25 Easy Ways To Fit In 10 Minutes Of Exercise

from: http://www.prevention.com/fitness/fitness-tips/fitness-25-fast-and-easy-ways-fit-10-minutes-exercise

Stolen Moments Add Up
Experts recommend working out 45 minutes to an hour a day (30 minutes for beginners) for weight loss and fitness. But if you're like most women, you don't always have a block of 30 to 60 minutes a day to devote exclusively to doing your workouts.

Lest you think that short bursts of activity have a negligible effect on your fitness program, think again. One study found that women who split their exercise into 10-minute increments were more likely to exercise consistently, and lost more weight after five months, than women who exercised for 20 to 40 minutes at a time.

In a landmark study conducted at the University of Virginia, exercise physiologist Glenn Gaesser, PhD, asked men and women to complete 15 10-minute exercise routines a week. After just 21 days, the volunteers' aerobic fitness was equal to that of people 10 to 15 years younger. Their strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility were equal to those of people up to 20 years their junior. "It would be useful for people to get out of the all-or-nothing mind-set that unless they exercise for 30 minutes, they're wasting their time," says Gaesser.

Breaking exercise into small chunks on your overscheduled days can also keep your confidence up, since skipping it altogether can make you feel tired, guilty, or depressed. Keep in mind, though, that short bursts of exercise are meant to supplement, not replace, your regular fitness routine.

Here are simple, practical ways to work exercise into your day even when you're short on time:

Around the House

1. When you go outside to pick up your morning newspaper, take a brisk 5-minute power walk up the street in one direction and back in the other.

2. If you're housebound caring for a sick child or grandchild, hop on an exercise bike or do a treadmill workout while your ailing loved one naps.

3. Try 5 to 10 minutes of jumping jacks. (A 150-pound woman can burn 90 calories in one 10-minute session.)

4. Cooking dinner? Do standing push-ups while you wait for a pot to boil. Stand about an arm's length from the kitchen counter, and push your arms against the counter. Push in and out to get toned arms and shoulders.

5. After dinner, go outside and play tag or shoot baskets with your kids and their friends.

6. Just before bed or while you're giving yourself a facial at night, do a few repetitions of some dumbbell exercises, suggests exercise instructor Sheila Cluff, owner and founder of The Oaks at Ojai and The Palms, in Palm Springs, CA, who keeps a set of free weights on a shelf in front of her bathroom sink.

While Waiting
7. Walk around the block several times while you wait for your child to take a music lesson. As your fitness level improves, add 1-minute bursts of jogging to your walks.

8. Walk around medical buildings if you have a long wait for a doctor's appointment. "I always ask the receptionist to give me an idea of how long I have left to wait," Cluff says. "Most are usually very willing to tell you."

9. While your son or daughter plays a soccer game, walk around the field.

10. Turn a trip to a park with your child into a mini-workout for you. Throw a ball back and forth and run for fly balls.

At Work
11. Walk to work if you can. "I walked to work for months, 1 1/2 miles each way," says Mary Dallman, PhD, professor of physiology at the University of California, San Francisco, and she really saw results.

12. If you dine out on your lunch hour, walk to a restaurant on a route that takes you a little bit out of your way.

13. If you have a meeting in another building, leave 5 or 10 minutes early (or take some time afterward), and do some extra walking.

14. On breaks, spend 5 to 10 minutes climbing stairs.

15. If you're pressed for time and must wait for an elevator, strengthen your core with ab exercises. Stand with your feet parallel and your knees relaxed. Contract the muscles around your belly button. Then elevate your upper torso, and release. Finally, contract your buttocks for a few seconds.

16. Use a ringing phone as an excuse to stretch your back. Stand with your feet astride. Imagine that you are encased in a plaster cast from your waist to your head. Gently tilt the lower part of your pelvis backward. Contract your abdominal muscles. Then gently tilt your pelvis forward.

When You're Watching TV
17. Put away your remote and change channels the old-fashioned way—by getting up and walking to the television set.

18. Dance as if you were 16 again. Put on a music program or MTV. Then dance like crazy, advises Peg Jordan, PhD, RN, author of The Fitness Instinct. "Free yourself to think of movement as something that you have a right to do," she says.

