LIFESTYLE | Life Health Fitness

Can Stress Make Diabetes Worse?

Dealing with Stress & Diabetes

Stress can be a major disruption of your health. It is also considered a silent killer. Research shows that poor stress management could be responsible for health conditions, including raising your blood sugar to abnormal levels. Hence, it can contribute to the development of diabetes, heart disease, and other life-threatening illnesses.

Stress Demystified

Stress is defined as anything that causes the body to behave as if it were under attack. With stress, the body prepares to take action: to fight or flight. When you’re stressed, the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) kick in to elevate blood sugar levels for energy, when you need it most. However, in people with diabetes, the “fight-or-flight”response doesn’t work effectively. Insulin, the hormone that keeps sugar in your blood from getting too high, is not able to continually allow extra energy into the cells. In effect, blood sugar piles up in the blood.

The Bad (Distress), the Good (Eustress), & Blood Sugar

When you’re sick, your stress levels naturally rise. This signals your body to produce increased levels of hormones, which, in turn, raises the blood sugar levels in your bloodstream. If you’re non-diabetic, your body produces insulin effectively, which manages this rise in blood sugar. However, for people with diabetes or insulin problems, the pancreas produces less or virtually no insulin over time.

But do you know that even excitement or good stress raises your blood sugar? Yes, it does. The excitement from cheering for your basketball team will mobilize and heighten your sugar the same way a terrible traffic jam would. So understanding that even good stress can increase blood sugar can help people, especially diabetics, to take precaution, monitor regularly, and work with your physician for proper advice and management.

How Stress Affects Diabetes

If your have diabetes here is how stress will impact your blood sugar:

1. Stress hormones alter blood sugar directly– when you become anxious, angry, or stressed, your body releases hormones which have a double effect: elevate high blood sugar, and hamper the body’s ability to deliver sugar for energy use of your body tissues.

2. Stress can translate to an unhealthy lifestyle- Individuals who are under significant stress may not find time to take care of themselves or exercise regularly. Often, people either overeat or stop eating healthy meals when distressed. Worse, they may resort to heavy alcohol drinking, smoking,and other unhealthy habits that prevents blood sugar control.

For individuals who have no diabetes (but may be prone to acquiring it because of risk factors such as heredity, ethnicity, and unhealthy lifestyle practices), the psychological componentsof stress, among other factors, have been found to lower insulin secretion and raise blood sugar.

Chronic Stress

When you are under chronic or long-lasting stress, day after day, this results to consistent elevation in the stress hormones and other ill effects in health. As a consequence, adverse conditions occuurs, including spikes in blood sugar and blood pressure readings, suppressed immunity, elevation in blood cholesterol (lipids), and even bone loss and impaired brain function.

When stress hormones are constantly elevated, this can cause the stored sugar in your body to be released from the liver and muscles into your bloodstream. At the same time, fat is released for energy use. Sugar and fat are great energy sources, but they cause gain in weight when stored in the body. Nowadays, it is believed that weight gain or obesity may bedue to the following factors:

1. The shift from physical to psychological and/or emotional stress- evidence shows that chronic mental or emotional stress raises the stress hormone cortisol which stimulates your appetite, making you extremely hungry, while mechanisms in your brain tell you that you are not yet full.

2. The release of insulin due tto psychological and/or emotional stress can result in more fat storage.

Symptoms of Chronic Stress

Most individuals, even you, may be unaware that you are being affected by chronic forms of stress. Are you experiencing any of the following regularly? You may have it. Talk this over with your physician for proper care.

Insomnia
Unexplained fatigue
Irritability
Difficulty concentrating
Forgetfulness
Anxiety or nervousness
Anger for no apparent reason
Chest pains (intermittent or persistent)
Recurring headaches, muscle pain or back pains
Gastrointestinal problems
Depression or sadness
Restlessness compulsive eating
Excessive alcohol drinking

The Evolution of Stress

It is clear that stress, in its many forms, contribute to high blood sugar, and eventually, the development of conditions such as diabetes. With rates of diabetes at the highest ever, we may wonder whether the stress we are experiencing today is much higher than that which people experienced a hundred or maybe a thousand years ago.

Experts believe that people throughout history have always been subjected to more or less the same amounts of stress. And that diseases such as diabetes are so high today because of our lifestyle.

Here is Why

➢ Diet changes through the years- A hundred years ago, the rates of diabetes were much lower because people did not overeat as much fats, sugars or calories as we do today.

➢ The rise of physical inactivity- In the past, people were more physically active. Today, cars, drive-through food chains, internet shopping, and other modern-day conveniences have significantly eliminated our need to move about actively. This has contributed greatly to the high rates of diabetes.

The key, thus, is to sustain a healthy lifestyle while reducing too much stress. Watch what you eat, prioritize activities that boost your health and well-being, and embrace diet and new habits that will keep you happy and stress-free, so you can monitor and keep your blood sugar levels where it should be.

Tips for Managing Stress

Here are some tips which can help minimize and manage too much stress:

➢ Identify your stress source- Naturally, eliminating your source of stress is the best way to go, but this is often not an option. It’s virtually impossible to remove all stress that affects us. What is doable is to do things or opt for ways that make stressful situations easier to cope or manage.

➢ Let it go – First, try not to get upset or worry over things that are out of your control. You cannot control many things around us, such as the weather, other people’s actions, and many other things. Many believe that a sense of “letting go” of the situation (especially the bad ones) and doing our best to make outcomes as positive as possible is the best approach.

