To enter post a story on Instagram before 7pm on August 28th and tag:
@flowfitnessseattle
Prizes include
Winners will be announced by our MC right after the yoga class. You must be present to claim your prize!
Most people have a favorite form of exercise such as barre, yoga, cardio, strength training, or HIIT. These workouts are what makes trips to the gym rewarding and motivating. Each form of exercise provides a unique benefit that can’t be achieved anywhere else. For example, Yoga and barre focus on isometric strength and developing flexibility and mobility. Strength training builds up your strength, physique, and bone density. Cycle classes intensify your cardio routine. The unique qualities of these types of workouts are their greatest strengths. However, with that strength comes their greatest weakness. Every form of exercise comes with a weak spot, an essential part of fitness that cannot be achieved. You cannot gain flexibility through strength training or increase your cardiovascular endurance with yoga. No one form of exercise covers the basics of fitness that will allow you to feel, look, and act your best. So, how can we ensure we are as healthy and fit as possible? Cross training!
Cross-training is a style of a weekly workout split where you engage in multiple types of training in a single week. Cross-training is a tool that allows you to optimize your workout split. It focuses on your primary goals and will enable you to recover optimally. Cross-training provides for the reduction of weak spots in your training split by having you incorporate multiple types of exercises into your routine. To apply cross-training, you must incorporate two or more exercise styles into your weekly split. For example, doing yoga and cycling. Whether your split is two days or seven days a week, cross training is essential to support a balanced physique, improve your fitness skills, and allow for healthy recovery work.
Many people start their journey with specific physique goals in mind. These goals can be strong motivators and help people find their place in the fitness world. However training for physique can lead to an unbalanced fitness routine. We have all seen people overwork a portion of their body, leading to an imbalanced composition. Many like to point out the “chicken legs” of upper body-focused exercisers. While an imbalanced physique can keep you from looking your best, what may be less noticeable is an imbalance in fitness skills. Many people who hyper-focus on strength training ignore their cardiovascular health and flexibility, leading to an imbalance of strength seen in their inability to have full mobility or proper cardio endurance. On the other hand, those who hyperfocus on flexibility and cardio can find themselves feeling weak. Both hyper focuses can lead to severe and chronic injuries that take away from your training. Overall, you cannot expect to feel your best when you are ignoring essential training types. This hyperfocus can also lead to excessive fatigue due to improper recovery.
Doing only one form of exercise can quickly cause your body to fatigue, and no matter how much you may love that type of exercise, you can become bored with your split. For those who have the time and desire to do some form of exercise every day, cross-training is necessary to maintain this practice. Having no form of a rest day for any kind of exercise will quickly lead to an overworked body. Rest is when our body takes the hard work from our exercises and applies it to improvements in our body. Many dread the idea of doing nothing for the sake of proper rest. However, cross-training allows us to circumvent this issue. If you train your body differently, you can still benefit from rest while maintaining your routine. Doing Yoga the day after a weightlifting session or cardio the day after barre will allow your body to recover from the previous day while still getting a beneficial workout.
I hope I have thoroughly convinced you of the value of cross-training. If you want to use this fantastic split tool but don’t know where to start, I have created some examples of 3-day flow class-supported workout splits based on your focus!
Example Exercise Splits
The Cheat Code to Easy Cross Training: Flow Fit Classes! By attending one of each type of class a week you will hit all your essential fitness categories: Strength, Cardio, Balance, Mobility, and Flexibility!
Day 1: Endurance Fit Class
Day 2: Power Fit Class
Day 3: Resistance Fit Class
Strength And Cardio
Day 1: Lower Body Lift
Day 2: Flow Cycle Class
Day 3: Upper Body Lift
Strength, Balance, And Flexibility
Day 1: Full Body Lift
Day 2: Flow Power Yoga
Day 3: Flow Candlelight Yoga
Cardio, Strength, And Balance
Day 1: Full Body Lift
Day 1: Flow FIT Class
Day 3: FlowBarre Class
Cardio, Balance, And Flexibility
Day 1: FlowBarre Class
Day 2: FlowCycle Class
Day 3: Flow Yoga Class
The holiday season is full of guilty pleasures. However over indulgence can ruin your holidays by making you susceptible to disease, causing or exacerbating health issues and damaging your mental health. For many it’s far from the most wonderful time of the year. Here are some tips on how you can be healthier and happier this holiday season!
