Fintys https://fintys.com.au/ Your Source for Fitness and Nutrition Information Tue, 12 Jan 2021 11:45:21 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.4 https://fintys.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-Fintys-favicon-32x32.png Fintys https://fintys.com.au/ 32 32 15 High Protein Foods for Successful Weight Loss https://fintys.com.au/high-protein-foods/ https://fintys.com.au/high-protein-foods/#respond Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:00:09 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=2212 Proteins are our superhero macronutrients. They help us build and maintain muscles. Without proteins, our bodies would not be able to perform a variety of bodily functions, including the regulation ... Read more

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Proteins are our superhero macronutrients. They help us build and maintain muscles. Without proteins, our bodies would not be able to perform a variety of bodily functions, including the regulation of the hormonal and enzyme balance.

In addition, proteins are a necessary nutrient to win your battle with weight loss and also to maintain your ideal weight.

What Is Protein

Proteins are large, complex molecules that play a crucial role in our bodies and which enable optimal functioning of our bodies. Proteins are responsible for the proper work of cells, meaning for the fundamental physiological processes.

The human body contains 100 trillions of cells, and each cell has thousands of different proteins. These proteins provide the smooth functioning of cells.

When we consider the chemical processes in our bodies and the way our bodies work in regard to the role of proteins, it is worth mentioning the main functions of protein in our bodies.

Proteins are key agents for the growth and development of tissues and cells, and this means that they are responsible for the growth and development of the entire body.

Proteins stimulate biochemical reactions and enzymes are, in fact, proteins that are responsible for the proper functioning of numerous biochemical processes in our bodies such as digestion and blood circulation.

The chains of amino acids are made of various proteins and bonds and work as messengers that transmit information between cells, tissues, and organs. Proteins also structure the strength and elasticity of a number of body parts and maintain the PH balance in the body [1].

Apart from providing high levels of energy, proteins may combat many unwanted microorganisms and positively affect immunity.

Related post: The Best Protein Bars

Why Is Protein Important for Weight Loss

It is common knowledge that proteins are necessary to lose weight but also to stick to the ideal weight after you’ve achieved your fitness goals. If you still wonder how do proteins work in the process of shedding extra pounds, here’s a brief explanation.

Firstly, proteins rapidly provide a feeling of satiety. The sooner you satisfy your hunger, there is less chance to take more calories than needed. Proteins increase the level of peptides who signalize a state of satiety to the brain.

However, before you opt for overeating protein or following a strict protein diet, it is important to know that you ought to take different types of food high in protein.

Lean meats, such as poultry are a great source of protein but it is also very important to eat red meat and fish because even if you are on a diet regimen, a varied diet is the only thing that will provide you with all the essential nutrients.

Other high protein foods include tofu, beans, lentils, Greek yogurt, nuts, and eggs. If you don’t like some of these foods, you can take protein powder instead. Read more about that here.

Also, bear in mind that products marketed as protein substitutes can never fully align with the effect provided by “real” protein foods.

The so-called full, complete protein contains all the essential fatty acids in amounts that meet the body’s needs.

According to medical professionals and dietary experts, the daily intake of protein is between 46- 63 grams for adults while athletes and people who underlie intense physical activity should consume more protein.

Animal proteins in eggs, meat, fish, cheese, and milk represent complete proteins.

Plant-based proteins usually have a lack of a single or more essential amino acids and are considered incomplete. A well- balanced vegetarian diet, however, may provide all the necessary amino acids to the body.

Here is a list of 15 foods high in protein that you can include in your daily meals or consume them as snacks:

High Protein Foods

1. Milk

Milk is one of the most commonly used dairy products that is packed with protein and a high amount of calcium. Milk replenishes the structure of your bones and muscles and, moreover, its sweet counterpart, i.e. chocolate milk is the perfect recovery post-workout food that is rich in carbs, whey, and casein proteins. If you’re not big fan of chocolate milk, add some milk to your favourite fruit smoothie.

2. Eggs

Eggs are one of the highest protein foods that contain around 6 grams of protein and only 0.6 grams of carbohydrates. Eggs are also considered a perfect snack when boiled or healthy, satisfying breakfast in the morning.

3. Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a low- carb food of only 6 grams of carbohydrates that provides eight grams of protein. This protein food can be a real energy booster pre or post-workout.

4. Cheese

Cheese is a product that contains a dense amount of casein- milk protein whose intensity varies depending on the type of cheese. Swiss, Pecorino, Gouda, Edam and Parmesan are the most protein concentrated cheese with 25 g to 40 g of protein per 100 g serving.

5. Lean White Poultry

Meals that contain lean white poultry such as chicken or turkey breasts may supply you with 30 g of proteins per 100 g serving.

Try to avoid eating the skin since it has too many calories and fat but stick to the leanest meat, thus choose breasts, breast tenderloins (tenders), and wings.

6. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are the perfect plant-based protein choice for many meal combinations. It can be added to salads, stews, pasta or curries or eaten as a roasted snack.

A 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas contains 7 g of protein and, moreover, it is a healthy alternative to butter that you can add to sandwiches or use it as a side dish.

7. Spirulina

Spirulina is a mighty source of protein that is commonly used as a powder or a supplement.

It is green or blue algae that can be added to salads or homemade snacks to boost the protein content.

Spirulina is rich in vitamin B-12 but also minerals such as magnesium and iron. 2 tablespoons of spirulina contain 8 g of protein.

8. Quinoa

Plant-based source of pure protein, the quinoa is a grain that is a rich source of nutrients.

This grain contains 8 g of protein per 200 g and it is also full of fibre, iron, magnesium, and manganese.

Sprinkle some quinoa on salads, add it to soups and stews or eat it as a main course with a mix of vegetables.

9. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are highly favoured for their high content of Omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and protein but low- caloric value on the other hand.

As a potent source of protein, chia seeds contain 2 g of protein per 30 g. Add them to smoothies or soak them in water or dairy/ vegan milk to make a delicious chia pudding.

10. Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt is a portion of excellent protein-rich food. It contains both whey protein and casein, leaving a tangy, satisfying feeling.

Compared to the regular yogurt, Greek yogurt contains about twice the amount of protein or 10 to 20 g per serving. Make a homemade fruit Greek yogurt by adding chopped fruit and natural sweeteners like honey or agave syrup.

10. Fish and Seafood

These are great sources of protein with a low amount of calories but a high content of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Although many would consider these food products as economically unaffordable in the long run in their diet, there are convenient options such as pouched tuna or salmon that would provide up to 30 g of protein per 100 g.

11. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is one of the favourite protein-packed foods that are high in casein and contains 11 g per 100 g serving.

Cottage cheese can be served both as savoury snack combined with your favourite vegetables and as a dessert when mixed with honey, any type of berries or nut kinds of butter.

12. Nuts

Although most of the nuts are known to be higher in calories than some other protein foods, they contain an immensely high percentage of proteins, i.e. up to 25g per 100 g serving.

Their high-calorie content is due to the dense amount of fats that in some nuts equals 65 g but on the other hand, nuts are a great choice for protein-focused diets since some of them contain a low amount of carbohydrates.

Nuts are also rich in magnesium, phenolic acid, potassium, amino acids, and flavonoids.

Peanuts, almonds, and pistachios are the nuts that contain the highest amount of protein along with essential nutrients for proper bodily functions.

Peanuts contain 25, 80 g of protein per 100 g serving and are full of healthful monosaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Also, peanuts are more affordable than most of the nuts on the market and this adds to their value.

Almonds are protein-rich foods that contain 21, 15 g of protein and are also rich in calcium and potassium.

Pistachios are not only a mighty source of protein but also contain antioxidants and fatty acids. 100 g of pistachios contains 20, 16 g of protein, and substantial quantities of vitamins and minerals, i.e calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron.

13. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein that can contain up to 30 g of protein in 5- 10 g serving which makes them one of the most nutrient and practical food choices that can be consumed as a snack on the go.

These seeds also provide vitamins, proteins such as iron, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and potassium as well as antioxidants that prevent premature cell aging.

14.Pulses (Beans, Lentils, and Peas)

Pulses are a subgroup of legumes or dry beans, lentils, and peas. They contain about 8g of protein per 100 g serving, along a solid amount of fibre and fat.

Pulses are food rich in protein that provide a rapid feeling of satiety due to their high protein and fibre content.

Baked beans contain 6g of protein per 100g serving while boiled lentils contain 9 g and cooked peas contain 5,6 g for the same quantity.

15. Pork

Pork is full of leucine and this makes it a great snack or post-workout meal. Leucine is a branched-chain amino acid that supports muscles and muscular activity but it is also used in the liver and fat tissues.

A 100 g serving of roasted, boneless extra lean pork contains 21 g of protein and only 5% of fat.

Pork is made up of protein as any meat. When cooked, there is 25% of protein by fresh weight whereas dry lean pork contains up to 89% of protein which makes it the richest animal source of protein.

The leucine in pork is also considered the only amino acid that prompts the growth of muscles and prevents premature muscle deterioration.

The Bottom Line

According to health experts and dietitians, you can lose weight and shred pound by eating foods with protein that will keep you full but also increase your muscle strength and mass.

Studies have shown that high- protein diets can also improve some health ailments like chronic diseases including high blood pressure and diabetes.

There are many sources of protein among the wide array of foods on the market. Protein is one of the fundamental elements of a balanced diet but sometimes it brings a lot of excess calories on your plate.

In order to meet your daily protein needs, opt for lean animal and plant-based protein sources that will provide you with a balanced calorie intake while also keeping you full.

Good sources of protein are also low-fat dairy products such as Greek yogurt or milk that you can easily incorporate in your daily routine. In addition, plant-based proteins such as peanut butter, nuts, and legumes provide enough protein that can satisfy your bodily needs.

According to the protein Reference Daily Intake (RDI) an adult who eats 2,000 calories per day should take about 50g of protein, although some people can increase this amount and feel specific benefits. Visit our article on how much protein you need per day to learn more.