➢ New habits- In order to succeed, you must make big changes in your lifestyle. This means making several alterations, even the radical ones, to implement the healthy changes you want to achieve. Practically, this means killing your old ways and starting brand new habits that work well with your plan for achieving a healthier, better version of yourself. The good practices include good sleep, regular exercise, hydration (drinking water), eating healthy, and having less stress.

➢ Have fun & be happy- It’s never too late to start doing things that make you happy. Do spend beautiful mornings in the garden, enjoy reading your favorite book, go fishing, do an artistic task, or play your musical instrument of choice. What important is that you make it a habit to unwind and stop stress from building up.

➢ Exercise- Physical activity is essential to reducing stress levels, and consequently bringing your blood sugar to the normal range. The great thing about physical exercise is that it can be addictive! So when you start the habit of exercising for a sufficient period, you will likely begin to enjoy the activity and it will become an essential part of your daily activities.

➢ Engage in relaxation (such as yoga)- The combination of yoga, relaxation, and deep breathing techniques often help individuals reduce their levels of cortisol in the blood, and eliminate its harmful effects such as elevated high blood pressure which is not good news when in tandem with blood sugar problems.

Beyond Wristbands and Smartwatches: Six Wearable Tech Devices to Help You Get Fit

Fitness-tracking wristbands and smartwatches have helped countless people improve their fitness with convenient electronic step counters and heart rate monitors. However, since these devices made their debut, wearable technology has improved dramatically, and there are devices that can do far more than count steps. If you are ready to move beyond a simple wristband, here are six wearable tech devices that can help you reach your fitness goals.

1. Hexoskin

Hexoskin is a tank-style shirt filled with sensors that track a wide range of data, including, running or exercise cadence, speed, calories burned, steps and even your sleep positions. It even measures biometric data such as heart rate and respiration, and its GPS capability lets personal trainers track their clients and create geographic waypoints. Thin and form-fitting, Hexoskin syncs with computers and mobile devices for convenient, comfortable, and sophisticated fitness tracking with no annoying straps or bands.

2. Jabra Earbuds

Jabra’s Elite Sport earbuds are comfortable and secure wireless earbuds that stay in place no matter how much you sweat. They also contain sensors that monitor your heart rate, number of reps you perform, and your oxygen utilization. The Jabra fitness app uses this data to calculate your fitness level and ideal pace and lets you know how long to rest between workouts or running sessions. These earbuds provide state-of-the-art sound clarity for music and phone calls as well as countdown and running time notifications from the app.

3. MoovNow Motion Tracker

MoovNow is a soft, flexible ankle band that goes beyond measuring your heart rate and speed – it analyzes the motions involved in running, swimming, cycling and high-intensity activities such as boxing and CrossFit and tells you how to move safely and more efficiently. The MoovNow app measures the impact of your movements and guides you through activities, helping you improve your times and warning you when you’re at risk of injury. As you improve, it adjusts the workouts to keep them challenging and keeps a record of your progress.

4. LumoRun

LumoRun by Lumo BodyTech is a tiny, lightweight sensor that you can clip to any piece of clothing, including a shoe. After you enter your height, weight, and body type, it measures stride, cadence, and a host of other running biomechanics such as pelvic angle, head carriage, and posture. This running aid provides audible feedback via headphones to coach you as you run and teaches you how to move more efficiently and correctly to avoid injuries. Whether you are a sprinter, training for a 5K or just a beginner trying to get some cardio in, LumoRun helps you get more out of each run and even suggests exercises based on your running style to help you develop better form and achieve faster times.

5. Gear IconX Earbuds

Gear IconX earbuds by Samsung have 4GB of memory to store music so they can work without a phone. They also have a tracking mode that measures your activity, distance, speed, and even calories burned. The companion app provides a coaching mode that leads you through your workouts and tracks your progress. Later generations of IconX earbuds dropped the heart rate monitor to add sound enhancements such as Bass Boost to synch your running pace and listening modes that adapt to indoor and outdoor environments, making them a budget-friendly way to get into wireless fitness tracking.

6. Beast Sensor

Beast is a magnetic sensor that can attach to your wrist, a body strap or to gym equipment to measure and track lifts and bodyweight exercises. It analyzes the dynamics and strength of each movement and provides a visual illustration of how your muscles work during lifts. Beast can also determine where your weaknesses are and provide suggestions on improving your technique based on your goals, for example, how to do deeper squats or how to structure workouts to bench press a target weight. The web portal lets users analyze what they do in the gym and suggests lifting routines that help athletes see results faster without over-training.

Fitness devices are no longer limited to step-counting wristbands. Today’s wearable technology features a wide range of sensors that can be incorporated into clothing, shoes, and even earbuds. These devices not only measure what you do, but in many cases provide real-time performance-enhancing feedback as well. Whether you are a seasoned athlete who wants to reach peak performance or a newbie who needs to improve your sedentary lifestyle, these six devices can help in your fitness journey.

Lose Weight and Live Longer

Understanding The Basics of Losing Weight

If you are overweight you must try to lose some of that extra pounds. It is well researced and documented in many medical journal that obesity is the leading cause of many of our ailments. Obesity is linked to high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol. In fact, if you are overweight and you have not had you blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol checked you need to have the checked immediately and at least yearly. Most people that have type 2 diabetes are overweight. If you lose weight you can decrease your chances of developing these condition. Furthermore, if you have any of these condition losing weight, eating the right foods and increasing your activity can improve your numbers drastically.

