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As summer approaches, many people want to get in shape. Here are some exercise tips to help you lose weight during the summer months.

Tip #1: Walk and Talk

The summer months are great for being outdoors and walking is a great form of exercise for weight loss. Instead of sitting at Starbucks or your neighbor’s house chatting get outside and walk and talk. Visiting with friends and family is important and fun, but who says you need to be stationary to enjoy someone’s company.

Walking 1 mile burns around 100 calories (for someone that weighs 150 pounds), and walking and talking is a great way to kill two birds with one stone.

Tip #2: Buy a Bike

Like walking, biking is also a good low impact form of exercise. As a whole we drive too much, sometimes even just 2 miles or so to run a quick errand. Use your new bike to run errands close to home, save gas, and burn calories.

Tip #3: Picnic and Plan Outdoor Activities

Summer is a great time for picnics. Plan a picnic and of course pack healthy foods, but also pack a Frisbee, football, whiffle ball and baseball bat. It may not seem like a hard core workout, but tossing around a Frisbee or football burns more calories than watching TV, and all the extra activity adds up in the long run.

Tip #4: Start an Outdoor Project Around the House

There are so many outdoor projects that are perfect for the summer. You can build a deck or plant a garden. Exercise does not have to happen in a gym or in front of a television. What do you think people did before gyms were invented… that’s right they worked on the land and on the house. Outdoor projects can be a sneaky way to get in more exercise during the summer.

Tip #5: Find a Summer Workout Partner

Having a workout partner helps to keep both people motivated. It can be hard to lose weight all by yourself, but if you have a workout partner with similar goals, you can push each other to stay committed to the exercise routine.

Tip #6: Take a Fitness Vacation

Most people gain weight when they go on vacation because they just want to go eat, drink, party and sleep on vacation. But, I’ll challenge you to take a fitness oriented vacation.

If you go to the beach to relax, plan a 3-5 mile walk in the morning and a 3-5 mile walk in the evening before dinner (that could be an extra 600-1000 calories burned a day). Plan a hiking vacation, or a tennis vacation, or a swimming vacation. Get in the ocean or pool for 1-2 hours in the morning and 1-2 hours in the evening before dinner. Do activities you love. But make a plan to be active on everyday of your fitness vacation.

Tip #7: Consult with a Personal Trainer or Fitness
Professional

If you have motivation to exercise but you’re not sure what to do consult with a personal trainer or fitness professional to get some guidance and structure. Structure really helps us to achieve goals and a health professional can help to provide structure to your workout routine so all you’ll have to do is follow the plan.

If you’re serious about losing weight, I recommend that you also incorporate healthy eating habits. Get started today and stick with it.

Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/7-summer-exercise-and-weight-loss-tips-723442.html

To lose weight fast, the best tip I can give you is to take massive action with a multi-prong approach.

Without going to extremes like surgery or even risking side effects with diet pills, you can lose weight fast in the natural way by focusing on these three areas:

- Change your eating habit

- Walk your way to weight loss

- Be active in your daily routine

1) Change Your Eating Habit

How many calories do you ingest from a typical meal at a fast food restaurant?

If you guess 600 kcal, you’re still short…

A packet of fries at a fast food outlet easily give you more than 600 kcal. And we haven’t even counted the burger and the carbonated drink!

Now, that meal alone gives you much more than you can burn and the excess is then stored as fat. Just imagine how much fat we keep storing in our bodies if we continue to eat the way we do.

In other words, we simply overeat!

So, you simply need to eat less per meal. If you can reduce at least one-third or even half of what you’re eating, you would not stop adding to your body fat.

The rule of thumb is to eat till you’re not hungry at each meal rather than eat till you’re feeling full.

As you eat less per meal, you should eat more meals.

What? Eat more meals to lose weight?

Yes, absolutely! Because if you just eat less per meal, you would feel hungry between meals and your body will think that you’re going through a famine and start to slow down its metabolism. So, eating smaller meals 5 or 6 times per day would not cause your metabolism to slow down unnecessarily.

