by BetterBody Fitness | Nov 29, 2021 | Uncategorized |
Better Body Pilates helps you stay fit, healthy, and happy – both with physical exercise and practical, easy-to-implement advice.
Being over 40 requires serious internal and external adjustment. You’ve arguably hit the halfway mark with your life and likely acquired many regrets along the way. You may be feeling older, and there may be a midlife crisis or two on the cards for you.
But you have the benefit of hindsight and experience, now, and are, hopefully, wiser than you used to be. Keep in mind that age is just a number – feeling youthful is all about attitude. Support yourself by reinventing your lifestyle – you have the wherewithal – and you will look, feel, and be young. Here are some tips to help you along your journey:
Fill your body up with wholesome foods National Geographic says the food you eat defines in countless ways big and small. It influences your mood, your energy levels, and how you look. Eating balanced, nutritious meals is important if you want to look good and feel great. Superfoods like almonds, spinach, and avocado keep the grey hairs away, as
does water. It’s okay to indulge yourself once in a while – everyone has cravings – but always listen to your body and don’t go overboard with it.
Consistently set and achieve goals
People are happiest when they grow. It’s important to fulfill yourself by growing in ways that matter to you. For example, if you’ve always wanted to broaden your horizons and be a person of learning, you could go back to school to get your master’s degree. It’s possible to do it conveniently online. MBA programs are a popular choice because they offer knowledge in in-demand fields like business, strategy, and management. They also benefit you personally by teaching you self-assessment, self-awareness, and leadership skills.
Give yourself a makeover
External beauty may not be everything, but it does make you feel good. Dressing stylishly and well is an essential part of expressing yourself, and good clothes can help you feel comfortable in your skin whether at work, outside, or at home. Consider giving yourself a makeover by getting a new style and wardrobe. It doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive – whatever fits your taste and budget as long as it makes you happy works. You’d be surprised at the difference it makes.
Surround yourself with good people
We end up picking up the mannerisms of the people in our family and communities to fit in and be accepted. There’s nothing wrong with that. But what’s important is hanging out with good people and choosing your friends carefully – you don’t want to end up picking negative traits and habits. Hanging out with positive, happy, and supportive people will automatically make you positive and happy yourself.
Make exercising a part of your routine
In your 40s, your strength levels are on the decline, reports the NCBI, as are flexibility and energy levels. Exercising is the best anti-aging medicine you can take. Working out frequently allows you to remain fit, agile, and energetic. A form of exercise like Pilates offers powerful results quickly, not to mention is an enjoyable way to spend your time. Better Body Pilates is a top-rated fitness studio in California, offering personalized lessons and routines for both men and women.
When you exercise, make sure to track your progress. Your gains are the fuel that will motivate you and keep you going. You can use gadgets like fitness trackers or even smartwatches to measure improvements. A smartwatch isn’t mandatory, but it’s convenient. It also comes with useful health and safety features and doubles as a fashion accessory. You can personalize it further with a new watchband and protect it from scratches and dings with a screen protector.
Conclusion
Be kind to yourself and don’t expect a transformation overnight. Focus on making small changes every day – they stack up over time – and get a good momentum going. You have the power to change your life. Keep trying and you will arrive.
By: Sharon Wagner of seniorfriendly.info
by BetterBody Fitness | Nov 4, 2018 | Uncategorized |
If you’re looking for motivation and inspiration to keep up with your fitness regime it’s a good idea to prepay for a personal trainer or for a session of classes. Paying ahead of time is incentive to stick it out because you’ll want to get full value for what you have invested.
Along with the monetary investment there are other reasons to choose to work with a personal trainer. Personal trainers can help you to achieve your fitness goals faster and safer than if you worked on them on your own.
Finding a personal trainer should be like finding a doctor. You want to make sure they are certified, knowledgeable, understand your goals and have a personality that fits with yours. You have to feel comfortable with your trainer and trust them. It make take a few trials until you find the trainer that is right for you. Try not to get discouraged, there is a trainer out there who will be the perfect fit for you.
The first step is to have an assessment with your trainer. They will go over basic exercises to assess your fitness level. They will also discuss with you your health history, any injuries and what your fitness goals are. After the assessment you should sit down with your trainer so they can go over their plan, the exercises and the timeline to reach your goals.
At your first session after the assessment the trainer will teach you some of the exercises that you will be performing throughout your fitness plan. Make sure you listen carefully and watch their instruction. By following exactly what your trainer is telling you, you will avoid injury and will be more efficient in your exercise routine.
A trainer can also make your workouts more fun and interesting by changing your normal routine. We often get comfortable in our routine and it can become mundane but with a trainer their extensive knowledge in fitness allows them to develop more creative workouts which in turn motivate us to keep coming back. Using your trainers experience also creates a more effective workout. You will no longer waste time thinking of what to do when you get to the gym. Your trainer will already have their plan for you established so every minute of your time at the gym is used for physical activity instead of thinking and planning.
