Fitness & Wellness

Does Walking Or Running Burn More Calories?

Published by superadmin on August 25, 2024 | Leave a response

Many people in Livermore, CA, who want to lose weight and burn more calories start walking or running. If you’re talking about calories per hour, the answer is clear. Running beats walking because it’s more intense, and intensity helps determine the calories you burn. If you’re talking about distance, the answer might surprise you. It’s not as clear-cut as you think. No matter which you choose, both are beneficial for your health.

Running burns calories faster and may burn more calories.

The high-impact nature of running makes stress injuries more likely. It causes runners to absorb an impact three times their body weight, leading to shin splints, stress fractures, and ITB friction syndrome that affects the knee. The risk for runners is 20 to 70 percent compared to 1 to 5 percent for people walking. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any program of exercise.

Walking fast may burn as many calories as running without the potential for injury.

Many studies compare running and walking. One found that walking fast burnt as many calories as slower running without the high-impact effect. Comparing fast walking, where one foot is always on the ground, with slow running, where both feet leave the ground, the calories burned are almost the same. As the intensity increases in either running or walking, it increases the potential for afterburn. Afterburn is the body’s attempt to get back to normal, which increases calories burned for hours.

Putting more effort into your walk can increase the calories you burn.

Running isn’t the best option for everyone. People with issues with their knees, hips, and lower joints shouldn’t run unless their healthcare professional gives them the okay. Running causes pounding on the joints and exacerbates the problem. You don’t have to feel like you’re a picky for walking. It’s just as healthy. You can burn more calories by making a few changes. Pump your arms hard as you walk. It increases the calories you burn. Wear arm, leg, or waist weights. The extra weight causes you to burn more calories.

If you modify your walking pace, walking at peak intensity for a while and then reducing the intensity to a moderate pace, you’ll turn your walk into a HIIT—high intensity interval training—workout that burns more calories.
You don’t have to gasp for breath to reap benefits. Running and walking both increase endurance. Like running, if you’re walking, try to increase your speed the more you do it. Both extend your life and boost brain power.
Whether you’re walking or running, stay safe. Take a phone and allow a family member to track your phone. Wear reflectors if you do it in the early morning or at dusk. Dress for the weather.
You can break up your walk or run into smaller sections of time. You don’t have to do it all at once. You can break a half-hour walk or run into three ten-minute units or ones that fit into your schedule.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Why Are Kettlebells So Effective?

Published by superadmin on August 15, 2024 | Leave a response

People used kettlebells for centuries. They were in Ancient Greece, Rome, Russia, China, and even the colonies before America was a country. They were based on the same principle of lifting and swinging a heavy weight to build strength but were made of various materials and may have looked slightly different. They were used to train soldiers and were often used in contests of strength. They reemerged in popularity more recently. The growth was slow initially, but as people realized how beneficial they were, it quickly grew.

The shape of the kettlebell makes the workout more intense.

Unlike barbells and dumbbells, the center of gravity of kettlebells hangs below your hand and constantly changes. For barbells and dumbbells, it stays in the center. That makes it harder to maintain balance and works core muscles more. The center of gravity on a kettlebell is just six to eight inches beyond your group. It moves every time you move. It works your body like everyday tasks or functional fitness workouts. Kettlebells build your grip strength, too.

Kettlebells are a total body workout that improves all types of fitness.

You’ll work all muscles when you do a kettlebell workout. You’ll also improve all types of fitness. Doing kettlebell workouts provides endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility training. Unlike strength training workouts with barbells, dumbbells, or bodyweight, you won’t have to alter your workout to get a total workout or add other exercises for endurance, balance, and flexibility. You’ll exercise your muscles on all planes because of the constant movement in different directions.

Kettlebells burn more calories because they are a whole-body workout.

The more muscles you use, the more calories you burn. Like other excellent forms of exercise, kettlebells can be adjusted to your fitness level by choosing heavier or lighter weights. A 20-minute kettlebell workout can burn as many calories as a 60-minute workout using another exercise. You can modify kettlebell workouts to target certain areas, but you’ll still benefit other muscle groups.

