What Exercise is Best?

If you look closely that is me in my last trimester teaching Yoga at a children's birthday party.  Many of my students ask me how much Yoga they should be doing a week.  At first I tell them if they are a beginner, once a week is good while the body learns.  I also let them know that Yoga is a great part of a variety of exercises that are important for different reasons.

Cardiovascular

Many people think this is the best and only way to "lose weight," and unfortunately they end up losing their lean muscle, and keeping the body fat.  The pounds may go down, but the flabbiness and inches do not budge.  Cardio is very important for heart health, circulation, endorphins, and overall health of our organs, skin, and lowering stress levels.  There are so many varieties of cardio, so I always tell my clients to find what they like to do.  I enjoy group classes, and there are so many from kickboxing, dance, and spinning to name a few.  Other great ways are in gyms on treadmills or other machines, to hike, walk, bike, skate, the list is endless.

Strength Training

This is actually the best way to get lean and have definition, and women, you will not bulk up.  It is actually easier to get lean than it is to increase your body mass.  The program for getting lean is low weight and high repetition.  You can do it at the gym on machines, or just use your body with pushups, pullups, planks, etc.  It is so much fun to do it in bootcamp style classes, the teacher pumps you up with great variety, and you just focus on getting it in.  Anyone interested in trying an awesome bootcamp on the beach, my fellow coaches and I host Free Fit Clubs all over California, and we are expanding, contact me for more info.

Sports and Group Trainings for marathons, triathlons, etc.

Sports are great because your brain is focusing on the details of the game, and you also get a great workout.  Whatever sport you are doing, it is important to balance it with other workouts as well, same goes for training for marathons, etc.  Our body really needs a little bit of everything, too much of one thing leads to fatigue and injury.  Swimming and classes in water are also amazing exercises, because of the water resistance, your muscles get a great workout.


Mind/Body

There is a variety of mind and body disciplines that help get you in shape as well as getting you centered.  Martial Arts, Tai Chi, Pilates, and Yoga are the first that come to mind.  Some of them are more for relaxation, and others also focus on strength, coordination, and movement.

Tip of the day:  I say try everything, and figure out what is fun for you.

Exercise should be a pleasure, and that is the best part when you are fueling your body correctly with the right Nutrition.  One of my roles a Health and Nutrition Coach, is to personalize a program for each individual.  We are all different, there is not one magic way, we all have to figure out what is our own best combination of the right nutrition program and a healthy active lifestyle.  The part I love most about being a coach, is I get to be there every step of the way to my client's success.  I know how good I feel, and I want to encourage, inspire, and motivate whoever is ready to feel and look their best too.

Next week on Monday I am starting my own program full on, my baby is 6 weeks this Saturday, and I am soooo excited to get into the best health and shape of my life.

Love yourself, Love your life, Live it up,
Coach Yulia