Ten reasons why everyone should incorporate weightlifting into their training schedule

When I began training in the gym with a personal trainer, he started me on a weight-lifting routine. Ignorantly, I complained, using the excuses that I don’t want to get big, and that only men should lift weights.

 

My trainer laughed at me, and quickly squashed these myths as soon as they came out my mouth. Turns out, there are countless benefits to a weightlifting regimen – and it’s something both men and women should work into their training schedule!

 

I learned that there are a number of reasons why everyone should pick up some weights. I’ll let you in on them.

 

Ten reasons why everyone should lift weights

#1: Muscle takes up less space in your body than fat

Because muscle is denser than fat, it takes up less space in your body. Lifting weights will help you turn the fat in your body into muscle, and thus help you lose centimetres.

#2: You can lift weights anywhere

You don’t need a gym, a treadmill, a park or even a trail to lift weights. If you have dumbbells, you can use body-weight exercise that require no equipment at all and work just as well at toning your body.

#3: Strength helps you build balance

You’ll improve your balance through practising some form of strength training.

#4: You can do more when you have strong muscles

Whether you want to simply be able to rearrange your house or open tight jars for yourself (I view that as some sort of accomplishment!), strength training will allow you to have fun and stay active without having to call someone to help you.

#5: Muscle uses more energy than fat

The best way to explain this is also the simplest: You can use muscle as you move, but you cannot use fat. When you talk or walk or lift, you engage your muscles. In doing so, you also expend energy. Even when doing nothing at all, muscle is burning more calories than fat is. Granted, it’s a small amount, but it still counts.

#6: Lifting weights lowers your stress levels

This is my personal opinion, but still. When life is going faster than I can handle, I start lifting. It doesn’t have to be for a long amount of time. You can fit in a ten-minute session before work or after dinner. I promise you – it helps your mind feel a bit calmer.

#7: Lifting can double as a cardio session

My trainer tells me that I should always get in three days of weightlifting and two days of cardio a week. However, he also says that they don’t have to be separate workouts. So now, my simple rule is to mix in some legs with pretty much any weight session. Try it out for yourself – you’ll see your heartrate climb and, boom, cardio!

#8: Weight training helps you sleep better

Active adults sleep better after doing things during the day that are exhausting. I doubt most people would continue to have sleeping issues if they stayed active and had a great weightlifting session that day!

#9: Lifting helps strengthen your bones

Weight training along with running and a healthy diet is the best way to develop strong bones. WebMD even lists it as the best way to curb osteoporosis. Why wait until it’s an issue? Start strengthening your bones now!

#10: Weight training is the ultimate healthy habit

The healthiest daily thing you can do for yourself is go lift. Make it a routine; make it habitual. Lift weights for your looks, your health, and your longetivity.

Lift weights honestly and consistently and you’ll be rewarded… I promise

Four ways to keep your gym clothes fresh and clean

Unless you have an unlimited amount of clothing at your fingertips, I’m guessing you wear your gym clothes more than once before you wash them. No shame – I do that too.

 

But coming home from an intense, sweat-dripping workout, shucking them off, and then dumping them in a corner and forgetting about them until your next barre class is a good way to end up with some seriously ripe workout clothes. And you don’t want to be that person at the gym…

 

Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep your clothes clean and nose-friendly as possible until it’s time to do laundry again. Here are my best suggestions!

 

Four tips to keep your workout wear fresh between washes

#1: Use a scent-free detergent

They may smell lovely and fresh, but detergents with scents, perfumes, softeners or additives can leave residue on your clothes after they come out of the washing machine. This can eventually degrade the fabric of your clothes and cause a breakdown in their performance attributes and wicking ability. It the end, this can lead to foul odour.

#2: Hang your clothes up

Don’t just toss your sports bra and shorts into the hamper. Hang up any damp gear to dry – even if it’s just over the backseat of your car.

#3: Separate your apparel and shoes

Place your yoga pants and sneakers in different bags within your gym tote to minimise the spread of odour-causing bacteria. Look for specific bags that have separate compartments that allow you to store your clothes away from your shoes.

