5 Moves For Sculpted & Toned Legs

Legs are one of the most common problem areas that clients complain about. 

To tone and sculpt your legs, incorporate the following five exercises a few times a week and see the difference they make. Stick with it and you'll be showing off those legs in no time.

Tone Your Legs Move #1: The Squat
A properly done squat is a powerhouse of an exercise. In one movement you work your glutes, hips and thighs. Talk about hitting all the problem areas!

Here's how to do a proper squat. Position your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, core tight, and chest up, squat down like you're going to sit in a chair. Bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, keeping your knees from extending past your toes. Hold this position, and then exhale as you stand back up. Repeat for 20 repetitions without resting. As your endurance builds, feel free to add resistance by holding weights at your sides.

Tone Your Legs Move #2: Carving Curtsy
This move is a little more complicated but worth the effort. It works your abs, buttocks, and legs—including your inner thighs.

To do the carving curtsy, first stand up straight with your arms bent and hands by your chest. Lunge back and to the right with your left leg so your left foot lands behind your right foot, to the right of your body. Bend both knees to a 90-degree angle, as if you're performing a curtsy. Swing your left arm forward and up and your right arm back by your right side. Then stand up straight, lifting your left knee out to the side and tap your left knee with your left hand. Do 20 reps on each leg then repeat on the other side.

Tone Your Legs Move #3: The Mountain Climber
This rocking leg exercise mimics the movement of climbing a steep mountain. The faster you move your legs, the more of a cardio workout you'll get as well.

Get into a push-up position: hands and toes on the floor holding up your body. Holding in your abs, lift your right foot, and bring your right knee toward your chest. Tap the floor with your right foot, and then extend your leg back to starting position. Repeat with your left leg, bringing your left knee up toward your chest and tap the floor. Return to start position. Repeat with both legs for 20 repetitions.

Tone Your Legs Move #4: The Lunge
The lunge is arguably the best leg exercise, as it works pretty much every leg muscle as well as your buttocks. There are quite a few variations to the simple lunge, but to do the basic lunge, stand up straight and tighten your core.

Step forward several feet with your right foot, lightly landing heel first. Bend both legs down until bent at 90 degrees (never more) and your left knee is about an inch above the floor. Your knee shouldn't extend further than your toes. Keep your body upright, tighten your core and work to keep your balance by not wobbling from side to side. Lift your body up and bring your hips forward until you're standing straight. Repeat on the other side, lunging forward with your left foot. Complete 20 lunges per leg.

Tone Your Legs Move #5: The Step-Up
Step-ups are great because they mimic movements you perform in daily life. This exercise works your legs and also gets your heart pumping. When you step-ups you can hold a dumbbell in each hand to increase resistance. In addition, you'll need some sort of step such as a bottom stair, sturdy box, or low stable chair.

Step up with your right foot and then bring your left foot up. Step back down, so both feet are on the floor. Repeat, stepping up first with your left foot. Continue doing this 20 times with each leg.

Incorporate these moves into your routine to tone your legs, lift your buns, strengthen your core, and to encourage healthy weight loss.

Why stop at just toning and sculpting your legs? I'm here to help you transform your entire body! Call or email today to get started on a specialized fitness plan that's designed to quickly shape your body.

What are you waiting for? Begin your body transformation today by reaching out to me. Email or call to get started today.

Diet Matters Too

Don't forget how much your diet matters when it comes to getting your legs into amazing shape. In addition to the exercises outlined above, incorporate these diet tips into your routine: Eliminate processed snack items from your diet. Cut down on the amount of grains you eat each day. Include lean protein with each meal. Fill your plate with colorful, nutrient-dense veggies. Enjoy fresh fruit as dessert, instead of sugar-filled items.

ianbowen25@gmail.com

New mom? Must read fitness advice for you.

Are you trying to lose baby weight but find that you’re not seeing results despite your best efforts? Sometimes new moms hit a fitness and weight loss plateau and it can feel like you’ll never get back to your pre-baby body. But working smarter not harder can  help you see results, so don’t despair.

