Faster Runners Have Longer Strides

When most experienced runners go as fast as they can, they run at close to the same stride rate. For example, a video at the New York City Marathon showed that the top 150 runners had the same cadence, taking 92 to 94 steps a minute. The difference between the top runners and the others is that the best runners took longer strides.

However, you cannot run faster by consciously trying to increase your stride length. When you try to take longer strides than what feels natural to you, you lose energy and run more slowly.

Your heel hits the ground with great force. The tendons in your legs absorb some of this energy and then contract forcibly after the heel strikes the ground so you regain about 60 to 75 percent of that stored energy. When you try to take a stride that is longer than your natural one, you lose a great deal of this stored energy, tire much earlier and move your legs at a slower rate.

The key to running faster in races is to make your leg muscles stronger so you can contract them with greater force so they drive you forward with a longer stride. Competitive runners strengthen their legs by running very fast in practice two or three times a week, and by running up and down hills once or twice a week.

Read more »

Intense Workouts Give You More Progress

Ramp up the intensity of your workouts to get more progress with your fat loss and weight loss! Usually, its easier to lose weight at the beginning of your exercise program. This is especially true if you are, let's say, 100 pounds overweight. At this point, your metabolism is "running high" because of the excess weight. And, if you have not been active, your body will respond quickly to any new exercise activity.

As time moves on you have to make frequent changes to your exercise routine or your body will adapt. That's when your progress begins to stall. There are alot of things you can do to change up your routine such as choosing different exercises. You can change up exercises every workout if you want (but not necessary).

One of the best ways to break through your weight loss/fat loss plateau is to "ramp up" the intensity of your workouts. My observations of people working out is that many just simply don't "go hard enough" during their workouts! Changing your body composition (more muscle, less fat) take hard, smart work! Some people are flat out lazy but many just don't know what they should be doing.

What to do? Here is one pointer:

Get off the cardio machines! They do too much of the work for you. When you have a choice, do your cardio "on land"---either outside or on the floor. My number one preference for cardio is sprint intervals on grass or uphill. Because of my athletic background, I enjoy this type of cardio (enjoyment is very important). I also prefer to exercise outside mainly because I grew up in New Mexico where the sun usually shines 95% of the time.

There are many other choices for doing cardio "on land" such as bodyweight cardio (examples: mountain climbers, burpees, leg circuits, etc.), jump rope, butt kickers (running in place). The key here is to speed up and shorten your cardio work to about 20 minutes. Research and my experience has proven that this type of cardio work is one of the best ways to tone up your body.

Note: Do this type of cardio no more than 3 days a week to prevent breakdown and injury.

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"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! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

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 »

New Explanation for DASH Diet Success

If your systolic (heart contraction) blood pressure is above 120 mm/hg before you go to bed at night, you have high blood pressure and are at increased risk for heart attacks, strokes and premature death. You can protect yourself from premature death caused by high blood pressure with the DASH diet, exercising, avoiding overweight, and getting adequate amounts of vitamin D.

The DASH diet is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts and legumes, and low-fat dairy. Several studies have shown that the DASH diet lowers high blood pressure as effectively as most blood pressure drugs, prolongs life, and prevents heart attacks and strokes. The most common explanation for this success has been the high potassium, magnesium and fiber content of vegetables. However, a study from Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston (Journal of Human Hypertension, August 2009) shows that the DASH diet lowers blood pressure better than a diet supplemented with extra potassium, magnesium and fiber, so there must be other factors.

Now a study of 4706 men and women aged 40-59 in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and Japan suggests that glutamic acid, an amino acid that relaxes blood vessels, may explain why a high-vegetable diet treats high blood pressure. (Circulation, August 2009.) A vegetable-based diet has five percent more glutamic acid than a diet rich in meat and prepared foods.

Calories do count; the DASH diet may not lower high blood pressure if you eat too much food. More on the DASH diet

Read more »

Bloating Feels Gross, Get Rid Of It!

Bloating feels gross so do what it takes to get rid of it! Eat more of the right kinds of foods to get rid of bloating....

Foods that are high in sodium can cause bloating. So can foods like white bread and other refined carbohydrates like pasta. When these foods are stored in your body, they hold onto water which causes bloating. Foods high in saturated fat can cause bloating because your stomach empties out slower and you feel sluggish. And, limit eating candy to decrease bloating.

If you are lactose intolerant, you will experience bloating when you drink products like milk. There are plenty of lactose-free products out on the market today to help you out.

Eat more foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, fish, foods high in unsaturated fat, etc. and you will have less bloating. And, drink water instead of sodas and drinks high in sodium.

Stress is another common cause of bloating. Getting proper rest and exercising regularly will help you combat stress.

Take steps to get rid of your bloating! These steps will also help you lose weight and burn fat!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"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! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

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 »

I Didn't Get Enough Sleep And....

I didn't get enough sleep last night and its causing all kinds of problems like:

1. decreased energy,

2. constant cravings for sugary foods (for quick energy),

3. metabolism problems,

4. stress-out feelings and

5. decreased workout performance.

Too much sleep deprivation will lead to health problems for me---and you if we don't get the sleep we need to function properly!

Getting 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, energy decreased and appetite increased. And we already knew that decreased energy affects your workout performance. What's enough sleep? The general rule is 8 hours of sleep a night. Some may need more sleep or a little less than 8 hours. Don't sabotage your exercise program and fat loss goals by not getting enough shut-eye.

Sleep (rest), recovery (from workouts), good nutrition and regular exercise work together to make you fit and healthy!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"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! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

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 »

Your Grocery List

Your grocery list is one of the big keys to you succeeding with your fat loss and weight loss. Prepare your grocery list at the beginning of the week to buy the foods you are going to eat. Sound simple? It is that simple.

If you don't plan your meals, you are likely to eat haphazardly. One of the biggest mealplan-busters is "eating on the run".....that usually turns into a disaster as far as your calorie count is concerned...there is no planning and you end up eating what taste good...."taste good foods on the run" many times equates to fat-filled, calorie-rich foods.

Fill your grocery list with whole, natural foods like oatmeal, whole grains, whole grain pastas, fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. And, prepare meals with these types of foods. If you eat on the run one day, eat something healthy.

As the week goes by, compare what you eat to your grocery list and planned menus. Another key to your success is to record what you eat in a food journal. This will hold you accountable on a daily basis. Step by step, day by day, week by week...stay with your grocery list and meal plan most of the time and you will succeed!

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"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! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

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 »

Short, Effective Cardio Workouts

You know that cardio bores me to tears....so I keep it short, fast and tough to get max benefit (calorie burn, fat burn, body sculpting).....All it takes is 20 minutes each workout! Long, slow cardio sessions wastes time and eats away at your muscle mass.

This is a great circuit cardio workout:

1. Step Ups (knee-high platform), 10 each leg, fast
2. Pullups, 10 reps, moderate pace
3. Two hand medicine ball chest pass, 10, fast
4. Prisoner Squats, 12 reps, moderate pace
5. Tricep Dips on Bars, 10 reps, moderate pace
6. Back Extensions (with 35 lb. plate), 15 reps, moderate pace

Rest 2 minutes between circuit. Repeat circuit 2 more times.

That's it! Give it a try...if you need more rest, take it.

What do you do to keep cardio interesting?

Learn how to lose weight the right way and get My Fitness Hut's 7-Day Weight Loss And Fat Loss e-Course! The e-Course is FREE!

"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! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

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 »