Health, Fitness, Weight Training, Smoking and Drinking

Weight training makes a person healthy, fit and strong. It is not just for people who want to build muscle, but for everyone who likes to stay fit and keep the excess weight off. If you want to get in shape or stay in shape you can walk, run or cycle every morning, play sports with friends, but if you want to have muscles and look lean, then lifting some weights either at the gym or at home is your best bet.

People go to the gym for many reasons. e.g:

Fitness

To lose a few pounds if they are overweight.

Health, Fitness, Weight Training, Smoking and Drinking

To gain a few pounds (of muscle) if they are underweight.

To get fit and Healthy.

To get strong.

The most effective exercise plan for most should have some cardiovascular work and mostly weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio better than cardiovascular work alone.

Some Benefits of Weight training;

1. It is the best way to maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.

2. It makes a person feel better and increases ones self confidence, prevents depression, anxiety
and gloom.

3. A weight training lifestyle helps a person live longer than an inactive person.

4. It instils discipline into a person, making other things in life easy.

5. It makes one stronger physically and mentally.

To start: one should consult a physician to get the go ahead and then get into it gradually.
Getting stronger, fitter, healthier Week by week building up more endurance will be of great benefit to you.

Aim for 3 or 4 days a week working out, this is sufficient no matter what your goals are.
Maintain a reasonable diet.

You could consult with a professional to get an excellent eating plan to match your goals and gym
activities.They will evaluate you based on your needs, and recommend a diet plan.

A good diet should have nutrients from all the food groups.

This is made up by 3 basic groups.

The first is carbohydrates.The energy source. The food that a person consumes should have vitamins, minerals and some fiber. A lot of this comes from oats, rice, potatoes, cereals and breads, and also from vegetables and fruits since these have chemicals, enzymes and micro-nutrients that are essential for a healthy diet.

The Second is Protein. The building blocks of muscle and essential organs.This comes from fish, chicken, red meat and dairy. Protein is broken down in the body to form amino acids for repair and
growth of new cells.

The third is fat. The enemy, according to most.There are 4 types of fat: Saturated (the bad) from animals, the more animal fat you consume the higher your blood cholesterol will rise, increasing the risk of a malfunction in the body.Should be taken in small quantities.Sources are: Beef, dairy, coconut oil.

Polyunsaturated (the good) Comes from plants, reduces blood cholesterol.

Sources are: nuts,fish, safflower oil, seeds, corn oil and sunflower oil.

Monounsaturated (the best) also comes from plants, raises the good cholesterol.

Sources are: Avocado,

olive oil, olives, nuts, canola oil and peanut butter.

Hydrogenated fatty acids (the ugly) This is relatively new, the effects are unknown, it is believed that they behave like saturated fat (the bad) causing blood cholesterol levels to rise.

The consumption of fats (the good fats) is important for our health. They are used in the production of hormones and other activities.We do need some fat, but do limit the bad.

A great way to help your efforts in the gym is to give up some detrimental habits such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Smoking damages the lungs and dramatically increases the risk of lung cancer along with other diseases. Excessive drinking has also been shown to causes major diseases.
These two habits are definitely not worth having around.

The best thing one can do for themselves is to quit any destructive habits they have and get into that gym, start pumping some iron and look forward to greater Health and Fitness.

Health, Fitness, Weight Training, Smoking and Drinking

Darren O Connell - has over 20 years experience in Muscle Growth, Health, Fitness, Fat loss and Nutrition - http://www.explosivemusclegrowth.com
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Physical Fitness and You

Physical fitness is to the human body what fine-tuning is to an engine. It is not a race, it's a pursuit. In its most general meaning, physical fitness is a general state of good physical health. It is a foundation for a long and successful life.

Physical fitness is usually measured by periodic tests measuring strength, endurance, agility, coordination, and flexibility. Physical fitness is the capacity of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to function at optimum efficiency.

Fitness

It has two meanings -- General fitness (a state of health and well-being) and specific fitness (the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical Fitness is important, even on bed rest.

Physical Fitness and You

A general-purpose physical fitness program must address the following essentials:

Cardiovascular Fitness: It is the ability of the circulatory and respiratory systems to supply oxygen to muscles during continuing physical activity.

Regular exercises enable more blood to be pumped with each stroke of heart.

Flexibility Training: Stretching increases the range of motion of a joint. It improves suppleness.

Strength Training: Strength training is the use of resistance to muscular contraction to build the strength, and size of skeletal muscles.

Muscular Endurance: Endurance is the ability to exert for a long period of time. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise.

Body Composition: In physical fitness, body composition is used to describe the percentages of fat, bone and muscle in human bodies.

Fitness

Fitness, most importantly cardio-respiratory fitness, has been directly correlated to the mortality rate. Fitness can be described as a condition that helps us look, feel, and do our best.

In previous years, fitness was commonly defined as the capacity to carry out the day's activities without undue fatigue. These days, physical fitness is considered a measure of the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist diseases, and to meet emergency situations.

Many sources also cite mental and emotional health as an important part of overall fitness. This is often presented in textbooks as a triangle made up of three sub-sections, which represent physical, emotional, and mental fitness.

Physical fitness involves the performance of the heart, lungs, and muscles. And, since what we do with our bodies also affects what we can do with our minds, fitness influences to some degree qualities such as mental alertness and emotional stability.

People normally prefer walking for fitness activities followed in order by: swimming, fishing, bicycle riding, camping, golf, bowling, exercise equipment, hiking, hunting, aerobics, calisthenics, jogging, and tennis. Women prefer fitness-related indoor activities and men prefer outdoor sports.

The top level of physical fitness tends to mesh physiology and psychology. The exercises improve function of the muscular and skeletal systems, enhance circulation, augment energy and elevate overall individual levels of fitness. The level of physical fitness can be influenced by regular, systematic exercise.

As energy depends on nutrition, proper nutrition is important to physical fitness. If diet is not adequate, the fitness level will drop. Overweight, underweight, and weak individuals will have below average fitness levels.

Exercises

Exercise that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level and keep it there for 20 minutes won't contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness. It is better to select exercises that involve total body involvement.

Such exercises improve and maintain fitness most effectively -- e.g. Running, swimming, golf, dancing, cycling, and brisk walking. The correct exercises will help you decrease body fat and increase or maintain muscle mass.

By performing many different exercises for a low number of repetitions, the muscles are strengthened, elongated and toned without creating bulk. Total concentration on the body during each exercise emphasizes movement quality, coordination and breath.

Health

Healthy people have more active and more interesting life. Physical fitness can also prevent or treat many chronic health conditions brought on by unhealthy lifestyle or aging.

To stay healthy it's important to participate in physical activity. Even those of us who haven't always led active lifestyles, increasing our physical activity now will help us live longer & healthier lives.

To live a full and healthy life, exercise must be a part of it. It is the ability to endure, to bear up, to withstand stress, to carry on in circumstances where an unfit person could not continue, and it is a major basis for good health and well-being. A physically fit body has less chance of acute health problems and chronic disease.

Major Benefits of Physical Fitness:

o Feel fresh

o Reduce chance of heart attack & stroke

o Reduce the chances of developing adult onset diabetes

o Reduce chances of being overweight

o Manage stress efficiently

o Experience more energy

Physical Fitness and You

Do you want to learn more about the current topic & other related articles? Visit http://www.health-fitness-wellness.com for practically useful information on health & healthy lifestyles.

Pradeep Mahajan is a health enthusiast. He researches, studies & writes on health & fitness topics.

You can reprint this article provided it is not changed and you include the author's web-site address.

8 Key Training Principles For Fitness and Sports Training

The 8 Training Principles are research-based guidelines that can help you accelerate your training progress and optimize your results. Knowing how to apply these principles gives you an educated basis on which you can make informed decisions about designing your fitness or sports training program. The principles can also help you evaluate the merits of fitness equipment and personal training services.

All of the principles complement each other. For best results, they should be applied in concert throughout every phase of training.

Fitness

1. Principle of Specificity suggests that your body will make adjustments according to the type of training you perform and in the very same muscles that you exercise. How you train determines what you get.

8 Key Training Principles For Fitness and Sports Training

This principle guides you in designing your fitness training program. If your goal is to improve your overall level of fitness, you would devise a well-rounded program that builds both endurance and overall body strength. If you want to build the size of your biceps, you would increase weight loads on bicep curls and related exercises.

