Abberly at West Ashley Blog

Train for 5K alone or with a friend--even a 4-legged one!

Did you maintain your health and fitness over the long winter months? If you’re like me, you let it slip. Bad. The short days, the cold, and the demands of work, kids, home and my waistline is much lumpier than I’d like.

This blogger, named Brandon, shares his inspirational story of how he started running and lost over 70 lbs! He shares tips and encouragement in his helpful blogs, like these 5 tips from his article “Beginning Fitness: 5 Baby Steps”:

1. Create a Food Log. Record every meal and every snack that you eat.

2. Cut 500 calories per day. Over time they really add up. And that much won’t kill you.

3. Begin cardio you can stick with. Save high intensity for later. Start with 30 minutes daily (or 3-5 times per week) that gets your heart rate up and let’s you break a sweat.

4. Add strength training. Select a good variety of machines (6-10) and do 2 sets with 10 repetitions in each set. This accelerates fat loss.

5. Train for a race. Give your exercise a specific purpose.

If you’re like me, you are tempted to blow off that last step; however, he states that it’s a powerful motivator and a key step in the process.

If you’re willing to push yourself that little extra bit and get serious about your fitness, Charleston is hosting 5Ks and other races that might help you kick start your fitness goals—giving you that “deadline” that Brandon says was so beneficial to him. Here are a couple coming up. And how ironic the first one on the list! That’s exactly how I became so “lumpy” over the winter—those darned (delicious) Krispy Kremes!

Charleston Doughnut Run
Charleston, SC Sat 04/16/2011 5-K

Leslie McCravy Memorial 5-K Run/Walk
Folly Beach, SC Sat 05/14/2011 5-K

So hit the fitness center here at Abberly at West Ashley Apartments and start training for a 5K in Charleston! Happy Training!

photo credit: exercisemydog.com

It’s starting to get warmer outside and summer is just around the corner. I guess we need to amp up our workout. I was reading an article on Womenshealth.com about great workout moves to help you get to your swimwear ready. The exercises are challenging, but if you’ve had a little head start in getting in shape. It should be just enough to make you feel like you’ve had a real workout.

The article recommends that you do these seven routines 2 to 3 days a week. You’ll need dumbbells, a workout ball, weight bar, and medicine ball.

What are your favorite workouts in the gym?

Did you know that it’s best to complete your workout three to four hours before you go to bed? After getting yourself fired up and your heart rate pounding, you’re not going to get much sleep if you workout close to bedtime. Instead, schedule a morning routine or workout in the early afternoon after work. Here are more details. When do you work out?

Get a head start on your New Year’s Resolution. Start working out with these metabolism boosting exercises. In just one month, you can blast your body into shape. Are you going to try it?