How To Work Off Those Thanksgiving Day Calories

Okay , we love the holidays like Thanksgiving but we do not like the temptation it brings and the guilty aftermath of eating too much. This year should be different. Indulge, in fact eat whatever you want. It will get those tempted feelings out of your system. Once you are done indulging, there are ways to burn those holiday calories away. Here is some exercises that you can do to get rid of them.


Swimming
1. Swimming laps moderately for 20 minutes will burn 158 calories.

Football
2. 20 minutes of football burns 158 calories.

Jog
3. A 20-minute jog burns 197 calories.

Walking
4. Burn 158 calories by walking briskly for 40 minutes.

Cleaning
5. 44 minutes of cleaning burns 152 calories.

Stretching
6. Stretching for 15 minutes burns 59 calories.

Bike Ride
7. A 23-minute bike ride at a moderate pace will burn 181 calories.

Hiking
8. Hiking for an hour and 35 minutes will burn 561 calories.

Bowling
9. Take the family bowling for an hour and burn 180 calories.


This is a useful list that you can follow to get rid of those extra calories from the holidays. Thank you to examiner.com for their invaluable research. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team

Doesn't that look relaxing. Nature walks are a wonderful way to exercise and to relax at the same time. Now, they even have evidence showing all of the health benefits of this form of exercise. Here is what they found.


Scientists have some advice for you. Advice, it turns out, that your mother already told you a long time ago: Go play outside.But, it turns out mother was only partly right. John Jonides, University of Michigan professor of psychology and neuroscience, and graduate student Marc Berman have one big condition to that advice: A walk in nature sharpens the mind, but a walk in the city does not.


They found this out by performing an experiment that they published in the journal Psychological Science. They gave volunteers memory and attention tests and then sent them out on a walk. Sometimes they got instructions to walk in the university’s urban home of Ann Arbor and other times they walked through a nearby arboretum.


Berman says they then tested their memory and attention again and “found that when the participants returned from the nature walk, they showed a 20 percent improvement (in the tests) but showed no improvement when they returned from the urban walks.”


Why the difference? It has to do with something called the Attention Restoration Theory. It says we all have two kinds of attention. Directed attention is when we pay attention to something because we need to — like work, or school, or something else that takes a lot of concentration. We eventually tire, often lose focus, and need to take a break.


The other kind is “involuntary attention.” It captures your attention simply because it interests you. What’s interesting might vary from person to person, but as Berman says, “You don’t hear very many people say, ‘Boy I really got tired out looking at that waterfall.’”He adds, “The idea behind the theory is that if you’re in an environment that’s rich with inherently interesting stimulation, it’s going to activate the involuntary attention and allow the directed attention to rest.”


But an urban walk has lots of interesting things, so why doesn’t it work? Says Joindes, "When you’re walking in an urban environment you need to be careful that you don’t get run over by a car, you have to be careful that you don’t bump into somebody walking down the street." In other words, your brain is still in work mode.


But in a nature walk, says Berman, “There typically isn’t this distracting stimulation, so the person can kind of defocus in some sense, or mind-wander.”While the researchers tested only a nature versus urban walk, there could be other ways to defocus for a while. Berman notes that “a museum might have similar effects” because there’s interesting stimulus but no distractions “where you need to be vigilant.”


One might think that the volunteers did better because the walk put them in a better mood, but the researchers also tested the volunteer’s moods both before and after the walks and found that didn’t correlate with the test results.


In fact, the researchers also tested the volunteers in all kinds of weather, from pleasant summers to the rough winters of Ann Arbor. Says Berman, “When people walked in cold weather they still got the same (cognitive) improvement as in the warm weather. They just didn’t enjoy the walks as much.”


But what if you can’t go outside? The researchers did a second experiment where they had people just quietly look at pictures. Just like for the walks, when the pictures were of nature, scores went up, but volunteers who looked at pictures of cityscapes showed no improvement.


Berman says this has implications for planners, “in terms of how they’re designing living environments,” or by those designing work environments in order to help them “get better productivity from employees.”


This research was published in the December 2008 issue of Psychological Science and was funded by grants from the National Science Foundation and the University of Michigan.


Since it is fall, there is no excuse to go outside and have a  nice relaxing nature walk. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team

Fall Fitness Advice

It is now entering Fall. That means we need to make changes to our fitness routine while we still keep that active lifestyle intact. So , we researched and found a great article from WebMD.com that offers practical advice and suggestions for fall fitness. This is what they found.


