In the following article, we will discuss the aerobic component.

Healthy lifestyle incorporates all aspects of fitness together.

Both aerobic and anaerobic activities offer numerous benefits to the human body. Each type of activity has its own advantages, and the combination of both is the winning formula.

Aerobic activity has a vast array of benefits that are just as important as strength training!

We need to take care of our cardiovascular health, supply oxygen to the muscles, not just focus on building muscles and bones.

Of course, strength training is important as well, but adequate space should be given to aerobic exercises.

So let’s give credit to aerobic activity and its advantages.

The definition of aerobic activity is: Physical activity during exercise in which meaningful use is made of the cardiovascular, circulatory, and respiratory systems to provide energy that activates large muscle groups at varying intensities, for sustained periods of at least 20 minutes.

As a result of prolonged aerobic training, several changes occur:

1. The heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood with each beat, increasing blood supply to cells. This enables the human body to produce more energy for sustained activity.

2. The vascular system (arteries) expands, and the arteries become more elastic, allowing for free blood flow without disturbances. This leads to a reduction in blood pressure.

3. Resting heart rate decreases. Resting heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute. A lower resting heart rate is important because it means the heart muscle has to work significantly less to supply the required amount of blood during a given effort, making it easier for the heart to perform its central function—supplying blood to the entire body.

4. Overall body function improves, as the ability to perform light to high-intensity efforts for extended periods increases. The improvement in the increased utilization of oxygen—meaning the body becomes more efficient in utilizing available oxygen.

5. Aerobic activity contributes to better digestive system movement and functionality.

6. It aids in improving mood. During strenuous physical activity, hormones responsible for mood regulation are released in the brain. Consequently, after exercise and for several hours afterward, individuals often feel significantly better.

7. It helps in weight management due to the high caloric expenditure during exercise.

8. It contributes to reducing the risk factors for common diseases such as heart and vascular diseases and diabetes.

Examples of aerobic activity during our lessons:

• Jump board sessions- the board slots into the end of the reformer to replace the footbar. The idea being that you lay on your back on the carriage and use the board to jump! You can also lay down on your side and even stand on all fours to jump. While lying on your back and jumping, your spine is fully supported and safe which allows you to focus on the alignment of the legs and pelvis. There are many benefits to your health by using the jump board. These include improving your cardiovascular health by strengthening your heart muscle and also increasing your bone strength therefore reducing the risk of osteoporosis.
• Jumping with the reformer- jumps on the bar or box, jumps beside the reformer or on the floor – during the class, these will raise the heart rate and count as aerobic exercises.
• High-intensity exercises that raise the heart rate are considered aerobic activity.

Don’t give up on yourselves, even if it’s a bit challenging to raise your heart rate.

You will feel better, your mood will improve, and your performance will increase.

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Additionally, vitamin C contributes to the activation of numerous hormones essential for processes in the human body.

History:

Scurvy is a disease characterized by symptoms such as general weakness, skin and knee effusions, arm pain leading to paralysis, and the inability to stand.

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Well, like everything in nutrition, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. However, there is a guiding principle you can follow. Every person is different. One can eat a relatively substantial meal and train without any issue, while another needs to train on an empty stomach to maintain the quality of their workout. We operate differently, our digestive systems function differently, and, in general, everyone has different needs.

For example, someone doing cardio may need a carbohydrate boost for readily available energy, while someone doing Pilates might not require such a intake. On the flip side, if a person doing Pilates feels weak without eating before a workout, do they need to adhere to that? Absolutely not. Everyone should do what feels right for them and what brings them to the optimal energy level for their workout.

So, as I always say, nutrition should be personalized! Let’s understand the general principle. Before a workout, the body needs readily available energy, which means simple carbohydrates. These are carbs low in dietary fiber, easily absorbed directly into the bloodstream for physical activity.

For example: a banana, 2 small dates, or a slice of bread with a light spread. Now, why is the common recommendation a banana or dates?
– Dates contain only one gram of dietary fiber and have glucose and fructose, which are simple sugars.
– Bananas contain 2 grams of dietary fiber and have a mix of sugars – sucrose, glucose, and fructose. Both bananas and dates are low in fiber, ideal for feeling light before a workout.

