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Monthly Archives: January 2020

Treadmill Workouts to Add Variety, Kick Boredom

Treadmill Workouts to Add Variety, Kick Boredom

Treadmill Workouts to Add Variety, Kick BoredomTreadmills can be a godsend when there’s snow and ice, or when you don’t have time to run or walk during daylight hours, or just don’t have a safe, suitable place to do so. But, they can also bore you to tears and sabotage your workouts. Here are three great ways to add some variety and stave off boredom.

Interval Training

There are several great things about interval training, both from a fitness standpoint and in terms of staying entertained. Interval training is when you alternate between brief bursts of increased intensity and longer periods of recovery, or less intensity. On the treadmill, you can do this either by increasing your speed, or by increasing the incline, to make your activity more or less challenging. Try alternating between the two, either within a workout or between workouts.

This not only gives you a better cardiovascular workout and a better calorie burn, but also gives you something else to focus on besides just putting one foot in front of the other. One of my favorite ways to do intervals on the treadmill? I pick up the pace during commercials, either on the radio or on television. This is great, unless you don’t have access to either at your treadmill or you’re listening to public radio. Another alternative is to watch the clock; you might want to jog easy for four minutes, and speed up for one. Or, just play it by ear. When you feel ready to really hit it, go for it, and dial it down when you need to. Above all, really the only rule here is to tailor your intervals to your level of fitness. Make your intense intervals challenging for you, not what you think you should be able to do.

Fun With MP3 Players

Podcasts are one of the best tools out there to add variety & entertainment to your tread mill workouts. If you go to the iTunes Store, click on Podcasts, and search for running, the options abound. For example, Running Mate is a free podcast that guides you through various intervals set to upbeat music. Podrunner is great for this as well, and is also free.

Or, perhaps you’d simply like to add some learning to your time on the treadmill? The podcasts from How Stuff Works, such as Stuff You Should Know and Stuff You Missed In History Class, are fantastic. There …

Parenting: Being a Stay-At-Home Mother

Parenting: Being a Stay-At-Home Mother

Parenting: Being a Stay-At-Home Mother

In defense of stay-at-home mothers. While my children were growing up, I was a stay-at-home mother. Often times, people would ask me what I did for work. When I said that I didn’t work outside of the home it seems the conversation had immediately lost interest and was dropped. It was as if I suddenly became a “lesser” person just because I didn’t have a “job” or bring home a paycheque. But to me, doing without some luxuries and that extra cheque, was far less important than the “job” I was doing….looking after my children!

WEIGHING OUT THE PROS AND CONS of stay-at-home parenting.

If you’re only working so that you can afford all those little “extras” in life, I definitely think that stay-at-home parenting is the best option. Yes, some mothers do have to work due to extenuating circumstances in their lives. When a mother is single and working just to pay for rent/mortgage on her own, or if married and her husband is working a lower paying job, then it is probably a necessity for her to work.

However, it’s a fact that there are so many instances of mothers working only so they can have that extra SUV in the driveway, or the 3,000 square foot luxury home, the yearly expensive holidays, trips to the spa, and/or all the trappings of a modern, stylish life. I would add here, that it would be at the expense of their children. Yes, I am probably sounding harsh to those very mothers, but is it that important to have so much material wealth, taking valuable time away from your children, leaving their upbringing to the care of strangers or day care centers? If a young toddler were able to have their say, I am certain that they would vote to have their mothers at home with them, and probably settle for less toys and fancy, brand name clothes. These things hold no value or desire to a child!

There was a time in history when the parents had to work to literally put a meal on the table. Fortunately, in this day and age, North Americans are doing quite well, that there is usually a little money left over for the finer things in life. It depends on how many of these finer things you think you need to have. Priorities need to be put into perspective.

LIVING WITH LESS…

How to Create Workout Routines in Nintendo Wii Fit Plus

How to Create Workout Routines in Nintendo Wii Fit Plus

How to Create Workout Routines in Nintendo Wii Fit PlusIf you have a Nintendo Wii Fit Plus, you can create routines to customize your daily workout. Wii Fit provides a variety of different exercises that you can use to create a workout routine that will help you to reach your fitness goals. Wii Fit routines cycle through the exercises automatically so that you don’t have to manually select exercises. This can help you to burn more calories and build strength faster. If you already have a Wii Fit balance board with the original disc, you can access the Wii Fit Plus Routines feature by purchasing a Wii Fit Plus disc.

To get started, place your Wii Fit Plus disc into the Nintendo Wii game console. Select the “Disc Channel” with the “A” button on your Wii remote, then select your Mii. Select “Start.” Select the “Training” button and press “A.” Select “My Wii Fit Plus.”

Creating Workout Routines with Wii Fit Plus Routines

In “My Wii Fit Plus,” select “My Wii Fit Plus” with your Wii remote control. You can select from four different categories to create you Wii Fit Plus workout routine. “Lifestyle” includes a warm up, shoulder and back exercises and a relaxation exercise. “Health” includes three exercises to help you lose weight. “Youth” has exercises for posture, mind and body and legs and hips. “Form” includes exercises that target the hips, arms and whole figure. Each selection contains three exercises whose order can’t be rearranged. Select “Start” to begin your chosen workout routine.

One of the best ways to create a Wii Fit workout routine is to select the “Combine” button. This will give you access to all four workout routine categories. Always start with “Warm Up.” Then add an exercise that will help you reach your fitness goals. It’s best to alternate between categories as you add exercises to your Wii Fit workout routine. Also vary the part of the body to be exercised each time you add an exercise to your Wii Fit workout routine. For example, you could choose “Tummy,” “Posture,” “Arms,” “Legs and Hips,” “Leaner Mii” and “Hips.” Finish your Wii Fit Workout Routine with “Relax.” Start out with “One at a time,” then as you build more strength and stamina, try moving up to “Two at a time” or “Three at a time.”

Creating Workout Routines with My Routine in Wii Fit Plus

In “My Wii Fit Plus,” select “My Routine.” …