The suggested type of exercise known as aerobic, which is exercise for a long duration while using oxygen, is used in helping people lower their hypertension. Exercise as well as medical therapy are recommended by the World Health Organization and International Society of Hypertension and the National Committee of High Blood Pressure. To lower pressure, exercising three or more times a week is needed according to some data. The duration of the exercise is the most important part in lowering blood pressure. Systolic and diastolic pressures have been seen to drop as a result of aerobic exercise. Blood pressure could be reduced from exercise even if the individual doesn’t notices a change in their body.
Aerobic exercise is not only good for lowering blood pressure, but also good in lowering cardiovascular risks. Cardiovascular problems are a part of as many people as hypertension. Cardiovascular disease could be due to hypertension, but preventable with physical activity although the observation has not been consistent. A risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and hypertension is an elevated heart rate, but is a positive when it comes to training. Aerobic exercise is good with fighting metabolic disorders like hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
An experiment was done on ten males that had hypertension for a short period. None got any medication, and were not smokers. They exercised outdoors twice a week. Throughout 5 months, the people increased in running from 5 minutes to 30 minutes. Diets were not altered during this experiment. Their resting blood pressure didn’t drop too much but their systolic and diastolic pressures were lowered. After some of the subjects stayed with the exercise routine for 3 years, further decreases in systolic and diastolic pressures were noticed. Systolic dropped 16 mm (8.7%) as diastolic dropped 15 mm Hg (14%). This experiment concluded that pressures at rest were lowered after long term aerobic exercise, but others were lowered as compared to what they were before the experiment started.
Not only is exercise used in fighting hypertension, but medications as well. Medications play a dominant role in today’s world for many people. Although it has been shown that aerobic training was more intensive than medications. But drugs do have many worries for people such as, the costs, and side effects. That is why exercise is chosen more often than medications.
People diagnosed with essential hypertension have reduced insulin sensitivity. Physical activities are what determine insulin sensitivity, as weight loss is induced by exercise. A decrease in with insulin concentration is mentioned for possibly being able to lower arterial pressure by aerobic exercise.
Not only does exercise help with lowering blood pressure, but diet plays an important role as well. Sodium intake could influence blood pressure levels as well. Lowering the intake of sodium would reduce blood pressure. Although there was no proof of this through the experiments people went through, but that’s because their diets couldn’t be altered during the entire experiment.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
Why Hire a Trainer?
It may cost a lot to hire a personal trainer but if you really think about it, you're not just paying for someone to train you. The sessions may only last for a certain number of weeks, but the knowledge you will have gained is permanent. Sounds like a good deal right? So what are you waiting for?
1. To plan your workouts for you: Ever feel confused as to what workouts to do when you get to the gym?Maybe you're not sure what exercise works what muscle.Or maybe you're too busy to spend hours at the gym and need find an effective training regimen that fits into your schedule. A personal trainer will determine the best routines for you and make sure that you don't get bored.
2. To make you come into the gym: Ever feel like you don't want to go to the gym and decide not to? An appointment with a trainer will motivate you to come to the gym even when you don't feel like it. Plus,working out with a trainer will ensure that you push yourself harder than you would when on your own.
3. Motivation: Some people lack the confidence to begin working out in a gym or to start lifting weights. A trainer is there to give you a boost of confidence and keep you fired up for your next session.
4. Proper exercise execution: Ever feel you're not doing an exercise properly? Have any injuries resulting from lifting weights on your own? A trainer will critique your exercise form so you don't injure yourself and work the right muscle properly.
5. A healthy lifestyle: A trainer can help you to achieve a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise.
6. Push you farther than you would push yourself: Ever feel you could have worked harder but didn't care to do the extra exercise, set, or even repetition? A trainer will push your body to the point where youknow you had a good workout.
7. Learn more knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of your body: Ever wonder how each muscle group functions or what exercises best train what muscles? A certified personal trainer has a broad understanding of anatomy and physiology and will help you to better understand your body.
8. No more boring workouts: If you hire the right trainer, you will learn some very creative and effective workouts that will keep you from getting bored with your routine. I have created many innovative workouts that are not only highly effective, but refresh and enhance your exercise program.
9. Keep your workouts fun and keep you into exercising: A trainer can keep you entertained while you are exercising so that working out is more fun and less of a chore. Keep in mind that although the time will pass by quick, you will still be getting a great workout.
10. To make sure you are on the right track to your goal: If you haven't gotten any results in a while, atrainer will figure out what you are doing wrong and make changes to your program so that you can get backon track to that body you want.
There are 10 good reasons to hire a trainer. Make an investment in your health, and in your future, and give personal training a try.
