The Benefits of Fresh Air

Lack of fresh air in the human body leads to the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
  
• Drowsiness
  
• Dullness of mind
  
• Irritability

The simple act of getting up and going outside therefore can do wonders to rejuvenate and motivate your body to keep going outside more regularly.

If a person stays indoors too often they will also get more of the harmful effects of tobacco smoke, city smog, re-circulating air in buildings, improper ventilation, exhaust, and many other pollutants.

Now you may think, wait, city smog indoors? Yes. In fact smog particles collect indoors whereas outside they are blown away on the wind and eventually filtered by rain, air moisture, etc. So since it doesn't rain indoors the quality of air suffers as the smog particles collect. (Which brings up a healthy reason to buy an air purifier.) In cities like Toronto where we have very good air quality the smog isn't such a big issue, but that doesn't mean you won't see huge physical and mental benefits from going outside more often.

However going outside regularly gives you many positive side effects:

• Reduces depression
  
• Promotes healing
  
• Sparks creativity
• Acts as a painkiller
• Reduces fat by introducing more Vitamin D into the body
• Boosts brain power (more oxygen to the brain)
• Less Fevers
  
• Less Colds
  
• Less Lung disease
  

A lot of this is because the air outside has a higher concentration of oxygen in it. You could try and fix this by having more plants inside your home, to give you a higher oxygen level, but the quick and easy solution is to simply go outside more often and breathe deeply as you go for a walk, jogging, walk the dog, nature hike, bicycle ride, etc.

Fresh air due to its higher oxygen levels helps with many things.

• Fresh air purifies the blood more.
  

• Fresh air soothes the nerves, stimulates appetite, helps digestion, and induces more refreshing sleep.
  

• Fresh air invigorates the vital organs and aids the body's defense system in getting rid of an accumulation of impurities and toxins.
  

• Fresh air brings life to your skin, and a healthy tan doesn't hurt either.
  

• Fresh air influences your mind, imparting a degree of composure and serenity while simultaneously acting as a natural painkiller.
  

• Fresh air, especially when we exercise outdoors, will stimulate our appetite, and greatly aid and improve digestion of food.
  

• Exercises performed outdoors in fresh air offer increased aerobic benefits. Taking in more clean air helps improves your breathing technique. Better technique increases stamina. More oxygen to the muscles reduces the lactic acid build-up in the muscles which leads to cramping and pain.
  

• Oxygen electrifies the whole system, causes the body to be strong and healthy, and will refresh the system.

• Oxygen has negative ions that are useful in giving electrical energy to the body, especially the nervous system. This will give us a sense of well-being, serenity, and composure.
  

• Oxygen kills bacteria as it strengthens your immune system. When the white blood cells are called upon by the immune system to destroy germs, bacteria and viruses, they need much more oxygen than normal.
  

CONCLUSIONS

More oxygen to your brain, more oxygen to your muscles, more oxygen to all your vital organs, more oxygen to your skin, your blood, everything. Everything benefits from fresh air and boosts your health dramatically.

Sleeping Positions and how they Effect your Health

A good night's sleep effects your health in many ways, and likewise different sleeping positions also effect your health - sometimes in adverse ways you didn't know about.

Below we will explore 9 sleeping positions and how they effect your health.

1. On Your Back, Arms at Sides

Good for the back and neck.
Back sleepers tend to snore more and sleep apnea is more common.

2. On Your Back, Arms Up (the Starfish Position)

Good for the back and neck.
Prevents facial wrinkles and skin breakouts.
May result in snoring and problems with acid reflux.
May put pressure on nerves in your shoulders, leading to pain.

3. Face Down

Good for digestion.
Difficulty breathing through your pillow.
May cause neck pain and back pain.

4. Fetal Position

May cause problems for your back and neck.
Restricts deep breathing in the chest.
Good position for problem snorers or pregnant women.

5. On Side, Arms at Sides

Okay for back and neck, also reduces sleep apnea.
May cause facial wrinkles and sagging breasts.

6. On Side, Arms Out

Okay for back and neck, also reduces sleep apnea.
Shoulder and arm pain due to restricted blood flow and pressure on the nerves.

7. On the Right Side

May cause heartburn while you are sleeping.
Better for pregnant women, improves circulation to the fetus.

8. On the Left Side

Puts more strain on your liver, lungs, and stomach (while minimizing acid reflux). This in turn will make you hungrier in the morning.

9. Pillow-Supplemented

Regardless of which sleeping position you prefer, you will get a better night’s rest with less pain in the morning by supplementing your body with a pillow.

Back sleepers can put a small pillow under the arch of their spine, side sleepers can place a pillow between their knees, and stomach sleepers can place a pillow under their hips to support the joints and allow for full, pain-free relaxation.

And remember to stretch every morning after sleeping! It will improve your flexibility after staying in the same position(s) all night.

8 Ways to Lose Weight using Photography

#1. Take your heaviest camera.

Whenever you go for a walk take the biggest / heaviest camera one you own. Take your camera and go for an hour long walk at least twice per week.

If a 160 lb person walks 5 km in 60 minutes while carrying a camera they will burn approx. 300 calories.

Depending on how much you weigh and how far you walk you could burn a lot more. The same person walking 7 km in 60 minutes will burn approx. 460 calories because they were practically jogging in order to cover the extra distance in the same amount of time.

For added weight take your tripod and any other equipment you fancy with you. Even if you don't use it you are burning extra calories by carrying the extra weight with you.

#2. Take a backpack with water with you.

Three reasons. A. Because you can drink the water. B. Because the water and backpack provides extra weight for you to carry, which means you burn more calories. C. Because when bored you can take a photograph of your water bottle for fun in different locations.

Below: Still Life of Water Bottle #32 ; Still Life of Water Bottle #45.

#3. When on vacation explore as much as you can.

The more distance you travel, the more interesting photographs you get, the more calories you burn, the more fun you have. Easy!

#4. Take long walks along the beach.

The further the better. And the more distance you cover the more photographs you will get. And who would ever get bored of walking along the beach???

#5. Take photos of yourself in reflections while walking.

