Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Joseph Reimu


It is no secret that exercise is a key component to leading a healthy and vital life. There are basically two kinds of exercises that one can do and they are aerobics or cardiovascular training and weight training. Both are very important in order to stay strong and healthy. Aerobic exercise can be done in many different ways.

In fact, if you work at a job where you are on your feet and moving around a lot then you may not even need to do any additional exercise since your job provides you with the aerobic benefit. It is important to not exercise too much, even though this is not a common problem, exercise does put a certain level of stress on your body and if you overdo it you can easily become over trained which can lead to a depressed immune system which can lead to you becoming more likely to get sick.

It is not necessary to sweat significantly during your aerobic exercise sessions. A simple one hour walk outside if the weather permits or on a treadmill indoors can be sufficient. Running too much can put a lot of stress on your joints such as the knees and can lead to future joint problems so if you have to run do it only for short periods and take appropriate rest levels. Aerobic exercise helps to stimulate the lymphatic system which is partly responsible for the removal of toxins from inside your body thus this kind of exercise has is a great way to internally cleanse your body naturally.

If you find doing aerobic exercise to be very physically difficult then consider something like a recumbent exercise bike which is probably the most comfortable piece of aerobic exercise equipment you can purchase. It has very good back support and is gentle on the knees so you can start slow and work your way up as you get fitter and stronger. Also try to keep your heart rate around the 120 beats per minute range during your aerobic sessions.

Weight training is also a very important aspect of exercise that both males and females should perform regularly. Many females are concerned that if they train with weights they will become bulky and unattractive which is not true as long as you stick with lighter weights and do not take growth hormones. In fact, adding a little muscle will make you look firmer, sculpted and more attractive instead of being flabby. Weight training stimulates the growth and maintenance of muscle tissue which is critical for maintaining strength. Weight lifting also promotes greater bone density which can help to fight osteoporosis and it can also make you look and feel younger.

If you have never trained with weights before then it is a good idea to join a local gym and take a few personal training sessions to learn the basic exercises. The bench press is a great exercise for the upper body and the squat or leg press is ideal to train the lower body. If your time is really limited then just doing these two exercises once a week or even once every month depending on how much weight you lift (the more weight you lift the more rest you need) can be sufficient. Become stronger and healthier by doing these exercises regularly.

Guest Author: David Taggart


Are you sick and tired of always running on the treadmill? I mean a lot of the time it honestly can just be boring. What if you could lose weight while having fun doing your cardio workout? I mean why not spend more time really doing the things that you like to do while getting a workout. Well, with the right instruction and guidance, it can happen and I will tell you how!

Your Cardio workout does not always have to be running on the tread mill, so why not pick up a new activity that you enjoy. The biggest problem that most people encounter while exercising is a loss of motivation, especially when they do not see the results they want right away. If you choose something you will enjoy doing, and do it more consistently, you are much more likely to stick to your workout routine, burn the fat, and cardio sculpt your body.

Here are some cardio sculpting exercises that you could try to do:

1.Go Swimming. If you enjoy the water, go for a swim two to three times a week. Start out slow but begin increasing the intensity of your workout.

2.How about some jump rope? You are able to do a lot of fun things with a jump rope. Many of the worlds best athletes use a jump rope to get a great cardio workout. There are many games that will keep you entertained while jumping. It can also become a new challenge for those you are very competitive, for example, try to jump backwards, crossovers and all the many other jump roping jumps.

3.Enjoy Nature. Go to the beach and go for a jog during a beautiful sun set. Go up the canyon, in the mountains, whatever your heart desires. The most important thing is to make it enjoyable while working out.

4.Lastly, get a workout partner and have fun while challenging one another. One of the best methods to new weight loss is interval training. Interval training allows you to receive direct benefits of cardio sculpt. It is high intensity cardiovascular exercises for a few minutes and then a very low intensity recovery period for one minute. A good example would be, you could sprint for one to two minutes and then walk for thirty seconds. You can do this with a number of different exercises.

Hopefully these suggestions allow you to enjoy your workout so much more and keep you motivated in your weight loss goals.

Guest Author: Pat Pohzer


After reading this interesting material, I hope you’ll think differently about cardio training and try something new. It’s not that I’m totally against cardio as part of your exercise routine, but is cardio training really what you need to get fit and healthy? If you continue reading, you’ll soon realize that I’m not really against cardio as a form of exercise, I just believe that “traditional cardio” is not the most effective form of exercise you can be doing to achieve your goals.

Most people who are trying to get fit or lose body fat think, without question, that they need “cardio” exercise to achieve success. I beg to differ! This may come as a surprise, but some of the fittest people I know, both men and women, do not swear by traditional cardio. After many years of working out in different gyms and knowing several athletes and personal trainers, I have to agree that low to moderate cardio is more appropriate for the obese or really poorly conditioned person; and even then, it’s still not the most effective method.

