Swimming for Fitness

A guy named Dr. Stephen Blair (University of South Carolina) conducted an extended survey to study the effectiveness of swimming for fitness. What he found was remarkable. The study was conducted over a period of years, and measured the health benefits of more than forty thousand study participants, ranging in ages from twenty-nine to ninety. His conclusion was that swimming is hands down the best form of exercise you can undertake, beating out perennial favorites jogging and walking. In fact, the study concludes that if you incorporate swimming as the major form of exercise, you're a staggering fifty percent less likely to die.

Fifty percent. That's huge, and the implications of the study are equally enormous, which of course means that if you don't have, or have access to an exercise poor or swimming spa, then you should seriously consider it, if you're interested in optimal health.

In a series of different studies done, it has also been found that swimming is one of the better forms of exercise you can undertake if you suffer from Fibromyalgia which is a fairly common condition in which a person suffers from pain and tenderness in muscles, tendons and joints, and has been linked to chronic headaches, sleep problems, and general fatigue. It has also been shown that for women who are trying to get pregnant, regular moderate exercise can actually increase the chances of conception (though the same study notes that intense exercise, say, marathon training or the like, can actually decrease the chances of conception, so moderation is very definitely the key word here).

Swim spas can be hugely expensive (some of the high end models can run upwards of forty thousand bucks, before counting installation fees, possible landscaping changes to your property, and ongoing maintenance), and as such, getting one may be out of reach for many people, however, given the health benefits mentioned above, if it's something you can afford, then it really is an excellent option, not only in that it helps foster better health and a longer life, but also in that it's an excellent addition to your home, that will enhance the value of your property long term, so if you decide to sell your place at some point, you'll find that your home fetches a premium for the addition of the swim spa.

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Obtain Your Fitness Goals By Reading This Great Guide!

Exercise is a crucial part of looking and feeling good. Sometimes, there could be a lot of conflicting information out there that it is hard to decide on what to do. There will be times when you are inclined to quit, but try to fight that urge. Read the tips in this article so you can lead a healthier life.

broken 6 A.M session. Ease into it gradually by starting your day only fifteen minutes before you usually do, and devote that interval of time to a walk, a brisk jump rope, or a light aerobic routine. Establishing this habit will be the first step in building a healthy morning workout routine.

Think of fitness as one of your primary concerns. Exercise should be performed daily, just like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. You should put exercise on your schedule and do it before the day is done so you can cross it off your "to-do" list. You need some form of exercise everyday, and this method helps to ensure that happens.

Strengthening your core will improve every exercise you do. Do some sit-ups every morning, and if that starts to get to easy, try doing them while holding weights. Abs are in the center of you and will give you the ability to flex, this can make you successful at weights.

When you injure your arm or leg, keep exercising with the healthy limbs to maintain your fitness level. Interestingly, exercising the healthy limb actually stimulates blood flow and maintains the muscle tone in the unused, injured limb. This will help you keep up your strength, muscle mass and fitness even after facing an injury.

Taking your kids outside to play is a great workout for your body. Run around the park with your kids or challenge them to a bike race. Any type of fun physical activity will be good for you and your children, both on a physical and emotional level.

To speed up muscle recovery time, try working the same muscle groups two days in a row. This delivers more blood and oxygen to those muscles, speeding up the body's repair process.

Test the padding of your workout bench by pressing on the cushion before beginning your workout. If the wood can be felt under the padding, then pass on that machine and try another. The proper amount of padding will provide back support and help you avoid bruises while working out.

To build up to sprinting, first try speeding up your normal runs. You've got to make sure your feet land underneath you rather than in front of your body. Use your toes from the rear leg to push against the ground and give yourself more power. You will see an increase in your running speed with the practice of this technique.

Aerobic exercises are essential in developing ab muscles. The best amount of time to spend on an aerobic or cardio workout is about 30 to 45 minutes three to four times a week. Think about lifting weights two times a week as well. You should alternate the days on which you do ab exercises.

For people that love to watch television: you can still keep up with your favorite shows and exercise at the same time. If you exercise during the commercials, you can watch TV as much as you like and still get a good workout.

Take your dog to exercise with you. It is just as important for your pets to exercise, too. Many pets are also overweight, so an exercise session with your pet can extend both your lifespans. It is a mutual advantage for both owner and pet to engage in walks together.

