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No Time?? Use More Intensity!

Published by superadmin on August 25, 2022 | Leave a response

You can get in shape and achieve your goals, and it doesn’t have to take up your whole day. We can help you achieve your goals in just 2% of your time every week at Urban Athlete in Mt. Airy, PA. It’s all about having the right exercises and the right amount of intensity. Did you know that a shorter, more intense workout might actually be healthier than a far longer one that’s steady state and moderate? It’s true.

You have to get more physical to fight diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

First, before we go into the scientific results, let’s make it clear that exercising on a regular basis, no matter what the intensity, is far healthier than not exercising or having a spotty, catch-as-catch-can schedule. However, a recent study showed that when you exercised most vigorously, compared to those who burned the same number of calories with moderate exercise, reduced the potential of metabolic syndrome by 67%. Moderate exercise is riding a bike leisurely, while vigorous or intense exercise might be jumping rope or running.

The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes of exercise per week.

That 150 minutes is for people doing moderate exercise, like the examples already given. However, when you kick in high gear and go for a more intense workout, the US Department of Health and Human Services says you only have to exercise half the amount of time, or 75 minutes every week. A vigorous workout burns two times the amount of calories, compared to a moderate one.

You tire quicker when you do high intensity workouts.

It makes sense that you’ll be more apt to get winded and physically exhausted quicker doing and intense workout, rather than a moderate one. You use a different fuel source when you workout at high intensity. With moderate exercise, you use aerobic pathways to create energy, which requires oxygen. When you kick it up to high gear, you’re using more fast-twitch muscles, which use anaerobic pathways that rely on carbohydrates for energy. You go faster, have more power, but ultimately, get exhausted quicker. However, you also get more benefits, including cardiovascular benefits, from a more intense workout.

Your intensity can help reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, which causes weight around the middle, difficulty controlling blood sugar levels, high blood pressure and a reduction of good cholesterol.
HIIT—high intensity interval training— workouts vary the workout intensity so you can workout longer, yet get the benefits of a high intensity workout.
Not only do people burn more calories during a more intense workout, the calories continue to burn higher up to 48 hours after the workout ends. It also activates hormones that burn fat, such as the human growth hormone.
We will create the best possible workout to help you reach your fitness goals. The workouts will push you hard, but will be safely within your maximum potential.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Find A Buddy

Published by superadmin on August 10, 2022 | Leave a response

Have you ever started a workout program on your own, only to find it lasted less than a week and sometimes just one day? That happens because you’re human. People aren’t hard-wired to get active without something chasing them, some task to accomplish or running toward something they want. How do you avoid the start and quit syndrome? Get a workout buddy. It also helps if you’re trying to eat healthier and lose weight.

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but never your workout buddy.

I remember hearing a story from someone who smoked and gave it up to please his spouse and took up running, at least that’s what he told her. He used to go on runs every morning. Once he was out of sight, he’d stop at the local coffee shop, where you could still smoke, have a cup of coffee and a few cigarettes then go to the bathroom, splash water all over himself like sweat, get his toothbrush out from his fanny pack, brush and jog two blocks home, running the last pace to impress his wife. If he had a buddy, he couldn’t get away with such a ruse.

When another person holds you accountable, you’re more likely to be accountable.

One study showed that just phoning someone to see if they worked out increased the person’s exercise progress. The study had a group that was phoned once every two weeks and a group that wasn’t and the results were significant. The people phoned showed a 78% increased chance of exercising. It’s even better when you workout with a buddy, since they understand exactly what you’re experiencing, because they’re experiencing it, as well.

A workout buddy will help your exercise session be safer.

Are you lifting weights? A spotter is necessary and one that you can trust is even better. When you workout with a friend, they also can help you tackle new exercises, since two people learning the same thing helps boost confidence and you catch each other’s mistakes when it comes to form. Having the right form helps prevent injuries. If you’re a runner, a workout buddy is even more important. If you fall or have a medical issue, there’s always someone to help. While we hope you choose your route wisely and stick with safe areas. Sometimes things happen and when there’s two of you, even the boldest mugger will be discouraged.

