Live Fit: make health a way of life.

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

The Magic Bullet

What if I told you I had a magic bullet, one that might cure obesity and cardiovascular disease?  Would you want to know what it is?

Listen close, and I’ll tell you:

The magic bullet is exercise. And we’re not talking running a marathon or spending hours at the gym. A brisk 20-minute walk each day reduces the risk of coronary disease by 30 to 40 percent. Just 20 minutes!

In the article “Regular Physical Activity: A’Magic Bullet’ for the Pandemics of Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease,” professors from Florida Atlantic University have concluded that regular physical activity is the closest thing to a magic bullet to combat the epidemic of obesity and cardiovascular disease. 

Here’s the crazy thing though: Only 20 percent of Americans meet the recommended levels of regular physical activity and about 64 percent don’t engage in any physical activity. 

“If regular physical activity were a pill, then perhaps more people would take it,” wrote the article’s co-author, Dr. Charles H. Hennekens.

So why don’t people exercise more regularly?
Two main reasons were suggested:
1) Time and effort needed for regular physical activity 

2) Limited knowledge about the immediate and long-term benefits of regular exercise

For years, we’ve been sold diets. So much so that “there are a lot of misperceptions about the role of regular physical activity, caloric intake and calories burned during exercise,” wrote co-author Steven Lewis. “And, as a result, dieting has been recommended as more practical for weight control than regular physical activity, and this is a big problem.“ 

If the goal is to simply lose weight, diet only may get you there, but it’s tough to maintain progress. Exercise is key. With physical activity, you gain lean muscle mass, which increases your body’s metabolism and resting calorie burn, which help in achieving and maintaining weight-loss goals. Ideally, regular physical activity would include cardio as well as resistance training, such as lifting weights.

The benefits of resistance training include the prevention or limitation of age-related sarcopenia, improved maintenance of muscle-mass strength and a decreased risk of osteoporosis-related bone fractures, falls, physical disability and mortality.

The bottom line: Cardiovascular disease is now the leading killer worldwide. The article cites that the lack of physical activity accounts for 22 percent of coronary heart disease, 22 percent of colon cancer, 18 percent of osteoporotic fractures, 12 percent of diabetes and hypertension and 5 percent of breast cancer cases. Furthermore, physical inactivity accounts for approximately 2.4 percent of U.S. health-care expenditures, or approximately $24 billion a year.

While awareness and support to fight diseases increase, the lack of sufficient physical activity by 80 percent of the population goes fairly unnoticed.  

Support from both corporations and society is critical to building awareness. Companies need to offer their employees incentives and opportunities to incorporate physical activity in their daily lifestyle. Society must embrace physical activity to the point where it becomes the norm.  

How will you find twenty extra minutes to move your body today?

CategoriesLive Fit.

The Last 100 Days…

This coming Friday, September 23rd, there are 100 days left in 2016.  100 days.

How are your new year’s resolutions coming along?  Got ’em nailed? Or can you even remember what they were?  Perhaps you didn’t make any resolutions, but the question remains:
How will you end 2016?

You still have 100 days to decide.  
100 days to get educated.  Learning one new thing each day.  Youtube is great for this. 
100 days to begin a practice (photography, eating healthy, reading, meditation, etc.)
100 days to declutter.  Get rid of one thing every day, until the end of the year.
100 days to begin your fitness program, to get in touch with and learn to listen to your body.
100 days of gratitude.  Be grateful for one thing each day.
100 days to practice being present. 
100 days to practice self love.  Find out what that means to you.
100 days to wind down your 2016, and enter 2017 going strong.
100 days to connect to the world around you.
There’s still time to make this your best year yet.

What will you do?

CategoriesLive Fit.

What’s the Best Time of Day to Work Out?

Do you ever wonder what time is the best time to work out? Research is mixed and there is no overwhelming evidence that points to a certain time of day that workouts will maximize results.  However, there a lot of good reasons why working out in the morning might be worth trying.

1. Reduce your excuses to not work out: Late night deadlines, client emergencies or impromptu happy hours don’t happen at 7 a.m. Exercise early to reduce your chances of derailing your workout plans. Consistency and routine are key to maintaining a fitness plan.  

