Fitness Tips: December

31. December 2007

Coffee

Drinking coffee can stimulate your ability to burn fats whilst performing endurance exercise so enable you to exercise further. Coffee contains caffeine that is a central nervous stimulant and can assist concentration levels, however too much coffee throughout the day can restrict the absorption of vitamins in your diet. Too much coffee late at night can interrupt sleep patterns and can also raise cholesterol levels that can increase your chances of a heart attack and too much coffee in some cases can be the cause of headaches.

30. December 2007

Older

As you get past your middle age and start to get older try and act younger, don’t ‘act your age’. By being more active as you get older you can offset some of the effects of the aging process. Exercise that is weight bearing will not only improve posture, tone and maintain muscle mass but also help with bone health by ensuring bone density. Eating foods such as avocados that contains vitamin E is excellent for skin tone and condition as are nuts. Keeping your mind active with crosswords and other brain challenging systems will ensure that your brain will function well into old age. Studies in North America have shown that laughing can boost blood flow and reduces stress which can greatly reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, so stay happy and stay young as long as you can.

29. December 2007

Hydration & Health

The importance of maintaining fluid levels in the body cannot be overstated. You should always try to hydrate day and night and prior to, during and more importantly following exercise. Drinking sufficient fluids will assist in easing the passage of nutrients within the digestive system. Whilst running you can lose up to 2 litres of sweat per hour and after 2 hours of exercise you can dehydrate. The key is to drink before you actually feel thirsty some foods such as fruit and fresh vegetables contain large amounts of nutritious fluids so will help with the hydration process, sleep patterns can also be disrupted due to dehydration.

28. December 2007

Too Much

It is possible to do too much exercise where it can have a detrimental effect on your health status. Lack of sleep can in some cases be a result of overtraining which can lead to chronic exhaustion and possible burn out. Symptoms of possible overtraining are excessive muscle soreness and stiffness and irritability as well as low levels of energy and reduced vigour. Sleep deprivation can further reduce the cardiovascular function by 10% and appetite can increase by 10-15% as a result of poor quality sleep. Some people who over train can be classified as negatively addicted to exercise because despite the signs of excessive tiredness and in some cases weight loss, they continue to train despite the need for rest and recovery.

27. December 2007

Good Wine

Red and rose wines are believed to be good for your general health, in moderation. The reason being is they contain higher levels of antioxidants than white wines. Drinking alcohol to excess is of course damaging to your health but moderate drinking can increase your HDL (high density lipoproteins) positive cholesterol, which can decrease blood clotting within the arteries. If you are a smoker recent research has shown that having a glass of red wine following a cigarette lessens the effect of nicotine in the body. However if you smoke 20 cigarettes a day it is not recommended that you drink 20 glasses of red wine! Better not to smoke, studies have shown that women have an increased chance of conceiving if they drink less alcohol.

26. December 2007

Magnesium

Recent studies in the UK have shown that 75% of women are not getting enough magnesium in their diets. Magnesium is a mineral and an average body contains 25g of it in the bones mainly as well as heart muscles and liver. It is important for the health of your bones and also helps regulate blood pressure. Magnesium can be found in foods such as Brazil nuts, cashew nuts and almonds also tofu, jacket potatoes, prawns, spinach, sardines and oatcakes. Magnesium can also help stabilise monthly mood swings and other pre menstrual symptoms in women. Deficiency of magnesium can lead to restless sleep patterns due to an alteration of electrical activity in the brain during sleep. Magnesium is also higher in water from (hard) water areas.

25. December 2007

Anxiety

There are lots of positive interventions that you can do to prevent or reduce anxiety. It is important to recognise what the causes of the anxiety are and try to minimise them. Sometimes anxiety and depression can be as a result of extreme tiredness which can be intensified by stress. Stress can manifest itself in many ways sometimes inability to sleep and in some cases also too much sleep. Regular exercise can reduce the effects of anxiety in particular outdoor exercise or activity so that you can be exposed to daylight for a proportion of your day especially in the winter. Professional counselling can be a positive step towards finding the original source of the anxiety and also how to resolve the issues.

24. December 2007

No health tip Christmas Day??

Eat less Christmas pudding and watch less TV! And listen to the Queen’s speech… See it doesn’t work.

