2Inspire Health & Fitness Magazine #8 - May 2020

A Guide to Calisthenic Exercises How to Minimize Bodyweight Muscle Aches When Getting Started

HOW TO TURN ANY PARK INTO A GYM

9 Benefits of Working Out With A Jump Rope Easy Ways to Increase the Amount of Walking You Do

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INSIDE THIS MONTH’S ISSUE 9 Benefits of Working Out With A Jump Rope - pg. 3 How to Minimize Bodyweight Muscle Aches When Getting Started - pg. 5 5 Ways Anyone Can Benefit From Bodyweight Training - pg. 7 4 Abdominal Exercise Ideas - pg. 8 5 Ways Anyone Can Benefit From Bodyweight Training - pg. 10 Easy Ways to Increase the Amount of Walking You Do- pg. 13 How to Turn Any Park Into A Gym- pg. 16 Can Yoga Replace Strength Training? pg. 18

Are you already thinking about swimsuit season? May’s issue of 2Inspire has your back!

We are all still grappling with the various stay-at-home orders issued by different states, so we’re keeping it simple but intense this month. What better way to get started than to talk about jumping rope? Think jumping rope is just for kids? Well, think again. You might want to steal your child’s jump rope for yourself once you read about how it puts less pressure on your joints and gives your whole body a major calorie-burning workout. country, but if Pandemic restrictions are loosening around the countr you still can’t get to a gym, you can find out how to get that same gym experience at your local park. In our Guide to Calisthenic Exercises, we describe how to rock a workout using minimal equipment, perfect for when you can’t get to the gym.

Even if you love weights, you can use extra time walking. This month, we have numerous suggestions of how to easily fit more walking into your day.

Finally, if you’ve been letting fear of body aches stop you from starting a new workout routine, take a look at our five tips for avoiding body aches.

All that and more in this issue of 2Inspire!

Yours, Dennis M. Postema Publisher & Founding Editor P.S. Did you know you and your workout buddies can sign up for a monthly subscription to 2Inspire at no cost? That's right, just visit 2inspirenutrition.com to get your free monthly subscription!

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The content in 2Inspire Magazine is made available on the terms and conditions that the publisher, editors, contributors and relatied parties; shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by any other contributor, consultant, editor or related party; disclaim any and all liability and responsibility to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause; are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organization or any party on basis of reading information, or contributions in this publication, website or related product.

9 Benefits of Working Out With A Jump Rope

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Working out at the gym is great for a lot of reasons. You have at your disposal all the exercise equipment you could ever desire, without having to purchase it yourself.

You can access trained professionals that help your fitness efforts head in the right direction. You can also meet others like yourself, possibly making some new friends in the process.

But gyms can be crowded, and they aren’t always the healthiest place to work out. Monthly and yearly fees can get expensive.

And of course, you have to travel to and from your gym or health club.

For all those reasons a simple jump rope provides a great exercise alternative.

Check out the following 9 benefits of working out with a jump rope to understand just how effective this simple fitness tool is forgetting you in shape.

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1. Jumping rope is a crazily effective fat burning exercise. You are strength training and enjoying cardiovascular stress at the same time.

This recipe is great for crunching calories and feeding your fat burning

furnace.

your flexibility and balance. This means your 2. Since jumping rope is a coordination benefits also. weight-bearing exercise, When you are flexible it improves bone density. and well-balanced, you This is important for minimize your chances of men and women, but suffering an injury while especially for women you are working out and because they naturally run simply moving through a higher risk of developing your normal daily routine. osteoporosis.

8. One hour of jumping 3. Jumping rope is a rope burns between 1,000 very time efficient way to and 1,250 calories. exercise. Just 10 minutes of skipping rope equals 9. If you jump rope a brisk 45 minute run. regularly, you improve (British Rope Skipping muscle tone and definition Association) in your arms chest and legs.

