Exercise Helps Prevent & Improve Dementia

Exercise has shown to help reduce the risk of developing dementia later on in life or slow down the progress of the disease in those diagnosed with the condition. Even light exercise was found to be better than doing no exercise at all. Any form of exercise is beneficial and the number of different types of exercise undertaken can make a difference as well. Those doing 4 different types of exercise over a 2 week period showed a decreased risk when compared with those performing 1 type of exercise. Exercise can also improve mobility, cardio vascular function, balance and strength, improving a person's quality of life and reducing the risk of falls and hospital admissions. Studies have also shown that exercise helps to improve a person's memory in the early stages of dementia. A trial was conducted where a group of people with memory problems were encouraged to undertake 150 minutes of physical activity per week of moderate intensity (the recommended government guidelines) and showed an improved cognitive function with this improvement lasting for 12 months.

Following an Active Lifestyle is as Important as Exercising Regularly

I see a lot of people in the gym working out hard and sweating but they seem to not change shape. When asking them if they are reaching their goals they often tell me that they're feeling healthier but are still not losing weight. When I ask a few questions I find out that although they are working out 2-3 times a week they are not being active outside the gym, spending a lot of time sitting, using the car and using the lift instead of the stairs. Also their diet hasn't really changed and they're skipping meals, having too much fatty foods and take-aways and their portion sizes are still far too big. They also often fall into the trap that they spend too much time in the gym, thinking it will do them good but often doing them more harm. If you train for more than one and a half hours you will be burning muscle rather than fat as your glycogen levels have depleted and your body needs the presence of glycogen to enable it to burn fat. So all they are doing is burning away the very tissue that will help burn body fat at rest and run the risk of causing injury through over training and lowering their immune system. If you are training for a long distance event such as a marathon, than you need to take on board more nutrition in order to prevent muscle catabolism. So an energy drink high in nutrients that the body needs, such as Herbalife's H3O Pro or Hydrate drinks would be ideal to replace the lost nutrients such as glycogen and continue the fat burning process. So a change in lifestyle outside the gym is as important as regular periods of active exercise in order to achieve the best results. So my top 5 tips in getting the best results are:- 1.) Don't over train and allow a day off in between heavy work outs for your body to recover. 2. Ditch the car and start walking or cycling-you'll be surprised how many extra calories you'll be burning. 3. Keep take-aways to a minimum. 4. Get plenty of sleep in order for your body to repair the muscles and recharge your energy levels for the next work out. 5. Don't skip meals-eating regular well-balanced meals which are high in protein and low in saturated fats will help keep your metabolism up high and prevent your body going into 'starvation mode' and storing fat when you do eat. If you'll always in a rush in the morning and skip breakfast, try a Herbalife protein shake, they come in many different flavours including chocolate, strawberry and cookies & cream. At around 225 calories per serving they are both nutritious and low in calories compared with a lot of breakfast choices. Check out my Website at www.titanfreestyle.com for further details on Herbalife products.

How Walking Can Help Combat Back Pain

According to a study published in the journal, Clinical Rehabilitation, a walking programme is just as effective at easing lower back pain as muscle strengthening programmes that involve specialist equipment. 52 patients with lower back pain were split into two groups. One group completed a muscle strengthening programme comprising 2 to 3 sessions per week for 6 weeks, while the other group did a 6 week aerobic walking programme, beginning with a 20 minute walk 2 to 3 times a week, progressing to a 40 minute walk. Both groups improved significantly in all areas and walking showed that you didn't have to use any expensive equipment or extra costs to help relieve lower back pain. Also walking or just being outdoors for as little as 5 minutes, has been shown to make a positive impact on a person's mood and help improve lower back pain.