Remember those days when you were younger and you played on the playground and got in exercise? Don't know how to take advantage of your local park areas as the place to get your exercising in? Here are some tips to take advantage of those outdoor resources that are available to us everyday.
1. Take a look around your local park and pay special attention to any hills, stairs, or flat terrain areas. Paying special attention to this will allow you to access what natural resources are available to you to make your exercises a little more challenging. (i.e- doing lunges up stairs)
2. If there are trails available consider bringing your bike with you to get a good cardio workout.
3. Some parks have exercise stations at certain points to do muscles toning exercises. If you come accross these take advantage of them. They don't require any additional equipment and you can get an excellent workout without getting bored. If the park does not have exercises stations utilize the benches and bars at the playground to do pushups, tricep dips, pullups, and etc.
4. For cardio, utilize the trees, benches, and other items and natural resources as markers for sprinting and jogging. For example, sprint from one tree to another then jog back to the first tree. Continue to do this enough times to reach your target heart rate.
Don't forget to stretch after each workout and take in the natural resources around you as the atmosphere can be an excellent stress reducer.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Catching up on Calcium for your Health
If you watch tv much, you may have seen the "Got Milk" commercials or the commercials that boast that drinking calcium can help you lose or maintain your weight. While there is some current research coming out that is suggesting that incorporating dairy into your diet can be beneficial to maintaining a healthy weight, it is definitely not a magic weight loss drink.
However, the calcium in milk and other dairy products has tremendous health benefits. Men and women age 19-51 need 1000mg of calcium every day. Did you know that 90% of adult women and 73% of adult men do not meed these guidelines? Calcium is critical to the health of your bones and teeth, and it also plays a key role in muscle contraction.
So how do you make sure you eat 1000mg of calcium each day? Milk provides 30% of your daily value (DV) so 1000mg can look like a little over 3 cups of milk each day. Not a milk drinker? Not a problem. Other dairy products like low fat cheese and yogurt are also good sources of calcium. You may need to check the label of some yogurts to see how much calcium you are getting as different types contain different amounts. For example, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than a regular yogurt but it is lower in calcium than a regular yogurt. Also, be conscious of serving sizes. MyPyramid for dietary guidelines (www.mypyramid.gov) recommends 3 cups of dairy a day but one yogurt cup may not equal one cup of dairy. Many yogurts come in lunch box size cups that are only 4 or 6 oz. and while they boast few calories, they may not be providing your body with enough calcium. If you don't like dairy products, you can look for fortified cereals and orange juice. These have calcium added to them so you get the health benefits of dairy even if you can't tolerate or just don't like milk products.
Sometimes you may find that as hard as you try, your diet is just not meeting the recommended amount of calcium. You can look into calcium supplementation but you should talk with your doctor or a nutritionist first to make sure it is really necessary. These pills are usually best absorbed when taken periodically through out the day instead of only at one time. Your body can only take in so much calcium at a time so even with food, it is best to spread out your calcium through out the day.
On an additional note, the main health benefit of calcium is its effect on bone density. You can do even more for healthy bones by participating in weight bearing exercise a few times a week. Activities like running, walking, and lifting weights are a great way to strengthen your bones. Healthy habits today can have huge benefits in the future when you have strong bones from eating enough calcium and putting time into exercise. Check out the website www.nationaldairycouncil.org for more ways you can incorporate dairy into your day.
However, the calcium in milk and other dairy products has tremendous health benefits. Men and women age 19-51 need 1000mg of calcium every day. Did you know that 90% of adult women and 73% of adult men do not meed these guidelines? Calcium is critical to the health of your bones and teeth, and it also plays a key role in muscle contraction.
So how do you make sure you eat 1000mg of calcium each day? Milk provides 30% of your daily value (DV) so 1000mg can look like a little over 3 cups of milk each day. Not a milk drinker? Not a problem. Other dairy products like low fat cheese and yogurt are also good sources of calcium. You may need to check the label of some yogurts to see how much calcium you are getting as different types contain different amounts. For example, Greek yogurt is higher in protein than a regular yogurt but it is lower in calcium than a regular yogurt. Also, be conscious of serving sizes. MyPyramid for dietary guidelines (www.mypyramid.gov) recommends 3 cups of dairy a day but one yogurt cup may not equal one cup of dairy. Many yogurts come in lunch box size cups that are only 4 or 6 oz. and while they boast few calories, they may not be providing your body with enough calcium. If you don't like dairy products, you can look for fortified cereals and orange juice. These have calcium added to them so you get the health benefits of dairy even if you can't tolerate or just don't like milk products.
