When Fitness is a Lifestyle!

Spring is here, and I am excited about the growth of Functional Conditioning…Thanks again for all of the referrals!!  Our website is up and running.  Let us know how you like it, as well as any additional information you would like to see on our site.  I also want to welcome Carrie Thatcher to our team.  Carrie has a degree from Iowa State in Exercise Physiology, and she will be helping me in many different areas.

In the last newsletter, we addressed typical breakfast choices at a few of our favorite restaurants.  We sure got a lot of responses from you!  Remember, my job is to educate you to help you make good choices.

When buying food at our local grocery store, we study food labels and are able to choose the healthiest products available.  However, a restaurant would never have nutritional information on their menu.  Just because it is not listed, does not mean it does not exist.  Listed below are some lunch items:

How about lunch at McDonalds?

How about going to Chili’s?

How about Boston Market?

How about Subway?

Americans are fat because we eat too much, and exercise too little.  The general public has no idea what they are eating, or how to exercise.  This is not all their fault.  However, now you know, so there is no excuse for you!

If you eat out a lot, I would recommend getting the book Eating Out Food Counter by Annette B Natow, Ph.D., R.D. and Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, R.D. to help track you caloric intake.  Remember energy in verses energy out equals your body weight changes.  The secret to a successful fitness program is to eat smaller meals throughout the day, limit the amount of white flour you eat, do moderate aerobic activity and strength train.

In our next newsletter I will explain the importance of strength training and its role in your metabolism.  If you have further questions feel free to email at bcbarkley@yahoo.com.

Now is the time to wake up, stop sitting on the couch, start making better decisions on what you’re eating, and make time to exercise.  Do you want to become a diabetic, or clog up your arteries and have a heart attack?  If you think you’re too young, or it will not happen to you, think again.  I cannot tell you how many people come into my office with a belief that their weight problem is not related to what they eat and their level of exercise.  Wrong, wrong, wrong!!  I have seen maybe 1 or 2 people with legitimate excuses for their weight problem outside of their lifestyle choices.  So stop killing yourself, and take control of your health and fitness level.

Only 15% of the American public is involved in regular physical activity (at a level of three or more days per week).  I believe the reason for this is that too many people think exercise is hard and boring. I  can dispel some popular myths, having done this for well over 5 years now.  I firmly believe that the public is ill informed.

Myth #1

The only way to lose weight is to do a lot of cardiovascular exercises. Examples would be: aerobic classes, running, biking, jogging, and walking.

Truth

Cardiovascular exercise is important, but only one component of five things that improve your wellness level.  Doing cardio is a great way to burn up calories.  However, it is very inefficient in increasing your bone density, or increasing your metabolic rate.  The majority of the people I see who have done excessive cardio for a number of years suffer from bad knees, back problems, foot problems, hip problems and many other overuse injuries.

The key to keeping your heart and lungs healthy is to do a moderate amount of cardiovascular activity.  I recommend no more than 30 minutes.  Of those 30 minutes, you should be doing what is called intervals.  Interval are accomplished by changing the speed, incline, resistance level or anything that changes the heart rate and intensity level to mix up your workout.  What do you think burns more gas in you car?  Driving on the highway at a steady speed or driving in stop and go traffic?  The answer is obviously, driving in stop and go traffic.  All fat does is provide fuel.  So, to maximize the amount of fat you burn, mix up your cardio!!!  Finally, I hate to even bring this up, but most aerobic instructors have large rear ends and large heavy legs.  The reason for this is fat is fuel, and doing long bouts of cardio will teach your body to store fat in your legs and rear end for fuel.  So, if your goal is to have a large butt and fat legs, keep doing long bouts of cardio.

Client of the Month

Geoff Cullen has done remarkably well!  His body fat dropped over 7%.  His resting heart rate has lowered by 8 beats per minute, and Geoff is in the best shape of his life.  Not bad for a guy over 50 years old!  Not only that but, his basketball skills have improved dramatically (still not enough to beat me in a game of pig).  This is what Geoff has to say about Brian:

“When I first started out on an exercise program, I wasn't sure that a personal trainer was going to benefit me significantly.  I was wrong!  Over the last 18 months, Brian has provided direction and purpose to my exercise program, and proved to me the practical benefits that result from regular physical activity and a balanced diet.  He has been an excellent trainer for me.  He has a fun loving nature yet he has had a serious dedication and commitment towards getting tangible results.  He was able to take me from where I was, to where I wanted to be.  My workouts have been interesting, varied and innovative.  Throughout, Brian has always demonstrated a caring and attentive approach to his work.  I have found working out with Brian to be a rewarding experience for me.”

Way to go, Geoff!!

Look Well, Feel Well, Stay Well