Fitness Fashion 101

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness

One of the most important things that is most often overlooked when someone thinks about fitness and getting healthy is if they are actually wearing the right things to workout in!

There are some VERY important staple items that women (and men) need to have in order to be prepared for their rigorous workout routines.

1) Good, comfortable, appropriate shoe!
One of the most common mistakes that people make is that they start working out with just any average pair of shoes…or a pair of shoes they have tucked in the back of their closet.
It is optimal to find a shoe appropriate for the activities you plan to be doing.
If you do go out to find a new pair of shoes, running shoes are meant for running and walking shoes are meant for walking. These shoes are designed to help give you support in targeted areas. For those who will be jogging, walking, and spending time in the gym, cross-trainer shoes are a good suggestion. These shoes are usually light weight but also give you great support in all of the main areas. Most (if not all) major shoe stores have workers that are supposed to be educated on what type of shoe is best for certain activities. So if you are ever in doubt please be sure to ask!
Also your workout shoes should be used for one thing…to work out in! They should not be used for everyday common uses. Even if you need to break them in, break them in by working out in them. That is the best way to get the optimal use out of those shoes.

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2) ATTENTION WOMEN: Are you working out with the right sports bra?
Yes sports bra…not a regular bra…but a bra made to support you during your workouts.
When looking for a GOOD sports bra, be prepared to spend a little money on one. But in the end it will be worth it! You want to find a bra that will house each breast in its own cup. This is the best to find because it can help reduce bouncing significantly compared to regular shelf bras and help support them. Look for “High Performance/High Impact” on the bra sale tag. This is a good indication that the bra is built to help support you through high intensity workouts. You also want to try to focus on bras that come in bra sizes and not the regular small, medium, or large. This is because the bras built to specific sizes are better engineered to fit your body type. Purchasing your bra from a “bra store” is also a good idea because the workers there can fit you into a bra that works best for you. Be sure to give the bra a test run when you try it on. Don’t be afraid to jump around and flop your arms (as if you are doing real exercise activities). This will allow you to know if the bra is comfortable to workout in. Also, you can check out this article for some great sport bra options.

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3) Are you wearing the right clothes?
To be honest I like to wear old t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts to workout in. The attire you wear it strictly up to what YOU like. Some people like to wear form fitting clothes and other like to wear baggy clothes. No matter what you wear, make sure you are comfortable in them and that they do not limit the activities you will be able to do during your workout. It is suggested that you remove your sweaty clothes as soon as possible after your workout. Those sweaty clothes house sweat, bacteria, and dirt/oils secreted from your body. Try to wash whatever clothes you wear according to the washing label. Washing clothes in the wrong temperature/condition can cause more wear and tear on the clothes and not allow them to last as long. Ladies, you may want to consider washing your bras and high elastic sports tops/bottoms in the gentle cycle to help preserve the elastic that is in the clothing. Try not to wear the same outfit several times in a row if you can avoid it (yes this includes socks). It has been suggested to let your workout clothes dry out instead of balling them up and throwing them in the hamper right after a workout. This will allow the sweat to dry out and limit the chance for more bacteria growth or the growth of mold/mildew.

I hope these few simple tips will help you when starting (or continuing) your workout routines. Some of the things listed will also help you prevent injuries with your workout (having the right pair of shoes is very important to help limit the chance of injury).

Please feel free to stop by my site infinitelifefitness.com for more fitness and health related topics.

Women’s Fitness: What’s True and What’s False

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness

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When it comes to health and fitness, there are tons of advice and tips that have been shared. The problem is not all of those are true! Today, I would like to go over the true and false facts when it comes to fitness.

Women think that if they train with weights, this will cause them to look muscular and bulk up like men

FALSE: It is very unlikely that you will bulk up to gain muscles like those of body builders. It is almost impossible for the average woman to look like that with a light weight routine added to their fitness routine. Yes some women may bulk up a little more than others, but not to the extent of someone who looks like a body builder. Lifting weights helps you to get a well-defined, toned, fit looking body. Women who do have masculine type muscles most likely take anabolic steroids (a synthetic type of testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve the intense muscularity they show off in fitness competitions. Weight lifting has been proven to help you lose weight faster and to help you keep it off in the long run.

Doing only crunches (or an abs machine) will help you gain that 6-pack you always dreamed of

FALSE: There is no such thing as target training. You cannot just do one thing and expect it to magically work in that area. In order to achieve your desired fitness goals you have to have a well-rounded workout. You have to target the main areas as well as have a cardio workout. To get rid of belly fat you have to slim down by losing those extra calories.

Drinking water will help you lose weight

TRUE: There are many different articles (such as this one) that support evidence of drinking more water to aid you in shedding those unwanted calories. Drinking water is a great substitute to other drinks you have during the day. It will help you cut down on calories as well as keep your body hydrated.

If you are not sweating you are not working hard enough

FALSE: When you sweat that is your body’s way of trying to cool you down. Everyone’s body is different! If you may notice some people sweat way more than others and in some cases some people do not sweat very much at all. It is possible to have a great workout without your body pouring out with sweat.

Running on a treadmill (or other machine) puts less stress on your knees than running on asphalt or pavement

FALSE: Any type of fitness routine that involves running will bear on your knees and other joints. It does not matter what type of surface, but overall it will still have the same end result….sore knees. The best way to help limit this is to vary your workout. Trying doing several different types of cardio routines that you can switch between. This can be done by using other machines in the gym or using a bike.

Stretching before a workout can help you prevent injuries

TRUE: It is actually suggested that you stretch before and after your workout to help your muscles. There have been dozens of studies done to help prove this to be true. Stretching your major muscle groups for about 30 seconds each before and after your workout is something you should incorporate into your fitness routine.

