Yep, it’s hard to believe but Labor Day, 2018 is just about here. In fact, it’s this coming Monday. For a LOT of people, Labor Day signals the end of summer. It’s also, for most people the day that they want to end their summer party season with a bang. This means, lots of food, from the traditional Hot dogs and Hamburgers to steaks, pulled pork, slow smoked barbecue and all those delicious sides and summertime deserts. Yes, a Labor Day cookout, family gathering or just getting all the friends together for one last summer bash puts paid to the phrase “Party Hearty”! And don’t forget all that liquid refreshment, some with alcohol, some with just plain old tremendous amounts of added sugar. Did I mention the word soda?? Always a great idea to have a cooler loaded with ice and bottled water to help slack everyone’s thirst, especially if that September sun makes you feel like its still August!

Well, having a Labor Day cookout/get-together is fine. Just keep things in perspective. Especially if you’re the one that has been trying to be fit and healthy all this year. You don’t want to blow it in one day, with trying to ingest all those summertime foods that seem to disappear once the Football season-pre-games start to appear in your tv’s schedule lineup, right?

As always, moderation is the key to everything. No one is saying that you can’t indulge in a pork-barbecue sandwich with a side of potato salad if you really want one. No sirree! But the important thing to keep in mind as your walking around that picnic table loaded with all that Labor Day party food, that keeping a reign on piling that plate full of food is something that after all the guests go home, you're going to feel pretty good about yourself.

One piece of advice on how to handle all that delicious, tempting, picnic fare, is handling it the same you would be doing at the upcoming holiday season, in regards to indulging in holiday fare. Take your plate and hit the salad items first. Selecting various vegetables and fruits prior to that potato and macaroni salads can curb that appetite down a bit. After all, remember those family members and friends that you may not have had the opportunity to see for a while. It’s easy to meander around with a plate of veggies in your hand while you catch up on everything they did over the summer. Once you’ve done the requirements of catching up with everyone, then you can head on over to the grill and select your favorites. After all, cookout foods are everyone’s favorites, I know my mouth waters when I think about sampling a nice slice of steak or savoring that sauce from a nice rib.

So, keeping things in perspective as you enjoy your food is that eating slowly, again, keeping up with all the conversations that are going on while the food is being passed along can keep you from refilling that plate, time and time again. And you’re really going to have a great time in hearing all the latest gossip from cousin Mark and hearing about your sister-in-law, talk about the savings she made in buying “Back to School” things for little Becky.

Now, to dial up that Labor Day picnic a notch, after the meal, before everyone sags into their chairs, get them up and get a backyard volleyball game started. Nothing says summertime cookout fun than getting everyone moving and enjoying some fun-time memories in the making by playing some outdoor games. And with everyone having a phone nowadays, you can be sure there will be a lot of pictures taken of those last-minute saves or spikes that made your brother Harry sprawl on the ground as he misses that ball 😊

Getting everyone active after, or even before that meal, can go a long way to boosting up everyone’s metabolism, so it can go a long way of helping everyone both digest that food and even help them to burn a few calories, at the same time, of course, that depends on how active they tend to be.

And if there are going to be children at the party, which as everyone knows makes the whole holiday worthwhile! Why not get together with their parents before the holiday and order a few children level activity monitors. This way you can get them interested in being more active than just telling them to get off the couch and put the video games or smartphones away as they stay riveted to their “Candy Crush” game or “Clash of the Titans”. One kid-friendly monitor that exceeds expectations, and allows the parents to view just how active their children have been is the Garmin Vivofit Jr 2 : Kid's Interactive Activity Tracker  Parents can manage their kid’s activity tracker by using the free app. Add multiple children, and see their steps, sleep, daily activities and chore data when it syncs to your mobile device.
Assign tasks and chores, set schedule alerts, find out how many reward coins each child has, access adventures, and even invite the whole family to compete in daily step challenges together, all from your mobile device.

