Tabata Bootcamp by Aesha Tahir

TABATA BOOTCAMP by Aesha Tahir

There are countless workout styles you’ve probably heard about over the years, and all of them are meant to help you reach your fitness goals. You may want to increase strength, lose weight, improve flexibility or build muscle. Whatever yours goals are, most exercise programs can help you reach them, as long as you stick to the plan. If you’re looking for a new program to add to your routine, you may want to give Tabata Bootcamp a try. Tabata training is a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout, featuring exercises that have 40/30/20 second strength intervals for lower body, upper body and core. Your intensity level varies from hard, harder to hardest for each time slot respectively. There are two or three traditional Tabata 20/10 intervals mixed in with the 40/30/20 timing. And the beauty of it all is that you can work at your own fitness level. The Tabata Boot camp program gives you a lot of modifications.

Now to understand why Tabata training actually works let’s peek into the history of this type of training. How it all started? Tabata training was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo.  Tabata and his team conducted research on two groups of athletes. The first group trained at a moderate intensity level while the second group trained at a high-intensity level. The moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks; each workout lasted one hour. The high-intensity group worked out four days a week for six weeks; each workout lasted four minutes and 20 seconds (with 10 seconds of rest in between each set).

The results; Group 1 had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle). Group 2 showed much more increase in their aerobic system than Group 1, and increased their anaerobic system by 28 percent. In conclusion, high-intensity interval training has more impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

So if you want to Blast more fat but work out less: It may sound like a bogus claim to attract people, but dozens of scientific studies support the timesaving, calorie-zapping benefits of quickie workouts known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and Tabata bootcamp is a perfect example of this type of training.

There’s good reason why HIIT is one of the hottest workouts around: Its format – brief bouts of hard exercise paired with easier activity for recovery – burns off more calories per minute than doing a longer workout at a continuously moderate pace. And researchers at the University of Guelph found that women who trained with high-intensity intervals for two weeks increased their bodies’ capacity to burn fat while they exercised. HIIT also makes the heart grow stronger; a study from Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise showed that high-intensity intervals may be better for improving cardiovascular fitness in healthy adults than moderate steady-state exercise.

What makes HIIT work so well? One factor is the type of muscle fibers used. Studies have found HIIT recruits large, powerful muscle fibers that otherwise lie dormant in everyday life or during moderate exercise ,that means you get defined muscles faster. And the benefits aren’t all physical, either. HIIT can help you dodge de-motivating workout ruts. There are only so many ways to run for an hour on a treadmill, Interval training provides infinite variety, and it’s fun.

Ready to give HIIT a try? With the right approach, practically anyone can benefit from this calorie-incinerating cardio workout. So dial in to your next Tabata Bootcamp class with me on Thursdays at 9:30 A.M at the Solebury club.

References: http://www.oxygenmag.com/article/hiit-your-fast-fat-burning;  http://www.active.com/fitness

Acupuncture and Acupressure Services

Acupuncture and Acupressure by Elizabeth Schoultz, MS, L.Ac.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Acupuncture has become a very popular form of complementary and alternative therapy in the United States (U.S.), with an estimated 3 million adults undergoing treatment annually.The core procedure in acupuncture involves stimulation of specific points on the body, acupoints, by insertion of fine needles. Typical treatments involve insertion of 5 to 20 needles at various depths. Traditional acupuncturists judge the effectiveness of their insertion by looking for a physiologic reaction called “de qi.” This is perceived as an aching or throbbing by the recipient and by a tightening of tissue around the needle point felt by the therapist. Needles are typically left in for less than 1 hour. Acupuncturists may increase the stimulation by manipulating the needles (periodically twirling the needles) or by applying heat or electrical stimulation to the needles. An alternative technique includes using laser rather than needles to stimulate acupoints.

The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown. Traditional Chinese acupuncture theory is based on the premise that a form of energy called “qi” travels along prescribed pathways or meridians within the body. This theory proposes that qi is responsible for maintaining good health by providing homeostatic regulation of vital body function. Excess or deficiency in the flow of qi is thought to result in disease. Stimulation of specific acupoints along the body’s meridians can restore balance in the qi and return the individual to health.

