I am proof that you don't need crazy amounts of exercise to look amazing. Discover my daily fitness routine that takes less than an hour.
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I am a firm believer that diet and exercise can transform your body when you place importance on it. Most everyone wants a healthy body but not everyone wants to do the daily work for a healthy-looking body. I get tired of hearing people tell me that I am lucky that I have a slim body as they think that I was born that way or have good genes. Having a healthy body does involve work but it is not as bad as you think. For most a slim in shape body does not come naturally so check out the
Twelve Things Your Skinny Friend Wants You To Know and find out what I do every day to maintain my healthy body. Some would think that just by looking at me think that having a healthy body requires way too many hours at the gym so they think that a healthy body is unattainable for them and they don't even try.
Thirty minutes a day is all you need
Having a healthy body requires commitment and planning. It also requires one to look at their body in a new way. You need to think that you want your body to feel great and have energy. It is about a healthy body and not about a clothing size. People come in all different sizes as God made us unique. So change your attitude right now and not exercise for a skinny body but start exercising for a healthy body as
ending body shaming starts with ourselves. I decided many years ago to not step on a scale as
I will not let a number on a scale define who I am. I exercise every day to keep my body running in a healthy way and in return for the most part it looks awesome. I don't have a picture-perfect body but I have a body that makes me feel awesome. I choose to exercise as a healthy body makes me feel better and it keeps my heart healthy. I know that exercise keeps my muscles strong and my fat levels healthy so I don't have to worry about things like heart disease. Since I don't step on a scale I use a
Full Body Composition Analysis device to monitor my muscle mass, fat ratios, and other body items.
So how much exercise do I do a week to have a strong, healthy, and fit body?
To keep my body in shape, I
exercise 5 days a week for 40 minutes. Right now I am running for my cardio exercise as I am training with my boys. My boys are on the track team at their school so I enjoy running with them. One of my boys loves running and is faster than I am so he challenges me to run faster. My other son has the desire to run but his asthma makes it hard for him to run fast so I am helping him learn how to run while
managing asthma naturally. I too have asthma but I am able to run when I take my
ClearLungs. This amazing natural supplement opens up my airways and helps me breathe better. I used to just take Clearlungs when I had an asthma attack but I decided to try it on a daily basis and it has been even helping with my seasonal allergy-induced asthma symptoms.
Ten Tips For Exercising With Asthma
My opinion about exercise is one should at the minimum do 3 days of exercise, at 30-40 minutes, a week for a healthy body. The type of exercise should be at a pace that gets your heart rate up, a good way to judge if you have your heart rate at a good level is you should not be able to carry on a conversation. Having your heart rate at a good rate gets your blood pumping which is good for your heart and circulation.
If you are trying to make changes to your health or body, I recommend exercising 5 days a week for 30-40 minutes. This exercise should also get your heart rate up also. When my husband went from 3 days to 5 days of exercise he started to lose weight and it helped lower his blood pressure.
The type of exercise does not matter as long as it gets your heart rate up. So if you are not a runner, fast walking is an awesome exercise as well as these other types of
best exercises to stay in shape. Don't tell me that you don't have time to exercise. You need to make time for exercise as it is important for your well being. People who don't place importance on exercise, tend to have more problems later in life. These are the people who have the "oh crap, I turned 40 and I have high cholesterol, heart disease, or high blood pressure among other problems. Why be miserable and out of shape when you are older, when you can prevent so many illness and diseases with exercise. You make time to brush your teeth because you don,t want cavities. You go to work to pay your bills. So place the same importance on exercise. So get outside and exercise or watch your favorite TV shows while walking on a treadmill. This
folding treadmill stores out of the way when not in use.
Weightlifting for strong muscles
I also lift weights 2-3 days a week for about 30 minutes as this keeps my arms toned and strong. I did not think that I needed strength training but when I hit 50, I developed bat wings. There are many benefits to weightlifting for older ladies and this article about
weightlifting for older ladies is an awesome read. So be smart and do some type of muscle exercise. You don't have to lift heavy weights and have big beefy muscles, as lifting
5-10 pound kettlebell weights will keep your muscles strong and toned. You don't even need to buy fancy equipment as you can use your body resistant to tone your muscles. Think pushups or invest in some
exercise-resistant bands.
To get started with lifting weights to tone and strengthen your arms, here are some
arm workouts that I like to incorporate into my fitness routine. I like to do my arm exercises with weights every other day so my muscles have a chance to repair. I also make sure to consume a high protein snack after I lift weights as protein helps my muscles recover faster. These
homemade vegan chocolate protein pancakes are my favorite after workout snack.
I am too busy to exercise
I get it when you say you are busy and don't have time to exercise let alone lift weights. I am a mom and know how hard it is to squeeze in the exercise. When my kids were little, I would push them in a stroller while fast walking but as they outgrew the stroller it was harder but these
exercise tips for moms helped me with exercise. I also wanted to set a good example for my kids with exercise.
If you have a hard time finding 30 minutes a day to set aside for exercise. These
tips for ways to sneak in exercise might just motivate you to get in shape. You can do 10 minutes of fitness 3 times a day and that will benefit your body the same way as a regular fitness routine. So make today the day that you stop with the excuses and commit to making your body the best it can be.
Combine fitness and strength training together
If you are pressed for time and don't have time for both weight exercises and cardio exercises, then combine them both into a
HIIT workout. This type of workout will strengthen your muscles and get your heart rate up at the same time. Trust me a HIIT workout will get you sweating as
sweating is good for you. Another at-home way to combine cardio with strength training is with
TRX straps that you can hang over a door. This total body workout device is portable and is small enough to tuck into a suitcase for fitness while traveling. The TRX straps at the gym helped me to define my arm muscles and it is a fun way to workout.
I don't diet
Many people think that I must follow a strict diet with no carbs to have an athletic body but the truth is I love my carbs and I love eating. Sure I eat a healthy diet but I don't count calories or macros nor do I diet as I believe diets do not work. I recently reviewed a
weightloss plan book that expelled all diet myths and I even tried the meal plans that were in the Eat After 7pm book. I really recommend this book if you are trying to get back in shape or even lose some weight as this book is similar to the way I eat. This meal plan even helped me shed some fat from my middle section and helped me lower my visceral fat, that's the fat that you can't see but puts you at risk for heart problems. The part that I loved about the teachings of this healthy body book was it confirmed to me that eating carbs is a good thing and so are late-night snacks. The
recipes in the Eat After 7PM book were so delicious too!
Ready to make a change?
Are you ready to make a change and start exercising for a healthy body? When you focus on health and not the number on the scale it is easier to stay fit. When you don't feel like getting your butt off the couch and going for a walk, just do it for a healthy body and a healthy future. Exercise can even make your mind feel better. I know that the days that I don't exercise, my mind feels sluggish and I even feel depressed. The days that I exercise first thing in the morning makes a big difference in how much work I get done.
Morning exercise is good for the mind and the body
Check out these items that will help you with exercise