The past year has brought many challenges for everyone. There is no better way to start 2010 than making healthy changes to your lifestyle.
While there are many external factors that add stress to your life that you may feel are uncontrollable, there are some very concrete changes you can make that are completely under your control.
A healthy lifestyle, beginning with regular exercise and a good nutrition plan, is a great way to cure many of the problems which can be caused by external stress.
Challenge is a good thing.
It is a way to effect a positive change on your body. By challenging your body, you will lead to improvement.
Variety is the key ingredient to progress.It is very easy to get lulled into the same routine in the gym. We are often drawn to perform the exercises that we are familiar with or use the machines that we have already learned.
However, the body often adjusts to the routine and we lose the results that we felt initially. To keep improving your body and health, you should add variety to your workout.There are many ways to achieve this.
Vary Your Cardio Exercises
Try changing up your routine by doing different types of exercise. Try using the stair climber one day and taking a step aerobics class the next. Whatever you are doing, make sure that you remain at a level that you feel you are achieving fat burning. By continually challenging the body with different types of cardiovascular exercise, you can keep your body in a constant, positive state of fat burning.
Change Length and Intensity Levels
Try exercising at a lower intensity level for a longer period of time for a few weeks and then switch to a higher intensity level for a shorter period. By doing this, you could challenge your endurance and burn fat by exercising for a longer period of time, such as 45 minutes to an hour or build your cardiovascular health by exercising for a shorter period, such as 20 to 30 minutes at a high level.
Exercise First Thing in the Morning
If you are tired of your workouts on the way home from the job, try waking up early and going to exercise before going to work. It is a great way to start the day and can get your fat-burning engine started early. It is shown that the body continues to burn fat for a few hours after a good workout. By combining an early workout schedule with a pyramid-style nutritional plan that peaks your caloric intake at mid-day, you may be able to use your food more efficiently and burn more fat.
Warm Up and Cool Down
It is important to make sure that your body is ready for your workout. Make sure to ease up to your target heart rate by warming up before your begin exercising. The time that you spend preparing for or cooling off from your cardio workout should be added on to your regular plan. By warming up, you will make sure that your body is already at a fat burning level by the time you start your routine.By warming up prior to strength training, you will improve blood flow and muscle contraction.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals
Food is fuel for your body. You need to burn it all day long to get the best, most efficient results. By eating less frequently, you are more likely to be in caloric excess, which leads to fat retention. Instead of the traditional three meals a day, try eating five or six. You will not feel as hungry when you eat and are less likely to eat in excess.
These are the basics of challenging the body. It is very easy to slip into a “routine.” They can be important points for beginners to know and for the more advanced to be reminded of!
Come by to see Chris Keith at BOOTCAMP 619 to determine your best New Year’s Resolution!
With Thanksgiving and Black Friday behind us, the holiday season is now in full force!
Holiday parties, desserts, mall food… they are all potential potholes on our road to our perfect body in the New Year.
However, there are plenty of great ways to avoid the down-side of holiday cheer.
You may think it’s too early… Why not just wait until I start that New Year’s Resolution to lose those extra pounds? Well, the answer is clear – why gain them in the first place? Even though you may be busy with holiday parties and year-end work, most people do have some extra time for themselves over the holidays. Spend it productively and get a jump on the rest of the crowd.
Step to the Front of the Line
Gyms are often deserted during the holiday season. Exercise can be one of the first things people drop off their busy schedules to spend more time at the mall or holiday parties. Use that to your benefit! While there may be long lines at the department stores, there’s no waiting at the stair machine. Get in a quick workout before heading out to your daily activities. If there’s no time before, it can be a great stress-reliever after a long day of work and holiday activities.
Personal Shopper
Everybody can use a little help. Santa has elves. You can get a fitness professional to help you too. By working with a personal trainer, you’ll get the attention and education that you need to get more challenging workouts. A fitness professional will make your workouts more effective and give you the motivation you need to have that extra willpower that we all lack during the holiday season.
