With only 24 hours in a day, it can be difficult to fit everything in a daily schedule of work, school, family time and other commitments. With these busy schedules, exercising may become a task that can be put aside until you feel you have more time. However, as Kenneth Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics says, “if you cannot find time to exercise, you better find the time to be sick.” Every bit of movement you add into your day is beneficial. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a quick walk in your neighborhood, parking farther away from the entrance to get in extra steps. These are all ways to move more in short amounts of time.

Planned workouts can also be short, yet effective. “Instead of an hour-long workout,” Sam Laceky, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, says, “scheduling shorter workouts is beneficial in taking care of your health.” While you’re exercising for less time, quick workouts can be effective when you increase your intensity and resistance and make them a part of your daily routine.

Intensifying Your Workout

With a short amount of time available for a quick workout, it’s assumed you need to use your maximum speed throughout the entire workout. Rather, Laceky explains it’s best to prioritize the intensity than finishing the workout quickly. Similarly to high-intensity interval training, these workouts require you to do intense movements in combination with short breaks.

If you cannot work at a high intensity (medications or medical reason) or are new to exercise, you may consider adding challenge to your workout by completing two to three exercises in a row (core – lower – upper) or using compound movements, for example starting with a squat, resting, followed by a row and resting again.

Warming Up Your Body

To make sure your body is well equipped for these intense workouts, it’s important to properly warm up your body. Laceky explains, “a warm-up isn’t just stretching your arms and legs; it’s about activating the muscles you plan on using in your workout.” For example, if your workout includes lunges or squats, you should warm up your lower body and hips.

In addition to warming up, knowing the proper form for these exercises is also key to avoiding injury and getting the most of your quick workouts. “At times, doing fast motions means poor form. Focusing on the correct form helps you to prevent injury and execute your exercises correctly,” says Laceky.

Measuring Your Progress

As with any exercise program, you can become accustomed to the intensity of your workouts. Laceky shares, “you need to transition or evolve your workouts based on your fitness needs and goals and how you feel that day or week. If you stick with the same workouts, you’re not challenging yourself or your body.” You’ll reach a plateau hindering your progress—for example, strength, endurance or weight loss.

Wearable fitness technology, such as Myzone®, Fitbit® and Apple Watch, is a great way to monitor and track your exercise intensity and progress. These devices allow you to see your heart rate zone, a form of measurement that reads your maximum heart rate and identifies the level of intensity you reach during your workout. For short workouts, Laceky recommends exercising at an 85%-90% intensity. For a less intensive workout, 65%-75% intensity is recommended. Learn how to track and read heart rate zones with the Fitness Files article Tracking Heart Rate During Exercise.

Exercises to Consider

Creating a quick workout depends on your fitness needs and goals and should vary based on how you feel that day or week. The main component to a quick workout involves push exercises, pull exercises, squats, lunges, hinges and carries. “If you add at least one of each component, you’ll be able to work the upper and lower body, core and engage grip strength, providing you with a balanced workout,” says Laceky.

Laceky also shares the following recommendations to help broaden your movements and continue your balanced workouts:

• Two to three sessions of resistance training per week
• 150 minutes of cardio weekly
• Balance exercises for upper and lower body

Watch Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director at Cooper Fitness Center, as she demonstrates a Quick & Effective Workout: Core, Lower, Upper, Upper workout pairing core exercises with upper and lower body exercises.

Additional Resources

• 5 Movement Types for a Balanced Workout
• The Push and Pull of Balanced Strength Training

Creating a Habit

Making time for these quick workouts can be beneficial to your health and overall well-being. “It may take a few weeks to a few months for exercise to become a habit, but being consistent and continuing to work out multiple times a week can make a big difference to your life,” says Laceky. Finding a buddy who can be a part of these workouts is an excellent way to stay consistent and accountable.

Adding a quick workout to your daily routine can be the first step to prioritizing and improving your health. “Take full advantage of your time; your health is an investment in your future,” says Laceky.

For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Electrical muscle stimulation, or EMS, can be a valuable addition to anyone’s exercise routine. EMS training involves electrical impulses stimulating the contraction of your muscles, allowing you to get more results in less time. “A typical 60-minute training session only targets a few muscle groups,” says Dave McGarry, EMS Program Director at Cooper Fitness Center. “While 20-minute EMS training sessions are whole-body workouts stimulating multiple muscle groups at the same time.”

The time-efficient EMS workout also benefits you by:

• Increasing strength, endurance and energy
• Accelerating metabolism
• Being easy on your joints

McGarry explains, “EMS whole-body training is easy to fit into anybody’s routine due to its flexibility and personalization to an individual’s fitness goals and lifestyle.”

So how do you add EMS training into your fitness plan? McGarry shares ways to implement EMS into a variety of fitness plans.

