On staying fit as a service provider...

Accustomed to high athletic activity, boxing, surfing, and resistance training, it definitely made a difference when I relocated from Costa Rica, to my home town of Salt Lake. With two new companies to grow, I found myself negotiating with my inner "voices". If I just didn't run today, I could squeeze in another hour of work, and get more done. It was my task list vs. my personal fitness, and usually the list won.

Well....I won't go on and on about my lazy behavior, you'll be happy to know that I now schedule my workouts into my calender just like any other appointment, and it has created a better balance in my life, and overall work - life satisfaction. Being a therapist and consultant I can relate to your everyday responsibilities, and I thought it would be beneficial to include some quick tips and a gentle reminder about what we need to do to take care of ourselves. If were not healthy and practicing good care, we shouldn't expect our clients to believe what we say. We've included some information provided by one of our affiliates below.

SUNFIT TIPS   by Sunita Bhatia

Why is Resistance Training Important?

Resistance training enables us to increase muscle mass which aids us in healthy weight loss by increasing our ability to burn calories at a faster pace.   Other benefits from resistance training include decreasing the risk of diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes and also increasing the speed of recovery from injuries.

Did you know that 1 lb of fat burns 1-2 calories per day and 1 lb of muscle burns 35-40 calories per day?  

This means that you can eliminate all the body fat you have wanted by converting it into muscles mass and will easily notice the difference in the way your clothes fit.   Don't be alarmed by the number on the scale, you may indeed weight more because you have increase your muscle mass.   The old myth was that women would bulk up like men, but let's face it we do not have the same genes and It's obvious that we would all like to benefit from burning off more calories in our increasingly sedentary lifestyles.

Did you also know that if you don't use it you lose it?   That's right, our muscles will atrophy and we can lose ½ a lb of muscle every year after the age of 30.

Cardiovascular training alone is not enough to help us build up other muscle groups.   Yes, it will help you increase the strength in your lower body, but what about your upper body.   It is important to strengthen the whole body to avoid having any muscular imbalances.   It's simple, add an additional 20 to 30 minutes of resistance training to your daily routine and practice 3 times per week and you will be on your way to creating a new you.  

How do you accomplish this without investing in expensive weights or other machines?

There are several options, which include using your own body weight, a stability ball and rubber tubing (which looks like a giant elastic).   There are several ways to put together a routine.   You should start with the larger muscle groups and then move to the smaller groups and extremities.   A sufficient workout would include up to 10 exercises.   These exercises should be repeated once with 12-15 repetitions of the same exercise before moving on to the next one.

TIPS

•  Practice 2-3 times per week (alternating days).

•  If the exercise is easy after you have completed half the number of repetitions, add more resistance.

•  Change your routine every 4 to 6 weeks to avoid reaching a plateau.

•  Remember to vary your routine and alternate different types of exercise such as yoga, pilates, tai-chi, chi-gong, meditation and other outdoor activities.

When your body becomes more active you will probably need to increase your caloric intake.   But, you will burn it off faster than before.   The secret to getting in shape and staying in shape is by combining all the key ingredients which include diet, cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, stretching, rest and relaxation.  

Sunita Bhatia is a Certified Personal Trainer, Yoga, Spinning and Pilates Instructor with over 10 years of experience in the fitness industry.   Owner of Sunfit Training Systems, a fitness and wellness company and former owner of Sunfit Cycling Studio in Toronto, Canada.   She has been living in Costa Rica on and off for 2 years and previously lived in Mexico for 2 years.   She offers group yoga, pilates, weight loss/circuit and aquafit classes.   As well as, private one-on-one fitness training, nutritional consulting, home gym design and internet based programs for those of you who are not permanent residents. She is also a distributor of various nutritional supplements for adults and children.  

Please feel free to send any suggestions or questions, place orders and request info about her services via email at sunfit_1@yahoo.com.

You can reach Sunita at www.sunfittraining.com and/or contact her directly at: sunfit_1@yahoo.com