Fitness

Myths and misinformation abound in the health and fitness world. Here are some to be aware of.

1. Lifting weights will make one bulky. This myth is very common especially with women. But it simply is not true. To become bulky, as you see with men/women body builders, one would need to workout 2-3 hours per day, with very high intensity. In addition, many body builders consume a large amount of calories, along with many supplements. For the average person that lifts weights this 'bulky' claim is simply false, especially if combined with a good cardiovascular program.
2. Don't eat before exercising. Obviously you shouldn't have a 7-course meal before jogging as it will weigh you down and it will feel very uncomfortable. But from a health perspective there is no harm. In addition, having a small snack (e.g. a fruit) about half hour before a workout is probably going to benefit you by supplying the muscles with energy.
3. No pain no gain. This motto used to be so popular among exercise enthusiasts. And while it may be true for hard core athletes it is not true for the average person and it certainly depends on the type of pain. For example, if the pain is in a joint you can be sure you are causing damage. If the pain is in the muscle belly and is caused from doing too many repetitions (e.g. arm curls), and it goes away within in seconds after the exercise then it's just lactic acid build-up and it is harmless. Something else to keep in mind, when starting out an exercise program you may experience some muscle soreness within 24-48 after your first or second workout. This soreness should go away within 3-4 days, and it should not happen again unless you do something which uses new muscle groups.
4. Protein supplements are vital for bulking up. The truth is very few people suffer from lack of protein intake. While there is some confusion as to how much protein one needs in their diet, there are very few instances of someone being diagnosed with protein dificiency. Most people consume plenty of protein by eating a variety of foods, via 3 regular meals. Warning: protein supplements contain calories!! If you start consuming extra protein, regardless of the form, and you don't burn those extra calories, they will be converted to fat!
5. Exercise will convert fat into muscle. Sure, and I can change copper into gold. The fact is fat can not be converted to anything else except fat. However, during exercise calories from fat can be used up, and muscle mass can increase, which, from the outside, makes it seem as if fat was converted into muscle.
6. If I stop exercising my muscle will turn into fat. Again, this is false. However, if you continue to eat as you did when you were active those calories are now 'extra' and will become fat storage. In addition, over time, the muscles will break down and be used for energy (or stored as fat if not used), which will make it seem as if muscle turned into fat.
7. Spot reducing. This myth is still quite prevalent. You can not lose fat from any one specific body part! For example, you can do millions of abdominal crunches and see no difference at all. Now, you may lose a bit of fat all over because you exercised, but the fat content around your belly will remain relatively the same. Unless you are going to opt for liposuction, fat loss location can not be controlled any more than the location of fat gain.
8. Exercise burns tons of calories. Well, it burns a few extra calories, but very few compared to what most people think. Example, going jogging for 30 minutes will burn about 300 calories (a bit more or less pending on the intensity). If you sit on the couch for 30 minutes you will still burn about 50-100 calories. That's only a difference of about 200 calories. What do you have to consume to replace this? One single small can of pop will do the trick, or one chocolate bar, or a big glass of milk, a small sandwich, get the idea? The point here is, while exercise has many benefits, don't expect it to cure all weight gain issues on its own. A healthy diet is also crucial. I raise this myth because I've seen many people sweating it all out thinking they're burning thousands of extra calories, only to pig out afterwards. Then they wonder why they aren't losing fat.
9. Exercise, especially endurance activities, can cause a heart attacks. This is something that usually gets publicity in the summer during marathon and triathlon season. As thousands of athletes take to these events, when one has a heart attack it makes the front page the next day. What doesn't make the front page though is how many people have heart attacks sitting on the couch eating chips and drinking beer. Now, while there is a slightly increased risk during ultra events, these risks are usually caused by an underlying heart condition that went undetected. So, if you do decide to do these type of events always start out with a thorough physical check up (tell your doctor what you want to do), start slowly, and listen to your body.
10. Running is bad for the knees. I'm raising this one cause I've heard it many times. But the truth is, most people with bad knees have them because they weigh too much which causes a lot of stress on the joints, or they've had an actual injury to the area. If you wear proper shoes, listen to your body for any warning signs, treat injuries immediately if/when they occur, knees can last a lifetime. In fact, bones, muscles, and joints become stronger with weight bearing exercise. And always remember, no one ever died from sore knees, but plenty have died from heart disease.

Since the time we learned that exercise has health benefits, the fitness industry has been plagued by myths. Some of them had good intentions behind them, while others are down right dangerous.

Aerobic exercise is any activity that requires extra oxygen and leads to improved cardiovascular function. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, swimming, and cycling. Such exercise forms the foundation for any well rounded fitness program.

