Fitness & Wellness

Can Certain Exercises Remove Cellulite

Published by superadmin on August 15, 2018 | Leave a response

No matter how overweight or thin you are, cellulite can be a problem. I’m constantly asked for the magic cure. The my that exercises remove cellulite is just that, a myth. But they do help to conceal the lumps and bumps of cellulite. Just like spot exercises, while they help remove fat deposits from all over the body, they don’t necessarily just attack the spot you’re exercising, but you are strengthening the underlying muscles and giving a more toned look to the area.

In order to effectively fight cellulite, you need to learn what causes it.

Nobody is really sure what causes cellulite, which doesn’t mean you can’t try to eradicate it. It’s actually fat cells that protrude through the connective tissues. Once it pushes through the collagen fibers, it protrudes. The thin layer of skin covering shows it as raised lumpy areas, which are normally on the bottom and thigh, but can occur on the upper arm and stomach, as well as other areas. While women have connective issue that’s vertical, men’s connective tissue is more criss-cross. That difference may account for the fact that more women than men have cellulite.

Other factors contribute to cellulite.

Women can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to cellulite. Hormonal factors may also play a role in its development. There are a number of theories how the estrogen, insulin, noradrenaline, prolactin and thyroid hormones all play a role. One of those is that menopause can slow the flow to the collagen fiber of the connective tissues. Less circulation mean less oxygen and less oxygen means a lower production of collagen. Not only that, menopause causes hormone levels to drop and less estrogen means larger fat cells. Menopause and aging also makes skin thinner, so the lumps are more noticeable.

A healthy diet and an active lifestyle can make a difference.

When you eat a healthy diet of whole foods, which is lower in sugar, you’ll help with overall weight loss and that can make the lumps and bumps look smaller as you lose weight all over your body. Cut out alcohol and lowering your carbohydrate intake helps too. Exercising regularly can improve overall circulation, sending oxygen to those areas to help build collagen or keep it stronger.

Not only do women have the problem of hormones interfering with circulation, they also cause women to store fat in their hips, thighs and bottom. The more fat stored, the more potential for cellulite.
You can boost your circulation with alternating hot to cold showers, cryotherapy full body treatments or massage.
Age and genetics play a role in how much cellulite a person has. Smoking also can increase cellulite. If you smoke, quit.
Strength training can help smooth the area of the cellulite out and make it far less noticeable. Lower body strength training will burn off fat, but most of all, it builds muscle tissue in the area.

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Are You Working Out Hard Enough

Published by superadmin on August 3, 2018 | Leave a response

Before you get the idea that you should discontinue all types of exercise because you’re not getting the results you want, you need to stop and see if you’re working out hard enough to make a difference. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud all forms of exercise. Doing something is always better than doing nothing at all, but for those who want to reach specific goals and see a difference from their workout, putting in the time isn’t enough. It takes commitment to getting the most from your workout time.

Can you zip through your workout without breaking a sweat?

That may be part of the problem. When you first started working out, you probably grunted and groaned a lot through each movement. The longer you worked out, the easier the routine became. That’s because the workout did what it was supposed to do, got you in better shape. However, if you’re still doing the same workout after several months, there’s a problem! Not only should you be increasing the number of reps, number of sets, intensity or amount of weight, you should be varying your workout. Your body becomes efficient, which means it burns fewer calories causing plateauing.

One sign you’re not working out hard enough is that you can talk while working out.

Heck, some people that are piking it, can even sing! While they may have great voices, they should be gasping for air while they bend, twist and lift their way to fitness. One test of effort from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion is how much you can say. If you can utter more than a few gasping works and don’t need a break, it’s time to ramp it up and get serious.

You’re not working out hard enough if you feel great and ready to go dancing after working out.

Don’t expect muscle soreness every time, but you should have it on the days you’ve worked your hardest. Otherwise, you haven’t given muscles a true workout, but at least you’ve kept moving. If you want more than just maintenance and make true progress, you’ve got to do more as you get fitter. Your body will let you know by mild soreness that reminds you that you’ve worked it hard. Remember, there’s a big difference between pain and soreness. Pain should never be ignored and soreness should be applauded for the hard work it took to create it.

