There are many misconceptions about exercise and weight loss, but don’t let yourself be fooled. Here are six myths and their truths:
Myth: You can take weight off of specific body parts by doing exercises that target those areas.
Truth: This conception is called ‘spot training’. When losing weight, you are unable to choose the area in which the reduction will occur. Your body will predetermine which fat stores it will use. You can however, compliment a balanced exercise program with a selection of weight training exercises to gradually lose weight and tone your body.
Myth: Women who lift weights will bulk up.
Truth: Women’s testosterone levels are much lower than men’s, so they are not capable of building large muscles. In fact, strength training burns calories. Not only can you increase your metabolism and increase strength but will decrease your measurements.
Myth: If you stop exercising you muscles will turn to fat.
Truth: Muscle and fat are two different types of tissues. If you continue to eat as you always have when exercising regularly, but stop exercising, you will see an increase in body fat and loss of muscle mass.
Myth: If you don’t work out hard and often, exercise is a waste of time.
Truth: Even moderate exercise, such as walking, can help you reap benefits such as reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and stoke.
Myth: To build muscle requires massive amounts of protein.
Truth: According to Dr. Suzanne Steen, University of Washington, building muscle requires only slightly more protein the other individuals and still need adequate carbohydrates. All high intensity, powerful muscle contractions (such as weight lifting) are fuelled with carbohydrate. To build more muscles you simply have to follow a good weight training program and eat a well balanced diet consistently.
Myth: No pain, no gain
Truth: When you are working intensely, you may feel slight discomfort but it should never get to the point where you are in pain. Exercising should be something you enjoy.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
What is the 'exercise price' for eating Easter treats?
Want to know how much harder you will have to work to burn off the extra calories consumed this Easter?
Food Item Calories Kilojoules Walking(Brisk) Cycling(Slow) Running(Moderate)
Dark Chocolate Bunny
100g 523* 2186* 74 mins 131 mins 52 mins
Solid mini eggs each
7.5g 39* 163* 6 mins 10 mins 4 mins
Hollow Egg 135g 730* 3051* 104 mins 182 mins 73 mins
Hot Cross Bun 65g 230* 962* 33 mins 57 mins 23 mins
Hot Cross Bun Choc
Chip 65g 265* 1105* 38 mins 66 mins 27 mins
*Approximates only
If you are looking to survive Easter long weekend without gaining a couple of kilos, you need to take control immediately.
Connect Fitness knows the best guideline to follow is everything in moderation, keep moving and make conscious choices regarding your food. Eating without awareness is the biggest contributing factor to expanding waistlines over Easter.
Food Item Calories Kilojoules Walking(Brisk) Cycling(Slow) Running(Moderate)
Dark Chocolate Bunny
100g 523* 2186* 74 mins 131 mins 52 mins
Solid mini eggs each
7.5g 39* 163* 6 mins 10 mins 4 mins
Hollow Egg 135g 730* 3051* 104 mins 182 mins 73 mins
Hot Cross Bun 65g 230* 962* 33 mins 57 mins 23 mins
Hot Cross Bun Choc
Chip 65g 265* 1105* 38 mins 66 mins 27 mins
*Approximates only
If you are looking to survive Easter long weekend without gaining a couple of kilos, you need to take control immediately.
Connect Fitness knows the best guideline to follow is everything in moderation, keep moving and make conscious choices regarding your food. Eating without awareness is the biggest contributing factor to expanding waistlines over Easter.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Advantages of Group Fitness
Exercise, considered by many people, is something that must be done rather than an activity that can be enjoyed. This doesn’t have to be the case.
Group fitness classes can be a challenging workout while having fun and could be just the thing for you.
Group fitness classes have many benefits. Your class instructor will continue to challenge and improve your body towards the results you want.
Including group fitness classes into your weekly workout routine you will:
· Get a tougher workout.
· Help you move past a plateau and help push yourself further towards your goals.
