Fitness & Wellness

Reasons You Should Start Working Out

Published by superadmin on March 25, 2025 | Leave a response

A lot of attention now focuses on natural ways to stay healthy. Staying healthy and strong are just two reasons you should start working out. Your body needs physical activity. You’ll rust out quicker than you wear out. Exercising builds your energy, even if it tires you initially. There are four types of fitness that exercise provides. These include strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Exercise improves your mood and boosts your self-image.

You’ll look and feel younger when you exercise regularly.

Regular exercise protects your body at the cellular level. It lengthens telomeres that prevent the chromosomes from unraveling. It boosts the creation of stem cells that replace dead or damaged cells. You’ll look younger and feel better when you exercise because it increases circulation and sends more oxygen and nutrient-laden blood to all body parts. That means more nourishment for the muscles, joints, and skin. That glow you have after working out is an indication it’s feeding your skin.

Your cardiovascular health improves when you exercise.

Your heart becomes more efficient after you work out. It causes the creation of nitric oxide in the muscles, which acts as a vasodilator. Vasodilators relax the blood vessels so they widen. That lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. It boosts circulation by 25% and helps maintain the flexibility of blood vessels. Exercise lowers cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. It helps maintain a healthy body weight.

You’ll reduce the risk of diabetes.

Excess weight, lack of exercise, and a poor diet can lead to insulin resistance. When you have high amounts of sugar in your blood, it triggers the release of insulin. Insulin opens the cells of the body so they uptake the glucose in the blood. The more sensitive the cells are to insulin, the less insulin is produced. If you have insulin resistance, the cells don’t respond properly. The glucose remains in the bloodstream, so the cells don’t receive the energy they need. Insulin resistance can lead to metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity.

You’ll have more energy and look thinner when you workout regularly. You may not lose a single pound even though your measurements get smaller. That’s because a cubic inch of muscle tissue weighs more than a cubic inch of fat tissue does.
Besides helping relieve anxiety and depression, exercise also boosts cognitive functioning. It releases BDNF— brain-derived neurotrophic factor that improves brain functioning so you think clearer.
Prevent muscle wasting and bone thinning with exercise. As you age, you lose muscle. You need the muscle to tug on the bone so it uptakes calcium to stay strong. Weight-bearing exercise does that.
Exercise slows aging, improves balance, and helps relieve painful conditions like arthritis. It keeps the joints lubricated, promotes circulation, and boosts healing. It improves your posture and gives you a look of confidence.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How To Perform A Perfect Squat

Published by superadmin on March 15, 2025 | Leave a response

Why should you focus on performing the perfect squat? It can make the difference between improving your fitness or succumbing to injury. Squats are exceptional for improving functional fitness. They work large muscle groups and boost the body’s nitric oxide. Nitric oxide causes blood vessels to widen, lowering blood pressure. They improve stability and functional fitness. That’s vital for seniors. All these benefits are possible only if you execute them correctly. Squats build the same muscles that help you get up out of a chair, so they’re vital for seniors.

Starting in the correct position makes a difference.

Your starting position determines the quality of everything that follows. If it’s not correct, every other movement will be wrong. Your trunk should be in the neutral position with a slight curve in the lower back, your shoulders should be back and relaxed, and your head should be up. Keep your head held straight. Bending it backward or forward diminishes benefits. Only bend at the hip and keep your back straight the entire exercise.

Your foot position determines which muscles you work.

How you place your feet will make a difference. The basic squat starts with your feet at hip-width. Your toes pointed out slightly. There are many variations of the squat. Some variations begin by spreading the feet wider or pointing the toes more outward. Once you master the basic squat, you can transition to other foot positions. As you lower your body in the basic squat, keep your core muscles tight, pulling in your stomach as if trying to press your belly against the spine. When you lower your body, your weight should be on your heels, keeping your knees in line with your toes and not pushing them further out. Lower yourself slowly, hinging at the hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor.

Be aware of common mistakes.

