Fitness Matters!

Get Up and Move!

Kim Farmer — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 23:33:12 +0000

Over the past 30 years there has been a shift in the way society behaves, works, and expects to work due to huge advances in technology¹. This slow yet steady shift has turned America into a near-complete sedentary society. Technological progress and all the wonderful things that it does has turned the vast majority of Americans into sedentary blobs at work, at home, and at “play”. Be it the cushy office job that so many people covet, to watching T.V., to playing video games; all we do is sit. We sit at work, we sit at home, we sit when we play… Sit. Sit. Sit. Where has all this sitting done to our society? It should come as no surprise, as we are told it loudly and often, that we are overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy. This begs the question, “What do we do about it?”

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) prolonged sitting has adverse health consequencesincluding all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease. So what can we do? Do you remember as a kid when you were at school or at home and you had to be moving all the time and then your parents or your teacher would tell you to “sit still,” “stop wiggling,” and “sit down?” What if these things are part of what you are supposed to do? ACSM suggested that this may be exactly what we need to do, and it is called non-exercise activity thermogenesis, or NEAT. This is the energy that your body expends outside of regular exercise and it plays a pivotal role in keeping us healthy¹! So what does that mean for us?

When you find yourself fidgeting at your desk, tapping your feet, or bouncing your leg, that is your body’s way of tell you it needs to move! So, stand up and move! Pace when talking on the phone, take periodic breaks just to walk down the hallway, deliver messages in person versus emailing, play movement based video games, and walk to and from the mailbox… Be creative! Find new ways to get up and move around and, yes, don’t forget to fidget.

Have a healthy week!

Contributors: Kim Farmer and Michelle Beachem of Mile High Fitness. Mile High Fitness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions. Visit www.milehighfitness.com or email inquires@milehighfitness.com

¹ Bushman, B. A. (2012). Sit less and stand and move more. ACSM’s health and fitness journal, 16(2), 4.

The Sweetener Wars

Kim Farmer — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:45:35 +0000

People eat more sugar now than they ever have before and it shows in the waistlines of people all over the world; in the US alone people consume 400 times more sugar than they did in 1970¹. What is it that makes sugar so appealing and oftentimes addictive? Understanding sugar’s addictive qualities and breaking a sugar habit is difficult so you need to know about the many alternatives and their side effects. There are many questions raised about what sweeteners are safe to use in place of sugar; from Sweet n’ Low (saccharine), Equal (aspartame), Xylitol, Splenda (sucralose), to Stevia (steviol). Let’s look at all of the sweeteners independently:

Sucrose:

Derived from sugar cane or corn
Causes rapid blood sugar spiking and falling
Not safe for diabetics
Low potency sweetener

Saccharine:

High potency sweetener
Does not cause blood sugar spiking
Safe for diabetics
Dangerous for persons with phenylketonuria (PKU); a metabolic genetic disorder that renders the body unable to metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine.
Can have a bitter after taste

Aspartame:

High potency sweetener
Does not cause blood sugar spiking
Safe for diabetics
Known to cause migraines in certain people
Can have a bitter aftertaste

Xylitol:

High potency sweetener
Does not cause blood sugar spiking
Safe for diabetics
Derived from sugar alcohols
Excess consumption can cause gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea

Sucralose:

High potency sweetener
Does not cause blood sugar spiking
Safe for diabetics
Known to cause migraines in certain people
Can have a bitter aftertaste

Steviol:

High potency sweetener
Does not cause blood sugar spiking
Safe for diabetics
Known to cause migraines in certain people
Can have a bitter aftertaste

Of course you always have the option to drink your coffee black, your tea unsweetened, and even drinking just plain water instead of sweetened beverages, but you should also make modifications to the foods that you eat. If you find that you absolutely have to have something sweet or that you have a hard time saying no to traditional sweets such as cookies and pastries, try sating your sweet tooth with more natural options. Perhaps some toast with nut butter and honey (sweet and satisfying), some blueberries and strawberries (super sweet and full of antioxidants), and maybe even a sliced apple with a dusting of cinnamon (sweet and exotic). There are so many ways to feed your sugar cravings without adding sugar or a sugar substitute and consuming needed vitamins and healthy calories as a bonus. Replace artificially sweetened processed foods with more natural alternatives like agave nectar, maple syrup or molasses to name a few.

