Monday, August 21, 2006

Choosing The Right Exercise For You

The type of exercise you do all depends on you and what you like to do. What you hate doing, paying membership fees, and whether or not to buy equipment are all things you need to consider as well as answer.

If you choose something that you don't like to do, you aren't going to keep doing it for a long period of time. Give it some thought - if you don't like jogging, you aren't going to get up at 6 AM and go running. If you can't find something you like to do, choose something you hate the least, which will normally be walking.

Walking is great exercise, as it suits all levels of fitness. Anyone can start a walking program at any time, it's normally the intensity and duration that differs. Walking is also a social exercise, as it isn't difficult to find a training partner
to chat with while you exercise. Walking with a partner will also make time go by faster.

No matter what exercise you choose, you should start at a low level of intensity and build it up over a period of weeks, which is essential to the longevity of your exercise program. If you start off too hard, you could end up with an injury
which will require time off to get over.

If you are really in bad shape, you should start off by walking for 10 minutes each day. Then, increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. To make things more interesting, you should try walking a different course every few days. You can also
roster a different friend to walk with you each day of the week.

If walking isn't your thing, then you may want to try a fitness center. They have loads of variety and normally have trainers on hand to answer any questions you may have. When you choose a fitness center, make sure that they give good service.

If they aren't willing to treat you well before you join, then they certainly won't after you join. You should also make sure that the equipment they use is well taken care of. It's easy to find out, as all you have to do is listen to the machines. If they squeak a lot or make noise, then chances are they aren't being taken care of.

If you still aren't sure what you should do, then you should look into golf or tennis. Both are good social activities in most areas, and you can even meet new friends. Tennis is great for fitness although it isn't for someone who is just starting out. If you haven't exercised in a long time, then golf may be the best activity for you.

Alcohol And Exercise

On Friday afternoon after you leave work, you probably think about going out and having a few drinks with friends to relax and wind down. Even though you may think you deserve to go out and have a few drinks, there are some things that you should certainly keep in mind.

Like any other day, tomorrow is going to be a day for exercise, and since you are exercising on a regular basis, a few drinks of alcohol won't really hurt anything, right? Before you decide to rush out to the local bar, there are a few things below that you should think about before you make your choice about going out to drink some alcohol.

Research has proven that even small amounts of alcohol with increase muscular endurance and the output of strength, although these types of benefits are very short lived. After 20 minutes or so, the problems will begin to surface. All of the negative side effects associated with alcohol will easily outweigh any possible benefits that it can have. No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a poison
that can really harm your body if you aren't careful.

The negative side of alcohol can reduce your strength, endurance, aerobic capability, recovery time, ability to metabolize fat, and even your muscle growth as well. Alcohol will also have an effect on your nervous system and brain. If you
use it long term, you can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system. Even with short term use, nerve muscle interaction can be reduced which will result in a loss of strength.

Once alcohol reaches the blood cells, it can and probably will damage them. With alcohol users, inflammation of the muscle cells is a very common thing. Over periods of time, some of these cells that have been damaged can die which will result
in less functional muscle contractions. Drinking alcohol will also leave you with more soreness of your muscles after you exercise, which means that it will take you a lot longer to recuperate.

Alcohol will also have many different effects on your heart and circulatory system as well. When you drink any type of alcohol, you may begin to see a reduction in your endurance capabilities. Anytime you drink, your heat loss will increase,
due to the alcohol simulating your blood vessels to dilate. The loss in heat can cause your muscles to become quite cold, therefore become slower and weaker during your muscle contractions.

Drinking alcohol can also lead to digestive and nutrition problems as well. Alcohol cause a release of insulin that will increase the metabolism of glycogen, which spares fat and makes the loss of fat very hard. Due to alcohol interfering with the absorption of several key nutrients, you can also become anemic and deficient with B type vitamins.

Because your liver is the organ that detoxifies alcohol, the more you drink, the harder your liver has to work. The extra stress alcohol places on your liver can cause serious damage and even destroy some of your liver cells.

Since alcohol is diuretic, drinking large amounts can put a lot of stress on your kidneys as well. During diuretic action, the hormones are secreted. This can lead to heightened water retention and no one who exercises will want this to happen.

If you must drink alcohol, you should do it in moderation and never drink before you exercise, as this will impair your balance, coordination, and also your judgement. Think about your health and how you exercise - and you may begin to look at things from a whole new prospective.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

Eating And Exercise

Anytime you exercise, you do so in order to try and maintain good health. You also know that you have to eat as well, so your body will have the energy it needs to exercise and maintain for the everyday tasks of life. For making the best of your exercise, what you eat before and after you workout is very important.

