Life Balance - Fitness and Health
The purpose of this site is to help it’s visitors to find balance in their lives and to obtain an overall sense of well-being. This site in itself primarily focuses on one aspect of a person’s overall well-being; the physical/biological aspect.
The information and the variety of products found within this site are meant to help individuals obtain their personal goals of fitness, health, nutrition, strength, energy, weight loss, outlook, concentration, etc... This site has been created with a wide variety of options so that every individual can tailor it to fit their specific goals within their specific budget.
Having and striving for goals in this arena is important, but it is also important to mention that although obtaining your goals in this arena will bring you closer to reaching an overall sense of balance and well-being and may motivate you to take action in other arenas; that in and of itself, will not lead you to an overall and complete sense of well-being. This is because individuals are not made up of only the physical aspect, but also an emotional/psychological, social, spiritual, cognitive/intellectual, and behavioral aspect which all contribute to a person’s overall being.
These 6 aspects/arenas work as a total system, which is defined as a set of interdependent, interrelated parts that make up a whole, and a change in one part causes obligatory change in all other parts. Therefore in order to achieve an overall sense of well-being within your life all of these aspects need to be in balance. A state of well-being will exist when attention is provided to all of these parts.
To gain a further understanding of how striving for your goals in this arena will bring you closer to an overall sense of balance and well-being, as well as, for ideas, motivation, and information on how to begin on the road to fitness and health please view the articles that follow this introduction.
Topics such as:
Nutritional Article & Chart:
Pectin: For Weight Loss, To Fight High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Cancer,
Fitness / Nutrition Articles:
Reasons To Exercise,
Exercising Properly,
Choosing The Right Exercises For You,
Exercise At Home or Gym, and
Eating and Exercise, and
Exericise and Harm
are covered below.
Author: Jamie Stevenson, BSW
Pectin
For Weight Loss,
To Fight High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Cancer
For Weight Loss,
To Fight High Cholesterol, Heart Disease, Stroke, Diabetes, Insulin Resistance and Cancer
Pectin can be found in the following food sources: Jellies/Jams, Legumes/Beans, Apples with skin (Green), Blackberries, Boysenberries, Grapefruit (Red/Pink), Plums, Oranges, Bananas, Cranberries, Gooseberries, Peaches (contain little), and Blueberries (contain little). Pectin is a type of water-soluble fiber that forms a sticky gel in the intestine as it dissolves. This sticky gel "binds to potentially harmful substances" and passes them out of the body through the stool, instead of allowing them to be absorbed into the body through the bloodstream (Pectin, 497).
Fighting High Cholesterol, Heart Disease & Stroke
Two main substances that this gel binds itself to are fat and cholesterol. "Molecules of fat and cholesterol get trapped before they make it into your bloodstream, and because pectin itself isn't absorbed, it goes out of the body in the stool, taking the fat and cholesterol with it." However, this isn't the only way that pectin helps to lower cholesterol, it also "releases chemicals that travel to the liver, and interrupts it's production of cholesterol as well (Pectin, 497). It has been found that "people who get about 6 grams of pectin a day (approximately the amount found in 3 cups of grapefruit), can lower their cholesterol by at least 5% (Pectin, 498)." Additionally, another study completed in which "animals were placed on 2 separate diets for 9 months, showed that the animals given a diet including 3% grapefruit pectin had slightly more than 5% of their artery walls covered in plaque, while those not given pectin had 14% of their walls covered (Grapefruit, 302)." And since cholesterol is the number 1 leading cause of heart disease and stroke, pectin isn't only helping you lower your cholesterol, but also slashing your risk of heart disease and stroke as well (Pectin, 497).
Fighting Insulin Resistance & Diabetes
& Weight Loss Benefits
Along with absorbing substances such as fat and cholesterol, pectin gel also slows the aborbtion of other nutrients, such as sugar, into the bloodstream (Pectin, 498). Slowing the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream helps prevent sudden spikes in your blood sugar (glucose) levels, helping to keep your blood sugar low and steady. And this on it's very own holds many, many benefits, some of which include:
- Helps Lower Insulin Resistance
- Lowers Risk of Diabetes
- Additionally, Sudden
Blood Sugar Increases in people with Diabetes can
cause Damage to the Nerves, Eyes, and Organs.