And after the party, the Vivo-fit Jr. can still spike their interest by having them work towards continuing to be active every day with magical adventures. Every day that the kids meet their 60-minute activity goals, they advance in the kid-friendly adventure of their choice! You can choose between Mickey’s Birthday Surprise, Ultron’s Revenge: A Marvel Avengers Mission, or BB-8’s Adventure: A Star Wars Story. So, there is no reason for them NOT to be active, now and even as the season continues to change.

The main point in all of this is to be able to enjoy that Labor Day end to summer gathering, without feeling like you just dropped a bomb on your year of being good, both eating and fitness wise.

So, get your plans laid for marking off that volleyball court on the grass, lime works best for marking off the lines. I know that from experience. And then make sure you have enough fixings for those other people that are looking to eat a little healthier for the holiday. Turkey burgers, lean turkey sausages, and some whole wheat buns can help them and you out.

From All of us here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, Happy Labor Day, enjoy it, We will be doing the same!

 

Ok, anyone that is looking to get in better shape has probably heard all kind of fitness conversations about what to do, how to do it, and how you can get results faster. If you’re like most people nowadays, you’re clicking around through the internet, searching on current fitness trends and what would work best for you and how to go about implementing it.

Well, here’s one more for you to contemplate. Work on building up your “Core” So do you really know what people mean when they’re talking about “Core”?
The “core” is a term used to describe just about everything on your body that isn't your legs and arms. This means you can think of your glutes, hips, abdominal muscles, inner abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and scapula as your core. Your core is where your power is generated in order to carry out any movement. Your core muscles help strengthen and stabilize your spine and pelvis, which is why developing a powerful core is the first step to making your whole body stronger.

But you need to “Own” your commitment to building up your “Core” and its not getting any easier to find the time to do this. Remember, those New Year resolutions you made about 8 weeks back? Well, if you’re like most Americans, about 41% made a New Year resolution after that ball dropped at midnight. Out of that 41 %, 21% of them made the resolution to get fitter for 2018. But as in preceding years, at this time of year, by the end of February, only about 8% of those resolutions made are still being kept. Something we can probably all agree on: It's freakin' tough to stay fit when life's just this busy, and it only seems to get harder every year, especially when it means blocking off time to get in your exercises!

So, what is a "Beginner Fitter", To do?
So maybe you aren’t in good enough shape to get down and give us 50 crunches. But we know you’re not looking to ignore your core either. Well here’s no small truth: A strong midsection isn’t all about six-pack abs. Every time you lug in the groceries, shovel some heavy snow, or get out there (weather permitting) to do some landscaping around your home that involves digging, raking or picking up cut branches, to some extent your relying on your core as a foundation of strength to be able to accomplish these tasks.

Lots of beginners have upper back tension or lower back issues. Your core is located in your posterior chain and strengthening it will help keep your chest up and your spine strong, which can correlate to some back pain relief.

Whether you’re getting back into fitness after a lapse or you’re an exercise newbie, developing a solid core will increase your stability and balance. Translation: You’ll be able to perform more advanced moves with confidence as you regain your strength.

Below are a few exercises you can do, without the need to get to a gym and use their equipment. But to keep you honest and to track your exercise routines to make sure you are accomplishing your goals of working your “Core” and getting the maximum out of your workout routines, you should use an activity tracker. This way it automatically records your activity levels and provides that data to you so you can track just how well you're doing against what you need to attain your weekly or monthly fitness goals. One such tracker is the Garmin Vivofit 3  You can actually set daily goals for yourself in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Vívofit 3 acquires information about your current activity levels and accordingly assigns daily goals. It keeps on refreshing your daily goals as you achieve the previous ones and helps you march towards a better and healthier life. And if you happen to be sitting a little too much throughout the day, it’s going to remind you that its time you moved so that you maintain the proper movement within your daily lifestyle. So, take advantage of what technology has to offer you in helping you to achieve that “Core” that will carry you through any kind of life obstacle!

