Burn Calories All Day

Burn calories all day--this is one key to burning fat, losing weight and maintaining weight. Stay active as much as possible and you will reach your fat loss and weight loss goals sooner.



You don't have to wait until your workout to start burning calories. Your body is actually burning calories all day to maintain itself (your metabolic rate). But to burn major calories every day, you must be active. Its pretty easy to do. Just make it a habit to move around more during the day.

Here are some ways to burn more calories:

1. Stand as much as you can during the day. No one said you had to sit down while typing on your computer! Put your laptop on a platform that allows you to stand up and work. Just make sure you don't slouch over while typing.

Research proves that when you sit, your fat-burning enzymes basically shut down. So, when you stand during the day, those fat-burning enzymes go to work for you! At the very least, you can walk around for 2-3 minutes every hour. It will definitely get your blood flowing better and you will be more alert.

2. Along the same theme, walk during your work breaks. This is a great way to get in 30 minutes of brisk walking.

3. Instead of walking during work breaks, you could do bodyweight exercises in your office. Pushups, planks, bridges, squats, lunges, triceps dips, tube rows and jumping jacks are some examples.

4. Ride your bike to work. This might not be practical for some of you. That's okay. Ride your bike after work (or walk)!

5. Yoga or pilates anyone? These exercises would be perfect for work breaks. Just keep an exercise mat at work.

6. When you get home, clean the house. Household chores are natural calorie burners!

Now, go and do your workout!

If you need to know how to lose weight the right way, get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »

Cycling Does Not Cause Bone Loss

During a six-day bicycle race, the bones of world class bicycle racers become stronger (Physiologie Appliquée, Nutrition et Métabolisme, June 2010). Bones are constantly changing. Certain cells called osteoblasts take calcium into bones to make them stronger, while other cells called osteoclasts take calcium out of bones to weaken them. During the race, hormones produced by osteoblasts to strengthen bones increased (osteocalcin increased by 300 percent, and C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen increased by 43 percent).

The theory that cycling weakens bones flies in the face of our current understanding of bone metabolism. Any force on bones increases, and lack of force decreases, the rate of bone formation (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, November 2009). Astronauts in space lose bone because lack of force blocks their ability to respond to Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 that stimulates bone growth (Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, March 2004). All competitive cyclists know that hammering on the pedals while pulling up on their handle bars puts tremendous force on every muscle and bone in their bodies, and this should stimulate bone growth.

I cannot find any studies showing that cycling weakens bones to increase fracture risk. Some studies show that competitive cyclists have lower bone mineral density in their spines than moderately-active, aged-matched men (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, February 2009; Osteoporosis International Reports, August 2003). These studies have been interpreted to mean that cycling increases risk for bone fractures beyond what you would expect from just falling off the bike. Bone density tests do not measure bones strength. They measure how much bones block X-rays that try to pass through them. The only way to measure bone strength is to see how much force it takes to break a bone.

The most likely explanations for broken bones in cyclists are high-impact crashes and/or lack of vitamin D. I recommend that all cyclists get a blood test called Vitamin D3 in December or January. If it is below 75 nmol/L, they are deficient in vitamin D and at increased risk for breaking bones. To prevent fractures, they should do winter training in the southern sunbelt or take at least 800 IU of Vitamin D3 per day.

A review of 12 controlled scientific studies showed that oral vitamin D reduced non-vertebral and hip fractures in patients over 65 years of age (Evidence-Based Medicine, October 2009). Blood levels of vitamin D below 75 nmol/L cause parathyroid hormone levels to rise too high, which causes osteoporosis. A main function of vitamin D is to increase calcium absorption from the intestines into the bloodstream. When blood levels of vitamin D fall below 75 nmol/L, levels of ionizable calcium drop. This causes the parathyroid gland to produce large amounts of its hormone. Higher than normal blood parathyroid hormone levels take calcium out of bones to cause osteoporosis.

A woman's bones are strongest when she is twenty years old. After that, she continues to lose bone for the rest of her life, and for the first few years of menopause, the rate that she loses bones more than triples. A study from the University of Erlangen in Germany shows that vigorous exercise during the menopause helps prevent osteoporosis (Archives of Internal Medicine, May 2004). In this study, fifty women lifted weights in group training sessions twice a week, and exercised by themselves twice a week. They also took calcium and vitamin D. As their muscles became stronger, so did their bones.

