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Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Exercise Part 2 - Questions Arising - Secrets That No One Ever Tells You
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The Need For Exercise
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4 Tips On How To Not Quit Your Next Exercise Program
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Monday, February 7, 2011
6 Reasons Why You Need an Exercise Break
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Skiing Exercises for Recreational Skiers
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Increase Your Fat Burning Potential During and After Exercise
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Adobe Illustrator CS5 Classroom in a Book
Creative professionals seeking the fastest, easiest, most comprehensive way to learn Adobe Illustrator CS5 choose Adobe Illustrator CS5 Classroom in a Book from the Adobe Creative Team at Adobe Press. The 15 project-based lessons in this book show readers step-by-step the key techniques for working in Illustrator CS5. Readers learn how to create vector artwork for virtually any project and across multiple media: print, websites, interactive projects, and video. In addition to learning the key elements of the Illustrator interface, they'll learn how to integrate their artwork with Adobe Flash movies, Adobe InDesign layouts, and Adobe Flash Catalyst software to add interaction to their designs.
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C++ Primer Plus (5th Edition)
If you are new to C++ programming, C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition is a friendly and easy-to-use self-study guide. You will cover the latest and most useful language enhancements, the Standard Template Library and ways to streamline object-oriented programming with C++. This guide also illustrates how to handle input and output, make programs perform repetitive tasks, manipulate data, hide information, use functions and build flexible, easily modifiable programs. With the help of this book, you will:
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C++ Primer Plus, Fifth Edition makes learning and using important object-oriented programming concepts understandable. Choose this classic to learn the fundamentals and more of C++ programming.
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Sunday, February 6, 2011
A Gift of Fire: Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues for Computing and the Internet (3rd Edition)
KEY BENEFIT: Baase explores timely social, legal, philosophical, ethical, political, constitutional and economic implications of computing from a computer scientist's perspective. KEY TOPICS: Coverage of the issues readers face both as members of a technological society and as professionals in computer-related fields. Adds new information on phenomena such as the growth of amateur work on the Web, blogs, video sharing, collaborative works (such as Wikipedia), and social networking. Includes new privacy topics such as cameras in cell phones, access to our search queries and all sorts of data we put on the Web, social networking, location tracking, high-tech surveillance systems, and some anti-terrorism programs. Updated chapters on intellectual property, professional ethics and responsibilities, and crime. MARKET: A useful reference for computer science professionals or anyone interested in learning more about computing technology and its arising issues.
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Operating System Concepts
Keep pace with the fast-developing world of operating systems Open-source operating systems, virtual machines, and clustered computing are among the leading fields of operating systems and networking that are rapidly changing. With substantial revisions and organizational changes, Silberschatz, Galvin, and Gagne’s Operating System Concepts, Eighth Edition remains as current and relevant as ever, helping you master the fundamental concepts of operating systems while preparing yourself for today’s emerging developments.
As in the past, the text brings you up to speed on core knowledge and skills, including:
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Microsoft Visual C# 2010 Step by Step
Teach yourself Visual C# 2010-one step at a time. Ideal for developers with fundamental programming skills, this practical tutorial features learn-by-doing exercises that demonstrate how, when, and why to use the features of the C# rapid application development environment. You'll learn how to use Microsoft Visual Studio® 2010 and Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0; develop a solid, fundamental understanding of C# language features; and then get to work creating actual components and working applications for the Windows® operating system. You'll also delve into data management technologies and Web-based applications.
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Learning OpenCV: Computer Vision with the OpenCV Library
"This library is useful for practitioners, and is an excellent tool for those entering the field: it is a set of computer vision algorithms that work as advertised."
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Learning OpenCV puts you in the middle of the rapidly expanding field of computer vision. Written by the creators of the free open source OpenCV library, this book introduces you to computer vision and demonstrates how you can quickly build applications that enable computers to "see" and make decisions based on that data.
Computer vision is everywhere-in security systems, manufacturing inspection systems, medical image analysis, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and more. It stitches Google maps and Google Earth together, checks the pixels on LCD screens, and makes sure the stitches in your shirt are sewn properly. OpenCV provides an easy-to-use computer vision framework and a comprehensive library with more than 500 functions that can run vision code in real time.
Learning OpenCV will teach any developer or hobbyist to use the framework quickly with the help of hands-on exercises in each chapter. This book includes:
Price: $49.99-William T. Freeman, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Learning OpenCV puts you in the middle of the rapidly expanding field of computer vision. Written by the creators of the free open source OpenCV library, this book introduces you to computer vision and demonstrates how you can quickly build applications that enable computers to "see" and make decisions based on that data.
Computer vision is everywhere-in security systems, manufacturing inspection systems, medical image analysis, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and more. It stitches Google maps and Google Earth together, checks the pixels on LCD screens, and makes sure the stitches in your shirt are sewn properly. OpenCV provides an easy-to-use computer vision framework and a comprehensive library with more than 500 functions that can run vision code in real time.
Learning OpenCV will teach any developer or hobbyist to use the framework quickly with the help of hands-on exercises in each chapter. This book includes:
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Saturday, February 5, 2011
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Top 10 Exercise "Mistakes" and How To Fix Them
This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware of these mistakes, decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and even risking injury. This list describes each "mistake" but follows with a suggested "correction". You may find this list helpful in grading yourself or even your personal trainer.
Ineffective warm up prior to a workout
The purpose of a warm-up is to gently prepare the body for the increased stress from the upcoming exercise session. A 5 - 10 min bout of moderate intensity cycling, treadmill walking or elliptical work or even sports specific type movements to induce a mild, sustained stretch will be sufficient. These activities have the effect of increasing blood flow to the muscles (including the heart) and increasing the core muscle temperature for improved joint flexibility and range of motion, possibly helping reduce injury.
Quite often exercisers go to the extreme when it concerns a warm up, they either do not perform one at all, or "prefatigue" by running at a high intensity for 15 -20 minutes (or more) before their session. This has the effect of draining valuable muscle carbohydrate stores (glycogen) needed for the upcoming strength training/bodybuilding exercise session.
If the goal of exercise is to lose weight, it is actually better to perform extended aerobic exercise or interval training at the end of an intense strength training session as the body will be likely to burn more fat as a fuel due to the decreased glycogen stores.
Ineffective stretching
Many individuals and personal trainers lack the knowledge to perform stretches effectively. For example, when performing a static hamstring stretch on the floor with the leg straight up in the air it is essential to press the opposite leg onto the floor to prevent excessive posterior (backward) tilting of the pelvis. Posterior tilting will decrease the effectiveness of the stretch.
When performing a dynamic stretch like a lunge to stretch the groin and thigh muscles, the spine (and pelvis) must remain erect and perpendicular to the floor otherwise the effectiveness is lost. Exercisers that stretch in the standing position while holding onto or pressing against some external source of stabilization deprive themselves of full benefit.
It may beneficial to perform dynamic stretches with good technique in unsupported standing and lunge type positions at the beginning of the session. This has the effect of simultaneously targeting balance (core stability) and flexibility while preparing the body and joints for movement during the strength training workout to follow. Static stretching may be more effective at the end of the workout session as the muscles will be warm and pliable.
Excessive use of machines
As mentioned in other articles on this website, exclusive use of exercise machines deprives the core muscles of stimulation and forces muscles to work either in isolation or in static, non functional patterns. While some machines such as leg press machines and assisted pull up/dip machines have merit; exercises that accentuate the body's own internal stabilization mechanism (core) are excellent for increasing movement function and also allow for much more creativity and fun.
Exercise machines are good for an introduction to resistance training and for bodybuilding, but it is not advisable to use them as an exclusively. A good suggestion is to strike a balance between exercises that challenge the body's own stability and balance (free weights, standing/lunging exercises) and traditional machine and supported exercises, which allow for greater muscle work
Poor exercise technique
Ultimately quality is the factor that matters most when exercising not necessarily quantity. It is easy to sacrifice form for function and perform many more repetitions of an exercise with poor technique than to perform the same movement with strict biomechanically correct technique. It makes sense then that correct technique is the most difficult aspect to learn and control as it is often only gained through experience and trial and error.
An inexperienced exerciser should invest in the services of an experienced and credentialed personal trainer to minimize the learning curve and get it right from the start. For example, an excellent method of assessing the quality of you or your instructor's form in a squat is to view the back of the head in relation to the back of the heel. If the spine is straight (not curved) and the back of the head remains in line with the back of the heel (flat) throughout the entire movement, then the technique is good.
