Water Aerobics vs. Weight Training and Boot Camp, How is it Beneficial for Losing Weight?

Many people often feel like water aerobics is for older folks that have a hard time exercising in the gym or doing weight training. Many people in society deal with aches and pains in their joints and cannot lift weights because of it, but inside the pool, you can get a great workout, if not sometimes better than lifting weights outside of the pool.

Water aerobics is great workout for all adults and can be beneficial to strengthen the entire body. Water aerobics is a combination of strength training for building lean muscle tissue, improving your cardiovascular system and is combined with great music that gets your pumping and great fitness instructors. This form of exercise is highly recommended at least once to twice a week to alleviate pressure from gravity pulling on your joints and to relieve tension in the muscle. Anyone with arthritis or osteoporosis it can be very beneficial. This is because the water holds up the body and supports the body by 80% of the body weight. This helps low impact on joints on your knees, back and other parts of the body that would be stressed in a regular weight lifting exercise or daily routine.

Some athletes do water aerobics as a workout. I asked a former collegiate athlete about her experience with water aerobics. She said, “I love water aerobics, and swear by water it. If you have not tried this type of workout you need to. If you have a good instructor they will challenge your abilities in the pool making you stronger, leaner and faster outside of the pool. You will have a lot of fun while working out, yet you won’t feel the hard work that you put in until you get out of the pool, than you really feel the muscles have been worked and your body fat will decrease, and weight will go down each week.” She is now a water aerobics instructor here at Utah’s Live-In Fitness Camp. There are statistics that show a ground workout in half an hour will burn about 135 calories, while in the water you would burn about 264 calories.

Some benefits of water aerobics are that it can help treat arthritis and osteoporosis. It can also help with joint pain. It can also be very relaxing being in the pool. There are some disadvantages that you need to know. Some people might have some skin irritation, this is due to the chemicals that are put into the pool, but you can protect yourself from it by taking a shower before getting into the pool. There are also some limitations also, because it is a pool some exercises are very limited and will vary with how you do the exercise.

Here at Utah’s Live-In Fitness Camp we provide expert trainers that personalize in water aerobics. We highly encourage water aerobics to everyone. Weight training and exercising is important even if you have a harder time lift weights, water aerobics is a great alternative regardless if you can lift weights or not. Try it out! Join us at Utah’s Live-In Fitness Camp to experience the most extreme boot camp style water aerobics class in the nation.

Why do most women think they can’t workout when they are pregnant?

Good News! You actually can work out while you are pregnant!! Some situations are different so just as a side note, through your pregnancy, please consult your doctor regardless of what other people say. Your doctor knows your situation and knows what is going on with you and your baby. Postpartum is defined as one year after the baby is born, that is the postpartum period. Childbearing years are a time in a woman’s life that is critical for weight gain, or a time that they can more easily retain that weight. This is also a time to strengthen your body to make it healthier for you and your baby.

Studies have shown that strength training or any kind of exercise related activity can strengthen the core muscles that are needed during the birthing process, and make it easier. Many women are worried that they will retain the weight that they gained during pregnancy, because they saw a friend retain that weight or they saw their mother work really hard to lose it and didn’t. Statistics show that 14-20% of women will retain 10 pounds after giving birth, or during postpartum period, one year. This does increase when you have more children. But by exercise and being active you can prevent this excessive weight retention.

Many women do experience postpartum depression, which is a feeling of depression after your baby is born. It is also a feeling of not wanting to accept your baby, hallucinations, fatigue, no motivation to do anything, and not being able to make reasonable decisions. One in ten new mothers will experience this feeling. Don’t worry, through exercise and being active it can help the mother and the baby. Men can also help women with this. As you talk to your spouse about her feelings you can also feel included and help her through this process.

With strength training, this can help relieve many signs or symptoms of postpartum depression and also help maintain or reduce postpartum weight retention. ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) recommends women that are already doing vigorous- intensity exercise before having a baby to keep doing vigorous to moderate intensity exercise. Running might not be appropriate during the third trimester. Again please consult your doctor. ACSM also recommends that women should exercise for at least 150 minutes a week moderate intensity exercise while pregnant. Many women are also worried if the baby will be ok. Of course the baby will be ok because it is protected by the amniotic fluid that the baby is in. It is almost like the baby is hanging out in a big tub of water, just floating around.

