Areas For Fitness Training Recommended By The Mayo Clinic

Posted on by blogger

A report has been released by the Mayo Clinic that identifies five (5) areas that need to be targeted for a balanced fitness program. The areas identified in the report include 1) aerobic fitness, 2) muscular fitness, 3) stretching, 4) core stability and 5) balance training. Each item will be discussed below.

1. Aerobic Fitness:
Aerobic fitness is often called cardiovascular fitness. Aerobic fitness is essential to weight loss and total fitness because it helps the lungs, heart and blood vessels move oxygen through the system more efficiently.

Aerobic or cardiovasculr exercise should be done at least two and one half (2-1/2) hours each week for a moderate aerobic activity or at least seventy five (75) minutes for vigorous exercise. Aerobic exercises should be spread throughout the week.

2. Muscular Fitness:
Muscular fitness exercise should be done at least two to three times during the week. Muscular exercises help with muscular fitness along with increasing bone strength. Muscular strength is necessary as we grow older.

Equipment is not necessary to maintain muscular fitness if you have a fitness program that includes body strengthening exercises like push-ups, chin ups and squats along with others.

3. Stretching:
Stretching is sometimes forgotten but it is critical for a well rounded program. All fitness coaches recommend that stretching be included in their fitness programs. All exercises make the muscles contract and flex so stretching of the muscles also needs to be included for a well rounded workout.

Stretching is especially important for the later years to keep the body flexible to avoid a lot of the injuries that accompany old age.

4. Core Stability:
Core muscles are those in the body and include the abdomen muscles, lower back and the pelvis area. They should be included in fitness programs because they are needed for upper and lower body movements.

5. Balance Training:
Balance is often forgotten in physical fitness programs but it needs to be included in a well rounded program. Balance is essential to everyday life functions and it tends to deteriorate with age so it imperative that a good program be maintained.

Developing a good balance training regimen will add quality to life.

Mayo Clinic has identified these five (5) areas as being essential to a complete fitness program so it is important that all the items be included in the fitness program. Incorporate all five (5) elements into everyday life and it will go a long way to insure better health.

Smart Goalsthe Keys To Fitness Motivation

Posted on by blogger

Many people find that the most difficult part of their fitness program is sticking with it. Often we drift from program to program, becoming passionately dedicated to step classes one month, then Pilates or yoga the next. Sometimes we drop fitness altogether, opting for life back on the couch.

The problem is motivation. The core of any personal fitness program is staying interested and, as a fitness instructor, my role is to keep my participants coming back for more. If I dont, then Im out of a job. The law to which all fitness instructors conform states: No participants; no classes. No classes; no money.

Motivating participants means goal setting. I know what youre thinking. Youre thinking, Great! Hes going to tell me if I set a goal to become a power lifter, Im going to stay true to a fitness program forever. Nothing could be further from the truth. A broad goal like becoming a power lifter doesnt take into account specifics such as how to train, when or where to train, or how to tell when its time to enter competition. It leaves no room for evaluation.

Its not a SMART goal. A SMART goal is Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic, and Time-bound.

1. Goals Need to be Specific
A specific goal is one that takes a component of the overall goal and states it. For a power lifter, it may involve improving muscle endurance, stance, and strategy. In other words, its a set of clearly defined goals rather than one broad one.

2. Goals Need to be Measurable
A measurable goal could refer to time, distance, times per week, numbers of repetitions, or mass. If your goal is to do more squats, your goal would state that you want to be able to squat with 120 pounds of weight.

3. Goals Need to be Action-oriented
This part means that youre going to go to the gym and use the squat rack to carry out your goal four times per week.

4. Goals Need to be Realistic
Once you begin weightlifting, youll become familiar with the weights and what your limits might be. You can develop a strategy to gradually increase the weights until you reach your goal.

5. Goals Need to be Time-bound
How long will it take to reach your goal? Is this something you can do in six weeks or will it take six months? Identify your timeline.

