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Is There A Prime Workout Time?

Is There A Prime Workout Time?

Published by on October 25, 2023

Some people spend all their time procrastinating about fitness and never start a program. They worry about choosing the best diet as they continue to eat unhealthily. They worry about the best type of exercise and the prime workout time but never get off the couch. The truth is, there is no “prime workout time for everyone” or a perfect diet or workout program. Every person is different. Your prime workout time is when you’ll exercise most consistently.

Do you jump out of bed in the morning ready to face the day?

Maybe you’re the other type of person who hits the snooze alarm several times before reluctantly getting up. Exercising in the morning is perfect for the person who gets up early, filled with energy. It’s not for the night owl who isn’t fully awake until noon. Your best workout time is when you have the most energy. There are benefits to working out in the morning. You’ve spent hours fasting during sleep, so your body is more likely to burn fat for energy. That can help train it to burn stored fat.

You may need to warm your muscles.

Some people don’t function at their best until noon or later. They need time to get moving and warm their muscles. Others love working out after a long day at work. It helps them burn off the hormones of stress and leaves them feeling fantastic. The key is finding the time that you feel your best and can consistently work out. If your best time physically is later in the day, but you often have to work late, you won’t stick with it for long. Choose the best time for your body that works with your schedule.

Why are you exercising?

Are you training for an event, focusing on building big muscles, or just wanting to get into shape? Working out after lunch or later is your best time for building muscles. Your body’s temperature is lower when you sleep and increases as you move. Warmed muscles are vital for lifting. You’ll also need the fuel from meals to improve performance. People participating in endurance events, like marathons, also need their bodies fueled with adequate glycogen reserves. Exercising a few hours after a meal helps you do your best.

  • Schedule your workout like it’s an appointment. Make that appointment at the same time every day to make it a habit. Attending a bootcamp helps and holds you accountable for keeping the appointment.
  • If you workout at noon, make your pre- and post-workout snacks for your lunch. They need to be a combination of carbs and protein. An apple and peanut butter before and a turkey sandwich on whole wheat afterward is perfect.
  • If you exercise after you work or earlier in the evening, make sure you can still sleep well. Some people find it energizes them too much and they have problems sleeping, while others find it relaxes them.
  • The key to success is consistency. No matter what time of day you workout, be consistent. Even if you have a hectic schedule, take time out to exercise. You don’t have to do calisthenics or exercise vigorously, a brisk walk counts, too.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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Simple Healthy Habits To Adopt

Simple Healthy Habits To Adopt

Published by on October 15, 2023

If you’ve been a couch potato, don’t expect to run a marathon with one week of training. If you’re out of shape, you probably have a lifetime of bad habits to overcome. You can develop simple healthy habits over several months. Before you know it, you’ll be fitter. Ease into fitness. Start by taking a walk. If you aren’t sure how far you can go, start slowly. Keep the first few walks shorter to test your endurance.

Cut out food with added sugar.

That’s hard, but you can do it. Make sure you have naturally sweet fruit available to fill in the gap. If that’s too much to handle, start even slower. Just give up sweet drinks. Don’t choose diet colas as a replacement. Studies show they may put inches on your middle. Drink unsweetened tea, black coffee, or water instead. Skip the fancy coffee drinks that are more like desserts than a beverage.

Add extra vegetables to your plate.

Eating healthy means eating more nutritious food. You can cut down on fattening food with few nutrients and increase the health benefits of a meal by filling your plate with vegetables. Start your meal with a big salad to help fill you and have two servings of vegetables. Don’t put sauces or butter on veggies and don’t count potatoes as a veggie. Choose whole grain bread. Whole grain bread contains the germ, endosperm, and the bran. The bran contains fiber that fills you and the germ contains all the nutrients. Refined grain contains only the endosperm, the starchy part with few nutrients.

Get adequate sleep.

You might think you’ll burn more calories if you’re up 24/7. That’s not necessarily true. If you’re tired you won’t move as fast or do as much, burning fewer calories throughout the day. You’ll also be hungrier since lack of sleep causes the body to produce less leptin—the hormone that makes you feel hungry—and more ghrelin—the hunger hormone. Create a sleep schedule to ensure you get quality sleep and stick with it, even on the weekend.