What about timing? It’s recommended to eat about 30 minutes before the workout. However, as mentioned before, it’s highly individual. Some can eat even 15 minutes before activity, while others can’t eat at all before. Is it mandatory to eat before a workout? Absolutely not!

For morning workouts, it’s recommended to consume simple carbs for available energy, like a banana, date, or a slice of bread with a light spread. For evening workouts, if lunch was around 1:00-2:00 PM and the workout is in the late evening, it’s advisable to eat about 1.5 hours before the session.

What can you eat 1.5 hours before a fitness workout?
– Wrap with hummus/cheese/various spreads.
– Whole grain cereals with milk.
– Yogurt with granola.
– Vegetable salad with tuna/tofu/chicken breast/egg.

Again, 15 minutes before the workout, stick to simple sugars (banana, date).

Before a moderate-intensity workout, you don’t necessarily need to eat. Of course, this is for people with a balanced diet who consume various food components throughout the day. Therefore, they likely already have stable blood sugar levels.

For example, before Pilates class, yoga, or studio workouts like sculpting and toning, there’s no strict need for pre-activity eating. If you feel weak and it’s comfortable for you to eat before activity, go ahead. It’s essential to approach workouts with regular and balanced meals and not train on an empty stomach.

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Those activities increase our daily calorie expenditure. Our NEAT can add an extra 200-400 daily calorie burn (depending on the activity level), independent of the calories burned through respiration, digestion, or intentional physical exercise like Pilates, strength training, or running.

During more active periods, we burn more calories at rest. The more sedentary our lifestyle, the fewer calories we burn, meaning our NEAT becomes lower. Our daily NEAT is more significant than intentional exercise. Someone who walks a lot during the day but doesn’t engage in intentional exercise expends more energy than someone who regularly exercises three times a week but lives a sedentary life.

This doesn’t mean avoiding intentional exercise. Far from it! It’s about combining both. It’s not recommended to exercise for 50 minutes a day and sit the rest of the time.

How can we increase our daily NEAT? By changing our daily habits!

– Use a step counter on your phone or watch: Try to reach no less than 8000 steps a day. I recommend aiming for 10,000 steps a day. But, of course, steps have a separate post! Those who know me know how much I love walking.
– Walk to work.
– Park the car further away.
– Take the elevator instead of the stairs when possible.
– Move around the gym between sets instead of sitting.
– Try to walk as much as possible during work.

You can start with one small change and gradually see the benefits of being active. It’ll pay off in the future.

So… let’s start increasing our daily NEAT and taking care of our health!

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Chia seeds are among the foods that even with a small amount added to our meal plan, enrich it with minimal effort. What’s special about chia? They contain Omega-3, a source of complete protein that provides all essential amino acids to the body, contributes to regularity and digestive system activity, rich in antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, and dietary fiber.

So, here’s an especially easy and tasty way to add chia seeds to our meal plan – Chia Pudding!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of chia seeds
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup of soy/almond/oat milk
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup
• Cinnamon Powder

For the toppings:

• Sliced banana
• Almonds/Walnuts
• Granola

Instructions:

• Mix the chia seeds and milk in a small bowl or cup.
• Add the maple syrup and cinnamon, and continue mixing.
• Place it in the fridge for about two hours or overnight.
• Take it out and add the toppings.

Enjoy your CHIA PUDDING!

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11 that the body can produce, so it’s not necessary to consume them from food.

9 that the body *cannot* produce, so we need to consume them from food!

Proteins make up about 50% of cell weight. That’s a lot!

Protein functions:

– Muscle building: Muscles are composed of proteins, specifically actin and myosin.
– Hormones: Our hormones are made of proteins, contributing to the body’s hormonal system and fertility.
– Organ construction: Proteins form various organs like hair, nails, tendons, glands, bones, and more.
– Enzymes: Body enzymes are proteins, speeding up chemical processes—life wouldn’t exist without them.
– Blood transport: Proteins transport various substances in the blood, for example, “albumin” is a protein.
– Immune system: Antibodies are proteins, so the immune system relies on proteins.
– Feeling of fullness: Protein increases the feeling of fullness, reducing the need to eat.

