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Change Your Life Today With Exercise

Change Your Life Today With Exercise

When you exercise, you build your body’s strength, endurance, and flexibility. You burn extra calories and trigger the release of endorphins throughout your body that make you feel good. You’ll improve your posture and your appearance. You might say that exercise can change your life. It improves your self-image. That can affect every area of life, whether it’s personal or professional. It takes consistency to achieve your goals, but the benefits make it worthwhile. You’ll feel like an entirely new person with extra energy and vigor.

Change your body composition and health.

Exercise can tone your muscles and replace fat with muscle tissue. Visceral fat, which accumulates on the belly, can increase inflammation that leads to serious conditions, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Exercise can improve oxygen intake and keep plaque from forming inside the blood vessels. It boosts the production of stem cells and lengthens telomeres that keep chromosomes from unraveling. That keeps you looking younger. Regular exercise improves your body at the cellular level by keeping cells healthier and providing replacements for damaged ones.

You’ll have less pain when you exercise regularly.

Exercise produces natural painkillers. It stimulates circulation and helps muscles heal faster. If you’re in pain from overexercising, you’ll feel better doing recovery workouts like walking. People with arthritis benefit from regular exercise. It reduces their pain. If you have joint pain, it stimulates the circulation of synovial fluid in the joints. Synovial fluid reduces friction in the joints. Exercise builds ligament and muscle strength to provide support for the joints. Back pain often occurs because of weak core muscles and tight muscles. It can be relieved with exercise.

You’ll look amazing.

Regular exercise can improve your skin. One small study found that when people exercise regularly, it made their skin more supple and improved elasticity. Exercising improves your posture. It helps you stand taller to look thinner and more confident. That leads to people treating you as though you are confident and capable. It also helps you lose weight and keep it from returning.

  • People who exercise regularly and promote an attractive appearance are often perceived as more capable and ambitious than their overweight counterparts, even though it may not be true.
  • Sticking with your fitness goal and exercising can help you achieve goals in other areas of your life. Success begets even more success. You’ll also have the energy to achieve those goals.
  • Your mood will be better when you exercise regularly. Exercise improves gut microbes that affect your mood. It triggers the release of feel-good hormones. Therapists often use exercise as an adjunct therapy.
  • Our trainers can help you with an exercise program designed for your goals, special needs, and fitness level. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting an exercise program.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Get The Body You Want

Get The Body You Want

In Fort Lee, NJ, you can get the body you want. We can help you do it. Of course, it has to be achievable. If you are 5’5″ and want to be 6’2″, we can’t help, but if you want to look and feel your best and be the best version of yourself, get ready to start on the road to success. It’s not always easy. It takes the right program and a consistent effort. We can help you with both. We tailor the program to your goals, special needs, and fitness level. Our personal trainers motivate you to reach it.

A great body starts in the kitchen.

Getting the right nutrition can make the difference between success and failure when striving for the perfect you. We’ll help you learn your nutritional needs and focus on foods that provide all the necessary nutrients with the right amount of calories to help you reach your goal: weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain. Eating healthier can help you attain your goal and maintain the body you want without dieting.

Start a workout program.

Our trainers will guide you through a fitness program that is the most efficient in attaining the body you want. You’ll build muscle tissue as you lose fat and boost your energy level. You can tone muscles, change your body composition, and build endurance, strength, flexibility, and balance. Regular exercise strengthens the heart, improves digestion, keeps you looking and feeling younger, and boosts your immune system. You’ll feel stronger and more in charge.

We track your progress and hold you accountable.

When you go to the gym to meet with your trainer, you’ll be more likely to go since someone is waiting for you and knows if you’ve skipped your workout. Trainers also push you to work harder but still safely within your capabilities. When it comes to training, not all exercises are alike. Some have quicker results. The trainers know the latest scientific workouts to maximize your exercise time and help you achieve the body you want quickly.

