TABATA – A High-Intensity Workout That’s Perfect for Everyone

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You know I love Tabata workouts…and for SO many reasons beyond their efficiency.

Here’s why.  Tabata is a type of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) that is known for its efficiency and effectiveness. This type of workout consists of 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, repeated for a total of 8 rounds. This may not seem like a lot of time (just 4 minutes!), but it is enough to get your heart rate up and burn calories.  I fell in love with Tabata workouts when I was in the corporate grind and working a lot of hours. These workouts provided a great boost during the day while allowing me to stay in shape. Do several of these workouts throughout the day and VIOLA!

Another reason I love Tabata workouts is that they are great for people of all fitness levels. Because you work at a speed that is challenging for you, Tabata is accessible to everyone. In fact, it is often recommended for people who are new to exercise because it is a safe and effective way to get started.

Tabata workouts are also perfect for people with busy schedules. (This is how I came to love Tabatas.) A single Tabata workout only takes 4 minutes, so you can fit it in even on the busiest days. And if you have more time, you can string together multiple Tabata workouts for a longer session.

In addition to being efficient and effective, Tabata workouts are also a great way to get a full-body workout. The 20-second bursts of intense exercise work your heart, lungs, and muscles all at the same time. This makes Tabata a great choice for people who are looking to improve their cardiovascular health, build muscle, and lose weight.

Another reason I love Tabata workouts is that you can easily create a workout depending on fitness goals. I personally use the 2nd option below quite frequently. Here are two common ways to structure your Tabata workouts:

  • A/B: Choose two exercises to alternate between. You’ll do each exercise for 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 8 rounds. This is a great way to get a full-body workout, as you’ll be working different muscle groups with each exercise.
  • A/B/C/D: Choose four exercises to move through. You’ll do each exercise for 20 seconds of intense effort followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 4 rounds. This is a great way to challenge yourself and your cardiovascular system, as you’ll be working different muscle groups in quick succession.

You can also choose any exercises you like for your Tabata workouts, such as:

  • Cardio exercises: Jumping jacks, burpees, mountain climbers, sprinting, rowing, jumping rope
  • Plyometric exercises: Squat jumps, tuck jumps, lunges, box jumps, push-ups, sit-ups
  • Strength exercises: Dumbbell rows, push-ups, squats, lunges, pull-ups, bicep curls

No matter which exercises you choose, make sure to listen to your body and take breaks when needed. Tabata workouts can be intense, so it’s important to pace yourself and avoid overdoing it.

Here are some ideas for Tabata exercises you could include in your next workout:

  • Push-ups
  • Triceps dips
  • Mountain climbers
  • Tuck jumps
  • Burpees
  • High knees
  • Bodyweight squats
  • Bodyweight lunges
  • Lunge jumps
  • Jump squats
  • Jumping jacks
  • Jump rope
  • Speed skaters
  • Box jumps

If you’d like to make your Tabata workout more strength-based, you can incorporate weights. Some of those exercise ideas include:

  • Clean and press
  • Dumbbell snatch
  • Front squat
  • Alternating reverse lunge
  • Push-up to mountain climber
  • Biceps curl

When doing Tabata workouts, it is important to listen to your body and take breaks when needed. If you are feeling lightheaded or dizzy, stop the workout and rest. You can also modify the exercises to make them easier if needed.

Tabata workouts are a great way to get a quick and effective workout that is perfect for people of all fitness levels. If you are looking for a way to improve your fitness, lose weight, or build muscle, Tabata is a great option.

Before you go, the trainer in me wants to share some additional tips to get the most out of your Tabata workouts:

  • Warm up before each workout with 5-10 minutes of light cardio, movements and dynamic stretches.
  • Choose exercises that you can do safely and effectively at a high intensity.
  • Focus on form over speed. It is better to do the exercises correctly at a slower pace than to rush through them and injure yourself.
  • Listen to your body and take breaks when needed.
  • Start with 2-3 Tabata workouts per week and gradually increase the number of workouts as you get fitter.
  • Be consistent with your workouts. The more you do, the better the results you will see.

With a little planning and effort, you can easily incorporate Tabata workouts into your fitness routine and start seeing results quickly.

Try it….as one of my mentors used to ask, “What have you got to GAIN?”

the answer: A lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Follow me on Instagram @Hlthchic for FREE Tabata workouts weekly.

 

MADE To Move

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Friends, moving regularly (& daily) makes us stronger, healthier, smarter, happier, and yes…even better looking! Just check out the many benefits of moving your body below. While we could talk about each one of the bullets separately, my objective is to simply convince you to commit to move more each day.

