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Water versus sports drinks.  There is no shortage of ways to stay hydrated while you’re working out, but how do you know which one to choose and are any of them really better than water?

Water

If you’re working out for less than 60 minutes, water is the way to go.  This calorie-free option will keep you hydrated and regulate your temperature.  Don’t forget the best thing about water—it’s free!

Sports Drinks

If you’re sweating it out for over an hour, chances are you actually do need a sports drink.  Look for one with 60 to 100 calories per 8 ounces.  The carbohydrates will give you the energy you need for performance.  If you’re working out for 3-5 hours, you should find a drink with electrolytes.  Electrolytes aid in the absorption of fluids in the bloodstream and replace sodium in the body that you lose as you sweat. 

Hydrate

Remember to hydrate BEFORE you work out.  You should have a few glasses of water in the hours leading up to your workout and another glass 15-30 minutes prior.  Stay hydrated during your workout with another 8 ounces per 15 minutes of exercise.

Always watch for the early signs of dehydration:

• Increased thirst
• Dry mouth
• Headache
• Weakness
• Cramping

Drink up and you’ll be on your way to a better body in no time!

Lowering your blood pressure isn’t as difficult as it sounds.  In fact, the steps needed to reduce it probably closely resemble the ones you’re already taking to achieve your fitness goals.

Here’s how easy it is.

1. Maintain a Healthy Body Weight.  Blood pressure rises as body weight increases so one of the most effective ways to lower blood pressure is to reach and maintain a healthy weight.  Simply determine your Body Mass Index (BMI) by visiting http://www.24hourfitness.com/resources/fit_tools/bmi.html. If your BMI is over 27.8 for men or 27.3 for women, you should scale back on calories and increase your exercise to help you reach a healthier weight.

2. Stay Physically Active.  All it takes is 30 minutes a day to become physically active.   Exercise increases circulation, widening the arteries, which in turn reduces blood pressure immediately.  Several trials have indicated that exercise can be as effective as some drugs in lowering blood pressure. 

The Battle of the Sexes is one that’s been going on since the beginning of time. Well, in order to keep the playing field level and keep you battling for years to come here are a few tips to keep you healthy and strong.

5 Nutrition Tips for Women

Pile on the iron
Due to monthly cycles, pre-menopausal women simply need more iron. Iron-deficiency anemia is very common in young women. The recommended iron intake for pre-menopausal women is 18 mg, and the recommendation increases to 27 mg for pregnant women. Regularly include iron rich foods such as meat, shellfish, beans and enriched cereals in your diet.

Build up your bones
Calcium is important for building healthy bones and teeth, as well as maintaining a normal heart beat and regulating blood pressure. Studies show that women with vitamin D deficiency have a harder time absorbing calcium. So, incorporate a meal plan that lets you stock up on both.

Go Green

Green veggies are packed with vitamins A and C, fiber and phytonutrients. And because of their high folate content they are a very important food for mommies-to-be.

Berrries, the friendly fruit

These tiny fruits pack a powerful punch. Loaded with vitamin C, folate, fiber and phytonutrients, they are some of the most powerful disease-fighting foods available. Cranberries, for instance, are shown to decrease incidences of urinary infection in women.

Breakfast, the most important meal of the day
This is one cliché that holds true. Breakfast gives you fuel to start your day and gets your metabolism going. Skipping this meal makes your body think it’s in starvation mode and slows down your metabolism. It also tends to cause us to over eat at lunch. Try including at least three food groups in your breakfast so that you do not need to prowl for a mid-morning snack.

Yo-yo dieting consists of extreme methods to achieve weight loss and then gaining back the weight that was lost, due to the inability to maintain such drastic measures. Yo-yo dieting can range from small weight losses and gains (5-10 lbs. per cycle) to large changes in weight (50 lbs. or more per cycle). Diets that include bouts of starvation, missing meals, or a low calorie intake set you up for the yo-yo effect.

While “good” results can be achieved quickly, sooner or later, the body gets the hint that less calories are coming in. The body adapts, and goes into starvation mode, causing the metabolism to slow down. The weight loss that was initially achieved begins to slow down or stop.

What makes it even worse is that for some people, the lowered metabolism means they end up with more weight than what they started at. With each dieting episode, the body’s metabolism becomes less efficient, which will lead to a loss of muscle tone. Again, causing a slow down in the metabolism.

