Here is some information about the various martial arts, to help you decide which program you would enjoy the most:

Karate: focuses a lot on powerful kicking and punching.  Karate involves learning to respect yourself and your abilities – and learning to respect others.  Karate students learn discipline, which makes it a good martial arts program for children and teenagers, too.

Taekwondo: involves a lot of energetic movements, including high kicks.  Taekwondo will build strength and cardiovascular fitness at the same time, as well as improve your flexibility, but you may need a moderate to strong fitness level in order to begin a training program in Taekwondo.

Kung Fu: who doesn’t think of the Kung Fu Panda or Bruce Lee’s movies when you hear “Kung Fu”?  There are numerous styles of Kung Fu and you don’t need to start with a high level of fitness because as you continue to practice, your fitness, flexibility and level of strength will improve at the same time.

Judo: involves fighting with throws and take downs, and even choke and strangle moves.  You might want to check with a doctor before beginning Judo, if you have brittle bones or bruise easily.  Many children get involved at beginner levels of Judo because they love the rough and tumble action!

Kickboxing: combines boxing with Karate elements.  You don’t have to be in amazing shape to start out because as you train with kickboxing moves, the stronger you will become and your overall fitness level will improve as you go.   Kickboxing involves both close proximity fighting movements as well as long range kicks and punches.

Tai Chi: focuses on meditative breathing, similar to Yogoa, combined with Kung Fu routines that are performed slowly.  Anyone of any fitness level and age can learn and practice Tai Chi, and the movements will not put your body under stress.

As a beginner considering using a martial art program as your primary fitness program, you may want to try a few different types before making your decision.  You want to choose a program that works for you and that will keep you interested in order to give you better odds of staying with the program and getting the most benefit out of it.

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•    Body Composition- Many people confuse body composition with body weight or body fat.  In reality your body composition is actually defined as the percentage of fat, bone and muscle in your body.  In relation to physical fitness, the amount of fat compared to bone and muscle is measured to determine body fat percentage and overall health.  Too much body fat increases the chances of illness and disease.  Conversely men and women who have too little body fat risk decreased exercise performance and severe health complications.  The ideal body fat percentage varies by individual based on gender, age, body type and heredity.  Finding the level that is right for you is an important factor in determining overall health and fitness.

•   Muscular Strength and Endurance-  Strength and endurance are two separate components both of which contribute to physical fitness.  Your muscular strength is your ability to life or exert maximum force in a single effort.  Increase muscle strength through weight or strength training which increases muscle mass.  This increases your body’s capacity to burn calories which aids in weight loss and lowering your body fat ratio.  Muscular endurance on the other hand does not measure how “much” you can lift or move rather how “long” you can perform repetitive actions.  Both strength and endurance are important in maintaining healthy fitness levels.

•    Aerobic Endurance- While muscle endurance is needed for your muscles to perform repetitive actions, aerobic (cardiorespiratory) endurance is needed to perform physical activity and sports.  Specifically aerobic endurance is determined by the ability of your heart to move oxygenated blood through your body and to working muscles.  People with little or no aerobic endurance tire quickly when performing simple daily tasks such as climbing a flight of stairs or playing with their children.  Increase you aerobic endurance or stamina through regular exercise.  As your fitness level increases you will have to intensify or vary your workout to gain the maximum benefit.

•    Flexibility-  Defined as the ability to move your joints or muscles through their full range of motion.  Your flexibility is determined by a number of factors including joint structure, age, activity level, body composition and strength of opposing muscle groups.  This ability is one of the components of physical fitness and needed to perform day to day activities and enjoy an active lifestyle.

As you can see there are several factors that determine you level of physical fitness.  By eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise you will look and feel better while reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Spice Things Up
If you do the same thing over and over again it is natural to become bored with your routine.  Spice up your workouts by adding some variety.  If you regularly go to the gym, consider taking your workout outside or vice versa.  By challenging your body and your mind with new activities you are less likely to become bored and you will increase your motivation to get your daily dose of exercise.  Keep in mind staying fit doesn’t always require traditional exercise.  On of the benefits of being in shape is the ability to participate in various sports or activities.  Swimming, biking or a game of tennis are great ways to get moving while breaking from from your normal workout regimen.

Find A Workout Partner
Having a buddy to work out with is often a great motivational tool.  Just having someone to talk to can make the time go quicker and add fun to your fitness routine.  If your workout schedule does not jive with that of your friends or spouse, you can always sign up for a new class at your local gym or join an adult sports team.

By making a few changes to your daily routine you will likely rediscover the enthusiasm you had when you began working out.  Sometimes it helps to look back at how far you have come and the progress you have made to remain motivated to get up and get moving.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Physical Benefits
•    Circulation-  Yoga practices can improve the health of your organs, skin and brain by improving blood circulation which is vital to the delivery of nutrients and oxygen throughout your body.
•    Higher Pain Tolerance-  People who practice yoga regularly tend to have a higher tolerance for pain.  In some cases back pain or other chronic pain is lessened through yoga.

