Fitness. All about fitness » exercise http://www.fitnesscentr.com Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:01:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Countdown To Summer Fitness Challenge! How To Get Fit And Lose Weight In 6 Weeks. http://www.fitnesscentr.com/countdown-to-summer-fitness-challenge-how-to-get-fit-and-lose-weight-in-6-weeks.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/countdown-to-summer-fitness-challenge-how-to-get-fit-and-lose-weight-in-6-weeks.html#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:39:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/countdown-to-summer-fitness-challenge-how-to-get-fit-and-lose-weight-in-6-weeks.html How about those fabulous bike rides in the park! What about grilling barbeque on the deck? Are you down for a little surfing and tanning on the beach? Summer will be upon us in less than six weeks. Not only do we want to enjoy the warm months that are rapidly approaching, we want to look like we are enjoying them. It doesn’t matter if it is ten, twenty, forty, or seventy pounds, just get started! Weight loss should be slow and steady, while focusing on cutting calories and increasing exercise. It is important to refrain from overexerting yourself. Weight loss takes time. I have never been one to acknowledge or accept the idea of dieting. The true meaning of dieting is counting and managing your calories for a specific amount of time in order to reach a target weight goal. This concerns me because it is temporary. What happens when you resume your normal eating habits? You gain weight! I believe in making a complete paradigm in the way we think about food. You can do this by establishing good eating habits. Why not establish a habit of consuming 500-600 calories for breakfast instead of 1,500? If you replace muffins, bagels, pancakes, sausage, grits and bacon with fruit, turkey bacon, cottage cheese, grain cereal, or yogurt, you will probably find yourself 10 pounds lighter on breakfast alone. Do the same for lunch and dinner and lose an additional 10-20 pounds. Wait until you add exercise into the equation. Exercise for thirty minutes per day, four to five times a week and watch additional pounds drop. Of course, this takes determination and discipline. Yet, habits are habits. Once you get used to a routine of eating certain foods, it becomes second nature. Weight management not only helps you look better, but helps you feel better. You will begin to notice an increase in energy and an improvement in health. It is important to monitor the amount of cholesterol you consume. Diets high in cholesterol can lead to heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. Be sure to get a cholesterol screening on a regular basis. Eat fish at least twice a week, preferably those with darker flesh, such as, salmon, herring mackerel, and lake trout. They are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which lower blood cholesterol. It is also important to eat foods that will not contribute to high blood pressure. Limit your alcohol intake to less than two drinks per day, limit your salt intake, and reduce the saturated fat in your diet. Saturated fat can be found in animal products like milk, cheese, and meat. Let go of the cigarettes or tobacco products! Smoking increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. Try nonfat yogurt, salsa, or nonfat sour cream instead of sour cream or butter on baked potatoes. Try substituting fresh vegetables and tomatoes sauce for creamy sauces, when eating pasta. Substitute basic breads and cereal grains for bagels, muffins, and croissants. A diet high in fruits and vegetables will help you ward off cancer and other diseases because of the cancer-fighting agents contained in them. They contain a lot of fiber and a diet high in fiber decreases your risk of developing colon cancer and other types of cancer. Fruits and vegetables also contain Vitamin A (beta carotene) and C, both of which contain cartenoids and antioxidants. Cartenoids can also be found in dark leafy vegetables, carrots, cantaloupe, papaya, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes. Additional sources of Vitamin C are strawberries, oranges, broccoli, peppers, and tomatoes. It is always best to lightly steam your vegetables. The closer they are to being raw, the higher their nutritional value. People have asked me how exercise can give you energy. It seems as though it takes your energy away because you utilize so much energy when you exercise. This is the farthest thing from the truth. The more you exercise and lose weight, the more energy you get and keep because you are carrying less weight, which takes less energy. The more you exercise, the more you are able to exercise. After you get your weight to a manageable level, monitor or keep a close eye on it. Weigh yourself everyday. That way, you can take measures or do things to nip sudden weight gain. If you find yourself five or ten pounds heavier than your target weight, you should cut back immediately. It becomes a problem when we wait until we are 30, 60, or 100 pounds overweight. It can feel like you’re fighting a losing battle when your weight gain has become too extreme. It is a good idea to make a list of different ways to incorporate walking into your daily life. If you live near a metro transit station, drive there, park your car and ride the train and walk to work. If you are a new mother, get a stroller that will enable you to burn calories while you are walking your baby. Why not take the stairs, instead of the