Tips for Interval Training on a Treadmill

Interval training involves combining and alternating intense, short “bursts” of exercise with a longer period of moderate to low intensity. You don’t stop, but you do vary the difficulty level. How does this work on a treadmill? You can do this same approach here. Here are some tips for interval training on a treadmill.

1. Five-Minute Cycles

Experts recommend 5-minute cycles for interval training on a treadmill. You work out intensely for 1 minute, and then moderately for 4 minutes.

2. Check Your Treadmill’s Settings

To be able to pull off the interval training, your treadmill will need to have the proper settings. Make sure you know where the timer is, and make sure you know how to switch quickly between grades (how “uphill” the treadmill seems). The kind of treadmill where you can punch in the time is considered better than treadmills that have arrow keys for increasing/decreasing intensity.

3. Warm Up

Count on 30 minutes for your first interval training session. Warm up first with a moderate walking pace at a low incline that you could keep doing for the next half hour if you had to. But you’ll be doing it for only 5 minutes.

4. Up the Intensity

After your warm-up, set your treadmill to a slow jog or very rapid walk, increasing the grade or incline. Keep it up for 1 minute.

5. Back Off

After the first burst of intensity, decrease the speed and go back to your comfortable walking pace and incline. Do this for 4 minutes.

Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you’ve covered 30 minutes.

6. Monitor Your Heart

You never want to push yourself to the point of injury or extreme discomfort. Many treadmills have a heart monitor built in; if yours doesn’t, find another way to monitor your heart rate. Also, knowing your heart’s rate can help you know what your optimal level is so that you know when you can reach and/or maintain it.

7. Drink Water

Keep water handy during your interval workout. You will definitely work up a thirst, and waiting until you are finished may not be the best idea. Experts recommend drinking water throughout your workout. In interval training, you could rehydrate during the periods of moderate exercise.

8. How Often?

Experts recommend weekly interval sessions so that your muscles can repair themselves properly. But working up to three times a week is a healthful goal. You can always do regular walking routines on the days when you are not interval training.

Three Great Interval Training Walking Programs to Burn More Weight

If you’re looking for interval training walking programs, you may be wondering what’s out there. Here are three great interval training walking programs to help you burn more weight.

Lunchtime Walk

If you want to prevent weight gain from your desk or office job, one of the most doable programs for working people is to walk during your lunch hour. Bring a pair of walking shoes to the office and go for it! Here’s how this program works.

First, bring your lunch to work or order take-out. If you bring your lunch, leave your desk at noon and head out. Choose a destination that’s about half a mile away. Walk briskly along the sidewalk and don’t stop for red lights; instead, jog in place or turn down the block. You may add on some distance but one of the keys to interval training is to keep up the intensity.

After about a minute, scale back and walk moderately to your destination. If you ordered take-out, pick it up and head back. If not, simply turn around and head back to the office. Repeat the same alternating program of intensity and moderation.

Treadmill Program

If you have a treadmill, you can do a great interval training program on it. As long as you can adjust the incline and your treadmill has a reliable timer, you can create an effective interval training program using your machine.

First, stretch well, focusing on your calves, buttocks and thighs. Begin with about 5 minutes of moderate walking on a 1% incline (or so). Then up the intensity to a steeper incline and walk hard and fast for 1 minute. Reduce the incline back to 1% and walk moderately for 4 minutes. Experts recommend you repeat this for 30 minutes.

Of course, you can do this at a gym or on a home treadmill.

Speed versus Moderate

If you have access to a track or something similar, you can do the interval program right in your neighborhood. In this case, you can’t control the incline outside, but you can vary the speed.

Once you’ve stretched, walk moderately for 5 minutes. Then speed up to an intense, rapid walk or even a slow jog. Do this intense walking for 1 minute, then go back to the moderate walking for 4 minutes. Again, repeat for 30 minutes.

Remember, during the moderate walking intervals, you still need to keep up a decent pace; don’t amble. Experts say you can tell you’ve hit the right pace when you could keep it up for 30 minutes if you wanted to.

The Pros and Cons of Sending Your Child to Preschool

Your child is getting to be that age, and you may be wondering whether or not he or she will benefit from going to preschool. You also might be feeling some peer pressure or pressure from family as to whether or not you should send your child to school at so young an age. To help you make your decision, here are some pros and cons of sending your child to preschool.

Pros

Here are some of the positive things about sending your child to preschool.

1. Mommy time

Let’s face it – when you send your child to preschool, you have some time to yourself during the day. This is not some “selfish” desire, but a much-needed break. It could also be your chance to start a project that you’ve been meaning to get done, or even just time to run some child-free errands.

2. Easier transition

When it comes time for “real” school, your child may find it easier to go if he has been to preschool. Basically, preschool helps kids get into the “school” mindset, and helps prepare them for this type of schedule that will dominate their lives for the next 12 years or more!

