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Gyms have their positive points: they are convenient, house lots of equipment, and often have childcare available to parents who need to tote their tots to the gym (this includes yours truly). Gyms also can offer a range of fitness classes and most  have personal trainers on staff. If you're not a huge fan of going to the gym however, and would like to try something different, check out these fun alternatives... Stroller Fit® SF targets the  “mommy muscles” – those muscles used during  labor and delivery, and post-partum, and basically every day thereafter. Moms have a chance to get ......
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Maybe you've been on a workout train for some time, diligently going to the gym and happily taking your dose of cardio and weight training, maybe even a few classes too just to challenge yourself. Perhaps you've been on this train, per se, for years, then all of a sudden, you're okay with missing a workout, then two. The idea of going to the gym or out the door for a jog becomes a chore, when it was once something you enjoyed. Have you been there? Are you there now? If so, read on... I think I can help. True, I am a trainer, but at heart, I'm really a fitness buff and have been since college. ......
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Because I love yoga, and Pilates, but am by no means a guru of either practice, I felt compelled to pass along some helpful resources so that you can learn more. Yoga is one of those activities that evolves as you evolve. The yoga you do today will not be the same yoga you do a year from now, and your body won't likely be the same body either (note: this is a good thing - Yoga evens 'things' out, balances muscles, massages the joints, just all-around good stuff ;0). I've learned through my own yoga/Pilates journey that there is always something new to learn.  That said, here are some fabulous......
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Even though I have addressed this topic before (a-hem, at least twice before), I'm circling back because A) I keep getting asked, "I did strength training today, what should I do tomorrow?" and B) I keep getting asked, "Is it okay to do both strength training and cardio on the same day?" If you want to cut to the chase, check out: "Cardiovascular or Weight Training: Which should come first?" Otherwise, stay right here, 'cause I'm about to WOW you with...pretty much the same thing I said before. ;0) Here's the thing - you need to know what it is you want to get out of your workouts. Are you try......
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You have probably heard about Pilates, or possibly know someone who talks of "reformers, chairs, straps, pulleys" (and other contraptions), and silently wonder, "what the heck is Pilates anyway?" The Pilates Method (or simply Pilates) was developed in Germany in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. The core-strengthening and posture-improving benefits of regular practice have helped the Pilates Method develop a loyal following of faithful participants in recent years. The aesthetic benefits of regular practice can be seen on the physiques of famous devotees, such as Madonna and Gwyneth Pa......
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Just the other day, I overhead a couple of women at my gym complaining that they weren’t able to sign up for two cardio machines side-by-side. The dilemma, it appeared, wasn’t that there were no cardio machines available, just not two next together, so they wouldn’t be able to pass the time gabbing. I understand that talking seems to make time pass without notice, however, if you are able to carry on such a conversation while you’re “exercising,” you aren’t working out all that hard. And here is reason #467 – why I loathe the gym – there is too much talking going on and not enough exercising. Back to my original point – if exercising and talking must occur as a package deal, why not go outside and take a long walk? When the gym is crowded, hot, noisy, and unproductive – make the world your gym instead. Think about it – anything you do in the gym can be replicated outside.

Lunges, push-ups, dips, step ups, calisthenics…you name it. You don’t even need equipment – gravity is the ultimate resistance tool! Combine that with hills, benches, stadium steps, playground equipment, logs, rocks and portable equipment, such as tubes, bands and weighted balls, and you have a workout that is incredibly challenging and refreshingly different.

Another benefit to training outdoors is its real-life applicability. While machines confine you to restrictive motor patterns, they don’t mimic real-life situations very well. Outdoors, you won’t have to wait in line for equipment, listen to the hum of 50 treadmill motors, or have to wonder if the sweaty guy who just exited the leg press machine wiped it down thoroughly, or at all.

And, nature is FREE!

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  1. [...] that was shocking: Americans spend 90% of their time indoors! Say what?!?! I think it is time to step out into the fresh air (more than 10% of the time) and starting reaping the many benefits Mother Nature [...]

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