Exercise
What are the benefits of Exercise?
Physical activity stimulates the secretion of many feel-good hormones, including growth hormone, norepinephrine, epinephrine and glucagons.
Glucagon is secreted to convert stored glycogen into glucose, which improves the efficiency of insulin for several hours after each session. Norepinephrine and epinephrine are released in the brain throughout the body to elevate mood and immediately after exercise. With regular exercise, the body seeks to continue staying active, sustaining a positive feedback loop. It has been demonstrated that regular exercise leads to improved sleep quality and duration, which also contributes to the release of nocturnal, reparative neuro-transmitters. Nearly everyone of a reasonable psyche will feel better after a session of exercise that is appropriate to their individual level of fitness.
What is the best type of cardio?
The best type of Cardio is specific for everyone’s different goals, body-types, exercise history and present level of conditioning. Cross Training is a method used to prevent over-training by incorporating a mixture of jogging, sprinting, elliptical trainer, recumbent bike, spin bike, treadmill, outdoor walking, jogging, swimming and rollerblading. Also playing sports such as tennis, soccer, squash, dodge ball, hockey, and touch football, you will bring variety to your workouts and develop and train different muscle groups. In addition, you will be challenging your body and improving your overall level of athleticism, co-ordination, and cardiovascular conditioning.
How can I lose weight and body fat and also gain muscle?
BODYFORLIFE.COM is a great program that uses tested principles of progressive overload resistance training, with a combination of eating 6 small-medium sized meals a day. Each meal consists of a Protein, Carbohydrate, and a minimum of 2 meals must have a vegetable. For more information visit www.bodyforlife.com or email [email protected]
How long should I hold a stretch for?
There are different types of stretches and they are used for specific intentions. Yin Yoga uses long static stretches (no movement) where you hold from 1 min – 5 minutes. This is very effective at targeting the connective tissue, fascia and ligaments and joints. Post workout, static stretch is best advised. The recommendation is to stretch the full body and to hold each stetch from 20 seconds – 1 min. This is great for reducing D.O.M. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) caused by lactic acid buildup during the workout., a Dynamic stretching is very useful after warming. This is where you start to put your muscles through a full range of motion with slow and steady movements. This prepares the body for the upcoming exercise and prevents injuries. Stretching after a warm-up is recommended as the synovial fluids in the joints and the body will have warmed up to prevent over-stretching a cold musce.
What are the benefits of weight lifting?
Lifting weights will increase your body’s percentage of muscle. Muscle is very beneficial as it burns fat, prevents injures, helps stabilize the body’s postural demands and increases one’s strength. Weight lifting will train the body to learn new movements. This helps with neuromuscular facilitation, balance, coordination, athleticism, and self-esteem.
Health and Happiness Tips
Reverse the Clock
"Nearly 30 years ago, stress expert Hans Selye of McGill University said despite having performed countless autopsies, he never saw anybody die of old age. He stipulated that it was the wear and tear on a particular body part that was linked to an early departure from this planet. Researchers at Tufts University in Boston evaluated 12 biological markers that could predict longevity in individuals. To the amazement of the scientific community, the top two of these parameters turned out to be muscle mass and level of strength. Apparently, one of the leading causes of aging is a condition called "sarcopenia" which manifests through degradation of the muscular system and marble-like fatty deposits within the muscles accompanied by an increase in fat storage under the skin.
The good news is that sarcopenia is reversible by adhering to sound strength training programs. The results can be, in fact, quite dramatic. Subjects in their mid-80s can return to a muscular biological age of someone in their mid-50s with only three months of strength training. As little as 20 minutes of strength training done three times a week is sufficient to reverse the clock."
Envy, Jealousy, Perfectionism and Anger
What do envy and jealousy, perfectionism and anger, fear and loathing, and all other things that make you unhappy have in common? There's one thing they all boil down to... they are all focusing your mind on something that isn't perfectly the way you want it to be.
One of the easiest signs by which you can tell that you are thinking too much about something not being perfect is when you start complaining. Whatever it is that you are complaining about, it's obviously something you don't like (or why would you be complaining?). If it's something you don't like, why are you wasting your time and energy thinking about it? As I've written before, spending energy on something gives it importance in your life, whether that energy is negative or positive. However much impact something has in your life, in who you are, is determined by how much importance you give it.
