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Aerobic Fitness – Lose Weight While Improving Health Condition

jack — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 21:00:12 +0000

Aerobic fitness is a very important part of any fitness regimen. Even bodybuilders and individuals who need to gain weight instead of lose it need aerobics. If you tend to skip your cardio and go straight to the weights after stretching, this article may make you change your routine.

Aerobic Exercises And How They Burn Fat

Aerobic exercises include jogging, biking, and swimming. These are the exercises that get the blood flowing and the body warmed up. These are also the exercises that boost the body’s metabolism (or its natural rate of calorie burning) to the point that its fat stores start getting used up.

After 20 minutes or so of aerobic exercise, the body enters a fat-burning phase — that is, it uses up most of your body’s ready energy, and starts metabolizing your fat stores to keep going.

That’s how aerobics and cardio helps people lose weight and slim down, and that’s why people who do 30 minutes of cardio 3 times a week seem to lose more weight than people who do cardio 15 minutes every day!

How Cardio Improves Your Health Condition

But aside from its slimming benefits, aerobics also helps improve your health condition in many ways. Aerobics exercise make you breathe more heavily and your heart pump harder and faster. As a result, your breathing and circulation becomes much more efficient.

This, in turn, ensures all your organs are well-supplied with much-needed oxygen. When your organs are functioning optimally, they’re much less susceptible to disease and disorders.

Individuals with good aerobic fitness also enjoy stronger immune systems than those who don’t.

With a good aerobic regimen in place, you’ll be less susceptible to common illnesses, such as cough and flu. Some studies are showing that individuals who engage in aerobics and cardio regularly enjoy much lower incidences of heart disease, hypertension, and even some cancers.

And of course, there are many practical benefits to being aerobically fit. For instance, you sleep like a log every night, and your body heals faster. You’ll wake up with more energy every morning, wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.

How Much Aerobics Is Enough?

Many experts say 30 minutes is the optimal amount of cardio for most people, since fat burn doesn’t happen before 20 minutes, and any more than 30 minutes can heighten the risk of injury. The key is to stretch and warm up your muscles before hitting the weights and going into high-intensity interval training.

But when you’re training for an athletic event, such as a marathon, a cross-country biking race, or crossing a water channel, then you’ll naturally need to get used to more than 30 minutes of aerobic activity. Just make sure to check with your doctor to make sure you’re fit for the undertaking.

Aerobic Fitness Is For Everyone

Whether you want to lose or gain weight, aerobic exercise should be a part of your regimen. After all, 30 minutes of doing simple exercises can mean a lifetime of health benefits!

Is Aerobic Exercise A Better Cardio?

jack — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:00:46 +0000

Here’s a surprisingly-common question in the health-and-fitness world: “Is aerobic exercise a better cardio?” Well, this article will answer that question once and for all.

Aerobics And Cardio Explained

First of all, aerobics are exercises meant to improve the body’s respiration (that’s “breathing” in fitness-speak). The better you breathe, the more oxygen your body gets. That means your organs will very likely get enough oxygen, which in turn lets them perform at peak efficiency.

On the other hand, cardio (short for “cardiovascular”) exercises are meant to improve the body’s blood circulation system. It also strengthens the heart, helping it pump oxygen-rich blood more efficiently.

So what’s the difference? Hardly anything. In other words, aerobics and cardio are the same.

So that means it’s impossible (silly, actually) to ask if aerobics exercise is better than cardio exercise. But there ARE certain aerobic/cardio exercises out there that are better than others. Let’s take a look at some of the more common ones.

Good Aerobic/Cardio Exercises

The first aerobic/cardio exercise that most people try is jogging. Anyone can do it — all you need is a good pair of running shoes and a safe jogging route. You don’t need an expensive gym subscription or a clunky treadmill to start jogging.

Biking is also a good exercise. It’s better than jogging in the sense that you can go further and deal with rougher terrain. Biking also gives you an opportunity to explore the countryside and get some fresh air, and even find time to relax, meditate, reflect, and pray.

Boxing is another great aerobic/cardio workout to try. Kids to grandparents love thumping the heavy bags — who says that’s not good stress relief? Boxing is better than jogging and biking in the sense that the upper body also gets a good workout. It also helps develop your strength, speed, and reflexes.

Finally, there’s swimming. Swimming is a great aerobic/cardio exercise to try when you want to develop your strength, flexibility, and endurance all at the same time. Some fitness experts call swimming the best “all-in-one” exercise, because it hits so many fitness goals all at once.

