Category: Fitness Articles

Aqua aerobics is a low intensity workout that offers a multitude of benefits for everyone. In the past, many people believed that water exercises were only beneficial for the elderly or other individuals who had limited mobility and couldn’t exercise in other, more conventional, ways.

This has proven to be far from the truth. Swimming and other forms of aqua aerobics provide a full body workout that uses the body’s own weight as resistance.

Benefits of Aqua Aerobics

Aqua aerobics are proven to provide the maximum amount of benefit with the least amount of input on behalf of the person. Other than walking it is the single most effective type of workout available that can be performed without the use of expensive equipment or machines. All you really need is a foam noodle from a pool supply store such as this one.  Some of the benefits include:

• Increase in physical strength
• Improved cardiovascular function
• Improved circulation
• Improved pulmonary and respiratory function
• Improved flexibility
• Increase in range of motion
• Increased in endurance and stamina

Personal trainers and other fitness suggest that 3 hours a week spent performing aqua aerobics or swimming can prevent the incidence of many chronic illnesses, reduces stress and improves a person’s mood. Individuals who use aquatic exercise to get and stay fit, often prefer it to other forms of exercise because it allows them to put as much or as little into it as they desire and still see some type of positive result.

Reducing the Effects of Chronic Illness

Aqua aerobics reduces the effects of chronic illness in several ways. Unlike other forms of weight bearing exercise, exercises performed in water put little to no stress on the joints or other injured areas of the body. This reduces the risk of causing inflammation and, in some cases, may actually reducing swelling if it is already present.

The force of the water as it passes over the body, acts like a mild form of massage, stimulating new muscle growth and rejuvenating tissues throughout the body. Movement in the water, especially from sources like the jets of a hot tub, cause reactions within the body that can help certain types of injuries to heal. Muscle tears, joint strains and sprains are all benefited by the soothing heat and forceful motion of the water against the injured area.

How It Works

No matter what level of activity a person is capable of, performing aqua aerobics will provide them benefits. Simply treading water or gliding through it will provide resistance to muscles within the body. Every movement is met with mild resistance. The harder a person pushes through the water, the more resistance it is faced with. The key to the effectiveness of this type of exercise is that water uses the body’s own weight to create the resistance. The force of moving the weight through the water, creates equal resistance from the water. A person cannot lift too much or strain excessively, because they are dealing only with their own body weight.

Muscles weigh more than fat. This is because muscles are more dense than fat and hold less oxygen. Oxygen that enters muscle tissue is quickly used for energy or as food for the cells. Fat is what gives the body the ability to float on the surface. A person who is overweight will begin to displace fat with muscle tissue if they perform aqua aerobics on a regular basis. When they weigh themselves, they may not notice much difference in their weight. What they will notice is the definition in their body. Their muscles will begin to show more through the skin and there will be less dimpling on the thighs and other fatty areas of the body.

While excess pounds will begin to disappear, a person using aqua aerobics must remember their physical strength with increase in similar proportion to their weight loss. A better way of assessing their health at that time would be to measure their loss in inches, not pounds. As the weight begins to drop and their health continues to improve, they will also notice a distinct improvement in the way they breathe. Breathing will be easier and they will not lose their breath as quickly when they are in stressful situations or performing rigorous activity.

Individuals who were only capable of performing aqua aerobics in the beginning, may be able to move onto other types of physical exercise outside of the water after a few months. The increase in range of motion and improved flexibility will give those who have illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis the ability to be more active.

When aqua aerobics are used in conjunction with other healthy lifestyle changes, the benefits can be life altering. A healthy diet, adequate amounts of rest, relaxation techniques and a positive outlook all work together to bring about good health. Once a routine has been established and aqua aerobics is a regular part of a person’s normal workout routine, maintaining good health becomes a habit and not a chore.

If you are reading this, you either want a better body or are a google search crawler bot. If it is the former, then you obviously has a reason, a motivation that drives you to become fit.

There are thousands of reasons and motivations behind the desire to get physically better. Maybe you want to become stronger to test your limits. Maybe you want to be as healthy as possible. Maybe you want to increase your professional performance, be it sports or carry-people-out-of-burning-buildings-as-a-firefighter performance. Maybe you want to look like the guy from those “I got shredded in 90 days” ads, the guy in the “after” photo. Or maybe you want to be fit for the sake of improving your quality of life.

Existentialist philosophy dictates that no reason is inherently better than other, but your end goal will greatly influence your training routine.

That’s why it’s important to calm down, take out a sheet of paper, ask yourself “what do I really want from my training?”, think really hard, then write down the answer and duct tape the paper on the wall where it will be easily visible.