Essentially, the barbell should move in a near vertical line throughout the movement. Should the bar move forward, it places increasingly heavy loads on the spine and intevertebral discs, much like the arm of a crane. Lifting in this manner increases the likelihood of injury to the spine and the connective tissues such as discs, muscles and ligaments.
Holding the feet down and throwing the legs during abdominal exercises
An exerciser's feet should never be held down or hooked under a bed/door when performing multiple sit ups as this will allow for a majority of the work to be performed by the hip flexor (groin) muscles. The lower abdominals are responsible for fixing the pelvis in a sit-up by pressing the low back into the floor. If the abdominals fatigue or are not strong enough to hold the low back flat and the feet are fixed, the hip flexors may cause a forward tilting of the pelvis and the development of a "hole" in the lower back.
Performing sit-ups with a forward tilted pelvis tends to strain the low back and actually stretch and weaken the abdominals instead of strengthening them. The same problems can occur while lying on the back when both legs are raised straight into the air and are thrown by a partner toward the floor. If the lower abdominals cannot fix the pelvis flat as the legs approach the floor, this type of exercise can seriously strain the lower back muscles. An alternate leg scissor action is reverse curls or hanging knee lifts are a better substitute for concentrating on the lower abdominals.
Holding onto the front or side rails of a treadmill
This is a common sight in any gym of fitness facility - a person gets on a treadmill and starts to progressively crank up the speed and incline. The incline approaches maximal and the individual is holding onto the front or side rails for dear life to avoid being thrown off the machine. The rail holding essentially cancels out the benefit of the increased intensity demands gained from the incline since the arms are literally holding the body up.
Holding the railings also negatively affects natural walking/running biomechanics - the lack of arm swing may unnecessarily strain muscles and connective tissue - especially those of the pelvis and low back. Rail holding also has the effect of reducing the core/balance training stimulus required to walk/run in the unsupported condition.
Lastly, since most people use treadmills as a means of performing aerobic exercise to lose weight why stop the arms from moving as this contributes to energy expenditure?
Ineffective exercise progression
Any exercise session should have some logical order to maximize results. Often exercisers and trainers do not place a high priority on exercise order; switching from one exercise to another with no apparent sequence. Exercise order is very important on the eventual results and should be motivated by the neuromuscular and energy system demands of the chosen exercises. For example, core exercises which require a great deal of concentration and precise form to perform effectively, should be performed when the person is "fresh"- right after a short warm-up and stretching.
Core training may be followed by power training (if appropriate) since this form of exercise also requires that the exerciser be rested and fresh to perform effectively. Multiple joint strength training (exercises like squats, lunges, bench press, shoulder press ect.) should follow power training since these exercises require large energy reserves.
A good variation here is to alternate between upper and lower body exercises or use the "pull/push" rule - that is, follow a pulling type exercise with a pushing type exercise. Since most isolation exercises such as tricep extensions, bicep curls and sit-ups have much lower energy requirements, these can be performed near the end of the session.
Trying to perform stabilization and mobilization exercise together
The core muscles stabilize the pelvis in its "neutral" position (as in standing upright with perfect posture). The muscles like the hamstrings, large back muscles and hip flexors that are attached to the pelvis are mobilizing muscles and do just what their name implies - they tilt the pelvis forward and back, side to side and rotate it to allow for bodily movement. It is very difficult to train stability and mobility in a single exercise since technically they are opposite actions.
For example, performing squats (requires movement of the pelvis) on a BOSU ball or while standing on inflatable discs or foam rollers is probably of little benefit to strengthening the core. Likewise, performing curl-ups on an exercise ball is unlikely to improve core strength as this exercise is targeting the muscles that tip the pelvis backwards.
Core exercises are best performed in static positions such as bridging and standing. It is beneficial then to concentrate on stabilizing strength and mobilizing strength separately and not together. Build a foundation of core stability and flexibility first before trying to work the arm and legs. Much more leg strength can be trained when the foot is in contact with a firm surface (like the ground) - besides this is how we operate in daily life anyway.
Faulty exercise progression
Quite often exercisers, personal trainers and even coaches fail to understand functional exercise progressions. They observe other people performing a particular exercise and decide to incorporate it in their or their client's routine. It may be however that the person they observed performing the exercise had progressed to that point correctly in a functional and systematic manner. If an exerciser attempts to perform an exercise that they are physically unprepared for, there is increased risk of injury and performing the movement with poor technique.
The brain remembers and stores both good and bad motor and movement patterns, so the old adage JUNK IN = JUNK OUT holds true for exercise too. A good suggestion is strengthen form the "inside out" and not the "outside in" by focusing on flexibility and stability. These are the prerequisites to the successful performance of functional movements such as squats, lunges and sport specific movements.
So static stability training and stretching progresses to dynamic stability training, which then progresses to strength and finally power training. To attempt to strengthen and condition the body from the "outside in" instead of from the "inside out" will fail to give any satisfactory results. Any exercise program should look first to develop a base (core stability, cardiovascular fitness) and then progressively "build" on this base to improve performance, strength and function.
Placing blocks under the heels in a squat
Placing blocks under the heels is a common technique used by trainers and exercisers alike to compensate for tight calf muscles (soleus) or to concentrate work on the quadriceps (thigh muscles). Often exercisers see other individuals performing squats in this manner and they aim to copy them. This practice is not advisable since one is essentially "giving in" to the lack of flexibility at the ankle and failing to increase the quality of this highly functional movement.
Raising the heels also places the ankle in an unstable, plantarflexed position making it more susceptible to injury - specifically a lateral ankle sprain. In this position, the body's center of mass shifts from the midfoot to nearer the toes, increasing the likelihood of a loss of balance and possible injury. A safer method to target either the quadriceps or the hamstrings and glutes is to control the bar placement on the back.
In the high position the bar rests on the posterior deltoids (shoulder muscles) at the base of the neck, this has the effect of targeting the quadriceps muscles. In the low position, the bar rests further down the back across the posterior deltoid at the level of the middle trapezius (top of the shoulder blades) this positioning will translate into a greater load being shifted towards the hamstring and glute muscles.
This article has aimed to highlight the common mistakes that people may make in their exercise routines. Very often just an awareness of the mistakes can often remedy the situation while other problems may take time and experience to deal with like learning correct exercise technique. It is hoped that this article served the purpose of informing the reader so as to allow him/her to get the most out of their exercise routine and allow them to make educated assessments of themselves and other exercise professionals.
David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of Body Tuneup Shop Inc. based in Clearwater, Florida. More articles, information and client testimonial video clips can be found at http://bodytuneupshop.com
NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.
Reap The Benefits Of Exercise: Stay FIT and HEALTHY
The news is filled with scientific studies about the benefits of exercise. Television channels advertise exercise equipment, diet pills, celebrity diets and fitness regimes aimed at losing fat and gaining muscle in 10 weeks or less. With all of this blatant propaganda, it can be hard to see the simplest and most heart felt benefits of regular exercise. Exercise provides higher levels of health for the body. It improves the body's function and ability to fight new disease and the progression of disease. Simply put, exercise is an essential part of our daily lives and has nothing to do with propaganda.
To better understand the benefits of exercise, one must first examine the true definition of exercise. Defining exercise is dependent upon the level of current fitness the body has achieved. For a sedentary individual, exercise may mean walking to and from the grocery store instead of parking right next to the front door. It can be taking those extra steps to pick up the mail on foot, or walking to the bus stop to retrieve the kids after school. On the other hand, for the more physically fit person, more activity is needed to grasp the real and noticeable benefits from exercise on a regular basis.
At the heart of an exercise program is the heart. The heart needs to be worked consistently in order for an activity to be termed as exercise and thus for that activity to change the way the body looks, acts and feels. In general, exercise needs to raise the heart rate to a level that is literally an exercise for the heart. Knowing the level of heart rate one should aim for is the first aspect of reaching the core potential for the body.
Knowing Your Target Heart Rate
Your target heart rate is the rate that the heart should be raised to during exercise and the level it should remain at during the exercise program in order for the activity to truly be termed exercise. The target heart rate for an individual is computed with the help of the age and current physical fitness level. Computing the target heart rate means first computing the maximum heart rate and the resting heart rate. These two figures come into play heavily when computing the target heart rate for physical activity.
