logo
Currently Browsing: Fitness

5 ways to avoid belly fat

logo

As we age, our metabolism isn’t like how it used to be. We find it difficult to burn calories and therefore they end up in areas of our bodies that were once lean.

If you’re one of the lucky few who has a figure-friendly metabolism, good for you. But for the rest of the population, belly fat might just as well be the public enemy number one.

No matter how health-conscious you try to be, there are just those adipose that seem to cling to you the more you want them to go away.

Here are a few tips to help you keep at bay those stubborn fats around your middle:

1. Stay away from sugar and sugar-sweetened drinks
Sugars are basically half glucose and half fructose. Our livers can only take a small amount of sugar to be metabolized by the body. Once overload happens, fat builds up and eventually our body becomes insulin-resistant. The substance sounds familiar because this is what diabetic patients inject to their system. Liquid sugar is more harmful as they contain calories and the brain just can’t seem to recognize them. Therefore, build up can also be a result.

2. Up protein intake
It is unknown to many, but protein is a macronutrient vital to losing weight. Basically, it reduces cravings by as much as 60%, making you reduce your food intake and therefore slimming down your belly. It also boosts metabolism and lets you loose around 80-100 calories. If you relapse to your old ways and seem to lax on your weight losing efforts, you won’t regain your weight like other people do.

3. Cut carbs
It is a common advice to trim down on the carbs if you want your belly to be flat as an iron. Low carb and low fat diets target fat in the belly, as well as fat found around organs and the liver. A minimum of 50g of carbs is advised per day. Any excess can cause fat build up.

4. Up viscous fiber
Soluble and viscous fiber is helpful for weight loss efforts. They bind water inside the digestive track, makes it as thick as gel. This sits in the gut, making you feel full and thus reducing your appetite. In one study, 14g of fiber targeted a 10% calorie burn. Over the span of four months, 4.5 lbs or 2kg was lost.

5. Exercise
Aerobic exercise is advised, instead of the spot exercise most people seem to be doing. One down side of spot exercise is that it isn’t as effective as we think it is. It isn’t helpful with reducing belly fat. Aerobic exercise on the other hand, reduces inflammation, lowers blood sugar levels and improves metabolism.

5 Tips in Training for a Half-Marathon

logo

Training for a half-marathon requires both time and dedication, but don’t let that stop you from engaging a 13-mile race. Even as a new runner, you can train and compete for a half-marathon in less time than you think. To help you, here are five training tips that even a lazy gal can do to reach a half-marathon’s finish line.

marathon-training

  1. Set a Training Timeframe. If you’re planning to join a half-marathon, then it’s time to set your training time a month or two earlier than the scheduled run. The ideal training plan for a half-marathon is between 12-16 weeks—12 weeks if you’re already a runner and 16 if you’re a beginner half-marathon racer. This amount of training time is needed to allow your muscles to build up to the marathon’s distance.
  1. Schedule Your Runs. The best thing about training for a half-marathon is that it doesn’t take over your schedule. In fact, you can get by with one to three runs per week depending on the level of your weekly activities. If you can possibly go with three runs, experts recommend having one long run, one short fast-paced run and a short run at your desired pace. This way, you’ll be able to build the stamina needed to compete in the race.

marathon_tng_lululemonathletica

  1. Run a Part of the Marathon’s Distance. One of common training mistake that most runners commit is running the full distance of the marathon as their longest run. Although this will make you feel more mentally prepared to run and finish the race, you don’t really need to do so physically.
  1. Incorporate Cross Training. Even though you’re only doing three runs a week, your body will still need a break from so much pounding. The best way to do it? Incorporate cross training exercises. You can choose from doing strength training or taking Pilates and yoga classes to comply with your much needed cardio exercise. Doing it once week is enough, but you’ll reap more benefits if you do it twice a week.
  1. Take Things Slow. The biggest mistake that most novice do while training for a marathon is running their long runs too fast. When training, remember that the purpose of a long run is train your legs and build endurance. By running your long runs in a fast-paced manner, you’re only tiring out your body and risking yourself to get injured easily because of the exhaustion from heavy training.

Doing a half-marathon is about having a good mental preparation, as well as physical. So stay positive and work on these little steps to get your way to reaching the finish line.

e12afd39b6ec0a40b718a50ec41013c58428

5 Fitness Equipment to Have in Your At-Home Gym

logo

We all know that a daily trip to the gym isn’t always practical, given that most of us have extremely busy schedules to work on. Luckily, you can still get a daily dose of your workout routine by performing some simple at-home fitness exercises. Just stock on these budget-friendly fitness equipment to get the most out of your at-home workout routines.

