How can alcohol intake inhibit weight loss when it contains no fat? First of all overall calorie intake is a very important consideration for weight loss – alcohol contains 7 calories per gram. A glass of Red or White wine contains around 100 calories, Champagne around 130 calories, Regular Beer 140 calories, Gin & Tonic 175 calories and Whiskey Sour around 200 calories, and a Long Island Ice Tea 400 calories!!
Aside from the fact that alcohol adds to your overall calorie intake, how else does it affect your ability to lose weight? The human body uses different sources of energy depending on what is available. This energy comes from Alcohol (acetate), Carbohydrate (glucose), Fat, Protein – and in that order. When alcohol is consumed, the liver converts it into Acetate, which is then released into the blood stream and then tops the list of energy sources your body is drawing from. Therefore, while your body is busy burning alcohol, it is NOT burning carbohydrates or fat which results in storage of this energy, hence the extra weight. Alcohol intake also increases your appetite, and can lead to consuming more food which can equal more calories.
Of course there are other negative effects that go along with alcohol consumption. Alcohol is a diuretic, this means that it causes water loss and dehydration and along with this, loss of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and zinc which are responsible for fluid balance, chemical reactions and muscle contraction and relaxation. Good quality sleep is harder to achieve after a few drinks – while alcohol can help induce sleep, it is not a very deep sleep and lack of restful sleep has it’s own set of health issues.
So, how do we manage alcohol intake? Well, for some, it can mean cutting it out altogether, but mostly, cutting down will be helpful! If you drink to relax – I do find a nice glass of red very relaxing – then try some other methods of relaxation such as going for a walk (always works for me), reading or listening to music – or, just make sure you keep it to ONE glass! Aim for a minimum of 3 alcohol free days/nights per week and on the days you allow alcohol, keep it to a minimum AND include extra exercise to account for the extra calories you are consuming (remember, energy in vs energy out).
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Pole Dancing for Fun and Fitness!
Pole Dancing has well and truly hit the fitness scene, and though it's already been here for a while, it certainly hasn't hit it's peak with more and more studios opening up in Sydney and indeed worldwide.
I have been involved in the craze for the last four years, as a student and a teacher and am thrilled to watch this sport grow and grow in popularity. And yes, it is a sport, with National and World Championships to prove it!
Having said that, for most of us, we are there for fun and fitness rather than the hope of becoming a World Champion! So what exactly is it that makes this form of exercise so popular? I guess it begins with the lure of wanting to try something you have never done before. Once you have started, your progress is easily measurable. Each lesson you're learning new moves and tricks, all the while developing your strength and fleixibility. At Bobbi's Pole Studio, each class works on a routine that they can perform at the end of term, which is where you realise, just 8 weeks ago, you weren't able to do anything at all, now you can do a whole routine complete with pole tricks! And then you're ready to start going upside down! Most people are hooked by this point...
Of course, everyone will develop and progress at a different pace, and that is fine, the point is, everyone is getting somewhere.
Then there is the body image side of things. With pole dancing, lots of moves, particularly as you're becoming more advanced, require bare skin to grip onto the pole. This is why you might notice that women who are performing or participating in pole dancing lessons can be scantily clad! In my experience, the beginners group start in shorts and t-shirts and are as covered as they possibly can be - and then they move on to Intermediate 1 and it's amazing that first week of the new class, how much the amount or size of the clothing can reduce! And this is twofold I would suggest, in that a) the ladies have accepted that in order to progress, they need to bare more skin for better grip and a well and truly prepared to do that, and b) everyone is feeling much more comfortable after 8 weeks of being in a studio with women of all ages, shapes and sizes cutting around in not much more that their underwear - and that's awesome! That's not to say that nobody feels self conscious, or doesn't compare themselves to others - as women, we're almost always wanting to have something we don't, and worrying about what we do have etc. (thats a topic for another post), but it's not enough to stop you from shedding a few layers of clothing and that rocks!
So, we're looking at increased strength, flexibility, grace and poise, and confidence, and there are the phisical changes too - there are plenty of toned abs and arms walking around that pole studio, which often coincides with the further advanced levels (but you don't have to be super advance to achieve this at all).
My experience is only at Bobbi's Pole Studio, but there are many other studios out there now, each with their own approach to Pole Dancing which is fantastic. You might like a more sensual side to it, or you might prefer a more contemporary dance style, or just plain fitness, or a combination of everything. And that is the true beauty of Pole Dancing - it really is open to interpretation, even within the one studio. You can find your own style, bring it out, and enjoy it, while getting all the other benefits at the same time.
Of course, I'm a big fan of traditional gym based training, but if you're looking to give something extra a try, checkout http://www.bobbispolestudio.com.au/ they have classes at Miranda and in the City (Sydney). Bobbis Pole studio also operates in Peth, Singapore and Malaysia.
I have been involved in the craze for the last four years, as a student and a teacher and am thrilled to watch this sport grow and grow in popularity. And yes, it is a sport, with National and World Championships to prove it!
Having said that, for most of us, we are there for fun and fitness rather than the hope of becoming a World Champion! So what exactly is it that makes this form of exercise so popular? I guess it begins with the lure of wanting to try something you have never done before. Once you have started, your progress is easily measurable. Each lesson you're learning new moves and tricks, all the while developing your strength and fleixibility. At Bobbi's Pole Studio, each class works on a routine that they can perform at the end of term, which is where you realise, just 8 weeks ago, you weren't able to do anything at all, now you can do a whole routine complete with pole tricks! And then you're ready to start going upside down! Most people are hooked by this point...
