Fitness & Wellness

Whether you need your cup of coffee in the morning to get you started or have an energy drink before you workout at Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, a little caffeine can be helpful. A little caffeine isn’t bad, but when you ingest too much, it can have consequences. Just how much is too much caffeine? Is one cup of coffee okay, but two cups too much? Is one can of energy drink enough to increase your energy, yet two cans push you over the line, creating the jitters? When do you say enough is enough?

How much caffeine is safe?

Most people can consume as much as 400 milligrams of caffeine a day without facing side effects. How much is 400 milligrams? In terms of coffee, it’s about four cups of brewed coffee. If you’re drinking energy drinks, it’s approximately one 16 ounce energy drink, two energy shots or ten cans of cola. Since it varies, you need to check the label to see how much each one contains. More dangerous than those drinks is straight caffeine, either in pill or liquid form. It only takes one teaspoon of powdered caffeine to equal the amount in 28 cups of coffee.

Some people shouldn’t consume even an average amount of caffeine.

If you have children, keep the caffeinated drinks away from them. Excessive caffeine can easily be consumed with very little intake. Pregnant or lactating women should cut caffeine intake in half, ingesting less than 200 mg a day. For people who are sensitive to the effects of caffeine, even a small intake can cause side effects.

The effects caffeine can vary.

Caffeine is a stimulant. When you drink something that contains caffeine or take caffeine powder or pills, it absorbs into the bloodstream and goes to the brain where it blocks the neurotransmitter adenosine. That causes an increase in dopamine and norepinephrine, which boosts the firing of neurons. For most people, a little caffeine can improve the functioning of some areas of the brain. It can also cause the body to burn more fat, plus improve athletic performance.

You may think caffeine is only contained in soft drinks, energy drinks and coffee, but chocolate also contains caffeine. Dark chocolate coated coffee beans contain 336 mg of caffeine for 28 pieces.

• There are other health benefits from food and drink with caffeine. Coffee has nutrients that reduce the risk of diabetes, plus vitamins and minerals. Green and to a lesser extent black tea and dark chocolate also have health benefits.
• Too much caffeine can cause heart palpitations, tachycardia, headaches, irritability, muscle tremors, frequent urination or loss of control, panic attacks and insomnia.
• Caffeine is addictive and dizziness, nausea, brain fog and a headache may be part of the withdrawal. If you take an OTC pain reliever like ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin, it helps relieve the pain, but extends the withdrawal time, since they contain caffeine, too.
• In order to avoid the effects of too much caffeine, stay hydrated. Drinking more water can lower the risk of losing too much fluid from the increased urination.

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

If you want to de-stress and get invigorated, Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, the perfect place to come. Exercise earlier in the day can also help you sleep better at night. However, no two people are the same. Some people find that daily exercise isn’t enough to overcome chronic insomnia, even though it helps a bit. For them, I suggest some bedtime yoga to bring sleep more quickly.

Try yoga stretches to help relax your body, so sleep comes quicker.

If you’re like many people, small aches and pains can keep you awake and so can those problems faced throughout the day. One way to help with the body aches is through stretching. When you use yoga stretches, it combines the stretch with a focus on deep breathing which is a form of meditation. It can help calm the brain, as it relaxes the body. Breathing techniques are quite specific. Breathe in through your nose slowly to the count of five, hold for a count of five and breathe out for a count of five. Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and slowly bend your body over your legs as you exhale, attempting to grab your toes. You can do the same yoga move standing, exhaling as you bend your body and dangle your arms. Hold and inhale as you rise.

Tension is often held in the neck and spine.

Desk work is a killer when it comes to posture and ultimately neck and back tension. Combine breathing focus and the same pattern of inhaling for five, holding and exhaling as you did before, but this time, do a cat/cow pose. The cat part is the act of rounding your back and pushing it toward the ceiling as you inhale through your nose, holding and exhaling as you move to the cow pose, lifting your head and tailbone, dropping your belly to form a U. Hold and move back to cat position.

Make sure you don’t have a sleep disorder that requires medical attention.

There’s a lot of problems with sleep from not being able to get to sleep to not being able to stay asleep or getting poor quality sleep. Some of these problems come from stress and daily problems, while other problems with sleep come from physical problems, like sleep apnea. Make sure you don’t have a physical problem by first consulting your health care professional. Sometimes problems like sleep apnea can be relieved with weight loss and the right treatment.

