Add Years to your Life with these 15 minute workouts.

Even people who don't have the time to do a full workout should stay healthy with these nifty tips from Jenny Sugar from fitsugar.com

If your busy schedule doesn't allow for the recommended 30 minutes of daily exercise, a large study from Taiwan should make you feel better. The 13-year study tracked 416,000 participants and found that just 15 minutes of moderate exercise increased their life expectancy by three years, compared to those who didn't exercise. Daily workouts lower the incidence of cancer, and therefore lower the risk of cancer-related deaths.

Stay healthy everyone!

Small workouts to fit in your summer plans!

Check out these awesome tips on how to incorporate everyday summer activities into a workout via The Huffington Post from Carolyn Scott!

Summertime means bathing suits, short shorts and tank tops -- overall skimpier clothing. This means watching what we eat and even more importantly, working out. People always want to look toned and trim and, unfortunately, you have go the extra mile and add some extra spice to your workouts to achieve these goals.

Summer is just around the corner and if we hit the beach, go out in shorts or go shirtless, we're going to want to look good! However, just regular summer activities can help us stay in shape.


Stay safe and healthy this summer everyone!

Preparing yourself for your Spring workouts!

Spring is a mere few weeks away -- opening doors to a new variety of activities and workouts to add to your existing exercise regime. Being cooped up at home or in the gym is no longer necessary with the return of sunny skies and the vast playground of the outdoors.




While it’s great to approach the new season with enthusiasm, it’s important to not jump into rigorous physical activity too quickly. If your winter was relatively sedentary and inactive, gradually reintroduce your workouts into your daily routine. It's important that you don't push too hard too quickly and end up with an injury that keeps you stuck on the couch in the upcoming summer months. Along with your mind, the human body doesn't deal well with sudden intense demands. Give your body a chance to get back into shape before forcing anything too drastic upon it.

Get started with the best part of spring: Walks. One of the best things to do during the spring for a warm-up or to get in extra daily exercise is to take walks. The parks are especially beautiful at this time of the year, with the flowers blooming and the trees regaining their life and color. Enjoy the fresh air and warm sun by going for a stroll for a couple of minutes each day and gradually work yourself up to a brisk walk, increasing your heart rate and aiming for your cardio target. It’s a great opportunity to organize your thoughts or clear your mind and simply appreciate the aesthetic value of Earth’s annual revitalization while burning off some of the days extra calories.

Walking not enough? Become active in the sporting communities around you. Courts are open and often being used for plenty of activities, and plenty of community centers here in the NYC area have sporting events listed. Whether you have a favorite sport or plan on taking up a new one, the new season provides you with a great opportunity to go outside and play it. Play some handball, join in on a basketball game, or invite some friends to join you for some tennis or frisbee in the park. It’s fun, you’ll meet some new people, and your body will thank you for it.

Look into events in your area. There are a number of street fairs, festivals, and other potentially interesting things going on whenever the weather becomes nice. Walking through these and enjoying any of the sights and festivities is better for your fitness than sitting home and watching television.

The new season brings a range of new possibilities for fitness practices and plenty of time to get that beach body ready for summer! Go running, ride your bike, get off that Subway a few stops early -- anything to keep your body moving. Keep yourself fit and healthy and enjoy the return of Spring.

Wishing you a happy and healthy workout from all of us at Element Fitness!

Workout Precautions

Working out can be a dangerous feat if not done correctly. You can hurt yourself in a number of ways, such as misusing a machine, pushing your body past its limits or not being properly equipped. Knowing what you’re doing and being prepared for your exercise can help you stay safe and avoid injuries.

To reduce risk of injury during your workout, there are some general precautions to take. Staying hydrated is essential for your body’s performance. Be sure to drink water before and during exercise to avoid dehydration and fatigue. It’s not just important to drink before exercise, but to eat as well. While it may not be good to eat right before exercising, it’s important to have something in your stomach to give you energy. Working out when hungry could reduce your stamina, making you feel weak and exhausted much more quickly. Eating around two hours before exercising is ideal.

Also be sure to have the proper equipment for your workout and to dress appropriately for your environment. Dress warm in cold temperatures to avoid getting sick and don’t overdress in warmer temperatures to avoid heat stress. Wearing proper shoes for exercising is important to absorb shock and reduce the chance of accidents. If your sneakers are getting old, get new ones. When you encounter a machine or workout equipment that you've never used before, read the instructions or ask someone how to use it, as mis-using them is potentially harmful.

It’s important to exercise properly as to not over-stress your body. Spending a couple of minutes warming up and cooling down can go a long way in injury prevention. Warming up before exercising serves to raise your body temperature and blood flow, increasing the flexibility of muscles and tendons and therefore helping avoid muscle tears and pulls. Cooling down is needed to bring your heart rate down steadily and pump blood to the heart. Failure to cool down will cause your blood to stay in your legs rather than return to the heart, causing dizziness, nausea and fatigue. Don’t push yourself. It’s wise to know your capabilities and work up gradually in the time and intensity of your workout. Stretching after a workout and keeping hydrated reduces the chance of cramping up.

Listen to your body. If you feel pain, weakness, light-headedness or any other signals of discomfort, don’t ignore it. Take a break and let yourself recover. Exercise is great for you, but pushing your body to do something it’s objecting against could lead to injuries that’ll harm more than help. Take precautions and be wary to stay safe and healthy during your exercise routine.

Best Wishes on your weight loss or healthy living journey from all of us at Element Fitness!

Want to know more? Read more!

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Exercise_injury_prevention

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/injuryprevention/a/safe-workouts.htm

http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/wupcdwn.htm

The Facts of Fast Food.

We talk about healthy eating on this blog alot, but very rarely discuss the foods that aren't good for you.

We hear it all the time -- "Fast Food is bad for you". But how bad is it exactly? We know about the trans fat, high calorie, and high sodium counts. We know about the grade D meat, the processed vegetables, and are told the nutritional information on charts behind the registers with type too small to read. They even are honest about their practice of using preservatives in their food.


But what kind of preservatives and how much exactly? Many of you remember a few years back when activist Morgan Spurlock debueted with his epic documentary "Supersize Me"-- a film following a 30-day time period in which he eats only McDonald's food for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner -- exposing the drastic affect on Spurlock's psychological and physical health, while exploring the fast food industry's influence and its encouragement of poor nutrition for profit.

If that wasn't enough to shake the Big Mac out of our hands, Author and Obesity Activist Julia Havey set out to find the truth about fast food as well. In an attempt to prove exactly how processed and full of additives a McDonalds hamburger really has, she has been aging a McDonalds cheeseburger for 4 years -- and it does better than a human being.

Wanna find out what happens to this 4 year old burger? Check out the video below courtesy of DietHealth.com!





*Do you have an idea for an article, have questions or need advice? Please write us at elementfitnessny@gmail.com! Subject: Blog

Workouts on the go...

We hear it time and time again: "I don't have time to workout!" "The TV workouts on the Fitness channel are too early in the morning!" "I'm constantly on the go and away from my equipment and gym!"

Well, FitnessMagazine.com has found a solution for your whining and ninnying!
Announcing Fitness Magazine Workouts on the Go! Workouts that travel with you and download to your computer or ipod! Costing on average between $2 - $30 dollars, these handy videos can service in helping you achieve your weightloss or fitness goals from anywhere! We love it, and you will too.

Click on the link below for more details and how to download!
Fitness Magazine's Workouts on the Go