"Fitness may be more important than diet and weight lose in preventing heart
disease" Dr Carl Lavies, medical Director of cardiac rehabilitation an preventive cardiology (Ochsner Medical Center In New-Orleans)
" When you think about body fat, you probably imagine a pillowy, inert substance about as active as the couch potatoes who tend to accumulate it.
In fact, fat has a secret life.
Recent studies have shown that it can communicate with the heart and influence the organs around it. It produces chemicals that regulate hunger and cause heart disease and diabetes. It can also be protective, expanding like a sponge to mop up excess fat so it doesn't build up in more dangerous places like the heart and liver.
"We used to think of fat as being just a dead tissue, and now we know that it actually is alive, it's breathing, it's dynamic," says Dr. Deborah Clegg, a nutritionist and researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.
These findings are among many that are turning the understanding of obesity on its head.
Doctors are learning, for example, that it's not how much fat you have but where you store it that affects your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke. And they envision someday being able to offer customised medical treatment to regulate it.
"It may not be about weight loss but about losing the right type of fat," says Dr. James de Lemos, professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern.
His and his colleagues' findings are helping make traditional measures of obesity, such as BMI, or the body mass index, obsolete.
BMI, first developed by a Belgian mathematician in 1842, is based on one's height and weight. In 1997 the World Health Organisation defined obesity as a BMI greater than 30. But BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass, nor does it take into account where fat in the body is stored, which research is showing to be far more important than one's overall size.
Researchers have long known that pear-shaped people - Beyonce types with slim waists and fuller hips and thighs - have a lower than average risk of heart attack and stroke. Apple-shaped folks who store fat in their bellies have a higher-than-average risk.
New research is adding nuance to that observation. In results presented last fall at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Dallas, Dr. Ian Neeland, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at Southwestern, de Lemos and their colleagues reported that not all apple-shaped individuals are alike.
An apple shape can be caused by two different kinds of fat - subcutaneous fat that is stored just beneath the skin, and visceral fat, an internal layer that coats body organs. Neeland and his team followed 972 obese Dallas County, Texas, residents over eight years and found that those who store most of their fat just beneath the skin were not at increased risk for heart disease, no matter how much they weighed or how broad their waistlines.
People who stored subcutaneous fat in their hips, buttocks and thighs had a lower than average risk. However, patients with high levels of visceral fat were much more likely to develop heart disease, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.
"Visceral fat is really the main thing that tracks with heart disease," de Lemos says. Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to measure visceral fat without an MRI machine or other high-tech scanning tools. But those who have high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides - a measure that appears on most standard cholesterol tests - tend to have more visceral fat.
Neeland's results came from the Dallas Heart Study, through which he and his colleagues have been following more than 6,000 Dallas County residents since 2000. Their aim is to better predict who will and who will not develop life-threatening conditions like diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.
"My interest is in heterogeneity: when you look at someone who is obese, how can you tell if that person is at risk?" Neeland says.
Now that researchers know that some kinds of fat are more dangerous than others, they are looking into what determines how fat is distributed within the body. Clegg's work has shown that oestrogen may play a role.
In a recent study, Clegg deprived fat cells in male and female mice of their oestrogen receptors - sites where fat cells attach to oestrogen. She found that the females began storing fat much the way males did: in their midsections.
The altered fat cells were also much less absorbent: instead of capturing extraneous fat from the rodents' diet and storing it near the skin, they allowed the extra calories to escape and build up inside body organs.
Dr. Aslan Turer, also at Southwestern, is examining how the heart and fat cells communicate. He and Neeland have found that a hormone secreted by the heart at times of stress, including during exercise, may reduce the amount of visceral fat in the body.
The hormone is known as brain natriuretic peptide. "Fat is the primary source of energy for the heart, so it makes sense that the heart can drive reduction of fat mass by some mechanism, and this may be how it does it," Turer says.
Researchers hope their findings will yield more personalised obesity treatments within the next five to 10 years.
"We'd love to be able to tell a fat cell where to go and to be expandable," says Clegg, speaking about the possibility of developing effective medications to redistribute fat. Neeland says it would be ideal for people to be able to selectively reduce abdominal and visceral fat but to keep the lower-body fat that appears to be protective.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There are some proven ways to reduce visceral fat. Studies have shown that a form of gastric bypass surgery known as Roux-en-Y "preferentially decreases visceral fat, as compared with other fat layers," says Neeland.
Doctors typically recommend the surgery for those with a BMI higher than 40 or for those who are moderately obese but have diabetes.
The rest of us will have to abide by the standard advice of eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
There is no evidence that any particular diet - including the current fad, the Fast Diet, which has popularised fasting two days out of every five - leads to visceral fat loss.
But exercise has proven benefits. "Chances are the first fat you start burning is the visceral fat," says Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, director of preventive cardiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"It's the first reserve fat that the body uses." Dr. Carl Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and preventive cardiology at the Ochsner Medical Centre in New Orleans, says fitness may be more important than diet and weight loss in preventing heart disease.
"For long-term survival," he says, "it would be much better to be fit and obese than it would to be lean and unfit."
Source : The Dallas Morning News (http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/9704598/The-secret-life-of-fat)
In fact, fat has a secret life.
Recent studies have shown that it can communicate with the heart and influence the organs around it. It produces chemicals that regulate hunger and cause heart disease and diabetes. It can also be protective, expanding like a sponge to mop up excess fat so it doesn't build up in more dangerous places like the heart and liver.