No matter if you are going to be doing a cardio workout or a resistance workout, you should always make it a point to eat a balanced mix of protein and carbohydrates. What makes that determining percentage of carbs and protein you consume is whether or not you are doing cardio or resistance exercise and the intensity level that you plan to work at.

The ideal time for you to eat your pre workout meal is an hour before you start. If you plan to work at a low intensity level, you should keep your pre workout meal down to 200 calories or so. If you plan to exercise at a high level of intensity, you will probably need your meal to be between 4,000 and 5,000 calories.

Those of you who are doing a cardio session will need to consume a mix of 2/3 carbs and 1/3 protein. Doing so will give you longer sustained energy from the extra carbs with enough protein to keep your muscle from breaking down while you exercise.

For resistance exercise, you'll need to eat a mix of 1/3 carbs and 2/3 protein, as this will help you get plenty of energy from the carbs to perform each set you do and the extra protein will help keep muscle breakdown to a minimum while you
exercise.

Eating after you exercise is just as important as your pre workout meal. Anytime you exercise, whether its cardio or resistance, you deplete energy in the form of glycogen. The brain and central nervous system rely on glycogen as their main
source of fuel, so if you don't replace it after you exercise, your body will begin to break down muscle tissue into amino acids, and then convert them into usable fuel for the brain and the central nervous system.

Keep in mind that mostly during resistance exercise, you'll break down muscle tissue by creating micro tears. What this means, is that after a workout, your muscles will instantly go into repair mode. Protein is the key here for muscle repair, as you don't want muscle breaking down even further to create fuel instead of
lost glycogen.

Once you have finished a cardio session, you'll need to consume mainly carbohydrates, preferably those with high fiber. Rice, oatmeal, whole wheat
pasta, and northern fruits are excellent sources. Also, try to consume 30 - 50 grams of there types of carbs after you exercise. After your cardio workout, it is fine to eat within 5 - 10 minutes.

Once you've finished a resistance workout, you will need to consume a combination of carbs and protein. Unlike cardio workouts, resistance workouts will break down muscle tissue by creating micro tears.

You'll need protein as this happens to build up and repair these tears so that the muscle can increase in size and strength. The carbs will not only replace the lost muscle glycogen, but will also help the protein get into muscle cells so it can synthesize into structural protein, or the muscle itself.

After your resistance exercise, you should wait up to 30 minutes before you eat, so that you won't take blood away from your muscles too fast. The blood in your muscles will help the repair process by removing the metabolic waste products.

Cardio Exercise

Everyone has wondered at some point in time which cardio exercise is better. To put it in simple terms, both low and high intensity exercises will help you to burn off body fat. The question here is which is the most effective to burn off more body fat.

When scientists first discovered that during intensive exercises, your body burns glycogen, which is a form of stored carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscles for energy. During low intensity exercises, your body will burn a lot of
fat.

If your wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese people still around. Even though they are working out with low intensity routines, it still makes you wonder how it can be.

The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity exercises like walking or swimming. During a high intensity exercise such as running, the body will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are still many fat calories burned as well.

To put the icing on the cake, when your store of glycogen gets low, the carbohydrates from your food you eat will later get converted into glycogen to fill up the store and won't be converted to body fat when they are left unused for energy.

High intensity cardio exercise will juice up your metabolism even after you have completed your workout. What this means, is that your body will continue to burn body fat hours after you have left the gym. This effect is nearly non existent in low intensity cardio or aerobic workout.

Accumulatively, your body will burn up more and more calories during and after you have finished a high intensity cardio exercise that it will with low intensity.

You can inject high intensity exercises into your cardio workout by introducing some interval training. You can walk for 5 minutes or so, then break into some jogging for another 5 minutes or so. Then, walk briskly again until you have caught your breath and then sprint for a minute before you walk again. From this point, simply
alternate your running and walking for the next 15 minutes until you are finished.

One of the best things about cardio is the more you do it, the more energy you'll have. Cardio will help you to burn calories, although its more useful for keeping your energy levels high.

If you've never tried cardio before, you should give it a shot. If you like to exercise, you'll find cardio the best way to boost your energy and keep in top shape. If you are just starting out, you'll want to go slow and keep your cardio exercise in track - as it is very easy to over exert yourself.

Exercise For Diabetics

The most common types of diabetes are known as Type 1 and Type 2. The Type 1 diabetes, which is also known as adolescent diabetes, differs from Type 2 in the sense that the body will stop producing insulin altogether. Type 2 diabetes is normally diagnosed in older adults and occurs as the body stops producing enough insulin or the individual becomes resistant to their own body insulin.

