Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Elastic Resistance Is A Great Way To Get Fat Burning Muscles

Building muscle is crucial to weight control! Muscles burn calories. Fat just goes a long for the ride.

Fat is a great insulator. It helps to keep you warm. It protects you from injury. Your organs need to have some fat around them. Fat is the largest and most available energy source you have. Fat is not a bad thing. Excess fat is.

Muscle is active tissue. It has a job. Muscle makes your body move. Since it's active tissue it burns calories. The more muscle you have the more calories you burn. Having strong muscles helps you control your weight.

Muscles need to be challenged by resistance to build. That resistance can come in many forms; free weights, weight machines, your own body resistance and elastic resistance.

If you've ever had the misfortune of having to go to a physical therapist for an injury then you're familiar with elastic resistance. Your PT probably gave you some elastic bands to take home with you so you could do the required exercises. Elastic resistance is easier on your joints than free weights. You can get to some muscles more effectively too like your rotator cuff muscles.

Using varies methods to challenge your muscles is a good plan. I love elastic resistance. I use to travel a lot. I would pack up my bands and rings in my little carry on luggage and never miss a day of my strength training. That's the key to getting fit. Being consistant.

I use elastic resistance with my clients. It's easy to bring them to women's homes and cheap for the women to purchase so they can continue with the programs I put together for them. Most women are not familiar with elastic resistance as a choice for strength training (unless they've been to a physical therapist).

I decided to put together a DVD so other women could learn exercises that can be done with elastic resistance. I include the DVD with my clients so they have a good basic program they can follow when our sessions are over. I called the DVD "Body Bands and Rings" because I use all three elements in the workout. You can purchase the DVD at this link  http://www.getrealfit.org/products.html

You can get elastic resistance at most sporting stores and most come with a booklet sharing exercises you can do with them. I highly suggest you give elastic resistance a try. They can help you get healthy, fat burning muscles!

Your fitness Expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Could Exercise Help With Our Energy Issues?

I just read an amazing article about power supply...human power supply!

When you go to a gym what do you see? Tons of lights, electric exercise machines, the air conditioning or heat freely flowing (especially in HOT yoga classes!) and showers that have the hot water waiting to be used.

The pools are generous with their chlorine which you can smell a mile away! The walls are painted with colorful paint and the bathrooms smell of the disinfectant supplies being used.

Not too "green" are they!

Some gyms are getting smart. They're situating their windows to make use of solar heat as well as making use of air flow to lessen the need for air conditioning. They're  using showers that heat "on call".

They're using paints and adhesives with low volatile organic compounds so they don't emit dangerous toxins in the air while you're huffing and puffing as you workout.

The list is long but the amazing thing I read was some are using the clients for their power supply!

They hook up spin bikes to DC generators that produce electricity, which in turn is directed into a 12-volt battery bank. This bank can power TV sets, stereos and lights! All the energy released in the form of burned-up carbohydrates and fat that's dissipated into the air when members exercise can be turned into energy.

Other countries are way ahead of us. We've been able to get our energy for so cheap nothing has inspired us to change...until now.

When my company shoots DVDs we use florescent cool lights to save energy and to keep the girls from overheating. We should plug ourselves up to a DC generator when we do our productions. We omit tons of energy into the air lol.

Wouldn't it be great if people could all get together, workout hard and store that energy so people can help with the energy shortage??? Water power, wind power and people power!

Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Monday, September 27, 2010

DVD Give Away!

My friend and fellow blogger Coach Jenn is giving away one of my DVDs. She did a nice review and is offering a free "Total Conditioning" workout DVD for some lucky lady.

Here's a link to her blog. Join in on the fun!

http://personalfitcoach.com/total-conditioning-dvd-review-and-giveaway/


Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Yoga Breathing Can Help You Deal With Stress

Stress is necessary in life but too much can cause illness. Think about it. If you didn't feel some stress about your health you wouldn't be motivated to exercise or control your weight so stress is not a bad thing. It just needs to be guided.

Learning from stress is a good thing. Storing stress in your body is bad.

Yoga is a great stress reliever. It has some breathing techniques that I'm working on. The Ujayi breath is being taught to athletes to calm them before performing. It's great for everyone who has stress...so that means all of us lol.

It uses a soft snoring sound as the breath passes through the throat and a steady even quality while inhaling and exhaling. Here's a great youtube video sharing the technique.