1. Non-exerciser

For someone who doesn’t currently exercise, what do you recommend? What other types of exercises complement EMS training?

EMS sessions are great for beginners, especially those who are not familiar with resistant training. To get started, I suggest doing EMS two times a week for four weeks to develop the base foundation of the training. From there, depending on your goal, you may want to reduce the sessions to once a week in order to add other types of exercise into your routine such as:

• Walking or jogging outdoors or on a treadmill
• Cycling
• Pilates
• Yoga
• Stretching classes

2. For someone who currently takes HIIT classes

How do you recommend adding EMS training for someone who currently does HIIT twice a week? What EMS movements and exercises should they do while training?

Once you begin EMS, I recommend one HIIT workout and one EMS training session a week. That way you’re not putting as much stress on your joints. Your EMS training can include HIIT exercises such as:

• Single leg squats
• Single leg dead lifts
• Jump squats

3. Tennis players

Two tennis player scenarios—one who does traditional strength training two times per week and one who doesn’t strength train. How would you incorporate EMS into their fitness plans? What are some recommended movements and intensities?

For the tennis player who does strength training, EMS once a week is a great addition, especially if focusing on endurance training. For the tennis player who doesn’t strength train, EMS two times a week can help better their endurance and strength. Several movements to try in the EMS suit are:

• Sit-ups, standing crunches or lateral torso rotations
• Overhead press

4. Working mom

For a working mom who runs in the morning, how could she implement EMS into her fitness plan? How can moms benefit from doing EMS?

Obviously working moms are super busy but it’s important they take care of themselves. Ideally, they should try to get two, 20-minute EMS sessions before or after work each week. These sessions are great for:

• Building stronger muscles to help maintain their bone density as they get older
• Maintaining their lean mass which helps later in perimenopause

5. Business professional who enjoys swimming

For a business professional who swims laps in the pool but wants to find a quick and impactful strength training workout for their busy life, how does EMS meet that need?

EMS helps improve muscle development and endurance, which are great for those who are looking for speed, especially for swimming. The shorter duration training allows you to spend less time in the gym while getting an effective whole-body workout. I recommend two EMS sessions per week.

6. Someone who lifts weights

For someone who strength trains regularly, what would you say to encourage them to try EMS? How can EMS enhance their current routine and the strength training results they may already be experiencing? 

Your one hour of strength training is cut to 20 minutes with EMS. This training helps take away the strain on your body when lifting heavy weights. Eventually EMS will help you lift heavier weights as the EMS suit helps activate deeper muscles, where traditional strength training takes longer to activate.

While EMS can be easily added to any workout routine, McGarry explains that EMS training should only be done at most twice per week with 48 hours in between to get the full recovery from the past session. “Like any other workout, you should stretch five to 10 minutes after the session and get plenty of hydration,” says McGarry.

EMS is recommended for anyone who wants to change their traditional weekly training and lower the amount of time spent in the gym. Cooper Fitness Center’s XBODY EMS training is available to members and the general public who are 18+. Customized to your health and fitness goals, one-on-one sessions are offered with a professional fitness trainer. To learn more, visit our EMS web page.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in three adults in the U.S. report feeling lonely. Learning a new sport, joining a sports league and participating in outdoor activities with friends and family are effective ways to build social connections while improving your fitness and overall well-being. “Racquet sports are an opportunity for people to stay active, build camaraderie and better a person’s mental and physical health,” says Pete Mätter, Pickleball Coach & Coordinator at Cooper Fitness Center.

Badminton, tennis and pickleball are some of the most popular racquet sports in the U.S. Corey Noel, Racquet Sports Director at Cooper Fitness Center explains, “these sports are great additions for anyone wanting to better their reflexes and coordination at any age.” Local community centers, fitness clubs such as Cooper Fitness Center and even religious groups offer lessons, leagues or teams,  providing inexperienced players to learn the sport.

Badminton

According to the Olympics, badminton was a popular game in ancient India and in 1873 a modern version of the game was created in England. Badminton requires constant use of your reflexes, hand-eye coordination and anticipation/reactionary skills. When playing badminton, it’s good to have a strong core and flexibility. Noel explains, “with constant fast-paced movements and leaping, ability and agility are more important for badminton compared to other racquet sports.” Noel shares three exercises you can do to better your badminton game:

1. Agility and quickness exercises such as side-to-side drills
2. Plyometrics
3. Coordination exercises such as yoga and Pilates

Tennis

Tennis dates back to the 11th century in France according to the Olympics and later in the 19th century was popularized in England. It is never too early or too late to learn the game—tennis is a lifelong sport for people of all ages.

Tennis involves the major muscle groups in your legs and core. “There are numerous benefits to playing tennis, the biggest benefit is extending your life expectancy by improving your bone density, heart health and endurance,” says Noel. A study from the National Library of Medicine has shown participating in a lifetime sport like tennis can be linked with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity. Tennis has also been shown to strengthen a player’s strength in their bones and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.  