Follow the Reindeer
Join a class! A group can really motivate you to challenge yourself. It is likely that class sizes will be down this month before the big post-holiday push. It will give you a chance to try something new without the crowd and be ahead of the rest when the holidays are over.
Dasher has Dancer, Prancer has Vixen
Get a serious exercise buddy. Make sure to choose someone that is as motivated as you are or you may not get the desired results. Make a commitment to push each other even harder than you may have pushed yourself. Find someone that shares the same fitness goals, is encouraging and committed and is around the same fitness level.
A close friend, partner or spouse could be a good choice. It is a great way to spend more one-on-one time together during a season when we are often invited to group activities.
Get Out of the Gingerbread House
Watch your diet and make sure that you enjoy your seasonal treats with moderation. Choose a few items that you may not mind cutting out this year and enjoy those that you do without stuffing yourself. You won’t miss the discomfort you feel after the meal… or the pants that don’t fit on January first.
Above all, keep fitness on your mind during the holiday season. Your health is not something to take a vacation from. In the end, a good healthy lifestyle will reduce stress and make you feel great. Enjoy your holidays and have a healthy, happy New Year!
Come in and see Chris Keith, San Diego's best personal trainer, today to get a jump on your New Year's fitness resolutions!
I have been surprised and happy to see the number of people in the gyms lately! The holidays can often bring on the fitness doldrums. The message seems to be getting through to people this year, so don't miss out!
What comes to mind when you think of turkey, cranberries and sweet potatoes?The holidays? A meal that usually consists of most people’s entire week’s caloric intake? Maybe.How about some foods that are actually on Chris Keith’s awesome foods list?
It’s true.
These are some of the healthiest foods you can eat. The problem with holiday dinners is not in the main ingredients, but in the way we prepare them. If you are careful on how you prepare your holiday dinner, it doesn’t need to get in the way of your fat-burning goals.
Turkey
If you are looking for a lean cut of meat, turkey is hard to beat. A three-ounce serving of skinless white meat contains 25 grams of protein, barely three grams of fat, and less than one gram of saturated fat. Turkey is also a good source of arginine. As with other amino acids, the body uses this one to make new protein. Arginine is also the raw material for making nitric oxide, a substance that relaxes and opens arteries. Whether foods rich in arginine help keep arteries open has prompted both research and debate.
Do eat white mean turkey.
Don’t eat the dark meat or skin. They have the bad fats and unnecessary calories.
Cranberries
Cranberries are packed with dozens of different antioxidants. Cranberries have properties that neutralize unstable molecules that can damage DNA, proteins, cell membranes, and cellular machinery.
Do make your own cranberry sauce with orange juice or zest (and a little honey if necessary) to keep sugar intake down.
Don’t eat the canned stuff!
Sweet potatoes
These orange colored un-potatoes are related to the morning glory, not the white potato and are an excellent source of vitamin A, beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. They have a low-glycemic index and are on my list of good carbs.
Do eat them in moderation.
Don’t use a sweetener. They are naturally sweet so enjoy their real flavor!
Don’t be one of those people crowding into the gym after New Year’s to shed all the extra holiday pounds. Many of the foods that grace a Thanksgiving table are healthy on their own but they are dragged down by the company they keep. Brown sugar, butter, and marshmallows destroy the natural goodness of sweet potatoes. The benefits of pumpkin and pecans are overwhelmed when these foods are baked into pies with cream, eggs, butter, and sugar. It doesn’t have to be that way. Don’t get stuck on the “traditional” ideas for holiday dinners – they really don’t bear much resemblance to the original meal anyway – try looking up healthier recipes that everyone can enjoy and start the new year out ahead of the pack.
Don't wait until the New Year to start your fitness plan! Come into BOOTCAMP 619 now and get a jump on the rest! Look great in that new outfit for NYE 2009!