You can keep your metabolism up and stay motivated by doing light exercise while watching TV. Get up and walk in place during a commercial break, or work on a simple exercise like a sit-up. Another option is to use weight bands while remaining seated. There are many small opportunities to burn calories throughout your day.

Is there an exercise you don't like? Then just do it. This will get you into the mindset of doing exercises you are most likely weakest at. Whatever your weak exercise is, conquer it by adding it into your workout routine.

During your ab crunch workouts, give an extra burst of your exhaled breath at the moment you reach the crunch position. This helps you burn more calories each time you do a set of crunches, since the muscles in your abdomen are working harder. Using this simple tactic will make your crunches much more worthwhile.

Fitness has no generic definition; it is a subject full of opinion and opposing ideas. This can cause it to be a confusing topic. Fitness routines are not generic. What works for one person may not be suitable for you. Give the ideas presented here a chance to launch a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle for yourself.

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Running With Your Best Friend

I see many folks on the pavement with a dog, some with two, a few even with three. Some also have child vehicles and dogs. One brave woman had twins and 2 dogs! There are several reasons for including a dog in your cardiovascular training program. First is added protection that a dog provides. Even a tiny dog might have a threatening bark. Second is that dogs love to run and it is a great form of exercise for your pet, especially if he or she needs to start living an active lifestyle to shed some pounds. You also create a stronger bond. And finally, it can be a great motivating factor, if sometime you are considering not going out and your dog is tugging and barking a message "let's go".

Just because your pup likes to run around does not mean he or she is ready for runs or jogs with you. Know your breed. Not all breeds are cut out for running. Very small dogs may have a problem keeping pace, although they will try very hard, which may be harmful. Very large breeds have a problem with longer distances. Especially with puppies, and any dog that has not run for a long time, the first few times be sure to allow intervals of rest to build stamina and give muscles and joints time to strengthen and rebuild. Check with your veterinarian if there seem to be any problems.

Plan ahead for how you are going to deal with distractions during the run. If you see something ahead that could be a potential problem, it may be best to cross over to the other side of the street. If you happen to meet another dog, pay close attention to both dog's behavior. You may have to forcefully break contact if they show signs of tension.

Bring something with you to be used to clean up after your dog, if elimination occurs. This is simply common courtesy, but also a health issue. For a longer run, especially if you carry liquid for yourself, bring some water for your dog. You may plan your route to include water sources for yourself. Be sure to remember doggy.

Running with your pet can be a positive and rewarding experience for both of you. Your dog may even turn out to be the best training partner you can have. Certainly the best listener.

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Four Fun Ways to Stay in Shape

Everyone is unique in their own way and there is no single right way to be fit. Through the years, I've learned that any exercises or workouts that I do must be fun for me to be able to workout regularly and consistently. If you enjoy what you are doing then you don't have to force yourself to workout. Getting fit doesn't have to be boring. It's good to try new things, even if they don't work for you. As they say, life is long enough for everything to be tried at least once. Bored with your same old workout? Let me share to you some tips that you can try to spice up your workouts.

1. Mix up your physical activities. Doing an activity that is both physical and fun such as dancing, rock climbing or kickboxing is a great way to get in shape and stay motivated to exercise. If your activity has fun aspects then you're more likely to make it a habit because it doesn't feel like exercise. Trying new workouts will also work up your body more than your regular fitness routine, so you'll really see better results.

2. Reward yourself for reaching your fitness goals. It is important to set fitness goals for you to stay motivated to workout, but it is equally important to reward yourself once you reach them to make you even more motivated. For example, you can make a rewards list for each milestone as you're losing weight. Once you lose 5 pounds, you can buy yourself a new purse. At 10 pounds, you can buy yourself a new pair of shoes. And once you reach your target weight, you can reward yourself with a high tech gadget you've been lusting, or a vacation.

3. Workout with a partner. Sometimes, working out can be much harder when you are doing it alone. Having that extra push from a good friend or your partner can make it much easier to get through. You can spice your workouts even more by making a friendly competition out of it. For example, the first one to lose 5 pounds gets to be treated lunch and so on.

4. Create mini fitness challenges. One fitness challenge is going beyond your usual workout time. If you usually workout for forty minutes, you can challenge yourself and double that. By setting mini fitness challenges like this, you are forcing yourself to move beyond your fitness comfort zone and push yourself beyond your limits. However, it's very important to be mindful of your limitations. You have to keep an eye on your heart rate all the time.

