Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Taylor

According to a recent study conducted by the YMCA of America, 74 percent of children ages 5-10 get less than an hour of exercise every day. The majority of parents surveyed blamed financial hardship, technology and lack of time for the decline of youth fitness. In my opinion, there are a few things wrong with this explanation.

First of all, technology costs money. Computers and video games are expensive. A lot more expensive than a pair of sneakers to wear outside to play. Not only do these things cost money, but they also take time to use.

If parents limited their child’s access to video games, television and the internet, not only would there be some money for extracurricular activities, but there would be plenty of time as well.

As parents and authority figures, have to set an example for our children through our own actions. Less than 20% of American adults are physically active 3 or more days a week. How do we expect our children to understand the importance of fitness if we do not practice what we preach? A child who grows up with parents who belong to a health club or a running group, who play in adult sporting leagues or participate in any regular physical activity will see this behavior as normal.

It’s understandable that in these financial times, parents have to work more to support a family. I won’t argue that point. What they do with their children during the valuable family time that they get, however, is the key to creating good habits that will be carried into adulthood. If a parent comes home from work every night only to sit on front of the television with the family, not only will there be no physical activity, but there will be very little meaningful interaction. Why not go for a walk as a family after dinner? Play a game of basketball in the driveway or wiffle ball in the back yard. Find anything physical that you can do as a family and commit to at least 2 nights a week. It’s not enough, but it’s a great start!

... By Karli Taylor

Though the majority of the population should be trying to fit more exercise into their busy lives, there are plenty of people who are working out a little too much. Too much? Is that possible?

Too much exercise may lead to overtraining, which in turn can make you susceptible to both illness and injuries. How do you know if you're doing too much? If your workouts suddenly feel harder than usual, or you're gaining fat despite the fact that you're working hard, you may be experiencing overtraining. If this sounds a little too familiar, it's time to take a look at your workout routine.

Do you workout 6 or 7 days a week for an hour or more? If you do you may begin to notice beginning signs of overtraining. If you are experiencing regular insomnia, elevated resting heart rate, muscle fatigue, achiness, loss of motivation and energy or loss of appetite, chances are that you are overtraining.

In your quest to improve your fitness, you are actually on your way to decreased fitness and even poorer overall health. The next step, if you don’t listen to these signs that your body is giving you, is increased susceptibility to colds and other sicknesses and overuse injuries of muscles, bones and joints.

If you experience any of these symptoms, chances are that you're not resting enough or you're doing the same exercise too much. Your body needs time to recover or you will never improve your strength, tone or overall fitness. If you are suffering from over training, what can you do?

The most important thing you can do for yourself when you experience overtraining symptoms is to rest. It's better to take a week or so off from exercise and come back fresh than to permanently injure yourself. One week will not cause a decrease in your fitness levels, and it will significantly improve your performance when you return.

If you are not feeling these symptoms right now, be preventative. Build rest into your fitness routine and mix up your workouts. Doing the same workout day after day can also lead to overtraining, boredom and possible injury.

... By Karli Taylor

Heart rate monitors are in widespread use among all levels of exercisers these days. If you don't have one you may feel that you are missing critical information to get the most from your workout. While using a monitor is not necessary for everyone, it can be a great tool for all exercisers. Even if used temporarily, it will help you learn how you feel at a given heart rate and you will become a better judge of your own limitations.

You can learn so much about your body in just a few weeks with a heart monitor that even when you're not wearing it, you'll know whether you're working too hard, not hard enough, or are exerting just the right amount of effort for a particular workout. You may be surprised that sometimes your hard workouts are too hard, and often when you think that you are barely working, you are in fact working just hard enough.

Though it's especially helpful if you're new to exercise, a heart rate monitor can be a great tool if you're just bored with your current routine and want to try something new. Playing games with your heart rate not only provides you with something to focus on during longer or harder workouts.

Next time you want to shake up your workout with a heart-rate game, try changing the speed or incline of your run or walk while using your breath to keep your heart rate within a certain range- it’s a lot harder than it sounds. You can also challenge yourself with recovery time. How long does it take you after a hard interval to get your heart rate down to where it was before you started it? Can you shorten that time by focusing on your breath?

If you are not sure where your heart rate should be during exercise, stay tuned…

By Karli Taylor

Can’t find the time to exercise? With the busy lives that Americans all lead, this may be the number one excuse that I hear when I ask people why they have let their “unfitness” get so far.

I understand that we work longer hours than we did 10 years ago. I understand that commutes take time and the children have places to go and cannot drive themselves. I will not argue with any of those time constraints. However, when I ask people what their favorite television show is, they all have an answer…

Americans spend more than 35 hours every week in front of the television.

I’m not asking you to go cold turkey on CSI or American Idol. I know that the tv can allow you to “zone out” and forget about reality for a bit, and we all need a certain amount of that. For one week keep a journal of your tv habit. Write down every show that you watch. I guarantee you will be shocked at the amount of time you spend sucked into shows that you don’t even really enjoy.

In addition to writing down what you watch, write down what time you watch and what you snack on while you are staying up late to watch Dave or Conan. Not only does TV watching take away time that you could be exercising, it tends to encourage other unhealthy habits like mindless snacking and staying up too late. These habits are slowly sabotaging your weight loss goals.

Not enough to convince you to put down the remote? Studies conducted at Cornell University found that slouching on the couch while watching TV pinched nerves exiting the spinal cord, worsening neck, shoulder, back and headache pain for 90 percent of people studied.

Can’t imagine an evening without your shows? There’s good news. Researchers at Yale University concluded that people don’t start to suffer the negative effects of television watching until they surpass the two hour a day mark.

... By Karli Taylor

Tis the season for holiday parties- both at the office and on the weekends.  We all know that we can’t possibly avoid ALL of them,  nor should we try.  There is no reason to shy away from the holiday festivities just because we are afraid of gaining those holiday pounds.  There are ways to enjoy the fun AND still fit in your favorite party outfit for New Years Eve. Here are a few tips to help keep out bellies from  shaking like bowls full of jelly :

• No matter what, exercise an hour a day, 4-5 days a week during the holidays. You can even exercise in 10 minute bursts throughout the day.  If you absolutely can’t fit in some kind of structured exercise, be conscious about increasing your normal daily activity throughout the day- park further away, take the stairs etc.
• Don't skip meals. Eat small snacks if you are saving up calories for a big feast. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism, leads to hunger, low energy levels and improper food choices.
• Don't pass up favorite foods or deprive yourself completely.   Allow yourself to have those things that you truly enjoy and do so in moderation.  If you deprive yourself completely, you will only crave those things more.
•  Don't go to a party starving. Before you leave home, eat something light.  Also, drink a extra  water the day of the party.
• Park  yourself as far away from the buffet table as you can. The harder it is to slip some extra goodies onto your plate, the less likely you are to do it!
• Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories so if you're going to drink alcohol, stick to light beer or something mixed with a diet soft drink or seltzer. Steer clear of  the eggnog, it is high in calories and fat.
• Most importantly, take the focus off of what is going into your mouth! Try to enjoy the season, not just the food!