I hope this blog will aid you in starting some healthy habits and sharing what you've learned with family and friends. If you have any questions, comments, or things you'd like to see me post about shoot me an email and I'll be happy to respond!
Did you know that your muscles can effect your hormones? When your muscle move they can cause a change in your hormones that help with weight loss and new research is also showing they can change your mood too.
Regular exercise can increase fat loss and increase your metabolism for more efficient weight loss. However the type of exercise you perform can have a big effect on your hormones to assist in the weight loss process.
According to a 2005 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine, hormones that assist in the growth of muscle mass are elevated for 15-30 minutes after adequate resistance exercise. This adequate resistance exercise entails using a large amount of muscle mass with moderate to high intensity and short rest periods tend to stimulate the highest hormone levels.
A recent study published in the Journal of Endocrine Regulations found that regular exercise can also improve insulin sensitivity (lowering your risk of diabetes and lowering rates of fat building), balance cholesterol levels, improve your mood, improve memory and brain function, and assist with sleep hormones. They also found improved nutrition quality and less sedentary behavior can also assist with these hormones even WITHOUT weight loss.
This means if you are regularly exercising, blending moderate resistance exercise with cardio, and focusing on higher nutrition quality you can change your hormones, improve fat loss, and increase your metabolism. Don't get discouraged if you're not seeing weight changes right away because you are setting up your hormones and metabolism for more efficient weight loss long term. Always be concerned for long term benefits when it comes to weight loss, because if you focus on short term only you're weight will yo-yo up and down and you'll get discouraged!
So keep your chin up and stay consistent!
Resources:
1) Kraemer et al. "Hormone responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training". Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005;35(4):339-61
2) Bajer et al. "Exercise associated hormonal signals as powerful determinants of effective fat mass loss". Journal of Endocrine Regulations. 2015; 49(3):151-63
Many people have heard that diet and exercise are the keys to achieving your weight loss and health goals. While this statement is true, there are many differences in opinion as to how much exercise is required and what type of exercise you should be doing.
Many people tend to rely on a scale to measure their goals to achieving a healthier lifestyle, however this is a very bad indicator!! When you step on a scale (especially if you're measuring your body weight more than once a week) you are measuring the weight of your muscle, fat, and water retention as well. However many people don't realize is that muscle weighs more than fat. So in fact, if you're building muscle with your workout your weight may actually not change or it may increase if you rely on a scale. Muscle is also where your body's metabolism lies, so if you're trying to lose fat and be healthier you must build your muscles to reach your goals. This means weight lifting and using your body to perform natural movements.
People that are exercising and noticing a drop in weight may actually be losing excess water or they may actually be losing muscle mass and thus lowering their metabolism. Short term the dropping scale numbers may make you feel good, but over the long term you are decreasing your metabolism and making it much easier to put on weight later on. This is why people that tend to reduce calorie intake and cut down on eating while dieting tend to have a much easier time gaining the weight after their diet.
In a recent study from the University of Copenhagen, researchers found that in comparing exercise times and intensity it was essential to make sure that you weren't exercising for long of a period of time. They found that in comparing 30 to 60 minutes of daily exercise there wasn't a significant difference, however past studies have found that exercising for longer periods of time actually tends to decrease your results and expenditures.
So what can we take from this?
1. Don't rely on a scale. Take measurements around arms, legs, hips, and waist on a weekly to bi-weekly basis if you really want to measure fat loss.
2. Don't cut your calories. Your body will decrease its metabolism and these changes may cause it to be easier to gain weight later on.
3. Make sure to build muscle while exercising. This will ensure you're effecting your metabolism in a positive light and keep bone density more stable.
4. Keep exercise around 30 minutes daily and try to vary your workout so that you're building muscle in different parts of your body rather than one area. Don't be scared to add some cardio a few times a week rather than weight lifting. Your workout will have better effects if its varied and keeps your body guessing.
If you'd like more personalized recommendations, feel free to setup a consultation in my office to get some advice on how to reach your health goals. Give us a call at (309) 689-6200!
Here at AlignLife in Peoria we've been focusing on exercising together during lunch hour with stretching and jogging . Which is a great way to boost our metabolism and energy levels, but also a great way to get some sun and fresh air in the middle of the day.
So what's so important about prepping your feet for running season? Well everything!!! Your feet are the foundation of your body and as such have the job of supporting your body weight, your joint alignment, and your posture. Did you know that your feet take the brute force of about four to seven times your body weight when your forefoot contacts the ground while jogging? Now for a 150 pound runner that is equivalent to 600-1000 lbs!
The intrinsic muscles of the feet and the posterior musculature of your legs must have the proper strength and be the proper length in order to support healthy joint function and to keep the arches in the bottom of your feet ready to support the extra weight associated with movement. Due to modern footwear restrictions on foot movement especially at the individual joints, most of our feet aren't conditioned enough to walk barefoot while supporting the rest of our joints let alone take part in the Barefoot Movement that is all the rage! Click here to learn more. To top that off, most of our posterior leg musculature is actually shortened from its proper length due to elevated heels at the back of our shoes that causes our feet to be put in extension with our weight shifted forward on our feet rather than in a neutral position with our weight centered over the hefty bones of our ankle and heels. Learn more about footwear positioning in my previous blog post.
In fact, most modern footwear restricts movement of our forefoot in general and puts all the demand for flexibility at our ankles (which is wear our shoes usually stop). This demand at our ankles is against our body design as these ankle ligaments are supposed to be strong and virtually unyielding to support the bones of our heels and ankles rather than stretched out and pliable to allow to flexible movement. This increased flexibility at the ankle can lead to increased risk of injury to the ankle while the forward weight shift can lead to degeneration of the joints in our feet (think bunions and deformed feet) as well as flare ups of plantar fasciitis.
So what can you do to reduce your risk of injury and get your feet in shape? Great question and I'd be happy to share a bit more.
** Remember to consult with your doctor about starting an exercise program, especially if you have issues with bone density or balance.
1.)Stretch your legs and feet daily. Some helpful tools to help include a 1/2 dome that you can pick up in the craft section of your local craft store or Walmart or even a rolled up towel. In fact, below find some great stretches you can do on your own to help support your soon to be healthy feet.
This one is great because it stretches your posterior legs as well as your feet. Thanks for the great pose Katy!
Check out this great video from Katy Bowman for some more great foot exercises!
2.) Get out of your shoes for at least 2 hours every day. Just slip them off when you get home and do some of the foot exercises I showed you above.
3.) Stretch your toes. Toe spacers are a cheap and effective way to get those muscles in their proper position and in the proper length, but you can also get these great socks as well.
4.) Get walking! Increased movement helps keep your muscles working, your joints moving, and your blood pumping which can not only help you lose weight but also reinforce proper movement into your joints.
5.) Pamper your feet. A foot soak can be relaxing and beneficial for stress relief and healthy bacterial growth (this can also prevent athelete's foot too). Moisturizing your feet can also help support good foot hygiene and can be as simple as putting some coconut oil on your tootsies before a pair of cotton socks.
So get moving and get your feet in shape for running season!!!