The intensity of the workout with kettlebells can cut your workout time. You probably won’t notice how long you’ve exercised since using them is fun. Time will seem to go faster when you use kettlebells.
Kettlebells are a low-impact exercise that provides cardiovascular benefits. It doesn’t have the same negative effect on joints as running since your feet never leave the floor, so there’s no jarring movement.
Kettlebell workouts tend to work both large and small muscles than traditional strength-building exercises. The workouts are excellent for athletes to provide explosive power.
Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any new exercise. In most cases, they’ll encourage you to do it. If weak muscles are a problem, start with a lightweight 5-pound kettlebell.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Good Exercises For Couples

Published by superadmin on August 5, 2024 | Leave a response

If your life is so busy that it’s hard to find time for a date night, start working out with your life partner. You’ll spend time together while getting fitter. Working out with someone else keeps you accountable and is one of the many reasons personal trainers get such good results. There are many exercises for couples you can use that are fun and several that build trust and intimacy. You’ll have more time together and get healthier.

You have to identify what qualifies as exercise first.

You can do formal workouts to get exercise. Things like using weights, doing calisthenics, and running are more traditional workouts, but dancing also provides great cardio and flexibility with some lower-body strength-building. You can turn up the music and dance in the living room, walk in the mall or a park, or make it a family outing to play ball, take hikes, or ride bikes.

You need to establish rules before you start.

It’s far too easy to sit in a chair and watch TV after work, but you have to hold each other accountable to get results. Put your exercise time on your schedule and stick with it. You can do it early in the morning. That requires both people to get up early. Create a penalty for those who don’t rise and shine to the occasion. Each partner needs to set personal goals and modify their workout to their fitness level. Women shouldn’t get discouraged if the man in their life loses weight faster. Men have more muscle mass than women do and tend to lose weight faster. Their hormonal makeup also makes a difference.

You can start with traditional workouts.

Couples’ workouts can be traditional, focusing on all types of fitness. Doing sit-ups or foot-to-foot bicycle crunches is fun and work core muscles. Challenge each other to planks to see who can last the longest. One partner may need to modify the plank to an easier form. That’s okay. Each person works at their fitness level. Using resistance bands to build strength is perfect for partner workouts. Wrap the band behind one partner as the other participant holds the ends in each hand as the one with the band behind them tries to lay back.

Modify squats into a couple’s workout. Start back to back with your arms interlocked, then slowly lower your body into the squat position.
Start your workout program by committing to two to three weeks only. It’s easier to keep short-term goals. At the end of the time, decide whether to continue.
Include strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance training. Don’t forget to include warm-up and cool-down exercises.
Fun exercises which include the kids are hula hooping, jumping rope, and bicycling. You can build on a healthy lifestyle by cooking nutritious meals together.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Weight Training For Beginners

Published by superadmin on July 25, 2024 | Leave a response

If you’ve been exercising and want to include weight training in your regimen, it can be intimidating, especially for beginners. How heavy should the weights be? What’s the best way to start? Is there a difference in how you train to build muscles and how you train to build strength? How many repetitions of each exercise should you do? These answers depend on what your ultimate goal is. There is a difference between training for bulk and training for strength.

Learn to use each piece of equipment correctly.

There are dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and weight machines. Focus on learning to use one at a time. The easiest may be dumbbells since they don’t require a second person to spot. Dumbbells have more versatility, while barbells let you lift heavier loads. If you’re first starting, you won’t be focusing on the heaviest loads. You can use dumbbells to work both large and small muscle groups and do simple, single-joint exercises. You can use videos to learn the form, but you should have a full-length mirror or someone else watch you execute each move. No matter what type of weights you use, learning the proper form is imperative. A personal trainer is the ideal partner to help you learn.

Don’t overdo it or overwork your muscles.

If you start out trying to lift too heavy, it affects your form negatively. That can cause injury. If you overwork your muscles during the first session, you may be too sore or strain your muscles, putting you on the bench for weeks. Don’t train with weights every day or push to the maximum. When you workout to build muscles, the workout causes microtears in the muscles and the scar tissue makes them bigger after they heal. It takes 48 to 72 hours to heal. Without the rest, you’re tearing down the muscle. One solution is working different muscle groups, resting those you’ve previously worked.

