Three Keys to Getting & Staying in Shape

KEYS TO GETTING, AND STAYING, IN SHAPE

Are you a little over weight? Able to “pinch an inch” (or more)? Is the activity you do most everyday, sitting? The Surgeon General’s report, Physical Activity and Health, is a compilation of 30 years of research chronicling the benefits of regular exercise, and the harmful effects of sedentary living. To no one's surprise, the report stresses that regular, moderate physical activity can help prevent a multitude of health problems, such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and adult-onset diabetes.

Here are some sobering facts to consider:

· Over 1,250 Americans will DIE from cardiac arrest – TODAY

· 54% of adults in the U.S. do not get enough exercise to protect their heart

· Accounting for 41% of all deaths, (CVD) is the #1 killer in America

· Lack of physical activity is clearly shown to be a risk factor for CVD

· 300,000 people a year die from illnesses directly caused or worsened by being overweight.

· 12% of total deaths in the U.S., are due to a lack of regular physical activity

· Being just 10 to 20 pounds overweight significantly increases the risk of premature death

· High blood pressure (hypertension) was the primary cause of death for about 210,000

Americans last year.

· 1 in 5 Americans have high blood pressure, 31.6 percent don't know they have it.

Statistics on Cardiovascular Disease In Women

· CVD ranks 1st among all diseases in hospital discharges for women.

· 53.1 percent of all female deaths in America occur from CVD.

· In 20088, CVD claimed the lives of 503,927 females while cancer (all forms combined) killed

259,467 females.

The good news is, getting into shape does not have to be nearly as costly, time consuming and painful as most people think. Three key components, working together, will help to achieve any level of fitness goal.

1. Motivation

Needless to say, the desire to get in shape - alone, won’t get the job done. Which is why millions have health club memberships, and still are out of shape. Noticeable improvements in body shape and muscle tone take 2 or 3 months to appear. It’s during this critical period that most people drop out of the race. We need a push. A personal trainer or fitness coach is a great way to go, but, at the typical $40 – 80 per hour, not within everyone’s budget. A better idea may be to become a member of a team. A group of folks with the similar goal of getting in shape, who’ll be in your corner and cheer you on – just as you do for them. Nothing motivates like success. With consistent effort, in a few months you will notice improvements. They key is to make it through the initial “break in” period.

2. Information

Do you know how many fat calories you consume? What’s your target heart rate? Why is fast food bad for you? There’s a wealth of information out there regarding diet and nutrition – most of it inaccurate at best, deceptive at worst. Regardless of what the ads on the radio say, there’s no magic shake, no magic herb or pill that’s going to provide real, long-term weight loss. Simply put, “dieting” does not work. The very term “going on a diet”, implies that sooner or later one “comes off the diet”.

The key to losing weight is simple; creating, on a daily basis, a caloric deficit. Put another way, we need to consume fewer calories than we expend. There are two ways to do this, 1) spend more calories (ie: exercise) and/or 2) take in fewer calories. That’s it. Calories in vs. calories out.

3. Accountability

Who do you know that’ll walk into your living room tonight, slap the remote control out of your hand and say, “Let’s go for a brisk 20 minute walk”? Anyone that follows you into Burger King and says, “Get the heck out of here, that stuff is slowly killing you!”? Nobody? That lack of accountability is the real reason most of us are out of shape. Deep down, we know that we need and want that person, because – when it comes to getting in shape – we’re over burdened with life’s issues, we have no time (so we say), or we’re just plain lazy. Accountability is the key, but where does one find it? Read on…

If this information makes sense, if you could you stand to lose a few pounds, get bored with the gym routine, and can't afford a personal trainer - Achieve Fitness USA adult small-groups may be the solution for you. Our groups are anything but boring! We play games, toss medicine balls, take hikes, and employ other unconventional methods of conditioning our bodies. Most importantly, we laugh a whole lot. Age & current physical condition are completely unimportant, all that matters is attitude.

