Motivation To Exercise

How to Build Muscle – Carbohydrates and Nutrition

How long does it take for a person to build muscle? Muscle growth hormone, or ‮GH‬, are naturally released into your bloodstream and cause protein synthesis in your muscles. This allows the muscle cells to increase in size and improve the structural quality of your muscles. When it comes to gain weight, this means ingesting enough calories, especially those from your food you eat daily. To build muscle, you should consume around 150 to 300 extra calories each day.

When you eat more calories, you can gain muscle but to do so quickly, you must eat many times during the day. The more food you consume, the more calories you will be putting into your body and in turn, the more muscle mass you will have. Your workout will be much easier when you have the correct amount of calories and protein. For many people, eating several small meals throughout the day is much easier and much more effective than going hungry.

To build muscle, your workout has to be high-intensity; high-intensity training will allow you to put more energy into your workout and burn more calories. To reach your goals, your diet and the number of reps you do in your workouts have to be carefully planned and carefully monitored. As mentioned previously, the best way to build muscle is through the accumulation of calories and the accumulation of proteins. The more calories and proteins you have, the better for you, because you will be building the most muscle mass with the least amount of work.

After a very strenuous workout, the muscle fibers may be sore and damaged. Your recovery time from this type of exercise could vary depending on your individual physiology, but it should take at least 48 hours before you begin to see any visible results. In between workouts, your muscles need time to recover and rebuild, which can also take up to a week. For this reason, it is extremely important to make sure that you are consuming enough calories and that you are consuming enough protein, so that you maximize your chances of experiencing positive results from your workouts.

If you are trying to get stronger and build more muscle, there are three main things you can focus on. They are strength training, cardio training, and resistance training. Strength training consists of doing sets of repetitions with heavy weights that target various muscle groups. Cardio workouts improve your fitness, which helps you lose weight and build more muscle mass. Resistance training is essential if you want to develop lean muscle mass.

A common mistake that most people make is focusing only on one or two areas of their body when trying to build muscle mass. For instance, many people who are looking to improve their physique do not focus on improving their muscular strength, even though doing so will certainly improve their muscular strength. It’s important to be balanced in your approach, which means you should include strength training in your workout as well as cardio training and resistance training. Cardio exercises, such as aerobics and walking, build stamina, while lifting weights, such as bench presses, builds muscle mass. If you’re planning to work with weights, you should always begin each session with cardio so you can also use your muscles to keep going through the workout.

As far as building muscle mass is concerned, a common myth is that you need a lot of calories to gain weight. The fact is, in order to bulk up, you need far fewer calories than what you would consume if you were simply resting. In other words, if you are currently weighing around 180 pounds, you should be consuming about four thousand calories per day, or nearly one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you are underweight, you will probably need to eat more in order to reach your target weight. However, if you are overweight, you will probably need to reduce your calorie intake to about two hundred calories per pound, or just a quarter gram of protein per pound. Obviously, if you are really skinny, you won’t need a lot of extra calories, so you can stick with your normal diet and exercise routine without having to worry about how many calories you’re eating.

If you are trying to bulk up, the last thing you want to do is to completely cut out carbs from your diet, at least when it comes to carbohydrates. Carbs are used in order to give your muscles the energy they need to go through the workout process, and they provide many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to function properly. If you completely eliminate carbs from your diet or reduce them to the point where your muscles require virtually no nutrients at all, you will likely find that you have very little strength and stamina during your workouts and that your muscles grow weaker, just like any fragile tissue in your body. In order for your muscles to hold their shape, your body requires a relatively high amount of carbs.

How to build muscle and keep fit

Workout Motivation For Fitness

Reasons Why You Should Not Put Fitness Off

There are several compelling reasons why you should not put fitness off and should make it a priority in your life. Here are some key reasons:

Improved Physical Health

Regular exercise and fitness activities contribute to better overall physical health. Engaging in workouts helps strengthen your muscles, improve cardiovascular health, enhance flexibility, boost bone density, and promote a healthy weight. Regular physical activity also reduces the risk of developing various chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Increased Energy Levels

Regular exercise has a positive impact on your energy levels. While it may seem counterintuitive, physical activity actually boosts your energy rather than depleting it. Engaging in regular workouts helps improve blood circulation, increases oxygen flow to your muscles and organs, and stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting hormones. As a result, you’ll experience increased energy, improved productivity, and better overall vitality in your daily life.

