Aerobic Workouts - Let's Mix It Up

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is important for many reasons, depending on what our goals are. Weight control, heart health and general fitness are just a few reasons as to why aerobic exercise is vital. There are many ways in which we can get an aerobic workout. Running, jogging, skipping, swimming, cycling and walking are all examples of aerobic exercise. However, as with any exercise regime, it is vital that we avoid getting stuck in a rut. It is important, therefore, to mix things up.

Short Blasts of Aerobic Activity

To change things up a bit, and make some great gains in the process, we can try the following with our aerobic routine.

• Select any type of aerobic exercise (our favourite) to complete 3 times a week
• Warm up at a steady pace for a few minutes
• Increase the pace, but remain comfortable
• For 15 seconds go at our maximum speed
• Return to a comfortable pace and keep this pace for a minute and a half
• Repeat the 15 second blast!
• Complete around 5-10 intervals in the same manner
• Ensure we have a cool down of a few minutes at a very relaxed pace

Changing our aerobic routine will help us to continue seeing the results that we want, preventing any chance of a plateau (if there is such a thing).

Why Diet and Nutrition is so important - Part 2

Why Diet and Nutrition is so important

This is the second part of the blog entry examining why diet and nutrition is so important to us, and why we must be aware of what we are consuming. This entry will look at water, vitamins and minerals in particular. 

Water

Water is crucial to our body functioning correctly. When we are even slightly dehydrated our body is not working as it should be. Water carries oxygen and nutrients around the body, allowing the body to function. It also clears out waste and dissipates body heat. It is important to note that we should not wait until we feel thirsty to drink water, as by then we are already slightly dehydrated.

Vitamins

We should aim to get our vitamins from food, not pills. This is something that a lot of research appears to agree on. Vitamins are vital for the body to function correctly, as they ensure that a lot of complicated actions happen. Vitamins help to allow the body to make energy from other nutrients, help the bones and muscles to grow, help with our cells and many other functions that we need just to live!

Minerals

As with vitamins it is important that we get our minerals from food rather than a tablet. We do not actually need large amounts of minerals but they are still vital for our body. Bone structure, heartbeat and cell activity are all impacted by our mineral intake.

Another thought

An important point to remember is that our diet plan will vary on what our goals are. For example, if we want to bulk up then it is important to increase the number of calories we consume during the day, focussing on increases in protein and carbohydrates.

Alcohol

Alcohol

Many of us enjoy alcohol and in certain circumstances, a moderate amount of alcohol drinks can be beneficial. However, generally, alcohol is bad for us – especially when we have workout goals to aim at.

What is Alcohol?

Alcohol is the common term used for ethanol. It is used in alcoholic drinks and is actually toxic, at moderate to high levels, to us humans. Despite feelings of euphoria when drinking alcohol, it is actually a depressant. Alcohol has a number of impacts on our health.

Benefits of alcohol

There is some evidence to suggest that, when consumed in moderation, alcohol be beneficial to us. Some research shows that the risk of heart disease can be reduced with a moderate intake of alcohol.

Another potential benefit is seen from drinking red wine. It contains flavonoids that can act as anti-oxidants (which have been discussed here). This helps to reduce the build up of atherosclerosis.

Negative Effects of Alcohol

However, for most of us, the amount of alcohol we drink will impact us in a negative manner. Aside from the hangover of the next day, there are more long-term effects that we may endure from drinking too much alcohol.

First of all, there are a lot of calories consumed when we go for a few drinks, and this is why drinking alcohol can lead to weight gain, as well as making it so difficult to lose the gut – there is a reason it’s called a beer belly.

The liver is one organ that it is at major risk of damage due to too much alcohol. There can be progressive damage caused through a condition known as cirrhosis. This can lead to liver failure, liver cancer and in extreme cases death.

There is evidence to suggest that the nervous system can be damaged on various levels. The brain can get damaged, and this can lead to problems such as depression.

Problems such as a weakened heart, high blood pressure and stroke can all develop from excessive alcohol consumption.

Recommended Units

There are a number of sources to find out the recommended units of alcohol. If we stick to these then alcohol poses little risk to our health. Two to three units of alcohol for women and three to four units for men, is a generally accepted amount of alcohol to consume per day.

