Fitness & Wellness

Most people don’t realize how much science is necessary for a great workout. You can do all the spot training you want and you won’t get the results you want. Do you want to lose weight? Don’t bother with spot exercises—also called isolation exercises, do compound and core strength training instead. They burn more fat, while building muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism is. That’s because muscle tissue requires more energy—calories—to maintain than fat tissue requires.

Find ways to torch calories while you’re doing them and afterward, too.

HIIT workouts aren’t a specific type of workout, but a way to do any type of exercise to maximize the benefits. You can even take HIIT walks. It’s a method where you do the exercise at peak intensity for a minute or two and then ease up for the same length of time or longer using a recovery intensity. If you’re walking briskly, walk fast and get your heart rate higher, then slow it down to catch your breath and resume walking fast again. You can do it with strength training, flexibility training and endurance training. It continues to burn calories hours after you finish the workout.

Compound exercises are better than isolation exercises.

Isolation exercises work just one muscle group, like bicep curls. Compound exercise work several muscles and joints when you do them. They include exercises like squats and lunges. It only makes sense that the more muscles and joints you move at once, the more calories you’ll burn. Focus on compound exercises and full body workouts.

It’s important to work on all areas of fitness.

There are four areas of fitness, strength, flexibility, endurance—cardio—and balance. You need all four areas to be your healthiest and look your best. Strength training helps build muscle tissue, burn calories and prevents injury. It can help prevent osteoporosis in later years. Flexibility workouts aid you in everyday life to prevent muscle strains and tears. Endurance training increases your energy level and allows you to workout longer. Balance training prevents injuries from falls and makes you look more graceful when you walk.

• You’ll be able to work harder when you do compound exercises. Unlike isolation exercises, you’re not putting all the force on just one muscle group, but transferring it over dozens of muscles and joints.
• Don’t worry about getting big and bulky when you do strength training. It’s especially difficult for women to do because of hormones, but even men have to have a special program to bulk up.
• Having a preworkout snack and post workout meal or snack can keep you working out more effectively and help speed your recovery. These snacks should be a combination of protein and carbs.
• Make sure you stay hydrated when you workout. It can help improve your workout by providing more energy. Even mild dehydration can sap the energy out of you.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

If you’ve ever worked out hard or gone on a day’s run, you probably feel fabulous, and maybe even relaxed when you’re done. There are several reasons exercising, like running, can feel so good. Running can help relieve stress, which is the first reason. When you’re under stress, your body creates hormones that make changes so you can run away or fight. When you run, you burn off those hormones and your body goes back to a relaxed state. The changes were important for early man, when stressful situations were life threatening. That’s normally not the case today.

The release of cortisol is slowed when you run.

Slowing that release slows the feeling of stress that can create chronic changes. It simply feels good to have the heavy weight of stress lifted off your shoulders as you run. Not only is that good for your mental health, it’s good for your body, too. Cortisol, a stress hormone, contributes to the accumulation of abdominal fat.

Running releases endorphins that make you feel great.

If you haven’t heard of the runner’s high before, you’re learning about it now. It is a natural high that is often attributed to the release of endorphins like dopamine, but in reality, comes from a different biochemical substance. Scientists now believe it comes from endocannabinoids, which has a chemical structure similar to cannabis, but produced by the body, not by a plant. It can cause that after run relaxed feeling.

Running increases circulation, sending oxygen and nutrient laden blood to all parts of the body, including the brain.

That deep breathing you do when you run and the increased circulation give you both immediate benefits and long term benefits. It can boost your energy level, while also trigger new blood vessels to grow in the brain. Neurogenesis, the process of producing new brain cells occurs after exercise, such as a run. A run acts like an anti-depressant to improve not only the brain and its performance, but also your mood.