1. To plan your workouts for you: Ever feel confused as to what workouts to do when you get to the gym?Maybe you're not sure what exercise works what muscle.Or maybe you're too busy to spend hours at the gym and need find an effective training regimen that fits into your schedule. A personal trainer will determine the best routines for you and make sure that you don't get bored.
2. To make you come into the gym: Ever feel like you don't want to go to the gym and decide not to? An appointment with a trainer will motivate you to come to the gym even when you don't feel like it. Plus,working out with a trainer will ensure that you push yourself harder than you would when on your own.
3. Motivation: Some people lack the confidence to begin working out in a gym or to start lifting weights. A trainer is there to give you a boost of confidence and keep you fired up for your next session.
4. Proper exercise execution: Ever feel you're not doing an exercise properly? Have any injuries resulting from lifting weights on your own? A trainer will critique your exercise form so you don't injure yourself and work the right muscle properly.
5. A healthy lifestyle: A trainer can help you to achieve a healthier lifestyle through diet and exercise.
6. Push you farther than you would push yourself: Ever feel you could have worked harder but didn't care to do the extra exercise, set, or even repetition? A trainer will push your body to the point where youknow you had a good workout.
7. Learn more knowledge on the anatomy and physiology of your body: Ever wonder how each muscle group functions or what exercises best train what muscles? A certified personal trainer has a broad understanding of anatomy and physiology and will help you to better understand your body.
8. No more boring workouts: If you hire the right trainer, you will learn some very creative and effective workouts that will keep you from getting bored with your routine. I have created many innovative workouts that are not only highly effective, but refresh and enhance your exercise program.
9. Keep your workouts fun and keep you into exercising: A trainer can keep you entertained while you are exercising so that working out is more fun and less of a chore. Keep in mind that although the time will pass by quick, you will still be getting a great workout.
10. To make sure you are on the right track to your goal: If you haven't gotten any results in a while, atrainer will figure out what you are doing wrong and make changes to your program so that you can get backon track to that body you want.
There are 10 good reasons to hire a trainer. Make an investment in your health, and in your future, and give personal training a try.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Healthier Lives for Children
Today, many children are obese in this world. There are many reasons for that such as video games, television, choosing unhealthy foods, lack of outdoor activity, and lack of knowledge. By lack of knowledge, I mean children need to learn and understand what a healthy lifestyle is and know the importance of living one.
Children need to be active, like playing sports physically not by some using a computer or game system. It's also not a bad idea for children to start learning weight training basics like the concepts of lifting and most importantly, the proper technique for each exercise you teach them. In my opinion, the age to start with this should be around 10-12 years of age. Kids just need a simple little program like one exercise for a muscle group and do a total body workout about three times a week. Be sure to supervise your kid and make sure he or she is not lifting heavy weight because that will do damage to their growth plates, therefore stunting their growth. With some weight training, children will notice stronger muscles and bones, better athletic performance, better cardiovascualr health, and lower bodyfat and choletserol levels.Keep it light and simple.
For a fun workout, a child could be trained with a medicine ball where they will be throwing and catching a ball and working their muscles at the same time. And always have some cardiovascular activity like walking to the park, running, or bicycling. Children could do this type of stuff including sports at any age.
Now onto another aspect to battle childhood obesity, proper nutrition. Today, kids are into the unhealthy foods and drinks such as pizza, fries, potato chips, soda, etc. This stuff should only be eaten in moderation. Children also should be drinking enough water throughout the day. Keep the sugar and fat intake low. It's important to have a variety of healthy foods daily. With the everything added together (physical activity and proper nutrition) many children could stay clear of obsesity or possibly even get out of obesity and live a healthier, safer, and better life.
For parents, set a good example for your children and live the same lifestyle (healthy, physically active) so your kids follow you in your footsteps. Teach them now so they can fight against obesity and WIN!
Children need to be active, like playing sports physically not by some using a computer or game system. It's also not a bad idea for children to start learning weight training basics like the concepts of lifting and most importantly, the proper technique for each exercise you teach them. In my opinion, the age to start with this should be around 10-12 years of age. Kids just need a simple little program like one exercise for a muscle group and do a total body workout about three times a week. Be sure to supervise your kid and make sure he or she is not lifting heavy weight because that will do damage to their growth plates, therefore stunting their growth. With some weight training, children will notice stronger muscles and bones, better athletic performance, better cardiovascualr health, and lower bodyfat and choletserol levels.Keep it light and simple.
For a fun workout, a child could be trained with a medicine ball where they will be throwing and catching a ball and working their muscles at the same time. And always have some cardiovascular activity like walking to the park, running, or bicycling. Children could do this type of stuff including sports at any age.
