Top 5 Fitness Myths Busted!

Zivile Ngo Healthy Lifestyle Coach brings us the 5 most common fitness myths…don’t fall for ’em anymore!

People Exercising at a GymnasiumMyth #1: Diet pills to boost your effort.

It’s so tempting! The commercials make compelling claims about the power of diet pills, but don’t fall for it. The ‘magic pill’ has yet to be discovered. Actually, it has been discovered…it’s called exercise. Diet pills are more likely to damage your health and burn your pocketbook than to slim you down.

Tip: Don’t pop pills! Burn calories with exercise for healthy, long-lasting success.

Myth #2: Starve the pounds away.

Attempting to lose weight by severely limiting calories is not only ineffective, it’s also dangerous. Although it may seem that calorie restriction delivers the fastest weight loss, due to our bodies’ complexities, by doing so, we disrupt our metabolism and slow results.

Tip: Don’t starve yourself! Instead, eat healthy, balanced meals throughout the day.

Myth #3: Crunches are the way to flatter abs.

We all want our midsection to look toned, but excessive crunches aren’t the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a lean look, focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your abs. We all have muscles under there somewhere. Fat burn results from exercise and diet, not from your ab roller or hundreds of crunches.

Tip: Don’t obsess about crunches! Instead, focus on overall fat burn.

Myth #4: Packaged diet foods are the easiest way to speedy results.

It’s amazing (and unfortunate) to see all of the many ‘diet’ or ‘weight loss’ packaged foods. More often than not, these products are packed with sodium, refined sugar, and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn’t need. Ditch the packages and focus on feeding your body with real foods like raw and cooked vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats, and low-fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.

Tip: Don’t eat packaged diet foods! Instead, stick with nutritious, whole foods.

Myth #5: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to slim down.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while losing weight. Carbs give us energy and help our muscles recover post-workout. The key is avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars.

Tip: Don’t swear off all carbohydrates! instead, stick with whole grains, oatmeal, and brown rice.

One Healthy Breakdown: it’s no mystery. Hard work and healthy eating wins every time!

Body Flow. Love Thy Flow.

I try a LOT of workout classes. Like, a lot. Some I love, some I don’t. Some I stick with, some I don’t. Year after year, I just keep coming back to Body Flow. Body Flow is Les Mills’ low-impact, low-intensity, highly-relaxing combination of yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi that’s sure to warm-up the body, heart, and soul.

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Similar to yoga, Body Flow centers and calms the mind while working the body. The 55 minute class, like most Les Mills’ classes, is divided into eight tracks. Class commences with a rhythmic Tai Chi warm-up to loosen the muscles and focus the mind on less rigid movements and more flow.

photo 4Following tracks vary between yoga and Pilates, from sun salutations to balance, an intense core track, all while stretching and toning each major muscle group. Every move to every track is choreographed to the music and the method.

photo 5While Body Flow is based on yoga, it is unlike a typical vinyasa in that the music and movements are constantly changing, keeping you on your toes. What’s not low-intensity? The ab track, that’s for sure. Les Mills doesn’t joke around when it comes to abs. Luckily, there are modifications for everything. You’ll burn some cals and widdle that middle.

The last track of any Body Flow class, possibly the most beneficial, is meditation, which reduces stress, increases relaxation, absorbs the movement, and focuses the mind for the rest of the day. These 10 minutes are immensely valuable, especially for people like me who have every intention of setting aside time each day to relax and reflect, however, life often gets in the way. I have a feeling you can relate? When I plan to attend a Body Flow class, I feel like I’m setting aside “me time” and I show up, always happy I did.

Everyone, from athletes to first-timers, yogis to non-yogis, male, female, younger, older, and everyone in between, can benefit from Body Flow. Regardless of your current ability, Body Flow’s poses, stretches, and moves will create suppleness, flexibility, focus, and rejuvenation. It’s the perfect compliment to your existing fitness routine and will strengthen balance, flexibility, and most importantly, mental relaxation. And the best part is that this class is available throughout the week at BOTH Hamptons Gym Corp and Studio 89 Fitness, taught by fabulous instructors, like Zivile and Yvonne featured.  IMG_2718(1)

One Healthy Breakdown: Work the body, center the mind at Body Flow!

Q & A w Z: Muscle Soreness

Q: What is the best way to alleviate muscle soreness?