Every time you complain about something, your are giving it more importance, so it's becoming a bigger part of your life. Since you only complain about things you don't like, that doesn't seem like a very desirable outcome, does it? This includes, by the way, when you only complain about it in the safety of your own mind... you are still thinking about it and giving it more importance.
Now, let's think about the other side of the coin. How often do you specifically mention the things that you do like that are going on in your life? How often do you thank someone for something they do that makes something go well in your life, compared to how often you complain when someone does something that you don't like? For instance, do you thank your spouse if they do the dishes, or only complain when they do not? Do you thank your boss when he stands up for you, or only complain when he does something you don't like?
Happiness in life is all about your focus, whether it's negative or positive. If your "thanks" outweigh your "complaints", then you will be happy most of the time. If your complaints outweigh your thanks, you will be unhappy most of the time. If you want your life to be happier, you can make it that way, without changing your circumstances at all. Want to know how? If you want to make your life happier, just make this one simple change:
Every time you catch yourself complaining, find two positive things about your life to tell the same person to whom you're complaining.
This forces you to focus more on the things you do like, and keeps the things you don't like from obscuring the overall quality of your life. If you want to make even more difference, if you're complaining about a person, find something good about that person to tell to whomever is receiving your complaints, and then go over to the person you were complaining about (if it's feasible... obviously you can't do this if the person you were complaining about was an anonymous driver on the freeway) and thank them for whatever it is that they do that you like. Do this and you'll find it hard to harbor grudges or do more than vaguely dislike someone, since you are aware of their positive traits, too.
Again, happiness is a state of mind that you choose. If you leave the choice to your subconscious, your conscious mind may not like the results, until you have trained your subconscious to STOP concentrating on the things that are going wrong and instead focus on the things that are going right. Choose to focus on the things you like, and bring those things more into focus, making them a bigger part of your life, rather than the things you complain about.
Doing this won't make everything in your life positive, and can't make you happy 100% of the time. It will, however, make it easier for you to be happy the majority of the time, and make it easier for you to return to happiness after something causes you to depart from that state.
Having Trouble Getting a Good Night's Sleep?
If you are spending the night tossing and turning and waking up tired and restless, than a few simple modifications to your day are necessary:
• Engage in exercise during the morning and afternoon. Try to avoid exercising in the evening as it often leaves people full of energy and can make sleeping difficult.
• Stay away from all sources of caffeine after the morning hours.
• Eat lunches and dinners that are high in neurotransmitters, such as turkey, salmon, legumes, whole wheat breat, brown rice, oats and others. These foods contain the necessary precursor needed to create melatonin and serotonin – the hormone balance required for restful sleep.
• If you are in the habit of taking an afternoon nap, make sure it is less than 30 minutes.
• By taking the time for a few deep belly breaths late in the afternoon, you can reduce the stress hormone cortisol. This will leave you feeling more relaxed and calm.
• Avoid liquids, particularly alcohol, ninety minutes before bedtime.
• Having a relaxing bedtime ritual such as listening to soft music, reading a good book, a quiet conversation, writing in a journal, and spending time meditating will calm the nerves and prepare you for sleep.
• Use calming aromatic fragrances such as clary sage, lavender, jasmine or rose in a bath or to scent your bedroom.
Fat Loss Tips
• Eat 5-6 Small Nutrition Meals Each Day. Eating small amounts consistently throughout the day keeps blood sugar levels in balance. Try to eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains, seeds.
• Don’t Become Another FAD DIET Fanatic. Most diets don’t work because the body experiences famine (significant shock to the body due to calorie reduction). Reducing calories is healthy, especially if someone is consuming an excess of a suggested number for their specific body type and personal goals. By reducing too many calories the bodies metabolic rate slows down and when the diet ends most people go back to their previous eating habits with too many calories and they end up gaining more weight then they originally started with.
• Drink Plenty of Water. Water can often replace the bodies urge to eat and helps us function at our optimal levels. If you are regularly exercising than the suggested 8 cups a day needs to be increased to anywhere from 10-16 glasses to replace the fluids being lost through sweat.