2. Exercise gives you an energy boost during the day: The endorphins released from exercise give your body the feeling of more energy. Research has also shown exercise improves concentration and attention.  Add a cup of coffee to your morning workout and you might find yourself being more productive at work.

3. Boost your metabolism: Studies show that exercise will boost your metabolism and you will enjoy the benefits of a boosted metabolism all day.  Plus, you’ll be ready for breakfast, and eating a full breakfast will reduce your appetite for the remainder of the day.

4.  Gyms are often quieter in the morning: The peak time in any gym is after work.  Go when there is less of a crowd and you can get your workout in much more efficiently, and with less distraction.

5. Have more energy for your workout: Your body’s performance peaks in the early afternoon. However, most people don’t have the luxury of being able to work out mid-day.  Your body is fatigued by the evenings, so mornings are your next best bet.

6.  Set a healthy tone for the day: Everyone feels healthy after a good workout and many will follow up with a healthy meal so they don’t let their workouts go to waste. A morning workout sets a healthy tone for the day and will hopefully influence your behavior the rest of the day.

7.  Consistency, consistency, consistency: Try working out in the mornings and you will see the same people on the same days. People who work out in the mornings are the most consistent and have developed a routine.  See No. 1 for why.

 

Personal Trainers at Flow Fitness in South Lake Union Area of Seattle Near AmazonCategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move. Trainer

How a Personal Trainer Can Help You Meet Your Goals

Getting into better physical shape can be an exhausting challenge, and one that proves insurmountable for many people. Whether you’re looking to lose weight and burn fat or to build lean muscle, improving your level of physical fitness on your own can be difficult. That’s why personal trainers are of critical importance at most gyms and fitness facilities: They can offer knowledge, advice, encouragement, and incentive to those who are struggling to improve by themselves.

Did you know that while cutting calories is typically necessary for successful long-term weight loss, cutting too many could have the opposite effect? Did you know that you should rest your various muscle groups at least one full day between intense exercises and weight training? Do you know how to exercise your abdominals and obliques without putting your spine in danger of compression? Frankly, there’s so much to learn about kinesiology (the science of the movement of the body), nutrition, and fitness in general that most people don’t have the time and mental energy to remember everything that may be important during exercise. For that reason alone, hiring a skilled professional personal trainer can make your fitness goals more achievable and reduce the risk of injury. A personal trainer can carefully instruct you on the best ways to work certain muscle groups, or demonstrate how to safely increase your heart rate during cardio exercises without putting yourself in danger of medical issues.

Setting and Meeting Realistic Goals

One of the biggest problems people experience when trying to improve their health and fitness via an exercise regimen is dedication. Far too many people stop exercising or going to the gym after only a week or a month. With the combined encouragement from your personal trainer and the financial investment you’ve made in self-improvement, it will be much harder psychologically for you to simply quit and give up on your progress toward a better body.

A personal trainer will help you set realistic goals and will encourage you to meet them. Having a personal cheerleader who is motivating you at each workout can prove invaluable for those who have trouble sticking with an exercise practice. Your trainer will also help you hold yourself accountable when you backslide or skip exercise sessions, in addition to helping ensure your exercises are safe and properly executed.

Investing in a personal trainer is investing in your own lasting health and wellness. Contact Flow Fitness today to schedule a consultation with one of our dedicated, educated personal trainers, and see how easy meeting your fitness goal can be with the right help!

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Injured? How to Help Your Body Recover While Staying Fit

So, you’ve been going hard at the gym. Great! There’s nothing better than seeing your hard work start to pay off. But if you’ve pushed yourself a bit too far and find yourself with an injury, it’s time to step back and give your body some TLC as it recovers and your muscles repair themselves. Refer to these tips as a launching point for a speedy and thorough recovery (without sacrificing your health or falling out of the fitness groove!).

