3 Ways to Kick the Habit ... of Skipping Workouts

We know that we have begun to enter into the crazeof holiday extravaganza. Soon your calendar will be jam-packed full of parties and obligations. You may tell yourself that with all of this "stuff" you will just wait till tomorrow, next week or in a few weeks, to go to the gym. Life is one busy mess but that is why it is even more important to put your health first! Here are some ways to keep you motivated!

1. Keep your eye on the prize.
You must have a very strong "why" you are doing it. Always connect to that "why," especially when things get tough or you get busy. Remember those goals you set at the beginning. If your goal is to get back into your favorite jeans, hang them on the outside of your closet where you'll see them every morning when you wake up. For an extra nudge, pin up an old photo of yourself wearing them.
Or, if you're working toward a health goal such as lowering your blood pressure or relieving chronic back pain, mark your improvements on a chart posted on the fridge. Or tape a photo on your bathroom mirror of someone who's achieved a goal you're striving toward. Think fit, healthy-looking people your age playing tennis, climbing a mountain, training for a triathlon, running a 5K, or skiing with their kids!
2. Schedule a consistent workout time.
Set a regular time that fits into your daily and weekly schedule, and prioritize it just like you would a meeting with your boss or a top client.
Think of it this way: Skipping out on your commitment to take good care of yourself means sooner or later you'll start feeling depleted and run-down, with nothing left to give to those who count on you. Sticking to your fitness regimen not only helps keep you healthy, but also refills your well of physical and mental energy. So you're more likely to be there and be "on" in your job, relationships, family and others who matter to you.
3. Use the power of a pro to keep you on track.
You're much less likely to be a no-show for your workout when someone's waiting for you at the gym, track, pool, court .... Agree on a time and place to work out with a trainer. When someone's there, waiting, and holding you accountable to your exercise commitment, it's a mighty motivator.
Scheduling sessions with a personal fitness trainer creates an especially powerful incentive to work out: You'll feel a natural desire to make your trainer proud, and to respect the time commitment he or she blocked out to work with you. That's powerful inspiration when you're mulling whether to pull the sheets back over your head or pull on those gym shoes!
Yours in Health & Wellness,
Whole Body Fitness, Your Neighborhood Fitness Center, meeting all of your personal training needs

Eat less, move more and lift weights to beat obesity

Eat less, move more and lift weights to beat obesity

A recent study has shown that not only is cardiovascular training important; lifting weights/resistance training is just as important!
Click here to see latest findings from studies presented over the weekend at the Obesity Society meeting in San Diego.
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At WBF, we educate our members and clients on the importance of weight training as well as cardiovascular training. Most of our clients incorporate both into a routine.
Check out our programs that incorporate the best of both world's and get on the fast track to building bone density and muscle!

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How to Have a Healthy & Fit Halloween:

I know it may be tempting to buy that bag of candy while doing your weekly grocery shopping, I suggest you wait and hold out to buy those treats until the day before.
With a little planning and creativity this Halloween can be the healthiest yet for you and your kids.
Use Trick or Treating in the neighborhood as a way to get in your 10,000 steps for the day, walking up and down the streets of your neighborhood is not only a great way to get exercise but it is a great way to meet your neighbors!
If you are staying in this Halloween, do your part for the little ones and provide them with healthier options. Instead of candy, offer safe non food treats or healthy snacks. Here is a quick list:
-nuts
-raisins
-sunflower seeds
-pumpkin seeds
-microwave popcorn (snack size)
-single serving cranberries
-graham crackers
-playing cards
-party favors
For those that are headed to a party, remember to stay hydrated, eat a healthy meal before and burn calories on the dance floor!
Remember to be safe and stop by the Portland Studio, Oct 29th to showcase your Halloween Costume!
Yours in Health & Wellness,
Whole Body Fitness, Your Neighborhood Fitness Center

As I am trying to get back into the swing of things after a major fitness studio remodel and a much needed vacation, it dawned on me that you all might need a couple tips that will help you keep the fitness habit while on your next trip. I always try and practice and preach balance to my clients. That includes their everyday lives as well as when they are on vacation! James and I recently took a little trip to Maui, Hawaii and managed to not only relax, but enjoy the flavor of Maui and stay somewhat consistent with our fitness routine. A couple times at our place’s gym facility-but mostly we wanted to be outside, besides isn’t that why one goes on vacation? We were able to experience the sights and stay healthy. Besides, taking one to two weeks during vacation to modify your normal routine or lessen the intensity of your workout schedule will not hurt you! Remember: Everything in Moderation!
Here are a few tips on how you can fit fitness into your next vacation!

• Be realistic. You probably won't be able to fit in your normal weekly workouts and that's okay. Shoot for completing at least 50% of your normal regimen. Besides, you are on vacation!
• Plan ahead. Before leaving town, find out what type of workout facilities your accommodations will have or if there is a nearby park of jogging track.
• Scope out local gyms. If you are staying somewhere that doesn’t provide a workout area then inquire at the nearby local fitness centers for their rates. Often they offer day passes for minimal fees. Hotels are also a great source to find out what the “locals” think.
• Pack resistance bands in your suitcase. I have provided clients with a full body workout they can do in the room in less than 30 minutes! The band takes up very little space, yet can provide you with an entire upper and lower body workout routine.
• Don’t deprive yourself of all local delicacies. You can enjoy some special meals without going overboard. One way James and I splurged on a yummy meal was to share! If you are traveling with someone split the meal-if alone take half if it back to your room for another evening, more and more hotels are offering mini fridges.
• Be creative. Find unique, fun ways to exercise instead of doing the same routine you do when you are at home. Try biking, hiking, a pedal boat excursion, water-skiing, beach volleyball, etc. Effective workouts aren’t limited to the standard fares of walking, jogging and fitness machines. This is a great opportunity to take in the beauty of a place and have a fun excursion as well! While in Hawaii, we were able to do some hiking, snorkeling and body surfing!
• Try out your travel routine at least once at home. A new workout that you’ve never done before will require more time and preparation. This type of frustration just makes for an easy excuse to skip the workout.
• Prepare snacks. If your journey includes a lot of time in the car, be sure to pack some healthy snacks so you aren’t forced to eat at all the fast food and convenience shops along the way.
• Play in the pool. If lounging poolside is part of your vacation plans, then hop in the pool every 20 minutes for 5-10 minutes of pool walking (try it in waist-deep or higher water for a really challenging workout).
• Get comfortable. Don’t forget to pack comfortable workout attire that fits your destination’s climate.
PS: There are a few more days to take advantage of our Fall Into Fitness Special and our $10 classes! Call our Portland Studio 503-234-7253 for more information
Yours in Health & Wellness
-Tammie

Getting Back on Track Part 2

INCLUDE ALL LEVELS OF TRAINING INTENSITY
Once you have developed a cardiovascular base, add one short and intense interval workout, as well as one to two moderate-length and moderately intense workouts. (Interval workouts involve fast-paced exercises interspersed with bouts of cardio to keep you in the “Zone”)
Adding intensity not only raises your level of fitness but helps you avoid hitting the dreaded "plateau" if you are trying to lose weight. Remember to still include longer, moderately intense workouts in your program; they will aid in recovery and training adaptation.
Below are cardiovascular guidelines to help design your weekly routine.
Structure one intense interval workout into your program each week. These workouts should last between 20 to 30 minutes. During these workouts your breathing is heavier and your heart rate much higher, try to stay in 65%-85% of your target heart rate. These workouts will definitely be above your comfort zone or where you would prefer to exercise so have patience with yourself when beginning this new approach.
Structure one to two moderate-length and -intensity aerobic workouts each week. These sessions should be 40 to 50 minutes. The level of effort in these workouts should be comfortable but challenging.
Finish each day of exercise with a 25-45 minute bout of cardio, this will further your cardiorespiratory health as well as condition you to become a better and more efficient fat burner.
Keep checking in to get the other tips on how to revamp your routine! Happy Gym time!
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PS. Don’t forget about our Fall Back Into Fitness Special now through September.
Current Members/Clients: If you refer any friend or family member to join for a year –you will receive 2 personal training sessions.
New Members: Sign up for a Year membership and pay no sign up fee as well as get 2 personal training sessions your first month!
Ask us about it next time you are in. This is a chance for you to revamp your workout, get back into the gym, and maybe recruit a friend to be your workout partner!

Fall is Almost Here: the key to getting back on track

Well it has been a crazy summer and I don’t know about you but I am left feeling like “where did it go?” Fall may be right around the corner and it is the perfect time to get back on track and fall back into fitness! I know that with activities such as summer camp and vacations it was a little challenging getting to the gym but now with the kids back in school you can finally start that class or workout plan. With the studio remodeled-come in and see it new bamboo floors and a whole new look- I am able to focus on spending my time on my fitness routine as well. I thought it may be helpful this week to give you some tips on how to gently re-enter a routine and get back on track. This week I will be giving away a few helpful tips on making that next trip to the gym an easy transition. Here is the first tip: Remember our cardio respiratory systems atrophy much quicker than our lean body mass, however this is also a reason why we are able to build our endurance back so quickly as opposed to LBM.

1. DEVELOP A CARDIOVASCULAR BASE
If you are just beginning an exercise program, it is important to start with a lower-intensity program for the first two months. The focus should be on building endurance and gradually increasing the length of the workouts each week while keeping intensity the same.
This approach helps minimize risk of injury, better prepares the body for the demands of exercise and increases your body's production of fat-burning enzymes and mitochondria, which aid in improving cardiovascular fitness and weight loss.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends the following:
Do moderately intense cardio 30 minutes a day, five days a week, OR
Do vigorously intense cardio 20 minutes a day, three days a week.