Using the SMART criteria, you can generate a SMART goal to improve muscular endurance. It might read: Within 30 days, I will increase my squat resistance on the squat rack from 100 to 120 pounds by training four days per week and increasing my weight by five pounds per week.

If at the end of 30 days you reach your goal, evaluate how this fits in with your overall fitness goal of becoming a power lifter. You may wish to set a new or different goal. If you didnt reach it, ask whether there might be a reason. Perhaps you had the flu, or the goal wasnt as realistic as you thought. Formulate a new goal and time interval.

SMART goals can be useful in many aspects of life that involve motivationnot just fitness. Use SMART goals in your relationships, for career change or advancement, and to improve eating habits. Any aspect of life that requires motivation is open to the application of SMART goals.

Historical Health And Fitness Trends

Posted on by blogger

Many people nowadays may probably be living a toxic and always busy lifestyle. However, this should not hinder any one from targeting a goal to be healthy and fit. In fact, there are numerous health spas and gyms that can be found everywhere offering services and facilities for people who want to be fit and healthy. Included in the services are popular trends in health and fitness that aids in the overall improvement of a persons well being.

During the early part of the 20th century in Germany, Joseph Pilates has developed one of todays hottest trends in health and fitness. The program of Pilates entails improving the central postural muscles which are essential in balancing the body and in supporting the spine. Also, Pilates is aimed at teaching proper breathing, aligning the spine and strengthening the muscles. In brief, Pilates works on the good physical and mental condition of the body.

In America, at the height of economic depression during the 1920s, the art of pole dancing was developed. Pole fitness is one of the forms of this pole dance which some people nowadays are utilizing for their health and fitness regime. A pole is used in firming and conditioning the arms, thighs, abs and back. The program incorporates combination of jazz, ballet, acrobat and gymnastics.

In the early part of 1970s, Hot Yoga or Bikram Yoga was developed by Bikram Choudhury. This synthesized form of the traditional yoga is focused on the bodys overall wellness. Hot yoga involves deep stretching to prevent injury and relieve stress. Every muscle, organ and joint of the body is stimulated and restored its healthy condition. In this form of yoga, a participant is required to stay warm by wearing layers of clothing or switching a rooms heat on.

During the 1990s in Colombia, Zumba was developed by the choreographer Alberto Perez. This physical fitness program combines international and Latin music and dance for a more enjoyable exercise. Aside from being entertaining, Zumba is perfect in polishing the bodys shape as it helps boost metabolism or the rate of burning calories in the body. Balance and posture are also improved with the programs basic steps.

Kettlebells, also called girya are exercise tools looking like a cannon ball with handle of a large iron bowl with handle. They surprisingly make a person on a workout session to feel lively and comfortable while exercising. This revolutionary equipment helps improve the muscle mass in many key areas of the body such as back, thighs and abs. This fitness program is also effective in increasing the fat burning rate of the body for a slim waist.

Speaking of burning calories, another fitness trend called Spinning is utilized to effectively shed 900 calories. In fact, Spinning is one of the intense workouts for fitness. Spinning involves loud and thumping music while sweating out on a stationary bike.

Tai-chi is a fitness trend popular which has its origin from the Far East. This workout is executed on a standing position while moving in a very slow and methodical fashion, the body is twisted and the limbs are raised or lowered. A soothing and quiet music is used while doing this program.

Fitness Equipment For The Homes

Posted on by blogger

Exercise and fitness are fast becoming one of the best ways in which to stay young and healthy. However, many individuals steer clear of using the various exercise or fitness equipment such as treadmills due to the location, mainly found at members only gyms. The good news is today you can purchase the same treadmills and other exercise equipment found at the gyms for your home.

Instead of paying for a membership at the local gym and then going out in all kinds of weather you can find the perfect treadmill or other exercise machines for your home even if you do not have a large area for the equipment.