MH900409781 A: Every once in a while, we get sore after a workout, especially when we try something new. You should not feel sore regularly; pain is not a reflection of the effectiveness of your workout. Soreness results from microscopic tears in the muscle tissue. The pain response is the body’s way of signaling to you that repair work is going on. Fibers are rebuilding. There are a few things you can do to relieve the pain while your muscles repair.

Rest – if you’re feeling fatigued, you need rest. Take a day off. The recovery process is very important, just as important as the workout itself.

Vary – if you’re not feeling fatigued, switch up your workout to allow sore muscles recovery. Focus on different muscles or enjoy a cardio class, something that won’t further strain sore muscles.

Stretch – gentle stretching will relieve tightness and reduce the pain. Take a yoga class or do some extra stretching at home.

Massage – gentle massage promotes blood flow and circulation which reduces tightness and helps speed recovery.

Foam Roll – like a free self-massage. Foam rolling massages the muscles with the weight of your own body. Foam rolling increases blood flow within the muscle and therefore releases tension.

Take a warm bath or shower – warm water loosens up muscles and improves circulation which reduces soreness.

One Healthy Breakdown: Alleviate soreness while you allow your muscles to repair right, what happens outside of the gym is just as important as what happens inside!

If you have a question for Z, email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com or post on the OHH facebook page!

Q & A w Z: Vacation

Q: How do you suggest staying fit on vacation? What’s a good balance between enjoying your time off or with family, but not feeling like you’re falling off your fitness plan all-together?

transportationA: Vacation is vacation. It’s time to relax. It’s the time when you shouldn’t be strictly dieting, counting calories, and going crazy about your macro-nutrients. You can still be active: hike, swim, walk, etc. just don’t be so strict. Try some new foods, exotic fruits, fresh-squeezed juices, locally grown vegetables. Give your body a break. Let yourself stray from your routine. We all need to stop once in a while. Vacation should be a time to recharge your battery. Leave your diet and workout routines at home. It will be there when you come back, I promise you. Have a delicious meal, enjoy a yummy cocktail, try a new dessert. Get back on track when you get home. That is the true balance.

One Healthy Breakdown: Vacation is VACATION!

Q & A w Z: Muscle Fibers

Q. What is the difference between slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers? Why is it important to work both?

A: Let’s talk about muscle. Muscle allows the body to turn energy into motion. You won’t be able to do anything without muscle tissue. You have more than 600 muscles in your body. They help you move, lift things, pump blood through the body, and even help you breathe. Pretty cool, huh? I’m sure you’ve also heard about slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers, or Type I and Type II…Getting a bit more specific here. Little confused? No problem. Keep on reading and you’ll find out more about each and what they do.

I like to keep it simple and try to explain science in simple English. Type I (slow twitch) muscle fibers dominate in an elite distance runner’s body. They are trained in endurance. Think about running for a long period of time, at a steady pace, medium intensity; these fibers are fatigue-resistant. They also produce less force than Type II fibers and that’s the main reason why they can last a lot longer. Marathon runners, bikers, or swimmers for example, work on running endurance, which occurs when the slow muscles use oxygen to create energy for long-lasting muscle contractions.

Athlete Running Through Finish LineOn the other hand, Type II, fast-twitch muscle fibers, are associated with strength and power. Think about super heavy squats or sprinting. How much you can do? How long can you last? Not long. Your fuel runs out quickly. These fibers fatigue super fast. Fast twitch fibers use anaerobic metabolism for fast energy instead of oxygen; the muscles get the energy faster, and in fuller force, but do not exhibit endurance. When we think of Type II fibers, we typically picture Olympic lifters, track sprinters, baseball players, and bodybuilders.

Everyone has a mix of both types of muscle fibers. People who have major disparity between muscle fibers often end up being elite athlete (genetics play a huge role). If you have a specific goal, you’ll gear your workouts towards Type I for endurance training or cardiovascular health or Type II for strength, agility, and bone density. Make sure not to neglect one or the other. Your workouts should include both the heavy loads necessary to stimulate what I call the “Big Boys,” the Type II fibers, as well as the lighter loads that do a better job getting the “Slow Boys” or the Type I fibers to grow.

One Healthy Breakdown: Now we know all about muscle fibers and that it is important to have some balance of the two types of exercise for overall fitness!

If you have a question for Z, email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com or post on the OHH facebook page!

Q & A w Z: Warm Up & Cool Down

Q: What is the best way to warm-up and cool-down?

