Your Journey to Health and Fitness

The road to health and fitness is not really a bumpy one as most people think. Starting your journey will seem to be hard at first but until when you get the hang of it, your journey will be enjoyable for you. All you need is discipline and commitment to your goals.

Listed below are some tips you must remember before you hit the road to health and fitness. Read these helpful tips and take one step at a time.

1. Start small. If your doctor advice you to abstain from eating a certain food that you like so much such as a black forest chocolate cake or your favorite fast-food burger and fries; start by eating smaller amounts than your usual consumption. Take moderate steps in cutting down your consumption. Gradually reduce your food consumption by eating smaller servings then try to eat only less frequently than the usual. With this approach, you will still enjoy the foods you want and reduce your cravings for such foods.

2. Plan modestly. Your health goals must be attainable and realistic. Setting too high goals will sometimes lead to big disappointments and frustrations. Make your plans achievable with taking into account your capability of doing such plans. When you accomplish something that you aimed for, it will give you more confidence and motivation to continue with your subsequent health goals and plans.

3. Have a buddy. Your good friend will be the best person to support you on your journey to a healthy life. It will be beneficial on your part to have someone to share the muscle pains as well as the joys of accomplishment to make the process easier and more bearable. You will have someone to remind you the things you need to do, to encourage you to do your best and to strengthen your morale to achieve your health goals. This lifestyle change will not be a big burden as it seems if you have someone behind your back to support you all the way.

4. Have self-discipline. This major deciding factor will determine the success of your goals in living a healthy lifestyle. In order to push through with your plans, you need to have a constant self-discipline to keep you in the right direction during the course of the road to health and fitness. Your biggest nemesis is merely your own self. If you will be vulnerable to temptations, you will never see your plans through.

5. Do it for yourself. No one will benefit more from this lifestyle change than you. All your hardships will be rewarded with lifelong benefits that you will enjoy such as a healthy and fit body and a younger-looking appearance. If you will start to take good care of yourself, the rest of good things will follow.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“We only get back what we give to our body.”

Home Fitness Ideas for Moms

More and more moms these days have almost forgotten to take care of their health and body. This is mainly due to lack of time and energy to do fitness activities because of numerous house chores that they have to perform daily. In addition, with regard to their busy and stressful schedule, exercising is not included in their daily routine, unfortunately. Making them look older than their age and not in good shape.

If you are a full-time homemaker, who cannot easily find time to stick to a formal fitness routine, you can still perform certain exercises even without any fitness apparatus. Listed below are some quick and simple ideas on how to stay in good shape amidst your daily home responsibilities.

Work and Exercise with your Kids

Have fun with your kids while doing some workout routine. Put your baby in his pushchair and together with other moms and their kids, have a little trip at the park or just around the block. Brisk walking is a good cardio exercise to keep your blood circulation normal.

In addition, you can get your kids involved in tidying your kitchen, living room, and the bedrooms for at least ten minutes daily. To make this activity more interesting, you may set a timer, put music on and get everybody moving, including you, to pick up the clutters, books, toys, clothes, shoes, and other stuffs. As a challenge, you and your kids must be able to clean up all the clutters before the time runs out. This is a good simple cardio exercise for you and for your kids. Though it it may seem a simple work out, it will also contribute a lot to your physical and health well being.

If your house is only a walking distance away from school, you can walk and bring your kids to school. This may serve also as a fitness activity for you. Besides exercising, you will be able to spend quality time with them and make your child feel great and in excellent mood before entering school. Make it a daily habit, and little by little, you will realize the benefits it brings you.

Use your Time Alone

When you are alone at home, keep yourself occupied and exert physical effort by making simple house tasks. It can be as simple as climbing the stairs up and down, stretching, running to and from the house, gardening, watering the plants, laundering the clothes, washing the dishes, and cleaning up your aquarium. If you have time, you may go to the park and walk around to breathe fresh air.

Remember; take time to rest to recharge your body with enough energy that you will need to do your house chores. Have enough sleep to keep your mind and body refreshed. Moreover, eat healthy foods and diet to achieve your fitness goals. With this, you will even serve as a role model to your children to encourage them to eat and live healthy as early as now.


LESSON IN LIFE:
"You are never alone in any good intention."

Fitness Activities that are (Almost) Free

Due to economic reasons, some people opt to do fitness activities at home rather than enrolling on a commercial fitness center and spend some amount of money. In reality, some people are not capable of allocating some of their household or personal budget to splurge on such things.

