Exercise Relieves Stress During Holidays

The holidays bring on extra stress so use exercise to relieve your stress. A certain amount of stress and tension helps you take on challenges and perform better. Too much stress (left unchecked) over a prolonged period is not good for you and it causes health problems and affects your metabolism. Also, some people respond to stress better than others. One person might crumble under the same workload that causes another person to thrive.

Your body's normal state (homeostasis) is changed by stress. The hormones, adrenaline and cortisol, are secreted in response to a stressful situation. The "fight or flight" response to stress is intended to give you the energy to take on or run away from a particular situation. Stressful situations that go on for months or years signals to your body that the normal state includes excessive amounts of adrenaline and cortisol.

As it relates to metabolism, adrenaline makes your fat cells more efficient at turning fat into energy and speeds up your metabolism. On the other hand, cortisol increases the amount of glucose in your blood and creates more energy.

During the holiday months, this excess adrenaline and cortisol builds up in your body. Unused excess energy will be stored as fat.

Chronic stress, extra stress brought on by the holidays or stress with no end in sight has major health implications. Adrenaline will continue to be secreted but your body and your fat cells will build up a tolerance to it.

This means that your fat cells won't be converted to energy and cortisol will continue to increase glucose in your blood. This means the fat gain and weight gain begins to happen if left unchecked.

Life continally has stressful situations and life sometimes brings unavoidable stress, like during holidays. Regular exercise helps you to deal with stress and bring your body back to the true normal state (or as close as possible).

Exercise consistently during the holidays and take care of yourself!

Get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE! Use the course while you travel this holiday season!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

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Weight Loss Helped By Exercise, Rest And Recovery

Exercise, rest and recovery are all important for weight loss and fat loss! If you don't allow your body to rest and recover, it will affect your metabolism, weight loss and fat loss efforts! Do no more than 3 weight training workouts in a week and take a break from exercise 1-2 days a week. You don't want to end up injured because of over-training.

And, a healthy meal plan goes without saying. You will gain weight if you maintain a caloric surplus (eat more calories than you burn).

Oh yeah, most people need 7-8 hours of sleep a night! Your metabolism will be "out of wack" if you don't sleep enough.

Here are some training tips:

This might sound elementary but..... warm-up properly to avoid injuries.... walking for 2 minutes is not a good warm-up. A good dynamic warm-up prepares your body best for intense workouts. A sample dynamic warm-up could be a 5-10 minute jog, prisoner squats, lunges, etc. Static stretches would be done after your workout.

Don't underestimate the benefits of full body massages. The benefits include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.

Along the same lines, self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMFR) is a type of self massage that you can do every day and prevent various muscle injuries, strains and tears.

Protect your feet....its amazing how many injuries (like shin splints and plantar fasciitis) can be avoided by wearing quality footwear (interpreted: don't wear cheap athletic shoes). If you have flat feet or high arches you definitely need the right footwear.

Avoid various tendonitis injuries (pain, swelling) caused by over-training and wear and tear. Rest and recovery is important. R.I.C.E.R. (REST, ICE, COMPRESSION, ELEVATION, REFERRAL FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE) should be followed immediately after a muscle or tendon injury.

Train to lessen the risk of a knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury....it is the most common injury affecting the knee joint. Do this by having adequate hamstring strength and practicing proper landing, jumping techniques.

Strengthen and stretch your shoulder muscles to avoid rotator cuff, shoulder and elbow injuries.

Strengthen and stabilize your core to prevent injuries such as low back pain, oblique strains/pulls, neck pain, ruptured disks and various other muscle and ligament strains.

Lessen the risk of a torn or injured Achilles tendon (the largest tendon in the body). It takes a full year to recover from a torn Achilles tendon. Stretch and stabilize the tendon with one-legged exercises, calf/peroneal stretches and Achilles tendon stretch.

If you want weight loss, fat loss and a healthy body, take care of yourself! Good workouts and healthy nutrition are just part of the equation!

Train hard and smart!

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

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BOSU Ball Exercises Do Not Activate More Core Muscles

BOSU ball exercises DO NOT activate more core muscles! You can do your squats, deadlifts and shoulders presses on stable ground.

Researchers from Eastern Illinois University found that doing squats, deadlifts and shoulders presses on BOSU balls was not more effective for core muscle activation. Doing these exercises on stable ground activated more core muscles.