I know it’s hard to drop baby weight and I’ve written before about why new moms need to concentrate on bonding with their baby. I also believe that eating right and snatching a few moments to exercise can help new moms feel more positive, reduce stress and rebuild body confidence.
Any new mom’s focus will be on developing a baby routine but it’s important to carve out time for yourself too. Otherwise as your baby reaches each milestone, you may find that you aren’t reaching your goals. With all your attention on your baby, it’s easy to neglect yourself and that can lead to you losing confidence.
I’m a positive person and I want you to be confident too!  So here are my tried and tested tips to make sure that you new moms can overcome any fitness plateaus and continue to build your strength and stamina.  Whether you want more energy or would simply love to fit back into your favorite jeans, try to apply these ideas in your life.

Four ‘new mom tips’ to kickstart your fitness routine:

• Try to exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days a week and split up your workouts so that three focus on cardio activity and two are strength based.
• Mix up your workouts and vary your routine. If you follow the exact same workout plan every time then your body will adapt and you’ll stop seeing results.
• Make sure you’re exercising effectively – take a look at some of my how-to videos so you can perform common exercises correctly.
• Once a routine becomes easy then pick up the pace – you need to keep challenging yourself.

Many people find that the effort they put into exercising drops off over time, so try these extra tips to stay motivated:

• Add some resistance training to help build lean body mass as this will help your fitness plan be more effective.
• If you find cardio boring then choose to add some fun: pick your favorite music or train with a friend
• Try HITT to push yourself and vary your routine.

When you hit a fitness or weight loss plateau it’s time to re-address your plan and ensure it is balanced to meet your core needs and help you to achieve your goals. Remember, getting back to a level of fitness and body confidence you are happy with is not a race, so take it one day at a time.
Having a baby (or babies) changes your body in many ways and it is important to understand that you need to listen to your body. Get adequate rest and don’t stress out about your baby weight! Stress can sabotage your plan, so relax and have fun being active.

Written by Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA.

For nutrition and health products that support healthy weight loss go to http://valparaiso.herbalhub.com

Bye bye baby-weight: how to regain your figure post-pregnancy

Whether you’re a new mother or not, I bet there is something in today’s article that will help become more fit, gain confidence or just learn a little empathy.

No matter how or why you’ve gained weight, know that it takes as long – if not longer – to lose that weight again.  Pregnancy is a special time and new mothers need to concentrate on their baby but you  may need to reprioritize if you are still blaming a spare-tire on baby weight, three years later!

Dads-to-be often gain baby weight too – if someone around you is eating more then the temptation to join in is hard to refuse. This week, I’m going to share five tips that will help you regain the figure you want.  I’m focusing on how to reclaim your pre-pregnancy body because it’s a message I relate to strongly.

During my last pregnancy I was carrying triplets and, with four months to go, I was put on bed-rest which meant my activity levels plummeted. Over forty weeks I gained 70lbs and I was nearly as wide as I am tall!
Finally welcoming my new babies to the world and introducing them to their big brother and the rest of the family was magical. I think the sole focus for new parents should be enjoying every second with their new little human because they change so quickly.
Since it takes forty weeks to gain baby weight then you should give yourself at least forty weeks to lose the weight too.  When we see airbrushed photos of celebrities who have six-packs within weeks of giving birth, we shouldn’t try and compare ourselves.  A sensible approach – giving yourself plenty of time to be with your baby and learning to balance the diaper changes, feedings, and lack of sleep is much better than looking at yourself in contrast to a pampered celebrity.

Stay safe.  New mothers need to be careful when they first begin exercising. Check with your doctor about when to recommit to exercise: without exception your joints may be weak and your body may be sore.

As soon as I received the all clear to start exercising again, I tried to jump straight into exercising intensely and it was too hard.  I learned that I need to be kind to myself and be patient. Rather than make my mistake of rushing in too quickly – try these weight-loss, figure-regaining tips.

Post pregnancy tip 1:  make time

Trust me, I know that as a new parent you don’t have time but you have to grab a moment when you can. Try to find some time every day – aiming for 10 minutes is a good start. Ask a family member or your partner to make a commitment to give you a break or put it in your schedule during baby naptime. If you’re already back at work, then try to fit in a walk around the block at lunchtime. It’s hard but exercising will ultimately give you more energy.

