The Importance Of Recovery

It’s easy to get over-excited and want to ramp up your training quickly when you join the gym, however it is important to consider recovery time too.

Taking a rest day, where you’re doing just a light stretch or walk, helps our bodies to repair. When we work out, we create small tears in our muscle tissues, which when they heal, grow back stronger.

If we don’t allow our bodies this recovery time, the muscle tissues struggle to keep up and you’ll end up working out with sore muscles. The risk of working out when your mind and body are tired is that fatigue often causes us to work out with poor form, increasing the chances of acquiring an injury, such as the common overuse injury tendonitis.

Training too much without resting can also see your fitness progress grind to a halt. We release stress hormones when we exercise, and just like working long hours with no days off can negatively impact your health, too much exercise without rest can lead to burnout.

Burning out can affect our central nervous systems, throwing everything out of whack. This can leave you feeling constantly tired and drained. Your workouts will feel harder than usual and you’ll feel less satisfied with your performance.

Instead, focus on the consistency with which you work out. A great way to stagger our exercise is alternating high intensity and low intensity exercise. For example, if you smashed a heavy weight session one day, the next day doing some active recovery like some light cardio or yoga will really help recover the body faster while also getting some movement in. Exercising a few times a week (at a good intensity) all year will see you with much more successful results, than going every day for a month and then not being able to train because of injury or burnout.

Remember to look after yourself – it’s all about balance.

“Fitness HQ for Women mission is to provide women of all walks of life an environment where they can feel empowered to live a healthier lifestyle. We provide over 20 Group Fitness classes, personal training and a 24-hour main gym.”

Eating Well by Using the 80/20 Rule

When we start thinking of our New Years resolutions to ‘eat healthy’, we suddenly find ourselves researching “What is the best diet” and going through the yo-yo cycle of dieting on and off all year. We personally believe the diet that is the best, is the one works best for YOU. You don’t even have to call it a diet and just call it “ Good Nutrition”.

The 80/20 rule can be applied to help you balance your eating. The 80/20 rule refers to the idea that 80% of the food you eat in a day is largely whole foods with a combination of complex carbs (carbs that slowly absorb into your body, such as kumara or whole grains, rather than ones that give you a quick sugar spike like white bread), lean protein (skin-off chicken, eggs, beans etc.), and fruit and vegetables. Some healthy fats such as avocado or nuts can be included which will slow your digestion and help you feel fuller for longer, decreasing your likelihood of overeating. That other 20% gives you room for the occasional meal out with friends, or a bit of chocolate with your tea before bed.

The key word is balance. It is unrealistic to eat foods that are optimal for our physical bodies 100% of the time. Restricting yourself to only ‘healthy’ foods can be achievable for a while, but this type of restriction may lead you to feel out of control and end up overeating in a yo-yo style of nutrition.

Instead, applying the 80/20 rule can aid you in long-term commitment to your health, and help you work towards your goals more consistently.

Falling Off The Wagon (and how to get back on track)!

It happens to the best of us. One moment we’re happily powering through workouts and eating well, and the next we’re skipping the gym and our habits have slipped.

It can seem like a slippery slope back to square one, so here’s how to stop your slump in its tracks.

Ask yourself:

Why did I start going to the gym in the first place?

Take a few minutes to write down, or say out loud, why you want to show up to the gym. Is it to be able to play with your kids? Feel better in your own skin? To reduce bone loss as you get older? Whatever the reason, don’t just think it; make sure you either write it down or say it out loud. This helps you to acknowledge it properly and identify your WHY.

What went wrong that meant I fell off the wagon?

Did you commit to going to the gym at 5am, 6 days a week for a few weeks before realising that you can’t maintain that with your busy life? Are your workouts too strenuous? Consider what you can adapt within your workouts to make them more manageable and easier to show up to. Did you forget to schedule time for yourself?

Do I have an all-or-nothing mindset?

Remind yourself that a 20-minute workout is still worth it! Instead of justifying ‘Oh, I don’t have time for a whole hour workout, I just won’t go’, show up for something shorter! Make it work for you, not the other way around.

