Tag Archives: body strength

January 29, 2014 · 6:45 am

The Dangers Of Sleep Deprivation And Unbreakable Strength & Fat Burning Cardio Workout

Happy Hump day my dear friends! We’ve made it so far! Wooohooooo! I don’t know how about you, but once Wednesday comes around, I am a happy person again haha!

You know what else can make me happy? When I get a decent amount of sleep! However, I think, I’ve got a real problem: On work days when I have to wake up at 6.30 am, I could EASILY sleep until 9-10 am *or at least that’s how my body feels*; yet, on a weekend, when I actually can sleep in, I can’t!!! Like, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH ME?!

I definitely don’t suffer from sleep deprivation because I always get at least 7 hours of sleep, but I do remember how I would pull all nighters when I was still at school. I mean, I definitely didn’t feel my best on those days, but I really didn’t think of it much. However, there are some serious problems that could stem from sleep deprivation. Take a look at it!

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That’s some serious stuff! I found some good tips on how to sleep better here, but this is a quick summary:

Keep a regular sleep schedule: set a regular bedtime, be smart about napping
Naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle: increase light exposure during day time, turn off TV & computer at night (record your favorite late shows), change your bright light bulbs
Create a relaxing bedtime routine: keep noise levels down, keep your room cool, make sure your bed is comfortable, create bedtime relaxing rituals (read a book or magazine, take a bath, listen to soft music)
Eat right and get regular exercise: stay away from big meals at night, avoid alcohol before bed, cut down on caffeine, quit smoking
Get anxiety and stress in check: deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, practice yoga

Let’s move on to my planned workout for today. According to my 12-week plan, this is what I gotta do:

Unbreakable Strength Plus Run

Repeat four times (3-minute rest between sets):

Dumbbell Lunge 30 seconds each leg
Split Lunch Jumps 30 seconds
Plank Walk 45 seconds
Shoulder Taps 45 seconds

Run 20 minutes with heart rate in zone 3. However, since I won’t be able to make it to the gym today, I decided to do the following Fat Burning Cardio workout instead of the run.

What does your workout look like today? Also what are your secrets to getting a proper amount of sleep?

xoxo
Olena

25 Comments

Filed under Fitness, Health

Tagged as body strength, cardio, diet, fitness, health, home workout, running, sleeping, Spartan Race, weight loss

January 22, 2014 · 6:45 am

Benefits & Pitfalls Of Pole Dance Fitness, And A Creative 20-Minute Core & Flexibility Workout For Those Of Us That Don’t Have Access To A Pole

Recently, I’ve been hearing more and more about pole dancing classes. And to be completely honest, I am intrigued! *Gasp* What? I said I AM INTRIGUED! Haha!

Exercising with dance poles has become one of the hottest workout trends. And since I am such a curious Nancy, I decided to take a look into potential benefits of such a workout prior to dishing my money out. Hey! I am not cheap, I just like to know what I am paying for. Don’t we all, anyway?

And to be frank, I am completely blown away after my little search. Take a look at this.

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Not only that pole dancing seems fun and exciting, it targets your ENTIRE body. Since this workout combines isometric and isotonic movements, it can work some of the muscles you never knew existed before. Now you see why I am so intrigued?!

However, there is also another side to it… a painful side a.k.a. BRUISES!

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Hey! I gotta cover it all, no?! But despite the bruising, I think I’m gonna give it a try in the future. Worst case scenario: I’ll be super sore for a couple of days and bruised here and there, but at least I would have had fun. *A wide smile from ear to ear!*

Since I don’t have an access to a pole at home *DUH!* and still want to *need to* strengthen and tone my core, I settled for the following core workout.

Followed by this easy toning and stretching routine.

So tell me now, have you ever tried a pole dancing class? What are your thoughts on it? If not, would it be something that you would consider checking out?

xoxo
Olena

15 Comments

Filed under Fitness

Tagged as body strength, core workout, fitness, Flexibility, health, pole dancing, Stretching, weight loss, Yoga

January 8, 2014 · 6:45 am

Your Body Will Plank You After This Core Workout

After reading my previous blog post, one of my fellow bloggers, Laura, pointed out to me that there is yet another great exercise to strengthen your core: the PLANK.

Usually I do include it in my regular workout; however, when I REALLY started thinking about it, I realized that I normally stick to a basic plank or a side plank. This is kind of silly, not because they are not good enough, but there is a great variety of planks that can benefit your body even more!

So what is the plank?

Alright, maybe it’s not that simple, it’s a WORKOUT after all!

I know that it might sound too good to be true, but this exercise can pretty much tone your ENTIRE body. By doing different variations of this basic move, you can target your arms, back, core, legs, and booty. WHOA!

I found the following picture on Pinterest, which I think is pretty cool because you can see different types of a plank.

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When doing variations of the basic plank, remember to:

make sure that your shoulders are stacked over your elbows and your body is in one straight line

When doing variations of the raised plank, don’t forget to:

lie flat on the floor, place your hands beneath your shoulders, and then push up
maintain a straight line between your toes and shoulders

When doing variations of the basic side plank, it’s important to:

lie on your side with your legs straight, then prop yourself up with your forearm so your body forms a diagonal line. Rest your other hand on your hip

This is what I did for my plank workout (repeat 2 or 3 times):