A Few Tips About Aerobics/Cardio

Most fitness buffs will tell you to go through your cardio exercises first, and then move on to weights and interval training later when your muscles have stretched and warmed up. One of cardio’s main uses is to prevent injury when you start doing more intense exercises.

It’s also important to remember to pace yourself. You can push yourself a little past your limit everyday (that’s actually recommended), but no more or you risk hurting yourself. (Or worse, embarrassing yourself).

Stay cool — when jogging, for instance, slow down to a walk when you get tired, then speed up to a jog again when you feel okay again. Later on, when your stamina and endurance get better, you can jog (or even run) the entire way. That usually happens after 3 months when you stick to the ideal frequency of jogging 3 times a week, 30 minutes each time.

What Is Aerobics Exercise?

fitgizmos — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:00:00 +0000

Much has been said about aerobics exercise, and how it’s a very important part of any workout regimen. But some bad comments about it have been made as well, such as how too much of it can actually hurt you instead of help you. So what’s the real deal about aerobics exercise? Let’s find out in this article.

Aerobics Exercise And What It Does

Aerobics, also known in many circles as “cardio” (short for “cardiovascular”), are exercises meant to get the body running. Aerobics exercise boosts circulation and improves respiration. It also gives the body’s cardiovascular system a workout — which is important, because the more easily oxygen reaches your organs, the better your overall health will be.

Aerobics is a favorite among weight-loss aficionados, because it’s known to boost metabolism and burn calories very efficiently. It also stretches and warms up the muscles to take on tougher, more rigorous exercises later in the workout session.

How Aerobics Exercise Fits Into Your Workout Regimen

Most people use aerobics to start their workouts. Simple aerobics exercise stretches and warms the muscles so they can tackle more intense exercises without hurting themselves. Aerobics also gives the individual an opportunity to increase their stamina and endurance every single workout session.

More intense exercises include resistance training (weight-bearing exercises utilizing free weights, exercise machines, or one’s own body weight) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). HIIT is a variation of common cardio exercises, where periods of maximum intensity are alternated with periods of rest or low activity.

Types Of Aerobics Exercise To Try

The first aerobics activity that most individuals try out is jogging. Nearly anyone can jog. In the beginning, a new jogger may need to alternate periods of jogging with periods of walking. But after jogging for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, for 3 months, most joggers find that they can jog or run the whole way.

Other good types of aerobic activities to try include biking, swimming, and even boxing. Look for one that sounds fun to you, and try it out. If it IS fun, stick to it. No sense forcing yourself to do an exercise you don’t enjoy!

How Much Aerobics Exercise Should You Do Every Day?

Most fitness trainers will tell you that 30 minutes of aerobics exercise is optimal, whether you’re aiming to lose or gain weight. Any less than that, and you won’t burn much fat. Any more, and you’ll risk injuring yourself.

Of course, all that depends on what you’re training for. If you’re just aiming for weight loss or muscle gain, 30 minutes is okay. But if you’re training for a long-distance athletic event, such as a marathon or a channel crossing, you can go well beyond the 30-minute guideline!

A Few Reminders About Aerobics Exercise

When doing aerobics exercise, remember to stretch well first. Keep the proper forms throughout the exercise. Keep track of time, and stay hydrated. And of course, pace yourself — you don’t get good at anything overnight!

Herb Edition Weight Loss

fitgizmos — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:49 +0000

Ready for “herb edition” weight loss? Herbs are wonderful additions to your weight loss lifestyle. Some great herbs out there boost thermogenesis, or better known as metabolism, to help burn through more calories and fat each day. Some herbs also aid digestion and keep you from overeating — all great tools to losing weight! Here are some good herbs you may want to try.

Herb Edition — Good Herbs

#1 – Green Tea. Everyone knows the “slimming” reputation of green tea! While experts will be debating whether or not it really helps burn fat, the rest of us will be enjoying its wonderful health benefits and slimming down as we go.

#2 – Nettle. Not many people like nettles because of the bitter taste, but when you know how to prepare them, they’re nicely edible. You can create sauces or flavor soups with them, or use their dried form to make plant-essence tea. Like green tea, nettles have a metabolism-boosting effect.

#3 – Seaweed. Seaweed has long been known to be one of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet. The better news? They also help you burn fat! Seaweed is a natural metabolism-booster, and also acts to remove excess water from the body. Look for seaweed products in your local Japanese specialty stores.

#4 – Cayenne. One of the ingredients in the Lemon Detox Diet (also called Master Cleanse), cayenne causes a welcome spike in the metabolism, burning a little extra fat with every dose. As with all herbs, make sure you’re not taking too much, or you might do more harm than good!