Finally, you should have in mind that the individual calorie and protein needs depend on age, weight, height, sex, and level of physical activity. consult your doctor or health specialist before you start any dietary regimen for losing weight that focuses on protein intake for losing and maintaining weight.

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Apple Cider Vinegar Weight Loss Explained https://fintys.com.au/apple-cider-vinegar-weight-loss/ https://fintys.com.au/apple-cider-vinegar-weight-loss/#respond Sat, 20 Jun 2020 04:30:10 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1833 Apple cider vinegar has become a popular item in many people’s pantries. But, even with its popularity, some people believe it is a magical ingredient for fast weight loss. For ... Read more

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Apple cider vinegar has become a popular item in many people’s pantries. But, even with its popularity, some people believe it is a magical ingredient for fast weight loss. For many years, vinegar has been useful as a powerful ingredient for cooking and cleaning. This is because it contains acetic acid that builds up during the fermentation process.

In the recent past, more and more people have included apple cider vinegar in the diet to help with weight loss. But, there are still controversies of how it works and the impact it has on weight loss.

This article can be a great resource if you are wondering how to drink apple cider vinegar for weight loss. It highlights the various health benefits of apple cider vinegar, how it works, and the science behind it. 

What is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is basically alcohol made from fermenting apple juice. It is prepared by adding yeast in the apple juice, whereby the yeast eats the sugar. As a result, the juice turns into alcohol from the fermentation process.

The process produces an off-gas, which gives the vinegar its sour taste and strong smell. You have probably seen apple cider vinegar in stores with ‘the mother.’ This type of apple cider vinegar has a cloudy substance resulting from the fermentation process.

The cloud is usually yeast and bacteria from the entire brewing process. These micro-organisms are probiotics meaning they may give your digestive system a boost. However, there isn’t much research surrounding the impact of apple cider vinegar with the mother.

The vinegar with the mother means it is unrefined, unpasteurized, and unfiltered. In this case, it presents like SCOBY in Kombucha. ‘The mother’ looks like a fibery fluff in brown or whitish colour in a bottle of apple cider vinegar. Most people find it gross, but it is full of healthy bacteria, proteins, and enzymes. 

Apple Cider Vinegar Diet for Weight loss

The apple cider vinegar diet has gained popularity among people seeking to lose weight. Most people suggest using a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. This claims to improve your metabolism, which in general terms, helps with burning fat [1].

On its own, apple cider vinegar has shown very little impact on weight loss. It is, therefore, clear that you have to combine its use with other healthy practices to gain benefits. That is eating a healthy, wholesome diet and exercising regularly. 

The best way to get the most out of this healthy drink is first adopting a healthy lifestyle in many aspects. Seek to improve the quality of your food by eating more whole foods. Add vegetables and fruits into your diet and create a calorie deficit.

On this note, cut your food portions to help your body switch to stored fats for energy. If you want long term results taking an apple cider vinegar weight loss drink, make sure you practice mindful eating. As mentioned, you will only get the apple cider vinegar benefits while eating healthy.

How to Use Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

Once you have your eating habits in check, cider apple vinegar can help to boost your metabolism. But, you want to ensure you use it correctly to get the most out of it. When it comes to the dosage, for this particular drink, It does not mean taking more of it will yield better results.

In fact, overusing apple cider vinegar can bring about some negative impacts. For example, this particular vinegar has high levels of acetic acid. If you drink it straight from the bottle, the high acid levels can erode your teeth and burn.

On this note, it is advisable to dilute it with water or another drink. A tablespoon or two before meals works as fine. The good thing is that is is a low-calorie drink and therefore does not derail your progress.

You can also use apple cider vinegar to make dressings for your salads. If you struggle with eating raw salads, the sour taste of the vinegar can improve the taste and make them bearable to eat. You can mix it with olive oil and some herbs and add to your salads.

Some people use this vinegar for preparing vegetable pickles. As its use in raw salads, apple cider vinegar helps to enhance the taste of pickled foods. If taking apple cider vinegar is unbearable for you, try cooking with it.

Some of the foods you can make with apple cider vinegar are baby kale, butternut squash, chicken, beans, etc. You can use a tablespoon or two in preparing sour sauces and dips.

Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar for Weight Loss

Apple cider vinegar has acetic acid, but, how does that help with cutting weight and overall health? Here are apple cider benefits.

Lowers Blood Sugar

The most effective way of keeping blood sugar at lower and healthier levels is by avoiding refined carbs and sugar. But, apple cider vinegar can help bring high sugar levels down. The acetic acid in the vinegar may help improve insulin sensitivity during high carb meals. This activity can significantly reduce blood sugar levels by improving insulin response.

However, it is essential to stick to a healthy diet and lifestyle in general for long term weight loss results. In this case, the vinegar helps to improve insulin function; that is if you make it part of your diet by taking it before meals. 

Boosts Metabolism

Your body’s metabolism plays a significant role in how fast or slow you lose weight. If you are looking for ways to enhance your metabolism, consider adding apple cider vinegar to your diet.

The acetic acid in vinegar may help to increase certain enzymes essential for the digestive process. On this note, it can help enhance the fat burning process and ultimately help you lose weight. It is important to note, however, that you have to include additional weight-loss strategies such as exercising and eating the right foods.

Suppresses Appetite

The acetic acid in this vinegar may suppress the parts of the brain that control how much you eat. When you take an apple cider vinegar diet, you train the brain to control your appetite and only eat until you are full.

Additionally, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in water before meals adds on to how full you feel. This, in turn, results in you eating less food, thereby controlling how much calories you consume. With a consistently healthy diet and apple cider vinegar, you can take control of your appetite and manage your cravings.

May Aid in Digestion

Apple cider vinegar could aid in the digestion of starchy foods such as wheat and potatoes. The acidic levels of the drink can potentially slow down the digestion of these foods. This, in turn, can help with boosting your metabolism, ultimately burning fat in the process. However, the impact it has on digestion is minimal, and therefore maintaining a healthy diet is recommended.

Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar

Like most things, it is best to use this vinegar sparingly. Most people looking for quick fixes often jump on to the hype and overdo popular trends in this topic. While some of the trends might help you lose weight, overusing apple cider vinegar might be more detrimental than helpful.

One, the vinegar has high levels of acetic acid resulting from the fermentation process. Although this acid is beneficial, too much use could damage your teeth and bones. Acetic acid has corrosive properties that could erode your teeth enamel and weaken your bones resulting from overexposure [2].

Also, since acetic acid has been shown to lower blood sugar, it may reduce it too much to unsafe levels. Therefore, people with diabetes or those at risk of the disease need to use it sparingly. A great approach would be to talk to your doctor about its safety with any underlying conditions that you may have.

Apple cider vinegar is a useful fermented drink; however, it may interact with certain drugs’ chemical composition. For example, medications such as insulin and diuretic drugs may interact negatively and cause more problems than benefits. This is why it is essential to talk to your physician before using apple cider vinegar as part of your regular diet.

Before you use apple cider vinegar to lose weight, it is crucial to ascertain that your digestive system can handle the acidity. On this note, people with chronic heartburn, acid reflux, or stomach ulcers should not take apple cider vinegar. The acidity of the drink may worsen the symptoms and potentially bring about additional issues.

The Bottom Line

Apple cider vinegar can be a great addition to your healthy lifestyle. Using it every day before meals could aid in digestion, boost your metabolism, and help to lower blood sugar. Although it has many health benefits, it is essential to note that you have to incorporate exercise and healthy meals for a fruitful weight loss journey.

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How to Lose Belly Fat for a Flat Stomach https://fintys.com.au/how-lose-belly-fat/ https://fintys.com.au/how-lose-belly-fat/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 14:53:00 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1577 Most people looking to lose weight have a serious battle to fight when it comes to belly fat. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is one of the hardest ... Read more

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Most people looking to lose weight have a serious battle to fight when it comes to belly fat. Belly fat, also known as visceral fat, is one of the hardest to lose. However, if not eliminated, it can pose a risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

If you are wondering about how to lose belly fat fast, read on. This article features 20 proven ways to help you burn belly fat and improve overall health.

Cut Calories

The first approach to losing weight is cutting back on the calories you consume every day. You can reduce your calorie intake by 500 to 1000 to drop weight, specifically around your midsection area.

However, it is essential to note that cutting back too much can reduce your metabolic rate, which is a critical factor in fat loss. Start slowly by eliminating some foods in your diet and cutting back on the portions. The idea is to adapt to a lower calorie intake but still provide your body with the energy and nutrients it needs.

Related post: The Best Appetite Suppressant

Add Soluble Fiber Into Your Diet

When you eat soluble fibre, it absorbs water and forms a gel. This gel slows down the time the food takes to pass through the digestive tract. In turn, this process delays emptying the stomach leaving it full for longer.

Soluble fibre can also decrease the number of calories the body absorbs from the food you eat. As a result, you drop weight and burn more fat to use as fuel [1].

Foods that are high in soluble fibre include flaxseeds, oats, avocados, legumes, blueberries, and brussels sprouts. Consider adding these to your diet to provide adequate soluble fibre.

Take Probiotics in Your Diet

Probiotics are live bacteria that have a significant role in weight loss. Taking probiotics helps to balance beneficial gut flora, reducing weight gain and fat accumulation in your midsection. Probiotics are found in foods such as yogurt, kefir, Kombucha, temper, kimchi, and other fermented foods.

If, for any reason, you cannot have these types of foods, consider using probiotic supplements. These are available for purchase in pharmacies or online.

When looking for suitable probiotic supplements, consider getting one with these strains; lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus amylovorus, or Lactobacillus gasseri.

Do Cardio Exercises

Cardio is one of the exercises known to help with weight loss. If you are looking for ways to burn belly fat and achieve a flat stomach, you might consider adding cardio exercises to your routine. Spare 30 minutes to an hour daily and engage in some form of cardio exercise.