Stress reduction and improved mental well-being

Fitness activities have a significant impact on your mental health and well-being. Exercise releases endorphins, which act as natural stress relievers and mood enhancers. Regular physical activity can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, enhance cognitive function, boost self-esteem, and improve sleep quality. By prioritizing fitness, you’ll experience improved mental clarity, reduced stress levels, and a greater sense of overall well-being.

Enhanced longevity and quality of life

Incorporating fitness into your life can have long-term benefits. Numerous studies have shown that regular physical activity is associated with increased longevity and a reduced risk of premature death. By taking care of your physical health through exercise and fitness, you can enjoy a higher quality of life, maintain independence as you age, and engage in activities that bring you joy and fulfillment.

Increased resilience and immunity

Regular exercise strengthens your immune system, making you more resistant to common illnesses and infections. It improves your body’s ability to fight off diseases, reduces inflammation, and enhances immune cell function. By prioritizing fitness, you’ll not only feel healthier and more energetic but also be better equipped to handle physical challenges and recover more quickly when faced with health setbacks.

Boosted self-confidence

Engaging in fitness activities and achieving your fitness goals can significantly boost your self-confidence and self-esteem. Regular exercise helps you develop a positive body image, feel stronger and more capable, and appreciate what your body can accomplish. As you witness improvements in your fitness level and physique, you’ll gain a sense of achievement and self-assurance that carries over into other areas of your life.

Improved cognitive function

Exercise has been shown to have a positive impact on cognitive function and brain health. Regular physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, promotes the growth of new neurons, and enhances cognitive abilities such as memory, attention, and problem-solving. By prioritizing fitness, you can sharpen your mental acuity, boost creativity, and enhance overall brain health.

Positive role modeling

Prioritizing fitness and incorporating it into your lifestyle sets a positive example for others, especially if you have family or children. By demonstrating the importance of regular exercise and taking care of your health, you inspire those around you to adopt similar habits and prioritize their well-being.

Prioritize Fitness

Remember, it’s never too late to start prioritizing fitness. The benefits are numerous and far-reaching, and by making it a priority in your life, you can enjoy a healthier, more fulfilling, and vibrant future.

Whether you have already embarked on a personal journey to fitness or you have just decided that getting fit is something you want to do, you can probably use some advice on the subject. A few quick fitness tips – like the ones below – can help jump-start the beginning of a great fitness routine or add variety to a well-established one.

Fitness Tips

Hydration

For healthy fitness staying hydrated is vitally important. The benefits of getting plenty of water do not end at the gym door, though. Besides powering an exerciser through a tough workout, a plentiful water intake improves overall health and aids in digestion throughout the day. Total hydration is another part of a plan for overall fitness.

Training

A really good way to get fit is by enrolling in a cycling class. Most gyms typically offer cycling classes and they are a great way to get in shape and meet people. Instructors will push you and they usually play great music which makes the cycling more enjoyable.

If you’re dedicated to getting in shape, consider hiring a personal trainer. A personal trainer will offer insight in addition to the motivation you need to keep working at an exercise routine. While they’re not for everyone, trainers can have a big impact on the effectiveness of workouts.

Using a treadmill can be the way to go for those who want to improve their aerobic fitness while being able to stay in the same room safely at home and not out jogging or running on a sidewalk somewhere. The treadmill gives one an always available always ready to use option for maintaining fitness.

Jumping jacks are a classic calisthenic exercise that you can do. All you have to do is jump and separate your arms and legs. Then jump again and return to a normal standing position. Repeat this about 20 to 25 times a day. If you’re a little more athletic, you can increase the number of jacks.