Train to reach your goal.

While both bulk and strength use weight training, they train differently. To build bulk, you use lighter weights and work toward failure. To build strength, you increase the weight until you reach failure and do fewer repetitions. Form is the key to both goals. Even if you’re working toward strength, start lighter and focus on form. If you’re using barbells, that may mean starting by lifting the bar without weights added.

A great body starts in the kitchen. You need between 20 and 30% of your calories from protein. Don’t reduce your calorie count too much if you’re also trying to shed pounds.
Eating pre-workout or post-workout snacks can help build muscles and improve your workout. Eating before a workout makes it better and starts the recovery process. Eating afterward boosts recovery and builds muscle tissue.
Don’t forget to do warm-up and cool-down exercises. Warm-up exercises help prevent injury. Cool-down exercises increase circulation and improve recovery while reducing potential muscle pain.
Consistency is the key to any exercise program, whether it’s strength, endurance, flexibility, or balance. Stick with a consistent schedule and exercise at the same time each day so it becomes a habit.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Is Snacking Healthy

Published by superadmin on July 15, 2024 | Leave a response

Many people grew up hearing that you shouldn’t snack. The words, “It will spoil your dinner,” usually followed. Does that mean that snacking isn’t healthy? As with most questions about nutrition, it requires more facts. What type of snack are you eating? A snack should be calculated into your calorie count if you’re trying to lose weight. Planned healthy snacks can be a benefit for weight loss and good health.

Plan in snacks if you always snack.

If you’re usually hungry at mid-morning or mid-afternoon, don’t deny yourself a snack, but make sure it’s healthy. Not everyone has access to a refrigerator at work, but you can still have a healthy snack. Fresh fruits like oranges, bananas, and apples don’t require refrigeration. Nuts and seeds don’t either. If you have a refrigerator, string cheese and fresh grapes are a good snack. If you’re lucky enough to have a microwave available, making microwave popcorn by putting a fourth cup of popcorn in a loosely covered microwavable bowl is another filling option.

Snacking may help you lose weight.

If you can hardly wait for dinner or lunch and gobble it down like there’s no tomorrow, eating a healthy snack a few hours earlier can help you lose weight. Eating slower gives your stomach time to signal to the brain that it’s full and to stop eating. You eat less. When you’re ravenous, it’s hard not to eat slower. Some people think they can wait to eat, but when faced with gnawing hunger, they grab the first food they see. It’s often junk food at the gas station or candy on a coworker’s desk. Preparing for hunger helps you keep your calorie count lower.

Snacking can improve your workout and boost recovery.

Personal trainers and nutritionists recommend a pre-workout and post-workout snack. Pre-workout and post-workout snacks should contain protein and carbohydrates with very little fat. It might be a hard-boiled egg and crackers, or Greek yogurt and fresh fruit. The carbs provide energy to maximize your workout. The snack also starts the recovery process. The protein in the post-workout snack offers the nutrients to build muscles and boost recovery. Brown rice and chicken, a hard-boiled egg and vegetable, or a glass of chocolate milk will suffice.

Be prepared with ready-to-eat fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. If you want a snack, they’re ready for you to eat. They can be part of a meal.
Make variety your goal. Adding more options for snacks can trigger your creativity and provide a variety of snacks down the road. Some people break up their meals and use one item on their lunch or dinner menu as a snack.
If you travel, having healthy snacks in the car can be a blessing. You don’t have to stop at a fast food restaurant for something to nibble on, like fries. Trail mix is one good option.
We provide meal planning options for various health issues and weight loss. They include food you can snack on throughout the day.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Benefits Of Eating Organic

Published by superadmin on July 5, 2024 | Leave a response

At LIV Fitness in Livermore, CA, we encourage people to reap the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet is one facet, just as consistent exercise is. Even though whole foods form the basis of healthy eating, there are concerns about pesticides and other chemicals entering our bodies via fresh produce. There are also concerns about the animal products consumed. After all, you eat what they eat. Is eating organic the answer? It could be but with some exceptions.