It should be noted that the ACSM states to effectively lose weight, 60 to 90 minutes of cardio might be necessary, and the 30-minute recommendation is for the average healthy adult looking to maintain health and reduce risk of chronic illness.
With this in mind, shoot for 30 to 60 minutes a day, three days a week at a moderate intensity when starting out and add three to five minutes each week to your workouts. Also, workouts can be done intermittently throughout the day. Research has shown that doing 10-minute bouts of activity throughout the day is just as effective as exercising in a single session - a great option to consider if your work schedule is too busy for longer workouts.
And if you can't start there, simply begin with 10-minute walks or other fitness activity and build up to longer workouts. (If this is the case, you may need to stick with a lower-intensity program for a longer period of time.)
For more information and tips, refer to the ACSM's Web site.

Yours in Health and Fitness
Tammie

Will those new Shoes really give you a better Butt

With all the buzz about the new shoes that claim to burn more calories and tone your muscles, we wanted to see what the truth was about this new magic shoe. Will it really give you a Better Body? Or maybe too good to be true? All of the above are publicized claims marketing the latest toning shoes from Skechers Shape-Ups, MBT (MasaiBarefoot Technology) and Reebok EasyTone. The shoes, each of which uses uniquely shaped rounded soles and extra cushioning to alter the wearer’s normal walking gait, are currently all the rage in footwear. A quick Web search reveals many blogs touting the shoes and NFL great Joe Montana has even been hired as a pitchman for one of the brands. With all this buzz about toning shoes, it was time to put their claims to thetest. So we enlisted a team of exercise scientists from the Exercise and Health Program at the University of Wisconsin,La Crosse, to study each of the shoes.

The basic theory behind how they are supposed to work makes sense to consumers, so it’s easy to see why many are quick to embrace—and purchase—the shoes, which range in price from $100 to $245. The common denominator is that they all have an unstable sole design, which forces the wearer’s body to constantly struggle to find an equilibrium or balance point.

The Study
To test the effectiveness of the shoes and evaluate their claims, a team led by Porcari, John Greany, Ph.D., Stephanie Tepper, M.S., Brian Edmonson, B.S., and Carl Foster, Ph.D., designed a pair of studies, one evaluating exercise responses to walking in traditional athletic shoes (a New Balance running shoe) versus the popular toning shoes. The second study evaluated muscle activation when walking in regular athletic shoes compared to toning shoes.
The shoe order was randomized as the subjects were asked to walk at 3.0 mph with a 0% grade hill; 3.5 mph/0% grade; and at 3.5 mph/5.0% grade. Meanwhile researchers monitored each subject’s oxygen consumption, heart rate, ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and caloric expenditure. Researchers used electromyography (a.k.a. EMG) to record muscle activity in six muscle areas: calf, quads, hamstrings, buttocks, back, abs, as subjects walked in each of the four pairs of shoes.

The Results
Across the board, none of the toning shoes showed statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation during any of the treadmill trials. There is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories or improve muscle strength and tone.

The Bottom Line
“Don’t buy these shoes because of the claims that you’re going to tone your butt more or burn more calories. That’s absolutely wrong,” says Porcari. Then how do researchers account for the anecdotal evidence (found on blogs, etc.) from those who wear the shoes and claim their muscles get sore, which must mean the shoes are working? “Do you feel different when you’re wearing these shoes?
Of course you do because you’re walking on probably an inch worth of cushioning,” explains Porcari. “They feel different, and that’s why when people first wear them
they’re probably going to be sore because you’re using different muscles. But if you wear any sort of abnormal shoes that you’re not used to wearing, your muscles are going to get sore. Is that going to translate into toning your butt, hamstrings and calves? Nope. Your body is just going to get used to it.” Bryant isn’t surprised by the findings: “When you think about it, it’s kind of the same old song and dance,” he says. “People will still fall prey in their search for the quick and easy fitness solution. These shoes are just another attempt to find that magic bullet.”

These shoes may be encouraging a fair number of people who probably wouldn’t put on a normal pair of walking shoes and go out and walk, to do so because they think they’re getting some super toning effect. It’s probably serving as a bit of a motivator to get a group of inactive individuals to at least get up and get moving. And, no matter how you spin it, that’s a good thing.
Click Here for more info and the study in full

The Great Aerobic Hoax- Part 2

In part one, we learned the benefits of why we want Lean Body Mass. One quick way to not only boost lean body mass but burn fat is through interval training or metabolic circuits. These are fast-paced weight-training routines in which you alternate between upper- and lower-body exercises and cardio. You might compare this type of activity to running repeated bouts of 30- to 60-second sprints. While sprinting has been shown to burn calories at a high rate, it can't be sustained for long because the muscles in your lower body become fatigued — and that's even if you're resting between sprints. "But with metabolic circuits, you're emphasizing different muscles in each exercise, so you can maintain a high-intensity effort for a much longer duration, and with almost no rest. The result: the muscle-saving, calorie-burning benefits of intense resistance training and sprints, combined with the nonstop movement of long, steady-state aerobic exercise. It could be the greatest fat-loss workout known to man.
Research like Volek and Scott are beginning to put the pieces together. Just as important, trainers are already using this kind of routine to help their real-world clients achieve faster results than ever. And not surprisingly, it works! A recent client was able in a 6 week period working out 3 times a week for 30 minutes, burn 5 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of lean body mass! A huge success and you can do it too! To find out more about the HITr program click here.
For more fitness tips follow us on Facebook

The Great Aerobic Hoax- Part 2

In part one, we learned the benefits of why we want Lean Body Mass. One quick way to not only boost lean body mass but burn fat is through interval training or metabolic circuits. These are fast-paced weight-training routines in which you alternate between upper- and lower-body exercises and cardio. You might compare this type of activity to running repeated bouts of 30- to 60-second sprints. While sprinting has been shown to burn calories at a high rate, it can't be sustained for long because the muscles in your lower body become fatigued — and that's even if you're resting between sprints. "But with metabolic circuits, you're emphasizing different muscles in each exercise, so you can maintain a high-intensity effort for a much longer duration, and with almost no rest. The result: the muscle-saving, calorie-burning benefits of intense resistance training and sprints, combined with the nonstop movement of long, steady-state aerobic exercise. It could be the greatest fat-loss workout known to man.
Research like Volek and Scott are beginning to put the pieces together. Just as important, trainers are already using this kind of routine to help their real-world clients achieve faster results than ever. And not surprisingly, it works! A recent client was able in a 6 week period working out 3 times a week for 30 minutes, burn 5 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of lean body mass! A huge success and you can do it too! To find out more about the HITr program click here.
For more fitness tips follow us on Facebook

The Great Aerobic Hoax- Part 2

In part one, we learned the benefits of why we want Lean Body Mass. One quick way to not only boost lean body mass but burn fat is through interval training or metabolic circuits. These are fast-paced weight-training routines in which you alternate between upper- and lower-body exercises and cardio. You might compare this type of activity to running repeated bouts of 30- to 60-second sprints. While sprinting has been shown to burn calories at a high rate, it can't be sustained for long because the muscles in your lower body become fatigued — and that's even if you're resting between sprints. "But with metabolic circuits, you're emphasizing different muscles in each exercise, so you can maintain a high-intensity effort for a much longer duration, and with almost no rest. The result: the muscle-saving, calorie-burning benefits of intense resistance training and sprints, combined with the nonstop movement of long, steady-state aerobic exercise. It could be the greatest fat-loss workout known to man.
Research like Volek and Scott are beginning to put the pieces together. Just as important, trainers are already using this kind of routine to help their real-world clients achieve faster results than ever. And not surprisingly, it works! A recent client was able in a 6 week period working out 3 times a week for 30 minutes, burn 5 pounds of fat and gain 5 pounds of lean body mass! A huge success and you can do it too! To find out more about the HITr program click here.
For more fitness tips follow us on Facebook

The Great Aerobic Hoax

For decades, we've been told that the best activity for burning calories and fat is aerobic exercise. Many studies, dating back 3 decades ago, have reported that aerobic exercise is the best way to burn calories and lose fat. As well as offering other benefits, from improving markers of heart-disease risk to coping with mental stress to enhancing cognitive function.
Well, times have changed, and in the past few years with the increasing population of overweight adults and children there has been a mad rush to look at fitness and the impacts it has in our lives. If you're looking to shed fat, the newest weight-loss research will tell you that you need to do more than just jumping on the elliptical or treadmill.

A new study by Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., an exercise and nutrition scientist at the University of Connecticut, is debunking the myth that all exercise is created equal.
Volek's research gives him good reason to doubt the conventional wisdom about the superiority of aerobic exercise for fat loss.
The Study: Volek and his team put overweight people on a reduced-calorie diet and divided them into three groups. One group didn't exercise, another performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week, and a third did both aerobic exercise and weight training 3 days a week.

The results: Each group lost nearly the same amount of weight — about 21 pounds per person in 12 weeks. But the lifters shed 5 more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. The weight they lost was almost pure fat, while the other two groups shed 15 pounds of lard, but also gave up 5-plus pounds of muscle. "Think about that," says Volek. "For the same amount of exercise time, with diets being equal, the participants who lifted lost almost 40 percent more fat."
So, why do you want to build lean body mass (muscle)? The amount of Lean Body mass you have is directly related to your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) or commonly known as your metabolism. Your RMR dictates the amount of calories (energy) your body needs just to maintain life. Therefore, the more lean body mass you have-the more metabolically active tissue you have- the higher your metabolism will be.
This isn't a one-time finding, either. Research on low-calorie dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat and 25 percent of it is muscle. That 25 percent may reduce your scale weight, but it doesn't do a lot for your reflection in the mirror. Having strength and definition is important. However, if you weight-train as you diet, you protect your hard-earned muscle and burn extra fat instead.

