Fitness Basics

Basic Fitness Principles

With the huge amount of information on different training methods out there, there is no consensus on which is the right way to go. Understanding the basic principles of training will help to understand the differences you will find among training programs.

Basic Principles

There are two simple acronyms for remembering the main principles of an effective training program.

SPORT

• Specificity - sport and individual needs
• Progression - start at your level and gradually increase
• Overload - work harder than normal
• Reversibly - train regularly
• Tedium - keep it interesting

FITT

• Frequency - how often
• Intensity - how hard
• Time - how long
• Type - what methods of training

Putting it into practice

Just about any training program will work to improve your fitness to some extent. If you perform a training program in which there is an increased load placed on the body, the body will adapt to the higher load, and you will be become stronger, faster and fitter. However, a program tailored specifically for you and your needs can maximize and accelerate the benefits to your health and fitness.

Post Pregnancy Workout For A flat Stomach

The body changes significantly during pregnancy. With the extra weight and change in body shape it can be hard to maintain exercise programs. Putting on a little weight during the pregnancy is recommended, though some women take advantage of being able to eat extra to store a few more pounds than needed for maintaining the health of the fetus.

Exercise after giving birth can hasten recovery, aid weight loss and improve muscle strength. You can start with gentle exercise, such as walking, as soon as you feel comfortable. This is usually a week after giving birth, and after you have had a check up with your doctor. After a caesarian, the you should wait at least six weeks for proper healing to take place.

In terms of breast feeding, exercise should have no effect on your ability to successfully breast feed. If you do exercise, it is important to drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration, as you will be losing some of your body fluid when expressing milk. If you think you are a candidate for post-natal depression - exercise can help reduce anxiety and depression, and increase your vitality.

What Exercises?

Many health centers run exercise classes for new mothers and can guide you on the best exercises to do. One of the most important exercises to include are the pelvic floor exercises. Most mothers are taught and perform these exercise during pregnancy, and they could be continued immediately after giving birth. Correct technique is very important to do these exercises effectively. For muscle strength and aerobic fitness, walking is the best low impact exercise to start with, before building up to cycling, swimming and weight-training.

Exercise Tips

1. start gradually
2. wear comfortable footwear
3. warm up
4. drink plenty of water
5. start with low impact exercise
6. wear a supportive bra
7. exercise after you breast feed
8. include pelvic floor exercises in your program

Nutrition

Breastfeeding mothers need a higher intake of nutrients in the diet including protein, calcium, zinc, magnesium, folate and vitamins. You can achieve this by eating nutrient dense foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grain bread and cereals, lean meat and dairy products for calcium.

Work At Home Moms Can Stay Fit

Despite what many may think, working from home takes a lot of time and a lot of work. I'm sure you've heard someone say, "They don't really have a job, they just work from home." That statement couldn't be farther from the truth!

Running a home business takes almost all of your time. Therefore, many other things drop down on your priority list. Probably one of the first ones to drop is fitness.

When you have a never-ending to-do list, a house that never seems to get clean and family and/or friends who demand attention, it's understandable that exercise can take a back seat. But, it shouldn't.

Exercise offers so many important benefits that it should always be part of your weekly routine. Of course, we all know that exercise can help you stay slim and fit. But, do you also know about all the other great results of exercising? Daily physical activity reduces stress and can help you sleep better - two things that are especially beneficial to busy at-home workers and business owners. 


Fitness helps keep you healthy and has been linked to reducing the risk of some diseases and to warding off depression. Researchers also believe that strength training can help prevent osteoporosis. If that still doesn't convince you to get moving, then keep in mind that exercise also improves self-esteem, increases stamina and ultimately helps you be able to do continuous work for longer. What more could you ask for?

1. Schedule time for working out. When you work at home it's so easy to work around the clock. To help avoid this think of yourself as having a traditional "office job". In most "office jobs" when you go home for the night you leave work behind and concentrate on personal things. Even though going home for you may simply be walking down the hall, you need to set boundaries in order to find time for you.

1. During working hours, take several 5-10 minute breaks and run up and down the stairs (or even just walk). This will also help rejuvenate your mind.

1. Sitting in front of a computer can be hard on your body, especially your posture. So, find a comfortable place where you can occasionally stand to do your computer work.

1. It's not necessary for you to find 30 continuous minutes for working out. You'll get just as much benefit if you break your exercise into small chunks. Try 10 minutes before you start work, 10 minutes at lunch and 10 minutes after work (re-read # 1 above if you just said you have no "after work" time).

1. If you don't won't to spend a lot of time in the kitchen but still want to eat healthy, cook large portion meals on the weekend that you can freeze. Then simply defrost and warm for dinners during the week. This saves you the time of having to make dinner and you don't have to compromise calories as you would if you instead opted for take-out.

1. One great advantage of working at home is that you can workout over your lunch hour while never leaving your office plus you don't have to pack your workout clothes and toiletries to take with you to work. This saves you travel time, which you can instead spend on grabbing a healthy bite to eat. And, if you don't have any face-to-face meetings scheduled, then you don't have to worry about looking perfect after your workout.

1. If you haven't already done so, invest in a good hands-free headset for your phone. This is a great way to multi-task because your hands are free to do other things while you concentrate on your conference call. You can even do some simple (but worthwhile) exercise moves. Some good choices are squats, tricep dips, lunges, wall push-ups, etc.

1. Keep healthy snacks available for when you need an energy boost or simply just need something to chew on to help you get through some tough work. Don't forget to keep water on hand and sip some all throughout your day.

1. Purchase an exercise stability ball. While there are dozens of great toning exercises you can do with the ball, it's also beneficial to simply sit on it. Try sitting on it instead of a chair for even short periods throughout your day. This will help build your core strength (your trunk area).

1. Don't forget the importance of stretching. Take a couple of minutes every hour to stand up and stretch your entire body.

It all sounds great, right? But you still don't think that you can find any time in your hectic schedule for staying in shape. Don't worry. There are a lot of creative ways to fit it in.

 Below are some tips to help you get started.

As you can see, exercise offers huge benefits even with just a small amount of effort. And if you have kids, by exercising you also set a great example. So, to help you, your business, and your family, it's time to stop making excuses and just start moving!