What Women Want

As women there are a few things we never want to do.  Tag along for an afternoon to watch our husbands golf, pay for the first date and most improtantly we never want to AGE! Well the fountain of youth is easy to get to....just exercise. If improving your stamina, make your heart and lungs stronger, and reducing the risk for heart disease are not motivating enough just knowing that exercise makes you feel better about yourself and take years off of your appearance should motivate you.
Make sure you are staying hydrated too. Last weekend I was at my in-laws gym and a 14 year old girl was lifting weights and was hydrating with a can of soda! Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul. Seeing this made me gag. She was taking in more calories then she was burning.  It took all I had not to give her some unsolicted advice. I wanted to tell her how much better off she would be if she would instead drink lots of water....every day! It can help you lose weight. Water makes you feel full so you eat less and in turn makes you lose weight faster. Also remember to drink water while exercising to avoid dehydration. Oh, and exercise helps remove waste from your body. No exercise=toxins are stored as fat in your body. NOT SASSY! Guess what helps flush the toxins? You guessed it, WATER.
The moral of this blog is that we all should get up from our seats, move, hydrate and stretch. Fitting into your sassy skinny jeans is a better feeling than being overweight, tired and flabby.

Dear Sassy Girl

This week so many questions came in that it was hard for me to just pick a few. There were quite a few that asked very smart questions that made me pause for a moment to think about the answer. I’m so grateful you are writing in. Remember if you have a question don’t hesitate to ask. I may even answer it on one of my blog posts!

Email: thesassygirlblog@gmail.com or tweet me @sassygirlfit

How much exercise is too much?

Alex
LA, CA

Since most people struggle getting in enough exercise in their daily life it’s easy to forget that there are tons of people who do too much. How do you know if you do too much? If your workouts suddenly feel harder than usual, or you're losing ground despite the fact that you're working hard, you may be experiencing overtraining.

If you are experiencing any of the following chances are you are overtraining.I suggest going to a doc to make sure nothing else is going on.

• Insomnia
• Achiness or pain in the muscles and/or joints
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Elevated morning pulse
• Sudden inability to complete workouts
• Feeling unmotivated and lacking energy
• Increased susceptibility to colds, sore throats and other illnesses
• Loss in appetite
• Decrease in performance

What exactly is overtraining?

Not enough variety is terrible for you. If you do the same exercise every single day it’s too much. Doing the same workout day after day can also lead to overtraining, boredom and possible injury.

The answer is simple. REST! After you lift weights your body needs time. I recommend never working the same muscle group two days in a row. One day of rest before working the same muscle group. For cardio I suggest never doing the same cardio routine day after day. You may wind up with a repetitive stress injury. If you are a runner or like to bike every day make sure a few days a week you do a low-intensity workout like a easy swim, or a walk.

Avoiding overtraining is simple. Follow these easy steps:

• Warm up before your workout. Proper warm-up can help prevent injuries.
• Fuel up after exercise. Your body needs energy to recover and that comes from food. Carbs, Proteins and Fats are good choices.
• Stretch! Tight muscles can often cause other muscles of your body to overcompensate, which can cause injury over time.
• Schedule recovery days into your weekly routine. Listen to your body. If you're 10 minutes into your workout and you're feeling tired and unmotivated, go back home and rest or do a light workout.
• Get adequate sleep.

If I eat Low Fat products will it help me lose weight?

Katie
Scottsdale, AZ

The answer is no. The Low-Fat label on your favorite product means more sugar is added to make up for the lake of taste.Yogurt and Chips are common culprits. Check the food labels for sugars as well as saturated fats and carbohydrates.

Are You Having Fun Yet?

I was chatting with a fellow instructor and we were trying to figure out why some students come week after week to classes and some come sporadically. Some students come seldom that when they do show I reintroduce myself to them each time only to be told “we’ve met”...(that happened tonight...oops). Why do some show up again and again while others don't?  Is it discipline and dedication to fitness? Yes that has something to do with it but it’s more than that. My regulars are having fun while exercising. They are enjoying themselves so they come back for more every week. There are things you can do too that make exercise full of joy.
Here are a few sure fire ways to make your work out a more pleasant and maybe even a fun experience.  
1. Music
The music you choose can enhance or destroy your workout so make sure you use variety to spice things up and make sure your favorite type of music is on your playlist. Invest some time into the music you workout to. I promise it will make the time fly by.
When I teach I use playlists that offer music from different time periods and are always upbeat. I know for me music is the most important feature of my fitness class. I always find music that has great beats and recognizable vocals so if students want to belt out the tune they can. I like the music to be loud enough to motivate but not so loud that you have to wear earplugs to be comfortable.