The New Science of Calorie Burning
In the past we thought that any form of aerobic activity, such as jogging was far better than any type of anaerobic activity, like resistance training, in burning calories. Women focusing on Low-fat options at the store and only cardio at the gyms may be doing themselves a disservice.
When Christopher Scott, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Southern Maine, began using an advanced method to estimate energy expenditure during exercise, his data indicated that weight training burns more calories than originally thought — up to 71 percent more. Based on these findings, it's estimated that performing just one circuit of eight exercises — which takes about 8 minutes — can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about the same as running at a 6-minute-mile pace for the same duration.

From the beginning, fitness programs should be scientifically based. Starting out, we knew that weight training was necessary to avoid muscle loss, and that it appears to boost your metabolism for hours after you work out; we also knew that according to studies, higher-intensity exercises such as interval training and weight training resulted in greater fat loss than lower-intensity exercise did."
Stay tuned for part 2............

Does the type of Physical Activity you do matter?

The initial response to this question is “yes”, but that only leads us to the deeper root of the question which is “if the type of physical activity I choose matters, what should I be doing?” The answer to this question is unique for each individual, based upon your current status, current level of fitness, physical activity preferences, goals, and time for exercise. With so many variables, how can you figure out what physical activity is best for you? The following guidelines can help you select physical activities and exercise to help you reach your current and future goals.

Discover physical activities that you enjoy

Children enjoy unstructured play. Why? Because it is fun! This may seem basic, but it is amazing the number of adults who turn to activities they don’t really enjoy because of grand promises of weight loss, “ripped abs”, or increased strength and size. Group Classes are a way to not only keep it fun but also structure accountability. If you don’t enjoy something, you are far less likely to stick with it. Since regular physical activity is critical for reaching exercise-related health and fitness goals, choose something you enjoy.

Set realistic goals

Goal setting is an important step in starting any new behavior. If the goal is too easy, you may quickly become bored. If the goal is too lofty, you are likely to soon feel that it is out of reach. To set goals that you can realistically achieve, use your current activity as a starting point and progress from there. If your longest walk each week is 15 minutes, it is unrealistic for you to complete a half marathon (13.1 miles) three months from now. However, it may be realistic for you to train for and complete a 5k (3.1 miles) in three months. After that, you can work towards a 10k (6.2 miles) several months later and then progress from there towards a half marathon if that is still a goal.

The same goes for weight loss, where some ads make grandiose claims like “lose 30 pounds in 30 days.” These ads promise a timeframe that is unrealistic for the amount of weight loss promised. When setting a goal to lose weight, keep in mind that the maximum rate for sustained weight loss has been found to be no more than 1 to 2 pounds of fat per week. The reality shows promote much more weightloss, however these numbers consist of water weight. Not just fat. They are not losing 20 pounds of fat per week!

Once you have set realistic goals, you can use them to help you determine the types of activities you will need to participate in to reach your goals.

Some activity is better than none

The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults should participate in weekly aerobic activity totaling 150 minutes at moderate-intensity, 75 minutes at vigorous-intensity, or an equivalent combination of the two, and that adults should do muscle-strengthening activities of moderate- to high-intensity on 2 or more days per week (US Department of Health & Human Services). Exercise can be accumulated in bouts of 10 minutes at a time or in longer bouts, and exercise totals that exceed these recommendations result in greater improvements in health and fitness. This gives us guidelines for how much activity we should aim for, but the most important takeaway message from these guidelines is that “some physical activity is better than none, and adults who participate in any amount of physical activity gain some health benefits.” So, don’t jump immediately into 150 minutes of physical activity. Instead, focus on what you can do now and progress by increasing exercise time, exercise frequency, and eventually increasing exercise intensity.

Aim for a well-rounded program

A well-rounded program should include activities that help improve your cardiovascular health and fitness (cardiorespiratory exercise), and your posture, movement, and muscular fitness (flexibility and resistance training). The specific activities performed in each area will depend on an individual’s current fitness and goals. Cardiorespiratory exercise for someone who is just starting out should focus on moderate-intensity exercise where the individual is working just below the point where talking during exercise becomes a little bit challenging, while a regular exerciser looking to increase fitness or train for an event would perform higher-intensity intervals to push his or her system. Focus on flexibility through dynamic movements during the warm-up, and stretching during the cool down.

Getting started
Always see your physician for a medical examination before you begin. Once you know you are cleared for exercise, select activities that you enjoy and set an initial goal to be active on three or more days per week. When selecting physical activities keep this rule in mind – the most effective exercise program for you is the one that you will actually do on a regular basis.

Yours in Health & Wellness
-tammie

Your 4th of July BBQ

Last July 4, Joey Chestnut earned his third consecutive victory in Coney Island’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest—the gustatory champ downed 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes. That jaw-dropping stat is made scarier still when you realize that Chestnut consumed over 20,000 calories in that time. That’s a whole day’s worth of calories ... per minute.
Now, your own Independence Day festivities may not rival Chestnut’s, but these days you could easily consume a full day of calories in one sitting—and that’s before you reach for seconds. When grills go wild, so do waistlines. But after the past weekend and a couple conversations with clients about BBQ and the options I felt that y’all might need a few ideas…..
I know it doesn’t seem like it but there is a healthier option for your next BBQ, and save yourself over 800 calories (or more) at each meal.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Meat
Eat This!
Pork Tenderloin (6 oz)
328 calories
11.5 g fat (4 g saturated)
95 mg sodium
Not That!
Cheeseburger (5 oz)
630 Calories
41 g fat (15 g saturated)
735 mg sodium
Pork tenderloin is one of the most underrated cuts in the meat case. It's not just lean, but loaded with thiamin, a B vitamin that converts sugar into energy. Compare that to the cheeseburger, which has nearly double the calories and four times the amount of fat.
Then again, maybe only a burger will do for you. If so, switch to grass-fed beef. You’ll get a leaner chuck with a higher concentration of omega-3s.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Side
Eat This!
Coleslaw (1/2 c)
150 calories
8 g fat (1 g saturated)
350 mg sodium
Not That!
Potato Salad (1/2 c)
310 calories
15 g fat (3 g saturated)
430 mg sodium
Potato salad is one of those foods that sounds healthier than it is. After all, potatoes ... good. Salad ... good. Here's the problem: Mayonnaise ... bad. Very bad. Of course, coleslaw is a vehicle for mayo as well, so it comes down to which vehicle is better for the environment that is your body. Coleslaw wins here by a nose; it has fewer calories and less fat, sodium, and carbs.
That said, if you have your heart set on potato salad, prepare it like the Germans do—that is, with a mustard base instead of mayo. This will cut close to 100 calories from each serving. (For other free health, fitness and nutrition secrets that will improve your life right this second, follow us on facebook.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Snack
Eat This!
Tortilla Chips and Guacamole (about 10 chips)
160 calories
11 g fat (3 g saturated)
280 mg sodium
Not That!
Corn on the Cob with Butter
200 calories
7 g fat (4 g saturated)
190 mg sodium
It’s an American birthright to eat corn, but truthfully, it offers little nutritionally compared to a powerhouse like avocado. So stick with the chips. Choose a whole-grain chip like those made by Garden of Eatin’ and you’ll get a boost of fiber to go along with guacamole’s good monounsaturated fats. But remember even though avocados are packed with vitamins they are packed with calories, try salsa instead and make it even better!
Still want corn? Fine, but make it healthier by cutting back on the butter and sprinkling it with chili powder and lime juice. And remember: Cutting calories isn’t always a matter of watching what you eat. Watch what you drink, and you can trim over 400 calories from your daily diet, without actually altering your food consumption at all.
Best and Worst Summer BBQ Salad
Eat This!
Fruit Salad (1/2 c)
55 calories
0 g fat
5 mg sodium
13 g sugars
Not That!
Iceberg Salad with Ranch
175 calories
11 g fat (2 g saturated)
240 mg sodium
Besides mayonnaise, ranch is responsible for turning more healthy foods unhealthy than any other condiment. Instead of munching on the greens, dice up some melons, kiwi, and pineapple and then toss in a few grapes for good measure. This salad’s naturally sweet and loaded with fiber and antioxidants.

I hope this helps you enjoy your summer hanging with friends and family as well as helping you enjoy your soon to be shrinking waistline! Happy Summer Everyone!
Just a reminder that we will be open next Monday the 5th of July!
-tammie

Battling Boredom

When your current routine just won’t do. I know we all get bored with our daily routines once in awhile, I myself have to change it up all the time to deal with this one. Maintaining new and exciting routines is one of the things we do at WBF. If you are finding yourself getting a little bored with your normal routine, here is an idea that will give you a new found enjoyment out of your fitness routine.
Quick Fix
First, evaluate your current routine to determine what really bores you. A new variation on your favorite activity—such as cardio-blast or Boxing instead of step aerobics, or hoisting free weights instead of working on machines—may be enough to reinvigorate your stale routine.
If you’ve always worked out indoors, logging miles on a treadmill, stairclimber or stationary bike, move your workout outside for a welcome change of scenery. Run, hike or bike on trails; swim in a lake or ocean. Do a run after your workout at the gym down to the Esplanade rather than the treadmill! It is 3 miles from WBF to Steel Bridge along the waterfront and back again!