  • Changes don’t occur quickly. You may not see the differences or feel them since they’re slow. That’s why tracking your workout is so important. You can look back and see how far you’ve come.
  • Trainers make sure you don’t overtrain and give your muscles a chance to heal. It takes 48 to 72 hours after strength training or a strenuous session for the microtears in muscles to heal. If you push too hard too often, it can diminish some of the progress you made.
  • Making lifestyle changes not only improves your body now but helps keep it healthy and fit for the rest of your life. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, good hydration, and a healthy diet are the first three changes you should make.
  • You won’t ever get the body you want if you never start. It’s time to take charge of your life and quit hoping and wishing something will change. Only you can make a difference in your life, but we can help you do it.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Heart Racing, Low-Impact Workouts

Heart Racing, Low-Impact Workouts

Most people don’t know the difference between high and low-impact workouts. Running is a high-impact workout while walking is a low-impact one. When you run, once in every stride, both feet are off the ground. When the foot lands, it takes the impact of the body weight hitting the ground. When walking, you always have one foot on the ground, limiting the impact. If you are severely overweight or already have joint issues, high-impact exercises can cause joint injury. You don’t have to risk it to get a good cardio workout with these exercises.

Ride a bike, speed walk, swim, or row for low-impact cardio.

If you’ve ever speed-walked without running to get to a destination, you know it can be as exhausting and wearing as any run. Hiking up a hill on rough terrain can also get your heart pumping. Riding a bike at top speed up a vertical incline can leave you panting and make your heart race. Any exercise where at least one foot remains on the ground or pedals and that boosts your heart rate is a good low-impact cardio workout. Not only does it NOT hurt your joints, it helps them. The increased circulation also increases the synovial fluid circulation. Synovial fluid lubricates the joints and protects them.

Have you considered strength-builder circuit training?

Many strength-builder exercises are low impact. You can push yourself and reduce the time between sets to increase your heart rate. Consider turning your workout into circuit training by doing 30 seconds of planks, 30 seconds of pull-ups, and a minute of stationary biking. Always start any training with warm-up exercises and end them with cool-down ones. Warm-ups are stretches that prepare your muscles and ones that help your body get back to normal after an intense workout. You’ll build strength, endurance, and flexibility.

Get a good workout while you protect your joints with aquatic workouts.

Whether swimming, exercising or just walking in the water, you’re working against the resistance of the water. It’s 12 times more beneficial than doing the same movement on the ground. The water keeps your body buoyant, so there’s less stress on your knees when you walk. You can do almost any exercise in the water, and they’re low-impact. You also build core strength. Pool exercises are excellent recovery workouts.

  • Lunges are excellent low-impact exercises. You can go forward, side, and backward lunges. Another versatile workout is the squat. Modify them to work different muscles by adjusting foot width or the direction you point your toes.
  • Try yoga or tai chi. You’ll be surprised at how these seemingly easy and slow-moving exercises can get your heart racing, especially when you first start.
  • You don’t need gym equipment to get a low-impact cardio workout. Climb a set of stairs. Go as fast as you can, but rest when necessary. As your body gets in condition, cut the rest time, go faster, or climb more stairs.
  • Always check with your healthcare professional first before starting any fitness program. If you have special needs or physical limitations, getting the help of a personal trainer is beneficial.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Healthy Snacking - Delicious Ideas For A New Start

Healthy Snacking – Delicious Ideas For A New Start

Many people in Fort Lee, NJ, believe snacking is bad for you, especially if you’re trying to lose weight. That’s not true. It can be healthy when you choose the right food. Don’t select a bag of M&M’s, even ones containing nutritious peanuts. Search out snacks that are low in calories and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. They should satisfy your hunger for longer and taste good. If you’re trying to lose weight, keep them under 200 calories.

Go natural with fresh fruit and dip.

One of the simplest treats is watermelon or cantaloupe sliced or cubed and ready to eat. You can also use fruit in other ways. Yogurt with fruit already in it isn’t the best snack. It has a lot of sugar. You can use a small amount for a dip. Mix two tablespoons of your favorite yogurt with fruit and two tablespoons of Truwhip. Truwhip is a healthier whipped topping. Use the combination as a dip for grapes, apple slices, or other fruit. It only adds 60 calories. If you slice a whole apple or banana, the total calories are less than 200.