2) Walk Your Way To Weight Loss

Walk, not run!

Yes, if you think you lose more weight by running, you’re in for a surprise.

Just look at any tread mill the next time you’re at a gym. The fat burning zone is always at typically 55% to 70% of your target heart rate which is lower than the aerobic zone at 70% to 80%.

The reason for this is that when you work out at the higher target heart rate, you would not be able to last. For people who are obese, they probably won’t even last for five minutes and that would translate to perhaps 50 or 100 kcal! But if they are working out at the lower heart rate, they could last for at least half an hour to one hour.

So, if you want to lose weight fast, a ‘quick’ way (or rather slow way) is to take long walks each day for at least 1 to 2 hours! Yes, you need that long duration in order to burn as many kcal as possible.

3) Be Active In Your Daily Routine

Every bodily activity helps you to lose weight including breathing, walking, working, even eating itself needs energy.

What you can do to help to burn as many calories as possible is to increase your incidental activities such as volunteering to do household chores or mow the lawn. Can you imagine how happy your spouse or family members would be?

Yes, move around as much as you can. Even if you’re sedentary most of the time, learn to take breaks after every 30 to 40 minutes and just walk around and do some stretching.

If you can stick to this three prong approach for at least month, I guarantee that you will see results. However, that’s not all. To get more free tips to lose weight fast, feel free to visit my web site.

Alice Loh
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/tip-on-how-to-lose-weight-fast-97196.html

Trying to work on your lower ab can be difficult and frustrating.  Especially when you’re not sure which exercises to do.  So, what I’m going to do is share with you the best lower ab workout.  That way, you’ll be able to have a great set of abs.

The best lower ab workout is:

1.  Leg raises.  This exercise can be done with you lying on the ground.  You’ll start off by letting your legs lay flat on the ground and then lift them straight up.  This will work your lower ab, which will really help you get a great stomach.

You should do 4 sets of 15 reps.

2.  Full crunches.  These can be done with a machine at your local gym or with you lying on the ground.  Full crunches consist of doing reverse crunches and regular crunches simultaneously at the same time.  It’s not as hard as it sounds.  You’ll do a regular crunch while at the same time, lifting your butt off the ground.

You should feel your abs tightened from this movement.  You should do 3 sets of 20 reps with this exercise.

3.  Hanging knee raises.  This is another exercise that’s part of the best lower ab workout.  Hanging knee raises can be done by hanging on a pull up bar at the gym.  While you’re hanging, you should lift your knees straight up.  You can do 2 sets of 20 reps.

4.  reverse crunches.  Another exercise in the best lower ab workout is reverse crunches.  As stated above, all you have to do is lie on the ground in the same position as you would do a regular crunch, and lift your butt off the ground.  Do 3 sets of 10 reps.

This is a lower ab workout that will help you hit the lower part of your abdomen muscles.  If you are serious about getting your stomach in shape and looking good, be sure to use the tips above.  It’ll help you get the best looking mid section.

Tony Smith
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/best-lower-ab-workout-exercises-that-works-your-lower-abs-734889.html

Avoid These Top 5 Workout Myths

Do you know the health and fitness industry is plagued by an
over abundance of workout myths? A myth is a fiction or half
truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. Rob tells
Jen about a new fitness program that is suppose to deliver
amazing results; Jen tells Ted, and Ted then tells Pam, but only
half of what Rob said. Confused? Just image how confusing Rob’s
“cutting edge” theory has become. And the funny thing is, Rob
made this up by telling people they will lose 3 inches from
their bellies, and hips by holding their breath for 30 seconds.
Rob, without any scientific backing, dreamed this all up.

The sad thing is most people believe what they hear from
so-called uninformed myth spreaders. After consulting with
thousands of people, I have heard every possible workout myth
known to man, and continue to de-bunk myths daily. Listed below
are my all time 5 favorite workout myths. Always look for the
science and logic behind what people claim. Don’t automatically
assume it is true unless studies back it, or specific
quantitative results are shown.

