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Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

When starting a health or fitness regime it is easy to get caught up in numbers such as weight and/or body fat. However, there are other health signs that are less obvious that one should keep in mind.


Lung Capacity: This can be improved by enhancing your cardiovascular health and by staying away from smoke (both primary and secondary sources).


Mood Swings: Research has shown that those with a healthy body image are generally more optimistic and more stable with their emotions. Being active also helps provide energy, decrease stress and increase a feel good emotion. In addition, there is a link between depression and being overweight.


Stress Levels: Being active can decrease stress levels and having high stress levels may have an adverse affect on emotional eaters.


Skin Complexion: Research has shown that individuals getting the recommended nutrients often have smoother complexions. Diets high in fat and/or sugar often lead to breakouts and diets lacking in nutrition often show in the form of a dull complexion.


Happy Hearts: The healthier you are the more efficiently your heart should work. Signs of a healthy heart can be seen in improved cholesterol levels. Another healthy heart signal is an improvement in your blood pressure. In addition, your resting heart rate often improves with increased heart health.


Glucose: Blood sugar levels should be monitored. It is extremely easy for individuals to underestimate the amount of sugar that is added to foods that seem healthy. Keeping tabs on glucose levels is vital to prevent diabetes and ensure balanced glucose levels are maintained.


ZZZZZs: Sleeping well is a sign that you are eating properly and getting an adequate amount of activity in a day. Receiving adequate rest also affords your body the time to physically, mentally, and emotionally recharge.


 

First off I want to apologize for the break. I took a little time off  from my blog and my website MyHealthyLivingHabits.com for the holidays. But now I’m back with a lot of good health information to share.

So this year I want you to think outside the box when you set your health and fitness goals.  Rethink the way you invest your energy in exercise. Get educated.  Make a resolution to read or subscribe to a fitness magazine. Check out health websites daily for new articles and information (MyHealthyLivingHabits.com plug!). There are many websites that have all kinds of health tools as well.  Read health books! Try a new workout routine, try a new machine at the gym or get a personal trainer.  The point I’m trying to make is this year do something different. If your New Years resolutions always contain some kind of health/fitness goal, then maybe you should think outside the box.

My advice is to get rid of your target weight goal. Instead focus on eating healthy and exercising properly. Your weight goal will most certainly be met if you focus on those two things.

Related Articles – Try One New Machine a Week, How to Make the Best New Years Resolution

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

Many of us wake up feeling ready for the day and optimistic in meeting our health goals.  As the day progresses, however,  many of us find ourselves craving sugar/junk to perk us up.  A main cause of this is a change in our insulin levels.  Our energy levels change as a result of insulin levels and we soon find it difficult to resist temptation or find the motivation to get in that afternoon workout. It is important to learn how to stabilize and keep energy levels balanced throughout the day. Here are some tips to keep your energy up during the day:

Begin with Breakfast
Having breakfast each morning gives you energy that will last throughout the day. Plus, eating early ignites your metabolism.

Increase your Activity/ Exercise
Exercising  and staying active ignites your metabolism.  Getting your heart rate up gets your blood and oxygen flowing  and increases your energy levels.  You will be amazed at how much energy you will have just by starting an exercise routine.

Drink Water
Have you ever noticed how tired you are on the days you do not get enough to drink?  Practically every system in our body requires an adequate amount of water. When we fail to drink enough water, dehydration sets in and causes us to feel fatigued. Our body has to work harder just to maintain normal activity. So make sure you drink plenty of water!

Eat Protein
Not only does protein help build muscle, but it is also gets digested slower than fats and carbohydrates. Because of this, protein offers a continual flow of energy to the body as it is being processed. Add a protein shake, bar or a couple servings of cottage cheese to your day to keep your energy levels up.

Cat Nap
Scheduling naps is not just for cats and babies. As long as you do not sleep too long (15-20 minutes should be good) you will not have trouble sleeping at night. Naps in the afternoon before dinner can help you unwind and separate your workday from your evening. It is also important to get enough sleep at night.

Related Articles – The Importance of Breakfast, Benefits of Water, How to Sleep Better

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

I was having a discussion with my friend today and she pointed out how difficult it is to stay on track with any goal with temptation around. If you are trying to quit smoking and you hang around your smoker friends, chances are you will begin smoking again. If you are a recovering alcoholic, hanging with your alcoholic friends can spell disaster.  The same is true for healthy eating and fitness.

How many of you have been willing to skip a workout, or splurge on junk food because you had partner in crime? Having an accountability partner to motivate us to stick to our diets or to meet at the gym can have a positive impact, however, having a less dedicated partner can have the exact opposite effect. People that we spend a lot of time with such as a best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse or roommate can impact our health habits. To avoid gaining weight when living with your loved ones try these tips:

Keep separate foods. Just as you have your own toothbrush and closet space, keep your own shelf and/or drawer in the pantry and fridge. This will prevent you from getting into your partner’s tempting foods.

