Not seeing results? Your technique may be to blame. How to fix your fitness faults by Liz Plosser
You huff and you puff through cardio sessions, but that extra layer of flag won't budge. Surprise: Your workout might be the problem. We talked to trainers and exercise physiologists across the country and discovered six surprising ways that well-intentioned fitness routines can put the brakes on weight loss goals. "Many women assume that 30 minutes of exercise will change their bodies, but it's not automatic," says Geralyn Coopersmith, the senior national manager to Equinox Fitness Training Institute of New York City. Here's what to do --- and not to do --- to rev your metabolism and slim down for good.
Don't: Exercise while parched
Do: Sip 15 ounces of water 2 hours before working out
Results: more energy for lifting weights.
Experts are constantly back and forth on the merits of the eight-glasses-a-day guideline. However, when it comes to working out, the importance of drinking up is clear. "Nearly every cell in the body is composed of water --- without it, they don't function efficiently during exercises," says Dan Judelson, PhD, an assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University of Fullerton. Translation: You'll fatigue faster and your workout will feel tougher than it should. In recent studies, he discovered that exercisers who were dehydrated completed 3 to 5 fewer reps per set while strength training. Part of the problem is that dehydration decreases the body's level of anabolic hormones that are necessary for strong muscles. On workout days, drink an ounce of water for every 10 pounds of body weight (i.e. 15 ounces if you weight 150) 1 to 2 hours prior to exercise. Then keep sipping during and after your session to replenish what you lose through sweat.
Don't: Sacrifice good form for faster speed
Do: Slow down and stand tall
Results: Blast away 50 extra calories per session
High-intensity exercise may burn loads of calories, but not if you're hanging on to the handrails for dear life. It is important to focus on your form, even if that means lowering the intensity. "You recruit fewer muscles and burn fewer calories when you're slouched over," says Coopersmith. Same goes for strength-training, says James Levine, PhD, a scientist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, whose research has found that standing while lifting weights boosts calorie burn by about 50 calories per half hour. Best of all, one study shows that good posture allows you to take in more oxygen so your workout feels easier, even while you're blasting more calories.
Don't: Trust a gym machine's calorie-burn estimate
Do: Track your burn with a heart rate monitor
Results: Lose 3 pounds this year
Oh, how sweet it would be if 20 minutes on a cardio machine really did blast 400 calories. But like most things in life that sound too good to be true, those digital displays broadcasting mega calorie burn are often bogus. Recent research presented at the National Strength and Conditioning Conference found that elliptical trainers overestimate calorie burn by an average of 30%. If you're trying to create a calorie deficit to lose weight, those thought-you-burned-'em calories can add up over time and thwart your success. To ensure you're burning the number of calories you want, consider investing in a heart rate monitor...Just input some basic info (weight, height, age, activity level, and so on) and the gadget will accurately track your heart rate to compute the number of calories you torched.
Don't: Rely on cardio alone
Do: Swap aerobic exercise for weights 3 times a week
Results: Lost up to 12.5 pounds in a year
More than 80% of women forgo strength training, says a survey by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. If you're one of them, it may be the number one reason your scale is stuck. You've probably heard that strength-training boosts metabolism, but here's something you may not know: People who pair aerobic and resistance training eat less -- 517 fewer calories a day -- than those who do only cardio, reports a study in
the
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. The combo workouts may increase satiety hormones more and boost the body's ability to stabilize blood sugar, so you feel full longer, says study author Brandon S. Shaw, PhD.
Don't: Run if you hate it
Do: Pick a cardio routine that's fun for you
Results: Lose 4 pounds a year
No matter how many calories an activity promises to burn, if you don't enjoy it, you'll be less likely to do it and won't reap the benefits. Think of it this way: if you burn 300 calories every time you exercise but you dread it so much that you skip one session a week, it adds up to 1,200 calories a month --- or more than 4 pounds a year. Instead, find a workout you
want to do, rather than on you feel you
have to do. When University of Nebraska-Omaha researchers polled women who'd been exercising regularly for longer than a year, they found that one of the top predictors of adherence was choosing enjoyable activities. Study author Jennifer Huberty, PhD, also suggests trying ways to make exercise more appealing. If you like to walk, for example, recruit of friend to join you.
Don't: Read on the treadmill
Do: Listen to music
Results: Burn 15% more calories
"If flipping through a magazine keeps you motivated, by all means, do it," says Coopersmith. "But reading while exercising is so distracting that you're probably working at an intensity too low to burn a significant number of calories." Magazines and books are just the tip of the iceberg -- 1 in 10 of us reads texts or e-mail during workouts, reports a survey by Standard Life health insurance company. Instead, turn on some tunes to increase the duration and intensity of your cardio bout: Researchers in London discovered that runners who listened to motivational rock or pop music exercised up to 15% longer --- and felt better doing it. You don't have to nix you iPhone or book for every workout --- just leave them behind a couple of times a week so you can focus on intensity.
(This article was taken from 10/27/2009 issue of "Prevention" magazine)
