Stretching Essentials

Before you plunge into stretching, make sure you do it safely and effectively. While you can stretch anytime, anywhere, you want to be sure to use proper technique. Stretching incorrectly can actually do more harm than good.  Use these tips to keep stretching safe:

·         Don't consider stretching a warm-up. You may hurt yourself if you stretch cold muscles. So before stretching, warm up with light walking, jogging or biking at low intensity for five to 10 minutes. Or better yet, stretch after you exercise when your muscles are warmed up. Also, consider holding off on stretching before an intense activity, such as sprinting or track and field activities. Some research suggests that pre-event stretching before these types of events may actually decrease performance.

·         Focus on major muscle groups. When you're stretching, focus on your calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Also stretch muscles and joints that you routinely use at work or play. And make sure that you stretch both sides. For instance, if you stretch your left hamstring, be sure to stretch your right hamstring, too.

·         Don't bounce. Bouncing as you stretch can cause small tears in the muscle. These tears leave scar tissue as the muscle heals, which tightens the muscle even further, making you less flexible and more prone to pain. So, hold each stretch for about 30 seconds. Repeat each stretch three or four times.

·         Don't aim for pain. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching, not pain. If it hurts, you've pushed too far. Back off to the point where you don't feel any pain, then hold the stretch.

·         Make stretches sport specific. Some evidence suggests that it's helpful to do stretches tailored for your sport or activity. If you play soccer, for instance, you're more vulnerable to hamstring strains. So opt for stretches that help your hamstrings.

·         Keep up with your stretching. Stretching can be time-consuming. But you can achieve the best benefits by stretching regularly, at least two to three times a week. If you don't stretch regularly, you risk losing any benefits that stretching offered. For instance, if stretching helped you increase your range of motion, and you stop stretching, your range of motion may decrease again.

·         Bring movement into your stretching. Gentle movement can help you be more flexible in specific movements..

Talk to your doctor or physical therapist about the best way to stretch if you have any health concerns. Otherwise, I can show you how to perform stretches correctly.

Obese Children at Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: How Parents Can Help

There's no doubt that childhood obesity has become a nationwide issue, the future implications of which largely remain unknown. According to a new study published in the British Medical Journal, however, it appears we may have underestimated the severity of the issue.
Researchers from the University of Oxford examined data from nearly 50,000 school-aged children in developed countries to investigate the effect of body mass index on cardiovascular disease risk. They found that those who were overweight and obese exhibited greater risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, compared to those who were underweight or normal weight. Not surprisingly, the researchers referred to obesity’s effect on future cardiovascular disease as "substantial" and "concerning."
These findings are undoubtedly alarming, and may be the wake-up call our country needs to start taking more serious measures to eliminate this epidemic. According to the CDC, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, and is largely a result of kids eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity. Children today are exposed to a number of environmental factors that may make it difficult for them to make healthy lifestyle choices, including:

• fewer healthy food and drink options
• a lack of daily, quality physical activity on school campuses
• easier access to highly-caloric foods and sugary drinks
• increased portion sizes
• increased exposure to ads for unhealthy foods on TV and in the media
• limited access to safe recreation centers

As parents, you have the ability to empower your children to make healthy choices for themselves by modeling a healthy lifestyle and making adjustments to your own behaviors. “Changing our children's eating and exercise habits means we have to change our own, as well," explains ACE Chief Science Officer Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D. "If we are honest with ourselves, what we do and the example that we set greatly influences what our children do. It's vitally important that we as parents take on the responsibility of being good, healthy role models for our children when it comes to physical activity and eating sensibly. That means being more thoughtful in terms of buying food, planning meals and looking for opportunities to become more physically active as a family," adds Bryant.
Here are some practical tips on how you can positively influence your children's health and well-being:

• Limit the amount of junk food you keep in the house.
• Plan healthy meals in advance that the whole family can enjoy together.
• Try to get out of the habit of using food as a reward for good behavior.
• Plan ahead when you eat out so you can make wiser and healthier selections.
• Look for simple ways to move more as a family. For example, teach your kids the games you played as a child, such as tag, capture the flag, hopscotch, duck duck goose, or red rover.
• Train your children to connect movement with enjoyment. (Note: Many activities today tend to be conducted in a more structured environment, and many children have forgotten how to play just for the sake of playing.)

