The Business of Fitness

The cycle of weight gain and weight loss is what a lot of people join a gym for. However their focus should be on fat loss. Not weight loss. A hypocaloric diet is where you consume less calories than you burn. What you don't want is muscle loss, as that's not healthy. Burning fat through diet and exercise should be the core focus.

Maintaing a diet with sufficient protein would mean consuming 1.2 grams per kg of body weight to 1.5 grams per kg of body weight. This would be your actual weight now, not the weight you want to be.

If you need a tailored Macro plan just DM me and we can talk through your goals, in person. Via Zoom or over the phone.

Exercise is Medicine

A little while ago I went to a workshop for people living with Arthritis and how to manage their condition. After the speaker had finished and opened up the floor to questions it struck me as interesting that most people were looking for a magic pill that would at the very least help, and at best cure their condition.



When the speaker recommended the best medicine they could take was regular exercise I could sense the disappointment by some of the audience. I suspect that was in part because the fitness industry portrays exercise as a bunch of young people wearing the latest trends in clothing, music blaring, lifting heavy weights and working at an intensity that is consistent with and Olympic athlete.



Whilst that may be true of some gyms and during peak hours, there are a lot of exercise facilities that welcome all sections of the community and adapt the environment to the group of people using the gym at that moment in time.



It is well documented that exercise is good for you but as we get older exercise can take a back seat. In fact as we age we should be doing more exercise, not less as it can help with a merid of age related health conditions.



If you suffer from High blood pressure, Osteoarthritis, Type 2 diabetes, Cancer, Weight gain, Anxiety and a range of Heart conditions then talk to your health professional about an exercise plan.



For most conditions regular exercise is the key to improved health but knowing where to start and what to do can be the biggest challenge.



Getting Started
Keep it simple – start off with making a conscious decision to be more active.
Find a friend to join you – exercise is social and helps keep you accountable.
Speak to your health professional if you have any concerns
Keep it fun – If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it, so do activities that you and your exercise buddy or buddies enjoy.
Once you feel ready, check a couple of local gyms out and find one that resonates with you.
Health benefits come from regular aerobic exercise (3 to 5 times a week) at an intensity from light to hard for between 30 to 60 minutes (light intensity 60 minutes, hard intensity 30 minutes).
Plus, adding a few weights will help make you stronger and help with your overall health. Aim for 2 days a week, build up from light weights of 8 to 10 repetitions for 2 sets, to 10 to 15 repetitions for 3 sets.
Your gym should be able to write a programme that is appropriate for your condition but if they can’t ask them to refer you to someone who is experienced in that area.
With all exercises start off light and build up as you get fitter, Exercise is the new medicine.

First published in Verve Magazine

High Blood Pressure and 3 Key Points from the American College of Sports medicine ACSM:
Regular aerobic exercise results in reductions in blood pressure of 5-7 mmHg among individuals with hypertension and these reductions translate to a reduced risk of CVD of 20-30%.
Emerging research suggests that dynamic resistance exercise may also serve as an efficacious strategy to lower blood pressure to levels similar to aerobic exercise.
The ACSM recommends that individuals with hypertension engage in moderate intensity, aerobic exercise 5-7 d/wk, supplemented by resistance exercise 2-3 d/wk and flexibility exercise ≥2-3 d/wk

If you want to know more about how to manage your High Blood Pressure through exercise check this recent article out from the ACSM.

https://www.acsm.org/all-blog-posts/certification-blog/acsm-certified-blog/2019/02/27/exercise-hypertension-prevention-treatment

Exercise for the Prevention and Treatment of Hypertension - Implications and Application

Great turn out last Sunday to see how we are progressing and more people signed up to be part of Flex Fitness Stonefields.

If you haven't grabbed a Foundation Membership there are still a few of the best deal ever at Flex Fitness Stonefields.

75% sold so jump online and secure your deal.

$16 a week, $30key tag fee, and a one time Debit Success Fee on a 12 month contract. Other memberships will be available once we open but they won't be as good as this deal

Still not sure? Come down this Saturday between 10.00 am and 12.00 pm to have a look, we are not open but it the core work should be done.

24 hour access, New gear, group exercise included, individual bathrooms, cafes near by, loads of parking, and easy each if you live in Stonefields

An understanding that both our genes and our lifestyle impact on our health is not a new concept but it is one that is gaining popularity as more people seek to live a better and longer life, and seek to make positive improvements to their health.

If you want to understand a little more check this short article out from my blog.

https://thebusinessoffitness.nz/2018/07/25/epigenics-the-science-behind-your-genes-and-lifestyle-interaction.html

Epigenics The Science Behind Your Genes and Lifestyle interaction