You need goal setting if you want to get anywhere in life. And you especially need it if you decide to use weights to improve yourself. It is easy to get sidetracked. It is easy to start out wanting to get fit for a particular vocation and end up being a professional power lifter. It is also very easy to drift in and out of the gym, starting and dropping routines, never really getting any noticeably result. So get your goals straight.

Here we will take a look at several of the more common goals:

1. Aesthetics. You want to look good. You also do not mind getting stronger, but if asked if you would like to look like Dean Bowring and be able to lift a ton of weight or model for Calvin Klein and lift a bit less in the kg department, you would pick the latter. Bodybuilding is your sport.
2. Strength and power. You want to be strong. You want to be as strong as possible. Everything else is secondary. You are a powerlifter or a weightlifiter.
3. Sports or professional performance. You have a particular sport or job that requires you to be physically fit, and you want to get better at it. You do not care that much about looks or how much your deadlift – you care about how good your do your job, how strong and fast your punches are, or how far you can jump. Boxers, sprinters, marathon runners, cyclists, tennis players fall into this category.

The good part is that most of these goals intersect at some level, especially in the beginning. You will get a good-looking physique, become better at everything you do, and get healthier and stronger no matter which goal you pick.

As you progress, however, you will have to specialize. You will have to choose between looking shredded or lifting more; you will have to choose between lifting more weight or improving at a particular sport. Your resources are limited, and you have allocate them wisely. The only possible exception is wellness. If you are smart about your training, you won’t get bad knees from squatting with too much weight, or burnouts from over training, and your health will always be optimal.

Let’s take a closer look at each of those goals.

1. Aesthetics

I must confess that I am not the person you want to consult in-depth about this topic. Still, the basic principles are: you are going to want to start out with full-body routines, done three times a week. Use one basic compound exercise for the lower body and one for the upper body each workout: include either the squat or the dead lift, and the bench, military or overhead press in every workout.

Study the form on these exercises. Follow it to the letter. Start out with small weights, and gradually increase them. Your workload will typically be 3 sets of 8 reps, with maximum weight you can use to finish the sets without compromising form.

Add weight every workout; once you find you can’t progress steadily, switch to intermediate workouts. You also have to watch what you eat, particularly your calories, and make sure you get enough protein. You want to gain lean mass and as little fat as possible.

The York Power Rack Click Photo for more Information 

1. Strength

This really depends on what type of strength you want to pursue: pure strength or power. If former, your choice is power lifting, if latter, Olympic lifting AKA weightlifting. You will train primarily the movements associated with these sports, e.g. dead lift, squat, bench press, clean and jerk, snatch, and so on, staying in the 1-3 sets of 1-3 reps to 5 sets of 5 reps range, using as much weight as you can without compromising form.

Accessory exercises will be included in the routines once you stop making steady progress doing just the main lifts, these will be performed for 3 sets of 8 reps. Nutrition-wise, your goal is meeting your micro and macro nutrient needs. Eating squeaky-clean is secondary.

 The York Solid Weightlifting Platform Click Photo for more Information 

1. Sports

This is the most complicated category. You will start out training for strength. Then you will have to examine which muscles work in your sport, and which qualities are needed – speed, endurance, strength, or other. Typically, sportsmen have a large carry over from lifting to their sport with initial strength gains.

As time passes and athletes become stronger, the carry over from weightlifting to their sport of choice will diminish. That’s when you and your coach will have to think long and hard about which exercise, which weights, and which sets and reps to include in the workout. Athletes will also want to eat clean to stay within their weight category.

 

So, to recap: lifting weights can do several things for you. Among them are: an increase of strength; an improvement in various sports activities stemming from an increase of strength; and an increase in lean body mass, which results in a more muscular look. Beginners will get noticeable benefits in all the departments.

Intermediate and advanced lifters will find that they have to specialize and choose their ultimate goal, be it muscle mass, strength, or sports performance.

With many of us getting motivated to get fit this season and lose that extra pound, changing weather can act as a barrier and prevent you from hitting the gym.

Well the gym is not everything when you really want to bring about a change and a little workout at home is all you need to maintain that shape and look as gorgeous as ever.

How to maintain a routine

To begin with, all you need is a room or a small  space where you can make your own gym and accommodate any fitness equipment of your choice. You do not need to spend big amounts of cash to buy some high tech machineries, but a wise thought can offer you the right choices.

All it takes is just 30 minutes a day for an decent indoor workout and you can be well on your way to keeping in shape. One can keep up with the fitness level without leaving the house and this fitness program is designed to fit into anyone’s routine. For effective results you need to combine your workout routine of strength training with some cardio, cardio is for example running or a sporting activity like football.