Three Things Every Exercise Program Should Have

A complete, safe and effective fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise.

Aerobic exercise does good things for your cardiovascular system and is an important part of weight management. Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of low-back injury and is an important component of a weight-management program. Flexibility exercise is needed to maintain joint range of motion and reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness.

 

Aerobic exercise can be as simple as walking, jogging, jumping rope and dance-exercise are good forms of weight bearing aerobic exercise, which is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time and during which the individual’s body is not supported in some fashion.

 

How often should you exercise? Three to five days of aerobic activity is fine for general health maintenance. If you’re trying to lose weight, aim for five to six days a week, being sure you take off at least one day a week.

 

Pick calisthenics, free weights or machines. Just be sure that your strength training includes exercises for every major muscle group, including the muscles of the arms, chest, back, stomach, hips and legs.

Start with a weight that’s comfortable to handle and perform eight repetitions. Gradually add more repetitions until you can complete 12 repetitions. For greater strength conditioning, add more weight and/or more repetitions, in sets of eight to 12, when the exercise becomes easy.

Proper stretching involves holding a mild stretch for 15 to 30 seconds while you breathe normally. Always warm up before you stretch. Like strength conditioning, flexibility exercises should include stretching for all of the major muscle groups.

Healthy Ways To Eat Food

Eating out at a Restaurant may sometimes be difficult, because there are so many ways to prepare and cook the food.
Look for these terms for healthy and lowest calorie foods to eat: Look for grilled, steamed, boiled, poached, baked, roasted, broiled and braised.
Avoid battered, buttery, creamed, creamy, scalloped, fried, rich in cheeses sauce, holla

ndaise, bearnaise, tempura, with gravy, au gratin, Alfredo, breaded, croquettes, a la king, Newburg, and deep fried.

For sodium concerns, avoid smoked, broth, creole sauce, tomato base, fish sauce, barbecued, soy sauce, marinated, Parmesan, hoisin sauce, pickled, teriyaki, cocktail sauce, mustard sauce, and chili paste.

How to Stop Eating Your Anger

Sometimes, terrible instances happen.  It may be a  job loss, a house fire, a serious accident, a death, and certain frustrations. Does this bring you to an emotional low, and your weight to an all-time high? Sometimes, you internalize anger. Do you use food to deal with the depression, emotional hurt and reduced self-esteem that follows?  People who swallow their anger feel, for whatever reason, that they can't express it, so they resort to food.  Eating out of anger or frustration often sparks binges, which can really pile on the pounds.

The comfort of a sugar high is another factor. In the 1970s, researchers at MIT found that sugars and starches have a powerful effect on serotonin, a brain chemical that helps control both our emotions and our eating, which is why we tend to crave those types of foods when we're upset. Some of the newer drugs for anxiety or depression, such as Zoloft and Paxil, also help alleviate symptoms by increasing serotonin activity in the brain. So, in a very real way, eating two jelly doughnuts or a candy bar is a type of self-medication. This can lead to severe health issues!

If you can try to get some control, by working off any anger and stress by exercising, not by eating, you can begin to feel great!

If you suspect you often eat because you're angry or frustrated, what can you do about it?

Recognize that your life is never going to be trouble-free.
Put a name to what you are feeling.
Forgive yourself.
Beware of "You can't control me!" or defiance eating.
Take your emotional temperature each time you begin eating.
Install roadblocks to ward off emotionally triggered eating.
Reject lingering cultural baggage, like "Ladies don't get mad."
Jot down what you eat each day.
Don't expect to totally change your anger style overnight.

If you find that you spend a good portion of your time angry or frustrated and are overeating because of it, you may want to get help. The following peer groups often discuss issues surrounding emotionally triggered eating and are either free or have a nominal fee.

• Log on to Overeaters Anonymous or call 505-891-2664.
  
• Log on to Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS) or call 800-932-8677.

Get Ready To Hit The Slopes

You don’t have to wait for the snow to start falling to get ready for ski season. Start your training now.

Skiing is an activity that involves a variety of elements: strength, endurance, balance and coordination. Hit the slopes without developing these components and you may be in for more than a little embarrassment, you might even hurt yourself.

