Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Ross

Through the years women have endeavored to lose weight at every age and turning point in their lives. Weight loss is almost synonymous with being a woman, and because of that, we have put together some weight loss tips specifically with women in mind.

First, understand that your body is different from your friend’s, your sister’s, your mother’s and from the images you see daily in the media. What worked for them, may not work for you. Not only is your body different, your life is different too. If you are going to engage in a weight loss nutrition program, consult a professional, your doctor or a nutritionist. What you do for work, your stress level, how much you sleep all have an effect on your diet and your weight loss goals.

Keep in mind that a diet alone will not work. You won’t be successful simply by eating less. You may lose some weight, but as soon as you stop dieting you will gain that weight back. In addition to cutting back what you are eating, think about ways to burn MORE calories, not just consume fewer calories. Pick up a hobby; walking, running, a women’s softball or basketball team. It is the sedentary lifestyle most of us slip into as we age that we need to address. When you start burning calories, you will start losing weight as well.

Did you know that stress will not only prevent you from losing weight, but can also result in weight gain?? Try to include stress fighting activities or hobbies into your weight loss routine- try a yoga class or practice mediation to unwind at the end of a crazy day. If you are more relaxed when you get home at night, you will be less likely to reach for that bag of chips before bed. A lot of late night munching can be attributed to nerves.

Some women find cooking to be relaxing. If you fit into that group, start to cook your own meals at home and get some extra stress relief while controlling the calorie that you consume for dinner each night. Meals that come from a container or are prepared at a restaurant have far more preservatives (salt) and calories than home cooked meals. They also contain far more fat. Go to the grocery store, buy fresh ingredients and prepare your meals at home.

Last, but certainly not least important, use an accurate measure of your progress. Clothes these days don’t have waist bands and they have a lot more give than clothes in years past. You may not know you are losing weight based on the clothes you are used to wearing, so find a different way to measure your size. Jeans tend to be less forgiving, so find a pair of jeans that barely fits, and try them on once a week. Whatever you do, don’t get on the scale everyday!

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

September is Childhood Obesity Awareness month. As families and communities it is our job to keep children fit and active by setting a good example. A great way to make and keep healthy habits is to involve the whole family.

Come up with fun and creative ideas for the whole family. After dinner, rather than watch tv, come up with ideas for physical activity. Enroll the whole family in a fitness class, like tennis lessons, karate, or parent/child yoga. If you don’t have extra money to spend, Fall evenings are great for a family walk or bike ride around the neighborhood.

Eating healthy is one of the most important pieces to the puzzle. Instead of high-calorie foods and snacks, turn to fruits and other healthy foods for something to munch on in between meals. Let your children see you being aware of what you are eating, and involve them in the meal planning and cooking if possible.

In order to cut down on television habits, keep the television out of your child’s bedroom. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that kids from 1 to 5 years who have televisions in their bedrooms watch nearly five hours more TV and videos each week than children without TV, and they are more likely to be overweight.

When all your friends and relatives ask what your child wants for a birthday gift, think fitness. Ask for a soccer ball, baseball gloves and bases or roller blades. These are fun gifts that promote outside activities.

Take your kids with you for a gym workout. If they are old enough to participate, it is worth the guest fee. It is important for your kids to see you fit exercise into your routine.

Even adding basic activity to your daily life can help keep kids healthy. Park far away from the grocery store door and walk, take the stairs rather than the elevator. It is important to instill healthy habits in our kids now. Keep your children healthy and fit, go for a walk around the neighborhood tonight.

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 kids will be out of school soon and vacation season will be upon us! We look forward to our summer trips all winter long- counting down the days until we can lounge in the sun and play in the sand. A vacation, however, often becomes an excuse to let yourself forget about your fitness goals in favor of one more fruity drink with an umbrella in it…

I know, I know- vacation is the time to relax and spend time with your family and friends. Who wants to spend hours in a gym when you could be lying on the beach? I am a realist- I don't expect you to make gains while on vacation- I just expect you to maintain what you have worked so hard on up to this point- fair enough?

You can walk in the sand in the early morning- just a short 30 minute walk on the sand will be as effective as an hour long walk on the road or the treadmill. Make sure that you walk on the sane in both directions. In other words, do not walk out 15 minutes on the sand and turn around and walk back on the boardwalk or street. Why? Believe it or not, beaches are slightly sloped. You may not feel it as you are walking, but you will have one seriously tight calf for the rest of your vacation if you walk one way all week!

Have a whole hour to play? Do some squats and push-ups in the sand before your walk. You will be amazed at how sore you will get from simple exercises when you change the surface. The sand provides an instant core and stability challenge, so you may be sore from basic exercises in places you would never have imagined!

No beach? Traveling and stuck in a hotel room? No problem- put yourself through a body-weight circuit: do 20 squats, 10 push-ups, 20 lunges and 15 crunches. Rest for 1 minute and repeat 3 or 4 times.

If you want to add exercises to the circuit, do dips off of a chair, jumping jacks, get creative! Just keep yourself moving for 2-3 minutes and take a minute break in between rounds.

