Women Who Have Trouble Sleeping May Pack on the Pounds

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Lisa Fielding

A study that tracked 68,183 middle-aged women for a period of 16 years found that compared to women who slept 7 hours per night, women who slept for 5 hours per night were 32% more likely to experience major weight gain (an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% were more likely to become obese. Women who slept for 6 hours were 12% more likely to have major weight gain and 6% more likely to become obese.

Another study by Finnish researchers that followed more than 7,300 40-60 year olds between 2000-2002 for seven years found was that women who reported they had trouble falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep on at least 14 nights gained weight verus those women who didn’t. At the outset of the study 20% of women reported to having frequent sleep problems and those same women also reported a major weight gain of 11 pounds or more by the studies end.

The most recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health, Minnesota Obesity Center and the Mayo Clinic provides a glimpse into the reason why weright gain and lack of sleep may by linked. The study followed 17 healthy young men and women for eight nights with half of the participants sleeping normally and the other half sleeping only 2/3 of their normal sleep time. Both groups were allowed to eat whatever they wished during the experiment.

What researchers discovered was that the group that slept 1 hour and twenty minutes less than the control group consumed 549 additonal calories per day. Researchers also found that the amount of energy used wasn’t significantly different between the 2 groups, suggesting that those who slept 1 hour and twenty miniutes less didn’t burn additional calories.

The focus of the study was to determine whether lack of sleep affected hormone levels of leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is the hormone that tells you that you are full and to stop eating. When you are sleep deprived, you have LESS leptin. Gherlin is the hormone that tells your body that it is hungry and when you are sleep deprived you have MORE gherlin. More gherlin + less leptin =weight gain.

Even though this was a small study it’s implications are large, especially for people who don’t make sleep a priority or for those people who expereince difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Read some tips here for getting a good nights sleep.

Share this with your friends!

“Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee”

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Allison Todd

We were inspired by the importance of Heart and Stroke Month, so we decided to find another heart pumping activity to help get us going and re-inspired. After all, we’re only three months away from one of the most heart thumping events this year, The Tough Mudder.

Since the weather has been somewhat of a fitness foe, we decided to look for another indoor activity that could really get us going. Wow, did we ever succeed – welcome to Ladies Only Muay Thai Kickboxing Boot Camp.

We attended a four week session held every Saturday at an authentic local kick boxing gym. For an hour each week we kicked, punched, crunched and push-upped our way through a mean yet incredibility satisfying work out. Our fearless instructor was always on hand to ensure we were always in the correct position and maximizing the benefits of each heart pumping circuit. At the end of every hour, we could always feel the impact of the workout in our arms, legs, core and back. Our heart rates were up the entire time, and during each workout we burned approximately 600-800 calories! This was extremely motivating and kept us coming back even though we were always sore the next day (but in a good way).

What’s nice about this class is that you can take some of what you learn home with you.

Skipping is a big part of the warm-up; it’s not all about the bag work and you’re sweet left hook. A 15 minute skipping interval will increase your heart rate and help you burn up to 200 calories. Try incorporating skipping in between your weight circuit or into your daily fitness routine.

Another great take home tip was a yoga movement called “the plank”. We’re sure many of you are familiar with this movement. You lie face down on the ground and then raise yourself up onto your feet and elbows. Keep your core tight, hips down and back flat. Stay as tight as possible. You’ll start to feel the effects in your arms, back, core and legs. Add a plank onto the end of your workouts. With each workout, increase the time you can hold the plank position as well as the number of repetitions. The “plank” is a great full body exercise to finish off your exercise routine.

An added bonus with boot camp sessions is the short commitment of only four classes. At the completion of the four classes, you have the option to walk away or purchase another monthly package. A great format for those who don’t know what exercise they like or get bored easily.

Share this with your friends!

Now Qualified to Run Away with the Circus

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Allison Todd

Struggling to stay committed to your fitness program? If you’re anything like the femMED team, you’re likely starting to get a little bored with your usual routine and find it more difficult by the day to get motivated to work off those extra pounds. That’s why we decided it was time to add a bit more fun to our workout by joining the circus…well, sort of!

