HEALTH & FITNESS

Health Highlights: Feb. 17, 2010

2010-02-19T15:50:00.000+05:00

Health Highlights: Feb. 17, 2010: "Title: Health Highlights: Feb. 17, 2010
Category: Health News
Created: 2/17/2010 12:10:00 PM
Last Editorial Review: 2/18/2010"

Want to feel younger? Get moving

2010-02-13T15:53:00.000+05:00

Want to feel younger? Get moving: "Fitness, strength and flexibility do not inevitably fade away with age, and are more often a matter of lifestyle choices, according to a new report.

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COLD WEATHER RUNNING

2010-01-31T19:34:00.000+05:00

Cold Weather Running - 5 Tips to Excuse-Proof Your Workout
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Jefferson]Jamie Jefferson

Even if you're an experienced runner, you may find running in cold weather a challenge. Here are some tips for dealing with exposure to the elements.

1. Stay in if it's below zero. The first thing you need to pay attention to when planning your winter runs is the temperature and wind chill. Even mild cold temperatures can be made worse with wind chill. Take note of the relative temperature on the news before you go running, or look it up online. If the temperature is below zero or the wind chill is below minus 20, try an indoor workout for that day.

2. Choose the right fabrics. When you're running, make sure you have something next to your skin that will let moisture through. Stretch running tights are a good choice. If you are running in temperatures between 20 and 40 degrees, you can typically get away with wearing tights all by themselves. But if the temperature dips below 20 degrees, you'll need a second layer of coverage. Try nylon or Gore-Tex pants. Cotton is a poor choice for running. It will hold moisture in against your body and will make you colder. If you need extra bulk for warmth, try something made of polar fleece.

3. Don't overdress. Dressing in layers is a great way to stay warm, but don't overdress. Your body will begin to warm up once you start running, so avoid the tendency to wear too many clothes. It should be a little colder than you expect when you first start running, but your body temperature will begin to rise as you run. Dress as if it's 20 degrees warmer than it actually is.

4. Protect your hands and feet. It's estimated that you can lose up to 30% of your body heat through your hands and feet. You can use running gloves but on really cold days, you'll benefit the most from mittens. Mittens will allow your fingers to share body heat. Wicking sock liners under wool socks or polar fleece socks will also help keep your feet warm. Just be sure that you don't bulk up so much that your running shoes don't fit the way they should.

5. Hydrate. During your run, it's important to stay hydrated. Even though most people think about water in warmer temperatures, it's just as important to take water on your runs in the wintertime. Cold air can be very drying to your body. Make sure to maintain your hydration routine, no matter what the temperature is.

When you're done with your run, be sure to change out of your running clothes right away. They'll be wet from sweat and possibly rain or snow. Do some gentle stretches and then treat yourself to a warm shower.

Jamie Jefferson writes for Momscape.com and Susies-Coupons.com, where you can find money-saving [http://www.momscape.com/coupon-codes/shoebuy.htm]Shoebuy coupons as well as [http://www.susies-coupons.com/shoesc.htm]Shoes.com coupons.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Cold-Weather-Running---5-Tips-to-Excuse-Proof-Your-Workout&id=3666074] Cold Weather Running - 5 Tips to Excuse-Proof Your Workout

New Year's Resolutions: Weight Loss Is More Than Just Physical

2010-01-09T20:36:00.000+05:00

New Year's Resolutions: Weight Loss Is More Than Just Physical: "

Filed under: Jonny's Take, Diet & Weight Loss

Have you ever heard of Judith Horvath?

Well, neither had I. But I can tell you that I was pretty blown away by what she had to say about the psychological dimensions of losing weight.

Horvath, director of the psychotherapy training program at Texas Tech's Health Sciences Center, believes -- as I do -- that losing weight and keeping it off is as much about psychological struggles as it is physical changes. 'Food can be used as emotional nourishment, and to calm anxieties,' Horvath told Behavioral Health Central. This is one reason why the holiday season is such a bad time to embark on a weight loss program. 'The holidays stir up unfulfilled longings in people. People are reminded of things they are missing out on.'

So New Year's resolutions for many people will involve weight loss and gym memberships. So far, so good. But if you don't want that treadmill you bought in January to become a coat rack by February, it's a good idea to address some of the bigger psychological and spiritual issues underlying weight loss -- the stuff I called the 'third leg' of the three-legged stool.

Everyone and his personal trainer talks about the first two legs of that three legged stool, diet and exercise. But the one that really stabilizes the whole structure is the one we tend to ignore -- the emotional component. 'Some people don't think they can allow themselves to look their best because they feel like they don't deserve to be a more attractive person,' said Horvath.

If you're embarking on a diet or fitness makeover in 2010, make sure you are addressing the emotional reasons why you eat, or the emotional barriers that make prone slip off a balanced diet program. If you can truly identify the emotional drivers behind your eating, such as depression or anxiety, you will be much more likely to reach your health goals this year and beyond.

For more information, visit Jonny and learn about his Diet Boot Camp program at Jonny Bowden.

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Tips For Safely Improving Your Aerobic Capacity

2009-12-23T23:41:00.000+05:00

Tips For Safely Improving Your Aerobic Capacity: "

Aerobic capacity, or VO2, is defined as the highest amount of oxygen that is consumed in one minute of aerobic exercise.

It’s often considered the standard test for determining aerobic conditioning.

The higher your aerobic capacity, the more the aerobic system will contribute to energy production. This means your endurance will improve no matter how high the intensity of your exercise.

Determining Your Maximum Aerobic Capacity

In order to improve aerobic capacity, you need to train at around 95% of your maximum aerobic capacity. To find out what your maximum aerobic capacity is, you need to perform a time trial.