Being in the fitness business, we get frustrated seeing fitness misconceptions all over the internet. The most common myth we see is spot-reducing fat (which isn’t really possible), but there are plenty of others too, mostly centered around weight loss. While we’d love to throw away everyone’s scales, we understand the importance of it to many. The facts around weight loss have become muddled by stigmas, stereotypes, and other misinformation. (Anyone ever try to “work off” that extra donut?) But here at Flow, if we’re going to discuss weight loss, we’re going to use actual science to break things down.
Before we start wading into the details, we need to clarify a few things about weight loss itself. Weight loss is lowering a number on a scale, however, it is not indicative of overall health or body shape/size. Most people don’t want weight loss, they want to improve their body image, health, energy and self-confidence. It’s important that we distinguish the difference when people say they want to lose weight, most want the later which this article will focus on.
Next, we need to become aware of our misconceptions around weight loss and throw them out. It’s easy to keep a stigma because it’s what you learned at an early age. For example, growing up, every time someone would cough or sneeze, people would break out the vitamin C and take more than the daily recommended amount. We now know this doesn’t actually help, but we still pour a fizzy orange drink when we think we are getting sick.
The same thing happens with cardio and weight loss. When people want to lose weight, they often try to do as much steady state cardio (e.g. running or biking) as possible. Cardio is absolutely proven to help lose weight, but it should always come second to diet, and is best when combined with other forms of exercise, especially strength training.
Cardio does burn the most calories per minute out of any type of exercise, but it does a poor job of building muscle, and can even lead to muscle loss. A cardio program without proper strength training included can actually slow down your metabolism (due to muscle loss), leading to plateaus. This doesn’t mean cardio should be avoided and still provides significant benefits, such as improving aerobic conditioning and the efficiency of the heart and lungs, but it shouldn’t be your sole form of exercise.
Strength training provides benefits that are often underappreciated. It builds and maintains muscle, improves bone density and posture, and reduces the risk of injury. People who strength train are also more likely to recover quickly from injury. You may not lose as much weight strength training program because muscle is denser than fat, but it will help you achieve a leaner physique, lose fat and keep it off through a higher metabolism. The muscular development that comes with strength training won’t make you “bulky” either. There are specific ways to train and diet for bulking and it takes a lot of time and effort that most people don’t have. So don’t be worried that it might happen to you. It’s like getting in a pool for the first time and being worried that you’ll become an Olympic swimmer.
Muscular growth offers a wide range of benefits when it comes to weight loss. It creates longer-lasting calorie burn because muscle is metabolically active. This increases calories burned throughout the day and builds a better metabolism. You can further your efforts to lose weight by strength training to maximize burning calories. This can be done by moving faster between exercises, increasing reps and sets, shortening rest times, and choosing heavier weights. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) exercises are a great way to do this, like in our Flow FIT classes. HIIT is still a strength training method, but it keeps your heart rate high, challenges your lung capacity, and burns lots of calories while building muscle at the same time.
At the end of the day, both cardio and strength training are important and when combined can optimize weight loss. So if you are trying to lose weight, be sure to incorporate strength training in addition to cardio. If you’re unsure of how to incorporate strength training into your routine, the good news is that you’re a member of a gym with a staff of knowledgeable trainers and instructors, ready to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Flow Cycle instructor Catherine just celebrated her 1 year of sobriety and we wanted to share her experience to inspire others to live a healthier life.
What inspired you to give up alcohol?
To improve my overall health and mental well-being. I felt like drinking inhibited me from being active and fully present with life.
What was the your biggest challenge?
Feeling confident sharing my experience with others. It can be tough to go against what feels so engrained in our lives.
How did giving up alcohol impact your life?
I have new passions, deeper relationships and the inner strength to face the challenges life gives me now.
What advice would you give to others?
If you are thinking about making a big or small change in your life, know you have the tools to change within you. Take the first step – and ask for help along the way
While COVID-19 dominates headlines, heart disease is still the leading cause of death in the U.S. and accounts for two times as many deaths annually as COVID-19. Consider that heart disease significantly increases risk of death from COVID-19, and it is clear that heart disease is by far the biggest threat to our health yet is largely unaddressed.