Combining strength training and a cardio workout is by far the best way to loose weight and stay in shape. A study in US has proved that combining the two can get you fit quite faster both the kinds of workout can improve endurance by 11% and strength by 21% of what cardio does alone. The goal (getting fit) here is to take your heart beat to at a higher level and then mixing it with strength exercise.

To start with the cardio the best choice is a treadmill. Don’t spend much, you can find it by taking the right guidance of the equipment sellers who offer gym equipment. A trained professional can assist you well with the type tredmill that is the best for you and can take your weight. It’s important is to find a solution that is within your budget, buying simple things is the key and you can start with small weights, skipping rope, stepper, a workout DVD can be grate and a yoga mat.

Take help from a professional

Hire a professional if you have no idea how to go about building a training routine  or take a look over more page on this site to learn more about your body shape and fitness workouts to match your physic. You can seek help in the beginning to see what work best for you and then you can continue the same on your own.

Begin with a warm up can that loosens you muscles and allows the fat to burn. A warm up of 7 minutes would be more than enough and you can do that by gentle exercises, a slow walk on the treadmill or even cycling. Include strength training for your legs, chest stomach and back and making a chart of the same can give you good results as you will be following the routine religiously.

Workout with your trainer as to how many sets and reps are needed for a particular exercise and then ending the session with a good run on the treadmill will surely make you sweat. Finding the right dealer for buying gym equipments not only helps you save money but you can always be in the touch with the professional as well.

Beginner Workout Schedule

Monday – Running 45 minutes in the morning
Monday – Weight training 30 minutes in the evening

Tuesday – Rest day

Wednesday – Swimming 45 minutes  in the morning
Wednesday – Weight training 30 minutes in the evening

Thursday – Rest day

Friday – Cycling 45 minutes in the morning
Friday – Weight training 30 minutes in the evening

Saturday – Rest day

Sunday – Sport activity e.g. crossfit, football, rugby or a sport you enjoy

Why rest days?

Rest days are just as important as training days because you need to rest your muscles and body, if you do not rest your body you will become tired and eventually this will start to have a negative effect on your health.
Your muscles also need time to recover or they will never grow, muscle growth happens during rest days and will become noticeable after two months of training.

Almost everyone is fully aware of the benefits that come with exercise, eating well and healthy living in general. However, staying motivated enough to maximize and maintain these benefits can be tough. In the modern day world, there are so many temptations in each area that make it increasingly easy to neglect the ideals of healthy living that we know we should be adhering too.

Eating

With fast food outlets on every high street, and take-away meals now simple to order from the internet it is very easy to eat unhealthily. Everyone should be allowed a take away or fast food every now and then, and in fact, this is almost necessary to ensure you stay motivated and enjoy your food.

The main reason that diets fail so easily is the fact that they cut out the enjoyment that naturally comes from food. Being told “you can never eat chocolate” simply increases your cravings. Allowing yourself the occasional treat will allow you to get your fix of sugar (or fast food/takeaway), but still keep you eating healthily for the majority of the time.

There are also small things you can do that will make you feel fuller for longer and keep the cravings at bay. One of these things is exercise, and another is eating breakfast. Exercising brings regulation to your body, meaning your body if more efficient with the energy provided by food.

It breaks it down slower and gets more out of it. Eating breakfast every day sets you up for the day. It activates your metabolism and will reduce the need for you to snack on unhealthy snacks such as crisps and chocolate at the office. Stay motivated to eat breakfast and you’ll find it much easier to eat more healthily.

Take a look at our body shape articles, find the figure that looks similar to your own and you will find a workout and diet plan just for your body shape.

Exercising

Exercising releases endorphins that make you feel great. That’s why you feel so good after a workout, a swim or a run. The only issue with endorphins is that they don’t last forever, and you can forget how they feel. So the next time you are considering going to the gym, you are unlikely to use this feeling as a reason to exercise.

There are so many benefits to regular exercise that it is hard to list them all. It would be silly to exercise for every reason available, but all you need to do is find one or two reasons that are important to you. If looking good is important to you, then use that as your incentive to get out of bed and get to the gym, or to put on your running trainers and hit the roads for a run.

  Likewise, if reducing your cholesterol is important to you (maybe your doctor has mentioned that it could become an issue for you in the future), then use that to spur you on to ensure you get your 30 minutes of moderate exercise every day – even if it is just a walk.

The main reason that people stop exercising is the fact that it becomes repetitive to the point that it is no longer enjoyable. Getting around this is easy – simply join a club or society that is built around a physical activity; maybe a running club, a football team, a tennis club or even something as simple as a golf society. Joining a club where like-minded people get together to participate in a sport is much more enjoyable than fitness training, which in turn increases your chance of staying motivated.