You’ll probably workout harder if you’re working out with someone else. Nobody wants to be the first to quit and often friendly competition forms between you and your workout buddy.
If you’re working out AND focusing on healthy eating, the two of you can share recipe and meal ideas. In fact, some people cook double the meals, as do their workout buddies, and then share with each other, so it’s half the effort.
A workout buddy can make any workout more fun. It can get boring working out alone, so making it more social will help keep you exercising. It’s one reason our group sessions are so popular.
One reason personal trainers have such great results with clients is that they hold them accountable, just like a workout buddy. Not only do they provide the same incentive to show up for exercise, they follow the progress and make working out more interesting.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Ways To Gain Weight Quickly

Published by superadmin on July 25, 2022 | Leave a response

Some people dream about the problem of weighing too little and having problems gaining weight, but it’s not funny or good if you suffer from weighing too little. There’s a lot of reasons to want to gain weight quickly. You might be in a competition or just want to look better. People who are too thin often avoid exercise or turn to unhealthy foods trying to burn fewer calories or pack on more calories. That’s not the best route to take.

Why eating junk food and turning into a couch potato isn’t the route to take.

Both of those things may help you put on weight, but it won’t be the type of weight you need to look and feel your best. In fact, it can actually impede your progress and leave you feeling sick. Bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups, can help build body mass. In fact, strength training can actually help you gain weight and increases your appetite.

What you eat does make a huge difference.

There are some foods that can help you gain weight and while they are delicious, they’re also healthy. You can make your own protein shakes and control the ingredients to make them healthier. However, use healthy ingredients like bananas with chocolate whey protein and peanut butter or frozen blueberries, vanilla whey protein and Greek yogurt. Milk, rice dishes, fatty fish, avocados, red meat and nut butters are also good for weight gain. They’re calorie rich and provide the nutrients to help improve your health and build muscle.

Find ways to make your meals more calorie dense.

Using nut butter on your morning toast or adding slices of avocado to eggs or other dishes are just two ways to boost your caloric intake. If you tend to snack throughout the day, snack on trail mix, not candy. Make it yourself and include all types of nuts and dried fruit. You can even add dark chocolate semi-sweet bits, which are healthier than milk chocolate.

Take naps if you don’t sleep at least seven to nine hours at night. Getting adequate sleep can help boost muscle growth and help reduce the calories you burn.
Opt for fruit juice over whole fruit. Whole fruit contains fiber, which fill you up and fruit juice doesn’t, so you can consume more without feeling full. Vegetable juices can also be added as a supplement.
Make sure you do strength training. It helps build muscle tissue, which weighs more than fat tissue does. Building muscle tissue helps you bulk up and pack on extra weight.
Have a workout program that focuses on the right balance of exercises to help you accomplish your goal. It might require limiting cardio to 20 minutes a day. It’s best to get the advice of a personal trainer that will design a program specifically for your needs.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Strength Training Vs Cardio

Published by superadmin on July 10, 2022 | Leave a response

If you’re working out faithfully, following every session and eating healthy, but still not losing weight, you might want to change your workout. I get a lot of questions from clients in Mt. Airy and other areas of Pennsylvania asking the same thing. They often wonder whether they should concentrate more on strength training or cardio to lose weight. The truth is you need both. Each plays a role in weight loss.

Strength training can benefit everyone and help burn calories.

No matter what your age, you’ll benefit from strength training. Seniors need strength training to prevent muscle atrophy that can lead to other conditions, including osteoporosis. One thing to remember when you’re doing strength training is that you need 42-72 hours of rest between sessions. Strength training causes micro tears in muscle tissue that need time to heal. The healing process is what builds the muscles.

Cardio is important for heart and pulmonary health.

If you don’t have cardiovascular health, just climbing stairs can be cumbersome and difficult. Cardio burns lots of calories too. When you do cardiovascular exercises, it can boost your spirits, burn off hormones of stress and help you sleep better at night. Good cardiovascular health helps you to workout longer, no matter what type of exercises you’re doing. It boosts circulation sending oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.

What’s better for losing weight?

