Fitness Blog

Keeping Those Resolution

Another year has flown by and here you are at the beginning of the next year. Resolutions. Everyone makes them, but they’re not always the easiest thing to keep. By the end of January it’s a well-known fact that most quick-out-of-the-gates New Year resolutions have started to lose a lot of momentum, some even coming to a grinding halt. You’ve chosen your resolutions and now is the time we need to work on keeping them! Here are five tips to use to stay on track with your New Year’s Resolutions.

Write down your resolution – Writing down your resolutions and keeping them in front of you, seeing them every day is important. If it’s read daily it eliminates the “I forgot about it” excuse. Seeing it every day and having it written raises the level of accountability.
Define the purpose of your resolution – We usually make resolutions because we recognize something in our lives needs to change. This means that many of our resolutions are not changes that can be made in a short time span of one year, but instead a life-long alteration. Write down the purpose of your resolution. For example, instead of writing down ” I want to lose weight,” include the reasons why “I want to get off my medications”. Keeping the purpose in front of you will help fuel your drive.
Reward yourself – Anytime you have a long term goal, rewards are important in keeping you motivated. Reward the steps towards your goal you achieve. And look at a reward as an encouragement. Hang a smaller size in your closet – it will help you keep up that exercise routine.
Tell others – Share with others the resolutions you’ve made for the year. As your friends and family ask you about your progress, the accountability will help you stay motivated so you can give a good report.
Get some sleep – You may be wondering what sleep has to do with staying motivated. Believe it or not, your lack of sleep may be why your motivation is waning. Getting enough sleep will help give you the energy you need to stay focused on all you have to do throughout the day. This can make the difference between going to the gym and sacking out on the couch.

As you set your goals, keep in mind some of the reasons that resolutions often fail and consider the potential roadblocks to achieving you goals. Facing these roadblocks up front will prepare you to overcome them. Log your progress along the way. This log can help you through tougher times along the way when you may feel like giving up. It is encouraging to see how far you have come already and motivate you to keep going. Even baby steps will get you a little bit closer to your goal. And last, but not least, remain flexible and willing to adjust your plan if necessary. Sometimes you may need to take a detour along the way so it is very helpful to be flexible. Don’t get discouraged and let this throw you completely off course. Stay committed and keep going. Good luck. Here’s to a very happy and successful New Year!

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: january resolution, new year's resolution, reaching your goal, resolution, successful goals

Beat the Winter Blues with Exercise

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) also known as winter depression, winter blues or seasonal depression is a mood disorder that affects many during the dark, cold winter months. People experience mood changes during the winter that find them sleeping more, having little energy and may also leave them feeling depressed. Adding a good dose of daily exercise can help beat these mood changes.

Stay Consistent
You can only benefit by exercise by staying consistent. Allow yourself time each day to do some kind of physical activity. Visit your gym for a workout and on off days, head out for a walk with the family. If your time schedule is tight, break it up into segments of ten minutes for example. Consistency makes you more productive. The more productive you are, the more you will accomplish.

Strength Train
Strength training has many benefits for you. It will help with looking good and adding to your self esteem. If you tend to gain weight this time of year, the increased muscle mass will help aid those unwanted pounds by boosting your metabolism. You will also have an increase in energy so you will not feel so lethargic all the time and be tempted to sleep so much. If you tend to get sick this time of year, strength training will help boost your immune system.

Do Your Cardio
Cardiovascular exercise holds many benefits for you. It is great for relieving stress. You can run or walk off pent up frustrations, disappointments and anger. You will have more clarity after a bout of aerobic exercise. Cardio exercise increases your metabolism. It will help you control the body weight normally gained this time of year. Your heart will become stronger. You can lower your blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart attack risks through regular aerobic exercise.

Add in Friends
Find a fitness buddy. Friends or family can help motivate you and keep you going. If you don’t have someone to join you, attend a group exercise class. Group exercise classes are a great place to make new friends, learn new exercises, and relieve stress. Being social can also help with the feeling of depression.

The benefits of exercise last longer than quick-fixes such as comfort-eating, smoking, or drinking coffee/tea, all of which may contribute to the problem. While exercising you body produces endorphins or feel-good chemicals which will make you feel instantly better and happier. Don’t let the winter blues get you down. Get out there and fight them with daily exercise! You’ll end up benefitting in many other ways.