4. Skipping rope does not put as much pressure on Are you wondering just your joints as running. how long your jump rope should be? With the ends 5. You work out your in your hands, step on the entire body. Very few middle of your rope with exercises deliver as much one foot. If the handles “whole body� benefits just barely reach your as simply skipping rope. armpits, you have the Your abdominals and core are strengthened. You obviously use your calves and thighs for jumping.

Your arms and shoulders are engaged, and your chest and back get a workout as well.

6. Few exercise routines are as cost effective as skipping rope. Once you buy your rope, there is no more cost involved.

7. Skipping rope improves

How to Minimize Bodyweight Muscle Aches When Getting Started

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We’ve all experienced it at one time or another.

Whether it was when we first started a bodyweight exercise program or stared back up again after taking a break. What I’m talking about are sore muscles.

Before discussing how to minimize the soreness felt in muscles a day or two after starting or restarting an exercise program, or a significant change in intensity or duration to an existing program – called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS, let’s first talk about what causes it. When we exercise tiny tears in muscle fiber occur.

As could be expected, the amount of tears is generally related to how hard or long the stressed is on the muscle and to a great extent the kind of exercise performed. While uncomfortable for a few days after occurring, it is a natural body response as part of its adaptation to something different than what it is used to.

However, there are some things that you can do to minimize its effects: Proper Nutrition Muscles need protein to repair themselves. The best time to consume it is about a two-hour window after exercising. Protein sources should be from both plant and animalbased at the rate of 1 gram 6

of protein per pound of body weight.

Adequate Hydration Dehydration can inhibit cell recovery at the muscular level so be sure to drink enough water before, during and after working out. A good ruleof-thumb is to drink 20 to 24 ounces of water per hour of workout. A good hydration gauge is the color of your urine. If it is dark yellow, you need to consume water until it turns either a light yellow or runs clear.

Compression Doing a cool-down after exercising helps to reduce delayed soreness, but so does rubbing down the worked muscles. Get a massage or have your significant other work the excess fluid out of your muscles.

Blood Flow Just as cells need water to repair themselves, so do they need blood flow.

Not only does fresh blood bring in much needed oxygen for cell repair, but it also takes out wastes

created from exercising.

An alternating cold/hot shower, ice bath or a swim are all good post-workout ways to keep the blood flowing.

Topical Ointments There are several good products that you can rub on the affected area immediately after exercising, and up to several days after, that will reduce soreness and help with muscle recovery.

They work by reducing cellular calcium buildup, increasing blood flow and provide a cooling sensation along with relieving pain.

Exercising doesn’t have to be painful. Use these five tips to make working out more enjoyable.

muscle you use most, thus making daily tasks easier.

5 Ways Anyone Can Benefit From Bodyweight Training Anyone can benefit from bodyweight training.

That’s right, regardless of age, fitness level or experience, everyone can gain from doing bodyweight training.

Bodyweight training has been around for a long, long time - thousands of years. Before the invention of weight training equipment, bodyweight was all people had to train with. The Ancient Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Indian Wrestlers, Shaolin Monks and even the military today used (and the last three still use) bodyweight training as a primary source of physical fitness.

Why? Two reasons: it can be done anywhere and it works! In particular we are going to look at five ways almost anyone can benefit from bodyweight training:

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the more calories burned even when at a resting rate. So bodyweight training should be viewed as having more of a long term result when it comes to weight loss or management.

2) Stay Flexible Older adults benefit greatly from bodyweight training, because as we age, we tend to lose bone mass and get more inflexible. However because bodyweight exercises use eccentric and concentric contraction, they tend to work a joint through its full range of motion, thus improving flexibility. This translates to less joint pain making the Golden Years more enjoyable.

4) Better Mental Health Wait, how can bodyweight training help me mentally? When we exercise, our heartrate goes up and the blood in our veins and arteries pumps faster, thus taking more wastes out of our cells and bringing in more oxygen and hormones necessary for good health. Not only does this happen in the cells of our muscles, but also in the brain cells. Consequently, you can think more clearly and have less stress.

