May
02

Keeping Fit When Life Hits

Keeping Fit When Life HitsBeing established in a home means more than staying in one place for longer than three weeks. Not only do you have the nearest gyms, best priced supermarkets, and routes to school memorized like the back of your hand, you have also maintained a friendly and borrow-a-cup-of-sugar based relationship with the neighbors around you.

So, when the news comes that you have to head out and start all over again, many routines can be absolutely demolished to make way for moving preparations. This does not, however, mean that you must put exercising and eating healthy on hold until you establish yourself in a new home, but rather that you will just have to make some changes to your routine.

As your schedule gets more unpredictable, finding times to workout can become more of a challenge, but carving out even a little time here and there or combining physical activity with completing necessary tasks can make a huge difference in the moving experience.

Walking From House To House

The biggest part of moving that interrupts exercise routines and increases stress is finding rental properties. Whether you are looking for a home to rent, an apartment, townhome, or condo, the time spent looking and walking around can be unpredictable. However, it is always possible to schedule appointments to see rental properties either through reliable rental property websites or over the phone.

By scheduling rental-hunting appointments far enough apart, you and your spouse or family can have time to see the rental property as well as tour the area. In this way, you can get in a fair amount of walking while starting to familiarize yourself with the area.

If possible, you could also try to schedule appointments to see rental properties that are close to one another so that you can walk part or all of the way there. Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes.

Going On A Farewell Tour

Of course, not all who are moving can spend all day touring an area. Keeping fit in this way may be more difficult for those that are moving long distances, such as across the state or country.

The long distance search for good rental properties is done mostly online for those that are trying to find their next home. Instead of switching between several different sites while searching, try to streamline a search or find a rental website with the most listings to accommodate for family needs, price range, and area. For example, with over 50,000 rental properties, renters will have no problem finding a rental at RentalAds.com.

Taking less time looking for homes online will free up time for keeping fit by walking or running through old routes for the last time, doing one more workout at your favorite gym, or throwing a going-away dance party.

A Little Goes A Long Way

Though snatching bits of exercise here and there may seem unproductive, that movement can actually have quite a few benefits. Keeping fit by moving for 10 minutes here and 20 minutes there can help to break up the monotony of planning for moving, relieve stress that builds up ever so much faster than normal during a move, and energize you to keep going through whatever life may throw at you next.

Apr
27

Unlock Your Personal Fitness & Success

unlock iphone 4You’ve decided to join the hordes of Apple-ites across the globe that enjoy the benefits of a phone, camera, iPod, and fashion accessory all in one. Let’s face it: along with being incredibly functional, iPhones are pretty sexy. Even though the many iPhone perks are undeniable, there is not a lot of room for originality!
As a fitness lover, you are unlike most people on the earth, so why should your phone look like everyone else’s? By unlocking your iPhone, you can change the template of how it is set up so that the screen reflects your unique personality. Using unlocking software, you can unlock iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, or any of the earlier versions.
In addition, you can download amazing fitness apps from any store! We have found some awesome fitness apps that will really help you to get the most out of your workout—anywhere you are.

Backpacker GPS Trails

If you love exploring the backcountry, Backpacker GPS Trails is an amazing app that shows you hundreds of hiking trails, topographical maps, and elevation charts. So get out and explore the great outdoors with this fantastic app!

CrossFit Travel

For all of you CrossFit junkies out there, you can keep up with your intense workouts while on vacation or traveling. You can access workouts of the day that can be completed quickly and in small spaces.

Instant Heart Rate

While you work out, it is important to know how your heart is doing. With the Instant Heart Rate app, you simply place your iPhone close to your heart to find your heart rate. With this information, you can track your range of intensity and monitor your performance much more closely.

MyFitnessPal

If you are trying to lose weight, you know how important each and every calorie is to your dieting success. To keep track of how many calories you eat in afternoon snack or how many calories you burn in your morning workout, you can install the MyFitnessPal calorie counter to stay on top of your diet at all times of the day.

Nike BOOM

Most fitness junkies know that music can keep you going when every muscle in your body is screaming for you to stop. Nike BOOM is an awesome app that syncs your playlist with your training. It also throws in motivational sound bites from athletes that you respect to keep you working hard.

Pocket Yoga

Yoga lovers, here is a real reason to celebrate! Pocket yoga is a yoga class that you can take with you wherever you go. During your lunch break, you can close your office door, break out your mat, and get your chaduranga on.

Conclusion

By unlocking your iPhone, you can have access to thousands of apps that will help you get even more fit than you already are. You can also personalize your iPhone so you can see pictures of your athletic accomplishments or goals. Unlock your iPhone today!

