Fitness Exercises Tips

How to Find Your Healthy Maximal Heart Rate When You Exercise

2009-05-09T12:51:00.003+08:00

The four primary reasons most people exercise is to lose weight, relieve stress, strengthen their heart, and develop a more pleasing physique.

The main reasons people don’t reach these goals is that they don’t stick with their routine and they don’t work out at a high enough intensity level.

To get results, it’s important to achieve a healthy exercise heart rate that’s high enough to burn fat as well as tone the cardiovascular system.

The majority of people who don’t experience exercise benefits fail to consistently get their average exercise heart rate into the aerobic training zone.

How can you determine what a healthy exercise heart rate is for you?

There’s a simple formula that’s used to calculate your maximum heart rate.

To determine maximal heart rate, simply subtract your age from 220.

For example, if you’re forty years old, your maximal heart rate would be 180.

Once you’ve calculated your maximum heart rate you can then determine your training zone.

If you’re just starting out with an aerobic exercise program, a healthy exercise heart rate would be around fifty to sixty percent of your maximal heart rate.

For the example above, this would be an average heart rate of 90 to 110.

An average exercise heart rate at this level is considered to be the low end of the fat burning range.

It’s great for starters but you’ll want to build from this point to reach the aerobic training zone.

After becoming comfortable at this lower intensity level, you’ll want to raise your average exercise heart rate in order to keep making fitness gains.

To really build endurance, you’ll need to progress to the aerobic training zone which would be seventy to eighty percent of your maximal heart rate.

At this level you’ll be getting significant cardiovascular benefits and will be burning calories at a higher rate than you did in the fifty to sixty percent range.

When you move your average exercise heart rate beyond the aerobic training zone to eighty percent of your maximal healthy exercise heart rate and above, you enter the anaerobic training range which is a very high intensity level where you can build even greater endurance while maximally challenging your body and burning even more calories.

This shouldn’t be attempted until you’ve maximized your fitness at the lower levels of training.

Do you want to really burn some calories?

The most effective way to boost your metabolism and burn more fat and calories is to alternate periods of exercise in the lowest heart rate zone of fifty to sixty percent of maximum with short bursts of training in the anerobic training zone where your average exercise heart rate reaches the eighty percent zone.

By using this “interval” type training you not only burn more calories while exercising, you burn calories at a higher rate even after you stop.

Of course this should only be attempted after you’ve conditioned yourself at a lower healthy exercise heart rate.

To monitor and maintain a healthy exercise heart rate, you can buy a reliable heart rate monitor for as little as $50.00 which will give you constant feedback regarding your exercise heart rate.

This can help to ensure you’re working within your target healthy exercise heart rate zone.

You can also check your average heart rate by counting the carotid pulsations in your neck for at fifteen seconds and multiplying by four.

Before attempting any type of workout that raises your heart rate, particularly if you’ll be doing interval training, see your doctor for a full physical.

The rewards of this type of program that consistently raises your average exercise heart rate into the aerobic training zone alternating with sessions of interval training during alternate workout days can bring you the results you’re looking for.

Why not give them a try?

Photo Credit - mikebaird

Preparing For Your Fitness Exercise Programme

2008-11-08T09:37:00.002+08:00

Preparing For Your Fitness Exercise Programme.

If you want to do something fun and relaxing you go to the theatre or to the movies or simply enjoy a pleasant evening. Usually these actions aren’t planned ahead and when you feel like it you jump in your car with the money and clothes you have on.

This is very important both for your mind and body because during the week the nerves and muscles tend to unloosen and you’ll feel a slight discomfort.

This doesn’t mean that a night in the city will replace an hour of exercises. It will be completely wrong to think that.

No one will ask you to climb the Everest but it will be nice to win the Triple Derby. An accomplishment like that involves a lot of money, years of study and less time spent with the family. But that’s not for regular people. A normal person doesn’t train to orbit to the moon he just dreams about it.

Planning Your Exercise

Recreation is very important if you do it the right way and that means planning. Put some thought into it and you’ll be pleased with the results. Analyze your body and see what your skin and muscle do for you every day and also what can you do to protect them.

Also check your organs because there’s a slight probability that they are just too weak to respond to your demands. The most important ones are without any doubt the heart and the coronary blood vessels. You don’t want them to fail you because you’ll end up in a hospital bed and that’s not a pretty sight.

