P.I.L. is dedicated to creating a community for anyone and everyone that has any interest at all in living or pursuing an active and healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this community is to provide an environment where anyone, regardless of background or knowledge on health/fitness, can share information or learn from individuals that possess the same goals and interests. Our biggest hindrance in life is self motivation, so get motivated and get into shape!
Knowledge PIL
Knowledge PIL is specifically dedicated to individuals that would like to know more about health and fitness. This is the place to post interesting articles, educational pieces, and to ask questions pertaining to things such as workouts, exercises, metabolism, or general fitness questions. Having trouble understanding which exercises work best for certain results? This is the place to ask.
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EXERCISING 30 MIN A DAY, 3 TIMES A WEEK MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE:
ReplyDeleteI recently read a few articles, one from Discovery Health and the other from the University of Maryland Medical Center, about the effects of exercise on the human body. Obviously there are a vast number of benefits from exercising but the most beneficial effect on the body that occurs is what exercise does for the heart. Dont worry, I will try to keep this short and post the most relevant information first.
If you take nothing else out of this post just remember doing aerobic exercises that increase your heart rate(jogging, swimming, biking, jump rope) just 30 MIN A DAY for at least 3 DAYS PER WEEK can decrease your risk of heart disease by 20-60% as well as lower blood pressure, triglycerides (fat), and cholesterol. Still interested...read on.
This 30 mins of exercise does not require you to exert yourself. You only have to do moderate-intensity workouts such as walking at a brisk pace or a light jog about 12 miles per week. Thats 1.7 miles per day or 4 miles per 3 days. And what benefits do you gain from this...35% lower chance of developing high blood pressure, lower LDL (bad cholesterol), and lower resting heart rate (heart works less to pump more blood). Couple this with avoidance of high fat foods and not only is your heart healthier but you will also begin to see some weight loss as well. If you are interested in reading these articles to gather more information on the subjects the link is provided below:
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_effects_of_exercise_on_heart_circulation_000029_3.htm
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTEIN:
ReplyDeleteProteins are essential to our well being. Proteins are a part of every cell, tissue, and organ in our body. You can find them in a lot of the foods that we eat or in supplements that are sold on the shelves of many stores. We all have heard of proteins but the majority of us do not know the importance that they play in our everyday lives.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. There are 22 different amino acids that bond with each other to make all sorts of different kinds of proteins. All 22 amino acids are essential to the process of building and replacing proteins that have been used by the body. The only issue is that our bodies do not produce all of needed amino acids. The 8 amino acids that our bodies dont produce are called "essential amino acids".
Without getting into the major details of this process, its important to understand that our bodies do not produce these 8 amino acids to understand what types of foods that are important in our diets. Since our bodies do not produce all 22 amino acids, we can get them through the digestion of foods that do contain these amino acids. There are foods that contain all of the amino acids that we need, these are called complete proteins, and foods that dont contain all of the essential amino acids, or incomplete proteins.
The types of foods that are considered complete proteins are meats, poultry, fish, milk, eggs, and cheese. Examples of incomplete proteins are beans, rice, some vegetables, tofu, nuts, etc. Although incomplete proteins do not have all of the essential amino acids, they can be combined with other incomplete proteins to accomplish this. By combining two incomplete proteins to make a complete protein, they become known as complementary proteins.
There are many recommended values for daily protein intakes but the truth is that it all depends on how active you are. If you are sedentary (not active) and therefore not breaking down muscle very often, you will not need as much protein as someone that is very active. Because it all depends, there are a coulple rules of thumb that exist for protein intakes based on gender and activity levels. These numbers are provided below:
Minimum daily protein intakes:
Adult Male: 56g
Adult Female: 46g
Protein intakes based on activity levels:
Sedentary or not very active: 0.4g/lb of body weight
Active; Strength training: 0.5-0.8g/lb of body weight
Active; Endurance training: 0.5-0.6g/lb of body weight
It is important to note that although protein absorption rates differ based on the individual, the rule of thumb for protein ingestion at one time is 25-30g. Since the body does not store protein, all excess protein is either stored as fat or the body gets rid of it therefore more than 30g of protein should be taken gradually over time. The best times to take protein if you are active is 0-30 min after your workout or during your workout if longer than 1 hour. Another great time to take protein is right before you go to sleep.
Sources: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html
http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/22330017/reload=0;jsessionid=pJRiceLCjVVYdmny0nTg.8
WARM UPS AND COOL DOWNS:
ReplyDeleteMost of us unknowingly negate the importance of warm ups and cool downs in conjuntion with our daily workout routines but it is extremely important to take the extra 5-10 minutes to do so and to do it correctly. Not only will warm ups and cool downs improve your performance during your workout, they also help to improve flexibility and range of motion while decreasing the risk of injury.
Why is it important to warm up?
Warming up prepares your body for the action in which are you about to partake in. It prepares your brain, which is extrememly important during workouts because your brain is what sends the signals to your muscles to tell them to move. In order to prepare your brain properly, it is important to perform movements specific to your workout or total body movements so that your brain recruits (activates) the proper muscles thus becoming more efficient during your workout.
Warming up also speeds up your cardiovascular system. This is important because blood flow increases to the muscles making them more effective and it also increases the temperature in the muscle which makes the muscle fibers more elastic and easier to move. Along with this, warming up increases oxygen intake in the body. It prepares your body to intake a higher level of oxygen during the workout to provide to the muscles for more efficient use.
Cool downs are just as important but serve a different purpose. Cool downs are meant to bring your body back down to its normal conditions, especially after high intensity workouts. Oxygen intake levels decrease back to their normal levels. Strecthing during the cool down helps to ensure muscles do not become imbalanced and decreases muscle soreness and stiffness.
How to properly warm up and cool down:
The warm up should take 5-10 minutes and should consist of multiple exercises. Ideally, the warm up will consist of exercises that are similar to the exercises that will be performed during the workout. Cardio at a light to moderate intensity (walking, jogging, elliptical, biking) is also an acceptable warm up.
STATIC STRECTCHING IS NOT A GOOD WARMUP AND SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED BEFORE WORKOUTS. Research has shown that static stretching while having cold muscles may decrease strength, power, and performance during exercise thus making it counter productive. (Static stretching involves the stretching of an isolated muscle group for a period of time, usually longer than a few seconds.) In order to properly warm up, one should perform active isolated stretches (the stretching of an isolated muscle group for 5-10 reps, holding for 1-2 seconds) or dynamic stretches (the movement of a joint through a full range of motion using force production and momentum i.e. body weight squats, lunges, lateral lunges, etc for appx 10 reps). Performing plyometrics (jumping jacks, jump rope, squat jumps, tuck jumps, etc)is also a viable alternative.
Cool downs should be performed directly following your workout. The cool down can consist of exercises performed during the workout but with light to no weight. The cool down is also the correct time to perform static stretches. Cool downs should last 5-10 minutes.
There you have it. Warm ups and cool downs only add an extra 10-20 minutes to your workout but they are crucial for preventing injuries and ensuring your body recovers correctly after workouts. Take the little bit of time and do things right. Your body will thank you for it.