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What Exercises Help Type 2 Diabetes?

Beat Type 2 Diabetes with Exercise

Poor food choices and inactivity are the two main reason why type 2 diabetes and obesity is on the rise. If you are overweight you should be very concerned about developing diabetes. 90% of overweight individuals are prediabetic and if not managed, most will progress to type diabetes. Prediabetes is your body attempting tell you that you need to watch out or else. Most people ignore it. Which is sad because, with the right habits, prediabetes does not have to progress to type 2 diabetes. In fact, modifying your lifestyle to include more activity can reverse the condition and help you to beat it.

Low to moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training exercise is recommended for type 2 diabetics. Exercise is one of the most effective weapons you can use to beat type2 diabetes. If you are not utilizing this weapon then you are missing out on an simple solution that can save you from the turmoil you will encounter as the disease progresses. A regular exercise routine will give you tremendous benefits in terms of using blood sugar for energy, toning and strengthening, muscles, and lowering your cholesterol. You can also lower your blood pressure when you exercise. But it has to be a habit and not something you do for a special occasion like a vacation or reunion.

Making the decision to get active, perhaps after years of sedentary living, can feel like beginning to climb a mountain when you are already exhausted. This very understandable fear of total exhaustion is perhaps one of the reasons that many people suffering from type2 diabetes resist taking those vital first steps towards a meaningful exercise regime. You may be reassured to know that the kind of exercise recommended for diabetes sufferers is not the kind that leaves you gasping for breath. High intensity workouts are the craze right now but you don’t have do those type of exercises if you don’t want to. On the contrary, a program designed specifically for you will increase strength and endurance as the days turn to weeks, you will begin to feel much more energized and even start looking forward to your workout. All you have to do is start.

Some Ideas to Help You Get Active

Start slowly. Just add about fifteen to twenty minutes of extra movement into your day, and that means every day. It can be walking the dog, visiting a colleague on a different floor of your office block (use the stairs!), housework, weeding the garden, cutting the hedge, sweeping the patio, walking to the shops and back.

If you have nerve damage, known as peripheral nephropathy, extra activity will help control the pain. Findings from a study where participants with neuropathy took a brief walk on a treadmill four times each week, concluded that this amount of exercise significantly helped to reduce the impact of nerve damage.

If you have problems with balance here are some easy exercises to help with this prior to starting an exercise routine:

• Holding onto the back of a chair, raise yourself onto the balls of your feet and hold for a count of six seconds. Repeat this three times.

• Imagine you are walking on a tight rope and place one foot in front of the other with your arms stretched out to balance. If you can do this without wobbling, try to do it walking backwards too.

• Stand on one leg by slowly raising one foot off the ground. Hold this pose for thirty seconds and then change legs. The aim is to do this without holding on to anything but make sure the back of the chair is nearby in case you over-balance.

What Sort of Footwear?

If you have diabetes, you will know the dangers of risking cuts, scrapes or blisters on your feet. Any wound on you foot can be dangerous. Therefore it is very important that you take the time to find very comfortable, breathable, well-lined shoes for exercising. A good pair of lightweight walking shoes or sneakers, wide enough not to cause rubbing or pinching and which support your foot with be worth money.

What Sort of Exercise?

High impact training, which includes circuits, spinning and kettlebell training, are all activities that are not for those suffering from type2 diabetes. There is some evidence that high-intensity training may help to reduce blood sugar more quickly, but these claims don’t take into account the risks involved to people who may already have complications. This level of activity could result in undue strain on the heart and other organs of the body. It would also be dangerous to the condition of blood vessels which, for those with diabetes, are already vulnerable.

So, the sort of exercise you need to aim for is a low to moderate impact intensity routine. There are many things that will work for you and will leave you feeling exhausted. You do not need a gym membership. Since you are just starting your body weight will be enough to get your heart rate up and sweating. The chair, steps, couch and wall can also be used as workout tools. Once you are no longer challenged by the body weight exercise then you can add weights.

A easy no brainer exercise can include walking up and down the stairs and around the block. Just ten minutes walking on around the block and another ten on the steps , if you do them regularly at least three times each week, will soon start to give you back a great deal of strength and stamina. As your fitness levels increase, you can add other pieces of equipment to your routine, such as an exercise bike and some of the resistance training devices to work your upper body, spine and abdomen.

The most important thing is not to overdo it. A work out that pushes you a little bit out of your comfort zone is all you need. Pace yourself and listen to your body. In fact, the main thing is that you enjoy your exercise, because your new routine needs to become a regular part of your life. If you don’t enjoy it or if you find it unpleasant, then the chances are you find some excuse to skip it. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to stay active, if you are serious about you health you will continue until you find an activity that you like and can stick to.

Some More Ideas

For anyone who may be overweight, getting started with an exercise routine can be an uncomfortable prospect. The best way to overcome this hurdle is to start with non-weight bearing exercise. This means you will be getting the movement in your joints and muscles, having a light cardiovascular workout but without adding your body weight to the equation. Here are some excellent forms of exercise which fall into this category:

• If you have access to a pool you should swim. Swimming is a superb way to get maximum movement to every part of your body without any of the stresses and strains that the equivalent exercise on dry land would entail. When you swim you use all the muscle groups and even give the internal organs a massage too. That feeling of suddenly becoming weightless and able to move about freely in the water is wonderful. Please don’t be concerned about appearing in your local swimming pool with a less than sylph-like figure. Put your health and fitness first and forget what anyone else might think; it couldn’t matter less. Once you are in the water you are just the same as everyone else and your weight will no longer hamper your movement or progress in any way.

• Water aerobics classes are fun and great for recovering lost muscles and gently increasing the heart rate. This form of exercise is a gentle way of building up stamina and flexibility with no risk to joints. It is particularly helpful to those whose feet may be affected by nerve pain because it provides exercise to improve the circulation without risk of shoes rubbing and causing blisters.

• Exercise bikes are a very useful way of building up stamina. Be sure to start slowly on a low setting for just five to ten minutes. Many gyms now have bikes with a built-in TV screen, so as well as monitoring your progress you can watch your favourite programmes. Build up the time you are cycling until you are doing about thirty minutes on a random setting.

• Rowing machines are excellent for strengthening the arms, shoulders and thighs. Rowing will also help get your blood pumping.

• Resistance exercises – there are various types of weighted equipment for this sort of toning. You can decide which areas you need to work on and add the appropriate machine to your routine. .

Although these exercises are non-weight bearing, they are still burning calories, so helping you lose excess weight as well as doing an incredible amount of good in terms of general strength, stamina and fitness.

