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You’ve read a lot about the benefits of exercise, but how much thought have you given to the condition of your heart? Perhaps you dabble in “cardio,” or aerobic exercise, because it is a great method for burning excess calories and spiking the metabolism, but are you reaching a true cardio training level?

A cardiovascular workout is any type of exercise that increases the work of the heart and lungs. Only when your pulse quickens and your breathing gets deeper to the point of being “winded” have you reached a cardiovascular zone of physical exertion. You don’t necessarily have to be a runner to get the best results because any activity that keeps your heart rate up will suffice. In fact, there are a number of regular activities you may already be enjoying that will help to improve your cardiovascular system’s efficiency.

The kind of cardio exercises you need requires the combination of using large muscle movements over an extended period of time (duration) so that you heart rate is elevated to at least 50% of its maximum level (intensity). For true cardio benefits, you must engage in aerobic exercise for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour, and reach a “target heart rate zone” several times a week.

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Walking is the easiest and least expensive method to maintain your weight loss program and to keep fit. A 150-pound person walking for an hour, at a steady pace of 18 to 20 minutes to complete one mile, will burn about 320 calories. You can hike in the woods, around the neighborhood, or do it on a treadmill. And don’t forget you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park further away at the store.

It’s easier and more convenient to make walking a daily regular routine than almost any other exercise.

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It’s time to set the record straight about Pee Wee Herman’s bike, the spiffy red Schwinn. It’s not the coolest bike in the whole wide world. Mountain bikes are, with their ruggedness and advanced technology that have fanned the craze for fat tire bikes everywhere. These bikes are every rider’s dream with upright seating on a comfy saddle, longhorn handle bars, plus disc brakes and shock absorbers. And, of course, those forgiving fat tires.

A Rebel and His Bicycle

A city-slicker fat tire bike ($300 to $700) is not what it seems. It’s actually a heavier hybrid of the mountain bike and is less reliable, although fine for the concrete jungle. Its components look similar, but are not designed for rough treatment, and the bike is more likely to break down. For real off-road adventure, look for bikes with frames and components made of strong, durable materials.

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Whether you ride a mountain bike, a road racer or a city hybrid bicycle, chances are you’re health conscious. When you adopt a regime of outdoor biking for both exercise and commuting, you’ve found a life-enhancing solution that will keep you lean, healthy, and happy.

And it can all be done on a bike. Cycling is as good as running and swimming as an aerobic (meaning “with oxygen”) exercise that will elevate your pulse rate and increase your cardio-vascular activity. Sports medicine specialists often prescribe cycling because it causes less wear and tear on the joints and muscles than running, while still building endurance and alleviating stress.

Cycling, both road and mountain, tones many of the same large muscles of the lower body as hiking does. You’re working the quads, hip flexors, and calf muscles when pushing the pedal down; and the hip flexors, hamstrings and calves when pulling the pedal up. But it’s an upper body conditioner as well since the muscles of the torso, as well as the arms and shoulders, are very active while riding. (more…)

Exercises for the heart, body and mind

Sit cross-legged with your hands on your knees. Focus on your breath, while keeping your back straight, and allow your knees to gently lower to the floor. Take five to ten slow, deep breaths. On the next inhale, raise your arms over your head. As you exhale, bring the arms down slowly.

You’ve just experienced a beginning yoga pose called Sukhansana. Simple, yet amazingly effective. Ashtanga yoga’s dynamic exercises blend breathing and movement allowing your inner essence to unfold naturally, without strain. Some call it the most physical yoga, yet with proper instruction, the workouts are an efficient and, best of all, pain-free way to achieve total fitness.

The Most Talked About Form of Yoga Today

What seemed to evolve from the om-chanting flower children of the sixties has actually been around for centuries and remains enormously popular today. Celebrities such as Madonna, Sting, and Demi Moore are devoted to the daily practice of Ashtanga Yoga, also known as Power Yoga. In North America alone, over 18 million Americans are reported to be practicing some form of yoga and are reaping the benefits of improvements in strength, flexibility, weight control, increased cardiovascular and energy levels, an enhanced immune system, and stress reduction. (more…)

It goes without saying that the best way to see the world is to do it on foot. Candidates for the World’s Top 10 hiking spots are all are considered to be reasonable treks for fit hikers.