elevator? You would be surprised at how many calories you can burn by gardening, swimming, skating, hiking, and dancing. Believe it or not, you can have fun while losing weight. Exercise, along with a positive attitude, and a healthy diet will help you to manage your weight and improve your health. Exercise does not have to be rigorous to be valuable. You will probably do yourself a disservice by exercising too hard. Take it easy. Just gradually build up your resistance to a manageable level. Always remember that if you can not talk and walk at the same time, then you are walking too fast. If you have any of the following health problems, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning any exercise program. • Heart trouble • Dizziness or faintness • Chest pains • Diabetes • High blood pressure • Arthritis How to prepare food for a good diet and low calories: • Eat Fish at least twice a week, preferable baked, broiled, or grilled. Reduce serving size to 2-3 ounces. • To reduce fat, use lean poultry and fish, as well as, lean cuts of meat such as top and bottom round and tenderloin. Avoid second servings. Feel free to replace some meats with beans or grains. • Eat at least three to five servings of fruit and vegetables a day. Fruit like kiwi, figs, apples, raspberries, and blueberries are high in fiber and nutrition. Vegetables such as, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beets, cauliflower, carrots, spinach, chili peppers, red bell peppers, squash, sweet potatoes and tomatoes have high nutritional value and are great anti-oxidants (contain cancer-fighting agents). • Eat whole-grain, whole-wheat bread, pasta, tortillas, and cereals daily • Eat cooked dry beans, peas, and lentils regularly • Eat popcorn with no added oil, salt, or butter. • Drink skim milk or 1% milk • You should drink at least 24 ounces of water per day, especially since you will be exercising. • Limit the oil you use for cooking • Steam your vegetables or sautй using wine or a half teaspoon of oil • Use herbs and spices for seasoning, instead of sauces and butter • Salads should be eaten with fat-free dressing or a combination of red wine vinegar and oil • Drink a glass of water in the morning when you wake • Limit your consumption of lean, red meat to no more than four times per month Copyright © 2006 by Pamela Jewell, M.Ed., Ed.S.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/countdown-to-summer-fitness-challenge-how-to-get-fit-and-lose-weight-in-6-weeks.html/feed 0 Get Thee to a Gym? Perhaps Not! http://www.fitnesscentr.com/get-thee-to-a-gym-perhaps-not.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/get-thee-to-a-gym-perhaps-not.html#comments Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:15:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/get-thee-to-a-gym-perhaps-not.html Copyright 2006 Howard McGarity So, you have decided that it’s finally time to lose some weight and get in shape. Congratulations on your determination. Changing your habits can be a real challenge and it is reasonable to seek some support. One of the options that many people choose is to sign up at the gym. This sounds like a good idea but is one that requires some careful thought. Although hard to measure, health club industry statistics predict that fifty percent of people joining a gym will become erratic users or drop-outs within a couple of months. If you are a beginner, or not already in the habit of regular exercise, you are quite likely to be headed for disappointment. There are several reasons why the gym experience may not be your best choice: 1. Inflated Promises. Despite the sales pitch, the majority of glitzy, chrome and glass establishments are not really committed to help you get fit. They are set up to sell memberships because that is where the money is. Profitability actually depends on no-shows because if every member who enrolled tried to use the facilities, you wouldn’t be able to squeeze them into the building. Once you sign a contract and they have your credit card number, you are probably on your own. 2. Will you actually be able to get to the gym regularly? I’ve seen it all too often; you work late, traffic is bad, you have to get home… and shoot, you’ll just have to work out later! Worse still, when you get home, you don’t even take a ten minute walk because…. you’re going to the gym tomorrow. Having a gym membership actually becomes the perfect excuse to do nothing. 3. Beware aerobics classes. This is especially true if you are older, in poor shape or seriously overweight. Most aerobics classes specialize in loud music and fancy footwork. If you are a beginner, forget it. If you can’t keep up, the pep rally mentality and one-size-fits-all instruction will leave you feeling fat and foolish. 4. What do you do when you don’t know what to do? Many gyms do not have a thorough orientation program to get you started; nor can you get help when you have questions. During peak hours, early and late in the day, the staff is usually overwhelmed. You will be encouraged to get a personal trainer (probably the best idea… if you can get one with sufficient experience). But this comes with a hefty price tag and pressure to sign up for a long-term package deal. Try this plan instead: Weight loss is achieved primarily by learning what and how much to eat (note I didn’t use the word “starvation”). Exercise assists weight loss, improves general health and fosters a positive attitude that is motivating. Improvements in both nutrition and physical activity must be sustained and consistent but can be quite moderate. Now do five things: 1. Spend your money on a meeting with a registered dietitian who can show you how to eat and will give you guidance on your eating habits. This knowledge will last you for a lifetime and puts you miles ahead of all the other “dieters” out there. 