Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Photo by Emma Matthews on Unsplash If you’re like many others, you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution to get your health back on track. Whether your goal is to lose weight, eat healthy or just to remember to take your vitamins daily, here’s what you …
In order to achieve peak performance, athletes need good nutrition and specific vitamins and minerals to keep their bodies in optimal health. Female athletes have special nutritional needs, due to hormones and menstruation. The three commonly suggested minerals for female athletes are iron, copper and …
Just because the leaves are changing color and the temperature is dropping, doesn’t mean your motivation should follow suit! If the colder weather and lack of motivation is keeping you from your fitness goals, these 10 fall-inspired fitness tips may help.
Many of us are visual individuals. It might be easier for you to see yourself reaching your goals if you have visuals to turn to and remind yourself of why you started and what your short/long term goals are. Is there a body type you are reaching for? Print out a photo and add it to your motivation board. Is there a specific food you want to remind yourself to incorporate into your diet? Pin it! Is there a quote that reminds you why you started down your fitness journey in the first place? You guessed it – pin it!
The Best “Whey” to Recover from Exercise & Build Muscle is with Whey Protein!
Whether you’re working out at home, the gym, or outside, you should plan your daily workouts in order to keep a schedule and to keep yourself motivated. Daily workouts could be a gym session, a jog around the park, or even tennis lessons. As long as you’re moving, it counts! One hour of cardio each day will probably get boring by the time Wednesday hits. Instead, speak to a trainer at your local gym or research workouts online to start planning ahead. For example, if Monday you are focusing on cardio, make Tuesday an arm day and Wednesday an outdoor biking day.
If that pile of leaves on your lawn has been sitting there for days but you don’t have time to tidy up before you hit the gym, why not merge the task? According to Harvard Health, a 155-pould person can burn 149 calories by raking leaves for 30 minutes. If you have kids, head outside for some fun in the leaves and get them involved in the clean up too! They won’t even realize that you’re using it as a fitness activity, either.
How to Improve Your Energy and Endurance
If working out alone is killing your motivation, grab a friend who has the same goals as you in terms of workout consistency. You don’t want to bring a friend to the gym or head outside for a run with a friend who isn’t motivated; this can bring you down and allow you to give in to your lazy cheat days much easier! Someone with the same or a bit more aggressive goals as you will continue to push you as they push themselves to reach their fitness goals. Just remember that everyone works at their own pace and you should not be discouraged if you need to take a quick break on your run while they look like they aren’t breaking a sweat!
The saying, “Moderation is key” is popular for a reason – it’s the truth! It’s okay to give in to those sugar cravings every once in a while (you don’t have to beat yourself up about it!) but be sure you are keeping your goals in mind. You may want to try the 80-20 rule when it comes to moderation – aim to eat healthy 80% of the time and allow yourself to be more lenient for the other 20%.
Unlike heading out for a quick summer run, a thin pair of shorts and a tank top doesn’t cut it in 50-60 degree fall weather. But there’s an easy fix! You can either layer up with a comfy sweater and leggings or get yourself wind-shielding jackets that help keep the chill away. Wear proper attire like hats and gloves if needed, that won’t add too much weight and bulkiness but still allow for the warmth you need. But even with all that prepared, many people still forget about footwear.
Winter is coming! Can L-Carnitine Keep You Warm?
You may think that your fitness goals revolve around eating the right foods and exercising, but your quality of sleep plays a major role, especially if you are trying to lose weight. According to research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, not enough sleep – less than seven hours per night – can reduce and even undo the benefits of dieting. For the study, dieters were put on different sleep schedules. When their bodies received adequate rest, half of the weight they lost was from fat. When they cut back on sleep, the amount of fat loss was cut in half – even though they were on the same diet. The participants reported being significantly hungrier, less satisfied after meals and lacked the energy to exercise. Overall, those on a sleep deprived diet experiences a 55% reduction in fat loss, compared to their well-rested counterparts.
Not only does fall bring colder weather, but it also brings shorter days. Prepare your outdoor workouts by wearing the correct fitness gear in order to stay warm. You may also want to exercise earlier in the day, rather than waiting until dark. With the time change and sun setting earlier, more it’s common to feel more tired than usual. Working out earlier may help guarantee that your workout will get done and allows you to be able to relax in the evening.
Common fall activities include apple and pumpkin picking and maybe even pie baking. Use fall produce like apples, figs, pears, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, beets and squash into your diet in order to mix things up!
“Beet” Your Fatigue & Supercharge Your Muscles with Beetroot!
The cold weather may have you craving hot chocolate and pumpkin spice lattes, but don’t forget that hydration is key to fitness no matter the season! Green and black teas contain powerful antioxidants that may help keep you healthy throughout the cold and flu season. It can also help to warm your body up on those cold, windy days. Water is essential for healthy metabolism and detoxification. Don’t forget to drink water throughout the day to stay hydrated!
A new study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine says that packing the recommended amount of weekly exercise into just one or two workout sessions may lower your risk of death close to risk levels that regular exercise offers. Though WHO (the World Health …
More than one-third of adults in the United States are obese. With that number on the rise, the risk of developing obesity-related conditions like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes is on the rise, as well. Your doctor has told you to start following …
By Nicole Crane, BS, NTP
Working out is hard work! Whether you get up early, hit the gym during lunch, or pound the pavement before or after dinner, exercise takes time and dedication. That hard work also comes with significant rewards and health benefits. Just like there is a right way to exercise, there is also a right way to recover. After you are done sweating out toxins, burning fat, building muscle and strengthening bones, the body needs to refuel to heal torn muscle fibers and regenerate energy. Proteins contain amino acids, which repair and rebuild the structure and biochemistry of the body. When it comes to repairing and maintaining muscle, whey protein is the way to go.
Muscle loss is a major health obstacle for many people as they get older. Beginning at about age 30, 0.5% of our muscle mass is lost per year, and the rate of muscle loss can accelerate when you reach ages 60-70. By age 65, approximately 30% of muscle mass is gone, especially in those who are inactive.i Weak muscles and loss of lean muscle mass can make individuals more vulnerable to a number of health issues. From increased risk of falls and bone fractures, and loss of mobility to weight gain and other metabolic issues, losing muscle comes with serious consequences. With a little exercise and good intake of high-quality protein (two common missing factors in many older individuals) muscle mass can be maintained. Muscle mass can also be restored with weight baring exercise and a particular type of protein called whey.
Click here to read studies about Muscle Health!
Whey protein is a dairy protein and it ranks very high in terms of quality and digestability, which is why it is easily available. Whey is considered a “perfect” protein, which means it contains all of the essential amino acids that our bodies cannot make and must get from dietary sources.
