An Interesting Workout – Using only a Deck of Cards

I recently read an article about an exercise routine called “Deck of Cards”. I really liked it because it offers an exercise option when you do not have access to a gym. Since I sometimes have to travel, I’ve found myself gymless many times. The only “equipment” you need is a deck of cards.

Choose three exercises you’d like to do. The article recommends choosing an upper body, a middle body, and a lower body exercise. In the example, lets say you choose to do pushups, squats (which can be done without weights), and crunches or sit-ups.

Then, shuffle the cards. Turn over the first card, and whatever the number on the card is the number of reps you will do for each of the three exercises. You can give values to the face cards such as Jack = 11, Queen = 12, King = 13, Ace = 14. Once you do all three exercises, turn over the next card, and do that many reps for the three exercises. The goal is to complete the deck of cards. Of course, you can decide to do as many or as few cards as you like (remember, it’s YOUR workout and your fitness and weight loss program). When doing the exercises, do not rest in between each set. This way, your heart rate will stay high and you will get an aerobic workout while doing strength training exercises. This will help with both weight loss and muscle maintenance. Shuffling the cards before doing the workout routine will help mix up your workout so that your body does not get used to the routine.

I mentioned this workout is great if you are traveling and do not have access to a gym. But it can be used at home as well, when you don’t feel like going to the gym. Or, it could be done every single day.

* I found the article (written by John Beck) describing this exercise at http://www.yogacoffeeoutlook.com/yogacoffeeoutlook/2007/10/youre-workout-i.html#more , on a website called “YogaCoffeeOutlook”.

Lose Weight Fast ... Then Gain it Back

Rapid and “fad” weight loss diets and programs are not as good as they seem. Research has shown that while these fad diets have led to weight loss in many people, this weight loss is usually caused by malnutrition from the diet and the weight will be gained back as soon as the person goes back to eating the way he/she used to. In fact, after losing weight rapidly in a fad diet, most people have then experienced rapid weight gain.

Research has shown that when weight is lost extremely fast, usually a large percentage of it is water, and a noticeable amount is muscle. In fact, the body is only capable of losing up to two and a half pounds of fat per week at a maximum. Lost water can be regained quickly, which explains part of the rapid regain in weight after going off a fad diet. Also, when muscle is lost, the metabolism slows down, allowing more weight gain. Weight loss pills and goofy fad diets are not all they’re cracked up to be. For the most part, they are the result of smart people realizing that they can make a lot of money off of overweight people who are desperate to lose weight quickly and easily.

I recently saw on television an advertisement for the “cookie diet.” The diet requires a person to eat 6 -8 cookies per day, and only one actual meal at dinnertime. The total number of calories consumed in this diet should not exceed 1000. People who have tried this diet have indeed lost weight … and most have gained it back when the diet was “over” and went back to eating the way they used to. Eating only 1000 calories per day will cause the metabolism to drop for sure. And there is no way that this diet will allow anybody to get enough of the vitamins and minerals that the body needs. I love cookies and I love being fit, but I’m not going to starve my muscles and malnourish myself in order to get there.

(Diet Pills are also absolutely not worth it. See The Dangers of Diet Pills, January 12).

There are also companies selling weight loss “products” to desperate overweight people. One hilarious weight loss product I read about is “slimming soap.” The soap is supposedly maid from a combination of seaweed and Chinese herbs that cause fat to melt off the body when used in the bath/shower. While the soap has shown to improve skin quality, there has been no scientific research/evidence that this soap has caused anybody to lose any weight. But still, people purchase this soap every day. Another product that people are buying is magical weight loss earrings. It is advertised that placing magnets ear your ears reduces appetite and increases metabolism. Again, there has been no research verifying this claim.

Bottom line: If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you are going to have to change your diet to something healthy but sustainable, and start sweating.

Mix Up Your Cardio Workout

In cardio exercise, try different machines out to mix up your workout. This way, you'll keep your body from getting used to one type of exercise, and you'll be less likely to get bored.

The treadmill is a great way to burn a lot of calories. It can be used for running at any speed and incline, and is great for interval training. Also, the speed can be controlled to ensure that a desired speed is maintained throughout the workout. Listening to music or watching television while exercising on a treadmill can make the exercise go by very fast. If you’ve got more time in your hands or aren’t in very good shape yet, walking on the treadmill is also a good exercise. Studies have shown that walking provides many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heard disease and diabetes.

The elliptical machine provides a non-impact workout that still burns a lot of calories. There isn’t the excessive pressure on the knees and joints that come with exercising on a treadmill. Studies have shown that while it may even feel less strenuous than running on a treadmill, the workout you get is close to the same intensity as that on a treadmill* so a similar number of calories are burned. The resistance can be adjusted for a low or high intensity exercise. Some have both lower and upper body components, which allows for even more calorie-burning.

The stationary bike is another non-impact cardio machine. The resistance can usually be increased to challenge the leg muscles. But because the exercise only uses the upper leg muscles, fewer calories are burned than on other machines like the treadmill or elliptical machine.

*(ACE FitnessMatters, Elliptical Trainer Proves Effective, Volume 4, Issue 2, Mar/Mar, 1998, p. 4. )