There is something magical about dancing and it has transformed many lives. Much like an exercise program, it can change your body, mind and soul. An awakening of the spirit, dancing is a great way to express the inner you. Dancing can help you lose weight and get in shape, too.

As a personal trainer who specializes in women’s fitness, I encourage ladies to dance as a form of aerobic exercise. Just 30 minutes of exercise each day will help any woman lose weight and stay in shape. Dancing your way to health is just another way to ensure you get the most from your workout routine.

There are many dances that help you get in shape but no matter which dances you choose to learn, remember to engage your core with every move that you make. This means to keep your spine straight, your navel drawn in towards your spine, and your shoulders held down your back. Much like holding your stomach in, but you must stay mentally aware of your posture at all times. Keeping your core engaged helps to protect your back from injury. A Pilates’ principle developed with dancers in mind that helps to tone and strengthen your torso and give it that lovely, long lean look reminiscent of a dancer’s body.

There are many dances that will work as part of your aerobic program. You can choose Zumba, Salsa, Line Dancing, Tap, Jazz, Ballet, Pole Dancing, Belly Dancing, or Creative Dancing. Keep in mind that whichever one you choose, it should elevate your heartbeat and keep it accelerated for at least 30 minutes. Cardio exercises need to elevate your heart rate for at least 20 minutes in order to have any beneficial effect.

Fitness4Her is a diet, exercise program and online journal developed exclusively for women. My easy-to-follow exercise program includes cardio exercises like dancing, walking, jogging, cycling and playing sports. Combined with strength training exercises designed for a woman’s body, adding dancing to your workout is a great way to fuel your fitness fever.

Exercises that work your gluteus muscles like squats are excellent for working helping to tone and shape your butt. Squats also strengthen your legs and hips for an excellent lower body workout. Add weights for an enhanced effect, but master the basic exercise first. Remember that form is as equally important when exercising as the amount of weight you lift or the speed at which you complete the exercise.

Lunges are also great for sculpting the butt. Lunges work the muscles in the back of the legs, reducing fat and toning the muscles to give a nice smooth silhouette to your legs and butt. These exercises are easy to do in the comfort of your own home. You only need a small area to work out, but be sure to use a mat for the most comfort and safety when doing resistance exercises such as these.

No matter which part of your body that you are working on, be sure to keep your core engaged throughout the workout. Engaging the core muscles will help to strengthen you back and flatten your tummy for that long, lean look of a dancer’s body. The core muscles are those that are along the front and back side of your body from your pelvic area to just under your breast area. To engage the core, pull your navel in towards your spine as if a magnet is sucking it inward. Hold those muscles and practice engaging your core while you exercise and then during all other activities, as well.

For more exercises to enhance your butt, see my lower body workout exercises, designed to help you build a beautiful butt and keep you in shape for the rest of your life.

Resistance exercises can be done in a gym but they can just as easily be done in your own home. Always use a mat to give yourself some cushion from the floor or carpet. You must exercise at least 30 minutes every other day in order to see any results. Remember, in order to build and tone muscles to achieve muscular definition, you need to work your muscle to the point of muscle fatigue.

Many women fear resistance training especially with weights. They are afraid they will develop manly looking muscles. This is not true. The exercises that I will introduce to you are designed to accentuate your curves and tighten your core for the long lean look of a dancer’s body.

Fitness4Her’s 30 Minutes To A New You exercises are designed to build, strengthen and stretch your muscles through a series of repetitions (reps) over a specific number of times, called ‘sets’. The number of reps and sets you should do depends on how healthy your muscles are.

Weight lifting can help to achieve muscle definition quickly but you need to go slow, especially if you haven’t lifted weights in a while, or never done any weight lifting at all. After a faithful and dedicated program of resistance training, your muscles will become stronger and more flexible. Soon, you’ll begin to notice the beautiful curves created by your well-toned muscles!

Get this … building muscle has some hidden benefits. Each pound of muscle can burn 50 calories a day! The more muscular your body becomes the easier it is to burn calories. You’ll even burn calories when you sleep. It’s a proven fact that muscle burns fat even at rest.

Hormone imbalance can lead to all sorts of hair problems, like too much hair growth or hair loss. But conditions like poor circulation or diabetes can also cause hair loss. That’s why it is important to stay active throughout your life to protect your health and keep you feeling and looking your best.

Cardio exercises, those that increase the heart beat for at least 20 minutes or longer, improve circulation by speeding up the flow of blood throughout the body. This blood flow gives oxygen to all of the cells thus improving the health and condition of every part of the body, including the hair.

