Our Expert Answers Your Top Health And Fitness This Week

Each week our resident expert Tabitha Klausen answers your health, life, and fitness questions right here. Tabitha is a fitness model and certified trainer who helps others strike the right balance with her realistic approach to health and fitness.

What are the best foods to eat to help fight inflammation, because I’m tired of taking pills?

Wise move because regularly popping anti-inflammatory pills can be tough on your liver, so foods are a far safer bet. Your first stop should be your local sushi train because research in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that a diet rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, found in sushi, is very effective at reducing the post-workout aches. While you’re there, you’ll also find another ally: ginger.

A study at the University of Georgia found eating ginger every day can reduce the muscle pain from exercise by as much as 25%. Lastly, try adding curcumin and cherries into your diet because these are also proven to help ease muscle stiffness. Plus, they’re far tastier than a yucky pill.

Does it matter if I use machines at the gym instead of free weights?

Machines are great for steadily increasing the amount of weight you lift, so are ideal for beginners who lack tuition. What’s more, they let you comfortably work around an injury. However, you might create underlying weaknesses if you use them exclusively for too long. You see, your body will always look for the easiest route to accomplish the task at hand, so when you do a machine exercise it’s easier and more efficient for your stronger limb to lift the lion’s share of the weight. In the long term this ‘efficiency’ creates both strength and muscular imbalances, which not only affects the target muscles but also their supporting cast too. 

Free weights – specifically dumbbells – on the other hand, condition each side of your body individually, which builds a balanced, more aesthetically pleasing and symmetrical physique that becomes injury-resistant in the long term. This is because using free weights forces you to rope in more stabilizing muscles, tendons and ligaments, which will better prepare you for real life challenges and sports. So you can start off with machines but make sure you upgrade in a few months before you exercise yourself weaker.

Is jump rope a worthwhile cardio exercise that’s comparable to running?

It’s easily one of the most underused pieces of cardio equipment, and a 150lb woman will burn 857 calories per hour doing it. It’s also one of the best cardio choices for strong sexy shoulders. Just make sure you do it on springy wooden floor boards which will absorb the impact of you landing, making it easier on your joints. For the best results, use pyramid sets. Skip for 30 seconds in your first set, do 45 seconds in the second, 60 seconds in the third, then skip for 45 seconds in the fourth and finish off with 30 seconds in the fifth. Rest one minute between bouts to skip yourself leaner and fitter.

What’s the best lifting speed for losing fat and gaining muscle?

To lose weight and tone your muscles, the best option is always to go slower, simply because it’s tougher. The longer your muscles are under tension – particularly on the lowering portion of the lift – the more calories you’ll burn, strength you’ll build and muscle you’ll gain. A Wayne State University study found that taking three seconds to lower a heavy weight can boost your metabolism for up to 72 hours after you lift.

The reason? Doing the lowering portion of an exercise slowly causes greater muscle damage, and the repair process may elevate the amount of calories you burn when you’re resting and doing nothing at all, according to researchers. Lift slow to get fast results.

Find expert advice and more in every issue of TRAIN for HER magazine.