If you’re getting the aid of technology and checking your heart rate, anything less than 64 percent of its maximum is piking it, between 64 and 76 percent is moderate and 76 and 90 percent is a great workout.
Seeing changes in your body is a top clue that you’re getting the workout you intended. If your weight hasn’t budged, but your not increasing your caloric intake and there’s no difference in muscle size or clothing size, you need to work harder.
If you leave the gym just as dry and cool as you came in and don’t even require a shower, you didn’t sweat…which means you didn’t workout as hard as you should have.
If you end the workout feeling like you still could do more, you haven’t worked hard enough.

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Exercise To Prevent And Relieve Back Pain

Published by superadmin on July 27, 2018 | Leave a response

Many people in the workforce find themselves facing the dilemma of being unable to sit comfortably, lift or even move because of excruciating back pain. That leads to one of the biggest reasons for disability claims. It doesn’t have to be that way. You can exercise to prevent and relieve back pain. There’s a lot of reasons for the surge of this painful condition. One of them is prolonged sitting. Lack of activity and functional fitness is at the top of the list. Your muscles need to stretch and move to be at their healthiest. Improved circulation, strength and flexibility help tremendously. At one time, muscle relaxers and pain medication were at the top of the treatment list. With the high rise in pain medication addiction and more understanding of the problem, that’s no longer true.

Prevent back pain before it starts.

Even if you don’t suffer from back pain yet, if you’re in a sedentary job and have no active outlet when not at work, the odds of suffering from it in the future are great. Your muscles need regular activity to be at their strongest and prevent tightening. When you sit at a desk, or even on the couch, for prolonged periods, the muscles in your lower back start to shorten, until eventually, you have a full-blown case of back pain. Exercising on a regular basis can reduce the risk of back pain, even in people who have episodes already.

Stretching is an effect way to prevent and manage back pain.

When your back hurts, you just want to lay down until the pain subsides, but that’s the worse thing you can do. One quick exercise that can help lower back pain does require you to lay on the floor. It’s the hamstring stretch. Grab a towel before you lay down. Put your feet flat on the floor with knees bent. Hold one end of the towel in each hand, creating a loop. Lift one leg and put the loop around the sole of the foot, still holding onto the towel ends. Try to straighten that leg by slowly pulling on the towel. While you may not keep pulling until it’s perpendicular to the body, you will feel the stretch at the back of the leg. Hold that position for about a half minute. Lower the leg and put the towel loop around the bottom of the other foot.

Laying on your back with another exercise can also loosen muscles.

Lay on your back with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Put your arms straight out to help maintain position. You should rock your knees from side to side a bit, to get your muscles warmed up and looser. Lower your legs to one side, trying to keep your shoulders flat to the floor at the same time. Try to get the outer knee on the side you’re twisting toward to touch the floor. Slowly lift your knees back up and twist them to the other side of your body.

Try the cat pose. If you watch cats, they’re constantly stretch. Get on your hands and knees. Inhale, and when you exhale, arch your back, head facing downward. Inhale, but this time as you do, allow your belly to drop and raising your head, creating a concave curve.
Create a bridge. Lay on the floor, knees bent. Lift your bottom off the floor, while pushing with your heels and squeezing your buttocks muscles. Hold, lower and repeat.
Pull your knee to your chest while laying on your back. You can do one at a time, keeping the other extended to slowly stretch the back muscles. You can also do the same thing pulling both at the same time, holding for a few seconds and then lowering the legs.
Build stronger stomach muscles. Your back is supported by both the abdominal and back muscles. That’s why building a stronger core is important.

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Just Move!

Published by superadmin on July 15, 2018 | Leave a response

If you want to extend your lifespan, just move! You don’t need a formal training program, although they do provide a wide assortment of exercises for your entire body and all types of fitness. Adding more movement to your life, whether it’s just getting up and walking for a few minutes or doing a jumping jack or two every ten minutes, can boost your longevity. Studies show that people who move more have better cardiovascular and metabolic function. In fact, inactivity is up at the top in number four position of preventable deaths. Obesity is number one and everyone knows that inactivity can lead to obesity.

You may be surprised to find you need to move more even if you do workout.

