April 23, 2008
Filed under: Diet, Muscle, Nutrition, Physical, Trainer — arlene @ 7:13 am
The stairway to health
We are now ready to go to breakfast.
It is possible, at this time that we have to go downstairs.
Here we come to one of the most important parts of our daily exercise plan.
We must now begin to put into practice the things which I have mentioned earlier, the things Prof. Fellinger had told me.
We are probably going down now. Here we can use our balance and breathing techniques as well as exercising our legs. (more…)
April 4, 2008
Filed under: Diet, Muscle, Physical — arlene @ 12:43 am
If you haven’t thought about exercise since you were at school, you may not see the point in it. Surely having a good attitude to food and diet is enough? Well, no it isn’t. Exercise is essential: if you don’t use your body, and particularly if you don’t use your muscles, they will atrophy. You need to keep yourself supple and moving if you want to enjoy longer and older age.
It’s an extraordinary thing, but it doesn’t really matter what age you are or where you are on the scale or what particular starting point you have, you will always be able to benefit from exercise. For example, a study in the US on very much older people showed that the regeneration of muscle can be quite phenomenal. People who were virtually bedridden could actually get up and enjoy a reasonable walk of a couple of miles all within a space of a few months. (more…)
March 17, 2008
Filed under: Aerobic, Diet, Essays, Muscle, Physical, Programs, Women, equipment — arlene @ 5:02 pm
People who attempt to lose weight purely through exercise often find that there is an increase in their lean body (muscle) mass and a decrease in their fat mass, but very little change in their total weight. However, in combination with a balanced reducing diet, an increase in physical activity seems to encourage the loss of weight which is due mainly to fat losses.
Some researchers have suggested that exercise maintains or increases the muscle compartment (muscle tissue is far more active than fat tissue and contributes largely towards basic energy expenditure) and in this way at least partially prevents the diet-induced decrease in energy requirements. The latter could be responsible for the reaching of a ‘plateau’ in weight loss.
There are several other advantages in combining increased exercise with a balanced reducing diet. For example, it has been shown that exercise:
Filed under: Diet, Essays, Muscle, Nutrition, Physical, Trainer, Women — arlene @ 2:38 am
For a world-class track athlete, a few seconds may be the difference between a good performance and a ‘great’ performance, or the difference between being a qualifier and a gold medallist. In a recent survey of Olympic hopefuls, many indicated that they would be willing to sacrifice both health and long life by taking potentially harmful substances which have been shown to enhance performance. Some may regard this simply as an illustration of the extreme competitiveness of world-class sport, but what it highlights is the extent to which athletes and sportsmen and -women in general are influenced by claims that foods, liquids or other substances are able to improve their performance. Virtually every food or part thereof has at some time been promoted as having magical performance-enhancing properties this raises the question: Does what we eat or drink really affect our physical performance in sport in particular and exercise in general? (more…)
February 18, 2008
Filed under: Aerobic, Diet, Physical — arlene @ 1:41 am
There are standards that can be used to determine how much body fat an individual should possess.
Every person should possess at least a minimal amount of body fat for good health. This fat is called essential fat and is necessary for temperature regulation, shock absorption, and regulation of essential body nutrients, including vitamins A, D, E, and K. Non-essential fat accumulates when you take in more calories than you expend. When non-essential fat accumulates in excessive amounts, overfatness or even obesity can occur. For good health, an individual should not allow body fat levels to drop too low or to become too high. There is a desirable range of fatness for good health, different from the range suggested for those who have optimal performance in athletic events as a goal. Even for athletes, especially low levels of body fatness are not desirable. Research has shown that attempts to attain and maintain too low a body fat level are associated with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Also, there is evidence that excessive fat loss may result in amenorrhea in women. (more…)
February 9, 2008
Filed under: Baby, Diet, Family, Muscle, Programs, Trainer — arlene @ 2:27 am
Heredity plays a role in overfatness.
