Make Fitness a Fun Hobby

This week several emails had to do with exercising outside now that the weather is starting to get nicer around the nation. Many questions were about yard work compared to exercise and other rigorous activities common to the Spring Season. I have found that the caloric expenditure in many of these outdoor activities is comparable to running, walking, and even calisthenics /weight training. The problem that many people face with seasonal "hobbies" is that a good part of the year little or no physical activity gets accomplished. That is where I come in!

Starting a fitness plan HAS to eventually become a habit that you enjoy or even moderately enjoy in order to maintain with any consistency. Many of the ideas below are adapted from the Stew Smith's eBooks and book workout plans and used to create functional fitness or "hobby fitness" routines you can use anywhere and anytime. Your exercise / health plan has to incorporate the following components.

1) Cardio vascular exercise: Activities such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming, rowing a boat, climbing steps all increase the heart rate and helps improve heart and circulatory functions. Burning calories is also a byproduct of these activities. To give you an idea of what it takes to burn 100 calories (that's one cookie by the way) you have to walk 30 minutes, OR jog 17 minutes, OR rake leaves for nearly 60 minutes.

2) Resistance Training: Weights or body weight calisthenics are great examples of muscles building and bone strengthening resistance training exercises. Lifting heavy items such as plants and bags of leaves can substitute as resistance training exercises as well burn the above cookie in about 40 minutes. Circuit training can burn the same amount of calories in 15 minutes and weight training alone can accomplish it in 20 minutes.

3) Do not forget number three which includes: Stretching, drinking water and eating properly. All of these must become habits for a lifestyle of health to be effective. Many people try to lose weight by only dieting and dropping the calorie intake to under 1000 calories a day with little or no exercise. The problem with "eating to lose weight" is that your metabolism drops with your weight which causes the body to quickly add weight when the dieting stops. By combining all three of the above components, you will feel better, lose weight, become more fit and healthy, and increase the metabolic rate, which will burn that 100 calorie cookie faster even when resting.

Good luck on fitting fitness into your schedule and making it a habit. Take a look at the StewSmith.com Articles for great tips on exercise routines that build muscles, burn fat, and make you feel great. Please feel free to email your questions at stew@stewsmith.com and check out the StewSmith.com Fitness Store - I am sure there is something for everybody in there.

 

 

Stew Smith's published books can be found in major bookstores and online retailers. They include:

NEW BOOKS / DVDs listed in RED

Published Books / DVDs 

Complete Guide to Navy SEAL Fitness (Book / DVD)
Maximum Fitness
 The Special Operations Workout
 The SWAT Workout - From Recruit to SWAT Team Member
The Combat Swimmer Stroke DVD
The Pre-Habit Workout DVD
 Clinic DVD for Navy SEAL PST
 PFT Clinic for All Service Academies CFA
The FBI Special Agent Test Clinic DVD
Clinic on DVD for the Pushups, Situps, 1.5 mile Run PFT

The Complete List of Stew Smith's eBooks:

 

Fitness for All Levels of Fitness

The 90 Day Beginner Guide to Fitness
The Advanced Maintenance and Recovery Program

Reclaim Your Life - The Erin O'Neill Program

Veteran's Fitness - Baby Boomer and a Flat Stomach

The Busy Executive Workout Routine
The Advanced Weights / PT Workout (Fall / Winter Weight Gain Cycle)
The Perfect Pushup Workout
The TRX Workout
NEW - Circuit Training 101 ebook

The Special Forces Physical Fitness Workouts
 Combat Conditioning Workout

Navy SEAL Workout Phase 1  Beginner Weeks 1-9
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 2 - 3 - Intermediate Weeks 1-12
Navy SEAL Workout Phase 4  Grinder PT -  Four weeks before Hell Week
Navy SWCC Workout

The Army Special Forces / Ranger Workout 

The Army Air Assault School Workout

The Army Airborne Workout

USMC RECON Workout

Air Force PJ / CCT Workout

 The Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Workout

The OCS, ROTC, Service Academy, & Bootcamp Workouts

Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard OCS Workout

The USMC IST and PFT Workout

USMC OCS / TBS Workout
The Service Academy Workout (West Point, Navy, Air Force Academy)

The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corp Bootcamp Workout

The Army OCS and PFT Workout
The PFT Bible - Military / Police Standard PFT

 

The Law Enforcement Physical Fitness Test Workouts

The FBI Academy / PFT Prep Workout

The DEA Prep Workout

The FLETC Prep Workout - Ace the PEB

The State / Local Police Academy Workout

The Fire Fighter Workout
 

           

                

 

 

 
 

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Some Titles Above available in Print Softcover Format