Now onto another aspect to battle childhood obesity, proper nutrition. Today, kids are into the unhealthy foods and drinks such as pizza, fries, potato chips, soda, etc. This stuff should only be eaten in moderation. Children also should be drinking enough water throughout the day. Keep the sugar and fat intake low. It's important to have a variety of healthy foods daily. With the everything added together (physical activity and proper nutrition) many children could stay clear of obsesity or possibly even get out of obesity and live a healthier, safer, and better life.
For parents, set a good example for your children and live the same lifestyle (healthy, physically active) so your kids follow you in your footsteps. Teach them now so they can fight against obesity and WIN!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Mistakes and misunderstandings of weightlifting
Weightlifting is very important to have in your fitness routine. It helps with muscular strength, stronger bones, builds lean muscle mass and decreases fat mass, and could also help with the posture of the body. Combine that with good nutrition, stretching, and cardio and you will get the results you want quicker as opposed to doing just one of the four. The only thing with weightlifting is people tend to make mistakes and misunderstand it. Here are some mistakes and misconceptions people make with weightlifting.
Problem 1: You're weight hasn't changed since you started.
Answer: That's nothing to worry about because your body is adding muscle mass and burning the fat. It won't be huge bulky muscle so women, don't be afraid you'll get big. When you start weightlifting, don't even go by the scale. To measure your results, go by the way your clothes fit or use a measuring tape.
Problem 2: The same muscles are trained in two or more consecutive days.
Answer: For your muscles to recover and grow they need rest. Some believe your muscle grow in the gym but the truth is you're breaking the muscle down when you are lifting so when you go home and rest, the muscle grows. Of course you will need good nutrition as well for the muscle to grow. You can mix your muscle groups up any way you want. You could train your pulling muscles (back, biceps) one day, pushing muscles the next day(chest, triceps, and shoulders), and then the next day train legs then have the next day off as a rest day then repeat the cycle.
Problem 3: You use the same routine.
Answer: Always change up your routine. Don't stick to the same exercises, machines, repetitions, and even order of your workouts. I've seen people where I could tell you exactly what workouts they will do in the exact order. By doing that, you will become bored and could possibly lose interest in lifting. And the more you change up your routines, the better your muscles will respond and grow. Try to trick your body by changing your routines every two-four weeks. Try switching from free weights to machines for certain exercises or hire a trainer to plan your workout for you.
Problem 4: You don't use proper form with the exercise.
Answer: A lot of people make this mistake because either they are just worried about getting a weight up to impress someone or they don't know the proper technique for the exercise in which they should hire a trainer to help critique their form. Improper form could lead to many different injuries. Always keep your abs tight when performing an exercise and don't swing or arch your back. If in doubt, ask a trainer at your gym.
Problem 5: You let your ego take over.
Answer: People like to impress others with how much weight they do even if it is done with terrible form. Not only could that lead to injury but it also won't help you at all with muscular strength at all. A lot of people swing the weight up while performing biceps curls and act like they are strong for doing a certain weight. The truth is, it wasn't your biceps that lifted the weight, it was your whole body. Do a weight where you can keep good form throughout the entire set and focus on the muscle contractions. If you could do extra repetitions than you were aiming for, increase the weight slightly. Don't increase the weight too much each set. Like if you were doing bench press, you should add about five pounds each set unless your last set was very easy then you could try to add 10. Always leave your ego at the door when you come into the gym.
Problem 6: You think weightlifting itself will help you achieve all of your fitness goals.
Answer: It will help but you need to add cardio into your program to help with fatburning, and heart health as well. You could walk, run, cycle, and even boxing. It is best to do cardio after you have weightlifted because you will be burning fat if it's done after. You should also consider changing your diet around too by eliminating junk foods and replacing it with healthier foods. And add some stretching in to help with flexibility and lower your chances of injuries. It could also help improve posture as well. You should stretch in the beginning or the end of the session and could even stretch in between sets to get the knots out of the muscles. Be sure you got blood flow going through the muscles before you stretch.
Problem 7: You don't warm up before you lift.
Answer: The point of warming up is to get some blood flow to your muscles and to lubricate your joints to prepare them for lifting. Many people have different ways of warming up. Some run for five minutes then stretch. Some people would do a couple of light sets of the exercise they were going to do before they do their heavy (working) sets.
Problem 8: You don't finish your workout with a cool-down.
You want to cool-down to lower your heart rate and to prevent any pooling of the blood, which could lead to dizziness or lightheadedness. Walking is a great way to cool down. After about 5-10 minutes of walking, follow up with some stretching and hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds.