Contrary to what many people think, there is still no magic pill or ‘extra-special’ diet that can help you achieve your weight loss goals. There are no shortcuts when it comes to losing weight. Like most things in life, losing weight requires determination, effort, discipline, and most of all, perseverance. Getting rid of 10, 20, or even 50+ pounds boils down to what you choose to do daily. If you choose to eat right and exercise day in day out, you will eventually get rid of all that excess weight and fat. You will be very happy you stuck it out.

However, if you choose to neglect your daily weight loss obligations, you will never achieve your weight loss goals. The truth of the matter is that being overweight or obese is not fun at all. If you are tired of looking or being called fat, it is high time you take matters into your own hands. Do not wait for the perfect day to begin your weight loss journey as this day may never come. Your new life awaits you. All you need is to take the first step, and the rest will be history.

If you are ready to embark on the challenging but rewarding journey of losing weight, it is necessary that you get to know some tips for fast and lasting weight loss. Knowing these tips can help you to achieve your desired results in no time. You also need to maintain a high level of focus and discipline every day so that you do not backslide and end up gaining weight instead of losing it.

No human being is perfect, so it is quite possible for you to veer off your weight loss road at one point or the other. However, you should not focus on your misstep or failure but rather focus on how you are going to get back on the road. Never punish yourself or feel demoralized because of slow progress or failure. The key is to keep pushing on even when times get tough. Here are 3 tips for fast and lasting weight loss.

1. Eat Less (Quantity)

Number one is to eat less. This is a no-brainer, but many people tend to forget this when trying to lose weight. Common sense should tell you that eating more directly translates to gaining weight. Here, it does not matter the kind of food you eat. It can be healthy, natural foods, or it can be unhealthy processed foods. The fact still remains, eating more causes you to add weight.

Eating less creates a deficiency of calories that is necessary to help your body shed pounds. You must adapt your body to get used to getting a certain amount of calories daily and nothing more. Calories are the basic unit of weight gain. The more calorie-packed foods you ingest, the more weight you accumulate over time. The best thing you can do is to gradually reduce the amount of food you eat. This means no more super-sized meal orders at your local fast food joint. Also, no more having unnecessary meals and snacks throughout the day.

All of this is aimed at cutting back the quantity of food that you consume on a day to day basis.

2. Eat Better (Quality)

Apart from reducing the quantity of food you consume, you also need to improve the quality of the food you consume. Quality is determined by how nutritious, and beneficial food is to your body. You may already know that junk foods such as pizzas, fries, cookies, and other yummy treats are not really quality foods as they have very few nutritional benefits. On the other hand, there are foods such as fresh vegetables and fruits that are packed with a wide range of healthy nutrients.

You are what you eat. If you are used to eating low quality, unhealthy foods, then you are of low quality and unhealthy as well. The only thing you get from eating lots of junk food is a ton of extra calories that are converted into body fat. So, what should you do if you want to lose weight? Well, you should firmly resist the temptation of eating junk foods.

3. Exercise Regularly

Last but not least, if you really want to lose weight fast and stay that way, you should get your body moving. Regular exercise is a key element in any weight loss program. However, to make it easier for the average person, regular exercise does not have to be very intense or demanding. Exercise can be anything from walking to jogging, aerobics, yoga, swimming, hiking or just any physical activity that gets your heart rate up and your sweat glands working. That’s all that is needed. You must engage in your physical activity of choice as often as possible in order to lose weight fast.

High Risk for Falls? Why Seniors Should Exercise

Senior exercise can be highly important for anyone who wants to maintain healthy supple joints and prevent injuries. Many people shy away from the idea of elderly exercise, as they are scared of injuring themselves or doing some kind of permanent damage. In reality, senior exercise is perfectly healthy, and many seniors will benefit from doing it regularly.

Seniors are often reluctant to take part in any form of exercise, but it is still one of the most things you can do to keep your body healthy, along with following a healthy and balanced diet. Research has shown that those who are aged over fifty and still maintain an active lifestyle are less likely to develop diabetes than their less active counterparts are. Senior exercise can also have those who are suffering from age-related health problems, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Ironically, you are far more likely to suffer from health problems if you do not exercise, rather than if you do.

Senior exercise

Senior exercise can help with four essential parts of being healthy: flexibility, balance, endurance and strength. Getting older does not automatically mean that you need to lose out on these. Strength and endurance mean that it is less effort to do everyday activities, such as walking up and down stairs and carrying bags of groceries. Flexibility plays a key role in recovering more quickly from injuries. Generally speaking, senior exercise can have a big effect on your quality of life as you get older. For women over the age of fifty, the chances of developing osteoporosis is much increased, which means the risk of broken and fractures is much higher. Yoga, Pilates and other exercises that encourage you to be more flexible can help to combat this.

Strength exercises are intended to build up the muscles that may be starting to weaken as you get older, as well as raising your metabolism. The latter helps to maintain a healthy weight and keep blood sugar levels constant.

Balance exercises are intended to build up the muscles in your legs, which makes you less likely to fall over. Many hospitals treat countless seniors every year for fractures (mostly hip fractures), but this can easily be avoided if you take the time to incorporate balance exercises into your exercise routine.

Stretching exercises are intended to allow you to move more easily. As you get older, you might find that your muscles stiffen up, and joint conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis often stem from this. While stretching exercises cannot guarantee that you will not develop these in the future, they can help to delay the onset and make it less likely.

Endurance exercises are intended to increase your heart rate and breathing for an extended period of time. It is best to build up your endurance slowly but surely – start with just five minutes of intensive exercise and work up from there.