Normally, this will take between six and eight minutes and you should be well rested beforehand. You’ll need to monitor your speed and heart rate. During this test, you will need to perform at the highest intensity you can for six minutes. Your speed and heart rate at this maximum, six-minute intensity will give you your maximum aerobic capacity.

Putting Your Maximum Aerobic Capacity to Use

In order to increase your maximum aerobic capacity, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of time performing at your maximum oxygen consumption. More than likely, you will need to raise your intensity and duration.

However, even when you are performing at a high intensity, it only takes about one minute and forty seconds to raise your oxygen consumption needed to increase aerobic capacity.

Two Ways to Maintain Maximum Oxygen Consumption

There are two ways that you can maintain your maximum oxygen consumption for an extended time. One is repeat training, and the other interval training. Repeat training has long repetitions, and a full recovery between sets.

Since you need about two minutes to elevate your oxygen consumption, your repeats must be quite a bit longer than two minutes. Interval training requires shorter repetitions at the same high intensity, but with shorter recovery times.

By reducing these recovery times, the maximum oxygen consumption will occur much faster during each repetition. This allows you to keep your oxygen consumption elevated for a much larger percentage of the set.

Performing at a Higher Intensity for Shorter Intervals

You should not perform at a higher intensity for shorter intervals. This will not help your aerobic capacity, but will actually increase your recovery time. The normal aerobic capacity set should be five sets at three minutes each. You should have a three minute recovery. This is a very difficult workout and you will need to build up to it.

Where to Begin

You should begin your aerobic capacity training slowly. It will actually be a very noticeable increase in intensity for most people. Consider shorter rest intervals, with a total “on” time of about eight to twelve minutes.

You should build your volume up slowly, but consistently. As you progress, you need to shift your sets to those with longer repetitions. Make sure you monitor how your body recovers very carefully. It can really vary between individuals. Even those athletes who are used to a high volume training program can break down very easily with aerobic capacity.

FITNESS SOFTWARE

2009-12-19T17:49:00.001+05:00

Exercise become very important those are very busy and those who don't have time to exercise because these kind of people make themselves indulged in their working life anything that they don’t take out time for even their regular health check ups. These kind of people needs to be very careful as they can easily catch any kind of health problems. It is not very compulsory to join any health club while working they can pick up small goal to do the exercise and can easily maintain their good health.
fitness software where user can enter and track their exercise, and how much calories they have burnt with those activities. This allows user to use this software for themselves and their family members, or their clients without buying additional license. It allows user to backup data, import and export data for later use. Now these days online weight loss programs and weight loss calculators are available to plan and keep the track record on weight loss, diet schedule. It also gives daily health tips which work if adopted in daily routine. They are also coming up with every new kind of lucrative offers that allow clients to join or buy these software’s. Even people love to go for tracing their workout performance as they do spend their valuable time. Why Fitness online log is good for overall fitness: For my fitness I keep a online log system for me to keep the record of my fitness schedule which also plan for me and track my things better then me. It also takes care of the fitness exercise of the back, abdomen, chest, arms, shoulder, legs, calves and hips and prepares a balanced workout log for me. It also take cares of strength training, weight management, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, step by step execution of the goal and flexibility training etc. It also gives me daily health tips which work if adopted in daily routine.

Acne Home Treatment: Make Your Problem Acne No More

2009-12-12T19:53:00.000+05:00

Acne Home Treatment: Make Your Problem Acne No More: "If you want to treat your acne but do not have the budget for expensive dermatologist fees, go for all natural acne home treatment. On the other hand, prior to using acne home treatment, it is best to know the cause of your acne as well as obtain information on other skin disorders."

Rules to Live By - What Rules Help You Stay Fit?

2009-11-03T00:12:00.000+05:00

Rules to Live By - What Rules Help You Stay Fit?: "

How much time do you spend sitting in a chair every day? And how much time do you spend trying to come up with ways to get out of that chair? If you work in an office and use a car to get from one place to another, chances are it's a challenge to do more moving than sitting.

When I worked in an office in my previous life, I was chained to my cubicle (I know, it's hard to type with those chains rattling against the desk) so as to be available to my boss, who didn't like it when I took things like breaks or walks or days off. I solved the problem by leaving something critical in my car every morning so I would have to go out and get it. My boss thought I was an idiot ('You left the files in your car again?), but at least I got to take the stairs and get some circulation going.

Setting rules for how you do things is one way to sneak in more activity each day. In fact, that kind of random movement can actually help you lose weight over the long term, so inventing reasons to move can do more than just give you a break from your boss.

I talked to a few friends and clients to find out what rules they've set for themselves to be more active and some of them are quite creative:

Taking the first parking space - When shopping, make it a rule that you have to pull into the back of the parking lot and take the first space available.
Ban all moving walkways - When you're at the mall or the airport, make it a rule that you can't use escalators, elevators or moving walkways.
Have a glass of water - If you get an afternoon craving for something sweet, make it a rule that you have to drink a full glass of water before you give in.
Eat your veggies first - When eating lunch and dinner, make it a rule that you have to eat your salad or vegetables before you eat anything else on the plate.
Prepare fruits and veggies right away - Make it a rule that you'll cut up all your fruits and vegetables as soon as you get home from the grocery store.

What rules have you set for yourself to stay more active and healthy? Leave a comment and tell us your rules to live by.

Rules to Live By - What Rules Help You Stay Fit? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 10:04:33.

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Tell NIH How You Search for Health Information

2009-11-01T22:49:00.000+05:00

Tell NIH How You Search for Health Information: "

The National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation's medical research agency, seeks your help with a current research project. Please take our survey. Your answers will help us do a better job of providing health information for you, your friends and family.