Heart disease is preventable and studies estimate that almost 80% of cases could be prevented by implementing a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise is the single best way to prevent heart disease and studies estimate it can reduce risk by up to 50%.
Regular exercise could save as many lives annually as deaths from COVID-19. No masks , shutdowns or vaccines are needed.
February is National Heart Health Month and we ask you to consider:
As many fitness lovers have experienced during the pandemic, exercise in a mask is possible. Enjoyable? Not exactly, but it’s do-able and becomes more tolerable with every workout.
Yoga, Pilates, Barre and some Strength Training workouts seem to be the mask-wearer’s preference as for the most part, the participant’s heart rate stays within manageable ranges. But what about more intense cardio?
As Flow Fitness’s Cycle Program Director, my biggest challenge has been convincing people that they’re going to be just fine participating in my classes while wearing a mask.
Earlier in the pandemic, not a lot was known about exercising in a mask. However, as more studies were conducted, it has been concluded that even intense exercise in a mask is not dangerous as long as the participant listens to their body. The body’s Oxygen and CO2 levels in a mask are at similar levels to those working out without masks.
We know it is safe, but how can we make it FEEL better?
The short answer is repetition (i.e. building up a tolerance to it). The more we practice something, the more it becomes routine. I’ll also share some of my own personal tips and tricks from teaching and taking Cycle and H.I.I.T in a mask for a few months:
Bring more than one mask!
Bring even more than two if you tend to sweat a lot. I wear a pre and post class mask that I do not wear during the actual workout. That way when class is over, I can switch back to my dry mask and chat with members without feeling gross. Those who bring multiple masks are less likely to rush off and can socialize with other members and the instructor when the hard work has concluded! Some people even bring two masks for the workout and switch halfway through to a fresh mask. I know this sounds like a lot of masks, but it can be a game changer in making the class more enjoyable!
Own a mask that is actually made for exercising.
Not all masks are created equal when it comes to strenuous workouts. Many established fitness apparel brands have taken the time to design masks for people who want to enjoy workouts in a gym during Covid restrictions. Take advantage! You would not join a class without proper equipment. The same goes for your mask.
Ease into it
When I’m participating in a high intensity class, I push hard but I know my limits. If it becomes hard to breathe with your mask on, simply back off. If you’re in Cycle class, turn the resistance down. If you’re in Team Conditioning and doing a tough cardio finisher, pace yourself if needed. With a mask on, I’m not always achieving the power levels that I would normally maintain in Cycle and I’m okay with that. It is important to remember that while there are restrictions, we still have a safe place to move our bodies and become stronger.
It may not be for everyone.
There are other physical barriers that may prevent some people from tolerating intense exercise in a mask, such as asthma or other chronic respiratory conditions. If you have any concerns regarding exercising in a mask, you should absolutely consult your doctor before participating in a high intensity class.
Pacing yourself, staying consistent, and having the right mask(s) will set you up for success in conquering tough workouts during Covid restrictions! As always, Flow trainers and instructors will be there every step of the way to encourage you and support you.
CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Nourish. UncategorizedBeing a personal trainer, I have seen clients try a variety of diets, such as keto, paleo and Mediterranean, with varied success. I can tell you with certainty that success had very little to do with what diet they were on. However, I have observed five common behaviors among those who were successful that can applied to any weight-loss regimen. If you are looking to lose weight and keep it off, here are five behaviors you should focus on:
Target consistency over perfection.
If you follow your plan 80% of the time, you will get better, more sustainable results than if you try to be 100% compliant. But be mindful—even if you make good choices throughout the week, you can quickly waste all that effort with weekend splurges. In addition, binging can change your body’s metabolism, forcing it to store extra calories again. So strive to be compliant 80% of the each day rather than 80% of each week.
Find ways to reduce stress.
Life is stressful on your mind and body, and weight loss can add additional stress. You’re asking your body to work hard, and changing your diet takes effort. Stress can lead to poor nutrition choices and low energy. To reduce stress, plan both your workouts and meals for the week in advance. You should also create a list of stress-relieving activities and set aside at least 15 minutes a day to complete them.
Focus on diet first, then exercise.