• When you run, the changes in your body go back to normal and the tension the muscles held release, making you feel more relaxed. In fact, even a brisk walk can lower anxiety levels and make you feel good.
• Exercise, such as running, is now being used as an adjunct therapy for depression and anxiety. It helps balance brain chemistry and improve coping skills.
• If you run alone, especially early in the morning, the peaceful isolation of the run can mimic the mental quiet of meditation and provide the same benefits.
• If you don’t run alone, it’s a great way to socialize and still enjoy the benefits of exercise. Studies show that the more friendly social interactions you have, the healthier you are mentally and physically.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

I get a lot of questions from clients at RC Fitness in Houston, TX, about the benefits of eating organic. It does cost more to buy organic food and the first question is always whether it’s that much healthier to justify the cost. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that when it comes to fresh produce, you don’t have to buy everything organic. However, the bad news is that most of the produce and other foods you buy will actually cost more and there’s a reason. The first is that it costs more to grow. There are also costs in getting certified as organic, fewer subsidies, no chemical intervention to speed growth and additional costs of getting the produce to market.

You can be assured that animal products labeled organic don’t contain hormones.

If you use animal products that were raised organically, the animals are allowed to graze and eat as they did before factory farms. They aren’t given growth hormones or antibiotics and are allowed the freedom of roaming. If they require supplemental food, it must be organic and not have any synthetic additives. All those things are important, not just because of the potential harm from antibiotics and hormones, but also because there are health benefits from free-range and grass-fed animal products. Those products contain higher amounts of healthy nutrients. For instance, the milk from grass-fed cows contain a higher amount of omega 3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, making it heart healthy.

What does that organic label really mean?

While it’s easy to understand what organically raised produce and animal products are, what about those boxes of cereal on the shelf or that bread? If you grow organic food, your land has to be free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizer for three years before harvest. No GMOs are allowed. There can be no artificial flavors, preservatives, or colors used to create the product.

Save money with the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen list from the EWG—Environmental Working Group.

Every year the EWG tests thousands of samples of non-organic produce across the nation to check for signs of pesticides, which remain even after washing and sometimes peeling. That means the more you eat them, the more pesticide you ingest, unless you opt for organic. They create two lists. The Dirty Dozen is the top twelve foods that are high in pesticides even after washing. The Clean 15 are those fruits and vegetables that are the lowest. To save money, you can buy non-organic produce on the Clean 15 list and stick strictly to organic for the produce on the Dirty Dozen list.

• Pesticides from eating non-organic fruits and vegetables build up in the body and increase the risk of cancer, hormone disruption, brain disorders and nervous system disorders. It can lower the potential for a successful pregnancy by 26%
• Save money with the Clean 15 options onions, avocado, sweet corn, cabbage, pineapple, papaya, asparagus, eggplant, honeydew, cantaloupe, kiwis, frozen sweet peas, onions, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower
• Stick with organic when using fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen plus list. They include strawberries, spinach, apples, kale, nectarines, peaches, grapes, pears, celery, potatoes, tomatoes, cherries and hot peppers as the plus for 2020.
• Hot peppers were added to the list as they were found to contain neurotoxic chemicals that were hazardous when eaten frequently, particularly by children. If they’re cooked, the pesticide levels are reduced.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

People often wonder why I focus on helping you find your motivation to stay healthy and get fit. Getting fit isn’t like doing a term paper or doing last year’s taxes. You have to focus on it every day, not just one time or once a year. It involves more than just working out for a half hour a day or even an hour a day. It means you have to identify problems with your diet and learn to eat healthier, establish a program of regular exercise and learn to create new healthier habits, like drinking enough water or getting enough sleep.

You need to keep your motivation in front of you until healthy changes become a habit.

For the first few months, especially the first few weeks, you’ll be making changes that you didn’t know you needed to make. Maybe you just realized how many snacks you eat mindlessly, grabbing a handful of candy as you pass a coworkers desk or those fries you snitched from your partner’s plate. Finding time to workout is hard, especially in today’s busy world, so scheduling your workout at the same time every day can add to your motivation to do it.

There are times you simply don’t feel like working out.

