The Cardio Blog retired
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Cardio Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cancer and Diabetes blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL
How to prepare for a cardio stress test
Filed under: Aging Heart Health
Cardio stress tests are a fairly common way for doctors to test for possible heart problems, but if your doctor says you need one what should you do beforehand to prepare? Obviously your doctor will let you know the specifics for your particular situation, but here's what works for most people:- The night before get a good night's sleep.
- Eat lightly about 2-3 hours before the test (you don't want to feel hungry, but you don't want a full stomach either).
- Avoid caffeinated beverages like soda, coffee, or tea. Drink water or juice instead, and make sure you're well hydrated.
- Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes and good shoes for walking or running.
- Use the restroom immediately before starting the test.
5 Great Ways to Burn More Fat Today!
"Can't find what you are looking for? Try Google Search" Calorie Feature Article 5 Great Ways to Burn More Fat Today!Author: HSF Vitamins "If you're trying to lose weight, give these 5 techniques a try. You'll melt off the pounds and feel great to boot."1. Do not eat poor quality carbohydrates before bed. Poor quality carbohydrates are those that contain sugar or are highly processed. These would include most breakfast cereals, breads, snack foods, candies, and even fruits and juices. Eating these foods immediately prior to bedtime will likely result in increased fat deposit and will prevent your body from maintaining a successful fat-burning mode.2. Increase your muscle mass! The more lean muscle you have, the more calories your body will burn even at rest. Muscle is extremely active metabolically. Do some resistance training, add some muscle, and crank up that metabolism.3. Never let yourself get too hungry, or too stuffed. It really is all about moderation. Time your meals so that you eat before you are starving . . . doing this one simple thing will cause you to almost always eat less. When you do eat, stop when your satisfied not when you are so stuffed you cannot even get down another bite.4. Double up on your cardio training. From time to time it may be beneficial to the fat-burning process for you to split your cardio training into two short sessions rather than one longer one. Studies suggest that people who do 30 minutes of morning cardio and then 30 minutes of evening cardio lose more fat than those doing just one 60 minute session.5. Eat more high fiber foods. Most of us do not get enough fiber in our daily diets, and that?s just a shame. Fiber not only promotes overall general health, but also can significantly aid in your fat-burning efforts. Leafy greens and salads are ideal sources of fiber. Check out the strongest FAT BURNERS available at www.hsfvitamins.com About the Author At www.hsfvitamins.com you will save money on the vitamins and fitness products you need to be your best everyday! Learn what to use and when to use it. We have great prices on vitamins, minerals, muscle products, weight loss - everything you need! ... Calorie Diet Negative Recipe SoupCalorie Carb Counter FatCalorie Burning Calculator
The Diabetes Blog retired
For regular readers of this blog, I have disappointing news. The Diabetes Blog is now retired. That means that, while it will still be available for reading and searching, new posts will not be added. Our Cardio and Cancer blogs are also being retired, which I mention here because some readers bookmarked more than one of the Life Sciences group.
The choice to stop publishing these three blogs is a business decision, and has nothing whatsoever to do with their quality. I am, and everyone here is, deeply grateful to the bloggers whose dedication to these sites gave so much information and inspiration to thousands of people. These three blogs are among the longest-running properties in our network, and it is sad to let them go.
Thank you to our many readers for visiting us, and sharing in the community here.
Brad Hill
Programming Director, Weblogs / AOL
Taking care of women's hearts
Filed under: Heart Centers Online, Research, Women Heart Health
As you may know, The Cardio Blog is being retired today. It's been an honor to write for this blog, and I hope that the information we brought to you was useful and informative. Since this will be my last post for The Cardio Blog, I thought I'd write about a topic that is near and dear to my heart (pun, lamely, intended): women's heart health. We've seen it in the headlines again and again -- women, and often their doctors, don't always prioritize their health, and this seems to be especially an issue when it comes to heart health. But the fact is that heart disease is public enemy number one for women, and we all need to better understand and deal with our risk factors.
So I'll leave you with this post from Her Daily News. In it, they talk about Heart Truth, the National Institute of Health's campaign to bring heart education to women. They also include a checklist of questions to take to your doctor, as well as a list to help you understand your own risk. Do yourself -- and your heart -- a favor today and read through the questions to determine if you need to do more to protect your health.
Thanks for reading The Cardio Blog, and don't forget to come visit us at That's Fit for all of the latest news in health and fitness!
Keep your heart health a priority!
Filed under: Blogs
So The Cardio Blog is going into retirement, and since is this is my last post I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you all for reading! It's been a blast writing and reading and learning about the importance of taking care of ourselves and our heart health specifically, and of course I encourage you all to continue doing so. There are countless great resources online (even though we were voted #1!) and I thought I'd share a few that I personally like and plan to stay in touch with:A Hearty Life
The Heart Scan Blog
Mark's Daily Apple
That's Fit
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.