Bird-Dog Crunch
Targets: Abs, hamstrings, glutes and shoulders
Stronger abs don’t develop overnight, you’ll have to first learn how to activate your core. For this essential True Beginner core exercise, start on the floor on all fours, hands placed directly underneath your shoulders, hips in line with your knees. This is your starting position. Lift your right hand and extend your arm straight out in on you, keeping it shoulder height, while simultaneously lifting your left leg and extending it straight back (a). Your whole body should be in a straight line from right fingertips to left toes. Bring your left leg to touch your right elbow under your stomach. Extend your leg and arm out again. Return to starting position (b). Repeat on the other side (c). Do five reps on each side.

Modification: If you’re unable to maintain form, simplify this movement by forgoing the crunch. Instead, extend your arm and opposite leg out and hold for three seconds, then switch sides.

Standing Bicycle Crunches
Targets: Oblique’s, rotational muscles
Do traditional crunches cause discomfort? Rubin suggests this True Beginner variation instead. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands placed behind your head. With a tight core, straight back and relaxed shoulders lift your right leg and simultaneously raise your right knee and lower your left elbow towards each other (a). Return to the starting position (b). Repeat on the opposite side. Do five reps on each side.

Modification: If rotating your upper body downwards is too difficult, simply lift your knee to your chest while keeping your upper body still, alternating legs.

Seated Leg Lifts
Targets: Abs, hamstrings
Don’t be fooled by this basic-looking leg lift: Beginners to even more advanced folks will start feeling the burn after a few reps. Sit on the floor, legs extended straight out in front of you. Keeping your core engaged, lean back slightly, so you’re able to place your hands on either side of your glutes. Take a deep breath and lift one leg six inches off the ground (a). Hold for five seconds, and then put it down. Repeat with the other leg (b). Continue alternating for one-minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: To make this exercise easier, lift one leg at a time without stopping to hold each one extended for five seconds. Need more of a challenge? After lifting a heel, bring your knee into your chest, then extend your heel back out and lower down. Repeat on the opposite side.

Sit-Ups
Targets: Abs, possibly hip flexors depending on range of motion
If performed incorrectly, sit-ups can cause more pain than they’re worth. Rubin breaks down how to safely and effectively perform the move. To start, sit on the floor with your knees bent, heels touching the floor, hands on either side of your head, shoulders dropped and relaxed to avoid tension in the neck. Keeping your feet on the ground, lay back until your back is flat on the floor, or as far as you’re able (a). Rise back up (b). Continue for one minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: Having trouble keeping your core and back engaged? Slowly lower yourself as far as you can, and work up to lowering completely down to the floor. There’s no need to go all the way back until you can maintain perfect form.

Modified Bicycle Crunch
Targets: Oblique’s, rotational muscles
Start in the same neutral position as the sit-up, sitting with knees bent, heels flat on the floor, hands on either side of your head (a). Bring the right knee and left elbow towards one another, with a simple and gentle twist (b). Return to the start position (c). Complete the movement with the left knee and right elbow. Continue for one minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: This is a major progression from the sit-up, so if this movement is tough for you, keep practicing sit-ups

Spider Plank Crunch
Targets: Lower abs, glutes
Still, have fuel left in the tank? Rubin challenges True Beginners to tap into their Spidey sense. Start in a push-up position, hands on the ground directly underneath your shoulders, legs extended backward with your toes on the ground, so your body is in a straight line. Lift your right leg and bring your knee towards the outside of your right elbow (a). Return to plank position (b). Repeat the movement with the other leg. Do five reps with each leg.

Modification: If this is too challenging, simply hold a plank on your elbows or hands for 30 seconds at a time, for three rounds. (If you have a wrist issue, try doing this movement on your elbows.)

