5 TIPS FOR A WASHBOARD STOMACH

Maintaining a strong core helps to improve fitness in many ways. It benefits athlete’s overall performance, giving athletes a strong performance, more control of body movements as well as preventing injury and protecting your back.

For everyday purposes, having a strong core will improve posture, which will make you look and feel taller – making you feel like a million bucks!

To have that washboard stomach you’ve always dreamt of, here’s a few tips to help you on the way:

Eat Smaller, Regular Meals Throughout the Day:

Eating small portions, six times a day will help increase your metabolism and help you burn off unwanted excess fat. In order to get that ripped abdomen look, losing fat will help in achieving this. Say “NO” to sweets, chocolate and other foods full of sugar and carbohydrates. Fat burning foods such as oats, lean meats and nuts should be included in your meals during the day.

Green Tea Helps in Fat Loss:

Foods which increase metabolism should be taken to burn fat. Research has shown caffeine and green tea are good ways to assist in fat loss. Try some green tea to help see that chiselled stomach! J

Increase Your Cardio Workout:

Exercise such as running, cycling or swimming will increase metabolism and burn off fat quicker. Try to include 30-60 minutes of cardio 5 days a week to help promote fat loss from the abdomen region.

Rest is needed too!

Research has shown that doing sit ups and other abdominal exercises everyday might not be as beneficial as you might think. After exercise, the body needs to recover so that muscle fibres can grow. You will see more improvement by doing a core workout every second day.

                   

                       

Don’t just do Ab Curls!

Strengthening both the lower back and abdominals will get the best results. Including lower back strengthening will help to improve posture and prevent and injuries in the future.

                                               

Here’s an example of a Core Workout…

Ab Curl                 15 reps x 3 sets

Oblique Curl          15 reps x 3 sets

Plank                     Hold for 45 seconds x 2 sets

Side Plank              Hold for 30 seconds each side x 2 sets

Bicycle Crunches    15 reps x 2 sets

Leg Raises              15 reps x 2 sets

Back extents 15 reps x 3 sets

After some hard work and perseverance, you will resemble these two:

Follow these tips and you will be able to look in the mirror and say “WOW”. No more worries about not having that beach body, keep a routine of these tips and you’ll be confident in flaunting those abs!

Stefanie Beausang

Fitness Instructor

IS MY BOYFRIEND MAKING ME FAT?

While there’s no denying that those early days in a relationship are a wonderful time. The rest of the world fades into the background while you’re completely wrapped up in your little love bubble. While this time is fantastic and probably the best part of being in a relationship it does have its downfalls. There’s no woman over the age of 25 that has not at some point fallen victim to the dreaded “boyfriend belly”.

We girls are forces to be reckoned with when we’re single; we can work, cook, and hit the gym three times a week and dance off 1000 calories on a Friday night. But all too often when we start a relationship we slowly let go of our gym time, our dancing with the girls or healthy shopping and cooking until one day we realize we’ve gained ten pounds in less than a year.

Would you say any of the following are true of your relationship?

a)    You match your man portion for portion

b)    Your own dinner plate has doubled since you started going out.

c)     You haven’t had a salad in months.

d)    You order in take-away once a week.

e)    You stopped going to the gym in favour of chilling with your other half.

f)      You have given up on your girl’s nights out in favour of going out with other couples.

g)    You and your man eat out regularly.

h)    You feel comfortable enough with your boyfriend to relax your fitness and diet regime.

i)      Dressing up and looking good doesn’t seem as important as it used to.

j)      You are surgically attached to your comfy pants.

k)    Somehow you have acquired a junk cupboard stuffed to the brim with biscuits crisps and snickers bars where your treat cupboard containing some go ahead biscuits used to be.

If you agree with any of these points you may have fallen victim to the “boyfriend belly”, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Your boyfriend may also be feeling the effects of your love fest. Read on for some handy tips on reclaiming you post boyfriend body:

Go for a long walk:

Go for a long walk together somewhere scenic and quiet, walking is great exercise and you still get to indulge in time alone together and maybe even a little hand holding.

