Reach Fat Loss Goals With Willpower And Smarts, 3

Reviewing again, you need willpower and smarts to reach your fat loss goals. If you have the desire, you can reach your fat loss goals if you:1. Train smart2. Eat smart3. Take care of your bodyGetting enough sleep lately? Being "too busy" all the time is not good....sometimes we use it as an excuse to not do the things we should---LIKE EXERCISE! If you aren't sleeping (resting) enough, you are hindering your health and fat loss goals.When you wake up during the night because you can't sleep, you are likely to eat when you should be sleeping. And, you will throw your metabolism "out of wack." Researchers have found that the less sleep the test subjects got, the higher their body fat. The shorter sleep time altered the subjects hormone levels,...

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Reach Fat Loss Goals With Willpower And Smarts, 2

By way of review, you need willpower and smarts to reach your fat loss goals. If you have the desire, you can reach your fat loss goals if you:1. Train smart2. Eat smart3. Take care of your bodyLife happens....life brings on 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 and it causes health problems and affects 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...

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Prolong life with exercise after age 50

Men who start or increase their exercise programs after age fifty live longer than those who remain at their present activity levels, according to a study in the British Medical Journal (March 2009). More than 2200 men were checked at ages 50, 60, 70, 77 and 82 years. The greater the increase in exercise duration over that span, the longer their lives were extended. The reduction in early death from increasing exercise was the same as for men who stopped smoking.Lack of exercise is associated with obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, osteoporosis, and cancer. Exercising regularly more than halves your chance of dying prematurely (Archives of Internal Medicine, December 2007). Yet more than 50 percent of North Americans do not exercise.Exercise...

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Reach Fat Loss Goals With Willpower And Smarts, 1

You need willpower and smarts to reach your fat loss goals. If you have the desire then you can reach your fat loss goals if you:1. Train smart2. Eat smart3. Take care of your bodyLet's look at one rule today to help you eat smart:Control your hunger during the day so you don't overeat when you do eat! Do this by eating small meals every 3-4 hours (never skip breakfast) to keep your metabolism ramped up.Another way to control your hunger pangs is to eat protein with every meal. You don't need to do protein shakes...just eat the right foods. Research has proven that protein keeps blood sugar levels more steady and helps you feel fuller for a longer period (slower digestion). Protein also keeps the hunger hormone (ghrelin) in check so your...

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Saturday, A Good Day To Play With Medicine Balls

Many times, Saturday is a good day for me to do a little different type of workout...after a long week, a change is good....try a circuit-style medicine ball workout to change up your routine...I rarely see anyone working out with medicine balls beyond doing ab exercises...you can do much more with your medicine balls, like single leg medicine ball squats...Medicine ball workouts can be a refreshing way to workout for you and can help you burn more fat.....your muscles will learn to "fire in a more natural pattern."Get your My Fitness Hut "March Madness" Medicine Ball Workout today!"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...

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Use Soccer For Cardio Exercise

Soccer is great for interval cardio exercise....I have been talking about different ways to do your cardio to change up your routine...It helps to keep exercise fun as much as possible....if you hate doing exercise, you will quit at some point....by its routine nature, cardio is boring so you need to mix it up...Playing games is one of the best forms of exercise because you're focused on the game and not on the exercise (especially if you are in shape to play). Play soccer right and you will get great benefits:1. Sprinting when you should sprint will burn major calories and fat. 2. Soccer is great for developing agility (change-of-direction skills) and balance.3. You should do alot of jogging (between sprints) when you play soccer. Notice...

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Stepmill, Stair-Stepper Or......

Cardio machine queens and kings love the stepmill and stair-stepper....as far as cardio machines go, they will definitely give you a pretty tough workout....and, they shape and sculpt your butt, hips and legs better than a treadmill...but, they are still machines---doing some of the work for you!If you want to further challenge yourself, burn more fat and really "lean out," then take your cardio act outside! Their is something better and tougher than the stepmill and stair-stepper...The parent of the stepmill and stair-stepper is the stadium steps! Walking or running stadium steps (or stairs) require YOU TO SUPPLY ALL THE MOMENTUM AND FORCE--NO HELP FROM MACHINES.....this makes your workout tougher and gives you more benefit...personally,...

