Ginger Daniels Movement Specialist
Hi there! So some of you may have read the subject here and thought, what is HIIT? Well it's High Intensity Interval Training. Why is it important? Because short bursts of intense movement with short rest periods in between make the body burn more fat faster and help improve your cardio vascular system. You lose fat, not muscle as can happen in some strictly cardio workouts. It also improves motor skills and helps to keep your brain healthy and alert because of the changing up of movement patterns. Now don't get me wrong, I love to just go for a run outside and that IS a great workout and I know some of you love your spin classes, BUT it is important also to remember that you should be doing different forms of exercise to really gain benefit from your exercise. Here are some easy to learn HIIT exercises that can be completed in a short amount of time.... Start with a squat and alternating lunge warm up. This gets the whole body working right away with time to give attention to alignment, breath, and core stability. First: Run forward with your arms over your head, then jump up and finish in a chair pose squat. As you move backward, pull your arms down to your chest and alternate knees up. Repeat this for about 45 seconds. Second: Drop and do pushups. Slow it down and focus on the core for about 30 seconds...I use this as a recovery movement so if this is too intense, use the 30 seconds to rest. Third: Jumping Jacks. Do as many as you can, as quickly as possible for 45 seconds. Fourth: Crunches. This is done slowly with core control, just like the pushups for 30 seconds. Just count in your head to 30. :) ALSO IMPORTANT: You want to slow down the crunches and the push ups so when you count, you will probably not actually do 30 of each, but try to strive for between 15 and 20. REPEAT ALL 4 STEPS 3 MORE TIMES. Cool Down: After your last set of crunches, roll onto your knees and get into a childs pose. Let the lower spine go, let the head go and just breathe. I like to also include a couple of cat/cow poses, and very finally, sit in a position that is comfortable and close your eyes and stack your bones up on your "sitz" bones. Breathing here, you want to focus your attention on any particular spot that feels extra tight in your body and without trying to "force" it to release, just breathe into it and create space and length in your body. This is a great energizing, quick and efficient little workout. Self Discipline is the first step to creating the body you want. Each step is another building block, moving you in an upward trajectory toward anything your heart desires. You just need to keep stepping and building and keep a fierce tenacity. XO, Ginger NUTRITION TIP: EAT YOUR GREENS
It's easy right now to just keep eating the warm mac and cheese and pasta of any kind in this cold weather. Even our soups tend to not be green veggie choices. SO, eat some kale or spinach especially if you're mostly vegetarian like I am. Kale and spinach have iron that our bodies need. I like to throw the greens in a pan with olive oil, chopped garlic and a little lemon juice. This makes the greens pretty tasty. email for inquiries
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