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Should You Exericse When You're Sick? A neck check may help you decide.
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General/Other
"The common cold is characterized by a sore throat, stuffy head, runny nose, sneezing, cough, headache and fever. The decision to exercise or not while fighting the common cold is a personal decision, but before you proceed, do a "neck check." If your symptoms are all located "above the neck" then you can exercise at a reduced intensiity.
On the other hand, if your "neck check" reveals symptoms "below the neck" like muscle aches, chills, diarrhea, vomiting or a fever over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I recommend that you skip your workouts until your "below the neck" symptoms subside.
While there is no medical evidence that exercising during a common cold will speed up your recovery time, it may make you feel more energized than sitting it out on the couch. Also, exercise may temporarily clear a stuffed-up head when you have a cold.
Finally, use your own common sense when deciding to exercise during a bout of the common cold. If you are feeling down right rotten, a few days of rest and relaxation may be just what the doctor has ordered."
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 11/7/2008
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1
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5.4
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N/A
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Thinking In Terms of Inches, Not Pounds - A Better "Weigh" To Measure Fitness Success
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General/Other
"Often times people who exercise as part of their weight loss program become frustrated initially when they don't lose weight. They don't realize that training increases muscle size, and muscle tissue weighs more than fat.
As you develop muscle and lose fat, you may lose inches instead of pounds. You may even gain weight, but you'll appear slimmer and trimmer. Because you're lowering your body-fat percentage and increasing your metabolic rate, you're improving your physical fitness considerably.
So what's the best way to lose weight? Combining diet and exercise results in more weight loss than dieting alone. When you lose weight, you lose lean body mass as well as fat.
In groups that diet without exercising, 25 to 50 percent of weight lost is muscle. In groups that diet and exercise, the loss of muscle tissue can be reduced to 10 to 15 percent.
Maintaining muscle tissue through weight training is important for long-term weight loss and maintenance. Lean tissue burns more calories and preserves strength, muscle tone and definition."
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 10/22/2008
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2
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11.3
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100 %
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How to Build Explosive Power
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Strength Training
"Whether it's a basketball player soaring up to the hoop, a swimmer launching into the water, or a boxer delivering a thunderous punch, one essential for any athlete is explosive power. Explosive power is the combination of strength, speed, and agility, that allows for short concentrated bursts of maximum power. For an athlete, these bursts can make or break a game. Incorporating exercises that focus on harnessing the speed and power of fast twitch muscles can lead to dramatic increases in how fast, strong, and lean you are.
Step1 Building explosive power requires short high stress instances in training. Exercises like uphill runs, where you run hard and quickly up a hill works your fast twitch muscles at a high intensity. Other running exercises like intervals, where you alternate between jogging at your normal pace and sprinting a little under your max, will also build your response time and lead to you shaving lots of time from your runs.
Step 2 The exercises you'll do while training for explosive power all will have one instance where you forcefully use your maximum amount of strength for a brief period. In addition to your cardio, exercises that specifically target fast twitch muscles will dramatically increase your results. Here are some exercises to begin building explosive power.
Step 3 1. Box Squat Jump - Sit on a large box with your back straight and your hands above your head. From your sitting position, push off and jump straight into the air as hard as possible. Once you land, sit back down again in the starting position. To increase resistance, a dumbbell can be held across the shoulders.
2. Ravers - Starting from a lunge position with your back straight and your hands again held behind your head, jump up into the air to complete one rep. While airborne, switch legs and when your feet hit the ground immediately lift off again to complete the second rep.
3. Plyometric Push-Ups - Start in a normal push-up position with your hands at shoulder width. Slowly lower yourself to the ground and then strongly push off so that your hands leave the ground. As you're falling back, catch yourself and repeat.
4. Burpee – One of the most intense workouts you can mix into your arsenal. To perform a burpee, lower yourself into a squat and then kick your legs back so you result in a pushup position. Perform a pushup and pull your feet back up so you're once again in a squat position. Leap into the air and then repeat. The key to this exercise is to perform it as quickly as possible.
Step 4 Mix a few exercises designed to increase your explosive power into your normal workout routine 2-3 times a week.
-To begin with, keep your number of reps and sets low, like 2 sets of 15 reps per exercise. To increase the effort, after a while you can add more reps per set, and then eventually more sets per work out.
