10 Steps To A Healthier Heart

1. Keep your Cholesterol low, aiming for less than 200 milligrams/deciliter and keep your Blood Pressure below 120/80. Garlic has been shown to reduce both cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

2. If you smoke, it’s time to quit the habit. Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

3. Eat more heart healthy fats such as  wild salmon, nuts, avocados, olive oil, and flax seeds. Studies show that consuming two or more servings of fish per week is associated with reducing the risk of developing coronary heart disease by 30 percent.

4.  Reduce the stress in your life. Take a break. Get a massage. Go on vacation. Meditate! Do whatever you need to do to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Stress has a negative affect on your heart and overall health.

5. Exercise! Physical activity is a huge factor when it comes to having a healthy heart. Aim for either 1 hour and 15 minutes each week of vigorous physical activity or 2 1/2 hours each week of moderate intensity exercise.

6. Get to – or maintain – a healthy weight. Those with a healthy BMI were shown to have less risk of heart disease.

7. Avoid fried, fatty, and sugary foods. Yep, they may taste good, but they aren’t doing your heart (or the rest of your body) any favors since these foods have been linked to heart disease, clogged arteries, cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and the list goes on. In the long run, it’s just best to stay away.

8. Keep your glucose levels down.  You should aim to have your fasting blood glucose levels to be less than 100 milligrams/deciliter.

9. Eat more fiber rich foods, such as whole grains, beans, lentils, apples, tomatoes, carrots, pears, and squash (ok, just about all fruits and vegetables).

10. Limit the amount of sodium you consume each day! You should try to have less than 1,500 milligrams a day.

Get Started Today

Choose which step to work on for a healthier heart. You don’t have to try and tackle all of these steps today. Work on steps that are easier for you, and work on them one at a time. You’ll soon realize how good it feels to take care of the little muscle that works so hard to keep you going.

A healthy heart, a healthy you!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Love your Heart
2. Know Your Heart Rate Zones
3. Heart Attack Grill: Worst Food in America?

Did you know that you can make exercise fun?  Check out the video below and you’ll understand what I am talking about!

What other fun exercises can you come up with?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?
2. Sweating during Exercise: Embrace it!
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

Calculating Heart Rate Zones

If you want to reach your goals in the gym, you first need to know what your maximum heart rate is.

Maximum Heart Rate

220 – age = Maximum Heart Rate

For example, if you are 30 years old:

220 – 30 = 190

Now that you know what your maximum heart rate is, you can determine what your heart rate zones are.

Heart Rate Zones

Zone One: 65% – 75% of Maximum Heart Rate

Zone Two: 80% – 85% of Maximum Heart Rate

Zone Three: 86% – 90% of Maximum Heart Rate

For example, if you are 30 years old:

Zone One: Heart Rate of 123.5 – 142.5

Zone Two: Heart Rate of 152 – 161.5

Zone Three: Heart Rate of 163.4 – 171

Advantages Of Each Heart Rate Zone

Zone One

• This is a great zone for your warm up and cool down during the exercise.

• If you are new to working out, this is a great zone to stay in during your entire cardio workout.

• This zone will help improve the blood’s ability to deliver oxygen throughout the body and remove waste which increases blood volume and allows the heart to become stronger.

• This is an Aerobic workout, which uses your muscle glycogen and fatty acids as an energy source.

• An example workout would be walking or even jogging.

Zone Two

• This zone is near the anaerobic threshold, which is when the body is at a point where it can no longer produce enough energy for the muscles with normal oxygen intake. As a result, higher levels of lactic acid is produced. Increase your anaerobic threshold should be one of your cardio goals.

• Exercising at an aerobic level, such as being in Zone Two, will result in more calories being burned with a higher percentage of those calories coming from fat. This is an effective zone for those who want to decrease body fat.

• This is the Aerobic/Anaerobic workout, which uses your muscle glycogen and lactic acid as an energy source.

• An example workout would be jogging, group (cardio) exercise classes.

Zone Three

• This is a high intensity workout that can’t be kept up for a long period of time. You should only stay in this intense zone for 60 seconds or less.

• Once you have worked your way up to this zone, you should only go into this zone about once a week – that’s it! If you go into this zone too much, you will overwork your heart and have less efficient workouts.

• Zone Three should only be used in conjunction with Zones One and Two.

• The benefit of Zone Three is to prevent  plateaus and to continue improving your overall fitness level and boost your metabolism.

• Increases the amount of oxygen burned after the workout, also increasing the number of calories burned after the workout.

• This is an Anaerobic workout, which uses ATP/CP and muscle glycogen as an energy source.

• An example workout would be a fast run or sprinting.

Interval Training

Knowing how to use your heart rate zones to your advantage will help increase the effectiveness of your workouts.

Before you start any exercise program – especially Interval Training – I suggest that you get the approval from your Doctor to make sure your heart can handle the intensity involved in this kind of workout.

Beginners

Zone One: 20-40 minutes (entire workout)

• If you haven’t been exercising consistently, it’s important that you start here. You will still get a good workout in, without causing more harm than good. You need to develop a strong cardio base before you move on to other heart rate zones.

Intermediate

Zone One: 5 minutes (warm up)

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 5 minutes (cool down)

• You may only end up being in Zone Two for about 15 or 30 seconds, rather than the entire minute. That’s OK and is expected. Once the minute is up, it’s time to go back into Zone One for 5 minutes. If you never reached Zone Two during that minute, your heart may not be ready for Zone Two.

Advanced

Zone One: 10 minutes

Zone Two: 2  minutes

Zone Three: 1 minute

Zone Two: 1 minute

Zone One: 10 minutes

• This Zone should not be used by beginning or intermediate clients, otherwise it could result in a critical health-related injury.

I suggest buying a Heart Rate Monitor that can easily provide you with your heart rate throughout your workout so you can adjust your pace accordingly. You can manage your heart rate while walking, jogging, running, biking, or even on an elliptical machine or group exercise class. Just monitor your heart rate regularly and know which zone you should stay in.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Elliptical Machine
2. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?
3. This is a must with every workout!

As a Certified Personal Trainer, I have learned a thing or two about doing exercises properly, and I have created a list of exercises you need to make sure you are doing correctly.

Exercise Mistake: Lifting Too Fast

If you are going to lift weights, you need to make sure that you make the most out of every single rep that you do. Lift the weights slowly, which will allow for a much more effective workout, prevent injury, and will help allow you to do the exercise correctly.

Weightlifting is not a race.

Exercise Mistake: Overlooking Heart Rates

A lot of people hop on those exercise machines like it’s nobody’s business. The problem is, most people don’t start exercising at the cardiovascular level that they should be. They are usually out of shape and try to keep up with those who have been exercising every day for their entire lives.

The best thing you can do is find out which heart rate zone you should start in, and don’t over do it by skipping to a higher heart rate zone that your heart (and the rest of your body!) just isn’t ready for.

Exercise Mistake: Not Stretching

I would say the exercise mistake is “forgetting to stretch”, but let’s face it. You remember to stretch, but you probably just don’t want to do it. Don’t worry, I’ve been there. Once I started to learn more about the benefits of stretching with my exercise program, I took my stretching a lot more seriously. So why do you need to stretch? It helps prepare your body for your workout. It helps prevent injury. Stretch before and after your workouts.

Exercise Mistake: Never Changing Your Workout

If you want to continue seeing positive results with your workouts, you need to switch things up with your workout routine. Your body needs change on a regular basis, and I think you will need it for your sanity, too!

Exercise Mistake: Forgetting to Check Yourself Out

Wait! Did I just tell you to check yourself out? Yes. Well, not in the way that you think. Check yourself out when you are exercising – especially lifting weights – to ensure that you are using proper form. Proper form will help you have a much more effective workout as well preventing injury. Of course, don’t overdo it when you are checking yourself out, since that could cause a problem too (See guy in picture? Very bad form…not good.).

Exercise Mistake: Overdoing It/Not Doing Enough

We all have workout sessions where we get excited about making a positive change in our lives, and we just over do it with our workout. Try your best not to over do it again and again, since it can have a negative impact on your workout results.

Just as some people have a problem overdoing it, some just don’t do enough in their workouts. If you leave the gym feeling like you didn’t workout at all, you just aren’t doing enough. Remember, it’s perfectly normal to sweat while you are working out. Don’t be afraid to burn some calories!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Is Your Relationship Making (or Keeping) You Fat?
2. Sweating during Exercise: Embrace it!
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

Here’s a few tips to help prevent you from gaining those extra pounds by being in a relationship:

Keep Impressing

Too many men and women get married and totally let themselves go. Don’t let that be you. Remember when you used to care about the way you looked? You used to do things to impress your guy/gal. Just because you’re off the market doesn’t mean you’re done trying! Eating healthy and exercising do much more than just help you with a rockin’ bod, it will help you enjoy a long life together, without pesky health problems.

Start New Hobbies

Keep your relationship fun and exciting – pick up a new (active) hobby together! Maybe you can both learn how to rock climb, take dance lessons, or prepare for a marathon together! Whatever it is, do something that is enjoyable and something you can do together!

Portion Control

This one might be advice geared towards mostly the ladies, but I hope it helps the guys realize how they can help their lady love. When you go out to eat with your spouse, you don’t have to eat the same amount as them! My husband, for example, needs to eat almost double the amount of food that I do! There’s no reason for me to try and catch up with him when it comes to eating. Eat the amount of food you were meant to eat; no more, and no less!

Exercise Together 

Why exercise alone or separately when you can exercise together? I can only tell you how hard it is to get out of bed and wake up early in the morning to wake up and exercise…when your spouse is still cuddled up to the warm and cozy blankets snoozing away. Waking up is enough will power, but when you see what you could be doing, it can be hard to stay motivated at 5:30am (or whenever you have to wake up to go workout). Ask for your spouse to be a workout buddy – it will benefit both of you!

Speak up!

Is your loved one continuously bringing you treats that just aren’t helping you reach your goals? Speak your mind and let them know your goals, and how they can help you reach your goals – even if that means not bringing you certain treats that you used to love getting. Explain that treats are not a healthy “reward” system.

Express your need for encouragement, help, motivation, or any support that you feel that you need in order to be healthy.

If your loved one expresses any of the above mentioned concerns to you, be receptive and help where you can.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds
2. Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
3. Healthy Lifestyle = “Hot Body”!

Carrie Underwood, along with many contestants who compete on American Idol, gain weight during the show. The contestants gain the weight for several reasons, such as the stress of the competition, bad food given to them, and long bouts of waiting for their vocal coaches to work with them. Carrie ended up gaining a total of 20 pounds!

How Carrie Underwood Lost 20 Pounds

Carrie has a simple yet effective approach to her weight loss. It worked well for her, and maybe it will work for you too! Of course, to make any weight loss program work, you have to just stick to it and be consistent!

• Start a Food Journal - Carrie Underwood bought a spiral notebook (nothing fancy or expensive!) and just started to write down every little thing she ate.

“I discovered that writing down everything I eat makes such a difference, because you never realize how much you’re consuming unless you read it later in the day” – Carrie Underwood

Carrie said the key to the success of a food journal is to check the calorie count for everything she eats and write the details down in her notebook – immediately after a meal, before she forgets. At the end of the day, if she wants to have a snack, she checks her food for the day, how many calories she has eaten, and calculates how much more she can eat.

