workout

My Intentions for 2020

Thursday, January 09, 2020

     Here comes New Year and all things resolution. I've seen a lot of friends sharing lists, ideas, infographics, essays, and even memes to kick off their 2020. Let's start the year right by changing one habit or attitude at a time. Do you have a New Year's resolution or intentions for 2020?

     I became serious about my health and fitness journey six months ago because of a medical condition that prevents me from having another baby. I said to myself that apart from regular exercise, I will also follow a healthy diet and lifestyle, more sleeping hours, and less stress. All these intentions are focused on the physical aspect or area of life and that includes our health. If you are also focusing on being the best version of yourself this year, sharing tips and my personal views on health and wellness after the jump.

My Intentions for 2020
One of my intentions last year is to be STRONG. Yes for a stronger for 2020!

FWD Life for a Healthy and Fit Filipino, One Move at a Time

Friday, October 09, 2015

     FWD Life encourages Filipinos to stay healthy and fit, one move at a time. Can you really be healthy and fit by investing just four minutes of your day in exercise? Apparently, it is possible and FWD Life is showing Filipinos how they can be healthier and fitter pursue their passions and live the life they dream of.

     To encourage more Filipinos to start living a healthy lifestyle, FWD Life recently launched a health and wellness movement aptly called Live to Move—premised on the idea that attaining better health is key in living life to the fullest.
FWD Life for a Healthy and Fit Filipino, One Move at a Time
     At the heart of the campaign is the FWD Motion, a specially designed four-minute metabolic fitness (MetaFit) workout which has a health benefit equivalent of up to one-hour exercise. Its four primary steps – jump, squat, push up, and lunge – will encourage Filipinos to get into their exercise gear and start moving. Short, simple, and effective, the four primary steps easily encourage people to work outregardless if they are novice, intermediate or advanced fitness enthusiasts. 

     FWD Motion is a simple regimen. Its four primary steps can be integrated into daily activities and can be done anywhere, reducing the need to go to the gym or attend a workout class. Having been developed by celebrity fitness coaches Jim and Toni Saret (“The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition Season 2,”“Fit Filipino Movement”), who are also the campaigncollaborators, it is scientifically-proven to make an individual lose as much as 600 calories, depending on the intensity of execution and number of repetitions. 
FWD Life for a Healthy and Fit Filipino, One Move at a Time
Coach Toni carrying dumbells with other instructors
     “FWD encourages Filipinos to be healthier through the Live To Move movement and it matches perfectly with our advocacy. Through Live To Move and the FWD Motion, we are able to motivate people to start moving in as short as four minutes only, so they can live better and healthier lives,” said Coach Jim Saret. 

    Coaches Jim and Toni Saret are also healthy lifestyle ambassadors of the Philippine Heart Association (PHA), the official advocacy partner of Live To Move. FWD Life supports PHA’s 52100 advocacy, a simple guide to remind people of the essentials of good health, with each number representing a daily target: five (5) servings of fruits and vegetables, two (2) hours maximum recreational screen time, one (1) hour of moderate activity, zero (0) sugared drinks, and zero (0) smoking/secondhand smoke.
FWD Life for a Healthy and Fit Filipino, One Move at a Time
     “This partnership enables PHA to further promote public awareness on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We are also grateful that through Live To Move, FWD is able to support our 52100 advocacy which encourages Filipinos to adopt simple heart-friendly daily habits,” said Dr. Alex Junia, Philippine Heart Association President.

     The campaign started with the FWD Motion online video challenge wherein participants post their workout videos featuring their passions and their variations to the four primary steps. It continues with the Live To Move Tour, a series of health and wellness-themed pocket events around Metro Manila which includes group activities called Move to the Beat (Hip Hop), Move to the Groove (Zumba), Move to Fight (boxing and cardio), and Move to the FWD Motion (MetaFit). It will culminate on October 24 with the Live To Move Grand Festival where participants will enjoy exciting activities and rewards in surrounding booths for free medical consultation, cooking sessions, group workouts, and a free-for-all wellness concert. 
FWD Life for a Healthy and Fit Filipino, One Move at a Time
FWD Warriors warming up
     Campaign participants are entitled to raffle entries which give them the chance to win exciting lifestyle gadgets during the tour and the grand festival. 

     “We have established Live To Move as a platform and the FWD Motion as a key workout routine to encourage Filipinos to start living a healthy lifestyle so they can pursue their passions. We are committed to lead the cause for Filipinos’ health and wellness in the life insurance industry, since we strongly believe in the benefits of living a healthy and more active life,” said FWD Life President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes. 

Upload your FWD Motion videos until October 23. You can also catch upcoming Live To Move tour stops in Bonifacio Global City on October 10 and Alabang Town Center on October 17.

     For more information about Live To Move campaign, visit 

5 Workouts That Work Your Chest and Back

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

     If you are looking to build your chest and back,you’re going to need exercises that target the muscles in those areas of the body. Below are five exercises that workout your chest and back and they don’t require a lot of equipment to perform. 
5 Workouts That Work Your Chest and Back
image from bodybuilding.com
1. Push Ups
     A staple workout in building upper body strength, push ups are essential in developing your chest. You don’t need any equipment other than your body, and you can do a number of variations such as incline, decline, and diamond pushups to maximize effectiveness. Keep in mind, however, that technique is everything if you want to see results. 

2. Pull Ups
     Pull ups are excellent when it comes to developing your upper back because the major muscles targeted are the latissimus dorsi – the largest muscles along both sides of your back. You can perform this exercise with several grip variations to challenge your body and increase the strength in your upper back as well as your shoulders and arms. 

     However, to do this exercise properly you will need a bar fixed horizontally in either a door frame or constructed as a free standing unit. It should be fixed so that your feet do not touch the ground when your arms are fully extended and sturdy enough so that it does not collapse on you while performing the exercise.

3. Pull Overs
     Pull overs, are an exercise that work your chest and your back at the same time. To do this one, you will need some form of resistance, such as a dumb bell to pullover your head while you lie flat on your back to perform the technique either on the floor or on a workout bench. 

   The primary muscle that receives the most work is your chest, while you back is the secondary receiver of resistance in the movement. Thus, it works both muscle groups at the same time.

4. Single Arm Bent Over Rows
     This is another exercise that targets the major muscles of the back. You perform it using a form of resistance such as a dumbbell, resistance band, or even a kettlebell. Also, depending on your skill level you will need some form of support such as a chair, workout bench, or even your knee to perform the technique of pulling the weight from the floor to your body.

5. Butter Fly Press
    Targeting the chest, this exercise, is typically performed using dumb bells while lying with your back flat on a workout bench and raising and lowering both arms in a horizontal-arching motion over your chest. However, you can also perform the technique using resistance bands, or cables, while standing or sitting down in a chair.

    Keep your spine straight, depending on how you are positioned, as your arms move in a plane of motion that crosses the weight over your chest and then extends the arms out and away from your body.

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