• To get rid of nighttime neck and back tension, a child pose is perfect. Sit on your calves with shins touching the ground and knees bent. Breathe in deeply through the nose and hold. As you exhale, fold your body forward, bending at the hips until the front of your body is on your thighs.
• Not all your poses are difficult. Sometimes just rolling your head, as you stretch your neck can help. Make sure you have good posture as you do that, keeping your shoulders back.
• Get in bed and prepare to fall asleep after you do a happy baby pose. Lay on your back and lift your knees as you bend at the hips and push your feet toward the ceiling. Grab the big toe on each foot and pull it as though you’re trying to put your knees in your armpits. Do the breathing technique and rock side to side as you do to help you relax.
• Speak with your personal trainer about exercises that can help you sleep better at night or suggestions to help you. Sometimes, a vigorous workout too late in the day can be too stimulating and the solution is to exercise earlier.

For more information, contact us today at IronFit San Antonio

When I talk to people at Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas, sometimes they question how well they’re workout is helping them with weight loss or praise the workout for helping them shed pounds. Then I find they’ve weighed themselves in the morning and after their workout to make that judgement. You can’t get an adequate read on your progress by weighing yourself every hour. For some, it can be counterproductive weighing every day. So how often should you weigh yourself?

If you get discouraged easily, weighing once a day may not be for you.

Your body goes through a number of changes every day, some are more permanent than others are. For example, if you just drank a ton of water and weighed yourself, you’d probably weigh more than you would if you didn’t. Sometimes, water retention that can occur for a day or two, can make a big difference if you’re hoping to shed that last few pounds. Water retention can cause you to weigh more for a short time and then disappear. It can be quite depressing to see, but isn’t because you’ve done something wrong. The reverse is also true. You can get a false picture if you weigh less after you’ve binged on food the previous day. It’s a negative reinforcement.

Another study countered that belief.

There are a lot of different studies with a lot of different results. Another study involving obese people had just the opposite result. The study lasted two years and showed that weighing more often actually helped the obese lose weight and reinforced new eating habits. It aided them in modifying their eating habits and preventing them from getting out of control.

It all depends on you and your personality.

While you won’t get an accurate picture in the short run, over the long term, no matter how often you weigh yourself, you’ll see the results. If you love tracking your progress, then by all means weigh in frequently, but just remember, your body weight fluctuates throughout the day and changes may not be permanent or show your real progress. Form your conclusions based on the difference in weight over a week’s time. You can use the information to chart your progress and include it in a weight loss diary.

• If you weigh in daily, make sure you do it at the same time every day. Most people find that the first thing in the morning is a good idea, before they eat breakfast.
• You don’t have to judge your progress simply by how much you weigh, use your clothing as your guide. Pick an outfit that’s tight and put it on once a month. If it’s looser the next month, you made progress.
• Sometimes you can lose inches instead of weight. Muscle weighs more per cubic inch than fat weighs. One pound of fat fills a container that’s larger than one pound of muscle. If you’re working out and building muscle, you may not have shed a pound, but lost inches and made progress to a better you.
• Weighing in is still important. It can help you identify plateauing. Plateauing occurs for several reasons, one of those reasons indicates you need to vary your workout. Your body burns fewer calories the longer it does the same workout, since it becomes more efficient at it.

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

What is belly fat? It’s that extra tire around your middle that you can’t seem to shake no matter what you do. There’s a reason. It’s visceral fat, fat in your abdominal cavity that wraps around your organs. Unlike subcutaneous fat that’s right under the skin, it’s harder to lose. One of the causes of belly fat is high-fructose corn syrup. It’s in many types of food, since it’s cheap. Belly fat produces inflammation and can cause plaque. There’s even a link to Alzheimer’s. Getting rid of belly fat means doing more than just a few sit-ups, it means making lifestyle changes.

Start by changing your diet.

Eating healthier makes a difference, cutting out high sugar items, refined flour, processed meats and fast foods is a start. Some people start by giving up sugary soft drinks, but then replace them with ones that are artificially sweetened. New studies show that diet soft drinks actually cause more belly fat. Opt for fresh fruits and vegetables that are higher in fiber, but start slowly. Eating too much fiber at once, without allowing your body to adjust, can upset your digestive system.