I think that when you stick to calorie counting, it’s important to know that nutrition and proper balance should be considered.

• Seek Expert Help – Carrie wanted to set up a mini gym in her home, but didn’t quite know what pieces of equipment she would need to help her reach her goals. Carried ended up hiring a Personal Trainer, who helped her pick out simple pieces of equipment to use, taught her for a few weeks on how to use the equipment and come up with a routine, then Carrie was able to continue her weight loss efforts on her own.

So what exercises does Carrie Underwood do? According to the interview in Shape Magazine, she exercises on the elliptical machine for 30 minutes and then follows that with strength training (reps with weights).

“My favorite thing is cardio, it really helps the pounds melt off, and it gives me so much more energy.” -Carrie Underwood

I would like to point out how Carrie used a Personal Trainer for a few weeks to work on a routine. A lot of people don’t realize that a Personal Trainer can really be a temporary thing, and I personally think it should be for most people. I like to work with my clients for a few months and empower them to be able to get to the point where they just don’t need me anymore. It’s a great feeling knowing that you have everything you need to be able to continue on your journey to lose weight.

• Stop Obsessing Over the Numbers on the Scale – Carrie became a popular topic in the tabloids as she became more and more famous. Many of those articles focused on Carrie’s weight, even calling her “chubby”. Now that Carrie is at a much healthier weight, she tries not to focus on the numbers on the scale, but more importantly her health.

“I’m a performer, and yes, being in good shape is part of the package, but I don’t ever want to get neurotic about my weight. I feel healthy and I know I’m a good size for me. And that’s what’s most important.” -Carrie Underwood

I think that Carrie is focusing on what’s most important, her health! Numbers on the scale may help you track progress, but it shouldn’t be the “end all, be all” either. If you focus on exercising regularly and putting healthy, nutritious food in your body, that’s what’s important. Continue to stay motivated and keep moving forward, and you will reach your health goals.

How Carrie Underwood Kept the Weight Off!

Carrie continues to keep the weight off in a very simple approach.

• No Mystery Food – Carrie told the WebMD Magazine (August 2010) , ”if I don’t know what’s in it, I don’t eat it”. Simple rule, yet clearly effective. This one rule prevents her from eating the fatty catered food that’s available to her.

• Grocery Shopping – Due to the unhealthy catered food available to her on bus tours, Carrie has opted to do her own grocery shopping and buy fresh whole food, which also ensures that Carrie keeps up with her Vegetarian lifestyle.

• Regular Exercise – Just because Carrie has reached her goal weight, it doesn’t stop her from exercising on a regular basis. In fact, regular exercise is a big way to keep the weight off!

“If I can wake up and get a good cardio session in a class at a nearby gym or on the treadmill, I’m happier throughout the day” – Carrie Underwood

Once you reach your goal weight, you need to continue eating healthy and exercising. Just like it helped you lose the weight in the first place, now these healthy habits you have created will help you keep the weight off. Remember, it’s easier to maintain the weight than have to lose it again…and again.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: celebritydietdoctor.com

Related posts:

1. How Kirstie Alley Lost 100 Pounds!
2. Mandisa from American Idol lost 120 lbs
3. How Jennifer Hudson Lost 80 Pounds

Gym hop

Gyms of all shapes and sizes are constantly running deals for a free trial week at their location. Take a week or two off from your old gym and take an exercise tour around town. Find different gyms in your area and enjoy a few days of new scenery. Scoping out a new place can introduce you to new trainers, new equipment and new classes which may jumpstart your exercise regimen, or make you appreciate your old digs.

Take a vacation

Finally put your vacation daydreaming to use and cash in on some personal days at work. Vacations that involve skiing, kayaking, hiking or rock climbing can be relaxing and exhilarating all at the same time. Even just a long weekend at a nearby campground can provide lots of opportunity for engaging exercise in a new setting.

Teach an old dog new tricks

Pick a sport that you’ve never tried before and join a league in your area. If you were an all-state lineman in high school, try taking up racquetball. If you set college records in the breaststroke, find a volleyball league. Chances are, if you haven’t played these sports before you haven’t used all of the muscle groups necessary for them. Being part of a team has the added benefit of social encouragement to continue coming out each week.

Pimp your ride

If you live relatively close to your gym, skip the drive and run or jog there. Instead of driving to the gym and getting on a treadmill, enjoy a run outdoors on your way to the gym where you can then enjoy an abbreviated workout. After a nice long warm-up, you’ll be prepped for some toning weightlifting or strength exercises. Walk back home while you cool down, or catch a ride back with a workout buddy.

If you can do, teach!

Instead of taking class after class of monotonous aerobics, design your own fitness class and offer it to friends or coworkers. Host a yoga workshop in your living room or book an empty office space for after-work zumba. Running the class puts you in control to keep things fun and challenging, and having a group of recruits hold you accountable to stay active.

Move to the music

Grab your partner and sign up for a dance class. Not only does a dance class get you some one-on-one time with your spouse, but high-intensity classes such as tango or flamenco can burn just as many calories as an hour spent on the treadmill. Pay up front for 4-8 weeks of classes to give yourself a financial motivation for sticking with it.

Play coach

Break down and volunteer to help coach your kid’s soccer or basketball team. The daily or weekly commitment will get you to lace on some sneakers and chase after rambunctious children for at least an hour at a time. Being surrounded by an overabundance of sugar-induced energy can’t help but inspire you to join in the drills and scrimmages.

Bag the gym

When you simply can’t bring yourself to going to the gym one more time, skip it altogether and build a workout into your daily routine. Park a few blocks away from your office, choose stairs instead of the elevator, swap your desk chair for a yoga ball, and load on up playtime with your kids to burn calories throughout the day.

Set a goal

Instead of just working out for the sake of working out, set a definite goal that you can work towards. Anything from running a marathon, completing a bike race, or even mastering a yoga pose can give you a long-term goal to aim for. Set weekly or monthly mini-goals that will track your progress and celebrate your successes along the way.

Get techy

Hit up a local yard sale or games store for Wii or Kinect workout games. Adding some virtual workout time to your regular routine can provide a bit of variation. Challenge friends or family to a game for some competition while you burn calories.

This guest post was written by Ashley from Long Island Heart Associates. For questions about heart health and exercise, contact a local cardiologist today.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. This is a must with every workout!
2. The Frisbee Workout!
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

There are some exercises that you can still do – even if you have or had knee pain in the past. Of course, every situation is very different, but typically these are the exercises that should be safe for you and your knees. Check with your doc – or stop immediately if you are feeling any pain.

Keep it Easy on the Knees!

Bicycling - This is a great way to exercise without hurting your knees. Make sure to keep your knees bent and enjoy the bike ride!

Swimming – If you want zero impact on your knees, swimming is a great full body workout for you! I suggest keeping to the freestyle stroke and enjoy the many health benefits that come from this cardiovascular exercise.

Elliptical – If you want a machine that is easy on the knees, the elliptical is it. It’s considered to be very low impact and great for those who are trying to lose weight while recovering from some knee pain.

Treadmill – I don’t suggest that you run on a treadmill, but you may want to consider going from a run or jog to a steady paced walk instead. Walking is a great way to continue exercise, lose weight, and stay in shape- all without all the impact that can come with running.

Step Ups – Anyone with knee pain probably cringes at the thought of doing lunges! For those with sensitive knees, but want to still workout the same muscles as you would with lunges, you may want to consider doing step-ups. You can use stairs or actual step ups, and just go up and back down, allowing for a deep- but not too deep-of a bend to activate those glutes and quads!

No Pain No Gain?

When it comes to recovering from an injury, you want to avoid painful movements. If any of the above exercises are painful, you need to stop immediately. I suggest consulting with your doctor first, before you do any of these exercises, since different knee injuries may prevent you from doing specific exercises, or you might just not be ready yet to exercise yet.

Bottom Line: It’s one thing to feel your muscles burning, and it’s another to feel actual pain. Don’t push through an exercise if you are feeling any pain.

No More Excuses!

Now you know that you can still lose weight or stay in shape – even if you have “bad knees”! Empower yourself to reach your goals and always keep moving forward.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: sxc.hu/photo/391481

Related posts:

1. Walk, Jog, or Run?
2. Winner of Wallie Exercises book!
3. Wallie Exercises (Win an Autographed Copy!)

Here’s a list of fun indoor date ideas that will help you burn some extra calories!

Bowling – Enjoy the cool indoors by going bowling and have fun burning about 180 calories an hour! Just be sure to skip the junk food available at the bowling alley and opt for a healthy meal before you go have fun bowling!

Indoor Swimming – As I have said before, swimming is a full body workout, if done properly. You can burn anywhere from 270 to 550 calories an hour - depending on how vigorously you decide to swim.

Yoga DVDs – Do yoga in the comfort of your own home as you watch your favorite yoga DVD. You can expect to burn about 220 calories an hour as you are sculpting your body to perfect form.

Roller Skating – Go to a roller skating rinkThis is a fun way to burn about 465 calories an hour, and that’s just if you are skating on a flat surface. If you roller blade uphill, expect to burn even more calories!

Karate Class – Take a Karate class together and and you could end up burning about 390 calories an hour.

Laser Tag – Ever played laser tag? You get to run around and shoot the opposing team with a plastic (sometimes heavy) laser gun! Play on the same team or opposing one and you can end up burning about 370 calories an hour!

Dancing – Do you and your date love music? Dancing is a great way to have fun while burning lots of calories! Turn up the music to upbeat songs and have fun burning about 160 calories an hour!

Museum – Take your date to an Art Gallery or Museum, and have fun while you do a lot of walking, which you will end up burning about 130 calories an hour.

Wii Sport – You will have loads of fun on your date when you play games on the Wii Sport! You can try out boxing, bowling, or tennis and you can expect to burn an average of 390 calories an hour!

Indoor Rock Climbing – For those of you who are not afraid of heights, this is the perfect activity for you! You can expect to burn approximately 575 calories an hour from Rock Climbing!

Spin Class – You can burn about 320 calories an hour by going to a spin class together!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Fun Date Ideas…that Burn Calories!
2. How to Burn Extra Calories this Winter
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

I am challenging each of you to make exercise a part of your life, and I suggest you check out some of the benefits that are associated with regular exercise.

Define “Regular Exercise”

In order to benefit from regular exercise, you need to start somewhere. What’s considered “regular exercise”? In general, adults need to exercise for about three to five times a week, for 20 – 40 minutes.

Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

There are plenty of reasons why you should take on this challenge of making exercise a part of your life. I will list some of the top benefits of exercise, just to give you some encouragement and to help you get started.

•Increased Energy

Do you notice that you are lethargic and too tired to exercise? If you are already tired, I don’t blame you for dreading exercise. Interestingly enough, if you just push through that first workout,  you will notice an amazing boost of energy!

•Muscle Strength

If you want to burn more fat in any given moment, you need to gain lean muscle mass. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn which leads to less body fat.

•Live Longer

According to a 20 year study, regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of dying prematurely. This isn’t a surprise considering all of the health benefits associated with exercise.