No matter what form of diabetes it is, you'll lose your ability to adequately utilize sugar. The blood sugar levels will increase due to the body's difficulty in transporting sugar into the cells and out of the blood stream. There are several ways to lower your blood sugar levels, including diet, exercise, and medication.

As a whole, exercise is a very important part of diabetic management for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. Those that have Type 1 will find regular exercise helps to maintain insulin sensitivity, helps to prevent the accumulation of excess weight,
and also increases the use of glucose by muscles. Although there is really no way to prevent Type 1 diabetes, it is possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

The things to consider when you attempt to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes are regular exercise supplementation with vitamins and herbs that will help to prevent insulin resistance and proper control of weight.

Not only with exercise help directly with diabetic management by lowering blood sugar levels and maintaining insulin sensitivity, but it will also help minimize several of the complications that can occur in a diabetic individual. Research has
shown that walking 30 minutes each day can diminish the possibility of developing Type 2 diabetes.

Almost all diabetics tend to develop circulatory problems and exercise can help lower blood pressure and improve circulation throughout the body. Seeing as how people with diabetes tend to have poor blood flow to their lower areas and feet, better circulation is a great benefit.

Even though there are risks associated with exercise, the potential benefits will outweigh the risks. Exercise does indeed lower blood sugar levels, so those with diabetes should measure their blood sugar both before and after they exercise. Since your body uses more sugar while you exercise and makes you more sensitive to
insulin, there is a risk of blood sugar becoming too low and causing hypoglycemia as a result.

Whenever you exercise, it is important to let others know that you are diabetic. They should also be informed about what they should do in case of hypoglycemia. To be on the safe side, you should always carry candy or fruit juice with you to treat low blood sugar when it occurs.

During and after you have exercised, you should pay very close attention about how you feel, since rapid heart beat, increased sweating, feeling shaky, or hunger can signal that your blood sugar levels are getting too low.

With diabetic management and treatment, exercise is very important. Exercise will help with blood sugar control when the muscles use more glucose and the body becomes more sensitive to insulin. Exercise will also help to prevent and minimize
common diabetic complications which include heart problems, high blood pressure, and circulatory deficiencies.

If you are a diabetic, exercise should be part of your daily routine. You should always exercise at a slow pace and never overdo it. Also, you should be sure to exercise around people you know or at a gym, so there will always be people around
you in case something goes wrong. Being a diabetic doesn't have to hinder your life or your performance, as exercise can help you get your life back on track and heading in the right direction - the healthy direction.

Exercise Back Pain Away

According to past research and studies, nearly 80% of all Americans will experience some type of back pain in their lives. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons believes this as well, as they say 80% of us out there will encounter some type of problem with our back before we die.

Traditionally, the treatment for lower back pain is increasing core strength to increase flexibility on muscles that are tight, which will provide better stabilization of the spine and exercises to correct the imbalances of the muscles. The muscles that surround the spine will provide stability and support of the spinal column.

Every muscle between the hips and shoulders are included as well, as these muscles are referred to as the core muscles. Back pain can be a result of muscle imbalances caused by any of these core muscles. If the back of your thighs are weaker than the front of your thighs, there will be an uneven pull on the front of your spinal column.

There are some effective ways that you can integrate core strength training exercises into all of the exercises you perform, rather than doing just the traditional crunches and sit-ups. One such way is by breathing effectively. Deep breathing will utilize your diaphragm muscles which will help support the spinal column and lengthen the spine, which is great for your lower back and supporting
you when you walk or run.

The tummy tuck and bridge lift can also help you to reduce back pain and strengthen the core muscles as well. The tummy tuck exercise is a simple pelvic tilt that draws the abdominal muscles away from the floor. Do perform a tummy tuck, simply lie face down on the floor and squeeze your glutes to strengthen your spine.

Instead of pressing into your thighs, you should instead reach your tailbone down towards your heels. Perform 15 reps of each exercise and alternate them until you have completed a couple of sets.

For the bridge, place your feet on a bench or on the floor and scoop your pelvis upward, as your rib cage should stay low to reduce any irritation to your spinal muscles. The bridge will help to relieve stress on your back and focus the muscle
contractions into the glutes and the hamstrings.

Other exercises for lower back pain are the lumbar side stretch, hip flexor stretch, and calf stretches, as all three can help to alleviate pull on your spinal column.

Hip flexor stretch

When doing a hip flexor stretch, bring one foot forward in a bent knee, 90 degree angle, while your other leg is on the floor behind you with your foot pointed upwards toward the ceiling. The hip flexor stretch will help to open up the muscles of your back on the side of the spine near your hips. You can also squeeze your glutes as well to deepen the stretch with each breath you exhale. You should begin to feel a stretch in your back leg, in the thigh front and the hamstrings on your front leg.

