Health Related Fitness Tips

Health positives (March 31^st)
Some food substances are extremely beneficial to maintaining your overall health and wellbeing. Onions can for example increase positive high density lipoproteins by a third which will increase your resistance to illness and help offset heart disease. Consuming raw onions is extremely good for your digestive health and onions have a high sulphur content which assists with maintaining the health of the skin. Onions and garlic are believed to be beneficial in boosting your immune system especially cold viruses. Foods that contain copper can supplement your diet and can reduce age related degeneration of body tissue. Copper is believed to be non allergenic substance and many people wear copper bracelets to relieve the effects of arthritis by being absorbed through the skin.

Quit (March 30^th)
If you are a smoker and are in any doubt as to the damaging effect of smoking within your body then please reconsider the facts. Every time you smoke you introduce over 4,000 chemicals contained within the cigarette smoke into your body through your lungs. This can not only reduce your present quality of life and the actual longevity of your life but also your ability to perform exercise. It is believed by health experts that not exercising is as damaging to your health as smoking 10 cigarettes a day. So by giving up smoking and increasing your levels of exercise you can make a considerable improvement on your immediate health status, quality of life and prolong the duration of your life, why not quit?

Pain reduction (March 29^th)
Consistent and quality sleep of at least 7 to 8 hours per night can assist in reducing the effects of pain. Exercising as part of your every day schedule can boost serotonin levels, especially if performed outdoors in daylight; can reduce the ability of the body to reduce the perception of pain. Serotonin increases the flexibility of the blood vessels and can reduce pain perception in the brain. Exercise can also stimulate the biochemical release of endorphins which also act to suppress the perception of pain within the body. Diet can play a crucial part in pain management by eating foods such as bananas and nuts that contain magnesium that can stimulate muscle relaxation and reduce the tension within the body.

Self motivation (March 28^th)
Your mental wellness is dependent on maintaining a positive outlook on life and this can be achieved in a number of ways on a day to day basis. A motivational technique called 'Positive Banking' can increase your ability to maintain a positive mental outlook even through difficult times in your life. You partner up with a friend or family member and agree to contact them regularly every day or every other day. Once you have agreed this informal positive contract you then share with that person three positive things that have happened since you last spoke, the other person does the same. This positive process can overtime produce a habit of having a more positive focus within your life.

Skin health (March 27^th)
To maintain healthy skin it is important to exercise regularly because exercise increases the blood supply to all areas of the body including the skin. Keeping well hydrated by drinking plenty of water 8 glasses a day especially after vigorous exercise. Smoking can age your skin as it damages the collagen levels under the skin which prevents the effects of aging. Your skin repairs and regenerates itself during sleep so a good nights' sleep (7 to 8 hours) is important to maintaining healthy skin. Eating fish such as mackerel, salmon and tuna that contain Omega 3 fatty acids will help lubricate the skin. Exercise increases blood flow to the skin and can rejuvenate your skin. Excessive consumption of alcohol prior to going to sleep and smoking can increase the aging process of the skin.

Stress reduction exercise (March 26^th)
Regular exercise can not only keep you physically fit and healthy but can also reduce stress and pain levels. Exercise and being active can reduce pain by increasing your serotonin and endorphin levels within the body, exercise will also assist in helping you sleep which can also boost your resistance to pain. Muscle tension can often cause neck and back stiffness that may lead to further back pain and soreness. Exercise can reduce muscle tension caused by stress and general day to day life such as driving and sitting in front of a computer for work for long periods of time. Exercising in water can be very therapeutic as water not only supports the body structure and reduces the weight bearing on the joints whilst performing essential health related exercise.

Avoid back pain (March 25^th)
Back pain can often occur following after unaccustomed exercise or exertion and incorrect lifting technique. Poor posture and weak back muscles can lead to potential back pain as can weak and unexercised abdominal muscles and inflexible hamstring muscles at the back of the upper leg. Regular flexibility sessions and abdominal exercises can help offset back pain as part of your fitness training program. Always perform abdominal exercises on a soft surface with your legs bent at the knee and always avoid pulling your head with your hands when coming forward during the exercise.

Endurance recovery (March 24^th)
Following extreme running endurance challenges such as the Marathon (26 miles 385 yards/ 42 km) it is important to have enough recovery to allow your body the chance to recuperate. Immediately following the event start the hydration process in the form of carbohydrate drinks to replenish glycogen storage in the body. The following days should include active but steady recovery so weight bearing exercise such as cycling or swimming will help you relax prior to some light stretching and flexibility exercises. It is prudent to avoid running until the excessive muscle soreness/stiffness, which often occurs after running marathons; has subsided as running based injuries can occur during this time.