2. Buy a good pair of walking shoes and an inexpensive pedometer. Go to the Shape-Up America website at www.shapeup.org/shape/steps . Also check out www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps and click on “beginner”. Read the information carefully. There is more here than meets the eye. Even if you are in decent shape, don’t underestimate the value of walking. Pick up the pace, include some steep hills; you can get a really good workout. 3. Use your day planner or calendar to schedule your workouts for the week in advance and keep a log of everything you do. Figure on losing an average of no more than one pound per week and chart out short and long term goals. Weigh yourself no more than once a week. 4. Get a partner to join you for a regular walk each week. Better yet, get them to join you on the program and hold each other accountable. 5. When your energy and enthusiasm increases, keep your mind open to the idea of strength training. This will speed fat loss and do more to improve your body shape than any other activity. You can do this at home with almost no equipment. Go out now and get the book “Getting in Shape” by Anderson, Pearl and Burke. Shelter Publications 2002. This is a real gem; easy to read with good basic programs and enough information so you understand what you are doing. If you noticed, all of the steps above are pro-active. You are the one ultimately responsible for taking control of your life and your health. Even if the guys at the gym could do it for you, any improvement will be temporary until you accept the challenge as your own. Good luck and good health. Howard McGarity ”Coach Mac”

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/get-thee-to-a-gym-perhaps-not.html/feed 0 Why Whey Protein? http://www.fitnesscentr.com/why-whey-protein.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/why-whey-protein.html#comments Fri, 16 Apr 2010 18:54:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/why-whey-protein.html With all of the recent negative press given to body supplements, it makes good sense to be cautions about using different nutritional supplements as a part of your body building efforts. Whey protein has been lauded as a safe, natural and simple supplement. It’s use has become popular for those genuinely interested in good health through physical fitness and body building. The importance of adequate protein levels in the body cannot be ignored. Since protein is used up when exercising, body builders must prevent muscle deterioration by maintaining protein levels. Naturally, building additional muscle mass will also require adequate levels. Whey protein is a substance that is drawn from milk. That’s right, plain old cow’s milk. Whey is known to be a byproduct of cheese and, until the recent discovery of its health qualities, was discarded. In fact, scientists now know that what was once considered junk is actually rich in the amino acids which help build muscles and promotes good health. As we know, protein is found in other basic foods such as meat, vegetables and grains. But, thanks to the research that has been done, we now know that whey protein is accepted by the body better. As a result body builders and other athletes can usually expect better results from whey protein than from other sources of protein. This high quality and natural product is also useful for other people who may be on special diets, whether they are for weight loss, food allergies, or even for diabetics. Remember, high quality protein is essential for optimum health…not just for body building. Use of whey protein can help others heal quicker and recover from illness quicker. As always, be sure to check with your health professional before implementing whey protein or making any other changes in your diet or routines. Like anything else, too much of a good thing can be harmful, so be sure to use it in moderation.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/why-whey-protein.html/feed 0 Stop Exercising And Start Playing http://www.fitnesscentr.com/stop-exercising-and-start-playing.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/stop-exercising-and-start-playing.html#comments Wed, 24 Mar 2010 11:30:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/stop-exercising-and-start-playing.html Have you ever berated yourself because you didn’t exercise yet again today? Have you felt that creeping guilt in the back of your mind when you climb into bed knowing you didn’t follow through on your workout plan? Well, it’s possible that you are not at fault. You may just be acting like a normal human being. Take a moment to imagine how it feels to be… 1) In a hot, sweaty gym full of people who are grunting through their routines, sweating all over the equipment, and strutting their bodies around in front of the mirrors. OR 2) Rounding a curve in the trail with a light breeze gently caressing your skin in the soft evening air. How about the difference between… 1) Running around an oval track gasping for air and feeling your lungs burning. OR 2) Racing up and down a soccer field fully challenged by the game and having a blast with your friends. It’s not difficult to decide which choices would be more enjoyable to most people. Our culture has taught us to suffer as we