Archive for March, 2010

Workout Gear

Daily work out is become very important in every day life. If you are hitting the gym at home, you have the liberty to choose the workout gear as you like. This is not the case for those who are hitting the public place. Let examine the dress code if you re planning to hit the gym for your daily workout.

Inappropriate workout gear: Ultra-low track pants, a vest one size too small or unsightly inner wear popping out of ill-fitting workout gear are enough to alarm the fashion police and distract faint-hearted gym members. Garish make-up that becomes all the more unflattering while sweating is another thing gym-goers can’t handle. But it’s not just the aam-junta; even the stars don’t get their workout attire right. Recently some stars were was spotted wearing track pants that had ‘JUICY’ printed at the back. While most gym authorities don’t have a dress code, some say it’s about time they did. One well known Fitness trainer, says, “Obscene clothes in the gym can be a distraction. Women must remember that many eyes are on them when they’re exercising. You can’t stop men from looking when you’re inappropriately dressed. Just don’t wear hot pants to gyms.”

Flirt attack: Single and looking? Hit the gym. That’s the formula a lot of singletons apply to get hitched. Gyms are becoming networking and dating zones. Eyeing the hottie flexing his muscles or chatting up the pretty lady on the next treadmill is common. It’s what adds color to an otherwise boring fitness regime, agree gym-goers. But how much is too much? “You can’t help a little chit-chat here and there. It shouldn’t become an occasion for socializing,”.

Throwing your weight around: Looking at a reed thin girl sweating it out or an obese man trying to get into shape can be distracting. “If a really thin girl’s working out, I wonder why she’s there. I’d never bother gymming had I been that skinny.” Does seeing an overweight person on the treadmill upset one? “When I see people not losing weight after working out at the same gym for years, that’s disappointing. I need motivation for working out.”

Personal hygiene: Sweat glands are expected to work overtime while gymming, but not many keep themselves equipped with deos, towels, colognes and headbands to stay clean. A fitness expert, who’s been gymming for the past 14 years, says, “Some don’t carry towels to the gym and sweat profusely. That’s repulsive and a major distraction. Not many are keen to use the machines used by them.”

In addition to this, you have to follow a dress code which is suitable for you at the time. For those who wants to Exercise during pregnancy , may stick to the personnal gym at home. Reders can expect a Fitness DVD from Mariah Carey soon. Mariah Carey lost 14lbs recently by daily workout.

Why Exercise?

Why Exercise?

Thyroid and Weight Gain

What is the role of Thyroid in controlling the weight? Is the reduced thyroid function making you fat?

Optimizing your thyroid can help control weight! Women in perimenopause and menopause (ages 35 to 55) are hit harder than anybody else. The symptoms of weight gain, along with fatigue, hot flashes, insomnia, irritability, palpitations, and “fuzzy” thinking have been shown to be thyroid-related in may instances. Many common weight related problems are aslo Symptoms of Low Thyroid.

As main regulators of the body’s rate of metabolism, thyroid hormones have profound impact on weight and controls how the body burns carbohydrates and fats. Hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough of these “energy-generating” thyroid hormones causing a low resting metabolic rate which can cause weight gain and obesity.

In addition to disrupting metabolism, thyroid imbalances also affect appetite control. Studies suggest that thyroid hormones may modulate levels of leptin, a hormone produced from fat cells that is believed to control hunger and stabilize energy levels.

Weight control, how much energy people have, how well they get up in the morning, how well they sleep, and how much stamina they have for the day is directly related to their levels of thyroid hormone. When your thyroid level is too low, you don’t have the energy to cope adequately with anything, much less the additional stress and emotional liability associated with the menopausal years.

Thyroiditis is an inflammation of the thyroid gland. There are several types of thyroiditis. Most result in three phases: overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism), and return to normal. When the thyroid is inflamed, it often releases an excess of thyroid hormone, resulting in hyperthyroidism. As the supply of thyroid hormone is depleted, the body has too little, and hypothyroidism the results. Young to middle-aged women seem most at risk, although some forms of thyroiditis occur in both men and women of all ages. With some forms, hypothyroidism may develop years later even if the thyroiditis has resolved.

