Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

Fitness

Staying Accountable For Your Resolutions

Consistency with your exercise regimen is of the utmost importance in order to achieve your desired fitness goals.  Having a trainer is a great way to stay responsible with your health and fitness because it ensures that you schedule regular exercise sessions throughout the week.  However, without a trainer you are solely responsible to keep up with regular visits to the fitness center, which may prove to be harder than it seems due to other obligations such as work and family.

One technique that may help stay accountable is to designate a regular time in which you put aside strictly for exercise.  This could be in the morning before work, or at night as your day winds down.  However, planning to exercise at night leaves more of a chance to come up with excuses to miss the gym, and on top of that we have less energy in the evening/night versus the morning.

Another strategy could be to set a goal for how many days you wish to exercise (ideally a minimum of three days a week) and then make a checklist.  Keep that checklist somewhere you will see every day to ensure you meet your weekly goal.

If for some reason due to lack of time you are unable to make it to the facility, have your trainer design a home workout for you for convenience.  Having exercise equipment at home, such as a treadmill, bike, dumbbells, and/or resistance bands will certainly help keep you accountable—or even if you walk or jog around the neighborhood for at least 30 minutes.

 

By Anthony Locast

Recipe of the Week: Three Bean Barley Soup

Prep Time: 30 m
Cook Time: 2 h 15 m

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large stalk celery, diced
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 9 cups water
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • ½ cup pearl barley
  • ? cup dried black beans
  • ? cup dried great northern beans
  • ? cup dried kidney beans
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add water, broth, barley, black beans, great northern beans, kidney beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring to a lively simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, 1¾ to 2½ hours (adding more water, ½ cup at a time, if necessary or desired).
  1. Slow-Cooker Variation: Use 2 cups water (instead of 9 cups) and combine all ingredients in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook until the beans are tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low.

 

Original recipe can be found here!

 

Recipe of the Week: Zucchini Frittata

Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 35 mins
Start to Finish: 35 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup diced zucchini, (1 small)
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup slivered fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup slivered fresh basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • Freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese, (2 ounces

Directions

  1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and onion; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is tender, but not mushy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, mint, basil, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper; increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring, until the moisture has evaporated, 30 to 60 seconds.
  2. Whisk eggs, the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and a grinding of pepper in a large bowl until blended. Add the zucchini mixture and cheese; stir to combine.
  3. Preheat the broiler.
  4. Wipe out the pan and brush it with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil; place over medium-low heat. Add the frittata mixture and cook, without stirring, until the bottom is light golden, 2 to 4 minutes. As it cooks, lift the edges and tilt the pan so uncooked egg will flow to the edges.
  5. Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the frittata is set and the top is golden, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Loosen the edges and slide onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: 376 calories, 28g fat, 10g carbohydrates,  21g protein

 

Original recipe can be found here!

Simple Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Cardio Session

“Cardio” is a great way to burn calories and keep your heart healthy. It could be as simple as walking on the treadmill for 30-60 minutes. However, if you’re just going through the motions, you could be wasting your time. Here are some tips to make sure you are getting the most out of your cardio exercise!

Yes, it is true that the longer you stay on cardio machine, the more calories you may burn. However, you can burn more calories in a shorter period of time by simply increasing your intensity. Whether it be increasing the resistance on a stationary bike/elliptical, or increasing the speed or incline on a treadmill.

The “fat burn zone” of cardio is said to be at about 60-65% of one’s estimated max heart rate. At this intensity, 40% of your calories burned will be from fat. This is a fairly low level of intensity and would have to be maintained to for a much longer period of time in order to have a substantial benefit. When you increase your intensity to 75-85% of max heart rate, only 25-30% of your calories burned will be from fat. However, because more work is being done you will burn more total calories and consequently more calories from fat.

Along with changing the intensity, try changing the type of cardio you do once in a while. The human body is great at adapting, and once it is acclimated the same form of cardio may not exhibit the same training effect. If you usually walk on the treadmill, try the bike, elliptical, arc-trainer, stair stepper, rowing, swimming… Try them all!

Finally, it is very important that you eat! Starving yourself before can deprive you of the energy needed to complete a cardio session and starving yourself after will hinder your ability to recover from your workout. In the long run, “starvation” will negatively affect your exercise goals by decreasing muscle and retaining fat.

On other hand, you must make sure you do not eat too much! Just because the elliptical says you burned 400 calories doesn’t mean you’ve earned yourself a 400 calorie meal. Firstly, the machines can only estimate calories so that number may not be 100% accurate. Secondly, weight loss comes down to energy in vs. energy out. So in order to lose weight, you must eat less calories than you’ve burned.

 

By Dave McCalla

Getting a New Start in the New Year

Some people subscribe to the “New Year, New Me!” But, this mindset can happen on any day of the year if you want to make the change; whenever you are ready, all that matters is that you’re doing it to better yourself!