Sort of like before and after photos, but these will be photos along the way. If you look to photograph yourself in your reflection every time you go for a long walk - and you walk at least twice per week, then in a year you will have over 104 photos of yourself - and you will have burned approx 9 lbs of fat without even trying. It is possible you've burned way more than that due to increased physical activity and heightened metabolism. But what will be interesting is that you will have a photographic record of your gradual weight loss. And that is a happy thing by itself.

#6. Take your umbrella when it is raining.

Don't let rain stop you from taking your walks and taking photographs in the rain. Get a nice sturdy umbrella, the heavier the better because that burns more calories, and use that while doing photography in the rain. The rain will provide you with lots of things to photograph.

#7. Use other modes of transportation.

Cycling, canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing in the winter. There are lots of other ways to exercise and take your camera with you. No shortage of stuff to do and things to photograph.

#8. Don't be afraid to experiment.

I am not talking about just exercise wise or photography wise. I mean experiment with both. Try new things. Take up new sports and take your camera with you during that new sport. (If you take up scuba diving get yourself a waterproof camera designed for shooting underwater.)

Conclusions

Going for walks and taking your digital camera with you is a very frugal way to get exercise. You can do it as an hobby, while on vacation, while with friends, while visiting relatives. No excuses not to do it.

Just take your camera and go!

Do Hot Saunas burn Fat? Myth Busting

No.

It is true that people lose weight while in the sauna. But it mostly water weight and sodium, which your body quickly replenishes when you drink water and eat anything with salt in it.

Sweating, by itself, does not burn fat. It doesn't even burn calories.

It is true that many people exercise, their muscles overheat, and they get very sweaty because their bodies releases sweat in an effort to cool them down.

The problem however is that excessive sweating can lead to dehydration, heat stroke - and even death. What happens is once a person sweats out a lot of their water reserves they have so little water left in their system that if they overheat they will start to feel the effects of heat stroke. Mild heat stroke causes confusion, headaches, dizziness. Severe heat stroke can cause a person to faint, and if left untreated it can kill them.

The problem with saunas is that due to the heat and humidity sweating doesn't actually cool the person down. So a person can overheat in a sauna very easily - and fainting is not uncommon.

All of this is exacerbated by the myth that people can lose weight by sweating a lot in the sauna. Sweating doesn't burn fat. It removes water and sodium ( and it is good for the pores ), which the body quickly replenishes later when you drink and eat - often causing the dehydrated person to over-drink and over-eat.

The Benefits of Saunas

- Good for cleaning the pores.

- Kills bacteria (the sweat kills bacteria on the skin).

-  Sweat flushes away toxic metals from the skin.

- A good way to heat up after being outside in the winter.

But burning fat is not one of the benefits.

Attaining the Beach Perfect Body using 6 Minute Cardio Sessions

How long can you exercise at your top speed before you need to stop and rest?

Maybe 5 or 6 minutes?

Aim for 6 minutes if you can.

Lets pretend that your goal is to get a "Beach Perfect Body" by shedding some unwanted fat around your middle. Spot training doesn't work losing fat (it will actually bulk up that area with added muscle) so your only real choice is cardio - running, jogging, swimming, cycling, etc.

So you really need to burn lots of calories doing cardio. But maybe you don't have a lot of time in your day (or at least that is the excuse you keep telling yourself).

It is true that 1 hour is only 4% of your day... and that 30 minutes is only 2% of your day... And 15 minutes is only 1% of your day.

But every percentage of your day that you spend exercising - especially at your top speed - boosts your metabolism, kickstarts the Afterburn Effect, releases adrenaline into your blood, and burns calories.

6 minutes is only 0.4% of your day. It is a TINY percentage of your daily activities. But imagine if you use those 6 minutes to do vigorous jumping jacks you will burn 60 calories* right there.

* calorie estimate based on a weight of 165 lbs.

Do that 6 minutes of every day for a month and you've lost 1,800 calories - a little over half a pound.

If you are in an hurry you have to realize that you are not going to get a "Beach Perfect Body" by doing only one 6 minute session of jumping jacks every day. But what if you did them 10 times per day, spaced out evenly? Three times in the morning, twice during your lunch break, twice when you get home, and three times between 7 and 9 PM.

Well then you'd lose "at least" 18,000 calories - a little over 5 pounds. I say "at least" because you might burn a lot more if you managed to kickstart the Afterburn Effect multiple times during the day.

The Afterburn Effect is a heightened metabolic state which causes your body to burn through fat in an hurry in order to replenish your body. It is often triggered following periods of intense exercise - preferably a period of at least 5 minutes during which time you raise your heart rate dramatically.

Which means doing 6 minute cardio sessions - intense bursts of exercise - multiple times per day can give you multiple Afterburn Effects which will really burn calories fast and leave you feeling invigorated and wanting to do more because you will be on a bit of an adrenaline high.

So lets pretend that every year you wanted to lose weight for the swimsuit season... say 15 pounds. Then hypothetically you could go jogging for an hour every day for 3 months and you would shed the weight. But jogging might not get your heart going fast enough to kickstart the Afterburn Effect, which is why you can actually get better results by using the same amount of time to do high intensity exercises like sprinting, vigorous jumping jacks, basically any kind of high intensity exercise.

The adrenaline combined with the Afterburn Effect will leave you feeling very energetic and after a few days of doing the exercises you will want to do them more often - and even look forward to them.

In which case you won't lack for motivation as you shed the pounds and aim to get that Beach Perfect Body.

The Dangers of "Skinny Fat"

Are you one of those people who only seem to gain weight around your middle while your arms and legs stay skinny looking?

Blame it on your genes. Research shows that thin people with fat paunches are at a higher risk of diabetes and cardiac disease than other people.

If you have skinny legs and a bit of a paunch but think that’s okay because your pot belly doesn’t really show with the baggy shirts and tops you wear, think again. You are prone to collecting fat around the abdominal area caused by a biochemical abnormality known as Metabolic Syndrome.

So, never mind the skinny legs because collecting fat around your abdomen is not a good sign as such fat is deadlier than subcutaneous fat which is distributed evenly beneath the skin. This is because increased belly flab means increased visceral fat found between the organs in the main torso. Visceral fat is more active and drains directly into the liver. Free fatty acids into the liver resist the action of insulin, a hormone that helps absorb the glucose from the blood stream. The end result is what causes diabetes.

Contracting diabetes leads to an elevated risk of a whole lot of other health problems including cardio-vascular diseases and kidney problems.