The maximum heart rate can be figured by taking the number 220 and subtracting your age from that number. While this is the most common method for figuring the maximum heart rate, the only true measurement is the one taken after rigorous exercise. In order to find this clinical version of your maximum heart rate, your doctor or the physical trainers at a local gym can help guide you through the process of maximizing your heart rate and then measuring the results.
The resting heart rate is the heart rate you exhibit upon waking in the morning. As soon as you awaken, place your fingers on the neck just below the left curved jaw line. Press in with the fingers and count the number of beats you feel within a minute's time. This is your resting heart rate.
Once you have noted your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate you will be able to figure out your target heart rate for physical fitness. The target heart rates are figured on a sliding scale based upon intensity. The intensity levels used range from 50% to 85%, with 50% being the minimum target heart rate for physical fitness and the 85% being the maximum target heart rate for physical fitness. The method for calculating the target heart rate is as follows:
* ((Maximum Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate) X Intensity %) + Resting Heart Rate
To further understand the calculation of the target heart rate an example could be:
* A 30 year old woman who has a maximum heart rate of 190 beats per minutes (220-30) and a resting heart rate of 60 beats per minute. This woman would have a minimum target heart rate for physical fitness of 125 beats per minute (190-60 = 130 X 50% = 65 + 60 = 125) and a maximum target heart rate for physical fitness of 170.5 beats per minute (190-60 = 130 X 85% = 110.5 + 60 = 170.5). Thus the target heart range for this woman would be 125 to 170.5 beats per minute.
Working the Target Heart Rate Levels
In the beginning of a physical fitness program, the individual will need to aim for the lower end of the target heart rate range. This is not only good for the body, but for the heart, as well. When beginning a physical fitness program aimed at reaping the benefits of exercise, a doctor or a physician should be consulted in order to make sure your body is ready for higher levels of physical fitness. This is especially important for people who have been living a sedentary lifestyle, or who are currently being treated for any physical illness, disease or limitation.
From the beginning days of your new physical fitness program, the aim of that activity will be to achieve the lower end of the target heart rate range and keep the heart rate within that range for the duration of the exercise. But, this does not mean 5 or 10 minutes. In order to achieve the benefits of exercise, a longer commitment is needed.
Optimizing Your Workout Goals
The most promising effects of physical fitness and exercise can be achieved through 30-45 minutes of sustained heart rate increase, 3-5 days a week. At first, this amount of commitment may seem overwhelming, but no one will ask a first timer to reach these levels within a few days of starting an exercise program. Starting out slowly by working out for 10 minutes, three times a day can be a goal more easily conquered. Over time, as the physical fitness levels increase, the time of each workout will increase, as well. Knowing how long to exercise and how high your heart rate should stay is only the first step in achieving the optimal benefits of exercise. Knowing which exercises to do is the next.
The Best Actions to Ensure the Benefits of Exercise
Your entire body needs to be a part of the physical fitness regime you are about to undertake. While the majority of first time exercisers choose aerobic exercise in the form of walking, jogging, treadmill work or elliptical work or their daily heart rate rise, this can be worth less benefit to the body over time.
Take the case, for instance, of the retail manager. He may walk 35,000 steps a day while on the job, but that does not constitute exercise. The body eventually gets used to this form of movement and predicts that it is an every day occurrence. The heart rate does not rise and the benefits of exercise are lost. The same goes for daily exercise regimes. The activities you choose need to shock the body and keep those muscles guessing from day to day.
The best exercises to choose for the beginner would follow a weekly plan that works the entire body within the 5 days of exercise. An example week may include:
Monday - Briskly walking for 35 minutes.
Tuesday - Sit-ups, push-ups and general calisthenics
Wednesday - Dancing for 35 minutes to your favorite music.
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Jumping rope for 35 minutes.
Saturday - Sit-ups, push-ups and general calisthenics
Sunday - Rest
As you can see from this example week, the body muscles being used are different with each day of the program. The aerobic exercise days alternate with the anaerobic or muscle building days. This keeps the body guessing and helps to build muscle which can burn more resting calories over time. This is simply an example program. Depending on the exercise equipment you currently own or plan to buy, the actual activities could change dramatically.
Choosing Your Exercise Equipment
In order to create the best exercising environment at home, the home fitness equipment market offers just about every specific piece of gym equipment for home use. These additions to the home gym can be expensive and should be researched fully before choosing which pieces to buy. Some of the equipment available for home purchase includes:
? Elliptical Machines
? Treadmills
? Weight Benches
? Smith Machines
? Exercise Bikes
? Recumbent Exercise Bikes
When choosing one of these exercise machines, it is important to find out all you can about the machine, how it works and the overall helpfulness to those who have used the machine at home. The exercise bike, for example, offers the home gym user the chance to ride a bike without going out of the home. This can be beneficial during the colder months of the year and for those beginning exercise regimes in the obese stages of weight loss. In order to choose the best exercise bike, exercise bike reviews and recumbent exercise bike reviews can be found all over the Internet. These exercise bike reviews are written by people who have already purchased the exercise bike or have used the bike on varying occasions. The reviews will help you to choose from the hundreds of models of exercise bikes available for home purchase.
So, you have put in the research, the time and the money and now you want to know the benefits of exercise. Exercise is not only great for the body, but the mind as well. A regular exercise program can help ease the effects of stress, strengthen the heart, body and immune system, as well as the self image of the person exercising.
Reaping the Benefits of Exercise
The measurable benefits of exercise will be different for each generational age. From birth to the senior years of life, exercise provides the body with positive health effects and a sense of betterment, calmness and well being. No matter the reason for beginning a physical fitness program, the results will ultimately be the same, a better you.
Exercise and Babies
From the day a baby is born, exercise can be a part of every day life. Parental massages and fluid leg and arm movements can help to keep baby calm and stress free. Some parents even notice that over time the baby becomes used to these small bits of baby exercise and uses them to fall asleep at night and recover after a hearty baby cry.
Exercise and Kids
Once kids reach the rolling stage, there will be no stopping the exercise. The levels of energy a child exhibits each and every day not only need to be used to play and run rampant, but in a focused manner. When a parent engages in exercise fun with kids, they learn that exercise activities can be a healthy part of everyday life. This is especially important in the process of making exercise a normal part of every day life in later years.
Exercise and Teens
As kids grow from being kids and into being teens, they may find themselves less likely to exercise on a daily basis. This, unfortunately, is a great precursor for the activity level the child will have later in life. Making exercise a part of family fun and family outdoor activities, again teaches that exercise does not have to be a job it can be a part of life every day. The more exercise is ingrained in everyday activities; the more apt the teen is to continue exercising later in life.
Exercise and the Adult
As teens move into adulthood, the metabolism of the body begins to slow. This slowing can cause adult weight gain which can then lead to more serious conditions such as Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes and cardiovascular problems, among others. In order to prevent these disease and conditions, daily exercise is needed to keep the body moving and refreshing on a daily basis.
Some of the many benefits of exercise include:
? An increase in circulation.
? An increase in metabolism or calorie burning.
? A decrease in depression, stress and anxiety.
? A better sense of well being and self esteem.
? A decreased chance of depression, heart disease, diabetes and other weight related disorders.
Adults who exercise 3 to 5 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes are just plain healthier than those who do not exercise. One study recently compared sets of twins and measured their cellular age. One of the twins was active and exercised on a regular basis; the other twin did not exercise and lived a more sedentary lifestyle. The twin who exercised exhibited a cellular age 10 years younger than the twin. Exercise keeps you healthy and young.
Exercise and Seniors
Just because age has gotten the best of your bones, joints and mind, does not have to mean you should stop exercising. With age comes health issues that may impede normal levels of activity, but low impact, low heart effecting workouts are still very important well into the latest years of life. These exercises can include:
? Yoga
? Dancing
? Tai Chi
? Stretching
? Walking
While this list is certainly not all inclusive, seniors can choose from any of these exercises and find a level that suits their physical fitness levels.
Exercise Has a Beginning and an End
It is important to note that the human body needs to be warmed up and cooled down when exercising. Warm ups need to last 10 to 15 minutes before the beginning of an exercise routine and cool downs need to last 5 to 10 minutes after the completion of the exercise routine. The warm up helps to prevent tears to the muscles that can occur if the muscles are cold and thus shorter than when warm. The cool down will help to distribute the lactic acid throughout the muscle. Lactic acid is a byproduct of exercise and is the main reason for pain and soreness in muscles the day after exercising.
