The No. 1 Reason Your Workout Isn’t Working

By AMANDA RUSSELL

In my experience, there's one obstacle I see in most workouts, especially women's workouts. After countless hours of teaching exercise to people all over the world, I noticed it popping up everywhere. This wasn't a verified scientific study, just my personal observations through experience.

So what is this obstacle?

Intensity.

Sounds obvious, right? But it's the culprit that's keeping so many of us from getting fitter, losing weight and seeing results. The good news is that it's easy to overcome.

Lack of intensity comes in many forms, but the bottom line is that people are OK with getting moderately uncomfortable during a workout, but we rarely push ourselves to the limits. We think, "This is uncomfortable, I'm sweating, I'm moving and that's good enough."

But it's not enough, not if your goal includes big changes. Our bodies are stronger than our minds let us believe, but it's our instinct to pace ourselves to preserve energy in order to make it through a workout.

That's the problem with most 45- to 60-minute workouts: The levels of intense segments are too long for us to really push the limits, so we lower our effort level to a state that allows us to preserve our energy.

Here are six ways to crank up the intensity and get the most out of your workout:

1.Make the Commitment. Nike got it right: "Just do it." There is no "try." The first step is deciding to take on the challenge. Don't just promise yourself to work a little harder, commit to a certain time slot each day.

2. Have a Plan. Without a plan, a trip to the gym can quickly become a complete waste of time. To avoid wandering aimlessly from one piece of equipment to the next, sketch out your workouts ahead of time and set clear training goals.

When you go in with a purpose, you'll maximize your time. You'll be able to push so much harder if you know you only have 30 seconds before a break.

3. Be in the Moment. Rather than trying to work out for a long period of time, focus on what you're doing. Don't think about what's ahead -- concentrate on the interval at hand.

It's better to go hard on your first couple of intervals and need more recovery between each one than it is to sail through all of them without needing the recovery.

You can do anything for a limited period of time, and it allows your body (and mind) to push harder than it could for unknown time intervals.

4. Don't Multitask. It might be tempting to fire off emails on the stationary bike or browse Instagram on your phone, but don't do it.

Your workout should be the time you disconnect from the world and focus on working your body. Up the intensity by using the timer on the machine to do intervals, keep active recovery under 60 seconds and cap workouts at 45 minutes.

5. Get Uncomfortable. Don't be afraid to get breathless. Keep that goal at the front of your mind. Think "faster."

Cardio-loving distance runners may prioritize pacing and mileage, but try adding sprint bursts to your runs. Sprinting all-out for 10 sets of 30 to 60 seconds can blast more fat and energy in less time than a long run.

Add some intensity and variety to workouts by performing shuttle runs, hill sprints or 100-meter repeats with short recovery periods in between. Not running? You can do this with anything: On a bike? Bike faster. On the elliptical? Go harder.

6. Change Up Your Workouts. Don't stagnate. You'll get more out of accumulating a series of short, high-intensity intervals than a long steady-state workout.

Of course, you need to do both, but if it's results you're after and you're not finding them fast enough, you need to reevaluate how hard you're working. I promise: Exercise does work, but you have to keep up the intensity levels.

Here are five "go-to" interval workouts, no equipment required.(Note: These routines give you the framework; you decide how hard you can do an exercise.)

Tabata-Style Body-Weight Workout
Quick 100-Calorie Cardio WorkoutSuper Burn WorkoutCrazy-Intense Total-Body WorkoutBest of Barry's 12-Minute Interval Workout

Please note: There are many other factors that could be obstacles in keeping you from results, such as consistency and diet. But in my experience, intensity is the number-one problem I've noticed when it comes to the time people spend working out!

--Amanda

Amanda Russell is a top-rated fitness and lifestyle writer, professional keynote speaker, Olympic-trained athlete, model, spokeswoman, founder of FitStrongandSexy.com and one of the industry's leading experts on fitness, wellness and change. Amanda hosts and executive produces the online fitness series: Fit Strong and Sexy. To watch Amanda's show, visit AmandaRussell.tv.

Connect with Amanda on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

Reprinted from Livestrong.com
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/blog/1-reason-workout-isnt-working#ixzz3Ghn8KrvU

Lifting Weights Can Help Your Memory

Bonus: It takes WAY less time than you think.

BY K. ALEISHA FETTERS | Women's Health

Whether you’re going over notes for a big work presentation or cramming for an exam, new research from the Georgia Institute of Technology shows that lifting weights after your study session may help you better memorize your material.

For the study, 46 young adults (20 years old, on average) looked at a series of 90 photos on a computer screen. Researchers didn’t ask them to remember the photos, but secretly, they were waiting to test their memory.

Then, the participants sat down on a leg-extension machine. Half of the participants performed 50 reps at max effort, which took about 20 minutes. The rest just sat on the machine and let the researchers move their legs for them. Meanwhile, the researchers also monitored each participant’s blood pressure, heart rate, and saliva (for stress-linked chemicals).

Two days later, all of the participants came back to the lab and checked out a series of 180 photos—the 90 originals mixed in with 90 new ones.

Researchers found that while the non-lifters remembered about half of the photos from the first lab session, those who had lifted remembered 10 percent more. Pretty handy trick, huh?

And this isn’t the first study to find a link between a fit body and a sharper brain. One Brazilian study, for instance, found that six months of resistance training enhanced lifters’ brain function, including their short- and long-term memory. Meanwhile, recent research published in Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience found that young adults who are aerobically fit perform better on memory tests than non-fit ones.  

However, this study is unique (and awesome!) in that it found that just one post-study weight-lifting session can improve your memory.

But how’s that work? Researchers explain that people are more likely to remember experiences after undergoing acute stress, which weight lifting provides. What’s more, they say it should also work with bodyweight strength moves like squats, lunges, and pushups. So there’s no excuse not to reap weight lifting’s memory-boosting benefits!

Reprinted from Women's Health

10 Easy Ways to Lighten Up Any Recipe

Looking for a way to skinny up your favorite recipe? Spark People has a few great tips just how to do it!

Boost Nutrition and Cut Calories in the Kitchen

By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian

Choosing healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two completely different forms when it's quickly sautéed in olive oil versus battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it comes to home cooking.

The first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.

Here are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe overhauler!

1. Sauté—the skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of  low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to your dish as well as a little moisture—and you'll save calories to use elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
    
2. Say no to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories; three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook with the skin on to retain moisture  (add fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and saturated fat.
    
3. Squeeze on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
    
4. Be choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you're watching fat and calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
    
5. Go Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream. Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each 2-tablespoon serving.
    
6. Puree your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories. In this recipe, Chef Meg thickens a taco soup with chickpeas!
    
7. Get cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.
    
8. Pump up the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles. The opportunities for adding veggies are endless for almost any dish!
    
9. Cut the cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.
    
10. Make your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You'll also save sodium by not using the store-bought varieties!) Try cutting the meat in strips before dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.

As you can see, there are endless ways you can boost the nutrition and reduce the calories of almost any recipe. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen. You may just find that you like these new ways of cooking just as much—or even better!

Reprinted from SparkPeople.