Arthritis Exercises: Aqua and Land

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Mirabai

Here’s a question about Arthritis Exercises.

Recently, I got a question from a woman who said, “The arthritis in my hips has progressed to the point where I’m really feeling it after my half hour walks. I want to stay mobile as I age. Are there any Arthritis exercises that will help me do this?”

It so happens, my husband also has osteoarthritis in his hips and I have been helping him with a couple of gentle stretches after his treadmill workouts.

Arthritis Exercises: Land

Here are two exercises that flex and extend the hip as well as stretch the front and back of your thigh muscles.

1. Lie on your back with one knee bent with your foot firmly on the floor to help support your back. Wrap a towel around the arch of your other foot. Hold the ends and pull back as you extend the leg towards the ceiling flexing your foot. Hold for 10-30 seconds. Feel the stretch in the back of the thigh (hamstring) and in your hip. Repeat on the other leg.

2. Lie on your side with both knees bent Take your top hand and grab your top foot at the ankle. Tilt your pelvis forward and pull in your abs as your bring the ankle towards your buttocks. Hold 10-30 seconds. Feel the stretch in the front of your thigh (quadriceps) and in your hip. Turn over and repeat on the other leg.

Arthritis Exercises: Aqua

Also, if you have access to a pool, light aquatic aerobics or swimming is great. Your buoyancy in the water will help take the pressure off your joints and allow you to work on increasing your range of motion. The warmer the water the better. If the water seems cold to you, invest in a neoprene shorty weight suit. You can find them in a sporting goods store or dive shop. Here’s is a short aqua video that you can use to get started:
Of course always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program.

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Strength Workout Outdoors

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Mirabai

Strength Workout Outdoors; get strong with this easy strength exercise program. It’s time to jump start your exercise program. You can enjoy the September weather while you get into shape.

Here are five easy exercises to tone you up; no equipment necessary. Try doing them every other day. For the first three start with eight reps and build up to 16. For the last two (isometric exercises) hold for 10 seconds and build up to 30 seconds. With all these exercises, remember to exhale on the exertion.

In a matter of a few weeks you should feel your body getting stronger and see it get shapelier.

Warm-up by taking a 10-minute walk. By the tenth minute, it should be brisk enough for you to just barely carry on a conversation.

Strength Workout Outdoors Video

Stop at a wall, a tree or a fence, and do these five exercises: two for your upper body and three for your lower.
Standing Push-ups:

Stand facing a surface, with legs hip width apart and place hands shoulder width apart. Keeping your body straight, lower yourself down to the surface and then push back upright again. Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders

Calf Raises:

Face surface and hold on for balance. With feet together pointing straight ahead, slowly lift your body up on to your toes, while tightening calf, abs and buttocks muscles. Then slowly lower yourself back down again. Muscles worked: calves, abs, and buttocks.

Squats:
Face surface, legs hip with apart. Hold on for balance. Shift weight back into heels. Keeping back straight, abs pulled in; gently bend at the knees and squat to about a 90-degree angle. Hold for a moment, then, using just your leg muscles, return to an upright position. Muscles worked: Front of thigh (Quads), Back of thigh, (Hamstrings) Buttocks, Abs

Wall Sit:
Stand against surface for back support. Holding on as needed for balance, slide down to a sitting position against wall, knees at about a 90-degree angle. Pull your abs in and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Muscles worked: Thighs and Abs

Upper Back Squeeze:
Stand with your back to the surface, feet shoulder width apart. Place hands behind you on surface. Straighten your arms behind you and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Muscles worked: Back, Shoulders, Back of arms (Triceps)

Have fun and get strong with this strength workout outdoors!

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Workout: Can You Gain Without The Pain?

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Mirabai

Workout? Spring has sprung and I’ve been getting those emails for a month or so asking for advice on how to get on and stay on an exercise program. I get questions about commitment, pushing one’s limits, pain, and quick results. I go a little crazy at this time of year because I’m at odds with a very vocal segment of my industry about how to get started on an exercise program. They’re sincere, well-educated trainers, but I don’t think they remember what it felt like to be de-conditioned. They expect beginners to do to much too soon. I’m beginning to think that over-vigorous exercise dulls one’s sense of empathy.