As well as this, senior exercise can help older people to feel more content with their life and themselves in general, especially in comparison to those who do little or no exercise. Exercise releases natural endorphins, which lift your mood and can even help to combat psychological conditions, such as depression and anxiety.

Before you embark on any kind of exercise plan, you should make sure that it would not affect your health first. For example, if you already have diabetes or a history of heart problems, you should consult your doctor for medical advice. This is also advised if you are overweight. You are also advised to seek medical advice if you experience any chest pain or breathlessness when exercising.

There are plenty of exercise and fitness videos on the market that are specifically aimed at seniors, so if you are looking for a senior exercise video, there are bound to be one for you.

The same is also true of senior exercise equipment. For example, Fit Express is just one of the companies that are eager to cash in on the ever-expanding “baby boomer” market by creating a range of hydraulic fitness equipment that is designed to appeal to the health-conscious sector of the senior market.

Many seniors like to do exercises with a chair to maintain their balance. If you are looking for a senior exercise chair to use, you do not need anything fancy – most chairs will do.

Exercise for women over 50 can be fun. It does not have to involve the usual exercise regimes that can quickly become boring and uninspiring. Trying your hand at something new like yoga or Pilates can be a great way to exercise and improve your flexibility without having to stick to activities such as aerobics or cycling every week. Varying your exercise routine will give you the motivation and enthusiasm to carry on with your senior exercise.

Senior exercise is a great idea for any senior who wants to stay active or resume an active lifestyle in order to maintain good health. Staying fit and healthy can help to ward off some of the health problems that are associated with getting older, as well as improving your quality of life.

Taking Time Off from Working Out: How Long Is Too Long?

Taking Time Off from Working Out and Not Worrying About Losing Fitness

You can’t be wish washy with your fitness goals. If you want to lose weight or improve your your health you have to be consistent. You will not see results if you skip too many days a week or weeks.

As important as it is to be regular with your exercise, however, it’s also essential that you take a break sometimes.

You may need a break because you are exhausted, you injured yourself or because you just don’t have the time to work out, or simply because you’re bored with with your work out. Besides, life happens and you have to take a break weather you like it or not?

You could also need a break because you need to go on vacation, or sick. What many people don’t realize, however, is that they also need to take a break when they have been overtraining. Pushing yourself too hard with high-intensity exercise can cause you to develop depression, exhaustion and lose performance in your workouts.

Taking a break may be the solution to a variety of problems. There’s probably just one thing that concerns you — how long will it be before you start getting out of shape?

You don’t have to worry about taking a break

Many people are surprised to learn that taking as long as a week off from working out doesn’t usually ruin the gains that they’ve made. It’s a fact that many serious athletes routinely take a week off once every three months or so.

Consider what marathon runners do. They usually plan their training in such a way that they hit their training peak two weeks before an event. At that point, they begin tapering off their workouts, and exercising less and less each day until the day of the event. This way, they can be sure that they are well-rested and full of energy for the race.

It’s important to understand that it takes far more than a week to undo the physical fitness that you have worked so hard for. But not that far. If you are tired and sore, you shouldn’t worry about taking time off.

How long does it take to lose your edge?

Whether you need to take a break because you have other commitments, or simply need to rest, how long will it be before your body begins to go downhill? Here are some basic numbers to work with:

•You lose about ten percent of your aerobic fitness after three weeks of inactivity.

•You come close to losing most of your fitness after eight weeks of inactivity.

•If you’re highly fit, you will experience a faster drop-off in fitness level than someone who is less fit.

•Your muscular strength stays with you far longer than your aerobic fitness.

These numbers are only rough guides to go by. The number of days of rest that you should take depends on what your body communicates to you. You need to look for signs that you’re overtraining or are just tired.

When you’re on your break, you can still be active, but in different ways. If you’ve always run to train, you can try playing a game of tennis on your break, or go swimming instead.

You need to be aware that and if you plan to take a week off, you can be sore once you restart your workouts. How your body responds depends on how long you’ve rested, on how hard you work out, and on your genetics.

How do you know that you are ready for a break?

When your body and mind need a break, you can usually tell by looking for a few signs.

•You always feel exhausted.

•Your muscles are constantly sore.

•You’ve begun dreading going to the gym each day.

•You’ve stopped making progress.

•You’ve begun to have trouble with your motivation.

When you give yourself the break that you need, you can return to your workouts with far more strength and enthusiasm.

You need to remember that when you take break, you don’t have to be inactive. You can use the time that you have to try a long walk, a yoga class, or some quiet gardening activity.

Getting your body back to its old fitness level

If you only take a week off, you will usually lose none of your fitness. When you return to your workouts, you can pick up where you left off. If you take a longer break and lose some of your fitness, however, it’s important that you are gradual reintroducing your body to exercise. It’s important to watch out for muscle soreness, and not push yourself too hard the first few weeks. Here are tips:

•Start with simple workouts: You can essentially restart your old routine, but take up shorter distances, lighter weights or lower levels of intensity.

•Give it time: If you’ve lost a little bit of your fitness, you should expect it to take three weeks to return to your old level of fitness.

•Give yourself more rest: If you always rested two days a week before, you should consider giving yourself four days off each week in the beginning upon returning to your workouts. Your muscles will need the time to recover.

When you gradually raise the intensity of your workouts over a period of weeks, you give your body all the time that it needs to adjust to working out again.

