Tag: macarthur

Kerrie Fitness Asks, What are your Fitness Goals for 2020?

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Sooo, without putting too much thought into your answer, What are your fitness goals for next year, 2020.  With perfect vision 20/20, pardon that obvious pun, what would the perfect you look like?

99% of peoples goals are listed below;

  • Lose fat.
  • Build muscle.
  • Get stronger.
  • Improve endurance/conditioning.
  • Improve athletic skills.
  • Improve joint flexibility.
  • Tone
  • Sculpt
  • Firm up

Now as great as that list sounds… it is the “Want to” section. What you need to focus on is the “How to” section.  Chances are if you aren’t on your way there right now, or are putting it off until next year, you need some professional help. More commonly known as motivation.  Or even more precisely a “Motivator”.  That is where Kerrie Fitness steps in to help.  Check out #kezfit Kerrie Core online digital classes at http://www.kerriefitness.com.au or for the ultimate experience come and train at Kerrie Fitness with Kerrie.

19 Reasons to Exercise. Part 4.

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From neurons to hormones: Why your body needs a workout.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D.

Part four of

  1. REDUCES THE RISK OF ARTHRITIS. The most commonly experienced chronic illness in middle-aged and older adults, arthritis occurs due to abnormalities in the cartilage and outgrowth of bones in the joints. Unlike the other physical benefits of exercise, reducing the chances of arthritis doesn’t depend on heavy duty activity or even weight training. In fact, you may actually heighten your risk of arthritis if you do too much of the wrong kind of exercise. Running on the pavement, particularly in shoes that aren’t appropriately cushioned, can cause you to be more likely to get arthritis. Instead, you need to engage in stretching and flexibility training to increase the range of movement of your joints. This will lower your risk of injury through muscle tears or torn ligaments, and in the process protect your joints from damage caused by overuse.
  2. IMPROVES SEX LIFE. Keeping your muscles active through use helps promote the demands placed on your endocrine glands to produce more hormones. With more muscle mass comes greater stimulation to produce androgens which help both men and women maintain their sexual functioning. You are also likely to feel more fit and be more fit, which in turn will benefit your interest in and ability to carry out sexual activity. Your emotional resilience will also be greater if you exercise, which also benefits your relationship health.
  3. BRINGS ABOUT BETTER SLEEP. Although sleep experts recommend that you not exercise right before you go to bed, exercise during the day benefits your sleep at night. The physical exertion you engage in during the day helps your body’s circadian rhythm keep in tune. Sleeping better at night also improves, in turn, your immune functioning and even lowers your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and cognitive impairment. A win-win for sure!

19 Reasons to Exercise. Part 3.

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From neurons to hormones: Why your body needs a workout.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D.

Part three of

Further to the previous article here are some more reasons why you should immerse yourself in SGT (Small Group Training).

  1. BUILDS MUSCLE MASS. Resistance training also builds your muscles. In fact, the tension of your muscles against your bones is what also helps your bones get the maximum benefit of weight lifting. If you don’t engage in regular weight-lifting, you’ll lose muscle strength at the rate of – guess what—1 percent per year. If you do, you can cut this – guess again—in half. In fact, the process of “sarcopenia,” which refers to normal loss of muscle strength with age, is best reversed by this type of exercise. Keeping your muscles strong also helps you stay more aerobically fit and helps you maintain a healthy lean (or fat-free) body mass.
  2. IMPROVES BREATHING. Aging affects the tissues of the lung in some ways that can’t be changed by exercise. However, exercise can improve your breathing by strengthening the muscles that help your lungs open up to bring in oxygen and compress to push out carbon dioxide. Exercise also improves the efficiency with which oxygen permeates the cells of your body through its effects on aerobic capacity. While the non-exercisers will have to stop their workout to catch a breath, you’ll be able to push on past them due to this greater efficiency of your breathing capacity.
  3. BOOSTS YOUR ENERGY. Because your body is functioning more efficiently, you’ve got more oxygen to fuel your body’s cells. You also feel fewer aches and pains and have greater strength. As a result, you can go about your daily activities feeling less fatigued, stressed, and weary. Although going to the gym early in the morning or late in the afternoon may feel like the last thing you have energy to do, once you build exercise into your daily routines, these workout bouts will actually seem less tiresome because you’ll feel more mentally and physically capable of carrying them out.

