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Why Tracking Workouts Is A Smart Idea

Published by superadmin on October 25, 2024 | Leave a response

When you’re ready to get sweaty and workout, anything that slows you down seems like a nuisance. Tracking workouts seem like that, but they can be time-savers and make you more efficient. Tracking your workout can make your workout more effective. It can also identify when it’s not working. It turns your workout into a game and a way to challenge yourself to improve results.

What is tracking?

Tracking can be as simple as making a graph with the names of the exercises at the top and the date down the side. In the square where they intersect, you write the number of reps and sets. You can add other items to your records. You can include factors like how you felt and your endurance, weight, and measurements to provide additional information. If you record your vital statistics like blood pressure, blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and heart rate, it helps if you’re exercising for a health issue.

Tracking your workout shows you what’s working and what’s not.

If you’ve been keeping score and not progressing, it may be time to make a few changes. You wouldn’t know it as soon if you didn’t track your workout. Tracking helps you move more quickly through a workout. Everything is written down so you move quickly from one exercise to another without stopping to think about what’s next or how many reps to do. It helps you push yourself harder to complete each session and get in each set and rep.

You’ll be more motivated when you track your workout.

You’ll be more accountable for exercising because if you don’t, the empty spaces show that. It becomes a game, so sticking with the rules makes it more fun. You’re constantly competing with yourself. When you’re having a few difficult sessions, you can look back at the initial sessions and see all the progress you made. That provides enough inspiration to keep you going when you might otherwise quit.

People who track their workouts frequently also track their food intake. Doing both can help you lose weight faster. Many people underestimate how much they eat, but when you record every bite, it’s hard to deny.
If you need more motivation, share your results with a friend. One study showed that people who received a phone call once a week to check on their exercise program stuck with it longer when compared to those who didn’t.
One reason personal trainers help you get such good results is that they track your progress. It helps them identify areas that need more effort and modifications for increased success.
Our trainers at Body Sculptors use science-backed methods to help you reach your goals. They not only create a training plan for you, but they also track it to hold you accountable and identify your success.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Do Running Shoes Really Matter?

Published by superadmin on October 15, 2024 | Leave a response

People often take up running because you can do it anywhere, and it isn’t costly. They put on their favorite sneakers from the back of their closet and start. Once people start, they find that getting good running shoes improves their performance, makes running more pleasant, and protects their feet and lower body more. There’s no perfect running shoe for everyone. Shoes made for people with a particular stride won’t be good for someone with a different stride. Studies indicate that some factors make a difference, but more studies are necessary.

Experts disagree on whether shoes can cause or prevent injuries.

There are minimalist shoes, well-cushioned shoes, and everything in between. Some people believe minimalist shoes prevent injury because they put your foot in a position closer to natural running conditions. Others think the more cushioning there is, the more protective the shoe is. Studies show that people with several pairs of shoes possessing different features, who switch them with 60% of the running in their favorite and the rest of the time divided amongst two or three other pairs, had the fewest injuries. It’s because each pair had different benefits that stressed different areas, making stress fractures less likely.

How and where you run and where you run makes a difference.

If you’re running on asphalt and concrete, you’ll need a more durable one with additional cushioning. Running on grass or sand requires less. Getting a shoe that fits well should be your top priority. The shoes should feel comfortable when you run. Sneakers are for general use, walking, jogging, and playing sports. Running shoes are made specifically for running to provide the necessary cushioning and support.

It’s all about your foot and what feels good.

Shoes won’t make you faster. They may make you feel faster or keep you running longer, which helps you improve your speed. If you’re competing, one study showed that increasing the weight of a running shoe by 3.5 ounces reduced performance speed by 1%. If you’ve had foot injuries, getting the right shoe can also make a difference. Don’t get stuck on a brand name or particular style. Your feet change. Instead, focus on how your shoe feels.

Sneakers are designed for all types of movement, so the flexibility is right in front of the heel. You’ll notice a big difference when you switch to a running shoe. The flexibility is at the arch in a running shoe since the toes hit the ground first.
If you have sneakers that are comfortable and feel good when you run, you can still use them, especially if you don’t run that often. Switch between several pairs of shoes to prevent repetitive strain injuries.
When you’re purchasing running shoes, go to a specialty store. They have the equipment and expertise to help you find the shoes best for your feet and gait. They normally have a treadmill in the store, allowing you to try them out.
If you’re starting a fitness program and running is part of it, don’t wait for the perfect shoes to start. Use the sneakers or trainers you already have and start running!

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Best Headphones And Earbuds For The Gym

Published by superadmin on October 5, 2024 | Leave a response

Clients at Body Sculptors in Louisville, KY, use headphones and earbuds at the gym to play their favorite motivating music or listen to their favorite podcasts when at the gym. The concept of motivating music isn’t new. Music has been used for ages to boost intensity and increase endurance during exercise. Studies show that upbeat music with a fast beat improves workouts. There are many types of each. Some are better for casual use or gaming, but which is best for the gym?

Earbuds or headphones? What should you look for in each?

Everyone has their personal preference but finding the best fit takes money and time. Some things to compare when isolating which is best for your needs include portability, ear comfort, sound quality, noise isolation, and heat. Battery life, sweat or water resistance, ease of use, and appearance also play a role. Price is an important factor, but with each, there’s a broad spectrum of prices, so comparing dollar-for-dollar benefits is necessary.

How does each measure up?

Earbuds can fit in your pocket or take up less room in your gym bag. Earbuds are lighter in weight and don’t build heat around the ear. Headphones have a longer battery life and have better sound quality. A good fit is vital, or earbuds fall out, making headphones more stable. Headphones also tend to be more comfortable and durable. Earbuds can be less expensive, depending on the quality and features offered. Which looks best? Earbuds are less noticeable, but headphones can make a fashion statement.

Look for key features and identify your needs.

If you’re using earbuds or headphones for the gym, your choice may differ from someone using them for running. If you choose earbuds, make sure you have a perfect fit. They’ll be more secure and stay in place better than headphones if you do. A good fit is vital for headphones to ensure comfort and stability. Devices rated IPX4 or higher can endure sweat and moisture. Choose devices that block external noise but have a safety feature of hear-through mode. The easier either one is to use, the better.

There’s no single best headphones or earbuds for everyone. Your budget, needs, and comfort determine what’s best for you. Price, features, and quality constantly change, so the best today aren’t necessarily the best in three months.
If you’ve never used earbuds or headphones previously, there are good quality, budget-friendly ones you can start with to test the benefits they bring. The JLab Audio GO Air POP True Wireless earbuds are one example under $50.
Some earbuds are designed specifically for exercising. They have a more secure fit and a higher rating for sweat and water resistance. Start by narrowing it down using those parameters first.
Comfort and secure fit should be the leading factors for headphones, with sound quality, active noise cancellation, price, and active noise cancellation also considered.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Workout Routines For New Moms

Published by superadmin on September 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Most new moms in Louisville, KY, are too exhausted in the first few weeks to workout and not ready for a traditional routine. For the first six weeks, your body is healing. You just grew a new human being. The process stretched everything. It takes time to rebuild pelvic stability and strengthen the pelvic floor. Each pregnancy is different. So is the recovery time. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any postpartum exercise program.

It starts by doing low-impact movements.

If you were active before and during pregnancy, you may be ready to start a fitness program far sooner than six weeks, but it won’t be the sweaty workout done before you were pregnant. Start with mild exercise as soon as a few days if you feel up to it with walking. Do it as little as five to ten minutes to start. Don’t push yourself. Doing kegel exercises to rebuild the pelvic floor is another exercise that you can begin as early as three weeks. Strengthening your abdominal muscles with diaphragmatic breathing is another.

Move onto more difficult low-impact exercises as you become stronger.

You probably won’t be ready for traditional squats, but box squats are easier. It requires a chair. The chair should be thigh-high. Stand in front of the chair with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down as though you’re going to sit, keeping your back flat and core muscles tight. Start to sit, but as soon as your bottom touches the chair, stand up again as you squeeze your glutes and leg muscles. You only need a wall and room to do wall push-ups and squats.

Modify the cat-cow combination yoga pose.

The cat-cow pose becomes a posterior tilt when done on the back. Start the cat-cow combination on your hands and knees with your back straight. Inhale, allowing your belly to drop and expand and your head to raise as you do for the cow position. Hold that position and then move to the cat position, arching your back, pulling in your stomach, and lowering your head as you exhale. Do the posterior tilt similarly but without the head movement and only the arching and rounding of the back. You can do back arching and rounding while standing once you learn it. It brings quick back pain relief.

Moderation is the key to success. Always listen to your body and expect it to go slowly at first,0 even if you are active before pregnancy.
A simple heel slide exercise is beneficial and mild. Lay flat with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Hold your abdominal muscles tight as you slide one heel forward until the leg is flat. Return it and do the other leg.
Always focus on form. Start by strengthening the core muscles and pelvic muscles. Start strength-building exercises without barbells and weights in the first six weeks. Avoid high-impact exercises.
Start glute bridges, reverse lunges, and planks when your body feels strong enough. Modify these exercises as your strength builds. Add side planks, lunges, and dead bug exercises as you build strength.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Healthy Eating Habits To Try Today

Published by superadmin on September 15, 2024 | Leave a response

You may get quick weight loss results by starving yourself for a few weeks, but those results don’t last long once you start eating and return to the habits that put on weight in the first place. For long-lasting results, developing healthy eating habits is necessary. It also makes weight loss easier. You don’t have to miss out on the fun at a birthday. You can have a piece of cake with the others. It’s about your daily food decisions, not the occasional treat.

Avoid food with added sugar and highly processed food.

Focus on eating more whole foods. Those are foods closer to their natural state. Read the ingredients on the label. If it looks like a chemistry experiment, don’t eat it. Choose whole grains over highly processed grains. Whole grains contain the bran, germ, and endosperm. Processed grain only contains the starchy endosperm with few nutrients. You’ll be surprised at how many foods have added sugar. Everything from barbecue sauce and ketchup to white bread and flavored yogurt contains sugar.

Fill your plate with vegetables and eat a big salad first.

Greens contain fiber and are nutrient dense. They’re low in calories and filling. Starting a meal with a multicolored salad and continuing with several servings of vegetables increases your nutrition and fills you without adding calories. Including a healthy fat and source of protein at each meal provides all the macronutrients required. Find ways to increase vegetables and fruit in your diet. You can use them as snacks or for dessert. You can even make a sugar-free sorbet using a ripe banana for sweetening.

One tip that doesn’t require changing your diet is to eat slower.

The first change you make can be simple. Eat mindfully. That means slowing down how fast you consume your meal. Chew your food longer and more mindfully, appreciating the texture and taste as you do. Masticate it until it’s a liquid before you swallow. Part of your digestion takes place in your mouth, so this helps digestion. The slower you eat, the longer your stomach has to signal to the brain that it’s full. You’ll eat less and feel better after a meal.

Your beverage choice makes a difference. Instead of fancy coffee, drink your coffee or tea black with no sugar. Opt for cold water instead of soft drinks. You’ll save 100 calories every time you do.
Always have healthy snacks ready for mid-afternoon and mid-morning. It can be homemade trail mix, air-popped popcorn, fresh fruit, or vegetables. It fills the void so you aren’t tempted to eat unhealthy snacks or overeating at the next meal.
Use low-calorie substitutes that don’t affect the flavor or texture of the dish. Instead of white rice, opt for brown rice or wild rice. Use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream to save a few more calories.
Use our meal planning program to help guide the way to healthier eating habits. We create a program based on your needs and preferences. All you have to do is buy the groceries and cook.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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The Best Workouts For Depression

Published by superadmin on September 5, 2024 | Leave a response

Many therapists now prescribe a workout as an adjunct therapy for depression and anxiety. It works better than many medications. Exercise lifts your mood and builds a stronger body without side effects like medication. It won’t replace the help of professional care for severe cases, but it is a good supplemental treatment and can be beneficial for improving your mood when you’re feeling down. Some forms of exercise are better than others. Which ones are the best?

You’ll get some benefits from walking.

You don’t have to create an elaborate program to get benefits. Taking walks helps. Studies show that cardio workouts tend to be the best type of exercise. You can bike, jog, walk, dance, or do any cardio that increases circulation. It builds endurance, helps you lose weight, and increases endorphins that make you feel good. You’ll burn off stress hormones as you exercise and improve your gut microbiome. The microbes in your gut play a role in your mood.

Studies used strength-building as exercise.

One study that followed stroke victims found that strength-building exercises helped build confidence and self-esteem. Another study showed that starting any exercise program boosted the subject’s self-image, even before there were changes to the body. Strength-building exercises improve posture. Improved posture makes you look more confident. Others see you as more confident. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you ultimately feel that way.

HIIT—high intensity interval training—dramatically improves your mood.