Bigger Changes
When tweaking your routine isn’t enough, make bigger changes. Take up an entirely new activity—especially something you never thought you’d do. If you’ve always stuck to solitary pursuits, sign up for a team sport, such as volleyball, basketball or even doubles tennis. Or tackle something you’ve always shied away from—indulge your thirst for adventure and take up cycling! A great way to burn a lot of calories and have fun while you are doing it. Plus, there are many rides for the philanthropists and charitable that focus on specific charities and organizations!
Good Company
Working out alone often is an oasis of solitude in a busy day, but maybe you need some company. Exercise companions add a social element to any routine. Ask a friend to be your workout partner—you’re much less likely to skip a workout if someone is waiting for you. Classes like our New Group cardio , boxing and yoga are great ways to workout with your friends or meet new ones! Now and through the month of July, bring a friend to class and receive a FREE class!
Keeping up with the crowd also means that you’ll be challenged to improve your skills. Ask about organized workouts and fun runs offered by local track clubs, as well as group rides hosted by cycling clubs.
Challenge Yourself
Many exercisers work out simply to stay in shape, and most of the time that’s just fine. But setting a goal, such as finishing a 10K race or completing a tough hike, will give your daily workouts more meaning.
Start by incorporating bursts of speed into your workouts, I suggest our After a gentle warm-up, alternate a fast pace with a slower one for recovery. This can be as simple as sprinting to the next tree, or as structured as running intervals on a track or sprinting laps in the pool.
Add Variety
Elite triathletes pioneered the cross-training concept, and it works for the rest of us, too. If you usually focus on one activity, substitute another a few days a week. Ideally, any exercise program should include elements of cardiovascular exercise, weight training and flexibility.
New Toys
Small exercise gadgets aren’t necessary, but they can make your workouts more fun and challenging. Pedometers, heart-rate monitors, iPods, aquatic toys and safety equipment are just a few items to consider. Find out which new training gadgets are available for your favorite activity.
Take a Break
Sometimes you really do need time off. In that case, cut back on your usual routine and substitute other activities. You might even find an activity that you enjoy more than your old favorites. Once you’ve fought your first battle with boredom, you’ll know the tricks to keep exercise from becoming too routine. Trying new sports, new classes and new activities—and learning how to throw a little variety into your old standbys—can help you overcome the nagging inclination to devise those creative excuses for not working out.
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Yours in Health & Wellness,
Tammie

My 10 Favorite Places to get outside! Number 1

Ahh, where in Portland can you get an amazing urban view, the grit of the city (does Portland even have grit?) and a lovely array of people being active...
Yes that is right, not too hard to guess this one. Get yourself out to the Eastbank Esplanade, fastly growing to iconic stature! But don't be afraid to visit us-we are however stuck inside.
Remember now and only through June 30th in honor of Father's Day, guys get 10% Personal Training and Fitness packages!
Yours in health and wellness!
-Tammie

Spot Reduction, Is it Possible?

I get this request all the time-spot reduction. My question to my clients: Is it possible? Or too good to be true?
Besides launching millions of sit-ups, leg lifts and torso twists, the desire for a toned and taut physique has led to the purchase of a long line of exercise devices of dubious worth. Countless inventions, such as vibrating belts and “gut-busting” contraptions, have claimed to miraculously tighten and tone certain trouble spots.
But the miracles people were expecting never materialized, and those “spots” remained “unreduced.”
What’s wrong with spot reduction?
Where did we go wrong? In the effort to tone their bodies, people neglected the most important factor: fat. Exercises such as crunches or leg lifts improve the tone and endurance of the muscles, but they don’t burn fat. On the other hand, when you do exercises that elevate the heart rate, such as bicycling, walking or aerobic dance, the body will draw upon its fat stores for energy. This is one main misconception that we try to alleviate from WBF’s clients and members way of thinking. You should use cardio to elevate your heart rate, making you a fitter fat-burner rather than see the elliptical as toning your butt or thighs, that is what resistance training is for.

Alternative Solutions
Eating healthy and following an exercise program that combines aerobic activity and resistance training is the key to changing the shape of your body.
In addition to burning calories through aerobic activity, strength training will increase the amount of muscle i.e. Lean Body Mass, which burns even more calories. We go into this in depth with our clients as to how much resistance training boosts your Basal Metabolic Rate. But many people shun the idea of intensive exercise, scared off by the idea of five-mile runs, barbells or aerobic classes.
Thankfully, any aerobic activity that elevates your heart rate can help you burn fat and take off unwanted pounds. Many experts recommend doing at least three sessions of 30 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Ideally, for long-term weight control, you should perform a 60-minute aerobic exercise session most days of the week. One way I have found and clients have had success is to incorporate a fun class into their routine-it makes the 60 minutes fly by. Another thing I have tried with clients and has seemed to work is to mix it up. If you need to do cardio for more than 30 minutes try alternating between the equipment (bike, to elliptical to treadmill 15 min each) or try an interval circuit like a 2min/3min intense/recover program)* Below I have included some fun alternatives to traditional aerobic exercise are effective fat burners:
• Mountain biking
• In-line skating
• Walking at a brisk pace
• Social dancing, try a hip hop class or Latin dance
• Hiking
• Martial arts
• Boxing, see our Box 2b Fit class
• Cross-country skiing
• Downhill skiing
• Water sports, canoeing or kayaking is a great one.
Remember to choose an activity because it interests you, not because it is touted as a great workout. Remember, the most effective exercise is the one you will stick with for the long haul.
A few things to keep in mind when starting any new activity:
• Don’t start out too hard or too fast or you may injure yourself or quit before seeing any benefit.
• Always concentrate on enjoying yourself, rather than on what a particular exercise might do for you.
• Keep your exercise comfortable and only increase intensity after your body becomes accustomed to new activity levels.
Finally, always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you’re a male over 45 or a female over 55, or have cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.
A Final Word About Toning Exercises
Just because exercises like leg lifts and crunches won’t budge the fat does not mean that they are not beneficial. Unlike some aerobic activities, these exercises can strengthen and tone specific muscles of the body. The best way to shape up is to incorporate strength and toning exercises with aerobic exercises. Before you know it, you’ll be on your way to looking and feeling better.
*this is just an example and should not be seen as a prescription for exercise. Consult your doctor before beginning an exercise program and meet with a certified trainer to receive your own custom routine.
Yours in Health and Welolness,
Tammie

12pm Saturday Box 2b Fit Boxing Class

So I know you have heard the promise of a class kicking your butt -(but) this one will definitely get that heart rate a pumping!
Here is my Recipe for a favorite workout this weekend!
BOX 2B FIT:
Ingredients
1 part willing participant
1 part crazy trainer 'the ICE-Berg'
2 parts cardio
2 parts jump rope
1 part resistance
1 Heavy Bag
Gloves
and SWEAT!!

Directions:
Mix all together making sure to gently work the Bag into the Mix and constantly add your cardio into the pot. Mix it Up for an hour and Wallah- a Fitter You!
Where: 1408 E Burnside
Time: 12pm Saturdays

What to do with stubborn knee pain

If you are like a lot of my clients, you are looking for that special exercise to alleviate your stubborn knee pain. No matter your level of fitness, after low back pain, this is the number one issue I hear from clients. But not to worry there may be help yet!

Recent studies have shown a twice weekly hip strengthening regimen performed for six weeks proved surprisingly effective at reducing -- and in some cases eliminating -- knee pain referred to as patellofemoral pain (PFP) in female runners.

The study by Tracy Dierks, assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, was based on the theory that stronger hips would correct running form errors that contribute to PFP, even though study participants were given no instruction in gait training. The study used a pain scale of 0 to 10, with 3 representing the onset of pain and 7 representing very strong pain -- the point at which the runners normally stop running because the pain is too great. The injured runners began the six-week trial registering pain of 7 when they ran on a treadmill and finished the study period registering pain levels of 2 or lower; i.e. no onset of pain. PFP, one of the most common running injuries, is caused when the thigh bone rubs against the back of the knee cap. Runners with PFP typically do not feel pain when they begin running, but once the pain begins, it gets increasingly worse. Once they stop running, the pain goes away almost immediately. Dierks said studies indicate PFP essentially wears away cartilage and can have the same effect as osteoarthritis. His study participants showed many of the classic signs of PFP, the most prominent being their knees collapsing inward when running or doing a squat exercise move.
Hip strength measurements were taken before and after the runners in the control group maintained their normal running schedule for six weeks.
Strengthening the area around the hip by doing ball squats, exercises focusing on the abductors and adductor areas were also shown to help alleviate the chronic pain.