23. December 2007

Anxiety

There are lots of positive interventions that you can do to prevent or reduce anxiety. It is important to recognise what the causes of the anxiety are and try to minimise them. Sometimes anxiety and depression can be as a result of extreme tiredness which can be intensified by stress. Stress can manifest itself in many ways sometimes inability to sleep and in some cases also too much sleep. Regular exercise can reduce the effects of anxiety in particular outdoor exercise or activity so that you can be exposed to daylight for a proportion of your day especially in the winter. Professional counselling can be a positive step towards finding the original source of the anxiety and also how to resolve the issues.

22. December 2007

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years to treat the underlying causes of various illnesses. Acupuncture can be used to alleviate pain and assist muscles and organs to function correctly. Very fine needles are inserted at specific points of the body to redirect what is called the energy flow within the body known as Chi. The most common ailments treated by acupuncture practitioners are  musculoskeletal strains, sprains and soft tissue injuries, sciatica, insomnia and period pain.

21. December 2007

Glucosamine

Glucosamine is a supplement which is good for joint health and is made from shrimp shells. Glucosamine was discovered in the 1960s and they found that by applying a paste made from shrimp cells that tissue wounds healed faster. Glucosamine is good for easing arthritis and research has found that it slows down the regeneration of joint tissue. A trial study carried out on 1000 participants in Portugal showed that 95% experienced less pain after taking glucosamine and also had greater mobility too. Glucosamine is also believed to be good for the health of skin and blood vessels.

20. December 2007

Knee Trouble

If you suffer from knee problems you should look towards strengthening the large quadriceps muscles in the upper leg. This can be done by sitting in a chair, extending your legs with your heels facing the floor. Keep your knees straight and tighten/contract your thigh muscles (quads). Hold in this position for approximately 10 seconds and relax recover for 3 seconds. Repeat this 10 times and try to repeat this preventative strength exercise 2-3 times per day. Recent research has shown that supplements such as fish oils (containing omega 3 & 6) assist in maintaining healthy knee joints. Make sure your shoes are supportive and not over worn and if knee pain persists seek professional medical advice.

19. December 2007

Constipation

If you suffer from constipation try to up your intake of foods containing soluble fibre, as it can alleviate constipation in a less harsh way than insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre can be found in oats, fruit and vegetables and insoluble fibre is contained in wheat based breads and cereals. It is important to drink plenty of fluids water with lemon juice in warm water and some amounts of olive oil is a good drink to consume in the morning. You should drink between 6-8 glasses of water per day. Vitamin C that is contained in citrus fruits is also believed to be a natural laxative. Being more active will also help, obviously if the problem persists please seek expert medical advice.

18. December 2007

Bad Back

Poor diet and lack of exercise leads towards an increase in obesity, which can also the increase the likelihood of back problems occurring. Back pain can seriously impact on your life and reduce your quality of life, with interrupted sleep and restricted activity. Always lift carefully by bending your knees when you lift and if the object is too heavy get some assistance. Avoid the build up of muscle tension if you have a sedentary job and move around every half an hour and go for a walk outdoors at lunchtime. Eating oily fish can help you keep healthy joints and regular exercise will help your balance, posture, muscle strength and keep your back strong. When standing avoid dropping your weight on one side, try and stand up straight equally and in the same way try not to slump sideways when you sit down for long periods of time.

17. December 2007

Piles

Unfortunately piles (haemorrhoids) are a fact of life for some people and can be extremely uncomfortable. Ways to prevent piles are to eat plenty of fibre in the form of oats, lentils, beans or lightly cooked vegetables, this will help prevent constipation. Eating berries that are high in bioflavonoids will help and they also contain antioxidants that can reduce inflammation. Never strain whilst on the toilet and try to relax and take your time. Drink between 1-3 litres of water per day as this will keep your stools soft. Try to reduce the intake of alcohol, simple sugars and caffeine drinks. Again the importance of keeping active cannot be overstated. If you take supplements vitamins and fish oils will help alleviate the problem and of course it is important to keep that specific area of your body clean to avoid inflammation and irritation.