Are there benefits from eating organic food?

The first healthy decision you need to make is to eat more whole foods, foods closer to their natural state without much processing, and less highly processed food. After that, eating a balanced diet and finding the healthiest whole food comes next. Factory farms use commercial fertilizer that doesn’t contain all the micronutrients as the soil that’s enriched by natural means. Organic material used to fertilize produce contains micronutrients the plant absorbs and passes on to humans.

Fertilizer, pesticides, and hormones are often in and on non-organic food.

The EWG—Environmental Working Group—tests traditionally grown produce from groceries nationwide. They wash the produce several times and check for the residue of these chemicals. They compute the information and create two lists. One list contains the fruits and vegetables that still show signs of chemicals. It contains the top 12 offenders and is called the Dirty Dozen. The second list had little or no pesticides. The top 15 goes on the list of the Clean 15. To be healthiest and save money, choose organically grown produce from the Dirty Dozen list and factory-farmed ones from the Clean 15.

Organic animal products can have more benefits and fewer risks.

When you eat animal products, you’re eating what the animal eats. You’re also taking any medications the animal takes. If a cow receives hormones, it changes their hormones, which pass to you. You also receive the benefits animals get from eating natural foods. Pastured cows produce food products with a better fatty acid profile and are more heart-healthy. Eggs from pastured hens have more nutrients. On the flip side, animal products from non-organically grown may contain hormones and antibiotics that affect your health.

Some studies show there’s a link between pesticides and health issues. Some are as minor as headaches, but others are as serious as cancer. Pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and small children face a higher risk.
Studies show that fruits and vegetables grown today have fewer trace minerals and are less nutritious than those grown 50 years ago. Studies also found that organically grown produce is higher in antioxidants than non-organic.
Dairy and beef from pastured cattle contain more CLA—conjugated linoleic acid. CLA is an omega-3 fatty acid that lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. The same is true of eggs from pastured hens. Those eggs also have more vitamins A and E.
At LIV Fitness, we help with both fitness and nutrition. Our app provides meal plans that fit your health needs and personal preferences. Besides meal plans and recipes, it even has a grocery list to make it easier to use.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Are You Working Out Hard Enough?

Published by superadmin on June 25, 2024 | Leave a response

If you’re working out in Livermore, CA, and not seeing your desired results, maybe you need to change your routine or the intensity. You might not be working hard enough. If you’re only going through the motions and giving half your effort, you’ll get results that reflect that. While consistently doing any form of exercise helps keep you in shape, it may not help you reach a specific goal as quickly as you desire or reach it at all.

How do you judge intensity and how hard to push?

If you can sing while you’re working out, you need to push yourself harder. Even being able to chat means you aren’t pushing yourself hard enough. The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion identified a test to measure effort. You’re probably at maximum effort if you can only gasp a few words as you exercise. If you don’t need a break and can talk a little more, push harder.

Is your workout easier than it used to be?

You may have barely made it through your workout initially but can now zip through it without thinking or forming a bead of sweat. You didn’t up the ante as your body got fitter. Now, you’re only doing maintenance and not improving. That won’t push you toward a higher goal. As the workout becomes easier, adjust it and make it more difficult. Do more sets, reps, or different exercises. Frequently changing your workout helps prevent plateauing and constantly challenges your body.

Judge how you feel right after you workout.

You don’t want to do intense workouts every time you go to the gym but only once or twice a week. They will leave your muscles sore. If the muscles are so painful you can barely move, you’ve pushed too hard or too long. There’s a big difference between pain and soreness. Don’t ignore the pain. If they’re achy but tolerable, your workout was a success. Your workout wasn’t intense enough if you feel like going out dancing after working out.

