Fast and Fit News

10,000 Steps

Judi Bannister — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:52:42 +0000

Maybe you’ve read about the guidelines for walking 10,000 steps per day and I expect you are asking yourself, as I used to do, well how far is 10,000 steps anyway? For the average person, it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk 1 mile, and 10,000 steps for approximately 5 miles.

A reasonable goal is to increase average daily steps each week by 500/day, until you can easily average 10,000/day.

Wearing a pedometer is an easy way to track your steps. Wear one everyday for a week and record your daily steps. By the end of the week you’ll know your average daily step count.

Joyce and I use one and have found the Gaim brand (which you can purchase at Raleys for $10), works just fine. You have to set it up for your stride, but once that’s done, you are ready to put on your walking shoes and start stepping out!

Who Has Time for Warming Up Anyway?

Judi Bannister — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 02:43:44 +0000

The question you should be asking yourself is how can I not include time for warming up? Joyce, Tamara and Judi can all validate the importance of warming up as we often just jump up and go right into demonstrating exercises, without warming up beforehand, and therefore creating stress in our own bodies.

Without properly preparing the body for physical exertion, there are many risks you might find yourself taking. For example, not warming up can lead to sprained muscles, body pain, and other injuries. These ailments can ultimately result in you having to cut back or even eliminate exercise altogether for a period of time, which is never helpful when you are trying to stay on track with leading a healthy lifestyle.

When you warm up your muscles, you are basically improving their flexibility. For example, you can do small arm circles to improve the elasticity of your shoulder muscles, making it more comfortable when using weights, or some simple leg raises performed while lying on your back can provide substantial protection and comfort during a run on the elliptical machine.

Warming up your body does more than just get your muscles ready for a workout; it helps your blood pressure stay consistent and improves the movement of your limbs. When you increase the circulation in your body, you might find that you can run a little faster or do an extra set of weight training. Improving your circulation will also help fluids properly get absorbed where it’s needed during a workout, in the muscles.

So, the next time you come to the gym, pick up a mini list from our “box of warm up exercises” or you can take your cues from a list posted on the wall, or just ask one of the staff.

10 Benefits of Working Out

Judi Bannister — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:21:16 +0000

According to Consumer Reports on Health - 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week can help you: 1. Lose Weight. 2. Sleep Better. 3. Ease Hip and Joint Pain. 4. Have Better Sex. 5. Boost Mood. 6. Strengthen Bones. 7. Prevent Falls. 8. Ward Off Cancer. 9. Improve Cholesterol levels. 10. Lower Blood Pressure. There are many more that I could add - but this is a good start. What are you waiting for!

High Intensity Interval Training Testimonial

Judi Bannister — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 18:21:56 +0000

After over two years of being a Fast and Fit member is has become extremely easy for me to hop onto an elliptical machine and grind out a couple of miles in no time and with minimal effort. I plug in my iPod, maybe flip through a magazine, and basically zone out until I’m through. While this is an easy and enjoyable way to spend 20 minutes it was brought to my attention (by Joyce, of course) that it might not be the most effective way to bump up my cardio workout and lose weight or gain endurance. So with some encouragement and a little push (also from Joyce, of course), I started practicing interval training during my elliptical workout. I start with a 3 minute warm up, then I alternate between 1 minute of high intensity “running” at a higher level and 3 minutes of slow walking where I allow my heart rate to return to normal before pushing myself again for another 60 seconds. After two miles of this I am about to fall off of the machine and I can definitely feel that I have worked out. There is absolutely no time for zoning out during high intensity interval training. Once I started interval training I could tell an almost immediate difference in my endurance and it has helped me start to lose weight again after hitting the much dreaded plateau. Instead of being bored with the same old routine on the elliptical, interval training has focused my body and mind and made the elliptical a challenge again. In the fitness world where routine often leads to stagnation and stagnation signals the inevitable decline of physical health, high intensity interval training keeps my body guessing and my mind engaged in such a way that routine and stagnation are impossible.

Megan C - Member since July, 2009

Why Is It Necessary to Warm Up BEFORE Exercising?

Judi Bannister — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 05:17:55 +0000

Don’t we all just want to”get on with it”? However, warming up IS your first form of moving exercise for your workout. It’s moving your body so that your heart recognizes that something active it happening inside your body. Don’t get warming up confused with stretching - they are completely different. Stretching is NOT active! Warming up leads to an efficient calorie burn by increasing your core body temp. It produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions and increases your metablolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles quickly. There are many more benefits to “Warming Up” - check with the staff at Fast and Fit.

Stretching

Judi Bannister — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 05:07:25 +0000

Stretching tones and lengthens your body’s muscles, helps create a streamlined silhouette, and can even make it easier to shift those stubborn pounds - it also relaxes the mind, putting you in a positive mood to deal with your day. Make it a priority to stretch after your workouts - your body will thank you.

Throw Away Your Scale!

Judi Bannister — Tue, 24 May 2011 01:06:33 +0000

The weight scale may not immediately reflect a healthier body composition, since muscle tissue weighs more than fat. But most people, who start a regular exercise program and eat a healthy diet, will experience within weeks, the positive effects of their clothes fitting loser, their bodies toning up and feeling more energized. That’s because the gained health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity reach beyond burning calories. Research has shown that people who exercise most days of the week can reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and some cancers.

What To Do When It Snows!

Judi Bannister — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:30:52 +0000

Keep a stability ball or resistance band in your guest room …. bring them out when it snows so you can have something to do that keeps you moving when you can’t make it to Fast and Fit. Sitting on a stability ball strengthens your abs, back and posture. Resistance bands will tone and strengthen your muscles. There’s nothing more fun (!) that watching the snow fall while doing some band exercises - believe me I did it!

Remember the Hula Hoop?

Judi Bannister — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 22:28:02 +0000

As young girls, who didn’t have their own hula hoop? Mine was yellow - why I can remember 50 years later is a hoot, and although, in retrospect, it looked like fun and games, a new study has found that hula hooping can provide a serious workout! No kidding!

The study, commissioned by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and conducted by a team from the exercise and health program at the University of Wisconsin-la Crosse, found that a 30 minute hooping sessions burns an average of 210 calories, similar calorie expenditure to that provided by boot camp style workouts, step aerobics and cardio kickboxing.

So whatcha know …. come to Fast and Fit for Women and hula hoop to your heart’s content.

Rebounding: Clease your Cardiovascular & Lymphatic Systems

Judi Bannister — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 03:21:22 +0000

There is a most efficient and enjoyable way to boost your immunity to viruses and to ward of all sorts of illness naturally, without using more supplements or drugs, and keep your lymphatic system healthy. It’s called rebounding! A rebounder (it’s like a mini trampoline with a handle to support you) can rid your body of toxins, such as dead and cancerous cells, nitrogenous wastes, fat, infectious viruses, heavy metals, and other material cast off by the cells. Your movements can be as easy as a gentle push with your feet onto the pad, or jumping a few inches off the mat. (No somersaults or twists on this piece of equipment, so don’t worry). We have one at Fast and Fit for Women, and we love it.