Over the last few weeks I have discussed, nutrition and exercise and ways to change your lifestyle habits. No quick fixes or magic pills! The bottom line is that fat loss (remember it is always fat loss and not weight loss) is HARD, that fact is never going to change and you have to want it badly enough to succeed at it. There is no point making careful choices throughout the week and exercising four times if you are going to blow it all at the weekend!
Don't forget I am doing a half day Nutrition Workshop on 19th September 2009 starting at 2pm. I will be covering the basics of nutrition, what actually happens in the body, looking at strategies to help you reach your goal and answering as many questions as I can fit in! There will also be prize draw where one lucky person will win a makeover there and then by make up artist, Helen Spenser. Look great from the inside out. Invitations will go out late July but you are welcome to book your place now, the workshop is £10 per person and booking is essential as spaces are limited.
Okay, you have made your decision to change and have made moderate changes to your food intake. Next you need to look at exercise but how do you go about deciding what to do. How do you know what is right for you? Remember that what works for one may not necessarily work for another. We are all individual.
Consistency is key to fat burning. Choose activities that you enjoy, if you don't it wont last. If you join a gym make sure it is close to home or work - you will not want to travel too far and it will be far too easy to think ' I can't be bothered, I'll go tomorrow' and then tomorrow will never come.
You need to look at exercise from three standpoints.
Cardiovascular, to begin with start with walking, cycling and swimming. Once you are a little fitter you could progress on to exercise class, running, tennis, circuit training.
Strength exercise, start with swimming front crawl, hill walking and beginner Pilates classes. Once you are fitter and stronger progress onto weight training, resistance band exercises, body pump style and conditioning classes.
Flexibility, start with stretch and relax classes or beginner yoga, then move onto more intermediate yoga classes, tai chi and intermediate Pilates.
The above are only suggestions and there are a whole host of other exercises that you could be doing. Do what works for you and always ensure that you work at the intensity that is right for you.
Once you have been exercising consistently for three months you should notice a real difference in how you feel and look. Now is the ideal time to try higher intensity exercise and interval training.
Early morning exercise is the best time to exercise is fat loss is your goal. Insulin is at it's lowest and glycogen is at it's highest (read previous blogs for more information on this). This encourages more fat to leave your fat cells and travel to your muscles where the fat is burned. It is important to note that you may not necessarily burn more calories but more of the calories that you do burn will come from fat. Over time this may lead to speedier fat loss.
So, how do you know if you are working at the right intensity? There are several things you can do to help you with this.
Talk test - if you can hold a leisurely conversation as you exercise then you are probably not working hard enough! If you can barely speak then slow down!
RPE Scale - this is the rate of perceived exertion and one I use a lot with clients. It ranges from 1 where you feel you could keep going forever, to 10 where you can do no more. I would say to aim around 7 unless you really want to push yourself. This works very well when working with a heart rate monitor.
CHARITY ZUMBATHON
5th September 2009
1400 - 1600
This is going to be one HUGE party - don't miss it. If you need a sponsorship form let me know and I will email it to you. Minimum donation to take part will be £4 but why not get friends and family to sponsor you so we can really get the ball rolling. Donations will be equally split between Wessex Cancer Trust and Naomi House. We will all be meeting up later, after a much needed shower I would imagine, to chill out and relax with a glass or two! Please email me if you wish to take part as I need to know numbers in advance. I will then email you all the relevant details.
Last but not least my skydive is scheduled for TUESDAY 30th JUNE 2009. Having checked the weather it should be okay but please all keep your fingers crossed as I would hate for it to be postponed again! You can donate by following this link http://www.justgiving.com/coriwithell/
If you have completed a sponsorship form please can you let me have the money as soon as possible or donate online and then I will mark it off the sheet. Many thanks for all your support.
Sunday, 28 June 2009
Sunday, 21 June 2009
Activity - what to do, how much and when?
Last week I went over some frequent exercise myths that I hear more times than I care to remember, so this week I thought I would tackle how to fit exercise into your lifestyle without it being a battle!
The number one excuse throughout the world for not exercising is lack of time - what a load of rubbish - MAKE time. If you need a new outfit do you ever not have the time to go shopping? Of course not so why for exercise? You are wanting an excuse and until you accept that nothing will change until you MOVE there is little point in saying you want to lose weight or whatever your goal is. The same goes for weight loss and moaning that you are not losing weight when you don't change your dietary habits!
Staying motivated is key to achieving your goals whatever they may be, so how do you stay motivated to exercise?
Schedule your exercise as if it were an appointment and treat it like one. Write it in your diary and never cancel it.