Symptoms of Low Thyroid are often subtle and often goes undiagnosed. Hypothyroidism symptoms are often attributed to other conditions and needs to be tested by an experienced healthcare provider. Waight gain and difficulty in loosing weight can be Symptoms of Low Thyroid at times.

In case of Hypothyroidism specific nutritional supplements may be used to Naturally Stimulate Thyroid. Coleus forskohlii and Herbs such as guggul are used for this purpose. Unless all symptoms are discussed your doctor may not know to test for Hypothyroidism or low thyroid function.

Sleeping Well

About of 45 minutes during a daytime nap does not hamper sleep at night but boosts a person’s declarative memory performance. Daytime nap is unlikely to disturb ones seven to eight hours of night sleep.One has to remember that lack of sleep contribute to unwanted weight.

Talking on mobile phone before bedtime can deprive you from a good night’s sleep, say researchers. Radiation from mobile phones can cause insomnia, headaches and confusion. Children and teenagers were particularly found to be vulnerable to such effects, as they were most likely to use phones late at night and needed sleep the most. People should use a landline if needed to make a call before bed and not to sleep with mobile phones on their bedside table.

Pre-running Stretches Could be Bad

Stretching before exercise can be bad for individuals, warn scientists, who found that the integral part of any athlete’s warm-up routine can actually weaken muscles.

It has long been believed that the habit of holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, known as static stretching, is beneficial for priming muscles.

But now, in a new research, scientists from the University of Nevada Las Vegas say this should no longer be encouraged.

Their findings highlight that the two common pre-running stretches – for the hamstrings and quadriceps – may actually reduce performance by weakening muscles in the leg.

“Developing flexibility is important for reducing sports injury, but the time to stretch is after, not before, performance,” the Telegraph quoted Kinesiology professor Bill Holcomb, who authored the report, as saying.

Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 per cent. Stretching one leg’s muscles can also reduce strength in the other leg as the central nervous system can rebel against the movements.

The correct warm up, according to experts, should do two things – loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, and warm up the body.

To raise the body’s temperature, a warm-up should begin with aerobic activity, and researchers recommend light jogging. Watch out during your daily workout .

Lose Body Weight by Walking

Walking is one of the easiest and best ways to not only lose body weight but also to maintain good health

A brisk walk of 30 minutes take you far when it comes to health and weight control. Incorporate as much walking as you can in your lifestyle and reap the benefits. As diehard walkers believe, why take the car when you can walk? Even climbing stairs comes under the category of walking. They say taking the stairs is akin to taking your heart for a walk! Can you beat that?

What’s the pace?

Its important to maintain a steady pace while walking. Brisk walks work well, my friend whose walking is as good as my jogging always maintained, slow walking is as good as no walking!

Way to do it

Fitness experts emphasise that it is important to do a few minutes of stretching before getting down to the business of walking, especially in the mornings. If you walk without warming up you might end up straining your muscles and suffer aches and pains.

Benefits of walking:

• It improves cardiovascular fitness by getting the heart to beat faster to send blood rich in oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. This makes the functioning of the heart and lungs more efficient, besides reducing blood pressure and the resting heart rate. Walking also helps one recover from a heart attack.
• Walking also reduces the risk of getting a heart attack. If you are over 40 years old and have heart problems, pulse rate, weight, respiration, blood pressure, or cholesterol problems, speak to your doctor before walking.
• It improves blood circulation to the arms and legs and gives a feeling of overall well-being.
• It also relieves depression, stress and anxiety because it releases endorphins, the body’s natural tranquillizers.
• A good brisk walk can also stimulate your thinking.
• By walking, you can burn a higher percentage of body fat, increase your overall health and fitness and boost your energy levels.

Don’t wait for the right reason or season before you can go out walking. Seize the moment and go out now.