One of the most common errors that block progress is bending the back forward or backward. You must maintain the natural curve while keeping your core perpendicular to the floor. If your core muscles are weak, there’s a tendency to compensate by overarching the back or leaning forward too far. Keep your weight on your heels. If it’s on the balls of the feet, it causes increased stress on the back.

Basic squats work hip flexors, calves, hamstrings, glutes, quads, and adductors in the lower body. It strengthens the core muscles that help you maintain balance.
If your knees move inward as you squat, it may be due to weak thigh muscles. That stresses joints and ligaments and creates the problem. Once you master the basic form, try modifications or add weights.
If you can’t lower yourself far enough so your hips are parallel to the floor, don’t break form to accomplish it. Go down as far as you can. If you can’t do a regular squat, do a modified squat holding onto a countertop or a wall squat.
Keep your core muscles tight as you do squats. They act much like a weight belt and hold everything in place. Perfect your form and strengthen your core muscles before adding weights.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Fitness Gadgets For A Healthy Life

Published by superadmin on March 5, 2025 | Leave a response

You’ll find many new fitness gadgets in popular stores in San Antonio, TX. They are high-tech ways to help you live a healthy life by encouraging exercise, boosting your weight loss efforts, monitoring your vitals, or soothing sore, painful muscles. Unlike other tech innovations where you sit watching a screen, many of these innovations help you maximize your workout or relieve the pain following it.

Smart gym equipment can help you track your progress and improve your workout.

While nobody can replace the attention and help of a personal trainer, many innovations in exercise equipment come close. The training programs of the smart equipment provide programs to follow, realistic sensory feedback, and tracking capabilities. Whether you’re on a smart rowing machine that provides the feeling of rowing in water or experiencing the various vibrations of different road surfaces on a stationary bike, the smart equipment gives you the sensory imagery of the great outdoors. Some track your vitals and progress while you exercise in real-time.

Track your vitals with rings, watches, or a smart scale.

Whether you’re tracking your progress when you run or your body vitals, the new wearable trackers are easy to use. They monitor everything from your blood oxygen level to your sleep. Some have an EKG or ECG app, while others track your body temperature or offer calorie tracking. Smart scales are an alternative to their old-fashioned counterpart that tells you how much you weigh and nothing more. They measure body fat percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, basal metabolism rate, and more. Some even evaluate vascular age and nerve health.

Massage guns have evolved.

Today’s new massage guns far outshine yesteryear’s muscle vibrators of the past. Newer models are even better. They have evolved from the original percussive massaging. Higher-end massage guns have added a massage mode for joints, like wrists and ankles, and hot and cold treatments to improve circulation and reduce inflammation. Some even include breathwork and heart rate exercises. Other fitness gadgets in the recovery area include muscle stimulators and loungers with full-body sounds and vibrations that synchronize with your nervous system.

Smart dumbbells are compact because two dumbbells provide a weight selection of up to twelve. The AI-driven lock-in system adjusts them automatically or allows you to determine it yourself.
Do you want to check your metabolism? There’s a breathalyzer that does it. Breathe into it. It provides information on your metabolism and what to do to improve it.
Water bottles are more than just ways to hold fluid. New water bottles do everything from reminding you to drink more to hydrogenating your water to reduce oxidative stress and slow aging.
Make your clothing the boss. If you’re slouching, a wearable can detect it and remind you to improve your posture. Your socks can also track your step count, pace, foot landings, and more.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How Necessary Are Supplements?

Published by superadmin on February 25, 2025 | Leave a response

Asking whether supplements are necessary for athletes is like asking if antibiotics are. If an athlete needs an antibiotic due to an infection, it is. The same is true of supplementation. Randomly taking nutrients won’t necessarily improve athletic performance. It might even diminish it. Determining what the athlete requires comes from identifying the needs and goals. The needs are determined by looking at health history, blood work, and training data. It also includes looking at the nutrients that improve performance for a specific sport.

Taking a supplement without knowing if you need it is useless and can be dangerous.

