Working out while Pregnant?

I am Pregnant - can I work out?

If you are pregnant you can still workout, in fact it can improve the baby's health, make the birth go easier and allow you to loose the unwanted pregnancy weight faster after birth. Even though you can workout you need to follow a different set of guidelines. Your workouts should be shorter, 20-30 minutes, and you can't go as strenuous as you normally could because the fetus can overheat. Also the fetus needs its fluids and oxygen so drinking plenty of water and focusing on steady breathing is important. After the first trimester exercises laying on the back need to be excluded as well as high impact exercises do to pressure on organs, joints and the fetus. Also when squats are still okay, you should not do them too low or with more then your body weight due to the changing of the pelvis. And as always a doctor should be consulted first because everyone and every pregnancy is different.

Four Easy Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Sure you lose some weight by keeping a close eye on what you eat and going all out in the gym. But you can also keep the fat burning for hours upon hours after your workouts as long as you follow these super tips.

Always Train Your Legs

Your legs are the biggest and strongest muscle group in your body. (If they aren’t and you are benching more than you squat, then we have a problem that needs fixing now!) By using these big strong muscles and turning most upper body workouts into whole body workouts you will ramp up that metabolism and have your body in catch up mode for a long time post workout.

A great way to incorporate your lower body into your workouts is to prioritize them. Get it done first before you move onto your favorite upper body exercise.

Rest Less Between Sets

This is a sure fire way to increase the intensity of your workouts. Instead of the usual 5 minute, grab a drink, talk to the hottie on the elliptical, flex in the mirror rest, grab a stopwatch and keep it to 60 seconds. No guess work here, use a stopwatch or your 60 seconds will turn into 5 minutes before you know it.

You’ll find that using this method decreases the time you need to spend in the gym because you’ll be getting through your sets a whole lot quicker.

Crank Up The Intensity With Your Cardio

No more boring cardio workouts on the treadmill my friend. The best way to both boost your fitness and fat loss in with high intensity interval training. This type of training will no only boost the number of calories you burn during your workout but also keep it going for another 24-48 hours.

Try this little workout instead of your usual boring cardio – 10 sets of 200 meter sprints with 90 seconds rest between sets. Your rest can be slow walking with your hands on your head or standing still with your head in a bucket depending on how you feel!

Once you’ve done your 10 sets, head home and let the fat burning continue.

Stick With Compound Exercises

Exercises such as bench presses, pull ups, chin ups, dips, squats, deadlifts and lunges should make up 90% of your workouts. Ditch the isolation exercises such as bicep curls, tricep kickbacks and leg extensions unless you have time to waste. The big exercises will use more muscles and burn more calories leaving you with a bigger, stronger, leaner body in less time.

For more information our a free workout with one of our trainers - visit us online at www.myboostfitness.com

Article source : http://maxhealthupdates.com/four-easy-ways-to-boost-your-metabolism/

Knowing What's Worth Paying for in Vitamins

One of the common questions our staff receives at Boost Fitness relates to vitamins and supplements.

What should I take? How much should I take? Do they really work? Do I need more?

We are approached weekly by people offerring us the opportunity of a lifetime to sell supplements - some have even been backed by the likes of Donald Trump. With so much information available it is no wonder members are confused.

On thing is for sure - Americans love vitamins. About half of adults take a daily multivitamin, according to industry data. And according to some theories, the economic downturn has inspired them to fortify themselves by swallowing more.

The following article might help decipher the many questions about vitamins.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/health/05patient.html?_r=1&ref=health

Top 10 Fitness Trends from 2009

“The non-profit American Council on Exercise (ACE) has announced the top ten fitness trends from 2009, based on its annual survey of personal trainers, group fitness experts, advanced health and fitness specialists and lifestyle and weight management consultants. The survey revealed that boot camp-style workouts, which were named the most popular workout in 2008, were also the most popular fitness trend in 2009. The following represents ACE's listing of the top trends for 2009: 1. Boot Camp-Style Workouts: 2. Budget-Friendly Workouts: 3. Specialty Classes: 4. Getting Back to Basics 5. Circuit Training 6. Kettlebells 7. Boomer Fitness 8. Technology-Based Fitness 9. Event or Sport-Specific Exercises 10. Mixing It Up.”

