613.7 – Page 4

Fat Loss vs Weight Loss: The Truth More People Are Finally Learning

30Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Weight Loss & Fat Burning

Fat Loss vs Weight Loss: The Truth More People Are Finally Learning

The number on the scale hasn’t moved — but your clothes fit better. That moment, often dismissed as frustration, is actually one of the clearest signs your body is changing in the right way. For years, weight loss has been treated like a simple equation: eat less, move more, watch the scale drop. But health experts are shifting the conversation toward something more meaningful — body recomposition. It’s the process of losing fat while building lean muscle, and it doesn’t always show up dramatically on the scale. Here’s why: muscle is denser than fat. So when you lose, say, 10 pounds of fat but gain five pounds of muscle, the scale only reflects a five-pound drop. To many people, that feels like slow progress. In reality, it’s a major win. Your body is becoming stronger, leaner, and m...

Why You Should Eat Even When You’re Not Hungry After a Workout

25Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Muscle Building & Strength Training

Why You Should Eat Even When You’re Not Hungry After a Workout

You finish a long run, drenched in sweat, legs heavy—but strangely, you’re not hungry. It feels almost like a reward: you’ve worked hard, so skipping food can’t be that bad, right? That quiet moment, when your body goes silent instead of asking for fuel, is where many active people unknowingly undermine their progress. There’s a growing awareness in fitness circles that hunger isn’t always a reliable guide—especially after intense exercise. Hard training temporarily suppresses appetite, meaning your body may not signal what it actually needs. For runners pounding the streets of Accra at dawn, gym-goers squeezing in evening sessions after work, or weekend footballers playing under the heat, this can quietly lead to under-fueling. And the consequences go beyond feeling a little tir...

Why Your Core Matters More Than You Think And the Simple Test That Proves It

23Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Personal Stories & Opinion

Why Your Core Matters More Than You Think And the Simple Test That Proves It

Try this: sit upright, shoulders back, chin slightly raised, feet flat, and your stomach gently pulled in. Hold that position while reading this. Within minutes, discomfort creeps in — your back tightens, your shoulders tire, and your posture begins to collapse. That strain is not just inconvenience; it is evidence of a widespread but often overlooked issue: weak core muscles. The Hidden Centre of Strength Contrary to popular belief, the “core” is not just about visible abs. It is a complex network of nearly 30 muscles spanning the abdomen, back, hips, pelvis, and even the buttocks. Together, these muscles stabilise the spine, support posture, and enable the body to transfer force efficiently between the upper and lower limbs. “When the core is strong, everything else works bet...

Stronger Backs, Fewer Aches: Exercises That Can Help Prevent and Relieve Back Pain

23Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Muscle Building & Strength Training

Stronger Backs, Fewer Aches: Exercises That Can Help Prevent and Relieve Back Pain

Back pain has quietly become one of the most common health complaints of the modern era. From long hours at office desks to constant time spent hunched over smartphones and laptops, daily habits are placing increasing strain on the spine. Globally, low back pain affected about 619 million people in 2020, and health researchers estimate that figure could climb to 843 million by 2050. For many people, the discomfort can interfere with work, exercise, and everyday movement. But fitness experts say one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of back pain is surprisingly simple: strengthening the muscles that support the spine. Why a Strong Back Matters The back is powered by a network of muscles that stabilize the spine and help the body move efficiently. Key muscle groups in...

Perfect Form Matters: How These Classic Exercises Can Make or Break Your Fitness Progress

22Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Muscle Building & Strength Training

Perfect Form Matters: How These Classic Exercises Can Make or Break Your Fitness Progress

In gyms around the world, the focus often falls on heavier weights, faster repetitions, and pushing limits. But fitness professionals say the real foundation of strength training is far simpler—and often overlooked: proper form. Whether you are a beginner starting a gym routine in Accra or an experienced lifter chasing performance goals, the way you execute an exercise can determine whether it strengthens your body or leads to injury. Correct technique does more than just make an exercise look polished. It protects joints, targets the right muscles, and allows athletes to safely progress over time. Why Form Is the Foundation of Strength Training Fitness experts consistently emphasize that improper form is one of the most common causes of gym-related injuries. When movements are...

