Today was a great day at the gym. At Body Temple Fitness we design new programs for our members every 4 - 6 weeks (that is usually the time when the body will adapt to the current program.) While going over a new program with my 65 year old client she said, "Not only are you working my body, my mind is working also, it is a new exercise for me, in addition, it is also a compound movement that I have to think about."
Well that got me to thinking about all the common benefits of regular exercise- (lose weight, get toned, feel better.) We rarely hear "I want to improve my memory. If you need a little extra incentive to lace up those sneakers, here are five ways that exercise can enhance your brainpower:
1. GET MORE OXYGEN TO THE BRAIN
Exercise is great way to get oxygen to the brain, take 30 minute a day to get in at least 30 minutes of exercise in, do some resistance training or try a mid day yoga class. Even when you’re not exercising be aware of your breathing pattern. Take full deep breaths fro the diaphragm, doing so will increase oxygen and blood flow and stimulate brain function.
2. USE IT OR LOSE IT
You heard that old saying before "use it or lose it." It is true; the brain is a muscle, which needs stimulation like other muscles. Do some memory exercises like crossword puzzles, learn some new fitness exercises or dance move. Not only will you look and feel good, your mind will be energized as well.
3. USE YOUR HANDS
Try using your non-dominant hand for some task, improving coordination will also improve brain function. Do tasks that involve using your fingers, such as sewing, painting, putting together puzzles; anything that involves finger movements to accomplish the task will increase your brain memory.
4. FEED THE BRAIN
I mentioned earlier, the brain is a muscle too! Include in your diet memory boosting foods which include sweet potatoes, squash, broccoli, spinach, black beans, kidney beans, nuts, seed, oranges, and berries, and many more.
5. BEWARE OF MEMORY DEPLETING CHEMICALS
Beware of the cookware you may be currently using. Aluminum, plastics, and teflon are believed to have a negative affect on memory as well as your health. Learn about the containers you eat and drink from (namely water bottles you buy at the grocery store) and potential hazards that may arise from them. Try to eat and drink from containers that are toxic-free such as glass, and stainless steel to keep the memory and body healthy and strong.
The evidence suggests that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has a more pronounced effect on EPOC (excess-post exercise oxygen consumption, known as the afterburn effect) (Haltom et al. 1999). Also, it happens that resistance training produces higher EPOC responses than aerobic exercise (Burleson et al. 1998). The research implies that high-intensity resistance exercise disturbs the body’s homeostasis to a greater degree than aerobic exercise.
Save the long steady state cardio sessions for when you walk your dog or want to clear your mind. HIIT, is significantly more efficient to help you burn fat in less time and take your body to a MUCH higher fitness level.
Swim Suit season is just around the corner, it’s time to get focused and dial in your diet and training, so you can feel confident in a bathing suit this summer.
3 Things to get on track with, starting today:
1. Your nutrition. You need to eat healthy 90% of the time to start seeing your bikini body come to reality. This means you only get 2-3 meals a week to splurge. Missing a meal counts as one of these splurges, so don't miss any meals so that you can enjoy a margarita or dessert and then get right back on track. Make sure each meal has protein and a veggie and save your starchy carbs or fruit for post-workout only.
2. Your workouts. Figure out your plan and stick to it. If you've been slacking and not coming in for your strength training or metabolic circuits, get back on track TODAY!
3. Your head. Yes, so much of this is about what goes on in your head. Start to catch any negative self talk (negative mental attitude) and turn it Positive talk (positive mental attitude). Get yourself focused on where you are going. Negative thoughts will not get you any closer to where you want to be. Think about your thoughts. Write down what your goals are and think about your WHY. Also think about the repercussions of if you don't hit your goals- how will you feel?
See you in the gym!
In my 14 + years in the fitness industry, I have come across hundreds of people and clients with low back pain. The number one thing that people with back pain do is, nothing! Yes, nothing, “my low back hurts so I must take it easy and not move a lot.” Maybe some of the low back pain sufferers will ice the low back to eliminate the pain. The best way to eliminate the pain is to STOP CHASING PAIN!
What do I mean by stop chasing pain? Often when a client's low back hurts, the main area of concern is the site of pain (low back), however, the problem lies at the joint above and/or below the pain, in this case we would want to look at the hip and t-spine (thoracic spine).
So why does this approach work? Well to answer that question we need to look at the anatomy of the body's joints and their functions. Aside from allowing us to have movement, joints have two primary functions: mobility and stability.
Here is how they are designed to work in the body:
Foot Joints = Stable
Ankle = Mobile
Knee = Stable
Hip = Mobile
Pelvic/Lumbar = Stable
T-Spine = Mobile
Scapula = Stable
As you can see a Stable Joint is always followed by a Mobile Joint. But what happens when one of these joints is not functioning properly? We experience pain.
For example, a person experiencing low back pain will be stable in the hip, mobile at the pelvis and lumbar joint, and stable at the t-spine. They are having pain because their hips and t-spine have locked up and are not allowing the mobility they are designed for. So in order to get this mobility they are now using the pelvis and lumbar joints, which are designed to provide stability, and as a result they have pain.
