Fitness & Wellness

Knowing Your Body Type Might Help You Lose Weight

Knowing Your Body Type Might Help You Lose Weight

There has always been an acknowledgment that not everyone has the same body type. For a long time, science identified three basic types. Knowing what type of body you have can help you lose weight and realize your potential “best self.” The original three body types were ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph.

Ectomorphs are tall and lean with very little body fat or muscle tone.

They tend to have flat bottoms, narrow shoulders and flat chests. It’s hard for them to gain weight and strength training can is important. Ectomorphs tend to have a high metabolism and are often described as “skinny fat,” since their body has more fat tissue than muscle tissue, even though they’re thin. Focusing on weight and strength training is important. Ectomorphs need to use heavier weights and take it slow. Do five to ten repetitions in each set, and six to eight sets with a minute or two between those sets. For cardio, take brisk walks or ride a bike to save calories, while building endurance. Eating several healthy meals throughout the day is important.

Endomorph body shapes are more pear-shaped.

Endomorph body styles tend to be rounder and shorter. They unfortunately gain fat quickly because of a slow metabolism. They have little muscle compared to body fat and that muscle isn’t very well-defined. The pear shape indicated the weight is in the lower body, but when they’re fit, an hourglass figure is normal. The good news is that they build muscle quickly. Of all the body shapes, endomorphs have the hardest time losing weight. Cardio is important for endomorphs, but strength training is even more important. A high fiber, low fat diet will help endomorphs lose weight. Avoiding alcohol, non-organic or processed meat is also important.

Mesomorphs are the luckiest of all.

If you gain muscle quickly and have shoulder width that’s approximately the same size as your hips, but need exercise to maintain your weight, you’re probably a mesomorph. Mesomorphs are athletic looking and need to have strength training to maintain muscle mass. They should focus on eating three high-protein meals a day that are low carb if weight loss is necessary. HIIT and cardio training works well for mesomorphs.

  • Your body type will never change, but you can make it look its best. For ectomorph men, rippling, bulging muscles can be tougher to get and takes more work, but can be done and endomorphs can lose weight.
  • Building muscle tissue is extremely important for endomorphs. While it’s harder for them to do than it is for mesomorphs, it’s still possible. It can help boost your metabolism and keep weight off permanently.
  • The mesomorph body type makes these people almost natural athletes. They build muscle quickly. That doesn’t mean mesomorphs don’t have to put forth effort. While it may be easier, getting fit still takes work.
  • During caveman times, mesomorphs and endomorphs were the survivors. The mesomorphs were often the strongest, while the excess fat on endomorphs helped them stay alive. There’s no one best type of body shape. It’s all about what you do with your body that makes a difference.

For more information, contact us today at Upfit Academy


Can a PB&J Be Healthy?

Can a PB&J Be Healthy?

Yes, that simple PB&J sandwich that your mother made may actually be more than quick and filling. It can be healthy, too. Some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are healthier than others are. It all depends on the type of peanut butter, bread and jelly that’s used. Instead of white bread, use whole wheat. Make sure the only ingredient in peanut butter is peanuts and use a homemade jam that’s sugar free.

PB&Js are loaded with nutrients.

The peanut butter provides a lot of the vitamins and minerals, but if you use a homemade refrigerator version of jam, you’ll boost the nutrient content. Peanut butter is high in phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, niacin and vitamin B-6. You can make sugar free strawberry or other berry jam by simmering down mashed ripe fruit. Making the sandwich with whole wheat bread adds to the fiber and nutritional benefits.

Make your own jam and add chia seeds to boost the nutritional value.

There are several recipes for jam that use stevia or other sweeteners, but if you use sweet ripe fruit, you don’t have to add a sweetener. You do have to keep the fruit on the stove to boil it down and if you want a thicker jam, add some chia seeds. It will contain most of the nutrients you find in the fruit and the benefits from the chia seeds, which include additional fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and a wide variety of micronutrients. You can store the jam in the freezer or refrigerator for later.

You can boost your heart health with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Peanut butter has a high ratio of healthy fat, which includes mono and polyunsaturated fats compared to saturated fat. You need fat in your diet, but not all fat is healthy. Increasing good fat and reducing harmful fat is good for heart health. The fat ratios in peanut butter are close to those in olive oil, which is known for its heart healthy properties.