  • Create a workout schedule and stick with it. Make your workout an appointment you need to keep. When you exercise at the same time consistently, it becomes a habit that’s hard to break.
  • Stay hydrated and drink water before you sit down to eat. Mild hydration can slow you down, and drinking more water can boost your energy. Drinking water before a meal helps you eat less.
  • Keep healthy snacks easily accessible. Snacks help prevent overeating at the next meal. Keep cubed melon, cut fresh veggies, or citrus slices ready. Make trail mix and pack it in portion-size plastic bags.
  • Add more activity to your life besides exercise to boost calorie burning. Take the stairs and not the elevator. Find other ways to move more.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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How To Avoid Food Temptations Around The House

How To Avoid Food Temptations Around The House

Published by on October 5, 2023

There are plenty of tempting treats at groceries in Honolulu, HI, you shouldn’t make your home a fat trap, too. Eating healthy is the key to losing weight. You won’t make progress if you’re eating a family-size bag of chips and washing it down with a liter of cola after exercising, no matter how long the session is. It’s hard to avoid sweet treats and junk food, but here are a few things that can help.

Are you your own worst enemy?

Do you use the excuse that the kids want the cookies and snacks in your cart at the grocery, but you know you’ll eat them, too? Rethink your logic. Save your kids from the mental and physical problems that come from being overweight and help them learn healthy habits young. Get fresh fruit instead of buying fruit bars with all the added sugar. Have fruit and vegetables cut and ready in the refrigerator. Don’t forget some healthy dip.

Focus on portion size and what you can eat.

One benefit of eating healthy is that it isn’t dieting. Dieting is restrictive and leaves you feeling deprived. Instead of feeling deprived, focus on finding healthy meals you love. Remember portion size if you want a piece of birthday cake or another treat. Savor every bite slowly. You’ll feel more satisfied and far less deprived.

Remember that what you drink makes a difference.

Sugary drinks can also help pack on the pounds. Most people realize soft drinks add calories but don’t realize that fruit juice also does. The problem with fruit juice is that it’s packed with fruit sugar but has no filling fiber. Fiber also slows the entry of sugar into your bloodstream, so you don’t have a glucose spike. Opt for green or iced tea without added sugar, black coffee, or water.

  • Make snacks and meals ahead and store them in portions. Make trail mix and separate it into individual portion-size bags. Do meal planning and store meals in portions.
  • Stop before you eat junk food or add candy or snack food to your purchases at the gas station or grocery store. Ask yourself if it’s worth giving up all the progress you’ve made. Chances are, it’s just an impulse purchase that has become a habit.
  • Treat yourself to something special. Use a one-cup Mason jar with a lid as the container for a healthy parfait. Add a layer of Greek yogurt, frozen cherries, and half a ripe banana. Top it with yogurt and walnuts. Put the lid on and store it until you need a sweet treat.
  • If you feel an overwhelming urge to eat something sweet, drink a glass of water and go for a walk. The water can fill your belly and the walk will divert your attention. If walking outside isn’t prudent, do calisthenics in your living room.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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How To Lose Weight From Your Thighs

How To Lose Weight From Your Thighs

Published by on September 25, 2023

Who doesn’t want to enjoy the beauty of nature in Honolulu, HI? It’s perfect. No matter where you go, the weather dictates lightweight clothing that shows more of your body. That’s one reason people often want to lose weight in their thighs. Unfortunately, you can’t lose weight in just one part of the body, but you can lose weight all over your body and tone that area to make it smaller. Here are ways to slim your thighs, while also boosting your health.

Change your diet to lose weight and discourage cellulite.

If you change your diet, you can lose weight all over your body and eliminate that puckery look from cellulite. Start by drinking more water. Water can fill you up, rehydrate your body, and help eliminate toxins. Cut out starchy food, food with added sugar, and highly processed food that provides empty calories but not much nutrition. Focus on whole food options. Including fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet helps make it nutrient-dense, creating a healthier, thinner, and more energetic you.

Full-body workouts can burn calories and tone your entire body, including your thighs.

You’ll burn calories and lose weight everywhere when you do full-body workouts. They’re the most effective type of exercise for weight loss. Traditional calisthenics can help. A mountain climber is good for the thighs and your entire body. Jumping jacks, skaters, and lunges all work thighs. Don’t forget squats. Working your glutes also works the back of your thighs. Try a bridge or lateral step-out squat. Make it more difficult by using resistance bands around the calves.

Add more thigh exercises to your workout and focus on thighs when not working out.

How many times have you bent over and picked up an object when you could have squatted to do it? You’ll build your leg muscles and slim your thighs when you focus on everyday movements. Take the stairs instead of an elevator for toning. If you’re out of shape and going to a higher floor, walk up a few flights and take the elevator the rest of the way. Do the same on the way down.