#4: Buy clothing that includes polygiene technology

When possible, opt for clothing that includes polygiene technology, which uses natural silver salt in low concentrations to prevent bacteria from multiplying, and help your clothes stay fresh and odour-free.

Ten beauty essentials every girl needs in her gym bag

Just like your make-up bag needs to get you through a long day at the office, your gym bag needs to get you through a workout and your next shower – and keep you looking cute in the meantime.

 

But who wants to overload their gym bag with a million unnecessary products? I know I don’t! Make sure you pack these ten essentials, and you’ll never feel like a sweaty mess post-workout again.

 

Ten beauty products to pack in your gym bag

#1: Deodorant

Afraid of a little smell after a hard training session? Forget your worries with an anti-perspirant deodorant, which will prevent odour and keep perspiration at bay.

#2: Dry shampoo

It may not be as refreshing as a real rinse, but dry shampoo zaps sweat along the scalp and adds subtle volume.

#3: Hair ties

Whether you keep an elastic in your bag or around your wrist, always have one handy for throwing your hair up in a ponytail or a bun.

#4: Towel

Although most gyms provide them, you should always carry your own. You never know how much or what kind of detergent they use to clean them, which is especially important for anyone with allergies.

#5: Face wipes

To prevent breakouts, swipe your face with a face wipes. They can also be used before a workout to remove any make-up before it clogs pores.

#6: Water bottle

Always have a water bottle handy before, during and after your workout. Not only will remaining hydrated make you feel good, getting enough water makes you look beautiful as well!

#7: On-the-go snack

Post-workout, you want protein fast because it helps your muscles recover. Pack a protein or granola bar.

#8: Plasters

Have a few on hand, because nothing messes up your beauty game quite like blisters!

#9: Headband

Keep any flyaways or bangs back with a sport headband.

#10: Hand sanitiser

When your health is at stake, you can’t trust the cleaning staff. Always have hand sanitiser handy after your work the machines.

What are your gym bag essentials?

Brew up a pot of turmeric and ginger tea to relieve your joint pain instantly

Turmeric and ginger are both brilliant anti-inflammatories and will assist with any kind of joint pain. Turmeric in particular has gotten a lot of attention lately. Its active ingredient is something called curcumin, which is a very powerful antioxidant.

 

In addition, curcumin lowers the levels of 2 enzymes that are responsible for causing inflammation. You can take these in a capsule form, or make a warm spicy tea to enjoy daily – here’s how.

 

How to make turmeric and ginger tea to soothe achy joints

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• Honey to taste

Method:

1. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Add the ground turmeric and ginger to the water.
3. Reduce to a simmer, and let it be for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Strain, then add honey to taste.

Tip: Enjoy a cup of this tea three or four times a day for best results.

Blend up this salted caramel smoothie bowl after your next workout

Salt and caramel – is there anything better? Actually, yes – a healthy version. This is one of my go-to post-workout snacks. It helps replenish protein and glycogen stores and build lean muscles (which in turn burns calories – yay!).

 

The maca powder is what gives this dish a delightful toffee flavour. It also works to alleviate stress and anxiety in the body. Plus, it’s high in iron and great for boosting energy – much needed after a morning gym session! Whip this baby up in under two minutes. Enjoy!

 

Salted caramel smoothie bowl recipe

Serves: 1

Ingredients to blend:

• 1 frozen banana
• 2 tbsp vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tbsp maca powder
• 2 dates, pitted
• 1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

Ingredients for topping:

• 2 tbsp coconut flakes
• 2 tbsp crushed peanuts
• 2 vanilla and coconut protein balls, chopped

Method:

1. Add the blending ingredients to your blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. Add the sea salt, then blend quickly again.
3. Decant the smoothie into a bowl and top with the toppings.
4. Serve in with a spoon and tuck in!

