Seven Tips for Highly Effective Exercisers

This list is from this month's ACSM Health & Fitness Journal. Enjoy!

Seven Tips for Highly Effective Exercisers
1) Just do it. Choose an activity that you enjoy and stick with it. Just because you "don't feel like it" is not a reason not to exercise. Tell yourself that you'll feel better afterward.

Cassandra's two cents: This is definitely my number one tip. I plan what I'm going to do in advance and then I just start doing it, no matter what. Like everyone, there are times when it is easier and harder for me, but 99% of the time once I've started I'm good to go.

2) Don't neglect your feet. Invest in a good pair of exercise sneakers. It's an investment you won't regret!

Cassandra's two cents: I'm a minimalist shoe person myself, but some people swear by the support they get, so figure out what works best for you. I love going bare foot for just about everything, but if you're lifting weights in a crowded gym, that's probably not the place for bare feet, so use your discretion!

3) Timing is everything. Exercise at a time of day that is most convenient. Do not exercise on a full or empty stomach or just before you go to bed. People with depression often experience insomnia, and night time exercise can leave you feeling energetic when you want to sleep. If possible, exercise during daylight hours to also benefit from sunlight.

Cassandra's two cents: I actually almost only exercise at night and it doesn't affect my sleeping, but for some people it does. Find what works for you. I just can't get going in the morning to do a workout right then. If  you can though, it would probably be the ideal time to exercise.

4) Watch out for barriers. Anticipate barriers to exercise, and develop strategies to make exercise as easy and simple as possible. Anticipate barriers - bad weather, work commitments, fatigue, and brainstorm potential solutions.

Cassandra's two cents: This reminds me of "if you fail to plan then plan to fail". If you have a plan in place, you will be far more successful. Sometimes I'll plan my next workout right after my last one when I'm feeling really good and motivated. That way it's already there for me to pick up and do when the motivation hits. Be prepared!

5) Get a buddy. Some people who exercise with a partner enjoy it more and are more likely to stick with it. Also, the social support may have additional beneficial effects.

Cassandra's two cents: I generally agree with this with one exception. Make sure your buddy doesn't like to talk more than exercise. I see a lot of small group workouts end without a single bead of sweat having been produced because there is too much talking and not enough exercising! So just be mindful of what your goal is for the workout and don't get derailed.

6) Think positive. Praise your successes. View lapses in your exercise program as learning opportunities, and don't get discouraged if you miss a session.

Cassandra's two cents: It's not going to perfect or pretty sometimes when you're trying to stick to a goal, so just accept that some setbacks are inevitable so you're not surprised when they rear their ugly heads. Don't fool yourself into thinking you're alone, we have all been there I promise. Focus on the positive and you won't ever fail. You'll be far more motivated to achieve good things than if you punish the bad. I love token economies for positive reinforcement. Assign points to accomplishing certain tasks and create a reward system to cash in with. So for every session you keep you get X points and because you met your calorie goal today you get X points. If you get X points you get a new tank top to exercise in (yay!).

7) Enjoy the moment. Take a minute when you are finished with an exercise session to appreciate how you feel.

Cassandra's two cents: When making habits you need to see the reward in what you're doing to make it stick. Take a moment to focus in on what you have accomplished and it will reinforce your desire to work out next time.

In wellness,
Cassandra Wyzik
Fit To You Brevard
Satellite Beach, Florida

Body Fat Percentage

Typically to calculate body fat percentage you need at lease some skin fold calipers, if not a water displacement tank. There are formulas that use far less invasive measurements, such as a couple body circumference sites along with height and weight. Here are some links to some websites that will approximate your body fat percentage for you (you'll need a tape measure):

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/body-fat-percentage-calculator

Knowing your body fat percentage, even approximately, can be a very helpful benchmark to see how you measure up with your health. It can also be very motivating if you're trying to lose weight and you can see that percentage moving downwards. Margin of error on these tests is relatively small and should give you a general idea at least.

Live well!
Cassandra Wyzik
www.FitToYouBrevard.com

Habits

I recently finished reading "The Power of Habits: Why W Do What We Do in Life and Business" by Charles Duhigg and am currently reading "Infinite Self" by Stuart Wilde and found a synchronicity I think would help all of us.

In Duhiggs book he discusses habits, how we form them, how we change them, and  one end of your yard to the other. even how large companies use our habits to influence the products we buy.  The concept that was the most palpable for me was this: if you want to form a certain habit, like exercising regularly, you can achieve it by working on other habits. What studies have shown is that if you concentrate on any one habit, the motivation and consistency developed by doing that habit transfers to many others. So people who were asked to religiously track their finances for a month also smoked and drank less, ate better, and exercised more.

