Get Your Rest!

Rest is vital to a healthy lifestyle! It is a frequently ignored aspect of both everyday life as well as an effective workout regimen.

It is important to get your sleep. Studies show that you need anywhere from 6-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. It is generally genetically predetermined how much you need. However, the correct amount of sleep will make you more energetic, more alert, and better able to utilize your memory and creative thought processes.

When it comes to exercise, rest in a variety of ways is vital. It is important that you always plan for at least one full day of rest per week. Muscles need time to heal, and to grow. Without at least one day of rest to rebound, they will eventually begin to break down and exercise will become more of a chore, and it will even become counter-productive. Second, within any healthy program designed to reach goals, plan for at least one unplanned rest period. This should cover sickness, unplanned work or family obligations, or anything that makes exercise impossible. With this planned into your program, these unplanned breaks will not ruin your program!

Finally, rest between sets during a workout is as important as any other aspect of the session. Your body uses a completely different system to complete an anaerobic (basically weight lifting) workout than the system that is used for everyday tasks, aerobics, jogging, etc… This system is designed for maximum energy output in short bursts, generally no longer than 30-40 seconds. This system then needs to recharge to be properly used. Depending on the type of workout, a break of anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes is necessary. Without this rest period, not only will your workouts and your results suffer, but you put you body at risk for injury.

Comments

• 
  

• Tip of the Month

  January 2012

  Smart Starbucks and Steakhouse Choices

  Starbucks Choices
  • Peppermint Choc Mocha- 520cals, 20g fat
  • Pumpkin Frappuccino- 420cals, 13g fat
  • Flavored Latte- 360clas, 16g fat
  • Latte- 220cals, 15g fat
  • Coffee w/cream and sugar 180 calories
  • Cappuccino- 120cals, 4g fat
  • Coffee w/sugar 90 calories
  • Coffee w/cream 90 calories
  • Coffee w/whole milk 60 calories
  • Coffee w/skim milk 30-50 calories

  Order a coffee with cream and sugar every work day?  Add 900 calories per week to your diet.  That is over 13 pounds in one year.

  Enjoy a cappuccino every day instead, and you save 300 calories per week, and cut 4 pounds per year from the above diet.

  Go to coffee with skim milk and Splenda?  Now you are only adding 250 calories per week, and under 4 pounds per year in coffee weight.

  Enjoy a flavored frappucino or latte once per week?  That could add up to 26,000 calories, and another 7.5 pounds per year.

  Just your coffee could account for 20 pounds of caloric intake annually!

  Steakhouse Choices
  • Caesars Salad- 800cals
  • Chopped Salad, 320cals
  • Spinach Salad, 170cals click here for more »

  click here to read past tips

• Recipe of the Month

  January 2012

  Drink alcohol a little more wisely!

  Drink Choices
  • Eggnog, 350cals
  • White Russian, 260cals
  • Riesling, 160-200cals
  • Shot of liquor, 70-125cals
  • Tonic or Soda, 100cals
  • Winter Beer, 150-200cals
  • Beer, 150cals
  • Bloody Mary, 130cals
  • Wine, 120cals
  • Light Beer, 55-85cals
  • Champagne, 85cals
  Enjoy a small glass of eggnog and two gin and tonics, and you have drank 750 worthless calories.
  Or, start with some champagne, and enjoy two glasses of wine and you only have drank 330 calories, less than half of your first choices.