The avocado is a delicious, buttery fruit that has good fat that can improve your heart health. If you are craving a “decadent” meal, instead of ordering that cheeseburger, try a turkey burger on a whole-wheat bun topped with guacamole. If you are making it at home, just cut the avocado in half, squeeze out the insides and mix in fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro and onions. This meal is fast, cheap and healthy and as long as you don’t do it too often, it won’t get in the way of your fat-burning goals.
Be creative! Avocado or guacamole can be a good option for many meals which may have included a slice of cheese.
For more information on fitness and nutrition, go to www.BOOTCAMP619.com today.
Nowadays, everybody knows that you can lose body fat by cutting dietary fats and carbs. What about the fats that your body needs and sometimes craves? Though a low-carb, high protein, low fat diet is a great option for fat-loss, it may not an effective long-term nutritional plan for many people. A healthy fat can be a sustaining source of energy for the body. It can provide the extra kick you need to get in a good workout after a long day at the job. If you choose your fats wisely, they can have many positive effects on the body. Fish Oils (Salmon, Tuna and other Marine Oils): These can reduce the risk of CHD and also maintain good mental and visual function. Salad Oils: Olive oil, grape seed oil and walnut oil and all, healthy delicious options. They can also help maintain good heart health. Walnuts and Flax: Also great for heart health. Flax seed can reduce your bad cholesterol. Almonds and Hazelnuts: May reduce cell damage, improve heart health and boost your immune system. If you are trying to maintain a low fat diet, be careful of having too many of these because they tend to also be high in calories. However, by monitoring your intake to these healthy fats, you can improve your health, curb your fatty cravings and avoid too many calories and increasing body fat.
An active functional training schedule and strength training will increase muscle mass, which leads to more fat loss and a stronger, leaner body, but cardiovascular exercise is also important. A good cardio workout can increase endurance, lung capacity, blood flow to the brain and burn fat. Running, jogging, swimming, cycling, rowing and other types of cardio are important to do on a regular basis and when you are traveling or can’t get into the gym.
For fat-loss, plan to spend at least 30 minutes each day on your cardio workout. Your exercise regime should consist of a warm-up, workout, and cool-down period. For example, warm up on the stair climber for 5 minutes. Increase your speed to a slow jog for 20 minutes and end your cardio workout with another a fast-paced, 5-minute climb.
Also consider an interval cardio workout, such as sprinting. This form of exercise involves intervals of running and walking, either on your treadmill or outside. However, you need to warm up properly to prevent injury to your knees and legs.
Incorporate different forms of cardio exercise into your workout. Most people become bored with just one form of exercise, so do different activities. A cardio exercise is any workout that elevates the heart rate for a length of time, usually 20 minutes. Try swimming laps, jumping rope or climbing stairs.
A native of the Middle East and the Himalayas, the Pomegranate is a round, sweet, fruit about the size of an apple that grows on top of small trees. The pomegranate is part of the "super fruit" category because it contains an abundance of nutrients that may be beneficial to your health.
Pomegranates are high in polyphenols, which have been shown to be superior antioxidants. Antioxidants are important in the diet for improved disease prevention, brain function and maintaining a healthy, youthful body and appearance.
Pomegranates are in season now and readily available.
When it comes to your body, change in your workout equals challenge. By challenging your body, you will lead to improvement. Variety is not only the spice of life, but also the key ingredient to progress.
It is very easy to get lulled into the same routine in the gym. We are often drawn to perform the exercises that we are familiar with or use the machines that we have already learned. However, the body often adjusts to the routine and we lose the results that we felt initially. To keep improving your body and health, you should add variety to your workout.
There are many ways to achieve this.
Vary Your Cardio Exercises Try changing up your routine by doing different types of exercise. Try using the stair climber one day and taking a step aerobics class the next. Whatever you are doing, make sure that you remain at a level that you feel you are achieving fat burning. By continually challenging the body with different types of cardiovascular exercise, you can keep your body in a constant, positive state of fat burning.
