Posts Tagged ‘cardio’

Need a Challenge?

Are you ready for this amazing new challenge.  Shaun T never asists to amaze me with his workouts.  OMG! 

Take a look at this video. Click on the link below.  Are you ready for the Challenge?  Do you have what it takes?

Shaun T: Asylum

 

Go ahead and order today.  Get into Summer Shape, and show it off.

FAMILY HISTORY

Do you know your Family History?  If you do, do you know exactly what you inherited?

donald-duck

I am not sure if I mentioned this, but I was adopted when I was 3.  I was put in a foster home and stayed there for about 2 years when I was adopted.  I was blessed with very loveable parents who had such good morales, they were school teachers and oddly enough I find myself as a college professor.

So, why am I explaining all of this?  Well, I have always been an active girl.  I really enjoy playing basketball, I enjoy playing volleyball, tennis, and doing fitness.  I wanted to be a PE teacher and a coach.  I went into the USAF and raised a family and during that time I was off and on about working out.  I did bodybuilding back in the 80’s.  I finally went to school and got my bachelors’ degree in Physical Education and went back to school and received my Masters in Fitness and Wellness.

 

hsu-fitness

It was during this time that my professors kept asking, “Do you know your family history?”  I keep saying to myself “No” because I truly do not know my family history.  I do not know what I inherited from my mother or father or grandparents.

The point is this, I exercise as a preventive measure.  Since, I do not know my history I keep the diabetes and heart disease at bay with exercise and diet.  Being part hispanic and native american, I am more susceptible to these diseases.  I totally believe also that the environment that you are raised plays a big role.   My mother always cooked a protein, veggies and something else.  LOL

When you are conceived you are made f rom both DNA of your parents. 

dna

Unfortunately, you can not pick your parents, but what you can do is through exercise and a clean diet you can help prevent or keep off certian inherited diseases.

Research show that Heart Disease is the number killer for Americans. Heart disease is known as the silent killer.

heart

 If you are over weight you are certainly putting stress on your heart.  You store fat around the heart and eventually make the heart sufficate.

So, lets get going people, let get off the couch and move your body.  It is never too late, it will be too late when you are 6ft under.

walker1

 

“A Year From Now You’ll Wish You Had Started Today”

Mixin It Up

Hello everyone, I am back.  (As I smile to myself)  Sometimes, it takes a little push from the right person you get you going again.

Have you ever just been going along like the energizing bunny?  The poor bunny just has one speed and he keeps going and going and his expressions never changes.  HA  The only time he really changes speed is when his battery starts to go dead.  I feel like that sometimes, I must admit.  enerizer-bunny

I enjoy all kinds of workouts.  I enjoy P90x, Chalean Extreme, Turbo Fire, Insanity, and Rev Abs.  I have to be honest though, I get bored doing the programs.  Even though I really, really like them I have to mix them up.  Some days I really feel like Turbo Fire and other days, I feel like Rev ABS.  I still do a weight lifting program which right now is Chalean Extreme.  I do love to lift with dumbbells, however my cardio is much to be desired. 

So, how Penny then do I make my cardio fun you ask?  Well, you have to mix the cardio up.  Just like with the lifting you are always challenging and overloading the muscle to make it change.  Same goes with cardio.  If you don’t like to run (which I depise it, plus not good for your feet), I love to do the gym style Turbo Kick (also by Chalene Johnson) to get my cardio.  I also love to do indoor cycling.  For some reason that hurts my knees, so i only do it occasionally.  When, my body is fueled with the proper diet, I feel like a little Insanity. 

No matter the desire, make it your workout.  Do what your body likes to do and you will stick with a program longer.  Make something up and mesh it all together, HA you never know you maybe the next Tony or Chalene or Shaun T.

The point is really just to keep active, move your body.

“A Year From Now, You’ll Wish You Had Started Today”

Jump Rope

When I was a little girl, I loved to jump rope.  I never really thought about the impact it had on my cardiovascular system.  I was wanted to be able to jump rope.  I also did not know at the time and did not really care about the benefits it would have on my bones either.  Wow, jump roping is really a great over all exercise.

catoon-girls-jump-rope

Now that I am over 40 I still can jump rope, but I can not however jump rope in long increments.  HA!  I find that some people can not jump rope, but used to be able to when they were little.  Funny how we seem to loose alot of coordination the older we get and not continue to do the activities.  People we have to keep moving in order for our muslces to keep working and our bones don’t deteriate.

Jumping rope is unlikely to lead to knee damage since the impact of each jump or step is absorbed by both legs. Jumping rope also helps strengthen the arms and shoulders. This combination of an aerobic workout and coordination-building footwork has made jumping rope a popular form of exercise for athletes, especially boxers and wrestlers. Individuals or groups can participate in the exercise, and learning proper jump rope technique is simple compared to many other athletic activities. The exercise is also appropriate for a wide range of ages and fitness levels. Jumping rope is particularly effective in an aerobic routine combined with other activities, such as walking, biking, or running. 