3. Social time

Preschool can provide your child with some socialization and time with others her age. Preschoolers may benefit from being with others, participating in age-appropriate activities that help them form friendships. What’s more, these friendships may help the later transition into grade school, when some of those same friends may be heading off to kindergarten with your child.

4. Preparation for learning

A good preschool will set your child up for success in school. This is achieved mainly through age-appropriate activities that work on reading readiness, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. These activities are primarily preparatory, but that’s the point.

Cons

Here are some of the potential negatives to sending your child to preschool.

1. Separation anxiety

Some children find it very difficult to separate from their primary caregiver in order to spend the day (or part of the day) at preschool. This can be an emotionally draining thing for the both of you, and you may decide it’s not worth it. (And this is okay, by the way!) Watch, too, for persistent anxiety and real fear about going to preschool – it could mean the care there is not optimal.

2. Different ideas on discipline

Not being in agreement with the preschool teacher(s) about discipline can be a big con. If you don’t want your child to be spanked, but you know the preschools in your area employ physical punishment, then you may decide to forego preschool for your child.

3. Illness

Preschools are germ factories, and for some families the hassle and hazard of recurring illnesses can be significant. Constant illness getting passed to family members – especially if someone has compromised immunity – can be a real drawback.

4. Not so social

Despite the social “pro” above, some studies indicate that starting preschool too early (and for your child, the “right” age for preschool may still be too early) actually inhibits social development. This may be because kids thrown into a group too soon don’t have the proper social skills and their brains are too young to develop them, so they may cope by shutting down or acting out.

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Preparing Your Child for Kindergarten

Your child is growing up! He or she is getting to be that age when it’s time to start kindergarten. What can you do to help prepare your child for kindergarten? Here are some tips to help you out.

Read!

All kinds of sources agree that reading aloud to your child is very important for preparing them – not only for reading on their own, but also for school in general. Old-fashioned nursery rhymes have been shown to be helpful in teaching children about language, phonics, and rhyming. So go to the library and stock up on some age-appropriate books and get to reading together!

Clay Letters

Play with clay and show your child how to form letters out of clay. If you like, start with a word he really likes, such as his own name or the name of a favorite pet or toy. This hands-on, tactile activity helps reinforce the concept of forming letters with the hands, and may help prepare your child for handwriting.

Identification

Talk about the names of colors and shapes when you are out and about (or even at home) with your child. Tell her the names of shapes of familiar objects and name the colors. You might play a game of “I spy” to help reinforce this in a fun way. In this game, you say something like, “I spy something red and round,” and then let your child guess what it is. Then your child can choose something and let you guess.

Visit the School and Meet the Teacher

Familiarity can really help your child adjust to kindergarten. See if you can arrange to tour the school and meet the teacher, and hopefully more than once. Let your child see the playground, classroom, and cafeteria of the school.

Independence

See what you can do to foster independence in your child before kindergarten. Practice tying shoes (it’s understandable if your child doesn’t master this right away, but it helps to have a start), dressing himself, and using the bathroom alone. If separation is an issue, practice some separations with caregivers before the big day arrives.

Scissors

We all know not to run with them, but cutting with them is an important school-age skill. Do some fun projects with your child that involve cutting various shapes and lines, from straight to wavy.

Get a Check-Up

Before going to kindergarten, it’s a good idea to visit with your pediatrician for a check-up. Also make sure your child is up-to-date on his vaccinations, and find out what your child’s school requires in this regard.

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Getting Ready – Top Tips for Preparing and Organizing for Back to School

Maybe last year, you got a little tired of books and papers all over the place. And perhaps the kids weren’t getting their homework done before bedtime. Was studying getting done? Did everyone make their appointments and scheduled extracurricular activities? Were your kids prepared for the first day of school last year?

Chances are, you can see room for improvement in your preparation and organization for the school year…and your kids probably agree. Here are some tips for preparing and organizing for back to school that may help.

Get Ahead of the Game

You’re reading this article, so you’re probably already ahead of things! Staying that way can help a lot in preparing and organizing for the upcoming year. Look out for school supplies when you are out doing your regular shopping – pencils, pens, notebooks, etc. often go on sale as stores clean out their inventories in preparation for the upcoming year. Go ahead and buy them at the discounted price and keep a school supply stockpile.

While you are getting ahead, think about clothes. Grab good deals for out-of-season clothes as you are running your regular errands. A lot of getting ahead is a mindset – just always be on the lookout for back to school stuff, even when it’s June and you aren’t in the mood!

Take Inventory

Like the stores, now is a good time to take inventory of what you have. It can be quite an eye-opener when you realize how many school supplies are already around your home. Pens, pencils, paper, and notebooks are often hiding in various places in your house. Pull them all out and throw out what can’t be used, and reuse what is still in good condition.

