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By Robert J. Davis, Special to CNN

(CNN) – For some people, summer is the time to head indoors to exercise. But others welcome the heat as a way to sweat more and get a better workout.

Indeed, I’ve long regarded the sweatiness of my exercise sessions as a sign of how hard I was pushing myself. But it turns out I’ve been wrong: How much you sweat doesn’t necessarily correlate with how intense your workout is or how many calories you burn.

When your body temperature rises, your eccrine glands secrete sweat, and the evaporation of moisture from your skin helps you cool off. Of course, sweating can occur for other reasons, such as stress or fear.

That type of sweat comes from the apocrine glands, which are located mainly in the underarm and groin.

How much we sweat during exercise is due to a number of factors, including gender (men tend to sweat more than women) and age (younger people sweat more than older people) as well as genetics, temperature and humidity.

Weight plays a role as well. Larger people tend to sweat more, because their bodies generate more heat.

Another contributor is fitness level. Surprisingly, fit people tend to sweat sooner during exercise and more copiously than those who are less fit.

Research suggests that as your fitness level improves, your body’s heat-regulating system becomes more efficient, cooling you down faster and allowing you to work harder.

Don’t be misled by the loss of a few pounds after a high-sweat workout. This is simply water weight that you gain back when you rehydrate and doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve burned lots of calories.

On the flip side, don’t assume that a low-sweat workout means you aren’t working hard enough or burning enough calories. It could be that your sweat evaporates quickly because you’re exercising in air-conditioning, near a fan or outdoors on a windy day. Or, unlike me, you simply may not sweat much.

Whatever the case, wearing clothing made of synthetic fabrics such as polyester or Lycra can help you feel less sweaty. These pull (or wick) sweat from your skin to outer layers of the clothes, where the moisture evaporates.

Cotton, on the other hand, absorbs moisture but doesn’t promote evaporation. As a result, your shirt or other clothing can feel soaked and heavy after a workout.

A drawback of polyester is that it tends to stink more than cotton after exercise. In one study, researchers collected the sweaty shirts of 26 subjects after an hour of intensive spinning. The next day, trained sniffers determined that the polyester shirts smelled worse than the cotton ones. (It’s unclear who exactly agreed to do this job or why.)

Micrococci, a type of bacteria that break down sweat and cause unpleasant odor, were found to grow only on the polyester garments. That’s important because sweat itself is generally odor-free; it’s the combination of sweat and certain bacteria that literally raises a stink.

You can find “odor-resistant” synthetic fabrics, which are treated with various antibacterial compounds. Among the most common is silver, typically applied in tiny amounts known as nanoparticles.

But some research suggests that silver-treated clothing may not work as well as promised to reduce bacteria and odor. What’s more, a significant amount of the silver may come out in the wash, reducing the effectiveness of the garments and potentially harming the environment.

There are also concerns that exposing our skin to silver nanoparticles may pose a health risk, though there’s no direct evidence for this.

Adapted from “Fitter Faster: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day” by Robert J. Davis with Brad Kolowich Jr.

Adapted from http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/13/health/sweating-workout-fitness-exercise-davis/index.html 

Do you have a job that keeps you sitting at your desk all day? Do you commute for long periods of time? Do you get home and just want to lay in bed and watch some TV?

That’s what life is like for most people in America. We drive to work, sit at our desk all day, drive back home and then sit down to wind down after a long day of work.

Hopefully, somewhere in the midst of all of that you are fitting in some exercise!

I’ve been reading a book called “Fitter Faster” by Health Journalist Robert J Davis and Certified Personal Trainer Brad Kolowich, Jr., which discusses this, and I wanted to share it with you all.

Can Sitting Cancel Out the Benefits of Exercise?

By Robert J. Davis, Ph.D.

Author of Fitter Faster: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day

Adapted from Fitter Faster: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day (AMACOM) by Robert J. Davis with Brad Kolowich, Jr.  For more information, please visit https://fitterfasterplan.com/

You’ve probably heard the trendy phrase that “sitting is the new smoking.” While it’s an exaggeration to equate the two behaviors—nothing comes close to smoking in its many ruinous and deadly effects on the body—research does show that prolonged sitting may be harmful, even if you exercise regularly.

Pooling results from more than 40 studies, researchers concluded that the more time people spend on their duffs—whether at a desk, on the couch, or in the car—the greater their risk of premature death, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and especially type 2 diabetes.