The Necessity For A Medical Check Up

Before practicing any type of sports it is mandatory for you to ask for a medical opinion. Go to a medical office and let yourself examined by a doctor. He’ll tell you if there’s something wrong with you and you’ll establish together your limitations and qualifications. Feeling healthy is completely irrelevant.

To support all that some scientists developed a study on a group of young and old business executives. Half of them were only asked to answer a few questions and only 10 percent declared having a medical problem. The rest of the group was carefully checked and every single one of them was diagnosed with something. That’s pretty impressive.

That’s why it is very important to find out in time if there’s something wrong with us. If you know about a certain condition you can treat it but if not the effects can be devastating.

It is very important for a person to know their physical limits and that’s why you must see a doctor at least twice a year. Feeling healthy might be tricky sometimes. This is not a condition just for the ones that decide to practice sports but for everybody.

If you have a condition then you must respect the treatment and restrictions imposed by the doctor in order to get well as soon as possible.

Try to develop a recreation program that will help your health status and if the doctor agrees with it follow it day by day.

Usually people go to a medical office when they feel sick or when they need a certain qualification for the job or for a travel. Any check-up can reveal important information about your body and if there’s something that can be prevented easily you should follow all the right steps and make it possible.

If you discover and treat a medical condition right away you’ll probably add a few years to your life. The results can show anything: a vision dysfunction, a hearing problem, a small hernia, haemorrhoids or even heart problems.

Take good care of you and your body because your health status is all up to you.

Tips For A Good Fitness Exercise Workout

2008-10-22T12:21:00.002+08:00

Tips For A Good Fitness Exercise Workout.

Before starting a good fitness exercises workout session it is very important to take a deep breath and so some breathing exercises. Only after doing that you can consider yourself ready to start your daily set of exercises.

This article will teach you all there is to know about a good fitness exercise workout.

The techniques presented below proved to be very successful in sports history and are also medically approved. Their main goal is to keep your body in perfect shape and to increase your health status.

If you think that training for fitness is the same as training for sports competitions then you’re simply wrong.

The most important step in this process is to develop a workout plan and to follow it very rigorously. There will be days when you’ll be filled with energy and there will be days when you’ll hate everything about that workout program. The excuses concerning the hour can be various but you cannot let yourself distracted.

Discipline is very important and makes you realize that everything is in your head. You’ll have to understand that everything is in your best interest and once you realize that everything will be a lot easier. The excuses may be very strong but you’ll find time during the day for your exercises if you really want to.

The most viable excuses involve either work or weather. You cannot go out when it rains or its windy or it snows because that would be insane. Truth being told there’s no danger if you exercise in any weather condition except for snowstorms and fog.

In time you’ll see that the most effective and enjoyable workout sessions take place exactly in those days when you experience mood difficulties. Even if at first you don’t feel like doing any exercises, after a few minutes your mind will change and you’ll feel a lot better.

In order to support that, a study was developed on a group of college students. Whenever the boys came in a great mood their performances were lousy. But when they showed up depressed, tense, irritated or nervous their times improves considerably. It’s just like they released all that was bad about them by burning a few calories and unloosing their body.

It is very important if the way you feel puts a stamp on your workout program. You’ll notice that you’ll have good days and bad days and that your exercising sessions will be average or excellent.

In order to be successful all the time you must establish yourself a predetermined goal. Maybe one day you’ll have planned a few games of squash but you’re body simply doesn’t agree because it might be tired.

What should you do then? Quit after the second game or add a five-mile run to your schedule? What about if you experience some back pain or you catch a cold? You’ll have to reduce your workout hours even if you don’t like it. But your mind cannot lose focus.

That’s why it is very important that you don’t plan the details but only the workout.

Once you start your fitness exercises program you’ll have to establish yourself goals all the time and try to reach them. Everything depends on your health status and on the way you feel.

The entire workout schedule will be fully guided by your common sense.

Even if you cannot complete the program it is very important if you try to do it. Keep in mind that endurance is the main goal of any training and the key to any great success.

Cooling Off Tips After Fitness Exercise Workout

2008-09-24T23:50:00.003+08:00

Cooling Off Tips After Fitness Exercise Workout.

If you start a fitness exercise workout program with a deep breath then you should know that it’s also very important if you end it with a cool-off session.

It is very important that you don’t stop working out at once but you slow down the tempo and keep moving. For example, after you complete a match of squash with your friends it would be great if you do some laps of slow running or walking.

All this has an important medical background and if you read below you’ll understand it.

