Do you cross-train?

Cross training keeps your workouts unpredictable, allowing your body the most out of each workout. I know I should cross train. Along with the fitness benefits, switching up workouts can prevent injuries and combat workout boredom. I've been running lots lately and loving it. Sometimes there's an element of confidence that plays into your workout routine too.

Since I run often, I know where to go and when, how to prepare, what to wear, who to call when I want a running partner and just about every other element down to my favorite running songs. Every now and then I'll hop on a bike at the gym and I try to incorporate lifting into my week as well, but I'm a flat out runner.

I know I need to cross train more than I am. Today, with the feeling of some shin-splits coming on, I skipped the running shoes for my bathing suit and hit the pool. Tomorrow, I'll get back out running again, but incorporate some interval work and biking as well.

What's your go to workout? Do you switch it up, how?

No gym workout

All you need is 10 ft of space!
courtesy Women's Health Magazine

Oops, did you "accidentally" keep busy right up until the gym closed? Not so fast, Women's Health Magazine has your workout saved with six moves you can do at home.

No one needs this one more than me, lately! This article is full of great core strengthening moves that you can do between commercials of your favorite show or while dinner is cooking.

Where are you going to post this WH print out? On the back of your remote? Next to the cookie jar? Comment here with your best excuse to skip a workout. Anyone brave enough to form an excuse for skipping out on these no equipment moves?

Guide to workout recovery

When you hit the gym hard, do you feel dog tired the day after? Events up to three hours after your workout can determine your recovery afterwards.

The New York Times posted a pretty cool feature on your post workout time-line. The feature scientifically plots out your fluid intake, protein and carbohydrate replenishment up to your next full meal.

The article was a little too scientific for my liking, but the details really show how the research stacks up. Take a look and let me know what you think. What is your typical recovery process like?

Benefits of training

Towards the end of our ride, in northern Michigan.

Per request (ahem Mizfit), I've put together a little how to guide for event training. I think the fact that the hills on my ride last weekend beat me up good gives me some qualification to write an 'damn, I wish I had done this before hand!' However as a helpful reminder, I'm not a certified trainer nor nutritionist, so if you are serious about preparing for a race or athletic event, you might want to double up on where you're getting your advice.

I also have to preface with a little two cents about training in general. Working ahead for an event is a great goal/motivator towards working out. Even if you don't have something in the future you're concerned about getting in shape for, incorporating training programs into your workout keeps days at the gym unique and works your body hard. I split training into two basic principals- endurance and strength.

Your intensity and dedication to your training program is all dependent on the time you have before your race and your goals for your race as well. Meaning, the training for a first timer who is just looking to make it through varies from a racing veteran.

Endurance:
You want to finish, don't you? Starting weeks in advance, you should be practicing regularly pushing yourself each week to do more than the week before. Serious athletes record and plan out their training ahead of time to keep on track, and this may be a good idea for beginners.

For me, this was about getting comfortable with being on a bike for an extended period of time. I took off on weekends at school to go riding for a few hours, and even if I didn't think I'd have time that week, I would at least ride to my classes. I went on a few long weekend rides with my dad when I was home as well. I knew I would be ok on the race when I did 30 miles with my dad about two-three weeks before. That ride was hard, but it was over half of the 51 race miles, and we did the 30 with no lunch break.

I have a sixth sense for where my endurance level is after years of competitive swimming. If this is your first event in awhile (or ever), I would recommend being able to do 75-80 percent of your race millage comfortably up to at least a week before your race. The training you've completed to get there plus excitement and nerves will get you through the rest without a problem.

Strength:
When I heard there would be hills on my ride last weekend, it didn't register that they would sometimes be back to back or tough long and steady climbs. Color me unprepared as I huffed and puffed through the first 10 miles of the ride wondering how I was ever going to finish. The trails I had been practicing on at home were flat like paper and I had only gotten a very mild amount of hill riding in at school a good month ago.

It might not always be possible to know your course ahead of time, but use your resources. If you can get to the course in advance, scope it out and incorporate some of the climbs and challenging parts into your training routine. If not, talk to your race coordinator ahead of time for some advice.

For any kind of race, strength training is important. It'll help you get through those rough patches and push you to go faster all together. If you live in a flat part of town, head to the gym and work with the incline on machines. Not only should you be able to climb the hill setting with confidence, but practice some back to back inclines as well. You can also use free weights in your training program. Build up your muscles by increasing your weight slowly in weeks ahead.