• Avoid Eating Processed Foods such as white flour and rice products, cereal, pop and chips, cookies and other foods low in nutrients, which cause more food cravings and promote fatty degeneration (Fat deposits throughout the body).
• Eating the Right Kind of Fat. Essential Fatty Acids found in raw nuts, seeds, leafy vegetables, flax oil and salmon help to reduce fat in the body, especially when levels are above 12-15% of total calories. The EFA’s increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body, and the rate in turn burns more fat into Carbon Dioxide, Water and Energy (heat), resulting in fat burnoff and loss of excess weight.
• Keep the Body Moving. Everyday make an effort to go for a walk, or some form of exercise that you enjoy. If you like sports such as soccer you can go to a local field and jog with a soccer ball. If you like tennis, find a wall and ralley with yourself. If you enjoy rollerblading, invest in some good quality rollerblades and protective gear. If you really enjoy the outdoors, buy some good supportive hiking boots and drive to a local mountain or go for a walk or jog/run near a lake or to your favorite local spot. Park your car a distance from the entrance to where you’re going. The key is to keep moving and find something that is pleasant.
• Get Enough Sleep. The importance of sleep is often underestimated. Sleeping reduces stress that triggers binge eating, helps repair and build lean and toned muscles, strengthens the immune system and allows us to be more efficient in our daily tasks.
• Believe In Yourself. If your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon, play competitive sports or a combination of many other endless and exciting goals, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. You need to live the life that you desire. It often requires great commitments and sacrifices but you can do anything you put your mind to.
Follow Your Bliss, so the Life you Ought’ to be Living, is the Life you are Living!
HOW TO GET ENERGY!
To attain a high amount NATURAL ENERGY you need good Health. How does one distinguish between a healthy vs. an unhealthy lifestyle?
A healthy lifestyle requires:
1) Eat the right kind of food – A diet consisting of whole, fresh, organic foods is what you should eat all the time for optimal health and energy. You definitely want to avoid processed foods such as potato chips, muffins, cereals, convenience store candies, pops and slurpees, and drive through burgers, fries and deep fried foods.
2) Digest your food – It is far too common that when we take the time to have a meal or snack we are in a rush or are starving. This leads to eating our foods at astonishing speeds with very little focus on CHEWING our food and ENJOYING the flavors and quality. It is very important that our food is properly digested to provide a steady stream of energy and not to over-shock the body with too much Glucose in the Blood stream at a rapid pace. By adding bitters or digestive enzymes we can aid in digestion.
3) Stay Active – Our bodies are meant for movement and thank us through more flexibility, energy, a feeling of lightness and more self-confidence when we remain active and keep our bodies in motion throughout the day. The key is to find numerous exercises and activities we enjoy doing and make a plan. The goal should be to do some form of exercise everyday. For beginners it may be starting with 2-3 walks each day lasting anywhere from 5-10 minutes. For more intermediate and advanced people, going for a 30-45 minute jog, followed by 30 minutes of core training and weights, followed by stretching. For others it could be taking 2-3 Yoga classes per week, as well as going for regular walks or using some of the cardio machines at your local gym or community centre. Exercise generates energy if the body is well nourished and in balance. The key is Consistency, Safety, and to KEEP MOVING!
4) Handle Stress – Stress is an unavoidable part of life, however the key is how we approach and deal with life’s many challenges. Planning your meals, budgeting our money, organizing and using a day planner, getting enough sleep, choosing a career path you enjoy, having a healthy relationship with open communication are all very important to reducing and avoiding stress. When an event occurs that we don’t like or are unprepared for, we need to remain calm, collected and often think before we aggressively react. Meditation is a crucial part of being able to handle stress as it trains us to be calm, mindful and focused.
5) Listen to your Boyd – Our bodies are very intelligent and have the ability to alert the conscious mind when a problem is present or near. When we are fatigued it is time to get more sleep and to fuel the body with healthy foods. When we are holding onto something troubling inside ourselves, it is important to express yourself and communicate with whom your frustrations are aimed at. When we feel ill, it is a sign that you may have a cold or are rundown. Take some extra time to rest, drink plenty of fluids and dress warmly. We need to get in touch with our inner self and listen to our minds when they are alerting us of something important.