Although it is important for our body to stay fit and healthy, it will be impractical for small earners and those who have tight budget to spend some money to enroll in gym centers. That is why they choose doing cheap but effective fitness activities at home or outdoors. Here are some of the things you can do to stay in shape without spending too much.

Hiking

Contrary to popular belief, hiking is not just a weekend activity. Hiking can be a regular exercise routine. You will need to exert more effort in hiking because of the ascending terrain and the heavy backpacks you usually carry when hiking that makes it a more challenging and strenuous fitness activity to try. You can go hiking on your free day, especially if you are living near hiking parks and trails. Hiking is free and is a sure way to burn as much as 550 calories per hour.

Walking, Jogging, and Running

Another cheap and effective alternative way to stay fit is walking, jogging, and running. All you need is a pair of good rubber shoes, a nice weather, and a nice neighborhood to burn fats. It may not be as adventurous as hiking but it will give you almost the same health benefit. Brisk walking can burn up to 380 calories while jogging and running can burn much more than that.

However, one of the disadvantages of walking outdoors is you cannot do it when the weather is not fine. In this event, you may use a treadmill to walk, run, or jog inside your house or you may jog in place or walk up and down your stairs.

Home Fitness DVDs

Instructional workout videos in DVDs are now getting popular. You can learn yoga, aerobics, and other exercises in your home. Instructional DVDs only cost $10 to $30. These DVDs are professionally designed fitness workouts to suit your fitness level. Do not be particular with the celebrity endorsers of the DVD but instead go for videos created by credible fitness professionals. You may also organize group fitness exercise in your home using these DVDs and enjoy exercising with your friends.

Use Old Exercise Machine

If you have old but functioning exercise equipments at home, try using it again instead of buying a new one. There is nothing wrong in using old stuff; after all, the benefits you will gain are still the same. You may also ask some of your friends to borrow exercise equipments they no longer use.

Buy Only the Basics

Having a treadmill or elliptical trainer at home is quite pricey so it is not necessary for you to have one. These stuffs only simulate activities you can do outdoors, thus you still have the option to do the real hardcore exercises. Just buy the basics such as weights, exercise mat, and exercise ball. They all provide various workout techniques but do not cost as much.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Most of the time, we already have what we really need.”

Tips on Losing Weight to Stay Healthy and Fit

Experts say that two crucial factors greatly affect weight loss. One of which is the food in terms of calories or the diet you are eating and the other one is the frequency of physical activities you are doing such as exercises. These are the aspects that you must concentrate on during the implementation of your weight lost program. Here are some useful tips to help you achieve your weight loss goals.

1. Don’t ever skip regular meals. Do not deprive your body with essential nourishments that you can get from the food you eat. This is because if you skip meals, there is a bigger chance that you will eat more on your next meal and the meals after that.

2. Regulate your food intake. Although it is not good to skip meals, you must not eat excessively. Eating smaller amounts or food portions will help you cut down on calorie and fat intake. Of course, your choice of food, which I will discuss on this post later, also plays an important role on your weight loss program.

3. Monitor gradual weight loss of about one to two pounds weekly. This requires patience and your dream weight will not come to you overnight. Avoid programs that make you irritable, fatigued, or weak. Let your body regain water and fats that you lost during your workouts.

4. Select healthy food choices only. Choosing the foods that a person can eat from the food pyramid will help him develop a well-balanced diet as well as good eating habits. Drink more water and eat more fruits and vegetables, without neglecting a regular intake of meat and some fats.

5. Cut down on your calorie intakes properly. Know your body’s required calorie intake because cutting too many calories can slow down your metabolism. With enough calories in your body, your system will not “eat up” other nutrients to function well.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“To gain something, you must give away.”

Health and Fitness through Weight Loss

Health and fitness has a lot to do with a person’s physical appearance, especially his weight. It is proven that a person’s weight is an important indicator of his health and fitness condition.

For those who have low self-esteem because of their physical appearance, health concerns, emotional instability, challenging physical capabilities attributed to their weight concerns, it is about time to consider losing some pounds.

Once you have decided to undergo weight control, you must remember several things. First, it is best to determine first your reasons why you want to lose extra pounds. It is important for you to have a concrete reason to motivate yourself during the weight loss program you will undergo.