Skinny Fat Quotient

Worldwide, Body Mass Index or BMI is a commonly accepted measure of body health. A BMI of over 25 indicates that you are overweight or obese. But the "skinny fat" abnormality makes people more susceptible to diabetes even though their BMI is well within the international limit of 25. Therefore there is a need to more closely monitor people who have the skinny fat abnormality for diabetes - and some doctors are arguing that people with the skinny fat gene should be worried if their BMI is over 23 instead of 25 because of the greater risk of diabetes.

But we shouldn’t trust BMI alone to assess risk for diabetes. Instead doctors are encouraging patients with skinny fat to measure their weight using their waist circumference, measured in centimeters (cm). A measurement above 80 cm for women and 90 cm for men is a matter of grave concern.

Those people with a waist measurement above those numbers are more likely to have Metabolic Syndrome and a higher risk of cardiac problems than those who have normal subcutaneous fat under their skin.

Metabolic Syndrome symptoms and signs include low levels of HDL cholesterol (known as the good cholesterol), high triglyceride levels (a type of fat found in the blood), high blood pressure, diabetes and other cardio-vascular diseases.

Metabolic Syndrome effects young and old alike too. People with rich diets, low physical activity, spend all day working at a desk and dismiss a paunch as an aesthetic issue. But it’s more like a warning sign that they will get diabetes if they don't watch their weight.

Doctors and scientists recommend that people with "skinny fat" consider a change in diet to reduce saturated fats, a brisk walk for 45 minutes per day and a background check into your immediate family history of obesity or diabetes.

Culturally, we associate fat with prosperity and wealth, hence the term "Fat Cat". But those "Fat Cats" are developing insulin resistance and abdominal obesity at a young age because they are not exercising, dieting and watching their weight.

PERSONAL NOTE

Last Friday (May 31st 2013) I may have saved a man's life who went into diabetic coma while on a TTC bus here in Toronto.

I was en route to pick up new arrows at Tent City in North York when I got on the 60 bus at Finch station and I noticed a young man sleeping on the bus. At first I thought he had just fallen asleep and didn't know he was at Finch station. I said something to him and he didn't respond. I shook him gently. I shook him roughly. No response.

I then notified the driver and he tried to wake the comatose man. We checked to see whether he was breathing. Still breathing. The driver called for paramedics and the bus went out of service.

Diabetic coma can be deadly. So hopefully he made a full recovery. I got on the next bus so I don't know how the story ended. I hope he turned out okay.

What scares me is what if I hadn't noticed him? When would someone have noticed the poor guy wasn't moving or responding?

Anti-Depressants Vs Sports for Kids

America's children have an obesity problem... because they don't exercise enough.

America's children are frequently diagnosed with depression and prescribed anti-depressant medication... because they don't exercise enough.

Now you might have gone, wait, what does obesity have to do with depression? It has a lot to do with it actually. There has been a lot of health research done linking a variety of hormonal problems with obesity and depression, often creating a vicious cycle wherein the obese person eats comfort food whenever they are sad, which increases their weight and simultaneously the hormones which are making them feel depressed.

In contrast exercise is a natural anti-depressant.

So it stands to reason that if America's parents want their kids to be happy and healthy they need to get their kids involved in after-school sports and summer activities that will keep them active, engaged and having fun.

Now not all kids are cut out for baseball, basketball, soccer or football. Or hockey if you live in Canada. But there are plenty of other sports out there available for children which encourage weight loss while having fun.

#1. Archery - Its super popular right now and it combines resistance training with mental discipline.

#2. Boxing - Makes for a really cardio exercise, which can really shed the fat.

#3. Martial Arts - Lots of cardio and encourages mental discipline.

#4. Bicycling - Including downhill, rally, BMX and more.

#5. Bowling - Not exactly known for its benefits as a weighlifting exercise. Its basically a bit like shotput with a target.

#6. Cheerleading - Yes, it counts as a competitive sport. Gymnastics in general.

#7. Ballet / Dance - Very good cardio and also improves balance and coordination.

#8. Diving / Swimming - Good cardio and resistance training simultaneously.

#9. Fencing - Who doesn't love a good swordfight?

#10. Lacrosse - A brutal game at times, but definitely high in cardio.

#11. Rowing - Racing rowboats? Huzzah. That does sound like fun.

#12. Rugby - Like football, but without all the padding.

#13. Skating - If you have an ice rink handy nearby this makes for good cardio - plus the cold burns extra calories and forces you to move around more to stay warm.

#14. Skiing - Whether its downhill or cross country skiing makes for good cardio.

#15. Tennis - Want to sweat? Tennis will get you breathing and sweating hard.

#16. Wrestling - Olympic wrestling combines speed and strength to try and pin your opponent. Size is an advantage in this particular sport.

So there is really no shortage of sports out there for kids to enjoy if their parents make the effort to enroll them in such activities. The exercise and fun they have will boost their self-confidence and reduce any feelings of depression. Given time the weight will disappear, but they have to stick with it.

Many kids quit sports because they feel they aren't cut out for it physically or feel uncomfortable in a team sport environment. That is why other sports like archery and boxing work better for some children because they have to learn self-reliance and patience instead, but also benefit from a less stressful atmosphere because they can do such sports for fun instead of for competitions.

Note - The above list of sports is equally good for adults who want to lose weight and have fun doing so.

How to Reward Yourself and Stay Motivated

You've reached your weight loss goals! Congratulations!

Now how do you stay motivated, reward yourself and keep your lifestyle changes intact without falling back into your old routine?

At this point being overweight may feel like an alternate reality - you probably haven't felt this fit since you were a teenager! But feeling great about yourself doesn't mean you can go back to your old ways. If anything you need to remind yourself so you avoid falling into a rut, and keeping yourself motivated to exercise is a handy part of that.

#1. Make a list of things you wanted to do when you were overweight but were physically unable to do / embarrassed to attempt. eg. Run a marathon, go snorkeling, dancing, etc. Go and do those things and have a fun time!

#2. For holidays and birthdays, ask for sports / exercise equipment or personal training gift cards.

I know what I would ask for - archery equipment. It gets pretty expensive. But you might also ask for a bicycle or things for your bicycle, tennis gear, jogging pants, new running shoes... plenty of things you could use.