Our picks are:

1. John Muir Trail, California, USA

Not only is the scenery magnificent, but the John Muir Trail can boast of having the sunniest and most mild climate of any mountain trek in the world. The trail starts in the Yosemite Valley and stretches for 211 miles to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the US. Along the way, it takes you past countless lakes and waterfalls, ancient giant sequoias and looming granite towers as it follows the spine of the Sierra Nevada range. The area is so remarkable for its breathtaking vistas that naturalist John Muir once wrote it was “as if into this one mountain mansion Nature had gathered her choicest treasures.” Despite complaints that it is the crowded Interstate of Sierra trails, the JMT was named as Outside magazine’s 2004 North America Trip of the Year, and places high on Adventure magazine’s list of top 11 classic hikes.

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Inline skating is for people who can’t sit still, have a need for speed and enjoy the wind in their face. It’s also for ideal for people who want the fat burning benefits of cycling and running without paying for an expensive bike or putting stress on the joints. While you roll along listening to tunes on your headphones, and concentrating on perfecting a stride and glide that looks powerful and effortless, you’ll also be toning your body and conditioning your lungs and heart aerobically.

This beautiful sport has been around since the eighties when a company named Rollerblade, Inc. out the wheels in a line on roller skates and the activity was dubbed “rollerblading.” But Rollerblade isn’t the only company that makes the skates anymore, and over the past two decades, ice skate, skateboard, and ski manufactures also began designing equipment for the sport correctly known as “inline skating.”

If you’re looking to get into this sport for fitness, speed thrills, or street hockey, you’ll be surprised at how affordable it is and how its popularity is booming.

Gear Up: What Equipment Do You Need?

For less than $200, you can get a decent pair of skates,  plus a helmet ($30 – $40), and a pair of wrist guards/gloves ($10 – $15), which is the least amount of equipment you’ll need. Prices for the better quality skates with liners can reach $500, but if you’re looking for a decent recreational pair, expect to start around $125. Don’t be a cheapskate and buy a crummy pair of inlines ($100 or less) – because a poor skating experience will only dampen your enthusiasm for the sport.

Here’s a breakdown of the equipment:

The Boots

Your first selection is the boot which in the past has been either soft or hard, as well as hybrid designs of the two. Soft boots generally feel like hockey skates and are laced up; while hard boots are made of a carbon fiber shell and buckles. The wheels are attached to the boot by a chassis, or rail, which will be made of plastic on cheaper skates, or lightweight aluminum on better quality skates. The best boot/rail combo will allow you to change wheel sizes as your ability improves.

Since the boots are the most important piece of equipment, it goes without saying that they should your feet comfortably. It may not be the most expensive pair that feels the best, so try several brands to find the best for your wide or narrow feet.

Know Your Wheels

Selecting a set of polyurethane wheels for your skates will depend on size (measured in millimeters) and hardness (the “durometer”), which will be determined by your weight, ability and style and speed level. Wheels are inexpensive ($3 to $7 each) and replacing them is easy, so go ahead and lay down the miles.

The hardness of recreational wheels range in durometer from around 72A (softest) to 85A (hardest), and most stock wheels are at about 78A. Hard wheels last longer and are faster but don’t have the grip of softer wheels, nor do they absorb road vibrations. All four wheels on your skates don’t have to be the same matching durometer; you can mix them to give you better traction and shock absorption.

Lower-quality skates will come stocked with the smaller wheels of 72mm, while most people will want a skate model that can take at least 76mm wheels. Ask the salesperson if the chassis on the boots you want will be able to fit larger wheels once you want to step up in speed. (And don’t confuse wheel size with durometer rating.) Taller wheels will provide more speed but be less maneuverability; and pro racers are now gliding on big wheels ranging in sizes of 90, 100 – even 110mm.

Clothing, Pads and Helmet

Smart skaters venture out fitted in padded armor that resembles something seen on a banked Roller Derby track. You can wear most any type of shorts and a tee-shirt, and your socks should be double-layered and anti-blister. A helmet is strongly recommended, and if you already have a bike helmet, that will do just fine. You can also consider wearing knee and elbow pads, but be sure to get a pair of padded gloves/wrist protectors because the most frequent skating injury is to the wrist as most people instinctively try to catch themselves when falling.