It’s already stated that aerobic workouts aid with depression. HIIT workouts provide an intensity that can improve the results. HIIT isn’t a certain exercise but a way of doing any exercise. You alternate between your highest intensity and a recovery pace. It pushes the body to sweat and increases endorphins and other feel-good hormones that create a sense of well-being that counteracts depression. HIIT increases BDNF—brain-derived neurotrophic factor—that regulates mood. It helps mood-related disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. It also benefits anxiety and depression,

Walking as little as 30 minutes a day can help depression. Do it regularly to reap benefits. You can even do it several times a day. Walking is a natural way to handle anxiety. It’s why people pace when they’re worried.
Regular exercise creates new neural pathways. It can help get your brain out of the loop of depression. It also changes the gut microbes that can alter brain chemistry.
HIIT workouts help balance the brain chemicals gamma-aminobutyric acid—GABA—and glutamate. The neurotransmitters work together. GABA calms the brain, while glutamate stimulates it.
Socializing helps relieve depression. Get a workout partner to exercise with you. Increase your chances of conquering depression with a healthy diet that limits food with added sugar and highly processed foods.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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The Best Foods For Mental Health

Published by superadmin on August 25, 2024 | Leave a response

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You are what you eat.” In many ways that’s true. The food you consume can affect your cognitive functioning and mental health. The food you eat not only feeds your body and brain, but it also feeds the microbes in your gut that affect your mental health. There’s a branch of psychiatric medicine that deals with it called nutritional psychiatry. When you consider that medicine can change the biochemical structure of the brain, it makes sense that dietary changes can also affect it. It can create a positive or negative difference.

What’s the brain-gut connection?

It all starts with the gut microbiome. The microbiome consists of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. They help break down food and create enzymes that aid the body in other functions by sending messages to the brain. New studies using fecal transplants found it helped several mental disorders by changing the microbiome. Anxiety, bipolar disorders, and depression are three of those. Your diet determines the number of each. Some foods, such as those high in fiber, encourage beneficial microbes, while others encourage harmful ones. Your diet determines which species will survive and thrive. Those species affect your mental health.

Studies show that the balance of omega-3 and omega-6 affects your mental health.

Omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids are essential for good health. However, there needs to be a balance between them. The balance of the two should be somewhere between 1 to 4 and 4 to 1. Today, for every one unit of omega-3, the average person eats 16 units of omega-6. One study found that switching the diet in a violent prison to a diet closer to 2 omega-6 to 1 omega-3, reduced the violence dramatically. Other stories show increasing omega-3 helped relieve postpartum depression and may help improve bipolar disorder, depression, and other psychiatric conditions like personality disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and ADD. Foods high in omega-3 include walnuts and salmon.

Sugar increases energy that drops as suddenly as it rises.

That swing of energy can also cause mood swings. Sugar also increases the population of harmful microbes and reduces the population of healthy ones. That can cause a lack of serotonin primarily created in the gut. Serotonin can affect mood swings and pain sensitivity. It can cause overeating and sleep deprivation. Sugar also causes inflammation that affects the brain and affects your mood.

Eating food and drink with antioxidants can protect the brain. Green tea contains L-theanine, which can cross the blood-brain barrier. It increases the neurotransmitter GABA, which helps you relax.
Eating blueberries, broccoli, or oranges can protect you from mental decline. It contains vitamin C. It prevents oxidative stress and inflammation that affects cognitive functioning and memory.
Having a hard-boiled egg for a snack can protect the brain. Eggs contain choline, B6, and B12—folate. B6 helps make neurotransmitters. B12 aids in preventing dementia. Choline improves memory.
Indulge yourself with a strawberry dipped in dark chocolate. Dark chocolate with 70% or more cacao has antioxidants to protect the brain. It contains caffeine that can improve your mood and reduce the risk of brain disease that affects cognitive functioning.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Health Benefits Of Dark Chocolate

Published by superadmin on August 15, 2024 | Leave a response

At Body Sculptors in Louisville, KY, we focus on helping you get healthier so you get more out of life. One way is to eat healthier. You can do that with delicious food you might eat in a fine restaurant or at a party. For example, dark chocolate could be part of a nutritious diet. It offers health benefits you might not realize.

Why dark chocolate and not milk chocolate?

The higher the chocolate is in cacao—cocoa, the better. Chocolate containing 70-80% cacao is best for flavor and health. Higher than 80% cacao makes the chocolate taste bitter. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more polyphenols and flavonoids there are, and the less sugar. Polyphenols and flavonoids are natural antioxidants that protect the cells from damage that causes disease or aging. Milk chocolate contains higher amounts of sugar and milk. Milk blocks the absorption of the flavonoids and polyphenols. Dark chocolate reduces inflammation and slows the growth of cancer cells.