This can be running, skipping, cycling, jogging, etc. When starting, you do not have to worry about the intensity. As the body adapts to exercises, you will notice your endurance increases, and you can add on to the intensity at this point.

Cardio exercises are easy to do, and you can engage in any that you like anywhere.

Related post: Top Trail Running Tips for Beginners

Add Protein to Your Diet

Protein is one of the essential nutrients that the body needs. Additionally, it is helpful for weight loss and management. If you want to lose your fat belly and improve health generally, consider increasing your protein intake.

When you eat food high in protein, you feel fuller for longer. Also, protein digests slower than other foods keeping you satiated for hours. Additionally, protein helps to raise your metabolic rate, which is an essential factor when trying to burn fat. 

Eat more lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy, beans, and whey protein. These, together with other healthy foods in the right portions, will help you burn visceral fat.

Limit Your Carb Intake

Eating too many carbs, especially refined ones, has been associated with weight gain. Foods such as white rice, bread, cookies, and other processed carbs are known for raising blood sugars. If you are trying to lose weight, these only make the situation even worse. 

Instead, eat fewer carbs and eat more whole grains. These will fill up your tummy and leave you fuller for longer. Eating food with minimal carbs can also help you fight your cravings and take control of your appetite. As a result, you will cut weight and keep it off with a consistent plan. 

Include Resistance Training

Resistance training is a controversial topic among people trying to cut weight. Most believe that engaging in resistance workout results in adding weight and bulking up. But, it is necessary to do resistance training and build muscle.

When you change your diet and lifestyle in general, you cut weight fast. This results in loss of muscle mass as well. This is why resistance is crucial as it prevents your body from losing more muscle mass. Additionally, resistance training can tighten your midsection for a flat tummy.

Use Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is known for its health benefits, mainly because of its high acetic acid levels. You’ve probably heard of people using apple cider vinegar as a weight loss remedy. Well, it works, but you need to understand how to use it.

As mentioned, apple cider vinegar has a high content of acetic acid. This acid prevents and reduces the accumulation of fat in the body. Including it in your daily diet can help you maintain a flat stomach, of course, with other lifestyle changes. A tablespoon dissolved in a glass of water each day is advisable.

Avoid Sugary Drinks

Soda, fruit juices, and energy drinks have a surprisingly high amount of sugar added to them. The high sugar content can affect your weight loss progress. These liquid calories bring about fat storage around the abdominal muscles from all the remaining sugar that the body stores as fat.

It is vital to stay away from these to see changes and maintain a flat tummy. These drinks also trick your brain to wanting more, and you end up having more than you should.

Also, you are likely to indulge in unhealthy treats such as cookies, candy, and chocolate from the desire to have more sugar.

Eat Whole Foods

The first change you should make when trying to eliminate belly fat is altering your food options. Eat more whole foods to fill you up for longer and provide the essential nutrients your body needs.

Whole foods are rich in fibre, water, minerals, and vitamins, all essential for weight loss and overall health. Consider eating whole nuts, legumes, grains, vegetables, dairy, fish, etc. Cut out any processed foods from your diet and create a consistent, sustainable plan for your food options.

Drink More Water

You have probably heard of people talk about how drinking more water helps with weight loss, specifically belly fat. Do you know how? Well, when you drink more water, your metabolic rate goes up. High metabolic rate is the catalyst for burning belly fat and generally losing weight.

Additionally, drinking water can increase your total energy expenditure. This means you are likely to burn more calories when you drink adequate water than when you do not. When you drink water before meals, you feel fuller and reduce the chances of overeating or overindulging.

Manage Stress

It is impossible to eliminate stress from our day to day life. When you are stressed, you are more likely to binge, and most times, you choose unhealthy options. Stress is a significant contributor to fat gain, and if not managed properly, it can derail your weight loss progress.

Stress triggers your body to produce cortisol which is a stress hormone. For people with more belly fat, cortisol levels produced are higher. It is, therefore, essential to engage in stress-relieving activities and manage stress appropriately.

Get Adequate Sleep

Sleep is essential to keep your body rested, energized, and functioning correctly. When you sleep less, you put your body in a state where it has to struggle to build up energy. You wake up feeling tired and irritable. On this note, you reach for a latte and most likely skip your morning workout.

Over time, you create a habit of surviving on coffee and eating unhealthy foods in the morning. When you sleep, you allow your body to recuperate and reenergize for the next day. Also, you promote a higher resting metabolic rate, which helps to burn calories.

Practice Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is a term used to refer to a schedule whereby you rotate between eating and fasting. It means setting a specific time bracket where you should eat and another where you should not.

Intermittent fasting helps you consume fewer calories, which in turn results in burning abdominal fat.

Strengthen Your Core

If you are looking for exercises to lose stomach fat, core exercises are great. These may help you strengthen and add mass to your abdominal muscles. These muscles hold in your belly, which helps you look leaner and in shape. Aim to do planks and some roll-ups a few times a week to strengthen your core.

Related post: The Best Ab Machines

Drink Unsweetened Green Tea

Green tea, over time, has become a popular beverage around the world. It is one of the healthiest beverages with the high content of antioxidants. These are essential for boosting metabolism, which in turn burns abdominal fat.

Although the taste of green tea is not desirable, you can train yourself to enjoy it. Sweetening it steals away its benefits and adds on to the calories you take. If you struggle with drinking green tea, you can add freshly squeezed lemon juice, mint leaves, ginger, or organic honey.

Check out our ranking of the best teas for weight loss.

Limit Alcohol Intake

Alcohol contains a significant amount of calories. Like sugary drinks, you should limit how much you drink as too much of it can derail your progress. Heavy consumption of alcohol is a significant factor in gaining weight, particularly around the mid-section [2].  

If you are looking for the best way to lose fat belly, cut your alcohol intake significantly. It can be challenging at first, especially if you are a regular drinker, but it is possible. Like treats, save that beer or bottle of wine to enjoy once in a while.

Stay Active

This is probably a song to many people, but staying active helps to burn belly fat and overall fat. On top of exercising regularly, move more, and stay active during the day. If you can walk to the grocery store, then skip using the car. 

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Engage in some activities with your kids, ride your bike around the neighbourhood, or walk your dog. These activities slowly add up and can help you burn abdominal fat quicker than if you stayed inactive all day.

Check out our homepage for more resources on staying active and eating well.

Substitute Regular Oils With Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils to use for cooking. It contains medium-chain fats that may help to boost metabolism and ultimately reduce the amount of fat the body stores.

Replacing some fats in the diet and using coconut oil to cook can help increase your energy expenditure.

It is important to note, however, that coconut oil has a high-fat content. Therefore, consider using it as a replacement for other fat sources and not an addition.

Keep Track of Your Progress

If you do not monitor how well or bad you are doing, you are likely to let go and give up. Once you start making changes in your lifestyle, make a point of following up on how you are eating, working out, and your overall lifestyle.

It helps you stay on course with your belly fat loss plan and stay motivated. As time goes by, try on your ill-fitting jeans to see if there is any difference. If they fit better, then you will add on to the motivation to keep up. If they are still tight, you can then evaluate where you are going wrong and work towards making some changes.

The Bottom Line

Belly fat can be challenging to eliminate but no impossible. The tips above can guide you on how to lose fat belly and get a smaller waist. They are dietary and lifestyle tips that you can implement in your routine, work on yourself, and improve your health.

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How to Lose Weight Fast and Keep It Off https://fintys.com.au/how-lose-weight/ https://fintys.com.au/how-lose-weight/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 06:14:42 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1575 Losing weight is half the battle. You also need a way to keep it off. The best way to do this is to set the right foundations and keep in ... Read more

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Losing weight is half the battle. You also need a way to keep it off. The best way to do this is to set the right foundations and keep in mind your end goal. Read on to understand the 9 things you can do to lose weight and keep it off.

Exercise

Exercise is the best way to lose weight fast. Physical activity plays a significant role in helping your body adapt to the lifestyle changes you make while trying to lose weight.

The easiest way to get into an exercise routine and build confidence is by starting small. Purchase some gym gear and go for a run or buy a quality treadmill and do it in the comfort of your home. You can also get a couple of friends together and start hiking over the weekend.

Exercise helps to improve your metabolism, which is one of the critical factors for losing weight. Additionally, exercising burns calories that could otherwise stay in the body as fat. When you consume more calories than your body can burn, it stores the extra sugars as fat. This is where weight gain starts.

The importance of exercising regularly cannot be emphasized enough. Exercise helps to lower the risks of developing certain types of cancers. It helps to clear your mind, which contributes to better stress management, essential for weight loss [1].

As you advance with your weight loss journey, exercising can help you increase lean body mass which contributes to weight loss in the long run. With a consistent exercise routine, you can burn fat, become leaner, and keep the weight off for good.

Related post: The 10 Best Home Workouts

Use Supplements

The use of supplements for weight loss has been a controversial topic in the recent past. This is because many people hope that just using weight loss pills will lead to fat loss. As you can see from this article, dietary supplements are part of the weight loss journey as they provide nutrients not easily found in common foods, however, they are not the only thing you need to lose weight.

Useful supplements are those that provide vitamins, minerals, probiotics, and prebiotics. Supplements containing B Vitamins help to improve metabolism, which is an essential factor for maintaining a healthy weight. These also support food control necessary to help you keep the weight off for good. 

Supplements containing iron, magnesium, and calcium are also essential for boosting metabolism and supporting body functions. Calcium, for example, helps with blood sugar control to ensure healthy levels. It is also known to promote bone growth and strength, which is beneficial for your overall health.

Supplements are useful, however, you need to choose the right supplements that work best for weight loss. It is advisable to talk to your physician or nutritionist and understand what you should get.

As always, a supplement that works for you might not be the best for the other person. You want to ensure you use supplements that are in line with your weight management goals and overall health.

Related post: The Best Keto Weight Loss Tablets

Join Weight Loss Programs

As much as you tell yourself how hard you will work towards losing weight, if the motivation is not there, you are likely to give up in the process. Motivation drives purpose, commitment, and consistency. If you struggle with building up motivation, the best approach would be to join weight loss programs.

These programs include likeminded people with similar or close to the same goals. Usually, these programs have outlined quick weight loss strategies. These could range from crafted exercises, meal plans, and group support. With a group of people in such a program, you are likely to stay on course.

There are plenty of weight management programs to join however, not all are viable options. When looking for a suitable program, consider finding one with more long-term goals than short-term fixes. The progress might be slower, but, in the long run, you will manage to lose the weight and keep it off.

A rule of thumb is to keep an open mind when joining a weight loss program. This is because as much as the goal is similar, strategies that will work for your friend might not be the best for you. On this note, use the program as a resource and combine it with other strategies that sit right with you.

Related post: The Best Weight Loss Tea

Track Your Journey With a Weight Loss App

In a world where everything has evolved with technology, healthy lifestyles have benefited from these advancements. Today, there are plenty of apps that can help you track your progress. Apps help you monitor how far you are, what you need to change, and the end goal.

Weight management apps are a great source of motivation as they highlight your weight loss achievements, however small. For example, most weight loss programs keep a record of your exercises. This data helps you improve on your fitness to outdo the last recording. And, as small as this seems, over time, you will notice improvements in your lifestyle.

You can find free weight loss apps or subscription ones. Generally, these apps will feature workout programs, meal guides, and basic weight management tips. If you are struggling with how to lose weight, these apps can help you get an idea of what to do, how long, and how often.

Set Up a Home Gym

When setting strategies to help you lose weight, it is vital to ensure they are convenient and fit in your day-to-day life. As much as keeping a consistent routine requires sacrifices, you can make a few changes to help you reach your goal. One of these ways is setting up a garage gym.

Most people fail to squeeze in workouts and use the lack of access to a gym as an excuse. While not everyone can access a gym, staying consistent with your workouts will pay off in the long run. A home gym allows you to work out at any time of the day. It helps you cut the time you would take to get to your local gym.

In addition to the convenience, a home gym gets your motivation high. You are likely to engage in a workout more from home than if you need to drive to workout. You can start with a simple treadmill, some pull up bars or a quality rowing machine. These are great for cardio exercises, great for burning fat.

As you advance with your exercise, you can add strength training equipment. The idea is to get equipment that you enjoy using. Also, having a dedicated exercise space helps you distract yourself from other things going on in your environment.

Eat More Whole Foods

Eating whole foods can help you lose weight and keep it off. This is because they tend to fill you up quickly, and you stay full for longer. On this note, the chances of indulging in unhealthy and unnecessary snacks are reduced. You get control of your appetite and manage cravings when you follow a diet with whole foods.

A good example of the whole foods you should include in your diet is eggs. Eggs are one of the best foods to eat when you are losing weight. They are high in protein and fat, which makes them satiating.

Leafy greens are also some of the best foods for fast weight loss. Greens are inexpensive and available almost everywhere. Eating these in your diet ensures you get the nutrients your body needs while reducing blood sugar. These low-calorie foods fill up your tummy, keeping you fuller for longer.

Other options to replace processed foods include salmon, lean beef, and chicken breast. These are good sources of protein, and a small portion fills you up and keeps you satiated for longer. Other foods you can eat in moderation include beans, legumes, cheese, avocado, apple cider vinegar, nuts, and grains.

Sleep Well

Sleep is a significant determinant of how your body responds to the different changes you make. When you are trying to lose weight and keep it off, it is essential to have adequate sleep daily. When your body is well-rested, it functions properly, responds well to exercise and diet changes [2].

When you sleep less, you wake up feeling tired, increasing the chances of skipping your morning exercise. Additionally, when you are sleep-deprived, you are likely to get your morning fix of latte to keep your energy high. When this becomes a habit, you will not only derail your progress but also add weight in the process.

Poor sleep may decrease your rest metabolism, which in turn leads to weight gain. Resting metabolic rate is the number of calories your body burns when you are resting. Therefore, if you sleep less every day, your resting metabolic rate decreases, thereby decreasing the calorie burn.

A great way to enhance your sleep pattern is by creating a reasonable schedule. Train your body to shut down at a specific time of the night and wake up at a particular time. Also, ensure your sleep environment is favourable and away from distractions that could affect your sleep quality. Experts recommend sleeping 7-8 hours for adults.

Drink a Lot of Water

The importance of consuming a lot of water cannot be emphasised enough. Water is a no-calorie drink that the body needs for its primary functions. When you drink less water or none at all, your body holds on to the water it has. This is because it needs it for functions such as digestion, excretion, transporting nutrients, etc.

The water it holds adds on your weight as water weight. The more you deprive your body of this essential drink, the more water weight you gain. When you drink enough water every day, the body gets enough to run the functions.

Water fills you up quickly and may help you manage your cravings. Sometimes when we want to snack on something, it is likely we are just thirsty. Before you grab a snack, first drink a glass of water. You may find that after drinking the water, you beat the craving you had.

Also, drinking water can help you control your portions. As mentioned, it keeps you full, so when you eat, the tummy has little space left for food. This way, you tend to eat less and keep your portions in check. This is an excellent strategy to lose weight and keeping it off for good.

Replace all your sugary drinks with water. This will help you cut down on the sugar and, ultimately, the calories you consume. If you struggle with drinking water, consider adding some enhancers such as lemon, blueberries, strawberries, mint, ginger, etc.

Watch Your Portions

We add weight from the foods we eat and the portions we choose. The amount of food you eat adds up to the calories that your body gets. When you consume more calories than you can burn in your diet,  the body stores the extra calories as fat. This is where weight gain comes in.

To fight this and keep your weight manageable, it is essential to check your diet portions. Create a habit of serving a small portion and eating that first before adding more. The body has a way of telling you to stop eating. When you eat slowly, the system sends signals to your brain that it is full.

As challenging as it may seem at first, watching your food portions can help tremendously in weight loss. You eat fewer calories and help the body burn more fat from the reserves. A simple guide to follow is to eat food comprising of protein, fat, and vegetables. Ideally, the vegetables should make up half the plate.

Related post: Fat Blaster Weight Loss Shakes Review

The Bottom Line

There are many techniques to help you lose weight and keep it off. The ones explained above are some of the proven ways to help you stay on course and achieve your weight loss goals.

These tips, both dietary and lifestyle-based, can get you started, enhance the process, and help you achieve a healthy weight.

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How Much Protein Should You Have to Stay Healthy https://fintys.com.au/how-much-protein/ https://fintys.com.au/how-much-protein/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 06:12:00 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1836 Protein intake, protein to-go meals, shake-and-take protein drinks, protein desserts, protein diets… Today’s fitness market and media sections are full of information and products of this significant component of our ... Read more

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Protein intake, protein to-go meals, shake-and-take protein drinks, protein desserts, protein diets… Today’s fitness market and media sections are full of information and products of this significant component of our diet.

It is common knowledge that protein plays a vital role in the proper functioning of our bodies, but it is often associated solely with chemical products and dietary supplements.

It should be noted that protein and protein intake may be beneficial for everyone when used properly or according to individual requirements. This relates to the complete diet in a person’s lifestyle or fitness regimen that must respond to your individual need for protein in order to maintain health and wellbeing.

After learning that you should include protein-rich food on your plate, you probably wonder how much protein should I have to stay healthy.

Regardless of whether you want to build muscle mass, lose weight, boost your endurance during workouts, or just maintain good health, here is some detailed information regarding the average suggested protein intake for individuals.

How Much Protein Should an Average Person Have

The word “protein” originates from the Ancient Greek word “protos”, meaning primary element. Protein is the fundamental component of our body cells, and it is responsible for our muscle function, physical strength, and toning.

Moreover, protein is crucial for muscle recovery after intense workouts. Protein may be animal or plant-based, however, when taken in the right amounts, it creates a healthy body and strong muscles.

Each individual needs a different amount of protein, and this depends on several key factors such as the quality of protein, your sex, the level and intensity of daily physical activities, your calorie intake, your hormone profile, the volume of training, and even your gut health.

In general, an average person should consume 12 to 15 % of protein through their daily energy, i.e. calorie intake. According to the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) that is 0.8 grams of protein per a single kilogram of body weight or 0. 36 grams per pound.

Most of the people need no more than 0.8 grams of protein per single kilogram of body weight. According to experts, an average sedentary woman needs 46 grams per day while an average sedentary man no more than 56 grams.

However, professional sports practitioners and athletes are in need of a double amount of protein as they are engaged in intense physical activities on a daily basis. For example, an active athlete who weighs 165 pounds would need 130 grams of protein per day.

Protein Intake for Weight Loss

If you consider losing weight, you should have in mind that your eating habits matter more than your time spent in the gym. There are numberless diets that may help you win the battle with extra pounds, however, each of them is based on the restriction and balance of daily calorie intake.

In addition, protein intake is one of the crucial elements that will affect your ability to shed excess fat. When planning your diet, you ought to make a structured apportionment of nutrients that you will consume daily, including protein.

If you want to lose weight, focus on having between 1.6 and 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or .73, and 1 gram per a single pound. Persons engaged in intense workouts or athletes should consume the amount above this average, i.e. 2.2 – 3.4 grams of protein per kilogram or 1- 1.5 grams per pound.

One of the advantages of protein as a macronutrient is that it provides a high level of satiety and therefore, reduced feeling of hunger.

High protein foods for weight loss include beans, lentils, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, eggs, beef, poultry, salmon, oats, tempeh, spirulina, hemp seeds, guava, chickpeas, quinoa, Greek yogurt, milk, almonds, seeds, avocado and cottage cheese.

Many of these foods contain not only protein but also beneficial unsaturated fat that provides satiety and keeps you full for a longer period of time. Also, they are rich in fibre and nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, and a number of vitamins and minerals.

According to scientific dietary research, individuals who consume high protein snacks can go long hours between meals and end up eating less food than usual while still feeling full.

