A group of “professional couch potatoes,” as one researcher described them, has proven that even moderate exercise – in this case walking at one’s own pace for 40 minutes three times a week – can enhance the connectivity of important brain circuits, combat declines in brain function associated with aging and increase performance on cognitive tasks.
Current gym dogma holds that to build muscle size you need to lift heavy weights. However, a study conducted at McMaster University has shown that a similar degree of muscle building can be achieved by using lighter weights. The secret is to pump iron until you reach muscle fatigue.
I’m a very keen on going to the gym; people are often interested in asking me what I do there, but then make some negative comments too. Here are some of the gym myths I’ve encountered and my response to them:
Muscle-strengthening activities can provide numerous health benefits, particularly as you grow older. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it's at home or the gym. The activities you choose should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).
You can have toned arms whatever your age. It may be easier to have toned arms when in your twenties than when you’re in your fifties, sixties or seventies. But it can be done. It takes hard work and determination, but there are all sorts of other benefits. You will be stronger too, so carrying shopping, lifting a grandchild, moving garden rubbish all becomes easier.
A study by academics at Northumbria University has shown for the first time that trekking-poles help hikers maintain muscle function while significantly reducing soreness in the days following a hike. In the study, 37 physically active men and women were split into two groups of equal fitness and asked to hike up and down Snowdon, the highest mountain in England and Wales.
Give me 5 mins and I will give you some workout suggestions to reduce weak bones. To build strength and bone mass, both weight-bearing and resistance training exercises are ideal. Weight-bearing workouts are those that require the bones to fully support your weight against gravity.
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans provide specific recommendations about the types and amounts of physical activity you need to do each week and how hard you need to work to gain substantial health benefits. Not only can being active reduce your risk of many long-term health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, but it also can increase your chances of living longer, help you control your weight, improve the way you feel, and even help you sleep better.
You know you should start exercising. But what if, like so many people, you just hate the Gym or are short on time and motivation? Or maybe you're so far out of shape that you don't know where to start? There is hope! All you have to do is focus on exercising in a way that suits your personality, lifestyle, and fitness level. It all has to do with what you are going to stick with, and you will stick with is what you enjoy the most.
After analyzing the six most aerobically challenging activities featured in the Wii Fit—including Free Run, Island Run, Free Step, Advanced Step, Super Hula Hoop and Rhythm Boxing—the ACE study revealed underwhelming results, with the exercise intensity of most exercises proving to be milder than expected.
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