This is where sport-specific training comes in. Generally speaking, sport-specific training programs involve focusing on the various skills associated with a particular activity.

A sport-specific program may also take into account skill-related measures of fitness such as agility, balance, coordination, power, speed and reaction time. Most sports require a mixture of these components.

Skiing is a sport that relies heavily on skill-related fitness. A traditional fitness program, which includes a combination of weight training and cardiovascular exercise, will only take you so far.

There are several ways to begin a sport-specific training program. The simplest way is to add several new exercises to your regular workout schedule.

Exercises such as crunches to work your abdominals are essential in creating a solid “core” for balance and agility.

It is important to train your body to withstand and absorb the impact associated with skiing. Plyometric movements, such as hopping from side to side, develop muscle power and strength as well as improve agility.

A great way to integrate these elements into your existing routine is to create a circuit-training program, which involves rapidly moving from one exercise to the next.

Use the slide for lateral training, perform one-legged squats to develop balance and strength and use a step-bench platform to improve power. Try catching a bean bag as it drops off your forearm to improve reaction times or bounce two balls to improve coordination.

Cardio or Weight Training First?

Working out is always good for you. The good news is that, whether you do it before or after weight training, cardiovascular exercise like running, swimming, biking or machine-work will improve everything from your heart health to your mood to your chance of avoiding many cancers. Lifting weights helps with everything from bone density to metabolism.

For those who are seeking weight loss, cardio should come first, but if gaining muscle mass is the goal, it's time to hit the weight room first.

"Doing cardio first will induce fatigue that may compromise technique and possibly increase risk of injury," explains Fabio Comana, director of Continuing Education for the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Exhausting one with a big run right before weights and resistance training doesn't just up the risk of injury; it also means you'll have less energy to throw into a really good weight training session.

On the other hand, if you're looking to lose fat, try doing interval cardio training before getting started on weights. The cardio will deplete your body's supply of glycogen, the stored form of glucose in muscle cells and a primary material in our energy storage. Once glycogen is depleted, the body turns to more long-term storage sources, like fat.

If your goal is strictly to have a lean body, not to be strongest, or most powerful, but achieve maximal leanness; try high-intensity interval training at the beginning of each workout.

But that doesn't mean weights aren't important for fat loss. In fact, when it comes to analyzing the percentage weight loss that's comprised of fat versus lean tissue like muscle, weights have cardio beat overall.

There may be other reasons for doing cardio first. If you have Type 2 diabetes or hypertension prevention and treatment is the priority, then do cardio over resistance. Some diseases are better managed with cardio first, then introducing resistance training.

It's important to get the opinion of a doctor and Certified Personal Trainer before proceeding. If you're exercising, no matter the order, you aren't doing anything wrong. Depending on your goal, you may want to choose one type of exercise over the other. Of course, you could alternate days and avoid the question entirely.

 

Energize Your Life with Strength Training

Many of the changes associated with getting older are actually due to becoming less active with age. Unless you regularly engage in activities to strengthen your muscles, you’ll lose about a half a pound of muscle a year in your 30s and 40s, and that rate can double once you turn 50. As you lose muscle, you lose strength, and that compromises your ability to do even simple things, such as carrying your groceries, getting up from a seated position or gardening. Your metabolism also slows down as you lose muscle, so your body will need fewer calories to maintain itself, and you’re likely to gain excess body fat, unless you eat less. Excess fat contributes to a multitude of health problems: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It doesn’t matter, if you’re 50 years old or 80, studies show that strength training can help.

Here are some good reasons to start weight training:

1. Maintain your independence as you get older
2. Improve your quality of life, allowing you to do the things you enjoy with less effort
3. Strengthen and preserve your muscle tissue
4. Strengthen your bones
5. Reduce your risk of falling
6. Improve control of blood sugar
7. Increase your metabolism
8. Improve your body composition to less fat and more muscle
9. Reduce your resting blood pressure
10. Speed up the rate at which food moves through your digestive system, reducing risk of colon cancer
11. Reduce your risk of low back injury
12. Elevate your mood and your self-confidence
13. Relieve pain from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
14. Enhance recovery from stroke or heart attack

Group Training

Interested in hiring a personal trainer, but concerned about the cost of one-on-one training? Sharing the sessions and the cost with others is a growing trend. Small group personal training can help you reach your fitness goals without breaking your budget. 

For additional info, ask me.

Circuit Training

Circuit Training

Looking for a way to combine your fitness routine with some new energy and excitement? Whether you’re a seasoned athlete or just getting started with physical activity, circuit training is a great way to challenge your body in a variety of ways while boosting the fun factor.

What Is Circuit Training?

A typical circuit training workout includes about 8-10 exercise stations. After completing a station, instead of resting, you move quickly to the next station. A muscular strength and endurance circuit alternates muscle groups, such as upper body, lower body and core, so little or no rest is needed in between stations. You can combine aerobics with strength in a circuit too. This type of circuit alternates 1-2 sets of resistance exercise (body weight, free weights, dumbbells, kettle bells, bands, etc.), with brief bouts of cardiovascular exercise (jogging in place, stationary cycling, rowing, etc.) lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Depending on your goals and the number of circuit stations, you can complete 1 or more circuits in a 30-60 minute session.  Circuits can be tailored to your fitness level. 

Advantages of Circuit Training

Boredom and time constraints are frequently cited reasons for giving up on a fitness routine. Sound familiar? Circuit training offers a practical solution for both. It’s a creative and flexible way to keep exercise interesting and saves time while boosting cardiovascular and muscular fitness. You’ll burn a decent amount of calories too. In a 1-hour circuit training session, a 150-pound person burns about 308 calories at a moderate intensity; and 573 calories at a vigorous intensity. Because the exercises can be performed in any sequence, you can create an endless number of combinations and design every workout to match your mood or specific training goal. Participating in a group circuit-training class is a great way to discover new exercises you might not have tried on your own.

I can design a program just for you.

Cancer Patients Beat Depression with Exercise

By David Haas

Several years ago, doctors and professionals warned cancer patients against exercising while they were battling the disease. It was believed that exercise was a drain on the body and wouldn’t help the cancer patient heal. Today, professionals in the medical field know that the exact opposite is true. Exercise cannot only help prevent cancer, but it can help you beat it, too. Doctors now recommend that cancer patients get at least two and a half hours of exercise every week, no matter how light. Even walking at a slow pace is beneficial if you’re at the height of your cancer treatments. Regardless of if you have breast cancer or are dealing with treatment for mesothelioma, exercise will help in more ways than one.

Many people who have dealt with or are dealing with cancer feel depressed. Learning that you have cancer can drag down your mood drastically. Fearing the worst can make it impossible to function and regain a happy mood. Even after beating cancer, so many survivors live in fear of the cancer returning some day. This stress takes an immense toll on the body and mind. Dealing with cancer, even if the best possible outcome occurred, is so mentally taxing that many people never bounce back. When depression sets in, it can be near impossible to do things to help yourself get out of it.

Exercise is among the best holistic approaches to improving your mood and beating depression. Exercise naturally raises your serotonin levels, which is the chemical in your brain that’s responsible for a positive, upbeat mood. People with depression don’t have enough of this chemical, which makes it pretty much impossible to simply feel happy on their own. Exercise will increase your serotonin, raise your mood and make you feel less depressed. You won’t even need any pricey medications to feel an instant lift.

Even if you’re feeling healthy enough to start working out daily, consult your doctor. Cancer takes a huge toll on the body and your doctor will be able to guide you towards what your body can handle at the moment. You’ll also need to learn the difference between feeling sick and feeling weak. If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, for example, you may actually be too sick to exercise. Take a few days off and get back on your feet when you’re feeling better.
 
http://www.mesothelioma.com/blog/

What Is Functional Strength Training?

Most would agree that there is nothing functional about sustaining an injury due to improper training.

In many respects, functional strength training should be thought of in terms of a continued movement. As humans, we perform a wide range of movement activities, such as walking, jogging, running, sprinting, jumping, lifting, pushing, pulling, bending, twisting, turning, standing, starting, stopping, climbing and lunging.

Simply stated, the primary goal of functional training is to transfer the improvements in strength achieved in one movement to enhancing the performance of another movement by affecting the entire neuromuscular system.

In functional training, it is as critical to train the specific movement as it is to train the muscles involved in the actual movement. The brain, which controls muscular movement, thinks in terms of whole motions, not individual muscles.

Exercises that isolate joints and muscles are training muscles, not movements, which results in less functional improvement. For example, squats will have a greater "transfer effect" on improving an individual's ability to rise from a sofa than knee extensions.

The exercises with the highest transfer effect are those that are essentially similar to the actual movement or activity. It is important to note, however, that individuals cannot become expert at a particular movement or activity by training only with similar movements. For optimal results, repeated practice of the precise movement is required.

Exercises performed on most traditional machines tend to be on the low-end of the functional-training continuum because they isolate muscles in a stabilized, controlled environment. While it may be true that traditional, machine-based exercises are not the best way to transfer performance from the weight room to the real world, it does not mean that such exercises should not be a part of a training program.

For example, "non-functional," single-joint exercise can play a critical role in helping to strengthen a "weak link" that a person may have to restore proper muscle balance. Furthermore, doing such an exercise can allow an individual to more safely and effectively participate in functional-training activities while also reducing the risk of injury.

In the final analysis, it must be remembered that functional training is not an all-or-nothing conclusion. Functional strength training should serve as a supplement to traditional strength training, not as a replacement.

Properly applied, functional strength training may provide exercise variety and additional training benefits that more directly transfer improvements to real-life activities.

Fad Diets Do Not Work

First things first. The easiest way to maintain a healthy weight, of course, is to proactively strive to avoid weight gain and with that to eat a healthy diet and engage in regular physical activity.
For any diet to work, calories consumed need to be less than calories expended. Remember, it takes a 3500 calorie deficit to lose one pound of fat. That is, if you want to lose about a pound per week, you need to eat less and exercise more so that your net calorie intake is about 500 calories less per day than it is right now.

The best diets will advocate at least nine servings daily of a variety of fruits and vegetables – low-calorie foods that provide most of the body’s needed vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that ward off infection and disease. Fiber-containing whole grains and calcium-rich low-fat dairy products should also be encouraged. If the diet relies primarily on a supplement to assure sufficient vitamins and minerals, it probably is not the healthiest choice. 

Nutrition is only one component in making a long-term lifestyle change. Exercise not only speeds weight loss by increasing caloric deficit, but it also is essential in keeping the weight off.

To sell books and win over dieters who have “tried everything,” diet plans tend to make unbelievable claims that oftentimes are substantiated by dieters’ personal testimony. From promises to lose 8 to 13 pounds in the first two weeks of a diet to promotion of magic supplements, diets market themselves as so easy and effective that their irresistible – at first. But what comes off fast, comes on fast. You’re most likely to be successful in losing weight and keeping it off (the hardest part) if you aim for slow and steady with sustainable lifestyle changes. 

The most negligent diet is one that prescribes the same plan to all people regardless of their health status and other individual factors. If you have a history and significant medial illness, such as (but not limited to) diabetes or heart disease, you should talk with your physician before starting a diet or exercise regimen.

While you may be able to scrape together enough money to begin an expensive weight loss program, you may not be able to sustain the cost for an extended period of time. Plan ahead and assess your readiness to change and commit to a program before making huge lifestyle adjustments and financial sacrifices 

Social support is key to successful weight loss. If a diet requires you to eat a different food than the rest of the family, chances are good that you won’t be successful on the diet. If your family is not supportive and committed to helping you make the healthy change, you are probably going to struggle.

Long-term adherence to a program, which means a lifestyle change, is the most important factor for lifelong weight-loss success. The specific diet really doesn’t matter. A few years ago, researchers conducted a one year trial to assess the adherence rate and effectiveness of Atkins, Ornish, Weight Watchers and the Zone diets. They found that all of the diets modestly reduced body weight and cardiovascular risk factors and for each of the diets, people who adhered to the diet had greater weight loss and risk factor reductions. Of course, most of the study participants struggled with adherence, which overall was poor for all of the diets. This just drives home the point once again: permanent lifestyle change, not a quick fix time-bound diet, is essential for successful weight loss and subsequent improved health.

etrainer1.weebly.com

ViPR Free Weights Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w43ezAJoLoA&feature=plcp&context=C4cbe1a6VDvjVQa1PpcFPinPGaS8ct04LhmdC_cZXk0KRo8cesYsw%3D

According to a recent study, when it comes to reducing the risk of death, physical fitness plays a bigger role than weight.

Am I Too Old to Exercise?

If you’ve ever thought you aren’t standing as straight and tall as you once did, find walking up a flight of stairs to be a strain at times, or you groan when reaching for the arms of a chair as you slowly get up from sitting, you aren’t alone.
There are about 78 million baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, with nearly 11 million of them working out in gyms throughout America.
Keep this in mind: “We don’t stop exercising because we get old, we get old because we stop exercising.”
Older adults hurt themselves more through INactivity than through activity. Strength, flexibility, balance and endurance wither from INactivity. Exercise will increase your healthy life-years and enable you to fully engage in life, adding years to your life and life to your years.
With definitive research demonstrating that activity helps forestall cognitive decline (dementia) and being fit keeps people healthier longer, it’s no wonder that more boomers are signing up for personal trainers, group exercise classes, boot camps, and walking groups.
Maintaining at least moderate activity is a key component in a positive health regimen that will combat or prevent these ailments: weight-related diseases, heart disease, anatomical and structural impairments, hypertension, osteoporosis, cholesterol, Alzheimer’s disease, sexual performance, loss of muscle mass, and decreased sociability.
To prevent normal biological changes caused by aging, seek kinder, gentler workouts; slower and longer warm-ups and cool-downs; and exercise routines that emphasize diminished risk of injury while promoting posture, strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance.
Specifically, here are five types of exercise that promote mental alertness and compress disability into as late as life as possible. No, these don’t include cosmetic surgery, expensive skin care regimens or hormone replacement — they don’t have the staggering amount of research that exercise does.

1. Cardio: Moderately intense aerobic activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five times per week or, if you can engage in more vigorous aerobic exercise, do that three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes. Walking, swimming, using a treadmill or elliptical, and biking are examples of cardio exercise.
2. Strength training: We lose 30% of our muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. Normally, adults who are sedentary beyond age 50 can expect muscle loss of up to 0.4 pounds a year. At least twice each week, engage in exercises designed to maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance, including resistance training with machines or free weights.
3. Flexibility training: Here’s where stretching and range of motion exercises become important to connective tissue, so regular stretching at least twice each week for at least 10 minutes each time is recommended.
4. Balance training: Musculoskeletal injuries are the number one reason people seek medical help, with falls among the leading causes of death for the 65+ population. Backward and sideways walking, heel walking and toe walking are all fun ways to increase balance. Consider using a workout ball or balance pad and have a professional trainer demonstrating proper form and exercise options.
5. Core training: These exercises strengthen your abs and other muscles that stabilize the spine, pelvis, and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles make it possible to stand, shift body weight and protect the back and hips. Exercises include abdominal bracing, contracting the abdominal muscles, plank exercises, hip lifts, and having fun with medicine balls, dumbbells, kettlebells, Bosu Balls, balance and wobble boards.

Stomach Flattener Exercise

http://bcove.me/kesiy6yg

Fitness Training

A complete, safe and effective fitness program should include: aerobics, resistance and strength training, flexibility and balance training.

Have you wondered which method of strength training is better? Is it free weights or strength-training equipment? The truth is that each has its advantages and disadvantages.

The choice depends on your level of experience, your exercise goals and, to some extent, your personal preference. An understanding of these factors will help you decide if free weights or machines, or a combination of both, will help you reach your goals.

Strength and resistance training is a critical component of any healthy exercise, fitness and workout plan. Not only can it help you build and tone muscle, but it can boost your metabolism and is an important part of any weight loss or weight management program.

Free weights incorporate the stabilizing muscles that enable you to perform the movements you choose to make and may be more effective in producing overall muscular strength and power gains.

Machines are generally safer and easier to use, an advantage for beginners learning a specific movement.

It's never too late to become active! In addition to enhancing your quality of life and ability to pursue your interests, physical activity for adults age 50+ plays an important role in preventing health problems and managing those common disorders that might already be present such as diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and elevated cholesterol. Significant health benefits can be seen by including just a moderate amount of exercise into your lifestyle.

V Sit Partner Rotations with Medicine Ball - Abs - Get Fit Exercise Library - American Council on Exercise

http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/263/v-sit-partner-rotations-with-medicine-ball/?utm_source=Health%2BeTips&utm_medium=email&utm_term=February%2B2012&utm_campaign=Consumer%2BOutreach&CMP=EMC-HET_0212#.T1lPfSXZOcg.blogger

Treadmill Walking Tips

There are several important elements to an effective treadmill exercise. A few things to keep in mind are:

Always warm up. It is essential to stretch your muscles and warm them up slowly by walking at a speed of no more than 1.5 to 2 mph for a minute or two. Switching from the heels to the toes for thirty seconds each, then stretching out your stride for another minute will help stretch all muscles properly. If you’ve increased your level of fitness after a time, you can increase the speed of your warm-up to as fast as 4 mph, which is basically power-walking or a light jog.

Increase your workout slowly. You should stay at one level for four weeks before moving on to the next level of difficulty. Any faster and you risk over-tasking your muscles or sustaining an injury. This is one of the most important tips for treadmill workouts to keep in mind. Burn-out is frequently the result of trying to rush to    results.

Always cool down. Hopping off the treadmill after running and sitting down is an invitation for muscle cramps or worse. You need to slow down the pace and allow your muscles and heart rate to return to normal while you are moving.

Walking is the key to good cardio treadmill workouts. For the first four weeks, you should try for twenty minutes of walking at a pace of about 2-4 mph, depending on your comfort level. Adding ten minutes for the stretching, warm-up and cool-down, you’ll spend a half-hour each time. For the few weeks of treadmill exercise, add ten minutes to your walking time. Do this until you are spending a total of sixty minutes on the treadmill at a time.

Studies have shown that varying your heart rate and the intensity of your workout actually increases your metabolism more than exercising at the same rate for a prolonged length of time. What that means for you is that you should vary how fast you are walking or running when you are on the treadmill.

Strength Training

Who's confused about weight training?

Many people are confused about weight training. They are concerned that they are going to "bulk up" too much or that they are going to add pounds when they are trying to cut weight.

Keep in mind that you're not preparing for a wrestling tournament or similar activity that requires you to be in a certain weight group. So for most of us, body composition is ...much more important than what the scale reads. Some overlooked benefits of weight training include improved body fat percentage, increased energy and metabolism and stress reduction. Strength training often helps you look better in a bathing suit too!

Two benefits that I think are particularly important include improvements in muscle strength and bone density. Think about your elderly family members. When was the last time they did any kind of strength exercise?

The truth is that it has probably been such a long time that simply getting out of the chair is a workout. This is likely due to the common belief that resistance training is just for young people and particular for young men.

In reality, strength training is for people of all ages and it serves different purposes for each.

Health and Fitness: Alcohol Eats Away At Muscle Mass

Health and Fitness: Alcohol Eats Away At Muscle Mass: If increasing muscle mass is one of your goals, think twice before you go out for a night of heavy drinking. Consuming alcohol in large quan...

Alcohol Eats Away At Muscle Mass

If increasing muscle mass is one of your goals, think twice before you go out for a night of heavy drinking. Consuming alcohol in large quantities has a direct effect on your metabolism, causing fat to be stored instead of being utilized as an energy source. Alcohol contains seven “empty” calories per gram, meaning that these calories don’t provide you with any of the essential nutrients you need to build that muscle mass you desire.

12 ounces of beer = ~150 calories
5 ounces of wine = ~100 calories
1.5-ounces of distilled spirits = ~100 calories

Alcohol is a known depressant that suppresses the brain’s ability to function. The after-effects of a night of excessive drinking can be detrimental to your fitness goals. Alcohol is a diuretic that may result in dehydration. This dehydration is known to decrease physical performance, so that previous night of drinking will continue to affect you the following day.

Alcohol’s affect on sleep patterns results in increased fatigue and physical stress to the body.

 A study examining how alcohol affects caloric intake found that subjects who drank wine with their lunch consumed an additional 200 calories and did not compensate for those calories by cutting back at dinner.

When alcohol is consumed in moderation (no more than one drink per day for women and no more than two drinks per day for men), it has been shown to have some positive effects:

Increased HDL cholesterol

Reduced stress levels

Reduced Insulin Resistance

In conclusion, if you want to increase muscle mass, decrease fat or improve general health, make sure alcohol is only consumed in moderation.