•Reduce The Risk of Breast Cancer

Studies show that when women exercise, two ovarian hormone (Progesterone and Estradiol) levels are lowered in the body. This is a very good thing, since an excess of these hormones have been linked to breast cancer tumor production. This means that by regular exercise, you can reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 60% – if this isn’t a reason to exercise, I don’t know what is!

•Lose Excess Fat, and Keep it Off

Exercise increases your metabolism which helps you burn more calories throughout the day – long after your morning run (or whatever you decide to do). Exercise will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight.

•Clears Skin

Exercise is a great way to remove toxins from your body, which occurs when you sweat during exercise. Exercise is a natural detox for your skin, which helps you get rid of acne. Your skin increases the natural production of collagen, which is an all natural anti-aging benefit!

•Increase Cardiovascular Efficiency 

The stronger your heart is, the more blood can be pumped through your heart with less effort.  This is a very good thing since strengthening your heart with regular exercise will decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease in the process.

•Lower Blood Pressure

If you need to reduce your blood pressure, you need to start an exercise program (which this challenge should be the perfect opportunity to start, right?). All forms of exercise has been shown to be effective in lowering blood pressure.

•Strengthens Bones

Increase your bone density by choosing an active lifestyle! If you include cardiovascular exercises and weight training (nothing too intense, mind you…), it will help promote bone formation which will delay bone loss. Increase bone mass has been shown to protect against osteoporosis, which is bone loss associated with aging. As you get older, keep on moving!

•Prevent (or cure) Depression

You don’t need (in my opinion) antidepressants to help with your depression. First of all, they don’t fix the problem. Second of all, they are actually harmful to you and your mental health. Thirdly, study after study has proven that exercise reduces the symptoms of depression and promotes mental health. Exercise for 30 minutes just three to five times a week to experience significant improvements. This is something the drug companies don’t want you to know…since we all know how exercise can be cheap or even free.

•Reduce Stress Hormones

Is stress affecting your health? Sounds like you need to exercise (and perhaps resolve the issues causing the stress!) . Sometimes we can’t easily resolve the cause of the stress, but it’s good to know that regular exercise has been prove to reduce the amount of stress hormones in your body. Less stress hormones means lower blood pressure and a healthier you.

• Prevents Illness

Are you sick all of the time? Maybe you need to jump start your immune system, which will help reduce the amount of illness you will have to experience. Regular exercise is a great way to rev up your immune system

•Reduce the Risk of a Stroke

Exercise may reduce the risk of total, hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes – according to research data.

•Better Night’s Rest

Exercise has been shown to help you get to sleep at night. So long sleep apnea!

•Increase New Brain Cells

Did you know that exercise actually stimulates the formation of new brain cells? Research has shown that the area of the brain that forms the new cells is responsible for learning and memory development.

•Lower Cholesterol Levels

Do you have high cholesterol, and need to lower it? Exercise has shown to have a direct effect with influencing blood cholesterol levels by decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol and increasing HDL (good) cholesterol.

•Prevent Diabetes

Studies have shown that exercise, combined with a healthy diet, can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by up to 60%! Considering how dangerous diabetes can be, exercise and a healthy lifestyle should be a no brainer.

Ok everyone – it’s time for you to take this challenge seriously. Do this for you. Do this for your own health, and take charge of your life. Make the choice today to make exercise a habit…you won’t regret it.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Never forget this Important Habit!
2. Twinkie’s Challenge: No Sugar or Artifical Sweeteners!
3. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?

Pippa Middleton

The world watched the Royal Wedding, and we couldn’t help but notice Kate’s younger sister, Pippa Middleton. The big question that everyone wanted to know was, “How did she get that picture perfect body?!” Pippa has an active lifestyle, which includes running in marathons.

Gisele Bündchen

Think models are just born with the bodies they have? Just like everyone else, they have to work for their sleek figure. See those sweat stains on her shirt? That’s what I am talking about! She may have been born beautiful, but that body being in shape came from eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis.

Hugh Jackman

Not only does Hugh Jackman workout to prepare for movie roles, but he also does a great job of exercising with young daughter Ava. Too many kids are stuck in front of the TV all day, and Hugh is a great example by going outside with his daughter.

Hugh is also a great example to all of us, as he is seen running outside – even with a bunch of snow!- showing that running doesn’t have to be a seasonal sport.

Kim Kardashian

We all know that Kim lost some weight this year, going from “really curvy” to “curvy”, and a lot of that came because of her healthier lifestyle which involved eating healthier and more exercise in her life. The picture below is of Kim Kardashian headed to The International Dance Academy in Hollywood. Who said you had to hit the treadmill to call it a workout?

Shia LaBeouf

We’ve seen him go from the geeky little brother on Even Stevens to a much more grown up guy on The Transformers. How does he do it? Well, he hits the gym regularly, of course.

January Jones

How come stars get back into shape so quickly after giving birth? They continue to eat healthy and workout during their pregnancy! Crazy concept, right? Nope! It’s healthy for the Mom and the growing baby to eat healthy and to be engaged in prenatal exercise. Looks like January Jones is involved with Prenatal Yoga, which has many health benefits. All expecting mothers should consider a reasonable prenatal exercise program, with the blessing of their doctor (since high risk pregnancies may have their exceptions).

Want to get a Picture Perfect Body?

If you want to have a fantastic body worth talking about, you must create a healthy lifestyle for yourself. You must work for it and I promise you that it’s worth it. Not only will you look your best, but you will reap the health benefits of exercising and feeding your body with proper nutrition!

No crazy fad diets, please!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: Chris Brunskill/Getty (Pippa), AKM Images (Gisele), Freddie Baez/Startraks (Hugh), Juan Sharma/Miguel Aguilar/Pacific Coast News (Kim), Ramey (Shia), INF (January),

Related posts:

1. Healthy Carbohydrates your Body Needs
2. Keeping Your Family and Children Active: The Foundation for a Healthy Lifestyle
3. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks

Circuit Weight Training

Circuit weight training is one of the most beneficial forms of cardiorespiratory training.  It’s an exercise program that combines resistance training with cardio by performing a series of exercises one right after the other with minimal rest.

Circuit training is a great exercise that is time efficient and can help you reach your fitness goals!

Weight Loss Benefits

Circuit weight training  allows for you to develop lean muscles, which helps you burn calories both during and after you exercise, helping you become more efficient with losing weight.

Too many of us – mostly women – have this fear of lifting weights because we associate weights to “bulking up”. If your health goal is to lose excess fat, make sure that you just lift smaller weights during Circuit Weight Training and for only two or three times a week. Incorporate cardio on the days that you aren’t weight training, and this will help you burn fat and develop long and lean muscles.

Build muscle strength

If you enjoy weight training but dislike traditional cardio workouts, circuit training would be ideal for you. If your goal is to gain muscle mass and “bulk up”, then you would choose heavier weights than those who are just trying to lose weight.

You may consider doing about 12 repetitions for each exercise in the circuit, and do a total of two or three complete circuits. If it takes you about 20 minutes to complete two circuits, then you are done with the workout.

When incorporating Circuit Weight Training into your exercise routine, make sure you start with lighter weights and move your way up. Many of the exercises (see below) require balance, and proper form is extremely important.

How to Incorporate Circuit Training

Typically, an exercise program with circuit weight training would look something like this:

• Warm up/Stretch (5-10 minutes)

• Cardio (5-10 minutes)

• Circuit Weight Training (15-20 minutes)

• Cardio (5-10 minutes)

• Cool down/Stretch (5-10 minutes)

As you can see, I have included time for you to warm up, cool down, and stretch. It’s important that you do this with any weight training program to reduce the risk of injury and provide you with a more effective workout.

Here’s an example of Circuit Weight Training:

1. Ball dumbbell chest press

2. Ball dumbbell row

3. Standing dumbbell curl

4. Standing overhead dumbbell press

5. Step-ups (with balance)

6. Dumbbell triceps extension

7. Rest

8. Repeat exercises, completing the circuit a total of 2 – 4 times, or however many circuits you can complete in about 15 or 20 minutes.

Important: Make sure that you aren’t rushing yourself during each of the exercises – proper technique is critical in preventing injury and maximizing results.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: menshealth.com

Related posts:

1. Benefits of Interval Training
2. Losing weight after having a Baby
3. 5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss

Why not go hiking and enjoy a picnic at the top of a mountain?

Here’s some fun date ideas that involve burning a lot more calories than sitting at the movies for two hours and munching on popcorn! Oh yeah, I think you will have a lot more fun too!

Canoeing - How fun would it be to go out on a lake with your date for a little canoe ride? Not only will you be able to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company, you will also be able to burn about 320 calories  an hour if you paddle at a moderate speed.

Walking – Go to the zoo, museum, park, or beach and just go for a walk! When you talk and walk you can burn about 210 calories an hour!

Biking - Why not go on a bike ride with your date? You will burn about 415 calories an hour, and if you are adventurous enough to go Mountain Biking,  you can burn up to 600 calories an hour! Talk about a fun workout with your hot (literally) date!

Swimming – You can cool yourself off from the hot Summer sun and end up burning around 270 calories an hour if you just lightly tread water. Of course, you will end up burning more calories if you swim laps, but this is a date, right? Have fun!

Rock Climbing – For those of you who are not afraid of heights, this is the perfect activity for you! You can expect to burn approximately 575 calories an hour from Rock Climbing!

Surfing – If you are lucky enough to live close to a beach, why not go Surfing for a date? If you or your date doesn’t know how to surf, you can always take lessons together! Surfing is a fun way to exercise and burn about 170 calories an hour. Surf’s up!

Hiking - Enjoy the nature together and burn about 420 calories an hour! I am not surprised you can burn that many calories hiking since it’s like a natural stair master, only harder! Perhaps you and your date can hike to a beautiful location and enjoy a nice picnic lunch together?

Dancing – Do you and your date love music? Dancing is a great way to have fun while burning lots of calories! Turn up the music to upbeat songs and have fun burning about 160 calories an hour!

Mini golf – Whether you are on a double date or not, it’s pretty fun to go Miniature Golfing! Enjoy some friendly competition and burn about 135 calories an hour. “Four!”

Roller blading – This is a fun way to burn about 465 calories an hour, and that’s just if you are skating on a flat surface. If you roller blade uphill, expect to burn even more calories!

Volleyball – This is a fun group date activity that let’s you enjoy some competition, have some laughs, and burn 300 calories an hour. If you play Beach Volleyball, you will burn about twice as many calories since the sand makes it more difficult to balance and move on. More fun, more calories burned. Sounds like a win- win to me!

No Gym Required

I hope you realize that you can still have fun while you burn a lot of calories! As you can see, you don’t need a gym to exercise or lose weight, and I hope that you will enjoy the nice weather outside and all of your workout options!

Remember to drink plenty of water and bring food if the date lasts more than three hours. Wear safety gear as needed, be safe, and have fun!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Indoor Date Ideas…that Burn Calories!
2. How to Burn Extra Calories this Winter
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

Motivation for Weight Loss

Motivation to lose excess weight comes in a variety of forms. It can be for a specific health goal, such as lowering cholesterol levels, or it could be just to look and feel better. For Mandisa, motivation to lose weight came from Simon Cowell. Let’s be honest, Simon is a great businessman, but he can be quite the jerk sometimes. He made some pretty harsh comments about Mandisa’s weight when she was on American Idol, which was a major motivation for Mandisa to finally lose the weight.