Weight-Bearing Exercise:

Weight-bearing exercise will strengthen your bones, and that is great for overall fitness. Such activities as walking, climbing stairs, lifting weights, using cross trainers and treadmills, dancing and badminton. Anything that causes you to take the weight of your body on your feet is a weight-bearing exercise. Here are a few ideas:

• Cross trainer – gives a good workout and because of its sprung motion, it puts less strain on hips, knees and ankles than ordinary walking. Do not attempt to jog or run on the cross trainer. Be content to walk and as your fitness levels increase you can adjust the setting so that you are walking up a slight incline.

• Treadmill – fine for steady, consistent walking. Just set your pace and build-up from a ten minute, slow start until you’re walking more briskly for a little longer.

• Out-and-about walking – you don’t need anything other than good footwear. Walking out of doors can be simply walking around town or a shopping centre where you can window-shop as you go; it doesn’t have to be a country hike or three laps of the park.

• Dancing – an enjoyable way to get exercise. There are many different kinds of organizeddancing classes, but you can also just dance to your favourite music in the privacy of your home.

• Pilates – a method of working the muscles of the body at a deep level. It is amazingly effective in increasing core body strength without the strain of aerobic exercise.

• Yoga – a wonderful way of not only learning how to breath properly and stretch the body to attain maximum flexibility and balance. It also teaches you to find the calm in your life that everyone should have as their right. Yoga will help you so much on your journey back to good health.

How Much Exercise is Enough?

The American Diabetic Association recommends 30mins of low to moderate intense cardio activity 5 times per week. Any exercise is better than no exercise, so even if you only had twenty minutes to half an hour each day, it will certainly help. A steady walk around the block or through the park or shopping mall is not going to leave you gasping for breath, but it will certainly be an improvement and will set you on the right track for adding more exercise as your fitness levels begin to increase.

You should start with low impact workout and as the activity becomes less challenging then you can increase the intensity.which lasts for about one hour three times each week. If you do your workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it will be sufficient to make a major difference to your health. Perhaps you may even feel inclined to add a swim after you have finished your exercise routine, or even take a yoga or pilates class once a week. Whatever you decide to do, make sure you enjoy it so that it becomes a natural part of your life.

To Summarise the Advantages

Just to put the main plus points of an exercise routine for you in a concise form so that you can see at a glance exactly why you are planning to make exercise a valuable part of your life and your relief from diabetes:

• Your body will respond more effectively to insulin, ensuring lower blood glucose levels.

• Exercise will help burn calories and help you to lose excess weight.

• The risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke and heart attack are all greatly reduced by a regular exercise routine.

• Stress is eased by exercise.

• Physical activity makes you more able to get a good night’s sleep.

So in summing up, there is one very important fact you should know, exercise, along with a healthy, low sugar diet, high in vegetables, will put you on the road to improving the stability of your blood glucose levels to the stage where you may no longer need to be on diabetes medication.

How to Raise HDL Naturally and Lower Risk for Heart Disease.

5 Ways to Raise Your HDL-Cholesterol Naturally

HDL, an abbreviation for high-density lipoprotein, is often referred to as the “good cholesterol,” since higher levels are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This is in contrast to LDL, the so-called “bad cholesterol,” a different form that may play a role in causing heart disease. These terms actually refer to the lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through the body rather than the cholesterol molecule itself.

The reason we care about and measure HDL is that higher levels are associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease. One way in which HDL cholesterol may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is by removing cholesterol from the inner walls of arteries, blood vessels that carry blood. Once HDL picks up cholesterol from the arterial wall, it carries it to the liver where it can be broken down and eliminated. Plus, research suggests that HDL cholesterol may also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects that help protect against cardiovascular disease.

Therefore, HDL plays a useful function in the human body. It helps clear cholesterol from the walls of arteries and keeps them healthy. Therefore, it is desirable to have a high ratio of HDL cholesterol relative to LDL cholesterol. Your physician can check these values with a blood test to see where you stand. If you find your HDL cholesterol is low, are there ways to raise it naturally? Here’s what science shows may help.

Lose Weight

If you’re carrying extra pounds of body weight, losing the excess weight may boost your HDL-cholesterol level, but the effects are modest. On average, you can raise your HDL level by about 13 percent through weight loss alone. But losing weight has other heart health benefits as well. Body fat produces inflammatory compounds that may contribute to cardiovascular disease. Recent research suggests inflammation can damage the inner walls of arteries and increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Exercise

Exercise is a natural HDL booster. However, the greatest increase in HDL cholesterol comes from high-intensity exercise. In one study, 12 weeks of high-intensity exercise was linked with a 10 percent increase in HDL cholesterol in men. However, another group who did low-intensity exercise only experienced a boost in HDL of around 2 percent. So, taking a slow walk through the park is unlikely to boost your HDL by much, but taking part in vigorous activities on a regular basis likely will. Duration of exercise may be a factor too. One study found that the increase in HDL was proportional to how many weekly miles runners ran. The bottom line? Move more vigorously and do it more often!

Chuck the Bad Habits

If you’re a smoker, quit. Research shows smokers who kick the habit experience a modest increase in HDL cholesterol of around 6 percent. This occurs despite limited changes in LDL cholesterol. Smoking is risky to heart health for other reasons too. It constricts blood vessels and increases the workload on the heart. Smoking also raises blood pressure and has an inflammatory effect on blood vessels. Over time, smoking damages blood vessels throughout the body.

On the other hand, drinking modest quantities of alcohol, around an ounce per day, can boost HDL by up to 8 percent. However, you have to weigh the pros of drinking alcohol against potential risks. Alcohol in large quantities can cause liver damage.

Change Your Diet

An overall healthy diet of mostly whole, unprocessed foods has favorable effects on blood lipids in general. One of the most heart-healthy diets is a Mediterranean style of eating. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, and olive oil. It de-emphasizes red meat, processed foods, and sugar. One study found that a Mediterranean eating plan lowered LDL cholesterol, a positive for heart health. Although it didn’t raise HDL, it improved the function of existing HDL. The results were strongest in those who consumed more extra-virgin olive oil.

Also, some but not all studies suggest that consuming more fatty fish, like wild-caught salmon, modestly boosts HDL cholesterol or improves how it functions. Taking a fish oil supplement may have similar benefits, although the results are most compelling when people eat fish in whole food form as opposed to taking a supplement.

Based on research, the benefits are greatest in people who consume fatty fish 4 or 5 times per week. You have to weigh this against the high mercury content of some fish. Mercury can accumulate in the body and cause health problems. Know which fish are high in mercury and follow the guidelines on how often you should consume each type of fish.

