Fitness Town

Today’s brides are using their upcoming nuptials as a source of inspiration to get their curves corralled and set their future down a healthy path.

There’s an endless amount of information available to help brides lose weight, tone their arms, trim their waistlines and more, including dangerous crash diets and last-minute sweat fests. The exercise experts at Life Fitness outlined this healthy and realistic fitness timeline for the modern, beautiful bride.

6 months out: Dedicate one hour, three times per week for exercise. Divide your time into 20 minutes of high-intensity cardio, 30 minutes of strength training and 10 minutes of stretching to start. Once you’ve developed a steady schedule, target your toughest areas be it bicep curls and tricep presses for your strapless gown or bicycle crunches for your tight bodice with more repetitions and weight.

3 months and counting: As anxiety ramps up before the wedding, seek comfort among friends. Bridal boot camps and other wedding-focused fitness classes can bring you side-by-side with women experiencing similar stresses. Or, try group personal training with other brides-to-be you know. This fresh take on your workouts will present your body with new challenges and a physique to match.

1 month to go: Don’t let last-minute wedding activities derail your routine. You’ll need it more than ever to burn off those pre-event jitters. If time is just too hard to come by, focus on doing a shorter, high-powered version of your regular routine – intense cardio for 10 minutes and heavier weights for strength training.

The big day: Enjoy your better body and glowing energy. You worked hard to get here!

Over the years, we have heard to stay away from caffeine, especially coffee because it was being classified as a drug. “Say no to drugs” has been our world-wide motto and this campaign was affecting the coffee bean industry; however, there has never been a study or test that has proven coffee or caffeine has a connection to a heart condition or any other medical problem. Drinking about 2 cups of coffee could possibly cause a rapid heart beat in a small percentage of people and could temporarily raise their body temperature.

Some weight loss clients have been advised to drink 2 cups of coffee in the morning before a workout to help reduce body fat. How this works is that the client will awake with an empty stomach, drink the 2 cups of coffee and proceed to workout. The caffeine in the coffee will boost their endurance by prolonging fatigue and help the client burn just body fat. What many people do wrong is they eat a meal right before a workout, usually high carbohydrates or no meal at all and wonder why they crash during a workout. Unfortunately, you will only maintain your current weight and body fat instead of tapping into your excess body fat storage.

Some other benefits to drinking coffee are:

• improvements to long term memory
• stimulates the bowels
• natural diuretic

Of course, plenty of clear liquids should be taken in to flush out toxins no matter how much coffee is consumed.  The only proven negative effect of coffee is that unfiltered coffee beans have compounds that could possibly raise your blood cholesterol as much as 20 points. Basically, stay away from coffee made in a French press. Many people claim the flavor is better but obviously not healthy for the body. Therefore, drink only
filtered coffee!!

A couple of tidbits of information about caffeine:

• 1 shot of espresso has less caffeine than regular coffee
• 1 cup of tea has more caffeine than regular coffee
• 1 cup of coffee can enhance your alertness

So, go ahead and have a java jolt and enjoy!  Take advantage of the benefits a hot cup of coffee can do for you. One short, skinny latte to go could add amazing results to your life!

While there are good and bad sugars, healthy and unhealthy fats, your body hasn’t met a protein it didn’t like. The fact is most proteins are equal in terms of their nutritional value and superior in their role as building blocks for muscle creation.

What you eat and when, has incredible influence over your exercise experience. Eat too much right before exercising and you’re likely to feel sluggish, even nauseated, because your body is competing with itself to fuel your digestive system and your workout. Skipping your pre-workout meal, on the other hand, can leave you feeling light-headed, weak and slow to react.

The exercise experts at Life Fitness recommend having a protein-packed snack a few hours before a workout to provide proper energy without taxing your body, followed by another small, high-protein meal within two hours of exercising to help the body repair itself.

So before hitting the gym grab your grocery list and add these protein powerhouses to the menu:

•    A three-ounce serving of roasted, baked or grilled meat, poultry or fish
•    An 8-ounce glass of low or non-fat milk
•    A handful of unsalted almonds, walnuts or pecans
•    A tablespoon of peanut butter spread over celery
•    A cup of black bean salad
•    One hard boiled egg

A Registered Dietician can help you to create a customized nutrition program that works for you.