After reading my 5 workout myths, you will be able to finally
protect your own workout results, and share the fitness truth
with others.

MYTH 1 – Doing crunches, or abdominal work will decrease fat in
the stomach area (If you do thousands of crunches, then you will
have a flat stomach.)

This is what some infomercials preach. They state you can obtain
a flat, beautiful, stomach by using their simple ab machine. All
you need to do is exercise 2 minutes per day, and voila!

Please note, dear reader, you can’t SPOT REDUCE! By doing a
specific exercise for a certain muscle does not make fat
suddenly vanish. Fat is lost over time by burning more calories
than the body consumes on a regular basis. Fat will then
disappear throughout your entire body, and you don’t have
control of where it comes off. Doing a certain exercise for a
specific muscle will only guarantee a stronger, more fit muscle.

The SECRET keys to fat loss are decreasing caloric intake,
increasing activity for an extended period of time, and
incorporating a workout of strength, cardio, and flexibility.

MYTH 2 – Lifting heavy weight for 8-12 reps will build big
muscles (especially women.) You should lift very light weights
and do a lot of reps, 20 +.

This is one that NEVER seems to go away. It keeps coming back to
haunt me again,and again, and again. Ladies, doing heavier
weights WILL NOT suddenly turn you into the Incredible Hulk.
Your objective should be to maintain, or slightly increase your
fat burning lean tissue. In order to do this you must increase
the intensity of the exercise by elevating weight, number of
reps, or decreasing rest time between sets.

If you increase intensity regularly, you will see good results.
If you do not, you will get the same results you have been
getting. Increase the intensity until you are happy with the
progress you have made, and then maintain the same intensity
level.

Women, generally, don’t have the physiological make-up to
develop big muscles unless they use steroids, and train with gut
busting intensity. Most men workout a lifetime, and won’t build
big muscles. Ladies, please don’t worry; challenge yourself in
the gym.

Here is a valuable free resource to help you stay informed of
the health, and fitness trends by letting you know what works,
and what doesn’t.

Visit Wellness WORD Newsletter in Multimedia at
http://www.WellnessWord.com

MYTH 3 – For resistance training, you need to do 3 sets of 10-15
reps, 3 exercises per body part, and a frequency of 3 days per
week.

Where the heck did 3 come from? 3 X 3 X 3? I think someone, many
years ago, decided 3 was a good number to use, and people
started to believe in this myth.

How many sets are really needed? According to scientific
studies, the exact number of sets needed to stimulate lean
tissue development is one, if preformed at 100% momentary muscle
failure. A single all out set is the ideal stimulus to trigger
lean tissue development. All other sets only hinder the recovery
process when lean tissue develops.

Rest- people generally don’t get enough rest between workouts.
Please be aware that the higher the intensity, the more rest is
required between workouts to allow lean tissue development. If
you workout (strength train) too soon, before you are fully
recovered, you will short circuit your results.

It is better to wait longer between workouts, then to workout
not fully recovered.You WON’T lose your muscle tissue if you
don’t workout for 2 weeks.

Ideal rest times (depending upon intensity) are anywhere from 3
- 10 + days between strength training workouts.

You will need to track your progress to determine when your
gains cease. When progress stops, increase your rest time even
further.

If your strength keeps increasing during each workout, you are
assured of getting optimal rest between sessions.

MYTH 4 – All I need to do is cardiovascular training to be in
shape.

Wrong! Please don’t make this mistake! Cardiovascular exercise
is only one piece of the workout puzzle. To design an optimal
fitness program, incorporate cardiovascular exercise, strength
training, and flexibility into an efficient, results producing
program.

Cardiovascular exercise will do very little to increase your
flexibility, and maintain or increase your lean tissue. If you
avoid any of these three components, you are decreasing your
results by one third.

As a result of the aging process, on average, 5-7 pounds of
muscle is lost each decade, that is, if you don’t strength
train.

MYTH 5 – All fitness equipment is good if you use it.