exercise. “No pain, no gain” has been the mantra for years. The only problem is that for most people, “pain” is not a daily choice we’re willing to make. The natural human tendency is to do things that are fun, things that feel good. Forcing ourselves to do miserable exercise routines goes directly against our own nature. An easy way out of that trap is to play more. Find ways of moving the body that are wildly fun or rewarding to the soul. Dance around your house. Take a nature walk. Fly a kite. Go to the park with the kids and play some tetherball. Make the choice to move every day because it’s fun and feels great. Choose to move because it make you feel healthy and strong and vibrant. You’ll find you’re getting a lot more “exercise” without even thinking about it in that way. Life is meant to be an enjoyable journey not an endless round of suffering. Choose to have more joy and you’ll feel the difference in your body and in your spirit.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/stop-exercising-and-start-playing.html/feed 0 Is A Cattle Prod The Answer To A Life Overweight? http://www.fitnesscentr.com/is-a-cattle-prod-the-answer-to-a-life-overweight.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/is-a-cattle-prod-the-answer-to-a-life-overweight.html#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 23:09:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/is-a-cattle-prod-the-answer-to-a-life-overweight.html If you’re not sure what a cattle prod is, here’s the goss: it’s an electricity-charged rod that Australian cattlemen use to persuade cattle to run up ramps and into road-train trailers. Quickly. It’s the sort of thing that can change their lives. Instantly. And it’s the sort of metaphor many of us caught up in this overweight world would like to apply to our own lives. And improve them overnight. The reality in the world today is that there are many people hoping to transform their lives. Wishing. Most people in the Western world are overweight, and the zap required to change it seems to be missing. Every year we just get fatter, and more indolent. Oh, some get obsessed with dieting and losing weight, but others don’t seem to care. And neither will achieve what they want. If that seems a little harsh, consider this one fact: we were born to live a life of joy and vitality. If you are obsessed by pain or a void, how can you possibly enjoy life? It’s just not possible. Yet, if you bring pleasure to yourself, you stand a good chance of bringing joy to those around you as well. The aim is to feel good … inside, and outside. Just shedding a few pounds can be enough to add years to your life and make those years much more enjoyable. Just acknowledging that excess weight reduces stamina, stresses joints, and causes illnesses – including heart disease and diabetes – is a great first step. If you decide to start each day with the intention of eating better and getting just a little exercise – one day at a time – you will find life becoming much easier than you ever expected. These five steps are simple changes, but they can add up to a virtual cattle prod with the power to change your life: 1. Turn on your biological engines in the morning with a big glass of cold water. Whenever you feel like it during the day, have another. Water really is a wonder-fluid. It can also help to reduce hunger pangs! 2. This one is remarkably powerful for those who tend to potter about first thing – eat your breakfast within an hour of getting out of bed. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but a lot of overweight people wait until they get really hungry before eating breakfast – which means that they probably then eat too much. So eat early, and eat small. 3. Eat at least two pieces of fresh fruit each day – that’s two pieces about the size of an apple, not two grapes! Fruit is a great source of nutrition and fiber. Try for at least two different fruits so you get a variety of benefits. 4. Try to eat a salad every day, and try for at least five servings of vegetables. When you feel the urge to snack, switch to celery or carrot, or some other appealing veggie. 5. Fried foods and sweet things should also be put out of reach whenever possible. Even if the oil is drained away from fried food, there is still a lot of hidden oil to add fat and calories. And sweet means sugar, which means calories… and many other nasties as well. So it’s really just a matter of changing a few habits. Yes, I know, easier said than done! But try this: start keeping a food diary. Write down what you eat when you eat it – and check the result at the end of the day. You may be shocked! It’s often just the incentive to get back on track! A full program to turn your life around also has to include how you spend your day. By definition, couch potatoes are fat – so get up and go for a walk. The latest dietary and exercise advice is that you should enjoy at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week. That can include the physical version of activities you normally do in a day anyway – bike riding instead of bus riding, stair-climbing instead of climbing into an elevator etc. Just think about your own day, and you’ll soon find lots of ways you can replace ‘easy’ with ‘healthy’ ways of doing your normal tasks. Perhaps the most important part of the entire deal of putting a cattle prod to your life and regaining the vitality you deserve, is simply to make the decision to do so. Start with small goals, stick to them, and delight in how much easier it gets every day.