We are approaching February now, how are you doing on your commitment to get in shape and lose weight? Losing weight and trying to maintain a fitness routine take a commitment and lifestyle change.

It is important to commit to exercising and eating healthy like your life depends on it, because it does. Do you still need some help? We are here to assist. At Answer is Fitness in North Attleboro, join now and receive the first 2 months free and no enrollment fee.

With child care, an expansive schedule of exercise classes, a Cinedrome Movie Theater with Cardio Equipment, personal training, and a great community feel, we can help keep you motivated and committed to your new lifestyle.

No matter the level you are trying to take it too; training for a marathon, or just trying to exercise for 45 minutes a day, we have the team who can help you out.

Contact Answer is Fitness for a free pass or to join with 2 months free.

Women have many health and fitness concerns that are inherent to women alone. As women age it is very important that they remain physically active and healthy. Physical exercise is the best way to keep the mind and body healthy as women age.

However, even for younger women, those who watch what they eat and follow a simple exercise routine feel better about themselves and that's reflected in everything they do.

In order to do their best in all of their numerous roles, women need to put in place and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical exercise and a healthy diet are the best ways to improve women’s health now and over time.

Healthy bones are important to prevent osteoporosis. Muscular strength has a direct correlation to bone density, so it is important for women to do weight bearing exercises regularly. However, endurance and flexibility are important to.

Flexibility, which you can develop through yoga and pilates, helps aging women prevent slips and falls and helps you in your ability to maintain your balance. Muscular strength also helps with balance as you age.

Physical exercise not only helps your bone health, but it has also been proven to improve your brain health.

Healthy eating habits and a regular cardio exercise and strength training regime important to healthy bones and a healthy lifestyle.

Contact Answer is Fitness for steps to a healthier lifestyle designed specifically for women of today.

The short days and the cold weather in the winter can wreak havoc on your fitness routine.

As the temperature outside drops, it gets more difficult to brave the elements for outdoor exercise. Wear layers, drink plenty of water and decide how cold is just too cold and winter exercise will get easier.
In the winter, you need a different game plan.

Certainly for most of us, motivation tends to wane in winter. The key is to try different activities, like zumba, yoga, kettle bells or other group exercise classes. Have a flexible approach to your fitness routine as the weather changes.

If you're keen to exercise outside in all seasons, learn to dress for winter workouts.

Wear layers. That's really important when it's cold outside and make sure you're not becoming wet. Heavy cotton soaks up sweat, so you might want to stick with wool or polyester: something water repellent.

Don't leave home without hat and gloves. Heat loss from the head alone is about 50% at the freezing mark, according to ACE's safety tips for cold weather.

Keeping hands and feet warm is crucial because in cold the body shunts blood away from the extremities to warm internal organs at the center.

Consider a scarf or face mask in temperatures below zero, to warm the air a little bit before it gets into your body.

Usually you won’t forget to layer up in the cold, but many forget to hydrate. It is just as important to stay hydrated in winter.

Here is the breakdown of the calorie burn of 30 minutes of winter activities, such as sledding (250 calories), ice skating (230 calories), shoveling snow (230 calories). These numbers can fluctuate of course. This is based on an average woman of 145 pounds. And calorie burn can change for sledding and snow shoveling depending on whether the snow is wet or fluffy.

Keep mixing it up, and trying out other ways to be physical, remember, you burn more calories when you're shivering.

Original article – Fox News

You are eating the same and exercising the same, but you have noticed that it is harder to lose weight, or perhaps you are even gaining weight. Nothing has changed, except… you are over 40. Actually, something has changed; your body.

As we age, we burn less calories because our metabolism slows down. There is no set age where this happens, but most people tend to notice between 40 and 50. So, the secret to weight loss over 40 remains the same as it was before 40: burn more calories than you take in.

So, since you burn fewer calories in a day as you age, you either need to eat less, or exercise more in order to lose weight. But sticking to the same routine as your younger years will have no effect on your weight loss or maintenance goals. You need to have a calorie defecit.

Our metabolism, (basal metabolic rate) accounts for 60 to 70% of the total number of calories we burn in a day. So when this slows, we need to adjust for our slower metabolism. There is where most of us drop the ball.
 
As we age, we begin to lose muscle mass which accounts for our slowing metabolism. The more muscle mass we have, the more calories our body burns at rest. So as we age, exercise is very important. There are many benefits to exercise, but for people over 40 the benefits of exercise are even greater.  As we age we begin to lose muscle mass.  The more muscle mass we have the higher our basal metabolic rate.  Regular exercise and activity will not only help build and strengthen muscles but will speed up your metabolism thus burn more calories.

For a free 30 day pass, or for help in setting up an exercise and nutrition plan for weight loss over 40, contact Answer is Fitness.

Millions of people will begin some sort of diet or fitness plan this week. Unfortunately most will fail, and the average dieter quits after 15 days. This does not have to be you, you can do it.

Here are some pointers to help you stay healthy and on track this new year.
 
January is the hardest month to make a change

January can be the hardest and most depressing month of all to make and stick to resolutions. Your body will have a hangover after the holidays. It takes time to rewire your brain and your blood to get back to being clean and lean again after a month of eating poorly.
 
Don't Starve Yourself

Eat good food, not boring food. Eat food that will make your body and mind feel good. Steamed chicken breast is not going to help you get slim. Give your body a break from alcohol and excess sugar. Eat fruit and legumes that will still nourish you without making you feel deprived.
 
Get rid of the Christmas Food

Don’t let guilt make you eat all those holiday dessert leftovers. Get it out of the house. Throw it away or bring it into work if you can’t throw it away, let your coworkers eat it.

Shop Smart

Never go food shopping hungry. Don’t buy things at the store that you just know that you should not eat at home. Shop for healthy and delicious foods.

You may fall off the wagon, get back on

Trying to lose weight is a process.  If you eat too much or skip exercise one day, don't be too hard on yourself. Don’t give up, start again tomorrow, but don’t keep putting it off until tomorrow.
 
Think about it

Why do you want to get fit? Why do you want to get healthy? Think about why you want to lose weight when you start to slip into holiday habits. Look for reasons to stick to your resolution.