Warm ups and cool downs can involve stretching, walking slower than exercising pace and heavy breathing exercises. Any activity that warms up the muscles can be involved in a warm up activity. The activity will need to warm up the same muscles that will be used during the exercise routine. Cooling down after an exercise routine should focus on the muscles that were just worked out in the exercise routine.
The benefits of exercise are rooted in a life of physical activity. The body needs to move, the heart needs to pump, and the muscles and mind need to be able to release some of that built up stress that living places upon us all. Through weekly exercise regimes, the human body can change, mold and prevent illness. No matter how you twist and turn it, the body is a machine that needs to stay well oiled and the perfect oil is exercise.
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Friday, February 4, 2011
Cutting Edge Exercise and the Benefits That It Provides
This article is written for those of you out there who think that exercise is a four-letter word! You have either had a bad experience which made it painful, you think that it takes too much of your time, or you just plain don't like it. It's exciting to me that you are reading this article to learn more about just how critical exercise is as it relates to your health and longevity. Is there anyone reading this article today who doesn't want to live longer and at a higher quality of life? I didn't think so, but I was just making sure that I was writing this for the proper group of people!
There is so much information out there about exercise that it can often be overwhelming. Some of it is good information, but somehow we have made it more complicated than it needs to be. I would like to begin by spending some time laying the groundwork for the importance of exercise. The benefits of exercise are detailed in the latest available research on the subject. More importantly, I want to break it down for you so that you can use this information immediately in your everyday life. What benefit is information that is left without being put to good use- it's virtually useless isn't it? I don't want that to be the case for any of you reading this article.
It has been proven that you can't get the results that will change your life without having simple things that anyone can do to improve their level of health and wellness. One of the most important of these is the benefit of exercise. I have included a short list to name just a few of the benefits of exercise. You can decide for yourself whether it is worth adding into your daily routine:
1. It increases lean body mass and lowers your body fat
2. Ligaments and tendons are thicker, larger, and stronger
3. Bone density and calcium absorption improves
4. You need a lot less air to do the same amount of work- being out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs is evidence of low aerobic power and a poor state of fitness
5. The heart becomes larger and stronger- it is provided with a greater number of blood vessels
6. It increases the amount of blood pumped with each beat which reduces how hard the heart has to work both at rest and with exercise
7. Blood vessels to the muscles increase in size, number and elasticity
8. It eliminates the needless blood vessels to fat as it is lost which decreases blood pressure
9. HDL cholesterol increases which prevents hardening of the arteries
10. Red blood cells increase which improves the oxygen carrying capacity
11. Exercise decreases the chance for a blood clot or thrombosis
12. It improves the body's ability to use the oxygen that it is provided
13. It increases your overall blood volume
14. It improves the nerve and hormonal balance in the body, especially to the heart which conserves oxygen for the heart itself
15. It increases the mitochondria function which burns the fuel for the body more efficiently
16. It decreases body weight which decreases the "load" on the body
17. It enhances the function of the immune system and overall physiology
18. It increases muscle mass which burns more fat for fuel more efficiently
19. It slows the aging process in all of the organs and muscles of the body
20. You look better and younger and you feel better in a short time
Like I mentioned earlier, we've turned exercise into a four-letter word haven't we? We have all come up with the reasons that we can't exercise even though we know that we will not be as healthy without it. Unfortunately, we tend to create all the reasons that we cannot do something instead of just getting started. What do you call all the reasons that you can't do something even though you really can? Excuses! Isn't it true that we would all tend to avoid exercise if we could? It is human nature not to work any harder than we think we have to, but I am telling you that from this point on, you have to exercise or you will not live as long or with the quality of life that you deserve. What you have done up to this point is not as important as what you will start doing from now on! Where do you want to be 10-20 years from now? The choice is yours to make.
Here is a list of all the excuses that someone could use as to why they can't exercise. They would include things like
1. I can't afford to belong to a gym or health club
2. I can't find the time
3. I don't have enough energy to exercise
4. I don't have any equipment
5. I don't know how to exercise properly
6. I have a pain or a problem with some part of my body
7. And many, many others
If you have heard me speak in the past, you know how much I like to use recent research to back up everything that I say. There was a study done of 25,000 men which is no small group. The only common denominator in these 25,000 men was exercising regularly. The conclusions that they were able to draw from this research project were that even if you were eating poorly and were overweight but were exercising and were physically fit, you had the same risk of dying as someone who was thin and eats well, but does not exercise and is out of shape. So when people are in shape and are more physically fit, you can be overweight but still have the ability to be healthy. Again, even the people who were overweight have the same lifespan as long as you were in shape and fit from working out. So it is not all just about eating correctly. It is more about your overall lifestyle. Now if this was not recent research from a viable source I wouldn't believe it myself, but they proved that if you eat well, but your body is out of shape, you are actually twice as likely to die of heart disease or cancer than someone who eats poorly but is physically fit!
You must realize that things like taking care of your nerve system, your exercise program, stress management techniques are actually of greater importance than your diet and nutrition. Now don't misunderstand. You know how strongly I feel that nutrition is a critical part of life and health, but you have got to keep it in perspective. You could be eating correctly and taking the best of nutritional supplements, but if you are leaving out exercise, and not taking care of your nerve system, it is not enough to fight off disease and degeneration. Always remember, nerves control everything.
A clinical researcher in the field of exercise physiology by the name of Ken Goodrick of Baylor University in Texas conducted a study on diabetes. The study showed that diabetes is up 39% in this country in the past 9 years. To put that in perspective, any disease process that is up 2% in a 10 year period is to be considered a national state of emergency. It should be the top priority in that country to do whatever it takes to stop and reverse this trend. Here is what they found- they noticed that this same diabetes that is up 39% in the U.S. would be virtually wiped out with just two changes:
1. Lose 30 pounds over a 5 year period by modifying their diet and
2. Getting on a consistent exercise program to include walking and lifting some weights or using resistance weight machines.
They found that diabetes could be almost eliminated if people would simply do these two things consistently. The sad thing is that these are things that we should be doing anyway! Can you imagine getting rid of all the insulin and diabetic drugs, eliminating all the problems from the side effects of medication and the complications that go along with people having to manage their blood sugar? It might even put some of the drug companies out of business which has been proven to make a country healthier by the way. The United States is 5% of the world's population and yet we take 55% of the world's prescription medication! If this approach to health is working, then why do we rank 37th in world health? We have bought into the deception that taking drugs as a way of life is acceptable and this is just not true. They have no ability to prevent disease. You cannot medicate your way to a better state of health.
Let's break these principles of exercise down and keep it simple. First of all, will you ever reach a point in your life that you do not need to exercise? In other words, can you get into a certain shape or level of fitness and then simply not exercise for the rest of your life? Of course not! What happens almost immediately when you stop exercising for any reason? That's right- you lose what you had just worked so hard to accomplish and sadly enough, it doesn't take long. It has been estimated that within 30 days, you will lose 25% of your level of fitness and within 90 days you will lose 50% of the shape you were in! It is similar to your diet isn't it? How quickly do you start to regain the weight that you may have lost on a diet program when you go back to eating in your old pattern? Almost immediately don't you? You just have to accept the fact that in order to be healthy and fit you have to commit to exercising on some level for the rest of your life.
What else does that remind you of? Can you ever stop taking care of your spine and nerve system without and not lose the changes that you had been working so hard to achieve? How quickly do you suppose your spine and nerve system start to deteriorate when you stop paying proper attention to them? It is almost immediate! You can't stay healthy with any level of exercise or diet if your nerve system is not functioning properly and your spine is deteriorating due to misalignment or thinning discs. The nerves in your body also control the effects and benefits of your exercise program. If the nerve system is not maintained throughout your lifetime, you will allow disease to develop unnecessarily and your muscles and organs to break down prematurely. You will die well ahead of schedule and that is simply wrong! You have to build your life around the importance of a healthy nerve system as well as through exercising and eating correctly if you want to live out your full God-given potential.
As we get into the specifics of exercise, you will be glad to know that there are really only two kinds of exercise that you need to include in your daily routine. They are aerobic exercise which simply means "with oxygen" and resistance exercise which tends to be anaerobic or without oxygen.
