5 Fun Fitness Facts

11 Sep 5 Fun Fitness Facts

Our wounds from the Imogene Pass Run may still be fresh but it’s no time to slack off on the couch in Telluride. Next weekend, September 19th-22nd, there are two exciting fitness events happening in town.

Mountains to Desert, a 118-mile road ride from Telluride to Gateway benefiting Just For Kids, starts bright and early Saturday morning. (There are options for shorter rides as our Imogene wounds are still really fresh– check out the website.) If you’re not a biker, never fear, there’s also a new festival, geared towards fitness and run by Telluride’s own Becca Tudor. The W.O.W festival, Workout Weekend (as if living in Telluride weren’t workout enough) kicks off on Thursday, the 19th, with awesome guest speakers such as Tony Horton, founder of PX-90, and fun events around town.

Becca Tudor, owner of Fuel and organizer of W.O.W festival, pulls up

So start getting in shape now with these fun fitness tips from Huffington Post blogger and fitness guru, Kathleen Trotter.

Fun Fit Fact #1: When you do exercises like the plank, think “apples not applesauce”! Simply put, engage your bum. We all sit so much that our bum muscles are often on holiday. To help “turn them on”, squeeze your bum muscles so your rear end becomes hard like an apple, not soft like applesauce.

Fun Fit Fact #2: You have to “earn the right to progress!”
Before you try a new exercise, or increase the amount of weight you are lifting, ask yourself if you have mastered the basic version and therefore have “earned the right to progress.” Asking yourself this regularly will help you avoid injury!

Fun Fit Fact #3: Don’t be tempted by the ‘fat burning zone’ program on cardio machines.
It is not as rewarding as the name implies. Yes, maintaining a lower heart rate will cause you to burn a higher percentage of calories from fat, but (this is important) because you are working at a lower intensity you will burn fewer calories overall. Opt for a program that challenges you to work at a higher intensity. You will burn a higher percentage of calories from carbohydrates, but since you burn more calories overall, you will create more of a metabolic demand on your body. Also, since you burn more calories overall, you are more likely to create a daily calorie deficit (calorie deficit = burning more calories than you consume).

Both a high metabolic demand and a calorie deficit are needed for weight loss. Plus, the term ‘fat burning zone’ elicits images of your adipose tissue (fat) magically disappearing off of your hips. Instead, the fat burning zone just means you use intra-muscular fat (I.e. The fat stored in your muscles) as fuel. That is a less enticing end result!

Fun Fit Fact #4: If you are exercising with the goal of losing weight, remember the saying, “assuming none of the expended calories are replaced”. Exercise will only help you lose weight if you don’t replace the calories you burned with extra food. So, have a treat if you want it, but understand that the treat will effect how quickly you reach your goal.

Fun Fit Fact #5: Contrary to popular belief, the ‘core’ doesn’t just refer to your abdominals.
Your ‘core’ includes all the muscles that attach to your pelvis, spine and ribs. A strong core helps to protect your body by acting somewhat like the bat suit (a strong outer layer that gives your torso integrity), as well as connecting your arms and legs to your torso, ensuring your body is able to work as a unit.

Read more of Kathleen Trotter’s tips here.