19 Reasons to Exercise. Part 2.

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From neurons to hormones: Why your body needs a workout.

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Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D.

Following on from last week the next three reasons to exercise are:

  1. MAINTAINS IMMUNE FUNCTIONING. Your immune system is what protects you from infection and other chemical toxins. The immune system also plays a role in maintaining a healthy response to stress (more on this later). Although for many years, researchers talked about “immune senescence” as an inevitable result of aging, we now know that the studies showing these inevitable declines were conducted on people who didn’t exercise. Even short-term exercise programs can reverse some of the deleterious effects of aging on this sensitive, complex, and crucial regulatory system which controls so much of your everyday health.
  2. REDUCES BODY FAT. Your BMI, or body mass index, provides an approximate measure of your overall metabolic status. To calculate yours, go to the Centers for Disease Control website. If you’re in the overweight to obese categories now, a regular program of aerobic exercise can bring your BMI down to normal levels mainly by swapping the fat for the fat-free tissues in your body. The good news is that the more you exercise, the more you are able to work off your body fat because muscle “burns off” more calories, effectively speeding up your metabolism.
  3. KEEPS BONES STRONG. Another normal age-related change is the loss of bone mineral strength. Here again, the magic number of a 1 percent loss per year seems to be the considered wisdom of how fast our body’s bones get thinner and weaker. Once again, though, exercise is the key to maintaining your bone’s health. The specific form of exercise required for bone strength involves resistance training in which you lift weights. The amount of resistance training varies according to your age and physical strength, but it’s got to be more than just picking up a gallon of milk and moving it from the grocery bag to the fridge. You need to spend no less than an hour a week of increasingly strenuous weight-lifting until you reach your maximum potential.

19 Reasons to Exercise. Part 1.

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IMG_5261 From neurons to hormones: Why your body needs a workout.

Susan Krauss Whitbourne Ph.D.

FULFILLMENT AT ANY AGE

Every day brings with it a new scientific report on the benefits of exercise. Unfortunately, the reports don’t always coincide with each other. Some studies show hugely positive effects, others show hugely negative effects, and some don’t permit any conclusions at all. Although the path of least resistance may lead you to prefer those reports that show no, or harmful, effects of exercise, the truth is that the best way to keep your body and mind in top shape is to be physically active. Almost everyone, no matter what his or her physical condition, can engage in at least some form of bodily exercise. To be most efficient, your exercise regime should follow the guidelines for your age and overall health status. However, each and every one of us can certainly exercise our minds even if our bodies don’t always cooperate.

I’ve culled through the wealth of data on exercise and health to come up with this list of 19 solid reasons to work that body and/or mind of yours. Here’s the short and sweet on these impressive ways that exercise can keep you in the best possible shape.

