Why Fasting and Fitness Work Well Together

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The month of Ramadan is the perfect time for spiritual and physical transformation! But, understandably the heat combined with lethargy and fasting means exercise is probably the last thing on your mind. But what many people don’t realize is that your work-outs can actually benefit from this special time of the year.

The past year has seen a surge in fitness experts voluntarily fast to align with their workouts. Calories are kept to a specific timeline, and the six small meals a day recommendations are quickly being replaced with controlled fasting. Sounds familiar right?

That’s because the misconceptions about fasting and what it does to your body are being debunked thanks to medical research.

Fasting doesn’t lower energy levels if you make the most of your eating times. Obviously the first few days you will be tired as the body adapts to the fasting month, but by choosing foods that release their energy SLOWLY you will quickly find your energy levels return.  Avoid the temptation of breaking fast with sugary or sweet snacks. Reach for fresh apple, home-made soups and non-oily meat dishes. The urge to eat sweet will quickly dissipate once you’ve had something small and healthy to eat so really the issue is control the urge to gorge! Like everything it’s about thinking ahead and making smart food choices.

 

Fasting doesn’t slow down your metabolism. This is the same for both men AND women. For some reason this myth is a common one among our female members. It takes a prolonged and consistently low-intake of calories (think less than 500 calories daily) for your body to go into starvation mode and that’s where your metabolism slows for survival. Fasting is merely moving your calorie intake to a different time of the day as opposed to a complete lack of food.

Fasting wont burn muscle mass and or reduce strength: Generally speaking, Ramadan sees a lull in our activity. If you have ever stopped working out for a week or two you would have noticed a small but significant change in your strength, stamina and muscle mass. This is simply because the muscles were not used and therefor didn’t grow. So if you are not active during the Holy Month of Ramadan you will most definitely see a decline in your physique but it’s due to inactivity and not due to fasting. So to counteract any potential muscle mass decline, make sure you are still working out during Ramadan with a focus on maintenance and not gains.

 

So don’t be afraid to work-out this Ramadan. Just take your sessions slowly, make sure you hydrate properly when you can and if in doubt ask your trainer for additional ways to keep motivated this Ramadan.

 

Women, Workouts and Weight Loss.

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Hands up ladies who have kids, a full-time job, a house to run and severely depleted energy bank? Well, we hear ya. There is no doubt that trying to manage everything leaves most women unable to prioritize their health. Regardless of where you are in the world, women have a tough time trying to balance home, health, work and children and Pakistan is no different.

 
The common theme when we talk to potential female members is time. “I don’t have time”. So rather then tell you “You need to make time”, I’m going to tell the exact time to workout….and that’s early morning. Right after you kiss your kids goodbye at the school gate you head to the gym. If you think you will talk yourself out of going; then go to school with your gym gear on already. If you dread the idea of weight-loss because it’s such an epic, long-drawn out battle then just focus on your workout as being “Me time”. If you feel intimidated because you have no clue what to do in the gym apart from the treadmill, then just do the treadmill. If your coffee addiction is calling you, bring your coffee in a flask. The key to working out is get to it BEFORE your head talks you out of it. And KNOWING that your head will throw everything at you to convince you it’s a bad idea is also key to success.

I remember a few years ago I used set the alarm and place it half way across the room so I had no choice but to get out of bed when it went off. Sometimes I used hide it under clothes because I knew in the dark I’d have to frantically find it to avoid waking the entire house. I also used pile my gym gear directly where my feet would be, in the exact order of putting it on so in my bleary eyed state at 5:45am I had no excuse but to get up. And never once was I delighted about hearing that alarm go off. But the difference is I didn’t let my head talk me out of it. I grumbled the whole time not wanting to get up or get dressed, but my head grumbled while my body ignored it and got ready.

So let your brain do the talking as you do the walking, because you will be on the treadmill maybe 5 minutes and that nagging voice will go quiet. And that peace is everything.

Giving yourself even half an hour will do wonders not only for your body but for your mind.  You literally cannot help but feel happier, more confident and proud after even the smallest amount of exercise. The body releases the chemical serotonin during physical exercise which is responsible for feelings of happiness, relaxation and clarity. Getting exercise shouldn’t be about weight loss if it discourages you, it should be about mental health and giving yourself some much needed TLC.