Problem 9: You lift weights everyday.
As said before, your muscles need rest. You should take at least one to two days off during the week. Weightlifting everyday could lead to over training. You will know you're over training if you notice your muscular strength decreases, blood pressure increases, you lack motivation to workout, and you may experience problems sleeping. Be sure to take a couple days off during the week and if you are a really hardcore fitness person, you could go for a little walk on the days you take of from weightlifting so you're getting some exercise in.
Problem 10: You think because you are lifting, your results will come within a few weeks.
Not true. It could take anywhere from a 1-3 months before you see any results. Everyone's body is different so if you hear someone say it only took them a month to notice results, it doesn't mean it will take you a month to notice results. Just be patient and stay motivated and your results will come. Pay attention to your clothing measurements to see your results and listen to what certain people say. The chances are the people that see you everyday won't see as much of a change in you as opposed to people who see you once in a while. The ones who see you less will notice your change the most. And don't forget to see if you have increased in lifting weights as well to see your strength gains too.
Problem 1: You're weight hasn't changed since you started.
Answer: That's nothing to worry about because your body is adding muscle mass and burning the fat. It won't be huge bulky muscle so women, don't be afraid you'll get big. When you start weightlifting, don't even go by the scale. To measure your results, go by the way your clothes fit or use a measuring tape.
Problem 2: The same muscles are trained in two or more consecutive days.
Answer: For your muscles to recover and grow they need rest. Some believe your muscle grow in the gym but the truth is you're breaking the muscle down when you are lifting so when you go home and rest, the muscle grows. Of course you will need good nutrition as well for the muscle to grow. You can mix your muscle groups up any way you want. You could train your pulling muscles (back, biceps) one day, pushing muscles the next day(chest, triceps, and shoulders), and then the next day train legs then have the next day off as a rest day then repeat the cycle.
Problem 3: You use the same routine.
Answer: Always change up your routine. Don't stick to the same exercises, machines, repetitions, and even order of your workouts. I've seen people where I could tell you exactly what workouts they will do in the exact order. By doing that, you will become bored and could possibly lose interest in lifting. And the more you change up your routines, the better your muscles will respond and grow. Try to trick your body by changing your routines every two-four weeks. Try switching from free weights to machines for certain exercises or hire a trainer to plan your workout for you.
Problem 4: You don't use proper form with the exercise.
Answer: A lot of people make this mistake because either they are just worried about getting a weight up to impress someone or they don't know the proper technique for the exercise in which they should hire a trainer to help critique their form. Improper form could lead to many different injuries. Always keep your abs tight when performing an exercise and don't swing or arch your back. If in doubt, ask a trainer at your gym.
Problem 5: You let your ego take over.
Answer: People like to impress others with how much weight they do even if it is done with terrible form. Not only could that lead to injury but it also won't help you at all with muscular strength at all. A lot of people swing the weight up while performing biceps curls and act like they are strong for doing a certain weight. The truth is, it wasn't your biceps that lifted the weight, it was your whole body. Do a weight where you can keep good form throughout the entire set and focus on the muscle contractions. If you could do extra repetitions than you were aiming for, increase the weight slightly. Don't increase the weight too much each set. Like if you were doing bench press, you should add about five pounds each set unless your last set was very easy then you could try to add 10. Always leave your ego at the door when you come into the gym.
Problem 6: You think weightlifting itself will help you achieve all of your fitness goals.
Answer: It will help but you need to add cardio into your program to help with fatburning, and heart health as well. You could walk, run, cycle, and even boxing. It is best to do cardio after you have weightlifted because you will be burning fat if it's done after. You should also consider changing your diet around too by eliminating junk foods and replacing it with healthier foods. And add some stretching in to help with flexibility and lower your chances of injuries. It could also help improve posture as well. You should stretch in the beginning or the end of the session and could even stretch in between sets to get the knots out of the muscles. Be sure you got blood flow going through the muscles before you stretch.
Problem 7: You don't warm up before you lift.
Answer: The point of warming up is to get some blood flow to your muscles and to lubricate your joints to prepare them for lifting. Many people have different ways of warming up. Some run for five minutes then stretch. Some people would do a couple of light sets of the exercise they were going to do before they do their heavy (working) sets.
Problem 8: You don't finish your workout with a cool-down.
You want to cool-down to lower your heart rate and to prevent any pooling of the blood, which could lead to dizziness or lightheadedness. Walking is a great way to cool down. After about 5-10 minutes of walking, follow up with some stretching and hold each stretch for 10-20 seconds.
