You see, some people make the mistake of thinking “doing” the same type of cardio day after day without variation is enough. However, this doesn’t give the body a chance to improve conditioning and reach a higher level of fitness. The cardiovascular system, like our muscular system, grows stronger when it is trained intensely with variation. Using a variety of exercise choices (also known as “cross-training,”) is essential to achieve long-lasting results because it stimulates our body to work harder by having to constantly adapt to a different stimulus. A stronger cardiovascular system means that our body will utilize oxygen, remove metabolic waste more efficiently, and therefore we will have more energy.

Dancing is a great way to add variety!

So if you are serious about getting fit, you must “train” not “do” cardiovascular exercise at least three days per week with interval training workouts with one at high intensity, such as: biking, swimming, stair stepping, jump roping, kickboxing, rowing, and dance classes (Zumba, Salsa, Hip hop and Swing!) and the other at moderate intensity.

So, remember the simple formula…Mix it up to get more energy! And more energy always makes the body look and feel good…I’ll see you on the dance floor!

If this describes you, your body may be telling you that it’s time to do some Isometric stretching of the hip flexors (Ilio-psoas). Anyone with lower back issues should do this quick and simple stretch and you don’t need a lot of time – just a minute or two for each leg. At the office, no worries…carve out a minute in your busy day and grab a chair. At home, a broom stick works easily or in the gym, foam rollers work great too!

The hip flexors tend to pull down and give a tilt in the hips which can tend to stress out the lumbar spine and create lower back pain and unnecessary stress on the body more then most people realize.

Easy to do:
Rotate out back foot, firmly press down on stick or roller, hold for 30 sec while pressing down on the stick and do a pelvic tilt, contract your glutes and hold for another 30-60 seconds.

This stretch will also activate the abdominals to avoid any lumbar extension. This is an excellent stretch and a must for anyone with low back issues.

So no more excuses… since you can do this stretch anywhere in the morning or evening!