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: beating winter blues, depression, exercise, SAD, seasonal affective disorder, winter blues

Staying Young

People exercise for many different reasons. Some want to lose weight, reach a fitness goal or because their Doctor said they should, but did you know that exercise is one of the best ways to stay young? Feeling and looking young is an attitude and part of that is feeling healthy and having minimal stress. Exercise can help with both of these states of mind. Exercise will also help you to look younger which can improve your confidence. What exercises should you do to stay young? Here are a few examples.

One of the best ways to stay young is to protect yourself from disease. This includes obesity and heart disease. Cardiovascular exercises are crucial to fighting these diseases that will not only make you feel older but will make you look older as well. Depending on your level of fitness there are different options for cardiovascular exercises including running, jogging, walking, aerobic classes or swimming. Find something you enjoy doing and try to do it three times a week.

Another disease to consider, particularly in women is osteoporosis. As women age and their hormones change their bones can become weak and lose density. Osteoporosis will affect your physical age in many ways. It affects your mobility and can leave you looking weak and frail. Surprisingly, strength training is the best way to combat osteoporosis. Start with light weights if you’ve never done strength work before and I recommend working with a trainer who can teach you proper form to avoid injury.

Stretching and working on flexibility will also help you feel and look younger. When our muscles and joints are weak or tight we walk more laboured and find it difficult to bend and reach. Yoga or other forms of stretching are great ways to improve your mobility. Start with a beginners class and let the instructor know of any injuries or weaknesses that may hinder your exercise.

It’s important to remember that whatever your age if you are starting a new exercise program you should always consult your Doctor or a fitness professional prior to starting. A trainer will work with you to develop the most suitable program for you and your goals and will also ensure that you don’t injure yourself. Trainers are also great at motivating you and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you can accomplish.

To stay young use diet and exercise to keep your physical age lower than your chronological age. Exercise will help with your posture, muscle and bone density, flexibility and will fight off disease. Linked with the right diet you’ll be feeling and looking much younger than the number of candles on your Birthday cake.

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: exercise, fighting disease, health, looking young, staying young, young

Healthy Baking

The best part of the holidays is indulging in the yummy baked goods. However, they don’t all have to be unhealthy. Believe it or not, there are actually some good choices out there that won’t you leave you feeling guilty for having a little too much.Granted most of them are full of refined flour and sugar, so you still must eat them in moderation, healthier choice or not. However, if you are doing the baking, making the right ingredient choices will also help in making healthier baked goods.

Here are the Top 5 healthiest baked treats you can choose from:

Biscotti is one of the best choices that you can ever make. Each slice is only 100 calories and the nuts that are added, usually almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts, add protein, monounsaturated fats, and fibre to your diet which keep you in good shape. A daily serving is about 4-6 nuts, so a slice or won’t do that much damage to your diet. Stay away from the biscotti with chocolate or caramel chips, though. These are simply extra calories and extra sugar. Opt for ones stuffed with dried fruits instead.
A favourite with oranges, cranberries and apples, these make for delicious cakes and muffins. So if you’re offered a slice of cranberry-orange cake, say yes. But this doesn’t mean you can have cakes with white chocolate chips in them.
Although the classic fruitcake weighs in at about 80-100 calories a slice, most people may opt for a nut-free slice of carrot cake instead. They’re both low in fat and have lots of fibre . It’s the icing that is the unhealthiest part of the carrot cake, so use low fat icing and don’t put too much on.
Choose a square or a regular-sized muffin of chocolate-chip banana bread. With a sprinkling of chopped walnuts, they’re high in fibre and monounsaturated fats. Plus, semi-sweet chocolate chips are also a better option.
Cookies are generally thought of as an unhealthy sinful treat, but sometimes you just have to have them. Your best bet would be oatmeal cookies with added dried fruit and chopped nuts.

Choose the right ingredients when making your baked goods.

Bittersweet chocolate, dark chocolate and raw cocoa have less sugar, plus the high percentage of flavonoids make it an anti-oxidant. They also contain resveratrol, which is an antimicrobial that is believed to lower blood-sugar, enhance physical performance and potentially prolong life.

