Best Fitness Blog

Do you want to get in shape, take care of your body and change your appearance? Pilates is the way to do it. Most people regardless of age or abilities can benefit from Pilates. Pilates strengthens the core of your body which includes the muscles in the back, tummy and rear. Through strengthening the core of the body, you can achieve tremendous physical results, as well as increased mental health.

The muscles in your core affect your entire body, so with each pilates exercise you are working the entire body, not just one muscle group. Because of the nature of pilates exercises, through these work outs you will lengthen and de-compress the spine which increases your stability, and elongates your core muscles giving your body a longer and leaner appearance.

Just in time for spring feel your self confidence boost as you posture improved, your belly firms and your body lengthens. Because Pilates is a low impact workout, anyone can participate. Contact Best Fitness in your are to see how Pilates can benefit you.

...By Karli Taylor

You have heard it before -- if you want to know the state of your health, turn your attention to your waistline. Waist circumference is getting a lot of attention as the new risk factor for future health problems, even becoming more popular than the old standard of BMI. Why? It’s because belly fat is thought to be more dangerous than fat that pads other parts of your body. Even people who look to be “skinny” should be concerned if they hold any extra baggage around the middle.

Your body needs some fat, but where the fat is on your body makes a big difference. Fat can behave differently in different places, and the stuff that lies along your midsection has been proven to be the most unhealthy. There are two types of fat that can live around your waistline, the first is subcutaneous fat, or the fat just under your skin. This is the fat that you can pinch with your fingers. Though it is what most of us concern ourselves with, it’s actually the lesser of the two evils. It’s the visceral fat, the belly fat that hides deep inside, around your inner organs, that may pose a silent health threat if there's too much of it.

There are four keys to losing visceral fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

Though there are no specific moves or activities that lessen visceral fat, by including both cardiovascular and resistance exercise into your daily routing you will be able to burn off fat while you are exercising and add lean mass that will continue to burn fat while you are at rest.

It has been proven that 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, done four times per week, reduced subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. Resistance training alone reduced only subcutaneous fat. However a stronger, leaner body burns more calories at rest so it is always best to do cardio as well as strength training to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Contact Best Fitness in your area for assistance in creating a weight loss plan that incorporates the loss of belly fat.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Tayor

Being active is an important part of any weight-loss or weight-maintenance program. When you're active, your body uses more calories. When you use more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It really is that simple!

Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound. So if you cut 500 calories from your diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories). Similarly, if you eat exactly the same amount, but burn an extra 500 each day, you will see the same results.

I’m sure you know where I’m going with this right? Now if you were to cut 500 calories a day AND burn 500 calories a day, you would be able to lose 2 pounds a week and reach your goals even more quickly! Though weight loss can be achieved through diet alone or from exercise alone, it is much more efficient, and much better for the health of your body in the long run to combine the two.

While it is recommended that most healthy adults follow the guidelines set below, your specific goals may impact the amount and type of exercise that will work best for you. The general guidelines are:

• Do at least two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity (think brisk walking or swimming) or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous aerobic activity (such as running) — preferably spread throughout the week.
• Strength train at least twice a week.

The chart below shows the estimated number of calories burned while doing various exercises for one hour.

Mayo Clinic

Keep in mind that this chart does not take into consideration a number of individualized factors that may impact caloric burn- it should be used only as an estimate. For a more individualized number, seek help from a fitness professional to learn your rate of calorie burn.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

The best way to lose weight is to create a calorie deficit by burning calories through exercise while reducing the amount of calories that you eat each day. Understand that losing weight takes time. Don’t try to lose more than 1/2 pound to 1 pound each week, and don’t eat fewer than 1,200 calories per day. If you are not too excited about the thought of eating less, there is a way to lose weight without cutting back on your intake- just burn more!

To burn one pound of body fat per week try creating a deficit of 500 calories per day, 3,500 calories per week. There is 3,500 calories in one pound of body fat. To do this, fuel your body with high nutrient food and burn off the 500 calories through high intensity cardio.

How Cardio Helps You Lose Weight

You already know that you lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. Cardio is a key component because you burn many calories at one time by getting your heart rate into your target heart rate zone. You can increase the calorie burn by increasing the intensity of the workout: Go faster, climb hills or change exercises. And since cardio exercises add to your overall calorie deficit by burning calories, you don’t have to cut as many calories from your diet. But one large advantage to cardio is that you can do it anytime, and every day. There is no rest day required to allow your muscles to repair themselves.

Which cardio exercise is best?

Which cardio exercise is the best to lose weight? The one you will do regularly and consistently. Choose some that you enjoy and mix them up. A great idea is interval training. Interval training can be done on any machine that you like, and involves simply changing the intensity for short periods of time called intervals. You can speed up a minute and then return to a comfortable pace for 2, or you can keep your pace the same and add resistance for 1 minute before decreasing it back for 2.

Another way to spice up your cardio is cross-training. Cross- training is simply using different machines either over the course of a week, or even in the same day. If you are someone with a short attention span, try this: Use an elliptical for 15 minutes, then use a stair climber for 15 minutes and finish on the treadmill for 15 minutes.

Cross training is a fun way to keep it new and fresh!

To get an idea of just how much cardio can do for you, check out the following list of common exercises. Below is the number of calories burned for a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:

• Step aerobics: 340 calories
• Stationary bike: 238 calories
• Swimming: 270 calories
• Walking 4 mph: 170 calories
• Running 5 mph: 270 calories
• Mowing the lawn with a push mower: 200 calories

Contact Best Fitness to see how a cardio workout can help you lose weight.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

Though it is true that weight loss goals can be reached through regular exercise, it is not the most efficient way to lose and keep off weight. Regular exercise, combined with healthy eating, is the most efficient and healthy way to control your weight.

Exercise is an important and essential part of effective weight loss. Through exercise, extra calories that otherwise would be stored as fat are burned. It does not matter what type of exercise you engage in. What is important is that you expend more calories than you take in.

Your weight is determined by the number of calories you eat each day minus what your body uses. Everything you eat contains calories, and everything you do uses calories. Any physical activities, in addition to what you normally do, will burn those extra calories. Balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise with the calories you eat will help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Regular physical activity can also improve your mood and the way you feel about yourself. Exercise is likely to reduce depression and anxiety which allows you to better manage stress. This in turn can also help you with balancing and regulating your caloric intake.

Contact Best Fitness in order to begin your daily exercise routine.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

Do you have target areas on your body that you want to get in better shape. Maybe you are over forty and your legs have lost their elasticity and don’t look as nice, or you are about to be married, and what to lose 5 or 10lbs for the wedding, perhaps you have had a baby and are anxious to get your stomach back in shape.

Whatever the case may be what you have been doing for exercise isn’t quite getting that target area. A personalized training program with your specific goals in mind is what you need. An elliptical is great for your cardio vascular health, but it isn’t working out your triceps which is what you need.

You may not think you need a personal trainer, you are very comfortable in a gym, but you may not know the best exercises to reach your goals. Working with a trainer focuses on increasing and/or maintaining your fitness levels, assisting you in weight loss and overseeing your strength-training and cardiovascular activities.

Personal training is a physical, psychological, emotional and social experience.  Contact Best Fitness in your neighborhood to help you set and reach your individual fitness goals.  We are confident in the fact that we have a personal training option that fits every individual’s time, needs and budget.