Weight Loss

Why YOU Should Work Out

Posted in Exercise, Fitness Equipment, Free Trials, Personal Training, Weight Loss on February 3rd, 2012 by Steve – Be the first to comment

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Life is busy. Between work, school, kids, relationships, shopping, and community events, there is a lot to keep up with in life. Each of us depends upon our body to get us from here to there yet we don’t always give it what it needs to stay healthy. Taking care of your body is a choice that has lifelong benefits. Here’s are a few reasons you should work out on a regular basis:

You will look better: The majority of people that work out do it primarily so they will look better. This is a very legitimate reason. The better we look, the better we will feel about ourselves. Looking good will increase your confidence in a variety of different settings—from this weekend’s date to tomorrow’s job interview. Looking good never hurt!

Release energy: Each of us needs an outlet of some kind. Video games and movies are good, but they don’t have the same kind of effect on your body that vigorous exercise does. All of the emotional stress we stuff into the body can be released through physical activity. This can help us feel more calm throughout the rest of the day—despite the kids wanting to be fed and the boss that is demanding more sales.

Decreased risk of disease: Some types of cancer are found more commonly in those that aren’t physically active. Those who do not engage in frequent exercise have higher blood sugar and insulin levels. This can lead to diabetes and coronary heart disease. Exercise can have a good effect on your metabolism and other body functions.

Less strength-related embarrassment: From personal experience, I can tell you that it stinks to go help a neighbor to move the piano when you have the arms of a pre-adolescent child. Although this isn’t a very scientific reason, increasing your strength can help you to perform a variety of tasks better, allowing you to go help your neighbor move the piano without fear. (It is important to note that your aim shouldn’t be to become Superman or Arnold Schwarzenegger, but to be constantly improving your strength).

Increase your flexibility: Contrary to popular belief, strength training can actually increase your flexibility. Your range of motion can actually be increased through working out each of your muscle systems on a regular basis. It may not give you the ability to do the splits, but bending down to pick up that pen you dropped shouldn’t be quite the problem it was before.

Overcome obesity: Although exercise isn’t the only component to overcoming obesity (a lot of it has to do with diet), it is a major one. Being inactive causes a lot of your muscle mass to convert into excess body fat. Unfortunately, low activity is often connected to eating more—two negative factors working against you.

Increased productivity: Everything you do takes a toll on your body. Working out increases both your physical strength and your stamina, giving you the energy you need to do more. Your increased productivity can take you places that your Nintendo never could.

 

About the Author

Stepehn Sharpe is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers can help you if you want to enroll in online master’s degree programs.

 

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The Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Posted in Nutrition, Obesity, Popular Diets, Weight Loss on February 2nd, 2012 by Steve – Be the first to comment

Many people have heard of the benefits of fasting. Is intermittent fasting any different than the fasting used in religion or by those that detox? More importantly, what are the benefits of intermittent fasting? The following will give you a better idea of what to expect now and in the future from this type of fasting.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Intermittent fasting is exactly like it sounds. People spend periods fasting followed by periods of eating. It is recommend to fast for 24 hours, but 16 hours will provide some results. It is also recommended that you fast 1-2 days per week for the best results. And, what are those results? Actually the results that that come from intermittent fasting are very similar to those of calorie restriction. The plus is that you aren’t required to watch your calories every day. Instead, you eat what you want one day and then fast. However, those foods that you do eat are based on a primal diet consisting of meat, vegetables and animal fat.

How Can It Help Me Now?

Those using intermittent fasting have experienced increased energy. One of the biggest benefits though is that people find this diet easier to follow because it allows them to eat fat, which can be tasty and satisfying. Intermittent fasting can also improve brain functions and help the brain stay sharp for longer. This type of fasting also helps muscle mass by more quickly removing waste from the body. You may even experience better workout results when exercising during a fasting phase. Last, but not least, intermittent fasting can offer improved memory and mental clarity. This means you’ll have an easier time remembering names, concentrating on your work and better enjoying life as you age.

What About Later?

Intermittent fasting has many benefits that may not be easy to see immediately. Not only does intermittent fasting reduce the chances of cancer, but it may help you live longer. More importantly, the extra years that you do tack on will be more enjoyable.

Intermittent fasting may be a great option for some people trying to lose weight or just be healthier. However, you should speak with your doctor before beginning the plan. This is especially true for those that have diabetes or nutritional deficiencies that could be worsened while fasting. For those that can do intermittent fasting, you may see an increased value of life in which you’re better able to enjoy your food and quality of life.

About the Author: Darrick Berntsen is a personal trainer and nutritionist. While he doesn’t recommend intermittent fasting for those with certain health conditions, he does find it to be a reasonable method for those who are healthy and simply looking to modify their diets.

