You guys know that I am all about balancing your hormones for optimal fat loss, increased energy, stabilizing your hunger and managing your cravings and mood.
Well, not only does diet play a major role in your hormonal balance, but the type of exercise you do has a major impact on your hormones as well. I’ve said a million times before, if you are in your 30’s and 40’s and definitely 50’s, exercising more (running, elliptical, spin etc.) can wreak havoc on your hormonal health doing more harm than good.
Studies show that moderate intensity cardio (typically lasting over 40+ minutes) can negatively impact your hunger, energy and cravings – making maintaining a caloric deficit (which is needed for fat loss to occur) very difficult! Not to mention it can increase your cortisol levels (which increases belly fat) and that is certainly one area where the majority of my clients want to work on.
Now is cardio “healthy”? Yes. Is it good for posture, to clear your mind, for your blood lipid profile – yes, yes, and yes. But, like anything else, *TOO MUCH* of anything can be detrimental.
Not only that, extended periods of cardio can also burn off your precious muscle tissue – which is DEFINITELY not something we want to do at ANY age. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn at rest, the more calories you’ll be able to eat and the more insulin sensitive you’ll be (meaning you’ll do better with carbs – just another thing that we tend to not tolerate as well as we age). Not to mention, the more “toned” you’ll look. Seriously, if that is the look you’re going for, you’re not going to get it by doing hours and hours of cardio. You just won’t. Muscle is needed, PERIOD.
Alternatively, shorter, more intense workouts, can actually decrease hunger and cravings – at least immediately after your workout. They also give us the hormonal release we need to build muscle and burn more fat.
That is why pairing cardio and strength training does wonders for body change. You won’t have to deal with being super hungry and you won’t end up looking like a smaller, softer, version of yourself who now has a slower metabolic rate because your body burned through it’s muscle for fuel.
Instead you’ll burn fat (not muscle), while maintaining, if not building more muscle and get that “toned” appearance, while being able to maintain a caloric deficit (if fat loss is a goal).
And this is why I love the Running Beyond Baby running program so much.
Not only does it outline exactly what you should be doing in your running workouts for the entire 12 weeks, it also incorporates strength training circuits to increase your metabolic conditioning (needed to kick it into high gear at the end of the race), glute and core circuits as well as yoga flows (to keep you running strong and injury free), as well as breathing techniques, hormonal health videos and more.
I’ve always said that 5K’s are such a great distance for women who are interested in losing fat, especially when you are strength training along sided your training. And Running Beyond Baby is all about running a FAST, STRONG, SMART 5K *before* increasing your mileage….and just FYI – you can be 20 with no kids, or 55 with grown kids. You don’t have to be a mom to benefit from this program. You don’t have to be a certain age (in fact, this is what I would recommend for ANY woman over 35 years old).
Build a solid foundation. Get your form down, your speed up and your hormones under control – *then* if you want to build on from there and run a half or a longer distance – go for it! Seeing that I ran a pretty fast (for me) 5K with ZERO knowledge on how to actually train to RUN, I’m suuuuper excited to see what I can do after completing this program.
Because there is no coaching or contact with Shira through this program, this is a great way to make sure you not only stay accountable and on track for your training, but that you are confident on the food side of things as well. We’ll be going over the fundamentals of fat loss, how to balance your hormones via the food you eat, how much you should be eating, etc…It’s a great addition to the program and it’s only offered by purchasing through this link.
We will be adding you to the page mid- week next week and the page will be open for question for 12 weeks (the length of Shira’s program). It is NOT mandatory to start with the group! You can start this program on your own time…..Plus, it’s on SALE. Who doesn’t love a good sale?!
Don’t let this opportunity to grab this program on sale pass you by. You’ll have lifetime access and will also get all additions that are added as well!
Looking forward to working with you on our closed Running Beyond Baby / LEAN Life page!