6 Ways to Rev Up Your Walking Workout

1. Check in before you head out: Take a moment to tune in to your body and mind before you take a step. “It’s important to adjust your walk based on how you’re feeling,” says Danny Dreyer, author of ChiWalking (Simon & Schuster). Feeling drained? Head out for a stressrelieving stroll. Feeling great? Push your pace. 

2. Go outside: Instead of hitting the gym, walk around your neighborhood or check out a local trail. “Being outdoors helps you tune in to your surroundings, which inspires more mindfulness and a better sense of what’s happening in your body,” says Garrett Sarley, CEO of the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Mass., and co-author of Walking Yoga (Fireside). 

3. Take precautions on the treadmill: If you are relegated to the gym, avoid gripping the treadmill’s rails—something that can happen if you go too fast, says Todd Sinett, D.C., a chiropractor and applied kinesiologist in New York City. “Walking requires your top and bot tom half to move,” he says. “If your torso is stiff, you’re more likely to get hurt.” 

4. Ditch distractions: Your gym probably has a row of plasma TVs in front of the treadmills to keep you entertained. But it’s not a good idea to watch them, says Tom Kersting, Ph.D., a psychotherapist in New York City and author of Losing Weight When Diets Fail (Harbor Press). “Watching TV or even listening to music on your iPod increases your odds of just going through the motions,” he says. You’ll burn more calories if you stay focused on your workout.

5. Find more bliss through your breath: Just as you do in a yoga class, take a moment before you start walking to deepen your breath. When you start to walk, breathe in a pattern that relates to your steps, suggests Sarley. Making the connection will transform a regular old walk into a moving meditation with real stressrelieving benefits.

6. Create an image in your mind: When Kersting wanted more chiseled abs, he visualized himself as a snowman melting away to reveal a ripped, muscular body every time he went for a walk. “Visualization techniques like that are a great way to integrate your mind into your workout, which leads to better—and often quicker— results,” he says. Just make sure the image you call to mind is a positive one. “If you focus on what you don’t want, you’ll get more of what you don’t want,” Kersting warns.

A 10-Minute Love Handle Workout

Let’s be honest… there’s not a whole lot to love about love handles. They don’t fit into your skinny jeans, and they can be pretty challenging to get rid of. Why, you ask? Since love handle fat sits on the side of the abdominal area, lots of people think that a typical ab workout will blast it away. This isn’t the case. Love handles lie on top of the obliques, which are a very specific group of abdominal muscles. In order to really work those suckers, you have to target them precisely.

That being said, it’s a myth that you can spot reduce fat loss. Yes, you can target your obliques to maximize toning, but fat is lost through cardio and diet. We’ve all heard that abs are made in the kitchen, and (unfortunately) it’s true. You can do crunches until the cows come home, but unless you get rid of your excess fat through healthy eating, your toned abs will never be seen. So here’s the best strategy for kicking your love handles to the curb:

Step 1. Eat lean. Eat clean.

Step 2. Add in a 30-minute cardio session every other day. If you’re feeling really hardcore, beef it up to 6 days a week. A Duke University study found that people who walked for about 30 minutes 6 days a week gained hardly any abdominal fat over an 8-month period.

Step 3. Try the following 10-minute love handle workout. It hits the obliques hard, while also working the rest of your core. Trust me, it’ll give those love handles a run for their money!

A 10-Minute Love Handle Workout

Repeat the following circuit 3 times, moving as quickly as possible from exercise to exercise. Do this routine 3 times a week.

40 Woodchoppers (20 on each side). Using one hand weight, stand with your feet hip-width apart with your weight on your left leg. Start by holding the weight in both hands up by your left shoulder. Next, twist to make a chopping motion down towards your right hip. Allow your feet and knees to pivot with the twist. Raise the weight back up to your left shoulder and repeat for 20 reps. Next work your right side.

50 Russian Twists. Sit on your butt with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground. Your torso should be leaning back at a 45 angle to the floor. Hold a dumbbell with both hands. Lift your feet from the ground, crossing them at the ankles and balancing on your butt. From this position, twist your torso to the right and touch your dumbbell to the ground next to your body. Next, twist back over to the left touching the weight to the left side of your body. Repeat back and forth, all while balancing with your legs and torso raised off of the ground.

