Keep Your Workouts Classy in 2012!
Whether your New Year’s resolution is to lose 10 pounds, or just get healthy, adding a few classes to your workout routine can keep you interested and motivated – the below classes offer targeted, low-impact opportunities to sculpt your body and help you achieve 2012 health goals.
Yoga Class
This ancient practice has become main stream, and more people are enjoying greater flexibility, better posture and overall stress relief because of it. Yoga classes can act as facilitated stretch sessions or simply a way to improve wellbeing and mental health. Explore some of the different types of yoga and see which class appeals to you.
Pilates Class
Pilates involves training the muscles to improve posture and alignment. This exercise heightens body awareness and encourages you to think about how everyday movements are performed. Movements vary from slow and controlled to fast-paced, which improves overall agility, flexibility and strength.
Yogalates Class
Can’t decide if you want to do Yoga or Pilates? Yogalates classes take some of the aspects of both of these disciplines and melds them together for overall general conditioning and balance. You will get the benefits of both the flexibility and stress relief of Yoga coupled with the core strength development of Pilates.
Try incorporating one of the above fitness classes into your 2012 exercise routine and you will begin seeing your body transform in no time!
The Link Between Food and Fitness
Most people know there is a link between food and fitness, but many people don’t realize the full importance of that relationship. If you exercise while you eat whatever you want, or you eat nutritiously without exercise, you likely won’t be getting much healthier and you won’t get the results you are seeking.
Realize exercise and diet are closely linked. You can’t lose weight consistently without healthy food and exercise habits-period. Working out intensely doesn’t mean you can eat whatever you want. Too often people overestimate calories burned and underestimate calories consumed. Establishing your “maintenance” number of calories is a good way to help determine how much you should cut back in order to start losing weight.
Keep in mind that not all calories are created equal. Choose your food wisely. What you eat affects how your body moves. Fuel your workouts with healthy carbohydrates and choose quality lean protein after your workouts. On a daily basis, choose whole grains that are minimally processed and protein-rich foods like fish, chicken, nuts, beans and low-fat dairy. And don’t forget about your veggies. Fruit is a nice little snack to have once in awhile, but you don’t need to consume it every day. Keep in mind that most of the calories in fruit are made up of sugar.
Remember that healthy eating and consuming whole, unprocessed foods is not something you do for a limited time; it’s a lifestyle. Make that commitment, and you will find your body transforming before your eyes.
When it comes to fitness, you should combine cardio exercise and strength training to see the best results. While cardio is essential to increase your heart rate up and burn calories, you also need to build and maintain your muscles. Extra muscle = more calorie burning mass.
Having more muscle boosts your metabolism so you burn more calories throughout the day, even while at rest. There are multiple ways to build your muscles, so find one you like: free weights, strength machines, resistance tools, or simply use the weight of your own body-squats, lunges, push-ups, planks and pull-ups.
Your success will depend on the choices you make each day on the two F’s-food and fitness. Make sure you choose both wisely!
A sneak peek at our new facilities
We are very pleased with the way our new facility has come together. Here are a couple of photos taken of the front desk area and men’s locker room to give you an idea of the quality and attention to detail that went into our new fitness center. Keep checking back for more photos and a full gallery on our website. Click on the pictures to enlarge.
Strike a balance
Balance is that elusive buzzword that evades most of us in our personal, spiritual, professional and physical lives. In our exercise routines, it’s not only important to find a balance between strength and cardio programs; actual balance training is an important factor that is often neglected.
Follow these tips from the experts at Sharp Physiques to achieve a strong core with proper balance training.
Try starting small, with everyday balance exercises. Stand on one foot for ten seconds without tipping over and then try the other foot. You can even practice these balance tactics while washing the dishes or brushing your teeth!
While at the gym, there is a variety of equipment that will help increase balance, including Bosu balls, stability balls and even some of the strength machines.
With a Bosu ball, you can incorporate weights into the balance program. While standing on the dome, try performing hammer curls to work your biceps or do a set of body weight squats. Try making a bench out of the Bosu ball, grab a barbell and do chest presses. You’ll feel your core stabilizers kick in as you execute these exercises.
