Fitness made simple: Stair Sprinting

A simple exercise that anybody can perform at home or the park is called Stair Sprinting. The name is pretty self explanatory. All you have to do is run up and down the stairs between several floors; the more floors, the better off you'll be.

It's a good idea to start small, even if you're in a good physical condition. Run up and down four floors two times. First timers and overweight people are unlikely to manage more than two reps anyway. However, it's no big deal if you can't do more than two reps in the beginning. Resistance to effort is built in time. Do the two reps every other day for two weeks.

After two weeks increase the number of reps to either three or four, depending on how you feel. If you can take four reps up and down four flights of stairs, then by all means do so. If you can't, then stick to three reps. As the weeks go by, you can add even more reps to your routine in order to increase your endurance and to really put the muscles to work.

This exercise is perfect for the legs and ass. Ladies and gents looking to build shapely asses and strong thighs ought to try stair sprinting. Having to carry your own weight up the stairs instead of flat terrain puts more stress on the muscles and helps the feet gain more endurance. However, be very careful when doing this exercise. Running up and down the stairs makes it very easy to trip or miss a step and splay an ankle. Even more serious injuries might happen if you're not careful enough.


 

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Fitness Is The Best Revenge

There are more people getting fitter after forty than ever before.

We now know that it is possible, and desirable, to keep exercising into old age.

Exercise will help prevent the onset of many diseases associated with old age, i.e. arthritis, rheumatism, poor circulation, heart disease, obesity. The benefits are endless.

Exercise is also known to improve the libido. This is due to improved blood flow to all the organs.

OK, Hugh Heffner needs to use a little Viagra, but when you are as active as him, at his age, it's to be expected. Last I heard he had three lovers who he was faithful to and kept satisfied. I can't wait to get to his age!

There are senior weight lifters setting new records almost daily. Senior bodybuilders are destroying the younger competitors. Athletes in every field are being amazed by the seniors.

This is not to say that the oldies are as fast as the youngsters in top competition, "but they are darn close"

You do not have to compete against others to enjoy fitness. Just find something that is fun.

Walking is a great exercise and if you get away from all the traffic it is most relaxing. If you feel strange walking on your own why not take the dog out more often. If you don't have a dog, borrow one, I'm sure there is an elderly person near you who would be glad of a dog walker.

How about starting a dog walking business? There are loads of people who are working long hours and do not have the time to walk their dogs. Getting paid to exercise sounds like a winner to me. It's also a good way to meet like minded people and make friends.

Swimming is a fantastic way to keep fit and healthy. Most pools have adult only sessions so you will not be dive bombed by spotty youths. Swimming is a gentle exercise that takes the strain of joints and today's heated pools are a great benefit to sufferers of arthritis and rheumatism.

If you have not done any exercise for a long time you need to start of gently. It took years to turn you into a couch potato and you can not become an Adonis overnight.

The main thing is to start slowly without forcing anything. If you have not done any walking (except to the hypermarket) for a few years then a walk of a few hundred yards may feel like a marathon but it will be a start. Walk a little further each day and it will become easier. If you are with a dog, play fetch, it will get a few more muscles working and the dog will love you more.

If you can only swim a few feet before stopping for breath, that's OK. Go again a few days later and swim a bit further before catching your breath. You will soon be swimming lengths of the pool with ease.

If you decide to work out in the gym, do not try to lift the whole rack of weights on your first day, maybe day 2. Start out with an empty bar until you get a feel for the exercises and then slowly add weight as you master the movements.

Perform only one set of each exercise the first few times you work out. You will feel like doing more but this will only set you up for sore muscles the next few days, and may even make you to sore to go to work.

Take time to learn strict form with each exercise and do not jerk the weights. Ask advice from the instructors, it's what they are paid for.

Do not forget to warm up and do some stretches before starting any vigorous exercise. This warm up becomes more important as we get older and will help prevent injuries and lay offs.

The programs you see on the TV are not real life (that goes on outside in the real world) they are scripted. Do you want to be a lazy couch potato or youthful and active? The choice is yours.


 

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Fitness For Older Women – 10 Years Younger With Strength Training

These women didn't diet, but they did end up looking slimmer. Some lost 1 or 2 dress sizes, and they all replaced fat with muscle. Because muscle weighs more than fat, this is the reason they looked slimmer, though the scales may not have changed much.