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Transform Your Body For The Beach In Six Weeks

Spring is here. Flowers are blooming, jackets are being put away and chances are that you're beginning to panic about putting on a swimsuit again. Hold on. Don't pack your bags for the North Pole just yet. You can get a body makeover in six weeks or less.

If you work hard and set your mind to it, you can make big transformations to your body in time for summer fun. Don't worry, while these changes will require dedication and work no crash dieting or excessive workouts are required.

Read on to learn more about both small and large changes you can start making TODAY to get your body in swimsuit shape.

1) Get on the ball. If you don't already have one, purchase an inexpensive fitness ball. Use it to perform abdominal and leg toning exercises 5 days per week. Do 5-10 minutes in the morning and 5-10 minutes in the evening. There are hundreds of exercises you can do on a ball from beginner to advanced levels so the variety will keep boredom at bay and ensure you keep your body challenged.

2) Add resistance training to your weekly workout. If you aren't currently doing a regular strength training workout then start today. Aim for a minimum of two sessions per week. Each session should work all of your major muscle groups with 2-3 sets per exercise of 8-12 reps using a resistance that fatigues your muscle by the final rep. Start with your larger muscles and then do exercises to target the smaller muscles as well.

In addition to the attractive physical appearance strength training provides, it also helps speed up weight loss. Even when muscles are not actively being used, they need fuel to function. So, the more muscle you have the more fuel that is needed and therefore the more calories you burn.

3) Change up your strength training. If you are currently including resistance training in your weekly routine then try to change it up considerably. It's important to alter your workouts every few weeks. The change helps ensure your body stays challenged, that you are regularly recruiting multiple muscle fibers and ultimately that you make progress and see improvements.

4) Add intervals to your cardio workouts. Strive for three 30-minute interval training sessions each week. Interval training is short, high-intensity exercise periods alternated with periods of rest. It is one of the most effective ways to burn calories. These higher and lower intensity periods are repeated several times to form a complete workout. By exercising harder for short periods of time and then allowing yourself recovery time, you can push yourself harder.

5) Evaluate your eating habits. Even small changes can surprisingly reduce your calories significantly. For example, eliminate or at least limit your soft drink consumption. If you drink one can per day that's about 1050 calories per week you could eliminate. That's almost a whole days worth of calories abolished just by substituting no calorie drinks in place of pop.

6) Find ways to fit even more physical activity in to your daily routine in addition to your exercise routines. Don't underestimate the power of very small changes. Just get off your feet as much as you can. Put away the remotes and channel surf manually, march in place during your favorite show, stand instead of sit whenever possible during your normal daily activities, etc.

7) Maximize your efforts with cross training. Cross-training is a type of exercise regimen that combines strength work, aerobic work, and stretching. With this method you use different muscles each day, which means you'll be able to work out at an intense level without over training your body. So try alternating the interval training days with strength training days for a cross training approach.

If you incorporate all of these recommendations, you can be ready for the beach and feeling confident in no time. But don't stop when you've reached your goal. These recommendations are appropriate for long term success and should be incorporated into your lifestyle permanently to maintain good health and fitness.

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Three Nutritional Suggestions That Will Get You Through Your Workouts

We are all looking for some other way we can improve our workout routine, because there is also some little thing we can tweak to make those hard workouts more beneficial. It doesn't always come to the number of reps or how many days a week you work. The best foods for gaining muscle, and knowing what they are and when to consume them is easily as important as any other aspect of your total workout routine.

We have uncovered three new studies to reveal the right foods eaten at the right time to increase the fat you burn, finally boosting your strength and curbing your post-workout pain. Try these three techniques out and see if they do your body some good.

1. When you eat your high-cal breakfast. Breakfast, we all know, is the most important meal of the day. On our website we get into why it is so important and the types of foods we should be looking to consume. But a new study published in the Journal of Physiology found that during a six-week study participants who ate a high-cal, high-fat breakfast prior to the workout gained an average of three pounds. The group that ate only post-workout gained no weight, even though they ate identical breakfast.

The reason: Exercise elevates adrenalin, which is a fat burning hormone. But working out after you eat insulin, which the body releases to help you digest food, when released blunts the adrenalin spike, burning less fat. But it's not healthy, or any fun, working out on an empty stomach, so you have to eat something. Therefore, choose a food such as yogurt that is less likely to cause insulin to go wild but still puts something on your stomach. Then have your big breakfast afterword.