- Lowers Risk of Cardio-vascular (Heart) Disease
- Helps to Lower High Cholesterol
- Helps to Lower High Blood Pressure
- Wards off Hunger Pangs and Crazy Food Cravings (Overweight, 478)
- Keeping Blood Sugar Low and Steady allows Fat and Calories to be Burned more Easily becuase high insulin levels keep Fat "Locked" in Fat Cells, where it's more difficult to Burn (Overweight, 478).
"Emerging evidence shows that pectin fights cancer too! Evidence is showing that pectin seems to protect cells from damage that can lead to cancer, as well as also slows the proliferation of cancer cells (Pectin, 498)."
Weight Loss Benefits
As pectin starts to dissolve in the stomach, "it gradually expands taking up more room," helping you to feel more satisfied/full with less food. Additionally, the food is digesting more slowly allowing this feeling of satisfaction/fullness to last longer (Pectin, 498). Also, as mentioned above, since sugar is being absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly, your blood sugar is staying low and steady helping to ward off hunger pangs and crazy food cravings, and keeping your insulin levels low, preventing fat from being "locked" into fat cells where it is more difficult to burn (Overweight, 479). Lastly, the pectin gel helps to absorb some of the fat from your meal and pass it out of the body instead of being absorbed and eventually added to your current stock!
"One of the most important things for losing weight and keeping it off is getting more fiber, including pectin in your diet (Pectin, 498)." This is why you will find that as more nutritional articles are added to this site, many will talk about various types of fiber and the benefits of having more of it in your diet.
Pectin Nutritional Chart
| Nutrient | Food Sources | Amount | Benefits |
| Pectin | Jellies / Jams | Fight Cholesterol, Heart Disease & Stroke | |
| (water soluble fiber) | Legumes / Beans | Fiber = 4-15.6g per 1 C. |
Traps cholesterol & passes it out of the body through stool; isn't absorbed into the bloodstream / body |
| (acts as a natural thickener) | Apples (Green) with Skin | Pectin
= 7-8g per apple |
Releases chemicals that travel to the liver & interrupts the production of cholesterol |
| Blackberries | Fiber = 7.6g per 1 C. |
Fight Insulin Resistance & Diabetes | |
| Boysenberries | Slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream
- helping to keep your blood sugar levels low & steady |
||
| Grapefruit (Red/Pink) | Pectin
= 2g per 1 C. |
Reduces your risk of insulin resistance & diabetes | |
| Plums | Fiber = 0.9g per 1 small |
Prevents sudden spikes in blood sugar that can damage nerves, eyes, and organs of people with diabetes | |
| Oranges | Fiber = 3.1g per 1 small |
Fighting Cancer | |
| Bananas | Fiber = 3.1g per 1 ea. |
Protects cells from damage that can lead to cancer | |
| Cranberries | Slows the proliferation of cancer cells | ||
| Gooseberries | Weight Loss Benefits | ||
| Peaches (contain little) | Fiber = 1.5g per 1 ea. |
When it dissolves in the stomach it gradually expands, taking up more room = fullness | |
| Blueberries (contain little) | Food digests more slowly = feel full/satisfied longer | ||
| Keeps blood sugar low & steady, warding off hunger pangs & crazy food cravings | |||
| Burn fat & calories more easily; prevents fat from being "locked" into fat cells where it is more difficult to burn | |||
| Traps fat molecules & passes out of body through stool, isn't absorbed into the body / bloodstream. |
References
"Grapefruit, The Power of Pectin." The Doctors Book of
Food Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the Editors
of Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007.
300-302.
"Overweight, Eating Away The Pounds." The Doctors
Book of Food Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the
Editors of Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007.
478-481.
"Pectin, Stay Well With Gel." The Doctors Book of Food
Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the Editors of
Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007. 497-498.
Food Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the Editors
of Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007.
300-302.
"Overweight, Eating Away The Pounds." The Doctors
Book of Food Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the
Editors of Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007.
