Fitness & Exercise

What is your motivation?

If you are reading this post and you look at our website on a regular basis then you have a common interest with people I spend my life around. We all have a motivation for a health or fitness goal, but what is your motivation?

Setting a goal is easy to do making it realistic and measurable is where fitness professionals come into the picture, but the motivation to achieve this goal comes from the individual.

So what is you motivation? Do you want to look better, feel better or perform better? Do you want to live a longer healthy life? The key word is YOU – think about what you want.

Are you setting a goal because you feel you should, because you think the opposite sex will pay you more attention, because the WAG or sports person in the magazine you read has the perfect body! Maybe you feel you will be more successful in a professional environment if you look like you think you should? Maybe your working environment puts you under pressure to look a certain way? (I know a lot of fellow fitness professionals read our posts and understand the last statement) The fitness industry is very hard on your self confidence!! The idea that every fitness instructor or trainer should be 5% body fat with muscles poking out from everywhere! (In some ways I agree with this – but we don’t all have to be fitness models – but you should be more able, have more lean muscle and less body fat than the average person you train, but this is a different subject for another day…..)

So what motivates you? Take some time today to decide why you are setting yourself a goal? It should be centred around you – don’ t get me wrong some outside influence is needed but it should not be the main focus of your motivation. You need to find the real reason behind the goals you set, spend some time writing it down. Make a list and think about where you want to be later in life, how you would like to feel inside and out, how do you want to feel when you wake up in the morning – full of energy? when you go to bed – relaxed, care-free? have a positive vibe around you all day long? now take a moment to think – are these feeling more important then vanity based motivation?

Now let’s get this straight, there is nothing wrong with vanity based motivations, I spent my young life over weight and unhealthy and I struggle even now 12 years on to not focus on body shape motivations. Always believing that looking better was better – well I now know, deep down that feeling better is better!!

Looking better may spark that initial fire of thought to make changes, but how often do we stick to a goal that is centred around ”looking better”? Trust me the answer is – not very long. So when setting your next goal in life write down the real reasons you want it, the feelings you want to feel, the feeling motivations that are centred around you and not society and the media.  These are the kind of motivational factors which stick with you forever and it is something you will continue with for the rest of your life.

Remember this, if your find the ‘thing’ that motivates you 100% all the weight loss, muscle gain, looking better & performance based goals with follow right behind for a person who feels the way they want to!!

So what is the magic answer? – this is a question I get asked over and over again.

Well lets get this straight from the outset….your body can not breakdown and burn fat from one particular area – no matter what adverts, products and society tells you! It is impossible.

Your body will burn fat from all over, once you start making changes in your lifestyle habits.

I will give you my top 3 tips to help you on your way to reducing your body fat and making your waist narrower.

REDUCE SUGARS & SATURATED FATS: These are two things which are present in lots of the modern foods on the supermarket shelves. Your body will function perfectly fine all day with small amounts of both. Your saturated fat intake should be no more than 20 grams a day for women, 30 grams for men. But do not eliminate it completely as it does some important jobs in our bodies.

Sugar is found in many products we have in our cupboards. These are the types of sugar to avoid, ones found in cakes sweets and processed food. Yes, we do need sugar in our diets as it provides energy for the body to function. The body can get all the sugar/energy you need from fruits and veggies, as well as complex sources of carbohydrate (rice/sweet potatoes/whole grains).

So, no need to add any more sugar in anywhere else in you diet, clean un-processed foods is key.

REGULER EXERCISE: This again is a key point, its very hard to get the changes you want from diet changes alone. So aim to increase your activity level to 5 x a week this could be as simple as brisk walking, a structure workout in the gym, swimming or a studio class. Also be sure to take a rest day or 2 each week, so your body can recovery and you can re-fuel.

TRAIN YOUR LEGS: By training your legs with resistance exercise (lunges,squats,leg press machine) you will recruit lots of big musclegroups in the lower body, resulting in  more energy being use (calories burnt). While working those legs you will also build lean tissue/muscle. This new muscle is one of the ways we can speed up your metabolism. This will mean you will burn more calories/fat while at rest.