Endurance athletes often refer to it as “hitting the wall,” that moment when the body strikes a sugar-low and can’t muster another move. To combat it, experienced exercisers look to foods high in carbohydrates that restock glycogen levels, and keep healthy snacks within arm’s reach to avoid landing in that energy deficit. Packing a stash in your gym bag ensures you’ll have no excuses to skip, or skimp, on a workout.

Besides finding items that won’t melt, crumble or stale too quickly, your post-workout foods should deliver a combination of healthy carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat. WebMD columnist Elaine Magee, MPH, RD recommends snacks provide enough calories to be satisfying (but not so many that it becomes a meal), be low in fat and high in whole grain, fiber and protein to deliver some staying power.

Regain your energy after a difficult workout with these snack tips from the exercise experts at Life Fitness:

•    Nuts: A fistful of mixed nuts or nutty trail mix delivers protein, carbohydrates, and a helpful salt replacement after a blistering workout. Really any nut will do, just keep intake to about an ounce (around 200 calories) to avoid a calorie overload.

•    Dried Fruit: It takes almost four cups of grapes to equal the same calorie count in a half a cup of raisins (200 calories). Good to know for those who lack a post-workout appetite. The same can be said for most dried fruits as the dehydration process removes most of the water. Need something more? Try a whole grain fig cookie loaded with carbs, sugars and vitamins.

•    Nutrition Bars: A behemoth of a category, nutrition bars come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. Just read the fine print before you buy. Steer clear of the words “hydrogenated oil” and bars that pack more than 250 calories and seven grams of fat. Instead, seek out bars that are low in sugar and high in protein and fiber.

Remember, seeking the guidance of a Registered Dietician can help you get the most out of your diet.

Be sure to consider medications you are taking to prevent undesired food interactions.

…flaunt Pumped Up Legs Even When Your Feet Aren’t

Pumps, stilettos, kittens – a good pair of heels have been a woman’s secret weapon in getting gorgeous legs starting thousands of years ago with the ancient Egyptians. But, fashionable ballet flats, practical riding boots and flimsy flip flops are taking that trick out of the equation. So what’s a girl to do when she can’t rely on a pump to pump up her calves?

Strengthening your calf muscles is a simple test of gravity. Just about any exercise that requires a vertical movement, such as hiking, climbing stairs, running or cycling uphill work the soleus and gastrocnemius, the two muscles that make up the calves. But if you want to tackle them at the gym, the exercise experts at Life Fitness suggest spicing up your squats to score more shapely stems, no matter the footwear.

The basic squat is one of the best lower body exercises you can do. This simple move simultaneously works glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves and can be accessorized for maximum benefit.

•    Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes facing straight ahead or angled outward like a ballet dancer.
•    Inhale and slowly lower hips towards the floor while bending the knees, keeping your torso straight.
•    Draw your belly button toward the spine to activate abdominal muscles. Keep your knees behind your toes.
•    Squat to almost 90 degrees then exhale as you stand, pushing up onto the balls of your feet and flexing the calves.
•    Repeat the move for three sets of 12 reps.

Once you build up your strength and balance, add weight or try holding on the balls of your feet longer. The Smith machine at your gym adds weight at the shoulders in a fixed path of motion, for example. Or, try a more freestanding squat rack to work on core stability as you carve out those calves.

 NEW STUDY FINDS POWER PLATE® EXERCISE AIDS IN WEIGHT LOSS, REDUCTION OF HARMFUL VISCERAL FAT :

Irvine, CA (May 11, 2009) – New research presented at the 17th European Congress on Obesity (ECO) suggests that exercise done on Power Plate® vibration plate exercise machines in conjunction with a healthy diet may help people lose weight and trim harmful belly fat.

The study, conducted at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, found that overweight or obese people who regularly undertook Power Plate® exercise were more successful at long-term weight loss and shedding visceral or belly fat (which is associated with a higher susceptibility to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes) than those who combined dieting with a more conventional fitness routine and those who simply dieted.