This certainly doesn’t mean you can never use sugar or other sweeteners. Just keep in mind that each sweetener has a potential drawback such as needing to use more to achieve desired sweetness (sucrose), or being dangerous for persons without certain enzyme functions (aspartame). However, if you choose to use sweeteners you can now make an educated decision based on the facts and the effects of each of the sweeteners and decide which one will work best for you. When you are craving sweet foods try and swap out the processed cookies and pastries for a more natural option so that you can to reap the additional health benefits of fruits and nut butters. Always remember to use sugar and sweeteners in moderation– they should add a bit of sweetness to your diet and should not be a staple component of it!

Have a healthy week!

¹http://waroninsulin.com/nutrition/what-are-the-side-effects-of-aspartame-stevia-and-other-sugar-substitutes

Contributors: Kim Farmer and Michelle Beachem of Mile High Fitness Mile High Fitness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions. Visit www.milehighfitness.com or email inquires@milehighfitness.com

Run Your First 5K!

Kim Farmer — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:40:22 +0000

Even if you haven’t exercised in years, you can run your first 5k by May with a little dedication and hard work. It is a good goal to have, especially if you have thought about running and just haven’t taken the time or given the energy to the task. Where do you start? Assuming your doctor is ok with your new goal, follow these steps:

Get a good pair of running shoes

Having proper running shoes will help prevent injury and onset muscle soreness versus running in regular tennis shoes or shoes that aren’t built for running. Some stores can even fit you to a shoe based on your running style! Make sure to do your research.

Find a place to train for your 5K

There are many options: Head to your local gym or rec center, use your own treadmill, or provided the weather is nice, you can head outside. Bear in mind that training for a 5k when you are deconditioned can be a daunting task and that if you decide to train on a treadmill know that you will have to work up to running outside before you run your 5k. When you run outside you do not have the momentum of the belt to help you. You can help negate this by running on the treadmill with a 1% incline.

The most effective way to train from no experience is with interval training

Interval training consists of walking, jogging, or running at a moderate pace and then after a set period of time you switch to walking, jogging, or running at a fast pace and repeat for 20-30 minutes including a five minute warm-up and cool-down is recommended. During your cool-down make sure to take the time to stretch while your body is warm and limber. Stretching helps you to retain the range of motion in your joints; this in turn can help you with your running form.

Since you’re just getting started you’ll want to start out slowly with a moderate and fast walking pace for your intervals. Start out with small intervals; example: 60 seconds of moderate walking followed by 90 seconds of fast walking and repeat. As you find these intervals getting easier, increase the time of each stage slightly to make them more challenging; example 90 seconds of moderate walking followed by 2 minutes of fast walking.

Continue to increase the time of each stage till you are walking fast more often than you are walking slowly. If you find this too easy, you can make fast walking your slow phase and start jogging for you fast phase and then once these are easy you can switch to jogging for your slow phase and running for your fast phase.

Regardless of if you are fast walking or running during your fast phase make sure that you are pushing yourself hard. You should be breathing harder and have difficulty speaking more than a few words.

With time, effort, and dedication you will go from having short intervals, to long intervals, to running the whole time. Wanting to run is a wonderful goal that can be reached if you put your mind to it and dedicate the time to it and before you know it you’ll be running in your first 5k! Stick with it, you can do it!

Feeling Stressed? Try Exercise!

Kim Farmer — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:27:31 +0000

According to the World Health Organization, health is “not only the absence of illness, but also a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being”¹. One of the wonderful things about exercise is that it helps you to improve all of the components of health. Do you find yourself lacking in mental wellness? Are you often tired, stressed and run down? How do you feel after a walk outdoors in the Colorado sunshine, taking a bike ride, or perhaps walking your dog; refreshed, energized, calm, happy, or all of the above? Exercise has a healing effect on the body. Research has proven that there is a linear relationship between exercise and mental distress; the more often you get out and exercise the more likely you are to see an improvement in your stress and anxiety levels¹.

Your social life contributes to your sense of peace and well-being. Perhaps you find that your social life is stalled or you ‘spend time’ with your friends online? If you want to lower your stress levels, this needs to change. One way to strengthen your connections is to exercise with your friends! Do things that you all enjoy doing together: Go for a hike, walk around the mall, or make it a point to go sledding, skiing or snowshoeing this winter. It’s important to have fun and get out and do things with the people you care about. It also makes physical activity come a little easier when you have someone to share it with.