2. The Principle of Overload implies that you must continually increase training loads as your body adapts over time. Because your body builds and adjusts to your existing training regimen, you must gradually and systematically increase your work load for continued improvement.

A generally accepted guideline for weight training is to increase resistance not more than 10% per week. You can also use percentages of your maximum or estimated maximum level of performance and work out within a target training zone of about 60-85% of maximum. As your maximum performance improves, your training loads will increase, as well.

3. The Principle of Recovery assets that you must get adequate rest between workouts in order to recuperate. How much rest you need depends upon your training program, level of fitness, diet, and other factors.

Generally, if you perform a total body weight workout three days per week, rest at least 48 hours between sessions. You can perform cardio more frequently and on successive days of the week.

Over time, too little recovery can result in signs of overtraining. Excessively long periods of recovery time can result in a detraining effect.

4. The Principle of Reversibility refers to the loss of fitness that results after you stop training. In time, you will revert back to your pre-training condition. The biological principle of use and disuse underlies this principle. Simply stated, If you don't use it, you lose it.

While adequate recovery time is essential, taking long breaks results in detraining effects that may be noticeable within a few weeks. Significant levels of fitness are lost over longer periods. Only about 10% of strength is lost 8 weeks after training stops, but 30-40% of endurance is lost in the same time period.

The Principle of Reversibility does not apply to skills. The effects of stopping practice of motor skills, such as weight training exercises and sport skills, are very different. Coordination appears to store in long-term motor memory and remains nearly perfect for decades. A skill once learned is never forgotten.

5. The Principle of Variation implies that you should consistently change aspects of your workouts. Training variations should always occur within ranges that are aligned with your training directions and goals. Varying exercises, sets, reps, intensity, volume, and duration, for example, prevents boredom and promotes more consistent improvement over time. A well-planned training program set up in phases offers built-in variety to workouts, and also prevents overtraining.

6. The Principle of Transfer suggests that workout activities can improve the performance of other skills with common elements, such as sport skills, work tasks, or other exercises. For example, performing explosive squats can improve the vertical jump due to their common movement qualities. But dead lifting would not transfer well to marathon swimming due to their very dissimilar movement qualities.

7. The Principle of Individualization suggests that fitness training programs should be adjusted for personal differences, such as abilities, skills, gender, experience, motivation, past injuries, and physical condition. While general principles and best practices are good guides, each person's unique qualities must be part of the exercise equation. There is no one size fits all training program.

8. The Principle of Balance is a broad concept that operates at different levels of healthy living. It suggests that you must maintain the right mix of exercise, diet, and healthy behaviors. Falling out of balance may cause a variety of conditions (e.g., anemia, obesity) that affect health and fitness. In short, it suggests all things in moderation.

If you go to extremes to lose weight or build fitness too quickly, your body will soon respond. You could experience symptoms of overtraining until you achieve a healthy training balance that works for you.

For fitness training, balance also applies to muscles. If opposing muscles (e.g., hamstrings and quadriceps in the upper legs) are not strengthened in the right proportions, injuries can result. Muscle imbalances also contribute to tendinitis and postural deviations.

Keep these 8 Training Principles in mind as you design and carry out your fitness training program. They can help you make wise exercise decisions so you can achieve your goals more quickly with less wasted effort.

8 Key Training Principles For Fitness and Sports Training

Dr. Denise K. Wood is an educator and sport and fitness training consultant from Knoxville, TN. She is the creator of [http://www.womens-weight-training-programs.com]

Dr. Wood is an inspirational motivator with an extensive toolbox of training techniques based in science and delivered to accelerate the learning curve. She has trained a wide range of clients from beginners with special needs to Olympians. Her mission: Teach sound principles, inspire life-changing actions.

Dr. Wood is a former track and field champion with extensive international experience. She was mentored by world-class Olympic lifters and a former Soviet coach. As a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee during the peak years of her athletic career, she coached many elite athletes in the field events and strength training. She has held many national positions in Olympic Development and with USA Track and Field.

As a career educator, Dr. Wood has been recognized for her work as an outstanding professor in the exercise sciences and research/statistics. Her experience with clients in physical therapy, allied health fields, and corporate fitness has further broadened her knowledge of human performance.

Dr. Wood earned her B.A. from Montclair State University in Health and Physical Education with teacher licensure, and both her M.S. and Ed.D. in Exercise Science from The University of Tennessee. Her areas of concentration were Motor Learning, Social and Psychological Aspects of Sport, and Research Design and Statistical Analysis. Dissertation topic: The Effect of Two Free Weight Training Programs on Selected Closed Motor Skills. She is a professional member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, and the American Society for Training and Development.

Fitness Gym

Fitness gyms are a great addition to your work-out regimen. A fitness gym is a great way to keep in shape while using some of the best, cutting-edge equipment on the market today, and lots of fitness gyms will offer packages and membership deals designed for busy people.

Licensed trainers are available for individualized workouts and some fitness gyms have masseuses on hand. Home Work-Out Too often, many people sign onto a contract at their local fitness gym and realize they have just signed their life away for a year. However, some people like the setting of a fitness gym with all of the latest exercise equipment and classes.

Fitness

The trick here is to find that fitness gym that caters to the goals you are trying to reach. For example, there are some fitness gyms that are same gender, and there are some that have trained clinical physicians working there. Some fitness gyms have more of an emphasis on classes, while there are some that focus more on weight lifting.

Fitness Gym

The best option is to actually test out each fitness gym for a session or two, and ask the other members what they like best about the gym. See if you can sign up on a month to month basis instead of a contract, so that you are not paying an arm and leg to your fitness gym.Whatever your choice may be there is more opportunity these days than ever before for anyone to have the health benefits of a fitness gym whenever that may be at home or at a club.

For more info about this Article click here

Fitness Gym

He was born in a family that respect a lot being healthy and having good physical Fitness, so it encouraged him to study about Fitness and all related topics.

Physical Fitness For Basketball

Everybody very well know that basketball is game which requires high degree of movement, and the players should be physically fit to have a control over the game. Most of us like to be a professional basketball player, but we drop the idea when we think about the fitness which is required for playing the game. But that is not a good thing to drop your dreams. Getting physically fit is easily achievable by anyone as explained below.

There are two types of modes in which the fitness is measured for a basketball player.

Fitness

1. Cardio respiratory
2. Anaerobic/Interval

Physical Fitness For Basketball

• Most of the experts wish that anyone who wishes to play this game should possess a fairly high level of aerobic fitness before they begin.
• Whenever the players get trained, the important part they look into is strength conditioning and plyometric training.
• We should be fit to consistently show improvement on both strength and power during the game. Normally players undergo the strength and power training to keep them physically fit during the course of the game.
• Normally a basketball player should possess excellent endurance. These players are normally expected to repeat multi high intensity and that too with very minimal rest periods.
• For Aerobic fitness, we can jog or run for a long distance at a slower speed without getting too tired. This fitness is completely for going longer at higher intensities before your legs and body slowdown. This is more important when you play the entire game. Finally, drinking water makes you more fit by overcoming dehydration problems. It is always good to have 1 liter of water in a empty stomach once you get up.

So it is always going to be the regular and routine exercises along with the good habits can make you the fittest to play this game. All the best.

Physical Fitness For Basketball

If you like to be really fit to be basketball player, learn more on fitness of basketball. Good luck.

Fitness - Hungry For What?

Hunger pangs are difficult to resist, You have changed your lifestyle, you are into the new reality, you know you have undertaken the fitness journey to health. Yet, those hunger pangs, that craving, that feeling of emptiness does return occasionally. There is nothing wrong in giving in to them once in a while. Some fitness books even give you a splurge list where you can eat anything you want on a weekend and count your calories the rest of the week. We are not sure how effective this program is.

In actual fact, it is your mental dynamo going back into time and making yet another connection.

Fitness

Since childhood, you have always associated hunger with food. Your howling in infancy magically made a bottle full of milk appear at your lips. Later, you were always called for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner. with a well­ meant remark like, "You must be hungry." At a picnic, you were often asked, "Hungry?

Fitness - Hungry For What?

Mental dynamics play an important role in the hunger syndrome. The mind is a teeming mass of senses. A certain situation triggers off a sense and identifies it with an object. For example, you will always identify fear with a ghost, beauty with a rose, heat with fire and so on. Once the identification is made, the mind sticks to it. It narrows itself not leaving room for choices. Yet, choices are, ever present. If you have a minor cut on your finger, it will throb as long as you pay attention to it. But if at that moment, your neighbour rings your doorbell and exclaims, "There is a fire in the next building!" you will forget your pain. That is because your mind has got distracted and seized another point of interest.