The first is aerobic exercise. This would be anything that uses oxygen and forces your heart rate up to a safe level so that it can get stronger and more efficient. You have often heard of this referred to as "cardio" exercises. Give me some examples of different kinds of aerobic exercise activities:
1. Walking
2. Running or jogging
3. Riding a bicycle
4. Swimming
5. Rollerblading
6. Playing any sports that keep the heart rate up consistently
I think you probably get the idea. These activities have to sustain your heart rate in a target zone based on your age and keep it there for at least 30 minutes per day, 3 times per week. If you can work it in, doing something daily is obviously the ideal, but the minimum frequency to gain the health and fitness benefits is 3 times per week.
How many of you who are reading this article today know that if you simply made up your mind on how important this was to their health and to your future, you could find 30 minutes 3 times per week to do something to get moving? We all could, couldn't we? Don't make it any harder than it needs to be- just do something consistently to get your body moving. One thing that has helped a lot of my patients stick with an exercise program of this type is to change it up occasionally. You can alternate between walking and riding a bicycle, or switch off between swimming and jogging. Anything that you can do to keep it interesting and not get bored is critical! How do you think the gyms make their money? They continue to sign up hundreds of people a month for a monthly fee that is automatically taken out of your checking account knowing that after 2 weeks, only 10% of those people will ever come in again. That is why they have thousands of members but the gym is rarely ever crowded. Otherwise, they would have to stop selling memberships because there would be too many people for their space to handle.
Consistency is the key to results. Start slowly and work your way up to the ideal level at a pace that you can handle. As difficult as this may seem when you first begin, you will be amazed at how quickly your body will respond and begin to change in support of the effort you put in. There is a saying in physiology that states "you have to give energy to get energy back". It seems like it is the opposite doesn't it? I would have thought that I have to get some energy to have enough juice to exercise in the first place, but it is just the opposite. The more energy you expend, the more the body gives it back to you the next time you step up to exercise. The good news is that it does not take long after you begin an exercise program to start noticing improvement. The key to long- term benefits is simply staying with your program over a long enough period of time for them to show up.
The second kind of exercise that you must include in your program to gain the maximum health and fitness benefits is resistance training. This would include some kind of weight lifting even if you do not belong to a gym. It could be as simple as lifting cans of soup or cartons of milk but the body requires resistance to grow stronger and burn fuel more efficiently. Building muscle is one of the most important keys in burning stored fat for those of you who are interested in losing weight. Lifting weights of some kind at least 2 days per week is critical to strengthen muscles, build bone, and support your immune system function. The give energy to get energy principle applies with resistance training as well.
Listen to the results of this study. Another individual by the name of Steve Blair from the Cooper Institute did a research project that showed if you have a healthy diet and even don't smoke, but you are unfit, you are still at a high risk of disease and early death. He also proved that nothing was more important than weight training or resistance exercise. They took a group of elderly patients in their 70's and 80's and even 90's from a nursing home and put them on a program of lifting weights. Every one of the people in this study reversed the effects of osteoporosis. They were able to moderate and control their diabetes, and many other things that were otherwise thought to be irreversible. Adding exercise was found to be much more important that just eating correctly in reversing the damaging effects of aging. So you can see that small changes in your lifestyle such as exercise are what make the most impact on your future. Age is not an acceptable excuse!
All of life is about being the best you can be with what you have been given. The only way that we have found to do so is to have a healthy nerve system, eat correctly, be at your ideal weight, and exercise consistently to increase your level of fitness. You can't replace the need for taking care of your nerve system with exercise, but without being in shape and working on your level of fitness you are 50 times more likely to develop disease and die before your time. This is not what we would ever want for anyone and I am sure it is not what you want either.
I would like to finish this article with this. Please take your life and health seriously. This is the only chance you have to live it. I saw a poster that I thought was very insightful. It said "if you wear out your body, where are you going to live?" I have also heard it said in a way that I have never been able to improve on. "This life is not a dress rehearsal for your next one". You have to take advantage of everything that is being made available to you in this office to be the best you can be. Commit to "the big three" for life- getting your spine and nerve system functioning optimally, eating correctly, and exercising. If you do, I can almost guarantee that you will have the best chance to prevent and avoid disease, protect the future of you and your family, and live out your God-given lifespan. Thomas Edison said "The doctor of the future will give no medicine but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease". I hope you would agree that the approach to your health that I am advocating follows this line of thinking, and the future is now.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. Many others will follow on topics that include diet, nutrition, detoxification, exercise, fitness, weight loss, and many more. I am thrilled that you take the time to read about these subjects to improve your life.
This article was written by Dr. Tom Bolan. He currently resides in Denver, Colorado. He was a practicing doctor of chiropractic with degrees in nutrition and acupuncture for over 30 years. He recently retired to pursue a career in writing and public speaking. He has spoken over 2,000 times over the last 10 years all over the United States and has written more than 100 articles, plays, commercials, video scripts, and is currently working on a book. For more information, Dr. Bolan can be contacted by emai at doctor.bolan@gmail.com or by logging into his weight loss website at http://www.drbolansbeyourbest.com. He offers free reports and newsletters to interested parties.
10 Reasons You Don't Like to Exercise and What to Do About It
Exercise needs to be a regular part of your life. But what if you just don't like to exercise? After reading these ten factors and the tips provided, you should be able to make the necessary changes that will improve your exercise attitude and allow it to be an enjoyable part of life.
1.You're doing the wrong mode. Don't enjoy running? Dread picking up a heavy weight only to set them back down? There are thousands of ways to exercise, some conventional, some not. The key is to pick something you love. The best way to find out what that may be is by experimenting. Don't just stick with the normal methods if you don't enjoy it. If something you haven't tried looks fun, seems interesting, or appeals to you for whatever reason, give it a try. You may find a new favorite form of exercise that you look forward to doing regularly.
2.Your exercise level is too intense. Everybody wants fast results. Starting out by doing too much is a sure fire way to get burned out or injured. Proper exercise progression is the rule to follow to make exercise not only safe and effective but enjoyable. Seeing the progress you make is a great motivator and will keep you on track with a regular exercise program. If your training is so hard that you dread the thought of it, ask yourself what you are training for. Does it need to be at that level of intensity to reach your goal? Reducing the intensity and gradually increasing it over time will get you to your goals without it feeling like torture.
3.Wrong location. Where you exercise can effect your mood, attitude and productivity. Some people are uncomfortable exercising in front of others but fall for the marketing tactics of the major health club chains. Pick a workout location that does not make you feel uncomfortable. Try visiting the gym at a time of day when it's not as crowded if possible. You may benefit from setting up a home gym and exercising in private.
4.You're exercising at the wrong time of day. The time you pick to exercise needs to not only fit your schedule but also your lifestyle. If the sound of the alarm early in the morning is not welcomed, the thought of rolling out of bed to exercise is not going to be viewed as a positive either. If you are exhausted by the end of the workday, don't save your workout for a time when you are already low on energy. Try to squeeze it in earlier if you can. Select a time to exercise that comfortably fits into your day.
5.The wrong exercise environment. If you are stuck inside all day, the thought of going indoors to exercise on a nice day may not sound appealing. Consider a form of exercise that you can do outdoors. Someone who labors outside in the sun might look forward to working out in a climate controlled area instead of outside. If you goals require you to train inside, consider the lighting. Natural light has been proven to have a positive effect on mood.
6.You're not seeing results. Like I mentioned in number 2, people want fast results. The benefits of exercise start on the inside. People too often overlook the positive internal changes and focus more on the external, visible changes. If you are just starting to exercise, the fact that you are making it a habit should be as important as the changes you expect to see in the mirror. Give it time. Focus on the positives such as the improvements you are making as you progress in your workouts, how your energy level is increasing, how much better you sleep at night, and the fact that by exercising you are doing something healthy for yourself. Remember the visual results will come in time. Be consistent and patient.
7.You don't have an exercise partner. An exercise partner can be a great motivator. They can help you to push harder during your workouts than if you were exercising alone. The biggest advantage is the accountability. Most people who would chose to skip a day of exercise will not, knowing that someone else will be impacted by their laziness. Plus having an exercise partner adds a social element to the workout which is a big positive factor for some. If you are exercising alone, try to find someone with similar exercise goals, a schedule that is close to your own (co-workers) and is at a fitness level that is close to yours.
8.You're exercising with the wrong partner. If your training partner constantly cancels, shows up late or with an unenthusiastic attitude, it can quickly start to affect your own attitude about exercise. Having a partner whose fitness level is too far away from your own can also be a drawback. Someone who is not close to being as fit as you can hold you back and reduce the results you should be getting from your work outs. Trying to exercise with a partner whose fitness level is way above yours can be demotivating for some. Use the tips in number 7 to find a partner that is a good match for you.
9.You have a poor diet. What you eat will affect your attitude, your mood, your exercise performance, and the results you get from exercise. Take a good look at your diet. Make sure that you are getting enough nutrient rich calories on a daily basis. Be sure you have enough energy to complete your workout. You can't focus on your training when your stomach is growling. Be sure to stay hydrated and replenish the essential nutrients after your workout.
10. You have too much stress. Certain exercise is a form of stress, but it should be positive stress. The nine factors listed above can make exercise a positive or negative part of your day. Pick a mode of exercise that helps you control or relieve stress, not add to it. Make sure you are exercising at the proper intensity. It's alright to reduce your training intensity at times when you are feeling overwhelmed. A change in your exercise location might give you a needed pick me up. Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
If you are finding your enthusiasm for exercise starting to decline, consider the above factors and see which ones might be having an effect on you. Use the tips provided and your outlook about exercise should start to improve, along with your health and your fitness.
Certified personal trainer Aaron Harris helps people make regular exercise an enjoyable part of their lives. Aaron was a contributing writer for the Sony newsletter Emazing's Bodybuilding Tip of the Day. For more information about Aaron's personal and online fitness training visit http://www.AaronHarrisfitness.com
Choosing an Exercise Program
The toughest and most important step in your exercise program is getting started. Choosing an exercise program is an important decision but choosing an exercise program is just the first step. An exercise program is designed to meet your specific needs and goals. If you have chosen well, getting started will be much easier.
A very important aspect of your exercise program is the intensity. Safety during your exercise program is also very important. The safest way to start an exercise program is to perform the chosen exercise or sport at a low intensity until the legs or arms ache or feel heavy. A good aerobic exercise program is one where a repetitive motion stimulates heart and lung activity for at least 30 minutes without stopping. The first thing to do though before starting any kind of exercise program is to consult with your doctor.
A personalized exercise program is developed based on one's individual medical condition and current state of physical fitness. If you want to look good, feel good and live longer an exercise program is an excellent start. The first step in a fitness and exercise program is in deciding what type of exercise you enjoy. The final key in beginning an exercise program is to start slowly, and progress gradually allowing your body to adapt to the new exercises. Educating yourself about what comprises an exercise program is the easy part of making fitness a part of your life.
Beginning an exercise program is scary stuff. However, before an exercise program is designed for you, your doctor or health care provider will perform an exercise assessment and screening. One of the reasons many individuals do not attempt an exercise program is because they feel they are not very athletic or coordinated. Anyone can exercise but each much exercise according to their own physical health and limitations.
When a new exercise program is started, it is the break down of muscle tissue that causes muscle fatigue and soreness. The key to starting and maintaining an exercise program is persistence. Sore muscles will disappear in no time. It is up to you to make sure that your family and friends understand how important your exercise program is to you. Having their support will help you persevere.
The goal of any sport or exercise program is to increase the heart rate, improve muscle tone, and build strength. Making a full commitment to your exercise program is the first step. One of the most important factors in beginning an exercise program is to select the most convenient time for you to exercise. Starting an exercise program is hard for everyone. Researchers have found that an exercise program is more successful if it includes variety and continually challenges the body to work hard. An exercise program is the only way to lead a long and healthy life.
Starting an exercise program is easy. After safety, the most important element in your exercise program is enjoyment. If your exercise program is a negative experience for you, it is not an appropriate program. A regular exercise program is beneficial for women as well as for men. For most people, a balanced exercise program is best. It's important to remember that any bone density gains are largely lost after the exercise program is stopped. So stick with it!
The right exercise program is one that starts slowly and gradually increases in time and intensity. When an exercise program is specifically designed for you, your overall health can dramatically improve. The most important decision before beginning an exercise program is the choice of activity. Remember that the basis for any exercise program is muscle strength. Starting an exercise program is hard, but staying committed to it is even harder.
The purpose of a good exercise program is to find an enjoyable activity and do it regularly. An aerobics exercise program is the cornerstone to healthy living, and an absolute necessity for someone who is trying to lose weight. Establishing and maintaining a balanced exercise program can be made easier by working with fitness professional. Developing and implementing a comprehensive exercise program is a continually evolving process.
Copyright © 2007 B. Steele
B. Steele is a realtor in Nevada and a contributing editor for [http://www.Best-Free-Help.com] She has worn many hats during her career-mostly in sales of some kind. Among her work experiences she lists: retail fashion owner, restaurant owner, sales manager at a weekly newspaper, etc. She enjoys working with the public and training other sales people. Visit: BEST-FREE-HELP.com [http://www.Best-Free-Help.com] Today!
4 Tips On How To Not Quit Your Next Exercise Program
The sad part is that exercise is actually easier than most people imagine it to be. It's more fun too! I'll talk more on that at the end of this article. In the meantime, the problem is, that when most people begin an exercise program, they seem predestined, in most cases, to fail.
The reasons for this are simple, but they are still strong enough to turn most people off from exercise after only a short time on the program. However, as with many other things, knowing what to expect and what the pitfalls are is a good way to avoid falling off the exercise wagon With that in mind, let's take a quick look at a few things that tend to nip exercise programs in the bud.
1. Ignorance: The truth is that everyone is ignorant at some phase of any new endeavor. While it is not necessary to be a rocket scientist to learn about exercise, there still IS A GREAT DEAL TO LEARN. If you do not know what exercise does or how it works, it is easy to make errors in judgment which can put you on the slippery slope to failure. With exercise, like anything else, there will be a learning curve, and you might not get it right at first. In fact, even experienced exercisers, bodybuilders, weightlifters, gymnasts, golfers and others involved in physical activity are constantly learning new things and improving their chosen activities as a result.
SOLUTION: Give yourself some learning time, and take advantage of that time to actually try to learn a little about exercise...like you're doing right now!
2. Too Much Too Fast: It is easy to understand that a person may be ignorant of certain facts about exercise, but a little harder to understand that a person may be ignorant of their own body. However, when it comes to any new activity or job we often have no real concept of what to expect until we have been at it for a while. Normally, if you touch a hot stove, you get a pretty fast message that you had better move your hand. With exercise, this works two possible ways:
** Way Too Much Too Fast: This one is easy to understand. You overdo it (often without realizing it), and the next day you feel like what my mom used to call H - E - double L! Your body aches, or worse, you can hardly move some part of your body. Sometimes the message comes during the workout itself. Maybe it's an injury or maybe pain. Sometimes it may be a bad feeling ranging from "just not feeling well" to "sick" to even "scared" if your heart seems to be acting funny or you feel faint. It's easy to see why someone who feels so bad as a result of exercising may get the urge not to do it any more. Often, the excuse is: I need to lay off for a couple of days until I feel better. Eventually, you feel better, but for some strange reason, you sort of "forget" to start exercising again. After that experience, who can blame you?
** A Little Too Much And/Or A Little Too Fast: Not quite as bad as the situation above, this can still put the kibosh on your exercise plans. Maybe there's no pain, or very little pain, and you can't actually put your finger on anything which makes you feel that you should not continue with your exercise program. However, as the days pass, it becomes harder to do your workout, and not just for physical reasons. You begin to dread it or start making excuses to skip "just this workout". What is happening is that you are probably going too fast or trying to do too much. Your body is a fantastic creation. It can realize that things aren't right and will send you the messages one way or the other.
SOLUTION: Once you realize what's happening, just back off. If you are weightlifting, for example, you can cut the weight back, or decrease repetitions. If you are walking, you can slow down for a while or decrease your distance. What is happening is that your body, which has been unexercised for so long, needs time not only to deal with the exercise itself, but also needs time and resources to renovate its systems and streamline procedures so that it can effectively help you out. For example, your body can be trying to build new blood vessels, increase red blood cells, and update its ability to dispose of waste generated by exercise while it is trying to deal with the exercise and its aftermath as well. This can overwhelm an out-of-condition body which is suddenly asked to meet the requirements of a new exercise program.
Cutting back to allow your body to catch up is NOT failure. It is a sensible decision which may be exactly what is needed to help you stay on your exercise program. You are still exercising, and will reap the benefits. Once your body catches up, you can proceed at a faster pace. Many an individual began their path to being able to eventually run a marathon by walking out to the mailbox, then down to the corner, and eventually around the block. Don't worry, if you stick with it, you will get there.
3. Unrealistic Expectations: Along with ignorance comes unrealistic expectations. After all, how can you honestly have any idea what to expect if you have never done this before? It is a normal human tendency to want to be able to see results. It IS HARD to keep on doing your exercise program if you cannot see that the exercise is working. Unfortunately, a lot of what occurs with exercise, especially with a new program, happens inside where it cannot be seen.
SOLUTION: Exercise is KNOWN to work, whether for overall fitness and health, or for specific goals such as weight loss or performance in an activity such as golf or wrestling. This is something you will simply have to accept, but it has been demonstrated in study after study. However, always remember that once you have achieved the ability to exercise at a certain level, your body will stabilize and no new changes will occur until you crank it up a bit. You will eventually, once your body has accepted the fact of this new lifestyle, have to walk a little farther, or a little faster, or lift a heavier weight. However, exceeding your body's ability to keep up can make you start to regret exercising again.
4. The Wrong Exercise Program: There are a lot of different ways to exercise, and, while each one is good in its own way, none is perfect. Also, since each of us is different, what I like may not be what you like. This is why I do NOT recommend MY FAVORITE EXERCISE PROGRAM to anyone. While many people would be happy swimming, biking, or hiking, many would also balk at having to lift weights and walk on a treadmill staring at a wall for 45 minutes, four days a week...plus other little exercise goodies interspersed throughout off days. Personally, I love the few minutes of introspective solitude and concentration, but many people need the company of others.
SOLUTION: Look around and see what works for you. Remember, however, you should try to do a mix of strength training AND some cardio (aerobic) exercise each week. Strength training is generally done with free weights such as dumbbells or barbells, or with some sort of exercise machine capable of providing progressive resistance. You don't have to toss around 100 lb weights to get the benefits of this sort of training, either. In fact, start with very low weights and just concentrate on exercising regularly and doing each repetition of each exercise through a full range of motion. If you cannot move the weight smoothly through the required repetitions or if you experience some of the negative mental or physical problems mentioned earlier, you are probably trying to do too much too fast.
I hope you can see from this short discussion that exercise need not be as hard as you think. Of course, you will have to work hard, sweat a little, and occasionally a sore muscle might crop up. However, you DO NOT need to do the exercises you see in books at the intensity or with the weights or resistances that the person in the picture is using. I remember the first book on bodybuilding I ever tried to follow. I was a skinny sixteen year old kid (Oh! To be able to say that again.) and I tried to use the weights the book recommended. I could not keep up, and after a few workouts, the weights went under the bed until I sold them to a friend for $10 several years later!
At the start of this article, I mentioned that I would talk about exercise being fun.
When you first start to exercise, and you are trying to find the right exercise program, what weight to use, how long to exercise, and are coping with the sore muscle or uncooperative schedule, or you cannot really see any visible results, exercise can seem to be an unrewarding chore. However, at first you will also notice a certain small thrill at the knowledge that you have made the decision to take the baby steps which can lead to a lifetime of health and fitness. Unfortunately, as the days go by, that thrill may begin to fade, so when you first feel it, concentrate on it and try to feel it to the core of your being. Write down the hopes and dreams you have for this exercise program and take that paper out and re-read all it has to say and remember how it felt to know that you had made that commitment to yourself, your family, your health, your happiness, and your future.
If you continue to exercise regularly and conscientiously, slowly challenging your body to new levels of achievement, you will begin to notice not only outward changes as the exercise's actions begin to remold your body, but you will begin to feel an improvement inside as well. You will feel healthier, more cheerful, more ready to take on life's challenges and have fun with life's opportunities. Not only will you be stronger and more agile and have greater endurance, but your body will actually begin to manufacture chemicals internally which will make you feel better. Your personal confidence in your ability to face new responsibilities or to change the direction of your life will increase. You will be less prone to illness, and you will begin to realize that you are protecting yourself to some extent against future illnesses and the degenerative effects of growing older.
I am 62 and can attest to that last statement.
Figuring out how to NOT quit your next exercise program is one of the most rewarding, and important, lessons you can learn.
Donovan Baldwin is a freelance writer residing in Copperas Cove, Texas, and a University of West Florida alumnus. He is a member of Mensa and is retired from the U. S. Army after 21 years of service. In his career, he has held many managerial and supervisory positions. However, his main pleasures have long been writing, nature, health, and fitness. In the last few years, he has been able to combine these pleasures by writing poetry and articles on subjects such as health, fitness, weight lifting yoga, weight loss, the environment, global warming, happiness, self improvement, and life. You can find a collection of his articles on health, fitness, diet, and weight loss at http://nodiet4me.com/articledirectory
The Need For Exercise
UPI just published a poll that says that more than 80% of American adults have a regular exercise regimen. If true, that would be very exciting. Then again, it could also be viewed as a major black eye for exercise since it would seem that all this activity is having little impact on overall health in the United States. The truth of the matter, though, is that exercise is vital to health and has enormous impact. The poll, on the other hand, is probably much less than it seems.
First of all, polls themselves are suspect since people often idealize their answers -- telling pollsters what they wish they were doing, rather than what they are actually doing. Then too, on closer inspection, the numbers tell a slightly different story than the headlines would suggest. The poll found that 16% of respondents copped to the fact that they never exercised at all, and 19% said that their regimen consisted of exercising once a week. Quite simply, once a week does not qualify as a regular regimen despite the claims of the pollsters. That means that approximately 35% of Americans are not participating in any form of regular exercise -- about the same percentage considered clinically obese. Hmm!
And still another 27% said that they exercised less than 30 minutes at a time. Now if you consider the next group in the poll, the 29% who exercise only 2-3 times per week, you realize that many of them are really only exercising for a total of 60-90 minutes a week -- the barest minimum of a routine. Throw those people into the mix, and you're now looking at a total of about 60% -- about the same percentage that qualifies as overweight in the United States. When all is said and done, you can see a direct correlation between lack of sufficient exercise and excess weight, but the importance of exercise goes far beyond obesity. Exercise impacts almost every aspect of health. It can:
- Reduce the risk of premature death
- Reduce the risk of heart disease
- Reduce high blood pressure
- Reduce high cholesterol
- Reduce the risks of many cancers, including colon and breast cancer
- Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
- Reduce fat and optimize body weight
- Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
- Reduce depression and anxiety
- Enhance performance in work and sport
It's not my purpose in this newsletter to teach you how to exercise -- there are many books, DVDs, and websites that teach you how to do that -- but rather, to explain to you why you need to exercise and why you need to commit to multiple forms of exercise. Believe it or not, running every day, won't cut it. Going to the gym every day and working out with weights every day won't cut it. You need it all: cardio/aerobic exercise, strength training, weight-bearing exercise, stretching, breathing, and balance.
Let's start by talking about cardio/aerobic exercise.
CARDIO/AEROBIC EXERCISE
By definition, cardio/aerobic exercise is brisk physical activity that requires the heart and lungs to work harder to meet the body's increased oxygen demand. Aerobic exercise promotes the circulation of oxygen through the blood. The key part of the definition here is the word oxygen. The defining aspect of aerobic exercise is that it is of sufficient intensity to force the heart and lungs to work harder, and yet of low enough intensity to facilitate adequate oxygen transfer to the muscle cells so that no buildup of lactic acid is observed. Another way of looking at aerobic exercise is that it involves repetitive movement of large muscle groups (such as your arms, legs, and hips) -- with all of the needed energy supplied by the oxygen you breathe. When you're aerobically fit, your body takes in and utilizes oxygen more efficiently -- to sustain the repetitive muscle movement. Benefits include:
- Improved heart and lung function
- Lower heart rate and blood pressure
- Increased blood supply to muscles and improved ability to use oxygen
- Increased HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
- Decreased triglycerides
- Reduced body fat and improved weight control
- Improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance
- Enhanced immune function, which means
- Increased resistance to viral and bacterial infection
- Increased resistance to cancer
- Lowered blood sugar levels and reduced risk of diabetes
- Longer life expectancy
There is a world of aerobic exercise to choose from. Choose one or two that you enjoy and can easily pursue. For example, don't choose swimming if you live in the desert and the nearest pool is 60 miles away. Take your pick. There's running, jogging, and fast walking. Biking (either road or mountain), and swimming are also good. If you belong to a gym or have home equipment, there are treadmills, elliptical trainers, spin cycles, and rebounders -- with more being invented and marketed all the time. Just pick one or two that you like, can do easily, and are willing to do.