Personal trainers will also motivate you while you’re doing the exercises that they’ve prescribed. They can help to push you to keep going, count your reps so you don’t lose track and help you adapt you exercises as you go to reduce the risk of injury.
Now it’s time to take your first time towards better fitness. Speak to a consultant at your local gym and set up an initial assessment with a personal trainer. You have nothing to lose and better fitness to gain.
by BetterBody Fitness | Nov 3, 2018 | Uncategorized |
Men vs Women – Weight Loss Styles
Men are from Mars and women are from Venus. There is a lot of differences between men and women; let it be in physical appearance or in the functioning of the body’s organs. Do men lose weight faster?
The simple truth is that men are larger and have more muscle than women due to the hormone testosterone. They are genetically designed to have a higher percentage of muscle and less fat, which works in favor of keeping them fit and allowing them to eat more calories.
Women are predisposed to store and retain fat. It’s in the genes. Women have higher levels of estrogen, a hormone that works to keep the fat on a woman’s body so it’s easier for her to get pregnant. That means women have to work harder to lose weight at the same rate as men. Women also have a smaller lung capacity than men, which can make women feel as though they are working harder than men even if the women are working at the same level. This can also make exercise feel harder in the heat or high humidity.
There is a difference in body composition. Every pound of lean body mass you have burns about 14 calories a day, while every pound of fat you have only burns about 2 calories. So, the more muscle you carry (and the less fat) the greater your daily calorie burn. There’s the benefit for men, not only are their bodies bigger, they tend to carry more muscle than women do too.
So what it boils down to is, the number of calories it takes for the average man to maintain his weight is higher than it is for the average woman. And that can be a big advantage to men when it comes to weight loss. A heavy-set guy who maintains his weight on 2500 calories a day can cut out 1000 calories or so from his daily intake, still have a reasonable 1500 calories to spend on his meals and snacks, and drop a couple of pounds a week. While, on the other hand a woman struggling to maintain her weight might be maintaining on only 1600 calories or so. To lose weight safely, she shouldn’t cut her intake to less than 1200 calories a day – cutting only 400 calories.
For either male or female, here are some weight loss tips that will help:
- Eliminate sugar. If you need to sweeten things up, try using honey.
- Exercise a ½ hour each day for 5 days out of the week.
- Eat more vegetables.
- Stop eating unhealthy snacks and living a sedentary life.
- Avoid high calorie and high cholesterol foods (no deep fried, creamy, breaded options).
Men and women are different beings, different compositions – it requires different work to get to the healthy weight you want. Eat healthy, have a good workout routine and patience. You’ll reach your goals with hard work and determination. Speak to your Doctor or fitness trainer to get more tips on weight loss and healthy eating.
by BetterBody Fitness | Nov 3, 2018 | Uncategorized |
How to Relieve Post-Workout Pain
You probably feel great as soon as you finish a good workout. You’re happy it is behind you, you’re energized, but you’re also physically exhausted.
However, a few hours later, you may start to feel worse as you start to experience a soreness that you feel when you’re walking– and you may even start to question if you want to work out anymore. This pain can last for days, especially if you tried out a new exercise that your body wasn’t used to. The pain leads to muscle tension, and you know if you exercise through the pain, you can cause you body some real damage.
So what happens if you’re always sore, but you don’t want to skimp on the gym? Here, we will give you five tips to help soothe your damaged muscles, repair torn tissue, and improve the relaxation in your muscles and your blood flow. Following these tips will help you speed up your recovery and reduce your muscle soreness, which will help you return to the gym sooner.
1. Eat a Banana
In order to fight dehydration, it is important to get enough potassium in your diet. This will also help you avoid getting muscle cramps during your workout. When you fight post-workout dehydration with potassium, you can avoid any severe muscle cramps that may come after a workout.Most Americans are deficient in potassium, so it’s important to include potassium-rich foods such as bananas in the diet. One medium banana will add 400 mg of potassium to your day’s diet, which is about 11% the daily value of potassium.
2. Take Hot and Cold Showers
To help soothe achy muscles, alternate between hot and cold water in the shower. The contrast in temperature helps fight tension and improve blood flow. Switch from hot to cold every 30 to 40 seconds.Doing these switches about ten times is enough to have an effect. As you get more used to each extreme temperature, increase the intensity to create an external ‘pumping’ of blood by cooling your muscles and then heating them. This will help bring fresh blood into your muscles for a faster recovery.
3. Soak in Salt Water
Taking a hot bath after your workout will make you feel relaxed because the hot temperatures pull the toxins out of your skin. As the water starts to cool down, the toxins are released from your body through your skin. A bath also helps to soothe aches and pains, increase blood flow, and relaxes your mind.Adding Epsom salt to your bath helps alleviate soreness, muscle cramps and pain, inflammation, and aches. Epsom is a magnesium sulfate, which is a natural muscle relaxer. When it is in a salt form, it pulls water and lactic acid away from any injured tissues to help reduce swelling. Fill your bathtub with warm water and add 2 cups of Epsom salt before soaking in it for at least 15 minutes.
