Lynbrook | New Hyde Park | NY

Workout

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.

3 Weightlifting Myths: Busted!

Are you getting started on building your new body for the New Year, but hesitant to add in a proper strength training routine? Here are three strength training myths that may ease your mind about picking up some “heavy” weights this winter:

  • Lifting heavy weights will make me bulky: Wrong! Lifting heavy weight won’t make you bulky, eating a lot of calories will though. Heavy is a relative term and depends on the individual; a proper strength training routine will help you develop lean muscle and burn more calories while doing nothing. That’s right, nothing… the more lean muscle you have on your body the higher your metabolism will be. The only way to do this is to lift those weights you may have thought were too much for you.
  • “I don’t want to get too big- just tone”: This is one of the most common things said when referring to strength training or weight lifting. “Tone” is a misused term and when talking about your muscles they can only do one of two things; get bigger or get smaller. When you are “toned” it just means that your muscle is more visible but other than that it is impossible to sculpt yourself any other way. So in actuality, your muscles got bigger and you appear more “toned” because they are more visible.
  • “Low weight, High reps!”: A commonly misused phrase, this gives people a misconception of what they need to be doing and may not be appropriate for everyone. Often this will lead to a very light weight being used in hopes that you can do 30 of them and it will be sufficient. For example, when doing a set of 15 repetitions, you want to choose a weight that is challenging from the start and is quite hard towards rep number 14 & 15. If you can easily get to 15 reps with your weight it may be too light- the last four to five reps should be challenging, yet do-able!

 

By Tyler Palmquist

Staying Motivated Beyond January

The New Year is often thought of as an opportunity to make ourselves better. Many resolutions are made to create healthier lifestyles and create changes. It is important to keep this mentality going throughout the rest of the year- not just during the first month of the year. Here are a few tips to stay on track with your resolutions!

Workout Buddies. Bring a friend along on your morning walks or sign up for the gym together! Having someone with you will not only help keep you accountable, but make exercising more enjoyable.

Find Something You Like. Make your workouts enjoyable by choosing something you like to do! Maybe the treadmill seems dreary, but biking is more enjoyable. Strength training may seem intimidating, but the machine circuit is the perfect challenge.

Rewards. We all have big goals, but it’s important to set small goals along the way. Treat yourself to something that will keep you on the path to success. Splurge on a new pair of workout shoes or buy a fun water bottle when you reach those goals.

Change Takes Time. Remember that changes are not going to occur overnight. Center your attention towards each day and making healthy choices. Habits take time to form just as they are hard to break. It’s important to focus on the small accomplishments along the way!

 

By Louise Mills-Strasser

The Right Mindset for the Holidays

The holidays are quickly approaching and we are thinking about all the delicious food that comes with the holidays. It’s important to set your brain up for success, too! It’s time to establish a game plan for keeping your mind and body healthy is during this time of year.

The clients who are the most successful with staying healthy are the ones that plan in advance. Getting your mind to learn how to think healthy is the first step to getting your whole body to be healthy. Break it down into three steps to establish healthy ways of thinking:

  • Anticipate the day or event where you are going to enjoy eating with the family. Keep up with your workout routine before and continue your healthy eating habits. One day of indulging should not ruin all you have accomplished. If you know a big meal is coming, don’t react to a bad meal and then try to workout because you feel guilty about it. You should be able to enjoy the holidays and stay focused on your goals.
  • Plan what you are going to eat for the week in advance. Put your food in containers for the next few days at a time. This is important because it makes it easier to eat healthy and use portion control. If you take two days of your week for an hour each day to prepare your food, the rest of the week is easy. Hold yourself accountable for your actions- you are the only one that can control what you eat. Do your best to maintain a positive and healthy mindset!
  • Enjoy the holidays with your loved ones! The happier you are, the more you will want to take care of yourself. If you do the first two steps, this last step is easy! Don’t feel guilty about enjoying a cookie or two, but don’t eat the whole tray. Savor the foods you enjoy and eat them slowly. Appreciate the time you get to spend with your loved ones. You know how hard you worked up until this point and you deserve to enjoy the holidays!

A healthy mind set is just thinking about you and your health before you think about quick and easy. The saying goes “nothing worth having comes easy;” with hard work and consistency, you will truly appreciate the goals you achieve vs. having something handed to you.

The holidays are not a hard time to stay healthy if you truly want to be. Hold yourself accountable and be positive about your ability to control what you eat and do. If you exercise through the holidays you will feel so good about yourself and your New Years will be better then ever.

 

-Corynne Pereira, MS, CSCS

 

Fitting Workouts in Between the Holidays

We all know that the upcoming holidays can be quite a hectic and stressful time—dinner parties, family gatherings, cooking, and shopping.  With everything that’s going on, it’s easy to lose focus on your health and fitness goals- what was once a main priority takes a back seat to the holiday season.  Moreover, if you’ve been working towards shaving off a few pounds, these times can be especially difficult in terms of your nutritional intake.  Therefore, we at Peak Performance Fitness decided to provide you all with some helpful tips on how to squeeze some exercise and physical activity in among the chaos that this holiday season might bring, whether you’ve recently begun an exercise program or are maintaining your progress.