"We used to think of fat as being just a dead tissue, and now we know that it actually is alive, it's breathing, it's dynamic," says Dr. Deborah Clegg, a nutritionist and researcher at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre.
These findings are among many that are turning the understanding of obesity on its head.
Doctors are learning, for example, that it's not how much fat you have but where you store it that affects your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and stroke. And they envision someday being able to offer customised medical treatment to regulate it.
"It may not be about weight loss but about losing the right type of fat," says Dr. James de Lemos, professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of Texas Southwestern.
His and his colleagues' findings are helping make traditional measures of obesity, such as BMI, or the body mass index, obsolete.
BMI, first developed by a Belgian mathematician in 1842, is based on one's height and weight. In 1997 the World Health Organisation defined obesity as a BMI greater than 30. But BMI does not distinguish between fat and muscle mass, nor does it take into account where fat in the body is stored, which research is showing to be far more important than one's overall size.
Researchers have long known that pear-shaped people - Beyonce types with slim waists and fuller hips and thighs - have a lower than average risk of heart attack and stroke. Apple-shaped folks who store fat in their bellies have a higher-than-average risk.
New research is adding nuance to that observation. In results presented last fall at the American Heart Association's annual meeting in Dallas, Dr. Ian Neeland, a fellow in cardiovascular medicine at Southwestern, de Lemos and their colleagues reported that not all apple-shaped individuals are alike.
An apple shape can be caused by two different kinds of fat - subcutaneous fat that is stored just beneath the skin, and visceral fat, an internal layer that coats body organs. Neeland and his team followed 972 obese Dallas County, Texas, residents over eight years and found that those who store most of their fat just beneath the skin were not at increased risk for heart disease, no matter how much they weighed or how broad their waistlines.
People who stored subcutaneous fat in their hips, buttocks and thighs had a lower than average risk. However, patients with high levels of visceral fat were much more likely to develop heart disease, including heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation.
"Visceral fat is really the main thing that tracks with heart disease," de Lemos says. Unfortunately, it's virtually impossible to measure visceral fat without an MRI machine or other high-tech scanning tools. But those who have high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides - a measure that appears on most standard cholesterol tests - tend to have more visceral fat.
Neeland's results came from the Dallas Heart Study, through which he and his colleagues have been following more than 6,000 Dallas County residents since 2000. Their aim is to better predict who will and who will not develop life-threatening conditions like diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.
"My interest is in heterogeneity: when you look at someone who is obese, how can you tell if that person is at risk?" Neeland says.
Now that researchers know that some kinds of fat are more dangerous than others, they are looking into what determines how fat is distributed within the body. Clegg's work has shown that oestrogen may play a role.
In a recent study, Clegg deprived fat cells in male and female mice of their oestrogen receptors - sites where fat cells attach to oestrogen. She found that the females began storing fat much the way males did: in their midsections.
The altered fat cells were also much less absorbent: instead of capturing extraneous fat from the rodents' diet and storing it near the skin, they allowed the extra calories to escape and build up inside body organs.
Dr. Aslan Turer, also at Southwestern, is examining how the heart and fat cells communicate. He and Neeland have found that a hormone secreted by the heart at times of stress, including during exercise, may reduce the amount of visceral fat in the body.
The hormone is known as brain natriuretic peptide. "Fat is the primary source of energy for the heart, so it makes sense that the heart can drive reduction of fat mass by some mechanism, and this may be how it does it," Turer says.
Researchers hope their findings will yield more personalised obesity treatments within the next five to 10 years.
"We'd love to be able to tell a fat cell where to go and to be expandable," says Clegg, speaking about the possibility of developing effective medications to redistribute fat. Neeland says it would be ideal for people to be able to selectively reduce abdominal and visceral fat but to keep the lower-body fat that appears to be protective.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There are some proven ways to reduce visceral fat. Studies have shown that a form of gastric bypass surgery known as Roux-en-Y "preferentially decreases visceral fat, as compared with other fat layers," says Neeland.
Doctors typically recommend the surgery for those with a BMI higher than 40 or for those who are moderately obese but have diabetes.
The rest of us will have to abide by the standard advice of eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
There is no evidence that any particular diet - including the current fad, the Fast Diet, which has popularised fasting two days out of every five - leads to visceral fat loss.
But exercise has proven benefits. "Chances are the first fat you start burning is the visceral fat," says Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, director of preventive cardiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
"It's the first reserve fat that the body uses." Dr. Carl Lavie, medical director of cardiac rehabilitation and preventive cardiology at the Ochsner Medical Centre in New Orleans, says fitness may be more important than diet and weight loss in preventing heart disease.
"For long-term survival," he says, "it would be much better to be fit and obese than it would to be lean and unfit."
Source : The Dallas Morning News (http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/wellbeing/9704598/The-secret-life-of-fat)
Summer is coming!!! Get ready!!!
"The start of the hot summer weather invites exercise fanatics to take their fitness training to the great outdoors. The American Fitness Professionals & Associates (AFPA) says that outdoor exercise is essential in an individual's exercise routine because it can help improve fitness through a reconnection with nature, body, and mind. Outdoor activities like trekking, mountain biking, or even canoeing can lower the risk of poor mental health, says a study conducted at Glasgow University in Scotland.
A total of 2,000 physically active people were polled in the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) as part of the study, in order to examine the effect of physical activity in a natural environment on mental health. The results of the study showed that outdoor fitness training had a 50 percent more positive effect on a person's mental health compared to going to the gym. Mild depression, insomnia, high stress, or lack of coping were the mental health issues that were aided by outdoor fitness in the study."