-Don't perform all of the exercises at one time. Pick a few of them at a time on days you're exercising. Vary your workout"... read entire tip
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 10/9/2008
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1
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14.6
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100 %
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8 Keys to Fitness Success
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General/Other
"1.Build on your small successes. Start with small goals. Revel in the small accomplishments. They add up to great things.
2.Be realistic about your goals. It doesn't take a few weeks to get flabby or become overweight, so don't expect to see results over night.
3.Track your progress. Take your measurements so you'll be able to evaluate how your body is changing. Take a photo of yourself now so you'll have visual validation of the changes in your body over time.
4.Focus on why you are doing this. Exercise is an investment in your self. Don't focus on what you are giving up to become fit, focus on what you are gaining.
5.Use the power of visualization daily. Visualize yourself completing a great work-out and focus on how great you'll feel knowing you got the job done. Visualize yourself reaching your goals.
6.Know your limits and give your body adequate fuel. Fatigue, insomnia, irritability, and an elevated resting heart rate are signs of overdoing it or not getting proper nutrition!
7.Reward yourself when you obtain your goals.
8.Keep a workout log and a food journal. Track your progress by taking your measurements every 6 to 8 weeks"
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 10/9/2008
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2
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12.4
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100 %
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Fit Body = Fit Mind!
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General/Other
"EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOUR BRAIN. IT DOESN’T MAKE YOU SMARTER. IT MAKES YOU ABLE TO FOCUS AND LEARN. DON’T JUST THINK PHYSICAL FITNESS, THINK BRAIN FITNESS."
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 9/24/2008
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2
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11.6
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100 %
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Try Weighted Half-Squats to Improve Running Speed!
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Strength Training
"Get down, get fast: Weighted half-squats can improve your running speed, reports a study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Using heavy weights, distance runners performed four sets of four reps three times per week. After eight weeks, they shaved the equivalent of 90 seconds off their 5-K times.
Heavy lifting stresses the nervous system, which adapts by communicating with muscles more efficiently, said study co-author Øyvind Støren, M.D. Don’t fear the Hulk Effect—subjects did too few reps to get bulky.
Try it: Stack a squat machine with enough weight to hold perfect form (squat, stop when your knees are at 90 degrees, then stand) for no more than four reps max."
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running speed, squats, weights
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 9/22/2008
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1
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11.1
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100 %
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Power Couples
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Diet and Nutrition
"One at a time is no way to get your vegetables, especially when research shows that certain plants pony up more vitamins and minerals when devoured together than they do separately. Here are four disease-fighting food pairs that add up to more than the sum of their parts.
Endive and edamame
A study published in Nutrition Research found that a substance called inulin in chicory-root plants helps improve calcium absorption. So when you combine endive, the leaf of the chicory plant, with a calcium-rich food like edamame -- 1 cup provides 10 percent of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) -- you're building bone by the bite.
Perfect pairing: Top an endive salad with edamame and coat with a citrus vinaigrette (mix together 2 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon chopped scallions, and a dash of freshly ground black pepper).
Not familiar with edamame? It's another name for raw soybeans. You can purchase them frozen in the vegetable section of your supermarket. Shell them and add them to salads or steam them in the pods and then shell them and add to any dish in which you'd normally use green peas.
Broccoli and tomatoes
This classic Italian has numerous health benefits to men and women alike. Piling both on your fork seems to slow or prevent prostate tumors in rats, according to a study at the University of Illinois at Urbana. Researchers believe the twosome may offer women the same protection against ovarian cancer.
Perfect pairing: Toss ½ cup whole-wheat penne with 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1cup diced tomatoes, and 1cup steamed broccoli florets, plus salt and pepper to taste. Or simply add broccoli florets to chunky marinara sauce.
Kidney beans and green peppers
If you're cutting down on red meat, you may be turning to legumes like kidney beans to keep your iron stores pumped. Problem is, only 2 to 20 percent of iron from plant sources (called nonheme iron) actually gets past your gut and into your bloodstream. The vitamin C in green bell peppers forces your body to take in more of the mineral, increasing absorption sixfold.
Perfect pairing: For a quick dinner, add ½ cup chopped green peppers to a can of vegetarian chili with beans.
Salsa and guacamole
Never decide between these dynamic dips again -- have both! A study at Ohio State University showed that people soaked up over four times more lycopenean -- an antioxidant known to protect against cancer -- when they ate salsa with fresh avocado. Researchers believe that the healthy monounsaturated fats pick up the lycopene in your stomach and distribute it throughout your body.