Hopefully these changes will get you closer to your goals.

Thanks for the image

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=901

New Online Fitness Project

Gareth & Nicky recently filmed for Top 10 Workouts, their new fitness video are now availible to download.

Check out some previews online now at www.top10workouts.com/trainer.aspx?id=4

I have been teaching indoor cycling for the last 8 years and I hear the same thing time and time again

“I will try that class once I am fit enough” or “that class is too scary or hard for me”

Sometime I agree an indoor cycling or Spinning class can be very intimidating thing to look into through the studio window or listen while you are doing or your session on the treadmill, but it shouldn’t be.

These classes that you have seen through the window are for everyone. You don’t have to be fit – if people continually said “I will wait until I am fit enough before I do that” no one would ever get fit.

I am not going to lie – it will be a challenging experience, but results are achieved with hard work and effort.

The most important thing to remember is – work at your own level, don’t feel like you have to keep up with everyone, the other people might have been doing indoor cycling as long as me!

This is quick fire guide to getting started in an indoor cycling class.

Be prepared:

Take along a water bottle and a towel, during an indoor cycling class you will be sitting in the same pocket of air and you don’t move around much. This mean you will get very hot and sweaty. Also ensure you have tight fitting bottoms or shorts, sometime the bottom of trousers can get caught in the pedals.

Arrive early:

This is very import, if for some reason you get delayed and can’t make it 10 minutes early, reschedule. If you can’t get there early because of other commitments try a class at the weekend for your first one so you have extra time.

This is so important it will take a good instructor at least 5 minutes to get you set up safely.

Even better if the is an intro / set up class at your club – make sure you get a place booked on this class!

Take your time:

You will not be 100% comfortable with the bike and the riding positions on the first class, it is going to take 3 – 5 classes. The best advice is to stay in the saddle for the first few classes, only attempt the standing positions when you feel ready.

Listen carefully – any good quality instructor will coach you through the class use an intensity scale (such as 1 – 10, based on your perception of how hard you are working) this again highlights that the classes are mixed ability – for everyone.

If you find yourself in a class where instructor yells at you for 45 minutes “faster” “harder” etc etc and doesn’t bother to coach you through the intensity of the class or set you some goals and objectives throughout – STAY CLEAR!

This should set you up on your way to success in the indoor cycling environment.

Over 50 and thinking about getting in shape, but wondering where to start? You could be forgiven for thinking that the only people who use a personal trainer are young mothers, sporty people or big muscle-bound men. Not so.

Baby boomers are hiring personal trainers in droves. This may be a response to research that shows that over 50s are not spending enough time ‘keeping fit’. For example, only an average of 30% of men and women over 50 partake in the recommended 30 minutes of exercise a day (walking, cycling, swimming). That’s less than one in three baby boomers.

Although I admit to being biased, I assure you that hiring a personal trainer will really help to get you on track with a new, healthier lifestyle and routine. Taking advantage of the skills of a certified personal trainer gets you to where you want to be faster – and that means getting the health advantages you crave, if only you knew how. I’ve seen the results for myself, many times over.

Measured results
Only measurable goals allow you to track your progress. Develop these goals in concert with your trainer, and he or she will motivate and coach you through the program, keep you safe and monitor your progress. How you choose your trainer is key – he or she must be qualified, have experience with over 50s, and have all the credentials you need to ensure safe, injury-free and health beneficial training.

As well as customizing a safe and effective training program for your body type and stage in life, taking into account any injuries or anomalies, a personal trainer will also help you to create the correct nutrition plan to support your daily exercise. A personal trainer will do a complete assessment including measurements, test for lean muscle mass, and evaluate your current and ongoing fitness levels and strength. You should demand a complete assessment before you embark on any fitness training program.

What to expect from training
Working with a personal trainer will bring to you many health benefits, apart from the fact that you just feel a lot better knowing you are doing something positive for yourself. A personal trainer can anchor you to your commitments, and ensure that you can remain healthful and vibrant through the decades to come. From a customized training program, you can expect – demand, even – these positive impacts on your wellbeing:-

Keeping active will give you more energy and keep you feeling lively. Sitting around not doing much will leave you feeling tired and sluggish

As you get older your metabolism slows down. Exercise can offset this effect and help keep your weight at a stable level by keeping your lean (muscle) mass high.