The women in this study were all post menopausal, and some of their ages were in the 50's and 60's. They made some remarkable changes in their lives as they got stronger. One woman described going rollerblading with her children. Another went canoeing with her husband. More than any pills or potions, strength training gave these women back a youthfulness some didn't even have to that degree in the first place.

The women in this study used leg weights and free hand weights that were adjustible in their strength training program. They started at a level they were able to – even if this was the lightest weights available. They didn't buy lots of expensive equipment or home gyms, and many of these can be bought second hand with a little research locally. As they developed their strength, they invested in heavier weights.

For the strap on ankle weights, they started with 1 to 3 kilograms in each cuff. The suggested ankle cuffs hold up to 10 kilograms each. The dumbells they used for their arms were adjustable, and they started with 1 or 2 kilograms. The only other equipment they needed was a chair, somewhere to store the weights, and a towel. Because you're working out in your own home you don't need to buy expensive or flashy gym clothes, or worry about feeling the odd one out.

The workout itself is in the book, Stong Women Stay Young. It covers a range of basic exercises that don't take up too much time, which is suggested you do twice a week. Each session takes about 40 minutes including warming up and cooling down.

Tips for women working out with weights at home

* Make sure the area you're working in doesn't have rugs, electrical cords, toys and other items that you can trip over* Keep your pets and young children away from this area whilst you're working out* If you're using a chair when you do exercises, make sure it's on a carpet that won't slide around. If you don't have carpet, put the chair against the wall so it stays stable* If you have problems with your back, you'll need to be careful when you're carrying your free weights around. Take a few trips to carry things if you have to move them in or out of a storage area. And make sure you lift them properly by bending your knees and moving slowly.* It helps to keep the weights you're not currently using in their container. That way they can't be knocked off by curious children.* If you're using leg weights, don't walk around with them on. It could affect your balance. And if you trip on something, you are more likely to injure yourself than normal* Keep the telephone off the hook, and the cellphone off. That way if someone rings you won't be interrupted* Make sure you have some drinking water nearby in case you get thirsty.* Don't drink any alcohol, even a little bit, less than a couple of hours before you exercise* Try and make sure you haven't just eaten a meal before you work out. But by the same token, make sure you're not starving! If you're really hungry, you could become light headed or dizzy when you work out.* Don't forget to warm up!* If you're using weights, try doing them in front of a mirror so you can check your posture. You'll get more out of the exercise, and work the right muscles. Sometimes our posture becomes so habitual we don't realize it's not quite right until we see it* If you're using weights, a good posture means you're chin is down slightly, so that it's aligned with your neck. Your neck is in line with your spine, shoulders are straight and not stiff, back is straight, and your knees are not locked or bent. Your pelvis should be tucked under a little* When using weights, do the lifts slowly. This really works the muscles instead of letting the motion do the work for you.* Make sure you pause for a count between lifting the weight up, and lowering it* Don't hold your breath whilst you're lifting wights. Given that we're contracting muscles, sometimes we unconsciously hold our breaths at the same time. Remember to breath, but don't go the other extreme and hyperventilate!

References: Miriam Nelson and Sarah Wernick, Strong Women Stay Young (Lothian)


 

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Fitness Center: How to Choose the Fitness Center of Your Life

However, some people find that if they make a monetary investment, they are more likely to follow through on fitness.

Fitness centers are, basically, built to provide people the proper fitness equipments, trainings, and other devices needed to keep an individual physically fit.

However, not all fitness centers are created equal. In fact, there are fitness centers that require their members to sign some contracts, which in the end will not be easy to cancel. Hence, it is important to know the characteristics of the fitness center that will work best for you.

Here is a list of some tips that you can use:

1. Make your mind up on things that you need

Before you choose a fitness center, you should first know what your needs are as far as physical fitness is concerned. This will determine the kind of fitness center that you will find.

For example, if you are so much into sports fitness rather than the typical physical fitness activities like aerobics, then it would be better to choose a fitness center that has sports facilities and not just treadmills.

2. Do not forget to shop around

It may sound so clich-ish but it really pays a lot to a person who shops around before deciding on something. Hence, when choosing fitness centers, it is best to do some shopping first and get to compare the prices, charges, and the facilities available in a health club.

In this way, you get to choose the best and yet affordable fitness center you could ever find.

3. Consider your budget

It does not necessarily meant that just because you have plenty of money, you will eventually give in to a fitness center that you have first encountered.

It is best that you have a budget to follow so that you will know where to focus your finances before you decide on signing-up for a fitness center.

