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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Benefits of Cardio Interval Training



Benefits of Cardio Interval Training

In a long-term study of the health of the people of in the United States, the U.S. Public Health Service documented the chances of developing heart disease among various groups in the population. Long before the any symptoms appeared, epidemiological research could identify high-risk groups.

Among the highest risk factors are male sex, age over 35, cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, high levels of certain blood fats, and a family history of cardiovascular disorders.

Other researchers have added to this list another risk factor: the compulsive, hard-driving, highly anxious personality. The greater the number of severity, the greater the person’s overall risk.

These threats to the heart can be divided into two main categories: those beyond individual control, such as age, sex, and heredity, and those that can be controlled, avoided, or even eliminated. Among those in the second category are what cardiologists call “the triple threat.” These are the high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and high cholesterol levels in the blood.

If you smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, your risk of having a heart attack is twice that of a nonsmoker. If you smoke, have hypertension, and eat a diet high in fats without any exercise at all, your risk is five times greater than normal.

The Healthy Heart

If these risk factors endanger the heart’s health, what enhances its well-being and improves its odds of working long and well?

Obviously, quitting cigarettes and eating a low-fat diet will help. The next best thing you can do for your heart’s sake is to give it what it needs: regular exercise or a complete cardio interval training.

The heart is a muscle, or, more accurately, a group or “package” of muscles, similar in many ways to the muscles of the arms and legs. And just as exercise strengthens and improves limb muscles, it enhances the health of the heart muscles as well.

Since World War II, several large-scale statistical studies have evaluated the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular disease. One well-known survey compared 31,000 drivers and conductors of some bus companies. The more sedentary drivers had a significantly higher rate of heart disease than the conductors, who walked around the buses and climbed stairs to the upper level.

The why and how behind these statistics were bet explained by classic experiments with dogs whose coronary arteries were surgically narrowed to resemble those of humans with arteriosclerosis. Dogs who were exercised were had much better blood flow than those kept inactive.

The exercise seemed to stimulate the development of new connections between the impaired and the nearly normal blood vessels, so exercised dogs had a better blood supply to all the muscle tissue of the heart. The human heart reacts in the same way to provide blood to the portion that was damaged by the heart attack.

To enable the damaged heart muscle to heal, the heart relies on new small blood vessels for what is called collateral circulation. These new branches on the arterial tress can develop long before a heart attack — and can prevent a heart attack if the new network takes on enough of the function of the narrowed vessels.


With all these facts, it is now boiled down to a single question: What should be done in order to prevent such dilemmas?

Some studies showed that moderate exercise several times a week is more effective in building up these auxiliary pathways than extremely vigorous exercise done twice often.

The general rule is that exercise helps reduce the risk of harm to the heart. Some researches further attested the link between exercise and healthy heart based from the findings that the non-exercisers had a 49% greater risk of heart attack than the other people included in the study. The study attributed a third of that risk to sedentary lifestyle alone.

Hence, with employing the cardio interval training, you can absolutely expect positive results not only on areas that concerns your cardiovascular system but on the overall status of your health as well.

This particular activity that is definitely good for the heart is a cycle of “repeated segments” that is of intense nature. In this process, there is an interchange periods of recuperation. It can both be comprehensive activity and moderate motion.

Consequently, the benefits of merely engaging into this kind of activity can bring you more results that you have ever expected. These are:


1. The threats of heart attack are lessened, if not eliminated

2. Enhanced heart task


3. Increase metabolism, increase the chance of burning calories, therefore, assist you in losing weight


4. Improves lung capacity


5. Helps lessen or eliminate the cases of stress

Indeed, cardio interval training is the modern way of creating a healthy, happy heart and body.
Burn those calories, Greg

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Cardio Training Recommendations

Cardio Training Recommendations

Cardio training is essential when you need to make health improvements. For starters, it is best to do the 30 to 45 minutes of exercises, 3 to 5 days a week. If you are aiming for weight loss, the training must be done 5 days a week. The more frequent you do it; the more likely it is that you will lose weight. However, avoid exhausting yourself too much in exercise. Avoid going beyond 45 minutes. Remember, it has to be done in a regular basis.

Start now. Walk or ride the bike around the neighborhood now. Follow that aerobics video you purchased. Set a goal and follow that goal. At the same time, eat healthy food.

As you increase in the fitness level, the intensity of the training must also increase. This is to have an area of variation and there should always be room for improvement. Implement this by intensifying some parts of the training. If you are into jogging or running, increase speed every 5 minutes for at least a minute or two. It is important that you challenge yourself, so as not to be stuck in a slump.

Avoid doing the cardio exercises before bedtime. You will have a difficult time sleeping if you do so as the energy level of the body will stay high for sometime.

If you are undergoing weight training too, do the cardio exercises right after, not before.

