Try a Cheerleading-Inspired Workout!

by Elizabeth Narins, Women's Health Online Editor

Cheerleading may not be officially recognized as a sport—yet—but this spirited workout is definitely tough enough to kick your butt

Anyone who’s seen Bring It On (so, basically any woman over the age of 25) is well acquainted with the argument for why cheerleading should be considered a sport in its own right—not just a companion to other sports. But even though the movie came out 13 years ago, the American Medical Association’s (AMA) House of Delegates just considered whether cheerleading should be classified as an official sport at its annual meeting last week.

Ultimately, the AMA voted to hold off on making a final decision until a formal report on cheerleading is prepared, which could take a couple of years. If cheerleading is recognized as a sport by the AMA, it could lead to regulations for coach training and standardized safety requirements.

While standing on the sideline and waving pom poms might not qualify as vigorous physical activity, competitive cheerleaders get a full-body workout by preparing routines for judged competitions that require flexibility, balance, stamina, coordination, core strength, and cardiovascular endurance, says Lauren Boggi Goldenberg, a former University of South Carolina cheerleader and founder of the Lithe Method, a cardio-cheer-sculpting fitness studio with locations in New York and Pennsylvania. What’s more, cheerleading movements are dynamic, explosive, and sharp—and because cheerleaders often support each other’s body weight, competitive cheerleading counts as cardio and strength-training exercise, says Goldenberg.

The good news: You don’t need to join a squad or even buy a pair of pom poms to try the moves that make cheerleading such a butt-busting workout. Goldenberg suggests doing these exercises from Lithe Method if you want a taste of what a cheer-inspired workout is all about:

Toe touch abs

Lie on your back with your core engaged, arms at your side. Inhale, and draw your knees into your chest as you press a small exercise ball to your shins. Exhale, and roll up, balancing on your sit bones as you bring your upper body off the ground. While you press the ball into your right shin with your right hand, extend your left arm upward to form one side of a high V. Then extend and open both legs into an elevated V about 45-degrees off the ground, extending your right arm as well to hold the ball in place. Roll back down to the starting position, roll the ball to the left shin, and repeat on the other side. Do 10 repetitions on each side.

 
Liberty raises in T

Begin standing on your left leg with your right leg bent at a 90-degree angle and your knee lifted to waist height. Engage your quads and glutes, and suck your belly button in toward your spine to activate your core. Raise your arms straight out to the sides and inhale as you lift your chest and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears. Keeping your right leg in the air, exhale and lift your left heel off the ground. Lower your heel and repeat 15 to 30 times. Then lower your right leg to the floor, and repeat on the other side.

 

Cheer preps with high V, low V

Begin standing with your feet together. Holding one- to three-pound weights in each hand, extend your arms to the side with your triceps engaged. Keeping your arms stiff, breath in and bend your knees, sitting back slightly as if you’re preparing to hop (not sit down). Then, pull up through your knees and squeeze your glutes and core as you stand up straight, balancing on the balls of your feet as you bring both a few inches off the ground. As you rise up, extend your arms above your head and slightly forward so they form a V, with your arms just in front of your ears. Then gently lower your heels to the ground as you simultaneously drop your arms down to form a low V, bend your knees, and sit back again. Repeat the entire movement quickly and continuously for 30 reps.

Double jump squats (2:11)
 

Begin standing with your feet together. Hold two one- to three-pound hand weights up by your armpits with your elbows pointing down and pressed against your sides, palms facing each other. Come up off your heels and hop up twice, landing each time on the balls of your feet. On the third hop, land with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight, sit back into a squat as you drop your arms and bring the weights down along the outside of your ankles. Hop your feet together as you stand and bring the weights back up to the starting position. Continue the hop-hop-squat sequence without pausing for 30 reps.