When you’re working out, your muscles require nutrient and oxygen and that’s why the heart is pumping blood very fast. The blood runs through the arteries and reaches the muscles but the body has no mechanism to effect return the blood back to the heart through the veins.

That’s why we have to do our best to help it. The veins are thin-walled, can be compressed very easily and they have valves that make the blood reach the heart.

Once your fitness exercise workout session is over if you stop right away your heart won’t know that and will continue to send blood to the muscles. But there’s a problem because the muscles don’t move no more and the blood will get back to the heart very hard.

The muscles will now be filled with blood that normally should have nourished other important internal organs. In translation, if you’re brain doesn’t have enough blood you can pass out.

The guards at Buckingham Palace and the US Marines face this problem a lot because they have to stand up and don’t move for several hours. The blood goes to their legs but it cannot go back to the heart like it should and that causes a bad oxygenation of the brain and occasional faints.

If the muscles workout very hard and they suddenly stop you can experience some very unpleasant cramps or stiffness. If you want to prevent that from happening you’ll have to slow down your exercises and stop gradually.

Another very used method speaks about the importance of the cooling-off period. The heat from your body must be radiated while and after the workout session is over. If not the body temperature will be too high and will remain that way until the heat is completely out of your system.

That’s why the hot bath water is not recommended right away.

It will prevent your body loosing heat and when you step out you’ll perspire more than you normally do. This can be pretty annoying sometimes that you’ll need to take another bath.

Also, if you stop your exercising and stay still for a few minutes you’ll risk catching a cold because your body will cool off more than it should.

Even if you do some work in your garden or if you go out for a jog it’s very important that you don’t stop very sudden. You can faint, you can catch a cold, you can experience various unpleasant situations and that’s not good for you. Also you will sweat a lot and if you worked hard enough you might not be a rose-smelling company.

Take good care of you and your body and learn about the cool-off period after fitness exercise workout and its importance because it will do wonders for your health.

Overtraining Syndrome

2008-08-28T09:15:00.002+08:00

Sidelined by injuries.

Sore muscles after every workout.

Feeling tired more often than not.

Catching every virus that goes around.

Not seeing any progress from your workouts.

If any of these statements rings true for you, overtraining syndrome might be the cause. We often get the idea that if some exercise is good, then more is better.

When we push our bodies beyond what they can handle and don’t give them what they need to rest and recover properly from our workouts, they may fight back and let us know it’s time to take a break.

So listen up and see if your body may be telling you that it’s time for a break.

Overtraining syndrome occurs when we push our bodies beyond their ability to recover from exercise. You may not realize it, but after each workout your body needs rest, proper nutrition, and a certain amount of recovery time before the next workout. Not fulfilling each of these after every workout will not cause overtraining syndrome. However, when we frequently neglect one or more of these factors we may experience the signs of overtraining syndrome.

The signs that you may be overtraining can include tiredness, susceptibility to viruses, difficulty sleeping, a plateau in weight loss, no progress in workouts or even a decrease in strength, frequent muscle soreness, irritability and a lack of motivation. Everyone’s experience with overtraining is unique, so keep in mind that you may not have all of these symptoms, or you may have ones not listed.

Overtraining syndrome often happens to athletes who are training for an event. We all know that to improve in a sport and perform well we need to push our bodies and work hard. However, when we push beyond the body’s ability to recover, the signs of overtraining may occur and progress may come to a halt.

Overtraining can also happen to those who are trying to lose weight or get in shape. We know that exercise is good for losing fat and building muscle. If results are slower than we like we sometimes think that more exercise will mean faster results. This may not be the case, if nutrition, rest and recovery time are not factored in.

Fortunately, overtraining syndrome can easily be prevented. Taking one day off a week from exercise allows the body a greater chance for recovery. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night is critical for the body to be ready for the next workout. With our busy lifestyles, getting enough sleep can seem impossible.

However, if you want your workouts to be successful and to avoid overtraining, sleep must be made a priority. Finally, adequate nutrition is a crucial factor that we often forget. Food is the fuel that runs our engines.

Without enough food our engines fail to function at their best and may run out of steam. Your muscles begin the recovery process right after your workout, so consuming a high carbohydrate snack shortly after your workout will aid your body in the early recovery process.

If you believe you are experiencing the symptoms of overtraining syndrome start by taking some time away from exercise. This can be difficult mentally, but the body needs it.

Take a week off, more if your symptoms are severe. During this time reevaluate your exercise and nutrition regimen. Determine if you are exercising too much, not eating enough, not giving the body adequate recovery time, or pushing too hard during your workouts. Make the necessary changes to prevent overtraining syndrome from occurring again.

