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Real Answers from Bonnie Pfiester
BonniePfiester.com
Health Club Owner, Wife, Health & Beauty Columnist, Model, Musician, Artist

Fueling up for Fitness is Key to Success

Choosing the right fuel for a workout depends on the workout you're fueling up for. It's like fueling up a car. The fuel used for drag racing is totally different than fuel used for Nascar. Dragsters just need to get to the finish line as fast as possible, which is only about a thousand feet away. Nascar fuel needs to help you go fast, steady and strong so you can go the distance. In many ways the same principles apply to fitness.

Fueling up for fitness and weight loss can be very different. For instance, if you need to make it through an intense workout, like weight training or a boot camp style class, you'll need something that can power you through your entire workout. Lifting a weight or powering a jump requires blood sugar readily available.

Unfortunately, if you choose the wrong fuel or don't to fuel up at all you'll end up broken down on the side of road for sure. Every time someone falls out in boot camp or weight training it's because someone either didn't' eat - or didn't eat right. A sugary Slim Fast drink or a 100 Calorie breakfast bar won't last 15 minutes through intense training. That's like putting dragster fuel in a Nascar. It's simply not made to go the distance.

A dragster can go through more than twenty gallons of top fuel from warm-up to finish line. The same thing happens when you fuel up with high-processed foods or foods high in sugar- you simply burn through it too quickly. Once your body uses it all up, your blood sugar drops, leaving you dizzy, light-headed and often nauseous.

You need a fuel source that will help you go the distance. Low Glycemic foods like oatmeal, long grain rice, nuts and many vegetables take longer for the body to break down, releasing glucose more slowly and steadily. This means a steady and reliable energy source for your workout.

On the other hand, a fat-burning workout doesn't require the same fuel source for energy. Of matter of fact, you want to force your body to use fat stores for energy instead of food. Since low-impact aerobics, jogging and walking don't require instant power, you can wait for your body to make the blood sugar needed to keep you moving. Much like a hybrid, you can use stored up energy, or fat stores, for fuel.

When it comes to fueling up for fitness, choosing the right fuel for the right exercise is key to success. Now that you're all fueled up, like Darrel Waltrip says, “Boogity, boogity, boogity! Let's go racin' boys!"

September 2008

Question: Can I exercise with my pet?

The Real Answer: I SAY GO IT ALONE!

I personally don't recommend exercising with a pet, or any other workout partner that may limit you. My suggestion would be to completely separate walking your pet and exercising your body. Walking a pet is great for daily activity, but not for fat-burning cardiovascular exercise. Out of all the people I see walking their dog every morning, most would consider that their morning walk or exercise. Unfortunately, it's not exercise but more like a morning stroll. Not one of them has their heart rate high enough to be considered exercise. Most of them don't even have the right exercise attire on. The fact of the matter is, it's simply not exercise at all.

Question: Why not use the daily walk with Fido as my exercise?

Your exercise regimen should be very purposeful with as little distractions as possible. For a fat-burning workout, it is important to keep your heart rate up and steady. Your pace must be set by you, not your pet. Exercising with a pet only works if your pet is a well-trained and experienced running partner. From time to time, I will see a person power walking or running very effectively with their dog. However, this is extremely rare. A dog would have to learn how to consistently "heel", staying right by your side, and keep the same pace you set. In addition, you need to be able to swing your arms freely in order for exercise to be most effective. This means your pet would need to stay by your side while allowing the leash to hang freely. If you are controlling your pet with one hand, you are unable to add upper body rotation with arm swing which increases the heart rate and tightens the mid-section. Although my dog, Tank, walks very nicely by my side and even allows me to swing my arms, he's a slow-poke. I have to admit I love walking my dog, but the only one exercising is Tank - not me.

There are too many variables when you bring your pet along. People often want to stop and pet them. If you are like me, you are proud of your pet and enjoy showing your "baby" off to others. Another obstacle is animals are easily distracted which can slow you down. Dogs will tend to stop and sniff things or use the restroom as well. Each time they slow down or stop, so does your heart rate.

Question: If I feel my pet is up to the task, what should I do?

The Real Answer: If you feel your pet is up to the challenge and you want to train your dog to be your exercise partner, I highly suggest you talk to your veterinarian. Some breeds can't handle the intense exercise. Some young breeds should not be run during their early youth, especially large breeds. Other breeds have other limitations. When you are beginning a routine with your dog, don't forget how you felt the first time you walked a couple of miles. Remember, if they aren't used to exercising you need to allow time for them to "get in shape". Since they don't wear running shoes you can't forget they are feeling the temperature of the pavement or texture of the ground too.

When it comes to choosing a workout partner,
whether pet or not, your ideal partner should
match or challenge your own intensity and pace.

August 2008

Question: I've heard some people say to do cardio after weights, and then others say to do cardio before weights. I'm confused.

The Real Answer: Both are actually right...For instance, it's best to do cardio on a mostly empty stomach first thing in the morning so you force your body to use stored fat for energy. BUT, for those who are doing cardio and weights together, it's best to do weights first and then cardio. The idea is that you need a food source to give you enough energy to lift weights. By the time you are done weight training you should have used up most of the food in your stomach so you can tap into stored fat for energy to get your through your cardio. Of course, none of this matters if you replace the calories you burned by eating too many calories through out the day, but if you are dieting and burning fat - you'll get great results by doing cardio on a mostly empty stomach.

Question: What is the best ab exercise to get rid of belly fat?

The Real Answer: You probably want me to say crunches, but there is no ab exercise in the world that will get rid of belly fat. The answer to trimming the tummy is cardio and diet. You can do crunches until your blue in the face and you'll just have some rocking abs underneath a layer of body fat unless you are dieting and doing fat-burning workouts.