In this case, you can strengthen the core and glutes as much as you want, but if you do not regain the hip and t-spine mobility you will still experience low back pain. This is seen often with golfers. They play 18 holes, their low backs hurt. So, they take 3 months off to focus on strengthening their core and glutes. Three months later their low back feels good. They then play 18 holes and the pain is back. Why? They didn't take care of the problem. They focused on strengthening the core and glutes when the core and glutes were not the problem. The problem is the hip and t-spine. You can strengthen the core and glutes all you want, but until you take care of the hip and t-spine mobility problem you will still have pain.
The same can be seen with knee pain. The ankle and hips have become locked and lose their mobility. The knee now has to become mobile. By focusing on strengthening the knee and stretching the muscles attached to the knee you will do little to improve the knee pain, because the pain is the result of the loss of ankle and hip mobility. Regain the ankle and hip mobility and you will improve the knee pain.
So why does this happen? There are many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is due to sitting. We have developed what is known as the "Sitting Posture" where our shoulders are slumped and slouched forward, and pelvis posteriorly rotated under, which takes away the natural curve of our lumbar spine. Due to sitting so much throughout the day we have changed the posture of our bodies and they no longer function properly. This has put us at an increased risk of experiencing pain and injury.
For more information contact Terri Reeves at Body Temple Fitness, 559 288-8292
www.mybodytemplefitness.com email: mybodytemplefitness@gmail.com
Remember the last time you went hog wild with junk food, or even overboard on healthy food? You know the situation. You started with a few chips here and there because they looked so good. then you ordered a drink after that--because, "Hey, it's only one!". Oh wait, You devoured a chicken and rice bowl, that consisted of 10 ounces of white meat and 3 1/2 cups of white rice, it's healthy food right? Yes it is, but, you don't need that much unless your Ronnie Coleman. But you can't ignore dessert now that you've come this far, right? There was a piece of cake that was irresistible, so you had to have a piece too.
This is called the Blown Tire Situation. You blow a tire (i.e. eating something not in your normal nutrition plan) and you keep driving until you've blown ALL of your tires! Most people think that eating something junky gives them a pass to continue eating junk food all day.
However, let me ask you: "Would you really still drive your car if you blew a tire?" The answer is definitely no. You would cause some serious damage to your car!
You have to think of your body as your car. If you continue to eat more and more junk food following one little slip up, the damage is going to be very costly to your body. You need to stop, fix your tire, and then get right back on the road. In this case, just go right back to your nutritional plan.
We all have blown tires once in a while. Expect them to happen! They are a part of life. Just make sure you fix the tire and get right back on track.
It’s rare that a man can make such a huge
difference in the lives of so many. Jack LaLanne,
the visionary and pioneer in the world of
health and fitness, passed away on Sunday at
the age of 96.
Through example he led a nation to eat better,
exercise often and stressed the value of turning
healthy ways into a lifestyle.
Jack, who exercised every day of his life, was an
inspiration to just about every fitness personality
in America, and leaves behind a legacy that
will surely remain unmatched.
Jack was one of the first to preach the benefits
of weight training for women. At the
time it was thought weight training would leave
women too muscular.
With his successful line of gyms, Jack transformed
the minds of critics and the bodies women
and men.
With his television show he inspired kids and parents
to workout together, making fitness easy by
incorporating exercises that used common household
items.
Jack himself found inspiration at an early age after
spending what he said was a childhood "addicted
to sugar".
Jack LaLanne is truly an American Icon and his
mark on America’s fitness culture is one that
will live on forever in all that he has inspired to
live a better life. His impact will be missed greatly.
The 2011 Cardio Workout
What is metabolic training? In simple terms it comprises of a series of exercises that will improve or enhance the body's energy systems.
The body has 3 energy systems.:
- Aerobic System - which requires oxygen.
- Anaerobic Alactic System - which does not require oxygen and does not produce lactic acid.
- Anaerobic Lactic System - which does not require oxygen but produces lactic acid.
In the past if someone wanted to shed some excess fat on the body they would begin jogging. Even today jogging seems to be the exercise of choice for fat loss. Problem is you do not burn enough calories during the workout to amount to any substantial fat loss. And more importantly jogging does not produce an EPOC effect, but moderate to high intensity training does. EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) refers to the elevated state of oxygen consumption after exercise in an effort to bring the body back to its pre-exercise state.
In other words, not only are you burning far more calories during the high intensity workout (which could be only 10-15 minutes in duration compared to 30-45) you are going to continue burning calories for some time after the workout, your metabolism stays revved up.
Higher metabolism for a longer period of time = increased fat burning power!
I think anyone would be happy with that formula. Workout less and reap bigger gains. As with anything there is a catch, you have to work harder than you have probably ever worked out before.
Sample Workout:
The Circuit
After a strength training session finish off with the following circuit of exercises:
20 body weight squats
20 lunges each leg
20 jump squats
20 split jumps each leg
6 burpees
Note: You’re going to perform this circuit all the way through with no rest. Then, at the end, take about 1 - 2 minutes to recover. Not a second over 2 minutes! Next, repeat the entire thing 1 0r 2 more times.
*This workout is an advanced session; you must begin a session, at a rep and speed range depending on your level of fitness. Just like any other exercise program, do not begin an exercise program before consulting with your doctor.
For additional information on different methods of HIIT training please contact us at 559 288-8292
