How To Start Exercising If You're Obese

ByS Brooks

Have you come to the realization that you've put on weight and it's time to start exercising again? That's a hard realization, but you can help yourself get out of your situation. Losing weight certainly isn't the easiest thing to do, but it can be done. And it certainly has to be done for your health.

The first thing to do before you start exercising is to check with your doctor and determine your current fitness and health levels. If you have certain health conditions like cardiovascular diseases or joint aches and pains, then you will have to take it easy on the intensity of your exercise. This will no doubt slow down your weight loss progress, but you should not overexert yourself - that could do more harm than good. So it's important to first know where your body stands and how much exercise it can take without being harmed.

Next, you should create an exercise plan. Aim to start slow with some low impact exercises every other day, and slowly make this a daily routine. Try your best to incorporate at least 30 minutes of exercise each day into your schedule. If you have the money, you can join a gym and hire a personal trainer to create a plan for you and teach you the right way to do your exercises, but this is optional. The most important thing is that you push yourself above all else.

Once you have an exercise plan, you have to stick to it. Remember to only push your body as much as is comfortable and don't overdo it. You will need to take it slow at first to oil up those muscles and joints that haven't been in use for years. Once you have lost some of your weight and your fitness level has increased, then you can increase the duration as well as the intensity of your exercise if you wish.

Do remember that exercising alone will not help you lose weight effectively if you do not change your eating habits. A good exercise regime should always be supplemented by a healthy diet, and with lower calories if you are planning to lose weight. Lastly, remember that you will have to make eating healthy and exercising regularly a habit if you are going to keep the weight off for life. Otherwise, you will be stuck in an endless cycle of yo-yo dieting, and that is certainly not a fun way to live life.

For more information about fitness & exercise please go to WantToGetFit.org

S Brooks is a specialised researcher focusing on providing valuable information & solutions for every day issues.

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3 Reasons You Should Start Running

There are so many reasons to start running that you can't even imagine them all, in fact a philosopher and runner named George Sheehan said, "There are as many reasons for running as there are days in the year." If you are still contemplating if you should run, check out these reasons as to why you should and by the end of this list you are going to be at the store buying your first real of running shoes.

Health and Weight Loss

Okay, so this is the one reason to start running that may be very obvious, but it is a still a great one. Running may be hard at first but when you start to see results in your body and your numbers, you are going to wish you had started sooner. If this is your motivation for starting, you can also use it as your motivation to keep going by throwing up a before picture on the fridge. There you will see it every day to remind you to run and when you want food to remind you to not throw away results for nothing!

Stress Relief

Let's face it, you are probably facing a lot of stress in your life, whether it be from your job, your family, or whatever, but if you start running you could actually find yourself feeling much better. Studies have shown time and time again that when you exercise you can actual reduce the amount of stress that you are experiencing. Lowering your stress can results in more efficiency at work and being able to get more done at home, running can literally help make you a more efficient person.

Meet People

While you may not go out and find a running group as soon as you start running, you may find after a short while that you want people to run with. A running group will allow you to meet new people, some people meet their future spouse just by getting out and running, even if that isn't why you run you can still make some new lifelong friends while getting healthier and feeling even better about your yourself.

Running is one of the easiest things that you can do, all that you need to start running is a good running plan or running guide and a nice pair of shoes and you can be out the door and living a better life starting today.

90% of People will finish reading this and do NOTHING with the information they gain! If you are not one of them take advantage of my favorite running guide complete with plans, progress logs, and running tips by CLICKING HERE.

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8 Quick Ways to Start Jogging

Jogging is a great way to keep your heart pumping and workout a sweat. It gave you a sense of satisfaction upon finishing your jog, as you know you are doing a good deed to your body. By jogging regularly, you are able to keep in shape while releasing your stress away.

Follow these steps and you'll get the most out of this exercise and have a more enjoying jog.

1) Get a Proper Pair of Shoes

Jogging with your old tennis shoes, may put a lot of unnecessary stress on leg as it is not an ideal shoe to run/jog in. You'll get injured easily by wearing improper footwear, so it is best to get yourself a good pair of jogging shoes that suit your running style. Jogging shoes design to cushion the impact, while giving you additional support for your feet.

2) Wear the Right Clothes

To have a comfortable jog, you need to wear something comfortable too. But this does NOT means you have to get any expensive outfit but rather wearing clothes that you feel comfortable with.

Avoid wearing too many layers of clothes either, even though it's a cold outside. You are going to generate heat as you jog, so the excessive clothing will NOT only render your movement, but also making you sweaty and sticky leaving you in unpleasant state.

