Reaching Weight Loss Milestones – Don’t Forget To Celebrate Your Success

If you have more than just a few pounds to lose, it’s not going to happen overnight. It took a while to put on the extra weight, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise that it will also take some time to take it back off. But that can seem a bit discouraging at times. One way to stay motivated is to set different little mini goals or weight loss milestones. Don’t forget that each time you reach a milestone you should celebrate your success and how far you’ve come on your weight loss journey.

When you set your milestones is entirely up to you. It partially depends on how much weight you have to lose. If you’re motivated by rewards, you may want to set plenty of little milestones along the way. It’s easier to make and meet smaller goals – like 1-3 lbs. The more realistic the goal the easier they are to reach, too.

Each pound lost is a success. Celebrating after every 5 pounds might be a good starting point. It’s a big enough goal that you have to really try to get there, but it won’t take you ages. You don’t want to have too much time between milestones so you don’t lose steam along the way.

I recommend you don’t use food as a reward. You don’t want to reinforce bad eating habits by using food as a reward. Instead, thing of other fun things. Get a new book, buy a new outfit, get a massage or buy some new makeup. Mani/pedi anyone? Even simple things like taking some time to just curl up on the couch with a cup of tea watching a movie can be a nice reward. Pick something that you want and that makes you work for that next weight loss milestone.

Another fun option is to make a poster similar to the ones used at fundraisers. Mark down each pound you lose and have it hanging up in your bedroom or bathroom. It will be a nice visual reminder of how well you’re doing and how much weight you’ve lost already.

Recording milestones and celebrating each one is a powerful motivator. Don’t be shy about sharing your success with others. Having your loved ones celebrate with you and cheer you on can be very helpful. Making your weight loss journey “public knowledge” also helps to hold you accountable. You’ll be even more motivated to keep going and stick with the program if you have to admit to your family that you’re giving up.

Keep going, stay motivated, set some milestones and celebrate your success.

7 Steps to Decrease the Stress in Your Life

We all experience stress at one time or another, but we might not be aware of just how much it can harm our health until something serious happens. Stress contributes to inflammation, which is associated with a number of chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

If you feel like a pressure cooker about to explode most of the time, try the following 7 steps to decrease the stress in your life

1-Meditate.

Meditation is like a mini-vacation for the mind. Sit comfortably and close your eyes. You can then focus on your breathing, or empty your mind of all conscious thought.

2-Try Yoga.

Yoga poses require concentration and therefore allow you to focus on other things besides how much you have to do each day. Sit in a quiet room alone and begin breathing exercises. You can also meditate as part of your practice.

3-Eat Right.

Ensure you eat three healthy meals a day, and skip the sugary snacks, which can trigger a sugar rush. Also try to avoid too much caffeine, which can put you on edge. Definitely avoid diet pills. They will make you jittery and can be bad for the heart.

4- Exercise regularly.

Exercise relieves tension and produces a calming effect. Walking 20 to 30 minutes a day can help you de-stress, especially if you do it at the end of the day to unwind before getting on with the rest of your evening.

5-Sleep right.

Sleep deprivation makes you struggle with the simplest tasks, which can lead to stress. Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night but no more than 9. Avoid sleeping pills as they can alter your chemistry and make you dependent and even more stressed feeling.

6-Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Most of the things you worry about are really not the end of the world. Will you even remember them a year from now? If not, just relax.

7-Talk about the problems you are experiencing.

A problem shared is often a problem halved. Spend quality time with friends or loved ones. If the issue is very serious, try talk therapy with professional. Keeping everything bottled up will only create more stress.

Life is too short, and stress can definitely reduce it further. Nothing is more important than your health in body, mind and spirit. Try one or more of these strategies and see what a difference they can make to your health.

The Benefits of a Pedometer for Your Walking Program

Walking is one of the easiest and least expensive forms of exercise there is. It can be done almost anywhere, in any weather, provided you plan ahead and put safety first.  The US Surgeon General’s recommendation is that adults should take 10,000 steps per day to maintain health and fitness.  The trouble is, how can you possibly count them?

Many people think they have to do the 10,000 steps in 1 or 2 dedicated walking sessions of a couple of miles at a time, but this is not the case at all. ALL of the steps you take each day can add up to 10,000 or more depending on how active your lifestyle is.

The best way to keep track of all your steps is with a reliable pedometer. There are different kinds, from clip-ons at your belt or on your shoe, to ones you wear around your neck or put in your pocket. They all function essentially the same, counting your steps throughout the day.