Boot Camp-Style Workouts: Boot camp workouts remain extremely popular because they provide a total-body workout that's varied, fun and challenging. Up to 600 calories can be burned during a boot camp session, which is obviously going to facilitate weight loss.

Specialty Classes: While yoga and Pilates will remain strong, dance-based classes were all the rage this year. Zumba, a fitness program inspired by Latin dance, combines South American rhythms with cardiovascular exercise. Bollywood, ballroom, Afro-Cuban and other exotic dance styles grew in popularity thanks to shows such as Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance.

Getting Back to Basics: Despite the fact that many exercises and equipment are becoming more advanced and trendy, trainers continued to focus on basic movements and techniques with their clients.

Circuit Training: Studies have shown that interval training combining strength training and cardiovascular activity at different intensities provides a more time-efficient workout than participating in traditional aerobic and weight training sessions

Event or Sport-Specific Exercises: Despite the emergence of new and trendy workouts, sports or recreational activities remained a popular way to stay in shape.

Mixing It Up: Traditional programming has changed from what's called linear progression to undulating, as research shows similar if not better results. For example, mixing low-intensity cardio with intervals on different days, and mixing high-volume, low- intensity weight training with low-volume, high-intensity training on alternate days.

On ‘The Biggest Loser,’ Health Can Take Back Seat

LOS ANGELES — When more than 40 former contestants from “The Biggest Loser” gather Wednesday for a reunion television special, the winner of the program’s first season, Ryan C. Benson, who lost 122 of his 330-pound starting weight, will be absent. Mr. Benson is now back above 300 pounds but he thinks he has been shunned by the show because he publicly admitted that he dropped some of the weight by fasting and dehydrating himself to the point that he was urinating blood.

Now in its eighth season, “The Biggest Loser” is one of NBC’s most-watched prime-time programs besides football, drawing an estimated 10 million viewers each week, according to Nielsen. It has clearly tapped into the American obsession with losing weight, as more than 200,000 people a year submit audition videotapes or attend open casting calls for the program.

It also has spawned a licensed merchandise business that will generate an estimated $100 million this year.

The series also highlights the difference between the pursuit of engaging television and the sometimes frenzied efforts of contestants to win, perhaps at the risk of their own health. Doctors, nutritionists and physiologists not affiliated with “The Biggest Loser” express doubt about the program’s regimen of severe caloric restriction and up to six hours a day of strenuous exercise, which cause contestants to sometimes lose more than 15 pounds a week.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/25/business/media/25loser.html?_r=1&ref=health

Recipes for a Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be the kickoff to a month of holiday overeating, ending with a regretful New Year’s resolution and a January diet. The holiday can be festive, even indulgent, without dishes loaded with fats and salt.

Thanksgiving favorites can all be made in healthful, flavorful ways, as the columnist Martha Rose Shulman writes in this week’s Recipes for Health:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/healthy-thanksgiving-treats/

Is Cardio Over? Strength Training Climbs List Of Fitness Trends

“‘Strength training,’ which is workout-speak for lifting weights, isn’t just for those who want to bulk up. More people are incorporating it into their existing routines, or in some cases going with an all-weight workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, strength training is moving from the men’s-only realm to women and ‘average exercisers.’ In its fourth annual survey of top fitness trends for the coming year, strength training is No. 2, up from fourth the past two years and sixth in 2007. What does this mean? More people are using weights and weight-machines not to get ripped, but simply stay in some semblance of shape, the ACSM says. And ‘it is not uncommon for cardiac rehabilitation, pulmonary rehabilitation, or metabolic disease management programs to include some form of weight training in the exercise prescription.’ Brad Davidson, who runs the Synergy Sports Institute in Costa Mesa, isn’t surprised that strength training is climbing the rankings. He specializes in it, and he believes cardio workouts and aerobics aren’t as efficient at reducing body fat and increasing muscle mass as strength training. ‘The best results come from heavy strength training,” said Davidson, whose clients turn over tractor tires and perform other old-fashioned techniques as part of his ‘country strong’ program.”

