Diabetes Population and the Related Costs are Expected to Double; Exercise is Key!

According to the American Diabetes Association, the diabetes population and the related costs are expected to at least double in the next 25 years (news link).  These scary projections have a great deal to do with the ever-growing inactivity and nutritional disaster in our nation’s young people.  Along with a significant change in the American diet away from its carbohydrate abuse, exercise, both aerobic and resistance  in nature, must be embraced (Type 2 Diabetes and Exercise).

Slow-Motion Strength Training for Fast Fitness Results

Today, there is a tremendous amount of information, or more likely misinformation, regarding exercise, its benefits, and how it should be performed.  If you plan on beginning an exercise program or hope to finally get the most out of your current program, you must first start thinking more critically about what truly constitutes safe and effective exercise.  AFFL was established to provide the education and practical experience necessary to help you get the health and fitness results you never thought possible.  In addition, the state-of-the-art facility and personalized training provide an exceptional exercise environment without the distractions associated with many multi-service health clubs.   

What is Effective Exercise?

Effective exercise safely maximizes the known benefits of exercise without compromising health in any way.  We know that exercise, if performed properly, can improve body composition, muscular strength and endurance, bone mineral density, cardiovascular fitness, and psychological well-being.  However, many exercise protocols fail to address all these components of fitness, let alone safely. 

Exercise is simply a form of stress placed upon the body.  In order to stimulate optimal results, exercise must be demanding in nature, essentially giving the body a reason to have to adapt and improve.  The body is an economical machine that will perform this process only if the demand is greater than any previously experienced.  Progressive resistance strength training is the most effective method of placing increasingly greater demands on the body.  Using carefully selected exercise machines, the amount of resistance (weight) can be safely monitored and gradually increased.

Steady-state activities such as walking, running, cycling, and aerobics are typically not demanding enough to adequately stimulate all the body’s adaptive mechanisms.  In addition, the potential long-term consequences of such activity may include muscle atrophy, joint degeneration, and fatigue.            

Why strength Training?

Properly performed strength training is the only way to improve all of the aforementioned components of fitness.  Stronger muscles help us to perform our daily and recreational activities more efficiently and effortlessly, while also providing resistance to injury.  In addition, since the purpose of the heart and lungs is to provide oxygen and nutrients to working tissues, the most efficient way to train the cardiovascular system is through the most efficient way to train the muscles… 

Slow-Motion Strength Training!

Why slow-motion strength training?

Slow-motion training is high-intensity circuit strength training, which emphasizes proper technique and the slow, controlled lifting and lowering of a selected resistance.  By eliminating momentum and significantly reducing dangerous impact forces, each training session will safely provide the intensity necessary to stimulate improvements in body composition, muscular strength and endurance, bone density, metabolic rate, and cardiovascular fitness.                                                                                                                                   

The safety and overall effectiveness of an exercise absolutely depend upon the speed of movement:

 

1. Since safety is affected by force, and force by acceleration, and acceleration by the suddenness of starting, stopping, or changing direction of movement, slower means safer.
2. Since momentum mounts with increased speed, and since momentum unloads the muscles we are trying to load for exercise, slower means better muscular loading and overall stimulation.             

       

How does strength training contribute to fat loss?

Beyond the age of full development (25-30 yr) adults will lose approximately a half-pound of muscle mass every year, if nothing is done to prevent it.  Strength training is the only way decelerate the loss of, maintain, or improve muscle mass.  Even if you’re running, cycling, or doing aerobics, you may still be losing muscle.  If you’re over age 30 and not strength training, you’re simply losing muscle mass (use them or lose them!).

Muscles are highly active even at rest and essentially act as the body’s fat burners.  When losing weight, most dieters who don’t strength train also lose muscle mass, which ultimately lowers the metabolic rate making it harder to lose weight and easier to gain weight when returning to a more normal diet.

If you truly want to lose body fat, strength training is the key to adding muscle, burning calories, and finally reaching your fitness goals… and what better way to strength train than slow-motion training at Appleton Fitness for Life, Inc.  

Summary

Properly performed slow-motion training is very challenging, demanding mentally, as well as physically.  However, the results can be extremely impressive, significantly greater than other programs in a fraction of the time.  Optimal results are achieved in 30-minutes no more than twice a week.    

AFFL provides the distraction-free environment necessary for optimal performance and concentration.  In addition, to other high-end exercise machines, the training studio is equipped with a full line of MedX^® variable resistance strength equipment, which is ideally suited for slow-motion exercise.  People of all ages and fitness levels will benefit tremendously through the use of such equipment in accordance with the slow-motion training protocol.  In addition, a college degreed and ACSM certified personal trainer will provide the education, supervision, motivation, and support needed to ensure a safe and effective exercise experience. 

AFFL has various programs, all of which are personalized and based on individual needs, goals, and limitations.  Even a short-term experience will teach you how to exercise more effectively and safely get the most out of your health club or home exercise program. 

“Get Fast Fitness Results With Slow-Motion Training!”

What Is Your Favorite Exercise?

I was talking with a training client today and we got into an interesting conversation about his favorite exercise.  It was kind of neat learning about his preferences, likes and dislikes.  So I wanted to open this up a bit and ask you… what’s your favorite exercise and why?