Post-pregnancy tip 2:  no more excuses

Try to at least walk, stretch or do something that involves moving every day. Exercise naturally boosts your energy levels so don’t hide behind excuses. Knowing you are doing something positive for yourself, when you’re also realizing that your life is no longer all about you, may help you get motivated and better adapt to the new person in your world.

Post-pregnancy tip 3:  be creative

I’ve said it before: any time exercising is better than no time. You need to be resourceful, so try jumping rope, adding in  squats while washing baby bottles, and doing crunches in bed. This might all sound crazy but it’s a workable way to fit in activity. It worked for me: my 10 minute routine in my bedroom each morning and evening was enough to start pushing me back to fitness.

Post-pregnancy tip 4: focus on your core

Work on your posture all day because pregnancy alone can mess with your posture and balance. Lifting a growing baby, bending over a crib, pushing heavy strollers and more … means that your postural muscles may need stretching throughout the day. Holding in and contracting your abdominal muscles will help strengthen them, so pull in your tummy a few times a day – whenever you remember – and each time you’ll be developing your muscles. Go ahead; pull in your tummy right now!

Post-pregnancy tip 5: eat well

Aim for quality nutrition every day. I saved the most important tip for last because immediately post pregnancy is not a time for fad diets that deprive your body of essential nutrients. Starving your body is never a good solution for weight loss. A smart calorie-controlled diet that provides your body with essential carbohydrates, fats, protein, vitamins and minerals is a much better choice because it is sustainable long term.
Learning how to balance your caloric intake and caloric expenditure will help you to lose weight at sustainable rate. If you are nursing, however, you must check with a health professional to ensure you consume enough calories to produce nutrient-rich milk.

 ***

Make time to play, head outdoors and keep moving. Every step will help you regain control of your figure.

That’s it – I hope that when you read my tips they seem manageable.  I am so passionate about helping people to reclaim their body after a baby because I’ve dealt with the insecurity that come with body changes. I’ve admitted before that I cried, I turned to comfort foods to make me feel better, and I did all the wrong things before I decided to get smart and practice what I preach. I spent a good four years getting my fitness levels back up and at times it was hard but I believe it was worth the effort.
Now I love my post-pregnancy body, it’s stronger than ever and I use it to run around the soccer field with my kids, hug them when they (or I) need comfort and I love to jump and dance to make sure all of us stay smiling.   Being fit has helped me keep my energy levels up and that’s important if you have four rambunctious children running around and demanding attention.  Losing the weight was part of my goal but fully committing to taking part in my life was the best outcome!
Start your journey today with commitment and a smart approach because you may just surprise yourself.

Written by Samantha Clayton, AFAA, ISSA.

Start your diet off right with the #1 weight loss shake in the world. http://valparaiso.herbalhub.com

Great 5 Minute Ab Workout

Are you ready to work your abs with Samantha Clayton, fitness expert and former competitive sprinter to achieve a healthy, active life?

"Today, we're going to focus on engaging your core, and work on getting that perfect flat tummy or serious six-pack. In just five-minutes, I expect you to feel the burn and realize that lack of time is not a good enough excuse for not working out your mid-section."

Remember! Some exercises are not right for everyone, so please listen to your body and, if an exercise doesn't feel right, then opt for a modified version or stick with an exercise that feels good and fits within your current fitness level.

10 Minute Workout- Cardio Workout You Can Do at Home

By Samantha Clayton, November 20, 2012
I am always talking about squeezing in a quick workout because it’s amazing how effective a short bout of strength or cardiovascular exercise can be.
My top three reasons for making time for a 10 minute workout:
1.  When I feel stressed, a 10 minute workout gives me an instant boost of energy and helps me refocus.
2.  Like everyone, I’m often rushing and I find a 10 minute workout is enough exercise to help me not feel guilty about missing my regular routine.
3.  10 minute workouts can deliver surprisingly effective results, quickly.
It’s always better to do some exercise instead of no exercise.   When you’re feeling busy and stressed, promise yourself that you’ll manage at least 10 minutes even if you can’t find time for a longer workout session.
A great way to truly benefit from a short session is to focus on one specific area of the body or one element of fitness such as strength, cardio or flexibility.  Today, I’m going to share my favorite 10 minute cardiovascular routine with you. 
My pre-cardio 2 minute warm up
Your warm up should always be dynamic: gently loosening off your body and slowly increasing your heart rate.
A 120 second warm up to ease into the core of your workout should be good enough but spend a little extra time on days that you feel especially tight. 