Just remember, you want to work out for your body and not working out something that you will soon be in debt just because you forgot to stick to your budget.

4. Know where your money goes

If it makes you sweat and lose those fats and cellulites, fine! Just be sure that whatever kind of fitness center that you have chosen, it is important to know that you get what you have paid for.

5. Be wary of the physical attributes and characteristics of the center that you wish to enroll in.

Make sure that the fitness center that you have chosen is clean, properly ventilated, and complete with all the amenities that you need.

Be sure also that the equipments that the fitness center has a re all in good working condition. Never use fitness equipments that appear to be worn out already. This will only cause more harm than good.

All of these things are boiled down to the fact that a fitness center does not have to be a perfect fitness center. What matters most is that the fitness center that you have chosen is good enough to generate good results in your body.


 

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Fitness Can Save Your Life

Many times fitness professionals are frustrated with clients who want to be fit, but don't take the required actions. Many people think that by taking a pill or ordering a gadget seen on an infomercial will do the trick and they will become fit. How many of you have exercise equipment hiding in closet or under the bed and use your treadmill as a clothes hanger? Having the equipment alone won't help you become physically fit. You have to use it. Physical fitness doesn't happen overnight, and it's not a quick fix. Looking like the models on TV selling exercise equipment is not practical for most people. Getting fit is not that easy. On the other hand, it's not that hard. Understanding the benefits of being fit, feeling the benefits, and seeing the benefits keep us motivated and consistent.

Here are some of the health benefits that can save your life. Physical activity has a direct effect on the heart. It increases oxygen supply to the heart, decreases oxygen demands and improves the strength of the heart muscle contractions. Exercise lowers blood pressure. Exercise significantly improves blood sugar levels; which is important if you have type 2 diabetes or if you have a family history of diabetes.

Well-respected research shows that compared with active people, sedentary people have almost double the risk of developing or dying from coronary heart disease. This is critically important as heart disease remains the leading cause of death in both men and women in the United States. The New England Medical Journal states in a study of over 84,000 middle-aged women, who exercised moderately or vigorously for 30 minutes a day slashed their risk of heart disease by 80% (these women did not smoke cigarettes, were not overweight, and maintained a healthful diet).

Here are some tips to get you started.

* Get a physical exam before beginning any exercise program. * Find activities you enjoy doing each day. * Start slowly. Don't expect fitness results to happen overnight. * Follow a progressive program of exercise. Hire a personal trainer to help you with motivation, coaching, or to learn how to exercise properly. * Invite a friend, spouse or family member to join you. * Set realistic goals and measure your results in 3 month intervals. * Don't stop if you aren't getting the results you except. If you stop, you will never get the results. Results aren't just how you look, it's how you feel and your level of health. * Think of exercise as adding quality months and years onto your life.

For more information and tips on exercise, go to http://www.easyexercisetips.com


 

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Fitness Apparel

1. The Golf wear

The golf apparel can be found in any specialty sport store. The golf apparel usually includes a trouser with a t-shirt. In golf apparel, comfort is the most important factor. Chinos are also very popular golf wear. Hats and caps of varying designs and makes are also available. Of course outlandish gears worn by some professional golfers are also available.

2. The Running / Fitness wear

The running apparel is best made with cotton to retain moisture that causes friction and might lead to possible chafing. The running shorts and tights including the cotton socks are the basic running gear. When running apparel is being chosen, try to select a base layer top which keeps you dry for an extended run. Comfortable and fit running shoes must be matched to keep you fresh on the run.

The fitness gear pertains to all kinds of apparel including aerobics and gymnastics. The multi-colored tights and leotards are the best and most comfortable during a workout. The fitness gear must be selected with care. Choose the proper material and correct size when selecting the fitness gear is a must.

3. The athletic apparel

The athletic apparel must be chosen with the climate and weather in thought. An apparel that is not suited for the weather will hinder the performance of an athlete. A popular athletic wear is the running or jogging pants with a drawstring waist. These type of athletic apparel can be purchased at discounted rates. The all weather gear is designed to keep most of the elements out. An athlete depends on the athletic gear to perform at his best.