Thus, sights, sounds, touch, are the media of the mind to make the abstract into concrete. Which is why most people turn away from an abstract painting saying, "I can't make sense of it." Only when there is an identification does the mind acknowledge it as real.

The mind also has the ability to be in two time zones at the same -time due to the memory-bank in the brain. You will find couples identifying a musical composition as their 'special song' since they had danced to it years ago in their courting days. In those few moments, they are twenty ­year-olds again gazing into each others eyes.

It is the all-powerful mind that decides your reflexes. Which is why you identify an abstract feeling of hunger with items like food. The mind has made the association and sticks to it grimly through the years.

Your mental dynamics can play a key role here. Suppose you could give. your mind something else to chew upon, suppose you could widen your mind's horizon, suppose you could now set a new trend in the process of identification, of association. You can do all these by asking, "Hungry for what?' The choices are limitless. Hungry for company. Hungry for work. Hungry for exercise. Bullseye! You've got something going for you there! Most often, hunger is only an abstract state. Eliminate food from your mind's concrete list. And you've got a whole new fitness philosophy working for you!

Try it. The next time you feel "hungry" tell yourself it is your body hungering for exercise. After 20 minutes of working out, your appetite will have disappeared. Practise it until it becomes a part of your mental dynamics. You will be surprised how easy it is once you make a habit of it.

There is much more to this process than banishing your appetite. Once you are able to change the process of identification, you will be flooded with an awareness of your mental powers. You will be able to guide your thinking, your reflexes into new channels. You will be freeing yourself from set old patterns that don't work for you. You will create newer vistas.

It is fascinating because the possibilities are endless. It is fulfilling because with your new realities you can be the eternal explorer - stretching your boundaries, going beyond existing limits. You will be able to set your talent in a new direction.

You will discover a whole new world. New paths. New maps. New destinations. The best part is that it will be all inside you, starting from you. And for that reason, they will work for you. In short, your mental dynamics are always at your service - they can be tuned for you. To help you grow. And, as we said at the outset, isn't that your mission?

To grow as an individual. And never having to stop?

Fitness - Hungry For What?

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Fitness - Ab Workout

Most fitness experts agree that the tone of your ab muscles will make a difference in an otherwise impressive build. Ask anyone. there isn't anything like a stunning six-pack. Image the outlined arms, the turbulent chest, the etched legs, and then imagine a nice, obese pot belly pushing out like a growing mess of Pillsbury bread, making many hours of challenging work look like a misguided attempt.

Of course, a bloated beer stomach on an otherwise finely sculpted body fits in like a pig in a penthouse. While the abs are important to whether you're seen as being either 'fat' or 'fit', all of the fitness abdominal workouts known to man won't persist without the adjoining commitment to both exact diet and significant amounts of cardio action.

Fitness

In the meanwhile, here's a fitness ab workout to take the paste away from your waist:

Fitness - Ab Workout

* Fitness Ab Workout #1 The Crunches

* Lie on an exercise floor on the deck, flexing your knees just slightly so that your feet are placed on the floor flat. Bringing your hands in back of head, slowly rear your shoulders up off the floor, pressing your abdominal muscles on every rise. Be certain you don't force your neck upward; preferably making a typical, effortless, seamless motion.

* Elevate just the blades of your shoulders up from the exercise floor and maintain that positioning for two counts before slowly releasing your shoulders back down on the mat. Be particular to not let the shoulders altogether rest on the floor before commencing the next repetition. Do 3 sets of twenty repetitions, taking just a few seconds pause between sets of this fitness ab workout?

* Fitness Ab Workout #2 The Cable Crunches

* Start out with a double rope on the cable machine. Plant your feet on the floor, and grab hold of the ropes with two hands, locking them onto the side of the head. Slowly take your elbows down around your knees, and hold the muscular contraction for a three count. Rise slowly up to an attitude where the torso is parallel with the floor, then repeat the movement. Attempt three sets of 20-30 repetitions at an average weight for this fitness ab workout.

* Fitness Ab Workout #3 Knee Lifts

* Sit Down at the edge of an exercise bench, and grasp on the side of the bench, using both of the hands in order to keep even balance. Now, with your legs stretched outward, slowly draw your knees toward your chest, contracting the ab muscles during the compression. Obtain this attitude for two seconds then slowly extending your legs before replicating the motion. Try and keep the bouncing and springing to a minimum. Do at least three sets of 20 reps for this fitness ab workout.

Fitness - Ab Workout

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Fitness - Back Flexibility and Strength Exercises

If you have ever suffered from severe backache you will know just what a central part the back plays in our lives. Even something as simple as squeezing a tennis ball in your hand can be extremely painful as the action uses not only the muscles of the forearm, but also the biceps, the latissimus dorsi muscles and other back muscles.

The latissimus dorsi muscles, or 'lats', are the large muscles that run down each side of the upper body and are what gives a man his triangular shaped.

Fitness

Just about every sport requires strong back muscles to act as a 'pillar' to support the main limbs in movement and also to provide balance, movement, speed and coordination.

Fitness - Back Flexibility and Strength Exercises

Here are a few easy exercises to help to both stretch and strengthen those important back muscles. The majority are best performed on a firm, but not hard, surface as, while you work the muscles, you don't want to put undue pressure on bony parts of the body.

Knee to Chest

Lie on your back and clasp your hands behind one of your thighs. Pull your thigh slowly up toward your chest, while being careful to keep the other leg flat on the ground. Hold this position for five seconds before lowering the leg and repeating the exercise with the other leg. Start will about 10 repetitions of this exercise and slowly build this up over time.

Rotations

Lie on your back with your knees together and raised so that your feet are flat on the floor. With your arms extended close the body, and your palms flat on the floor, lift your feet a couple of inches off the ground and rotate your trunk by moving your knee, first to the left and then to the right.

At first, don't strain yourself by trying to rotate your knees too far but, as you become more flexible and build strength, you can increase your range of movement. Ultimately, you should be able to touch your knees to the floor.

Pelvic Press

Once again lie on your back with your knees raised and your feet flat on the floor. Push the small of your back into the floor and hold it there for a few seconds while you feel the tension in your lower abdominal muscles. Vary the action by moving your feet together and performing the exercise and then repeating the exercise with your feet slightly apart.

Pelvic Lift

This time lie on your back with your knees raised, your feet flat on the ground and your arms crossed over your chest. Keeping your legs and knees together, raise your buttocks a couple of inches off the floor and hold the position for a few seconds. Then, lower your buttocks slowly back onto the floor, count to two, and repeat the exercise again.

Dog Stretches

Okay last one! Get down on all fours and raise your head so that you're looking straight ahead. Lower your arms and, at the same time, arch your back. Hold this position for a couple of seconds and then resume your starting position.

Next, slowly extend one leg, as near parallel to the floor as you can and hold it up for two or three seconds before returning it to the floor. (If this particular exercise results in pain in the back, hip, or leg you should stop immediately.) Switch legs and repeat this exercise about ten times for each leg at first and gradually increase the number of repetitions over time.

Fitness - Back Flexibility and Strength Exercises

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Fitness - Basic Components

A healthy body and a positive attitude is something everyone yearns for. To achieve the two it is of vital importance to maintain an appropriate level of health and fitness which is determined by the way we live our lives, what we eat, what methods we employ to keep ourselves physically fit as well as our choice of leisure pursuits.

The importance of staying fit
Physical fitness provides increased levels of energy and vitality.
Being fit improves the quality of life and helps maintain a good standard of health, which delays or prevents different degenerative diseases.
Various forms of exercise used to attain fitness help reduce stress, control weight and shape of the body.
Being physically fit makes one feel good.

Fitness

Methods Used to Attain Fitness
There are three basic components of fitness:
Weight Training;
Cardiovascular or aerobic workout;
Flexibility component

Fitness - Basic Components

Weight Training
Lifting weights is an ideal way to stay fit. This form of exercise helps raise the body's metabolism, strengthens bones, increases muscular endurance, improves circulation and balance and increases self-esteem and confidence.
The muscles are the best calorie-burning tissues in the body and hence it is very important for weight control. Therefore, the more muscle we have, the better we are at burning calories. That's why weight training exercises are so important.

