Pre-workout: If your meal was more than 5 hours ago, have a 100- to 200-calorie snack 30 minutes before your workout. Liquids digest faster, so try milk, juice, Gatorade or half a smoothie (keep it low-cal by choosing plain, low-fat yogurt and fruit and skipping syrups, powders and other additions).

Mid-workout: You need a snack during your workout only when you’re hustling for more than 90 minutes. Your best bet? A 100-calorie carb boost, like a handful of jelly beans or a sport gel such as Gu.

Post-workout: Ideally, reach for a snack that combines carbs and protein to aid recovery. second best: carbs with fiber (like fruit). If your next meal is less than 3 hours away, be sure your snack is under 200 calories; try an energy bar with at least 3 grams of filing fiber, half a bagel with peanut butter or low-fat chocolate milk.

1) Think of seven fun activities you want to try - hiking, in-line skating, etc. Write them on strips of paper, then put them in a “workout jar”. Once a week, draw one out of the jar and schedule a day to try your new challenge.

2) Use the 10-minute rule. Short bouts of exercise can add up and get you motivated. Try jumping jacks in the a.m. or lifting weights while you watch TV.

3) Reward yourself. If you’ve been eyeing a new exercise top or an iPod nano, give yourself one credit for each workout. When you get to 10, hit the store!

To massage: place your fingers under the sole of your right foot. Press down wherever you feel extra tension and hold for 10 seconds. Switch sides.

To strengthen: sit on the edge of a chair; place a pencil on the floor under your right foot with the point toward your right pinkie toe. Flex your ankle, lifting everything but your heel. Fan your toes apart and drum toes one at a time over the pencil, starting with your pinkie toe. grip the pencil with your toes and pick it up, then place it back down on the floor. Repeat 5 times; switch sides.

To stretch: lie on your back with your right foot on the floor. Bend your left leg, keeping hands behind knee. Flex your left foot, slowly pointing it, reaching through your toes, then curl toes into a “fist”. Flex your ankle, then slowly uncurl toes. Repeat 5 times; switch sides.

These developments will be possible within the next two decades, thanks to researchers who catalogued the female X-chromosome last year and uncovered unexpected variations on how those genes behave.

These findings are expected to yield fresh insights into cancer, heart disease, autoimmune disorders and other illnesses that strike women. This means that scientists may be able to understand and predict what diseases individual women will get, what symptoms to watch out for and which treatments will be most effective.

It’s been quite a while from our last post. We are planning to put on more tips in this blog soon. So, just make sure you drop everyday yup!

Jennifer, whose CBS-TV series “The Ghost Whisperer” was a modest hit, admits she’s one of those lucky gals who can eat as much as she wants and barely put on a pound! As she says, “I eat everything insight. Eating is my favorite thing to do.” When that urge to munch strikes, the actress turns to favorite fare like sour candy, ice cream, apple pecan pie and cupcakes.

But Jennifer’s diet isn’t just made up of sweet treats! She’s tried the GI (Glycemic Index) Diet, which lists foods according to the speed at which food is broken down and converted to glucose in the body. Foods like white bread and rice are forbidden on this plan, which encourages the consumption of foods like whole grains, fish, vegetables and yogurt.

The actress says her busy schedule keeps her slim without needing elaborate exercise sessions. She does enjoy dancing, especially ballet and hip-hop, and also has attended striptease aerobics classes. The actress has worked with personal trainers in the past; a few years ago, she and fitness pro Vicki Van Hoosen teamed up several times a week for sessions that were a combination of dance, step aerobics, kickboxing and martial arts.

(resource: Diet & Exercise Fall 2006)

Tag:Jennifer Love Hewitt, Misc., Sexy Body Secrets, Star Secrets, tipsJennifer Love Hewitt, Misc., Sexy Body Secrets, Star Secrets, tips]]> http://blog.bodypowerfc.com/19/jennifer-love-hewitts-sexy-body-secrets/feed/ http://blog.bodypowerfc.com/18/music-makes-any-workout-better/ http://blog.bodypowerfc.com/18/music-makes-any-workout-better/#comments Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:33:33 +0000 Admin BodypowerFC Tipsexercisemusictips http://blog.bodypowerfc.com/?p=18 What type of music do you hear? Why do you like that particular music? There’s must be something in that music that makes you enjoy.

Do you know that music motivates us almost effortlessly? Yes, that’s true, and it certainly makes us exercise harder and longer, and also makes us stick to fitness over time. Music simply makes exercise more pleasurable, and the proof is more than anecdotal. A University of Kansas Study followed 18 participants through 4 sets of movements on stationary bikes (all at the same intensity). 3 of the sets were accompanied by music: up-tempo, classical and self-selected. The fourth set was done without music. Not surprisingly, the participants reported that the workouts done to music felt easier.