Change Length and Intensity Levels Try exercising at a lower intensity level for a longer period of time for a few weeks and then switch to a higher intensity level for a shorter period. By doing this, you could challenge your endurance and burn fat by exercising for a longer period of time, such as 45 minutes to an hour or build your cardiovascular health by exercising for a shorter period, such as 20 to 30 minutes at a high level.
Exercise First Thing in the Morning If you are tired of your workouts on the way home from the job, try waking up early and going to exercise before going to work. It is a great way to start the day and can get your fat-burning engine started early. It is shown that the body continues to burn fat for a few hours after a good workout. By combining an early workout schedule with a pyramid-style nutritional plan that peaks your caloric intake at mid-day, you may be able to use your food more efficiently and burn more fat.
Warm Up and Cool Down It is important to make sure that your body is ready for your workout. Make sure to ease up to your target heart rate by warming up before your begin exercising. The time that you spend preparing for or cooling off from your cardio workout should be added on to your regular plan. By warming up, you will make sure that your body is already at a fat burning level by the time you start your routine. By warming up prior to strength training, you will improve blood flow and muscle contraction.
Eat Smaller, More Frequent Meals Food is fuel for your body. You need to burn it all day long to get the best, most efficient results. By eating less frequently, you are more likely to be in caloric excess, which leads to fat retention. Instead of the traditional three meals a day, try eating five or six. You will not feel as hungry when you eat and are less likely to eat in excess.
These are the basics of challenging the body. It is very easy to slip into a “routine.” They can be important points for beginners to know and for the more advanced to be reminded of!
The holiday season is a great time to catch up with old friends, spend time with family and enjoy delicious food. People can often experience a post-holiday let-down in the new year from colder weather, credit card bills and holiday pounds. Don’t let extra weight gained over the holidays interfere with your bright new year!
Weight gain season has begun and runs for a few more weeks. There are plenty of great ways to avoid the down-side of holiday cheer.
You may think it’s too early… Why not just wait until I start that New Year’s Resolution to lose those extra pounds? Well, the answer is clear – why gain them in the first place? Even though you may be busy with holiday parties and year-end work, most people do have some extra time for themselves over the holidays. Spend it productively and get a jump on the rest of the crowd.
The Gym “Waist-Land” Gyms are often deserted during the holiday season. Exercise can be one of the first things people drop off their busy schedules to spend more time at the mall or holiday parties. Use that to your benefit! While there may be long lines at the department stores, there’s no waiting at the stair machine. Get in a quick workout before heading out to your daily activities. If there’s no time before, it can be a great stress-reliever after a long day of work and holiday activities.
Holiday Helper Everybody can use a little help. Santa has elves. You can get a fitness professional to help you too. By working with a personal trainer, you’ll get the attention and education that you need to get more challenging workouts. A fitness professional will make your workouts more effective and give you the motivation you need to have that extra willpower that we all lack during the holiday season. Classy New Year Join a class! A group can really motivate you to challenge yourself. It is likely that class sizes will be down this month before the big post-holiday push. It will give you a chance to try something new without the crowd and be ahead of the rest when the holidays are over.
Find Your Holiday BFF Get a serious exercise buddy. Make sure to choose someone that is as motivated as you are or you may not get the desired results. Make a commitment to push each other even harder than you may have pushed yourself. Find someone that shares the same fitness goals, is encouraging and committed and is around the same fitness level. A close friend, partner or spouse could be a good choice. It is a great way to spend more one-on-one time together during a season when we are often invited to group activities.
Don’t Overstuff Your Stocking Watch your diet and make sure that you enjoy your seasonal treats with moderation. Choose a few items that you may not mind cutting out this year and enjoy those that you do without stuffing yourself. You won’t miss the discomfort you feel after the meal… or the pants that don’t fit on January first.
Above all, keep fitness on your mind during the holiday season. Your health is not something to take a vacation from. In the end, a good healthy lifestyle will reduce stress and make you feel great. Enjoy your holidays and have a healthy, happy New Year!
The past year has brought many challenges for everyone. There is no better way to start 2010 than making healthy changes to your lifestyle. 