But, as said Franci Cohen (certified nutritionist, personal trainer and physiologist), "the excitement and happiness that come along with beautiful weather, can often drive us to push real hard real fast." Hight heat, humidity and hard exercise can be a very dangerous combination if not managed properly.
"discovery Fit & Health says the average person can take anywhere from one to two weeks to adapt to warmer, more humid temperatures. The human body is warmer than the environment but when the body experiences a change, the muscles in the body start to sweat and allow the body to cool itself. However, when the body is profusely sweating and you feel dehydrated, you are losing fluid as the body loses its heat balance, says the State of California Department of Industrial Relations.
To ensure you stay cool and fit during the summer months, follow these outdoor fitness training safety tips to avoid heat-related injuries :
- Monitor Your Intake Of Medication And Supplements
If you are taking medications or supplements, it is important to review these pills with your doctor or pharmacist. If you are taking a diuretic — a substance that promotes the production of urine or "water pill" to burn fat — you can experience dehydration. The excretion of water from the body with a diuretic can put you at risk for a heavy loss of water and fluids while you exercise outdoors. In a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (MSSE) journal, the influence of a diuretic-induced dehydration on competitive running performance was examined among eight men who competed in randomized races of 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meters. While the results of the study showed that diuretic-induced dehydration was not harmful to sprint and power performance, mild dehydration impaired performance during aerobic activity.
- Load Up On Good Carbs The Night Before A Workout
If you know in advance when your next workout is, increase your "good carb" intake the night before. In a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, researchers from the University of Minnesota examined the effects of dietary factors on endurance-running performance for three days before, the morning of, and during a 26.2-mile marathon in 46 students. Researchers found that both men and women who had eaten the most carbs on the day before the race finished more quickly compared to their counterparts who ate less carbs that day. Complex carbs take longer than any other type of food to break down; as a result, the body and digestive system break down these foods, while they continue to provide energy for the body.
- Wear A Sunscreen
Apply a sunscreen 30 minutes before you step outside to do your exercise. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) recommends to limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest. A sunscreen that is water-resistant for 80 minutes could be effective if your physical activity will require a tremendous amount of sweating. Wearing a sunscreen can reduce your risk of sunburn, helping body's ability to cool itself.
- Dress Accordingly
Wear light-colored and lightweight clothing that is made from moisture-wicking fabric; this keeps moisture away from the skin and dries quickly, said Cohen to Medical Daily. Black clothing like shiny metallic leggings will attract heat and can even raise the body temperature, assures Cohen. Despite popular belief, cotton t-shirts and shorts should be avoided because they have a tendency to get sweaty, stay wet, and make you feel hotter.
- Know Your Temperature
Prior to going outdoors to begin your fitness regimen, pay attention to the weather forecast and heat alerts. Take extra precaution and check how the weather is going to be when you plan to do your outdoor activity. Exercising in the morning or evening is advised because that is when outside temperature is expected to be coolest, says the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Seeking shade or participating in aquatic exercises is a safe alternative to keeping cool while exercising outdoors.
- Acclimate To Hot Weather
The average person can take one to two weeks to acclimate to warmer, more humid weather, says Discovery Fit and Health. To ease into your outdoor fitness training, start with light workouts either at the beginning or toward the end of the day. As your body adapts to the new weather changes, gradually increase the duration and intensity of your exercise routine. Heat can bring easily bring exhaustion among those working out, so it is important to know how much fitness your body can handle under these conditions. If you experience tiredness or a headache or feel dizzy, drink water and reduce your workout. Remember, exercising under hot weather one day and mild weather the next can make you prone to suffering heat-related problems, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Drink Plenty of Fluids
Outdoor fitness training during the summer months will require you to keep your body extra hydrated. Dehydration is a risk factor for heat illness, says Mayo Clinic. Even if you are not thirsty, drink plenty of water, carbs, and electrolytes, as well as sports drinks to keep your body healthy and hydrated. For extra precaution, drink a glass of water before going outside to workout; this will ensure your body is hydrated during the first 45 minutes of your physical activity.
- Avoid Air Pollution
The integration of air pollution and outdoor exercise can be detrimental for your health. For those who have asthma, diabetes, heart or lung conditions, or respiratory disease, it is essential to take extra precautions outdoors. Mayo Clinic's physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward R. Laskowski says, "...with the combination of air pollution and exercise, the potential health problems are increased." The reason for this is when you engage in aerobic activity, you inhale more air and therefore breathe it more deeply into the lungs. Furthermore, urban environments and smoking areas are known to have higher pollution levels so it is best to avoid them altogether while you exercise outdoors."
Source : http://www.medicaldaily.com/summer-safety-8-outdoor-fitness-training-tips-help-you-keep-cool-246908
A total of 2,000 physically active people were polled in the Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) as part of the study, in order to examine the effect of physical activity in a natural environment on mental health. The results of the study showed that outdoor fitness training had a 50 percent more positive effect on a person's mental health compared to going to the gym. Mild depression, insomnia, high stress, or lack of coping were the mental health issues that were aided by outdoor fitness in the study."
But, as said Franci Cohen (certified nutritionist, personal trainer and physiologist), "the excitement and happiness that come along with beautiful weather, can often drive us to push real hard real fast." Hight heat, humidity and hard exercise can be a very dangerous combination if not managed properly.