Apr
26

Electrolyte Balance Tips and Tricks

Exercise is an absolutely essential component to weight loss. Along with the best diet pills and eating healthy, exercise is something that you really can’t avoid if you are on the search for long-term health.
The best diet pills can take your hour session at the gym to the next level by increasing your ability to recover from hard workouts and naturally increase your metabolism. For this reason, more and more people are adding diet pills to their workout regimen.

Even though it has so many amazing benefits, exercise can actually become dangerous if you do not provide your body with the correct fuel to keep it working. You already know about the importance of water, but have you ever heard about electrolytes? Interestingly, when you drink a lot of water to stay hydrated while exercising, your electrolyte levels can plunge quickly, leaving you feeling weak and frustrated. Make sure that you understand the importance of proper electrolyte balance before you head out for your next workout.

What are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are electrically-charged minerals in your body that help your body regulate fluid balance in the cells of your body. How well your body is able to transfer fluids in and out of cells (a process called osmosis) affects hydration, blood pH, and also aids in nerve and muscle function.

Because the muscles and nerves of the body are electric tissues (meaning they require small electric charges to work properly), they rely very heavily upon the correct balance of electrolytes in the body. When there are not enough electrolytes, muscles are not able to contract, which causes debilitating muscle cramps and muscular weakness.

When You Sweat

electrolyte balanceYou may have noticed that during exercise, your sweat is incredibly salty. This is because sodium and potassium (which are electrolytes) are pushed out of the body through your pores when you sweat. When you exercise for less than an hour, this usually won’t pose any serious problems. If you are out for a longer period of time, however, salty sweat can really throw a wrench into your workout.
Losing too much salt will throw your electrolyte-water balance way out of whack and drinking more water will actually make it worse. Think of it like this: if you are making a recipe that requires 1 cup of water and 1 teaspoon of salt and you decide to double it, you need to make sure to double both the water and the salt. If you don’t, your recipe will not turn out right. Just like with recipes, when your body requires additional water to fuel a workout, it also will require additional salt. For shorter workouts, you can count on your diet to provide enough salt. With longer workouts, however, you will need to supplement your salt.

Keep It in Check

To make sure that you get enough salt while you work out, drink from a sports drink every once-in-awhile. You may have noticed that sports drinks taste a little saltier than you would expect. This is because sports nutrition companies realize that salt needs to be taken in during workouts in order to keep electrolytes in balance and bodies properly working.

Along with sports drinks, you can also take electrolyte or salt supplements that are meant to replenish your electrolyte levels to keep you exercising for longer. As you lose weight, you will find that you can exercise for longer periods of time much more comfortably. Keep pushing the limits of what you can do, but make sure to stay hydrated and keep your electrolyte levels in check along the way!

Apr
19

Healthy Living Habits

A whopping 90% of Americans believe that the diet they eat is healthy, says a U.S. Consumer Report that surveyed 1,234 Americans. But since obesity rates are steadily climbing, there must be some disconnect between what people perceive as healthy, and what kind of lifestyle habits will result in healthy bodies.

Since it is painfully clear that many people haven’t been able to pick up healthy habits naturally, here is a list of habits that you can easily implement into your life to make healthy, permanent changes.

Take a Supplement

One way that you can jump start your quest for health is to start taking a weight loss supplement. Weight loss supplements are a great way to stay healthy in a number of ways. Weight loss supplements can help suppress your appetite so you don’t overeat, they can help you lose weight, and increase your energy levels so that you can enjoy your healthy lifestyle more fully.

Supplements that have gained extreme popularity over the past few years are supplements that contain African mango extract. You are probably asking yourself, “Can I lose weight with African mango extract?” The answer is yes. The University of Yaoundé in Cameroon, Africa conducted studies that have proven African mango extract to be effective in suppressing appetite, burning fat, and increasing energy levels.

Get Up and Move

Some say that exercise is the fountain of youth. There have been numerous studies that have proven that exercise can help elevate your mood, improve your mental acuity, get rid of disease risk factors, and just help you stay healthy.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults should get “at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.” This can be broken up into a few or a bunch of training sessions. Adults should also resistance train and work on flexibility two to three days per week.

Keep a Positive Attitude

It is really easy for most people to look at a situation and see the negative side of things. It takes a little more effort for people to see the good side of things though. There has been some research that proves that happy, positive people live longer, are healthier, have less stress, and enjoy life more.

The University of California actually found that actors can actually influence their immune systems just by changing the emotions that they portray. So if you aren’t really feeling happy, change your thoughts in order to change your attitude. Being sad and negative can literally affect your health.

Make the Change

Staying healthy is a choice that people make. It’s not dictated by genetics or other people’s actions – you are in complete control. Make the changes you need to stay healthy now. Don’t wait until you have a “wake up call” to change. Your health, and possibly your life, depends on your habits.

