Fight wrinkles, weight gain, cancer and colds all at once! Try this 1600 calorie-per-day menu designed by SELF magazine to be healthier and summer slim in no time!
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Though weight training can be very beneficial when body building, loosing weight or keeping trim, improper technique can leave you with hyper-extended joints and pulled muscles.
Check out this slide show by webmd.com which shows 9 common exercises and their safer, more effective alternatives.
A proper strength training or cardiovascular workout begins with a warm up involving non-resistive movements followed by the stretching of the various muscles. The initial goal of the warm up should be to raise the core body temperature so that the muscles are not “cold.” If a cold muscle were to be stretched, there would be greater probability of it sustaining injury. Non-resistive movements raise the core body temperature because they involve moving various muscles without straining them by over extension or the use of weights. This prepares them for stretching. Stretching can be static, which means to hold a position for a minimum of 10 seconds to a maximum of 30, or dynamic, in which the stretched position is coupled with movement such as walking while performing a toe touch. The goal of the stretch should be to move a body part to some extreme until there is mild discomfort. Stretching can also be performed with a partner to achieve a greater range of motion. Stretching allows the body's muscles and ligaments to keep from tearing or pulling.
Strength Training
In strength training, the warm up is followed by a comprehensive exercise period which generally focuses on a part of the body such as the core, the lower body, or the upper body. Strength training is anaerobic exercise which triggers anaerobic metabolism that in turn builds muscle. Anaerobic exercises are resistance-based with the goal of building muscle mass and strength for activities that have short durations and require much power. The goal of a strength training workout is to achieve a balance between intensity, the amount of resistance, and volume, or sets and repetitions to maximize the effect of the workout. For instance, if the goal is to build muscle mass, then one should do fewer reps with more resistance or, if the goal is to tone the muscles, then one should do more reps with less resistance.
Cardiovascular Training
Cardiovascular training is aerobic exercise, meaning it focuses on improving the ability of the body to consume oxygen. Cardiovascular training involves exercises such as swimming, running, cross country skiing, and cycling over long periods of time at a relatively moderate intensity. This kind of training is generally used by athletes who must maintain intensity for extended periods of time. An effective work out should last at least twenty minutes.
Post-Workout Cool Down
Following both cardiovascular and strength training, there should be a cool down period which gradually takes the body from a state of high intensity to a state of rest. In cardiovascular training, a cool down may involve going from a fast jog to a walk. In strength training, a cool down may involve moving from heavy resistance to non-resistance movement. This period should only last from 5 to 10 minutes.
Though the exact origin is unknown, martial arts have been around for thousands of years. Today, hundreds of different techniques and styles exist all over the globe from Capoeira in Brazil to Kalarippayattu in southern India. Though the various schools of martial arts have evolved over the generations, their purpose remains the same: to use self defense as a vehicle to better one's mind, body, and spirit. Martial arts can help you to become a physically and psychologically healthier person, and here are a few ways how.
Physical Health Martial arts training can be very physically strenuous depending on the style and the teacher. In kick boxing, the kicking motion is used as a conduit for an intense cardiovascular workout. Proper breathing technique is emphasized in all styles of martial arts. Students learn to exercise on a regular basis which is about the healthiest habit one can form.
Discipline If you’re a couch potato by nature and you want to learn how to be more productive, martial arts is a great place to start. Persevering through the levels of belts which become exponentially harder to obtain teaches sticktoitiveness and gives students a feeling of real accomplishment. This carries over into the students life outside of the dojo. A kid who studies martial arts is probably also going to excel elsewhere in life, such as school.
Confidence Of course learning to defend one's self is empowering and confidence building, but martial arts can help cultivate confidence in many other ways. So often we send subconscious messages with improper posture. Martial arts emphasizes correct body posture and teaches students to carry themselves with pride and dignity. Confidence also comes with increased physical fitness.
For thousands of years, Yoga has been used to calm the mind, enrich the spirit, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Yoga can be done nearly anywhere and with minimal equipment. Its physical and psychological health benefits are innumerable as yoga has been shown to increase concentration, promote better breathing, improve posture, tone muscles and improve mind-body awareness. Here are some ways that yoga can help you be a better you!
Flexibility
Yoga is obviously all about flexibility. We’ve all seen pictures of master yogis performing seemingly impossible feats of strength and flexibility which may appear intimidating to the beginner, but the truth is that no matter how inflexible you are, yoga will help you increase range of motion in your joints. Keeping limber is a great way to ward off injuries such as pulled muscles. It also helps relax muscles which can reduce the risk or effects of lower back pain.
Breathing
In yoga, there is much emphasis put on the importance of breathing. As an extremely important bodily function (obviously) it is worthwhile to learn to breath in the most effective manner possible. In most forms of yoga, one is taught to lengthen and deepen their breath which can improve lung capacity. Learning to be a better breather will not only help you in your yogatistical endeavors, but also in any other cardiovascular exercises you might be doing.
Strength
Yoga is always relaxing, but often times it can be very physically strenuous. Almost every yoga position (if practiced correctly) increases core abdominal strength, others focus more directly on triceps, biceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, etc. Increased strength can mean more toned muscles and greater endurance which brings us to my next point.
Posture
With greater range of motion, and increased core strength, good posture (correct alignment of the spine) is more easily maintained for extended periods of time. Over the years, gravity tends to take a toll on most people which causes them to slouch, hunch and slump. Inevitably, detrimental habits are formed. Yoga can help to reteach your body good posture to eliminate back pain.
Psychological
Yoga is proven to reduce stress dramatically due to the release of hormones such as endorphins and oxytocin and reduced levels of hormone neurotransmitters like dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine. This leaves the body with a sense of calm and tranquility. Yoga also emphasizes meditative techniques which can improve one's ability to concentrate effectively over long periods of time. There is also speculation that yoga can help those afflicted by depression and other psychological disorders like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Get out there, give yoga a try and see how it can help you achieve your goals.
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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!
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I served eight years in the Marine Corps, reaching the rank of corporal. My experience in personnel management taught me patience and calm in dealing with an extremely diverse population in often stressful and difficult situations. I learned to approach every individual with compassion and absolute non-judgment -- and with the expectation that, given the opportunity, they would achieve their personal best. After I was discharged with honors from the Corps, I worked as a personal trainer.
Element Fitness Solutions gives me the opportunity to bring safe, sane, effective personal training to everyone, regardless of body type, ability, age, or weight. We truly believe in health at every size, age, or ability. This is an integral part of our philosophy: deep respect for each person’s individuality, approach, and experience.
My 15 years as a personal trainer have given me the opportunity to work with impressive and amazing people of wonderful diversity, and I truly love helping people grow in strength, health, serenity, and confidence.
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