Author: Matthew McDonald

Virtual Book Club

We discuss books a lot at the gym. Which ones we like, which ones we didn’t, which ones we want to read, etc. So…we thought it would be a great idea to have a virtual book club. Here’s what we were thinking. Every month or so we are going to pick a book-any genre-no restrictions! We will post the title here on our blog. When you finish reading the book, we want you to post comments-liked it, hated it, great writing, awful story-whatever you thought. We will keep a running thread so everyone can comment as they finish the book. No timetables or planning required. Just read, comment and enjoy! Now, we just need to pick the first book. Any ideas? Post away and we will pick one from the...

Read More

Overtraining

So you’ve gone to the gym 5 days in a row and now you can barely get out of bed. Feeling some pain after a workout is normal, even desired. However, if your muscles hurt to the touch or your range of motion is limited after a challenging workout, you have overdone it. Pain after a workout results from microscopic tears in muscle fibers caused by intense activity. The technical term for the torn muscles is Exercise Induced Muscle Damage (EIMD). That’s the post workout pain which then leads to Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) 24-48 hours post workout. It’s why you are more sore 2 days after an intense workout. Watch how sore you are-working out damaged muscles often leads to injury. Further, research is now demonstrating that working out while very sore can make the workout session less effective and much harder to complete. The safest option is to avoid training for few days. What do you think? Have you ever been too sore to walk? Climb stairs?...

Read More

Moderation

Today is the start of the Lent season and many people will be giving up something for the next 40 days. We have heard some interesting ones but some of the most common ones include not eating chocolate, no dessert, no alcohol, no fast food and/or no red meat. Giving up something that you enjoy for 40 days can be challenging-for some even impossible. We all start with the highest expectations but as the days pass, our resolve can weaken and we give in to temptation. Maybe a better idea would be to begin with moderating our intake instead of complete restriction? We talk about moderation often here at Fit-EST. Moderation in food, drink, fitness (a separate blog on this one coming soon)…pretty much everything. We live in a society where if a little is good-then a lot is great but we know that mindset can get us in to trouble quickly. What, if anything, are you giving up for Lent? Have you given up things before? Why? What is the hardest part about giving it up? Have you been able to quit something that you thought was bad for you? What is the craziest thing you have heard of someone giving up? We would love to hear from...

Read More

New Year’s Resolutions

The holidays are now over. Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s have come and gone, and some of you may have gained a few pounds eating all the delicious foods that accompany this wonderful time of year. Along with the festivities, many will make New Year’s resolutions to lose those extra pounds or to spend the next year getting in shape. Most Americans (88 percent in 2010 according to a recent poll) make at least one resolution, with the majority being related to health and fitness. In 2010, 55 percent promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and 38 percent wanted to lose weight. While health and fitness resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at keeping them. With all the excitement surrounding these promises, it’s easy to get caught up in it without really taking them seriously. So how do you insure that you actually lose those few pounds, get in better shape, and spend the next year healthier and fit? We have some suggestions to help you keep your New Year’s resolutions: Set exercise as a top priority, budget time into your daily routine to exercise and plan healthier meals/snacks. Importantly, be consistent with your routine. Be realistic about the type of workout you plan and the results you expect to see by choosing an obtainable goal. Find a workout routine that’s appropriate to...

Read More

Pin It on Pinterest