Add to Your Fitness Routine Everyday!

OK, all of us struggle with keeping up our exercise routines every day. Of course if you work with a personal trainer, they really help to keep you motivated and on course. There are always new ways to increase and maintain healthy movement every day. Try these simple suggestions:
• Instead of taking the elevator or escalator use the stairs instead.
• Park your car farther from the door instead of trying to get as close as you can.
• A lot of us eat our lunch at our desks so mix it up and take a 10 to 20 minute walk before you eat.
• Reject the TV or movies on the weekend – go to the park, take a bike ride, enjoy a walking tour, or organize a neighborhood softball or volley ball game.
Tip: Writing down your weekly fitness plan or goals helps you to stay on track. Keep a fitness diary too; don’t forget to note the days you did not exercise and why you didn't. This is a great reference to refer back to. You'll have a better idea of what works for you and you can avoid the things that unmotivated you.

Body Mass Index: An Accurate Indicator of Healthy Weight?

For the majority of people, the Body Mass Index (BMI) is a scientific method of determining healthy or unhealthy weight an individual is carrying. However, for some people this may also incorrectly identify obesity. For example, a person who is lean and muscular, who is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 220, with 12% body fat, would be considered obese based on BMI standards. In reality, with that percentage of body fat this person would in no way be obese.

The scientists who developed the BMI defend these guidelines on the basis that many people are not fit, nor lean and muscular, but do admit that these standards do not apply to everyone. They also point out that not everyone who is classified as overweight or obese is unhealthy – quite the contrary. Some studies have shown that, in some cases, these people were healthier and lived longer than unfit people who were at “normal” weight.
The point is, don't focus so much on the BMI. Pay attention to your weight, waistline, and your cardiovascular health.

Weight Loss Before or After Weight Training?

Weight lifting or resistance training should be part of your overall fitness program. Lifting weights will not only help you lose weight, but it will help you maintain the weight loss because, while building muscle, you will be keeping your metabolism up and therefore helping your body burn calories, fat and maintain healthy glucose levels.

While losing weight, some of the pounds you are losing, up to 25% of the loss, may come from muscle. This slows down your metabolism which slows down your weight loss. Weight lifting will help preserve or rebuild any muscle you lose through dieting and will help to improve your body's muscle-to-fat ratio, which improves both your health and your fitness level. Although you may gain or slow the drop in numbers on the scale, you will be losing inches and in turn, you will feel better, be stronger, and be on your way to being happier more energized.