The Power of 10,000 Steps: A Crucial Element in Weight Loss

In the pursuit of shedding those extra pounds, there's one age-old advice that continues to echo through fitness circles: you should be walking 10,000 steps a day. But why is this seemingly simple activity so pivotal in the realm of weight loss? Let's delve into the science-backed reasons behind the importance of walking 10,000 steps daily for shedding those unwanted pounds of bodyfat.

1. Boosting Caloric Expenditure: Walking is a low-impact exercise that can be easily incorporated into daily routines. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), walking at a brisk pace burns approximately 100 calories per mile, depending on factors like body weight and walking speed. Achieving a target of 10,000 steps translates to covering around 5 miles for most individuals, resulting in an additional expenditure of 500 calories per day. Over time, this calorie deficit can contribute significantly to weight loss.

2. Regulation of Appetite: Research published in the journal Obesity reveals that walking can help regulate appetite hormones, such as ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin, often referred to as the "hunger hormone," stimulates appetite, while leptin signals fullness. Engaging in regular physical activity, such as walking, can lead to favorable changes in these hormone levels, reducing hunger pangs and promoting satiety. Consequently, individuals are less likely to overeat, facilitating weight loss efforts.

3. Maintenance of Metabolic Health: A sedentary lifestyle is closely linked to metabolic disorders, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. Conversely, incorporating physical activity, like walking, into daily routines can improve metabolic health. A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that walking 10,000 steps per day significantly improved insulin sensitivity and reduced visceral adiposity in overweight individuals. By enhancing metabolic function, regular walking not only aids in weight loss but also reduces the risk of chronic diseases associated with obesity.

Conclusion: Walking 10,000 steps a day serves as a cornerstone in the journey toward weight loss. By increasing caloric expenditure, regulating appetite hormones, and improving metabolic health, this simple yet effective exercise offers numerous benefits for individuals striving to shed excess weight. So, lace up those sneakers and take the first step toward a healthier, leaner you.

Sources:

1. American Council on Exercise (ACE) - "Calories Burned Walking" [Link: https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/lifestyle/blog/112/are-you-walking-enough-calories-burned-walking-1-mile/]

2. Obesity - "Effects of 12 Weeks of Walking on Appetite Regulators in Young Sedentary Women" [Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25557950/]

3. International Journal of Obesity - "Effects of 10,000 Steps a Day on Physical and Mental Health in Overweight Participants in a Community Setting: A Preliminary Study" [Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/0803737]

Beginners guide to fitness

Beginners guide to fitness

As a beginner in the world of fitness, it can be overwhelming to navigate the many different exercises, machines, and routines available at the gym. This is where personal training comes in. Working with a personal trainer can provide a variety of benefits that can help beginners achieve their fitness goals. Here are the top 5 benefits of personal training for beginners:

1. Customized workouts: A personal trainer can create a workout plan tailored to your specific needs and goals. This includes taking into account any injuries or limitations you may have, as well as your fitness level. A customized workout plan can help you progress more quickly and safely than a generic plan found online.

2. Proper technique: A personal trainer can teach you the proper technique for exercises to help prevent injury and ensure you are getting the most out of each movement. This is especially important for beginners who may not be familiar with proper form and technique.

3. Accountability: Working with a personal trainer provides a level of accountability that can help beginners stick to their fitness goals. Knowing that someone is waiting for you at the gym can be a powerful motivator to stay on track and show up to each session.

4. Education: Personal trainers are knowledgeable about exercise science, nutrition, and the human body. Working with a personal trainer can help beginners learn more about how to properly fuel their bodies and get the most out of their workouts.

5. Results: With a customized workout plan, proper technique, accountability, and education, beginners can see results more quickly than they would on their own. Personal trainers can also help set realistic goals and track progress to keep clients motivated.

Here are some action steps beginners can take to get started with personal training:

1. Find a reputable personal training facility: Look for a facility that has certified personal trainers and a good reputation. Check online reviews and ask for recommendations from friends or family members who have worked with personal trainers before.

2. Schedule a consultation: Most personal training facilities offer a free consultation where you can meet with a trainer to discuss your fitness goals, health history, and any concerns you may have. This is a great opportunity to get to know the trainer and see if they are a good fit for you.

3. Set realistic goals: Work with your trainer to set realistic fitness goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This will help you stay motivated and track your progress over time.

4. Follow a structured workout plan: A good personal trainer will create a structured workout plan that is tailored to your goals, fitness level, and any injuries or limitations you may have. Stick to the plan and be consistent with your workouts.