To prevent injury during bench presses, give the bench itself a test by pushing your finger into the bench cushion itself. If while pressing the cushion you can touch the wood in the bench, move to another one. Benches that are hard can actually cause spine misalignment which affects the nerves in your arms and weakens them.

Make sure that the shoes you wear for your workout actually fit well. Shoes with a proper fit will help to prevent injury and fatigue, as well as ward off nasty blisters. You should be able to comfortably wiggle your toes, but not shift your foot back and forth inside the shoe.

Test your maximum to make it seem easier. Take a few seconds to lift a weight you know you cannot handle yet. When you lift it, have a spotter, and set it down immediately. Afterwards, work out using the weight you had originally planned on, and it will feel much less cumbersome!

Motivation

If you want to get better results from your fitness routine, measure your progress — literally. When you need motivation for a goal, pick something related to the goal for which you can track statistics, like your body fat, your waist size or the distance you can comfortably run. Take measurements regularly and write them down, so you can quantify exactly how close you are to your goal. This technique has been shown to improve motivation, as it helps people believe in the reality of their accomplishments.

If you are having a hard time getting the motivation to work out, you should try and join a group fitness class. Try to get a friend to join with you so that you feel more obligated to go. This is so much more fun than working out alone and it will prompt you to work out more often. Tell your friend all about the goals that you are trying to achieve so that they can help and motivate you to get to where you want to be. Positive encouragement can go a long way in achieving top results.

One simple tactic to add motivation to your fitness plan, is to pay in advance for your gym membership or your personal trainer. Because your money is already gone, you will be more inclined to work out to get back full value for what you have spent. You should never underestimate the motivational drive, provided by the threat of losing money.

Make sure that in the initial stages of planning your fitness routine to level off your expectations. If you set your goals too high, you will be putting yourself in a position for a letdown, which could reduce the motivation that you have and curtail the goals that you want to achieve.

You need to mix up your exercise regime. There are a variety of reasons why this is crucial. When you do the same workout every day, you become bored; it is human nature. If you become too used to a particular exercise, your body will have adapted to it, so it won’t be working as hard. Regularly add new exercises and this will help keep things new and fresh.

If you are planning a program to increase your fitness level keep track of your progress. This will help you see what methods are effective for you, as everyone has different needs. It will also be a source of motivation when you see your running time increase or your body-fat percentage decrease.

Commit yourself to fitness. Find something that motivates you. It might be hard to find the time and the motivation to exercise, especially after a busy day. Make an active decision to change your lifestyle when you choose fitness. Do not let someone else convince you to do it; fitness is a personal commitment.

Personalize

One thing most good fitness regimens have in common is personalization. You need a fitness routine that works for you, not a stringent course you must follow exactly. A flexible routine can easily incorporate the new fitness ideas you pick up, and new ideas can keep anyone’s fitness program from getting stale.

Staying motivated for your fitness workouts can be challenging at times, but with the right strategies, you can maintain your motivation and achieve your fitness goals. Here are some tips to help you stay motivated:

Set clear and realistic goals

Define what you want to achieve with your workouts. Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART goals). When you have a clear vision of what you’re working towards, it becomes easier to stay motivated.

Find your why

Understand why fitness is important to you. Whether it’s improving your health, increasing your energy levels, boosting your confidence, or enhancing your overall well-being, identifying your personal reasons for pursuing fitness will provide a strong source of motivation.

Create a workout schedule

Plan your workouts in advance and stick to a regular schedule. Treat your workouts as appointments with yourself that you cannot cancel easily. By making exercise a consistent part of your routine, it becomes easier to stay motivated and make progress.

Mix up your routine

Avoid monotony by incorporating a variety of exercises and activities into your routine. Trying new workouts, exploring different fitness classes, or engaging in outdoor activities can help keep things fresh and exciting. Variety not only prevents boredom but also challenges your body in new ways, leading to better results.