Last Friday some of the femMED staffers attended the Toronto School of Circus Arts Drop-In Trapeze class. The gloomy winter weather is a big fitness turn-off, so we knew we needed to do something that would help pump-up our motivation and keep us engaged in getting healthy.

After some initial research, we discovered that the benefits of a trapeze workout are enormous. Generally, most workout routines (such as Zumba, cycling or running) focus primarily on your lower body. Trapeze focuses on the exact opposite, it’s all about developing your arms, back and core. It’s excellent for increasing strength, improving flexibility, posture and toning muscles. Over the course of our first trapeze lesson, which flew by (pun intended), we burned approximately 300-400 calories in just one hour. And, if calories burned aren’t indication enough of a quality workout, the next day we could really feel the impact on our biceps, triceps, upper back and core.

Another perk afforded by this workout is that there are elements you can take home with you. For example, find an outdoor pull bar that you can hang from (most playgrounds have them) and practice your knee hang (it’s exactly as it sounds). Lift you knees up, swing them through your arms and under the bar and then rest them over the bar. When complete, the bar should be nestled under your knees. If you feel confident enough you can let go and hang there or, add a couple of upside down crunches.

Trapeze class was not only a great physical workout; it was also a mental workout. You really had to push yourself to overcome the initial fear of climbing and swinging from a two story platform. Once conquered, we just couldn’t wait to get back up, go again and learn new tricks.

By making exercise a social and fun experience that you can do with friends, we found sticking to our healthy living goals to be a less daunting process. We’re refreshed and ready to try new things, meet new people and have less fear holding us back.

Share this with your friends!

“Reshape Your Body” Seminar with Dr. Pearlman

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Allison Todd

On Wednesday night, the ladies from femMED attended Dr. Jennifer Pearlman’s “Reshape Your Body” seminar. It was the first in a series of speaking events that Dr. Pearlman and her staff have begun to host for clients and those interested in learning about the different ways to improve their overall well-being as they age.

When we arrived, we were greeted by staff, and invited to mingle before being shown to an intimate seating area for the presentation. There were lots of delicious, nutritious gluten free treats for guests to snack on throughout the evening. We particularly LOVED the caramel popcorn. So yummy! We also loved the gift bag featuring samples from the PearlRejuvenation product line – we just couldn’t wait to try them when we got home.

Dr. Pearlman and her staff covered topics including the affects of different foods on your gut and digestion, the importance of melatonin and better skincare, sleep practices and the impact of fluctuating hormones during major life milestones such menopause.

Our big takeaway from the evening is that it’s never too early to start making long term health decisions about how you will care for your body, and it’s never too late to start making better life style choices. As well, women need to learn that it’s alright to start spending time and money on themselves!

Share this with your friends!

Eat it!

Posted on January 16, 2013 by Allison Todd

Developing smart eating habits is an important part of losing the weight and keeping it off. These don’t have to have to be dramatic changes especially if you’re just starting out.

Start substituting different foods in for your usual favourites. Switch your regular pasta for a whole wheat version and find a simple recipe for a great sauce. Reach for the milk and honey instead of the cream and sugar for your coffee. Read up on your favourite flavours and find out some of the health and weight loss benefits that they might have!

There are tonnes of great cookbooks, websites and weight loss programs available that focus on healthy recipes for weight loss. They often have the serving portions broken down by calories so you know how large each meal is and how much is appropriate to eat in a sitting. If cooking is a foreign experience for you, try a health focused cooking class. Bring some friends along and make a night out of it.

Another really simple tip to eating healthy is to bring your meals with you, even if it’s just a small container of granola at your desk or a piece of fruit that lives in your purse. When you start feeling those hunger pains you already have your healthy snack on hand.

Start bringing your lunch to work. Just make sure you give your lunches enough thought ahead of time or you’ll just end up buying something unhealthy on the go. The trick is to make meals in bulk and keep them divided in containers in calorie appropriate portions in your fridge or cupboards. That way you can just grab and go in the mornings.

If you need some motivation to switch over to homemade healthy meals just do math and see how much money and how many calories you’ll be saving each month. Just think of the cute shoes you’ll be able to buy with your lunch time savings!

Share this with your friends!