You might wonder what “ancient fitness and health tips” are and you might even laugh at the title but these health practices from “ancient” societies are just as applicable today as they were a millennium ago.  

Spartans – The key to the Spartan ripped body was to restrict caloric intake and perform functional exercises with primitive tools and methods only.  For instance, the Spartans used their own body weight and the body weight of partners to resist their body against while performing a certain exercise.

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Are you new to fitness and don’t have any idea where to start? It can be confusing and difficult to figure out what you should be doing and how much and how hard you should be working out.  Typically, to get the maximum benefit from your workouts you should workout at least 5 to 6 times a week. But don’t freak out!  This doesn’t mean that every work out has to be a gut wrenching sweat fest. 

The very first thing you need to determine is YOUR goal and what YOU want to accomplish.  Not someone else’s ideal of what you need.  Maybe you have talked to your doctor and you need to lose 10 pounds or maybe you have a goal of running in a half marathon. You don’t go about those goals the same way.  For a half-marathon you need to build up your running endurance and you need to fuel your body correctly to have the energy to run the miles.  To lose 10 pounds you need to ramp up your cardio workouts and have a balanced diet.

Usually for my beginning clients I start with goals. Then I figure out what fitness program that I offer fits their goals. We then start slow for many reasons but the main one being that you don’t want your body to be sore and then you won’t want to get out of bed in the morning!  Then we ramp it up and move on up to really fulfilling your goals.  So a slow start is working out 2 to 3 times a week. With this slow beginning you won’t see results fast but you will build up good habits of working out.  When comfortable with the 2 to 3 workouts then move it on up to 4 to 5 days, and so on. (more…)

Eating to increase the benefits of your workouts and to increase your energy throughout the day isn't only about carbohydrates. Keep reading to find out what other foods and drinks will benefit your exercise routine.

What foods will provide the right fuel for your favorite exercise? Your body has different requirements whether it is doing aerobics or yoga, or an all out sweat-on-the-floor strength-training session. Matching your meals to your workouts can enhance your performance and endurance, and lead to a quicker recovery after your workout. The type of fuel your body needs varies, depending on your personal burn rate of fuel and what kind of exercise you'll be performing. You may need to experiment a bit to see what combinations of foods and drinks suit your body. Below is an overview of certain types of exercises and what is normally suggested as good fuel for your body when you are doing that exercise.

High-Intensity Exercise: Aerobics, Interval Training, Running

Use a mix of carbohydrates — foods with a low or medium glycemic index — to sustain energy and improve endurance during your workouts. Also, eat lean protein and healthy fats to help repair and maintain your muscle tissue after your workout. You also want to make sure you are getting enough calories to burn fat, not muscle and to keep up with your high level of activity.

Water (this should not be an afterthought): You don't need to go crazy with the amount of water you drink, but you do need to make sure you're replacing any water lost through sweating. The more you sweat, the less efficient your body becomes, and that will affect your performance. (more…)