All fitness equipment is not created equal, especially home
fitness equipment advertised in infomercials. Some pieces of
fitness equipment are not well built, and can cause injury to
specific individuals resulting from medical limitations.

My advice is to clear your exercise program with a physician
prior to exercising or buying home gym equipment.

Home Gym Shopping Secrets is a great consumer awareness guide to
rely on prior to purchasing home gym equipment. This guide will
take you by the hand and show you what to buy, what to avoid,
and why.

Home Gym Shopping Secrets http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com

Another tip I recommend is never plan an exercise program
without input from an Exercise Physiologist, Certified Personal
Trainer, or Physical Therapist.

___________________________________________________________

For additional health and fitness tips visit Wellness Word
“Multimedia” Newsletter at http://www.WellnessWord.com
___________________________________________________________

*** Attention: Ezine Editors / Website Owners *** Feel free to
reprint this article in its entirety in your ezine, Blog,
Autoresponder, or on your website as long as the links, and
resource box are not altered in any way.

Jim O’Connor – Exercise Physiologist / The Fitness Promoter

Copyright (c) – Wellness Word, LLC 9461 Charleville Blvd. #312
Beverly Hills, CA 90212 1-866-935-5967

http://www.WellnessWord.com
http://www.HomeGymShoppingSecrets.com
http://www.HomeGymResources.com

Jim O’connor
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/avoid-these-top-5-workout-myths-1366.html

So few people recognize that true fitness involves the entire human being including the body, the mind and the spirit. There are statistics which show that, after years of training in body building, many of the persons who practiced this sport turned to fitness. Bodily fitness is being able to deal with and handle the daily stresses of life, good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits.

Does our physical exercise have anything to do with the fitness of our body? By participating in a physical fitness program that trains the body to work as one complete unit and that understands all physical abilities must be trained to complement the others. People that have developed the abilities to survive, flourish and excel in the natural environment, through either superior genetics or proper physical training, normally have the hard, lean and muscular body that exemplifies these traits.

To have the physical abilities to survive, flourish and excel in our natural environment, and the lean, hard and muscular body that exemplifies these abilities, is not a vain, selfish desire. Total fitness is the ability to effectively use and integrate different physical abilities into a fluid and successful completion of a task. Another advantage of fitness is a richer and more varied area of exercises, inspired from the complex training of body building but also of many other sports.

If you have a weight loss coach he or she will help you each and every step of the way providing you support, motivation, and will teach you the secrets that all slim people know, so that you can lose weight in a healthy way and allow you to maintain your weight and get back to your body perfect fitness and health for life A coach will provide you a one-on-one daily support as you pursue your life long dream of permanent weight loss and getting back to a healthy lifestyle.

Eating tips will help keep you on the right track, when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. For twenty minutes your body gets a spinal massage, your mind is allowed to float freely between the left and right poles of your brain, your lymph and blood systems are allowed to clear themselves of toxins, each organ of your body receives the most efficient flow of energy, and you feel connected to the universal source.

Remember that you need carbohydrates for energy and if you are working the right factors in the right way you are going to need those important complex and essential carbohydrates for keeping your energy level up and helping refuel your body. With a home gym, a Bowflex for example, you don not need to go anywhere, stay at home or office and do your body weight exercises. If you are purchasing fitness equipments, you must read the fine print and ensure that the equipment you are purchasing is suitable for you or not.

There are numerous fitness equipments available in the market and on the Internet you can find many to choose from. It does not have to be new. Also remember: physical activity everyday is the key to fitness.

Starting is your own and very important decision.

Keith George
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/many-strive-for-body-fitness-79826.html

Our lifestyles have changed so much in the past decade and one of the major results of this changed life style has been changed food habits. Obesity is one of the major consequences of such changed food habits. More and more people are thinking of cutting out on this flab. And that is why more and more people are thinking of having home treadmills.

The thing is that not many people have time to spend at gyms. That is why people think of having something that could help them lose weight without the need of going out of the house. That is where treadmill makes its presence felt. Home treadmills are a boon for people who want to cut flab but don’t have enough time to visit gyms. There are many other benefits of having a home treadmill.

