It’s impossible to target just one area

Have you seen one of those countless new ab (lounger, rocker, blaster) machines that promise to help you tone your midsection? Do you believe they will do everything promised, from flattening your tummy to helping you lose weight? If you believe the hype it’s time for a spot reduction intervention.

Working only one part of your body, be it your arms, thighs, abs or butt, won’t get you the results you crave. And no, buying a several hundred dollar machine to target that area won’t make a bit of difference.

Why women want spot reduction
Every one of us has a body part we loathe. Even women who are generally happy with the way they look can pinpoint at least one body part they wish was a little smaller, firmer or more defined.

In an ideal world we could decide to work just that one area until it suits us. You’re satisfied with your weight overall but wish you could remove some of the fat on your thighs? Go out and purchase a thigh machine and use it everyday religiously until the fat starts melting off your legs.

You know as well as I do (probably from experience) that it’s never going to happen, but when you’re unhappy with the way your body looks it’s easy to get caught up in a product that promises easy solutions.

Why is spot reduction impossible?
• Fat can’t turn into muscle – The idea behind some of these spot reduction promises seems to be that training one body part will transform the fat in that area to muscle. Muscle and fat are two completely different things, one can’t turn into the other.
• Ab exercises don’t burn calories – After my last point you may be thinking, “It shouldn’t matter if fat can’t be transformed into muscle. If I work my abs shouldn’t I be losing fat in that area while also building muscle?” The answer is no. Losing weight (fat) requires expending more calories than you take in. About 3,500 less calories a week will result in one pound lost. Ab exercises (or most other isolation exercises) done alone burn a very small amount of calories, meaning no weight loss. So although you may be building ab muscles, they’ll likely be hidden beneath layers of fat
• You can’t choose where your body will gain or lose fat – Look around your group of girlfriends the next time you’re all together. Chances are you all have very different shapes. Even women who are the same height and weight carry their pounds differently. Some (apple shapes) store fat in the middle, while other (pear shapes) have small waists and larger hips and thighs. You can’t control where your body stores fat, so there’s no use trying.

A complete approach to fitness, which includes aerobic exercise and total body strength training is the only way to lose weight and reveal a toned body. Don’t be surprised if you find your body has its own ideas about where the weight will come off first.

crystals Uncategorized, women's fitness, working out fitness myths, toning abs

I’m going to let you in on my dirty little secret. I’m a bit very scattered when it comes to fitness goals, or any goals for that matter. It’s not that I lack goals, it’s the exact opposite…I usually have way too many on the go. In a matter of a few weeks I’ll decide I’m going to finally make it past that 15th push-up, teach myself to kneel unsupported on a stability ball while doing lateral dumbbell raises, run 5K and learn to play tennis. They are usually fairly lofty goals, so of course I don’t always succeed or I have to shelve them for a later date…ahem running. But some of the time I do hit the mark – six pull-ups in a row thank you very much.

This week the one-legged squat has caught my attention. The strength, balance and sheer determination required for a successful one-legged squat is much too tempting for me to resist. And what a party trick! Dropped you pen? Let me just lower my body down to the floor on one leg and pick that up for you.

Ok so I have had this goal before. It was about eight months ago, which was way too soon for my first attempt, but I quickly realised that and set it aside for later. This time around I’m starting slow, using a stability ball between my back and the wall to help make sure I don’t collapse in a twisted heap. I can’t get down to 90 degrees for more than one just yet, but I can do about 12 part way. And I will continue to add single leg squats to my routine each week until I can do two, then three, and one day maybe even 10.

The reason I think it’s a good idea to set goals both big and small (even though things don’t always work out in my favor) is I need something to get excited for.  There is no better feeling than suceeding at something I set out to do, especially if I wasn’t really sure I could do it.

If you set a lot of goals for yourself, chances are you’ll reach at least one. And once you do there’s another one waiting to be chased.

crystals staying inspired, women's fitness, working out muscle, working out

I receive emails from fitness websites and organizations on a daily basis.  Prevention Magazine, Women’s Health ACE, Can-Fit-Pro… I like to get the latest information and check out new and improved workout programs and exercises.

But one thing has been bothing me. And it’s not the fact that most of the emails I get are trying to sell me books about some new diet or weight loss program subscription. It’s also not the fact that some of these companies (I’m not mentioning any names) don’t find it at all ironic that many of the emails they’ve sent me in the past few years have been for the “last” or “only” workout or diet plan I’ll ever need. Then why do they keep creating new ones I wonder? But I digress.