Cardio burns tons of calories, but the calories come from both fat and muscle tissue. Weight training burns a lot of calories as well, but it builds muscle tissue at the same time. Why is that important? The more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn, since muscle tissue requires more calories to maintain. The more you have, the more calories you burn. Strength training also creates afterburn. It’s not a huge amount, but it all adds up to more weight loss.

Weight training is important for changing your shape. You’ll lose more inches with weight loss. In fact, in some cases, you might not shed a pound, but lose one clothing size. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat.
You can turn any strength training program into a cardio/strength training workout. HIIT, high intensity interval training, sessions can help you do both. Interval training with weights are also helpful.
Not only do you need cardiovascular training and strength training, you need flexibility and balance training. Flexibility training can help prevent muscle injury, back problems and for functional fitness.
Our personal trainers at Urban Athlete Training can create a program designed specifically for your needs. It will include all types of fitness, which includes strength training, cardio, flexibility and balance.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Are Sprouts Better Than Lettuce?

Published by superadmin on June 25, 2022 | Leave a response

We provide nutritional help at Urban Athlete Training in Mt. Airy and often get questions about some of the latest food trends. One of those is using sprouts instead of lettuce for salads. Sprouts aren’t planted, but often grown in containers. They’re the seed that has sprouted after three to five days. Sprouts don’t require a light source and only need water. They don’t require ventilation, either. On the other hand, plants like lettuce use a growing medium. Lettuce requires ventilation and light for ideal growing conditions.

Sprouts can be various types of vegetables.

Since sprouts are simply seeds that are germinated and early plants, there are a number of different types that are available. You can sprout beans and peas, grains, all types of vegetables and seeds we traditionally eat, like sesame seeds and nuts. Mung beans, kamut, beets, broccoli and radishes can be sprouted as well as many other seeds, so there’s a wide variety of choices. The nutritional benefits depend on the type of sprout. As the sprout gets bigger, it offers more nutritional benefits.

You also have a wide selection of lettuce, some of which are more nutritious.

There are many types of lettuce, iceberg lettuce is one of those that’s popular, but not nearly as nutritious as other types of lettuce. Lettuce has a rich history that dates back to Egypt. It had its place in the ancient medicinal reserves. Some better known types, besides Iceberg, are butterhead, Romaine, oakleaf and crisp head. It’s high in vitamin A, C, E, K, omega-3 fatty acids, potassium, magnesium, iron, calcium and zinc. It offers antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Offers neurological benefits to help insomnia, memory, cognitive functioning and even reduce the effects of aging on the brain.

Eating sprouts may have benefits overeating the seed, as you might with beans.

When you sprout beans, the sprouts have more nutrition than the bean. That makes them a great addition to salads. However, the growing conditions required, warm moist areas, are the same conditions that make them ripe for Salmonella and E. coli. If there’s even a bit of bacteria in the seed and on the seed, it can grow to dangerous levels in hours. They must be kept in the refrigerator after purchase to reduce the potential. While there have been bacterial problems with lettuce, most of the problem occurs due to handling and packaging.

Sprouts v lettuce shouldn’t be a problem. You can eat both. While lettuce can make a complete salad, especially if you use a wide variety of greens, it’s harder to make a salad of sprouts and not nearly as satisfying.
One option often missing that is super nutritious are microgreens. Microgreens are grown in a medium like soil or a hydroponic pad. They require ventilation and light. They’re the leaves and stems of baby greens.
Combining baby greens, microgreens, sprouts and lettuce is one option to get variety and a ton of nutrition. Microgreens don’t have the same bacterial problems as sprouts, but also provide more nutrition than their mature counterparts.
Sprouts are superior to their seed counterparts. Bean sprouts compared to bean seeds contain more protein, less antinutrients and are easier to digest.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Do Exercise Balls Help Back Pain?

Published by superadmin on June 10, 2022 | Leave a response

If you’ve ever suffered from back pain, you probably have been directed to exercise for help first. That’s because exercise helps back pain. It increases circulation to help repair muscles faster. It builds muscle tissue and improves posture. It increases fluid exchange in the discs, which is how discs receive nourishment. When discs are healthy, they swell when receiving water and then squeeze it out, leaving the nutrition. Lack of exercise prevents that squeezing motion, diminishes nutrition and increases swelling. There are a number of ways to increase back exercise without causing undo stress. Using exercise balls is one way.

