Supercharge Your Health With An Exercise Ball

Add an exercise ball to your workout routine and daily life to maximize results. Here’s how.

Shake up your get-in-shape sessions with a high quality exercise ball that won’t deflate on you when you’re in the midst of molding your body. Use the ball for full-body toning, stabilizing your muscles, strengthening your core, and improving your posture and balance. Bring the ball beyond your gym (or home!) and use it in the office as a chair — trust us, you’ll love it!

Exercise balls come in all different colors, sizes, and materials. Choose a ball in you favorite color with a thick lining that supports your body in the healthiest way. Go with a larger size (75 cm) if you’ll use it as a chair, and go for a standard size (65 cm) if you just want to use it for working out. If you have a smaller frame, or you want your kid or tween to start using the ball, then a smaller size ball (55 cm) will suit your needs. DynaPro Direct offers the highest quality lining, in colors like bright pink, blue, grey, and black — in all three sizes.

If you’re brave enough — or smart enough — to swap out your office chair for an exercise ball, or switch between the two throughout the day, there’s a few things you need to know:

• It’s important to change it up at work, since a classic office chair can be the source of major back and neck discomfort
• Exercise balls in the office are ergonomics-approved, and your boss (and coworkers!) won’t think it’s strange that you’re swapping your seat for a healthier option. In fact, it might inspire others in your workplace to do the same
• You’ll notice your core and back muscles strengthening naturally, which will improve your posture, confidence, and mood
• Sitting on an exercise ball is plain fun, and it might help you focus a bit more. Plenty of European schools encourage their students to sit on stability balls to improve focus and concentration throughout the school day 

If you’re ready to incorporate an exercise ball into your workout routine for lower-body training, here’s what you need to know:

• Be prepared to get down: The ball will act as a weighted tool when you’re doing floor workouts, like leg lifts, reverse leg curls, bridges, ball squeezes, V-presses, knee tucks, toe raises, and more!
• Don’t forget to squat: One of the most popular exercise ball moves is a wall squat. Place the ball between your back and the wall, and lowering down into a squat. You can do this with weights to increase the intensity of the move

If you’re ready to incorporate an exercise ball into your workout routine for upper-body training, here’s what you need to know:

• Push it: The ‘push’ motion will become your new best friend. Whether you’re doing body-balancing push-ups on top of the exercise ball, or working modified push-ups by executing the move while your hands (or feet!) are resting on the ball, you’re going to notice a huge difference in the strength you feel when the workout is over
• Love your six pack: Whether you can see it (yet!) or not, your core is going to be strengthening like never before. No matter what exercise you do with a stability ball, the core benefits big time, but if you choose to target your core while using the exercise ball, you’ll experience a satisfying burn that didn’t burn you out in the process. Try different variations of crunches — by the way, your back will be strengthening the entire time, too!

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/how-to-use-an-exercise-ball-3-new-ways/

Best Fitness Tips from Top Trainers and Coaches

Staying on top of your health has a lot to do with what’s going on outside of the gym. Check out the best tips from leading coaches and trainers in the fitness industry.

 
The best time to start working on improving your overall health is right now! There’s always room for improvement when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, whether it has to do with trying more challenging workouts or becoming more nutrition-savvy. An important part of getting the most out of your workouts — from start to finish — has to do with your overall mentality and motivation, too. Check out some of the best tips and #fitspiration from top trainers, to shape up your overall approach to getting healthier, just in time for the holidays.

FUEL

“We all love food! But it's your relationship with food that is important. No matter where you are in your journey, you need to love food. It's what fuels your body and your mind. Food truly should make you happy. When you aren't eating enough or aren't eating the right things, your emotions will swing. Food can also change a lot of situations--it can spice up a meeting, it can improve a celebration, and it creates time to talk around the dinner table. Don't fear food. Instead, love it for what it does. Understand it and become more knowledgeable about it. A healthy relationship with food is one of the best things you can do for yourself.” - Shaun T.

