Get Clever About Cardio

Want to build a body that you'll love? The best thing you can do for your figure is also one of the most convenient — cardio! Also known as aerobic or cardiovascular exercise, cardio includes any type of exercise that kicks your heart rate up — which is vital for burning calories and losing weight.

How can you amp up your cardio? That's completely up to you! There are many excellent cardiovascular activities out there that you can do indoors or outdoors, alone or with a friend. If you're new to my program, I suggest starting with indoor or power walking, light jogging, or even alternating between the two, until you get your body used to activity. Swimming and water aerobics are also highly effective forms of cardio (and toning) exercise — particularly if you have joint or knee problems. If you're feeling adventurous, try in-line skating, a salsa dance class, or kickboxing (Turbo Kick). Call a friend who's also trying to get in shape and ask her to join you on a bike ride or in a game of tennis! The possibilities are endless!

Don't forget: You can also squeeze in cardio in the privacy of your home, especially if you own a treadmill or an elliptical machine. Or you can pop a workout DVD in your TV or computer & work up a sweat that way. The best part about cardio is that your metabolism stays charged for up to two hours after your workout ends, so you'll continue to burn fat and calories even after you've stopped exercising!

Morning Stretch with Denise Austin


You can't beat a fun dance workout! Shake, kick, and twist your body slim!

Q: Can I speed up my toning results by exercising my trouble spots every day?

A: I'm afraid you can't — and rather than speeding up your results, this could be a recipe for injury! So be careful! Your muscles need a day to recover from resistance exercise. If you work the same muscle group every day, the muscles never get a chance to recover and grow stronger. Worse, you feel sore and tired all the time, which may ruin your motivation.

The point is, mix it up, and allow each body area to recover completely. Your results will come, I promise!

Morning Stretch with Denise Austin

Dangers of Not Exercising Enough

Most of us believe that the reason we need to increase our daily exercise is to prevent or counteract being overweight and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. While it is true that increasing our exercise significantly lowers the risk of heart disease and can help us to lose weight or prevent us from gaining weight, there are also a number of other issues that are directly proportionate to a lack of sufficient exercise.

First of all, muscle tone. We whine and complain about the fact that our bodies are getting flabby and out of shape as we age. Even if you are at an ideal weight you still have pockets of skin flapping in the wind. Much of this could be avoided if you were to exercise those muscle groups and increase the flow of blood to those areas. Skin is tightened not only because you are firming those muscles but because more oxygen is reaching skin cells to repair and rejuvenate them.

Then there is proven statistical data that shows a direct correlation between a lack of activity and depression. Study after study elucidates that increased exercise leads to increased blood flow to the brain which in turn brings vital nutrients that counteract some mild to moderate forms of depression. In the elderly, increased exercise also improves mental clarity.

This is a non-discriminate issue. Whether you are young or old, male or female, you need to be aware of the fact that exercise really can prevent a great number of risks. Young people need to build healthy muscles and bones and as we age we need to maintain healthy bones, joints and muscles. Also, weight is a major factor to be considered. It doesn’t take much at the beginning, but if you gradually increase your activity incrementally, you can avoid many of the dangers of not exercising enough.

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