Exercise balls build core strength.

The stomach and back muscles are part of the core. The core keeps your body stable on uneven terrain. Those same stabilizing muscles are strengthened when using an exercise ball. Exercise balls are often called stability balls for that reason. The body adjusts to account for the instability of the ball and builds muscle tissue over time to create a stronger back. They’re also important for building abdominal muscles, which can prevent back problems by strengthening muscles and relieving some of the pressure on the back.

The type of movement caused by exercise ball exercises increases the body’s natural pain relievers.

If you have low back pain, exercise ball exercises provide relief in a number of other ways, besides building muscle tissue and increasing fluid exchange. Those movements can help loosen muscles in a gentle manner to help boost flexibility and range of motion. The improved balance and muscle coordination also helps reduce muscle stress in the lower back, while keeping the spine in neutral position as you exercise.

You can start by sitting on the exercise ball for 30 minutes every day.

If you want to build your core muscles, do it while you’re watching television. Sit on the exercise ball and bounce lightly for approximately 30 minutes, keeping your balance the whole time. You can find the neutral position by slouching your shoulders and rounding your back. Bounce lightly and let your body straighten. It will automatically find the center of gravity to help you stay balanced. Maintaining that center of gravity takes effort, which is what works the core muscles and strengthens the lower back.

You can place an exercise ball between your back and the wall while you’re in standing position and practice lowering your body into a squat. It’s the right way to do lifting and builds good habits.
Do a pelvic tilt on the exercise ball to loosen the muscles of the hip. Sit on the ball and rock forward and back, doing a pelvic tilt. You can also shift your weight from side to side or shift it in a circular motion to loosen muscles.
Simple spine rotation exercises can start by simply holding your arms out in front of you and first moving them to the left and then to the right, keeping the body still. Then add head movement and finally twist.
You can use the exercise ball to do stretching to help relieve the pain of tight muscles. Include the ball in traditional exercises, like a variety of bridge exercises, crunches or lumbar extensions.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Exercises For A Stronger Back

Published by superadmin on May 25, 2022 | Leave a response

Exercises to make your back stronger also define your back and gives you a sexy V-shaped torso, regardless of your gender. Your back is part of your core and making it stronger means improving balance, posture and overall strength. When you exercise back muscles, you’ll burn more calories, since back muscles are large. If you’re constantly working on your abs, but not your back muscles, it creates an imbalance. You need to make both strong to be at your best.

Pull-ups can target larger back muscles.

If you have a chin-up bar, you can build back muscles with one exercise and lots of variations. Pull-ups target larger back muscles, while burning a lot of calories. You can modify your grip to work different muscle groups on various planes. If your palms are facing you and closer together, it’s a chin-up, but if they’re facing away and further apart, it’s a pull-up. Pull-ups work the lats and traps more.

You don’t need any equipment for bodyweight exercises.

Back muscles and abs can be made stronger with superman exercises. Lay on the floor with arms stretched in front of you and legs straight, tops of the feet on the floor. Lift both arms and legs off the floor at the same time, stretching your back as you do. You look like Superman flying. Hold that position then slowly lower your arms and legs back to the floor. Modify the superman by just lifting your upper body, then bringing your arms back to form a W. Return to starting position as you straighten your arms.

A bridge not only helps strengthen your back, it builds your abs as well.

You’ll build lower back muscles and abs with a bridge, but form is important. Lay on your back with your hands near your hips for support, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Raise your bottom off the floor by pushing through your heels and tightening your butt. Lift your hips until it creates a straight line from your hips to your shoulders. Slowly lower your body, keeping your abs tight.