Treadmills are surely one of the most consistent calorie burning machines that could be found on the market. When it comes to burning calories, they are better than your ab-machines, stationary bikes or rowing machines. The best thing is that you can easily keep tabs on your progress with a treadmill. There are digital readouts that tell you the distance you have walked or the calories that you have burned or the time that you have actually spent on the treadmill.

And since your treadmill is at your home, you can use it whenever you want and there would be no lines there for you to wait in. It is unlike a gym where you might have to be there at a given time and if you get delayed for one reason or another, you can’t get admission. It doesn’t matter what your height, weight or age is, if you can walk, you can use a treadmill. And since you can adjust the speed, you can use treadmills as per your convenience.

Home treadmills are surely one of the safest and perhaps the most relied on methods of exercise. And since you use your normal everyday walking motion, you don’t actually strain your joints and tendons that much as on other machines and sports. That is why treadmills are less painful.

There are several other reasons that are not concerned with your health that make it an ideal machine for exercising. You can read a magazine, or watch television or listen to music while walking on a treadmill. That is not going to distract your workout. So, you are actually making dual use of your time. You are working out and putting the same time to some other uses.

Another thing is that you don’t have to pay monthly fees to any gym. You just have to spend a few hundred dollars on a treadmill once and then you can work out for as long as you wish without spending a single buck. It is surely more economical than having to renew your gym membership every year at 400 or 500 dollars. You need to spend money once and then forget about it.

Lorna Findlay
http://www.articlesbase.com/non-fiction-articles/advantages-of-a-home-treadmill-127686.html

Weight loss is among the one thing the vast majority of individuals have in common. Many people have good intentions, they are trying to lose weight or are seeking the best methods for losing the weight they want off.

Fast and effective weight loss for the average person can be not only an accomplishment but also a task. However, following a few minor life changes you can achieve the weight loss you desire and deserve.

Although many individuals are eager to buy an expensive gym membership, this really is not necessary. If you plan on working out you can do so without memberships and expensive equipment. For example, exercising can be done in a variety of ways.

Taking a brisk walk before work in the morning is a great way to give your metabolism a jump start for the day. All you need for this type of exercising is a pair of sneakers, which most people already own.

In addition to beginning and sticking with an exercise routine you should look at the foods you eat on a daily basis. Modifying your calorie intake is a key factor in losing weight. Basically, what you need to do to burn the fat is to burn more calories a day than you consume.

This generally will take some time getting used to, however it will prove to be very beneficial for you in the long run. Eat healthier food, such as fresh fruits, veggies and more fiber. Cut down on the amount of sodium, fats, sugars and processed foods.

The beverages you consume are also a factor in weight control. Try to incorporate more water into your beverages of choice. It is best that you eliminate coffee from your diet, however if you must have a cup in the morning that should be fine.

Just be sure that you only have one cup a day. Increasing your water consumption to about 10 12 ounce glasses a day will increase your metabolic activity and help you to burn more calories in less time. It will also assist in flushing your system out and eliminate some of the unnecessary toxins in your body that often lead to weight gain.

Let’s recap just a bit. Fast and effective weight loss can be achieved with a few changes in your life. Basically, watch the foods you consume, exercise to burn more calories a day than you consume and drink plenty of water daily. This really isn’t all that difficult to do and you will soon see the results you desire.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of weight loss and natural remedies. Discover how you can lose weight quickly and drop inches in the next 7 days by using a simple yet effective weight loss diet program, visit his site at http://www.hyperfatloss.com

Alvin Hopkinson
http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/fast-and-effective-weight-loss-for-the-average-person-706658.html

In order to have flexibility, cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength & endurance, body composition, agility, balance and speed exercise is a must for all. Researches have shown that joining a gym would modestly shape up your body. And Bowflex way of exercising is the ultimate way of sweat out experience.

It is generally built up with the power resistance rods and it would allow for a smooth transitioning from one movement to the other. Besides, the extensive warranty period that comes with nearly each and every Bowflex machine, is just a superb addition. On a Bowflex you can perform the same weight training exercises that you have done in normal gym equipment.