Use bran instead of refined white flour to make healthier cakes and muffins. You can also try options of oat flour, whole wheat flour, almond flour, hazelnut flour or coconut flour. Oat, almond and coconut flours are great options as they are also gluten-free. They’re all also high in fibre which helps to keep you full and satisfied for longer periods of time.

Replace refined white sugar with other options such as coconut sugar, raw sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, honey or fruit puree. All healthier options to limit your sugar intake.

Dried fruit, seeds and nuts are healthy baking additives. They are rich in minerals, vitamins, healthy fats and linked to promoting good digestive, bone and oral health. Dried fruit adds natural sugars and can give a little moisture and texture to your favourite recipe as well.

There is no need to deprive yourself of baked goods just to stay healthy. Just like everything, moderation is the key as well as choosing the baked goods made with the right ingredients.

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Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: baking, diet, good diet, health, healthy baking, snacks

Staying Healthy During the Holidays

There’s eggnog and pumpkin pie and turkey and ham and cookies oh my…Maintaining nutritious eating and a healthy lifestyle during the holidays can be quite a challenge for anyone. There are many parties and other social gatherings for work, family and friends. No one wants to miss these special occasions, so it is important to know ahead of time how to best handle all the temptations of eating, drinking and staying up later than we are accustomed to. Here are some ways to help you stay on course during this year’s holiday season.

Get enough rest. Take a nap for even a half an hour before you go out, if you can. Getting enough sleep will help you to eat less and exercise more.
Maintain your workout regime. If you can’t make it to the gym, plan a walk, run or some cardio at home. Try to schedule your workouts in the morning, to avoid casually dismissing them when the late-afternoon rush is upon you. Plus, you won’t feel as guilty when you indulge on a sweet or two.
Think about what you will do before you arrive. Plan your eating behaviour. Limit the amount of drinks and sweets you’ll have. Eat some healthy snacks before you go so you aren’t hungry when you arrive.
Drink lots of water. Have a couple of glasses before you go and alternate higher calorie drinks like alcoholic beverages, eggnog or hot chocolate with water while you are at the holiday party. Drinks can have a lot of hidden calories in them.
Be aware of what you are putting on your plate if you are served buffet style. Take a small amount of everything you like so you will not feel deprived. Try to forego the bread baskets so you don’t fill up on too much carbohydrates. Fill your plate with some “good” foods first. Load up the plate with lean meats, vegetables and fruit. Watch out you don’t overdo it on the dips.
Walk as often as you can. If you will be at someone’s home for an extended period of time, excuse yourself to go for a walk. Take a break from eating and get some fresh air.

To keep healthy eating habits over the holidays make sure you eat several small meals a day. This old tip holds especially true during the holiday season. We tend to skip meals and indulge in one large holiday dinner with the entire family. Don’t starve yourself all day. Get some snacks in and most importantly start your day with a good healthy breakfast. You will be able to enjoy your holiday more by stabilizing your blood sugar.

Remember the importance of this time of year, friends, family and loved ones. Put your attention on spending quality time with those you love and engaging in fun activities. The holiday season does not have to revolve around eating.

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Filed Under: Categories Tagged With: diet, health, holiday diet, holiday eating, staying healthy

Finding the Time

Still wondering how to fit exercise into a busy schedule? Your days are filled from the time you get up until the time you fall into bed exhausted at night, but believe it or not, you still have time to fit some exercise into your day. Here are six ways that you can use to fit exercise into your already busy schedule.

Make Time.
Just make the time. Initially, it will be a change, but if you can fit in two or three workouts of just 30 minutes a week, you’ll be well on your way to fitness.

Make lunch hour exercise hour.
Take a half an hour to do some exercise. You can even make it a social affair and invite your work friends to join you in a walk.
Get a buddy.
Studies show that when you have an exercise buddy, you exercise more. The thinking is that we will go and exercise so we don’t let the other person down.
Exercise early in the day.
The easiest way to ensure that you’ll exercise for the day is by getting the exercise in early, usually the first thing in the morning. After a little while, it will become a habit and won’t be as difficult having to get up a little earlier.
Combine activities.
You can exercise and do something else at the same time. Read, watch t.v., even chat on the phone with a friend, all while you workout.
Involve the family.
Instead of exercise taking you away from family time, make family time a time for some fitness for all. Go for a walk, play soccer at the park, play a game of baseball in the backyard. You and your family will feel much better.