The thing that bothers me is workout routines that target only one or two muscle groups. Who doesn’t want tanktop arms, a bodacious booty or awesome abs? The exercises in and of themselves aren’t bad. In fact I get a lot of my own moves and ideas from these types of emails. But if I’m spending 30 minutes, two to three times a week working my abdominals, when am I going to have time to work the rest of my muscles.

I know these exercises are a small part of a much bigger fitness routine, so I pick and choose the ones I like and add them to my reperetoire. But some people are so focussed on spot reduction, like getting rid of arm fat for example, that they forget about everything else and think doing eight exercises for their biceps, triceps and shoulders is all it’s going to take to lose fat in that area.

I get why these emails are sent out. If someone is stressing about the state of their stomach an email that screams “banish ab flab for good”, especially if it also specifies there is no exercise required (don’t even get me started on that), is what’s going to entice them to go to the website it came from.

For someone who is inactive and possibly overweight the promise of muscle definition and flat abs in a matter of weeks sounds too good to be true, and it is. If you read the fine print these spot training plans require healthy eating, cardiovascualr activity and even more strength training to be effective. Even then it often takes months to see results, unless you’re starving yourself and working out excessively, which isn’t a great way to make lasting lifestyle chanegs.

So ifyou want to send me emails with exercises suggestions that’s great, but be upfront about what is involved and what results are realistic.

crystals women's fitness, working out, workout routines strength training, working out

There’s no denying that the acrobatics exhibited in pole dancing or strippercise classes will get you a toned, sexy body. But what about those women who don’t possess the exhibitionist gene? Well they’ll just have to exercise with a different sort of pole, or rather set of poles.

These poles are similar to the ones used for cross country skiing and the activity that’s becoming more popular everyday is called pole walking, Nordic walking or any variety of other names used by companies selling their own brand of ergonomic walking sticks.

The premise is simple and effective. Using your upper body while walking engages more muscles and burns more calories, while not making you feel like you’re working harder. The numbers being touted are 20 to almost 50 percent more calories burned while walking with poles. Pole walking is also said to be good for posture and balance, as well as being easy on joints. Basically it’s beneficial for men and women of all ages and abilities.

Since most of the time I’m not that crazy about cardio I like the idea of doing more work and not feeling it. I also like that It would allow me to work my upper body aerobically without using a rowing machine (which I don’t have access to) or gripping the moving handlebars on a cross trainer (which I find uncomfortable).

A coworker of mine just earned her Urban Polling certification (I neglected to mention there is a specific technique you have to use getting the most benefit) and will be leading classes so I’ll check one out and let everyone know what I think. Anyone else hopped on the Nordic walking bandwagon yet?

crystals fitness equipment advice, women's fitness, working out aerobic workout, pole walking

If you know anything about corn syrup, it’s likely you know it’s not that good for you, although your taste buds may disagree. Here’s the condensed version of the full story:

For some time now popular opinion has been leaning towards pinpointing the consumption of high fructose corn syrup as a major cause of obesity. On the surface it makes sense. Just after this corn-based sweetener burst onto the scene as an ingredient in everything from soda to bread, people started gaining weight – and associated conditions such as diabetes. If corn syrup is not the direct cause of obesity, say some opponents, its initial low cost was a big contributor. With the arrival of corn syrup, sugary high-calorie foods could be priced lower and purchased more often.

More recently the Corn Refiners Association has been fighting back, claiming that since corn syrup is made from corn (the reason some consider it to be natural) and has the same amount of calories as sugar, it can’t possibly be as bad as people are making it out to be. (They also have on their side the fact that the FDA has ruled corn syrup safe to consume.)

Some researchers might disagree. As explained more fully in this Prevention Magazine article, studies have found links between diets high in fructose (which corn syrup is) and certain conditions associated with diabetes. Nothing conclusive, but enough to warrant further research. (As far as I know there have been no studies that show benefits of consuming high fructose corn syrup.)

So it seems high fructose corn syrup doesn’t have many redeeming qualities beyond its sugary flavour, but it also hasn’t been proven to be harmful. Maybe the lesson here is that rather than blindly trusting the information we’re given by scientists on either side of an argument, we should trust our own instincts. And if something is being touted as being “just as good” as something else, it’s helpful to consider what that “something else” is. If corn syrup is only as good as calorie-laden, nutrient poor sugar, should the comparison really make you think that it’s ok to eat more of it?

We all know there are better sweetener options out there than corn syrup and refined sugar. Honey and agave nectar are two natural alternatives to consider. But if we smother our food in honey it will still have a negative effect on our health and waistlines. So enjoy the sweetener you prefer, as long as you do it in moderation.

crystals dieting and fitness, nutrition and health, women's fitness diet, nutrition