Health Specialist » Exercise

Walking For Health And Friendship

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Many studies show that walking is good for your health, but sometimes it helps to get out of the “around the block” rut and into something more challenging and fun.

Long-distance walking events help get you in shape–and if you walk for a good cause, your stroll can raise funds for groups that need it. An added bonus Walking as part of a team can increase the enjoyment, keep you focused and build great friendships.

But what is a walking team? In the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, teams include two people or dozens-women and men, neighbors, colleagues, family, spouses or new acquaintances, from the same town or across the country-who share a commitment to taking personal steps literally in the fight against breast cancer.

One team that takes humor in stride is the “Back of the Pack Walkers.” It consists of nearly 10 women who come together each year for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. They walk in memory of a friend, Robyn Cain, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2004. Team Captain Candi Hoffman says that “after spending so much time together, training and at the Walk, I consider the girls on my team to be some of my closest friends.”

“Team Maureen” is a fixture at the Avon Walk Chicago, with team members participating as walkers, volunteers and cheerleaders, all in bright green shirts. According to Donna Lahey, “Team Maureen” Walker Captain, the 2006 team has 64 members from age 1 to 81. The team is named for Maureen Buescher, who died of breast cancer in 2002. It includes family and friends who walk for their own health and the health of all women.

Mike McElduff has put a unique spin on the team concept by leading “Team Peggy’s Spirit,” named for his mother, at all eight Avon Walk events across the country from April to October. “Peggy’s Spirit” includes McElduff’s siblings, friends and solo walkers who are seeking camaraderie as they tackle the long walk.

The Differences Between Anaerobic and Aerobic Workouts

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Although the two types of exercise–anaerobic and aerobic–sound similar, they are actually quite different–and the controversy over which type of exercise is best continues.

Aerobic literally means in the presence of oxygen. In general, any activity that allows oxygen to release energy through metabolism and that is performed at a low to moderate intensity for more than 90 seconds is usually considered to be an aerobic activity. Because aerobic exercise increases your need for oxygen and requires your heart and lungs to work harder, the benefits of aerobic activity include increased cardiovascular capability and a decrease in body fat. The disadvantages of aerobic activity include a decrease in muscle mass, strength, power, speed and anaerobic capacity. Aerobic exercise is typically longer in duration than anaerobic exercise and involves such activities as running, walking, swimming and cycling.

On the other hand, anaerobic means in the absence of oxygen–any activity where energy is produced without oxygen and is performed at a medium to high intensity level for less than two minutes, is usually called an anaerobic activity. Anaerobic exercise is exercise that has a lower impact on your cardiovascular system and generally lasts for shorter periods of time than aerobic exercise. Although anaerobic activity requires an aerobic foundation, it provides the benefits of a decrease in body fat, an increase in muscle mass as well as improved strength, power and speed. Examples of anaerobic exercise include such activities as weight lifting and sprints.

So, which type of exercise is best? The answer is that to achieve optimum physical fitness, you must train to improve your performance in both aerobic and anaerobic abilities and not focus your performance on one type of exercise at the expense of all others. In other words, fitness is a compromise.

However, many people fail to realize that by focusing exclusively on prolonged aerobic or anaerobic training that they may be actually decreasing their overall fitness level. The best solution is to combine both types of training at varying levels of intensity and duration. For example, you can periodically switch from high intensity, short duration to medium intensity, medium duration and low intensity, long duration workouts.
The truth is that unless you are training to be an endurance athlete, there is no need to train like one and that most activities encountered in sport, work and life are a combination of aerobic and anaerobic movements flowing in a seamless continuum.

Does spot reduction work for abs or doesnt?

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Burning fat from the abdomen through exercises specially destined to the abdominal muscles was, is and will always be one of the most resistant myths.

Almost all the people with a big belly take up, with a lot of determination, sit-ups, crunches, side-bends, twists, etc., hoping that every new series or set of exercises, every session of repeating them, will help them get rid of the ‘ring’ of adipose tissue around their waist, also called ‘the ring of death’.

Besides the fact that it is probably the most anesthetic ‘deposit’ of adipose tissue, abdominal fat involves many risks for the health of the person which possesses it related to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, impotence, etc..

We must keep in mind, once and for all, that when we refer to the melting of the subcutaneous adipose tissue, there is no spot reduction. No matter how much we strive to locate effort in the areas we are focused on, we will only fortify the muscles under the fat, but the reduction of the fat itself will be insignificant. The explanation is simple and is connected to the energetic support of the anaerobic effort, which uses, for the exercises, muscular and hepatic glycogen, and not fat acids from the adipose tissue. For getting to the deposits of fat, what we need is cardio training running, biking, fast walking, swimming, etc..This type of exercises must be maintained for a long time 45-60 minutes and they must be intense 60-70 from the maximum of heart rhythm.

