Not be mistaken with planking—the strange fad where a person lies face down in an unusual place and is photographed—planking exercises are a great way to improve stability and strength in your abdominal muscles. The basic plank is to start by lying on your stomach. Lift your body up, resting on your forearms and toes. Your body should be in a straight line…no butt up in the air and no curving of the back. Keep your head relaxed and look at the floor. Hold the position for 10 seconds. As you progress with this exercise, you can hold the position … Continue reading →

I am in the final segment of my “The Benefits of…” series. I am ending today with the benefits of a fitness ball, otherwise known as a stability ball. Now I am about to paint a really scary picture for you. Actually, it was mostly scary to my nephew who was about 4 years old when it happened. My first experience with one of these oversized balls was when I was giving birth to my youngest son (who is now 12). I had to sit on one of these to move my labor along. I will never forget my nephew’s … Continue reading →

Pilates has become a very popular type of exercise over the years. Today we are going to be looking at the benefits to it. Ever been told to tuck in that stomach, or to stand up straight? One of the benefits to pilates is becoming more aware of your posture. This is whether you are sitting, standing or moving. The focus is on your core. You need a strong core in order to have better posture. But a stronger core can also prevent injuries, along with aches and pains of all sorts. Now if you are looking to have a … Continue reading →

We have been looking at the benefits to different types of exercises. Today we will be talking about core body exercises, which focus on your abdomen going down to your lower torso. Although your abdominal muscles don’t contribute much to core stability, the reality is that any core muscle which isn’t conditioned or strengthened could increase the risk of injuries and discomfort. Strengthening your body overall is important to a fitness routine, so focusing on the core body should be part of it. Your core body includes your abdomen, hips and buttocks. One of the best types of exercise equipment … Continue reading →

In today’s blog we are going to be looking at the benefits of strength training. This form of exercise is a combination of flexibility exercises and cardio. Although weights are a part of it, there is much more to it. One of the greatest benefits, physique-wise, is that strength training tones your body, adding definition to your muscles. Overall body strength is the focus. Strength training consists of movement and non-movement. For instance with movement, this is when you contract your muscles through a range of motion (an example would be weight training). Non-movement strength training is when you contract … Continue reading →

In my last blog I talked about the benefits of cardio, something I have recently incorporated more of into my fitness routine. Despite wanting to spend more of my fitness regimen doing cardio (with my biggest goal right now being to lose weight), I know that I also need flexibility exercises. Flexibility exercises have many benefits. Perhaps you are like me when it’s time to stretch. You sit down on your bottom, stretch your legs out in front of you and attempt to reach your toes. Notice the word “attempt.” I can’t do that…yet. But with flexibility exercises, my body … Continue reading →

In a rush to get on with my day, I used to always skip stretching exercises. I just wanted to get in my routine and move on. These days I always make sure that I stretch. Perhaps it’s my age that has awakened me to the necessity of it. But whatever the reason, I have come to see the importance of it. As you age, so do your joints, which in turn affect your flexibility. Stretching can help improve your range of motion. It can make movement easier. Stretching is also important because it reduces the risk of being injured … Continue reading →