Exercise Tips

So you want to work out or change your programme? Here are our top exercise tips to help achieve your goals!

‘I want to lose weight’

You may want the weight to drop off in a fortnight but two pounds per week is a healthy rate of weight loss - which means forget the starvation diets and crushing exercise regimes!

To reduce body fat you need to take regular aerobic exercise, like running, cycling, hill-walking, cross-trainer or aerobics classes. This form of exercise will raise your metabolic rate even after you stop working out - so you are burning calories at rest, even while you sleep. You should aim for a minimum of three 30-minute sessions per week.

Working at different intensities puts different demands on your body and working at moderate intensity uses fats and oxygen. This process speeds up our metabolic rate - the rate at which we break down nutrients in our body to produce energy. So a combination of walking for a few minutes, then running for the same length of time, then walking up a hill for a short time and so on will increase the number of calories you're burning up.

Although many people are worried it may bulk them up, resistance work is also essential to help lose weight. Muscles burn more calories than fat, so swapping like for like means you’ll burn more calories all the time. For each pound of muscle you add to your body you need an extra 75 calories to maintain it, so toning up your muscles will also help you lose weight - and look thinner as you are more toned. Include some strength training in your schedule too - either twenty minutes of weight-training (one set of fifteen repetitions) three to four times a week or forty minutes once a week. A typical weight training session should ideally include two to three different types of leg exercises, then one chest exercise, arm exercise and back exercise

You should also include ten minutes of stomach exercises. Try using a Swiss ball for them as this is more effective than traditional stomach curls and crunches because the inflatable balls are unsteady and tend to 'wobble'. This forces us to use our deep postural muscles - the muscles that wrap themselves around our middle like a natural girdle - to steady ourselves.

To really help you shift the pounds, try to increase the amount of physical exercise you take in everyday life - get off your bus or train a stop early on the way to work to walk for 30 minutes, cycle instead of using the car if you can and always take the stairs rather than the lift. These small changes will all help you Make it Happen when it comes to losing weight.

Most importantly don’t increase your calorie intake as you exercise more - often people think they have burnt up enough calories to warrant a bag of chips on the way home. But in reality they haven’t used up anywhere near that amount. So keep your diet in check as well as working out. Check out the ’General Nutrition’ section for information on balancing your diet.

You may also want to take a supplement to help your weight-loss programme, and Bio-Synergy’s Body Perfect Capsules have been developed as a fat burning aid. The tablets boost your metabolic rate causing you to burn more calories. Staying hydrated is also essential as it means you’ll get more out of your exercise regime and also feel full more of the time. Use Bio-Synergy Liquid Energy during your work-out to keep up the pace and work out harder.

‘I want to become stronger’

Strengthening exercises make you use more muscle fibre than usual, so your muscles become stronger and are able to function more efficiently. These exercises can also create denser bones and better posture. More muscle also increases our metabolic rate so we burn more calories and can help you lose fat.

There are three basics to building muscles. You need to weight train well, eat sensibly and nutritiously and rest. A muscle-building programme can takes months to really show the effects so it’s important you stick with it. Pushing against weights damages the deep layers of cells in our muscles, making them grow back even stronger. But overtrained muscles won‘t grow, so find a happy medium that places enough stress on the muscle in order for it to grow without straining it.

Rest is as important for building muscle as working out as it’s during sleep and rest that growth and repair occurs. If you were to continually lift weights and never allow time for rest, your body would actually get weaker - so don’t lift weights every day! And it’s important that your diet supports your goal of muscle building, as to grow, you need a mixture of fats, protein and carbohydrates. Bio-Synergy’s Whey Better is an ideal supplement to your diet to ensure you are getting the protein and amino acids you need to build muscle tissue.

The amount you lift and the speed of results you’ll see are down to the individual. If you’ve never lifted weights before you’ll see greater gains more quickly with lighter weights. If you already incorporate some lifting into your work-out it will take a lot longer to see results and they’re not likely to be as pronounced. It’s a good idea to speak to a trainer in your gym to help develop a programme which is tailor-made for you.