Crash Diets and Why They Fail

Crash Diets – Why They Fail

What is a crash diet?

A crash diet, essentially, is a diet regime that lacks certain nutritional requirements in order to restrict the intake of calories and therefore help us to lose weight. The idea is to help achieve rapid weight loss, and to not last a long time.

These types of diet are typically not a healthy way of either living or dieting and are generally quite unsuccessful, certainly in the long term.

Why do crash diets fail?

Although it is often the case that people who partake in crash diets do see a loss of weight, it is extremely common that these people put that weight straight back on.

One reason for this is that when we lower our calorie intake, the body alters its metabolic rate. Once we increase our calorie intake again the calories are being burnt at a slower rate and so the weight can easily be put back on. Essentially, when we lower the calorie intake our body goes into a fat storage, as opposed to fat burner, mode.

Generally, crash diets shed muscle rather than fat and so our body shape will not alter very much, while all along we are burning off muscle that we want and need. This is due to the body storing the fat that it has for energy reserves. Essentially, muscle is more disposable to the body than fat. Therefore, although we are losing weight on the scales, it is not the right weight, and we will be just as flabby as ever.

Another reason as to why crash diets fail is that restrictions of foods are hard to stick to. If we do not allow ourselves a certain food, we are far more likely to crave it and then eat far too much of it! So by restricting a certain food to lose weight can often have the opposite effect.

What we should do to lose weight

Losing weight is not as difficult as some people make it out to be. However, people do have problems with it and a lot comes from the fact that there is too much conflicting information available. Burning more calories than we use is the way to go, but we need to do it in a healthy manner, that we are able to maintain. We must set realistic targets and avoid the yo-yo culture that seems so easy to get into. A healthy weight loss program should look to lose around 2 pounds of body fat per week. This is the healthy and right way to lose weight. We will be less likely to put the weight on this way.

How Much Exercise?

How much exercise should we do each week?

A major question with regards to fitness and health is how much exercise should we do. Well, the answer really does depend on what the goals are, and even then the answer can vary. In this blog we will look to answer these questions. According to a report from the UK government, only 37 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women complete enough exercise to see any benefit.

General health and fitness

For general health and fitness there are a wide variety of guidelines available to suggest how much exercise we need to do. The NHS seems to offer a reasonable answer to this question. It is suggested that we should attempt to be physically active each day, and try to complete two and a half hours of exercise per week. On top of this we should attempt to include two days (at least) of muscle building exercise, exercise each muscle group. However, these numbers appear to only apply to the average adult and so people who are older, younger, overweight, underweight and so on may need to increase or decrease the amount of exercise they do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness

When we are looking to improve our fitness for other physical activities, like team sports, it is important that we do more than the required amounts for general health and fitness. To improve our fitness levels we must be looking at cardio-vascular training along with some strength training and flexibility training.

Muscle building

If our goal is to build muscle then our focus changes a great deal with regards to our exercise requirements. Two days a week weight lifting will not have us looking like Arnie in his hey day. I would suggest keeping the cardio exercise levels similar, mainly for the health benefits that we will get from it, but we must increase the days of muscle building exercise in order to really bulk up our muscle mass.For muscle building it is essential that the muscles have a rest period to recover, so if we work the arms one day we should give them at least one day off in between in order for them to recover and grow.

Losing weight

Although losing weight is as much about diet as it is about exercise, the amount of physical effort we put in has a major effect on weight loss. The key to weight loss is burning more calories than we consume so we must bear this in mind when deciding on how much exercise we are going to do. Obviously, the more exercise we do, the more calories we burn off.

So, the short answer to the question of how much exercise we need to do is that it varies depending on the goals we have and what we wish to achieve from exercise. From the basic levels of exercise that we need to live healthy lives we can adapt our routine to meet the goals that we want, whether that be improved fitness, muscle gain and/or weight loss. It is important to note that we must also watch our diet when looking to meet any of these goals.

Protein

Protein

I have previously posted blog entries regarding carbohydrates, fats and dietary fibres. This entry looks to discuss protein.

What is Protein?

