Week 2: Get fit and stay healthy with Yahoo! Answers and Shine!
Photo by inka7791
Welcome to week two of the Yahoo! Answers “Get Fit Program.” Last week we told you how you can meet other people looking to share fitness ideas in a Yahoo! Group called “Get Fit, Stay Healthy,” shared some practical exercise tips for corporate employees, and provided a few tips on how to shed excess pounds to tone up your muscles.
This week, our fitness pros, Joanne and Joan from Plus One Health Management have picked a few more questions to answer from the community—you can find their answers below.
Question: “I need help with eating healthy at school when all they sell is cheese fries and pizza!” – Danni
Answer: I can understand your frustration, if you are trying to eat healthy but the healthy options are limited. You may want to bring your lunch to school, to avoid temptation, and to be prepared. You can also talk with the foodservice provider to suggest healthier options. Healthy foods that cafeteria providers sometimes have include sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, baked chicken or fish, and pasta with veggies. Good luck! Also remember that if you are limited on food and have to eat pizza, you can try walking around your school campus with friends to ensure that you’re including a healthy activity with your lunch.
Question: What’s the best way to stretch before working out? – Chris
Answer: Prior to a workout, a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching should be performed. Dynamic stretching involves performing low-intensity movements similar to your workout activity. For example, squats help to get the muscles warm for any type of lower body activity. Static stretching (stretch and hold) is the most beneficial if it is performed after a workout. Not sure what the difference is between dynamic or static stretching is? Check out the definition from our pros, here.
Question: Are there any standing up ab exercises you could do, say, in the shower or waiting in line (that might be awkward)? – Hah.
Answer: Wow you’re really thinking! However, I don’t recommend exercising in the shower as you could slip and injure yourself. Instead, when you’re safe and dry, try standing up tall and tighten your abs. Practice good posture, suck in your abs and maintain normal breathing—all of these things will help you maintain a tight core and help work your abs.
Question from Shine: How do I start exercising when I’m already out of shape?
Start slowly, but make it count—don’t overdo it. Progress quickly, keep it up, and read this article for even more tips from Shine.
Check back next week for even more tips from our fitness gurus as they answer even more of your health and fitness questions!
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idiots idiots idiots, You don’t stretch before working out, it is much more beneficial to stretch after and these yahoos are making it seem as if though it is more important to stretch before. absolute idiots.
Since when do you not stretch before working out emily? Lol……
Why did that person say you don’t stretch before working out!! She is soooo wrong!
Stretching your muscles BEFORE and AFTER your work out is a MUST! Although you should never stretch cold muscles. Start by getting yourself warmed up. Example … walk in place, then put your arms up and down, kinda like a slow beginning of a cardio workout would do. THEN stretch your muscles. After you stretched up your warm muscles, you are ready to go! Then have a cool down after your cardio session, something to bring your heart rate down and once you have your breathing back down to normal, Then stretch again! Believe me, I know what I am talking about!
Stretching reduces muscle strength, so it actually makes it MORE likely for you to pull a muscle, but that is you are doing a vigorous workout/high intensity sport. Stretching after the workout if more affective and makes you more flexible.
Stretch your muscles before and after working out.
like what Jessica said “Although you should never stretch cold muscles. Start by getting yourself warmed up.” She is right.
How can I burn calories faster?
I like all of these really supportive comments, not! You stretch before AND after working out! Anybody that works out without stretching is going to end up hurting themselves.
Don’t ever listen to somebody that calls people an idiot four times in one statement. Those are the kind of people to stay away from because if they act like that it is hard to believe they are mature enough to know anything worthwhile.
Interesting. Thanx
You are definitely supposed to stretch before working out, but also after working out. There are specific types of stretches that you are supposed to do. For track, before workouts we do static stretching, such as fire hydrants, donkey kicks, and leg swings. After a workout we do active stretching, and this is when we target specific muscles like calves, quads, and such.
I always tell my clients your muscle fibers are like rubber bands, stretching before a workout lessens that snap response to them that is so beneficial in using weights.
I recommend using light weight for 1-2 sets on any isolation type movement that gives you a greater stretch anyways such as dumb bell flyes.
My wife has taught dance for years and if you have ever seen them stretch you will see them push down on each other to add eccentric resistance which is the same as you would be doing on dumb bell flyes or other lifts.
So I say go ahead and stretch but you might as well add weight to get a better stretch.
There is an exercise you could do standing or in the shower!!! if you’ve ever heard of Shaan T’s hip hop abs, u know what im talkin about, just Tilt, Tuck, Tighten, and Squeeze…its so easy and affective
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welllllllll just execrsice burn calories keep beng active that will do it for u
I will do good for a while…but if there is any break in my routine, I have a hard time getting back into it?? Frustrating! Any tips?