Noel explains that introducing strength and flexibility to your workouts can improve your tennis game. Some examples include:

1. Box jumps
2. Resistance training – lighter weights with higher reps
3. Squats

Pickleball

Pickleball, initially created in 1965 in Bainbridge Island, Washington, by Joel Pritchard and Bill Bell, has been on the rise for the past decade. Pickleball was a game created after finding ways to help their children fight boredom on a warm sunny day on an improvised badminton court. Read more about the history of pickleball in our article, The Rise of Pickleball.

When playing pickleball, your main muscle movements include your lower body, feet and wrist. Pickleball is seen as easier to understand and play as it involves short bursts of movement, compared to tennis and badminton. The game is also very social, allowing you to meet new people and enjoy playing a sport together.

Mätter shares flexibility is key to bettering your pickleball game. “Stretching before every game is always recommended for any sports, but as Pickleball becomes more popular, people forget stretching is important to prevent future injury,” says Mätter. Some stretches include:

1. Hip flexors
2. Yoga – Knee to chest and child pose
3. Lunges
4. Hamstring stretches

Watch the Exercise Moves video focusing on Tennis and Pickleball Warm-Ups to learn helpful warm-ups before getting on the court.

Getting Started with a Racquet Sport

With any sport, it’s important to know the fundamental movements and how to play the game correctly. In racquet sports, some fundamental components include stance, grip, swing and technique. Mätter recommends if you want to play any of these sports, it’s great to take a few lessons or drill sessions to properly learn the basics to build proper form. “Starting a sport can be fun, but without some knowledge of the game, you can create ‘bad habits’—habits that in the future cannot be reversed,” says Mätter.

Racquet sports are a great addition to anyone looking for a fun way to stay active while connecting with others. Cooper Fitness Center offers tennis and pickleball programs for adults and children. To learn more, call 972.233.4832 or visit our website: Tennis Programs | Pickleball Programs.

When Joseph Pilates developed his revolutionary exercise method in the early 20th century, he created more than just a fitness routine—he crafted a comprehensive system integrating physical movement with mental awareness. His six fundamental principles remain the cornerstone of authentic Pilates practice, transforming simple exercises into a powerful mind-body discipline that enhances daily life beyond the studio.

1. Centering/Stabilization: Your Powerhouse Foundation

Centering involves initiating all movement from your body’s center, which Joseph Pilates called the “Powerhouse.” The Powerhouse functions like the hub of a wheel, all movement radiates from this stable core of muscles—think shoulders to hips and pelvis—allowing your arms and legs to move freely while maintaining control through your center.

This isn’t about sucking in your stomach or holding your breath; it’s about creating a strong, flexible foundation. Centering also has a mental component. Focusing on your physical center, you develop mental centeredness and calm stability that help navigate life’s challenges with greater composure.

2. Concentration: The Mind-Body Connection

Concentration requires complete focus on every movement. Joseph Pilates believed physical health was impossible without mental engagement, requiring “complete concentration on the correct movements each second you are performing the exercises.”

Rather than letting your mind wander, you direct your attention to how your body feels, how your muscles work and the quality of each movement. This maximizes exercise effectiveness and builds awareness of subtle body responses—discovering patterns such as shoulder tension when tired or shallow breathing during challenging exercises. This awareness becomes the foundation for lasting change in movement patterns and overall well-being.

3. Control: Precision Over Power

Control distinguishes Pilates from other exercise forms. Instead of using momentum or forcing movements through strength, every action is deliberate and managed. Joseph Pilates originally called his method “Contrology,” emphasizing complete command over your body.

There are no sloppy movements in Pilates, whether lifting your leg an inch or flowing through complex sequences, every motion is intentional. Control applies to transitions between exercises too; pauses between movements are as important as the movements themselves. Learning to control how your body moves creates a seamless flow that makes Pilates appear effortless when performed correctly.

4. Flow: The Poetry of Movement

Flow transforms individual exercises into continuous, graceful sequences. Joseph Pilates designed exercises to flow naturally, creating “physical poetry.” Each movement has a beginning, middle and end that blend seamlessly together.

Good flow requires practice and patience. Initially, movements might feel choppy, but familiarity and improved control lead to the meditative quality of smooth, flowing motion. Flow includes practice rhythm—steady and sustainable pace maintaining concentration and control throughout sessions, creating mental calm many seek from exercise.

Flow extends to breathing, which should be continuous and coordinated with movements, never held but used fluidly to enhance and support motion.

5. Precision: Quality Over Quantity

Precision means performing each exercise exactly as intended, paying attention to alignment, timing and technique. Joseph Pilates emphasized that few exercises performed perfectly are better than many done without precision.