Sprint cyclists, and to a lesser extent distance cyclists, have greater tibia and radius bone strength than controls, with tibial bone measures being well preserved with age in all groups. This suggests that "competition-based cycling and the associated training regimen is beneficial in preserving average or above- average bone strength surrogates into old age in men" (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, March 2009).
More

Read more »

Get In Shape With The Right Training

"Get in shape" by using the right training methods. You can't just start lifting weights and running with no guidance. This can often lead you to little or no results and a host of injuries. Here's a client question:



Question: Some muscle areas on my body are more developed than others. How can I correct this problem?

Mark's Answer: We all have a body type due to heredity and lifestyle choices. A fitness assessment is important because the personal trainer identifies postural weaknesses and muscle imbalances. The fitness program is then tailored to fit your needs. Without this assessment, you are "shooting in the dark."

Achieving optimal muscular fitness requires flexibility, strength, endurance, power, and speed. These components should be included in an integrated training program.

Because of lifestyle habits, the dominant side of the body develops more than the non-dominant side. And, if certain patterns or muscular actions are performed repeatedly, muscles develop more in either the front of the body or the back of the body. As a result, some muscles become tight, lengthened or weak.

An integrated training program focuses on 3-dimensional muscular balance. This will help overall strength, prevent injuries and enhance everyday living. Opposing muscle groups should be in balance. For example, the quadriceps group/hamstring group should be in balance (or the quads should not be significantly stronger than the hamstrings). Research has proven that inadequate hamstring strength contributes to knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

To avoid developing muscle imbalances or to correct muscle imbalances, you should do the following:

1) Have a postural assessment performed by a fitness professional. This assessment will indicate where your muscles are tight, weak or lengthened. It will also indicate patterns of postural dysfunction called postural distortion patterns. Distortion patterns occur because the structural integrity of the kinetic chain (human movement system) is compromised due to the misalignment of one or more of its components.

2) Develop a comprehensive flexibility routine.

3) Weight training should focus on the total body to avoid muscle imbalances.

If you need to know how to lose weight the right way, get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »

How Exercise Prolongs Life by Making You Stronger

As you age, you become progressively weaker. If you exercise regularly, you will not become as weak as other people your age who do not exercise. The same mechanism that makes you stronger will also help you to live substantially longer than people who do not exercise.

Harvard researchers have proven that exercise prevents loss of the connections between nerves and the muscles that they enervate caused by aging (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, published online August 29, 2010). The researchers studied genetically engineered mice with nerve cells that glow in fluorescent colors. Muscles are made up of millions of individual muscle fibers. Every muscle fiber is innervated by a single nerve. If the nerve dies, the muscle fiber innervated by that nerve also dies. With aging, all humans and mice lose nerves that cause their corresponding muscle fibers to die also. However, mice placed on just one month of exercise in later life actually regained some of the lost connections between nerves and muscle fibers. This is the same mechanism that helps revive nerves in the brain to slow down and even stop the loss of mental function associated with aging. Exercise also prevents loss of strength associated with aging that causes falls, broken bones and injuries in older people.

Researchers at The University of Western Ontario in London just reported that competitive runners with an average age of 65 had the same number of nerves and muscle fibers as younger recreational runners, and far more muscle fibers and nerves than non-exercising age-matched controls (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, September 2010).

This helps explain why exercisers live more than 12 years longer than those who do not exercise (British Journal of Sports Medicine, March 2008). Many other studies show that lifelong physically active older mammals have greater numbers of muscle fibers and their associated nerves than comparable-age mammals that do not exercise. Intense exercise is far more effective than casual exercise to:
• Prevent and treat diabetes (Circulation, July 2008; J. Applied Physiology, January 2006)
• Prevent heart attacks in obese people without weight loss (MSSE, October 2006)
• Prevent heart attacks (MSSE, July 1997)
• Reduce belly fat (MSSE, November 2008)
• Prevent premature death (Heart, May 2003)
• Prevent metabolic syndrome and heart attacks (Exercise and Sports Sciences Reviews, July 2009)
• Raise HDL cholesterol (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, March 2009)
(Caution: Exercise can cause heart attacks in people with blocked coronary arteries.)

Read more »

Burning Stubborn Body Fat

Where are your stubborn body fat areas? Here are some common body fat areas that are sometimes hard to lose: belly fat, butt/hips/thighs fat, low back fat and upper back arm fat. Any of those fat areas sound familiar? I think we all have dealt with one or more of those stubborn fat areas. Do you know what to do about it?