"discovery Fit & Health says the average person can take anywhere from one to two weeks to adapt to warmer, more humid temperatures. The human body is warmer than the environment but when the body experiences a change, the muscles in the body start to sweat and allow the body to cool itself. However, when the body is profusely sweating and you feel dehydrated, you are losing fluid as the body loses its heat balance, says the State of California Department of Industrial Relations.
To ensure you stay cool and fit during the summer months, follow these outdoor fitness training safety tips to avoid heat-related injuries :
- Monitor Your Intake Of Medication And Supplements
If you are taking medications or supplements, it is important to review these pills with your doctor or pharmacist. If you are taking a diuretic — a substance that promotes the production of urine or "water pill" to burn fat — you can experience dehydration. The excretion of water from the body with a diuretic can put you at risk for a heavy loss of water and fluids while you exercise outdoors. In a study published in the Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (MSSE) journal, the influence of a diuretic-induced dehydration on competitive running performance was examined among eight men who competed in randomized races of 1,500, 5,000, and 10,000 meters. While the results of the study showed that diuretic-induced dehydration was not harmful to sprint and power performance, mild dehydration impaired performance during aerobic activity.
- Load Up On Good Carbs The Night Before A Workout
If you know in advance when your next workout is, increase your "good carb" intake the night before. In a study published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, researchers from the University of Minnesota examined the effects of dietary factors on endurance-running performance for three days before, the morning of, and during a 26.2-mile marathon in 46 students. Researchers found that both men and women who had eaten the most carbs on the day before the race finished more quickly compared to their counterparts who ate less carbs that day. Complex carbs take longer than any other type of food to break down; as a result, the body and digestive system break down these foods, while they continue to provide energy for the body.
- Wear A Sunscreen
Apply a sunscreen 30 minutes before you step outside to do your exercise. The Food And Drug Administration (FDA) recommends to limit sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest. A sunscreen that is water-resistant for 80 minutes could be effective if your physical activity will require a tremendous amount of sweating. Wearing a sunscreen can reduce your risk of sunburn, helping body's ability to cool itself.
- Dress Accordingly
Wear light-colored and lightweight clothing that is made from moisture-wicking fabric; this keeps moisture away from the skin and dries quickly, said Cohen to Medical Daily. Black clothing like shiny metallic leggings will attract heat and can even raise the body temperature, assures Cohen. Despite popular belief, cotton t-shirts and shorts should be avoided because they have a tendency to get sweaty, stay wet, and make you feel hotter.
- Know Your Temperature
Prior to going outdoors to begin your fitness regimen, pay attention to the weather forecast and heat alerts. Take extra precaution and check how the weather is going to be when you plan to do your outdoor activity. Exercising in the morning or evening is advised because that is when outside temperature is expected to be coolest, says the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Seeking shade or participating in aquatic exercises is a safe alternative to keeping cool while exercising outdoors.
- Acclimate To Hot Weather
The average person can take one to two weeks to acclimate to warmer, more humid weather, says Discovery Fit and Health. To ease into your outdoor fitness training, start with light workouts either at the beginning or toward the end of the day. As your body adapts to the new weather changes, gradually increase the duration and intensity of your exercise routine. Heat can bring easily bring exhaustion among those working out, so it is important to know how much fitness your body can handle under these conditions. If you experience tiredness or a headache or feel dizzy, drink water and reduce your workout. Remember, exercising under hot weather one day and mild weather the next can make you prone to suffering heat-related problems, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
- Drink Plenty of Fluids
Outdoor fitness training during the summer months will require you to keep your body extra hydrated. Dehydration is a risk factor for heat illness, says Mayo Clinic. Even if you are not thirsty, drink plenty of water, carbs, and electrolytes, as well as sports drinks to keep your body healthy and hydrated. For extra precaution, drink a glass of water before going outside to workout; this will ensure your body is hydrated during the first 45 minutes of your physical activity.
- Avoid Air Pollution
The integration of air pollution and outdoor exercise can be detrimental for your health. For those who have asthma, diabetes, heart or lung conditions, or respiratory disease, it is essential to take extra precautions outdoors. Mayo Clinic's physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Edward R. Laskowski says, "...with the combination of air pollution and exercise, the potential health problems are increased." The reason for this is when you engage in aerobic activity, you inhale more air and therefore breathe it more deeply into the lungs. Furthermore, urban environments and smoking areas are known to have higher pollution levels so it is best to avoid them altogether while you exercise outdoors."
Source : http://www.medicaldaily.com/summer-safety-8-outdoor-fitness-training-tips-help-you-keep-cool-246908
Not ready yet to exercise?? Here are 100 facts to convince you!
"100 reasons why exercising is healthy.
1. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease.
2. Increases your level of muscle strength.
3. Improves the functioning of your immune system.
4. Enhances sexual desire, performance and satisfaction.
5. Helps you to more effectively manage stress.
6. Helps you to lose weight -- especially fat weight.
7. Improves the likelihood of survival from a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
8. Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches -- perhaps the most common type of headache.
9. Improves your body's ability to use fat for energy during physical activity.
10. Increases the density and breaking strength of bones.
11. Helps to preserve lean body tissue.
12. Reduces the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure).
13. Increases the density and breaking strength of ligaments and tendons.
14. Improves coronary (heart) circulation.
15. Increases circulating level of HDL (good) cholesterol.
16. Assists in efforts to stop smoking.
17. Reduces your risk of developing Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
18. Can help improve short-tem memory in older individuals.
19. Helps to maintain weight loss -- unlike dieting, alone.
20. Helps relieve many of the common discomforts of pregnancy (backache, heartburn, constipation, etc).
21. Reduces your anxiety level.
22. Helps control blood pressure in people with hypertension.
23. Reduces the viscosity of your blood.
24. Reduces vulnerability to various cardiac dysrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
25. Increases your maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max--perhaps the best measure of your physical working capacity).