Second, you must also wholeheartedly commit yourself in doing things necessary for your weight reduction program. It is essential for you to prepare yourself for the changes you will encounter during the process. It can be stressful and traumatic at first. The chance of success in this lifestyle change is dependent on your will and determination.

Third, you may need to have a back-up support system coming from your loved ones and friends in case you can no longer manage weight control on your own.

Fourth, you should seek first professional opinion to help you in choosing a suitable and safe weight loss program for you. You may also undergo for a trial period before investing time, money, and effort in enrolling to a specific weight loss class or program.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Don’t forget the reasons behind your every decision; it can be your greatest motivation to go on when the going gets tough.”

A Life of Health and Fitness can Give Lifelong Benefits

Nowadays, health and fitness are trending topics everywhere. Everyone is interested on how to be fit and healthy. More and more people are looking forward on having a healthy lifestyle and well-being. However, only few are actually serious with this idea. In reality, most people would still prefer to eat junks and fad foods. Most would rather sit on the couch and watch TV than burn calories in a gym.

It is quite hard to give up your habits whether it is a good or a bad one. A quick lifestyle change is difficult. However, if you will be dedicated and disciplined enough to change for the better, you can actually attain your health goals, of course, with sweat. Just remember that the hardships you are feeling right now will give you immeasurable rewards in the future.

More often than not, healthy people enjoy more of their lives because they have no worries like illnesses, fast aging, and other insecurities to hinder them for having a normal life. These people are dynamic and vigorous at their works and always find time to have fun and unwind amidst life stresses.

People who eat healthy and always do workouts have strong and great bodies that make them look more attractive. Having a great physique is more important than having better sex life and involvements that are more romantic. It will also help a person to boost his self-esteem and confidence on socializing with other people.

Nevertheless, despite all of the good benefits of having a healthy lifestyle, many people still choose to stick with their old habits. Maybe they are not fully committed with their lifestyle change. After all, who would want to quit doing things they enjoy the most, except those who are determined to achieve their goals.

Difficulty to adhere with the requisites of healthy living is also a factor why most people are not successful with their attempts in changing their habits. Health problems, relationship woes, and even financial problems are some of the various reasons why people attempt to change their ways but most of the time they do not see their plans through. They try for a week and then another couple of week and eventually go back to their old habits after some time. In addition, with these frequent disappointments, they may resort to quitting their plans.

Your deep desire and willingness to change is important if you want to achieve your health goals. You should also have a strong determination to resist temptations and make sure to discipline yourself at all cost. You may also need some people to help you change. They may inspire and motivate you during the process. After all, you are not doing this for other people but for your own good and in a way also for your loved ones.

Therefore, if you want to live a life of health and fitness start changing your old ways and expect for a better life ahead. The rewards are great and priceless. You will succeed if your heart is in to it 100 percent.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Changing for the better may cause temporary inconvenience, but its benefits are for a lifetime.”

Home Fitness Guides to Keep You Focused

More than half of those who started fitness and diet programs quit. Among the reasons are lack of discipline and stubbornness. Some stop their programs due to the inconvenience the training may cause in their lives. In short, determination wanes away due to lack of focus. When inconvenience or other things come up, people lose focus and decide to quit.

Changes can be hard at times. Doing the same routine may become boring and dull to some. Unfocused individuals may opt to stop when the going gets tough, but focused people can be resilient and determined to finish what they started.

If you are in the same boat, you are probably looking for another program that you think you will have better chances of achieving your goal. However, even with best program available out there, it is not an assurance that you will get your goals as easy as you expected. All you need is to have the right combination of self-discipline, the right program, and your 100 percent focus and determination.

To help yourself establish what you really want to attain, here are some simple yet effective pointers to keep you focused, determined, and disciplined and to stick to your home fitness routine.

Plan your fitness program not only for a certain period of time but for a lifetime. Think of what’s in store for you ahead if you start living healthy. It will motivate you to anticipate what you may have as a reward if you make the right move today like having a lifelong health and physical fitness program. Always have a long-term goal on your mind and do not settle for short-term results.

Don’t over workout yourself. It is not necessary to spend long hours working out, a mere 30 minutes a day of workout is enough to keep you fit and in shape. You may do work out on whatever way you want as long as it helps you burn calories. You may do it using exercise machines or other activities to make your muscles work like dancing, jogging, brisk walking, and even doing household chores and running errands. In addition, you may purchase exercise and yoga instructional DVDs to help you keep in shape on your own.