Overtraining syndrome is common occurrence for athletes and those who workout regularly, but is easy to avoid with rest, recovery time and nutrition.

Do not underestimate the importance of listening to what your body is telling you, and make adjustments accordingly so you can continue to see the progress you want.

How to Prevent Aging Muscle as You Get Older

2008-08-26T23:35:00.002+08:00

How to Prevent Aging Muscle as You Get Older.

Many people under emphasize the important role that strong, toned muscles playing in enhancing appearance and promoting mobility.

Unfortunately, the aging process takes its toll on muscle mass just as it does with the rest of the body.

Muscle mass and strength generally peak by the mid 30’s and gradually decline from there.

Serious loss of muscle mass doesn’t have to happen with age. By taking simple steps to pamper aging muscle, you can maintain the look of health and vitality well into an advanced age.

Here are some suggestions for helping to maintain muscle mass as you grow older :-

Watch your protein intake.

Even though most Americans consume more protein than is necessary, this isn’t the case with older adults. Many older adults are deficient not only in protein intake but are calorie deprived as well.

Protein is an essential ingredient for maintaining lean body mass. As you age, make sure you’re getting a gram of protein for each kilogram of body weight to help maintain the integrity of aging muscle.

Start a weight training program.

If you don’t do some form of resistance exercise, you lose muscle mass at a rate of about three percent every ten years after the age of fifty. The good news is a weight training program can help to maintain lean body mass and muscle strength.

Any form of resistance exercise should have a positive effect on muscle tissue. If you can’t get to a gym, get some resistance bands to use at home on a daily basis. Don’t forget to add cardiovascular exercise to keep your heart, your most important muscle healthy.

Get your Vitamin D

There’s increasing evidence that vitamin D plays a role in preserving aging muscle. Most people fail to get enough of this important vitamin which may play a role in both bone and muscle preservation. To help prevent vitamin D deficiencies and muscle loss, try to get ten minutes of direct sun exposure each day. If this is impossible, consider taking a vitamin D supplement.

Although 400 milligrams of vitamin D has historically been the recommended dose, new studies are showing it may be wise to take more. Studies suggest that up to 1200 milligrams of vitamin D per day are safe.

Watch your potassium intake

A study published in the March 2008 Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that older people who consume higher levels of potassium are able to better preserve muscle mass than those who don’t.

The recommended daily intake of potassium is 3,500 milligrams per day which can be obtained from eating sufficient quantities of fruits and vegetables. To counteract aging muscle, try adding more fresh fruits and lightly steamed vegetables to your diet.

As you age, you can prevent aging muscle by making a few simple lifestyle changes.

These changes can also help you to achieve an overall higher level of health in your later years.

5 Top Reasons Baby Boomers Should Be Pumping Iron

2008-08-26T15:01:00.001+08:00

5 Top Reasons Baby Boomers Should Be Pumping Iron.

If you're a baby boomer, chances are you're already working to take care of your health.

You're probably scarfing down those fresh salads and making an effort to walk everywhere you go.

These are great things to do, but if you are not lifting weights, you are missing one of the most important parts of your overall fitness program.

Whether you're a boomer male or female, weight training is an essential part of maintaining youthful vigor.

Here are five things you can expect to accomplish by lifting weights.

1. Go from flab to fab. Face it. Time and gravity cause our bodies to, well, sag in a few places. Areas that used to be taut and firm become soft and flabby. Weight training is one of the best forms of exercise for dealing with soft flesh.

The way it works is that lifting weights properly will increase your muscle mass in whatever part of your body you are working out. Muscle burns more calories even when at rest than fat does, so you burn fat while those muscles gain strength and definition.

2. Increase the density of your bones. This is of particular interest to women, who have a greater risk of osteoporosis in mid-life than men do. Studies have found that even elderly people could improve their bone density by following a simple but methodical program of weight lifting.

It doesn't take but about 15 minutes twice a week to see results. The trick is to use heavy enough weights to start, and then increase the weight as your strength increases.

3. Improve the quality of your sleep. Many boomers have problems with insomnia. Worries, depression, and hot flashes are just a few of the ailments that can keep you up at night.

Any appropriate exercise (i.e. exercise that does not injure your body) will improve your ability to get to sleep, stay asleep, and wake refreshed. Lifting weights is one such exercise.