There have been many differing opinions about the importance of taking a multi vitamin, but recently, those opinions seems to be leaning towards the camp of IT IS IMPORTANT! As Dr. Bruce Ames of U.C. Berkeley puts it: "I believe everybody in the world should take a multivitamin as insurance. I take one daily. Nutritionists don't like the idea of people taking pills. They want people to eat better instead. But they have been trying for 25 years to change people's eating habits without much success." This is true. In our ever busy lives, is it realistic to think that we can all eat enough of the "right" foods everyday to get a full dose of all the nutrition we need to stay healthy? Some people who are really into practicing super healthy eating may get most of the nutrients they need from food, but what about those of us who enjoy pizza and fast food more often than we should? 

Snacking can be beneficial to you and your fitness goals, if you choose healthy foods to snack on. Having a small snack between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner, can actually prevent you from becoming too hungry and overeating during your main meals. However, make sure to pick a snack that will give you a sustainable energy boost and not just a quick sugar rush. This means staying away from snack foods that are 100% carbs and offer no protein.

Cookies, candy, and many other vending machine items are often not healthy choices. Ideally, the snack should be between 150 and 250 calories depending on your daily calorie intake goals. Make sure to subtract your snacking calories from your daily allowance, but understand they are calories well spent! Energy bars are a great snack options since they are made for athletes and people who workout. Most bars offer a balanced amount of carbs, protein, and fat. Make sure to avoid energy bars that are too high in sugar.

If you are planning on snacking before working out, eat your snack at least 45 minutes before hitting the gym. Energy drinks can be consumed up to 15 minutes before your workout. A small piece of non-fibrous fruit, such a half a banana is also a good snack choice. Healthy snacking may take a little more planning on your part, and yes, you might have to bring stuff from home ... but the effort will pay off. Try to eat snacks that offer 25 or less carbs, 8-15 grams of protein, and 5 or less fat grams. Cottage cheese and fruit, a mini bagel with low-fat peanut butter, or an apple with low-fat cheese are all good options. Snack on my friends!

Nutrition plays a major roll when it comes to getting fit and staying fit. You can exercise for hours every day, but if your diet is not balanced and comprised of nutritious foods, or if you are consuming more calories than you burn, achieving your fitness goals will be very difficult. So how can you tell how many calories you are eating each day and how many calories you’re burning? 24 Hour Fitness offers an easy way for members to track their food intake online. When you are working with a personal trainer, they can set you up with a custom account so you can use the online calorie management program by Apex. Many members purchase The bodybugg, an arm band that takes the guess work out of weight loss. It monitors your calorie expenditure and calorie intake, then let’s you know if you need to move more or eat less to achieve your nutritional goals for that day. When you buy a bodybugg, you can also use the bodybugg web program along with the calorie management program to track your exercise and food intake. Click the link below for more info ...

I took THE BEST CARDIO KICK BOXING CLASS I've ever taken at the 24 Hour Fitness in Hollywood. I used to teach kick boxing in college ... so it's hard for me to find a class I think is top notch. Well, not only did I get my booty kicked by the magnificently motivating SKIP JENNINGS ... but this gifted instructor also made the class really entertaining and fun. The music was GREAT ... he clearly has a following of regulars because everyone seemed to know and love him. The class was 60 minutes total and ended an ab workout. My ham strings were super sore and so were my shoulders ... it was a KILLER total body workout that flew by in a flash. To see the results of my first few days logging my food intake ... click the link below. 

Today was interesting, slightly ego bruising, but totally worthwhile. I arrived at 24 Hour Fitness at 10am to have my "body assessment." Very necessary in order to set up an effective fitness and nutrition program ... but let's be honest, not always the most fun part of getting fit. I am going to go ahead and take one for the team here by divulging my results so we can chart my progress together. Just call me the 24 Fit Club Guinea Pig. Edson, a fit and friendly trainer at Hollywood Sport 24 Hour, helped me out. He measured three things: body fat, circumference of arms, hips, legs etc., and of course weight. Drum roll please ...

BODY ASSESSMENT RESULTS:
Height: 5'4"
Body Type: Athletic/Medium Frame
Weight: 130
Body Fat: 25% (20-25% is considered healthy for a woman YAY!!!)

THE PLAN OF ACTION

• Set a REALISTIC, manageable goal for myself
  
• Workout 4-5 days a week for at least 1 hour
• Consume 1750 calories each day
• Burn 2250 calories each day (about 400 of those calories will be from exercise)
  
• Create a deficit of 500 calories each day
  
• Use the BodyBugg online calorie management program to help me monitor my food intake
  

MY GOAL  ... 90 DAYS
Weight: 125
Body Fat: 20-22%

Click the link below to learn more about the online custom calorie management program available through Apex  and 24 Hour Fitness.