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Can I Do an Ab Workout Standing Up?

Published by superadmin on May 5, 2021 | Leave a response

AT Body Sculptors in Louisville, KY, we help you achieve your goals. Getting great looking abs is usually one of those on everyone’s list. Not only do we provide an ab workout you can do standing up, we actually recommend part of your training be on those types of ab exercises. After all, it’s how the world will see you most of the time, so it mimics your everyday movements. Standing ab exercises also work the major muscles of the hip flexors and the obliques. They help you improve your range of motion and work all the ab muscles.

You’ll give your core muscles a workout with standing ab exercises.

Not only will you get the benefits of regular mat exercises, you’ll get other benefits, too. Standing ab exercises strengthen your core muscles. They add gravity to the mix, so they increase the difficulty, while also improving your balance and posture. They train you to stand tall doing daily activities as it builds back, ab and core muscles in the process. Best of all, standing ab exercises can be done anywhere, like hotel rooms or places where you don’t want to lay on the floor.

If you’ve done a bicycle exercise laying down, the standing form should be easy.

The two exercises are similar, but the standing one requires balance. Start with your feet together and your knees slightly bent. Put your hands behind your head and lift your right heel. Hold your abs tight as you lift the right knee up as high as possible, while you rotate your shoulders toward your knee, touching the left elbow to the knee if you can. Put that foot back on the floor and repeat. Then do the other side.

A standing pike crunch can work wonders on your abs.

This one works your hip flexors and also your core. Stand with feet together then raise your hands over your head as you raise one foot in front of you. Lower your arms as you try to touch your foot, then slowly lower the foot back down to the ground, while you raise your arms back in the air. Going slowly makes it more difficult, but also works the abs more. Make sure the motion is controlled. It may take you a while to do that. Keep repeating the motion of touching your toes and raising back to upright position as you lower your leg, then work the other leg.

Standing ab workouts are superior to ones laying down if you have a neck injury or find it difficult to get up and down due to back or knee injuries.
You can use those few minutes at work to get an ab workout. Do a plank. Not on the floor, do a desk plank. Lean forward putting your hands on your desk and keeping your legs and body straight. Hold.
Another easy exercise to do anywhere and sprinkle throughout the day is a side twist. Twist to the left as far as you can go, then twist to the right. You can do it in a chair, but put your hands behind your head when you do.
If you have a physical limitation that requires limiting mat exercises, or simply want standing ab exercises you can do on the go, our personal trainers will be happy to create an entire workout for you.

For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Should Your Nutrition Change As You Age?

Published by superadmin on April 25, 2021 | Leave a response

Your nutritional needs often change as you age, we know that at Body Sculptors in Louisville, KY. It’s why we create individualized eating plans. No two people are alike and you may not be like your younger self, either. Even though you need all the building blocks you needed in your youth, your body may not be as efficient at absorbing them. Eating healthy snacks and healthy meals can help reduce the potential for malnutrition and nutrient deficiencies.

What’s the easiest vitamin to get that we often lack?

The answer is vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency is rampant in the US, even though it should be easy to have enough. It comes from the sunshine hitting your skin and is made by the body. While overexposure to the sun can cause skin cancer, 10 to 20 minutes of direct exposure without a sunscreen is recommended. Older people, people in northern climates who can’t get enough sun during the winter months and those with darker skin to get enough have more of a problem getting vitamin D from the sun.

The amount of calories you burn as you age often changes.

People tend to slow down as they age and require fewer calories. While your metabolism does slow, loss of muscle mass with age plays the biggest role in the need for fewer calories. Fewer calories mean eating less, which could mean eating fewer nutrients. Watching the type of food you eat becomes far more important as you age. Dental issues can also change the type of food elderly people eat. You have less wiggle-room for adding unhealthy foods in your diet and far more need for extra nutrition as you become older.

Absorption of vitamins becomes more limited, so you need to increase your intake.

You need to increase your vitamin B12 as you age, since it becomes harder to absorb. It’s necessary for the healthy function of nerves, plus formation of red blood cells and cell metabolism. Getting more calcium from food is just as important for bones as getting enough vitamin D. Make salmon one of your food choices, not just for calcium, but for the healthy fats, too. Stay hydrated.. While hydration is important for younger people, it’s particularly important as you age. You tend to lose moisture more quickly the older you are. Dehydration can lead to UTIs and behaviors that resemble dementia.