•    Lowers Blood Pressure-  Frequent yoga practice can lower your blood pressure by improving circulation and flow of oxygen throughout the body.
•    Improved Posture-  The practice of yoga and the poses associated with this practice teach participants how to hold and control their body.  This results in better posture.
•    Better Metabolism-  Yoga has been linked to increased metabolism which helps control hunger and help practitioners maintain a healthy weight.
•    Strength-  Yoga can be a great method of strength training due to the fact that you are using your own body weight as resistance.
•    Increased Flexibility-  Yoga positions require use of muscles and joints that are often overlooked in traditional exercise.  People often believe they are not flexible enough to practice yoga when in fact the practice itself promotes increased flexibility.

Mental Benefits
•    Reduce Stress-  Yoga requires concentration which makes it easier to let your day-to-day life go while practicing yoga.  This can result in less stress overall for people who practice yoga.
•    Positive Outlook-  The combination of both physical and mental awareness increases the ability to view the world in a more positive light.
•    Memory-  When you combine improved circulation- bringing more blood to your brain, reduced stress and increased ability to focus, your memory will improve.
•    Body-mind connection-  The very nature of yoga promotes unity between body, mind and spirit. For this reason people who practice yoga feel a sense of calm and peace that other exercises do not achieve.

As you can see, the benefits of yoga can improve your life in many ways.  Yoga appeals to many people who typically would not be interested in other forms of exercise because it does not discriminate between young and old or level of fitness.  More importantly the practice of yoga strives to create balance in all areas of your life which most of us desperately need.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

How To Get Everyone On Board
The age and fitness levels of your family will determine which activities are best to get started on the path to a healthier lifestyle.  A great way to get your family interested in participating in family exercise would be a healthy living board.  You can collect articles, tips and motivational stores that will educate your family and stress the importance of exercise and fitness.

Steps To Get Your Family Moving
With a little creativity you can motivate your family to incorporate fitness into their daily schedule.  The following tips can get you started.

• Family Fitness Night-  Designate one evening per week for family fitness.  A different person can design the workout each week, planning an activity that you all can do together.  By taking turns selecting activities everyone has the chance to contribute their own ideas which can make your workouts enjoyable while providing variety which keeps things interesting.

• Combine Exercise and Chores-  With many families having little or no time to fit another activity in their already busy schedule, you can combine exercise with other household chores.  You can break up the monotony of housework while getting fit which is a win-win for most families.

• Professional Help-  For some families hiring a personal trainer to help them get started may provide the needed structure and motivation to get moving.  A personal trainer can design a program for each individual based on his/her fitness goals.

• Make It Fun- Many families will benefit from getting outside and participating in “play” exercise.  There are endless activities your family can participate in that won’t feel like exercise.  Consider swimming, hiking, biking or skating.  Playing a game of basketball, tennis or tag football will get hearts pumping and bodies moving without the “stress” that is often associated with having to workout.  Invite other families to join in your activities or join a YMCA to find like minded people interested in health and fitness.

• Track Your Progress-  By tracking the progress of each member of the family you have a visual reminder of how much (or how little) progress you have made.  Have individual and family goals you wish to achieve and rewards when those goals are met.

When you make the decision to incorporate health and fitness into you family life you reduce the risk of many diseases associated with obesity.  Both you and your children will feel better and everyone will get a lesson in setting goals, discipline and most of all the importance of doing things together as a family.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

•    Skipping The Preliminaries-  It would seem like everyone is in a hurry these days.  This is true for people trying to grasp a quick during the day.  Don’t convince yourself that skipping the warm up period is a waste of time.  You need to give your body a transition period into exercise; time to warm up and stretch and “get ready” to work out.  This is true for the cooling down period as well, if you are going to take the time to exercise you might as well give yourself the few minutes required to help avoid injury.

•    Not Having A Plan- As with any other goal in life that you are working toward you must have a plan to get there.  If you think you will squeeze in exercise here or there without having a workout schedule that fits into your lifestyle you will quickly find out how easy it is to put off exercising until another day.  Pencil your exercise into your daily planner the same as you would a dentist appointment or PTA meeting and you are more likely to stick to the program.

•    Expecting Progress Overnight-  When you begin working on a new diet or fitness plan you are eager to see if it is working, right?  Do not expect to see results overnight, regardless of how much you wish you could see the pounds drop off or the muscles tone it is not something that happens quickly.  In order to reap the positive benefits from exercise you must stick to it, make it part of your lifestyle.  Do not give up if you do not see instant improvements, getting and keeping your body fit takes time.

•    Trying Too Hard- Many people would say there is never a time you shouldn’t give it your best and they are right. You should always give your best however that is different than trying to hard.  If you expect 100% perfection in either you diet or exercise routine you are setting yourself up for failure.  There are going to be days when you “slip” on your diet or don’t feel like going to the gym.  As long as you can accept them for what they are and move on it will likely not spell disaster for your overall fitness.  Instead of experiencing the guilt of making a mistake, built them into your routine.  Allow yourself room to indulge in a treat here and there or have a day off and you won’t feel so bad when you realize you are not perfect.