30 Side Plank Hip Lifts (15 on each side). Get into side plank position with your elbow on the ground and your legs and hips resting on the ground. Engaging your abs and keeping your body in a straight line, raise the lower half of your body up off the ground into a straight plank position. Lower again and repeat. Do 15 on your right side, and then 15 on your left side.

30 Bicycle Crunches. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your hands behind your head. Do not clasp your hands together. Engage your abs, lifting your shoulders and upper back off of the ground. At the same time, move your right elbow toward your left knee so that they meet in the middle of your body. Next, switch your position by bringing your left elbow to your right knee. Continue as quickly as possible while still keeping your torso raised up off the ground.

Want more quick workout ideas? Check out 4 Ways to Get Rid of Back Fat and 3 Flat Ab Moves!

Can You Really Cram a Full Workout Into 4 Minutes?

When it comes to fitness, there are few quick fixes. If you want a rockstar body, you’re expected to put in hours at the gym for maximum results. Or at least 20 minutes a day, right? Wrong! Let me introduce you to Tabata training.
Tabata training is a type of high intensity interval training that supposedly can give you results similar to a 30- to 60-minute, moderate cardio routine in only 4 minutes. Whoa. I’m all about short, high intensity workouts, but 4 minutes!? Does it really work? It seems to!
In a 1996 study (there have been many), Professor Izumi Tabata looked at athletes who cycled for 60 minutes, 5 times a week, and those who did 7 to 8 sets of 20-second high intensity cycling followed by 10-second rest periods (about 4 minutes total), 5 times a week. Both improved their cardiovascular fitness, but he found the second group had an improvement in both anaerobic and aerobic fitness.
In other words, this type of workout seems to help your performance in high intensity, short duration activities, and also in longer endurance workouts.
Intrigued? Try it yourself with this 4-minute Tabata workout. (Although much of the research has been done on cycling and running, almost any high intensity exercise is thought to do the trick.)

A 4-Minute Tabata Workout

Perform each move for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second break. Do the circuit twice. Remember to go hard! In order for it to work, you must be giving 100% for the whole 4 minutes.

1. Standing Mountain Climbers. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, holding a light dumbbell in each hand. Raise both of your hands up over your head with your palms facing in. From this position, jog in place bringing your right knee up and your left elbow down first. Return them to starting position, and then bring your left knee up and your right elbow down. Do this as quickly as you can.

Health.com video: How to do a Mountain Climber

2. Squat Thrusts. Start in standing position with feet shoulder width apart. Bend your knees until your hands can touch the ground on either side of your feet. Your butt should be down toward the ground. From here, kick your legs out in a pushup position. Next jump your feet back into your squatting position, and stand up. Repeat.

Health.com: Squat Thrust from Jessica Alba

3. Box Jumps. Stand facing a moderately high platform or step with your feet shoulder width apart. From here, bend at the knees and explode up on to the box. You can use your arms for momentum as you jump. Once on the box, jump back down to the ground and repeat.

Health.com: How to do a Box Jump

4. Dumbbell Swings. Start in a squatting position with your feet hip width apart and your toes forward. Hold a dumbbell in both hands down between your legs. Keeping your arms straight, swing the dumbbell up over your head in a controlled motion. While swinging up, push up into standing position. In a fluid motion, lower the dumbbell back down while squatting into your starting position.

Health.com: How to do a Dumbbell Swing

Phew!  How was it? At the end of this workout you should feel as if you’ve given your all for the entire 4 minutes. Your heart rate should be up and your entire body will feel worked. Not sure if you’ve given it 100%? Make sure your heart rate is at 80 to 90% of your maximum heart rate while you are working out. To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Take this number and multiply it by 0.8 and 0.9 to find 80 to 90% of your maximum heart rate. Want to make it simpler? I always wear a heart rate monitor when I workout to ensure that I am working out intensely enough.

9 Ways to Get a Great Workout at Home

“You’re not tired! You’re not tired!” says Chalene Johnson, as she starts another set of high-intensity exercises. She’s tiny, blonde, and has the body I want to have. I am tired, but I follow her lead—a breakthrough since I’m watching her fitness DVD, an advanced cardio program called TurboFire, and there’s no one in the room forcing me to do so.

Why is this a big deal? Because I’m lazy—really. When I go to the gym, I can think of a 101 things I’d rather be doing, even as I jog on the treadmill. Outdoor exercise is also out; too hard on my asthma.

