I realize that in the past I was all about doing a lot of running. But how about strength training? Running is nothing too difficult, but strength training is tricky for me because I want to do something that is effective. So I decided to do some research and share my findings of why it is important.

In addition to cardio exercise, you also need to work with weights. You may be thinking, weights? But I don’t want to be a body builder! Strength training, or weight training as it is also known as is an important asset to being in shape. For me, I think having toned arms shows that you’re fit and not only that you’re active and health wise, but good for you! Diet, cardio and strength training are important to lose fat, thus seeing results in fat loss. Strength (also known as weight) training builds muscle which burns fat, and the more muscle you have the more fat you lose. Also keep in mind that you cannot just lift weights to lose fat, which is also known as spot reducing (working out one part of your body and expect results).

There are three areas to strength train for your body – lower body (glutes, legs, calves), upper body (arms, shoulders, chest), mid section (abs, hips)

The Importance of Strength Training (for people who want to be shape)

• Tones and shapes the body for weight loss and personal appearance
• Improves and builds strength to our body as a whole, functionality and balance as we get older
• Assists in physical therapy during recovery from an accident or hospitalization
• Prevents diseases such as obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes
• Improves performance in sports, increasing strength, power and endurance

Equipment to strength train
If you’re at the gym most of your equipment is already there. You should also have which I refer to “the essentials” – water bottle, towel, and proper shoes and clothing for strength training.

If you’re at home, in addition to having the essentials, you can simply use dumbbells. Other things that you should consider having is a yoga mat for floor exercises or a towel and a fitness ball, otherwise known as a swiss ball. There are many variations of exercises you can do even with your own body weight, so keep that in mind that you don’t even need special equipment to strength train but to improve toning and provide a challenge, dumbbells are definitely recommended. You can find many deals here on Amazon if you’re on a budget. Walmart is another place to buy dumbbells which are very inexpensive.

Strength training, just like cardio exercise is important in your everyday weekly workouts. They balance your exercise routine and variety is good to keep your body guessing. Believe it or not, if you do the same thing all the time, your body gets used to it and doesn’t work as hard, thus results being minimal. So challenging yourself is not only essential, but its good for your wellness of being able to do something you never thought you could.

Also keep in mind that you should do warm up stretches before strength training and cool down as well to prevent soreness.

I’ll admit something to you readers out there.  I’m “scurred.”  You probably are wondering what I mean.  Well, after a long hiatus of no exercise, where do you start?  I used to exercise almost daily, down to a couple times a week, and now, ZERO.  The most exercise I do is probably either walking around the mall or dancing to some music for a few minutes.

Why am I doing this? Personally, I’m tired of feeling out of shape and want to be able to feel good in my own skin.  I think the best thing is to go back and think about why you want to exercise – you want to feel good wearing a bathing suit, or fit into your favorite pair of jeans.  Or you think you look fat in your favorite t shirt.  Whatever it is, it is important to remind yourself why you want to  exercise and the benefits that will come with that.

Set some time a week to work out. For me, because I haven’t worked out for a long time, I really don’t want to push myself over the limits, because I know it’s just going to make me quit.  I know this because it’s happened to me so many times.  I know I used to run for 3 miles but because my body has been out of it for so long, I have to go back to basics.  It may sound wimpy, but an attainable goal is better than setting a goal that isn’t going to happen and feel discouraged.

Here are my weekly goals:

• Run for 15 minutes. – Monday and Wednesday
• Do 30 minutes of aerobics – Tuesday and Thursday

Wish me luck!

I always wondered about whether it’s better to eat before I work out or after.  I’ve done both before, and lately I’ve eaten dinner, waited for an hour, then did my workout.  Usually afterwards I do not really feel so hungry which is good, since I figured taking in more food meant consuming more calories.

Anyway today I worked out before I had my dinner, and I felt really hungry afterwards.  As I ate I wondered if my work out was worth it because I just burned calories. I did some research and I found out that within the first 45 minutes after you exercise, there is a “metabolic window.” Enzymes that replenish muscle carbs are at their highest levels.  Insulin is also at peak levels, which rebuilds protein stores. By consuming a mix of carbs and protein at this point will maintain muscle, replenish glycogen stores and reduce the amount of fat your body stores.

If you eat before working out its always best to eat something, especially if you’re a morning exerciser, since most likely the last time you ate was probably the night before since you’ve already burned a good amount of calories sleeping.  It also makes sense to fuel up your body on an empty stomach, otherwise you’ll definitely have no energy and feel sluggish during the workout.  You want to make the best out of your workout so make sure you have energy to do it!

What are your thoughts?  Do you eat before or after you work out?  Let me know in the comments!

I remember when I wanted to join a gym about a year and a half ago.  I remember calling gyms around the area and trying to see what each offered. There were the well known gyms like Gold’s Gym, Bally’s Total Fitness and LA Fitness, which all were really nice gyms. LA Fitness was a decent price and I was really considering joining there.  It was really close by, but like the other 2 gyms, you had to pay extra for things like classes and personal training. I then found this gym that was kind of hidden, but the membership came with everything I wanted – personal trainer and classes at no cost! Also, the gym was a good size and people of all fitness levels.  Although it wasn’t a well known gym, I ended up joining there because of what they offered.

If you’re considering joining a gym, there are things to keep in mind.

• The location of the gym want to join should be relatively nearby. You wouldn’t want to drive to a gym out of the way from where you live.
• The hours of the gym should be open early and late so you have options on when you want to workout.
• Cleanliness is very important. Is the equipment clean? Do they encourage members to wipe down the machines after using? Germs are everywhere, especially in the gym, so cleanliness is a big thing to look at closely.
• A good gym has enough equipment for their members and are in working order.
• If you’re interested in joining fitness classes, find out how much extra they will cost with the membership and if it’s something you’ll enjoy. Take a few trial classes to see if you’ll like them.

The gym is definitely a place that you should look forward to going to…besides, you’re paying for it so you better!

Looking for a gym? Check out this gym and health club finder. They even offer free guest passes, so you can try before you commit.

I’m pretty new to a stability ball as well as their exercises. I find the stability ball to actually be a pretty good and fun workout. I mean, you get to roll over, under and around a ball! Who would have thought that you can do so many different exercises. Since I got a new stability ball, which is actually my right size this time – I didn’t know that they had different sizes that are proportionate to your height (oops), I wanted to find some effective exercises to try out.

If you’re under 5’0” – 5’7” you should be using a 55cm stability ball, while a person who is 5’7” and up should be using a 65cm stability ball.

Here is a really good video I found by Exercise TV which teaches some pretty basic exercises on a stability ball.

I tried it out myself, and I must say, I definitely need to work on my balancing!  But it was still fun to do.  I’m definitely on the search for more exercises with this cool tool!