A lot of things can affect your desire to get healthier and fit. A rainy day can be a low energy day and you just want to curl up on the couch and binge watch TV. Maybe you’ve had a bad day or a frustrating one and a big bowl of ice cream or a bag of chips could help you make it through the drama. That’s the very time you need that motivation, whether it’s living healthier, looking better or just feeling good again. Write down your motivation on sticky notes. Put it as a screen saver on your phone. Do what it takes so when you need it, it’s there for you to see.

Is your desire to look better what drives you? Use it.

I don’t care who you are, it’s tough to look at photos that reveal any flaws or extra weight, but it’s exactly what you should do for motivation, if that’s what drives you. Take a full body selfie in just a sports bra or other revealing style top and form fitting workout pants or shorts in the mirror. Note the spot you stood and every month, at the same time of day, take another selfie wearing the same clothing. Just knowing you’re going to have to show progress will keep you going, but so will keeping that picture and looking at it frequently. It’s super motivating, even before you see results and especially afterward.

• If your health is a motivator, focus on the progress you make physically, not just in inches or pounds lost. If you couldn’t do two flights of steps a month ago and now it’s a breeze, write down that progress and congratulate yourself.
• Find ways to make your life more active. Carry a healthy lunch and walk to the park to eat it. If you’re at home, do a plank while you’re watching TV.
• Getting fit can mean getting more done. If you exercise every other day, on your off days, do something active. It can be something you’ve meant to do, like moving that couch and rearranging the living room. Do it with vigor and make it your workout.
• Is your motivation to have more energy and good health to be a good mom or dad? Don’t wait to get fitter. Use that motivation to play with the kids and get active. Shoot some hoops, go for a bike ride with them or mimic animals walking.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness

What are hormones? Immediately, you probably think of the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone, but there are far more types. Hormones are the body’s messengers. They bring the messages that start the chemical processes. That puts them in charge of everything from growth rate and mood to how your immune system functions. Your hormones affect weight loss and fat storage, too. Not only does that include sexual differences on the storage of fat, but also the storage of fat in the abdomen, belly fat.

Every cell in the body is affected by hormones.

Hormones do more than just bring messages to the cells. They can affect your overall health. Whether it’s weight gain or feeling sick, it could be caused by hormones. The production of insulin, which is a hormone that controls the amount of sugar in the blood, is also controlled by hormones and its secretion. Sex hormones, determine where fat is distributed. In the case of sex hormones, stimulates fat

placement on the hips and bottom, while inhibiting belly fat.

It’s not one specific hormone, but the balance of hormones.

There is a give and take of hormones. If you have higher levels of insulin, you’ll have lower levels of glucagon. These two hormones do opposite jobs. When the amount of insulin rises, glucagon go down. Higher insulin levels not only regulate sugar, they increase fat storage in the abdominal area. If you have a higher level of glucagon, your body tends to burn the fat.

Even if your weight is from hormonal imbalances, you still have some control.

You do have some control over the secretion of each. The more sugar and white refined flour you eat, the higher the insulin levels. The more protein you eat, the higher the glucagon levels. However, those aren’t the only hormones that affect belly fat. Cortisol, a hormone create when you’re under stress, also contributes to belly fat by increasing insulin. Instead of grabbing a Danish, opt for unsweetened yogurt and fruit. Simply eat more protein and avoid the pastries and white bread. Burn off that cortisol with exercise to lower your insulin levels and include more healthy fat in your diet with nuts, avocados and fatty fish. Healthy fat supports hormonal health.

• Another way to help control your hormones is to get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep causes the body to overproduce ghrelin—the hunger hormone and under produce leptin—the one that makes you feel full.
• Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. It helps lubricate the digestive system, joints and skin. It boosts your metabolism. Dehydration can occur because of hormonal imbalance, and dehydration can affect weight gain by boosting cortisol levels.
• Increase your metabolism by drinking green tea. It contains L-theanine, an amino acid that makes you feel calmer and reduces the level of cortisol in your body.
• Increase your oxytocin, the happy hormone and reduce your cortisol levels by taking time to appreciate everything around you. Give your family a hug. It’s good for the waistline.

For more information, contact us today at Reggie C Fitness