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Over-Training And Under-Eating With Small Results

Over-training and under-eating with small results is common with alot of people...how do you know if you are over-training? Here are some signs:1. Sluggishness2. Lack of control during exercises 3. Longer rest periods are needed between sets4. You are usually tired before your workouts 5. You are stressed out (when exercise should be your stress-buster!)I was talking to a friend last week who is trying to lose weight too fast. First, fat loss should be the goal and the weight loss will take care of itself. Anyway, he is basically working out 2-3 hours a day. He had early success which is normal.But now, he is always exhausted, over-training, under-eating and in a weight loss rut! This combination, if continued, is a recipe for fatigue,...

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Lower Body Cardio Blast Workout

Change up your cardio routine with lower body cardio blasts....stop me if you've heard this before: cardio bores me to tears! So, I keep it short and fast which translates to 20 minutes of interval cardio per session...Thankfully, all it takes is 20 minutes of interval cardio, 3-4 days a week to keep your heart healthy and burn fat...If you don't change up your cardio routine, your body will adapt and you'll be wasting your time! I know people who have done the same cardio routine for so long that repetitive stress injuries have set in!So, get off the elliptical and treadmill machines and make your cardio interesting and more effective!Here is the lower body cardio blast workout I did yesterday:1. 10 minutes: sprint 1 minute, walk 1 minute2....

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Can't lose weight? New research on thyroid may solve your problem

Diets rarely help people to lose weight permanently, so exercise gives you your best chance to lose excess weight and keep it off. However, some people cannot lose weight, no matter how much they exercise. Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh showed that overweight people who do not lose weight when they follow an exercise program are likely to suffer from low thyroid function, and therefore should be able to lose weight if they take thyroid hormones (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, February 2009). I think this is a very important study so this issue of the eZine is a little longer than usual.When you eat, blood sugar levels rise. Your pancreas responds by releasing insulin into your bloodstream which drives sugar into...

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Play Basketball For Cardio Exercise

Play basketball for your cardio exercise if you need a change from your normal cardio routine....cardio on machines can get boring pretty fast....and you may not have time to go to the gym...you can also break through plateaus when you make a change from your normal cardio routine...I'll choose fun exercise every time if it has the exercise benefits that I need...playing basketball the right way is great cardio exercise! It also has other exercise benefits.One important note: you need healthy knees and a healthy back or basketball for cardio exercise won't work for you!What is playing basketball the right way? 1. Sprinting when you should sprint will burn major calories and fat. 2. Jumping with maximum effort. I don't care if you can't...

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Exercise On-The-Go During March Madness!

Yes, you can get in your "exercise on-the-go" during "March Madness" tournament games! It just takes a little creativity and dedication....Remember, exercise should be fun for you or you will probably quit sooner rather than later.....so, between (or during) your game-watching parties and South by Southwest Music Festival--SXSW (here in Austin), get in your exercise! Here are some tips:1. Walk everywhere during SXSW and you'll be exhausted at the end of the day. If you're watching games, exercise during the game with bodyweight exercises.2. Play some "pick-up" basketball games and pretend you made the "buzzer-beater" that won the game!3. Go on a 45 minute bike ride between games or walk your dog.4. Rake all the leaves in your yard between...

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Exercise On-The-Go

Pack up your gym bag, dumbbells, medicine ball, swiss ball--be ready to "exercise on-the-go"....if you're going to "exercise on-the-go," there's no time to rush back home to get workout gear! Here are some tips:1. Keep your walking/running shoes with you! Walk as much as possible during the day! Take advantage of every opportunity to walk. This one tip should be used all the time. It makes a huge difference in your fitness. When I used to work on The University of Texas campus, it was not unusual for me to walk up to 2 hours in a day going to different departments....and, there are alot of hills here, so that made the exercise that much better. I didn't think of it as exercise until I stopped working on campus. I soon realized that I had...

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Workout Tip For Home

Here's a workout tip for you to do at home....I would argue that more time is wasted at home than probably any other place!Television watching can be a big time waster! I rarely watch a 2 or 3 hour game without doing something else while watching...I just don't have the time to waste....So, while you're watching American Idol (confess that you watch it!), do a bodyweight or dumbbell workout for 30-45 minutes.....your family will probably join you in the fun....Need a good home workout? Here goes: --Prisoner squats, 12 repetitions, moderate pace--Pushup Plank with Leg Lift, 5 second hold and lift, 8 each leg--Mountain Climbers, 30 seconds, slow pace --Pushups, 20 repetitions--Dumbbell Bentover Row, 10 repetitions, moderate pace--Ab Curl Ups,...