19. During commercials, jog in place. A 150-pound woman can burn up to 45 calories in 5 minutes. Or try our Couch-Potato Workout.

20. Do leg exercises and lifts with small weights while you watch The Weather Channel, cooking shows, movies, or the news.

While Traveling
21. Pack your sneakers and a fitness DVD. Call ahead to make sure your room has a DVD player. If it doesn't, ask to rent one from the hotel.

22. If you're traveling by car, stop twice a day for short, brisk walks and some stretching.

23. During layovers at airports, avoid the mechanized "moving carpets" that transport travelers from concourse to concourse. "If you're in between flights, walk around the concourse as much as you can," suggests Cluff.

24. Book a hotel room between the fifth and eighth floors, then ignore the elevator. Better yet, take two stairs at a time. (Check with the hotel first because for security reasons some hotels do not allow guests to use stairs except for emergencies.)

25. Do calf stretches while riding in elevators.

Southern French-Style Herb-Roasted Turkey

Here's a delicious (and sugar free) meal that's perfect for a Sunday dinner!

Southern French-Style Herb-Roasted Turkey

The combination of herbs, garlic, spices and lemon juice create a flavorful, moist turkey that is simple to prepare.

IngredientsNumber of Servings: 10 (1/4 lb turkey meat)

1/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, divided
1 (10–12 lb) turkey
   Salt, to taste
   Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Herbes de Provence
1 tsp Poultry Seasoning
1 Whole Head Garlic, top chopped off
2 Lemons, halved
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme
1 Sprig Fresh Sage

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Use 1 Tbsp olive oil to grease the bottom of a large roasting pan. Wash and dry the turkey thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper on the inside and out. Place turkey breast side up in the pan. Brush the turkey with the remaining olive oil. Sprinkle Herbes de Provence and poultry seasoning on turkey, and rub into skin with your hands. Place whole garlic head, 1 lemon half, rosemary, thyme, and sage inside the cavity. Squeeze lemon juice from remaining lemon half over the top of the turkey. Place turkey in the oven, add a cup of water to the bottom of the pan, and roast for 1 hour, uncovered. Baste turkey after the first hour of cooking. If turkey looks very brown, cover it with foil. Continue to bake for another 2–2 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the turkey breast meat reads 180°F on a meat thermometer. Remove from the oven, and place on a carving board. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Remove skin while carving.
2. Strain the liquid from the bottom of the pan into another saucepan. Juice the remaining 2 lemon halves, add to the saucepan, and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat, and cook for 10 minutes or until sauce has reduced. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve sauce in a gravy boat next to turkey.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 215
Total Carbohydrates: 3 g
   Dietary Fiber: 2 g
   Sugars: 0 g
Total Fat: 8.0 g
   Saturated Fat: 2.23 g
   Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 80 mg
Sodium: 80 mg
Protein: 31 g

Top Rated Diets

If you're looking to make better nutritional choices and not sure where to start, take a look at how U.S. News and World Report ranked some of the most popular diets out around: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets

Here are the top 10!

#1 -DASH Diet
#2 - TLC Diet
#3 - Mayo Clinic Diet
#3 - Mediterranean Diet
#3 - Weight Watchers
#6 - Flexitarian Diet
#6 -Volumetrics
#8 - Jenny Craig
#9 - Biggest Loser Diet
#9 - Ornish Diet

How to Drink More Water Each Day

How to Drink More Water Each Day
September 13, 2013 RSS Feed Print

By MONICA NELSON

There are three top questions I always ask a new client when we meet. One is, "How is your water consumption?" The answer I hear from many: "I could drink more," or "I hate water," or "Does coffee count?" Hearing this every day is still a shock to me – which is why I want to talk about you and your relationship with water. I have high hopes that the second you're done reading this, you'll be on your feet pouring some water into your body. Let's get you motivated, inspired and excited to pound some good ol' quality H2O.

Sure, you've heard it before, and maybe you're rolling your eyes this very moment. Trust me, if there's one thing I know, it's that so many people aren't drinking enough water. I can't tell you how many of my new clients, friends and even family members don't drink enough water.