An alternative is cardio training with periods when intensity varies, although the total volume is not smaller than in the case of uniformly cardio training.

A very important role in burning fat is held by the diet. It is said that the most effective of training can be sabotaged in the kitchen.

The nutritionists say that a diet which maintains caloric deficit, but keeps a balanced proportion of the basic principles proteins, lipids, blood sugar, with a slight increase of the protein part, will always have as a consequence losing weight. Physical exercises like sit-ups, crunches, etc., without other exercises meant to involve bigger groups of muscles thighs, chest, back and to fortify the abdominal muscles, do not increase very much the basic metabolic rate.

As a consequence, indirect burning of calories during breaks, post-training is very small in comparison with the burning due to aerobic effort especially the ones with alternative periods in their case, during effort taking more than 20 minutes, the energetic support is exactly the adipose tissue.

The magic formula for burning abdominal fat is a combination of hypo caloric diet and exercise especially aerobic, but also anaerobic focused on all the body, not only the abdominal muscles.

Exercise Take The Burn Out Of It!

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Move it throughout the day! Get enough activity that makes you breathe a little harder. Five minutes here, ten there – add it up and go for thirty minutes a day. You don’t have to suit up or climb on an exercise machine to get the benefits of activity.

Balance your activity so that you’re still able to talk while you’re exercising, but not as easily as you could sitting down or just standing. If you find yourself unable to talk, you’re probably overworking yourself.

The more you move and use your muscles, the better fit you’ll become. Your bones will become stronger, too.

Don’t forget the stretching. It will help keep you flexible and able to move more easily. Do walk around a bit to warm up your musclessave the stretching for the end of your workout so you dont hurt or damage any muscles. If you save your stretching to the end of your workout, your muscles will be warmed up already and youll find that your flexibility is increased with each stretch!

Work on your balance. Begin by standing on one foot, bracing yourself with one arm. Work towards standing on one foot at a time without holding on to a support. Just practice this for a few minutes at a time. You’ll find your overall balance improving greatly.

If your main occupation has been couch potato for several months, you’ll want to start exercising gradually. Little by little build up your activities and how hard you work at them. Before long, you’ll find yourself moving along with more energy and vitality!

You hear personal trainers emphasizing this mantra to their clients, “Breathe! Breathe!” For some strange reason, we tend to hold our breath when exercising. What you want to get into the habit of is breathing out while your muscle is working, and breathing in when it relaxes. So as you’re lifting something, breathe out as you lift; breathe in when you stop. At first, you’ll need to remind yourself of this frequently.

Drink plenty of water when you’re doing activities that make you sweat so you dont risk dehydration. Dehydration can be measured by pinching the skin on the back of your handif you can grab it when you make a fist and it the skin stays up, youre dehydrated. You may also feel dizzy, tired, and be more prone to headaches. So stay hydrated!

Exercise shouldn’t cause you pain. You may feel tired after exercising, but if you’re actually hurting, something’s wrongyouve overdone it. Try easing up the next day, and not doing anything that strains the aching muscle too much. Alternate cold and heat on the aching area, and if your doctor okays it, take ibuprofen or naproxen sodium to relieve the pain.

Baby Boomers Sports And Gym Injury Risksavoid Over 40s Exercise Injuries

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Due to health care education, more people, who are over forty, those born in 1946 to 1964, commonly known as the baby boomers, are realizing the benefits of taking up sports or exercising in a gym.

This is well and good since exercising regularly severely cut the risks of contracting aging and obesity related potentially killer diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, stroke, some forms of cancers and many other diseases.

It is indeed heartening to know that more baby boomers are taking charge of their health through regularly exercise to improve their cardiovascular health thus becoming fitter and stronger. However, with more middle aged people exercising and playing some form of sports, instances of injuries sustained from these activities have risen substantially.

In the United States, these gym or sports injuries have become the number 2 reason for people visiting the doctors office just behind the common cold, reported by the National Ambulatory Medical Care in 2003.

A Consumer Product Safety Commission research in 1998 found that sports related injuries to baby boomers had risen by 33 percent since 1991 and contributed to US18.7 billion in medical costs.

Outdoor sports such as tennis, jogging and golf are very popular with people over forties. Not to be outdone, the more body conscious over forties baby boomers are also joining gym memberships in the multitudes.

Gyms all over the developed world are happily reporting booming new memberships year after year with a large pool of their members being the over forty baby boomers brigade, male or female baby boomers irrespective.

