April 27, 2024

Ask A Pro by Erin McGill

November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: I only have about 20 minutes to workout. What are the best exercises for lower body shaping? -Carol from Phoenix

Answer: When time is limited, the best way to make use of it is through circuit training. In circuit style programming, you will perform one set of each of your strength exercises immediately after one another prior to beginning your second round. This keeps the workout fast paced, increases lean body mass through the use of resistance exercise (which burns more calories 24 hours per day), and allows you to maximize your caloric burning potential.  Remember, “shaping up” any part of your body is a combination of body fat loss and increased lean body mass.  An example of a circuit style workout could include: 
 
Lunge with Overhead Press. Stand with your right foot about three feet in front of your left. Hold a weight in each hand in front of your body about chest level, with your elbows bent. Bend your left knee toward the floor, lowering your body down. Upon raising back up lift both weights overhead. Change legs and perform with your left foot forward.
Ball Crunch. Sit on a stability ball, and walk out so the ball is under your low back and you’re lying flat on top of the ball. Keeping your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent, curl your torso up about half way. Return to your starting position.
Ball Squat Curl. Hold a stability ball behind your low back against the wall. Hold a weight in each hand. Bend from your knees and hips, and sit back into a squat. As you stand back up, bend your elbows and perform a bicep curl.
 
Erin A. McGill, MA, NASM CPT, CES, PES
Training Manager
National Academy of Sports Medicine
erin.mcgill@nasm.org

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Don’t Let the Holidays Weigh You Down

November 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The holidays are in full force! The time of year that single handedly instills guilt, adds on extra weight and depletes our ability to just say, “No!”  Whether it’s the holidays, a birthday or simply a challenging time, the following tips are designed to help you stay on track and feel great about yourself and your healthy living decisions. Healthy living is not about perfection, it’s more about making healthy changes that make sense for you and your lifestyle!
 

Know Your Achilles heel. Whether it is ice cream, vino, late-night snacks, or cookies, we all have a weakness in which we find ourselves vulnerable to the black hole of overeating. In fact, different people have different triggers that make saying, “No” impossible. These triggers propel all of us at one time or another into an eating frenzy that leaves us full of food and guilt. The holidays typically magnify this phenomenon. Thus, the best way to avoid this fate is to either plan ahead or avoid situations that trigger the behavior. For example, alcohol is a big trigger for snacking. Hence, if you’re going to a party or to dinner, always have a glass of water before ordering any alcoholic beverage. And from there, keep alcohol and water ratio 1:1.  Parties always cause panic in that the food choices are rarely health based. Therefore, bring a couple of your own heart healthy snacks that you feel comfortable nibbling on. And last but not least, never save up your calories for a dinner party, you’ll end up eating twice as much. 

Don’t Skimp on Protein. It appears that a correlation exists between an increase in the percentage of protein consumed and weight loss. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition (2005) showed that increased healthy proteins, combined with exercise, enhanced both weight and fat loss. As such, if you’d like to know what your body requires, visit eatright.org to find a Registered Dietitian in your area. Explore the best way to fuel yourself so you can keep your health and appetite in check! 
 

A Little Bit of Something is Better than a Whole Lot of Nothing. Somewhere along the way we were led to believe that if you can’t get in an hour at the gym, exercise is pointless, not true. Whether you have only 10 minutes or 20 minutes, do SOMETHING. The idea is to keep your body active as much as possible. Granted, the holidays usurp what little extra time we have, but the holidays are the most important time to stay on track, not just for vanity, but for sanity. If time is limited, kick up your intensity!  And remember, you can’t out-exercise overeating.

Use Sneaky Ways to Sneak in Exercise. In addition to the all or nothing tip with regard to exercise, the same myth exists about gyms. Some believe if you can’t join a gym, your exercise isn’t as beneficial, not true. For example, before bed, a few sit ups and pushups. At the office, dips on the edge of an office chair, wall sits while you’re chatting on the phone. These are all ways to sneak in exercise and let your body know, you’re in charge! 

Stay Away from Unrealistic Expectations. All too often, we begin a weight loss program with the expectation that in 6 weeks our life and body will be ideal. You and I know that’s not the case. Most often, 6 weeks later we’re feeling lousy because the diet didn’t work and we didn’t get to the gym every day like we thought we would. It’s imperative to take a look at your life and what changes make sense for today. While we know you do need exercise, stay away from the all or nothing scenario. Plan out your week and see what makes sense. Keep your expectations realistic and you’ll be far more likely to realize a healthier you.
 