Some exercises that doctors recommend are walking, swimming, low-impact aerobic exercise and dancing. Walking is very good for low impact on the knees and ankles as the baby gets bigger this will increase the weight on your knees and ankles. Swimming is the best and safest exercise for your baby. Swimming exercises your big muscles in your arms and legs and makes you work hard. Low-impact aerobics can be and a class that makes you set aside time to exercise and helps you move. They have classes essentially for pregnant women called camaraderie this is for future mothers can get together and focus on those muscles to help with the birthing process. Dancing is very good in your house for example. You don’t want to do twirls or jumps in your dancing, that might harm your baby.

While breastfeeding increases your caloric expenditure, milk production requires an extra 500more calories each day so women can produce enough for their baby. This is because a woman, during this time period of breastfeeding will help to give the baby the nutrients it needs. This takes a lot of energy from mom to produce enough milk for the baby. Many women even after breastfeeding keep eating the way they were and will gain weight. When you stop breastfeeding you should stop eating the calories that you were giving to your baby.

Women can be strong and we are wonderful! We can achieve many things and we have such a blessing of creating little angels that come into our lives. We want to take care of them the best we can. But we also need to take care of ourselves. Take care of your body by eating great foods now and being active now. Do not wait until you are pregnant to start exercising and eating right, you can start now!!

If you have more questions or are curious about postpartum and exercise please visit this site:
http://www.progressiveparent.com/Pregnancy_postnatal_exercise/faq_Postnatal_Exercise.htm

Help! I’m doing cardio every day but I’m still not losing any weight!

Many Americans perform cardio day in and day out with little or no results to show for it. Make no mistake about it, cardio is a vital part of any weight loss routine, but it is not the only part. Believe it or not, resistance training exercises such as weight lifting are crucial to lose fat and change your body shape and composition.

When you increase your strength and muscle endurance, you can train at a higher intensity using more weight for an extended period of time. Also, by adding resistance training to your workout, you increase the variety of your workouts which leads to muscle confusion and an increased calorie burn. The variety in your workout also keeps you more interested in your workout and less likely to get bored and drop your routine.

Muscle is an active tissue meaning it constantly requires energy to maintain the muscle. Weight lifting increases the muscle mass in your body. Increased muscle mass means increased caloric requirements to maintain the muscle which leads to an increased metabolism and ultimately you burn more total calories throughout the day—including while at rest! Let me give you an example. Let’s say “Stan” is 6’0, 250 lbs, 30 years old, and has a body fat percentage of 60% (and therefore a lean body mass percentage of 40%). “Bob” is 6’0, 250 lbs, 30 years old, and has a body fat percentage of 20% (and therefore a lean body mass of 80%). Stan and Bob are identical in all ways except for the muscle mass of each. Because Bob has much more muscle, he is going to burn significantly more calories than Stan. Even at rest, Bob will be burning more calories than Stan because his resting metabolic rate (RMR) is higher—You heard that right, just sitting at his desk, Bob will burn more calories than Stan!

Resistance training is the best way that you can change
the shape of your body. Aerobic exercises (cardio) can help you lose fat, but nothing screams healthy like a toned body….one that has muscle definition. Now ladies, I know what you are thinking: “All that weight training is for guys….I don’t want to bulk up and look manly”. Lifting weights will not cause you to look manly; in fact, it can help you look more toned and feminine. Resistance training is a crucial part of any successful health plan and can easily be added into your daily workout routine. At Utah’s Live-In Fitness Camp our staff of certified personal trainers will teach you how to lift weights including the proper form and breathing techniques. You will learn different ways to perform resistance exercises and therefore increase your metabolism. Our trainers at Utah's Live-In Fitness Camp our the most experienced in the industry and have the most knowledge in completing your desired weight loss goals for a lasting change. They are extremely passionate about their jobs and want to help you reach your full potential. Give us a call today and talk to a member of our caring staff. It is never too late to start lifting weights and losing weight!

