CommittoFit with Sobia

Motivating yourself to start and continue an exercise routine isn't easy! What happens after you've reached your desired weight or if weight loss isn't on your agenda at all? There are plenty of other benefits that regular exercise offers which make it worth committing to that half to one hour every day. Some of them may even surprise you:
- Regular exercise can improve eyesight! (Research shows it reduces the amount of free radicals in our body which can damage our vision among other things)
- It can make you smarter! Exercising helps improve our cognitive functions including memory, attention span and ability to think about situations differently.
- It helps regenerate heart cells which decreases the risk of heart attacks and other types of heart disease.
- It can improve our gut health! Long term effects of endurance-based exercise include decreased risk of colon cancer and improvements in chronic conditions such as IBS and constipation.
- and of course it's great for our mental health!
Do we need any more reasons to start exercising or stick to our routine?!!

Five novel benefits of exercise – Fit Planet Learn how regular workouts can improve eyesight, aid gut health, promote good mental health, help regenerate heart cells and make you smarter.

To eat or not to eat after your workout - that is the question! Most fitness and health professionals suggest eating quite soon after your workout even if you are not particularly feeling hungry. During our workout our body breaks down muscle and fueling up after helps in the rebuilding process and preventing injuries. It also helps deal with mental fatigue which is caused by a loss of electrolytes while exercising.
So eat a protein based recovery snack right after you shower and follow it up with a meal consisting of both carbohydrates and proteins consumed within 2 hours of working out.

2 Experts Explain Why You Must Eat After a Workout (and What Happens If You Don't) If you've just worked out, don't even think about skipping out on food. "During a workout, especially one involving strength training, you are breaking

Fitness Challenge at FitEleven - ending with some Zumba fun!

Woohoo, no more sit-ups! Planks are the way to go for strong abs according to Harvard scientists. As compared to sit-ups, planks work all our core muscles in conjunction thereby increasing their effectiveness. They also increase stability in our hips and back making them safer than sit-ups which can cause damage to the lower back and strain the neck if practiced incorrectly.
Start off with holding your plank for 30 seconds and build your way up to longer time intervals and variations for a stronger core!

This Ab Workout Is So Much More Effective Than Sit-Ups, Say Harvard Physicians Forgo traditional sit-ups and crunches for the ab workout that Harvard deems to be the most effective. Here's why you need to add planks to your routine.

The Text Neck … something we're all prone to considering the amount of time we spend hunched over our smartphones, ipads and laptops. All the slouching not only puts stress on our neck, upper and lower spine but can lead to premature wear and tear and accelerate degenerative diseases of the spine. Of course, technology is here to stay and we can't avoid it altogether. What we can do is be more aware of our posture when using our smartphone and devices i.e. while using them, try to sit upright and maintain a neutral spine.
While on a break try this yoga pose to restore flexibility and strength in your neck and spine:
Stand, clasp hands behind back, and take a big inhale to open the chest.
On the exhale, soften knees and fold forward, letting head fall toward the ground and gently releasing the neck.

Exercise doesn't just transform our bodies, it can help to transform our mind as well :) Slightly long video, so in a nutshell exercising (anything that gets your heart rate up) for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week can have a significant impact on making us happier and also protect our brain from diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer's! Make exercise a habit and encourage all your loved ones to do the same!

The brain-changing benefits of exercise | Wendy Suzuki What's the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain today? Exercise! says neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. Get inspired to go to the gym as Suzuk...

To Eat or not to Eat! Working out in a fasting state may lead to faster fat burn but it comes with a few cons such as reduced performance, increased risk of injury, post exercise fatigue and overeating afterwards!
The key goal of a pre-workout meal is to replenish glycogen levels which are essential for fueling our workouts. The body doesn't need a lot but it needs something to prime our metabolism … here are some tips on what to eat, how much to eat and when to eat:
- Aim to eat between 2-4 hours before your work-out session. If pressed for time, take a smaller meal (preferably in liquid form to aid digestion) an hour before.
-Drink plenty of water before your work-out. Try to consume 5-7 ml per kg of body weight.
- Your meal should mostly consist of carbohydrates along with a small amount of proteins. Limit fats and fiber.
- It is recommended to consume about 1 gram of carbohydrate per kg of body weight 1 hour before working out, and 2 g of carbohydrate per kg of body weight if 2 hours before exercise, and so on …
- Finally, help your body recover post work-out by consuming a snack consisting of carbohydrates and a moderate amount of protein, fluids and sodium within 30 minutes