Dec 11, 2008, OC KETTLEBELL STRENGTH ENDURANCE TRAINING, Functional Fitness Orange County
OC KETTLEBELL STRENGTH ENDURANCE TRAINING. "Be strong to be useful". YOU have to understand that effective weight loss requires WORK! FITACTIVE, Kettlebell Private Fitness Trainer, Orange County.
When it comes to losing weight, most of us follow a simple formula: burning more calories + eating fewer calories = weight loss.
Exercise is one way we try to burn more calories, so we hit the gym or pick up a pair of weights thinking we’ll eventually see the number on the scale inch its way down.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way, something that often frustrates new exercisers. If you’re doing all this exercise, you should be losing weight, right?
The truth is, exercise is a complicated business and there are a number of things that can affect how many calories you burn.
Knowing what those are will help you set realistic goals and get the most out of your workouts.
How Many Calories Are You Really Burning with Exercise?
If you’re trying to lose weight with exercise, you may have used an activity calculator to determine how many calories you’re burning.
For example, if you’re 165 lbs and you go jogging for 30 minutes, this calculator shows you’ve burned about 371 calories.
Not bad for a 30-minute workout, you might think, but are you getting the whole story?
Not exactly.
There are a few other things to consider when it comes to exercise and weight loss.
1. Net Calories vs. Gross Calories:
For example, if you burned 200 calories while walking for 20 minutes and would've burned 50 calories if you sat at the computer during that time, your net calories burned would be 150.
2. Exercise Intensity:
You probably know that taking a leisurely stroll won't burn as many calories as, say, running a mile as fast as you can.
How hard you work plays a role in how many calories you’re burning.
We also know the relative intensity of a number of activities, but using this information to estimate how much weight you’ll lose is tough.
For example, if you were to burn 2,000 calories a week with a walking program, you might expect to lose about 6 pounds of fat after 10 weeks of exercise.
What you can do: The formulas we use to calculate exercise intensity and calories burned aren't 100% accurate.
The harder you work, the more calories you burn, but if all your workouts are high intensity, you run the risk of overtraining and injury.
Interval training is a great option for working harder while still getting some rest time.
3. The Type of Workouts you Do:
While any exercise is good for the body, some activities do burn more calories than others.
Weight-bearing activities like running, aerobics or walking, burn more calories because gravity requires your body to work harder.
When doing non-weight-bearing exercises like cycling or swimming, there isn’t as much gravitational stress on the muscles, which means fewer calories expended.
What you can do: Non-weight-bearing activities do have advantages.
They’re less stressful on the joints and you can often do them longer, which could make up the difference in calories burned with weight-bearing activities.
Sep 20, 2008, Valerian Root-Nature's Valium
Valerian Root may smell like disgustingly stinky feet, but it's great for relaxing the body and the muscles.
It has been used for centuries in Europe and Asia as a sedative, and is believed to help you fall asleep faster, and improve the quality of your sleep.
The Greeks also used valerian root to treat digestive problems.
It's a hardy perennial flowering plant with heads of sweetly scented pink or white flowers.
It is dried and used in herbal supplements such as tablets, capsules, tinctures, teas, and liquid extracts.
Many Herbalists, Naturopaths, and Chiropractors recommend taking valerian root to relieve tension headaches, insomnia, anxiety, or for muscular pain because of its ability to act as a muscle relaxer.
What else is great about this amazing herb?
Although valerian root has been referred to as "nature's Valium," it is not at all addictive.
It's not recommended to take more than 15g a day.
Though side effects are rare, some people who use valerian root for long periods of time may develop headaches, insomnia, or feel irritable, which are similar side-effects experienced with prescription sleep-aids.
Fit's Tips: If you are taking valerian root for muscle pain, it won't knock you out and make you feel totally spacey like most prescription muscle relaxers, but it is recommended that you take it at bedtime because it'll calm you down and help you fall asleep, that is why I love Extra Sleepytime Tea - it is fortified with valerian root.