How to Overcome Your Critics and Reach Your Full Potential

A couple months ago I received a little parting gift from one of our clients who had been with us for many weeks. She gave me a pink mug that had the following words on it: “Girlfriend’s Rule: When one gets dessert, we ALL get dessert!” I have since spent some time thinking about this. Being a girl myself, I know all too well how true that saying really is. Whenever I have politely refused dessert while my friends are all eating it, I almost always get attacked by the other girls, as if I have done something terribly wrong. The same is often true in other aspects of life. Whether they realize it or not, people often try to hold us back. The truth is that misery loves company. When I choose not to eat something unhealthy when everyone else is, or when I choose to go exercise when no one else wants to, it makes others accountable for their own actions. If they are not living the way they want to, this can make them feel guilty which is why they then try to get me to also eat the (fill in the blank calorie-laden food) or try to get me not to exercise.

The key to success is not letting others hold you down. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. You can be a good example of healthy living to your friends and family. Your friends may show some resentment at first, but hopefully they will soon let down their guard and join you. When you have the support of others, it significantly helps you stick to your goals. However, even if your friends and family don’t support you, be firm and confident in your goals and don’t let anyone deter you from achieving that which you want to achieve.

More often than not, it is not others that hold us back from accomplishing our goals. It is our self. We are often our own worst enemy, our hardest critic. Maybe we are never happy with what we accomplish and think that it is never enough; or we constantly criticize ourselves in everything that we do. Whatever the form of self-criticism may be, it only hurts our progression. The key to overcoming our own negativity is to replace the negative with positive. If you find yourself criticizing yourself in your head (or out loud), immediately stop and find something positive to replace it with. Even if you don’t believe it at the time, say it anyway. I call this “faking it till you make it”. It has been proven that when you smile, or when you compliment yourself, it can’t help but raise your mood a little. Repeat the positive saying over and over again. It gets you out of the rut of self criticism and loathing.

Lastly, fill your life with positivity—It will help push out the negative thoughts. Make a dream board of your goals and aspirations. Post positive sayings and inspirational art around your room and your house. Make a gratitude journal where you write three things daily that you were grateful for that day. Whenever you look in the mirror, compliment yourself. Get out and serve others. Most importantly, set goals and make a plan to accomplish them. Don’t get discouraged when you mess up, but just get right back on track. You don’t have to be perfect to accomplish your goals; you just have to be moving in the right direction. With progression comes true happiness and life satisfaction. You can do it!

I know I'm Suppose To Exercise, but I Just Can't Seem To Stay Motivated: How To Stick To Your Exercise and Finally Achieve Your Weight Loss Goals!

The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. It is also recommended that adults lift weights or perform other similar muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week. However, it is estimated that only about 45% of American adults achieve these minimal amounts of physical activity each week (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005). Most adults understand the health benefits and reasons why exercise is so important. Everyone has at one time or another started an exercise program hoping to reap the bountiful benefits that come from exercise. However, according to Dishman (1988) and colleges, more than 50% of people who start a new exercise program will drop out within the first six months. How can we stay motivated to achieve our fitness goals?

In order to make a successful lifestyle change, negative habits need to be replaced with positive habits. Einstein once said that the definition of insanity was “doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”. We can’t expect to get a different outcome if we continue to do the same things that haven’t gotten us where we want to be. So the first step in starting and maintaining a successful lifestyle change is to set goals that help us develop positive habits. The key to goal setting is making “SMART” goals meaning Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-oriented goals. For example, the broad goal of “losing weight” could be replaced with the specific goal of losing 2 lbs a week for the next month. The above goal also provides a way to measure progress. Losing 2lbs a week is realistic and attainable. It is relevant to the overall goal of adopting a healthy lifestyle, and it is time-oriented. It is important when setting goals to not set too many goals at one time, and to make both long-term goals, as well as many intermediate short-tem goals.

The next step in starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle change is to make a plan of action. There is a famous quote that states “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Plan how you are going to achieve your goal of, for example, losing 2 lbs a week. Start by deciding how many times per week you are going to exercise, how long you are going to exercise, what forms of exercise you are going to do, and how you are going to eat. Make a plan of action, and then get going. Revisit your goals often and revise your plan of action as needed. Variety truly is the spice of life. Revise your workout plans at least every 4-6 weeks and find out what kind of exercises you enjoy. Keep an open mind and be willing to try new forms of exercise.

