Benefits Of The Bike

“Really? I hate the bike.” “I hate how hard my legs have to work. I don’t want to get big legs” I hear these things on a regular basis when I put my clients on a recumbent bike. I thought that today I would write about how great it is for you and why you should work on the bike.

1st is that it really works! The recumbent bike is built for exercising. The bike has a bucket/chair for you to sit in. The design allows you to sit in a reclining position while pedaling with your feet thrust forward. The reclining feature that comfortably supports the backbone and distributes body weight evenly rather than concentrating it on the pelvic area. Generally, these bikes reduce the amount of stress on body parts when exercising.

Basically the bike provides a great aerobic workout and helps build strength (not bulk) in your thighs, calves, abdominal and back muscles. Even though at the time it doesn’t seem like you are burning tons of calories keep in mind that workouts on the bike also increase the rate of heartbeat hence burning the extra calories in the body at a faster rate. You also don’t have to use a lot of equipment to work your body! This is because the bike can work out various body parts effectively at the same time and you lower impact levels on your ligaments and joints as compared to other pieces of equipment used to exercise the body like the treadmill.

How Much Water?

How much water do I need to drink when I exercise?

The answer for this is fairly easy for most people and simple to understand. If your typical exercise session is around 60 minutes or less, and doesn’t involve vigorous activity outdoors in hot, humid weather, you probably don’t need to interrupt your exercise session for a drink unless you prefer to. On average a healthy, average-sized person can produce as much as 32 oz of sweat during an hour of moderate to vigorous indoor exercise. It may seem like a lot of sweat. Especially if you are soaked, but really it isn’t enough to cause problems unless you’ve been seriously depriving yourself on fluid before your exercise session. A simple way to tell if you need H2O, your urine should be clear or light yellow in color. If it is...you are good to go. If it’s dark yellow with a strong urine smell, have a cup or two of aqua a ½ to 1 hour BEFORE exercise. Basically unless you want to drink water during your workout you don’t have to.

Time Out

Recently I started feeling knee soreness after intense workouts. I went to a physical therapist that I trust to find out what is going on. Honestly, I am a little freaked out. It’s annoying and frustrating because it started hurting when I’m feeling progress with my workouts or close to a goal.

I started taking a bunch of different kinds of fitness classes. From pilates, barre to HITT workouts. Going into the training, I knew my body was sore but I was so excited I just pushed through.  After about 1 month of training, my knees, back and elbow joints were sore, not severe, but it hurt to get out of bed and I knew working out would not be an option.  So, I took a rest day, iced it, took Aleeve, and put heat on it, emailed my PT and made an appointment to get seen pronto. Then I decided I had to workout, but I’d focus on my upper body, just working with my body weight and resistance bands.  I added standing ab work once I felt better. I continued to use ice, and performed my PT exercises daily.  I also used the foam roller (this is a must for any injury.  It helps work out the kinks and massages the muscle.  I swear it helped me heal faster).

This week, my body feels better but I know better than to think it’s all set and ready to go.  I’m back to 
my workouts but I’m doing the workouts with no weights.  This has been awesome for me.  It’s helped me really concentrate and focus on my form, while I’m still sweating up a storm.  When dealing with any type of  injury, listening to your body and modify your exercising is key to healing faster.  So what if you can’t lift as much as you did, as long as you keep moving your body you will get to the goals you want. It just takes patience, which I have none of, but I’m learning it’s better to nurse the injury than constantly be in pain.

Mini Meal Myth

This line is so popular. How many times have you heard this?"Eating mini meals during the day helps to boost your metabolism." Turns out this may not be the case. Basically the amount you eat affects how many calories you burn through digestion and absorption. Duh, Jess. Logically it makes sense. I'll give you an example:  a chicken breast takes 100 calories to digest.  It’s still going to take 100 calories to digest whether you eat it all at once or as part of two mini meals. Guess I might have been wrong to think that mini meals are essential for boosting your metabolism. Turns out the popular rumor isn't true after all. The truth?  Skipping meals will not slow down your metabolism.  Eating more meals will not increase your metabolism.

Mini meals are not useless! If you are looking to lose weight then eating more frequently may be the answer. Why is this? People are generally advised to eat complex carbohydrates and protein as part of their mini meals.  These nutrients help keep you fuller for longer and are generally lower in calories.  Mini meals also help reduce cravings and stop you feeling hungry meaning that you are less likely to over eat and binge on calories.

BUSTED

I was talking to another fitness instructor friend of mine about teaching body sculpting classes. We were discussing how to get across that using very light weights is not going to tone you. I think a lot of people are misinformed. Doing that doesn't work.

Use Light Weights and High Reps To Tone?

What year is it? 1993? If you are doing very high repetitions of very light weights to get a toned physique, you are living in the past. It’s time to move on. These high repetitions will increase your muscular endurance but will not add strength or tone. We now know that in order to truly challenge your muscles, heavier weights with lower repetitions are a must. Start with an 8-10 repetition range and push your muscles with each set.