Protein is a macronutrient, providing calories essential for our survival.

Protein has an impact on muscle tissue preservation, especially during weight loss, where consuming enough protein helps maintain muscle mass with minimal impact on fat tissue.

Protein and muscle building:

During physical exertion, the body uses protein found in muscles. This creates a cycle of muscle fiber breakdown during exertion, and the muscle rebuilds itself during rest and with the consumption of protein from food. A crucial component of this process is amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

High-quality proteins, containing all the necessary amino acids, can be found in foods like dairy and eggs. Soy is also a good source of essential amino acids with high biological value.

Now, let’s get practical. Here are some tools for application:

– The daily recommendation stands at a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. However, for those who exercise, the recommendation is higher, ranging from 1.2 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

For example, a 60 kg woman who exercises should consume around 110 grams of protein per day.

A practical tip: Include amino acid-rich meals, especially leucine, which is concentrated in animal protein, in every meal for optimal muscle building and recovery.

Here’s where you can find 25 grams of protein in various foods:

– 250g cottage cheese
– 160g tofu
– 400g quinoa
– 100g chicken breast
– 90g salmon
– 3 large eggs
– 300g ricotta cheese
– Protein powder
– 100g canned tuna
– 2-3 meat patties

And where to find leucine, an essential amino acid:

– 1 tablespoon of whey protein powder
– 200g chicken breast
– 200g ricotta cheese
– 100g tofu
– 300g eggs (4 eggs)
– 150g white fish
– 250g cottage cheese
– 800g edamame
– 200g whole sesame paste

Protein is essential for our well-being. Pay attention to your daily protein intake. If needed, you can use protein powder as a supplement. A healthy lifestyle begins with knowledge—now you know and understand the importance of protein. Try implementing it in your life!

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From recent research, it’s understood that:

• For the younger population (60 and below), around 8,000-10,000 steps per day are needed for optimal health and reducing the risk of illness and mortality.
• For the older population (60 and above), walking 6,000-8,000 steps a day is beneficial.
• Even for less active individuals (average age 72 for women), 4,400 steps per day show benefits compared to those who only walk 2,700 steps a day.

A 2022 study indicates that adding 1,000 steps a day is linked to a 12% reduction in the risk of illness across different age ranges.

Modern lifestyles, technological advances, and sedentary habits contribute to a lack of movement and physical activity. Adding more steps each day is crucial. While we all have busy routines, it’s essential to remember our responsibility for our bodies.

Incorporating activities like walking to work, parking farther away, using stairs, and adding aerobic exercise can make a difference. Various technological tools, like health apps and smartwatches, can help track daily steps.

Setting a goal to add 1,000 steps each day is a good start. To put it in perspective, 1 km is approximately 1,400 steps, and 8 km is around 10,000 steps.
A total of 10,000 steps equals 4 to 5 miles.

In summary, walking 10,000 steps a day offers benefits such as improved fitness, reduced risk of illness and mortality, increased calorie expenditure, lower risk of heart and vascular diseases, weight maintenance, better mood, longer lifespan, and assistance in weight loss.

Take care of your health and try to increase your daily steps.

Just do it!

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Satiety– Sometimes there is a tendency to confuse the feeling of thirst with hunger, so it is recommended to start each meal with a glass of water. We may interpret the feeling of thirst as hunger, and then we eat instead of drink. When we pay attention to adequate hydration, we will know how to distinguish between thirst and hunger! Dehydration causes fatigue. Water increases blood flow and allows for good oxygen and nutrient delivery to cells, helping us maintain vitality and freshness.

Mental Health– Fatigue, irritability, and mood swings can arise due to dehydration and affect our mental health. Drinking enough water can improve our mood and overall well-being.

Productivity- Inadequate water intake can lead to increased fatigue and headaches, which are the leading causes of decreased productivity. Our brain needs water to function and perform at its best. Drinking water while studying, during exams, work, and workouts can help you be more productive.

Physical Training Performance- You’re already working out, investing your time, and choosing to do it. So why not optimize the process? During exercise, we lose a lot of fluids, especially in high-intensity workouts that increase heart rate. Therefore, it’s essential to drink enough water.