4. Be safer on your feet, whatever you're doing. The older you get, the more you worry about taking a fall. Little kids fall and bounce right back up, but boomers go boom and stay there a while. Ouch. If you train with weights, though, your muscles, bones, and ligaments all get stronger. This means that your joints are more stable and don't give out on you. You will also have better balance and coordination, so that you can catch yourself.

5. Enjoy the health benefits of a new hobby. Weight training involves several things that produce the same benefits as taking on a hobby. For one thing, you will learn new terms, procedures, and concepts, so it's good for your mind.

The act of lifting causes you to focus on the action, which makes it a great temporary escape from the worries that normally cloud your mind. And if you go to a gym to work out, you're even likely to meet new like-minded people. All of these benefits have been found to be conducive to better health and vitality.

If you're a baby boomer who is serious about attaining and keeping youthful good health, you owe it to yourself to add weight training to your exercise regimen.

Remember to start small with any new habit.

Make sure you are using good form, and that the weight is the right amount to cause you to tire after 8 to 12 repetitions of a movement.

Usually the local Y will have a trainer on staff who can help you learn the ropes.

How to Run Safely at Night

2008-08-17T11:09:00.002+08:00

How to Run Safely at Night.

There’s a certain joy and peace associated with running at night. To look up into the nighttime sky and see the stars twinkling back at you makes an evening run all the more enjoyable.

But when you run at night you also need to take extra precautions to protect yourself against injury so you can stay injure free and health to enjoy future outings.

Here’s how to run safely at night:

Wear reflective clothing.

If there’s one precaution that can save your life when running at night, wearing protective clothing would be it. If you’re not wearing reflective gear, cars will have a difficult time seeing you and may be unable to stop quickly enough when they do.

If you’re concerned about overheating when you wear reflective clothing, look for running clothing with breathable microfibers. Putting on reflective clothing is a small precaution that may save your life.

Let someone know where you’ll be running.

Because running at night is inherently more risky, let someone you know and trust know your route and approximately how long you’ll be gone. If you don’t return within a reasonable time, they can take the car and look for you.

Run facing traffic.

The advantage to running at night is that it’s easier to see an oncoming car with its headlights on. By running in the direction of traffic, you’ll have better visibility and can move off the road quickly when a car approaches.

Run indoors during inclement weather

Running at night when you can’t see the pavement is tricky enough without adding additional factors such as a wet or slick surface. If the streets and sidewalks are wet, do your workout on an indoor treadmill instead.

Take a flashlight.

When you run at night, it’s difficult to see the ground. Imagine how easy it would be to trip over a branch in the road or even slide on some rocks or gravel. A small hand-held flashlight is useful for illuminating the ground as well as alerting oncoming cars of your presence.

Double tie your shoes.

It can be difficult to tell when your shoelaces are untied when you run at night. Take some extra time to double tie your shoe lashes or wear running shoes that don’t lace up to avoid tripping during your run.

Choose your route.

Choose your evening running route carefully so that you jog on well lit streets and roads. It’s far safer to jog on streets where you can look down and see your feet and easily see what’s in front of you. It’s also helpful if you pick a clear night with a full moon to illuminate your path.

Consider running with someone.

For an additional element of safety, consider running with a jogging partner after dusk. Not only will running with a partner make your run more enjoyable, it may also deter interlopers who may not have good intentions.

Enjoy your evening runs but don’t take unnecessary chances when running at night.

A few simple precautions could potentially save your life.

Fitness Exercise Rewards

2008-08-13T12:44:00.003+08:00

Fitness Exercise Rewards.

Fitness is not about certain physical skills but the ability to withstand the emergency demands of everyday living.

Usually a fitness enthusiast could easily expect to survive a sprint for the bus or a bout of early morning driveway shoveling.

We sleep better, think better, digest better and feel better when we are in a good fitness shape. We have more confidence too when we are in great fitness shape.

People who are in great fitness shape always looks better because they are in good healthy state.

Not only do fit people have fun and gain satisfaction from their skills—they look good. Vanity and pride sometimes are not regarded as nice. But they play a tremendously important and beneficial role in our society.

They stimulate us to study more, work harder, give more freely, and look better. There are many ways to put a best foot forward. A clean, crisp, neat, trim appearance is one. Men want to appear more manly and women more feminine.

This is part of human nature. Looking better is fun. Narcissism can be over done and often is. But we are not concerned with Muscle Beach. A little bit of honest pride in one's clothes, haircut, fingernails, and figure is socially acceptable.