  1. BUILDS AEROBIC POWER. Your aerobic capacity is your body’s ability to work at maximum capacity by getting oxygen from the air to your body’s tissues. Ordinarily, people lose about 1 percent a year of their aerobic power or, if you’d like to do the math, 10 percent per decade. If you start calculating at the age of 40, this means that people can lose 30 percent of their maximum aerobic capacity by the time they reach age 70. That’s a lot of unnecessary huffing and puffing. Both long-term and short-term exercise training studies show that you can cut this loss in half so that you’re losing 15 precent rather than 30 percent in that 30-year period. Many of the other benefits of exercise stem from this basic fact, so if you remember nothing else from this list, building aerobic power is your most important reason to exercise.
  2. REDUCES BLOOD PRESSURE. Chronic hypertension is the number one form of heart disease. The causes of hypertension include the increased plaque in the arteries that builds up from consuming a high-fat diet. Exercise helps reduce your blood pressure, in part, by attacking the plaque in your arteries. As the arteries widen, the blood flows through more freely, and your blood pressure eventually starts to drop. Hypertension also decreases as the result of exercise because your heart, a muscle, is getting a workout. The stronger your heart muscle gets, the greater its ability to pump blood through the arteries, which also helps to reduce your blood pressure.
  3. LOWERS TYPE 2 DIABETES RISK. You’ve probably heard that an increase in the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is becoming a world-wide public health crisis. Even if you don’t care about the health of the world, you should care about your own risk of diabetes. The complications of adult-onset Type 2 diabetes pose a serious risk to your physical well-being. By engaging in regular physical exercise, you improve your body’s ability to metabolize glucose, the key to staving off this disease.

KERRIE FITNESS – Top 10 Reasons Women Should Hit the Weights.

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  • Shana Verstegen
Shana Verstegen is an ACE-certified personal trainer and an American Council on Exercise National Fitness Expert.
Strength training is an important part of improving your overall fitness, and for women, it can mean much more. In addition to numerous health benefits, adding weights to your routine can become a form of personal development that builds strength in all areas of life. When I was a teenager, my grandmother used to tell me to stop lifting weights—it wasn’t lady-like, and the weight room should be a place for men. Several years later, she developed serious osteoporosis that put her in a wheelchair. Although most of the lessons she taught me were valuable, we eventually came to the mutual agreement that lifting weights is a wonderful thing for women to do. Today, more and more women are recognizing the benefits of spending time in the weight room.

The Bottom line is get your bottom to KERRIE FITNESS and train with Kerrie “LIVE”.

Also download your digital class today at http://www.kerriefitness.com.au

KERRIE FITNESS – 6 Benefits of Group Fitness Classes

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When people first join a gym, they’re often unsure what they should do once they step inside the building. Some struggle to determine which exercises to do, others simply don’t know how to do them. Whether you’re a beginner at the gym or you just don’t have much fitness knowledge, group fitness classes may be your solution. Joining a class can help build a foundation and structure that you can use to fuel your personal health journey for years to come.

1. Motivation

It’s inspiring and motivating to be surrounded by dedicated, like-minded individuals. It doesn’t get much more empowering than a class with an encouraging instructor and supportive people all working hard together. Group fitness is a great way to help motivate yourself and others to dig deeper and push harder in workouts.

2. Structure

Group fitness is a great way to get a workout in without having to think or plan. Each class is structured with a warm-up, a balanced workout and a cool-down.

The warm-up is designed to help you properly raise your heart rate while loosening your joints and muscles before jumping into strenuous activity. The instructor will coach you through each segment of the workout. The cool-down will help you safely lower your heart rate and stretch all the major muscles worked during class.

3. Proper Form

It’s the fitness instructor’s job to not only show proper form, but to also make sure that everyone in the class is executing each exercise the right way. Not only is proper form important for your muscles to reap the most out of every exercise, but it also helps eliminate potential injuries.

4. Variety

Cardio kickboxing, bootcamp, spin, Pilates, Insanity–the list goes on. There are several types of group classes offered by gyms and athletic clubs.

Having a variety of classes in your weekly workout regimen is a great way to create muscle confusion, which keeps your body guessing and ramps up your metabolism. It also helps prevent boredom.

5. Accountability

Some facilities require members to sign up in advance for specific classes. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable for your workouts. If you’re signed up and it’s on your schedule, there’s a good chance you won’t skip it. If your gym doesn’t require you to sign up, find a few classes that you want to take and invite a friend or pencil it in on your calendar.

6. Fun

There’s really no other way to put it: Group fitness classes are fun. Between the upbeat music, a great workout and a group of people motivating each other along the way, it’s an enjoyable way to exercise. If you’re looking to add a little more pizazz and fun in your fitness life, group classes may be just what you need.