1. Take advantage of the weather. Fall can be a treat for the senses: the crisp air, apple picking, pumpkin carving, a gorgeous canopy of fall foliage, and the crunch of leaves underfoot. These months are a great time to exercise outdoors and enjoy cooler temperatures.
"Walking, hiking and cycling are all awesome in the fall," says Todd Durkin, MS, fitness coach and owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, Calif.
Discover park trails and take in some new scenery, whether you're walking, biking, or in-line skating, he suggests.
In places where snow falls early, try cross country skiing or snowshoeing. Or, if you live near the beach, get out and play volleyball, throw the Frisbee around, or play a vigorous game of fetch with your dog.
"It's a great time to do beach activities because it's so much less crowded," says Price.
If you're near a lake, try kayaking or canoeing, for an excellent whole-body workout and a great change of pace.
And remember, it doesn't have to seem like exercise to be a great workout.
"Raking leaves or doing some fall outdoor yard work is a great way to get the heart pumping, and it's great calorie-burning," says Freytag.

2. Think outside the box. Always wanted to learn to tap dance? Attempt to box? Master the jump rope? Ask any schoolchild: Fall is a great time to learn something new.
Many classes at gyms and elsewhere get started in the fall, so look around and see if something intrigues you.
And with the kids in school, parents have more time to check out those classes, Freytag says.
Fall is the perfect time to gain new physical skills, Price says, because you burn fewer calories when you begin a new activity (thanks to the learning curve). If you learn something new now, by next summer, you'll have mastered the skill -- and you'll burn more calories doing it, just in time for swimsuit season.

3. Be an active TV watcher. Many people get geared up for fall premieres of their favorite television shows, says Freytag. "If you're going to sit down and watch hours of TV, get moving," she suggests. "Make a date with exercise and TV."

While you watch, you can walk or run in place, do standing lunges, do tricep dips off the couch, or lift weights. During commercials, do push-ups or sit-ups. In a one-hour show, you probably have close to 20 minutes worth of commercial interruption.

 

4. Integrate exercise into your life. You already know the obvious suggestions: park farther away from your destination; take stairs instead of elevators; take a walk during your lunch break. Here are a few that are less obvious:

• If you're spending the afternoon taking kids to soccer practice, instead of reading a book or visiting with another parent, "why not walk around the outside of the field while they practice?", suggests Price. "Or (if you feel comfortable) warm up and cool down with the kids."
• Or try "walking meetings," like those Price and his colleagues at Biomechanics often hold. '"We go for a walk, we brainstorm, and we figure out who's going to take what responsibilities," says Price. "'Things get achieved much more quickly," he says, and everyone feels better for doing it.
• You can even get moving while you get motivated -- for fitness or other life goals. '"Get some inspirational music or find a motivational talk and download it to your iPod," suggests Durkin. Walk while you listen for 30 minutes.

5. Rejuvenate yourself. Fall is the time to rejuvenate body, mind and spirit, says Durkin. Get a massage after your run. Learn to meditate. Take an art class. Treat yourself not just with exercise but other activities that promote wellness, he says, so you can feel good physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

6. Remember the 30-day rule. "'It takes about four weeks for the body to adapt to lifestyle changes," says Price. That's why people who give up on their fitness programs tend to do so within the first 30 days.
So, when the alarm goes off in the morning and it's darker and colder, don't roll over and hit the snooze button.
"Try to stick with a program for a month," Price says. "After a month, behavior patterns will have adapted and it will be much easier to stick with it after that."

7. Strive for the 3 Cs. Freytag calls commitment, convenience, and consistency "the three Cs", and says having all three will lead to a successful fitness program.
First, exercise takes commitment. When a client complains to Freytag about a lack of time, she responds: "Tell me something I haven't heard before. We're all busy; that's just part of our lives.

8. Deal with darkness. The best way to enjoy fall is to exercise outdoors. But it is getting darker earlier, and staying dark later in the morning, so be smart and safe.
"Just because it's 6 p.m. (or a.m.) and dark doesn't mean you can't work out," says Durkin. If walking or running outdoors, he says, "wear a reflective vest and carry a flashlight."
When cycling, affix a light to your helmet or bike.
If possible, use trails or a local school track to avoid vehicle traffic. Try to work out at the same time every day, so drivers get used to seeing you.