At Structure Gym all our staff are trained professionals. So when you feel ready, you can ask at reception to talk to one of our trainers about expanding your fitness program to something that suits you and your body. There’s a massive amount of misinformation regarding fitness leading to many members feeling intimidated about asking how to change their routine.  You don’t need a complicated workout routine to lose weight or get fitter, but you do need the right information. And that’s our passion.

Why to be fit at 40’s?

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Getting fit beyond the age of forty can be intimidating. Not only do we have to build muscle where there is none, but due to the ageing process, our skin has started to lose elasticity and, networks of fine lines on our face, hands and arms and joints are more susceptible to injury. But if you haven’t been in shape and decide it’s time to give it a go, you have made the wisest decision of your life! There has been much research conducted on the benefits of exercising by 40.

Recent studies have shown that exercise and physical activity can help you maintain or partly restore your strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. Furthermore regular, moderately intense physical activity can lower your risk of heart disease, heart attack  and stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. And if that weren’t enough reason to exercise, you will also sleep better, feel better overall, deal with stress better, have more energy and have a better outlook on life.

Recently, there has been an increase in the number of professional athletes who are in their late thirties and forties. That is why today more people around 40s get the inspiration to gain fitness and revolve their lifestyle around exercising and working out.

Forty is a good number to start off with your fitness mantra. People are more settled and have much time to relax and think about their health in this age.

You need to remember this; when starting a new exercise regimen, moderation is the key. Start with low-impact exercises, low weights when weight lifting and be sure to include lots of stretches before, during and after your workouts.

 

 

How to stay Motivated This Autumn?

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So, it’s that time of the year again when the weather starts to get cooler and the days start to get shorter, and you may find yourself lacking motivation to make it to the gym.
Here are some easy tips to spike your motivation:-

Mix Up

Change your workout routine. Following the same routine can sometimes get a little boring. Talk to your friendly Structure Team to inject fresh ideas to your exercise plan or get a workout routine from the ‘workout board’ to find new ideas.

 

Rest

Making sure you add enough break can be as important as making it to the gym, plan to have days off. This will give you time to relax and un-wind, you will find yourself ready for your workout the next day.

 

Bring a buddy

We all like to work out with friends. Find a workout partner who shares similar goals. Committing to meeting them at the gym leaves you with no excuses!

 

Train with an Exercise Professional

 

Book in with a personal trainer to give you additional support and encouragement.

 

 

More Water

 

As winter nears and temperatures begin to drop, the air becomes drier and our bodies receive less moisture than they do during warmer months.

A major reason for this lower level of moisture in our bodies is that we tend to stop drinking as much water in winter months. So grab that water bottle and make sure you drink 8-9 glass a day.

 

WHY OUR MEMBERSHIP MEANS MORE THAN JUST A WORKOUT?

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Through the decades, Structure health and fitness has proven itself to be one of the premium gyms in town. It has provided a whole new healthy and active lifestyle other than its top-of-the-line equipment’s and highly qualified trainers which definitely sets it apart from other health and fitness clubs in the town.

Structure believes in creating a community where people want to see your progress while sharing their own experiences. It’s a prestige for the people to be a part of Structure, they enjoy to come and use state of the art equipment’s and on the other hand to socialize with the people that share common interest.

We not only provide health and fitness but also a better customer service oriented place, where clients are treated with more personalization. Our personal trainers design individual workout plans for each client to ensure the optimum results and goals.

Quality training is based on the individual body requirements and instructions given by the qualified trainers are worth staying with you for a lifetime. Pushing your limits to the maximum by incorporating fusion of strength based and HIIT workouts like Cross fit, HIIT and Core Conditioning,Bikram, Zumba, Hot Pilates and many more that helps you in toning the best version of you.

Today, it’s the popular choice of many elites and socialites to engage and enjoy a comfortable and premium ambience. Apart from workout facilities it has many other attractions including swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, massage room, fresh and healthy juice bar that provides every client a chance to cherish a world class experience.