STRENGTH TRAINING
Strength training involves the use of weights or some other form of resistance to build muscle and increase strength. Its benefits include:
- Increased muscle strength
- Increased tendon and ligament strength
- Reduced body fat and increased muscle mass
- Better balance
- Lower blood cholesterol
- Improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity
Contrary to popular opinion, strength training is not just for young people. Studies have shown that people in their 70's and 80's can experience strength gains of as much as 180% in just a few weeks!
What kinds of strength training options are available? Again, as with aerobics, there is a world of choices. There are free weights, stacked weight machines, and Nautilus circuits at the gym. There's resistance training as found in Soloflex and Bowflex machines and push/pull resistance as found in the Delta Trimax machine. Then there's Pilates equipment and the Total Gym that use your own body weight as resistance. Any and all can work. Choose one that works for you and that you can do easily and are willing to do regularly.
It's worth noting that weight training is the ultimate way to burn calories fast. A pound of muscle burns up to nine times the calories of a pound of fat. In other words, strength training increases your resting metabolic rate, which is the number of calories you burn while sleeping or sitting. The trick is that muscle is active tissue. That is, it requires a lot of energy just to maintain itself. In fact, every pound of new muscle you add to your body will burn about 60 calories per day. Adding just 10 pounds of muscle to your body, will burn off 62 pounds of fat over the next year -- even while you are sleeping! And it will continue to do so the next year...and the next.
WEIGHT BEARING EXERCISE
Weight bearing exercise is actually a subset of certain aerobic and strength training exercises. It is exercise in which you force your body to support weight (your own included) while exercising. Studies have shown that weight bearing exercise can help slow down the rate of bone loss and osteoporosis, and therefore reduce fractures. How does it do this? First, weight-bearing exercise directly stimulates bone formation. Then, it strengthens muscles that in turn pull and tug on bones. This pulling action actually causes the bones to become denser and stronger. Weight-bearing activities at any age benefit bone health. Studies have shown that even people in their 90's can increase bone mass with weight bearing exercise.
The best weight bearing exercises are: weight-lifting, jogging, hiking with a back pack, stair-climbing, step aerobics, racquet sports, and other activities that require your muscles to work against gravity. Swimming and simple walking don't do the trick. One exceptionally useful form of weight bearing exercise is rebounding. The act of rebounding makes use of g-forces, just like astronauts training in a centrifuge. Rebounding can actually achieve momentary g-forces of 3.5, which means that the bones of a 150 lb person will momentarily have to bear 525 lbs of weight on each bounce. That's a lot of weight bearing.
Note: the benefits of weight-bearing exercise are site-specific. This means that you strengthen only the bones used directly in the exercise. In other words, it's a good idea to participate in a variety of weight-bearing exercises. To maintain the bone-building benefits, the exercise needs to be continued on a regular basis.
STRETCHING
Stretching is the step child of exercise, with more lip service paid to it than actual practice. Stretching though is crucial to good health. The usual benefits cited include:
- Reduced muscle tension
- Injury prevention
- Increased range of movement in the joints
- Enhanced muscular coordination
- Increased circulation of the blood to various parts of the body
- Increased energy levels (resulting from increased circulation)
Think for a moment of the opposite of stretching -- tightness and restriction. By definition, you are talking about constriction in muscles and soft tissue. Tightness and constriction mean reduced blood flow to that muscle and soft tissue, a reduced supply of nutrients to the area of tension, and reduced removal of metabolic waste from those areas. Areas that are tense and constricted, then, are breeding grounds for illness and organ dysfunction. Now tie in the whole concept of traditional Chinese medicine which says that all disease results from restrictions in the flow of energy in the body and the resulting energy imbalances that creates, and you can see that stretching is not just an issue of feeling good; it is essential for maintaining optimum health.
What kinds of stretching are good? Yoga is probably the best stretching exercise there is, but Pilates works well too. If nothing else, just do 5-10 minutes of simple stretching after your daily exercise routine as part of your cool down time.
Note: It is not by accident that at 59 years old, I can still do full splits.
RESISTENCE BREATHING
Proper breathing is a topic worthy of its own newsletter, but for now, let's just focus on the advantages of resistance breathing. The concept is simple: putting a device in your mouth that restricts (in a controlled manner) your inhalations and exhalations, which forces your lungs to work harder. This, in turn, strengthens the muscles that makes your lungs work and increases their capacity. There are a number of such devices widely available on the internet and in health magazines. They tend to run $20-40. The investment is well worth it since this type of exercise can significantly improve the strength of your respiratory muscles and increase your lung capacity.
How much of a benefit are we talking about?
Studies have shown that these devices can increase breathing endurance by close to 300%. Considering how fundamental oxygen is to health, it's not hard to see the short and long-term health and performance advantages of doing so.
BALANCE
One other key aspect of exercise is balance. Why? Because like all other physical abilities, it diminishes with age unless we consciously exercise it. Is that a bad thing? Only if you fall down and break your hip or wrist. Here's a simple balance exercise you can do daily. It takes just a couple of minutes and will produce quick improvement.
1. Stand while holding for support, with one hand, the back edge of a chair set beside you.
2. Bend the leg nearest to the chair at the knee 90 degrees so that your knees are still together and the foot of the bent leg is projected out behind you.
3. Get used to balancing on the one leg while holding the chair.
4. Then turn to the other side and do the other leg.
Once you can comfortably balance like this:
5. Try taking your hand off the chair and balancing on the one leg without support from the chair.
6. As you get more comfortable doing this, try to stop using your arms for balance and pull your hands in, palms together in front of your chest, like in a Far East prayer position. This will force the act of balance to the muscles of one leg.
Once you can comfortably balance like this:
7. Try closing your eyes and holding the pose for 30 seconds.
If you really want to improve your balance, many yoga poses are specifically designed as balance poses, utilizing arms, legs, hips -- the entire body, in fact. On a more modern note, there's a whole new breed of vibrating-platform exercise-equipment that makes use of forcing you to balance while working out. The net effect is that because the balancing aspect forces you to use an entirely separate set of muscles in addition to your normal work out muscles, it dramatically accelerates the benefits of exercise.
CONCLUSION
Exercise is as important to good health as proper nutrition. Speaking of which, your need for proper nutrition is increased by exercise.
You will need more quality protein to build the muscles you are exercising. I know soy and whey are the "in vogue" supplements for body builders. I much prefer the combination of rice protein and yellow pea protein. It is virtually of the same quality and bioavailability as those other sources, but has one huge advantage. It is hypoallergenic and extremely easy to digest.
You also need quality carbohydrates, especially ultra-long-chain carbohydrates (ULCs) such as pre-sprouted barley. ULCs release energy over several hours and do not spike sugar levels.
You also need high quality fats -- Omega-3s and 9s in particular.
When you are exercising, you utilize more oxygen, which by definition produces more free radicals so you will need more antioxidants to clear them. Look for a full spectrum antioxidant, rather than a single source wonder supplement.
And you will want higher intake of minerals (particularly electrolytes) and water soluble vitamins (vitamin C, and all of the B vitamins) since you will be using them up and sweating them out at an accelerated rate. As a side note, instead of drinking high-sugar sports beverages, you might want to consider just adding liquid trace minerals to your water.
The one area that you gain nutritionally is detoxing. Exercise is its own form of detoxing. It removes waste from the lymph. It stimulates peristalsis to remove waste from the colon. And it accelerates the removal of waste through sweat and urine.
Bottom line: If you don't move you die. Exercise fundamentally changes every system and function in your body.
Jon Barron's Baseline of Health Newsletter and the Barron Report are read by thousands of doctors, health experts, and nutrition consumers in over 100 countries.