478-481.
"Pectin, Stay Well With Gel." The Doctors Book of Food
Remedies. Ed. Selene Yeager and the Editors of
Prevention. United States: Rodale Inc, 2007. 497-498.
Reasons To Exercise
Many of us need to
follow an exercise program, in order
to remain healthy. Below, you'll find several good
reasons why you should start exercising now.
1. Contributes to Fat Loss (physical/biologial aspect)
It is well proven from scientific research all over
the world that physical exercise contributes to
weight loss. If you burn more calories than you
consume through nutrition, you'll lose weight. When
you exercise, you burn more calories than when you
don't. It's really simple - the more you exercise,
the more weight or fat you'll lose.
2. Prevent Disease (physical/biologial aspect)
The chances of developing several various diseases
has been proven to decrease when exercising. These
diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
and stroke.
Around 4 out of 5 deaths caused by heart disease
and cancer, are linked to factors that include stress
and the lack of exercise. We all know that diabetes
increases the chance for heart attacks and strokes.
What this shows, is that many of the risk factors
and diseases caused by not exercising are working
in conjunction to damage your health. To prevent
this from happening, start exercising.
3. Improving Disease (physical/biologial aspect)
Many severe and minor diseases can be improved or
even healed through regular exercise. These even
include the diseases listed above. By following
a regular plan, you can also decrease HDL
cholesterol levels, decrease triglyceride levels,
and decrease your blood pressure as well.
Exercising on a regular basis will also reduce
the risk of prostate cancer for men, breast and
uterine cancer for women, and much more. All of
this is scientifically proven, which is why you
should start exercising today.
4. Enhance Your State of Mind
(emotional/psychological aspect)
Everyone knows from the many scientific studies
that regular exercising will lead to an increased
release of endorphins in the body. These chemicals
will fight depression and make you feel happy. The
body releases these endorphins only 12 minutes
into the workout.
There is another chemical known as serotonin that
is increased during and after a workout. Increased
levels of serotonin in the central nervous system
is associated with feelings of well being and
decreased mental depression. The chemical
can also help you sleep better at night.
5. Enhance Your Wellness
(emotional/psychological aspect)
When you are in great shape and well fit, you'll
have more energy and you'll notice that your overall
mood is improved. You will have experienced that
you can stretch beyond your own limits and you
know that you can do more than you thought possible.
6. Persistence
(coggnitive/intellectual aspect,
motivation to tackle other arenas)
Exercising regularly will give you more energy,
which can help you be more productive at home and
at work. Exercising can help give your new goals
a sense of purpose and give you something to focus
on and aim for. This can help you increase your
persistence and prevent you from going off track
while you aim for your goal.
7. Social Capabilities (social aspect)
After a workout on a regular basis, your self esteem
also gets a boost! This will help you feel better and
more comfortable, as well as can help you look better.
Exercise will also help you to become more active
and may intrigue you to get out and meet
new people, preventing you from feeling
isolated and unsupported. Additionally, if you decide
to workout at a local gym, then you will be in just the
right position to meet people while your working out
and feeling good, also, this may allow you to meet
people who because they share a common interest,
may become an additional support to keep you
exercising. Exercise will also increase your interests
in sex, and can help you to improve your marriage
or your partner relationship.
After knowing all of these benefits and reasons to
exercise, you shouldn't hesitate to get out there
and exercise. You can exercise at home or go out
there and join a gym. There are several different
ways that you can exercise, all you have to do
is select a few that you like. Take a little bit
of time out of your day and start exercising -
you'll feel better than ever before and your body
will thank you.
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to remain healthy. Below, you'll find several good
reasons why you should start exercising now.
1. Contributes to Fat Loss (physical/biologial aspect)
It is well proven from scientific research all over
the world that physical exercise contributes to
weight loss. If you burn more calories than you
consume through nutrition, you'll lose weight. When
you exercise, you burn more calories than when you
don't. It's really simple - the more you exercise,
the more weight or fat you'll lose.
2. Prevent Disease (physical/biologial aspect)
The chances of developing several various diseases
has been proven to decrease when exercising. These
diseases include heart disease, cancer, diabetes,
and stroke.