If you are new to weight training, the most effective way to work out is to mix two to three exercises that use different muscles groups. For each exercise, perform one set of eight to twelve repetitions. This could include a leg extension for the front of the thigh thighs, the shoulder press for shoulders, leg curl for back of legs, arms curl for the front of arms and tricep extension for the back of the arms.

Add heavier weights to the last two repetitions - or reduce your rest period between moves - so it is performed with a slight struggle, which will aid strengthening.

Bio-Synergy has developed Creatine Plus, which is available in two phases and can help with increasing strength and muscle bulk. The first is a loading phase followed by a maintenance period of two months. Creatine Plus provides instant energy and has been found to assist the development of muscles. Because it provides energy you’ll find you can lift more weight than usual. It also contains a fat burner so you can see your results.

‘ I want to become more flexible’

Stretching and improving flexibility is important to any fitness programme. People who are office bound may particularly benefit from exercises designed to develop flexibility. Sitting down all day this can lead to severe postural problems and pain in the lower back, shoulders and neck.

Yoga or Pilates classes are ideal for improving flexibility as they focus on stretching and lengthening muscles. If you want to work on your own flexibility routine, then stick to the recommended healthy guidelines or you could end up with a strained rather than lengthened limb.

For example, never bounce when you touch your toes but reach slowly down and hold the stretch for ten to 20 seconds and do no more than four repetitions of each stretch.

The deep stretching in yoga can bring bones and muscles gently back into position if you spend a lot of time sitting or standing at work. And gradually you’ll begin to adopt a more relaxed, upright posture which can help stave off future problems. There are many forms of yoga, some more energetic than others. Iyengar yoga is a great choice for all levels of flexibility and a good starting point for learning the basic positions.

Pilates was developed to help injured dancers and athletes and is brilliant for curing poor posture. The exercises focus on increasing core-stability and in doing so strengthen the spine, open vertebrae, improve circulation and create space in joints.

Try to incorporate lengthening exercises into everyday life. For example, rather than slouching on the sofa when you're watching TV, sit on the floor with your back against the sofa and legs out in front of you to stretch your hamstrings.

If you are sitting at a desk all day, take hourly breaks to stand and reach your arms up as far as they will go, then reach down as far as you can towards your toes to relieve tension.
Enhance your stretching regime with Bio-Synergy’s Glucosamine capsules. This is a joint specific supplement which helps repair tissue around the joints and has been shown to improve flexibility.

‘I want to improve my heart and health’

Improving our cardiovascular system means our muscles are able to draw in more oxygen and blood which allows our muscles to expand, so you burn calories more quickly. A CV workout will increase your heart rate and also blood circulation, so that more nutrients and oxygen are brought to our tissues and waste leaves the body more quickly.

Cardiovascular exercises include running, cycling, boxing and some classes like step aerobics. All are done to a faster pace than fat-burning exercises although they also burn calories. To benefit from a CV session you need to get your heart pumping so your breathing becomes deeper and faster.

There are plenty of health reasons for including cardiovascular training in your lifestyle. It can reduce blood pressure and decrease cholesterol levels, improve your respiratory system and increase your muscle size and build better bone density which helps protect against osteoporosis.

It will also control your weight, increase your strength and leave you feeling happier as feel-good chemical serotonin is released by your body.

For the first two months of your cardiovascular workout start off with walking, cycling or an aerobic exercise class. Begin with twenty minutes of cardiovascular exercise three to five times a week. After six to eight weeks, increase each session to thirty to forty minutes.

To help keep your heart rate up by keeping your endurance levels high, drink Bio-Synergy’s Pure Energy before, during and after your work out. As an isotonic replacement drink with carbohydrates, it replenishes lost fluids but also provides a source of instant energy so you can keep pushing yourself.  Make sure your recovery period is as effective as possible with our Creatine Plus (maintenance phase).
This will help buffer any lactic acid build up which can leave you feeling stiff and tight while also aiding muscle repair.