The stability ball is also a great way to challenge your core and balance. Sit on top of the ball to do your crunches. Better yet, sit on the ball at your desk for short periods of time throughout the day to improve balance and posture.
In addition, yoga and Pilates classes offer a variety of choices in balance training. Yoga provides balance between the left/right, front/back and mind/body aspects of balance. Try a basic yoga pose like Bird Dog – get on all fours with hands directly under shoulders and knees directly under hips. Extend your left arm straight out, and right leg straight back. Your fingers and toes should be extended and the arm and leg should be parallel to the ground. Breathe deeply and elongate the body. Repeat the exercise with the opposite arm and leg to maintain a balanced stretch.
Pilates also offers effective balance and stability benefits with less impact on the joints. The Spine Twist will help improve flexibility and balance in your core. As you stretch your upper back and the muscles surrounding your ribcage, you will also strengthen the muscles at your waist allowing you to stand taller and achieve greater balance. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms extended out from your shoulders with slightly bent elbows. Keeping your hips facing forward, exhale and twist at the waist, then inhale to twist back to start position.
Incorporating some or all of these practices will lead to a more balanced approach your physical health. Come see the exercise experts at Sharp Physiques to get more of these helpful exercises.
Daylight Savings Time
When we change our clocks for daylight savings time, the expression may be, “fall back, spring ahead,” but we shouldn’t let our fitness regimen “fall back.” Follow these tips from Sharp Physiques to squeeze the most out of your day by maximizing every hour.
Use your extra hour to plan. Everyone’s days are 24 hours long, but how we use these hours can make all the difference. Start on the right foot by marking your calendar. If you’ve decided to make your fitness needs a priority, enter your workouts on your daily planner or in your electronic calendar. Record it like you would any other important appointment and you will be more likely to follow through. Build up to 30 or 40 minutes of exercise each day, as this is a sufficient start to a healthy way of living. Many people think that if they don’t have a full hour for the gym, they might as well not go at all. Make your fitness time quality, not quantity. Get in, work hard, get out.
When it’s dark out, head to the gym. Fall is the time of year when it gets darker earlier in the evening and stays darker later in the morning, so it’s the ideal time of year to head to the gym – you aren’t distracted by warm sunny mornings, and kids are occupied with school. Set your alarm and get in an early morning spinning, Pilates or yoga class to get you energized for your day. Or use that extra “dark hour” in the evening for strength training or hitting the treadmill to unwind from your day.
Mix up your workout by heading outdoors. Gone are the sweltering days of summer, so if you are an outdoor person, use the crisp coolness of fall to motivate you to do some refreshing exercise outdoors. Take a morning walk or run to check out the changing colors of fall; do some yard work to prepare for the upcoming winters weather; or clip on a pedometer and hit some of those fall festivals. See if you can accumulate the recommended 10,000 steps per day by adding outdoor activities to your daily steps.
Power up. Use this time of year to renew your resolution to stay (or get) fit. With the holidays around the corner, it’s good to have your momentum going when temptations surface. Your body can be a fat-burning machine just in time for all of those family gatherings. When your fitness regimen becomes a regular routine, you are less likely to get off track. Set yourself up with a habitual programs that you will stick with during the crazy weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year.
By incorporating these tips, the only thing falling back will be your clock.
Build better bones with exercise
People tend to think of their bones simply as hard structures within the body, but bones are actually living tissue in a constant state of change. The exercise you choose to do or not to do can have a dramatic impact on your bone health.
Bone mass typically peaks in your thirties and slowly declines as you age. The good news is that exercise can actually slow down bone loss. Just like muscle, bones respond to exercise – weight bearing exercises are ideal for strengthening and improving your bone health. Follow these tips from the exercise experts at Sharp Physiques to build better bones.
Weight bearing exercises are cardiovascular activities that use your own body weight as resistance. Doing these exercises puts stress on your bones and in turn, the bone positively responds by getting stronger. Both cardiovascular exercise and resistance training exercise can be weight bearing – treadmills and elliptical cross-trainers are both weight bearing because you are standing, supporting your own weight. Ask a trainer at your gym to suggest a starter program using the treadmill or elliptical cross trainer machines. Other exercises like jogging, stair climbing, aerobic classes, walking, hiking, soccer or tennis are all additional weight bearing cardiovascular exercises that will help strengthen bones.
