Exercise For Women

Unlike men, women have unique life reasons that can
interfere with exercise. These include the birth of a
child, marriage, single parenthood, a new job, divorce,
overworking, job stress and returning to school. Time is a
big consideration. After a day of work and childcare, most
women prefer to spend their leisure time in socializing
with family and friends, reading and watching television,
rather than rushing to the treadmill. Although some of the
above-mentioned factors are applicable to men, my
experience has shown that women tend to have a harder time
to manage exercise on a regular basis.

The benefits of exercise are significant, especially for
women. Regular exercise lowers estrogen levels, reduces
body fat, and produces a healthier body mass index (BMI).
All these factors significantly reduce the risk of breast
cancer. Also, women who perceive themselves as having more
energy, fewer emotional problems, less pain, fewer social
problems and lesser feelings of nervousness and depression
are more likely to start exercising. There is a unique
exercise and diet method for women that I have developed on
my own, and it has helped thousands of clients get results.

When starting an exercise program, it is important to
remember a few basic principles –

Get descriptions of exercises, with pictures. Ideally, you
want a routine you can print out, take to the gym or use at
home. It should include a start and end picture of
exercises, with a description of technique. Such exercise
charts are available in health clubs and can be found on
various websites. Always obtain a routine from a reliable
source and ask questions if you don't understand anything.
Perform all exercises in a controlled manner. Never
sacrifice control for speed. Breathing is also important.
Never hold your breath while exercising. Remember to inhale
as you lower a weight or relax and exhale as you raise a
weight or exert. In an abdominal crunch, for example, you
inhale when coming down and exhale while raising the head
and shoulders off the mat.

Don't do too much too soon. Don't do too much, and don't do
too little either. Every individual is different. This
means that walking up the stairs may be easy for one
individual, but strenuous for someone else. The best way to
recognize how hard you're working is to be aware of your
breathing pattern, heart rate and exertion levels.
Moderate-intensity activity is going to make you breathe
harder than light activity, make your heart beat faster and
likely make you sweat a little.

Understand the meaning of moderate. There is a simple way
to understand what's moderate for you. Light exercise does
not result in any noticeable effort. Reading the newspaper
is a good example. Light exercise results in noticeable
exertion and normal to slightly increased breathing.
Walking a dog can be considered light exercise for many
individuals. Moderate exercise is slightly vigorous.
Gardening, for example, may be associated with deeper
breathing to panting and sweating. Finally, hard exercise
involves vigorous exertion, gasping and heavy sweating.
Think of that aerobics class that's hard to get through!

Frequency is important! 3-4 days a week of moderate
exercise for 30-45 minutes each time. Researchers have
found that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical
activity on most days of the week can reduce the risk of
developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure,
stroke, and colon cancer. It lessens feelings of depression
and anxiety, helps build bones and muscles, keeps joints
functioning well, and in older women minimizes the risk of
falling.

Making the time if it isn't there. You don't have to fit
your exercise all into one session or limit yourself to
only one exercise. For example, take a brisk 15-minute walk
during your coffee break and another post-dinner. Use a
bicycle for 15 to 20 minutes. It all adds up. You may find
that you can reach an hour a day of moderate-intensity
activity more easily than you thought.

If you have not done much exercise lately, start adding
physical activity to your life with some simple tips. Park
your car further from your destination and walk. Find a
group of friends to walk with on weekend mornings. Garden
or help in home repairs. Take the stairs instead of the
elevator or escalator. Use hand weights while walking.
Vacuum while watching television. Every little bit helps!

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For more information about exercise for women and to
register for free, full-color exercise routines, diet plans
and grocery lists, visit
http://www.best-weight-loss-programs.net/ . For free
bonuses and exercise for women, visit
http://www.toningforwomen.com/ . To train with Nitin, visit
http://www.phonefitnesstrainer.com/

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