My Favorite Winter Tip
Between the cold weather making us shut-ins and all the festivities of the season, is it any wonder that many of us pack on a few pounds during the winter months?
Show of hands, how many of you have noticed that as we age, taking those extra pounds off once the weather gets warmer is getting harder and harder?
The good news is that there is a way for you to invest a mere 10 minutes 3-4 days a week and remain at or very close to your fighting weight. Who’s up for that?
The best part is that you don’t even need to go to the gym, and the only equipment you need is an exercise mat. I’m referring to Burst Exercise. It’s a real complicated process. Are you ready?
With burst exercise, you exercise vigorously for 30-60 seconds followed by 1 to 3 minutes of rest.
So first, pick an exercise that you can do for 30-60 seconds that will get your heart going. You can tell that is happening because it becomes difficult to speak. You can run in place, do jumping jacks or jump rope. Once you have your exercise chosen, do it for 30 – 60 seconds and then rest for 1 – 3 minutes. Repeat this process 3 or more times. That’s it!
Are you ready for the best part?
Research has demonstrated that this form of exercise continues to burn fat for 3 days.
Perhaps the best exercise for this is planking because it gives you a two-fold advantage. First, it fulfills the Burst Exercise criteria of raising your heartrate and making it difficult to talk. It burns fat fast, but it also contributes to your overall core-strength. The great part about planking is that most everyone can plank, even if you haven’t exercised in decades and you are woefully out of shape. In other words, the intensity of planking can easily be altered by changing the angle of your body. In its most difficult form, you would plank from your toes to your elbows. You can also plank from your feet to your hands, or from your knees to your elbows or hands. To make it much easier, you can stand and plank to something a bit higher, like a table or countertop. Bottomline, the less horizontal you are, the easier it is. It’s ok to gradually work up to it, but don’t forget that this needs to be work. To be effective, you should be breathing hard for 30-60 seconds. Be sure to make it hard to talk.
For Better Health, Naturally,
Peter A Holst, DC