 

exercise photos: Courtesy of Lithe Method

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How fit are you? See How You Measure Up

Ready to start a fitness program? Measure your fitness level with a simple four-part test. Then use the results to set fitness goals and track your progress.

by Mayo Clinic staff

 

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But knowing the specifics can help you set realistic fitness goals, monitor your progress and maintain your motivation. Once you know where you're starting from, you can plan where you want to go. And it's easier than you might think. Get started with the simple four-step assessment below — based on guidelines provided by the President's Challenge, a program designed by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.

 

Gather your tools

Generally, fitness is assessed in four key areas — aerobic fitness, muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition. To do your assessment, you'll need:

• A watch that can measure seconds or a stopwatch
• A cloth measuring tape
• A yardstick
• Heavy-duty tape
• Someone to help you with the flexibility test

You'll also need a pencil or pen and paper to record your scores as you complete each part of the assessment. You can record your scores in a notebook or journal, or save them in a spreadsheet or another electronic format.

 

Record your fitness levels (PDF file requiring Adobe Reader) 

Check your aerobic fitness: Brisk walk

 

Checking pulse over the carotid artery.

To assess your aerobic fitness, take a brisk one-mile (1.6-kilometer) walk. You can do the walk anywhere — on a trail or track, inside a shopping mall, or on a treadmill. Before and after the walk, check and record your pulse in your notebook or journal.

 

To check your pulse over your carotid artery, place your index and middle fingers on your neck to the side of your windpipe. To check your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery — which is located on the thumb side of your wrist. When you feel your pulse, look at your watch and count the number of beats in 10 seconds. Multiply this number by 6 to get your heart rate per minute.

 

Let's say you count 15 beats in 10 seconds. Multiply 15 by 6 for a total of 90 beats per minute.

 

After you've recorded your pulse, note the time on your watch and walk one mile (1.6 kilometers). After you complete the walk, check your watch and record the time it took you to finish — in minutes and seconds — in your notebook or journal. Then check and record your pulse once more. 

Measure muscular fitness: Push-ups

 

Measuring muscular fitness.

 

Push-ups can help you measure muscular strength. If you're just starting a fitness program, do modified push-ups on your knees. If you're already fit, do classic push-ups. For both types:

• Lie face down on the floor with your elbows bent and your palms next to your shoulders.
• Keeping your back straight, push up with your arms until your arms are extended.
• Lower your body until your chest touches the floor.
• Push your body upward, returning to the starting position.

Count each time you return to the starting position as one push-up. Do as many push-ups as you can until you need to stop for rest. Record the number of push-ups you complete in your notebook or journal. 

Assess your flexibility: Sit-and-reach test

 

Assessing flexibility in the legs, hips and lower back.

The sit-and-reach test is a simple way to measure in general fashion the flexibility of the backs of your legs, your hips and your lower back. Here's how:

• Place a yardstick on the floor. Secure it by placing a piece of tape across the yardstick at the 15-inch (38-centimeter) mark.
• Place the soles of your feet even with the mark on the yardstick.
• Ask a helper to place his or her hands on top of your knees to anchor them.
• Reach forward as far as you can, holding the position for two seconds.
• Note the distance you reached.
• Repeat the test two more times.
• Record the best of the three reaches.

 

Estimate your body composition: Waist circumference and body mass index

With a cloth measuring tape, measure your waist circumference just above the hipbones. Record your waist circumference in inches or centimeters in your notebook or journal.

 

Then determine your body mass index (BMI) — an indicator of your percentage of body fat — through a BMI table or online calculator. If you'd rather do the math yourself, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches squared and multiply by 703. Or divide your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared. (To determine your height in meters, divide your height in centimeters by 100). Record your BMI with the rest of your scores in your notebook or journal. 

Monitor your progress

Now that you know your fitness level, keep track of your progress. Take the same measurements six weeks after you begin your exercise program and periodically afterward. Each time you repeat your assessment, celebrate your progress — and adjust your fitness goals accordingly. Share your results with your doctor or personal trainer for additional guidance. Your results may even inspire you to sign up for the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA).

You can find the original article here.