Author: James S. Fell

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

To answer the question posed in the title, no, it doesn’t; the opposite is true.

Please don’t shoot the messenger.

I’m a big fan of exercise for a number of reasons, one of which is that it increases the rate at which you burn calories, but this is just temporary; it ONLY increases the caloric-burning furnace while you’re actually engaged in exercise.

Exercise enough so that you “get in shape” and lose a bunch of fat, and your metabolic rate drops. This means you will burn fewer calories while you sleep, while you exercise, while you watch reality TV, or while you do… other stuff.

Bummer.

Think of this: You’re in lousy shape and you run a mile. You sweat like crazy, your heart races, your lungs burn etc. Your metabolism is operating at a high level because it’s not used to this kind of crap, and your heart and breathing rates stay elevated for a while even after you stop running.

Next scenario: Six months later you weigh less and are in much better shape and you run that same mile. You hardly sweat, your heart rate isn’t that high and you aren’t breathing very heavy. Also, your metabolic rate returns to normal not long after you stop. Ergo, your metabolism isn’t working that hard because it has become accustomed to the exercise.

Guess which mile burned more calories?

Find out more after the jump.

Continue reading Does Getting in Shape Boost Your Metabolism?

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

Some run for the pure enjoyment of it, some like to engage in competition, and others see it as a proven method of not looking like the Michelin Man. For many people, including me, it is a combination of these reasons. I’ll confess that I’m forever … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

After more than 16 years of being a regular gym-goer, I have some tales of pain and woe. Any men who are reading this may wish to cross their legs at this point.
One of the worst was early in my lifting career when I was doing some lateral raises … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

If you are looking out the window into blowing snow while wearing your running gear and you say, “This is going to suck,” then guess what?
You’re right. It is going to suck.
You might think it’s going to suck so bad that you’ll talk yourself out of … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Friends & Family, Advice, Happiness, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

I’m thinking about writing a book one day called Childersize, because I’m sure that some of the games I play with my kids burn a lot of calories.

Having kids can cause a middle-aged spread in both genders. I’ve got two young ones and they do their best to drain the life out of me on a daily basis with: kicking them out of bed in the morning, making breakfast and lunches, hustling them off to school, homework, taking them to karate classes, ferrying them to other events like birthday parties, more stupid homework, acting as a referee in the ongoing sibling rivalry death matches, making dinner, hassling them to clean their rooms, and even more [expletive deleted] homework.

Gak! Homework! I hate it more now than when I was a kid. Hmmm… I just realized that I forgot to mention the horrific nightmare that is the bedtime routine. I must be blocking it out.

Kids give love and hugs, and that makes all of the above worth it, but they can actually give you a hand in your exercise routine as well.

Before I continue, I need to insert a disclaimer. I’m not actually suggesting that you do any of the things I do with my kids, because you might drop someone on their head. If you do, then it’s your fault, not mine. Don’t sue.

Continue reading How to Use Your Kids to Achieve Your Fitness Goals

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

A little while ago I wrote an article about fitness fashion and it twisted a few knickers; the comments section turned into a battleground. Many people liked the post, but others were so miffed I’m surprised they didn’t really unleash the fury and go ALL CAPS on my ass.

Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Settle for Being ‘Average’

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

If you’re not lifting weights, then you should be. And no matter your gender, it needs to be done at a certain level of intensity. You can’t just half-ass it the way so many people do. If you decide to do it, get yourself a certified trainer and … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

I consider myself to be pretty from the neck down.

The genetic lottery didn’t give me anything close to one of those Brad Pitt type faces, so I work hard to try and look like I’ve got something of a Fight Club physique to help keep my wife happy.

There are many reasons why you should engage in weightlifting, and my next post is going to elaborate on that in detail, but for this one I wanted to address the issue of how building muscle affects metabolism.

Speaking of Brad, he was pretty ripped in Fight Club, and many believe that having extra muscle mass burns a lot of extra calories, getting you closer to that coveted six pack. The most commonly quoted numbers are that one pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day while at rest. Using that math, if you happen to build ten pounds of muscle through weight training then you would burn an extra 500 calories every single day just by having that muscle hanging around on your body.

I wish it was true, but it isn’t.

Continue reading Does Extra Muscle Mass Mean Extra Calories Burned?

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

Hey! Smell my fartlek!

Sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

If you’re a somewhat competitive runner, then you may have heard about fartlek training before. However, before I explain precisely what a fartlek is, I need to describe some other types of aerobic programs first, because a fartlek is essentially a conglomeration of multiple training methods.

If you are interested in improving your running time (or even cycling or swimming time), then you need to mix up your regimen. What follows are five different types of aerobic training programs to help improve your speed.

Five effective training regimens, after the jump…

Continue reading Improve Your Distance Running Speed With Fartlek Training

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

The first thing I want you to do is go dig out your old Magnum, P.I. shorts from high school, and that ratty ‘FRANKIE SAYS RELAX’ t-shirt with the yellow stains in the armpits, find a safe place, and burn them.

Now I’ll admit that I’m not a serious fashionista; my fitness wardrobe costs more than my business one, but that’s mostly because I buy cheap suits and like to push casual Friday to the limits.

But I do have a lot of workout clothes, and they’re all high quality. There is a good reason for this: having nice-looking and good-quality clothing makes exercise more enjoyable. And if it’s more enjoyable, you’ll exercise more frequently, for longer durations, and at a higher intensity. It’s all about positive reinforcement.

