Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Tayor

If you are a woman over 40 who wants to lose weight, you may have realized that it is a totally different ball game than it was when you were in your 20’s.

Not only do you have a slower metabolism; you may also be experiencing a hormone imbalance which can cause fluid retention, bloating, poor thyroid functions and weight gain. Though these things may seem like you are beginning a losing battle, all hope should not be lost! Weight loss is still possible, the process is just a bit different.

Over 40, dieting may no longer provide the best results. As you age, your body will not respond to quick fixes and short term plans like it may have at one time. When you are over 40, rather than dieting, you need to change your lifestyle to make it healthier. An over 40 diet needs to be different than your diet was when you were younger. Choose foods with higher nutrient value that provide more of the things you need for energy with fewer calories while avoiding eating out and pre-packaged meals which are common to the lifestyle of woman today.

Keep in mind that labels can be deceiving. Many foods labeled low-sugar often contain extra fat or salt instead of sugar to help the taste and texture. Similarly, many “low-fat” foods are loaded with excess sugar for the same reasons. Though life may get hectic, taking the time to prepare fresh foods will not only help keep your weight in check, but will also help keep you healthy.

"No time to exercise” is often a mantra of women over 40. But middle aged women must incorporate physical activity into their schedule. In fact, if you want it to fit in, you can fit exercise into your schedule. But you can add little things to your daily routine, such as parking farther away, take the stairs rather than the elevator and walking on your lunch hour. Increasing physical activity in your daily routine can have a large impact on your weight loss goals.

Believe it or not, a good night's sleep is essential for weight loss. Unfortunately, many women don’t get an adequate amount of sleep because of their busy lifestyle. It is important to get 6-8 hours of sleep a night, so if you want to lose weight, learn techniques to relax so you can sleep at night.

Lastly, don’t forget about the power of drinking enough water. Make a habit of keeping a water bottle with you at all times. Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your health and it help your kidneys, helps your body detox, and it improves bowel movements. Keep a water bottle on your desk at work.

If you are a woman over 40 and you want to lose weight, contact Best Fitness in your area for help.

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

Even the healthiest of people get sick every now and then, but with a little fine-tuning you can help strengthen your immune system to fight off conditions like the common cold and the flu.

• Eat more fruits and veggies. Following a diet rich in antioxidants is essential to supporting your immune system by combating free radicals.
• Choose healthy fats like the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish and flaxseed to help increase your body's production of compounds involved in regulating immunity.
• Add Garlic and ginger to your meals to fight virus’, kill bacteria and reduce inflammation
• Drink plenty of water to help fend off infection by flushing out your system.
• Working out regularly can mobilize your T cells, a type of white blood cell known to guard the body against infection.
• Take days off. You can have too much of a good thing. Excessive vigorous activity like running may weaken your immune function and leave you more susceptible to viral infections.
• Learn to relax. Prolonged exposure to stress can wear down the immune system and increase your vulnerability to germs
• Wash your hands. Simply keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to ward off illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Make sure to wash your hands for 15 to 20 seconds (using warm water and soap) before preparing food or eating and after coughing, sneezing, using the bathroom, or touching public surfaces.
• Get your ZZZs. Getting at least 7 hours of sleep each night helps to regulate immune function.

...By Karli Taylor

You come to the gym three days a week and you walk on the treadmill for an hour. You just want to lose a little bit of weight, so that’s really all that you need to do right? If I told you that lifting weights would help you lose weight would you believe me? Many people are afraid that lifting weights will “bulk them up” instead of slim them down, but the opposite is actually true.

In fact, whether you’re trying to lose weight, improve your muscle tone, improve your mobility, or prevent injury, incorporating weight lifting into your exercise routine will give you added benefit than just doing cardio.

Yes, it is true that cardio is the best way to burn a lot of calories in a given period of time. You will burn more calories in 30 minutes of cardio than you do in 30 minutes of weight lifting-BUT there is an after-burn involved in weight training that blows that associated with cardio clear out of the water.

Weight training is about changing your body composition to add lean muscle. Not only will that make your body look leaner and tighter, but lean muscle burns more calories throughout the day than fat.

By adding one pound of lean muscle to your body, you will burn an extra 50 calories a day without moving any more than you do right now. 50 calories doesn’t seem like much, but over a month or a year- it adds up to significant weight loss!

Don’t have time to add extra workout days to your schedule? Try weight training before you hit the treadmill. Split your hour in half and lift for 30 minutes before walking or running for 30. You will get the most out of your hour every time you hit the gym.

... By Karli Taylor

Obesity not only puts people at risk for a number of chronic conditions but may also increase the likelihood of dying in a car crash. In general, car crashes are the most common cause of injury-related death for those ages 3 to 33. New studies show how body weight plays into this statistic.

Results of a recent study show that moderately obese individuals, those with a body mass index between 35 and 39, have a 21-percent higher risk of dying during a severe car crash compared with normal-weight individuals. Morbidly obese individuals, those with a BMI of 40 and above, have a 56-percent higher risk.

The results suggest that having a larger stomach puts an individual too close to the steering wheel, and therefore can boost the risk of mortality because the body has less time to slow down before hitting the steering column after impact.

To add to the danger for obese individuals, they are also more likely to have serious illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and are more likely to have complications during surgery, which may contribute to their higher risk of death after a crash.

Some are now considering whether car manufacturers should consider redesigning their vehicles co protect the one-third of obese Americans from injury during car crashes. It may be as simple as allowing the driver’s seat to push further back than current vehicles allow. Also, manufacturers should use obese crash-test dummies, in addition to the normal-weight ones, when testing cars for safety. What do you think about that?