Hot new fitness trends to tryQ: Now that colder weather is upon us, I’m looking forward to getting back to the gym. Do you know of any new group fitness classes that are hitting the scene?
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A:Yes! If you have caught their infomercial, you may all ready be familiar with Zumba. Set in a party-like atmosphere, Zumba is described as being "a fun, effective, and simple fitness system that uses the principles of cardiovascular-based interval and resistance training to maximize caloric output, fat burning and total body toning." According to those who have tried Zumba, it is hot, hot, hot—and not just for the workout! Zumba’s creator, Alberto "Beto" Perez, a sultry Latino sizzler, leads the video workouts with "sexy, explosive Latin and exotic music rhythms." The word Zumba is a Colombian expression that means "to move fast and have fun."
The creator of Step Aerobics has done it again with her newest baby, The Ramp™. The Ramp, a sort of half-circle step set at an incline, targets the back of the body. "While other cardio activities mostly tax the front of the legs, the Ramping program focuses on the back of the legs," says Gin Miller, creator. "The Ramping program is like nothing else out there. It’s the first cardio exercise to use a backward-dominated motion. It’s like sending yourself to `booty camp!’"
The BOSU has also joined the group fitness ranks. If you haven’t acquainted yourself with the BOSU yet, it’s basically half a stability ball that sits on a base. It’s great for creating an unstable workout environment, bringing the core muscles—those muscles all around your midsection—into action. Rob Glick, a BOSU master trainer explains, "A BOSU class integrates balance challenges into all components of fitness. Grace and ease of movement are really important and after training on the unstable surface of the BOSU I have had my clients tell me they feel more graceful and agile than ever before."
Finally, there are classes that combine two or more all ready popular types of exercise. Yogilates®, a fusion of yoga and pilates, is one of these classes. Yogilates "integrates the effective core-strengthening exercises, alignment principles, and a proper warm-up to the spine from pilates with the breathing techinques, muscular endurance, and flow of Vinyasa yoga. Beginning with the breath, posture and the core, Yogilates teaches you awareness, alignment, strength, flexibility, balance, and how to relax your mind and body."
All of these hot new trends are now offering instructor training and certification, so keep your eye out!
Can’t wait for these newest fitness crazes to come to you? You don’t have to! Check out their sites for videos and gear to get you moving in your own home:
www.zumba.com
www.rampfit.com
www.bosu.com
www.yogilates.com
Tighten up lose skin
Q: I lost 30 pounds and went from a size 14 to a size 2 due to an illness, and am left with excess skin under my arms, on my stomach, under my neck—sort of all over. Will working out tighten this skin up or am I fighting a losing battle? Should I be using weights when I work out?
A: How much your skin will snap back depends upon a number of things, including genetics, sun damage, nutritional factors and how long the skin had been stretched out. "The prolonged stretching of the skin produces permanent changes in the dermis, making it unlikely that the tension can be fully regained after fat loss has been achieved," explains Audrey Kunin, M.D., diplomat of the American Board of Dermatology and owner of Dermadoctor.com.
While working out won’t tighten the skin itself, having a lack of muscle and excess fat can make the skin appear looser than it does with a nice layer of muscle supporting the structures. Kunin strongly recommends both aerobic and strength training, and is partial to pilates. In other words, yes, definitely use weights or some other form of resistance or strength training to build that muscular layer back up! And don’t forget to nourish your skin from the inside-out, too. A balanced diet that includes lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, essential fatty acids, and plenty of good old water is a must.
"You also have nothing to lose by taking normal amounts of vitamins C and E supplements," Kunin says, as both play a part in skin health. "Also, topical creams with at least 10 percent L-Ascorbic Acid—vitamin C—would be worthwhile to try in helping to stimulate the fibroblasts to form some collagen and firm up."
"Endermologie may also be something to consider," suggests Kunin, "particularly if you have any visible cellulite, as this process will break up the fibrous strands that may be trapping some of the residual fat, giving a less-than-toned appearance."
Should you decide upon plastic surgery, there are a variety of procedures that can be performed. "These range from a `body lift,’ aimed at tummy, buttock and torso regions, to `arm lifts,’ for the sagging upper arm skin, to `thigh lifts.’"
Kunin warns that these are significantly invasive procedures that can take hours—some up to 10 hours—under anesthesia. "So the obvious risks make it important to have tried other options first."
Increase fat loss by boosting cardio intensity
Q: I want to lose the most body fat I can per session of cardio. I am
currently walking at an incline for about 45 minutes, five days a week, and running one to two days. I have about 20 more pounds to lose. Am I doing the best cardio activity possible for maximum fat loss?
A: Congratulations on your progress thus far! You’re definitely doing enough cardio—now you need to check your intensity. Higher intensity means higher overall calories burned—includig fat—not to mention the option of shortening your workout! Interjecting periods of higher intensity into your workout will increase your fat calories burned during that time. This can be as simple as adding 30- to 60-second bursts of running every two or three minutes into your walk.
I also suggest considering cross training. Your body will grow accustomed to the walking and will become very efficient in its use of fat as fuel. Consequently, you won’t burn as much as quickly. Add different cardio activities throughout the week to keep your body challenged and bump up its fat-burning potential.
Lastly, if you’re not all ready, add strength training to your routine. There is such a thing as too much cardio when it comes to building muscle and fat loss. Because muscle requires more calories to build and maintain itself, you rev up your fat-burning engine around the clock when you increase your overall muscle content.