Training in general all depends on the type of event you're preparing for. Working in advance is good, but talking to people who know the route and getting workout advice is even better.

Workouts for the anti-runner

Runners are a special breed of human. It takes a different kind of mindset to love treading in various weather or enjoying the less than exciting treadmill.

Not everyone can handle the lifestyle. Running is certainly not the easiest or more glamorous form of exercise to keep up with. A common phrase I hear amongst my non-fit peers is, ‘well I hate running’.

It’s true, running is one of the best cardio workouts, but there are others! This is for you running haters, fit and thin. Here are a few of my alternative ways to stay active:

Bike
(can burn 250-500 calories per 30 min)

Get yourself set up with a good bike this summer. You don’t have to go all out with the latest bells and whistles, quantity is more important than quality. Increase the amount of time you spend on your two wheeler to increase every day endurance. For beginners, find a comfortable pace and try bursts of increased speed.

Swim
(can burn up to 400 calories per 30 minutes)

Often used to cross-train by athletes, spending time in the pool is a great total body workout. The water takes stress of your joints which is good for any injury. The natural resistance of the water means that you’re still getting a workout playing pool basketball or playing Marco-Polo.

Rock climb
(up to 380 calories in 30 minutes)

If you’re alright with heights, and have a competitive drive, this is a great alternative for you. Especially fun in a group setting, rock climbing is a great quick workout. Spending 15 minutes trying to tackle an indoor wall is very satisfying. Plus the burn the day after will remind you of what a great time you had! If you can’t find a good cliff to hang out on or an indoor facility, take up the less intense counterpart- hiking.

Walking can be a cardio workout as well. Go hiking for the day, or challenge yourself to walk somewhere you would normally drive. Other activities like roller blading, jump rope, catch and playing tag will get you workout out without knowing.

What are some of your favorite anti-running workouts?

Tips for outdoor exercise

On Sunday I went out biking with my dad. We jumped on the local trail and stayed out for about two and a half hours. It was a bit longer than my latest rides and totaled in at about 30 miles once we finished.

I wasn’t as prepared for the ride as I could have been, strength wise and equipment wise as well. My lack of preparation inspired me to put together a post on the topic. No matter what your activities are this spring, it’s important to get ready well.

The weather on my ride was a little unpredictable. I started off with a pull-over on, which gave me some options- wear the fleece pull over, don’t, or put it under my butt to keep the ride a bit more enjoyable.

My tip:
If you’re going to be out doors for an extended period of time, stock up on clothes! Check the weather report for the entire day, just in case your activity runs later. Prepare yourself for a little warmer, colder and wetter than the forecast calls for. Save your skin with sunscreen, even if temperatures aren’t souring, you can still get burned with partially cloudy skies.

Needless to say, my minimal supply of water didn’t last the difficult 2.5 hour trek. A water bottle is usually all I bring on a ride like that, which does me alright. Thankfully the sun wasn’t beating down, or else I would have guzzled my supply earlier on. I should have at least thrown an extra water bottle in the car for the ride home.

My tip:
Pack way more than you’ll need, no matter the weather. Your extra bottle could come in handy for a friend or be the water over your face you need at the end of a hot day.

Most of my ill preparations steamed from the fact that I didn’t want to carry a backpack with me. I did have a small fanny pack strapped onto my bike, which housed my cd player and cell phone in case of emergency. I should have thrown some Kleenex and a granola bar or two in there just for safe keeping.

My tip:
Buy yourself a sweet bag. Backpack, large purse or fanny pack, it doesn’t matter how silly you look with it on, as long as it gets the job done. Not all outdoor activities make it possible to tote a bag along side, but storing one near by, or keeping supplies in your car and looping back often is a good idea to keeping safe in all kinds of weather.

Also, with warm weather (here at least) approaching, check out my post from last summer on heat related injuries.

How to get serious about fitness

For most women, getting in shape is an off and on project. It’s hard to keep on track with everything else life throws at us. Yo-yo dieting and exercising are sadly a way of life for too many women.

How do you stay on track and meet your goals? Everyone is different and will experience success in different ways. I’ve collected my 4 favorite tips to help readers make realistic adjustments.

1. Get real

There’s no way you’ll succeed with fitness if you let it consume you. Watch out for some signs that you’re working too hard: constantly weighing yourself, being critical of every change in your figure, dedicating all your time to dieting and slaving away at the gym. These tasks are ok to practice in moderation, but not to practice regularly. Don’t let your fitness goals outweigh your life.

