Fitness Nuggets
Simple Goals for Big Fitness Gains
Are your New Year’s fitness resolutions falling short now that Valentine’s day is approaching? It could be time to reconsider your approach because little fitness goals can go a long way. Consistently establishing new healthy habits will help you realize the goal of losing weight and getting fit. Instead of wanting instant gratification that may [...]
Are your New Year’s fitness resolutions falling short now that Valentine’s day is approaching? It could be time to reconsider your approach because little fitness goals can go a long way. Consistently establishing new healthy habits will help you realize the goal of losing weight and getting fit.
Instead of wanting instant gratification that may wind up disappointing you, small lifestyle changes can add up to big fitness gains.
Consider these 3 simple ways to achieve your goals throughout 2010:
1. Add a 10 minute workout routine to your mornings everyday before work – set your clock 10 minutes ahead to get fit and boost your energy level and calorie burning all morning long.
2. Replace your afternoon snacks with fruits or vegetables to avoid empty calories, keep your energy going and get essential vitamins.
3. Take 10 minutes after work or your daily routine to have quiet time – meditate, do stretching or simply close your eyes in the dark to rejuvenate.
Try to make these healthy habits become a part of your everyday life over the next few months to help you lose weight and get more fit. Over time, you will naturally get stronger, more fit and boost your overall well-being.
Are Crying and Fitness Connected?
If you cry during a workout, it does not necessarily mean you pulled out your back or tore a hamstring. Rather, according to psychotherapists and fitness instructors, exercise can release pent-up emotions that can actually bring you to tears after body-mind workouts such as pilates and yoga. Known as the field of “body psychotherapy”, the [...]
If you cry during a workout, it does not necessarily mean you pulled out your back or tore a hamstring. Rather, according to psychotherapists and fitness instructors, exercise can release pent-up emotions that can actually bring you to tears after body-mind workouts such as pilates and yoga.
Known as the field of “body psychotherapy”, the body holds on to certain feelings, even if the mind has already dealt with them.
New York therapist Karol Ward states, “We use our bodies to physically tense up against pain or negative experiences. So if a person has the opportunity to relax that area, whatever has been held there can come to the surface. The body wants to complete the emotional experience.”
Molly Lannon Kenny, a yoga instructor at The Samarya Center for Integrated Movement Therapy in Seattle with a background in speech pathology, offers classes to people who have experienced loss, chronic pain, ADHD and anxiety disorders.
She compares significant emotions to hamstrings that start to loosen up when a person gets moving, saying, “It’s our belief that those emotions get stuck in our bodies and that emotions have physical manifestations. We think of the broken heart and the broken mind but we don’t think about the broken body.”
If you’re looking to relieve daily stress, consider physical workouts that incorporate the body and mind, such as tai chi, yoga and pilates. Engaging in a regular exercise routine improves the overall well-being of your body, mind and spirit.
Fitness – The Older The Better?
Although people may slow down a bit as they get older, excellence in fitness and sports is still possible. With age comes improved wisdom about pacing and strategy that are invaluable in both personal fitness and competitive sports that require mental fortitude, such as running and swimming. As you age, you are more aware of [...]
Although people may slow down a bit as they get older, excellence in fitness and sports is still possible.
With age comes improved wisdom about pacing and strategy that are invaluable in both personal fitness and competitive sports that require mental fortitude, such as running and swimming.
As you age, you are more aware of your capabilities and have greater control over your level of endurance. This asset can be applied to fitness to achieve new heights without injury. Sports psychologists and exercise experts feel there is more to this than having the right genes or basic physiology.
According to Miriam Nelson, Tuft University director of the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition (speaking about older fitness enthusiasts), “They’re more disciplined, they train smarter, they’re consistent with their training. Whatever sport you’re in, you can be smarter from a competitive edge in terms of knowing yourself, how to pace yourself.”
This wisdom can be applied to people of all ages trying to attain a better level of fitness. Whether you are walking, running, swimming or playing a sport, knowing your abilities and working with your strong and weak points will give you an advantage.
Even if you are not working out for competitive reasons, doing this will help you surpass your own goals and enjoy an even healthier lifestyle.
The Benefits of Stretching
The benefits of a regular aerobic workout routine are internationally recognized, but a recent study revealed that a regular routine of stretching has several benefits…it makes people stronger, builds up their endurance and enhances their overall performance. Author of the study, Arnold Nelson, an associate professor of kinesiology at Louisiana State University, says that, “Stretching [...]
The benefits of a regular aerobic workout routine are internationally recognized, but a recent study revealed that a regular routine of stretching has several benefits…it makes people stronger, builds up their endurance and enhances their overall performance.
Author of the study, Arnold Nelson, an associate professor of kinesiology at Louisiana State University, says that, “Stretching appears to do more than just increase range of motion. The extent that some people improved was surprising. Some people had fantastic improvements.”
While stretching is not meant to take the place of strength-training or aerobics, it is an excellent way to supplement your current workout routine for overall fitness and well-being. Stretching is also a great place to start for people who are weak or have limited physical capabilities.
Stretching all your major muscle groups at least once a few times a week, such as before or after exercising, boosts your fitness level, increases flexibility and strength and helps to relax muscle tension. Build up slowing during these stretching exercises so you don’t hurt your muscles…and remember that stretching should never hurt.
Adding stretching to your exercise workout routine has many benefits — and it not only feels fantastic, but increases the potential of your workout as well.
Using Exercise to Get Rid of Neck Pain
Does your neck ache and feel stiff? You’re not alone because many people are propped in front of their computer screen all day causing neck pain. The answer to your neck ache may lie in strength training. Chronic pain along the neck and shoulders usually comes from the upper trapezius muscle along the upper back [...]
Does your neck ache and feel stiff?
You’re not alone because many people are propped in front of their computer screen all day causing neck pain. The answer to your neck ache may lie in strength training.
Chronic pain along the neck and shoulders usually comes from the upper trapezius muscle along the upper back and shoulders. The trapezius muscle helps to move your neck.
When you do monotonous jobs such as staring at a computer or working on an assembly line, your neck muscles may start to feel sore and tight.
A recent study published in the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism found that 70 to 80 percent of women who strength trained for 10 weeks had decreased pain. For the study, the women worked out neck and shoulder muscles with hand weights for 20 minutes 3 times per week for 10 weeks.
Strength training works because it boosts the metabolism of protein in your muscles, helping to repair the aching tissue. Stronger muscles are also more capable of handling your daily activities without strain.
To relieve muscles, hold a weight in each hand with your arms extended down the sides of your body. Shrug your shoulders slowly. Simple movements such as these can relieve and prevent chronic neck pain after a long day behind the computer.