For those of you who are inclined towards fitness but lack a self-motivation, structure is a perfect place to get you on the track.

What makes it a head of others is the Lifestyle that it provides to its valuable members by giving an extremely incredible experience of socializing with friends and family along with working out together.

Self transformation and Total Transformation of a Body Program

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Many of us seek a change in their fitness. Whether fallen off the wagon, become bored with doing the same thing, or need a change of scenery, it’s natural to change up your routine But maybe the change you need is a bit different than what you think. Perhaps the transformation we’re seeking should go far beyond mixing it up or trying something new to strengthen our love affair with fitness. What if we could figure out a way to make this transformation the last one we ever need—a transformation that changes fitness from a must do, to a want to do, so it never feels like a assignment again?!

It’s natural to embark on a fitness journey searching for a radical change in weight, shape, size, or habits. We have this grand vision dancing in our heads, but the route to get there can be tough, overwhelming, and perhaps, a bit out of reach. Inevitably, we struggle to keep going. That’s often because the focus is on one big, daunting goal, and the changes are too extreme, conflicting too fiercely with your established habits.

What to eat, what to do (and not do) and other behaviors that affect your Fitness are hardwired to some extent. Simply deciding to eat better, exercise or take better care of you doesn’t magically make the change happen. It’s understandable that the healthier choice sometimes loses out. Instead, we need to realize there are short-term gains before those long-term goals. Lets figure out does exercise ultimately make you fit, energetic, or happy? Does it help you sleep better or focus longer? It’s time to take note!

Find the Positive

Make yourself involved in healthy routine which are associated with ridding your body of excess fat. Workout or eating right can seem like a negative instead of a positive. we naturally want to rebel or associate negative thoughts with the good behavior, making it harder to continue. When you even think about going against, it becomes harder to continue and much easier. What if, instead, you found activities you love and keep you healthy…

I would like to suggest that part of transforming your body and reaching your fitness goals is realizing that nothing will happen in moments but rather small changes will lead to your ultimate transformation. To initiate the fitness routine you need to go with the latest trend, healthy diet and equipped GYM that is STRUCTURE Health & Fitness and follow below steps

Set short time Goals

Prepare yourself for not achieving goals in short while and target for short term goals which will lead you to your final destiny, set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound goals, which will make your life easy and you will feel happy by achieving pond before river.

Feel rewarded and Move On

When you see immediate benefits of working out and better food choices, it will start connecting the dots for you. It will be the time to take rewards, state out loud how proud you are of your decision, note the reward you’re feeling from the good choice you made in the moment, and then make a plan to do it again!

Change Your Relationship with Exercise

When you must do something, you tend to feel trapped. When you want to do something, you search for opportunities to fit it in. Getting to the place where you want to move more and eat well takes times.

If you are already doing your routine work out fed up doing that you doesn’t find good results; therefore you only have two choices either you leave exercise or find some good workout session to keep yourself motivated and revive your body for the better results again, and in other case if you are new to gym never attended workout programs than you must need sort of training session which will direct you towards right path and prepare your body to move that way in respected manners to achieve your goals in due time..

Transformation begins with changing your mindset. When you decide that moving and fueling your body are gifts that provide immediate return on investment, you’ll look at healthy choices a bit differently. Then, when you begin to notice what you’re receiving in exchange for your time and effort, you’ll begin to reward yourself with more of the same.

Find a Workout which will help you transform your body

There we are STRUCTURE has introduced the combination of cross fit, boot camp and Cardiovascular workout names TOTAL TRANSFORMATION OF A BODY which is the perfect for every age group to revive and restart their fitness exercises under the supervision of most talented and experience trainer Mr. Nasir.

TOTAL TRANSFORMATION OF A BODY is one of the most famous programs at STRUCTURE and it has been largely appreciated, people have enjoyed doing workout and made phenomenal changes in them, and help people to make Fitness a lifestyle. There’s proper volume, duration, intensity and type that will magically make exercise a lifelong habit. Yes, there are recommendations for maximal benefit.

Blogged by: Rizwan Khadim