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/is-a-cattle-prod-the-answer-to-a-life-overweight.html/feed 0 Create Your Own Metabolism http://www.fitnesscentr.com/create-your-own-metabolism.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/create-your-own-metabolism.html#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:12:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/create-your-own-metabolism.html Slow metabolism is frequently blamed for excess weight. The good news is we no longer have to be the victim of slow metabolism. We can actually be the creator of our metabolism. Knowing how your body works and using that knowledge to achieve your health and fitness goals, will get you results sooner with less frustration and aggravation. My goal is to help you get the most from your effort and see results. How your metabolism works. Metabolism is the speed at which your body burns through food. As you get older, your metabolism decreases and you don’t require the same number of calories as when you were younger. The rate the metabolism decreases as we age is determined by the amount of muscle mass we have on our body. Greater muscle means higher metabolism. If you’re over 40, you probably aren’t as active as you used to be. You aren’t playing sports or chasing kids around the house. If you don’t use your muscle, you’ll lose it. Digestion process burns calories. I teach my clients to eat 3 meals throughout the day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and then an additional 2 to 3 healthy snacks between meals. Many of us have been conditioned to think that if we eat less, we will weigh less. The opposite is true but we must be careful to eat quality instead of quantity. There is the thermic value of nutrients — the actual calorie burning properties of nutrient digestion. This means that healthy, balanced eating offers a metabolic advantage. Eating is thermic or produces heat. Since a calorie is a measure of heat, balanced eating equals more calories expended. Keep aerobic exercise moderate. Believing that aerobic exercise is the secret to burning fat is only half-correct. Too much aerobics subject us to a repetitive catabolic state where it literally is eating up muscle tissue. You can burn fat anytime you are in an “aerobic state.” If you are sitting and reading this article, you are in an aerobic state. You are in an aerobic state anytime you are meeting demands for oxygen. This is why proper nutrition and weight training is critical to maintain and build muscle. You can burn fat while you sleep with lean muscle mass. I use aerobic exercise to keep my heart, lungs and circulatory systems healthy and use weight training to burn calories and keep my metabolism healthy. Muscle is metabolism. As we age, we begin to lose muscle. This is called muscle atrophy. The key is to preserve muscle to fight fat and keep your metabolism healthy. The muscle you have on your body is in direct correlation to the number of calories you burn at any given moment. Muscle doesn’t know age. You can maintain or build muscle at any age with weight training. I believe training with weights is more important as you get older because you are typically less active and your muscle will get soft from lack of use. Dense muscle mass is key to having a strong and healthy metabolism. If you would like more information on how to increase your metabolism, send Linda an email and write “maximize your metabolism” in the subject line. Build muscle, eat 5 – 6 small meals a day, and keep your aerobic activity moderate. For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/create-your-own-metabolism.html/feed 0 Ten Tips For Winter Wellness http://www.fitnesscentr.com/ten-tips-for-winter-wellness.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/ten-tips-for-winter-wellness.html#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:52:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/ten-tips-for-winter-wellness.html 1. Go for a walk even when the weather is really cold – your body has to work overtime to get warm and you may burn up to 50% more calories than you would on the same walk in summer! But remember, go a little slower until you get warm and keep up the hydration. 2. If you find it hard to get motivated to exercise in winter…just think of spring and how much harder it is to get back into shape rather than maintain your fitness throughout the winter. 3. Be aware of tendonitis and stress fracture if you don’t exercise in winter and expect to pick up where you left off after a whole winter with no exercise. 4. Instead of picking up a cup of hot chocolate to keep yourself warm, try a herbal beverage. 5. Gain an interest in indoor sports as opposed to cycling and jogging outdoors. Don’t forget that swimming at an indoor pool is an option for a great cardio workout! 6. The cold air and indoor heaters can dry out your skin. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water each day and use moisturizers throughout winter. 7. Buy some indoor plants to soften up the dry atmosphere caused through heating. Indoor plants give off moisture and oxygen and the colours will brighten up a dull day outside. 8. Caught a cold or flu? If the infection is above the neck (nose, throat) you could be OK to complete a low intensity workout. However, if you have symptoms that are worse than an average cold (chest congestion, muscle aches), exercise will only make you worse and delay your recovery. Rest is the best medicine. 