Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews

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4 Functional Fitness Tips to Increase Your Energy (Part 2)

by Suzanne Andrews

Missed Part I? Click here to read it

Functional Fitness Tip 4: Take power naps. 

I've always take a power nap when time allows as it helps me power through the rest of my very long and active day.  

Of course, your fatigue could just be a sign that you're not getting enough sleep. Most adults require 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but most of us don't get that much. You can make up for lost sleep by taking power naps. Power naps can refresh you and improve your mental clarity and focus. To benefit, set aside 30 to 60 minutes for a restful nap during the day. Wear ear plugs or a sleep mask if lights or sounds disturb you. 

Functional Ftiness Tip 5: Reduce stress and anxiety.

Have you ever felt emotionally exhausted? In times of stress, we tend to worry more. All of that worrying takes energy, so it's no wonder that stress is linked to low energy levels. Tell a trusted confidant about your worries and fears. If you've been harboring unspoken anger or keeping secrets, now is a great time to bring your feelings into the open. Keeping your emotions bottled up only stresses you out more, leading to greater exhaustion. Share your burden with someone else to get some perspective and lighten your load. 

Functional Fitness Tip 6: Stay hydrated.

Fatigue is a symptom of dehydration, and is more common than you'd think. Many adults suffer from mild to moderate dehydration. If you're an athlete, frequent dieter, or diabetic, you could face an elevated risk of dehydration. Try to drink 64 oz of non-caloric beverages each day. Most of this fluid intake should come from plain water. Sugary sport drinks are rarely necessary, and caffeinated drinks can leave you more dehydrated. For the best results, find a portable drink container you like, and sip water from it throughout the day. If your energy level quickly rises, you'll know dehydration was keeping you tired. 

Functional Fitness Tip 7: Address underlying health concerns.

A low energy level can be an indicator of a more serious condition. Fatigue is associated with depression, diabetes, malnutrition, sluggish thyroid, and a score of seasonal ills like colds and flu. I have a slow thyroid and combat low energy with medication and regular exercise.  The medication is not enough and workouts that require hard core moves are too much.  Low impact cardio and strength does the trick.  If you suspect you may have a medical condition, ask your doctor to perform a thyroid test, blood glucose test, and routine blood work (CBC). The results will help you identify and treat the root cause of your lethargy, or rule out diseases so that you can look elsewhere for a cause. Healthiest blessings!

Would you like to lose weight and boost your energy doing low impact workouts that leave you exhilarated and not exhausted? Try Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews Total Body Strength and Conditioning.

 

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

3 Functional Fitness Tips to Beat Fatigue with these Energy Boosting Tips (Part 1)

by Suzanne Andrews

Fatigue can set in at any time of the day. Maybe you get drowsy after lunch, or maybe you suffer from low energy levels throughout the day. Whatever the cause of your tiredness, you can beat fatigue with these great energy-boosting tips! 

 Functional Fitness Tip 1: Move more, not less. 

Struggling to stay awake at work? You can get energized by stepping outside and taking a casual walk at lunchtime. Dozing off at home? Put on some music and dance around, or do some chores you've been putting off. Movement might seem impossible when you're feeling lethargic, but it will get your blood circulating and that increased energy to all your body cells. It doesn't take long for movement to perk you up, giving you the energy you need to face the rest of your day. 

Functional Fitness Tip 2: Eat small, frequent meals. 

In the past, conventional wisdom told us eating three square meals a day was the key to health. Now we know that eating smaller, more frequent meals is the best way to keep our bodies fueled. Start your day with a nutritious breakfast, and never go longer than 2 to 3 hours without eating something, even if it's just a handful of almonds or a low-fat mozzarella stick. The constant fuel will keep you energized. 

 
FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: TOTAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING WITH SUZANNE ANDREWS

Functional Fitness Tip 3: Add magnesium to your diet.

Magnesium helps your body carry out hundreds of tasks, including one very important one: changing glucose into usable energy. If your magnesium level is low, your energy level might be, too. Increase your magnesium by eating almonds, cashews, fish, and whole grain bran cereal. You can also take a magnesium supplement in liquid or pill form. 

Continue reading part II

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Is Stress Making You Gain Weight?

by Suzanne Andrews

Unless you have a magic Genie who does everything for you,  you come across stressful situations every day. From hectic work schedules to strained family life and the pressures of the daily grind, stress can wear out even the strongest person. Some who struggle with weight loss use food as away to ease the stresses in their life. I used chocolate!  This leads to weight gain, which leads to more stress, creating a vicious cycle that is difficult to break.

 BUT you can change the way you react to stress. A patient of mine who has fibromyalgia confided, “ When I’m stressed, I want fattening foods because they make me feel better.”  In reality, fattening foods eaten daily make you feel worse. They lower your immune system, make you gain weight, cause painful joints and a host of diseases.  

When I recommended that  losing weight could make her painful joints go away, she dismissed the advice immediately and blamed everything on the disease. Did you know that just 1 lb of weight causes 4 lbs of excess pressure on your joints? The first step to losing weight is taking responsibility for your actions. Once you recognize and admit what is stopping you from success, you can do what is necessary. 

Simply put - fat is toxic and makes you  old and sick. I'll say that again, fat is toxic and makes you old and sick! Have you ever heard a person who has lost weight say they feel worse and want all that weight back on? 

 

I was 60 pounds overweight and can relate to joint pain and low energy from excess weight. I lost it the old fashioned way.  Now that I'm in menopause, it's coming back.  So instead of blaming everything else, I'm designing a weight loss program for menopausal women and will show you the results in the future. My program includes sensible exercise and healthy nutrition. There is so much unscrupulous information on the internet and as a medical professional, it's my duty to give you accurate, evidenced based information - so you won't ever get "LOSE 30 POUNDS IN 30 DAYS" from me:) 

According to Psychology Today, "25 studies in 26 years confirms that exercise  makes you happier" and helps alleviate mild to moderate depression without the side effects of medicine. Really, if all the benefits of exercise came in a pill, everyone would take it - including myself. But pills cause side effects and can damage your liver so whenever you can improve your health naturally - that's the best and least expensive option. If you're on medication it is always best to see your doctor.  Since I have many doctors who recommend my exercise DVDs, go ahead and inquire if Functional Fitness with Suzanne Andrews is right for you. Let your doctor know that the workouts are on PBS TV and on DVD. (DVD has more footage as we are on tight time constraints on TV).

 Healthiest blessings,

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

6 Steps to Weight Loss Over 50

by Suzanne Andrews

Has the dreaded "middle age spread" added inches to your waistline? If so, you're not alone. Sedentary jobs and slowing metabolisms cause many middle-aged individuals to gain weight.
It can be discouraging to find that the foods you ate in your youth without a second thought are now making the scale creep higher and higher. But you don't have to take it sitting down! Here are some effective weight loss tips for people over the age of 50.

   1. Skip the crash diets.
When you were younger, your hormones did a lot to keep you healthy. After the age of 50, you will need to focus on good nutrition to get the same effect. Avoid starving yourself or limiting your diet too strictly.

You need vitamins and minerals now more than ever. Eat a variety of colorful vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products.

Increase your fiber intake to at least 30 grams a day for optimal digestive health. Dehydration can lead to stiff joints, aches and pains, so make sure you're drinking 64 oz of water each day as well.

   2. Protect your bones.
Calcium deficiency can lead to a loss of bone density and full-blown osteoporosis. Generally Men and Women over 50 and men require 1,500 mg of calcium daily to stave off the loss of bone density. 

IMPORANT TIP:  Vitamin D is crucial for calcium absorption. Men over 50 and postmenopausal women require 400-800 i.u. of vitamin D every day. At the age of 65, this requirement increases to 600 - 800 i.u. per day.

   3. Combine cardio exercise with strength training.
Cardio exercise will strengthen your heart and lungs and keep your joints supple. Strength training exercises counteract muscle and bone deterioration, and can prevent fractures at vulnerable sites like the wrists and hips.
Ideally, adults over 50 should engage in weight-bearing cardio exercises, such as walking or dancing, for 20 - 30 minutes, 4 - 5 times a week. They should also do strength-training exercises 3 times a week.
The appropriate amount of exercise varies according to each individual's level of wellness and fitness. I find that starting my day with a workout sets me up to stay on course the rest of the day.  While it's not' always easy to get up early, the good health results are worth it. 
If you've been diagnosed with low bone mass (osteopenia), get your doctor's approval before doing exercises that require you to bend or twist your spine. That's why in the Get Stronger Bones DVD all the exercises are osteoporosis safe and done at the correct speed for building bone density.

 

   4. Take injuries seriously.
Injuries can affect anyone at any age, but older adults need to take steps to ensure that a simple strain doesn't turn into something more serious.
Exercise is an important part of a healthy weight loss routine, so you don't want an injury to keep you on the sidelines. Exercising too is not recommended and it doesn't produce the best results as your working momentum more than muscle!
If you experience acute pain during or after a workout, take a break and assess the injury. A strained muscle might require a few days of rest, massage, gentle stretching, and an anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen.
Sore joints might need rest, anti-inflammatory medicines ad  any bone injury should be looked at by a doctor. Also, if you have a disease that decreases your body's healing abilities or weakens your immune system, play it safe and go to your doctor for advice.

   5. Get plenty of rest.
Adequate sleep is important for many reasons. It allows your body to rest and renew itself, keeps stress hormones at a minimal level, and helps your muscles and joints
recover after a workout.
While insomnia is a common complaint among older people, it's not a normal part of the aging process.
If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, adding regular exercise to your daily routine can help. Daily exposure to sunlight has also been linked to improved sleep quality.
If you think you might need a sleep aid to help you sleep, try a natural alternative like yoga instead.  Yoga is great at helping people sleep better. Sleep aids make people forgetful and groggy the next day.

   6. Set realistic goals.
Weight loss is possible for people young and old, but the sad truth is that it might not happen as fast as you'd like once you reach a certain age.
Don't expect a rapid reduction in weight. Instead, set a goal of 1 pound per week. Keep a food and exercise journal to track the number of calories you consume and
burn each day.
If you're doing everything right and still not losing weight, talk to your doctor to find out if underlying health problems or medications could be interfering with your weight loss.

You can stop dieting, start eating and start living with Suzanne Andrews Functional Fitness DVDs!

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

Yoga & Weight Loss

by Suzanne Andrews

 

   How would you like to get rid of weight, aches, anxiety and stress from your life with easy, gentle mind body techniques?

   Yoga has become a prominent part of many popular workout routines. It's commonly touted as a cure for everything from stiff joints to breathing problems. But will yoga help you lose weight?

   Meditating seems counter-intuitive to someone who wants to build strength and shed pounds. But yoga has many qualities for weight loss that other programs miss. Here are some of the ways yoga can help you lose weight and increase your sense of well-being.

   Stress Releasing Yoga Burns Calories.

   Yoga puts you in touch with your body's needs. when you practice yoga, you learn to clear your mind of the distractions that prevent you from really listening to your body. By getting back in touch with your needs, you can learn to differentiate between hunger and cravings.

   The more you learn about your body and its amazing abilities, the more you will want to take care of it by avoiding junk food and radical diets.

     Yoga is a real stress-buster. By practicing mindful breathing and quiet meditation, you can bring your mind and body to a peaceful state. This decreases anxiety and can even reduce your body's production of the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol sends our bodies into self-preservation mode, which translates to increased fat storage.

   Learn to relax and breathe during yoga and you will eventually learn to incorporate those skills into the rest of your life.

   Yoga Helps You Snooze to Lose

   By producing more lean muscle mass, yoga can help you burn more calories even at rest which a great way to speed up your weight loss.

   Yoga Makes You Mindful

   Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons yoga teaches us is the lesson of mindfulness. Yoga practitioners learn how to be "in the moment", focusing on their breathing and their posture rather than worrying about work, family, or other stress triggers.

   You can apply this mindfulness to your weight loss plan as well. Learn to focus on your food and your enjoyment rather than choking down your meals while watching TV.

   By taking your time and keeping your mind on your meal, you will tend to eat less and be more satisfied.

   Remember: you don't need to contort your body into a pretzel to benefit from yoga. As the original modifier of yoga poses who lost 60 pounds, I've seen the benefits of gentle stress release and weight loss yoga first hand.  It just goes to show that slow and steady can help you win the weight loss race.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER

 See a preview of  "Beginners Dynamic Yoga for Stress Release and Weight Loss" to learn all you need to know to begin loving yoga and improving your well-being today. 

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

How to End Emotional Eating and Lose Weight

by Suzanne Andrews


   Did you know visualization is a powerful tool for achieving what you want in life? Get the weight loss
results you want by creating your own mind movie.

   Food is fuel for the human body, and we eat it to get ourselves through the day. We also gather around the dinner table to celebrate special events and spend time with our loved ones. In times of grief, it's common to offer food to the bereaved. Is it any wonder that food and emotions are so connected?

   Unfortunately, some people feel compelled to eat far past the point of satiety. This is done in an attempt to calm volatile emotions or to fill an emotional void.

   The National Institute of Health estimates that 3% of Americans (over 9 million people) suffer from compulsive overeating, also known as Binge Eating Disorder. This disease can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and feelings of intense guilt and shame.

   Emotional eaters tend to be guided by their emotions rather than their hunger. Some eat when they are sad, lonely, or bored. Others eat when they are stressed out.

   Most are simply carrying on behaviors learned in childhood, when food was associated with comfort and reward. Emotional eating has little to do with actual hunger, and everything to do with unfulfilled needs.

   If you think you or someone you love might be struggling with compulsive emotional eating, follow these steps to start the recovery process.

   Recognize the Signs of Emotional Eating.

   Emotional eaters tend to eat until they are uncomfortably full, and they usually eat alone because

they are self-conscious about the amount of food they are consuming. After an emotional eating binge, they might feel disgusted, guilty, or depressed about their lack of self-control.

   Learn to Identify Your Triggers.

   Every emotional eating episode has a trigger. Think back to a time when you engaged in compulsive eating. Was it a reaction to a particularly stressful day? Were you consoling yourself with food to overcome loneliness or boredom? Were you relieved that a stressful period in your life had finally come to an end? All of these situations can lead to an emotional eating binge.

 Discover Your True Needs.   

   It's not always an easy process, but if you want to overcome emotional eating, you must learn to recognize and ask for what you truly need. Do you need food, or do you need affection? Do you need food, or do you need to feel appreciated? When your true needs are fulfilled, the compulsion to eat will go away.

   Keep a Food Journal.

   A food journal is an excellent way to keep track of your food intake. You can also use it to track your feelings and emotional eating triggers. This will help you identify the thought processes leading up to a binge. Once you can identify these thoughts, you can take steps to change them and head off the next binge before it occurs.

   Replace Food with Other Rewards.

   Learn to reward yourself with treats other than food. If you need to feel pampered after meeting a stressful deadline, celebrate with a massage or a luxurious bubble bath. If you want to celebrate after losing ten pounds, buy yourself a new outfit or something related to a favorite hobby.

   Too many of us turn automatically to food as a reward, forgetting that there are many healthier ways to splurge!

   Talk to Someone Who Understands.

   Millions of people struggle with emotional eating, and you do not need to go through recovery alone. Sometimes it helps to hear from others who have beaten the disorder, and others who face the same challenges as you.

   Groups like Overeaters Anonymous (http://www.oa.org/) offer support for compulsive eating.

Healthiest blessings,

Suzanne Andrews

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

How Often Should You Exercise to Lose Weight?

by Suzanne Andrews

 How would you like to transform your body and lose weight without living at the gym?

 When paired with a healthy diet, exercise is a crucial part of a successful weight loss regimen.

In fact, though diet is important, some experts believe that exercise is even more important when it comes to losing weight and warding off disease. The two main reasons being, when you exercise, the perspiration you produce cleanses toxins from your body. Second, your muscles continue to consume fat molecules (calories, fuel) well after you’ve stopped exercising.

So how much should a person exercise each day? Health benefits can be achieved with 20 to 30 minutes of low-impact cardio exercise, five times a week.

It’s a simple concept, you must consistently exercise every day because you eat every day. If you eat and don’t exercise, fat builds up and…you know the rest.

Just think, Michael Phelps the Olympic swimmer, would consume 12,000 calories a day during training. That’s 6 times more than our recommended daily intake which is about 1800 to 2000 calories. But look how thin he is. He torched nearly all fat content in his body from swimming literally miles a day. Exercising.

 But while some people exercise to lose weight, others simply want to improve their health and keep their joints flexible. Others want to get in peak condition for sports.

 In short, the amount of daily exercise you need depends on what your goals are.

 Exercising for weight loss

If you're exercising to lose weight, you might have to work up your daily activity to 45 minutes or even an hour.

 An example of a good weight loss routine would be 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio, like speed-walking integrated with strength training as shown here in Suzanne Andrews Arthritis Walking Workout DVD.

Full workout available HERE!

When you do strength-training, be sure to work different muscle groups each day so that each group has time to recover before you push it again. Example, groups from the waist-up one day, groups from the waist-down the next.

 Use lighter weights and more reps to develop lean, toned muscles and maintain a slender look. Use higher weights and fewer reps to build bulkier muscles for a thicker look. Ladies, no need to worry about getting bulging muscles, you don’t have the amount of testosterone in your body to develop the large muscles you see in body building competitions.

    Exercising for health.

Experts agree that just thirty minutes of low or medium impact aerobics five times a week is all that's needed to reduce the risk of certain diseases and promote longevity.

This can easily be obtained by going for walks after dinner, or riding a bicycle instead of driving your car for some of your daily errands.

If you're new to exercise, it's okay to start slow. Studies have shown that your body will benefit even if you have to break up the thirty minutes into smaller chunks throughout the day. Be sure to allow yourself time to achieve results. You didn’t fall into weakness and excess weight overnight so it won’t be overnight to get back to where you want to be.

The key is to get your heart rate up to a level that will strengthen your cardiovascular system. Again start slow and work your way up. It’s called exercise, not torture.

 A good rate of maximum heart rate is 70% for beginners, 80% for moderate and 85% for advanced. As a general rule, you can determine your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

For example, a 40-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of 180. They would get the most benefit from maintaining a heart rate of 90 – 126 BPM while exercising. Walking is great, but it needs to be a brisk pace to induce increased heart rate and deeper breathing. A stroll through the mall is not going to  qualify.

Exception: If you’re on blood pressure medications, you need to check with your doctor what your target heart rate should be.

    Exercising for extreme fitness

    Some people train for two or more hours each day. These are typically experienced athletes who are already in good condition, but who want to shape their bodies into peak performance machines.

   This level of training is usually done for a few months and takes real dedication leading up to an athletic event. After the event, the athlete returns to a more normal workout routine.

   Before you start an extreme fitness regimen, speak with your doctor to make sure there are no underlying health concerns that could be made worse by such a routine. You’ve likely heard the stories of guys who went full blast their first day out after little or no exercise for months or years. Ambulance rides are not cool.

   Also, extreme fitness regimens are typically a combination of cardio and strength-building exercises.

   When you're starting out, get guidance from a trainer or someone else who has experience with the program to make sure you maintain proper form and minimize the risk of injury.

    Exercising for older adults

   It's important to stay active at any age. Older adults benefit greatly from regular exercise. Your muscles don’t know how old you are. They simply react to whatever forces are placed on them by getting stronger and more durable. Period.

   The US Department of Health & Human Services advises older adults to get 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate to vigorous exercise each week.

   If health conditions make this difficult, the person should get as much exercise as possible.

   Muscle-building exercises are helpful for older adults, as are exercises which improve flexibility and balance.  A regular stretching routine is fantastic for increasing flexibility and injury protection.

 

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS: ARTHRITIS RELIEF WALKING WORKOUT 

Suzanne Andrews Arthritis Walking Workout DVD transforms your body without living at the gym.

Suzanne Andrews founded Functional Fitness in 2008, the most popular fitness series for boomers and seniors broadcasting on over 159 Public Television stations throughout the US and Canada. Read Suzanne’s inspiring comeback story of how she survived a near fatal accident, From Deaths Door to Producing a National Fitness Series. Feel free to send Suzanne a message here.

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