Muscle Mass And Body Fat

Maintain/improve your muscle mass and burn body fat with consistent weight training (including bodyweight exercises). Muscle never changes into body fat. If you become chronically inactive, your muscles will lose mass (atrophy). And, your fat cells were still there although they had shrunk. So, now the fat cells come back with a vengeance!

Also, your metabolism begins to slow down in your thirties. Your metabolism will slow down even more if you are losing muscle mass. In your early thirties, you can begin to lose as much as one-half pound of muscle each year. Inactivity will make this problem even worse. Remember, muscle mass speeds up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to maintain muscle mass. So, you begin to lose muscle mass and gain body fat

Muscle mass can be maintained/increased (and body fat decreased) throughout your life through exercise and weight training. Thirty-five to 50 daily calories are burned by one pound of muscle. Weight training also helps to keep your bones strong (preventing osteoporosis).

Keep working out!

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Top 25 Exercise Tips To Get Jumpstarted

Here are my Top 25 Exercise Tips to jumpstart your exercise and get you out of your rut. The hardest thing to do when you're in a rut is to get started again....

So, here are my Top 25 Exercise Tips to get you jumpstarted already!

1. Clear your mind.....this will be fun and not some dreaded activity! Get your doctor's clearance if you've been inactive for a while.

2. Set realistic goals such as restarting your active lifestyle, burning body fat (losing inches) or losing 1-2 pounds a week.

3. Start today with a 20-minute walk. Do this walk every day, somewhere, at some point (the mall, at work or the park works). You can break it up into two 10-minute walks if you want.

4. Start today with your great meal plan full of nutritious, whole foods that you like!

5. Start today with your food journal and get your friend to be an accountability partner.

6. On Day 2, start a 20-minute cardio routine or sport that you like such as biking, jogging, tennis, soccer, swimming, rock climbing, basketball, flag football, etc. Do this fun cardio 3 days a week.

7. On Day 3, begin doing a 20-minute bodyweight strength exercise workout. You need to build lean muscle in order to burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Do your bodyweight exercise routine 3 days a week.

8. Reward yourself each week with something like full body massage therapy or a special meal. Also, measure your progress each week.

9. Schedule a fun activity each week such as a hike, bowling, water polo or a walk at the lake. If you do something like this more than once a week, that's even better. The purpose is to stay active with enjoyable activities.

10. Jump rope games (remember!) for exercise.

11. Pull out the old "cheerleader uniform" and do some "active cheers" for 20 minutes!

12. Do salsa dancing, belly dancing or whatever dancing you like! And, music makes exercise more fun!

13. Go rollerskating (remember the skate rink?), skateboarding, rip-boarding, water skiing, wakeboarding, etc.

14. Play a round of golf with your buddies once a week.

15. Organize a weekly neighborhood volleyball or kickball game. Everybody likes volleyball/kickball and its easy and fun!

16. Try a charity walk or run.

17. Yardwork or gardening are great exercise options. Plus, you're getting something else done while exercising.

18. Try a group exercise class like kickboxing for fun and support.

19. Buy an exercise video that you like and get moving again!

20. Start exercising or playing active games as a family.....a great way to have fun and stay fit together.

21. Buy a stability ball and do exercises while watching your favorite T.V. program.

22. Do full-body exercises with a medicine ball. Medicine ball exercises are naturally fun and demanding at the same time.

23. Play frisbee for 30 minutes with a partner.....you'll be surprised how much you run, jump and throw.

24. Hacky sack anyone! It'll help your balance and coordination too! Try it (again) for 30 minutes with a group of friends.

25. Hopscotch! Of course! You gotta do this!

What's the point? Get active and stay active with things you like to do! Get jumpstarted already!

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"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Get 16 Hour Energy---NO CRASH LATER!

You need to get your "16 Hour Energy" dose! It works every time and your body will NOT CRASH LATER....and, "16 Hour Energy" is not found in a pill, bottle or powder! Huh?!

That's right! You need "16 Hour Energy" and you need it every day! Its easy to get and you don't have to spend any extra money. "16 Hour Energy" will probably save you some money and you'll feel and look great!

Drum roll please..........

Here's how you get and keep "16 Hour Energy:"

1. Get 7-8 hours of restful sleep every night. This is critical or you'll run out of energy during the next 16 hours.

2. Follow a great meal plan full of whole, natural foods like fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc. Eat small meals every 3-4 hours. Keep a food journal and it will help you follow that great meal plan.

3. Walk as much as you can every day. Exercise at least 20-30 minutes, 4-5 days a week (strength training and cardio exercise).

4. Don't take yourself too seriously! Relax and enjoy friends and life! Those friends can also help you stay on the fitness track (social support).