  • Get in touch with your inner ballerina and practice a plié. A plié works more than just the thighs, it works calves, too. Adjust the width of your stance and the placement of your feet from a wide V to almost parallel to work muscles on all planes.
  • If you have joint issues or need something less jarring, consider tai chi and stretching. Just getting up out of a chair can work your thighs and it’s something you can do at home. Try doing it without using your arms to help.
  • Side lunges can work the outer and inner thighs, while forward lunges work the front and back. Work all parts of the leg by doing both during an exercise session. A squat jump works the entire thigh.
  • We can help you with a healthy diet and a personalized exercise program. No matter what your age, fitness level, or goal, our fitness bootcamp can help you become thinner, fitter, and more energetic.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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How To Eat Well While Traveling

How To Eat Well While Traveling

Published by on September 15, 2023

Learning to eat healthy while traveling can be a huge benefit. You don’t have to travel long distances or take an extensive trip to benefit. You can benefit even if you’re on the road for the day and it isn’t convenient to stop at home to eat. If you’re flying to the continental US and traveling by car, these tips will keep you healthier and fitter on your trip. The first tip is to avoid eating at airports unless you choose fruit, yogurt, certain salads, and some soups. Avoid creamed soups and certain salads like chicken, tuna, and chef salads with more toppings than lettuce.

Pack lunch if you’re going to be traveling all day.

It’s far easier to stop at restaurants, but you can cut the cost by bringing your meal. Get a small cooler you can take with you and a good freezable, reusable ice pack. Our nutrition coach can help you with a meal plan that includes travel lunches and dinners you can take with you. We also provide meals from local meal prep companies that are easy to transport. Include healthy snacks for your day, such as fresh fruit.

Whether you’re traveling to the same destination each day or just going once, do your research.

Check out restaurants in the area where you’ll be at mealtime. Most places print their menu online. Stop where you can find food that’s closest to its natural state. Avoid fried food and opt for grilled ones. If you have a choice of potatoes, choose baked. Skip any sugary drinks and ask for water, black coffee, or unsweetened tea with your meal.

Don’t overlook farmers’ markets.

If there’s a farmers’ market in the area you’ll travel, stop and replenish your supplies with fresh fruits and vegetables. Even if you’re on a road trip and spending the night in a hotel or motel, you can wash the produce and slice it in preparation for the next day. Make sure the rooms you choose have a refrigerator to refreeze your ice pack and keep your food fresh. If you’re on a driving vacation in the continental US or another area, plan scheduled stops at restaurants you’ve already investigated online.

If you’re traveling to a new destination and planning your meals, always have several options. Sometimes the links are old and the restaurant no longer exists or is closed for the day. Be prepared for the unexpected.

If there are long distances between food stops, remember it’s better to stop a little early than it is to stop a little later when you’re more likely to be hungrier and eat more. Have healthy snacks if you need to eat later.

Take plenty of water with you and sip it throughout the day. If you’re flying, you can take an empty water bottle through security and fill it at a fountain on the other side. Drinking more water will help you shed pounds.

Good options on the road include a chicken or veggie wrap, fresh fruit, salad in a container, cheese, and fresh vegetables. Opt for vinaigrette dressing. If you eat in a restaurant, choose your food wisely.

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Skincare And Healthy Eating

Skincare And Healthy Eating

Published by on September 5, 2023

Instead of looking for the next wonder cream to help stop wrinkling or acne, check your diet first. Skincare and healthy eating are partners in a better complexion. Eating healthy can help prevent acne outbreaks, wrinkles, and aging skin. What you eat shows on your waistline, but also on your face. Here are a few dietary changes you can make to help eliminate the problems you may have.

The largest organ in your body is your skin.

Your skin is affected by your diet, and also your fitness. Good circulation creates a healthy glow and attractive skin. It also takes good nutrition to build healthy cells and keep the body functioning at its best. If you have dry skin, increase your daily water intake and juicy fruits and vegetables. You need food high in vitamins A and C, plus healthy fat. You’ll get healthy fat from eating avocados and fatty fish like salmon.

Don’t eliminate healthy oils just because you have oily skin.

The oiliness of your skin isn’t determined by how much oil you eat but by many factors. Heat and humidity of the area, your genetics, age, skin care regimen, stress, and diet are a few of these. You can’t change some factors, but you can change your diet. Drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables. Include avocado, nuts, tomatoes, whole grains, lean protein, fish, and food high in vitamin C like oranges. Coconut water and green tea are also beneficial. Avoid dairy, sugar, red meat, salt, sugar, refined carbohydrates, and sugary foods.