Some days, walking in is the hardest part. Even if you are not feeling that motivated, walk in the door and see how you feel. You will most likely do more than you thought and thank yourself later. If you are still not feeling very energetic, don’t get yourself down about adapting your workout to how you are feeling.

Once you have asked yourself these questions, make a plan of action. What will you do to get back on track? Make it manageable, be realistic, and get back to achieving your goals!

“Fitness HQ is a locally owned and operated boutique gym in the heart of Albany. With 24 hour access, you can get fit, when it fits you!”

Benefits of Cross Training

For women in fitness, cross training is a great way to get fitter and minimize injuries.

Cross training refers to incorporating a range of activities, outside of your ‘main’ one. For example, if you run multiple times a week, but participate in no other forms of training, adding in some strength training and cycling would be a great way to accompany your training.

The reason cross training is so beneficial is that it allows your body to worked in a different plane of motion, and use a different set of muscles. This creates a more ‘well-rounded’ fitness as the smaller muscles, in particular joint supporting muscles, become stronger.

Coming back to the running example, if you are always using the same muscles while you run, other areas may become weak in comparison. This imbalance of strength can make you more prone to injuries – and no one likes being injured!

Cross training also adds recovery into your main sport, without losing progress. Cycling as a runner is a great way to maintain cardiovascular fitness, but with using slightly different muscles. This means you can get your heart rate up and increase your fitness, without fatiguing running-specific muscles! This increased recovery time means you can go harder and faster in your running workouts. This concept can be applied to not just running, but any other sport.

If you’re a woman who loves the gym, incorporating a few brisk walks, or a couple of light bike rides or runs a week is a great way to increase your efficiency in the gym. Your fitness will increase, and you’ll gain more power in the gym, particularly through higher-intensity exercises such as plyometric (jumping) exercises. You could also try mixing up different styles of group fitness classes and using your body in different ways. Alternativity higher intensity classes one day to low intensity can get you the best results and stop you over training and getting burnt out.

A mix of cardio and strength training can also help you lose weight faster than either one alone. Weight training increases your muscle mass, and a higher muscle mass means you burn more calories at rest, contributing to weight loss. Cardio, on the other hand, burns through calories quickly before that energy can be stored as fat deposits. Combining both allows you to take advantage of the benefits of both.

As a result of cross training and incorporating cardio if you only lift weights, you will feel healthier, and stronger, and you will minimize the risks of injuries that come with only working out in a specific area. Adding in a range of different styles of exercise will have a flow-on effect to other area of your life and you’ll soon be noticing that you’re not as puffed at the top of the stairs!

“Located in Albany on the North Shore, Fitness HQ is the gym for Women. We run over 20+ group fitness classes as well as providing a safe comfortable space for ladies to work out in our main 24 hour gym”

Training for Menopause: What we really need to know and do!

All ladies dread the “changing of life” and the symptoms that it can bring. Unfortunately, it will happen to all ladies at some stage in their life, the average age being 51, but it can be anywhere from 45 – 55 years old.

What is menopause?

Menopause is technically diagnosed by the absence of any menstrual period. However, you can even be in perimenopause 7-10 years before this age too and start to experience symptoms as early as your 40’s or even your late 30s.

Did you know that estrogen effects every organ system in a woman’s body from the brain, skin and hair to the gut, joints, bones, muscles, and reproductive and cardiovascular systems. Our sleep can become more disrupted and inflammation can increase. Resulting in over 40 symptoms that a woman may experience from perimenopause to post-menopause, a woman can spend one third of their life trying to cope with menopausal symptoms. Some of the most common symptoms are Hot Flashes/Flushes, Insomnia, Weight Gain, Increased Visceral/Belly Fat – you can keep track of this by the waist-to-hip ratio, Hair loss/changes, Memory loss/brain fog, Mood shifts eg impatience, increased risk of depression.