The source of protein doesn’t make a crucial difference in satiety to most people and, nevertheless, results in lean body mass during calorie restriction.

One of the greatest benefits of taking protein while losing weight is that it is less likely to be stored as fat in the body in comparison to carbohydrates and fats that are stored with 80 – 90 % efficiency when being consumed in larger quantities.

How to Calculate How Much Protein You Need

When calculating your protein needs, you can start by identifying and determining your total calorie intake per day so you can target the number of grams of protein you ought to consume daily.

Also, you can do the math by calculating your body weight, your level of physical activity and your lean body mass.

After you had calculated your daily calorie intake, multiply that number by 10% and 35 % to get the final number. For example, a person who consumes 1500 calories per day is recommended to take 350- 400 calories of protein.

To count the protein grams per day needed, try out this calculation as well: a gram of protein equals four calories. Divide the two calorie range numbers by four. For example, a person who consumes 1500 calories per day should take 46 to 56 grams of protein.

A very active individual or a person who exercises on a regular basis, it means you need more protein, In that case, you can calculate protein intake by multiplying 0.7 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight.

The calculation of protein intake according to lean body mass (LBM) implies to determine your lean body mass (bones, muscles, organs, tissues, and water).

Subtract the per cent of your body fat (through BIA scales, DeXa scans, or skin callipers) from your total body mass.

Then, calculate the body fat in pounds and multiply the body weight by the body fat percentage. Lastly, do the calculation of your lean body mass. Subtract the body fat weight from the total body weight.

If you are physically inactive, multiply your LBM by 0.5, or multiply by 0.8 if you are active ( one hour of working out, 4- 5 times per week).

Does Protein Have Side Effects

Just like with any other nutrient, you should take protein moderately. Some people exceed their recommended daily intake and thus may find themselves facing side effects that can harm their health.

The general rule is that taking a large amount of protein does not essentially lead to rapid and more advanced results in your fitness goals.

On the contrary, an excessive amount of protein in your diet may lead to disrupted metabolism, weight gain, dehydration, nausea, intestinal discomfort and indigestion, unexplained exhaustion and fatigue as well as irritability, headache ad diarrhea.

When too much protein collects in the organs, their function is hindered, and this leads to the condition known as amyloidosis. Amyloidosis affects the nervous and the cardiovascular system, the liver, kidneys, spleen as well as the intestines [1].

Moreover, excess protein is usually stored as fat through the surplus of amino acids is exerted from the body. Individuals who opt for high protein diets usually lose weight while consuming only protein.

However, this cannot be maintained in the long run, and it often results in the opposite effect of weight gain once other nutrients are reintroduced in the dietary regimen.

Be careful not to rely solely on protein supplements in order to meet the recommendations for your protein intake. Products such as protein shakes and protein bars are a convenient choice on-the-go, but they should only add to your versatile, protein-rich diet that would contain proper food.

If you opt for protein supplements to enhance fitness results, you might want to try whey protein as one of the cleanest, easily soluble forms of protein extracted from milk.

The Bottom Line

To sum up, protein is the foundation of muscle mass and function. It is an essential nutrient for our diet as it provides energy, strong muscles, and boosts overall health.

All the same, protein intake should be carefully measured before you consider increasing or decreasing its amount in your diet. The optimal intake will keep your body healthy and strong, while protein surplus may harm a number of bodily functions.

It is very important to remember that, above all, protein ought to be taken through food that is healthy and nutritious while protein supplementation should be considered as an additional boost element that will help you obtain your fitness goals.

The combination of various types of protein, both animal and plant-based in the right amount with a well-structured training of physical exercises is the best solution to a get a strong, lean and healthy body.

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Muscular Strength: Why Is It Important and How to Improve It https://fintys.com.au/muscular-strength/ https://fintys.com.au/muscular-strength/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 01:56:45 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1604 If you are regularly engaged in sports activities or you start to think of doing so in the future, you have probably found yourself in the middle of discussions about ... Read more

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If you are regularly engaged in sports activities or you start to think of doing so in the future, you have probably found yourself in the middle of discussions about how strong your muscles should be to meet up with new workout challenges and what is the best way to improve their strength.

Among the few major aspects of physical fitness and health such as cardiovascular preparedness, body flexibility, stamina or muscular endurance, and body composition is muscular strength as a significant component.

Muscular strength not only provides the essential power in your body for performing various types of physical activities, from daily tasks such as lifting and carrying heavy objects, but it is also important for your overall health.

Strong, toned muscles are something both professional athletes and gym beginners aspire to because they have direct and indirect benefits to physical health.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that the level of the strength of your muscles is distinguished from their endurance. In other words, muscular strength and muscle endurance are two different, though equally important, components of physical fitness.

If you want to understand how muscle strength works, what are the ways to improve it and what are its benefits, just read on!

What Is Muscular Strength

Muscular strength refers to the maximum amount of force a muscle can produce in a single effort for a short period of time. In practice, this means that if you do fewer repetitions with more weight, you will boost your strength levels.

The level of muscular strength, though, depends on genetics, age, sex and physical preparedness.

On the other hand, muscular endurance may be defined as the ability to repeat movements over an extended period of time without feeling fatigued or burnout. For example, doing 100 squats in a row to a rhythm or skiing down a hill for a longer period of time.

At the gym, or while creating your home exercise plan, you will encounter a variety of strength and endurance workouts that you can incorporate in your exercise routine. The most effective activities of this type simultaneously build the strength and the endurance for getting you in a balanced physical shape.

How to Improve Muscle Definition and Strength

Regardless of your age or abilities, you can also dedicate and work on improving your muscle strength by doing strength training. This will provide better workout performance, flexibility, mobility and it will reduce the risk of possible injuries.

Fitness experts recommend doing strength training for 2- 3 times a week through full-body workouts or exercises that will target specific body areas that you feel is a need for improvement.

Remember to begin each training with a quick warm-up in order to set your body in an action mood and prevent soreness of muscles and injuries.

Warming-up is a super important element of any workout routine so make sure you spare 10 minutes to stretch and do short intervals of cardio exercises such as jumping jacks, squats and reverse lunges.

Here is a suggested exercise program of 6 exercises that will activate and improve muscular areas but also strengthen and define your body.

1. Push-ups

  • Get down on all fours
  • Place your hands a bit wider than your shoulder length
  • Strengthen your arms and legs
  • Lower and press your body to the floor
  • Push yourself back and repeat

2. Burpee with Push-Ups

  • Stand with your feet slightly apart
  • Squat deeply, place your hands on the floor and kick back as if you were doing a push-up
  • Do a push-up
  • Bring your legs back and jump up with your hands above your head
  • Repeat

3. Single-Leg Toe Touches

  • Stand on your right leg and place your left leg slightly behind by raising it off the floor
  • Place your arms out to your sides in shoulder length
  • Bend your right leg at the knee and lean over to touch the right foot with your left hand, then rise up again. Keep your leg in the air and don’t place it on the ground
  • Do the same with the other leg. then repeat one more time

4. Mountain Climbers

  • Place hand and knees on the ground
  • Place the left foot near your left hand and extend the right leg behind
  • Switch legs in your own rhythm. Back and forth twice. Taking your leg close to your hand.
  • Keep arms in the same position

5. Single-Leg Hip Raise

  • Lie on your back and bent one leg at the knee but leave it on the floor
  • Raise the other leg and keep it in line with the rested leg
  • Push your hips up and keep your leg elevated
  • Pause for several seconds then return to the initial position
  • Switch the leg and repeat

6. Plank

  • place and bend your arms at your elbows
  • balance body weight on your forearms
  • tighten your abs and glutes and keep your body in a straight line
  • hold as long as you can and repeat 2- 3 times

Do these 6 exercises for a minute each in a single set, rest for a minute and repeat 2-3 times. Do this workout 3-4 times a week in order to achieve maximum results.

How to Measure Muscular Strength

In order to measure muscular strength, you can do simple strength exercises that will test your muscles.

Try doing as many push-ups as you can. If you can do more than 12, way to go! If you stop at anything lower than 7, you need to enhance your strength training.

Another physical challenge that may test your strength is squatting. You can use the restroom to perform this and see how long you can hold a squat position. If you do more than 30 seconds, well done! If you can barely count to 15, you should probably focus on this muscular area in the future.

Finally, try out the good, old crunches and do as many as you can without taking a pause. If you reach 20 or go beyond, cheers to you! If you do less than 12, you might want to consider more dedication to your core in the future,

Benefits of Building Muscular Strength

Strength training provides a wide array of health benefits as strong muscles will keep your body toned and enable you to do regular everyday activities like exercising, lifting, and carrying heavy objects or move in a balanced and controlled way.

If you do strength workout regularly, you will feel more confident to do any sports and recreational activities like skiing, jogging, and playing football or volleyball as these require strong muscles and increased stamina.

This will reduce the risk of injuries and falls and also provide you with stronger legs, abdomen, core, chest, buttocks, back and shoulders but also bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Moreover, a well-built muscular strength will maintain healthy body weight, give you a good posture that will ease your daily movements that are often hindered by a sedentary lifestyle that increases the risk of back pain, weak joints, and arthritis.

Although some men and especially women might feel worried to “bulk up” by training with heavy weights, this shouldn’t worry you as weight and strength pieces of training have proven to be beneficial for overall health and wellbeing.

Studies have shown that men’s genetic predispositions make them develop more muscle mass through heavy lifting whereas women lack certain levels of testosterone to pump up muscle to an overly high extent [1].

In other words, building more muscles is a good thing for any healthy individual. The more muscles you have, the more calories you will burn and shred those extra pounds step by step while feeling strong.

Finally, if you enhance muscle strength and endurance, you inevitably reduce fatigue and physical weakness and thus, improve your athletic performance and work capacity.

The Bottom Line

Apart from getting a good- looking and toned body, if you improve muscular strength, you will positively affect your health and the ability to perform and complete the tasks of your everyday schedule.

