July Article
Vacation Exercises - Maintain Your Fitness Level
By Bev Hillman
Vancouver Personal Training
Q: I'm going to be at our cottage for the next month. Can you suggest some muscle conditioning exercises that I can do to maintain my fitness level while away from the gym?
A: Your exercises choices are limitless. For the lower body stationary and/or walking lunges, wall or regular squats are all great choices because they are so effective and efficient. They target all your lower-body muscles and train your balance as well. For the upper body push-ups and dips are an excellent start. By purchasing an exercise tube with handles, your choices are so much greater. The tube can be wrapped around a pole, fence or bedpost to perform back rows, chest presses and overhead tricep extensions. You can also sit and wrap the tube under a chair and perform overhead shoulder presses and overhead tricep extensions. You can stand on the tube and perform bicep curls and lateral shoulder raises. The band can also be used for added resistance when doing your lunges and squats. Your abdominal work and core exercises can, of course, be done anywhere.
Q: What is the lowest daily calorie intake a woman can drop to if she wants to lose weight quickly?
A: Women should not consume less than 1,200 calories per day to ensure they are obtaining all the key vitamins and minerals in their diet. If a woman drops lower than this she'll feel lethargic, fatigued and probably won't have the energy to move her body (remember, exercise really is the permanent way to lose fat!). She will also lose muscle mass and her metabolism will slow - definitely the last thing you want to do if you're trying to lose weight.
Q: I haven't eaten breakfast for years and find it very difficult to change my habit. Why is it so important to eat breakfast?
A: People who skip breakfast tend to have more cravings than those who do not. Starting the day off on the right foot is always best and by eating breakfast your body becomes satisfied and is sustained for 2-3 hours. When you skip breakfast the body insatiably craves quick sources of sugar in order to refuel after the long nights fast.
To change your habit, try to eat something each morning. Start with a piece of fruit or perhaps a smoothie and gradually add a yogurt and toast or cereal.
Did you know? It's berry season and studies show that just one cup of berries provides all the disease-fighting antioxidants you need in a single day. Blueberries rank number one in antioxidants and are considered to be memory boosters too! Their high concentration of anthocyanins - potent antioxidants - increase communication between aging brain cells and fend off free radicals. This summer delicacy may just be the first real brain food and we are so fortunate to have it growing right in our own back yard.
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