Sports bras are only good for helping prevent your boobs from painfully bouncing all over the place

TRUE AND FALSE: Yes sports bras help to prevent your boobs from bouncing out of control during your workouts, but it has also been proven to help prevent your breast from sagging. Yes it is a known fact that gravity and time are attributed to the cause of sagging, but is has also been shown that high intensity activities loosen the connective tissues that keep your breast firm. So be sure you have the right type of bra when you are working out. And it is also suggested that you get your bras replaced once a year.

Carbs are bad for you

FALSE: There are some diets out there that suggest that you should stay away from carbs if you want to achieve your desired results. Well that is not all true. It is never good to cut out one whole food group from your diet (no matter what type of diet suggests it)! You need carbs to fuel your body! The main idea should be to lower your intake on carbs (not cut them out of your diet completely). You should learn what good carbs are and what bad carbs are so you can make sure you are consuming the best nutrients for your body.

I hope that I have helped clarify some popular fitness myths.

Please check out my personal health and fitness blog infinitelifefitness.com that shares more recipes, workouts, and other health tips!

Fitting Fitness into Your Busy Life

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness

“I just do not have time!”

“There are not enough hours in the day for me to squeeze in a workout!”

“I am just so tired at the end of the day I do not have any energy to go workout!”

“Go Workout!? I have barely had time to eat something today!”

The above are excuses I have heard from people who ask me for health and fitness advice. Excuses are lies that we tell ourselves and others to help get out of doing things or to just hide the truth. Some people get in the habit of making excuses for almost everything they DO NOT want to do. And that is usually the case when it comes to being healthy and trying to incorporate fitness into their day.

Anyone who wants to take a stand and make a change for their life can! All you have to do is STOP making excuses.

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MAKE TIME to work out:

This means schedule a workout time in your busy schedule. Look at your schedule and see when you can fit in that time. If you can fit in time to go to the spa, time to go to the movies, or even time to watch your favorite television show you have plenty of time to schedule a workout session 3 times a week. Look to see when it would be best (morning, afternoon, or night) to workout. When you finally set your schedule and start it, it is easier to keep and maintain your routine.

DO NOT make fitness a chore:

I hear so many people complain about “oh I HAVE to go workout today”. Make your workouts fun! Try to attend fitness classes or create a workout group with some friends. People steer away from working out if they feel like they have to do it. No one is making you do anything…but you won’t achieve your health goals by couch surfing every day.

Master Multitasking:

I have learned that if I can do more things at once, I get so much more done during the day! For instance, say you need to start your crockpot for dinner. Start the crock pot, and then go workout! If you have a show that you regularly watch, try to plan your workout during that show time so you can watch the show at the same time! You have then knocked out three things as once! Got dinner going, got in your workout, plus make time to watch your favorite show. Doing more things like this will help you to plan your workout times as well as get more things done during the day. Multitasking is a great skill to have, and it can help you in more ways than you think.

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Have a Plan:

When starting your workout schedule you have to have a plan! Whether it is doing 30 minutes or cardio or attending a fitness class at a local gym. You have to know what you want to do in the amount of time you are going to schedule to work out. Having a fitness plan will help you to plan out your fitness goals.
 
TREAT YOURSELF:

Who does not like to treat themselves or splurge every now and then? When you set your fitness schedule, set your fitness goals along with that! For example, say you are going to work out 3 or 4 times a week, and you want to lose 10 pounds that month. If you stick to BOTH of those goals go ahead and treat yourself to something small that you have wanted for some time. Or if you have been sticking to a good diet all month treat yourself to a piece of cheesecake or another treat you have steered away from to help you reach your fitness goals.

I hope that some of these suggestions will help you to figure out how to incorporate fitness into your busy schedule. Yes it will be hard at first. But when you start seeing the results it will all be worth it! So stop making excuses and start making plans to work out TODAY!

Please check out my website infinitelifefitness.com for more health and fitness tips!

A Healthy You in 2012!

By Stephanie of Infinite Life Fitness


Was one of your New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier? Lose weight? Work out more? Or maybe you just want to adopt a healthier more active lifestyle? Well I have some great news for you…you can and you should start TODAY! Sound too easy? Well yes…it is THAT EASY!

You do not have to invest in a fitness center membership to start obtaining your personal health goals. Today, I will give you some suggested tips to help you kick start your new healthier lifestyle.

First, you have to sit down and make a plan. Create some goals that you would like to achieve and be realistic when you make those goals. You cannot say that you want to lose 20 pounds in one month. Realistically and in a non-life threatening way that can NOT be done. There is no healthy way to achieve that goal in that amount of time. Losing weight takes time, patience, and dedication. It is good to make an overall goal. For instance you want to lose 20 pounds. Well then you have to make smaller goals to go along with that major goal. For example I want to lose 2 pounds this week, and try one new healthier recipe this week. That is a great mini goal to help you reach your overall goal. You will have to adopt a healthier eating style, you will have to adopt a new fitness routine, and you will have to set weekly goals for yourself (like I will only have 2 cokes this week and drink more water).

When you have your goals set you can then decide how you want to achieve these goals. This will consist of a mixture of adopting a new workout routine as well as adjusting the food you consume. It is important to learn what the right portion sizes are and to try to have a variety of things to eat throughout the day. (I have written a post about portions sizes that can be found here.) You do not want to starve yourself! You can eat and snack during the day as long as those foods are nutritious and beneficial to your body. Your workout routine should start off being about 3 times a week. (More would be great if you can find a great workout and if you can fit the time in to do so.) You can do some of the following things at home or in your neighborhood to start your workout routine:

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