Posted by admin on March 28th, 2010
We are designed to walk on two legs. Just look at the pleasure on a toddler’s face as he takes his first steps – pleasure that only increases as he learns to use his legs to run, jump, skip and so on. Fitness walking programs were unheard of during the times of our predecessors. With just two legs and arms and his wits to keep himself fed and sheltered, prehistoric man was either fit or dead. However, modern ways of living and eating mean that we need to build fitness in as a lifestyle option rather than taking it for granted.
Enter fitness walking and fitness walking programs – walking regularly in a structured manner that leads to greater physical fitness for the walker. Defined as the latest fitness craze and catching on rapidly elsewhere, so many benefits accrue to walking for fitness that it is hard to list them. Strengthened lungs and heart get on with doing the jobs for which they were made, sending oxygenated blood around your body and getting rid of wastes, including carbon dioxide. More oxygen to the cells burns fat and you lose weight.
People who walk often usually live longer too, drastically reducing their risk of death from all types of diseases. Walking is low impact and ideal for those recovering from illness or injury. Take shorter, more frequent walks to build your strength, then add time to your walking workouts or add weight for increased muscle building. A fitness walking speed of three miles per hour takes time and experience, so beginners should start at a slower pace and work up. People slot into walking for fitness programs at their own level, aiming to increase their stamina, the distance they walk and, possibly, their speed, as time goes by. The aim is to be comfortable while fitness walking, but not so comfortable that you can carry out a full conversation at the same time. You should be breathing hard enough that a few sentences have to suffice. Working towards a fast pulse rate at a pace that makes you perspire just a little, is the way to go.
Fitness walking has been shown to lessen the risk of heart disease and stroke, arthritis and osteoporosis. As well, muscles and bones work better after regular, low-impact exercise so you have more energy than before, which in turn leads to greater self-esteem and reduced stress as you cope with life differently. All this for doing something that is free and enjoyable and doesn’t even need a gym membership – walking.
Posted by admin on March 24th, 2010
The use of sports supplements and nutraceuticals have become a commonplace practice amongst many fitness enthusiasts as well as professional athletes. We are constantly striving to improve performance and maximize fat loss through the use of ergogenic aids and other products marketed towards physical improvement with the hope of becoming a modern day Ponce de Leon. Nowadays, the latest trend seems to be in the water. It appears that we have traded in our regular water bottles for better water, but do these enhanced water products really work?
Fitness waters have become a huge market claiming a variety of benefits targeted at enhancing performance including providing adequate hydration and an alternative to plain water. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, adequate fluid replacement helps to maintain hydration therefore optimizing and enhancing performance of those participating in regular exercise. They recommend flavored waters to promote hydration and to increase palatability. For this reason, products such as Propel Fitness Water are a great alternative to plain water to increase fluid consumption and meet the optimum amount of water consumption per day, thereby enhancing performance and decreasing the risk of dehydration.
Fitness waters boast added vitamins and minerals, and often other “functional” ingredients, and have fewer carbohydrates than traditional sports drinks. A combination of high-fructose corn syrup (the beverage industry’s sweetener of choice), crystalline fructose and sugar substitutes keep the carbohydrates and calories low. Other benefits claimed by some of the fitness waters include increased thermogenesis and enhanced fat loss. One particular ingredient that is common in many of the fitness waters is green tea extract which has replaced ephedra as the key compound in the new non-ephedra fat burners and thermogenic aids.
Are fitness waters and vitamin waters better for you than plain water? The added electrolytes, sugar, vitamins, and minerals may help with post-exercise muscle soreness. Other than that, the main reason to choose flavored water is if you are more likely to drink it than plain water. Fitness waters as a water replacement are beneficial for those who do not drink enough water. The companies manufacturing their water replacements are not promising anything but a better tasting alternative to plain water, which is a promise they make good on. Fitness waters and sports drinks as a thermogenic aid may or may not be beneficial. Green tea extracts are a promising avenue for fat burning but do not necessarily need to be obtained through over-priced sports supplements.
Posted by admin on March 22nd, 2010
As more and more people are being diagnosed with clinical obesity which carries a host of other health-related problems with it, the value of physical fitness has become increasingly important. More and more people are getting into some form of exercise, not just to lose weight, but also to maintain their overall well being and to stay physically fit. Those who take their exercise regimens intently can now be seen at fitness centers throughout the nation working out before and after work, during lunch breaks, and on the weekends. Specially formulated bars and shakes have become available to promote increased muscle strength and endurance, facilitate weight loss and enhance fat burn.
As the focus of today’s media is on the alarmingly increased obesity rate, fast food chains continue to sprung, not just in developed countries, but also those outside of the United States. These high-calorie foods replace most people’s home-cooked meals, particularly those who do not have time to prepare their own. This, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, explains why more and more people are being diagnosed with clinical obesity. Added to that is the great amount of confusion in our society in how to approach health and fitness.
To counteract this alarming rate of obesity among a population that knows the value of health and fitness, and the inherent risks of a sedentary lifestyle, diet fads are sought out to quickly counteract the ravages of unwise living. A variety of popular diets have emerged, most of them gained popularity as they have been endorsed or used by famous celebrities. Although fad diets, like low-carbohydrate diet, have helped some to lose weight, this does not particularly offer any long-term benefit and have only affected many people’s insulin levels. While each and every diet proclaims the importance of a combination of a proper diet with a form of healthy exercise, many a newcomer does not know exactly where to start.
For those who are ready to begin their very own fitness regimen, the first visit to a gym might be intimidating. Seeing buff musclemen and unknown pieces of exercise equipment may not exactly help you to understand where to start. In actuality, any form of activity that you enjoy doing, such as dancing or walking, can be a form of exercise. Sometimes there is no need for expensive gym memberships or cumbersome exercise machines. Performing the exercises that you particularly like doing can and more likely to continue can give you the outcome you are looking for.