Watch Your Carbohydrates

At the very least, eliminate refined carbohydrates from your diet. Some research in diabetics suggests that reducing carbohydrates to under 50 grams per day can raise HDL cholesterol. In one study in diabetics, those who consumed a low-carb diet experienced twice the rise in HDL relative to those who ate a higher carb diet. But you may experience some improvement by simply watching the quality of the carbs you eat. Consume more non-starchy fruits and vegetables and fewer processed carbs and foods with added sugar. In other words, fewer packaged foods and trips through the drive-through!

Conclusion

Lifestyle can have an impact on your level of HDL-cholesterol. Although HDL-cholesterol appears to have a protective effect against cardiovascular disease, new research shows the size of a person’s HDL particles and how well they function may be a factor too. In other words, you may have a high HDL, but if your HDL isn’t very functional, it may not protect your heart as much.

It’s also not clear whether artificially raising your HDL, as through medications, has protective benefits. Hopefully, further research will sort these issues out. In the meantime, doing these five things should lower your risk of cardiovascular disease in general. So, take advantage of these natural ways to raise HDL and lower your risk of heart disease.

References:

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2014 May;24(5):554-62. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2013.11.003. Epub 2013 Dec 2

Medical News Today. “Nine Ways to Increase Your HDL Cholesterol Levels”

Am Heart J. 2011 Jan;161(1):145-51. doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2010.09.023.

Science Daily. “Mediterranean Diet with Virgin Olive Oil May Boost ‘Good’ Cholesterol”

Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Oct;102(4):780-90. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.115.112581. Epub 2015 Jul 29.

Bear Crawls Benefits For Powerful Strength and Mobility

Lifting weights and running on the treadmill is not the only way you can get your weekly doses of strength and cardio. Is a pound just a pound? When it comes to weight training, Yes!!!. And who cares how you get your heart rate up, just get it up!! Here is how. Bear Crawls.

Doing the bear crawl is that exercise that will kill two birds with one stone. All you need is your bodyweight. Bear crawls benefits anyone who needs to workout. They can be performed anywhere, even in a small apartment or hotel room. Push your furniture out the way and lets start crawling like a bear.

What Is Bear Crawls and Why Are They A Good Workout?

Bear crawls are a pivotal part of the functional fitness program that focuses on the maximum usage of quadrupedal and ground movements to strengthen your entire body. This exercise engages almost every muscle joint of the human upper body making it the perfect compound exercise without using weights.

If you are bored with squats, sprints, curls, and presses, it’s time to move to bear crawls. If one has to define bear crawls in the simplest terms, it would be ideal to say that bear crawls are somewhat of an advanced version of a moving plank. Much like the plank, a bear crawl also engages the core muscles, but since it also involves moving, a bear crawl forces the performer to use their core more intensely to maintain balance.

Bear crawls have witnessed a sudden surge in popularity. Suddenly, almost all knowledgeable trainers and coaches have jumped on the bear crawl endorsement bandwagon. Why? Primarily because the fitness devotees are being seen making a deliberate shift towards full-body and functional exercises that prepare the body for day-to-day tasks. Doing the bear crawl is a cheap way to get a good workout.

What Muscles Are Used in a Bear Crawl?

The bear crawl is primarily a strength- and mobility-enhancing exercise and thus effectively uses almost every single muscle group in the body. Abdomen, shoulder, chest, glutes, and legs are the primary muscles used during this exercise. In fact, you are using all these muscles at the same time. It also increase joint mobility in the hips, wrists, spine, ankles and the knee.

A Step-by-Step Guide to How to Do a Bear Crawl?

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Doing a bear crawl is not complicated. But it is very challenging. The critical thing to remember is maintaining the right posture to maximize the movement pattern. However, the wrong position while doing bear crawls can easily lead to injuries.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to how to do a bear crawl. Before you attempt the bear crawl make sure you warm up your muscles and stretch for 5 -10 mins before attempting.

1. Start in a crawl position. Your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders, and your knees should be placed under your hips. You will be on all fours just like a bear.

2. Stabilize your spine and elongate your back. The key idea is to engage the abdominal muscles to their maximum capacity. Do not attempt exercise until you are body is stable.

3. While maintaining stability slowly lift your knees off the floor, stay on your toes, while still in the crawl position. Move out your right arm, left leg and starting crawling. Knees should not touch the floor. Start crawling.

4. Cover whatever your distance you can cover comfortably and rest.

5. Repeat as many times as you can

How to Make Bear Crawls More Advanced?

Once the basic move becomes easy peasy, now its time to advance to more challenging steps. Now try these advanced versions.

1. Go Faster. Or for a longer distance. Get competitive and race a friend.

2. Pull something by securing a backpack to your back or a rope attached to a heavy object. Wear a weighted vest.

3. If you think you have perfectly mastered the basic bear crawl, it’s time to move to the next step. Instead of doing a basic bear crawl, make it tougher by simply lifting one hand and the opposite leg off the ground. Be sure to maintain crawl position

4. A spiderman crawl is another variation of the standard bear crawl which can be performed by bending your chest closer to the ground while crawling.

5. Don’t have a lot of time? Bear crawls are ideal for High-Intensity Interval Training Crawl for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for about 20 mins duration no more than two times per week.

6. Add it to your circuit training. For example , Burpees, Bear Crawl, Jumping, Jacks, Squats. Rest after the first set and Repeat four times.

7. Do backward bear crawls

What Are the Benefits of Bear Crawls?

If you have been looking for reasons to include bear crawls in your routine, here are a few:

1. Bear crawls help you build total body strength. While most exercises focus on a particular group of muscles, the bear crawl is one of those few exercises that use almost all muscle groups. It forces your core to work harder, which makes it an excellent strength-building exercise.

2. As previously mentioned, bear crawls engage more than one joints. The work of these joints is pivotal to ensuring perfect stability while doing a bear crawl. Thus, this exercise also enhances muscle coordination and mobility.

3. Crawling around without the support of your knees on the floor will undoubtedly get your heart rate up. You can even go faster and turn it into a high-intensity workout.

Getting your weekly dose of exercise should not be difficult if you include bear crawls in your routine. All you need to do is get on all fours and start crawling like a bear.

Sandbag Training Benefits that Will Surprise You

If you do not want to break a nail or get callouses from the heavy metal of barbells and dumbbells, then sandbags might be just what you need to add to your resistance training routine. To fight diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends resistance training at a minimum of 2 times per week. All you need is to set aside 30 mins a day for two days. You can split the 30 mins into 2 15 mins sessions and use sandbags to make it more tolerable and fun.

Sandbags have been around for donkey years by those desiring to push the limits of their strength and toughness. Experts now believe that training with unstable loads like sandbags can improve strength in innumerable functional ways.

