Take your Training Outside

At last summer seems to be here (for the moment any way). While the sun's out why not take your training outside. Who wants to be working out in a gym or studio when you could be doing it outside. Studies have shown that the body and mind respondes well outside where you can reconnect with nature. Also you can get some sunlight that will provide a natural source of vitamin D for maintaining strong bones and teeth and can help with improving mood. Combining your exercising in the great outdoors will enhance the experience and lift your mood. Try taking a jog around the local park or bike it in the woods. Use the local park benches and playground equipment for a resistance workout such as chin ups, tricep dips and push ups. A lot of local parks now have dedicated outside gyms so you can do the same exercises as you would do indoors but getting the extra benefits of training outside. Try out a local outdoor class such as boot camp or Tai Chi- the only limit is your imagination. If you choose to train outside don't forget to wear sun protection, hat and carry water to keep hydrated. Come on get out of the house and start exercising outside before it starts raining again.

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.

How Music can help give you better workouts

According to a study by Sweatband.com the average workout lasts 19 minutes longer if you are listening to music. The poll surveyed 1,621 regular exercisers and asked whether they listened to music while working out. Many from the 61% who did, said they saw noticeable benefits from using music while exercising such as being 'distracted from the pain/intensity' of the work-out and helping to 'break up the monotony'. Researchers also asked them how long they spent working out for. The results showed that those who didn't listen to music exercised for about 39 minutes, while those who used music worked out on average for 58 minutes. Maz Darvish, CEO of Sweatband.com said, "We tend to unconsciously pick up our pace and exercise rate if listening to a fast-paced tune that we enjoy but it also helps to pass the time quicker." The study also found dance music to be the most favoured genre with 31% choosing that over other styles of music. Personally I prefer a bit of rock and metal to get me moving, but whatever gets you motivated is great.

New Gym Ideas

Are you bored with your gym routine? Than try these new moves to keep your routine fresh and bore free. Dry Tri:- Try rowing for 1.5km, bike it for 6km and run for 3 km. Note your total time and try to beat it next time you visit the gym. Cooper It: Named after a fitness test, do a 10-minute warm-up then run, cycle, cross train or walk as hard and fast as you can for 12 minutes and make a note of how far you went. Next time you do it try and beat the distance. Go Hard or Go Home: Pick six machines and work as hard as you possibly can on each of them for five minutes. Because it seems like a short workout, you’ll work more intensely than if you aimed to do 30 minutes straight.

Moderate Exercise can help and prevent Depression

According to recent research from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, moderate exercise can not only help treat depression but can prevent its development in the long term. In the first study of its kind to focus exclusively on the impact exercise has in maintaining positive mental health and its role in preventing depression later on in life, Professor Guy Faulkner and PhD candidate George Mammen's reviewed 26 years of research findings and discovered that even minimum levels of exercise can help prevent depression across all age groups. They acknowledge that other factors can influence the condition such as genetics however there was enough evidence found from the study to conclude that regardless of a person's predispositions, there was a clear implication for everyone. Mammen commented, "It's definitely worth taking note that if you're currently active, you should sustain it. If you're not physically active you should initiate the habit. This review shows promising evidence that the impact of being active goes far beyond the physical."