As baby boomers get older, their susceptibility to sports injuries rise proportionately. As people age, their body degenerate along with the aging process, although exercising regularly is known to slow down this very degeneration process.

This is particularly so for the risky weekend warriors who take to the running tracks or lifting weights to build their body with gusto during the weekend putting their aging bodies and joints to sudden busts of unaccustomed stressful activities, causing damages to their own bodies unknowingly.

What are the common baby boomers sports injuries? How to avoid them?

Shoulder injuries Common for those playing squash, tennis, badminton and lifting weights in the gym using wrong form and techniques.

Elbow injuries People who play racket games and bodybuilders.

Back injuries A very common occurrence in the gym amongst baby boomer bodybuilder wannabes. Also a common injury for golfers who often have to swing their spine.

Knee injuries For baby boomers who participate in sports with sudden movements and changes of directions such as squash and soccer.

Ankle injuries – Usually striking the runners and joggers of long distances.

How to avoid the risks of sports injuries for the over forties?

This is largely common sense which most people know but few do it regularly as part of their exercise routine in so doing, risking injuries which can be avoided.

Thorough warm of the muscles and joints which will be involved in the exercise or sport.

Stretching adequately and correctly. Many people stretch in the wrong manner which then may cause even more injuries.

Take the exercises or sports one step at a time, then as endurance and strength build up over time, you can then increase the intensity of the sport or the exercise.

Exercise regularly. Not just over the weekend. Your body may not be able to cope with the sudden outburst each weekend.

Hire a sports personal trainer who can tailor an exercise program suitable to your health condition and guide you safely through the exercises.

So baby boomers, dont become a victim of your exercises. You want to be fit and healthy, not suffering from pain and despair from what could have been an enjoyable game of healthy sporting activity. Over 40s sports injuries can be avoided.

Proper Etiquette when in the Gym

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Most people who go to the gym to work out on a regular basis have had the experience of witnessing that one occasional big, burly, clumsy, noisy jerk that has absolutely no manners at all. This person will clang weights while exercising, drop weights on the floor then leave them there for someone else to put away and disregard the fact that anyone else is in the gym. In other words, this person has no courtesy for anyone who might be there.

Most of us however would not want to be the person described above. Most people just want to go and get in a good workout without being a nuisance to anyone, and then go about their business afterwards. Here are some things to remember when you go to the gym to insure that you are exercising the proper conduct that will make your gym time more pleasurable.

1 Dress properly when you are at the gym you are there to exercise, nothing more. Overly reveling or offensive clothing should not be worn. Women should wear outfits that do not portray a swimsuit photo session and men should always wear at least proper length shorts and a tank top. Some people may not want to see that much of you.

2 Do not monopolize exercise machines try not to spend too much time on any one machine or piece of equipment. Remember that you are not the only one there and others may be waiting to use the equipment too.

3 Clean off any sweat always bring a towel with you and when you are finished with each piece of equipment, wipe it down. It only takes a few seconds to do and it is basic hygiene and courtesy. Would you want to get on equipment with someone elses sweat on it?

4 Put away what you use when you use free weights, an exercise ball, a medicine ball or any such equipment, always put them back in their proper storage place. Re-rack dumbbells, re-stack weight plates, put barbells away, place exercise balls and medicine balls in their holders or at least out of the way. Random equipment lying around can pose a safety hazard to others plus you would be leaving it up to someone else to put up your stuff.

5 Do not use your cell phone or sing out loud if you bring a set of earphones with you, avoid singing any songs so others can hear you. You are not auditioning for American Idle, and there are other people there who may not think you sound like who you are trying to sing to. Cell phones can be distracting also so leave them in the locker room or in the car.

6 Do not grunt loudly or yell when lifting weights it is easy to keep grunting noises to a minimum and yelling is not necessary at all. Loud grunting or yelling is rude and only serves to distract others, and no one is impressed by it either.

7 Avoid too much socializing it is fine to make friends in the gym, but try not to spend too much time talking. There are some gym members who are not looking to converse with anyone. Too much socializing can distract and disrupt other peoples workouts.

The general rule of thumb when in the gym is simply this; use common sense and remember that a little courtesy goes a long way. Think about how you would like to be treated and how you would feel about having to put someone elses equipment away and how you feel when that rude, inconsiderate jerk is making enough noise to wake the dead right next to where you are exercising.

Are Treadmills the Perfect Piece Of Exercise Equipment

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:15:00 +0000

Oh treadmill, how I love thee. I can always depend on my treadmill to achieve weight loss and muscle tone. I have had a couple of different treadmills through the years and I have always been able to attain my goals with this outstanding piece of equipment. I have gone from a dedicated runner, to couch potato, to overweight and back and the only variable that did not work all the time was me!

