Fitness at B-BP Patch, Fitness Facts and a Great Way to Start

Hi all, this is my first post here at Bayport-Blue Point's Patch site. Some of you already know me from training at at Corey Beach, and some have read my newsletters in the past. I'm looking forward to writing and helping our community become fit, and trim. It's not always as hard as it seems.

We have so much information that we're bombarded with on a daily basis concerning fitness and weight loss. Most are impractical and some are downright silly. Too many of us are waiting for the magic pill and in the mean time; we're doing nothing about it.

Quick fact for you all. Currently, 68% of American's are overweight or obese. Over 34% are considered obese. By 2015, 75% of us are in that category. Stop looking at everyone else and thinking, "Well, I'm not as heavy as so and so". Instead of us looking at everyone around us, we need to look at our BMI and Body Fat. The BMI is accurate. Many argue it. "Oh, but to be that weight, I'd be too skinny". No, you'd be where you're supposed to be. And yes, I understand weight is a very touchy subject and most of us gained weight or got out of shape over the course of a few years...it creeped up on us.

Anyone can lose weight. Less than 3% of us have a legitimate health issue that makes us gain weight. Here's another fact. 95% of those with Type II Diabetes could have prevented it by eating properly, and exercising. We're in an epidemic that we're passing along to our kids and future generations. I've trained well over 5000 sessions at Fitness By the Bay, and I've seen real results when people follow the plan. It's an amazing thing to see people go off of medications for type II diabetes, or fit into new clothes or do things with their kids they never thought they could.

Ok, but the good news is this...Everyone can get in shape and lose weight. I'm going to show you something you can do that you can start today to get you on the right path. But first, there are three things you'll need to do to be successful and losing weight and getting fit.

• Resistance Training
• Cardio
• Diet (not A DIET...but proper diet)

You'll also need to be consistent and persistent. I have clients who followed this, and have lost significant weight and just as importantly, Body Fat! Too many people think the more you do, the better off you are. If all you do is  cardio and classes, your weight may be lower, but your body fat will be higher. All that cardio without proper diet will burn your muscle up. You'll look heavier than you actually are, so make sure you incorporate those three things above into your plan.

Now, here's your new start...something you can start today. Without equipment...just good sneaks and the WANT to lose weight and get into shape. Any person at any fitness level can do it, and should do it.

Interval  Training.

Interval training is varying your heart rate at different intervals. I'll give you a quick idea of how to do it in a second. Here's a quick analogy for you. Your body is like a car. When you drive at 55 mph on the expressway, you burn less fuel than when you drive around town. Around town, you stop, go, go up, go down. Calories are your fuel! Run or walk at a steady pace and you burn less calories than if you walked, then ran, or jogged, then ran, or even walked, then power walked.

So vary your speed and heart rate. Varying your speed will build muscle in your legs. Anyone that's a runner will benefit as well, as it helps with endurance, speed and leg strength. More muscle in your body, the more your body burns calories at rest. It raises your metabolism.

Ok so here's a quick idea of how it works. You'll only need to do 20 - 30 minutes, 3 times a week. It doesn't matter how far you go, going farther isn't better.

- Walk or jog for 2 minutes at a pace that gets your heart rate up just a little bit.

- After 2 minutes, walk faster or run for 30 seconds to get your heart rate up high (so you can say 3 or 4 words, not so high that you can't speak, and not so low that you can carry on a full conversation.)

- Then go back to a slower walk or run. Let your heart rate come down a bit...should take approximately 2 minutes.

- Go back to that fast walk or run for another 30 seconds.

Keep this going for the full 20 - 30 minutes. If it's too much, start with 10 - 15 minutes.

Your metabolism will be raised for up to 48 hours afterwards. Do it 3 times a week. After two weeks you'll see how much more endurance you'll have, and how much harder it is for you to actually get your heart rate up. That's when you change it, make it more difficult. If you walk, then it might be time for a light jog to get your heart rate up.

The greatest treadmill is the road right outside of your door! Use it!

As always, before you start ANY exercise program or plan, check with your doctor to make sure your in good enough health to do so. This is about being healthy and losing weight and getting fit. So let's stay that way and do things the right way.

That's it for today. I'll be back with more. Hopefully, our community can become and example of fitness and what can be accomplished by making small but meaningful changes.