Email me at derrick@afusa-cs.com for information on schedules and locations. Its about time!

The WORLD's BEST Exercise

Wait! Don't just skim down to see which exercise I've labeled as the best, get the whole story...

I'm often approached and asked to pin down a single exercise as the one that will help lose the most fat and sculpt the quickest. That's not an easy question to answer. You see, I'm very aware of the fact that though an exercise may be perfect for Client A, it may not be the best choice for Client B—hence my hesitation to label any exercise as the universal best.

That being said, some exercises are definitely better than others. And, yes, there are even a few that I would call the best.

What makes an exercise the best?
When deciding which exercises to include in a routine, it is important to consider the type of movement involved. The simpler the movement, the fewer muscles get recruited into motion, thus the fewer muscles get conditioned and the fewer calories are burned. On the other hand, the more complex the movement, the more calories you burn and the more muscles you strengthen.

To put it simply, exercises that use complex movements will deliver better results than exercises that use only simple movements. Complex movements recruit multiple muscles, some to stabilize and others to perform the movement. This process keeps your heart rate higher than a simple exercise would, giving you a more intense workout.

What is a complex movement?
A complex movement is a multi-joint movement that recruits large portions of the body to complete the exercise. Let's compare a simple movement leg exercise with a complex movement leg exercise:

The leg extension machine uses a simple, isolated movement to work the quadriceps. You're in a seated position moving only the knee joint. On a conventional leg extension machine you have constant resistance in a totally linear path of movement. Follow that? The machine does all the work of balancing the weight and you simply provide the locomotion. There isn't much involvement, if any, from other muscles and it doesn't burn very many calories. Same is true for a (machine) chest press, shoulder press, bicep "preacher" curl, and just about every other expensive, fancy looking piece of equipment on the floor of a health club.

Now let's look at a free weight walking lunge. Begin by standing with feet together and a dumbbell in each hand (or a barbell across the shoulders, a medicine ball held at the chest, or even with no weight at all). Take a large step forward and lower the back knee, keeping the front knee at a 90 degree angle. Now push off the front foot and pull the back leg forward, repeating the movement.

How many muscles did you utilize while performing the lunge? Probably too many to count. You certainly worked your quadriceps, gluteus, hamstrings, calves, abdominals, supporting muscles in the shoulders, arms and back just to name a few. Plus minor stabilizing muscles that remain completely at rest while you're sitting on that health club machine. As a result, all of those (working) muscles begin screaming for fuel, aka: oxygen. That's why when we "lift weights" in MY classes - you get your huff & puff on...big tyme. You 've raised your heart rate and really kicked your metabolism into high gear. That's a great exercise.

Other ways to increase intensity.
Using complex movements is just one of many ways to kick your workout intensity up a notch. Try incorporating a super set into your routine. (Something else I do with regularity.) Simply perform two or more exercises in a row and then take a short rest, rather than one lift...rest (aka: sit and thumb twittle, listen to music, watch CNN, etc.), then one more,..rest, etc.

Or compound set. Perform one exercise, then perform an exercise utilizing opposing body parts. This can also be done with muscles utilizing complimenting body parts - but please ask me or another fitness professional or someone with solid knowledge of exercise science before trying it.

The key to finding the best exercise is to find the ones that bring your workout intensity to a whole new level. I'd be shortchanging you if I named any exercise as "the best". Fact of the matter is; its a combination of changing your workouts up, using interval training, and even some good old cardio that will ultimately see you to your goal.

These methods will help burn more calories, increase metabolic rate, and will stimulate the production of more fat burning and muscle toning hormones. Of course, there is more involved to achieving fitness goals. You need to incorporate fat burning into your routine, consistently challenge yourself during workouts, take control of your eating habits and to get your diet dialed in.

So what's the best exercise for you? Best way to find out,....call or email me today.

(heh, heh,....as if you didn't see that one coming)