Take a lesson from yoga with the cobra pose. Start face down, hands directly under your shoulders with elbow bent. Inhale lift your chest off the floor, rolling your shoulders back. Hold the position keeping your neck neutral and your gaze forward.
A plank is one option that builds core strength, particularly the abs and the back muscles. Get into push-up position and hold. You can modify it by resting your upper body on your forearms instead of the palms of the hands.
Do jumping jacks but instead of your hands touching at the top, cross your arms both at the top and the bottom. You can even do the jumping jacks without jumping, just do the arm movements.
A personal trainer can help with a number of exercises that use both bodyweight and equipment. Band exercises, like the band row and band pulldown, use resistance bands. These are inexpensive and perfect for a home gym.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Can A Plant-Based Diet Help With Eczema?

Published by superadmin on May 10, 2022 | Leave a response

If you’ve become a member of our family at Urban Athlete in Mt. Airy, you know we approach good health by promoting a healthy lifestyle that includes a nutritional information and regular exercise. Both of these make a big difference in your overall health. Some clients have requested help with eczema and wondered if a plant-based diet could be the solution. Every person is different. There’s no one cure-all or benefit that helps eczema across the board, which is why we suggest you always talk with your health care professional. However, there is some evidence that your diet can play a major role in eczema flare-ups.

What is eczema?

There are a number of different types of eczema. Some cause a rash, some just cause dry or itchy skin. The eczema may be atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, nummular eczema, stasis dermatitis and dyshidrotic eczema. Some common causes of the problem include food sensitivities, leaky gut, nutritional deficiencies, gut microbiome imbalance, stress and environmental and chemical toxins.

If food sensitivities are a problems, wheat and dairy are often the cause.

Some people have problems with both gluten and dairy that cause digestive issues that include gas, bloating and diarrhea. Others show their sensitivity to food with eczema and other symptoms. Food sensitivities may take up to 72 hours to show symptoms and those symptoms may be mild, so they aren’t normally noticed. They continue to build up, causing inflammation until eczema is finally triggered. In addition to dairy and wheat, peanuts, soy, shellfish and seafood can create a problem.

A plant-based diet can address several potential causes.

Not all people get relief from a plant-based diet, but many do. It may be dairy or seafood was the offender in some cases. The plant-based diet may also address nutritional deficiencies that can cause the problem. Disruptions in the gut microbiome can be improved with a plant-based diet. If you have an overgrowth of yeast or lack of beneficial microbes, that can cause inflammation, which can lead to gut infections and leaky gut, both of which have been identified as causes of eczema. A plant-based diet can also help reduce stress, another trigger for eczema.

The National Eczema Association recommends focusing on gut and immune health, which means including foods high in vitamins A, C and D, food high in fiber and foods high in zinc. Fiber and vitamin C are found primarily in plant based diets.
Keeping a food journal may help you identify any food that is causing the problem. Since it may take a day for the reaction, it could cause several months to see the connection. Always take your food diary with you to your health care professional.
While dairy may cause a problem and be the source of many food allergies, one study showed that children who drank more fresh milk tended to have fewer outbreaks with less severe symptoms. Not only does that show how different each individual is, it also may show how age may play a role.
A strict vegetarian diet may actually cause nutritional deficiencies, so it needs to be well planned or use a less stringent regimen that is primarily plant-based, but also allows some animal products.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Does Red Wine Affect Weight Loss?

Published by superadmin on April 25, 2022 | Leave a response

In Mt. Airy, a lot of people have a glass of red wine, a beer or mixed drink after a long day to wind down and relax. One of the most frequent questions I get is whether the alcohol is sabotaging their weight loss efforts and whether it’s unhealthy. Let’s address the second question first. Studies show that a glass of red wine a day may actually be heart healthy. It can help increase the good cholesterol, boost circulation, help reduce stress and help build stronger bones. Red wine is loaded with polyphenols, like resveratrol, which can help you stay younger. It may also help boost your immune system.

With all the health benefits, how can it be bad?

The problem is not whether a glass or two of wine a day can boost health benefits, it’s about whether you consume it in moderation or not. In fact, compared to other alcoholic drinks, wine is pretty healthy. Unfortunately, if you’re dieting, wine still contains calories. Just five to six ounces, one small glass of wine has between 125 to 160 calories. If you’re trying to lose weight, those extra calories can slow the process and make it more difficult. It also has some other effects that can slow weight loss.

The body uses the alcohol in the wine first.