For someone just beginning an exercise program, remember everyone was new at one point. Don’t be embarrassed by being unsure of how to use equipment or not knowing how to do an exercise properly. Try your best to not be over whelmed by the new experience. Here are some tips for starting an exercise program:

  • Ask questions – Ask the staff anything you are unsure of. We are here to help and make you feel comfortable. Ask any of the exercise physiologists and they would be happy to show you how to use the machines or do an exercise properly.
  • Start off small – Keep it as simple as getting to the gym 3 days a week. It is better to be consistent over several days v. coming in one day and over doing it. If only attend one day and over do it, you are asking to get injured.
  • Learn a little at a time – Learn 3 exercises or machines and master them. From there keep adding 2-3 exercises after you master the original ones. Keep adding exercises to your routine and you will soon feel comfortable in the gym; each new exercise you learn will be easier.

These are simple steps to get started in the gym and to feel comfortable doing it. The Exercise Physiologists here at Peak Performance are always here to help and teach you valuable information that you will help improve your health for years to come!

 

By Corynne Periera

Member Spotlight: Kelly’s Fitness Journey

We love to highlight the success of our members! We asked several members what helped them make the decision to join a gym. Keep reading to learn about Kelly’s fitness journey.

Why did you decide to join Peak Performance? What was your “A-ha!” moment?

Throughout my life I have struggled to feel comfortable in my skin. I’ve dealt with confidence and self esteem issues, and have consistently tried to change and better myself to live a happier and healthier life. Through this process, I had been a member of 4 gyms before I found Peak. Each time I would join a gym, I would start off totally motivated and would go every day consistently for a couple weeks, and then slowly but surely I would fade back into old habits and lose my motivation; I’m sure most people who have tried more than once to lose weight know exactly how that feels. Each time I canceled a membership I would be disappointed in myself and discouraged that I would never lose the weight and achieve my goals. When I found Peak Performance, I was scared that the same thing was going to happen, but I could tell this place was different. There weren’t any “juice heads” or people that cause “gymtimidation.” I felt comfortable and welcome, even on my first day.

What made you decide to continue at Peak?

When I first started working with my trainer Louise, I quickly realized how she wasn’t just working through her shift and doing her job, she genuinely cared about my progress and health. She pushed and continues to push me hard and I am constantly breaking through my own personal boundaries and conquering things I never thought I would ever attempt. Having someone invested in your journey makes it that much easier to succeed. After a period of time, I realized that I had been an active member of a gym for longer than I ever had in the past, and that victory alone motivated me to keep going. I’ve now been with Louise and Peak for a little over a year and have lost a considerable amount of weight, but more importantly I have gained my health, self confidence and self esteem. I am in the best place I have ever been and I owe it all to Peak!

-Kelly L.

Peak Performance is Better than the Average Commercial Gym

We talk about Peak Performance Fitness being different from your normal health club or gym. But what really makes it better? Check out our list of what makes Peak unique!

turf cardio

  1. Guided and Personalized Workouts.  Unlike commercial gyms, the exercise physiologists at Peak Performance create exercise prescriptions for you, based off of your fitness goals as well as any orthopedic and medical conditions. These exercise programs are updated regularly to progress the individual along their fitness journey.
  2. Safety First. While you are working out there are always fitness professionals watching to make sure you are doing exercises correctly. Also if you have any questions at all, exercise physiologists are always available to help.
  3. Never Wait. There is never a wait to use machines Peak Performance, we always have cardio and strength machines available at any time of the day!
  4. Specialized Equipment. Most commercial gyms do not have a turf, sleds, an Olympic weight lifting station, TRX or specialized physical therapy equipment. At Peak Performance we go out of our way to make sure all individuals have the right equipment whether you are an athlete or physical therapy patient trying to start up an exercise program again.
  5. Comfortable Setting. The setting at Peak Performance has a family-like atmosphere. Everyone is always friendly, cheering you on and looking out for each other. There is also no pressure if you are a novice to exercise and there are no grunting “meatheads” to scare you away.
  6. Specialized Programs. Here at Peak we have many specialty programs such as sports specific training for individuals and teams. We also have different weight loss programs to help you achieve you ultimate fitness goals!

Sun Safety for Outdoor Fitness

When heading outdoors this spring and summer, don’t forget your sunscreen! Going for a walk, doing yard work, and playing with grandkids in the yard all leave your skin exposed. Read our tips to keep your skin protected during your outdoor fitness adventures!

1. Anything greater than SPF 50 provides the same protection. An SPF of 100 will block 99.00% of UV light and SPF 50 provides 98%.

2. You need to reapply every 2 hours. When the UV light hits the sunscreen, it breaks down the ingredients, therefore losing its effectiveness. It is especially important if you are sweating or swimming to reapply.

3. Don’t wait until your skin is exposed to the sun to apply. Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before you go into the sun, allowing the skin time to absorb it. Before you head out on a walk or to garden, make sure it has soaked in.

4. Makeup and moisturizers do not count for sunscreen. Some of these moisturizers have a minimal amount of sunscreen in them therefore it is necessary to put sunscreen on as well.

5. Use Broad Spectrum Sunscreen. When buying a sunscreen it is necessary to get the broad-spectrum sunscreen. Broad Spectrum Sunscreen protects from ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays, both which can cause cancer.