Eat healthy, give yourself complete resting hours, and stay away from vices such as smoking and drinking. The food you eat does not need to be fancy; you can enjoy eating healthy and foods that are simple to prepare. Always remember to monitor the calories you are taking in.

Also, make this goal not just for your own good but also for the sake of your loved ones. Take good care of your health and body so your family won’t worry about your health conditions and of course medical expenses just in case. Moreover, being fit and active will allow you to spend more quality time for you and your family.


LESSON IN LIFE:
"Focus spells the difference between success and failure."

Ways to Stay Healthy and Fit

Health and fitness may be difficult to maintain but it is still possible to keep yourself healthy and fit. You can change the way you live and get rid of those unhealthy habits; if you will have self-discipline and full commitment to what you’re doing.

Here are some of the important things to consider if you really want a major transformation of your life and well-being.

Personal Commitment

A Japanese proverb says, “Beginning is easy, continuing is hard.” For most people, it is true. It is hard for someone to pursue a goal if he himself is not committed on what he’s into. Many people, who start eating healthy or quit smoking and other vices, but cannot help it and turn back to their old ways. A personal commitment to your goal is required to realize what you want. All you need to do is to commit yourself with this lifestyle transformation you want to achieve. Treat this as a challenge or a goal you want to achieve.

Support System

Changing old habits, whether foregoing a bad diet or quitting a vice, is difficult especially if you do not have someone to back you up. If you have someone who will encourage you and motivate you, you may find achieving your goals easy and manageable. That is why diet programs, quitting alcoholism, and smoking campaigns have support system programs within their organization. If possible ask your friend to quit smoking or drinking too so you will have somebody to work with along the process. Have someone to cheer you up and check whether you are keeping your commitment.

Stay Away from Temptations

With enough will power to resist temptations, your goal for change will be as smooth and effortless as possible. It is important to control yourself from temptations to keep your goal in the right directions. However, this is not easy to do. There will come many times when you will be tested if you are serious with your goal. Others fail to resist and go back to their old habits once, then twice, and then thrice until they completely get out off track with their aim. To avoid such failure, you should stay away from temptations. Live with good influences around you and avoid places where you might encounter such temptations.

Reminders

Have a constant reminder so you will be used to it after a long time. With repetitive actions, your body system will be accustomed with these changes. You may have someone you trust and respect to remind you always of what to eat, what to do, and what to avoid. He or she can be your partner, your parent, your child or your most trusted friend. Do not get tired of being constantly reminded, it is for your own good.


LESSON IN LIFE
“We dream and achieve our goals with someone and for someone.”

Your Home Exercise Equipment Options

There are several factors you must consider when acquiring exercise equipments. Among which is your budget, space, and fitness level. With these considerations in mind, you may resort to owning any of the following exercise equipment.

Treadmill is one of the most popular gym equipment that almost all fitness buffs have. It lets you walk, jog or run any time of the day or as long as you want. A good treadmill costs about $1,500 up to $3,500, depending on the manufacturer and its features. When buying one, check its load capacity, belt width, inclination settings, action smoothness, and its solid construction.

Elliptical trainer is a less impact exercise equipment that simulates running and walking. It is designed to decrease excessive pressure on the joints thus decreasing the chances of impact injuries. You have an option to change the level of intensity from high to low to suit your fitness levels. It is now becoming more popular. You can get an elliptical trainer from as low as $500 to as much as $4,000.

Rowing machines are excellent choice for a total body workout. It does not require wider space. The rowing machine simulates the body movement of watercraft rowing targeting both the upper and the lower body muscle groups.

Cross-country ski machine also provide a full body workout. It concentrates on shaping up both upper and lower body muscle groups. But it has a minor setback; it is quite hard to master its operation. Therefore, before getting one, you must try it out to see if it will really work for you.

Step machines or steppers are low impact exercise machines designed to improve cardiovascular endurance and build and strengthen lower body muscles. A good step machine may cost much so better buy the best one or seek other alternatives.

Stationary bike is almost exactly like that of a real bike but of course without the wheels. A stationary bike is good for beginners and it is a no-impact cardiovascular workout. A quality stationary bike costs between $500 and $1,000.

Recumbent machines are like stationary bikes but with the rider sitting in an inclined position. One of the advantages of a recumbent machine over a stationary bike is it provides the user with sufficient lower back support, thus minimizing the stress on the knees. It has the same effect with that of a stationary bike because it also targets muscles of the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteus.