Never ignore pain that’s so intense you can’t walk or sleep. If it lasts several days, see your healthcare professional to make sure you don’t have an injury.
How much is enough and how much is too much? It all depends on your fitness level, goal, and any special needs you have. Our personal trainers can help you find the right intensity and workout to help you reach your goals.
You can use technology to judge your efforts. A heart rate monitor can track it. If it’s less than 64, you need to push harder. A heart rate between 76 and 90 indicates an intense workout.
You’ll see physical changes faster when you challenge your body more. Don’t try to push hard every day. Your body needs time for recovery where the biggest changes occur, especially if you’re building strength.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Could Sitting All Day Be Slowly Killing You?

Published by superadmin on June 15, 2024 | Leave a response

Exercising every day is important. It may not be enough if you’re sitting all day. Long hours of inactivity and sitting may be killing you. Studies show that sitting longer than an hour diminishes the effect of a daily workout. Some studies suggest that getting up every 30 minutes and moving is best, while others suggest moving five minutes every hour. Sitting too long increases the risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and joint issues. It also affects your mood and can trigger depression.

You can’t undo prolonged sitting.

Even if you go to the gym regularly, you can’t change the negative effects of sitting the rest of the time. Sitting takes its toll on cognitive functioning, too. You’ll be less productive the more you sit. It decreases blood flow to the brain and increases stress levels. When you sit too long, you increase mental fatigue. If you find it difficult to focus or absorb the material you’re reading, get up and move about. The increased circulation to your brain improves focus and cognitive functioning.

Taking regular breaks can prevent serious conditions.

You’re at risk for health issues like deep vein thrombosis, a blood clot in the leg that can have lethal results if you don’t move frequently enough. It increases the risk for some types of cancer. It can affect your sleep quality. It can even affect bone and heart health. It changes blood flow, slows metabolism, leads to hypertension, and causes musculoskeletal disorders.

.One study found that sitting longer than 11 hours a day puts you at a very high risk for health issues.

The study didn’t differentiate whether sitting those hours consecutively or intermittently made a difference. It also didn’t note whether it was unhealthy if you exercised daily. It identified low-risk individuals as those who sat less than 4 hours a day, moving through medium, high risk, and up to very high risk at 11 hours a day. Reduce the risks by using a sit-and-stand desk, standing when talking on the phone, taking regular walking breaks, and stretching frequently.

If you use a standing desk, move your feet and walk in place as you stand. You’ll keep your metabolism higher and improve circulation and heart health. It’s just as unhealthy to stand in the same position as it is to sit in the same position.
If you expect your workout to offset your sitting time, you need to do intense exercise to offset six to seven hours of sitting just to maintain your present fitness. You have to do more if you want improvement.
Look for ways to be more active throughout the day. Walk to lunch or take it and walk to a park to eat it. If you use the bathroom, use the one on the floor above you or below and use the stairs.
If you’re taking a five-minute break you don’t have to leave your office area. Stand up and stretch. March in place. Do windmills or other types of exercise to boost circulation.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Can Certain Exercises Remove Cellulite?

Published by superadmin on June 5, 2024 | Leave a response

If you found this blog using a search engine, you probably saw dozens of articles with titles that make you believe you can permanently eliminate cellulite with special exercises. It’s simply not true. That doesn’t mean it’s hopeless to workout. Exercise may not eliminate cellulite, but it will make it less noticeable. Some people think that exercises can remove fatty tissues in specific areas, but like all weight loss, it comes off evenly throughout the body. The exercises tone the underlying muscles and give a sleeker appearance,

Doctors can identify some of the risk factors for cellulite.

You can help prevent or eradicate cellulite by eliminating some of the risk factors. Fat tissues that poke through connective tissues create a lumpy orange-peel appearance on the thin layer of skin that covers the area. Women tend to have more cellulite because of a difference in fat muscle and connective tissue distribution. There are a variety of reasons for cellulite, such as excess fat. That doesn’t mean you won’t get it if you’re thin. Even thin people have it.

Hormones play a role in cellulite development.

Many theories suggest that several hormones play a role in creating cellulite. Estrogen, insulin, noradrenaline, prolactin, and certain thyroid hormones play a role. Menopause can increase cellulite by slowing the connective tissue—collagen—-production. Impeded circulation causes less oxygen to the area, which also reduces collagen production. As hormone levels during menopause drop, the reduction of estrogen creates larger fat cells and thinner skin to make cellulite more noticeable.