The Numerous Benefits of Walking

If a daily fitness walk could be put in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. It has so many health benefits. Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. These may sound like claims on a bottle of snake oil, but they’re backed by major research. Walking requires no prescription, the risk of side effects is very low, and the benefits are numerous:

• Managing your weight. Combined with healthy eating, physical activity is key to any plan for long-lasting weight control. Keeping your weight within healthy limits can lower your risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.
• Controlling your blood pressure. Physical activity strengthens the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort and with less pressure on the arteries. Staying fit is just as effective as some medications in keeping down blood pressure levels. Decreasing your risk of heart attack. Exercise such as brisk walking for three hours a week — or just half an hour a day — is associated with a 30% to 40% lower risk of heart disease in women. (Based on the 20-year Nurses’ Health Study of 72,000 female nurses.)
• Boosting “good” cholesterol – the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Physical activity helps reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) in the blood, which can cause plaque buildup along the artery walls — a major cause of heart attacks.
• Lowering your risk of stroke. Regular, moderate exercise equivalent to brisk walking for an hour a day, five days a week, can cut the risk of stroke in half, according to a Harvard study of more than 11,000 men.
• Reducing your risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study also links regular activity to risk reductions for both these diseases. In another study, people at high risk of diabetes cut their risk in half by combining consistent exercise like walking with lower fat intake and a 5% to 7% weight loss.
• Avoiding your need for gallstone surgery. Regular walking or other physical activity lowers the risk of needing gallstone surgery by 20% to 31%, found a Harvard study of more than 60,000 women ages 40 to 65.
• Protecting against hip fracture. Consistent activity diminishes the risk of hip fracture, concludes a study of more than 30,000 men and women ages 20 to 93.

The list goes on and on. Many other studies indicate a daily brisk walk also can help:

•  Prevent depression, colon cancer, constipation, osteoporosis, and impotence
• Lengthen lifespan
• Lower stress levels
• Relieve arthritis and back pain
•  Strengthen muscles, bones, and joints
•  Improve sleep
•  Elevate overall mood and sense of well-being.

Keep it steady

A steady routine is the most important factor in getting the most out of your exercise program. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week is recommended.

Use these tips to keep you on track:

•  During your walks, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you’re breathing too lightly, increase your pace. If you can’t catch your breath, slow it down.
•  Walk around the local area after lunch or dedicate 15 minutes to walking up and down stairs. Climbing is an excellent way to strengthen your heart.
•  At night, trade a half hour of TV for a brisk stroll around the block. Take a friend with you for company or get the whole family involved.

The Best Medicine

Any amount of walking is good, but for the best health results, set a brisk pace and walk for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. Be sure to check with your doctor on the level of exercise that’s best for you.

Walking shoes need to be replaced every six months, but how do you know if the shoe fits? Sharon Barbano, a walking coach and a spokeswoman for Saucony, suggests these four simple tests:

Flex: The front of the shoe — but not the arch — should bend easily.

Wiggle: Move your toes up and down then side to side within the toe box. There should be room for toes to splay as you walk.

Rock: Lean back on your heel and check for cushioning, stability and support. As you walk, your heel should feel snug and stable, cupped within the shoe.

Roll: Slowly take one step forward from heel to toe. You shouldn’t feel any resistance or pinching as your foot goes through the motion.

The sneaker above illustrates the most important features to shop for:

Thick tongue to prevent pressure from the laces

Ankle collar with padding; heel notch to prevent pressure on Achilles tendon

Rounded, cushioned heel

Tread (the rougher the surface, the more you need)

Mesh or leather upper

Padded insole

Round, high toe box

Reflective material on heel and toe

Laces should be snug but not too tight on the tendons on top of foot.

Choose your perfect workout from our three walking plans, tailored to fit into your schedule.

If I only walk three times a week for 30 minutes, do I really need walking-specific shoes?

If you want to be kind to your feet while getting the most from your walks, it is wise to invest in a pair of quality walking shoes. They’ll set you back £40 to £70, but they’re worth it. A well-made pair cuts your chance of injury significantly. Here are three key features to look for: 1) a flexible forefoot that bends at the ball of your foot, not at the arch; 2) a bevelled or rounded heel to ease your foot into the natural roll from heel to toe; 3) a “forgiving” upper (the part of the shoe that encases your foot).

How to Look Slim

If you are unable to get out of bed for Gym, there are sort cuts which can actually make you look slimmer than you are. These are some tricks to help you look slimmer.

Use wide leg pants. These create an illusion of height and longer legs. Wide leg pants with a cuffed leg make for a chic look. Offset skinny jeans with a voluminous top. Either tuck them into a pair of slouch boots or pair them with high heels, which will make you look taller and slender. Steer clear if you are below 5′5 though as they tend to make you look shorter. Boot cuts are another safe bet as they flatter any body type. The slightly flared bottom minimises thighs and bal ances out wide hips or a large behind. Opt for jeans in darker shades or with a slight fade as they’ll have a naturally slimming effect.

