Healthy Lifestyle Guide

Archive for the ‘Fitness and Exercise’ Category

Sunday saw Bristol’s streets being pounded by runners taking part in the city’s half marathon. But how much preparation needs to be done before you tackle a 13.2 mile slog?

In theory anyone can tackle a half marathon – be you an elite runner or a novice, but it’s nice if you can get around the course comfortably, and here are some tips on how to do that.

1. Schedule your week so you have varied training days – a long run on a Sunday, some speedwork and hill work all incorporated on other days.
2. Try and get out for a run at least three days a week. You’ll need to incorporate a minimum of one or two rest days to let your body recover.
3. Gradually increase your intensity of training over a 12-week time frame. Gradually increasing your mileage – with your long Sunday run hitting a minimum of 12 miles before race day will help you sharpen up.
4. Pick a couple of hills – one sharp and steep, and one long and steady, and then run them one after the other at a consistent pace. Do this three times. Once slowly, twice at an average speed. When you find this comfortable start to add a fast pace into this training.
5. Practice your pacing. Try a couple of 10K races to gauge your average speed over this distance. You’ll want to start off a bit slower for a half marathon to get you comfortably around the distance.
6. Take on enough fluids. You can probably do a 10K without needing a drink of water or energy supplements, but for a half marathon you’ll need fuel. Practice running with the drink or gels of your choice before race day.
7. Hit the gym to balance your training. Going to the gyms Bristol has on offer can help you work on your core stability, which will help you increase your speed and endurance.
8. Taper. You need to ease off in the weeks before race day. This will give your body a chance to recover from all the hard work you’ve put in, meaning you’ll be raring to go on the day of the race.

You can visit any of the gyms Bristol has to offer on a pay as you go basis and you can find more information on how to do this by visiting www.payasugym.com

Incoming search terms for the article:

• can i run a half marathon with an aneurism

65% of the population works at a computer, and of this group 60% have problems d e posture, back pain and tension ocular, among other effects. A person who is in front of the computer 5 days a week, on a normal working day of 8 to 10 hours, performed between 12 and 30 000 movements of eyes and head and 33,000 keystrokes, which together with unsuitable furniture, like a chair and a computer uncomfortable misplaced, is harmful to health.

But a desk job does not have to be an ordeal for the physical, so, here are some simple steps to improve your posture and good health:

1. Having the proper posture for sitting in a chair that is designed for office work. The back should be straight, shoulders back, and the top of your monitor should be at eye level. If you have to look down or up, then you need to adjust the height of the screen.

2. Adjust the keyboard height so that your shoulders are relaxed, elbows are in a slightly open position, check that your wrists are slightly lower than your elbows. This will help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

3. Keep your legs bent at the knees so that your knees are slightly higher than your hips. Feet should be flat on the floor or on a stool of some sort.

4. Stand up every half hour. Walk a little, stretch your legs and give your eyes a break. This will also prevent blood clots in you legs.

5. Stretch your neck, move your head forward and backward, side to side and look right and left. Do not move your head around your neck, as this could damage the joints.

6. Move and shake your wrists regularly. This will also prevent the dreaded carpal tunnel syndrome especially if you write a lot.

7. If you tend to slouch in front of the keyboard, open your hands out wide, as if to hug someone, move your wrists forward and backward (the thumb up and down) and bring your shoulders back.

8. Contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles, keep well for a few seconds, then relax. Do this during the day while you are in your chair.

9. Take advantage of downtime that can create restarting your machine or downloading a file to do some exercises a little more ambitious. Some squats, push-ups or jumping can come in handy.

10. Do not neglect the health of your eyes, as previously recommended exercises for eye strain , so as to have a more complete routine.

Your body needs more exercise than you do on the computer, so be careful not to think that this exercise is enough. While useful, it is not a substitute for a regular exercise program.

Incoming search terms for the article:

• slouch in front of the computer

Although seemingly two opposite and contradictory activities, exercise and sleep are two tasks that go hand in hand. Other articles in Life and Health we have analyzed how physical activity can help you rest better. Now, the relationship is reversed: sleep regularly can improve your athletic performance.