Scientists have studied acupuncture for decades and have proposed other theories more in keeping with biomedical concepts. Studies in the 1970s and 1980s suggest that acupuncture may work by modifying nerve function at the spinal and supraspinal levels. Roles have been suggested for cytokines, endorphins, and neurotransmitters but the physiologic mechanism of action is not known.”

Promotes fresh health, relaxation, stress relief, pain resolve and chronic ailments.

Acupuncture…$90

Saturday 12:00-3:00pm, Monday 2:00-7:00pm

Be Well with Cathy Siley

Enjoy The Summer Sun … Safely!

With warm weather (hopefully) just around the corner, the summer months are filled with yard work, sunny days at the shore, outdoor weekend activities, and kids sporting events.  While soaking up the sun may feel the like the standard ritual of summer, you may be putting yourself and your family at risk for the most common type of cancer in the United States … skin cancer.   Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. UV radiation can also come from tanning booths or sunlamps. The most dangerous kind of skin cancer is called melanoma.  May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Awareness & Prevention Month.  Are you at risk?

Symptoms of Skin Cancer:
A change in your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. This could be a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a change in a mole.  Not all skin cancers look the same.

A simple way to remember the signs of melanoma is to remember the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma—

“A” stands for asymmetrical. Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
“B” stands for border. Is the border irregular or jagged?
“C” is for color. Is the color uneven?”D” is for diameter. Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
“E” is for evolving. Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?

You should have a full body, baseline examination with a dermatologist as early as possible, then schedule follow-up visits every year.  Talk to your doctor if you notice changes in your skin such as a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, a change in an old growth, or any of the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma.

Risk Factors for Developing Skin Cancer:
People with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors vary for different types of skin cancer, but some general risk factors are having—

A lighter natural skin color.
A family history or personal history of skin cancer.
Exposure to the sun through work and play.
A history of sunburns, especially early in life.
A history of indoor tanning.
Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
Blue or green eyes.
Blond or red hair.
Certain types and a large number of moles.

Be aware that fair-skinned men and women aged 65 and older, and people with atypical moles or more than 50 moles, are at greater risk for melanoma.  Although darker skinned people are less likely to develop skin cancer, they are not immune and should have routine examinations.

What Else Should I Do??
To lower your skin cancer risk, protect your skin from the sun and avoid indoor tanning.  The CDC recommends these easy options—

Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours.
Wear clothing  that covers your arms and legs.
Wear sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays, as well as a hat to protect the top of your head, ears, and neck.
Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher and both UVA and UVB protection.  Apply evenly and re-apply often!
Avoid indoor tanning.

The good news? Skin cancer can almost always be cured when it’s found and treated early.   So enjoy those sunny days safely, get those checkups, and Be Well

KRock FIT Beginning May 24

Introducing KRock FIT a fun and exciting Outdoor Bootcamp class that works your entire body!  Enjoy this all-in-one workout personally designed by Kristin.  Work all major muscle groups, cardio, balance, flexibility and agility through body weight exercises and equipment.  Different formats each week keep you motivated and engaged:  partner workouts, team exercises and circuit training. All levels welcome, but come ready to work!

When:  Tuesday and Thursday
Time:  6:00am, 9:00am and 6:45pm

Free classes on Tuesday, May 24 and Thursday, May 26

Cost for Solebury Club members:  1 class $15, 5pk $60, 10pk $99, 20pk $175
Cost for Solebury Club non-members:  1 class $20, 5pk $75, 10pk $125, 20pk $199

Meet Kristin (KRock) Harris.  Kristin is excited to bring her classes and fitness business, KRock Fitness, LLC to the Solebury Club.  Kristin has a BA in Theater and Dance/Performance, is a Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, and holds several other fitness certifications including TRX, Spinning, Zumba and Mossa Group Groove.  After working in gyms and studios for the past 10 years, Kristin decided to follow her dream and open her own fitness business in January 2016.  She looks forward to having you in class and allowing her to share her passion of fitness with you to help you achieve your goals while having fun!

Be Well with Cathy Siley!

Time Flies!