If you are blessed with a great circle of friends and you find that you need some time alone to reflect and meditate, try a yoga class or meditation. Yoga is a quiet and thoughtful way to end a busy or stressful day. Take a yoga class that focuses on deep stretching and relaxation, such as yin yoga, and relax the stress of the day away. Try a sunrise yoga class at one of the many local recreation centers for a treat to get your morning started on the right foot. On another note, meditation requires no special equipment, can be done anywhere and is absolutely FREE! Try to devote about 15-20 minutes per day to this practice to experience a deeper level of relaxation, decrease muscle tension, reduce anxiety, and enhance energy levels. With all of these positive benefits, why not give it a try by starting with a guided meditation class?

We are blessed to like in such a beautiful state with so much to offer; explore all the wonders Colorado has to offer and get out and move every day, even if it’s just a walk around the block to see the wonders of your own neighborhood. You will feel better for it, and if you bring you friends along they will too.

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week!

¹Edwards, S. (2006). Physical exercise and psychological well-being. South African Journal Of Psychology, 36(2), 357-373.

Pressed for Time? Try This 30 Minute Workout

Kim Farmer — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:12:33 +0000

While we are all too busy with work, kids, school, and other activities besides exercise, our heart, lungs and blood cells are paying the price. Yes you have an 8:00 meeting in the morning with back to back appointments all day but your body won’t cooperate if it is tired, sick or not functioning at all. Prevention is often a hard sell for health professionals but is ironically the cheapest option for most people when you compare it to options like dialysis, chemotherapy, or unending prescription drugs. Think you don’t have time to workout? Think again.

Fitting in a quick 30 minute workout is the LEAST you can do for your body and to ensure a good quality of life as you age. Of course the recommended amount of exercise is at least 30 minutes most days of the week of moderate to vigorous exercise and 2 days of resistance training, but the following ‘quickie’ workout is a good start. If you are a more advanced exerciser, modify these exercises by adding more resistance. Try to rest no more than 15 seconds between each set and 30 seconds between each exercise:
1. Beginner Squats: If you are not used to doing squats, try using an exercise ball to help you maintain proper form throughout the sequence. Squats are great since they work multiple muscle groups including hamstrings, glutes and quadriceps. As you descend, be sure to sit your hips back to help your knees stay behind your toes and engage your abdominals throughout the exercise. As you come back to a standing position, try don’t lock your knee joints. Perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions.

When you can maintain proper form with the ball, remove the ball and progressively make the exercise more challenging by adding an overhead press with dumbbells.
2. Rear row: Begin with one foot in front of the other in a staggered stance with the front leg bent while supporting your upper body with one of your hands. Holding a dumbbell, bring the elbow up and back toward the wall behind you. Keep your shoulders relaxed and be sure not to twist your upper body as you raise the weight. Do 2 sets of 12 repetitions with each arm.

3. Push ups: A great exercise that strengthens chest, tricep and core muscles and requires no equipment. For both the full and modified versions, be sure to keep your hands a little wider than your shoulders while the placement of your feet should create a straight line with your shoulders. As you descend, keep your core muscles engaged and your back straight. If this is too much work, try placing your knees on the floor and perform the same movement.

For variety, place an exercise ball under your knees, hips or feet. Perform 2 sets of 12 repetitions.

4. Lunges: Great for strengthening the quadriceps and glutes. Take a big step forward bringing one foot in front of the other with about 3 feet of space between the front and back foot (more space if you are taller, less if shorter). Maintain an upright position with your upper body while you bend both knees while keeping the front knee behind the toe. Step back to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Increase the challenge by adding dumbbells and adding shoulder presses before you take each step forward.

5. Bicep curls: These can be performed in a standing, seated or lying position however we will focus on the standing position. Standing with your feet a little wider than hip width apart, begin with your arms holding the dumbbells comfortably at your side. Keep your elbows close to your waist as you curl the weights up toward your shoulders and back down again at an even pace. Repeat for 12 repetitions.