Some people have suggested that every individual is born with a set body weight. Advocates of this set point theory feel that it will be difficult for people to deviate from their “set point weight,” which is predetermined by heredity. Though many experts question the validity of set point theory for humans, they agree that there is such a thing as a familial predisposition to obesity. For years, researchers have suggested that your body type,or somatotype, is inherited. Clearly, some people will have more difficulty than others controlling fatness because of their body types and because they come from families with a history of obesity. Scientists caution people from families with a history of obesity not to conclude that nothing can be done to prevent obesity. In fact, one important recent study indicates that among those with a predisposition to obesity, weight reduction programs can be effective. Research also shows that regular exercise is especially effective in the control of genetically determined overfatness. (more…)
Filed under: Diet, Physical, Programs, Women — arlene @ 2:25 am
An overview of the role of diet and exercise in fat control is presented in this section. A more extensive discussion of practical methods for controlling body fatness is presented in Concept 21.
A combination of regular exercise and dietary restriction is the most effective means of losing body fat.
Recent studies indicate that exercise combined with dietary restriction may be the most effective method of losing fat. One study of adult women indicated that diet alone resulted in loss of weight, but much of this loss was lean body tissue. Those studied who were dieting as well as exercising experienced similar weight losses, but this loss included more body fat. On the basis of this research, all weight loss programs should combine a lower caloric intake with a good physical exercise program. (more…)
February 8, 2008
Filed under: Diet, Drugs, Man, Muscle, Programs, Trainer, Women — arlene @ 4:08 am
There are many fallacies, myths, and superstitions associated with strength training.
Some common misconceptions about strength training have been refuted.
It is not true that you will become muscle-bound and lose flexibility just because you do strength training. This could happen only if you train improperly. It has been found, however, that power lifters are less flexible than other weight lifters.
It is not true that women will become masculine looking if they develop strength. Contrary to popular belief, most women will not be able to develop as large and bulky muscles as men nor will their muscles be as well defined. On a heavy resistance training program, women and men make about the same percentage change in strength and hypertrophy. The greater percentage of fat in most women prevents the muscle definition possible in men and camouflages the increase in bulk. (Until CAT scans were used in research studies, it was not evident that women achieved hypertrophy at the same rate as men.) (more…)
February 5, 2008
Filed under: Aerobic, Diet, Muscle, Physical, Programs — arlene @ 10:52 pm
Some advocates of Hatha Yoga claim that regular practice of the asanas (positions) will bring about improved flexibility, grace, serenity, relaxation, sleep, vitality, endurance, circulation; strength and firmness of muscles; strength of vital organs and glands; taut, smooth skin; ideal body weight; recovery, alertness, and clarity of mind; will cure arthritis, the common cold, diabetes, gallstones, menstrual disorders, piles; and will maintain good vision and hearing.
There is no scientific evidence to support most of these claims. Hatha Yoga will not help you lose weight, trim inches, remove flab, improve endurance, maintain proper circulation, strengthen glands and organs, or improve complexion. Neither will it cure diseases. (more…)
February 4, 2008
Filed under: Diet, Drugs, Essays, Mental, Nutrition, Physical, Sex — arlene @ 6:32 pm
There are many different positive life-styles that can reduce the risk of disease.
Many of the factors that contribute to optimal health and quality of life are also considered risk factors. Changing these risk factors can dramatically reduce the risk of hypokinetic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, back pain, and cancer, as well as other diseases such as infections and sexually-transmitted diseases. Lack of exercise, poor nutrition, smoking, abuse of alcohol and other drugs, inability to cope with stress, and poor personal hygiene are all risk factors associated with various diseases.
Not all risk factors can be altered by life-style changes. (more…)
January 25, 2008
Filed under: Diet, Drugs, Essays, Programs, equipment — arlene @ 11:18 pm
It is not necessary to join a club, spa, or salon to develop fitness, but if you are considering joining such an establishment, make your choice with care.
The consumer should observe these precautions before becoming a member of a club, spa, or salon.
- Do not expect “miraculous” results as advertised.
- Be prepared to haggle over price and to resist a very hard sell for a long-term contract.
- Choose a no-contract, pay-as-you-go establishment if possible. Otherwise, choose the shortest term contract available. (more…)
December 18, 2007
Filed under: Diet, Physical — arlene @ 11:57 pm
Some aspects of chronobiology are important to physical performance—for example, the normal cyclic variation observed in the physiological mechanisms that contribute to overall athletic performance, the effect of abnormal rhythmicity or desynchronisation on athletic performance, and the alleviating countermeasures.