Proteins, as a nutrient, are chains of Amino acids that contain around 4 calories per gram. Amino acids can be divided into either essential amino acids or non-essential amino acids.

In nutrition, protein is broken down in the stomach in order to provide amino acids to the body, including essential amino acids that cannot be created by the body itself. Our body does not store protein so it is important that we eat it on a daily basis for a number of reasons.

Protein is needed by us humans in order to grow and maintain our condition. Experts advise consuming between 0.8 grams and 1.1 grams of protein per pound of your body weight, per day.

Benefits of Protein for Weight Loss

Protein is an essential thing for the body in general, but it can also be extremely important to people wanting to lose weight or fat.

An important factor of protein is that it takes longer to digest and leave your stomach. This leaves us feeling fuller for longer, and this means that we are less likely to unnecessarily snack between meals, therefore we eat fewer calories. 

Protein also burns more calories through digestion, and general use, and so this can aid in any weight loss we are attempting.

It is important to note here that this blog IS NOT promoting an Atkins/high protein diet, or anything similar. I do not agree with these types of diets and am merely showing how through eating the right way protein can help lose weight.

Benefits of Protein for Muscle Growth

When weight training, our bodies need protein to develop and maintain muscle. Protein is used to repair the tiny tears that are made when we exercise. The protein also helps to increase the muscle mass. Because amino acids can be burned by the body during exercise it is essential that we refuel our muscles with protein, as well as carbohydrates.

Research appears to suggest that it is important to have protein shortly before and shortly after weight/resistance training to fuel our muscles and allow them to repair and grow.

Other Benefits of Protein

Protein, as well as the benefits previously mentioned, has a number of other benefits too. These include, but are not limited to;

• Repairing injured/torn tissue
• Protein also helps build skin, hair, nails and cartilage
• Prevention of various conditions such as anaemia and hypotension
• Helps with circulation
• Heals injuries

Be careful with Protein

As with all food intakes there are things to be careful of. There is, of course, a risk of eating too much protein. This can lead to excess calories, and potential weight gain. Also, if we eat too much protein and not enough carbohydrates the body can form ketones and release them into the blood.

Conclusions

Protein is something that we need to intake everyday. It is so important for our everyday health, but can also help us with weight loss and muscle building. As with all food, it is important that we do not over eat it though.

Drinks and Calories

I regularly listen to the Jillian Michaels Podcasts and there is a regular guest doctor who appears on the show. We all know that fizzy drinks/sodas/pop, or whatever else you may call them, are not good. However, the doctor suggested that what we drink has had a major impact on weight gain, and suggested another major drink that can really hinder with regards to calorie intake. The drink(s) in question is fruit juice. I decided to investigate all of this further and so this blog will look into drinks and calories.

Fizzy drinks/sodas/pop

Firstly, fizzy drinks/sodas/pop. A medium coke at McDonalds (this is based on UK data) contains a massive 170 calories. For a drink this is quite remarkable to me. Too many of these drinks and the calories really begin to mount. It is really important, with regards to weight control, to not drink too many of these drinks.

Diet fizzy drinks

When choosing diet drinks the calorie intake and sugar intake is reduced significantly. However, other additions to the drink maybe even worse for us! So in terms of weight control these are good, but there are many issues with other things added to diet drinks.

Fruit Juice

It is pretty common knowledge that fruits contain plenty of sugar. However, this is not really a problem as fruits contain a lot of vitamins and minerals to make them worthwhile eating, plus the calories are not that high. Fruit juices, however, contain a large amount of calories. For example, 200ml of orange juice can have around 90 calories in it. The main issue, in my mind, with fruit juices is that we automatically expect them to be good for us and so have no worries when drinking them, however, the calories can easily add up through drinking them.

Overall fruit juice is the best of these types of drinks as they have far more nutritional value to them than the others but it is important to watch just how much we are drinking because of the relatively high calorie amounts.

Do Not Underestimate the Power of Walking

Many people struggle with the idea of weight loss and are often defeated before they begin on their quest. It is often simple little changes that can make a big difference with regards to weight loss. People expect that they will need to be on a treadmill for an hour a day, every day to see real results. This is not quite the case! Walking at a regular pace for just half an hour can really help to burn stored fat and help that weight come off. Walking is great for improving our overall health and fitness as well as helping to tone our muscles and strengthen our hearts.