#5 – Ginseng. Ginseng has been around for a while, and it’s still helping people from all over the world slim down and feel more energetic. If you’re not a tea person, look for supplements that contain ginseng extract.

Herb Edition — Bad Herbs

Be careful, though — not all herbs are good for the health, especially when taken for the long-term. An example of an herb to avoid includes ephedra. While it does show some use in weight loss, its cardiac-related side effects makes it not worth the risk.

The same goes for laxative herbs. While they do help relieve constipation, such herbs are never meant to be used regularly. If you take too much, you can cause problems to your intestines and other parts of your digestive system.

Notes About Herb Edition Weight Loss

Remember — when it comes to weight loss, there is no magic bullet. While the right herbs will help you lose weight, you’ll still need the other “legs of the stool” — a healthful, organic, plant-based diet, plenty of exercise, and a solid multivitamin and antioxidant regimen.

If you’re not sure about whether or not a certain herb may be good for you, feel free to ask your doctor or nutritionist. Most herbs aren’t meant to be taken regularly, so it’s best not to treat them like the vitamins you take everyday. Stick to the dosage, and you shoul

Double Your Toning Workout

fitgizmos — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:17:55 +0000

There are many different exercises that many women use for a body toning workout, however, some focus on just one body part. To double your toning workout, the best type of bodyweight exercises are the more complicated moves that can work more than one group of muscles at a time. This will help you to burn more calories during your workout and tone more muscles in less time.

Examples of These Toning Workouts for Women

Bodyweight exercises are great for women because they don’t create big, bulging muscles but they are a great body toning workout. Here are a few examples of bodyweight exercises that will work the upper and lower body through one fluid motion:

Plank
For this position, get down on your stomach and put your hands on the floor beside your shoulders and push up until your arms are extended. Your body should be as flat as a plank of wood, hence the name. Your abdominal muscles should be tight and you should be breathing. Holding this for a period of time is a workout. It seams simple but it is effective. You can make it a more challenging toning workout by bringing one knee in towards the opposite side of the body and repeat with the other leg.

Bridge
For this move lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your feet and shoulders on the floor bring your butt up until your body forms a diagonal line from your knees to your chest. Bring the butt back down until about 2 inches off the floor and repeat. You can make this a more challenging toning workout by pointing one leg up towards the ceiling and repeating the process.

Lunges
There are three different types of lunges. There is the forward lunge, the backwards lunge, and the side lunge. Each move works a different muscle. So when I do my lunges I like to do lunge circles. The lunge circle is a circuit of all the different types of lunges. First you complete a front lunge by kneeling forward with the left leg without allowing your knee to actually touch the floor. Use the left leg to push yourself back up. Then do the same move with the right leg. Then do a side lunge by keeping the left leg straight while you take a step to the right bending the right knee. With the right leg push yourself back up to standing. Next you would perform a reverse lunge by stepping back with the right leg and kneel without the knee touching the ground. Repeat with the left leg and then side lunge to the left. Now your back to the front lunges and you repeat the circle. This is a great toning workout for the legs.

Squats
The squat is a great move for the whole lower body. This move is like sitting on an imaginary chair behind you. There are three different types of squats and each work the lower body in a different way. The regular squat is with the toes pointed forward and your legs shoulder width apart. The plie’ squat is with your toes wider than shoulder width apart and your toes pointed slightly outward. The damsel squat is with your toes pointed forward but with your legs together. Combining the different types of squats will be a great lower body toning workout.

Doing Body Workout With Proper Cool Down Exercises

fitgizmos — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 21:15:19 +0000

While warming up is important before you begin any body workout exercise, it is also important that you cool your body down upon completing your session. Cooling down allows your body to gradually return back to its normal resting state, and calm the rapid blood flow to your heart.

Avoid ending a workout abruptly, especially if it is a vigorous activity with a workout machine. When we suddenly stop without a gradual cool down our blood pressure drops, which could cause dizziness or fainting. A proper cool-down prevents sudden pooling of blood after activity and re-circulates it back to the heart, muscles and brain.

Benefits of a Proper Cool Down:

Allows the body and muscles to relax
Gradually lowers the heart rate to its normal resting rate
Helps discard some of the waste formed in the muscles – including lactic acid, which can leave you feeling stiff and tired the next day.