How do you know whether you need supplementation? You shouldn’t take any supplement just because a friend recommends it. That friend may have totally different needs than you do, even if he or she is in the same sport. Identifying whether an athlete needs specific nutrients requires a health history and bloodwork. It takes more information than knowing others benefitted from the supplement to ensure it’s right for you.

What do scientific studies say about the need for a specific supplement?

New scientific discoveries occur continuously. As science progresses, they can identify the effects a nutrient has on the body more clearly through research and studies. While the bloodwork and health history may indicate an athlete may have adequate nutrition for the average person, it may not be enough to enhance their energy, accelerate their recovery, and boost endurance. Personalizing the supplementation based on the amount necessary for the activity and the athlete’s health profile can determine if it’s a waste of money or a true benefit.

Start with nutrients from dietary sources.

It starts with a well-balanced diet created specifically for the athlete’s needs. The diet is personalized to ensure it contains all the nutrients necessary for superior performance. That decision is determined by more than just the type of sport played. The position played also makes a difference. Each position on a team does something different, creating varying demands on the body and specific needs.

Some athletes require a weight loss plan that takes a special balance of diet and supplementation. The diet needs to reduce excess weight and still provide all the necessary nutrients. Supplementation can help.
It’s possible to take excess amounts of certain supplements, such as fat-soluble vitamins. It can be dangerous for the athlete. Protein is necessary, but too much protein can cause a strain on the kidneys, dehydration, or digestive issues.
Supplementation and anti-inflammatory foods can reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery. It can help athletes function at peak performance more quickly.
A complete plan may include supplementation but should be designed specifically for each athlete. A customized plan prevents the potential for over supplementation and ensures the necessary nutrients are available.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness, Nutrition, Supplements

Can Certain Foods Help Me Sleep Better?

Published by superadmin on February 15, 2025 | Leave a response

The food you eat and when you eat it can make a difference in the quality of your sleep and how quickly you fall asleep. There’s a lot of controversy about whether you should eat before bedtime or stop eating hours before you lay down. There are different points of view on this topic. Some people can’t sleep without eating something, while others get digestive issues and interrupted sleep if it’s too close to bedtime.

Who should have a late-night snack, and who shouldn’t?

If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid eating within three hours of bedtime. When you lay down, it encourages reflux action. Eating a heavy meal right before bed is discouraged no matter what the situation. It interferes with your circadian rhythm. If the meal is too much or too fatty, it can leave you feeling full and miserable and make it hard to get or stay asleep, which interrupts or prevents sleep. Some people need a small snack before bedtime to get to sleep. It’s instinctive from a time when early man would starve if he didn’t keep hunting for food.

The Thanksgiving turkey is known to put people to sleep.

Turkey contains tryptophan. It’s an amino acid that promotes sleepiness. It’s in more than turkey. Seafood, beef, other poultry, and pork contain it too. Tryptophan converts to serotonin and melatonin. Melatonin helps you sleep by triggering your internal signals that tell your body that you’re tired. Serotonin can help with insomnia. Almonds and walnuts are high in melatonin. They’re also high in magnesium. Magnesium improves sleep quality.

Fatty fish is a good source of omega-3.

Fatty fish like salmon or tuna are also sources of vitamin D. Both vitamin D and omega-3 are important for fighting inflammation and increasing the body’s production of serotonin. Avoid alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine before bedtime since they’re all stimulants. Eating a hard-boiled egg or a handful of nuts can help you fall asleep more quickly.