Here are some other benefits to Jump Roping:

EFFECTIVE
Jumping rope can burn up to 1000 calories per hour, making it one of the most efficient workouts possible. It tones muscles in the entire body, developing long, lean muscles in all major muscle groups, both upper and lower. Jumping rope optimizes cardiovascular conditioning and maximizes athletic skills combining agility, coordination, timing, endurance.

EASY TO LEARN
RopeSport’s innovative training techniques and constant emphasis on “go at your own pace” allows people of different fitness levels and athletic abilities to enjoy the learning process and achieve their own level of success in an environment where they are relaxed and comfortable. Whether people want to simply swing the jump rope from side to side or they want to do double jumps on one leg, they are free to learn.

FUN
Due to the variety of jumps and movements that are taught, even at the beginning level, FreeStyle Jump Roping is fun. It encourages creativity and spontaneity, and gives people flexibility in their workouts.

INEXPENSIVE
Compared to many other popular fitness products flooding the market, Jumping rope is very inexpensive, making it accessible to everyone. (See Products for prices and product descriptions.)

PORTABLE
All you need is a 3’ x 4’ area to jump rope. A living room, backyard, office, or gym are all ideal places to jump rope. Just throw a jump rope in a suitcase, briefcase, backpack, or purse, and you have the “greatest portable workout in existence.” Jumping rope is the perfect exercise for travelers.

GREAT FOR KIDS
There has never been a generic exercise that has gained widespread acceptance among children, but FreeStyle Jump Roping is changing that. FreeStyle Jump Roping is “MTV with a jump rope” and children absolutely love it! With recent studies concluding that children in the United States are far too sedentary, FreeStyle Jump Roping is making a major contribution toward fixing this problem. Not just for the gifted or athletic child, FreeStyle Jump Roping can be learned by all, helping them to increase self-esteem and fitness levels. It’s a great activity that the whole family can do together and get fit!

girls-jump-roping

Take a look at this, I did not know the different techniques to jump roping:

Some of the techniques that can be used when jumping rope are:

Basic jump
This is where both feet are slightly apart and jump at the same time over the rope. Beginners should master this technique first before moving onto more advanced techniques.
Alternate foot jump (speed step)
This style consists of using alternate feet to jump off the ground. This technique can be used to effectively double the number of skips per minute as compared to the above technique.
Criss-cross
This method is similar to the basic jump with the only difference being that while jumping, the left hand goes to the right part of the body and vice versa for the right hand.
Double under
To perform a double under, the participant needs to jump up a bit higher than usual while swinging the rope twice under his feet. It is possible to have the rope swing three times under the feet (triple under). In fact, in competitive jump rope, triples, quadruples (”quads”), and quintuples (”quins”) are not uncommon.
Combination jumps
There are many more difficult jump roping tricks that combine two or more of these techniques to make a single trick. These combinations can also be used in Chinese Wheel, Double Dutch, and Long Rope.
Toad
The toad is a complicated trick where the jumper performs the “Cross” manoeuvre with their leg intersecting the arms.

 Finally, there is competition for jump roping.  Now I have seen some of this competition and it is truly amazing what these kids can do with a jump rope.  Check out these websitesfor more information http://www.usajumprope.org/

http://www.kangarookids.org/competition.html

jump-rope

Do you remember doing the Double Dutch Jump Rope?  So much fun, especially learning how to jump in and jump out without getting whipped by the jump ropes.  HA.

There is also Jump Rope for Heart Organization that the kids do for the school to raise money to help support lifesaving heart and stroke research.  http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2360

I would encourage your kids to get involved with this.  It is a fun way to get them moving and involved in their health.  They will thank you later in life.

Try something different.  Pick up that jump rope and see if you can still do this exercise, it is fun.

“A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”

 

refer: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jump_rope

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2360

http://www.usajumprope.org/

Cardio Change

I mentioned back in a previous posts that a variety workout helps with plateau.

I have been doing Turbo Kick for awhile as a matter of fact I like the workout so much that I got certified as an instructor.  I think I mentioned that I get bored really easy.  It is time for a change.

Yesterday, I decided to go take an “Indoor Cycling” class.  Now, I used to teach this class also, but since I do not have any bikes at my studio and there are not any bikes at the colleges, I had to go take the class on base.

It is so hard to get out to the base.

I worked harder in the class than I wanted to because she kept pushing me to work harder.  So, I did.  yep.  Did you ever get to working out by yourself and just easily give up?  I know I do anymore.  I need that extra motivation and someone telling me I can do it.  Never give up.  So glad I went.

Let me tell you a little something about indoor cycling.  It is a great exercise of people who have bad knees, don’t like to run but need a kick in the butt cardio exercise.  Great for training for events (cross trainer) and just for people who like to ride bikes for fun and can’t go outside due to weather.

If you don’t know what indoor cycling is, it is an organized activity, is a form of high-intensity exercise that involves using a stationary exercise bicycle in a classroom setting.