Find an accountability partner

Partnering up with someone who shares similar fitness goals can provide a great source of motivation. You can encourage and support each other, celebrate milestones together, and hold each other accountable. Knowing that someone is relying on you can make it harder to skip workouts.

Track your progress

Keep a record of your workouts, including the exercises you do, the weights you lift, or the distances you run. Tracking your progress helps you see how far you’ve come, which can be highly motivating. It also allows you to identify any plateaus or areas where you need to push yourself further.

Reward yourself

Set up small rewards for reaching milestones or sticking to your workout routine. Treat yourself to something you enjoy, such as a massage, a new workout outfit, or a day off. Celebrating your achievements along the way will reinforce positive behavior and keep you motivated.

Visualize success

Imagine yourself accomplishing your fitness goals. Visualize the version of yourself that you aspire to become and how it feels to be fit, strong, and healthy. Visualization can be a powerful tool to boost motivation and help you stay focused on your objectives.

Join a community or fitness group

Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who are also passionate about fitness can be inspiring. Join a fitness class, find an online fitness community, or participate in group workouts. Sharing your journey with others, exchanging tips and experiences, and seeing their progress can fuel your motivation.

Keep learning and stay inspired

Continually educate yourself about fitness, nutrition, and overall well-being. Read books, follow fitness influencers, watch informative videos, and stay up to date with the latest trends. Learning new things and expanding your knowledge can keep you inspired and motivated to improve.

Remember that motivation may fluctuate from time to time, but by implementing these strategies, you can maintain a strong foundation of motivation and keep working towards your fitness goals. Stay consistent, be patient, and enjoy the journey!

The Morbid Obesity Definition

Obesity is a condition that is caused by consuming too much food. The body stores these extra calories as fat. Over time, this leads to health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. In addition to this, obesity can affect the quality of life.

There are many factors that contribute to obesity. Some of these include genes, environmental factors, and behavior. It is not possible to pinpoint the exact causes of obesity. However, certain foods and behaviors can contribute to weight gain. Fortunately, most risk factors can be countered through diet and physical activity.

Obesity can have a negative impact on the physical, emotional, and psychological health of a person. The condition can cause individuals to feel shy or anxious, and can result in withdrawal from social situations. Medications, psychosis, and neuroses may also play a role. People who have an obesity problem should discuss their lifestyle with a healthcare provider. They can provide a treatment plan and support for reaching their goal of weight loss.

Obesity is a growing concern for both adults and children in the United States. It is a serious medical condition that is associated with higher rates of medical complications, shorter life expectancy, and premature death. Those who are overweight are at a greater risk of suffering from diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoarthritis.

Although there is no known reason for the recent increase in obesity, it is thought that the rise may be due to major shifts in environmental and behavioral factors. Children are particularly vulnerable. As a result, they are spending less time in school, fewer hours in front of a screen, and have less opportunity for physical activities.

Adults, in turn, are more likely to lead sedentary lifestyles. This is due to a lack of physical education in schools, a rise in the use of computers and televisions, and a reduced ability to engage in physical activities.

Other factors that can contribute to obesity are stress, hormonal changes, and comorbidity. Medications such as antidepressants and beta blockers can cause a person to eat more than they can digest. Adding to the burden, women are more likely to gain weight in their menopause years.

Genetics play a significant role in the development of obesity. Children with obese parents are more likely to be overweight. Also, children who live in lower-income families are at a greater risk of being obese. Parents who do not have adequate education are less likely to have the proper knowledge about healthy eating and cooking.

Physical activity is an important long-term contributor to healthy weight management. Studies have shown that a lack of physical activity has increased the risks of obesity and related diseases. Increasing your level of exercise will help you to counteract most of the risk factors that contribute to obesity. Getting a good amount of sleep is also a good way to prevent obesity.

Eating habits are also an important factor in obesity. Nutritionists educate children about proper eating habits and a proper food pyramid. By reducing their portions, eating smaller bites, and learning to read labels, children can help them avoid getting overweight.

Pete used to be morbidly obese until he took his health into his own hands. He got medical help and was able to regain his normal weight. He feels better and looks great!