This challenges the “more is better” mentality. You might do only five repetitions, but each performed with such precision that it’s more effective than 20 sloppy repetitions. Precision requires patience and humility, working with simpler variations until perfect form is achieved builds solid foundations for advanced work.

Developing precision in Pilates often leads to greater attention to detail in other life areas and helps you approach tasks with more care and consideration.

6. Breathing: The Rhythm of Life

Breathing, woven throughout all other principles, was called by Joseph Pilates the “first act of life and the last act of death,” emphasizing its fundamental importance to health and vitality.

Pilates breathing is deep, rhythmic and coordinated with movement, typically inhaling to prepare and exhaling during effort phases, using breath to power exercises. This isn’t just about oxygen delivery; it’s using breath as a tool for concentration, control and flow.

Proper breathing activates your Powerhouse. Full exhalation naturally engages deep abdominal muscles, providing stability and strength for safe, effective movement. Many discover proper Pilates breathing helps manage daily stress and anxiety, creating calm, controlled patterns to draw upon when centering is needed.

Living the Principles

These six principles aren’t just exercise rules—they’re guidelines for mindful living. Understanding and applying centering, concentration, control, flow, precision and breathing improves not just physical fitness but develops a more conscious, intentional way of being in the world.

The beauty of Pilates lies in how these principles work together, each supporting and enhancing the others. Through continued practice, these principles become second nature, transforming not just how you move, but how you approach life itself.

Cooper Fitness Center offers private and small group Pilates. Visit the Pilates web page to learn more and schedule your session. Or contact Joyce Schaer, Mind/Body Director, at jschaer@cooperfitnesscenter.com or 972.560.6371.

Menopause can be a challenging time in a woman’s life. Hormonal changes during menopause can cause symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, mood swings and insomnia. These symptoms can leave women feeling anything but motivated to work out. The good news is a regular exercise routine can help alleviate these common symptoms.

Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainers Angela Horner, MS, and Stephanie Hill give a word to women, encouraging them to overcome the obstacles of menopause with exercise.

Mindfulness in Menopause

“I always first encourage my clients to remember that while menopause is challenging, it is only temporary,” Horner says. “You will come out on the other side. That’s why the way you take care of yourself during this time in your life is very important.”

It can be difficult to stay motivated when you’re not feeling your best but staying fit and active remains vital. Due to the sharp decrease of estrogen during menopause, women are more prone to gaining weight as well as losing muscle and bone density. In addition, women can also become more susceptible to heart disease due to the loss of estrogen. “Many women experience sleep deprivation, mood swings and hot flashes, even when they’ve been working hard and using the right tools,” says Hill. “Keeping the body moving can help regulate body temperature and even curb other symptoms.”

The Impact of Cardiovascular Exercise

A balanced exercise program not only reduces the severity of menopausal symptoms but also prevents weight gain and bone density loss. The exercise recommendations during menopause actually do not differ any from any other time in life. “Regular cardiovascular exercise is highly recommended not only for heart health but bone density as well,” states Horner. Walking, jogging, tennis, dancing and cycling are ideal cardio options for women in this stage of life. Another advantage of these types of aerobic exercise is they provide enough impact to cause osteogenesis, or bone growth, while also maintaining joint health. Hill adds, “cardiovascular training can help boost your mood and mental clarity. Consistent movement can also help your sleep patterns.”

The Importance of Strength Training

Strength training is also beneficial for increasing and maintaining bone density and muscle mass for a healthy body mass index. “It’s a myth that a woman who lifts weights is going to get big and bulky,” Horner explains. “What’s important is that you challenge yourself with enough weight-bearing exercise to promote bone growth and keep you from losing muscle.”

A balanced strength training program should include all muscle groups and be performed at a metabolically-challenging intensity, which keeps your heart rate up for the duration of the workout, in order to elevate muscle and bone growth. Increasing muscular strength and flexibility during menopause and beyond helps increase functionality, improve balance and reduce the risk of bone fractures.

A great way to begin strength training is working your way up. Hill says three sets of 10-12 repetitions of each of the following exercises can help you get started.

• Squats
• Lunges
• Deadlifts
• Lateral pull downs
• Chest press
• Rows

Remember, the life stage of menopause and the challenges that come with its symptoms are only temporary. While it may be difficult to find the same motivation to exercise as you did before, by pushing through the symptoms you set yourself up to come out on the other side of menopause healthier.

Hill says, “if you are struggling with your form, motivation to exercise or determining a workout best for you, reach out to a fitness trainer. We are here to help you navigate life’s unexpected turns.” A professional fitness trainer can help build a workout program for your needs and goals based on your life stage and schedule.

Watch this Exercise Moves video with Angela Horner as she explains more ways to incorporate exercise to manage menopausal symptoms.