The study was conducted over a six month period, after which subjects returned to their daily lives and reported back for retesting at 12 months. In terms of weight loss:

The “Power Plate®” group lost 11 percent of their body weight and maintained a 10.5 percent loss
The diet and conventional fitness group lost 7 percent and maintained a 6.9 percent loss
The diet only group lost 6 percent, and maintained less than 5 percent loss
Even more promising was the reduction of visceral fat:

The “Power Plate®” group lost 47.8 sq. cm. (18.8 in.), and maintained a loss of 47.7 sq. cm (18.7 in.)
The diet and conventional fitness group lost only 17.6 sq. cm. (6.93 in.), and maintained only a 1.6 sq. cm (.63 in) loss
The diet only group lost 24.3 sq. cm. (9.57 in.) and maintained only 7.5 sq. cm. (2.95 in.) loss

“We are extremely encouraged by the results of this study, especially in terms of the reduction of visceral fat,” said Guss Van Der Meer, Founder of Power Plate®. “Obesity is a major concern both in the United States and worldwide and we are excited that Power Plate® exercise may provide a low-impact way for people to lose weight and belly fat.”

Power Plate® is the global leader in vibration training products and company most responsible for pioneering the use of Acceleration Training™ through Advanced Vibration Technology. For more information regarding Power Plate® products and accessories, please visit us here.

There are a huge amount of myths circulating about acne vulgaris – its causes and its treatment – and although some may have a grain of truth, the explanation may not be relevant to what is causing you problems.

Acne and skin problems normally start when we enter into puberty, and hormonal imbalance is one of the greatest factors influencing the skin – in males the increased secretion of testosterone is a major influencing factor in the cause of seborrhea (oily skin).

When we have an increase of hormones – estrogen and testosterone, the female and male hormones – our skin is programmed to start activating the sebaceous glands and more oil is produced. It must be kept in mind that both males and females have both these hormones – in males testosterone is the major player while estrogen is dominant in females.

Some lucky people go through puberty with their skin working more than perfectly and handling the flood of hormones in good grace, without disrupting the normal skin functioning.

The build-up of dead skin cells in the sebaceous follicle is also an important factor in the creation of acne vulgaris, since instead of shedding and exiting the follicle, the dead skin tends to hang around and get bound together with the sebum, which then plugs the follicle and in so doing swells up and enlarges the pore, creating skin problems.

On top of this, bacteria starts to multiply and inflammation sets in, and should this follicle spill its content unchecked, the surrounding tissue will also become infected.

Acne flare-ups are also common in women when menstruating or during pregnancy, since the hormone levels are then increased.

Diet

It is wise to eat sensibly when wishing to combat acne vulgaris and other skin problems.

A well balanced diet, with a healthy inclusion of fresh fruit and vegetables, coupled with adequate water (water – not sodas, juice, coffee or tea) will most definitely help your skin, and is also a good foundation for general good health.

The amount of water that you should drink per day can be calculated as follows – for each 8 kilograms of body weight you should drink about 250 ml of water – so if you weigh 60 kilograms you should drink about 1.9 liters of water per day ( a pound equals 2.2 kilograms and 250 ml equals about 8 fluid ounces).

Hygiene

People suffering from severe acne are sometimes under the misguided impression that it is due to their lack of hygiene, that they “contracted” acne and they then go forth and clean with such vigor that they damage and stress their skin even more.

Although hygiene and regular cleansing is paramount to prevent the spread of infection – it is not normally the lack of hygiene which causes acne vulgaris as such.

During puberty the skin in most individuals becomes more oily due to hormonal factors, and pores also enlarge, and although proper cleaning, with a good quality pH controlled cleanser, without excessive chemicals and harsh ingredients, is required to keep the skin clean and to help prevent further spread of acne and pimples, it must be done in a sensible and responsible way.

Stress

Although modern science does not support the idea that stress can lead to acne, it is surely a truth that stress aggravates skin problems and that flare-ups happen when a person is under extra stress.

Sunbathing

Exposing your skin to the ultraviolet rays of the sun will not clear up your acne, and you run the increased risk of sun damage to your skin. Although some people think that the sun improves their skin condition, it in actual fact will only help mask the problem with a slight tan, but the problem itself will not be sorted out by sunbathing.

It is therefore not recommended that you expose your skin to sunlight – especially if you are using acne medication – be that over-the-counter or prescription – since most of these products will have a sensitizing effect on the skin, and sun bathing should therefore be restricted when using any such products.

Vitamins and minerals

Although vitamins alone cannot claim to prevent nor remove or treat acne vulgaris and skin problems, some very good results have been obtained by supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals to assist with skin problems and acne.

The addition of vitamins A, D, E as well as C and zinc have shown good results when taken as an extra supplement.