9. Wear the right clothes when exercising in winter. Polypropylene is the perfect fabric to wear underneath a tracksuit, which will provide great insulation but minimise moisture loss. Gore-Tex is a fabric used widely for providing protection from the rain and wind. 10. Feel like sitting on the couch with a video and snacking on a cold, wet day? Reach for a protein bar or packet of soy nuts instead of high energy, high fat snacks.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/ten-tips-for-winter-wellness.html/feed 0 Burn More Calories in Less Time http://www.fitnesscentr.com/burn-more-calories-in-less-time.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/burn-more-calories-in-less-time.html#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:29:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/burn-more-calories-in-less-time.html When I work with my clients, one of the key elements that I incorporate into all of our workouts is INTENSITY. In my view, intensity is the most critical aspect of any exercise regime and can mean the difference between someone who reaches their goals and someone who doesn’t. Increasing your workout’s intensity will stimulate your body to burn more calories and induce a greater cardiovascular response. It will also allow you to have a more time efficient workout. If you are looking to burn fat and become more toned, then increasing your exercise intensity is critical. Many people have the misconception that if you workout at a higher intensity you will no longer be burning fat since you will be in your “cardio zone”. Whereas, if you keep your intensity low for a longer duration you will burn more fat since you will be in your “fat burning zone”. Let me clarify this for you once and for all. By training at a low intensity (<70% max) it is true that you use fat as your predominant source of fuel. While exercising at a higher intensity (>75% max) your main fuel source is carbohydrate but you will ultimately burn more calories. And since 1 pound of fat is equivalent to 3500 calories, the ultimate goal is to burn as many calories as possible to create a negative energy balance! One of the best ways to achieve this intensity is through the use of full-body compound circuit training (strength training) in conjunction with interval training (on the cardio equipment). The benefit of full body compound training is that since it utilizes more muscle in any given movement you burn more calories. The intensity of the workout also means that each exercise becomes more challenging as your heart rate is sustained at a much higher level. Here are a couple of benefits to following an exercise program combining circuit training and interval training: 1. Intervals and circuits vastly reduce boredom. Traditional steady state cardio training and/or weight lifting can become quite boring. Interval training and circuit training offer more variety and excitement to your workouts. 2. Interval training increases post-exercise energy expenditure (calories burned following exercise) more than steady-state exercise, which means that more fat is burned. After intense exercise, the body needs extra calories as it works to repair muscles, replace energy stores (i.e. carbohydrate) and restore the body to its normal state (e.g. reduce heart rate). As this can take many hours, you will keep on burning more calories long after the workout is over. In fact, research shows that metabolic rate is higher for several hours following interval training compared to steady state exercise. 3. Interval training burns more calories. As an example, 30 minutes on an Elliptical machine using a steady state program will burn roughly 292 calories, whereas 30 minutes of intervals will burn approximately 584 calories! Here is a sample workout that will leave you huffing and puffing: Warm-up bike, treadmill, elliptical, rower 5-10 min Circuit (45 seconds for each exercise, with 15 seconds rest between exercises) 5-7 min Lunge walks with lateral raises Plank (on stability ball) Squats with medicine ball shoulder press Push-ups Side Bridges Reverse Pull-ups Burpies Interval Training (cardio equipment) 20 sec @ 100% : 40 sec @ 70% x 5 5 min Repeat Circuit and Interval 3 times Total Workout Time: 45 – 60 min If you would like to experience what an intense workout feels like then please inquire about the revolutionary Fitter U MP3 personal training program! For a fraction of the cost of regular one-on-one training, this proven MP3 program will ensure you get to your fitness goals in less time! Written by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK. Do not reprint without permission. © 2006 Total Wellness Consulting.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/burn-more-calories-in-less-time.html/feed 0 Your Physical Fitness – Keeping Your Body Healthy http://www.fitnesscentr.com/your-physical-fitness-%e2%80%93-keeping-your-body-healthy.