April 13, 2017
Mark Kalladeen, Fitness Center Trainer

Health Tip: Don’t Drink Sugar Calories

Sugary drinks are the most fattening thing you can put into your body. Liquid sugar calories aren’t registered by the brain the same way calories from solid foods are. For this reason, when you drink soda, you end up consuming more total calories. Sugary drinks are strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and all sorts of other health problems. Keep in mind that fruit juices are almost as bad as soda in this regard. They contain just as much sugar, and the small amounts of antioxidants do NOT negate the harmful effects of the sugar.

Fitness Tip: Make Time Spent in the Gym Worth Your While.

Keep your weight workouts under an hour. After 60 minutes, your body starts producing more of the stress hormone cortisol, which can have a testosterone-blocking, muscle-wasting effect. Also, don’t be afraid of sit-ups. Sit-ups increase your range of motion, which forces your abdominals work harder and longer. You can do crunches on a Swiss ball or with a rolled-up towel under your lower back for a similar effect. To avoid hurting your lower back, avoid sit-ups with anchored feet!