Personal training gift cards are another handy thing. If you live in Toronto and want to buy personal training sessions for yourself or a loved one, send me an email and I can help you out.

#3. Charity and Fundraisers.

Volunteering to raise funding for a worthwhile cause can be a great way to stay in shape and have fun. Such events require you to go outside regularly and some of them involve "walks for charity" whereby sponsors donate and you and 500 other people promise to walk, jog or run X miles to raise awareness. eg. The Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation Run for the Cure.

#4. Involve your Friends and Family.

Success is contagious. If your friends and family haven't seen your results, show them what you did and encourage them to start a fitness and nutrition program on their own - and then you can help them with advice and even workout together.

Once people you know are also exercising and eating healthy, having another person to talk to about it, share recipes, and attend events you will have even more fun enjoying your new body.

#5. Sex!

No seriously. You and your lover can enjoy yourselves more often. Nothing wrong with that side benefit!

Hallmarks of the Successful Weight Loss Plan

Losing weight involves lifestyle changes and lots of hard work but planning is also very important. Planning for weight loss will guarantee a focused approach to stay on track and keep progressing / pushing yourself harder.

Planning For Weight Loss in Three Steps

Plan your Meals

Knowing every meal in advance will not only save time and money but is crucial for avoiding overeating and poor food choices. Some people have found that it is easiest to eat similar meals for breakfast and lunch.

For example: If you have different variations of oatmeal 2 days, cottage cheese, dried fruit and flax meal 2 days, and an English muffin with peanut butter one day, you will have enough ingredients to vary these meals based on what you feel like. It's simple enough that it doesn't take much thought or time to prepare. For lunch try sandwiches on whole grain bread and a piece of fruit.

Take extra fruits for snacks if you find yourself feeling hungry during the day!

Plan your Workouts

If you don't know when you will find the time to workout, you won't workout! It's very important to have a set time to exercise. Even better, the same time everyday will quickly accustom you to a routine. It will be amazing how much time you have for exercise when you actually want to exercise!

If you find that time is seriously pressed then do what you can, when you can. Do a set of squats while talking on the phone, or lunge across the house instead of walking. Try running up every flight of stairs you encounter during the day, and do calf raises waiting in line-ups.

Plan for Disaster

Plan for your weight loss program to be blown out of the water once in a while. Especially if the holiday season is approaching it will not be long before someone hands you a box of chocolates and you know you will eat 5 once you've tried one.

Don't be discouraged but do remember to share your holiday treats, eat them in moderation and remember that every new day offers the opportunity to start fresh.

If you live in Toronto and are losing weight or would like to start, feel free to hire me as you personal trainer. Mention this post and get 10% off any purchase of 10 sessions or more. (Limit of 1 per customer.)

Winter Weight Gain - What to do about it!

Okay so you've put on some weight during the Winter - especially around the Xmas Holidays.

But now it is February and its time to start thinking Spring - and Summer is mere months away!

Isn't it convenient how the holidays are right before New Years? Not really, because most people break their New Years Resolutions in the first 2 weeks - and a bunch of people will never even start! After indulging for a few days they eventually just forget about any resolutions they might have had... and then in March they start to panic when they realize the weather is getting warmer and they've gained 10 or 20 lbs during the winter and have done nothing to shed it.

If you are one of those people who gain weight every Winter and then - hopefully - lose it by Spring/Summer then I have a little advice for you - Start exercising now! Because the older you get the more difficult it will be keep up that routine. Yes, the idea of resolutions are quite motivating, but if you don't actually DO them whats the point?!

So its time to accelerate your weight weight loss - start thinking in terms of the following: Exercising 1 hour per day is only 4% of your day. And that is all it takes to make a huge difference in your waistline.

TIP #1. Increase time and/or intensity

If you have already been exercising, and your calorie intake has been greater than expenditure, then your usual workout routine will not speed up the weight loss process because you're eating too much junk and not exercising enough. You need to pick up the pace for a week or two.

Ways to do this? Keep the amount of workout time the same, but increase the amount of reps you do by taking less breaks between exercises. If you're lifting weights, decrease the weight but increase the reps a lot. eg. Lets say you are usually lifting 20 lb weights during your exercises and you do 30 reps at a time. Decrease the weight to 15 lbs, but lift 50 reps instead. Doing the math that is 20 x 30 = 600 Vs 15 x 50 = 750. That simple change increases the intensity by 25%. You won't build muscle as quickly, but you will burn fat faster by increasing the reps dramatically. (Weightlifting doesn't really work to burn fat that well unless its more like aerobics with weights added.)

Alternatively, if you have the extra time to exercise longer, then do so. Increase the amount of time you exercise by 25 to 50% longer than your normal workout and use that time to do more cardio / aerobic activities.

TIP #2. Change Your Workout

Many personal trainers (including myself) advise that surprising the body into sudden changes is something to be considered all year around. Sticking to the same routine every time you work out results in plateaus wherein you end up maintaining a specific weight and you aren't challenging yourself any more. If you want to see progressive results then you need to be constantly changing and progressing your workout to a higher level.

This works with sports too. Someone new to boxing won't be able to do 15 three-minute rounds - they just won't have the stamina for it. That is something for professional boxers only. Amateur boxing matches for teenagers start at 3 rounds, with 1.5 minutes per round... and depending on their age can go for up to 4 rounds at 2 minutes per round. (Amateur boxing has a lot of rules.)

TP #3. Detox Time!

Cut out smoking, alcohol, caffeine and anything containing toxins. At least until you achieve your weight loss goals.

Nutrition plays a big role in accelerating your weight loss and intaking toxins will only slow down your progress. Your body stores toxins in fat cells and then refuses to use those fat cells because your blood toxicity is too high - thus making "Stubborn Fat" that refuses to go away no matter how hard you exercise. The only way to get rid of it is to detoxify.

It is not simply a matter of avoiding sweets, rich cheese, crackers and big dinners, the weight will start to drop if you can watch your calories and remove your intake of toxins. Start by going on a "mini detox diet" wherein you stop eating junk food and avoid cigarettes/alcohol and caffeine for at least 5-7 days. If you can go longer than that, do it. The first three days will be the hardest if you are a cigarette smoker / alcoholic, but once you get over the three day hump you can do it.