· Increase your confidence – The combination of improving your fitness, meeting new people and learning a new skill produces an excellent confidence boost.
· Have support, accountability and structure.
Group fitness classes can be a challenging workout while having fun and could be just the thing for you.
Group fitness classes have many benefits. Your class instructor will continue to challenge and improve your body towards the results you want.
Including group fitness classes into your weekly workout routine you will:
· Get a tougher workout.
· Help you move past a plateau and help push yourself further towards your goals.
· Increase your confidence – The combination of improving your fitness, meeting new people and learning a new skill produces an excellent confidence boost.
· Have support, accountability and structure.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Improve Your Core Strength
Core strength is not just about gaining a six pack, although it can be an added bonus.
Almost all daily activity involves your core muscles to some degree. In fact, the only time your core muscles are completely complacent is when you are laying on your on back. So building good core strength is important.
There are many different ways to train the core, a few examples include:-
Body weighted exercises such as the plank position, where using the core muscles to hold the body in a plank. Levels of resistance include using knees, toes, or raised leg. The plank exercise is great for building core endurance.
Medicine balls can be utilized for added weight to abdominal exercises, such as weighted abdominal twists, sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Holding the medicine ball and keeping your lower body still, twist your body to the right and then to the left.
Fit balls/Swiss balls are also good equipment to help engage core muscles. Fit balls are designed to target the core muscles, just sitting on a fit ball in an upright position works the abdominal area. Abdominal crunches can also be performed on a fit ball to encourage stability while performing the workout.
The main benefits of strengthening your core is the ease of mobility in everyday life and can also help to prevent injuries and spinal problems.
Almost all daily activity involves your core muscles to some degree. In fact, the only time your core muscles are completely complacent is when you are laying on your on back. So building good core strength is important.
There are many different ways to train the core, a few examples include:-
Body weighted exercises such as the plank position, where using the core muscles to hold the body in a plank. Levels of resistance include using knees, toes, or raised leg. The plank exercise is great for building core endurance.
Medicine balls can be utilized for added weight to abdominal exercises, such as weighted abdominal twists, sitting on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Holding the medicine ball and keeping your lower body still, twist your body to the right and then to the left.
Fit balls/Swiss balls are also good equipment to help engage core muscles. Fit balls are designed to target the core muscles, just sitting on a fit ball in an upright position works the abdominal area. Abdominal crunches can also be performed on a fit ball to encourage stability while performing the workout.
The main benefits of strengthening your core is the ease of mobility in everyday life and can also help to prevent injuries and spinal problems.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Keep up your fitness during the holidays
In the holiday season it is almost an unspoken rule that unlimited eating, partial workouts and shopping trips take place of your regular routine. This year you have a choice. Follow Connect Fitness’s easy rules to keep up your fitness during the holidays and you will stay active and healthy.
1. Choose one treat – You cannot deny your body the chance to indulge. When arriving at a party choose one treat. Pick something you can only treat yourself with during the holidays and make it good.
2. Control your drinking – Alcohol is dehydrating and an easy way to add more calories onto your daily intake. Drink water throughout the day to maintain hydration and have a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume.
3. Eat small meals during the day – Snack on healthy foods like fruit and nuts throughout the day to prevent over eating at the buffet.
4. Eat more vegetables with your meal – Have a larger serve of vegetables instead of rice, bread or stuffing and skip the gravy and dressings. This will help to stop those extra calories being consumed.
5. Exercise and reward yourself – Stay motivated by having an incentive. If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up. Get back on without missing another second.
6. Alter your exercise program – With help from a personal trainer (included in Connect Fitness membership), you can alter your exercise program to suit your needs to still achieve your health and fitness goals.
There is no reason to let your training and nutrition program spoil your holidays, but there is also no reason to let your holidays spoil your training and nutrition program either.
1. Choose one treat – You cannot deny your body the chance to indulge. When arriving at a party choose one treat. Pick something you can only treat yourself with during the holidays and make it good.
