Balanced Life Fitness - Jack Kenefick Certified Fitness Trainer

Fitness Instructor: Why am I so tired?

David — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:44:33 +0000

During the 1970s, the United States experienced a severe energy crisis due to the OPEC oil embargo, which led to long lines at the gas stations. Energy is essential to our non-stop busy lives. Oftentimes, we take it for granted; but, when it fails, everything shuts down.

Just like the one Christmas light bulb that is faulty, the weakest link can cause a domino effect leading to complete chaos, short-circuiting our lives. One small issue, incident or problem can trigger a complete system collapse.

Due to unhealthy diets, exercise and stress many people are experiencing an energy crisis in their bodies. A factor like lack of sleep can become a vicious cycle leading to even worse bouts of insomnia. When our energy is reduced, our body is more prone to bacteria or virus infections. If left unchecked, massive energy drops could lead to a complete health shutdown.

Some have long-term chronic diseases caused by an abrupt energy loss that was never resolved. Eventually, the body stress causes your adrenal glands and immune system to wear down. Small challenges become larger problems if energy depletion is not properly addressed.

A qualified fitness instructor is an expert at identifying sources of chronic energy problems. Ideally, fitness training focusses on a holistic approach to improving your wellness: lifestyle, diet and exercise. Exercise increases your body’s metabolic rate, blood flow and defense system’s ability to fight energy reduction attacks. Fitness training helps increase your energy so that you are always ready for the next challenge that life brings you.

Fitness Training: Cholesterol for Lean Mass?

Jack Kenefick — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:32:27 +0000

A recent study has show that eating less cholesterol can actually decrease your amount of lean muscle mass. The study came to the conclusion after following 55 healthy adults between the ages of 60 and 69. The 2008 study held controlled workouts for the 55 adults over a period of 12 weeks and at the end of the 12 week study, researchers found there is a significant correlation between dietary cholesterol and change in the participant’s change in strength. For the most part the individuals who had higher cholesterol levels throughout the study had higher strength gain results. The participants in the study all followed similar fitness programs and diets.

The researchers were stunned by their study’s results, but believe they know why the results occurred. According to the researchers, higher cholesterol leads to leaner mass because of the inflammation process that is caused by high cholesterol. The inflammation process is believed to help in the recovery process that muscles need to go through in order after exercising. The quicker the recovery process runs it course, the sooner more muscle mass can rebuild. It is still unclear of what actually happens to the cholesterol during weight training. It’s also unknown how protein is combined in that process of building muscle.

It should be noted that the same inflammation process which is beneficial for lean muscle mass, is also devastating to your heart’s strength. With that said, despite the results, low cholesterol levels should still be maintained for overall body health.

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Weight Loss Training: Extra Virgin Olive OIl Cooked vs. Raw.

Jack Kenefick — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:29:51 +0000

No fitness program will succeed unless healthy eating is part of it. Just as diet alone isn’t enough without exercise, exercise alone isn’t enough without consuming the right foods. A complete fitness program requires that you eat the right foods, and just as importantly, that you prepare them the right way. So-called “nutritious” foods can become less beneficial when prepared the wrong way.

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) can be a powerful component of a healthy diet. Its benefits are proven: it contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and loads of antioxidants. Additionally, studies have indicated that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL (”bad”) cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels. But how are these benefits of EVOO best obtained? Some suggest that EVOO is not as healthy when it is used in cooking as it is when consumed in raw form. Should you consume your EVOO raw or cooked? Does heat negate the healthy benefits of extra virgin olive oil?

According to Dr. Lonnie Lowery, physician and nutrition expert, the more you cook with olive oil, the lower its antioxidant content becomes. While you can’t turn EVOO’s good fats into bad “trans-fats” by heating it, it does change its healthful properties and arguably makes it a less powerful nutritional ingredient.

Bottom line: while you can still use that EVOO to pan-fry your veggie burgers, you’ll derive even more health benefits from drizzling it raw onto your mixed greens salad or whole-wheat bread.

Weight Loss: Eating Healthy on a Limited Budget

David — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 13:43:05 +0000

Weight loss on a tight budget is not impossible. While value menu items at your local fast food are convenient and cheap, they are often low in nutrients and high in calories. A simple solution is to maximize the amount of food you make at home. Food made at home is often healthier and cheaper than prepared processed foods bought at a local restaurant or from the freezer section of your grocery store. Opt for lean and inexpensive choices for protein such as tofu, beans or ground meats. Stir fry protein sources with high nutrient and affordable produce items such as collard greens or kale. The nutrients and fiber from the vegetables will produce a satisfying feeling, while the flavor from the meat gives the taste impression of a complete meal.