Lumbar side stretch

This stretch will bring your legs wide with your knees bent while you sit or stand. Simply bring one hand down towards your foot on the inside of the thighs and your other hand behind your head. The last stretch will open up your Achilles tendon,
which is the most distant pull on the spine. For this, place an object under your foot and lean the weight of your body forwards. Maintain a fluid breath while you hold stretches for 30 seconds or so. After a while, you should begin to feel a
stretch behind your knee and shin.

Exercise And Your Complexion

As we all know and hear all the time, exercise can do a body good. It can help you to stay trim, tone muscles, and help to boost energy as well. What you probably don't know, is the fact that exercise can actually help you achieve the complexion that you've always wanted.

It's true that regular exercise will nourish the skin all over the body with fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients. As well, the increased blood flow and circulation that come with working out will help to draw toxins out of the body and improve the condition of all your vital organs, including the epidermis.

A lot of people think that sweat can trigger acne flare ups. The fact is, sweating is great for any type of congested skin, as it helps promote the flushing of impurities from the epidermal layer and will clean out the pores. As well, vigorous
exercise can actually correct the hormonal imbalances that can trigger blemishes, therefore reducing the likelihood of outbreaks.

Any physical routine that you like to do, such as yoga, running, biking, spinning, pilates, boxing, and such, will help to lessen the stress that you encounter on a daily basis and help to prevent stress related acne.

Keep in mind that exercise may not be a miracle cure for everything, as you may still experience breakouts from time to time although your acne will certainly be less severe and last for a much shorter time frame.

Exercise is also great for other skin conditions that may or may not have to do with the presence of acne. Your skin losing its elasticity or becoming thin and less resilient is something that we all encounter. This is a common problem for may of
us as we get older.

As we all get older, we start to lose collagen,which will make us look tired. As many of us don't know, physical activity can actually help to promote the growth of collagen in your skin cells, which will plump up your facial skin and make you look younger and more vibrant.

If you are worried about wrinkles, you should consider relaxation that comes after you exercise. This has the effect of making your muscles, facial muscles included, soften up. What this means, is that your lines will appear less pronounced, helping to contribute to the youthful look that you are trying to achieve.

With exercise you can achieve a smaller waist, better muscle tone, softer skin, fewer blemishes, and an overall younger, more fresher look. If you've wanted to add or change to your complexion, you shouldn't hesitate to exercise. Exercise will help you feel more alive as well as improve your body. All you need to do is take a little bit of time out of your schedule to exercise - its as simple as that.

Exercise And Sleeping Better

The amount of physical exercise that you exert during the day is one of the key ingredients to helping you get a good sleep at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more likely you are to relax at night and fall asleep faster.

With regular exercise you'll notice that your quality of sleep is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. By keeping up your physical activity during the day, you may find it easier to deal with the stress and worries of your life.

Research and studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel afterwards.

You should try and increase your physical activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so that you aren't full of energy at night.

Your body requires a certain amount of physical activity in order to keep unctioning in a healthy manner. It is also important to note that you should not be exercising three or four hours before you go to bed.

The ideal exercise time is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to make sure you expend your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.

You should attempt to exercise at least three or four times a week for a period of 30 minutes or so. You can include walking or something simple. If you prefer, you can include strenuous activities such as running as well.

The goal here is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. By adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will help you to improve your overall health and help you emotionally as well.

Along with running and walking there are several other physical activities that you can add to your daily life to increase your level of physical activity. If you are battling not sleeping, you'll find aerobic exercise to be the best.

Your goal with exercise is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood stream. Overall, there are many types of aerobic exercise for you to choose from. The activities include running, biking, using a treadmill, dancing, and jumping
rope.

There are some non aerobic exercises that you may find beneficial to help you solve your amnesia problem.

Yoga

Yoga is an exercise that has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, especially the brain. Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase the blood circulation to the brain, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. The regular practice of yoga will help you to relax as well as relieve tension and stress.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by the Chinese monks. The movements involved are slow and precise, which is ideal if you have joint pains or you are unable to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi can help with insomnia by promoting relaxation.

If you discover that you don't have any time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to sneak moments of activity into your schedule. Whenever possible, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, as little things like that will do wonders for your body.

You should also park your car around the corner and walk that extra block or two to get to your destination. As you may know, there are many small things you can add to increase the activity in your life. Your overall goal here is to have a healthy and well balanced life - with plenty of sleep.