Sometimes you may find that as hard as you try, your diet is just not meeting the recommended amount of calcium. You can look into calcium supplementation but you should talk with your doctor or a nutritionist first to make sure it is really necessary. These pills are usually best absorbed when taken periodically through out the day instead of only at one time. Your body can only take in so much calcium at a time so even with food, it is best to spread out your calcium through out the day.
On an additional note, the main health benefit of calcium is its effect on bone density. You can do even more for healthy bones by participating in weight bearing exercise a few times a week. Activities like running, walking, and lifting weights are a great way to strengthen your bones. Healthy habits today can have huge benefits in the future when you have strong bones from eating enough calcium and putting time into exercise. Check out the website www.nationaldairycouncil.org for more ways you can incorporate dairy into your day.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Short On Time?
Short on time? Don't have the 45 minutes or 60 minutes to spend in the gym breaking a sweat? That's when compound exercise movements need to be added to your exercise regime for those just in case moments when you don't have the time. Here are some compound movements listed below to work every major exercising muscle of the body.
Shoulders and Arms:
Bicep Curl- Shoulder Press- Overhead Triceps Extension
Back and Triceps:
Bent Over Rows-Triceps Kickbacks
Legs and Abs:
Plank- Gluteus Maximus Kickbacks
Entire Body:
Bupees ( A combination of a pushup, plank, squat, and a plyometric jump)
Plank-Pushup-Squat- Plyometric Jump
All of the movements should be performed at once and should transition smoothly into the next movement and exercise. For example, for the burpees you should go from a plank position, then perform a pushup, then stand in a squat position to then perform a plyometric jump.
Depending on the amount of time that you have be sure to complete each exercise for each body part for at least 10 repetitions.
Shoulders and Arms:
Bicep Curl- Shoulder Press- Overhead Triceps Extension
Back and Triceps:
Bent Over Rows-Triceps Kickbacks
Legs and Abs:
Plank- Gluteus Maximus Kickbacks
Entire Body:
Bupees ( A combination of a pushup, plank, squat, and a plyometric jump)
Plank-Pushup-Squat- Plyometric Jump
All of the movements should be performed at once and should transition smoothly into the next movement and exercise. For example, for the burpees you should go from a plank position, then perform a pushup, then stand in a squat position to then perform a plyometric jump.
Depending on the amount of time that you have be sure to complete each exercise for each body part for at least 10 repetitions.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Taking advantage of fruit while it's in season
You know how frustrating it can be when you go to the grocery store in the winter and there are very few fresh fruits to choose from so why not take advantage of the abundance of fresh fruit that you can buy right now? You can currently buy a variety of summer fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, raspberries, and the one I will highlight -- blueberries. All fruits are a key part of a nutritious diet. Fruits are packed with nutrients and they also provide plenty of water and fiber for your diet. When you are looking for a filling snack, you want to choose something with water, fiber, or protein to hold you over until your next meal. Water adds volume to the food you eat and fiber slows down the digestive process so fruit is a perfect snack.
As I mentioned, I wanted to shine the spotlight on blueberries. Their peak season is in July and now is the perfect time to enjoy them. A study at Tufts University showed that this fruit provides more antioxidants than any other fruit. What are antioxidants? They are substances that scavenge free-radicals that would cause cell destruction if it weren't for their work. Daily life -- whether it's just metabolizing food, walking to the store, handling the stress of work, or lifting weights can create free radicals. Needless to say, antioxidants are crucial for your health! The deep blue color of blueberries comes from anthocyanins which is the pigment that provides these antioxidants. Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse as they have been shown to improve brain functioning, decrease the risk of cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, and decrease the risk of macular degeneration with age.