Of course, everyone will develop and progress at a different pace, and that is fine, the point is, everyone is getting somewhere.
Then there is the body image side of things. With pole dancing, lots of moves, particularly as you're becoming more advanced, require bare skin to grip onto the pole. This is why you might notice that women who are performing or participating in pole dancing lessons can be scantily clad! In my experience, the beginners group start in shorts and t-shirts and are as covered as they possibly can be - and then they move on to Intermediate 1 and it's amazing that first week of the new class, how much the amount or size of the clothing can reduce! And this is twofold I would suggest, in that a) the ladies have accepted that in order to progress, they need to bare more skin for better grip and a well and truly prepared to do that, and b) everyone is feeling much more comfortable after 8 weeks of being in a studio with women of all ages, shapes and sizes cutting around in not much more that their underwear - and that's awesome! That's not to say that nobody feels self conscious, or doesn't compare themselves to others - as women, we're almost always wanting to have something we don't, and worrying about what we do have etc. (thats a topic for another post), but it's not enough to stop you from shedding a few layers of clothing and that rocks!
So, we're looking at increased strength, flexibility, grace and poise, and confidence, and there are the phisical changes too - there are plenty of toned abs and arms walking around that pole studio, which often coincides with the further advanced levels (but you don't have to be super advance to achieve this at all).
My experience is only at Bobbi's Pole Studio, but there are many other studios out there now, each with their own approach to Pole Dancing which is fantastic. You might like a more sensual side to it, or you might prefer a more contemporary dance style, or just plain fitness, or a combination of everything. And that is the true beauty of Pole Dancing - it really is open to interpretation, even within the one studio. You can find your own style, bring it out, and enjoy it, while getting all the other benefits at the same time.
Of course, I'm a big fan of traditional gym based training, but if you're looking to give something extra a try, checkout http://www.bobbispolestudio.com.au/ they have classes at Miranda and in the City (Sydney). Bobbis Pole studio also operates in Peth, Singapore and Malaysia.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
What's with all the Squats?
For those of you that train with me, you will be used to some form of squat exercise in most, if not all of your workouts. So why do we do them, and why all the focus on correct technique?
Firstly, for many of us, the glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus - or the muscles that make up your backside) are underactive, fairly week muscles. This is a lifestyle issue - too much sitting, be it at your desk, or driving etc, has seen us switch off the glutes for the most part of the day. When it comes to tasks that require glute function, it is common for other muscle groups to kick in to compensate for weakness of those muscles.
Glutes are not the only muscle group recruited during a squat exercise, you will also use the front of the thighs - quads (though with good technique, the glutes should be doing more of the work), abdominals and core stabilisers in the back, hamstrings (back of thighs), calf muscles, and hip flexors.
With this amount of muscle recruitment for one exercise comes; greater calorie burning, increased heart rate, strength in the lower back and midsection, muscle gain (also important for continued burning of calories even at rest), increased flexibility of lower body (particulary with full range squats) and of course, toning of the butt and thigh muscles (woohoo!).
Poor execution of squats, espescially when weights are added, can cause upsests with the back and in particular, the knees if you allow it to be a quad dominated movement. Though, as mentioned above, good technique can strengthen the back and can also help prevent, improve, or eliminate problems with knee injuries.
Here is a little test for you, when you stand up out of your seat or off the lounge, are you using your arms to push you up, twisting and wriggling to stand up or leaning very far forward? If you are, it would suggest that your glutes aren't funcioning well. If you're not doing any of these things, and find that you stand up straight out of your chair, with both feet planted on the floor, and maybe even notice a little tension through your glutes - good for you! Your squats are really paying off!
So every time you perform squats, be it with me as I continue to repeat 'let your hips stick out behind you and push through your heels', or in a group fitness class, or in your own training time, just remember all the benefits this one exercise can have - and all the things that could go wrong if you're not doing them.
Firstly, for many of us, the glutes (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimus - or the muscles that make up your backside) are underactive, fairly week muscles. This is a lifestyle issue - too much sitting, be it at your desk, or driving etc, has seen us switch off the glutes for the most part of the day. When it comes to tasks that require glute function, it is common for other muscle groups to kick in to compensate for weakness of those muscles.
Glutes are not the only muscle group recruited during a squat exercise, you will also use the front of the thighs - quads (though with good technique, the glutes should be doing more of the work), abdominals and core stabilisers in the back, hamstrings (back of thighs), calf muscles, and hip flexors.
With this amount of muscle recruitment for one exercise comes; greater calorie burning, increased heart rate, strength in the lower back and midsection, muscle gain (also important for continued burning of calories even at rest), increased flexibility of lower body (particulary with full range squats) and of course, toning of the butt and thigh muscles (woohoo!).
Poor execution of squats, espescially when weights are added, can cause upsests with the back and in particular, the knees if you allow it to be a quad dominated movement. Though, as mentioned above, good technique can strengthen the back and can also help prevent, improve, or eliminate problems with knee injuries.
Here is a little test for you, when you stand up out of your seat or off the lounge, are you using your arms to push you up, twisting and wriggling to stand up or leaning very far forward? If you are, it would suggest that your glutes aren't funcioning well. If you're not doing any of these things, and find that you stand up straight out of your chair, with both feet planted on the floor, and maybe even notice a little tension through your glutes - good for you! Your squats are really paying off!
So every time you perform squats, be it with me as I continue to repeat 'let your hips stick out behind you and push through your heels', or in a group fitness class, or in your own training time, just remember all the benefits this one exercise can have - and all the things that could go wrong if you're not doing them.
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