You can reduce the risk of acne with a healthy diet.

Acne often occurs because of hormonal changes. It’s often common in teens but can also affect menopausal women. It often goes away without treatment but can be devastating when it occurs. Eating healthier is one way to improve skin conditions and help prevent the problem. Foods that raise blood sugar rapidly can trigger acne, so avoid sugar, white bread, white rice, and pasta. High-glycemic carbs aren’t the only culprit. Chocolate, dairy, saturated fats, and trans fats may trigger it, too. Food that is high in antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and zinc helps.

  • No matter what your skin type, processed carbohydrates affect your complexion. They cause inflammation that can contribute to acne and other skin conditions.
  • Problem skin can benefit by boosting anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial food that improves your immune system. Food with vitamin C, like citrus or sweet red peppers, and food with zinc, such as shellfish and pumpkin seeds can help.
  • Even though dairy may trigger acne flare-ups, some studies show that eating plain Greek yogurt with live bacteria may help the skin. You can even apply it to your skin. The probiotics and lactic acid it contain can help your complexion.
  • If you want more vibrant skin, add tomatoes to your diet. It’s rich in lycopene, an antioxidant. Food with collagen, such as bone broth, can slow wrinkling.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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Things You Didn't Know About Vitamins

Things You Didn’t Know About Vitamins

Published by on August 25, 2023

If you’re one of the millions of Americans that take vitamins frequently, you probably wonder if they’re effective. The answer is, some are and some aren’t. Vitamins vary by quality, including bioavailability—the body’s ability to absorb a nutrient. Multivitamins are the most popular form to take, but those vary widely, too. Many contain vitamins or minerals most people don’t need and the quality is inconsistent. Some multivitamins make it through the digestive process without even dissolving and exit whole in your waste. These are normally less expensive vitamins.

Sometimes taking vitamins is unsafe.

Vitamins are beneficial for many people, but for others, they can be dangerous to take. If you’re already taking a prescription drug, supplements can interact. It can increase the benefits to a dangerous level or diminish them, making them ineffective. Always check the label for ingredients. Some vitamins contain “natural substances” such as herbs, which can cause problems. Vitamin E, fish oil, and aspirin are all blood thinners. Taken together or with prescription blood thinners can be dangerous.

Take vitamins at an appropriate time.

If the first thing you do in the morning is to pop a multivitamin, it may be the reason you have an upset stomach. When you take vitamins on an empty stomach it causes the stomach to produce high amounts of stomach acid to break it down. That causes stomach problems if you haven’t eaten something to offset the rush of digestive juices. If you’re taking a fat-soluble vitamin, such as vitamins E, A, D, and K, take them after eating an avocado, nuts, or other food containing healthy fat for better absorption. Take iron with citrus juice for the best results.

Eating a healthy diet is better than taking supplements.

Some people require supplements. People with digestive issues, seniors who don’t absorb nutrients as well, pregnant women, or women of childbearing age may require them. People who live in the north should supplement with vitamin D in the fall, winter, and spring. Most people in Hawaii have adequate sunshine for their bodies to make their own throughout the year. There is one exception. People who are obese may need more vitamin D. There’s a link between obesity and vitamin D deficiency. It’s not known whether a D deficiency causes obesity or if it’s the other way around.

  • Take B12 with a meal, but not with vitamin C. Vitamin C can interfere with the absorption of B12, so wait two hours after taking vitamin B12 before taking vitamin C.
  • Smokers, former smokers, and pregnant women should avoid high doses of vitamin A. Smokers and ex-smokers increase the risk of lung cancer taking high doses. Pregnant women increase the risk of birth-defects when taking amounts over 10,000 IU daily.
  • Vitamins aren’t well regulated. If you want a high-quality vitamin, look for one tested by an independent third party. Some stores and pharmacies make it easy by only carrying vitamins with a third-party test.
  • Vitamin B9 is vital for pregnant women and women of birthing age. A deficit can cause birth defects. Folate and folic acid are both types of B9. If you need it, select folate. It’s easier for the body to use.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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Exercises For Reduced Mobility

Exercises For Reduced Mobility

Published by on August 15, 2023

Reduced mobility varies. There are degrees of immobility and time frames for it. Whether you’re bedridden or just barely getting around with crutches, it doesn’t mean you have to give up exercise. You will have to make adjustments based on your limitations. If your mobility is affected for a longer period, a personal trainer helps. Whether you workout in a chair, in bed, or can move on your own, but not well, every minute of exercise will make you stronger and help boost your health. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any exercise program.