First, stop wasting money on fitness gadgets! You don't need them to burn fat and lose weight. Second, don't spend any more money on fat loss and weight loss pills. You don't need those supplements either. And finally, forget about quick weight loss programs. They don't work long-term and that's why they are called quick!

This is what you need to do:

1. Start a healthy meal plan filled with whole, natural foods. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat diary products and whole grains fit the bill. Severely limit fast foods, processed foods and foods in a box or bag. Base your daily caloric intake on your basal metabolic rate and your daily activity. This way, you won't eat too much or too little (severe calorie restriction). You need to maintain a daily caloric deficit to burn fat and lose weight.

2. Drink only water and unsweetened drinks most of the time. Drink about half your body weight in ounces every day. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink at least 75 ounces of water every day. This will improve your health and help with weight loss.

3. Start building muscle mass and burning fat at the same time. You must change your body's composition to more muscle and less fat. This will speed up your metabolism and help you burn more calories every day.

Your body will also shrink because muscle takes up less space than fat. Over time, you will begin to lose weight and the weight will stay off. Do full body circuit strength training 3 times a week, about 30-40 minutes a session. When you get really good at it, 20-minute strength training sessions will be enough to get the job done.

4. I recommend doing interval cardio sessions (about 20 minutes a session) 2-3 times a week. Sprint interval cardio works best, especially on inclines on grass. Bodyweight exercise interval cardio also works well. You might have to work up to being able to do 20-minute interval cardio sessions. If you are doing 60-minute cardio sessions, stop now! It is wasting your time and precious muscle mass.

5. If you have stubborn fat areas like lower ab fat, you can do extra strength exercises on cardio days to address those areas. Never do spot training only. It doesn't work. Aim to burn total body fat first and local area fat second.

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

Read more »

Fast Cardio Burns Fat

Fast cardio workouts are intense and burns tons of fat. You won't get bored doing fast cardio workouts but you will be exhausted! If your cardio workouts are 60 minutes, you are wasting your time. And, you are probably not getting the fat loss results you want.



Fast cardio will help you break through your weight loss plateau. All of the early success associated with starting an exercise program can send you into a tailspin when you reach a plateau. You become frustrated and wonder "what am I doing wrong?" You probably just need to change up your exercise routine and you'll be okay.

There are many ways to change up an exercise routine----do new exercises, adjust the intensity, adjust the amount of weight, adjust the repetitions/sets, etc. One of the best ways to get you "out of your exercise funk" is to do fast cardio workouts! Shorter, more intense workouts (weight training or cardio) will give you more fat loss!

Here's an example: instead of doing cardio on the elliptical machine or treadmill, change it up. All it takes is 20 intense minutes! It can go something like this:

--Sprint 60 yards
--Walk back to starting line
--Sprint 60 yards
--Walk back to starting line
--Do this rotation for 20 minutes

Or, you could do this type workout:

--Full speed medicine ball diagonal chops, 1 minute
--Slow jog for 2 minutes
--Full speed medicine ball front chops, 1 minute
--Slow jog for 2 minutes

Just do this rotation for 20 minutes and you have a very intense fast cardio workout! And, on your weight training days, you could mix in some power exercises. Before you know it, you will have broken through your plateau! Try it! From personal experience, I know it works!

If you need to know how to lose weight the right way, get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »

Banned Drugs Probable Cause of Athlete Deaths

If vigorous exercise is good for you, why have so many former world-class athletes died of heart attacks?

The most likely cause is previous use of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). Doctors at the Massachusetts General Hospital found that apparently healthy, older former long- term users of anabolic steroids have weaker left ventricles, the major pumping chamber of the heart. This markedly increases their risk for heart failure and heart attacks (Circulation: Heart Failure, July 2010).

Many world class athletes in sports requiring extreme strength took anabolic steroids from the early 1960s on. When these athletes were in competition, their training made their hearts stronger than those of other people their age, and available tests failed to show any heart muscle damage. With aging, the hearts of all people weaken because they lose muscle fibers. As these former users of anabolic steroids reach middle and older age, tests can detect the heart muscle weakening that increases their risk for sudden death from heart attacks.

Taking large amounts of HGH can cause sudden death from irregular heart beats. HGH causes heart muscle to grow far more than its nerves do, and everyone loses nerves with aging. The effect of former HGH use on the hearts of older athletes has not been documented, but we do know that people who have acromegaly, a brain tumor that produces large amounts of HGH, are at increased risk for sudden death from irregular heart beats.

Read more »