Fitness Overview Fitness Plan Fitness Column Fitness Column Archive Fitness Column Living Fit Series Fall Into Fitness By Melissa Brown, Certified Fitness Trainer Fall has arrived! The days are getting shorter, the nights a little cooler. This is the perfect time to jump-start an exercise program before the holidays arrive. Here are some fun ideas that will help you begin a program or add a little change to your same old workout. Exercises Cardio Depending on your geographic location you may have the changing of leaves in your mountains. This is a great time to get out and enjoy the beauty before winter arrives. You can take a bike ride, or go for a walk or run in the mountains. You could even get the family together for a nature scavenger hunt. Listed below is the calorie expenditure in a one hour period for the activities discussed above. Biking  at a moderate pace: approximately 450 calories Running at 6.5 mph: approximately 700 calories Hiking at a moderate pace: 500 calories Walking at 4.0 mph: approximately 200 calories Yard Work Now is also the time when most of us are cleaning up the yard from summer. Yard work burns more calories than you would think with an average of 350 calories per hour. Raking leaves will not only increase your heart rate, but it works the muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, and abdominals. Top Toning Exercises ACE (American Council on Exercise) has come out with its list of top exercises to make your body tighter. These exercises can be done at the gym or at home. If you would like a little fresh air, try these exercises in your backyard; this adds a peaceful dynamic to traditional exercises. The bicycle maneuver: One of the most effective abdominal exercises that you can do. This exercise works every muscle that makes up your abdominals. While lying on your back, bend your knees into a 90 degree angle. From there bring the upper body up and alternate sides right and left bringing your elbow toward your knee. If you want less resistance extend your legs higher up in the air. Make sure that you breathe through the exercise and keep your abdominals engaged. Abdominal crunch on an exercise ball: Lying on the ball with your back supported, slowly crunch up and resist on the way back down, engaging the abdominals. Extended leg crunch: While lying on your back, extend your legs so you have a slight bend in your knees, and they are barely off of the mat. From there, bring the upper body up as if you were doing a basic crunch, keeping the legs in the same position. Squats: Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. Sit down as if you were going to sit in a chair, and from there, come back up to your starting position. Keep a slight bend in your knees, making sure not to lock them out at the top. You can do this with or without weights. Walking lunges: While stabilizing on the left leg extend the right leg forward, leaning into exercise. Come back up to starting position. Switch legs and start over. Make sure that you keep the extending knee from going beyond the front of your toe. Pushups: This exercise has many variations. You can do these on your toes, against a wall, on a ball, or on your knees. Being on your toes or the ball will give you extra resistance. Depending what position you start with, you want to lower the upper body to the mat and then push up from there, keeping a slight bend in your elbows to prevent hyperextension. These exercises work every major muscle in the body. Remember if you’re just starting or just getting back after a break, take it slow. Start with 1-2 sets of 8-10 repetitions and move up from there. With lunges and squats, if you can’t go through the full range of motion, come down to a level that is comfortable for you. References: weightlossforall.com, American Council on Exercis Send your fitness questions to Prothin@neways.com today! Melissa Brown is a certified group and personal fitness trainer and counselor. She teaches classes in Pilates, spinning, weight lifting, and circuit training. Melissa writes Living Fit exclusively for the Neways ProThin Weight Management System. * Consult your physician prior to beginning an exercise program if pregnant, nursing, taking medication, under a physicians care or if you have any medical condition.