6. Shoulder press: These exercises can also be performed from a standing or seated position. Holding the weights in your hands, sit or stand with an upright posture with your shoulders down and away from your ears and your core muscles engaged while you raise the weights over head and slightly in front of your head, not behind. Repeat for 2 sets of 12 repetitions.

7. Bicycle crunch: Lying on your back, place your hands behind your head as you bring one knee in to the opposite shoulder while extending the other leg out. Try not to relax your upper body on the floor at any point during the exercise. This exercise is great for strengthening your abdominal muscles, specifically the obliques. Repeat for 2 sets of 25 repetitions on both sides.

These strengthening exercises should take about 20 minutes to complete if you are taking the recommended amounts of short rest periods between sets and exercises.

Wrap up your workout with 10 minutes of interval cardiovascular training using a treadmill. Start by walking at a moderate pace for about 1 minute. Increase the pace until you are walking or running at the highest speed you can tolerate for 30 seconds and then decrease the speed until you are where you started for 30 seconds. Continue this pattern for 4 minutes. Take the next 4 minutes using this same pattern, but using resistance as the variable instead of speed. Spend your last two minutes stretching, making sure to hold each stretch for about 10 seconds.

This 30 minute quick exercise routine should be modified as you progress and of course as you find more time throughout your week to exercise. More cardiovascular activity is needed during the week so make it a priority to find time to fit it in. Exercise is only one piece of your prevention plan, nutrition is just as important.

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week!

Calorie Torching Workouts

Kim Farmer — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:02:06 +0000

Looking to blast calories? Get ready — it’s going to be intense. ”It’s got to be high intensity, whatever the workout is, if you’re going to torch calories — not just burn them,” says Bret Emery, a behavioral psychologist and weight loss specialist based in Weston, Fla. “Heart rate is key. That’s the speedometer of the body. If we speed the body up, it will burn more calories, just as a car will burn more fuel if it speeds up.”

Also, you need to mix up your workouts so they stay challenging. This will help keep your heart rate up, and force your body to burn more calories, Weston says

The following workouts will zap calories, but they’ll also push your body way past your comfort zone. So check with your doctor before taking on the challenge.
If you’re not active now, remember that it is better to ease into exercise in order to help prevent injury.

Interval training is all about challenge and recovery — over and over — for a cardio blast. This particular workout uses a treadmill. If you’re already fit, you can add dumbbells for an extra challenge.

1. Warm Up: On the treadmill, with the incline set at a challenging angle, power walk at a speed of 3-3.5 for 7 minutes. Keep your elbows up above your heart. Stop, get off the treadmill, and stretch.

2. Sprint: Drop the incline to 0, increase the treadmill speed, and sprint hard for 30 seconds. Aim for 90% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring your speed down to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

3. Squats: Get off the treadmill and squat, with your bottom out to the rear and your legs slightly apart. Then jump from the squatting position into the air, landing in the same squat position as before. Do this for one set of 15 or 20, working your quadriceps. If you’re already in good shape, hold dumbbells by your sides.

4. Overhead Presses: Do 15 or 20 overhead presses with the weights, pushing them straight up and directly over your shoulders.

5. Sprint: Get back on the treadmill and sprint for 30 seconds (no incline). The goal is to be at 80% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, decrease your speed to 3.0 and walk for one minute.

6. Tricep Extensions: Using dumbbells, do one set of 15 or 20 overhead tricep extensions. Your elbows should point toward the ceiling, with the weights behind your head. Lift the weights directly above your head and back down again.

7. Pushups. Do one set of 15 push-ups, with your elbows at a 90-degree angle from the body. Modification: Do the push-ups with your knees on the ground, but do 25 instead of 15.

8. Sprint: Back to the treadmill. Sprint for 1 minute, aiming for 70% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, jog for 90 seconds.

9. Jumping Jacks. Do one set of 15 or 20 jumping jacks. If you’re strong enough, add two 10- or 15-pound dumbbells — lift up the weights when you jump out, in an overhead press position, pulling them back down to shoulder height as your legs go back together.

10. Finale: Incline your treadmill to an angle that really challenges you — but don’t hang onto the treadmill’s rails. Walk at a 2.0-3.5 speed for 30 seconds, aiming for 60% of your maximum heart rate. To recover, bring the treadmill down to a 1.0 incline and drop your speed to 1.9 or 2.0 for a 1-minute walk. Finish by stretching.