• Circle your arms while marching on the spot for 30 seconds.
• 
  March with high knees while swinging your arms for 30 seconds.
• 
  Do 10 calf raises by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and rising up onto your toes, holding for a second, then lowering back down.
• 
  Do 10 squats by standing with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward.  Sit back as if you are going to sit in a chair, hold for a second, then – leading with your hips – come back to standing.
• 
  Do 10 shallow lunges. A lunge is simply a step forward and then a step back with one leg. Put your hands on your hips, keep a nice straight back and take an exaggerated step forward, lowering your back knee toward the ground. Hold the lunge for 2 seconds and repeat on the other leg.
• Jog in place for 30 seconds.

My 8 minute fat-blasting moves 
One of the great things about cardio exercise is that there are so many effective, fun and simple exercises to choose from to give you a good full-body workout.  You can also work to make sure your heart rate is within its optimal fat burning zone during the cardio portion of this 10 minute workout.
Below is a list of eight simple exercises that require no equipment.  Try to repeat each exercise for 30 seconds and then circle through all the exercises again.  I’ve alternated higher and lower impact exercises and you should aim for a work out intensity of around seven or eight out of ten to reap maximum benefits.
Alternatively, if you are new to exercise, try only doing the odd numbered exercises and going at a slightly slower pace.  Don’t ever push yourself so hard that you feel uncomfortable.
1. Modified jumping jacks
Stand with both feet together and let your arms hang at your sides. Step one leg to the side, then return to the starting position. Repeat this movement on the other side. Continue alternating back and forth until you’re comfortable doing the leg movements at a steady, challenging pace. Then add the arm movements: swing your arms overhead when you step to the side, then swing your arms back to your sides when you bring your feet together.
2. Power jumping jacks
Stand with both feet together with your arms at your sides, then jump both feet out to the sides as you bring both arms up overhead to make a star shape.  Land with bent knees in a squat position, hold this position for two seconds, and then jump back to the starting position.
3. Running in place
Run on the spot, bringing your knees up in front of you and pumping your arms back and forth in rhythm with your legs.
4. All out sprint in place
Sprint in place as fast as you can. Keep your leg and arm movements fast and powerful.
5. Squats   
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward, then make a sitting back motion – as if you are going to sit in an imaginary chair.  Hold for a second, then leading with your hips, come back to standing. Be sure to keep a flat back, keep your chest high and really focus on sitting back to keep the pressure off your knees.
6. Burpees
A burpee is a powerful combination of a squat, push up and vertical jump.
Squat down on your haunches and place your hands on the floor in front of you. Kick your feet out behind you to put yourself into a push-up position. In a controlled manner, lower your chest to the ground using your arms. Press back up to complete the push up and then pull your feet back in to return to the squat position. Finish the move by jumping up in the air while clapping overhead.
7. Side step  
This is like a dance step: start with both feet together and your arms loosely by your sides.  Step sideways to the left while leaning forward slightly, reaching your right hand across your body on a diagonal towards your left knee. Then tap your right foot behind your left.  Step back to the central starting position and repeat on the other side.
8. Speed skaters
Use the same movement you perfected during your side step repetitions but, instead of stepping, jump to each side and jump back. You should look like a speed skater alternating your arms and tying to get further sideways with each jump.

***

Don’t forget to repeat all the exercises twice.  Have fun and be creative – once you’ve got the hang of this routine you can swap in extra exercises you love and keep your 10 minute cardio workout fresh.

If you can do three 10 minute blasts throughout your day, you will have achieved the recommended amount of activity each day. The ACSM, American College of Sports Medicine recommends that people try to engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. The great news is that studies have shown that accumulating that time throughout the day is as good as doing 30 minutes at a time.

For all natural supplements that support healthy nutrition go to http://valparaiso.herbalhub.com/