  • You can make a healthy fruit spread with almost any type of fruit. You heat it with a little water, lime juice or orange juice, mash the fruit, then add chia seeds. You can use frozen fruit or berries or fresh.
  • Making a PB&J on Ezekiel bread can add to the nutritional benefits. It can help lower cholesterol levels, improve liver functioning, help with allergies and improve digestion.
  • Even if you can’t make your own fruit spread or homemade jelly or jam, a PB&J can still be healthy. Just go lightly on the “J” and spread it thing. Make it just enough to get the flavor and make it easier to swallow the peanut butter.
  • Always read the labels when you buy peanut butter. Opt for those that are organic and natural with the least possible ingredients. Some peanut butters contain additives and a high amount of sugar. The healthiest peanut butter only contains peanuts.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Can a PB&J Be Healthy?

Can a PB&J Be Healthy?

Yes, that simple PB&J sandwich that your mother made may actually be more than quick and filling. It can be healthy, too. Some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are healthier than others are. It all depends on the type of peanut butter, bread and jelly that’s used. Instead of white bread, use whole wheat. Make sure the only ingredient in peanut butter is peanuts and use a homemade jam that’s sugar free.

PB&Js are loaded with nutrients.

The peanut butter provides a lot of the vitamins and minerals, but if you use a homemade refrigerator version of jam, you’ll boost the nutrient content. Peanut butter is high in phosphorous, magnesium, zinc, niacin and vitamin B-6. You can make sugar free strawberry or other berry jam by simmering down mashed ripe fruit. Making the sandwich with whole wheat bread adds to the fiber and nutritional benefits.

Make your own jam and add chia seeds to boost the nutritional value.

There are several recipes for jam that use stevia or other sweeteners, but if you use sweet ripe fruit, you don’t have to add a sweetener. You do have to keep the fruit on the stove to boil it down and if you want a thicker jam, add some chia seeds. It will contain most of the nutrients you find in the fruit and the benefits from the chia seeds, which include additional fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, protein and a wide variety of micronutrients. You can store the jam in the freezer or refrigerator for later.

You can boost your heart health with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Peanut butter has a high ratio of healthy fat, which includes mono and polyunsaturated fats compared to saturated fat. You need fat in your diet, but not all fat is healthy. Increasing good fat and reducing harmful fat is good for heart health. The fat ratios in peanut butter are close to those in olive oil, which is known for its heart healthy properties.

  • You can make a healthy fruit spread with almost any type of fruit. You heat it with a little water, lime juice or orange juice, mash the fruit, then add chia seeds. You can use frozen fruit or berries or fresh.
  • Making a PB&J on Ezekiel bread can add to the nutritional benefits. It can help lower cholesterol levels, improve liver functioning, help with allergies and improve digestion.
  • Even if you can’t make your own fruit spread or homemade jelly or jam, a PB&J can still be healthy. Just go lightly on the “J” and spread it thing. Make it just enough to get the flavor and make it easier to swallow the peanut butter.
  • Always read the labels when you buy peanut butter. Opt for those that are organic and natural with the least possible ingredients. Some peanut butters contain additives and a high amount of sugar. The healthiest peanut butter only contains peanuts.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Good Gluten Free Options

Good Gluten Free Options

Going gluten free isn’t always the best option for everyone, but it does have its benefits for people who are gluten intolerant. If you have celiac disease, are gluten sensitive or intolerant, then gluten free options are definitely necessary in your diet. What is gluten? Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat. It’s higher in protein, which is a plus. It also makes the final product thicker and chewier. It can be difficult to digest and can cause diarrhea, skin conditions, exhaustion, anemia, depression, auto-immune disease, stomach pain, headaches and more. It’s becoming more frequent due to the prevalence of a high gluten wheat that now accounts for 80% of the wheat on the market today.

Choose your gluten free option wisely.

When companies remove fat from products, they replace it with sugar to give it flavor. The same is true of gluten free options. While sugar is a go-to option, so is salt and saturated fat. Unless you have a reaction to gluten, you’re often better off consuming the gluten than the ingredients they added to replace the gluten or to make the product more palatable. With that said, many products are already naturally gluten free, so they don’t need extra processing. Quinoa, corn, oats and brown rice are a few options.

Consider almond flour instead of wheat flour.