So, how can you incorporate more blueberries into your day? Try some of these:
- Top cold or hot cereal with a cup of blueberries for some added natural sweetness
- Layer blueberries, low fat granola, and yogurt for a breakfast treat
- Make a fruit salad with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries and top with sliced almonds for an added crunch
- Make homemade biscuits but change the recipe by adding 2 Tbsp. sugar to the recipe and pour in a cup of blueberries
- Make a blueberry crisp with an oatmeal crunch topping
- You can always eat them just as they are -- they go great with salads, sandwiches, and just about anything you would eat at a meal
Enjoy blueberry season while it's here -- it won't last long!
As I mentioned, I wanted to shine the spotlight on blueberries. Their peak season is in July and now is the perfect time to enjoy them. A study at Tufts University showed that this fruit provides more antioxidants than any other fruit. What are antioxidants? They are substances that scavenge free-radicals that would cause cell destruction if it weren't for their work. Daily life -- whether it's just metabolizing food, walking to the store, handling the stress of work, or lifting weights can create free radicals. Needless to say, antioxidants are crucial for your health! The deep blue color of blueberries comes from anthocyanins which is the pigment that provides these antioxidants. Blueberries are a nutritional powerhouse as they have been shown to improve brain functioning, decrease the risk of cancers such as breast and prostate cancer, and decrease the risk of macular degeneration with age.
So, how can you incorporate more blueberries into your day? Try some of these:
- Top cold or hot cereal with a cup of blueberries for some added natural sweetness
- Layer blueberries, low fat granola, and yogurt for a breakfast treat
- Make a fruit salad with raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries and top with sliced almonds for an added crunch
- Make homemade biscuits but change the recipe by adding 2 Tbsp. sugar to the recipe and pour in a cup of blueberries
- Make a blueberry crisp with an oatmeal crunch topping
- You can always eat them just as they are -- they go great with salads, sandwiches, and just about anything you would eat at a meal
Enjoy blueberry season while it's here -- it won't last long!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Eating Healthy at Restaurants
If you’re trying to incorporate more healthy foods into your diet or trying to lose those last 5 pounds, you know that it takes planning and effort to make it work. It can be hard enough to get to the store, buy the healthy foods and then cook them yourself, but what do you do when you have no part in how your food is prepared? Eating out can be a challenge to even the most health conscious but you CAN find ways to incorporate a meal out at a restaurant into a healthy diet. Here are some tips to make the most of the choices on the menu:
Drinks
Before you reach for your first forkful of food, you can consume almost 300 calories in alcohol, sweet tea, or soda. This doesn’t mean that you have to forego having a drink on a special occasion, but maybe while you are aiming to lose weight it means that these drinks are consumed less often. Even then, you can choose lighter drinks like a 6 oz. red wine, a 6 oz. bloody mary, or a 12 oz. light beer. If you are not tempted by alcohol, it is still important to pay attention to what other drinks you consume and in what portions. Sometimes a glass of soda can hold 20 oz. of soda or 250 calories of pure sugar! So what would be a better choice? Diet soda would be better than regular soda calorically but you could be even healthier and choose water with a fresh squeezed lemon or an unsweetened ice tea. Water may not sound too exciting but it is essential to be well hydrated when working out, and it will save you calories for your actual dinner. On top of that, regularly ordering water over another drink can put quite a bit of cash in your wallet.
Appetizer
Appetizers can be tempting especially when you’re really hungry. Look for appetizers that are more vegetable based instead of cream based like a dip. Instead of ordering a spinach artichoke dip, try ordering something like bruschetta and split it with a friend. A salad would be a great choice for an appetizer and many even come with your meal. The thing to remember about salads though is that not all salads are healthy. I know this can be surprising, but sometimes you would be better off eating a hamburger than a salad when the salad is covered with cheese and full fat dressing. For an appetizer, look for a salad that is basically lettuce or spinach with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and carrots. Then choose an oil based dressing like an olive oil and vinegar dressing unless the restaurant happens to have a light ranch or other light cream based dressing. Even then, ordering your dressing on the side can be a huge calorie saver. By dipping your fork in the dressing and then spearing a piece of your salad, you will truly taste the salad and the leaves won’t be swimming in dressing.
Entrée
This is the most substantial part of the meal so you want to make sure that the choice you make is a good one. The key words to look out for are fried, battered, creamed, and cheesy. These are often the things that add to the high calorie and fat content of many dishes. You have to remember that most restaurants are not looking out for your health – they just want it to taste good so you will come back and eat some more. This doesn’t mean that you have to eat something really tasteless though. Good options are a vegetable based soup, a grilled or broiled piece of meat or sandwich, vegetable side dishes over starchy ones, and salads if you haven’t had one as an appetizer. Even then, it is often a good idea to ask how the food is prepared and most restaurants are willing to accommodate your needs if you have a different preference. Vegetables at steakhouses can be smothered with butter making it a less healthy side dish, but you can ask for your portion to be prepared without butter.
Portions are another big thing to remember when eating out. Did you know that the correct serving size for pasta is ½ cup? The serving of pasta at most Italian restaurants is at least 6 of those! Remember that just because it is served to you, you don’t have to eat it. Cut your entrée in half and pack up half of it before you even begin eating. You will still have a substantial amount to eat and you will even have a meal for the next day.
Dessert
This is a hard one… many times there is just not a “healthy” dessert on the menu. Occasionally you can find fresh fruit with frozen yogurt but most often the desserts are pretty decadent. Instead of ordering your own dessert, see if someone else or even two others will split it with you. Often a few bites after a big meal are all you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you think you can pass up dessert all together, you could just order a coffee if the rest of the table is set on indulging.
A few last tips. . .
When you know where you’re going to go ahead of time, why not check out the restaurant’s website? Many restaurants now list their nutrition facts online and these can be a great place to figure out what you want to eat at your next meal. You may be surprised to find that something you thought was really healthy is packed with fat (could they possibly add butter to it?) or that something you avoided isn’t actually too bad for you. Lastly, remember that it’s okay to indulge every once in a while as long as you don’t make it a regular habit. If you do go overboard one night, just get back on track the next day. You can even cut 100 calories out of your diet and kick up the exercise a notch (even just 10 extra minutes of cardio) for the next 3 days and you will be back on track with a healthy eating plan.
Drinks
Before you reach for your first forkful of food, you can consume almost 300 calories in alcohol, sweet tea, or soda. This doesn’t mean that you have to forego having a drink on a special occasion, but maybe while you are aiming to lose weight it means that these drinks are consumed less often. Even then, you can choose lighter drinks like a 6 oz. red wine, a 6 oz. bloody mary, or a 12 oz. light beer. If you are not tempted by alcohol, it is still important to pay attention to what other drinks you consume and in what portions. Sometimes a glass of soda can hold 20 oz. of soda or 250 calories of pure sugar! So what would be a better choice? Diet soda would be better than regular soda calorically but you could be even healthier and choose water with a fresh squeezed lemon or an unsweetened ice tea. Water may not sound too exciting but it is essential to be well hydrated when working out, and it will save you calories for your actual dinner. On top of that, regularly ordering water over another drink can put quite a bit of cash in your wallet.
Appetizer
Appetizers can be tempting especially when you’re really hungry. Look for appetizers that are more vegetable based instead of cream based like a dip. Instead of ordering a spinach artichoke dip, try ordering something like bruschetta and split it with a friend. A salad would be a great choice for an appetizer and many even come with your meal. The thing to remember about salads though is that not all salads are healthy. I know this can be surprising, but sometimes you would be better off eating a hamburger than a salad when the salad is covered with cheese and full fat dressing. For an appetizer, look for a salad that is basically lettuce or spinach with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and carrots. Then choose an oil based dressing like an olive oil and vinegar dressing unless the restaurant happens to have a light ranch or other light cream based dressing. Even then, ordering your dressing on the side can be a huge calorie saver. By dipping your fork in the dressing and then spearing a piece of your salad, you will truly taste the salad and the leaves won’t be swimming in dressing.
Entrée
This is the most substantial part of the meal so you want to make sure that the choice you make is a good one. The key words to look out for are fried, battered, creamed, and cheesy. These are often the things that add to the high calorie and fat content of many dishes. You have to remember that most restaurants are not looking out for your health – they just want it to taste good so you will come back and eat some more. This doesn’t mean that you have to eat something really tasteless though. Good options are a vegetable based soup, a grilled or broiled piece of meat or sandwich, vegetable side dishes over starchy ones, and salads if you haven’t had one as an appetizer. Even then, it is often a good idea to ask how the food is prepared and most restaurants are willing to accommodate your needs if you have a different preference. Vegetables at steakhouses can be smothered with butter making it a less healthy side dish, but you can ask for your portion to be prepared without butter.