Exactly how many calories you burn depends on your weight and how intensely you do the exercise. Check out this website for some caloric burning guidelines based on certain activities:

http://www.nutristrategy.com/activitylist4.htm

Think Before You Drink!

Kim Farmer — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:43:59 +0000

Of course we all know that what you drink is just as important as what you eat if you are trying to lose weight. But did you know that making smarter drink choices could lead to weight loss? In these hot summer days you need to stay hydrated but what you choose to drink can make or break your diet. Read the following list of drinks to help you determine what you should drink with your next meal:

Fruit Juice- Some types of juices have as many calories as soda so be sure to read the label. Your best bet is to choose the types that are 100% fruit juice without added sweeteners or added sugar. If the label shows less than 100% juice then you know that there is added sugar. Of course you can slash calories by adding water to your juice (or better yet add juice to your water) since even the natural juices are not calorie free.

Soda- Any time you choose to drink a soda, you are consuming hundreds of empty calories. It is now well known that soda is a narrow path to an ever expanding waistline if you don’t balance the calories with the food that you eat. Of course switching to diet soft drinks is a way to cut calories but it won’t lead to weight loss unless you control your additional calorie intake during the day. There are approximately 350-400 calories in a 32 oz bottle of soda so consider that the next time you feel like grabbing a Big Gulp from 7-eleven!

Water- If you are disciplined enough to replace any soda that you are drinking with water then you will undoubtedly cut hundreds calories a day. An additional way to cut calories using water is to drink one or two glasses before your meal so you don’t eat as much and you will feel full more quickly. New research also shows that drinking lots of water will have a positive effect on your metabolism.

Vegetable Juice – If you can train your taste buds to drink vegetable juice instead of fruit juice then you will be taking in about half the calories even though it is just as nutritious as fruit juice. One cup of tomato juice has 41 calories as compared to 117 calories in one cup of apple juice! Here’s a bonus: If you choose the type of juice with pulp, it will help you control your hunger. Smoothies- The home grown kind please! Grab a blender and add a banana, strawberries, blueberries and your other favorite fruits and you’ll come out with a delicious mix of antioxidants just ripe to fight diseases. Of course the home made kind is best since you know exactly what it’s made with. Forego the sugar or fruit juice, skim milk works great.

Coffee- If you feel like you need a shot of caffeine, plain black coffee is usually a better choice than soda and most energy drinks. It is naturally calorie free and loaded with antioxidants as long as you don’t add flavored syrups, whipped cream and sugar. Some specialty coffees contain over 500 calories in one cup which is more than a small meal! If you want to sweeten your cup, add a small amount of artificial sweetener and skim milk to save calories. Recent studies have shown that plain black coffee can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Wine Coolers- Everyone likes a Mike’s every now and then but be sure to keep it occasional. A hard lemonade contains about 300 calories while a wine cooler contains about 200 calories. Even regular wine is not considered a diet drink with 100 calories in only 5 ounces. A better alternative would be a spritzer- mix a dash of wine with sparkling water.

Energy Drinks- These days everyone is looking for more energy—You can find it in a can, in a bottle or even in a pill. Be careful of things that promise quick fixes. Researchers found that within four hours of drinking various energy drinks, 15 participants’ blood pressure rates and heart rates increased approximately 10 percent for the systolic rate, 8 percent for the diastolic rate and heart rates increased 11 percent. Note that because energy drinks are marketed as dietary supplements rather than food, it is not required that manufacturers disclose how much caffeine they contain. Additionally, the FDA maximum of 71 milligrams of caffeine per 12 ounces does not apply. The average 12 ounce soda contains approximately 35 milligrams of caffeine, while some energy drinks may contain hundreds of milligrams of caffeine per can. Your best bet is to increase your energy with natural fruits and vegetables.

What you drink is just as important as what you eat when you are on a path to a slimmer waistline and a lower number on the scale. Make wise decisions when choosing your beverages and your body will love you for it. Keep up the good work!

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week!