Focus on eating healthy food and cutting back on sugar.

Focusing on healthy eating can help lose weight or prevent weight gain. Highly processed food can cause toxin accumulation that leads to cellulite. When you eat food with added sugar, it reduces the amount of collagen or weakens it. Dehydration also makes cellulite more noticeable. Smoking affects circulation and alcohol causes dehydration to increase the appearance of cellulite. Both aerobic and strength-building exercises can help make cellulite less noticeable. It improves circulation, increases collagen, and makes it stronger.

Female sex hormones increase fat storage on the thighs, buttocks, and hips. That makes those areas more prone to cellulite. The more stored fat there is, the more potential there is for cellulite.
Using a natural brush or loofah plant for dry brushing helps boost new cell growth as it removes dead skin cells. It can help improve circulation and aid in reducing the appearance of cellulite. You can also use coffee grounds mixed with coconut oil as an exfoliant.
Alternating between hot and cold showers boosts circulation. Steam baths, total body massage, and full-body cryotherapy can also make cellulite less noticeable by increasing circulation which builds collagen strength.
There are medical procedures that break up the collagen bands to make the surface more even. Cellfina, for example, shows results in about a month that last about three years. It costs between $3000 and $5000.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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Do You Really Know What Foods To Eat?

Published by superadmin on May 25, 2024 | Leave a response

It’s not always easy to know the right foods to eat. If you walk through a grocery store, you’ll often see food wrappers with words like “gluten-free” in big letters on the package. Are they really healthy? Just read the label. If it sounds like the ingredients for an experiment in a high-level lab, it’s probably not a healthy option. For instance, a tub of margarine may tout that it’s 100% vegan, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy or healthier than butter. Butter made from the milk of grass-fed pastured cows is extremely healthy. You have to look at the ingredients. The artificial alternative may have a list of ingredients you’d expect to find in a lab.

Eating whole foods is the key.

Whole foods are foods not significantly processed. They may be washed, cooked, frozen, or canned but don’t have additives. Healthy canned fruit is packed in its own juice and contains no added sugar. Choosing organic is best in many cases, but it’s not always necessary. Avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, and cabbage are a few on the Clean 15. Non-organic fruits and vegetables are tested each year for pesticides. Some show high amounts even after washing. Others show no chemicals or very few. They are the Clean 15. Sweet corn, pineapple asparagus, onions, sweet potatoes, and papayas are a few.

Avoid choosing fat-free or low-fat milk options.

Some people see fat-free on a label and believe it’s healthier. They also think it will help them lose weight. Both of these suppositions are incorrect. For instance, when they remove the fat from yogurt or milk, the flavor and texture disappear, too. To give your mouth the feel of yogurt or milk and provide the same flavor, sugar and thickening ingredients are added. Fat helps you lose weight. Sugar makes you gain it. Fat keeps you feeling full longer. Added sugar messes with your blood sugar level. That can increase insulin, keep you hungry, and lead to insulin resistance.

Do you carry around granola bars or trail mix for quick snacks?

Many granola bars are nothing more than glorified candy bars. You may think you’re making a healthy choice, but once you read the label, you’ll notice it contains a ton of sugar, preservatives, artificial flavoring, and refined oils. High-fiber bars are a poor contender against high-fiber fruit like apples. Make your own trail mix to control the ingredients it contains.

Consider how you cook food. For instance, overcooked meat contains heterocyclic amines—HCA. They are cancer-causing agents. Choose your meat broiled, boiled, or baked, not fried.
Choosing food that is naturally gluten-free is only vital for people who have celiac disease or gluten intolerance. A bag of potato chips is naturally gluten-free, but not very healthy.
Don’t eat frozen yogurt as a healthy alternative to ice cream. Frozen yogurt sounds healthy, but it has the sugar and flavoring that makes ice cream a less healthy option.
Don’t eat Impossible Burgers or veggie burgers because you think it’s healthier. Most are high in sodium. Find alternatives like a grilled portabella to substitute for a burger.

For more information, contact us today at LIV Fitness

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