26. Helps to overcome jet lag.
27. Slows the rate of joint degeneration in people with osteoarthritis.
28. Lowers your resting heart rate.
29. Helps to boost creativity.
30. Reduces circulating levels of triglycerides.
31. Helps the body resist upper respiratory tract infections.
32. Increases your anaerobic threshold, allowing you to work or exercise longer at a higher level, before a significant amount of lactic acid builds up.
33. Reduces medical and healthcare expenses.
34. Improves ability to recover from physical exertion.
35. Helps speed recovery from chemotherapy treatments.
36. Increases ability to supply blood to the skin for cooling.
37. Increases the thickness of the cartilage in your joints.
38. Gives you more energy to meet the demands of daily life, and provides you with a reserve to meet the demands of unexpected emergencies.
39. Increase your level of muscle endurance.
40. Helps you sleep easier and better..
41. Improves posture.
42. Improves athletic performance.
43. Helps you to maintain your resting metabolic rate.
44. Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
45. Increases your tissues' responsiveness to the actions of insulin (i.e., improves tissue sensitivity for insulin), helping to better control blood sugar, particularly if you are a Type2 diabetic.
46. Helps to relieve constipation.
47. Expands blood plasma volume.
48. Reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.
49. Helps to combat substance abuse.
50. Helps to alleviate depression.
51. Increases your ability to adapt to cold environments.
52. Helps you maintain proper muscle balance.
53. Reduces the rate and severity of medical complications associated with hypertension.
54. Helps to alleviate certain menstrual symptoms.
55. Lowers your heart rate response to sub maximal physical exertion.
56. Helps to alleviate low-back pain.
57. Helps to reduce the amount for insulin required to control blood sugar level in Type1(insuline-dependent) diabetics.
58. Improves mental alertness.
59. Improves respiratory muscle strength and muscle endurance -- particularly important for asthmatics.
60. Reduces your risk of having a stroke.
61. Helps you to burn excess calories.
62. Increases your cardiac reserve.
63. Improves your physical appearance.
64. Offsets some of the negative side-effects of certain antihypertensive drugs.
65. Increases your stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat).
66. Improves your self-esteem.
67. Reduces your susceptibility for coronary thrombosis (clot in an artery that supplies the hear with blood).
68. Helps you to relax.
69. Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.
70. Improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).
71. Maintains or improves joint flexibility.
72. Improves your glucose tolerance.
73. Reduces workdays missed due to illness.
74. Protects against "creeping obesity"( the slow but steady weight gain that occurs as you age).
75. Enhances your muscles' abilities to contract.
76. Increases your productivity at work.
77. Reduces your likelihood of developing low-back problems.
78. Improves your balance and coordination.
79. Allows you to consume grater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.
80. Provides protection against injury.
81. Decrease (by 20 to 30 percent) the need for antihypertensive medication if you are hypertensive.
82. Improves your decision-making abilities.
83. helps reduce and prevent the immediate symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability), and decrease the long-termrisks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity.
84. Helps to relieve and prevent "migraine headache attacks".
85. Reduces the risk of endometriosis (a common cause of infertility).
86. Helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
87. Helps decrease your appetite ( a short-term effect only).
88. Improves the pain tolerance and mood if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
89. Helps prevent and relieve the stresses that cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
90. Makes your heart more efficient pump.
91. Helps to decrease left ventricular hypertrophy (a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle) in people with hypertension.
92. Improves your mood.
93. Helps to increase your overall health awareness.
94. Reduces the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
95. Helps you to maintain an independent lifestyle.
96. Reduces the level of abdominal obesity -- a significant health-risk factor.
97. Increases the diffusion capacity of the lungs, enhancing the exchange of oxygen from your lungs to your blood.
98. Improves heat tolerance.
99. Improves your overall quality of life.
100. Lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease."
Source : http://healthexercise.tripod.com/id1.html
1. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease.
2. Increases your level of muscle strength.
3. Improves the functioning of your immune system.
4. Enhances sexual desire, performance and satisfaction.
5. Helps you to more effectively manage stress.
6. Helps you to lose weight -- especially fat weight.
7. Improves the likelihood of survival from a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
8. Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches -- perhaps the most common type of headache.
9. Improves your body's ability to use fat for energy during physical activity.
10. Increases the density and breaking strength of bones.
11. Helps to preserve lean body tissue.
12. Reduces the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure).
13. Increases the density and breaking strength of ligaments and tendons.
14. Improves coronary (heart) circulation.
15. Increases circulating level of HDL (good) cholesterol.
16. Assists in efforts to stop smoking.
17. Reduces your risk of developing Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes.
18. Can help improve short-tem memory in older individuals.
19. Helps to maintain weight loss -- unlike dieting, alone.
20. Helps relieve many of the common discomforts of pregnancy (backache, heartburn, constipation, etc).
21. Reduces your anxiety level.
22. Helps control blood pressure in people with hypertension.
23. Reduces the viscosity of your blood.
24. Reduces vulnerability to various cardiac dysrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
25. Increases your maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max--perhaps the best measure of your physical working capacity).
