Gym friendly flip flops

Finally! I was starting to think this day would never come; flip flops that get your gams (a.k.a legs) in shape? Okay, well not flip flops but FitFlop Shoes. These athletic flip flops may very well replace tennis shoes at the gym, which is fine by me. I hate wearing tennis shoes, to the gym or any other place.

Okay, so before I say something that’s going to get me sued let me step back a minute and clarify a few things about the FitFlop. First, FitFlops are not to be substituted for tennis shoes at the gym, no matter how much we would like them to be. The whole idea behind FitFlops is helping women fit leg toning exercise into their everyday routine. When you have 2 kids, a husband, pets, a full time job, church functions, and motherhood to deal with it is very likely that hitting the gym is at the bottom of your to do list, and that’s if it makes it onto the list at all. So, you slide on a pair of FitFlops, run all your errands, and by the time you get home you’ve just given your legs a good workout.

How does this ingenious product work? In a nutshell,

Fitflops feature patent-pending micro-wobbleboard technology so every step your take in your FitFlops helps tone and trim your legs.

Amazing; right? That’s why we love them! The best part is that they come in tons of colors, cuts, and fabrics to go with any outfit. They even have a FitFlop thong sandal doused in glitter! Pick up a pair for gorgeous gams and the easiest workout you’ve never had.

10 Exercises to tone your arms

Getting older stops being fun after the age of 21, in my opinion. Though I hear turning 30 is great, but it’s not something I’m looking forward to, however it beats the alternative. That being said, it seems like the minute I turned 20 my body changed again. My metabolism slowed down and I got a little curvier. Don’t get me wrong, I love my curves but I could have done without the slowing down of my metabolism. These days I have to actually put forth effort to stay slim and trim. Besides trying to keep my midsection svelte, I’m on a mission to get my arms nice and toned. If they can hold a candle to First Lady Michelle Obama’s arms, then I’ll be a happy woman. These 10 exercises are sure to do the trick to get my arms, and yours, perfectly toned and ready to bare. These moves are easy to do, and don’t require a gym. All you need is a chair and some free weights. So get to it, already!

1. Double Arm Lift
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and slightly bend your knees. If you don’t have free weights, utilize something around the house like a bag of frozen vegetables, canned food or water bottle as a weight for each hand. Holding the weights in your palms, let your arms drop in front of you and hold your fists about 6 inches away from the tops of your thighs.

Making sure to keep your shoulders down and not scrunched toward your ears, raise your fists to shoulder height, maintaining a straight line throughout your arms. You can do this by imagining there is a board connecting your shoulders to your wrists. Hold this position for 5 seconds, and then lower your fists back to your thighs in one fluid, steady motion.

2. Water Drop
Seated on the edge of a sturdy chair, keep your back in a straight line and constrict your abdominals. Using your water bottle or canned food as weight, lift your arms over your head while holding the weight with both hands. Lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows until you feel a strong resistance or the weight touches your back. Slowly lift the weight back above your head, keeping your abs tight and your back straight. Repeat.

3. Easy Arm Extensions
Grasp a weight in each hand while keeping your abs tight and your knees slightly bent. With back straight, lower your upper body by hinging your hips forward to about a 45 degree angle from your lower body. Extend your arms back as though you are handing your weights to someone behind you, all without moving your upper arms. Slowly curl your arms back into the starting position and pause before repeating.

4. Easy Curls
Sitting in a chair with a straight back and torso, relax your arms along the side of your body. With your palms facing the ceiling, grip your weights and slowly curl them up and toward your shoulders. Pause for a few seconds before slowly lowering your arms back down again.

5. Twisted Raise
Stand again with your feet hip-width apart, while slightly bending your knees and holding your weights in the palms of each hand. Let your arms hang naturally by your sides with your palms facing the side of your thigh. Keeping your shoulders down, lift your arms straight out from your sides, keeping them in one vertical plane with the rest of your body. Rotate your arms, turning your palms toward the ceiling. Hold for 5 seconds before rolling your palms back toward the floor.

6. Triceps Push-Up
After placing a towel or yoga mat on the floor to prevent slipping, start on your hands and knees. Walk your hands forward and lift your hips toward the ceiling. Extend your spine in a straight line like it is a board connecting your neck to your tailbone. Tuck your elbows back so they stay at your sides and slowly lower your chest toward the floor, keeping your back straight. Keep your body 2 to 4 inches above the floor. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then raise slowly back into the starting position.

7. Triceps Dips
Seated on the edge of a chair, place your hands behind your hips, using your palms to support your body weight. Angle your elbows outward before lowering your hips slowly toward the floor. Keeping your body angled slightly forward, straighten your elbows, but stop the motion before they are completely straightened (do not lock your elbows). Pressing your weight onto your hands, slowly push yourself back up into the starting position.