So come and see what this group fitness is all about.  Train with Kerrie “LIVE” at her studio in Campbelltown NSW KERRIE FITNESS.

Also, you can download your own digital class at http://www.kerriefitness.com.au

 

 

KERRIE FITNESS -Stay Motivated to Workout With Group Fitness.

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  • By Mackenzie Lobby

Your long training season is just underway and already you’re struggling to stick with it. The solution might be standing right beside you. Whether it’s a running club, a spin class at the gym, or a group cycling adventure, exercise partners can help motivate endurance athletes and fitness junkies to get out of a training rut.

Experts agree that working out in a group can encourage a person to begin an exercise routine in the first place, as well as keep them committed in the long term. A review published in the Journal of Medicine and Sciences in Sport and Exercise identified a number of studies that link social support with exercise adherence.

“Having someone to experience the workout with can help keep them motivated,” says Cindra Kamphoff, a certified sport psychology consultant at The Runner’s Edge in Mankato, Minnesota. “By knowing others are experiencing this same thing, it normalizes the pain and discomfort that can be a part of exercise.”

Group exercise has its challenges. But the pros often far outweigh logistical hurdles and other complications. If you’re looking to start an exercise routine for the first time, or reignite your passion for a sport or fitness regimen, try to recruit a few friends or join an organized club, group or organization. When it comes to working out, there’s strength in numbers.

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Challenges to Group Exercise

  • Size: If a group is too big, you can end up feeling lost in the crowd. Rather than being motivated, the group allows you to get away with giving less than your all. Be sure to find a group that provides some individual attention.
  • Bad Instructors: While most coaches and teachers are good at what they do, you may need to shop around to find the best fit. Find an instructor who will motivate, not frustrate, you.
  • Waning Confidence: Joining a group can take some guts, especially if you’re new to the sport or activity. Look for a supportive, likeminded group to cut down on your anxiety.
  • Lack of Options: Depending on where you live, group exercise options can be limited. Don’t let the lack of a group stop you. Instead, consider starting your own.
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Benefits of Group Exercise

  • Accountability: You’re less likely to skip a workout if you work out with friends in an organized group.
  • Camaraderie: Working out with a group turns exercise into a social activity. It’s no longer a chore, but a healthy getaway that you might just start to look forward to.
  • Identity: When you workout with others, the activity tends to form a link with your identity. The group builds, feeds, and maintains that image you’ve created. Ultimately, it can help you stick with your routine.
  • Competition: Friendly competition can help motivate you to exercise even on the days you don’t feel like working out. You’re less likely to skip a workout if you know your competition will be waiting for you.
  • Encouragement: On the days you’re feeling sick or unmotivated, the group often picks up the slack and helps restart your engine.
  • Enjoyment: Working out alone can get boring and suddenly you’re not having fun anymore. Sharing your training experience with others—both the challenges and triumphs—can increase the enjoyment of the activity or training routine.

Come and reap the benefits of Group Fitness Training with Kerrie, two time winner of Instructor of the Year Les Mills Australia Asia Pacific region (2008 and 2014) and winner of 2018 Local Business Awards “Most Outstanding Fitness Services” for the Campbelltown area. Visit KERRIE FITNESS today.

Further your levels of fitness by downloading your copy of Kerries Digital Classes at http://www.kerriefitness.com.au

 

KERRIE FITNESS – It’s Never Too Late to Start Exercising.

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  • Being active four-to-five times a week improves people’s heart flexibility
  • Previous research links stiff, hardened heart muscles to life-threatening attacks
  • Exercising three times a week does little to protect heart health from aging
  • People should incorporate this into their routines like brushing their teeth
  • Heart disease causes around one in four deaths every year in the US 

By Alexandra Thompson Health Reporter

Five half-an-hour workouts a week is the ‘sweet spot’ for reducing middle-aged cough potatoes’ heart attack risk, new research reveals.