Lastly, change has to be a personal choice. It can’t be forced on anyone. Try to see the big picture and don’t get caught up in fleeting moments of dejection. Change is difficult and so those hard moments will come, but they will surely pass. Know that what you are doing is hard, but that nothing worth while was ever easy. It will be worth it. It IS worth it. You are worthy of success and deserve to get everything out of this life that you want. Take charge of your life. You are in control of your life and can make any changes that you want to. It all starts with making the decision to change and following through. You are worth it.

The Surprising Truth about Snacks and Weight Loss

Many people who are trying to lose weight think of the word “snacks” as something that is taboo. After all, snacks just add extra unnecessary calories throughout the day….right? Believe it or not, snacks are an essential part of losing weight. Studies show that those who eat 3 meals and 3 snacks a day are better able to manage their weight and achieve their weight loss goals.

The key to whether snacks are beneficial or sabotage your weight loss goals is how the snacks are composed and when they are eaten. Snacks should be around 150 calories and consist of around 10-20 grams protein and 20-40 grams of carbohydrates.

The protein should be a lean protein and the carbohydrate should consist of complex carbohydrates. An example of a good snack would be one tablespoon of peanut butter on half of a whole wheat tortilla with a couple banana slices on it. Another example would be a 100 calorie protein shake blended with a small banana. A string cheese (opt for white cheese such as mozzarella over yellow cheese) with apple slices is another example of a great snack.

Eating 3 meals and 3 snacks throughout the day can help you achieve your weight loss goals for many reasons. First, when you eat small meals and snacks every 3 hours, it helps keep your blood sugar level stabilized so that you do not have dramatic swings in your blood sugar level. Spikes in your blood sugar can lead to jitteriness and cravings while drops in blood sugar can lead to feelings of sluggishness as well as overeating. Also, eating a protein and a carb together is beneficial because the carb gives you necessary energy for your workouts, while a protein helps you feel fuller longer and more satiated.

For those who are not used to eating so often throughout the day, eating every 2.5—3 hours throughout the day may seem counterintuitive to weight loss. However, because each meal is around 350 calories and each snack is around 150, you are only consuming a total of 1500 calories which is dramatically less than the average American consumes. Because you are consuming smaller portions more frequently, this will help keep your metabolism revved up and burning at its peak which will in turn help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Your Food Overindulgence vs. Weight Loss Desire

Let me give you an example. To lose weight we determine that we need to eat right and exercise. We pick a date to start. The first thing we do is eat anything and everything we can. We figure that since we won’t be able to enjoy any of our favorite foods for the next few months, we better scarf down as much “real” food as we can. (This pre-dieting meal is dubbed “the last supper” for obvious reasons.) Come the next day, we head to the gym, determined to exercise despite the sugar hangover. We continue to exercise and eat right for the next few days and perhaps even the next few weeks without fail. Eventually, something unforeseen happens that causes us to deviate from our weight loss plan. Maybe we gave in to a piece of cake at a co-workers birthday. Or maybe we stay up late finishing a work assignment and don’t make it to the gym the next morning. Whatever the cause may be, we fill as if we failed at our resolution to lose-weight. We become angry at ourselves and then apathetic. We think “oh well, I already messed up by eating one piece of cake, I might as well eat the whole cake”. And so we completely abandon our goal to lose weight until a later time period when we repeat the whole vicious cycle over starting with the last supper and ending with apathetically eating everything we can. (Does this sound familiar?)

The example above demonstrates an all-or-nothing mentality. Too many people set themselves up for failure by demanding nothing short of perfection. The key to success, however, is not perfection but progress. Successful people set a goal and each day strive to be a little bit closer to reaching that goal than the day before. We realize that we are not perfect, and we accept that fact. To us, perfection can be seen in progression toward our goals.

At Utah’s Live-In Fitness Camp we help you get back on the right track for success. You will be educated in the best ways to overcome the challenges of daily life and truly find lasting change. We will teach you the skills needed to lose weight for good, and it can start today.

We understand the physical and emotional strain that can come with making the important lifestyle decision to choose health, well being, and fitness as a priority. That is why at Utah's Live-In Fitness Camp, our highly trained staff of chefs, massage therapists, personal trainers, nutritionist and life coaches will teach you the skills you need in order to make a true and sustainable change in your life. We provide spacious, private first class accommodations, specialized fitness training, cooking classes, and motivational support. Be immersed in a motivating environment where you can focus on your fitness and weight loss goals, and learn to change your life forever.