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Showing posts from March, 2021

Does Running on a Treadmill Help You Lose Belly Fat?

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  Running and Belly Fat Belly fat responds particularly well to running and other aerobic  exercise . In fact, professor Kerry Stewart of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine claims that cardio may help reduce visceral fat even more than diet or other types of exercise, and that runners can expect to see a decrease in waist size with regular sessions. You’ll get similar results with rowing, cycling and swimming. Losing More Belly Fat Although running is a powerful tool for fighting belly fat, you’ll get the best results with healthy eating and lifestyle choices. In 2010, researchers at Tufts University found that people who ate three or more servings of whole grains — and no more than one serving of refined grains — per day had 10 percent less visceral fat than those who ate multiple servings of refined grains. Whole options include whole-wheat bread and brown rice, while white bread and white rice are refined. High-stress levels and poor sleep habits may also increase visceral fat, so

Treadmills Compare To Other Types Of Home Fitness Equipment

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  When it comes to exercise, people like to walk or run. These are natural activities for us. They can have practical applications, such as getting from one place to another. They require less gear than many other forms of exercise (although you can spend a bundle on shoes, clothes and other accessories if you really wanted). And walking or running are great forms of exercise. They burn calories, work many muscle groups and strengthen cardiovascular components in the body. Walking is one of the best or perhaps the only feasible form of exercise for people with diseases such as osteoporosis, hypertension and chronic back pain. Walking doesn’t require a lot of technical know-how or instruction. We already know how to do it, and a few pointers about heart rate and breathing will at least get us on the road. In general, walking and running are easy and convenient ways to improve health and fitness and a Home   Treadmill   adds to this overall appeal. Ease and Convenience The number one rea

How to Run Better | 5 + 2 Exercises to Build Strength and Speed

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  As a beginner, running is all about being consistent and gaining a baseline level of  fitness . But as you progress and begin to set new, loftier goals, you may find yourself striving to run better, faster and farther. To do that you’re going to need to do more than just log miles. Here’s how you can fine-tune your training to run better and advance from a beginner to an intermediate runner. STRENGTH TRAINING While it’s true that if you want to become a better runner you’ll need to spend most of your training time running, supplementing with strength training is an easy way to get stronger, faster, and prevent many common overuse injuries. Here are a few basic body-weight and core exercises that can help boost your running performance: PLANKS – This  exercise  will strengthen your core, lower back, and shoulders. Begin by holding the plank position for 30 seconds to one minute, increasing the length of time as you gain strength. Aim for two to three sets. SQUATS – This lower body exe

5 Ways to Turn Your Treadmill Routine Into a Total-Body Workout

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  Instead of reverting to your usual run-walk routine, turn your next treadmill session into a total-body workout with one of these methods that fitness pros suggest. By combining  cardio  and strength, you’ll get a smart and efficient total-body workout that’ll leave you feeling accomplished. And you might even be a little bit excited to come back for your next treadmill workout. Keep a resistance band on hand Let your heart rate guide you Explore all the settings—yes, that includes incline Mix in some body-weight strength moves Make a sprint one exercise in your strength circuit Who says you have to be on the treadmill the entire time? You can get a great cardio and strength workout by doing dumbbell and body weight exercises off the  treadmill , and then hopping on the machine for a quick burst of cardio. “This is great for eliciting a more ‘breathless’ component to your workout,” Coleman says. First, choose three strength exercises you want to do. To make it a full-body routine, Co

Helpful Tips for Running Your First Race

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  Now that summer is mostly behind us and cooler temperatures are starting to drift in, the prime season for charity runs and walks begins. People of all abilities lace up their running/walking shoes and hit the pavement to raise money for many great charitable causes. If you’re a first-time race participant, you’re bound to have questions. Below are a few tips from a veteran runner. Carry ID Always carry identification with you even if you are participating with a friend or family member. Many walkers prefer to carry their IDs in a fanny pack that is worn around the waist, while many runners prefer to wear the ever popular Road ID bracelet or shoe tag containing their name, emergency contacts, and other essential information such as drug allergies or pre-existing medical conditions. As a last resort you may write your emergency contact information on the back of your bib or if you carry a cell phone make sure you have an ICE (In Case of Emergency) entry in your cell phone book. EMS an

Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Go Hard on Your Joints

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  High-impact movements are the enemy of healthy knees, right? Dead wrong, saysPaul Ochoa, a physical therapist in New York City. In fact, it’s what keeps them going strong. Popular opinion says that as we age, we need to give our joints a break. Box jumps and basketball are a younger man’s game. Over time, too much pounding degrades cartilage, puts excess pressure on tendons, and causes arthritis. Or we simply creak when ascending a f light of stairs. 17 Stretches Every Man Should Know But that’s just not how the body works. The way to keep your joints functioning properly is to work them out. Think about the way you build and maintain muscle. When you lift weights and increase the load over time, your muscles adapt by getting stronger. Now take jumping and all the other moves that force you to get some air. When you land, you’re placing a bigger-than-body-weight force on the bones. It puts stress—in a good way—on your limbs, helping to preserve bone density. You’re also taxing the te

How Does Exercise Help Health and Well-Being?