Keep a record of what you did in each workout so you can keep track of your achievements.
Exercise with someone else, this helps in both commitment and motivation.
Exercise in clothes that are comfortable and make you feel good about yourself.
Be active to music that you love!
Vary your activity to prevent boredom
Cardiovascular exercise is exercise that increases the body's demand for oxygen and makes the heart and lungs work harder than usual. This makes circulation more efficient and helps to develop your stamina. This type of exercise not only burns calories but also increases your body's ability to burn fat.
There are two ways to work from a cardiovascular point of view. You can work at a constant pace or work in intervals. I would personally recommend interval training as it will help you to achieve your goals more quickly. However, if you are training to maintain a certain weight or shape that you have already achieved then constant pace training may be more appropriate. Interval training is alternating short burst of intense training which are followed by lower intensity periods in which you recover. The length of the exercise periods will be dependant on your fitness level.
Strength exercises are crucial! This doesn't have to be with heavy weights, you can use your own body weight with squats, press ups and lunges for example. Strength exercises tone your muscles and help prevent age related muscle loss. The increased muscle mass that you gain will make your body burn more calories every day whether exercising or sleeping! For every 1lb of muscle that you add through exercise increases your metabolic rate by 30-40 calories per day. That is equivalent to 1200 extra calories a month, or to put it another way, 1lb of fat loss in three months! Get squatting!
In every workout, there must be an element devoted to flexibility and stretching. It will help to improve your posture, make your muscles look slimmer and longer. Most importantly it will help to prevent muscle soreness, muscle strain and joint injuries. Good flexibility can make a huge difference to your posture, appearance and well being. Other fitness activities will feel easier and if you spend time stretching after exercising you are less likely to feel sore the next day.
Have an amazing and ACTIVE week!
The number one excuse throughout the world for not exercising is lack of time - what a load of rubbish - MAKE time. If you need a new outfit do you ever not have the time to go shopping? Of course not so why for exercise? You are wanting an excuse and until you accept that nothing will change until you MOVE there is little point in saying you want to lose weight or whatever your goal is. The same goes for weight loss and moaning that you are not losing weight when you don't change your dietary habits!
Staying motivated is key to achieving your goals whatever they may be, so how do you stay motivated to exercise?
Schedule your exercise as if it were an appointment and treat it like one. Write it in your diary and never cancel it.
Keep a record of what you did in each workout so you can keep track of your achievements.
Exercise with someone else, this helps in both commitment and motivation.
Exercise in clothes that are comfortable and make you feel good about yourself.
Be active to music that you love!
Vary your activity to prevent boredom
Cardiovascular exercise is exercise that increases the body's demand for oxygen and makes the heart and lungs work harder than usual. This makes circulation more efficient and helps to develop your stamina. This type of exercise not only burns calories but also increases your body's ability to burn fat.
There are two ways to work from a cardiovascular point of view. You can work at a constant pace or work in intervals. I would personally recommend interval training as it will help you to achieve your goals more quickly. However, if you are training to maintain a certain weight or shape that you have already achieved then constant pace training may be more appropriate. Interval training is alternating short burst of intense training which are followed by lower intensity periods in which you recover. The length of the exercise periods will be dependant on your fitness level.
Strength exercises are crucial! This doesn't have to be with heavy weights, you can use your own body weight with squats, press ups and lunges for example. Strength exercises tone your muscles and help prevent age related muscle loss. The increased muscle mass that you gain will make your body burn more calories every day whether exercising or sleeping! For every 1lb of muscle that you add through exercise increases your metabolic rate by 30-40 calories per day. That is equivalent to 1200 extra calories a month, or to put it another way, 1lb of fat loss in three months! Get squatting!
In every workout, there must be an element devoted to flexibility and stretching. It will help to improve your posture, make your muscles look slimmer and longer. Most importantly it will help to prevent muscle soreness, muscle strain and joint injuries. Good flexibility can make a huge difference to your posture, appearance and well being. Other fitness activities will feel easier and if you spend time stretching after exercising you are less likely to feel sore the next day.
Have an amazing and ACTIVE week!
Monday, 15 June 2009
Exercise, fact or fiction?
I have lost count of the number of times someone has told me about something they have read or been told and just assume it to be true so let me take some time to dispel a few of these myths.
Myth
Exercise at a low rather than high intensity promotes greater fat loss.