And yes just like you sang in grade school- “the hip bone’s connected to the knee bone”
I suggest to my clients that are exhibiting chronic pain in the areas of back, hip and knee to try some yoga. Yoga is an amazing tool to help strengthen and facilitate proper body awareness in these areas. As with any form of exercise, make sure that the fitness professional is aware of your conditions and limitations so that they will be able to modify and redirect exercises specific to your needs!
For more information and other articles visit us at
WBF Facebook Page

Your inHealth & Wellness,
Tammie

Reach Your Goals Part 2

Self-evaluation
If you feel like you are doing everything possible to attain that SMART goal but are still coming up short, perhaps you need to evaluate where you are. One of the ways we do this with clients is to have them try keeping a diet and exercise journal for one week and check to see if you are actually maintaining a program that will get you where you want to be.
Behavioral vs. Physiological
People often start a program with the intention of making a change, but struggle to stick with it. Remember, it is only when you decide that you are ready to make a real commitment to this change and do it for yourself that you expect results. Without a real resolution to change, you will likely encounter many obstacles and barriers that will make sticking with the program difficult. Consider the following tips if you are thinking about starting a program:
• Ask yourself why you want to make this change and who you are doing it for.
• Write down a list of all the benefits you foresee with making this change and a list of costs (e.g., time, effort and money) that will be required to do so. If the balance swings in favor of the benefits, you are likely to stick with the program.
• Identify a support system. Find individuals of significance in your life who will support your desire to change and perhaps even join you.
• Select some rewards for achieving major steps in your program. Recognize your achievements with treats such as a purchase, attending a function or even taking a trip. Such rewards will help you stay motivated during the beginning of your program.
• Visibly place prompts and cues that constantly remind you of the decision you made to change, and remove any stimuli that may trigger undesirable behaviors. For example, placing visible notes or keeping a workout bag accessible will prompt good behavior, while removing ice cream from the freezer may remove a negative stimulus.
I hope these ideas help you with all your goals. If one of your goals is to relax and release stress you may want to try yoga. Come in and try one of our classes in the new expanded space! Our Vinyasa Flow class tonight Tuesday at 6pm! See you there

Yours in Health & Wellness,

Tammie

Reaching Your Goals the SMART Way

One thing that I do with all my clients is set goals. Focusing on specific actions in order to reach that goal whether it be losing a few pounds or completing a 10K. I wanted to share with you the approach that we use at Whole Body Fitness.
One proven way to set effective goals is using the SMART goal method. This method gives me the ability to turn my clients ideas into reality.

SPECIFIC: The goals must specifically state what is to be accomplished. They must be easily understood and should not be ambiguous or subject to interpretation. For example, rather than stating you would like to improve your fitness level, set a specific goal such as being able to walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes at a time.

MEASURABLE: The goals must be measureable so that there is no doubt about whether you achieved them. Measurable goals also allow you to evaluate your progress. Goals can be measured objectively or subjectively (i.e., how you feel and look), or both. For example, you could measure your percent body fat and body weight, but also monitor how your pants fit.

ATTAINABLE: The goals must be attainable—not too difficult or too easy. Easy goals do not motivate, and overly difficult ones may frustrate you and lead to a perception of failure. I always try and focus first on the long term goal and then go backwards from there setting mini goals to get us there.
RELEVANT: The goals must be relevant or pertinent to your particular interests, needs and abilities. For example, when preparing for a 5K walk, running quarter-mile sprints would not be the best approach

TIME-BOUND: The goals must be time-bound by specific deadlines for completion. Timelines can be both short-term and long-term and should help you stay focused and on track.

Stay tuned this week for more of my secrets on how you can reach your goals!

Periodized Training and Why It Is Important

You have the best intentions regarding your workout, but find that your motivation has been sapped. Lately, no matter how hard or how often you work out, you just can’t seem to progress any further. You’re stuck on a plateau. It turns out that the exercise you’ve been doing has worked so well that your body has adapted to it. You need to “shock” or “surprise” your body a bit. You need to give it a new challenge periodically if you’re going to continue to make gains.
That goes for both strength and cardiovascular training. “Periodizing” your training is the key. Instead of doing the same routine month after month, you change your training program at regular intervals or “periods” to keep your body working harder, while still giving it adequate rest.
For example, you can alter your strength-training program by adjusting the following variables:
• The number of repetitions per set, or the number of sets of each exercise
• The amount of resistance used
• The rest period between sets, exercises or training sessions
• The order of the exercises, or the types of exercises
• The speed at which you complete each exercise
• There are many different types of periodized strength-training programs, and many are geared to the strength, power and demands of specific sports. The most commonly used program is one that will move you from low resistance and a high number of repetitions to high resistance and a lower number of repetitions.
• Such a program will allow your muscles to strengthen gradually and is appropriate for anyone interested in general fitness.
Research Shows Better Results
A frequently cited study conducted at the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University has shown that a periodized strength-training program can produce better results than a non-periodized program. The purpose of the study, which was published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2001, was to determine the long-term training adaptations associated with low-volume, circuit-type training vs. periodized, high-volume resistance training in women (volume = total amount of weight lifted during each session).
The 34 women in the study were divided into those two groups, along with a non-exercising control group. Group 1 performed one set of eight to 12 repetitions to muscle failure three days per week for 12 weeks. Group 2 performed two to four sets of three to 15 repetitions, with periodized volume and intensity, four days per week during the 12- week period.
As the chart shows, the periodized group showed more substantial gains in lean muscle, greater reductions in body fat and more substantial strength gains than the non-periodized group after 12 weeks.
Periodizing Your Cardiovascular Workout
You should also periodize your cardiovascular training for the same reasons—to further challenge your body while still allowing for adequate recovery time. If, for example, you’re a recreational runner, running for fitness, fun and the occasional short race, you’ll want to allow for flat, easy runs, as well as some that incorporate hills and others that focus on speed and strength.
What you don’t want to do is complete the same run every time. If you run too easily, and don’t push yourself, you won’t progress. And chances are you’ll get bored. Conversely, too much speed or high-intensity training will lead to injury or burnout, and most likely, disappointing race results.
If you are serious about improving your time in a 10K or completing a half marathon or even a full marathon, you’ll need a periodized program geared to each type of race. Many such programs are available from local running clubs, in running books and magazines, from some health clubs, as well as on running websites.
Specially designed periodized training programs are also available for cycling and many other sports. Periodized training will ensure that you continue to make measurable progress, which will keep you energized and interested in reaching your goals.

Your in Health & Wellness
Tammie

Don’t Skip Breakfast to Cut Calories

When you’re trying to lose weight, cutting out breakfast may be tempting. You figure you’re saving yourself some calories and you get a couple extra minutes to snooze. But research has consistently shown that the people who successfully lose weight are the ones that wake up and eat! Furthermore, people who eat breakfast regularly have better vitamin and mineral status and eat fewer calories from fat. So it seems that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Eat Early, Weigh Less Later
Why does eating breakfast help people lose weight? It defies common sense that eating all those calories in the morning instead of simply skipping them would help. Many studies, in both adults and children, have shown that breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than breakfast skippers. Why? One theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger throughout the day and help people make better food choices at other meals. While it might seem as though you could save calories by skipping breakfast, this is not an effective strategy. Typically, hunger gets the best of people who skip breakfast, and they eat more at lunch and throughout the day.
Another theory behind the breakfast–weight control link implies that eating breakfast is part of a healthy lifestyle that includes making wise food choices and balancing calories with exercise. For example, consider the successful weight losers followed by the National Weight Control Registry, all of whom have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least one year. Some 80% of the people in the Registry regularly eat breakfast (and also follow a calorie-controlled, low-fat diet). It’s worth noting that most studies linking breakfast to weight control looked at a healthy breakfast containing protein and/or whole grains—not meals loaded with fat and calories. Eating breakfast also gives you energy to do more physical activity and be more productive in everything you do, which is also vital to weight control. So make the effort to get up in the morning and fix yourself a healthy meal.
Maintaining Your Diet
Before you get too excited and go out for a Denny’s™ Grand Slam Breakfast, keep in mind that your breakfast should consist of healthy items that are in line with your current dietary weight-loss goals. Members of the National Weight Control Registry report eating cereal and fruit for breakfast. While these are certainly healthy options, eggs have also been shown to offer several benefits.
Eggs have a greater satiety value than cereal and white bread. This means that they are more satisfying in giving you that feeling of fullness, while you may actually be eating less. One of the reasons for this is that eggs are high in protein, which is known to increase satiety. Proteins also have a higher thermic effect, meaning that it takes more calories to digest them. Studies have compared an egg breakfast to a bagel breakfast of the same caloric value and weight. Researchers at Louisiana State University’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center discovered that people who ate the eggs for breakfast ate less at lunch and less throughout the rest of the day compared to people who ate the bagels, even though they had the same amount of calories for breakfast.
In the past, eggs have had a bad rap because of their high cholesterol content. However, eggs today have lower cholesterol counts than in the past due to the healthier feeds given to chickens. Additionally, research has shown that moderate egg consumption of about 1 per day does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease in healthy individuals. If the cholesterol count is a concern, then egg whites, which are free of cholesterol yet rich in protein, are a good alternative. Eggs are also a good source of essential nutrients riboflavin, vitamin B12, phosphorus, selenium and protein.
If you aren’t too keen on eggs, try low-fat or non-fat dairy products like yogurt, which are also high in protein. High-fiber complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals will keep you satisfied. Fiber also increases that sensation of fullness. Overall, whether you choose eggs, cereal or fruit, your breakfast should fall in line with your dietary weight-loss goals. Choose foods that fit your lifestyle and that you will enjoy.

Change your Program & Change your Body!

If you really want to change your body, you've got to change your program and mix it up. And now that summer is on its way , it's the best opportunity to spice up your program. Do something different. Enroll in a new activity. Sign up for an event like a Triathlon, 5k. Try a new class like Boxing, Yoga. Hire a trainer. Just commit to doing something different.

Since the warmer weather is upon us, it's a really good opportunity to also ensure you're getting outdoors for some of your workouts. Take up cycling. Try an Outdoor Bootcamp program, we will begin these very shortly. Go kayaking. Get yourself some Vitamin D and get outside of the four walls of a gym. The fresh air will do you some good.

For those of you who are local, WBF is expanding, our new Group Movement Studio will be opening soon! We're offering some really fun new classes including some Outdoor Bootcamp programs. Plus you can still sign up for our boxing and our Strength & Sculpt classes.
Here's the link to our new schedules that begin May 1st. Best advice we can give you is to schedule your workouts into your dayplanner - always carve the time out for yourself first! www.wbfitness.com
Yours in Health & Wellness,
Tammie

New Yoga Class this Sunday 10am!