Start with shorter sessions.

Whether you’re on your back in bed or sitting in a chair, you can always do something to work your muscles. Don’t try to do too much at once. You can do strength, flexibility, and endurance exercises even if you’re chairbound. Your posture affects your entire body. Bad posture can even interfere with breathing. Sit straight and focus on keeping your head erect, not too far forward or backward. Start the upper body exercise by lifting your arms at your side so the upper arms are horizontal and the forearms are vertical at a 90-degree angle. They will look like goalposts with your head in the middle. Pull your forearms backward, maintaining the 90-degree angle and squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do.

Resistance bands can take the place of an entire gym.

Resistance bands come in various sizes and styles. They’re inexpensive and easy to store. You can put them under your feet and either pull up with your hands to build upper body strength or push with your legs to build leg strength. Do back, shoulder, shoulder blade, chest, hamstring, groin, quad, and glute exercises using resistance bands.

Modify your exercises.

Most people with limited mobility can exercise in water. Your body is buoyant in water, which limits stress on the joints. The water adds up to 12 times the resistance you’d have on dry land. It works your body thoroughly. You can modify almost any exercise and do as many as you can. If you’re chairbound, move your upper body. If you have joint pain, go slowly, stopping if it hurts. Don’t forget to do stretches to warm up.

  • There are classes specifically for people with mobility issues. Tai Chi is one example. It’s a mild exercise that can be beneficial for people of all fitness levels.
  • Low-impact exercises are good for people with joint issues. They build strength and increase circulation to help relieve joint pain. Studies show that mild exercise can help relieve pain.
  • Isometric exercises don’t require any movement. You tighten the muscles and hold. Most people think of abdominal exercises when they hear isometrics, but there are ones for every muscle and muscle group.
  • You’ll feel better when you turn on happy music and do a little chair dancing. Getting exercise is all about moving, and any type will do. Even visualizing movement can help strengthen muscles.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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The Role Of Metabolism In Weight Loss

The Role Of Metabolism In Weight Loss

Published by on August 5, 2023

One reason people often use as an excuse for weight gain or limited weight loss is a slow metabolism. You hear it frequently in Honolulu, HI, but it’s common no matter where you live. Just what does that mean? What exactly is your metabolism, and how does it affect your weight? Metabolism includes all the changes and chemical processes in your body at the cellular level and the energy required.

The food you eat provides the calories.

Food provides the calories the body uses for energy. Your body uses energy for more than exercise. It uses energy to create cells, circulate blood, and breathe. Every function of your body requires energy. Your body even requires energy to convert food into usable energy. Cell replacement, elimination, growth, and tissue repair all use energy. Two processes make up metabolism, anabolism and catabolism. Anabolism stores energy to maintain the body, such as building cells. Catabolism breaks down energy for use. Digestion and changing food to a form the body can use is a catabolic process.

Your basal metabolic rate includes basic functions while resting metabolic rate adds a few more.

If you’re resting, the calories you burn to keep your body functioning is the basal metabolic rate. It accounts for about 70% of the calories you burn. Resting metabolic rate includes a few other functions, such as short periods of walking, eliminating waste, or maintaining body temperature by sweating or shivering. It is a slightly higher percentage of calories burned. Increasing your metabolic rate makes weight loss easier since you’ll burn more calories 24/7 without extra effort.

You can increase both rates by building muscle and reducing fat.

A pound of body fat only burns two calories daily, while a pound of muscle tissue burns six calories. Increasing your muscle mass increases the calories you burn daily. One study found that after a group followed a nine-month strength training protocol, their resting metabolic rate increased by 5%. If your resting rate was 1000 calories daily, it increased to 1050. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to burn one pound. That means you’d lose a pound in 70 days without extra effort.

  • Boost your metabolic rate and improve your weight loss by eating more protein. Protein requires more calories to digest, so it boosts metabolic rate by as much as 30%.
  • Drinking 17 ounces of water also increases metabolic rate by 30% for an hour. Besides boosting metabolism, it makes you feel fuller so you eat less. Green and oolong tea or coffee also boost metabolism.
  • Get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep increases the risk of insulin resistance, boosts the amount of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and decreases your metabolism.
  • Eating a healthy diet, getting adequate sleep, and building muscle tissue are all healthy lifestyle changes that can boost your metabolism and make weight loss easier.

For more information, contact us today at Hawaii Fit Camp!

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