Altitude training refers to a situation where athletes are competing at higher altitude than what they are accustomed to. Even an elevation as little as 7500 feet can lead to a 5% deterioration in performance. The reason for this is because there is a decrease in the amount of oxygen (lower barometric pressure) that can be taken into the body and transported to the muscles. More specifically, a decrease in the maximum oxygen consumption.

Almost any kind of exercise will increase muscle mass. But, some types are more effective than others. Weight lifting is the most effective way of achieving this. On this page I will discuss a few ways to make weight lifting more effective for weight gain.

Putting on muscle is not a simple process. The physiological adaptation requires you to stress your muscles to the point where the small fibers tear. Because of this damage to the fibers the body will adopt by rebuilding them stronger. In this process the fibers will become slightly bigger. As you repeat this process the muscles become stronger and bigger. Be aware that genetics plays a big role into how big you can make a muscle. Be aware that the human body does not have the ability to create more muscle cells. During bodybuilding the number of muscle cells remain the same, but each cell increases in size to give the 'bigger' effect.

For many years now it was been well understood that it's either one or the other. Meaning, if you place your emphasis on cardio work muscular development (or strength) will actually regress. And, if you place your emphasis on muscular strength development, your cardio improvements will regress.

Cardiovascular Endurance is the ability of the heart, blood vessels, and lungs to supply oxygen to working muscles.

To improve your cardio fitness you need to move, and move a lot. The more you move, and the faster you move, the greater the improvement will be on your cardiovascular system. Moving can include jogging, walking, swimming, cycling, rowing, climbing stairs, cardio machines such as ellipticals, hiking, etc. The only limit is your imagination.

How well your body is able to bring oxygen into the blood through the lungs and its ability to use that oxygen as efficiently as possible within the muscles is referred to cardiovascular fitness. Regular exercise is the key to improving this system.

Any serious body builder would swear by protein supplements. They don't go anywhere without their protein shakes or their protein bars. But one needs to ask, is this necessary?

There are many types of activities to improve your fitness. The ones listed here are by no means a complete list. These are just the ones I'm interested in.

Remember, anything that gets you breathing harder and gets your heart pumping is exercise.

There are several energy systems in the human body that produce energy for working muscles. If you are an athlete, or are training athletes, knowing about these systems, how they work, and how to develop them is vital for success. By energy systems we are referring to how the body produces energy for physical activity.

In this article I will give some ideas as to how you can workout specific muscle groups with little or no equipment. To feel the same 'burn' as when using heavy weights you will need to do more repetitions.

Keep in mind that muscles only shorten. So, any time a muscle is shortening you are exercising it. The best way to know if you are working a specific muscle is if it hurts/burns, or gets tired, you got it. The more it hurts/burns, the more you are working it. Aim for full range of motion.

What is fitness? What is health? We hear these terms thrown around a lot, but what does it really mean? To some it might mean being strong, flexible, being able to run for hours, having a super low resting heart rate. To some being fit means being able to do the things they like doing without too much difficulty. I think everyone has to decide what being fit means to them, then work towards obtaining it or maintaining it.

Flexibility is defined as the range of motion (ROM) for specific limb/joint. Most of us don't consider flexibility anything special, but, poor flexibility can lead to stiffness, sore joints, poor alignment, and in some cases chronic injuries.

Some humor for those of you who like to work out

So you wanna buy a home machine? First, ask yourself why. Maybe you saw it on TV, maybe you think you'll use it, whatever the reason think hard cause most machines end up under the bed (if they fold) or end up as clothes hangers

Have you ever thought of joining a gym? Maybe you already did. Did you go? If you're like most people you probably got excited after New Year's, ran to the nearest gym on January 2nd, paid lots of money, and went religously for the first 3 or 4 weeks. Then, you didn't see any miraculous changes, your life got busy, so you stopped going. Well, gyms absolutely love these kind of members. They pay for the year, then don't show up.

Measuring your cardiovascular fitness is best done using your heart rate. There are two important factors to consider, the resting heart rate, and how quickly it returns to that resting heart rate after physical activity.

Muscular endurance, sometimes called muscular respiration, is the ability for a muscle to repeat a specific movement repeatedly. This is dependent on the body's ability to supply the muscle with oxygen, so it is obviously dependent on cardiovascular fitness. However it also depends on the muscle's ability to utilize the oxygen efficiently.

Power is similar to strength, however speed is now also a consideration. Power comes in handy in sports where a quick force is required for a limited time, but usually more than just one repetition. for example, sprinters require a lot of power. They need the strength to move them, but they must also move quickly.