An unstable load is anything that shifts during training or weight lifting. You have probably heard that you have to maintain stability when training and weight lifting. New research from a University in Norway has busted that myth. Instability during exercise helps to stimulate muscle movement and growth in unique ways. However, always stay safe.

With stable training, for instance, dumbbells and kettlebells, the only growth you will be from the heaviness of the weight. That could be the reason why it takes so long to see significant results when you start going to the gym. A little movement of the muscles due to the instability of the weights can shift the scales of balance in your favor.

Unstablize Your Routine With Sandbags

Sandbag training will jolt your body into change. It has the potential to burst past the plateau stage in your muscle gain endeavors. The stagnation happens when your muscles do the same movements over and over again. It is your body’s way of saying ” I am bored now . What’s next”. Listen to your body and change it up. You have to change up your routine to keep progressing.

Admittedly, it can be hard to find a sandbag in a commercial gym. You could buy or make your own, or visit a boxing club. Training sandbags usually resemble a duffle bag. At first sight, they might not appear to be a challenging training tool, but in the real sense, they are instrumental at both fat blasting and muscle gain.

The sand in the bag is continuously shifting during training. When you lift the sandbags, all your muscles including those of the legs, core, and back are engaged in trying to stabilize the bag. You will get shredded in the shortest time.

Some sandbag designs feature handles for gripping. These will enable you to lift the bags in a different range of ways. By experimenting with the various forms of lifting the sandbag, your muscles get engaged in explosive ways.

Features of Sandbags

The bags are designed to help fitness aficionados to jack up their strength, raw power and build endurance. The sandbags come with everything you will need for the unstable rough training. Sand is the only thing you will need. You can make your own or buy one, either way when not in use, you can slide it under bed.

Tough Outer Shell

Training sandbags are made for rough handling and merciless drills. The material is tough, and you will often notice belted reinforcements all around. The bags may feature triple stitched, heavy-duty and cross stitched fabrics. The zipper also has to be incredibly strong to keep the sand on the pack during the training.

Easy Access Handles

These are natural inclusions to improve their ease of use. The grips allow you to exert your maximum force, stability, and power without faltering during training. There could be six; more or fewer handles to provide comfortable and firm grip options.

Removable Inner Bags

As mentioned earlier, training sandbags often feature smaller inner sandbags. These are removable, and they are the ones that you fill up with sand. This feature will enable you to adjust the weight and regulate the workout intensity to match your stamina.

Benefits of Sandbag Training

The core idea behind sandbag training is motion functionality. Regular weight lifting is a slow process of building muscle because if the minimal muscle movements. Sandbag workouts mimic daily body motions such as moving a bag of grocery, lifting a bag laundry, or lifting a child to your shoulders. Countless workouts are possible.

Both beginners and experienced sandbag trainers can appreciate the different exercises and intensity levels enabled by sandbags. You can manage a wide range of workouts including lunges, deadlifts, squats, presses, and throws. The adjustable weighted bags will allow you to push your limits regardless of your fitness levels. Unlike dumbbells and barbells, you can easily add or remove resistance by adding or removing weights. Let me explain. Most bag have individual weight sacs that can be removed. For instance, there can be 5 10lb sacs. You can add and remove the sacs to desired weight.

Sandbags can be added to some of the exercises you are already doing. You do not need to learn anything new. But there are also sandbag specific exercises that you can add to your routine.

Below are five examples of sandbag workouts you can try.

Bear Hug Squats

All it entails is hugging the length of the sandbag on your chest and proceeding with squats. The exercise strengthens your back, legs and core muscles.

Sandbag Push-Ups

This is a type of raised push-ups that maximum pressure on your abs, core, and chest. Ensure to maintain a flat and neutral back as you lower and increase in the push-up position.

Sandbag Thrust

Sandbag thruster is an advanced form of sandbag squats. In this case, when you lower yourself in the squat position with the sandbags in arms, straighten back up fast and thrust the lift bag upwards over your head. Hold for about three seconds before reversing to the squat position. This workout is good for the glutes and shoulders.

Sandbag Row

Some bags have handle therefore you can do rows. The sandbag row workout entails maintaining a neutral spine as you pull the sandbag towards you in a bent position, hinging at the hips. It builds your back and core strength.

Sandbag Shouldering

This movement relies on your hips to lunge the sandbag over your shoulder. In that motion, do not round your back or use force in your arms. Bend at the knees, hinge at the hips and grab the sandbag then drive it over your shoulders. Drop it back down and repeat on the other shoulder.

Builds Dynamic Resistance

Unlike when working with weights these simple exercises are very challenging. You will be battling with balance and the shifting movement of the sand in the bag. Such dynamic strength can come in handy for anyone.

Brutally Builds Your Core

Sandbags movements are merciless on your abdominal muscles. Be it carrying, shouldering, thrusting or squatting, each of these exercises at least engages one of the core muscles and hips. That is where the overall strength of the body lies.

Real Life Strength

Functional training or strength training is much more effective with movements that are more like actual life movements. Such is the kind of raw power that will come handy in your day to day activities when you to pick up something off the floor or reach for an item on the top shelf.

Workout Everything Including The Fingers

Can you live without a good grip? The muscles in your hands and fore are activated when you grip with the bag without handles. Due to this activation of muscle, sandbags helps to improve your grip.

If you want to unlock all your movement potential, then add sandbags to your routine. Sandbags are a versatile tool that you should at your arsenal of equipment for optimal workout. The act of stabilization as you manage the weights uses every little muscle on your body. It is uncomfortable but feels good to your core.

What is Functional Fitness Training About and How can It Improve Your Livelihood?

The fitness industry is like fashion. There is always an old something that makes a come back or recycled as something new. Because of this, you can never get bored. Regardless of your fitness level or your goals, there is something for everyone even if you workout at home or the park. You do not need to join a gym to get your recommended dose of aerobic and resistance training. The latest fitness craze to get you moving and grooving is Functional Training.

What Is Functional Training?

Squatting down to pick up your child or getting on all fours to scrub the floor are examples of functional movement. In other words you are moving for a purpose and this is what Functional Training teaches you how to perform effectively.

Functional training focuses on movement patterns that are similar to our activities of daily living. These are activities that we engage on a day to day basis. For instance walking, jogging, sprinting, running, jumping, pushing, lifting, pulling, bending, turning, twisting, starting, stopping, standing, lunging and climbing. A common aspect of these activities is that they involve smooth, rhythmic motions that helps you get the job done without hurting yourself.

