A central aspect of my fitness philosophy -- one that I try to instill in my clients, my readers and myself -- is that the purpose of exercise should not be just to look fit.
Treadmills have been around for a long time, since 1875 to be exact! But they weren't built for humans initially. They were built for animals to harness their power to use for butter churns, spinning wheels, or water pumps. There were even big treadmills ran by horses for farming equipment.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!
There are many reasons to choose to eat well and many benefits that can be gained from healthy food choices. Eating a plant based diet is one thing you can do to help lower your chances of getting cancer.
There are three omega-3 fats that you may have heard of: ALA, DHA, and EPA (alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexanaenoic , and eicosapentaenoic acid). They are considered to be essential fats because we need to get them from our diet. Our bodies can't make ALA, and can only make limited DHA and EPA from the ALA, so it is important to include food sources on a regular basis.
Omega-3s can help prevent...
When we talk about weight gain or weight loss we need to consider how the energy balance is being swayed. For weight maintenance we want energy in (calories consumed) to equal energy out (calories burned). When:
energy in > energy out = weight gain
energy in < energy out = weight loss
The power of positive thinking and the importance of imagination are not new concepts in 21st century living. As we multitask through busy lives we seek the most efficient and effective fitness plan we can find to meet our goals. Studies show that harnessing the power of the brain to work with the body can lead to your goals even faster. Visualization in particular can be a powerful enhancement to your workout.
Research has shown that the brain lights up when...
Vegetables contain important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants - all known to help fight disease and allow your body to perform at its best. The nutrients (carbohydrate, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and B vitamins such as folate) work together to provide the overall health benefits. Vegetables are also low in fat and calories (the exception being olives and avocados) making them a great snack any time of the day.
Adequate nutrition and hydration during activity provides the energy needed to perform at a high level, allows for mental focus and skill execution, and helps prevent hunger and thirst. The duration and intensity of your activity will affect your food and fluid needs, as well as the temperature, humidity, and altitude at which you are being active. This is a very individualized science and your needs may differ from your workout partner or teammate.
It's important to start to make healthy food choices on a regular basis, but once you add more activity to your life it's important to look at your food choices around your activity. With more activity comes a higher sweat and energy loss. These fluid and food losses need to be replaced to fuel your next workout session.
So, you've decided to start exercising and eating healthy – good for you! Deciding to do it is a huge step and puts you ahead of many others. However, if you're like most people, you're not sure where to start.