Ezine Fitness Tips

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2001 to 2003 Fitness Tips: Page Six

Issue 134
Heading off a Stroke
Could your triglyceride levels be putting you at risk for stroke? Here is how to tell and what to do.
Know your number: The American Heart Association says that a normal triglyceride level is less than 150 mg/dl. Borderline high is 150 to 199 mg/dl. High is 200 mg/dl and above. If yours is high, these steps will help bring it down.

Eat a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Take off pounds if you are overweight.
Cut down on alcohol. Even small amounts can lead to large changes in triglyceride levels.
Be physically active for at least 30 minutes, five days a week.
Use canola oil, olive oil or peanut butter in place of saturated fats such as butter.

Cut back on carbohydrate intake.
Eat more fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel and sardines, because they are high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Issue 135
A Better Workout
Drinking enough water before exercise can help you work out longer - and give you a better workout. To avoid running out of steam: Drink two cups two hours before you start exercising and five to ten ounces every 15 to 20 minutes during your workout. If you work out longer than an hour at a time, choose a sport drink to avoid losing too much sodium.

Issue 136
How to Lower Your BMI
The BMI has now become a more solid approach to determining your overall fitness level. To help lower it, try the following:

Try a kinder, gentler approach. It helps to think of BMI as a health indicator, not a moral judgment or the blasted three-letter word: Fat.
Take the long view. This is about the rest of your life, not fitting into a certain dress size by summer. Safe, gradual, sustained weight loss should be your aim. Set an initial goal of 10-percent, with the idea of losing one to two pounds a week - no more - over a six-month period.
Do not starve. Talk to your doctor or nutrition professional about developing an individual diet that is low in calories and fat. Emphasize fruits, vegetables, grains, skim and low fat dairy products, lean meat, fish and poultry.
Engage in moderate activity for at least 30 minutes on most days. This could be as simple as two 15-minute walks in a day, cleaning - just so you're moving!

Find out what your BMI is!

Issue 137
Exercising on an Empty Stomach
Muscles require energy for movement. This energy is found in the form of glucose (blood sugar), glycogen (sugar stored in the muscle), or body fat. When exercising, the body first uses the glucose circulating in the blood for energy. If you have not eaten, your body will not have the available glucose and will drain the glycogen from the muscle cells. The result is a tired feeling and a lack of muscle endurance. Fat is not immediately burned because the body conserves fat during times of deprivation. The metabolizing of fat is a last resort and usually does not occur for the first 24 to 48 hours of lowered glucose levels.

Issue 138
Is Fighting Fat Pointless?
Fighting fat just might be pointless - "IF". If good health is the goal, not vanity, determine if you are healthy and go from there. To do this, learn what your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels are. If those are normal, there is no reason to lose weight. In fact, the health benefits of peeling off pounds may be negligible for those with no current health problems. A study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta found that shedding weight had no effect on disease risk and mortality in healthy people. The key is the word "healthy" -- if you have any illnesses attributed to excess weight, you do need to shed pounds.

Issue 139
Assess Your Fitness Goals
It is so important to your overall health and well being that you assess your fitness goals. Set practical strength, flexibility and cardiovascular goals and take systematic steps toward an improved body every day. This will enable you to get as fit as personally possible. The bonus: Long term health and fitness - whether you are a size 6 or 16. The belief that the perfect body will lead to the perfect job, life, etc., is nonsense. We will always see tall people, skinny people, short, stocky people, etc. That is out of our control. What we can do is exercise regularly, follow good health practices and live life to the fullest. See: Basic Exercise Guide for the Healthy Adult

Issue 140
Exercise Regularly to Boost Your Immunity
Some exercise physiologists believe regular moderate activity enhances the immune system, thus reducing your susceptibility to infection. On the other hand, they believe intense exercise suppresses the immune system response. Studies of marathon runners show a significant increase in respiratory infections at the height of their training, indicating that their immune systems are not functioning at full capacity. Although the controversy about the detrimental effects of heavy exercise is ongoing, there is solid evidence that regular, moderate exercise does boost your immunity. When you exercise, you raise your core body temperature, which works to "pasteurize" your blood by killing off any germs that may be there. Some researchers theorize this also may kill off random cancer cells, which would explain why regular exercisers are less likely to develop cancer.

Issue 141
Exercise and Aging
Some people age poorly - physically, mentally or emotionally - while others age well. But why? Is it poor genes? Not really, although we do now know that about 20-percent is due to genes. The other 80-percent is lifestyle, pure and simple. What makes the body decline is not the passing of years as much as the combined effects of inactivity, poor nutrition and illness. Because you can control these factors, you hold the key to how well you age. Regular exercise can help prevent a lot of age-related damage. The sooner you lay the groundwork to aging well, the sooner - and longer -you will reap the benefits. See also: Healthy Aging

Issue 142
When "Healthy" Blood Pressure Isn't
New guidelines mean that 45 million people who thought their blood pressure was in the safe zone (under 130/85) now have to lower it. If yours is over the new "normal" cutoff of 120/80, cutting back on sodium may be enough to bring it back to healthy levels. A product on the market that can help cut salt is salt-free Mrs. Dash Grilling Blends.

Issue 143
"Spinning"
Spinning is an aerobic exercise performed on a specially designed stationary bike. Spinning is usually done in a group to motivating music as an instructor guides you through the workout, using visualization techniques to help you feel as though you are cycling over hills and through valleys. The instructor will prompt you as to when to crank up or loosen the tension and when to pedal faster. Spinning is great for toning hips and thighs and burning calories.