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  Exercise boosts many areas of wellness because of: An increase in endorphin levels :  “Endorphins are our body’s natural hormones that get released when we are doing something that requires a burst of energy — they are the things that make us perform, make us move,” says Dr. Gotlin. “Exercise tends to increase those levels.” It’s the endorphin release that contributes to the feeling of euphoria commonly known as “runner’s high.” Better heart health  : Exercise boosts cardiovascular health, which allows you to have greater endurance throughout the day. When it’s easier to do your daily activities, you’ll have energy left over and not feel so tired when work is done. Improved sleep  Exercise   also allows you to get a better night’s rest; when you get high-quality sleep, you feel more refreshed during the day. A study published in April 2015 in the Journal of Sleep Research looked at people with insomnia who engaged in a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity sp

Must-Read Beginner Workout Tips

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  Take the first step with these 10 must-read beginner training tips. Apply them to your burgeoning health and  fitness  regimen for early success! 1. Make Fitness A Habit Going to the gym once is definitely a great start, but you won’t see positive changes in your mind and body unless you make hitting the gym a habit. I know it might sound like an impossible task, especially if you feel you have a full day already, but working out 3-4 times each week for at least three weeks is absolutely essential to your budding success. 2. Control Your Lifts Beginners often learn by watching. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but if you copy somebody doing a lift improperly, it means you’re not doing it right, either. Most often, bad form comes from trying to lift too much weight too soon. When that happens, most people turn to momentum rather than muscle contraction to move the weight. 3. Do Compound Movements Beginners interested in fitness can be easily distracted by complex training technique

What Parts of Your Body Will Improve by Walking on a Treadmill?

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  Treadmills  offer a versatile way to exercise regardless of whether or not the weather chooses to cooperate with your fitness plans. Walking on a treadmill works the same muscles that walking on a track or outdoors does. The main difference is that you can easily change speed and incline.  Walking on a treadmill  can improve cardiovascular health and burn calories leading to weight loss. Main Muscle Mania In general, walking, whether on a treadmill or a track, works your lower body. This includes the quadriceps and hamstrings in your thighs, the gastrocnemius and soleus in your calves, your hip flexors and your gluteal muscles. Bringing your abdominal muscles into the mix by contracting them helps support your lower back as you walk. Walking on a treadmill allows you to set higher resistance and speed to build stronger, more defined muscles in these groups.. Bringing in Upper Body Some  treadmills  have built-in handles to help you add your upper body to your treadmill workout. Pull

5 Ways to Stay Physically Fit

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  Aerobic or  cardiovascular exercises  like brisk walking, jogging, swimming and bicycling help strengthen your heart because it keeps it pumping at a higher rate for an extended period of time. Anaerobic Exercise While aerobic exercise  involves lower intensity sustained for several minutes or even hours, anaerobic exercises are short and fast, and they help increase muscle strength. Activities that involve quick bursts of energy such as sprinting or heavy weightlifting are defined as anaerobic. Strength Training Strength or resistance training can build stamina and help replace body fat with lean muscle mass, which encourages your body to burn calories more efficiently. Strength training also helps counteract muscle loss associated with aging. Pushups, pullups, lifting free weights or working out on weight machines are all examples of resistance-training activities.  Exercises  that work the major muscle groups should be performed two or three times per week for best results. Stretc

Best Exercise to Lose Weight from the Thighs

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  1. Squats: You do not need weights to do squat and these can be done anywhere even at home. Stand straight in a position keeping your legs and shoulder width apart. Lower your buttock down to the ground until the thighs are parallel to the ground. Balance the position for five seconds before standing up. While getting up do not straighten the legs suddenly, the knees should be slightly bent. You can also do squats using an exercise ball. 2. Cardiovascular exercises: Cardiovascular  exercise  is very effective for reducing thigh fat. This workout usually includes cycling, dancing and swimming, as they tone the legs. These physical activities can help you to shed the extra pounds from the body as well as the thigh region. You can also perform cardiovascular exercises within the comforts of your home. Skip a rope around the house or climb the stairs, both target the thigh muscles. Cycling is a very effective workout for toning the thigh muscles. Cardiovascular exercises are also helpful

What To Do the Week Before Running a Race

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  As a  runner   you have probably have spent a grueling 8-16 weeks training for your race. Depending on the distance of your race, this will determine the number of weeks you needed to prepare for your event. The shorter the race the fewer number of weeks is needed to devote to your training, whereas a runner preparing to run a marathon may spend as long as 4-6 months training for his/her event. One very common concern for runners, especially those who have never raced in an event or who have yet to race a particular distance, is what to do to prepare for their race the week leading up to the pinnacle of their training. I will preface by saying, it is very common to have some nerves and doubts leading up to your big event. But as I frequently tell my runners, know that you have done all you can do to prepare for your race. Trying to cram in too many runs prior to your big day, may leave you fatigued, or worse, injured. No amount of running the week of your race will prepare you for yo

What Parts of Your Body Will Improve by Walking on a Treadmill?

