Exercise at home

As we repeatedly point out, exercise is very good for you, it tones your muscles, but, unless you do a very great deal, at least every day for an hour, it will not lose your excess weight!!  To exercise at a club or class is super, but once a week is not really enough!

You should find some way of exercising at home on a regular basis.  Something that you enjoy preferably.  (Did you laugh??)  Something not too time consuming, or you will soon find an excuse to give it a miss.  Something sufficiently beneficial, that you enjoy, in the shortest reasonable time!!

Have the children got a skipping rope?  This is an excellent exercise.  If they haven't you can use just a suitable piece of rope or you can buy ropes that even have digital counters in the handles nowadays to enable you to check your progress.

Skipping is an aerobic exercise, helps strengthen the heart and helps your stamina.  Remember, as with all exercise start with just a few minutes and build up.

Have your tried an exercise video or tape?  Well, you can buy lots of different ones, produced by dance experts and exercise enthusiasts.  They are often quite good, but why not just use your favourite record or tape though to begin with?

Just dancing is very good exercise, and you are far more likely to enjoy it, if it is your favourite sound.  In fact, it is a good idea to do this to begin with and progress to the bought tapes, using a beginners one initially then progressing to more advanced ones.

Always follow any instructions carefully that come with the tapes, they are there for your benefit and protection.

I wonder how many unused exercise bikes there are  and where are they now!!  In the spare bedroom the loft, the shed or garage etc., regular use is the secret with these, as with all exercise.

Lots of people spend many hours when they first have them, cycling away in front of the television etc., then they become bored, because they have given too much time to them.  Fifteen minutes every day is very beneficial.  How furiously should you pedal? This is often a source of worry - if you can't carry on a conversation whilst pedalling you're probably overdoing it!!  If you find it too difficult you are working too hard.  The more sophisticated bikes have different pace settings, timers, speed and distance meters and some even tell you how many calories you are using?

Have you ever tried a rowing machine?  They tone you up from top to bottom - legs, bottom, tummy shoulders and arms.  One of the main problems here, is how to actually row.  Doing it incorrectly reduces the benefits and can even cause strains.

When purchasing check very thoroughly that you understand exactly how to use it, or if you already have one, get out the instruction book and go over it until you are sure.

Do you remember the hula-hoop? have you got one of those stored away somewhere?  Well, in the last couple of years it's made a come-back!!  As an exercise aid they benefit the areas we most need help with, the waist and hips.

Fifteen to thirty minutes a day is the optimum time.  Probably in the beginning you may get more exercise by picking it up off the floor!!  It's on the same line as belly dancing!!!

There is also available a hula-hoop designed for people with a weight problem - called the Trim-a-ring, it is specially weighted, making you work harder so you become fit more quickly and you lose inches from those difficult to lose places!!