How to Increase Exercise in Daily Life
March 6, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Exercise is important in daily life, as it serves to maintain a healthy body. Therefore, you stand a better chance of fighting off diseases that are brought on by stress and lack of exercise.
Step 1
Start slow. Begin by engaging in less stressful exercises like, walking for 30 minutes a day and walking up and down the stairs.
Step 2
Add flexibility exercises. Begin and end your walking sessions with some stretches to increase flexibility.
Step 3
Add strength training. Strength training can also be incorporated into your daily routine by holding 3lb dumbbells as you walk.
Step 4
Add calisthenics. Sit-ups and push-ups are also advisable, starting with five then moving the target higher with time. The sit-ups help in reducing fat stored around the stomach, while push-ups burn fat on the upper back and the upper arms.
Courtesy of www.ehow.com
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What is really in you Hot Dog?
February 27, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Beef and Port - Both are high in protein - and in unhealthy saturated fat and cholesterol; the meat could come from pig and cow skeletal muscle and by-products.
Mechanically Separated Turkey - A pastelike substance produced when tissue is removed from bones through a high-pressure sieve. This product is versatile and cheap - and not just for turkey dogs.
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Pickens County Bike-A-Thon
February 21, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Are you a biker? Would you like to be? And if you are/were, would it make you feel good to know that you’re ‘biking’ helps others?
Well, A few people in Pickens County, GA are about to put on a Bike-A-Thon for a GREAT cause!!! It is for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life of Pickens County!!!
The Bike-A-Thon will be right before the Walk-A-Thon, Which is in 63 days at the Lee Newton Memorial Park, Jasper, Pickens County, Georgia on, Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25 and is for the Relay For Life of Pickens County, GA
We need volunteers!!! Let me know if you are interested in doing this Challenge! The Ride!!! ~ It might be a mile or Ten Miles or a 65 mile ride like my niece, Courtney, is doing in San Francisco for the bike marathon called the “Cinderella Classic” in SF. If they can do it, we here in Pickens County can do it!
Whatever the miles, it is going to be well worth it - the Bike-A-Thon will be tough but we can do it. Let me know that you are willing to be a biker…send me an email at Beth@getfitjasper.com and tell me you’re in!!! Whose with me!!! Let me know!
A bike-a-thon ~ riding a bike, something we all did as kids, its fun, its good exercise and by doing it now, its for a great cause…come on-let’s do it together!!!
I appreciate each and every one of you who are willing to do this Bike-A-Thon, it will be fun, it will be challenging but in the end, it will be worth it!
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Top 10 Healthy Facts of Fitness
February 20, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of www.healthy-lifestyle.most-effective-solution.com
Are you sitting on the couch dipping a cookie into your coffee and feeling guilty?
Is your quality of life being spoiled because you are tired and sluggish?
Well, read on and find out what you can do to improve the situation
And maybe it will inspire you to get off the couch?
Here are the top 10 healthy facts of fitness you should know.
Enhances Brain Power
The more exercise we take part in the more energetic we become and the serotonin levels in the brain increase dramatically. Serotonin makes us more alert and if we are fully alert we are then far more productive. Certain studies have been carried out and the results are able to tell us that anyone who takes part in regular exercise will be that little extra productive in the workplace. Most companies recognize that a fit workforce makes for health care costs being lowered, less time off work sick and the optimization of working hours.
Stress Reducer
Exercise lifts your mood which in turn combats depression and low moods. As you exercise you become aware that there is ‘less time to reflect’ therefore the distraction of exercise relaxes you. This impacts on everyone who comes into contact with you in your everyday life. Your family and working relationships are improved.
Energy Booster
It is pretty common for people to say they are too tired to exercise, but exercise has the opposite effect, rather than tire you it actually energizes you. Just try slipping a dance or workout tape into the video for thirty minutes and exercise along with it, the results are conclusive. The workout will have released those valuable endorphins and your energy levels will be renewed. This has the knock on effect of making the everyday jobs take on a different light.
Fitting Fitness Into A Busy Schedule Is Not That Hard
You need to plan wisely to fit exercise into your everyday life. As time goes on it will come naturally, all too soon playing ball with the kids or a family bike ride will become an every day occurrence. Rather than meet a client in the office why not meet them at the local golf club. You don’t have to tie yourself to unnecessary gym visits or try to make time for long workouts. Ten minutes to spare? Then do ten minutes of valuable exercise. Two or three ten minute sessions of brisk walking or skipping followed by another walk later on in the evening is fine! A daily thirty minute session of exercise will help to fight disease and keep you fit, if you can spare more time then all well and good.
