Too much exercise can be bad for you too!
Filed under: Research, Exercise
Exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. But in individuals with heart troubles, too much exercise can be a bad thing too -- it can speed up heart failure ... in rats, at least. These findings are in direct opposition to what researchers thought they would find -- that the more they exercised, the healthier rats are. But don't use these findings as an excuse to skip the gym for the next few decades -- it's still thought that a reasonable amount of exercise is better than a sedentary lifestyle. Excessive exercise might be a problem, but a daily walk will not kill you.
Time To Head For The Great Outdoors
I’ve just learnt July is Parks and Recreation Month. It made be realize that I’ve got into the habit of doing my aerobic exercise on the treadmill even when the weather is nice. I’m going to make a real effort to go power walking or hiking in the fresh air more.
Getting exercise outdoors in the fresh air, away from noise and traffic has so many benefits. It is relaxing yet stimulating, particularly if there are beautiful views and I find I sleep better after a day out. And of course, it is a chance for me to indulge in my favorite hobby, photography.
Roll on the next nice day.
Isobel Whytock 1Stop-Weightloss.com
Exercise of the Week: The Plank
Filed under: Prevention, Exercise
For those of you who were with us about six months back, I introduced an ongoing exercise program that centered around your TV viewing schedule. More or less, I offered up workouts that you could perform during your favorite TV shows, using visual and audio cues from said shows to start and end a particul
ar exercise. For example, if you were watching CSI, you may have been doing a set of 25 crunches every time a character in the show mentioned the word Blood. There were various cues for various shows, and by the end of the week you had completed an enjoyable workout without missing even a frame of your favorite programs. Getting back to that idea, I thought it would be fun to highlight a new exercise each week. Although this does not directly involve watching television, you could surely set-up your own cue system to just about any show you wanted. The important part is to be armed with an assortment of effective and easy-to-do exercises, which is what I hope to show you at least once a week for many weeks to come.
With that all said, I think the Exercise of the Week will be the Plank. In what at first blush actually looks more like a frozen stance than an exercise of any kind, the Plank is nonetheless a great exercise to work your abdominal and lower back muscles (making up what is commonly referred to as your core). By placing your body in a push-up position, you should place your forearms flat on the floor beneath you. Then, your goal is to keep your body as straight as you can off the ground as you remain in this position for approximately 30 seconds. If you can't last for 30 seconds, try 20. If 20's a no-go, reach for 10 or 15. Soon enough you will build your core strength to a point where 30 seconds seems like child's play. Do at least 2 total sets of this exercise.
As stated, the Plank may not look like much, but mark my words: You'll feel it. Expect to feel tension in your midsection, arms, and back. And while it isn't exactly classified as an aerobic exercise, you will still feel a bit winded by the end of the determined amount of time you hold the position.
Running over the same old ground: exercise and diabetes
Filed under: Type 2, Lifestyle, Exercise, Daily News
Oh yawn, I thought to myself this morning. Upon turning on National Public Radio, I immediately heard what seems to be yet another report on diabetics and exercise. According to the results of a new study, the majority of people with Type 2 diabetes or at risk for it fail to follow through on their doctors' advice to get moving and get some good old-fashioned exercise to ward off the disease - or at least slow its progress. The study comes courtesy of a team of researchers at the University of Colorado, Denver. It's a sizable study, involving over 22,000 patients. The results are being published in Diabetes Care (February 2007) and basically conclude that fewer than forty percent of those advised to get exercise actually do so. Moreover, those most at risk are in fact the least likely to heed exercise advice. Dr. Elaine Morrato, who led both this study and an earlier one on a similar topic, says "People should exercise more, that story is out. What we're saying is, 'Here's a high-risk population that can benefit from exercise, and they're even less likely to exercise.'" Now, I hate to be a grumpy naysayer, but (to use an exercise-related metaphor) isn't this just a case of running over the same old ground? Is this study really contributing anything new? According to the NPR report, Morrato goes on to say that the results are "very pessimistic," but that she does not know the answer to what is perhaps the real question: how to change peoples' behavior. We already know there is a T2 diabetes epidemic going on. We already know that obesity and inactivity are to blame. Instead of studying the issue over and over, from every conceivable angle, shouldn't researchers be focusing on how to stop this national health train wreck that we're seeing? Am I being unreasonable? You tell me.
I’ve Rediscovered My Waist
After many years my waist has finally emerged from under all the flab. I’ve got some shape back and I’m thrilled. The combination of sensible eating and regular exercise has been the secret.
My fitness regime is made up of walking 40 minutes three of four times a week, strength training twice a week and a daily stretching routine called Psycholcalisthenics. Since starting this stretching routine the change in my shape has been quite dramatic.
Psycholcalisthenics is a routine of 23 exercise. It takes about 25 minutes to perform the full number of repetitions for each exercise. It uses the breath to create vital energy throughout the body. I guess it could be described as aerobic yoga. I always do the exercises first this in the morning. If I’m pushed for time I will do a short session with fewer repetitions. My motto is “one repetition is better than none” and since learning the exercises at a workshop in early April I’ve not missed a day except when ill with a migraine.
Another great thing about Psycholcalisthenics is that it does not require equipment so I can still do it when I’m away from home.
Isobel Whytock 1Stop-Weightloss.com
Athletes die of heart attacks too
We're often lead to believe that if we exercise regularly, our heart should be fine as we age. But here's something that might throw a wrench in that theory: Runners die of early heart attacks too.The truth is, while exercise is great for your heart and can reduce your risk of heart disease by quite a bit, it doesn't mean you're immune to heart troubles just because you go for a run every few days. You still need to maintain a healthy lifestyle that is low in fat and high in produce, grains and lean protein. And most importantly, you need to talk to your doctor and get screened for heart disease.