For more information about Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a professional fitness trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Exercising in the water is a great way to get a low-impact, full-body workout with high reward. Just because you’re not sweating doesn’t mean you’re not burning calories and building muscle. The water’s buoyancy provides support to the body by decreasing overall weight on the joints and also provides resistance to help with muscle development.

 “I recommend everyone who can, to participate in water workouts,” says Bobby Manning, Cooper Fitness Center Swim Pro. “From those just beginning an exercise routine to seasoned athletes, water workouts are an excellent way to add variety to your training that benefits your heart and muscles with little to no impact on your joints.”

Benefits of Water Workouts

Recovering from an injury or wanting a new way to exercise? Below are a few health and fitness benefits of water workouts from Manning.

1. Improves flexibility: In warm water you are able to relax your muscles, allowing you to stretch more.
2. Increase endurance: Swimming laps and cardio water workouts can help increase endurance and build lean body mass. Water workouts help increase your heart rate, improve your circulation and increase your lung capacity.
3. Burn calories: Swimming and water exercises are low-impact workouts yet help burn more calories than on land because of the water’s resistance.
4. A full-body workout: You are constantly moving your body while in the water by moving from one side of the pool to another, doing water exercises or even floating.
5. Relieve stress: Exercise is an effective stress reliever. Plus, being in the water is generally relaxing by nature. Immerse yourself in the exercise, focusing on the movements of the water as well as your breathing.

For those who may fear the water or are not comfortable in water, Manning says to take it slowly. Joining a water class or meeting with a swimming professional can help with those first steps in the water. A misconception exists that water exercises are underwater, but many pools used for water aerobics and lap swimming are no more than five feet, depths most adults can easily stand. Manning recommends beginners exercise in water that comes to their chest.

Types of Water Workouts

• Water Walking: Walking forward, sideways and backward is an ideal way to begin exercising in the water. With the resistance of water, you can work on your strength while getting comfortable moving in the water. For more of a challenge, try walking faster and farther distances. (Water shoes are recommended.)

• Treading Water: This technique involves you trying to hold up your head above the water while lifting your legs off the pool floor. While treading you can kick your feet, move your arms and gain better control of floating. This can also help beginners who are learning to keep themselves up on their own.

• Water Resistance Training: Using specialized dumbbells, you can incorporate upper body strength training exercises into your water workouts. The water dumbbells are lighter weight than a regular weight at the gym, but the water provides added resistance. You can use one or two dumbbells, depending on the movements you are doing.

• Lap Swimming: Swimming laps increases respiratory strength and helps control a person’s breathing rhythm in the water. Training can be be done multiple ways including using interval training, better your swim time or increase the distance.

• Using Parachutes & Bungee Cords: Want more advanced water exercise? Running and walking in water with an exercise parachute and bungee cords is a great way to use the resistance of the water. These devices can be attached to belts you wear around your waist.

• Water Aerobics: If exercising solo isn’t for you, joining a water aerobics class is an excellent option that provides community and accountability. These classes usually mix the different exercises listed above to help the participants gain a balanced workout. Read our Water Aerobics: How It Benefits You and What to Expect to learn more.

Manning shares how to execute some of these workouts in this Exercise Moves video.

For those who want more of a challenge, underwater workouts in deeper water are an option. Manning recommends meeting with a swim professional or a personal trainer experienced in water training to develop advanced workouts.

Water workouts are a easy way to change your fitness routine by gaining new skills, improving your health and having fun in the water.

Cooper Fitness Center’s swim lessons and triathlon training are open to the public. For members, Cooper also offers water classes April-October and a Masters swim program, and the pool is available for lap swimming.

For the group exercise schedule of more than 120 weekly classes—all included with membership—visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

There are many reasons why someone starts a workout plan, maybe to lose weight or improve your overall health. Your workouts may be helping you reach your health and fitness goals, but are you achieving maximum results?

You may be missing essential movements that can help improve your over health and prevent injury—movements including cardio, strength and flexibility—excluding these can result in an unbalanced exercise program.

Chris Parker, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, shares answers to commonly asked questions for a more complete workout.

Q: I’ve played tennis for three years and my workouts consist of agility and endurance. What exercises am I missing in my workouts to help improve my tennis performance?

A: Developing a stable and strong torso that generates powerful rotational movement is essential for optimal performance on the tennis court. Since most tennis shots have a rotational component, following proper exercise progressions of anti-rotational and rotational movements that use resistance cable/band and medicine balls can improve one’s ability to hit the ball with more power and precision. 

Read Useful Fitness Training Tips and Drills for All Tennis Players.

Q: I take a yoga class three times a week. What other activities or exercises can I do to better my cardio that compliments the strength and flexibility from my yoga classes?

A: Yoga is great for flexibility and balance, but if you want to improve your cardio, a spin class or an outdoor boot camp class would be a great addition to your routine. For those who are unsure what cardio they should do (due to musculoskeletal injury, movement deficiency, etc.) getting in touch with a cardiovascular professional like Jonny Wright could be the best option. Cardiovascular pros can guide you to find the best cardio workout that works for you and your lifestyle.