5. Stay accountable: Accountability is key to staying on track with your fitness goals. Work with your trainer to establish a system for accountability, whether it's through regular check-ins, progress tracking, or goal setting.

Remember, starting a fitness journey can be challenging, but it's important to stay committed and consistent. Working with a personal trainer can help you stay motivated, avoid injury, and achieve your fitness goals. Good luck on your fitness journey!

As always, Stay Relentless!

Sources:

- American Council on Exercise. (n.d.). Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer. Retrieved from https://www.acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/expert-articles/6298/top-10-reasons-to-hire-a-personal-trainer

- National Academy of Sports Medicine. (n.d.). Benefits of Personal Training. Retrieved from https://www.nasm.org/training-and-certifications/personal-training/resources/benefits-of-personal-training

"Unleashing the Power of Exercise and Nutrition: How They Impact Your Hormones"

Hormones are important messengers that regulate various bodily functions, from metabolism to mood. Exercise and nutrition are two factors that can significantly influence hormone levels in the body. In this blog post, we'll explore the latest research on how exercise and nutrition can impact your hormones.

Exercise and Hormones:

Exercise has been shown to have a significant impact on hormone levels in the body. In particular, resistance training and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) have been shown to increase levels of growth hormone (GH) and testosterone.

Let's talk about those two hormones really quickly.

Growth hormone (GH): Growth hormone is a hormone that stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals. GH is important for bone and muscle growth, and also plays a role in metabolism, helping to regulate body fat and sugar levels.

Testosterone: Testosterone is a male sex hormone that is important for the development of male reproductive tissues, as well as secondary sexual characteristics such as muscle mass, bone density, and body hair. Testosterone also plays a role in overall health and well-being, including mood regulation and cardiovascular health.

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that 10 weeks of resistance training increased resting GH levels by 21% in men and 43% in women. Another study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that a single session of high-intensity resistance exercise increased testosterone levels in men.

On the other hand, endurance exercise such as running and cycling has been shown to increase levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. However, the magnitude of cortisol elevation appears to be dependent on the intensity and duration of exercise.

What is cortisol?

Cortisol: Cortisol is a stress hormone that is released by the adrenal glands in response to stress, as well as other stimuli such as low blood sugar levels. Cortisol helps the body to respond to stress by increasing blood sugar levels and suppressing the immune system.

In a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers found that high-intensity interval running increased cortisol levels more than moderate-intensity continuous running. However, another study published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation found that six weeks of endurance training reduced cortisol levels in women with metabolic syndrome.

Nutrition and Hormones:

Nutrition is another important factor that can influence hormone levels in the body. For instance, consuming a diet high in carbohydrates can increase levels of insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. On the other hand, consuming a diet high in protein can increase levels of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar levels.

What is Insulin GLP-1?

Insulin: Insulin is a hormone that is produced by the pancreas and helps to regulate the body's blood sugar levels. Insulin helps to move glucose from the blood into cells, where it can be used for energy.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels, decreases appetite, and has beneficial effects on the body, such as improving cardiovascular function and enhancing insulin sensitivity.

A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that a high-protein diet increased GLP-1 levels in obese men and women. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that consuming a high-carbohydrate diet increased insulin levels in healthy men.

Certain nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to influence hormone levels. For instance, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism found that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids increased testosterone levels in men with low levels. Another study published in the Journal of Endocrinology found that vitamin D supplementation increased testosterone levels in overweight men.

Furthermore, Peptide YY (PYY) and Leptin are two hormones that play important roles in appetite regulation and weight management. PYY is released by the digestive system in response to food intake and helps to regulate appetite and satiety, making us feel fuller for longer after eating. Leptin, on the other hand, is produced by fat cells and plays a role in appetite regulation, energy expenditure, and body weight maintenance. Both PYY and Leptin are essential for maintaining a healthy body weight and can be targeted by drugs and lifestyle changes to help manage obesity and related health conditions.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, exercise and nutrition are two important factors that can influence hormone levels in the body. Resistance training and HIIT have been shown to increase levels of growth hormone and testosterone, while endurance exercise may increase cortisol levels. Nutrition can also influence hormone levels, with high-protein diets increasing GLP-1 levels and high-carbohydrate diets increasing insulin levels. Additionally, certain nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D have been shown to influence testosterone levels. By incorporating exercise and proper nutrition into your daily routine, you can optimize your hormone levels and improve your overall health and well-being.