Apr
19

Workout Recovery – How to Speed up Recovery after a Hard Workout

It’s the day after your intense training session and you can’t move. Your trainer worked you so hard yesterday and today you are paying for it with extreme soreness. Everything hurts. What you do after your workout can be almost as important as what you do during your workout.

A lot of people just end their workout and then just deal with the soreness that they know is coming. There are things that you can do to help diminish muscle soreness that will also help prepare you for your next training session. If you are not already doing things to prevent soreness, you may want to consider adding these things to your routine.

Massage

If you can afford it, a massage is a great way to recuperate after a hard workout. Not only are you allowed to relax, but the massage is beneficial. Getting a massage actually helps remove toxins from your body that may contribute to your soreness.

Can’t afford to go to a professional massage? You can easily do one yourself with a foam roll . Using your own body weight and a foam roll, you can easily reap most of the benefits you would with a professional massage.

Use a Protein Powder

Your muscles need protein in order to rebuild themselves after they have been broken down during an intense workout. Taking a protein supplement will help your muscles get the substance that they need in order to recover. Most protein powders will help speed up recovery time and get you pumped for your next workout.

Myotein is one protein powder that comes highly recommended. Myotein contains the protein that your body needs in order to recover and rebuild tired and sore muscles.

Ice

Either using ice packs or taking a cold shower or bath can really help you decrease the amount of soreness experienced after an intense workout. Icing will help decrease the amount of inflammation caused by the repeated workloads placed on your muscles. With less inflammation, you will be less sore.

If you are icing, be sure that you are not icing for more than 15-20 minutes MAX at a time. You do not want to drop your core temperature too low or burn your skin. Be sure to watch the clock and maybe ask someone to help you out of the ice cold bath or shower because you may find it difficult to move properly.

Drink Water

It can’t be stressed enough how important drinking enough water can be. Besides the health benefits and the fact that you need water to survive, drinking plenty of water can also help with your recovery after a workout.

Water supports every metabolic function in your body and nutrient transfer. By replenishing the water you lost during your workout (plus some), you will allow your body to function properly and flush out all of the toxins that were built up during your routine.

Don’t Forget

Taking care of your body after an intense workout will make the difference between being able to tie your own shoes and having to wear slip-ons because you are too sore to bend over and tie them yourself. Don’t forget to take care of your body properly. By taking care of your body properly you can speed up recovery times and be even more ready for your next workout. Your trainer probably won’t know what to do with you.

May
26

Nature and Us

“We give ourselves altogether too much credit in our dealings with other species.” –Michael Pollan

Nature does miraculous things. Have you ever considered that certain fruits only come about at certain times of the year–and that those times happen to be the time they’re needed (by humans) most?

There are other things too, like, the shape of fruit or nuts often correlates to the part of the body they’re beneficial for. Walnuts look like brains, avocados are shaped like the womb, kidney beans…etc. You get the idea.

Nature does fascinating things. I think most people lose sight of the huge biological picture. That fruits and vegetables, along with other creatures, have developed over the millions of years just like we have, along with us. We are not separate from it, and I think most people forget that.

On that note, I wanted to introduce you to the book The Botany of Desire, by Michael Pollan. Most people have heard of Pollan from his other works, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and In Defense of Food. But Botany takes a surprisingly erotic approach to food, and teaches us how intermittently dependent we are on species we assume we control, when in reality they control us.

The basic premise of the book is asking us to look at our own integral desires, and relates them to how we have adapted to cultivating plants over time. For instance–the goal of any and every species is to reproduce–to keep on living. This is true of all biological functions, and is no different in plants, fungus, and us–animals.

So nature has made itself allies to us, by becoming what we need. It uses us to reproduce, just as we use it to live.

In certain Native American cultures, the concept of communion to nature has been a way of life. It is said in some legends that nature stopped speaking to humankind when we broke our vows to nature, but that all things spoke before that time.

It’s a chilling concept, and certainly not ridiculous–what humans seem to be best at is breaking promises, and destroying everything sacred.

May
04

Superfood

Borecole, commonly referred to as kale, is a thick leafy vegetable closely resembling cabbage, and is from the Brassica family. Kale is an extremely nutritious food enriched with powerful antioxidant qualities. Kale is considered to be an anti-inflammatory, however not strong enough to be used to cure headaches. Some of the things that make kale a super food include beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin. These nutrients are all essential pieces of a healthy diet but are not found in a typical diet today (other than vitamin C.) Kale, particularly when processed or minced, contains sulforaphane. This chemical has been studied and shown in many variations have have very effective anti-cancer properties. Sulforaphane is one of the main chemicals directly linked to the reconstruction of DNA and is rumored to block the spreading and reproduction of cancer cells.