Find moderation in a new routine by slowly implementing it into your life. Starting strong into any new program is going to shock your body, and decreases the odds you’ll be able to keep up over time. Your body will need days of rest (which it usually tells you) and needs to be eased in to new routines. Work new changes into your lifestyle where you know they’ll fit- going to the gym on your lunch break, preparing breakfast and lunch for tomorrow the night before.

2. Share your goals

Tell your friends and family what your plans are. You may fear talking about your goals in case you don’t meet them, but this strategy empowers you to quit without repercussions.

Brining those who care about you in on your mission holds you accountable for your goals. More so, good friends will act as a safety net, pushing you to get back on track when you falter and commending you for reaching milestones. Your goals may also be the inspiring push a relative needs to get going with their goals as well.

3. Admit imperfections quickly

No one is perfect. Even all star athletes can’t keep to their recommended diets and miss a workout from time to time. Giving in to cravings is ok now and then and missing a workout won’t ruin your goals.

Also, accept help where it’s available! If you’re new to the gym, get a friend to show you around or hire a personal trainer for the day to set you up with a program. For nutrition help, head to your doctor or a nutritionist for advice on how to balance your diet. If creativity is an issue with keeping workouts fun and altering dinner options, subscribe to a health and fitness blog (A Sizable Apple is a great one!), or health magazines for other options.

4. Chart and reward

Keep track of your progress! When you have a bad day, it will help you to see how far you’ve come (or even how much farther you have to go). Likewise, when you have a really good day and feel invincible, consult your chart to remind yourself not every day is so fabulous. The more dedication you can put into tracking your progress the more likely you are to keep up.

When rewarding, treat yourself to something you love. I’m not talking about a trip to Dairy Queen when you shed that first five pounds. Learn to love new things that promote continuing on your healthy track. Be it new running shoes, a yoga mat, or splurging on some more expensive fruits and vegetables for dinner. Keeping these treats in mind will inspire you to work a little harder on the less than motivating days.

Staying fit is a lifetime project. The ultimate key to meeting weight loss, fitness and nutrition goals is with research and repetition. Make your time at the gym count by doing exercises that will benefit your body, and relearn what you know about grocery shopping, cooking and eating. Practicing continual balance will make your goals more like habits.

What are your fitness goals? What aspects of your nutrition do you need to work on?

Organized opportunities in your area

Welcome all, to racing season. More like pre-race season, but nonetheless, spring, summer and fall is littered with organized races of every sort. For veterans, this is an exciting time to prepare for your favorite annual events, and hunt for some new ones.

From bike races, local 1-mile walks, to country-wide marathons, there are plenty of places to get involved.

Why should I go?
Organized races have tons of perks. They're a great way to get a group of friends or family members on board to training together. For the solo racer, they provide an opportunity to meet new people with similar interests, and see the talent range and involvement of your community.

Many races have a support or cause behind their name. For the cost of a few trips to McDonald's, you can instead spend your money to run in support of anything from breast cancer to global warming.

Also, these organized events give you a great reason to work towards a specific goal you can put on your calendar. Don't let the term 'race' fool you either; most community races (especially those for a cause) place more emphasis on your involvement than your clocked time. Whether your personal goal is to make it to race day, run the entire path, or to finish top in your age group, participation is key!

Where to find them?
Check local newspapers, gyms and sporting good stores. Smaller sporting goods stores especially are prone to posting bulletin boards with up and coming races, and even sponsor local running groups.

Runner's World also has a great list of races across the United States, which means no matter where your summer vacation takes you, you can always find something! If you're looking for bike races, Bike Ride and USA Cycling have search bars for races and information on joining local clubs.

No matter your ability level, challenge yourself to get out to at least one race this summer,

Check back tomorrow for information on the race I'm currently preparing for!

Soreness and moving on after

You caught me red handed. After a tough workout, I’m just as prone to laying my sore butt on the couch for the entire following day. Although I know some activity would do me good, it’s much easier to accept keeping your hurt parts stationary instead.

However, after stealing some classic abs & legs of steal videos from my mom’s collection, I felt the need to release some of that built up acid from my hurtin’ muscles. One of my favorite methods to workout out some post workout woes is to hit the pool. The water keeps all pressure off your body. Be it a few laps, or just some floating, surrounding yourself in the water is relaxing and allows your body to stretch in different ways that the couch can’t quite handle.