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Fat-Burning, Time-Saving Workout

I do fat-burning, time-saving workouts because I don't have any time to waste...that's not the same thing as "I don't have time to workout!" I schedule time to workout so there are no excuses. Its important to me!How important are your workouts to you? Is exercise part of what you do most days? If not, you might need to prioritize your schedule....all you need is 30-50 minutes for a weight training workout and 20 minutes for a cardio workout! Fat-burning, time-saving workouts will allow you to always "fit exercise in your schedule."This week, I will help you come up with ways to take advantage of the time you have during a day. This way, exercise won't get left out of your busy day....One good tactic to use is this: exercise where you...

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It's March Madness! My Fitness Hut Medicine Ball Workout!

Use medicine balls regularly in your workouts and start by using My Fitness Hut's 'March Madness' Medicine Ball Workout Book!" Start playing with your medicine balls more---keep some medicine balls with you all the time and workout anywhere, anytime!Learn to exercise more using "your natural motions......."medicine balls let you easily do this. No two bodies are exactly alike....that's why you shouldn't exercise exclusively on machines. Machines limit you to "that machine's" pre-determined range of motion.Any personal trainer worth her or his salt will watch to see what your "natural motions"...

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Bone Density May Not Measure Bone Strength

A study from Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK shows that sprint cyclists have denser bones than long distance cyclists who have denser bones than sedentary control subjects (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, March 2009). While cyclists have less dense bones than weight lifters and football players, they still have denser bones than people who do not exercise. The greater the force on bones during exercise, the denser the bone. So any type of exercise is good for your bones and a sedentary lifestyle is bad for bones.When I reported on this study, several readers responded by quoting other studies that showed competitive cyclists have lower bone mineral density in their spines than moderately-active, aged-matched men...

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Eat Your Protein And Build Muscle

Notice I said to eat your protein to build muscle....I have always said to get your nutrition mainly from food...there's plenty of protein in the foods we eat...Good food sources for protein are:lean beef, lean chicken, fish, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, cheeses, beans, peas, nuts and seeds. If you are vegetarian, there are plenty of protein food sources for you.Include protein in every meal....it helps you stay fuller for a longer period of time (it digests more slowly) which will help you eat less...this is important to help you achieve fat loss and weight loss goals.I've never done the protein drink thing but there are those who swear by it. I know one thing for sure---whole, natural foods work best for your body and you will save...

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Work Off Frustration With Interval Cardio

Interval cardio worked for me last night after a frustrating day dealing with computer geeks....try 11 hours of computer problems that amounted to not much...After that, I had a decision to make at about 10 p.m. Go workout and feel better or go lay on the couch (watching Sports Center) and still feel frustated, mad and stressed out....there are different ways to work off stress and frustration :)And the winner is: 20 minutes of interval sprint cardio and I was flying.....it always works and I felt better last night and I feel great today!Moral to the story? There will always be a reason NOT TO WORKOUT....JUST WORKOUT ON MOST DAYS AND YOU'LL FEEL BETTER AND BE HEALTHIER!No computer problems today! Have a great workout!Learn how to lose weight...

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Build Muscle, Burn Fat And Get Lean, 2

If you want to build muscle, burn fat and get lean then feed your muscles before your weight training workout......you will need energy for your workout and you want to continually provide nutrients to build muscle on your body.....Pre-workout nutrition should mainly include carbohydrates and proteins. If you haven't eaten properly, a protein shake will work in a pinch.....Your body depends heavily on fuel from carbohydrates (glycogen) for energy during an intense weight training workout. Eating fruits, vegetables, smoothies, etc. 1-2 hours before a workout will build up your glycogen stores. I ALWAYS PREFER TO GET MY NUTRITION FROM FOOD...BESIDES, SUPPLEMENTS AND DRINKS ARE EXPENSIVE AND MANY OF THEM DON'T WORK!If you are a protein shake...

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Weight Training Benefits the Heart

Most authorities recommend both endurance and resistance exercise for heart health, even for people who have recovered from heart attacks. Now a study from The University of Athens in Greece shows how resistance exercise may help prevent heart attacks (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, February 2009). Nine healthy, untrained male volunteers performed leg presses, with eight sets of six repetitions and three-minute rest intervals. One day later their blood fat levels were lower than normal after a high-fat meal. This shows that a single bout of weight lifting can prevent a high rise in blood fats one day later. A high rise in fat or sugar after meals increases risk for heart attacks. Exercising and exercised muscles help to remove...

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