There are hundreds of things that can keep you up at night and almost as many ways to conquer it. Poor sleep hygiene is one of the causes. You can counteract it by creating a sleep schedule and sticking with it.
Drinking a cup of chamomile tea can help you relax if you’re having problems sleeping. A cup of warm milk can also help. The calcium and tryptophan in milk can help lower your stress levels. A cup of cherry juice can also help.
Increasing your potassium level can help you sleep sounder. Eating a banana will do that. Eating a kiwi an hour before bedtime can also help you get better sleep. It contains serotonin.
Try turning off all electrical appliances with a screen or that give off light. The room should be dark when you sleep. While you might fall asleep watching Netflix, you won’t get quality sleep. Keep the room cooler for the best sleep.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Exercise, Fitness & Wellness, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Why Nutrition Is So Important For Athletes

Published by superadmin on February 5, 2025 | Leave a response

No two people are exactly alike, especially when it comes to nutrition. Athletes’ requirements differ from those of people who live a more sedentary lifestyle. Because of the energy expended, their body may need more calories. They may require more protein, healthy fat, and carbs to recover from demanding training. There is no one-size-fits-all dietary plan for any group of people, especially athletes. Their sport, body, and goals are a few factors that make a difference.

Sports nutrition plays a vital role in athletic success.

Athletes need more than just physical training to do their best. They need extra energy for training and competition. Training pushes the body and makes micro tears in the muscle. Recovery heals those tears to make muscles stronger and larger. Inadequate recovery time can diminish strength and muscle development. The right nutrition can speed recovery to enhance performance, reduce the potential of injury, and improve stamina and endurance.

The right balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates plays a big role.

The average person requires approximately 45 to 65% of their calories from carbohydrates, 10 to 35% from protein, and 20 to 35% from healthy fats. The specific balance for each person considers many factors. Age, activity level, gender, and weight are a few. With athletes, even more factors are part of the equation. For instance, endurance athletes need more calories from carbohydrates than other athletes. The athlete must adjust the macronutrient balance based on the ultimate goal.

It takes more than just protein to achieve peak performance.

Most athletes believe that simply boosting their protein intake is the only thing necessary to build more muscle or improve their performance. While it may be true for athletes involved in sports requiring strength, it doesn’t determine the exact amount or identify the micronutrients necessary for improved performance. It doesn’t account for the carb or fat requirements either. Healthy fat is essential for many bodily functions. The amount varies based on the type of training and weight loss goals.

Adequate hydration plays an essential role in an athlete’s performance. When athletes sweat, they lose both fluid and electrolytes. Hydration requires fluids that meet their electrolyte and hydration needs.
Achieving the correct blend of nutrition can help the athlete attain peak performance and allow them to push their bodies to the limit for longer periods.
Some athletes need to boost performance, build muscle, and lose weight. Achieving the perfect body composition to compete in their sport requires a careful balance.
Timing meals and snacks is vital for the best performance. Eating a meal or snack too early can diminish the benefit. Eating it too late can cause digestive issues.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Staying Positive Matters

Published by superadmin on January 25, 2025 | Leave a response

You see it frequently: people who sabotage their success with negative thoughts. If you want to achieve anything, staying positive is necessary for success. As a child, you may have heard the story of the little engine that could. It kept repeating, “I think I can.” when it attempted the goal of pulling the stranded train over the mountain after larger engines refused. It’s usually the first book on positive thinking that people read. If you’re facing a challenging goal, believing in yourself enough to start is the first step.

Often procrastinators don’t have that belief, so they put off starting.

When you believe you can achieve something, you don’t put off doing it. It’s the tough things people say they’ll do tomorrow. You can change your attitude and push yourself to start. If it’s hard to do, you’ve taken the first step. Schedule an appointment with the gym and treat it like any other appointment. Use a personal trainer or an exercise buddy to increase the potential you’ll be there. When you know you’re meeting someone, you’re more apt to go.

Some people never even consider trying because of negative vibes.

Everyone knows somebody who feels sorry for themselves but won’t do anything to change their situation. Maybe that someone is you. If you don’t think you can accomplish something because you’ve failed previously, use that failure to your advantage. Identify why it didn’t work and find a way to avoid that problem. You’re only a failure if you don’t try.

Listen to your self-talk.

When you listen to that voice in your head, ask yourself, “Would I want to be friends with another person if they said those things to me?” Most of the time, the answer is no. If you’re constantly telling yourself you’re a failure, you’re not providing friendly support. Every time you hear yourself mentally say something negative, replace that thought with three positive things. Be like the Engine that Could and keep repeating those positive phrases until they become internalized.