Portions are another big thing to remember when eating out. Did you know that the correct serving size for pasta is ½ cup? The serving of pasta at most Italian restaurants is at least 6 of those! Remember that just because it is served to you, you don’t have to eat it. Cut your entrée in half and pack up half of it before you even begin eating. You will still have a substantial amount to eat and you will even have a meal for the next day.
Dessert
This is a hard one… many times there is just not a “healthy” dessert on the menu. Occasionally you can find fresh fruit with frozen yogurt but most often the desserts are pretty decadent. Instead of ordering your own dessert, see if someone else or even two others will split it with you. Often a few bites after a big meal are all you need to satisfy your sweet tooth. If you think you can pass up dessert all together, you could just order a coffee if the rest of the table is set on indulging.
A few last tips. . .
When you know where you’re going to go ahead of time, why not check out the restaurant’s website? Many restaurants now list their nutrition facts online and these can be a great place to figure out what you want to eat at your next meal. You may be surprised to find that something you thought was really healthy is packed with fat (could they possibly add butter to it?) or that something you avoided isn’t actually too bad for you. Lastly, remember that it’s okay to indulge every once in a while as long as you don’t make it a regular habit. If you do go overboard one night, just get back on track the next day. You can even cut 100 calories out of your diet and kick up the exercise a notch (even just 10 extra minutes of cardio) for the next 3 days and you will be back on track with a healthy eating plan.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Richmond Balance Reach The Beach Challenge
Reach The Beach Challenge
FREE TO ALL MEMBERS!
What is The Reach The Beach Challenge?
A five week challenge for a grand prize of an ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP to Richmond Balance's " Get Fit Beach Weekend" in Virginia Beach.
What is "Get Fit Beach Weekend"?
A weekend of fun daily workouts on and off the beach, nutrition classes, healthy meal preparation lessons, as well as fun and the sun and various other activities.
Challenge Start Date: Monday, June 15th, 2009
Challenge End Date: Friday, July 17th, 2009
Participants will be able to accumulate points over five weeks for participating in various activities. The member with the most points at the end of the five weeks wins the ALL EXPENSE PAID TRIP!
A " Mandatory Reach The Beach Orientation" will be held June 14, 2009 @ 2pm.
For more information or to signup contact bwebster@richmondbalance.com.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Weight Loss: Exercising And Scale Rising......
So you have been seeing a personal trainer, exercising five days a week, and making tremendous healthy changes in your diet and your weight increases! First and foremost, there are a couple of questions to ask yourself before panicking. Ask yourself, did I really need to loose weight in the first place? How do I feel? Has my body fat or my basal metabolic index decreased? Has my cardiovascular endurance improved? Am I stronger?
All of these questions are what you should ask yourself before panicking and feeling like a failure at your weight loss attempt. Many factors can contribute to you seeing the scale rising as opposed to decreasing.
An example is you converting your fat into muscles and naturally as a result of the muscle weight you gain weight. In reality, you have benefited far more in gaining muscle than loosing those couple of pounds. Muscle is far more beneficial to have as the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate (metabolism) will be. So you will burn more calories at rest having muscle as opposed to having less muscle.
Your BMI, bodyfat, circumference measurements, and how you feel are important indicators in attempting to loose weight. NOT THE SCALE. So slowly try to wean off the numbers on the scale being the most important indicator for weight loss success, and look into other avenues to measure success.
All of these questions are what you should ask yourself before panicking and feeling like a failure at your weight loss attempt. Many factors can contribute to you seeing the scale rising as opposed to decreasing.
An example is you converting your fat into muscles and naturally as a result of the muscle weight you gain weight. In reality, you have benefited far more in gaining muscle than loosing those couple of pounds. Muscle is far more beneficial to have as the more muscle you have the higher your metabolic rate (metabolism) will be. So you will burn more calories at rest having muscle as opposed to having less muscle.
Your BMI, bodyfat, circumference measurements, and how you feel are important indicators in attempting to loose weight. NOT THE SCALE. So slowly try to wean off the numbers on the scale being the most important indicator for weight loss success, and look into other avenues to measure success.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