The list of benefits that come with regular physical activity is huge, and seems to grow on a daily basis. Just some examples, exercise has been shown to;

• lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.
• lower blood pressure.
• improve lung and heart capacity.
• lower body fat levels.
• increase muscle mass.
• improve cellular metabolic activity.
• reduce the rist of various cancer.
• reduce the rist of diabetes, heart disease, stroke.
• improve emotional and psychological mood.

Get the idea? Now, if it's so good for us then why do so few of us exercise? Below are some ideas to help you evaluate 'your' reason and to hopefully overcome whatever it is that is inhibiting you from being active.

1. Do something you enjoy! If you hate jogging, don't jog. If you like swimming, go swimming. Many times I've been asked, "what is the best type of exercise to do." My answer is always, "the one that you are most likely going to do."
2. Variety! No one can do the exact same thing day in day out, no matter how much they enjoy something, without eventually getting bored. So, switch things up a little bit. If you play squash, every couple of weeks do something else, go for a few bike rides. Or, do things according to their season. E.g. if you go to a gym during the winter, in the summer go for walks.
3. Find friends to exercise with, assuming these friends don't have less motivation than you:) Make it into a social activity. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking while exercising. And after wards, go out for a coffee. In addition, schedule things in advance and promise each other not to cancel.
4. Time. Ok, this is probably the biggest excuse, but it's not a good one. All you need is 30 minutes a day to go for a walk. Turn off that TV and go. Or, walk to work. Or, walk during lunch. Take your children with you. Take your spouse with you. If you must, break the walk into 2 - 15 minute walks. Make it part of your daily routine, just like eating, or talking on the phone, or playing video games.
5. No gym near you, or you don't want to pay for a membership? You don't need to. Walking outside is just as good as walking on a treadmill. You don't need to be looking at a screen telling you how many calories you've burned. Those calories will be used up regardless of what a stupid monitor says. Wanna do some weight lifting? Get on the floor and do some push-ups. Do some squats and abdominal crunches while watching TV, you don't need a bench press or a squat machine. Get yourself a few dumbbells, they are much cheaper than a membership.
6. Results. Most of us want to see results almost immediately. But this just won't happen. In fact, visual results might be very minimal. But you need to also consider the results that you don't see, that do happen. Better circulation, stronger heart and lungs, increased energy, lower cholesterol, stronger bones and muscles, etc.
7. Injuries. Ok, if you have an injury you should use common sense. But you can still exercise to some extend. For example, if you have a knee injury go swimming. If you have a shoulder injury go walking.
8. Lack of motivation. This is a big one. But many people, once they start can keep going. Here's one trick I've used on myself and it helps. I tell myself I'm just going to put on my running shoes and go for a 10 minute walk (instead of a jog). Once I'm out in the fresh air jogging comes much easier. Another example, just tell yourself you'll go for a 5 minute walk. Chances are, once you start that 5 minutes will become 20.
9. Don't over do it. If you don't want to exercise every day then don't. Sticking to 3 times a week is much better than quitting all together because you got really bored exercising everyday.
10. Weather. If you live in a country where weather is a factor look for indoor facilities. Maybe a near-by shopping center. Or if you live in a building walk in the hallways and the stairs.

Where there is a will there is a way.

Muscle soreness can be caused by several factors. We will consider three of these factors in this article.

Injury: Soreness can occur because of an injury. When a muscle tears it is called a sprain. It occurs when a excessive force is placed on a muscle, more than it can hold, and the tissue tears. There may be pain immediately, or the pain may not be evident until a few hours later. The reason the pain may be delayed can be because during the exercise endorphines may mask the pain, or it takes a while for the swelling to happen which places pressure on nerves. The only cure for this kind of injury is plenty of rest, and cold over the injury. Continued use, or heat, or massage, will only make the injury worse.

The use of sport enhancing substances has been around for a very long time. Many athletes may feel pressured into using them simply because sports have become so competitive, often involving large amount of money, so they feel they need every possible edge over other athletes.

Strength is defined as how much force a muscle can exert against a given resistance. For example, how much weight one can bench press in a single attempt. Everything we do requires some level of strength. However, everyday general activity will not do much to increase strength, since our muscles have become accustomed to these levels of resistance.

Want to get lose weight? Start walking. Walking is something we can do from when we're a few months old until our hips give out from old age. It is the most fundamental mode of transportation. Walking can be done all year around if you dress properly, it requires very little equipment (good walking shoes and proper clothing), and there is always a place to walk.