Best Fitness Blog

...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.

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

You’re on the treadmill walking at a nice easy warm-up pace. With nothing else interesting to look at, you start to read the heart rate chart that is printed next to the digital display. You find your age and follow the row over to find your current heart rate and… you are working too hard?

This is a classic example of why you should not believe everything you read. Yes, I know that this chart is printed on the cardio machines in every gym you have ever stepped foot in, and I’m sure it hangs on the wall in many group exercise studios across the globe as well. The simply truth is this: it is wrong. The numbers on this chart are based on a formula used to ESTIMATE maximum heart rate. This basic formula, 220-age= max heart rate, is inherently flawed. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.

Mrs. Smith is a 30 year old marathon runner. She runs approximately 40 miles a week, is an ideal weight and is in good health. Her friend, Mrs. Jones, is also 30 years old. The similarities end there. Mrs. Jones is a smoker. She has not exercised in over 10 years, and according to most guidelines for height and weight, she is morbidly obese. Based on the chart found on that treadmill, both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith should be working in the same heart rate range to burn fat...

Sound right? At 75% of their estimated max heart rate (220-30= 190 * .7 ), or 133 beats per minute, one of these ladies is barely sweating while the other is gasping for breath. If these charts are all wrong, what do you do? There is a simple formula to find your target heart rate range (70-85% of your maximum heart rate), but to calculate it, you need to find your resting heart rate.

If you wake up without an alarm, take your pulse 3 mornings in a row before your feet hit the ground and take the average number to get your resting. If you do rely on an alarm, take your pulse if you get up on the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. If you do not wake up during the night, take your pulse right before you fall asleep. Try not to watch and scary or suspenseful television shows in bed though!

Once you get that number, plug it in to these formulas to get the high and low end of your target heart rate range:

220-age- resting * .70 + resting = 70% max heart rate.
220-age-resting *.85 + resting= 85% max heart rate.

...By Karli Taylor

As I have mentioned earlier, cardio-respiratory training burns the most calories in the shortest period of time.  The downside, however,  is that it only burns calories while you are doing it.  If I told you that there was a way that you could extend that increased calorie burn and enjoy burning calories all day everyday, would you be interested?  I thought so…

Resistance training is the key to increasing the amount of calories that you burn at rest.  Resistance training, or weight training will not only make your body stronger and more toned, but by increasing the amount of lean mass on your frame, you are actually increasing your resting metabolic rate.  One pound of lean muscle tissue can burn up to 10 times more calories per day than a pound of fat tissue.

Don’t worry, you don't have to be in the gym for hours on end to see results. You can see significant improvement in your strength with just two or three 20- or 30-minute weight training sessions a week. That frequency also meets activity recommendations for healthy adults, which call for strength training at least twice a week — in addition to at least 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity.

If these benefits aren’t enough to get you excited to pump some iron, keep reading. Lean muscle mass naturally decreases with age. If you don't do anything to slow down the muscle loss, your resting metabolic rate will slow down and you will gain fat without really changing your eating or exercise habits.  Weight training, however, can help you reverse the trend  at any age. Studies have shown increases in muscle mass in people up through the age of 85 years old! 

...By Karli Taylor

If you're a weight-training enthusiast, no doubt you know the benefits to be gained from building strong muscles. But, is cardio training part of your workout, too? If it's not, you should consider adding it to your routine. When done correctly, cardio will not take away from the size you build when weight training and it helps to keep your heart and lungs functioning properly to give you the perfect formula to keep you fit and healthy. If you are not convinced that cardio is for you, keep reading for a few reasons that might change your mind.

Cardio burns fat. Adding a twenty to thirty minute cardio session on to the end of your current weight training routine every day will help increase your fat burning capability. Though cardio alone will not build bigger muscles, it will help shed the fat to show off the muscle you are burning on the weight floor.

Cardio is good for your heart . The increase in heart rate during your cardio workout will improve the condition of your heart and lungs by training your heart to pump more blood in fewer beats and your lungs to move more oxygen with less effort. Over time, this will reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Cardio is good for your mood. Aerobic training causes your brain to release endorphins which are responsible for what you may know as a “runner’s high”. Any higher intensity cardio training will bring you to this “high” and can help reduce stress and improve your overall mood.

Cardio is good for your immune system. Regular cardio training is shown to reduce the frequent and duration of both the common cold and viral illnesses.