Class Description Vinyasa yoga unites movement with breath in strong flowing
sequences that build heat, flexibility, and endurance. This form of yoga is Ashtanga
based without adhering to a specific set of poses. There will be an emphasis of standing postures and Sun Salutations. All levels are welcome for this fun, invigorating yet challenging class.
http://www.swatpdx.com/http://www.swatpdx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/WholeBodyYoga.pdf

WBF 2010 Client Satisfaction Survey

Thanks for all of your support over the past years! We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves and offer you the best in service and amenities. Please take a few minutes and complete this little survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MB6LK3D

A Walk A Day

The popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing by leaps and bounds. Low risk and easy to start, walking has proved its health benefits in numerous studies. A classic eight-year study of 13,000 people conducted at the Institute for Aerobics Research under the direction of Dr. Steven Blair found that those who walked the equivalent of 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.
A regular walking program can help:
• Reduce blood cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Increase cardiovascular endurance
• Boost bone strength
• Burn calories and keep weight down

Get Ready
A walking program is simple to start. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes. It is a good idea to layer loose clothing, keeping in mind that exercise elevates the body’s temperature. Shoes specifically designed for walking are your best option.
Every workout should begin with a brief warm-up and a few simple stretches. Walk around the house or in place for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to the muscles before you attempt to stretch them. Although walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, don’t forget to stretch your back, shoulders and arms. This will help to loosen up any tension you may be carrying and make your walk more enjoyable, as well as more effective.

Get Moving
Beginning walkers can make their workouts less strenuous by limiting how fast and far they walk. Keep the following in mind:
• Walk short distances—Begin with a five-minute stroll and gradually increase your distance.
• Forget about speed—Walk at a comfortable pace. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and shoulders relaxed.
• Swing your arms naturally—Breathe deeply. If you can’t catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills.
• Be sure that you can talk while walking—If you can’t converse, you are walking too fast.

Get Fit!
Walking is one fitness activity that allows you numerous options. Once you have reached a point where you can walk a few miles with relative ease, you can start to vary the intensity.
Walking hills, in addition to increasing your cardiovascular endurance, is a great way to tone the legs. Concentrate on lengthening your stride or increasing your speed. And don’t forget to reward yourself after each workout with a few minutes of relaxing stretches to help prevent sore muscles.
Listening to lively music while you walk is also a great way to energize your workout. But if you wear headphones, keep the volume down and watch out for traffic that you may not hear.
Keep track of your progress. Many experts recommend that you walk a minimum of 30 minutes a day, but there are no hard and fast rules. Fit walking into your schedule whenever you can. That may mean three 10-minute walks each day, or even hour-long walks two to three times a week. The best schedule is one that keeps you walking and keeps you fit!

Travel Fitness: A Plan of Action to Keep You Active

It is easy to let a vacation or business trip destroy your fitness schedule and eating habits, but why let something as rewarding as a vacation or as exciting as a business trip leave you feeling unhealthy upon return?
With a little research and proper planning, you can create an easy-to-follow plan to keep you fit and healthy no matter where you travel, and you can come home feeling more healthy and energized than when you left.
Nature’s Playground and Man’s Monuments
There is no excuse for not finding places to exercise when every city has a great staircase, stadium or tall buildings where you can master the stairs without a machine. If stairs aren’t your thing, cities have lots of places good for walking, running or even hiking. Ask the hotel concierge if there are parks or trails nearby; or if you have ventured to the mountains, ask for a map of local hiking trails.

It is also a good idea to ask the concierge for a map of the city to find out how many of your destinations are reachable by foot. (Walking will increase your fitness and decrease your taxi fares.)

Prior to departure on your trip, find out if your hotel has a workout facility and a pool, and remember to pack your bathing suit and workout clothes. If they don’t have a facility, they may be affiliated with a local gym where you can get a one-day pass for a small fee.

There are no limits to the exercise you can do while exploring new territory. Make the most of your trip, and get to know the city by foot.
Prepare for Power, No Excuses
If your hotel doesn’t offer fitness accommodations, bring along a jump rope and an exercise tube. They are both lightweight and easy to transport. Jumping rope is one of the best forms of cardiovascular exercise, and you can do it anywhere.

With the exercise tube and a prearranged plan to keep you motivated, you can keep your entire body toned and energized without entering a gym or stepping on a piece of exercise equipment. Numerous magazines and websites offer workout instructions for each body part.

And, of course, body-weight exercises such as push-ups and crunches require no equipment at all. The point is to find a workout routine that suits your needs and follow it. Plan a specific time each day or every other day to do your strengthening and cardiovascular routines (a good plan is to alternate days between the two).

Remember that the 20 to 60 minutes you spend working out each day is for you, and try to stay on schedule.
Have Fun
Be sure to enjoy yourself and make the most of the area to which you have traveled. Remember to bring comfortable shoes so that you can easily get a workout while using your feet as your main mode of transportation.

Whether your trip is for business or vacation, remember that you should have some time for yourself every day. Why not dedicate that time to improving your health and making yourself feel better?
Nutrition Road Tips
• Always drink plenty of water, particularly if you’re flying.
• Conjure up a healthy meal in your mind prior to entering a restaurant, and stick to your plan as closely as possible.
• Try to eat at least three times per day to keep you from feeling famished and overindulging at any one time.
• Pick up portable, healthy snacks at a local market so you won’t be caught hungry in front of the mini-bar.
• Go ahead and splurge on regional dishes or local cuisine, but balance your diet by choosing lower-calorie foods at other meals.

If You Don’t Use It, Will You Lose It?

If you’ve been sidelined by an injury, or you’re considering taking a break from exercise, you might wonder if you’ll lose your hard-earned strength and endurance. Some loss of fitness is inevitable, but there are ways to help minimize it.
Here’s what happens to your body when you take a break from exercise.
Matters of the Heart
The degree to which cardiovascular fitness declines during a period of de-training depends upon what kind of shape you were in to begin with. Individuals who are extremely fit, such as highly trained athletes, experience a rapid drop in fitness during the first three weeks of detraining, after which the rate of loss tapers off. A significant level of fitness—higher than that of an untrained person—is retained for about 12 weeks. Individuals with low-to-moderate fitness levels show little change in cardiovascular fitness within the first few weeks, but their abilities rapidly decline in the weeks immediately following that period.
Performance Jitters
The ability to perform a given sport or activity, whether it involves swinging a bat in softball or running 10Ks, invariably declines when the sport is abandoned for any length of time. Marathoners experience a noticeable reduction in endurance performance during a maximal aerobic treadmill test after just 15 days of inactivity.
Similarly, swimmers experience a decrement in arm strength within as little as a month layoff from their normal training regimen. Numerous variables come into play when analyzing the ability to perform a particular sport-specific skill, making it difficult to analyze the effects of detraining. Some are like riding a bike—you never forget how—while others, such as the ability to deliver an accurate serve in tennis, involve specific timing and well-trained muscles.
Speaking of Muscles...
With the exception of a genetically blessed few, most of us have to work at building strength through formal or informal strength-training workouts. Again, well-trained athletes have the edge, because the positive effects of training remain evident for weeks, sometimes even months, after training is stopped. Lesser-trained individuals can expect to see their muscle strength and conditioning levels decline at a slightly faster rate, though not at the levels seen in sedentary individuals.
Stem the De-training Tide
Experts agree that the best way to avoid losing much of the health and fitness benefits you’ve worked so hard to achieve is to do something. If you can’t find the motivation to run for a few weeks or longer, try walking instead. Cross-training is popular because it is a viable means of maintaining, or even increasing, one’s fitness level.
Runners can give their knees a break by switching to cycling, swimmers can work their legs on a stair stepper, and aerobics enthusiasts can take their workouts outdoors by hiking through a local park or reserve.
If an injury is keeping you from your favorite activities, take your worries to the pool. Of course, it’s always advisable to check with your physician before resuming exercise after an injury. Regardless of which activity you choose, be sure to progress gradually.

If boredom is the problem, now is the time to try that sport you’ve been considering for so long. In-line skating, tai chi, boot-camp workouts—whatever strikes your fancy. The key is to keep your heart and muscles challenged to minimize the de-training effects that come when you are taking a break from your usual routine.

How Women Build Muscle

There are more myths and misconceptions about strength training than any other area of fitness. While research continues to uncover more and more reasons why working out with weights is good for you, many women continue to avoid resistance training for fear of developing muscles of Herculean proportions. Other women have tried it and been less than thrilled with the results. “Don’t worry,” people say. “Women can’t build muscle like men. They don’t have enough testosterone.” This is, in fact, only partly true. Many women, believing they wouldn’t build muscle, hit the gym with a vengeance and then wondered why, after several weeks of resistance training, their clothes didn’t fit and they had gained muscle weight.
The truth is, not everyone responds to training in quite the same way. While testosterone plays an important role in muscle development, the answer to why some men and women increase in muscle size and others don’t lies within our DNA. We are predisposed to respond to exercise in a particular way, in large part because of our genetics. Our genetic makeup determines what types of muscle fibers we have and where they are distributed. It determines our ratio of testosterone to estrogen and where we store body fat. And it also determines our body type.
A Question of Body Type
All women fall under one of three body classifications, or are a combination of types. Mesomorphs tend to be muscular, endomorphs are more rounded and voluptuous and ectomorphs are slim or linear in shape. Mesomorphs respond to strength training by building muscle mass much faster than their ectomorphic counterparts, even though they may be following identical training regimens. Endomorphs generally need to lose body fat in order to see a change in size or shape as a result of strength training. Ectomorphs are less likely to build muscle mass but will become stronger as a result of resistance training.
Building Just Your Heart Muscle
One of the fundamental principles of strength training is that if you overload a muscle, you will increase its size. With aerobic training, the overload is typically your body weight. Activities such as step training or stair climbing result in changes in the size and shape of the muscles of the lower body. Increasing the height of the step or adding power movements increases the overload. For those concerned about building muscle, it would be better to reduce the step height or lower the impact of the movements. While this may reduce the aerobic value of the workout, it also will decrease the amount of overload on the muscles, making it less likely that you will build more muscle.
Training by the Rules
When it comes to strength training, the old rule still applies: To get stronger, work with heavier weights and perform fewer repetitions. To promote endurance, use lighter weights and complete more repetitions. It’s encouraging to note that just like men, most women will experience a 20 to 40% increase in muscular strength after several months of resistance training. Understanding your body type and how you might respond to exercise can help you set realistic goals and expectations. Avoid comparisons to others you see, at the gym or elsewhere, and remember that no two people are alike. Focus on how good exercise makes you feel rather than how you would like to look. Accepting our bodies for what they are is a great way to get rid of the guilt or pressure we often feel to look a certain way.

