Best Fitness Blog

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.

It’s probably been a few months since your last golf outing.   What better training, you think, than getting out there and playing?  You're at the first tee, shaking the rust off your golf swing, and you feel a pull in your back or your hamstring. Sound familiar?  

While golf isn't a contact sport, it puts significant demands on your body which can easily lead to golf injuries. Before you hit the links this year, take a little while to prepare your body for what’s about to happen.

Understanding the mechanics behind your golf swing can help you prevent golf injuries.  Maintaining proper posture before and during your swing will keep your back healthy. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and distribute your weight equally on both feet to keep from tightening on one side. Avoid hunching over the ball, which may contribute to neck and back strain.

Think of your body as one unit and move smoothly through your swing. The power of your golf swing comes from force transferred through all of your muscles, from your wrists to your ankles.

If you depend on one part of your body for your hitting power, you may be more prone to golf injuries. For example, overemphasizing your wrists during your swing can lead to a strain of the muscles on the inside of the forearm which is commonly referred to as golfer's elbow.

Lastly, make sure you warm up before you take your first swing of the day.  Walk around a bit before making your way to the first tee, and take some practice swings without the club in your hands to get your body used to the motion.

... By Karli Taylor

What’s the one piece of workout gear you can’t live without? Your ipod? A good water bottle? A matching track suit? Think again- the single most important piece of equipment to virtually any kind of exercise program -- running, aerobics, hiking, tennis, basketball -- is the right pair of shoes. A good pair of shoes can make or break your workout, so how do you pick the right pair?

The biggest mistake people make when they start an exercise program is just reaching into the closet and pulling out an old pair of sneakers, or going to the store and buying a new pair based on looks alone.

First, be sure you are looking for the right sneakers for the right activity. And yes, it does matter. A shoe made for running is very different from a shoe made for basketball or tennis, in a number of ways. Think about the way you move when you run – always forward right? Now think about tennis, or basketball or even soccer- you move sideways just as often as you move forward. This small detail changes the placement of extra support when a shoe is designed.

Those examples may seem obvious, but even walking shoes are different than running shoes. Runners land more on their forefoot when they strike the ground, while walkers have a heavier heel strike. Something this simple changes where extra padding is built into a shoe. If you are a walker who sometimes adds jogging or running to the mix, go with the runner as you need the extra padding more for the higher impact involved in the running motion.

What if you aren’t heavily into running, walking, tennis, or any one particular sport? What if you go to the gym occasionally, maybe play tennis with a co-worker once in a while, or shoot hoops on the weekend with the kids? For you, a cross-trainer might be the best choice.

Next step is to make sure the shoe truly fits. I know it seems obvious, but many of us have been walking around in shoes that are either too tight or way too big for most of our lives. Take the extra few minutes to get both of your feet measured the next time you buy shoes. It won’t take long, and the right fit will make a huge difference.

Regardless of what type of shoe you end up with, dedicate those shoes to working out only. By using your workout shoes as your everyday shoes, you will break them down much faster and the benefit you have gained form choosing the right shoe will soon be lost.

Keep in mind that even if you dedicate your shoes to a specific purpose, they will need to be replaced eventually. Most experts recommend that runners replace their shoes every 300-500 miles. If you don’t run enough to have a mile count, base the life of your shoes on the frequency with which you work out. If you’re exercising on a casual basis, you can make your shoes last a year, but if you’re working out at least 5 days each week, six months is pretty much your limit.

... By Karli Taylor

One of the newer buzzwords in the fitness clothing industry is “compression”. From socks to swimsuits, compression gear is slowing taking over the shelves. Recently, there have been many different claims made by various companies about the advantages of this type of clothing- some of which have more validity than others. Let’s take a look at the two real benefits of these tight fitting clothing garments.

Regulating body temperature: The main difference between these tight fitting garments and regular clothing is their ability to efficiently remove perspiration from the skin. This is achieved by the use of moisture wicking fabrics and the garments tight fitting nature. Unlike other breathable garments, you won’t get perspiration collecting on the skin. This means that in hot climates your bodies cooling system continues to work efficiently and that in the cold you are not wearing wet clothing therefore will stay warmer.

Reduction in excess muscle movement: Compression clothing prevents your muscles from shaking or vibrating upon impact. Every time you move, your muscles move too. When they do small tears appear within the muscle tissue. By reducing the rate at which this damage takes place we are able to work for longer and experience less pain following training. The principle behind stopping body shake is old and probably the best example is the wearing of sports bras by woman. Now with the elastic properties of compression garments we are able to provide the same sort of support for the rest of your body. This is the reason that your garments must be firm fitting and appropriate for your sport or activity.

You will find other claims surrounding compression clothing. Some companies claim that it increases blood flow to the muscles. Some claim that it will increase the power output of your muscles or increase your stamina. None of these claims have been studied thoroughly enough for me to confidently support them, so I’ll leave the jury out for now.