Cool Down exercises for homebody workout:

Here are some cool down exercises to try at home. Ideally, a cool-down should consist of five to 10 minutes of jogging or walking and five to 10 minutes of stretching. However, that is just a guideline, and similar to warm-ups, cool downs are also individually based. Here are some examples for cool-down exercises:

- Tai Chi. If you know martial arts at all, slow controlled movements allows the body to moderately cool down all together. (I.e. Fitness instructor Billy Blanks is notorious for his Tai Chi component at the end of every body workout.)

- Aerobics. Yoga, pilates, etc. are another alternative for progressively relaxing your body.

- Easy jog/walk, either on the treadmill or outside for some fresh air.

- Stretching. Great for helping you gradually bring your heart rate down. Static stretches (holding each stretch for 10 – 20 seconds), and working your way from the head down are suitable as part of cooling down.

Tips for after body workout:

- Drink water. Helps hydrate your body and flushes out any bodily toxins created during the workout.

- Eat a healthy snack within half an hour of your completed workout session. Replenish the energy that you used up, because while many people think that they should avoid eating after working out to lose weight – it’s actually the opposite. Within that half-hour window, consumed food gets turned into energy rather than stored fat; however, one should be reasonable and avoid junk food.

Yoga for a Tone Butt

fitgizmos — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 21:08:00 +0000

Ever heard of the term “Yoga Butt”? It is the status of achieving the best, tightest, round and high butt. Want a butt like that? You need a yoga butt tone workout! Well! What do we have here? A yoga butt tone workout! Just what you need!

The Yoga Butt Tone Workout

This workout consists of yoga or yoga inspired moves that will help you to get a nice, toned butt perfect to flaunt in those new jeans!

Chair Pose- This pose involves standing with your arms at your sides. Sit back as if you were about to sit in an imaginary chair behind you as you extend your arms out in front of you. Hold the pose for 3 seconds and come back up into standing position. Repeat desired number of times. For an extra challenge you can try to complete this pose on your toes.

The Bow- For this pose you need to lie down on your stomach. Reach behind you and bring your feet up. Grab you feet with your hands and bring them in while you bring your head back. Release down but keep a hold of your feet. Repeat.

The Plow- Lie down on your back and bring your legs up toward the ceiling. Then bring your legs down slowly towards and past your head. Bring your legs back up to the ceiling and repeat.

Warrior 1 to Warrior 2- This is a combination pose that really blasts that bottom. First start out in an extended lunge position with your arms up overhead, then extend your arms, one in front of you and one behind you. During this pose changing, you should be pumping your front leg up and down. Switch legs and repeat.

Lying Toe Taps- For this move, lie on your back and bring your knees up towards your body and your legs out, forming a 90 degree angle with both your knees and your hips. Slowly bring one leg down and tap your toe on the ground. Bring it back up and switch to the other leg. Repeat desired amount of times.

I hope you enjoy this great butt tone workout through yoga poses. If you are looking for a way to tone the rest of your body, try the Body Shaper Machine. This little piece of workout equipment uses the yoga principle to tone the whole body.

Sore Joints? Use This ROM Exercise

fitgizmos — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 20:47:32 +0000

The range of motion, or ROM, is a medical term used to describe the amount of flexibility you have left in each joint, like the knee, the elbows, the hips and more. Stiff joints get that way from lack of use, so it is important in order to keep your normal range of motion in all your joints that you move them everyday. Normal daily tasks such as housework, climbing stairs, and walking around are not considered ROM exercises. If you have fallen behind in this task, try this great ROM exercise to help limber up.

ROM Exercise for the Knees

To strengthen and lengthen the muscles around the knee joint the best workout in the short arc. To perform this move, lie down on your back with your upper body propped up with your arms supporting it on the ground. Bend one knee with the foot on the ground and place a rolled towel under the other knee. Move the knee from bent to straight in a slow, strong movement. To make this move difficult, you can add a 3-5 pound ankle weight to the extended leg.

ROM Exercise for the Hips

To help the range of motion in your hips the best exercise is the hamstring stretch. To do this move lie on your back. Bring one leg up, using a towel or pillowcase behind your knee held in both hands, gently stretch the closer to your upper body. Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds.

ROM Exercise for the Wrist

The wrist is a problem area for most office workers. To help with the wrist joint perform wrist extensions and flexions. With your fingers straight, bring your hand as far to the right as you can, then bring it back as far to the left. Repeat the motion, only this time with your fingers curled. Repeat with the other wrist.

ROM Exercise for the Back

To get more movement in your lower back, lie on your back with your knees bent. Slowly lower your knees to one side and twist your head to the opposite side. Alternating sides, repeat 20 times.