Workout?

I’ve seen it time and time again: determined beginners pushing so hard and either getting hurt and quitting or just quitting because they couldn’t take it any more. If this sounds like you, don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault. We’ve heard no pain no gain all our lives. We’ve watched contestants push themselves to the brink of disaster on television. We’re inundated with infomercial promises of big results in no time. It’s enough to make anyone think ” I’ve got to beat myself senseless immediately so I can hurry up, get fit, have the body of my dreams and live happily ever-after.”

By the way, I’m not against vigorous exercise. On the contrary, I love vigorous exercise. But I wouldn’t have loved it nor would I have been safe doing it as a beginner. In my experience, that approach only works for a few stoic types and sets the rest of us up to fail.

I believe in moderation, easing in, starting with a little and building up to a lot, staying in your comfort zone. You may get to super-vigorous exercise eventually, or maybe you’ll like moderate exercise better. And moderate may be just as good as vigorous, maybe better. Really.
Just so you know this isn’t some favorite rant of mine, there are people, scientists even, who actually agree with me. Here’s study conducted at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health

I think, the best way to get fit and make exercise a part of your life forever is to keep it pleasant. If you haven’t been exercising in a long time, don’t start lifting weights right away. Don’t try to jog or even walk for a half an hour right away. Do something easy. Do something pleasant. If you enjoy it today you’ll want to get up and do it again tomorrow. It’s the pleasure principal. I believe in it. This study published in the Journal of Health Psychology believes it, too

So, how do you get started? I suggest starting by standing up and doing about five minutes of gentle limbering movements. Do the same for a few days in a row. You may be surprised at how good this feels and what a wonderful state of mind these simple, natural movements put you in. You may find yourself exercising longer than five minutes after a few days because you like it. Don’t question it. Simply do it. You may find the more you do it the more you’ll want to do it, and the more you’ll do.

You may want to go for a little walk, then a brisk walk, then a half hour brisk walk. Don’t rush it. It doesn’t matter if it takes a couple of weeks, or a couple of months. Listen to you body. You’re on nobody’s schedule but your own.

Once you’re enjoying a half hour brisk walk most days of the week, try adding light weight training for your major muscle groups a couple of times a week. Increase the weight, number of reps and number of exercise days only when it feels too easy. Build up slowly to weight training about three days a week with a day off in between sessions.

Remember to keep it pleasant. If it’s too intense, it ceases to be fun and there’s a good chance you’ll quit. This approach takes longer. But I’ve found it to be much more sustainable than those quick fix pump you up methods. Most of those intense immersion exercise programs remind me of the guy who beats his head against a brick wall. When asked why on earth he does that, he says: “because it feels so good when I stop”

Ease-in. Invest in your body. It will pay you back in quality of life.

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Personal Training Abuse

Posted on April 2, 2017 by Mirabai

Are you experiencing personal training abuse? A friend was describing her personal training sessions to me and said,“ there’s a fine line between coaching and abuse”.

The whole idea is to find someone who you like, and who likes you to be your teacher and motivator.

Your trainer should teach you to exercise safely and effectively. She/he can motivate you to love exercise by making it fun.

And if you love exercise, you can get and stay fit for a lifetime.

Personal Training Certs

Certification by a national certifying organization and experience are also key. Make sure your trainer is certified and has several years of experience. Meet the person, and make sure you click. If you’re not sure, keep looking.

Don’t be shy about asking to see her/his personal training certification. Ask for client references too, (and call them).

Here are some of the top certifying bodies in the USA:

American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA)

National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM)

American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Aerobics & Fitness Association of America (AFAA)

If you are living in another country check out the top Personal Training certs in your area

and make sure your trainer is certified by one of them.

Finding the right trainer can be a daunting task but when it’s right, its music.

By the way, this training partnership is a two way street. No trainer wants to be treated like a servant or even an employee. Treat your trainer as you’d like to be treated and you may make a lifelong friend,

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ShapeUp Outdoors

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Mirabai

SHAPEUP!

I love to get out in the Spring after a Winter of exercising indoors. Even if you haven’t done much over the winter, the green smell of plants and flowers in the air and switching on to daylight savings time are great motivators.
Start with a duration you’re comfortable with and work your way up. I do some standing pushups and a couple of stretches at the end of my walk to round out the workout.