The calories from alcohol aren’t stored but used immediately. The body sees alcohol as a poison so it’s sent to the liver to be converted to a state that’s not lethal. The liver detects it as dangerous and immediately breaks it down to CO2 and water to flush it out of the body, putting it first, before other nutrients. The other calories in your diet are stored as fat and if you’re past menopause, with lower estrogen levels, the enzyme ALDH1A1 causes the excess weight to forma around your midsection, creating belly fat.

The alcohol in the wine slows the process of burning fat.

When your body burns the calories in alcohol, it affects how glycogen works. Glycogen is the hormone that breaks down fat and increases glucose levels. While the body is burning the alcohol, since it does consider it poison, it prevents the liver from performing other tasks, one of which is breaking down fat. With the liver busy, the blood glucose levels drop, leaving you feeling ravenous, which makes you eat more. If you drink less, you’ll eat less, pure and simple.

The alcohol in wine can cause insulin spikes. While wine is lower in alcohol content than other alcoholic beverages, those insulin spikes still make weight loss harder.
When comparing alcohol calories to other macronutrients, alcohol has twice as many calories than protein, more than carbs and at 7 calories per gram, is close to fat, which is 9 calories. However, the body needs fat to survive, it doesn’t need alcohol.
Alcohol has two times the calories for each gram than protein and even more than most carbohydrates. It has 7 calories per gram compared to fat at 9 calories per gram, but fat is necessary for your body to function right, including for weight loss.
Alcohol can lower testosterone levels, which affect the creation of muscle tissue. Since the more muscle tissue you have, the more calories you burn 24/7, that reduce your metabolism.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete

Butt Exercises That Don’t Require Weights

Published by superadmin on April 10, 2022 | Leave a response

Making a good first impression is important. It’s one reason people pay so much attention to their make-up, hair and clothing, but leaving a lasting impression as you leave takes more than that. It takes butt exercises that will make your derriere look its best. If you’re working out at home, having all the equipment you find in the gym isn’t always possible, so finding the best butt exercises that don’t require weights is the solution. Here are a few examples.

It’s bottoms up when you do a bridge.

Some of the best exercises are the oldies, the calisthenics and bodyweight workouts. The bridge is a deceptively simple exercise that will tone your glutes and tighten your core muscles. Just lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your bottom as you lift your hips off the floor, with your body in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Squeeze and lower. For the best results, do high repetitions.

The kneeling squat will give you the booty you wanted.

The kneeling squat is another good glute builder. Kneel down with the tops of your feet and your shins on the floor behind you. Sit on the back of your heels, with your calves and thighs touching. Squeeze your glutes tight and lift your body so it’s at a 90 degree angle to the calves. You’ll be sitting with the front of your calves flat on the floor and erect from knees to the top of your head. Lower your body and repeat.

You can do a kickback anywhere.

All you need is something sturdy for support and you can work on tightening and toning your bottom anywhere. Use the chair or other support for balance and swing one leg behind you, leaving the other straight to support you. Lift the leg as high as you can behind you, making sure your body is perfectly straight and not leaning forward. Hold it in that high position and tighten your bottom as much as you can and hold. Lower your leg, without allowing it to touch the ground and repeat. Doing this exercise can help lift and tone the bottom.

You can modify a plank to give your butt a lift. A plank starts in push-up position but is held. To work the bottom, get in plank position and lift one heel toward the ceiling as you point your toes. Hold and lower, then do the other foot.
Climbing stairs or riding a bike can alternative ways to tighten your bottom. Using a step up platform is one way to do it. If you have a sturdy box at home, just stepping up on it and back down is another way.
Squats are a go-to butt toner. Make sure you keep your back straight and head up. With your feet at hip-width, lower your body, making sure your knees remain behind your toes as you do, like your sitting in a chair. Stand up and repeat. Modify it by modifying your stance, feet wider or closer together.
There are a number of different types of lunges and all will help your derriere. Put one foot three feet ahead of the other and lunge forward until the back knee makes contact with the floor and the front knee is at a right angle. Stand up, step back and do the other side.

For more information, contact us today at Urban Athlete