2. Control your drinking – Alcohol is dehydrating and an easy way to add more calories onto your daily intake. Drink water throughout the day to maintain hydration and have a glass of water for every alcoholic drink you consume.
3. Eat small meals during the day – Snack on healthy foods like fruit and nuts throughout the day to prevent over eating at the buffet.
4. Eat more vegetables with your meal – Have a larger serve of vegetables instead of rice, bread or stuffing and skip the gravy and dressings. This will help to stop those extra calories being consumed.
5. Exercise and reward yourself – Stay motivated by having an incentive. If you fall off the wagon, don’t beat yourself up. Get back on without missing another second.
6. Alter your exercise program – With help from a personal trainer (included in Connect Fitness membership), you can alter your exercise program to suit your needs to still achieve your health and fitness goals.
There is no reason to let your training and nutrition program spoil your holidays, but there is also no reason to let your holidays spoil your training and nutrition program either.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Exercise and the Brain
Like muscles, many parts of the brain get a physiological workout during exercise.
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain. The brain then has the power to customize hormone levels; for example the hormone cortisol, which is related to stress, is reduced along with feelings of anger, fatigue and tension. Serotonin and dopamine are chemicals that are released during and after exercise that make us feel calm, happy and euphoric.
The great thing for us is if you do not want to wait for these feelings to come to you, you can bring them on by exercising.
Single bouts of exercise can also reduce anxiety for several hours afterwards.
Low to moderate forms of exercising, for half an hour to an hour three to five times a week, is recommended for brain training.
This training can be variety of activities include joining in on a group fitness class, lifting weights or cardio training (for example walking, cycling or rowing). If you are sweating and starting to breathe heavy you are working hard enough.
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain. The brain then has the power to customize hormone levels; for example the hormone cortisol, which is related to stress, is reduced along with feelings of anger, fatigue and tension. Serotonin and dopamine are chemicals that are released during and after exercise that make us feel calm, happy and euphoric.
The great thing for us is if you do not want to wait for these feelings to come to you, you can bring them on by exercising.
Single bouts of exercise can also reduce anxiety for several hours afterwards.
Low to moderate forms of exercising, for half an hour to an hour three to five times a week, is recommended for brain training.
This training can be variety of activities include joining in on a group fitness class, lifting weights or cardio training (for example walking, cycling or rowing). If you are sweating and starting to breathe heavy you are working hard enough.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Basketball is Back!
It’s time to dust off the Air Jordans and get back on the court! How about taking a play from your favourite basketball team and shooting hoops yourself? It will help get you into shape this spring…before summer starts!
Basketball is an excellent way to burn calories and improve aerobic conditioning when played at a moderate or high intensity. It also helps to build muscle as your body uses dynamic movements to allow you to stop and start quickly with the flow of the game.
Basketball is fast moving and involves a lot of variety of skills including shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, defence, trash talking and much more!
The game can be played at various levels, from shooting baskets, to playing one-on-one with someone of equal ability, to playing a rigorous, full-court game. Basketball is good as a team sport or just an individual practice, honing your shooting and agility skills.
A good tip to remember with any aerobic based sport, is a good warm up and cool down routine as it is important to prevent injuries.
Basketball is an excellent way to burn calories and improve aerobic conditioning when played at a moderate or high intensity. It also helps to build muscle as your body uses dynamic movements to allow you to stop and start quickly with the flow of the game.
Basketball is fast moving and involves a lot of variety of skills including shooting, dribbling, passing, rebounding, defence, trash talking and much more!
The game can be played at various levels, from shooting baskets, to playing one-on-one with someone of equal ability, to playing a rigorous, full-court game. Basketball is good as a team sport or just an individual practice, honing your shooting and agility skills.
A good tip to remember with any aerobic based sport, is a good warm up and cool down routine as it is important to prevent injuries.
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