What are the benefits of Exercise?
Physical activity stimulates the secretion of many feel-good hormones, including growth hormone, norepinephrine, epinephrine and glucagons.
Glucagon is secreted to convert stored glycogen into glucose, which improves the efficiency of insulin for several hours after each session. Norepinephrine and epinephrine are released in the brain throughout the body to elevate mood and immediately after exercise. With regular exercise, the body seeks to continue staying active, sustaining a positive feedback loop. It has been demonstrated that regular exercise leads to improved sleep quality and duration, which also contributes to the release of nocturnal, reparative neuro-transmitters. Nearly everyone of a reasonable psyche will feel better after a session of exercise that is appropriate to their individual level of fitness.
What is the best type of cardio?
The best type of Cardio is specific for everyone’s different goals, body-types, exercise history and present level of conditioning. Cross Training is a method used to prevent over-training by incorporating a mixture of jogging, sprinting, elliptical trainer, recumbent bike, spin bike, treadmill, outdoor walking, jogging, swimming and rollerblading. Also playing sports such as tennis, soccer, squash, dodge ball, hockey, and touch football, you will bring variety to your workouts and develop and train different muscle groups. In addition, you will be challenging your body and improving your overall level of athleticism, co-ordination, and cardiovascular conditioning.
How can I lose weight and body fat and also gain muscle?
BODYFORLIFE.COM is a great program that uses tested principles of progressive overload resistance training, with a combination of eating 6 small-medium sized meals a day. Each meal consists of a Protein, Carbohydrate, and a minimum of 2 meals must have a vegetable. For more information visit www.bodyforlife.com or email [email protected]
How long should I hold a stretch for?
There are different types of stretches and they are used for specific intentions. Yin Yoga uses long static stretches (no movement) where you hold from 1 min – 5 minutes. This is very effective at targeting the connective tissue, fascia and ligaments and joints. Post workout, static stretch is best advised. The recommendation is to stretch the full body and to hold each stetch from 20 seconds – 1 min. This is great for reducing D.O.M. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) caused by lactic acid buildup during the workout., a Dynamic stretching is very useful after warming. This is where you start to put your muscles through a full range of motion with slow and steady movements. This prepares the body for the upcoming exercise and prevents injuries. Stretching after a warm-up is recommended as the synovial fluids in the joints and the body will have warmed up to prevent over-stretching a cold musce.
What are the benefits of weight lifting?
Lifting weights will increase your body’s percentage of muscle. Muscle is very beneficial as it burns fat, prevents injures, helps stabilize the body’s postural demands and increases one’s strength. Weight lifting will train the body to learn new movements. This helps with neuromuscular facilitation, balance, coordination, athleticism, and self-esteem.
Health and Happiness Tips
Reverse the Clock
"Nearly 30 years ago, stress expert Hans Selye of McGill University said despite having performed countless autopsies, he never saw anybody die of old age. He stipulated that it was the wear and tear on a particular body part that was linked to an early departure from this planet. Researchers at Tufts University in Boston evaluated 12 biological markers that could predict longevity in individuals. To the amazement of the scientific community, the top two of these parameters turned out to be muscle mass and level of strength. Apparently, one of the leading causes of aging is a condition called "sarcopenia" which manifests through degradation of the muscular system and marble-like fatty deposits within the muscles accompanied by an increase in fat storage under the skin.
The good news is that sarcopenia is reversible by adhering to sound strength training programs. The results can be, in fact, quite dramatic. Subjects in their mid-80s can return to a muscular biological age of someone in their mid-50s with only three months of strength training. As little as 20 minutes of strength training done three times a week is sufficient to reverse the clock."
Envy, Jealousy, Perfectionism and Anger
What do envy and jealousy, perfectionism and anger, fear and loathing, and all other things that make you unhappy have in common? There's one thing they all boil down to... they are all focusing your mind on something that isn't perfectly the way you want it to be.
One of the easiest signs by which you can tell that you are thinking too much about something not being perfect is when you start complaining. Whatever it is that you are complaining about, it's obviously something you don't like (or why would you be complaining?). If it's something you don't like, why are you wasting your time and energy thinking about it? As I've written before, spending energy on something gives it importance in your life, whether that energy is negative or positive. However much impact something has in your life, in who you are, is determined by how much importance you give it.