ShapeUp Exercises

No equipment necessary, just your favorite tree. Here is what I do:

Standing Pushups: Stand facing your tree and stretch arms in from of you, chest level and place hands on the tree a few inches apart. Keeping your body straight, slowly bend elbows until your chest is close to the tree and push back with a single thrust.

Work up to 20 reps. Works chest, and arms.

Back Extention: Stand facing your tree and stretch arms in front of you slightly below chest level.
Place hands on the tree a few inches apart. Keep arms stretched as you bend back lifting your head chin up while contracting your abs. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Stretches back.

Front Thigh Stretch: Stand facing your tree and hold on with your left hand. Grab your right ankle and gently pull heel towards buttocks. Hold for 10-20 seconds. Then switch legs. Stretches the front thigh muscles.

Shapeup and enjoy the process of getting and staying fit this Spring.

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Golf Exercises Improve Your Game

Posted on September 20, 2016 by Mirabai

Golf Exercises

There are over 20 million golfers in the United States alone. And those who play frequently, including the pros, are often plagued by over-use injuries.

It’s the repetitive motion of the golf swing that’s the culprit. And if your form is less than perfect you can hurt yourself on a single swing.

It uses the same muscles every time: mainly shoulder (rotator cuff) core (side of the waist, abdominals), and arms (elbow, forearm and wrist)

Also, like any other physical activity, it’s good to warm-up your body at least 5-10 minutes before starting to play. A brisk walk, a few arm circles and practice swings with a towel will help to elevate your body temperature, lubricate joints and increase blood flow to your working muscles.

As for the current aches and pains, you probably have to rest those muscles until they heal.

The good news is, there are Prehab golf exercises to help you play injury-free in the future and they will also help improve your game.

Here are some essential exercises.

Essential Golf Exercises:

Towel warm-up

Roll up a towel lengthwise and take a few practice swings to warm-up the muscles you’ll use when you add the weight of the club.

Golf Exercises: Side Bend
If you have hand weights, great. Otherwise, grab some cans from your pantry.

Stand feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, arms at your sides. Without bending forward or back, bend directly to one side, while sliding the weight in your opposite hand up the side of your body to your armpit. Do the same on the other side. 8-12 reps on each side, alternating side to side. Areas Worked: Side of the Waist

Golf Exercises: Core Strength & Stretch

Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.

Gently stretch your right arm out in front of you till it’s level with your torso. At the same time raise your left leg and straighten it behind you. Hold for 10-20 counts and slowly return to starting position. Switch sides and repeat. Areas Worked: Abdominals, shoulder, hip and back of leg

Golf Exercises: Oblique Twist

Lie down, knees bent, feet hip width apart. Place your hands behind your head.

Lift and turn your torso to point your right elbow towards your left knee (keep your elbow back in line with your shoulder) and return to start. Do 8 reps. Switch sides and repeat. Areas Worked: Abdominals, particularly the side abs.

Golf Exercises: Rotator Cuff

Holding cans or hand weights bend arms at the elbows to 90 degrees in front of you. Keep your elbows bent and bring your arms out to your sides.

Repeat 8-12 reps.

Areas Worked: Shoulders

Golf Exercises: Wrist Curls
Hold hand weights at your sides, elbows at 90-degree angles, palms down. Keep arms stationary, and using only your wrists, slowly curl the weights towards you until your knuckles are facing the ceiling. Repeat 8-15 reps

Flip weights palms up. Do 8-15 reps in this position.

Areas Worked: Forearms and wrists.

Golf Exercises: Diamond Stretch

Raise arms over-head, linking hands together. Slightly bend elbows and gently move them back.

Hold for 10-20 counts.

Areas worked: Shoulders, chest and upper back.

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Better Sleep

Posted on August 24, 2016 by Mirabai

Looking to get better sleep? We all love a good night’s sleep. But did you know that not getting one not only makes you dull and stressed, it can also make you pack on the pounds.

Health experts recommend eight hours of sleep a night for most adults. Yet so many of us get fewer than six-and-a-half hours during the work week.