To Brake Or Not to Brake

Skates come with brakes … or without. Each manufacture makes their own brakes and they are not interchangeable with other skate models. Rollerblade, for example, calls their system the ABT (“Advanced Braking Technology”) which is a name for a pad contraption on a long screw that runs up the back of the skate from the heel. It can be “activated” by leaning back on the ankle portion of the boot. Other manufactures have wildly different designs, such as disc brakes that apply pressure to the last wheel. More advanced skaters will do without brakes, but beginners should definitely consider using them since they are a sure way to stop speeding skates.

Brakes can wear out quickly and although they are inexpensive, it can be a pain to keep replacing them. The alternative is to get skates without brakes. If you take a lesson from a skating pro, you’ll be taught how to use a snowplow or “V” technique, and not rely on a gadget – or the nearest telephone pole or grassy slope – to stop. With instruction, you can work on brake-less stops such as spinouts, toe drags, T-stops and chop stops, as well as skiing techniques for speed control (parallel or slalom turning).

Speaking of instruction, most beginners would do well to take a lesson or two from a qualified instructor who can show you the little things to help you advance more quickly. You’ll learn the fundamentals such as basic position and stopping; perhaps the flamingo (gliding on one skate); how to stride and glide; handle speed; skate backwards; and practice turns, spins, tricks … maybe even grinding rails.

One more alternative to brakes is the hockey stop ice wheels. They are new on the market in 2005 and allow for ultra fast hockey-style stops on streets and indoor surfaces – without the cool spray of ice of course. Look for the feel of ice blades on these wheels to revolutionize not just roller hockey but other forms of inline skating as well.

Design a Training Regime

Burn those thighs! If you love to ski or do any kind of sport that works the big muscles in your legs, then a rigorous skate three times a week will give you the type of workout you crave. Not only does inline skating burn fat and provide an excellent cardio workout, it is also great for toning the lower body, especially the inner and outer thigh groups (adductor and abductor muscles).

One of the best ways of achieving this is with intervals of technique training. If you are already doing leisurely and low impact “steady cardio” training on skates, try adding some short sprints of two to five minutes in length, working on a different aspect of striding.

For example: in the first sprint, work on touching the knees between every stride; in the next segment, work on heel carve; next, work on setting down the outside edges; then crossovers; and so on.

There shouldn’t be any resting in between sprints; keep the steady glide going and keep the heart rate up. An intervals training program will focus on creating all the good muscle memory necessary for balance, coordination, agility, and power production, as well as provide a cardio kick. If you are an average-sized inline skater, you can expect to burn about 350 calories an hour during your moderate steady cardio workout (6mph), and up to 700 calories in an hour’s vigorous interval sprints workout (10mph).

The Outdoor Experience

Asphalt is faster under the wheels and therefore a lot more zippy than concrete, so keep that in mind if you’re new at the sport. Known as “black ice” to skaters, a recently paved level road is the ideal skating surface, however, if it’s downhill, it’s best left to advanced skaters. Unfortunately, you won’t always be striding on a good surface, and cracks, potholes, erosions, sand, and other obstacles are a part of road riding. Consider these variables to be good reasons for wearing protective gear, and not because you feel you can rely on your ability to stop when sprinting on a flat at 30mph. Surprises happen and it’s no fun to go flying off the asphalt trail, so always skate at your ability. Fatigue can also cause injuries at the end of the day, so be prepared for anything.

Despite a few hazards, studies have shown that compared to the other recreational activities such as soccer, baseball and volleyball, inline skaters have had far fewer injuries, especially when they wear a helmet and pads. And the sport is not just for fun and fitness: a 1996 study by the International Inline Skating Association found that 35% of avid skaters used their inline wheels as a mode of transportation.

The hours spent blading on the roads will increase your stamina, poise, lower body strength, and heart rate-in other words, you’ll get an abundance of fitness benefits. And for sheer fun, there’s nothing like the rush of putting wheels on your feet.