Brings Friends And Family Together
Social support is often the key to a successful fitness plan, if you have friends or family who are there to keep you company then the chances are that you will keep on going with the exercise. It can be good to take a walk with a friend or your spouse, or maybe play a tennis match with your brother. If you have lost a substantial amount of weight and want to keep it that way then enroll the help of family and friends rather than go it alone.
Exercise Keeps Illness At Bay
Exercising plays a vital part in warding off disease. It has often been documented that exercise can help alleviate some of the signs of aging. High cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks are all diseases linked with obesity and being in an unfit state. Introduce a fitness plan into your life and it can help ward off these conditions. Regular exercise can strengthen the joints and muscles and give the immune system a considerable boost. The power of exercise cannot and must not be understated.
Good For The Heart
The heart obviously counts as our most important muscle and it invites exercise to strengthen it. Exercise and fitness plan an important part, it makes the heart and the cardio-vascular system efficient. As the heart gains efficiency it is able to pump to its full potential. A strong heart pumps much more blood with each beat, so the heart doesn’t have to beat as fast to keep pace. After a couple of exercise sessions you will notice that your body is already starting to welcome the new routine and is responding positively.
Exercise For Extra Food
Of course each time you take exercise you will inevitably burn some calories and if you have the odd treat then no harm will come of it. Muscle burns far more calories when resting than body fat, so the more muscle composition you have then the resting metabolic rate is also higher. In short it is possible to give yourself the odd treat when you are continuing to keep exercising.
Improve Performance
After embarking on an exercise plan it is quite possible that a few weeks of practicing fitness will have enhanced your overall muscle tone. You personally may notice slight body changes as the muscles get stronger. Constant exercise will almost certainly make you more flexible, improve performance and give you more strength. Given time your balance and reaction will significantly improve also.
Are you sitting on the couch dipping a cookie into your coffee and feeling guilty?
Is your quality of life being spoiled because you are tired and sluggish?
Well, read on and find out what you can do to improve the situation
And maybe it will inspire you to get off the couch?
Here are the top 10 healthy facts of fitness you should know.
Enhances Brain Power
The more exercise we take part in the more energetic we become and the serotonin levels in the brain increase dramatically. Serotonin makes us more alert and if we are fully alert we are then far more productive. Certain studies have been carried out and the results are able to tell us that anyone who takes part in regular exercise will be that little extra productive in the workplace. Most companies recognize that a fit workforce makes for health care costs being lowered, less time off work sick and the optimization of working hours.
Stress Reducer
Exercise lifts your mood which in turn combats depression and low moods. As you exercise you become aware that there is ‘less time to reflect’ therefore the distraction of exercise relaxes you. This impacts on everyone who comes into contact with you in your everyday life. Your family and working relationships are improved.
Energy Booster
It is pretty common for people to say they are too tired to exercise, but exercise has the opposite effect, rather than tire you it actually energizes you. Just try slipping a dance or workout tape into the video for thirty minutes and exercise along with it, the results are conclusive. The workout will have released those valuable endorphins and your energy levels will be renewed. This has the knock on effect of making the everyday jobs take on a different light.
Fitting Fitness Into A Busy Schedule Is Not That Hard
You need to plan wisely to fit exercise into your everyday life. As time goes on it will come naturally, all too soon playing ball with the kids or a family bike ride will become an every day occurrence. Rather than meet a client in the office why not meet them at the local golf club. You don’t have to tie yourself to unnecessary gym visits or try to make time for long workouts. Ten minutes to spare? Then do ten minutes of valuable exercise. Two or three ten minute sessions of brisk walking or skipping followed by another walk later on in the evening is fine! A daily thirty minute session of exercise will help to fight disease and keep you fit, if you can spare more time then all well and good.
Brings Friends And Family Together
Social support is often the key to a successful fitness plan, if you have friends or family who are there to keep you company then the chances are that you will keep on going with the exercise. It can be good to take a walk with a friend or your spouse, or maybe play a tennis match with your brother. If you have lost a substantial amount of weight and want to keep it that way then enroll the help of family and friends rather than go it alone.
Exercise Keeps Illness At Bay
Exercising plays a vital part in warding off disease. It has often been documented that exercise can help alleviate some of the signs of aging. High cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, strokes and heart attacks are all diseases linked with obesity and being in an unfit state. Introduce a fitness plan into your life and it can help ward off these conditions. Regular exercise can strengthen the joints and muscles and give the immune system a considerable boost. The power of exercise cannot and must not be understated.
Good For The Heart
The heart obviously counts as our most important muscle and it invites exercise to strengthen it. Exercise and fitness plan an important part, it makes the heart and the cardio-vascular system efficient. As the heart gains efficiency it is able to pump to its full potential. A strong heart pumps much more blood with each beat, so the heart doesn’t have to beat as fast to keep pace. After a couple of exercise sessions you will notice that your body is already starting to welcome the new routine and is responding positively.