26. Helps to overcome jet lag.
27. Slows the rate of joint degeneration in people with osteoarthritis.
28. Lowers your resting heart rate.
29. Helps to boost creativity.
30. Reduces circulating levels of triglycerides.
31. Helps the body resist upper respiratory tract infections.
32. Increases your anaerobic threshold, allowing you to work or exercise longer at a higher level, before a significant amount of lactic acid builds up.
33. Reduces medical and healthcare expenses.
34. Improves ability to recover from physical exertion.
35. Helps speed recovery from chemotherapy treatments.
36. Increases ability to supply blood to the skin for cooling.
37. Increases the thickness of the cartilage in your joints.
38. Gives you more energy to meet the demands of daily life, and provides you with a reserve to meet the demands of unexpected emergencies.
39. Increase your level of muscle endurance.
40. Helps you sleep easier and better..
41. Improves posture.
42. Improves athletic performance.
43. Helps you to maintain your resting metabolic rate.
44. Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.
45. Increases your tissues' responsiveness to the actions of insulin (i.e., improves tissue sensitivity for insulin), helping to better control blood sugar, particularly if you are a Type2 diabetic.
46. Helps to relieve constipation.
47. Expands blood plasma volume.
48. Reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.
49. Helps to combat substance abuse.
50. Helps to alleviate depression.
51. Increases your ability to adapt to cold environments.
52. Helps you maintain proper muscle balance.
53. Reduces the rate and severity of medical complications associated with hypertension.
54. Helps to alleviate certain menstrual symptoms.
55. Lowers your heart rate response to sub maximal physical exertion.
56. Helps to alleviate low-back pain.
57. Helps to reduce the amount for insulin required to control blood sugar level in Type1(insuline-dependent) diabetics.
58. Improves mental alertness.
59. Improves respiratory muscle strength and muscle endurance -- particularly important for asthmatics.
60. Reduces your risk of having a stroke.
61. Helps you to burn excess calories.
62. Increases your cardiac reserve.
63. Improves your physical appearance.
64. Offsets some of the negative side-effects of certain antihypertensive drugs.
65. Increases your stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat).
66. Improves your self-esteem.
67. Reduces your susceptibility for coronary thrombosis (clot in an artery that supplies the hear with blood).
68. Helps you to relax.
69. Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.
70. Improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).
71. Maintains or improves joint flexibility.
72. Improves your glucose tolerance.
73. Reduces workdays missed due to illness.
74. Protects against "creeping obesity"( the slow but steady weight gain that occurs as you age).
75. Enhances your muscles' abilities to contract.
76. Increases your productivity at work.
77. Reduces your likelihood of developing low-back problems.
78. Improves your balance and coordination.
79. Allows you to consume grater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.
80. Provides protection against injury.
81. Decrease (by 20 to 30 percent) the need for antihypertensive medication if you are hypertensive.
82. Improves your decision-making abilities.
83. helps reduce and prevent the immediate symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability), and decrease the long-termrisks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity.
84. Helps to relieve and prevent "migraine headache attacks".
85. Reduces the risk of endometriosis (a common cause of infertility).
86. Helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.
87. Helps decrease your appetite ( a short-term effect only).
88. Improves the pain tolerance and mood if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
89. Helps prevent and relieve the stresses that cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
90. Makes your heart more efficient pump.
91. Helps to decrease left ventricular hypertrophy (a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle) in people with hypertension.
92. Improves your mood.
93. Helps to increase your overall health awareness.
94. Reduces the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.
95. Helps you to maintain an independent lifestyle.
96. Reduces the level of abdominal obesity -- a significant health-risk factor.
97. Increases the diffusion capacity of the lungs, enhancing the exchange of oxygen from your lungs to your blood.
98. Improves heat tolerance.
99. Improves your overall quality of life.
100. Lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer's disease."
Source : http://healthexercise.tripod.com/id1.html
Winter training...!
Winter is a great, if not the best, season to train and this for several reasons :
- it will give you time to get fit and ready for summer adventures,
- it will help your organism to be more resistant to winter bugs,
- it will help to maintain a positive mood in the face of cold and short days,
- it will give you a great opportunity to be outside breathing fresh air and enjoying the charms of the winter season,
Winter activities are highly energizing and extremely rewarding! Make the most of them! Walk, bike, run, ski... move now and again!!!
- it will give you time to get fit and ready for summer adventures,
- it will help your organism to be more resistant to winter bugs,
- it will help to maintain a positive mood in the face of cold and short days,
- it will give you a great opportunity to be outside breathing fresh air and enjoying the charms of the winter season,
Winter activities are highly energizing and extremely rewarding! Make the most of them! Walk, bike, run, ski... move now and again!!!
Do you know that...
...Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sport that involves every large muscle group in the body, it helps to improve cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. Because it is a low impact activity the risk of twist and sprain injuries are very rare. However it needs to be done properly using the right technique (so be supervised for beginners) to avoid other injuries including back pain, inflammation, strains (knees, spine, tendons of the forearm).
It is "one of the most complete forms of exercise of the cardiovascular sort. Not only does it allows one to burn copious amounts of calories, it also does wonders for building core strength and works with a wide range of muscles simultaneously." Read more : http://ic.steadyhealth.com/muscles_used_in_rowing_machine.html
So if you have to buy one machine for home a rowing machine should be the one.
It is "one of the most complete forms of exercise of the cardiovascular sort. Not only does it allows one to burn copious amounts of calories, it also does wonders for building core strength and works with a wide range of muscles simultaneously." Read more : http://ic.steadyhealth.com/muscles_used_in_rowing_machine.html
So if you have to buy one machine for home a rowing machine should be the one.