Sitting and inactivity is the enemy when it comes to good health. People who sit the longest have increased risk for diabetes and heart disease. Ironically, even fit people increased their risk of an earlier death if they sat for long periods. One study showed that sitting for six hours straight wiped out all the benefits you reaped working out regularly. That can explain a lot of things for those who find they have a serious condition, yet they ate healthy and worked out regularly, but were in a job that required prolonged sitting.

How much sitting is too much sitting?

If you’re at the computer or working at your desk for hours on end, you know that can’t be good. But did you know that sitting longer than fifty minutes every hour is too much. Sitting longer than three hours a day may be far too much too. A standing desk is one answer to the problem. Take it slowly. Don’t expect to be able to stand the whole day if you’ve previously sat during your work hours. Start with just ten minutes at a time and build on that.

Some jobs don’t have the potential for standing or moving frequently.

If you’re driving a truck, standing impossible—or at least super dangerous—while the truck is in motion. To make matters worse, it’s even tough to pull over every 50 minutes if you’re on a time schedule. Driving truck comes with such a risk of obesity that there are now many insurance companies starting programs to help drivers. For situations where people can’t get up and exercise 10 minutes every fifty minutes, a brisk workout when they stop is important. One group recommends working out 15 minutes every stop or mandated rest. Another says just a four minute workout is enough. No matter what, moving more when the opportunity arises is extremely important.

Moving more doesn’t necessarily mean a tough workout. Just walking more every day can get your blood circulating and improve your health.
Not only does walking more reduce the potential for death among obese individuals, it also reduces the potential for death among smokers.
If you’re chronically sitting on the job, you’ll definitely do your body a favor if you do have a program of regular exercise. While you do need more movement throughout the day, if it’s impossible to get, a workout program supplemented with walking on your day off helps.
The older you are, the more important moving frequently becomes. Adding walking to your daily routine and doing a few minutes of simple exercise throughout the day will help you stay healthier longer.

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Herbs You Can Grow To Fight Inflammation

Published by superadmin on July 3, 2018 | Leave a response

If you’ve heard the term “inflammation” but aren’t quite sure what it means, you probably aren’t alone. It occurs as a response from the body to protect itself. There are two types of inflammation and this is usually where people get confused. There’s the acute type that occurs all of a sudden, like bashing your finger or getting a cold. The body gets into gear and sends it’s soldiers, the white blood cells, to protect it from infection. It makes the area red and swollen. Chronic inflammation comes from continual exposure to toxins or stress. It can damage the heart and create walls to block accumulated plaque in the blood vessels. When those fail, it creates a clot and that can cause heart attacks and strokes. There are many medications to fight inflammation, but some of the best are found in your spice cabinet. You can save money by growing them yourself. Here are herbs you can grow to fight inflammation.

Plant those chili peppers and reap the rewards.

If you want to make your own anti-inflammatory cream, grow chili peppers. The hotter the pepper, the more capsaicin it provides. It’s in the white pith of the pepper that’s around the seeds and other membranes inside the pepper. While the outer flesh of the pepper isn’t as high, it does have some. Grow hot peppers in your garden, dry them and grind everything below the stem. You can mix this powder with a carrier oil to create capsaicin cream. Some people go fancy, adding beeswax and melting everything together for a salve to help eliminate muscle pain. One summer, in desperation, I grabbed a bunch of fresh, hot pepper, ground them up and mixed them with crushed aspirin and coconut oil for a cream that brought instant relief, while also being quite messy. Add chili peppers to your food to help stop internal inflammation and boost heart health.

Try growing turmeric in a pot.

Here in Louisville, we’re right on the border of whether you can grow turmeric outside. It really needs a warmer winter, but some people are successful by using plenty of mulch to overwinter. I grow mine in a pot. Turmeric and ginger root are great for many different ailments. Turmeric should be part of your daily diet. Turmeric contains curcumin, a natural anti-inflammatory. Besides fighting inflammation, which also may help prevent serious conditions like Alzheimer’s, it also helps fight depression, improves the skin, fights arthritis (inflammation) and slows or prevents blood clots. To make the powder, boil the fresh rhizome for about an hour. Slice thinly and dry in a 200 degree oven for about two hours. Grind to a fine powder and add to many dishes. It tastes delicious on steamed veggies.

Ginger may also require indoor wintering.

