December 15, 2011

It’s a pretty common practice: You get some bad news, miss a deadline, or are just having an altogether bad day. You go to the refrigerator, pantry, or drive-thru. You eat your go-to food…

Chances are, after the fact, you’re still stressed out.

This is where physical activity comes in; a natural stress reliever, doing a little physical activity instead of indulging on a trigger food kills two birds with one stone: you allow your body the chance to reduce stress naturally AND you burn calories instead of consuming them. Read more →

August 11, 2011

Are you tired of making excuses as to why you’re not exercising every day? Do you have a busy schedule and don’t know how or when to head to the gym? Are you bored of the same old workout routine or exercise DVD’s that you squeeze into your day?  Well, I’m here to bring you some good news! Although the current IOM recommendations suggest that people should exercise 1 hour in duration for most days of the week, new research has determined that raising your heart rate for as little as 10 minutes can benefit your health and your waistline. The latest studies have indicated that people who work out in 10-minuite increments throughout the day lost more weight and were in better aerobic condition than people who work out continuously for 30-60 minutes every day. Your body is able to circulate more blood, provide more energy, and burn more calories in a shorter amount of time- which is great news to those with a busy lifestyle!

Raising your heart rate for as little as 10 minutes can benefit your health and your waistline

Bottom Line: Instead of focusing on all of the exercise that you CAN’T do throughout the day, focus on the 10 minutes of exercise that you CAN fit into your day. You can complete 10 minutes of activity when you first wake up in the morning, during your lunch break at work, after dinner, or in the evening when you’re watching your favorite television shows. There are so many different ways to incorporate 10 minutes of activity into your day. The following are a few examples to get you started:

• Buy an exercise ball and use it as your chair in your at-home office. That way you’re burning extra calories while you are answering last minute emails and phone calls!
• Purchase a pair of hand weights or resistance bands and tone your upper and lower body while watching TV at night.
• Complete a 10 minute workout on Exercise TV or On Demand television. It’s a great way to elevate your heart rate in a short amount of time.
• Use the 10 minutes to run one mile or walk a half mile outside.
• Take your dog for a walk after dinner
• Challenge yourself to complete 20 pushups, 20 sit-ups, 20 jumping jacks, and 20 mountain climbers in 10 minutes.
• Buy a yoga mat and try some yoga and pilates moves to stretch your body and become more flexible.

August 3, 2011

The world of health and fitness is filled with tons of misinformation.

Falling for some of these myths could have you confused, frustrated, and going nowhere instead of shaping up! We are all guilty of believing some of the popular fitness fables out in the media today, but the purpose of this article is to set some of them straight. Read the following myths below so that you can make the most of your exercise routine!

No Pain, No Gain- There is nothing good about experiencing joint and bone pain or muscle strains after exercising. Exercise may cause some muscle aches and soreness, but never pain.

There is One Best Way to Exercise- Not only is there not one single best way to exercise and get in shape, but there’s not one best way for each person individually. The recipe for success is to vary your exercise routine and tailor your routine to what you like to do. Try new things and see what happens!

More Sweat, Less Fat- The amount that you sweat is indicative of your body’s ability to maintain its normal body temperature. There is no correlation between how much you sweat and how many calories you expend.

Drinking Less Water Causes Cramps- Cramps are actually a symptom of dehydration, so drinking water to stay hydrated will ultimately reduce your risk of experiencing cramps while exercising.

You Can Target One Area of Your Body for Weight Loss- No matter how much exercise you complete for a specific region of the body, it’s physiologically impossible to “spot train” your body. You cannot lose body fat in one specific area. In fact, when you lose weight, fat is lost throughout the entire body.

July 25, 2011

While ANY exercise is considered beneficial to your body and your health, to get the most heart-healthy rewards, you need to stay in the “zone.” What do you mean by zone? Heart rate zone, that is! Your optimal exercise range is usually between 40-80% of your maximum heart rate. In this zone, you will experience the greatest calorie burn and the most effective cardiovascular benefits. Many heart rate monitors measure maximum heart rate and calories burned.

Here is a simple formula you can use to find your heart rate zone range:
220- your age= maximum heart rate (MHR)
MHR x 0.5 = 50% of MHR
MHR x 0.8 = 80% of MHR
For example, if you are 40 years old, your MHR would be 180 (220-40). Your heart rate range should be between 90-144 beats per minute, based on the calculations above.

Want some more workout advice? Here are 3 tips to help keep you in shape this summer:

1. Perform exercises that use multiple muscle groups at the same time for max calorie burn in each workout session. For example, perform squats and shoulder presses instead of just shoulder presses.
2.  Complete workouts in circuits. This will require you to move faster and maintain an elevated heart rate in order to burn more calories in a short amount of time.
3. Try combination moves such as lunges with bicep curls, deadlifts and upright rows, squats and shoulder presses, and plank and rows in order to save time and get results fast!

Remember, you can eat through ANY amount of exercise if you are careful with what you are putting into your body.