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Tag: exercise

For Better Or Worse, It’s Mostly About Food When It Comes To Weight Loss

By Blair Anthony Robertson, The Sacramento Bee (TNS)

As a cyclist who rides almost every day, I often think about the correlation between exercise, calories and ideal body weight. That’s because it’s simply easier to be a good cyclist if you are as light and strong as possible.

One of the misconceptions about active people, especially long-distance runners and cyclists, is that they don’t have to worry about how much they eat. They’ll stay slim and trim automatically.

Indeed, I will occasionally hear fellow cyclists, usually new ones, say that one of the reasons they enjoy riding is they can eat as much as they want. I tend to have a knee-jerk reaction — my eyes go straight to their waistline.

If you truly want to eat all you want, you need to pick foods that are low in energy density, according to Michael Greger, author of How Not To Die.

If you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to get in better shape and drop some weight, your best bet is to focus on what you are eating and not rely on moderate amounts of exercise. Yes, the good news for foodies is that food is the answer to losing weight. The bad news: food — less food, better food — is the answer to losing weight.

The numbers speak for themselves. At the helpful website healthstatus.com, I took a hypothetical 35-year-old man who is 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds — a little overweight but nothing terrible.

Then I checked the calories burned for certain workouts. It’s not a lot. Jogging (a slow trot, which is reasonable for a new exerciser) burns just 286 calories in 30 minutes. Running briskly (8 mph) for 30 minutes burns 551 calories. Riding a bike for an hour rather vigorously (14-16 mph) uses up 864 calories. To lose a single pound, you have to create a caloric deficit of 3,500 calories.

The easier way is to look at food intake. For many, that’s easier said than done. But the numbers can be jarring, as you already know if you’re ever perused those mandatory nutrition charts at chain restaurants. A small fries at McDonald’s are 230 calories. If you eat them, you just wiped out your 30-minute jog through the neighborhood. Pasta carbonara (1,590 calories) and a Godiva chocolate cheesecake (1,110 calories) at The Cheesecake Factory adds up to a sobering 2,700 calories.

Experts say that the biggest factor is awareness. That’s why nearly every diet works in the beginning and why the Weight Watchers points system is so easy to follow — once you reach your allotted points, you’re done for the day. People are focused and determined. In order to make lasting changes, you usually have to change your thinking, your lifestyle and, sometimes, even your friends. While on the Healthstatus.com website, you can get a very good free booklet, “The Caloric Deficit for Weight Loss,” which lists the 27 most fattening foods and offers alternatives.

This doesn’t mean that your days of being a foodie are over (or that we won’t try to dazzle you with recipes for, say, braised short ribs or German chocolate cake in the weeks to come). It simply means that you have to pick your spots and space out your splurges if you want 2016 to be the year you reach your fitness and weight-loss goals.

©2016 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: Smaller portions and healthier options are the best option. If you want to be satisfied without gaining weight, even a modest increase in fruits and vegetables makes a difference. (Blair Anthony Robertson/Sacramento Bee/TNS)

 

What To Do When Your Fitness Effort Plateaus

What To Do When Your Fitness Effort Plateaus

By Deven Hopp, Byrdie (TNS)

When your regular sweat sessions stop showing you the progress you’re used to, it can become difficult to get yourself to the gym for those 6 a.m. spin classes. On the flip side, when you throw in the towel and stop making it to the gym at all, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see your fitness plateau become less of a plateau and more of a regression.

The way you handle a fitness plateau makes all the difference. We asked Astrid Swan, a professional trainer at Barry’s Bootcamp, to lay it out for us.

More is not the answer

Your first instinct may be to do more. But longer workouts are not the answer. If you start to see your progress coming to a halt, you have to ramp up efforts in an entirely different way.

“When you stop seeing results from your current workout plan, I always recommend my clients look at what they have been doing and make small adjustments to get back on track,” Swan said. “The body and the mind need to be consistently challenged to grow and succeed.”

What that means is it’s time to step out of your comfort zone. If you’re a cardio queen who’s used to logging long runs on the treadmill, do more strength-training workouts. If you do a lot of strength work, incorporate HIIT into your routine. If your body is used to spinning, you’ve got to find a different way to push yourself.