A few of the most popular fitness equipment you can find online without the hassles of going to the retail store include the EKS6000 Treadmill, the EKS 7000 WideTrack Training Treadmill, the EKS Titan Treadmill, and the Rovera Homegym.

The EKS 6000 Treadmill offers auto incline levels from 1 to 15, 10 pre-set program levels, adjustable speed levels from .8 to 16 kmph, and cushioned deck for joint protection. One reason this treadmill is so popular is that it has a fold away design, so you can fold it up and move it out of the way. Many people love this design as they can leave in the living room, work out while watching their favorite shows on the television, then just fold it up, and put it out of the way.

The EKS 7000 WideTrack Training Treadmill is another popular fold away treadmill. The great features that have many people turning to this treadmill is the large running mat at 1430mm by 505 mm. However, these are not the only features that are impressive. This treadmill offers 51 preset workout programs with 20 incline levels and a hand pulse reader to name a few.

The EKS Titan Treadmill offers one of the largest mats on the market today at 1600mm by 510mm. This fold away treadmill has many features as well including auto adjustable speed from 1 to 20 kmph, 51 pre-set workouts, 4 speed keys, and the hand pulse reader along with a dual shock absorption system underneath the running deck.

If you desire a complete home gym instead of a treadmill, the Rovera Homegym offers many of the features of the equipment you can find at the local gym. This compact exercise machine will give you all the flexibility you need for your exercise program in the comfort of your home. You will never have to worry about leaving home in all kinds of weather to workout and lose weight or just stay in shape.

As you can plainly see, stay healthy and fit does not have to be a hard decision, you can find the best exercise equipment online, have it delivered to your door, and begin a healthy lifestyle.

Fitness Equipment Shown On Television

Posted on by blogger

You will also see a lot of fanciful testimonials from actors who play the roles of past customers of the product. There is also no shortage of photos that show before and after images of how people succeeded in getting fit with the products. And suddenly, it strikes you that you too can achieve the results with those products. The truth is that most of these so-called fitness products make a victim of people who have money but no time for a workout.

The most common fitness equipment ads are those that use Electricity based Muscle Stimulators. You will find people showing off their solid abs in these ads and they usually give an amazing explanation on how the fitness equipment helped them in getting the well toned body, even without a drop of sweat. There are people who believe in these ads and buy fancy equipment that do nothing but burn out electricity rather than fat. There is no scientific proof that muscle stimulators can truly reduce weight and increase strength. In fact, only fitness equipment that makes you workout hard will give you the results. So remember, there is no gain without pain and sweat.

And there are other ads which convince that you can lose fat by simply working out just for five minutes a day. The fact is that there is not fitness equipment on earth that can burn fat in five minutes, except surgical diathermy machines that burn the fat directly through surgery. However, even that will take a lot more than five minutes. So, if you want to get practical results, you should workout with genuine fitness equipment for at least an hour a day.

The most common scam is with the abs equipment; as almost everyone wants the six-pack, there is a big demand for these. No wonders there are so many abs equipment companies that have sprung up to cater to the demand. The truth is that it is impossible to get a six pack without hard work and regular workouts. Also, there is no way to get the six-pack without burning the outer layer of fat on your abs. The only way to get results is through low fat and high protein diet, along with regular cardio exercises.

Next time you see a fitness equipment ad on TV, make sure you ask questions before buying. Although there are fake equipments, we also have genuine ones that truly help to get results. However, such genuine equipments do not promise fancy outcomes. In fact there are some fitness products that really do a great job by helping you to work out on targeted areas of fat buildup.
This article is not about making you believe that all the ads on TV are scams. There are scores of genuine fitness equipment manufacturers who work relentlessly to improve fitness equipment technology. It is all about making the right choice. For your information, some of the popular ads on TV are from manufacturers like Ab Circle, Instyler, Contour Abs, Slendertone, Heeltastic, Total Gym and more. Just select one after checking if it will suit your requirements – and more importantly – do the job.