While excessive exercise has been blamed for certain types of hair loss, a healthy exercise program will promote health and fitness for the entire body. Fitness4Her promotes women’s health and women’s fitness and that includes empowering beauty in the entire woman. An exercise program and diet plan that includes cardio and strength training exercises, Fitness4Her can help you get in shape the healthy way in as little as 30 minutes a day.

Diet is important for healthy hair too. It is important at all times, but especially when you participate in a women’s fitness program to eat protein at every meal. Protein is the building block for every cell in the body, when you exercise regularly, your body uses up the protein and needs more to grow. Because the muscles require so much protein for growth, you may need additional protein. Always consult your health professional before beginning any diet or exercise program.

Beautiful, healthy hair and a toned and trim body…it’s all attainable and highly possible when you join Fitness4Her.com. A women’s fitness program that includes an easy to follow diet, a carefully planned exercise program and the inspiration and motivation of a journal to keep you on track…join Fitness4Her, today.

Diet plays a major role in keeping the tummy under control. Protein, the building block of every cell in the body, should be eaten at each meal. Protein sources that are low in saturated fat are the best choices and can be found in vegetables and legumes as well as meat. Foods like beans, avocadoes, and chicken are great examples of low-fat protein. These foods are also easily digested, with less chance of being stored as fat reserves in the body.

Exercise however, is the best way to work your core muscles to attain that sleek, long, flat look for both the tummy and the tush. A plan that includes both cardio and strength training exercises has repeatedly rendered the best results. But in order to get that sculpted muscular look, it’s going to take specific exercises to work that area.

You’ll want to choose exercises like abdominal crunches, sit ups, Pilates 100’s, as well as spinning classes, tennis, and even dancing. All of these exercises concentrate on working the core muscles that strengthen the back and stomach muscles. If you consistently work at these exercises your core muscles will become stronger and muscle memory will improve. After a while you will become mindful of these exercises even during everyday activities like reaching, bending and stretching.

In no time at all, you can flatten your tummy and tone your tush. It takes as little as 30 minutes a day to improve your overall fitness and develop a sexier and more beautiful body. The benefits are both internal and external and can help you feel more vibrant and improve the quality of your liveliness.

Aerobic exercise, any exercise that increases the heart rate for at least 20 minutes, is great for improving circulation, which encourages nail growth. But the length of the nail is not the only indicator of health. Proper blood flow to the nail bed is the foundation to nail growth. That along with the condition of the nail bed on both the fingers and toes is important to having strong, beautiful nails.

Strength training exercises are helpful for nail health too. That’s because strength or resistance training exercises help to build muscle tissue and also improve circulation. These exercises help to balance hormone levels and break down proteins for use throughout the body.

Exercise alleviates stress, an enemy of beautiful nails. Exercise also discourages nail biting, especially if you add weights to your workout. It becomes almost impossible to bite your nails when you are holding a 3 lb dumbbell in your hand. But seriously, the more activity you participate in, the busier you keep your hands, the less likely you will have them in your mouth, chewing nervously at your nails.

Of cours, beautiful nails also depend on the way you take care of them on the outside, too. Regular manicures either by a professional or at home are essential to having lovely, long nails. Wearing protection, like rubber gloves when cleaning and warm gloves to protect from the cold will also encourage nail growth and avoid breaking and peeling of the nail

Exercise will give you a sexier looking body, beautiful nails and luscious hair. It’s been shown to improve skin tone and restore the beauty of youth. Fitness4Her has a great exercise program that can help you get fit in as little as 30 minutes a day. With all the benefits that exercise provides, I know you will want to get started right away. Join Fitness4Her today and empower the beauty in you.

• Aerobic exercise builds endurance and promotes circulation by increasing the heart rate. As this occurs, blood is circulated quicker throughout the body, thereby increasing circulation and depositing nutrients to the skin cells, which helps to improve a woman’s skin.

• Both aerobic and strength training exercises help to rid the skin of potentially damaging toxins. Sweating during exercise helps to clean clogged pores. Be sure to keep a clean towel to wipe sweat away.

• Exercise has been found to increase collagen growth in some people. A main component to keeping skin looking young, collagen is the fiber that protects the skin from wrinkles and lines.

• One of the most amazing benefits of exercise is the ability to improve acne-prone skin. That’s because exercise helps to reduce stress, a major contributor to break-outs. When women are under stress, their adrenal gland produces male type hormones that in turn cause blemishes and clogged pores.

