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October q&a with fitness instructor Sue Young
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I sat down with fitness instructor Sue Young at The Spa at Glenpointe in Teaneck, NJ to get some insightful tips on how to stay fit and healthy. Her spin and body sculpting classes have kept me in shape over the years and I wanted to share her expertise.
What led you to a career in fitness?
My mom would bring me as her guest to her aerobics classes when I was about 15 years old (it was Elaine Powers back then so you can imagine how many years ago that was!!). The women would all make a circle around me and make me feel so important and I noticed that they were all smiling and having fun while sweating and losing weight; the instructor made me and also made those women feel so good about themselves!!! That experience is what led me to pursue a career in the fitness industry; my desire to motivate people, make them feel good about themselves, and help them achieve their goals while having a good time became an extreme passion of mine.
If someone were interested in toning what advice would you offer him or her?
First and foremost I would tell them that a proper diet and good nutrition is key to losing fat while toning muscles. I would suggest working the entire body using lighter weights and higher reps (15-20) approximately 3 days per week. Pilates and Yoga are also fantastic for toning the entire body.
For those that are just starting to get into working out how long should they be working out for? Also how many days a week should they be training in order to see results?
The keys to seeing results are consistency and patience. A beginner should workout approximately 4-5 days a week for 30-60 minutes. The workouts, depending on what his or her goals are, should consist of strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Exercise, complimented by a proper diet while drinking at least 64 ounces of water per day, on a consistent basis is the most effective way to reach your goals and see results in a healthy manner.
What is the best way to keep your workout fun and diverse?!
- Change up your routine every 2-3 weeks: if you always use the treadmill, take it outside for a run!
- Cross training is also a great way to avoid boredom: Take 3 different cardio machines and do 15 minutes on each one and you will have a challenging workout and the best part is it will go by so fast!
- Grab a friend to workout with!
- Try a group exercise class: Group exercise classes are a great way to get 60 minutes of exercise while having lots of fun! There are so many different classes out there today to choose from like zumba dance, kickboxing, sculpting, cross training, and spinning.
- Join an intramural sports league: There are some leagues that meet at night or on the weekends and playing a sport is a great way to burn calories outside of the typical "gym" atmosphere!!
What’s a good mid-day snack?
A good mid-day snack should consist of protein, carbohydrates, and fat - in other words BALANCED. The reason for having a balanced snack is to keep your glucose (sugar) levels at a steady state, which will help you maintain your energy levels for the rest of the day. Some examples are:
- medium sized piece of fruit (apple, banana, pear, etc...) with a TBS of peanut butter
- medium sized piece of fruit with 1oz piece of low fat cheese
- small glass of low fat chocolate milk with an apple
- 1oz of nuts and 1oz of raisins
- yogurt with 10z of walnuts or almonds
How do you energize before a workout if you’re feeling sluggish?
Personally if I am feeling sluggish before a workout and I am home, I drink a small glass of low fat chocolate milk, which is refreshingly cold and has just enough protein, fat, and carbohydrates to give me a little wake-up call! If I am already at the gym and just do not have that "yeah, come on and let's do this" mentality, I put my ipod on with some of my favorite tunes and walk on the treadmill....before I know it I am really in the mood and ready to go!!
Do you have any suggestions when trying to make healthy substitutions with the holidays coming up?
The holidays are a tough time for all of us when it comes to eating, however if you go with the mindset of "Rather than deprive myself which will make me want things even more, I will treat myself but eat SMALL portions." The holidays are all about making the "right" choices when it comes to your meals.
Here are some healthy substitutions for the holidays:
- Instead of chips and dips choose the salsa and the veggies
- Instead of creamed liquors and drinks choose a wine spritzer or light beer
- Make sure your plate is colorful and fill up on the veggies rather than meat and potatoes
- Drink plenty of water BEFORE you eat and you will not be as hungry and tempted to over indulge
- Try and take in the fresh air and go for a walk after your meal
- If you are attending a party, bring a low fat dessert that you can enjoy as well as the other guests, to avoid eating all the other high calorie desserts that will be presented on the table.
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