Posts Tagged ‘health’
Why Work Out?
Monday, January 16th, 2012
The benefits of exercising are plentiful and scientifically acknowledged. Here are some for you to think about: (more…)
Get More Out of Your Workout
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Probably the busiest place in the gym is the cardio room where you can see people sweating it out all hours of the day on treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes sometimes for 30 minutes or more at a time. For many, this IS their workout with maybe a few stretches thrown in somewhere in the session. While it’s definitely better than doing nothing at all, a gym membership can offer much, much more. (more…)
Fast Track Your Fitness
Thursday, September 22nd, 2011
What are most people are interested in when they join a gym? Mostly they join a gym in an effort to look better and if that comes with the added bonus of feeling better and living a healthier life, all the better.
Unfortunately, however, a lot of people give up on going to the gym regularly after about a month. At the start, they’re very diligent and work out at least an hour every second day (some work out for two or more hours every day), they sweat, eat better (sometimes) but… no supermodel body appears in the mirror and this can be disheartening – the change from frumpy to fabulous is often way too slow.
Could there be a reason many people don’t lose much fat, change shape or get ripped and buff despite religiously going to the gym and working out? Yes, there is. It comes down to WHAT is being done at the gym. WHAT is being done is actually more important than how long it’s done for. In other words, QUALITY is more important than QUANTITY (although quantity certainly does come into it – having a great workout once a month isn’t going to do much). There are people spending maybe 15 to 30 minutes a day working out and getting better results (burning more fat, losing weight, sculpting and toning) than other people who work out for a couple of hours at a time every day of the week.
It’s possible that the people spending less time but getting great results might be doing what’s known as high intensity interval training. It’s been around since 1937 but up until now, has been used primarily by athletes and not regular people. There are lots of ways to do it and a good personal trainer is probably your best bet at getting the most out of it but the idea is that you exercise at a very high intensity (if you’re running, you’d sprint as fast as you can) for between 30 seconds to a minute then you’d slow it down (jog) until you recover a bit, but not all the way, then you’d up the intensity again.
You could try it next time you’re on the stationary bike, stepper or treadmill – instead of sitting on a set speed, try playing with the effort and speed levels – increasing then decreasing, increasing then decreasing and so on. If you do it right you can fast-track your fitness. Remember, it IS intense, so make sure you have a doctor’s OK before adding it to your routine.
Tracey Thatcher
8 Good Reasons Being Fit is Worth the Effort
Sunday, August 28th, 2011
People who are fit have higher energy levels. Fitness offers you increased and sustained energy levels in order to perform best at your work during the day and even into the night.
People who exercise regularly are 43% less likely to suffer from colds and sore throats according to a study at the Appalachian State University in 2010.
Being fit can increase self confidence. This self-confidence allows you to challenge yourself and aim for higher levels of achievement in your career.
Fitness helps you to take on more leadership roles. Due to the various positive benefits of a fit lifestyle, a fit person tends to become a good leader.
People who are fit are better able to set their goals and achieve them.
Generally, fit individuals feel good. They can balance their physical and emotional feelings, which can lead to a more positive attitude in general.
Fitness helps you to experience less stress. Regular physical activity diminishes the physical and emotional tensions that life and work can bring, allowing you to focus on what’s important.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the estimated annual medical cost of cardiovascular disease or stroke, cancer, diabetes and obesity is $423.2 billion! Most of these diseases can be prevented by being fit—exercising and eating correctly.
Tracey Thatcher
No Time to Work Out?
Sunday, July 31st, 2011
The main reason most people give for not exercising is, “I just don’t have the time.” It seems like a fair reason for being unable to get into shape and it usually stops others from insisting further but let’s look at just how much time someone really has to invest to start getting fit and into shape.
With a small amount of quality effort invested, you can get huge dividends! Let’s look at some facts.
(more…)