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/your-physical-fitness-%e2%80%93-keeping-your-body-healthy.html#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:39:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/your-physical-fitness-%e2%80%93-keeping-your-body-healthy.html It is important to be fit, everyone knows that. Your physical fitness has a big impact upon how you feel about yourself, and how much effort your body has to expend in order to keep working. Lack of physical fitness has supposedly reached an epidemic proportion in America, though the truth is that Americans are obsessed with physical fitness, and TV doctors and celebrities alike make a fortune through selling fitness videos and books to the public. Unless you’re planning to buy ‘em all and use them as weights to lift up and down every day, none of these will ever do your physical fitness any good at all. The best way to improve your physical fitness is by incorporating regular activity into your daily routine. It is not necessary to take out full membership of your local gym, or even attend one exercise class. What it does mean is choosing an activity that increases your heart rate, or improves your strength and general flexibility. Walking a few more blocks, doing some gardening or housework, climbing the stairs, are all examples of something that can fit quite easily into your routine, but which can also increase your physical fitness. Taking the elevator, driving the car to the shop at the corner of your street, and spending more time in bed are all things that will not improve your fitness level. A healthy lifestyle cannot be a fad, or something that you will do ‘next year’. It should be on your ‘to-do’ list all year round, not just as a New Year Resolution that you never intend to keep. Once you start on an exercise regime, you will need to keep that up for the rest of your life; or your physical fitness will be lost, and you will have to start all over again. Without regular exercise, the muscles reduce, and fat takes its place (muscles do not become fat, they merely move over to make more room for it if they aren’t used). It is therefore important that you choose a regime that is going to keep you interested in the long term; every year throws up a new ‘fitness fad’, but most people take them up and then discard them after a fortnight. Instead, choose something that you enjoy. If the thought of being instructed on stepping up and down on a plastic board fills you with scorn, then you might try something else – martial arts are always popular, and a physical fitness regime which incorporates some kind of team sport will also help to keep you interested. Remember: physical activity everyday is the key to fitness, and that is what is important. Improving your physical fitness can provide you with more energy, and will help you to feel more positive about yourself.

]]> http://www.fitnesscentr.com/your-physical-fitness-%e2%80%93-keeping-your-body-healthy.html/feed 0 A Muscle Building Tip That May Work Wonders http://www.fitnesscentr.com/a-muscle-building-tip-that-may-work-wonders.html http://www.fitnesscentr.com/a-muscle-building-tip-that-may-work-wonders.html#comments Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:57:00 +0000 http://www.fitnesscentr.com/a-muscle-building-tip-that-may-work-wonders.html Maybe you want to build up your muscles for your health, or maybe you just want to look good – there’s nothing wrong with that. Whatever your reason, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it. The truth is, any kind of mass building program is beneficial to your heart as well as to your muscles. But if you’re trying to build up your muscles, there are particular muscle building workouts that are designed specifically to help you.

In order to increase the size of muscle, the muscle must be stimulated. One way of providing the stimulation your muscles need is to exercise so your muscles will grow in size.A muscle building tip that has helped many to attain their goal is to begin training with free weights. Strength and resistance exercise will also help by motivating your muscles to develop.

A workout routine of lifting weights combined with strength training exercises will begin to gradually bulk up your muscles. Muscle building workouts done on a regular basis will not only develop muscle mass but will add to your overall health. If you are a beginner, you will want to start out with lighter free weights and slowly increase the amount of weight you lift and the number of repetitions you perform.

Free weight training along with strength and resistance training will gradually help your body develop muscle. You can use this muscle building tip to your advantage if you remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your muscles won’t be built in a day either. Building muscle is a slow process, but perseverance is the keyword to success. Anyone who has gone through the process of building up their muscles will confirm that they have been discouraged by the apparent lack of progress, but eventually they reached and maintained their goal.

Mass building workouts along with strength training will further enhance your chances of success in building muscle. Bench presses, pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and/or other exercises that target specific muscles are very effective in building muscle. It is important that you rest in between muscle building workouts to allow your muscles time to recover.

Whether you are a beginner or a pro, one common occurrence while doing muscle building routines is the possibility of muscle spasms. A muscle spasm occurs when a voluntary muscle (those you can control)bunches up and tightens. Muscle spasms can occur for several reasons or no reason at all, with the result being a painful muscle contraction, or muscle spasm. Muscle spasms can sometimes be relieved by resting the muscle, massaging it or by moving around. The best way to avoid these painful spasms is to do proper warm-up exercises, and let your muscles rest in between workouts.

If you want to be successful in your efforts to build muscle mass, it is important to follow these and other muscle building tips when you begin your muscle building routine.

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