As I peruse the pages of
various holiday issues of my favorite fitness/womens
magazines I notice many articles about the
benefits of practicing yoga at this stressful
time of year. At the risk of sounding like a
cardio snob, if I have 30 minutes a day (if I'm
lucky) and i have to get into a special outfit
in about a month and a half. I am not spending
that 30 minutes taking cleansing breaths and
stretching.
Don't get me wrong, if you
exercise regularly year round you can absolutely
benefit from a yoga class 1 maybe 2 times a
week. However, if you are now just starting a
routine in hopes of fitting into a size 8, then
mama get ready to sweat. Here is the routine I
recommend.
Pick 3 (or at least 2) cardio
activities to save you from burnout (see list
below).
Perform 1 of these activities
at least 30 minutes (45 or 60 minutes if your
schedule allows) 4 times a week. This should
include a 3-5 min warmup and 3-5 min cool down
(you can stretch while you wait in the deli
line).
Perform strength training
moves using free weights, stability ball or
nautilus machines for 30 minutes (preferably 45
or 60 mins) 2 times a week. This should include
3-5 min warm up and 3-5 mins stretching. Make
sure to concentrate on whatever body part will
be exposed (arms, back, calves, legs,
shoulders...you get the point).
Do remember, after this
routine kicks you into gear and gets you into
your holiday outfit... CONTINUE!!! You can add
wonderful activities like yoga, kick boxing,
pilates, meditation and the benefits will be: a
strong body, a beautiful posture, tons of energy
and a radiant glow. But for now you just need to
get into that halter dress!
Cardio options:
running
walking
treadmill work
elliptical trainer
spinning
aerobics and/or kick boxing
bike riding
roller blading
stair climber
About The Author
Valerie is mother of 2 and
co-founder of
http://www.million-dollar-mama.com a website
devoted to helping mothers rediscover their
favorite hobbies like travel, fitness and girls
night out.
val@million-dollar-mama.com