There are tons of fitness gadgets on the market. In general, you can save your money. Do your exercises with free weights or use bodyweight workouts and you will get maximum muscle activation. Limit machine exercises unless you are a beginner or you are in rehabilitation. Machines stabilize your body for you and don't allow you to move your body naturally (functionally). You get faster, lasting fat loss results when you do exercises that force your body to stabilize itself.

Do as many compound strength exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows and shoulder presses standing up as possible. These types of exercises work major muscle groups and many times are full-body strength exercises. This helps you workout with more intensity and burn more calories. You will also build more muscle and speed up your metabolism.

Have a great workout today!

Get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE! Use the course while you travel this holiday season!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »

Prevent Weight Gain During Holiday Travel

Its easy to gain weight while you travel during the holidays. Pack your food and your clothes when you travel this holiday season. Some of you travel 4-5 days a week, every week! Eating all the holiday treats can add pounds to your body in a hurry! So, just plan your meals like always and you can enjoy your holiday treats too!

If you are a frequent flyer or driver, you know the food traps found in airport or roadside restaurants! The food choices are usually high-calorie, high-carb and high-fat. You have even more high-calorie food and dessert choices during the holidays.

Try to stay with your meal plan as much as possible while traveling during the holidays. Haphazard eating or grazing will skyrocket your calories and pack pounds on your body!

The simple solution is to plan and pack nutritious foods like sandwiches with lean meats, salads, nuts, fruit, yogurt, yogurt smoothies, popcorn, etc. And drink plenty of water or unsweetened tea (and not high-calorie designer coffees!). You can't go wrong with those foods and drinks.....maybe you can come up with yours....just have a plan and follow it during the holidays!

Get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE! Use the course while you travel this holiday season!

"Exercise is not my life.....exercise makes my life better!"

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as the #1 Sports Fitness Blog and NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! The blog has also been named as one of the "50 Best Sports Medicine Blogs by Masters In Healthcare! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health and academic fields! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!

Read more »

Maintain Muscle Or Body Fat Returns

Build and maintain your muscles, use it or lose it or however you want to say it. Your muscles will shrink (atrophy) if you don't continue to do strength training (muscle does not ever change into fat).

And, the body fat will come back with a vengeance! Fat cells will shrink but they will fill up again when you are inactive for a long period of time.

If you are not exercising, you could be hit with a double dose of likely bad news. First, you will probably gain weight (interpreted fat). Also, your metabolism begins to slow down in your thirties.

Your metabolism will slow down even more because you are also losing muscle mass. Muscle mass speeds up your metabolism because your body has to work harder to maintain it.

In your early thirties, you can begin to lose as much as one-half pound of muscle each year. Inactivity will make this problem even worse. So, you begin to lose muscle mass and gain body fat

Fortunately, muscle mass can be maintained/increased (and body fat decreased) throughout your life with regular weight training (includes bodyweight exercises). Weight training also helps to keep your bones strong (preventing osteoporosis).

Eat enough to build muscle and burn fat. You do this by following your meal plan based on your basal metabolic rate and level of daily activity.

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

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Too Much Alcohol Consumption Can Increase Body Fat

Consuming too much alcohol can cause you to gain body fat and weight. You need to know how your body responds to alcohol when you take a drink.

First, one gram of alcohol provides 7 calories. Only fat (9 cal/g) provides more calories than alcohol. So, when you are planning your food and drink consumption, don't forget the calories from alcohol!

When you take a drink of alcohol, your body converts a small amount of it into fat and the rest is converted (by the liver) into a substance called acetate. This acetate is then quickly released into the bloodstream and used as the body's main source of energy. So, your body is using the acetate as energy instead of the stored fat in your body. The more you drink, the more fat your body will store (many times belly fat)!

Added to this problem is the fact that alcohol consumption can increase your appetite. Researchers from Denmark found that a group of men ate more when they were served beer or wine and they ate less when served a soft drink. Just think of all the high-calorie meals served with alcohol at a place like a sports bar!

One more thing: too much alcohol consumption can decrease your testosterone production. Decreased testosterone levels has a negative effect on muscle building.

If you choose to drink alcohol, one or two drinks once a week probably won't affect your weight loss and fat loss. But, if you consume several alcoholic drinks a day, your body is storing excess body fat! You will have a tough time keeping or achieving that lean and toned body you want! Drinking water and unsweetened drinks will help you reach your goals sooner.

