Phase 2.

You must get a doctor’s ok before continuing.

Continue the Phase 1 activities, adding resistance training (1 set of 10-15 reps for the major muscle groups on 2-3 days per week) and vigorous aerobic activities such as running, walking, cycling, or swimming (3-4 days per week for a period of from 20-60 minutes).

Start with the distance you can cover without undue fatigue, then gradually increase until you can do one of the following: run 3 miles, walk 6 miles, cycle 12 miles, or swim ¾ mile (usually 20-60 minutes).

The work-out should also include a 10-20 minute initial warm-up and a 5-10 minute cool-down following the aerobic activity.

This is an outstanding exercise to build the biceps while working your ab muscles as well. The exercise ball adds a lot of in-stability to help you get a full exercise.

The most beneficial program for overall fitness is one that addresses each of the primary fitness components:

* aerobics for cardiorespiratory function
* strength training and conditioning for muscular strength and endurance
* stretching for improved flexibility

If that sounds like too much to handle, don´t despair. You don´t have to do it all every day, and every bit you do, helps. Just start slowly, and build gradually. Commitment is a must

Start gradually by building up your endurance. If you cannot walk continuously for 30 minutes without pain or discomfort, start walking or some other form of exercise such as cycling or swimming and continue for as long as you can do so without fatigue. Gradually increase your time until you can exercise continuously for 30 minutes without problems.

Also, try doing some simple stretching for flexibility. After you have been doing these activities for a few weeks, you can move on to Phase 2, which I will cover next.

Workout Time Depends on Intensity

Higher intensity activities require less time spent. Lower intensity
activities require more time spent.

Light-Intensity Activities:

• Walking slowly
• Golf, powered cart
• Swimming, slow treading
• Gardening or pruning
• Bicycling, very light effort
• Dusting or vacuuming
• Conditioning exercise, light stretching or warm up

Moderate-Intensity Activities:

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People of all ages can get substantial benefits from including resistance training into their exercise regime.

Even elderly people can find noticeable improvements in their health.

By adding resistance training their muscles will become stronger and this will help them with balance, which becomes all-important as they age. By becoming stronger elderly people also become more independent as they will be less likely to rely on others.

Research has also shown that resistance training improves bone density and this is an important aspect of good health for people of all ages. Bones are constantly ‘growing’ as with all parts of the body, however this process slows down as we age. Resistance training helps to address this aging process by maintaining good bone density.

Post-menopausal women are particularly prone to problems relating to bone density as their hormones change and they can benefit considerably from resistance training.

Along with proper nutrition, resistance training is one of the most effective methods of reducing fat. And along with fat reduction you can expect a leaner body. Muscle burns fat so any program that increases your muscle mass will help to burn the fat. You are effectively burning fat to feed the muscles.

Research has also proven that resistance training has many other beneficial effects for your health from lowering blood pressure and lowering your heart rate while at rest. This will obviously reduce the risk of heart disease quite considerably.

The additional strength that can be gained from resistance training serves to help anyone lead a more active lifestyle. With the added benefits of strength, fat loss, balance and the ability to slow the aging process, there is nothing quite like it to help you live longer and be happier along the way.

It doesn’t need to be something that rules your life, as even a little bit of training will benefit you, however, doing it consistently will result in a better return for the time you invest in your health.

Listen - This works!!! I have it and I use it. This is a great piece of exercise equipment and the price is unreal.

My recommendations - get the basic setup. I didn’t get the setyp with the DVD - there are exercises on the website you can do. I’ll have some on this exercise blog as well.

This is well worth it and I am highly recommending it.

Here is an excellent exercise video showing you how to get fit overall in the upcoming year. And it only takes 15 minutes!

This is the routine I follow. When most people think of yoga, they see people sitting and all twisted, humming away. This is not power yoga.

View this video. This makes an excellent warm-up routine and actually is a great overall exercise in itself.

As the winter is sneaking up on us, it can sometimes make things a little tough if your exercise routine consists of walking or running outside. Black ice is what you really need to be on the lookout.

It can be very hard to see and when you hit that black ice spot, you will have absolutely no control. If you are running on the path at a park, when you get there ask people if they encountered any. Of course, if it’s that cold there will not be as many people there. So take care the first time around. My buddy took a hard fall when we were running one winter evening and he had to take time off from exercise to recover.

Dress warmly but do not overdress. Dressing in layers is best. That allows you to remove a layer as you begin to warm up. The rule of thumb for runners is generally to dress like the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer.

Breathe through your nose. Actually this is a practice you should follow all year round, but particularly during the winter. When it is real cold outside and you are breathing through your mouth, you are going to feel the effects.

If it gets too bad out there, exercise inside. A treadmill is great but if you don’t have one, jog in place. Pop in an aerobics tape and exercise. Jump rope. Shadow box. It’s time to get a little creative.

Exercising outside in the winter can be a little challenging, but follow some of these suggestions and you will get through it and be raring to go in the spring.