16. December 2007

Fat Loss

If you are trying to lose body fat it is obviously important to exercise to increase your metabolic rate and burn off calories and fats during and after training. Also try to reduce the amount of processed carbohydrates in your diet, one a simple way to do this effectively is to stop eating foods that come out of packets. Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables as that will give you more energy and roughage to assist with speeding up the digestive process. One theory suggests that you should avoid eating carbohydrates and fat in the same meal, this may be impractical though. Eating a heavy meal too late at night isn’t recommended and a lot of health experts believe that you should ‘graze’ on food throughout the day, a little and often to maintain energy levels.

15. December 2007

Incidental Exercise

Incidental activity is part of normal day to day life and general activities will burn calories, in fact 10 minutes of food shopping can burn 35 calories, painting 35 calories, dancing 44 calories and weeding 65 calories. It is not difficult to see how everyday activities can lead to some health gains by you just being more active. Walking to the shops, taking the stairs rather than the lift, getting off the bus one or two stops early to walk to your destination and watching less television can have an accumulative effect on your health status. As long as the diet is sensible positive habits formed over time can add to an individual achieving a sustainable level of health without what may be classed as formal training.

14. December 2007

Citrus

It is important to reduce your risk of colds by eating citrus fruit at this time of year. Citrus fruit contains vitamin C that is essential for assisting the absorption of iron and also to boost the immune system. One orange contains 100% of the RDA (recommended daily allowance) 60 mg of vitamin C. Fructose (fruit sugar) contained in citrus fruits is an excellent quick energy source. Citrus fruits also provide natural fibre for the health of the digestive system and contain large amounts of water so can help you hydrate throughout the day.

13. December 2007

Cold Defence

At this time of year it is very difficult to avoid catching a cold, however there is a lot that you can do to reduce your risk of catching the common cold. Supplements such as Echinacea and zinc can boost your immune system. Foods rich in vitamin C will also raise your resistance. It is important to have sufficient sleep as losing 3 hours sleep can greatly reduce your immune response by as much as 50%. Eating garlic, Brazil nuts, onions, and a pot of yoghurt a day can not only ensure overall health but also boost levels of positive bacteria.

12. December 2007

Tea & Heart

Studies carried out by Boston University have shown that there is 30% reduction of heart disease risk from regularly drinking tea. They recommend that you consume 4 cups of tea a day. Changes in lifestyle can have an effective and long lasting result on improving your heart health status. It is believed that regular siestas can reduce your blood pressure and of course regular and consistent exercise reduces the risk CHD Coronary Heart Disease. Reducing your salt intake is also essential in avoiding circulatory problems long term laughing and reduced stress will also keep your heart in good condition.

11. December 2007

Plantar Fascitis

Plantar fascitis is a painful foot injury especially in the morning. This injury can restrict running, jogging and walking. The pain on the inside of the heel can be relieved by wearing inserts in your shoes to support the arch under your foot. There are different types of exercises for rehabilitation following a plantar fascitis injury. While sitting down roll a bottle under the arch of your foot. Applying ice to the specific area will help reduce the immediate discomfort and it is important to reduce the inflammation and also rest or reducing the activity that may have caused the injury, if the injury persists seek professional medical advice.

10. December 2007

Shoe Support

During walking and running it is important to have well supported shoes, as the ankles need to move to absorb the weight of an individual. If the heel tilts too far one way or the other the ankle and knee can be overstretched and over time this may cause damage and therefore pain to the joints and muscles in the legs. Shoes should have a strong heel counter that limits the chance of this occurring so that the foot doesn’t move too much inside the shoe. Training shoes should be supportive, flexible and have cushioning especially around the heel and forefoot for shock absorption on landing.

09. December 2007

Sports Drink

Hydration following, during and before exercise is very important to maintain fluid levels in the body. Maintaining fluid levels in the blood is important to keep the blood less viscous and therefore less likely to clot. A standard sports drink for hydration and topping up glycogen levels in the muscles should contain some electrolytes, carbohydrates (low density) and obviously water. It is important to consume very soon after exercise as possible to speed up recovery and prevent possible dehydration. Maintaining fluid levels is also important for efficient brain activity and effective sleep patterns.