Cardiovascular workout
Cardiovascular or aerobic is the best type of exercise for lowering blood pressure, reducing serum cholesterol and helping alleviate and build resistance to stress - all significant factors in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke. This form of physical activity is also helpful in controlling weight, keeping the body fit and making the heart stronger and more efficient. This term is generally used to refer to any exercise that helps use oxygen more efficiently by reaching and maintaining the target heart range, which is the safest range of heart beats per minute during exercise. Some examples are jogging, aerobics.

Flexibility component
Flexibility is needed for greater mobility along with relief from stiffness and stress. It can help alleviate chronic back pain, shoulder pain, headaches, bad posture, fatigue, etc. Some examples are yoga and stretching exercises.

Fitness - Basic Components

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Fitness Benefits Of Riding A Stationary Bike

Stationary bicycles
are a safe and effective means of exercise. They provide a means of low-impact cardiovascular exercise, are generally quiet in operation, and are efficient with their use of space.Bicycling has been around for centuries, and is still going strong! Don't let poor weather slow you down, simply cycle within the comfort and safety of your home. Low impact and affective, using a stationary bike is a great way to burn fat and get your heart pumping. provides a steady workout for your legs, hips, thighs and glutes, as well as a cardio workout to get your heart pumping and keep it there for prolonged periods of time.Stationary bikes are a great way to exercise and have fun .Stationary bikes are affordable ,and can be use in the comfort of your home . Stationary bikes can burn up to 250 calories per every 30 mins. Remember, though, that exercise has so many benefits that any amount is better than none.

Benefits of regular exercise:

Fitness

Reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity

Fitness Benefits Of Riding A Stationary Bike

Keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible so it's easier to move around

Reduces some of the effects of aging

Contributes to your mental well-being and helps treat depression

Helps relieve stress and anxiety

Increases your energy and endurance

Helps you sleep better

Helps you maintain a normal weight by increasing your metabolism (the rate you burn calories)

Make exercise fun. Read, listen to music or watch TV while riding a stationary bicycle.

RIDE A BIKE!

Fitness Benefits Of Riding A Stationary Bike

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Collected information from health articles.

Fitness Over 60 - DIY Tips For 60 Plus Women to Lose Weight Safely & Stay Fit Without Joining a Gym

One might be fit as fiddle but age does make an impact on all of us. After the age of 60 it is necessary to look after your health. The most issue on the cards is weight loss. The 60 plus women & men can't really focus on the gym option as well. This is because of time constraint or some health issues. Maintaining your fitness over 60 might sound tough but with some simple lifestyle changes one can achieve it.

Let us see some Do-It Yourself (DIY) tips for 60 plus women to lose weight safely and stay fit without joining a gym:

Fitness

Exercises:

Fitness Over 60 - DIY Tips For 60 Plus Women to Lose Weight Safely & Stay Fit Without Joining a Gym

· At this age the best workout is brisk walking every morning or before your sleep at night. You may have a group of two to three of you going together for a stroll. That would keep up your interest and help you maintain the routine.

· Yoga & meditation are also a great help in weight loss. These breathing techniques help you stay cleansed internally keep fit by all means. They keep up your fitness over 60 and help you live longer.

· You may use electromagnetic massagers to stimulate your nerves and relax the body. That helps in relieving the pains if any.

Handling Stress

Stress & tensions often lead to weight gain and various other ailments. You must try to stay calm. Over thinking often leads to high blood pressure that obstructs in the process of weight loss.

Diet

You must not keep hungry or pick any starvation diet to lose weight. The safest means for the 60 plus women is to take natural diet supplements like acai & resveratrol. Along with the ponds loss, they aid in fighting all the signs of aging. They reduce the wrinkles & fine and add a glow to your skin. They also strengthen the hair and nails. Acai, especially, holds back your digestion problems and hence helps you shed off the extra pounds quite easily.

Along side, some DIY diet tips are as follows:

· In place of sugar take apples & honey as sweeteners.

· Have lots of raw fruits and vegetables in the form of salads dressed with lemon and cayenne pepper.

· Go for your medical check ups regularly and before switching on any diet, consult with your doctor.

Fitness Over 60 - DIY Tips For 60 Plus Women to Lose Weight Safely & Stay Fit Without Joining a Gym

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7 Tips to Improve Cycling Fitness

1. Base Fitness.

Base fitness refers to the underlying aerobic fitness of an athlete. Aerobic fitness is increased through training at a heart rate zone of between 60 - 80%; this level of training is often associated with long steady training rides. At this level of training the heart is exercised, increasing its capacity to send blood around the body. Base fitness is important for endurance events, however it is also important to have a good base of aerobic fitness before undertaking more strenuous, interval training sessions.

Fitness

2. Winter training.

7 Tips to Improve Cycling Fitness

Winter is a good time to have a break for 2 to 3 weeks. You will lose some top end fitness, but in the long term it can beneficial, especially if you have had a hard season. After taking a break for a couple of weeks it is important to work on building up your base fitness through steady training miles. This will get you ready for the racing season in spring.

3. Monitor performance with Power Meter.

A power meter enables you to accurately measure how much effort you are putting in. It can be useful for gauging effort levels during training. A power meter is more accurate than a heart rate monitor in determining effort levels.

4. Have a clear focus.

To enable the best progress in cycling fitness it is important to have clear goals and a training plan to match. This enables you get the most from each training sessions. When training the quality of training is more important than the quantity.

5.Train at an intensity greater than Race pace.

If preparing for a 10 mile time trial, training should involve more than just riding 10 mile time trials. Interval sessions which involve short time periods of efforts greater than in a race will increase your anaerobic threshold and increase top end speed.

6. Adapt to signals from body.

When training it is important to listen to the body. If we ignore signals of the body then it can easily lead to over training which can do more harm than good. It is an important skill to be able to respond to signals from our own training. This will come over time, it is also helpful to keep a training diary where you can write down how you feel and signals such as average heart rates.

7. Enjoy your Training.

If we view training as an experience to be endured, if we feel training is only about suffering then we have the wrong attitude to training. If we enjoy training we will have a positive attitude and this will enable greater progress. Interval training will never be "enjoyable" in one sense but we should try to maintain a positive attitude to our training.

More advice on Cycle training sessions

7 Tips to Improve Cycling Fitness

R. Pettinger is a member of Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team and races in UK time trials. He finished 6th in 2006 National Hill Climb Championship.

Website of Sri Chinmoy Cycling Team: http://www.srichinmoyraces.org/cycling

Gym Workout Routine For Women - Schedule Workout Routines to Lose Weight Safely & Comfortably

Gym workout routines for women are specially categorized as there are certain physiological differences between a man and a woman. A woman needs to work out on her gym routine so that she can benefit the most. However, the workout routines should answer the following questions:

* First, how to select the best and convenient place for the workout
* How to kick-start the workout routines efficiently
* How much time needs to be invested in exercising every day
* What aspects one should consider while opting for a exercise schedule

Fitness

The workout schedules which would help you to lose weight safely and comfortably are as follows:

Gym Workout Routine For Women - Schedule Workout Routines to Lose Weight Safely & Comfortably

*Workout schedule 1: Exercises should tone up each and every muscles of the body. In fact, this first routine would be very beneficial for the beginners who have very little time to spare in such work-outs. You must use the first five days of week in carrying out this routine. The first 3 days would be concentrated in weights whereas the next two days would be concentrated in cardio.

* Workout schedule 2: It can also be referred to as the split schedule. However, this routine would help you to reap huge benefits at a very steady pace. As per this exercise your lower and upper body part gets involved in intense work-out. It would help you to lose weight quickly.

*Workout schedule 3: In this routine you exercise to lose weight from targeted areas. In this routine you can exercise with weights for 5 days and get indulged in cardio for 2 or 2 days.

Further, you must be cautious that your workout schedule is effectively toning up your muscles, helping you to lose weight and burn fat etc. It should not matter what your goals are but you should focus on specified exercises to tone up your body and lose weight at a steady pace.

Gym Workout Routine For Women - Schedule Workout Routines to Lose Weight Safely & Comfortably

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Definition of Health Related Fitness

Health is related to fitness; that is one thing that can be easily overlooked. This is a basic fact, but with what the technology and other people have brought us, a lot of people forget to see this.

The definition of health related fitness is fitness done with balance among the development and improvement of the whole body. The definition can be better understood when elaborated. Health-related physical fitness includes two major parts; Activity and diet.