Resistance equipment is often regarded as either free weights or multi-stations or home gyms. Both have upsides and downsides, and acquiring either of the two may require some major judgments. Free weights are affordable and require less space but it requires much caution and supervision because can cause injuries. On the other hand, multi-stations are more convenient to use but takes a lot of floor space and the price depends on the quality and functions.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Options are good, but you must realize that it also presents responsibilities.”

Before Buying Home Fitness Equipment

Working out in a gym and doing group exercises outdoors regularly is an effective way to stay fit and healthy. However, going outdoors for exercise may not be convenient for most people. You may be one of them. You may want some privacy while doing your exercises or you want to save time going to and from the gym. Now, you are seriously considering building a gym in your home.

But wait, before you buy home fitness equipments, read through this post first, and you will never regret any minute you spend on this. Considering the following things you need to consider if you really want to setup a gym in your house.

First, you must identify what exactly is your goal. Do you want to have abs or biceps? Improve cardio vascular fitness or develop flexibility? The type of equipment you will buy depends on your goals. You also have an option to buy brand new equipment, which is obviously expensive, or second hand equipments where you can save as much as 70% of its original price.

Second, set a budget; buy only those you can afford. You are not forced to buy expensive equipments right away. You may start to collect small items first such as an exercise ball and dumbbells or even a good pair of shoes. If home workouts work for you, continue buying more expensive equipments.

Third, consider the space available in your home. Most gym equipments are bulky so they require more floor areas in your house. It is definitely an eyesore to see a treadmill in your kitchen or an elliptical machine in your bedroom. Such details matter, so think before you buy.

Fourth, be wary of promos. Do not be fooled by someone who promises you amazing results in very short time. For example, if you can achieve a 6-pack abs by using a machine for 3 minutes a day, 3 times a week, then how much more if you do not use any machine at all. The rule of thumb is, if it sounds too good to be true, then it is true.

Fifth, try to shop around. Look at different stores, and see where you can have the best buy. Compare prices and do thorough research. Don’t hesitate to try a machine or let someone try it for you. After all you deserve what you pay for. You may also see online stores and discount shops.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Don’t jump each time the bell rings; consider your options first.”

Advantages of Leading a Life of Health and Fitness

A healthy and fit lifestyle may seem a little bit dull and boring for some. But, the rewards you will get is absolutely immeasurable. In the end, you may even prolong your life, and at the same time look good and feel young.

A healthy and fit body gives many advantages. Here are some of the benefits you can obtain from living a healthy lifestyle. Read on and see what is in store for you once you do a lifestyle change.

1. Active body. Eating balanced and healthy food and keeping your body in good shape will give sufficient energy for your daily activities. You will have enough energy to finish all your work and still have enough vigor for recreations and hobbies. With an active body, you will be able to enjoy work and excel in your endeavors. Active people are more capable to do better things and are more independent. They are also approachable, confident, and beautiful to look at.

2. Younger looking. Healthy people look younger and fresh as compared with those who smoke and who drink. Smokers and drinkers have drier skin because of the toxins from alcohol and cigarettes making them look older than their age. These toxins also hinder their body’s natural process of absorbing nutrients and other essential vitamins, thus depriving different parts of the body to function normally.

3. Clear thinking. It is not true that the toxins in alcoholic drinks, cigarettes and drugs can boost your creative juices. These are merely misconceptions and hearsays. If you will eat a balanced diet, you will be capable of better and clear thinking. You will be more focused on your jobs and more competent in accomplishing work than other people. Moreover, you will be more dependable when given instructions and will have good memories.

4. No illness. This is your biggest bonus as you live a healthy lifestyle. You will be more resistant to attacks of different viruses and bacteria because of your strong immune system and body. Furthermore, you will be free from any medical constraints and conditions and will be more dynamic and enthusiastic.

5. Emotional stability. Although there is no absolute connection, people who live healthy and fit are actually happier people. If you are healthy and fit, you cope up with your environment easily and you will not be easily distracted by bad habits and health problems. You can manage stress and discomforts. You will also have a good disposition in life. Over all, you will develop a natural coping mechanism that will help you endure the daily grind.

Looking and feeling young can give you a whole set of benefits. It entails good vibes with your love life, career, and social life. Let’s face it—physical looks matters. Your good looks could give you more opportunities and can take you places. As shallow as it seems but it is true. And all you have to do is live a life of health and fitness.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Healthy body frees the spirit from anxiety.”