Nicki Anderson  is the author of Nicki Anderson’s Single-Step Weight Loss Solution. She also a Columnist, Business Owner, and NASM Certified Trainer with over 25 years in the fitness industry. She can be contacted at nicki@realityfitness.com or www.realityfitness.com.

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10 Tips for Healthful Holiday Eating by Marc Sickel

November 23, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With the holidays upon us, here are 10 tips to avoid overeating.

Exercise more in weeks before the holidays. This will help you burn extra calories that you may eat during the holidays or periods of stress.

Eat breakfast. This will help control your hunger throughout the day and help you avoid overindulging. 

Lighten up the recipes. Try using alternative ingredients in your favorite recipes to cut down on the calories.

Watch your portion sizes. Skip the temptation of a second helping and enjoy a dessert instead. There will be leftovers for tomorrow to enjoy again!

Slowly savor your food. Eating slowly will help you to feel full and satisfied without over-indulging.

Don’t skip meals. Before leaving for a party, eat a light snack like raw vegetables or a piece of fruit to curb your appetite. You will be less tempted to over-indulge.

Bring your own healthy dish to a holiday gathering. Doing so will eliminate pressure to partake of unhealthy foods, as well as offering a nutritious option to all attending.

Survey party buffets before filling your plate. Choose your favorite foods and skip your least favorite. Include vegetables and fruits to keep your plate balanced.

Be realistic. Don’t try to lose pounds during the holidays, instead try to maintain your current weight.

If you overeat at one meal go light on the next. It takes 500 calories per day (or 3,500 calories per week) above your normal/maintenance consumption to gain one pound. It is impossible to gain weight from one piece of pie!

For many people, holidays and family gatherings are a time for celebration. These celebrations often involve foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories and short on nutrition. With a few minor changes, however, special occasion foods can be both delicious and nutritious.

Marc Sickel, a certified athletic trainer and founder of Fitness for Health located in Rockville, MD, specializes in creating fun, individualized fitness programs for children and adults with varying needs and skill levels.   To learn more about Fitness for Health, visit www.FitnessForHealth.org.

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Ask A Pro by Maggie Ayre

November 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question: How and what are the best ways we can increase self esteem in girls through activities? –Melissa in Colorado.

Answer: It has never been easy to be a teenage girl and experts widely agree that it is getting harder.  Girls are expected to be slim, good looking, popular, friendly and polite – all the traditional girl things. They are also expected to be sporty, competitive and athletic – all the traditional boy things. On top of this everyone is supposed to be clever, striving for the best universities and careers. It is a tough ask and something has got to give.

All too often it is a girl’s self-esteem that gives. 

We increasingly see girls with a very low feeling of self-worth, not only do they believe they are incompetent or unworthy but they exhibit emotions such as shame, despair and a lack of pride in themselves.

One of the most successful ways of increasing self-esteem is through activity.

Activity wakes up both brain and body meaning that a girl is better able to concentrate and participate in life. Activity enables a girl to appreciate her body, how it moves and the way it feels. Activity develops spatial awareness and a girl will feel proud of her body when she has worked on it.

Studies have also shown that active girls feel happier and more content with life and are better able to get on with other people.

If a girl is suffering from low self-esteem the activity session must be carefully designed. 

By initially using activities that a girl feels capable of and is able to perform to a high standard we can build confidence. From here we can develop skills and add variety to the sessions. The sessions must be effective, with clear progression but they must also be fun.

Sessions that develop throwing, catching and movement skills can work very well with teenage girls and the use of an inflatable beach ball adds an element of fun. Skills such as Boxercise, hula-hooping and body-weight strength training allow a girl to see rapid improvements in skill, stamina and body shape which can be hugely beneficial for increasing self-esteem.