I wasn't always known by my current nickname, "Moni the Water Police." Although I was an athlete in college, I sure didn't drink water like an athlete. My staples were pizza, beer and the "what is water" kind of diet. (No one is perfect!) Once I learned how much better I felt and performed when I was well-hydrated and refueled properly, the rest was history. And, true story: I rarely got sick once I made this simple change.

[Read: Wondrous Ways That Water Can Improve Your Health.]

Look at it this way: Every system in your body depends on water. For example, water flushes out toxins and keeps your environment moist (think skin, muscles, organs and bones). Most importantly, water carries nutrients to your cells, helps you look and feel your best, and provides you with energy.

Experts all say something a little different about how much to drink. We'll get to that in a minute. It's important to realize that we're all different and have specific needs. Each of us will differ on the amount of water our bodies actually need. It can depend on many factors, such as our overall health, where we live and our activity level. For example, are you a professional cyclist or a non-athlete?

One thing I can promise you is that most people don't drink nearly enough water, even though they think they do – and because of that, theybecome dehydrated. Dehydration means that you don't have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions. Even mild dehydration can make you tired, drain your energy and make you feel achy. Don't wait until you feel thirsty in order to drink water; that means you're already dehydrated. Often, this may mean you eat (because you think you're hungry), when you're really just thirsty. Sound familiar?

Here are the facts:

• On average, 60 percent of your body weight is made up of water.

• Some of the benefits water provides include: increased energy levels, decreased appetite and improved metabolic function. Water also helps eliminate toxins and wastes, and alleviates fluid retention.

• The more hydrated you are, the more energy you'll have, the better your body will function and the better your skin will look. Hello, glow!

• Even better, replace soda with water and you could lose many pounds in just a year.

Tips on drinking more water:

• Initially, I recommend drinking at least half a gallon a day, but it's smart to try for more. It's hard at first, but you'll find that it gets easier the more you drink up. To get going, here's my favorite formula: Take your body weight, divide it in half and drink that number in ounces. For example, if you weight 150 pounds, half your weight is 75. So, you should aim to get 75 ounces of water a day. This is my best advice. Why? Because we're not all the same size, shape and weight. It wouldn't make sense for a 220-pound man and 130-pound woman to both drink 60 ounces of water a day. You could also follow the "8 by 8" rule (drinking at least eight 8-ounce cups a day), but there's a good chance it won't meet your individual requirement.

• Remember, many foods already have a water content, which contributes to your daily quota. However, I recommend focusing on drinking your fluids. This is more reliable, easier, calorie-free and inexpensive.

• Make it a goal to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning. Also, try to drink a glass of water before and during every meal. This will help prevent overeating and will jump start your metabolism. When you want to inhale that bag of crispy, salty potato chips, pound water instead. You'll likely realize you were simply thirsty. I busted you again!

• Infuse your water with flavor – it doesn't have to be boring. Think lemon, cucumber, fruit, fresh herbs and other flavors to have great tasting water on hand.

• Add bubbles! Adding a sparkling water with zero calories kicks the water experience up a notch and makes it more fun.

• Keep water bottles in your car, at your desk, in your gym bag and all over your house. Schedule H20 time into your daily calendar – with all the apps out there today there are no excuses, right?

• For the kids: Buy tiny water bottles (4 or 6 ounces) so you don't waste the full bottles. Set up a reward system when they drink one. Same as with adults: Let them have fun picking out a fruit to flavor the water with or add in some bubbles (carbonation).

• Sorry to get personal, but last but not least, what color is your urine? If it's colorless or very light, that's a great indication that you're hydrated. If it's dark in color (close to an amber shade), you know you need more water.

For you active folks: 

When you're exercising, make sure you understand the following:

• Two hours prior to exercise, drink 17 to 20 ounces.

• Every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise, drink 7 to 10 ounces.

• Following exercise (whether you're thirsty or not), drink 16 to 24 ounces for every pound of body weight loss.

A note to women who are expecting or breastfeeding: You need additional fluids to stay hydrated. The Institute of Medicine recommends pregnant women drink 2.3 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily and women who breastfeed consume 3.1 liters (about 13 cups) of fluids a day.