Every time you complain about something, your are giving it more importance, so it's becoming a bigger part of your life. Since you only complain about things you don't like, that doesn't seem like a very desirable outcome, does it? This includes, by the way, when you only complain about it in the safety of your own mind... you are still thinking about it and giving it more importance.
Now, let's think about the other side of the coin. How often do you specifically mention the things that you do like that are going on in your life? How often do you thank someone for something they do that makes something go well in your life, compared to how often you complain when someone does something that you don't like? For instance, do you thank your spouse if they do the dishes, or only complain when they do not? Do you thank your boss when he stands up for you, or only complain when he does something you don't like?
Happiness in life is all about your focus, whether it's negative or positive. If your "thanks" outweigh your "complaints", then you will be happy most of the time. If your complaints outweigh your thanks, you will be unhappy most of the time. If you want your life to be happier, you can make it that way, without changing your circumstances at all. Want to know how? If you want to make your life happier, just make this one simple change:
Every time you catch yourself complaining, find two positive things about your life to tell the same person to whom you're complaining.
This forces you to focus more on the things you do like, and keeps the things you don't like from obscuring the overall quality of your life. If you want to make even more difference, if you're complaining about a person, find something good about that person to tell to whomever is receiving your complaints, and then go over to the person you were complaining about (if it's feasible... obviously you can't do this if the person you were complaining about was an anonymous driver on the freeway) and thank them for whatever it is that they do that you like. Do this and you'll find it hard to harbor grudges or do more than vaguely dislike someone, since you are aware of their positive traits, too.
Again, happiness is a state of mind that you choose. If you leave the choice to your subconscious, your conscious mind may not like the results, until you have trained your subconscious to STOP concentrating on the things that are going wrong and instead focus on the things that are going right. Choose to focus on the things you like, and bring those things more into focus, making them a bigger part of your life, rather than the things you complain about.
Doing this won't make everything in your life positive, and can't make you happy 100% of the time. It will, however, make it easier for you to be happy the majority of the time, and make it easier for you to return to happiness after something causes you to depart from that state.
Having Trouble Getting a Good Night's Sleep?
If you are spending the night tossing and turning and waking up tired and restless, than a few simple modifications to your day are necessary:
• Engage in exercise during the morning and afternoon. Try to avoid exercising in the evening as it often leaves people full of energy and can make sleeping difficult.
• Stay away from all sources of caffeine after the morning hours.
• Eat lunches and dinners that are high in neurotransmitters, such as turkey, salmon, legumes, whole wheat breat, brown rice, oats and others. These foods contain the necessary precursor needed to create melatonin and serotonin – the hormone balance required for restful sleep.
• If you are in the habit of taking an afternoon nap, make sure it is less than 30 minutes.
• By taking the time for a few deep belly breaths late in the afternoon, you can reduce the stress hormone cortisol. This will leave you feeling more relaxed and calm.
• Avoid liquids, particularly alcohol, ninety minutes before bedtime.
• Having a relaxing bedtime ritual such as listening to soft music, reading a good book, a quiet conversation, writing in a journal, and spending time meditating will calm the nerves and prepare you for sleep.
• Use calming aromatic fragrances such as clary sage, lavender, jasmine or rose in a bath or to scent your bedroom.
Fat Loss Tips
• Eat 5-6 Small Nutrition Meals Each Day. Eating small amounts consistently throughout the day keeps blood sugar levels in balance. Try to eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, legumes, grains, seeds.
• Don’t Become Another FAD DIET Fanatic. Most diets don’t work because the body experiences famine (significant shock to the body due to calorie reduction). Reducing calories is healthy, especially if someone is consuming an excess of a suggested number for their specific body type and personal goals. By reducing too many calories the bodies metabolic rate slows down and when the diet ends most people go back to their previous eating habits with too many calories and they end up gaining more weight then they originally started with.
• Drink Plenty of Water. Water can often replace the bodies urge to eat and helps us function at our optimal levels. If you are regularly exercising than the suggested 8 cups a day needs to be increased to anywhere from 10-16 glasses to replace the fluids being lost through sweat.