100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Bowflex fitness equipments are specifically designed and with every machine that you have purchased comes an assurance from the part of the producer, because Bowflex believes in every penny that its customers have spent. After purchasing you are usually given a six-week time during which you can testify the utility of the Bowflex machines. If in that time period you are not satisfied with the product attributes, you can simply contact the customer service department for the return authorization. Return the device in its original condition and packaging and get a full refund. Condition is you have to return the equipments within 2 weeks after the return authorization is sent.

The Limited Warranty Scheme

For the original purchaser Bowflex has imparted a limited warranty subject to all defects in material or workmanship. But at the same time if there has been any sort of misuse of the machines by the customers: like you break any of the Bowflex equipments by the improper usage, the company would never cover that costs. Bowflex is not going to warrant the machines for their commercial uses also.

Accordingly the Bowflex Blaze has a 5 years warranty, while Bowflex Xtreme & Bowflex Xtreme 2 have 7 years guarantee period. Bowflex Ultimate 2 has the highest warranty period: 12 years.

Warranty for the Other Accessories

Bowflex has an extensive time warranty for the accessories that are attached to the machines. Likely, 552 Dumbbell Stand has 30 years warranty; Bowflex Adjustable Bench 5.1 Series consist of 30 years warranty on frame and 1 year on upholstery. While Bowflex Adjustable Bench 3.1 Series provide warranty of 15 years on frame and 1 year on upholstery.

However, Bowflex has a record of decent customers. Any file for warranty has always been observed properly without hurting the customer anticipation. There might have been some delays in paying back the warranties due to the high volume of calls and enquiries. But that would at last be sorted out with proper care.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/an-extensive-warranty-with-every-bowflex-gym-88376.html

“I am an all-time fitness freak and I was very much inclined to shape my body. But I did not like the traditional gym for host of the reasons. Then somebody told me about Bowflex. When I first saw Bowflex, I laughed a lot. That looked so small and fragile. But afterwards I was surprised every time it opened its improved features to me.” Raul Hanks

Many people enjoy the privacy of sweating out in their own home gym.

Lots of companies impart specially designed fitness equipment for home use. Some are better quality-wise. While others are better space-wise and a few even do not hit much to your wallet. But to have something which have all the attributes that an exerciser is seeking for Bowflex no doubt ranks first.

Bowflex surpasses all the other home gym brands in the following ways:

Ease of Use: It’s of no use going to a traditional gym which is, take it for instance, 30 minutes rides from your home. You can arrange one home gym of your kind. Bowflex comes here as a sole brand in fulfilling your body building dream at home. Moreover your Bowflex time is 24/7/365. It means you can have the pleasure of exercising any time you want.

Privacy: Privacy accounts for a great deal talking about Bowflex. There is no one to make any comments the way you do exercise or on your level of fitness. The easy-to-use and top-of-the-line features make Bowflex a real fitness device to shape your body in line.

No Queuing: The traditional gyms are very crowded at certain days and times. At that time you have to wait to get the fitness equipments. But in case of Bowflex, there is not a long queue like that in the traditional gym. There is no restriction about the peak hours. There is an easy movement from one exercise to the next maintaining ceaseless flow and transitioning.

Cost Quotient: You do not have to pay the monthly fees in comparison to the traditional gyms. Bowflex home gym is one-time expenditure. Advantages are recurring in response to the fixed expenses incurred.

Inbuilt Quality: Unlike traditional gym which always needs to work against the resistance of gravity, Bowflex serves the same purpose, but in many planes of motion. Bowflex gym is equipped only with those parts that seem to be required for your exercises.

But for a novice bodybuilder, it is advisable to get a membership first to a traditional gym. Once he or she becomes advanced, he or she can easily have a Bowflex a home. Still it is desirable to have Bowflex which is a well-thought-out home gym that can work all the major muscle groups.

anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/why-select-bowflex-instead-of-traditional-gyms-86391.html