Finish What You Started – Cut the Fat for Good

There’s no question about it – making the commitment to work out is no easy task. Not only is it hard getting your new fitness program off the ground, but you’re sure to encounter pitfalls along the way. Don’t beat yourself up or quit when you meet an obstacle, jump over it! Staying motivated is the best way to ensure that you’ll meet your fitness goals. In this article, we’ll explore how you can stay motivated in all stages of your fitness journey.

At NYC Adventure Boot Camp we are big on the three C’s- COMMITMENT, CONTROL & CONSISTENCY! Make the first step and Commit and we will gladly guide you through the rest. Whatever your health and fitness concerns are, we are confident that we can help you achieve your goals! We can discuss your goals and see if we are a good match. What are you waiting for?

In the beginning

You may start off your fitness program with plenty of enthusiasm, but many of us start finding excuses to miss an exercise session or two as early as two weeks in. You’re sore and tired and you’d rather just stay at home. Of course you’re sore! You’re using muscles that haven’t been used in quite a long time, it’s perfectly normal. Make sure your body gets plenty of rest, but don’t fall for this well worn excuse. If imagining how amazing you’ll look and feel when you reach your goal seems too far out of your grasp at this point, give yourself a short term goal.

For example, create a goal that says that after six weeks of constant exercise, you’ll finally treat yourself to that luxury item you’ve had your eye on. Once you reach the first six weeks, make a new goal and work towards that. The time it takes to reach your final goal will be different for everyone and doesn’t have a definitive date, so create a solid goal that you can reach in the short term. Stay motivated so that you can stay on track and not only reach your short term goals, but your lifetime goal of being fit and healthy!

Pitfalls in the middle

The most common pitfall most of us will face on the path to our goal is a fitness plateau. All of a sudden, the numbers on the scale, the measurement of your thighs, or the amount of weight you can lift all stays magically the same, well before you’ve reached your goal. Does this mean that you’ve done as much as your body can handle? No way! Our bodies are incredible machines and will work hard to achieve their maximum capacity at whatever task we give them, but eventually the body will become so efficient that it no longer needs to use as much energy or burn as many calories to perform the task at hand.

This usually happens when you do the same exercises over and over again, so the solution may be as simple as changing the intensity of the exercise or the exercise itself. We can help you make the necessary changes to push through the plateau and continue on your way.

Those last five pounds

It’s true; the less fat you have to lose, the harder it is to get rid of it. Those infamous last five pounds can be a killer to push through, but think of how excited you’ll be to know you pushed through and stuck to your commitment from the beginning until the very end. If you’re having trouble getting past those last five pounds, consider consulting a fitness trainer, who is helpful during all stages of reaching your fitness goals. A fitness trainer can help design a fitness plan for you from the beginning, give you ideas or pushing through your plateaus, and keep you motivated all the way to the end, when you’ve reached your goal.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all women boot camp or fitness boxing classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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6 Ways To Build Lean Muscles

You want a body shaped with lean muscle and backed by a nutritious diet. You want to stay fit and healthy in the midst of all the fatty foods and unhealthy diets. Building lean muscle isn’t impossible with the right exercise and dieting program in place. Here are some great ways women can build lean muscle.

1. Eat Nutritious Foods

Stock up on foods that help keep your muscles lean and firm. Beef is a good source of protein, zinc, and B vitamins while brown rice, eggs, spinach increase muscle strength, endurance, good digestion, and longer-lasting energy. Just remember to select only fresh and wholesome foods when creating your diet.

2. Reduce Carbs In Your Diet

Women have the upper hand when it comes to burning fat to carbs, so stick to a low-carb or no-carb diet in order to burn the fat and gain toned muscles.

3. Strengthen Muscles With Exercise

Exercise regularly in order to stretch and strengthen your muscles, but make sure to focus on exercises that promote lean muscle throughout your body. Squats, deadlifts, and lunges are just some of the many exercises that target your legs, back, abs, and obliques.

4. Remember To Drink Your Water

Always have plenty of water to drink as you work through the program. An intake of at least 8 glasses of water not only keeps you hydrated, but it curbs mistaken hunger pains and prevents overeating. And with every intake, your body is able to flush out toxins inside your body, making you feel lighter and healthier.

5. Control Your Calorie Intake

Calorie control is essential in building lean muscle. By taking in too many calories, you gain excessive weight. This makes it difficult to tell if it is lean muscle or just a layer of body fat. But a lack of calories lessens your chances of gaining and building lean muscles. Set a target calorie count that is just right and that produces results.

6. Rest

Make sure to give your body enough rest. More than to cool down from the workouts, rest allows the body to repair the muscles. What’s more, because the muscle is metabolically active, it burns calories even while the body is resting. Consider a day off for every week.

It takes a lot of effort and self-discipline to build lean, mean muscle, but the results are worthwhile. To be sure, consult a health professional before implementing any diet or exercise program.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all women boot camp or fitness boxing classes please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Preventing Disease

 

“We’ve yet to find a disease where exercise isn’t helpful,” says Miriam Nelson, Ph.D. from Tufts University. Thanks to advances in medical research, we know now that following a healthy diet and fitness routine can not only slow the effects of disease, but can also help prevent them ever developing. Exercise can help with many of the most common diseases found in America today, from diabetes to chronic illnesses. In this article, we’ll take a look at how fitness can help you lead a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease to ensure a long and healthy life.

