Fitness

Got a Cold? Here’s a Trick to Feel Better Fast

fight-coldsShould you work out when you feel like you’re coming down with a cold? According to the research, this may in fact be a good idea.

At the very least, it is unlikely to do you any harm unless you exercise too vigorously..

In one such study, participants were infected with a cold virus and then divided into two groups: an exercise group or a non-exercise group…

 

14 Apr 2015

Can You Do This? Simple Sitting Test May Help Predict Longevity

hqdefault (15)Brazilian researchers have revealed a simple test that may help predict your longevity in the next six or so years: how well you can sit and rise from the floor.

The test is different from the long-used “chair test,” which physicians sometimes use to gauge an elderly person’s lower body strength by how well they can stand up from sitting in a chair…

 

13 Apr 2015

Too Busy to Exercise? Get Fit in 3 Minutes a Week

intense-exerciseThe most recent research shows that relatively short bursts of intense exercise—even if done only a total of a few minutes each week—can deliver many of the health and fitness benefits you get from doing hours of conventional exercise.

By doing just three minutes of High Intensity Training (HIT) a week for four weeks, you could see significant changes in important health indices.

At some research centers, participants were able to improve their insulin sensitivity an average of 24 percent with as little as three minutes of HIT per week…

 

12 Apr 2015

Exercise Could Hold Key to Successful Cancer and Mental Health Treatment

prevent-cancer (1)Mounting evidence continues to show that exercise may be a key component in successful cancer prevention and treatment. Studies have also found that it can help keep cancer from recurring, so it’s really a triple-win.

Yet not surprisingly few oncologists ever tell their patients to engage in exercise beyond their simple daily, normal activities, and many cancer patients are reluctant to exercise, or even discuss it with their oncologist. Hopefully, you will not be one of them…

 

11 Apr 2015

Exercise Protects You Against Cancers

fight-cancer-exerciseIf you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise probably isn’t at the top of your list. However, there is compelling evidence that exercise can not only help slash your risk of cancer, but can also help cancer patients get well sooner, and help prevent cancer recurrence.

Research has also shown it may help minimize the side effects of conventional cancer treatment…

 

10 Apr 2015

How Exercise Makes Your Brain Grow

exercise-brainCan exercise help boost your cognitive faculties? Researchers increasingly say the answer is a resounding yes. Recent research reveals that exercise promotes a process now known as neurogenesis, i.e. your brain’s ability to adapt and grow new brain cells, regardless of your age…

 

09 Apr 2015

6 Ways to Shrink Your Belly (And 5 Don’t Include Exercise!)

belly-fatIf you’re looking to shrink and tone your belly, there’s a better way to do it than trying to do crunches. In fact, research has shown that doing abdominal exercises alone—even when performed five days a week for six weeks—has no effect at all on subcutaneous fat stores and abdominal circumferencei.

In an op-ed piece for Forbes Magazine, Jennifer Cohen suggests using strategies that burn up cortisol instead…

 

08 Apr 2015

Are These the Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Belly Fat?

hqdefault (3)Many find that their abdominal area is particularly difficult to firm and tone and contrary to popular belief, solely doing standard sit ups is not likely to be of much help. Learning effective methods for shrinking your waistline is worth the effort however, as the benefits extend far beyond mere aesthetics.

Abdominal fat actually produces inflammatory molecules, and high inflammation levels in your body can trigger a wide range of systemic diseases linked with metabolic syndrome. This is why carrying extra weight…

 

07 Apr 2015

Burn Away Fat Cells With Intermittent Fasting

no-bfastIf you’re already off to a good start on a healthy fitness plan, and you’re looking for ways to take it to the next level, then you might want to consider a form of fasting called Scheduled Eating, or intermittent fasting.

In essence this fitness-enhancing strategy looks at the timing of meals, as well as when NOT to eat. This isn’t one of those fad plans, where you eat just one or two things for several days in a row…

 

06 Apr 2015

Lose Your Love Handles in This 10-Minute Workout

love-handlesLove handles, like most types of abdominal fat, can be quite challenging to get rid of, and for many may hold even after you’ve lost weight elsewhere in your body. But, contrary to popular belief, targeting your abs with crunches or even targeted exercises for your obliques (the muscles under your love handles) will not specifically reduce fat in your problem areas.

The key to doing this is a more comprehensive approach that involves both dietary changes and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which I’ll describe shortly…

 

05 Apr 2015