Walking at 3mph for 10 minutes will burn around 43 calories. This may not sound a lot, but it all adds up! Besides, this is just 10 minutes.

One of the great things about walking is that it is so easy to do. The effort required is not too great, and most people can do it. Walking can really boost your weight loss, even if you can only manage a small amount each day so there is no need for making excuses about not having the time to exercise – go for a 10 minute walk for a start.

Try to make walking part of jobs you would be doing anyway. For example, instead of driving to the shops, walk. We will be burning calories doing something we were going to do anyway. Or why not add an extra 5 minutes to walking the dog. If we walk the dog for 15 minutes, add extra time on to burn some extra calories.

Another great thing about walking is that it is free! Many people, understandably, avoid the gym due to high prices. With walking there is no cost and so money can be saved while getting in shape!

Walking is a great place to start with weight loss, as it is easy to do, can be incorporated into our normal daily routines and, best of all, it is free! Have a great weekend!

Tests of Fitness

Upon browsing the internet I came across a page that offered 6 tests of fitness. The idea is to complete the set exercises and a rating is given as to how well we complete each exercise. Now, I would not consider these rating accurate myself, the tests certainly give goals to aim for. For example, being able to only do 10 body-weight squats is not poor (despite these tests indicating so), it is an excellent exercise to build strength. Here are the tests though:

The Plank – get in the push up position but rest on the elbows and forearms. Keep the back straight. Hold the position for as long as possible. Here are the ratings for The Plank; if you can hold for 2 minutes or more then you get an excellent rating, 75secs to 2 minutes is good, 45 seconds to 75 seconds is average and anything less is poor!

Body-weight Squat – keep the feet shoulder width apart and lower the thighs slowly until they are parallel with the floor and slowly raise back up. The ratings for a body-weight squat are; 50 or more reps is excellent, 30-49 is good, 16-29 is average and 15 or less is considered poor.

Press-up – straight back, hands on the floor, bend the elbows lowering the chest to the floor, and raise again. The ratings for a press ups are; 50 or more reps is excellent, 30-49 is good, 16-29 is average and 15 or less is considered poor.

1km Run – simply run a kilometre. The ratings for this run are; 3 minutes or less gets an excellent rating, 3mins-3min 29 seconds is good, 3mins 30secs to 4mins 29 seconds is average and any longer is considered poor.

500m Row – obviously we require a rowing machine for this part of the test, and the idea is to complete a 500m row as fast as possible. The ratings are; 1min 30 sec or less is excellent, 1min 31sec–1min 44sec is good, 1min 45sec–1min 59sec is average and 2min or more is poor.

Pull up – the final test is pull ups, one of the hardest exercises out there. 12 or more reps is excellent, 8–11 reps is good, 4–7 reps is average and 3 or fewer is poor.

I would be careful not to take the ratings too seriously, as we all have different levels and I would say that these tests should be used to set goals for our self rather than put us down if we hit ‘poor’ in a rating. That being said, all these exercises are useful and can help improve our fitness and health levels. 

My 5 key exercises

I am going to discuss what I consider to be 5 key exercises that I incorporate into my workouts each week. These are exercises that I think are the best. I primarily complete home workouts and each of these exercises can be completed at home any time.

1. Pull ups – pull ups are probably the best exercise from this list. They are so beneficial to us and should be included in our workouts. They are great for the biceps, the back, the shoulders and the core.

2. Push ups – a must in any home workout! This exercise works the triceps, shoulders, chest and back muscles and also helps strengthen the core.

3. Squats – this is my favourite workout for the legs. Squats contribute to increasing the size of the leg muscles (and the buttocks) and also help to develop core strength. The exercise can be made more difficult by adding weights. These help to create explosive power in our legs!

4. Skipping – the benefits of skipping are vast. This is where the cardio comes from in my list. Skipping helps to improve fitness, flexibility, co-ordination and balance. The great thing about skipping is that it is easier on the knees than running/jogging and cycling.