Just like turmeric, ginger is delicate, but still possible to grow in our zone. It not only helps prevent inflammation, it also helps with stomach or menstrual pain. It regulates blood sugar, helps prevent and relieve muscle pain from overactivity–drink some ginger tea after working out every day, helps stop fungal and bacterial infections, lowers cholesterol and so much more, including fighting inflammation. You use the root, just as you do with turmeric, but can use it fresh more easily. Ginger tea is one delicious way to use it.

Grow sage in your garden, it helps boost superoxide dismutase that changes the free radical superoxide—a cause of inflammation—to a harmless peroxide or oxygen molecule.
Lemongrass is easy to grow and looks great too. If you break off the leaves and rub them on you, it acts as a natural insect repellent. Make a tea from the leaves to get the anti-inflammatory benefits from this plant.
You can grow rosemary in a pot in zone 7 and winter it indoors. It’s a bit too cold for outside wintering. Rosemary was shown to be one of the top protectants against inflammation in a recent test, right along with turmeric and ginger.
Keep a potted aloe vera on the shelf for burns and cuts. It’s anti-inflammatory properties make them heal faster.

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Reasons To Exercise Every Day, But Not Necessarily At The Gym

Published by superadmin on June 27, 2018 | Leave a response

Just as there are reasons to exercise every day, there are a lot of reasons that workout is not necessarily at the gym. Exercising is more than just a regular workout doing body weight exercises, treadmill or other tough muscle stressing workouts. It’s getting out and having fun, while also improving your overall fitness. There are people who workout at the gym at high intensity levels for hours, every day. That’s not healthy! Your muscle groups need time to recoup. You need to have a blend of intensity levels, plus use a variety of different muscle groups.

Not only will varying your workout help prevent stress injuries, it will help you lose weight.

Sure, you’ve got that routine down and you can do it loaded with extra reps and extra weight, but suddenly you’re not shedding pounds like you did previously. What’s the problem? Why the plateauing? Your body has become too efficient at doing that same old routine. It doesn’t burn the same number of calories it did initially. When you do the same routine continuously, it reduces the number of calories you burn while doing it. Working out in the gym and alternating that workout with a day of walking, bike riding and other type of activity is the start to varying your workout. A personal trainer makes sure your workouts vary, so you don’t have the problem of plateauing.

Getting fit and exercising requires a lifestyle change.

Even though you’re going to the gym, if you’re a couch potato on the day’s you’re not, you’re not changing your lifestyle. Working out at the gym helps you get fit enough to enjoy all the fun activities that require extra energy and fitness. Boosting your out of gym activities really helps you make the change from sedentary to active all week long. Some activities that require extra energy, but aren’t draining, include gardening, swimming, home projects—construction, painting, etc., refurbishing old furniture and other hobbies can keep you active, without overtaxing the same muscles you worked out at the gym.

If you really love coming to the gym every day, then set some ground rules.

Some people simply enjoy their time at the gym. I’m one of those people. However, you need to set ground rules when it’s your avocation. If your workout is intense, with weights that test your nettle and you’re doing compound movements, you need time to recuperate. Listen to your body and you’ll avoid over-exercising. If your performance decreases, you find yourself lacking motivation, you have mood changes, delayed recovery time, elevated resting heart rate or fatigue, you need to give your body a break and skip a day to take a walk in the park or work in the garden.

Overworking your body can lead to insomnia, a weakened immune system and even fat gain. The stress it puts on the body increases the stress hormones that put on visceral weight, while also inhibiting hormones that boost muscle building.
You don’t have to worry about working out daily in the gym if your workout is moderate to light. The danger occurs when you’re continuously hitting it at full throttle.
You won’t necessarily make bigger strides by pumping weights and working out to exhaustion every day and you’ll find that besides the potential for physical problems, it can also cause burn out.
On the days off of the strenuous workout, your muscles heal and in the process grow. That doesn’t mean you can it idle. Enjoy the time with a leisurely walk or indulge yourself in a sauna or with a massage.

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Is Loneliness Deadly

Published by superadmin on June 12, 2018 | Leave a response

I don’t normally blog about things like loneliness and stick normally with fitness topics, like exercise and diet. However, I was just reading about the effects of loneliness on health and realized that it not only is becoming an epidemic, it’s almost as lethal as obesity. Unfortunately, when people are obese, they also isolate themselves from others, creating a double dose of problems. Even though everyone in Louisville KY is friendly, there’s still an epidemic of loneliness here. It’s one reason that people often find that our group training provides more benefits. Not only are the participants getting a great workout and expert nutritional advice, they’re also making friends and having social interaction that’s fun.