You’d think I’d be the last person to do video workouts at home (no witnesses to my sloth!), but I’ve been able to stick with it for the past two years. Now, I’m stronger, I have more energy, and my endurance has improved. I even feel more confident when I pull on my skinny jeans.

Here are my tips for keeping yourself motivated during your at-home workouts.

Find a workout that fits your life 
Guess what? I used to think I hated workout videos. The truth was I had not found the right one for me. There are hundreds of DVD workouts, and some of them are too hard. Or too easy. (Or too boring.) So Goldilocks, take the time to find the one that’s juuuussst right. Amazon.com has hundreds of user reviews for you to read and consider, even if you don’t want to buy. Start by searching for well-known trainers like Jillian Michaels, Tracy Anderson, Chalene Johnson andTony Horton. Then, hop onto Youtube to find a sample video. Some are short, but there are many high-quality videos that are 40 minutes to an hour long. Take the time to watch them to see if you can do the moves. Even if you’re superfit, why not have a celebrity trainer you’d never have access to in real life?

Stock up on DVDs
Variety is the key to never getting bored. If you choose a popular program, you can save money by going online before buying from a store. If you get lucky like me, you might be able to pick up Tony Horton’s P90X or TurboFire onCraigslist.org or Ebay.com for $40-$50, or half off the retail price. And just so you know, this is a good time to do it, since people are doing their spring-cleaning and getting rid of their dusty fitness gear.

Personally, I like to keep more than one video around, so I can switch things up and never get bored. I currently own three, and one of them is a dated version of Debbie Siebers’ Slim in 6. Even though it’s old, I use it because it has a good track record, the trainer is likeable and the music is pumping. After all, the whole point of this exercise is to get fit, get limber and to get moving.

If you’re budget-conscious, get yourself to the local library. Mixed in among old Hollywood blockbusters, there could be some pilates or cardio-based workout DVDs that someone has donated. You can also try using Freecycle.org. It’s a nationwide service that people use to connect with others who are looking to give away their stuff for free.

Schedule your workouts
Open up your planner and schedule your workouts, following your trainer’s calendar as closely as possible. BLOCK THOSE TIMES OFF! Rest days should overlap with special events or visits from out-of-town guests. And before you leave for any weekend trips, load your fitness programs on your laptop or iPad so that you can work out wherever you go. Think ahead, because when you’re standing in front of a screen in your gym clothes, there should be no distractions. Johnson recommends working out six times a week, but I’d be happy if I could manage to do four. I’ve learned to be realistic, and this is a number I can stick to doing.

Reward yourself for working out 
Still feel like you’re too busy to work out? Try this mental trick. Make a list of things that eat up all of your free time. It could be Facebook and Twitter, or the TV shows you watch. Then, circle three or four of your least favorite activities, and swap them out in favor of exercise. For example, I can make a conscious decision not to watch an episode of “New Girl” every week. And just like that, I’m able to squeeze an extra 30 minutes out of my day.

I also like to use a rewards system. Since food-related ideas are out, I’ve been forced to get creative. I’ve made trips to the museum and to Broadway shows. I’ve taken self-defense classes and signed up for bouldering at a local rock-climbing gym.

Create the perfect space 
When I first started using fitness videos, I did it in my living room. It was so crowded that I had to push my coffee table and sofas aside so I could have enough space to do lunges, jump squats and sun salutations. I’ve learned that I’d rather have a trimmer, fitter body than a perfect living room. My commitment to exercise is not something that needs to be rolled up and hidden away all the time.

This is something you might need to consider. I’ve recently moved all of my operations to the basement after discovering that I’m wearing a hole in my living room carpet. If you plan on doing a long-term program, it’s probably a good idea to find ways to save your flooring from wear and tear. You can rotate your rug every few months, or invest in foam exercise tiles to spare your hardwood floors.

Here’s a pro tip. “To motivate yourself to enter and remain in your exercise environment, make it pleasant and inviting,” says sports psychologist Mark H. Anshel, Ph.D. I’m taking his advice by painting the walls in a pretty, energizing color like peach. It should do wonders for my mood when I exercise.

