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A healthy body and a sound mind

Tips For Going Back To Your Workout After an Injury

March 1, 2023 By Lucy

After suffering an injury and undergoing surgery or treatment, you may be ready to get back to the gym.  It can be frustrating watching all of your progress disappear before your very eyes, so it’s natural to want to go back to where you left off.

As long as your doctor says that you’re ready to get back to your routine, it’s time to jump back into the ring.  Here are the best tips to see you through. 

[Read more…]

Originally posted on July 9, 2019 @ 8:19 pm

Filed Under: Exercise and Fitness Tagged With: do non-strenous exercises, fitness, stretch and warm up

Tips on how to work out while traveling

February 28, 2023 By Doc Sawyer

Fit Stik ProTraveling usually disrupts you from your usual schedule. For most travelers, one of the routines that they would usually forego when on the road is exercise. Many travelers find it hard to maintain their exercise routine because they just don’t know how to modify their exercises so that they can do it in another place.

But here are some great suggestions on how you can work out or exercise even when you’re traveling: [Read more…]

Originally posted on April 26, 2013 @ 10:58 pm

Filed Under: Health, Lifestyle Tagged With: fitness, gym, Health, Hotel, London, Physical exercise, Resistance training, Strength training

Taking Your Weight Loss to the Next Level

February 28, 2023 By Guest Author

When you are dieting and trying to lose weight, you’re probably already taking your cardio exercise pretty seriously. Getting at least 30 minutes per day of cardio, at least five days per week, is the perfect start to helping you burn fat and slim down. However, it shouldn’t be the only thing you are doing. Add lifting to your fitness routines to take your weight loss to the next level.

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Benefits of Lifting

Lifting weights helps you lose weight in three key ways. First, it’s another way to burn calories, not only while you’re exercising, but also in the “afterburn” time immediately after you stop exercising. Second, muscle cells require more energy for basic metabolic function than fat cells, so every pound of muscle you add increases the baseline calories your body burns. Third, the more muscle you build, the more effective your cardio workouts will be because you’ll be able to go faster.

Preparing to Get Started

If you’ve never lifted weights before, it’s normal to feel apprehensive about it. However, lifting is actually easy to get started, and you’ll be surprised by how much your strength increases. Start by investing in a pair of dumb bells and an exercise ball, which allow you to set up a simple weight lifting routine to target the major muscle groups. In particular, focusing on your back and core will help you enhance your cardio activity to take your weight loss to the next level.

Example Weight Lifting Circuit

The best way to start weight lifting is to develop a circuit of exercises that you complete several times each week. Do 10 repetitions of each activity before moving on to the next one. Once you’ve completed the whole circuit three times, your workout for the day is done.

  • Dumb bell lunges: Hold a dumb bell in each hand and lunge forward, alternating legs, across a long space.
  • Dumb bell dips: Hold a dumb bell in each hand on the floor, with your feet extended in front of you. Dip down as you alternate pulling one leg toward you in a crunch movement.
  • Hamstring curl: Lie on the floor and rest your calves on a stability ball, then raise your hips and pull the ball toward you until your feet are flat on it.
  • Stability ball jackknife: Get in a push-up position with your shins balanced on a stability ball, then bend and extend your knees to roll the ball toward you and push it back out.
  • Balance squats: Stand with a dumb bell in each hand and one foot resting on a chair behind you. Squat down as you extend your arms straight out to the side, then come back up to a standing position.
  • Backwards lunge to kick: Hold a dumb bell in each hand and lunge backwards. When you come back up, kick the leg that was back straight forward and press the weights above your head.

You’ll probably be sore after your first day of weight training, but you’ll quickly start to see benefits. Give yourself at least 48 hours between weight training workouts and do cardio instead. As you feel comfortable with the circuit of exercises, you can look into adding even more to further tone your muscles.

Thomas is a fitness enthusiast with a love for writing. In his spare time, he enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands.

Originally posted on April 26, 2013 @ 2:22 am

Filed Under: Weight Loss Tagged With: fitness, fitness training, physical fitness, Weight Loss, working out

Cross Train to Stay in Shape

February 28, 2023 By Guest Author

You probably don’t eat the exact same menu every day of the week, so there’s no reason your workouts each day should look the same, either. One of the best ways to stay in shape is to cross train, participating in a wide range of different activities to promote overall fitness and reap several other health benefits. Rather than being a one-trick pony, consider some of the benefits of cross training and learn how to get started.

running

What Cross Training Can Do For You

  • Prevent injury: Although you can never guarantee that you’ll avoid injuries, cross training is one of the most effective preventive measures you can take. Participating in a different activity from what you usually do gives your body a chance to recover from its usual patterns while still maintaining your overall fitness and training intensity. Through cross training, you can prevent specific joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles from getting hurt through overuse.
  • Improve recovery: Just as interval training is a popular way to get more intense exercise mixed in with periods of recovery, cross training is a way to do this on a bigger scale. Rather than taking a day off when you need a break, use cross training as a form of active recovery. Switch to an exercise that is outside your normal to help your body recover while still pushing yourself forward toward your fitness goals.
  • Increase fitness level: Participating in a wide range of activities improves your overall body condition and fitness level. Even if you’re good at one particular sport or activity, that doesn’t mean you’re a balanced athlete. Cross training can bring some of that balance and help you to be truly fit, not just good at one activity.

How to Launch Your Cross Training Workouts

1. Brainstorm the types of activities you may enjoy. If you typically run, which focuses on the lower body, consider rowing or swimming to focus on your upper body on recovery days. If you participate in high-impact sports like football, something like running on a treadmill or elliptical may provide a much-needed break for your body.

2. Invest in the fitness equipment you need to enhance your cross-training workouts. You might need resistance bands, a chin-up bar, a stationary bike, goggles, or something else to help you complete your workouts according to your schedule and routines.

3. Create interesting workouts with a variety of activities planned. One type of workout you may want to try is a 21-15-9 cross fit workout. In this, you start by doing 21 repetitions of each of several activities, like burpees, squats, and push-ups, then you repeat the circuit with 15 repetitions and then 9 repetitions. The variety helps you stay engaged.

4. Challenge yourself during your cross training workouts. Even though you’re not participating in your primary activity, you should still be working hard. Try an interval workout where you integrate sprints, or get together with someone who participates in the activity regularly to show you the ropes and push you more than you would be able to push yourself.

There aren’t many specific rules you need to follow when you’re cross training, which gives you the freedom to take it in whatever direction is most appealing to you. Jump on the opportunity to try a new activity you’ve always been interested in, to join friends in their favorite activities, and to work your body in different ways. Not only will you have a good time, but you’ll reap health and fitness benefits that translate back into your primary activities.

Thomas is an avid runner who is constantly looking for new ways to cross train. In his spare time, he enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands he loves.

Originally posted on February 21, 2013 @ 12:22 am

Filed Under: Exercise and Fitness Tagged With: cross training, exercise, fitness, Health, running

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