Create a Greek yogurt parfait.

Use half a 5.3-ounce container of full-fat Greek yogurt, about two heaping tablespoons. The healthy fat and protein in the yogurt keep you full longer. Put one half in a pint mason jar and add a layer of fresh or frozen berries. Slice half of a ripe banana and layer it on the berries. Put the rest of the yogurt on top and sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Put on the lid and store in the refrigerator until you’re ready for a snack. It’s about 200 calories. Mix the banana and yogurt until it’s creamy before you add it. It’s even more satisfying.

Another filling snack contains avocados.

Avocados contain both fiber and healthy fat. Both keep you full longer. The fiber slows your digestion and sugar absorption, which keeps your blood sugar level. You can mash the avocado and use it in place of butter on whole grain toast, eat half of it plain topped with hot sauce, or make guacamole to dip celery and other vegetables. Make guacamole by mashing the avocado and adding chopped tomatoes, onions, cilantro, lime juice, and salt to taste. You can also add garlic or garlic salt.

  • Have snacks ready for when the hunger strikes. Store them in individual serving sizes. You’ll know the exact number of calories it contains.
  • A tablespoon of nut butter on apple slices or a banana is about 200 calories. It provides carbs, protein, and healthy fat, which keeps you full longer.
  • Eat a pre-workout snack 30-60 minutes before and one right after a workout to improve your session and start recovery. It should be a combination of protein and carbs. Cottage cheese and unsweetened applesauce or mini sweet peppers stuffed with cream cheese.
  • A filling snack that provides fiber but few calories is popcorn. Make it in a special microwaveable dish or air popper. Don’t add butter. Instead, use the popcorn toppings like cheddar cheese or jalapeno.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Side Effects Of Heating Food In Plastic Containers

Side Effects Of Heating Food In Plastic Containers

You plan and make your meals ahead and pack them in plastic containers. All you have to do is heat and serve. One problem people in Fort Lee, NJ, often ask is whether there are side effects from heating food that way. It’s certainly convenient. It all depends on the type of plastic and whether it’s microwave safe or if the plastic contains BPA, PET, or bisphenol-S—BPS.

What is BPA?

BPA stands for Bisphenol-A. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalates. BPS is the acronym for bisphenol-S. These are chemicals that are concerning. Plastic containing BPA was banned in 2013 from making packaging for infant formulas. At one time, most cans were lined with BPA plastic, but today, 95% are BPA-free. PET was in single-use water bottles. It’s BPA-free but has problems of its own. These plastics leach out the BPA and PET when heated. That allows the carcinogenic, neurotoxic, endocrine-disrupting chemicals to enter the food.

What other problems come from heating food in the wrong type of plastic containers?

Some chemicals that may leach into food when heating containers. Those chemicals may interfere with the biological hormone receptors. It can cause low birth weight when ingested by pregnant women. It can affect fertility, pose an increased risk for breast cancer, and stunt brain development in children. Some have long-lasting effects even when low doses are ingested. Since many chemicals used are endocrine disrupters, it increases the risk of diabetes, reproductive problems, metabolic disorders, obesity, and reproductive issues.

Look for the symbols or words for reassurance.

If the plastic says microwave-safe, has a microwave icon, or the words microwavable, they’re safe for use. They’re made to stand up to the microwave heat with minimal leaching. If the plastic has a recycling code 1, 2, 3, or 5, you can use it to heat supper. It’s heat stable and may not leach the chemicals into food. Don’t heat the plastic with recycling numbers 3, 6, or 7 in the microwave.

  • If you have concerns, transfer your food to a glass dish before microwaving it. Don’t use plastic wrap on food in the microwave. Check take-out containers before reheating food.
  • Never use old, scratched, or cracked containers. If you’ve microwaved a container several times, it may be time to retire it. Leave the lid slightly ajar to vent. Don’t let the lid press on the food.
  • Instead of reusing plastic water bottles, get a metal or glass water bottle to refill. If the plastic container has a 7, without the letters PLA or a leaf symbol, it may contain BPA.
  • Microwaving isn’t the only thing that causes the plastic to become more unstable. Putting them in the dishwasher also can. Storing fatty foods in them also can create similar issues.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Does Fasting Ruin My Metabolism?