Being alone isn’t the same as being lonely.

Some people prefer more solitude than others do. They may not have social interaction for weeks and never feel lonely. Others may be in the public or surrounded by people and still feel lonely. It’s the interaction and common bond that brings people together. It’s one reason people tend to benefit from group workouts. Let’s face it, as the trainer who pushes each person, I become the “Frenemy.” In case you aren’t familiar with the term, it’s both a friend and enemy. That common enemy and common goal creates a strong bond. The workout burns off the hormones of stress, boosts the happy hormones and creates a group that bonds over the common goal of fitness.

Why is loneliness so harmful?

Loneliness often leads to bad habits, such as alcohol abuse, overeating and over medicating. The toll these take on the immune system and overall health is huge. Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes and other serious conditions. Alcohol abuse and addiction to opioids or painkillers also take their toll on both the body and the mind. Loneliness is also known to increase both stress hormones and raise blood pressure levels.

Is more online interaction than face time the cause?

You would probably think that it would be, but studies indicate that people who use social media frequently are no more lonely than those that don’t. However, it doesn’t mention the level of loneliness of those who live with those that are online frequently. I do like to combine online with live interaction, which is why I always encourage people who use the online training and weight loss program to find a workout buddy.

Studies show that loneliness is more prevalent in younger people and the very old. It’s an internal reaction and not limited to those who are isolated. Exercise can help reduce the effect.
Besides exercise, getting outdoors can help lift the feeling of loneliness. The sunshine and fresh air can boost serotonin levels. Take off your shoes and walk barefoot, while you soak up the sun.
Turn off electronics for a day and spend time with your family. If you live alone, plan a day with friends or in a social setting. It may be a good day to start an exercise program.
Eating healthy can also help prevent depression, which is closely associated with loneliness. You can boost your social circle by taking a healthy cooking class or hosting a “healthy menu party” for friends.

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Should You Eat More Often For Weight Loss?

Published by superadmin on June 3, 2018 | Leave a response

If you’ve followed every diet, you’ve probably eating every two hours, had normal meals or packed all your meals into a short time frame in an effort to lose weight. It’s been popular for weight loss experts to tell clients to eat more often for weight loss, because some studies showed that it boosts metabolism and keeps you burning calories in high gear throughout the day. However, other studies show that eating normal meals works just as well. Finally, there are also studies that show that intermittent fasting for 16 hours and eating all meals in an eight hour window also has weight loss and other benefits. Which one is right? Maybe they all are.

The benefits of eating small meals throughout the day.

Just when you think you have the world of fat conquered and found the perfect way, based on science, to help you lose weight more easily, another study comes along to burst your bubble. That’s what happened to the theory of eating smaller meals throughout the day to boost metabolism and lose weight faster. While it works well for some people, new studies show that it has no effect on the number of calories burnt and doesn’t really affect overall hunger. In fact, in some people, it actually induced them to eat more.

So it’s intermittent fasting that’s the key to the golden gate of weight loss?

Well, yes and no. Packing all your food into an eight hour window of time may boost your metabolism, at least that’s what the last scientific study showed. While long term fasting slows the metabolism, these short 16 hour fasts actually boost it by 14 percent, according to ONE study. It does boost fat loss and help prevent muscle tissue loss, too. Since you’re not giving up food altogether, just ending your eating at around five, six or seven and starting back again at nine, ten or eleven, it can be incorporated into a lifestyle. There are other reported benefits, such as improved skin, a more robust immune system, increased longevity and improved heart function.

Which way will help you shed those pounds? It doesn’t matter.

Everyone is different. Some people fare far better eating small meals throughout the day. It helps prevent a feeding frenzy at meal time. For others, just eating normal meals works like a charm. Finally, there are those people who simply aren’t morning people and can survive on a cup of coffee for the first six hours of the day. Intermittent fasting was made for them. What does matter, far more than meal timing, is what you eat and the number of calories consumed. It doesn’t matter how often you eat, if you’re eating healthy, high nutrition, lower calorie foods, you’ll lose weight.

