Exercise Physiology Archives - Orange County Personal Trainers

Benefits of The Power Wheel – Innovative Results Fitness Coach Writes His Perspective With Six Power Wheel Exercises

July 11, 2016 by IR Staff Leave a Comment

Mark Elmasry Demonstrates the Power Wheel glute bridge.

By Mark Elmasry

When you activate small and large muscle groups by using body weight with slow movements or isometrics, but what about a way to dynamically activate the most important muscle groups?

There is always a way to simplify and regress the basic activation drills, but how do we progress and add difficulty to any of those exercises?

Meet the Power Wheel.

The Power Wheel is a great tool that every body shape and size can use. It is a safe piece of equipment to use for exercise where we can minimize the risk of injury. If there exercise exacerbates certain potentially injurious movements, all the subject has to do is stop, without dropping any dangerous amount of weights or any bulky gym equipment.

Six Power Wheel Exercises

Most important highlighted feature of this tool is that it pin points specific postural muscle groups statically or dynamically in such a short period of time. You want an exercise tool that will shred your abs and tone your entire body with just a short 5 – 10 minute workout a few times a week; well you have to include the power wheel.

The power wheel can regress a dead-lift to just a simple hinge off of the floor and make anyone shake and tremble or take a basic plank and make it exponentially more difficult to maintain a neutral as their face drips with beads of sweat.

To simplify the bio-mechanics behind why this piece of equipment is so challenging is because it is so unstable while you are affixed to it, whether it be gripping the handles with white knuckles or strapping your feet in like it is an adventure sport. After you are fastened to the Power Wheel and chose your exercise, it is further made deceptively more wobbly by the free rolling wheel. While the wheel moves it is strenuous just to maintain a neutral spine and therefore recruits substantially more muscle cells from our abdominal group than any other body weight floor exercise.

The Power Wheel is an efficient and highly effective tool. Every level of exercise enthusiast can safely utilize this tool with minimal to zero risk of injury. Lastly the Power Wheel targets every necessary postural muscle group, entire abdominal wall, obliques, serratus anterior, intercostals, transverse abdominis, spinal erectors, lats, hip extensors, flexors, and add/abductors, hamstrings, glutes and quads and the rest of your structure completely.

Everyone should be using this awesome piece of equipment!

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If you are interested in learning more about the power wheel, and all of the other dynamic and fun equipment we use here at Innovative Results – fill out the form below.

VersaClimber Benefits for Your Fitness Training Program

May 6, 2016 by IR Staff Leave a Comment

By Mark Elmasry

The VersaClimber is a great tool to use in a plethora of exercise programs, and there are many VersaClimber Benefits.

Most high level athletic training facilities are equipped with them, Innovative Results fitness gym has it for all of their athletes.

All fitness gyms and athlete training facilities should incorporate them in their training programs.

We incorporate it into our training program at Innovative Results fitness gym because it is a safe regression for any hard impact movements, it is an excellent strength building tool, it is an awesome recovery tool, and it can be used to train all three energy systems.

The first of the VersaClimber Benefits and the reason it is an excellent implement to your fitness training program because it is a safe warm up tool that will always be time efficient and effective.

The basic movement of the Versaclimber is a very natural contra-lateral pattern (an elaborate way of saying the opposing limbs–Right arm with left leg, and left arm with right leg–move together, like when walking, running, or swimming).

It requires a complex pattern of coordinated movements that we all practice as babies by simply crawling.

When you master that at a young age, we are never too old to keep practicing that rudimentary movement.

Moving opposing limbs like that is so beneficial for your nervous system.

This teaches both sides of your brain spatial awareness and basic neuromuscular grooving.

When you move repetitively like this in a low impact environment, quick or slow, you are training your lower body to keep up with your upper body and vice versa.

It becomes a pattern that you subconsciously remember; your “muscle memory” takes over, and is an athletic drill that can benefit every sport and activity.

Training with the Versa Climber has a variety of uses, specifically focusing on any of the three energy systems.

