Best Fitness Blog

... By Karli Taylor

I hope you are sitting down for this one: After the age of 20, if you do not add activity to your day or cut calories, you will gain approximately one pound each year.

Now that I’ve gotten your attention, what if I told you that you don’t have to do anything drastic to keep that weight from creeping up on you? Feel better? Keep reading.

If you walked an average of 150 extra steps every single day, you will avoid that weight gain. That is the equivalent of walking for 3 minutes that you would normally be sitting. You can accomplish this simply by pacing your office or home while on the phone or parking a little bit further away from the front door or your office or grocery store.

Can’t find extra time during your average day to sneak in a few steps? You can accomplish the same thing by going to the gym for 30 minutes 10 times a year- yes- a year!

Now, let’s say you don’t just want to maintain your weight, but you’d like to lose a pound every year as you age. All you have to do is double those numbers and enjoy the benefits of virtually reversing the aging process!

The bottom line is simple: weight gain happens slowly over time. SO slowly, that sometimes we don’t see it until it’s too late and we have gained 20-30 pounds. Start being conscious of the amount of activity you do each day, and this sneaky weight gain will never impact your lifestyle!

... By Karli Taylor

Tis the season for holiday parties- both at the office and on the weekends.  We all know that we can’t possibly avoid ALL of them,  nor should we try.  There is no reason to shy away from the holiday festivities just because we are afraid of gaining those holiday pounds.  There are ways to enjoy the fun AND still fit in your favorite party outfit for New Years Eve. Here are a few tips to help keep out bellies from  shaking like bowls full of jelly :

• No matter what, exercise an hour a day, 4-5 days a week during the holidays. You can even exercise in 10 minute bursts throughout the day.  If you absolutely can’t fit in some kind of structured exercise, be conscious about increasing your normal daily activity throughout the day- park further away, take the stairs etc.
• Don't skip meals. Eat small snacks if you are saving up calories for a big feast. Skipping meals slows down your metabolism, leads to hunger, low energy levels and improper food choices.
• Don't pass up favorite foods or deprive yourself completely.   Allow yourself to have those things that you truly enjoy and do so in moderation.  If you deprive yourself completely, you will only crave those things more.
•  Don't go to a party starving. Before you leave home, eat something light.  Also, drink a extra  water the day of the party.
• Park  yourself as far away from the buffet table as you can. The harder it is to slip some extra goodies onto your plate, the less likely you are to do it!
• Alcoholic beverages pack on the calories so if you're going to drink alcohol, stick to light beer or something mixed with a diet soft drink or seltzer. Steer clear of  the eggnog, it is high in calories and fat.
• Most importantly, take the focus off of what is going into your mouth! Try to enjoy the season, not just the food!

Free Radicals ... by Karli Taylor

Did you know that eating certain healthy foods help balance out damage done by exercise?

WAIT a second- damage from exercise???- If exercising is damaging, why do we do it??? As most people know, exercise has many proven benefits. It can lower the risk of heart disease and positively impact blood pressure, cholesterol levels, bone mass and well being while aiding in weight control, to name a few. And yet exercise has a dark side the production of free radicals in the body.
 
A free radical is a molecule with one or more unpaired electrons in its outer shell. The search for the other half of this pair creates an unstable, reactive environment in the body. Numerous studies in recent years strongly implicate these free radicals in the development of a variety of diseases such as certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and the aging process as a whole.

Fortunately, the body has a defense mechanism in place whose purpose is to intercept these free radicals, convert them to less harmful substances and remove them from the body. These compounds are referred to as the antioxidants.

The greatest body of research exists for vitamins C and E, individually and in combination. Additionally, minerals such a selenium and zinc have shown benefits. Following are some of the benefits to exercisers that antioxidant supplementation provides:

Vitamin C:

• May aid recovery and reduce soreness and damage associated exercise
• Reduce cortisol, adrenaline and anti-inflammatory peptides (markers of muscle damage) in ultra-marathon runners
• Fewer reported upper respiratory tract infections in runners

Vitamin E:

• Protects red blood cells from stress during intense exercise
• Protects against free radical induced muscle damage
• Reduces damage from intense exercise

The list goes on and on- but you get the picture. Good sources of anti-oxidants include: berries, broccoli, spinach, tea, carrots, garlic, grapes and the reason I started this piece- TOMATOES!