To help you detoxify faster eat more green vegetables, as the alkaline in the greenery will help neutralize the toxic elements in your blood. Go lighter on carbohydrates too and aim for more protein (eggs, lean meat) in your dishes to make up for it. Drink plenty of water and green tea, and don't wait until you are starving to eat. Instead eat lots of healthy snacks as often as you can.

eg. I never get tired of carrot sticks. I am eating some right now.

TIP #4. Open the Window Drapes and Go Outside More

Vitamin D from the Sun kickstarts your metabolism, gives you more Happy hormones and causes your body to stop storing so much fat. The simple act of opening the window drapes really wide so you get more sunlight on your skin helps you to lose weight. Going outside and getting more sun helps even more.

You can also get more Vitamin D by eating various foods like fish, eggs and mushrooms - or take Vitamin D supplements. See my post Vitamin D, Essential for your Winter Diet.

TIP #5. Take Up a Winter Sport

Get ice skating lessons in Toronto, take up snowshoeing, snowboarding, cross-country or downhill skiing, go tobaggoning with friends, go jogging on any day that it isn't snowing, do volunteer work, shovel snow from your driveway AND your neighbours driveways - basically do anything that gets you outside and exercising so you get both more exercise and more Vitamin D in your system.

TIP #6. Get a Part Time Job that gets you Exercising Outside

Nothing is more motivating than getting paid to exercise. It might be simple like holding a sign and directing traffic around construction workers on the roads, or you might be painting houses or moving furniture. Either way if it gets you outside more often and gets you working hard you will see the benefits both in weight loss and muscle growth.

TIP #7. Go for Walks with your Camera

Snow is beautiful. So is ice. Take your digital or old manual camera and go for a walk. You can make art and get exercise at the same time.

TIP #8. Become an Ice Sculptor

Another way to get exercise in the winter (and make art) is to make ice sculptures. It doesn't have to be fancy or professional. It might be a funny looking snowman or Lady Godiva on horseback... it doesn't matter so long as you have fun doing it.

TIP #9. Hire a personal trainer!

Seriously. If you live in Toronto and you have $30 you can spend on a personal trainer once per month, hire one so you can an once per month session which will help keep you focused, exercising and motivated. Think of it like a monthly checkup and in 3 months you will be seeing results from the extra advice and motivation.

TIP #10. Get your Bicycle out of the Snowbank ...

And clean it! No time like the present. Get it cleaned up and ready for Spring so the first warm day you can go cycling ASAP. You can even take it to your local Toronto bicycle mechanic and they will clean it, repair it and store it for the rest of the winter until you are ready for it again.

12 Valentines Resolutions

If January and half of February came and went and you just spent Valentines alone again... maybe it is time you finally did something about it?

If you are reading this fresh it is now February 15th - the day after Valentines. Yep, it is that time of year again.

Maybe you had big hopes and dreams for a romantic evening for Valentines, but it just didn't happen.

Why? Well maybe you are too much of a dreamer - when you should be a doer.

People make New Years Resolutions every year, but I think people should make resolutions for everything. Birthday resolutions. Valentines resolutions. Summer resolutions. Whatever label you want to stick on it. In this case your romantic dreams got shattered because of your inability to attract a suitable mate. Well I am going to try and help you to change that in the following list of 12 tips / resolutions for both losing weight AND attracting a mate. Two lovebirds with one stone!

#1. Take up a hobby / sport that burns both calories and is popular for both sexes. eg. Jogging is equally enjoyed by both men and women. If jogging bothers your knees / joints, try walking daily instead.

#2. Get a gym membership or yoga membership. True, not as many men do yoga, so if you're a lady looking to pick up men at the yoga studio then you will find them in short supply - but hey, you never know!

#3. Research your ideal mate - If you're only interested in dating intelligent men who work with computers (IT men) then you need to look for sports that men of that type would enjoy. Tip: Lots of IT people at the archery range.

#4. Research your exercise goals - Take a trip to the library and start reading up on various exercises to see which ones you would enjoy the most and get the most benefits from. eg. If your goal is to lose weight then weightlifting isn't going to help you (it will just cause you to bulk up on muscle instead). So if you're the type of person who would never get bored of rowing, then get yourself a rowing machine. You can even BUILD your own rowing machine if you have the time and energy.

#5. Clean yourself and your apartment! Seriously, cleaning burns a lot of calories - and nothing attracts a mate more than a really clean apartment - and a clean body. If you are living in a hovel full of refuse, there is something wrong and you need to start by throwing out anything that is garbage (keep anything that can be used for exercising, but make a special bin / box / basket for all your exercise stuff). If you clean up your apartment and then clean up yourself you will feel more healthy and motivated. Having lots of junk laying about messes with your mind and you don't know what to do first because you become paralyzed with doubt.

#6. Eat healthy and change your lifestyle. It only takes 21 days to change your habits. If you eat healthy for 21 days then you can break your habit and get into a new healthier habit. Now it is true, if you break the habit and start a new unhealthy habit for 21 days, you are just going back to the old problem. But you can fix it if you just get right back on the horse and keep trying. Don't be afraid to fall off the proverbial horse. It happens. Just get right back on and keep going until your healthy habits become a new healthy lifestyle. (And people like it when their prospective lovers eat healthy and take good care of themselves.)

#7. Meditate - Having peace of mind and more mental self control can help you to reduce food cravings and stay focused with your new healthy lifestyle. Meditation also reduces stress (and stress hormones causes your body to store more fat) so meditation actually helps you LOSE fat. All that just from thinking quietly.

#8. Focus on doing happy energetic things - the happier you are the more energetic you feel, the more good hormones your brain pumps into your blood, the more happier you feel, the more energetic you feel. Even if the initial happiness was fake and you tricked your brain into feeling happy, the result will still be the same. You begin to be genuinely happy as the cycle self-perpetuates. Exercising causes your body to pump "happy" hormones into your blood to act as painkillers, which in turn make you feel happier - and boosts your endurance levels. Doing fun activities such as sports dramatically improves your smile muscles - and a good smile helps attract a mate.

#9. Brush your teeth and use mouthwash - Healthy teeth = a healthier outlook on life... and it doesn't hurt to have nice teeth when trying to attract a mate.