If you still don’t think that you have time for any of the above, you definitely have time to fit some type of activity in to get you fit. Here are three easy tips: do your exercises during commercials, while you cook and before using the bathroom.

You can easily get in two or three minutes of exercise each time with this method. Do this all throughout the day. Keep doing it day after day and you’ll notice the cumulative effect. And for the most part, you won’t even break a sweat. To top things off, short spurts of exercise are proven to do a better job at speeding up the rate of your metabolism than longer workouts. You can try jump rope, doing situps, pushups, wall squats, body weight squats, or jump on a mini-trampoline.

Do high intensity, short interval exercises for five minutes straight. A great exercise for this would be body weight squats. See how many you can do in five minutes. If you manage to make it through this, you can call it a day for exercise after that. Another option is running up and down the stairs for five minutes straight. Five minutes of this and you’ll know you’ve done something, which explains why you only need to do five minutes of this a day.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of exercise or a lot of time to achieve results. Fit a little something into your busy days and you will be well on your way to getting fit.

For more articles go to http://clubonefitness.lifestyleezine.com

Filed Under: Categories Tagged With: busy schedule, exercise, fitness, quick exercise, short exercise

Finding the Time

Make Time.
Just make the time. Initially, it will be a change, but if you can fit in two or three workouts of just 30 minutes a week, you’ll be well on your way to fitness.
Make lunch hour exercise hour.
Take a half an hour to do some exercise. You can even make it a social affair and invite your work friends to join you in a walk.
Get a buddy.
Studies show that when you have an exercise buddy, you exercise more. The thinking is that we will go and exercise so we don’t let the other person down.
Exercise early in the day.
The easiest way to ensure that you’ll exercise for the day is by getting the exercise in early, usually the first thing in the morning. After a little while, it will become a habit and won’t be as difficult having to get up a little earlier.
Combine activities.
You can exercise and do something else at the same time. Read, watch t.v., even chat on the phone with a friend, all while you workout.
Involve the family.
Instead of exercise taking you away from family time, make family time a time for some fitness for all. Go for a walk, play soccer at the park, play a game of baseball in the backyard. You and your family will feel much better.

If you still don’t think that you have time for any of the above, you definitely have time to fit some type of activity in to get you fit. Here are three easy tips: do your exercises during commercials, while you cook and before using the bathroom.

You can easily get in two or three minutes of exercise each time with this method. Do this all throughout the day. Keep doing it day after day and you’ll notice the cumulative effect. And for the most part, you won’t even break a sweat. To top things off, short spurts of exercise are proven to do a better job at speeding up the rate of your metabolism than longer workouts. You can try jump rope, doing situps, pushups, wall squats, body weight squats, or jump on a mini-trampoline.

Do high intensity, short interval exercises for five minutes straight. A great exercise for this would be body weight squats. See how many you can do in five minutes. If you manage to make it through this, you can call it a day for exercise after that. Another option is running up and down the stairs for five minutes straight. Five minutes of this and you’ll know you’ve done something, which explains why you only need to do five minutes of this a day.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of exercise or a lot of time to achieve results. Fit a little something into your busy days and you will be well on your way to getting fit.

For more articles go to http://clubonefitness.lifestyleezine.com

Filed Under: Categories Tagged With: busy schedule, exercise, fitness, quick exercise, short exercise

Boxing Corner

The amateur team of Odenton Fitness is back in action on Saturday, June 29^th with several boxers appearing in the ring for the first time as well as many familiar faces making a return visit to the ring!

Boxing

One highlight of the night will be 8 year old, Tommy Coe, making his first appearance in the ring as well as the female bout featuring Amelia Moore! You can also watch out for Rody Romualdo, Alex Gonzales, Mason Grim, Tyler Kelly, and Ricky Romualdo!

More exciting boxing action will come to Odenton Fitness August 3, 2013 with our next Pro-Am card! This card will feature Tony Jeter, Phillip Jackson-Benson (both of whom will be defending their WBC titles), James Stevenson, Josh Davis and several talented amateurs from Odenton Fitness! Tickets will be available soon!