Team up:

If your partner is also after putting on a few unwanted pounds then you can agree to get fit and healthy together, or even make a competition out of it bet who’s going to lose 3 lbs first. Betting on who has to do chores can be a real motivator, show me a man who wouldn’t rather run a mile than clean the bathroom. Make a commitment together by taking advantage of our great rate for couples membership at only €220 for 3 months full use of our gym, pool, sauna and steamroom.

Watch your portions:

We could talk all day about what a terrible injustice nature has bestowed upon women in terms of lean body mass. That is to say men are larger and leaner than us, they can eat more than us as their bodies burn calories faster and more efficiently than ours. While it is terribly unfair it is True. Matching your partner bite for bite is the worst thing we can do. Men have higher energy requirements and need more food than you do. Remember to stop eating when you are full and yes that does mean his plate will be piled higher than yours, in some cases much higher.

Saying “I love you”

Men tend to use props when it comes to communicating their feelings for you. So when your man does something hugely irresponsible or insensitive he will use chocolate and plenty of it in his apology. Similarly when it comes to birthdays, anniversaries and valentines they will use Milk Trays and Lily O’ Brien to show their undying love. This is the ultimate relationship fat trap. Avoid it altogether by letting your other half know you prefer flowers to chocolate.

Say goodbye to decadence

Everything about dating in the early days seems to revolve around massive calorie consumption. Three course meals at dimly lit Italian restaurants, trips to the cinema where its impossible to resist the temptation of popcorn and of course going with a man it’s inevitable you’ll walk away from the counter with a jumbo deal. Now that your settled into a loving a comfortable relationship why not swap the three course meals for trying out new recipes together at home, you can always replicate the romance and intimacy of dinner out with a few candles and a tablecloth. Try more active forms of dating such as bowling or cycling and a picnic.

The comfort zone

In every relationship it’s only a matter of time before you reach the comfort zone, that is when you don’t have to wake twenty minutes before himself to reapply your make-up or when he arrives at your door unexpectedly and your wearing an oversized tracksuit and sporting a hair-do that looked like is was done by the make-up artist of Scary Movie. But, how long before the comfort zone becomes uncomfortable. It’s great to be able to look a bit scrappy in front of your man but none of us can really say it’s a confidence boost to find we can’t do the top button of our jeans. Even though there may be no need to impress our partners with our great physiques and tiny dresses, we still need to feel comfortable and confident in our clothes.

Reclaim your girl time

Now that it’s all going right for you and life is great don’t forget about the girls that got you there. We can tend to be lazy when it comes to prioritizing friend time when were in relationships. Get back out with the girls, go dancing, walking, jogging or sweating it out in the gym together.

So if you have fallen victim to the “boyfriend belly” take comfort in the fact that you are not alone and let us help you to get back on the road to health and fitness!

Terry Corkery

Fitness Instructor

ACL INJURY PREVENTION

Interesting Facts about Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries and Prevention

Knee ligament injuries often result in a premature end to a career in sports. Generally, a complete rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) can be operational. Post op rehabilitation has been successful in allowing full recovery from this limiting injury. Some interesting facts and prevention methods can be seen below.

Risk of an ACL injury is reported to be higher among women than men. What are possible reasons for this?

• Male and female anatomies are completely different from each other. Those wide “child bearing hips” which females have is one possible factor.

Another factor is that females have biomechanical differences when performing knee movements such as pivoting, jumping and landing – activities which can lead to ACL injuries. Female’s wide pelvic bones are a contributing trend to this.

                       

• The stigma attached with females carrying out resistance activities can prevent women from receiving the best preventative methods for ACL injury. Many people are under the impression hat if women do weight training, they will become more masculine and share a similar resemblance to Popeye! However, this is not the case. Women do not produce enough testosterone to cause this. While males grow muscle mass substantially through resistance training, females tend to have more tone and definition after lifting weights.

What can be done to prevent this injury for both males and females?

Warm Up:
When participating in sporting activities, a good warm up targeting knee joints and hip flexion is vital. Including movements such as high knees, heel flicks, side skipping, lunges etc, allow the joints to warm up and muscles become more flexible, improving range of movement.