Low carbs and high fiber is a good route to take.

Studies show that a diet that’s lower in carbohydrates can help eliminate visceral—belly—fat. Studies show that intermittent fasting can help reduce belly fat by 4-7%. Intermittent fasting can be done several ways. The most popular is eating all your meals in an 8-hour window and fasting the other 16 hours. Increasing the fiber and protein in your diet can make a huge difference in both your weight and the amount of belly fat you have.

Get active.

Inactivity is a killer that not only packs on the pounds, collects those pounds on your midsection. Leading a sedentary lifestyle is a killer. One study showed that people who watched more TV, which was the measure of how sedentary they were, had more belly fat. Those watching more than three hours a day were at twice the risk of belly fat. Today computer or smartphone viewing are part of the mix and just the same as watching TV. You simply don’t move enough or get active enough to be your healthiest. Exercise also burns off the hormones of stress, such as cortisol. Cortisol is linked to weight gain and belly fat.

• Trans fats can create an inflammatory response, which increases insulin resistance. That also increases the amount of belly fat that accumulates.
• Alcoholic beverages can slow the process of burning fat and cause the extra calories to store as belly fat. Studies show that people who consume less than three drinks a day had an 80% chance of having less belly fat.
• The microbial balance in your gut can contribute to belly fat. So can an imbalance of hormones, such as during menopause. Exercise not only helps balance hormones, it boosts the friendly microbes and can help reduce belly fat.
• Get adequate sleep to help keep your hunger and satiety hormones in balance. Drink more water to help flush your system, reduce hunger pangs and boost your energy level.

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

Preparation for athletic events is just one of the reasons people come to Iron Fit in San Antonio, Texas. Most people want to look and feel better or have issues with their health that exercise and weight loss can address. Improving heart health is one of those concerns. If your blood pressure is sky-high and you get winded climbing just a few steps, it’s time to take heed and take back your life. Here are some tips for a healthier heart. You’ll find you have more energy and can enjoy every minute of life when you have a fit healthy body.

How do you know if you have a healthy heart?

That’s why you need regular check-ups. No matter how young or fit you are, getting an annual check-up is important. It helps identify any problem early and gives the doctor a baseline to watch its progression. If your blood pressure is lower and suddenly starts to climb, something is wrong. Knowing your numbers is also important. You should also know your fasting glucose rate, blood pressure, LDL, HDL and triglyceride levels.

Lower your blood pressure and lose weight with a great exercise program.

If you’re working out regularly at the gym, you probably don’t need an extra set of exercises to help lower your blood pressure. If you’re not, maybe it’s time to start working out. Start slow if you’re out of shape. There are quick four to ten minute workouts to be done throughout the day that can significantly lower your blood pressure. They include working large muscle groups, such as squats or jumping jacks, which boost the production of nitric oxide to dilate blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Our fitness program helps build all muscles and aids in weight loss. That helps reduce insulin resistance, which is the precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

Diet plays a significant role in having a healthy heart.

While scientists are still learning new things daily about the body, one truth hasn’t changed, you truly are what you eat. Eating healthy whole foods, instead of highly processed ones, provides nutrients your body requires to be its healthiest. In fact, there’s a whole school of medicine devoted to “food as medicine.” Eating foods without added sugar is a start, so is avoiding highly processed food like cookies, pastry, white bread, processed meat, imitation cheese and margarine or soft drinks. Fresh fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals, plus phytonutrients you don’t find in a vitamin.

• Frozen fruits and vegetables are as good as fresh. Frozen fruits and vegetables without additives are as good as fresh and since they’re immediately frozen, often contain more nutrition.
• If you’re out of shape, start slowly. A personal trainer can help you with a program that is specifically created for your needs. If you’re working out at home, you can break your workout into several shorter sessions of at least ten minutes or more.
• Move more during the day and get eight hours of sleep at night. Even if you workout, if you have a job that keeps you at a desk, get up and move around every hour or so. It’s important to your health.
• If you have any symptoms like heart palpitations, chest pain or cold sweats, don’t ignore them. Always check with your health care professional first before starting a program of exercise.

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