SELF HEALTH + HEALING

From the outside looking in, exercise sure looks like a form of medieval torture. The exertion, the grunting, the self-inflicted pain -- it's not exactly a walk in the park.

 

"Except that it is. It is exactly a walk in the park.. If you're still not exercising because you "hate exercising," then it's time for a little chat. Your "I hate exercising" excuse is about as acceptable as claiming you hate puppies, and both speak to potentially serious problems with your heart. Here's how to push past the pain and start moving your butt."

 

The push-up may seem simple, but doing it with bad form will cause more harm than good. Here`s how to do it right

 

Push-ups are one of the first exercises to come to mind when we think about bodyweight training for our chest, shoulders, and arms.

It doesn’t get any more basic than putting your hands on the ground and pushing your body up.

 

As soon as you start the movement, you can tell whether or not your upper body strength is up to par or if you need to overcome any weaknesses. But despite the simple nature of the push-up, there is much more benefit to doing this exercise properly than from just doing as many repetitions as you can.

Your fear of the rower ends now. Hop on for a killer strength and cardio sweat session.

 

When you think about rowing, the first things that probably come to mind are prep school crew teams and Ivy League regattas—not a hardcore workout. And while strapping yourself into that boat-like contraption may be intimidating, there are plenty of reasons you should give it a go. 

 

For one, "rowing is a total-body workout that works 84 percent of the muscles in your body," explains Annie Mulgrew, certified fitness instructor and program director at City Row in New York City. There's a common misconception that it's all about upper-body strength, but it's really about pushing with your legs and engaging your core.

Hating exercise isn’t the same as being lazy. Exercise motivation is a complicated subject, but if getting off the couch is the hardest part for you, we’ve got you covered. Here’s how to finally start working out, no matter how much you might hate it.

 

There is actually evidence to suggest that your innate enjoyment from exercise may be determined by your genes. Relatively recent research from The Journal of Physiology selectively bred mice based on their predisposition to exercise. After a few generations of breeding (or shall we say inbreeding like Lannisters), brain activity showed that one group of mice found exercise to be rewarding—and thus voluntarily exercised more—while the other group did not.

 

http://vitals.lifehacker.com/how-to-finally-start-working-out-even-if-you-hate-it-1729593891

Squats are often referred to as the King Shit of leg and ass exercises – they do not have a fancy name or take a lot to master – they are simple and basic but also are, what a lot of us in the fitness industry can attest to, the best exercise for building your lower body to where you want it. Along with looking FABULOUS, they also help to improve your balance and your bone density!

Once mastered this move is easy. That being said it does require you to focus because it can move from good to bad in seconds of losing your form, and can hence cause terrible injuries. Note that its best to get the technique and form mastered with light or no weight before adding heavy weights.

Most people intuitively understand that exercise can improve your mood, but it was only last week that scientists figured out how it works. Their findings are of enormous importance to everybody who experiences stress at work.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, exercising causes your muscles to release a set of chemicals that block other chemicals the body releases in response to frequent stress.

In other words, constant stress brings you down, but consistent exercise lifts you up.

The brain is like a muscle. When it is in use we feel very good. Understanding is joyous. --Carl Sagan

 

Cognitive brain function peaks in our early fifties, but staying mentally active can prevent brain loss in the years to follow

 

If you’re over 40, you’re not going to like this (and if you’re not yet 40, get ready for a reality check): Early in your fifth decade, researchers believe, your cognitive brain performance peaks. From there, it’s a downhill slide for the remaining years of your life. The good news is that the brain is highly adaptable; it responds to experiences. In particular, “spaced practice” (repetitive exercise) helps the brain learn, grow, strengthen, and develop. As we age there are ways to combat the reduced function of such mental processes as memory, speed of thinking, problem solving, reasoning, and decision making. Starting to incorporate easy exercises today can help forestall decline tomorrow.

Need an inexpensive at-home workout? You can't get much cheaper than resistance bands! These tools are lightweight & affordable - check out 10 moves.

 

Resistance bands are quite possibly the most cost-effective home fitness equipment available for performing a full-body resistance training workout routine. Not only are they inexpensive, typically ranging from $5 to $20 per band, but they’re also lightweight and small, making them perfect for throwing in a work bag or suitcase when you’re on-the-go. Grab a few bands and put them to use when you’re tight on time, space, or money – here are 10 exercises to try for afull-body routine.

"Want to skip your workout? We're going to bust every excuse you've got."

 

Everyone knows there are so many good reasons to work out. It helps your heart and bones stay strong, keeps you limber, increases endurance, helps maintain weight, and gives you more energy — not to mention bragging rights when you can beat someone in an arm wrestling match. Unfortunately, the list of excuses to skip workouts is almost as long. We’re too tired, too busy, too stressed, too broke. It’s too hot or too cold. 

 

It’s amazing to me how easy it is to forget to move. This year was the first time in about five years that I found myself gaining weight. It wasn’t a lot, just five pounds over six months or so, but it was strange for me since I didn’t think I was doing anything different.

I write and think about healthy living all the time, and I absolutely love the food I eat. I no longer crave sugar, and avoiding it isn’t hard. If anything I have eaten healthier than ever during this time, since I started working at home and control 100% of my meals. I’ve been eating the same or better quality food than I always have, and have even improved on my mindful eating techniques."

"When stress levels are too high, it hinders the body's ability to burn fat. That's where yoga comes in — it's the perfect way to fight off stress, regardless of your level. These easy-to-follow poses do more than just relax; they stimulate the parts of the body responsible for metabolic function. Breathe deep as you try each asana, and start burning more calories and fat with your practice."

 

Get rid of that extra layer of insulation we all seem to put on this time of year.