Are you thirsty yet? I hope these easy tips help and that you learned something new. My best advice is to learn from your good days. If you have a healthy day that feels easy, make notes about exactly what you did and why it worked.

I would love to hear from you. Are you getting enough water? Is this something you struggle with? What tips have worked best for you?

Hungry for more? Write to eatandrun@usnews.com with your questions, concerns and feedback.

Monica Nelson, or "Moni" to her friends and clients, is a personal trainer, healthy foods chef, accomplished athlete, model and well-respected health and fitness expert. She works with celebrities and has been featured in publications such as SHAPE and Fitness. She's been a competitive snowboarder and is a true fitness fanatic. Moni's motto in life is "EAT WELL.STAY FIT. FEEL GREAT." Another one of her greatest passions and talents is cooking and baking. She runs a healthy recipe blog where she has created more than 350 healthy and decadent meals to enjoy. You can connect with Moni on Facebook and follow @monimealfitness on Twitter and Instagram. Grab a recipe or two atwww.monimeals.com then head over for a workout and get her latest tips at www.monicanelsonfitness.com. Moni lives in Los Angeles with her wonderful husband Mark, who is also a trainer, and their incredible English bulldog Eddie.

How What We Eat Affects Everything

An interesting article: http://m.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/what-we-eat-affects-everything/279922/

More about the featured author's book at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gutbliss-10-day-toxins-digestive-baggage/dp/1583335226

10 Fun Fall Workouts

Well maybe "fun" is in the eye of the beholder, especially in the case of #6, nevertheless, Read on!

Full article at: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2010/10/07/fall-workouts/

10. Rowing or Dragon Boating

9. Cross-Country Running

8. Rugby

7. Hiking


6. Raking

5. Ultimate Frisbee

4. Basketball

3. Chopping Wood

2. Mountain Biking
 

1. Flag Football

Vegetarian Tan Tan Noodles

A delicious meatfree meal for dinner! Get this recipe and more at: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/vegetarian-tan-tan-noodles/

Vegetarian Tan Tan Noodles

Tan Tan (also called Dandan) refers to an across-the-shoulder pole carried by food peddlers in old Sichuan. Baskets—one with sauce and the other with noodles—dangled from each end of the pole, providing an inexpensive and nourishing meal to strolling locals. Eventually the noodles were named after the pole, coming to be known as “peddler’s noodles”—street food from way back.  The traditional Chinese recipe is a chili-laced noodle soup strewn with ground pork, preserved vegetables, and scallions. This version combines minced vegetables and tofu with a black bean, garlic, and peanut butter sauce that coats the noodles with deep, dark essence and crunch. 

Excerpted from THE HEART OF THE PLATE, (c) 2013 by Mollie Katzen. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Serves 5

• 1/2 cup creamy, lightly salted peanut butter
• 1/2 cup black bean–garlic sauce (see note)
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar, light-colored honey, or brown sugar
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed, canola, or peanut oil, plus more as needed
• 1 heaping cup minced onion
• 1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, and minced (about 4 cups)
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained and minced (1 cup)
• 12 ounces very firm tofu, cut into small dice
• 1/2 pound bucatini, linguine, or spaghetti or fresh long Chinese noodles, if available

Combine the peanut butter, black bean–garlic sauce, sweetener, and hot water in a medium-large bowl and whisk until blended. Set aside.

Put on a large pot of water to boil.

Meanwhile, heat a large (10- to 12-inch) skillet or a large wok over medium heat for about a minute. Add the oil, swirl to coat the pan, then toss in the onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes, or until it just begins to soften. Add the shiitakes and salt, and cook, stirring, for another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the celery, water chestnuts, and tofu. Increase the heat to medium-high as you continue to stir-fry, allowing the mixture to stick to the pan a little and brown. Use a spatula with a thin metal blade to scrape the bottom of the pan, so the well-done bits can become incorporated. (You can add a touch more oil during this time, moving things over so it hits the pan directly.) Keep this process going for 5 minutes or so, until the vegetables and tofu are deeply browned, scraping as you go. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the peanut sauce.

When the water boils, add the noodles and cook until al dente, or done to your liking.

When the noodles are done, drain them thoroughly in a colander and transfer them to the sauce. Toss to coat and serve immediately.