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  Treadmills  offer a versatile way to exercise regardless of whether or not the weather chooses to cooperate with your fitness plans. Walking on a treadmill works the same muscles that walking on a track or outdoors does. The main difference is that you can easily change speed and incline.  Walking on a treadmill  can improve cardiovascular health and burn calories leading to weight loss. Main Muscle Mania In general, walking, whether on a treadmill or a track, works your lower body. This includes the quadriceps and hamstrings in your thighs, the gastrocnemius and soleus in your calves, your hip flexors and your gluteal muscles. Bringing your abdominal muscles into the mix by contracting them helps support your lower back as you walk. Walking on a treadmill allows you to set higher resistance and speed to build stronger, more defined muscles in these groups.. Bringing in Upper Body Some  treadmills  have built-in handles to help you add your upper body to your treadmill workout. Pull

Running Tips You Need to Know

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  Secrets to better running Hang around serious  runners  enough and you’ll pick up a few tidbits—how to pace yourself, which routes have the cleanest bathrooms, what to wear when the weather is changing more rapidly than a Twitter feed Run every day Consistency is key to a successful program. A daily run helps improve your body’s ability to burn fat, along with your biomechanics Give yourself a reason I started as a Team in Training charity runner, having lost loved ones to cancer. When I’m struggling with my training plans, I remember those who are still fighting their battles, those who have survived in part because of the money raised and those who have been taken from us. Invest in comfort Get a good sports bra or you’ll feel it with every step. Body Glide balm and socks, too. Nothing kills a run like a blister about to pop. Stay positive Finish runs feeling strong and happy, not worn-out. It’ll keep you coming back for more and help you reduce injury risk. Train smart In order to

Secrets to Take the Dread Out of the Treadmill

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  There are two kinds of people in life: those who love the treadmill and those who can’t stand it. In case it wasn’t already obvious from this blog’s title, I’m in the latter group! I will run outdoors in a foot snow, below freezing temperatures, 90-degree heat, and even torrential rain before I will run on the  treadmill .  But I do draw the line somewhere: ice. When conditions are icy (OK, also if temps hit single digits), I’m not willing to risk injuring myself by running outside. Luckily, this winter has only forced me inside (count ’em) three times, and with spring on the way, I have my fingers crossed that I won’t have to use the treadmill again until next year. Usually, I can only muster about 10 or 15 minutes on the treadmill before boredom wins and I leave the gym feeling frustrated with myself. So I had to come up with some new ways to make the most of the  treadmill .  And to my surprise: These tactics really worked. I’m not talking about listening to music or watching TV e

Exercise Options for Runners Who Can’t Run Anymore

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  For those who have never tried  running  before, a common fear is, “I won’t be able to run.”Then, as they conquer that first mile, then the second, then the 10th, the fear is the same, yet very different: “I won’t be able to run.” If you’ve been bit by the running bug, you know how addictive the sport can become. For many runners, it’s much more than just a means of burning fat and calories—it’s an opportunity to relieve stress, boost energy and get the endorphins flowing. More a way of life than a workout, running can involve competing in local races, exploring park trails and connecting with like-minded friends. And then there’s the feel-good factor that comes with knowing you’re doing something to benefit your health and longevity. Many runners report a feeling of euphoria and mental clarity as the miles peel away, but is the “runner’s high” a real thing?  Running   coach Kyle Kranz believes it is. “Once you get into a run, your body starts to release natural opioid-type chemicals

11 Race-Day Rules for Being a Super Spectator

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  When our SparkPeople team ran the Flying Pig half marathon in May, we were blown away by the energy and enthusiasm of the spectators along the course. At 6 a.m. on a rainy, windy Sunday morning, hundreds of people came out in droves—garbage bag ponchos and all—to show their support. It didn’t seem to matter that each spectator was there to see a specific friend or family member—their cheers were universal, and the cumulative effect was motivating. From the woman ringing the cowbell to the high-school cheerleading squad to the Elvis impersonator, each fan played his or her part in propelling us to the finish line. After the race, as we swapped stories about our favorite people along the course, we wondered if there might be some unwritten rules of the road—spectator etiquette, if you will. We talked to a couple of our  running  experts to get their take—and it turns out, there are some roadie rules. Below are some of our curbside takeaways. Unwritten Rule #1: Don’t make false promises