Health Related Fitness Tips

Too much training (June 30^th)
Low energy levels and a lack of normal vitality can be the effect of too much training and in some severe cases too much weight loss, which can lead to other illnesses due to a lowered immune system. For the majority of us it is hard to imagine that you can do too much exercise, however some people become obsessed with excessive training for performance purposes, as well as image related issues and as a result they become negatively addicted to exercise. People who have a negative addiction to exercise lose a perspective on common sense and over train to the detriment of their short and long term health.

Food that contains magnesium (June 29^th)
The essential mineral magnesium is found in foods such as cashew, almonds and Brazil nuts as well as jacket potatoes, tofu, prawns, sardines and spinach. The average body contains 25g of magnesium in its bones, heart muscle and liver and is a very important mineral as it helps to regulate blood pressure. Magnesium levels are higher in water that is sourced from ’hard water’ areas, magnesium is also effective in relaxing muscles so can ease tension pain. A deficiency in magnesium in your diet can lead to a possible reduction in pre-menstrual symptoms.

Avoid junk food (June 28^th)
We all know that eating too much processed and junk food will lead directly to increasing your body fat levels and with 20 million lost working days in the UK in 2006 due to illnesses related to obesity it suggests that it is an ever increasing health issue. Eating fresh vegetables and fruit as opposed to packaged and microwave foods will lead a healthier and happier population. The perils of ’hypo-kinetic’ diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and strokes can be offset with regular exercise (5 x 30minutes of moderate exercise per week or more) that will not only help in reducing body fat but will also improve blood lipid profile levels.

Drink more water consume less salt (June 27^th)
By eating too much processed packaged food in your diet you can put your self at risk of consuming high levels of salt. Most people are aware that too much salt can be detrimental to your health and it is best to keep your consumption to 6g of salt or less per day. It is also important to stay well hydrated throughout the day with plenty of water 6 to 8 glasses a day to reduce the affect of salt in the body. Sodium which is present in salt increases the risk of high blood pressure, strokes and heart disease, so it is preferable to season your food with natural herbs and spices rather than salt. Always read the food labels on the packaging if you are trying to reduce your salt consumption.

Mix up your diet (June 26^th)
By varying and mixing up the type of diet you consume such as coloured vegetable, exotic fruit you can help sustain your health status over time. Diversifying the type of food you eat such as fresh food on your plate at every meal time will enable you to achieve a high level of vitamins and minerals that are essential for all round health. Eating fish as opposed to meat can also help maintain high levels of health as they contain numerous minerals and vitamins. White fish can provide a fat free protein option with the mineral selenium which is an antioxidant which is important for the health of your heart. So every time you sit down to eat always include fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and water at each mealtime and you can steer your health positively towards a longer and better life because nothing is more important than your health.

Vary your training (June 25^th)
If you want an all round high fitness level it is better to mix it up and vary your training disciplines so that your body can specifically recover between sessions in a balanced way. We are all different and some people like to follow a very rigid training schedule but you are more likely to adhere to a regular training pattern if you vary the type, time and duration of your exercise program which will also enable you to challenge areas of your body in a systematic way. By cross training you can exercise different muscle groups and energy systems to achieve a wholesome and holistic result. By cycling one day, then swimming, gym-work and running you can create different levels of training intensity that uses different muscles groups which can lower specific overuse injuries.

Get moving (June 24^th)
One of the main keys to alleviating anxiety and mild depression is to literally get moving and get active as this can release natural bio-chemicals into the brain following any prolonged activity and exercise. Regular rigorous exercise can also improve your body image and self esteem by reducing your overall body fat percentage as well as reducing your risk of coronary heart disease. Small modifications in your everyday lifestyle can make a big difference to your health status, changes such as walking to work, climbing stairs instead of taking the lift, reducing your alcohol consumption and something as simple as being more positive and optimistic can help you live longer.

Outdoor running (June 23^rd)
Getting outdoors and running is not only time intensive but also economical and if you have been regularly running as part of your fitness program and have been using running machines then maybe you need to try and run in a more natural setting. Running off road is a great way to get to the next level of fitness and in particular running on hilly cross-country courses are an excellent way of challenging your various physiological systems, your heart and lungs, your upper body muscles and the big muscles in your upper legs. The variety of surroundings will often determine the type of session you are prepared to have however it is still down to your determination to take advantage of the natural setting by working hard and pushing yourself to a higher level of fitness.