I think that it’s great that she lost the extra weight, since it has such a huge benefit to her health, but I wish she didn’t have to go through humiliation and verbal abuse from Simon to finally make the steps towards improving her life.

“I’ve never felt better in my life, honestly, I feel like I am on top of the world”

Now that Mandisa has lost 120 pounds, she says she would like to see Simon Cowell again and let him see what she looks like know. She even said that she has forgiven him for the harsh comments he has made towards her. Mandisa is a star that truly shines, doesn’t she?

Weight Loss Advice

After losing 120 pounds, let’s just say that Mandisa knows a thing or two about weight loss! Mandisa has some great advice for those who are trying to lose weight. Are you ready for this? Mandisa says her weight loss advice is to eat healthy, exercise, and just take it one day at a time.

There isn’t a magic pill or secret to weight loss. It’s simply just eating healthy, exercising, and taking it one day at a time, or in other words – consistency! Mandisa does a great job to provide simple weight loss tips that work astonishingly well for anyone, and her before and after pictures prove it!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: K Barlowe/Sparrow Records & EMI Music/Sparrow Records

Related posts:

1. How Carrie Underwood Lost 20 Pounds And Kept it Off!
2. How Kirstie Alley Lost 100 Pounds!
3. How Jennifer Hudson Lost 80 Pounds

Why we Sweat

Your body has a natural process that it goes through to help cool and regulate the body’s temperature. The heart pumps more to increase circulation, which improves your cardiovascular system. This process is known as perspiration, or sweating.

Benefits of Sweating

Our bodies are full of toxins! You obviously don’t want to have toxins in  your body, since it can cause damage to your body’s cells. The toxins could be excess sodium, pesticides, heavy metals (like lead and mercury), nicotine, and alcohol.

These toxins get in your body because of the foods you eat, the liquids you drink, and the environment you live in. You can’t completely avoid toxins, because environment is a huge factor that we can’t completely avoid. You can prevent a lot of toxins from getting in your body, since what you eat and what you drink is your choice. You can remove these toxins in a natural and effective way by sweating.

When your sweat comes from exercise, one of the benefits is an increase of endorphins.

Like I mentioned before, the body’s natural way of cooling itself down is through sweating. This is a great benefit, especially with endurance exercises, such as marathon running. I remember running my first marathon, and I wasn’t used to running outside with steep inclines and the sun glaring down at me. Sweating was my body’s way of cooling myself down, which helped me finish the race.

When your body’s temperature increases, it mimics a fever and helps boost your immune system. Sweating is a natural way for your body to heal.

Sweating is also a great way to cleanse your skin, which could help get rid of acne.

Sweat More

There are multiple ways to sweat:

• Sauna’s and Jacuzzi’s

• Heat

• Exercise

It would be best for you to sweat because of a really good workout. Exercise is more beneficial than going outside and sweating because it’s hot outside. Exercise is more beneficial than sitting down in a sauna or jacuzzi. I encourage you to go to the gym, hit the dance floor, play a sport, or enjoy a nice long swim. Just remember to keep moving and enjoy the many benefits that sweating – and exercise – has to offer you.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: sweatblock.com

Related posts:

1. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly
2. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?
3. Katy Perry preps for World Tour with Diet and Exercise

1) Get enough sleep every night

A lot of people seem to think that sleep is just for babies and kids. As an adult, it is just as important to get the proper amount of sleep every night. I know life can be busy – trust me, I do! It’s important to make sleep a priority, since it allows you to get the energy you need for exercise. When you are sleeping, your body naturally creates a hormone that regulates your appetite for the next day. This means that if you have enough rest each night, you are less likely to crave and munch on unhealthy snacks.

Did you know? With the right type of exercise, such as Interval Training, you actually end up burning the most calories from fat when you are at a resting state, such as when you are sleeping. If that doesn’t convince you to get enough shut-eye, I don’t know what will!

Getting enough sleep each night is the first step to successful weight loss.

2) Replace all – or most – of your drinks with Water 

Liquids are one of the easiest and fastest ways to down calories, and before you know it, you have over done it. It may not be easy at first, but if you are serious about your weight loss, you should swap the soda, coffee, alcohol, and sugary juices with water. Easier said than done, I know. What I also know is this: The healthy benefits of ditching the other drinks for more water is worth it.

If you are looking for more flavor than water, you can try herbal tea that has no caffeine in it. This is a great way to enjoy flavor, benefit from the healthy herbs, without any unnecessary calories. Herbal teas tend to be zero calories.

3) Make exercise a part of your regular routine

Exercising needs to be a part of your life. Something that you just “do” rather than continually think about doing. Doing and thinking about doing are two very different things!

If you make exercise a habit, or in other words, a part of your life, you will eventually lose the weight and keep it off. A big reason why people who lose weight and gain it all back  is because they stop doing the healthy habits that got them there in the first place.

You shouldn’t wake up every morning asking yourself whether you should workout or not. Get in the mind set that exercise is just something you do every day (or on a regular basis), and it’s not a choice. Come up with an exercise schedule and stick to it, even after you have reached your weight loss goals. You may be able to turn the workout intensity down a notch or two, but exercise shouldn’t be completely eliminated once you are done losing weight.

Exercise should be enjoyable for you. If you hate running, you should consider swimming instead. If you like to dance, sign up at a dance studio and shake those hips! If you are hating the exercise you are doing, you need to find a new exercise that will be more enjoyable. Exercise may not be easy, but you shouldn’t hate it.

4) Fuel your body with healthy food

First of all, if you want to lose weight, you must eat. Don’t skip meals, and don’t starve yourself. That’s not the answer if you are trying to effectively lose weight and remain healthy. In fact, if you skip meals, your body tends to hold on to it’s fat reserves,where it will be almost impossible to lose your excess fat.

Here are some tips to eat healthy, and start losing weight:

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. This is your new snack food, so ditch the Fiber One bars and start eating real food!

Eat healthy protein sources such as beans, fish, chicken, and raw nuts.

Start eating healthy carbohydrates, since this is a major source of fuel that your body with use for energy during your workouts. You can ditch the refined and processed breads, such as white bread, since it actually makes you gain fat – especially in the stomach area.

Stop baking or eating foods that contain processed sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or artificial sweeteners. These types 0f processed sugars turns into fat and usually lands in the stomach area, just like processed breads.  I know that this one if a major change for most people – myself included – but I believe the healthy benefits are well worth the effort to eat healthier. If it helps, remember that processed sugars turns into fat that ends up around the abdominals, which doesn’t help with your goal of flat abs, does it?

In addition to eating healthy food, find out how many calories you need every day, and how many you should eat for weight loss. If your body burns more calories than you consume in a single day, you will lose weight. If you aren’t eating enough calories though, you end up going into “starvation mode” and stop losing weight. It’s all about finding the right balance.

5) Don’t go on a “Diet”

There are more overweight and obese individuals now than ever before. Are we lacking in diets? There are thousands of diets out there for you to choose from! The reason why diets don’t work is because most people are looking at diets as a “get thin quick” scheme, and it just doesn’t work that way.

If you are looking to lose weight and actually keep it off, ditch the “diet” and adopt a healthy lifestyle that you will continue, even after you are done with your weight loss journey.

More than 5

You can definitely lose weight with more than just these five weight loss tips, but I thought I would narrow the list down to these very important five items. You have to start somewhere, right?

Some of these tips may have been a “duh” moment for you. I’ll let you in on a little secret. There is no secret to weight loss. Yes, there are certainly some strategies that are more effective than others, but for the most part, you know what you need to do to be healthier and lose weight, if needed.

Now that this was a nice little reminder on how to lose weight (or just be healthier!), it’s time you do something about it. Knowledge is useless without action.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss
2. Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
3. Jenna Fischer’s Weight Struggle

I’ll give you a hint: It doesn’t happen by accident! Supermodels must sweat it out at the gym, too! When talking about her body, Doutzen says she has to work very hard for it.

Supermodel’s Workout

So what does a 5′ 9″ Supermodel do to keep her figure in check ?

“. . . I have to work hard, go to the gym, do boxing, jump rope, Pilates workouts . . . I do a mix of a lot of things because I think my body needs the workouts to stay lean.” – Doutzen Krous

In previous articles, Doutzen has shared that she also enjoys ice skating as a workout.

Doutzen has said that she will work with a Personal Trainer three times a week, and something that she has learned from her Personal trainer, is that it’s OK to use weights during workouts, since it tones and strengthens the muscles. It’s also important to know that the more lean muscle mass, the better, since it also allows you to burn more fat during your exercise and throughout the day.

Making of an Angel: Healthy eating habits

It’s not about being “perfect” with your eating habits, but it’s all about moderation for this beauty.

“I like to enjoy life. I am a totally healthy girl that eats but eats in moderation and I take care of myself.” – Doutzen Krous

In addition to eating healthy, Doutzen is breastfeeding, which helps a lot with weight loss after having a baby. Typically, breastfeeding moms will burn anywhere from 250 to 500 calories a day – just from breastfeeding! That’s burning as much calories as a workout or two. Imagine working out in addition to breastfeeding.

You can see why the weight came off for Doutzen Krous, but do you think that she started to exercise too soon after having her baby?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Doutzen Kroez

Related posts:

1. How Miranda Kerr got back into shape after Baby
2. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks
3. Losing weight after having a Baby

Benefits of a Strong Core

In addition to having a firm midsection, there are plenty of reasons why you should work on developing your core muscles.

Lower back pain affects nearly 80% of the adult population, which often times is a result from having weak core muscles. It makes logical sense to assume that if you strengthen your core muscles, you will decrease back pain. According to researchers at the California State University, people who followed a ten week core workout program experienced 30% less back pain compared to before they started the program.

A stronger core means you can lift heavier weights. Your core helps to support your spine, which allows for your entire body to be more structurally sound and more stable for lifting heavy loads.

Weak core muscles will cause you to have a forward lean, so strengthening your core will help with creating better posture.

A Canadian study (with more than 8,000 participants!) showed that in over 13 years, those with the weakest abdominal muscles (part of the core!) had a death rate of more than twice that of the people with the strongest abdominals. Interesting.

Exercises to Strengthen your Core

I don’t recommend crunches, especially if you are trying to obtain a flat midsection. Researchers at the University of Virgina found that you would have to do 250,000 crunches to burn just one pound of fat. I’ll let you do that math on that one. Bottom line, crunches aren’t going to give you a six pack. For the midsection and strong core of your dreams, stick to core exercises that work multiple muscle groups for maximum results.

I have listed some exercises that will strengthen your core. Pick a couple of them to add to your exercise routine, and enjoy the benefits of a stronger core!

• Plank – Start to go in a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms. Allow your body to form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles (don’t elevate your glutes). Hold this position for 30 seconds, as you contract your abdominals. You can also try doing the side plank for variation and strengthening side muscles.

• Prone Cobra – Lie down with your stomach on the floor with your legs straight and your arms next to your side with palms down. Raise your head, chest, arms (thumbs pointing up towards the ceiling), and legs off of the floor by activating your glutes and lower back muscles. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds.

• Swimming – Try swimming free style to strengthen your core, in addition to your entire body.

• Leg Lowering Drill – Lie down on the floor, face up, with your arms straight out in a “T” shape. While keeping your feet together, raise your legs while slightly bending your knees. Slowly move your feet down as close to the floor as you can. Touch the floor and raise your feet back into the starting position and repeat for desired repetitions. Be sure to press your lower back into the floor as you perform the movement, to prevent arching your back.

• Russian Twist – Sit down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold your arms straight out in front of your chest with your palms together. Lean back, so that your torso is at a 45 degree angle to the floor, or half way down to the ground. Rotate slowly as far as you can to the right, then slowly rotate as far as you can to the left. This is a great workout that emphasizes your obliques.

• Yoga- There are plenty of yoga positions to try, but most of the focus on strengthening your core.

• Overhead Dumbbell Side Bend – Stand up straight and hold a pair of dumbbells over your head, with your arms straight and in line with your shoulders. Slowly bend directly to your left side as far as you can, without twisting your upper body. Pause before returning to an upright position, then bend to your right side. Alternate back and forth for desired repetitions.

• Hip Crossover – Lay on the floor, face up with your arms straight out from your sides (palms facing up), making a “T” shape. Raise your legs off the floor so your hips and knee are bent 90 degrees. Slowly move your legs to the right as far as you can, without lifting your shoulders off of the floor. Slowly reverse the movement and move your legs to the left. Continue to alternate for desired repetitions.

Bonus Tip: To help promote a flat stomach, avoid processed sugars.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Stretching Before & After Exercise
2. Look and Feel Better – Instantly!
3. Workouts for your Baby

Check out Kelly’s realistic approach to weight loss.

Emotional Eating

Kelly Osbourne faced drug addictions in the past, and when she cleaned up her life, she ended replacing drugs with food.

When people get upset or overly stressed, a common “solution” is eating. Emotional eating is a big reason why people gain weight, and once recognized, can be resolved.

When Kelly was on Dancing With The Stars, she realized she needed to change her diet so she can have the energy she needed to rehearse the dance moves for the show.

“The three things I did to really change my diet were: Start eating breakfast, drink water instead of soda, and always have a snack in the evening.” -Kelly Osbourne

Find the Exercises you enjoy

Just from making healthy changes to her diet mixed in with dancing, Kelly lost 20 pounds. So when the show was over, she knew she needed to do something to keep the momentum.

Kelly began taking long hikes several times a week, and soon started going to the gym. She found that she enjoys group exercise classes with her friends, and discovered Plyometrics. She says it’s a “killer” workout, but it’s worth it since she is seeing the results.

Since combining a healthier diet with her regular exercise, Kelly lost another 30 pounds, and is quite happy with her size 2 figure.

Weight loss: Permanent or Temporary?

When you lose weight, do you ever wonder if it is going to be permanent or temporary? You don’t have to wonder anymore!

Make sure that you maintain the healthy lifestyle you have created for yourself when you were trying to lose weight.

“It was never just about the weight loss.” – Kelly Osbourne

I love that Kelly Osbourne said that she isn’t dieting. She eats a healthy breakfasts, exercises daily, and avoids soda and candy. Kelly still allows herself to enjoy an occasional pizza or cookie, but doesn’t overdo it.

What do you think of Kelly’s weight loss success?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credits: exposay.com

Related posts:

1. Mariah Carey Reveals Her 70 Pound Weight Loss
2. Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
3. 5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss

Gweneth Paltrow, who is a 38 year old mother of two, was asked in a recent interview what her secret is for staying in such great shape.

“Exercise, Exercise, Exercise” -Gweneth Paltrow

That’s right! There is no magical formula or “secret” to having a great body. In addition to eating healthy, it takes making exercise a regular routine rather than just a one time event.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Country Strong Premiere

Related posts:

1. Healthy Lifestyle = “Hot Body”!
2. Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds
3. Feel Young, No Matter What Birthday You are Celebrating

No Equipment Required

• Walk or Run – You don’t need any equipment,  just a good pair of running shoes. Want to burn extra calories? Run a marathon, or just train for one. The varied terrain, with hills and wind, allow for extra calorie burn when comparing to the indoor treadmill.

• Go old school. The Plank, Lunges, Jumping Jacks, and Push ups, for example, are equipment-free and effective ways to workout. Just because something is common, doesn’t mean it doesn’t work anymore!

• Take a dip in the Ocean. Swimming is a great way to workout, and swimming in the Ocean is free. Of course, my fear of sharks usually keeps me away from such a fantastic swim. I figure that there are plenty of other ways to workout.

Exercises with Inexpensive Equipment

• Workout Videos – Whether it be Dance, Yoga, or Taekwondo, there are plenty of workout DVDs out there to choose from. Workout DVD’s are great because you can exercise in the comfort of your own home, yet still get the benefit of having an instructor lead you through the exercises. Oh yeah, you can also press “pause” if needed!

• Stability Ball – You can get a full body workout with just a stability ball! You can get one for under $20, and you can get a fantastic body with this one piece of equipment.

• Frisbee – Chasing after a frisbee is a fun way to enjoy your inner child, and still get a great workout. I was able to go to my local grocery store and buy a frisbee for $1.00

• “Play Ball!” -You choose which sport you want to play, whether it’s basketball, baseball, soccer,  or football. With most of these sports, you can get away with just buying a ball. It’s all about getting with friends and having fun.

• Jump Rope – You can get a jump rope for cheap, and get a great cardiovascular work out in a decent amount of time. It’s also fun to challenge yourself with skipping the rope or jumping on one leg at a time.

Exercise for Free, or at a Discount!

•Get bored easily? Rather than buying workout DVD’s, why not borrow them from your local library? Once you are done with a workout DVD, you can move on to the next one.

•Free Trials. Gyms will often give potential clients a free trial to lure you in. If you are interested in getting free gym time, this might be something you should take advantage of. It may be a month or just a week long, but either way, it’s free.

•Bargain. If you decide to move forward with a membership at a gym, be sure to get a deep discount in the price. They may say that they can’t lower the price, but chances are, they can. And trust me, they would rather give you an amazing price at their gym, than lose you as a customer.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Gym Etiquette guidelines to follow
2. Fitness joy for Twinkie
3. Why you should give Yoga a try

Heart Facts

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and the #1 killer of women. It’s also one of the most preventable health concerns.

•Cocaine affects the heart’s electrical activity and causes spasm of the arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke, even in healthy people.

•Three years after a person quits smoking, their chance of having a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked before.

•People that suffer from gum disease are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart attack.

How to take care of your Heart

Heart disease is a serious health concern. Every 25 seconds, an American will have a (negative) coronary event. It’s a very common problem, yet very preventable.

Now that you know that this major health concern is in your control, what are you going to do about it?

Here’s some tips that can help you – and your heart – become healthier.

Exercise – Regular physical exercise has been proven to positively effect the body, including one’s heart. If you want to have a healthier heart, exercise is a great way to use your hardest working muscle. When the heart is healthy and strong, it has a positive impact on the rest of your body.

Healthy Foods - Nutrition plays a big role in helping your heart become healthy. To help with nutrition that targets heart health, enjoy foods like Wild Salmon, tomatoes, avocados, squash, and carrots.

Avoid Tobacco – Whether your smoking or chewing it, tobacco is very dangerous for your heart and overall health. If you currently smoke, successfully quitting would be one of the healthiest things you could do for your overall health.

Avoid Stress – I know first hand how trying to avoid stress is easier said than done. I also know first hand how stress can negatively effect you, and it’s important that you do everything you can do minimize the stress in your life, and learn how to manage the stress you can’t quite get rid of.

Sleep - It’s important to get enough rest, which helps your body recover from everything it has to accomplish during the day. Getting enough sleep would be something that could help you manage your stress effectively. A lack of sleep never helped anyone.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Sources:

www.whitehouse.gov

www.cdc.gov

Related posts:

1. 10 Steps To A Healthier Heart
2. Know Your Heart Rate Zones
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

Jenna Fischer, who is one of the star’s of the hit comedy show The Office, explains that Hollywood’s focus on weight is no laughing matter.

Hollywood’s Pressure to be Thin

When the average person gains a couple of pounds, nobody seems to notice. You get to take your time working off the extra weight, right? What about when you are a famous Hollywood star? Apparently, when you are in Hollywood, gaining a couple of pounds ends up being a pretty big deal.

“In a normal job, if you gain or lose a few pounds, it’s no big deal. But in my business you have to tell someone so that the next time you go to a fitting, the clothes are the right size. It’s really embarrassing to have to say to your manager, ‘I’m now a 6 pant instead of a 4.’ Emails go out, and they CC the agents: ‘Jenna would like everyone to know that she’s now a 6 pant.’ This is why actresses obsess about their weight. It’s not a private affair.” -Jenna Fischer

Would you Obsess too?

If you were in Jenna’s situation (and ever other actress/singer/performer in Hollywood), would you obsess over your weight too? I have a couple of thoughts about Jenna’s comment.

In Jenna’s situation, someone has to provide her with a wardrobe for the TV series. They have to know what her new size is so they can appropriately dress her, right?

I think that women shouldn’t be only concerned about what size they are, especially someone who is at a healthy weight like Jenna Fischer. No matter what size you are, the focus shouldn’t be a number on the scale or a jean size – they can certainly help motivate you if you need it – but the focus should be about eating healthy and regularly exercising.

Being thin doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy”. Those who are anorexic or bulimic are thin, yet they are extremely unhealthy! As you can see, we don’t want to kill ourselves over being thin, since that shouldn’t be our goal anyways. I believe that if the focus is on being healthy,  we will all eventually end up at our ideal weight. Some people need to lose weight. Some people should maintain their weight. And yes, some people should gain weight. It’s about taking care of our bodies in the best way we know how.

Eat healthy more often than not. Exercise, but don’t over do it. Live your life to the fullest.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Credit: Redbookmag.com

Related posts:

1. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss
2. Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
3. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks

Katy Perry’s Diet

Katy started a diet that consists of eating healthy meals – with the occasional splurge.

“I’m on a meal plan, which absolutely sucks — but on Sundays I get to have a cheat day where I go buck wild and eat In-N-Out Burger”.

Katy Perry’s Exercise

After Katy enjoys her weekly splurge, the 26 year old singer is making sure she doesn’t just stay still after enjoying a burger. Katy definitely keeps herself very busy, stating “I feel like I’m training for the Olympics!”. There’s a reason that weekly splurge isn’t effecting her too much…

“I’ll work out, go to a vocal lesson, run through the entire set at rehearsals, go to dance rehearsal until 10:00 p.m. and then go home and sort through e-mails concerning the production,”  - Katy Perry

Diet and Exercise Health or Weight Loss?

Katy Perry doesn’t seem to be eating healthier or exercising for weight loss – it’s all about getting physically fit and ready for her 9 month long World Tour.  It’s about taking care of your body and overall health, and creating the stamina required to be performing on stage almost every night in front of thousands of fans. Talk about motivation, right?!

Katy Perry’s preparations for her World Tour is a great example of how eating healthy (most of the time) and exercising is important, even if you don’t need to lose weight.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Image Source: KatyPerry.com

Related posts:

1. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss
2. Ricki Lake: From size 24 to size 4
3. Mandisa from American Idol lost 120 lbs

What is Interval Training?

Rather than just doing cardiovascular exercise, Interval Training is a type of physical training which involves bursts of high intensity work and then followed by periods of lower intense workouts.

Interval Training can be used with different types of exercise methods, such as running, stair climbing or cycling.

Most adults should be able to handle this type of exercise, but if you have a known heart condition, you should see a doctor (cardiologist) first to give you the clear to start incorporating Interval Training into your exercise routine.

How to Incorporate Interval Training

During your Exercise:

1)  Choose an exercise  such as the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical machine.

2) Warm up.

3) Exercise: Workout at an intense pace for 30 seconds, then recover with a lower intensity for 90 seconds.

4) Rinse and repeat for 8 sets, for a total of 16 minutes.

5) Cool down.

Important: You can do Interval Training one or two times per week in replacement of your regular exercises during the week. You shouldn’t do Interval Training more than two times per week, due to the extreme intensity and strain that is placed on the body. As Interval Training can be very healthy for you, you don’t want to over train, since this increases your risk of injury.

Before/After  your Exercise:

Sleep! You need to be well rested to maximize the benefits of your workout.

Drink plenty of Water . Don’t drink soda (especially diet), sugary juices, or vitamin water.

Eat a well-balanced diet, and be sure that you are consuming a proper amount of calories. It’s very important that you stop eating Junk Food and Candy! Proper nutrition is vital for exercise, especially when you perform an intense workout such as Interval Training. Sugar and grease are the last things your body needs.

What sets Interval Training Apart

Improves Aerobic Capacity – Helps to increase the length of workouts and at varying intensities.

Boosts Fat Burning – With the intense workouts mixed in with regular paced exercises, most people will notice a decrease in body fat.

Increases HGH – Interval Training helps to increase the Human Growth Hormone (HGH), which is a natural growth hormone which aides muscle strength.

Boosts Metabolism – Interval Training helps with burning fat throughout the day by increasing your metabolism.

Start seeing the results of a healthier lifestyle with Interval Training! Who’s ready to start?

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Get in Shape with Circuit Weight Training
2. 5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss
3. Know Your Heart Rate Zones

Big-Boned or Overweight?

At her heaviest, Ricki weighed a total of 260 pounds. She managed to lose 110 pounds when she started to host her own TV show, and she maintained her weight of 150 pounds for 15 years.  Due to her weight, Ricki always thought she was just a big-boned girl. After her final pounds dropped, she realized she wasn’t the big-boned girl she once thought she was.

“I’ve realized that my bones are a lot smaller than I thought.” -Ricki Lake

How Ricki Lake lost the last 30 pounds

You don’t need surgery, you just need to adopt healthy eating habits and an exercise routine!

When Ricki Lake first lost her 110 pounds, she admitted that she didn’t lose it in the healthiest way. She said she felt like she was starving herself, and was absolutely miserable. Yes, she lost the weight, but it wasn’t in the healthiest way.

To lose the last 30 pounds, Ricki started to eat healthier by eating a more balanced diet consisting of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats. She didn’t starve herself either, by eating a healthy amount of calories, which was anywhere from 1,200-1,400 calories a day.

In addition to healthier eating habits, Ricki Lake started working out with a personal trainer three times a week to shed her last 30 pounds, which resulted in Ricki Lake’s current weight of 120 pounds and fitting into a slimming size 4.

Weight loss Reward

I am always up for rewarding yourself for achieving healthy weight loss, and it looks like Ricki Lake believes in the same splurge as I do: Shopping! Ricki Lake has said that since her weight loss, she plans on indulging in a whole new wardrobe to show off her newly slimmed body. Want to reward yourself too? Don’t reward yourself with food! You don’t want to train your brain to thinking that candy or junk food is a reward, because you will teach yourself to want it and will try to find ways to treat yourself to it. Find healthier ways to reward yourself, such as a new outfit, painting class, or another hobby you are interested in.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Sources: People.com; QuickandSimple.com

Image Source: Getty; Wire Image

Related posts:

1. Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds
2. Drew Carey’s Weight Loss Success
3. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss

Drew Carey’s feet were hurting so much while hosting for The Price Is Right, he sometimes had to resort to using a cane. Carey weighed 260 pounds and confessed that at one point he was afraid to step on the scale. Carey stated that he didn’t want to live trying to reach a certain number on the scale, but he wants to live to be healthy.

Carey has the right idea, by saying he is choosing to “live to be healthy”. I couldn’t agree with him more!

Motivated to Make a Change

Drew Carey admitted to Parade, ”I always thought I was going to die before I was 60″, which is no surprise Carey thought this since his father died of a heart attack when he was just in his 40′s.

Carey decided he needed to make some big changes in order to save his own life and not fall under his father’s footsteps. Carey ended up trading his daily greasy hamburgers for healthier foods in moderation and picked up an active lifestyle.

After creating a healthier lifestyle, Carey ended up losing more than 85 pounds!

Noticeable Difference

Drew Carey said that he has “tons more energy now” since he has lost his extra weight. You can just tell from recent interviews with Drew Carey that he is so much happier with himself now. One thing I know for sure, it just feels good to be healthy!

What do you think of Drew Carey’s weight loss success? I appreciate Drew Carey for showing us that it’s never too late to start eating healthy and exercising – Thank you Drew!

Image Credit: WENN, PicApp

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss
2. Mariah Carey Reveals Her 70 Pound Weight Loss
3. 5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss

Small Changes = Big Results

Kourtney focuses on eating small, healthy meals every 2 hours such as Salmon and Brown Rice. Eating every couple of hours is a great way to stay healthy without feeling hungry all of the time. It’s how I personally maintain, or even lose, my weight!

Kourtney does admit though, that she does have a daily splurge of a cookie or a mini doughnut. She now knows that it’s all about having one or two rather than eating the whole box!

Kourtney now weighs 95 pounds, which is not an unhealthy weight considering how short she is!

“It’s about being a healthy mom, not a certain weight.” -Kourtney Kardashian

I believe Kourtney was focused on the right things, such as being healthy and being a good mom, rather than obessessing about what’s on the scale. A great example for us all, don’t you think?

Workout Partner

Kourtney went to the gym with her sister, Khloe Kardashian, which helped her stay motivated and coming back to the gym every week. Kourtney was motivated to go to the gym knowing that her sister was waiting for her. I am happy for Kourtney who had such a great sister to workout with, which helped her reach her goals.

Strange how it’s easier to bail on ourselves rather than other people. If this is you, find yourself a dedicated workout partner and hit the gym together.

Quick-Trim

I am not too surprised about this, but just like her sister Kim Kardashian, Kourtney is promoting a specific product in her featured weight loss article in OK! Magazine. As you may have already guessed (or known),  Kourtney Kardashian, along with her sisters Kim and Khloe, are the official spokespersons for Quick-Trim. It shows by how often Quick-Trim is mentioned in Kourtney’s interview, where she says little blurbs like, “Quick-Trim Fast Shakes are a fave”. Well, for how much money she is getting from Quick-Trim, I bet they are her “fave”!

The question remains, do you need to buy Quick-Trim to have the same weight loss success as Kourtney Kardashian? The answer is “no”. I find that the main reason Kourtney lost weight, by eating healthy and exercising, is all you need to experience the same weight loss success as she did.

What do you think is the biggest contributor to your weight loss success?

Image Credit: Kourtney Kardashian

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks
2. Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds
3. How Carrie Underwood Lost 20 Pounds And Kept it Off!

During Kendra’s pregnancy, her diet became a “free for all”.

” I had no boundaries. I just ate, ate, ate. I just said, ‘This is my time, these are my nine months, I can just have fun, how big can I really get?’ Sixty pounds! I gained 60 pounds!”  -Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett

After giving birth to her son in December 2009, Kendra soon tried to lose the extra weight.

Kendra, at only 5’4″, went from weighing only 105 pounds to reaching her maximum weight of 165 pounds after pregnancy. For someone with such a petite frame, it was no wonder that Kendra was shocked that she had gained so much extra weight in just 9 months.

Kendra’s “After” Photo:

How Kendra lost 40 Pounds

Kendra credits her weight loss to the following:

Eating Healthy – Kendra has cut out almost all junk food from her regular diet! She eats healthier foods, including healthy smoothies and she sometimes nibbles on her baby’s food.  Of course, you can make your own pureed foods for you and your baby!

Abdominal Cuts – Of course Kendra is crediting Abdominal Cuts for her weight loss! Why? Kendra promotes the company (also known as “Abcuts”)and gets paid for it. Actually, Kendra gets paid a lot for saying she credits this for her weight loss. Did Kendra actually use this to help her lose weight? Maybe. We will never know. What I do know is this: This fat burning pill is not the answer to your weight loss. If you really want to lose weight, do it the healthy way and you will keep it off!

Exercise - Kendra gets her exercise by taking regular walks and hitting the gym.

Kendra’s real weight loss “secret”?

Kendra said she stopped obsessing about her weight and the number on the scale.

Kendra said “The second I stopped obsessing  was the second I started to see results. I started to look good and feel good.”

It’s all about making the decision and focusing on what you really want, which is being healthy. Kendra credits a lot of her motivation for getting back into shape to her husband, Hank Baskett.

Congratulations to Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett for losing 40 pounds and making her health a priority again!

Image Credit: Kendra Wilkinson

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kourtney Kardashian Loses 45 Pounds after Pregnancy
2. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks
3. How Carrie Underwood Lost 20 Pounds And Kept it Off!

Kim Kardashian goes Old School

She was able to lose the extra weight by some good old fashioned exercise! She kicked up her routine by doing lots of cardio, weight lifting, and even an intense boot camp routine.

Kim Kardashian said “My mom always taught us, like, no matter if you’re skinny, no matter if you’re fit, you always need cardio. Go on walks. Walk on the treadmill. Run. You need stuff to get your heart healthy.”

I am proud of Kim for hitting the gym to shed her extra weight!

Kim Kardashian’s Diet

Kim is sticking to a strict diet from Sunfare, which is a food delivery service that provides portion controlled meals that are only 1,100 calories a day.

Kim said “It’s the only diet I can stick to”.

Pros: The concept of Sunfare is pretty nice; No thinking about what you are going to eat and no trips to the grocery store where you can get tempted to buy (and then later eat) unhealthy foods.

Cons: If you wanted to buy your 6 meals a day (3 meals and 3 snacks) from Sunfare, it would cost you $68.20 a day! This is an extremely expensive diet for prepackaged meals that aren’t as healthy as food you could be making yourself at home.

Solution: Come up with a healthy meal plan and stick to your list when you go grocery shopping. Instead of buying junk food for your snacks in-between meals, buy fruits and vegetables!

Tip: An organic apple or a little bag of organic baby carrots is a lot cheaper and healthier than any prepackaged snack.