Taking breaks can be just as important as working out. You don’t need to get worked up about losing your fitness. Usually, it’s only a matter of days before you get back to where you were, only with more energy and enthusiasm.

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3 Amazing Effects of Exercise to Cardiovascular Health

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the primary causes of death around the globe, comprising 31% of all deaths in 2015. In fact, there are 17.7 million cases of death due to CVDs.

Aside from inheriting these CVDs, leading a sedentary life is one of the most notorious reasons why people develop such illnesses. Whilst the possibility of which can be minimised by stopping risky habits such as tobacco use and alcohol abuse, starting anew is a great option and it comes in the form of exercise. Check out how exercise affects cardiovascular health:

Strengthens Your Heart

Whether you are a gym rat or simply a holistically-healthy person, you want to make sure that every part of your body is well taken care of. Workouts help you tone targeted muscles. Keep in mind that your heart is a muscle and turning to cardio exercises can help improve your cardiovascular health.

Doing cardio workouts is extremely simple as you can do it without any equipment and they can be incorporated into your daily routine. During your commute to or from work, why not brisk walk a few kilometres? Perhaps you want to take the stairs rather than the elevator. You can also use a bicycle on your way to work instead of taking the bus or driving your car. These activities elevate your heart rate, causing it to pump more blood throughout your system. This makes your heart and circulatory system stronger and more efficient.

Lowers Blood Pressure

In a 2017 report, Blood Pressure UK revealed that 1.1 billion people around the world suffer from high blood pressure. With hypertension being a leading cause of heart diseases and stroke, this number is alarming. If you already suffer from this illness, one good way to lower your blood pressure is to exercise regularly.

With a stronger cardiovascular system through cardio training, your heart works less to pump blood; relieving the force your arteries endure. The less effort your heart has to use when pumping, the lower your systolic and diastolic pressure will be.

Improves Blood Circulation

Your body depends on circulation for oxygen consumption, blood cell transport and overall transfer of essential nutrients, particles and fluids. Without a strong heart, your system will fail to supply your body with everything it needs to function properly and healthily. It can also have a reduced capacity to remove carbon dioxide and toxins from your blood. Exercising can facilitate a more efficient cellular respiration, sustaining your body with the elements required for day-to-day living. Here are a few amazing ways exercise improve your life:

Enhanced quality of sleep
Healthier mind and body
More energy during the day
Lessened chances of obesity and other serious illnesses

Never neglect your heart’s health. There is nothing better than knowing that your habits are geared towards leading a happier and longer life. By incorporating cardio exercising into your daily grind, you can lead a healthier lifestyle and minimise risks of cardiovascular diseases.

http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/exercise-healthy-heart#1

http://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/getting-active-to-control-high-blood-pressure

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20045206

https://livehealthy.chron.com/regular-exercise-promote-good-circulation-7547.html

How to Workout While You Watch TV

9 Ways You Can Get Fit While You Watch TV

A study from the University of Queensland in Australia has just been able to put a number on how harmful watching TV can be. According to the study, every hour watching TV sitting down or lying down cuts your life expectancy by more than 20 minutes.

While cutting down on your television watching habit can help, it may not be practical to suggest that you should stop watching television altogether. Instead, you can try to turn TV time into time that you get some exercise on the side.

Turn Commercial Breaks Into Exercise Time

Commercial breaks don’t have to be times that you gorge on snacks until your show comes back on. You can use the few minutes that you have at each break, instead, to jog in place, to skip rope, to do a few push-ups, or to climb up and down a flight of stairs. If you’re watching television on a streaming service, you won’t have any commercial breaks, but you can pause the show once every 10 minutes.

Try Circuit Training

You don’t necessarily need to wait until a commercial break comes up. You can get some exercise in while a show is on, as well. Circuit training can be a lot of fun when you’re watching a show. All you need to do is to put all the equipment that you need together; skip rope, kettle bell, dumbbell and so on, and switch from one exercise form to another once every 2 minutes. You can finish a few complete circuits of all the exercises that you have in mind by the time your show ends.

Exercise Your Core

If you’re getting a workout in front of the TV, lunges and squats can be the perfect kind of exercise to try. Not only do they help you strengthen your core and your lower body, they are easy to do while you keep an eye on the TV. When you perform these moves, you get to work out your behind and your thighs, all while helping build a better sense of balance.

Try Hula-Hooping

A hula hoop can be great exercise for television time. You don’t have to concentrate on hula-hooping too much as you do it, and you can still burn off 10 calories for every minute that you gyrate. Hula-hooping can help you work out your waist and build better abs.

Practice Yoga

Yoga is one of the best exercise forms for television watching. It’s quiet enough to let you concentrate on your TV show, while you burn calories. While you may not get all the benefits that you would if you focused on your form, you’d still benefit.

Buy Home Gym Equipment

A treadmill, a stair-stepper, or an exercise bike can be great investments if you want to get some exercise in as you watch television. When you don’t feel like going to the gym, you can turn on the TV and hop on one of these machines. These exercises are routine enough to not require concentration, leaving you free to enjoy your show.

Try To Lift Weights

Lifting weights can help you burn calories quickly, lose a few pounds and build strength. When you train with weights, you lower your risk of injury, as well. Lifting weights can be a convenient form of exercise to try in front of the TV. It would be good idea to include two weight training sessions a week in your routine.

Watch TV While You Balance Yourself On a Stability Ball

If you feel don’t feel like getting any real exercise when you watch TV, simply sitting on an inflatable stability ball, rather than on the couch, can help. You’ll have to keep adjusting your position to keep yourself upright, giving yourself a valuable workout in the process.