What is almond flour? It’s flour that’s made from blanched, ground almonds. A cup of almond flour has approximately 90 almonds crushed and processed. It’s nutritious and a good option that gives the final product a nutty flavor. Always check the label on both the flour and products made with almond flour to ensure it wasn’t made where products containing gluten were manufactured that could contaminate the almond flour.

Buckwheat and amaranth flour are also good substitutes.

Whether you’re making your own products from scratch or buying ones that are premade and gluten free, finding the product is made with either amaranth flour or buckwheat flour is a good sign. Even though it has wheat in its name, buckwheat isn’t a wheat, it’s actually a pseudo cereal, just like amaranth. Buckwheat is rich in B vitamins, iron, magnesium, zinc, folate, manganese and fiber. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since both contain no gluten, they tend to produce final products that are crumblier. In fact, amaranth can only replace 25% of wheat flour.

  • Arrowroot flour was once used in baby formula because it was easy to digest. It also helps maintain the alkaline/acid balance in the body. Be aware that many products with arrowroot flour also contain wheat flour.
  • Cutting out gluten can also reduce your intake of grains, increasing the risk of heart disease. While cutting back on products containing gluten may be beneficial, it takes a lot of planning to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
  • A very good option is choosing products made from brown rice flour. Since the whole grain is used, it offers many health benefits, including weight loss, lowering blood sugar levels and providing protection from heart disease.
  • One ancient grain that’s the smallest grain in the world is teff. It’s the only grain that contains vitamin C and is high in protein, calcium, and fiber.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


"Tips" To Promote Healthy Cholesterol Levels

“Tips” To Promote Healthy Cholesterol Levels

Upfit Academy in New York, NY, focuses on creating a healthier, better version of you. There are many things you can do to avoid serious conditions or improve issues you already have. In fact, you can improve your chances of having healthy cholesterol levels by using these tips provided. A poor cholesterol profile can lead to atherosclerosis, gall stones, heart attack and memory loss. Having the right balance of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol can make the difference. You can lower your bad cholesterol or overall cholesterol levels by making a few changes.

Improve your fiber intake.

Fiber comes in two varieties. There’s soluble fiber and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber dissolves to a gel after it’s consumed. Insoluble fiber can’t be digested and provides bulk in the stool. Soluble fiber helps your cholesterol levels by increasing the HDL cholesterol levels and reducing the LDL cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the bad cholesterol that can oxidize in your blood vessels, especially if there’s a lot in your blood stream. Soluble fiber creates a gel that traps the bad cholesterol but also feeds beneficial microbes in the gut that lower cholesterol levels. Increasing oranges, pears, peaches, oatmeal and other high soluble fiber foods in your diet can help lower bad cholesterol levels.

Change your diet to eliminate trans fats.

Trans fats, also called partially hydrogenated vegetable oil are still found in many baked goods, margarine and crackers. They can raise overall cholesterol levels. While the FDA banned the use of hydrogenated vegetable oil, trans fats can also be found in some donuts, commercial pies, biscuits, some brands of microwave dinners, some pancake and waffle mixes, frozen and creamy beverages, ice cream, pudding cups, coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and crackers. Cut these out of your diet and replace them with healthier options to lower overall cholesterol levels.

Increase the amount of Omega-3 levels.

There’s a fine balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that is necessary for a healthy body. The ratio of the two can range anywhere from one part omega-3 to four parts Omega-6 all the way to four parts omega-3 to one part omega-6. However, in the American diet, the ratio tends to be as high as 16 to 1 with the 16 being omega-6. Omega-3 is anti-inflammatory, while omega-6 is inflammatory. Increase your omega-3 by consuming more fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, eating more walnuts and flaxseed.

  • Switching from traditional eggs to free-range or pastured eggs and grass fed beef can help improve the omega-3 profile and lower your cholesterol levels.
  • Increasing your physical activity will raise your good, LDL, cholesterol levels. Getting 30 minutes of exercise five times a week can make a difference, even if it’s broken down to short intervals several times a day.
  • If you smoke, stop smoking. It will make a big difference in your lung function and circulation within a few months. If you drink alcohol, drink in moderation. That means one drink for women and two for men each day.
  • Lose weight. If you change your diet and increase exercise, you’re on your way to making this important change.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Do Vegetarians Lose Weight Easier Than Others?