2. Your form of exercise should be fun!
If you aren’t having fun why are you doing it? Most people won’t stick to a program if they don’t enjoy engaging in the activity. Are you pushing and challenging yourself each time? If the answer is “no” then find something that you do like. For example is you hate taking a group fitness class that is crowded don’t do it. If you aren’t having fun you won’t stick with it. Or if you like competitive sports like tennis, basketball, squash, or any other sport do that. Maybe roller skating, walking, biking, swimming is your thing but you don’t like to be alone you can find all of those forms of exercise in your area that are geared towards groups getting together. Try meetup.com to find a group near you to connect with.

Be truthful....are you having fun while you exercise? If the answer is no that could very well be the reason why are aren’t much. Make a change and start burning those calories sassy girl!

Dear Sassy Girl

I have to admit I’m pretty impressed by the questions that are coming in. I love that you are asking questions about fitness. I’m happy to answer any fitness related question. Keep them coming! You can ask them via email thesassygirlblog@gmail.com or tweet me @sassygirlfit

I can only work out 1x a week. Is that a waste of time?

Salma,  Ithaca, NY

A little bit of exercise is better than nothing! You won’t notice physical changes as fast when it comes to weight loss or muscle building, but besides being good for your health your mind will benefit too! If you are going to exercise only once a week you have to make sure your fitness program is well balanced. An example would be 30 minutes of weight training followed by 30 minutes of cardio.



Should I workout during my period?

Terri,  St. Louis, MO

Ladies the answer is YES! You might even “perform” better and working out helps improve blood circulation which means little or no cramps!  


Is it true that weight training will give me short muscles and yoga will make my muscles longer?

Jenna, Blair, NE


The truth? The type of physical activity doesn’t determine the length of your muscles.  Muscle length is 100 percent genetically determined. It is impossible for the bones that are attached to the muscles to shrink. If you are feeling like your muscles are short it most often is muscle stiffness that is caused by not having enough exercise variation or not stretching enough.

Oh, this was in the NY Post a few weeks ago. Here is a link to the article:   http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/health/fir_to_be_tired_OagvxkIKhOcuuCP3o9xrPI

Separating The Wheat From The Sass

Dropping body fat i.e. unwanted pounds off of your frame takes one simple step. Stop eating foods like white bread and pasta and start eating whole grain foods! I know what you’re thinking...why are whole grain breads so much better healthier than white bread? Well when white bread is processed two thirds of nutrients that are found in whole grains are stripped away.
The easiest way to make sure you are eating the right kind of foods is to check the label for the word WHOLE in the ingredient list, example: WHOLE WHEAT. The product is great if there is a stamp or seal that says it’s approved by the Whole Grains Council.
You don’t need to just eat whole wheat bread every single day to get your intake of grains. Try some whole-wheat pasta instead of your regular white variety, mix in some steamed veggies and top with your favorite low sodium, low sugar sauce and you have one sassy meal that will help you loose unwanted body fat.
So how many servings a day of whole grains should a person consume?

5 – 10 servings

This depends on the total number of calories you consume in a day.

• If you consume 1600 calories, eat 5 servings per day.
• If you consume 1800 – 2000 calories, eat 6 servings per day.
• If you consume 2200 calories, eat 7 servings day.
• If you consume 2400 calories, eat 8 servings per day.
• If you consume 2600 calories, eat 9 servings per day.
• If you consume 2800 calories, eat 10 servings per day.

One serving of grains is equal to:

• 1 slice of bread
• ½ cup cooked rice, pasta, or cereal
• 1 cup ready-to-eat dry cereal

Dear Sassy Girl

I am so excited to see all the emails that have been sent in containing questions about fitness. I’ve chosen a few to answer here. If you have a fitness question don’t hesitate to email me. thesassygirlblog@gmail.com or to Tweet me @sassygirlfit

Will 100 crunches a day give me a six pack?