Fitness

Activity (Cardio and Strength Training)

Definition of Health Related Fitness

For health related fitness, the activity components included are not only for strength, and muscular development and endurance training. The lungs, heart, and circulatory system are also the focal points in health and fitness. The reason for this is to improve stamina, immune system, and maintain good body composition. Health-related fitness reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases and other diseases like cancer and arthritis, and may cure respiratory problems like asthma.

There are lots of activities that can be your favored workout plan. You may choose sports, aerobic any other or exercise work outs. The exercises are much better when you include another exercise that will focus on improving your strength, muscle development and endurance. It will make you less prone to injuries.

When strength training and cardiovascular fitness plans are combined, one will also look and feel younger. This will lead to improved self-esteem. Also, the level of stress and depression will decrease.

If you are wondering about the types of activities that will work best for you, visit a professional and consult with him or her. If you have certain health conditions, it is best if you consult with your doctor first. Aside from cardio and body composition, strength and muscular endurance, flexibility is another important thing that you need to consider. Your fitness health training program should be able to let you enhance your flexibility.

Healthy Diet

Eating proper and balanced food is a must. Your plan including any physical activity may render useless if you do not conform your lifestyle altogether. You are trying to become healthier, so eat healthy food. Your training will let you excrete the toxins in your body, but if you replace the flushed toxins with another unhealthy food, you are then wasting your time, because you will either take a very long time before you get a result, or might not be able to get a positive one in the end.

Also, it is best if you consult with your doctor or dietitian first. They can come up with a diets plan that will work best for you. Especially if you have a certain health condition, it is best to ask for recommendations to make sure your diet plan will not cause another health problem.

As suggested above, cardiovascular training plus strength training plus healthy eating is the definition of health related fitness. Movement and diet must complement each other, in short, opt for healthy lifestyles.

Health and fitness is something recommended to everyone. However, there are different categories that separate the needs that must be met for children, adolescent, young adults, and adults. Being healthy doesn't need to stop once one reaches the age of 99!

Definition of Health Related Fitness

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The Fitness Boom

While the worlds of sports and fitness are intertwined, it was not until the 1970s that popular culture was ready to accept fitness as eagerly as it had accepted sports. Fitness had not yet taken on its importance for improving health, and popular opinion likened fitness to work and manual labor. In the 1940s and 1950s, few participated in fitness willingly. Among those who did were Jack LaLanne, Victor Tanny, Joseph Gold, Joseph Weider, and Les and Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton. These fitness pioneers, among others, drew people to the beach in Santa Monica, California-the original Muscle Beach. Visitors came to watch their feats of strength and acrobatic displays. More and more viewers became participants, and these people, originally on the fringe, became a part of the cultural mainstream. Jack LaLanne, Vic Tanny, and Joe Gold all started gym chains with bodybuilding as their main focus. Due toPage 602 the influence of Abbye "Pudgy" Stockton, women were introduced to the muscularity and strength that came with bodybuilding. No longer reserved for just for "strongmen," bodybuilding brought about a change in the mindsets of all those who visited Muscle Beach.

From the seeds planted at the Santa Monica came Venice Beach, the home to bodybuilding legends Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and many, many more. Venice Beach in the 1970s brought with it a fitness explosion across the globe. Not only did bodybuilding become mainstream, but the popular opinion of fitness changed dramatically. Americans in the 1970s would do anything to improve their health and fitness.

Fitness

Sports and athletics grew in the 1970s as well. Women became increasingly more interest in participating in sports; however, very little funding was available for the development of woman's athletics. A landmark law was passed in 1972. Part of a series of educational amendments, "Title IX," legislated gender equity in athletics. Not only were women becoming more active and more physically fit, a law now existed that called for equal funding and equal opportunity for female athletes. On 21 September 1973, female tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the first-ever winner-take-all "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match. The hoopla surrounding this event-and its outcome-provided even more incentive for women to become involved with sports and fitness. By 1977, a record 87.5 million U.S. adults over the age of eighteen claimed to be involved in some sort of athletic activity.

The Fitness Boom

The fitness industry continued its growth into the 1980s. Gym owners tailored their facilities to attract customers and new gyms opened around the United States and around the world. A healthy lifestyle was becoming a part of popular culture. No longer was it unfashionable to be athletic, strong, or healthy. With the development of new technology, health and fitness were able to make their way into homes. Fitness tapes became available in the early 1980s and continue to encourage those to whom a gym or health facility may not be accessible. Innovators such as Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons were able to bring their exercise programs to a new population. Joe Weider became a significant force in bringing health, fitness, and bodybuilding as close as the mailbox through his magazines and pamphlets. Because of fitness pioneers such as Weider, Gold, Fonda, and Simmons, fitness continues to play a significant role in modern society. The importance of being in good health and physically fit has made and continues to have an impact.

The Fitness Boom

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Your Personal Fitness Regime

Everybody knows that it is important to be fit. Your level of fitness is a major factor in your lifespan, and getting in shape should be a priority. There are plenty of celebrities, whether qualified or not, offering to sell you their latest fitness video or book, and more and more articles in newspapers and magazines about the cost of not having a daily workout; the impact on your health, the social effects of being unfit, and of course the fact that most fashionable clothes don't come in plus sizes. Getting fit should be on your 'to-do' list all year round, and not just a New Year's resolution that doesn't make it past the first few days of January.

It is easy to start a fitness regime, and then run out of enthusiasm. With a busy work schedule, and an equally busy social life, it's a common enough occurrence that people drop out of exercising on the basis that they don't have enough time. The most obvious answer to this, and something that most fitness instructors will suggest, is just to get out of bed a bit earlier, and use that time to exercise. Of course, to some this may seem like a nightmare, and not something to inspire them; nightowls should look for something to do in the evening, perhaps a late workout session at the gym, or installing some home exercise equipment so that you can watch TV as the same time as working out.

Fitness

Not everyone is suited to a traditional fitness regime of steps and 'dancercise'. You might find it rewarding to try other methods to keep fit, such as martial arts. It is not important how you get fit: only the results matter. If you find that you enjoy fencing, for example, then that will extend your enthusiasm for your fitness regime. Doing something that you hate, or which you feel stupid doing, won't last very long.

Your Personal Fitness Regime

Keep your enthusiasm up in other ways, by working out to favourite tracks, or by keeping a log of how well you've done. You can work out with a friend and have a competition; or you can set yourself goals in your fitness regime, and reward yourself when you achieve them.

Fitness should be something that you work towards for all of your life, and a daily exercise routine will certainly help you achieve that goal. Even if your exercising consists of a short run everyday, and you never end up with a full six-pack, that does not matter. Fitness is not about getting the perfect body, it is about a general physical state where you feel more energetic, and you feel good about the way your body looks and works.

Your Personal Fitness Regime

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Fitness 19

Back in 2003 two people who have been in the fitness field for years decided to start a gym where they felt gyms were lacking in some areas. The name of their gym is Fitness 19. Fitness 19 offers gym members some of the highest quality gym equipment there is out there today. Some of the equipment Fitness 19 offers helps enhance the individual's strength training, cardio, and weight development. If you are looking for a Fitness 19 gym near you, all you have to do is simply go to their website and type in your zip code in the small tool bar located at the far left of the page. If that doesn't work you can go to their website and look at their contact page. On their contact page you will find a phone number to reach a customer representative for the area you are living in. The Fitness 19 hours of working out, are very accommodating. They have a payment plan unlike most gyms many attend. Most gyms require the member to pay a fee upfront for a long term. However, the Fitness 19 hours of working out require you to pay as you go so you are not wasting your money on hours you are not actually working out. Also, the Fitness 19 hours of fun you will be having are not just for you to enjoy a nice work out, but also for your children to be occupied in one of the children's rooms. The children's rooms are very secure and safe, not to mention the children can meet other children to interact with and occupy their time as you are working out and doing something for you.

The gym also offers personal training packages which are ideal for any member whom wishes to join. Everyone has different problem areas, some cannot seem to lose their belly bulge, and others cannot seem to tone their calf muscles. Everyone has those areas which after a while of working out seems to stay in a rut. However, if you were to get a personal trainer they can help target those problem areas and you will see drastic changes in no time.

Fitness

Another great feature the gym offers, is the fact that there sales team employees are not paid on a commission based salary. They are paid an hourly wage. I think that is one of the most refreshing features a company can offer, because when people are being paid based on commission they hound you and pressure you into either leaving the facility all together, or purchasing some dumb item that you regret, which later on down the road you will actually more than likely try to avoid all together.