Weight loss starts in the kitchen. While many would prefer to work out more rather than change the way they eat, you can’t outwork a bad diet. Exercise will help expedite weight loss, as it burns calories and raises your metabolism, but any successful weight loss program needs to focus on nutrition first.
Doing less is better.
Complex diets can be overwhelming and cause additional stress. Focus on a few behaviors that will create a significant impact, such as cutting out late-night snacking, sweets or drinking, and do those well. If you try to do too much, you will end up doing a lot of things sub-optimally. This is a surefire way to waste energy and create more stress. Identify what is truly important and focus your energy on those few behaviors.
Get help!
If you’re serious about losing weight, you need help. A dietitian or health coach can save you lots of time creating meal plans, and a personal trainer can provide you with the most effective workouts. Getting professional help not only gives you expertise, accountability and support, but they also relieve a lot of stress—all of which greatly increases your chance of success.
Weight loss is hard; you will have setbacks, and that’s ok – don’t expect perfection. By focusing on these five behaviors, weight loss can not only be achievable, but also sustainable in the long term. Take control of your health and your fitness and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Learn more about our “Healthy Lifestyles Program” that will help you create habits around nutrition, exercise and stress relief that will last a lifetime.
CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move. Nourish. UncategorizedJapan is widely considered one of the healthiest countries in the world, with one of the highest life expectancy rates (84 years, versus 78 in the U.S.). And while their older population should make them more vulnerable, Japan also has the fewest deaths, by far, due to Covid-19 when compared to other G7 countries: only 18 deaths per million (compared to over 1,000 per million in the U.S.).
While many experts believe cultural factors such as a homogenous society; no handshaking or hugs; and pre-existing use of masks have contributed to Japanese success against COVID-19, their population’s extraordinary health is also an important factor. As the Economist reports:
“Although the population of Japan is disproportionally elderly, and therefore potentially more vulnerable to Covid-19, it is also very healthy. Only 4.2% of Japanese adults are obese, a condition known to make the disease more lethal. That is the lowest rate in the OECD and one-tenth of America’s.”
Gyms aren’t as common in Japan as they are in the U.S., and the Japanese smoke and drink more than Americans. So how do they stay so healthy? I had the opportunity to live in Japan years ago, and can point to several cultural norms that we can learn from the Japanese to improve our health.
Focus on Health
In Japanese, the equivalent of “How are you?” is the phrase “Genki desuka?” This translates to “Are you healthy?” Imagine if you were asked about your health numerous times a day; wouldn’t that keep it top-of-mind?
For those of you old enough, you might remember the movie “Gung Ho” with Michael Keaton, where a U.S. car plant is acquired by a Japanese company. In the movie, the new Japanese owners unsuccessfully attempt to implement a morning exercise routine that they do in Japan. Japanese companies still value exercise and give their employees exercise breaks throughout the day.
Key Takeaway: Make health part of your daily discussion. Ask others about their health and what you can do to support them. And think about ways that you can implement healthy practices in your workplace or community.
Value Quality, Not Quantity
The Japanese are infamous for having high quality standards, and this includes their food. It’s virtually impossible to find low-quality food in Japan, even at McDonalds! The “bento” is a traditional Japanese meal that epitomizes the focus on quality over quantity. With high quality standards comes increased prices, as fresh fruit, vegetables and meats are notoriously expensive in Japan; however, high prices helps limit consumption and waste.
Key Takeaway: Resist the urge to “super-size” and focus on smaller quantities of higher-quality foods. Don’t be afraid to indulge in foods high in fat and protein, such as meats, cheese, nuts and avocados, which will help you feel “full” and avoid overeating.
Pro-tip: Eat at local restaurants that use local ingredients, and avoid fast-food and chain restaurants.
Eat Fresh Foods
While you can find a variety of pre-packaged foods in Japan, the Japanese emphasize home-cooked meals and fresh foods. It was typical for me to eat a salad at breakfast. Below is a picture of a traditional Japanese breakfast which typically includes fish, rice, miso soup, eggs and vegetables. This looks a lot healthier than a stack of pancakes covered with syrup and a side of bacon, right?
Key Takeaway: Focus on whole foods. You should have a serving of fresh fruit and/or vegetables at each meal. Even if you don’t have time to cook, make sure you always have some fresh fruit and vegetables on hand to supplement.