08. December 2007

Running Forces

If you are considering training for a marathon remember it is an extreme test of human endurance and has to be approached in a gradual measured way. If you try to do too much too soon you can experience potential running based injuries. Running puts forces on your body which are 2-3 times your body weight with each step. A marathon runner who weighs 80kg will experience the equivalent of over 28 tonne in weight on their feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back. Strengthening your running muscles using resistance training can over time ensure that injuries are kept to a minimum.

07. December 2007

Acne

Acne is a problem for many adults and teenagers and is to a certain extent part of growing up. However a healthy diet can have a positive effect on the condition. Essential minerals such as zinc and magnesium can help to counter acne as can reducing the amount of junk food consumed. Foods such as nuts, oily fish, green vegetables, pulses and grains are essential for healthy skin and hormone balance. It is also important to drink plenty of water and reduce your consumption of refined sugars and processed foods which can have a negative effect on skin health. If the acne condition becomes very severe it is important to seek some medical advice from your doctor/physician.

06. December 2007

2 Types of Vitamins

There are 2 types of vitamins, the first type are fat soluble as they dissolve in fat and can be stored in the body. Fat soluble vitamins include vitamin A, D and E. So it is important to consume some fats (preferably not too many saturated fats) within your diet for effective vitamin absorption. The other type of vitamins are water soluble as they dissolve in water and cannot be stored in the body so they need to be consumed daily. Water soluble vitamins include vitamins B and C. Vitamin C can be found in a variety of fruit and vegetables, which also contains water; and is important for the absorption of iron and boosts your resistance against colds.

05. December 2007

Healthy Heart

Your heart is a precious organ of life working 24 hours a day so you have to look after it, a few lifestyle changes at any age can drastically reduce your risk of heart disease. Regular exercise will not only exercise the heart muscle and make it more efficient but also reduce your cholesterol in the blood. Any exercise that gets you slightly out of breath for 30 minutes or more for 5 days per week is good for reducing your risk. Aim to reduce your salt intake to a total no greater than 6g a day. Smoking can lead to a build up of fatty material in the blood vessels and can cause the blood to clot leading to a possible stroke or heart attack. If you experience a pain like a tight band around your chest it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.

04. December 2007

Reduce your Carbon Footprint

By leaving the car at home and walking, cycling or jogging to work you can reduce your carbon footprint, improve your health status, save money, reduce the impact of stress, be more effective at work and reduce traffic congestion. Try and encourage your employer to provide cycle racks, changing and shower facilities so that people at work can either exercise in their lunchtime or commute on foot or by bike. The benefits to employers are a healthy workforce, greater quality production and economic benefits from reduced sickness absenteeism.

03. December 2007

Cycle Safety

One of the main factors of cycle safety is that you are clearly seen by motorists, day or night time. Wearing reflective clothing and having lights fitted to your bike are important for maximum visibility. Always wear a cycle helmet whether on road or not and annually get your bike checked out by the local cycle technician for brakes etc. If you are cycling long distances on your own let people know your proposed route and possible time of return. Another extra safety precaution if on a long ride is to take a mobile phone with you in case you run into any physical or technical difficulties on route.

02. December 2007

Warm Muscles

It is important to warm the muscles prior to exercise to help prevent injury and for the muscles to work more efficiently. By lightly exercising the muscles become warmer, due to increased circulation and movement. The increase in core temperature also increases the heat of the muscles from within. Try to wear extra clothing especially if exercising outdoors, during the warm up there is also an increase in the heart rate that will flush large amounts of oxygenated blood to the working muscles.

01. December 2007

Complex Carbohydrates

If you regularly exercise for long periods of time it is important to consume slow release complex carbohydrates. Wholemeal bread, pasta and rice contain vitamin B which is essential for energy release. Complex carbohydrates get converted in the body and stored as muscle glycogen. Endurance based athletes will often consume larger amounts of carbohydrates CHO in the days leading up competition so they can load up the glycogen storage for long range energy release for endurance based activity. It is also important to consume larger amounts of fluids to help with absorption of carbohydrates.Dec 2Warm MusclesIt is important to warm the muscles prior to exercise to help prevent injury and for the muscles to work more efficiently. By lightly exercising the muscles become warmer, due to increased circulation and movement. The increase in core temperature also increases the heat of the muscles from within. Try to wear extra clothing especially if exercising outdoors, during the warm up there