Stretching:
Stretching everyday is also a preventing factor. Stretching the main muscle groups such as quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, the back and putting particular attention to hip flexors can help prevent ACL injury. Carrying out these stretches three times a day and stretching muscles for 30 seconds to 1 minute is recommended.

                       

Resistance Training:
Resistance training is also quite important in prevention. By including walking lunges, leg curls, one leg squats, abductor and adductor raises; one can help prevent serious injury.

Agility & Plyometric Training:
Agility and plyometric training should also be included. Shuttle runs, diagonal runs, scissors jumps and one legged hops are quite beneficial in strengthening muscles and improving speed. When carrying out these exercises, ensure to spring off the balls of your feet and land on the balls of your feet in a controlled movement to help improve balance and stabilize joints.

                                          

Cool Down after Exercise:
Cool down stretching post exercise is vitally important. Paying particular attention to stretching hip flexors, glutes and lower back muscles to loosen anything tight post exercise is proven to reduce injury risk.

So my recommendation to you all is to stop believing old myths about masculine females, stretch everyday and take note of exercises which can help prevent the unfortunately common ACL injury before you might be at risk yourself!

If you have any questions or queries about prevention or rehabilitation of ACL injuries, call into the Fernhill Leisure Centre for a chat with one of our fully qualified fitness instructors. We don’t bite!! J

Stefanie Beausang

Fitness Instructor

5 FAT LOSS TIPS

1) Fasted Exercise

Go for a 30 minute walk/run/cycle/swim before breakfast, as research has shown that exercising in a fasted state (usually possible only before breakfast), coaxes the body to burn a greater percentage of fat for fuel during vigorous exercise.

2) Hydration

Your body is made up of about 60% water. All of your body’s cells are full of water, and they are only able to repair, grow, and communicate with each other properly when you are well hydrated. Drinking more water will help your concentration, improve your performance and speed up your fat loss. When you wake in the morning you can be quite de-hydrated, as you lose water through sweat and water vapour in your breath. Start your day off with a pint of water first thing in the morning and you will be feeling and looking great in no time. You should be aiming for 2-3 litres of water intake in total during the day, with an extra 500mls per 30 minutes of training. An easy trick is to spread this out over the day by setting your watch to “sig” function (lots of watches have this function), where the watch will beep on the hour every hour to remind you to drink a glass of water.

3) High Protein Breakfast

A healthy breakfast containing protein and healthy fats, e.g. a quick vegetable ommelette:

2 organic eggs

1 cup spinach

mushrooms

spring onions

tomato

olive oil

can boost your metabolism by as much as 30% for 12 hours after the meal. Postprandial thermogenesis (your body heating up in response to digesting a meal) is increased 100% on a high protein diet compared to a high carbohydrate diet. Ideally save your carbohydrates (bread/rice/pasta/potatoes etc.) for after exercise, when they will be used to re-fuel your muscles and not be stored as fat.

4) Resistance Training

Resistance training, in the form of resistance machines, free weights, bodyweight training or kettlebells (with proper form) will also help to burn fat and strengthen your muscles, giving you a leaner, more toned look. Resistance training can also be used to correct postural imbalances and reduce your chance of becoming injured, keeping you on track towards your goals.

5) Healthy Fats

Healthy fats in the diet can actually help to burn fat. Don’t believe all of the anti-fat marketing out there, as many companies would have you believe that all fats are bad. While you should limit the amount of bad fats (trans fats and saturated fats) in margarine, hydrogenated vegetable oil, fast food etc, you should aim to get more good fats (mono and polyunsaturated) like avocados, olive oil, flax seeds, nuts etc. Omega 3 fish oils can also improve the rate of fat burning (oxidation) in your body, as well as helping to reduce joint pain, improving circulation and may contribute to a lowered risk of heart disease.