Avoid prepackaged food. They’re often over-processed and filled with additives but limited in nutrients. Instead, make smoothies if you’re short on time. If you have the vegetables and fruit already cut, it’s a snap.
Obesity is the leading cause of preventable deaths and far more prevalent as people age. Watch your diet and make it healthy options. Also get plenty of exercise to help with weight control.
One of the biggest issues faced by seniors is living alone or cooking for two. While it may seem cheaper to eat at the drive-through, it’s hard on your health. Do meal planning and freeze extra dinners for later.
If you have dental issues, get your nutrients via a smoothie. Make sure you include the skin if it’s edible. It provides the fiber you need to be healthy. We can create a program that’s healthy for you, regardless of your age.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is Intermittent Fasting Right For You?

Published by superadmin on April 15, 2021 | Leave a response

Intermittent fasting—IF—is one of the most popular modified ways of eating that can also help you lose weight. It’s not about what you eat, although you should eat a healthy diet, but about when you eat. While there are all types of intermittent fasting, from eating very light on certain days of the week and regular on others, to eating between certain hours or skipping meals for several days. The latter is not recommended unless your in good health, since skipping food for several days can actually slow your metabolism. What does work is eating between certain hours, which gives your digestion a bit of a break as well.

There are multiple benefits from intermittent fasting.

Animal studies that date back to the 1940s showed the effect of IF on mice. The studies from the University of Chicago fed rats on alternate days. That led to the rats living longer and delaying the signs of normal aging. While that might sound cruel, fasting has always been part of wild animals’ lives, including early man. Sometimes, there are several days animals go without eating until they find a source of food. The studies showed improved metabolism, a reduction of inflammation, weight loss, lower blood sugar levels, improved brain function and a lower risk of cancer. It also improved insulin resistance.

Weight loss is a benefit of intermittent fasting.

Whether you fast a day or two a week or use an eight-hour window to eat, it could improve your chances of losing weight. Since your body requires glucose as fuel, which can come from simple sugar, if it comes from sugar or simple carbs, it’s broken down more quickly. When you fast, your body uses body fat to create the fuel. It helps lower insulin levels and aids in losing weight. In fact, in all studies, when participants ate during an eight hour window, they actually ate less food.

There are people that should do intermittent fasting.

If you have advanced diabetes and take medication, don’t try fasting without the supervision of your health care provider. Anyone taking blood pressure medication, is pregnant, taking heart medicine or is breast feeding shouldn’t fast without consulting their health care professional. For those with an eating disorder, it’s counterproductive.

Japanese human studies confirmed the earlier animal studies and found that fasting sped up metabolism and slowed the aging process. Rats that had food at regular intervals actually grayed earlier than those who had IF menus.
Eating healthy foods should be the prime objective of any change in your eating pattern. You can consider eating your food in an eight-hour window or other IF, once you learn to eat healthier.
By narrowing the window of when you eat, such as between the hours of ten and six, you automatically cut out late night snacks, which can pack on the pounds.
Just fasting for 16 hours can make changes to your body. It can cause the process of cell repair to start, plus increase hormones that burn fat. It also increases HGH—human growth hormone—by as much as five times.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Favorite Indoor Exercises

Published by superadmin on April 5, 2021 | Leave a response

When you workout at the gym, you’re doing indoor exercises that can also be done outside the gym. However, most people don’t have the gym equipment in their home. That’s why bodyweight exercises are often one of the most popular at home/in home ones to do. Bodyweight exercises include everything from push-ups to squats. As the name implies, they use the weight of the body instead of barbells or dumbbells.

Would you care to have this dance?

If you want to enjoy your workout at home, try dancing. Fast dancing, whether it’s hip hop, salsa or even pole dancing, it can get you into shape fast, providing all three types of training, strength, endurance and flexibility. The amount of each is based on the moves you make during your dance. No matter what your age, there was some type of fast dancing in your youth, so take out your dancing shoes, shake your booty and get your groove on.

Have fun with the kids on a rainy day and get in your exercise at the same time.

As mentioned before, dancing can be quite healthy and is also something you can do with the kids. Try freeze dancing for extra fun. You can use a hula hoop if you have the room or opt for crab carries. Crab carries involve walking on your hands and feet that starts by laying on your back. Wheelbarrows, another fun activity, start with one person grabbing the legs of another person and lifting them, so they walk on their hands. The person carrying the legs looks like they’re pushing a wheelbarrow. Working out with the kids can be fun and all it takes is your imagination to get the ball rolling.

Yoga and Tai Chi are harder than they look.

Those gentle stretch and hold movements of both tai chi and yoga may seem far simpler than lifting weights and pounding battle ropes, but you’ll find them far harder than you think. While they don’t cause damage to knees and ankles, like running or other exercises can, they do help you stretch and build strength and endurance. Both are nice relaxation techniques that can be done anywhere you have a mat or some space.

Our program provides exercises you can do without equipment, which means you can do them in your own home, too. If you want a complete at home workout, for those days you’re not in the gym, ask your personal trainer.
Try Zachary Bush’s four minute workout. You can do it several times a day. It boosts nitric oxide, which can lower blood pressure and help build muscles. A set is a combination of 10 each of squats, 90 degree arm swing, arm swing—upper body jumping jack and finish with a military press. Do three sets.
Just do a plank. Another often underrated exercise is a plank. It’s tough to hold for very long, but can be done during TV commercials. If you’re a beginner, try a modified plank.
Use your stairs if you have them. Whether you have to put laundry away or simply run up and down the stairs for no reason, climbing stairs is a good workout.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Balancing Work And Health

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2021 | Leave a response

America is a nation of workers and many take pride in how hard they work. However, balancing work and health is important. Some people think it’s selfish to take care of themselves. It’s not. In fact, it’s selfish not to take care of yourself. If your job is taking over your life and you don’t have time to do the things that make you healthy, one day it will all catch up with you. Then the stresses of work and lack of self-care will catch up. Not only will you have to miss work, you’ll have to have someone else take care of you.

Studies show that if you aren’t taking care of yourself, your work performance declines.

You have to make the time to exercise. It’s amazing that you’ll have time when it’s part of your schedule. While it might feel odd to tell a client you can’t meet them at one, but you’ll be available at 2:30, you’ll find most people accept that. They don’t know you’re working out at one and probably will never ask. Exercise, especially if your day is stressful, can burn off the hormones created by that stress. It can help you think clearer and improve your mood, so you’ll be more optimistic and that can reap big dividends.

When you increase your fitness, you also boost your brain power and endurance.

You’ll not only work faster, you’ll work smarter when you’re fit and functioning at peak performance. You’ll have more endurance and that means more energy to function at your best longer. The exercise increases your circulation to send nutrient laden and oxygen-rich blood to the brain to protect and increase brain cells. Studies show that a program of regular exercise improves cognitive functioning.

It takes more than just exercise to be your best.

Eating healthy is important, too. Some foods boost your brain functioning and can prevent inflammation that can damage all areas of the body from your cardiovascular system to your nervous system and brain. Not only does junk food add extra calories, which causes obesity—the leading cause of preventable deaths, but it robs the body of much-needed nutrition, spikes blood sugar levels and lead to serious health conditions. Try meal prepping for a month. You’ll probably find you feel better and enjoy your meals more.

Learn to relax. Whether you learn meditation, deep breathing or have a hobby or interest that lets you relax, getting away from the stress is important. Smiling and laughing can also benefit your health.
Take charge of your life. It’s hard to say no, but sometimes you need to do it. If you’re constantly asked to go above and beyond at work, it’s time to set limits. You need time for you.
People often brag about how little sleep they get and how many hours they work. Unfortunately, if you do that, you’re only hurting yourself. When you get adequate sleep, you’ll think clearer, get more done and be doing your body a favor.
For those that sit in front of a computer all day, taking a five-minute break every hour can improve your health. Get up, walk around and stretch your muscles. Get your circulation going. Sitting longer than an hour impacts your health negatively.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

What’s Your Motivation To Stay Healthy?

Published by superadmin on March 15, 2021 | Leave a response

If you’re like many people, simply deciding you’re going to workout because someone said it was good for you isn’t going to help you stick with a fitness program. Somehow, eating a nutritious meal because it’s good for you, sounds like something mothers tell their children and if you are like most people, it didn’t make you want to eat Brussels sprouts. Having a motivation to stay healthy or get healthy can be your focus, spurring you on when you’d rather grab an order of fries than a salad or watch the latest Netflix release.

Changing daily habits takes a while.

If you’ve ever started a program of healthy eating and regular exercise, only to have it end in less than a month, you understand that it’s not always easy to stick with healthy options until they become habits. That’s one reason working out at the same time every day is important. It helps you form a habit, which makes sticking with an exercise program easier. It’s also a good reason to do meal prep, so you don’t have to worry about what’s for supper or are forced to cook when you’re simply exhausted. Even if you’re really motivated, taking steps to prevent failure can help.

Identifying your downfalls and limitations can help with your motivation.

A food diary can help you realize how many extra calories you eat without realizing it. It can improve your motivation. Tracking your fitness goals, including the number of sets and repetitions can help you realize how much progress you’ve made, even if you don’t see the results yet. Keep your goals in front of you and also your motivation. Do you want to be healthy? Why? That’s not a silly question. Staying healthy can mean you’ll see your child graduate and marry or allow you to live independently in old age. That’s really motivating.