We tend to spend time and money on our appearance, yet pretend that we do not care.

Nonsense! This is not an admission of a crime. Why not look better ? And what easier or more economical way than through fitness exercises ?

Sports activities do have an effect on ego.

G. Hambridge in his book Time to Live: Adventures in the Use of Leisure succinctly summarized this as follows :

The experience of the spectator is mild compared with that of the player, which is the reason games should be played, not watched from a grandstand.

At the risk of uttering a blasphemy, I wish to remark that catching a fast ping-pong ball and returning it with precision gives a pleasure not so far removed from that a painter feels when he makes a good stroke with his brush on canvas.

That is one of the reasons why athletic games are so valuable for those of middle age and beyond.

The game not only keeps the body supple and in good shape which, after all, calisthenics would do; it subtly flatters the ego with a sense of mastering new and difficult things.

All of us need that kind of flattery on occasion. We get it in games no matter how modest the skill required.

Video - Mental Rewards of Fitness Exercises For Seniors

Fitness Exercises Should Be Fun To Do

2008-08-05T21:37:00.004+08:00

Fitness Exercises Should Be Fun To Do.

If fitness exercises are fun to do, there will be a lot of fit and healthy person on this world but it's not fun at all to some.

To those who are doing exercises because its fun, they actually don't need to do exercises as they are already fit and healthy because they think exercises is fun.

Exhausting as it sounds, a rugged fitness exercise workout can be exhilarating to some.

Fitness should not be a deadly serious matter, it should be a fun thing to do.

There is one sound reason a man exercises — for fun. It will be more fun when you do it with a group like in a marathon or something like that.

There are dividends from fitness, to be sure.

These benefits are "extras," however. These are not reasons why people keep fit.

These are bonuses for people who exercise for fun and fitness.

Tension is the businessman's heaviest burden. Deadlines, promotion, competition, improvement, insecurity, and worry are part of our society.

No wonder the executive has difficulty relaxing. Tight nerves and tense muscles are the usual rather than the exception. Fitness is one way out. No one can relax by being ordered to do so. Keyed-up nerves and muscles do not respond to talk.

Nerves and muscles can be re-educated. Relaxing habits can be substituted for bad habits.

How To Relax

The way to relax is to non relax. Translated, this means: exercise vigorously. Having non relaxed energetically for thirty minutes, no one needs to be told to relax. He has no choice —he is exhausted—he has to relax.

Ask anyone what is the best part of his workout. It is taking a shower afterward— naturally!

A workout inescapably prepares one for relaxation. During a workout it is impossible to be concerned about anything other than the task at hand. One's every thought and effort is concentrated on the workout.

Try preparing a report to the boss while watching your tennis adversary's cannonball serve go streaking past. Try adding up all your debts while giving the bowling ball a little body English toward a remote tenpin.

Try thinking about anything while exercising except exercising. It cannot be done! Your mind is off your problems and that is good.

After the workout, with physically tired muscles, with the glow of physical satisfaction, and with the refreshing relief of a warm shower, relaxation is inevitable. And in a few weeks nerves and muscles once again have learned the rewarding art of relaxation.

The word "athlete" will be used now and then and should not scare you.

By definition, an athlete is one "trained in acts of physical exercise."

The dictionary does not specify sex, age limit, type of physical activity, or competitive ability as requisites for the definition of "athlete."

Many of my athletic patients are of both sexes, of all ages, and never compete. But they certainly are athletes. Most of my athletic patients would, to be sure, deny they are athletes—but they are.

Somehow they feel they do not deserve this approbation but they do.

Dangers Of Obesity

Obesity, the commonest background of premature death, is rare among those who exercise regularly.

Obese people have a greater chance to develop heart disease, cancer, kidney illnesses, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and other degenerative disorders.

While fitness apparently does not lengthen life, obesity certainly shortens it.

There are no vaccinations or antibiotics which protect you from these illnesses.

But fitness exercises which abolishes obesity provides statistical immunization and if you do it for fun, your body will appreciate it more.

Video - Fun Things To Do With An Exercise Ball ( Funny !! )

Warming Up Tips Before You Start Your Fitness Exercises

2008-08-01T21:05:00.003+08:00

Warming Up Tips Before You Start Your Fitness Exercises.

It is best not to start any exercises without some sort of warming up.

Warming up will improves your overall performance and greatly reduce any risk of injury during exercising.

Remember to warm up before you start any kind of fitness exercise activity. Start slowly...let your muscles stretch first.

