Best Fitness Blog

You are busy, and when you are busy you exercise less and don’t eat as well as you should. But the key to weight loss is burning more calories than you take in, but also eating healthy. You may think you eat fine, but if you take a few minutes to evaluate what you eat, you may start to notice some unhealthy habits. The first question that you should ask yourself is: What types of processed foods do you eat?

Processed foods have added fats and sugars to make them taste better, last longer and cook faster. This hidden extras add on the calories more quickly than most of us realize. Because of this, the typical American diet is loaded with sugar, fat, and sodium, often leading to high blood pressure, low energy, and poor digestion. The best way to reduce your risk for many diseases and health issues is to choose natural and minimally processed foods. Often called “eating clean”.

If you want to eat clean, you need to eat the least processed food with the most nutrients. How? No more fast foods, no more frozen food aisle at the grocery store, choose fresh vegetables and fruits over canned or frozen.

Choose foods that are low in fat, high in fiber, with essential vitamins and minerals. This will control blood sugar, give you more energy for exercise and give you the fiber that you need for better and healthy digestion.

Eating a less processed, healthy diet along with increased exercise can boost your metabolism and help you lose weight. Replacing fast foods and processed foods can help you eat less calories overall and increase the amount of fiber you eat. Additionally, high-fiber whole grains, vegetables, and fruits will help you feel fuller longer causing you to eat less. Did you know that people who eat an additional 14 grams of fiber a day eat 10% less throughout the day.?

...By Karli Taylor

You have heard it before -- if you want to know the state of your health, turn your attention to your waistline. Waist circumference is getting a lot of attention as the new risk factor for future health problems, even becoming more popular than the old standard of BMI. Why? It’s because belly fat is thought to be more dangerous than fat that pads other parts of your body. Even people who look to be “skinny” should be concerned if they hold any extra baggage around the middle.

Your body needs some fat, but where the fat is on your body makes a big difference. Fat can behave differently in different places, and the stuff that lies along your midsection has been proven to be the most unhealthy. There are two types of fat that can live around your waistline, the first is subcutaneous fat, or the fat just under your skin. This is the fat that you can pinch with your fingers. Though it is what most of us concern ourselves with, it’s actually the lesser of the two evils. It’s the visceral fat, the belly fat that hides deep inside, around your inner organs, that may pose a silent health threat if there's too much of it.

There are four keys to losing visceral fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

Though there are no specific moves or activities that lessen visceral fat, by including both cardiovascular and resistance exercise into your daily routing you will be able to burn off fat while you are exercising and add lean mass that will continue to burn fat while you are at rest.

It has been proven that 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, done four times per week, reduced subcutaneous and visceral abdominal fat. Resistance training alone reduced only subcutaneous fat. However a stronger, leaner body burns more calories at rest so it is always best to do cardio as well as strength training to accomplish your weight loss goals.

Contact Best Fitness in your area for assistance in creating a weight loss plan that incorporates the loss of belly fat.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

...By Karli Taylor

Yup, you read that right. You can be skinny and fat at the same time! In a recent survey only 45 percent of Americans strongly agree that body weight is an indicator of a healthy diet, and you know what? They're right. In fact, body weight isn't a good indicator of health period. Some of the skinniest people I know are also the least healthy.

In a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers found that among more than 15,000 patients, for those with a "normal, healthy" body mass index (BMI) who carried excess fat in their bellies, the risk of dying was no lower than those with BMIs in the "overweight" or "obese" category. In reality where you carry your weight and your day-to-day lifestyle are the true keys to optimal wellness.

Though I’m not saying that weight is not a factor in being healthy, I am saying that there is a much bigger picture that needs to be examined. To better grasp your health ask yourself these 10 questions — the more that you answer yes, the better:

• Do you consistently eat 3-5 servings of fruit or vegetables every day?
• Do you consistently eat whole grains and limit refined grains?
• Do you consistently limit your intake of processed and fried foods?
• Are you consistently physically active at least 30 minutes 5 days a week?
• Do you consistently get at least 7 hours of sleep each night?
• Would you describe your stress level as moderate to low?
• Is your waist measurement below 35 inches (women) or 40 inches (men)?
• Are you a non-smoker?
• Do you consistently avoid saturated fats?
• Are you more focused on how you feel (energy, strength, endurance) rather than your size or weight?

Because many people keep focused solely on the number on the scale, they are willing to engage in behaviors that worsen their health. But those 'skinny fat' habits, like skipping meals, smoking, relying on diet pills and over-exercising are major health traps that can speed up the aging process and ruin your quality of life. At the end of the day, monitor your weight, but focus on your health.

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

By... Karli Taylor

In recent years, many studies have been published showing the benefits of weight training for women. Still, the number of women who take this recommendation to heart is still quite low. Most women who exercise are spending most of their gym time on cardiovascular exercise because they are afraid weight training will make the look bulky or they feel that walking on the treadmill is sufficient. Whatever your reasons for avoiding the weights, if you are a woman, here are some less obvious reasons reasons why you need to take strength training seriously.