Sources:

Hansen, S., Kvorning, T., Kjaer, M., & Sjøgaard, G. (2001). The effect of short-term strength training on human skeletal muscle: the importance of physiologically elevated hormone levels. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 11(6), 347-354.

Kraemer, W. J., & Ratamess, N. A. (2005). Hormonal responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training. Sports Medicine, 35(4), 339-361.

Cadore, E. L., Lhullier, F. L. R., Brentano, M. A., Silva, E. M., Ambrosini, A. B., Spinelli, R., ... & Kruel, L. F. M. (2008). Hormonal responses to resistance exercise in long-term trained and untrained middle-aged men. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22(6), 1617-1624.

Hill, E. E., Zack, E., Battaglini, C., Viru, M., Viru, A., & Hackney, A. C. (2008). Exercise and circulating cortisol levels: the intensity threshold effect. Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, 31(7), 587-591.

Hackney, A. C., & Koltun, K. J. (2012). The anabolic hormones: a review of their effects on muscle mass and strength. Sports Medicine, 43(7), 615-623.

Veldhorst, M. A., Westerterp-Plantenga, M. S., & Westerterp, K. R. (2009). Gluconeogenesis and energy expenditure after a high-protein, carbohydrate-free diet. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(3), 519-526.

Bowen, J., Noakes, M., & Clifton, P. M. (2006). A high dairy protein, high-calcium diet minimizes bone turnover in overweight adults during weight loss. The Journal of Nutrition, 136(5), 1331-1334.

Batterham, R. L., Heffron, H., Kapoor, S., Chivers, Y., Chandarana, K., Herzog, H., ... & Bloom, S. R. (2006). Critical role for peptide YY in protein-mediated satiation and body-weight regulation. Cell Metabolism, 4(3), 223-233.

Jensen, J., Rustad, P. I., Kolnes, A. J., & Lai, Y. C. (2007). The role of skeletal muscle glycogen breakdown for regulation of insulin sensitivity by exercise. Frontiers in Physiology, 10(8), 1-12.

DeFronzo, R. A., & Ferrannini, E. (1991). Insulin resistance: a multifaceted syndrome responsible for NIDDM, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Diabetes Care, 14(3), 173-194.

Safarinejad, M. R. (2010). Effect of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on semen profile and enzymatic antioxidant capacity of seminal plasma in infertile men with idiopathic oligoasthenoteratospermia: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Andrologia, 42(4), 247-252.

Win The Day

Ugh, the post holiday hangover is real! But did you know that you can use this as a time to WIN and grow your mental fortitude?

If you have ever heard me talk about having a healthy lifestyle you have heard me talk about sustainability. If your fitness routine and diet are too hard to stick to then maybe it isn't the right thing for you long term. That’s why I think it's important to enjoy your holidays…within reason. If you allow yourself to enjoy some down time with family and friends, it's so much easier to stick to your fitness and diet routine. BUT sometimes we don't keep things as moderate as we should. Before you know it you are waking up to your alarm for your workout or to get up for work and really debating on hitting that snooze button. This is when you can get your first win!

Winning the day starts off with waking up when you planned to wake up. Don't start the day off by hitting snooze over and over until you end up sprint to get ready for work or even worse, end up late for work or your workout. If you start off the day late and rushed it will bleed over into one thing after another and could ruin your whole day. Let that small win set the tone for the rest of the day and the week.

Just like waking up late can ruin your day, it's all too easy to justify continuing the poor diet decision post holiday. You tell yourself "Well I was already off my nutrition for the week so what does it matter?" or "It's just one more day of drinking, I will get back on track tomorrow.", or "I have all of these leftovers, I can't just waste them.". Sound familiar? The best thing you can do it toss the junk food ASAP and get back on track NOW. Your body will thank you for it and so will your willpower because you are eliminating obstacles before they become an issue. Plus if you wake up and drink 12 oz of water it can help to make up for your lack of water intake and compensate for your increase in sodium. Just another easy win for the day!

Keep that momentum going by creating a list of the 3-5 most important things for you to get done for the day and execute on those things. Brain fog is real after eating and drinking junk for a day or two on top of having poor sleep for a few nights. This makes day 1 of the work week pretty tough when it comes to getting things done. Creating a list will help keep your mind focused on the tasks at hand and will put you in control of your day!

Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Make working out a non-negotiable part of your first day post holiday. Some of us will start the day and others will end the day with a workout and both are great. The key is just getting up and moving! This will help you to feel better, think more clearly, sleep more soundly, motivated you to eat more nutritious food, refocus on your goals, etc. So never skip your first workout, even if you aren't able to go at 100%, it will still be a win because you got up and got moving.