For ladies, you might want to get a good sports bra (jogging bra), which is much more comfortable compared to your normal bar.

3) Nourish Yourself before Jogging

Jogging on an empty stomach may cause you to run out of energy fast. So "fuel" and hydrate yourself, before jogging is important. You might want to eat light meals or snacks that are high in carbohydrate and low in fats.

This include:

Fruits Granola bar (energy bar) Chocolate milk Ready-to-eat cereals, etc

However do NOT eat immediate before jogging, give your body time to digest and soak up all the nutrients.

4) Warm Ups and Stretching

Warming up your body before jogging can prevent muscles cramps and avoid injury. This is because cold and tight muscles are likely to get injured. Warm ups help to loosen up those muscles and improve blood circulation throughout your body. And it also, in a way help to prepares your body and mind for the jog up ahead.

Warm up your body by walking, jogging on the spot or any other exercise that will gradually increase your heart rate. A good warm up usually takes around 3 - 5 minutes and this can be followed by some stretching exercises.

5) Start Jogging Slowly

After a good warm up, jog slowly as you gradually increase your heart rate. Appreciate your surrounding as you jog while focusing on your journey up ahead. You can listen to your favorite song on your mp3 player while jogging, as this makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Remember to regulate your breathing and enjoy your jog.

6) Cool Down and Stretching

After jogging, it is important to cool your body down. So gradually slow down your pace and start walking for a minute or two to get your heart rate back to its original resting rate. This is also a good time to hydrate yourself as you cool off.

Don't forget to stretch your tired muscles particularly your tights, hamstrings and calves as these muscles have been working hard. By cooling down and stretching your muscles properly, will help you prevent muscles soreness later on.

7) Replenish Your Energy

You need to replenish your energy after jogging. So you might want to eat something light (Banana, Energy Bar, etc), to start the recovering process.

And hydrate and replenish your loss fluid as well.

Drinking Sports Water (i.e. 100Plus, Gatorade, etc) will NOT only replenish your fluid but will give you a quick energy boosts!

8) Adequate Rest

Having a good rest is crucial as your body begin its healing process which will make you stronger. And by having enough rest, this can prevent you from getting injured, so you can continue to jog and make exercising a part of your life.

These are 8 Quick Ways to help you to start jogging.

So what are you waiting for?!!

Let's get going!

Aariz invites you to his website - On all about jogging, this is where you can get ideas and tips to help you start jogging and improving your health

Go to http://jogging-guide.com and find what you need to know, from getting the correct jogging shoes, to eating the right food before jogging and a host of other tips.

Aariz has the personal experience and done the research for you - So start jogging now!

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Want The Answer To A Really Great Workout - Start With Medicine Balls

If you are anything like me, then you have probably been working with the same type of workout now for quite awhile. Sure you may have changed up an exercise here and there but it is still basically the same old routine. How about changing it up even more by adding in a medicine ball? Some people have heard of, or have used one but there may be many that have not. This article will show how this simple ball can be a very key piece of your workout when you are trying to lose weight by exercising or even if you are just trying to stay in your current shape. Let's now outline how you can utilize these medicine balls to kick start your workouts back into fast forward allowing you to start to once again see the training results you once did.

A Medicine Ball?

For those folks that have not had the luxury of being able to use medicine balls, the following will serve as a brief explanation of what they are and how they can be effectively used. Another term that you may hear when dealing with medicine balls is exercise balls. They are for all intents and purposes the same thing. The power of these balls are that they come in different weights and also in different diameters. Each one could potentially have different uses (more on that later). These balls are typically not made for bouncing. Medicine balls are typically covered in some type of vinyl, leather or nylon cloth and will usually be filled with gel, sand or lead shot (depending on the weights required). The outside surface is very similar to that of a basketball, in that it is quite dimpled. This dimpling helps you maintain grip on the ball when your hands start to sweat. So as previously mentioned, these balls come in different weights. As you become more accustomed to using them in your workout, you will want to keep increasing their weights so that you get the maximum workout possible. Think of the weights as you would a barbell or dumbbell, as your body gets used to one weight you want to increase it to move past your bodies plateau.

So I can hear your inner voice saying, but I already have dumbbells and barbells. Why would I need to get medicine balls as well? So if you are hoping to build up your core set of muscles or if you are looking to remove a few inches from your waistline, then medicine ball exercises are the perfect one's for you. So I can hear you saying that you can't see how strengthening your core will help you with your weight loss ventures. To put it simply, you need a strong core to reduce the likelihood of injuries from almost any other activity that you do. Your core muscles help to control the movement of your upper and lower torso. Bike riding for longer distances and boxing are two activities that require a strong core.