Warming up usually requires just a few minutes to get all that muscles stretched out.

Warm up until you begin to perspire. Keep going—slowly. Do not stop during your workout. Endurance cannot increase with sporadic bursts of unbridled energy.

If you start slowly, there will be no need to stop in the middle of a workout. If you must halt due to fatigue, you have tackled too much in too short a time.

We can be impetuous. We want to achieve the difficult today and the impossible tomorrow. Take it easy, be leisurely, and be of relaxed mien. To be blunt, do not kill yourself!

During exercise, do not let extra exertion creep up unnoticed. This is a particular hazard in "friendly" games. The first time Fancy Dan is your adversary in a game of tennis he may have you lunging for impossible returns. If you cannot retrieve his shots with an average attempt, forget it.

Once you are in shape, you may or may not pin his ears back. With outdoor sports, force yourself to slow down in cold weather.

Low temperatures mean extra clothing, and the weight and wind resistance of added apparel necessarily increase work load and decrease efficiency. A head wind or uphill topography also requires inappropriate "oomph." Rowing against the current is the same. Reserve that impetuous, carefree blast for downstream, downhill, tail-wind, cautious pick-ups.

Save three minutes for the weak areas.

When you are well into a workout and as you finish, a feeling of well-being pervades.

This stems partly from a sense of accomplishment and partly from a wholesome release of unresolved tensions and pent-up nerves.

Worry, anger, boredom, anxiety, and frustration come back into proper perspective.

Things are not quite so bad as they seem.

Into this glow of minor achievement intrudes the only hint of athletic tedium. Although not time-consuming, you must round out your session with calisthenics.

Very few sports exercise the whole body. Swimming and weight lifting, while vastly different, are two exceptions.

Suppose, however, you walk, bicycle, or run. The legs do most of the work. The arms reap the least benefit. Three minutes o£ push-ups and pull-ups after a satisfactory workout is a modest imposition on the time and effort of the hiker, cyclist, or runner, yet ensures a more equal distribution of muscular rehabilitation.

Contrariwise, a three-minute rapid jog (half a mile) for the oarsman balances his fitness program. You are the judge of what muscles you have called into play for your own activity. Devote the last three minutes to calisthenics which utilize the rest of your physique.

Calisthenics, while boring and almost totally devoid of fun, are essential for total fitness.

Judiciously selected they fill a hiatus inherent in most sports. They also promote flexibility and mobility, your best insurance against creaking joints, bunched-up muscles, and poor posture.

It is how you play the sport, not the sport itself, that counts.

Overexertion may mean injury and defeat. Regardless of how refreshed and vigorous you may feel, temper your zeal.

Never do so much on one day that you interfere with the next day's program. A two- or three-day layoff because of stiffness, fatigue, and the need for recuperation may well negate the good of the initial workout.

Time and experience will very quickly outline your own limitations.

If you exercise properly, you should always be able to repeat yesterday's workout today without feeling stiff or tired.

Warming up before your fitness exercises will reduce the risk of you getting injured during the workout, so warm up slowly...

Video - Top 6 Warming Up Stretching Exercises

How Your Body Benefit From Exercises

2008-07-30T17:32:00.005+08:00

How Your Body Benefit From Exercises.

There's a lot benefit that you can gain by doing exercises. Exercises makes one a healthy and fit person.

But what happens when one uses his muscles too little ?

This leads to what has been dubbed obesity and flabby person. This means more than just flabby muscles. This means "flabby" or debilitated heart, blood vessels, blood, respiratory system, to name a few items. A flabby person suffers from an old sickly state, which has been given a fancy name: hypokinesis.

Hypokinesis creates a vicious circle - little activity brings about greater inability for activity, which leads to even greater restriction of activity, and the person begins to act sick or prematurely aged, avoiding physical exertion which used to be fun and now causes only pains and aches and makes one puff and feel tired.

What can you do about this ?

This can be remedied in a simple manner - Exercises regularly.

Exercises regularly, but do it gradually, and gradually you will become again what you used to be when you were younger.

The result obtained from exercising may be compared with that obtained during immunization. A doctor injects some substance which may cause a temporary indisposition, but makes you immune against even a deadly disease.

Each time that you exercise until you feel slightly tired is comparable to one immunization shot, only in this case it is immunization against fatigue and not against a disease.

After each exercise session, you become more resistant to fatigue and you can do more than before. There is, however, a difference between immunization and training.

