February 13th, 2008 Milan
People, who are active are less likely to develop depression.
In study of nearly 2,000 residents of Alameda County, California, people who were more active were nearly 20 percent less likely to be diagnosed with depression over the next 5 years than less active residents.
Being physically active helps if you are already depressed.
More intensively you exercise, better you feel, less depressed you are.
I know people, who work out intensively every day to overcome fear, anxiety and the result usually is: they feel very confident, they have very strong minds, they are mostly in very good mood, and they are very decisive.
I also see it on myself. After I had a flu recently, I could not work out for couple of weeks, and I felt not only week physically, but also mentally. I could really feel the difference in my mind.
What is interesting, I felt kind of week mentally, only after two weeks of not exercising. I can’t even imagine the negative feelings of a really inactive person.
For the best effect, try to exercise every day at least 30 minutes, combine resistance workout with cardiovascular workout, and if you are a regular exerciser, don’t be afraid to speed up a little or do a few more of those hard repetitions at the end of the set, and you will really feel great.
Posted in The cost of inactivity | No Comments »
February 11th, 2008 Milan
Building just a few pounds of muscle in your body helps you get rid of fat much faster, then only by dieting.
Muscle exponentially speeds up the fat busting process:
1 pound of muscle requires your body to burn up to 50 extra calories a day just to maintain that muscle.
Now think about what happens if you add a mere 6 pounds of muscle over the course of a diet program.
It will take your body up to 300 extra calories a day just to feed that muscle; essentially, you’ll burn of an extra pound of fat every ten days without doing a thing.
When you combine exercise with the foods that most promote muscle growth, the ones that keep you full, and the ones that give your body a well-balanced supply of nutrients, you will be exactly where you want to be:
You will turn your fat into muscle.
Build in a little additional muscle every week – through eating the right foods (lean protein, high fiber diet) and doing muscle building, fat burning exercise plan (workout plan consisted of multi core exercises with combination of cardiovascular exercises), and you’ll have invested in a lean and strong body that can last a lifetime, because your new muscle will continually break down fat to stay alive.
Posted in Weight loss | 1 Comment »
February 9th, 2008 Milan
If you drink lots of Colas and other carbonated drinks, that get their bubbles from phosphorus, containing the mineral phosphate, you may be flushing calcium from your bones.
From publication, Natural Healing and Nutrition 1990:
Phosphate, along with calcium, is in your bones in 1 to 1 ratio. The trouble is, if you pour in too much phosphate, your body will excrete it – and when phosphate leave, it takes calcium with it. Where does it get the calcium? From your bones.
So try to limit yourself to two servings of phosphate-containing sodas each day. Better yet, check the labels and choose carbonated beverages that don’t contain phosphates. (Carbonated mineral waters do not contain phosphate.) And whenever possible, ask yourself whether a glass of low-fat milk might satisfy your thirst just as well.
Children are the target of many soft-drink ads. Yet those under ten, whose bones are actively growing, are weakening their bones, and may even suffer impaired bone development if they overindulge in soda and don’t consume enough calcium-rich foods.
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February 7th, 2008 Milan
Don’t go too long without eating, it will make you feel tired.
Small, healthy snacks or mini meals that include protein and carbohydrates will help keep your energy levels high throughout the day, and they take little time to prepare:
- Sliced apple with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese with banana or peach
- A hard-boiled egg with apple
- 1/4 cup of hummus and 1 cup of baby carrots
- Half a peanut butter and banana sandwich (1 tablespoon peanut butter)
- Baked sweet potato with 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
- 1/3 cup of almonds and 1/3 cup of dried apricots
Posted in Nutrition | 1 Comment »
February 5th, 2008 Milan
The ideal weight loss solution varies from person to person, but there are two fundamental rules all people trying to lose weight should know:
- 1. Five hundred calories per day equals 1 pound per week
All it takes is a calorie deficit each day. The rule to remember is this: A calorie deficit of 500 calories per day will produce a 1 pound weight loss after 7 days.
3500 calories = 1 pound
This can be achieved from calorie restriction, more exercise or, the best – combination of the two.
- 2. Replace fat with fiber
Fats and oils provide 9kcal/gram (kcal=kilo calories)
Alcohol provides 7 kcal/gram
Carbohydrates and protein provide 4 kcal/gram
Fiber provides no calories
The easiest way to eliminate calories is to reduce the amount of fats and oils in each meal. In addition to reducing fats and oils, increase fiber intake. Most people will find that they feel just as full despite consuming fewer calories. If they stick with it long enoug, they’ll not only lose weight but improove their health as well.
Don’t ignore exercise
Dieting is very efficient for weight loss, but it won’t improve your aerobic capacity, increase bone density, or generate the overall invigorating feeling that exercise provides.
Posted in Weight loss | 2 Comments »
February 2nd, 2008 Milan
Step 1. Calculate your maximum heart rate.
Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. For example, if you are 50 years old, your maximum heart rate is 220 – 50 = 170 beats per minute
Step 2. Find your target heart-rate zone.
- Level 1, low-intensity, the target hearth-rate zone is 50 to 60 percent of your maximum hearth rate. Multiply your maximum heart rate by .5 and .6 to find your low-intensity zone
Example: 50 years old woman will count her low intensity zone this way:
Maximum hearth rate 220 – 50 = 170 beats per minute
Low intensity, target heart rate zone 50 to 60 percent 170 X 0.5 = 85 beats per minute, and 170 X 0.6 = 102, her low intensity target heart rate zone will be 85-102 beats per minute.
- Level 2, mid-intensity, your target heart rate zone is 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Multiply your maximum heart rate by .6 and .7 to find your mid-intensity zone
- Level 3, high-intensity zone, your target heart rate zone is 70 to 90 percent of your maximum. Multiply your maximum heart rate by .7 and .9 to find your high-intensity zone
Other options
Perceived exertion
You can determine intensity of your exercise from Perceived Exertion Scale, which is designed to estimate the intensity of exercise based on how you feel as you are working out. It correlates well with the target heart-rate zone formula.
On the Perceived Exertion Scale:
- low-intensity level corresponds to 5 or 6, so if you walk as your workout, it should feel somewhat difficult
- mid-intensity level corresponds to 6 or 7, walking should feel difficult, but not extremely so
- high-intensity walking, running or any other cardiovascular exercise corresponds to levels 7 to 9, so high intensity cardiovascular exercise should feel somewhere between difficult and extremely difficult
Perceived exertion scale
1. Resting
2. Extremely easy
3. Easy
4. First feelings of exertion
5. Somewhat difficult
6. A bit more difficult
7. Difficult
8. Very difficult
9. Extremely difficult
10. Maximum exertion or “Can’t take it anymore”
Talk Test:
Is another easy way to gauge exercise intensity. By talking aloud as you walk (or run, bike), you can get a general idea of how hard you are working out.
For low-intensity walking, you should be able to carry on a conversation with a walking partner. Later, as you move to walks of greater intensity and duration, you may be able to speak only in snatches, or ultimately be able to get out only a word or two when you are working your hardest.
Posted in Calculating your target hearth-rate zone | 1 Comment »
