Fitness Friday

Build a Strong Foundation

Think of toned muscles as a raging fire. Toss on a log and it'll burn up pretty quickly. Similarly, put some calories in a toned body and they'll burn up, too. Muscle is a major energy consumer for your body. If you add more muscle, you'll use more energy (calories) and store less fat. By regularly doing strength training, you create more muscle mass that can help you burn fat. It doesn't take a lot just 30 minutes of strength training each week will help build muscle. You can do it in one 30-minute session, or split it up into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions. Of course the more you do the more calories you'll burn. People tend to spend a lot of time working their peripheral muscles (like biceps or calves), but efficient strength training comes when you work the big muscles that make up the core of your body like your legs, butt, chest, back; and your abs. They're your foundation muscles -- the ones that tighten your stomach, improve your posture and make you fit into your clothes better. So go for the squats, lunges, push-ups and crunches. And for those of you who are in our ward or nearby, try coming to Yoga on Tuesdays. We do quite a few strengthing poses that count as weight bearing exercises.