Do Vegetarians Lose Weight Easier Than Others?

We don’t dictate what type of healthy diet people should eat at UpFit Training Academy in New York, NY. What we do is help our clients create a healthy diet for their personal taste and needs. One question often asked is whether people should become vegetarians. People often ask this because they want to lose weight faster and believe vegetarians lose weight easier. No matter what your preference for food or special needs, you can lose weight with healthy eating, no matter what you choose. To address the question, let’s first look at what a vegetarian is and is not.

A vegetarian isn’t a vegan.

Vegans have far more dietary restrictions than vegetarians. They don’t eat any animal products, including diary or eggs. The diet of a vegetarian is primarily plant based, so most of their protein comes from dishes like beans and rice. Vegetarians, unlike vegans, often include animal products in their meals, such as milk, milk products and eggs. They simply eliminate animal flesh from their diet. It’s easier to get all the necessary nutrients that way.

It’s not all salads and veggies with dip for vegetarians.

If you’re vegetarian and eat four or five candy bars a day or munch on donuts, chips and soft drinks, you’ll not lose weight. While most healthy vegetarian foods are low calorie, there’s still unhealthy vegetarian junk food that packs on the pounds. There’s even a new section specifically labeled vegetarian snacks that can pack on the pounds. They even have highly processed fake meat that are often more unhealthy than the real processed meat. The impossible burger has a much higher sodium content than real burgers.

Weight loss isn’t about a label, but how healthy your choices are.

No matter what type of food choices you make, such as omnivorian, vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian, weight loss occurs based on what you consume in that category. Sugar comes from plants and consuming a lot of it certainly won’t help you shed those extra pounds. While studies show vegans and vegetarians tend to be thinner, it’s all about the type of food you eat within that category. You need a diet that’s designed for healthier eating.

  • A well-balanced diet, no matter what it is, vegetarian, omnivorian, etc., all have health benefits. It increases the potential for weight loss, reduces inflammation, blood pressure, balances blood sugar and blood cholesterol.
  • Nuts are a good source of healthy fat and protein, but if you eat tons of sugar coated nuts every day, you simply won’t shed those extra pounds, since it’s a high calorie option. Cut out the sugar and use nuts sparingly, in salads or eat a handful, not a pound, as a snack.
  • One benefit vegetarians tend to have is that most vegetables are loaded with fiber. Fiber fills you up and keeps you full longer. Foods with healthy fat, like avocados, and those with protein, like beans, also do the same, so you eat less.
  • We can help you with a diet designed for your needs. It’s one that provides food you enjoy that’s also nutritious. It will keep you feeling full longer, but will help you lose weight.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Don’t Be Afraid Of Intermittent Fasting

If you’ve been hearing about intermittent fasting—IF—as a technique for weight loss and think it’s one of the latest diet fads, think again. It’s not new. In fact, it’s been around for quite a while and used as part of religious ceremonies, then to help control epilepsy before medications were created. Early man fasted periodically, sometimes longer periods when food was scarce. The body was meant to fast for short periods. In fact, some intermittent fasting isn’t longer than a day. It simply means you eat within a 6-8 hour window and fast the rest of the time. Other types, require fasting for a day or two.

Most people actually get healthier when they do IF.

There have been studies on the effect of fasting since the 1930s. One animal study divided mice into three groups. One group ate just once a day. The second group had a 30% calorie restriction and was fed twice a day, while the last group ate on demand. The mice that fasted and ate once a day not only lived longer, they aged slower than those in the other two groups. They remained more active and looked more youthful. They lived 28% longer than the group that ate on demand, while the calorie restricted group only lived 11% longer than that group.

Weight loss seems imminent, since you eat within a narrower window or skip a day.

Narrowing your window of eating means you won’t have as much time to eat and you’ll be fuller most of that time. That means you’ll eat fewer calories. If you start eating at 11am and finish at 7pm—8 hours—there’s less time to overindulge. If you have insomnia, are pregnant, lactating, take medication that requires food previously, have digestive issues or a compromised immune system, always check with your health care professional first. Fasting may not be for you, even intermittent fasting.

You’ll get other benefits from IF.