250px-spinning-bike1

Not only does this type of activity builds strength and endurance, it can burn mega calories.  Anywhere from 400 to 600 depending how intense you are working maybe even up to 1000.

The intensity lies with the fly wheel in this class. Turning the knob for more resistance to simulate climbing a hill, and letting off just a tad to simulate going down hill.  Changing up the resistance and doing a variety of exercises to simulate the outdoors with some awesome keeps this rider going.

If you do not want to take a class you can buy what is known as a trainer to get the training or workout that you like.

trainer

Which ever you decide make sure you have a towel and some water to hydrate.  Drink the H20 is key.

Be sure to properly set the bike up right and have fun riding.

Remember “A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”  -Karen Lamb  I love this quote.

Extreme Burn Circuit 1

Yes, people, i finally got my Lean Program from Beachbody.  Chalean Extreme is going to get me lean.  This workout is going to get me PHYSIQUALICIOUS.

chalene_extreme_top_header_bg2

Well, I was so excited when the box was at my front door.  It took a whole week.  I felt like it was Christmas.  I ripped open the box and I had to take my oldest daughter some dinner.  I let my youngest drive so I could watch the first DVD in the truck on my way down to the hospital. 

I did the first DVD last night.  It was great and I felt great.  I think I could have done more weight, but since it was the first time, I wanted to take it easy to see where I could increase.  Next time I do this Circuit 1, which is next week on Monday I know I will add more weight.  I added some extra cardio with some of Tony Horton’s cardio moves in between the exercises.  This got the heart rate up.  I loved it.

p90x_73

Now, today which is Tuesday, the program takes a day off.  I have to teach Turbo Kick later so that will be my cardio.  No way around that.  I have to work on my diet.  I really have to quit cheating.    Eat cleaner.

So, let me ask you, what are you doing to stay healthier?  What are you doing to be active?  What are you eating?

Drink you H2O

Just remember that “A year from now you’ll wish you had started today.”

http://www.teambeachbody.com/pkayfit02

Sign up for free and workout at home.  Earn cash and great prizes.

Super Cardio

I just received my new DVD from Tony.  It is called Super Cardio.  I am so totally stoked on what he has in store for us. 

Tony is one crazy individual but I do love his workouts.  I did a cardio combo last night and I incorporated all the jabs, crosses, hooks, and uppercuts and then a touch of Turbos (Chalene Johnson) in there to raise the heart rate.

I love getting the heart rate up and working on the heart muscle.  If you want your performance to improve you need to work that muscle too.

I will get back with you on the Cardio thing.  I can’t wait to use it on my college students.  They are going to die.

if you want to get in on Tony Horton’s one-on-one direct mail, sign-up to join the club.

www.teambeachbody.com/pkayfit02

Beach body has some awsome products too and they work!

American Heart Walk!

Okay everyone, the day finally came and then went. I was just amazed at all the people who have took this cause seriously. I sponsored my group and sponsored the PHSSN (Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing) also. They had red shirts and they looked great. This event has grown over the years. The association had several vendors out there this year. I was supposed to do the warm-up but everyone just started to start walking once all the announcements were done. They don’t seem the importance of warming up and stretching even after they walk. Well, at least they came out to walk and enjoy the day. What a gorgeous day for this event. Right after the event the wind really picked up. Go figure. Like the wind doesn’t blow in West Texas. Anyhow, we got the walk done before the wind picked up. Enjoy the pictures.

 

I can only upload a few pictures.  I have others too.  I will post them in another post later.

Such a nice event this year.  Alot of people attended this event.

 

 

 

American Heart Walk Today.

For those of you who really have a passion for fitness, I think the American Heart Walk Association is a great organization to be a part of.  Today is the day for our event.  I am so excited.  They have choosen me to lead the warm-ups.  Okay, so it is just a little task, but a chance to really get my name out there.  My time to show how much I care about people and the way they chose to life their lives and hope that because they are participating in this walk to keep going.  Don’t just do the walk and then that is it.  This could be a start of a new person to take up exercising to help fight heart disease.  The number one killer in America.

I chose to help live my life longer.  I do all that I can to help others. 

I shall return with pictures.

Road Warrior

Yes, it is here everyone.  I am stoked about this new DVD from Tony Horton.  The next DVD installment from his new One-on-One series.  I have not had a chance to review it, since it just came yesterday. 

The Olympics only comes every four years, so I have been glued to the TV watching Michael Phelps take charge and sweeping the world with his gold medals.  You go Michael.  I am thinking about adding swimming to my routine.

I finally realized why I don’t like to run.  I have been on the treadmill twice this week.  I have squeezed in 3 cardio sessions in so far.  Yeah me!  But, yesterday I realized that my little toes get all bruised up.  I hate that and they are so sore.  After my class yesterday, I had to take my shoes off to let my toes breathe.  That is why I think I will go swimming.  Give my little toes a break.

Remember change is good and a variety of cardio exercises is great.  You need to mix it up people.

I will get back with you on how it went with Tony.  Can’t wait.

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