Kale, like other green vegetables, loses much of it’s nutritious qualities when boiled. It freezes well, however, and is commonly agreed to have a better flavor after being exposed to a frost. The thick, substantial composition of this vegetable makes it very resilient and was said to have grown deep into the winter. This made it an essential part of the diets of many people in the 14th and 15th century.

Used primarily as a garnish now, kale is most commonly seen surrounding salad bars and accenting some entrees. Sadly kale is almost exclusively known for its aesthetic value, and it’s highly nutritious qualities are most commonly ignored and wasted. Kale would not be a good addition to a salad because of the fact that its composition is much more dense than a typical lettuce. Those who are aware of its benefits usually work it into their diets in diet, protein, or health shakes. Kale can be one of the easiest ways to improve your health.

Apr
14

Vegetarian Diets

Most people believe that if they switch to a vegetarian diet, they will lose weight. A vegetarian diet is not a weight-loss program but more of a lifestyle. Many people follow this kind of diet for cultural, religious, or ethical reasons. Some choose to eliminate or reduce meat, poultry, seafood, and other animal products to become healthier.

There are different types of vegetarian diets. It can range from veganism where  any animal products are strictly prohibited to eating some kinds of animal products, such as eggs and dairy. Research shows that people who are vegetarians generally are slimmer than non-vegetarians. This may be because they consume less saturated fats and focus more on fruit and vegetables.

Although a vegetarian diet does not mean you will consume less calories. You can gain weight on this kind of diet if your portion sizes are too big or you eat too many sugary drinks, snacks, or desserts. Even foods advertised as vegetarian can be high in calories and fat. Foods such as soy cheeses, refried beans, and snack bars make it possible to be overweight while following a vegetarian diet.

Here are some tips to eating a healthy vegetarian diet:

  • Eat a variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains
  • Choose low-fat protein foods, such as low-fat dairy and beans
  • Limit foods and drinks that are high in sugar
  • Ssteaming, boiling, grilling, or roasting instead of frying foods
  • Get regular exercise

When you are trying to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle, it is going to be the same whether you are vegetarian or not. Eat a healthy diet and balance calories eaten with calories burned.

Mar
28

Exercise Intensity

When you work out, how do you know if you overdoing it or under doing it? Exercising at the correct intensity can help you get the most out of your physical activity. When you are doing aerobic activity, such as walking or biking, exercise intensity correlates with how hard the activity feels to you. It also reflects on how hard your heart is working.

There are basically two ways to measure intensity. First is how you feel. How hard is that physical activity feel to you while you are doing it? It’s varies from person to person. What seems like a hard run for you can feel like an easy workout to someone who’s more fit. Second is your heart rate. This give you a more objective look at how exercise intensity is measured. In general, the higher your heart rate is during a physical activity, the higher the intensity.

Here is something to take into consideration to help you judge your exercise intensity.

Light Exercise Intensity

  • You have no noticeable changes in your breathing pattern.
  • You don’t break a sweat.
  • You can easily carry on a full conversation or even sing.

Moderate Exercise Intensity

  • Your breathing quickens, but you are not out of breath.
  • You develop a light sweat after about 10 minutes of activity.
  • You can carry on a conversation, but you can’t sing.

Vigorous Exercise Intensity

  • Your breathing is deep and rapid.
  • You develop a sweat after a few minutes of activity.
  • You can’t say more than a few words without pausing for breath.

Be careful not to frequently push yourself to hard. If you are short of breath or in pain, your exercise intensity is probably too high than your body can handle. Don’t try to overdo at first. Build up you intensity gradually.

Mar
15

Good Carbs vs Bad Carbs

Have you always wondered what’s the difference between white bread and whole grain bread? Or, the difference between French fries and side salad with spinach, tomatoes, and carrots? All these foods are carbohydrates, but how do you know which ones are the good ones?

Carbohydrates have had a reputation of being bad and being the cause of weight gain while they have been promoted as a healthful nutrient. So how do you tell the difference? Fortunately it’s not as hard as it seems.

Your “good” carbs are going to be full of fiber. These are carbs that are absorbed slowly into your body and do not spike your blood sugar levels. Some examples are: whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans. You can’t judge a carb as ”good” without considering its fiber content.

Now the bad carbs are refined and processed carbs that strip away any beneficial fiber. Examples being: white bread and white rice. Avoid excess sugars such as high fructose corn syrup. Many adults don’t realize how much sugar they actually consume in a day.

In many fad diets that are going around, they are cutting out all carbohydrates all together. But in reality you need these to meet the body’s daily nutritional needs while minimizing risk for chronic disease. You also need your fiber, which you can only get through plant foods. You can increase your risk for heart disease with low-fiber diets.

So before you cut out all carbs from your diet, remember that there are good ones out there that you actually need to help you stay healthy.

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