Distance is not a great guide to your goal because we all have different lengths of stride. A short person might cover only a distance of 3.5 miles, while a taller person with longer legs and therefore a bigger stride might cover 5 miles easily.

Going for your goal

All your steps can all add up to your goal of 10,000 steps.  Using a pedometer helps you keep track easily. It can also remind you to walk more. For example, a quick glance at your pedometer toward the end of your workday day show that you need more steps to meet your goal. Walk home, get off a stop earlier or later on your bus, or walk after dinner, in order to meet your goal.

Using a walking log or journal and your pedometer will help you keep track of your steps, which will keep you motivated. So too will finding a range of ways to add more steps to your day. The stairs count both going up and coming down. Striding through the supermarket or milling around the mall will also count.

The pedometer will not keep track of your speed, which you should vary from time to time, but it will help you stay motivated towards your goal and proud of all your efforts to get fitter with a structured walking program.

The Many Health Benefits of Walking

A walking program that aims for 10,000 steps a day is a great way to include exercise in your daily routine. Walking is a safe exercise that can be done almost anywhere, during any season, provided you use some common sense.

Walking has been shown to prevent many of the common medical conditions that affect people as they age. It is even though to be protective against some cancers, such as colon cancer, and lower the risk of dementia and diabetes.

Those who already have chronic conditions can also benefit from regular exercise. Walking is low impact but is a weight-bearing exercise that quickly helps build muscle and improve bone health.

Walking has been shown to prevent or improve the following health conditions:

• Heart disease
• High cholesterol
• High Blood Pressure
• Arthritis, especially rheumatoid arthritis
• Diabetes
• Stress
• Mood disorders

Studies have shown that people with cancer who walk regularly tend to have better outcomes than those who do not. Those with rheumatoid arthritis need to exercise regularly in order to minimize the damage this autoimmune disorder does as it attacks the joints.

A recent study has shown that walking appears to be protective against Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Those who suffer from Alzheimer’s usually have at least one of the conditions listed above, so the more you can do to prevent these, the more independent and mobile you can remain well into your senior years.

The most obvious benefit of walking is to tone and trim, and help you lose weight. Walking burns calories and works a range of muscle groups at the same time.

As with all forms of exercise, check with your doctor first to make sure you are well enough to walk. If you are over 40 and spend most of your time sitting at work or at home, and have not seen a doctor in the past year, start your walking program with a full checkup.

If you have any chronic health condition, warning signs and symptoms to watch out for include:

-Asthma, diabetes or heart trouble.

-Pain in your arm, neck or chest when you are active (angina) or even at rest.

-Frequent dizzy spells.

-Trouble breathing after physical activity.

-Issues with your bones or joints that make it painful to walk.

A walking program can offer many health benefits provided you put safety and common sense first.

Click here to discover “Starter Steps: Walk Your Way to Better Health” 

Walking for a Healthy Heart

Walking is one of the easiest exercises to enjoy, suitable for all ages and fitness levels. It is low-impact, which will protect bones and joint, but it is also a valuable aerobic activity that can improve your heart health.

Aerobic exercise raises you heart rate, giving your heart, the most important muscle in your body, a good work out. This will keep it pumping regularly and efficiently. Walking increases your breathing and intake of oxygen. It boost blood circulation as well, which means your heart is able to distribute more oxygen-rich blood and nutrients to your body from top to toe.

Better circulation means lower blood pressure. It also means lower cholesterol, which means fewer clogged arteries and less risk of coronary artery disease (CAD), that is, blockage of one or more arteries that supply the heart tissue with life-giving oxygen. Less risk of CAD means less risk of heart attack.

Walking burns calories, builds lean muscle, boosts metabolism, and reduces body fat. Less weight and body fat will often mean lower cholesterol and less wear and tear on your heart and body generally.

First steps

If you want to start a walking program for your heart health, your first step is to check in with your doctor. If haven’t visited the doctor in the past year, make an appointment for a complete physical. If you have seen them recently, find out what your blood pressure, cholesterol and other readings were. Note these down in a walking journal you should start to help you keep track of your goals and progress towards them.

Next, explain to your doctor that you want to start a walking program. Given the overall state of your health, ask if there are any special guidelines you should follow.

Start out slowly at first

Add a couple of hundred steps to your regular daily routine rather than trying to do 10,000 overnight.

Observe proper form in terms of posture and stride.

Chin up, chest out, and strike your heel first on the ground and allow your foot to roll up towards the ball and toes.

Don’t forget to warm up and cool down.

Stretch before and after each session. Walk at a slower pace at the start and end, and speed up in the middle.

Use a pedometer to log your steps.

It will keep you on target for your 10,000.