So what pray tell IS “cardio”? Most people think it’s running on the treadmill, riding the stationary bike, or gliding on an elliptical machine in front of a TV. That is, what I would consider, “traditional cardio”, which by the way, is why I’m not surprised that people get bored and eventually give up.

To put it simply, “cardio” is any physical movement that gets your heart pumping and helps strengthen the cardiovascular system. If you’re engaging in a physical activity that gets your heart beating faster and you find yourself short of breath or gasping for air, consider it cardio.

For instance, there’s the barbell/dumbell/kettlebell clean and press (C&P), which is hoisting a barbell up from the ground to your shoulders, then push pressing overhead. To some this may seem like a weight training or a strength exercise, but try doing 10-15 reps with a challenging weight and I can guarantee your heart rate will go up you’ll find yourself breathless as if you just ran a sprint which, by the way, is better than jogging for weight loss.

Give the C&P exercise another go, this time with a 20-rep set or one-arm snatches or with swings while each hand holds a kettlebell/dumbell. Or try 5 straight minutes of lunges, pushups and bodyweight squats with minimal rest in between. While 5 minutes may not seem like a lot, try it, and if these suggested exercise routines don’t get you sweating, huffing, and puffing, I’m not sure what will.

While these types of exercises are usually referred to as strength or weight training exercises, they will definitely satisfy your cardio concerns and get your heart beating faster.

These exercise routines are not only time saving, but if done with the right intensity, they will produce results of a full-body work out. Unlike “traditional” cardio where you’re not concentrating or putting in every effort in exercising because you’re watching TV or reading a book, this method of exercising will get you fit, healthy, and looking good! And it doesn’t take much time and/or equipment.



Fountain Of Youth

Guest Author: elmer8147a


One of the most important exercises is cardio. You can lift as much weight as you want but without endurance it will get you no where. People kill themselves trying to get more definition on their stomach by doing hundreds of crunches a day. You can do all the abdominal workouts in the world but without the right diet and exercise you won’t see any definition.

One of the best cardio workouts is running. You can burn up to 700 calories in an hour. The only problem is that unless you have some really good running shoes it will be very hard on your ankles and joints. You can either get some good running shoes or move it over to the treadmill. Running on a sidewalk will give you shin splints where on the treadmill it absorbs more impact.

The trick to a good work out is to workout hard enough to where you break a sweat. A fifteen minute strenuous workout is sometimes more beneficial than a two hour workout with less progress and less sweat. Try running on the treadmill in intervals. Try switching the speeds. It confuses the body and breaks a sweat faster than jogging for thirty minutes.

Switch between jogging and sprinting every minute or so and watch how the drops of sweat start coming down. Cardiovascular exercise is crucial to your health. Cardio gets your blood pumping and sheds the excess calories which then turn into fat. No matter how many crunches you decide to do, if you don’t do enough cardio then you will have excess fat covering your strong abs.

A fit body is 80% diet and 20% exercise. A diet rich in fruit and vegetables is the way to go. Try eating dark vegetables versus the lighter ones like iceberg lettuce. Try eating spinach instead. Cut back on fats and oils. Sugar is your abdominals worst enemy. The more sugar you cut from your diet the easier it is to burn all of your excess weight. It will also lower your cholesterol which in turn will get your heart healthy. Eating oats and brown rice will lower your cholesterol and is high in fiber. Stay away from white starches; all it does is creating a tire around your waist. Make sure you drink a lot of water, eat veggies and fruit. You will see your abs and be in good health in no time at all! All it takes it the discipline to make it your lifestyle. Diets are only temporary so make sure you make it your lifestyle.



Health and Vitality Now

Guest Author: George Konstantakis


Do you cringe each time you take a look at your belly? Do you sweat it out with hours of cardio daily only to find no improvement? Are you utterly frustrated with your cardio routine? Well, if that belly fat refuses to budge even when you’re doing regular cardio you might want to read this.

Cardio activity in general refers to any activity that lets you speak while working out. Cardio implies doing low paced continuous and steady exercises for a certain period of time.

Many fitness instructors believe that 1-2 hours of cardio training daily help get that elusive six-pack. This theory is refuted by numerous health experts for several reasons. You’ll be astonished to discover that doing extra cardio can slow your metabolism rather than step it up.

Many fitness experts suggest that our bodies aren’t programmed to perform activities at a steady continuous pace. Rather, they are designed to perform activities in short intervals. An apt example of performing an activity in a short interval is running a 100 meters race. You start the race, push your body to the limit and you stop. This helps the body to recover. If you observe sprinters and other sportsmen, you’ll notice the lack of belly fat.

Rather than cardio training, interval training is advocated by health experts to work your way to six-pack abs. Cardio training strengthens the muscles beneath the belly fat. However, this is of little consolation because the muscles are buried under the fat and the bulge will still be visible.

Moreover, scientists say that excessive cardio exercises can even reduce immunity and weaken joints.

Research has proved that several hours of cardio is not going to get you that much coveted six-pack. Rather, go in for high impact intermittent workouts. You don’t have to slog for hours at the treadmill. You can get that six-pack with interval training even if your entire workout lasts only twenty minutes.