In Wildes book he also discusses discipline and how to develop it doing small tasks regularly and essentially strengthening your discipline muscle so you can have discipline for other things as well. He suggests doing tasks like moving 12 stones, one at a time, from one end of your yard to the other at 7:01 am. The tasks don't even have to be relevant, you just need to do them!

In Duhiggs book he emphasizes the importance of internalizing the reward you get from doing a task. Without realizing the reward you're getting it is very difficult, if not impossible to make something a habit. So if you're moving stones around your yard, make sure you take a moment at the end to smile at your triumph and say "there, what a nice pile of stones I just made". Duhigg speculates that about 40% of what we do on a daily basis is a matter of unconscious habit, so try to make your 40% count!

I was amused and inspired by Wildes suggestion at doing various tasks for a designated amount of time to gain disciplinary strength and decided to compile a list. Feel free to use these for yourself and to submit your own suggestions!

Do the following:
1) Make your bed every day when you wake up (for 1, 2, 3, 4...days, you pick! Make it a challenge!)
2) Floss your teeth every night before bed
3) Drive the speed limit all day long, fight the urge to go over!
4) Call a different friend every day, someone you haven't spoken to in awhile, and catch up!
5) You know that park/restaurant/store you've been meaning to go to? Go there! Do it now! Drown out the excuses and gain a little discipline!
6) Rise at 6 am every day and go for a walk on the beach/in the woods/go kayaking/stretch/etc
7) Dust all the ceiling fans in your house every day (add a time to get a double dose of discipline)
8) Drink a cup of tea every day when you wake up
9) Take the movies/books off your shelf one at a time, dust around, and put them back nice and neatly
10) Weed and water your garden every day

Pick a time, the same every day is best, and/or an amount of days you'll do the task and stick to it! If you're really needing disciplinary help, just do one for 3 days and build from there. Heck, just do it once if you're really struggling. Add a day every time you accomplish a goal. Keep track of your goals and if you accomplished them or not. Keep a journal, write down your thoughts and why you did or did not stick to your plan. Reflect and internalize the journey. Since I approach things from the exercise/wellness mindset I'll suggest that instead of beating yourself up if you don't stick to your plan, give yourself a task to do if you fail, like 20 jumping jacks.

If you can adhere to these little tasks, you will see big improvements in your day and in your life. Just stay strong, evaluate the excuses, get to the bottom of what's holding you back and don't let it hold you back another day! Ask yourself, do you want to change? Prove it!

Til next time!
Cassandra Wyzik
www.FitToYouBrevard.com

Tabata Training

Tabata training is a 4 minute, very high intensity workout designed to help you achieve faster and often better results than longer workouts. It's usually accomplished doing body weight exercises like burpees, pushups, and squat jumps for 20 seconds at your maximum effort followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 rounds (4 minutes).

I've read study after study demonstrating the amazing benefits of tabata training versus other forms of training and at just 4 minutes it's much harder to say no to! As I've stated before, the best exercise routine for you is the one you'll stick to! I think it's pretty much impossible to come up with an excuse to not do a 4 minute workout.

For more information see the articles below and do a little research into this really cool form of training to see if it's right for you!

http://www.livestrong.com/article/521329-the-benefits-of-tabata/

http://www.practicalhacks.com/2008/12/16/tabata-training-60-minutes-benefit-in-a-4-minute-workout/

Rock on, live well,
Cassandra Wyzik
www.FitToYouBrevard.com

Hot Yoga

I've recently gotten addicted to Big Ron's Hot (Bikram) Yoga class here in Satellite Beach. I have found it to be both immensely challenging and rewarding. There are times during the class where I'm nearly at my limit but when it's all over I've never felt better. I have noticed improvements in much of my athletic performance since doing the class, especially flexibility for my kicks in jujutsu and strengthening muscles that are difficult to challenge doing other activities.

One of the many great things about hot yoga classes is that literally almost anyone can do them and derive benefits. What benefits might you expect to get from doing hot yoga? I've compiled a list!

1) Detoxification - The tremendous amount of sweating that occurs during hot yoga along with the wringing out of your entire body doing the poses purges your body of all kinds of toxins. Oils, salts, and water evacuate a miriad of other substances out of your pores and onto your mat. The result is a cleaner body and clearer skin!

