Fitness Nuggets
5 Fitness Benefits of Biking
When you were a child, you probably spent plenty of time getting around on your trusty bicycle. After you got your first car, your bike fell to the wayside. Now it’s collecting dust in the back of the garage, if you still have it at all. Now that the warmer weather is here, drag out [...]
When you were a child, you probably spent plenty of time getting around on your trusty bicycle.
After you got your first car, your bike fell to the wayside. Now it’s collecting dust in the back of the garage, if you still have it at all.
Now that the warmer weather is here, drag out your old bike or find yourself a new one so you can return to the fun outdoor activity that kept you fit as kid.
5 benefits of bicycling for fitness include:
1. A change of scenery rather than sitting on a stationery bike at home
2. Fresh air and sunshine with beneficial vitamin D
3. Aerobic activity for better heart health and circulation
4. Impoved overall fitness including well-toned leg muscles
5. Local transportation so you save on gas and protect the environment.
To get started, all you need is a stable bicycle, a helmet and sturdy sneakers. And do a few simple stretches before you ride to limber up your muscles.
Returning to one of your favorite childhood pastimes is an enjoyable way to achieve your fitness goals.
Fitness is a Family Routine
The alarming facts about family fitness reveal that one in five American children between 12 and 17 years old are overweight with two-thirds unable to pass a basic test of physical fitness. Further, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reported that two in five children have signs of circulation or heart problems. With [...]
The alarming facts about family fitness reveal that one in five American children between 12 and 17 years old are overweight with two-thirds unable to pass a basic test of physical fitness.
Further, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports reported that two in five children have signs of circulation or heart problems. With these distressing facts in mind, clearly fitness needs to be a family routine.
Here are some tips to get your children and yourself in better shape:
Children learn what they live. Work out yourself and your kids will follow your lead. Include your children in simple workout routines.
Incorporate exercise into your everyday life. Whether you walk the dog together, romp in the park or take a stroll after dinner, include fitness in your family routine just like eating, sleeping and bathing.
Minimize television and computer time. Keep the television and computer in the family room so you can monitor how long your children are using them. Do not put televisions or computers in your kids’ rooms.
Make fitness fun. Instead of spending family time at the movies or sitting around, plan hikes, bowling, camping, fishing and other activities that promote both fitness and fun.
Get your children involved in physical activities. Dancing, karate and sports teams are great ways to encourage your children to get moving. If you are on a budget, consider budget-priced community activities through the YMCA or other local organization.
By adding fitness to your daily family routine, you can ensure a healthy future for your children and yourself.
Exercise Your Way To Better Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American sleeps only 6.9 hours every night, with a third getting less sleep than that. The good news is that a simple regimen of regular exercise can help you to sleep better — and you’ll enjoy improved overall fitness at the same time. Half the adults in [...]
According to the National Sleep Foundation, the average American sleeps only 6.9 hours every night, with a third getting less sleep than that.
The good news is that a simple regimen of regular exercise can help you to sleep better — and you’ll enjoy improved overall fitness at the same time.
Half the adults in America sleep less so they can work or play more. However, without the required 7 to 8 hours sleep, people are becoming sleep deprived and unable to enjoy these activities.
Also, sleep-deprived people have higher sugar concentrations in their blood that could contribute to pre-diabetes and a lack of deep sleep inhibits your body’s ability to fight disease.
For most people, working out regularly reduces insomnia and improves sleep quality by producing smoother transitions between the cycles of sleep.
Getting moderate exercise for 20 to 30 minutes 3 to 4 times weekly will give you better sleep and increased energy. You will be able to fall asleep and stay asleep more easily and remain in the deep sleep phase for a longer period of time for maximum benefit.
Additional benefits of regular exercise and sleep include reduced stress, ease of muscular tension, sharper brain power and increased production of endorphins, the substance that gives you a feeling of well-being.
Having an ongoing exercise routine will help you sleep better and feel better everyday.
Exercise for Health Not Appearance
A study conducted by Ohio State University and funded by a grant from the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology explored the relevancy of exercise and body image to determine the best way to approach fitness. The study revealed that women with chronic issues about their body image benefit more from an exercise [...]
A study conducted by Ohio State University and funded by a grant from the Association for the Advancement of Applied Sport Psychology explored the relevancy of exercise and body image to determine the best way to approach fitness.
The study revealed that women with chronic issues about their body image benefit more from an exercise class where the instructor discusses the health benefits of working out rather than a class where the instructor emphasizes an improved appearance.
The study involved almost 100 women of college age with social physique anxiety, a disorder that makes a person worry constantly about what others think of his or her body.
According to Brian Focht, a co-author of the study and assistant professor of health promotion and health behavior at Ohio State University, “Women who have this disorder usually are interested in exercise to improve their appearance, but an instructor who emphasizes physique during a workout may deter such students from coming back. We want to design the most beneficial exercise programs for different groups of people, and understanding how people respond to different approaches to exercise is key to doing so. We expected the mirrors to have some effect on these women, but that wasn’t the case. It was the instructor’s leadership style that had a direct effect on the students’ attitudes.”
With this in mind, it is not seeing yourself in the mirror that can be the most discouraging — it is your attitude about fitness. If you workout solely for the purposes of looking good, it becomes a frustrating, empty experience. Focusing on the physical and health benefits of working out is inspiring because your attention is directed at feeling your best rather than looking your best.
When you feel healthy and have a positive daily diet and exercise habits, a more attractive figure follows naturally.
Fitness That Makes Scents
We understand the basic key to fitness is cutting calories and exercising. We also know the scent of delicious food can make us want to stray from our fitness goals. But were you aware that scents can also inspire you to exercise? Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to heal and inspire a variety of [...]
We understand the basic key to fitness is cutting calories and exercising. We also know the scent of delicious food can make us want to stray from our fitness goals. But were you aware that scents can also inspire you to exercise?
Aromatherapy has been used for centuries to heal and inspire a variety of moods. From encouraging relaxation and sleep to energizing, different scents give us different thoughts.
Essential oils such as lavender encourage sleep while vanilla makes you feel more relaxed. In fact, these oils have physical effects that cause the body to produce certain neurochemicals that promote relaxation. Energizing scents include citrus, basil and ginger but these fragrances are just a guideline because each person may be emotionally and physically influenced by scents in a different way.
The basis of aromatherapy is relating a certain scent to an activity. When you smell the scent, it will make you want to take positive action by association. For example, a citrus fragrance may give you a chemically-induced boost of energy while reminding you to engage in your favorite form of exercise.
If you want new inspiration to keep up with your fitness routine, aromatherapy may be just what you need!
