Need a Mental Boost? Cardio Workouts Are Great for your Mental Health

Everyone knows that cardio workouts are great for your body: better heart health, increased metabolism, decreased risk of many diseases; the list goes on. But did you know that getting your sweat on can help sharpen your brain and make you feel better when you’re down? All the more reason to get up and get moving!

Mood

Cardio workouts have long been known to cause the release of endorphins. Endorphins help to elevate your mood. Exercise is often viewed as a natural antidepressant. This is especially important during winter months when many people are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.

SAD is a form of depression that arises due to a lack of exposure to sunlight. Exercise is one of the best ways to combat these winter woes as it helps balance many of the chemicals connected to SAD. So if you’re feeling down, work up a sweat to brighten your day.

Memory

Exercise is a fantastic way to improve and maintain memory. The British Journal of Sports Medicine published a study indicating that cardio workouts increase the size of the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning. It’s especially instrumental in the storage of long-term memory.

Focus

Cardio exercise also increases dopamine levels. Dopamine, a type of neurotransmitter, allows for communication between different parts of the brain. A study by Leeds Metropolitan University found that someone who engaged in cardiovascular exercise could finish the a set amount of work in 8 hours, but someone who did not exercise would need 9 hours 25 minutes. Next time you think about working late instead of hitting the treadmill – think again. Making time for workouts could help you be a better employee in the long run.

So if you’re looking for a way to give your brain a boost, break a sweat! When you’re ready to get moving without having to leave your home, come into a gym equipment store. We’ll help you find the perfect equipment to help get your brain boosted. We recommend a TRUE Treadmill, Cybex Arc Trainer, or the Schwinn Carbon Blue indoor cycle to start.

[Source: http://www.gymsource.com/blog/need-a-mental-boost-cardio-workouts-are-great-for-your-mental-health/]

Fitness Plan Day 25–Have fun

It’s just five more days to completing the first month of your fitness challenge. You must be super proud of yourself for going this far. They say it takes a month to see changes in yourself, and you must have already started feeling light, healthy and energetic.

Morning–Kick start the 25th day of the fitness plan with some meditation. Meditation early in the morning preps you for the day. It not only calms you but helps you get a better perspective of the day. It will help you plan your day better and tackle any obstacles efficiently.

Breakfast–For breakfast you can eat a protein rich multigrain chicken and apple sandwich. Mix a finely sliced apple with a bowl of shredded pieces of cooked chicken and a teaspoon of plain yogurt. Add salt and pepper for taste. Mix well. Spread the mixture in between two slices of multi-grain bread and your sandwich is ready.

Lunch–They say rice is unhealthy, but that’s far from the truth. Brown rice especially is healthy and is a good source of fiber. For lunch, you can eat this hara masala brown rice pulao. It is made with carrots and cauliflowers and herbs like mint and coriander. Here’s the recipe. You can pair it with any raita of your choice or eat it with plain curd.

Dinner–For a light dinner, you can simply eat two rotis with a bowl of bhindi masala. Bhindi or Okra has many health benefits and is one easiest vegetables to cook. You can also eat a bowl of plain dal with your roti and sabzi. Here’s the recipe for bhindi masala.

Snacks–Soups are one of the best things to drink when you are hungry at odd hours. They are not only low in calories but also are also filling. If you are not too gung-ho about taking efforts to make soup, here is an easy yellow pumpkin soup recipe.

Exercising need not necessarily mean working out in the gym with Gym Equipment, you can simply go for a walk or a run, and it would still be counted.

At home–Many a time people think it’s impossible to perform cardio at home if one does not have a treadmill or an elliptical. But that’s one of the biggest myths that holds people back. If you plan to exercise at home and want a good cardio workout, here are three exercises you can do at home without any types of equipment or machines.

In the gym–There are different kinds of dumbbells in the gym. You probably must have used dumbbells, cable machines, and barbells to tone your biceps and triceps, but this time, try using the EZ bar. Here’s what the EZ bar is and how to use it.

Yoga–Utkatasana, also known as the chair pose is an excellent asana to strengthen lower back muscles, the spine and shape the thighs and buttocks. Here’s how to practice Utkatasana.

Before sleeping–Sexual health is one of the most neglected aspects of health. While you might meditate or listen to relaxing music at the end of the day to relax, how about pleasuring yourself? End your day on a high note by masturbating, after all, there’s a reason masturbation has so many health benefits.