Wrap-Up 

String these 5 tips together as part of a personalised fitness and nutrition plan and you can expect around one pound (lb) of healthy, safe weight loss per week of your programme, or more depending on your starting point. Call in to Fernhill Leisure Centre and let our experienced, fully qualified fitness instructors tailor a fitness and nutrition plan to suit your goals.

Our 3 month membership is only €119 for full use of our facilities including cardio gym, resistance suite, pool, steamroom and sauna.

Or call in as a casual gym user for €5 pool, €8 gym, €8 for both.

Talk to you soon,

Barry Vaughan BSc CSCS IAWLA

EAT YOUR BEANS BOY!

Too rushed to prepare a healthy meal?

Fast Food doesn’t have to mean unhealthy or fattening!

Beans on wholemeal toast is a healthy, satisfying, nutritious meal and only takes five minutes to make!

The humble baked bean is packed with protein, fibre, iron and calcium. It is also a low GI carbohydrate which means it releases energy slowly and will keep you feeling full for longer, compared to high GI foods like white bread or sugary cereals.

Not sold yet?

The tomato sauce in your typical tin of baked beans is a source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant which research has shown can help prevent heart disease and prostrate cancer.

Still not sold?

Baked beans contain insoluble fibre which is not digested in the stomach. This insoluble fibre moves down to the large intestine where bacteria act on it to produce short chain fatty acids.

These fatty acids are thought to nourish the lining of the large intestine (colon) and protect it from carcenogenics (cancer causing) invaders.

And the icing on the cake?

Beans are cheap, quick and easy to make.

So stick on the toaster and pop open a can.

SWEAT & SMILE !

Great news, exercise can make you happy!

Endorphins are more than just a buzzword to sell chocolate, and there is a more waist friendly way to release them …… moderate exercise.

Endorphins are defined as a hormone like substance that are produced in the brain and whose function is to act as the body’s natural painkillers.

During exercise, these endorphins are released and this brings on feelings of intense happiness and produces a state of general wellbeing. Runners often describe a feeling of euphoria while they are running, known as “runners’ high”.

Studies have shown that endorphins produced from vigorous exercise can actually be strong enough to mask pain!

Researchers have also found that people suffering from mild depression recover more rapidly if they are physically active. When people say their going for a walk to “clear their head”, that is in fact what happens. A simple 30 minute walk will trigger the brain to release endorphins in to the body. Add to this the boost in the feel good hormone serotonin and vitamin D when you exercise outside in the sunshine.

Physical activity is also strongly linked with good mental health as people age.

So what kind of exercise do you need to do?

Running, jogging, walking, aerobics, skipping, cycling ……………..anything at all that gets so heart rate up.

So stick your runners on and start smiling!

Terry Corkery

Fitness Instructor

10 DO'S & DONT''S OF WEIGHT LOSS

1.   Do limit added fats: limit added fats to 4 tsp per day, this includes cooking oils, spread , butter, marinades and salad dressings.

2.   Do watch your portions: sit down and take your time with your meals, chew slowly and thoroughly. Eat until you are full, not stuffed.

3.   Do go low GI: choose low GI carbohydrates such as wholemeal breads/pasta/rice, oats, sweet potatoes and pulses to avoid bloating and keep you feeling fuller for longer.

 

4.   Do stay hydrated: Aim to drink at least two litres of water per day, add an extra litre for every hour of exercise you do, 250 ml per 15 mins.

5.   Do little and often: Aim to eat six times a day, three main meals and two to three small snacks such as dried fruit, nuts or probiotic yoghurt.

6.   Don’t add sugar or salt: Adding salt or sugar to your food will make you sluggish, dehydrated and bloated.

7.   Don’t give up: Don’t let one bad day ruin weeks of hard work. If you have a bad day, forget it and move forward, add an extra 15 minutes to your next workout.

8.    Don’t skip meals: always keep a healthy snack on you. Skipping meals or snack will end with you reaching for sugary or fatty snacks on the go.

9.   Do pile on the veg: Eating more vegetables with your meals will fill you for longer as well as loading up vitamins and minerals.

10.  Don’t eat more than 2 pieces of fruit per day: Fruits are made up of simple sugars and can be high in calories.