In addition to getting stronger and leaner, adding weight training to your routine will help to decrease your risk of osteoporosis. Weight training can increase spinal bone density by up to 13 percent in just six months. This, coupled with an adequate amount of dietary calcium, can be a women's best defense against osteoporosis.

Did you know that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death among women in the U.S?: Weight training can improve cardiovascular health in several ways, including lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol, increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. When cardiovascular exercise is added, these benefits are maximized, and your risk of heart disease is lowered!

If those reasons still aren’t enough to convince you to pump some iron, weight training will reduce your risk of diabetes. Weight training has been shown to improve the way the body processes sugar, which may reduce the risk of diabetes. Adult-onset diabetes is a growing problem for both women and men. Research indicates that weight training can increase glucose utilization in the body by 23 percent in four months.

Don’t you think that the benefits are worth the work?

Visit one of our Best Fitness Clubs to learn even more about this topic. We have locations in Albany,NY, Tonawanda, NY, Schenectady, NY, Erie, PA, Nashua, NH, Chelmsford, MA, and Drum Hill, MA.

... By Karli Taylor

You’re on the treadmill walking at a nice easy warm-up pace. With nothing else interesting to look at, you start to read the heart rate chart that is printed next to the digital display. You find your age and follow the row over to find your current heart rate and… you are working too hard?

This is a classic example of why you should not believe everything you read. Yes, I know that this chart is printed on the cardio machines in every gym you have ever stepped foot in, and I’m sure it hangs on the wall in many group exercise studios across the globe as well. The simply truth is this: it is wrong. The numbers on this chart are based on a formula used to ESTIMATE maximum heart rate. This basic formula, 220-age= max heart rate, is inherently flawed. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.

Mrs. Smith is a 30 year old marathon runner. She runs approximately 40 miles a week, is an ideal weight and is in good health. Her friend, Mrs. Jones, is also 30 years old. The similarities end there. Mrs. Jones is a smoker. She has not exercised in over 10 years, and according to most guidelines for height and weight, she is morbidly obese. Based on the chart found on that treadmill, both Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Smith should be working in the same heart rate range to burn fat...

Sound right? At 75% of their estimated max heart rate (220-30= 190 * .7 ), or 133 beats per minute, one of these ladies is barely sweating while the other is gasping for breath. If these charts are all wrong, what do you do? There is a simple formula to find your target heart rate range (70-85% of your maximum heart rate), but to calculate it, you need to find your resting heart rate.

If you wake up without an alarm, take your pulse 3 mornings in a row before your feet hit the ground and take the average number to get your resting. If you do rely on an alarm, take your pulse if you get up on the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. If you do not wake up during the night, take your pulse right before you fall asleep. Try not to watch and scary or suspenseful television shows in bed though!

Once you get that number, plug it in to these formulas to get the high and low end of your target heart rate range:

220-age- resting * .70 + resting = 70% max heart rate.
220-age-resting *.85 + resting= 85% max heart rate.

... By Karli Taylor

Have you seen the commercials downplaying the effects of high-fructose corn syrup? Are you wondering why it has gotten such a bad reputation over the years if it really is no worse for us than simple sugar? The advertisements made me start to wonder, so I decided to look into it a little bit further. There are a ton of studies out there about high fructose corn syrup, but I have noticed that nothing compared it directly to sugar.

For example, a recent study at a well known university found that consuming high-fructose corn syrup ultimately leads to abnormal increases in body fat--especially in the abdominal region. So corn syrup must be bad right? Not so fast… the study compared rats eating a diet rich in high fructose corn syrup to another group of rats eating no added sugar at all. The study actually proved only that excess sugar increases abdominal fat- it said nothing about the source of the sugar.

Similar studies have compared diets rich in simple sugars to diets very low in sugar and have come up with similar findings. Though more research is needed to find out which type of sugar is the bigger offender, all of these studies are leading me to the same conclusion: there is definitely valid reason to limit your intake of all sugars.

Excess sugar results in excess calories. Excess calories results in excess weight. In other words, excess = excess. We knew that already, didn’t we?

So how do we cut back on sugar? Here are some little changes that can make a big difference:

• Limit your intake of sweetened beverages. You may be shocked at how many calories you are drinking every day…
• Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables
• Limit your intake of packaged foods
• When you do eat packaged foods, read the labels and stay away from food that are high is “ose” words. Sucralose, fructose, lactose etc- they are all types of sugar!

... By Karli Taylor

Heart rate monitors are in widespread use among all levels of exercisers these days. If you don't have one you may feel that you are missing critical information to get the most from your workout. While using a monitor is not necessary for everyone, it can be a great tool for all exercisers. Even if used temporarily, it will help you learn how you feel at a given heart rate and you will become a better judge of your own limitations.

