One of the easiest and safest ways to achieve healthy, lasting weight loss is to begin with a simple walking routine. Walking is a complete, low impact form of exercise that works all of the major muscle groups in the body, as well as the heart and lungs. You will burn extra calories and lose excess weight, tone your muscles and achieve greater mobility as your muscles get stronger.
Your walking regimen doesn't need to be fancy or complicated--in fact, the simpler, the better.
All you really need is a pair of sturdy walking shoes, an open area to walk, and you can begin.
Set a starting goal of something easy, like 5-10 minutes on a track or a walk around the block.
Always begin your exercise time with some gentle stretches to get your muscles adjusted to the work you will be asking them to do during the walk. If you haven't been in the habit of working out on a regular basis, be sure and go easy on yourself. You may find that you can't go as far or as fast as you had hoped to, but don't beat yourself up over it. During your next walk, you can always try to make it that much further.
If the weather is inclement, don't let that keep you from getting fit. You can always walk in place inside your house. Many companies sell walking workout types that can give you a full body cardiovascular workout while you stand in front of your television.
As you continue to walk, you'll notice that your stamina and mobility improve. Take advantage of your increased fitness abilities to make your workouts more difficult by incorporating hand or ankle weights. You can also vary your usual walking terrain to include a higher level of difficulty such as stairs or hills. You'll also find that your body can withstand longer increments of exercise, so be sure to continue to challenge yourself by increasing your workout time. You should aim for 30 minutes or so 3-5 times a week.
As time passes, you may find that your initial enthusiasm for your walking workout has waned. At this point, in order to maintain your weight loss, it can be a great help to get a walking buddy who will help keep you accountable. On the day you don't feel like exercising, your buddy will help keep you motivated, and vice versa. Plus, your workout will time will go much quicker if you have someone to keep you company.
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Walking for Weight Loss
Walking - What’s That?
Most of us take the car everywhere. The school-run, the supermarket, the mall… even to the local store to stock up on milk and butter. Dogs have to be taken in the car in order to have a walk. It can take longer waiting in the traffic than it does throwing sticks to your pooch in the park. And when you’re there, do you sit on the bench and wish your life away? Have a rethink. Can you walk your dog to a park? Can you walk it from your door rather than ushering it into the back seat where it mucks up your windows with its wet nose? Stroll to the deli to pick up your bagels on a Sunday morning. Whatever the weather, walking is fun.
So beneficial is walking, it reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, glaucoma and hip fracture. If walking is combined with healthy eating, it is the correct route to weight control. It can control blood pressure by strengthening the heart, which could ultimately mean less medication for those popping pills for hypertension.
The benefits of a brisk walk would probably be too many to mention. Heart attacks would be fewer if we put on hat and boots in winter, or even a strappy little number in summer for the fashion-conscious amongst us, and took on those paths and sidewalks designed for pedestrians. Not only would we be lowering our risk of a stroke, or keeping our cholesterol levels down, we’d be living life to the full. Filling it with memories instead of reruns of Taxi or Frasier. Think of constipation, depression, stress, back pain, lack of sleep.
For an hour a day, for five days a week, take a walk and we may be halving our risk of a stroke. This is according to a Harvard study of eleven thousand men. Can we afford to ignore it? Once the habit is broken of taking the car everywhere, exercise can be built into the routine of daily lives. Soon, it will be like eating breakfast, or brushing teeth. If an hour a day for five days a week proves too much, cut it down to an Optimum Walking Pace for three hours a week, apportioned however it suits. For women, this is associated with a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of heart disease, according to the Nurses’ Health Study of 72,000 women. It’s got to be worth dressing up and going out for, with or without the dog.
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7 Diet Secrets of the Stars
Celebrities always look fabulous. Whether appearing in television or films or strutting down the red carpet during movie premiers and awards, they never cease to fascinate us with their larger than life presence. The truth is, it takes a lot of effort to look the way they do, and being the public figures that they are, they cannot afford to slack off when it comes to taking care of their physical appearances. Their livelihood largely depends on how they look. Aside from the clothes, the hair and the makeup, celebrities have to take good care of their bodies.
So it is no surprise that these stars have their own secrets when it comes to staying fit and gorgeous. Their health agenda can range from extreme workouts to well-planned meals. Who doesn't want to know their secrets in staying absolutely sexy? Here are some of the diet secrets of seven women celebrities.