Fitness 19

You can definitely tell that the owners of this company did their research and tried to fix the problem areas that many gym members in the past had issues with. They have already stuck around since 2003, when the economy belly flopped, and I'm sure they will stick it out for many more years to come.

Fitness 19

You can view the original article here: Fitness 19.

If you would like to read ongoing updates and news about Fitness 19, you can see that here: Fitness 19 News.

How to Determine Your Fitness Level

If you haven't been exercising regularly, it's useful to determine your current level of health and fitness before you take off running (or walking). If you are under 35 and have no health problems that might interfere, you can begin an exercise program this minute. However, if you are over 35, have health problems, or have been sedentary for years, check in with your physician before beginning an exercise program. Your doctor will first applaud your new resolution. Then after you take a bow, he or she might want to perform a few tests, such as a blood-pressure check, and discuss any limitations you might have. After you've got the go-ahead, you can do some tests of your own to pinpoint where you need to focus your fitness efforts.

Determining Your Fitness Level

Fitness

These are the four basic components you need to evaluate to determine your fitness level:

How to Determine Your Fitness Level

Cardiovascular (aerobic) fitness How effectively do your heart and lungs deliver blood and oxygen throughout your body? Do you have the stamina to do the activities you enjoy?

Muscle strength How strong are your muscles? How well will they protect your joints and bones and let you perform daily tasks as you age?

Flexibility How flexible are you? The range of motion of your joints decreases as you age, or when you become sedentary, and this eventually can limit everyday abilities such as bending or reaching. A regular stretching program can keep your muscles loose and your joints flexible.

Body composition What percentage of your weight is fat? Do you carry too much body fat compared to lean tissue? Does the amount of body fat interfere with your health, activities, or quality of life?

Fitness testing is useful both before beginning your personal exercise program and to evaluate your progress. When you see that you are inching closer to your fitness goals, you stay motivated. Repeat your fitness tests every two to three months to track fitness gains and increase your motivation.

Fitness Testing Information Online

There are tests that you can do in the privacy of your own home to evaluate these four elements of fitness. However, be aware that your results are only general indications of your fitness level. You might not be doing the test exactly right, or there might be errors in the calculation of results. Also, the online test might not take into account other variables, such as whether you're exercising with asthma, rehabilitating from a back injury, or doing physical work in your daily life. So, use the fitness tests, but take them as indicators, not gospel.

How to Determine Your Fitness Level

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Fitness, The Bible, And the Temple of the Holy Spirit

In the first Fit For Jesus article, I mentioned the following scripture:

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."

Fitness

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

Fitness, The Bible, And the Temple of the Holy Spirit

This is only the beginning, but what a clear beginning it is! Our body is the literal, physical temple of the Holy Spirit. By taking care of our bodies, we are taking care of our wonderful Holy Spirit's temple. Our body is a gift from the Lord, and we should all, in a simple act of thankfulness and love, take care of our body and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Are we required to? Technically, no. Salvation through Jesus Christ is a gift of God's grace. Our salvation does not depend on our actions, but don't you want to give something back to our gracious Heavenly Father, who gave His Son for us?

(In the coming weeks, we will get into a lot of detail about how, while our actions here on earth have NOTHING to do with "deserving" salvation, our actions here on earth - including your levels of health and fitness - potentially have MUCH to do with our reward in heaven!)

Here is more scripture:

Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

John 2: 19-21

Jesus states that His body is a temple. I know when I first came across this scripture, my gut response was, "Yeah, but that is Jesus. I can't compare myself to Him and call my body a temple!"

It almost seems uncomfortable to compare ourselves to Jesus, doesn't it? Yet, in the Bible, it clearly states that we are "made new in Christ", and through the Holy Spirit "conformed to the likeness of His Son." Yes, we are conformed into the likeness of His character and His righteousness and holiness, but Jesus was also very human.

Jesus was exceptionally clear: His human body was a temple!
In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Ephesians 2:21-22

This really seals the point, doesn't it? We are, both individually and collectively, becoming a "dwelling in which GOD lives by His Spirit!".

I think we can all agree that the Bible is conclusive: our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. In the Old Testament, a tremendous amount of resources, including time, talent, attention, and money were devoted to the building of God's temple. The temple of the Holy Spirit - our body - should be no different!

Pray today for the Lord's strength to help you build a temple worthy of the Holy Spirit. Ask for strength to choose the right foods, the desire to plan your meals, the shift in priorities to create time to exercise. Start with the clear scripture, and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in more detail about His desire for you!

Fitness, The Bible, And the Temple of the Holy Spirit

With 14 years of experience in the fitness industry, Jeremy Nelms is the creator of Fit For Jesus! FitForJesus.com brings together people from around the world to support each other, lose weight and get in great shape at http://www.FitForJesus.com With a rapidly growing Christian social network, you can receive nutrition tips, exercise techniques, recipes, and massive amounts of support. Learn more about making your health and fitness efforts reap eternal rewards at Fit For Jesus today!

Fitness, Hygiene, and Diet For a Long-Haul Trucker

Based on its research, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) says that obesity in trucking is rampant. In response to the research, the Associated Press notes that many truckers do not wear seat belts because their stomachs get in the way, about one in four have sleep apnea, and half of all truckers smoke, compared to about one-fifth of all Americans. All of these are risk factors for high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. According to a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, 75% of truckers are overweight, and 25% are obese. Clearly, trucking poses a challenge for a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, a Toronto researcher, claims that truck drivers live ten to fifteen years less than the average North American male, who lives to 76.

The concern for lack of health and fitness among truckers even spawned a reality show on CMT called Trick my Trucker, where the driver gets a makeover and a guide for healthy living. Outside of landing on a reality show, is there anything a trucker can do to battle against a lifestyle that is not conducive to healthy living?

Fitness

Trucking does not compare to a normal job. A long-haul trucker does not have the option of hitting Gold's Gym after work every day, and few appear to have taken the advice of Chuck Norris with the purchase of a Total Gym. While there are a handful of drivers who pay attention to their health, the majority are among the unhealthiest eaters on the planet.

Fitness, Hygiene, and Diet For a Long-Haul Trucker

There are many reasons for lack of healthy habits on the road. For a National driver, spending three to six weeks living in a truck simply has a way of chipping away resolve. After working 14 hours, it is often difficult to muster the motivation to prepare a healthy meal. Fatigue and stress can highlight the appeal of comfort food in a restaurant. After veering off the path of healthy eating on the road, I can attest to the difficulty of getting back on track. Boredom and loneliness are the perfect scapegoats for an unhealthy meal or snack.

While it may not be possible to regularly get a gym-quality workout on the road, many drivers are taking a creative approach to avoid the dreaded "trucker's physique". A Wisconsin driver decided to start a walking routine. Instead of waiting around for his truck to be unloaded, he walked a mile or so into the nearest town. He also advises to park at the back of a truck stop. This forces additional walking in the course of a normal day. Another driver I met stored a fold-up bicycle in his truck. Not only did it give him an enjoyable way to stay fit, it provided added mobility during down time. It obviously worked for him, as he was lean and muscular.

The only limit to finding ways to stay fit on the road is the driver's creativity. I have seen a driver skipping rope at a truck stop, and another pumping iron on a weight bench beside his truck. I even found a contraption on the Internet called a "Truck Gym". A metal frame screws into the floor behind the driver's seat, and a series of resistance bands and adjustable rods, supposedly, affords a total-body workout without getting out of the driver's seat.

Personally, I carry a set of dumbbells and resistance bands on the road, and I walk as much as I can. I normally prepare my own meals, but I sometimes fall victim to an insatiable craving for the greasy fare of the road. The best advice for any driver is to prepare most meals in the truck, avoid fast foods and buffets, and exercise for at least a few minutes a day. Even Bojangles chicken, my personal weakness, seems a little less appealing when I watch a driver, with belly fat hanging almost to his knees, waddle toward the truck stop after having parked as close to the buffet as humanly possible.

Personal hygiene is another issue that proves challenging for some drivers. While there are those who swear they shower daily, I find it impractical to attempt a daily shower on the road. While it is theoretically possible, the sacrifice of sleep time would seem to outweigh the positives. My personal goal is to get a "real" shower every other day while doing a quick wipe-down with baby-wipes on subsequent days. For me, this is a more practical goal that I am usually able to attain.