Maintain an exercise routine not only helps keep you healthier but also to rest better. Is it the same when the situation is reversed? A recent survey of young players at the college level has demonstrated that the sleep improves physical performance.

To assess this, several specialists of Laboratory Medicine and Sleep Disorders Research at the University of Stanford, USA, analyzed the performance of a group of 111 basketball players. During the first two to four weeks of the study, the number of hours slept they used (6 to 9 hours each night). Then they were asked to sleep 10 hours a night for five to seven weeks. Read the rest of this entry »

Incoming search terms for the article:

• rest and sleep helps physical preformance by
• why is it important that an athlete to have enough sleep

Are you overweight and think you can not exercise? Do you think you have limitations to put your body in motion? Chances are that those are just excuses. Exercise is healthy for all people. Even you, with those extra pounds or kilos more, will help you lose weight, reduce the risk of some diseases, reduce stress and improve your quality of life in general. Find out how in this article.

You must always start doing slow, until the muscles come into heat, and that the idea is to do everything at once, but that exercise must be gradual.

You will gradually feeling the benefits of physical activity, which not only helps you burn calories and lose weight but also reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke, hypertension (high pressure) and type 2 diabetes. Similarly, physical activity improves your strength, muscles, bones and coordination, and thus increases your quality of life by providing all your daily tasks, such as climbing a flight of stairs, tying your of shoes and even sleep better. And if that still does not convince you, remember that exercise also has psychological benefits, for example, helps to raise self-esteem, improves mood and combats stress. Read the rest of this entry »

Already aware of the benefits of physical exercise, not only helps you keep fit but also to lower blood pressure, LDL “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides, strengthen bones, lose weight or maintain a healthy weight , to reduce the risk of cancer, to help fight depression and relieve stress and even, some claim that it improves sexual activity.

So why postpone our routine physical activities if they can provide so many benefits? One of the main things to consider when choosing what exercise is to think you will realize your tastes and your possibilities. First of all, think of something that you enjoy. What do you strive to do something that really bores you?, Better choose something that motivates you and you be entertaining.

Once you have decided what is your favorite activity, it is important to consider the real and concrete possibilities of realizing them. Can you love to ski but if you live several hours away from the mountain, can be difficult to perform regularly. Read the rest of this entry »

Rather than having an ideal weight or being thin, having a good physical condition seems to be the key to living longer. Many people worry about losing weight and do not a healthy way. But those who focus more on improving your fitness regardless of the numbers on the scale, manage, according to a new study, to avoid dying from conditions such as cardiac complications. Read on to find out and get in shape!

Natalia does not forget the day her trainer told her it did not matter so much to be thin, how to be strong. According to him, many girls are thin and unable to sustain the weight of her body while making a push (push ups), for example. Natalia However, despite battling a bit about losing a few pounds/kilos that she believes that she can spare, has an extraordinary resistance when she need to do a full hour of intense exercise.

According to a recent study, Natalia is more likely to live longer because of their physical fitness, someone who is skinny but not fit. The study, published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, came to this conclusion after analyzing 14,000 men who maintained or improved their fitness and whose chances of dying from any cause, especially heart disease, was much lower. This proved true even when these men did not lose weight or even gained weight compared with men whose physical condition declined over time. Read the rest of this entry »

All people, regardless of age, can benefit from an exercise program of resistance. Teens can improve their performance in other sports, while adults can delay the symptoms associated with aging. And even those already in old age, can remain independent for longer, stronger bodies, flexible and stable.

Ideally, as in the case of Maritza, would be to take advantage of specialized machines, a gym and the supervision of an expert coach, especially at first. But do not think you have to invest a fortune in membership or team. You can also do these exercises at home, with the help of free weights of different weights (you can substitute vegetable cans, bags of rice or water bottles), and bands or rubber bands that are purchased in stores where they sell the sporting goods. A book or a DVD can enlighten the basic exercises and you can make in the privacy of your own home, in front of your TV. The DVD has the advantage that comes with music and the coach encourages you to continue and not give up easily.

Feel like? Keep in mind the following: Read the rest of this entry »

Incoming search terms for the article:

• excercise with weights
• exercise pictures