As we age our hormone levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone decrease, and we start to lose muscle mass (sarcopenia – age-related muscle loss) and gain fat, particularly around our belly, belly fat or visceral fat is fat stored around our internal organs. Too much belly fat can lead to insulin resistance, an increase in inflammation, and a heightened risk of metabolic syndromes e.g. diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

With decreased estrogen production, women have an increased risk of heart disease, osteopenia (bone mineral density is lower than normal – before osteoporosis), and osteoporosis (bones become weak and fragile).

What can we do about it?

Through this period of our lives, we need to focus on keeping our metabolism up. This is done through strength training and building lean muscle which will increase your metabolism and fat burning. The amount of muscle mass we have defines our basal metabolic rate – or the rate at which we burn calories at rest ( Basal Metabolic Rate, BMR)

It is very well known that women are more likely to develop osteoporosis than men. Estrogen is essential for healthy bones and unfortunately, after menopause the level of estrogen in the body falls and can lead to a rapid decrease in bone density.

Resistance training before menopause is crucial to assist with building and maintaining bone mineral density. Yes, you can still build muscle post menopause, it just takes more effort and time.

Things we can do to help our transition and beyond:

Increase Protein intake – 1.2-1.5 grams per kg of body weight, Aim for 20-30 grams per meal.
Fibre – try to get at least 25 grams a day (preferably from food). Fibre is a prebiotic and promotes a healthy gut biome. A high-fibre diet helps you maintain a healthy weight, lowers cholesterol, regulates blood sugar levels, and reduces your risk of heart disease and cancer. It can help you lose weight because it displaces other less satisfying calories. More fibre-rich foods mean lower insulin levels and slow
Reduce added sugar – consume less than 25 grams of added sugar daily, this does not include the natural sugars found in fruit, vegetables, and dairy. Added sugar disrupts your gut microbiome which can lead to developing insulin resistance.
Progressive Strength Training – at least 2 times per week, preferably 3 – 4 days, lift heavy / less reps.
Increase your general daily movement – get your steps up!
At least 150 mins of moderate intensity physical activity a week – zone 2 training, this is low impact and requires a consistent pace at 60 – 70 % of your maximum heart rate (MHR = 220 – your age). Prolonged high-intensity or endurance training can contribute to high-stress hormones.
Prioritizing recovery – Exercise creates little tears in the muscle, which causes soreness. Rest provides the time for your muscles to repair and grow. You might need more recovery time as you age and progress through menopause.
Reduce stress – chronic stress contributes to inflammation through elevated cortisol levels and may cause increased blood pressure, headaches, depression, and anxiety. Here are some ways to help actively lower your cortisol levels, journaling, breath work, yoga, meditation, sleep hygiene, and saunas.

What type of exercise is best?

All exercise is beneficial BUT

Resistance training is essential. It improves insulin sensitivity by increasing muscle mass (so more cells take up glucose) and directly stimulates bone-building activity.
Pilates and Yoga for meditation, breath, mobility, flexibility and load bearing.
Aerobic training to help maintain a healthy cardiovascular system (150 mins per week)
Self-maintenance like foam rolling, trigger ball, core/posture exercises.

Need some help in the gym? Come work with one of our personal trainers and get confident doing resistance training, at the right intensity. Email us: info@fhq.co.nz

“STRENGTH OVER SKINNY”

” Fitness HQ for Women is the North Shores boutique 24/7 womens gym. At Fitness HQ we pride ourselves on having an inclusive gym where women can feel comfortable and non-intimidated”

The importance of mobility

Mobility is important in day-to-day life. It allows us to move and flow through whatever life throws at us, without pain or strain and risk of injury. For some, having mobility means being able to bend down to tie a shoelace or jump over a puddle, and to others mobility means being able to climb a tree with the kids or do a triple backflip as you cross the road.

Especially for women in fitness, mobility is essential – and it all starts in the gym. Mobility, particularly in the hips, knees, shoulders and ankles, allows us to carry out exercises with good form.

Having good form while exercising in the gym is important as it allows the joints to align correctly, and reduces the risk of misalignment injuries where the tendons and ligaments of your joints are rubbing against your bones incorrectly. This can lead to pain – and you want to be pain-free to reach your goals faster!

Adding just a few minutes at the start of your workout, or before you go to bed at night, can massively increase the strength of the tendons and joints to help you exercise with good form and reach your goals.