Pro-tip: Become a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) member or get a weekly fruit and vegetable subscription to ensure you always have fresh fruit and vegetables on hand.
Walk and Bike More
Walking, biking and public transportation are the main forms of transportation in Japan, and they have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. (It helps when owning a car, parking and taxis are incredibly expensive.) Even if you are taking public transportation in Japan, you typically have a decent walk to and from your destinations, along with any transfers.
Key Takeaway: Before calling Uber or driving, see if walking, biking or public transportation is a feasible option. Not only will it improve your health, but you’ll save some money and the environment.
Portion Control
The Japanese have a phrase “hara hachi bun me,” which translates to “eat to you are 80% full.” This term originated in Okinawa and has been credited with the extraordinary health of Okinawans. Portions in Japan are much smaller than in the U.S., and we Americans constantly felt “hungry” when eating out. Perhaps it was not that the portions were too small, but rather, that our portions are too big! High food prices in Japan also help them to limit portion sizes.
Key Takeaway: Eating until you are 80% full is a simple yet highly effective way to control calories and lose weight. No calorie-counting or dieting is needed. Try it for a week, and you’ll notice a huge difference in the amount you consume and how you feel.
Pro-tip: Try using smaller dishes, which will help you limit portion sizes. When eating out, considering sharing your food.
McDonalds Drink Comparison
In American, our health is deteriorating; we reached an all-time high in obesity rates in 2020 at over 42%. Not only does this make us more susceptible to illness, such as heart disease and COVID-19, but it also takes a significant toll on our economy, as healthcare costs continue to rise. To improve our health, we need cultural changes that emphasize regular exercise and healthy eating habits. This can only happen with support from the government, businesses and communities.
What changes can you make to create a healthier society?
Regular exercise can boost your immune system
You’ve probably heard that exercise can boost your immune system, but maybe you’re wondering how significant this is, and how much exercise you need to reap the benefits. Studies have consistently shown that regular exercise can not only significantly reduce your risk of infection, but also the severity of symptoms if you are infected. Exercise is more important than ever as the coronavirus pandemic continues, and in this post, we’ll explain how exercise can help keep you healthy.
How Exercise Affects Your Immune System?
You first need to understand how exercise effects your immune system. While scientists have yet to identify the exact reason why, there are several theories about why exercise boosts immunity, which is likely a combination of several factors:
How Much Does Exercise Matter?
A 2019 scientific review in the Journal of Sport and Health Science found that exercise can improve your immune response, lower illness risk and reduce inflammation — but by how much? Studies show the impact can be quite significant:
How to Get the Most Out of Your Fitness Routine
Now that you know how impactful exercise can be, here’s how to maximize the benefits:
Exercise regularly. Long runs on the weekends alone won’t cut it. The benefits of exercise on the immune system are temporary, so you need to do it often to see the gains. You should emphasize frequency over intensity and duration, setting a goal of five or more times per week.
Moderate exercise is best. Most studies looked at aerobic activity, such as walking, running or cycling. There is less research on HIIT or strength training, but most experts believe they provide similar benefits.
Whatever you do, the key is to get your heart rate going, but to keep activity to a moderate level of intensity. If you’re doing a walk, make sure it is a brisk pace — but don’t push it too hard. In fact, experts warn against extremely strenuous exercise, such as training for a marathon or doing power lifting. Very intense and prolonged exercise can actually put more stress on your body, competing for resources and potentially compromising your immune system. This shouldn’t be a concern for the majority of exercisers, but just be mindful that higher intensities won’t necessarily provide additional benefits.
The Bottom Line: Exercise Works
Exercise should not be considered a replacement for masks, good hygiene or social distancing — but when used in conjunction, exercise can be an additional layer of defense against pathogens and infection. In addition, exercise provides other benefits, such as improved mental health and decreased stress levels, that can help during this strenuous time.
If you are new to exercise, we suggest starting at a level you are comfortable with doing but frequently, even if it means short walks. You should then start gradually increasing the intensity and duration until you reach a moderate level of intensity. If you need help creating a workout program, setting fitness goals or just need some accountability, our team of certified personal trainers are here to help. We offer trial training packages, both in-person and virtual. Visit us at https://www.flowfitnessseattle.com.