For more back range of motion, perform the Cat. Get down on all fours, push your back up and bring your head down and hold for 5 seconds. Then release and arch your back and bring your head up and back. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat.

How to Fuel Your Body for a Good Workout

fitgizmos — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:44:04 +0000

The body is like an engine, it needs fuel to work. If you don’t put enough fuel in the tank of your vehicle, you won’t get to your destination. It’s the same for your body. If you plan to get in a really good, effective workout routine, woman, you need to give your body the fuel it needs to make it through to the end!

Prograde Fuel For Car vs. Your Body

To keep the engine analogy, the performance of your car is affected by the type of gasoline you put in the tank. If you put in cheap, poor quality fuel full of contaminants and additives, your car won’t work at its peak performance.

The same goes with your body. If you eat foods full of preservatives and additives, fat and sugars, you won’t perform at your peak level.

So if you are a workout routine woman, and you want to stick to your workout routine and see results from it, you need to fuel your body with the best ingredients possible. This means:

Plenty of fruits and vegetables

Rich in powerful vitamins

Minerals that power the body

Also, healthy carbohydrates, like whole grains or potatoes are a good in moderation. Lean protein is a must because of the amino acids in the protein help to develop lean muscle mass in the body. Along with this should be plenty of water.

Example of a Workout Routine Woman’s Diet

When you wake up on the day you want to have a good workout, eat a good breakfast. Depending on when you plan to exercise, in the morning, afternoon, of evening, you need to plan your meals around it.

You shouldn’t eat too close to your workout or too long before it.
About an hour to an hour and a half before you workout, you need to eat a well balanced meal of carbs, protein, and veggies.
Within 20 minutes after you workout, you need to have a small meal, something to help your body refuel after you used up all of your energy.

An example of a good diet for a workout routine woman:

Breakfast:
- Spinach and Tomato One Egg Omelet
- Orange
- Whole Wheat Toast

Lunch:
Roasted Chicken Breast Salad
Strawberries and low fat vanilla yogurt

1-2 hours later exercise

Supper:
Salmon with green beans and wild rice

This diet will ensure you get the best body ever, so will a good workout routine with the Body Shaper Machine. Give it a try for the toning part of your workout schedule.

Fad Diets Don’t Work

fitgizmos — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:43:52 +0000

The failure is in their name; fad diet. They are just a fad and won’t be popular within a few months. You should be able to recognize a fad diet quite easily. It is a new diet that is supposed to be a “miracle cure for obesity,” or “burn 10 pounds of fat in 10 days,” or some other radical claim.

Sure, some people may lose weight following said diet with a women’s fitness training program but is it healthy? Is it long lasting?

Women’s Fitness Training and Fad Diets

If you really are serious about losing weight, you need to be reasonable. It isn’t reasonable to eat a highly restricted diet. It isn’t reasonable to expect to lose 10 lbs of anything in 10 days unless you lose a limb.

So, do you remember learning about the food pyramid? There is even a slot at the very top for sugars and fats. Yes, the body needs a little of anything. So if a diet tells you to cut out carbs, or cut out all fat, or cut out all sugar, your body will be lacking in nutrition and eventually there will be consequences.

Do you want to look good or do you want to feel good?

You need to ask yourself a serious question. Are you losing weight just to look good or do you want to feel good, too? In women’s fitness training, you need a balanced diet and a good workout routine. You need to give the body what it needs for optimum performance, and you need to use it so it doesn’t get lazy. If you combine those two things, not only will you lose weight, but you will see an increase in energy, a decrease in anxiety, you will get better sleep and will have better mental clarity.

If you take a shortcut through a fad diet and try to do any women’s fitness training, not only will you lose weight, but you will lose health, nutrition, possibly iron, vitamins, or other necessities of the body. Is it worth it? Would you rather look good for a few months with harmful consequences or would you wait a few months to look good and feel good for the rest of your life?

Women’s Fitness Training with a Real Diet

For the best body and the best you, start a women’s fitness training program to keep your body used to moving and feed it a healthy balanced diet. In a good diet, nothing is restricted. Allow yourself some treats, but keep them in their place. Eat mostly fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains and legumes, respectively. Drink plenty of water every day and take a multi vitamin for women.

You will find that with the proper diet you will reduce your cravings for sweets and fried foods and your women’s fitness training program will be easier for you to complete. Don’t allow yourself to be a victim of a fad diet and fail your weight loss goals once again. Be sensible, reasonable, and persistent.