Tag: Richard Simmons

The rebirth of cardio. The 80s were an infamous time period for the fitness industry. Leg warmers, terry cloth head bands, neon colored spandex, bottom fringed ink shirts, thong leotards, big fun sprayed to death hairor about the musicOlivia Newton Johns Lets Get Physical and Flashdances Shes a Maniacor the cardio aerobics movesthe grapevine, step touch, the pony.even dudes were into it yes they wore thing spandex too, hmm?!?

Think back to all the people who used to work out back then. They were long, lean, and thin. Why? Its no surprise that if you are interested in dramatically losing weight and burning that fat of your body, you NEED cardio as part of your fitness routine. Its also no surprise here that yours truly is a super cardio junkie. I am one of those ladies who loves to sweatand I dont give a rats ass if my hair gets ruined or if my makeup gets smudged (who the hells wears makeup to work out anyway?) Lets just say I mean business when it comes to intense fitness. Go fast, go hard or go home!

Here are some hard cold truths:
You need to do at least 5-6 cardio workouts a week
Aim for at least 30-60 minutes of mixed cardio and strength training fitness regimens. For the fat to melt, you need to burn off those calories.
You need to make a severe change when it comes to your weight loss fitness plan. Even if it means you are de-conditioned and you start at a slower pace, its better than nothing. And as you become more conditioned, learn to challenge your body by intensifying the workout. Dont just think by doing the same ol snail pace walk on a treadmill youll slim down your waist line and get into those itty bitty bikinis. So pick up that pace Fit Femrs; go faster, go harder. Just like theres no crying in baseball, theres no crying in fitness. Get your rump off the couch and get movin with this under 5 minute cardio routine you can couple with other Fit Fem Flash routines I have on my site. This workout routine will no doubt get your heart pumping, allowing you to burn some initial fat and improve your fitness. This workout program is group of several cardio exercises that are known to not only make you sweat a lot, but also shed your pounds and eventually boost your metabolism to reach your fitness goals. Metabolism is really important if you want to lose weight. This is because a higher metabolism is associated with larger regular losses of calories, and, therefore, fats. This is what the cardio fat burn blast workout offers so dont miss out. If you are not used to exercise at all, well, sorry to tell you that you might start feeling the aches and pains of having to do this cardio workout. Yes, it is painful, but very fulfilling at the end. And dont worry, youll body will get used to it and will be so grateful as you start seeing your slim down results! Get your heart rate up and start burning fat baby! Perform each of these for 60 seconds at a time with 10 second rest in between for 1 round only. And if youve got the time, add a few more rounds!! Why not?
Cross Country Skiers: start by standing with legs staggered (one leg in front and the other in back, a few feet in between each other). Quickly shift your feet and your arms (in opposing directions) in a continuous manner keeping your abdominals tight the entire time.
Hopscotch Drill: start by standing with your feet a shoulder width apart. Hop one foot forward and then landing on both feet back. Continue to hop forward on the opposite leg and then landing back on both feet. Continue this repeating pattern.
Repeater Knee Lifts: stand up straight and lift one knee up to chest height. Quickly tap that lifting leg back to the floor at a slight angle behind you and quickly pick that leg up again allowing the knee to come up to chest height. Use your arms to add more intensity by bringing them up and down in opposite movement of the knee. So as your knee comes up, your arms come down. If you want to feel a more quadriceps burn, the standing leg will have a slight bend to the knee. The lower the lunge, the more intense the exercise becomes. Repeat for 60 seconds then switch to the other leg. Perform this with total control. Doing these simple yet highly effective exercises regularly, you will be in the perfect shape with peak fitness in no time. Dont you think its to burn that fat Fit Femrs?? Do it up Richard Simmons style!

If you’ve considered taking up a more active lifestyle, you’ve most definitely heard of “cardio activities”. Cardio plays an important role in many fitness routines, and performing cardio exercise is a great way to keep your heart and body healthy. The best thing about cardio activities is that people at all fitness levels can perform them.

Aerobic or cardiovascular exercise is defined as any type of physical exercise, performed at moderate but increasing levels of intensity, over extended periods of time. The word “aerobic” means “with oxygen”; therefore, aerobic exercise refers to the body’s use of oxygen throughout the activity. Cardio exercises are aimed at increasing your heart rate, and can help you to effectively burn calories.

Most people immediately think of weight loss when considering cardio activities. While it is true that cardio and aerobic exercise will increase metabolism, and result in a loss of fat mass, there are other very important health benefits to consider. Taking part in cardio activities goes way beyond the average weight loss program.

Cardio activities and aerobic exercise can help to:

1. Tone muscles throughout the body, resulting in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure

2. Strengthen cardiovascular muscles to increase the pumping efficiency of the heart

3. Strengthen respiratory muscles to promote smoother, unlabored breathing

4. Increase the number of red blood cells, resulting in improved transport of oxygen throughout the body

Regular and disciplined aerobic exercise can help to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Taking part in an active cardio exercise program also helps lower the risk of other health problems including respiratory disease and osteoporosis.

Cardio activities are not limited to members of expensive fitness clubs. Some of the most common cardio exercises are:

1. Walking: This is one cardio activity that you’re already doing, everyday! Walking is a very beneficial, low-impact exercise that can be done virtually everywhere. It is one of a few aerobics exercises that can be incorporated into any type of lifestyle, and best of all it’s free! A 15-30 minute walk around the mall will allow your body to lose as many calories as you would on a treadmill. You can increase your caloric and fat loss by increasing the pace and rhythm of your walks.

2. Running and Jogging: Like walking, jogging and running can be done in many places. Plan a route through your neighbourhood, run around the park, jog along the boardwalk at the beach, or take to a track. Running and jogging are accessible, easy and free cardio activities. Before you begin, make sure that you’re body is ready. Beginners should begin with speed walking, and then gradually work up to a jogging or running routine. Running is a very natural activity for your body and you can easily work it into your regular exercise routine.

3. Aerobic Dancing: In the 1970’s there was an explosion in aerobic activity through the Jazzercise program. The 1980s brought exercise gurus like Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons into the spotlight, and even brought exercise attire like headbands and legwarmers to the fashion runways. In the 1990s, aerobics lessons were led by supermodels and sold everywhere on video. The new millennium brought cardio activities like pilates and yoga. Over the past thirty decades aerobics dance exercises may have changed, but the excitement has not faded. People still love to work out to a hot beat, and aerobic dance moves are fun and effective ways to keep weight off and maintain a trim, toned body.

Contrary to what many people believe, aerobic exercise is not limited to the uber-healthy. There are a variety of aerobic dance lesson styles to appeal to people of all fitness levels:

* Low-impact: In low-impact aerobics, the dancer always keeps one foot on the ground. There are no bouncing or jumping movements that can cause joint pain. Low-impact aerobic exercise is ideal for people just starting out, for older people, and for those who cannot or should not move or jump around excessively.

* High-impact: There is a great deal of jumping and complicated body movements in high-impact aerobics. For this reason, those with a little experience and a certain amount of agility and rhythm best perform these cardio activities.

* Water aerobics: Cardio exercises done in the water are known as water aerobics. These are low-impact activities that are usually performed in waist-deep water, so some swimming ability is required.

* Step aerobics: In step aerobics, a raised platform is used with a combination of body movements. “Stepping” movements are often used in both low and high-impact aerobics routines.

Cardio activities are good for maintaining a healthy weight, and essential in keeping a healthy heart. Consider making regular cardio exercise part of your daily routine.