Get enough sleep

What exactly is “enough” sleep? The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) recommends 7-9 hours per night for healthy adults between ages 18 to 64. A good night’s rest is so important because this is when our bodies complete vital processes such as muscle repair, growth hormone release, and so much more. The more shut-eye you get each night the better, as this allows your body to cycle through key sleep stages including stages 3 and 4 (when, according to the NSF, “blood supply to muscles increases, tissue growth and repair occurs, and hormones are released for muscle development”) and REM (when energy is restored throughout the body and brain). All this, combined with the ability to maintain a healthy immune system for whole body support, makes quality sleep the true superhero of post-injury recovery.

Eat your protein

Protein does a body good in many ways, and it’s especially important for athletes to consume the proper amount each day. According to estimates by the American College of Sports Medicine, endurance athletes should consume up to 1.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight each day (approximately 120 grams for a 220-pound person), and resistance or strength-training athletes should consume up to 1.6 grams per kilogram (approximately 160 grams for a 220-pound person). The inflated daily protein values are considered necessary to promote repair of damaged muscle fibers and many more recovery processes. A conscious diet rich in proteins and amino acids can help active people meet nutrient requirements, but some protein supplements can add a boost when needed. Of course, it’s important to keep in mind, requirements vary from individual to individual based on size, type and level of activity, type and severity of injury, and many other health factors.

Try massage therapy

Massage therapy can best be used as a preventative measure to avoid injuries before they occur. Among many benefits, a regular massage program can help reduce muscle tension and alleviate soreness after exercise, according to the American Massage Therapy Association. Those with an active injury should use caution when it comes to deep-tissue and related massage techniques. If you are looking to try getting a massage as part of your recovery regimen, always consult with a trusted professional in advance.

Take it easy at the gym

Even if you’re sore or injured, you’re likely eager to get back to your regular workout routine. When the dreaded injury hits, nobody wants to allow it to undo all their hard work. You can still stay fit during this time — just don’t strain yourself too hard, as you could end up agitating and prolonging your injury. Warm-up and cool-down becomes more important than ever. You may also opt for personal training to ensure you’re using proper form and selecting safe and appropriate exercises, or consider trying a low-impact workout such as a yoga class.

CategoriesLive Fit.

Five Creative Ways to Stay Healthy When Boredom Hits

Are you bored with your exercise routine? Tired of trying to incorporate whole foods into your day? Do you feel like you might slap the next person who asks you how much sleep you got or if you meditated today?  

This happens to the best of us. But before you slap anyone, incorporate one of the following five ideas to stay healthy when boredom strikes:

1) Do the opposite: If you’re a gym rat, get outside. If you typically work out solo, join a group class. Go to a studio for yoga, pilates or spinning. Try CrossFit. If you always exercise with a group, go it alone. Lift some weights. Row. Utilize stairs. Change how or what you eat. Have breakfast for dinner. Drink a smoothie for lunch. Try fasting. Do something to change up your routine.

2)  Intensify: Take your workout up a notch. Lift more. Run faster. Swim longer. Walk hills. Whatever it is you do, do it faster, further or harder. Challenge yourself, from the inside out.

3)  Get creative: Make a new playlist. Create a vision board of how you want health to feel. Do a photography project — take a selfie every time you get out to run, or  photograph the beautiful meal you’ve created. Journal. Take some time to connect with what health means to you, which is not only exercise or food related. Expand your vision of health.

4)  Go to the dark side for a given amount of time: Sometimes when we get bored, we crave something “bad,” such as eating a tub of ice cream or lounging around and watching movies all day long. I’ll admit, I do it. Indulge a craving. If get up early to exercise, take one day and sleep in. If you eat healthy six days, take one day or one meal and eat ice cream or nothing but cheese. Give yourself some freedom, yet pay attention to how it feels. Indulge, but do it consciously.

5) Pattern check: Every three months, throw a pattern check into your regime. Analyze your habits. Do you typically exercise in the same way every week?  Do you eat the same things? Identify those habits that are serving you, and you want to do more of, as well as those habits that are stale. Change some up. Run a new route.  Use a new machine. Take class from a different teacher. Join a new group. Shake up at least one of your patterns, and breathe new energy into your health practice.  This often spills over into other areas of your life. Pattern check.