Walking vs. Running : which one is the BEST ???
"Adding aerobic exercise to your routine is an excellent way to build your cardiovascular fitness. Running and walking are both excellent aerobic exercises. Both will help promote weight loss, improve your sleep, elevate your mood, boost your energy level, decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Walking and running are low-cost, easy-to-do anywhere, year-round activities. Both are social activities -- you can walk or run or with a friend. But since running is more rigorous than walking, it is my opinion that you should select a running program to maximize aerobic conditioning in minimum time.
Those who do not wish to run can obtain the same health and fitness benefits by walking. Walking is good exercise for those who are just starting to workout or for those with health problems. For the significantly overweight, walking can be less stressful on the body. Those who desire can slowly build up to running.
In order to get any benefit from a workout, it has to be one that you enjoy and will do day after day. So if you prefer walking, then do it! As a walker, you might have to walk a little more or eat a little less to achieve your weight goal vs. running. Walkers can make up that difference by going farther in distance.
Distance wise, a 160 pound person burns about 100 calories per mile walking or running. If you look at it on a calories-burned-per-hour basis, a person will burn more calories by running an hour rather than walking an hour.
Calories burned per HOUR for a 160 pound person
Walking 3 mph - 317
Walking 4 mph - 374
Running 5 mph -614
Running 6 mph - 730
Running 7 mph - 835
Running 8 mph - 979
Running 10 mph - 1,306
Calories burned per MILE for a 160 Pound Person
Walking 3.0 mph - 85
Walking 4.0 mph - 91
Walking 5.0 mph - 116
Running 5.0 mph - 116
Running 6.0 mph - 121
Running 7.0 mph - 119
Running 8.0 mph - 123
Running 10.0 mph - 131
You may have heard that walking burns more fat than running because while exercising at a lower intensity, fat is being used as fuel. This is actually true. As you increase your exercise intensity from walking into a run, more carbohydrates from your body are used to fuel the exercise. But it doesn't matter if fat or carbs are being used as fuel. What matters most is how many total calories you burn for the time you have exercised. If you have 30 minutes to exercise you will burn 187 calories walking 4 mph versus burning 365 calories running at 6mph. Walking may burn more fat for fuel, but running burns more total calories which will contribute to greater weight loss.
Another important factor to consider when examining the difference between running and walking is that because of the repetitive nature of running, the risk of injury is greater. Running is considered high impact exercise. This can cause injury to the hip, knee and ankle joints. Walking is a low impact activity and is potentially less damaging to the joints.
If you choose to run, reduce your risk of injury by running on the best surfaces in this order: Grass, woodland trails, earth, cinders and man-made tracks; wear good quality shoes that have been fitted for you by a shoe expert. Run with correct form and technique, gradually increase the mileage that you run and get some guidance from a personal trainer.
Walking or running both have benefits. Choose that which best meets your needs and preferences."
source : http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/walking-vs-running-which-one-is-best.html#b
Walking and running are low-cost, easy-to-do anywhere, year-round activities. Both are social activities -- you can walk or run or with a friend. But since running is more rigorous than walking, it is my opinion that you should select a running program to maximize aerobic conditioning in minimum time.
Those who do not wish to run can obtain the same health and fitness benefits by walking. Walking is good exercise for those who are just starting to workout or for those with health problems. For the significantly overweight, walking can be less stressful on the body. Those who desire can slowly build up to running.
In order to get any benefit from a workout, it has to be one that you enjoy and will do day after day. So if you prefer walking, then do it! As a walker, you might have to walk a little more or eat a little less to achieve your weight goal vs. running. Walkers can make up that difference by going farther in distance.
Distance wise, a 160 pound person burns about 100 calories per mile walking or running. If you look at it on a calories-burned-per-hour basis, a person will burn more calories by running an hour rather than walking an hour.
Calories burned per HOUR for a 160 pound person
Walking 3 mph - 317
Walking 4 mph - 374
Running 5 mph -614
Running 6 mph - 730
Running 7 mph - 835
Running 8 mph - 979
Running 10 mph - 1,306
Calories burned per MILE for a 160 Pound Person
Walking 3.0 mph - 85
Walking 4.0 mph - 91
Walking 5.0 mph - 116
Running 5.0 mph - 116
Running 6.0 mph - 121
Running 7.0 mph - 119
Running 8.0 mph - 123
Running 10.0 mph - 131
You may have heard that walking burns more fat than running because while exercising at a lower intensity, fat is being used as fuel. This is actually true. As you increase your exercise intensity from walking into a run, more carbohydrates from your body are used to fuel the exercise. But it doesn't matter if fat or carbs are being used as fuel. What matters most is how many total calories you burn for the time you have exercised. If you have 30 minutes to exercise you will burn 187 calories walking 4 mph versus burning 365 calories running at 6mph. Walking may burn more fat for fuel, but running burns more total calories which will contribute to greater weight loss.
Another important factor to consider when examining the difference between running and walking is that because of the repetitive nature of running, the risk of injury is greater. Running is considered high impact exercise. This can cause injury to the hip, knee and ankle joints. Walking is a low impact activity and is potentially less damaging to the joints.
If you choose to run, reduce your risk of injury by running on the best surfaces in this order: Grass, woodland trails, earth, cinders and man-made tracks; wear good quality shoes that have been fitted for you by a shoe expert. Run with correct form and technique, gradually increase the mileage that you run and get some guidance from a personal trainer.