9. Dress in layers. When exercising outside, layer your clothing. Before your body warms up, you may feel chilled, but once the blood gets pumping, you'll feel overdressed.
These days, there's no lack of great weather gear. Freytag and Price recommend clothing with wicking, often called "DriFit."' This fabric wicks moisture away from your skin so you're not exercising with wet fabric hanging on you.
Freytag suggests three layers: "The inner layer should be a moisture-wicking fabric, so it wicks away sweat and you're not chilled. The second layer should be a warmth layer, and the third layer should be a protective layer (like a windbreaker or rain slicker, depending on the weather)."
"And don't forget the sunglasses," she warns. UV protection is important year round. Fall sun can be blinding at certain times of the day.

10. Find your motivation. "People are motivated by different things," says Durkin. It's important to first discover what your individual goals are, whether it's losing weight , strengthening and toning, or preparing for a race or event, says Durkin.

These are effective ways to stay fit as we enter into the fall season. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!

Joseph A. Jones & The WellLife Team

How To Warm Up And Cool Down

      The devil is in the details.You can have the knowledge , stamina  and equipment which is still not enough in being injury free in fitness. Many people miss a crucial topic which is warming up and cooling down. Failure to do so can affect your overall health and even cause serious energy. We found some real practical advise from Web MD that you can use so you can be injury free in your fitness routines.

Why warm up and cool down

There's some controversy about whether warming up and cooling down offer health benefits. But proper warm-ups and cool-downs pose little risk, so if you have the time, consider adding them to your workout schedule. Warm-ups and cool-downs generally involve doing your activity at a slower pace and reduced intensity.

Warming up may help prepare your body for aerobic activity. Warming up gradually revs up your cardiovascular system, increases blood flow to your muscles and raises your body temperature. Jumping into an aerobic workout without preparing your body could lead to such problems as muscle strain or injury.

Cooling down after your workout may help gradually reduce the temperature of your muscles, especially if you've had an intense workout. Cooling down may help reduce muscle injury, stiffness and soreness, but the research is uncertain.
How to warm up

Warm up right before you plan to start your workout. In general, warm up by focusing first on large muscle groups, such as your hamstrings. Then you can do exercises more specific to your sport or activity, if necessary. A warm-up may cause mild sweating, but it shouldn't leave you fatigued.

Here are some examples of warm-up activities:

• To warm up for a brisk walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes.
• To warm up for a run, walk briskly for five to 10 minutes.
• To warm up for strength training, move your muscles and joints through the movement patterns you'll do during the exercise, but before you start with weights.
• To warm up for soccer, do slow, soccer-specific running drills.
• To warm up for swimming, swim slowly at first and then pick up the tempo as you're able to.

How to cool down

Cooling down is similar to warming up. You generally continue your workout session, but at a slower pace and reduced intensity. Cooling down may be most important to the best athletes, such as well-conditioned marathoners. For them, cooling down is important because it helps regulate blood flow. For others, cooling down may simply become an enjoyable ritual as part of an overall exercise program.

Here are some examples of cool-down activities:

• To cool down after a brisk walk, walk slowly for five to 10 minutes.
• To cool down after a run, walk briskly for five to 10 minutes.
• To cool down after biking, spin on your bicycle at higher revolutions per minute (around 100) as you finish your exercise.
• To cool down after swimming, swim some leisure laps for five to 10 minutes, varying your strokes.

A Word About Stretching 

Consider adding stretching to your cool-down session. Stretching can increase blood flow to your muscles. Stretching may also help improve your performance in some activities or decrease your risk of injury by allowing your joints to move through their full range of motion.

If you have a tight or previously injured muscle, stretch the affected muscle after you warm up. Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. And remember to keep it gentle. Don't bounce. Don't stretch to the point of pain. Sudden or aggressive stretching motions may actually cause an injury or worsen and injury.

Be kind to your body

Finding time for regular aerobic workouts — plus warming up and cooling down — can be challenging. But if you're tempted to skip warming up and cooling down, get creative. If you walk to a fitness facility, use the trip there and back to warm up and cool down. Remember, be kind and give your body time to adjust to the demands of your workout.

Now you are empowered with all of the details to have a safe and successful workout. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting! 

Joseph A. Jones  & The WellLife Team 

Summer Exercise Ideas

        Repetition is a word that can be useful and very boring. This word is useful in fitness to do the same exercise or weight lift activity multiple times to build up stamina and strength so that one becomes healthier.It also can be a very boring word doing the same routine over and over again.Therefore, the word variety is important to consider which  provides diversity to your fitness and weightlifting program. We found  a wonderful  variety of  summer exercises ideas that you can choose from to get away from the word repetition.

1. First, go outside and exercise! Get off the cardio machines and enjoy the fresh air. Have fun this summer with your cardio! Get off the machines, be creative and keep burning body fat. Get your doctor's clearance if you've been inactive for a while. The summer heat can be dangerous.

2. You still should set realistic goals for the summer such as restarting your active lifestyle, burning body fat (losing inches) or losing one to two pounds a week.

3. Start your summer exercise today with a 30-minute walk. Do this walk every day, somewhere, at some point (outdoors). You can break it up into three 10-minute walks if you want.

4. Get an exercise buddy to make it more fun.

5. Choose a 20-minute cardio routine or sport that you like such as biking, jogging, tennis, soccer, swimming, rock climbing, basketball, flag football, etc. Do this fun cardio three days a week.

6. Begin doing a 20-minute bodyweight strength exercise workout. You need to build muscle in order to burn fat and speed up your metabolism. Do your bodyweight exercise routine three days a week.

7. Schedule some fun activities each week such as a hike, bowling, water polo or a walk at the lake. If you do something like this more than once a week, that's even better. The purpose is to stay active with enjoyable activities.

8. Keep your jump rope with you at all times. Jump rope 10-15 minutes every day.

9. So, you think you can dance? Even if you can’t, dancing is fun and burns tons of calories. And, music makes exercise more fun!

10. If you like the water, try water skiing, wakeboarding or just swim.

11. Golf anyone? A round of golf is a great full body exercise.

12. Organize a weekly neighborhood volleyball or kickball game. Everybody likes volleyball/kickball and its easy and fun!

13. Try a charity walk or run. I did the March of Dimes 5K walk this year. You will feel good about helping others and your body gets the exercise.


14. Yardwork or gardening are great exercise options. Plus, you're getting something else done while exercising.

15. Start exercising or playing active games as a family. This is a great way to have fun and stay fit together.

16. Do full-body exercises with a medicine ball. Medicine ball exercises are naturally fun and demanding at the same time.

17. Play frisbee for 30 minutes with a partner. You'll be surprised how much you run, jump and throw.

18. Exercise during your kid's practices. Why sit around for one to two hours watching kids practice? Take advantage of the time and walk or jog.

19. Walk or bike to the store a few blocks away instead of driving.

20. Exercise at your hotel while on vacation.

So, it is important to have diversity this summer with all of the exercise options provided to you. We would like to thank Empowerher.com and Mark Dilworth for this useful article.If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting! 

Joseph A. Jones  & The WellLife Team 

Outdoor Easter Activities

It is already April and Easter is approaching. Easter being a religious holiday is also a beginning time of spring when people go outdoors and enjoy the wonderful weather. So, we found fun Easter activities that will keep us moving for the holiday by Livestrong.com.

These are their findings:


Obstacle Course
An Easter-themed obstacle course gets all of its participants moving. Each player needs a spoon and either a hard-boiled egg or a plastic Easter egg. The players balance the egg on the spoon while navigating an obstacle course set up in the back yard. Ideas for obstacles include sawhorses to climb under, Easter baskets to weave through and plastic eggs scattered on the ground that the players have to tiptoe around to avoid smashing them.

Egg Rolling

Each player needs a different color of hard-boiled egg for this game, suggested on the Amazing Moms website. Place one white hard-boiled egg in the middle of the lawn or patio. Each player takes a turn rolling his hard-boiled egg. The goal is to get the colored egg to stop closest to the white egg. Keep extras of each color on hand in case one of the eggs cracks or gets squashed during the game.

Easter Egg Toss 

This outdoor Easter game requires players to toss eggs back and forth without dropping them. Any type of egg works for this game, including raw, hard-boiled or plastic eggs. Real eggs, whether or not you boil them, will make a mess when dropped or tossed too hard, adding a layer of messy fun to the game. Pairs of players start close together with only a few feet between each member of the pair. After successfully tossing and catching the egg, the pairs move back a step each for a greater distance and another toss. Continue widening the gap to make the game more of a challenge.
Easter Egg Hunt Variations

Easter Egg Hunt Variations 

Give a regular Easter egg hunt a twist for an interesting outdoor game. One option is to organize a treasure hunt instead of an Easter egg hunt. Create a map with locations marked for different Easter treats. You might leave eggs, baskets or small Easter toys in each marked location. Include a larger basket at the end of the treasure hunt. Another variation, suggested on the Kaboose website, is to write a letter on each egg. After the kids collect their eggs, they use the letters to spell out as many words as possible. A special prize goes to the child who creates the most words from her letters.