"Why You Should Use A Treadmill... Or Run Outside"
"Can't find what you are looking for? Try Google Search" Calorie Feature Article "Why You Should Use A Treadmill... Or Run Outside"Author: Paul Johnson There's a distinct difference between running outside andon treadmill, and they both have their positives andnegatives. The top notch benefit of using a treadmill isthat you will never have to contend with the elements ofbeing outside, which depending on where you are in worldcan get bitterly cold or sizzling hot. There's a cushioned surface on the treadmill that willlessen the impact of running, which can reduce the numberof shin splints that occur from outside running. There aremotivational factors that make a treadmill a very appealingform of exercising where you have the power to manuallyadjust your terrain with different speeds, all controlledby you and your fingertips. Depending on where you are, it may be extremely difficultto find such terrain differences to ensure that you have adiverse running path, something that a treadmill can offerat all times.The downside to the treadmill if there is one is that itconfines you the size of the treadmill, which in turn willlimit the amount of capable movement you can perform. Running, jogging, or walking outside can maximize theamount your muscles are impacted through the movement inyour body caused by the terrain and this has been known tocause more calories to be burned as a result. So theability to limit your body's natural running movement isthe only drawback to using a treadmill. If you do use a treadmill, it is highly advised not to useit more than 30-45 minutes per session as your body will bemaxed out at that point. If you do not feel that your body is getting enough out ofit, then you are encouraged to begin some type of intervaltraining on the machine, which will vary your length andterrain as you see fit. It is also recommended that youshould use some form of weight training with cardioexercises to reap total benefit.If you are looking to burn some calories a treadmill, orany cardio machine for that matter, will give you themaximize desired benefits. It is not about how long youuse this machine but the variance of your workout that willdetermine the effectiveness of what you are doing that willshow you how great the treadmill is.===========================================================Find out why treadmills can burn fat more efficiently thanalmost any other exercise. See reviews and usefulinformation. Click==> http://www.treadmills-easy.com/ About the Author Paul Johnson works tech support for New York basedInternet Publishing company, DigiLectual Inc. He's lost alot of weight with a fitness regime that includesTreadmills. He shares his knowledge and research ontreadmills in a series of articles.... Low Calorie Food RecipeFood Calorie CountCalorie Counter Guide
Keeping your mind as fit as your heart
Filed under: Exercise
Imagine being in the world famous Gold's Gym in Venice Beach, California, where the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger once trained. Now, imagine entering an entirely different fitness center, one that Einstein himself may have frequented if he were alive today. Keeping our bodies fit is important, but there is a new gym that is very serious when they talk about TOTAL body fitness. It's called SharpBrains, and it's doors (virtual as they may be) are open for business.
SharpBrains has launched the first online brain fitness center, making it the ideal place for people to keep their minds as fit as they are keeping the rest of their bodies. Complete with an array of science-based mental exercises, brain trainers, interactive blog posts, and problem solving puzzles, SharpBrains is the mental equivalent of that very same Gold's Gym in Venice Beach.
Specific mental exercises are designed and tailored to meet each member's needs. You can even target-train; improve memory, better concentration, work on stress management, build decision making skills -- just as you could specialize a cardio or resistance training workout.
And, just like a regular gym, you must become a member of SharpBrains online gym. As is the case when working the rest of your body, best results can be achieved at ShaprBrains.com by spending at least 30 minutes per day, three times per week at the "gym."
Check it out for yourself here: www.sharpbrains.com
Walk this way
Filed under: Prevention, Exercise, Women Heart Health, Men Heart Health, Children Heart Health
Walking -- it's the first thing we learn to do after crawling. Factor in the amount of it we've done over the course of our lives since then, and it's clear that we're more than warranted in considering ourselves experts. Professional, even. We are the walking gurus, and we have the extensive track record to prove it. With this being the case, why is it when it comes to walking as an exercise, so few people do it? Probably because we do it all the time anyway, therefore it does little to stimulate our interest.
We are an easily bored species, one that needs almost constant change in some way, shape or form. This is likely the reason why so many people prefer elaborate workouts to something as simple as placing one foot in front of the other for an extended period of time. To help remedy the situation, you may want to try some of the following Boredom Busters:
Tune-Up. One of the best ways to liven-up a workout is to listen to music. Whether it's the Rocky IV soundtrack to get you all fired up, some body-moving hip-hop, or even Classical favorites, music will help keep your feet moving.
Intervals. Walking is a low-intensity cardio workout, but it doesn't always have to be. To burn extra calories, and to mix things up a bit over the course of your stroll, try picking up the pace for a minute or so every now and again. By doing so, you can burn an extra 100 calories or so over the course of a 30-minute workout.
VERY Short Term Goals. Of course it's important to have long-term goals (i.e. feel healthier, lower cholesterol, lose weight, etc.), a great way to keep you motivated through your daily walk is to have an almost immediate goal in sight. By this I mean having a goal, or even a reward, waiting for you at the end of your walk. It could be a landmark (such as a view from the top of a hill, or your arrival to a friend's house), but could also be something such as a tasty, low-fat meal that is waiting for you.
Make it a Family Affair. With quality time becoming harder and harder for the modern family to find, a great solution is to use that daily walk to serve that purpose. Because you're only walking, you'll have plenty of wind left to have discussions about school, work, and any other topic that would before be part of typical dinner table discussion. Plus, with childhood obesity rates on the rise, bringing the kids along may benefit them, as well.
Get Creative. This could mean anything from taking a different route each day, to holding a set of very light dumbells in your hands while you walk. Not only will changes of this kind prevent you from becoming bored, they will also ensure that your fitness results do not plateau over time.