Tips on How to Build Muscle

So how do you ensure you get enough food to build muscle? Well, first, you have to learn how many calories you should be consuming in resting mode. You do this by calculating your basal metabolic rate. Then again, you also want to make certain to consume more than that. Keep track of your results by monitoring your body weight.

Once you get your basal metabolic rate correct, you then move on to the other components of muscle building. Of course, this would involve more weight training in addition to a balanced diet. You’ll also want to incorporate plenty of protein into your daily diet.

How much weight training should I be doing to gain muscle mass? This is largely dependent on your goals. If your goal is simply to bulk up, than just strength training will suffice. If you are seriously wanting to bulk up and gain muscle mass as well as lose fat, then you’ll want to include some high-rep weight training programs. In order to get those muscles to grow, you must also create a calorie deficit.

Can you see now why so many people fail with their muscle-building efforts? They never incorporate these components of muscle-building into their muscle growth efforts. Without these components, it would be extremely difficult to build muscle. Just look at all the professional athletes that you see dominating the stage today.

Another component of muscle-building that most people overlook are supplements. Supplements such as creatine supplement may be extremely helpful for a person attempting to gain muscle-body fat as well as help with maintaining muscle mass. But they’re not something to rely solely upon. You must incorporate them into your body-building program to maximize their effects.

One of the best forms of supplementation that can be utilized is creatine supplement. This is because it provides anabolic environments within your muscles. Creatine supplements also have other health benefits such as promoting kidney health and boosting energy levels within the body. It’s definitely not the complete package as mentioned above. So what types of muscle-building programs should you use?

The type of program you should use is ultimately up to you. For those wanting to build muscle mass, the best way to go about it is through strength training and interval type training programs. This type of training enables you to: build muscle faster, create larger muscle fibers, improve your cardiovascular system and increase your metabolism. The benefits of this approach are: more rapid muscle growth, fat loss, increase in stamina and overall body strength. And of course, in order to gain this you must make the necessary changes in your diet and exercises routine.

As for the diet, you must consume plenty of protein and carbohydrate-rich foods in order to build muscle mass quickly and efficiently. You should also include: high-quality multi-vitamins, protein bars, fruit, vegetables and any form of protein powder. All of these elements will work collectively towards helping you achieve your goals of building more muscle mass faster. But again, this is all up to you and is completely up to how much time and effort you’re willing to put into building the muscle mass you desire.

What about supplements? They can be used after you’ve reached your desired goal of building muscle mass but are not necessary. It is highly recommended, however, that you take a multivitamin containing essential vitamins, minerals and proteins. These will help ensure that you body has the correct ratio of vital chemicals and nutrients to promote muscle growth. Additionally, you may want to consider taking a creatine supplement, which is a natural substance derived from meat and milk that help speed up muscle development and repair.

In addition to all of this, in order to reach your muscle building goals and to keep your muscle mass growing at an efficient rate; you must sleep. Sleep is the most important aspect of muscle development and recovery. The quality and quantity of sleep you get is very much linked to the amount of lean muscle mass you have in your body today. So the quality of your sleep can directly effect the length and the intensity of your workouts.

As you can see, there are a number of methods to build muscle. I’m sure if you asked someone else, they’d have a few different opinions as well. Therefore, it’s best to do some research yourself and learn which method is right for you. For instance, if you’re a hard gainer then it would be recommended to train more often, increase your workout intensity and eat more often to bulk up. If you’re a skinny person who doesn’t seem to gain much, then it’s highly suggested that you stick with a less intense routine and train less often.

How to build muscle and keep fit

Must Have Workout Equipment For Your Home Gym

Stay Fit Indoors

You may not be able to go to a gym yet you want to stay fit? While outdoor exercise, like jogging, running or even walking can help you keep up your endurance or cardio respiratory function, you may not necessarily be meeting all your exercise needs. These fitness needs can be met at home, sometimes with equipment but often without. There are plenty of different exercises and workout equipment you can try for all levels of fitness.