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Take the Zzzz’s out of your Workout with Zumba

Posted in Exercise, Personal Training, Weight Loss on January 25th, 2012 by Steve – 1 Comment

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If you are finding your regular workout is becoming a bit dull, or you are looking to start getting in shape then you may wish to consider Zumba. Dance as a way to get fit is certainly not a new idea, and people have been shaking and shimmying off the pounds with salsa, tango, ballroom, belly dance, and even pole fitness and burlesque at gyms and dance studios up and down the country for years now. Zumba is the new kid on the block and this Latin-inspired, fast-pace workout, has spread like wildfire.

What is Zumba

English: Maria Moline, instructor, coaches her...
Image via Wikipedia

The aerobic dance form combines elements of belly dance, samba, salsa and merengue and turns them into a cardio workout that tones you up while you look cool (at least once you’ve get the steps down). The atmosphere at Zumba classes is quite different to your average aerobics session, as they have a real party atmosphere. In fact Zumba makes a great evening out with friends, I find that I have so much fun the it really feels more like a fun night out with the girls than a work out, and I’ve learnt a whole host of sexy new dance moves. Most classes are run in large groups, there tends to be a mix of people in terms of age, fitness level and experience. While some people will go in groups of friends, others will go alone so if you can’t round your mates up, you will be made to feel very welcome. You can read more about Zumba at zumba.com.

Refreshes Parts other Dances Can’t

As Zumba targets all of your muscle groups and works squats and lunges into the routines you will most certainly ache then next day but that soon wears off. Zumba teaches you to have better posture and works on your rhythm at the same time as it works on your abs, glutes, arms and thighs. I found that after a few weeks of classes I had started to notice a difference in my body.

Types of Zumba

I find that a regular Zumba class is enough fun to keep me interested, but if you feel that even this is getting a bit too repetitive there are lots of different Zumba variations you can give a try.

Zumba Circuits

If you are looking for something even more high energy then you might enjoy Zumba Circuits where you move between exercise stations to fast paced salsa music.

Aqua Zumba

This is a good choice if you are looking from something that has a lower impact as it takes place in water so puts less pressure on your joints. If exercise in public is not for you then there are now a range of Zumba DVDs that you can use at home and there is even a game for the Wii which is great to play at parties too.

I hope that this intro to Zumba has tempted you to give it a try. I’m Caitin and I am a dance and fitness nut. I’ve been Zumba dancing for about 10 months now. It took me a few lessons to really get into the swing of things but then I was hooked. I write for www.poledancingpoles.info when I’m not or hanging upside down on my pole which is my other dance passion. Let me know how you get on at our blog or on twitter at @poledancepoles. Zumba classes are offered at most gyms now, so it should be easy to find a class near you and get started.

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5 Great Alternatives to Hitting the Gym

Posted in Exercise, Fitness Equipment, Personal Training, Weight Loss on January 10th, 2012 by Steve – Be the first to comment

There’s a good reason so many of us just can’t muster up the sticking power to make committing to the burden of a gym membership worth our time and money, and isn’t that we’re scared of exercise…

It’s more that, to a lot of people, the atmosphere of a gym simply isn’t conducive to enjoyment. It can be intimidating, or simply unpleasant depending on where you go, with mirrored walls and a crowded mass of lycra clad limbs lending the setting a nightmarish air.

Whilst exercise is important for our health, that doesn’t mean it should be joyless. If anything the very opposite is true. So, here’s a round up of some top alternatives for those of us who’d rather be anywhere than the gym, even when we’re exercising;

Going For a Run or Hike

This might sound obvious, but the fact of the matter is that a high number of new gym members head straight towards (and stick to) the treadmills.

One of the chief enemies of exercise, especially cardio vascular activities, is boredom. Surely, the risk of boredom is higher on a treadmill, rooted to the spot with no scenery to distract you or prompt your mind to wonder onto subjects other than the ache slowly taking hold of your muscles…

Join a Sports Team

Many people find the gym experience hard to enjoy due to the fact it can be very solitary. Indeed, manufacturers of entertainment devices such as MP3 players have developed special models for use at the gym, to help members zone out and ignore the space around them.

This is probably the factor the drives so many people to hire a personal trainer, not so much for the advice and motivation or the dressings down, more for the company. With this in mind, even if you aren’t much of a sports fan, if you’ve suddenly decided to get fit, consider joining up to a sports team rather than joining a gym.

DVD

Alternatively, you might be perfectly happy exercising on your own. Perhaps for you lack of companionship isn’t a problem, but rather, you’d actually prefer more privacy. In that case what better setting for your work out than the seclusion provided by your own front room. Exercising along to a DVD can be an excellent, cost effective way to add structure to your regimen.

Invest In Your Own Equipment

When you think about it, gym membership often amounts to little more than paying over the odds to rent exercise equipment, much of which you could very easily buy yourself at a fraction of the cost of even a months membership, let alone a 12 month contract.

Even if you do love the gym environment, if you are turning up just to utilise dumbbells, resistance bands and an exercise ball, you’re going to be able to buy those items and have them for your own private use whenever you want, at a cheaper price than you pay for the privilege of effectively renting them out for an hour or two a week.

Jane Newman writes on a range of topics pertaining to health and fitness, from easy workouts to choosing health insurance quotes.

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Who Can Use The HCG Diet?