2) Weight Loss - Hot yoga addresses many aspects of weight loss from stress reduction to gaining strength and flexibility. Hot yoga increases your pulse and escalates calorie burn gently and without impacting the joints the way running or other cardiovascular activities can. Some studies allege that hot yoga amplifies oxidation of fat cells as well.  Additionally, one of the overall effects of Bikram yoga is a general improvement in diet as the body craves healthier food. As the practice itself sharpens our perception of the mind-body connection, so does our overall awareness of what the body needs, reinvigorating the body’s natural processes to long for healthier food.

3) Muscle and Joint Pain - Yoga promotes joint lubrication and alleviates stiffness. Our natural ability to create lubrication for joints slows in our thirties and continues to decline. Hot yoga reverses these effects and keeps your body nimble and pain free.

4) Mobility - Because of the temperature at which hot yoga is done (85-125 degrees Fahrenheit) you can move deeper into poses to receive more benefit. You gain range of motion, prevent injury to your muscles, tendons, and ligaments, and heal better from injuries.

5) Stress Relief - The focus and deep breathing required to do hot yoga wipes your mind clean of all stress and anxiety. Blood pressure and heart rate improve as well as your mood. Hot yoga helps clear the cobwebs that make our brain feel fuzzy.  Poses that involve forward bending sends blood rushing to the brain which increases blood flow to brain and gives the heart a break.

6) Immune System - Raising your core temperature simulates a fever-like environment in your body, elevating white blood cell production and fighting viruses and bacteria. Your body also makes additional interferon, which raises the production of antibodies. Stress weakens the immune system, as a result activities that lessen stress also reduce vulnerability to health issues.

7) Increased Performance - Many athletes take up hot yoga to improve their levels of accomplishment in additional activities. Well-stretched muscle tissue have improved range of motion and are less at risk of tearing. Joints in good alignment are less pain-prone in high impact physical activities. The breath control of yoga improves execution in cardio and anaerobic activities.   But these massive physical benefits are just a “side effect” of this mighty exercise. Hot yoga benefits your body by harmonizing the psyche with the body and ends in authentic quantum benefits. It has become an open secret that the determination in the mind has enabled individuals to attain extraordinary physical feats, which proves definitely the psyche and body relationship.

8) Increased Vitality - If you want to gain more spring in your step and recover the “vim and vigor” of youth, the Bikram series practiced in a heated room is a great form of yoga. It has the potential to reverse the elements of aging, giving you the ability to take much deeper breaths to navigate your way through a hectic modern world or simply run up a flight of stairs! Keep up with a consistent practice and you’re guaranteed to look and feel younger.

So if you're interested, check out your nearest hot yoga class! I highly recommend Big Rons in the publix plaza south of Patrick AFB by Satellite Beach Cinemas. It's 100 minutes at 100 degrees for 10 dollars. Current class schedules can be found at www.bigronsyoga.com.

Cassandra Wyzik
ACSM - CPT
www.FitToYouBrevard.com
"all is full of love"

Fascinating Fitness Facts

I've compiled a list of fitness and nutrition related facts that I thought would be fun:

• Getting in your fruits and veggies can help the body produce its own form of Aspirin. After a study done by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, participants who ate fruit and vegetables containing benzoic acid, could produce their own salicyclic acid. This is the main ingredient in aspirin that makes aspirin an anti-inflammatory pain reliever. 
•  Watching yourself in a mirror while running on a treadmill, will make your workout go faster. 
• Garlic can help cure athlete’s foot.
• Using a diary for weight-loss purposes can double a person’s weight loss efforts. (I told you!!!)
• Walking either in water, against the wind, or wearing a backpack burns approximately 50 more calories an hour. 
• Regular exercise can lower a women’s cancer risk, but only if she is getting an efficient amount of sleep. 
• After a study done at Cornell University, researchers found that people who enter their homes through an entry way that is close to the kitchen tend to eat 15% more than those who enter farther away from the kitchen.
• There is no difference between stronger, larger, and firmer muscles. Those three go hand in hand. It is simply untrue that one kind of exercise will build a different kind of muscle than another. The only three variables you can influence with any type of exercise are: muscle mass, muscle shape, and the amount of body fat.
• Each pound of muscle (1 pound = 0.45 kilograms) burns 75-100 calories every day simply by being.
• A pound of body fat stores 3500 calories.
• Your muscles do not grow during exercise. Exercise is only the stimulus. The body strengthens the muscles while you are resting.
• The amount of rest needed in order for muscles to grow depends on their current size. The larger it is, the more it needs to rest. Gym beginners should rest at least two days between exercise. After a year in the gym you should probably rest three days. And so on. By exercising every day you are hurting your body and retarding muscle growth!
• A dehydration of 2% of your water volume can result in a decrease of muscular performance of 20-30%
• When fasting for a long period (several days in a row, without eating anything), 30% of the weight loss is muscle loss
•  Full body training maximizes hormonal response and therefore muscle development
• A caffeine intake of 13 mg per kg of body mass can increase your peak force by about 50% (a cup of coffee contains 100/200 mg)
• Fast music during effort makes you burn more calories.
• There is only one type of exercise that requires you hold your breath in order to accomplish the exercise. What is it? It's swimming underwater.
• If you had every single muscle in your body work together at the same time, you could lift about 50,000 pounds.
• If you are not a regular exerciser, by the time you are 65 you may experience as much as an 80% decrease in your muscle strength.
• The best way to judge whether or not you are exercising at too high of an intensity is to see whether or not you can carry on a conversation. If you can't, you may want to back off of the intensity just a little until you can.
• Bodies are creatures of habit. The more you exercise, the more your body learns to burn fat rather than storing it.
• Regular exercise is linked to better sex, because it can improve body image, energy, self-esteem and overall fitness (just so you know!)
• If you're always in a bad mood, then getting fit just may help. Regular exercise can enhance mood and overall well-being.
• The top three factors that determine whether or not you will stick to your exercise routine include having support, finding a workout that you like and knowing what you're doing. Your recipe for fitness success just may be working out with a buddy doing something you love after having received formal education on how to do it.
• If you have an inactive spouse, chances are that you will be inactive, too.
• In spite of what you may have read, there is no "best time to exercise." It turns out that the best time to exercise is when it works for you.
• Regular exercise can reduce the signs and symptoms of PMS.
• Visualization can help to improve your workout. By visualizing yourself completing the exercise before you actually perform it, then you will be able to perform the exercise with more intensity and effectiveness.
• Visualization of specific exercise actually causes the muscle synapses to fire as if you were performing the exercise. Does this mean that you can get all of your exercise in your mind? Not necessarily, but visualization can be a valuable part of your workout.
• People who cross-train with a variety of exercise are more fit and less injury-prone than those who exercise using only one or two exercise modalities
• For every 25 pounds of excess weight, your body needs to pump blood through an extra 5,000 miles of blood vessels.
• It takes 70 muscles to speak a single word.
• Your body has more than 650 muscles.
• Blood circulates through your body very quickly. The average time it takes for your blood to make the entire circuit is 23 seconds.

Have fun, be fit!
Cassandra Wyzik
www.FitToYouBrevard.com

Priorities

I saw this picture the other day and was like wow, that is really true. It got me thinking about the reasons we don't work out. It's not usually because we don't think we will feel better if we do but because we have so many other things that take priority over our workouts. I do this for a living and it can be very trying to find the time and motivation to exercise at times. I have a 3 year old, 3 part time jobs, and several time consuming hobbies (that usually end up by the wayside more or less) so I get it. 

I would like to encourage you, however, to consider the payoff of our other priorities over exercising. Let's take a few priorities into account: kids, work, doing nothing at all, going out with friends, etc. These are just a few examples, but I think you'll get my point. The fact is, that without our health and ability to get through the day (physically and mentally) nothing else matters. If you disagree I'd love to hear what you think so please comment, but I truly believe "the greatest wealth is health". 

Here are things that would be majorly affected if I never exercised and my health declined, as would inevitably happen: ability to travel, to take care of child, to work, to move about easily, to take care of myself, to drive a car, to feel good, to be productive, paying for medical bills, suffering from sleep problems, etc, etc, the list goes on and on. The point I want to get to (brevity is not my strong suit) is that EVERYTHING is affected if your health declines. Exercise is not quite a panacea but it is VERY helpful to so many things that many of us suffer from every day. Maybe you're watching someone else suffer. 

Exercise (and nutrition, of course) are cornerstones to health. You simply cannot bury your head in the sand and pretend you'll be okay, because you won't. Maybe you have good genetics and it'll work out for you for awhile, but it's all only delaying the inevitable. Do something good for you body every day. It is the only place you HAVE to live and it can be a miserable place if it's not doing well. It will make every single other thing in your life obsolete and cause immense suffering if you do not do something to make your body a healthier place. You are not a garbage can, don't feed yourself garbage. You are not a car, don't park yourself in one place and forget you're there.

GET UP AND MOVE TODAY!

Cassandra Wyzik

B.S. - ACSM Certified Personal Trainer

www.FitToYouBrevard.com