Monday, October 10, 2011

Are you getting enough physical activity in your life?

Most people I come across in the gym always think they are getting enough physical activity in their life and sometimes (not always) people are over estimating how much they actually do in a week.  The guidelines below were set out by the CDC and give adults an idea of what type (and how much) activity is needed in order to obtain the health benefits of activity and exercise.  Below is the minimum you should do, you can (and should) do more because it will only increase the mental and physical benefits you'll experience.


According to the CDC, adults need to get the following amount of activity a week (note that there are two types of activities included in the recommendation, aerobic and muscle strengthening).....


OPTION 1.....
2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity (brisk walking, mowing the lawn, riding a bike on a level ground)

AND

Muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, ab, shoulders and arms).  This type of activity includes yoga, weight lifting, pilates, and body weight or resistance band training (to name a few). 

OPTION 2....
75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity (jogging, playing basketball, riding a bike on hills)

AND

Muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, ab, shoulders and arms).  This type of activity includes yoga, weight lifting, pilates, and body weight or resistance band training (to name a few). 

OPTION 3....
A equivalent mix of moderate and vigorous intensity aerobic activity

AND

Muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, ab, shoulders and arms).  This type of activity includes yoga, weight lifting, pilates, and body weight or resistance band training (to name a few). 

As I mention above, it's imperative that you get BOTH aerobic and muscle strengthening activities in during the weekm so for your lovers of cardio, get off the treadmill and hit the weights.  If you love the weights but HATE the idea of cardio, come up with something you enjoy that will get your heart pumping!   Hopefully this guide opens your eyes to what you need to be doing each week to maintain a good level of fitness!

Happy Monday!
E-

Recipe of the Week - Mini Raspberry Biscuits

These are delicious and light treats that are very popular and super easy to make!  I think they go well with coffee/tea or as a light sweet snack after dinner.  I also think that this would be a great dessert to bring to all the holiday parties that are right around the corner!

Enjoy!
E-

Makes 24

Ingredients

1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 Tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 cup all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Baking Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Beat sugar and butter with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes)
Add 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla and egg white, beat well
Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife
Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, stirring well until blended (dough will be stiff)
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface
Divide dough in half and roll each portion into a 12 inch log
Place log 2 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray
Form a ½ inch deep indentation down length of each log using an index finger or end of a wooden spoon
Spoon preserves into indentation
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned
Remove to a cutting board
Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and stir well with a whisk
Drizzle mixture over warm logs
Immediately cut each log diagonally into 12 slices (do no separate slices)
Cool 10 minutes and separate slices

Nutrition score per serving (1 cookie)
Calories                75
Fat                          2.5 grams
Saturated Fat     1.5 gram
Carbs                     12 grams
Protein                 .7 grams
Sodium                 56 mg

Monday, October 3, 2011

Schwaggle.com.....check it out!

Hello readers,

Many of your may be familiiar with the online websites like Groupon and Living Social that provide local deals and steals on anything from food and wine to teeth whitening and lasik.  Well there is a website out there what does the same thing for fitness fanatics.

The website is


and it provides local deals on gear, race entries, and much more.  Just like the other discount sites, you enter your city (they are available in 20 major US cities) and it will send daily email alerts listing the discounts available.  

It's a great way to get fit for less!  Go ahead and sign up for alerts and start getting in on all the steals and deals!

Happy shopping!

E-  

Beware the Exercise Halo!


I found this great blurb in the October issue of Self magazine and I wanted to share it with everyone.  It's called the exercise halo and it's a situation we are all familiar with (I know I am!).  You finish up a great workout (whether in the gym or outdoors) and you feel like a health angel, which is great.  The problem comes in when you feel so virtuous that you reward yourself with some not-so-healthy habits that may sabotage all of your hard work.  Beware these self sabotaging thoughts:

 
I melted mega calories this morning.  I can eat what I want today.

Research shows that most exercisers GROSSLY overestimate their calorie burn.  One study found that people who burned 200 calories by walking briskly thought they had burned 825 and they later overate by about 350 calories based on those miscalculations. 

Quick Fix:  Don't just guess the calories you burned, tally them in a reliable way using a HR monitor or an online calculator.  For most women a brisk walk zaps 5 calories per minutes (i.e. 45 minute walk = 225 calories)

I kicked boot camp booty.  I deserve a treat after my hard work.

True, but reward yourself with food and you may stall your slim down efforts.  It is incredibly easy to negate the weight loss effects of exercise with a single food item (I'm looking at you Starbucks Venti Caramel Frappucino!). 

Quick Fix:  Try inedible rewards such as a new song on your playlist or a mini massage or pedicure. 

While it is important to eat something after a workout to help restock your energy and repair your muscles, you want to make sure these are foods rick in carbs and protein.  You also want to make sure they aren't so calorie laden that they erase all your workout efforts (see above).  After a good strength training session a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese is a great snack and after a tough run try snacking on fruit or whole grain cereal. 

After a long run I find chocolate milk helps me feel my best plus is had the carbs and protein that I need to repair my body.

Hopefully this little post will help prevent a post workout over indulgence!!  If you are interested in what to eat BEFORE you workout, check out this uber helpful chart on SELF.com.

http://www.self.com/fitness/2011/10/exercise-and-appetite?currentPage=3

Happy workout everyone!
E-