Posted in Acai Berry, Nutrition, Popular Diets, Supplements, Weight Loss on November 29th, 2011 by Steve – 4 Comments

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The HCG diet has experienced a fairly massive increase in popularity in recent years and it is because there has been so much documented result as a result of people partaking in the HCG diet plan. Many people want to try out this diet for themselves so that they can experience the weight loss that occurs from this diet. The main facet of this diet that contributes to its overarching success is in fact the HCG hormone injections and HCG drops; this is what sets this diet apart from the rest and what makes it as unique as well as highly successful diet strategy. As the diet does involve injecting oneself with hormones there are still some people that should probably not partake in this diet plan as it could potentially interfere in negative ways with medications that they are taking or his or her health status.

First of all, any person who is taking medication for any medical condition should absolutely go to his or her doctor. A person should have the diet and what he or she is going to eat on it as well as the HCG hormone injections approved by the doctor. If a doctor does not give his or her sign of approval than this individual should by no means go on the diet anyway. Doctors know what they are doing and it is their job to keep people healthy and prevent them from doing something that could be potentially damaging to their bodies, so any person should listen to any advice that his or her doctor is giving.

Young boys should also be cautious about using this as a diet strategy before hitting puberty because it can lead to the development of puberty occurring earlier than it would under natural circumstances. This might be a desirable prospect for some younger boys, but some may not want to push ahead the clock and will not find the risk of getting puberty earlier worth it.

Almost any person can do this diet and not experience any sort of complications at all because it does involve a natural hormone. This is different from many diets which involve a person taking an unnatural pill that can potentially be damaging to his or her health, even if it results in weight loss.

People who are taking any sort of prescription drugs for depression or are taking birth control will also want to consult with a doctor or an expert to see how the addition of the HCG hormone would affect the individual’s body. As both birth control and pills that are taken for depression involve dealing with hormonal imbalances it only makes sense that a person should be aware of how the combination of all the different hormone modifying things will all interact with one another and affect an individual overall.

A person needs to realize that while losing weight can feel great and be a very healthy thing, if it is not done in a healthy way than there could be some serious repercussions to a person’s healthy living. This diet is a safe an essentially natural and scientifically proven way for an individual to lose any unwanted weight.

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The Benefits of a Personal Weight Loss Journal

Posted in exercise, Free Trials, Nutrition, Popular Diets, Weight Loss on November 14th, 2011 by Steve – 1 Comment

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Sometimes when it comes to losing weight, you need every advantage you can get. While the basic science behind weight -loss is easy to understand, it’s not always simple to follow through. You might also have to juggle a busy schedule in addition to family obligations while doing all of the healthy things necessary to drop a few pounds. Being organized is one of the essential factors that people forget about when it comes to weight loss, but there’s an easy fix for that. Starting up a weight loss journal can revolutionize your overall approach and streamline things to make your efforts more efficient. It can also add an element of enjoyment that might be previously missing. Here are some of the reasons why starting up a weight loss journal might benefit you.

Keeping careful records – it’s important to remember that your past plays an important part in your weight loss journey. A good way to start off your journal is by documenting your past behavior or writing about previous diet plans that haven’t worked. You can also start to catalog familiar mistakes that you seem to make, or information regarding your previous eating patterns. This information will serve as a solid basis for educating yourself about key areas that need the most focus.

Planning for the future – in addition to reflecting on your history, it’s important to think about where you want to head for the future. A journal is the perfect place for setting goals and determining the path you want to take. Nothing has to be set in stone, but putting thoughts and plans to paper can help to motivate you along the way. Rather than keeping everything in your head where you can get lost due to distraction, it’s nice to have everything laid out in front of you.

A journal can be whatever you like – there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to creating a journal, and that’s one of the best aspects of it. You don’t have to follow any strict guidelines which means it can take any form you like. It can be as simple as a pad and paper or you can take it up a notch and start a weight loss blog that allows other people to follow your progress. And remember, your journal will adapt and grow over time which means it is an organic thing that develops along with you.

The emotional aspect of weight loss – a lot of people focus on physical elements related to losing weight such as what to eat and how much to exercise. While it’s certainly helpful to record information related to caloric intake or your routine on a particular piece of home exercise equipment, it’s also a great thing to write down your thoughts. A journal can be a wonderful place where you are allowed to vent about the frustrations and joys related to getting healthy. It can help to keep things in perspective while showing you your progress along the way.

The ultimate resource – people who try to lose weight are always looking for the best tips and information around. But what better resource than something you create from your own experience? It won’t happen right away, but eventually your journal will become a valuable piece of documentation that will teach you about yourself. It can be a resource where you keep your favorite healthy recipes, list contact information for nutritional experts, or track your progress with your favorite forms of exercise. In just a few short months, you’ll be able to look back and see which areas need the most attention and how you can adapt your weight loss program for the best chance of success.

This information on keeping a weight loss journal comes to us from our friends at rabbitsadvice.com, a site dedicated to the pursuit of healthy forms of fast weight loss.

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