#10. Wear tighter fitting clothing. Baggy clothing just make you look bigger and fatter - and takes away any muscular physique you might have. You want to show off what you have by wearing tight fitting (or relatively tight) clothing so that other below can enjoy your curves (muscular curves or not).

#11. Set up a home gym. It doesn't take much, a few dumbbells, a skip rope, a stretchy band, and a list of your favourite exercises. Check out other pages on CardioTrek.ca to see a long list of frugal exercises you can do. Having the option to do extra exercises whenever you want at home means you can burn fat faster whenever bored, while watching TV, or even while making breakfast.

#12. Exercise with family members or friends - Maybe you have a cousin or a coworker you can go jogging with every day after work? Or you could hire a personal trainer in Toronto. Whatever works for you, if you exercise with a friend, family member, coworker or personal trainer you will push yourself further than you normally would and it will help you to stay motivated. If you convince family members to join you for cycling trips, volleyball at the beach, baseball at the park or other activities you will all benefit from the healthy activity. - And if you're with a group of people you're more likely to accidentally meet new people.

Right now I am offering a Valentines to St Patricks Day promotion - Hire me as a personal trainer and get 25% off my regular rates until Sunday March 17th 2013. Offer only available in Downtown Toronto.

How to get a Thigh Gap

Now you might first be wondering - "What is a thigh gap???"

Basically it is a term commonly used by fashion-conscious young women to describe legs so skinny that the thighs don't touch when your knees are together.

It is therefore a standard of beauty to which very few women in North America fulfill - Not even Marilyn Monroe had legs that skinny.

It is the kind of legs you would typically see on a teenager or a woman in her 20s who does a lot of jogging, cycling or possibly ballet dancing.

So if you're looking for tips on how to achieve your own personal "thigh gap" then there are three very goods tips for you - running, jogging, cycling and/or dancing - basically any kind of cardio is good for you.

But lets not stop with cardio exercises. What other things could you do to help you get those skinny legs? And do it a healthy way using exercise and diet!

#1. Start limiting your intake of fatty dairy. Avoid cheese, cream, ice cream and anything more than 1% milk. Aim instead for skim milk.

#2. Avoid foods with high sugar or high carbs. Aim for breads with whole grains or multi-grains. Avoid white rice too, aim for brown rice instead.

#3. Eat your veggies and lots of them! Berries, nuts, fruits are good too. Avoid avocados however, they're very fattening.

#4. One way of measuring your legs - Stretch your leg along the floor and pinch the top of your thigh. If you can pinch a lot, it’s more fat; if you can barely get a grip, it is more muscle. Chances are much more its fat so you goal will be fat burning via diet and exercise. If its all muscle than you must be a freaking bodybuilder to have Popeye legs - in which case you won't really be able to do much and in theory would want to avoid exercising your legs if you really want a Thigh Gap.

#5. Daily stretches for your legs! Stretching (including yoga and pilates) helps elongates the muscles and gives you taller looking legs.

#6. Do jumping jacks in the pool/water - the light resistance of the water plus the cardio will help you build lean muscle.

#7. Don’t starve yourself because that will just result in yo-yo dieting - which will lead to loose skin and flabby thighs - Don't over-exercise either. Instead try to eat something small every two hours to keep your metabolism level. Eat moderate amounts of protein but stick mostly to fruits and vegetables.

#8. In addition to basic strength-building / stretching exercises you need to be doing cardio every day. Jogging and running is best, but you can also just walk, cycle, swim or even engage in more fun activities like volleyball, rollerblading or boxing.

#9. You can eat a big meal once in awhile because it helps with metabolism plateaus and makes your metabolism speed up!

#10. Do a lot of jump squats, squats, plie squats, lunges, reverse lunges. For extra challenge use 5 lbs dumbbells in each hand. Walk every day, and jog or bicycle 20 minutes at least twice a week. Do yoga or stretches at least once a week for an hour to stretch and relax muscles.

#11. Aim to eat 5 small and super healthy meals per day. Or if you can't 3 medium meals and 2 snacks in the late morning and mid-afternoon. Remember to take your vitamins and drink LOTS of water too. If bored of water try broths, teas, and pure fruit/veggie juices, and drinking protein shakes if you feel weak/tired.

#12. Dancing in the privacy of your home works really well for some people. The music can get you really fired up to do jumping jacks, abs and squats too. There are plenty of dance videos on YouTube.

#13. Stop drinking regular sodas, coffee with add ins, or any drink with calories and lots of sugar. Liquid calories are a huge factor in weight gain and if you cut them out, you will see results! If you must have caffeine for work in the morning, then only drink in the morning. No more caffeine after 2 PM.

#14. Get LOTS of sleep. Aim to be in bed reading a boring book by 10 PM and awake by 7 AM. On weekends try to get naps. Extra sleep helps recharge your body and speed up metabolism.

#15. Ignore anyone who claims Spot Training works. It does NOT work. (Spot training is the idea that if you exercise one muscle or set of muscles that you will lose fat in that one region. It doesn't work that way. If you want to lose fat, then you lose fat everywhere.)

#16. Stay hydrated - Drinking lots of water is very important. If you start to get a headache, drink water. Avoid alcohol, caffeine and anything that will dehydrate you. Toxins from smoking are also bad because fat cells store toxins and your brain won't burn fat cells with a high toxicity, so you need to detoxify your body by drinking lots of water and avoiding toxins.

#17. If you lose weight quickly, you can get saggy loose skin on your legs, stomach, under arms and thighs - which will look really awful. To avoid this aim to lose weight slowly - about 2 lbs or less per week, and use a moisturizing lotion (Aveeno works great) and lather it on your problem areas as much as you possibly can to help moisturize and improve the elasticity of your skin so it tightens up faster as you lose weight. See more of my tips on how to avoid loose skin.

#18. Don't give up if you don't see improvements right away. Instead what you need to do is set yourself a long term goal - like 25 lbs in 25 weeks. Then get yourself a scale and check your weight once per week, on a specific day and time such as Saturday morning after your shower. Don't bother checking every day because your weight will fluctuate a lot daily from eating, drinking, urination, etc.

#19. Stay motivated. Keep coming back to CardioTrek.ca for more advice on a regular basis. Better yet subscribe by email and get updates whenever new posts go up.