Problem 9: You lift weights everyday.
As said before, your muscles need rest. You should take at least one to two days off during the week. Weightlifting everyday could lead to over training. You will know you're over training if you notice your muscular strength decreases, blood pressure increases, you lack motivation to workout, and you may experience problems sleeping. Be sure to take a couple days off during the week and if you are a really hardcore fitness person, you could go for a little walk on the days you take of from weightlifting so you're getting some exercise in.
Problem 10: You think because you are lifting, your results will come within a few weeks.
Not true. It could take anywhere from a 1-3 months before you see any results. Everyone's body is different so if you hear someone say it only took them a month to notice results, it doesn't mean it will take you a month to notice results. Just be patient and stay motivated and your results will come. Pay attention to your clothing measurements to see your results and listen to what certain people say. The chances are the people that see you everyday won't see as much of a change in you as opposed to people who see you once in a while. The ones who see you less will notice your change the most. And don't forget to see if you have increased in lifting weights as well to see your strength gains too.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Creatine
Creatine, is a very popular dietary supplement on the market today. It is highly advertised in every health nutrition store around and is also highly advertised in all muscle magazines and even some television commercials. Here are the facts behind the name of creatine that most wouldn’t know.
The purpose of creatine is to help any type of athlete that needs quick, explosive energy to improve in performance or strength. It is also known for increasing muscle mass and size. Creatine is made and sold in many different forms such as, capsules, chewable, serum, and in powdered form. Creatine is made from mixing sodium sarcosine and cyanamide in a heated water bath. Creatine is not recommended for anyone that has any kidney problems or diabetes but if someone with those problems were to take creatine, they should get checked out by their doctors to make sure that their health will not be at risk.
“ Creatine is an amino acid. The use of creatine helps restore energy. It is also a form of phosphocreatine ( creatine phosphate) which is an important store of energy in muscle cells. During intense exercise lasting around half a minute, phosphocreatine breaks down to creatine and phosphate, and the energy used to regenerate the primary source of energy, adenosine troposphere also known as ATP. Output power drops as phosphocreatine depleted because ATP cannot be restored quick enough to meet the demand of the exercise. It follows that a bigger store of phosphocreatine in muscle should reduce fatigue during sprinting.” (R B Kreider http://www.sportsci.org/).
Creatine is good in many different ways. It has proven to help increase muscular strength. It also helps improve your physique. It is a natural supplement that is already made in the body. It is what helps today’s athletes become better performers except for those athletes who participate in sports that require endurance. Strength training and sprinting are the events that will enhance as the creatine supplementation keeps on going. And creatine helps improve energy levels and recovery. Muscle that is full of extra creatine increases the regeneration of phosphocreatine rate immediately after doing workouts such as sprints.
“The sports performance benefits of creatine are limited to activities requiring short, all-out bursts of power, such as: jumping, swimming, sprinting, and high intensity weightlifting.” (http://www.acefitness.org/).
The purpose of creatine is to help any type of athlete that needs quick, explosive energy to improve in performance or strength. It is also known for increasing muscle mass and size. Creatine is made and sold in many different forms such as, capsules, chewable, serum, and in powdered form. Creatine is made from mixing sodium sarcosine and cyanamide in a heated water bath. Creatine is not recommended for anyone that has any kidney problems or diabetes but if someone with those problems were to take creatine, they should get checked out by their doctors to make sure that their health will not be at risk.
“ Creatine is an amino acid. The use of creatine helps restore energy. It is also a form of phosphocreatine ( creatine phosphate) which is an important store of energy in muscle cells. During intense exercise lasting around half a minute, phosphocreatine breaks down to creatine and phosphate, and the energy used to regenerate the primary source of energy, adenosine troposphere also known as ATP. Output power drops as phosphocreatine depleted because ATP cannot be restored quick enough to meet the demand of the exercise. It follows that a bigger store of phosphocreatine in muscle should reduce fatigue during sprinting.” (R B Kreider http://www.sportsci.org/).
Creatine is good in many different ways. It has proven to help increase muscular strength. It also helps improve your physique. It is a natural supplement that is already made in the body. It is what helps today’s athletes become better performers except for those athletes who participate in sports that require endurance. Strength training and sprinting are the events that will enhance as the creatine supplementation keeps on going. And creatine helps improve energy levels and recovery. Muscle that is full of extra creatine increases the regeneration of phosphocreatine rate immediately after doing workouts such as sprints.
“The sports performance benefits of creatine are limited to activities requiring short, all-out bursts of power, such as: jumping, swimming, sprinting, and high intensity weightlifting.” (http://www.acefitness.org/).
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