That's Fit

I recently came across this agility workout at Women's Health, which got me thinking about the role agility plays in everyday life. If you have kids or dogs and run around with them, you know how beneficial it is to be able to stop on a dime and switch direction. And, it goes without saying that if you compete in sports, agility is a must. But what about the rest of the time?

Agility comes in handy in a million daily situations. You're walking through the office and see that open drawer at the last second -- with good agility, you'll avoid it without knocking yourself over. Or at home, in the kitchen, you pull something hot out of the oven, turn around, and ... there's your cat, right under your feet. If you're agile, you can avoid hurting Fluffy and still get dinner to the table.

Check out the exercises Women's Health suggests for agility -- they can all be done in your home. Additionally, consider jumping rope. If that's easy for you, do some fancy footwork between jumps. You'll be super-graceful (and in great shape) in no time!

Do you have trouble jumping rope? You won't with the JumpSnap, which is something we've talked about here at That's Fit once before, but it warrants another turn.

Jumping rope is, by all accounts, an excellent workout. And, there are loads of reasons to do it -- jump ropes aren't necessarily all that expensive, you don't need a partner, and it doesn't require much room.

However, as I found when I coached volleyball and asked my players to jump rope, there is one serious problem with it -- some people are really, truly bad at it. Honestly, I had a team of 12 girls, all of whom were in great shape and very athletic, but about half of them had real trouble jumping rope at a decent pace, which totally shocked me.

For those of you who just celebrated the Easter holiday, there's a good chance that you have a chocolate bunny or two still lying around. The question now becomes, how long can you go without eating it?

Just in case you had any intention of caving, here are some quick stats that will likely make you change your mind.

A 6oz Solid Chocolate Easter Bunny contains 920 calories. Remember that figure. 920 calories.

To burn that many calories, you would have to do one of the following exercises (based on a 175 pound person):

• 70 minutes of Step, high-impact aerobics
• 70 minutes of running at 6mph
• 70 minutes of jumping rope
• 70 minutes of water polo
• 70 minutes of competitive racquetball
• 70 minutes of boxing, sparring
• 140 minutes of softball
• 140 minutes of walking at 4.5mph
• 140 minutes of whitewater rafting
• 210 minutes of Frisbee
• 210 minutes of volleyball (non-competitive)
• 210 minutes of weight lifting (general)

How harmless is that little, 920-calorie chocolate bunny now?

While it may seem a bit childish to break out the ol' jump rope, knowing that top level athletes are using rope jumping as part of their own exercise routine may make you feel a bit better. It's a great way to burn some calories, but it does take some practice to start doing it right.

These tips should help get you off on the right foot.

1 - Don't jump too high off of the ground. I find this to be the single-most problematic part for people who try jumping rope for the first time. The key is to get a nice bounce off the balls of your feet, probably no more than a few inches off the ground.

2 - Vary your rope speed. Just like any exercise, if you jump rope for the same amount of time and with the same rope speed day after day, you're body will soon adjust and your results will plateau. To avoid this, constantly mix-up the speed and duration of your jump rope workout.

3 - Try some fancy footwork. Once you feel as though you have a pretty good handle on the basic two-feet-at-a-time style, perhaps you can throw in the "boxing step" (which involves bouncing on one foot for a few passes of the rope and then swapping feet and bouncing on the other for a few more), or even some "double unders" (wherein you pass the rope two times under your feet in a single jump).

4 - Work out at your own pace. If you can only jump rope for ten passes and then need to take a break, then that's what you should start off by doing. I promise you, in time you will be able to do far more than that. But, for now, don't push yourself to the point of absolute exhaustion.

5 - Put on some good tunes. Music is not only a great way to avoid becoming bored during a workout, but it can also serve as a physical metronome for you. If a particular song is more fast paced, then maybe you want to tailor your jump rope speed to match the cadence of the song. Then, if the next song is somewhat slower, use this period as a cool-down.

Jumping rope is a fun way to burn some serious calories. You don't have to be Floyd Mayweather, Jr. with that rope to get the job done, so just be yourself and jump start your way to a fitter self.