  • Set reminders. Whether you use your phone, tablet, computer, or even a pen and paper, setting reminders to exercise may be beneficial while your mind is preoccupied with other events.
  • Write down you goals and how you plan on achieving them. I’m positive that the majority of you already have your fitness goals in mind, but by writing them down and visibly seeing them every day, the goals/ideas become solidified and you are constantly reminded of what you plan on achieving; whether it’s to build strength, lose weight, or become overall healthier and fitter.
  • Prioritize. If you find yourself failing to make it to the fitness center or perform regular activity on a daily basis, it is most likely because you are putting other things ahead of your goals. What will probably help is to sit down alone, and readjust what’s most important to you—making your health and fitness one of your top priorities (which it should be) will help influence you to maintain a regular workout regimen.
  • Make a schedule. Whatever modality you use to organize your life (calendar, phone, planner, etc.), plan out the next few weeks of exercise.  Set a consistent time of the day in which you know you will be available on a weekly basis and designate it for exercise.  Many people are more likely to do something if it becomes a normal part of a daily routine at a regular time.
  • Home Workouts. If time is limited, speak to your exercise physiologist about developing a home-based workout regimen.  For example, modified push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, shoulder presses, curls, lunges, and squats are examples of exercises you can do using minimal or no equipment without even stepping outside of your house.  If your goals are weight-loss or to build up cardiovascular fitness, walking up and down the stairs, using a jump rope, or walking/jogging/bicycling around the neighborhood for a minimum of 20-30 minutes a day will certainly do the trick!

Although it’s easier said than done, do yourself a favor and do whatever it takes to fit regular exercise into your schedule.  Whether you have to wake up an extra hour early before work, or get a workout in before bed, I guarantee you will be thanking yourself after for continuing your exercise program during the busy holiday season.  Just ask yourself this question: “Would I rather not exercise because I am a little extra busy and yield no results, or would I rather give a little extra effort, make time for exercise, and reach my health and fitness goals?”

 

By Anthony Locast

Understanding the Fat Burning Zone v. High Intensity Exercise

The fat burning zone is often referenced, and yes it does exist, but most people don’t understand exactly what this means. This concept is that more fat is burned at a lower intensity of training, roughly 60-70% of your max heart rate vs. a higher intensity of training. This is based off of percentages. If you are training at a lower intensity, burning 50% of calories from fat and at a higher intensity burning 35% of fat, part of the puzzle is missing. This piece shows that at a higher intensity, you burn more calories overall.

High intensity training is not always appropriate for everyone for various reasons. Maybe they are new to exercise, recovering from injuries, previous health conditions, etc. For those people able to incorporate high intensity exercise, interval training is a great way to start. Having both low intensity and high intensity exercises in your exercise program is beneficial for your body. Interval training is when you alternate between at least two activities, changing different rates of speed, degree of effort, etc. Each person has a different level which they are able work at. Finding the target heart rate is a good way to monitor the level of effort.

Beginner: This level would appropriate be anyone new to exercise or recovering from injuries. Starting with lower intensity exercise (roughly 60% heart rate) is a good way to ease your body into a routine. Incorporate higher intensity exercise very little the first 2 weeks. At this level, the higher intensity might only be 70-75% of your heart rate. The intervals will change over time, but an example would be to start with 4 min low intensity, 1 min high intensity and repeat 2-4 times.

Intermediate: This level would be for anyone who has been exercising for a while and ready to step up their program. This interval program would start with a lower intensity (roughly 60% heart rate) and a higher intensity of 80%. Maintain the lower intensity for 2 min and the higher for 1 min. This can be repeated 5 to 10 times.

Advanced: This level would be more for athletes. The interval program would start at lower intensity of 70% and a higher intensity of 90-100% of heart rate max. Maintain 1 min low intensity and 1 min high intensity. This can be repeated 10-15 times. Depending on the type of athlete these ratios will change.

Each person has their own limits and should listen to their body. These are guidelines to interval training, but not the only way to do it. The exercise physiologists at Peak Performance would be happy to set you up with a program right for you.

 

By Corynne Pereira

Workout Tips for Weekend Warriors

The weekend warriors, either we are one or we know of one. These individuals are the ones who participate in strenuous physical activity every once in a while, most commonly on the weekends. Overall this physical activity is good, however; there are some things you should consider before you go all out in a pick up basketball game with your old high school friends.

First of all, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The last thing you want to happen is for your calf to cramp up in the middle of a jump shot. You should be consuming water even hours before and after the game as well. During the game you should continue to hydrate whenever possible. If the sport is strenuous or lasts more than an hour, you may want to have a carbohydrate beverage, such as Gatorade, to help you refuel.

Second, you should eat a sufficient meal before, during, and post workout. Before strenuous exercise you want to have a meal that is moderate in protein and carbohydrates, low in fat, low in fiber 1-2 hours before your workout. If you are participating in a lengthy sport such as soccer you might want to bring some oranges or fruit snacks for health time to help you keep pushing through the game. As for a post workout meal, you are looking to have a meal that is balanced in terms of protein, fats and carbohydrates. Protein is necessary in terms of repairing of the muscle and carbohydrates are necessary to repair muscle glycogen stores.

A dynamic warm-up is also very beneficial for the weekend warrior- you want to avoid injury. This type of warm-up helps you prepare mentally and specifically for the game ahead. A dynamic warm-up also increases your core temperature and increases your heart rate to get you ready to workout. Save the static stretching for after the game.

It is very important to protect your skin, so don’t forget to wear sunscreen! Remember we all have to go back to work on Monday; be safe rather than sorry, but most importantly have fun!

 

By Sally Leahy