MENTALITY

“The mind is more powerful than we think. We can talk ourselves into (or out of) anything. At least I’ve found that that I can. On a good day, when my head is in the right place, I can talk my laziest version of my physical self into hitting the gym hard, and talk my junk food-craving self out of devouring the bag of whatever cookies are in the cupboard. But there are those days, when those are flipped. When my head is not where it needs to be—and my body will follow suit.” - Darnell Cox of Live Young Lifestyle

STYLE

“I’m all about the laid-back look, like jeans and cute tees, but when it comes to gym gear — nothing gets me pumped up like a cool new pair of kicks. Investing in stylish, comfortable clothes and killer kicks can really amp up the enthusiasm for dragging yourself to the gym. So what if you’re there to show off your hot, new gear. You’re still working it on the elliptical, and that’s all I care about.” - Jillian Michaels

OPPORTUNITY

“My mom has always said, “Your muscles don’t know if you are in a fancy gym or in your kitchen.” Think about that. A minute here and a minute there adds up to firm up. Simple things can go far. For example, when walking up the stairs, skip a step and squeeze your booty for a butt toner. Or, say you’re in the kitchen waiting for your water to boil, why not do some standing leg lifts?” - Katie Austin

RESILIENCE

“Sometimes the toughest part of dealing with failure is not the actual event but how we think people are going to judge or criticize us over it. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people who can help you through your difficult time and don’t think about what society will say. Everyone has experienced failure at some point and will again at some stage.” - Lou Ferrigno

HYDRATION

“Your body becomes dehydrated as you sleep, so it’s important to drink water when you first wake up. We like to sip an 8 oz. glass before we start our workout. (You don’t want to drink too much or you risk getting yucky stomach cramps.) If you aren’t really a fan of plain H20, add some natural flavorings like ginger, mint, lemon, lime, or even berries!” - Karena and Katrina of Tone It Up

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/fitness-tips-from-top-trainers-coaches/

10 Best Mini Band Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

Mini bands are trendy, portable, easy-to-use, and offer different levels of resistance. Check out these top workout moves!

Mini bands can be incorporated into almost every workout routine — and they should be! The bands can be used for both upper and lower body resistance training. They’re also perfect for stabilizing shoulder muscles and executing lateral movements and leg extensions. With mini bands, you can target muscle groups, including your core, and maximize strength-training results. You can also use the bands for stretching — it’s a win-win fitness tool!

DynaPro mini bands are made of snap-resistant all-natural rubber, so you don’t have to worry about the bands breaking during a workout. Each mini precision loop band pack comes with four different levels of resistance. Here are 10 of the best exercises you can do (anywhere!) with your DynaPro bands:

1. Mini Band Exercise: Standing Kickbacks

• Stand in front of a chair (for balance) with feet shoulder-width apart
• Place your mini precision loop band right above your ankles
• Lift your right leg behind you, keeping the leg straight. Remember to squeeze your glutes as you lift.
• Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion eight times. Switch sides and repeat!

2. Mini Band Exercise: Standing Abductor Lift

• Stand beside a chair (for balance) with feet shoulder-width apart
• Place your mini exercise band right above your ankles
• Lift your right leg to your side and squeeze your glutes as you lift
• Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion eight times. Switch sides and repeat!

3. Mini Band Exercise: Lying Abductor Lift

• Lie on your left side with your legs straight
• Place your mini precision loop band right above your ankles
• Lift your right leg, keeping the leg straight
• Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion eight times. Switch sides and repeat!

4. Mini Band Exercise: Lying Abductor Lift With Exercise Ball

• Assume the Lying Abductor Lift position, but this time use an exercise ball to prop your upper body up as your feet rest on the ground
• Place your mini precision loop band right above your ankles
• Lift your right leg, keeping the leg straight
• Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion eight times
• Switch sides and repeat! The stability ball intensifies the workout and targets the core

5. Mini Band Exercise: Plank Kickback

• Place your mini exercise band around your thighs (just above the knee), and get into the plank position with your feet shoulder-width apart
• Lift your right leg, keeping your leg straight, as high as you can
• Lower your right leg, and repeat the motion eight times. Switch sides and repeat!