5. The Plank – my love for The Plank is no secret. It may be my favourite exercise of all time! It has been in my workouts for so long now and I can’t see it leaving. The Plank helps develop core strength, and tones the abdominal muscles.

This, of course, is just my opinion. These are the exercises that I get the most out of and do the best for me. However, I think that if you use them correctly, they will help to develop the body that you want.

Benefits of Weight Training for Fitness and Health

When thinking of our general health and well being weight training is something that should definitely be considered. In this post I will discuss some of the many benefits of building muscle.

Firstly, although cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic method for us to burn fat, building muscle will help us burn extra calories each day. Some sources claim that an additional pound of muscle gained can lead to our body burning an extra 50 calories each day. The good thing about this is that we're burning muscle while we are resting.

An obvious, but important, benefit to weight training is the increased strength we can achieve. For many this is why we begin weight training.

Another great benefit of weight training is that the risk of injury can be reduced. The stronger the muscles we have, the more stress and impact our body can take and we should see increased muscle flexibility, which can help keep us from pulling muscles.

Our physical appearance can improve through weight training. Aside from the fact that muscle building can help us to lose fat, we can also can lean muscle and get a more defined look about us, a look that many people want.

The final benefit that I will mention in this post is the fact that weight training can help our body to function better. Through stronger muscles we can get more support to our joints and will also see an improvement in our posture.

These are just some of the benefits of weight/muscle training, there are others too. Hope these inspire!

Calorie Listings

On Twitter I saw a post that claimed calorie listings can be up 20% wrong. I found this fascinating. I decided to look further into this and found many different reports (just do a search on Google) that make claims that back this up. It appears that in restaurants the calorie amount listed may be accurate over an average.

“On average, the calorie counts were accurate. However, the lab analysis showed that 19% of the foods tested had 100 or more calories in excess of what was on the website.” (CNN)

Another report, however, is even more damning. This report suggests that on average, the food measured ten calories higher than what the restaurant had claimed.

With much focus on healthy eating and ‘calorie counting’ this makes things slightly harder!

Little Changes for Weight Loss

Weight loss is a hot topic - always. And it is fair to say that many people really struggle to lose the weight that they want, and it is easy to understand why. There is so much information out there that contradicts itself, and many people are enticed by 'crash diets'. Crash diets are NEVER a good idea. But here are four ideas that can help to shed a few extra pounds.

1. Drop fruit juice from your diet. Despite it seeming a healthy drink, fruit juice contains a lot of sugar and people can drop a good few pounds a month by replacing it with water.

2. Avoid energy bars and products along similar lines. The reason for this is that when working out the energy from your last meal should be enough to get you through so you could do without the extra calories!

3. Add a piece of fruit or a vegetable to each meal. As well as the extra goodness you will receive from eating them, you will also feel fuller for longer and therefore be less likely to snack and will need less from your next meal.

4. Cut out the booze! As severe as it may sound this can help shed a good amount of weight each month. Or you could always try switching to a lighter beer!

The Importance of a well balanced diet

When looking into fitness, health, muscle building and weight loss, diet is such a key thing to address. Essentially, a good diet is the key to a healthy body.

No one single food will provide all the nutrients that our body requires in order to function as it should so it is important to have a well balanced diet in order to get these nutrients. The body needs protein, fats, carbohydrates and fibre as well as vitamins and minerals.

For building muscle mass protein is key. However, carbs, fats and fibre should not be ignored. About 20 minutes after a weight lifting workout we should refuel our body and this should contain proteins and carbohydrates.

One of the most important pieces of advice with regards to weight loss is to not starve yourself. This will lead to more harm than good. The body begins to store fat and often weight can go on. You will not be living healthy by starvation.

A good diet can also help maintain everyday health and prevent long term disease and illness.

Eat right!

Diet Myths – Part 3

Ok, this is the next instalment of my series of common diet myths. Today I will look at the final two myths regarding diet.

The first myth to discuss is to do with the elimination of carbs from your diet. People often try to incorporate high-protein, low carb diets into their lives, and often report rapid weight-loss. However, there are a number of reasons why you should keep carbs in your diet. Firstly, by focussing on a high protein diet you run the risk of increasing your chances of a heart-attack. Not good. Also, by cutting carbs, you can become irritable, nauseous and weak. Finally, eating too few carbohydrates can lead to the development of ketosis, which is a serious condition that can lead to gout and kidney stones.