Eat Well to Stay Motivated and Energized

Do you have trouble exercising at noon or after work, even though you’re truly committed to exercise and it’s the only time you have to work out? Do you feel so exhausted that you just can’t face the gym?
Your diet—rather than simple sloth—may be the problem.
If you tend to skip meals in an attempt to save calories, you may be robbing yourself of important fuel for your workouts. While skipping meals may temporarily make your stomach feel flatter, doing so can also leave you feeling tired, irritable and unfocused.
Then you’ll be tempted to forego your noontime workout, or go home, eat and stretch out on the couch in front of the TV after work.
If, however, you follow some simple, sensible dietary practices throughout your day, you’ll get that workout done. And rather than feeling lightheaded and exhausted afterward, you’ll be energized and refreshed.
Stay With Feel-good Foods
One key to staying motivated to exercise is to keep the amount of sugar in your blood—and thus, your energy level—stable. You can best do that by eating a series of small meals throughout the day—as many as five or six—that are composed of complex carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads or crackers, beans and other vegetables and fruit.
If you plan ahead and make time for grocery shopping, you can easily pack some simple meals and snacks to take to work with you.
Eating complex carbohydrates helps keep your blood sugar stable because they are digested and absorbed slowly into the blood and don’t require your pancreas to produce much insulin.
Refined carbohydrates, such as potato chips, doughnuts and cookies, are absorbed very quickly and trigger the pancreas to produce large amounts of insulin. So, while they may give you an initial boost, your energy will drop off quickly, and your mood will follow.
The amount of sugar in your blood is also related to the amount of serotonin in your brain. Serotonin is an important chemical called a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood.
If your level of serotonin is where it should be, you’ll have a sense of well-being and confidence—and feel ready to tackle the treadmill. Should it drop, you may feel tired and depressed.
If you often experience a craving for carbs, this may be your brain’s way of telling you it needs more serotonin.

Cut the Caffeine
What about caffeine? Good question. Many athletes rely on caffeine for the initial kick it can provide.
Remember, though, that caffeine can also affect the amount of insulin, and thus, sugar, in your blood. Further, excessive intake of caffeine can cause dehydration, which can also sap your energy.
While drinking a caffeinated beverage may help get you to the gym, within an hour you may feel tired and too lightheaded to complete your workout, or to do it well.
If you plan to engage in running or another highly vigorous activity, remember that some forms of caffeine, coffee in particular, can lead to mild gastronomical distress, as can some bulky foods.
So, you’d be wise to limit the amount of coffee, tea and soda that you drink for a number of reasons.
Suppose you’re an early bird, and your best time to work out is in the morning before you go to work. For quick energy, drink some juice upon rising and avoid coffee.
Once you’ve completed your workout, have a more solid breakfast of whole-wheat cereal or toast and fruit to fuel your concentration for the morning’s work. If you work out and eat too lightly, chances are you’ll get “the drowsies” by 2 p.m., if not sooner.
Keep in mind that finding the right combination of food and drink to energize your workout—whatever time of day you choose—may take some experimenting. It all depends upon your individual tastes and your metabolism.
With a little patience, an open mind and a little creativity, you’ll determine which foods suit you best.
You’ll keep your motivation to exercise if you:
• Have a glass of juice to boost your energy before a morning workout
• Eat a breakfast that includes whole grains and fruit or fruit juice
• Eat small, frequent small meals and snacks during the day to maintain your blood sugar
• Make sure to have a light, healthy snack an hour before your noon or after-work workout
• Stay hydrated, keeping a water bottle at your desk at work
• Limit—or eliminate—the amount of caffeine in your diet

The Best Time to Workout

Contrary to popular belief, women aren’t the only ones with biological clocks. Everyone has them, and we all heed their ticking on a daily basis. If you are a regular exerciser, you may have already determined your most productive time to exercise and follow a routine that works best for you. On the other hand, if your exercise time varies from day to day, and it’s wearing you out instead of pumping you up, you may be interested in the work of scientists who are studying the proverbial internal clock and how to best determine what time of day you should schedule your workouts.
Rhythm: It’s Not Just for Dancing
The secret appears to lie in circadian rhythms, the daily cycles that the human body follows. These rhythms originate in the hypothalamus and regulate everything from body temperature and metabolism to blood pressure.
The rhythms result from the firing rate of neurons. They have conformed to the 24-hour light-to-dark cycle, and may be regulated and re-regulated each day according to the environment.

Warm Is Better
It is the influence of circadian rhythms on body temperature that seems to yield the most control over the quality of a workout. When body temperature is at its highest, your workouts will likely be more productive; when your temperature is low, chances are your exercise session may be less than optimal.
Body temperature is at its lowest about one to three hours before most of us wake up in the morning, in contrast to late afternoon when body temperature reaches its peak. (To determine your own circadian peak, refer to the box to the right.)
Studies have consistently shown that exercise during these late-in-the-day hours produces better performance and more power. Muscles are warm and more flexible, perceived exertion is low, reaction time is quicker, strength is at its peak and resting heart rate and blood pressure are low.
Don’t Fix It If It’s Not Broken
First of all, don’t change your schedule if you feel good beginning your day with exercise. Everyone agrees that exercise at any time is better than no exercise at all. In fact, people who exercise in the morning are more successful at making it a habit.
And, though it has been suggested that morning exercise may put some people at higher risk for heart attack, further research indicates that there is simply a generalized increased risk of heart attacks in the morning. If your schedule favors an early workout, emphasize stretching and a good warm-up to ensure that your body is ready for action.
Other Considerations
If stress relief is your goal, exercise always works, all the time. And if you’re wondering when it’s best to train for an upcoming event, it all depends on what time you’ll actually be competing. If an upcoming marathon begins at 7:00 a.m., try training at that time of day.
Though training at any time of day will raise performance levels, research has shown that the ability to maintain sustained exercise is adaptive to circadian rhythms. In other words, consistently training in the morning will allow you to sustain exercise during a morning marathon longer than if you train in the evening.

Rethinking the Role of Soy After Menopause

Soy is commonly recommended to post-menopausal women for its estrogenic properties. Consequently, it is believed by some to potentially inhibit menopausal symptoms, reduce the risk of body fat gain, and improve heart disease risk in this population. Although previous studies may support such beliefs, two recent studies have reported that soy is ineffective.
Researchers studied the effects of soy isoflavones on the body composition of 229 post-menopausal non-obese women. Participants were randomly assigned to consume a once daily tablet that contained either 80 mg or 120 mg of soy isoflavone, or placebo for 12 months.
In addition to recording changes in body composition, appetite-controlling hormones such as insulin, leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin were assessed. Although the soy did significantly affect some hormones, researchers determined that only one factor influenced changes in body fat; the amount of dietary fat consumed. Hence, soy does not appear to have a significant impact on body fat.
In a second study published in the same journal, researchers determined that soy isoflavones did not improve the lipid profile in post-menopausal women with mildly high cholesterol. Sixty-two women were recruited to eat either soy-based foods or control-foods for 1 year.

After 12 months, participants on the soy-based diet saw slight increases in both total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol, but no changes in LDL or triglycerides were apparent. Because the changes did not achieve levels of significance it was determined that soy is not beneficial to reducing heart disease risk in post-menopausal women.
Although soy remains an adequate source of protein, there are definitive limitation to its use in the treatment of menopausal symptoms and consequences that include fat-weight gain and increased heart disease risk.

Exercise and Asthma

Asthma is an increasingly common lung disease in the U.S. People who have asthma have inflamed and highly irritable airways. When the airways are exposed to irritants, they narrow, making breathing more difficult. Signs of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing, especially at night and early in the morning. Common irritants include tobacco smoke, air pollution, viral infection and allergens like dust mites and cat dander. Vigorous exercise also can act like an irritant by triggering airway spasm and narrowing. This is referred to as exercise-induced asthma.

The ABCs of Exercise-induced Asthma:
About five to 10 minutes into a strenuous soccer game you start to cough and feel short of breath. You tell yourself that you’re out of shape and recommit to your resolution to participate in vigorous cardiovascular exercise at least three days per week. But then, the next time and the time after that the same feelings of difficulty breathing set in. You finally go visit your doctor, who tells you that you have asthma. But this only happens with exercise, you say. If that’s the case, you’re one of 5 to 10% of people with asthma who only experience symptoms with exercise. On the other hand, 90% of people with asthma have exercise-induced symptoms. Exercise-induced asthma attacks may start during exercise or shortly after exercise. These episodes tend to be shorter than attacks with other triggers. Many people with asthma avoid exercise, thinking it will do more harm than good. The truth is that people with asthma can experience the same benefits from exercise as everyone else. And with the proper precautions, the risks are significantly lessened.

