Tag: fitness

THE WEDDING PLANNER – STRESS, AN UNINVITED GUEST

When you’re the wedding planner, stress is often an uninvited guest, especially when the wedding planner is a book worm and uncomfortable in her new role. It is common knowledge that stress always accompanies a role that is outside your comfort zone and it is critical to learn how to help alleviate it for a healthier you. There are quite a few methods to help reduce stress, but since this is the start of a new year with the desire to shed those unwanted holiday pounds, the first method we’ll discuss is exercise.

fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful, weight control, weight loss
Team Diane Workout
Getting Fit – Take It Up a Notch

In a previous post, I mentioned that a friend and physical therapist, Diane Foley together with her long time workout buddy, Karen, took me on as their project. With the upcoming wedding and the related stress, they took it up a notch to make me “one hot mama” for the wedding. My workout routine was changed out every two to three months, and I shared one of those routines in previous posts as well as stretches to help avoid the potential pain from sitting. To give you a one-stop shop to for the stretches and entire workout, I provided the links below for your convenience.

The workout routine takes two paths — one for the advanced and the other for the newbie. A detailed description of each exercise is provided along with photos. Remember it is very important to always check with your physician before making any changes to your healthcare regime. And, if anything hurts, STOP immediately!

Body Beautiful – Weight Control & Exercise
health and wellness, weight control, energy balance, take charge, motivation, exercise, portion control, maintenance
It’s All about Health and Wellness — 5 lb Human Fat Model

At the start of the summer, I provided a single source with links to my earlier articles geared toward helping you achieve your weight control and exercise goals. That’s still a great place to start!

Fitness: Moving to the Next Level

My personal journey begins with Diane and Karen.

fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful
Fitness: Moving to the Next Level — Making a Difference
Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch!

Rules of the workout are presented as well as the first set of stations: the warm up.

Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch! Part 2
Fitness, workout, weights, weight control, body, weight loss, zucchini, routine, exercise, weight lifting, cardio
Reverse Flies on Ball for the Newbie & Advanced

Check out the next station:

  • Flies On Ball
  • Reverse Flies On Ball
Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch – Part 3
exercise, workout, weight lifting, strength building exercises
Tricep Extensions
Taking It Up A Notch Part 3

Keep moving with:

  • Side Step On 8 Inch Step
  • Tricep Extension
  • Lunge with Bicep Curl
Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch – Part 4
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk
Doing More than Staying Alive!

Remember, there are two paths — one for the more advanced and the other for the newbie!

  • Plank Walk and Straddle Jump
  • Burpy
  • Side Lunge with Diagonal Reach (Saturday Night Fever Move)
Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch – Part 5
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
Oblique Sit-Ups
Getting Fit

The last station before you begin your new set:

  • Oblique Sit-Ups
  • Hamstring Curl On the Ball
  • Bridge
  • Bicycle Abdominal Crunch

 

 

Did this exercise routine help alleviate my stress? Absolutely! Was I “one hot mama” for the wedding? You be the judge — beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What’s important was that I felt great, danced the night away, and enjoyed every moment! Stay tuned for the next article, The Wedding Planner — The Date.

Health, exercise, stress, wedding, wedding planner, workout, weights, warmups, warm-ups, stretches, burpy, advanced, newbie, rules of the workout, fitness, getting fit, curls, weights, sit-ups, crunches, stress reliever
The Wedding Planner – Beauty Is In the Eye of the Beholder

What exercises alleviates your stress?

(c) 2018, Karen Van Den Heuvel

Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch – Part 5

Getting Fit: Take It Up A Notch Part 5 is the last in this particular workout session with our physical therapist Diane Foley. It’s been an exciting journey from start to finish for me. Clearly I’ve gotten stronger and just may reach my goal of being one “hot mama” for the wedding!

Before you start any exercise routine or change your health care regime, please see your physician to make sure you are able, and if anything hurts when you do it, STOP IMMEDIATELY!

physical therapist, Diane Foley
Diane Foley, Physical Therapist

Check out the Workout Rules in the first of the series and for quick links to the other exercises, here are the links to Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

Let’s get started on Diane’s final 3 exercises:

12. Oblique Sit-Ups
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
Oblique Sit-Ups
Getting Fit

Advanced: Lie on your right side with hips and knees bent slightly. Place your left hand in front of your body on the ground while keeping your right hand under your head. Perform an abdominal crunch by raising your legs and shoulders up off the ground at the same time, hold for 1 second and return down to the beginning position. Perform each side for 30 seconds.

Newbie: Standing Side Crunch: Stand with your arms overhead. Lift the right knee sideways while doing a right side bend. Try and touch the right elbow to the right knee. Hold for 1 second in the air and return to the beginning position. Perform each side for 30 seconds.