Strength training is a two-for-one. Strength training builds bone strength and muscle strength at the same time, helping to prevent injuries and fractures in areas of the body often susceptible to fracture like hips, spine and wrists. Exercises that involve free weights, exercise bands and kettle bells are all forms of added resistance that can also enhance stability, balance and coordination. Maintaining flexibility and proper posture will lend to better bone health, so be sure to stretch, or try taking a muscle sculpting, yoga or Pilates class.
Strengthen your bones, even when you’re too busy to hit the gym. Try a few standing lunges, calf raises, tricep dips off a chair or standard push-ups – these are accessible exercise that offer great weight bearing effects using your own body weight as resistance. If you can’t do the traditional push-up, try doing them from a kneeling position or against a wall; and if you want a more intense push-up, walk your feet farther away from the wall.
Most importantly, make sure you get some weight bearing exercise on most days to keep your bones strong.
Don’t Get Spooked by Unfamiliar Machines
The thought of going to a gym can be an intimidating task, especially with the variety of fitness machines available today. However, with a little guidance from the gym staff or a bit of confidence, using fitness equipment doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The most important thing to remember is that everyone is a beginner when they start. Use these tips from the exercise experts at Sharp Physiques and overcome your fear of unknown equipment.
Get the right mind set. If you are using equipment that is new to you, cut yourself some slack. It takes time to learn new equipment and proper technique. Don’t worry about how you look – people are typically so enthralled with their own workouts, they aren’t paying attention to you. Pat yourself on the back for trying something new and soon you won’t be a beginner anymore.
Trainers are there for you. Most fitness centers have a dedicated team of personal trainers and staff to help you. Staff members have customized expertise on the exercise equipment and can walk you through the steps of properly using each machine. From insight into what muscle groups the equipment targets, to proper form and safe usage of the equipment, be sure to ask any questions that you may have.
Equipment is often less scary than it appears. Have you ever procrastinated on a project or deadline because it appeared overwhelming, but once you dived in, it wasn’t as difficult as you thought? Gym equipment is the same way. Some machines appear complicated, but really aren’t. If you slow down and take a look at the diagram featured on the equipment, you will likely be able to figure out how to use it.
Go online. If a piece of gym equipment exists, there’s a tutorial on how to use it. Often times, you can watch short video clips online before heading to the gym. For instance, Life Fitness offers a series of video tutorials to help you make the most of your experience.
Start with baby steps. Some equipment has multiple uses – like the Dual Adjustable Pulley. If you are new to using a machine, simply begin by using it in its most basic form, which is usually outlined on the machine itself. Work your way up to using additional features and handles. Just be sure to ask a fitness professional if you have any questions.
And remember, the sooner you get to the gym, the sooner you’ll scare away your fitness machine fears.
5 “NEAT” things you can do to burn more calories all day long
Are you one of those people that just can’t sit still? Do you do things like constantly tap your leg? Do you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store instead of drive (I know no one does this in Houston!). Well, you might be doing yourself a favor if weight loss is your goal. By doing little things you are likely burning 200 to 300 calories more per day on top of whatever exercise you do. According to Liz Vaccariello, Editor in Chief of Prevention Magazine, this process actually has a name.
It is called NEAT which stands for “Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis”.
Basically, it’s the extra stuff you do, physically, all day long that adds up. Make a point to add more “NEAT” into your day and you can zap another 500 calories! Here are a few ideas:
Do crunches in bed
You could burn about 20 calories in under 5 minutes just by drawing your knees to your chest 25 to 50 times, plus it strengthens your abs and gets your blood pumping.
Dance around while getting dressed
Turn up the radio or listen to upbeat music on your iPod (if you can) while doing all your morning rituals—an hour of hip shakin’ can burn about 55 calories.
Stand up!
Don’t sit when you can be on your feet—you’ll burn about 40% more calories. So just take a stand—when you’re on the phone, watching kids at the playground, making small talk at a party.
Laugh
Watch something that’s consistently funny and you could burn about 40 calories if you guffaw for 10 to 15 minutes straight.
Walk, pace, jog down the hall
In other words, MOVE! Doing little bits of activity all day taking the stairs to use the restroom on another floor at work, doing an extra lap around the grocery store can help you burn an additional 375 calories a day!