Choose the right fit. Always try out the dress before you pay. Never go by the size specifications on the tag. Make sure you try on a variety of sizes to earn the best fit. Remember that wearing something that’s too small for you can make you look a lot bigger than you actually are.

Wear Long trouser or skirt. While wearing a pair of trouser or skirt, ensure that they are long. The longer the better as with the jeans. Long lines create a slimmer look, where as cross strips make you look short and fat.

Shoes can affect the way you look too.
Rounded platforms give you a stumpy look, while stilettos can be uncomfortable; therefore go for the pointed toe shoes and flats or slight heels. Your secret weapon would be the darker colors. While black is a favorite, charcoal, navy blue or deeper shades of maroon make great allies as well.

Do not dress in one uniform co lour. Pair dark pants with a funky top and vise versa.

Never ever go in for clingy clothes! Flowy fabrics in light shades are better than just complimentary. While doing all this, do focus on your assets as everyone has been blessed with plenty of them. They only need playing up. Flaunt them and continue turning heads!

Wear long stripped shirts, cross lines make you look fat and short. Wear plane or vertical lines. The reverse is true for very thin tall people. Choose horizontal lines if you are too tall and thin.

If you are tall and skinny, your goal is to give the illusion of curves. Straight jeans do just this as they hug the calves, making your hips look wider.

Avoid jeans that are too tight since they will make your legs look even skinnier. Also avoid baggy jeans..they will make you look dis proportionate.

Hip-huggers and relaxed fit jeans are also acceptable. Choose a design with detailed pockets that are high and slightly smaller than those found on most styles.

Remember , there is no short cuts for daily workout, these will only make slight difference in your look.

Hunger Control Molecule

Reserachers in Australia succeed in finding the right Molecule that controlling ones Hunger. If it is found to be correct, this finding will have tremendeous impact on general health. This could be used to control ones appetite.

This is the Molecule, causing the appetite for those just can’t help having a bite every now and then and then worry about the extra weight that the bite brings along? Now, here is an explanation: There’s a molecule that makes you hungry. On the other hand, it’s the same molecule that also causes lack of hunger in some, resulting in weight loss.

The good news is, the molecule that controls you, can also be controlled, provided, some researchers in Australia succeed in their mission.

Researchers from St Vincent’s hospital, the University of South Wales and the Garvan Institute, started their study among some cancer patients who showed lack of appetite and found that those patients have high levels of a molecule known as MIC-1.

When they gave an antidote to the molecule to mice with no appetite, they started eating again and putting on weight.

Professor Herbert Hertzog from the Garvan Institute says the effects were very dramatic.

Professor Sam Breit from the Centre for Immunology at St Vincent’s hospital says the reverse happened with overweight mice, when they were given MIC-1, they lost weight.

Professor Breit started the research, by cloning the MIC-1 gene.

He discovered that blood levels of MIC-1 were high in many patients with advanced cancers and correlated this with extreme weight loss seen in these patients.

In collaboration with Professor Hertzog from the Garvan Institute, the team analysed the effect of this molecule on metabolism and the brain control of appetite.

Dr Herbert Hertzog says the research is still in its early stages but the results so far suggest the discovery may provide the basis of a treatment for severe obesity.

There are no indications the treatment causes any side effects, but Professor Breit says that further studies have yet to done.

The next step will be to run human clinical trials to see if the dramatic results in mice can be replicated in humans.

Once the scientists have secured commercial backing for the discovery, clinical trials could start in as little as three years.

The team hopes that one day some patients with severely advanced cancer can be prevented from suffering malnutrition.

The research is published in the latest edition of Nature Medicine.

Note:Read our article lack of sleep can get you fat to control your weight gain.

Hotspots of Longevity

Adventurer Dan Buettner has visited four spots on the globe where people live into their 90s and 100s and outlines how they add years of good life in his book, ‘The Blue Zones.’

If you are looking for a Fountain of Youth, forget pills and diet supplements. The answer, Buettner says, includes smaller food portions, an active lifestyle and moderate drinking. “If someone tells you they have a pill or hormone (that extends life), you’re about to lose money,” Buettner says.