1. Jennifer Aniston:
The star of the phenomenal television show "Friends" not only mesmerized audiences with her adorable comic sense and her famous hairstyle, she was also known for having one of the sexiest bodies in Hollywood, as she appeared in countless magazine covers. To stay trim, Jennifer follows the 40:30:30 diet method. The diet consists of:
40% Low glycemic carbohydrates
Foods such as beans, fruits and vegetables, legumes
30% lean proteins
Tofu, fish, chicken, turkey, beef and low fat dairy products
30% essential fats
Nuts and seeds, fish and olive oils
It is essential that every meal contain macronutrients to attain the balance of hormones and maximum weight loss.
2. Kate Hudson:
The gorgeous daughter of actress Goldie Hawn gained 60 pounds during her pregnancy, which she needed to shed quickly before commencing her next film. From her previous eating plan, she switched to a higher protein diet. She consumed high protein meals in smaller portions, and she combined this diet with an exercise program that includes weight training and cardiovascular workouts. After getting a lot of flak because of her post-pregnancy figure, Kate removed all that baby weight in only four months and has gained abdominal muscles that gained the envy of many in Hollywood.
3. Oprah Winfrey:
As one of the most successful talk-show hosts in the world, there is no question that Oprah needs to maintain her physical appearance for her millions of audiences. Known as one of those celebrities who are constantly battling weight gain, she has recently toned up her figure and has never looked better at age 50 by combining a regular exercise regime and diet plan. Oprah works out five days a week, spending 30 minutes on the treadmill and doing free weights. Her eating plan consists of legumes, fish, nuts, fruits and vegetables, chicken and dairy products that are low fat. She limits her consumption of white sugar and flour. Oprah also credits her trim figure to her habit of not eating anything after seven in the evening.
4. Gwyneth Paltrow:
A lot of people may find it hard to believe that the perpetually slim Academy award-winning actress actually needs to diet. Gwyneth actually follows a healthy eating plan that resembles Oprah's, avoiding sugar and white flour. She usually follows a macrobiotic diet, eating foods like vegetables, brown rice, and lean meat. She also eliminated dairy from her diet, and does yoga everyday.
5. Madonna:
The pop star known as the Material Girl has always flaunted a body that is to die for, and has become a true fitness paragon over the years. She keeps herself in tip-top shape by having Ashtanga Yoga, and follows a strict diet that mostly shuns junk foods. She adopted a macrobiotic eating plan that includes organic foods rich in lean protein.
6. Claudia Schiffer:
The bodacious German supermodel eats salad and steamed vegetables for dinner and eats only fruits before the afternoon. While on locations, she prefers to eat black grapes and drinks tomato juice and herbal tea.
7. Christie Brinkley:
Long-time supermodel maintains her all-American good looks by being a vegetarian. She does not keep junk foods of any kind inside her home to make sure that she does not eat them when cravings occur. She snacks on sweet potatoes in place of candy bars, and she adopts a liquid juice diet when she needs to slim down fast.
Celebrities are just like ordinary people. They need to maintain their figures just like anyone else, and there is more pressure on their part since they are constantly in the public eye. Ordinary folks can have celebrity-like bodies, too, and by following these diet and fitness plans, they can also look like red-carpet worthy.
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Shin Splints Can Be Avoided
Commonly runners are sidelined or limited by the presentation of leg pain during and often after runs. The pain is usually located at the sides of the "shin" bone and can be debilitating, even limiting the ability to walk. Over the years, this has been a problem that I sometimes have encountered in my running. Since I love running (and don't like not running), I have researched over the years some ways to limit the presentation of shin splints while training for a race, or in my case a marathon. I will discuss some ways that we can "run smart" and limit the injuries that have been commonly classified as shin splints.
What is a shin splint?
A shin splint can be located on the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) of the lower leg below the knee. Medial shin splints are commonly inflammation of the muscle attachment to the shin bone (tibia) and hurts as from pressure to the muscle just inside the bone. Lateral shin splints are commonly inflammation to the tendon (posterior peroneal tendon) and adjacent tissues in the front of the outer lower leg. In either case, the pain can present during a run, immediately following the run or sometimes the next day.
What causes shin splints?
The exact cause of shin splints are not known, but usually it is related to rapid increase in running or jumping (or sometimes walking fast), changes in shoegear, or pronation (flattening of the foot). Some secondary causes may be balance problems (leaning to one side during a run), poor training technique (progressing too fast, poor running technique or surfaces), leg length problems or even injury.
What I have learned...