Exercise For Extra Food
Of course each time you take exercise you will inevitably burn some calories and if you have the odd treat then no harm will come of it. Muscle burns far more calories when resting than body fat, so the more muscle composition you have then the resting metabolic rate is also higher. In short it is possible to give yourself the odd treat when you are continuing to keep exercising.
Improve Performance
After embarking on an exercise plan it is quite possible that a few weeks of practicing fitness will have enhanced your overall muscle tone. You personally may notice slight body changes as the muscles get stronger. Constant exercise will almost certainly make you more flexible, improve performance and give you more strength. Given time your balance and reaction will significantly improve also.
Don’t Make Weight Loss Your Main Goal
Often weight loss is the primary aim of any fitness or exercise program. But what happens when after a few weeks we see very little result, the scales are registering almost the same weight? Yes, you have guessed, we feel disillusioned and just abandon the whole idea. This is why a fitness plan has to be approached in a different way altogether, look upon it as a way of staying healthy, a way of keeping fit and active. Stop and take time to notice that you are feeling less stressed and are more energized. Leave the weighing scales where they belong. Treat exercise as a part of your daily routine and not just something that has to be endured, you never know you may be pleasantly surprised
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The Exercise Habit
February 20, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
How much exercise do I need?
How do I get started?
Sneak exercise into your day
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Go for a walk during your coffee break or lunch.
- Walk all or part of the way to work.
- Do housework at a fast pace.
- Rake leaves or do other yard work.
Start out slowly. If you’ve been inactive for years, you can’t run a marathon after only 2 weeks of training! Begin with a 10-minute period of light exercise or a brisk walk every day and gradually increase how hard you exercise and for how long.
How do I stick with it?
- Choose something you like to do. Make sure it suits you physically, too. For instance, swimming is easier on arthritic joints.
- Get a partner. Exercising with a friend or relative can make it more fun.
- Vary your routine. You may be less likely to get bored or injured if you change your exercise routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Consider activities like dancing and racquet sports, and even chores like vacuuming or mowing the lawn.
- Choose a comfortable time of day. Don’t work out too soon after eating or when it’s too hot or cold outside. Wait until later in the day if you’re too stiff in the morning.
- Don’t get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the changes from exercise, such as weight loss.
- Forget “no pain, no gain.” While a little soreness is normal after you first start exercising, pain isn’t. Take a break if you hurt or if you are injured.
- Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle, for example. Find fun things to do, like taking a walk through the zoo. Go dancing. Learn how to play a sport you enjoy, such as tennis.
Making exercise a habit
- Stick to a regular time every day.
- Sign a contract committing yourself to exercise.
- Put “exercise appointments” on your calendar.
- Keep a daily log or diary of your exercise activities.
- Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began exercising? Or is your heart rate slower now?
- Ask your doctor to write a prescription for your exercise program, such as what type of exercise to do, how often to exercise and for how long.
- Think about joining a health club. The cost gives some people an incentive to exercise regularly.
How can I prevent injuries?
Pay attention to your body. Stop exercising if you feel very out of breath, dizzy, faint, nauseous or have pain.
Benefits of regular exercise
- Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity
- Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible, which makes it easier to move around
- Reduces some of the effects of aging
- Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression
- Helps relieve stress and anxiety
- Increases your energy and endurance
- Helps you sleep better
- Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories)
What is a target heart rate?
The chart to the right shows the target heart rates for people of different ages. When you’re just beginning an exercise program, shoot for the lower target heart rate (60%). As your fitness improves, you can exercise harder to get your heart rate closer to the top number (85%).
What is aerobic exercise?
Examples include walking, jogging, running, aerobic dance, bicycling, rowing, swimming and cross-country skiing.
What is weight-bearing exercise?
Examples of weight-bearing exercises include walking, jogging, hiking, climbing stairs, dancing and weight training.
What about weight training?
What is the best exercise?
Walking is an aerobic and weight-bearing exercise, so it is good for your heart and helps prevent osteoporosis.
More Information
Source
Written by familydoctor.org editorial staff.
American Academy of Family Physicians
Reviewed/Updated: 12/09
Created: 01/96
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Top Excuses for Skipping a Fitness Workout
February 20, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Written by Jeff Behar and Lynn Glenn
Some people like working out, but let’s face it even the most energetic people sometime feel like skipping a workout. The following are some of the most common excuses for missing a fitness workout. Are any familiar to you?
Most Common Excuses for Missing a Fitness Workou
t
- Read more
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Get Active
January 25, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
February is American Heart Month
Courtesy of American Heart Association
Finding time in our overscheduled lives for exercise is a challenge for all busy Americans. Especially for those who are parents or are working full-time or both. But the benefits far outweigh the sacrifices it takes to carve out that time. And anyone who has successfully managed to do so will tell you how happy they are to have found the time. They’ll tell you how much more energy they have, and how they are actually able to do more than before they started getting regular exercise. So no more excuses! Take an active role in determining your future. You deserve to give yourself the gift of living well with good health.