Lasting energy (June 22^nd)
We all need lasting energy whether we are exercising to our limits or leading a sedentary lifestyle we still need to consume the correct foods to ensure that we maintain our energy levels throughout the day. Regularly eating slow release carbohydrates such as whole-meal bread, brown rice and pasta will ensure that the glycogen levels in our muscles are maintained and the vitamin B contained in these foods will act as a catalyst for energy release. For quick energy consume plenty of fruit because the fruit sugars contained within will not create an insulin response and so our energy levels become more stable. After exhaustive exercise bananas and fruit juice will help us take advantage of what is called the carbohydrate window, which is a time following exercise within an hour where the body will absorb more carbohydrates so quicken and aid recovery.

Sustained endurance training (June 21^st)
If you are serious about improving your endurance running performance then you should include some sustained or tempo running. Training at faster and shorter distances can also help with the efficiency of your body to perform endurance activity and running set distances for longer than 20 minutes at 85% intensity of your maximum will greatly improve your aerobic abilities. Also when you are in training for an endurance running event at some point in the future it is crucial to actually cover close to the distance a number of times during the event build up. Completing runs of over 90 minutes of duration will help ensure that your body is prepared to run after the muscle glycogen levels have depleted and then use free fatty acids as an energy source.

Run strong (June 20^th)
A sure way to become a strong endurance runner is to regularly run over as hills as part of your regular training routine. There is no better way of getting fit than running over varied terrain so donÕt avoid the hills they are there to be run and you should see them as challenges to your heart, lungs and muscles as they will found out your weaknesses mentally and physically. If you go out on a run try to see the hills as the part of the run where you push yourself and take your recovery on the downhill and on the flat sections. This is a kind of hill ÔfartlekÕ (Swedish word for speedplay), donÕt be ashamed to walk and have a rest at the top of the hill and enjoy the scenery. You can also do hill intervals where you find a hill of a set distance to run up and jog or walk down then repeat this a number of times, always make sure you are well warmed up before doing hill repetitions.

Consistent running improvement (June 19^th)
In order to improve your running ability and performance fitness you have be able to consistently train on a regular basis so staying injury free is essential for this to take place. A sure way of sustaining your fitness levels through running is to remain injury free as much as possible so it is important to regularly change your running shoes before they become worn down and leave you susceptible to possible injury. By taking time to research the type of running shoes that have sufficient support and cushioning especially if you run on hard surfaces you can avoid the frustration of being injured and inactive. Pain is an indicator of over use or incorrect bio mechanics of your foot placement, knees, tendons, hips and lower back soreness may suggest that it is time to get a new pair of running shoes.

Family fitness participation runs (June 18^th)
When considering all round health and fitness for your family it is good to consider training and preparing as a family for a charity Fun Run. Looking for a running event that is not too far in distance but far enough to create a challenge for the whole family. Planning to participate in a running event three months ahead enables everyone to start training at least a minimum of three times a week. Walking and jogging to begin with so that your body gets used to covering the distance you intend to do on race day will help keep everyone working together as a team and also individually to be prepared for the event. Making sure everyone has well fitting and sensible running shoes will assist in steering the family away from strains or injury. So go on and get looking for a local participation fun run and see how you do as a family.

Set goals (June 17^th)
To get as fit and healthy as you want to be you have to plan and set goals and the first stage of fitness goal setting is to actually set what goal you want to achieve and of course this has to initially be a realistic goal, so once the target is set at some point in the future you need to retrace your steps as to how you will achieve your goal. The first step is action to overcome the reluctance to change, so it needs one big push a step into something different from the lethargy that may have been part of your lifestyle. This means getting outside of your regular comfort zone and requires regular will power to create a positive habit and this usually takes about three weeks. After that it involves a day to day discipline to maintain the initial push, even international athletes have to motivate themselves to train daily.

Fish & chips (June 16^th)
The traditional English diet of ÔFish & ChipsÕ can actually be a very positive food option for a healthy family meal. Chips (chopped potatoes) are complex carbohydrates excellent for endurance fuel and fish is a fantastic source of vitamin D and E.F.A.s Essential Fatty Acids, by eating fish as part of your regular diet you can not only improve your bone health, reduce your heart disease risk and can also help you offset depression. Studies carried out in the USA state that participants that had a Mediterranean diet reduced their risk of heart disease and therefore prolonged their life duration.