1) Using correct shoes.
Since commonly over pronation (excessive flattening of the foot) or over supination (increased arch height - rolling out) can cause stress to the muscles or tendons in the area and create shin splints, a quality exercise or running shoe will help improve and prevent these symptoms. In choosing a shoe, price is not the most important, but cheap priced shoes are usually cheap shoes. Get a quality shoe, designed for the exercise you are doing (running shoe for running or walking, basketball shoe for basketball, etc.).
2) Training smart.
As you run or train, Run Smart! Let me explain...
If you are running on a track, understand that always running the same direction on the track will work muscles differently than switching directions. One of the possible causes for shin splints is working muscles at different rates, therefore switching directions regularly will work all muscle of the legs equally and reduce the chances for shin splints.
If you are running on a road, most roads in most locations throughout the country are canted (or tilted to improve water runoff). Therefore, running against traffic always will cause supination of the left foot and pronation of the right foot. With supination, you will work the lateral (outside) muscles of the leg more than the medial (inside) muscles of the leg. Pronation does the opposite. By switching sides periodically, you will again work all muscles equally and prevent the presentation of shin splint symptoms.
Lastly, in running smart, the speed of training should be carefully controlled. Start slow and progress slowly to the amount of running you desire. Give the leg muscles time to get strengthened before forcing them into harder regimen. The speed of progress will require understanding of how much running you have done and where you should start. Cross training (elliptical or bike) can also help even the muscle strength as you progress.
In all these aspects of running smart, it should be understood that shin splints are caused by overusing a muscle group and creating an injury. By adjusting the training to reduce this overuse, you will have a more enjoyable run.
3) Evaluation for possible "gait" abnormalities.
"Gait" abnormalities are best described as running or walking abnormalities. Do you have a leg length problem? Do you over pronate or over supinate? Do you have imbalance issues, back problems, knee problems, or other reasons to overwork a muscle group that may cause your shin spints?
Let me discuss some of these running issues:
Leg length abnormalities (left leg longer/shorter than right) can be a large problem when running. The APMA has found that running produces 4-5 times your body weight through your feet. If one leg is shorter, the body is designed to adjust...you will pronate the shorter foot to make it longer and supinate the longer foot to make it shorter. This will lead to overworking the muscles and cause leg pain and possibly shin splints. A simple adjustment to your shoes (or orthotics) will alleviate this problem and produce continued running without pain.
Imbalance issues, often caused by weakness of ligaments (like chronic ankle spraining) or ear problems. One of my patients is deaf in one ear and runs lopsided (towards the deaf side) and has issues with shin splints. With a simple orthotic, a custom item to replace a shoe insert in your running shoes that maintains your foot in neutral position and helps the foot function as it should, his shin splints have been eliminated.
Pronation or supination is also a form of imbalance of the feet and can cause overuse of some muscles and may also lead to shin splints. Orthotics are the answer here also.
By being evaluated for your running, your "gait" abnormalities can be evaluated and often adjusted to help you return to running without the pain.
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Top 6 Fitness Components
1. Speed: Speed is the ability of a person to execute motor movements with high speed in the shortest period of time. It is equal to the distance covered per unit of time. the element of speed is involved in most of the athletic skills such as in sprint running, some skills of soccer, basketball, etc.
2.Strength: Strength is the ability of a muscle to expert or release force by contraction enabling a person to overcome resistance or to act against resistance.
3. Power: Power is the ability of muscle to release maximum force in the shortest period of time. It is equal to force multiplied by speed. It is the combination of strength and speed. Speed and force must be combined for effective performance in activities like baseball throw, jumps for height, football kick, boxing punch,etc.
4. Endurance: Endurance is the ability of the person to perform movement of moderate (Sub-maximum) contractions over prolonged period of time under conditions of fatigue or tiredness. It is the product of all psychic and physical energy of human body.
5. Flexibility: Flexibility is the ability of a muscle to perform movements with large range of motion.
6. Agility : Agility is the ability of a person to change positions in space or to change directions quickly and effectively e.g. football player quickly changes direction or giving dodge to opponent, hurdle crossing over the barrier or hurdles, zig-zag running, etc.
7. Balance : Balance is the ability of a person to control human body or to maintain equilibrium under static and dynamic conditions e.g. hand stand, skating, skiing, catching a fly in baseball, etc.