Why is Getting Active So Important?
The facts are clear: By exercising for as little as 30 minutes each day you can reduce your risk of heart disease. Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength and ability to function well. Physical activity = living a longer, healthier life.
Regular Physical Activity Helps: Lower blood pressure, increase HDL “good” cholesterol in your blood, control blood sugar by improving how your body uses insulin, reduce feelings of stress, control body weight and make you feel good about yourself.
American Heart Association Guidelines
We suggest at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise. Or a combination of moderate and vigorous. Physical activity is anything that makes you move your body and burns calories, such as climbing stairs or playing sports. Aerobic exercises benefit your heart, such as walking, jogging, swimming or biking. Strength and stretching exercises are best for overall stamina and flexibility.
The simplest, positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health is to start walking. It’s enjoyable, free, easy, social and great exercise. Check out the Start Walking program to get going with expert advice.
Get Active Success Story:
Mike Wilson, Associate Superintendent of Schools. Previously worked with the American Heart Association and company leader for the Start! Walking Program; City-wide chairman for the 2007 American Heart Walk.
I applied for the Start! Challenge program because of a deep commitment to work with the American Heart Association again and to change my life. I was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy at age forty-four. I had a twin brother die of sudden death congestive heart failure at age forty-three. I recently lost my youngest sister the same way.After my sister died, I reviewed my lifestyle and have determined it needs to change. I have used several excuses to sit around, do no exercising, and have gained weight. I also know that without this change, I am a prime candidate to die of this disease at a young age. I want to enjoy my later years and be around to watch my grandsons grow up and be able to spend quality time with them.
In addition, I want to serve as an example to those people like me. I want to be an example that people with those inflictions can work, exercise, eat properly and can improve their physical well-being. No more excuses! We can do it!
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February is American Heart Month
January 25, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of American Heart Association
Hypertension is the single most significant risk factor for heart disease. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can injure or kill you. It’s sometimes called “the silent killer” because it has no symptoms. One in three adults has high blood pressure, yet, about 21% don’t even know they have it. Of those with high blood pressure, 69% are receiving treatment, yet, only 45% have their blood pressure controlled.
What is High Blood Pressure?
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a widely misunderstood medical condition.
The blood running through your arteries flows with too much force and puts pressure on your arteries, stretching them past their healthy limit and causing microscopic tears. Our body then kicks into injury-healing mode to repair these tears with scar tissue. But unfortunately, the scar tissue traps plaque and white blood cells which can form into blockages, blood clots, and hardened, weakened arteries. Read more
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Tips for a Healthier 2010
January 6, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Courtesy of AmericanCancerSociety.com
Making resolutions is easy; keeping them is hard. Even if you set clear, realistic goals on January 1, many of us find that by mid-year our best intentions have been derailed by work, school, or a busy social schedule. Before you know it, another year has gone by and you find yourself vowing to do better next year.
This year, if your goals involve eating better and exercising more, make your resolutions stick by enlisting the help of these tips and tools. Read more
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Sunshine Corn Salad
January 3, 2010 by Beth · Leave a Comment
Now that it’s the beginning of the New Year and we have enjoyed so much of the good foods from Thanksgiving to New Years, its time to get back to our healthy eating habits. Here is a great salad that we all can enjoy. What a treat but you can have this salad all year long! Black olives would be great too!
Like the colors of summer, this salad combines corn, bell peppers and yellow squash for gorgeous visual appeal. What a delightful way to enjoy these garden vegetables. (We fixed this corn salad for Christmas dinner and used red and green bell pepper, was just as good and a little darker in color).
Serves 4 1.5 Cups per serving
1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley and 1 teaspoon snipped fresh parsley, divided use
1/8 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
3/4 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
1 tablespoon water
1/2 medium orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1/2 medium yellow summer squash (about 2 1/2 ounces), diced
1 tablespoon pine nuts, dry roasted
In a medium serving bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, 1 teaspoon parsley, mustard, salt ad pepper.
In a small microwaveable bowl, combine the corn and water. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 2 minutes. Drain in a strainer. Run the kernels under cold running water for 30 seconds to coll. Pat dry with paper towels. Transfer to the serving bowl.
Add the bell peppers, squash and pine nuts. Toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the remaining 1 teaspoon parsley.
Nutrition Tip: As soon as corn is harvested, its surgars begin to convert to starch. The sooner it’s eaten or processed after it’s picked, the better. That is why frozen corn can be just as sweet as - or sweeter than - corn that sits for days in the produce department.
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