Medicine Ball Exercises

As with any exercise routine, you must make sure that you are fully warmed up as the additional weight of the medicine ball could potentially cause injury to cold muscles. Try modifying some of your current workout routines by adding in medicine ball variations. Let's take the common sit-up as an example. While these may be difficult for some people as is, let's now add a medicine ball into the mix. Pick up your medicine ball and hold it against your chest as you move your upper torso back and forth. Nothing like a bit of extra weight for you to have to move with your abdominals. This modification will make these exercises tougher but the results will be worth it. If these are too tough at first, try adding them in to every other workout until your body starts to get used to them. These modification exercises are great ways to lose weight by exercising.

So let's look at other types of exercises that could involve the medicine ball. These workouts are going to require another person to help you out. Get the other person to throw you the ball, but instead of catching it only using your hands, try and catch it and cradle it at the same time using your abdominal muscles (i.e. your stomach). This is a double benefit exercise. When you are tossing the ball you will need to use your core muscles, but when catching it your abdominals are the muscles at work. You can also use the medicine ball to help you perform some deeper stretching. Stretch as you normally would, but hold onto the ball so that weight helps you get deeper into the move. Besides allowing you to stretch farther, the extra weight will also be working on your stabilizer muscles.

So as you can see, a medicine ball can be used in quite a few different ways. These few examples were for illustration purposes only. There are many more types of exercises that could also be used. The longer you use these balls the stronger your core will become. A proper diet will also have a big impact on you if one of your goals is to lose weight by exercising. Want to get the results that you have been dreaming of; use the medicine ball.

Kevin is the author of this article and he is passionate about actively living a healthy lifestyle. He believes fitness plays a vital role in each of our lives.
To learn about more ways to lose weight by exercising you can check out his website here:

http://www.loseweightbyexercising.com

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Strength Training for Beginners - How to Start Your Child Off Right

It wasn't too long ago that strength training for adolescence was thought to be taboo, and it would put developing bodies at greater risk of bone damage and growth plate injury. These stunted growth myths have become old-school thinking. More than a decade of research has found that, if properly supervised and planned, strength training for kids is perfectly safe. The important thing is not to overdo it, as body building and competitive weight lifting should not be done.

So when would it be okay for kids to start weight training? According to Avery Faigenbaum, who is a professor of exercise science at the College of New Jersey, when they have an interest in it and can accept and follow directions. For some children that could be as early as seven or eight years old. The fact is, it does them good. More athletes and non-athletes are now into it to increase muscle strength and endurance, to improve motor skills and for overall fitness.

Many boys are more than eager to get started on a weight training program, but girls are now getting into it as well. There was a time girls were afraid they would develop big, bulky muscles. However they now understand that they do not produce enough testosterone to build large muscles. They still will feel and be stronger, and that and better health will build confidence.

Some of the guidelines for strength training programs for adolescence are:

1. First and foremost, all training should be done supervised by a qualified instructor who is trained to work with youths.

2. Strength training should not be done on consecutive days, and no more than three times per week. On other days the focus should be on flexibility and aerobics.

3. Each session should begin with a warm-up such as jumping rope, but never with stretching.

4. Part of the value this brings to the child is the education in learning proper techniques and principles for exercise at a young age. Understanding the necessities of proper warm-up and cool-down periods, and learning how to conduct training that is safe will be with the youngster for a lifetime.

5. Balance, coordination, and flexibility are should all be part of a challenging but broad-based training agenda in the beginner workout schedule.

6. Weight machines and free weights aren't the only way to train. How to gain muscle without weights show multiple approaches to get the job done, and they may provide some variety to keep the child interested. Weighted ropes, medicine balls, body weight resistance and elastic tubing are other devices that can be used effectively.

7. The cool down period can incorporate stretching plus less intense calisthenics. It is safest to have the exercises performed without resistance, and when the particular technique is mastered only then gradually increase the amount of resistance. A trainer will know when greater resistance can be taken on as the child matures.

As with adults, a strength training program should be individualized based on goals, present abilities, and where the child is mentally. It is vital that the trainer has experience working with kids, as a child's training program should never be a scaled-down version of an adult's regimen. It must be an enjoyable experience, or he or she will merely lose interest.

Getting your children involved in strength training involves a qualified trainer and a Beginner Workout Schedule. The Best Way to Gain Muscle involves proper diet and a long-term plan to meet your goals. Rich Carroll is a writer and health enthusiast living in London.

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