Perfect pairing: Eat 2 heaping tablespoons of both with a dozen baked tortilla chips."
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 9/22/2008
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1
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8
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100 %
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Air Quality - Inflate Your Breathing Strategies
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General/Other
"It's easy to take breathing for granted. But tune in to your breath--when you're, say, halfway through a sun salutation or gunning for a finish line--and you'll find that it not only feeds your muscles fresh oxygen but also clues you in to whether you can up your intensity. To get the most out of every breath, follow these pro tips.
The Activity - Running
The Expert Danny Dreyer, author of ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-free Running
How? With closed lips, breathe in sharply and deeply through the nose. Then purse your lips, as if you're trying to blow out a candle, and exhale through your mouth. As you run, breathe in for one step and out for two.
Why? "The rapid inhale and slower exhale in this technique fills your lungs from the bottom," Dreyer says. "It helps you take in more air when you inhale and empty your lungs completely when you exhale." The result? "Your muscles receive more glycogen, which lowers your chances of cramping up."
The Activity - Yoga
The Expert Elena Brower, owner of Virayoga in New York City
How? Use the Hindu breathing method called ujjayi. First, inhale once with your mouth open and then exhale the same way, making a "ha" sound. Then close your mouth and continue making the same sound while inhaling and exhaling through your nose (you'll sound like Darth Vader).
Why? "Your breathing is the barometer of all your poses," Brower says. Gasping for air? Back out of the pose. "Always give preference to deeper breathing over deeper postures." What's more, this breathing technique is largely responsible for the yoga buzz that keeps you coming back for more.
The Activity - Strength training
The Expert Tom Holland, exercise physiologist and personal trainer in Darien, CT
How? Exhale through your mouth when you lift and inhale through your nose when you lower. Rule of thumb: Take two seconds to raise the weight and three to four seconds to lower it.
Why? Focusing on your breath keeps your brain in the game so you're more likely to pay attention to overall form, Holland says.
The Activity - Cycling
The Expert Tom Holland
How? "The key to breathing on a bike is to go in through the nose and out through the mouth--and to be as relaxed as you can be," Holland says. When your intensity increases on climbs or long rides, breathe more forcefully: deeper, quicker inhales through the nose and rapid exhales through the mouth.
Why? "The more relaxed your breathing is, the more relaxed your entire body will be," Holland says. "Relaxed breathing conserves energy, prevents fatigue, and improves endurance." And using forceful breaths when you're beat will get more oxygen to your muscles."
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breathing, running, yoga, strength training, cycling
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 9/22/2008
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1
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6.3
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N/A
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Cross Training: Mix and Match for a Better Body
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Endurance
"If you're like many, you've found the one activity you love to do. And you do it—over and over again. That's great, especially when you're just trying to get into the habit. But once you're exercising regularly, adding variety to your routine can take you to the next level.
When you do just one thing, you're only training the muscles you need for that particular activity. That can leave you very strong in some areas, but pretty weak in others, leading to muscle imbalances and overuse injuries from performing the same motions day in and day out. And as you already know, the more muscles you use, the more calories you burn, and the slimmer and fitter you'll feel. Plus, cross-training keeps you from getting bored.
You should always aim for a balance of aerobic activity and strength training to keep your heart fit, your muscles toned, and your bones strong. Strength training twice a week is essential. It's the only thing that keeps your muscles strong enough to do the activities you love. And strength training keeps your metabolism high, so you avoid gaining excess body fat as you get older.
Otherwise, try to vary your aerobic workouts so that you're not doing the same activity every day. Below are some ideas to help you spice up your routine.
Quick Tip
If your workout's not working, try a new activity to boost calorie burn. If your primary exercise is:
Jogging/Running
Try Yoga
Keeps muscles and joints strong and flexible
Golf or Tennis
Try Swimming
Moves joints through a full rotation and stretches them
Cycling/Spinning Classes
Try African or Jazz Dance
Impact is good for your bones and improves posture
Walking
Try Swimming
Stretches you and works your upper body
Aerobics Class (e.g., dance, step, kickboxing)
Try Biking on Trails
Low impact is easier on joints. Adding hills works your upper body and improves balance.
Swimming/Water Aerobics
Try Walking
Especially on hills Weight-bearing exercise adds impact to build bones and improves lower body strength."
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cross training
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created by
runningbear
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saved on 9/11/2008
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1
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4.6
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N/A
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