Get Moving!

Get off the couch!

You don’t need a gym to exercise.  Every little bit of physical activity you can get into your day helps.  Park farther away, take the stairs, crank the tunes and dance, step in place during every commercial break, get a pedometer and step 10,000 steps per day, go for a walk, go up and down your stairs 10 times, etc.  Purchase workout DVD’s and workout daily with your kids by your side.  I promise you that if you add at least 30 minutes of physical activity into your day, you will feel GREAT!  The sense of pride and accomplishment that comes after a workout is unmatched.

Challenge yourself and set out manageable goals every week.

Great exercises include:

Kickboxing (buy an exercise DVD or take a class!)

Running

Walking

Swimming

Ride a Bike

Lift Weights (The DVD “Get Ripped” by Jari Love is AMAZING)

Skiing

Dance!

Play Tennis

Take an exercise class

Belly Dancing (DVD or take a class)

Whatever you do, have fun with it!   Exercise should be fun and there is no better feeling than when you are done!  I always said the hardest part of the workout is deciding to put your running shoes on.

My favourite workout laid out for me during a fitness assessment by Robin Schwartz is a mixture of cardio and weights.  Basically, you do 3 sets of 12 reps of various weight lifting exercises and do 2 minutes of cario in between weight sets.   I did this routine 3 times a week, and on alternate days I went for a 30 minute brisk walk.

So a typical workout would look like this:

I have this routine broken down step by step complete with pictures on a word file.  If you are interested in having it, please e-mail me at hopaluk [at] shaw [dot] ca