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Weight Loss: A Beginner’s Guide to Proper Nutrition
Weight Loss: A Beginner’s Guide to Proper Nutrition
Whether you are a newcomer to weight loss or a seasoned pro, there is always something to learn when you go back to the basics. Many people think that losing weight is this daunting task that takes a lot of time in the gym, or the reduction in calories or even worse eating nothing but cottage cheese and carrots.
All of that is the furthest thing from the truth. What it takes is knowing what to eat, when to eat it, and how much of it you should eat. You see there really are power foods out there and when combined together in a meal they help increase your bodies metabolic rate (the rate at which your body burns fat) and make you healthier.
Let’s start with what you should be eating. It goes without saying that eating cupcakes, cookies, pies, and other high fat no nutrient content foods are bad for you. Now that does not mean you can’t have one on occasion, but you can overdo it quickly. There are three food groups you need to acquaint yourself with. They are proteins, carbohydrates and green vegetables. If you can remember these three then you will be well on your way.
In each of these three food groups you want to pick out quality sources. For example, your proteins should consist of lean meats, chicken breast, fish, egg whites and/or egg substitutes. Your carbohydrate sources should be multi-grain breads and cereals, brown rice and potatoes. The last group, green vegetables, is an easy one. Your vegetable sources should be green. Good examples would be spinach, broccoli, asparagus and salads.
Knowing what the right foods to eat are will lead you a long way to your weight loss goals; however we are not done yet. There is more information you need. Simply knowing them is not enough. You need to know how much of each you should eat and how often.
To make it simple and eliminate the need for weighing your food, counting your calories and so on you can remember this simple rule of thumb when it comes to portion size. Each food group portion should be the same size as your clenched fist. So if you were to go ahead and make a fist that is the size of food portion you should put on your plate for each food group for each meal.
One final step is to know how often to eat. The idea is that when you are eating healthy you want your body to get a continuous supply of this food but not overeat. Therefore the best method is to eat many smaller meals throughout the day. You should be eating one meal every two and a half to three hours for a total of six meals each and every day. This keeps that metabolic rate running at high levels and gives your body the nutrients it needs to run at a healthy level.
Are you looking to lose 5, 10, or 15 pounds? It doesn’t matter. With the information above you are equipped with the knowledge you need to lose as much or as little weight as you so desire. Just remember that before you start any type of fitness or nutrition program you should always get a complete physical from your primary care physician.
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Lose Weight Motivation
The weight loss market, as a niche market, is huge and growing ever bigger. You would assume that, with the amount of advice freely abounding, people would be able to follow instructions and lose their excess weight. In the majority of cases, however, this simply does not happen. But, why? What makes it so difficult to lose weight? After all, you would assume that, if a person wants to lose weight that much, then they would be able to set their minds to it, follow the rules and watch the scales creep down along with the clothes sizes. When you consider how much carrying around excess weight affects a person, apart from physically, reducing a person's self-esteem so dramatically, you would assume that losing weight would be - well, not so much a doddle, but fairly straightforward. So, why isn't it?
There really is no single answer. It could be an unrealistic weight loss plan, or it could be unrealistic expectations. I suspect fewer people suffer from lack of willpower than actually claim to. So what is the problem? Is losing weight too difficult? Or is it because most weight loss plans are too slow? How do we put an effective weight loss plan into action? Basically, a person who wants to lose weight needs to know what to eat and how to eat it, how to increase their activity level and how to change their behavior. One of the most important parts of any weight loss plan is attitude. Attitude over-rides everything else. You can have an excellent weight loss plan and exercise regime but, without the correct cognitive attitude, success will be as far away as ever.
However, assuming you have the correct mindset and everything else is hunky-dory, where do you start? Are you going to follow a red day or a green day and then discuss sins with everybody you meet, or join one of the other diet classes where you get a pep-talk once a week and, for the rest of the week you struggle? Or supplement your weight loss plan with a bit of help from diet supplement such as Adios, or MyAlli, or 4RX- or one of the other many aids on the market? From my own experience, the most difficult part of a weight loss plan is starting it and getting used to what you are allowed to eat and what is best avoided.
First of all, you need a diet that is easy to follow which is why I am not a particularly great fan of the red/green revolution. I found it so complicated that it was just easier to stop dieting! You also need to pick a weight loss plan that is realistic. There is no point in going out with the family for the day and blowing your diet because there is nothing suitable for you to eat - or, come to that, going out to a restaurant and having to pick your way through a rather sad and boring salad because there is nothing else suitable on the menu. You are going to be living with your weight loss plan
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