Nice workout clothes are more comfortable, they look better, and they last longer too. I am a firm believer in the adage that you get what you pay for. There is a certain brand of fitness clothing I’m exceptionally fond of (OK, I’ll tell you: it’s lululemon) because not only does it look and feel good, but I can beat it like a rented mule, wash it again and again, and it still looks new.

I engage in some really intense exercise that makes regular clothing so foul it needs psychotherapy. Higher quality stuff can take anything I can dish out, and then after a trip through the washing machine it comes out fresh and saying, “Is that all you got?”

Continue reading Let’s Talk About Your Gym Clothes…

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

I have a lower back that is the envy of 80-year-olds the world over.
I got my first herniated disc (between L5 and S1) in Grade 10 gym class during the weightlifting portion. I blame a combination of poor supervision/instruction, and the fact that I … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

Lose 30 pounds in 30 days!

Believe it or not, it can be done. There are three different ways I can think of to accomplish this:

1. Dangerously dehydrate yourself
2. Chop off a limb
3. Start off by weighing as much as a Smart Car.

When you dehydrate you end up gaining all the water weight back quickly, of course. That second one involves losing bones and blood and muscles and tendons and doesn’t sound pleasant at all. The third is the only one where all the weight that is lost is from fat; and there is an example of this actually happening.

I saw a video on CNN that showed how a guy lost 237 pounds in seven months. That’s over a pound a day. This actually happened, but the guy started out at 640 pounds. He still weighs around 400 and needs to lose another 200 to get to a healthy weight level. I can guarantee that those next 200 pounds will come off a lot slower than the first 200 did.

Continue reading Can You Lose a Pound a Day, Day After Day?

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

In my last post I wrote about why you should be running outside, even when it’s cold. This article is part 2: How to run in cold weather.

The first rule of how to run in cold weather: Suck it up.

Many people have a mental block surrounding this, but the simple fact is that you won’t die, and if you’ve got all the proper gear then you’ll not only be more comfortable, but that will have a positive impact on your motivation. In other words, you’ll feel like an idiot if you drop a few hundred bucks on cold-weather running gear and then never use it.

Making the switch to all-weather running takes some planning and preparation, and you’ll likely need to open your wallet to ensure that you stay both safe and warm. I firmly believe that you should get specialized equipment at a specialized store. The staff is knowledgeable in the type of equipment needed for harsher conditions, and it usually makes for a one-stop shop.

Here are a few tips for what you’ll need:

Continue reading Gearing Up for Cold-Weather Running: Nine Essential Tips

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

Summers are short in Canada and if you hate winter then you live in the wrong country.

Winter is here; what are you going to do about it? Are you a fair-weather runner who relocates to a treadmill? Does the cold and snow make you want to move all of your exercising efforts inside? Do you want a blankie and a cup of hot chocolate?

Seriously, with some planning, preparation and mental fortitude you can make the shift from fair-weather outdoor runner to all-weather workout warrior. Admittedly, having access to treadmills with TVs you may wonder about the benefits of getting outdoors when it’s cold enough to freeze Russian vodka, but read on and wonder no more.

Biomechanical and Metabolic Differences

Many articles have been written about the biomechanical and metabolic differences of treadmills vs. outdoor running, and the general consensus is that the contrasts are small. The primary mechanical advantages of running outdoors are the addition of wind resistance, and the ability to build muscles specific to going downhill, around turns and on harder or uneven surfaces. Overall, however, a 2008 study by Patrick Riley et al. in the journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise determined that the kinetics of treadmill vs. outdoor running is very similar.

Continue reading Why You Should Run Outside, No Matter How Cold it is

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

Just like the dinosaurs, if you’re not careful your exercise program can take a permanent dirt nap.
My first article for That’s Fit.ca was on New Year’s resolutions and learning to love exercise. It discussed B. F. Skinner’s operant conditioning and … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Fitness, Fit Family Guy

When asking if you should listen to music while running, the answer is, “it depends.”

And what it most depends on is how serious you are. If you’re the competitive type who is training for a race, and perhaps chasing a personal best, then listening to music can be a bad idea. If you’re like the majority of the population and need some righteous tunes to distract you from the fact that it’s cold/hot/dark/humid/raining, or you are tired/sweaty/bored/sore/hungover, then jam those headphones in your ears and crank it loud.

On second thought, don’t crank it too loud. You’ll go deaf.

Blasting the tunes creates what is called a dissociative state; it distracts you from all the aforementioned unpleasantness to make the entire running experience more enjoyable. I’ll admit that I’m bummed if I’m out for a run and the battery in my iPod dies.

Continue reading Tune In or Tune Out? How Music Affects Running Performance

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

I smelled him before I saw him.
Actually, he smelled so bad I could almost taste the stench he was giving off. If reading this comment disgusts you then imagine how I felt. My gym is a large and busy affair, so locating the offender was no easy task. … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Fit Family Guy

Ah, New Year’s. Time to leap onto the resolution bandwagon and then quite likely fall right back off.

Yeah, human nature sucks.

Many people wake up on Jan. 1st with plans to quit smoking, quit drinking, start exercising, start eating healthy, … Read more

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Filed under: Advice, Health, Fitness, Fit Family Guy

The Pot-Smoking Hippie’s Guide to Your New Year’s Fitness Resolution

Continue reading Learning to Love Exercise: How to Adopt a Permanent Lifestyle Change

Permalink | Email this | Comments