Components of Fitness

One aspect of fitness is cardio vascular endurance. There are 3 other areas you need to tackle to ensure you are or remain or get fit. These are strength, flexibility and balance. We will consider what exercises are needed for each of those and then how you can meet your needs at home.

Cardio Vascular Endurance

Often just known as “cardio”, this is the stamina to keep going without getting breathless, to run for a bus, do a 5K or a marathon. Running, cycling, jogging or even fast walking can all help you get fit and improve your endurance

Strength

This is the ability to lift your shopping or your child or a set of ladders for painting the house. Muscles need exercise to keep them strong and you can use weight machines, free weights or even bodyweight exercises, such as press ups to keep your muscles strong for everyday living and more.

Flexibility

This is the ability to scratch your back, reach down to tie your laces, cut your toenails or put your socks on, reach up high to lift something down or twist and turn when dancing or playing sport. Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi can all help with improving and retaining flexibility.

Balance

If you have ever had a bout of vertigo (infection of the inner ear), you will know just how important balance is to being able to do anything. It’s also crucial for anyone suffering from osteoporosis or osteopoenia to ensure they have the best balance possible, to help guard against falls. Again, Pilates, Tai Chi and Yoga can all help to improve balance. There are also simple balance exercises you can do at home to improve, not only your balance but also, possibly to help remove the sense of nausea and vertigo.

Workout Equipment

Now, how do you get all of these aspects of fitness carried out at home, if you cannot even go out and jog? You may now be on the hunt for must-have workout equipment for home use. You could be like many who are searching for these items, but are unsure where to begin. With a little planning and attention you can have everything you want and need. You don’t even have to own a huge house or have a lot of space. Many workout essentials are small and simple enough to store, while bigger fitness tools may need a closet or dedicated floor space but with a little thought, you may not need the bigger items if you do not have the room or the budget to get these.

Strength

One workout essential that can fit in almost any room is weight plates. Weight plates are great because they require very little space and yet give you a full body workout, whether you use them with a bar or alone purely as weights. A great way to get started with weight plates is with a home gym exercise machine that these will fit onto but of course, this will be more expensive and will take more room. You may be able to acquire the weights quite cheaply on a local recycling page or app. If you have a home exercise bench, that’s perfect. They come in all shapes sizes and forms, and are an essential piece of workout equipment for home use. A good exercise bench will keep your form correct and keep your body in proper alignment during your workout. Most full machine home workout equipment comes with free weights, dumbbells or a combination of both. If you like to workout with free weights, you’ll need to make sure the weights you choose are of the right quality. While most are not too heavy, you do want to be careful of overusing them and hurting yourself. You don’t have to spend a fortune on these, just pick ones that are durable and will stand up to your workouts.

Another piece of equipment for weight training, if you prefer, are kettlebells or dumbells or even a medicine ball. Dumbbells and barbells provide solid muscle building exercises and can be used for bench pressing, shoulder presses, and lat pulldowns. These are classed as free weights, because they are used without any other equipment being needed. There are numerous workout exercises that can be done with these items and you will be able to find videos showing their correct use. You can exercise just about any muscle group with a medicine ball, including your chest, legs and back.You can also acquire a bar that fits across a doorway, for doing chin ups.

If you are not ready for a weights machine, medicine ball, dumbbells or kettlebells, you can also improve muscle strength with the use of resistance bands which are inexpensive and versatile. Resistance bands can help you lose weight, tone up and build muscle at the same time. These are like giant pieces of elastic that are used to create resistance for your muscles to work against. You can get different strengths (or levels of resistance) so you can improve your muscle strength gradually. These are very easy to store, they can be rolled up and put in a drawer.

There is also a no-equipment option using your own bodyweight to improve muscle strength. This can start off as easy as you like – doing pushups standing up leaning against a wall, progressing to pushups while resting on your knees, to full pushups. There are also other options, like “the Plank” and standing options lifting your knees.

Cardio

You can use an exercise bike for a home workout. These are small pieces of workout equipment, but they add a cardio benefit to your routine. Exercise bikes let you get some serious cardio action without having to use up more space than you have. And since many of the smaller ones can be folded up, you can easily find space for them. If you have the space and budget for a larger exercise bike, you can get ones with extra programmes, including adding resistance to provide a tougher workout and ones with variable programs to give you the option of flat ground and hill climbs in varying amounts. If you tend to suffer from backache, there are cycle machines (recumbent bikes) that you can operate lying down. These can be a great home gym investment because the smaller ones allow you to exercise in different areas of your backyard or front yard. While you won’t have to worry about weights, an exercise bike still provides a great way to burn calories and get fit. Look for one that’s easy to use and has a comfortable seat. Cycling is also a great piece of exercise if you are normally a runner or tend to get tight hips. Cycling does not put a strain on the hips and can even help open them, so they are more comfortable.

If an exercise bike does not sound like a must have piece of equipment to you but you have the budget and the space, you could try a running machine, a rowing machine or an elliptical glider. A smaller option is a stair stepper.

Flexibility

This aspect of fitness does not require equipment, although a large Swiss ball or stability ball can help extend the exercises you can do. Many of the flexibility exercises will require sitting on the floor and a yoga mat or exercise mat can be helpful here. You may also use some of the weight plates if carrying out twisting exercises, to add an extra dimension to your workout.

You can find DVDs and online videos to help with exercises for flexibility

Balance

Again, there is very little equipment needed for practising balance. A chair or other surface to help support you during the exercises is useful and a floor mat or yoga mat can help prevent slipping.

Looking For Must Have Workout Equipment

When looking for home workout equipment, look for the must have features and find what fits your needs the best. In summary, choosing home exercise equipment is not all that difficult. However, you must be sure to do your research and purchase what will meet your personal goals. and that will be easy for you to use. Once you have done all of this you will be ready to get started.

Prove Them Wrong – Motivational Video

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Dream The Dream

You have to dream the dream first – whatever it is – before you can start to be motivated – before you can develop your passion to do what it is you most want to do. You are not motivated until you want your dream as much as you need to breathe.

Many people have already found out how to motivate themselves to achieve their own dream (not anybody else’s dream). And you can learn from them. You can read a book, or you could watch the video at the bottom, or both.

10 Ways To Boost Your Metabolism With Exercise

Increasing Metabolism Accelerates Weight Loss

Increasing your metabolism is one of the best ways to accelerate your weight loss. You’ll be burning more calories while at rest, and people who have a faster metabolism can cheat on their diet here and there with fewer negative repercussions.

In this article, we’ll look at 10 ways you can increase your metabolism with exercise. While it won’t happen overnight, you’ll burn slightly more calories in the first week. After the first month, your metabolic rate will be higher… and by the third month, you’ll have a high metabolism and have more energy for life.

10 Ways To Increase Metabolism

1. Running
Without a doubt, this is one of the best ways to burn calories and shed the stubborn fat. Running must be done at high speed. Sprinting is best because it puts you in fat burning mode for hours. This is how your metabolic rate skyrockets.

Avoid jogging which doesn’t put you in an excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC) state. In other words, the calorie burning benefits ends once the exercise session ends. All you’ll get is impact on your joints and minimal fat burning benefits.

2. Train legs more
When working out at the gym, focus on squats, box jumps, lunges, etc. The legs are huge muscles and training them more will not only help burn more calories, but you’ll develop lean muscle too. This will translate to more calories burned while at rest, because muscle is ‘calorically expensive’ and energy must be used to maintain them.

3. Focus on compound exercises
Pullups, deadlifts, squats, bench presses, etc. are examples of compound exercises. These exercises recruit several muscle groups and you’ll be burning more calories as compared to isolation exercises such as calf raises and dumbbell curls which only work one specific muscle each. Your workouts should mostly comprise compound movements.