Issue 144
Light Exercise
Strenuous workouts will improve athletic performance, but this does not mean these types of workouts will give you a great health advantage. Research indicates that there is very little difference in the death rates from coronary heart disease, cancer and the other combined causes between moderate exercisers and heavy exercisers; however, there is a great difference in the death rates of inactive people and moderate exercisers.
There are advantages of moderate exercise over strenuous exercise. Generally, we are able to sustain moderate exercise for a longer time. If you are exercising for weight control, the longer you are able to exercise, the more calories you will burn. For example, most people can walk for a longer period of time than they can jog. A three-mile walk will burn approximately 300 calories; a one-mile jog will burn about 100 calories. In addition, moderate exercise reduces stress, anxiety, high blood pressure and the risk of adult onset diabetes as effectively as strenuous exercise.

Issue 145
Warning Signs of Diabetes

Having to urinate often
Being thirsty often
Feeling very hungry
Losing weight for no reason
Feeling really tired
Feeling cranky
Having blurry vision

If you have a number of the above symptoms, visit your doctor.
You may have diabetes.

Issue 146
Functional Strength Training
Functional strength training is a new approach to fitness that designs a specific workout based on your lifestyle. Functional strength training starts with an evaluation of your daily routine, such as working at a computer, driving, lifting groceries, playing a sport, etc. Then the skills necessary for those tasks (balance, upper body strength, agility, coordination, and flexibility) are examined to make improvements so you can perform them easily, efficiently and painlessly. The resulting fitness regimen may call for free weights, flexibility bands, yoga, cardiovascular exercise, Pilates or circuit training. Functional strength training also can be used to help prevent injuries and improve muscle balance to enhance performance in specific sports. You can request this type of evaluation at your gym or from an instructor.

Issue 147
Yoga Stretches
Yoga stretches can wake up a tired body, especially if you have been sitting too long. Poses that open the chest, such as back bends, are especially invigorating, because they expand breathing capacity and stimulate the nervous system. Other poses, in which the head is lower than the heart, boost energy by sending blood to the brain. Try the "Puppy Dog":
Stand facing a wall and place your hands against the wall at about hip height. Walk backward until your back is parallel with the floor and your body creates a box with the wall and floor. Relax your head and press your palms into the wall with your fingers spread wide and your middle fingers pointing toward the ceiling. Soften your knees, extend your tailbone up. Take a few deep breaths as you focus on lengthening your spine, then release. See also: Safety Tips for Yoga Beginners

Issue 149
Duration of Workouts
The harder and longer you work out, the better the results, right? No, wrong. In truth, after a certain period of time, exercise can actually be counterproductive. Too much exercise over taxes your body's ability to recover between workouts. This results in muscle loss and over-training - a condition that zaps your energy levels and decreases your health. The key to successful exercise is to stimulate your muscles as quickly and intensely as possible, then stop. Afterwards, provide adequate time and optimal nutrients for proper repair of the tissue. This will give you stronger, more toned muscles and speedier fat loss.

Issue 150
Stretching
Stretching provides these benefits:

Increases blood flow.
Increases muscle elasticity.
Increases range of motion.
Improves flexibility.
Eases movement.
Helps loosen muscles in the arms, shoulders, back, chest, stomach, thighs, buttocks and calves.
Aids in prevention of injury and muscle strain.
Can improve performance.

Some general stretching guidelines:

Start stretching slowly.
Don't bounce while stretching.
Avoid violent movements.
Hold the stretched position.
Don't overdo.
Stretch 5 to 15 minutes before (warm-up) and after (cool-down) exercising.

Issue 151
Strength Training
Strength training is, without a doubt, the single best form of exercise for those who want to slim down, tone up and tighten all the trouble spots on the body. Through strength, or resistance training, you can not only sculpt your body, but also increase your metabolism. This means you can burn more fat and calories 24 hours a day, seven days a week! Studies confirm that strength/resistance training strengthens the heart, increases bone density (which protects you against osteoporosis), lowers cholesterol and even improves mood! There is really now two ways about it - if you want to look better, feel better, live longer and stay healthy, resistance training is the way to go. You'll get nice definition - and strong shoulders make your waistline look smaller!

Issue 152
Exercise During This Holiday Season
Exercise offers an excellent solution to three of the challenges that everyone tends to face during the holiday season: eating larger amounts of fattier foods, dealing with increased levels of stress and becoming more vulnerable to the winter ''blahs."
The first holiday challenge addressed by exercise is the delicious but oh-so-heavy foods that we thoroughly enjoy every year. Studies have shown that indulging on these foods once in a while does not have a long-term effect on our overall weight. However, they can leave us feeling slow and sluggish afterward. People with digestion problems may also regret some of their holiday indulgences. By exercising at least one hour after a meal, we can raise our energy levels and aid our digestive processes. Getting moving is also good for our cardiovascular system after we've been sitting at a dinner table or on a living room couch for hours at a time.

Issue 153
Kick The Morning Blues
Many of us are poor starters to the day. We feel languid, uninspired. It is as much as we can do to get out of bed and stand under the shower. However, there are a number of techniques we can adopt to boost our energy levels and reduce our feelings of stress at the start of the day. The following are typical techniques and one that has been highly effective for a great many people. Before getting out of bed in morning, prime your body for action through a series of gentle muscle stretches:

Start with your right foot, extend the toes upwards while inhaling gradually and deeply. Hold your breath to a count of 5 and then curl your toes as you exhale. Repeat this exercise with your left foot.
Stretch out your whole body as you lie in bed pushing down with each foot, stretching your leg muscles.
Inhale and then as you exhale, stretch your arms above your head.
Gently rise from your bed and stand with an upright posture, both feet firmly on the floor. Breathe deeply, curling your toes as you inhale and extending them on exhaling.