The major truck stop chains are usually good about providing clean shower facilities. With the purchase of fuel, the driver gets a free shower. Among the nicest shower facilities I have encountered is at the Bosselman Travel Center in Grand Island, Nebraska. They are always immaculately clean, and they are almost large enough for a three-on-three basketball game. As an added touch, the staff leaves a pair of Hershey's kisses for the driver.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I have encountered shower facilities that reflected a lower standard of work ethics. The most disgusting shower I ever saw was at an independent truck stop in Winnie, Texas. Used towels lay askew, and I would have bet that the shower's last cleaning occurred during the Bill Clinton administration. I asked for my money back, and took a baby-wipe bath in the truck.

I have seen many drivers who neglect oral hygiene. It never ceases to amaze me that while all major trucking companies offer dental plans, I see so many with missing or disgusting teeth. I admit that it can be a challenge for a driver to keep a medical or dental appointment, but I would take some time off work, or even quit the company, before I'd let my teeth rot and fall out. I believe the majority of truckers care about personal hygiene, but some lend credence to the negative Hollywood stereotype.

A personal source of amusement to me is when I see a male driver flirting with a waitress or cashier at a truck stop while he is dirty, emanating a foul odor, his teeth (if he has them) are stained with coffee and nicotine, and his butt crack is peeking above the back of his greasy Levi's. Still, he thinks he is God's gift to women. As one driver puts it, "People, in general, are either nasty or clean. Their occupation has little to do with it."

I tend to agree.

Fitness, Hygiene, and Diet For a Long-Haul Trucker

Rick Huffman is a National long-haul driver who spent 20 years in the broadcasting industry before becoming a trucker. He describes the career change as, "...the best decision I ever made on one day, and the worst one I ever made on the next."

rickhu45@yahoo.com
http://lifeofanamericantrucker.blogspot.com
http://www.google.com/profiles/rickhu45

5 Components of Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is the ability to function effectively throughout your workday, perform your usual other activities and still have enough energy left over to handle any extra stresses or emergencies which may arise.

The components of physical fitness are:

Fitness

* Cardiorespiratory (CR) endurance - the efficiency with which the body delivers oxygen and nutrients needed for muscular activity and transports waste products from the cells.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

* Muscular strength - the greatest amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert in a single effort.

* Muscular endurance - the ability of a muscle or muscle group to perform repeated movements with a sub-maximal force for extended periods of times.

* Flexibility - the ability to move the joints or any group of joints through an entire, normal range of motion.

* Body composition - the percentage of body fat a person has in comparison to his or her total body mass.

Improving the first three components of fitness listed above will have a positive impact on body composition and will result in less fat. Excessive body fat detracts from the other fitness components, reduces performance, detracts from appearance, and negatively affects your health.

Factors such as speed, agility, muscle power, eye-hand coordination, and eye-foot coordination are classified as components of "motor" fitness. These factors most affect your athletic ability. Appropriate training can improve these factors within the limits of your potential. A sensible weight loss and fitness program seeks to improve or maintain all the components of physical and motor fitness through sound, progressive, mission specific physical training.

Principles of Exercise

Adherence to certain basic exercise principles is important for developing an effective program. The same principles of exercise apply to everyone at all levels of physical training, from the Olympic-caliber athlete to the weekend jogger.

These basic principles of exercise must be followed.

Regularity

To achieve a training effect, you must exercise often. You should exercise each of the first four fitness components at least three times a week. Infrequent exercise can do more harm than good. Regularity is also important in resting, sleeping, and following a sensible diet.

Progression

The intensity (how hard) and/or duration (how long) of exercise must gradually increase to improve the level of fitness.

Balance

To be effective, a program should include activities that address all the fitness components, since overemphasizing any one of them may hurt the others.

Variety

Providing a variety of activities reduces boredom and increases motivation and progress.

Specificity

Training must be geared toward specific goals. For example, people become better runners if their training emphasizes running. Although swimming is great exercise, it does not improve a 2-mile-run time as much as a running program does.

Recovery

A hard day of training for a given component of fitness should be followed by an easier training day or rest day for that component and/or muscle group(s) to help permit recovery. Another way to allow recovery is to alternate the muscle groups exercised every other day, especially when training for strength and/or muscle endurance.

Overload

The work load of each exercise session must exceed the normal demands placed on the body in order to bring about a training effect.

5 Components of Physical Fitness

A personal fitness program can happen anywhere and at any age. Start off with a pair of New Balance mens walking shoes [http://www.best-walking-shoe.com/new-balance-mens-walking-shoes-mw558] and move on to the flagship New Balance 991 Running Shoes [http://www.best-walking-shoe.com/new-balance-w991-running-shoes] when the desire to do more kicks in. Never look back.

Fitness Model Workout Principles

If you wish to become a fitness model you need to know how to workout in the right way. Fitness model workouts follow certain principles which you need to follow if you plan to ever have any success in this field. To be a sports model you need to have a perfect body. Having too much fat is destructive. However, having too much muscle is also forbidden since the bulky look is definitely not what magazines are looking for. It's just not considered that attractive.

So, you're looking for the lean, elongated, toned look, and not the bulky look. This is a huge mistake which many model wannabes make: becoming too bulky.

Fitness

In order to get that lean look your workouts need to be comprised of 3 parts:

Fitness Model Workout Principles

1. Cardio - I guess you already knew that, but the how is the important thing. Your cardio workouts need to be targeted to achieve the most fat loss. That's why the best cardio fitness workouts are interval workouts. You're going to be spending enough time at the gym already. Don't waste it on long cardio. Make your workouts short and intensive. This will cut the fat right off and leave you lean all over.

2. Resistance workouts - This is weight training and body weight training. You see I'm not mentioning machines here since they are a big no-no for fitness models. Weight training or body weight training is better than machines for a number of reasons: it gives better results, it is safer, and it is healthier. Again, you need to stand out of the crowd. Fitness model exercises are not done on machines if they can be done with free weights. Remember that.

3. Stretching - Most people don't do stretches but you need to. First of all, being flexible will allow you to compete better. Second, it helps you achieve that elongated look to your muscles. Third, it is very healthy and reduces the risk of injury. Don't neglect this part of the workout. It is crucial.

Now that you know the principles of a good fitness model workout, all you need to do is apply it.

Fitness Model Workout Principles

To read more about how to become a sports cover model, visit this webpage:
Fitness Model Workouts.

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. To read more about how to attain a model kind of body, click here: Fitness Model Program.

Fitness Boxing - The Ultimate Training Routine

Fitness Boxing is one of the hottest fitness trends today thanks to Million Dollar Baby, The Contender, Cinderella Man and most recently, the 6th installment of the Rocky saga Rocky Balboa. Interest in boxing is at its highest level since the days of Muhammad Ali and “Smokin” Joe Frazier.

What is Fitness Boxing? Fitness Boxing is a total body workout that helps people achieve their fitness goals. It provides: - Variety - is different, challenging and fun - Strength gain - improves overall body strength and speed - Intensity - challenges both the aerobic and anaerobic systems - Burns calories - fat is burned to help increase and maintain lean muscle - Low risk of injury - provides intensity without injuring muscles and joints - Outstanding x-training for sports relying on “core strength” and mental toughness

Fitness

Why Fitness Boxing? Participants rave about Fitness Boxing because workouts are always fun, challenging and produce results. The focus is on fitness first and boxing second using sound boxing techniques to get people into their best physical and mental shape learning to “fight without the fight”. The boxing workout improves every type of physical capacity: strength and power, coordination, aerobic and anaerobic fitness and endurance.

Fitness Boxing - The Ultimate Training Routine

What are the Benefits of Fitness Boxing? The best aspects of workouts used by the world’s most finely conditioned athletes, boxers, are combined into a fitness program that’s safe for the recreational exerciser.

Fitness Boxing: Improves total body fitness - Challenges most of the body’s physiological systems: Central nervous system - Is trained to respond faster and more efficiently through punching combination drills Musculoskeletal system - Becomes stronger through specialized resistance exercises and boxing specific drills Cardiovascular and respiratory systems - Become more efficient via workouts that are more than 60% anaerobic - The training load is distributed across body parts providing a lower risk of injury. - Used as a training alternative, it provides a break in routine and adds variety to the fitness regimen.

What is a typical workout like? A session lasts about 60 minues and is divided into components to ensure a complete body workout.

