The Fitness Maven

If only we could just melt it off, right? Well, with a bit of motivation, encouragement, and the right approach, burning calories does not have to be a chore. Watch this video and learn how getting the look you want and the good health you need. Both are quite within reach.

Drinking lots of water. Exercising often. Eating right. It’s not so easy to just melt it off, but these are the main approaches to controlling calories and getting fit and staying that way.

As we discussed before, drinking water is an essential element in any weight reduction regimen. Water is the medium for all the body’s biological processes, so when you start burning calories through increased exercise, you must also increase water intake. If you ask your body to work harder, you have to supply the elements which will allow your body to increase its fat burning capacity, and that is by providing more water.

They way you exercise is also crucial as will be discussed shortly.

It is crucial to understand the importance of drinking water, not just to maintain good health in general, but also as a tool to help with weight loss. But how much water does a person need to drink each day to stay properly hydrated and maintain proper body function and good health?

It is actually quite easy to calculate how much water is needed each day. The number of ounces can be established by taking exactly half of your weight in pounds, minus about 20%, which accounts for the water you receive from the foods you eat, such as soups, fruit, veggies and other water containing foods.

So let’s say you weigh 200 pounds. Half of 200 equals 100. Therefore you need 100 ounces of water each day. But about20% of that requirement comes from the food you eat. You can therefore subtract 20% of 100 and get 80. That number 80 is the number of ounces of water you should drink per day. And that is 10 cups of water which should be drunk within 24 hours. If you spread those cups throughout the day, it is not impossible, and you will giving your body the healthiest drink there is, in the proper quantity.

So, just say yes to water!

One of the most effective and possibly simplest ways to assist you in your pursuit of weight loss is to drink water. More water. And more. Here’s the deal. Water is filling, good for you, and has no calories.

It is well known that many times people satisfy their “thirsty” cue, with the eating response. Try drinking before you eat, and you might find that you are really not as hungry as you thought you were. And if you drink constantly throughout the day, you may find that you really don’t need snacks to get you to the next meal.

Water is the healthiest thing that you can drink. Every one of your bodies myriad biochemical processes relies on water to proceed properly. And when you are actively trying to lose weight there are additional reactions your body must perform to remove excess fat and expel it from your body. These extra processes require more water than if you were just maintaining body weight.

Water is the ultimate low calorie beverage. If you don’t like the taste you can add a lemon squeeze and mint for a refreshing flavor. If you need a little sugary taste, it is possible to add some sugar substitute.
There is no excuse not to add water to your fitness regimen to keep calorie intake down and burn off that extra fat.

Most of us associate exercise with strenuous, demanding activity that pushes us to our limits. Of course, this is part of a healthy regimen. But, what many don’t know, is that effective rest is equally important to proper development of the muscles. If you get a good night’s sleep after each workout, you will see increased benefit. Another great method is to engage in meditation for about 20 minutes after your workout. Even if you don’t have a spiritual orientation, this practice can confer tangible physical benefits, and is being increasingly recommended by medical experts at Harvard and elsewhere. For a basic meditative experience, try sitting still in a comfortable chair with your eyes closed for about 20 minutes. Allow your limbs to become heavy, and imagine that you are inert. This will be enough to make you feel a bit of a relaxing sensation, and will loosen your muscles. The Taoists believe that in life, everything must come in conjunction with its opposite; what better counterpart to exhertion than a passive, restorative phase?

An increasingly vocal faction of the medical community is expressing skepticism about the effectiveness of vitamin supplements to the diet. While a balanced diet of ordinary food contains sufficient quantity and variety of vitamins for most people, some doctors have felt that supplements of concentrated vitamins could be beneficial, especially to those with strains on their bodies such as nursing mothers or the elderly. Many ordinary people have also believed that vitamins, in concentrated form, would give them an extra burst of vitality. But evidence is mounting that the healthiest way to receive vitamins is still in their natural form – as part of a varied diet rich in fruits and vegetables. Although we don’t know everything about what substances the body derives from food and how it processes them, it does appear that our bodies have evolved to derive maximal nourishment from food as found in nature. So next time you’re thinking about a vitamin c pill, try blueberries, oranges, or cranberries!

Every serious exerciser knows the unpleasant muscle pain that comes a day or two after a big workout. How can we avoid this pain while still working our body effectively? The secret lies in the warm-up and cool-down phases of our routine. Be sure to stretch and heat your body before strength training, so it will be warm and supple. Then stretch again after the activity, and use heat (a hot bath is ideal) to relax the muscles again. Not only will this prevent muscle pain, it will leave you feeling clean and refreshed after your workout!

Many of us grew up with the guideline that 30 minutes was the minimum for effective cardio training. But this belief is being questioned today. In Finland, many engage in bursts of intense running, interspersed with periods of walking or lighter exercise. This is quite similar to the type of workout one receives when playing team sports such as basketball or soccer – one runs at maximum intensity, then trots around, then runs again. Because the intense periods are so intense, and the body is not allowed to return to a fully restful state, this pattern seems to juice out performance in less time than the traditional half-hour slot.

One great way to perform this routine is by running from a starting point, at top speed, until you feel you must slow down. Then turn around and trot back to the starting point. Repeat this process 5 times and you have a great workout that takes very little time.

Your lateral muscles are on the sides of your torso, and are among the hardest to exercise effectively. To feel them, sit on the floor with your knees in front of you, near your chin. Using only your abdomen, rotate your shoulders as far as you can to one side, then the other. You should feel your lateral muscles doing the work. This motion can be performed while holding a weight or medicine ball for greater resistance, or on an exercise ball, lying back or sitting up, for different effects. You can also perform a crunch with your knees lying to one side in order to train the lats.