Functional training is a form of resistance exercise that focuses on improving the overall strength to directly enhance normal body movements. It goes beyond building the capacity of specific muscles and muscle groups to focus on building coordination between the muscular and the nervous systems. Simply put, the core goal of functional exercises is to condition your body to perform your daily activities more efficiently and effectively. It helps you achieve this by transferring the gains in muscle strength to enhance the performance of your daily movements through the neuromuscular system. As such, functional training exercises your muscles in a similar way your body uses them in everyday life. These exercises focus more on practical full body workouts than weightlifting to target specific muscle groups. The end result is an overall strength and endurance enabling you to optimally function throughout the day.

Functional Training Origin

Though this form of physical activity has gained popularity more recently, it has been in use for decades. Physical therapists have been using them since World War 1 to rehabilitate patients with movement disorders. Functional training is now increasingly penetrating the fitness arena because it involves various exercises that target the core body muscles, enabling people to perform their daily activities more effectively.

Most of the modern fitness ideologies are also currently focusing on function. This has also resulted in the development of new training equipment such as battling ropes, slosh pipes, sandbags, suspension trainers and kettlebells.

How Does It Differ from Others Forms of Exercise?

The conventional fitness disciplines such as powerlifting, bodybuilding, and others lay emphasis on exercise techniques that serve specific objectives such as achieving muscular or a defined physique. These use machine-based exercises that target specific muscles and joints in a controlled environment to stimulate optimal muscle growth.

What sets functional training apart from the rest is the way it targets your body. The exercises lend themselves to the mindset of mastering a skill or completing a task rather than just doing a specific number of reps and sets. It is both an art and a science that involves the transfer of strength gained to the normal body movements.

Success in this area requires coordination between the training movement and the actual performance movement. This is because the brain section that is responsible for muscular movement, thinks in terms of whole motions, and not the movement of specific muscles. Thus, by making the training motions similar to your daily movements, the brain is able to transfer this energy to your daily routine with much ease.

The traditional exercises do not effectively transfer performance from the gym to the real world. However, this does not mean that you should avoid them completely. The non-functional exercises can also add value to the functional ones. For instance, they can be used to strengthen a “weak link” which could be a joint or a muscle that is getting in the way of proper function. By restoring the right muscle balance, the individual can effectively and safely do functional activities.

Benefits of Functional Exercise

Increases The Ease of Everyday Life

For normal people, the benefits of functional fitness usually out-weigh those of conventional training. Functional exercises have numerous benefits because they can be applied to our daily lives. They are designed to assist you to carry out your routine body movements with much ease. For instance, lunges which are a functional exercise come in handy when climbing a steep hillside.

You will also notice that climbing up the stairs will get easier with time, or even moving things around the house. Functional training simply increases the ease of your everyday life by developing muscle and body stability, boosting muscle strength and endurance, and improving the overall function of your body.

Saves Time

Functional training is also efficient in terms of time taken to reach your fitness goals, whether weight loss or even strength gain. This is because the exercises focus on completing full-body movements and also targets multiple muscle groups resulting in a boost in calorie expenditure. Given that it incorporates a wide range of movements and activities such as dancing, your fitness journey can also turn out to be fun.

Improved Posture, Balance and Eliminates Joint Pains

Functional training works on the full body by targeting multiple muscles and joints. Because functional exercises are generally not stabilized, it forces small muscle groups to grow so that they can support the larger ones in terms of balance and posture. This results in equilibrium throughout the body in terms of energy, posture, strength, and balance. The exercises also eliminate the imbalance in the body and cushions the joints; effectively eliminating the sources of chronic pain.

To Summarize

Functional exercises are suitable for beginners and pro athletes alike since they involve full body movements that target multiple muscles simultaneously. It is a great starting point for anyone at any fitness level since it implements low impact exercises. Athletes too can benefit from these exercises by increasing the intensity to train for strength, speed, power, flexibility, cardiovascular fitness, muscle endurance, or even fat loss. The benefits of functional exercise are far reaching and wide because they are designed to assist you to carry out your routine body movements with much ease.

Muscular Strength Training VS Muscular Endurance Training

So you decided to start working out, but you don’t know where to begin. Or you are already working out but are not getting the results you want. There can be several reasons for this including diet. But this post is not about diet. One often overlooked reason could be your workout program. Maybe you don’t have a program. Then you should consider following a specific one. This way you will have a path to your goals.

The same you need a blue print to build a house is the same way you need one to build muscle, gain strength or lose weight. The blue print depends on your goal. All workouts do not give you the same results. Therefore, you should be clear about your goals before you start. The path you take to reach your fitness goals will determine your results.

If you want to get stronger, gain muscle mass or lose weight, well you workout program will be very different for each one. If your goal is only to improve your overall health like controlling your blood pressure, you cholesterol or blood sugar then any of the programs will work. The American Heart Association recommends strength training 2 days a week. Any strength training will fulfill this requirement.

The movement patterns are the same but the intensity is different. This is where you will have to follow a program that differentiates the required training for muscular strength and muscular endurance.

A big misconception is that if you are good at one you are automatically good at the other but this not true. The muscle fiber type recruited is different for muscular strength training and muscular endurance training.

Endurance training activates Type I muscle fiber also known as slow twitch. They keep you going longer. Conversely strength training activates Type II muscle fiber also known as fast twitch muscle fiber they make you go harder and when activated help you gain muscle mass.

Before we get into it, endurance is the ability to last or withstand exertion or force over and extended the period of time. Marathon runners are endurance athletes. They can run for hours and activate their slow twitch muscle fiber. On the other hand, strength refers to the capacity to withstand great force or pressure. Sprinters fall into this category. They need a lot of force to run a short distance

There is a host of different exercises involved in both muscle strength and endurance training. You can use the same exercise in either routine. Although it is essential to have a mix of both in your fitness journey, your decision should depend on your workout goals. Do you want to last longer or be stronger? Maybe both.

Muscular Strength Training

Muscular strength involves using a resistance-based exercise that allows a muscle group to use the most contraction and force against the resistance to move it. This method of training has a myriad of benefits when performed properly. Besides improving your overall health, strength training increases tendons, bones, muscles, ligaments strength and toughness. Strength training also increases your lean muscle mass. This occurs when you concentrate on a strength training routine which tears the fibers of your muscle tissues prompting them to self-repair.

Muscular Endurance Training

Have you ever carried something heavy for a considerable distance? The chances are that when you first lifted it, it felt light. However, with each step, it becomes heavier and almost unbearable. This means that your muscles were giving in to the pressure exerted on them by whatever you were carrying. At some point, you may have wanted to stop and rest for a few minutes. If you carried the same load every day, the repetitiveness of this task would build muscle endurance, making the task more bearable. Therefore, muscle endurance is the ability of your muscles to withstand the pressure exerted on them by an object of mass, over and over.