2. Protein and age. It was previously thought that as we age, we are less able to digest and absorb protein. A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition gives us the good news that twenty grams of protein consumed post-workout can increase muscle-building irrespective of age. For me, a piece of salmon and a hardboiled egg provides the protein I need.

3. Post-workout soreness. Most of us assume that muscle pain after a workout is something we have to live with. According to British researchers, we may have a way around this. Drinking one ounce on concentrated cherry juice twice daily for ten days indicates a bounce back that those not drinking the juice didn't have. Other juices such as grape, blueberry, acai, cranberry and pomegranate all have the same properties. Those juices all have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties similar to that found in ibuprofen and aspirin.

Carbohydrates that don't spike the blood sugar, also known as refined carbohydrates, and keep insulin levels in check are the ones to put in your diet. Insulin plays a part in fat storage, so keeping it under control is vital for weight loss. Slow release carbs like oatmeal, bran cereal, and whole wheat products eaten about three hours before your workout may also help you burn more fat.

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A Five Point Strategy To Physical Fitness

Achieving ideal fitness requires total dedication. It's not something you achieve by giving a half-hearted effort, or on a part-time basis. You need a plan and the determination to make it work. The following article lays out the blueprint for that plan, in the hopes that you can use it to achieve the level of fitness you desire.

1. Consider the importance of consistency.

Your body is a machine and keeping it conditioned with regular workouts will yield much greater results than sporadic exercising. If you set yourself in tune with a regular workout schedule, your entire metabolic system will function better, your sleep will improve and you will reach your goals at a predictable rate. All of this will work toward the overall success of your fitness program, and keep you more focused on it.

2. Determine your best exercise routine.

Trying to force certain exercises into your program that you just don't enjoy will cause burnout fast; you need to at least be into what you are doing to keep yourself motivated. Just because one routine promises better results doesn't necessarily mean you should focus on it. You are in this for the long term and need to design a program with specific aspects that work toward your goals while still keeping you interested and content.

3. Team up with a friend, to keep you both dedicated.

Employing the buddy system is a great way to ensure you stick with your obligations, for better or worse. When you might feel like playing hooky and heading for a movie instead of the gym, knowing how that would disappoint your partner should keep you doing the right thing every time, and vice-versa. Having someone who understands what you are going through and where you are at can also be a big help and go a long way toward the ultimate goal.

4. Keep the inspiration going.

You may find your motivation fizzling when you get about half way to where you want to be. Total dedication to a fitness program can be grueling, and once you have seen some results, you may be inclined to slow it down. Understand that such an attitude could very well see you back into your "old shape" or up to your "old weight" quickly. Remind yourself of the numerous benefits you stand to gain from staying with your program, and use whatever means are necessary to keep you going!

5. Listen to the professionals.

You can ask your physician or go online for quality health information that can help you toward your fitness goals. Different body types, ages, metabolisms and limitations mean different workout programs will be more effective for some people than others. These goals you are working toward are far too important to set yourself up for failure or injury, so check in with a professional source for optimum results. Reaching your fitness goals may not be easy, but it is certainly well worth it once you get there!

Consider the five essential strategies discussed here, and formulate a successful fitness strategy that will fit your lifestyle and help you to achieve the optimum health and fitness you have been wanting.

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Stress and Body Fat

There's a hot topic being tossed around a lot lately; stress makes you fat. You may have read this somewhere, but more than likely, you heard it in a tv ad for some sort of diet pill. The key point these ads seem to make is that "it's not your fault you're fat, it's the stress, so buy our pills!" Interestingly, that's not entirely untrue. Stress can certainly add pounds to your frame, but it is still your fault and no pill is going to fix it.

Stress inflates your spare tire in a number of ways. The tv ads play off of one of these, cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone that, among other things, causes your body to store excess fat around the midsection. The idea of these pills is that they reduce cortisol, and thereby your belly as well. The major flaw with this thinking, however, is that you've only addressed a symptom, and not the larger problem- STRESS!

Another way stress affects your body fat levels is by wreaking havoc on your sleep cycle. Sleep is important for your health. It's a time for your brain and the rest of your body to repair and recharge. It's essential for muscle growth, but also for burning calories. That's right, you're burning calories while doing nothing. Well, not nothing. Like I said, your body is hard at work undoing the damage you caused to it that day. A man my size burns over 700 calories during 8 hours of sleep. Lack of sleep equals poor muscle growth and missing out on the easiest calories you'll ever burn.