However, everybody agrees that a few minutes of cardio daily helps regulate overall body weight.



How French Women Stay Young

Guest Author: Gen Wright


e like many people you are totally confused by all the exercise information and misinformation, fat loss hype, and supplement ads and fads you come across everyday both on the internet and in magazines. Or you could be following exercise or weight loss programs that give you little, if any results, and take up too much time from your busy schedule.

Well, you are not alone as there are millions of people around the world that are ready to give up on finding the right exercise and nutrition program for their goals and schedules (if they haven’t given up already). After being mislead by so called fitness experts that all they need to do is find “something they enjoy” and that will get them strong, fit and be able to lose weight. Yea right!

Let us take a look at the biggest time-robbing, money-wasting, ineffective exercise method that is supposed to help you lose fat although the awful truth is, it does not do this. Did you know that using long, slow, mind numbing; boring, steady-state cardio (walking, jogging, cycling etc) for fat burning might be the biggest weight loss scam of all time?

When asked to picture a typical “fat loss” workout, can you see yourself on the treadmill or “doing 20 minutes on the bike” and hating every second of it. That is why so many people give up so quickly, or don’t even bother to start in the first place. And did you know launching into a program of cardio type activity is the last place a beginner should start?

Because many beginners to fitness are often overweight, unconditioned and unprepared, excessive cardio only predisposes them to muscle and joint injuries, especially when doing repetitive activity on a daily basis. The problem is this type of activity only burns fuel (calories) during the exercise session and what is needed for fat loss is an increase in the fuel burnt every minute of the day 24/7. What happens after the exercise session is over is much more important than what happens during the session.

So, you may be asking, “What does work for fast and efficient fat loss”?

To lose fat, the first thing you need to do is speed up your metabolism (your body’s engine). If you have been living a no exercise lifestyle for some time it is likely you have lost some lean muscle mass. From the mid 20’s on this will happen if you are not strength training to keep your muscles in good working order.

To crank up your metabolic rate you will need to rebuild and tone up your muscles. Muscle is where the fat is burnt so this is the number one sure fire way to lose that body fat. Seek the help of a fitness professional to set up your program and teach you correct exercise technique.

You need to use the right exercises, perform them at the right intensity (degree of difficulty) and the right frequency. To get the best results you also need to have your program updated often and your progress monitored.

Instead of the long, slow, cardio type activity, perform 1-2 sessions of interval training each week. These are short bursts of activity alternated with longer rest periods. An example of this would be 10 seconds of all out sprinting followed by 30 seconds to one minute of walking. Repeat these intervals 8-12 times depending on current fitness level.

This type of metabolism boosting training means you can cut down on your workout time and get way better results.

So, if you have been spending precious time each week doing endless boring cardio type activity and are not getting the result you feel you should be getting for your time and effort try saying goodbye (and good riddance) to this type of activity altogether. Say hello to exercise that works which is strength/interval training and you can look forward to getting the results you wish for.

Guest Author: Susanne Myers


You know how important cardio workouts are for your health and wellbeing, but it’s hard to get a good cardio workout in when you can’t leave to house to go to the gym or for a run. Here are some great cardio workouts you can do right at home.

Workout DVDs

One of the easiest ways to get your heart pumping with a workout at home is to purchase one (or a few) of the workout DVDs available today. You can find cardio workouts on just about anything from kickboxing to dance. Pick one that looks like fun and start working out. If you just add a new DVD every 3 months, you’ll have a great little library of cardio workout DVDs in no time. Rotate through the different workouts and you’ll never get bored of working out at home again.

Treadmill

A treadmill is a great way to get a good cardio workout at home. You can walk on it briskly or go for a jog or run. Some models will even let you adjust the angle of the walking surface, to simulate going uphill. Keep your workout from getting boring by listening to some music or audio books while you walk.

Stationary Bike

A stationary bike is another great piece of equipment that allows you to get in a great cardio workout just about anywhere in your house. All you have to do is jump on the bike and peddle away. Keep some water close by to stay hydrated. I like to watch TV or a movie while I’m riding my bike. You can also read books or magazines if you are just peddling at a slower yet persistent pace.

Jump Rope

A jump rope is one of the least expensive pieces of workout equipment you’ll ever buy. You can pick one up for a few bucks, or borrow one from your kids. To get a great workout, simply jump rope for 20 to 30 minutes. For a great interval training, jump 100 jumps as fast as you can, then slow down to a more comfortable jump, barely lifting your feet enough to let the rope go through.

Step Workout

You’ve probably seen those fancy step workouts at the gym, or the TV infomercial. Guess what? You can get a great step workout at home without any specialized equipment. Utilize the bottom step of your stairs, or any large, sturdy box you can step on and off. I use an old milk crate at my house. Step up using your right leg first 12 times, then switch to leading with your left leg. Repeat. For some variety try stepping side to side.