These are the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT)

High intensity interval training, better known as HIIT, is the way to live out the fastest fitness mantra, “strong is the new skinny”. While its principles may have been around for a while now, the newly awakened HIIT trend has got fitness connoisseurs back in the ready position!

 

Here’s what HIIT is, as well as a few of the benefits of this super kind of workout.

 

What HIIT is

HIIT consists of the perfect balance of cardio, active body weight exercises and the alteration between periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less intense recovery periods.

The benefits of HIIT

The biggest benefit is that with HIIT, you lose weight (as in fat percentage) instead of muscle.

Furthermore, we all lives very busy lives and don’t often get the time to exercise long enough to burn the necessary calories we consume each day. Whether you would like to slot in a session during your lunch hour or before an evening work event, you can now very efficiently achieve your progress goals in a mere 15 minutes!

With the rapid acceleration of your heart rate, HIIT doesn’t only burn calories during the training session, but also for 24 hours after you’ve completed your workout.

Your heart rate reaches an equilibrium when you do normal exercise (like running or cycling). But with HIIT, your heart rate spikes into the anaerobic zone – the breathless stage you reach when your heart feels it’s pumping at an abnormally fast rate.

This heart rate fluctuation strengthens your heart’s muscles, promoting a healthier heart, too.

Another huge benefit of HIIT is it works with your own body weight. This enables you to train absolutely anywhere, which means you have no more excuses!

Four tips for using a fitness tracker

In my books, there’s nothing worse than exercising solo or always being dropped by an unmotivated friend. Do you agree? That’s why I enjoy fitness trackers! They’re super-reliable exercise pals that you won’t regret choosing.

 

If you choose to invest in one, be sure to following these great tips for using it effectively.

 

How to use a fitness tracker

#1: Set yourself attainable goals

This is really important. The psychological effect of reaching a goal has a motivating effect. Just be sure your goals are reasonable, so you reach 100% of them on most days.

#2: Wear your tracker on your non-dominant wrist

A study in the Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise journal found that wrist trackers deliver more accurate results when you wear them on your non-dominant wrist. Your tendency to move your non-dominant hand less than your dominant hand increases the precision of the reading.

#3: Calibrate according to you

Our diversity is what makes us beautiful. When it comes to recording exercise, our differences are the cause of inaccurate recordings. For example: A 1.8 m male will naturally take bigger strides than a 1.5 m female.

It’s essential to calibrate your stride in order to record to steps or runs precisely. To do this accurately, remember to add your gender and height. Also, measure out a distance of 20 paces along with the distance. Divide the number of steps you take by the precise distances of the paces measured out. Then, sync all that information with your tracker for the most accurate results.

#4: Get tagging and sync away!

Tag your activities and check in when you go swimming or do a spinning class. This will help you get extra credit for your moves. Then, finally, you can sync your activities with other fitness apps for an all-round lowdown of your fitness routines.

Five golden rules for buying running shoes

Shopping for running shoes can be a real pain – there, I said it. Do you want a minimal style or one with tons of cushioning? Do you have flat feet or high arches? Do you want a neutral hue, pops of colour or a funky print? And, most importantly, we’ve been taught, do you pronate or supinate? How does your foot hit the ground?

 

Seriously… I’m exhausted just thinking about it! So many things to consider. So, to simplify things, here are a few tips for feeling out your next pair of perfect running shoes.

 

Five tips for buying a pair of running shoes

#1: Say no to slippage

Your foot should be securely locked into your shoe. Think snug, not tight.

#2: Beware pinches or pressure points

While consistent contact pressure throughout the shoe is good, you don’t want any pinching points in the forefoot or instep when flexed. Also, note that any rubbing you feel now will only be amplified during your miles.

#3: Watch for flex appeal

Shoes should move with you. If they don’t bend along the same line that your foot flexes, toss them!

#4: Watch for incorrectly placed arch support

How do you know if this is the case? You’ll feel a bump, like something is out of place, or uncomfortable pressure under your arch.