13. Hamstring Curl on the Ball
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
Hamstring Curls on Ball

Advanced: Position yourself on your back with your hands by your side on the ground for support. Place a 55 inch ball under your calves and lift your bottom up in the air until your body is straight. Bend your knees and roll the ball towards your bottom until your knees are fully bent. Now roll the ball away while straightening the legs. Be sure to keep your bottom up and abdominals tight while rolling the ball. Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.

getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
Hamstring Curls on Ball
Getting Fit
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
The Bridge
Getting Fit

Newbie: Bridge with Ball Squeeze: Lye on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the ground. Place a kickball between your knees and squeeze the ball. While squeezing the ball, raise your bottom up as far as your can. Hold the bottom squeeze for 1 second and then lower to the beginning position. Repeat for 30 seconds. Be sure to squeeze the ball between your knees the entire time.

14. Bicycle Abdominal Crunch:

Advanced: Lie on your back with your hands behind your head with the right leg bent and the left leg straight (like your riding a bicycle). Lift your head and shoulders off the ground and rotate your body to the right. Try to touch the left elbow to your right knee. This is an abdominal crunch. Hold this crunch for 1 second and then bend the left knee and straighten the right leg and rotate left. Try to touch the right elbow to the left knee. It is okay if you can’t touch the elbow to the knee. This is normal. Perform exercise for 30 seconds.

Newbie: Perform the same exercise however keep both knees bent in the air. Be sure to breath while performing this exercise. Perform exercise for 30 seconds.

Now you’ve got the entire routine. Let me know your results. Diane, Karen, and I have started our next session with a new series of exercises. It’s even higher intensity. Stay tuned… .

getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, oblique sit-ups
Getting Fit
Come Join Us!

What is your favorite exercise?

GETTING FIT – TAKE IT UP A NOTCH – PART 4

The holidays are fast approaching. How are you doing at getting fit and taking it up a notch? This is part 4 of our workout series with Diane and Karen. I’m real excited about the progress I’ve made. To be honest, I couldn’t imagine being stronger now than I was in my twenties, but I am!

physical therapist, Diane Foley
Diane Foley, Physical Therapist

Before you make any changes to your health care routine, I just want to remind you to please check with your health care professional to made sure you can! If it hurts, STOP IMMEDIATELY!!

The Workout Rules are found in the first article in the series Getting Fit – Take It Up a Notch. Both Part 2 and Part 3 brought us 3 new exercises each. Now let’s get started with the next 3 exercises from Diane… .

9. Plank Walk and Straddle Jump:
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk
Plank Walk
Getting Fit

Advanced: Assume push up position with hands and feet on the ground. Walk your hands down to your forearms one at a time, then come back up to your hands one at a time. Alternate hands going up and down. Perform exercise for 30 seconds. Next, in push up position, jump into a straddle and then jump your feet back together. Perform exercise for 30 seconds.

Newbie: Assume push up position with feet on the ground and hands on the table. You may want to put towel on the table to protect your hands. Be sure to keep your body straight and your abdominals tight. Perform the hand walking (as stated above) for 30 seconds. Jump straddle and together with the feet (as stated above) for 30 seconds.

10. Burpy
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk, burpy
Burpy Pushup On Bosu
Getting Fit: Taking It Up A Notch

Advanced: In standing position, reach down and place your hands on the ground. Jump feet back in to a push up position (body straight with abdominals tight; optional: do a pushup). Jump feet forward to just behind your hands and stand up with arms overhead. Perform exercise for 30 seconds.
If you want a bigger challenge, you can do this exercise on a bosu. Place Bosu (half a ball with one flat side and one round side) about 6 inches in front of your feet with the flat side up. Reach down and put hands on outer edges of the bosu, jump feet back and assume push up position. Jump feet forward and stand up with arms overhead.

Newbie: Assume the push up position with your hands on a table and your feet on the ground. Perform push ups keeping body straight and abdominals tight.

11. Side Lunge with Diagonal Reach (Saturday Night Fever Move)
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising, burly, abdominal exercises, Saturday Night Fever, plank walk
Doing More than Staying Alive!

Advanced and Newbie: Lunge sideways with the right leg bent and the left leg straight. (Optional: you can place the right bent leg on a bosu.) Reach down with your left hand and touch your right foot. Bring arm up across the body and reach up to the left.Point your finger and imagine you are doing the John Travolta Saturday Night Fever dance! You can look at your left hand while performing this exercise. This will challenge your balance a little more. Perform each side for 30 seconds.

If you can play the music while you do this exercise it’s even better! Next week is our last in this series, but it won’t be over. Every few months Diane changes out our routines, so once you get this one down, we’ll change it out for you — it keeps it interesting!

What’s your favorite exercise so far? Which do you dread?