http://healthyliving.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/09/strength-training-climbs-list-of-fitness-trends/12593/

Obesity Causes 100,000 US Cancer Cases: Report

“Obesity causes more than 100,000 cases of cancer in the United States each year -- and the number will likely rise as Americans get fatter, researchers said on Thursday. Having too much body fat causes nearly half the cases of endometrial cancer -- a type of cancer of the uterus -- and a third of esophageal cancer cases, the American Institute for Cancer Research said. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease.

The American Cancer Society projects that 1.47 million people will be diagnosed with cancer this year and 562,000 will die of it. More than 26 percent of Americans are obese, defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher. BMI is equal to weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. A person 5 feet 5 inches tall (165 cm) becomes obese at 180 pounds (82 kg). Additionally, nearly a third of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI of 25 to 30. The study combined findings from AICR research linking diet, physical activity and fatness with cancer risk with national surveys on obesity and cancer incidence. ‘We then worked out the percentage of those specific cancers that would be prevented if everyone in the United States maintained a healthy weight,’ the group said in a statement.”

http://www.reutershealth.com/archive/2009/11/05/eline/links/20091105elin025.html

The Importance of Exercise, Health Heart Video

“We all know by now that exercise is good for your heart, but what exactly is it about exertion that gets your ticker pumping? For the past couple of years, a group has been working with the Harvard athletics department to examine how…”

http://www.boston.com/video/viral_page/?/services/player/bcpid21962023001&bctid=48414992001

Step away from the treadmill...

Have you ever seen the gym member who is constantly walking on the treadmill and getting nowhere? (Literally and figuratively)

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with good old fashioned walking but if you want results another approach might be in order. This is why I recommend interval training. Because of my short attention span, I discovered this type of training for myself years ago.

Interval Training is a system that alternates spurts of high intensity movement with lower intensity movement. Because of the different intensities, your body never adapts to it enabling you to get better results in less time.

There are many different approaches to this system of training One way to use it is for your cardio workout. Try alternating running or walking at different speeds in three or four minute intervals for 30 minutes. Because of the combination of aerobic and anaerobic training, you will be able to increase your cardio output. Another way to use it is for strength training. Try doing a set of squats followed by one minute of jumping jacks or pushups combined with mountain climbers. The options are endless. This type of workout uses all your muscles compared to the nautilus circuit which consists of mostly isolation exercises.

If you are new to fitness or if you have been working out for years, this system will yield results.
Most importantly, this type of workout is something you can stick with because it does not take much time and can be done anywhere.

Have fun and get creative ---here is a sample workout to try-

1. Run or walk fast (depends on your fitness level) 3 minutes
2. Squat with or without weights –one minute
3. Lunge in place alternating legs-one minute
4. Repeat 1-3
5. Pushups (as many as you can do)
6. Jumping jacks –one minute
7. Crunches /cross crunches 20-30 reps
8. Run or walk fast 3 minutes
9. Repeat 5 – 8

Cool down and stretch --- then enjoy the rest of your day!!!

Mix it up for the best results!

"If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always gotten"

This month Mix it up! Do something different than what you've always done for a workout. If you always walk the same pace for 2 miles- change it up and try adding some higher intensity intervals or try the elliptical or a Group Kick class. Our bodies get good at what we do and if you want to see changes you need to shake things up a bit and give your body a new challenge!

Fitness Myths - Continued....

Caution: Fitness myths can be hazardous to your health.

Many people – even those who have been working out for years – have misconceptions that can prevent them from getting the results they’re seeking or, worse yet, cause an injury.

What are some of these fitness myths?