8. Slow Row
Sitting on your towel or yoga mat with your legs straight, wrap a T-shirt or towel behind the soles of your feet. Grasping one end of the shirt or towel in each of your hands, push your shoulders and elbows back so that your elbows are behind you. This motion should provide enough resistance to give the shirt or towel a firm stretch. Slowly return to your starting position and pause for a few seconds between repetitions.

9. Plank
Lie face down on your towel or mat with your palms shoulder-width apart and your toes digging slightly into the floor. Breathing in deeply, push your entire body (except for your toes) off the floor. Constricting your abs, keep your back straight and balance all of your body weight on your arms and feet. Breathing normally, keep your back horizontal and maintain the position steadily for 20 seconds. Slowly lower your body to the floor and rest before repeating.

10. Sun Lift
Lie on your back. With your arms outstretched to your sides, lie on your towel or mat and grasp your weights with the palms of your hands facing up. Keeping your arms straight, constrict your abs and then lift your arms to meet one another above your chest. Breathe normally and hold this position for 10 seconds. Slowly lower your arms to starting position.

Courtesy of Sarah Toler and LifeScript

4 Million pounds and counting

Who hasn’t heard of The 50 Million Pound Challenge? Awe…it’s okay if you haven’t. Let me clue you in. The 50 Million Pound Challenge is the brilliant idea from Dr. Ian K. Smith. He has partnered with State Farm to fight obesity and promote the health and physical well being of millions of Americans.

The challenge is an effort to combat the overweight crisis affecting the country. With 66% of American adults, 17% of US teens, and even more alarming numbers in the African American community being considered overweight, Dr. Ian knew something had to be done to face this problem head on. The solution? Teach us how to reverse unhealthy trends, shed excess pounds, and reducing the risk of overweight related health risks. By establishing a community where we can pool our resources and offer support, Dr. Ian and State Farm are helping us live happier, healthier, and longer lives one pound at a time.

Get a free Challenge Kit and join The 50 Million Pound Challenge.

My fitness journey

What prompts us to get fit? It can be anything; a relationship, lack of a relationship, self confidence, vanity, health…the reasons are endless.  A few weeks ago, I would barely get out of bed, much less leave my room. The loss of a relationship that meant a lot to me was weighing heavy on my heart. The only relief I felt was when I put on my tennis shoes, grabbed my ipod, and went out for a walk. Just like that, I fell into a fitness routine.

Now the point isn’t how I got there, but rather that I got there at all. After months of trying to coax myself into losing weight, or watching what I eat, or getting regular exercise it happened when I was least concerned with it. So, now that I am two weeks into holding the course, I figure I should take you all along with me. I’m going to be chronicling my fitness journey.

First up? I’m trying out a 7 day slim down workout that I found on the Fitness Magazine website a few weeks ago. Watching the video, to see what it entails is one thing. However, doing those moves myself is quite another matter. Monday, I kicked things off, and surpisingly worked up quite a sweat. Check out this video series HERE. I woke up this morning with almost every muscle in my body sore, which means it’s working!

30 Minutes to a better body

30 minutes a day keeps the doctor away. I’m talking about exercise. When I was younger I ran, danced, cheered, biked, and flipped. Nowadays, I don’t do much of anything in the arena of exercise. I can’t help but wonder how I went from the Energizer Bunny to a totally sedentary lifestyle. Well in an effort to drop a few pounds, and to improve my overall health, I am making sure I squeeze in at least 30 minutes of cardio a day. And you should do the same.

Next time the thought “Man, I need to get some exercise,” pops into your head really take it into consideration. We all have a calling on our lives, and it’s our responsibility yo make sure we’re able to see that assignment through to fruition. Keeping our bodies in tip top shape is one way to make that happen. So vow to yourself, and your maker, that you are going to take better care of yourself, and start today. Get up off the couch, take a walk, ride a bike, jump rope, chase the kids around the house; just get up and get moving for 30 minutes, and start on the path to better health, a better body, and a better you.

CLICK HERE for activities that will get you moving.

How to lose 2 pounds a week

Every Sunday I say, “Tomorrow I start my diet,” then Monday comes and I find myself saying, “Awe, forget it. I’ll start next week.” I know I’m not the only one who goes through the roller coaster of emotions of wishing my body looked any way other than how it actually does. Well, we at COVERINGS are here to help. We know your struggles because we can honestly say that they are our own.

Why not give yourself a weekly goal of losing 2 pounds? I know, I know, it sounds like a lot but it’s completely doable. The health experts from Yahoo Health and Self magazine are showing us how. By giving us a myriad of calorie busting workouts to choose from, you can mix and match an exercise regimen that works for you and start seeing the pounds melt away.

Take a look at the complete article HERE, and remember that you can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens you. Or, you can just do like me and pant, “Help me Lord Jesus, please don’t let me die on this treadmill!”

Flat Abs Without Crunches

Combine a crunchless workout with flat ab results and you get a very happy Sharifa. Thanks to the guys and girls over at Self.com this dream is now a reality. Finally, you can get up off the floor and still have the type of tummy you’ve always wanted, tight and taut. Check out the video below to start your Springtime slim down.