Be Restless

From swinging your legs to restlessly moving back and forth as you sit, there are a number of repetitive movements that you can make to while away the time, and get some exercise in. Fidgeting can help improve your rate of calorie burn.

Finally, you need to be sure that you don’t dip into a bag of snacks the entire time that you’re exercising in front of the TV. You wouldn’t want to do anything to cancel out the benefits of your TV exercise routine.

Watching television doesn’t have to be a sedentary activity. It can be a time that you get a lot of exercise, and enjoy yourself as you do it. All you need to do is to resolve to work out every minute that you watch your favorite show.

What Are Causes of A Sedentary Lifestyle?

Factors that Affect Physical Activity

Your physical ability changes throughout your life span. It is easy to see that children have endless energy and keep going like the energizer bunny. Although times have changed and we know have electronic devices, most children still prefer to play outdoors with their friends. However, this behavior starts to change when they become teenagers. Unless they are involved in sports they become sedentary into their adult years.

As we get older, different factors begin to dictate our ability to stay active. With proper planning, we can often remedy the complications that interfere our physical activity. Individuals with chronic issues, however, must find ways to stay active that fits within their limits.

Factors that affect physical activity or working out can be real or perceived. Studies shows that weather, cost,environment, health and social factors can cause a person to be sedentary and they are least likely to enjoy physical activity. Furthermore, people who enjoy being physical active are more physically active (Solomon et al, 2003). Nonetheless, if you really want to improve you health and well being you will find a way to get moving. Can you relate to any of the below factors that might be preventing from being more active?

Social

Social factors affect physical activity more than you think. There is a lot of pressure to look a certain way, especially when wearing workout clothes. Many people prefer to work out in a private area. The social atmosphere at the gym can limit the freedom with individuals that are shy or self-conscious. Women may have a difficult time working out in front of men. It can help to have classes or weight rooms for women only.

Group exercise classes can also be intimidating. There are many different levels of students in these classes. Some individuals may be nervous because they do not know how to do the exercises. It can be helpful to remember that everyone in the class was a beginner at one time. The veteran students may be helpful when you have questions or need help with new moves.

There are many other social aspects of life that can get in the way of physical activity, as well. When your friends go out for drinks after work, it can be difficult to commit to working out instead. Plus you will be tempted to eat the bar food at happy hour. A healthy lifestyle takes a lot of self-control and discipline. But the journey is yours only and can be very lonely. Just keep your eyes on the prize.

Environmental

The environment you live in can easily affect your physical activity capabilities. Certain environment is not conducive to working out because the ambiance is not right. Instead of seeing people biking, jogging or roller blading, you are surrounded by people hanging out. The last thing you feel like doing is working out. Your mood often determine your action. In addition, a stressful home can drain a lot of your energy. You may be both mentally and physically exhausted from the chaos around you.

You can start to get this under control by setting boundaries and a schedule for the entire household. Kids can contribute to high stress levels if there are not clear rules. Even a cluttered home can make you feel too stressed out to exercise. Trying to keep a messy house in order can takes up a lot of time. A little organization can give you great peace of mind.

Depending on where you live, the outdoors can be an issue. Mild, comfortable temperatures make it much easier to get out the door and be active. Extreme heat can leave you exhausted and out of breath with minimal activity. Cold and snow can also leave you unmotivated to leave the house. If you live somewhere with very hot or cold temperatures, consider purchasing some versatile workout equipment for the house.

Is it possible to workout at home. This could be in your living room, garage or backyard. You do not need expensive gadgets to get a good workout. A collection of weights, a jump-rope, and a yoga mat are great accessories. Resistance bands and an exercise ball can also help while you follow along with your favorite workout videos.

Do you feel safe walking in your neighborhood or at the park? Besides criminals you might also have to worry about stray dogs. If it unsafe then you can always watch indoor walking videos or walk with a group.

Psychological

There a many psychological barriers to getting healthy, as well. If you suffer from depression or anxiety, you may have a hard time leaving the house. It is good make a workout schedule and try to stick to it. A workout buddy can also help you remain accountable and talk you through the rough days. Many people do not realize that mental disorders can cause severe fatigue and even physical pain. Exercising can relieve these symptoms, however.

It is common to feel overwhelmed when you must lose a lot of weight or are new to exercising. You may not see a lot of progress right away. It is best to lose weight slowly with a combination of healthy meals and exercise. It may takes 6 months to see a big difference. You can overcome this obstacle by focusing on how you feel instead of how you look. You may quickly notice an increased energy level, better sleep, and improved mental health.

Health

Do you have any health conditions such as arthritis that makes it difficult to be active? Hormone disorders, such as thyroid disease, may contribute to excessive weight gain. Even if you have health problems there is still hope. When health issues are involved, a holistic approach is necessary. A combination of medical care, nutrition and limited exercises can help you get healthy again. Physical therapy is a common activity that doctors prescribe to help people overcome injuries, as well. Experienced therapists can help you learn the proper exercises that lead to healing.

Psychosocial

Of all your close friend and relatives, are you the only one that is on a path to better health. If so you, then you are on your own and have to stay laser focus on your goals. Social Media is fill with groups that you can possibly participate in. These will be people of like mind and similar goals. Therefore, you will also be able to get tips and tricks of how to stay on track. Since your friends and family are not interested in your journey, then you will have to seek support from others that have similar interests.