‘I want to de-stress’

It may be the last thing on our minds when we're busy and wound up but exercise is actually a great stress reliever.

Stress reduces the supply of oxygen to the brain which makes our heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety increase. But exercise can help by forcing you to inhale and exhale deeply so you taking in more oxygen and sending more blood around the body.

Aerobic exercise increases the amount of blood and oxygen delivered to our muscles, relieving tension and making us feel less constricted and able to breathe more easily. Exercise also focuses the mind so we naturally switch off from our stressful day.

Cardiovascular exercises including rowing, running and cycling, four times a week for between thirty and forty minutes are a great way to release endorphins. These are our body's own natural relaxing hormones which 'switch off' adrenaline - the chemical which leads to stress.

Boxing and martial arts sessions can focus the mind and also focus any pent up aggression or work frustrations or a stretching and relaxation class can soothe the mind and help your body relax.

You many find a class such as Tai Chi or Body Balance which focuses on slow movements and deep breathing will force you to concentrate and help 'switch off' from your day.

If you choose a more relaxing work-out it’s easy to forget you are still becoming dehydrated. Make sure you keep your intake of fluids up with a bottle of our Liquid Energy. If you are very stressed you may not be eating a particularly balanced diet with the correct number of meals and snacks. Eating a Bio-Synergy GI Sense bar before hitting the gym will provide you with energy and proteins too so you won’t be worrying about your tummy rumbling through your class!

Get fit safely

We all know how beneficial working out can be, but done the wrong way it can cause more harm than good. Here are our top tips for working out safely.

One: Always start gently, with a warm up, perhaps a 10 minute brisk walk, and make sure you stretch after exercise too.

Two: Don’t go crazy! There’s no point pulling muscles and exhausting yourself in a long session one day so you are in too much pain to work out for the rest of the week. It’s just as beneficial to do five half-hour sessions of moderate exercise or three one hour sessions a week.

Three: If you decide joining an exercise class would be best for you, make sure the instructor is qualified and don’t be afraid to speak up if you’re worried about anything.

Four: Never exercise to the point of exhaustion - stamina and strength take time to develop.

Five: Make sure you’re hydrated during and after exercise. Don’t work out on a heavy meal either.

Also avoid exercise when you’re still recovering from the flu or a temperature. If you have recently had a baby, check with your midwife. If you have not exercised for a long time or have any long-term health problems it’s always best to speak to your GP first.

Timing is everything….

When you work out can be as important as what you are doing. Studies have shown that between 4pm and 6pm is probably the ideal time to go to the gym. But that’s not practical for everyone so as a priority you should select a time which fits in with your lifestyle, otherwise you are more likely to give up.

If you work out in the morning you can be sure you have got your exercise in before the pressures of the day hit and leave you tired and tied up. Working out in the morning also boosts your metabolism through the day.

If you want to de-stress or are not a morning person, an evening work out can be perfect for leaving the pressures of the day behind.

You can do too much

Over-exercising can be as bad for you as not exercising at all with the danger of exhaustion and damaged joints. Your muscles, bones and confidence can all suffer if you ‘binge-exercise‘. Make sure you keep on track by setting realistic targets, trying a variety of different exercises or working out with friends and family.

Suggested Reading

For more information, programmes and tips, check out the following books;

"Scrawny to Brawny: The Complete Guide to Building Muscle the Natural Way" by by Michael Mejia, John Berardi
"Strength Training Anatomy" by Frederic Delavier
"Fitness for Dummies" by Suzanne Schlosberg
"How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!: Your Personalized 4-Step Guide to Looking and Feeling Great from the Inside Out" by Paul Chek
"Official Body Control Pilates Manual: The Ultimate Guide to the Pilates Method - For Fitness, Health, Sport and at Work" by Lynne Robinson, Gordon Thomson , Helge Fisher, Jacqueline Knox
"The Body Sculpting Bible for Women: The Way to Physical Perfection" by James Villepigue and Hugo Rivera