Now, remember, these exercises are geared to help you increase the strength to your overall “Core” if one or two of them seem a little hard when you first try them. Lay back a bit but continue to work your way up to the recommended reps associated with each, and in no time you’re going to be cranking them out on a consistent basis.

You have to think of your body's "Core" as your structural foundation. Like any good contractor knows, your buildings are only as good as the foundation it rests upon. Make the effort to be sure your own "Core" is up to the task of supporting you, and all the fitness routines you want to put it through.

 

Ok, anyone that is looking to get in better shape has probably heard all kind of fitness conversations about what to do, how to do it, and how you can get results faster. If you’re like most people now a days, you’re clicking around through the internet, searching on current fitness trends and what would work best for you and how to go about implementing it.

Well, here’s one more for you to contemplate. Work on building up your “Core” So do you really know what people mean when they’re talking about “Core”?
The “core” is a term used to describe just about everything on your body that isn't your legs and arms. This means you can think of your glutes, hips, abdominal muscles, inner abdominal muscles, pelvic floor, and scapula as your core. Your core is where your power is generated in order to carry out any movement. Your core muscles help strengthen and stabilize your spine and pelvis, which is why developing a powerful core is the first step to making your whole body stronger.

But you need to “Own” your commitment to building up your “Core” and it's not getting any easier to find the time to do this. Remember, those New Year resolutions you made about 8 weeks back? Well, if you’re like most Americans, about 41% made a New Year resolution after that ball dropped at midnight. Out of those 41%, 21% of them made the resolution to get fitter for 2018. But as in preceding years, at this time of year, by the end of February, only about 8% of those resolutions made are still being kept. Something we can probably all agree on: It's freakin' tough to stay fit when life's just this busy, and it only seems to get harder every year, especially when it means blocking off time to get in your exercises!

So, what is a beginner fitter, “Want-To-Be to do”?
So maybe you aren’t in good enough shape to get down and give us 50 crunches. But we know you’re not looking to ignore your core either. Well here’s no small truth: A strong midsection isn’t all about six-pack abs. Every time you lug in the groceries, shovel some heavy snow, or get out there (weather permitting) to do some landscaping around your home that involves digging, raking or picking up cut branches, to some extent your relying on your core as a foundation of strength to be able to accomplish these tasks.

Lots of beginners have upper back tension or lower back issues. Your core is located in your posterior chain and strengthening it will help keep your chest up and your spine strong, which can correlate to some back pain relief.

Whether you’re getting back into fitness after a lapse or you’re an exercise newbie, developing a solid core will increase your stability and balance. Translation: You’ll be able to perform more advanced moves with confidence as you regain your strength.

Below are a few exercises you can do, without the need to get to a gym and use their equipment. But to keep you honest and to track your exercise routines to make sure you're accomplishing your goals of working your “Core” and getting the maximum out of your workout routines, you should use an activity tracker. This way it automatically records your activity levels and provides that data to you so you can track just how well you're doing against what you need to attain your weekly or monthly fitness goals. One such tracker is the Garmin Vivofit 3 ) You can actually set daily goals for yourself in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Vívofit 3 acquires information about your current activity levels and accordingly assigns daily goals. It keeps on refreshing your daily goals as you achieve the previous ones and helps you march towards a better and healthier life. And if you happen to be sitting a little too much throughout the day, it’s going to remind you that its time you moved so that you maintain the proper movement within your daily lifestyle. So, take advantage of what technology has to offer you in helping you to achieve that “Core” that will carry you through any kind of life obstacle!

Bird-Dog Crunch
Targets: Abs, hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders
Stronger abs don’t develop overnight — you’ll have to first learn how to activate your core. For this essential True Beginner core exercise, start on the floor on all fours, hands placed directly underneath your shoulders, hips in line with your knees. This is your starting position. Lift your right hand and extend your arm straight out in on you, keeping it shoulder height, while simultaneously lifting your left leg and extending it straight back (a). Your whole body should be in a straight line from right fingertips to left toes. Bring your left leg to touch your right elbow under your stomach. Extend your leg and arm out again. Return to starting position (b). Repeat on the other side (c). Do five reps on each side.