There is a reason the first piece of equipment you see on Biggest Loser is a treadmill, or why there is a line at the gym waiting for this coveted piece of equipment. They work! The act of running itself is fantastic, but with running you have many variables, i.e. rain, potholes, stranger danger, and the occasional scary animal. Many people associate running with injuries and joint issues, and unfortunately this can be true of running outside due to the high impact on your joints and muscles. With a treadmill, you are able to take all of those variables away, and still have the purest form of cardiovascular exercise in your own home. Running on a treadmill allows you to control your environment with cushioned and flat running surface. Treadmills also are able to accommodate any fitness level from the first day you begin, to training for a 5k. There is no learning curve involved at any time with exercising on a treadmill. That fact alone makes this a perfect machine. Many people will get frustrated quickly with a piece of equipment they are uncomfortable or unable to use. On a treadmill, all you must do is walk and you are working out. No need for a trainer, instructions, or nerves.

In my personal experience, I have become to depend on my treadmill almost as much as my Doctor. I am able to lower my blood pressure, heighten my lung capacity, tone and build muscles, lose weight, and motivate myself to move.

Make an investment in yourself

When you are ready to make this wise investment, there are a few pointers to consider when purchasing a treadmill. It is always a good idea to talk to a friend or relative about their treadmill, and what they like and dont about the features they have on their home or commercial equipment. Also, go to several gyms and fitness stores and actually walk or run on several of the treadmills available to get a true feel for the structure and performance of each piece of equipment. Listed below are the top 10 questions you need to ask yourself and a sales person prior to choosing the perfect treadmill for you.

1. What Kind of Weight capacity does the treadmill offer?
2. What type of features are you interested in for your workouts? Are you interested in a heart rate monitor? Do you need different workout programs to vary your workouts?
3. What kind of space are you willing to allot for storage? Do you need to be able to fold the equipment, or can you have a traditional style.
4. What is the speed on the treadmill? How fast and slow does the machine move, and what is the speed that you require?
5. What type of warranty does the treadmill offer, and what type of ongoing maintenance does it need?
6. What is the continuous duty of the treadmill? You really need to look for a 1.5 to 2.5 HP to insure you are getting a solid motor.
7. What price are you willing to pay for a treadmill?
8. Noise, do you need a quite model due to children in home, or a sleeping spouse? Do you want to hear a TV over the sound of the treadmill? DC motors are usually the more quite option.
9. Are you comfortable with the length and width of the treadmill? Can you move your arms freely, and is the deck long enough to accommodate your stride?
10. Is there a safety key, or an emergency shut off? If you have children this is an important option to have available.

All of these questions, if answered correctly by you and your salesperson, will begin a beautiful relationship with the right treadmill.

Start a Weight Training Exercise Program Today

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:14:00 +0000

Although there are many sites that claim that they will show you weight training exercises online, in reality this is not the way to go.

If you want to start a weight training exercise program, you really need to be working with someone else. There are many options available. You can go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get one of those machines, but if you do not do your weight training exercise with proper safety precautions, it is quite possible for you to get seriously injured.

I recommend doing your weight training exercise at the gym. There are several good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and tell you some of the very best ones. First of all, you can get a spot at the gym. Of all of the weight training exercise injuries, most of them could have been avoided with a proper spotter. This is especially true with free weights which can injure or even kill you if you are forced to drop them based on muscle fatigue. This is the most important reason to go to the gym, but it is really far from the only one. The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for your weight training exercise when you do go to the gym. With all of those people around you dedicating their time to getting in shape, there is just no way you will feel like slacking off in your weight training program while you are at the gym. Many gyms even have personal trainers available, who will help you to meet your personal best, by working you harder than you will yourself, and helping to chart your goals. They can even suggest which weight training exercises you should use and how many, to strengthen the muscle groups which interest you.

Before you start doing weight training exercise, however, you should do some cardiovascular stuff. While you can get by quite well without weight training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to your health. You will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and even have more energy if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep you active. We do not stay young forever, but those of us who get adequate aerobic exercises do stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you start doing that, then you can add your weight training exercise program.

Pedometers The Magic Pill for Better Health

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:14:00 +0000

If there were a pill you could take that could help you lose weight,
get in better shape, and live a longer, healthier life, wouldn’t you
want to know about it?

The good news is, there is such a pill, and it doesn’t require a
prescription, nor is it available over the counter. It’s a simple step
counter, or pedometer, and it has powers you would not believe to
improve your health and wellness, lose weight, and live longer.