Lifestyle

Lifestyle is a much broader topic than exercise or eating habits. In fact, in pretty much encapsulates them both, as well as adding a few other aspects worth considering. Lifestyle can mean several things, and just a couple of changes could make a big difference. Start by looking at your hobbies and things that you do every week, or every day.

If you spend 3 hours watching TV or 2 hours on the internet, maybe consider alternatives that could be more beneficial to you both mentally and physically. OK, after a hard day at work, relaxing in front of the TV is sometimes well earned, but if you have a glass of wine each evening you will be undoing the benefits of regular exercise or healthy eating. It is simple lifestyle changes that make it easier to stay motivated when it comes to exercise and eating. Above are three key areas that we should all have some say over.

They are all interconnected and have an impact on each other, making it important to address all three equally. Funnily enough, gaining the motivation to improve one or two of these areas will ultimately improve your motivation in the other(s). So if it seems a little daunting to approach them all at once, start with the one you think should be the easiest and in time this will filter to the other two.

What are your top 3 tips for staying motivated?

Maybe it’s been a while since you’ve been for a run.  Maybe it’s been a few years.  Or perhaps your gym membership has lapsed and it’s been a few months since your last kickboxing class.  It happens to the best of us—we get out of our fitness routine and before we know it, weeks, months, or even years have passed since the last time we worked out with any real regularity. 

Or maybe you’ve never really been into fitness, but you’ve decided now is the time that you want to take control of your life and health by incorporating healthy movement into your daily routine. Whether you’re coming back from an exercise hiatus or picking up the habit for the first time, what you need to understand is this: so much of it is mental.

If you train your brain to accept your exercise goals, you’ll be that much closer to fulfilling them.
Follow these easy tricks to get yourself in the mindset for healthy habits.

1. Change one small thing at a time.  It goes without saying that it would be difficult to get back into exercise by going for a 10-mile jog on the first day.   It’s not impossible, but it’s pretty much unheard of.  Rather than going full-blast the first time you try to exercise again, ease back into the routine with small, weekly changes.For example, the first week, go for a brisk walk three or four days.  The next week, up the brisk walk to a walk-jog combo.  Continue this slow increase until you’re back into the habit of running a few miles a few times a week.  The gradual incorporation of exercise will make it seem less daunting and more achievable.
2. Prior preparation will make it harder to back out of an exercise appointment.  If you’ve decided you’re going to go for a jog right when you wake up, sleep in your exercise clothes.  It will make it so much more difficult to decide to press the snooze button in the morning rather than working out.If you want to hit the gym after work, pack your bag of workout clothes and leave it in your car so that you can go straight to the gym—rather than stopping by your house and getting sucked into the couch and television trap.  Doing the prep work ahead of time will make it easier to say yes to exercise, rather than searching for an excuse to skip it.
3. Motivate yourself with your favorite upbeat tunes.  Make yourself an awesome, exciting playlist of songs you love, and listen to it every time you exercise.
   Keep it updated frequently with new and fun tunes so that you’ll be excited to work out and listen to them.  And try to keep these songs exclusively for exercise time, so that if you want to hear them, you’ve got to be moving.Another great trick is to put a favourite song towards the end of the playlist and don’t allow yourself to skip ahead.  You’ll be inspired to keep your workout going longer so that you can make it to that special track.
4. Reward yourself.  It’s a mind game as old as time itself—positive reinforcement.  You need to make sure you’re applauding your own success and celebrating even the small things with rewards.
   Make sure they’re not food-based rewards—it doesn’t make sense to reward your spin class attendance with a heaping plate of nachos.Instead, choose something else that will make you feel as good as your workout.   Maybe it’s a manicure, a skinny latte, or a new top.  Or it could be as simple as letting yourself spend an extra hour in bed on Sunday perusing your favorite fashion magazines.  Just make sure you treat yourself to reward all of your hard work.
5. Make yourself a visual reminder.  Get yourself a free calendar, and mark off every day that you achieve your goals.  It will give you something to be proud of, and it will also offer a big, glaring reminder if you start getting off track with your goal.You’ll be surprised how motivating it can be to see a visual representation of how much you’ve exercised.  Eventually, you may find that you don’t even need it anymore, because exercise has once again become an indispensable part of your daily life.  But until that point, keep yourself going with little reminders like this and you’ll be amazed at how you actually WANT to achieve your fitness goals.

Don’t let yourself get discouraged—we all lose track of our goals from time to time.  Just follow simple tips like these to ease yourself back into a fitness routine, and you’ll be thrilled with the results.  Remember to be kind to yourself and go at a pace that you’re comfortable with—and you’ll be healthier and happier before you know it!