4. The Equestrian apparel

The equestrian gear is mainly about breeches and boots. There are specialty equestrian stores that stock clothing and other equipment for riding. The casual equestrian gear could be riding breeches matched with a plain shirt. The paddock boots available also at equestrian apparel stores complete the set for an equestrian. A pair of riding pants and a jersey can be bought at an equestrian apparel store. When having lessons on riding, you may want to look online for equestrian stores to see and choose an outfit which lets you ride with great style and comfort. A little pricey in most cases but may be worth the price. A western style of gear is also available in specialty shops.

5. The Yoga apparel

The yoga apparel must be very comfortable and loose for easy movement. A t -shirts and a loose-fit short are basic yoga apparel which will keep you fresh and comfortable. Also, it does not cost much. The designer yoga apparels are available at special yoga stores. Yoga Capri pants and unitards are available at yoga apparel store. The special Asana clothing can be found at very exclusive yoga outlets.


 

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Fitness And You’re Health

Cardio exercise help you lose weight, lower your chance of heart attack, lower blood pressure, improve your mood and lower stress levels. Cardio exercise should be done about five times per week for maximum results. If you can't do cardio five times per week, you should still try to fit it in three times per week as this will still benefit you greatly. You should chose a type of exercise that you enjoy, since if you chose something you find boring, chances are you won't stick with it. Good ideas for cardio exercises include biking, walking, jogging, playing tennis, playing basketball, skating, inline skating, swimming, skiing and team sports. You can also use cardio as a type of functional exercise. This means instead of driving to the grocery store, try walking instead. This way you aren't going out of you're way to fit in exercise, but you are still reaping the benefits. You should try to do cardio for at least half an hour, and try to make sure you raise your heart rate a little.

Before engaging in any type of exercise, you should get a complete physical examination to make sure you aren't suffering from heart disease or some other type of illness. After your doctor gives you the ok to start exercising, start out slow and work your way up. And remember, exercise should be fun and enjoyable.


 

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Fitness and Exercise-Finding the Right Program for You

Fitness and exercise are gaining popularity in our culture for many reasons. Reactions against the sedentary lifestyles Americans have lived for decades, a rash of type two diabetes with people engaging in fitness and exercise to improve their conditions, parents encouraging youngsters to get up and away from the television and work out, and the baby boomers, pursuing fitness and exercise as they age, to allow them to enjoy their advanced years. Regardless of the reasons, many Americans take fitness and exercise very seriously.

A healthy body is what most people are striving for. We are inundated constantly with images of slender, toned people. Be it on television or on a billboard as we're driving down the street. Fitness isn't all about the weight that the scale says or the dress or trouser size you wear. Fitness is about how healthy you are.

Exercise is vital in the quest for body fitness. Many people join a gym for the convenience of having all the equipment they feel they need to work out. There are machines there to strengthen and tone every muscle in your body. With the onset of personal trainers, the process can be almost effortless. In that case, the exerciser is given a prescribed routine of exercise that will help them achieve the fitness level and body weight that they desire.

Fitness and exercise aren't restricted to the confines of a gym. Any type of movement can be considered exercise. By taking those movements, a step further a person can work towards their own personal fitness goal.

For a person who lives in an apartment building, the decision of whether to take the stairs or the elevator might seem inconsequential, but those steps up to their floor everyday equal a leg workout. Choosing to hike it up the flight of steps gives not only the legs a chance to stretch, but it also gives the heart a chance to beat faster. By choosing this everyday, the body would begin to respond in a positive way.

The same can be said for walking as opposed to driving. Often when a destination is close people feel inclined to get in their car and drive there and then drive the route back. Lacing up a pair of walking shoes and heading out the door on foot is considered exercise and the benefits aren't only restricted to the gasoline that will be saved. The entire body will feel the results and if that walk is taken several times a week, perhaps even daily, the fitness level of that person increases.

Exercise can occur in almost every environment. It's up to the health-conscious person to grab those moments and seize them. By mowing the lawn, the legs and arms are being worked out. Carrying the laundry is akin to lifting lightweights and chasing a toddler eventually equals a few laps around the running track. Paying attention to these same details and using them to their fitness advantage will result in so many health benefits.


 

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Fitness and Exercise Advice

To achieve a healthier status and maintain weight diet must combine with exercise, since one without the other will not work. Combining healthy provisions with correct exercises can bring you good health and physical fitness, which will enhance your quality of life. It will also help you keep your body's zone to a level.

The body and mind is complicated, however both work together to produce results. Many experts, including theorists, doctors, scientist, and philosophers are continuing to find answers to the body's functions.