Another great tip is to get some low impact work done. Head out for a walk with your family or friends, or watch your favorite show while stretching. If all else fails, get yourself going on a house clean or laundry. It’ll get you moving despite the soreness and get tasks accomplished as well.

If heading to any form of organized fitness activity is out of the question (which I can very much understand), hop in the bath or take a long shower. Despite a quick shower to get ready in the morning, I jumped back into the tub later that night, paying special attention to self massage the hurt areas. Working out the soreness yourself can get deeper than stretching, and also connects you to your body at a deeper level than normal.

No matter what your case of soreness is, find some joy in the fact that the pain is a sign of your body reacting to the hard work you’re putting in, and keep at it!

Social exercising: group workouts

As a former swimmer still tied to the old business, I live with three friends, all on the team at my school. The college swim season is a killer, spanning from early September to mid-February.

Now, as the swimmer start resting up for their finish, talk of after season workouts begins. I know the drill all too well, since I too vowed to stay in shape after our championship meet. And while most of the team does make a good showing at our school's gym for a few months after their final meet, most fizzle out after time.

How can such intense athletes go without what has been a daily staple for the past 6 months? Group sports keep kids involved for several reasons. The fear of a powerful coach is one thing, but the feeling of unity from a team makes coming to practice enjoyable.

The same approach goes for group workouts. Making excuses to skip the gym for a day is simple when you're only counting on yourself to show up. When your "team" at a group session relies on you, skipping out isn't as easy. Working out with a group of friends is a good way to keep everyone on the same boat. While we all have days that deem worthy of a bowl of ice cream and couch time, you'll rarely all have the same feeling on the same day.

Joining a workout class is another great option to keeping motivated. Feeling responsible for getting your money's worth is a great incentive to go. Also, invest some time in getting to know your instructor. The closer bond you form with them, the more likely they are to invest interest if you don't show, and the more likely you will want to go for them.

Even if you are the solo workout kinda gal, getting involved in one of these programs can be very beneficial. Sometimes getting there is the hardest part, and after a 15-30 minutes class, you may be more likely to stay and lift weights, or workout longer.

Do you enroll in workout classes? What kind of program is your favorite?

Soreness vs. Exercise Injury

Recognizing soreness from an exercise injury is important for anyone involved with a workout regime.

A general rule of thumb is that soreness will come on the day after a workout, where as you're more prone to feel an exercise induced injury right away or soon afterwards.

An injury may may feel like a pressure or pinching pain. Soreness is more likely to leave your muscles feeling stiff and tight. The difference comes from how you deal with the pain.

If you feel sore, it's best to keep working out. This article specifically discusses the feeling of soreness as a sign of your muscles growing stronger. If you think you may have an injury instead of normal soreness, you may want to consider taking some time off from exercises incorporating the injured area.

If pain persists after a few days, consider talking to a doctor. To prevent both soreness and injury, it's important to stretch before and after workouts.

For help with treating muscle aches, this site does a great job of determining between ice and heat therapy.

Sprint vs. Marathon Workouts: Interval Training

Every time I go to the gym, I can spot at least one muscle man pumping the machines while red in the face, without fail.

While I enjoy high intense workouts, I've never understood the rush or sprint approach to working out incorporated with longer resting periods in between.

Generally speaking, your higher intensity workouts are geared to increase muscle size by training the body to respond to the activity quickly. Exercising at a slower pace, is going to promote more of your lean muscle while lengthening the muscle across your frame instead of bulking it.

This interesting article in the New York Times talks about the benefit of incorporating some sprint work into your workouts, called interval training or burst exercising. The addition of some high intensity work into your normal routine is a surprise to your body, which over time can benefit by increasing endurance and fat burning.

Switching up your workouts or adding an interval burst can help with your variety while at the gym. It also can fuel a competitive side, for a mid workout race or continue to serve as a challenge in your day.

Grand daddy of calorie burning sites

I've posted before about different activities to burn calories besides heading to the gym, but I recently found a more impressive site for calorie burning. This site takes into account your weight and length of activity and then lists the amount of calories you would burn in 222 different activities. While some of the options like welding or making the bed are techniques you might not think of, its interesting to take a look at simple or unique ways to spice up your workouts.

Recovery Day Exercises

While home for the holidays, I extended an offer to my sister, who does a lot of work with book editing and is quite if not more involved with exercise than myself, to write a guest post. Here's her post on recovery exercises; great to incorporate into your routine after a particularly rough day.

After an especially intense workout, it’s often necessary to give your body a break. While you may be tempted to curl up on the couch while you let your sore muscles relax, the best strategy may actually be engage in low-intensity exercise (“active” recovery) instead of forgoing your workout altogether (“passive” recovery).

Muscles become exhausted and broken down during exercise, and recovery days allow them to heal and grow stronger. Although it might seem logical to let your body rest completely during these off days, research suggests that sticking with light exercise may be more beneficial.

According to this site I found, the purpose of active recovery workouts is to “exercise at an intensity that is enough to stimulate circulation and trigger certain endocrine responses, but lightly enough to avoid demanding more recovery from the recovery workout”

A study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise found that light workouts on recovery days reduce the levels of lactic acid in muscles more quickly than rest alone. There are psychological benefits to active recovery, as well: doing just an easy workout instead of skipping it altogether can help you relax, ease stress, and serve as a confidence booster.

There are several ways to add active recovery workouts to your routine. Try sticking with your usual cardio exercise, but swimming, biking, or jogging at a slower, more relaxed pace than usual. For weight lifting, focus on your upper body one day and then your lower body the next, giving your arms, back, and shoulders some time off.

You can also use active recovery days to try a new workout. If you’re used to running, try swimming, which allows you to rest your legs and utilize your upper body (as a low-intensity sport, swimming can give your joints a break, too). It’s also important to increase your stretching time during recovery days.

Reader Question: quiet, little equipment workouts

I recently got an email from a reader interested in incorporating some quick quiet workouts into her day-

I have a very small living space (row house) with absolutely no space for any machines. But I do want to start exercising more while my kids are sleeping. The trainer at my gym (which I can only get to 2-3 times/week because of child care limitations) suggested I get a strength/resistance band with handles. I have a big exercise ball and a yoga mat, 5 and 8-lb hand weights. Thinking about getting a thing to stick up in a doorway to do pull-ups with. Any other ideas? Of either stuff or, more importantly, exercises that work well in small spaces and/or are quiet as I have to do them while my baby's sleeping?! Thanks!

- Jessica

Right off hand a few ideas from previous posts came to mind. My post on stretch bands and stability balls part one and two both offer great advice and links to videos and sites that have good programs. I think it's most important, when starting a workout routine, to ask yourself what you want to accomplish. Although I don't know Jessica's case specifically other than her space and noise requirements, I have complied a good all-around basic workout guide.

Band and balls are especially great for those in Jessica's situation- lacking space and needing a quiet exercise. I've done a variety of work on stability balls, from laying with the ball under my back, feet bent, and using free weights for an arm fly. You can also do some variations on push-ups balancing the ball at your hips, knees and toes for difference challenge levels, and do some rolling wall sits/squats with the ball between you and the wall (works well with free weights in hands as well).

Here is a great site with a variety of stability ball exercises, which includes details on muscle groups used, pictures and videos. Runner's World also had a great feature on stability ball core work here as well.

Core work, (as shown by my post on core muscles) is also a great quiet workout to do with little to no equipment. Strengthening your mid-muscles makes almost all other exercises much easier. Here is a great slide show on core workouts that need no added equipment.

Medicine balls are also a favorite of mine. You can pair up medicine ball work with some crunches, hold the ball in place while doing lunges or squats, or add it to an existing stability ball workout. Here is a good site that shows some great uses of your medicine ball.

Since almost all of the workouts I suggested above (perhaps save the stability ball) require little equipment, these would be great to do in a burst exercise series or if you're on the go. Specifically I would suggest taking a look around on the Internet or on the sites I provided for exercises that target exactly what you're looking for, or spend a few days getting comfortable with your equipment and trying new routines out.

As always, I love hearing feedback from readers and enjoy taking on reader questions or challenges! Email me at asizableapple@gmail.com for questions or tips!

Winter Sports

I love being home with my friends and family for the holidays. The best part about spending time at home is the time we spend packed on the couch playing cards, watching tv and catching up. In addition, when on topic, my siblings and parents are quick to spout out new ideas for A Sizable Apple posts, and always tell me about the newest recipes and workout tips they've tried.