In a double-blind clinical study it was found that both oral zinc and tetracycline were equally effective in reducing acne over a period of 12 weeks, reducing severity by upwards of 70%

It is debated that a deficiency of pantothenic acid (Vitamin B5) contributes to the onset of acne vulgaris and that the condition can be cured through liberal supplementation of pantothenic acid.

Hereditary

Although there are no hard and fast rules or indications concerning the probability of a child inheriting genes that will make them more prone to acne, it is found that acne does seem to follow a family pattern of sorts.

It is thought that children may be predisposed to acne if their parents had severe acne, but support for the contrary is also there where children of acne prone parents never developed acne.

Removing blackheads and whiteheads prevent acne

This statement is an out-and-out myth, and the opposite is actually the truth, as incorrect extraction of blackheads and whiteheads can give rise to acne, and also spread the infection.

Squeezing or picking at blackheads and whiteheads can also hurt the surrounding tissue which can result in permanent scarring.

The extraction of blackheads by means of “blackhead extractors” must be avoided and should only be done by a dermatologist or a well trained beauty therapist under the correct conditions. Incorrect removal may also cause reactive inflammation in the area.

Trying to force out whiteheads may, if done incorrectly, force the content of the closed comedo further and deeper into the tissue which may result in inflammation and the formation of nodules and cysts.

Manipulation of whiteheads can force these closed comedo to become inflamed and form a pustule or papule and may lead to cysts or nodules.

Age

Since age, puberty and hormones play a role in the appearance of acne, age as such is a factor, but in general – the majority of acne sufferers are aged between 12 – 24 years of age (people still struggling with acne at 40 will not agree however!)

This article was provided by Dermaxime, Cosmetic skin care research and development.

Why is it that certain people are more productive and active at certain times of the day than others are? It’s because we each have our own unique internal body clock. We need to synchronize our daily schedules with our circadian rhythms to enjoy and make the most of our waking hours.

Have you ever noticed that during some parts of the day you can do a job in half the time than it would take during another period of the day? While we all work with the same 24 hours, the productivity garnered during that time depends to a large extent on whether we understand and use our internal body clock. Otherwise known as our circadian rhythm, the actual “clock” is a cluster of more than 10,000 nerve cells that lie within the brain’s hypothalamus. Light coming in through our eyes conditions the body clock to keep in time with day or night, resetting it slightly every day.

Studies have shown that the main physiological functions such as core body temperature, hormone production, heart rate, blood pressure, gastric activity, and the sleep/wake cycle, all have cycles or rhythms of approximately 25 hours.

Specialists in chronobiology (the science of body time) say we can optimize productivity, improve our health and boost our happiness by working within our individual rhythms. Our brain’s clock dictates whether we are grumpy in the morning, how easily we can solve a crossword puzzle at lunch time, how long it takes to jog 5 kilometres before supper and even when we are most susceptible to colds, headaches or gastric discomfort.

The body clock also triggers cravings in our diet; often proteins in the morning and sweets late at night. Most dieticians will tell you that the bulk of your calories should be consumed at breakfast rather than supper. A University of Minnesota study in the mid-1970s found that people who ate only one 2,000-calorie meal a day for a week lost weight when they ate their meal in the morning and gained weight when they ate the same meal in the evening.

For many of us, the opposite schedule works with exercise; later in the day is usually better. Chronobiologists have found that athletic performance peaks in late afternoon and early evening when body temperature reaches its daily high and our bodies have been limbered by a few hours of movement.

Beyond these generalities, as individuals we may be more of an early bird than a night owl. The key to success in managing our body clock is to schedule our activities to suit cycles in our awareness, energy level and tasks at hand. For example, if you know that you are at your lowest ebb in the early afternoon, that may be the optimum time to schedule mindless yet necessary routines. When bursts of creativity are needed, you may find you want to fire up your innovative juices first thing in the morning after having slept on it, or late at night after a day of letting the concepts percolate in your subconscious.

There are other external factors we can utilize to influence our body clocks. Try to get the same amount of sleep each night and keep regular hours. If that is not possible, some find that sun lamps can trick the brain into thinking it’s time to rise and shine. These lamps are great for those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder in the long, dark winter months. Short cat naps strategically stolen in the course of the day can charge some people’s batteries. Frequent small meals instead of two or three larger ones may moderate our swings in mood and energy.

No two people share the same schedule in their body clock, so we cannot expect to all function at the same level and the same time of day. Self-awareness, flexibility and patience with ourselves and others will go a long way to making the most of the 24 hour days we have each been given.