Some of the confusion comes when people diet, exercise and take care of them self, yet they still gain weight. Barry Sears wrote a compelling book titled A Week in the Zone, which produced some outstanding advice. Some of the information in the book helps us to decide on exercises and diets that suit us best, since insulin plays a large part in healthier living. The author lets us know that the hormones consequence of intakes of carbohydrates and caloric differ from the hormones that produce protein and calories. , he continues letting us know that the effects of hormones that produce fats and calories too differ in the direction of health. (p. 3)

The author brings us to see that a balance is needed, yet the balance is factored by the different hormonal levels. Thus, eating healthy, giving the body proper fluids and exercising is the only answer to living a productive and quality lifestyle.

One of the biggest setbacks that people adhere to is making excuses to avoid dieting and exercise. Countless of people find it easier said than done to stick with diet and exercise programs that facilitates them to remain healthy while maintaining weight.

One of the largest reasons is that most people do not understand their body and its type, or have difficulty adhering to a schedule. One of the largest reasons why this happens is that many people find it difficult to plan, set goals that work, and find solutions that help the person maintain a schedule. The threesome is the ultimate tools for working toward good health and fitness. If you are uncertain of the types of exercises, this too can hold you back. Walking up and down the stairs is an aerobic exercise. Mowing the lawn is another type of exercise. Anytime the body is in motion, producing actions it is exercising. Lifting 12' ounces of beer is not an exercise. Alcohol if overused will affect the body and mind dramatically.

Other forms of exercise are merely walking to the store instead of driving your car, especially if the store is down the road. If you find it, difficult getting started with exercise makes effort to ask a friend or family member to join you. Otherwise, possibly at your workplace a team of people is joining a gym to better their health, maybe you can go with them. If you have a dog, dogs enjoy walking, therefore put your feet in motion and make your dog happy. Children also enjoy walking with parents, therefore spend time with your children and exercise while doing so.

Therefore, if you have intricacy with setting goals, planning, or sticking to a schedule, begin by using the stairs in place of an elevator at what time you visit your doctor, or other appointments. In addition, you could scythe the lawn in place of paying the fellow citizen down the street to do the work for you. Beginning exercise is by no means easy, but you have to start somewhere to reach a healthier status!

For more bodybuilding and fitness articles please visit Bodybuilding and Fitness Blog.


 

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Fitness and Body Building

It is well-known that body building training of anaerobic type is very demanding. In most of the cases, the aerobic programs are avoided because sportsmen are afraid of losing muscular mass.

Another disadvantage of body building trainings is the fact that sportsmen have to work a lot with their chest blocked, in apnea, because of the great weights they use for increasing their muscles.

The respiratory blocking during the force effort is also known as the Valsalva phenomenon and it was initially studied in the case of weightlifters. Applying this technique can have as consequences, in time, rising of blood pressure, low blood feedback through the veins, varicous veins, etc. It is obvious that because of the ageing process, the blood veins become more rigid, a process favored by the arteriosclerosis which appears to younger and younger people. The elasticity of the walls of these blood vessels decreases, so while making force effort with really heavy weights, the sportsmen are in danger of having a stroke, because the vessels can break. This risk is much smaller in fitness.The weights used in this sport are small or medium, because the purpose of doing this sport is not a spectacular hypertrophy of the muscles, but fortifying, putting into relief and reshaping the muscles.

Another advantage of fitness is a richer and more varied area of exercises, inspired from the complex training of body building but also of many other sports. For example, we find in fitness plyometrics exercises used in athletics, gymnastics, weightlifting, fight sports, etc. These programs have as consequence the forming of much more functional muscles, which can cope with demanding situations in real life, not only with posing during body building contests.

Because there is no obsession for muscles, aerobic training can be introduced in the programs. Its advantages are: making the blood vessel walls more elastic, decreasing cholesterol and making excellent prophylaxis of cardiovascular diseases.

Time is another factor which must be considered. While in body building the simplest divided program requires a minimum of four weekly trainings, in fitness, where all or most of the muscle groups are exercised during one training, three non-consecutive days a week are enough. The aerobic exercises can be done either in the free days, or additional to the training in the gym, in this case the total time of training being of one hour and a half at most.

Passing from body building to fitness does not have as consequence significant loss of muscular mass, even if the volume of the muscles is diminished. Anyway, the fortifying and relief of the muscles are not lost. This small loss is fully compensated by the advantages of practicing much more complex exercises and, why not admit, much safer for the health of the people.


 

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