Exercise has long been known to help control weight, build strength, improve flexibility and provide lifelong benefits for healthy living. The facts above are proof that exercise can help to give a woman beautiful skin as well. This evidence is reason enough to begin an exercise program today.

If you are looking for an exercise program that will help you to lose weight and get in shape for life, Fitness4Her offers complete step-by-step exercises that will get you started and keep you motivated to reach your fitness goals.

When I was much younger, I used to wonder why it was that many women I knew began to gain weight somewhere around the time of their 40th birthday. As I matured, I discovered many things about my body that as a young person I was just never aware of. One thing in particular, was the way my hormones changed and my body’s reaction to these changes. I sort of assumed that as long as I continued what I was doing and kept a positive attitude that I would be able to keep my girlish figure forever.

Three boys later, I found that my body was something that I could not ignore, not if I wanted to stay at a healthy weight and an attractive size. Unfortunately, my old tricks of getting back in shape did not work the same on my aging body as it did on my youthful frame. With my hormones all out of wack, I needed something more to get me back on the right track. I needed a full-charge women’s fitness program.

The fact is that women need at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, just to maintain their weight. That means even without changing your diet, you will begin to gain weight as you age, especially after the age of 40. But that is no reason to throw in the towel!

Now, more than any time in your life, exercise and regular physical activity are crucial to your overall health. Apart from the obvious physical attributes that women’s fitness provides, staying active will strengthen your heart, lower blood pressure, help to fight diabetes and the complications of that disease and improve your balance and flexibility.

You’ve no doubt heard the saying, “use it or lose it,” it is so true when it comes to exercise. By working our muscles daily, we keep them flexible and strong for all the normal daily activities that we require of our bodies. Women who participate in a regular exercise program have a greater range of motion and are less likely to suffer injuries associated with stiff muscles and joints.

Turning 40 is something to celebrate, so make sure you do something special for yourself that will ensure you have many more birthday parties to attend in the future. If you haven’t started already, begin an exercise program today.

Exercise as well as diet must play equal parts in women’s fitness. Not only will the combination of the two help you to achieve your desired weight and size, both have the power to make you feel good and look great.

To dump your love handles once and for all, commit to an exercise program that consists of cardio or aerobic exercises to burn fat, and resistance exercises that build strength. Power walking, jogging, swimming, skating, cycling, elliptical training and playing games like tennis and racquetball are terrific ways to get the aerobic exercise you need.

Your six muscles referred to as the abs are the Transverses Abdominis, Two Internal Obliques, Two External Obliques, and the Rectus Abdominis. Working these muscles will not only give you the famed six-pack abs, they also give you better posture, for back pain relief, and help you when you bend-over, or reach for objects on upper shelves.

Resistance exercises that emphasize core strength are some of the best ways to tighten your abs and flatten the tummy. These exercises work the muscles in the stomach, sides and back. The following exercises are based on the Pilates principle of engaging the core muscle. To engage the core muscles you need pull your stomach in and imagine that you are pressing your belly button into your spine.

Hold this position throughout the exercise.
• Pilates 100
• Single Leg Stretch
• Pilates Roll Over
• Squat with Double Hammer Curl

For step-by-step instructions on doing any of the above exercises as well as others, simply click on the Exercise Section under Members Only. Don’t forget your towel, exercise mat and water bottle, handy tools that make your work out work for you.

Burning calories is the path to losing weight and exercises that burn the most calories will certainly help you to lose weight quickly. However, high intensity exercises can lead to over stressed muscles, injuries or burn out. That’s why low stress exercises like walking are very effective for losing weight, at least for a while.

Walking is a wonderful way to get your weight loss program off to a good start. However, if you want to continue or increase your weight loss results or avoid getting bored with your activity, why not add some other aerobic activities to your program. High intensity exercises like running or playing tennis will burn many more calories in the same amount of time. Alternating the two different types of cardio activities will help you to lose weight. Add strength-training exercises to build muscle and keep your body in shape for all the aerobics.

Strength-training exercises are the secret to losing a greater amount of weight. That’s because these exercises help to build muscle and muscles burn calories in order to grow. Even after exercise these muscles are burning calories, which is another great reason to exercise regularly.

Keep in mind that if you want to lose weight and keep it off, a complete women’s fitness program is the best way to shed those pounds, worry free. One that incorporates a healthy diet with a variety of exercise is a great way to have fun and take off the weight effortlessly. So whether you like it long and slow or fast and hard, mix up your routine for the fastest and most lasting results.