Exercise can help you get a more restful and beneficial night’s sleep

Keeping active helps to protect your bones and joints from ageing and also helps to maintain mobility and balance.

Low impact exercise, like Pilates and Yoga, will strengthen your stabilizing muscles and help you stand tall, at the same time protecting the lower spine from pressure and pain.

For more great articles for over 50′s visit www.tempotoronto.ca

Top 5 tips for your summer body

1) Get outside – as the nice weather sets in, it’s a great time to take your training outdoors! Use the natural gym to give your workout a new dimension.
Try using the park bench to do step up’s and jump squats or the monkey bars for pull up’s. Circuit based resistance training is great to burn fat and give you that lean look for summer.

2) Drink More Water – increasing your water intake anytime of the year is very important but during the summer months even more so. Optimal Hydration will help the body to cleanse and reduce toxins. You will also sweat more during your workouts and while you sleep because of the warmer weather, so bump that water intake up and be sure to use a re-useable BPA Free water bottle like the Camelbak range shown below.

3) Train Your Legs Harder – A common fault among gym goers is to work the upper body to much or overdose on the cardio to burn fat. By skipping a LEG session you are limiting the results you can achieve. A heavy Leg workout will really show a difference in your body composition (Fat against muscle). You will build muscle quicker on these big muscle groups (Quads/Hamstrings/Glutes) than other small upper body muscles (biceps/triceps) hence a faster metabolism and less body fat. You will also burn a massive amount of calories during a leg workout with compound exercises (Squats / Deadlifts / Lunges / Leg Press) so ditch some of those cardio workouts and pick up that barbell!

4) Reduce Your Evening Carbohydrates – Later on in the day is the time most of us slow down, resulting in your metabolism slowing down also. The body is more active in the day time so fuel it with carbohydrates when you need them and reduce them down in the evening time.
During the summer months it’s easier to have a fresh and colourful salad with a great source of protein (Chicken/Fish) in the evening time, the protein will fill you up and you won’t store unused carbohydrates as fat over night.

5) Varity – this goes for workouts and nutrition, keep it fresh and new. Make the summer months a time to try a new vegetable each week or mix up your cardio workouts by trying a group exercise class. The more you keep your body guessing the quicker you achieve that bikini or swim short body!

We are staying with family and there is not much in the way of gym facilities. On Saturday morning I had a look around in the back yard and designed a workout using the kids swing set/play area! proving that you can work out anytime with any thing you have to hand.

Take a look at this great workout I designed and give it a try if you are feeling up to the challenge. Try to complete 3 sets of 15 repetitions of all 3 exercises with no recovery until all 3 sets are finished.

Circuit 1

Burpie:

Start standing, come into a crouching position by placing hands down in a push up position and keeping feet still. Then jump feet backwards so body is long and parallel to the ground. Jump feet back to crouching position then lift upper body so you are in a squat position. Next, from squat position complete a straight jump up in the air.

Pull Up:

Start hanging, keeping legs straight and core pulled in. Slowly lift your body weight up, making sure neck is relaxed and as you lift up ensure your lower back does not over arch.

Narrow Push Up:

Start with your hands at shoulder width and body long. Next lower your body weight down keeping the elbows in tight to the side of the body, this will work your triceps. Ensure core is pulled in and squeeze the back of the arms on the way up.

Circuit 2

Supine Row:

Start hanging, core muscles pulled in and slight bend in the knees. Next pull your body weight up, keeping neck relaxed. Ensure you neck is relax and squeeze between your shoulder blades.

Push Ups:

Start with either feet suspended (advanced) on feet on ground. Hands are wider than shoulders. Lower chest down between hands, keeping neck relaxed and neutral alignment to the spine. Ensure you squeeze through the chest on the way to the top.