As noted before, having a workout buddy can bring benefits, but be careful who you choose. Don’t work out with anyone negative or not supportive. Identify people or things that make you feel discouraged and avoid them.
If you have a setback, like eating four desserts, don’t get mad or give up. Know you can do better and get back to work on your goals.
There’s a mind-body connection. Your thoughts can affect your health. Your health affects your attitude. Positivity helps break down any roadblocks that stand between you and your goals.
Focus on your “why.” Write down the reason you want to achieve your goal. Elaborate on it and put emotion into it. Reread your reasons several times a day. When you firmly state your desires, it improves motivation.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How To Set Reasonable Weekly Fitness Goals

Published by superadmin on January 5, 2025 | Leave a response

The start of a new year is always when people in San Antonio, TX, work on resolutions. They can be anything. Often, they are about improving fitness. Some are impressively challenging. Others seem easy to obtain. It doesn’t matter the goal or its immensity it is. It’s all about achieving it. One way to make it easier, regardless of difficulty, is to break the goal into smaller weekly goals. Weekly goals allow you to experience success quickly. That builds motivation and ensures future wins.

Big goals are inspiring, at least for a while.

If you have a big goal, it’s exciting, but those goals take a long time to come to fruition. It doesn’t mean you don’t set them. Do it in smaller bites. If you want to lose 30 pounds, decide how much you can lose each week. It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose a pound. Reducing your calorie intake and increasing your calorie output could create a deficit of 500 calories daily. That would cause you to lose a pound a week. A weekly goal of losing a pound weekly for 30 weeks would be an achievable plan.

Don’t overdo it, or you could fail.

Trying to reach your goal too quickly can put the goal and your health in jeopardy. If you’ve never exercised in your life or at least for several years, don’t overdo it. You need to learn proper exercise form and start slowly. If lifting the remote is the hardest task you’ve done recently, don’t try to lift barbells that weigh as much as you do. The chances of getting injured are great. That can set you back for months.

Weekly goals give you a deadline.

If you’re only focused on big goals and have a deadline but don’t have any monitoring in between, you may not start in time to achieve your goal healthily. Everyone’s had something to do that they knew about for months but failed to start until the last minute. Sometimes, it works out, but most of the time, it doesn’t, especially for fitness. Weekly goals keep you constantly focused. They motivate you to take action.

If you’re creating weekly goals, you need a method to measure your achievement. Your measurement tool should match your reason for the goal, like a scale and blood pressure readings when your goal is weight loss to lower your blood pressure.
Tracking your goals is also important. If you want to get fit to look better, take a selfie of yourself in something that clings to your body. Take them once a month. It’s easier to see the changes when you look at your starting photo.
If you have a workout buddy whose fitness level differs from yours, don’t compare yourself to your friend. Everyone needs to exercise at their own pace. Just focus on yourself and achieving your goals.
Before you start any exercise program or diet, check with your healthcare professional. Don’t give up if you have a setback. Fitness doesn’t improve in a straight line upward. Our trainers can help you get back on track.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

How To Start Working Out For Beginners

Published by superadmin on December 15, 2024 | Leave a response

People have varied reasons to start working out. Some want to look more attractive. Others want to have the energy to keep up with their children. A health scare is another reason beginners often start. Novices frequently make crucial mistakes when they first begin. Those errors can set them back for months or even cause them to quit. Here are a few of those and ways to avoid them.

Don’t pull a Rambo when you start.

It happens all too often. Someone who never did anything more athletic than run to the kitchen for more snacks suddenly thinks they can compete with seasoned athletes. Put away your ego and take it easy. You may be able to push harder the first day, but you’ll pay for it for the week afterward. Start slowly. Don’t overdo it initially, or you’ll be too sore to do anything for a week. There will be plenty of time to push yourself later as you get fitter.

Focus on your form.