Around 4 out of 5 deaths caused by heart disease
and cancer, are linked to factors that include stress
and the lack of exercise. We all know that diabetes
increases the chance for heart attacks and strokes.
What this shows, is that many of the risk factors
and diseases caused by not exercising are working
in conjunction to damage your health. To prevent
this from happening, start exercising.
3. Improving Disease (physical/biologial aspect)
Many severe and minor diseases can be improved or
even healed through regular exercise. These even
include the diseases listed above. By following
a regular plan, you can also decrease HDL
cholesterol levels, decrease triglyceride levels,
and decrease your blood pressure as well.
Exercising on a regular basis will also reduce
the risk of prostate cancer for men, breast and
uterine cancer for women, and much more. All of
this is scientifically proven, which is why you
should start exercising today.
4. Enhance Your State of Mind
(emotional/psychological aspect)
Everyone knows from the many scientific studies
that regular exercising will lead to an increased
release of endorphins in the body. These chemicals
will fight depression and make you feel happy. The
body releases these endorphins only 12 minutes
into the workout.
There is another chemical known as serotonin that
is increased during and after a workout. Increased
levels of serotonin in the central nervous system
is associated with feelings of well being and
decreased mental depression. The chemical
can also help you sleep better at night.
5. Enhance Your Wellness
(emotional/psychological aspect)
When you are in great shape and well fit, you'll
have more energy and you'll notice that your overall
mood is improved. You will have experienced that
you can stretch beyond your own limits and you
know that you can do more than you thought possible.
6. Persistence
(coggnitive/intellectual aspect,
motivation to tackle other arenas)
Exercising regularly will give you more energy,
which can help you be more productive at home and
at work. Exercising can help give your new goals
a sense of purpose and give you something to focus
on and aim for. This can help you increase your
persistence and prevent you from going off track
while you aim for your goal.
7. Social Capabilities (social aspect)
After a workout on a regular basis, your self esteem
also gets a boost! This will help you feel better and
more comfortable, as well as can help you look better.
Exercise will also help you to become more active
and may intrigue you to get out and meet
new people, preventing you from feeling
isolated and unsupported. Additionally, if you decide
to workout at a local gym, then you will be in just the
right position to meet people while your working out
and feeling good, also, this may allow you to meet
people who because they share a common interest,
may become an additional support to keep you
exercising. Exercise will also increase your interests
in sex, and can help you to improve your marriage
or your partner relationship.
After knowing all of these benefits and reasons to
exercise, you shouldn't hesitate to get out there
and exercise. You can exercise at home or go out
there and join a gym. There are several different
ways that you can exercise, all you have to do
is select a few that you like. Take a little bit
of time out of your day and start exercising -
you'll feel better than ever before and your body
will thank you.
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There
are two main types
of exercise that you can do -
aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means
with oxygen. Aerobic type exercise has an important
distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel.
Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the
main source of fuel.
Despite common myths, exercise doesn't have
to be drastic in any way to provide massive
benefits. Even if you choose light exercise,
you will still burn fat. Light exercise will clear out lactic
acid, which is a waste product in the body, and stimulate cells to regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it's very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.
The most important thing you can do as you exercise
is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep
into your stomach through your nose, hold it for
a few seconds and then exhale hard through your
mouth.
Second, you should make sure that you exercise at
a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level
of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a
normal conversation while you exercise. You should
do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then
you'll begin to notice just how much your energy
will explode.
Think you don't have time to exercise?
If you have to, you can use some of the time that you would normally spend sleeping, because with exercising, you'll actually need less sleep than before. Also, you can use some time from your lunch break or other breaks you may have during your day to exercise as well. Doing this will increase your concentration, mood and overall productivity during the rest of your workday. So not only will you have gotten some exercise, but it could also help you within your profession as well, and even if professional advances don't pan out, then at least you'll be going into the later part of the day in a better mood and an improved outlook which should at least help it to go faster!
Taking breaks throughout the day to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing is called rebounding (or cellularise) and is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. So if you have
access to a rebounder, you shouldn't hesitate to
use it.
Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit
your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger
organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs
become stronger and larger as well.
Movement of the joints will promote proper blood
flow and create energy, as sitting down all day
will rob your body of much needed energy. If you
sit down all day, it's very important that you
promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain
flow, and the strength of your heart. And there is
research now that links exercise to helping benefit
and almost prevent each and every type of disease
or ailment there is. So with just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.
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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.
However, if walking is okay, but you are looking for some other ideas, or a way to mix it up a little so you can do several different things throughout the week etc, below are some additional ideas that you may find interesting. [You will notice that there are words in quotations after all or some of these ideas; these are examples of what you can type into the Amazon Store search, which you can link to through this site (link can be found at the top right or at the very bottom of this page) if you're looking to make a purchase or to do some pricing.]
Exercise Ideas:
1. Walking, Jogging, Running
"running shoes" "walking shoes" "sneakers"
2. Biking "road bikes" "mountain bikes"
3. Swimming / Aqua Aerobics "water videos"
4. Videos / DVDs - 1000s of options are available in this arena "exercise videos"
5. Dancing - at home or in a studio, classes, serious, social, or simply just messing around at home or with the kids. "dance videos"
6. Pilates / Yoga - classes or at home
"pilates videos" "yoga videos" "yoga mats"
7. Karate / Kickboxing - classes or at home
"karate videos" "kickboxing videos"
8. Body Weight Exercise - with or without equipment (push-ups, squats, etc...) "exercise mats" "home gyms"
9. Home Gyms - Bowflex, Total Gym, Weider Total Body Works (if you are looking for a good quality, inexpensive total home gym, Weider products are probably your best bet. "home gyms"
10. Free Weights "free weights" "dumbells"
11. Exercise Balls "exercise balls"
12. Resistance Bands "resistance bands"
13. Portable Workouts "portable workouts"
14. Park Exercise Courses
15. Sports - Softball, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Bowling...
16. Video Games with Movement
"nintendo wii games"
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.
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Making the decision of where you will go to exercise
is a very important step in reaching your goals of
fitness. A lot of factors will go into this
decision, and each one should be evaluated well
before you start exercising. Once you have made
a decision on where you will go to exercise, you
can move on to deciding how you plan to work out.
As you probably know, exercising at home has many
advantages. The finance department is one of the
best advantages. With the gas prices being what
they are today, it is quite obvious that you'll
save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on
your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.
Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive
and may include other things that you don't need
such as child care or swimming pools. You also
won't need to be concerned about the latest
trends of exercise gear as you most likely will
be exercising by yourself at home.
Keep in mind that working out at home does
require a bit of financial obligation. Even
though you may plan to run, it is very important
that you have high quality running shoes. This
statment applies to any type of equipment that
you may purchase to use at home. If you go
out and buy cheap equipment, you'll probably
end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because
you aren't making any progress.
Along with the financial gains, exercising at
home may also help those who don't like to work
out in public. If you are worried about how you
look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to
know that the only person who has to be with you
when you exercise at home is you. Also, when
you exercise at home, you don't need to worry
about time at all.
Those of you who are motivated by being with
people you know or come to know while working
out away from home, a gym may be a better idea
than working out at home. At the gym, you'll
also have more of a selection of equipment as well,
far more than you'll have at home.
If you need other services than just weights and
equipment, the gym may have just what you need.
If you plan to swim a triathlon, you'll find the
swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need
to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great
exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work
muscles in your body that you probably didn't
even know you had.
Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find
very motivating. If you attend class on a regular
basis, you may be motivated enough to continue
so you don't have to defend yourself when asked
where you've been or what you have been doing.
You can also meet new people in class, or just
help others along if you choose.
All in all, making the choice of exercising at
home or at the gym is a choice you should make
based on your goals and personal preference. The
most important decision you'll need to make is
to determine what type of environment you want
to be in and how you want to accomplish the
fitness goals in your life.
Once you have given it some thought and weighed
out the pros and cons, you'll have no problem
making the choice. Always keep in mind that
once you've made your choice, you can always switch
if you aren't happy with the choice you made.