Being active four-to-five times every seven days significantly improves middle-aged people’s heart muscle flexibility, a study found today. Stiff, hardened muscles have previously been linked to heart attacks.

Study author Dr Benjamin Levine from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, said: ‘We found what we believe to be the optimal dose of the right kind of exercise, which is four to five times a week, and the “sweet spot” in time, when the heart risk from a lifetime of sedentary behavior can be improved – which is late-middle age.

‘We’ve also found that the “sweet spot” in life to get off the couch and start exercising is in late-middle age, when the heart still has plasticity.’

The researchers believe inactive, middle-aged people should slot exercise into their routine in the same way they do brushing their teeth or showering.

Heart disease is responsible for around one in four deaths every year in the US. In the UK, more than two-and-a-half million adults are living with the condition, which raises their risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.

How the research was carried out 

The researchers analyzed 53 healthy, sedentary people with an average age of 53.

Of which, 34 completed two years of exercise training, while the remainder participated in yoga and balance training.

The participants exercising more rigorously started with three half-an-hour moderate activity sessions for the first three months, which caused them to break a sweat but still allowed them to hold a conversation.

Two high-intensity, half-hour workouts were added to their regimens after 10 months.

A catheter was guided through all of the participants’ pulmonary arteries to observe their blood flow and measure the pressure in their hearts.

Scans of their hearts’ structures were also taken.

The participants’ rate of oxygen consumption was taken to determine any change in the quality of their fitness.

‘People should be able to do this as part of their personal hygiene’

Results reveal, after two years of exercise, middle-aged people’s oxygen intake during activity increases by 18 percent, while their heart muscle flexibility is boosted by 25 percent.

Dr Levine said: ‘Based on a series of studies performed by our team over the past five years, this “dose” of exercise has become my prescription for life.

‘We found what we believe to be the optimal dose of the right kind of exercise, which is four to five times a week, and the “sweet spot” in time, when the heart risk from a lifetime of sedentary behavior can be improved – which is late-middle age.’

The researchers found exercising just two-to-three times a week does not significantly protect heart health from aging.

Dr Levine added: ‘But committed exercise four to five times a week was almost as effective at preventing sedentary heart ageing as the more extreme exercise of elite athletes.

‘We’ve also found that the “sweet spot” in life to get off the couch and start exercising is in late-middle age, when the heart still has plasticity.’

‘I think people should be able to do this as part of their personal hygiene – just like brushing your teeth and taking a shower.’

The findings were published in the journal Circulation.

Speaking of finding just 30 minutes, KERRIE FITNESS has digital classes, 30 minutes long.  Head to http://www.kerriefitness.com.au and download your copy today.

KERRIE FITNESS – Kerrie Core 3 is available and Kerrie Core 4 is soon to be released!

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Two time Les Mills Instructor of the year, winner “Most outstanding Fitness Services” 2018 and creator of #kezfit Kerrie Core.  Kerrie has released Kerrie Core 3 for the lovers of “hardcore” core workouts, and even better news Kerrie Core 4 is soon to be released!

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#kezfit Kerrie Core is a 30 minute workout, exercising the muscles of the whole core unit, to strengthen, shape and tone your abdominals, obliques, lower back and butt. Essential foundation for a stronger, leaner body.

With these exercises, you will not only hammer your core, but you will also boost your total body stability and strength. Don’t get mad at me if you’re super sore the next day! In fact, you will hear me saying, you’re welcome!

Srong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities. Weak core muscles can also leave you susceptible to poor posture, lower back pain and muscle injuries. Strengthening core muscles may also help improve back pain.

Want to train your core for better daily living?

Then download your copy at http://www.kerriefitness.com.au today and get in the best shape before Christmas.

Want to experience a core class live?  Then come to KERRIE FITNESS and train with Kerrie in person!