Does Fasting Ruin My Metabolism?

Fasting is a general term for many ways of consuming or not consuming food. There are water fasts that can last for days and intermittent fasting that may last a few hours. Some of these may affect your metabolism negatively, while others may have a positive effect. What is the difference in how the body reacts? It all depends on whether you’ve reached starvation mode and how restrictive it is.

Long water fasts may slow your metabolism.

If you only drink water on your fast and consume no calories for days, you might slow your metabolism. Even a severe calorie-restricted diet for a long time can cause a problem. Your body senses a shortage of food and imminent starvation. It reacts as it was created to avoid death and slows the metabolism. That ensures survival by saving the calories for vital functions like brain, heart, and lung functions. You have to boost your metabolism once the fast ends. Building muscle with exercise helps.

Fasts that won’t harm your metabolism include intermittent fasts.

Intermittent fasting can be achieved in several ways. The most common method is to shorten the window when you eat. It’s often done by eating within an eight-hour window and fasting the other sixteen hours. Your body never senses starvation, so it doesn’t diminish your metabolism. Another way to do intermittent fasting is to eat severely calorie-restricted diets three days a week and eat the normal amount of calories on the other days. Some people include feast days in their fasts, where they eat more than their normal calories.

Intermittent fasting has other benefits.

Studies show intermittent fasting may make you healthier. It may slow aging and potentially improve your metabolism when compared to calorie-restricted diets. It allows your body to flush out damaged cells and may help prevent inflammation that can cause asthma, stroke, arthritis, MS, and Alzheimer’s.

  • Some people use a 12-hour window to eat and a 12-hour window to fast. It’s easy to do since seven or eight hours are spent sleeping. You can eat breakfast at seven and stop eating at seven that night.
  • One reason intermittent fasting works so well is that your energy level never dips. It helps improve fat burning without burning muscle tissue, increases the creation of stem cells, and helps regulate blood sugar.
  • You need to consume healthy food when you eat as part of your fat. It doesn’t matter whether you’re consuming a liquid diet of juices or a calorie-restricted diet. Choosing healthy food is a must.
  • You can’t use long-term fasts for extended periods. Your body requires food. Without adequate calories, it starts breaking down muscle tissue. Always check with your healthcare provider before starting any fast.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


Indoor And Outdoor Cycling Tips

Indoor And Outdoor Cycling Tips

It’s an inspiring experience watching the leaves change while cycling outdoors in Fort Lee, NJ, in the fall. You’ll experience the refreshing breeze and the palette of colors whether you take the shorter Edgar Felix Memorial Bikeway or push yourself to the limit on the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park Trail. Biking outdoors is more limited once the snow starts to fall. That’s when indoor cycling becomes more popular. Each has its benefits. Here are some tips to help maximize your experience.

Find the cycling best for you.

Some people never choose between the great outdoors and the pedal-in-place cycling. They determine the one to use by their time limits, reason for riding, weather conditions, and preferences. Indoor cycling is the safest option for novice riders. Experienced riders may want more adventure and a challenging path. Air quality and the changing weather are challenges when riding outside that you don’t experience indoors.

You have more control indoors.

Take advantage of the control you have. Controlling the intensity and time isn’t precise unless you know each curve, pothole, and twist in the road. If you’re trying to shed weight, indoor cycling is best. It’s also safer, more convenient, best for beginners, and easier to track your progress. If you’re power training, use indoor cycling. If you’re having problems sticking with your program because you get bored, outdoor cycling should be your choice. It’s good for your mental health and more relaxing.

When cycling indoors, have a towel handy.

You won’t necessarily sweat more indoors, but it will seem like it unless you have a fan blowing on you or good air conditioning. When the outside temperature rises, riding indoors in air conditioning may be the best option. If you’re riding outside, carry plenty of water and wear breathable clothing that wicks sweat. Dress in layers when riding outside in the fall, winter, and spring. You can remove the layers to remain comfortable as your body warms.