Buettner identifies four hotspots of longevity: the mountainous Barbagia region of Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy; the Japanese island of Okinawa; a community of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, 60 miles east of Los Angeles; and the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, in Central America.

The term ‘Blue Zones’ takes its name from the blue ink Belgian demographer Michel Poulain used to circle an area of long-living Sardinians on a map.

What Buettner found in his seven years of research and travel were common denominators among the vigorous super-elderly – close family relationships, a sense of purpose, healthy eating habits. He distills them into what he calls the Power Nine.

“Picking half a dozen things off of this al a carte menu, and sticking to it, is probably worth eight to 10 (extra) years for the average American,” says Buettner, a tall 48-year-old who hopes to live until at least 100.

Buettner turned to probing the secrets of the longest-living cultures after leading three long-distance bicycle expeditions – from the tip of North America to the tip of South America; across the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union; and across Africa – in the 1980s and 1990s. He also used the internet to take classrooms on interactive quests to solve everything from the collapse of ancient Mayan civilization to human origins in Africa.

Buettner made his first expedition to Okinawa in 2000 and eventually wrote a National Geographic cover story, ‘The Secrets of Long Life,’ in November 2005.

Living long – even forever – is a human desire throughout history, says Robert Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center- USA in New York. But Butler says he’s skeptical of claims of places of long-living people. “There’s always been these rumors but they’ve always turned out to be inaccurate,” said Butler.

Weight Loss Without Diet Change

According to a University of Michigan Health System analysis of nine studies, people participating for a longer time in a pedometre-based walking program may lose a good amount of weight, without even having to change their diet.

This analytical study led by Caroline R Richardson, MD, assistant professor in the U-M Health System Department of Family Medicine, involved 307 participants in total of nine studies. Of these 73 per cent were women and 27 per cent were men. The lengths of the studies ranged from four weeks to one year, with a median of 16 weeks.

In the studies, the participants increased the distance they walked by one mile to slightly more than two miles each day. This implies that at an average pace of three miles per hour, the walkers were getting an additional 20 to 40 minutes of activity a day. On average, they lost 0.05 kilograms per week (about 0.11 pounds) for an average total of 1.27 kilograms (2.8 pounds) during the course of the studies.

It was found that all except one of the studies led to a small decrease in weight.

“The amount of weight loss attributable to pedometer-based walking programs is small but significant,” said Richardson.

She indicated that the analysis also showed that participants had a tendency to lose more weight in the longer studies.

According to Richardson, though pedometer-based walking programs are thought of as convenient and flexible for participants, there has been some question in the fitness and medical communities about the health benefits of such programs.

However, she was sure that this analysis should suppress some of these questions.

“The increase in physical activity can be expected to result in health benefits that are independent of weight loss. Increasing physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems, lowers blood pressure and helps dieters maintain lean muscle tissue when they are dieting,” said Richardson.

According to her, the other benefit can be that exercise in general has been shown to improve glucose tolerance in people with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes.

The analysis suggested that participants in pedometer-based walking programs can expect to lose about five pounds in almost a year.

This would imply a 2 percent to 3 percent reduction in body weight for an overweight person. However, Richardson indicated that the program can still be beneficial. She said that a quicker way to see results, and possibly to encourage people to adhere to the program longer, would be to add a dietary program to the walking plan.

The study also found that the average daily step-count increases varied from just under 2,000 steps per day to more than 4,000 steps per day across these studies. For the average person, a 2,000-step walk is approximately equal to a one-mile walk.

It was revealed that the range of weight change for the nine studies was a gain of 0.3 kilograms (0.66 pounds) to a loss of 3.70 kilograms (eight pounds), with an average weight loss of 1.27 kilograms (2.8 pounds).

You cam find more effectice strategies at flatten-belly.com. A pedometer increases your awareness of your daily activity level. You can purchase a basic one for about ten dollars. Start out by keeping track of how many steps you are currently taking per day, then aim to add 1000-2000 steps per day until you hit 10,000. This is the equivalent of about 8 km (5 miles). Squeeze in more steps by taking 5 to 10 minute walking breaks several times throughout the day, taking the elevator instead of the stairs, and walking to destinations less than 1 km away.

Recently studies have found that Crash diets reduces lifespan and also vegitable diet reduces risk of heart attack.