We may be over the hump, but the holidays aren't over yet! Are you headed somewhere to celebrate the New Year? I'm hopping on a plane, which means just when I want to look my cutest for the party I'll be smack in the middle of eating out all the time and having no time or place for my usual exercise routine. I may not be able to do exactly what I normally would at home, but many exercises travel just fine. Some that can be done almost anywhere with little or no equipment:

It's starting to get really, really cold out there. My New England self envies any of you living in warmer climates right now. Being more of a gym person than an outdoor workout type, my only real exposure to the elements fortunately lasts for the forty-three seconds it takes to walk from my car to the gym entrance. But, there will soon be days when the roads are not plowed, the gym is closed, and taking my routine outside is just plain crazy. It's good to know that even on such crummy days as those I just described, there are ways to burn some calories without ever leaving the house.

Here are five simple ways to burn at least 100 calories:

5. Dance like nobody is watching for 15 minutes. Pop in that CD (you know which one -- the one that you keep hidden from the rest of your CD collection because you don't want people to know that you actually own it) and dance around your living room like it's your last day on earth. The good news is that you probably have many, many more days ahead of you, and that you just burned 112 calories.

4. Jump rope for 10 minutes. If you own a home, this shouldn't be much of a problem. But, if you rent an apartment and it happens to be on an upper level, the people living below you may hate you. Oh well, you can't please everyone. Such are the sacrifices we make for burning 115 calories.

3. Mop the floors for 30 minutes. Decidedly less fun than the past two options, mopping the floor is nonetheless a more physical activity than it may seem. Proof of this is the fact that you will burn 121 calories.

2. Walk up and down your stairs for 30 minutes. Halfway through this exercise, you'll probably wish you had chosen to mop the floor. After a solid half an hour on the stairs, you will have burned 190 calories.

1. Play with your dog for 30 minutes. Aaah, now this one sounds fun. If you're snowed in, that dog of yours is likely feeling just as much cabin fever as you. The opportunity to run around, chew on its favorite toy, and play fetch (albeit, a rather confined version of the game) will not only bring your canine friend a great deal of joy, but it will also help you burn 100 calories.

Jump roping really is excellent exercise. It's a great cardiovascular workout, does wonders to tone your calves and thighs, builds endurance, and even appeals to your inner child by being so much fun. But unfortunately you also need a lot of space to let that rope go flying around -- or do you? Not if you have this Ropeless Jump Rope. Now you can jump rope anywhere you can jump! It makes a snapping sound to help you keep a good rhythm, plus it tracks calories burned, jump repetitions, and how long you've been exercising. It even has a talking mode that will keep you up-to-speed as you go.


Via Book of Joe

It's no secret that aerobic exercise is good for you. It lowers the possibility of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and elevates your mood, among other benefits. For those just starting out though, it may be tough to know what kind of exercise will be of the most benefit. If you're unsure of what type of cardio to try, here's a list of 5 great workouts:

• Walking/Running - Walking is fantastic because nearly everyone can do it and it can be done pretty much anywhere. Plus it's cheap and it's easy on your body. As the article mentions, running burns more calories but is tough on your joints so make sure to invest in a really good pair of shoes.
• Swimming - Depending on the stroke, swimming engages a number of muscles at a time. Legs and arms work together and it's usually necessary to tighten up your core as well. This exercise is easy on joints so is better for those who have trouble with running or even walking. And based on my experience, swimming is great because you stay cool while burning calories.
• Jumping Rope - Have you tried jumping rope lately? It's darn tough! I don't remember getting so out of breath when I was younger, but a jump rope will have your heart rate up fast. Plus they're cheap and easy to use. But again, this activity can be tough on joints.
• Biking/Spinning - I admit that cycling on an indoor stationary bike is one of my least favorite activities. But it does burn calories, so if you can work hard (which is tough while reading a book, for those of you out there who I've seen diving into a novel while on the bike) and imagine away the monotony, it'll do you a lot of good. Biking outdoors, when the weather permits, is fantastic though and is a great way to get some fresh air and exercise.
• Cross-country skiing - From what I remember of cross-country skiing, it doesn't look hard to glide across the snow, but this is one activity that will literally get your butt into shape. You'll work both legs and arms (they'll be shaky when you're done, trust me) and if you don't start to feel short of breath right away, you're probably sliding down a hill. Plus it's a great way to enjoy the great outdoors in the winter.