Physical activity is not always easy but it is necessary for good health. Sometimes we procrastinate and want to wait until all the stars line up in perfect order prior to starting. Unfortunately , there is no perfect time but why not now? What’s stopping you from being more active?

Work Cited

Salmon, J., Owen, N., Crawford, D., Bauman, A., & Sallis, J. F. (2003). Physical activity and sedentary behavior: A population-based study of barriers, enjoyment, and preference. Health Psychology, 22(2), 178-188

How to Overcome Common Barriers to Exercise

Exercise Obstacles: How to Persevere and Stay Motivated

Most people are aware of the many benefits of exercise. Even a brisk walk can help restore your mental and physical health. Getting into a routine, however, can be difficult. Some people are fortunate to be naturally motivated, have money for a gym, or have supportive friends.

The demands of work and family can often get in the way of an exercise routine. Mental state is also an important part of working out. Rigorous movement often helps to bring a more peaceful mental state and helps you focus better, however. Motivation is key when it comes to daily self-care through exercise. Overcome these common exercise obstacles that prevent exercising.

Tired

It is ironic that exercise solves many of the problems that cause you to avoid it. Exercise increases your energy level by increasing the amount of oxygen that enters the brain by initiating better blood flow. Lung capacity also improves the more you exercise. If you feel too tired for a full workout, take a walk with your dog, dance around your house, or ride your bike to run an errand. Once you get moving little, you may feel better about doing more.

Depressed

Depression is another symptom that can improve with regular exercise. This disorder, however, can be severe and cause people to remain inactive. Make a small checklist for your day and include exercise. Sometimes a list simply keeps you grounded, giving you something tangible to refer to when you feel a bit lost in your own mind. Enlist a friend to help get you out of bed or to meet you for morning walks.

A little something to look forward to can go a long way, as well. Treat yourself to a special coffee or television show after the workout. You can also combine your workout with something else that you must do each day. This way you do not have to get motivated to go out multiple times. For example, park far away from the grocery store to get a walk or use a gym near work on your lunch break. If you are unable to leave your house you can do housework, walk up and down stairs, or follow a workout video.

After Work

Many people wake up with the intention of having a productive day. Even the best plans to exercise, however, can be overlooked after a stressful day of work. Accountability partners are a great help. If you know someone is waiting for you to take a run or workout together at the gym, you feel more obligated to show up. Bike to work or carpool with an accountability buddy so you must get some exercise before going home.

Getting up Early

It is often easier to get your exercise done before the late day exhaustion hits. If you are not a morning person, however, you may be more interested hitting the snooze button. If you despise rising early, try a morning workout only one or two days a week. Once you exercise more, you may naturally begin to wake up with more energy. Start with short routines while you adjust to the new schedule. Remember that your morning mood starts the night before. There is no substitute for a good night of rest.

Alone

You may be envious of those people that run together every morning or talk for hours at the gym. There are, however, some perks to working out alone. There is no better reason to put in your ear buds and enjoy your personal space with your favorite tunes. With fewer distractions, you can finish quickly, for one.

You can also go at your own pace instead of pushing too hard to keep up with others. You can often find some fun workout companions at home, as well. Grab your kids for active games in the living room or a trip to the pool. The family dog may also appreciate a little run around the neighborhood.

Overweight

One main goal of exercising is to lose weight. It is much harder to move, however, when you are out of shape. If you are new to exercise, visit your doctor to check your health status first. You can also get some suggestions for nutrition and avoiding injury. Look ahead to the exciting day when exercise becomes easier. Set small goals and celebrate the victories on your journey, as well. Everyone has different abilities. Be proud of what your body can do as you learn new exercises and gain strength.

Self-conscious

It is common to be self-conscious about how you look in workout clothes or while participating in a class. Purchase some workout gear with your favorite colors or fun patterns. Comfortable clothes are a must-have, however. If you feel bad, your confidence can plummet. Instead of hiding in the back of exercise classes, sign up for beginner classes so everyone is learning together.

Pain

Did you injure yourself or have chronic pain related to a disease? Your doctor can help you manage the pain with the proper medication. If did injure yourself you should give yourself time to heal. You do not aggravate the condition. This will only lengthen the healing time. If take pain medications, take around the time you plan to exercise. Pills take about 30 minutes to start to work , therefore adjust your workout time to sync your `. You can also take regular breaks when you are exercising. Your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy to help you get stronger and heal better.

If you are simply having muscle soreness from your workouts, be sure to prepare properly each day. Stretch well, eat foods that replenish your body, and get plenty of rest. Your body heals best when you take good care of yourself. You can also designate days that you work on different parts of your body.

Busy Lifestyle

Being busy is the most common excuse for not working out. It is surprising, however, how easy it is to fit in a little exercise. You can replace a coffee date with friends for an outing at the park, for example. Instead of watching your kids play outside, run around with them. Even house chores, such as mopping, can get your heart rate up. Put on some wireless earbuds and clean to the beat.

No Funds for the Gym

Many businesses make large profits off those that want to get fit. Gyms are great because they have all the equipment in one place, tons of classes, and trainers for hire. You do not need to join a gym, however, to get healthy and fit. You can save up and get a few things for home, such as hand weights, a yoga mat, and an exercise ball. Subscribe to a YouTube channel that offers exercise videos and meal plans for help with motivation. Many outdoor parks have running trails and exercise equipment for public use, as well.