Hanging Leg Raise:

Start hanging and turn lower body on a 45 degree angle. Keep the upper body as still as possible, then using the abdominal muscles pull the knees up to the chest – focus on the muscle in the side of your waist (Obliques).

Circuit 3

Hurdles:

Start one side of slide or bench. Ensure core muscles are pulled in and knees bend, then bring your knees up to the chest and hop over to the other side. Keep your heels down on the floor in between repetitions.

Hanging Reverse Curls:

Start with legs suspended and hands wider than shoulders. Keeping neck relaxed, draw your knees towards your chest. Ensure the abdominal muscles are being engaged throughout the movement.

Jumping Squat:

Start in a low squat position. Push up into a tall position and then up into a jump from the ground. Land with knees soft and squeeze the butt together on the way up.

Breathing

One the first movement or effort phase in each exercise exhale through your mouth. As you return to start position or the relaxation phase of the exercise inhale through your nose.

During all these exercise remember your own levels and limitations. If you are new to exercise consult a doctor before partaking in any exercise program.

If you do try any of these exercises in your workouts,  leave a comment on the post and let me know your thoughts.

Let me guess, you are trying to lose the last 10 pounds and shape up those last few ‘saggy bits’ but are really stumped on how? I shall share with you the secret answer, but you must promise to read through the article to the end and have an open mind. Are you ready?………………………The answer is………….WEIGHT TRAINING.

Ok, so before you get all defensive and say something like, “I don’t want big muscles and look like the Incredible Hulk’ just hear me out.

Weight training increases your lean muscle mass which in turn is responsible for burning calories. Therefore, the more muscle mass you have the more calories you will burn. To increase muscle mass, we as women need to also increase our testosterone levels. No, you won’t suddenly start growing facial hair, but rather increase the hormone which in turn will increase your metabolic rate (The rate you burn calories).

So how do you get started? I know the weight room can seem intimidating, but you needn’t be frightened, us as women can hold our own, right?!

 Here are my top 10 tips to get started with your weight training;

1. If you have a heart condition, pregnant, bone and joint injury or any condition that may be affected by exercise, you should always consult your doctor first.
2. Buy yourself some training gloves. This will protect your hands and rings.
3. Don’t be frightened of the weights, you lift heavy items every day, so don’t be negative be POSITIVE.
4. Book an appointment with a gym instructor/personal trainer to talk about your goals and to help take you through a programme designed just for you. At most gyms this service is free.
5. Start with assisted weight machines. These have fantastic diagrams and instructions which are easy to follow.
6. If you don’t have gym access, purchase some hand weights of three different sizes; 3lb, 5lb and 8lb. This will give you options and different challenges as you improve and grow in strength.
7. Don’t try and guess what exercises to do, seek advice as per number 3, or check out www.top10workouts.com for easy to follow downloadable video exercises.
8. Keep yourself well hydrated throughout exercise.
9. Always stretch AFTER completing your weight training workout.
10. Replenish your muscles up to thirty minutes after with a nutritious protein shake, chocolate or plain milk.

Heath Benefits;

• Reduces risk of osteoporosis
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Increases muscular skeletal strength
• Reduces risk of arthritis

Here’s an interesting fact for you;

Cardio training is only effective at burning calories during the period you are working out for, weight training burns calories during the work out period and hours or even days after.

 How would you rather spend your time training now?

Add a weight training session at least once in your weekly fitness schedule and you will start to see and more importantly feel the difference in your body. When you’re ready, increase your weight training to twice a week, and just remember to have a rest day in-between.

For a long time I have been told by friends, colleagues and clients ‘I want the perfect body’. What exactly is the perfect body and how do you get what you want?

With all the current media images it is hard for male and females to feel comfortable in their own skin. Everyone knows ‘It’s what’s inside that counts’ but realistically we all are guilty of judging on appearances.

Looking good is just a small part of a great lifestyle which can enrich you on so many levels, not just the superficial. A good diet, plenty of exercise and a happy vibrant persona is what is really needed to achieve your perfect body. There is not one quick fix, but a culmination of many.

So where to begin?