You can do the same thing for back to school clothes. Take inventory of your kids’ clothing and see if anyone can wear hand-me-downs, for instance, or if you can mix and match clothes. This helps avoid paying for clothes you don’t need, and helps you focus on what you actually do need.

Change of Schedule

Going back to school is often a schedule jolt – sleeping late and staying up to midnight (or after) has to give way to the school year’s early mornings and earlier bedtimes. Try to ease into this schedule before school starts to help everyone prepare for the upcoming change. Go to bed and get up a bit earlier as the school year approaches.

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Adjusting to High School: How Older Siblings Can Help Younger Ones

An older sibling can be a big help in facilitating their younger sibling’s adjustment to high school. After all, younger siblings tend to look up to their older brothers and sisters. But how? Maybe you’re wondering how this could work. Here are some tips and ideas for how older siblings can help younger ones adjust to high school.

Comparing Notes

If siblings are in high school together, the older one likely had some of the same teachers and classes that the younger one is now working with. The older sibling can help the younger by going over his notes from last year (or longer ago) with the younger sibling. This doesn’t mean the younger sibling isn’t taking notes; it is just a way to get more information and enhance what the younger sibling has already taken down.

Tips on Teachers

An older sibling can give the younger some good tips on how to succeed with particular teachers. “Ms. Smith really hates it when you are late,” for instance, or “Mr. Jones gives really hard tests so you’ll need to study.” These tips can be helpful for the younger sibling trying to adjust to high school.

In-House Tutor

Sometimes siblings don’t share the same academic strengths, and the younger one may be struggling with a class or subject that was a breeze for the older one. If the younger sibling is not self-conscious about it and if the older one has the time, he (or she) can tutor his younger sibling in the subject and share tips and learning strategies. Maybe there is a study chart he used, and can help the younger sibling develop a similar chart.

In-House Editor

While you don’t want to burden the older sibling, he can be a big asset as an editor of essays and papers. The older sibling may be able to check over the younger one’s homework and note spelling and grammar mistakes, or give tips as to what the teacher expects in that class. Again, the older sibling is not doing the younger one’s work for him; this is just helping the younger with his own work.

Don’t Recycle Projects or Other Schoolwork

There are some “don’ts” here as well, and this is one of them. Make sure your younger sibling is not pulling out past projects of your older child’s and presenting them as his own. This is a definite no-no! Besides, the teacher is likely to recognize it and give the younger sibling a failing grade.

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Money-Saving Ideas for School Supply Shopping

Whether we like it or not, school supplies can get expensive. From clothes to pencils, it can cost a bundle to send your kids back to school. There are some things you can do, though, to make it less financially painful. Here are some money-saving ideas for school supply shopping.

What’s Shared and What’s Not

Back when you were in school, your school supplies were yours, and usually consisted of pencils, pens, notebooks and binders, and paper. The school provided things like dry erase markers, paper towels, and chalk. Schools are cutting their budgets these days, though, so you may find yourself buying supplies that will be shared. Check your local school system’s website or give them a call and find out what supplies will be pooled and which ones will belong to your student.

Save on the Shared Items

If you know an item is going to be shared with the whole class, such as binders or dry erase markers, skip the fancy ones. Go with the more generic, cheap types.

Speaking of Sharing…

Consider buying items in bulk with a group. Find other parents and families who can go in with you to purchase supplies. They tend to be much cheaper in bulk, and buying large amounts and dividing them up can help save some money.

Coupons

Look for coupons on manufacturer’s and retailer’s websites, and check your local newspaper. Combine the coupons with existing sales, and be willing to move on to the next retailer for the next sale rather than buying all your items at one place.

No Sales Tax

Many areas have a “no sales tax” day when you can buy items without this added tax. This is a good time to buy anything big, such as a small fridge for your college student, or electronics. The bigger the item, the more you save on sales tax. (This is another good time to buy in bulk with friends and family.)

Don’t Forget the Dollar Store

Do you have a store where “everything’s a dollar”? If so, go there! You might be able to find a lot of school supplies for a fraction of what you’d pay at a major retailer.

Start Early

There are a couple of advantages to starting your back-to-school shopping early. For one thing, you are more likely to get the supplies you want and need while stock is still plentiful. Another advantage to starting early is the sale prices. May stores have school supplies discounted early, while it’s still in the middle of summer.

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How to Start a Power Walking Program

You have probably heard that walking is one of the best forms of exercise for overall fitness. It’s also one of the least complicated forms of exercise. But if you want to get the most out of a walking routine, you can’t just amble along. Power walking is a particular type of walking that turns a stroll into a workout. Here are some tips on how to start a power walking program.

