Health and Fitness

How do you gain weight safely & healthy if you have fast metabolism?

Trying to gain weight, just like trying to lose weight, can be very frustrating. There are 3 things you can do to get started.

First, you need to figure out how many calories you are consuming each day. Log down everything you are eating and drinking, then figure out how many calories that totals at the end of the day. The next day add 200-500 calories to that total. Keep logging your food and figuring out calories to be sure you are adding calories each day.

Second, eat more often. Six meals a day is not unheard of for those with a fast metabolism, but you must not skip this step. Adding calories is a must!!

Third, Weight Train!! This will ensure that the extra calories you are consuming are used to build muscle, not stored as fat. Be sure to seek the advice of a professional to be sure you are doing this right. Good luck!

Do rest days help your overall workouts and fat burning?

The answer is YES! But, it’s important to know what you need to rest from doing.

Cardio exercise can be done daily and should be done at least 4-5 times per week. This will help you burn fat if you’re working within an appropriate target heart rate zone.

Weight training (aka strength training) is different. If you’re weight training to build tone and definition, you should rest 1-2 days between work-outs. If you’re weight training to build muscle (i.e. bulk), you should rest 4-5 days between work-outs.

Appropriate weight training actually breaks the muscle down (this is good) and it’s important to give your body time to heal those muscles which helps them respond to the work-out and become stronger.

It’s important to incorporate both cardio and weight training into your weekly work-out routine. Remember: muscle burns fat, so the more muscle you have the more fat your burn, even when you’re resting!!

I want to feel healthy and have tried different exercises and diet plans for years but find it hard to stick to something. Why is that?

Changing your attitude about your commitments is the first step. You need to think about your new endeavor as a lifestyle change and make only changes you know you can live with for a lifetime. Don’t try to change too much at one time.

Pick one behavior you want to change and work on it until it becomes a habit. Always remember how long it took you to get where you are today. You can’t change that in a few weeks!

Easy behaviors to start with that will pave the way

• Drink 8 cups of water each day
• Don’t eat after 7:30 pm
• Get no less than 7 hrs of sleep each night
• Reduce (but don’t completely eliminate) intake of:
  
  • Cookies
  • Candy
  • Pop
  • Chips
• Eat LOTS of fruits and veggies
• Walk for 20 minutes 5 times per week

Your body will begin to reap the rewards of your healthy attitude and everything else will fall into place.

I am shopping gyms/fitness centers as many of us are in January. What are your ‘selling points’? Why join your gym?

Every health club has something different to offer and it’s important to “shop around” to find the right one for you!

The most valuable asset at Fit for Life is our professional staff. We are all experts in our field (Master’s and Bachelor’s Degrees, specialized certifications) and have the necessary training and experience to advise you in setting and attaining goals, designing an appropriate exercise prescription, proper technique of exercise and keeping exercise safe.

Second, the variety of services we offer at Fit for Life sets us apart from other health clubs. Because we are highly trained, we offer specialized programs, services and classes that you may not find at other health clubs.

There is something for everyone at Fit for Life and we care about all of our clients. Check out our website for specific information about our programs and services or call to set up a tour. We are confident you’ll get what you’re looking for at Fit for Life!

What can you do to get rid of arm flab?

First, you must reduce the amount of fat that sits on top of the muscles. To do this, you need to examine your current diet to make sure that your calories in are less than your calories out. This will take some dedication on your part and a good start would be to document what you eat and talk with an expert in nutrition to find out where unwanted calories are coming from.

Next, you need to tone the muscles underneath the fat. This includes working your arm muscles (i.e. biceps, triceps, shoulder complex, etc.) in many different planes of movement through weight training to be sure you’re hitting all the angles of the muscle for proper toning/definition. This may require some personal training, even just instructional based, so you can be sure you’re getting the most benefit from your work-out.

Remember: this won’t happen overnight and will take hard work and dedication on your part. But it can be done and we can help, so call for more information.

Studies have shown that the ultimate way to burn fat is by exercising between 60-85% of your maximal heart rate. It’s important to figure out your target heart rate zone to be sure you’re getting the most from your work-out.

Exercising below your target heart rate zone shows minimal result and exercising above your target heart rate zone puts your body into an anaerobic state which is no longer burning fat. The Karvonen formula is a very effective way of achieving those numbers.

Here’s how it’s figured using an example of a 23 year old.

220 - 23 (age) = 197
197 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 * 65% (low end of heart rate) OR 85% (high end) = 85.8 OR 112.2
85.8 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 150 112.2 + 65 (rhr) = 177

The target heart rate zone for this 23 year old would be 150 to 177 bpm.

At Fit for Life we assess your current fitness level and determine your target heart rate zone based on that fitness level through our Get Started Program. Call for more information.

The stability ball is an awesome tool to improve the strength of the abs and lower back. Use of a stability ball improves functional strength, balance and flexibility of the body. Because you must constantly adjust to remain balanced, the dynamic movements utilized on a ball during exercise engage muscles that are not usually used in traditional exercise. This improves posture, efficiency of movement and helps prevent injury.

The stability ball targets “deep” core muscles such as the abdominals and the lower back musculature which are worked simultaneously and challenges muscles you didn’t even know you had. Every exercise you do on a traditional exercise machine or on a bench can be done on a stability ball… They are extremely versatile.

Using a stability ball is fun, it’s different and it’s challenging. I highly recommend giving it a try!

How might medications affect my exercise program, especially exercise intensity and heart rate response?

To be able to perform sustained activity, changes in heart rate, blood pressure and heart muscle contraction are required. Medications have the potential to alter exercise performance.

It’s imperative that you know what medications you are taking, why you are taking them and that you are able to provide a list of these medications to your fitness professional. We can determine, based on your medical history and your list of medications, what heart rate and blood pressure responses you can expect from exercise and design an appropriate exercise prescription for you.

We perform graded exercise tests at Fit for Life that give us vital information to correctly set your exercise intensity and keep you within an appropriate target heart rate zone. Always get permission from your physician before starting an exercise program, especially if you are taking prescribed medications.

With the outbreak of swine flu I am curious what measures are taken to clean your facility and handle the spread of bacteria?

What suggestions do you have for safety measures?

Fit for Life takes pride in our facility. Cleanliness and presentation of the club are of uppermost importance and it is the job of all employees of Fit for Life to do their part in making sure the club is clean and safe for all our members.

We have disinfectant spray bottles available throughout the club and members are instructed to spray down their machines/tools after use. Those at higher risk of getting sick should spray machines/tools down before use as well. Antibacterial gel is made available for members to use to help cut back on the spread of bacteria. Washing hands before and after exercising also helps decrease the spread of bacteria. It is important that everyone do their part to help prevent the spread of the seasonal flu’s that plague us.

Are There Any Age Limitations?

Men and women, boys and girls of any age, race, size and shape are welcome at Fit for Life.

We cater to ALL! Access cards are given to anyone 16 years of age and older and those younger must be accompanied by an adult. We promote health to every age group including children.

What better environment for your kids to learn about being active than a fitness center! For the convenience of busy moms and dads, we also have a child care area for those 10 and under which is staffed several hours each week … no more excuses for not being able to get to the gym!! We would love to give you a tour of our facility and describe what we have to offer. We guarantee you’ll walk away with a new perspective on exercise!