Running injuries (March 23^rd)
If you are running regularly as part of a health related fitness program you need to work towards avoiding running injuries so that you can consistently maintain your fitness levels. Research carried out by European health experts in 2006 concluded, that after regular 20km sessions of running the cartilage within the knee is able to adapt to constant loads related to regular distance running exercise. Studies show that regular running does not increase the risk of osteoarthritis within the knees and the benefits to other areas of the body far exceed the risks. Athletes and runners that have strong quad muscles (large muscles at the front of the upper leg above the knee) were less prone to injury due to less movement sideways within the knee. So running is good for your knees.

Life quality (March 22^nd)
Keeping fit and active to maintain your overall health, vitality and wellbeing should be everyone's aim as they get older to offset the aging process. Happiness, self esteem, love, security and excellent health are all the ingredients that contribute to a person's quality of life. By trying to offset the various physical painful aspects of growing older and the numerous degenerative deceases that can occur due to a lack of physical activity you are creating a situation where you can to some extent determine how well you are going to be in your latter years. So keeping fit, active and eating properly will not reverse the aging process but can offset the negative physical effects and enable you to enjoy more an active life despite your age.

Exercise your upper body (March 21^st)
Regular daily press ups are an excellent standard way to maintain your upper body strength and muscle tone around the shoulders, chest and upper arms. By gradually increasing the number of press ups you do daily you can over time achieve very good physical results. Using resistance equipment can also help achieve positive results, 'the pull downs' for example is an exercise that involves pulling down a weight on a pulley system. This exercise challenges the tricep muscle, at the back of the upper arm usually involved with pushing and in this case it is a pushing down motion. A muscle used in this exercise is the Latissmus Dorsi 'Lats' and other muscles used are in the chest and shoulder area, it is always prudent to engage the services of a qualified fitness instructor to ensure that you are performing the correct technique to avoid potential injury.

Fast energy fruit (March 20^th)
Everyone knows fruit is good for you and is an excellent source of health, vitality and energy with plenty of natural vitamins contained within. Avocados are great for maintaining your all round wellbeing as they contain vitamin E and monounsaturated fats that are good for the heart. Bananas contain vitamin B which is important for energy release and is the best for post exercise snack within one hour of activity to increase your recovery following exhaustive exercise. They also have a high content of vitamin A and C, bananas also contain all eight amino acids and potassium which are excellent for brain activity. Peaches contain vitamin C and fructose which is good for quick energy release it also easily absorbed within the digestive system, with vitamin C assisting with strengthening the walls of capillaries.

Glyaemic Index (GI) (March 19^th)
In order to ensure you have a healthy diet then the bulk of your food consumption should consist of low to medium glycaemic foods. High glycaemic foods release energy more swiftly but unfortunately imbalances your blood sugar levels, giving you a 'sugar high' followed by a corresponding low level of energy release. So by eating foods such as slow release carbohydrates you can ensure that your energy levels remain stable and if you regularly perform endurance exercise then you can exercise longer, more consistently maintain concentration and sustain a stable level of energy release throughout the day.

Lunch health (March 18^th)
When considering what is a complete healthy lunch you must first consider the importance of the discipline of having a proper breakfast that includes slow release carbohydrates, protein, fruit and a large drink to hydrate the body after sleep and in preparation for the day. If you are taking a working lunch make sure to consume protein (meat or yoghurt) and slow release carbohydrates in the form of whole-meal bread. The protein will make you more alert and can be classed as 'brain food' and the complex carbohydrates will maintain long-term energy and maintain muscle glycogen levels. Eating fruit will provide a quick energy option as the fructose helps avoid blood sugar level imbalances that can often cause the mid afternoon energy slump.

Bone health matters (March 17^th)
By performing weight bearing or resistance exercise daily you can maintain your bone health, strength and density as you get older. To ensure that you maintain strong bones throughout your life it is important to exercise regularly and you should consume between 1000 - 1,500 mg of calcium per day, however if you drink excessive amounts of alcohol you can restrict the absorption of calcium in the body. It is important to get plenty of fresh air and daylight whenever possible especially if you work nights or have an indoor sedentary job in the winter. It is important to consume vitamin D from fish products and vitamin C from citrus fruits for bone health. Other bone health related foods are bananas that contain vitamin A, green vegetables that vitamin B6 and carrots that contain very high levels of calcium.

Cut out (March 16^th)
Increase your daily activity levels and cut out your salt, alcohol and saturated fats so that you can get the best of yourself physically and mentally. A major cause of heart attacks can be due to a build up of fat in the arteries (atherosclerosis) that can clog up the blood supply to the heart and therefore deprive the heart of oxygen which leads to the heart muscle working inefficiently and can in some cases lead to possible death. So by reducing the amount of processed foods that can often contain high levels of sugar and salt you can greatly enhance your health status and longevity of life.

Nutritional content (March 15^th)
For food to maintain it's nutritional content it should in some cases be cooked lightly especially vegetables. Studies from Australia have found that tomatoes are effective in reducing the risk of heart disease by 70% as they can prevent blood clotting. Other health experts suggest garlic can reduce the risk of platelets sticking together which can offset the risk of the circulatory risks associated with strokes and heart disease. The nutrients contained within fresh vegetables can be lost when microwaving the food with as much as 95% of antioxidants found in broccoli being lost by this method of cooking. By boiling the food there can be a reduction of flavanoid levels so the importance of lightly cooking vegetables so that they remain slightly crispy and high in nutritional value cannot be highlighted enough.

Smoking stats (March 14^th)
An American study has revealed that by smoking just 5 cigarettes a day you can create double the risk of heart disease and breast cancer. If a person smokes 20 cigarettes a day they are 5 times more likely to increase their risk. Recent statistics show that the number of women dying of lung cancer has doubled in the last 20 years. All the numbers, statistics and warnings on cigarette packets couldn't make it any clearer than the above. By giving up smoking a person is financially better off, work out how much it costs to smoke per week then multiply that by 52 weeks its not long before you realize that you can pay for a family holiday with the money that you previously used to increase your blood pressure and your risk of lung cancer.

Health boosters (March 13^th)
Regular exercise can enhance your health and also by paying special attention to the types of food you eat can greatly boost your health. Foods that are rich in antixidants can offset the waste products of exhaustive exercise that can damage proteins, cells and DNA within the body. These waste products are called 'free radicals' and by consuming different coloured vegetables and fruit such as apples, carrots, broccoli, onions, peppers and oranges you can effectively reduce the effects of free radicals within the body. A Finnish health study that involved 60,000 participants stated that people who ate an apple a day were 12% less likely to suffer from major health risks than the ones that didn't eat apples. The fructose and roughage contained in apples can contribute to a healthy digestive system as well as raising your energy fast.

Fitness cycling (March 12^th)
From all of the endurance based types of exercise cycling is fast becoming one of the more popular forms of commuter traveling, with improvements on cycle design and employers being more geared towards alternative work travel. Cycling is a fantastic form of health related fitness exercise as it can tone and strengthen muscles in the legs, lower back and buttocks. Regular endurance cycling over varying terrain and for longer than an hour a day can greatly assist with the reduction of your body fat without the punishing jarring of jogging especially as you get older. The big thigh muscles in the upper legs work hard to pump large amounts of oxygenated blood to the lower chambers within the heart which can further challenge the heart muscle to work harder. By cycling to and from work you can not only get fit in less time but you can also save money and arrive at work alert and ready to go.

Being inactive (March 11^th)
Being inactive can be classed as a health and heart risk factor and is believed to be as harmful as smoking 10 cigarettes a day. A lack of exercise can lead to hypokinetic diseases such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis. Cardiovascular disease affects more than 2.5 million people per year in Britain and is one of the major causes of death from factors such as a lack of activity, obesity, smoking and stress. The physical benefits of regular training can after 2 weeks of inactivity start to be reduced, lower levels of maintenance training can however offset the fitness reduction. Fitness cannot be stored and has to be worked at positively by taking care of your health in terms of diet, sufficient recovery and being more active gradually over time.

Motivate health (March 10^th)
By keeping a record of your dietary and physical activity habits you can work over time towards a more ideal health related fitness routine that better suits your needs. A training diary can also help you if you need to get fit again after an illness or injury by evaluating what works for you and where your weaknesses are. To maintain a healthy lifestyle it is sometimes prudent to plan your exercise and dietary requirements in order to avoid the health pit falls that are part of everyday life. Planning your training schedules over the next month and keeping a training diary can help you balance your hard sessions and recovery phases to ensure you maintain a healthy balanced level of fitness.

Long lasting energy (March 9^th)
If you regularly perform endurance based exercise it is essential that you consume the right amount and right type of energy fuel that will assist in speeding up recovery time and also enable you to train for a longer period of time so that your body can adapt to demands you put on it. Complex carbohydrates are ideal endurance fuel and have a slower longer lasting energy release and also contain essential vitamins and minerals important for the release of energy within your body. Whole-meal bread, pasta and rice are ideal for serious endurance athletes as it contains vitamin B which is also a catalyst for efficient energy release and long lasting energy.

Essential foods (March 8^th)
Your overall health and fitness can be boosted by regularly consuming foods that contain essential vitamins and minerals such as oysters, whole grains, peas, lentils, nuts, crab, soya beans and dark chocolate which all contain copper which is a non allergenic substance that is beneficial for healthy vision. Health food experts believe that eating half an onion a day can reduce the risk to your heart by a third as well as lessening your chance of catching the common cold. Onions can also improve your skin health due to the high levels of sulphur and are also beneficial to digestive functioning. The absorption of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K is essential for the general health of your eyes, skin, heart, bones and circulation.

Keep running (March 7^th)
Sustaining consistent training if you're a preparing for a running event is essential so staying injury free is the key factor to gradually increasing your training loads to improve your fitness and performance levels. If you get injured you cannot train so you have to stick to some basic rules in order to try and avoid injuries. Always keep well hydrated before, during and after exercise in order to ensure that you maintain your blood fluid levels. Always warm up before you train, start exercising very steadily at a low intensity to begin with so that your body can increase in temperature and start working more efficiently. Always make sure you wear running shoes that will support and cushion you and therefore reduce impact of your weight when running. At the end of each run you should cool down by running slower and making sure you don't become cold then gently stretch your running muscles whilst they are still warm.

Sleep more, stay young (March 6^th)
The standard amount of hours of sleep needed to maintain health, feel younger and sustain high energy levels is 7 to 8 hours. North American health research showed that by only sleeping 4 hours a night for a week you can destabilize your body's hormone levels and restrict its ability to absorb carbohydrates. This can cause a reduction in energy levels and an increase in calorie consumption so can over a period of time lead to an increase in body fat and the risk of heart disease. Sleep deprivation can not only age you but can also reduce your ability to perform endurance based exercise, having sufficient quality sleep can also assist in maintaining your mental well being.

Frequent exercise (March 5^th)
Frequent daily exercise can help maintain healthy levels of body fat and some fitness researchers are suggesting that an effective way of reducing body fat percentage is by exercising twice a day. Exercising twice daily can boost your metabolic rate throughout the day therefore enabling you to burn more calories even when resting. Exercising in the morning can elevate your energy levels and make you more alert throughout the day. By gradually increasing the intensity of your exercise sessions overtime you will not only reduce your body fat but also improve your ability to perform higher level exercise and your body will adapt to the increased demands by further reducing even more body fat.

Everyday exercise (March 4^th)
Exercising moderately during your everyday lifestyle can lead to more incidental exercise than you may realise. By being naturally active such as walking up the stairs, gardening, doing housework or walking to the shops you can make be quite healthy and boost your immune system too. Carrying out normal everyday exercise that you need to live rather than using labour saving devices can lengthen your life and improve its quality. Moderate intensive exercise that can increase your heart rate as well as your temperature slightly and speed your breathing rate has a great overall health benefit. If you regularly exercise outdoors in daylight you will increase your levels of vitamin D which will assist in maintaining your bone density which is further enhanced by performing weight bearing exercise such as walking.

Cardio health (March 3^rd)
To maintain your cardio health you need to consider increasing your activity levels to improve the circulation to and from the heart and the condition and efficiency of the heart muscle. Being more positive, happy and optimistic in life can also greatly reduce your risk of heart disease and eating fresh vegetables as opposed to processed packaged convenience food will enhance your heart health too. One of the main causes of a heart attack is the build up of fat in the arteries (atherosclerosis) which can clog up the blood supply to the heart. If the heart is then deprived of oxygen due to the arteries being blocked then the heart muscle stops working efficiently and dies.

Absorb iron (March 2^nd)
In order for the body to absorb iron it is important to consume foods that contain folic acid and vitamin C. Folic acid is also known as folate and is part of the vitamin B group and is an extract of spinach. It can also been found in foods such as yeast extract, wholegrain cereals, green vegetables, oranges, liver, cereals, beans and some breads. Folic acid is essential for the formation of red blood cells, for muscle growth and also for healing damaged skin. Orange drinks that contain vitamin C can assist the body in absorbing iron, so drinking orange juice during a meal containing food rich in iron, such as red meat, pulses and green vegetables; can be very beneficial and also boost the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.

Painful joints (March 1^st)
As we get older we sometimes suffer from painful joints regardless of the amount of regular activity levels. Joint pain such as arthritis affects everyone to a lesser or greater degree at some point in their lives, however it can be delayed by making a few lifestyle changes such as regular weight bearing exercise or light resistance training which ensures that there is plenty of blood flow around the joints. The condition can also be alleviated by keeping the body warm again to help blood flow around the joints. A diet low in animal fats, high in fresh vegetables, fruit and oily fish will help reduce the risk of arthritis. Supplements such as Vitamin A, C, E and the mineral selenium can also help offset joint pain.