Holly Mosier

Okay. We have talked about how to manage stress and eat properly. Now let me give you a few of my exercise secrets. For all of my workout tips, I strongly recommend picking up a copy of Stress Less, Weigh Less. It truly is my personal manual and is filled with everything I do to look and feel the best I ever have at age 50! Until you get the book, below are some of my favorite workout tips and tricks along with some fun fitness tools at the end of this page.

Start Your Daily Exercise Program:

I have experimented with many different workouts and workout frequencies, and found the key to permanent weight loss requires about an hour of exercise most days.

I know there is a general recommendation for working out three to four days per week. I tried that, and found it only marginally effective. I did not get satisfying results until I began exercising about one hour per day, six to seven days per week. The feedback from our followers has confirmed this is true for most people, men and women, young and old.

But your daily workouts do not have to kill you to be effective! Not at all. The American College of Sports Medicine says we need at least 300 minutes of “moderate-intensity” exercise per week. Not surprisingly, the ACSM also states that more exercise of higher intensity will bring greater weight-loss and maintenance results.

EXERCISE SECRETS

In order to get the most out of my workouts (and not get bored), I learned the value of two things: varying my workouts and interval training. Before I implemented these two principles, even though I was working out almost daily, my weight did not budge. Once I began varying my workouts and adding interval training (along with eating properly as we discussed above) the excess weight melted off and my workouts took less time!

1. Vary your workouts

Mixing up your exercise (sometimes called cross-training) helps enormously in resculpting your body and avoiding injury. Generally, during the course of a week I’ll work out at the gym once or twice (doing a blend of cardio and very light weights), and take two yoga classes and one or two boxing classes. Sometimes I will do a spin class. Some days I’ll go for a wilderness hike. There are days I just go for a long walk at the beach, or pick up a game of tennis …. you get the picture. I mix up my workouts and have fun.

2. Interval Training – the “Secret” to maximizing
your workouts (and doing them in less time!)

Studies have shown that interval training – exercising at or near your target heart rate, then alternating with short bursts of driving your heart rate up – is the most effective tool for weight loss. One of the more recent studies noted that even a 30-minute cardio workout with intervals of 4 minutes of moderate cardio activity, alternated with 30 second bursts of high-intensity cardio activity, is essentially as effective as 90 minutes of cardio in which the heart rate is kept at a consistent and moderate rate. I have experimented with many varieties of intervals (for example, 3 minutes of moderate cardio alternated with 3 minutes of high intensity), and found them all to be very effective, but I like the 3 minute/30 second interval training the best for my cardio workouts. You can go to my video section of this website to watch my quick video on interval training. It’s easy.

3. Use a heart rate monitor during your workout

I believe a heart rate monitor is one of the most important tools for working out. Until I started using one, I was unaware that for much of my workout, I was working below my target heart rate (that’s why I was getting poorer results with longer workouts). And many heart rate monitors also display the number of calories you’re burning – an added bonus.

As for heart rate monitors, I like the Polar Heart Rate Monitor. It has a chest strap and wristwatch that displays your heart rate, as well as calories burned. I like these chest strap models the best because they constantly display your heart rate for easy monitoring. If you don’t like the chest strap, some of the wristwatch-type models are also good. The Mio heart rate monitor is a wristwatch-type model which is lightweight and fairly easy to use. Another excellent wristwatch-type is the Reebok Heart Rate Monitor Watch.

4. Schedule Your Workouts

I have found it immensely helpful to schedule my daily workout in my calendar as I would any other important appointment. I usually put together my workout schedule for the week on Sunday nights. If I have to miss a workout for any reason, I immediately get out the calendar and reschedule it. That way, I rarely miss.

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FITNESS TOOLS

Below are some helpful fitness tools. Explore these tools and have fun with them. Knowledge is power so the more you learn, the better you will do.

1.  Exercise Calorie Calculator

To help manage body weight and prevent unhealthy body weight gain, the USDA recommends about 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week while not exceeding caloric intake requirements. Moderate to vigorous intensity activity includes running, biking, swimming, aerobics, walking, heavy yard work, weight lifting, and basketball. Consult with a healthcare provider before starting a vigorous exercise program. Regular exercise benefits your body in several different ways: * Exercise increases muscle strength, tone, and definition. * Increased muscle mass increases calories burned while at rest. * Exercise burns calories during the course of your workout, leading to weight loss. * Exercise helps the body burn fat and preserves lean muscle mass during weight loss. * The body continues to burn calories at an elevated level long after the workout has been completed. * Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases, including high blood pressure, stroke, coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, and osteoporosis.

2.  Body Mass Index Calculator

BMI is a reliable indicator of total body fat, which is related to the risk of disease and death. It is calculated by weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat and can be considered an alternative measures of body fat.

It is important to remember, however, that BMI is calculated from an individual’s weight which includes both muscle and fat. As a result, some individuals may have a higher BMI, but not have a higher percentage of body fat. For example, an athlete may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fat.

BMI is an easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and some cancers. By maintaining a BMI below 25, you greatly decrease your risk of developing obesity-associated diseases.

It is important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to an increased risk for disease. Check out other health indicators to assess your health risks.

3.  Healthy Body Weight Calculator

Healthy body weight is calculated using the Hamwi formula which was originally proposed in the 1960′s as a simple tool for quickly estimating desirable body weight. The Hamwi formula is still often times used by professionals to calculate ideal body weight. * The formula for men allows 106 lbs. for the first 5 feet and 6 lbs. for each inch over 5 feet. For small framed individuals, subtract 10%. For large framed individuals, add 10% * The formula for women allows 100 lbs. for the first 5 feet and 5 lbs. for each inch over 5 feet. For small framed individuals, subtract 10%. For large framed individuals, add 10%. These formulas calculate the weight at which an individual has the lowest risk for developing medical complications of any kind. Therefore, it is important to maintain a healthy body weight, maintain a fitness program, and eat a healthy diet for preventing obesity-associated diseases.

4.  Body Analyzer

The body analyzer examines the way fat is distributed in your body, and helps determine health risks.

Waist-to-hip-ratio (WHR) compares the proportion of fat stored around your waist in relation to the fat stored around your hips. It is a simple and useful measurement of fat distribution, and people can be categorized into two types by their fat distribution: apple-shaped or pear-shaped.

Apple-shaped types store more body fat around the stomach area. Apple-shaped people tend to have a higher risk of obesity-associated diseases than pear-shaped people. Pear-shaped types store more fat around the hips and thighs. Pear-shaped people tend to have a lower risk of obesity-associated diseases.