It can be challenging to get motivated to work out. Even though exercise gives you more energy, new routines are hard to establish. You may not feel well, dislike early mornings, or have a busy work schedule. Take small steps and reward yourself for meeting goals. It is also important to be realistic about fitting exercise into your day. Every little bit of movement helps. Walk, bike, or dance on days when you can’t fit in a full workout. With a little perseverance, you can stay motivated to get healthy.

Four Ways Your Workout Routine Can Stress You Out

Everyone has been told time and time again that engaging in exercise regularly is good news for their physical and mental health. This is usually true, and the importance of exercise to people’s well-being cannot be emphasized enough. Your body adapts to regular workouts when they are done correctly, resulting in physical changes that help to decrease your likelihood of developing a range of health conditions, such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. In addition, regular exercisers tend to have a reduced likelihood of experiencing mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety.

Despite the benefits of exercising, your workout routine can have negative consequences. Much of the time, these negative effects stem from a lack of knowledge. Stress is one negative outcome that can arise from your workout routine. It may also be one of the least acknowledged negative outcomes since physical activity is renowned for reducing stress. Here are four ways your workout routine can stress you out and what you can do about it.

Relying Too Much on High-Intensity Training

If you believe that more is always better when it comes to physical activity, you may also believe that high-intensity training should be your number one fitness priority. High-intensity workouts are known to be great calorie burners and, therefore, great for weight loss or preventing weight gain. However, high-intensity workouts can have negative consequences. Since high-intensity training is demanding on the body, it can have negative and potentially serious consequences if you engage in it excessively or when you are stressed, as well as if you have certain health conditions.

One negative effect of relying too much on high-intensity training is that it can heighten stress. Exercise itself puts physical stress on the body, thereby triggering cortisol release. Cortisol is a hormone that is linked to stress, as well as fat retention. If you engage in high-intensity training too frequently throughout the week or on days where you are already feeling stressed, it can cause you to feel more anxious and impede on your fitness goal of keeping fat at bay.

You can avoid feeling anxious from high-intensity training by only engaging in it a few times a week and by avoiding it when you feel highly stressed. You may opt to replace high-intensity training occasionally with exercises that are gentler on the body, such as yoga and walking. If you are feeling particularly stressed, you could add a stress management technique to your gentler workout (e.g. incorporate mindfulness into walking). Alternatively, it could be that you simply need time off working out to relax and rest. If this is the case, give your body what it needs so that you can return to your training recharged and ready to go.

Only 2 – 3 day per week of HIIT workout is necessary. These workouts should be a few days apart.

Your Workout Routine is Too Rigid

Sometimes workout routines must be highly rigid. This is typically the case if you are training for a specific event, such as a marathon or weight lifting competition. Alternatively, you may need to maintain a certain level of fitness for recreational activities, such as scuba diving. In other cases, having a workout routine that is highly rigid can cause unnecessary stress.

When a workout routine is too rigid, it can cause you stress by making you feel pressured to fit your workout into a busy schedule. You may experience this type of workout-related stress if your life has recently become more hectic or if you have biased ideas about what qualifies as exercise. If left unchecked, the pressure experienced from trying to fit a workout into your busy day can, over time, make exercise feel like a chore. This may spell disaster when trying to maintain a workout routine since the enjoyment derived from exercise is an important long-term motivator.

If you are struggling to fit your workout routine around a busy lifestyle, try replacing one or two of your weekly structured exercise sessions with physical activities that are easily incorporated into your daily routine and invest in an activity monitor. Small daily changes, such as putting 30 minutes aside daily for walking, could amount to the same number of calories burnt during a one-hour gym session over the course of a week.

Worrying About Being Judged

If you are new to working out, you might get stressed out by the idea of being judged whilst exercising. Your two main concerns are likely to be that people will judge you based on how you look or how you perform. You may find these thoughts mildly discomforting or highly off-putting. They might even discourage you from engaging in exercise altogether.

If you worry about being judged while working out, there are several things you can do to alleviate the discomfort. First, you could take a friend along to your workouts for emotional support. Second, you might decide to change your workout time so that there are fewer people around. Third, you could try exercises that are more solitary. If you opt for the second or third option, be sensible and ensure that you are in a safe environment. Last, you can work out at home.

Comparing Yourself To Others

That stress in your head. Social media is filled with also sorts of fit chics. In fact, you might follow some of them and buy their workout products and programs hoping to look like them. The sad part is you start the program and use the recommended products but do not get the results you were hoping for. Why don’t you have the 6 pack abs or hour glass figure with sculpted and tone legs like they do? One reason can be is because some of the pictures are retouched to perfection. Another reason can be because your body composition might be different due to your genetics. Furthermore, you are not giving the program long enough time to work because you want a quick fix. Most body transformation takes a minimum of 6 months. This varies from person to person because we all have different starting points.

While it is good to visualize your perfect beach body and stick a picture of Janet Jackson with her 6 pack abs on your vision board, you have to get real about the state of your current body. If you start out with just 10-20lbs to lose, then you might achieve that 6 pack abs quicker than someone who has 50lbs to lose. Don’t be stressed that you are not getting the results you want especially if you just started. You have to give it time.

Conclusion

Exercising is known to be highly beneficial to well-being. Nevertheless, stress is one negative outcome that can arise from your workout routine. Your workout routine can cause you stress if you rely too much on high-intensity training, have a workout routine that is too rigid, or if you worry about being judged. You can avoid being stressed out by your workout routine by making changes to it, starting with those listed above.

Exercise places strain on the body and, consequently, poses a risk. You should get medical advice before participating in or altering an exercise routine. You should also ensure that the environment you exercise in is safe.