Eating whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, is important. Not only are they lower in calories, they’re also higher in fiber. That helps boost the feeling of fullness.
If you’re using the grazing method, eating more frequently, make sure you plan meals and snacks to include all nutrients. One easy technique is creating three balanced meals and break them down to six smaller ones.
While intermittent fasting may have other benefits, the weight loss benefits occur because you don’t have as much time to eat as many calories. You won’t lose weight if you gorge yourself when during the eating phase.
Make sure you have high quality protein in your diet and healthy fats. Nuts, seeds and hard boiled eggs are good sources of protein, while avocado, nuts (yes, again), egg yolk (or a whole hard boiled egg) and cheese provide healthy fat.

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What’s An Adaptogen

Published by superadmin on May 28, 2018 | Leave a response

I’m always telling clients to learn to use herbs and spices when cooking, to boost flavor and add nutrients without adding extra calories. There’s a number of special herbs that play an even more vital role in health. They’re called adaptogens. An adaptogen provides the material to help your body cope more easily with the stresses of living that can suck the energy out of it. They help boost the immune system, provide aid in keeping weight under control, improve endurance, make you feel better and even improve your mood.

You don’t have to take a pill or create a special mix in the lab.

Consider eating Thai food or including one of the ingredients often used in it in your diet, Tulsi—also known as Holy Basil. Holy basil isn’t like regular sweet basil found in Italian cooking. It has a taste described by some as a citrus mint and by others as peppery. It’s used in Pho and stir-fry and adding it to your diet just means adding it to dishes you might already eat. It’s been used for centuries for anxiety, diabetes, stress, colds, flu, asthma, bronchitis, headache, earache, heart disease, fever, insomnia and more. It has both anti-inflammatory an antioxidant effects on the body, which is why it’s believed to be so beneficial for a number of diseases. There’s even research being done on its cancer fighting benefits.

That yellow color could mean you’ve discovered fitness gold.

Turmeric has been boosted to the top of the herb and spice chain by the studies that show it might help Alzheimer’s. It’s the curcumin in turmeric that makes it such a powerful health aid. You can cook with it and it adds a bit of a mellow flavor to food. While I think it makes it taste richer, others don’t care for it. It took me a long time to discover that the yellow rice I saw in Asian cooking actually came from a bit of turmeric added to the mix. There are a number of health benefits attributed to turmeric, which include anti-inflammatory benefits, slower blood clotting, pain relief for arthritis, improved skin, aid for diabetics, prevention of some forms of cancer, anti-depressant, aid to reduce obesity, lower cholesterol and aid for IBS. After a tough workout, sprinkle some turmeric on your meal and it might be just what you need to reduce the aches and pains of overdoing.

Adaptogens can be mushrooms or fungi.

One of the most potent fungi for a boost in health is the Ophiocordyceps sinensis—cordycep, a fungus that originally invaded the body of a specific type of dead caterpillar found only high in the mountain regions of Tibet. It’s also called the Zombie Mushroom for a very good reason. The spores infect the larvae of ghost moths—sounding spooky already? As the larvae grows to a caterpillar, the spores munch on the insides of it, killing it in the process. It gets even spookier. The tendrils sprout out of the caterpillars head and push through the soil. If the thought of eating a zombie caterpillar isn’t for you, now supplement makers produce this fungus in the lab. It has huge benefits, such as improved metabolism, enhanced performance, boost and regulates the immune system, lowered insulin resistance, improved kidney and liver health. You can use it in Asian cooking or add it to your favorite soup.

Rosemary is an adaptogen that contain caffeic acid and romarinic acid for heart health, better digestion and liver support. It’s also good to aid in stress relief.
Add some maca—a root found in the Andes—to your smoothie. It has a malt like flavor and boosts energy levels, relieve stress, improve your sex drive and balance hormones.
Licorice root is one of the adaptogens that’s found mostly in sweet and savory recipes. It promotes wellness by working with metabolic functions and is good for its anti-viral and anti-microbial benefits, plus aiding digestion and adrenal fatigue. Avoid licorice root if you have high blood pressure.
Even if you’re just cooking with these adaptogens, always check with your physician to ensure they won’t interfere with present medications or exacerbate an ongoing condition.

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