From head to toe and heart to head, study after study tells us this “all natural” ability to enhance our lives is transformational. Here’s how moving can help:

  • Exercise increases alertness and enhances mood.
  • It improves attention & concentration.
  • It helps us learn and remember.
  • It protects cognitive health. (Alzheimer’s)
  • It helps prevent cognitive decline.
  • Moving boosts energy while lowering stress.
  • It helps keep blood vessels flexible and while preventing blood clots.
  • It helps protect against chronic disease.
  • It helps lower blood pressure. (cardiovascular disease is the #1 leading cause of death!)
  • Moving more reduces heart-disease risk and makes the heart bigger and stronger.
  • It’s good for your bones (think bone density) and helps with muscle mass (which “typically” peaks in your late 20’s – but doesn’t have to).
  • It helps restore and preserve facial health.
  • Building posterior chain strength can help treat and prevent back pain.
  • Staying active is one of the best ways to protect and improve joint health as we age.
  • Mobilizing joints in hands can relieve wrist pain.
  • Strengthen the knees (hint: many issues we consider the result of aging can be prevented by strengthening the entire leg.
  • Speaking of the leg, foot issues are super common…and generally can be attributed to other areas of the body which can be a vicious cycle but…yes, preventable with intentional stretching and movement.
  • Moving keeps everything “moving”. (YES – I’m talking about relieving constipation and improving digestion!)
  • It enhances microbiome.
  • We recover more quickly and get sick less.
  • Movement helps keep inflammation at bay.
  • Reduction of MANY chronic diseases.
  • I mentioned preventing heart disease, but physical activity also can help prevent some cancers by lowering risk of development.
  • Then, there’s the impact on sleep. I love sleep. Sleep is tres importante to our well-being.
  • Physical activity helps our eyes and slows/prevents vision loss.
  • If you are pregnant, yes you guessed it, it helps with many aspects of pregnancy.
  • Consistent exercise can minimize and reverse symptoms of aging.
  • It helps balance our hormones, which can improve our skin, hair, muscles, etc.

Listen…sitting or being sedentary is so dangerous to our health that it’s now considered the new “smoking”.  Yep, it’s that bad.

Won’t you join me in with taking the prescription of this magic “pill”…something so powerful that it influences our longevity, biology, and physiology? TODAY is a great day to start or re-commit.

So come on, get your glow on. Get gorgeous. And get going.

What have you got to gain?

The Best Anti-Aging Secrets Aren’t So Secret

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The proverbial “fountain of youth”…sought by many and assumed to be so elusive. But….is it?

The truth is, much of we have come to believe as “age related decline” is not age related, but rather LIFESTYLE related –AND we can do something about each of these factors.  Boiling multiple studies down to a nutshell, we’ve learned there are six primary lifestyle factors were repeatedly identified:

  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Managing stress
  • Building social connections
  • Avoiding toxins, and
  • Diet

In other words, what you put into your body (or don’t), movement, socializing and sleep will impact how long you live and the quality of your life.

I’ve written about sleep before (see prior blogs) – but by now, most of you are aware of the factors that can impact a good night’s sleep. However you may not have bought into what a key role sleep plays in health, mind function, energy, and inflammation…and how it aids the other 5 longevity factors listed above.

If aging well and FEELING GOOD are important to you, prioritize sleep and then focus on the other factors. Here are a few ideas to help improve your sleep habits:

1. Establish a bedtime routine: (warm shower or bath)

  • Journal. (writing down thoughts, worries or to-dos will get them out of your head)
  • Read a book.
  • Meditate. (I have to say I love a guided meditation to fall asleep to or ocean sounds..)

2. Check out your sleep environment:

  • 60-67 degrees is ideal.
  • Are loud sounds blocked out? (a white noise machine may help)
  • Black out shades are great for keeping light from coming in.

3. We can’t omit the blue light conversation. (phone, TV, tablet, computer)

  • Sorry, but it’s true…blue light can be super disruptive. It’s best to shut screens down 2 hours BEFORE bed.

4. Become aware of when you last eat or drink.

  • You know that saying, “Eat with the sun, sleep with the moon”? It’s a good rule to follow. If you go to bed by 10, you’ll want to have dinner by 6 or 7.
  • Watch fluids …you know why.
  • That includes alcohol. Without exception, alcohol negatively impacts sleep. Cut off alcohol about the same time as dinner and limit consumption.

5. A good night’s sleep begins with bright sun light early in the day. This will keep your body’s circadian rhythm in sync and turn off melatonin.

6. Exercise or be active – just not right before bedtime!

So there you go. Feeling your best and aging well are mostly in your hands. Take a couple ideas and start incorporating them into your life because today is “some” day. Carpe diem & sleep well my friends, sleep well.

”Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.” –  Thomas Dekker

SLEEP, the Magic Pill

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Question: IF there was a PILL that enhanced nearly every bodily function when taken and NOT taking it would negatively impact your body, would you be interested in that pill?

Most of the diet/health/wellness books offer a list of the most important things to do to put yourself on the path to better health and wellness. What do ALL these books have in common? They emphasize is sleep!

Okay, there may not be a magic pill (if there was, we would all be addicted) but improving your quality of sleep is guaranteed to not only improve your day and your body, but put you on a better path to overall health.

What you need to know:

• A quality good night’s sleep is more important than the quantity of sleep each night.

• Sleep quality declines with age (usually, but doesn’t have to).

• There are steps you can take to increase sleep quality, feel better, improve health, and increase daily energy.

The truth is there is no exact number of hours to recommend because sleep duration need is highly individual, with most people feeling their best with 7-8 hours a night.

Sleep efficiency, on the other hand, is a better measure.

To achieve sleep efficiency, the goal is 90% (or better) of actual sleeping each night. In other words, less than 10% of the time in bed should be tossing/turning or waking up. If that’s not occurring, try exercising more. (Which btw, is my FAVORITE recommendation for most health related issues!) Sleep apps and/or trackers are a great way to get an idea of sleep efficiency using your phone, activity trackers/watches or an oura ring.

If you are tracking sleep, the deep sleep phase is tres importante! While it doesn’t last long, this is when cell and cognitive repair take place. Memory is directly tied to this phase. If you’re in your 20’s, an hour and a half is good. As you age, this phase lessens to a half hour – but there ARE things you can do to lengthen it.

For example, for any fellow “monkey-brain” friends, try meditation or yoga, start a gratitude practice, journal to “dump the day”, try a weighted blanket, educate yourself about adaptogens (to help with stress hormones) or diet/lifestyle improvements you can try (like exercise!), consider magnesium/ melatonin/GABA (Btw, OTC or prescription meds can wreak havoc on your brain/mortality!) Other options might include making your room REALLY dark, eliminate blue screen (or at least wear glasses) but turn off devices several hours before nodding off. Last, work on getting into a sleep routine that occurs the same time each night.

How quickly you fall asleep could be another indicator or sleep inadequacy. A lot of folks think if you fall asleep within 5 minutes, that’s a good thing. It could mean you have an A-1 nightly routine so well-honed that you fall asleep right away.  But, it is likely to indicate you are sleep deprived.  On the other hand, if it’s taking more than half an hour to drift off, that may suggest a form of insomnia.

And then, there’s REM sleep which interestingly involves brain activity that is integral to learning and continual brain development. The recommended time for REM sleep is about 20% of your sleep time for optimal wellness.

If you have more than 5 awakenings, there’s a good chance your REM or deep sleep is getting interrupted. You may want to make sure you don’t have sleep apnea.

So yes, sleep is important. It is, quite simply, one of the easiest and most powerful ways we can improve our health and longevity by helping our brains function better, helping our muscles recover faster, and yes…increase fast loss (covered in an earlier blog post).  Opt for quality over quantity.

Who doesn’t want to live longer and BETTER?

Every Little Bit Helps…Take 10!

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What if working out just 10 minutes a day was enough to improve your health, cheer you up, and help you maintain your weight? Often, I hear that well-intentioned friends say they don’t have the time to fit in workouts. Most of us, however, can fit in 10 minutes–at least once a day, if not several times during the day. That’s the effort I am encouraging. Just take 10.

I’m not saying trade the 30-60 minute sessions for 10 minutes. What I am saying is that just 10 minutes has tremendous health benefits, so if 10 is all you have, take it and your body will thank you. Multiple studies have come up with the same conclusion: Ten minutes makes a difference. A big difference. So, if you don’t have an hour to train today, that’s ok. But, do take 10 minutes so you can reap these benefits:

  • Build muscle
  • Boost your mood
  • Protect your joints
  • Reduce stress, and
  • Maintain weight

Muscle building is a big one if you are over 25 (more on that in a later blog) and more exercise IS usually better, especially for weight loss efforts. BUT, every little bit DOES make a difference. Just remember consistent effort is the key. And, take 10. Today!

Live strong. Be fit. Laugh often. And smile.

 

Want to read more?

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-06-01-exercise-metabolism_N.htm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/30/running-just-5-minutes-a-day-has-long-lasting-benefits/?_r=0

http://www.oprah.com/health/Even-10-Minutes-of-Exercise-a-Day-Can-Improve-Health#ixzz3Nh9vJVmA

http://www.timesonline.com/healthandwellness/shapeupwithjo/the-benefits-of-minutes-of-exercise/article_ef19357c-863d-11e4-8aee-3b40f4684f4e.html