Five Ways to Fit Fitness Into Your Life by Sylvie Charrier

Five Ways to Fit Fitness Into Your Life by Sylvie Charrier

It is extremely important to select an exercise program that will be well-suited to your lifestyle. If you have to drive 25 miles in rush hour traffic to the nearest pool, a swimming routine might not be your first pick. Find an exercise program that you like - shop around, try out various sports and programs. Only you can really determine if a given exercise plan is right for your tastes. In the end, the key to any exercise plan is obvious: For it to "work", you have to stick to it. And, to stick to it, most people need to find some satisfaction in what they're doing. Go out and find some exercise fun!

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The Buddy System: Exercise Made Easy

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Find a partner to exercise with you. Having an exercise buddy will not only keep you motivated, it will also help you push yourself to becoming better and better. Your partner will inspire you to get out of bed on those cold mornings when youre feeling lazy, and will share in your excitement when you've reached a milestone on your path to achieving your health goals. In addition, a partner will allow you to discuss your fears or frustrations, too. Find a partner and commit to making positive change in your life today.

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Elevator Out of Order: Use the Stairs

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Whenever you can, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Elevators may be convenient, but they also make us lazy. There are so many opportunities in your daily life where you can choose to either be lazy or motivated to move. Doing a stair workout shows that your dedicated to achieving your diet and fitness goal. You will actually give your body a surprisingly good workout just by walking up and down stairs. If you focus your attention when climbing or descending, you can isolate the affected muscles groups (e.g., calves, quadriceps, gluteus, hamstring) and produce a stellar workout for yourself.

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Wriggle 'Em, Jiggle 'Em: Fun with All Your Fingers and Toes

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Whether you're stuck behind a desk, tied up in rush hour traffic, or sitting in your favorite chair watching TV, any time is a good time to give your body a healthy stretch. Why don't you start with your fingers and your toes? Wiggle them, jiggle them, stretch them 'round - your joints will thank you more than you can know. Release that tension and say goodbye to accumulated stress by starting with these simple stretches.

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Swim, Swam, Swum: Your Health Has Just Begun

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If you are just starting out on your path toward weight loss and renewed health, swimming is one of the best exercises for you. Because it is a non-weight bearing activity-meaning you aren't placing the stress of your body weight on your muscles and joints-you can exercise more safely and for longer periods of time. Swimming is an excellent exercise to build cardiovascular strength, burn calories, and establish whole-body conditioning. If there is a pool nearby, swim as often as you can. And, if nothing else, a cool dip in a pool is a wonderful stress reliever.

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If You Can Sit, You Can Stand. If You Can Stand, You Can Walk

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If one day you want to revel in your achievements, you need to revolutionize your life - from your diet, to exercise, to your daily habits. For example, if you sit at a desk for a living, get up every half an hour and take a lap around the floor of your office. If you stand for a living, shift your weight back and forth between legs, walk about, stretch out. Because movement is the key to getting your body in shape, take every opportunity you can to do a little moving and shaking!
About the Author
Sylvie Charrier is the author of the book "Living La Vida Low Carb: The Vegetarian Way". As a busy work-at-home mom, she discovered simple ways to get more results from her low carb diet. She shares her recipe makeovers and health tips on her website http://www.VegetarianLowCarb.com/vc.html

Are you Sabotaging your Training Efforts by Neglecting Basic Nutrition? by Barry Boswell

Are you Sabotaging your Training Efforts by Neglecting Basic Nutrition? by Barry Boswell

If you regularly train using cardiovascular workouts and a weight resistance
routine while taking nutritional supplements but are not paying attention to
basic nutrition than you are essentially throwing away a good portion of the
benefits you are gaining from your workouts.

Basic nutrition is absolutely essential to making the most of your sports training.

Food calories supply energy and nutrients to the body during exercise.
Without proper basic nutrition you loss energy more quickly resulting in a
less intense workout. While simple sugars are used up almost immediately,
complex sugars or complex carbohydrates provide prolonged energy to the
muscles during exercise. Protein is composed of amino acids which support
growing muscles. In fact, basic nutritional deficits can cause you to lose hard
earned muscle to muscle tissue breakdown or catabolism.

According to Joel Marion, prior Body for Life 2001 Grand Champion, not
only are the foods you eat important but proper timing in relation to workouts
plays a vital role in maximizing your performance, optimizing fat loss, and
minimizing muscle loss. The intensity of your workout is directly related to the
amount of calories and fat you burn. You can not be at full intensity if you are
suffering from lack of proper nutrition.

In addition, intense exercise can increase muscle loss in people who are not
meeting their caloric needs.(1)

There are six nutrients needed on a daily basis. These include: water, vitamins,
minerals, fats, carbohydrates and proteins. There are three types of calories
including: carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Carbohydrates are converted to
sugars during exercise. Complex carbohydrates are what your body needs to
perform at optimum levels. Fats also fuel the body for exercise. Saturated fat is
what you should strive to avoid while monounsaturated fat is the least
detrimental to the body. Protein helps build and maintain muscle mass.

Foods high in protein include chicken, egg whites, lean beef, beans and skim milk.

It is recommended that your daily diet consists of 50% carbohydrates, 30% fat,
and 20% protein. If you exercise regularly you may want to increase your
carbohydrates and protein intake while slightly decreasing your fats.

To improve your nutrition you should try to consume five servings of fruits and
vegetables per day, drink eight glasses of water (more if you are consuming a
lot of proteins and complex carbohydrates), eliminate junk food and unnecessary
fat like in whole milk, and consume only lean meats. If you want to maximize your
work outs while eliminating unnecessary muscle breakdown, it is recommended
that you consume a nutritional supplement before and after workouts to restore
glycogen and creatine levels, decrease muscle tissue catabolism, and encourage
muscle tissue growth.

1. Marion, Joel. Active Nutrition. http://www.eas.com/nutrition/articles.asp?cmsID=1038

About the Author
Barry Boswell is a Independent Distributor for Xtend Life Natural Products, the
manufacturer of Total Balance, a daily supplement designed to
support your daily nutritional needs with 84 synergistic ingredients. To discover how Total Balance can help you, go to ...
http://healthybody.xtend-life.com/default.asp?id=270030