The Versaclimber can hit all three energy systems.

It can be used in short, explosive bursts to deplete the phosphor-creatine system; which maxes out at about 8-12 seconds depending on the muscle fiber make-up and the level of conditioning of the subject.

The next energy system is the fast glycolysis system, or the lactic threshold.

Versa climber sprints from 15 seconds to up to 1:45 sec or 2 minutes are going to push the lactic capacity of your muscles ability to do work with making lactic acid as a byproduct.

The more you train that energy system the more potential your muscles have to do work without making acid as a byproduct.

You can train your lactic (fast glycolysis) system to be very efficient and keep your muscles working for a good amount of time as well as recharge for more work within a brief recovery period as well.

Last of the energy systems is our oxidative energy system which has an infinite amount of energy because it is the process of our lungs oxygenating our blood.

That process only stops when we stop breathing and our heart stops beating.

However, we can always train this energy system to be more efficient and the versaclimber is an awesome way to do so while cruising at a submaximal heart rate with very low impact force on our joints.

In summary, the Versaclimber is a great way to train both hemispheres of our brain coordinating this simple elementary pattern.

It is also one of the best ways to train our creatine energy system, our lactic energy system, and our oxidative energy system.

This is a must have for your fitness training gym, athletic training facility, and personal training program.

Check them out at http://versaclimber.com/ or come by Innovative Results–The Orange County Fitness Playground and use our three VersaClimbers and our two VersaPulleys.

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If you are interested in coming in to try out these VersaClimbers and The Orange County Fitness Playground, fill out the form below.

What Happens When You Stop Working Out? 6 Things You Don’t Want To Happen When You Drop Your Workout Routine.

September 22, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

That missed training session has turned into a multiple week break, ready to find out what your body has to say?

“Detraining” – just as a great training program builds you up, falling out of your workout routine can have negative effects on your body. Not too mention deny you the fitness goals you set for yourself.

Lucky for us, ‘detraining” is a fully reversible condition as long as you get yourself back to your training routine.

So what actually happens to your body when you trade regular sweat sessions for the couch, and Netflix binge?

Let’s take a look!

What Happens When You Stop Working Out?

1. Your Blood Pressure Soars
An elevated blood pressure is an almost instant effect of de-training. On the days you spend out of the gym, your blood pressure will be higher. “Your blood vessels adapt to the slower flow of a sedentary lifestyle after just two weeks, which clicks your readings up another couple of notches, according to a recent study in the journal PLoS. Within a month, stiffening arteries and veins send your BP back to where it would be if you’d never even left the couch, says study author Linda Pescatello, PhD, of the University of Connecticut.”

How Do I Reverse It: Start sweating again! Once you get back to your regular sweat sessions, your blood pressure will drop a bit day by day, and your blood vessels will increase efficiency within your first week back. According to Dr. Pescatello, after a month or two, the heart-pumping workouts will allow for vaculature flexibility resulting in “lasting pressure-lowering effects.”

2. Your Blood Sugar Spikes
Normally, you see an increase in your blood glucose after you eat, then as your muscles and other tissues process the sugar they need for energy the levels begin to drop. After only 5 days of skip the gym excuses, your post-meal blood sugar levels will remain in the elevated state. As these levels increase with sedentary behavior, you increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes.

How Do I Reverse It: Studies have shown that just one week of regular exercises will have a HUGE effect on decreasing post-meal blood sugar.

3. You Get Winded Fast
Climbing those stairs getting a little tougher? Two weeks of less of missed training sessions will have you gasping for breath as your working muscles fight for oxygen. According to exercise physiologist Stacy Sims, PhD, your VO2 max (how much oxygen your working muscles can use) decreases by as much as 20% within those first two weeks of de-training. (Read more about why this occurs HERE)

How Do I Reverse It: The Bad News – rebuilding will take longer than the 2 weeks it took to lose those original gains, but the great news is that it is possible! It’s never too late to restart your training habits and get back in shape. Nothing GREAT comes easy, you just have to set up your plan.

