Cause Your Health Counts

Losing weight? So, should you get out your running shoes, or cut down on calories? Which one is guaranteed to wave away the pounds and produce that slim, look-at-me figure we all want?

Ten years ago there was no contest – diets (and very restrictive diets they were, too) were all that were available but now, in the light of modern research, that’s all changing.

People who are naturally slim are nearly always people who are active, either with physical jobs or those ‘always on the go’. People who are not naturally slim – well, they tend to be people who prefer less active roles and spend more time sitting or choosing less active options.
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A large percentage of the people who weight-lift say that the thing they feel they need the most work on are their abs. Everybody wishes they had abs like [insert preferred celebrity here] but fears that no matter how hard they try, they never will. And partially, this is true, because everyone has different body and muscle types and yours simply may not match up to the desired look. However, by avoiding a few common mistakes, you can bring yourself to a point where you will be happy with the abs you have:

* Don’t work your abs every day – When you work out you are tearing muscle. That muscle needs time off to heal. So try to give your abs at least one day off between workouts. If your routine is 5 days a week, do them on the 1, 3, and 5.
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How many times has a coach, trainer, or instructor said “feel the burn”, particularly when you’re doing a high rep exercise like calf presses? Why do they say that and what does it mean?

Technically speaking, when you feel a burning sensation in your muscles, that means those muscles are not getting enough oxygen. Some of that is inevitable, but it’s a good reminder to check and make sure you’re breathing rhythmically, inhaling on the release and exhaling on the press.

If your aren’t, you’d do well to adjust so that your entire body is aligned in the effort. You should be completely focused on the task at hand and regulating your breathing with the movements of your body is one of the best ways to do it. That’s why breathing is so important in meditation.
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The question is certainly up for debate, and there are many theories, but I go with the majority and say: “Well…it really depends.” A lot of it is simply based on preference. How much cardio do you need versus how much do you want?

The bare minimum for a productive cardio workout, one in which your cardiovascular system is progressively challenged, is twenty minutes of consistently keeping your heart rate up two to three times a week.

That’s all it takes to reduce your risk for heart disease and to burn calories. And the nice thing about this particular measuring stick is that as you advance, so does the effort it takes to keep your heart rate up.
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When we put seven popular exercises under the spotlight we found the following in terms of their ability to burn the calories in a thirty minute period of time:

Circuits
In case you didn’t know circuits are a mix of skipping, press-ups, ab crunches, etc taken one after another over a fixed time period. Usually takes place in a gym and popular with men and women alike.
Calorie Burn Potential: around 300+ calories depending on intensity

Swimming
Probably the most popular form of very low/no impact exercise. Great for all the family but actually a fairly modest calorie burner for most average swimmers. (more…)

Swimming provides cardio, stretching, and coordination training all at once, making it the most effective compliment to weightlifting. A major stumbling block is the surprising number of people who cannot swim. Not only that, but they have no interest in learning.

It’s as if people consider there to be an appropriate time for one to learn (i.e. childhood), and if you have missed that window, you shouldn’t bother. While it’s certainly true that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn, there is certainly nothing preventing an adult from learning this incredible fitness tool.
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Remember as a kid you got told off for being antsy? Well, vindication is finally here!

People who persistently fidget and can’t seem to keep still are slimmer than those who spend more time sitting around.

Think about it and you’ll see it’s right. We all know the slim people who are on the go all the time while those who are less slim tend to sit about more.

So, is this inborn or can you change? It’s hard to change your nature but you can be more active by making an effort to get up and get going and not sitting still for long.
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What do you look like when you’re out jogging or at the gym?

No, it’s a serious question because the way you look helps determine the effectiveness of your exercise routine and how well you’ll stick to it.

Dressed in dirty, tired, worn out clothes you’re not at your best and you won’t feel others expect much of you either. You’ll look and feel tired and worn out and and the result will be a lackluster, well-below-your-best workout that you’ll be glad to finish.
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Use between five and ten minutes for warm up. First, do some walking, jogging or general movement to get started.

Now stretch your arms, torso and other muscles, gently at first, before you stretch the muscles you will use in your exercise.

When you stretch, remember to stand still and hold each stretch for ten or more seconds.

Now increase the pace and begin to feel your heart beating and your body warming. Stretch again and you should be ready.
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Health and Fitness for men and women is SO IMPORTANT to each of us. Over the past several generations our physical activity is threatened, men and women have become more dependent on our cars. How many of you only have one car in a family? I bet very few. How many of you do regular exercises during the week? Maybe a few more. It is estimated that only 15 – 20% get regularly exercise.

Eighty percent (80%) of us are not getting a reasonable amount of regular exercise. Fitness is not a priority. We are paying for this with the obesity epidemic, now into our grade schools as well as a significant rise in diabetes.

Some of the benefits of regular exercise are lowering your blood pressure, lower the risk of colon cancer, increase bone strength to prevent osteoporosis among other benefits.
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