#5: Seek out structure

Those fatty pads under your foot are a natural way of providing cushioning. A shoe with a moulded footbed actually keeps the fat pads under your feet while you run so they can do their job.

Now go on, and find your very own glass slipper!

Twenty signs that you’ve found a great gym partner

I’m sure you agree that there are lots of obstacles to getting a good workout in. Some of us have a hard time getting out of bed, while others simply lack the motivation. There’s one simple solution to problems like these, though: Find a gym partner!

 

Having that all-important friend is likely to help you stay on track and motivated. Plus, you’ll also form a lasting friendship! Here are some signs that your gym partner is really your BFF.

 

Twenty signs that you have an awesome fitness friendship

1. You help each other wake up really early to fit in a workout (whether that means 5am calls, texts or FaceTimes, you’re there for each other).
2. You get each other motivated even on cold, rainy days.
3. You can count on each other for a killer cardio routine.
4. After you’ve had a tough workout and all you want to do it head home, your gym partner will say, “let’s do an ab set!”.
5. You always feel a bit burnt out on the same days, so you do a light workout together.
6. When you feel lazy and your workout buddy doesn’t, he or she makes you bring it.
7. You call him or her while you’re on a date for suggestions on what to eat that won’t look weird but will still follow your shared healthy eating plan.
8. You call each other in the middle of grocery shopping for nutrition advice.
9. You take a new gym class together and quietly laugh to yourselves the entire time.
10. Other gym goers are envious, obviously wishing they had such a great fitness friendship!
11. Getting a celebratory coffee after a great session is sometimes the best part of your day.
12. You love discussing the best recovery drinks together, knowing you can have that kind of conversation with anyone else.
13. You both hate bananas in smoothies, but still include them anyway because that’s just thought to be right.
14. You discovered foam rollers together and trade tips on where it hurts and helps the most.
15. All of your friends roll their eyes at both of you when foam-rolling discussions turn into a two-person soapbox session.
16. You carpool with your pre-workout mix, happily made up of music you wouldn’t share with anyone else!
17. You love finding brand new music that will pump both of you up before a workout.
18. You get approving nods from other regular gym goers as you and your partner rock out your routines on a regular basis.
19. You have fun tackling the gym’s brand-new piece of equipment together.
20. You have a hard time admitting it, but you actually look forward to your workouts on most days.

For those of you who find that working out alone is the best medicine: Read this list again and you’ll find that, yes, you are your own best friend! Anything that motivates you to get going and stay healthy is crucial in life. So, grab your partner and go have some fun!

Two ways to make your own all-natural yoga mat cleanser

While I was practising yoga yesterday evening, I realised that it’d been a while since I’d last wiped down or cleaned my mat. For a deep clean, warm water and a mild soap works, but what our mats really need is a spray we can use to wipe it down every day.

 

Sure, there are a number of different “yoga mat washes” out there, but why purchase when you can make your own? Here’s how to make your own yoga mat cleanser with ingredients you probably already have in your home.

 

Two easy and inexpensive yoga mat cleanser recipes

Recipe #1:

Ingredients:

• 3 drops tea tree oil
• 2 drops peppermint oil
• 2 drops lavender oil
• Distilled water

Recipe #2:

Ingredients: (This is for a stronger antibacterial/antifungal spray)

• 1 part warm water
• 3 parts white vinegar
• 8-12 drops essential oil (like mint, lavender, lemongrass, tea tree or eucalyptus oil)

Instructions:

1. Spray your yoga may cleanser liberally over the surface of your mat. If your mat is especially dirty, let the cleanser sink in for a bit before you wash it off.
2. Wipe your mat with a wet sponge or cloth. When the cleanser has been thoroughly removed, rub your mat down with a soft, dry cloth like a small towel. Repeat on the other side of your mat.
3. Allow your mat to air dry. It shouldn’t take longer than 15 minutes. If it does take longer than this, try rubbing your mat down more with the towel to remove excess water and speed up the drying time.

You can keep your yoga mat cleanser stored for up to one week in the fridge.