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New Team Members!

Welcome Doug and Tim to the team of Odenton Fitness representatives here to help you! Doug and Tim are both excited to meet each and every one of you, so don’t be shy, come up and introduce yourself! Here is a little bit about Doug and Tim…

Meet Doug:

I have been a lecturer for the English Department and writing tutor at the University of Maryland in College Park since the spring of 2008. At Maryland, I am an Assistant Director of The Writing Center and teach Introduction to Academic Writing, Scriptwriting, Introduction to Drama, and African-American Literature and Culture. In 2009, I was awarded an international scholarship for my doctoral studies at the University of York, and was, until just recently, spending half the year in England and half the year in the United States in order to research and write my PhD thesis on political drama dealing with race. I am now, permanently, back in Maryland while I finish writing up.

In general, I love to read, write, and work-out. I’m an avid runner and am excited to join the Club One team! I look forward to meeting all of our members. In fact, when I’m not working the front desk, you can often find me on a treadmill or lifting weights. Just look out for the orange cap; I’m always willing to lend a helping hand.

Meet Tim:

Hello, I am Tim! I studied at Chesapeake Senior High School and am currently attending AACC studying Business. Throughout high school, I was in Dance Company which was my main fitness lifestyle of choice. It was a great experience and an awesome way to keep in shape through intense cardio as well as strength and conditioning. I remain active by doing lots of cardio but would like to get back into different styles of dance again. I look forward to meeting all of the members of Odenton Fitness and getting to know them, as well as see their progress through fitness!

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Fitness After Pregnancy

You have just gone through one of the most stressful processes your body will ever go through. Your body has gone through significant changes during pregnancy and after birth. It is definitely not ideal to engage in diet restrictive weight loss programs during the early days of motherhood. Remind yourself that the weight did not come on in a day;it will take time to lose the weight you’ve gained. You will need all the additional energy and nutrients to meet the extra requirements of feeding and generally looking after your baby. Lose your weight and get fit gradually. Do not use fat burning pills to get the baby fat off. You need to lose weight and tone up through natural methods.

Fitness regime after delivery should include the right amount of exercise along with healthy food habits. Before embarking on your new fitness plan, ensure you talk with your doctor first, discussing when to start, what to eat, and what limitations you have for your situation. Do not try to exercise too much, too soon, as this will ultimately damage your health. It is generally recommended that women wait up to two months before exercising properly. At first, try methods such as going for walks around the neighborhood with your baby in a stroller. You may then begin a regime consisting of simple leg stretches, as well as exercises specifically targeted to tightening the pelvic floor muscle. Sit-ups and planks will also target the abdomen and help you regain strength in your stomach and back muscles and ultimately helping you gain a flatter stomach. Try to work out for about a half an hour each time, aiming to do this around three times a week. It is important to make getting fit after pregnancy fun, so shorter, resistance training exercises can be enjoyable. Relentlessly lifting weights at the gym is monotonous, grinds you down and can end up being counterproductive. Among the best exercises to include in your weight loss regimen are jogging, walking, swimming and playing sports such as tennis and volleyball.

Try the following steps to get your body back:

Start with the right diet. Eat balanced meals and snacks with low fat and sugar counts.
Don’t skip meals. Skipping a meal will lead to snacking and eating more at the next meal.
Eat frequently. Eat several small healthy meals frequently throughout the day.
Drink plenty of water. It’s recommended that you drink at least 10 glasses of water daily. Water will flush toxins from your system and keep you feeling satisfied a full between meals.
If you’re breastfeeding, breastfeed as long as you can. Many mothers find it easier to lose weight while breastfeeding. You can easily burn up to 500 calories daily while breastfeeding.
Adequate sleep is essential. Hard to do with a new baby, but if you sleep when the baby sleeps it will help. Sleep deprivation de-regulates the hormones that control appetite and signals hunger to your brain.

For the last 9 or more months you have been caring for your baby. Now it’s time to shift some of your attention onto yourself. Give yourself some time each week to do something for you. You’ll get your body back and also feel healthier, giving you more energy to help with caring for your new little one.

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Filed Under: Categories Tagged With: after pregnancy, exercise, fitness, health, new mom exercise, weightloss