Maggie Ayre is the UKs Leading Fitness Coach for Teenage Girls.  She has recently developed the 3G Program designed to be run in schools and youth clubs with the aim to get every teen girl active.  She also offers Personal Training for Teenage Girls in person and via email, skype and video sessions.  To learn more visit: www.maggieayre.com

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Kids Plus Karate Equals Self-Esteem Boost by Ed Samane

November 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The challenges that today’s youth face come from all directions: 24/7 online connections to social networks, crowded classrooms and increased digital exposure. One of the best ways that parents can prepare a child to meet this growing onslaught is through building self-esteem, confidence and discipline. Martial arts programs specifically target a youth’s mental, emotional and physical development. For centuries, martial arts have been recognized as one of most effective tools for physical self-defense ever created. But today, a generation of youth is finding emotional, mental and psychological self-defense by integrating a character-building focus into the age-old discipline. Here’s what a solid martial arts program can offer your child, as well as everyone in the family:

The unique combination of physical exercise and mental discipline. This unique combination helps children involved in martial arts avoid physical confrontation and make good choices. The self-esteem and confidence gained through martial arts also pays life-long dividends for youth grappling with their own emotional development. Martial arts training is evolving to take on these new social challenges facing 21st century children.

Provides positive reinforcement and praise to all participants. Every child gets to participate in the activity. No one sits on the side lines.

Teaches discipline to set and achieve goals. This is done by the belt ranking system.  Children test every few months and have to learn new material for each belt level. This philosophy is then applied to other areas of life such as school and team sports. Drive, discipline and determination are the three traits to success in anything they undertake. Good choices are a theme in our life skills and education program.

Offers mentoring. Mentoring from the sensi (karate teacher) teaches confidence, instills the discipline to make proper choices, and builds self-esteem.

Martial arts engage youth in a physical, mental and psychological transformation that is invaluable self-defense against the pitfalls encountered on the road to adulthood.

Grandmaster Ed Samane is the founder of Pro Martial Arts, a national martial arts franchise that focuses on character building and life skills training. He has over 30 years experience in various forms of martial arts and has earned a 7th Degree black belt in Tang Soo Do and an 8th degree black belt in Sin Moo Hapkido. To learn more visit: www.promartialarts.com.

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Fitness, here’s how to stick with it during the holidays!

November 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Get Others Involved. The easiest way to stick to an exercise program is to include other people in your workouts. Friends, family and colleagues can all act as a system of support and accountability during the holiday season. You are be much more likely to exercise through the holidays and reach your fitness goals if you have friends and family work out with you. You can even make things interesting by making a friendly wager to see who amongst you can lose the most weight by January 5.

Try Something New. Exercise should be fun, so use this time of year to try new outdoor activities. Go ice skating, or take a hike through the woods. Even a snow ball fight can be considered exercise, so get creative and involve your friends!

Schedule Your Workouts. Whatever you do, make physical activity an important part of your weekly schedule. You are much more likely to exercise if your workouts are planned in advance, and written into your calendar. Make exercise an important appointment that you cannot miss!

Keep it Simple. This time of year is full of added pressures like decorating, buying presents, and making family dinners. Keep your exercise program simple so you continue making progress towards your goals.

Plan to Cheat. Temptation is everywhere during the holidays, and you should allow yourself the joy of eating delicious food. Plan your most vigorous activities and workouts on the same days as your major social eating events. This way, you will put all those extra calories to good use!

By Derek Peruo, CSCS, CPT
646-820-8246
bodybydrock.com

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Ask a Pro by Brett Klika

November 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Question:  What’s the best way to burn fat fast? And is food labeled “fat free” the best way to eat? –Danielle from Ohio.

Answer: Research has found that high intensity intervals burn the same amount of calories and fat as longer sustained bouts of activity, in about half the time! Try doing a 3 minute extremely hard, 3 minute easy cardiovascular piece for 4 cycles. In 24 minutes you’ll burn more calories than your 45 minute jog. Try to add high intensity work 2-3 times per week.

Natural, whole foods exist to give us energy from their combination of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins, minerals, and other essential components of nutrition. When humans start overly processing what we eat, the quality of that food is significantly decreased. Additionally our body needs various forms of fat to function optimally. Fats from nuts, fish, avocados, and other natural sources are essential to many metabolic functions. Eat real food and listen to your body.

Brett Klika C.S.C.S., Director of Athletics at Fitness Quest 10, is a world renowned human performance specialist, motivational speaker, author, and educator. For a copy of his new e-book and exercise program “The Underground Workout Manual- Exercise and Fat Loss in the Real World” visit www.undergroundworkoutmanual.com.  To contact Brett, send correspondence to brett@fitnessquest10.com

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Healthy Family=Healthy Kids by Candi Wingate

November 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment

With soaring obesity rates, and the health risks associated with kids being overweight, more and more parents are asking how to help their kids get (or stay) fit. Here are some easy tips.

Set a good example. Exercise for at least a half hour three times weekly. Eat right. See your doctor annually for well visits and promptly for examinations when you think you may be unwell.

Ensure that your kids eat a healthy diet. Minimize fast foods and foods that are high in fat, sugar, caffeine, or salt. Offer healthy substitutes for traditional kid favorites. For example, cut a cantaloupe into narrow wedges, remove the rind and seeds, wrap the wedges individually in wax paper, place the wrapped wedges in a freezer bag, and freeze the wedges.  Then, when the kids want a popsicle, give them a frozen cantaloupe wedge . . . sweet, frozen, delicious, and healthy!

Take your kids to a good pediatrician for regularly scheduled well visits. When your kids may be ill and needing medical attention, seek medical intervention promptly. Follow the guidance given by medical professionals. For example, if vitamin and mineral supplements are recommended, find high quality supplements to help your kids grow up healthy and strong.

Set aside a specified time each day for your kids to put down the electronic games, turn off the TV and computer, and play outside. Hide and seek, leap frog, Simon says, Red Rover, kickball, tag, jumping rope, and a million other generations-old childhood games involve enjoying activity and fresh air. If electronic games are a must in your household, a Wii is an electronic game that encourages physical activity.

Enroll your kids in youth sports and activities such as YMCA/YWCA, municipal, or school-based programs. Also, your kids may be interested in private dance classes, golf lessons, baton lessons, etc.

Also set aside a specified time each day for family activities. Quality family activities include preparing and sharing healthy meals as a family, taking golf lessons together, or engaging in any other healthy behaviors together.

Let your kids have days in which they get to select the shared activity of the day. If Johnny gets to select an activity on Mondays and Wednesdays, Janie gets to make her selection on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and you (as parents) make your selections on Fridays through Sundays, then everybody will look forward to the days that they get to decide what the family does for a shared activity.

Get your babysitter involved. Have her promote healthy, active behavior in your absence.  Tell her what fun, healthy behaviors your kids are used to (i.e., the kinds of foods and physical recreation that are a part of their routine). Also allow her to be creative:  she may have fun, healthy ideas that are new to you and your family!

Go on nature hikes. Walk the family dog daily. Explore a local park or nature preserve. If you leave near mountains, go snow skiing. If you live near the ocean, go surfing. If you live near a lake, go water skiing. If you live near a lot of caves, take guided tours of your local caves.

Bicycle to points of interest that are near your home. Try bicycles built for two (if you have an even number of family members). Or skate. Or skate board. Or maybe learn to use a unicycle, just for the fun of it. 

Celebrate the kids’ birthdays at water parks, skating rinks, or other areas that promote fun physical activity. Many venues are happy to host and organize kids’ birthday parties and can offer a wide array of fun, healthy, active things to do at parties.  

Take vacations that are physical. For example, go to Disney World, the Black Hills of South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, or the San Diego Zoo. A lot of walking is involved at these destinations.

Reward good behaviors with “gift certificates” that are redeemable for a fun physical activity.  For example, if one of your kids gets an “A” on a major test in school, give him/her a gift certificate that s/he can redeem for a fun physical activity of his/her choosing (i.e., a one-on-one, parent-child trip to a local water park . . . without “having” to share the time with siblings).

By following these tips, you can feel assured that you are doing your part to ensure that your kids are growing up fit.

Candi Wingate is an expert in the child care industry with over 20 years experience. She is the founder of Nannies4Hire.com and Care4Hire.com, and author of 100 Tips for Nannies & Families and The Nanny Factor: A Parent’s Guide to Finding the Right Nanny for Your Family

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Fitness at All Ages by Marc Sickel

November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Did you know that, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH), only 25 percent of people aged 65-74 say they engage in regular physical activity?
 
Adults should exercise at every age, even if they have not exercised in the past. The benefits of physical activity accumulate over a lifetime so it is important that those who have exercised in their younger years keep that exercise momentum.
 
You’re never too old to increase your level of physical activity and exercise! Any exercise that gets the heart pumping may reduce the risk of dementia and slow the condition’s progression once it starts, reports a Mayo Clinic study published in October 2011 in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Regular exercise is beneficial for people of all ages. Exercise helps to improve muscle and joint flexibility and keeps your heart healthy. It also can improve sleep and helps to maintain a healthy weight.
 
Here how to start:
 
Include your grandchildren in your new active lifestyle. Play catch or walk to the playground and push your grandkids on the swings.