Regular exercise, particularly higher levels of physical activity, appears to blunt these harmful effects somewhat but may not eliminate them entirely.

An analysis of more than a dozen studies concluded that we need at least 60 minutes a day of moderately intense exercise (such as brisk walking, doubles tennis, or ballroom dancing) to counter the increased risk of premature death due to prolonged sitting.

But another study found that the same amount of exercise – which is more than most physically active people get – doesn’t undo the negative effects of sitting on insulin levels and blood fats known as triglycerides.

The damage from prolonged sitting is thought to be due to reduced muscle activity—especially in the large muscles of the legs and back—which can decrease the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar and remove harmful blood fats.

Sitting for long periods may also adversely affect blood vessel function and increase food cravings, causing us to eat more and gain weight.

To reduce sitting time:

  • At work, stand up for a few minutes every half hour, perhaps during phone calls, coffee breaks, or meetings.
  • If possible, use a desk that lets you work both standing and seated. Or try one attached to a treadmill that allows you to slowly walk while you work.
  • In the car, park as far away as possible from the door so you’ll be able to walk more. Stand if you ride the bus or subway.
  • At home, get up regularly from your computer. Try standing and doing chores while watching TV.

Incorporating short bursts of standing and movement like this will keep you from becoming an “active couch potato” – someone who exercises and then remains largely sedentary the rest of the time.

By thinking of fitness as something that entails what you do the entire day – not just the relatively few minutes spent sweating – you’ll be able to fully reap the rewards of your workouts.

Adapted from Fitter Faster: The Smart Way to Get in Shape in Just Minutes a Day (AMACOM) by Robert J. Davis with Brad Kolowich, Jr.  For more information, please visit www.fitterfasterplan.com.

Can Sitting Cancel Out the Benefits of Exercise?

Adapted from http://www.easylivingtoday.com/can-sitting-cancel-out-the-benefits-of-exercise/

 

We hope you all enjoyed this wonderful article!

Best,

Caroline Kolowich

 

From health journalist Davis and personal trainer Kolowich comes this precise guide to overcoming fitness barriers and exercising efficiently via high-intensity interval and circuit training. Davis and Kolowich break down the process of getting fit into four key parts: get ready, get smart, get more out of exercise, and get going. They begin with motivational facts: in addition to increasing life expectancy and improving health, exercise also enables better sex and sleep, among other benefits. Instead of providing specific motivation plans, the authors provide thoughtful advice that is widely applicable: make a game plan, make winning a goal, and reward yourself. Part two details the fundamentals of aerobic activity, strength training, and stretching, and part three gives instructions on what to consume (protein, complex carbs, water) and how to prevent “bad pain.” The final section presents a varied, customizable workout regimen that can also be done in as little as 15 minutes. What separates this guide from others is its commitment to facts and plans backed by science and research; throughout, the authors debunk myths and answer questions such as “Does sex before physical activity impair athletic performance?” and “Does more sweating mean a more intense workout?” This is an important read for exercise hopefuls and aficionados alike. (June)

Book Review found on: http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8144-3771-1

 

“I’m not ready for swimsuit season. I’m too nervous to workout in a group fitness setting. I’m not as in shape as other people in group fitness classes.” Guess what? You can conquer your fears and you can have fun doing it! You deserve to feel great and you deserve to feel confident!

Swimsuit season is right around the corner, and we are here to help you feel your best yet! Join us for our deluxe Spring Into Your Summer Body group fitness classes, coming this month. We have 3 full body workout classes planned, open to all levels of training. While each class is a group fitness class, we want each of you to focus on YOU and only YOU in our classes. We are so excited to see you there!

Dates:

Saturday, April 15

Saturday, April 22

Saturday, April 29

Times:            

9:00am – 9:45am

Price:              

$25 per class

OR

Buy 2 classes, get 1 free

Place: 

Brad Kolowich Jr Personal Training Studio

Sign up by emailing class@bradkolowichjr.com

 

The Booty and Ab Burner

Join us for our very first Booty and Ab Burner – it will be a blast, a killer workout and a great way to start off your Super Bowl Sunday!

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Date:  Sunday, February 5

Time:  9:00am – 9:45am

Price:  $20

Place:  Brad Kolowich Jr Personal Training Studio

Sign up by emailing info@bradkolowichjr.com 

We are so excited to see you there!

Caroline Kolowich

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Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s make this year the best together!

Caroline Kolowich