Read Cardiovascular Exercise: More than Running.

Q: I spend about eight hours a day working at my desk. I go for walks and try to get my daily steps in, but are there other movements I should be doing to improve my health and fitness?

A: Moving more—regardless of the type of activity—is beneficial to your health. Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, Founder and Chairman of Cooper Aerobics, recommends a collective 30 minutes of cardio exercise most days of the week. For someone who is generally sedentary, working on increasing your cardio and adding strength and flexibility should be your focus. While at your desk you can do exercises like standing up or stretching at least once every hour. I recommend meeting with a personal trainer who can help determine your exercise needs and suggest ways to fit in small workouts throughout the day.  

Q: I have arthritis and want more mobility in my joints. What are some of the best exercises for me that involve little to no weight?

A: I highly recommend water activities—swimming, water walking, taking water aerobics classes, etc. The water in the pool provides resistance and a strengthening component while also having a lower impact on your joints. Marching in place, kicks and squats are also beneficial exercises.

Read our Water Aerobics: How It Benefits You and What to Expect article.

Q: I’ve set a goal to complete a marathon by this time next year. I currently walk in my neighborhood about a mile a day. How should I continue my training to accomplish my goal?

A: Take it one day at a time! On a regular mile walk, jog for 1/10 of it and see how it makes you feel. Rest your body and try again, increasing the jogging to 2/10 of the mile. Start jogging slowly every week and you will slowly progress to the 26 miles needed for the marathon. Low-impact strength training and cross-training are also important for marathon training and should be included at least twice a week.

For additional training advice, read Marathon Training Tips for Beginners.

Advice for All

The first step of creating a fitness plan is making sure it is customized for your lifestyle. “Your fitness plan should be based on your preferences,” says Parker. “Choosing exercises you enjoy doing will help you stay consistent during your fitness journey.”

For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Running is typically the first thing people think of when talking about cardio exercise but many other forms can elevate your heart rate and get your blood pumping. Cooper Fitness Center Professional Fitness Trainers Stephanie Hill and Jonny Wright share a variety of cardiovascular exercise and training plans to consider when adding cardio to your routine. 

Why is Cardiovascular Training Important?

Your cardiovascular system is comprised of the heart, blood vessels and blood and supplies your body’s organs with the oxygen and nutrients they need to function properly. “When performing cardio, your heart and lungs work together to bring oxygen into the body and deliver it to the muscles being used,” says Hill. Wright also explains that cardio workouts assist the body in blood circulation by carrying immune cells that aid in fighting infection in the body and removes waste products. Additional health benefits of regular cardiovascular exercise include:

1. Improves Heart Health
   
   
   • Strengthens your heart muscle so it can pump blood more efficiently
   • Lowers resting heart rate—your heart doesn’t have to work as hard at rest
   • Reduces blood pressure over time
   • Helps improve blood circulation
     
     
2. Boosts Lung Capacity
   
   
   • Increases your lungs’ ability to take in and use oxygen
   • More efficient breathing and feeling less winded during physical activity
     
     
3. Enhances Brain Function
   
   
   • Improves memory, focus and mood due to increased blood flow to the brain
   • Can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression thanks to endorphins (“feel good” chemicals)
     
     
4. Helps with Weight Management
   
   
   • Cardio burns calories during and even after your workout
   • It supports fat loss when combined with proper nutrition
     
     
5. Increases Endurance and Stamina
   
   
   • Helps you perform daily tasks (such as climbing stairs or carrying groceries) with less effort
   • Body fatigues less quickly during physical activity
     
     
6. Improves Sleep Quality
   
   
   • Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply
     
     
7. Reduces Risk of Chronic Diseases
   
   
   • Lowers risk of:
     • Heart disease
     • Stroke
     • Type 2 diabetes
     • Certain cancers
     • High cholesterol
       
       
8. Supports Joint and Bone Health
   
   
   • Low-impact cardio, such as walking or swimming, keeps joints moving without too much strain
   • Some forms of cardio (such as running or jumping rope) can increase bone density
     
     

Additionally, cardio can speed up your metabolism, helping your body process food and energy more efficiently. “Adding cardiovascular training to your regular exercise also reduces the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure, while enhancing mood and mental health through the release of endorphins,” says Wright. It can provide enormous health benefits, but many people don’t know where to begin. 

Get Your Body Moving 

“The most important thing is to just get your body moving,” says Hill. Many people think of running when the word cardio comes up but there are many other avenues to explore! “There are so many types of cardio that my clients often don’t think about,” says Hill. “Some of the different cardio options I like to recommend are walking, swimming, cycling, using the elliptical and even the rowing machine.” 