Spring is upon us … a rebirth of sorts for all in nature.   I’ve heard many people comment about how fast the year is going, which of course leads to the inevitable sentiment about how time flies.   When we try to maintain healthy lifestyles, short-term realizations of this may include attempts to get to the gym this week but realizing it’s already Friday.  Oh well, “there’s always next week.”  And who hasn’t heard of (or said), “the diet starts tomorrow”.   We are all guilty of believing that we have a lot of tomorrows to count on.  The truth is, sometimes we don’t.

I am lucky enough to have had very few health problems.  I rarely get sick, almost never go to the doctor, and consider myself in relatively good shape.   About two years ago (on a whim) I went to the doctor for a full physical.   In addition to the standard office-checkup of my overall health I had a routine blood work panel done.  When it came back I was surprised at some of the results.

First of all, though my blood sugar was good, my weight, cholesterol and blood pressure had all crept up a few points.  It wasn’t considered high, but the numbers WERE higher than they had been in the past.  In addition I discovered I was slightly anemic as well as deficient in Vitamin D.   These deficiencies were the likely cause of most of the minor aches, pains and afflictions I had been feeling that I had attributed to getting older.   Nothing major or worth complaining about, just things that I had started to notice in myself.  Tweaks to my diet and keeping up with routine exercise had a huge impact on how I felt overall.    That routine physical brought light to a minor shift in my numbers that could have turned into a much bigger problem.   I now schedule one at least every other year in order to monitor those numbers.   Most insurance companies will cover physicals once a year.   When was the last time YOU had a routine physical??  Oh, and don’t forget to ask your doctor if you are up to date on your immunizations.

In addition to routine physicals and yearly gynecological exams for women, the following standard tests should be on your radar:

Mammograms for Women:   Have a baseline done at 45, then have one yearly after 50.  If there is breast cancer in your family, have it done earlier and more often.

Dermatology Checkup:  Have this done once a year to check for early signs of skin cancer.   It doesn’t always come in the form of a mole!

Eye Exam:   Get a complete eye exam every few years, especially as you get older as many diseases affect your vision.  Make sure you go to an ophthalmologist for a full eye exam, not an optometrist, who will check only your vision.  Even if you can “see” well you need to make sure that your eyes themselves are healthy!

Colorectal Exams:  Colon cancer can be deadly, and it often goes unnoticed until too late.  Although they do not need to be done every year, periodic colonoscopy exams should be performed starting at age 50.  Again, if colon cancer runs in your family, get tested earlier and often.

Periodic routine checkups are just as important to maintaining your healthy lifestyle as diet and exercise, so pick up the phone, schedule those exams and be well!

Be Well by Maureen Shortt!

The Best Foods To Fill You Up, Boost Metabolism, And Burn Fat

Your genes that regulate your weight, your health and your strength are sensitive to what you eat, how much you eat and how often you eat. The overconsumption of food in our culture causes weight gain, health loss and premature aging. But calorie restriction alone is not the most effective strategy to get in shape. You can be on a low calorie diet and NOT lose weight. Or you can be on a high calorie diet and still stay slim.

You have hormones that control your hunger and your satiety. These hormones determine whether you  expend energy or store it, which controls whether you are burning bodyfat or retaining it. Hunger hormones do just that- make you hungry. They also slow your metabolism down, conserving energy, calories, and fat.  Satiety hormones turn off hunger, and give you greater energy, and that energy comes from fat burning, which leaves you leaner.

These two sets of hormones are in constant flux with one another, balancing your food intake with your  energy output. Problems arise when your hunger hormones override your satiety hormones. This happens when you go long periods of time without eating, like eating only one meal a day. It also happens when you eat too frequently, causing your body to NOT dip into your fat stores for energy. And it happens when you eat processed carbohydrate foods frequently, like pretzels, crackers, breads, candy, even sugared drinks.

So, how do you boost your satiety hormones?