Why Exercise Motivation Fades and 5 Ways to Stay Consistent With Your Fitness Routine

21Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Weight Loss & Fat Burning

Why Exercise Motivation Fades and 5 Ways to Stay Consistent With Your Fitness Routine

Every January, gyms fill with fresh enthusiasm. People promise themselves that this will be the year they finally stick to a fitness routine. But by mid-January or early February, motivation often begins to fade. Work schedules intensify, routines return to normal, and exercise slowly slips down the list of priorities. The pattern is familiar across the world—from busy professionals in Accra balancing long office hours to remote workers glued to laptops for most of the day. The challenge isn’t starting a fitness journey. The real test is staying motivated long enough to make it part of everyday life. Health experts say motivation doesn’t disappear overnight. Instead, it often fades when routines feel repetitive, goals become unclear, or workouts stop feeling enjoyable. Why Motivat...

Why Focusing on Fitness Not the Scale May Be the Health Shift You Need

21Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Weight Loss & Fat Burning

Why Focusing on Fitness Not the Scale May Be the Health Shift You Need

For many people trying to get healthier, life becomes a weekly appointment with the bathroom scale. The ritual is familiar: step on, hold your breath, and hope the number drops. If it does, relief. If it doesn’t, frustration. Yet this constant chase for weight loss may be the very thing keeping people trapped in a cycle of stress and short-term results. Across gyms and wellness circles, a different idea is gaining ground: stop chasing weight loss and start chasing fitness. The distinction might sound small, but it changes everything. Weight loss thinking revolves around restriction—eat less, cut calories, shrink the body. Fitness thinking flips the focus entirely. It asks: How strong can you become? How far can you walk? How many push-ups can you do today that you couldn’t do last mo...

Stuck in Your Fitness Routine? Three Questions Experts Say You Should Ask First

20Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Muscle Building & Strength Training

Stuck in Your Fitness Routine? Three Questions Experts Say You Should Ask First

At some point in nearly every fitness journey, a simple but difficult question appears: What’s next? You’ve started exercising. You’ve pushed through the early soreness. Maybe you’ve even seen some results. Then progress slows, motivation dips, or a nagging pain creeps in—and suddenly the path forward feels unclear. Fitness professionals say the solution isn’t always a new workout plan or a tougher routine. Often, the answer begins with asking the right questions. Setting a fitness goal can be surprisingly complicated. For some people, the aim is straightforward: lose fat, gain muscle, or prepare for a sporting event. For others—especially those balancing desk jobs, long commutes, and digital-heavy routines—the goal may simply be to feel healthier and more energetic. Yet the mo...

When Hunger Isn’t Really Hunger: The Hidden Triggers Behind Stress Eating

20Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Nutrition & Meal Planning

When Hunger Isn’t Really Hunger: The Hidden Triggers Behind Stress Eating

Late at night, the kitchen light comes on. The day has been long—emails unanswered, deadlines looming, family obligations piling up. Without much thought, the freezer door opens and a tub of ice cream appears. For many people, stress eating begins exactly like this: quietly, automatically, and often without real hunger. Health experts say emotional eating is one of the most common coping habits in modern life. Yet the real challenge isn’t simply avoiding food during stressful moments. It’s learning how to break a cycle that links emotions, cravings, and comfort foods. At its core, stress eating happens when food becomes a shortcut to relief. The brain releases dopamine—a chemical linked to pleasure—when we eat, particularly sugary or high-fat foods. That temporary lift in moo...

How a Father and Daughter Conquered Marathons Against All Odds

16Apr

By AmaNo Comments

Personal Stories & Opinion

How a Father and Daughter Conquered Marathons Against All Odds

When Laura Frederick looks at a marathon starting line, she doesn’t see 42.2 kilometers of grueling pavement or the potential for physical exhaustion. She simply sees a finish line she hasn’t reached yet. For Laura, who lives with significant intellectual disabilities, and her father Les, a 64-year-old accountant who had never run a race, the word "impossible" isn't a barrier—it’s a foreign concept. From Telephone Poles to Marathons The journey of this Seattle-based duo began with a simple question. After years of watching the Seafair Torchlight Parade Run on television, Laura asked her father if she could join. While many would have cited her need for 24-hour care or Les’s age as definitive deal-breakers, Les chose a different path. He didn't promise a marathon; he promised a pr...