“Mixing it up is key,” Swan said.

That doesn’t mean you have to ditch your favorite workout for good, but you do have to make some changes to see results.

How to mix things up

The best way to “find a way to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” according to Swan, is to follow someone else’s lead, meaning take a class.

“Try taking new classes — take advantage of the variety of fitness in your city,” she said.

Whether that means exploring a class you’ve never considered at your gym or signing up for ClassPass ($99 per month), the app that allows you to studio-hop, newness can be challenging and inspiring. Then again, if you’ve hit the point where you don’t want to go to any class, we recommend picking up some gear. New athletic wear can be surprisingly motivating.

Get the latest celebrity beauty news, runway trends, health and fitness tips, as well as product suggestions from the experts at Byrdie.com.

(c)2015, Clique Media Inc. All rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: Rennet Stowe via Flickr

Boot Camp For Functional Fitness

Boot Camp For Functional Fitness

By Lori Nickel, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (TNS)

MILWAUKEE — Many things may come to mind when you think of a fitness boot camp — and a lot of them may be pretty intimidating. The name alone can send people in the other direction.

But Margaret Erhart, 53, takes the Metabolic Circuit Conditioning boot camp at Fuel Up. Go! Fitness & Nutrition on Saturday morning for one reason.

“When I haul my 40-pound bag of kitty litter in from the store down to the basement, I can do that,” she said during a 10-second rest between exercises at her boot camp.

She can feel her strength when she cleans out her gutters.

She does it for functional fitness.

And this is why gyms and workout facilities with classes like boot camp are worth considering.

Yes, some work out to try to look good in a swimsuit and others work out for a certain number on the scale. But what often gets overlooked is how much stronger and healthier we are while managing everyday tasks because of this style of intense interval training.

Most boot camp classes follow a basic format in a 45-minute group exercise class — meaning there’s at least a handful of participants, and often a lot more — led by a trainer.

The trainer sets up stations with a different exercise at each one. Some are cardiovascular, others work on upper- and lower-body weight training, and others are for core. Each exercise is performed for 45 seconds (this can vary from 30 to 90 seconds). Then there is a short rest while everyone switches and rotates to the next station.

The goal is to go as hard as possible for those short bursts.

This 45-second, 45-minute workout formula appeals to the masses for a lot of reasons.

It’s efficient.

“If you don’t have a lot of time, this is a perfect thing for you to do,” trainer Lauren House said. “We go hard for 45 minutes, and at the end people are drained.

“We’ll usually have eight stations, and you’ll go through each four times. Metabolic means it will burn a lot — in a little bit of time.”

You probably don’t need more than a 45- to 60-minute workout every day.

“Males and females, we both have testosterone,” said Eric Gramza, the owner and trainer of Fuel Up. Go! “Testosterone is that anabolic, building component that we all want to have released when we’re exercising, when we’re strength training.

“Those basically peak and fall within 60 minutes. So, unless you’re training for an athletic event that’s going to take longer than 60 minutes, you don’t need to exercise for longer than that.”

Accountability. Group exercise classes create a team atmosphere.

“They do a lot of these classes with partners,” Erhart said. “There’s a lot of teamwork. So that will get you motivated to get here. You’re obligated to the group, to each other.”

Good coaching.

Some days the only motivation you’ll have is to show up for class. Just get there. If you have a good trainer, that’s all the motivation you’ll need.

“The leaders, Lauren and Eric, I think they care passionately about each of us,” said Erhart, a softball player, cyclist and kayaker. “What we’re doing, what the program is doing for us, and that we attend.”

You don’t want your “truck tires spinning in the mud.”

Many people can go work out on their own. But there are some exercises that are best to do with the right form, both to avoid injury and to get the most benefit from doing it. A watchful trainer will check to see that we’re doing it right. Is the caboose down on a plank? Are the elbows tucked in on triceps and biceps work? Are we doing squats the best way to protect our knees?

“People can go to the gym for 60 minutes and look at what others are doing, or do something they’ve seen on the internet. Sure that’s better than sitting on the couch,” Gramza said. “But it can be like truck tires in the mud.

