But now we live in an automated and sedentary society. The majority in our country have a long commute and a job that requires a good deal of sitting. This is not how our bodies were created to work. It is definitely not helping with our obesity and medical issues and yet it is something that you can completely change!

Cardio workouts are about much more than just weight loss. It’s about getting that blood pumping through your veins and cleaning them out. It’s about raising those HDL levels so your bad cholesterol (LDL) levels will lower naturally. It’s about increasing your lung capacity and your blood pressure. These are the main reasons you should be doing cardio workouts and then guess what? If you are watching your diet then weight loss will happen naturally.

For maximum health benefits you need to have your heart rate at 60% or above of your maximum heart rate. The beats per minute (bpm) will depend on your age, activity level and your resting heart rate. That will give you a true target heart rate. But for general purposes the Mayo Clinic has a calculator you can use that has decent numbers. Know that the longer you work out the better your resting heart rate should be. So you will have to adjust your target heart rate down the line.

If you truly want to maximize your health benefits then you will not count your warm up and cool down in your 20 minutes. Again, that 20 minutes needs to be at your target heart rate. Depending on what exercise you are doing, you can hit your target in 2 minutes or you can waste as much time as you want trying to reach it by walking slowly. Again, we’re talking about health benefits here and not just burning calories. There are many ways to burn calories

But do make sure that you do a little warm up if you are coming from a lot of sitting, just to loosen up your muscles so you don’t pull anything. Then always, always, ALWAYS, do a cool down. The purpose of a cool down is to get your heart rate back down a little more normal so your blood will not pool in your veins with an immediate stop. It’s very important, even if you just take a quick two minutes to walk and “cool it off” a little.

Look at your cardio workout and decide what your goal is. Are you going for health benefits or strictly working off some calories? Take your cardio to the next level and you may be surprised just how many calories you can burn in those 20 minutes. Burn a high amount of calories AND getting your best health benefits is priceless.

Before starting or drastically changing your workouts or diet, please consult with your physician.

Snacks play a huge role in keeping your blood sugar on an even keel. Dips too low and you’re feeling sluggish and unmotivated. Up to high and you’ll be productive for a few, but you know that low is going to hit like a ton of bricks.

By eating 100-200 calorie, nutrient rich foods, you will boost your system and keep it there. Some great choices are:

1. 1 cheesestick and 10 triscuits or a portion of pretzels
2. Portion of almonds with small apple
3. Rice cake with a Tbsp of low-fat peanut butter or slice of melted cheese
4. Meal replacement bar or shake (look for higher protein counts)
5. Portion of pretzels and a couple of slices of deli turkey or ham
6. Portion of hummus and vegetables
7. 1 oz brie with a small fruit
8. Half a bagel with non-fat cream cheese and a couple of slices of deli ham or turkey
9. Celery sticks with 1 Tbsp low-fat peanut butter
10. Carrot sticks and broccoli with 2 Tbsp non-fat ranch

Do you see a common thread of including protein? This will help you feel full for longer as it takes longer to process protein. Add your snacks to those balanced meals and you’ll be busting through your to do list in no time!

Always check with your physician before making fitness or diet changes.

All this sitting is not good for your body as a whole, but definitely a worry for your waistline. You’ll be much more productive by taking breaks. Here area few tips to combat all that sitting.

1. Use a timer. Set it for an hour or hour and a half, then get up and moving.

2. Your to do list. Writ out your to do list so there will be natural spots to take breaks.

3. Change the work location. If you use a laptop, this is even easier. Work from the dining room table, then from comfy chair, then maybe move to the kitchen counter. If you don’t have a laptop to move around, then grab pen and paper and map out projects or write articles and blog posts.

Hours of sitting in hte same position is bad for your spine, bad for your circulation and just generally makes your body feel achy. Get up and moving in order to keep your work and your blood flowing smoothly!

1. Bone density. As women we have a big bone density issue. It’s a fact of nature. Body weight training helps to keep the bone density you have and even build it slightly. By putting the pressure and weight on your bones with squats, running, push ups and more, you are forcing the bones to work to become stronger. Remember our bodies are always striving to be stronger when we break parts down.

2. Body weight training is free. You don’t need an expensive gym to drop and give me 20. Yes, there are other reason’s why training with weights is important, but that is no excuse for not working out. Visit Busy Momma Wellness for some great body weight training exercises.

3. Train anywhere. In your house, at the office, or on vacation. Since there is no need of equipment you can workout whereever you are. As long as you have an arms length of space, you can accomplish many exercises.

Even though I train most of my clients in a gym now, I still use a good mix of body weight exercises. Especially in my bootcamp classes as I don’t have enough weights for 6 or more to work out at once and I don’t want to cart them around to the community centers either.

If you’ve been using the lack of a gym or equipment as an excuse not to workout, I hope you are ready to stop. Now drop and give me 20!