1. 80% of your results will come from nutrition NOT exercise. The best way to get in control is to start by recording a food diary. This will give you a great idea of how your meals are put together, how often you eat and of course the content. Food will also reflect on how you feel, so by adding a ‘feeling’ column you can track which foods make you feel good or even sluggish and bloated. After a few days, it would be a great idea to contact a nutritionist or a dietician and show them your food diary, from this information they can give you help and advice on meal planning.
2. Regular exercise (2-3 times a week) will help you to boost your metabolism (The rate your body burns calories). Weight training is the best way to increase your metabolic rate, but other great options could be swimming, running and even just walking the dog every day.
3. Sleep will not only give you the energy you need for the waking hours, but help you to relax and repair your body and mind. It will also improve your facial appearance by reducing red and tired puffy eyes.
4. Throw away your scales and get out your tape measure! Stop being so hung up on what you weigh. Increasing your exercise will result in more muscle recruitment which may affect your weight. Instead, measure yourself on the day you make your commitment to get fit and healthy. Measure the following places on one side of your body;

• Upper arm
• Chest (Under arm-pit)
• Waist (Through navel)
• Hips (Women only)
• Butt
• Upper thigh (Let arm hang on thigh and take reading from middle finger)

It is important to only measure in six week intervals.

Every person is unique and individual so it is important not to gauge your results against someone else. The real result isn’t just how you look but how you feel. Leading a fitter healthier lifestyle will give you the zest and passion to enjoy a fulfilled long life.

The power of group exercise has been completely underrated all these years within the fitness industry. Companies see the studio as a ‘waste of space’ and many gym members see it as a women’s only zone or a place to show –off and pose.

I have been a gym member, personal trainer, group exercise instructor and even a group fitness manager during my 8 years in the business. In all of these roles, group fitness has played a major part in helping me and others to their fitness goals.

So what’s the hype all about? And who really should be in the group exercise studio?

Have you ever been on the treadmill, covered the timer with your towel and then had a sneaky peak after what seems like eternity to see you have only completed six minutes? Now imagine I asked you to stay on that treadmill for one whole hour. That’s right, not only would you be bored and un-stimulated, but I can guarantee you would not sustain a high enough level of output to achieve your targeted calorie expenditure.

To really burn calories and to get fitter with cardio training, you ideally need to be at minimum seventy percent of your maximum heart rate. Maintaining this rate for a whole hour is near on impossible. So how long do you think you would be in that optimum training zone during that hour on the treadmill? My guess, about five to twenty minutes. So what is my point ?I hear you cry! During an hour group exercise class you will be within that training zone potentially for five to forty-five minutes and also completely mentally stimulated.

There are so many different types of group exercise classes which will entice your body and brain, but essentially give you the calorie expenditure that you desire. Using various methods of training like interval training for example, potentially you can burn up to ten calories per minute; that’s up to 600 calories!

Group fitness is also a great way for you to be social and make friends. You can guarantee you will be welcomed into the studio with open arms and you will want to stay forever. These friends and your class instructor will help you build in confidence and fitness level. It is always important to speak to the instructor before you begin so he or she can give you an understanding of the class and make sure you receive any options or advice you may need.

YES there are men in group fitness classes and even male instructors; it really isn’t a female only zone.  Of course pumping iron in the free-weight area is important, but how about some balance and variety in your training too? Cardio training not only will help you to get fitter but will bring many health benefits; flexibility, coordination and reduce the risk of heart disease.  I know many men worry about losing ‘bulk’ if they partake in regular cardio exercise but with great pre and post exercise nutrition you will not notice any loss but gain from the health benefits.

Group fitness is really for EVERYONE and that’s what I love about it! Any age, size, sex, ability can all come together and have a fun, energetic experience that really will change their lives forever.

It’s not all headbands and leg warmers, just wear what you feel comfortable in with a good pair of trainers to protect your feet and joints.

So why not check out the group exercise schedule next time you are in the gym or your fitness centre and pick a class and try it out.  Send me an e-mail after your class and let me know how you got on, what you enjoyed about it and what you found challenging. REMEMBER Rome wasn’t built in a day, so stay positive and patient and you will succeed.