Nevertheless, if you are a beginner, don’t forget to consult a professional trainer that will advise you on the type of training that would best affect your muscle and strength. Remember that building muscles takes time and requires diligence, so try to stay motivated and focused on your training until you notice the initial benefits and results.

On the other hand, if you are an experienced sports practitioner or a professional athlete you ought to consider occasional follow-up of the levels of your stamina progress that will indicate if you need to challenge your body strength with a different training pace and dynamics.

Also, consider consulting your doctor or healthcare specialist that would suggest a proper diet that will, nonetheless, affect the progress of building muscle mass in a proper way. Don’t forget that the best fitness programs promote healthy, versatile nutrients, regulated sleep cycles, and an adequate workout regimen.

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Muscular Endurance: What Is It and How to Improve https://fintys.com.au/muscular-endurance/ https://fintys.com.au/muscular-endurance/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 01:09:55 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1599 When you start exercising your body starts changing. Regardless of the type of your preferred exercise regimen, after a few training sessions, you will notice that different challenges you face ... Read more

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When you start exercising your body starts changing. Regardless of the type of your preferred exercise regimen, after a few training sessions, you will notice that different challenges you face during workout require a specific level of strength and endurance in order to perform them the right way.

Building muscles and muscle mass is a complex and demanding discipline. Your fitness goals need to be founded on a well-structured training regimen that can eventually lead to what you envisioned at the beginning.

Many people strive toward specific results that they expect to achieve through their training. Therefore, it is very important to be adequately informed about how they should build muscle strength and endurance that would be in favour of their intended goals and also, keep their body healthy and balanced.

If you want to learn more about muscular endurance, its significance and the possible methods that improve it, read on.

What Is Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance refers to the ability of muscles to perform specific muscular action in prolonged time intervals. When you perform your regular weekly total-body session or run a marathon, you use and rely on muscular endurance.

In other words, muscular endurance is your muscles’ ability to maintain repeated contractions and keep in resistance in the long run.

A number of people may find themselves misled when distinguishing muscular endurance with muscular strength. Muscular strength is your muscles’ ability to regain strength after facing and performing a single exertion through contractions. For example, a single lift of dumbbells with a maximum weight displays the strength of your muscles.

In short, the endurance of muscles contributes to performing the same movements during a certain activity multiple times. The level of endurance measures the timeframe of the performance of a specific activity.

Understandably, the higher level of endurance of muscles will not only maintain one’s stamina during working out, but it will also protect one from physical fatigue and injuries.

But you don’t have to be a professional athlete or exhaust yourself with too intensive exercises to boost your muscular fitness. All you have to do is prepare a training schedule that will incorporate exercises such as push-ups or dumbbell lifting and add on to the frequency of repetitions or sets.

There is a wide array of home workouts that don’t require equipment that may help you improve muscular endurance.

Types of Muscular Endurance

In general, different types of exercise represent specific types of muscular endurance. In addition, the types of muscular endurance are not isolated nor unique as such, meaning each type contains features that draw out characteristics of another muscular endurance type.

One type of muscular endurance is the continuous tension, experienced in physical activities such as mountain climbing, isometric contraction, and weight training.

In continuous tension, muscles are involved in isolated exercises with slow contraction or compound exercises without stoppage.

Another type of endurance is the repetitive dynamic contraction characterized by intense sets of exercises with the same muscle group and with multiple repetitions.

Activities that support this type of muscle endurance are running, rowing and weight training.

Lastly, there are the prolonged intense contractions combined with short pauses. This type of muscular endurance can be achieved through circuit training, multiple sets, or various exercises that target the same muscle groups.

Exercises that contribute toward the rise of this type of muscle endurance are handball, weight training, and football.

Why Is It Important

The main purpose of muscular endurance is to improve your ability to perform sports activities and lift you up to new challenges you meet during workouts.

Pieces of training focused on enhancing muscular endurance may elevate your stamina, boost your overall energy, improve and maintain your health and also provide a good night’s sleep that will result in a better mood during the day.

Moreover, as you improve muscular endurance in sport, you inevitably ease the performance of everyday activities such as walking or lifting heavier objects.

As you enhance muscular endurance, you may notice that you feel less fatigue when doing other tasks incorporated in your daily life, such as car washing, gardening, playing with your kids, walking your dog etc.

Another benefit of having high muscular endurance is preventing injuries from physical exertion and overuse of certain muscle groups during training or other activities that require stamina and strength [1].

How to Improve Muscular Endurance

If you are a beginner, start slow. Try walking longer than usual kilometres during the day, then move on to fast walking and gradually increase the activities of your heart and lungs.

Fitness experts suggest focusing on training your muscles to stay the course instead of insisting on short- term exhaustive exertions.

Make sure you incorporate higher repetitions of exercises such as weightlifting, body weight and resistance exercises as well as plyometrics with shorter pauses between sets in order to gradually adjust muscles to experiencing longer intervals of stress.

Here is a list of five simple exercises you can do at home to increase your muscular endurance:

1. Push-ups

  • lay flat on your stomach
  • push yourself into a plank position,-hold the body with your hands and toes
  • push down on your palms then lift your body up into plank again
  • perform 3 sets of 18 repetitions

2. Squats

  • stand up straight, position your feet slightly wider than your shoulders
  • bend your legs, send your buttocks back to the height of your knees, don’t let your knees go over your toes in this position
  • push yourself back upright and squeeze your glutes when you’re up
  • perform 4 sets of 20 repetitions

3. Sit-ups

  • lay flat on your back, place your feet on the ground and bend your legs
  • place your hands behind your neck
  • bring your body up and contract your stomach muscles, try not to press your neck but to rise up with your core
  • perform controlled, slower movements to enhance muscle use
  • perform 4 sets of 20 repetitions

4. Walking Lunges

  • stand upright with your feet slightly apart to the width of your shoulders
  • take a step forward with one leg, drop your body so that your back leg almost touches the floor
  • push down then stand back
  • exchange legs by performing 2 sets of 10 lunges

5. Plank

  • lie on your stomach and make sure your hips touch the floor
  • straighten your legs and prop your upper body by your forearms
  • lift your hips off the ground by using your back muscles and core
  • hold for 20- 45 seconds then relax
  • repeat 1- 3 times

6. V-up

  • lie on the ground, straighten up your legs and feet
  • bring arms overhead and set them beside your ears
  • lift your legs and torso together off the floor
  • reach out your arms to your ankles and balance with the hips
  • return to starting position
  • repeat 3 sets of 18 v- ups

7. Burpee

  • stand tall with your feet slightly apart to the width of your shoulder
  • lower your hips in a rapid move and place your hands in front of your feet
  • kick your feet into a push-up position and do a push-up
  • jump your feet back under the hips
  • extend your body as you jump and touch your hands behind your head
  • repeat 2 sets of 8- 10 repetitions

How to Measure Muscular Endurance

Experts in fitness recommend testing muscular endurance, as well as muscular strength if you opt for strength training. Having a better insight into the exact levels of your muscular endurance may also help your sports instructor or trainer to adjust the intensity and type of exercises for your training.

In short the so-called “push-up test” is performed as a measure of the endurance of your upper body. You do as many push-ups as you can in a certain timeframe.

Categories such as sex and age also play a role in the process of assessment as parameters that may estimate the level and compare it.

You may track the starting level/ number of endurance over time and note when it increases or decreases.

The Bottom line

Muscular endurance is one of the most significant aspects of your regular workout regimen. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an advanced sports practitioner, you ought to follow the progress of your muscular endurance in order to enhance and maintain your stamina.

By focusing on elevating your muscular stamina, you will not only prepare for greater challenges during workouts but you will also improve your overall physical and mental health.

High muscular endurance will boost your energy and help you perform tasks of your daily routine that require more strength and physical effort.

Before you opt for a specific muscular strength and endurance training, make sure you consult a fitness professional or a health care practitioner who will give you advice regarding the testing, improving and working on muscular endurance.

Lastly, don’t forget that rest is equally important as exercise for your muscles and it should be a part of your workout routine every second day.

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Body Types Explained: Ectomorph, Endomorph, Mesomorph https://fintys.com.au/body-types/ https://fintys.com.au/body-types/#respond Fri, 19 Jun 2020 00:31:00 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1596 Imagine this scenario: you and two of your friends want to lose weight and tone up your lower body parts. You enrol in the same gym class, share the same ... Read more

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Imagine this scenario: you and two of your friends want to lose weight and tone up your lower body parts. You enrol in the same gym class, share the same diet tips, and feel ready to start.

However, after a while, you notice that the three of you are slowly achieving different results – you can’t gain muscle mass, your chubby friend can’t lose weight while the third has toned the abs like never before. Now, how is that possible, you may wonder!?

The answer lies in the three basic classifications of the human body according to body type and constitution- ectomorph, or the one who can hardly gain weight and muscles, endomorph, or the body type that “attracts” body fat and excess calories and lastly, the muscle, luckiest mesomorph.

In order to avoid any labyrinths toward personal fitness goals, it is important to learn what is your body type and what are its pros and cons in terms of diet, weight maintenance, and exercise regimens.

Ectomorph

Characteristics

Ectomorphs are best described as fit. Individuals with this body type are characterized by long and lean body parts and rapid metabolic functions. Their shoulders and hips are narrow as well as their ankles and wrists.

Ectomorphs can eat great amounts of food without risking to gain weight but they also hardly gain muscle mass even when through regular workouts.

Training

Ectomorphs should focus on strength training and weightlifting in order to stimulate and increase their muscle mass. Cardio workouts should be scarcely present on their workout schedule in order to maintain the muscle mass.

According to fitness trainers, ectomorphs should stick to short but more frequent intensive training that would focus on their target muscle areas.

Nutrition

The diet of ectomorphs should be carb focused up to 50 % of this macronutrient, accompanied by 30% of protein and 20% of fat.