A: Warming up the body before a workout is really important to prevent injury during and after the workout. Lots of people think that static stretching is necessary before a workout, but you actually want to avoid it because it increases your chance of straining or tearing muscles.

For my warm-up, I do dynamic stretching and/or foam rolling for about 5-10 minutes. Dynamic stretching (stretching while moving) should be incorporated into everybody’s workout routine. It allows the body and mind to better prepare for activity. Dynamic stretching increases the heart rate, blood flow, and circulation to muscles. It also activates the nervous system to improve neuromuscular reaction, crucial during a tough workout. Dynamic warm-up can lead to fewer injuries and improved performance, something I’m sure we all want.

There is no one right way to warm up, there are tons of dynamic movements (you can search online for examples.) Pick the movements closely related to those that will be performing during the workout to target the muscles you’ll be working. If you’re training your legs, you could warm up with bridges, leg swings, walking on toes, walking lunges, high knees, lateral squats, etc. There are so many exercises, just pick your favorite 5-6 exercises (10-15 repetitions each or until you feel warm) and practice consistently. It’s very tempting to skip your warm-up, but don’t. Stick with it and it will pay off.

As for cool-down, it is important to let the heart rate come down after your workout.  Cool-down can be as simple as walking one lap, just make sure that you recover. This is the right time for static stretching; stretch the muscles you’ve worked during your workout for about 10-20 seconds. Gentle yoga is a great cool down. I usually do a few static stretches at the end of my workout, like Downward Dog or Forward Fold.

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I also love love love the foam roller. The foam roller, a very cost-friendly tool, can be used to boost circulation before the workout and/or to break up fibrous tissue after the workout, which prevents soreness. The foam roller is my best friend after a tough leg routine, it loosens the tightness.

If you have a question for Z, email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com or post on the OHH facebook page!

One Healthy Breakdown: warming-up the right way is just as important as what you do during your workout – replace pre-workout stretching with dynamic moves for good reason.

Q & A w Z: Break a Plateau

Q: How do you break a plateau and reach your peak?

Mountain in Himalayas

A: When you’re incorporating strength training into your workout appropriately, plateaus occur less often than we think. If we’re doing the same thing over and over, yes, our body will get used to it, so it is then time to increase the challenge. Aiming for new goals is always a great way to continue to push yourself.

My goals involve strength and weights. It takes months to adapt to weight training. Sure, you can switch it up, try a new class, new workouts, or play with your diet, but I’d suggest coming back to the foundation of strength training if you feel stuck. Your body will always benefit from squats, dead lifts, overhead press, chin-ups, and bench press. These staple compound-movements will never get old and if you do them right, are incredibly effective. If you’re bored, maybe you need to increase the volume, change the order around, or change your goals. It takes about four to six weeks for your body to adjust to a routine and perfect it and it takes about three months to create real results. Stick with your routine during this time. If you can do more than 12 reps, it’s time to increase the weight.

If you’re not sure what program is right for you, consult a trainer or nutritionist depending on your objectives.

One Healthy Breakdown: Z is a model example of the effectiveness of these strength training moves. If you have a question for Z, email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com or post on the OHH facebook page!

Q & A w Z: Strength Training vs. Cardio

Q:  When and why does strength training trump cardio?

People Exercising at a Gymnasium

A:  There are SO many benefits to strength training: increasing BMR (basal metabolic rate) increasing muscle mass which increases the metabolism, preventing osteoporosis, increasing bone density, decreasing fat, increasing strength of muscles, tendons, and tissue which prevents injury, preventing disease like arthritis, and even preventing depression.

Cardio is good for the heart and it burns calories, but cardio cannot change body composition. The effect of cardio really stops when it stops. With strength training, your muscles are tearing and rebuilding, extending effects much longer.

With cardio, your body adapts metabolically and depends on those calories burned to maintain the same weight. So, if you consistently burn 500 calories on the elliptical, your body plans for the deficit of those calories. Then when you don’t burn those 500 calories, your body actually gains weight instead of maintaining it because it learns not to need those calories. Even when you increase the cardio, your body immediately relies on the calorie deduction. Strength training, on the other hand, kills the fat. Your muscles are tearing, rebuilding, and changing and this muscle synthesis causes a high spike in metabolism so you continue to burn more calories post-workout. Your body becomes more metabolically active and your BMR continues to increase.