Myth #6. Stretching before exercising prevents injury. While not everyone agrees, research shows that stretching before exercise increases the probability of injury and may decrease your workout performance. The best way to prepare for exercise may be to warm up with a quick walk, jog, swim or bike ride.

Myth #7: The more I sweat, the more weight I’m losing. Some people think of sweat as fat melting away as they work out. Sweat is sweat, not fat. Sweating is a way for your body to cool itself. While sweating is an indication, to some degree, that you’re working hard, keep in mind that some people sweat more than others.

Myth #8: To lose weight, focus on dieting and cardio training. A combination of diet, cardio training and strength training is the best way to lose weight. Cardio training burns calories, but strength training can help build muscle, which burns more calories than fat. Dieting is also important, but restricting calorie intake too much can slow down your metabolism to the point where your body wants to store fat.

Myth #9. Training with weights will make you muscular. Women sometimes avoid weight training because they think it will make them too muscular. However, women do not have a high enough testosterone level to become muscle-bound. Even men need to do a great deal of strength training to gain muscle.
While strength training will not make a woman muscle bound, it will help her reach and maintain a healthy weight, turn some fat into muscle and strengthen her body.

Myth #10. If you eat more protein, your muscles will be bigger. Muscle mass comes from eating more calories than you burn and challenging your muscles beyond their usual levels of resistance. The calories should come from a combination of nutrients, including fat and carbohydrates as well as protein. Keep in mind, too, that too much protein can cause kidney strain and dehydration.

Fitness Myths Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

Many people – even those who have been working out for years – have misconceptions that can prevent them from getting the results they’re seeking or, worse yet, cause an injury.

What are some of these fitness myths?

Myth #1. Crunches and abdominal exercises will give you six-pack abs. The most important factor in developing six-pack abdominal muscles is a person’s diet. You won’t see improvements in your abdominal muscles until you trim away the fat that covers them by dieting and burning calories through cardio exercise. Avoiding processed carbohydrates, sugar and deep-fried foods will have a greater impact on a person’s abdominal muscles than countless crunches. Total body strength training and interval training will also help.
The “six-pack” effect comes from one long muscle – the rectus abdominis – but once you’ve lost your abdominal fat, you’ll also need to work your internal and external obliques, and your transverse abdominis.

Myth #2. Use high reps and low weight to tone up. As with your abdominal muscles, diet and cardio training will have a greater impact on muscle tone than the number of repetitions you do. If you can do more than 12 reps with a weight, you will probably need to increase the weight to get the results you want. Likewise, if you can’t do eight or more reps with the weight, it is probably too heavy for you.

Myth #3. Circuit machines, such as Nautilus, are the safest way to exercise. While machines are sometimes safer to use than free weights, it doesn’t mean you can’t hurt yourself on them. New studies show that many circuit machines put significant stress on certain body parts and may not use a natural movement. Leg extensions, for example, put stress on the knees.
To avoid injury, consult the diagrams on the machines and consider having a personal trainer show you how to use them properly.

Myth #4. Don’t eat after 8 p.m., because the food will turn to fat. When you eat has less of an impact on whether food will turn to fat than what you eat. If you’re eating a steady diet of ice cream and potato chips after 8 p.m., you will gain weight. If you’re eating healthy and have not exceeded a reasonable number of calories for the day, you may lose weight.
Many experts believe that your calorie intake for the day and level of activity are the only factors that affect whether the body adds fat on any given day. However, some believe that calories added at night will more likely turn to fat, because people are less active at night and burn fewer calories. Even if this is a factor, it is not a major factor in weight gain.

Myth #5. If you’re not sore, you didn’t work out hard enough. While soreness is to be expected when you are just beginning to exercise or when you change your program, if you are otherwise sore a day or two after your workout, you probably overdid it.
Soreness is caused by tears in your muscle fiber. If you're sore after every workout, you're not allowing your body time to recover. During this recovery period is when you’ll experience the most muscle growth.