So, once you start adding cardiovascular exercise into your routine, how can you keep it interesting? Hill provides four forms of training to try. 

• Continuous training: Continuous cardiovascular training is performed at a steady state for 15-45 minutes at a time. Continuous cardiovascular training is beneficial for anyone, improving overall heart health and conditioning of the body. 

• Varied training: Varied cardiovascular training includes performing diverse types of activities in the same training session. For this training plan, you may jog for 10 minutes, cycle for 10 minutes and then get on the elliptical for 10 minutes. This type of training can be helpful by exposing your body to different motions within the same cardio workout as well as keeping it interesting for your mind. 

• Time training: Time training is a great way to start implementing cardiovascular exercises into your normal training routine. Hill recommends starting with a 30-second jog, walking for two minutes and then repeating until you reach a total of 15-20 minutes. As you progress, you can increase your jogging time and decrease your walking time. Training for time instead of distance is ideal for improving endurance and preventing injury when first adding cardio to your routine. 

• Intensity training: The goal of intensity training is to achieve your maximum heart rate. This can be done with high-intensity interval training (HIIT) when you are exerting maximal effort with minimal recovery between exercises. Intensity training increases cardiac volume and is especially beneficial for post-menopausal women trying to burn fat and lose weight. Intensity training also includes using the heart rate training zones, which correspond to different levels of exercise intensity.
  • Zone 1: Very Light (50–60% of maximum heart rate)
  • Zone 2: Light (60–70% of maximum heart rate)
  • Zone 3: Moderate (70–80% of maximum heart rate)
  • Zone 4: Hard (80–90% of maximum heart rate)
  • Zone 5: Maximum (90–100% of maximum heart rate)

To learn more about the zones and heart rate training, read Pump Up Your Workout with Heart Rate Tracking.

The above training plans can be used for all forms of cardio—not just running or walking. “Walking is a great place to start—it gets your body moving—but it isn’t the end-all be-all,” says Hill. Try a new form of cardio the next time you exercise; you may just find something new you enjoy.

For more information about cardiovascular training, watch the Exercise Move.

Recommended Amount of Cardiovascular Exercise 

So how much cardio—or aerobic activity—should you be including into your exercise routine? Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, Cooper Aerobics Founder and Chairman, recommends getting at least 30 minutes of collective or sustained aerobic activity most days per week in addition to at least two days of strength training per week. As we age the aerobic-strength training ratios change, too:  

• Ages 40 and younger: 80% aerobic exercise; 20% strength training 
• Ages 41-50: 70% aerobic exercise; 30% strength training 
• Ages 51-60: 60% aerobic exercise; 40% strength training  
• Ages 61+: 55% aerobic exercise; 45% strength training 

Whether you’re new to cardiovascular training or a seasoned pro, adding some form of cardio to your exercise regimen will help improve your heart and lung health as well as help you live a better quality and quantity of life. A professional fitness trainer can help you implement cardio into your routine and discover a new form of training you can truly enjoy. 

For more information on personal training or to schedule a session with a professional fitness trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832. 

Looking to tone and shape your hips and glutes? The muscles in the glutes provide much more than an aesthetic benefit. They are used when you stand up, walk, sit down and lie down so it is critical you strengthen these muscles for daily living activities. Robert Treece, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center, says, “not only are glutes used all day, but they are the gateway of the spine and lower legs.” The glute muscles are one of the largest muscle groups in the body and are responsible for multiple jobs, such as:

• Shock absorption
• Declaration of falling forward
• Propulsion
• Rotation
• Locally flexing and extending the leg
• Internally and externally rotating the leg

How do weak glute muscles affect your body? Treece explains, “the glutes tie into the low back and can affect motion in the upper and lower body. Weak glutes can also affect the way you walk and can cause problems with your overall balance.” Additional signs of weak glute muscles are:

• Muscle tightness in the lower back
• Problems balancing while walking and standing
• Poor posture
• Swaying side to side while walking or running

Glute Muscle Group

“Most people don’t realize there are three sets of glute muscles,” says Treece. Each has unique movements, but the muscles work synergistically together:

• Gluteus minimus: The smallest and deepest of the three muscles, it’s responsible for rotating the thigh from the hip joint and helps stabilize the pelvis.

• Gluteus medius: This muscle lays on top of the gluteus minimus and is primarily responsible for moving the hip joint away from the body.

• Gluteus maximus: The biggest of the three muscles, its function is to extend and rotate the thigh from the hip joint. This muscle is also the biggest muscle in the body.

Together these muscles help stabilize the upper body, pelvis and hips and are essential to movements such as walking, standing up and squatting.