GETTING FIT – TAKE IT UP A NOTCH – PART 3

Are you ready to continue to take it up a notch! I am! Part 3 is a continuation of our workout session and these ladies are doing wonders with me! As a book worm with limited athletic prowess, I never developed visible muscles. I always exercised whether it was hiking, dancing, swimming or playing tennis, but that’s pretty much where it ended. As we get older, strength training is important for our bones, balance, and overall fitness.

fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful, weight control, weight loss
Team Diane Workout
Getting Fit – Take It Up a Notch

When I started working out with Diane and Karen, I was only at one pound weights. Although minimal, it was where I was to ensure I did not hurt myself. I am happy to report that I am now using 5 pound weights! Not only can you see my triceps, but my biceps and back muscles as well! Yes!! If I can do it, just about anyone can, but before starting anything new, please check with your physician to make sure you can. And if anything hurts, STOP IMMEDIATELY!

physical therapist, Diane Foley
Diane Foley, Physical Therapist

Remember the Rules of the Workout before you begin in Getting Fit – Taking It Up A Notch.

These next three exercises are a part of our current session written by Diane Foley, Physical Therapist.

6. Side Step On 8 Inch Step:
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising
Getting Fit:
Side Step Up

Advanced: Take a side step up onto an 8 inch step with each foot. Slowly step down one leg at a time.

Newbie: Stand up tall, slowly lift one foot to the side and touch your toes on an 8 inch step. Slowly return to the beginning position. Work on your balance and progress to stepping up onto a low (3 to 5 inch) step.

7. Tricep Extension
exercise, workout, weight lifting, strength building exercises
Tricep Extensions
Taking It Up A Notch Part 3

Advanced: Begin by kneeling on the ground with your body balancing on your knees and your body bent slightly forward. Grab weights in each hand, place your arms by your side with your elbows fully bent. Weights should be up by your shoulders. While bent forward and keeping your elbows by your side, slowly straighten your arms extending the weights behind you. Hold for one second and return to the beginning position.

Newbie: While kneeling on the ground (balancing on your shins instead of your knees) and bending slightly forward, do the exact same exercise.

8. Lunge with Bicep Curl
getting fit, weight control, bicep curls, lunges, tricep extensions, strength training, weight lifting, fitness, exercising
Karen the Newbie
Squat Bicep Curl

Advanced: Begin in the standing position, holding weights by your side.. Step forward and lunge until your back knee touches the ground slightly. Push back with the front leg to the beginning position and switch sides. While lunging forward, bend elbows and curl the hand weights up to your shoulders. Bring the weights back down to the beginning position when you push your front leg back to the beginning position. If it is too difficult coordinating the arms and legs, then you can do the bicep curl between lunges.

Note: Be sure to keep the front knee in line or behind the front foot when lunging forward. Bending the knee past your front foot places too much stress on the knee and can cause injury.

Newbie: Perform the lunge with bicep curl as stated above, however, limit the amount of knee bend to tolerance and perform the bicep curls between lunges. An alternative to the lunge is the squat.

Stay tuned for the next exercises and ENJOY THE RESULTS!

What is your motivation?

GETTING FIT — TAKE IT UP A NOTCH!

Getting fit… . Are you ready to take it up a notch? In my last article, Fitness — Moving to the Next Level, I shared a little bit about my background and these wonderful ladies who took me on as their project (yes, in this case, instead of completing the project, I am the project). With Physical Therapist, Diane Foley, I will share two paths — one for the newbie (that’s me), and the other for the more advanced. As a reminder, please talk to your physician before making any changes to your regular health care routine. If anything you do hurts, please STOP immediately! The purpose of this series is to move our fitness to the next level and improve our health, not detract from it.

physical therapist, Diane Foley
Diane Foley, Physical Therapist
Rules of the workout:
  • Frequency: 2-3 times a week. Take 2 days off between workouts to give your muscles time to recover.
  • Time: one minute on each station (unless otherwise noted)
  • Intensity: Pick a weight that you can lift for the entire minute and is moderately difficult on the last repetition. The weight may be very light for some of the exercises. This is okay!
First Set of Stations:
fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful, weight control, weight loss
Getting Fit – Karen on the Elliptical
  1. Ride a stationary bike or elliptical (for advanced and newbies). If you do not have access to either, march in place at a quick pace making sure you bring your legs up high enough to hit your hands as you hold your arms at the elbow straight out at a 90 degree angle.
fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful, weight control, weight loss
Getting Fit: Diane – Wall Squat with Overhead Lift

2. Wall Squat:

  • Newbie: Using a large exercise ball, place the ball between your lower back and the wall while move your feet comfortably away from the wall. Slide into a squat moving up and down, keeping the knees behind the toes. Hold each squat for 5 seconds and return to beginning position.
  • Advanced: Do the Wall Squat as noted above, however, add weights and lift overhead on the way up.
    fitness, exercise, aerobic exercise, weights, body beautiful, weight control, weight loss
    Getting Fit: Karen – Wall Squat with Overhead Lift

    The first exercise is more like a warm up to get things going. What is your favorite exercise to get that heart rate up?

Stay tuned for next week’s article with the second set. Because this series makes up an entire workout routine, these articles will be published weekly rather than biweekly.