November 2018

Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs

If you had to describe a holiday based on its menu, the word for Thanksgiving would be carbs. Mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, stuffing, rolls with a little turkey thrown in for good measure, of course. It occured to me as I enjoyed my holiday meal that carbs have gotten a bad rap lately. With so many people adopting a low carb lifestyle and diets like keto being all the rage, carbs have really been vilified. But if you ask me, carbs have an important place in our diet – they are the body’s primary energy source – and should be embraced instead of avoided.

I feel like a lot of the negativity around carbs stems from misunderstanding. There are good carbs and bad carbs; carbs that you should incorporate into your meals and those you should avoid. Here’s my best attempt at breaking it down so you can easily figure out what is what.

There are two categories of carbohydrates – simple and complex. Foods fall into either category based on what they’re made of and how your body breaks them down. Some people think simple carbs are bad and complex carbs are good.

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The Perfect Pushup

When a new member signs up at Synergy, one of the first things we do during the fitness assessment is count the number of push ups they can do. There’s a reason for that, and it is because that number is an excellent indication of someone’s overall fitness level. Now, you might think a pushup is all about upper body strength. But the reality is that to perform a pushup with proper form takes total body strength. And, doing them regularly has massive benefits.

A traditional pushup hits your upper body by engaging your triceps, chest and shoulders. And when you’re doing them on your toes you build strength in your core and lower back. You’ll keep your legs and butt tight too.

You can hit different muscles with a push up by changing the position of your hands. The most common push up, with your arms slightly wider than your shoulders, works mostly your chest and your shoulders. Bringing your hands and arms in tighter to your body turns a traditional pushup to a tricep pushup. For most people these are more challenging since they rely on the tricep, a much smaller muscle,

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Healthy Through the Holidays

Here we go, people. It’s November. Halloween is behind us and it’s officially the start of the holiday season. It’s a time of year that can be extremely challenging for some people who struggle to stay committed to their health and fitness. It seems like temptations are everywhere and there are a million reasons this time of year to miss workouts and fall off the food wagon and flat onto your face.

I’ve already had several conversations with members who are anticipating how tough it will be. But my message to them and to you is that it does not have to be. The holidays don’t have to be the time of year that you blow your diet. It doesn’t have to be the time of year where you skip the gym more often than not. It doesn’t have to be a time when you gain weight and go into the new year feeling sluggish, guilty and regretful. Let this be the year when you coast through the holidays healthfully – where you treat your body well by enjoying the tastes and flavors of the season in moderation and keep yourself feeling energized with simple and effective workouts.

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CAROLYN CARTER

CHANGED MY LIFE

The small group training at Synergy has seriously changed my life. I have never loved to work out and have always had trouble staying consistent with working out. I signed up for a promotion at Synergy and instantly fell in love with the atmosphere and the workouts. I was really self conscious and really out of shape. We are all there for the same purpose and I have never felt embarrassed or out of place. There is such a wide variety of people also. I got my mom and my best friend to sign up and they love it too! The trainers are amazing and really take the time to get to know you and how far to push you during workouts. The workouts can be tough but the motivation from the trainers and other members will keep you going. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in my life!! I’ve lost 14.1 pounds and 5% body fat since I’ve been going to Synergy. I could barely do 4 push-ups on my knees when I started. I am now doing REGULAR push-ups and even started RUNNING (I have never ran a day in my life).

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