4. Drink Tart Cherry Juice
Tart cherry juice is high in antioxidants, and research has shown that it can reduce muscle pain and weakness following a tough strength training routine. Drinking 12 ounces of tart cherry juice can also reduce the pain associated with exercise-induced muscle damage after a weight-lifting session. Experts believe this to be true due to the high levels of polyphenolic compounds that are present in tart cherry juice, such as flavonoids and anthocyanin. Keep this juice at home so you can drink it as soon as you get back from the gym.If you can’t stomach tart cherry juice, watermelon juice is a reasonable alternative. It tastes good and it is great for replenishing your electrolytes after you workout. Studies have shown that drinking about 16 ounces of watermelon juice after a tough workout can reduce muscle soreness because watermelon is rich in l-Citrulline, which is an amino acid that has been known to help with muscle soreness.
5. Use a Foam Roller
Using a foam roller can break up any tension in your muscles and fight muscle soreness. Foam rolling can hurt a bit during the process, but it will alleviate pain and muscle tightness in the long run and help to prevent you from experiencing an injury in the future. You can even work a very specific muscle by switching a foam roller for a hard ball such as a lacrosse ball.When you apply pressure to a knot in your muscle, the elastic fibers disperse back to their true alignment, which will help you get into lengthening positions with better body alignment and restore your proper movement patterns.
by BetterBody Fitness | Nov 3, 2018 | Uncategorized |
If you are like many other people, you go to the gym with the goal of achieving a flatter stomach and firm abs. Most people want a toned stomach– not only to improve physical health but also to give a bit of an ego boost.
However, if your only goal when you are working out is to get visible abs and you are focusing on doing sit ups for hours, it may end up giving you the opposite of the results that you are looking for.
The trust is, your core isn’t just one muscle. Rather, it is a lot of muscles bunched together to hold together your abdomen and connect your hips, backbone, shoulders, and neck together and keep your body in place. If you do exercises that are micro-focused on only your stomach, you are leaving out a lot of the muscles that are an important part of that muscle group.
The good thing is, there are a lot of exercises that you can do to effectively work all of your most important muscles. In this article, we will talk about some exercises that you can do to increase the strength in your core and obtain a healthy and toned core.
Deadlift
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart with a heavy dumbbell placed in front of each foot. Bend forward at your waist while maintaining a flat spine and a neutral, relaxed neck. Lower your torso down toward the ground until you are able to reach down to pick up the weights. Push down on your heels and tighten your core to help you return to a standing position as you lift the weights. Then, lower the weight back down to the ground to complete 1 rep. Do this 8-12 times and complete up to four sets of this exercise. Do this along with your strength workout twice a week.
Farmer Carry
Start by holding one heavy dumbbell in each hand. Stand up straight with your shoulders back. While keeping your core muscles engaged and standing up tall, walk forward ten steps. Then, turn around, take ten steps to return to your starting position, and return your weights to the ground to complete one rep. Do 3-4 sets of 4 reps twice a week.
Bird Dog
Start in a tabletop position and raise your right arm until your hand is at an equal height with your ear. Then, simultaneously lift your left leg until it is at a 90 degree angle with your body. Return to your starting position and repeat this exercise with your left arm and right leg. Make sure to tighten your ab muscles to give yourself some stability and prevent yourself from leaning towards one side. Do 10-15 reps 3-4 times every day.
Why Does Core Strength Matter?
You don’t want to just strengthen your abs for aesthetic reasons. The truth is, there are many extremely strong people in the world who don’t sport a six-pack. There are other things you will gain from having strong abs.
1. You’ll avoid pain.
Having a strong core is a prominent factor in keeping yourself free from injuries, especially in your hips and knees. Research actually shows that women who regularly engage their cores have more control over the movement of their knees while they are doing strength exercises such as squats and lunges, which can help protect against an ACL injury.Your core also stabilizes your pelvis and femurs, and help your glutes fight pain. Essentially, without having a strong core, you are missing out of having the foundation for pain-free movement.
2. Improve your posture.
Your core muscles support your spine, which makes it easier to have proper and healthy posture. Having correct posture will prevent the small movements in your spine that lead to pain. Also, having proper posture looks good and will give you a boost of confidence.
3. Increase your athleticism.
With an increased amount of core power, you will have an advantage over other people in sports because your stability, balance, and agility will come from the center of your body. As long as your core muscles are all working together while you move, all of your power will be equally translated from your lower body to your upper body. This will allow you to rotate your core when you’re throwing, punching, or serving a ball. It will also help you absorb force while you are decelerating, such as when you are falling, catching, or diving.