Finding what drives you doesn’t have to be shared.

Nobody should judge your reasons for starting a fitness program. However, they should be yours and you shouldn’t do it just because a spouse said you need to lose weight or get healthier. You need to want it. They say the best revenge is success, so maybe you want to look your best and feel your best as revenge for a bad break-up. It’s far better than sitting home crying or harassing the other party. It also helps get rid of stress. Maybe having more fun time with kids or grand-kids is your goal. You also may just want to feel good about yourself, which you should do no matter what your physical shape, but by getting healthier, you’ll be showing you think you’re important.

Focusing on living healthier means more than just working out regularly or eating healthier. It includes healthy habits like getting enough sleep, hydrating frequently and learning to deal with stress.
When you’re super motivated, you’ll find ways to increase the activity in your life. It might be something as simple as doing some exercises during a television commercial or even taking the stairs rather than the elevator.
If you love food, use that love to help you lose weight. Learn new recipes that are healthy and share that food with others. You’ll probably find people want to join you on your journey to fitness.
Use your motivation to get fitter to enrich your life. Do you want more energy to play with the kids? Don’t wait, do it now to burn calories. Do more things that are physical, which can include deep cleaning your home that you might otherwise be put off for later. You’ll get a double benefit.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is It Bad To Run In The Cold Air?

Published by superadmin on March 5, 2021 | Leave a response

If you’re living in Louisville, KY, or other area where it can get really cold, you may wonder whether it’s healthy to run in the cold. In most cases, the answer is yes, depending on how you dress and how extreme the cold weather is. However, cold weather may make your heart work harder. It causes your blood vessels to constrict so there’s more blood going to vital organs like your brain. It causes an increased risk for blood clots that can lead to heart attack or stroke.

Warm up sufficiently before you go outside.

You need to warm your muscles before they’re assaulted by both exercise and cold temperatures. Get your blood flowing first by doing dynamic stretches or other warm up exercises. If you don’t, you may experience muscle spasms or cramping. They need to be nourished with oxygen and nutrient laden blood. While warm-up sessions are important all year, they’re especially important in cold weather. Even if you do nothing more than jogging in place or doing high knee and butt kicks, warming up inside before you face the weather is important.

Make your run even safer by dressing appropriately.

Layering up when you dress for any type of workout is important. It allows you to adjust your clothing to prevent overheating or getting too cold. Your clothing closet to your body should wick away moisture, with a layer of insulating clothing and a more protective outer layer. A lot of your body heat escapes through your head, so wearing a hat is a must. While you want to dress warm, remember, as you run, it will feel 10 to 20 degrees warmer than it really is.

Consider a cold weather mask.

In today’s environment, wearing a mask while running isn’t unusual and it could be a great benefit when running in the cold. It helps prevent loss of heat via the face and keeps you insulated and free from windburn. Not only does it prevent skin damage from the cold and windburn, which can mean frostbite on your most exposed areas, the face, particularly the nose, it prevents your skin from drying and can aid in preventing chapped lips. When you breathe in cold dry air, it takes energy to warm the air and prevent it from drying your lungs. Both of those can cause stress to the body. The mask keeps the mucous membranes moist, since it captures the warmer air that’s moist and warms the cold air, while adding moisture.

Running at night, especially if you’re alone can be dangerous. Try to have a running partner, wear reflectors if you run at night and light colored clothing.
If you run when it’s cold, use common sense. Unless you’re in exceptional athletic condition, running outside when it’s below zero is asking for problems. If you have a health condition, always talk to your healthcare professional first before you run in the cold.
Don’t run in the cold if you’re not feeling up to par. You’re better off doing some inside exercises than risking a run in with the elements.
If you’ve never run in the cold and are starting a fitness program, run in the warmest part of the day. It’s normally early in the afternoon. Gradually work up to increasing your time and work your way to running in colder temperatures. Don’t start on the coldest day of the year.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is Frozen Yogurt Better Than Ice Cream?

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2021 | Leave a response

We all know that eating a tub of ice cream isn’t good for you, but would it be better if you ate a tub of frozen yogurt. Since it first hit the market, it’s been a huge hit. After all, yogurt is a healthy option, but, is it? Frozen yogurt still has sugar and flavoring added. If you go to a fancy frozen yogurt shop, you can add tons of toppings that would make a candy manufacturer blush. That can’t possibly be healthy. The answer is that it isn’t.

Frozen yogurt begins its life as a healthy option, then begins the road to an unhealthy treat.