Exercising as we age

Two major health concerns as we age are heart disease and osteoporosis. Both of these diseases can greatly reduce the quality of life as we age and can even lead to death. Thanks to advances in the medical field, we know today that the risk of developing these diseases can be greatly reduced only by leading an active lifestyle and even their progress can be slowed down. Researchers have discovered that exercise helps the heart in lots of different ways. It strengthens the heart – it is a muscle, after all; increases good cholesterol, or HDLs; decreases bad cholesterol, or LDLs; helps the heart work more efficiently; the list goes on. Even better is that a regular exercise routine can help you effectively workout your heart to prevent disease and improve your quality of life!

Osteoporosis affects nearly ten million Americans, of which at least eight million are women, while tens of millions of Americans are at risk to develop this disease. Literally meaning “porous bones,” osteoporosis is a disease in which the bones become brittle and easily fractured. But just like with the heart, exercise can help improve the density of the bones, making them strong and resistant to fractures. Women of all ages are encouraged to include calcium in their diets and to exercise in order to keep the bone density strong, which will help prevent the disease from even developing.

Obesity and Diabetes

In America, obesity can now be seen as an epidemic. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, an estimated 61 percent of adults in America could be classified as obese in 1999, and the numbers have only climbed since then. The worst part is that obesity can only lead to literally dozens of other health issues, not the least of which is Type II Diabetes. Today, at least 17 million Americans are suffering from diabetes, but researchers are proving that exercise as well as diet can help control this disease, not to mention help prevent it. At NYC Adventure Boot Camp we believe that exercise and a healthy diet can help you lose weight and help you improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure and even increase insulin sensitivity.

Getting on the Right Path

Knowing that you want to improve your lifestyle in order to lead a longer, healthier life is a great first step, but many of us don’t know what to do next. Working out with fitness trainer is a perfect option for those that want to create a balanced fitness routine to help reach their goals, whether they are to lose weight, increase bone density or make their hearts healthier. Not only will a fitness trainer give you a full assessment and take into account any medical concerns you have at the beginning, but will be there with you every step of the way to make sure you are working out safely and efficiently towards your goal.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all women boot camp please visit NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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Ways to Beat the Flu This Season

With the changing of the seasons, it is time to start thinking about another season coming our way: flu season. This time of year usually sees an increase in the number of cases of the flu as well as other illnesses like the common cold, strep throat, sinus infections, even pneumonia or bronchitis. The flu season typically peaks in January and February. The bad news is that the flu virus is easily spread from one person to another. Most people come in contact with the flu virus when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or even talks and spread the germs around.

The good news is that just by taking a few simple measures you can keep yourself healthy and hopefully avoid catching the flu this season. Here are some tips:

• Take Care of Yourself – When you eat properly, get regular exercise, and get enough sleep at night, your body’s immune system is able to function properly to fight off germs that can make you ill. When you don’t take care of yourself, the capacity of the immune system is markedly diminished and you find that you get sick more often. Ensure that your immune system can work by taking care of yourself and find ways to manage stress.
• Drink Lots of Fluids – Drinking water and tea is a great way to keep healthy. Avoid dehydration to help the immune system to function properly.
• Wash Your Hands Regularly – Washing your hands is one of the best ways to avoid sickness and spreading it to others. You should wash your hands before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, after touching animals, and so on. If you are in a situation where you are unable to wash your hands, using hand sanitizer is highly recommended, although not as effective as soap and water.
• Avoid Contact with People Who are Sick – Although it may not be always possible, it is a good idea to avoid people who are sick with the flu or cold until their symptoms subside. The flu and other illnesses are spread the most easily through contact with people around you. If you do come down with symptoms of the flu, be sure to stay home from work or school until you are feeling better.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all women’s boot camp please visit  NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for an extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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How to Get and Keep Healthy Skin

Not only is our skin the largest organ of our bodies but it also plays an important role in our appearance. Our skin is typically the first thing that other people notice about us. Moreover, our skin plays a vital role in our health, protecting our bodies and inner organs from harmful substances and injury. For some of us, however, our skin is often ignored when it comes to taking care of ourselves. Here are some ways to take care of your skin no matter your age:

• Diet and Exercise – It should be no surprise that diet and exercise have a profound impact on how your skin looks and feels. Exercise increases the circulation of blood and nutrients to your skin. Furthermore, diet plays an important role. For healthy skin, make sure you are getting plenty of foods with vitamin A like carrots and low-fat yogurt. Foods high in antioxidants, like berries, are critical as well. Selenium and essential fatty acids found in foods like walnuts, turkey, tuna, and flax seed are good for the skin, too.
• Stay Hydrated – Getting enough water to stay hydrated every day, about eight glasses, goes a long way towards keeping your skin young and looking great.
• Take Time to Relax – High levels of stress can produce all kinds of problems for your skin. When you are stressed out, your body releases cortisol, which could lead to breakouts of pimples. Control your stress by taking time to relax. You might even consider meditation, as some studies have shown that it helps clear up troublesome skin conditions.
• Keep Your Skin Protected – No matter what time of the year it is, be sure to use sunscreen and reapply it often when outside. Sunscreen can keep you from developing skin cancer and other issues as you age.
• Use a Simple Skin Care Regimen – Instead of buying bags full of skin products, the only ones you really need are a cleanser, moisturizer, and a retinoid. Retinoids improve the production of collagen and reduce the appearance of brown spots and fine lines.

If you are in New York City and interested in joining an all woman’s boot camp please visit  NYC ADVENTURE BOOT CAMP, mention that you found us through our blog for and extra 15% off a membership. Come work out like a GIRL!!!

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