Protect your heart with dark chocolate.

It’s quite appropriate to give a heart made of dark chocolate on Valentine’s Day. You’re not only giving delicious candy, you’re boosting the other person’s heart health. The benefits are from the antioxidants but also come from the healthy fat. Eating a small amount of chocolate daily can significantly improve your cholesterol profile, reduce inflammation, and help prevent unwanted platelet activity. One study with 20,000 participants that lasted 11 years found that people with a higher intake of dark chocolate had a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Mental aging can be slowed by eating dark chocolate.

Issues like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and mental aging may be slowed by eating dark chocolate. Oxidative stress occurring in the brain can contribute to these conditions. One animal study found that dark chocolate reduced neuroinflammation—inflammation affecting the nervous system and brain—and lowered oxidative stress. Other studies didn’t have the same conclusion but considering that dark chocolate is a pleasant treat and heart-healthy, it won’t hurt you and may help protect your brain.

Dark chocolate between 70-85% cacao contains magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, fiber, phosphorus selenium, and potassium. It also contains fiber.
Eating dark chocolate helps increase nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes the walls of the blood vessels, allowing them to widen and lower blood pressure. That increased circulation also increases the nutrients and oxygen carried to each cell.
You don’t need a lot of dark chocolate to reap the benefits. Just 6 grams (0.2 ounces)will do it. That’s about half a square of an average 100-gram (3.5-ounce) chocolate bar. Eating that much each day lowered the risk of stroke and heart disease by 39%.
One smaller study found eating dark chocolate helped with contrast sensitivity and visual acuity. Because of its limited size, more study is necessary to see if the correlation holds.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

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Alcohol And Weight Gain

Published by superadmin on August 5, 2024 | Leave a response

If you’re gaining weight and it is causing so much frustration that you consider drinking more alcohol, think again. That alcohol may be exactly what’s causing your weight gain. A glass of wine at dinner may slow weight loss and increase the struggle to shed weight. The calories in it affect your body differently than the calories from carbohydrates, fats, and protein. How it affects you depends on what you drink, how much you drink, and your metabolism. Frequent and excess alcohol consumption can also increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and liver disease.

You may be patting yourself on the back for drinking only red wine.

Yes, it’s true. A glass of red wine contains resveratrol, but grape juice and grapes contain it, too, and you get the same heart-healthy benefits without the alcohol. However, moderate consumption, such as a drink a day or less for a woman or two drinks a day or less for a man, reduces the potential for Alzheimer’s or dementia. What the study didn’t tell you is that it also added calories that affected your body differently from other types of calories. It can increase the potential for weight gain.

It’s about how the body burns fat.

Your body burns the calories from alcohol first, ignoring the energy from other food until it’s gone. That can interfere with how the body uses glucagon. Glucagon is the counterpart to insulin. Instead of opening the cells to uptake blood glucose and reduce blood sugar, it works to keep blood sugar higher. The more glucagon in the bloodstream, the more tired and hungry you become. Instead of burning stored calories and breaking down fat, your body focuses on burning off the alcohol.

Alcoholic beverages have few nutrients compared to calories.

Even though some drinks have nutrients, you’ll get more from eating the ingredients fermented to make the alcohol, and you’ll get fiber that makes you feel full, unlike alcohol, which increases hunger. Alcohol also affects post-menopausal women and women with low estrogen levels by packing on the pounds around their middle, causing belly fat. The enzyme called Aldhlal—Aldehyde Dehydrogenase lA. It directs excess pounds to the mid-section.

One study found that people who drank soft drinks or water before a meal ate less than people who drank alcohol. The spike and drop in sugar leave you starved even though you just drank several hundred calories.
Some alcoholic drinks are higher in calories, so check the calorie count for your favorite. There is wide variance within each category. Light beers are the lowest in calories, and ale is the highest. Sweet wines are higher in calories than dry wine.
Comparing calories in a gram of fat, protein, or carbohydrates to a gram of alcohol, only fat beats alcohol with nine calories per gram compared to seven for alcohol.
If you drink alcohol, it increases cortisol, which contributes to belly fat. It also lowers testosterone levels. Testosterone helps build muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism is.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training

Posted in Fitness & Wellness