When it comes to weight and nutrition, the main rule for ectomorphs is to sit back and eat. Though this means that no calorie counting is needed, it is recommended to avoid junk and processed food since it is deprived of any nutritional value.

If you are an ectomorph, consider healthy food options that will satisfy the daily requirements of nutrients.

Endomorph

Characteristics

Endomorphs are the complete opposite of ectomorphs. These individuals are usually people with a rather sedentary lifestyle who are constantly fighting a battle against excess body weight.

However, not all endomorphs are “couch-potatoes” and though many of them are diligent gym practitioners, they find it hard to sculpt and tone their bodies as they want. On the other hand, they can easily lose weight when sticking to several basic principles.

Training

The endomorph easily gains muscle mass and, nonetheless, fat which is the crucial obstacle toward their fitness goal.

Their sports regimen should include long total-body exercises with a minimum of 10 repetitions of movements and short breaks in between.

Cardio and aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, running, and cycling must be included at least 2 times per week.

The main goal of this rhythm is to boost the metabolism which is the weakest point of this body type.

Nutrition

Eat less but more often – that is the golden diet rule for endomorphs. This body type should stay away from carbs or minimize them.

The main focus of their diet should be on healthy fat and protein. Also, fibre foods should be consumed as they contribute to a more active metabolism.

If you struggle to get enough protein, you can use quality protein powder to supplement your diet.

Endomorph’s main focus should be the consumption of their nutrients- 30% carbs, 15 % fat, and 55 % protein.

Mesomorph

Characteristics

The third and luckiest of all body types is the mesomorph. These individuals are characterized by toned muscles and an ability to enhance their muscle mass without strong efforts.

They easily gain but also lose weight. Therefore, experts recommend mesomorphs to stick to a regular exercise routine and mind an optimal protein and fibre intake through their diet.

Training

Mesomorphs may gain muscles rapidly but also lose fat and this makes them a superior body type. This body type is naturally sporty and usually, mesomorph individuals are great sports lovers who achieve their results in no time.

The mesomorphic bodies adapt and recover fast after intense pieces of training, therefore, it is important to rotate the types of exercises and set new challenges.

The best training for mesomorphs includes a combination of cardio exercises using a spin bike or rowing machine and strength pieces of training.

Nutrition

The nutrition rule for this body type is 30% proteins, 40% carbs, and 30% fat. This will improve muscle gain but also maintain body weight and prevent any excess.

The mesomorphs have high insulin tolerance and this enhances their muscle without piling up more body fat and weight [1].

The Bottom Line

The three main body types and their basic features have a strictly theoretical framework that may help you define your personal body type and thus what’s most convenient for you regarding fitness routines and practices.

However, in reality, most often you will encounter several combinations of these three types of bodies. Reportedly, the combinations mesomorph-endomorph and ectomorph-mesomorph are the most common ones.

For example, a person may be fit and toned, at times even skinny, in the upper body but acquire fat and extra weight in the lower body parts. If you can’t conclude your body type, consider your nutrition and how your body reacts and reflects.

If you change the diet and see immediate results, you’re a mesomorph. If you always eat less then the rest but still have to lose weight, there is a high possibility that you’re an endomorph. Lastly, if you think that pasta or ice-cream after midnight is not a big deal, then you’re probably an ectomorph.

Finally, don’t forget that hard work beats talent. Fitness goals and results are achievable only through hard work, dedication and diligence. Find out what works best for you and see how your body is changing with each passing day.

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Top 10 Trail Running Tips for Beginners https://fintys.com.au/trail-running/ https://fintys.com.au/trail-running/#respond Thu, 18 Jun 2020 23:35:16 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1593 Have you ever considered altering your running routine to a more adventurous, challenging sports activity such as trail running? Many experienced, as well as new runners and joggers, have found ... Read more

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Have you ever considered altering your running routine to a more adventurous, challenging sports activity such as trail running? Many experienced, as well as new runners and joggers, have found trail running to be an excellent add-on to their running regimen.

Trail running is an activity that combines running and hiking, meaning running on an unpaved surface. It is similar to mountain running with a slight difference that it does not always include paved sections.

Trail running usually takes place on tracks that are simple and easy to follow hiking trails, often in mountainous terrain.

Some people consider trail running similar to the regular running on the roads, but there are specifics and differences you need to consider as they may affect your experience and motivation for this activity in the long run.

Here is a list of the top 10 trail running tips that will ease your start in trail running:

1. Find Good Trails

Before you hit the track to your first training, make sure you know the environment where you would run and check the trails.

Some people are lucky enough to live next to good trails but others need to plan in advance. We suggest you use a map and follow the green-coloured areas that indicate public spaces convenient for trail running.

Other options are parks, big and small, that often include single trails though they usually have pavements.

Consider networking with other trail runners in your local community. Use social media to find your running buddies or take a look at the trail running calendar to see what’s on in your area.

Connect also with the national park or forests preserves near you. Trail running events and races are also a great way to meet other practitioners of this activity and share experiences or ideas.

2. Practice Your Technique and Pace

As a beginner, you must be aware that trail running requires more intense movements and focus than other types of running.

Even if you have experienced jogging and regular running techniques, trainers would advise you to prepare for the challenging pace of this activity.

Though evidently slower, the pace is adapted to the terrain requirements of rocky lands and hills.

Experienced runners suggest focusing on the body’s effort and stamina rather than on mile splits. Also, when measuring your achievement and action, think about the duration of your running rather than the distance covered.

If you run downhill, it is suggested to run with a fast stride rate to ensure a balance of gravity but if your run uphill than you should do it with frequent, brisk steps in a high cadence.

When you are at a rocky terrain you should pick a path a stick to it as long as you can in order to avoid tripping or poor footing.

3. Learn When to Fuel Your Body

More important of what is when you eat when trail running. If you run for more than 90 minutes, expect to have your glycogen stores dropped and ready to refuel. Therefore, you should consider carrying enough adequate nutrients for your training.

If your body runs out of fuel and you fail to compensate, you may end up with side- effects such as brain fog and complete body fatigue. You can avoid this from happening if you provide 200 to 300 calories per hour while running, or up to 75 grams of carbohydrates.

It is very important to fuel up on every 20- 30 minutes and not wait too long to add calories while running. The gradual, timely consumption of fuel will protect your body from tiredness and potential burn out.

4. Food and Hydration

Apart from knowing when it is equally important to know what to eat during trail running. Moreover, a balanced water- intake is another crucial element that will contribute to your health and endurance during this intense activity.

Rule number one is to ditch any diet fads and stick to dieticians’ general advice- include all nutrients and ingredients if you are a healthy, active individual.

If you are eating enough during the day, you only need to focus on fueling training that lasts over 60 minutes. Dietitians recommend protein bars and shakes as well as smoothies and dry fruit as convenient fueling snacks.

According to experts, during long training, it is best to consume 40- 90 g of carbs per hour and 16 – 20 ounces of water.

How much macro or micronutrients you need depends on your specific body needs according to weight, height, and strength, so make sure you consult a health care expert in sports nutrition before you start running.

5. Wear the Right Shoes

If you have decided to introduce trail running in your regular lifestyle, make sure you invest in a pair of quality trail running shoes for this activity.

Trail-running shoes are not the same as the usual running shoes as they are lower to the ground to prevent ankle injuries and also much robust in order to manage through rugged terrains and trails that you often may find to be wet or muddy.

Maintenance is the key to preserving expensive gear, so make sure you clean and dry your pair according to the brand’s instructions.

6. Prepare Your Body and Stamina

If you want to improve your endurance during running sessions, don’t forget to include other types of training such as weightlifting and balance workouts.

Your workouts should include exercises such as lunges, bridges, squats, push-ups, calf raises, and donkey kicks but also movements on a BOSU or wobble board that will enhance your balance and stability.

Other types of sports activities such as Pilates or Barre, a combination of Pilates exercises and ballet movement, are an excellent way to strengthen joints, muscles, and ankles and thus prevent injuries.

Incorporate strength and balance training 2 to 3 times per week, at home, or at specialized studios for the aforementioned sports.

7. Relax and Recover

Regardless of your challenges and results achieved, recovery and relaxation are essential to keep your body healthy and strong.

When you run hard on hills or any rugged trails, you boost your body to hit upper levels of stamina in order to endure the intensity.

In the beginning, you may opt for rail training once per week and then gradually add up to the frequency, according to your personal strength and endurance.

8. Mind Your Safety and Time

Running off-road can often be unpredictable and, therefore, adventurous but also challenging in terms of safety. The best way to stay safe and avoid any risky situations is to find a spare partner in running or even take your dog with you.

If this is not the safety-solution for you, them make sure you always inform someone of your whereabouts before you go running. Also, don’t forget to charge your phone, and take fuel and water. If possible, take your ID and a map of your track.

Luckily, nowadays there are safety apps that you can use on your phone or electronic devices that will track your movements and ensure your safety.

In addition, you will probably consider investing in a quality headlamp as trail runs may often end up in the dark where the only light would be that of streetlights. This may make you feel uncomfortable and unsafe so make sure you always have your own torch or lamp.

Every terrain has its own challenges, so it is wise to test your endurance through your individual time- frame toward a goal in order to learn more about your pacing.

Avoid setting far-fetching challenges at the beginning as these may take too much of your time and reduce your motivation.

One of the best ways to test your pace and endurance is to start by running out and back on a certain distance. This way, you will build your own running pattern regarding time and pace and you will easily extend or reduce it according to your personal needs or goals.

9. Get a Weather-Protection Kit

If trail running becomes your sports routine, your running kit will certainly vary depending on the seasons. However, that doesn’t mean that you will need to pile up unnecessary amounts of expensive sports gear. All you have to do is plan in advance and make smart choices when purchasing your sports necessities.

For cool and cold weather you should consider a water/ windproof jacket and pants, a pair of gloves, a beanie, and a long-sleeved top base. Summer trail runs are best performed with a pair of shorts, a cap, a dri-fit T-shirt, and wicking socks.