You might look years younger when you do IF. That’s because the fasting helps you shed extra pounds, particularly around your mid-section. It increases insulin sensitivity and human growth hormone. It also helps boost your metabolic rate, while reducing one of the major causes of disease, inflammation. It also gives the body a chance to do cellular repair and remove waste, a process known as autophagy. Once old cells are removed, the body replaces them with new ones. This isn’t done during short fasting periods, but requires at least 24 hours, so it requires alternate days of fasting. IF also improves concentration and brain health, while lowering the risk of cancer.

  • One caution about IF. During those times you eat, make sure you eat healthy. While timing is important, so is adequate nutrition. Don’t feast on junk food but make the food you eat healthy.
  • Recent studies looked at the effect of IF while on a keto diet. It found that it increases fat burning and reduced the amount of time for ketosis that leads to maximum weight loss.
  • One reason IF works is that it’s relatively easy to do. Simply restricting the amount of time when you eat and using a healthy diet means you’ll eat fewer calories for that day. It also improves metabolism.
  • An animal study showed that fasting caused the body to produce a molecule beta-hydroxybutyrate. It helped reverse vascular aging and caused the blood vessels to build more cells that line the interior.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Does Alcohol Make Me Gain Weight?

Does Alcohol Make Me Gain Weight?

Do you enjoy a few drinks after work each day, but find that your waistline is getting bigger? That’s because alcohol can make you gain weight. That’s right. Even if drinking a couple of glasses of wine daily has been shown to be heart healthy, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have other consequences. It’s especially bad if you’re trying to lose weight, since not only the food you eat, but the calories you get from what you drink can add pounds. It has other health consequences, too, such as an increased risk of liver disease or diabetes.

Even though it may cause weight gain and have other negative effects, drinking moderately may have benefits.

It’s all about moderation. For instance, moderate alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia. One research study found that people who drank in moderation were less prone to it than those who never drank alcohol. Alcohol reduces the blood thickness and improves HDL—healthy cholesterol—levels. Those both help reduce the potential of dementia. Moderate intake of wine and beer may also boost the immune system. Wine is often cited as being heart healthy. However, nowhere, has science ever found it helped healthy weight loss.

Alcoholic beverages add calories without providing benefits.

While you might get a few vitamins from umbrella drinks that contain fruit, those drinks normally also have lots of sugar. The calories from the sugar are stored, since the body uses the calories from alcohol immediately. They can’t be stored. For women who haven’t passed menopause, it simply means you’ll add more pounds, but for those past menopause, the oestrogen levels drop, which causes the excess weight to form around the mid-section as belly fat.

Fat burning slows when you drink alcohol.

As noted before, the body uses the calories from alcohol first. It impairs the way glucagon works. Glucagon elevates glucose levels and breaks down fat. It all goes back to how the body sees alcohol. It doesn’t view it as a drink, but rather a poison and the liver works hard to rid the body of poison. While the liver is trying to rid the body of the alcohol, it can’t do its other tasks, so breaking down fat doesn’t occur. It also causes blood glucose levels to drop, leaving you feeling ravenous. Everything looks good and you tend to overeat. Not only does alcohol stop fat burning, it stimulates your appetite.

  • If you’re trying to build muscle, avoid alcoholic drinks. It reduces testosterone levels that help with muscle gain. Lower testosterone levels directly and indirectly affect how much weight you lose.
  • One study shows that a simple drink before dinner can stimulate your appetite, so you eat more. One study compared those who had an alcoholic beverage to those who had a soft drink and the ones who drank alcohol ate far more.
  • Each gram of alcohol is high in calories. It has twice the calories of protein and more than most carbs. A gram of fat has 9 calories with alcohol coming in close at 7. However, fat makes you feel full and is important for bodily functions, which includes burning fat.
  • The spike in the insulin level caused by alcoholic drinks can increase the potential for more than just weight gain. It can increase the potential for insulin resistance. While you can still lose weight and drink moderately, it is harder to do.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


How To Lose Body Fat And Retain Muscle Mass

How To Lose Body Fat And Retain Muscle Mass

Most people want to lose body fat, while they also retain muscle mass or even build more muscle mass. It’s not a pipe dream but is hard to do if you’re not using the right exercise techniques and have adequate nutritional guidance. The fat/muscle composition of your body not only affects how you look, it also makes a difference in how quickly you lose weight. If you want a six-pack or the muscular look, you need to do both, lose fat and gain muscle.