The final myth to explode is that skipping meals is a good method for weight loss. This is unhealthy, and the fact is that your body is more likely to store food you do eat as fat because you have been starving yourself. If you eat inconsistently it makes it far more difficult for your body to regulate the metabolism. When you starve yourself, your body goes into ‘starvation mode’ which leads to it storing any extra calories as fat.

Hope this has helped

Diet Myths – Part 2

I posted about diet myths recently and I would like to follow that up with some more common myths that should be ignored!

The first myth that I will discuss today is that of avoiding dairy products. The rumour that is put about is that dairy products, such as cheese and milk, are fattening and unhealthy. To avoid dairy products would be a silly thing to do. They are a good source of protein, zinc and some B vitamins and they are PACKED with calcium, which is essential for healthy bones.

Now a fairly controversial one (or maybe not). Frozen and canned vegetables are often considered to contain less ‘good stuff’, such as vitamins, than fresh produce. This is a controversial one because it CAN be true, but it isn’t always. Often, by freezing, you can keep more vitamins and minerals than if fruits and vegetables have travelled a long distance. Usually, you will be just as well off by eating frozen vegetables as if you were eating fresh. (A bigger problem may be what is used to produce the vegetables that may affect what nutrition vegetables can provide, but that’s another issue).

Exercise Myths - Part 2

Today I will look at two more common exercise myths that people need to be aware of. As before these are widely accepted to be true and the facts and research suggests otherwise.

The first myth to destroy today is the idea that if you want to lose weight you should avoid strength training because it will lead to you bulking up. It is now widely accepted that you can combine both cardiovascular exercises with weight training in order to maintain a healthy weight. In fact, strength training helps to increase and preserve muscle mass and this can help decrease percentage body fat.

The next myth to dispel today is regarding the idea that home workouts are not as beneficial to you as going to the gym. First of all, some people find it easier to stick to their workout program when it is home-based, which is more beneficial to us than something we cannot stick to. Secondly, you can exercise any body part you wish at home and so you will not be losing out by exercising at home. 

Check out my short full body workout here.

Diet Myths - Part 1

I recently posted about some common fitness myths that are common mistakes that people make. Today I will discuss some myths relating to diet.


The first myth today is about low, or no, fat diets. People believe that cutting fat out of your diet is a good idea. It isn't. As with most things it is about moderation. However, completely removing fat from your diet is truly a bad idea. Fat is important to our body, it is used for energy, to repair tissue as well as to help use vitamins. Do not eliminate fat from your diet!

The second myth that I will discuss is the idea that eating late at night will be more fattening to your body. Many diets suggest that after a certain time in the evening you should not eat. Again, this is not a good idea. To put it simply, you should eat when you are hungry. Listen to the clues that your body gives you!

On a completely different note, are there any De Niro fans reading?

Skipping

Skipping is one of the best exercises for losing weight, keeping fit and staying in shape. It is a cario-vascular exercise that will increase your heart rate and burn fat. One of the key things about skipping is that it is better for your knees as the impact on them is shared between both knees, while running, for example, the impact falls on each leg individually and therefore impacts the knees more. The proof is in the pudding with skipping, just think how fit boxers are. A boxers' training regime includes skipping for, often, up to 45minutes!

Skipping Ropes 

Exercise Myths - Part 1

Today I am going to share some common fitness myths.

The first exercise myth that I will share is that doing crunches (or other abdominal exercises) will get rid of fat around your belly. This is simply false. Doing crunches helps to develop and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, as well as helping to improve your posture. You CANNOT select where you lose fat, so doing abdominal exercises will not rid you of belly fat. To see your abs you need to combine cardio-vascular exercises with muscle building and this will help to decrease overall body fat. 

The second myth that I will discuss is the theory of ‘No Pain, No Gain’. The basic truth is that training should not be painful. If you are in pain, or uncomfortable, then your body is telling you something, so listen to it! 

 Hope this helps.