What is the best time of day to exercise?

This has been a subject that has been researched and debated extensively amongst exercise physiologists. There are pro and cons regardless of the time of day that you choose to exercise but the most important fact is that you choose to exercise.

The Early Risers

While it generally requires a little bit of extra commitment and preparation, that is, waking up early and not slamming the “snooze” button or having your gym bag ready to go the night before; there have been many studies that have showed significant benefits of working up a sweat first thing in the morning. This has been especially so regarding those looking for fat loss as during the night your body has consumed all the available carbohydrates or sugars and hence has to resort to burning fat to fuel the early morning workouts. It is important to note for those looking to gain muscle that working out on an empty stomach is not recommended as you ultimately compromise performance leading to lighter lifts.

Furthermore, it has been shown that those who exercise first up are more likely to maintain exercise routines in the long term as they don’t let unexpected turns in the day compromise their routine. By exercising in the morning you also prevent yourself from using the “I’m too tired” excuse at the end of the day.

Importantly, exercise raises mood, alertness and energy levels and by doing so in the morning you will ultimately have a more productive day.

The Night Owls

Exercise in the evening also fair share of benefits. For those looking to build muscle, by exercising in the evening you are ensuring that (if you diet appropriately) that your body is optimally fueled for maximal performance and hence better gains.

Evening exercise can also help limit binge eating at dinner time – a cardinal sin as excess calories at this time of day tends to be stored as fat rather than burnt off due to the close temporal proximity to sleep.

There may also be stress relief benefits by exercising after a long day. This may result in improved sleep but this has been of much debate as some studies have shown that the increased body temperature and hormone levels may in fact interfere rather than aid sleep.

So, the best time is…

Whatever works for you! There are arguments for each side but overall all that matters is that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise – the rest is very secondary.

Yoga

The benefits of yoga transcend the physical realm and, in a classic Hassed manner, extends to the psycho-social facets of life. As an alternative therapy, yoga has been recommended as an adjunct to treatment for many medical conditions – and, unlike many other complementary therapies, has been proven to be of benefit. The physical aspects of yoga combined with the breathing exercises and mediation result in it being almost the perfect recipe for a wholesome healthy life.

Regular yoga practice will lead to visible improvements in the below aspects of bio-psycho-social wellbeing amongst others:

• Flexibility
• Strength and muscle tone
• Balance
• Breathing
• Stress reduction
• Body awareness
• Sleep
•  Posture
• Psychological – concentration, memory, attention, mood

There are many types of yoga, each with its own unique philosophy, and as a result it is important that you do some research on the class you’re planning to attend; firstly, to know what you’re getting yourself into, but also to make sure you pick the type of yoga that suits you the best. Some of the most popular styles you are likely to come across are:

• Hatha – movement tends to be slow and gentle and hence more relaxing
• Bikram – a progression through 26 poses in a hot room, take a towel
• Vinyasa – poses flow from one to another, tends to be the most popular type
•  Kundalini – a lot of spinal and core work
• Ashtanga – aka power yoga, physically intense and probably not for a beginner

If you are signed up to a health club, most should have a yoga class that you can involve yourself with. Otherwise, there are numerous dedicated yoga studios all around Melbourne that you can either participate in classes on a casual basis or join on a fixed contract if you fall in love. If the aforementioned options don’t suit you for one reason or another, you can practice at home with the help of some excellent YouTube classes or Apple apps (Yoga Studio would be a personal recommendation – it’s full of detailed instructions and videos – all for $4.99). If you’re an absolute beginner I would highly advise you to at least start with a couple of live classes with an instructor so that your basic technique can be corrected and will decrease the chance of you causing yourself injury.

Beyond the mat, yoga is a way of life that people from all walks of life “convert” to after really connecting with the physical side of it. The philosophies surrounding yoga are ancient and deeply meaningful. If you do a quick Google search you will find endless hits on individuals who have transformed their lives through yoga and its teachings. If you really want to connect with yoga and practice on a deeper level I would highly recommend you reading “Light on Yoga” by B. K. S. Iyengar; it is a great insight to yoga off-the-mat.

Overall, the best aspect of yoga is that it is totally inclusive in the sense that anybody can do it - regardless of fitness level – and further, regardless of your fitness goals, everybody can benefit. Each pose tends to have advancing variations that you can progress through to challenge yourself as your practice improves. I can’t stress the importance of practising as regularly as possible – even if its only for 15 minutes a day – as increased frequency of practice will lead to maximal benefit.

So grab a mat, open your mind and enjoy the journey – what are you waiting for?

Namaste.

If you have any questions regarding Yoga or any other fitness topic please ask us in the comments section.