Another strategy for avoiding drive-thru diet disasters is to plan your meals ahead as best you can. Keep healthy alternatives such as whole grain breads and pastas to reach for rather than french fries when in need of a fix. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables around to snack on instead of purchasing expensive fruit cups from the fast food joints. In addition, have on hand a number of quick and convenient recipes which are easy to throw together in a snap. Items like slow cooker black bean chili can be set in the morning and ready upon returning from work. Other items such as microwave stuffed bell peppers or fish can be made in minutes.

Weight Loss: Diet vs Regular Soda

David — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 13:42:23 +0000

Weight loss is all about the choices we make. We could invest in a fitness trainer or exercise program, but we also have to make choices about the foods and drinks we consume. For years, many people have thought diet soda was calorie-free. Thus, instead of regular soda, folks have guzzles diet options. However, recent studies have shown that soda is not the best way to lose weight. In fact, some researchers claim that diet drinks are linked with metabolic syndrome. This can lead to insulin issues, pain, and inflammation.

Diet soda has quite a bit of sugar or corn syrup. This item is directly linked by many researchers to obesity in children and teenagers. A recent study in Framingham, MA sound that 50-year-old men and women who have more than one soft drink or soda a day are more at risk for metabolic syndrome. This is nothing to sneeze at: This group of people showed that the risk was increased by nearly 50% over a four-year period. Drinking diet soda was the same as drinking regular soda: a health issue.

Some health professionals and researchers think that the sweetness of soft drinks causes people to crave candy and sugar. Additionally, the study has raised some eyebrows about the effect diet and regular soda can have on insulin levels. Thus, constant soda consumption can cause or aggravate diabetes or insulin resistance, an important and sometimes life threatening condition. This new study may mean that weight loss may have to come from cutting soda out of one’s life.

Weight Loss Training: Good Fats, Bad Fats-More Complex Than You Think

Jack Kenefick — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:27:28 +0000

The controversy over consumption of fats and fatty acids is one that contains as much myth as fact. While it might seem simple on the surface; there are good fats and there are bad fats; eat the good and avoid the bad; it is a very complex issue.

There is a commonly held belief since the 1950s, for instance, that there is a direct link between the amount of saturated fat in diets and the incidence of heart disease. The problem is that there is little real evidence to support this theory. In France, for instance, people consume large quantities of saturated fat, but the rate of heart attacks in France is lower than in the United States.

Fats from vegetable and animal sources provide energy in our diet, and provide the building blocks for development of cell membranes and a number of hormones. Fats slow down absorption of what we eat, allowing us to go longer without feeling hungry.

Saturated fat is considered one of the ‘bad’ fats, but a mother’s milk, which is considered the best for babies, gets 50% of its calories from fat, mostly saturated fat. This saturated fat is essential for growth in babies, especially brain development.

Taking fat out of your diet can also be hazardous to your health. It can lead to low energy, difficulty concentrating, depression, and yes, even weight gain as you eat more of other foods to compensate for reduction in fat.

On the other hand, polyunsaturated fat, which common theory holds is a ‘good’ fat, is often consumed at levels that are not good for health, as it can lead to increased risk of cancer and heart disease, damage to the liver, dysfunction of the immune system, and a host of other maladies.

This brief introduction shows just how complex the issue of fat really is. Take fat out of your diet? Not really recommended. Control the amount of fat you consume? Definitely.

Fat and Your Weight Loss Training

Jack Kenefick — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:25:25 +0000

Skinny is good, fat is bad, right? We’ve been told for decades that being overweight is bad for your health and you should minimize fats, especially saturated fats, in your diet. Well, think again my rotund friends; the studies linking weight to vulnerability to heart attack and stroke failed to take physical conditioning into account. In the past few years, studies factoring in physical condition have shown that people who are slightly overweight, but who exercise regularly and are physically fit live longer than thin people who don’t exercise. So, if whether you’re over- or underweight, you need to consider exercising more. Having a regular exercise routine will add years to your life, and you might even want to consider having a personal trainer.

