Entries Tagged 'metabolism' ↓
September 18th, 2008 — exercise, heart, metabolism, wellness
If you are just getting started on your journey to fitness and wellness, exercise may be a little difficult. In fact, many people become so discouraged at their lack of overall fitness and stamina that they give up. Instead of taking this route, it is important to find an exercise routine that will work for your body, allowing you the ability to gradually build up your stamina and still reap the benefits that healthy exercise can bring.
The key to finding this exercise is first and foremost, impact. If you are overweight and out of shape your joints are not going to be able to hold up to a lot of impact. Each step may be agony and it is all too easy to call it quits when you are in pain. Even walking may be too much for some people, especially if you have mobility issues.
There are many different low impact workouts, and many are beneficial. However, for those that are in really bad shape physically, this still may be too much. In this instance, water aerobics may be the best answer. If you have any injuries or mobility issues, the benefits gained from doing water aerobics are significant.
Benefits of Water Aerobics
1. No stress on joints.
When you’re in the water, you’re pretty much weightless, and your joints won’t have to be working very hard. This is ideal for those that are not able to withstand high impact or even low impact stress on their joints.
2. Better burn rate.
Water aerobics can actually help you burn more calories than you would normally burn on land. As an example, depending on the class and your physical condition, you can burn up to 750 calories in a single hour. It would take hours of traditional aerobics to get to that level.
3. Great for your heart.
Water aerobics is very beneficial to your cardiovascular health. You’ll get all the benefits of a traditional aerobic class, without having to worry about your joints. This is actually a very sound way to get in your recommended amount of cardio training.
4. Increase endurance.
As we mentioned above, if you’re just getting started on an exercise plan, your endurance level may be pretty low. Water aerobics is the perfect way to gradually build up your endurance levels safely. Most classes last around 45 minutes to 1 hour, but since you don’t have the impact effect, it won’t seem as difficult.
5. Increase your metabolism.
Water aerobics help your body build lean muscle mass, which in turn, ramps up your metabolism. This is an easy way to start burning more calories all day long and will carry major health benefits.
These are just a few reasons why water aerobics can be so beneficial. Even if you’re already well on your way to fitness, adding a class or two a week can take your workout routine to the next level and you can start reaping the benefits right away.
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August 26th, 2008 — activities, exercise, metabolism, sleep
If you can barely pull yourself out of bed in the morning, let alone exercise, it can be difficult to put together a workout plan. There are many benefits to getting in your day’s exercise in the wee hours, even if it is a little difficult at first. Let’s look at just a few reasons why exercising in the morning may be right for you.
1. Evening exercise is too easy to put off.
After work or school, we’re tired and all we want to do is relax. It is all too easy to put off that workout until tomorrow when your coach is beckoning. People who exercise in the morning generally find that they are less likely to skip their workouts once they get into a routine. You’ve got your whole day ahead of you, and you won’t be in the mode to wind down in the morning.
2. Morning exercise increases your metabolism.
One of the single best reasons to haul yourself out of bed in the morning for some cardio or strength training is that you’ll be giving your metabolism a jump start with all that activity. Better yet, the effects last throughout the day, so you’ll be burning fat even while you’re sitting at a desk. This is a great way to start your day.
3. You’re training your body to be more energized.
When you get into the routine of exercising in the morning, your body will begin to anticipate this. After a few days, or maybe as long as two weeks, your body will start producing endorphins right before you wake up. This means that you’ll wake up feeling less groggy and you’ll be more alert. If you can stick it out for a few days, you’ll be doing yourself a big favor and you will see results.
4. Your brain will thank you.
If you need to be sharp mentally for a big day at work, exercise is very good for your brain. All those good chemicals that exercise releases into your bloodstream help your brain function better and you will be more mentally alert. It may not seem like it at first, but you should notice a big difference in how you feel during the day after regular morning workouts.
5. You’ll sleep better.
Exercising later in the day tends to disrupt your body’s cycles. All the benefits we mentioned earlier will be occurring, but they will be happening too late in the day. You may find that you’re too wired to go to bed if you exercise too late in the day. All of that brain power and metabolism boosting will be going to waste! By switching to morning workouts instead, your body will be ready to go to sleep at the end of the day and you will sleep more soundly.
It may be hard to get up a few minutes earlier, but in the end, you’re doing your body a big favor. Take the morning exercise challenge for two weeks and see how you feel!
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June 18th, 2008 — blood sugar, caffeine, carbohydrates, fats, metabolism, proteins
If you want to jump start your weight loss efforts, you're going to need to focus on your metabolism. For most of us, our metabolisms have either been slowed by yo-yo dieting or even genetics and it can be hard to get them back again. However, it is not impossible to kick start your metabolism once again. You just need to make sure you are using the right techniques.