Warm-up - The workout usually begins with 5 to 10 minutes of jump rope to warm up the muscles and tendons for the rest of the session.

Conditioning - The workout transitions from the warm-up into a few boxing specific strength and conditioning resistance exercises. The exercises emphasize muscular strength and endurance, speed, tone and anaerobic conditioning. About 10 minutes.

Technique - One or two new techniques are introduced in each session. The objective is to build from the basics, such as footwork or fundamental punches, to more complex combinations and defensive maneuvers. About 5 minutes.

Punching Drills - This is the heart of the workout and, usually, the most enjoyable part. A series of offensive and defensive routines are worked through utilizing a circuit training format employing focus mitts, heavy bags and more. This part is highly anaerobic, involving three minute rounds (work units) punctuated by one minute active recovery periods (rest units). Each round, one or two new things are added to the routine to be worked on. The first round might be using the jab, the second round, the right hand and some combinations of these. The variety of Punch Drill training is almost limitless. After 5 to 7 rounds, the participant should be de-stressed, refreshingly exhausted and invigorated. About 30 minutes.

Cool Down - This time is used to bring the heart rate down and stretch to improve flexibility. It can also be used as question / answer time with the trainer. About 10 minutes.

Stay tuned for part II… Fitness Boxing is fun - try it! click here [http://www.triangle-trainer.com/contact.html]

Fitness Boxing - The Ultimate Training Routine

Copyright 2006 Triangle Trainer

Rick Goodman is an Elite Personal Fitness Trainer and Nutritionist. His fitness and health site, [http://www.triangletrainer.com] is known for its great content on fitness and health.

Rick Goodman - Committed to your Success! e-mail: rick@triangletrainer.com

Fitness, Fun And Friends - Silver Sneakers Fitness Program

The importance of physical activity for older adults is being studied more frequently, with many conclusions showing that the more active older adults are, the more likely they are able to prevent the onset of diseases. Exercise has proven beneficial in preventing heart disease and to control other conditions such as arthritis and diabetes.

In order for older adults to maintain a healthy lifestyle and help them get the exercise they need, there's a fun solution older adults are raving about in Utah, called the Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program. SilverSneakers is the nation's leading fitness program designed exclusively for older adults, and is available at no additional cost to eligible Medicare members. In Utah, this program is offered to eligible members of Humana and SecureHorizons by UnitedHealthcare.

Fitness

This unique program allows older adults to take charge of their health and maintain an active, independent lifestyle. "The long-term health benefits of regular exercise for older adults are compelling," says Steve Lindstrom, Healthways senior vice president of Active Living. "In addition to helping seniors stay physically healthy, SilverSneakers also offers a great way for them to socialize, meet new friends and have fun."

Fitness, Fun And Friends - Silver Sneakers Fitness Program

Every enrolled member of SilverSneakers receives a membership at any participating fitness center, where members can take advantage of conditioning classes, exercise equipment, pool, sauna and other amenities. At each fitness center, there is a specially trained senior advisor to introduce the member to the program and acquaint the member with the site.

Every site offers customized SilverSneakers classes which allow the member to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. Additionally, health education seminars and other events that promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are available.

"It's those important extras such as social events, health education seminars and health screening for such conditions as high blood pressure, cholesterol and flu shot availability that play such an important role in the overall success of the program," said Mr. Lindstrom. Members also have the opportunity to take advantage of the national reciprocity feature of the program, which allows access to any of the certified 2,600 plus participating locations across the nation while traveling.

SilverSneakers was designed specifically to encourage Medicareeligible individuals to increase their levels of physical activity and motivate them to continue to be active. As of September 2007, the SilverSneakers program is offered in 49 states at no additional cost to more than 3 million Medicareeligible individuals through its national network.

Fitness, Fun And Friends - Silver Sneakers Fitness Program

Lauren Hitchcock
Healthways
Simply Seniors News
http://SimplySeniorsNews.com

For more information about the SilverSneakers Fitness Program, or to see participating Utah centers call toll-free at (888) 423-4632 or visit SilverSneakers online at http://www.SilverSneakers.com

Fitness - How to Workout at Work - 10 Tips

How do you find time for fitness during the work hours? Look for opportunities to workout at work by periodically exercising throughout your work day. Following are 10 tips for fitting in physical activity while on the job:

1. Walk or bike to work.

Fitness

If possible, make the most of your commute by walking or biking to work. If you ride the bus, get off a few blocks early and walk the rest of the way. If you must drive, park far away to get in a quick walk.

Fitness - How to Workout at Work - 10 Tips

2. Take the stairs.

If you have a meeting on another floor, get off the elevator a few floors early and use the stairs, or skip the elevator entirely. Use the restroom on another floor and take the stairs.

3. Schedule fitness breaks.

Take a short walk instead of hanging out in the lounge with coffee or a snack.

4. Start a lunchtime walking group.

Find some co-workers to walk with during lunch breaks. A regular exercise routine and the support of your co-workers may help you stick with the program.

5. Block off time on your calendar.

Schedule physical activity as you would any other appointment during the day. Don't change your exercise plans for every interruption that comes along. Remind yourself that physical activity is important, too.

6. Plan ahead for work travel.

Bring your jump rope or choose a hotel that has a fitness facility. While waiting for a plane, grab your bags and take a walk.

7. Sit on an exercise ball instead of a chair.

This will strengthen your abs and back. You'll work on your posture without even trying.

8. Set goals.

Use a pedometer to track the number of steps you take every day. Set new goals every week or so such as 5,000 steps then 6,000 steps, etc.

9. Use your headset.

Instead of sitting idle at a desk talking on the phone, walk and talk with a headset on.

10. Head to the mall for lunch.

Park far away and eat something healthy. After lunch, go for a quick walk around the mall.

Any movement is better than none, so be creative. By adding short bouts of exercise to your daily routine, you'll burn more calories and will reduce stress.

Fitness - How to Workout at Work - 10 Tips

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life's major events. Whether you're planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you'll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.

Find tips and resources on exercise and fitness programs, exercising with health conditions, children's fitness, and more at http://fitnessandexercise.myguidesusa.com

Fitness - Benefits of Exercise for Children

For children, exercise means playing and being physically active, such as during gym class at school, soccer practice or dance lessons. Everyone can benefit from regular exercise. A child who is active will:

• Feel less stressed
• Feel better about themselves
• Be more attentive in school
• Keep a healthy weight
• Build and keep healthy bones, muscles and joints
• Sleep better at night

In addition, regular exercise helps kids handle the physical and emotional challenges that a typical day presents whether that means running to catch a bus, bending down to tie a shoe, or studying for a test.

Fitness

Parents should encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can work on the three elements of fitness, being: (1) endurance, (2) strength and (3) flexibility.

Fitness - Benefits of Exercise for Children

Endurance

Endurance is developed when someone regularly engages in aerobic activity. During aerobic exercise, the heart beats faster and a person breathes harder. When done regularly and for continuous periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Examples of aerobic activity include: basketball, bicycling, soccer, swimming and running. In kid language, endurance is like "running away from the kid that's 'it' during a game of tag."

Strength

Improving strength doesn't have to mean lifting weights. Push ups, stomach crunches, pull ups, and other exercises help tone and strengthen muscles. Children also incorporate strength activities in their play when they climb, do a handstand, or wrestle. In kid language, strength is what is needed to "cross the monkey bars."

Stretching

Stretching exercises help improve flexibility, allowing muscles and joints to bend and move easily through their full range of motion. Kids find opportunities every day to stretch when they try to get a toy just out of reach, practice a split, or flip over the couch. In kid language, flexibility is what is necessary for "bending down to tie your shoes."

Thirty to sixty minutes of exercise each day is enough to strengthen bones and muscles and prevent children from gaining too much weight. Parents can set a good example by being active themselves. Exercising together can be fun for everyone. Competitive sports can help kids stay physically active. Walking or biking to school, bowling, dancing and swimming are other fun ways for kids to get exercise.

Fitness - Benefits of Exercise for Children

Hilary Basile is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com. At MyGuidesUSA.com (http://www.myguidesusa.com), you will find valuable tips and resources for handling life's major events. Whether you're planning a wedding, buying your first home, anxiously awaiting the birth of a child, contending with a divorce, searching for a new job, or planning for your retirement, you'll find answers to your questions at MyGuidesUSA.com.

Find tips and resources on exercise and fitness programs, exercising with health conditions, children's fitness, and more at http://fitnessandexercise.myguidesusa.com