5) Sleep Better Bodyweight training helps reduce the stress hormone cortisol. With reduced stress levels, less will be on your mind when you go to bed, meaning not only will you go to sleep quicker, but you’ll get a more restful quality of sleep.

With being well rested the next day, looking great from the toning and de3) Make Life Easier fining bodyweight trainJust doing all the things of ing does to your muscles, daily life, such as laundry, confidence and self-es1) Weight Loss/Manage- vacuuming, carrying in teem will exude from you; ment groceries are more diffiall around you people will cult if the muscles used in notice and ask what you While bodyweight trainthese tasks are not toned are doing to look and feel ing is not known for its as good as you do. Tell calorie burning ability, it is and developed. Because known for building muscle bodyweight exercises are a them – bodyweight trainfunctional type of training ing! and muscle mass burns calories; the more muscle, program, it develops the

4 Abdominal Exercise Ideas

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Many bodyweight exercises work at strengthening just the abdominal core, but planks and lunges not only target your core, but burns belly fat too.

Let’s look at 2 advanced workout variations of each type…

Side Plank With Rotation

From the Side Plank position, brace your abs and reach your free hand toward the ceiling.

Next, rotate it downward while twisting your body downward until your torso is almost parallel Planks to the floor. Finish the repetition by returning Most of us are familiar to the side plank starting with the basic bridge position. Do 2 or 3 sets plank, but let’s look at of 5 to 10 reps on each the Side Plank and one of side, resting for 1 minute its variations: between sets.

Lower the weight back down to the starting position as you push quickly back to the starting position. Do 10 to 15 of these, then switch sides.

Lunge With Rotation

Grab a 5 to 15-pound dumbbell by the ends with both hands. Keep your elbows straight, but not locked. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms straight out. Pull in your abs and take a big step Side Plank Lunges forward with your left foot while at the same Lie on your side with Reverse Lunge time twisting your torso your legs straight. Prop to the left as you bend yourself up with your Grab a 5- to 15-pound your knees and lower forearm so your body dumbbell in your left your body until your forms a diagonal line hand and hold it up next front leg is perpendicular from your shoulders to to your left shoulder, with the floor. Twist back your feet. Rest your free palm facing in. Step to center, push off your hand on your hip. Pull in backward with your left foot, and back to the your abs and hold for 60 left foot and lower your starting position. Do 2 seconds. body until your knees are or 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps bent and your front leg and then repeat with the If you can’t hold your abs perpendicular with the other leg. in for that long, hold for floor.

5 to 10 seconds, rest for Add these advanced 5 seconds, hold again, During the time you are plank and lunge etc. for 1 minute total. Be stepping backward and workouts to your normal sure to keep that straight lowering yourself down, abdominal routines to line by keeping your hips push the dumbbell bring your core building and knees off the floor. directly overhead and belly fat burn to the without bending or next level. leaning at the waist.

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A Guide to Calisthenic Exercises

Calisthenics is an all-natural exercise program employing just bodyweight and minimal equipment that not only improves endurance and builds lean muscle, but also increases strength, flexibility, balance and posture.

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In general, exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and crunches are popular exercises included in many calisthenic exercise routines. Because most exercises employ just bodyweight, they can be done almost anywhere at any time making it an exercise program that travels nicely with you.

example, a normal routine one day might consist of five sets of push-ups with 20 repetitions in each set and a two-minute rest between sets. On the other hand, a circuit routine could include a set of 10 push-ups, followed by 10 chin-ups, 10 crunches and wrapping up with 10 lunges. At the end of the set, rest for 20 seconds and repeat the circuit.