Muscular endurance training entails repetitively performing a particular set of exercises. If you adhere to a specific repetitive training pattern, the set of muscles that you are working on eventually develops endurance. You won’t get tired as easy.

What is the difference between muscular strength training and muscular endurance training?

If you are training objective is targeted towards building muscle endurance, you are definitely going to work your muscles differently from what you would for strength training. Muscular endurance seeks to build your capillaries in the muscles. This makes it possible to get more blood in and out of your muscles during your workout session.

Duration of Training

Training may be done over a short period. Nevertheless, endurance training takes more time. For example, a runner preparing for marathon trains by running for a long distance over and over, while a runner seeking to compete in a 100 meters will be more interested in sprinting for short distances. Obviously, the runner who is sprinting will do so in a shorter period, unlike the marathon runner who has to run for hours to build endurance.

Workout Reps

In strength training, you are required to use heavier weights and do fewer repetitions. About 4-6. If your focus in the gym is endurance, you will use lighter weights with more repetitions about 8-12. The last two reps should be challenging bodies out.

Our bodies are made to adapt, therefore you will find that it becomes easier to lift at you current weight and therefore will need to increase the weights to continue to get see improvements.

Type of Exercise

Muscular strength training and endurance training can use the same type of resistant exercises. The most common muscular strength training exercises are the bench press, barbell row, deadlift, and squats.

An endurance training protocol is more like many real-life activities. Some of the most popular exercises in muscular endurance training include push-ups. But, it is not just about any number of push-ups. You should be able to do more reps. This is undoubtedly one of the best endurance training exercises for your upper body. The other popular form of exercises used in muscular endurance training includes walking lunges, plank holds, sit-ups and body weight squats.

How Long Should You Rest Between Sets

Because you will lift heavier weights for strength training, you need to give your muscles enough time to rest between sets. It is recommended that you rest for 2 – 3 mins between sets. On the other hand, strength endurance training requires less rest because the weight is not as heavy and you don’t need as much strength to move the resistance. Therefore, resting for 1-2 mins will be enough.

Benefits

One of the benefits of muscular strength training is that you get to eat more food because you need the energy from food to lift. You also need a surplus of calories to build extra muscles. Just think about how much food football players eat. Anyone who wants to build big, well-defined muscles will without a doubt gain more by lifting heavier weights while using fewer reps.

On the contrary, one of the benefits of muscular endurance training is toning your body. In fact, this is one of the best ways to tone your body without increasing its size. But your diet also has to be on point.

Conclusion

Resistance exercises are an essential part of fitness and overall health. Regardless of you training regime, the chances are that you are positively contributing to well-being. It’s, however, important to note that there is more to working out than just fitness. You might be working out for very specific results, which will govern the kind of exercises that you need to immerse yourself into. If you would like to increase your physical strength so that you can lift heavier weights in your day to day activities, strength training would be the best way to go. However, if you can barely push your lawn mower for 15 minutes without getting you should work on your endurance. In fact, push the lawn mover can be counted as exercise or physical activity.

Why is Periodization Important for Weight Training: Workout Cycles for Better Gains

The Benefits of Periodization for Weight Training Gains

Have you ever been in a workout rut? You feel less motivated to work out or you’ve reached a plateau in your training. You simply aren’t seeing the results you expected! Chances are your results dropped off because you kept doing the same training over and over at the same intensity each time you trained. Your muscles need to be stimulated in different ways to keep making gains! Also, if you work your muscles in the same way repeatedly, you run the risk of over-training. One way to avoid this is to periodize your training. This cycle of working out is beneficial to if you who want to loose weight, gain muscle, gain strength or get in better shape. Its good that you started working out but once your body gets comfortable its time to change it up.

The Benefits of Periodization

Periodized training is where you vary the stimulus you place on muscles at varying time points in time. Doing this helps avoid training plateaus as your muscles and reduces the risk of over-training. For example, you can divide your training into phases where each phase focuses on a different goal. In addition, each phase builds on the last phase. One of the simplest ways to organize your training into phases is in this order:

Hypertrophy Phase

Hypertrophy training is a phase designed to enlarge the size of your muscles. During this phase, you will use a moderately heavy resistance. For the hypertrophy phase, choose a resistance equal to about 60 percent to 70 percent of your one-rep max. This should be a weight you can lift 10 to 12 times for three sets. Rest 60 seconds between sets. This type of training not only helps you build muscle, but it prepares you for the next phase, the strength and power phase where the going gets tougher.

Strength Phase

During the strength phase, you’ll increase the resistance modestly, so you’re working with a weight that’s somewhat heavier than what you used in the hypertrophy phase and you’re able to complete fewer reps. Choose a weight that you can complete between 2 and 5 repetitions before the muscles you’re working are spent. That will correspond to a weight of around 80 to 90 percent of your one-rep max. Allow your muscles to rest 2 minutes between each set and aim for 3 to 4 sets. You conditioned your muscles during the hypertrophy phase, so you should be better prepared for this phase, the phase where you focus on strength building.

Power Phase

During the power phase, you’ll focus on increasing the tempo of your lifts to build greater power. Choose a weight of 70 to 80 percent of your one-rep max and lift the weight at a faster tempo. Remember, power is the amount of work you can do in a given time period. So, moving the weight quickly through space will help you become more powerful. Shoot for 3 sets with 3 minutes of rest between sets.

Recovery Phase

The recovery phase is your reward for working hard during the previous three phases. During this phase, you’ll shift the focus of your training away from building strength and muscle size. Instead, do aerobics or other less strenuous exercises to give your muscles and nervous system a chance to recover. This phase is usually shorter than the other phases, no more than a week or so. Long recovery phases could lead to detraining and loss of gains.

Types of Periodization Schemes

Now that you know how the phases are set up, you can organize your phase in two main ways. Some people use linear periodization while others use undulating periodization.

Linear Periodization

This is the classic way to structure a periodized workout. First, choose the overall time period for a complete cycle. This is called a macrocycle. For example, you might want to complete a macrocycle in two months. This is the bigger time picture. In turn, a macrocycle is made up of a series of training phases called mesocycles. These correspond to the four phases just discussed come in. Each phase makes up a mesocycle. Over the two month macrocycle, you’ll cycle through the various phases or mesocycles. For example, you might spend two weeks in the hypertrophy phase, two weeks in the strength phase, two weeks in the power phase, and recover in the final week. But remember, the length of the macrocycle and mesocycles is up to you.