Get FREE Training and Nutrition Insider Secrets for a Lean-Body with Six Pack Abs! This ebook, created by Certified Nutrition Specialist & Certified Personal Trainer, Mike Geary, details over 27 specific metabolism-boosting secrets that you can use to strip off your stubborn body fat faster and easier and get your six-pack abs! Contains unique workout methods and nutritional strategies to slash body fat and take your body to a whole new level of leanness. Get Your FREE Book Now!

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Why Sprinting Improves Endurance

Jens Bangsbo of the University of Copenhagen has shown that if you want to run, cycle or swim faster at any distance, you have to train at a pace that is almost as fast as you can move (Journal of Applied Physiology, November 2009). He asked competitive distance runners to reduce their mileage by 25 percent, and to run 8 to 12 30-second sprints 2-3 times a week, with some additional 0.6-0.8 mile sprints 1 or 2 times per week, for 6 to 9 weeks. The control group of runners continued their regular training program, and showed no improvement. The sprint group improved both their 3K (1.8 mile) and 10K (6 mile) race times by more than three percent (more than a minute in the 10-K race). Half of them ran their best times ever, even though many had been racing for more than five years.

Two years ago, Dr. Bangsbo did ground-breaking research supporting the leading theory that exhaustion of the sodium- potassium pump is the major cause of muscle fatigue during exercise (Acta Physiologica, November 2007). In this new study, he shows how sprint training improves a muscle's capacity to pump potassium back inside muscle cells during exercise, which helps all athletes run or cycle faster in competition, even in endurance events such as marathons and multi-day bicycle races.

A muscle can contract only if it has an electrical charge across the muscle cell membrane. This electrical charge comes mainly from having sodium primarily outside the cell and potassium primarily inside the cell. This higher concentration of sodium outside the cell and higher concentration of potassium inside the cell is maintained by sodium-potassium pumps in the cell membranes. The pumps get their energy from an enzyme called ATPase.

When the brain sends electrical signals along nerves leading to each muscle fiber, sodium moves rapidly into muscle cells followed by an equivalent movement of potassium out of the cells, causing the muscle fibers to contract. However, the sodium- potassium pump cannot pump potassium back into the cells as fast as the rapidly-contracting muscle cells move potassium out.

Dr. Bangsbo showed that during rapid contractions, muscle cells lose potassium so fast that there is a doubling of the potassium outside cells in less than a minute. The electrical charge between the inside and outside of muscle cells is reduced, and they contract with much less force until finally they cannot contract at all. During continuous contractions of muscles, the loss of force from a muscle contraction is directly proportional to the amount of potassium that goes outside the cells.

Over time, repeated muscle contractions themselves will markedly increase the ability of the sodium-potassium pump to pump potassium into cells. The greater the force on a muscle during training, the more effectively the potassium pump can pump potassium back into muscles, resulting in greater endurance for the athlete. So intense training is necessary for endurance, and any training strategy that increases the number of intense workouts will give the athlete greater endurance.

You can also increase the effectiveness of the sodium potassium pumps by being excited before a race (which increases adrenalin), and by eating before and during races (which raises insulin levels). Hormones known to strengthen the sodium- potassium pump, and therefore to increase endurance, include adrenalin, insulin, insulin-like growth factor I, calcitonins, amylin, thyroid, testosterone and cortisones.

How to apply this information to your training program:

You cannot gain maximum endurance just with continuous exercise. To improve your potassium-sodium pumps, you have to put maximum force on your muscles. This requires some form of interval training. (CAUTION: Intense exercise can kill a person with blocked arteries to the heart; check with your doctor before increasing the intensity of your program.)

Intervals are classified as short intervals that take fewer than 30 seconds and do not generate significant amounts of lactic acid; and long intervals that take more than two minutes and generate large amounts of lactic acid. The longest you can exercise with maximal force on muscles is about 30 seconds. All competitive athletes should do some sort of 30-second interval. Nobody knows how often you have to do this, but most runners and cyclists do short intervals once or twice a seek. You probably should do long intervals also. However, applying near-maximal force on muscles for more than 30 seconds causes considerable muscle damage, so you have to allow muscles to recover by doing slow training for one or two days afterwards.

Since short intervals do not accumulate much lactic acid, you can do a large number of repetitions during a single workout. Long intervals cause a tremendous amount of muscle damage, so you can only do a few long intervals during a workout. A sound endurance program should include a lot of slow miles, one or two workouts with many short intervals, and probably at least one workout that includes a few long intervals each week.
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