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You can’t out-exercise a bad diet. Whether your fitness goal is building muscles, boosting energy, or losing weight, your nutrition plays a vital role. It provides the building blocks for everything from hormones that burn fat and help build muscles. A healthy diet is lower in calories and higher in nutrients necessary for every cell in your body to function. If you consume too many empty, high-calorie foods, you could exercise all day and not lose weight.

Obesity is the leading cause of preventable illness and preventable deaths.

The average American weighs far more than they did in the 1950s. Over the last 60 years, obesity has tripled. It drains the healthcare system of valuable dollars and destroys the quality of life of those who experience it. Part of the problem comes from inactivity. People use labor-saving devices and spend time in front of a screen today rather than in activities that burn calories. The real culprit is nutrition. There is an avalanche of new snack food and fast foods. People aren’t eating as healthy, and they’re eating more.

Good nutrition helps you stay healthy mentally and physically.

A poor diet negatively affects your body. A diet high in sugar does more than add pounds. It makes the immune system less effective and causes chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation leads to problems with auto-immune diseases, heart disease, and diabetes. Your diet also affects your mental health. It impacts your gut microbiome, which affects your mental health.

You’ll save money and time at the doctor by eating healthier.

Being sick or having a chronic disease saps more than your energy. It drains your pocketbook, too. The US Department of Agriculture found that eating a healthier diet could prevent many conditions and save a minimum of $71 billion. That doesn’t include the lost time from work or the productive time you lose sitting in the doctor’s office. The increased incidence of illness continues to make healthcare costs rise.

Increase your energy with a healthy diet.

Your body needs the right energy to function its best. If you’re living on sugary treats and simple carbohydrates, it’s like putting sugar in the gas tank of your car. It can clog up the works and cause damage. Every nutrient is necessary for some function. Healthy fats carry fat soluble vitamins, are vital to the production of hormones, and help burn fat. Protein helps build muscles and carbs provide energy. They all contain other nutrients, such as vitamins and phytochemicals.

• A diet high in sugar and simple carbs gives you quick energy that drops as dramatically as it rises, leaving you exhausted.
• A study in a violent prison in England changed the food by increasing prison food with omega-3 fatty acids and reducing those with omega-6. It cut violent occurrences dramatically.
• You’ll feel younger when you eat healthier, but you’ll also look younger, too. Eating the right foods can slow the signs of aging and keep your skin firm and elastic.
• If you participate in sports, you’ll do better when you eat healthier and time your meals and snacks. Eating a pre and post-workout snack improves your session and jump-starts the recovery process.

For more information, contact us today at VIP Fitness Center

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

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

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

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