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Try a Midday Workout to Boost Productivity
Don’t just live for lunch breaks. Scientists have found that fitting in some fitness can increase work stamina. In one study, a third of participants who devoted two and a half hours a week to exercise during work hours reported maintaining or increasing productivity (even though they spent less time at the office). And other research suggests regular, low intensity exercise like yoga or walking on an inclined treadmill, could dramatically reduce sleepiness and amp up energy.
And while experts are still on the fence about the best time to work out, there’s still this physiological fun fact: Body temperature goes up a few degrees midday, warming muscles and potentially enhancing workout performance. Looks like the secret weapon to a great workday and workout may be right around lunchtime. And for those who don’t have more than half an hour to break free, it never hurts to ask!
Source: greatist.com
How Stress Sabotages Your Workout
Researchers asked volunteers to do an isometric shoulder exercise until they had to quit because of fatigue. The kicker? They had to perform the move while doing mental arithmetic. When calculating the math, the subjects reached fatigue and lost strength faster than when they only concentrated on the exercise.
Now, we know most people don’t do Sudoku puzzles while cranking out bicep curls. But here’s the bottom line: Mental workload does affect physical workload. Why? Previous research suggests mental stress can activate a part of the brain that’s also triggered during muscle contractions, the researchers explain. So if your brain is busy thinking about work deadlines, bills, or last night’s fight with your girlfriend, it won’t have all the resources it needs to send messages to your muscles. That means you may be churning out reps, but you’re not working as hard as you could be.
Change up your exercises
Once movements become easy for your brain to figure out, your mind begins to wander. Plus, new movements challenge your body, stimulating new muscle growth and strength. The easiest way to change your workout: Go another direction. Most weight-lifting movements—like the squat and bench press—are done on the sagittal plane. They’re front-to-back and up-and-down movements. Work the frontal and transverse planes, too. Trade in a front lunge for a side lunge, or replace situps with dumbbell chops.
Work for time, not reps
You shouldn’t add another thing to worry about to your list, so why are you still counting reps?” Instead, go all-out for a super-short period of time, such as 30 seconds. Think about it this way: Most guys complete about 6 to 12 reps of an exercise in 30 seconds when performed at a controlled tempo, so you already have a good idea of how many reps you can perform during a timed interval. Once you can bang out an exercise for 30 seconds straight without breaking a sweat, just up the weights or switch to a more advanced variation of the move to make sure you don’t sacrifice results. If maximum strength and power is your goal, count your reps once for 30 seconds. Increase the load if you get more than 6 reps.
Find a partner
Get out of your own head and have someone else push you. A good workout partner won’t let you slack off. They push you past your comfort zone so you always get a killer workout.
Source: menshealth.com
Ladies’ Corner
5 FOODS FOR A FLAT BELLY
ALMONDS AND OTHER NUTS
Build muscle, reduce cravings, fights obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure.
BEANS AND LEGUMES
Build muscle, help burn fat, regulate digestion, fights obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure.
SPINACH AND OTHER GREEN VEGETABLES
Neutralize free radicals (molecules that accelerate the aging process), fights cancer, heart disease, stroke, obesity, osteoporosis.
OLIVE OIL
Lowers cholesterol, boosts immune system, fights obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure.
WHEY POWDER
Builds muscle, burns fat and fights obesity.
Source: womenshealthmag.com
Men’s Corner
FIVE FOODS YOU SHOULD EAT EVERY DAY
WALNUTS
Loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken.
TOMATOES
Red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene. A diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of bladder, lung, prostate, skin, and stomach cancers, as well as reduce the risk of coronary artery disease.
BLUEBERRIES
Help prevent cancer, diabetes, and age-related memory changes.They are also rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, and boost cardiovascular health.
SPINACH
Helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.
OATS
They are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease.
Source: menshealth.com
Spring Clean Your Closet to Jump-Start Your Workout
Keep stress levels to a minimum when you open your clean closet. A messy closet can add unnecessary stress to your life and waste precious minutes of your day. And not only that, but sprucing up your closet can do wonders for your mind and body. Here’s why…
Give away clothes that don’t fit
By Putting your closet through a mini detox session, you’ll feel like a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. If your closet is stuffed to the brim with outdated shirts or dresses you know you’ll never wear again, it’s time to say so long. Once your closet is more airy, you’ll have easy access to your wardrobe and you’ll discover chic pieces you didn’t even know you had!