Some exercises for the…

Hip Flexors (hips):

Banded hip flexion

Equipment needed:

Resistance band

How to:

Standing upright, place the resistance band around your feet. Standing with your feet hip width apart, slowly raise one foot so that the band is resisting the movement. Complete 10 foot raises on one side, then do the same on the other. Repeat 3 times.

Plantar Flexors (ankles):

Banded plantar flexion

Equipment needed:

Resistance band

How to:

Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Place the resistance band around the balls of one foot. Hold the other end of the resistance band tight in your hand. Slowly extend the toes away from you, pointing your toes. Slowly let your toes come back, feeling the tendons in your ankle working. Complete 10 flexions on each side. Repeat 3 times.

Patellar Tendon knees):

Banded crab walks

Equipment needed:

Resistance band

How to:

Place the resistance band around your ankles. Lower into a squat position. Leading with one leg, side squat laterally. Complete 10 walks to one side, then walk back 10 side squats on the other side. Repeat 3 times.

This is also a great movement to activate the glutes pre workout too.

Rotator Cuff (shoulders):

Rotator cuff swings

Equipment needed:

Bench

How to:

Lean forward and place one hand on a bench for support. Let your other arm hang freely at your side. Gently raise and lower your free arm. Repeat the exercise moving your arm side-to-side and then again in a circular motion. Repeat the entire sequence with the other arm. Repeat 4 times.

The Fat Burning Zone

You might of heard people talking about or seen it written on cardio equipment, this mysterious “fat burning zone”. What does this even mean?!

To understand this better we need to know how about the 3 different energy systems and how they produce energy.

The Phosphagen System / ATP-PC System

This energy system uses phosphocreatine (PC) that is stored within the tissues of the body. This system does not require oxygen and works very fast. As your cells don’t store a lot of PC the amount of energy is limited to around 10 seconds of max exertion. Eg. Max effort sprints

The Glycolytic System / Anaerobic Lactic Energy System

This energy system can produce energy quite quickly and utilizes carbohydrates in the form of blood glucose and stored glycogen to produce energy. This system also does not require oxygyen and is utilized for activity from around 10 seconds – 90 seconds.

The Oxidative System / Aerobic System

This energy system requires oxygen and can produce a lot of energy. The Aerobic system is used for exercise of lower intensity cardiovascular exercise. With this system, although it predominantly burns fat, a supply of carbohydrate is required for the breakdown of fat into energy. The ratio of how much fat vs carbohydrates that are utilized during exercise is determined by the duration of exercise along with your training experience. More intense workouts tend to burn more carbohydrates for fuel, whereas longer less intense exercise will burn a higher ratio of fat.

It is important to remember that with exercise, the body utilizes a mix of all three of these systems. The method that is used to create energy depends on the type of activity and its intensity and duration.

Therefore, now we know about the energy systems, we can understand that this “fat burning zone” is when we train within our aerobic system using longer, less intense exercise.

In regards to your heart rate zone you ideally need to be working between 65% – 85% of your max heart rate (MHR).

How do you work this out?

To find out what your individual fat burning zone heart rate range is, depends on your age. To simply work out your MHR:

220 – Age = MHF

For example, I am 34. My MHR is 220 – 34 = 186 beats per minute

My 65% is: 120 BPM / 85%: 158 BPM

Heart rate ranges simplified:

90 – 100% of MHR – Develops maximum performance and speed

80 – 90% of MHR – Increases maximum performance and capacity

70 – 80% of MHR – Improves aerobic fitness

60 – 70% of MHR – Improves basic endurance and fat burning

50 – 60% of MHR – Improves overall health and helps recovery

At the end of the day, fat loss is about our daily energy balance and an important part of this is our nutrition. Simply we want to move more and eat slightly less to create a calorie deficit (energy in vs energy out). While you may be focused on fat, it’s still important to elevate your heart rate into the vigorous zone from time to time. Working harder strengthens your cardiovascular system and burns more calories than moderate activity.