Healthy kids (June 15^th)
We all want better for our kids a healthy and happy lifestyle and existence but sometimes modern day life seems to steer our youngsters in the opposite direction towards a sedentary and passive path. With the increase in passive home-based recreation in the form of computer based games and television viewing, children are being led away from being active and healthy. The obesity levels in young children is becoming higher and is likely to cause obesity related illnesses in later years. The example has to be set by the parents being regularly physically more active themselves and therefore to act as positive role models themselves. The fitness and health of your children should be firstly the responsibility of you as parents and not sidelined to outside agencies such as schools and the health authority.

Understand motivation (June 14^th)
Top class athletic coaches understand the main motivating factors that can bring their athletes to peak performance, so if you are also trying to get the best from you as an individual by self coaching or self motivating yourself it is important to understand some principles of motivation. There are two types of motivation M.A.F. Motive to Avoid Failure and N.S. Need to Succeed, M.A.F. is based on the fear of failing so you actually work harder due to the fear of failing to achieve. The other N.S. is a lot more positive whereby you want to succeed in a very positive and strong way. We generally tend to be a combination of the two types of motivation and understanding your own reasons to exercise can help you sustain your fitness campaign.

Pedometer challenges (June 13^th)
Pedometer challenges in the workplace, within community groups and any collective social setting can help motivate people by working daily on achieving their own individual step goals to reach a group/team total. Pedometers are small and cheap pieces of equipment that can be attached to your person that can count the number of steps you take during a walk. Some people find that the use of a pedometer is a good method to keep them motivated to walk further and more often. It is recommended that adults should work towards a target of 10,000 steps per day to improve their health status. For most people 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day is normal and over time you should look to increasing that gradually by 1,000 steps. Walking is excellent for muscle tone, maintaining weight, bone strength and to improve mental well being.

Being active (June 12^th)
By being active, being optimistic, being sensible with your nutritional options and reducing the various vices such as alcohol and smoking you can greatly enhance your overall health status as well as prolonging your life. The minimum standard for an adult to gain positive health benefits from exercise is believed to be active for 30 minutes for 5 days a week. To improve your fitness and help you lose excess body fat you should build up to at least an hour a day. You should find different ways to get active that are realistic for your lifestyle and if necessary you should change your lifestyle to invest in your health. Regular exercise will not only make you more fit but will also give you a more optimistic outlook on life which combined improves your chances of a longer more positive quality of life.

To eat healthy (June 11^th)
Having a healthy appetite can be interpreted as having the ability to eat a lot of food, so what does healthy eating mean? The standard consideration is to consume five portions of fruit and vegetables per day and try to include them in every meal if possible. Choosing lower fat meats, poultry and dairy foods as well eating two portions of fish per week, one of which should be oily fish could also be perceived as a healthy diet. By reducing your salt intake to no more than 6g per day will lead to a greater chance of a healthy outcome. For the sake of your weight and your teeth try to drink less alcohol and fizzy drinks which contain lots of empty calories.

Nicotine addiction (June 10^th)
The unfortunate addiction to nicotine is what keeps smokers on track for reducing their quality of life and the actual duration of their life too. Smoking can cause cancer and heart disease as well as seriously restricting your ability to be able to exercise especially to perform endurance based exercise. If you are a smoker and considering giving up there is a lot of assistance available to help you try. Nicotine patches and gum can help with the nicotine addiction and behavioural counselling can identify strategies to avoid situations when you had previously smoked. Avoiding the shop where you used to buy your cigarettes is a good starting point for change.

Your Heart (June 9^th)
Your heart is an incredibly efficient muscle that works for your whole lifetime supplying your body and brain with oxygenated blood. Regular exercise will not only maintain the tone and efficiency of your heart but also improve your mental well being by reducing your stress levels and stress is a major coronary heart disease risk factor. Coronary heart disease occurs when your arteries become narrowed and hardened so that less blood can get to your heart, which leaves it weak and less efficient at pumping blood around your body. It is important to increase your activity levels, with a minimum of at least 5 x 30 minutes of exercise per week which will improve your circulatory system throughout all areas of your body.

Hill/mountain walking (June 8^th)
Walking up three flights of stairs at a strong pace can give you a simple reality of how walking against gravity can challenge your major muscle groups as well as your heart and lungs. So walking up mountains and hills over rough terrain at your own pace can not only lead to a challenging level of physical exertion but also push out your endurance capacity if performed on a regular basis. Any weight bearing exercise that involves the big muscles of the upper legs will not only flush blood to the heart so therefore working the heart to a higher level but also stress the skeletal system enough to ensure that your bones remain healthy and strong. Walking in mountain areas that are a high level of altitude will increase the use of burning fats as an energy source.