Change your diet too
Some of the more advanced DVD programs offer menus and an eating plan, and I am happy to take advantage of the free advice. I love that I don’t have to decide what to eat since it’s all mapped out for me. For example, both P90X and TurboFire offer three meals and two snacks a day, and multiple options for each. With TurboFire, I get 50 pages of recipes, all based on a 1,500-calorie plan. There are weight loss tips, such as how to track your calories, understand food labels and break a weight loss plateau. And P90X has more than one nutrition plan. I can choose whether it’s more important to me to shred fat and build muscle, boost my energy or maximize my endurance.

Get the right gear
To find out what equipment you need, you’ll want to skim through the user manual that comes with most DVD programs, or watch the first five minutes of the video. Amazon reviews are especially useful, because you can find information on what equipment is necessary, what’s optional, and where you might get items on the cheap.

My current setup consists of a yoga mat and blocks that I purchased from Lululemon, and a pair of Powerblock dumbbells that I got for half off the retail price on Craigslist. I also ordered a set of resistance bands from Amazon. They can be used to replace small hand weights and don’t take up much room. And since I do dance-based exercise routines, I have a pair of jazz shoes to help me slide and twist.

Altogether, I’ve spent about $300 on equipment. It’s steep, but still cheaper than paying for a gym membership every year.

Dress to sweat! 
It’s tempting to start working out in whatever you happen to be wearing, such as pajamas and bare feet. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about using exercise DVD’s, it’s that it’s always best to get dressed as if I’m going to the gym.

Wearing sneakers actually makes it easier to do jumping jacks, lunges and leg lifts. Since they cushion my feet and give me a better grip on the floor, I’ll last longer and do more reps, giving me a better shot at actually finishing my routine. Equally important is a good sports bra, to prevent bounce when you start jumping around. And if you do yoga, I recommend wearing a top that doesn’t gape open when you do the down dog.

Still not convinced? Dr. Anshel says that workout clothes “reflect your commitment to perform at optimal levels and have motivational value.” This means it’s a lot easier to jump in and do your exercises if you change as soon as you get home from work.

Here’s another lazy-girl trick. If you’re an early-morning exerciser, you can wear your gym clothes to sleep. The next day, you can pop out of bed, scrunch your hair into a ponytail, and hit the “Play” button on your DVD player.

Practice patience
It can be frustrating to have to learn a new series of moves, especially if it’s a dance or aerobics routine. But in real life, you can’t ask your fitness instructor to stop the class and show you those moves just one more time. The beauty of using fitness videos is that you can stop and rewind as many times you need.

When I get frustrated, I like to take a deep breath and concentrate on getting the steps down. Most of the time, I’ll discover there are only a few moves that are repeated several times. And if that isn’t the case, I can choose whether to persist or downgrade to an easier video. That’s always an option so don’t give up!

A Head-to-Toe Workout with Just One Move!

In this day and age it’s all about multitasking, and let’s face it–women are  the best at it. On any given day I might be running errands, taking my son to a mommy-and-me class, or filming a workout segment. All the while I’m brainstorming for my next Health blog, planning a date with my hubby, and scarfing down a quick lunch.

It’s a fast paced world we live in, and like it or not, I couldn’t get it all done without doing multiple things at once. So why not multitask your workout? We often get hung up on isolating each body part, squeezing in some quick ab workor dedicating a full gym session to lower body. That’s all well and good, but why not get the best bang for your buck by engaging your entire body in a single workout move?

That’s where the Suicide Row with Burpee comes into play…

Suicide Row with Burpee 

1. Kick back into plank. Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart holding two hand weights down at your sides. Bending at the knees, place the weights on the floor, and kick your legs back into plank position. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders and your abs are engaged to keep your body tight in one straight line.

2. Pushup. Keep those abs tight and lower yourself to the ground until your arms are at a 90 degree angle. Push up!

3. Alternate row. Next comes the alternate row. Drive your right elbow up and back, keeping your arm tight to your body. Return to plank position, and row on your left side. If you’re having a hard time balancing, you can always widen your stance for more support.

4. Overhead press. After your rows, jump your feet up to your hands, and stand up. As you stand, press your hand weights up over your head. Extend your arms all the way to the ceiling, and then return them to neutral standing position.

Phew! I can feel the burn just reading this. The Suicide Row with Burpee works your entire body, serving as cardio in addition to strength training. Try doing 30 reps, or if you’re feeling adventurous, set a time goal for yourself and see how many you can do in 3 minutes. Five minutes? Ten minutes? You’re an animal!