5. Take a good daily multivitamin. I also take fish oil omega 3 supplements for heart health.

That's it! There's your "16 Hour Energy" plan---NO CRASH LATER ON! You can't buy "16 Hour Energy" in a bottle! Do it!

Get your FREE 2 week fat blaster membership!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Clock Lunges

Add clock lunges to your exercise routine to better sculpt your butt, hips, upper legs and lower legs and help them look better in 3-D space!

Many of you do forward lunges, reverse lunges and walking lunges. These exercises work your lower body in one plane of motion (sagittal). I don't see enough people doing side lunges and transverse lunges.



If you will do clock lunges, you are covered in all 3 planes of motion, your legs will look better and they will be more balanced.

Do clock lunges this way (bodyweight or with dumbbells):

Lunge with your right leg at 12 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 5 o’clock and 6 o’clock. That’s 1 repetition for your right leg. Lunge with your left leg at 12 o’clock, 10 o’clock, 9 o’clock, 7 o’clock and 6 o’clock. That’s 1 repetition for your left leg. Maintain upright posture throughout to improve core strength.

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"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Don't Blame Obesity On Genetics

While its true that we inherit certain body types, don't blame genetics if you're overweight or obese. Ultimately, your body weight will depend on how much you eat and how much you exercise (including an active lifestyle), not your genetics. Hard, smart exercise and a good meal plan can overcome genetics!

If you consistently eat more calories than you burn (caloric surplus), you will consistently gain weight and add on body fat, no matter what your genetics may be. If you are active and exercise regularly, it will help you burn more calories. It will also keep your metabolism "humming along." Part of being active is to walk as much as you can every day.

You need to know how many calories you need each day. Start by learning your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you would burn if you did nothing all day). You must maintain a daily caloric deficit in order to lose weight and burn fat. If you exercise regularly, it will be easier for you to achieve your caloric deficit.

Keep a food journal. Research has proven that you will have a better chance of succeeding with your meal plan and fat loss if you keep a food journal! By logging your actual food choices, you are holding yourself accountable throughout the day. You will also be forced to plan your meals better. It will also help protect you from binge eating and emotional eating if you write down why you eat what you eat!

Take responsibility for your body and do the things necessary to change your body composition!

Subscribe to my Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORTS, "My Fitness Hut's 10 Must Know Fat Loss Tips" and "My Fitness Hut's 20-Minute Fat Blasting Cardio Workouts!"

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Walk, Walk, Walk To Make Fitness Easier!

Walk, walk, walk and walk some more and you will make getting fit and staying fit much easier! You don't have to wait until "your workout" to exercise. You have plenty of opportunities during the day to walk.....

Keep your walking/running shoes with you! Walk as much as possible during the day! Take advantage of every opportunity to walk. This one tip should be used all the time. It makes a huge difference in your fitness. When I used to work on The University of Texas campus, it was not unusual for me to walk up to 2 hours in a day going to different departments....and, there are alot of hills here, so that made the exercise that much better. I didn't think of it as exercise until I stopped working on campus. I soon realized that I had to take more time for "exercise" because I wasn't walking as much during the day!

Don't make the mistake of laying around as much as possible until your workout.....research proves that your fat-burning enzymes SHUT DOWN when you SIT DOWN! Get up and walk around during the day...keep your metabolism ramped up all day and get more fat loss and calories....

.....walk, walk, walk every chance you get!

Subscribe to my Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORTS, "My Fitness Hut's 10 Must Know Fat Loss Tips" and "My Fitness Hut's 20-Minute Fat Blasting Cardio Workouts!"

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Starting Exercise Again?

If I were starting exercise again, my numero uno suggestion to myself would be to pick an activity I enjoy! Its that simple! We do and continue to do activities that we enjoy and love!

If I were in an "exercise rut" for months or even years, I would start exercising again by playing a sport like flag football....this would be easy for me to do and I would stay with it because I love playing sports.

What about you? What physical activity do you love? Are you in an "exercise rut?" Forget all the exercise theories and articles! Just get started with an exercise activity you love and do this activity for at least 30 minutes on most days. Before you know it, you will have started exercising regularly again (and loving it)!

Then, just add in 30 minutes of bodyweight exercises like pushups, pullups, squats, step ups and lunges 3 days a week.....and guess what? You will then be doing weight training on a regular basis.

What do you love to do? Dancing, jogging, hiking, biking, walking, gardening, swimming, etc. Pick some activity, get off the couch and start exercising again for fun!

Get started....get started exercising again today with some activity you love! Happy July 4th holiday!

Subscribe to my Fat Blaster eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORTS, "My Fitness Hut's 10 Must Know Fat Loss Tips" and "My Fitness Hut's 20-Minute Fat Blasting Cardio Workouts!"

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Follow me on Twitter and Facebook!