It is best to take a snack 30 minutes before doing the cardio exercises. Do not start with training on an empty stomach. This will not help in achieving the proper momentum when you train. At the same time, avoid indulging in large meals before exercise. Just give your body the proper supply it will need to sustain exhausting movements.

It is good to do the cardio exercises outdoors. This way you can easily interact with nature and breathe fresh air. You can also simply enjoy going around the neighborhood as you get your system healthier by the minute. Who knows, you might even make some new friends.

Burn those calories,
Greg

Monday, March 1, 2010

Benefits of Cardio Training

Benefits of Cardio Training

Being fit and healthy is the in thing. Actually, it really never goes out of style. The body is the most valuable asset you could have in your lifetime. Thus it is important that you take good care of it. Give it the proper attention it needs.

When it comes to ensuring and maintaining the health, the best option is to do cardio training.

What Is Cardio Training?

Cardio training involves any activity that requires the use of the large muscle groups of the body in a regular and uninterrupted manner. It elevates the heart rate between 60 to 85 percent of the fastest heart rate you could get.

Some of the usual cardio training activities are walking, jogging, running, aerobics, cycling, tae bo, swimming and rowing. Cardio training is considered an aerobic exercise as one is required to move from one exercise to another.

What Are the Benefits of Training?

1. Gives Energy to the Body
You can expect more energy and higher endurance after some time of regular cardio training.

2. Prevents Diseases
One could prevent heart diseases with regular cardio training. It is also helpful in preventing other variety of diseases like diabetes, obesity and even high cholesterol. The cardiovascular training strengthens the heart and the lungs. The low to moderated type of cardio exercises are required for people seeking to prevent diseases. Examples of these are walking, brisk walking or jogging.

3. Control Your Weight
With cardio training, you are able to burn more calories. This will help one who needs to lose weight. While those who already achieved their ideal body mass, the training will make it easier to control the weight.

Cardio training helps burn calories. However this generally depends on your current weight and the kind of cardio training you are undergoing. Better consult this matter with your physician or trainer, to know the proper type of training for your needs.

4. Lose Body Fats
Some people do not have problem with their weights. However, there may be some excess fats that keep bothering. Cardio training will help in getting rid of those. The activities involve the movements of large muscle groups. Regularly doing the training will make you leaner.

5. Get Rid of Boredom
Cardio training is fun. It pumps up your system. You will definitely feel more energized and on the go.

Be consistent and stick with the training once you have started it. This is the only way that cardio training will benefit your body and your health in the long run.

Burn those calories,
Greg

Saturday, February 27, 2010

A Look on Diet Fitness

A Look on Diet Fitness

Many people nowadays are very much conscious about their own health and fitness. In addition to that, these people, and many others as well, are now having that desire to sculpt their bodies to ahieve that magazine-cover look. As a result, gyms, health spas and other fitness centers have proliferated all over to cater to the needs of the fitness buffs and afficionados.

Even on television exercise machines, weight loss products, and other paraphernalia to improve fitness have more or less gained control over the airwaves and made their way into the households. But exerise is not the only way to build that body beautiful. It also entails certain amount of responsibility on the foods one chooses to eat. Being healthy and fit requires one to observe diet fitness.

Diet fitness is as essential as exercise itself. Diet for fitness provides the essential nutrition one needs to restore worn-out muscles and for healthy growth. Diet fitness should never be taken for granted. With the popularity of keeping fit, many different views, methods, programs and dieting strategies have been formulated by many professionals. Among these are high carb diets and high fat diets. Which one is more effective and which one should one choose to follow?

First thing to know would be the fundamental differences between these two diet approaches. As the name implies, high carb diets concentrate on taking in carbohydrate-rich foods while high fat diets endorse fat-rich foods. High carb diets are utilized to glycogen stored in the liver and muscles. Glycogen is a glucose complex that provides large amounts of energy ready for use in anaerobic exercises.

Fat, on the other hand, is well-known for being the richest source of calories. It actually contains 2.5 times more calories than carbohydrates and proteins alike. Studies also show that it takes the body 24 calories to metabolize carbohydrates while it only takes 3 to burn down fat. So which one to follow? A person can follow a high carb and low fat fitness diet or the other way around. It is absolutely not recommended to follow both at the same time; unless of course if you want to gain body fat.

But then diet fitness is not all about losing fat, one must also consider his diet in order to keep fat away. Research shows that sustainable loss of weight can only be achieved on a diet which suits the individual food preferences, lifestyle, medical profile and satiety signals.

Other important aspects of having a fit diet are moderation, balance and variation. One must be careful not to leave out important nutrients and other substances necessary for healthy body functioning. Health organizations are clear about the amounts of nutrients an individual should have in the body.

Low fat high carbs, high carbs low fat; the question is not which diet program will work out but which is it that will work for you. Striving for a healthy body does not have to burden an individual, diet fitness does not have to mean sticking to the same kind of food for life. One may even try to be adventurous and try out new foods. But, never forget diet without exercise is a waste of time.

