ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO TALK about fitness and exercise without mentioning the heart and the cardiovascular system. Aerobic exercise(exercise that gets your heart pumping and your blood moving) is one of the best ways to improve cardiovascular health. Since heart disease claims many lives each year, improving your heart health can help you lead a long, healthy life. (more…)
KEEPING A FITNESS DIARY is an effective way to keep track of your goals and stick to your fitness routine. This can be a plain notebook or diary or an actual “Fitness journal” that has lines for weight, goals, calorie counting and so forth.
What goes into the diary?
To start with, you could note down the results of the fitness assessment given earlier. Then, any kind of physical evaluation- one you do at home or a professionally done evaluation should go into the fitness diary to record your progress. (more…)
THE GOOD NEWS is that you don’t have to obsess over gram of fat or calorie in every bite of food in order to maintain or get to a healthy weight. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t think about fat or calories, it just means that healthy eating doesn’t have to involve obsessive diet restrictions.
If you are eating from all the food groups, you should be able to get all your vitamins and minerals through food without needing supplements. You should consider adding supplements to your diet if you lead a very hectic lifestyle and don’t eat right, if you are on low calorie diet, if you are vegan, or if you have dairy allergies. If none of these applies to you, the you should be able to get very thing you need by eating a variety of foods. (more…)
PLYOMETRIC TRAINING is specific work to enhance explosive power. In other words, it involves a lot of jumping. Plyometric training is used for sports that require short bursts of power such as tennis, basketball, or skiting, but its also a good exercise for anyone who wants to increase his or her power.
Have fun…
Here are a few plyometric exercises to add to your routine. Once again, I like to think of how people were young- always jumping and hopping around. Apply this attitude of fun and try some jumping. Also, make sure to warm up adequately and stretch before you begin. (more…)
THE BEST WAY TO MEASURE your workout intensity is by monitoring your heart rate. Your heart rate is basically your pulse. Your target heart rate is what your heart rate should be while you are exercising. Staying within your target heart rate can help you have productive, safe workouts.
If you are exercising too far below your target heart rate, you won’t reap all the benefits of exercise. But if you are too far above it, you are going to get tired and overheated, and you are more likely to injure3 yourself. Beginners who exercise too hard, too fast are often the ones to drop out.
You can also measure your heart rate on your own. (more…)
Body Type – The Good & the Bad news:
THE BAD NEWS FOR MEN is that you are probably not going to bulk up like Arnold Schwarzenegger overnight or maybe ever. (more…)
EXERCISE FOR HAPPINESS! Beyond having a swimsuit-ready, developing grapefruit-sized muscles, or even having happy heart, being physically active improves your psychological health. Regular exercise improves your mood and makes you less likely to get depressed. It can also help you handle stressful situations calmly.
Relieve depression
Whether or not you are feeling blue, exercise can lift your mood and help you feel positive, even in times of adversity. Exercise alleviates depression by providing a natural antidepressant, things in perspective. Aerobic exercise forces oxygenated blood to the brain as well as to other parts of the body. (more…)
A little bit of exercise is always better than none, and 30-minutes of exercise is even better.
If you have time for a full workout, either in the morning, in the evening, or smack in the middle of the day, here are some suggestions for 30 minute full body workout.
Warm up
Walk up and down it for 3 minutes, gradually increasing your pace. If you have time, run or walk up and down for 5 more minutes at your top speed. Then, run or walk as fast as possible, for 1minute of jumping jacks. (more…)
MOST GYMS HAVE SIGNS about the rules and behaviour, but here are some general rules about gym conduct that can save you from getting a growl or two by the…
A LITTLE SORENESS, technically called as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) can be expected when participating in an exercise programme. There are some pains, though, that could indicate an injury that need to be treated. Muscle soreness is okay, but a pulled muscle is not. Knowing the difference can save you a lot of pain and recovery time. Catching an injury in the early stages can help to keep the damage to a minimum. (more…)