Protecting Your Joints When Walking

Walking can be an excellent exercise for those with arthritis if they observe some simple but essential safety precautions. The precautions will depend on which type of arthritis a person suffers from.

Osteoarthritis, or OA, is the result of normal wear and tear on the body that comes from aging and sometimes injury. The main symptoms are joint pain, and sometimes popping and cracking, a condition known as crepitus, as the ligaments and tendons stretch.  Movement can be restricted due to stiffness and pain, but the truth is that joint health is a case of ” use it or lose it” with OA.

The more you sit still, the stiffer you will get. If you do try to exercise, you will experience pain, so you will sit still, get stiffer, and so on. Walking can help keep you mobile, improve your range of motion, and reduce stiffness. It will also burn calories, which will help you to lose weight. Losing weigh will take the pressure off knees, hips and back. Experts estimate that every 1 pound lost is the equivalent of 4 pounds of pressure off your knees when you step down.

Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune disorder in which the body starts to attack itself most specifically the feet, ankles, wrists and ankles. Exercise is a must if you have RA in order to try to prevent severe damage as the RA attacks the joints.

A good pair of walking shoes with proper support and cushioning can keep your workouts pain free. Try to walk on an even surface to reduce the risk of trips and falls. Vary your intensity by walking up and down stairs as you are able.  In particular, be careful of walking downstairs, as this can put a lot of pressure on joints such as the knee if you have OA and are overweight.

Avoid carrying too much weight when you are walking, and be sure to stretch gently at the start and end of each walking session. Avoid rugged terrain that can cause you to twist your ankle or knee. Start gradually to avoid shin splints, microtears in the muscles at the front of your legs, which can make every step agony.

A walking program can help increase your flexibility, strength, and build bone and muscle to support healthier joints. So what are you waiting for? Lace up your walking shoes and walk your way to better joint health.

Exercise at middle age might results in bigger brains later on

Just in case you are behind on your exercise plans this following article may well be the wake up call you need as well.
A widely known fact is that exercise is good for your condition and will help to achieve or maintain the weight you want but now it appears it’s even more important than that.
So read on and discover how you should definitely consider getting back to exercising on a frequent basis:

Poor physical fitness in middle age might be associated with a smaller brain size later on, according to a study published in an online issue of Neurology.

Brains shrink as people age, and the atrophy is related to cognitive decline and increased risk for dementia, a researcher said, and exercise reduces that deterioration and cognitive decline.

In this study, more than 1,500 people at an average age of 40 and without dementia or heart disease took a treadmill test. Twenty years later, they took another test, along with MRI brain scans. The study found those who didn’t perform as well on the treadmill test — a sign of poor fitness — had smaller brains 20 years later.

Among those who performed lower, people who hadn’t developed heart problems and weren’t using medication for blood pressure had the equivalent of one year of accelerated brain aging. Those who had developed heart problems or were using medication had the equivalent of two years of accelerated brain aging.

Their exercise capacity was measured using the length of time participants could exercise on the treadmill before their heart rate reached a certain level. Researchers measured heart rate and blood pressure responses to an early stage on the treadmill test, which provides a good picture for a person’s fitness level, according to the study author Nicole Spartano, a postdoctoral fellow at the Boston University School of Medicine.

Physical fitness is evolving as a significant factor related to cognitive health in older age. A study published in May 2015 found that higher levels of physical fitness in middle-aged adults were associated with larger brain volumes five years later.

This study shows that for people with heart disease, fitness might be particularly important for prevention of brain aging, Spartano said.

“We found that poor physical fitness in midlife was linked to more rapid brain aging two decades later,” she said. “This message may be especially important for people with heart disease or at risk for heart disease, in which we found an even stronger relationship between fitness and brain aging.”…

Read full story here

Things To Consider Before Buying An Exercise Bike

Exercise bikes have many benefits. They’re low impact, they’re one of the cheapest home cardio machines available and recumbent exercise bikes are one of the only home cardio machines that provide lower back support. In addition to this, they take up minimal space in your home and they don’t place any pressure on your joints which makes them perfect if you suffer from arthritis or other joint problems. However, despite their many benefits, exercise bikes aren’t suitable for everyone. In this article I’m going to help you decide whether an exercise bike is the right piece of home cardio equipment for you by outlining five of the things you need to consider before making your final purchase.

1) Not As Effective As Outdoor Cycling

One of the first things you need to be aware of before purchasing an exercise bike is that no matter which make or model you go for or how much money you spend, it’s never going to be as effective as outdoor cycling when preparing for a race. There are two main reasons for this.