long as it accomplishes two things: warms up the muscles you intend on working and gets your blood pumping. Arm circles, wrist rotations, touching toes or running for two minutes are all good examples of dynamic types of stretching associated with warming up. To cool down, static stretch by moving the muscles For example, counter worked to their full pushups are done by extension and holding leaning forward against a Another circuit routine for a few seconds before counter top edge at about could be three cycles of 10 relaxing. A couple of a 45 degree angle with pushups, 6 shoulder-width minutes both before and your elbows bent. Now chin-ups, 3 dips, 6 regular after an exercise routine push yourself away from pull-ups per cycle. Rest for should be all that is the countertop until your 4 minutes between cycles, needed. elbows are fully extended, but with minimal rest Lower yourself back down between exercises. PullCalisthenic exercises can to the starting position. ups and chin-ups require a be full-body or muscle That’s one repetition. horizontal bar, but usually group specific type of a playground has several bodyweight training. The The time of day you of these you can use or beauty of it is its simplicity exercise isn’t as important you can buy your own and in design and minimal as being consistent mount it in a doorway. equipment required, in what you do. For Dips can be done off of making it perfect for the beginners, exercising three the front of a chair, a low traveler. days per week, with a day retaining wall or in-between each workout, any flat horizontal gives your muscles a day surface around chair of needed. seat height.

Exercise routines generally fall into two categories: normal and circuit. While normal routines typically focus on a specific group of muscles, such as arms or legs, a circuit routine is more full body. For

As with any exercise program, be sure to warm-up before exercising and cool down after. A warm-up routine can consist of almost anything as

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Easy Ways to Increase the Amount of Walking You Do

Okay, no more excuses! You know you should be walking more. You have heard about the deadly dangers of simply sitting. So why don’t you walk enough? The reasons are many.

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Technology, laziness, busy schedules and a number of other causes have led to a very sedentary society. You understand the wonderful heart and overall health benefits of walking. So start practicing the following 5 tips to keep you on the move and you will find yourself walking your way to a healthier lifestyle.

walking each day, each week and each month.

Consistently push yourself to increase those daily, weekly and monthly totals.

Ditch the Car for Short Trips

This is a no-brainer way to walk more and become healthier. Walking instead of driving also delivers the added bonus of fresh air Get Your Desire Involved and sunshine, getting you out in nature. Whenever Do this. Find a picture of you can, stash the car yourself when you were in keys and walk to your great shape. If you don’t destination instead of have such a picture, locate driving. a picture of someone who looks like you want to look. Join a Club of LikeKeep that picture with Minded People you at all times, referring to it often when you When you are sitting on catch yourself not walking your couch or computer enough. Every time you chair complaining about look at that picture, tell your level of fitness, you yourself that is the way don’t accomplish much. you want to look. This can However, when you hang easily keep you motivated out with other people and walking your way to that are also trying to walk the weight and shape you more and get in shape, it desire. is suddenly easier to get up and get moving. Join a Keep a Log hiking or walking club and you may experience the You have probably heard added benefit of meeting about the “10,000 steps a some wonderful new day” path to better health. friends.

One easy way to find out if you are walking enough Pull the Plug is to actually keep track of that information. Log how Try this, I promise it much time you spend won’t kill you. Pull the

plug on your television set. Cancel your cable or satellite subscription.

People spend entirely too much time staring at their televisions. Time is not guaranteed to anyone. Do you really want to spend yours voluntarily turning your brain to mush when you could be out walking, exercising and enjoying a fit and healthy lifestyle?

Buy a Pedometer or Fitness Tracker There are excellent fitness tracking consumer electronics devices and pedometers that record how many steps you take each day. They require absolutely no work on your part, other than actually walking. They automatically adjust for normal movement and deliver pretty accurate results.

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How to Turn Any Park Into A Gym Almost any park with a playground can be turned into a gym for bodyweight exercises.

With an array of trees, railings, bars, walls and benches, they are made for doing pull-ups, chinups, dips and standing push-ups.