#20. Hire a personal trainer to help you stay motivated. If you live in Toronto you can hire me.

Understanding your Basal Metabolic Rate

Your body burns calories no matter what you are doing, even while you are sleeping you are probably burning approx. 69 calories per hour, because your body uses that time to regenerate damaged tissue and build new tissue. The brain also consumes a large portion of your daily calories - even while dreaming.

So what is the basal metabolic rate? It is the amount of energy expended daily while at rest (no strenuous activity). eg. Sitting is typically 60 calories per hour, less than it takes to sleep. Assuming 552 for sleeping 8 hours and 960 calories for 16 hours of sitting, we can assume the average human uses up approx. 1512 calories per day.

Determining your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is useful when trying to lose weight. To lose weight, one must create a caloric deficit each day to eventually use up a pound worth of calories to be lose (3500) more than you are eating. It is recommended to create 5% to 10% caloric deficit each day so you can lose weight while still taking in enough vitamins for your health.

The human body is supposed to eat 1,800 to 2,000 calories per day. So if dieting you should be eating 100 or 200 calories less. So approx. between 1600 to 1800 is the ideal range for a weight loss diet. At 200 calories per day a person will lose approx. 1.7 lbs per month or 21 lbs of fat per year.

Combined with regular exercise and a person will lose weight even faster. eg. If they jog daily in addition to such a diet, enough to burn 400 calories per day, and they can lose 63 lbs of fat in a year. (Note: You can burn 400 calories by jogging for 40 minutes. And 40 minutes is only 2.8% of your day.)

Some people argue that you can crash diet by cutting your diet down to 1000 to 1500 per day, but reducing your food consumption to such a level is both dangerous and idiotic. Such a diet will also sap your mental resolve and you will probably quit the diet early and end up having your weight yo-yo up and down - which isn't going to help you at all.

When you lower your caloric intake to really low levels the basal metabolic rate will actually lower if the body enters into a starvation mode - it will begin to interfere with your mental functioning and you won't have the needed calories to be repairing the brains mental pathways (which are under a constant state of repair). Your body will begin to feast on muscle and brain tissue in order to find extra energy. The basal metabolic rate will also decrease with age, but that is a natural reflex to less calories being burned at rest, exercise and thus if becomes ever more important to be mindful of your diet as you get older.

Below is one BMR formula that I found (however I think it may be wrong, because I calculated it using my own weight, height and age and it says my BMR is 1832, which I don't think is at all accurate).

Women's BMR= 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men's BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

EXAMPLE
Gary has a BMR of 1600
If he eats an average of 1800 calories per day
And he burns 500 calories per day with exercise

Then his net calorie loss should be 300 calories per day.

Gary will lose approx. 2.5 lbs per month (31 lbs per year) if he keeps it up.

There are many other formulas for calculating BMR. They are all basically inaccurate because it is really impossible to tell what each person's metabolic rate is. Each person is different. Some days are different too.

There is the Original Harris-Benedict Equation, and also the Revised Harris-Benedict Equation.

There is also the Mifflin St Jeor Equation, the Katch-McArdle Formula and the Cunningham Formula.

The formula up above is none of the five commonly used formulas. And honestly, it doesn't really matter.

I argue that people would be better off going off the average BMR, which I calculate to be approx. 1512, and then calculating their BMR based on their height and weight compared to that average, and then modified lower for age.

Thus the Moffat Formula would be:

1512 X YOUR WEIGHT / AVERAGE HUMAN WEIGHT X YOUR HEIGHT [160 lbs] / AVERAGE HUMAN HEIGHT [66 inches] X AGE MODIFIER = Your BMR

Thus using myself as an example, I am 6'2" tall and the average human is 5'6" tall, so 109.1%. Determining average weight for a human is tricky. In the USA so many people are overweight that the average has been skewed, so the "average American" is overweight. So instead I have estimated that the average healthy human weighs about 160 lbs. In which case due to my size I am 106.25%... *calculate the math*...

And my total is 1753 (minus a small age modifier). That sounds much more accurate than the sample formula from further above.

Now the trick is, how much does our metabolic rate decrease with age? Well I did find a chart for that... So I suppose it would be possible to determine what your exact rate is... but there will always be a margin for error.

Exercise Equipment for the Obese

You know you are overweight when you break your scales, the treadmill at the gym and burst your stability ball. So what do you buy when you weigh so much that you break your exercise equipment?

High-Capacity Scale

This isn't really for exercising, but it is a necessity for some people, because a conventional scale just won't do. Fortunately, this professional-grade scale weighs people up to 550 pounds.

Burst-Resistant Stability Ball

Unless you tip the scale at over 2,000 pounds, here's one exercise ball you don't have to worry about popping.


Extra Sturdy BIG Bicycle

Need a bike that can support more than 300 pounds? You're in luck, thanks to the recumbent bicycles and tricycles offered by Lightfoot Cycles. They feature over-sized wheels and sets made specifically for overweight cyclists.

Bike Seat

Bike seats are notoriously uncomfortable, and are even more so for people who carry a bit of their own "extra padding." For them, there are twin-pad, high-capacity seats.


Designing an exercise program and activities for someone who is extremely overweight can be a challenge for a personal trainer. Here in Toronto my focus when helping such people to lose weight is to get them outside and doing fun activities that they can not only do, but will enjoy doing on their own even when I am not there to encourage and motivate them.

Having the necessary equipment so you can exercise like a normal person and not feel like you are disabled makes a big difference in your ability to stay motivated and keep exercising.

Happy Exercising!

The Canadian Daily

I have been invited to start writing exercise / dietary advice on the news website The Canadian Daily.

So far I have only done the following article:

How I Lost 50 Lbs of Fat + 12 Weight Loss Tips

I think I may contribute a new article to their site once per week or maybe twice monthly if I am really busy in a particular month.

Update

5 Common Factors in Weight Loss

Workout Ideas for Overweight Teenagers

In North America the people who are most effected by skyrocketing obesity rates is teenagers and young adults. In contrast many older people, who are already set in their somewhat healthy eating patterns, are less at risk.

Thus it is increasingly more important to find ways to get teenagers and young adults involved in exercises and healthy eating patterns before... Yawn, this so boring! Get to the exercises already!