How to Determine if Your Diet is Healthy

Being free from illnesses or any medical condition is a good indication that you are healthy. To protect yourself from different health problems, you must observe a healthy diet. Here is a checklist so you can see if what you eat is healthy or not.

A healthy diet is usually based on starchy foods such as bread, cereals, rice, pasta, and potatoes. These foods are rich sources of energy and of a range of nutrients beneficial for a person’s health such as fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamin B.

Load your diet with lots of fruits and vegetables such as orange, apples, celery, broccoli, carrots, beans, and peas. Eating at least five parts of any variety can provide enough vitamins for your body and it also fills your stomach without having to worry on fats accumulation.

Consume some amount of fish dishes, because it has high amounts of fish oils. Fish diets can give your body protein, vitamins, and minerals that you cannot get from any other food groups.

Reduce intakes of foods with saturated fats and excess sugars such as meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and lard, pastry, cake, biscuits, cream, and the likes. These foods have high complex calories, which usually rendered into body fats and sugars are the common cause of tooth decays.

Avoid salty foods. Excess salts in our body can raise our blood pressure, which in turn may cause some serious coronary and renal illnesses.

Drink plenty of liquids to replenish all of your water losses and to maintain proper hydration for your body.

Knowing what healthy foods are does not mean that you will become healthy. You need to apply what you know. Eat the right foods and lead a healthy lifestyle. You will be the first person to benefit from this.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“You do not know unless you do; you will not benefit unless you apply what you know.”

Healthy Diet: Key to Achieving Health and Fitness

Due to the rise of chronic diseases and other illnesses among many patients around the world, people are now very much concerned about their personal health and fitness. Health experts say that a certain individuals have less chances of getting diseases if they will lead a healthy lifestyle and live on healthy diet.

A healthy diet, which includes eating a balanced amount of food from all food groups, must be accompanied with exercise and regular physical activity. Doctors say that the basic principle of a healthy diet is simple, but more people are having hard times observing what they eat. The common reasons behind this lack of discipline include hectic lifestyles, stressful works, and some environmental factors.

Despite a dynamic lifestyle, people must realize the importance of maintaining a healthy diet because they are the ones who will directly benefit from it. Health experts say that a person must be willing and eager to maintain an effective diet plan. If he succeeds to do this, he will achieve a healthy mind and body in the end.

Health experts advise every one to combine food choices from each food group. They also recommend eating a large variety of fruits and vegetables. However, it is not advisable to stay away from carbohydrates drastically. Weight watchers may reduce the intake little by little.

It is also beneficial to have a balanced intake of calcium-rich foods, whole grains, and protein. The foods greatly aid maintaining a healthy body. When formulating your diet plan, you must consider your limitations on fats, salts and sugar level intakes. These foods are crucial for our body system if taken in moderation. However, total abstinence from these essential elements ia very detrimental to your health. You must thereby monitor your body weight regularly so you can determine whether you are on the right track.


LESSON IN LIFE:
"Healthy thought is like a healthy diet;  it benefits the body and the soul."

Top Ten Tips on Stretching and Doing Workouts for Fitness Training

Training for fitness requires stretching to warm up the body and muscles. Warming up the muscles prevents accidents while doing exercises. However, there are certain precautions and guidelines you must observe to get the most out of stretching.

First, do your stretches before and after workouts. You must have heard that stretching before exercises helps you warm up your muscles to prevent injuries. However, there are only a few who realized that stretching after workouts, while the muscles are still warm, can increase the flexibility of the muscles.

Second, you will gain more flexibility if you will hold your stretching position for over one minute. Twenty seconds is enough for warm-ups, but it takes longer to help your body to become more flexible. You can avoid serious injuries while doing exercises if your body is more flexible.

Third, slowly relax your muscles after stretching. Immediately releasing your muscles from its stretched position may cause cramps or pulling on muscles and some damage on your joints. You must slowly release your muscles after every position.

Fourth, do your stretches in increasing difficulties. Start with easier positions before proceeding to harder ones. This way your muscles can adjust accordingly, and you will avoid injuries. Moreover, this also increases your muscles’ strength.

Fifth, make sure you have warmed up all your muscles, especially the neck area, before proceeding with your exercises. You can do neck stretching by placing the palm of your hand against the forehead and pushing it; do it with the side. You can also look up and hold that position for a few second, then on the right and left side, before bending your neck forward.

Sixth, stretch regularly. This will increase the range of your movements. Moreover, this will strengthen your muscles and increase your body’s flexibility.

Seventh, base your workout on your capabilities, not on others. If you can do five reps, do five reps. As your regularly workout, you will eventually increase the number of reps and the difficulty of your exercises. Increases must be done slowly.

Eighth, rest your muscles. Do not attempt to work the same muscle group for two consecutive days. Give your muscles some time to rest and regain your energy. Your muscles must grow when you rest them and when you are not working out.

Ninth, make your heart stronger by doing aerobic exercises. Aerobics are physical activities that increase the intake of oxygen. Some effective exercises are skipping rope, brisk walking and swimming.

Tenth, incorporate music to your workouts. Music may increase your intensity. You can use a music player such as mp3 or mp4 players, CD players, or light an/fm radio. Use a headset so you will not disturb other people who may not like your music.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Preparation for changes is as important as the changes.”

Fitness Exercises that Go a Long Way

Doing some moderate workouts for 30 minutes every day will increase your energy, will help you feel better, and will sharpen your problem solving ability. Furthermore, you will have better and deeper sleep at night if you will do some fitness exercises.

Fitness can be achieved with discipline. Your regular exercises must be done to obtain a healthy and good-looking body coupled with a very good state of mind. How would you like that? I’m sure you are willing to undergo this regimen with these benefits and more.

I will now enumerate the moderate fitness exercise you can do.

Walking. This can be boring if done alone. So why don’t you walk your dog, or invite your husband or wife to walk with you? How about your kids or friends? This can be a very good time for bonding and enjoyment. Before you know it, some people in your community will also join you.

Yoga. Yoga strengthens not only the body but also the soul. Doing some basic Yoga positions every day will greatly help you with your life dispositions and outlook. Many people who tried yoga attest to its benefits that go beyond having a flexible body that can endure difficult positions.

Sports. Many health authorities advise their patients to get into sports. Play football, basketball, or baseball with friends. Let those sweat get out of your body and carry whatever toxins your body has. You may also opt to play badminton, tennis, or golf with special someone. This may enhance the relationship and your body’s endurance.

Fitness Clubs. Join fitness clubs that offer lectures, reading materials, and exercise equipments to their members. Choose a club with at least ten members and who checks on each other if they do their workouts or not. This can be annoying at time, but I tell you, you will love to know that someone cares whether you exercise or not. When someone asks you why you did not show up on your exercise schedule, you will most likely try harder not to miss the next session.

Hobbies. Engage in hobbies that can calm you or make you sweat – or both. Try gardening or backyard fishpond. You can also set up your home aquarium or do some items collection. You can also use household chores as your hobby. Wash dishes, do the laundry, and mow the lawn. You make your home more beautiful and make your body fit at the same time.

Fitness exercises are not limited with the obvious. You may not know it, but what you normally do, can be another form of workouts you usually pay for to do.


LESSON IN LIFE:
“Hobbies and fitness go together.”

Get Healthy with Sports Fitness Activities

Sports fitness is very different from sports activities although both may help a person become fit. Sports require physical activities for entertainment, competition and fun. Whereas, sports fitness includes a health program to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle. It aims to tone down body fats to gain a better body shape. Among the most popular sports fitness regimens nowadays include Thai boxing and Tae-bo.

Individuals who are into sports fitness must consider the following tips to stay healthy and be active on whatever sports they will get into.

The first thing you must remember is taking lots of fluid. Water is the most essential liquid the body will need. However, there are other fluids that a person involved in sports fitness must take such as sports drink containing two essential ingredients, namely carbohydrates and electrolytes. Carbohydrates are the source of energy, whereas electrolytes help your body function more naturally.

The second thing you must consider is your intake of fruits and vegetables. These natural foods provide vitamins and minerals needed by the body to function well. These can make the body stronger and healthier so your body may be able to cope up with the demands of everyday tasks you need to finish.

The third consideration you must take into account is the intake of calcium. Calcium provides stronger bones. If you are into sports fitness, your bones must not be brittle and weak. People doing the regimens of sports fitness must need stronger bones from calcium. There is an abundance of calcium in sardines, tofu, and dairy products.

The fourth thing that you must consider is the warm-up exercises you need to do before doing sports fitness activities. You must warm up your body to avoid strains and stress on your muscles. This way you will get fit and healthy while avoiding injuries.


LESSON IN LIFE:
"For best results, take things slowly but surely."