Dine at the dining table. Save the couch for activities that do not include eating. People who eat while watching TV often times eat more than they realize.

Limit takout and make meals together. Creating a meal can be a social activity. You are also able to  control the ingredients and how you fuel your body.

Wear your wardrobe. Getting ready for the day helps you stay aware of your body changes. When we begin to gain weight it is easy to slip on the sweats, which can cause us to become comfy with our weight gain. Dressing up keeps you aware of how your wardrobe fits and helps you stay motivated to maintain a healthy weight.

Related: How to Stay Motivated

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

Exercise enthusiasts rave about the differences they see in their bodies when they vary their workouts. Try to team up with some friends and start your own variety of workouts. Each person can buy a cardio and toning DVD and at the end of the week, trade. This offers a budget friendly solution to add variety and will bust the boredom of doing the same thing week after week.

Having trouble finding fitness friends? Schedule your DVR to record fitness programs and change it every couple of weeks.

Related: Exercise Variety , Workout Rut

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

Are you one of those “I’ll start my diet hot and heavy Monday” people? If you are, you are definitely part of the majority. Having this mentality can spell disaster. Changing your lifestyle dramatically will backfire on you. Working out way more than you are use to and dramatically reducing your calorie intake will leave you fatigued and unmotivated by Wednesday.

Take baby steps instead. Make gradual changes. Instead of running on the treadmill for 30 minutes if you are not use to it, take walks at lunch or go for an after dinner power walk. Don’t rush into the 30 minute treadmill session. Try to incorporate some healthy items in your diet such as fruits and vegetables instead of planning to eat just salads and meal replacement shakes all day.

The point here is that the goal is to develop healthy habits. Easing into it will help you stick to these habits instead of abandoning it after a short time.

Related: Lose Stubborn Body Fat , Fat Burning Foods

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

I read an article today that looked at whether you could be overweight and still be healthy.  Many more people are accepting  of the idea that being overweight isn’t  bad for you. Although many more health practitioners are buying into this idea, others say that this notion is irresponsible and dangerous.

Can you be overweight and still be healthy?

I’m going to highlight some points on both sides of the argument. Keep in mind that these arguments are based on a BMI category of ‘Overweight‘.  These arguments do not include being Obese. If you are obese, your goal should be to lose weight and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

Argument 1: Being Overweight can be Good

• Studies suggest that people who have a BMI of overweight have a lower mortality rate than any other group.
• Thigh, Hip, and Butt fat stops harmful compounds released during digestion.
• Thigh fat secretes adiponectin which regulates appetite.
• Research shows that yo-yo dieting can cause unnecessary cardiac stress, slow metabolism, and leads to more weight gain.

Argument 2: Being Overweight is Bad

• Extra weight can increase your risk of breast cancer
• Higher probability of heart disease
• You can’t control where fat is stored. So even though thigh fat is beneficial, stomach fat and visceral fat(around organs) are dangerous.
• Being overweight can cause social anxiety.
• As a hunter, gathering species, humans are not meant to be obese and overweight.

My thoughts:

To me both arguments have valid points but generally I believe that being overweight is not good for you. Now, let me clarify that there are many overweight individuals according to BMI that are healthy. BMI has its limitations.  Just because you are a little overweight, doesn’t mean you are not healthy.  I think it’s important to maintain a healthy living lifestyle and strive to be healthy and fit. Eat healthy, and exercise. Remember that you don’t have to be skinny to be healthy.  So if you are overweight, my advice would be to focus on losing some weight to decrease your chances of certain cancers and heart disease.

Related: Lose Stubborn Body Fat , Fat Burning Foods

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine. She was a little frustrated because she has been working out, eating better, but she kept gaining weight. Here is an exerpt of an email I received from her:

“Yeah I am (bleep) so I am going to have to go hard core! !!!!
So mon, wed, and fri I will run 4 miles. And tues and thur I will run 2 miles. Plus eating very little! “

It can be frustrating for anyone to put in hard work and not seem to be going anywhere. I explained to her that making dramatic changes is not the answer. Not eating hardly anything at all and increasing her cardio dramatically will only have temporary effects. She would burn out sooner or later.  I told her she should instead make small changes that she can sustain for a lifetime.

Often times we get into this funk where we either want to give up on our goals entirely or try to do something dramatic like starve ourselves or push ourselves too much. Thats when we get the yo-yo diet effect. We get burned out quicker, end up binging and have to start all over again.

If you feel like my friend does, make minor adjustments until you start seeing the results that you had hoped for. Increase your cardio sessions by 15 minutes, add another healthy snack to your day to keep your metabolism going, or add a brisk walk to your day at some point.

Don’t kill yourself by making dramatic changes. Take baby steps.

Related: What is Healthy? , Make Dietary and Fitness Changes Gradually

Shane Walker
Site: MyHealthyLivingHabits.com
Blog: KeepMovinBlogcast.com
Contact@MyHealthyLivingHabits.com