1.EAT FOODS THAT FILL YOU AND SATISFY YOU. This means eating protein plus carbs AT EVERY FEEDING, whether it is a meal or a snack. This includes nuts, seeds, legumes, dairy and your animal proteins, along with fruits, veggies and grain foods, again, AT EVERY FEEDING. No more just chips or cookies or even just a piece of fruit. And no more just protein like cheese or lunchmeat. Both carbs AND proteins must be combined to ignite your fat burning metabolism ongoing. Have the fruit with the cheese. Put the lunchmeat on a piece of bread. Dip the pretzels in peanut butter.

2.AVOID THE FOODS THAT CAUSE HUNGER. These are refined carb foods including baked goods, candies and sugary beverages(check your flavored waters for sugar content!), sugars, and high fructose corn syrup products. These foods spike your blood sugar and then it drops quickly, leading to that “I need to eat and they don’t make enough food” feeling.

3.LEARN TO WAIT FOR REAL HUNGER TO EAT. This means not consuming all those foods in #2 between meals, as they keep you from experiencing true hunger. When your body knows that it is not going to be fed (and “fed” includes empty calorie foods and beverages between meals), it adapts its hunger and satiety hormones to send you deeper into fat burning, to hold you over. Real hunger can only happen when you have gone at least 3 hours without consuming anything except water. Waiting for real hunger is like exercising-it is a form of training your body in how to produce energy from bodyfat combined with your last feeding. But don’t go to the other extreme and not eat at all. This drops your blood sugar and you will burn your muscle for energy.

Understanding more of how your body regulates hunger and fat burning and energy production is essential for weight maintenance, and health as you age. Now you know your best options for keeping your body appropriately fed.

Enjoy.

Maureen Shortt club, Nutritionist. 215.262.1532 maureenshortt@gmail.com  To learn more about maureen, click here.

Be Well with Maureen Shortt

What do I do with my food journal?

In last week’s Be Well post you were encouraged to keep a food journal, whether on paper or on your computer or an app. And to include everything you consume-food, beverages including water, gum, cigarettes, a tic tac-everything! Because everything you consume affects your nutrition, your biochemistry, your energy production, your moods, and your health.

In this post we will look at how to interpret or use what you tracked. So, first-what did you notice in keeping your journal? What struck you? It is an exercise in awareness and so it brings its own edifications by just doing it.

Every client I have ever had do a food journal for me hands it to me saying some version of “This was not a normal week.” What is happening is that we each have an ideal of how we want to eat, how we intend to eat. And then life happens-family and social events, kids activities, holidays, weekends. Know that no one is eating ideally all the time and be easy with yourself.

Here are 3 things you can look at in your food journal and begin to modify for better health and weight and mood.

First, what is your food timing? Did you eat your first meal within 90 minutes of getting up? If not then you probably had to dip into your muscle as an energy source, and muscle is the LAST tissue you want to be burning.

Second, did you then eat within every 4 hours after that first feeding? If not, then your blood sugar probably dipped and you may have craved sugar or caffeine or cigarettes or white flour foods to ‘spike’ your blood sugar. But that leads to a blood sugar crash and more cravings for the rest of the day.

And third, did you eat proteins and carbs at each feeding? If you just eat carbs it’s like just burning paper in your fireplace-it burns quickly and you need to keep feeding it. If you just ate proteins it’s like trying to light a big log with a match-you need the kindling-the carbs-along with the proteins-the logs to get the fire of your fat burning metabolism going.

Knowing all this, you can go back and begin to slowly make changes in how you eat that benefit you.

Happy eating, Maureen Shortt, club Nutritionist, click here to learn more about Maureen

Be Well with Cathy Siley

March is National Nutrition Month

National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The campaign focuses attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits, both of which are part of your path to health and wellness.

The full definition of NUTRITION according to Merriam Webster is “the act or process of nourishing or being nourished; specifically:  the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances.”  Webster’s simple definition, however, is one that we should really take to heart: “the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy.”

Over the next several weeks, we will visit some of the components of nutrition and healthy eating.  In the mean time, here’s something YOU can do:  Make a food journal.   Take a few minutes out of your day and log every morsel of food that you consume.    Many apps such as My Fitness Pal have easy food logging systems, or just do it the old-fashioned way … write it down on a piece of paper.