Undulating Periodization

Undulating periodization is another way to structure a periodized workout. With linear periodization, you work in a “straight line.” You go through each phase of training in order and the training intensity gradually increases. With undulating periodization, you change the focus and intensity of your training in a non-linear or undulating manner. For example, you might do hypertrophy training one week followed by peak strength training the next week and then power the next. You’re not moving in a linear sequence through the phases or mesocycles.

Some people even vary the intensity and volume every time they work out. For Monday’s workout, you might lift for hypertrophy and switch to strength on Wednesday. The fact that you’re constantly changing the intensity of your training means your muscles are less likely to adapt to what you’re doing and stop changing. In this way, you keep your muscles “guessing.” You can also adjust any training variable, such as the weight, repetitions, and tempo, in an undulating manner to change the stimulus you place on your muscles.

You might wonder whether undulating periodization is better than linear. A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research showed that undulating periodization was more effective for building strength than was a linear periodization scheme. Research also suggests that periodizing weight training, in general, is superior to non-periodized workouts for gains in strength and muscle hypertrophy. So, keep this in mind when designing your routine. Periodization rules and that’s why you should be doing it!

Plan to change your workout at about 6-8 weeks after starting your program. If you have been going at a really high intensity , then you can go to moderate intensity. Conversely, increase your intensity if you were on the low to moderate intensity. Last but not least, try different exercises or different variation of the same exercises. Once you mastered the exercise then try something new.

References:

J Strength Cond Res. 2002 May;16(2):250-5.

University of New Mexico “Periodization: Latest Studies and Practical Applications”

How High Blood Pressure Affects Sexual Function

High blood pressure can damage almost every organ in the human body. Over time, it also injures the inner lining of arteries, the blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to tissues. That’s why it’s so important to monitor your blood pressure frequently and control it. It can do a significant amount of damage if you ignore it!

Hypertension is a silent disease. Many people have it and are unaware of it until they develop a complication. High blood pressure usually causes no symptoms until other health problems appear. Although some people claim to get a headache when their blood pressure is high, this usually only happens when blood pressures are sharply elevated.

What few people talk about is the impact blood pressure elevations have on sexual function. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can have a negative effect on sexual function in both men and women. Let’s look at how elevated pressures cause sexual problems and how these problems manifest.

The Impact of Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure on Sexual Function in Men

Men are the most profoundly affected sexually by high blood pressure. One of the most common disturbances men with poorly controlled blood pressure experience is difficulty achieving an erection. This is a distressing sign to most guys, but many are unwilling to discuss the problem even with their physician. High blood pressure makes it harder, or sometimes impossible, to achieve or maintain an erection because it reduces blood flow to the penis.

Why does blood flow to the penis drop with hypertension? People who have high blood pressure have arteries that don’t expand as much as they should. The lack of expansion is why their blood pressure is high in the first place. Overly tight arteries also impact blood flow to the penis. You need sufficient blood flow to get an erection. When blood flow is sluggish due to tight arteries, initiating or keeping an erection becomes a problem.

How common are erection problems in men with high blood pressure? A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that almost half of men over the age of 40 with hypertension have erectile dysfunction. Some research suggests that the incidence of erectile dysfunction with elevated blood pressure is even more common than this study suggests. For example, a study published in the Journal of Urology found that 68 percent of guys with high blood pressure experienced episodes of erectile dysfunction.

The Effects of Hypertension on Sexual Function in Women

Women don’t have to achieve an erection as men do, but they, too, can experience sexual issues with blood pressure that’s too high. For example, uncontrolled high blood pressure can reduce blood flow to the vagina and clitoris. The decrease in blood flow makes it harder for a woman to stay aroused. In addition, a decline in blood flow can cause vaginal dryness that makes sexual intercourse less comfortable. Women with hypertension can also experience decreased libido and have less desire to have sex. Also, intercourse may be less satisfying due to these issues.

What about Blood Pressure Medications?

Some medications used to treat hypertension also cause sexual problems, particularly for men. Several classes of blood pressure medications make it harder for men to gain an erection. For example, some diuretics reduce blood flow to the penis, and another class called beta-blockers also commonly make it harder to achieve and hold an erection.

Does that mean blood pressure medications have to limit your sex life? Nope! There are still other classes of medications, such as calcium channel blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE) that lower blood pressure and are less likely to cause sexual problems. These are worth exploring if you have frequent sexual problems.

High blood pressure and the medications used to bring high blood pressure down can negatively affect sexual function, particularly in men. However, there are other causes of decreased sexual desire and erectile dysfunction too. Sometimes, erectile dysfunction is due to several factors beyond just elevated blood pressure.

For example, men with diabetes can have problems gaining and maintaining an erection, especially if their blood sugar levels are poorly controlled. So, discuss all the possible causes with your physician. Also, if blood pressure medications are contributing to sexual problems, they may be able to prescribe a different one that will work without as many sexual side effects.

Sometimes it’s possible, in the case of mild hypertension, to lower blood pressure readings through lifestyle, so that blood pressure medications can be reduced or even eliminated. But don’t change or reduce your medications without consulting your health care provider. Simple lifestyle changes like losing weight and exercising can improve sexual function and fire up the old libido too! A study conducted by researchers at Harvard found a 41 percent reduction in erectile dysfunction in men who walked at least 30 minutes daily. Walking helps lower blood pressure too. So, it’s a win-win activity.

Make sure you’re treating other conditions that can worsen sexual dysfunction. If you have diabetes, work on getting your blood sugar levels down. Also, kick the smoking habit! Smoking constricts the arteries that deliver blood to all tissues, including the sexual organs. It can also worsen high blood pressure. Don’t overdo the alcohol either! Alcohol worsens erectile dysfunction in several ways. It can cause short-term difficulty in getting an erection. Plus, drinking too much alcohol can lower testosterone, a male hormone involved in sexual arousal and sexual desire.

Conclusion

Regardless of its impact on sexual function, it is important to keep high blood pressure under control. If you ignore it, blood vessel damage can worsen and lead to other health problems that interfere with healthy sexual function. So, discuss the options with your health care provider now rather than later. Do it for your health!

References:

WebMD.com. “How High Blood Pressure Leads to Erectile Dysfunction”

Mayo Clinic. “High blood pressure and sex: Overcome the challenges”

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. Volume 33, 2001 – Issue 3

Harvard Health Publishing. “5 natural ways to overcome erectile dysfunction”

Progressive Overload 101 – Why It’s Crucial for Effective Training

The human body is a well-oiled machine, and it can adapt to almost anything you throw at it. That is important when it comes to your training, whether you’re trying to improve strength, build muscle or increase cardiovascular fitness, and it’s also where the concept of progressive overload comes into play. If you want to keep making progress and continually improving, you’ll need to make some changes to your exercise routine. This article explains what progressive overload is, why it’s important, and how you can use this information to improve your training methods and see serious results.