Glute Exercises

Treece says glute exercises can be included in a full-body workout or added to a leg day routine. Some examples of exercises that can be performed at home, the gym or wherever you’re working out—and with or without equipment—include:

• Hip thrusts
• Sit to stand
• Squats
• Lunges
• Step ups

“In the gym you can focus on training the glutes by holding a lunge or squat position while performing a cable row. The lower you position the pulley the more glute and lower body muscles will be used in the exercise,” says Treece. In addition, if you’re in a lunge position and pull the cable across your body at an angle, the rotational stress incorporates more glute and lower body muscles.

If you add glute exercises into your fitness routine, allow 24-48 hours of active recovery between strength sessions; your fitness level will determine how you should load these exercises (body weight only or using weight equipment such as dumbbells, barbells, sandbells, etc.).

Learn additional ways to strengthen your glute muscles from James Silvester, Professional Fitness Trainer at Cooper Fitness Center. In this Exercise Moves video, he demonstrates four glute exercises.

For more information about professional fitness training at Cooper Fitness Center or to schedule a session with a trainer, visit cooperfitnesscenter.com or call 972.233.4832.

Electrical Myostimulation, or Electrical Muscle Stimulation, is a state-of-the-art technology that uses electrical impulses to stimulate the contraction of your muscles. It is a time-efficient, 20-minute workout where electrodes are strategically placed within a training suit over all major muscle groups. The external stimulation, coupled with simple voluntary movements and resistance exercises, causes intensified muscle contractions.

An EMS session can benefit those who are recovering from a recent injury or an athlete wanting to boost their strength and endurance. The sessions can accelerate results, with some EMS studios claiming their 20-minute workouts equate to multiple hours in a typical gym. Could EMS be a beneficial addition to your fitness regimen?

The short answer is yes.

According to Mary Edwards, MS, Fitness Director at Cooper Fitness Center, “these claims are valid. In an EMS training session, 20-24 major muscle groups are stimulated during a 20-minute session. This training results in a much greater impact on metabolism and the central nervous system than a regular workout.”

Edwards says EMS can help engage muscle “beyond human capacity and motivation because it stimulates both fast- and slow-twitch muscles simultaneously.”

Some benefits of EMS include:

• Improves muscle tone and strength
• Assists in preventing osteoporosis
• Decreases back pain through strengthening your core
• Joint-friendly
• Beginner-friendly

A study published in the Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies found EMS training “to be more effective on inactive patients with advanced diseases.” The study concluded that EMS “can improve endurance performance with an addition of regular exercise.”

Some risk factors may cause complications with EMS training. Individuals with certain health risks should not participate. Below are a few examples:

• Skin wounds and eczema
• Have had surgery in the last six to eight weeks
• Have a bleeding disorder such as hemophilia
• Have acute arthritis
• Have neurological diseases and epilepsy

Edwards says EMS should not be used as a replacement for regular exercise. She recommends two 20-minute EMS sessions per week with 48 hours of rest in between. It is acceptable and encouraged to engage in low- to moderate-intensity cardio on the days between EMS sessions including rest days as needed. “Because of the high overall load on muscles and the central nervous system, it is not recommended to engage in high-intensity exercise on days between EMS training sessions,” says Edwards.

Edwards shares the following examples of exercises focused on muscle development and endurance that can be performed during an EMS session.

Muscle Development: Strength

1. V-squat: Allows you to focus on muscle engagement without overstressing your lower back and targets:
   • Hamstrings
   • Quads
   • Glutes

2. Chest press: Responsible for explosiveness, power and strength by targeting the:
   • Chest
   • Shoulders
   • Triceps

3. Rotating lunge: A multi-directional movement which enhances stability, coordination and balance and targets:
   • Hamstrings
   • Glutes
   • Core
   • Quads

4. Lat pulldown: Great for breaking through plateaus while targeting the back and reducing stress on the shoulders, elbows and wrists; targets:
   • Latissimus dorsi
   • Traps
   • Rear delts

Endurance

1. Mountain climbers: Effective for core strength and stability, leading to better posture, balance and spinal support by targeting:
   • Hip flexors
   • Quads
   • Hamstrings
   • Glutes
   • Core

2. Planks: With EMS a plank can be more effective for core strengthening, targeting:
   • Hamstrings
   • Quads
   • Glutes
   • Hip flexors
   • Core

3. High knees: An excellent way to burn calories and improve stamina; targets:
   • Hamstrings
   • Quads
   • Glutes
   • Hip flexors

The duration and amount of the exercises vary based on the customization for the client.

For more examples of EMS exercises, watch this Exercise Moves video.

EMS can be a joint-friendly, beginner-friendly way to build muscle, which in turn boosts metabolism and burns calories. To create a complete wellness plan to complement EMS training, consider connecting with a Cooper Clinic registered dietitian nutritionist to help you refine your nutrition to support your fitness goals.

Cooper Fitness Center’s XBODY EMS training is available to members and the general public. Customized to your health and fitness goals, one-on-one sessions are offered with a professional fitness trainer. To learn more, visit our EMS web page.