 

I'm still working on it. It feels like the kind of breathing I do when I'm deep asleep or going into it. It feels great! Makes me want to get my gram crackers and milk and go hit my nap matt.

Give this a try and let me know how you do with it. It differently take some practice.

Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Dance Your Way to a Healthy Body

Do you love to dance? Good news! You can dance your way to health. Dancing will:

Lower your risk of coronary heart disease

Help keep your heart in good shape and can lead to a reduced heart rate over time

Help you manage or lose weight

Strengthen the bones of your legs or hips

Condition your body

Build and increase stamina

Develop your circulatory system

Strengthen and tone your muscles

Increase your flexibility and balance

Relieve stress and improve your mood

Lower your blood pressure and improve your cholesterol levels

Allows you to have fun while getting fit...

That's a dozen good things dancing does for you and your body!

Different types of dancing burn more calories. Aerobic dancing burns the highest amount of calories. It can burn up to 540 calories in an hour.

Ball room dancing burns around 250 to 400 calories, square dancing about 280 calories, ballet about 300 calories, salsa dancing burns around 400 calories in an hour.

Even if you don't dance for a full hour you still get great benefits. Dancing for 10 to 20 minutes 3 times a day is a good way to get extra exercise in. Put on some music that makes you want to shake your boodie and make up your own dances. The point is to keep moving and dancing is a fun way to do that.

If you check out your local community centers or collages you can generally find dance classes at a reasonable rate. It's a wonderful way to meet new friends too.

Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Are You Becoming A Couch Potato Fitness Person?

I just read an article the American Council On Exercise sent to my e mail. I love getting updates on all that's going on in the fitness industry. I had to laugh at this one though...

Research is suggesting that "couch potatoes" will not get fit on the weekly suggested 150 minutes of aerobics and the 2 hours of strength training the Center for Disease Control and Prevention sets for adults.

Hmmmm really! Let's look at that. 150 minutes of aerobics per week adds up to 22 minutes a day of aerobics or 50 minutes 3 days per week of aerobics. That doesn't sound like too little exercise for the average person. But if that's all the activity obtained during the day getting fit would be tough.

The article goes on to say that the average person sits for 9.3 hours a day, watches 5 hours of television, and spends about an hour internet surfing plus spends extra time emailing, Tweeting, texting and visiting their Facebook friends. That adds up to about 15 hours of being inactive! Add to that 8 hours of sleep and that leaves one hour of moving.

I hope the numbers suggested are wrong. No laundry would ever be done and what about eating? Of course you could do that while watching tv but you have to cook, unless you send out for food or bring home fast food. Not a pretty picture.

They actually have a term for doing daily exercise but then sitting for the remaining time, "couch potato fitness". Sitting for long periods of time is hard on your body!

Common sense seems to escape some people. Adding exercise to an active life improves health but it won't make up for being lazy.

I must confess that I spend way too much time on the computer but I do get up stretch, clean my house, play with my doggies and include exercise daily. I have to push myself away from the computer at times. I really love it but I like being healthy more.

It's so important to stay active. The article stated that your activity level through out the day is just as important if not more important than getting your 150 hours of weekly aerobics and your 2 hours of strength training.

Makes sense to me. Hope it does to you too:)


Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org



If you'd like to use this post on your blog you can get it from Enzine Articles free!


Different Ways to Find Your Healthy Weight

My new podcast called "Different Ways to Find Your Healthy Weight" gets you off to a great start if you are going to lose weight and helps you find a healthy ending. Give it a listen.

Here's the link   http://lynnhahnpodcast.libsyn.com/  no special equipment is needed to hear the podcast and it's free so no worries just sit back and enjoy!



Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Get Off The Diet Merry Go Round

I've written another enzine article that I want to share with you. "Diet" means different things to different people. Considering "diet" as healthy eating not temporary starvation is the best interpretation of the word.

Hope you'll read this one. Here's the link to the article....  http://ezinearticles.com/?Get-Off-The-Diet-Merry-Go-Round&id=5022085

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Number One Drug Of The World Is Coffee!


More than 90% of Americans admit to being coffee drinkers. Here in Seattle we are proud of our wonderful coffees.

Caffeine's potent ability to ward off sleep, improve athletic performance, decrease pain and fatigue, boost memory, and enhance your mood makes it a very popular drug.

Coffee is the most widely used mood altering drug in the world! If used in moderation it's a great drug. The problem is that many people don't use it in moderation and literally get hooked on coffee!