“You can hammer on the gas and go 75 miles an hour. But you’re just spinning your wheels and not really going anywhere.

“You’re making the time investment. You might as well get the most out of it. Exercise is really a science.”

Gramza and House are certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists, qualifications that help them teach their clients the best, safest and most efficient way to work out.

This is a proactive step in your long-term health. It is an investment.

Tom Burzynski, 50, and his wife Marsha, 53, have been doing this Metabolic Circuit Conditioning with Gramza for nine years.

“We took a look at friends and family members who had a lot of health issues and were older than us,” Tom said. “We decided that we didn’t want to have poor health as we got older. We wanted to stay healthy, not put on as many pounds — but it really helps your mental outlook, too. We tell Eric and Lauren we could have a really bad day, but we always leave here in a better mood.”

It helps in coming back from injury.

Amy Jacobs, 31, a regular Ragnar Relay runner, has used this boot camp for the last year as a way to diversify her rehabilitation from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. She does the high-intensity, interval training class on Thursdays and the Metabolic Circuit Conditioning on Saturdays.

“It’s helping me get back in to shape,” Jacobs said. “I use to run a lot of half marathons and I’m trying to get back into that.”

It’s very hard to get bored in these classes.

“No. No way. They’re always different,” Jacobs said.

(c)2015 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Photo: David Albo via Flickr

Five Ways To Improve Your Health And Finances

Five Ways To Improve Your Health And Finances

By Cameron Huddleston, GOBankingRates.com (TNS)

You know healthful habits can help you improve your physical and mental well-being, ward off chronic diseases, and even prolong your life. But did you know they can also help you save money?

That’s right: Taking steps to improve your health can also improve your finances. In fact, the savings can be substantial and long term. Here are five ways to improve your health — and finances.

Eat Less Meat

One way to improve your finances and health is to cut back on meat.

“Studies do show that people who eat less meat tend to be leaner and less likely to gain weight than people with higher meat intakes,” said Kristen Gradney, the owner of a nutrition consulting firm. Numerous studies have also shown that switching to a vegetarian diet can lower cholesterol levels, she said.

Plus, you can cut your grocery bill by replacing meat sources of protein with beans and vegetables. A can of beans usually costs less than $1.

Quench Your Thirst With Water

You’ve probably heard that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day, but that rule isn’t supported by hard evidence. In fact, water needs vary person to person.

But the truth is, water is your best bet for hydration because it’s calorie-free and inexpensive. Considering households spend an average of $850 a year on soda, and drinking just one soda every day can add 10 pounds of extra weight in a year, according to Drink Water First, your wallet and waistline will thank you for sticking to water. Just skip bottled water, which costs 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Drink Less Alcohol

Various studies have found that moderate consumption of alcohol actually helps your heart. However, if you drink too much, those benefits are outweighed by an increased risk of high blood pressure, liver damage, certain types of cancer, and other problems, according to the Mayo Clinic. So what’s a moderate amount? One glass of wine a day for women and men older than 65 and two for men 65 and younger.

Limiting — or eliminating — your alcohol consumption will also save you money. Consumers spend an average of $445 a year on alcoholic beverages, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cutting back or eliminating your alcohol consumption can save you several hundreds of dollars every year.

Exercise With Friends

Exercise is an easy way to improve your health. Not only does physical activity help you control your weight and combat chronic health conditions, it can also make you feel happier, relieve stress, and give you more energy. Exercise can also lead to higher wages because it boosts productivity, according to a study published in the Journal of Labor Research.

Quit Smoking

You probably don’t need to be told that smoking is bad for you — it’s an accepted fact. But if the warnings that smoking can lead to lung disease, heart disease, and cancer haven’t convinced you to quit, maybe the high cost of your habit will.

The average price for a pack of cigarettes is $6.24, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. So if you have a pack-a-day habit, you’re spending nearly $2,300 a year on cigarettes. Plus, smokers pay $35 for related health costs per pack they smoke, according to the American Cancer Society — which adds up to almost $13,000 a year if you smoke a pack a day.

Photo: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources via Flickr