Facial Skin- The effects of insufficient water intake on our skin are visible: dryness, wrinkles, acne, and blemishes. Drinking water adds moisture to the inner layers of the skin and encourages faster cell turnover for healthier, firmer, and more radiant skin.

Supports Digestive System- Inadequate water intake can cause constipation and slow bowel movements. Drinking more than usual can help your digestive system return to regular function faster than you might think.

Tips:

• Take a bottle of water with you to the workout and drink it during and after your workout!
• After a workout, the first thing to do is drink! Even before eating.
• Drink half a liter to a liter of water per hour of exercise.

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Tofu. High-quality plant-based protein.

Whenever tofu is mentioned, it may seem like it’s about vegan food, but that’s not accurate. Tofu is readily available in most grocery stores, easy to prepare, and rich in plant-based protein, which can meet the protein needs of even meat-eaters. One of the best things about a healthy lifestyle is the diversity of protein sources we include in our daily diet.

Vegetables. Nutrient-rich fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

All ingredients are plant-based, vegan, an easy recipe to prepare, and delicious at all levels.

The recipe doesn’t contain oil, carbohydrates, is rich in vegetables, protein, vitamins, and minerals.In short, all this goodness together gives us a nourishing and healthy meal that provides the body with everything it needs!

Vegetarians need to know what to eat, and even more so for vegans. Some believe that vegans cannot get enough protein, but that’s a misconception. While it may be more challenging to be vegan, it’s possible and even healthier. If you’re a vegan, you don’t need to rely on carbohydrates as your only source of nutrients. Tofu is one of the highest-quality plant-based proteins!

Let’s make the most delicious tofu and vegetable stir-fry.

Ingridients:

• 1 Onion cut into strips
• 2 Red Peppers, cut into strips.
• 3 large Carrots, cut into strips.
• 2 Zucchini, cut into rounds.
• 2 packages of Firm Tofu.

Instructions:

Saute onions with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until they turn golden, add all the vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add:

• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
• Spicy seasoningcontinue cooking for about 20 minutes.

Add cubed tofu, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy your meal!

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• Frequency – Preferably on a daily basis, and if not, then at least 2-3 times a week.
• Application – 2-4 sets for each stretch, with each stretch held for no less than 30 seconds! Less than 30 seconds, and the stretches will be much less effective. You should reach a slight discomfort but not pain. Don’t give up on this!
• Types of stretches – Make sure you are working on all muscle groups.

What is flexibility?
Flexibility is defined as the ability of the body’s joints to move freely throughout their full range of motion without causing pain, injury, or damage to the body.

Flexibility is influenced by the structure of bones and tissues within the joints, as well as the functioning of the nervous system.

In a health context, flexibility is one of the components of physical fitness.

So here are some reasons why flexibility is important for us:

Flexibility plays an important role in our fitness workouts. It helps us in strength training, Pilates, and aerobic exercises.
Flexibility has a positive impact on the nervous system, the respiratory system, spine stability, and prevents stability imbalances, allowing the body to be properly balanced and positioned.
When we see an improvement in flexibility, we reduce the risk of injuries and enable more effective daily activities.
A more flexible muscle can withstand resistance better, as in strength training.

In conclusion, if you incorporate stretching exercises and make your muscles longer, you will feel an improvement in your regular fitness routines. Yes, sometimes it’s frustrating to start from scratch. Most people are not naturally flexible, and some may feel short on range of motion. Most people focus on strength training and don’t think about stretching the muscles.

But I promise you – it improves over time.

I wasn’t born flexible! I set a goal for myself to succeed in doing the splits. I worked on it a lot! In the beginning, it was frustrating, and it felt almost impossible. But over time, I saw improvement, and I didn’t stop.

Every day, I do stretching exercises, stay in each stretch exactly according to the recommendations, and challenge myself each time.

You can simply sit in a room, decide on a number of stretches in advance, stay in each stretch for 30 seconds, and do 2-4 times for each stretch (as I mentioned in the recommendations above).

So, slowly but surely, you will succeed too. I promise. But it all depends on your perseverance!

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