Exercise Is Best Medicine For Back Pain

Many people use back pain as an excuse for not exercising. Yet exercise is the best way to reduce or even eliminate back pain.

Exercise can also help you recover faster, prevent re-injury and reduce the risk of being disabled by back pain. As your muscles become stronger and more flexible, your posture should also improve.

Back pain is among the most common ailments, affecting 70 to 85 percent of all Americans at some point in their lives, according to the American Chiropractic Association, which adds that it is the leading cause of inactivity for people under age 45.

Ideally, everyone should take steps to avoid back pain in the first place. Whether or not you are already experiencing back pain, it is important to lift objects by squatting and using your legs, rather than bending over and using your back to lift. Pushing, rather than pulling, heavy objects is also recommended.

People who spend long hours sitting or driving also frequently suffer from back pain. Those who sit for long periods should take breaks to stretch their back regularly. Working flat shoes instead of heels can also help women avoid back problems.

The best defense against back pain, though, is regular exercise to strengthen “core” muscles, which include muscles of the back, abdomen and buttocks. These muscles work together to support the spine.

A Workout For Back Pain

What exercises should your workout include?
Start with a warm-up, taking at least five minutes on a treadmill or elliptical machine, or try walking or running in place if you don’t have access to the proper equipment. Follow your warm-up with stretching, then strengthening exercises.
Stretching. Stretching tight back and hamstring muscles can lengthen and loosen them, which will help relieve back pain. Stretching can also increase your mobility, helping to prevent further back injury.

One simple stretching exercise is the pelvic tilt, which stretches the lower back. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat. Tighten your buttocks and abdomen, flattening the small of your back against the floor, then hold it there for a count of five. As a second exercise, while in the same position, stretch your stomach muscles by grasping your left leg behind the knee or back of your thigh, then pull your knee toward your left shoulder.

To stretch your quadriceps, stand up with your back against the wall. Press the small of your back and the back of your neck toward the wall, then hold that position for 10 to 30 seconds.
It is especially important to stretch hamstring muscles. Here are two exercises that can help. First, while sitting on the floor, extend your right leg, and place your left foot against your right knee. Lean forward, keeping your back straight. Reach for your foot until you feel your hamstrings stretching. Hold the position for 10 to 20 seconds. Next, lying flat on your back, raise a leg up, grab it and pull it until you feel your hamstring stretching. Repeat each exercise at least five times, then switch sides.

Strengthening. Best results for strengthening your back can be achieved using weights or exercise machines. However, there are plenty of exercises that can help even if you don’t have access to equipment.

One common exercise for strengthening core muscles is “the bridge.” Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Raise your buttocks off the floor, keeping your abs tight. Your shoulders and knees should be in straight line. Hold for a count of five, then slowly lower your buttocks.

“The plank,” a strengthening exercise for the back, abs and neck, is also useful. Lie on your stomach with your elbows and forearms on the floor. Balance on your toes and elbows, keeping your back and legs straight as a plank, and tighten your abs. Hold the position for 10 seconds, relax, then repeat.

A good exercise to strengthen your back, hips and quads is to stand with your back against a wall and to slide your back down until you are in a sitting position. Your back should be straight and your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abs, count to five and slide back up the wall. As you build strength, add to the amount of time you remain in a sitting position.
All exercises should be done slowly, with attention paid to form and breathing. Hold your position for at least a count of five and repeat at least five times, but up to 15 times.
While a full body workout is recommended, some exercises should be avoided by those with back pain. Many exercises using weights, such as the military press or curls, put pressure on your back muscles. Leg lifts and some exercise machines should also be avoided; straight leg sit-ups can aggravate your back, but partial sit-ups can help it.

As with any exercise program, consult with your doctor before beginning your program. Consider stretching daily and doing strengthening exercises every other day. Most importantly, develop a routine and stick with it.

Mark Federico is the owner of Boost Fitness, which is located in Northboro, Hudson and Westford. He can be reached at mfederico@myboostfitness.com.