Too little physical activity is clearly part of why we’re overweight. But a lack of sleep may make weight loss and weight control more difficult by altering your metabolism. It may also be changing your eating and exercise patterns.

In a Japanese study, children sleeping less than eight hours a night were almost three times as likely to be overweight.

Lack of sleep may change hormone levels and thus influence weight gain. Higher levels of the hormone insulin have been linked to a shortage of sleep.

Because insulin promotes fat storage and controls blood sugar, extra insulin could make weight loss more difficult.

Studies also show that a lack of sleep leads to lower levels of the hormone leptin, which can cause an increased appetite. Sound familiar?

A third hormone affected by too little sleep is cortisol, linked by research to stress. When people feel threatened or stressed, their cortisol levels rise in a “fight or flight” reaction. In one study, people whose cortisol levels rose highest in response to stress had more waistline fat – and fat at the waist is related to the greatest number of risks for heart disease and other ailments. So what can you do to get better sleep?

Better Sleep With Aerobic Exercise

Results from a Stanford University study show exercise, particularly aerobic exercise in the late afternoon or right after work can turn this all around.

The physical stress of aerobic exercise produces fatigue and a rise in body temperature. A few hours later, your body temperature drops. That coupled with the fatigue from your exercise triggers your brain to induce a deeper, longer better sleep.

What time of day you do is as important as doing it. If you exercise too close to bedtime you may be up for hours climbing the walls. Getting a half hour brisk walk is all it takes.

If you belong to a Gym, get there and mix it up on the cardio machines.

Or get yourself a good cardio dance video by a certified instructor.

In any case quality zzzzzs equals quality of life and may even increase longevity.

For more health and fitness information and at home exercise programs please visit www.mirabaiholland.com

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It’s Fashion Flash Monday!

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Mirabai

This week’s Fashion Flash host is the No Nonsense Beauty Blog by Deb Chase. We all want to look and feel beautiful. But there’s more beauty nonsense flying around than there is polin in the air. Deb cuts through the beauty blah blah and offers you real solutions to real beauty issues.

The rest of us Fashion Flash bloggers are no slouches either. We’ve got the real deal in 40 + Fashion, Beauty, Health & Fitness, and Real Deals for the Personal Shopper in all of us.

Menopause and Weight Gain: What You Can Do About It

A study from the Mayo Clinic has revealed that menopause and weight gain are linked because proteins that store fat do it better when estrogen is lost after menopause. They also cause fat to be burned by the body more slowly so weight gain after menopause is hard to fight. Something else happens too. A study in the Journal of Obesity points out that post menopausal women gain about 12 pounds following menopause. And even women that don’t see weight gain after menopause experience a shift in body shape that expands their waistline.

That’s because lower estrogen levels cause fat to shift from hips and thighs to the belly. Belly fat has been linked to higher incidence of heart disease. So menopause and weight gain is a serious health issue, not just a cosmetic one.

The only way to get rid of that belly fat is to lose weight everywhere and sculpt your body with exercise. Let’s talk calories. 1lb of weight equals 3500 calories. So to lose 1lb a week exercise 200 calories off with about a half hour of moderate cardio a day and eat 300 calories less every day. That 500 hundred multiple by 7 days will get you on the track to lose one pound per week. What can make this process easier is combine cardio with strength exercises. Try this anti menopause and weight gain routine. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday do 30-60 minutes of moderate cardio exercises like brisk walking, swimming, biking jogging, or dance exercise videos.

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Posted on October 19, 2013 by Mirabai

Now that the weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter, I find myself as you may too, for no apparent reason, feeling a little blue. So I dust off my sneakers and get ready to move because I know aerobic exercise improves mood.

I make sure I’m exercising aerobically most days of the week, at least for 30-60 minutes. I not only feel my spirits lift while I’m exercising but for many hours afterwards.

Research shows that aerobic exercise improves mood because it increases levels of serotonin and endorphins in the brain. These are important neurochemical transmitters, which help to elevate and stabilize your mood.

In fact one of the known causes of depression is a lowered level of serotonin. Aerobic exercise can be as effective as medication for relieving mild to moderate depression in many cases.