First, when you are cycling outside, the terrain is never smooth. Even if you don’t notice it all the time, the angle at which you cycle is constantly changing and these subtle changes challenge your body. While you can replicate this slightly by constantly changing the resistance on your exercise bike, replicating it fully is almost impossible. Secondly, when you are cycling indoors, you aren’t exposed to the outdoor elements such as wind and temperature, so it’s a slightly easier workout.

2) Low Calorie Burn

If you’re main fitness goal is to drop some serious pounds, an exercise bike may not be the right choice for you. On average, an hour of moderate cycling on an exercise bike burns through 572 calories. This is 107 calories less than an hour of moderate exercise on an elliptical trainer (which burns through 679 calories per hour), 163 calories less than an hour of moderate exercise on a stepper (which burns through 735 calories per hour) and a significant 253 calories less than an hour of moderate jogging on a treadmill (which burns through 825 calories per hour).

To put this in perspective, by jogging on a treadmill instead of an exercise bike for an hour every day, you’d lose an extra 26 pounds per year which could make a huge difference to your weight loss success. Even if you’re not a fan of treadmills, by exercising on a stepper instead of an exercise bike for an hour every day, you’d lose an additional 17 pounds per year. Alternatively, by exercising on an elliptical trainer instead of an exercise bike for an hour each day, you’d lose an extra 10.4 pounds each year.

3) Non-Weight Bearing Exercise

Another reason you may want to think twice before purchasing an exercise bike is that cycling is not a weight bearing exercise. When you run on a treadmill, your bones have to support your weight with every step you take. This stimulates an increase in bone mineral density which leads to stronger, healthier bones. When you cycle, you lose this weight bearing element and therefore also lose the bone boosting benefit.

4) Lower Body Workout Only

While cycling on an exercise bike certainly gives your legs a good workout, it neglects your upper body. Therefore, if you’re targeting full body fitness, you may want to go for an elliptical machine or rowing machine instead. Both of these home cardio machines engage your arms, back and chest while also working your legs and provide you with a well rounded, full body workout.

5) Uncomfortable

One final thing to consider before buying an exercise bike is comfort. While exercise and comfort are two things that rarely go hand in hand, sitting on an exercise bike for long periods of time can be very uncomfortable and lead to your butt becoming numb. In comparison, home cardio machines where you stand up, such as elliptical trainers, steppers or treadmills, are more comfortable and help you avoid numbness.

Summary

I hope this article has helped you decide whether an exercise bike is the right piece of home cardio equipment for you. As discussed at the beginning of this article, exercise bikes are still very effective and will improve your fitness. However, if you want something that burns a higher amount of calories or doesn’t involve you sitting down constantly, an elliptical trainer, stepper or treadmill may be a more viable option for you. Good luck with your decision and all the best with your home cardio workouts.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Rowing Machine

Rowing machines are a very effective home cardio machine that burn a large amount of calories, strengthen your core and provide you with a full body workout. However, when buying rowing machines, many people fail to look at the reasons why a rowing machine may not be the best piece of home cardio equipment for them. In this article I help you fully explore this area before parting with your cash and discuss three things you need to be bear in mind before buying a rowing machine.

1) Risk Of Lower Back Injury

One of the biggest risks when exercising with a rowing machine is injuring your lower back. The reason for this is that many people row with poor technique and as a result they place unnecessary pressure on their lower back and spine. The good news is that by learning the correct technique, you can slash your risk of lower back injury and even strengthen your lower back as you row.

If you’ve never used a rowing machine before, make sure you pay extra attention to your lower back the first few times you use one. In particular, make sure you look out for these common beginner mistakes in your own rowing technique:

Rounded Lower Back: Many beginners round their lower back as they row. However, doing this can loosen your lower back and make injury much more likely. Therefore, make sure your lower back is straight but not overarched as you row,

Over Leaning: Another mistake many beginners make is that they lean too far forward at the start of the rowing motion and lean too far back at the end. Doing this can overstretch your back and cause injury. To avoid over leaning, make sure you pull with your upper body and not your lower back. Also, focus on not leaning and keeping your back straight at the beginning and the end of the rowing motion.

Jerky Movements: One final mistake a lot of beginners make when using a rowing machine is jerky movements. Instead of pulling the cable towards them in one smooth, controlled rowing motion, they pull it too fast and jerk their lower back which very often results in a lower back injury. To avoid jerky movements, make sure you row very slowly the first few times you use the rowing machine and focus on pulling the cable towards you as you stretch out your legs in one smooth, controlled motion.