What’s a pedometer? It’s a simple electronic device you wear on
your waistband that counts steps. Technically, a pedometer
calculates distance, as opposed to a step counter, which only
counts steps. The pedometer still counts steps, and uses a user-
input stride length to calculate the distance. Other pedometers
show calories burned, elapsed exercise time, steps per minute, and
on and on. All you really need is something that accurately counts
steps. Other features can be nice, but many are not necessary.

Why is it important to count steps? It’s a primary indication of the
activity you are engaged in during the day. Studies have shown that
you don’t need to dedicate a specific time to exercise, per se, but
smaller bouts of activity can have the same effect as one longer,
extended period.

That means that making small changes in your daily routine can have
tremendous effects on your health. Park farther from the store, take
the stairs instead of the elevator, pace while you’re on the phone,
walk with the dog instead of just letting her go, and go down the hall
instead of sending an e-mail or picking up the phone.

By taking more steps-essentially increasing your daily activity and
burning more calories-you are becoming more physically active.
The American Medical Association says that by increasing your
activity level, you will

Increase stamina
Stimulate weight loss
Lower blood cholesterol
Lower blood pressure
Improve self image
Improve mood
Enhance quality of life

As if that weren’t enough, the AMA says you will also

Sleep better
Strengthen your heart and lungs
Decrease stress
Increase energy
Maintain appropriate weight
Lower triglycerides
Control blood sugar levelsdiabetes
Feel better
Reduce feelings of depression and anxiety
Improve productivity
Build an maintain healthy bones, muscles and joints
Increase muscle tone
Reduce risk if dying prematurely

If any of these benefits are important to you, it’s vital that you begin
to move more. The American College of Sports Medicine
traditionally prescribes the following as the appropriate level of
activity in order to get these benefits

Frequency 3 – 5 days per week
Intensity 60 to 90 of maximal heart rate
Duration 20 – 60 minutes

If you can’t take 30 minutes to exercise, try three 10-minute walking
sessions throughout the day. Walk briskly to get the maximum
benefit. If you have been sedentary, check with a doctor and start
slow.

Your new life begins today, and it will be a healthier, longer, and
happier life!

5 Components of Physical Fitness

Health Specialist — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:13:00 +0000

Physical fitness is the ability to function effectively throughout your workday, perform your usual other activities and still have enough energy left over to handle any extra stresses or emergencies which may arise.

The components of physical fitness are

Cardiorespiratory CR endurance – the efficiency with which the body delivers oxygen and nutrients needed for muscular activity and transports waste products from the cells.

Muscular strength – the greatest amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single effort.

Muscular endurance – the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated movements with a sub-maximal force for extended periods of times.

Flexibility – the ability to move the joints or any group of joints through an entire, normal range of motion.

Body composition – the percentage of body fat a person has in comparison to his or her total body mass.

Improving the first three components of fitness listed above will have a positive impact on body composition and will result in less fat. Excessive body fat detracts from the other fitness components, reduces performance, detracts from appearance, and negatively affects your health.

Factors such as speed, agility, muscle power, eye-hand coordination, and eye-foot coordination are classified as components of “motor” fitness. These factors most affect your athletic ability. Appropriate training can improve these factors within the limits of your potential. A sensible weight loss and fitness program seeks to improve or maintain all the components of physical and motor fitness through sound, progressive, mission specific physical training.

Principles of Exercise

Adherence to certain basic exercise principles is important for developing an effective program. The same principles of exercise apply to everyone at all levels of physical training, from the Olympic-caliber athlete to the weekend jogger.

These basic principles of exercise must be followed.

Regularity

To achieve a training effect, you must exercise often. You should exercise each of the first four fitness components at least three times a week. Infrequent exercise can do more harm than good. Regularity is also important in resting, sleeping, and following a sensible diet.

Progression

The intensity how hard andor duration how long of exercise must gradually increase to improve the level of fitness.

Balance

To be effective, a program should include activities that address all the fitness components, since overemphasizing any one of them may hurt the others.

Variety

Providing a variety of activities reduces boredom and increases motivation and progress.

Specificity

Training must be geared toward specific goals. For example, people become better runners if their training emphasizes running. Although swimming is great exercise, it does not improve a 2-mile-run time as much as a running program does.

Recovery

A hard day of training for a given component of fitness should be followed by an easier training day or rest day for that component andor muscle groups to help permit recovery. Another way to allow recovery is to alternate the muscle groups exercised every other day, especially when training for strength andor muscle endurance.

Overload

The work load of each exercise session must exceed the normal demands placed on the body in order to bring about a training effect.