Exercise And Asthma

If you suffer from asthma, you probably think that you can't exercise properly or safely. Contrary to what many think of this subject, there are ways that you
can get in shape and exercise, even if you suffer from asthma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is marked by characteristics such as coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Asthma tends to occur with people who are genetically or environmentally presdisposed to the condition.

Some of the triggers that may start or make an attack worse include exposure to allergens, viral respiratory infections, airway irritants, exercise, and exposure
to things such as dust mites or cockroaches.

You can prevent asthma attacks by doing the following:
1. Bathe your pets weekly.
2. Don't smoke or permit smoking in your home.
3. When mold or pollent counts are high,you should stay inside with air conditioning.
4. Wash your bedding and any stuffed toys at least once per week in hot water.
5. Wash your hands every chance you get.
6. Get a flu shot.
7. Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in the winter months.
8. Be proactive and know your triggers and how you should avoid them.


Now that you know what you know about asthma, you may be wondering where exercise fits in. As most doctors will tell you, you shouldn't give up on sports or exercise at all. You just have to be smart about how you play and take special pre
cautions to avoid attacks.

Almost all doctors agree that the best way to prevent attacks during exercise is to keep your inhaler and medication close by. You should never use the inhaler more than 3 times during a game or exercise session. If you are up the previous
night with coughing and wheezing, it's always best to go light with your exercise the next day.

For something known as IEA (Exercise Induced Asthma), the symptoms are somewhat different, in the fact that they appear after 6 - 10 minutes of exercise
and will often be worse in cold or dry air.

If you have IEA, there are several activities that you can enjoy such as swimming, walking, biking, downhill skiing, and team based sports. There are many activities for you to choose from, to ensure you get the exercise you need as well.

Keep in mind that the condition of asthma isn't "all in your head", it is a real physiological medical treatment that will require treatment to prevent and treat. Even though your doctor will be your best friend in treating asthma, you are
the one who can prevent your symptoms.

Always be smart, take your medication, and be proactive. Don't let it put you in a life of misery - as you can enjoy exercise just like everyone else.

Exercise And Harm

Anytime you exercise, your brain releases chemicals known as endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria, which is known as "runners high", which is also very
easy to become chemically addicted to.

Without this rush, you'll feel irritable and out of it until you exercise again. Therefore, you'll go on exercising and not listen to what your body is actually telling you - which is to stop.

The main reason addicts will continue to push themselves lies in what will happen when they don't work out. Normally when they are unable to exercise, they will
display signs of depression, anxiety, confusion, and be less happy with themselves.

Aches and pains

Over exercising doesn't only affect the mind, but the body as well. Exercise will initially do what it is intended to do, give you a fit body but once you cross the line however, it can drastic. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, and heart problems will all be waiting in the wings if you continue to overdo it. The body has limits and if you push beyond that limit, you'll do nothing but harm yourself.

Obsessive exercise tends to happen among those who are new to exercise. Therefore, if you are keen to reap the benefits of getting fit, you'll tend to overstep the limits.

The initial signs of over exercise are exhaustion, which can lead to a build up of fatigue. Keep in mind, it isn't only the muscles that are at risk, but the bones as well. Many people who exercise push themselves to the point of injuries such as
shin splints or even stress fractures, then refuse to rest, which causes greater and sometimes even permanent damage.

Even a brisk walk in the morning doesn't come without risk, as walking too much can lead to osteoarthritis. When you walk, you are working against gravity. Even though you are exercising your muscles, you are also harming your knee joints
as well.

Many people who walk up to an hour or more everyday end up with complaints of aches in the knees. The fact is, jogging also harms the knees, and too many sit ups can hurt as well. As with any type of exercise, moderation is the key.

You should always start off gradually, and combine several different types of workouts, which is one thing that obsessive exercisers forget to do. One of the biggest complication factors of people who get addicted to exercise is that they will tend to perform the same workout each and every day, which further increases the risk of permanent damage.

Think right

You should never work out to the point where you feel completely exhausted once you have finished. Your limit with exercise should be 45 minutes to an hour, four or five days a week. When you are finished, your workout should leave you feeling
fresh and energetic. Every week should make it a point to take a day's break - as your body will need to relax and rejuvenate.

The key to achieving this completely lies in your attitude, as exercising is the way to a healthy life. If you do it only to please yourself, you'll defeat the entire purpose when you stand there on the weighing machine.

If you take things one day at a time and don't over do it, you'll be well on your way to a healthy body. Exercising can be a lot of fun and a way to relax, if you don't rush it. Start off slow and gradually work your way up. Before you know it,
you'll know how to prevent injuries before they happen and you'll know exactly what you need to do to remain healthy.