Previous day’s plan

Well, if you are motivated to start your New Year with a bang, spread the word by tagging your friends and #NewYearNewYou and @HealthSite4U. You can even mail your pictures and we’ll post in on Facebook, Instagram and share it with our TheHealthSite.com Community.

Disclaimer: If you follow a fitness plan already, consult your nutritionist before switching to this one. If you are allergic to any of the foods/ingredients mentioned, please do not consume it. Do not follow this plan without consulting your doctor if you suffer from a health condition — hypertension, hypotension, diabetes, etc. or are pregnant.

[Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/fitness-plan-day-25-have-fun-po0116/]

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

You think working out to lose weight is easier than cleaning up your eating habits!

Exercise and activity certainly help when you’re on a weight loss journey. But as the old adage goes, “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.” Exercise burns calories, but depending on the activity, intensity, and duration, it might not result in a big enough caloric deficit to melt the pounds—or it could take much longer than you want. Not to mention, beginning an exercise routine or becoming more active can inadvertently lead to more calories being consumed, because you may experience an increased appetite. If you’re not considering the choices you’re making in the kitchen, simultaneously, you could be sabotaging your efforts!

Making better meal, snack, and beverages choices can easily reduce your overall caloric consumption, which will lead to weight loss. When you combine healthy eating with increased activity, weight loss accelerates.

You think there are “good” foods and “bad” foods!

Instead of labeling foods as good or bad, try better or best. If you are intent on losing weight and keeping it off, thinking in black and white is dangerous, and can leave you craving. Basically, eliminating certain Nutrition foods all-together and being super strict with your eating all the time has the potential to backfire. Rome was not built in a day, and permanent weight loss cannot be achieved by outlawing every sweet you see for the rest of your life!

It’s important to ease into healthy eating by analyzing the food choices you make and then start considering food swaps. Really…eating healthy isn’t half bad! You just need to become more aware about nutritional facts and fiction, and find some great recipes. Eating healthy doesn’t mean denying yourself occasional pleasurable foods or food experiences because you think they are “bad.” Everything in moderation—just don’t indulge in everything all the time.

You think cardio is king!

It makes sense: Cardio workouts burn calories. You see it, right there on the screen. It’s easy to monitor and makes you feel good about your journey. But cardio alone will not help you lose weight or keep it off. It’s important to invest in increasing your lean muscle mass by adding strength training sessions to your workout program.

Every year, you lose a bit of muscle mass. And when muscle mass goes, the number of calories you burn daily will go down too. Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does whether at rest or when doing cardio. So, the more lean muscle mass you have, the more metabolic (faster burn) you become.

This doesn’t mean eliminate cardio. Your heart needs exercise and cardio is a great way to do it. Plus, it does burn calories! But, cardio alone will not speed up your weight loss progress. Combine cardio and strength training for best results.

[Source: http://blog.anytimefitness.com/cant-lose-weight/]

7 Great Pieces of Equipment to stay fit in the Home

1. Gym ball:

First up is the humble gym ball, a popular bit of equipment in many commercial and home gyms, this ball allows you to increase the intensity of many exercises such as press ups, curl ups and the plank, making it ideal for training in your home.  It is also a perfect addition to help you get the most from a yoga workout, allowing you to work on your core strength and challenge yourself when doing yoga in the home.

2. Kettlebells:

One Gym Equipment workout that has taken the nation by storm in recent years is the kettlebell workout.  A tough workout that can help you develop and define your upper body muscles, the kettle bell is a must have for anyone looking to keep fit indoors.

3. Dumbbells:

A popular piece of home workout equipment for generations.  Dumbbells allow you to work on your strength and conditioning from the comfort of any room in your home.

4. Punch bag:

While it may not be everyone's cup of tea, fitting a punch bag to your bedroom or in your garage can be a great way to enjoy an intense workout from your home.  A punch bag will allow you to enjoy a cardio workout that focuses on speed and strength.

5. All in one sit up and pull up bar:

An all in one gym bar will enable you to do pull ups, sit ups and press ups in your home, 3 core exercises that can really help you get some great results when working out indoors.  Work up a sweat by increasing the intensity at which you do these basic exercises.

6. Rowing machine:

Next up is probably the most expensive piece of equipment on our list, but if you look about, you may be able to pick up a second half machine in great working condition.  We're talking about a rowing machine.

7. Gym mat:

We've saved the best to last on our list as we look at something that everyone should have in the cupboard if looking to train at home - a gym mat.  A gym mat will provide you with a comfortable surface with which you can work out on a daily basis.