  • If you’re riding outside at dawn, dusk, or dark, wear reflective clothing. Always let someone know where you’re riding or ride with a partner. Carry your cell phone with you and allow someone to track it.
  • To maximize the benefits of indoor cycling, adjust the intensity. Use interval training. Push it to the max to increase your heart rate, then slow it down to a recovery pace. Switch back and forth between the two.
  • Whether you’re cycling outdoors or indoors, don’t forget to warm up before starting. A five-minute warm-up session can ease your legs into an intense ride and prepare the muscles for the challenge that’s about to occur.
  • Having a bike or bike set-up that allows you to ride comfortably helps you maintain your posture. You should be able to sit comfortably. It shouldn’t put undue stress on your back.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


The Benefits Of Strength Training For Women

The Benefits Of Strength Training For Women

At VIP Fitness, we use strength training to benefit both men and women. While some women worry they’ll build bulging Hulk-like muscles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Female hormones prevent bulking up. Women bodybuilders have a grueling workout and strict diet to build their muscles. Some even take it a step further using chemical methods.

Women can improve their body composition.

That also boosts their metabolism to make it easier to lose weight. Muscle burns more calories to maintain, so the more you have, the more calories you burn 24/7. Muscle tissue is more dense and weighs more per cubic inch. Even if you don’t lose weight, you’ll lose inches. Your clothes will fit better, your posture will improve, and the backaches and pains of poor posture will disappear.

The older you get; the more important strength training becomes.

Once a woman passes menopause, the risk of osteoporosis increases. Osteoporosis is the leaching of calcium from the bone. It weakens them and makes them brittle. When the muscles tug on the bones, they calcify to stay strong. The more it tugs, the more dense the bone becomes. If the muscles aren’t challenged with weight-bearing exercises, there’s no need for the bones to be strong. When the calcium leaches, the bones become weak. Strength training can help recalcify the bone. Younger women have a limited risk due to estrogen. Menopause changes all that. Studies show that menopausal women who are inactive have twice the bone mass loss as active women.

Avoid high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and menstrual cramps with strength training.

You’ll lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity by doing strength training. When your blood sugar is high, your body sends insulin. Insulin signals the cells to open and uptake the sugar. Insulin resistance causes the cells to be less responsive, so the body makes more insulin. Exercise helps burn glycogen stores in the muscles and gives them the capacity to hold more, making cells more receptive. Insulin resistance causes belly fat, food cravings, and weight gain. Improving insulin sensitivity makes weight loss easier and can help reverse type 2 diabetes.

  • Unless people work hard to stop the process, the body starts losing muscle in the mid-thirties. You lose between 3 to 5% every decade. Lack of strength can cause the inability to do the activities of daily living in senior years and impede independent living.
  • When you do strength training, you’ll reduce back pain, arthritis pain, and chronic depression. You’ll have more energy and a better attitude. Obesity leads to chronic and terminal illness. Strength training can reverse or prevent it.
  • Women with menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes, can be helped with strength training. One study found that 15 weeks of training cut the occurrence of hot flashes in half and helped shed menopausal weight gain.
  • Strength training can help improve the quality of health during pregnancy. It can reduce complications during pregnancy and make delivery easier. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any exercise program.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


The Dangers Of Using Steroids

The Dangers Of Using Steroids

There are two types of steroids, anabolic-androgenic—AAS and corticosteroids. Both are beneficial for treating some medical conditions. Corticosteroids fight inflammation. Anabolic-androgenic steroids help people with diseases that cause tissue wasting, such as cancer and AIDS. Anabolic androgenic are also considered performance-enhancing drugs. These drugs are synthetic testosterone. Their use comes with dangers that far outweigh their benefits when not used for medical reasons but to build muscle artificially and improve physical prowess.

Short-term use has immediate side effects.

When using AAS to build muscle or improve performance, even if it’s for a short time, side effects begin to develop. Acne, fatigue, mood swings, decreased appetite, agitation, sleep disorders, and impotence are a few. Localized infection can occur when injected. There is often a distinctive smell. Most people who use steroids do it to become bigger and look better. New studies show using steroids can lead to a mental condition called body dysphoria, which causes the person to continuously be unhappy about how they look and loss of self-esteem.