Walking or running both have benefits. Choose that which best meets your needs and preferences."
source : http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/walking-vs-running-which-one-is-best.html#b
Want to burn extra calories????
"9 sneaky ways to burn Calories
While exercise is the most effective way to burn calories, we burn calories doing everything: from breathing, to digesting to simply growing. Every little bit counts, so small decisions throughout your day can have big results. Here are a few sneaky things you can do outside the gym that will add up to some serious burnage.
1. Don't sit still! If you're a nervous leg bouncer or pencil tapper, you're in luck. On average, fidgeting can burn between 300-350 extra calories per day, though that number will vary widely depending on your fave form of fidgeting. (For example: pacing will burn more calories than table drumming.)
2. Laugh...a lot! According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study, "Ten to 15 minutes of laughter could increase energy expenditure by 10 to 40 calories per day, which could translate into about four pounds a year."
3. Spice it up! Research shows that chili peppers can boost your metabolic rate, causing the body to burn 50 more calories a day.
4. Chomp away! Chewing gum burns roughly 11 calories an hour. Make sure you use sugarless to avoid added calories and cavities. Extra credit for walking at the same time.
5. Clean up! Don't groan at your to-do list, thank it: light housework like dusting and laundry burns 170 calories per hour. Tackle bigger chores like washing the car or cleaning the gutters and up your burn to 204 calories per hour.
6. Shop 'til you drop! Roaming the aisles and swiping the credit card is more taxing than you think. The typical grocery shopping trip incinerates 156 calories per hour. Up that burn even more by parking far away from the store, carrying your groceries to the car yourself, and multiple trips to bring them inside. Just don't ruin that burn by filling your cart with junk.
7. Drink up! According to Men's Health, drinking eight pints of ice water a day will cause your body to expend 123 calories of heat to warm that water to body temperature. When it comes to water, the colder, the better.
8. Get it on! The average bed-session will burn 88 calories per hour, but you can send that number sky high by putting on a better show.
9. Just dance! Just 20 minutes of dancing can burn 100 calories. If you don't have the smoothest of moves, just turn down the shades, crank up the tunes and go nuts!
Although these are great little FYIs, they still do not take the place of intentional exercise. Mix in a few of these everyday calorie burners with a regular workout, however, and you'll be a calorie blasting machine.
Editor's Not: Calorie burns are based on 150 pound woman.
Kelly Turner is a Seattle-based ACE-certified personal trainer and professional fitness writer. She began writing after becoming frustrated with the confusing and conflicting fitness information in the media and the quick-fix, gimmick-centered focus of the fitness industry itself. Her no-nonsense, practical advice has been featured on DietsInReview.com, FitnessMagazine.com, Yahoo! Shine, and she has a regular fitness column in The Seattle Times."
Source : http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/9-sneaky-ways-to-burn-calories.html#b
While exercise is the most effective way to burn calories, we burn calories doing everything: from breathing, to digesting to simply growing. Every little bit counts, so small decisions throughout your day can have big results. Here are a few sneaky things you can do outside the gym that will add up to some serious burnage.
1. Don't sit still! If you're a nervous leg bouncer or pencil tapper, you're in luck. On average, fidgeting can burn between 300-350 extra calories per day, though that number will vary widely depending on your fave form of fidgeting. (For example: pacing will burn more calories than table drumming.)
2. Laugh...a lot! According to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study, "Ten to 15 minutes of laughter could increase energy expenditure by 10 to 40 calories per day, which could translate into about four pounds a year."
3. Spice it up! Research shows that chili peppers can boost your metabolic rate, causing the body to burn 50 more calories a day.
4. Chomp away! Chewing gum burns roughly 11 calories an hour. Make sure you use sugarless to avoid added calories and cavities. Extra credit for walking at the same time.
5. Clean up! Don't groan at your to-do list, thank it: light housework like dusting and laundry burns 170 calories per hour. Tackle bigger chores like washing the car or cleaning the gutters and up your burn to 204 calories per hour.
6. Shop 'til you drop! Roaming the aisles and swiping the credit card is more taxing than you think. The typical grocery shopping trip incinerates 156 calories per hour. Up that burn even more by parking far away from the store, carrying your groceries to the car yourself, and multiple trips to bring them inside. Just don't ruin that burn by filling your cart with junk.
7. Drink up! According to Men's Health, drinking eight pints of ice water a day will cause your body to expend 123 calories of heat to warm that water to body temperature. When it comes to water, the colder, the better.
8. Get it on! The average bed-session will burn 88 calories per hour, but you can send that number sky high by putting on a better show.
9. Just dance! Just 20 minutes of dancing can burn 100 calories. If you don't have the smoothest of moves, just turn down the shades, crank up the tunes and go nuts!
Although these are great little FYIs, they still do not take the place of intentional exercise. Mix in a few of these everyday calorie burners with a regular workout, however, and you'll be a calorie blasting machine.
Editor's Not: Calorie burns are based on 150 pound woman.
Kelly Turner is a Seattle-based ACE-certified personal trainer and professional fitness writer. She began writing after becoming frustrated with the confusing and conflicting fitness information in the media and the quick-fix, gimmick-centered focus of the fitness industry itself. Her no-nonsense, practical advice has been featured on DietsInReview.com, FitnessMagazine.com, Yahoo! Shine, and she has a regular fitness column in The Seattle Times."
Source : http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/9-sneaky-ways-to-burn-calories.html#b