Don’t cheat … and don’t suddenly switch your eating habits just because you are paying attention to them!  Eat how you typically eat, and write it all down, including how much of each thing you consume.  You can keep it simple, however the more specific you are the more knowledge you can gain.  Try to log EVERYTHING, including condiments and all ingredients used in cooking your meals.  If you eat out, write down what you ordered – and don’t forget to include any extras such as items from the breadbasket or a forkful of your friend’s dessert!  Remember to track how much water and other liquids you consume, as hydration is a key component to good nutrition and you may be consuming beverages that are giving you too many calories or too little nutrients.

Track your intake for a minimum of 3 days … or better yet, bump it up to 5-7 days to include weekends.  This will provide a larger snapshot of your food consumption and eating habits.  Make it a fun group project and have all members of your family track what they eat!  Take a good look at what you see … You may be surprised at the results!  Be mindful of your eating, and Be Well!

The Solebury Club welcomes Personal Trainer Lisa Wagner

 

Qualifications: Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science, CPR/AED certified

Personal Training Style: Interval training with focus on proper form

Quote: Carpe Diem…”Seize The Day”

I was born and raised in Colorado. I have been living here in Doylestown for the past 13 years.  I was a competitive international gymnast growing up and started coaching gymnastics when I was 14.  I have been teaching fitness in one form or another for 25 years.  I was a Physical Education teacher for many years and taught health education to 7&8th grades.

I believe that having good form and learning exercises properly is very important.  I like to combine weights and cardio in my training. I know personally this has been a valuable combination in gaining muscle and improving my endurance at the same time.  I like to keep training intense but that doesn’t mean you can’t smile, laugh and have fun too. It is important to enjoy what you are doing know matter what it may be and that includes working out.

I have been many different shapes and sizes in my life. I have two great kids and have had to lose the “baby weight.”  I have battled injuries and recovered from surgeries.  I understand how it is to need and want to get back in shape and the ups and downs of fitness and exercise.  I know that there were times in my life when I needed someone by my side guiding me to achieve my fitness goals.  I am happy and thrilled to be a personal trainer because I do care about people and want my clients achieve their goals.  Exercise and fitness is different for everyone and I take that into consideration as I train you as an individual.

Be Well with Cathy Siley

Exercise and Cardiovascular Health

February is Heart Month … Are you doing all that you can to keep your heart healthy?  Cardiovascular exercise is a key component to healthy hearts, and like most other forms of exercise, can be done on a number of different levels depending on what your end goal is.

In order to maintain overall cardiovascular health, being physically active is one of the most important things you can do to prevent heart disease and stroke, the nation’s #1and #5 killers.  According to the American Heart Association, you should strive for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise (or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity) to improve overall cardiovascular health. Thirty minutes a day, five times a week is an easy goal to remember.

For people who would benefit from lowering their blood pressure or cholesterol, AHA recommends a little bit more … 40 minutes of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity three to four times a week to lower the risk for heart attack and stroke.  Are you “too busy” at work, school or with life??  You will also experience benefits even if you divide your time into two or three segments of 10 to 15 minutes per day.  Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burn calories.

In addition to maintaining overall cardiovascular health, if your end goal includes losing some weight, then your exercise goals will be a little bit different. There are many misconceptions out there … primarily that increasing the amount of straight cardio you do will burn more calories.  While this can be true, it is important to understand what your target heart rates are, then adapting your workout routines to be within those target zones.  Understanding heart rate zones, and keeping your heart rates within them, will allow for more efficient workouts, and will help you come closer to achieving weight loss goals.

And remember, maintaining heart health as well as achieving weight loss goals through increased cardiovascular exercise doesn’t mean you are chained to a treadmill … it can be realized through countless forms of exercise you can do right here at The Solebury Club.  Take a fitness class, do some Vinyasa or Hot Flow Yoga, and even lift some weights … yes, strength training can improve cardiovascular health too!   If you have never worked with a trainer before, talk to the front desk … ALL Solebury Club members are entitled to a free consultation with a personal trainer.  They can help answer any questions you may have and keep you on track with your healthy goals.

So keep on exercising, and keep that heart healthy!