Sure, you want to do 100 squats or lift that extra ten pounds, but your form may suffer. The correct form is vital no matter how fit you are. Doing an exercise wrong diminishes the benefits and may cause injury. It’s even more important when you’re doing weight training. If you push too hard and try to lift too heavy, it magnifies the problems with your form and causes muscle strain and tears. Use a trainer, friend, or exercise in front of a mirror to ensure your form is correct.

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down.

A few minutes of warm-up exercises prepare both the muscles used and your cardiovascular system to exercise. Warm-up exercises should be dynamic stretches that mimic many of the movements you’ll do during your session. If you’re running, do calf stretches, pace, or jog. Lower body warm-ups can include jumping jacks and leg swings. Cool-down exercises help boost recovery and prevent blood from pooling in the extremities. One example is slowing your pace when running and walking for a few minutes.

When doing strength training, rest the muscles for 48-72 hours between sessions. That doesn’t mean you stay at home on the couch. You can work other muscles or do recovery workouts.
Make sure your workout program includes all types of fitness. It should have cardio, strength, flexibility, and balance exercises. To be truly fit, you need all four.
Track your workouts. Winners keep score. You can identify where you’re progressing and whether the exercises you’re using are helping. Track the progress toward your goal. If it’s to lose weight, track your weight.
Always check with your healthcare professional first before starting any exercise program. If they give you the okay, create attainable goals and an outline of how you’ll achieve them.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness

Is Cooking With An Air Fryer Healthy?

Published by superadmin on December 5, 2024 | Leave a response

If you’re like many people in San Antonio, TX, you probably have an air fryer in your kitchen, either as a stand-alone or part of a combination oven. There’s a reason for the popularity of air fryers. It offers that crisp fried exterior and a similar fried food taste without the excess oil. That occurs due to a reaction within the food when it’s heated. You don’t use bottles of vegetable oil or have a massive clean-up afterward. It only takes a tablespoon of oil. Does it make food more healthy? Or are we fooling ourselves?

How does frying affect the food?

Fried food uses a lot of oil, but there’s always a lot left in the deep-fryer. Most people save that oil to reuse it the next time. It requires straining the oil to remove particles and ensure quality and safety. You don’t have that problem with the air fryer. You only use a small amount, leaving nothing to process after cooking. Air frying also reduces the potential of absorbing the oil. Some manufacturers claim air-fryers reduce the oil absorbed by 75% compared to deep-fried food. It didn’t affect the color or moisture content of the food either.

Less oil means fewer calories.

The more calories you eat, the more potential you have to gain weight. If you’re reducing the oil by eating air-fried food rather than deep-fried, you could cut your calories by as much as 80%. You also reduce the potential of a compound forming called acrylamide. The EPA—Environmental Protection Agency—says it’s a carcinogen. Air-frying food instead of deep-frying can lower the content of acrylamide by up to 90%.

Don’t be fooled.

Using an air fryer is not the total answer to a healthy diet. Just because it’s not as bad as deep-fried food, it doesn’t mean you should eat it daily. Your body needs vegetables and other healthy options. Give yourself a treat occasionally with air-fried food. Add plenty of salads and vegetable sides to your meal. Use the air-fryer to make rotisserie chicken rather than focus on breaded frozen mozzarella sticks or tater tots. It’s one more way to improve your diet, but not the whole answer.

You’ll save time in the kitchen when you use the air-fryer. You don’t have to preheat the oven to air-fry a small amount. There’s no messy clean-up, either. You save calories, time, and energy.
Air frying uses lower temperatures and shorter cooking time. Deep frying food increases the potential for the oil to undergo oxidation. That creates free radicals, which damage cells and cause health problems.
You can’t cook all types of food in air-fryers, nor would you want to do it. You can get creative and use the air-fryer to make healthier versions of food, like sweet potato fries or Mediterranean vegetables.
You can save money by using air-fryers to make grocery store rotisserie chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with Lawry’s seasoning salt or make a copycat version for more savings. It’s quick and delicious.

For more information, contact us today at Iron Fit San Antonio

Posted in Fitness & Wellness