These activities are timeless and fun for the entire family. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting! 

Joseph A. JonesWellLife Team 

Outdoor Workout Guide

     Spring has arrived. It is a wonderful time of the year to get outside and exercise. These workouts  are invigorating and give us a chance to be with nature. Here are some exercises that you can do in the great outdoors without equipment using nature around you.

Walking Lunges -Click to view the video

Focus on proper technique. Make sure your knee does not go past your ankle.
Muscles Worked: Lower extremity, focus on quadriceps.
Starting Position
Start with your feet together. If you want to use dumbells, hold them in your hands with your palms facing your thighs.
Action
INHALE: Perform a lunge with one leg. Make sure that your knee is not past your ankle.
EXHALE:Instead of returning to the starting position, bring your other foot even with the one that just completed the lunge.
Tips
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FRONT KNEE DOES NOT GO PAST YOUR ANKLE. You may need to readjust by stepping out further. Hold onto a wall if you need to for balance


Decline Push Up on the Bench - Click to view the video
Find a park bench to do these on.
Muscles Worked: Pectorals, triceps, biceps, shoulders.
Starting Position: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the bench. Bend your elbows and place your hands palm down on the floor beside your chest. Place your feet about an inch apart. Extend your elbows and hold yourself up on your toes. Make sure your back is in line with your lower legs. Stay as straight as possible.
Action: Slowly bend your elbows to lower your chest to the bench. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible. Stop just before your chest touches the bench.
Push back up to return to the starting position.


Tips:
1.     Exhale as your push up off the floor, inhale when you lower your chest down to the bench.
2.     Widen your hands to focus the exercise on your chest.
3.     Bring your hands closer together to focus the exercise on your triceps.
4.     Keep your head in the most comfortable position whether it is up or down.


Calf Raise – Click to view the video
Find a tree or a street sign to hold onto.
Muscles Worked: Calves
Starting Position
You will need a wall or a sturdy object to grab onto. Place both feet about 2-4 inches apart while holding on to the wall or sturdy object.
Action
INHALE: Stand as high as you can on your toes.
EXHALE:Return to the starting position.
Tips
Try to keep your legs as straight as possible. This will help tighten your lower extremity muscles and focus more of the resistance on your calves.


Side Seated Leg Lift – Click to view the video
Sit on a bench or in the grass.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings.
Starting Position: Sit on the floor with one knee bent so that your foot is flat on the ground. Fully extend the opposite leg with your toes pointing up. Place your hands with your palms down for support.
Action: Raise the straight leg 4 to 6 inches off the ground. Move the leg to the side away from the leg that is bent. Go out to the side as far as possible.
Return the leg to the starting position. Repeat for the determined number of repetitions.
Repeat the exercise for the other side.


Tips:
1.     Keep the leg straight throughout the exercise.
2.     Keep the rest of your body as still as possible while doing a Side Seated Leg Lift.


Tricep Dips - Click to view the video
Use a bench for your Dips.
Muscles Worked: Triceps.
Starting Position: Sit on the side of the bench with your feet shoulder width apart. Place your palms to your side on the bench with your fingers facing the front. Let your fingers hang slightly off the edge of the bench so that they curl underneath the bench. Walk your feet out a few inches in front of you so that your glutes are no longer over the bench. Your knees should be at 90-degrees directly over your ankles.
Action: Bend your elbows and slowly lower your body to the ground. Stop when your elbows are at 90-degrees.
Push up on the bench with your hands and extend your arms to return to the starting position.


Tips:
1.     You may push off with your feet if you need assistance.
2.     To make the Triceps Dips more difficult, walk your feet out so that they are fully extended.              
3.     To further increase difficulty, place your feet on a chair or on another bench

Now, we can workout in the great outdoors without any equipment. Thank You to exercisemenu.com for this useful outdoor workout guide. The video links are a great learning tool to use. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email. 

Thank you for visiting! 

Joseph A. JonesWellLife Team