Your body adapts to the caffeine and requires more coffee to gain the effects you enjoy with your cup of coffee. Soon it takes 2 cups of coffee to get the "wake up" feeling. You find yourself drinking more and more to get the same effect.

Pretty soon if you're not careful you're drinking way too much coffee and the benefits of drinking coffee fade.

Too much caffeine may contribute to high blood pressure, decreased bone density in women, jittery nerves and sleeplessness. More than 500 to 600 mg of caffeine or 4 to 7 cups of coffee can cause problems.

200 to 300 mg of caffeine per day generally doesn't cause any harmful effects. That's about 2 to 4 cups of coffee depending on what type. Checking how much caffeine is in your cup of coffee is a good plan.

Coffee can have adverse effects on medication and cause problems with pregnancy so it's important that you discuss your use of coffee with your medical doctor.

Coffee has shown to have qualities of benefit not only due to the caffeine but because of the other antitoxins in the coffee. Studies are showing that drinking 2 to 3 cups a day cut the risk of strokes.

Other claims are being made about coffee's side effects such as making women's breasts smaller.

No studies are solid about any of the claims made about coffee and health but the possibilities are there.

If you're overdosing on coffee cutting down can be uncomfortable. Headaches, irritability, fatigue and nervousness can occur when you cut back on your coffee supply. Cutting back slowly is the best plan.

Get lots of rest and drink plenty of water when you decrease the amount of coffee you're drinking. It'll take a short time to get over the unpleasant effects of limiting your caffeine use. It will be worth it. Like all things in life moderation is the best choice!

Your fitness expert

Lynn     www.getrealfit.org

Monday, September 20, 2010

How Did Aerobics Get Started?

I've been busy writing articles for enzine articles. I just wrote this one and wanted to share it with you. I love knowing the history behind things. It helps me to understand the topic better. This article gives you a peek into the start of aerobics. It's pretty interesting. Give it a read.

http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Does-Aerobic-Mean-And-How-Did-Aerobics-Get-Started?&id=5021857

Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Get The Most From Your Weight Lifting Workouts

I wrote an enzine article I wanted to share with you. It's about how to make your workout sessions more effective. Give it a read!

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Maximize-Weight-Lifting-Effectiveness&id=5022948

It shares some great tips!

Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Friday, September 17, 2010

My Sweet Little Joe



This is my little Joe. He passed away the day before Thanks Giving 2009. I miss him still. I still find myself crying when I see his cute face in my mind.



Dogs are wonderful. The can bring so much joy into your world. Studies show that they lessen stress and add purpose to your life. They can lessen depression too. 


There are a lot of dogs that need homes. In California there is an abundant number of dogs that are being euthanized. It breaks my heart. I have a house full of the furry fellows already or I'd go get more.


I had to have a picture of my Joey on my blog. So there he is. Hardly bigger than a cookie jar but the space he took in my heart was huge! I hope you're blessed with a sweet animal. They truly are amazing!

Your fitness expert


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Power Tools" That Help You Stay On Track With Your Health And Fitness Goals

Staying on track with good health and fitness goals takes Power Tools! One of the best power tools is to read a lot of information about your goals. Knowledge is power!


Whether you want to lose weight or just get in great shape find articles in magazines, books, blogs and newspapers that keep you informed and motivated to stay on task. Your brain needs constant reinforcement when new habits are forming. Then it needs reminders.


This is a great place to keep your brain user friendly. It can get a, "life of its own sometimes". You may not want to put that cookie in your mouth but your mind has a different idea! My blog will fill your mind with good information to support your desire to become the best you can be.


Try to surround yourself with information and friends that retrain your brain! Power tools are needed to keep going in the direction you want to go.


Your fitness expert


Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Monday, September 13, 2010

Get Fit Fast With Kickboxing

Kickboxing gets you fit fast!

I've been in the fitness industry for 40 years. I started to train in the martial arts about 20 years ago. I was amazed how much my fitness level improved from participating in the martial arts!

Kickboxing is amazing! Your fitness level will improve fast if you use kickboxing as one of your aerobic activities.The reason is due to a few truths:

"The more muscle you use the less time you need to exercise to get fit!"

Any aerobic exercise is good but some will bring results faster. Walking, running and biking use mostly your lower body. Your upper body has limited involvement. 

