Alesha's fit tips July 2011

Women on Weights

Women on Weights (WOW) is a topic that causes a lot of debate among those who don’t know a huge amount about exercise. Some women are frightened that they will bulk up as soon as they set foot in the weights room, but the reality is that we girls just don’t have the testosterone that is required to develop muscle to any great degree, so working out with weights just helps us to tone up - which is fine by us, right? So let’s have a look at some other benefits of weight training for women. I’m sure this won’t be of much interest to most of you (-: but weight training is great for weight loss (toned muscle burns more calories). The right weights programme will also help your posture, increase your bone strength (important for combatting osteoporosis as you get older) and help with daily tasks like carrying shopping and lifting the kids.

Motivation: Internal or External?

Experts believe there are basically two types of motivation: extrinsic motivation (from the outside) and intrinsic motivation (from within). If you are extrinsically motivated, thing like money, approval and recognition are important to you. If you are intrinsically motivated the challenge and enjoyment you get from life is what gets you up in the morning. We all lie somewhere along the motivation continuum (and where we are changes with circumstances), but researchers believe that, of the two, intrinsically driven people tend to be the high achievers. Does that mean if you are extrinsically orientated you’re doomed to a life of under-performing? No, you just need to back yourself and care less about the opinions of others. Will you make mistakes? Yes. Does it matter? Only if you don’t learn from them.

Running Into a Brick Wall

Some people stop getting results from their programme because their commitment waivers and they start exercising less hard and less often. Others carry on working out hard and eating the right things and still run into a weight loss barrier. This is called a plateau, and it can be very frustrating. The stalling process happens because our bodies react to what they see as starvation mode (aka our diet) by slowing down our metabolism to match (this is called the adaptation principle). Not very helpful, but there you go. If you have run into a brick wall, now is a good time to change your game plan. Try confusing your physiology, boosting your metabolism and busting through the plateau by mixing up your workout routines and changing your diet - less processed foods is the way to go.

Summer Hydration

As we come into the peak summer months and (hopefully) the weather behaves, hydration becomes an issue for fitness fans. We know that drinking water is important but your kidneys can only process H2O at around a litre an hour, so drinking too much at any one time can make you feel bloated. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink - by that time it’s too late - little and often is good. And what about drinks like coffee? Well, four or five cups of coffee a day may act as a diuretic (you’ll want to pee a lot and therefore you’ll lose fluids) but there is no evidence to suggest that a couple of cups of coffee will have anywhere near the same effect. If caffeine is your thing, go for it in moderation. And finally: It sounds obvious, but avoid fizzy drinks - they’re loaded with sugar and calories.

Eating More Often

Don’t eat between meals - that’s what mum always told us. Strange though it may seem, eating food increases our metabolic rate and, if it’s done properly, that’s a good thing. So how is it that the more we eat, the fatter we get? Shouldn’t it be the other way around? The answer lies in the fact that there is a limit to how much we can eat before the metabolic fire gets overwhelmed and we start pilling on the pounds. So, small frequent meals (and snacks) will keep your metabolism in top gear and help you burn more calories. What you can’t do is eat small meals all day and then blow out with three big meals as well. And, of course if you snack on doughnuts and fizzy drinks that won’t help at all - but you’re smart enough to know that.

Time to Try Yoga?

I don’t know if it’s got something to do with the post-credit crunch desire to get back to our roots or what, but alternative exercise forms like yoga (although yoga is so mainstream nowadays that alternative is probably the wrong word) are very much on the rise. I suspect that most people who have previously been involved with gym-based exercise are quite surprised at how demanding a yoga class can be and how good they feel afterwards. Holding some of the yoga poses (asanas) for any length of time is a pretty demanding test of strength and flexibility but - if you get the breathing right - it’s amazing how mind and body can combine to give you reserves you never thought you had. It’s also surprising how some poses (like the tree) can be both challenging and relaxing (once you’ve got the balance right). Anyway, if you haven’t given yoga a try yet take a beginners class and see if it grabs you - could be the best move you ever made.