Exercise of the Week: The Lunge
Filed under: Exercise
It's Tuesday, which means it's time for another installment of The Exercise of the Week here at TheCardioBlog. All
previous Exercise posts can be found in the archives of the site, so feel free to do some digging if you're just tuning in now. But, before you begin your search for older posts, maybe you can first join in with us this week as we examine the Lunge, a fantastic lower-body exercise that will help tighten and tone your legs, calves and butt.
The Lunge involves balance and a little bit of coordination; so in exercise terms, that means that you'll also be using your stabilizing or core muscles, as well. The primary muscles you'll hit are your hamstrings, glutes, calves and quadriceps -- basically, your leg muscles. To perform the Lunge, start by thinking of the movement itself as nothing more than a large, deep step. By conceptualizing such a movement, you're actually already halfway there. Now, to actually do it, start off with your feet together. Keep your hands on your hips, akimbo in stance. Next, take a long, step forward with one leg, landing your foot securely on the floor. Then, you want to lower your body in a squatting motion, bringing your back leg forward to meet the front leg as you do. By the end of this motion, you should be standing completely erect again, and with both feet again side-by-side. Continue by then leading with the opposite foot, with the motion recapitulating from there.
There are several variations to the Lunge, but beginners may want to stick to what's known as the Walking Lunge (which is the version described above). As you progress, you can carry small weights in your hands, making the movement more difficult by adding additional resistance. From there, you can later move on to Reverse Lunges, the Lunge Press (which involves pressing weights over your head as you reach the extended portion of your Lunge), Side Lunges, and several other variations. The best part about the Lunge -- particularly the Walking Lunge -- is that the exercise is aerobic, so you will benefit your heart, as well as your leg muscles.
P.S. Here's a good video to demonstrate the Lunge.
Note: The content presented in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor or fitness professional before starting a physical fitness program.
20 very good reasons to get active
Filed under: Prevention, Exercise
If you're not already getting regular activity, I just have one question: What's stopping you? There are so many reasons to exercise, and the truth is, you don't need to sweat your life away in a crowded gym -- take up an activity that you enjoy, like swimming, walking, rowing, etc. The only catch is you have get your heart rate up. Still not convinced? Read this article called 20 Proven Health Benefits of Exercise. To name a few? Exercise prevents things as minor as a cold and things as major as heart attacks. Also? It can improve your sex life. Read the full article for more inspiration.
If you're already active, what got you moving?
Interval training - more fat loss and less insulin requirements
Filed under: Type 1, Type 2, Adult Onset, Diet, Research, Exercise
A study found that two interval sessions of cardio exercise caused enhanced fat metabolism compared with a single session of cardio exercise.
This study compared the fat metabolism after exercise of equal intensity (60% of maximum heart rate) but differing in session length. The trials compared 7 men performing either: 1) a 60 minute session of exercise once 2) a 30 minute session of exercise twice, separated by a 20 minute session of rest and 3) rest. The first 30 minutes of both exercise groups showed a significant increase in growth hormone, epinephrine and norepinephrine. However, in the interval session (30 minute sessions separated by 20 minutes of rest) the free fatty acids (FFA) levels rose significantly in the 20 minute rest period. During the subsequent 30-min exercise interval, FFA was significantly greater in the second interval training sessions than in the single 60 minute session.
More importantly for us diabetics - the second 30 minute interval session showed significantly lower values of insulin and glucose than the single 60 minute exercise session. What's the moral of this heart-pounding story? Interval training seems to be the fittest choice if you are looking for maximum fat-burning and effective insulin-lowering exercise.
Exercise of the Week: the Bench Press
Filed under: Exercise, Exercise of the Week
If there's any one exercise that everyone seems to use as a show of pure strength and power, it is certainly the 
bench press. "How much ya' bench?" is a popular question thrown around weight rooms, and the answers are almost always inflated so as to match the ego of the responder. But, throwing around as much weight as possible may not exactly be the best way to see and feel results from this exercise. That's why I am highlighting the proper form, execution and target muscles of this gym workout staple.
The bench press targets the development of the pectoral muscles (aka the chest muscles), but also calls upon help from your triceps (located on the back of your arms) and deltoids (aka shoulders). To properly do this exercise, you first have to lie flat on your back on a bench (or sturdy alternative -- remember my makeshift bench idea with milk crates and a long, thick plank of wood?). You will then place an equidistant grip on the bar with your hands, lifting it off the support rack. Once you have the bar securely above your sternum and with your arms fully extended, you can now begin. Slowly lower the bar until it touches the chest or stops only an inch from the chest (this is up to you), but be sure to not let the weight "bounce" off of you. Once you've reached the bottom of the movement, hold for one second and then press the weight back up to the starting position. Tip: when you raise the bar, be sure to exhale the air you took in while you were lowering it. Also, when you press the weight upward, try to avoid completely locking your elbows to full extension. This will ensure that there is constant pressure and also help avoid elbow injury). Continue this motion for the desired number of repetitions and sets.
There are several variations to the bench press, including the incline bench press, the decline bench press, the dumbell bench press, etc. Also, you can try mixing up the amount of reps you do from one set to the other, or even the amount of weight you place on the bar. Bear in mind that if your goal is size and strength, fewer reps/longer rest in between sets/fewer sets/heavier weight is the combination you want to go with. If muscle tone and a bit of cardiovascular effect are your desired results, I would stick with a combination of more reps/shorter rest in between sets/more sets/lighter weight.
For a good video demonstration of the bench press, click HERE.
Note: The content presented in this post is for informational purposes only. Please consult your doctor or fitness professional before starting a physical fitness program.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments