Best Fitness Blog

...By Karli Taylor

If you're a weight-training enthusiast, no doubt you know the benefits to be gained from building strong muscles. But, is cardio training part of your workout, too? If it's not, you should consider adding it to your routine. When done correctly, cardio will not take away from the size you build when weight training and it helps to keep your heart and lungs functioning properly to give you the perfect formula to keep you fit and healthy. If you are not convinced that cardio is for you, keep reading for a few reasons that might change your mind.

Cardio burns fat. Adding a twenty to thirty minute cardio session on to the end of your current weight training routine every day will help increase your fat burning capability. Though cardio alone will not build bigger muscles, it will help shed the fat to show off the muscle you are burning on the weight floor.

Cardio is good for your heart . The increase in heart rate during your cardio workout will improve the condition of your heart and lungs by training your heart to pump more blood in fewer beats and your lungs to move more oxygen with less effort. Over time, this will reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Cardio is good for your mood. Aerobic training causes your brain to release endorphins which are responsible for what you may know as a “runner’s high”. Any higher intensity cardio training will bring you to this “high” and can help reduce stress and improve your overall mood.

Cardio is good for your immune system. Regular cardio training is shown to reduce the frequent and duration of both the common cold and viral illnesses.

... By Karli Taylor

Heart rate monitors are in widespread use among all levels of exercisers these days. If you don't have one you may feel that you are missing critical information to get the most from your workout. While using a monitor is not necessary for everyone, it can be a great tool for all exercisers. Even if used temporarily, it will help you learn how you feel at a given heart rate and you will become a better judge of your own limitations.

You can learn so much about your body in just a few weeks with a heart monitor that even when you're not wearing it, you'll know whether you're working too hard, not hard enough, or are exerting just the right amount of effort for a particular workout. You may be surprised that sometimes your hard workouts are too hard, and often when you think that you are barely working, you are in fact working just hard enough.

Though it's especially helpful if you're new to exercise, a heart rate monitor can be a great tool if you're just bored with your current routine and want to try something new. Playing games with your heart rate not only provides you with something to focus on during longer or harder workouts.

Next time you want to shake up your workout with a heart-rate game, try changing the speed or incline of your run or walk while using your breath to keep your heart rate within a certain range- it’s a lot harder than it sounds. You can also challenge yourself with recovery time. How long does it take you after a hard interval to get your heart rate down to where it was before you started it? Can you shorten that time by focusing on your breath?

If you are not sure where your heart rate should be during exercise, stay tuned…

... By Karli Taylor

Even though heart disease kills more women than breast, lung, and ovarian cancers combined, only 1 in 10 women see themselves at risk. Most women think that heart disease is something that they don’t have to worry about until they are retired, but studies show that heart troubles can start as early as childhood.

There is good news, however. More than 80 percent of all heart disease in women is avoidable, and the steps that you need to take to protect yourself are simple to do. In fact, taking protective measures as early as your 20s can help lower your odds of suffering from a heart problem by as much as 60 percent.

No matter how young you are, experts recommend making healthy lifestyle choices now to avoid trouble later. Things like not smoking, drinking in moderation, exercising daily, and eating a reasonably healthy diet are all simple yet imperative to your heart health. The earlier you start your healthy habits, the easier it will be to maintain a healthy heart throughout your life.

If you are not already in the habit of going for a yearly physical, start now. Make an appointment with your regular doctor for a complete physical and become aware of your personal risks.

If you have any risk factors, talk to your doctor about ways to lower them through diet, exercise, and medication if needed. Have your doctor discuss your numbers and how they compare to ideal statistics.

If you have recently had a physical and don’t know what to make of that lab print out that you filed away, look at the following. A healthy female should have a blood pressure below 120/80, cholesterol less than 200mg/dL, Triglycerides less than 150 mg/dL and a fasting blood sugar below 100 mg/dL. If your numbers are way off, call your doctor to find out why he or she hasn’t addressed it with you. Do not assume that everything is fine if your doctor failed to bring something up. Something minor should still be addressed. Take charge of your health!