My own experience is a great example. I was a dancer, I was doing tons of cardio and had very little muscle definition, I was what you could call “skinny fat.” When I discovered weight lifting a few years ago, I had to ween myself off of the cardio, because you learn to depend on it, mentally and physically. I could tell that weight-lifting was changing my body. Hours and hours of cardio was not.

Don’t waste your time and your energy, don’t spend hours a day on the treadmill or the elliptical, especially if you don’t enjoy it. Cardio is necessary for heart health, but don’t overdo it, it can actually wreck your metabolism and create too much cortisol. Of course, if you enjoy cardio, don’t cut it out. Do what you enjoy, whether it’s running or walking on the beach or yoga, but strength training is the way to change body composition. Try a good combination of the two.

If you’ve never tried weight training before, start with your own body weight or low-volume weights. Form and tension are most important, you have to perfect the form to benefit and avoid injury. And, you should have enough weight that there’s heavy tension (especially on the last few reps, those should be really uncomfortable, but it should still be manageable and safe so that you don’t need a spotter.) Lots of reps creates muscle endurance, about 8-10 reps of challenging weight is most effective for increasing strength. Again, training won’t do miracles if nutrition is left behind. Diet is number one. Cardio is not the enemy, especially the high intensity interval taining (HIIT), but it shouldn’t be abused. Balance is the key.

One Healthy Breakdown: I don’t need to spend an hour on the elliptical? AMAZING NEWS! If you have a question for Z email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com or post on the OHH facebook page!

Q & A w Z: Lazy Days

Q:  How do you stay motivated when you’re feeling really, really lazy?

A:  Everyone has lazy days, but there are ways to stay positive.  I suggest going to a different gym or a new class to switch it up.  Listen to new music or even wear a new workout outfit, do something to pump you up.  Try changing your environment.  I’ll go to the gym in the afternoon when it’s busiest because that motivates me to be around lots of other people working out hard.  I’ll feed off of their energy when I don’t have my own.

I also love a good cup of strong coffee in the morning.  On days where I have the coffee, but I’m still not feeling it, I’ll tell myself I’ll just do a quick workout and take it easy.  Sometimes, that’s what the body needs. It’s ok if it’s not the best workout. Some days are better than others, but don’t beat yourself up about it.  Sometimes, once I get going, I will get into it and then push myself harder and longer than planned.  You’ll always feel good afterwards.  Sometimes you have to really push yourself to start.

If you have a question for Z, just reply to this email or post on the OHH facebook page.

One Healthy Breakdown: no one ever regrets a workout!

Q & A w Z: Foods to Eat

Q:  What foods should we be eating everyday and what foods should we try to avoid?

Fruits and Vegetables in Grocery Store

A:  What foods should we eat everyday?  Foods we like!  Eat food you like, just make sure it’s healthy.  We’ll never stick to a plan if we don’t like it, and we’re all different; what’s optimal for me may not be optimal for you.  You don’t need to over think, just eat what you like and be sure you’re providing your body with a sufficient amount of nutrients, protein, and carbs so you’re fueled and ready to go.  Try to eat as much unprocessed, nutritious, whole food as possible.  For me, I love Greek plain, non-fat yogurt, egg whites, fish, steak, and chicken, so I eat them often.  I’m always experimenting with Greek yogurt, I add bananas, Stevia for sweetness, and raw cocoa powder for a chocolaty taste.  It’s so good.  I find things I love and have them daily.  I look forward to eating what I love.  Figure out which staples you really like and use them often, if you don’t like chicken, don’t eat it!  Ideally, you should be having somewhere around a 1:1 ratio of protein to carbs and incorporate the healthy fats.

What foods should we avoid?  In general, try to avoid foods high in saturated fat, fried foods, highly processed foods, and foods very high in salt and/or sugar.  Also, we’re all different, our bodies react differently to different foods.  If your body doesn’t seem to react well to a particular food, avoid it.  For me personally, lots of vegetables can make me feel bloated, so I don’t eat tons of veggies during the day, I often have them at night with dinner instead.  You may be different, so find what you like and what works for you.

One Healthy Breakdown: Eat the foods you love, love the foods you eat!

To submit a question for Z, simply email kiley@onehealthyhamptons.com, or post on our facebook page. Z is here to field your questions and provide her expertise; she knows a ton about fitness and nutrition. Z teaches Les Mills classes at Hampton Gym Corp, TRX at B East, and complimentary classes at Lululemon. For Z’s full bio, click here.