2) Risk Of Locking Your Knees

As well as injuring their lower back, many people injure their knees when they row by locking them out fully at the end of the rowing motion. The good news is that correcting this is very easy and you simply make sure you don’t fully lock your knees at any time during the motion. If you’ve never rowed before or you have and you find that you are locking your knees, slow down your rowing speed and practice ending the rowing motion before your knees lock. Learning or correcting this habit will take a bit of time but once you’ve mastered it, you won’t even have to think about it anymore and you’ll end the rowing motion naturally before your knees lock.

3) Difficult Technique To Master

One final problem many people have with rowing machines is that they find the overall technique difficult to master. Unlike an exercise bike, a treadmill or a stepper (which are all very natural motions) and the elliptical machine (which has a very simple motion), rowing machines are quite complex and require you to co-ordinate your upper and lower body in one smooth, flowing motion.

Summary

If you’re an athlete or a fitness enthusiast, then many of points covered in this article won’t be an issue for you as you’ll have mastered the proper rowing machine form. However, if you’re relatively new to exercise or have never used a rowing machine before, make sure you pay extra attention to the tips covered in this article when you buy a rowing machine, as the risk of injury is much higher than with other types of cardio machine. Mastering the proper form and technique will take time but this extra time is a worthwhile and necessary investment for preventing lower back and knee injuries.

Things To Consider Before Buying A Stepper

If you’re working out at home, steppers are an excellent choice. They’re a great way to get your heart pumping while toning and strengthening your legs plus most of them take up a lot less space than other home cardio machines. However, despite these benefits, a stepper may not be the right piece of home workout equipment for you. In this article I will be looking at the things you need to consider before making your final decision to buy a stepper.

1) Can Be Painful For People With Joint Problems

Although stepping is a low impact exercise, if you have serious ankle, hip or knee problems, it can still cause pain in the affected joints. Therefore, if you do have joint problems, try and have a go on a stepper before you make your final purchase, so you can see what it feels like. If you have a friend who owns a stepper, ask them if you can have a go on it. If you don’t, head down to your local gym for a one off session, hop on the stepper and see how it feels on your ankles, hips and knees.

If stepping does aggravate your joints, go for an elliptical machine, an exercise bike or a rowing machine instead. All three of these cardio machines fully support your joints as you exercise and don’t place any downward pressure on them as you go through the motions.

2) Difficult To Balance

One other thing to be aware of before buying a stepper is that balancing on certain models can be very difficult. Mini-steppers in particular are very testing when it comes to balance as they have no handles to hold onto and require you to balance on the unstable steps without any extra support.

If your balance isn’t great, consider going for a regular stepper instead of a mini-stepper. Regular steppers come with handles to hold onto, so if you’re not very good at balancing, they provide you with the support you need. Alternatively, if you only have enough free space for a mini-stepper, you can exercise close to a wall and hold onto the wall as you exercise until your balance improves.

3) Inefficient Workout

One of the main problems with regular steppers is that people who can’t balance tend to lean on the handles too much and place an increasing amount of bodyweight on the handles as they get tired during the workout. This results in less calories being burned and an inefficient workout because instead of taking full steps and lifting your entire bodyweight, you start to take mini-steps and the handles support most of your bodyweight.

The good news is that once you’re aware of this problem it’s very easy to fix. Instead of holding onto the handles, just rest your hands lightly on top of them. This will allow you to keep your balance without cheating and transferring your bodyweight to the handles. Then when you are stepping, focus on standing upright at all times and doing full steps, so that your legs get the best workout possible.

4) Lower Body Workout Only

A further thing you need to think about before buying a stepper is that it provides you with a lower body workout only. This is fine if your main fitness goal is to have strong, toned legs and good cardiovascular fitness. However, if you want something that incorporates your upper body too, you might prefer an elliptical trainer or a rowing machine. Both these cardio machines still give your legs a good workout but also utilize your arms, back, chest and core to give you a well rounded, full body workout.

5) Not Sports Specific

One final thing to think about before buying a stepper is that the stepping motion itself isn’t sports specific. This doesn’t mean you won’t get a good workout and your fitness won’t improve. However, if you are training for a bike race or running race, you’ll better results with an exercise bike or a treadmill, as you’ll also get to practice the technique at the same time as improving your fitness.

Summary

If you’re looking for a simple but effective piece of home cardio equipment that focuses on your legs, a stepper is a great choice. However, make sure you consider all the things in this article carefully before you make your final decision to buy. If you have joint problems, you struggle with balance or you simply want something that works your entire body, a stepper may not be the best cardio machine for you. Good luck making your final decision and I hope this article has helped.