Exercising With Asthma
First, have a thorough medical evaluation and obtain your doctor’s permission before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will probably prescribe you a medicine to help keep your airways open during exercise. For example, you may be instructed to take albuterol, a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator, 15 minutes before exercise to prevent symptoms for up to about four hours.

Once you receive clearance from your doctor, consider the following exercise guidelines:
• Always have medication nearby for use in the event of an asthma attack. Be aware of early signs of an asthma attack, such as shortness of breath and coughing.
• Take extra time (aim for 15 minutes) to warm up before exercising. This helps the airway retain a more normal size.
• Prolong your cool-down. The second most likely time to experience an exercise-induced asthma attack is in the five to 10 minutes after exercise. By gradually decreasing intensity, you reduce your risk.
• Be aware of your exercise environment. Avoid exposure to other asthma triggers such as pollen and pollution when exercising. A warm and humid environment (like that in a pool) reduces exposure of the lungs to cool, dry air—the suspected cause of exercise-induced asthma.
• Consider exercising at the lower end of your target heart-rate range and incorporating intervals for high-intensity training to minimize your risk of an asthma attack. Choose exercises least likely to trigger an attack, such as pool swimming and walking.
• Maintain adequate hydration. This will decrease mucous accumulation in the airways, thus reducing risk for an asthma attack or a future infection like bronchitis or pneumonia.
• Maximize air exchange with diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. With each inhalation you should see or feel your belly rise.
• Rest when necessary and listen to what your body is telling you.
Keep Your Options Open
Asthma does not equate to an inactive life. In fact, six-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner–Kersee achieved the highest levels of athletic success despite having asthma. As long as you and your physician are comfortable with your level of activity, nothing should keep you from doing the activities that keep you happy and healthy.
In Health & Wellness,
Tammie

Exercise and Asthma

Asthma is an increasingly common lung disease in the U.S. People who have asthma have inflamed and highly irritable airways. When the airways are exposed to irritants, they narrow, making breathing more difficult. Signs of asthma include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness and difficulty breathing, especially at night and early in the morning. Common irritants include tobacco smoke, air pollution, viral infection and allergens like dust mites and cat dander. Vigorous exercise also can act like an irritant by triggering airway spasm and narrowing. This is referred to as exercise-induced asthma.

The ABCs of Exercise-induced Asthma:
About five to 10 minutes into a strenuous soccer game you start to cough and feel short of breath. You tell yourself that you’re out of shape and recommit to your resolution to participate in vigorous cardiovascular exercise at least three days per week. But then, the next time and the time after that the same feelings of difficulty breathing set in. You finally go visit your doctor, who tells you that you have asthma. But this only happens with exercise, you say. If that’s the case, you’re one of 5 to 10% of people with asthma who only experience symptoms with exercise. On the other hand, 90% of people with asthma have exercise-induced symptoms. Exercise-induced asthma attacks may start during exercise or shortly after exercise. These episodes tend to be shorter than attacks with other triggers. Many people with asthma avoid exercise, thinking it will do more harm than good. The truth is that people with asthma can experience the same benefits from exercise as everyone else. And with the proper precautions, the risks are significantly lessened.

Exercising With Asthma
First, have a thorough medical evaluation and obtain your doctor’s permission before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will probably prescribe you a medicine to help keep your airways open during exercise. For example, you may be instructed to take albuterol, a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator, 15 minutes before exercise to prevent symptoms for up to about four hours.

Once you receive clearance from your doctor, consider the following exercise guidelines:
• Always have medication nearby for use in the event of an asthma attack. Be aware of early signs of an asthma attack, such as shortness of breath and coughing.
• Take extra time (aim for 15 minutes) to warm up before exercising. This helps the airway retain a more normal size.
• Prolong your cool-down. The second most likely time to experience an exercise-induced asthma attack is in the five to 10 minutes after exercise. By gradually decreasing intensity, you reduce your risk.
• Be aware of your exercise environment. Avoid exposure to other asthma triggers such as pollen and pollution when exercising. A warm and humid environment (like that in a pool) reduces exposure of the lungs to cool, dry air—the suspected cause of exercise-induced asthma.
• Consider exercising at the lower end of your target heart-rate range and incorporating intervals for high-intensity training to minimize your risk of an asthma attack. Choose exercises least likely to trigger an attack, such as pool swimming and walking.
• Maintain adequate hydration. This will decrease mucous accumulation in the airways, thus reducing risk for an asthma attack or a future infection like bronchitis or pneumonia.
• Maximize air exchange with diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. With each inhalation you should see or feel your belly rise.
• Rest when necessary and listen to what your body is telling you.
Keep Your Options Open
Asthma does not equate to an inactive life. In fact, six-time Olympic gold medalist Jackie Joyner–Kersee achieved the highest levels of athletic success despite having asthma. As long as you and your physician are comfortable with your level of activity, nothing should keep you from doing the activities that keep you happy and healthy.
In Health & Wellness,
Tammie

Warm Up to Work Out

Suppose you told that you only had to add an extra five minutes to each of your workouts to prevent injury and lessen fatigue. Would you do it?
Most people would say yes. Then they might be surprised to learn that they already know about those few minutes, which are called a warm-up. If done correctly, a pre-exercise warm-up can have a multitude of beneficial effects on a person’s were workout and, consequently, his or her overall health.
What happens in your body?
When you begin to exercise, your cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular systems and metabolic energy pathways are stimulated. Muscles contract and, to meet their increasing demands for oxygen, your heart rate, blood flow, cardiac output and breathing rate increase. Blood moves faster through your arteries and veins and is gradually routed to working muscles. Your blood temperature rises and oxygen is released more quickly, raising the temperature of the muscles. This allows the muscles to use glucose and fatty acids to burn calories and create energy for the exercise. All of these processes prepare the body for higher-intensity action.
Specifically, a gradual warm-up:
• Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature
• Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions
• Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly
• Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles
• Gives you better muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles
• Allows you to comfortably perform longer workouts because all of your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood
• Improves joint range of motion
• Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your ability to focus on exercise
Where to Begin:
Your warm-up should consist of two phases:
• Progressive aerobic activity that utilizes the muscles that you will be using during your workout
• Flexibility exercises
Choosing which warm-up activity to use is as easy as slowing down what you will be doing during your workout.
For example, if you will be running, warm up with a slow jog, or if you will be cycling outdoors, begin in lower gears.
An ideal intensity for an aerobic warm-up has yet to be established, but a basic guideline is to work at a level that produces a small amount of perspiration but doesn’t leave you feeling fatigued. The duration of the warm-up activity will depend on the intensity of your workout as well as your own fitness level.
After the aerobic warm-up activity, you should incorporate flexibility/stretching exercises. Stretching muscles after warming them up with low-intensity aerobic activity will produce a better stretch, since the rise in muscle temperature and circulation increases muscle elasticity, making muscles more pliable. Be sure to choose flexibility exercises that stretch the primary muscles you will be using during your workout.
Make the Time
To fully reap the benefits of the time you are spending exercising, you must warm up. Taking those extra few minutes to adjust to increased activity will ensure a better performance from your body and, in turn, will make your workout more efficient, productive and, best of all, enjoyable.

Warm Up to Work Out

Suppose you told that you only had to add an extra five minutes to each of your workouts to prevent injury and lessen fatigue. Would you do it?
Most people would say yes. Then they might be surprised to learn that they already know about those few minutes, which are called a warm-up. If done correctly, a pre-exercise warm-up can have a multitude of beneficial effects on a person’s were workout and, consequently, his or her overall health.
What happens in your body?
When you begin to exercise, your cardiorespiratory and neuromuscular systems and metabolic energy pathways are stimulated. Muscles contract and, to meet their increasing demands for oxygen, your heart rate, blood flow, cardiac output and breathing rate increase. Blood moves faster through your arteries and veins and is gradually routed to working muscles. Your blood temperature rises and oxygen is released more quickly, raising the temperature of the muscles. This allows the muscles to use glucose and fatty acids to burn calories and create energy for the exercise. All of these processes prepare the body for higher-intensity action.
Specifically, a gradual warm-up:
• Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature
• Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions
• Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly
• Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles
• Gives you better muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles
• Allows you to comfortably perform longer workouts because all of your energy systems are able to adjust to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood
• Improves joint range of motion
• Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your ability to focus on exercise
Where to Begin:
Your warm-up should consist of two phases:
• Progressive aerobic activity that utilizes the muscles that you will be using during your workout
• Flexibility exercises
Choosing which warm-up activity to use is as easy as slowing down what you will be doing during your workout.
For example, if you will be running, warm up with a slow jog, or if you will be cycling outdoors, begin in lower gears.
An ideal intensity for an aerobic warm-up has yet to be established, but a basic guideline is to work at a level that produces a small amount of perspiration but doesn’t leave you feeling fatigued. The duration of the warm-up activity will depend on the intensity of your workout as well as your own fitness level.
After the aerobic warm-up activity, you should incorporate flexibility/stretching exercises. Stretching muscles after warming them up with low-intensity aerobic activity will produce a better stretch, since the rise in muscle temperature and circulation increases muscle elasticity, making muscles more pliable. Be sure to choose flexibility exercises that stretch the primary muscles you will be using during your workout.
Make the Time
To fully reap the benefits of the time you are spending exercising, you must warm up. Taking those extra few minutes to adjust to increased activity will ensure a better performance from your body and, in turn, will make your workout more efficient, productive and, best of all, enjoyable.