Bonus Tips for Getting Fit - Quick!

Striving to get fit in time for bathing-suit season? We asked personal trainers Janet Hoffman and Maria Beth Silverio of Squirrel Hill's Silverio Hoffman Fitness to break down their top tips for beginners in our May "Scoop" section. Here's some bonus content from our interview.

1. Beginners often over do it. People come into the gym and stay way too long (2 hours or more). After one month, they disappear. Try to make a realistic short-term goal of keeping your strength training days separate from your cardio days. Keep your time to 30 to 45 minutes per day. If you are able to stick with a program for three months, it is time to re-assess your goals and establish more of a variety in your strength and cardiovascular endurance program.
2. Satisfy hunger with healthy snacks. Between meals, try these healthy snacks, which range between 200 and 300 calories: One apple with a tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter; 5.3 ounces of Greek yogurt with one packet of sweetener; 1 rice cake with a tablespoon of peanut butter.
3. Try the "LSD" (long slow distance) method. For beginners, the "LSD" (long slow distance) method works best. Cross/circuit training is an excellent way to increase endurance, decrease boredom and decrease risk of overuse injuries. Cycling, treadmill and the elliptical are great for increasing cardiovascular endurance and burning calories. If you prefer being outdoors, we recommend staying off of the concrete to reduce the risk of injuries; instead, stay on trails, grass or a rubberized track surface. A good end range goal is to increase your time to 45-60 minutes 4 to 5 times per week.
4. Remember strength training. Strength training can be overwhelming at first. Try to choose eight to 10 exercises per session, working larger muscle groups to smaller muscle groups (legs to back to shoulders to biceps to triceps). Try to include two to three "core" exercises (abdominals, gluts) with each session. We strongly recommend getting your program started and organized with a qualified personal trainer.
5. Do it with class. If you feel you will be more motivated being in a class environment, check out your local health clubs and see what they have to offer.
6. Get your beauty sleep. A recent article in Health Magazine references Michael Breus, Ph.D., author of Beauty Sleep. He reports that two hormones affected by lack of sleep are directly related to eating: Gherlin (the "go" hormone that tells you to eat) and leptin (the "stop" hormone that tells you you're full). According to Breus, sleep deprivation causes an increase in gherlin and a decrease in leptin. Breus also reports that being low on sleep causes cortisol levels to rise, which causes greater appetite.

- Interview by Kelly Herendeen