The easiest way to get healthy – without exercise!

Getting healthy without exercise, effort or money? Surely not. Until you discover the magic of drinking water. The significant benefit of drinking water is no secret, yet the vast majority of us do not consume enough H₂O each day. Dehydration, even in its mildest form, can have detrimental effect on our metabolism and bodily functions. In fact, your body needs to be adequately hydrated to reap the rewards of a hard workout. So in case you have forgotten or been living under a rock for your whole life, I thought I would give you a quick refresher on the benefits of H₂O:

• Vital to maintain bodily functions and metabolism: our bodies are roughly 60% water and thus is goes without saying that by not replenishing these stores we are adversely impacting its function. Water is also vital to speed up metabolism and clear toxins from our system.
• Suppresses hunger: over 75% of the time when we feel the need for a quick snack or meal we are actually not hungry, rather we are dehydrated. Thus, the calories we consume during this time is surplus and going straight to our waistline or thighs. By maintaining adequate hydration we would be saving our bodies from these excess, unwanted calories.
• Helps you stay alert and maintains energy levels: dehydration commonly leads to fatigue and lethargy, and hence, by staying hydrated we can avoid these feelings – especially during exercise.
• The healthiest drink: no sugar, no preservatives and nothing artificial. As long as its not brown and you can see through the glass, it’s the best liquid for you.
• Other benefits: decreases incidence of headaches, colon cancer, urinary tract cancer and kidney stones; also improves the appearance of your skin.

How much water do you need per day?

The general recommendation seems to be roughly around 6-8 glasses per day. But this variable depending on the water content of the food you are consuming and also the level of daily activity. So what is the perfect amount? Check your urine! If your urine is a lemonade or pale-straw colour you can pat your self on the back because your body is well hydrated. If it’s a distinct yellow or yellow-green colour you should grab your bottle and head straight to the tap. (If it’s any other colour you either need your eye checked or you should see a doctor).

Tips to stay hydrated:

• Get yourself a drink bottle and take it everywhere. Sip throughout the day rather than waiting for the thirst sensation.
• Go for a glass of water first thing in the morning – yes, that is, before (or, instead of) your morning coffee.
• Drink a glass of water before and after each meal.
• If you want to make things interesting, slice up a lemon and a few strawberries, put them in the bottle and throw it in the fridge overnight to let the flavours infuse. Experiment with other fruits or vegetables – acidic ones work best.
• Green tea is a great hot substitute instead of black tea or coffee, plus you get an added dose of antioxidants.

HIIT – The Latest Buzz in Fitness

What is it?

HIIT – high intensity interval training – is method of training designed to maximize the benefits of exercise in the shortest time possible making it ideal for time-restrained individuals, for example, medical students. For those of us don’t want to – or don’t have the time to – spend 60 to 90 minutes on the treadmill or lifting weights then this is ideal. All you need is 20 minutes per day to see some real results!

How does it work?

HIIT combines alternating short periods of high-intensity exercise with less-intense recovery periods.

Does the compromise in time lead to compromised results?

NO! This is the best part about HIIT. The periods of high-intensity activity leads a increased number of calories burnt and also forces your body to adapt to a superior level of exercise than a mediocre-effort 60 minute workout. HIIT also increases the “after-burn” effect where your body will continue to burn calories even after you stop exercising.

A 2011 study that was presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting demonstrated that 2 weeks of HIIT increased an individual’s aerobic capacity by as much as 6-8 weeks of endurance training.

Will I lose muscle mass?

NO! The short, sharp bursts of exercise combined with the rest periods ensure that the body burns carbohydrates and fat preferentially to muscle

How do I do it?

It’s simple and requires no equipment at all. You can choose any activity – running, swimming, cycling, rowing or even weight lifting – and perform that activity at 90-100% effort for no more than 1 minute and then rest for an equal amount of time – we will call that one round – and then perform as many rounds as possible. If after 20 minutes you are not exhausted, lying on the floor, you haven’t worked hard enough.

For example: jump on a treadmill, set your incline at 2.0 or above and select a speed that is a sprint for you, e.g. 16.0kph. Then sprint at that speed for 30secs and then take a 30secs rest by either stepping off the treadmill or by having an active recovery at a very low speed, e.g. 6.0kph. It is vital that your recovery is a proper recovery – you need to remember that the benefits of this training is reaped during the active phase rather than the recovery phase and by pushing yourself too hard during the recovery, you are compromising your efforts in the active phase.

If you want to make the work out harder you can increase the incline, increase your running speed or – the best way – decrease your rest time.

Just a quick warning that when you first start this sort of training it might make you feel sick or dizzy during initial sessions so its important to know your physical limits and always stay hydrated.