During immunization you usually have only a short period of partial mobilization of the body which results in a dramatic production of specific weapons called antibodies.

Once immunization is achieved you don't need any more shots, sometimes for a few years, sometimes for life. During training, although the body is mobilized to a greater extent, the immediate results are slight and of a short duration.

Thus, one cannot consider himself trained for life, or for a year or for a month, by just exercising on two or three successive days. One has to exercise frequently and continuously. Only in this manner can one obtain a lasting cumulative effect.

Few people realize the tremendous capacities of our internal organs. Let's name a few :

- If all the capillaries of one individual were placed end to end they would form a string long enough to go four times around the earth, or close to 100,000 miles. The heart which pumps the blood through all these capillaries weighs only ten ounces. No wonder that, if the heart weakens, sludges may begin to form in the vessels.

- If we take from a sedentary man a bundle of muscle fiber equal in thickness to the lead of an ordinary pencil, and cut it across, there will be as many as 2,000 capillaries.

- A drop of blood of a man at rest contains 250 million corpuscles. During exercise it is increased by 7.5 million.

- At rest, about one gallon of blood per minute is pumped by the heart. During running this may increase to 10 gallons per minute.

- If all the blood corpuscles of an individual are placed on the ground they will cover an area of about 5,000 square yards.

- The surface area of the capillaries in the lungs equals the area of one-half of a tennis court for singles.

Fantastic as these figures are, they may be even greater, and this result can be achieved through the fun of exercises.

Health Benefits of Exercise Video

What Kind Of Results Do You Expect From a Fitness Exercise Program

2008-07-28T20:12:00.003+08:00

What Kind Of Results Do You Expect From a Fitness Exercise Program.

When we start any kind of a physical fitness exercising conditioning program, the question of what kind of results to be expected should be address first.

This question can be addressed by considering adults and kids separately.

As parents, we want our children to grow and develop physically in a normal way, so that they are not handicapped by physical limitations.

We want them to have the ability to meet all demands made upon them with adequate reserves to enjoy life.

Many people express the thought that the physical condition is of little importance and that other things are of more importance.

However, if one has a strong healthy body, he can be happy regardless of other circumstances, but if he suffers physical inadequacy and poor health, he cannot be happy under any circumstances.

During the growing years, the child's body is especially adaptable to physical influences, good or bad.

Planned progressive use of the body in training during this period will assure him of a body that is structurally good. It will strongly influence the development of the organs and tissues within his body, for no organ or tissue can reach full development and capacity for effort unless progressive demands upon its function are made.

Regardless of body type, his physical fitness level will become much greater than it could be without the progressive training. Most children with the common faults in body mechanics can eliminate them with the properly selected resistance exercises.

The child's body is an extremely adaptable mechanism. It will reflect exactly what we demand of it and require of it to do. The muscular system is so constructed that its use not only strengthens the muscles themselves, but places a corresponding demand upon the function of all the organic processes in the body.

The three great requirements for growth and development are nutrition, rest, and progressive exercise. We say progressive exercise because without increasing the demand on body function we get little improvement in either structure or function.

Many an adult is expecting his body to perform its duties over a life span of seventy or more years with the organic development and strength of an adolescent. This is not reasonable and definitely unnecessary.

The application of progressive resistance training from childhood to adulthood will bring about a fully developed physical structure and strong physical reserves in organic and functional abilities that no other form of training has been able to do.

Closely allied to the physical development of the child is his emotional development. The emotions are so strong a force for good or evil that their development and control should be a major consideration in our children.

Everyone is under a constant emotional strain, whether he is conscious of it or not.

This, of course, is caused by the ever present conflict between our modern civilization and our emotional desires.

In many ways this conflict is more pronounced with children than with adults because they are more motivated by emotions than by reasoning. Their lives are on a purely physical and emotional basis for the first few years and only gradually become more governed by reason.

As his emotional demands are met by the realities of environment, his emotions must become adjusted to them or he becomes a "problem" child. Abnormal development of emotional reactions is surely caused in part at least by the individual having insufficient strength to meet the demands of his environment successfully.

Any child whose emotional development is poor is a potential victim of nervous and mental disease as an adult.

All physical changes have a definite reaction in the emotions and even mild emotional reactions have a definite physical expression. This is easily observed in the marked difference emotionally in a child when he is ill and when he is in good health.

It is difficult to bring about a perfectly normal emotional stability in one whose childhood has been handicapped by chronic illness.

In the same manner, emotional development is much less a problem in a child of good development and vigorous health.