Exercise-cityguide

Using your city to get fit

Maggie Marton — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:36:00 -0800

You don’t need an expensive membership to a fancy gym to get in shape. To get an intense cardio and strengthening workout, look no further than your own neighborhood. Save money on that gym membership and use your city to get fit. Unlike a gym workout, an outdoor exercise routine provides fresh air, a chance to explore your surroundings and variety to keep you from getting bored with your workout.

3 Cardio routines you can do without the gym

Linda Melone, CSCS — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:26:00 -0700

Work, home obligations or simply a desire to avoid hot, sweaty, crowded places may be enough to make you want to skip a trip to the gym, but don't despair: You can still get a good cardio workout without the gym. Here are a few cardio exercise ideas to get you started -- no fitness equipment needed.

How to increase your cardio calorie burn

Linda Melone, CSCS — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:48:00 -0700

If you're like most women, you want the most calorie-burning bang for your buck when you make time to exercise . After all, who has time to waste? Watching the digital 'calories burned' reading slowly tick away on the treadmill or elliptical monitor can be a lesson in frustration. The following cardio workout tips can help you increase your cardio calorie burn.

Workout options that are good for body and mind

Linda Melone, CSCS — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:38:00 -0700

Ever notice how much better you feel after a workout? An annoying work problem may not seem quite so bad after a good sweat, and you may have even come up with a viable solution. What if you could tap into that reservoir of calming, problem-solving energy on demand? Mind-body exercise options allow you to do just that. Granted, almost any exercise that gets the heart pumping and oxygen flowing may help, but try these three workouts when you'd like to soothe the mind while you work your body.

10 Fitness quick tips

Michele Borboa, MS — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 13:59:00 -0700

Sure, going to the gym or waking up before the kids for an early morning run will help you burn calories, get toned and slim down, but there are so many other unconventional ways to get in shape. Even when your schedule is beyond jam packed, you can sneak in fitness while dominating your busy agenda. Here are 10 fitness quick tips you can use right away.

How to tone: Your thighs

Jennifer Weatherhead — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:50:00 -0700

Your thighs are among the most powerful parts of your body. Just think of all the walking, jumping, running and climbing up and down stairs you do each day. Despite those daily activities, the inner and outer thighs tend to be problem areas for most women. We asked Nancy J. Krank, an ACE-certified personal trainer in Los Angeles, to suggest some leg exercises to tone up your thighs.

How to tone: Your glutes

Jennifer Weatherhead — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:58:00 -0700

The glutes: That area most women want to tone, lift and shape. Beyond looking great in your jeans or snug-fitting dress, your glutes play a large role in your daily activities, such as walking, climbing, hiking, jumping and even getting out of your chair. We've compiled a list of the easiest ways to tone your gluteus area, both in the gym and at home, with help from Nancy J. Krank, a ACE-certified personal trainer in Los Angeles.

Fun fresh-air workouts for busy moms

Gina Roberts-Grey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:23:00 -0700

Taking your workout outdoors can provide a nice change of scenery, and in turn, can reinvigorate a stale workout routine. In fact, according to new research published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, exercising outside for as little as five minutes a day can have more of a mood-boosting effect than working out in a gym. Outdoor workouts are also a busy mom’s best friend, enabling her to exercise while spending time with the kids.

4 Ways to get and stay motivated to work out

Gina Roberts-Grey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:06:00 -0700

Sure, a great pair of shoes and an awesome cardio routine are important tools at the gym, but trainers say the most important aspect of any workout is motivation. “Consistency with your fitness program is the key to getting lasting results, and if you aren't motivated, then it's pretty hard to keep at it,” says trainer Jessica Smith, ACSM, star of the 10-Minute Solution Workout Wii game. Smith says these tips will help you get -- and stay -- motivated to work out.

How to start a walking fitness program

Gina Roberts-Grey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:59:00 -0700

Walking is a free and easy way to lose weight, improve your health and feel great about your appearance. It requires little fitness gear beyond a great pair of walking shoes and a park, sidewalk, mall or path to walk and a desire to stretch your legs. This step-by-step guide will help you incorporate a walking program that will quickly have you on the road to fitness.

How to burn more fat at every work out

Gina Roberts-Grey — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:47:00 -0700

The goal of any work out is burning fat. And while 30 minutes biking, weight training or swimming jump starts your body’s fat-burning process, experts say there are a few tricks you can incorporate in your daily exercise routine to burn more fat each and every time you work out.

10 Fitness myths busted and what really works

Kathy A. Johnson — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:21:00 -0700

You’ve heard crunches are the cure-all for the lower belly pooch. You’ve seen fellow joggers lugging dumbbells on their treks. You’ve even tried working out hard every day to get fit because your friends tell you more is better. But, do these widely spread fitness myths really get the fitness job done? The truth is that fitness myths actually can keep you from exercising effectively, may put you at risk for injury, and even discourage you from working out at all because they set you up to have unrealistic expectations. Here we bust 10 fitness myths that may be keeping you from reaching your fitness goals.

Favorite celebrity workouts: How to do them at home

Linda Melone, CSCS — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:13:00 -0700

Staying in shape is part of the job when you're a celebrity. Kate Hudson mixes boxing, agility drills and jumping to keep fit. Hayden Panettiere swears by the bicycle maneuver as her fave belly-flattening ab exercise. The bottom line: Celebrities work hard to keep their enviable bodies camera ready. And you can get an A-list bod by doing the very same celebrity workouts at home. Here’s how.

How to tone: Your calves

Linda Melone, CSCS — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 11:07:00 -0700

Toned, shapely calf muscles look great whether you're wearing shorts, a skirt or capris. These all-important muscles often take a back seat to glutes and legs in workout routines, yet you probably use them more than you think. Walking, jumping, pedaling a bicycle and even pressing the accelerator of your car all require calf action. Toning your calves, however, requires resistance beyond these normal daily activities if you want to see results. In other words, you need to feel the burn to see changes -- and it’s worth it. Here are the best calf exercises for toned lower legs.

10 Sneaky truths about sneakers

Kathy A. Johnson — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:49:00 -0700

Today’s sneakers can be comfortable, casual shoes in which to run around, or they can be high-tech tools to increase athletic performance. Shoe companies now emphasize the latter and offer specialized shoe styles for all sizes and shapes of feet, as well as for nearly every sport or physical activity -- and most of us have at least one pair in our closets. Here are 10 tips and interesting tidbits about sneakers.

Real women share: My must-have workout gear

Linda Melone, CSCS — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:36:00 -0700

You're late and running out the door to your workout. Quick: What's the one fitness item you take with you? We asked women about their favorite must-have exercise items. From exercise mats to fitness balls and jump ropes, here's what they had to say. Some may surprise you. One or two may become part of your own must-have gear.

Outdoor exercises to bust you out of your gym rut

Kathy A. Johnson — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 09:07:00 -0700

If the treadmill or gym is your best friend when it comes to getting fit, consider taking it outside. In addition to fitness benefits, outdoor activity boosts mood and self-esteem, according to a University of Essex study published in Environmental Science and Technology. Outdoor exercise also offers a change of pace and scenery, and can even keep you motivated to stick to an exercise plan. Best yet, outdoor exercise is F-U-N! Here are our top outdoor exercises to bust you out of your gym rut.