Bouts of higher intensity exercise can help our energy balance by burning more calories (in less time too) during exercise and therefore creating a calorie deficit that way. Resistance/weight training we use our muscles and create an “after burn effect” which elevates our metabolism for up to 48 hours exercise.

Exercising in all three energy systems offers lots of benefits, regardless of your goal or your method of training. If you’re a cardio girl, adding resistance training into your week can boost power and reduce the risk of injury. If you typically resistance train, adding cardio can help with your endurance and therefore increasing your training volume. Either way, creating variety within our planned exercise can guarantee we are seeing the best results and become the best human possible.

How to get the best results – progressive overload

What is Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload is a strength training principle to make your workouts more challenging overtime. We have a saying in the gym “Do the same, never change”. This doesn’t mean changing your exercise or program everyday or week. But to change something to make the exercise more intense and therefore beneficial.

By changing the way you exercise, it can hinder plateaus, help you gain strength, encourage muscle growth, and build endurance. This is what you need to become fitter, faster, stronger, increase muscle mass, increase the “after burn effect” and therefore how many calories we burn at rest too (BMR).

There a lot of different ways to progressive over load:

Using a heavier weight for the same exercise. Make sure if you are lifting heavier, your technique is still perfect and not compensating by swinging and using other muscles to assist.
Add more repetitions to your exercise. If last week you could do 10 reps, try slightly more e.g. 12, 15 etc.
Add more sets. Do another round of the exercise to get more volume. By adding more sets you can significantly burn the muscle out more and get closer to failure. If you usually do 3 sets of 12 repetitions, try 4 sets next time.
Change the tempo of the movement. Try slowing down the movement to create more time under tension and fatigue the muscles. You can try slow negatives or pausing at the bottom of the movement. Just remember that doing negative reps (e.g. 5 sec on lowering stage) needs more recovery time.

The national academy of sport recommends increasing your volume by no more than 10% each week. For example, if you are currently barbell squatting 50kg and that is not challenging for you any more, try 55Kg the next week. Progressive overload is the key to building strength faster, break through plateaus and make your workouts more efficient.

If you are unsure how to progressive overload safely, consider using one of our personal trainers and get that push you need.

“Fitness HQ is a locally owned and operated boutique gym in the heart of Albany. With 24 hour access, you can get fit, when it fits you!”

Benefits of Water

How many of you have felt thirsty today? Now the weather is colder, the desire to drink water throughout the day gets a bit harder. Well did you know, by the time you actually start feeling thirsty your body is in fact already dehydrated? The thirst you are experiencing is your body’s way of calling out to you to rehydrate your body.

Our body is composed of 60% water, which means when we are dehydrated our body’s water composition is less than that of 60% and closer to 58-56% water composition. Although this may not seem like much it is important to note that all systems within our body do not function as well without the proper water intake.

We all know that we need to consume water on a daily basis. That saying about 8 glasses a day has been drilled into us, but why do we need it? What does water actually help with?

Researchers have discovered that by keeping our body hydrated we can maintain a better mood. Drinking more water also enables you to think clearly throughout the day helping you develop a better mindset for the day and in turn make you happier.

In a sporting context, an increase in water intake can help you perform better. Proper hydration contributes to increased athletic performance. Not only due to the fact that it keeps you hydrated throughout your workout but 75% of our muscle tissue is comprised of water! Lack of water intake or dehydration can also lead to weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and electrolyte imbalance.

Now the point you’ve all been waiting for… keeping well hydrated has been linked to weight loss. Sometimes we think we are hungry when actually we are thirsty. Our body just starts turning on all the alarms when we ignore it. For those of you trying to drop some kgs, staying hydrated can serve as an appetite suppressant and help with weight loss. It will also keep your digestive system healthy and functioning properly. We clear waste through urine and sweat, so if we aren’t drinking enough water we aren’t flushing out all the waste our bodies don’t need. Water is also essential for proper circulation of nutrients throughout our bodies (water-soluble vitamins). Water serves as one of the body’s transportation system and when we are dehydrated things just can’t get around as well.

For any of you out there that seem to have sore joints throughout the day or just when you are working out, I have some good news for you! Drinking water can reduce pain in your joints by keeping the cartilage soft and hydrated.

And last but not least adequate water intake throughout the day can help with your skin, it can give you your natural glow, obviously not literally but figuratively. Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Regular and plentiful water consumption can improve the colour and texture of your skin by keeping it building new cells properly. Drinking water also helps the skin do its job of regulating the body’s temperature through sweating.

If plain water is not your thing or it gets boring, try infusing your water with some no sugar water drops or try adding fresh fruit to it to flavour it a little (try slices of lemon, limes or sprigs of mint).

10 Benefits of more water:

Weight loss
Your skin will glow
Better performance and productivity
No more headaches and migraines
Replaces lost electrolytes which are thought to prevent cramping
Helps digestion and bowels
Improves your immune system
Relives fatigue by flushing our toxins
Reduces risk of bladder and colon cancer
Helps aches and pains

“Fitness HQ for Women is proudly locally owned and operated based and is the only 24-hour womens gym on the North Shore”

Should I be taking protein powder?

One of the most common questions we get at the gym, is should I be taking protein powder?

Why protein is important in our diet.

Protein IS NOT just about building muscle and is only needed by bodybuilders. Protein is one of the three macronutrients (the other two being fats and carbohydrates), which means your body needs it in a relatively large amount and is vital for the body. Protein is the building blocks of the body and is used to repair everything. Your bones, muscles, cartilage are all repaired by protein. And your skin, hair and nails are mostly made from proteins (keratin, collagen, and elastin). Fats and Carbohydrates are stored in your body, but Protein is not, which means it needs a fresh supply every single day. Even if you don’t exercise, your body still needs protein to regenerate and repair different cells in your body.

Use of Protein Powder

Whey protein powder is actually a bi-product from casein and cheese manufacture. people like to use protein powder, mainly out of convenience. You may not always be in the position to roast a chicken, pan fry some steak, or boil up some beans. This is when you can utilise protein powder to give you a good serving of protein, without cooking, prepping and refrigerating. Also, protein powder is very economical in comparison to buying meat.

It is recommended that you eat a minimum of 0.8 x your body weight (KG), up to x 2 of your bodyweight. Athletes who are strength training are near the higher end and also people who are recovering from serious wounds or injuries. Women especially tend to be very low in their daily protein amounts.

Consuming more protein in our diets can really help with satiety, which in turn, helps with weight loss. By consuming protein we tend to keep ourselves fuller for longer and tend not to overeat. A study has also shown that participants that consumed a high protein breakfast did not overeat at the end of the day.

Examples of Protein:

Some examples of this (using calories just as a comparison for how much protein you get for the number of calories you consume) are as follows:

2 Eggs: 14g of protein
Serving of black beans: 8g
Piece of fish: 20g
A thin slice of shaved ham: 2.9g of protein
2 Vegetarian Sausages: 8.4g of protein
½ cup of Lentils: 9g of protein
Baked Beans: 10.8g of protein
A serving of broccoli: 3g
1 glass of milk: 3.4g of protein
10 almonds: 2.5g of protein
Milo “Protein Clusters” Cereal: 5.5g protein
2 scoops of Horley’s 100% Whey Vanilla protein powder: 18.6g of protein
Chicken breast: 30g

When should you use protein powder?

Whenever you want! Protein shake for breakfast, or morning tea, or afternoon tea, or for dessert! That’s the great thing about protein powder, it’s quick, easy, and versatile! You can have it alone with water, make it a smoothie by adding some berries or half of a banana, or you can even put it in some yoghurt and make a thick flavoured mousse! If you are rushing around in the morning a protein shake can be a convenient good option or even as a post-workout snack.

At the end of the day, you don’t need protein powder. There are many foods high in protein that would let you reach your goal easily! However, Protein powder is usually lower in calories, super tasty (if you find the right one!), and convenient! If you need to up your protein intake and want convenience, definitely give protein powder a try!

“Fitness HQ for Women is a New Zealand owned and operated gym in the heart of Albany, North Shore. Our services include group fitness classes, personal training, and providing a 24-hour access boutique women-only gym”