 

Winter bod: The softer shape we take on when daylight feels in short supply and the weather calls for comfy layers. You haven't stopped working out; it's just that you have a little less motivation than you did during, say, the summer, and a lot more desire for, say, carbs-and-couch time.

 

This workout, from Tamara Pridgett, NASM certified personal trainer, can help counteract that. "You're targeting the four areas of the body that tend to soften up the most -- the abs, upper legs, butt and arms. You'll get your heart rate up to burn calories, too," says Pridgett, head coach at Tone House gym in New York. So, grab a small towel and a timer and get started.

 

Battle ropes offer a welcome reprieve from the drudgery of treadmill cardio sessions. Use this fat-burning workout twice weekly to sweat yourself leaner and fitter!

 

Battle ropes are more than just a passing fad; they're a valuable weapon for getting you to your fighting weight! In fact, a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that a mere 10-minute battle-rope workout increases heart rate to peak levels and should be classed as high-intensity exercise.

 

These long, thick ropes work your cardio levels to the max while enhancing your grip, strength, conditioning, and overall level of work capacity. They're great for cardio and general physical fitness.

Sometimes people are so against the word exercise. Well we tell you what are some interesting ways to switch up your exercise routine to get you motivated.

 

“Exercise kind of sucks.”

 

Is this something you find yourself saying on a regular basis? I mean, does anyone like exercising? We like how it makes us look, and how it makes us feel (sometimes), but do we honestly like spending hours sweating on the treadmill? Do we honestly like spending money on different fitness classes and gym memberships?

 

It’s the second biggest excuse for why people don’t exercise – because they don’t like it. The first excuse is that they don’t have time for it.

Combatting declining testosterone is easier than you think.

Testosterone does a lot of good stuff for you. It helps you burn fat and build muscle, increases sex drive, and keeps your cardiovascular system healthy. It also improves mood, according to several recent studies. 

 

It’s more important than ever to keep your testosterone up these days. The average testosterone level of American men has decreased dramatically over the past 30 years, by an average of 1% a year. It appears that the modern world is rough on us men. 

Fortunately, there are ways to combat declining testosterone. Here are 5 hacks to boost your testosterone naturally.

By now, you probably know that upping the ante on your core workouts won't unveil the six-pack abs of your dreams. It's simply impossible to reduce body fat in a specific area, no matter how much you curse that little something extra around your middle.

However, that doesn't mean that strength training doesn't have a benefit for that belly. In a new study, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that men who completed 20 minutes of weight training a day saw a smaller increase in belly fat than men who spent the same amount of time sweating it out in a cardio workout.

As the days start to get shorter and the temperatures drop, you may be tempted to slack off on your workout routine. After all, it’s also no longer swimsuit season and we can hide under cozy layers! But it’s so important to keep moving and find something you not only love to do but also can do all year round.

For instance, during the spring and summer, I love to run, bike, swim, play tennis, chase my little guy all over the playground and hike with him in his baby carrier. But as winter approaches, I can fall back on my yoga practice, Pilates workouts, bundled walks, strength training, and skiing. Though, there are still some mornings when I would much rather snuggle in bed.

Here are some motivational tricks to help you break a sweat because you’ll definitely feel better after working out—and have the body to show for it winter, spring, summer, and fall.

You know that girl, the one with a Starbucks cup stashed in the cup holder of the elliptical during her a.m. sweat sesh? Admit it: you’ve judged her. But, turns out, she might be on to something. Drinking a couple cups of coffee before a workout could actually make it feel more enjoyable, according to new research published in the Journal of Applied Physiology. 

The study basically simulated your average morning: a mug of coffee to wake up, a little gym time, another cup with breakfast, followed by lunch. Fourteen participants completed two moderate workouts on a stationary bike: one where they took caffeine (equal to two 8-ounce cups of coffee or 4 cups of black tea) 90 minutes before the workout, and one where they took a placebo. When caffeinated, the participants reported the ride as way easier than it was without the stimulant.

"He feels smarter already."

 

Moving your body may be the best way to protect your brain.

Physical exercise can ease depression, slow age-related memory loss and prevent Parkinson-like symptoms, researchers reported at the Society for Neuroscience meeting underway in San Diego.

The findings — some in animals, some in people — suggest that people may be making a mistake if they're relying primarily on crossword puzzles and brain-training games for mental wellness.

The must-read guide for anyone who's considered taking up yoga. Yoga is an ancient practice with origins stretching back thousands of years in India. It is designed to help achieve a more positive outlook on life and a focused, permanent sense of serenity and peace. The word ‘yoga’ itself means ‘union’ and ‘union with the divine’; however, many people have stripped away the spirituality and focus of yoga so that most think of it as a group of intensely athletic people putting their legs behind their heads and curling up into jaw-dropping positions.

 

While that certainly happens–I’ve actually done the leg behind the head thing a few times, but only after years of careful stretches and practice–yoga has so much more to offer than flexibility and the idea of garnering a strong body. People of all shapes, sizes, ages and abilities can do yoga and adapt it to suit their individual tastes and needs.

Read on to learn how to get the most out of your day for weight loss - from meals to sleep and workouts.

 

The simple choices we make day in and day out—such as when to exercise or what time to hit the sack—can have a huge effect on how many calories we burn, and thus, how much weight we lose. Read on to learn how to get the most out of your day. 

Read more at http://www.dietsinreview.com/diet_column/08/your-dusk-to-dawn-guide-to-weight-loss/#4eYJMqVLtihfbSXd.99

"You woke up today and said to yourself: “Today is going to be different.”

First and foremost, congratulations!"

That’s a big step.  

Now, you start trying to figure out how to actually get started:

Should I sign up for a gym membership?Should I throw away all of my food and eat like a caveman?Should I start eating breakfast or skip breakfast?Should I go for a walk? a run? a hike?