• Avoid Eating Processed Foods such as white flour and rice products, cereal, pop and chips, cookies and other foods low in nutrients, which cause more food cravings and promote fatty degeneration (Fat deposits throughout the body).
• Eating the Right Kind of Fat. Essential Fatty Acids found in raw nuts, seeds, leafy vegetables, flax oil and salmon help to reduce fat in the body, especially when levels are above 12-15% of total calories. The EFA’s increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body, and the rate in turn burns more fat into Carbon Dioxide, Water and Energy (heat), resulting in fat burnoff and loss of excess weight.
• Keep the Body Moving. Everyday make an effort to go for a walk, or some form of exercise that you enjoy. If you like sports such as soccer you can go to a local field and jog with a soccer ball. If you like tennis, find a wall and ralley with yourself. If you enjoy rollerblading, invest in some good quality rollerblades and protective gear. If you really enjoy the outdoors, buy some good supportive hiking boots and drive to a local mountain or go for a walk or jog/run near a lake or to your favorite local spot. Park your car a distance from the entrance to where you’re going. The key is to keep moving and find something that is pleasant.
• Get Enough Sleep. The importance of sleep is often underestimated. Sleeping reduces stress that triggers binge eating, helps repair and build lean and toned muscles, strengthens the immune system and allows us to be more efficient in our daily tasks.
• Believe In Yourself. If your goal is to lose weight, run a marathon, play competitive sports or a combination of many other endless and exciting goals, BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. You need to live the life that you desire. It often requires great commitments and sacrifices but you can do anything you put your mind to.
Follow Your Bliss, so the Life you Ought’ to be Living, is the Life you are Living!
HOW TO GET ENERGY!
To attain a high amount NATURAL ENERGY you need good Health. How does one distinguish between a healthy vs. an unhealthy lifestyle?
A healthy lifestyle requires:
1) Eat the right kind of food – A diet consisting of whole, fresh, organic foods is what you should eat all the time for optimal health and energy. You definitely want to avoid processed foods such as potato chips, muffins, cereals, convenience store candies, pops and slurpees, and drive through burgers, fries and deep fried foods.
2) Digest your food – It is far too common that when we take the time to have a meal or snack we are in a rush or are starving. This leads to eating our foods at astonishing speeds with very little focus on CHEWING our food and ENJOYING the flavors and quality. It is very important that our food is properly digested to provide a steady stream of energy and not to over-shock the body with too much Glucose in the Blood stream at a rapid pace. By adding bitters or digestive enzymes we can aid in digestion.
3) Stay Active – Our bodies are meant for movement and thank us through more flexibility, energy, a feeling of lightness and more self-confidence when we remain active and keep our bodies in motion throughout the day. The key is to find numerous exercises and activities we enjoy doing and make a plan. The goal should be to do some form of exercise everyday. For beginners it may be starting with 2-3 walks each day lasting anywhere from 5-10 minutes. For more intermediate and advanced people, going for a 30-45 minute jog, followed by 30 minutes of core training and weights, followed by stretching. For others it could be taking 2-3 Yoga classes per week, as well as going for regular walks or using some of the cardio machines at your local gym or community centre. Exercise generates energy if the body is well nourished and in balance. The key is Consistency, Safety, and to KEEP MOVING!
4) Handle Stress – Stress is an unavoidable part of life, however the key is how we approach and deal with life’s many challenges. Planning your meals, budgeting our money, organizing and using a day planner, getting enough sleep, choosing a career path you enjoy, having a healthy relationship with open communication are all very important to reducing and avoiding stress. When an event occurs that we don’t like or are unprepared for, we need to remain calm, collected and often think before we aggressively react. Meditation is a crucial part of being able to handle stress as it trains us to be calm, mindful and focused.
5) Listen to your Boyd – Our bodies are very intelligent and have the ability to alert the conscious mind when a problem is present or near. When we are fatigued it is time to get more sleep and to fuel the body with healthy foods. When we are holding onto something troubling inside ourselves, it is important to express yourself and communicate with whom your frustrations are aimed at. When we feel ill, it is a sign that you may have a cold or are rundown. Take some extra time to rest, drink plenty of fluids and dress warmly. We need to get in touch with our inner self and listen to our minds when they are alerting us of something important.