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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 mix of protein and
carbohydrates. However, the percentage of each that you eat is determined by 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 three
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.
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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, an addicted person will feel irritable and out of it until they exercise again. Therefore, they'll go on exercising and not listen to what their body is
actually telling them - 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 affects the mind, and ofcourse 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, it can be 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.
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aerobic and anaerobic. The first one, aerobic, means
with oxygen. Aerobic type exercise has an important
distinction, it burns fat as the main fuel.
Anaerobic on the other hand, burns sugar as the
main source of fuel.
Despite common myths, exercise doesn't have
to be drastic in any way to provide massive
benefits. Even if you choose light exercise,
you will still burn fat. Light exercise will clear out lactic
acid, which is a waste product in the body, and stimulate cells to regenerate. To be sure that you are burning fat rather than sugar, it's very important to make sure that you are doing several things as you exercise.
The most important thing you can do as you exercise
is breathe deep. You should always breathe in deep
into your stomach through your nose, hold it for
a few seconds and then exhale hard through your
mouth.
Second, you should make sure that you exercise at
a comfortable level. You should exercise at a level
of 7 out of 10, and still be able to carry on a
normal conversation while you exercise. You should
do this for 45 minutes or so each day, then
you'll begin to notice just how much your energy
will explode.
Think you don't have time to exercise?
If you have to, you can use some of the time that you would normally spend sleeping, because with exercising, you'll actually need less sleep than before. Also, you can use some time from your lunch break or other breaks you may have during your day to exercise as well. Doing this will increase your concentration, mood and overall productivity during the rest of your workday. So not only will you have gotten some exercise, but it could also help you within your profession as well, and even if professional advances don't pan out, then at least you'll be going into the later part of the day in a better mood and an improved outlook which should at least help it to go faster!
Taking breaks throughout the day to engage in some type of movement and deep breathing is called rebounding (or cellularise) and is one of the best forms of aerobic exercise there is. So if you have
access to a rebounder, you shouldn't hesitate to
use it.
Any type of exercise you do will strongly benefit
your heart. It will make it a stronger and larger
organ. Deep breathing will help your lungs
become stronger and larger as well.
Movement of the joints will promote proper blood
flow and create energy, as sitting down all day
will rob your body of much needed energy. If you
sit down all day, it's very important that you
promote blood flow, circulation, energy, brain
flow, and the strength of your heart. And there is
research now that links exercise to helping benefit
and almost prevent each and every type of disease
or ailment there is. So with just a little bit of your time devoted to exercise, you'll find yourself healthier than you have ever been in the past.
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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.
However, if walking is okay, but you are looking for some other ideas, or a way to mix it up a little so you can do several different things throughout the week etc, below are some additional ideas that you may find interesting. [You will notice that there are words in quotations after all or some of these ideas; these are examples of what you can type into the Amazon Store search, which you can link to through this site (link can be found at the top right or at the very bottom of this page) if you're looking to make a purchase or to do some pricing.]
Exercise Ideas:
1. Walking, Jogging, Running
"running shoes" "walking shoes" "sneakers"
2. Biking "road bikes" "mountain bikes"
3. Swimming / Aqua Aerobics "water videos"
4. Videos / DVDs - 1000s of options are available in this arena "exercise videos"
5. Dancing - at home or in a studio, classes, serious, social, or simply just messing around at home or with the kids. "dance videos"
6. Pilates / Yoga - classes or at home
"pilates videos" "yoga videos" "yoga mats"
7. Karate / Kickboxing - classes or at home
"karate videos" "kickboxing videos"
8. Body Weight Exercise - with or without equipment (push-ups, squats, etc...) "exercise mats" "home gyms"
9. Home Gyms - Bowflex, Total Gym, Weider Total Body Works (if you are looking for a good quality, inexpensive total home gym, Weider products are probably your best bet. "home gyms"
10. Free Weights "free weights" "dumbells"
11. Exercise Balls "exercise balls"
12. Resistance Bands "resistance bands"
13. Portable Workouts "portable workouts"
14. Park Exercise Courses
15. Sports - Softball, Baseball, Tennis, Golf, Bowling...
16. Video Games with Movement
"nintendo wii games"
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.