Good News for Chocolate Lovers

Kim Farmer — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:12:19 +0000

pressure or heart disease? Surprisingly, studies show a bon-bon can help with these ailments too. A dark piece of chocolate —but not a Twix bar Reeses cup. But this no license to go on a chocolate binge. Eating more dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure according to researchers. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of eating dark chocolate:

For many people, chocolate has been an ageless cure all for depression, anxiety, stress or other emotional troubles. But what about valid physical health problems like high blood

1. Dark chocolate (not milk chocolate or white chocolate) is a potent antioxidant. Antioxidants control the amount free radicals in the blood. Generally, free radicals attack the nearest stable molecule of a cell, taking its electron. When the attacked molecule loses its electron, it becomes a free radical itself, beginning a chain reaction. Once the process is started, it can cascade, which can result in the disruption of a living cell. Environmental factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides can also spawn free radicals. Unfortunately free radical damage accumulates as you get older. Of course fruits and vegetables contain many antioxidants but it is now known that dark chocolate is also a powerful antioxidant. Normally, the body can handle free radicals, but if antioxidants are unavailable, or if the free-radical production becomes excessive, damage can occur.

2. Skip the milk! Studies show that drinking milk reduces the potency of antioxidants in antioxidant rich foods like fruits, green tea and dark chocolate. Experts believe that milk proteins interact with the antioxidant phenols found in dark chocolate and other antioxidant rich foods, making them harder for your body to absorb.

3. Dark chocolate lowers blood pressure. There was a recent study of six men and seven women aged 55-64 with mild high blood pressure (average 153/84) where half the patients got dark chocolate (group 1) and the other half white chocolate (group 2) both eating a 100-gram candy bar for two weeks. Those who ate the dark chocolate had a significant drop in blood pressure while those who ate white chocolate did not. On a separate study with healthy men and women in which only antioxidant levels were measured, those who ate only dark chocolate (no milk or milk chocolate) had higher levels of epicatechin, a particularly healthy compound found in chocolate and they had the most total antioxidants of the 2 groups. The milk chocolate eaters had the lowest epicatechin levels of all. Dark chocolate also contains cocoa phenols which is another healthy compound found to lower blood pressure.

4. Remember to watch your calories! A 100-gram serving of Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar has 531 calories. The same amount of an apple contains only 52 calories. But of course the chocolate takes care of your sweet tooth better than an apple and you gain blood pressure benefits with the chocolate. However 531 calories is a lot of calories for a snack, so watch your food intake throughout the day so you don’t counteract the effects of the dark chocolate by gaining unwanted weight.

Dark chocolate is rich in powerful antioxidants, so adding a small amount to your diet can offer immense benefits. Remember that milk chocolate, white chocolate and even dark chocolate eaten with milk offer few antioxidant benefits so leave the milk in the fridge. You should consider replacing the sweets in your diet with small portions of dark chocolate but continue to watch your calories whether you decide to add dark chocolate to your diet or not. Add dark chocolate to your diet to control high blood pressure, keep exercising regularly and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to manage any free radical damage to your cells and ultimately your health.

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week!

Burning Fat Through Cardiovascular Exercise

Kim Farmer — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:50:57 +0000

If you have been focused on getting rid of excess fat around your waistline, thighs and hips, you are one in a million. Most personal trainers are asked very frequently about the best way to accomplish this feat in the shortest amount of time and the answer is always the same: Cardiovascular exercise is necessary in order to burn fat. There are many beliefs that have become popular amongst exercise enthusiasts and professionals alike regarding what type of cardio burns more fat, the length of time you need to exercise in order to promote fat burning and more. Read the following tips to help you the next time you hit the treadmill or walking trail:

The source of your energy while exercising is predominantly from carbohydrates or fat. Your body relies on carbohydrate and fat as energy sources all of the time, but in different percentages depending on the activity and your level of fitness. When you are exercising at a high intensity, the main source of energy is carbohydrate and at a low intensity, fat is the predominate source. We have large stores of fat so low intensity work can be maintained for long periods. If you are an athlete, your body will shift to burning fat sooner than someone who is unfit. So from an energy efficiency point of view, it pays to be fit. However, to keep it simple and applicable to most people, none of this matters too much when it comes to weight loss. While there is a ‘fat burning zone’ that exists which relies on fitness levels and the duration and intensity of exercise, the most important factor for weight loss is energy expenditure (calories).

You will burn more calories if you exercise for a long period of time at a high intensity than if you cut your workout short and don’t challenge yourself or push your limit. So keep challenging your body with moderate to intense workouts most days of the week to burn calories regardless if the energy source is fat or carbs.