Kickboxing challenges your body by pushing several muscles at the same time. You're using almost all of the muscles in your body! Your body is doing a lot more work so you burn more calories and get fit faster.

Another truth:

"The more muscles you use the longer you can exercise"

This is due to the larger amount of oxygen your body brings in when several muscle groups are active. Your body brings oxygen to each muscle group so the more muscle groups you use the higher your supply of oxygen is.

Your body burns 3 types of fuel. 

The largest fuel source is fat which has the by-product of water. The second fuel source is glycogen which has a limited supply and has lactic acid as it's by-product.

When you bike you use one main group of muscles, your legs. Notice how quickly they begin to burn. That burn is lactic acid. Since one group of muscles is being used your oxygen supply is less so your body begins to burn glycogen. You need oxygen to burn fat.

When several muscle groups are involved more oxygen is flooding into your system to fed the various muscles used so you stay in a fat burning state longer. Since the by-product of burning fat is water you can exercise longer when you use various muscles because you're more comfortable and you have more fuel available.

Kickboxing uses almost every muscle in your body. You kick with your legs and punch with your arms. 

Kickboxing is amazing!

For some great kickboxing DVDs visit   www.getrealfit.org

Your fitness expert

Lynn


Sunday, September 12, 2010

Positive Thinking Leads To Positive Results

What you think is what you'll feel. Thoughts create emotions and emotions cause action.Thinking positive is important for your health. 

Words create different thoughts so if you select positive words you can improve your life. If you tell yourself "no one likes me" the general result is depression. If you tell yourself "I need to make more friends" the result is usually moving toward a solution.

Staying in the solution and not the problem is a healthy choice. 

When you approach your exercise schedule by telling yourself "I don't have time" that will cement that idea. If you tell yourself "I'm really busy so I need to schedule time" then your success will follow.

Thinking positive doesn't mean that you ignore reality. It means you view it in a solvable manner.

It's important to recognize health issues such as weight control but beating yourself up over needing to lose weight is not a good plan. It rarely leads to success.

Venting is fine and healthy just change the words you use while doing so. Be kind to yourself. Be honest and work toward your goals with positive words.


Your fitness expert




Saturday, September 11, 2010

Good Exercise Shoes Equal Less Injuries

That's a great title about an important subject.

Buying exercise shoes can be a daunting task. With a few good tips it can become doable. My new podcast is all about buying exercise shoes.

Go on my podcast site  http://lynnhahnpodcast.libsyn.com/  look for the above title, click the button to hear the podcast then sit back, relax and hear all about buying shoes.

You don't need any special equipment to listen to the podcast. Let me know if this was a helpful podcast.

Your fitness expert

Lynn    www.getrealfit.org

Friday, September 10, 2010

Are You Afraid Of Getting Bulky By Weight Lifting?

Does weight lifting scare you?

A lot of women are worried they'll get big and bulky if they weight train. 

Some women will get more defined muscles but to bulk up requires a certain body type and a lot of heavy lifting plus a special high protein diet. The women you see in the "body building" contests work very hard for those results.

Most women get stronger but not bulky. Weight training helps you control your weight. The more muscle mass you have the more calories you burn just sitting around. Fat goes for a free ride and burns zero calories!

Weight lifting doesn't need to be done every day. In fact it's best not to train every day. Your body builds muscle on the rest days not while you're actually lifting. Two to three non consecutive days per week is all you need. 

Weight training shouldn't take a lot of time. Half an hour is great! No more than an hour is advised. You burn a fuel called glycogen when you do weight training. Your body has a limited supply so keeping your weight training session short is important.

Weight training not only helps you control your weight it makes you strong!  Being strong allows you to be more independent. You can go to the grocery store and get your own big bag of dog food. 

I've been weight training for years and I am surely not bulky. I'm lean and toned but not muscular. I have no desire to bulk up and I don't think my long lean body would behave if I ate the protein diets and lifted the really heavy weights required to be a "body builder". 

I specialize in strength training for women. If you're looking for some good routines visit my website www.getrealfit.org and go to the "products" page. You'll see the workouts available to you.

The fear of getting weak and overweight should out weigh the fear of getting bulky.

Your fitness expert

Lynn

Thursday, September 9, 2010

More About Milk And How It Benefits You After Exercise

There was so much interest in the post about milk and exercise recovery that I decided to share more information.