4. Your Muscles Wither
Your endurance will be the first to go as your activity levels decrease, and second will be your strength with your quads and biceps being the first to go 😉 After two weeks of rest, studies have found dramatic reduction in muscle mass often leading to an inability to ‘sustain high intensity efforts.’

How Do I Reverse It: Again, the rebuilding process is going to be longer than the 2 weeks it took you to lose muscle mass, but you are better off than those who have never touched a weight before. Read more…

5. You Plump Up
You guessed it! Within 1 week your muscles will begin lose their ability to burn fat, and your metabolism will slow due to inactivity.

How do I Reverse It: Ready to reduce the plumpness? It may require at least double the duration of time you took off from training to regain that same lean level you started with. Don’t let the duration of time discourage you, just add one workout a week to start. The health benefits will start adding up as you get back into the swing of things and you will be back to your sexy self in no time!

6. Your Brain Suffers
Feeling tired, irritable, and grouchy? Studies have reported that within 2 weeks regular exercisers have shown changes in mood, mindset and productivity.

How Do I Reverse It: Combat stress, depression and anxiety by using regular exercise as an instant mood booster! Some studies have even shown that exercise helps with your memory!

Get up and get moving, your “Improved Quality of Life” is waiting for you at your next training session!

SOURCE: MSN|Health & Fitness – 6 Things That Will Happen When You Stop Working Out (Read FULL Article)

Self Conscious About Starting Another Exercise Program?…Don’t Be!
Doctor Amazed By An IR Client’s Health Results

10 Things The Best Athletes Do – For Any Athlete in Training

September 14, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Maybe you aren’t looking to become the next Serena Williams, Derek Jeter, Usian Bolt, Michael Phelps or Mia Hamm, but if you participate in a strength and conditioning program you my friend are an ATHLETE.

So what are these “next level” athletes doing to build that ‘ideal physique’ that many of us train and work are tails off for? The answers probably won’t SHOCK you, but in order to reach your personal fitness goals, it may be time to hear the facts.

Eat to Perform put together a list of the Top 10 things that the best athletes do that you likely are not doing.

10 Things The Best Athletes Do, That You Can Too!

1. They don’t look for a quick fix.

That admirable, and ‘ideal physique’ came from dedicating countless hours of training and programming. These athletes did not earn their bodies over a couple weeks, and they never, ever gave up on their dreams. If you feel discouraged with your fitness results, as many of us do at times, you won’t find the resolution by giving up. You have to be dedicated to the basics, and put in the time. Enjoy the journey, and be delighted in your small accomplishments because in time they will be your BIGGEST accomplishments.

2. They know where they are, where they want to go, and how to get there.

The best athletes move from one goal to the next to uphold their sense of interest. If you find yourself struggling to maintain focus or passion, set a SMART Goal. Something as simple as a lifting PR, or taking seconds off your mile run – then set a deadline (realistic), and most importantly commit to the goal.

3. They don’t try to reach their physique goals by cutting Calories.

EAT TO TRAIN, do not train to eat. The best athletes are rarely looking to cut their daily caloric intake. Their food is used to enhance work capacity, and work to maintain and build the muscle they are training for.

4. They don’t obsess over their abs.

My friends those 6 pack abs do not come from 1000’s of crunches.
“The best athletes I know don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about how to get abs; the work they do ultimately just lands them in that spot.” Alex Viada, Ultra Endurance Athlete, Elite Powerlifter, and beer enthusiast.
Eat to Perform can agree that form follows function, and that if you want to look athletic… well, you are gonna need to BE athletic. Start training to improve your performance and the rest will fall into place.

5. They don’t worry about putting on body fat due to overeating.

Majority of athletes are training to gain hard muscle and not worrying much about losing fat. As Eat To Perform explains, if you want to squat more, for example, “You need to put a lot of quality work into developing your quads and glutes, perfecting your form, and increasing your work capacity. That cannot be accomplished in a Calorie deficit, and it’s a lot harder to do if you’re worried about your scale weight.” It all comes back to the Eat to Train/Perform.