6. Mini Band Exercise: Glute Bridge Hold

• Place your mini band just above your knees, and lie on your back with your knees bent
• Lift your hips, squeeze those glutes, and hold
• Lower your hips and repeat the motion

7. Mini Band Exercise: Bicep Curls

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and wrap a mini band around your wrists, holding your wrists shoulder-width apart
• Lower your arms and curl up. Repeat the motion

8. Mini Band Exercise: Lateral Shuffle

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees
• Place your mini loop band just above your ankles
• Step out to the right, followed by your left, and shuffle along so you’re still feeling the resistance
• After 10 steps, switch to stepping out to the left, first

9. Mini Band Exercise: Bicycle Ab Crunches

• Place your mini loop band around your feet
• Lie on the floor and place your hands behind your head and rest your feet on the ground
• Squeeze your abdominals as you simultaneously lift your upper back and legs from the ground
• Push and pull your legs back and forth to create the pedaling motion while turning your elbows to face the leg with the bent knee
• Repeat!

10. Mini Band Exercise: Hip Raise and Leg Pull-Ins With Exercise Ball

• Place your mini loop band around your ankles and prop your legs up on your DynaPro exercise ball
• Lie on the floor and rest your hands on the ground, palms-down, next to your hips
• Squeeze your abdominals as you lift your your right leg from the exercise ball, toward your chest
• Lower your hips and right leg, and repeat the motion eight times
• Switch sides and repeat!

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/10-best-mini-band-exercises/

ANTI-AGING EXPERT DARNELL COX: HOW TO STAY YOUNG TO STAY SANE

Darnell Cox attacks the aging process from every angle by focusing on staying youthful. You can do it too!

Cali-gal, Darnell Cox, of LiveYoungLifestyle.com knows all about embracing the essence of youth, and credits her ability to do so to her overall mindset and physical well-being. Not to mention, she’s in killer shape! In an exclusive interview, she shares with DynaPro Directexactly why feeling youthful is so important to her, and reveals some great secrets on how you can bask in the fountain of youth, too!

DynaPro Direct: Why is it so important to focus on feeling youthful?

Darnell Cox: Well, quite frankly, because the alternative sucks. So just as you need to “choose happiness” every day, you also need to choose to feel youthful. And feeling youthful can mean different things to each of us! It can be a physical activity, a mindset, a conversation we have, or even a song we listen to — and sing along with.

DD: What are some of your best anti-aging tips when it comes to nutrition and exercise?

 

DC: First of all, don’t ever diet — ever! It screws up your metabolism. The trick is to never deprive yourself of food. There are certain foods you should add to your diet that fill you up, that regulate your blood sugar level so you don’t binge eat, and that make your skin shine.

By mindfully adding good foods into your diet, you will soon discover that you just don’t have room — or desire — for the junk you normally fill up (or binge) on.

As far as exercise goes, after the age of 30, we begin to lose muscle mass. It’s so important to incorporate weight training into your workout routine in order to combat this. Step away from that treadmill and pick up some dumbbells or an exercise band!

DD: What about when it comes to skincare and anti-aging?

DC: My own personal regimen borders on the absurd (laughing!) as I’m always looking to try things related to anti-aging that I can write about for my readers — but, if you follow just these basic tips, your skin will definitely improve:

In the morning, wash with a gentle cleanser. Then apply C-Serum, followed by sunscreen, sunscreen... and more sunscreen.

At night, wash your skin. Let your skin dry for 20 minutes before applying Retin-A (or a Retinoid product) followed by a moisturizer. My website is full of tips on beauty and skin care tips.

DD: How would you use an exercise ball to practice anti-aging exercises?

DC: Exercise balls are a great way to work out, provided that you know how to use it. For me, it’s hard to see a giant exercise ball and not think about doing some crunches. I also use it to stretch out my back. The ball can be used for so many things: You can crunch, dip, squat or plank. The only thing you don’t want to do with an exercise ball is ignore it.

DD: Do you have any other wisdom for fitness-minded individuals who want to stay motivated?

DC: Wisdom? I guess I could say that I have a boatload of experience that I can share. One of the motivational tips that has always worked for me over the years is all about intention and it’s deceptively simple: have tomorrow’s workout clothes already laid out at night before you go to sleep. It doesn’t matter if you exercise in the morning or after work, by getting your workout attire ready before you sleep, you are setting your intention for the next day.

Source: https://www.dynaprodirect.com/8-healthy-diet-tips-by-danielle-pashko/