What, you might ask, does this have to do with consuming fat? Here’s a news flash! The body needs fat as a source of concentrated energy; that element that helps you get through the day. Fat also provides the basic building blocks for cell membranes and hormones, help you feel full so you don’t need to eat so often (and, gain too much weight), and are carriers and convertors of many of the vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to maintain strength and health.

The aforementioned are some of the health benefits of consuming fat. Drastically reducing or eliminating fat from your diet can have negative consequences, as well. Followers of the Pritikin lowfat diet, for instance, developed a whole series of health problems including low energy levels, lack of concentration, depression, and mineral deficiencies, because they didn’t have enough fat in their bodies to absorb the necessary minerals.

Fat also adds flavor and tenderness to foods, and helps to cook foods faster. So, if you wonder if fat is bad for you, the answer is – just like anything else, too much fat is not good for you – but then again, neither is too little fat.

Exercise Program: Easy ways to stay Fit

David — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:41:35 +0000

There’s a good chance we have something in common, you and I. Like many people, I can only wish for the luxury of an idle hour or two to fritter away at the gym every day. Fortunately, a little exercise can go along way, and you don’t always need a high-powered exercise program to improve your physical fitness.

Numerous fitness instructors have praised the effects of a new approach called integrative exercise. This theory is all about baby steps, as opposed to one long session of hard training. Basically, proponents of integrative exercise realize that the sedentary lifestyle enjoyed by modern humans is responsible for a lot of our fitness problems. For thousands of years, all the way up until the last century, the definition of a job as “sitting at a desk or computer all day” would have been unimaginable for most people.

If you don’t have time for the gym, you can still get little bits of exercise all day long with minimum effort. Everyday things like walking the dog and washing the car by hand instead of at a drive-through can add up. It’s always good to get your heart rate up, even if it’s for only a few minutes. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. This will only cost you a few minutes, but it might burn off a bite or two of that egg mcmuffin. Instead of spending ten minutes hunting for that elusive parking spot right next to the entrance, park at the end of the lot and hoof it. If it’s busy, you’ll probably get inside more quickly anyway.

Strength Train Your Glutes

Jack Kenefick — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:20:32 +0000

Glutes are one of the largest muscles in the human body, and are what shape the appearance of the buttocks. Exercising, toning, and strengthening glutes is very important and should be a big part of any exercise program.

There are many reasons why you should exercise your glutes, the first of which is that strong glutes help burn fat. It has been proven that the more muscle you have, the more fat your body burns. Since glutes are among the largest muscles in the body, having muscular glutes will increase the fat burning process. There are also many cardio exercises, such as stair climbing, running uphill, and cycling, which will strengthen your glutes as well as strengthen your heart through cardiovascular activity.

Having strong glutes will also increase your overall body strength. Having strong glutes will give you a strong support and will allow you to perform more strenuous exercises for other muscle groups.

Most personal trainers incorporate at least a few glute exercises into every exercise program. One of the most common exercises to strengthen your glutes is lunges. Lunges are an excellent exercise because they can be performed in a variety of ways including reverse lunges, and side lunges, but are challenging enough to act as a cardiovascular activity as well.

Another simple glute exercise is the step up. A step up involves standing on the ground and trying to step up onto a platform at least two feet off the ground. To make this more challenging, you can hold dumbbells while performing.

Personal Fitness Training: Think you’re in good shape?

David — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:40:48 +0000

So, you think you’re fit? You work out regularly, you’re conscientious about your diet, and you look pretty good in the mirror. That’s great, but those factors may not be telling you the whole story. One important indicator of true fitness is the measure of how efficient your cardiovascular system is. Here’s a quick and simple way to find out.

First, as always, run this by your doctor. Then, you’re going to need three numbers. Figure these numbers out before the workout, so you have them handy for reference. The first number is your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age. If you’re thirty, then your maximum would be 190 (220-30). If you’re fifty-five, your maximum is 165.

Take 80% of that number as a target. The third number you’ll need can be found by subtracting 66 from that target number.

Now you’re ready to begin. During your next concentrated cardio workout, bring your heart rate to 80% (or more) of your maximum heart rate.
After you have reached the target heart rate, stop and time how long it takes for your heart rate to reach the third figure.

If it takes two minutes or less, you’re good to go, and your “real” age is about 8 years younger than your calendar age. If it takes longer, you’ve still got some work to do. A personal trainer can be your best friend when it comes to planning your fitness program. Use his/her knowledge to help you be in your best shape possible.