6. They train smart and focus on incremental performance increases.

These days it seems that the majority of folks believe that to perform at their highest levels you should be training all day every, pushing yourself to exhaustion during every training session – more reps, heavier weights, tougher workouts, longer duration etc. The Fitness Industry has news for you – the best athletes DO NOT train this way.

So what are the fittest people in the world doing? They are varying their training with a combination of activities, intensity levels, and modes of training. You will probably find these athletes working on their aerobic capacity in the morning with high intensity interval training (HITT), followed by an evening weight training routine to develop max strength. (They didn’t start out like that, and typically they will do one or the other.) Many times, these athletes are working with coaches that have specifically designed training programs, applying progressive overload overtime so that their performance peaks at a specific time. This programming is never random, it is done with purpose.

7. They don’t feel guilty when they miss workouts.

Rest is not only necessary, it is immensely beneficial. If you are pushing the limits of human performance you will need to schedule yourself some much needed recovery time. If you are skipping training sessions weeks on end you may need to re-evaluate your time commitments, but don’t feel guilty about skipping a day if you have a consistent training record. A little extra recovery may boost your hunger and commitment in reaching that goal you set!

8. They surround themselves with people who’re better than they are.

What happens if you are the strongest/fastest/best athlete in your gym? The drive to better yourself dwindles, and you are no longer challenged by your surroundings – the old “Big fist-little pond” effect. Maybe its time to change perspective. Athletes will often put themselves out there and seek out new challengers. Find a workout, or challenger that will make you better. Don’t be afraid to fail, use competition as a motivator to advance towards your own individual needs.

9. They constantly seek out new information and develop a broad knowledge base.

Believe it or not, you have the same access to training, nutrition, or motivational materials that high-level performance athletes have. The difference? These athletes are constantly studying and applying new methods. Dedicate time to making yourself 1% better each and every day by reading, pursuing a certification or higher education, or seek out the knowledge of the best coaches in your area.

10. They do EVERYTHING they need to do to be the best they can be.

The best athletes in the world are not without the every day demands that we all face. Many are parents, with time consuming jobs but they make no excuses when it comes to eating clean, training, and recovery.

PMA – Developing a Positive Mental Attitude, or Mindset will help you become the BEST version of yourself. It is about improving the quality of your life, striving for constant improvement, nourishing your body, and being in control of yourself. There is an athlete in you, but you have to be willing to put in the time and “pay the price” for that ‘ideal physique’.

It’s time to set those goals, and go after them!

Source: Eat to Perform

Dedicate Time to Heal To Speed Recovery – Three Techniques

September 6, 2015 by Jessica 1 Comment

By: Aubrie Pohl

As a fitness coach at the best gym in Orange County, we have clients that need to dedicate time to heal, so they can experience relief, improve body adaptations, and speed recovery.

Without proper recovery, the body will generate a buildup of stress.

This can create pain, joint restriction, muscle tension, tightness, discomfort, and fatigue.

These experiences will hinder your progress.

When your body doesn’t heal, you can alter your muscular-skeletal structure and notice mechanical inefficiency.

The great news is, there are actions of remedies!

If you need three ways to dedicate time to heal and recover, check out these three ways we can heal our bodies: Soft Tissue Manipulation, Temperature, and Activation.

Soft Tissue Manipulation
There is a continuous and seamless web of tissue under your skin.

It surrounds and connects the muscles, organs, bones, and is present from the top of your head to the bottoms of your feet.

It is called fascia.

Fascia can become restricted through injury, stress, overtraining, and poor posture.

The increase in tension can bring muscle spasms, pain, and a lack of range of motion!

A very effective method of recovery for this is soft tissue manipulation.

Using tools such as foam rollers, tennis balls, and lacrosse balls for manual massage can allow the fascia that is stuck to other fascia to let go.