Great Workouts For Teens

#1. Weight Lifting Exercises

You need your muscles to be strong to maintain a good posture and have significantly less chance of
getting injured. For this type of exercise, you need to apply some resistance against the muscles. The
various ways you can strengthen your muscles are by push-ups, crunches and if done under supervision,
free weights and weight machines.

The easiest thing which can be done just about anywhere is push-ups.

a) Get on all fours with your hands stretched out more than your shoulders.
b) While bending your elbows, push your body downwards trying to keep your knees and back straight until the elbows make an angle of 90 degree.
c) Get back into your original position.
d) Repeat a,b and c 10-30 times taking a 2 minute break in between if you must.

#2. Take up Archery or Swimming

Archery, Swimming and similar resistance based sports work a bit like weightlifting exercises. Example: Rowing / Sculling. Anything where you are exerting your muscles to accomplish a task is essentially weightlifting. Including going hiking with a heavy backpack.

#3. Cardio / Aerobic Exercises

Cardio is not only the best way to lose weight but it also helps your heart to function efficiently.

While performing aerobic exercises, endorphins are released due to an increase in your heart rate which is proven to lighten up your mood - they're basically painkillers, so its a bit like you are getting high without drugs. The best thing about aerobic exercises is that you can choose to do whatever you want. Biking, Swimming, jogging, walking on the treadmill, tennis, basketball and just about
any other activity which increases your heart rate. So you're not only enjoying but also staying fit and healthy!

eg. Boxing is a cardio activity. So get yourself a punching bag or join a local boxing gym!

#4. Skipping

Skipping is one of the easiest exercise for just about anyone. From basic skipping to advanced techniques like crossovers and pretzels, this is recommended by doctors the world over. It keeps both your mind and heart fit, helps in gaining height and is known to prevent osteoporosis. It is much more efficient than walking or jogging and keeps your whole body engaged. Doing this for just 10 minutes a day can help teenagers stay fit.

For extra challenge wear a backpack with some books in it while skipping. The extra weight will make this cardio activity more like a weightlifting exercise for your legs.

#5. Yoga

Already a trend worldwide, Yoga can also be incorporated by teens to stay fit. The best thing about yoga is that it not only keeps your body healthy, but also your mind healthy. It helps you to be calm and decreases stress - and less stress means less binging on junk food. More than workouts, yoga is about poses. One of the most basic pose is Sukhasana where :

You sit cross-legged, back straight, heel inwards towards groin, hands resting on your legs and you breathe in and out.

There are over 80 poses which you can do, some of which are basic while others a bit more intimidating. Doing yoga 30 minutes a day is enough to feel healthier and more relaxed.

#6. Take up a Sport or Martial art

It is easier for teens to take up a sport or martial art of their choice because they have a lot more free time than adults do. The sport, whether it is competitive or just for fun, will help them to stay in shape and lose weight. Regularly practicing, exercising and playing is not only fun but also rewarding.

Examples of Fun Sports / Martial Arts

Aikido
Archery
Boxing
Capoeira (Brazilian martial art that combines dancing)
Competitive Cycling
Competitive Dancing
Fencing
Figure Skating
Football
Hockey
Jiu Jitsu
Judo
Karate
Kendo
Krav Maga
Kung Fu (eg. Jun Fan Gung Fu)
Muay Thai
Olympic Wrestling
Parkour / Freerunning
Rollerblading
Soccer
Tae Kwon Do

If you do take up a sport or martial art try to get a good instructor. Having an instructor will mean learning the proper (and safe) way to do various activities within the sport.

How to Measure Weigh Loss Success

The scale is the old fashioned way to measure progress. Actually, the scale is a great way to monitor weight loss maintenance but only so long as you losing weight and not losing/gaining muscle at the same time. Many people who attempt to lose weight sometimes gain weight during the first 2 weeks because they are adding on extra muscle due to their choice of exercises.

During the process of losing weight itself the scale is probably the least effective tool for measurement.

Another problem with the scale is that pounds fluctuate on a daily, even an hourly basis. Depending on what a person eats or drinks, hormones, bowel movements, and even dehydration can alter an accurate weight measurement up to 5lbs.

Three More Effective Ways to Measure Weight Loss Progress

1. Tape Measurements

Taking measurements is the easiest way to measure progress. Most people have a soft tape measure, from a sewing kit, or they can be purchased 3/pack for $1. Tape measurements are somewhat effective because even a 1/4 inch gained or lost takes a long time to happen. A big meal will not cause you to gain an inch, and a week not working out won't cause an inch loss in muscle. Tape measurements are also very easy because it's a simple matter of placing the measuring tape around the body parts you wish to monitor, opposed to body fat calipers which are more expensive and harder to figure out.

The disadvantage with tape measurements is that they don't differentiate between fat and muscle, but it won't matter much as explained above because muscle mass doesn't grow that quickly it should be reasonably accurate.

2. How Clothing Fits

Many people don't actually care about accurate readings of their progress because their main goal is to feel good. A big goal to their "feeling good" is fitting better in their clothes - as well as feeling more energetic and confident. This is a great and healthy way to determine success without the stress of "the big weigh-in, measurement day." The only downside to this technique is that clothes do tend to stretch. If someone is using the same pair of gym pants to determine their progress, they may think they are losing weight when in fact, it's only the pants losing its elasticity. When using this method it's better to try fitting in to something that's a little too tight to start, such as a formal dress, pants with a specific belt size, or your old skinny jeans from college / high school.

3. Body Fat Scales

These days body fat scales can be purchased for home use. Typically they are built in combination with a digital weight scale. A scale that measures body fat usually has programmable features to save readings for multiple users. Body fat measurements are taken by sending a harmless electrical current through the body. The electricity can go through muscle more easily than fat. The amount of resistance to the current measures the amount of fat-free mass in a person's body.

A body fat measurement is a great way to measure progress but there are a couple of downsides. For one, a scale that measures from the bottom up, will give a higher reading than a body fat measurement taken from a hand held grip. Scales are not as accurate as a body fat test taken by being submerged in water. However, we are discussing EASY ways to measure progress, and most people do not have a giant tank of water in their bathroom. However, a body fat scale is still a great way to measure progress because despite the slight inaccuracies it will remain relatively consistent.

HOT TIP

People who track their calorie intake and exercise levels are twice as likely to succeed in their exercise goals.