Image Credit: WENN; Splash

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Kourtney Kardashian Loses 45 Pounds after Pregnancy
2. Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds
3. Kelly Osbourne’s 50 Pound Weight loss

Build a Snowman – When was the last time you built a snowman when it snowed? It’s not just for the kids, and when you are working on building your very own Frosty, you will burn about 240 calories an hour.

Ice Skating – This is one of my favorite things to do in the Winter time! You don’t have to be doing triple axel jumps to get a good exercise with Ice Skating. All you need to do is just try to balance yourself and keep moving forward – oh, and have some fun! While you are Ice Skating, you will be burning an average of 470 calories an hour. Not bad!

Snowball fight - Have a friendly snowball fight with your kids, and plan on burning 319 calories an hour.

Cross Country Skiing – Looking for a good workout while enjoying some beautiful scenery? With Cross Country Skiing, you will burn an average of 610 calories burned per hour. That’s a lot of calories you will burn without realizing you are working out. Ok, you will know you are working out, but this definitely beats the treadmill at the gym. Enjoy the scenery!

Snow Shoeing – Enjoy some time Snow Shoeing! Unlike Cross Country Skiing, you can go uphill, downhill, and on flat tundra. With this fun activity,  you will burn about 540 calories an hour.

Sledding – I love sledding and never knew that I could burn about 460 calories an hour! That’s a lot of calories being burned while going up that big hill so you can sled all of the way down.

Snowboarding – One of the great things about Snowboarding is that you can go up and down the hill for hours and not even realize how much time has passed you. The next day, you can feel it: 450 calories burned per hour!

Now that you have fun activities to do, you can start singing “Let is Snow!” and actually mean it.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Indoor Date Ideas…that Burn Calories!
2. Fun Date Ideas…that Burn Calories!
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

Regular Exercise

Working out on a regular basis helps with many things. I will briefly discuss some of the many health benefits of working out on a regular basis:

•Drops  Insulin levels -High Insulin levels are dangerous since it is the root cause of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, etc. Cardiovascular Exercise is a natural way to lower your Insulin levels.

•Treats Type 2 Diabetes - A couple of the possible side-effects of Diabetes is Heart Disease and Kidney Disease. Both are very serious conditions, and exercising on a regular basis (including a healthy diet) can greatly reduce the chances of having Diabetes.

•Lowers Blood Pressure – If you have High Blood Pressure, you are at risk for Heart Attacks, Strokes and even Kidney failure. High Blood Pressure can be caused by poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and abundant amounts of stress. To help lower your Blood Pressure, it is important to eat healthy (every day, not temporary!) and Exercise on a regular basis. I have personally found that when I am stressed, I need to have a good work out or else it will negatively effect my health.

•Lowers Cholesterol – High Cholesterol is dangerous because it is something that is seen after many years of poor eating and the effects can be quite serious. High Cholesterol causes a plaque buildup in your arteries which can lead to Heart Disease, Heart Attack, and Stroke. It was once believed that only those who were overweight suffered from High Cholesterol levels, but you can be “skinny” and still have high cholesterol. Like I have said many times before…the whole point of eating healthy and exercising is to be Healthy, not necessarily “Skinny”, because “Skinny” doesn’t always mean “Healthy”. Focus on what’s important here!

•Prevents Obesity – Being overweight and obese causes some serious health concerns. Many people suffer from Impaired Immune Systems, Liver Disease, Arthritis, Heart Disease, Back or Shoulder Pain, Stroke, Sleep Apnea, High Cholesterol, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, and the list goes on. These are all very serious issues that are all very preventable. Eat well and Exercise on a Regular basis!

•Treats Depression – You would be amazed how much exercising can help prevent and treat Depression! When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which are a natural feel-good hormone. Ever heard of a “Runner’s High”? Go out for a run (or walk!) and notice how much better you feel! Bottom line: If you want to be Happy, go Exercise!

“I don’t necessarily believe that you need to take expensive medications to solve many health issues.  The root of the problems are usually because your body is lacking proper nutrition and exercise. Your body needs regular exercise, and most people don’t make the time to exercise as often as their body needs it. ”

~Twinkie

Where to Start?

You may not be able to run, but what about walking? If you can’t walk,  what about clapping your hands or moving your feet? You have got to start somewhere.  Stay consistent, and you will notice the results!

The best way to maximize your exercise regime is to have healthy, well-balanced meals. Your body doesn’t want or need processed sugars, fattening or fried foods- no matter how much you are craving them!

Now it’s time to go out and exercise!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly
2. Why Fiber is Important for your Health
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

I’ll give you some reasons why a proper warm up and cool down are important.

Warm up

Warm ups should be easy and short. Having a proper warm up helps provide blood flow to your heart and muscles. With the increased blood flow, the lactic acid in the muscles is minimized, which increases the overall performance of the workout. Synovial fluid is released into the joints which allows increased elasticity in the muscles and increased flexibility for the tendons and ligaments. A good warm up also helps activate the nervous system before your workout.

To prevent injury during your workout, be sure to properly stretch after your warm up. Do not stretch before your warm up, since this can cause injury.

Cool down

After your workout, it is very important to allow your heart rate to return back to a normal rate. You should do this by decreasing your pace, slowly by slowly until your heart rate has decreased. You should focus on breathing in slowly as you continue to decrease the intensity of your workout. This should take about 5 minutes, longer if you had a more intense workout.

Stretching after your cool down is important to prevent injury, help relax your muscles, and quite honestly – just feels great to stretch your muscles after you have had a good workout.

Sum it all up…

Here’s the bottom line when it comes to a warm up and cool down: Both help to prevent injury, and help maximize your exercise experience. What good is getting injured when you are trying to lose or maintain weight? It’s important to stay healthy, which includes staying injury-free.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Walk, Jog, or Run?
2. Get in Shape with Circuit Weight Training
3. 10 Ways To Shake Up Your Workout Routine

Importance of Stretching

If you aren’t properly stretching with your workout, you are definitely putting yourself at risk for a serious injury during your workout. It’s always a bad situation when you can’t workout because of a workout related injury that was very preventable – if only you stretched after your workout!

Not only do you prevent injury by stretching, you also become increasingly more flexible,  stronger, bring valuable oxygen to your muscles, and  provide better blood circulation.

Stretching after your workout helps prevent muscle cramps, soreness, and allow for your muscles to loosen up.

Before your Workout

Do you need to stretch before your workout? This topic is very debated, and studies show that stretching before your workout might not be as beneficial as we all once thought. In my personal experience, I find that stretching is very beneficial for my workouts, especially since I have previously injured one of my knees in the past. I notice that I have a lot more range of movement, and my knees don’t hurt at all (or as much) during my workout  compared to me not stretching at all. My take? Listen to your body’s needs and take necessary precautions.

Studies say that having a warm up before your workout is really what helps your body get ready for that good heavy workout your about to do.

After your Workout

After your workout is when you should be stretching, which you will really notice the benefits when your muscles aren’t as tight and sore the next day.

When stretching, be sure to breath in and out slowly and allow yourself to ease into your stretch. Do not “bounce” into your stretch, as this can cause more injury to yourself than not stretching at all.

Stretching Tips

•Ease into your stretches – Be sure to ease into each of your stretches rather than quickly moving into them. Quickly moving into your stretches might cause injury in and of itself.

•Slowly Breathe in and out – Just as Breathing while working out is important, it is just as important to Breathe while you are stretching.

•Keep it in the Happy Medium – Don’t barely stretch where you aren’t really stretching at all, and don’t over do it where you end up hurting yourself. If you aren’t feeling anything, slowly ease more into the stretch until you feel it. If you are in pain, you are over doing it, and ease slowly out of the stretch until you feel moderately. The goal is to find the “Happy Medium”.

Stretches

Here are some stretches that will be helpful for you:

Glute Stretch – While sitting down on the floor, extend both legs in front of you and put one leg over the other and place the foot as close as possible to the hip. Be sure to keep your upper body upright and grab your leg and pull it towards your upper body.

Inner Thigh Stretch – While sitting down on the floor with your upper body upright, bend your knees and press the soles of your feet up against each other. Slowly push your knees to the floor, without bouncing. This stretch is more commonly known as the “butterfly stretch”.

Hamstring – Sit on the floor with both of your legs straight in front of you. Keep your toes up rather than pointed, and reach for your toes with your hands.

Calf – Stand at arms length from a wall, and put both hands on the wall. Put one foot forward and bend it towards the wall while your other foot is straight.

Quad – Stand close to a wall or other support, and with one hand balance yourself. Lift one leg off the floor and with your other hand, grab your ankles (not your toes!) and hold.

Ankles – While standing up, roll one of your ankles clockwise ten times, and then again counter-clockwise. This stretch is important for when you put a lot of weight on your ankles, such as when you are running.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?
2. This is a must with every workout!
3. Twinkie’s Challenge: Exercise Regularly

•No muddy shoes on gym floor – you are sharing this gym with a lot of people, and nobody wants a dirty gym.  In most cases, the gym will provide a rug for you to wipe off your shoes.

•Must wear gym shoes while exercising – typically, you will not be allowed to exercise wearing  sandals, slippers or flip flops. This is obviously for safety reasons, and should be followed.

•No gym bags on gym floor – It’s never fun tripping over someone else’s gym bag just after you had an intense workout. Most gyms will have a policy in place to keep gym bags off of the floor, which is for everyone’s safety.

•No alcohol, smoking, or drugs allowed on premises – this should be an obvious, but it still must be mentioned!

•No offensive or abusive language – you are exercising around a lot of people, and should respect the fact that others will not want to hear your offensive language.

• Don’t talk my ears off! – Most people want to go to the gym to exercise rather than engage in social hour. Nothing’s worst than having to listen to someone else’s conversation about anything and everything for your entire workout. Respect the fact that other people are around you and don’t want to hear about your problems. If it’s just you and your friend at the gym, that’s another story. Then again…how can you have a successful workout if you are talking the whole time?

•Before changing TV stations, see if others are watching the TV or not – It’s OK to change the TV channel only
if nobody else is watching the channel that is currently on. If you change the TV channel without prior approval, it’s just plain rude.

•Share equipment – allow others to use the equipment during your rest period. Unless the equipment has your name on it,  you have to share.

•Share the lane – If your gym has a pool, be sure to share the lane with others. Just because you got there first, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share the lane.

•Stop working out on a defective machine – If you are on an elliptical machine that keeps squeaking like crazy, get off and get onto a new machine. This is respectful to those around you who don’t want to hear the squeaking, and respectful to the gym so that they can have the machine repaired for future use.

•Return weights to the racks or plate trees after use – This is necessary for several reasons: 1) Everyone wants a clean gym rather than having weights laying around 2) You are sharing the equipment, and having a standard location to find the free weights makes sense

Now that you know the appropriate Gym Etiquette, you are ready to hit the gym!

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Elliptical Machine

Walk

Walking is a lot easier on your body than jogging or running, and if you have been out of the gym for awhile, walking is an excellent place to start. Walking is also a great cardiovascular exercise, and should not be looked at as an inferior workout to either jogging or running. Try to keep a steady brisk walk, and this is a great way for you to burn calories and lose weight.