You can learn so much about your body in just a few weeks with a heart monitor that even when you're not wearing it, you'll know whether you're working too hard, not hard enough, or are exerting just the right amount of effort for a particular workout. You may be surprised that sometimes your hard workouts are too hard, and often when you think that you are barely working, you are in fact working just hard enough.

Though it's especially helpful if you're new to exercise, a heart rate monitor can be a great tool if you're just bored with your current routine and want to try something new. Playing games with your heart rate not only provides you with something to focus on during longer or harder workouts.

Next time you want to shake up your workout with a heart-rate game, try changing the speed or incline of your run or walk while using your breath to keep your heart rate within a certain range- it’s a lot harder than it sounds. You can also challenge yourself with recovery time. How long does it take you after a hard interval to get your heart rate down to where it was before you started it? Can you shorten that time by focusing on your breath?

If you are not sure where your heart rate should be during exercise, stay tuned…

... By Karli Taylor

If asked, most people will tell you that drinking green tea is good for you. Over the last decade, green tea has been linked to health benefits ranging from fighting cancer and heart disease and lowering cholesterol to burning fat. More recent research has pointed out a few ways to get more out of that tiny little tea leaf….

Green tea has been linked to a reduced risk of heart attacks, thanks to powerful antioxidants called catechins. Studies show, however, that our bodies are only able to absorb about 20 percent of these healthful compounds. The good news is that by combining green tea with lemon juice, we can increase the absorption to over 75%!

So after brewing yourself a cup of green tea, squeeze in the juice of one whole lemon. If you don’t like the flavor of lemon, lime and orange can in at a close second and third in recent studies. It is the ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, that improves catechin absorption.

People who drink green tea with their meals report feeling more full and are less likely to want a second helping than those who drink plain water. Experts say the compounds in green tea can affect the hormones that regulate hunger and fullness. If you are drinking green tea for fat loss, you may want to try adding black pepper to your next meal. A recent study found that the combination of greet tea and black pepper boosts the absorption of EGCG, a key antioxidant in tea tied to calorie burning, by over 100 percent. Studies say as little as a half-teaspoon of black pepper can increase the absorption of tea’s beneficial compounds.

...By Karli Tayor

Losing weight can be overwhelming. Even losing that last 5 pounds can seem like a daunting task that requires hard work and sacrifice. I’m not about to tell you that there is a quick fix to drop pounds, but I will tell you a few little things that you can do that will really add up to some big drops on the scale.

• Drink Water. Not only will drinking more water make you feel fuller for longer, but water is essential to keeping your body running efficiently. If you don’t drink enough water, your kidney function slows down. As a result, your kidneys pass off the unfinished work to your liver. What does that have to do with weight loss? Well, one of your liver's functions is to help your body burn stored fat for energy- it can't perform that job fully if it has to do the kidney's job also. By not drinking water you put your liver on double duty, decreasing its fat burning potential and causing you to store more fat.
• Do NOT drink soda, even diet soda. Since regular soda is basically liquid sugar loaded with useless calories. Did you know that if you replaced 2 bottles of soda with 2 bottles of water, you could lose up to 2 pounds a week? Some studies now link consumption of diet soda with weight gain because even though diet sodas have 0 calories, the artificial sweeteners increase your cravings for sugars and other foods that make you gain weight.
• Don't sit down for more than 4 hours. Studies show that sitting down or being virtually inactive for longer than 4 hours slows down your metabolism making it easier for you to store fat. To prevent this from happening, try standing up for at least 10 minutes within every 4 hours that you are awake. Easy enough right?
• CHEW your food longer and lose weight faster. Your grandmother wasn’t completely nuts for telling you to chew everything 20 times. You should chew everything you eat at least 8-12 times. Eat slowly. Your body doesn't realize that you've had enough to eat until several minutes after you've had it. If you chew your food more than usual, not only will you eat more slowly, but also you'll trick your body into thinking it's had more to eat

Try adding these simple habits to your day and watch the number on the scale get closer to that goal.

... By Karli Taylor

Obesity not only puts people at risk for a number of chronic conditions but may also increase the likelihood of dying in a car crash. In general, car crashes are the most common cause of injury-related death for those ages 3 to 33. New studies show how body weight plays into this statistic.

Results of a recent study show that moderately obese individuals, those with a body mass index between 35 and 39, have a 21-percent higher risk of dying during a severe car crash compared with normal-weight individuals. Morbidly obese individuals, those with a BMI of 40 and above, have a 56-percent higher risk.

The results suggest that having a larger stomach puts an individual too close to the steering wheel, and therefore can boost the risk of mortality because the body has less time to slow down before hitting the steering column after impact.

To add to the danger for obese individuals, they are also more likely to have serious illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and are more likely to have complications during surgery, which may contribute to their higher risk of death after a crash.

Some are now considering whether car manufacturers should consider redesigning their vehicles co protect the one-third of obese Americans from injury during car crashes. It may be as simple as allowing the driver’s seat to push further back than current vehicles allow. Also, manufacturers should use obese crash-test dummies, in addition to the normal-weight ones, when testing cars for safety. What do you think about that?