Soft tissue manipulation will allow for better circulation and better functioning of the muscles.

When the muscle tissue is pulled on in different directions, the tissue will become more supple and will work better.

Implementing myofascial release in your routine is a positive action towards restoring tissue health in your body, so you can move better and feel better.

Temperature
The concept is simple, and the benefits are great!

Regulating certain temperatures on the body can help with the rehabilitation and recovery of the muscle tissues.

Try taking contrast showers, switching from hot to cold water.

The hot water gets the blood flowing and then the cold water will send the blood to protect the internal organs from the cold.

Basically, contrast showers will improve the circulation of blood and allow for a quicker recovery.

They improve lymphatic circulation and blood circulation to detox the body and make the organs work better due to the blood that gets forced into them from the cold.

The temperature change stimulates the nervous system, circulatory system, and immune system to reduce Delayed Onset Muscle Syndrome and increase recovery.

Ice packs, ice baths, and thermal blankets are other sources of temperature tools to aid in healing the muscles and decreasing pain and dysfunction.

Activation
Although it takes place during a workout, activation is an essential action for recovery.

Before performing strength exercises, making sure to “light up” the muscles that you will use to allow your body to warm up before expending a force output.

Activation prevents injury, because contracting muscles during a strength exercise that are not activated or warmed up puts the joints and muscles at risk for sprains, tears, and sometimes breaks!

When properly activated, the muscles can perform their best during the strength movement and can quickly recover without being overwhelmed.

It is far better not to be hasty through the workout, and be honest with yourself about the quality of your warm ups.

Being careful will bring you progress faster, as opposed to frequently recovering from injuries.

As your muscle tissue gets healthier, you will feel better each and every day.

Dedicating time to aid your body in recovery will benefit you before, during, and after your workouts.

Looking for more information on Recovery Techniques, check out –

17 Scientifically Proven Ways to Speed Recovery
Warming Up Before Exercise – A Simple Way to Speed Recovery, Improve Performance and Avoid Injury
Recovery is Much More Than Skipping a Workout

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10 Different Hill Training Workouts from Innovative Results

October 24, 2012 by ptpt Leave a Comment

If you follow our blog, then you’ve probably heard us talking a lot about running hills.

Why?

Performing interval runs has been proven to burn a tremendous amount of body fat than running steady long distances by increasing your metabolic rate.

Its also one heck of a workout for the legs and butt.

It also puts the stress on the muscles instead of the joints, so if you have aching knees or weak ankles, using these different ways to train hills will be helpful, not hurtful.

The reason for writing this article is to open your eyes to a few different workouts that you can do when you visit some of the local hills.

Here are your 10 Different Hill Training Workouts:

1. Simply walk up the hill, walk back down and repeat.

Seems simple enough, but depending on the hill, just walking up several times can be quite a challenge. Depending on how long and steep the hill is, will determine how many times you do it. If its really steep, but only 50 yards long, you may do more repetitions. If the trail is super long, then you might only do it once. Use your own discretion.

2. Walk and jog intervals.

This hill training workout is a great way to slowly build endurance, soft tissues, and strength for more intense hill training. Jog for as long as you can, and then start walking slowly to let your heart rate go back down, and then turn on the jogging again.

3. Jog it, walk down, repeat (20 seconds-1 minute of jogging

Depending on the hill and your endurance and strength, you can try jogging all the way to the top, and then use the walk down to let your heart rate fall back into a safe zone. Repeat as you are able.

4. Sprint , walk down, repeat (5-12 second sprints)

For those that are looking to spike their intensity and feel the burn, try sprints to the top, instead of a jog.

5. Capacity Work (20-60 seconds of work/5-30 seconds of rest)

If you are trying to improve your aerobic capacity, needing adaptations or improvements in your VO2 Max, Cardiopulmonary efficiency and effectiveness, increases in your capillary density, biochemical processes, and mindset–this hill training workout for you. Go until you reach the highest SAFE heart rate, and then rest for only long enough for your heart rate to drop 20-40 beats per minute, and then start again. This tells your body to adapt on your days of rest between hill training workouts, to improve your aerobic capacity.