Focus on walking correctly, get good comfortable shoes, breathe correctly, and work your way up to speed walking. If you have ever had a knee injury, you might want to stick to walking until you have fully recovered from your injury. Never feel like you have to go faster than what your body is ready for, or capable of.

With any other workout that you do, walking is also a great cool down.

Jog

If you like a short and intense workout, jogging might just be for you. Jogging takes less time for the same calorie burn and cardiovascular benefits compared to walking. Be sure that you have great shoes, and that you are jogging correctly. Jogging can be really hard on the knees and shins if you jog “wrong”, jog for a prolonged amount of time, or even if you didn’t properly stretch before or after your workout. Something important to also keep in mind, is to breathe correctly. It is important that you breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth. If you need help practicing this, try walking until you can get the hang of things.

Run

Most people who say then went “running” actually went “jogging” instead.  Running is faster than jogging, and if you are on pace to finish a mile in less than 9 minutes, you are “running”. Just like walking and jogging, running is a great cardiovascular exercise, but takes much faster to burn the same amount of calories as it does for walking or jogging. Just know that this is an intense workout, and not for those just trying to get back to the gym. This is something you should work up to, but you don’t have to reach this point.

Which one is for me?

Do what is best for your body. Because I have had a knee injury in the past, I am not pushing myself to run, and I even limit the amount of jogging that I do. Am I depriving myself of anything? No. Whether you walk, jog, or run,  you are having a cardiovascular workout, burning calories, and getting a great exercise in. As long as you are properly warmed up and prepared, whether you walk for an hour, jog for 15 minutes, or run for 3 minutes, your body will thank you.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Know Your Heart Rate Zones
2. Never forget this Important Habit!
3. Elliptical Machine

Breathing helps bring oxygen to the muscles, helps you relax, slows heart rate, and increases endurance

Application during Exercise

Be sure to develop a steady pattern of breathing while you exercise.

Breathe in through your nose, and excel through your mouth. If you breathe in through your mouth, that’s when you can start gasping for air, and your mouth just starts to burn. If this is the case, you aren’t doing it correctly.

Inhale during the recovery part of your exercise, and exhale during the exertion part of the exercise’s movement.

It’s important to breathe properly.  Breathing properly helps you keep your form, prevents injury and unnecessary fatigue. If you want to go the extra mile, or beat your personal best, breathing properly among other things is a sure way to increase your productivity while exercising.

Application for Everyday

It is important to get enough oxygen in our bodies, and most people don’t get enough on a regular basis.

So how can you make sure that you are getting enough oxygen in your body? An easy way to practice how to breathe properly, is to first lay down. Put your hand on your stomach. You should notice that when you take in a breath, your stomach should rise. When you exhale, your stomach should drop or sink in.

Take in slow, deep breaths to fill the lungs full of oxygen, and slowly release it.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Stretching Before & After Exercise
2. Walk, Jog, or Run?
3. Are You Making One Of These Common Exercise Mistakes?

Cycling is a fun way to get your body moving. I remember when I was younger I could ride my bike for hours since I was just having fun, feeling the wind in my face, and viewing the scenery. Back then, I didn’t realize that riding my bike (cycling) was actually good for me and that I was exercising.

Health benefits

Cycling is good for you for several reasons. First of all, it is a great cardiovascular workout (helps fight against heart disease). Cycling tones your muscles, such as your butt, your thigh muscles, and your calf muscles. More toned muscle comes with helping your body burn those calories, which if you want to lose weight, is a good thing. If you need to make sure you are careful with your knees, cycling is a great way to go. Cycling is easier on your joints than running for example, and can also help improve your joint’s movement, and reduces your risk of arthritis (which is usually caused by worn out cartilage in your joints).

Healthy you, Happy World

Another reason I can have an appreciation for Cycling? It’s not only good for your body, but also good for the environment. No pollution is a good thing, and something I just have to promote.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. This is a must with every workout!
2. Exercises That Are Easy On The Knees!
3. Elliptical Machine

I first started using the Elliptical Machine after I was recovering from hurting my knees while running (soft and uneven ground- don’t recommend it). As you might have guessed, the Elliptical Machine is low impact, and easy on your knees. I thought of this machine as a temporary step while my knees were recovering, and found that I loved this machine and the workout I was getting.

Purpose

If you are looking for a great cardio workout, this is the machine for you. Within 3 minutes of using this machine, you can get up to your cardiovascular heart rate level and stay there for the duration of your workout. This machine will get your heart rate pumping, so it’s best if you slowly work your way up to either a more intense level and/or a longer workout. when I first went on this machine, I focused on doing short, but intesnse workouts. Once I finally got a heart rate monitor, I realized I was allowing myself to let my heart rate going higher than I should have. Not good. Be sure when you exercise you have a good heart rate monitor, and know your limits. Exercising is very healthy and good for you, but if you aren’t careful, you can hurt yourself too. Always consult with your doctor before starting an exercise program.

Benefits

Your lower body is mostly what gets worked out, but since your arms are on the handle bars, you get an upper body work out (think cross country skiing). With this full body workout, it gets your heart rate going, and calories are in turn getting burned. It burns quite a bit of calories actually. Be sure to increase your levels of intensity so that your body doesn’t get used to it, and still gives your body a workout. Start slowly, and depending on how your body is feeling, start increasing the intensity.

I have found success with this machine, but I would like to hear other people’s reviews and what they think about the ever so popular Elliptical Machine.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Know Your Heart Rate Zones
2. This is a must with every workout!
3. Walk, Jog, or Run?

Do crunches really make you have a flat stomach? Well, it depends.

Let’s be Honest…

If you have a lot of excess fat in your stomach area, I would say no, and I don’t recommend doing crunches- at least not just yet. What happens when you do crunches is that your stomach muscles get bigger. Think back to those guys at the gym who do weight training. Are they getting bigger or smaller in the area that they are working out and lifting muscles for? Same works with your stomach, so with those stomach muscles getting bigger, your stomach tends to stick out more.

The good news is…

So how do you get the excess fat away so you can see your sexy abs that you know are there somewhere? Cardiovascular exercise. Do cardio on a regular basis, such as running, swimming, elliptical, stairs, yoga, kick boxing, dancing, etc. Cardio is going to burn calories, get your heart pumping, and your body sweating. Even if you aren’t feeling the burn in your abs, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be losing fat around your middle. And no, this won’t happen overnight. It is something you will need to do on a regular basis, not just a one time thing.

Fat covers your muscle’s definition, so without the excess fat, muscle definition will come easier. For those who already don’t have a lot of fat in the middle area, crunches might just be a good thing for you to see some more definition and muscle tone in that area.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Develop a Strong Core
2. 5 Tips for Effective Weight Loss
3. Cycling

There is a lot of hype about Yoga, and the health benefits of doing Yoga on a regular basis. I have been a bit reluctant to try it out for several reasons. First of all, I like to do cardio works outs that make me sweat (funny how I used to not like that part of exercising), and something where I feel like I am burning a ton of calories and making some progress in my weight loss or maintenance. I tend to do exercises like running, swimming, and the elliptical machine. After those work outs, my body just knows that it worked out. This again shows me that I am making some progress, and I feel good about what I have done. So now back to Yoga. When I think of Yoga, I have to admit, I thought it was just a little boring and maybe a little too easy?

I went to my first Yoga class a couple of months ago. Let’s just say all of my previous thoughts about Yoga were pretty much dissolved. I realized I wasn’t nearly as strong as I thought, and by the end of the class, not only did I sweat because of the amazing workout, but I was calling myself a “pansy” for not being able to do some of the “simple” and “boring” moves that I thought Yoga was all about. By the next day, the way my whole body felt, I knew this was something my body needed and wanted more of.

Not to my surprise, I wanted to do some more research on the benefits of Yoga.

Flexibility

I thought this was a bit of an obvious find, but still wanted to mention it. Not a lot of exercises will help with flexibility like Yoga does, and I believe that by gaining some more flexibility with Yoga, it will help out with your other exercises that you are doing. Worried you aren’t flexible enough? No need to worry. Do the poses the best you can, without causing yourself pain. You will soon find poses you couldn’t do, with time and practice, eventually you can do them. Everyone is at a different level, and you don’t need to feel like you have to be a pro your first time around.

Strength

If you want and all over toned body, Yoga is for you. Remember how I said I felt like a “pansy” after Yoga? There is a good reason for that. You have to use your muscles for the poses, and if you aren’t strong enough just yet, you can be by doing yoga on a regular basis. If you can’t do the pose yet, don’t worry. Keep practicing on a regular basis, and you will find you can start doing poses you couldn’t do a month ago. You can see your progress right before your eyes! If it makes you feel any better, there were strong guys in the class who were still struggling with some of the poses, which leads me to my next benefit of  Yoga.

Balance

Yoga will help you with your balance, which is one of the reasons some guys who were very strong still had some struggles- they were learning how to balance their bodies, and use their muscles in ways they never had to before. You will notice the more you practice these poses using your balancing techniques, you will start to get a little better and better with each practice.

Reduces Stress

Even though your first Yoga experience may be more difficult that you could have imagined, it might just surprisingly be quite relaxing all at the same time. If you are in a class setting, usually the Yoga instructor will put on some soft and relaxing music, and may even dim the lights (depending on type of Yoga). With Yoga you get to focus on breathing, flexing, relaxing, holding positions, all at the same time. If you ever have a tough day at the office, Yoga might be a good way to relieve the stress, which is obviously something good for your body-inside and out.

“Where can I do Yoga?”

-If you have a gym membership, that might just be a great place to start. A lot of gyms will have Yoga classes, as well as others like Spinning, Aerobics, and Dance. Find out what classes your gym offers, and if you are new to Yoga, feel free to talk to the Instructor before or after class and let them know if you have any questions, or if you need help with some of the poses.

-You might want to try a Yoga Training DVD, which is great because if you want something convenient, you can do this in the comfort of your own home. It can be like having your own personal trainer at whatever time of day you want to do Yoga.

-The Internet not only has plenty of reading material on Yoga, but it also includes Yoga videos. Try doing a search on Yoga in your Search Engine, or even go to a site like YouTube for Yoga instructional videos. Just realize the instructor may not be licensed, but still may know what they are talking about. Take it for what it is.

If you haven’t already given Yoga a chance, I urge you to now. If you are already reaping the many benefits of Yoga, feel free to comment about your experiences with Yoga.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. Fitness joy for Twinkie
2. Nutrition Counts in Calorie Counting
3. Kim Kardashian loses 10 lbs in 2 weeks

I recently played Frisbee (the first time in years), and with the wind blowing at the lack of aim and catching coordination, I was left running after the Frisbee again…and again. I ended up running around a lot, but I didn’t mind because I was having fun and wasn’t thinking about myself working out, but just playing this game and trying to improve at it.

As adults working all day every day in this little office/desk/cubicle, it can be hard to get up and do something. Try to find something you enjoy that helps you stay active, gets you moving, and hopefully laughing all at the same time. By the end of it, you will have had fun, and burned some calories all at the same time. Good for your mood and your body all at the same time.

Keep updated on the latest & greatest health articles by joining the Skinny Twinkie community!

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways To Shake Up Your Workout Routine
2. Fitness on a Budget
3. This is a must with every workout!