Organization is key
When Spring cleaning your closet, rearrange items so that all of your Winter sweaters and apparel go to the back of the closet (or up on a high shelf), and move your Spring/Summer clothes to the front. Also, create a designated spot for your workout gear that’s visible to the eye.
Easy access to workout gear
Keep your favorite socks, running shoes and all your workout gear, right where you can see them, so you can just grab them and go (or quickly change) before heading off to the gym.
Source: fitsugar.com
“It’s good to put yourself first, because then you have more energy to give others.” — Valerie Bertinelli
Spring is the ultimate health and fitness season
With a New Year comes goals of losing weight and getting healthy. But by the time spring has sprung, that New Year’s resolution has melted with the winter snows. So use the spring to get the bounce back into that commitment!
It’s a great time to start putting out some renewed energy on your exercise efforts. Most people want to be outdoors this time of year, so take a walk with your family or friends. Who wouldn’t want to go for a nice walk or do some other outdoor activity in this weather?
Keep an eye on your gym for new group classes and Spring schedules. These classes will keep you motivated and wanting to stay committed.
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
INGREDIENTS
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp Splenda (optional)
- 1 tsp protein powder, vanilla
- ½ cup egg whites, Liquid
- 1 Tbl milk, low-fat, 2%
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 Tbl orange juice
- 1 slice bread (rye, pumpernickel, 100 % whole grain, flourless)
- 2 tsp oil, high oleic safflower
PREPARATON
Set bread aside.
Mix egg whites with remaining ingredients. Place bread into mixture and let soak for about 1 minute
Pour the bread and rest of mixture into oiled skillet. Cook over medium heat, flip over when golden brown
Scoop excess liquid onto bread so it won’t burn, continue to cook other side
Per serving: 354 calories, 22g protein, 10g total fat, 44g carbohydrates.
Source: Healthy Transformation Receipts
SPRING IS IN THE AIR
Spring is the perfect time to start preparing for bikini season. With three months to go before summer kicks in, you still have the advantages of cooler weather to help you get in shape or step up your workout, depending on where you are in the scale of fitness.
Make Use of Outdoors
To make the most of your spring workout, step outside. Running, biking and hiking are excellent spring workouts and have the advantage of not requiring any equipment. You can also head to a local park and jump rope, which burns about 200 calories in just 20 minutes. Spring is also the time of the year when sport leagues start to kick in, so you might want to consider joining a local soccer, tennis or even Ultimate Frisbee team to get fit and have fun at the same time.
Keep in mind that if you spent the winter exercising indoors, you might be due for a new pair of sneakers. This is especially true if you used the treadmill a lot or if you wear your sneakers outside of the gym as well, increasing the wear and tear.
Take Care of Health
Spring is a good time to get a full checkup, preferably one that includes a stress and fitness test. This will give you a better understanding of where you are and help you design a more effective workout. Spring is also time for allergies, which can be debilitating and can interfere with your workout. You might want to skip working out outside on days where pollen advisories are high. If you take allergy medication, pay attention to side effects. If they make you tired or sleepy, don’t take them just before a workout to avoid burning out too quickly.
When exercising outdoors in spring, dress in layers, so you can take something off if the weather changes abruptly or put something on if you catch a spring rain.
Spring Clean Workout
Spring is a great time to get rid of bad exercise habits and start new ones. For example, put the scale away for a while and instead focus on how your clothes fit and how you feel. Fitness is about being healthy, not losing weight, so losing the scale might help you refocus.
You can walk or bike your way to the local farmer’s market and stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables. It will help you clean up your diet and give you more energy for your workouts. Make the hike more difficult by wearing ankle weights, which will also help you tone up your lower body.
Source: livestrong.com
Ask the expert Nutrition Day
- Monday, March 5 in White Rock • 10-11
- Monday, March 5 in Langley • 5-6
- Tuesday, March 6 in Metrotown • 2-3
- Tuesday, March 6 in Burquitlam • 5-6
- Wednesday, March 7 in Chilliwack • 5-6
- Thurday, March 8 in North Delta • 10-11
- Thurday, March 8 in Fleetwood • 5-6
- Friday, March 9 in South Burnaby • 9-1 (20 minute mini sessions)
Call or Visit the Club for more details!
Healthy Living Tip
Each month check for healthy living tips. These tips will help you with your workout, eating healthy and living well.
Drink Milk at Breakfast
Women who consume a large (20-ounce) glass of fat-free milk in the morning eat, on average, 50 fewer calories at lunch, compared with days when they drank fruit juice with the same number of calories. Milk drinkers felt more satisfied and are less likely to overeat at their next meal. Over a year, that translates to a 5-pound loss.