More Reasons Why Aerobic Exercise Improves Mood

There is more to aerobic exercise than serotonin and endorphins. It helps lower adrenaline, a chemical associated with stress to help promote relaxation. And as you become more fit you feel better about how you look and feel. This can give you a positive outlook in general. Try some easy aerobics. You may just cardio dance your troubles away.

Are You Depressed?
The standard symptoms for depression are:

Persistent feelings of sadness or “emptiness”
Sense of hopelessness, worthlessness, and guilt
Inability to enjoy ordinary pleasurable activities, including sex
Noticeable change of appetite, possibly accompanied by significant weight loss or weight gain
Shifts in sleeping patterns, such as insomnia or sleeping too much
Difficulty concentrating, persistent irritability, excessive crying
Preoccupation with thoughts of death or suicide
Decreased energy, fatigue
Persistent aches and pains

Many things can cause depression. They range from some medications to low levels of light during the winter months. Alcohol and a poor diet, as well as inherited predisposition, can lead to the condition as well. Before you decide on asking your doctor for an anti-depressant prescription, adopt the healthy lifestyle habits of a nutritious diet, regular exercise and enough sleep. If things don’t improve, of course, seek medical help.

So try my take on the old Arlen & Koehler song lyric that Judy Garland sang, “forget your troubles, come on get happy” you can exercise your blues away.

For more info on women health and fitness and at home exercise programs for women visit www.mirabaiholland.com

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Posted on September 27, 2013 by Mirabai

Fall is upon us and we’re scrambling to get those last outdoor activities in. So I thought I would talk about one of the most important aspects of any fitness program, pleasure.
If you like it, you’ll do it. If you don’t, you won’t.

The popular trend right now in the fitness industry is boot camp style workouts that basically whip you into shape.
This type of exercise may be some people’s idea of fun, but for many of us who have had trouble getting or staying on an exercise program it’s just not sustainable.
Exercise should be a pleasure not a chore.
That thought played over and over in my head as I watched two distinct sets of bicyclists on their daily rides.
Near where I live there is a road that has two bike paths on it. There is one for serious touring bikers and one for slower traffic.

The serious group is just that, SERIOUS! – Featherweight bikes with drop handle bars, tiny seats and pedals that require clip-on shoes. They wear flaming color form fitting hi-tech clothes that slip the air, wick the sweat and have hidden pockets for keys and snacks.

They stream along at high speed, and with their bodies bent over for aerodynamic position, helmeted heads lurched forward, they look like a flock of supersonic tropical birds. There is a grimace on every face, but this is the type of exercise they enjoy.
They’re working hard and wouldn’t have it any other way. Young or old, these athletes are in top condition.

However, just a few feet away, an endless parade of more leisurely exercisers ambles along, peddling merrily, sitting up right, zinging their bells, smiling and chatting. They wouldn’t have it any other way either. Are the amblers as fit as the racers? – Probably not. But is their daily moderate exercise enough to reap most of the health benefits exercise has to offer? – Probably so.
Research clearly shows that you don’t have to be an athlete to be fit enough to be healthy and live longer.

Then there’s burnout. If you don’t enjoy it you’ll quit. So many of us try to do too much and end up doing nothing. Pleasure is the key to success.

Find a physical activity you like or at least don’t hate and pursue it with pleasure. Stay in your comfort zone and if you do, exercise will become something you look forward to instead of dread.

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Moving Free With Mirabai

Healthy Living Blog 50 + On Demand Workouts

Category Archives: Easy Exercise Routines

Arthritis Exercises: Aqua and Land

Arthritis Exercises: Land

Arthritis Exercises: Aqua

Strength Workout Outdoors

Strength Workout Outdoors Video

Workout: Can You Gain Without The Pain?

Workout?

Personal Training Abuse

Personal Training Certs

ShapeUp Outdoors

ShapeUp Exercises

Golf Exercises Improve Your Game

Golf Exercises

Better Sleep

Better Sleep With Aerobic Exercise

It’s Fashion Flash Monday!

Menopause and Weight Gain: What You Can Do About It

Aerobic Exercise Improves Mood ©2013

More Reasons Why Aerobic Exercise Improves Mood

The Pleasure Principle © 2013