fitness

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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Eat as Much as You Want of these Foods

When people think of dieting, most assume it means eating very small amounts of food. While it’s true you should only eat small amounts of certain foods like sweets and treats, there are some foods – a lot of foods actually – that you can go hog wild on without spoiling your health and fitness progress.
What determines whether you can eat a certain food without restraint? There are a few factors:
  • Volume: Some foods are made mostly of water or contain a lot of air which increases their volume without adding calories. High volume foods help fill you up quickly.
  • Protein: Studies have proven over and over that protein is more filling than fat or carbs.
  • Fiber: Natural fiber in food makes you feel full when you eat it and also slows down food as it moves through your digestive system. This keeps you feeling satisfied long after you’ve finished eating.
Based on this criteria, here are some foods you can fill up on with no regrets.
Citrus fruits like oranges, tangerines and grapefruit are high in water content and full of fiber.

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Don’t Let Back to School Stress Derail Your Fitness

Nowadays, it’s not just kids who are getting the back to school jitters.  It’s parents too!  A recent survey conducted by Care.com revealed that 55 percent of parents feel more stressed during the back to school season and more than 30 percent experience significant anxiety over it.  

By September, bonfires, BBQs and beach days are just warm memories of a great summer.  For many the fall means rigid schedules, new logistics to juggle and heavier workloads.  And, with about 70 percent of kids participating in extracurricular activities according to Pew Research, family schedules can fill up so quickly that it can seem almost impossible to have time for anything else.

For anyone trying to stick to a fitness routine, back to school can be especially challenging.  It’s easy to put off working out in favor of another activity or event that may seem more important.  Of course you can’t be in two places at once and sometimes something has to give.  But skipping multiple workouts can put you on a slippery slope that’s hard to climb back up.  

Follow these guidelines keep your fitness on track:

  • Schedule your workouts:  Choose a time for your regular workouts and stick to it.  

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