Both frozen yogurt and regular yogurt start out by adding live cultures of streptococcus thermophilis and bulgaricus to milk. Even though these cultures remain alive even after freezing, some do not make the cut through the other types of manufacturing methods. Those methods vary, so not all frozen yogurts actually have live bacteria. Also not all yogurt have the same added ingredients, which means some are less healthy than others.

Frozen yogurt contains less fat than regular ice cream does.

Given the probiotic content can’t be judged across the board, what about fat content? That also varies based on the way the frozen yogurt is manufactured. It is lower than ice cream. There are two main ingredients in both ice cream and frozen yogurt. One of those ingredients is milk and the other is sugar. After those two, flavorings and added ingredients like chocolate chips of fruit pieces are added into the mix. Ice cream uses cream, not lower fat milk. The problem is, when you remove the fat, you also have to add more sugar to make the product palatable. More sugar means it’s not as healthy.

Let’s compare the nutritional value of each.

Let’s compare the nutritional value of a ½ cup of each, vanilla ice cream and vanilla frozen yogurt. A half cup of vanilla ice cream is 140 calories, while a half cup of yogurt only 111 calories. That’s good if you’re counting calories, but when you get to carbs, the comparison turns the other way. Vanilla ice cream only has 16 grams and frozen yogurt has 19 grams. There are 7 grams of fat in vanilla ice cream and 3 grams of fat in frozen yogurt. Ice cream has 10% of the daily value of cholesterol, while yogurt has 7.5%. Comparing other nutrients, potassium and phosphorus are about the same, while there’s 8% of the daily value of calcium in vanilla ice cream with just 7% of the daily value in frozen yogurt.

The truth is, neither ice cream nor frozen yogurt should be eaten on a regular basis to replace healthy foods. If you’re opting for frozen yogurt, always check the nutritional value and opt for the healthiest one.
One way to make a quick tasty treat that is healthy is to use plain Greek yogurt. Top it with walnuts or other nuts, chopped frozen fruit, like black cherries, and even a little wheat germ and mix. The frozen berries make it thick, cold and tasty.
If you want frozen yogurt or ice cream, it’s okay occasionally, but keep portion control in mind. The serving size for both is a half a cup.
Our online nutrition and meal planning service can help you develop the habit of eating healthier and teach you how to chose food wisely.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

What Are The Benefits Of Celery?

Published by superadmin on February 15, 2021 | Leave a response

When you think of the benefits of celery, you immediately think of it as a low calorie food that’s good for dieters. Celery is a member of the parsley family. In fact, it’s name came from the Italian word, seleri and the French word, celeri that’s derived from the Greek word selinon that means parsley. It was first used for medicinal purposes in ancient times, often for treating problems with nervousness, hysteria and insomnia. It wasn’t used for food until the early 1600s by the French.

Even though the early medicinal uses weren’t correct, celery has healthy properties.

The body needs antioxidants to repair and deter damage from free radicals. That damage causes inflammation and inflammation can lead to heart disease, cancer, arthritis and more. Celery contains caffeic acid, quercetin and ferulic acid, three potent antioxidants. It can be used to relieve the pain of UTIs—urinary tract infections—and may help skin disorders that are caused by inflammation. Consuming celery frequently may help prevent UTIs

Lower high blood pressure with celery.

Hypertension—high blood pressure—can be a significant factor in developing heart disease. Celery can help lower blood pressure. It has large amounts of potassium and calcium, both good for regulating blood pressure. It also contains phthalides, phytochemicals that relax the walls of the arteries to reduce blood pressure by increasing blood flow. Even though all this is true, never try to substitute blood pressure medication with celery.

Celery helps your immune system.

Besides the antioxidants caffeic acid, quercetin and ferulic acid, celery also contains vitamin C and beta carotene, also antioxidants. It also has antibacterial and antimicrobial benefits. Its seeds have been a treatment used to fight infection, as they inhibit the growth of bacteria and improve the immune system. If you feel a bacterial infection or UTI, eating celery or drinking celery seed juice could help. Always seek medical care if you find an infection ensues.

Do you have digestive issues? It can improve digestion thanks to its fiber. Eat it regularly and you’ll see an improvement. If you’re retaining fluids, celery also acts like a diuretic.
Celery contains a high amount of polyacetylenes, phytochemicals that help prevent cancer and inhibit the growth of cancerous tumors.
Since celery contains vitamin C, it may help improve your mood. Vitamin C converts to serotonin, a hormone that helps improve your mood. The magnesium also helps relax the body.
Celery may be one of the best foods to help you regulate blood sugar levels. It’s the combination of flavones and fiber that helps it do that. Combine that fact with its low calorie count and you have the perfect food for pre-diabetics, diabetics and those who want to shed pounds.

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

Posted in Fitness & Wellness