10. Step by Step to Your 1st Race

If you are aiming toward a race, consider making a plan that will build up your stamina and endurance to a level high enough for such a challenge.

Start with a twice a week training on flatter trail and then upgrade the frequency and the ruggedness of trails on a weekly basis. This way, you will slowly and adequately adapt to new trails while preventing soreness.

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The 10 Best Home Workouts https://fintys.com.au/home-workout/ https://fintys.com.au/home-workout/#respond Thu, 18 Jun 2020 07:05:32 +0000 https://fintys.com.au/?p=1580 It’s late in the evening, you’re in your PJs, a bowl of snacks in your lap, and the second or third episode of your new fav Netflix show is on. ... Read more

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It’s late in the evening, you’re in your PJs, a bowl of snacks in your lap, and the second or third episode of your new fav Netflix show is on.

Suddenly, your phone beeps and your fitness app reminds you that you’ve missed another day of working out. Well, no worries, you’ll start tomorrow or maybe on Monday.

Your car is broken so you can’t hit the gym in due time. Besides, you’re short on time this month and it’s been a while since you’ve been physically active.

Sounds familiar? It’s incredible how easy it is to avoid training, not to mention sticking to a weekly schedule of regular exercises.

Though you can always find excuses for couch-potato procrastinating, don’t forget that your home is a convenient place to start or keep up with your workout routine.

Not only that you’ll save money and time but you’ll also be surprised how little you need to make a home gym to enjoy- a pair of dumbells, a yoga mat, elastic bands, a chair and a fitness ball.

Actually, you may be surprised that for many workouts you need no equipment at all. Use your smartphone or computer to play a fitness video or a workout app and you are ready to hit the floor!

Here is a list of the top 10 exercises to do at home:

1. HIIT (High-Impact)

The perfect workouts to help you speed up weight loss. HIIT is the other name for a ‘High-Intensity Interval Training’, a type of training that efficiently burns fat and saves time through short intervals of exercise.

The HIIT sessions can last from 10- 45 minutes per session and they usually include running sprints, squat thrusts, side squat walks, mountain-climbers push-ups, burpees etc.

The main patter of performing this type of exercise includes an intense working out of 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds of rest.

According to researchers, short intensive physical activity with brief recovery breaks may shed extra pounds and reduce overall body weight.

To perform HIIT all you have to do is focus on alternating your pace and intensity. You can do it while doing cardio exercise at home or lifting weights. Perform it three days a week in 2 to 4 rounds per training.

No equipment needed.

2. HIIT (Low- Impact)

Though HIIT exercises are great fat- shredder and muscle builder, they may be hard on your joints and cause you pain in your back, ankles, and knees.

Trainers claim that high- intensity exercise doesn’t have to result in high- impact since you can work hard without putting a great impact on your body like running.

HIIT jumping exercises may be turned into low- impact bodyweight exercises that will still boost your heart rate, burn calories and work your entire body.

Complete a resistance circuit training to build strength and get an effective cardio workout. Perform each of these exercises for 45 sec and rest for 15 sec. Perform it three days a week in 2 to 4 rounds per training.

3. Barre

Barre is a ballet-inspired mash-up of yoga and Pilates exercises that will enhance your muscle flexibility and body strength. During each session, you will use your body weight accompanied by lightweights.

The Barre workouts are low-impact and require a higher mental focus to perform targeted movements, usually done in one-inch increments. These will increase elasticity in muscles and improve the strength and tone of your body [1].

When performed on a regular weekly basis, the barre can be quite effective, especially when combined with cardio and weightlifting training in your home exercise routine.

Do a mix of ballet squats moving up and down, followed by knee lift and glutes press, deep lunges, high planks with leg raise, clamshell, and leg develop. Add lightweights to enhance the effectiveness of workouts.

Equipment: yoga mat, a pair of light dumbbells.

4. Pilates

Pilates workouts will sculpt, tighten, and tone your entire body while strengthening your core. It will also provide you good posture and balance.

The Pilates fitness method was invented at the beginning of the 20th century by Joseph Pilates who designed the movements for English vets to recover from injuries sustained during WWI.

Pilates provides a highly effective set of exercises that shape the legs, abs, arms and but and lean out each muscle group in the body. Most of the exercises are performed with no equipment or by adding lightweights.

According to researchers and therapists, Pilates may be a beneficial way to tackle low back pain and excess body weight. As a home workout, it requires replicating of mat sequences by using your body weight.

Exercises included are pilates curl, ball and regular roll-ups, leg kicks, shoulder bridges single and double leg stretch, crisscross and a combination of Pilates planks and push-ups.

Equipment: yoga mat, lightweight dumbbells.

5. Gym Ball Exercise

Gym balls, also called stability, Swiss, or exercise balls are a great piece of equipment to challenge your entire body. By adding a training with a gumball to your home workout routine, you will sculpt muscles but also increase balance and focus.

Easy to inflate and deflate and therefore store in the nooks of smaller homes, this workout element is a-must when setting up a home gym.

By using a gym ball, you’ll take a step forward to building functional strength, improve your posture, and support muscles that take over the performance of intense workouts such as presses or squats.

Most of the gym ball exercises are focused on regular or reverse crunches, squeezes, leg scissors, V-sits, and planks, and do not require any equipment but a yoga mat.

6. Full-Body Workout

If you opt for a full-body workout at home, you will be saving time and still work on a wide array of muscle groups in your body.

Fitness gurus and experts recommend versatile sets and rotatory regimens of full-body workouts, however, most of these are tailored to increase motion, add strength and stamina, and increase endurance.

Each series starts with a warm-up and ends with a cooldown of 5- 15 minutes each, followed by a strength circuit and end with bodyweight or core-focused cardio circuit that will boost your heart rate.

According to research, full-body workouts train the body to move in a functional manner and thus memorize patterns of movement that you will perform in your daily life.

In general, a full-body workout is composed of exercises such as glute bridges, wood chop, squat to overhead press with dumbbells, v-ups, plank up-downs etc.

Equipment: a yoga mat and light to medium weight dumbbells.

7. Tabata Workout

Tabata workouts were invented by a Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a group of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo [2].

Tabata training is highly popular and focused fat-burning exercises that last for 4 minutes. The Tabata workouts are of high-intensity intervals and affect both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

In general, Tabata workouts include burpees, lunges, jump rope, squat jacks, plank jacks, mountain climbers etc., and don’t require any equipment.

Doing a single set of Tabata workout of 4 minutes may increase your metabolism, and help you burn more fat than regular cardio exercises.

Pick a set of exercises, repeat 4 times in 4 minutes, or do just one set and complete 2 full series. Remember to push with maximum intensity for 20 seconds and then rest for 10 seconds in between.

No equipment required.

8. Yoga Cardio

A blend of toning and cardio workouts with yoga movements.

Though yoga is scarcely associated with the intensity of cardio exercises, a harmonious combination of these two is possible and also a one that will effectively activate and tone your entire body.

Yoga cardio is an excellent way to burn calories, stretch out your muscles, and increase body strength.

A great mind-and-body exercise regimen that if included in your regular workout schedule, may contribute with a number of health benefits such as increased flexibility, decreased anxiety, lowered blood pressure etc.

This 15- minute workout structure includes 6 yoga exercises with 10 repetitions of each, followed by 30 seconds of bodyweight cardio intervals to increase heart rate and induce sweating.

This type of workout does not require any equipment except a yoga mat.

And if you are looking for some comfy clothes, check out our articles on the best yoga shorts for men and the best hot yoga pants for women.

9. Upper Body and Lower Body Workouts

Having a strong upper body is significant to feel healthy and strong. In order to have strong and toned arms, back, chest and shoulders we recommend you focus on workouts that will activate the muscle groups of these parts of your body and make you feel energized and balanced.

Upper body workouts will improve your posture and improve your cardiovascular health. You don’t have to be an experienced athlete or bodybuilder to incorporate weight lifting and resistance exercises that will enhance your stamina and thus help you meet new challenges during a workout.

If you want to enhance the strength, tone, and define your lower body parts, opt for workouts that are specially designed for this area. Lower body workouts may be low or high impact and, therefore, include a combination of a variety of exercise regimens such as cardio, HIIT, Pilates, and even Barre movements.

Upper body training performed at home include plank tap and side planks, decline and incline push-ups (some of them with downward dog pose included), as well as exercises for your back, biceps, triceps, pectorals, and deltoids with the use of dumbbells or/ and elastic bands.

Lower body exercises include squats, lunges, glute bridges, single-leg deadlifts, thrusters, and good mornings as well as booty-targeted donkey-hits with or without adding an elastic band to increase resistance and intensity.

Though upper body exercises are closely associated with lifting weights, there are many sets and versions of these that you can do with no equipment, and by solely using your own body weight to add intensity.

In general, upper and lower body workouts requires a yoga mat and optional use of dumbbells, any chair/ bench you have at home, and/ or elastic resistance bands.

10. Cross-Training

Cross-training is a whole-body workout that provides a complete body tune-up. It will strengthen your heart, muscles, and joints but it will also have a positive impact on your flexibility and balanced boy weight.

The variety of exercises incorporated in cross-trainings may help you lose fat and achieve the fitness level that you are aiming for.

Most of the cross-training workouts include aerobic as well as anaerobic fitness such as jogging, bicycling, rowing and sprinting. Also, they may include weight training and exercises for muscle endurance such as push-up and sit-ups.

All these exercises and they’re multiple paired variations can be performed in the comfort of your own home, with or without equipment.

For a start, focus on anaerobic cross-training to test your level of physical endurance and strength. Opt by searching for this type of exercise in some of the workout apps available on the internet.

Researchers have shown that aerobic fitness improves cardiovascular health and requires activation and engagement of a number of muscle groups which improves the stamina [1].

In general, you can combine your cross-training at home with other types of exercises or outdoor sports.

However, it is good to know that cross-trainings are task- specified workout which means that you may want to choose specific activities that target specific body areas until you achieve your result.

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