Modification: If you’re unable to maintain form, simplify this movement by forgoing the crunch. Instead, extend your arm and opposite leg out and hold for three seconds, then switch sides.

Standing Bicycle Crunches
Targets: Oblique’s, rotational muscles
Do traditional crunches cause discomfort? Rubin suggests this True Beginner variation instead. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands placed behind your head. With a tight core, straight back and relaxed shoulders lift your right leg and simultaneously raise your right knee and lower your left elbow towards each other (a). Return to the starting position (b). Repeat on the opposite side. Do five reps on each side.

Modification: If rotating your upper body downwards is too difficult, simply lift your knee to your chest while keeping your upper body still, alternating legs.

Seated Leg Lifts
Targets: Abs, hamstrings
Don’t be fooled by this basic-looking leg lift: Beginners to even more advanced folks will start feeling the burn after a few reps. Sit on the floor, legs extended straight out in front of you. Keeping your core engaged, lean back slightly, so you’re able to place your hands on either side of your glutes. Take a deep breath and lift one leg six inches off the ground (a). Hold for five seconds, and then put it down. Repeat with the other leg (b). Continue alternating for one-minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: To make this exercise easier, lift one leg at a time without stopping to hold each one extended for five seconds. Need more of a challenge? After lifting a heel, bring your knee into your chest, then extend your heel back out and lower down. Repeat on the opposite side.

Sit-Ups
Targets: Abs, possibly hip flexors depending on range of motion
If performed incorrectly, sit-ups can cause more pain than they’re worth. Rubin breaks down how to safely and effectively perform the move. To start, sit on the floor with your knees bent, heels touching the floor, hands on either side of your head, shoulders dropped and relaxed to avoid tension in the neck. Keeping your feet on the ground, lay back until your back is flat on the floor, or as far as you’re able (a). Rise back up (b). Continue for one minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: Having trouble keeping your core and back engaged? Slowly lower yourself as far as you can, and work up to lowering completely down to the floor. There’s no need to go all the way back until you can maintain perfect form.

Modified Bicycle Crunch
Targets: Oblique’s, rotational muscles
Start in the same neutral position as the set-up, sitting with knees bent, heels flat on the floor, hands on either side of your head (a). Bring the right knee and left elbow towards one another, with a simple and gentle twist (b). Return to the start position (c). Complete the movement with the left knee and right elbow. Continue for one minute straight, then take a 20-second break. Repeat for five rounds.

Modification: This is a major progression from the sit-up, so if this movement is tough for you, keep practicing sit-ups

Spider Plank Crunch
Targets: Lower abs, glutes
Still, have fuel left in the tank? Rubin challenges True Beginners to tap into their Spidey sense. Start in a push-up position, hands on the ground directly underneath your shoulders, legs extended backward with your toes on the ground, so your body is in a straight line. Lift your right leg and bring your knee towards the outside of your right elbow (a). Return to plank position (b). Repeat the movement with the other leg. Do five reps with each leg.

Modification: If this is too challenging, simply hold a plank on your elbows or hands for 30 seconds at a time, for three rounds. (If you have a wrist issue, try doing this movement on your elbows.)

Now, remember, these exercises are geared to help you increase the strength to your overall “Core” if one or two of them seem a little hard when you first try them. Lay back a bit but continue to work your way up to the recommended reps associated with each and in time you’re going to be cranking them out on a consistent basis.

 

We walk. That’s a statement and a fact. But over the past decade we have been told that because of today’s society, the average American is NOT walking enough. This statement is undoubtedly true when you consider that in America over 36.5% of us are now obese!

With these climbing stats, it’s no wonder that more and more Americans are now suffering from the medical ailments that have been associated with being overweight! Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, some of the leading causes of preventable death.