Want to do cardio but your hotel is on a main highway so running is out of the question? Find the stairwell. Start on the bottom floor and walk up at a good pace. Slowly walk down and repeat as many times as you can in 15 minutes- you'll be nice and sweaty from that one. Mix it up by taking 2 or 3 stairs at once, side stepping, or even hopping for a high intensity workout.

I could go on all day with options, but you get the idea right? Use what's available to you and you'll be surprised at the quality of workout that you can get.

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

Sure, we walk every day. We walk around the house, around the office and to and from our cars, but walking can be a great form of cardiovascular exercise as well. Walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health without requiring extra equipment or technical training. It's safe, simple and doesn't require practice and just about anyone can do it.

Walking, like other forms of cardiovascular exercise, can result in a number of important health benefits. Simply by adding a 20-30 minute walk to your daily activities, you can lower your bad cholesterol, increase your good cholesterol, lower your blood pressure, reduce your risk for type II diabetes AND control your weight. Not bad right?

Believe it or not, you don’t need to be dripping in sweat to reap all of these benefits. Research shows that regular, brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart attack by the same amount as more vigorous exercise, such as jogging.

Even though walking isn't as likely to lead to injuries as more intense types of exercise, take time to prepare yourself to prevent injuries, such as blisters or muscle pain. Spend about five minutes walking slowly to warm up your muscles before you increase to a brisk walking pace. Be sure to wear shoes that fit and have proper arch support, a firm heel and thick flexible soles to cushion your feet and absorb shock. Before you buy a new pair, be sure to walk in them in the store.

Keeping a record of how many steps you take, the distance you walk and how long it takes can help you see where you started from and serve as a source of motivation. Just think how good you'll feel when you see how many miles you've walked each week, month or year. Like any exercise routine, a walking program takes commitment. When you think of the potential health benefits, you’ll see that the time you commit is well spent.

... By Karli Taylor

What’s the one piece of workout gear you can’t live without? Your ipod? A good water bottle? A matching track suit? Think again- the single most important piece of equipment to virtually any kind of exercise program -- running, aerobics, hiking, tennis, basketball -- is the right pair of shoes. A good pair of shoes can make or break your workout, so how do you pick the right pair?

The biggest mistake people make when they start an exercise program is just reaching into the closet and pulling out an old pair of sneakers, or going to the store and buying a new pair based on looks alone.

First, be sure you are looking for the right sneakers for the right activity. And yes, it does matter. A shoe made for running is very different from a shoe made for basketball or tennis, in a number of ways. Think about the way you move when you run – always forward right? Now think about tennis, or basketball or even soccer- you move sideways just as often as you move forward. This small detail changes the placement of extra support when a shoe is designed.

Those examples may seem obvious, but even walking shoes are different than running shoes. Runners land more on their forefoot when they strike the ground, while walkers have a heavier heel strike. Something this simple changes where extra padding is built into a shoe. If you are a walker who sometimes adds jogging or running to the mix, go with the runner as you need the extra padding more for the higher impact involved in the running motion.

What if you aren’t heavily into running, walking, tennis, or any one particular sport? What if you go to the gym occasionally, maybe play tennis with a co-worker once in a while, or shoot hoops on the weekend with the kids? For you, a cross-trainer might be the best choice.

Next step is to make sure the shoe truly fits. I know it seems obvious, but many of us have been walking around in shoes that are either too tight or way too big for most of our lives. Take the extra few minutes to get both of your feet measured the next time you buy shoes. It won’t take long, and the right fit will make a huge difference.

Regardless of what type of shoe you end up with, dedicate those shoes to working out only. By using your workout shoes as your everyday shoes, you will break them down much faster and the benefit you have gained form choosing the right shoe will soon be lost.

Keep in mind that even if you dedicate your shoes to a specific purpose, they will need to be replaced eventually. Most experts recommend that runners replace their shoes every 300-500 miles. If you don’t run enough to have a mile count, base the life of your shoes on the frequency with which you work out. If you’re exercising on a casual basis, you can make your shoes last a year, but if you’re working out at least 5 days each week, six months is pretty much your limit.

... By Karli Taylor

Need a quick pick me up? Put down the coffee and try one of these proven instant energy boosters.

Stand up. Easy enough, right? Sitting down for long periods of time is actually a huge energy drainer. The less overall activity you do, the less energy is required to keep you functioning, so your body starts to slow down. In order to keep energy levels up, stand up for 2 or 3 minutes for every 30 that you sit.

Still dragging? Walk it off. If standing at your desk is not enough to get you out of your mid-afternoon slump, adding a little bit of movement creates energy. Research shows that just 10 minutes of brisk walking will increase levels of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine in your system and can increase your energy for up to two hours.

While out on your walk, grab a snack for even more added energy. Don’t stroll to the vending machine though - sugary snacks may give you a quick energy burst, but the crash that follows isn’t worth it! The key is to grab a snack with the right mix of nutrients. The fastest way to have sustainable energy without a crash is with a snack that includes carbs, protein, and a little fat. Try an apple with peanut butter or a yogurt with a few almonds for a boost that lasts about 2 hours.