The studies are still in process but here are some findings:

Low fat or fat free milk are absorbed more slowly into the system than current sport drinks so the rehydration abilities appear to be greater with milk. The tests showed less urination post exercise than with the other drinks thus suggesting better hydration occurs with milk than with other sport drinks.

Milk has shown to aid in the way your body uses protein after exercise so drinking low fat milk after strength training particularly may help you build muscle better.

Milk is naturally high in the electrolytes lost during exercise. Low fat milk can replace those electrolytes. It also has the carbohydrates your body needs to restore its glycogen storages after exercise.

Glycogen is an energy source your body uses during exercise along with fat. Your body has a much smaller supply of glycogen than fat so replacing your glycogen storage is very important after exercise.

Here's a link to one source to learn more about milk and exercise   http://www.jissn.com/content/5/1/15

The studies about milk and exercise are on going. I personally find that it benefits my recovery from exercise. If you're lactose intolerant it's not wise to use milk but if you have the enzymes needed to digest dairy you might want to give it a try!

Keep your questions and comments coming. I love them. It encourages me to share more helpful information.

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

Getting Good Information About Diets

You are what you eat!

Each person has different dietary needs. Going on a diet from a book you get at the grocery store is not a wise choice. 

The best source for finding your best diet is your doctor! He or she will be able to point you in the right direction to find the best foods for you.

If you aren't able to work with a doctor or if you want extra information here's the best website to visit.


They cover everything from calories, types of foods needed, to how many calories you require according to your activity level. 

Food is fun! I love to eat. Finding the best choices for you in the amounts you need isn't a one size fits all situation. 

Have a great day!

Your fitness expert

Lynn Hahn      www.getrealfit.org

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Okay I'm Going To Start Exercising But Which Type Is Best?

Are you confused about which type of exercise is BEST?

The verdict keeps changing on which exercise is best and which exercises are bad. They use to think running hurt your knees now they are considering that it saves your knees!

It can get overwhelming if you just want to get in good shape. How do you know which type of exercise to choose?

Each person is different and each body responds differently to different exercises. It's good to vary types of exercise but if you're the, " I just want a routine I can do and get on with my life!" type of a person simple is best. It's okay to stick with one routine.

Try out the different types of exercise until you find which ones work for you. If you get bored easily continue to experiment.

Getting aerobics and strength training into your weekly routine is what you need to do. Which type is best can be argued so picking the type that makes you willing to exercise is the best type for you.

Don't take all the "new findings" too seriously. They change almost as much as the weather. The important thing is to MOVE. Whatever works for you is great!

Your fitness expert


Friday, September 3, 2010

Can You Do Too Many Crunches?

Ab crunches seem to be taught by most trainers. You have to be careful with crunches. Crunches work your rectus adominus which is the muscle the runs vertically across your stomach.

It's crucial to work your lower back as much as you work your rectus adominus or you'll cause problems with your back.

The spine has a curve to it called the lordosis. It's very important to have that curve. It helps support the weight your spine has to carry.

If your rectus adominus muscle is stronger than your lower back muscles it will take away that necessary curve in your back. You can do too many crunches if you aren't also doing exercises for your lower back!

It's important to have a well rounded strength training program. My strength training DVDs offer well balanced routines.

My goal is to train your body to be healthy and strong. Check out my DVDs on www.getrealfit.org

Your fitness expert

Lynn

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Can Exercise Help Flatten Your Abs?

Just over a year ago I had major surgery. I had 3 levels fused in my neck. It was due to a sport injury. It was a tough recovery. I have a really long neck so it was a bit more of a struggle for me to recovery than those who have short necks.

Slow walking was all I could do...very slow. It wasn't until I was nine months along that I was able to pick up the pace and to include strength training.

I have the straight up and down body type that adds weight in my middle (the worst place to gain). I lost my muscle mass so my legs got skinny and my belly got a roll. I was still thin just became what I call a skinny fat person. I was more fat than muscle.

I've been doing my workouts for just over three months and am thrilled to report my muscle to fat ratio is really good again. My belly roll is gone! Ya Ho.

I had to share this little clip with you. Spot reduction does not work but spot firming does. It toned my abs back up and I'm back to me again



It does take consistency but age is not a factor. I'm almost sixty years old. I was able to do a do over and it worked.

I hope this encourages you to hang in there, keep trying.

Your fitness expert

Lynn   www.getrealfit.org

My three best friends and I

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