The estimated annual medical cost of obesity in the U.S. was $147 billion in 2008 U.S. dollars; the medical costs for people who are obese were $1,429 higher than those of normal weight.

It’s because of these growing figures that the CDC has prompted warnings that it's important that Americans adopt a new health conscious mindset to become healthier, and the sooner the better. The CDC, Mayo Clinic and other prestigious medical institutions state that walking is one of the easiest ways for us to back our bathroom scales down a few notches.

Walking an extra 40 minutes every day can reduce the number of days in the hospital for people, and lower the risk of cancer. And continually increasing our daily steps can decrease the amount of days we may be spending in the hospital for related diseases. People who increased their steps from 4,500 to 8,800 steps per day spent an average of one less day in the hospital every three years, researchers from the Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Newcastle found. They adopted a mantra that states "Any exercise is better than no exercise, and more exercise is better."

That being said, when you finally realize that if you want to live a longer and more importantly, an active and mobile lifestyle when you get older you need to start now!

The first thing you need to do before you do any walking, strenuous or vigorous is get yourself checked out by your physician. Make sure you’re in good enough shape to begin and ask for advice on based on your examination, just how hard you should tackle your new lifestyle trend of getting in better health.

Once everything checks out and you get a clean bill of health from your physician, go and get yourself a “Good” pair of walking shoes. Ones that offer not only comfort but support for your arches and footpad. Get to a reputable shoe store, one that specializes in walking and running. Their staffs are usually well trained on how to fit you with the proper shoe based on the activity you’re going to be undertaking.

Next, get yourself a good, reliable pedometer or activity monitor. One that fits that bill is the Pedusa PE-771 Multi-Function Pedometer    It counts your steps, the distance you travel, your stride and the calories you’re burning during your walking session. It also has a 7-day memory so that you can track just how well you are doing each week and then record that data so you can compare each week against yourself and the goal you set for yourself! Then after a month, up the ante on the goal and increase it to another mile. Or go by the amount of time you set aside for your walk each day, and increase that. Or you can go one better, and step right up to an Activity Monitor like the Garmin Vivosmart Wireless Heart Rate Activity Monitor  that’s geared for the person who takes their fitness commitment seriously. Even though you’re just walking for now, later, when you get in better shape you have the tool already on hand, or should I say wrist, to monitor your heart rate along with your steps. The Garmin Vivosmart is built to track your workouts, monitor your performance stats, and gauge your progress. This watch has Garmin Elevate, which is Garmin’s own best in class wrist-based heart rate technology. The Vívosmart HR has a 3-dimensional accelerometer which is used to count steps (compared to a pedometer which uses a 1-dimensional accelerometer). It uses the user’s height from their profile to calculate their stride length. Because of the 3 dimensional accelerometer, the Vívosmart HR knows when the user is moving faster (running), so increases the stride length to better calculate the distance being covered. And you never have to worry about comparing just how well your doing since the Vivosmart HR Activity Monitor’s data can be uploaded to Garmin Connect, where you can track you're steps, distance and compare just how well you are doing against some of your friends!

So what are you waiting for? If your already doing your best and committed to walking that 10,000 steps and beyond, GOOD FOR YOU! But we’re sure you know some family members or friends that you can share this blog post with who could use some incentives to get their life on track to living a healthier, longer and active lifestyle.

Now you know about some of the cost savings that go along with being healthy. And you can keep your hard earned cash in your wallet! Instead of staying put on the coach and possibly succumbing to a variety of health ailments that could have been prevented by just increasing your physical activity!

Any questions, we are always here at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com, just for YOU!

 

The road to better health is never over, and sometimes we need something to help make every step count. The amazing Garmin Vivofit Fitness Band is a 24 hour motivator that can help you reach your fitness goals successfully while having a little fun. Comfortable enough to wear 24/7, and stylish enough that you will […]