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Making the decision of where you will go to exercise
is a very important step in reaching your goals of
fitness. A lot of factors will go into this
decision, and each one should be evaluated well
before you start exercising. Once you have made
a decision on where you will go to exercise, you
can move on to deciding how you plan to work out.
As you probably know, exercising at home has many
advantages. The finance department is one of the
best advantages. With the gas prices being what
they are today, it is quite obvious that you'll
save money on fuel as well as wear and tear on
your vehicle by choosing to exercise at home.
Memberships to a gym can often be quite expensive
and may include other things that you don't need
such as child care or swimming pools. You also
won't need to be concerned about the latest
trends of exercise gear as you most likely will
be exercising by yourself at home.
Keep in mind that working out at home does
require a bit of financial obligation. Even
though you may plan to run, it is very important
that you have high quality running shoes. This
statment applies to any type of equipment that
you may purchase to use at home. If you go
out and buy cheap equipment, you'll probably
end up getting hurt or getting frustrated because
you aren't making any progress.
Along with the financial gains, exercising at
home may also help those who don't like to work
out in public. If you are worried about how you
look in gym clothes, it is very comforting to
know that the only person who has to be with you
when you exercise at home is you. Also, when
you exercise at home, you don't need to worry
about time at all.
Those of you who are motivated by being with
people you know or come to know while working
out away from home, a gym may be a better idea
than working out at home. At the gym, you'll
also have more of a selection of equipment as well,
far more than you'll have at home.
If you need other services than just weights and
equipment, the gym may have just what you need.
If you plan to swim a triathlon, you'll find the
swimming pool at the gym to be just what you need
to prepare yourself. Swimming is also a great
exercise for your body and cardio, as it will work
muscles in your body that you probably didn't
even know you had.
Gyms will also offer you classes that you may find
very motivating. If you attend class on a regular
basis, you may be motivated enough to continue
so you don't have to defend yourself when asked
where you've been or what you have been doing.
You can also meet new people in class, or just
help others along if you choose.
All in all, making the choice of exercising at
home or at the gym is a choice you should make
based on your goals and personal preference. The
most important decision you'll need to make is
to determine what type of environment you want
to be in and how you want to accomplish the
fitness goals in your life.
Once you have given it some thought and weighed
out the pros and cons, you'll have no problem
making the choice. Always keep in mind that
once you've made your choice, you can always switch
if you aren't happy with the choice you made.
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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 mix of protein and
carbohydrates. However, the percentage of each that you eat is determined by 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 three
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 Low Intensity |
Cardio High Intensity |
Resistance Low Intensity |
Resistance High Intensity |
|
| Pre-Workout Meal | ||||
| 1 Hour Before Workout | 1 Hour Before Workout | 1 Hour Before Workout | 1 Hour Before Workout | |
| Approx. 200 Calories | Approx. 4,000-5,000 Calories | Approx. 200 Calories | Approx. 4,000-5,000 Calories | |
| 2/3 Carbs + 1/3 Protein | 2/3 Carbs + 1/3 Protein | 1/3 Carbs + 2/3 Protein | 1/3 Carbs + 2/3 Protein | |
| Post-Workout Meal | ||||
| 5-10 mins Afterwords | 5-10 mins Afterwords | 30 mins Afterwords | 30 mins Afterwords | |
| Mainly
High Fiber Carbs 30-50g of 3 types of Carbs ie: Rice, Oatmeal, Whole Wheat, Pasta, Northern Fruits... |
Mainly
High Fiber Carbs 30-50g of 3 types of Carbs ie: Rice, Oatmeal, Whole Wheat, Pasta, Northern Fruits... |
Mix
of Carbs and Protein 1/3 Carbs + 2/3 Protein |
Mix
of Carbs and Protein 1/3 Carbs + 2/3 Protein |
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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, an addicted person will feel irritable and out of it until they exercise again. Therefore, they'll go on exercising and not listen to what their body is
actually telling them - 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 affects the mind, and ofcourse 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, it can be 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.
Return to Article List
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