to punish yourself with an obviously rigorous exercise program and perhaps even a restrictive diet and look like that, or would you rather look a bit more feminine, a bit softer?

I guess it depends on the woman, but I prefer to look a bit more healthy and softer, and I feel like Madonna’s look shows that she has a punishing physical fitness regimen, and I don’t like that personally. It’s sort of like stars like Angelina Jolie who get way too thin to where you can see the veins in their arms and sticking out of their hands because their body fat is so low. You just wonder what kind of messages that sends to women everywhere. Does it make it “in” to look that thin and have obviously little body fat?

Looking at Madonna’s physique now makes me miss her older, still muscular, but also softer look. It was a bit more realistic. She looked strong and supple, but not militant like she does today. Don’t get me wrong, I do admire her tenacity in her career, but I just think her physique is a bit too punishing looking. You almost wonder if she enjoys life or is just a robot by looking at her and her career. At what point do you sit back and enjoy life a little more? I may be getting too deep into this but I guess I’m feeling reflective about my upcoming birthday : )