Good Exercise Advice by Jane Thurnell-Read

There is lots of exercise advice out there, but much is based on personal opinion and what has worked for a particular person. here is exercise advice based on fact and research.

Exercise Bikes
A University of Texas study found that may people have the bike seat set too high or too low. The correct height is when your knee is slightly bent while your leg is extended and the ball of your foot is on the pedal.

Exercise And Protein Needs
There is no evidence that habitual exercise increases protein requirements; indeed protein metabolism may become more efficient as a result of training. (Annual Review Of Nutrition, 2000;20:457-83.)

Burning Calories As Fat
Moderate exercise will burn a higher percentage of calories as fat than higher intensity exercise, BUT, as it's a percentage of a smaller number, overall you burn more calories as fat from higher intensity exercise.

Exercise
The key with exercise is firstly to make it fun. If you don't pick an activity you like, it isn't going to work for you.

Abdominal Crunches
Don't use your neck to do most of the work. Use your spine and abdomen instead even if it means you move a lot less far. Persevere and it will become easier.

Treadmill Running
Loosen your neck and extend your head gently forward. Don't flap your feet - practice landing on the balls of your feet.

Siberian Ginseng
Siberian ginseng has been shown to improve athletic performance and is also thought to reduce the risk of post-exercise infection.

Zinc And Exercise
Zinc is lost from the body during strenuous exercise and serious zinc deficiency may lead to muscle function problems.

Exercise And Illness
Missing training when you have a cold or are unwell is often the best thing to do. A week off will lose you 2-5% of your fitness, but you'll be able to get it back easily.

Do You Exercise Enough?
The UK NHS say that 8 out of 10 people think they exercise enough, but in reality only 3 out of 10 actually do. You should be doing at least 30 minutes three times a week. A study of twins at King's College, University of London, found that those who were more active during their leisure time appeared biologically younger than their sedentary twin.

Don't Quit
"Many of the athletes against whom I competed in high school were far superior to me. But they quit." Milt Campbell, Olympic Gold Medal Winner, Dacathlon, 1956

Cycling Is Good For You
A major study of more than 10,000 people found those who cycle at least 20 miles a week are half as likely to have heart problems as those who don't cycle at all. If you do a lot of bike riding, buy some padded cycling shorts. Buy a pair specific to your gender, and don’t wear underwear under them.

Wound Infection
Muddy fields and dirty changing rooms increase the chances of infection. Pay extra special attention to hygiene if you have an open cut or abrasion.

Buying Running Shoes
Shop for running shoes in the afternoon as your feet tend to swell through the day.

A Little More Exercise
If you use the tube/subway or a bus, get off a stop early and walk to get some additional exercise.

Lacking Motivation?
"If I am lacking motivation, I can look at how many non-runners struggle with daily activity, and then, hey presto, there is my motivation." Tom O'Leary www.runningmonkeys.com

Run Faster
If you want to run faster, reduce the miles you run, and run intervals on two days a week at a faster pace, but leave at least 48 hours between these days for muscles to repair.