Paula, Albany, NY

Well Paula the good news is doing 100 crunches a day will make your abs stronger. The bad news...it might not lead to a visible six pack. If you want to be able to see those enviable abs your body fat has to be 14% or lower. Remember you can’t spot train so losing fat from a specific area is almost impossible. Try reducing overall fat with a protein rich diet and exercise.


Does eating after 9 pm cause weight gain?

Bianca, New Orleans, LA

The answer plain and simple....NO! When you eat is not as important as what you consume in any given day. Basically if you take in more than your daily caloric needs, you will gain weight. The time of day you eat does not matter. Try to eat every 4 hours so your metabolism stays stoked.


I heard it’s not a good idea to start if you are overweight or older? What are your thoughts?

Julia, Denver, CO

If exercise is new to you or if you are on the heavy side my advice is to start slow. Try increasing your activity in your daily life by taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or bike instead of taking the car, but if you must drive park so that you must walk further than if you parked right by the entrance to where you are going. After this when you feel like you are ready for the next level try low impact exercise like walking, swimming or yoga.

Bogus Trainer/Happy Anniversary

I was working the other day and I witnessed something that makes others in my profession look bad. Before I tell you what happened I need to state that most fitness professionals are generally good people. They help people stay motivated and tend to lead balanced lives.

While I was working with a client I noticed male trainer get a little too “hands on” with a female client. Now it’s important to know that as a trainer it’s important to touch a client...appropriately. This trainer was not giving a correction but just short of groping. I was just about to interject and call him out on his behavior when the woman he was “training” said “Don’t Touch Me Like That.” I was so proud! (If you don’t know me I’m all about Girl Power)
This episode made me so upset because it is obvious this guy didn’t become a personal trainer to help others achieve fitness goals but became a trainer in order to meet women. My advice to him...pick another profession. Hitting on a client takes advantage of her trust and abuses your professional role. It’s also a good way to get fired, sued, or both.

Sassy girls, if you are ever working with a trainer and you feel that he is taking too many liberties with the “appropriate touch” balance that you share be sure to notify someone at the gym.  You are paying for the experience and guidance of a trainer.  Not for him to be able to get a cheap feel.

On a completely other note today marks One Year Anniversary Blogging!
It has been an amazing journey this year sharing my knowledge of fitness. My success is growing in part because of all my supporters. So Thank You for reading and making fitness a priority in your life. Because you mean so much to me the first sassy reader who emails me will receive my latest favorite fitness item. A Sparky Soul Headband in your favorite color. I know you will love them as much as I do.
Visit sparklysoul.com to view their awesome headbands.

Email me at thesassygirlblog@gmail.com

Dear Sassy Girl....I answer reader's questions

Wow!  So many of you have been e mailing and Tweeting me questions. So today I thought that I would answer a couple of them  If you have any questions that you would like to ask please send them to thesassygirlblog@gmail.com or tweet the questions @sassygirlfit

Dear Sassy Girl,

I am afraid that the muscle I am building in my twenties will one day turn to fat.  I had heard this will happen.  Is it true and if so, how can I avoid this?  

Danielle

Milwaukee Wis.

Danielle,
Don’t worry about this...it isn’t possible! Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue and one cannot turn into the other. When women stop lifting weights most times they end up stop working out entirely, bad habits start and eating poorly follows. When you stop doing resistance training your metabolism slows down, and fat starts to develop. It seems like when women lift weights and then stop it gives the impression that what once was muscle has turned to fat. You can blame poor timing to that myth. Here is the truth: if you stop exercising, stop lifting, and stop watching your diet, your chisel will turn to chub.  This is why it is important to remain active through your entire life.  
There is no reason that the Sassy Girl won’t one day be a Sassy Senior.


Dear Sassy Girl,
Shouldn’t women just concentrate on cardio and lift really light weights?

Jennifer
San Diego, CA

Thanks for your question Jennifer.  To answer your question.  If you only do cardio then both muscle and fat are used for fuel. Lifting weights will help to prevent any loss of muscle. Just concentrating on cardio or just lifting super light weights is a sure fire way to get discouraged. You will have a hard time achieving the look you want without resistance. Muscle responds to resistance and if you don’t challenge yourself there is no reason for the body to change. If you want to look great, don’t be afraid to pick up some heavier weights and lift hard. You won’t look big and bulky but feminine and strong and being strong is VERY sassy.