6. Maximum Efforts with Complete Rest (5-15 seconds of work/30-90 seconds of rest)

If you are trying to improve your power output and force output, or as some say, top end performance, this hill training workout is for you. In this you are going to go as hard as you can running up the hill for as long as possible, as soon as you start to slow down – stop, rest, and reset. Let your heart rate fall back to 90-120 bpm before you start again. This will drastically improve your performance through nervous adaptations, muscular activation, muscle growth, muscle recruitment, body awareness, body control, and focus.

7. Backwards Hill Climbing

Walking, jogging, or running backward up a hill is crazy hard. This will create great strength in your heart, mind, and thighs!! If you are looking to improve body awareness, body control, proprioception, and strength, this is the hill training workout for you!

8. Sideways Hill Climbing

Another doozy! You thought backwards was difficult. Sideways or lateral movement uphill is very challenging, but builds incredibly strong hips, thighs, and minds.

9. Crawl Forward Uphill

Ready to get your abs, chest, and triceps involved in the strength and endurance gains from all of your hill training? Try crawling forward.

10. Crawl Backward Uphill

If you want even more strength and endurance in your chest, shoulders, abs, triceps, and mind, give backward crawling uphill a try.

Enjoy these 10 Different Hill Training Workouts, and make your next one, your BEST one!

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If you are looking to add some training variety to your hill training, come enjoy a free trial at The Orange County Fitness Playground, by filling out the form below.

Are you Overtraining or Making Progress Toward your Goals?

July 17, 2011 by ptpt 5 Comments

Exercise is a stress on our bodies. When our bodies are able to adapt to the stress, we make progress. When we are unable to adapt efficiently, then our bodies begin to break down. The goal of this article is to give you a brief overview of the types of overtraining that occurs and how to avoid it.

There are basically 3 different types of overtraining which include sympathetic, parasympathetic and central nervous system overtraining. What does that mean? Well, here are some simple breakdowns of each category.

‘Type A’ Adrenaline Junkies

Orange county fitness — Not the sign of a good workout

Sympathetic overtraining is probably the most common type of overtraining these days and occurs from an excessive amount of strength/anerobic activities without proper time to recover between sessions. Day to day mental stress also affects this system, so stress levels outside the gym have to be addressed and accounted for if you want to keep this balanced and healthy. Common symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, disturbed sleep patterns, increased resting heart rate, irritability, decrease in performance and fatigue.

Cardio Junkies

orange county exercise — Addicted to runner’s high?

The second category is called Parasympathetic overtraining and is more commonly seen in endurance type athletes. It is caused by an excessive amount of aerobic type activity. “Cardio junkies, triathletes, runners and other distance athletes are most susceptible to this type of overtraining. Symptoms can include depression, unmotivated and a general disinterest in things.

Olympic / Power / Strongman Lifter Types

The 3rd category in central nervous system (CNS) overtraining and occurs from excessive high intensity activities such as Powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, strongman and other power drills. This typically occurs when the volume of these types of activities os too high. Symptoms can include decrease in reaction rate, lower strength, poor motor skills, and decreased ability to focus.

So how can you avoid overtraining?

Planning your workouts is essential. Assessments are key to figuring out where your ability level is and then goal setting to determine where you want to go.

These days there are lots of programs that throw people into high intensity workouts and run them into the floor every time they come in the gym. Other people may jump right into plyos or running long distances. This is a recipe for disaster which can lead to overtraining, injury and more. The key to long lasting success is the ability to vary workouts between stimulating and recovering, using all three energy systems and adjusting exercise variables to allow proper progression towards your goal.

At Innovative Results we use proper alignment, exercise progression and varying intensities as the foundations of our workouts. Its not just about getting a tough workout! Varying ability levels and goals dictate the exercise selection and intensity of each workout. Over time, everyone makes progress toward their goals safely and efficiently.

