The Fitness Nugget: by Neil Fox
Top Secrets To Burn Calories!

Hi, my name is Neil Fox.  welcome to the first installment of the Fitness Nugget. My passion for fitness has driven me to share the most up-to-date research in a bi-monthly column.  As a personal trainer I've worked with many people, from Olympic Athletes to the Calorie Concerned.  Sometimes I get asked:  is there a secret to burning calories?  Here are this week's top 5 tips.

1.  Get Your Sleep:  Less than 6 hrs of sleep nightly, decreases the ability of the body to burn calories. (Kravitz)

2.  Resistance Is Excellent:  Load bearing weight training burns fat during and immediately after the session.  As well, loading the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments increase the size and density of these tissues; so extra caloric expenditure is yielded from the body to maintain them. (Kravitz)

3.  Eat Often:  Treat your metabolism like a camp fire.  Keep the fires burning hot by continuously adding light dry wood (healthy snacks: fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc)...the next time you throw on a big log, it'll burn baby...it'll burn!

4.  Include Intervals:  Research has proven that short duration intense cardio activity (e.g. running stairs 5X) burns more calories and fat during AND after the session than long duration low intensity cardio (e.g. a 1 hr slow jog).  It's called AFTER BURN. (Kravitz)

5.  Shake It Up:  Each day you exercise, whether cardio or strength training, change the way you move your body.  Muscles and fascial tissue can get efficient at any particular movement and burn fewer calories when there is less stimulation for adaptation.  Keep the body guessing!

Email me at neil@lifeworksgym.net for questions about this article or any fitness questions in general.

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