One of the biggest ways stress puts on the pounds is the same way we put them on when we're not stressed- eating! Many of us stress-eat. When work is hellish, the family is falling apart, money is tight, or whatever is stressing you out, little in the world seems more comforting than fried stuff with cheese. Dropping a fat bomb on your belly makes us feel good initially, but it's not long before we feel terrible again. Once we hit that low, we're likely to eat more to regain that brief comfort, and so the cycle continues.

So how do you fight the fattening of stress?

The answer is infuriatingly simple.

Reduce your stress level.

Do what you can to remove from your life whatever or whoever stressing you out. If that isn't possible, work on some stress management techniques. A good workout is great for killing stress. You get to vent some aggression, zone out while doing something repetitive, and ride an endorphine high when you finish. Best of all, you're not only fighting stress with a workout, but the fat that comes with it.

So stop stressing and get moving!

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Antibiotics - Are They Causing You to Gain Weight?

Today, I want to discuss antibiotics and it's effect on weight gain. We aren't going to focus only on personal use, but we are also going to dive into how antibiotics given to livestock are effecting our weight as well.

During cold and flu season you may come down with a cold and jump at the chance to go to the doctor who prescribes an antibiotic. Even though this cold is probably a virus, you take the antibiotic hoping to knock out the cold before it gets worse. The problem is that antibiotics fight bacteria not viruses.

With the common cold or flu, taking an antibiotic may be the worst thing to do. Not only are you destroying bad bacteria but the good (beneficial) bacteria as well. Antibiotics don't distinguish between the good and the bad.

Not only are they destroying beneficial bacteria but they may be causing you to gain weight. The "good guys" may regulate certain hormones responsible for weight loss or gain.

They may help DIGEST FAT, breaking it down into smaller absorbable nutrients.

Let me explain.

Let me give you a little glimpse into the process of beef that comes from factory (commercialized) farms. Back in the day cows were given antibiotics to fight bacterial infections because of a host of reasons including overcrowded disease infested stalls and to fight off infections of dairy cows' utters. Dairy cows' utters became infected from being pumped for milk excessively and antibiotics were used to combat this problem. What these factory farms found out is that by implementing antibiotics into livestock feed is that it caused the livestock to gain weight much more quickly. This meant they could fatten them up for a faster turnover, which meant more money in their pockets. The problem is that this process affects the consumers.

A cow given antibiotics is fattened up which means the meat you consume is fatter instead of leaner. If the antibiotics makes cows fatter, how do think this translates into humans. Don't be fooled by the person at the supermarket telling you the best cut of meat is the most marbleized. The more marbleized a steak is, means more fat for you.

I won't get into too much detail on why organic grass fed beef is better, just know this. Grass fed beef doesn't contain antibiotics or growth hormone, and they aren't fed grains (which also translates into weight gain in humans). Cattle raised on an unnatural diet of grain don't digest this type of food well. The hard to digest food sits in the cow's stomach which forms bacteria. This leads to a host of disease including e-coli. Grass-fed beef also has a great source of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which helps to burn fat. The amount of omega-3 and omega-6 are in a much better ratio in grass-fed beef as well. To sum it up, grass-fed beef not only helps in weight loss but is also much healthier that its factory raised counterpart.

Now that I got that out. Let's get back to antibiotics, weight gain, good germs, and bad germs.

Good Germs, Bad Germs.

Antibiotics are powerful drugs which may rid your body of good and bad bacteria. By altering your gut microflora, your appetite may increase. This increase may raise your chances of weight gain, especially FAT GAIN. Like I said earlier, farmers have used antibiotics for many years to increase the size to make fatter and bigger cows with more meat. This use of antibiotics may also destroy a certain bacteria which may be on the brink of extinction. This bacteria may aid in digestion, and without this bacteria, ghrelin secretion may INCREASE possibly increasing your appetite leading to increased weight gain. This is NOT the end of the world, and it doesn't mean you have to stop taking antibiotics, as we know antibiotics do have a special place in the medical field, but there may be a chance to replace your good bacteria after using antibiotics.

Probiotics are products that may contain healthy bacteria which normalize gut flora.

The easiest way to increase beneficial bacteria is to start taking Genesis. It's the best green product I've come across. You can easily get more information on this great product by going to my site.

I hope this article shed some light on antibiotics and weight gain. Hope you enjoyed the information and I hope it helps in some way to better your health as well as reach your fitness goals.

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