Long term use has lethal consequences.

If you’ve spent any time in a gym, you’ve probably heard or have seen someone with roid rage. It’s excessive anger or aggression over something minor. Long-term use can cause paranoia, delusions, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, liver tumors, and sometimes infections affecting the whole body from injecting the drug. It can cause men’s testicles to shrink, increase breast tissue in men, erectile dysfunction, baldness, and fertility issues in men. It causes excessive hair growth, decreased breast size, baldness, a deeper voice, fertility issues, and irregular menstrual cycles in women.

It’s difficult to quit using steroids once you start.

As with everything with the body and building muscle, each person has a different experience. Some people may not experience any side effects, while others may experience all of them, including lethal side effects. Some of the side effects can be reversed. Some are difficult to reverse, including low libido and erectile dysfunction. It may take up to a year. Some risks are permanent. It’s not worth the risk to play Russian roulette with your health when you can build naturally.

  • Approximately 30% of people taking AAS will develop a dependency syndrome. About 65% of the people who quit AAS will start retaking them within a year.
  • Men’s testicles shrink because the increased testosterone in the body signals they’re no longer necessary to produce testosterone.
  • One study of 245 men followed three groups of people. One group was presently using AAS, one group had quit, and the third group never used them. The group using and who previously used had 25-29% higher self-reported mental issues like depression compared to the 6% of the never-users.
  • Even though it’s slower, you’ll feel better, have better health, and get the satisfaction of knowing you accomplished it with your hard work.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center


The Benefits Of Strength Training For Women

At VIP Fitness, we use strength training to benefit both men and women. While some women worry they’ll build bulging Hulk-like muscles. Nothing could be further from the truth. Female hormones prevent bulking up. Women bodybuilders have a grueling workout and strict diet to build their muscles. Some even take it a step further using chemical methods.

Women can improve their body composition.

That also boosts their metabolism to make it easier to lose weight. Muscle burns more calories to maintain, so the more you have, the more calories you burn 24/7. Muscle tissue is more dense and weighs more per cubic inch. Even if you don’t lose weight, you’ll lose inches. Your clothes will fit better, your posture will improve, and the backaches and pains of poor posture will disappear.

The older you get; the more important strength training becomes.

Once a woman passes menopause, the risk of osteoporosis increases. Osteoporosis is the leaching of calcium from the bone. It weakens them and makes them brittle. When the muscles tug on the bones, they calcify to stay strong. The more it tugs, the more dense the bone becomes. If the muscles aren’t challenged with weight-bearing exercises, there’s no need for the bones to be strong. When the calcium leaches, the bones become weak. Strength training can help recalcify the bone. Younger women have a limited risk due to estrogen. Menopause changes all that. Studies show that menopausal women who are inactive have twice the bone mass loss as active women.

Avoid high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and menstrual cramps with strength training.

You’ll lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and improve insulin sensitivity by doing strength training. When your blood sugar is high, your body sends insulin. Insulin signals the cells to open and uptake the sugar. Insulin resistance causes the cells to be less responsive, so the body makes more insulin. Exercise helps burn glycogen stores in the muscles and gives them the capacity to hold more, making cells more receptive. Insulin resistance causes belly fat, food cravings, and weight gain. Improving insulin sensitivity makes weight loss easier and can help reverse type 2 diabetes.

Unless people work hard to stop the process, the body starts losing muscle in the mid-thirties. You lose between 3 to 5% every decade. Lack of strength can cause the inability to do the activities of daily living in senior years and impede independent living.

When you do strength training, you’ll reduce back pain, arthritis pain, and chronic depression. You’ll have more energy and a better attitude. Obesity leads to chronic and terminal illness. Strength training can reverse or prevent it.

Women with menopausal symptoms, like hot flashes, can be helped with strength training. One study found that 15 weeks of training cut the occurrence of hot flashes in half and helped shed menopausal weight gain.

Strength training can help improve the quality of health during pregnancy. It can reduce complications during pregnancy and make delivery easier. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any exercise program.