The bottom line here is to do something different. Boredom is a signal. It doesn’t necessarily mean stop, but adjust. Make a change and infuse new life into what has become ho-hum.

What will you do?

 

CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Ditch Fads & Make a Lifestyle Change

Did you attempt a diet or workout plan to get “into shape” this summer? It’s now July, how did that work out for you?  If you are like many, diets or quick-fix workout plans don’t work – or if they do, results don’t last very long. Most people lose motivation quickly and can’t adhere to the strict requirements.  The most effective way to get lasting results is to make changes in your lifestyle.  Here are some tips as to how you can successfully implement a healthy lifestyle:

  1. Find your motivation.  Whether it is a trip to the beach in a few months, impressing your significant other (or making your ex jealous) or completing that race you entered, finding one or more motivating factors is key to implementing lifestyle changes.
  2. Create Accountability.  Involve your friends and family, or consider hiring a trainer.  Being accountable will help you stay on track.
  3. Be Invested.  How many times have you heard people say, “I only pay $20 a month for a gym so if I go once a month I will break even?”  You have probably seen advertisements for diet programs that cost thousands of dollars.  A large part of the success is the financial investment people make and their adherence because of such investment.  You don’t have to break the bank, but having some sort of investment will help you stick to your plan.
  4. Don’t diet.  Create meal plans that fit your taste and are practical and based on your lifestyle.  Avoiding the foods we shouldn’t eat goes along way.  It may not be practical for you to access the latest and greatest health food trends, but putting together a plan of foods to avoid, such as fried foods, dessert, soda and white bread, is something everyone can do.
  5. Plan around your workout.  Most people squeeze a workout into their schedules.  Pick days and times that work best for you, and commit to your workout times.  You can then plan the rest of your schedule around those times. 
  6. Create detailed goals that are achievable.  Specificity has been proved to increase the likelihood of success.  Set specific goals for yourself and also consider getting help in setting your goals.   Also make sure you set goals that are achievable in the short term.  You can continue to build on your goals, but feeling accomplishment will increase your chances of success. So if you want to lose 50 lbs, consider starting with your first 10 pounds within three months.
  7. Go slow and build.  Slow and steady may not get you the fastest results but is the best way to incorporate change into your lifestyle.  If you don’t exercise currently, don’t attempt to go four times a week.  Aim for twice a week, and make incremental changes.  Try something for at least 30 days, or until it becomes habit, before raising your targets. 
CategoriesBlog Live Fit.

Are You Tracking?

…and I’m not talking Pokeman.

These days there are devices to track just about anything.  With a simple app or wearable gadget, you can track daily steps, sleep patterns, heart rate, calories, cadence, foot strike, distance, speed and more. Next time you take a walk, be it down the hall or outside, notice other people’s wrists. Just about everyone is tracking something, and if you fall into the group of users tracking data, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Your why: The average child asks roughly 400 questions a day, and a lot of those begin with, “Why?” Even at a young age, we intuitively know: The motive behind any action is the most important part.  If you don’t know your why (and even if you do), assume some childlike behavior and dig into it. Why are you tracking? Your why will keep you committed when you get bored or want to quit.

Do something with it: Don’t gather data simply to have it or tell anyone who will listen how many steps you’ve taken or how little you’ve slept. Do something with it. Most tracking devices gather more information than you need, so decide what you’re interested in, or what you want to get better at, and start there.  If it’s steps per day, identify ways in which you can increase your steps, especially if you sit at work for long periods of time.

If you want to improve your running form, track not only distance and speed, but also cadence and foot strike.  This information can help reduce injury, improve posture and decrease that race time — but you have to know how to handle the information.  You might want to get a video of you running so that you can see what your data is conveying.

If you’re tracking sleep, you might also keep a journal, recording what happens before bed (what you ate or drank, and what kind of day you had) and pair that with the information you receive from your device/app. Only when you do something with the information, can you begin to make changes for the better.

