From the Desk of John Hall
Studios
Are chronic excuses keeping you from the rewards
of a regular, challenging exercise routine? If so then you’re missing out on
much more than you realize.
Reason #1: To Melt Fat Away
The most coveted side effect of exercise is, of
course, fat burn. The combination of a challenging exercise routine and a
balanced meal plan is the best known way to lose fat. Here’s what losing fat
feels like:
•
Your pants become loose
•
People around you begin to say that you look
great
•
A glance at yourself in the mirror makes you
smile
•
Your energy levels soar
•
You feel amazing
Reason #2: To Alleviate Pain
Regular exercise is a great way to alleviate
chronic muscle and joint pain. Persistent back pain can be lessened by
strengthening your core, and you’ll protect yourself against injury. It amazes
people when the chronic pain that they’ve lived with for years begins to fade
after starting a regular exercise program.
Reason #3: To Increase Lean Tissue
More muscle is good for many reasons. You see,
muscle uses many more calories each day than fatty tissue. In fact, one pound
of muscle burns 30-50 calories each day at rest—compared to a measly 9 calories
per pound of fat.
When you exercise your body composition will
change to contain more lean tissue, thus resulting in extra calories burned
while you sleep. What could be better than that?
Reason
#4: To Stay Young
Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic
epidemiology at King's College in London, led a study on the effects of
exercise on aging. The results were astounding. They found that exercise
appears to slow the shriveling of the protective tips on bundles of genes
inside cells (called telomeres), which means a slowing of the aging process.
Here’s the study in a nutshell:
•
Telomeres cap the ends of chromosomes and every
time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter.
•
Once a telomere gets too short, that cell can no
longer divide.
•
Aging occurs as more and more cells reach the end
of their telomeres and die. This results in weakened muscles, skin wrinkles,
loss of eyesight and hearing, organ failure and slowed mental functioning.
•
The study analyzed the telomeres from the white
blood cells of twins over a 10-year period. Telomere length was used as a
marker for the rate of biological aging.
•
It was found that the length of telomeres was
directly related to that twin’s activity level. "There was a
gradient," Spector said. "As the amount of exercise increased, the
telomere length increased."
•
People who did 100 minutes of weekly exercise had
telomeres that looked like those from someone about 5-6 years younger than
those who did 16 minutes of exercise each week.
•
People who did 3 hours of vigorous exercise each
week had telomeres that looked like those from someone about 9 years younger.
Reason #5: To Prevent or Control Type 2 Diabetes
Regular exercise helps to stabilize blood sugar
levels. This is something that people with type 2 diabetes, or at risk for type
2 diabetes, gain substantial benefits from. Exercise improves the body’s use of
insulin, and the related weight loss improves insulin sensitivity. Of course
patients with type 2 diabetes need to follow guidelines from their doctor
before starting an exercise program.
Reason #6: To Lower Blood Pressure and
Cholesterol Levels
Exercise has shown to lower blood pressure and
cholesterol levels for these two reasons:
•
Weak Heart Muscles pump little blood with lots of
effort. By exercising you strengthen your heart muscles and train them to pump
more blood with less effort. The stronger your heart is the less pressure will
be exerted on your arteries.
•
Exercise Increases HDL levels in some people—this
means a decrease in your risk for heart disease. Other heart disease risk
factors such as weight, diabetes and high blood pressure all show improvement
with regular exercise.
Reason #7: To Feel Great
The first thing that clients tell me after
starting an exercise program is how much better they feel. Most didn’t even
realize how bad they felt. It is easy to get used to feeling sluggish, achy and
unmotivated. Exercise boosts your energy levels and makes you feel amazing.
The quickest, easiest way to guarantee that
you’ll meet your fitness and weight loss goals is to work one-on-one with a qualified
fitness professional. You’ll be held accountable with your workouts and you’ll
be instructed properly and shown techniques and strategies that will expedite
your results.
Call or email today to get started on a program
that will take the guesswork out of fitness and to set your results on fire.
What are you waiting for? Lace up your shoes and
get moving!
The Power of a Goal
Do you have a goal for each workout?
To get the most out of your exercise time, make
each session goal-oriented.
Decide how many miles you’ll run, how many reps
you’ll do or how much you’ll increase the intensity before your workout begins.
Then achieve it.
Set clear goals, write them down, and keep a
record of your workouts. There’s nothing quite like being able to read exactly
where you want to be, where you currently are, and where you’ve come from.
Healthy Tuna Melts
Gone are the days when tuna melts were laden with
fat and served on slabs of bread with a pile of French fries – this recipe
gives you all of that comforting taste without the guilt. Oh and did I mention
that it only takes a few minutes to make? Serve your healthy tuna melts up with
a side of whole grain rice and steamed veggies for an all around winner of a
meal.
Servings: 2
Here’s what you need…
•
6 oz can of albacore tuna (in water), drained and
flaked
•
1 egg white
•
2 Tablespoons oatmeal
•
2 Tablespoons diced onion
•
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
•
2 teaspoons low-fat shredded cheese
•
Salt and pepper to taste
1
Blend all of the ingredients (not the cheese) in
a bowl. Pre-heat a frying pan and coat with cooking spray. Form two patties.
2
Cook one side until brown and then turn. When the
second side is nearly done, sprinkle cheese over it.
Nutritional Analysis: One
serving equals: 138 calories, 2g fat, 4.5g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 25.5g
protein
Call today for a consultation and assessment!
Phone: 219-548-3480