Human circadian rhythms at rest
1. Body temperature
Body temperature starts to rise before waking, reaches a peak at
about 1800 hours, then falls during sleep with a nadir at around 0400 hours; an amplitude of 0.4-0.5°C is seen in young adults.” The circadian rhythm of body temperature is mainly the result of fluctuations in heat loss mechanisms rather than heat production,” maybe with the intervention of noradrenergic peaks.
2. Heart rate, blood pressure, and ventilation (more…)
December 7, 2007
Filed under: Diet, Drugs, Mental, Physical, Programs — arlene @ 1:36 am
As obligatory urine losses persist even in the dehydrated state, it is clear that any drink consumed after exercise-induced or thermal sweating must be consumed in a volume greater than the volume of sweat that has been lost. To investigate the influence of drink volume on rehydration effectiveness, 12 male volunteers performed intermittent exercise in the heat to induce a level of dehydration equivalent to a mean of 2.06% of their initial body mass. (more…)
November 25, 2007
Filed under: Aerobic, Diet, Drugs, Muscle, Physical, Programs, Trainer — just4hours @ 4:13 am
1. Contraindications
There are some absolute contraindications, such as unstable angina, worsening heart failure, critical valve stenosis (mainly aortic), malignant arrhythmias, very recent infarction, and any acute intercurrent medical condition such as venous thrombosis or febrile illness: Relative contraindications include severe angina, severe heart failure and non-critical valve lesions, and potentially dangerous arrhythmias. All of the latter may be treated but need much closer supervision than patients with fewer complications: Risk stratification of patients at the onset of an exercise programme takes all these factors and more into account. (more…)
November 24, 2007
Filed under: Diet, Drugs, Singles — just4hours @ 1:47 am
Several measures have been suggested to reduce the negative effects of circadian rhythm desynchronisation, although treatment of shift workers, competitive athletes, and simple international travellers is quite different. The measures include preadaptation, meal timing and composition, phototherapy, and chronobiotic drugs.
1. Preadaptation
Theoretically, the negative effects of jet lag can be reduced by changing bedtime for several days before a transcontinental journey, remembering that sleep changes should correspond to the direction of travel (eastward or westward). Adaptation should be disturbed by behaviour that anchors the circadian rhythms to the previous phase for example, taking prolonged naps at the new destination. To lock the circadian rhythms to home time, at least 4 hours sleep taken within the window of normal sleep in the home time zone are needed. However, in practice, preadaptation is superfluous when people are travelling west, arriving late, and only a few hours phase advance can be recommended before travelling east. Moreover, because of the difficulty of manipulating other synchronising factors (light, social constraints), preadjusting the sleep-wake cycles is largely ineffective. (more…)
Filed under: Diet, Man, Nutrition — just4hours @ 1:17 am
We have already demonstrated and discussed the need for drinking more than the sweat volume lost to have a chance of rehydrating effectively. However, in practice it is left to the discretion of an individual how much they consume and what they choose to drink.
In a study to examine the effect of palatability, together with the solute content of beverages, in promoting rehydration after sweat loss, eight men exercised in the heat to lose 2.l% of their mass.’ Over a 2 hour period after exercise, subjects were allowed to drink ad libitum; the drinks they received, each on a separate occasion, were a glucose-electrolyte beverage, aerated water, a commercial sports drink, and an orange juice/lemonade mixture. Subjects drank a greater volume of the sports drink and orange juice/lemonade mixture, the taste of which was perceived as being more pleasant. (more…)
November 16, 2007
Filed under: Baby, Diet, Man, Mental, Muscle, Programs, Sex, Women — just4hours @ 1:39 am
1. Energy levels rise and you feel better
If people only realised it: their top excuse for not exercising is that they are too tired, but lack of exercise is the reason why they are tired in the first place! Exercise increases your energy levels. You may not feel like doing it, but once you have completed your workout for the day, oxygen levels are increased and the feel-good factor kicks in. Once you are in the habit, you will find you actually get a buzz out of exercising!
When the stress of life increases, your job gets on top of you or the kids become too much, then get out for some fresh air and get that body moving. Either join a club that has creche facilities or roster with your partner or friends to take turns. Maybe try going to the gym or for a walk in your lunch hour instead of sitting in the lunchroom. Even doing a lap around the outside of your house can do wonders for a stressed mind. (more…)
