Question: How can I increase workout results to stay motivated? –Teri from St. Louis
Answer: By Chanda Fetter

Take small steps and slowly incorporate these methods to jump start results, stay motivated and give you a healthy life. Life is good, make the most of it and live to the fullest!

Frequency of Exercise. Our bodies were meant to move and perform physical labor. However, we have become a culture of long working hours, sedentary situations and high stress. All these things wear on our physical structure and create weaknesses all throughout the body. We stress our bodies in a negative way thus opening us up for injury, imbalances, fatigue and inefficiency.  Waking up our body with exercise provides energy and fewer aches and pains and ultimately allows us to be more efficient and effective in your daily life. Prioritize exercise, and do other physical activities in your day to get in at least 4 hours of cardio and 3 hours of strength training a week.

Variety Really is the Spice of Life. Pick an enjoyable exercise otherwise we’re not likely to stay committed to the program. Our body is smart; its goal is to become as efficient as possible in everything we do. This is good when training for a specific sport because the higher the frequency the better you get a performing the task. This is not so good, however, when applied to regular exercise. The more efficient our body gets at a particular activity, the less energy it takes to perform it, therefore spending fewer calories over time. This is why it’s so important to vary up the type of training. Every six to eight weeks it’s important to vary activity. This doesn’t have to be a major change necessarily, but it does mean shaking up the routine a bit. For example, simply changing from running flats to running rolling hills will trick our body into working differently, and therefore resulting in more calories burned.

Nutrition Matters More Than Most Admit. Redundant, I’m sure but be reminded that food should be for the purpose of fueling our body, not filling your belly. If we aren’t fueling our bodies with the nutrients it needs to perform, we are sabotaging our training program. Not to say we can’t indulge from time to time. However balance is crucial, as well as consuming a diet rich in nutrients, fiber, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Think of how we feed children, often and in small portions. Ideally, eat about five small meals a day. This grazing technique teaches the body that it will be fed often. This also prevents us from becoming ravenous and consuming too many calories at one time. It’s important to be sure our plate of food has lots of colors; this mainly comes from fruits and vegetables. Also important to consume is protein to replenish our bodies from workouts, as well as drinking water to keep our systems hydrated and helping aid digestion.

Chanda Fetter
www.imxsb.net
IM=X Pilates Studio, Owner
IM=X Pilates Master Trainer
ACE, NASM, TRX, SPIN, IMX
NAWBO Board Member

Question: I’ll be traveling for a few weeks this summer. How do I make sure I don’t lose fitness while on the road? –Amanda from San Francisco

Answer: By Lisa Wilcox. Lisa is the Owner of Pro-Motion Fitness in Santa Barbara, California. She has been working in the fitness industry for 25 years and is a certified Pilates instructor and Posture Alignment Specialist. You can contact Lisa at lisa@promotionfitness.net or www.promotionfitness.net

It’s summer and with summer comes more travel. Whether its road trips or long plane rides, it’s going to be harder to stay with a workout routine. All it takes is a little motivation to fit in a few exercises with absolutely no equipment. Give these travel exercises a try, whether it’s by car, plane or boat.
Get up! Walk up and down the aisles of the plane. Don’t sit for longer than an hour without getting up.
Move your muscles. One of the easiest exercises to do while traveling is heel raises. Lift and lower your heels 10 times. Do two to three sets. This will really get the blood flowing to your whole body and help prevent blood clots to your legs.
Shoulder blade pinches. Sitting up tall in your seat, squeeze your shoulder blades back and down like you are trying to squeeze a broom stick between your shoulders. Squeeze and release 50 times. This exercise wakes up your shoulders and definitely helps with your posture.
Leg squeezes. Place a plastic water bottle, or pillow between your knees. Sit up tall with both feet directly under your knees, roll your pelvis forward and squeeze your inner thighs together, then slowly lift your heels off the floor as if your toes are on egg shells. This is a fantastic exercise for your pelvis and hips. You will be activating your legs and lower back muscles that improve your posture.

Other ideas during your travel would include taking the walking tours versus the bus tour. Seek out the hotel workout room. Take the stairs. Explore new activities that challenge you physically. In your hotel room, lay a towel down on the floor and do push-ups and sit ups.

If the motivation is there no equipment is necessary, just creativity and dedication! Happy traveling and exercising!

Question:
If I’m short of time, should I do weight training or cardio?  – Barbara from San Diego

Answer:
By Erin A. McGill, MA, NASM CPT, CES, PES. Erin is the Training Manager for National Academy of Sports Medicine.

If you are short on time, you can maximize your minutes in the gym by doing a circuit training workout. Circuit training is a type of resistance (weight) training where you perform sets of exercises one right after another with little to no rest. You will perform one set of each exercise until all exercises have been completed and then you begin your second round.  If you have the time, performing three full cycles of the circuit will be most helpful. An example of a circuit could be 12 – 20 repetitions of each exercise and a total of three circuits.

This type of workout is helpful because it allows you to capture two important benefits. If weight loss is your goal, weight training is very effective because you burn calories while you are performing the exercises but also for the next 24 – 48 hours after the workout. Additionally, performing resistance training will allow you to increase your lean body mass which will result in an increased caloric burn 24 hours per day.

Because circuit training involves performing the sets in rapid succession, one right after another, cardio respiratory benefits exist as well. Working out with no rest in between sets will tax both the cardiovascular and respiratory systems in a fashion that is very similar to traditional cardio training sessions. With that being said, your caloric burn is maximized in the workout.