No matter how much exercise you do, if there’s a layer of fat, your efforts won’t show.

Some people have a six-pack and a chiseled appearance, but it’s hidden under a layer of fat. How do you lose that fat without losing the muscle tone? Start by looking at your workout program. If you’re doing primarily cardio, you’ll be burning both lean muscle mass and fat, which is counterproductive. That can actually slow your efforts to burn fat, since muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does. Complex strength building exercises will build or retain your muscle tissue, while also burning fat.

Your diet is extremely important.

Great bodies start in the kitchen. If you’re not eating clean and don’t have a nutritious menu, you’ll make it harder to build muscle, retain muscle or shed fat. You need to include approximately 1.5 grams of protein for every pound of body weight. Healthy fat is also important in your diet. It’s essential for burning fat in your body. It should be approximately 15-20% of your total calorie intake.

If you’re tracking your calorie intake and trying to build muscle, eat approximately 500 fewer calories a day.

We focus on healthy eating and that means lowering calorie intake slowly, not a crash diet. If you’re trying to build muscles, reduce your calorie intake by approximately 500 calories a day. It takes energy to build lean muscle tissue. Healthy eating does that naturally. If you’re doing tough strength training, your reduction needs to be minimal or not at all.

  • Just cutting calories without exercise won’t give you the look you want. You may look heavier, even if you’ve lost weight. The body of someone muscular looks slimmer than the body of someone that’s not muscular who weighs the same.
  • Complex strength building exercises work several muscles and joints at the same time, so they burn more calories while building muscle tissue. We use the latest scientific techniques to help you lose fat, while you build muscle.
  • When you want to lose fat, not muscle, make sure you get adequate sleep. Lack of sleep can cause an imbalance in the hunger/satiety hormone, so you’ll be prone to eat more and too tired to workout as hard as you should.
  • Make sure you give your body a chance to heal the muscle tissue. Don’t do strenuous strength building exercises every day. Not giving adequate recovery time can cause you to lose muscle mass and hurt your progress.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy


Getting Started With Running

Getting Started With Running

If you’re like many people, you may want to find ways to supplement your time at the gym on the days you don’t go. Some people find that biking, walking or running are good ways to do that. Adding more activity that isn’t intense can keep you healthier and provide active recovery if you’ve had a tough workout the day earlier. There are some things to remember if you use running as your alternate exercise program.

What you wear does count.

Wearing the right type of clothing for weather conditions is a top priority. Your clothing doesn’t have to be the latest fashion, but it does have to suit the weather and allow easy movement. Your shoes are important. They should be supportive and designed for the terrain you’ll run. There’s a lot of difference between running on a treadmill, running on gravel, at a track or on hilly, woodsy terrain. Get the type of shoes based on where you run. Shoes to run on trails is far different than those used to run on asphalt.

If you’re running outside, let someone know where you’re running and plan to make it safe.

Always make sure someone knows where you’re running if you’re taking a route outside, just in case something happens. It’s even better if you take a cell phone and use an app that allows your cell phone to be tracked. Wear clothing that keeps you safer, like reflective clothing after dark and running with a buddy if possible. Make sure you carry extra water or plan your route based on public fountains or places to stop for water, especially on hot days. Always warm up before you run and cool down when you’ve finished.

Learning proper breathing techniques will help you with running and all types of exercise.

Learning the proper technique when you breathe is important for success in running. Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth is one of the easier techniques but should be practiced before you run or jog. Learn belly breathing to ensure your nasal breaths are deeper. Blow out your breath as deeply as you can, using the diaphragm.

  • Most people aren’t aware which running shoes are best for various conditions. Get the help of the staff at the store that knows the difference.
  • Just like any exercise, don’t try to overdo it. Start with a gentle run or even a walk. The exercise is meant for active recovery. Don’t make it too intense, especially when you first start.
  • You need to keep hydrated. One general rule is to drink a half to three quarters cup of water every 20 minutes you run. If you’re pushing yourself to run faster, you’ll need to increase that amount.
  • Make sure your posture is good when you run. Your head should be held high, back extended so you run “tall.” Your shoulders should be up, yet relaxed. Maintain a neutral position, focusing your eyes 10 to 20 feet out in front of you.

For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy