Here's another reason some women may want to hit the gym and watch what they eat.

A new study says even moderate weight loss could help reduce breast cancer risks.

Researchers in Seattle used data from sedentary post-menopausal women who were overweight or obese. They say even a 5% weight loss can reduce the levels of circulating estrogen which is known to be a risk factor for breast cancer.

The women dived into four groups: a diet-only group, an exercise-only group, a diet and exercise group and a no-intervention group.

“The biggest effect was through diet plus exercise”, Anne McTiernan, the study's author, said in a statement.

The results of the studied showed that the groups with the most weight loss were the diet and exercise group with women in those groups losing an average of 10 percent of their starting weight, according to the study.

Additionally, the women in the diet only and diet and exercise groups also experienced the largest drop in estrogen and other hormones linked to breast cancer.

Researchers say a healthy diet and exercise is key, and that it's never too late to make lifestyle changes.

The study results suggest that weight loss of just 5% or more could cut the risk for the most common, estrogen-sensitive breast cancers by a quarter to a half.

To begin a weight loss and exercise program, contact Answer is Fitness.

KKTV News and Christian Post

Most people understand that you need help with getting and staying motivated in order to exercise and lose weight. You also need to keep it fun and mix it up. As the weather turn nicer, we all want and many of us need to lose weight.

Exercising with people you enjoy is a perfect way to stay motivated. Get a group of friends together who have similar schedules and can work out when you can. It has long been proven that exercising with friends is a great way to get healthy and lose weight.

Signing on with a personal trainer works well for people too. When you spend money on a personal training program you are more inclined to keep your appointments. Many find that the motivating nature of personal trainers help keep them motivating and working hard.

If personal trainers are not what you are looking for, many trainers encourage those who want to lose weight to join a gym. The social and community aspect of belonging to a gym is a great motivator for many. Being greeted as you enter, seeing friends, taking exercise classes that you enjoy can keep you coming back to the gym getting healthy.

Of course, as the saying goes, “misery loves company” so taking that really challenging group power or spinning class with friends actually makes that hard class fun.

For information on our Summer special at Answer is Fitness, contact us.

If you are looking for a fun and different type of exercise to help you lose weight, look at learning kettlebells. As you know by now, building muscle is the best way to lose weight. But cardio is essential to your health.

Kettlebell workouts combine aerobic and anaerobic exercise that help you lose weight faster than cardio or weights alone. In fact, a 20-minute kettlebell workout is worth about an hour on the treadmill!

The kettlebell is used to perform ballistic exercises. Ballistic exercises are a combination of  cardiovascular, strength and flexibility exercises. Kettlebell workouts use several muscle groups at once.

In order to lose weight, most personal trainers recommend interval training. Kettlebell exercises  are more  aerobic and similar to high-intensity interval training. This makes kettlebells perfect for weight loss.

In one study, people who worked out with kettlebells for 20 minute burned an average, 13.6 calories/minute aerobically and 6.6 calories/minute anaerobically during the entire workout. This is equivalent to running a 6-minute mile.

For more information on working out with Kettlebells, contact Answer is Fitness.  

The best way to lose weight and get in shape is through interval training. Interval training is the when you add bursts of high-intensity workouts interspersed with periods of low-intensity workouts. The perfect interval training workout is Bootcamp.

Bootcamp is a training program or workout designed to build strength and fitness through intense group intervals. Boot camp workouts are perfect for those who don’t have time to workout or who have busy lifestyle because it is efficient. With bootcamp workouts, you workout your entire body going from one exercise to another with no breaks.

You can maximize your workout time by combining functional, core, strength and cardio training into one hour! Boot camp workouts usually include calisthenics like pushups, crunches and other body weight exercises. What makes this different is these callisthenic exercises are combined with cardio vascular exercise as well. With Bootcamp the difference is in the intensity.

For more information on the boot camp program where you work, sweat and burn calories like crazy, contact Answer is Fitness.

Everyone is wondering how to lose weight. There are no quick fix solutions, but there are ways. First and foremost, boost your metabolism. Here's how:

Pump iron

Weight training is the best way to boost your resting metabolic rate. As you get older, your resting metabolic rate drops, but weight training can increase it again: A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories a pound of fat does. In fact, a woman who weighs 130 pounds and is muscular burns more calories than a sedentary 120-pound woman of the same height. Regular strength training can increase your resting metabolic rate anywhere from 6.8 to 7.8 percent.

Rev up your workouts

Adding interval training, or bursts of high-intensity moves to your workout is a great metabolism booster. Studies have shown that people who do interval training twice a week in addition to cardio exercise lose twice as much weight as those who do just a regular cardio workout. You can easily incorporate interval training into your workout by inserting a 30-second sprint into your jog every five minutes or by adding a one-minute incline walk to your treadmill workout.

Break up your exercise routine

Whenever possible, slice each of your workouts into two smaller sessions. For example, do a 15-minute weight-lifting session in the morning, then do your 30-minute walk on your lunch hour or at night. You'll burn an extra 100 to 200 calories that day,

Get some sleep

Not getting enough sleep can upset your metabolism. Studies show that people who got four hours of sleep or less a night had more difficulty processing carbohydrates. When you're exhausted, your body lacks the energy to do its normal day-to-day functions, which include burning calories. Your metabolism is automatically lowered.

Original article RedBook

Have you been putting off getting in shape? Remember that New Years Resolution? Did you forget about it? Well, if you have put of getting in shape, and all-of-a-sudden spring is here in full swing, we have the perfect solution. Answer is Fitness is offering a Spring Special: A Free Month of Personal Training.

Nothing can help you reach your personal fitness and weight loss goals like personal trainers.  Personal trainers can develop a training plan for you with your personality and your goals in mind. With personal training, you can be sure of an exciting, challenging and fun personal training plan, complete with your own cheering section, your personal trainer.

Most fitness goals fail as a result of lack of motivation, lack of goals and lack of results. With a personal trainer, through conversation with you, they can  help you solidify your goals. “I want to lose weight is a goal, but it isn’t specific enough. “I want to wear a size 8 by June” is a more realistic goal. Perhaps you want to run the marathon next year, or lose baby weight, personal trainers can help.
 
Contact Answer is Fitness for more information on our Spring Personal Training Special.  

With so many people trying to lose weight and being unsuccessful with fad diets it is no surprise that in the latest study, fad diets don't work. Eating a healthy diet and regularly exercising helps overweight Americans lose more weight than those who turn to diet fads and pills.

Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical Center analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the CDC. The data came from more than 4,000 individuals aged 20 years and older.

The study found that the people who were most successful in losing weight exercised more and ate less fat than those who did not. Those who joined weight-loss programs appeared to have the most success.  

On the other hand, those who reported going on liquid diets, weight loss pills and eating diet foods and products did not see a successful weight loss.

Weight loss exercise programs give people accountability because it is something they have invested in themselves.  While the fads and supplements and low-fat foods have created a large market for themselves, the authors of the study said it’s encouraging that the most successful ways of losing weight are accessible and affordable.

“This study, though observational in design, supports weight loss through proper eating and activity — a fact that is often challenged in today’s quick-fix world,” said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

Diet and exercise are reflecting a commitment to weight loss and changed lifestyle. Without a commitment, there will be no success. With commitment to gradual changes, you keep your eye on the bigger picture and are able to accept that quick fixes are never the answer. With commitment, not only do you lose weight, you keep the weight off.

Habits are shared and passed along as well. Liquid diets and weight loss pills are not shared with your family, but healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle will be.

Interested in a weight loss exercise plan or program? Contact Answer is Fitness.

ABC News

Often people make the mistake of starting an exercise program without having clear goals in mind. They just say they want to get in shape, or lose weight without any planned steps to do that. You have to have a clear goal in mind, and you have to track your progress towards that goal, otherwise, how will you know what kinds of corrections you have to make when you are having trouble reaching your goal?

The best way to help yourself track your progress is to keep an exercise or weight-loss journal. Write in it daily to keep track of what you have or have not accomplished that day. This will help keep you motivated as you see small progressive steps add up. And that’s one of the facts on exercise.

If you need help setting you exercise goals, take advantage of a personal training program.  The personal trainers at Answer is Fitness are trained and experienced in helping clients make and meet fitness goals. Take advantage of our April Training Special and get started on an exercise plan today!

What is the April Training Special? ONE FREE MONTH of personal training! When you buy any of our individual 6 month training programs, we’ll give you the value of ONE MONTH’S price off your personal training plan to discount the monthly price to the lowest ever!

Want more information? Contact Answer is Fitness today to start in on your fitness goals.

Now that we are not wearing thick sweaters and huge winter coats, you might have noticed that  you need to lose some “winter weight”. Perhaps you have specific areas of your body or target areas that you want to get in better shape. Maybe you suddenly have a bit of a belly or your arms don’t have the tone they used to. Want to lose that extra 5 or 10lbs pounds you gained over the winter?

You need a personalized training program designed to meet your specific goals. How? With personal training.  The cardio equipment and exercise classes are great for your cardio vascular health. But a personal training program can get your on the right machine for your butt or outer thighs while creating the perfect weight training program for those same target areas.

You may not think you need a personal trainer, but working with one helps keep you focused on your goals. Personal trainers keep you committed, hold you accountable, and share in your victories. A personal training program can help you increase your fitness level, help you with weight loss and keep strength-training and cardiovascular activities fun.

If you want help hitting those target areas, and you want personal attention to help you reach your weight loss goals, contact Answer is Fitness.

There is nothing like running outdoors in the springtime. Those who are runners know the exhilaration that only a good run can give you. But do you know how yoga can benefit your running?

Runners are trained to be competitive and push past pain; yogis are trained to be accepting and to work within the moment. While the two activities seem counter-intuitive on the surface, they're actually the perfect "yin-yang" balance that will enhance every runner’s performance—and keep runners moving forward for the long-haul.

Here are five reasons every runner should take up a regular yoga practice.

1. It will keep you running. Many runners have a preconceived notion that yoga simply is not “hard enough.” Of course, stretching is important. Does this sound familiar? About thirty minutes into the practice, your mind wanders to thoughts of how much more “productively” this time could be spent running on the treadmill.  Many serious runners have experienced piriformis syndrome, which can really take hold of running. That stabbing pain in the rear and hamstring plague you during runs, and sitting still in the car during your commute is worse. If you want to keep running, you have to be kinder to your body.

Focusing on yoga helps stretch and treat all the muscles that you demand performance from when running.  

2. Yoga will improve your focus. When you learn to quiet your mind and breathe into discomfort, you add an amazing gift to your running arsenal, particularly during those grueling long runs when you just can’t find your groove. You also start to appreciate the sport of running more when you learn to be present in your races, appreciating the sights, sounds, smells and sensations that only an endurance event can offer, instead of doggedly watching your watch to break a “PR.”

3. Yoga offers more to your support community. The energy and spirit of runners can't be topped, but yogis possess a sense of calm and positivity that is infectious. Yoga practitioners appreciate what they have been given—even on the “bad running” days.

4. Understand your body better. Yoga brings your strengths and weaknesses to the forefront, no matter how much you choose to ignore them during running. The saying in yoga that the pose you hate most is the one you should probably spend the most time on, and is a great philosophy to bring to your running, too. When you become aware of your body’s biomechanics, you can adjust your training, pick up the pace and take care of yourself -- before injury sets in.

5. Develop strength. Many runners wrongly believe that running in and of itself builds lower body strength, and therefore, they forego any strength training. Muscle imbalances develops as a result of running, and eventually, injury occurs. While the act of running will develop muscles to a degree, through yoga training you will see noticeable improvements in your running power and pace consistency. You will be able to endure balance challenges, develop core strength and the learn the simple “burn of holding”. What better place to find all of the elements than on the mat?

Mind Body Green