So which exercises will burn more calories? The ones that use your lower body muscles like walking, jogging, biking, and skiing to name a few. Your lower body muscles like your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps are larger muscles and will burn more calories than your upper body muscles. But keep in mind that higher intensity exercises will yield a higher number of calories burned. For example, if you are a 140 lb woman, a 30 minute brisk walk will burn about 126 calories but you will burn about 340 calories during a 30 minute run.

There is no such thing as ‘spot training’. There is no magic ‘fat wand’ that decides where you will diminish fatty tissues from your body. Genetics play a large part when it comes to how your body will change when you are working hard to lose weight. Your body will go through a transformation as an entire unit, not just one body part at a time. However you can definitely control which muscles get stronger, more toned or larger through strength training particular muscle groups. Re-size and strengthen your biceps, triceps, quadriceps or other muscles through consistent and challenging exercises using weights, bands, balls or even your own body weight.

Keep yourself motivated by changing the type of exercises you do to prevent boredom and set goals for yourself for pounds or inches lost. While there is a ‘fat burning zone’ for everyone that is unique, pay more attention to burning calories if your goal is to lose weight. Keep it simple by challenging yourself and pushing your limits instead of worrying about where the fat loss is occurring anatomically.

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week!

Start Smart: Choose the Right Appetizer

Kim Farmer — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:52:25 +0000

Going to a restaurant can be costly to your wallet and your waistline if you aren’t careful with what you order and decide to put into your mouth. The colorful and glossy photos of appetizers like gooey cheese sticks, tasty hot wings and fried onion rings are tempting before your meal comes, but making smart choices is important to the health of your heart and your weight loss goals. Read these facts about some of the most popular appetizers:

Onion Blossoms- Watch your hips blossom and expand while you eat this appetizer. Anything that is fried is taking on the calories and fat content of whatever type of oil it is fried in. Typically this appetizer contains over 1500 calories, 80 grams of fat and over 5000 mg of sodium! Onion blossoms are one of the worst appetizers if you are watching your diet.

Spinach Artichoke Dip Just because this appetizer has the word ‘spinach’ in it doesn’t mean it counts as a vegetable serving. This appetizer could count as a full meal or more since it contains 1200 calories and 75 grams of fat. Skip the ‘dip’ part of this appetizer and opt for a spinach salad instead. A salad made with spinach or other leafy greens can be quite filling and research shows that you will eat 10% less during a meal when you start with a salad. Top it off with a tablespoon of vinaigrette dressing for a total of about 150 calories.

Vegetable Kabobs If they are not on the menu, you can ask for them! Yummy grilled onions, red and green peppers, zucchini and mushrooms make great kabobs and they are super easy to make which means most restaurants can whip them right up. One kabob has only about 50 calories.

Cheese Fries Eat these only if this will be the only thing you plan to eat that day. Cheese fries have more calories than the main entrée, packing in up to 2100 calories! Some restaurants even offer them up with bacon bits sprinkled on top, adding even more calories to this ‘appetizer’. Suggestion: Skip them altogether or share them with a friend.

Shrimp Cocktail is very low in saturated fat and calories. To keep the calorie count low, stick to tomato-based sauce. A 1-cup serving of shrimp cocktail contains around 183 calories. Within that serving, 100 calories come from protein, while 65 calories are provided by carbohydrates. Fats make up just 18 calories. While shrimp cocktail is a good source of calories from protein, it is very high in cholesterol, with 285 mg per serving or approximately 95 percent of the daily recommended intake. The American Heart Association suggests keeping your daily amount of dietary cholesterol under 300 mg to help reduce the risk of heart disease. Balance this with a meal low in cholesterol to stay under the recommended daily allowance of cholesterol.

Make wise choices when ordering your next appetizer based on these tips. If the menu doesn’t have something that you want, ask for it anyway! They may be able to whip it up for you if it is simple enough to make. Of course appetizers made with veggies are the most nutritious choice but if you want to splurge, split it with someone or get a half order.

Thanks for reading! Have a healthy week

Contributors: Kim Farmer and Andrea Williams of Mile High Fitness. Visit w ww.milehighfitness.com where you can sign up for bi-weekly health and fitness newsletters. Mile High Fitness offers in-home personal training and corporate fitness solutions. Email inquires@milehighfitness.com