In Core FITClass this week we’re focusing on rediscovering old favorites! It has been a while since we’ve completed this exercise and quickly remembered just how awesome it is. Check it out for yourself:

Weighted Lunge Hop

A great exercise for increasing the heart rate and toning your legs. Maintain your stance during this exercise by keeping the legs in a lunge position during the entire series. (Complete 8-12 repetitions on each side, 3-4 sets.)

It may come as no surprise that balance and coordination deteriorate with age. Below is a great article outlining reasons for regular exercise, along with ways to keep the mind-body connection strong. Hafner's article also brings to light possible negative effects of long-term medication use. 

New York Times article written by Katie Hafner on November 3, 2014.

Preventing a fall, and the resulting injuries, isn’t simply a matter of being more careful. Indeed, experts who have studied falls wish that people would take measures to protect themselves much as they do against heart disease or viral infections.

Inquiring minds want to know which nutritional supplements are best and how to choose the right product. To answer these questions, I've asked a nutrition specialist, Beth Schupanitz of Inspiring Health Solutions, to shed some light on the subject.

What to look for in Nutritional Supplements.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of different brands of supplements on the market today. This creates a ton of confusion about which to choose. I am going to cut through some of this confusion today by answering your most pressing questions.

Teaching numerous core strength classes each week, I see people with varying fitness abilities. Over the years I've noticed that gender doesn’t matter when it comes to core strength. Not many people have sufficient strength in the abdominals, low back, and buttocks to protect from injury.

Americans spend hours of time sitting in a chair without noticing the physical damage being done to the body. Over time, muscle fibers break-down.

To reverse the effects of sitting, stretching is essential. I also highly recommend incorporating at least 1-2 core strength movements into your routine at least twice per week to get your body moving in the right direction.

Major life-events cause many women to internalize feels of loss, anger, and resentment. In turn, becoming our own worst enemy. In a struggle for emotional comfort during times of pain and discomfort, we may make poor food choices, feel too exhausted to exercise, and simply shut-down.

Viewing divorce as a positive, life-changing event helps women regain power and drive to transform an unhappy lifestyle into a self-confident, exuberant person. The answer lies within and change happens when we start paying more attention to caring for our body.

Eating healthy foods, chock-full of leafy greens, colorful vegetables, clean proteins, and fruit is a great first step toward breathing more energy into each day. Next, spend more time doing activities you enjoy, such as taking a 10-15 minute walk most days of the week, stretch in the morning or before bed, or find a class that makes you want to move.