How much sleep? (June 7^th)
Whether you are leading an active or sedentary lifestyle sleep is still a major factor for overall and consistent health because a lack of good quality sleep can affect your quality of life in terms of physical health and mental well being. Maintaining 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep regularly is very important and a recent North American health study has concluded that if you are deprived of sleep your calorie consumption increases by 10-15%. Daily exercise is believed to increase your chance of sleeping well however if you exercise too close to your regular sleep time it is unlikely that your metabolism will be low enough for you to sleep properly. A lack of quality sleep can also reduce your endurance capacity by more than 10%, good quality athletes learn to sleep well.

Tough training (June 6^th)
Athletes and coaches realize that in order to improve fitness and performance levels you have to train hard and be disciplined and tough on yourself. To sustain a healthy and lean body as you get older it is important to keep pushing your body's physical limits consistently over a long period of time. The type of training you do should always include a variety of cardiovascular endurance work, weight or resistance training, some flexibility stretching and any exercise that involves weight bearing, such as walking or jogging. Changing your initial mind set into what might be the minimum amount of training to maintain health could be the way forward for you, which ever way you choose you still have to stick to the principle of gradual increase over time with adequate recovery but there does still need to be level of hard work and pushing forward to get the results you want.

Resting (June 5^th)
The principle of resting and recovery is an important part of a health related fitness program and of course must involve some actual exercise and exertion because resting without physical activity from a health perspective is just inactivity and laziness. Lack of physical exercise is classed as a heart disease risk factor and it is believed to be as damaging as smoking 10 cigarettes a day, a lack of any exercise daily leads to the potential of becoming obese. The basic principle should be that you shouldn't rest unless you have done some physical work at some point during your day or if you are ill, especially if you have a sedentary job and lifestyle.

Refresh your health (June 4^th)
The detoxification process is often associated with the time after the Festive Season following a mid winter break of extreme excesses. The need to refresh your health status by reducing some of the toxins in your body can be done by cutting back dramatically on foods that are known to generate toxins in your body. By reducing your consumption of tea, fizzy drinks, coffee, alcohol and replacing them with water (8 glasses a day) or non caffeine based herbal teas that can over a period of 2 weeks reduce the toxins in your body. Also try to avoid meat and eat more fruit such as kiwi fruit, oranges and raspberries as well as plenty of vegetables such as broccoli, onions, spinach, beetroot, tomatoes and peppers. Avoiding processed foods and choosing wholegrain pasta, bread and rice options will ensure you can refresh your health status no matter what time of year it is.

Positive mixed vegetables (June 3^rd)
There is an abundance of nutritional substances in vegetables and the best way to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from this food source is to consume as much mixed types of vegetables as possible. Tomatoes contain high levels of lycopene that can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 70% by lessening the blood clotting effect. Carrots, red peppers and tomatoes contain beta carotene that has strong health benefits and by mixing coloured vegetables you can ensure that you can optimize your nutritional options. Fruit and vegetable drinks can increase the antioxidant levels in your blood which can increase your immune system levels and counter health damaging pollutants within your body.

Healthy minerals (June 2^nd)
By eating healthy foods that contain nutrients and minerals you can greatly increase your chances of living longer, health experts believe that by eating half an onion a day you can reduce your risk of heart disease by a third so therefore actually increase your overall life expectancy. Copper is an essential mineral that can be found in foods such as oysters, nuts, crab, whole grains, peas and lentils, it is also a non allergenic substance which can assist in maintaining good vision. Onions contain sulphur which is good for the digestive system and can increase the production of positive cholesterol HDL (High Density Lipoprotiens).

Exercise (June 1^st)
Regular exercise makes you look better, feel better and stimulates your blood circulation whilst toning your muscles. It will reduce your body fat and lower the cholesterol levels in your blood whilst making you more optimistic and positive in your general outlook on life. It will also reduce the size of your waistline as there is a strong connection with the excessive size of your waist and your heart disease risk. Going for a jog regularly can increase your mood levels, reduce your fat weight and will make you feel stress free and relaxed for hours after exercising. Short term exercise gets short term results so long range sustainable exercise habits will ensure that you stay healthier for most of your life and feel better about yourself every day.