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Pull-ups and chin-ups

extent thighs. Start by sitting on a bench 12” to 18” Most parks have at least high off the ground. Legs one set of horizontal should be straight out (monkey) bars. Start by with heels firmly planted standing under an appro- on the ground. With hands priate height set of bars. In resting on the edge of the a pinch even a horizontal bench, arms should be tree branch will work. Just straight, shoulder-width make sure whatever you apart with the elbows use is strong enough to pointed outward and support your weight. wrists inward.

Reach up or jump up and grab the bar. From the body-hanging position, pull yourself up as far as possible; at about the same speed, lower yourself back down to the hanging position. This way muscles get worked in both directions.

For pull-ups, place your hands shoulder-width apart or farther with your palms facing away; similar to the lat pull-down starting position. For chin-ups, hands should be shoulder-width apart or less with the palms facing you.

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Keeping your back straight, inch yourself off of the bench so that you are about 2 inches away from the front of the bench. Inhale, pull in your abs and lower yourself a few inches or as far as is comfortable by bending at the elbows. Now exhale and bring your body back up by pushing up with your arms.

Movement should be steady and with a upand-down rhythm. For maximum effect, the last repetition should be difficult to do. The goal should be to be able to perform three sets of 10 repetitions.

Pull-ups are harder and work the back muscles more so than the biceps.

Standing push-ups However, chin-ups are easier to do and work the bi- Standing push-ups work ceps more than the back. the shoulders and are basically the same as reguDips lar push-ups but instead of laying on a floor or the Dips work the upper arms, ground, you are pressing shoulders and to some yourself away from a ver-

tical wall. Starting position is chest against a wall, palms flat against the wall and feet at least 24” from the base of the wall. The farther away from the wall, the harder it will be to press your body away.

Now inhale and press your body away from the wall with your arms until they are fully extended.

Start bending your arms at the elbow and let your bodyweight move you back towards the wall. Do as many repetitions as comfortable. Increase the difficulty of this exercise by moving your feet farther from the wall.

While all of these exercises can be performed indoors, especially during inclement weather, get outside as much as possible. Not only is the fresh air invigorating, but you can get your daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun.

Can Yoga Replace Strength Training?

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According to the American Council on Exercise, strength training is defined as “exercising with progressively heavier resistance for the purpose of strengthening the muscular skeletal system.”

Equipment used includes weight machines, free weights or resistance bands with each providing increasing resistance as the muscles develop.

In theory, progressively increasing resistance could build muscle mass and strength infinitely as muscles overloaded keep getting larger.

Conventional strength training usually targets select major muscle groups.

Yoga on the other hand provides a more balanced approach to working muscles and muscle groups, however, the muscles will only get to a certain size based on bodyweight because of the lack of “progressively heavier resistance”. But because yoga uses bodyweight, it will develop muscles and strength up to a point, especially if you are first starting out.

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While the question is “Can yoga replace strength training?” the real question should be “Should yoga replace strength training?” in regard to just how much muscle mass does one need. Yoga provides more useful full-body toning as most poses don’t focus on just one muscle group, such as a bicep curl, but multiple muscles large and small of a targeted group.

meditation instead the singular goal of just building muscle as is the case with pure strength training.

While strength training might allow you to carry bags of groceries easier, yoga would allow you to carry the same bags of groceries, but also allow you to better walk, twist and bend while carrying the groceries and putting them away.

While strength training use concentric contraction - the shortening of muscles to do the movement - yoga uses eccentric contraction – the elongation of the muscles to do the pose. By doing both, muscles are better defined while at the same time strengthened.

So in the end, it comes down to goals – what goal do you hope to gain from strength training? If it is to get huge biceps, then strength training is the best means to accomplish that goal. However if your goal is to tone up and define full body muscles, and maybe add just a little mass, then yoga could be for you. Plus yoga teaches breathing control and stress reduction through

Many experts recommend a combined approach to get the maximum benefit from each. Do yoga but occasionally mix in some conventional strength training. Why? Because the two disciplines work in exact opposites.

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