Recently, my sister had the idea to highlight some of the best ways to exercise during the winter season. I know not all my readers get to experience cooler climates, but living in Michigan all my life, I can't help but do a little research on how to make half the year a little more enjoyable outside.

My mother is an avid runner and the winter months don't stop her. She'll be out while the sun is rising getting her miles in for the day. She uses YakTrax every morning to add a little support on her running shoes in the different conditions.

Years ago, me and my dad use to go cross country skiing around town, and while we don't have the equipment anymore, it's a great activity, along with snow shoeing for a crowd and to get children involved with. I've even seen families trek through neighborhoods on snowy winter days. New equipment of any sort can get expensive, but if you look through local garage sales, re-selling sports shops and online you may be able to find a decently priced set.

Ice skating, skiing, snowboarding and sledding are all great calorie burners as well, and since moving in snow or sand is more difficult, even snow ball fights can be a great way to get a workout and enjoy the weather.

For all your winter outdoor activities, its important to remember that hypothermia can be a very dangerous problem. Here is a great link to a site I found which discusses winter sport safety.

Cardio Craze

The best means of healthy weight loss have been proven to be a balance of healthy eating habits and regular exercise. Specifically, women should strive to meet the daily calorie intake (check out my article on the personal calorie counter), as well as the recommended daily activity (at least 30 minutes of vigorous physical activity 3-5 days of the week). For women looking to lose weight, shape up, or keep fit, continuous cardio workouts are the best route. Cardio work is beneficial for more than fitness results as well.

* It's one way to burn calories and help you lose weight
* It makes your heart strong so that it doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood
* It increases your lung capacity
* It helps reduce risks of heart attack, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes
* It makes you feel good
* It helps you sleep better
* It helps reduce stress

From About.com As for best means of cardio work, it all depends on what you're favorite is, and what activity you are able to raise your heart rate doing. Suggested routine for cardio work is a solid warm up to prepare your muscles, then picking a comfortable pace to workout at, monitoring your heart rate manually or with an electronic heart rate monitor. Some recommended cardio activity include step aerobic, running, walking, biking, swimming, elliptical and rowing. For more cardio information, check out the following About sites for some more detail- intensity, top cardio exercise, cardio for beginners.

Pulse Rate

Monitoring your pulse rate during activity is key to your health. Over working your heart can lead to bodily harm including feeling faint and dizzy, actually fainting or falling unconscious, heart attack, or death.

On the opposite spectrum, working out at a low pulse rate will not benefit you as much as working in your target heart rate zone.

There are two simple ways to check your pulse. One is manually. This site does a very nice job of describing ways to check your pulse using your fingers.

Another way to monitor your heart rate is with an electronic heart rate monitor. These usually consist of a band that straps around your chest (females, under your breasts) and a coordinating wrist watch that reads from the monitor on your chest.

Heart rate monitors can get pricey, so unless you have heart problems, or exercise frequently, usually checking your pulse rate manually will do. My favorite most trusted brand of heart rate monitors are from the Polar line, but here is another link of monitors for under $100.

New tool & usage- adding stretch bands to your workout

I was first introduced to stretch bands as means of alternate strength training during my swimming career about 7 years ago.

Like big rubber bands, these training tools can be used in a variety of ways during exercising. Because of their variety and ease, stretch bands make for a great travel companion.

I've been hunting for awhile to create a good post about exercising while traveling, and stretch bands have definitely proven to be a great tool to keep fit on the go. Because stretch bands work of the resistance of your own body, they are especially great to use for anyone with an injury, handicap, or new to exercising.

They're also quite inexpensive, and mold to different routines as your ability changes. One new blog that caught my eye this week had a great feature on stretch bands, including a video with different usages as well.

I highly suggest any readers who aren't familiar with the use of stretch bands to check out the video or this link which shows some typical exercises using stretch bands with handles on end.

Here is a link to an Amazon.com page selling stretch bands with handles, and here at yogaaccessories.com is another great place to order stretch bands at a great price.

Workout variation

Doing the same in the gym day in and day out becomes quickly redundant and boring. Without adding some variety to your workout, the odds of making gym visits regular dwindles.

Many women head to the gym with the mindset- if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it, or are afraid to stray from their routine without knowing what would work best for them.

Here is a great site that offers lots of variation on a few widely used workouts. The site shows you different workouts you can do for your core, upper, lower and total body, giving new ideas to the same concept. You can drag over each exercise you like and print off your own workout plan for your next gym date.