Leave the device at home (occasionally).  If you worked at it, you could track just about every detail of your entire life. Please don’t. Occasionally it’s freeing to go without. Leave your watch (or better yet, your phone) at home one day and don’t track a thing. Go on a run and allow your body to decide how fast and how far you want to go. Sleep the entire night without any gadgets in your room.  Don’t log your food/calories in that app. Move your body without worrying about steps taken.  Play with your movement and rest when you need to without measuring a thing

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

As It Heats Up, Don’t Forget to Cool Down (Post-Exercise, That Is)

You wouldn’t jump into a rigorous workout without a quick warmup. However, many gym-goers forgo a post-exercise cool-down routine in the name of hitting the locker room and bouncing out, especially those squeezing in an after-work session who are eager to get home and unwind already.

No matter the length or challenge level of your gym time, avoid suddenly halting all movement as soon as you hop off the treadmill. Even while you’re chugging your water bottle, it’s important to slow your heart rate gradually to avoid dizziness and fainting. Factoring in hot summer weather, take extra care to re-regulate your body temperature to its resting level. A minimum of five minutes spent doing any of the following activities is all it takes to go the extra mile for your muscles.

1. Walk it out

Whether you prefer laps around the track or a post-run neighborhood stroll, walking takes your pace down a few notches while keeping the blood flowing. A steady decrease in movement keeps blood from pooling in your lower body, which can lead to lightheadedness.

2. Stretch (Again)

You’ve already primed your workout with a set of stretches — now bring it full circle with a wrap-up session. Your muscles are most susceptible to stretching once they’ve had the chance to warm up throughout your spin class, run, or time in the weight room. Regular stretching, both before and after each workout, can help prevent injury in the long run.

3. Suit up

Pack your swimsuit and hit the nearest pool (or lake… after all, Seattle is within miles of several) for a refreshing dip that doubles as a low-impact exercise. A few laps is all it takes!

4. Hit the mat

A major perk of a Flow Fitness membership is our comprehensive schedule of trainer-led classes, from advanced high-intensity sessions to our restorative Deep Stretch yoga class. Join today to release muscle tension, improve posture and flexibility, and practice mindful breathing, simultaneously de-stressing mind and muscles following your full access to our machine and amenity packed facilities.

Featured image courtesy of Pixabay

CategoriesBlog Live Fit. Move.

Do you track your workouts?

You might want to.

As the old adage goes, ” Fail to plan, plan to fail.” I’m sure among the high-level executives, leaders, business owners, educators and parents who are members at Flow, these words have come out of their mouths at one point or another when describing ways to become successful. 

It’s true. From motivational speeches to self-help books, one of the themes that resonates with each chapter or spoken word is that without a map, you are bound to get lost. 

While this message seems to make perfect sense to me, it can fall on deaf ears when it comes to people’s workouts. Each day I come in to work, I see countless people wandering around looking for the next exercise to do or scratching their heads as they decide how much weight they should put on so they can perform the coveted “three sets of 10” on each exercise they select. Occasionally, I’ll see a person copy the same workout a trainer or an extremely fit member is doing. But rarely do I see a member enter the gym with a binder, a notebook or a smartphone (with the notes section open) or even a piece of paper with a detailed program that will get them through the next few months of training . 

I honestly don’t care who wrote the program or how the program is written (though related, program design is not the topic today), as there are many places to go to get training plans that are easy on the budget and effective. What I do care about is that you have a plan that closely resembles your goals and that you use this plan. Further, unless you record every single thing that happens during each individual workout, you have wasted your time in the gym. Recording should include the obvious, such as exercise sets, reps and weights. But it should also include amount of sleep, general energy level before, during and after training (usually on a 1-10 scale) and your food intake. (I’ll admit I fall short on this part, but plan to keep a consistent journal on my food intake over the next several months.) 

By keeping this training journal, you have an instant resource on how to prepare for the workouts ahead. Further, with this ever-evolving resource, you can make adjustments to your program based on previous successes and failures, which add to less frustration, less plateauing and better results.  

Having a program and recording your progress is probably one of the easiest adjustments that you can make to your current training regimen that would drastically improve your results.

Take action today and start drawing your own map to a better you.