Decide Where You’ll Walk

You can go for a treadmill, a track, your neighborhood, or wherever you can get a good, hard stride going. You will be walking in a particular form, so if you are self-conscious about how you appear, you may prefer to walk somewhere a bit more private, such as a quiet neighborhood or a home treadmill. If you like company and appreciate a group setting, a gym treadmill or public track might be just the place.

Gear Up

For power walking, a good pair of walking shoes is essential. You may have to spend a bit, but look for shoes designed for the purpose. The support these shoes offer is important for preventing injury and cushioning your joints. Dress appropriately for the weather, and make sure your clothing allows free movement. Carry a fanny pack for keys, cell phone, and other essentials; a purse won’t do as well.

Schedule Your Walks

Making your walks a regular thing not only helps you get them done, it also improves the overall fitness benefits, sources say. Since you are just beginning, experts recommend starting slowly and working up to 20-30 minutes 5 days a week. In fact, according the fitness experts, it’s best to begin at a moderate walking pace before beginning with the power walking.
Here’s an example of a beginner’s schedule, assuming a week is 5 days of walking:

* First week: Walk for 15 minutes at a moderate pace.

* Second week: Each day, add 5 minutes so you’re walking for 20 minutes. On week 2, you can up the pace for those 5 minutes, so you’re power walking for 5 and moderately walking for 15.

* Third week: Add another 5 minutes a day so you’re walking for 25 minutes – 10 minutes of those will be power walking, 20 moderate.

* Fourth week: Add another 5 minutes. Now you’re power walking for 15 minutes, and moderately walking for 15.

* Fifth week: Begin increasing the number of power walking minutes within your 30-minute walk. Increase in 5-minute intervals as described above until you are power walking for all 30 minutes.

How to Secretly Help Your Family Lose a Little Weight

Does your family groan and complain when you mention diet and exercise? Do they snort in disgust when you add a few more vegetables at the dinner table? Could you all benefit from losing a little weight? Most folks can, and truth is that sometimes helping your family get in shape requires a little covert action.

#1 You Start

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How to Plan Back to School Shopping

Planning is the best way to get the most for your time and money. And when it comes to back to school spending, the goal is often to do it as quickly and as cheaply as possible. While it may seem too soon to start thinking about back to school shopping, it is right around the corner. Planning now will save you later.

Take a Look at What You Usually Spend

Take a look at your bank and credit card statements for the past few years to assess how much you usually spend. This information will help you set a budget for your children this year. Remember that school materials and supplies should be included in the budget along with clothing.

Take a Look at Your Current Budget

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How to Look Fabulous while Being Frugal

Think you need to spend a lot of money to look good? Think again! It’s entirely possible to look fabulous while being frugal. Here are some tips on how you can look great without breaking the bank.

Go Shopping…in Your Closet

If you’re like a lot of people, you probably have stuff hidden in your closet and bureau that you forgot you had. Go shopping – pull everything out and take a look. Include shoes (even those dusty ones from the back of the closet). Put together outfits by creating new combinations.

For example, if you have a skirt and top outfit but the top is stained or damaged, look for another one that works with the skirt. Twin sets are another place to look – maybe the cardigan or top is too worn to wear, but you can take one or the other and put together another set. It won’t be monochrome, but it will be uniquely fabulous!

Clean It Up

Remember those dusty shoes we mentioned? Go ahead and pull them out, along with stained clothes. Give shoes and clothing a second chance. Treat clothing stains with a commercial, oxygen-based treatment and run them through the washing machine.

Shoe stains can often be lifted with store-bought cleaners or baking soda and a brush (baking soda helps odor, too). Use shoe polish on leather shoes. Suede shoes can be brushed with a stiff brush. Water stains, ironically, can be washed out with water. Brush on the water in a thin coat, paying special attention to the edges of the water stains, and allow to dry.

Give clothing a new life with ironing and stitching up small rips and tears. If you can’t do that, look into iron-on patches.
The point is to take a little time and clean up your clothes rather than just giving them away and buying new ones.

Don’t Shun Used

Some people get all kinds of compliments on yard-sale outfits and consignment shop finds. Don’t forget your existing wardrobe as you shop for used clothes – you may find the perfect shirt to go with a skirt, or a top that will look great with one of your existing pairs of pants.

Don’t forget about online options, too. The internet offers an enormous selection of used clothing on eBay and other online venues. You can often find name-brand items for a fraction of the price, and sometimes they have not even been worn or worn only once.

Hair and Accessories

Save money by coloring your hair at home (if you color it). Put styling aids like curling irons and hot rollers to use rather than paying for a salon job. When you get your hair trimmed, see if you can get just a trim, nothing else. It costs a lot less. Experiment with styling your hair yourself, or with various up-dos.

Antique stores and yard sales are great places to find used but beautiful jewelry. You can often find unique pieces that will get you lots of positive attention. Think outside the department store!

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