Many people fall on the theory that caffeine is the easiest method you can use to increase your metabolism. While this is true in the short term, the drawbacks are numerous and it's not good for your body or your heart to take too much caffeine. You can actually end up with caffeine intoxication if you have more than 500mg of caffeine in a day. That's the equivalent of two large cups of coffee from Starbucks to put that into perspective.
Instead of relying on external ways to increase your metabolism, it's time to look inward. First, let's talk about blood sugar. If your blood sugar is out of whack, your metabolism is too. Your body is spending too much time processing the wrong kind of foods and your metabolism suffers for it. If you're constantly throwing your body through feast and famine when it comes to sugar, chances are your levels are far out of whack.
To fix this, you need to make sure that you are getting the right balance of proteins, carbs and fats. This gives your body the chance to actually start burning fat instead of working on handling all the sugar that you've thrown at it. Keep in mind however, that you do need some sugar in your diet to keep functioning properly.
Next, you're going to want to build lean muscle mass. It simply is more effective at raising your metabolism than anything else. You can start doing this by adding in some mild weight lifting into your exercise routine. Even women can benefit from lifting small amounts. As you build muscle mass, don't panic if the numbers on the scale go up a bit. This is perfectly normal since muscle weighs more than fat. It is only temporary and if you keep burning fat, those numbers will come back down.
You can look at it as though you are restructuring your body. You are removing fat, which slows down your metabolism, which lean muscle mass that will raise it. Over the long term, you're retraining your metabolism and getting it to speed up.
By learning how to manage your blood sugar properly and by building more lean muscle mass, you have the perfect recipe for increasing your metabolism. It won't happen overnight, but if you stick with it, you'll be able to burn fat quickly and more efficiently. Don't rely on supplements that make crazy promises and endanger your health. They may work in the short term, but unless you address the issues that caused the slowdown of your metabolism in the first place, you're not fixing the problem.
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May 26th, 2008 — blood sugar, carbohydrates, fats, healthy eating, metabolism, proteins
When it comes to losing weight, your metabolism is a very important component as to how quickly you will see results and how long they will last. Years of yo-yo diets and bad eating habits can have a negative impact on your metabolism. Simple genetics can also determine the state of your metabolism and it can be frustrating to try fix this type of problem. However, there are foods out there that can assist your metabolism and help you get on the path towards losing weight more efficiently. Let's take a look at just a few of them.
Apples -
This is a little wonder fruit that does more than just keep the doctor away. By eating an apple you are helping your body regulate its own blood sugar. When you have the right balance of blood sugar, your metabolism is freed up to start burning calories, instead of being forced to horde them.
Oatmeal -
This food not only speeds up your metabolism but it can also reduce cholesterol and lower your blood pressure naturally. Try to have at least one serving of oatmeal a day. Cookies don't count!
Lean Meats -
Your body needs the right balance of protein, carbs and fats to keep working correctly. Lean meats actually help your body balance itself and its metabolism. Again, when you're not fighting blood sugar levels that are all over the charts, your metabolism has a chance to work.
Vegetables -
Non-starchy vegetables are the perfect food for your metabolism. They're filling and balanced and help keep everything in good working order. Stay away from corn and potatoes, focusing instead on green, leafy vegetables.
Skim Milk -
Dairy should usually be avoided, but skim milk in small quantities can actually help speed up your weight loss. Dairy products help balance your blood sugar levels, when used in moderation. Skim milk cheeses can also be eaten in small amounts for this same purpose.
Whole Grains -
While many people try to eliminate all carbs from their diet, but if you must have your bread... Pick good whole grains in small amounts to find that right balance for your body. Rye bread is actually very effective at speeding up the metabolism since it once again helps balance your blood sugar.
There is a recurrent theme with all of these foods. Each one helps your body regulate blood sugar levels. This is the key to speeding up your metabolism properly. When you have the right balance, you can look at your metabolism as a smoothly functioning machine. When you put the wrong kind of fuel into the machine, it cannot function properly.
The best way to determine which balance of proteins, carbs and fats are right for you is to speak with your doctor. The standard recommendation is the 30/40/30 rule, but not everyone is the same. Speak with your doctor or a nutritionist to help find your correct balance. With Jumpstart medicine I have 14 protein, 6 carb, and 1 dairy (and it is suggested to get 2 additional dairies via a protein exchange such as non fat cottage cheese or non fat cheese.)
I highly recommed Jumpstart. I have a special offer for anyone in wanting to try Jumpstart in Redwood City or Mountain View: $25 off your first visit (just print it and bring it to your appointment).
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