Pièce de résistance

Resistance training is an extraordinarily important part of physical and mental health. Steven Fleck and William Kraemer, co-authors of Designing resistance-training programs, offer some of the benefits of resistance training:

+ Increased strength & mobility

+ Increased fat-free mass

+ Decreased body fat

+ Improved heart condition

+ Improved mental health

Clearly these benefits are worth working for. However, if you are unable to go to a gym to use weight machine, just as I am unable to, you can still incorporate resistance training into your fitness plan. One way I do this is by using resistance tubes.

Resistance tubes are flexible, lightweight tubes (similar to surgical tubing) that stretch like a rubber band. They have handles on each end to allow for preferred gripping, and come in various thicknesses for increased or decreased resistance.

Resistance Tubes

I particularly like resistance tubes because they are...

+ inexpensive

+ portable

+ easy to store

+ light in weight

+ perfect for traveling

+ effective for any 

   muscle group

Some disadvantages of resistance tubes include:

+ Elasticity will eventually break down, so you will need to replace them

+ They can snap if they are punctured

Often I use these bands while my child is playing or I am watching TV in the evening because they are so easy to transport around the house, and I do not need a lot of space to use them. I also like to leave one band hanging around so that if I have a spare minute or two, I can do a set of whichever exercise I choose. It never hurts to get an extra set in when you have time.

You can find exercises for any muscle group in specialty books and websites. It is surprisingly easy to use resistance tubes; don’t hesitate to try them out.

Get Strolling

If you’re considering walking for exercise, as I suggested in my last post, you are going to need a really good jogging stroller (if you’re going to bring a child along).

A good jogging stroller makes a big difference. You should not have to struggle with your stroller in any way while you are walking. Struggling with your stroller will make walking irritating, and may discourage you from continuing a regular walking routine. I can testify to that.

When I finally decided to spend the money on a jogging stroller, I bought (and returned) at least two strollers before I bought my favourite stroller. Let me say this now, all jogging strollers are not created equally. So, if you’re going to spend the money on a jogging stroller, buy a good one. It may be $200 more than the one at Walmart, but it truly is worth it.

BOB Revolution SE

I bought a BOB Revolution SE. It is the only luxury jogging stroller I have tried, but why change something when it works for you, right? I love how this stroller handles, the storage space and how much my child likes it - which reminds me - you will want to make sure your child approves the stroller you choose. You will be hard-pressed trying to get your child to join you if he or she is not comfortable in the stroller. After all, if you’re going to spend a lot of money on this stroller, everyone who has to use it, should like it.

Click here to read an informative article from Babyfit.com about how to choose a jogging stroller.

Why Not Walk?

For some reason, I thought that if I wanted to exercise, I had to go to a gym. WRONG. Since I could not make regular use of a gym membership, I knew I had to come up with another plan. Enter: walking.

Conveniently, a new Running Room franchise opened in my community. Spending time in the store talking to staff and other customers made me feel like an athlete again. Although I wanted to start running immediately, I decided to start with walking because I knew I had a lot of conditioning to do.

Benefits of walking from various sections of John Stanton’s book, “Walking: The Complete Guide to Walking for Fitness, Health and Weight Loss”:

+ No membership required

+ Easily include young children

+ Burns fat

+ Reduces stress

+ Improves your self-esteem

+ Helps you sleep better

+ Increases your energy level and      stamina

+ Reduces the risk of developing        heart disease, osteoporosis and      certain cancers

+ It’s fun

I hope that if you are anything like me, and you cannot commit to a gym, that you consider walking. Walking will allow you to exercise during the day when you have the most energy, and easily bring your child along.

Note: Don't be surprised if your child enjoys these walks too.