Most common diet and exercise myths
Every year, millions of Americans resolve to lose weight, whether on New Year’s Day, their birthdays, or just some morning when their mirror or the bathroom scale seems particularly unkind. And every year, many get frustrated and give up before they reach their goals. Contributing to this problem is a host of bad information about diet and exercise that circulates through gyms, workplaces, and over the Internet.
To help more people achieve and maintain a healthy weight, Julie Bender, a dietitian with Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas, and Phil Tyne, director of the Baylor Tom Landry Health and Wellness Center agreed to “weigh in” on many of the most common diet and exercise myths.
Diet and Exercise Myth #1: Crunches will get rid of your belly fat.
False. “You can’t pick and choose areas where you’d like to burn fat,” Tyne says. “In order to burn fat, you should create a workout that includes both cardiovascular and strength training elements. This will decrease your overall body fat content.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #2. Stretching before exercise is crucial.
False. Some studies have suggested that stretching actually makes muscles more susceptible to injury. They claim that by stretching, muscle fibers are lengthened and destabilized, making them less prepared for the strain of exercise. “You might want to warm-up and stretch before a run, but if you are lifting weights wait until after the workout to stretch your muscles,” Tyne suggests.
Diet and Exercise Myth #3. You should never eat before a workout.
False. “Fuel” from food and fluids is required to provide the energy for your muscles to work efficiently, even if you are doing an early morning workout. “Consider eating a small meal or snack one to three hours prior to exercise,” Bender says. “Load up your tank with premium ‘fuel’ and choose some fruit, yogurt, or whole wheat toast.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #4. Lifting weights will make women bulky.
False. “Most women’s bodies do not produce nearly enough testosterone to become ‘bulky’ like those body builders on TV,” Tyne says. If you do find yourself getting bigger than you would like, simply use less weight and more repetitions.
Diet and Exercise Myth #5. Fat is bad for you, no matter what kind.
False. Contrary to popular belief, there are plenty of “good fats” out there that are essential for good health and aid in disease prevention. “They are the ones that occur naturally in foods like avocados, nuts, and fish, as opposed to those that are manufactured,” Bender says. “Including small amounts of these foods at meal times can help you to feel full longer and therefore eat less.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #6. Restricting calories is the best way to lose weight.
False. Both cutting back on calories and moving more will help you lose weight and maintain the lean muscle mass needed to boost metabolism. People often believe the diet and exercise myth that they must take drastic measures to lose weight, such as eating less than 1200 calories per day, but such diets usually do not provide adequate fuel for the body and may slow metabolism. “Drastic measures rarely equal lasting results, so start small and eliminate 100-300 calories consistently from your daily diet, and you will reap the reward,” Bender says.
Diet and Exercise Myth #7. As long as you eat healthy foods, you can eat as much as you want.
False. A calorie is a calorie. Although oatmeal is healthy, if you eat four cups of oatmeal, the calories add up. “Healthy or otherwise, you still must be aware of portion sizes,” Bender says. “You must limit your caloric intake in order to lose weight, however, understanding how to ‘balance’ calorie intake throughout your day can help you avoid feelings of deprivation, hunger and despair.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #8. Exercise turns fat into muscle.
False. Fat and muscle tissue are composed of two entirely different types of cells. “While you can lose one and replace it with another, the two never “convert” into different forms,” Tyne says. “So fat will never turn into muscle.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #9. Eating late at night will make you gain weight.
False. “There are no ‘magic’ hours,” Bender says. “We associate late-night eating with weight gain because we usually consume more calories at night. We do this because we usually deprive our bodies of adequate calories the first half of the day. Start the day out with breakfast and eat every 3-4 hours. Keep lunch the same size as dinner, and you will be less likely to over-indulge at night, yet you can enjoy a small late-night snack without the fear of it sticking to your middle.”
Diet and Exercise Myth #10. You have to sweat to have a good workout.
False. “Sweating is not necessarily an indicator of exertion—sweating is your body’s way of cooling itself,” Tyne says. It is possible to burn a significant number of calories without breaking a sweat: try taking a walk, or doing some light weight training, or working out in a swimming pool.