While there are many levels of fitness you may try to achieve, it is important to remember that every effort you put forward should result in positive changes.  If you are trying to lose weight, become more fit or stave off hereditary health issues make sure you are getting the most from

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Here’s how to speed up your metabolism and accelerate weight loss:

Metabolism is the process in your body of breaking down fats, carbohydrates and proteins to give your body energy.  The speed of your metabolism depends on a number of things, from your genetic makeup, to the number of calories you consume versus the number of calories you burn when exercising.  Since you can’t do anything about your genetic makeup, the best way to speed up your metabolism is to make your body require more energy so that it burns more calories.
A body burns fat when it’s exercising, but of course it is quite impossible to exercise all day long – particularly if you have to do some work and that work is done from behind a desk!  Your body will continue to burn calories about an hour and a half after you exercise or lift weights, and sometimes up to a full 24 hours after an intense workout.  Lift weights that are heavier than usual (without hurting yourself!) and your body will use more energy to repair the small, normal muscle tears that occur with the increase in strength training.  To maximize calories that your body burns after exercising, integrate a high intensity interval followed by a moderate intensity interval of exercise – for example, walk for 3 minutes followed by an all-out run for 30 seconds, followed by another 3 minutes of walking.  You’ll increase your calorie burning using this method of exercise.

When you increase the muscle mass of your body, you require more calories to maintain yourself.  So every pound of muscle burns 50 more calories without effort.

Metabolism will be increased when you eat foods that require energy to digest.  Proteins are a great option for increasing metabolism since your body will burn twice as many calories digesting proteins than it does digesting fatty foods or carbohydrates.

Finally, don’t forget to get enough sleep!  Numerous research studies have shown that a lack of sleep can decrease the number of calories your body burns when resting.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

The highly sought after Wii Fit may be just what you need to keep your workout interesting.  The exercises will help you work up a sweat, build strength and improve your balance and posture – and all while playing an entertaining video game.  For die-hard fitness buffs, you’re probably not going to get the same level workout that you would get at the gym, but if you just need a way to make exercise fun again – this is an option you might want to consider.

Wii Fit Encourages Couch Potatoes to Get Moving

While the Wii Fit may not be the solution to a bodybuilder’s needs, it works exceptionally well for individuals who are just getting into exercising after a period of falling out of shape.  The hardest part about any fitness program is getting starting and sticking to it and this video game is one way of making it fun enough that people who are out of shape and dread getting started might find it easier to begin a weight loss and fitness program – and even stick with it.

In addition to being entertaining, the system keeps track of your progress which is very motivating.  When you first set up your “mii” to play the game, it will weigh you and calculate your BMI (Body  Mass Index).  Every day you are supposed to do a quick body test to judge your progress.  If you lose or gain weight, it will chart it for you, and keeps track of your BMI changes as well.  There is also an area to add fitness and activities that you do outside of the game, to keep a running log of all exercise and activities you do daily.

There are games to improve your balance, strengthen your core muscles and overall body strength, aerobics to get your heart rate up and burn calories, and yoga exercises.  Everything starts out at a basic level that people of all fitness abilities can learn proper and safe movements – and as you put in the minutes of exercise and start mastering the challenges presented by the games, you begin unlocking other exercises and more advanced games.

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.

Pilates includes over 500 exercises which can be done on a mat or using equipment that was invested by Joseph Pilates. There are exercises within each of three levels for beginners, intermediate and advanced students of Pilates.

The benefits of Pilates are many, both when it’s used as your health and fitness program and when used to rehabilitate individuals with poor backs, knees, and other problem areas of the body. Some of the benefits of Pilates include:

Strengthening Muscles Without Bulking-Up

Body builders want to get the “muscle man” look, and look forward to bulging arms and muscles that are clearly defined. Bulking-up comes from workouts with repetitions. For most people though, particularly women, the goal is to be stronger, but with a longer, leaner appearance. Pilates does not rely on repetition, and rather than focusing on one muscle group at a time the way a typical work-out does, it involves the whole body.

Strengthens Your Body Core

A strong center is key to balance, good posture, and gracefulness. Pilates strengthens your back and abdomen muscles, and improves your gracefulness. The awareness of your body gained through Pilates will cause you to naturally sit up straighter, carry yourself with more grace and have better balance overall.

Work Out Your Mind

Pilates is not just for your body and muscles; it also serves as a work out for your mind, similar to Yoga or Tai Chi. The movements you participate in with Pilates involve smooth and precise positioning which requires you to be more mindful of your body. You focus on your breath and how it moves through your body.

Pilates has been proven to reduce stress levels, lift people out of depression and decrease anxiety issues. The connection between the mind and body is fundamental to practicing Pilates.

Prevents Bodily Injury

A stronger body helps prevent many common injuries. Because Pilates focuses on strengthening the entire body and not just specific muscle groups, your body is more balanced and strength as a whole. There is less risk for under developed muscles in certain areas of the body that aren’t worked out as often as the rest of your body in a traditional work out, and therefore the risk for injury decreases. The body becomes more fluid in it’s movements.

Additional Benefits of Pilates Include:
• Increased range of motion by joints
• Increased coordination
• Back pain relief
• Improved mobility and stamina
• Improved flexibility
• Improved body appearance
• Overall health conditions improve

© 2009, FIT FOR EVER. All rights reserved.