Fact
It is true that the body uses a greater proportion of fats than carbohydrates when exercising at a low intensity but this doesn't mean that such exercise is better for fat loss than high intensity exercise. Remember that the most important fact is the number of calories that you burn. now if you know me you may be sitting there thinking what a hypocrite I am because I am not a fan of counting calories when eating but when burning fat I am afraid I switch sides!!! During low intensity exercise the number of fat calories will be less than you burn during high intensity exercise. You lose weight and body fat when you burn more calories than you consume.
Myth
The more you sweat the more fat you lose.
Fact
Sweat is water, when you exercise you will definitely sweat and lose weight. However, this weight is not fat it is water that you will replace when you next eat and drink. Sweating is not a good indicator of how many calories you are burning and more importantly fat calories. It merely tells you how much excess heat you are producing and will be affected by the the temperature, humidity and the ratio of your weight to surface area, genetic factors come into play too: some people just sweat more.
Myth
You can burn fat from specific regions of your body by exercising those areas.
Fact
You cannot spot reduce fat - FACT! When you exercise you use energy by burning fat from all the regions of the body not from the specific muscles involved in the exercise. Doing hundreds of sit ups (not the best exercise anyway in my opinion!) will strengthen your abdominals but it will not trim fat off that area alone.
Myth
Strength exercises make women bulk up.
Fact
This one actually makes me laugh I hear it that often, or the panic stricken faces I look at in class when I suggest press ups! Lifting weights will not make you bulky. Weight bearing exercise are one of the easiest ways for women to look leaner, more sculpted and tones. A pound of muscle takes up a great deal less volume than a pound of fat. Testosterone is a major player in muscle bulkage and women have low levels so it would be really hard for us to build large muscles as that hormone influences muscle growth.
Myth
Muscle turns to fat when you stop exercising.
Fact
It is IMPOSSIBLE for muscle to turn to fat as it is a completely different type of body tissue. They simply do not have the capacity to turn from one type to another. However, with muscles, it is very much a case of use it or lose it! If you don't use a muscle then it will lose it's strength, tone and size. If you then eat more calories than you burn the excess will be stored as fat.
Myth
Aerobic exercise stops the loss of lean mass during dieting.
Fact
Aerobic exercise does little to maintain lean mass (muscle) during dieting. The less lean mass you have the lower your metabolic rate will be. The best way to prevent muscle loss is by combining strength exercise (at least twice per week) with regular aerobic activities.
Have a fab week and do post your comments, I love to know what you think!
Myth
Exercise at a low rather than high intensity promotes greater fat loss.
Fact
It is true that the body uses a greater proportion of fats than carbohydrates when exercising at a low intensity but this doesn't mean that such exercise is better for fat loss than high intensity exercise. Remember that the most important fact is the number of calories that you burn. now if you know me you may be sitting there thinking what a hypocrite I am because I am not a fan of counting calories when eating but when burning fat I am afraid I switch sides!!! During low intensity exercise the number of fat calories will be less than you burn during high intensity exercise. You lose weight and body fat when you burn more calories than you consume.
Myth
The more you sweat the more fat you lose.
Fact
Sweat is water, when you exercise you will definitely sweat and lose weight. However, this weight is not fat it is water that you will replace when you next eat and drink. Sweating is not a good indicator of how many calories you are burning and more importantly fat calories. It merely tells you how much excess heat you are producing and will be affected by the the temperature, humidity and the ratio of your weight to surface area, genetic factors come into play too: some people just sweat more.
Myth
You can burn fat from specific regions of your body by exercising those areas.
Fact
You cannot spot reduce fat - FACT! When you exercise you use energy by burning fat from all the regions of the body not from the specific muscles involved in the exercise. Doing hundreds of sit ups (not the best exercise anyway in my opinion!) will strengthen your abdominals but it will not trim fat off that area alone.
Myth
Strength exercises make women bulk up.
Fact
This one actually makes me laugh I hear it that often, or the panic stricken faces I look at in class when I suggest press ups! Lifting weights will not make you bulky. Weight bearing exercise are one of the easiest ways for women to look leaner, more sculpted and tones. A pound of muscle takes up a great deal less volume than a pound of fat. Testosterone is a major player in muscle bulkage and women have low levels so it would be really hard for us to build large muscles as that hormone influences muscle growth.
Myth
Muscle turns to fat when you stop exercising.
Fact
It is IMPOSSIBLE for muscle to turn to fat as it is a completely different type of body tissue. They simply do not have the capacity to turn from one type to another. However, with muscles, it is very much a case of use it or lose it! If you don't use a muscle then it will lose it's strength, tone and size. If you then eat more calories than you burn the excess will be stored as fat.