Remember, there is no “one size fits all” program that works for everyone. Each person is unique and requires slightly different programs in order to perform. Taking the time to learn and apply these principles can mean the difference between positive results and frustration.

Recommended reading

You deserve more than just a great workout

3 aspects of movement that affect your workout

9 ways to renew, recover and feel your best

If you need help developing a program, fill out the form below and a member of our training team will contact you!

We work with clients all over Southern California and have helped thousands of women, men and athletes look better, feel better and perform better!

Resources:

“Ultimate MMA Conditioning” Joel Jamieson. 2009 Peak Performance Inc.

“Acute Exercise Variables” Tony Bruno. AB&C Fitness.

5 Tips To Turn Your TRI Into a Win-Endurance Athletes, This Is For YOU!

January 23, 2010 by ptpt 1 Comment

Dear Innovative Results,

I need your advice…I am increasing in my mileage like a crazy woman, but I feel good about it and I am doing great…except one thing…my long run today was 20 miles =) in 3 hrs, it was a great run except my legs were giving up on me…I had enough energy to keep going, but once I slowed down it was like, “HOLY CRAP! This freakin hurts!” Though the pain was in my quads and hip flexors..Is there anything I can do in my training to strengthen my legs…I feel like I am doing great runs throughout the week…maybe more sprints? Or try to incorporate more strength training?…if that is the case, then what can I do? I appreciate your help! Oh and the count down begins…4 WEEKS til the big day…26.2!
[Read more…]

7 Ways Exercise Improves Your Self-Confidence

October 25, 2008 by ptpt 3 Comments

Do you want to feel better, inside and out, have more energy and perhaps even live longer? Well look no further these 7 Ways Exercise Improves Your Self-Confidence!

The benefits of exercise, from preventing chronic health conditions to boosting confidence and self-esteem, are hard to ignore. And these benefits are yours for the taking, regardless of age, sex or physical ability. Need more convincing? Check out these seven specific ways exercise can improve your confidence, brain health and life.

7 Ways Exercise will Improve Your Self-Confidence

1. Exercise improves your mood.
Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.
Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You’ll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety. Medical studies have shown exercise improves thinking and memory. Physical activity combined with a fitness training regiment not only increases cardio vascular and muscular health, by boosting blood flow and elevating growth hormones, but also shows significant increases in vigor and clear thinking.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.
Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Regular exercise is the ticket.
Regular exercise can help you prevent – or manage – high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular exercise boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol while decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaque in your arteries.
And there’s even more. Regular exercise can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.
Want to drop those excess pounds? Trade some tv/couch time for walking or other physical activities.
This one’s a no-brainer. When you exercise, you burn calories. The more intensely you exercise, the more calories you burn – and the easier it is to keep your weight under control. You don’t even need to set aside major chunks of time for working out. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Do jumping jacks during commercials. Better yet, turn off your TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are excellent, but activity you accumulate throughout the day helps you burn calories, too.

4. Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs.
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don’t throw in the towel. Regular exercise can leave you breathing easier.
Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular exercise helps your entire cardiovascular system – the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels – work more efficiently. When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you’ll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.
Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.
A good night’s sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And, you guessed it; exercise is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. The timing is up to you – but if you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to try late afternoon workouts. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after you exercise might help you fall asleep.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.
Are you too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape to enjoy physical intimacy? Exercise to the rescue.
Regular exercise can leave you feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on your sex life. But there’s more to it than that. Exercise improves your circulation, which can lead to more satisfying sex. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise, especially as they get older.

Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Get physical!
Exercise doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous . Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you’re moving, it counts!

You can also check out our list of the Top 10 Places to Stay Active in Orange County!

Are you convinced? Good. Then why not start rewarding yourself the benefits of physical activity today!

Did you like “7 Ways Exercise Improves Your Self-Confidence“? Leave us a comment….

Innovative Results was voted Best Gym in Orange County and continues to deliver quality fitness services that improve people’s quality of life.