Today, music’s positive influence isn’t limited to in-studio fitness classes or dance classes. With the explosion of portable music devices, music has hit the road, treadmill, stair climber, weight room, etc. Fortunately for us, virtually any workout can be enhanced with music.

But there are some things to consider when creating your own perfect exercise mix:

1) Create a mixture of motivating and relaxing music that is in sync with your workout. Start with mildly up-tempo music as you warm up; have the tempo of the songs increase gradually as your workout gets more intense, then finish with something smooth and relaxing as you cool down and stretch.

2) During cardio, consider the beats per minute (bpm) in each song. Too many bpm can increase your risk of injury, as you struggle to do each movement and keep pace with the music. Too few, and you may not raise your heart rate to a training level. The recommended range for cardio workout is 125 to 150 bpm.

3) Look for music that offers a more relaxing tempo during yoga, Pilates or stretching workouts, such as classical, jazz or new age.

4) Opt for “pure” music, preferably a selection of songs on tape, CD or MP3. In other words, avoid the radio, which is filled with advertisements and other distractions that can kill the momentum of your workout.

5) Watch the volume.To avoid dangers such as noise-induced hearing loss and/or the inability to hear traffic/movement around you, make sure your volume is set so that you can carry on a conversation without having to remove your headphones.

Don’t forget that music can enhance your health outside of the gym as well. It has a calming effect that can reduce anxiety and stress, which in turn, can positively impact blood pressure, muscular tension, overeating and getting quality sleep.

According to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), 45% of Americans say that they exercise to help reduce stress. Exercise is one of many healthy behaviors that can help people deal with stress and is part of one of the steps to building resilience, taking care of oneself.

The American Council on Exercise (ACE) offers the following reasons that you should turn to exercise to cope with stress and anxiety:

1) Exercise can help you feel less anxious. Exercise is being prescribed in clinical settings to help treat nervous tension. Following a session of exercise, clinicians have measured a decrease in electrical activity of tensed muscles. People have been observed to be less jittery and hyperactive after an exercise session.

2) Exercise can help relax you. One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. Some people call this post-exercise euphoria or the endorphin response. We now know that many neurotransmitters, not just endorphins, are involved. The important thing is not what they’re called, but what they do - they improve your mood and leave you feeling more relaxed.

3) Exercise can help make you feel better about yourself. Think about those times when you’ve been physically active. Haven’t you felt better about yourself? Those feelings of accomplishment and greater self-worth contribute to stress relief.

4) Exercise can encourage you to eat better. People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious food, and it’s no secret that good nutrition helps your body manage stress better.

Don’t skip a chance to exercise. Take an exercise break every 90 minutes and you’ll be doing yourself a favor. 90 minutes intervals are a natural work-break period. And four 10-minute exercise breaks at this time will burn about as many calories as a solid 40-minute session. Work-break exercises can be as simple as walking or climbing stairs, stretching or doing calisthenics at your desk.

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You’ll tone your legs and butt as you flab with this fun aerobic activity.

Equipment/instruction needed: A good pair of walking shoes and comfortable clothes is a must. A pedometer is also a great ideas, as many fitness experts are advocating that people strive for 10,000 steps per day for maintaining good health as well as burning calories.

The pleasure of walking: The health benefits associated with walking are impressive. This activity improves cardiovascular efficiency, lowers blood pressure, relieves stress, reduces body fat, strengthens leg and abdominal muscles and could even improve the quality of your sleep. You’ll improve your muscle tone and strength with a walking workout. It tones and strengthens calves, thighs, ankles and feet, as well as arms, shoulders, abs, hips and buttocks. Walking also does its part toward preventing bone loss, which in turn can deter the development of osteoporosis. You’ll burn up to 240 calories per hour when you move at a 3-mile-an-hour pace. Best of all, walking is one of the best ways to cheer up a blue mood.

The pitfalls of walking: There is always a risk of injury while walking. Be careful that you don’t step on an uneven surface and twist or sprain your ankle. There are also safety concerns: always walk in a well-lit site with plenty of pedestrian traffic and let a friend or family member know where you are going and when you are expected to return. Some then can notify the police if you haven’t arrived home within a reasonable amount of time.

Make this move: Try power walking at a brisk pace around a track or your neighborhood. As you walk, squeeze your butt as you plant your heel on the ground, then push off from the toe. Also walk uphill regularly to further firm and shape your butt.