Eat Guilt-Free This Holiday Season

By Reginald Williams, BS CPT-NASM

Don't wait until after the holidays to start working out. Avoid the winter weight gain by starting your workout routine before you start eating your favorite treats.

First, you need to workout we recommend for about an hour with your heart rate over 85 percent (the higher end of the target heart rate zone) for between 12 to 20 minutes. Recent research has shown that high-intensity resistance exercise is more effective for the EPOC method than aerobic exercise.

A well rounded circuit workout consisting of the Treadmill, Rowing machine and weights while using the EPOC system will allow your body to burn 600-1000 calories during a 60 minute workout.

The excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) method of exercise not only works your body during the workout, but the “after burn” can potentially last for up to 36 hours later. This means that you can enjoy your goodies guilt free!

After your workout, your body is returning to its regular state. In order to do so, your body requires higher levels of oxygen and uses energy to get it. Using this energy is what continues to burn calories.

The reason high-intensity resistance exercise is more effective for the EPOC method, is because this type of exercise disturbs your body's normal rhythm more drastically, and so a longer time period is required to recover.

Keep fit this winter, or get a head start on your New Year's resolution by burning calories during and after your workout.