Have a pet? Taking your four-legged companion on a brisk walk is a fun way to increase your heart rate and improve circulation.

Listen to your favorite song and dance for a few minutes! Be careful that your “dance floor” is clear of objects and that you have adequate room to “boogie.”

Get Outdoors. As the leaves begin to fall, increase cardiovascular endurance by raking leaves.  The raking motion will strengthen your arms and lifting the bags of leaves provides weight training.

Break it up. Instead of working out for 30-minutes, try breaking fitness activities into three 10-minute “mini workouts” throughout the day.  Begin your new exercise program slowly with moderate exercise and work your way up to more vigorous and challenging activities.
 

 
Marc Sickel, a certified athletic trainer and founder of Fitness for Health located in Rockville, MD, specializes in creating fun, individualized fitness programs for children and adults with varying needs and skill levels. To learn more about Fitness for Health, visit www.FitnessForHealth.org.

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The Benefits of Diversified Training

November 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Any form of repetition can cause someone to burn out. This remains true for running, biking, swimming, or any form of exercise. It can be easy for someone to get caught in a repetitious pattern, as many people are drawn to activities that are convenient. Running can be especially repetitive, you need to figure out how to switch up the routine to keep yourself interested and excited. You may have a scenic three mile loop right outside your front door, it easy to maintain your running schedule, so you run it all the time. Or, maybe you hate to run outdoors and you own a treadmill that you run on for an hour each day.
So, listen up runners, I’m speaking to you: Do you automatically roll out of bed, lace up the shoes and head out for the obligatory three-mile loop or jump on the treadmill? Are you still as enamored with it as the first time you ran it? I bet not. Has your running routine become a chore or a necessary evil?  You have the power to get out of your repetitious rut and mix up the run. As a runner, not only should you try new locations, but you should also try new surfaces and incorporate new techniques.  Better yet, throw in some cross-training as well to switch up your techniques. I know, you are a runner, so you just run. Why would you take a spin class, hot yoga, or strength train at a gym?  This goes back to the old saying: variety is the spice of life. Varying your fitness routine is essential to become a well-rounded runner. 

Here are four reasons why you should diversify your training and how to add a little ginger to your jog.
 

Achieve Results. Even if you are just looking to maintain your current fitness level, you can’t do it with the same old routine. Your body becomes efficient at your chosen exercise routine when it is repeated over and over. Your muscle memory decreases the amount of effort necessary and expended, thus decreasing your calorie burn. So, in this case, doing the same thing over and over again eventually will not have the same result! You must switch up the training by adding something new and cranking up the intensity. Go a little farther or a little faster on your run, or do both. Make one of your runs a tempo run.  Add-in some intervals or hill repeats. Pick one run a week and make that run longer, building by no more than 10% from week to week.  By adding any one or all three of these tips to your running routine, you will achieve new and improved results.
 

Muscle Activation. Running on different surfaces, or cycling, or even working out on the elliptical machine at your gym will activate a variety of new and different muscles. If your body is use to running on the treadmill, increase the incline or take a run through your local park. If you are a trail runner, try mountain biking. When you start to vary your terrain, add inclines and descents, cross-train, or even run in different shoes you increase your strength and activate muscles you may not be currently using. For example, swimming is a great full body workout with impact.  Believe it or not, upper body and core strength are important for a runner and swimming is a good way to help you achieve an all over strength gain. You can also incorporate strength or resistance training into your daily routine. This will make you stronger, fatigue less quickly and become more toned. After a strength training session, your body burns a lot of calories and needs additional energy to repair the muscle tissue just broken down, therefore, you will increase your metabolism. 
 

Fight Boredom – Stay Motivated. This step doesn’t require much explanation. Doing the same fitness routine over and over can get mighty tedious.  Diversifying your training will increase overall fitness level and will motivated you to run as well.
 

Reduce Chance of Injury. Running can lead to over-use injuries because of the repetitive nature of the sport and the impact of activity level on leg muscles and joints. Instead of engaging in running  multiple times during the week, hop on a bike or hit the pool. You’ll still get the aerobic workout, but you will be employing new muscles with less impact.

By Laura Ouimet, Dana Point Chamber of Commerce Executive Director, and a marathon/ triathlon coach and trainer. To learn more about the Dana Point Turkey Trot and to sign up, visit www.turkeytrot.com.

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