Myth
Aerobic exercise stops the loss of lean mass during dieting.
Fact
Aerobic exercise does little to maintain lean mass (muscle) during dieting. The less lean mass you have the lower your metabolic rate will be. The best way to prevent muscle loss is by combining strength exercise (at least twice per week) with regular aerobic activities.
Have a fab week and do post your comments, I love to know what you think!
Sunday, 7 June 2009
Exercise - why bother?
There are hundreds of theories out there in relation to what exercise you should be doing to burn the most fat or to get the leanest legs or 'ripped' abs! I have one very simple philosophy, you have to do what works for you, what you enjoy and what gives you the best results. This might not be having the gorgeous body you dream of but exercise that makes you feel good inside. There have been some programmes on TV of late that have implied you don't need to exercise, this makes me MAD!!! Of course you do and the benefits are numerous.
How many of us look at the benefits of getting active other that losing weight or toning up? Well, here are a few important facts for you that most of us look over.
Regular activity halves your risk of getting heart disease.
Regular activity reduces your risk of having a stroke.
Regular activity lowers your blood pressure.
Regular activity reduces your chance of developing diabetes.
A study at Harvard university on 17,000 people found that those people who walked 5-10 miles a week had a 25% lower risk of heart disease compared to inactive people,
Cancer Research UK estimate excess weight causes up to 12,000 cases of cancer each year.
Strength and toning exercises performed three times per week helps to prevent age related loss of muscle that occurs after the age of 30. Most people lose between 2.3kg and 3.2kg of their muscle every decade and this means a drop in your metabolic rate and daily calorie burn.
Activity strengthens your heart muscle which allows it to pump blood more efficiently around your body with each heartbeat.
Activity increases your lung capacity so you can breathe in more oxygen with each breath.
Activity helps to keep your blood vessels clog free which helps to keep blood cholesterol and blood pressure in check.
Keeping active helps you to live longer. In 2003/2004 287,206 people died from diseases associated with a lack of exercise, 35,000 were directly attributable to physical inactivity.
Stretching exercises relieve stiffness, improve your range of movement and increase your flexibility.
Weight bearing exercises such as walking, running and dancing (to name a few) slows down bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis.
Regular activity is fantastic for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Exercise helps you to relax more easily and feel better about yourself. Exercise releases endorphins that uplift your mood. The Mental Health Foundation advises that regular moderate exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as drugs.
All activities improve your posture, balance, strength, suppleness and mobility. Exercise makes you aware of body movement .
Regular activity makes you feel more energetic. You will be able to cope better with your daily routine and have energy to spare.
ENERGY - THE MORE YOU SPEND - THE MORE YOU HAVE!
How many of us look at the benefits of getting active other that losing weight or toning up? Well, here are a few important facts for you that most of us look over.
Regular activity halves your risk of getting heart disease.
Regular activity reduces your risk of having a stroke.
Regular activity lowers your blood pressure.
Regular activity reduces your chance of developing diabetes.
A study at Harvard university on 17,000 people found that those people who walked 5-10 miles a week had a 25% lower risk of heart disease compared to inactive people,
Cancer Research UK estimate excess weight causes up to 12,000 cases of cancer each year.
Strength and toning exercises performed three times per week helps to prevent age related loss of muscle that occurs after the age of 30. Most people lose between 2.3kg and 3.2kg of their muscle every decade and this means a drop in your metabolic rate and daily calorie burn.
Activity strengthens your heart muscle which allows it to pump blood more efficiently around your body with each heartbeat.
Activity increases your lung capacity so you can breathe in more oxygen with each breath.
Activity helps to keep your blood vessels clog free which helps to keep blood cholesterol and blood pressure in check.
Keeping active helps you to live longer. In 2003/2004 287,206 people died from diseases associated with a lack of exercise, 35,000 were directly attributable to physical inactivity.
Stretching exercises relieve stiffness, improve your range of movement and increase your flexibility.
Weight bearing exercises such as walking, running and dancing (to name a few) slows down bone loss that can lead to osteoporosis.
Regular activity is fantastic for reducing stress, anxiety and depression. Exercise helps you to relax more easily and feel better about yourself. Exercise releases endorphins that uplift your mood. The Mental Health Foundation advises that regular moderate exercise can treat mild to moderate depression as effectively as drugs.
All activities improve your posture, balance, strength, suppleness and mobility. Exercise makes you aware of body movement .
Regular activity makes you feel more energetic. You will be able to cope better with your daily routine and have energy to spare.
ENERGY - THE MORE YOU SPEND - THE MORE YOU HAVE!
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