[Source: http://www.linwoodshealthfoods.com/eu/blog/article/keeping-fit-at-home-7-must-own-pieces-of-training-equipment]

HIIT GainZ Full Body Workout

Hello my dear Lovies,

I present you a new Full Body Workout! This routine is about 33 minutes long, and consists of 9 exercises which will literally work every muscle in your body. I really hope you guys fully enjoyed your Thanksgiving and ready to get back to your training!

For Loving Fit Newbies

If you are new to Loving Fit I recommend to check out ” Creating Your Workout Plan ” post. There you will be able to see how I put together my routines, and you can find something for your own fitness level. My philosophy is: Form is always more important than speed, so WATCH YOUR FORM!

Another thing that I really recommend all of my beginners to check out, is my post review called on What Is The Beta Switch. I think this plan is quite amazingly put together for someone who is just starting out and need a lot of guidance. I’m not a beginner and I found so much useful info learning from Beta Switch Program.

For Complete Beginners Workout routine I really suggest to check out my review-post about The Beta Switch. This is an amazing program for complete beginners with tips and guidance not only about working out, but also nutrition and keeping your mind on track.

Workout Explanation

In this routine I was using my timer and a sandbag ( mine is about 35-40 lbs ). This routine consists of 9 exercises and 3 rounds total.

The structure of this workout is not your usual back to back 3 rounds.

First you are going to complete all 9 exercises in the first round. Then you will take 1-2 minutes break. You will start the second round from the bottom, in reversed order, and move all the way to the top. Then, you will take another 1-2 minutes break and will start the 3rd round from the top again.

The Exercises:

Pick-up Squat

Wide 3 Pulse Squat

Side Plank Push-ups & Bag Pull

Falling Bomber

Bag Clean & Jump-Up Squat

Bag Swing

Chair Squat To Explosive Jump-up Push-up

Push-off & Jump Tuck

Slide Under Bag Load

( now reverse the order of the exercises two more times )

[Source: http://www.lovingfit.com/exercises-workouts/hiit-gainz-full-body-workout/]

Know your gym equipment: E-Z Bar

You must have seen a weird, squiggly shaped barbell in your gym which is shaped like a wide M. These barbells are known as E-Z bars and were designed to take the stress off your wrist when doing biceps curls and that’s why many experts prefer them to barbells or dumbbells when doing curls.

One of them is fitness expert and author Justin Woltering, ‘Everyone has their favourites, but I’ve found the EZ-bar curl to be highly effective for almost all of my clients. 

A normal barbell is hard on the wrists, while dumbbells allow for a bit too much cheating (using your torso instead of your wrists). Curling with both hands at once kind of ‘locks’ you into a strict position, and the grooves in the EZ bar ensure that your wrists won’t scream in pain.’

In fact, most people find that they can lift more weight when using E-Z bars than when they take dumbbells.

Exercises you can do with E-Z Bars

E-Z Bar Biceps Curl

If you want big guns, you simply can’t skip this exercise.

Stand up straight holding a barbell with a shoulder-width grip. The palms of your hands should be facing towards each other and your elbows should be close to your torso. This will be your starting position. Exhale and curl the E-Z bar upward by contracting your biceps. Be sure to keep your upper arms stationary; continue raising the E-Z bar until it reaches shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief moment. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar to the starting position.

E-Z Bar Preacher Curl

How to do

Position yourself on the preacher bench with a E-Z bar in your hands, your palm facing up. With your upper arms and chest positioned against the preacher bench pad, hold the bar at shoulder level. This will be your starting position. Inhale as you slowly lower the weight until your arm is almost fully extended. Exhale, using your biceps muscle to curl the weight back up until your arm is fully contracted at the starting position. Squeeze the biceps and hold for a brief moment at the contracted position to get the maximum benefit. Once you have completed the exercise with the left arm, do the same with the right.

E-Z Bar Lying Triceps Extension

If you want to build big arms, you got to work this Gym Equipment your triceps and one of the best ways to do so is with lying triceps extension or press. 

How to do

Lie on a flat bench holding an E-Z bar with a medium grip. Raise the barbell in front of you and above the forehead at arm’s length. This is your starting position. Inhale as you slowly lower the weight until the bar almost touches your forehead, keeping your upper arms and elbows stationary.  Then exhale as you use your triceps to return the weight to the starting position.

[Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/know-your-gym-equipment-e-z-bar/]