What Is Progressive Overload?

Progressive overload is of particular importance to strength training athletes, but it’s relevant to anyone who lives an active lifestyle and wants to make progress. Simply put, it refers to the gradual increase in stress placed on the body during exercise. Your body naturally adapts to stress. When you train for mass or strength, this stimulates your body into action, and muscles are broken down and built back up again bigger and stronger than before. Other effects include stronger and denser bones and soft tissue, as well as increased blood flow.

Why Do You Need to Do This

Since your body quickly adapts, you’re going to have to keep challenging it if you want these reactions to occur. The concept of gradually increasing stress is a tried and tested way of doing so. If you keep doing the same thing over and over again, your body will get used to it, and you won’t be stressing it enough for any changes to occur. That can lead to results tailing off because you have reached a plateau. If you stop training for any reason, it will also have significant effects.

Living a sedentary lifestyle can cause muscular atrophy (loss of mass and strength). That is why, if you’ve come back from a lengthy absence, you’ll no doubt have found that your performance has dropped off and your physique is not what it used to be. If there is no demand for the body to adapt, then this atrophy will continue, which is why it’s so important to stay active and train in the right way.

How to Implement Progressive Overload in Your Training

There are many ways you can keep challenging your body and ensuring that it responds to your training. Here are some of the most common methods:

•Increased volume (more sets, more reps per set)

•Decreased rest times

•Increased resistance (heavier weights)

•Increased time under tension (perform reps more slowly)

•Increased frequency (training more often)

•Adapted exercises (one arm push-up, jump squat, deficit deadlift, etc.)

These are just a few of the main ways you can modify your training in line with this principle. How you implement this overload will depending on your goals and type of training, but it’s essential you find some way of stressing the body so you can continue to make progress.

Dangers of Progressive Overload

While the body needs stress to improve, the emphasis is on gradual increases. If you try and change your training too quickly or too drastically, you risk overtraining and causing serious injury to yourself. Here are a few things to keep in mind when coming up with a training plan:

•Small increases — whether you’re increasing weight, volume or whatever else, it’s important to take your time and build up in small increments. If you usually train for an hour three times a week, suddenly training for two hours every day is a recipe for disaster and could well lead to injury.

•Adequate rest — if you’re lifting heavier and longer, you’ve got to give the body time to recover from your training properly. Rushing back from a hard training session puts your body at risk.

•Periodization — periodization is the practice of training in cycles to reach your peak without overloading your body. That means you should avoid going all out every session, and vary the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) or percentage of the 1RM (one rep max) at which you train. Research training plans based on your goals.

Keep Making Gains

If you take your training seriously and want to keep making progress, then it’s essential you understand the principle of progressive overload, and know how to apply it to your workouts. Whether you’re increasing resistance, volume, or intensity, there are plenty of ways of effectively taking your exercise routine to the next level. As long as you’re aware of the potential risks, and ensure that you increase the stress on your body gradually, you should see some great results using this method.

The Best Fat-Burning Cardio Exercises for Women

Your life is busy, whether you work at a paid job or stay at home with kids. You have chores to do and errands to run, while somehow finding time to nurture relationships with partner, family, and friends. It’s hard to find the time to exercise! When you can squeeze in a workout, you want activities that burn fat, can be done pretty quickly, and don’t require tons of equipment or preparation. The best choice for all these needs? Aerobic activities that get your heart pumping and your metabolism jumping. Some you can do at home. No gym membership or equipment required.

Here are some great exercises to try:

Running

Running isn’t for everyone, but it’s a fantastic way to burn calories quickly if you can do it safely (check with your doctor first). You can do it just about anywhere or even inside on a treadmill, and you only need a sports bra and a good pair of running shoes to get started. Try mixing up jogging with bursts of faster running for maximum results.

Walking

Walking at any speed, even just a stroll, is healthier than sitting around. However, to get an effective workout in a short time, you need to keep a good pace. If you feel a bit breathless but can still speak comfortably, you are in a good zone. It doesn’t burn as many calories as running, but it is easier on your feet and joints. You can wear a weighted vested to make this more challenging.

Aerobics

Do you remember your mom doing Jane Fonda or Denise Austin workouts? Aerobics has been popular for decades, and for good reason — it works! It’s fun and energizing to do, and you can burn a lot of calories in a short time, especially if you make large, exaggerated movements. Jane and Denise are still creating new workout videos, and there are tons of other options, including low-impact workouts and even “chair aerobics” designed for seniors.

Dancing

Dance crosses over to aerobics with workouts like Zumba or Jazzercize, but there are lots of other ways to get your groove on and burn off some fat while you do it. You can take a dance class to learn to waltz or tango, or hit a club for a girl’s night out. But the easiest way to do it is to just crank up some favorite tunes and go to town in your living room. You can combine it with housecleaning chores, or squeeze in 5-minute bursts during tv commercials.

Bicycling

If you have a safe outdoor area for bike riding, it’s a perfect way to get in an aerobic workout and enjoy some fresh air. But you can also use a stationary bike at home or in the gym, or to maximize your calorie burn, try a spinning class.

Jumping Jacks

You remember these from gym class back in the day. Jumping jacks burn calories, get your whole body revved up, and best of all, don’t take long and can happen anywhere. Do a set of 50-100 when you wake up in the morning, or during commercials while watching television. Move quickly with big arm and leg movements for the best effect.

Rebounding

Rebounding is one of the exercises that astronauts do to stay fit on the space station, but it works great down here on earth, too. All you need is a small trampoline that you can bounce on. You can keep it as simple as just bouncing up and down while watching tv or listening to music or a podcast, or you can try a class at a gym where you combine your trampoline with aerobic routines.

Swimming

Unlike most of the other exercises, you can’t swim just anywhere. But if you have a pool in your backyard or a nearby neighborhood or gym pool, it’s one of the best ways to burn a lot of fat in a short time, and it’s very easy on your joints. Standard freestyle swimming works well, but if you can do breast or butterfly stroke, you will burn the most calories in each movement because these strokes require full body participation. Twenty or thirty minutes in a lap lane or lap pool and you will be fired up for the rest of the day.

Whatever exercise you choose, make sure you drink enough water, choose healthy foods, and watch your overall caloric intake. Just make sure you are eating enough to avoid pushing your body into starvation mode because it will hang onto that fat instead of burning it off. If you are really crunched for time, break up your session. All you need is 30 mins a day 5 days a week. You can break you time up in two 15mins session.

Last but not least, any of the above can be use to perform a HIIT workout.