Winning your day can lead to you winning the next day, and the next day, and before you know it you have won your week. Keep winning your week and eventually you will create winning habits! These habits will make it so much easier to ENJOY your holidays and to crush the week after without falling off track and suffering through the whole next week trying to get your feet back under you. Use these tools as we come into the holiday season and share them with your friends and family so we can all win the day together!

Happy Tuesday and let's get a win today!

Stay RELENTLESS,

Josh

LOSING MOTIVATION?

LOSING MOTIVATION?

Nobody is motivated 100% of the time. We have all fallen into a slump at one time or another in life and in the gym. This is the time of year when many people start to feel a lack of motivation. We begin spending less time working toward the goals we set, and we start to forget why we even started. We often just look at the end result we want without having a time frame or a plan, so we remain demotivated. Often it is very difficult to climb out of that slump and get back on track.

How can we increase motivation when our tasks seem like the last thing we want to do? The best place to start is goal setting. If you use goals correctly, they can be a great way to set your vision toward the future, even while stuck in a rut. Below you will find a few tools designed to transform that distant goal into the here-and-now motivation you need to get started. You'll also learn about the differences between motivation and determination, and why both are equally important.

Use Imagery
Imagine what it will be like when you reach your goal. What you will feel? What you be able to do? How will your self-image change?

Use Timelines
Set a timeline for yourself that is appropriate. No, you aren’t going to lose 20 lbs in 2 weeks, and you will be very unmotivated when you fail at that goal 2 weeks later. Setting the goal of losing 20 lbs in 2 months is a much more achievable timeline.

Accountability
Tell someone about your goals so they can help remind you and keep you accountable. Hire a professional to help! Get a workout partner to drag you to the gym when you don’t want to go. This can save you when motivation alone isn’t cutting it.

Set a road map
Setting up small goals that lead to your larger goal can work as a road map. Moving from goal to goal can progressively lead you to your major end goal, all while seeming attainable and controlled and not crushing your motivation.

Great! Your goals are set and being used as a tool for motivation, now what?

Be patient! It can take anywhere between 18-254 days to create a new habit, depending on the person. That's a big jump! In most situations, it takes at least 2 months to create a new habit and setting your expectations for a minimum of 2 months of habit building is a great place to start.

Change things up but stay consistent:
Consistency is key to creating a habit and creating a determined mindset. But with lack of variety it might cause you to lose motivation due to boredom. Avoid this in the gym by changing up your programming. Take a break from the cardio and hit some weights. Change your cardio from low intensity steady state to high intensity interval training. Run in a different park. Ride your bike around a different part of town. If your goal is working out 5 days a week, it will be much easier to stick to that goal if you change up the workouts.

Motivation versus determination:
We naturally kill our motivation by following the path of least resistance. We cheat reps and skip sets in our workout. We skip workouts and that leads to us skipping more workouts. We start thinking that maybe its not worth the effort or that maybe we just aren’t meant to reach our goal. Or we are doing great and feeling motivated, then BOOM! We sustain an injury, get sick, life happens and slows our progress. This can set us into a downward spiral that can be hard to get out of.

Our motivation got us started, but it is our determination that will see us through to the end. Determination is the relentless pursuit of our goals; it is refusing to stop until we reach the goals we set for ourselves, no matter what road blocks get in the way. Increase your determination by making decisions that are set it stone, that you will not break. Follow the plan that you set for yourself. If you fall off track, get back on track NOW. Stick to the plan! Stop worrying about things that don’t serve you well and will not matter in the long run. Deal with the immediate issues that prevent you from getting one step closer to your goal. Set a laser focus on your 'why'. Your 'why' can act as your guiding light when you feel like you can’t go on.

In summary, motivation fades but is an amazing tool to get started. When motivation fades, hold tight to that determination that you set out with. With proper set up, you can create your own driving force to reach the goals you set for yourself, no matter the obstacle.

If you need help with accountability contact us and we can help!

Have a great rest of the week and as always, Stay Relentless!

https://greatperformersacademy.com/motivation/top-15-practical-ways-to-boost-your-willpower-and-determination

https://jamesclear.com/new-habit

https://www.webmd.com/women/features/exercise-habits#1

https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-04-01/10-ways-to-finally-make-fitness-a-habit

http://paspapt.com/motivation/

https://believeperform.com/performance/maintaining-motivation-in-exercise/

https://www.elitefts.com/education/discipline-in-training-and-life/