Lische

  1. Light Weights. If you’re planning to tone up your arms, then you should invest in a good pair of light weights for your makeshift home gym. Opt for dumbbells that weigh no more than three to five pounds. With this equipment, you can already perform an extra arm workout while doing your Pilates or ab exercises. Just ensure that you perform enough repetitions when using small weights like this to get better results.
  1. Elastic Bands. By just using this equipment, you can already get the intense workout that you want even in your home. Elastic bands are excellent equipment for performing resistance and stretch training in the arm, shoulder and hamstring area. Other than that, they can also be used for strengthening or rehabbing a sprained ankle. Not only are they great for an at-home use, they’re also ideal for travel use as they don’t take too much space in the suitcase.
  1. Exercise Ball. From sit ups to stability exercises, there’s just no limit to the variety of exercises that you can do with an exercise ball. Some professionals even use it as a replacement for their desk chair to promote good posture and balance. Aside from that, you can also upgrade your plank and crunch exercises without hurting your back and neck by performing it on an exercise ball.

Upper-Abs-Crunches-Exercise-Ball

  1. Kettlebell. Kettlebells are among the fitness trends that are surely here to stay. Not only will you be able to get some good cardio exercise, you’ll also be able to get a serious strength training that will keep your body lean. With a wide variety of fitness exercises that you can perform with a kettlebell, you can already make your workout routine more fun while working your muscles in a wider range of motion.
  1. Foam Roller. With this fitness equipment, you can now perform some effective stretching exercise in your makeshift home gym. Not only does it offer a great post-workout massage for your IT band and back, it also works wonders in improving your stability exercises, and keeping any form of knee injury at bay.

Busy schedules is what keeps us from being faithful to our gym dates, but by stocking up on these fitness equipment’s you can already perform your workout routine even in the comforts of your home. So invest in the aforementioned pieces now and be fit even while in your home.

Foam-Roller

6 Ways to Ditch the Vacation Fats

logo

You’ve spent weeks hitting the gym and dieting just to look great in your new bikini, so the last thing you’d definitely want to bring home from your most awaited vacation is some extra pounds. So while gaining some weight during your vacation is inevitable, there are still some realistic ways on how you can combat this travel curse.

pinterest-beach-workout

  1. Watch Your Caloric Intake. Buying and eating quick meals from airports is quite inevitable when travelling, and while these snacks and lunches look harmless, they actually contain about 1,000 calories. The same thing is true with your favourite frappe and sandwiches. Luckily, you can remedy this by downloading fitness apps like Calorie Count and My Fitness Pal to keep track of your caloric intake while being on the go.
  1. Carry a Water Bottle. Bringing your own reusable water bottle won’t only encourage you to drink more water instead of sugar and calorie-laden drinks, it’ll also make you more of an eco-friendly traveller since you’ll be able to help in lessening the carbon footprints cause by purchasing and leaving plastic water containers behind.
  1. Opt for DIY Meals. When travelling, it would be best to plan ahead by booking accommodations that has a kitchen and a mini-fridge. This way, you can easily prepare healthy meals for yourself instead of ordering fast food meals or dining out. However, don’t completely deprive yourself of the joy of eating out. Experts suggest that you prepare your own breakfast and lunch meal, and eat out for dinner occasionally.

kalesalad

  1. Share Portions. Most of the food portions in first world countries are usually double on size, but that doesn’t mean that your appetite should also double or triple up. A good way to avoid eating all the calories? Split your meals between you and your travel buddy to save you not just calories, but money as well. If you’re travelling alone, ask the restaurant to have half of your order packed in a takeout box and serve the other half as your meal.
  1. Exercise. Having a rest-and-relaxation state of mind doesn’t mean that you should completely go sloth. Whether you’re in a weekend getaway, a month-long tour, or in a cruise, you shouldn’t skip on performing your workout routines to maintain your fit bod. Check the Internet for some good and easy exercise cheats that you can fit into your itinerary.

With all sorts of temptations around, ditching the vacation fat can quite difficult to do, but by keeping the aforementioned tips in mind, you’ll surely be able to avoid gaining those extra pounds while looking good in your bikinis.

Young couple cycling on a beach

Individuals Who Can Help You Lose Weight

logo

While losing weight individually is effective, it is still much better if there is a person who can keep track of your progress and a person who can push you to do the things that will make you look sexier. Don’t waste your time going to a gym center and will just ride on a treadmill. Don’t waste your money on expensive gym memberships because there are many individuals around you who can fully help you lose weight. Here are some:

tips_for_couples_weight_loss

  • BFF: Your ‘Best Friends Forever’ will surely extend their effort to you. Even though how hard your head is, they will still continue to push you. But if their motivation is not enough, they will stop and keep away from you. But this doesn’t mean that they don’t love you or like you anymore. It’s just they want you to feel lonely as this will make you skip meals and lose weight. As said, they are your friends for a lifetime. They will never quit on you.

Could-losing-weight-be-contagious--_16000592_800828913_1_0_14067923_300

  • Gym Instructors: It is still better to hire an expert about reducing weight. In this way, you will know what the exercises that you are going to do are. In addition, you will have the idea on what are the proper equipment that should be used to effectively reduce pounds.
  • Nutritionist: Exercising is not enough to keep your physique in tone. It needs proper intake of food. Since the body needs vitamins, minerals and other substances, it is a great decision if you are going to consult to an experienced nutritionist to make sure that the foods that you will be eating are healthy and will not contribute to weight gain.

Visiting_nutritionist-300x203

« Previous Entries

logo

Copyright © 2024 Leverage Singapore