Burn those calories,
Greg

Friday, February 26, 2010

Can a Trip to the Mall Keep You in Shape?

Can a Trip to the Mall Keep You in Shape?

When most of us think about exercise, we think about going to the gym and sweating behind some piece of equipment that hundreds of other people have sweated behind before us. The thought of doing this is rather unsavory to most of us and to others it is simply a matter of being inconvenient. There are some ways that you can get out and lose a little bit of weight along with staying physically fit while you are doing things that you would normally do anyway. A good example of this is spending a day at the mall. How can shopping at the mall help you to exercise and stay in shape?

One of the main reasons that it is able to help you stay in shape is because you will be moving around instead of sitting still. If we are not at the mall shopping whenever we have some free time we may end up just sitting on the couch. At least when you're at the mall you will be walking around to a certain extent and stopping and starting. You will not be burning calories as if you were running a marathon but it certainly will go a long way in helping you to stay in shape. There are some things that you should look out for, however, so that you do not destroy any effort that you make in this regard.

First of all, you need to make sure that you are not giving into the temptation of the bad food that is available in many of these locations. As a matter of fact, an appetizer, hamburger and onion rings along with the soda can have two days of equivalent of calories in it if it is bought at the wrong restaurant.

That being said, there are some ways that you can increase your exercise while you are at the mall. Park your car a little bit further away so that you have to actually walk into the mall and make sure that you are taking the stairs, not the escalators. If you don't have an option but to take the escalators, make sure that you walk up and down them instead of just standing still. Remember, little things add up to a lot and the exercise that you get will pay off in the long run.

Burn those calories,
Renee

Thursday, February 25, 2010

How Housework Keeps You in Shape

How Housework Keeps You in Shape

How many times have you had a gym membership and only ever showed up once or twice during the length of that membership? You would be surprised at how many people are in the same shoes as you are. Perhaps you enjoy exercising but simply do not have time to incorporate it into your daily regime. It may also be possible that you hate the effort that needs to be put forth in order to exercise effectively.

The fact of the matter is, it is not necessary for you to hit the gym on a regular basis in order to get in shape. All you really need to do is keep your house clean.

Housework is one of those hidden gems of exercise that is far too often overlooked. A lot of people tend to spend our time sitting on the couch watching TV or in a chair on the Internet whenever we have a few moments. If you get up and move around a little bit, even if you aren't exerting yourself enough to break a sweat, you are still going to see benefits from that effort.

Keeping your house clean is an excellent way to burn some calories and to do so without having to formally go into an exercise routine. What are some of the best things that you can do around the home that will help you to get in shape?

There are several different things that you can do while you are doing your housework which will keep you in shape. Things such as vacuuming, dusting and washing dishes all are able to help you to burn additional calories. Many of these things, however, are done while we are fairly sedentary so doing some deep cleaning is one of the best ways for you to realize benefits. The reason why this is the case is because whenever we are deep cleaning we are often lifting heavy boxes or perhaps bending and stooping in order to reach areas that are not usually touched.

Doing housework on a regular basis not only helps you to burn calories while you're doing it, it also helps you to relax in your home. Remember, being able to relax and destress from time to time is an important part of staying in shape. This is how cleaning your house can help you in a number of different ways to exercise effortlessly.

Burn those calories,
Renee

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Getting Fit with the Glycemic Index

Getting Fit with the Glycemic Index

Getting some exercise in can be quite a challenge considering the fact that many of us have an extremely busy schedule. Not only that, most of us don't really like exercise in the first place which can make it difficult to stay motivated at the gym. We all realize that getting some exercise is one of the best ways for us to stay trim and healthy. That doesn't mean, however, that it is the only way for us to do so. If you get a moderate amount of exercise throughout the week naturally, you may be able to get fit simply by eating in the proper way.

One problem that many people run into when it comes to eating properly is that they follow to many different programs. Although it is a good idea to have a program in mind whenever you start eating for health, being too drastic or jumping from program to program is not going to help you at all. It is difficult to estimate how many people have damaged their metabolisms as a result of yo-yo dieting through low carbohydrate or low-fat eating.

If you really want to stay fit, STOP DIETING. It is difficult to beat the benefits that you receive from eating low glycemic foods. The way that you would do this is actually fairly simple to understand. The glycemic index is a list of foods that are arranged according to how quickly the sugar that is in them is released into our system. The higher on the list the food resides, the faster the sugar is going to be dumped. This can cause our pancreas to overload us with insulin, something that is going to end up storing fat on your body.

By eating five to six small meals on a daily basis, you can really get your metabolism running at top speed. Make sure that you include a protein, legume and plenty of low glycemic vegetables at every meal, preferably raw vegetables. If you eat like this for two weeks, along with being active, you will be able to see the difference in your clothing and on the scale.

Burn those calories,
Greg