4. Interval training
Interval training twice or three times a week will help to raise your metabolism and put you in fat burning mode for hours. They’re far more effective for fat loss than slow, steady state cardio.
You really do not need to do more than 3 sessions a week – and always have a one-day break between sessions. Interval training is so potent that if done daily without breaks, you can tax your central nervous system causing chronic fatigue and other problems.

5. Increase the resistance
Your goal should always be to increase the weight you move or the resistance you add in your training. If you run, you may use ankle weights to add resistance. If you lift weights, you should aim to lift as much weight as you can while maintaining good form and train safely.

The more resistance you add, the harder your muscles will work. This will increase lean muscle growth and boost your metabolism.

6. Work your core
Hanging leg raises, planks, v-sits, etc. are all core exercises that work your core muscles and entire body. Incorporating a few of them towards the end of your workout session will help you tone your core and midsection. Your metabolism will also increase because many muscles are used to stabilize your core during core training.

7. Activity throughout the day
Drops make an ocean. The same principle applies in your daily life. You can spike and maintain your metabolism throughout the day by not slouching into a kyphotic position over your computer and being sedentary throughout the day.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk instead of using a car, if possible. Use a Swiss ball instead of a chair when you’re at your desk. Do 10 pushups, 10 half-squats and 10 jumping jacks every half an hour.

Not only will the short bursts of activity wake you up from the daily daze of monotony, but the short exercise sessions will work your muscles too.

8. Stay hydrated
Drinking sufficient water throughout the day has been shown to increase one’s active metabolism. The colder the water, the better. So, guzzle down those glasses of iced water.

9. Change up your activities
The human body is a highly intelligent and adaptive organism. If you subject it to the same workouts every week, it will get more efficient at handling the workouts. This is why you see improvements in performance.

To stimulate your body’s metabolism, it would be a good idea to keep it guessing. Do new exercises and engage in a variety of activities. If you do CrossFit today, try indoor rock climbing the next day. A spinning class the day after that will be a refreshing change too. What’s next?

Kickboxing classes, rowing machine training, yoga, etc. You’re spoiled for choices. While you don’t have to vary your workouts daily, adding a new activity once a week will keep your body in ‘constantly adapting’ mode.

10. Slow your movements
This is applicable to weight training. When lifting weights, it’s best to check your ego at the door and stop comparing the size of your muscles with others. Some people have a natural tendency to want to lift the most weight just for bragging rights.

Very often, form goes out the window and jerky movements are used to lift weights that are far too heavy for them. This is counterproductive.

Instead, you should lift weight in a slow and controlled manner. One count to lift the weight up and three counts to slowly lower it. The eccentric phase of the movement stimulates the muscle fibers and causes growth. This will lead to a higher metabolism.

The 10 pointers in this article are highly effective if you apply them.

Warnings

Of course, you should consult your doctor first and tailor an exercise program to fit in with your current level of fitness. If you’ve led a sedentary lifestyle for years or you’re obese, you’ll not be able to handle high intensity training initially. It will be best to walk more, clean up your diet and lose several pounds till harder exercise becomes possible.

Once you’re lighter and can move more fluidly, you can apply the more ‘hardcore’ tips mentioned here. What matters is that you make exercise a part of your daily lifestyle.
You have everything to gain from it. The only bad workout is the one that didn’t happen.

Get moving today.

Health And Fitness

Great Fitness Tips For Better Health Now!

People all have their own preferences for getting fit and there are as many ways to motivate yourself towards getting fit as there are people thinking about it. Here are some suggestions you may find useful.

Challenge

The concept of fitness is about much more than just losing weight. Losing weight is a part of the puzzle that is fitness, but only one piece. To truly become fit you must push yourself further than before. Your body becomes used to a certain level of fitness and will begin to slacken off. In order to stay fit, you must keep challenging your body.

Rest

While it may seem counter-intuitive, an extremely important part of a fitness regimen is a regular rest day. This gives your muscles a chance to repair any damage they have suffered. If you don’t take a regular rest day, you are likely to suffer a damaging injury. It also held to keep you motivated, as constantly working and exercising can be extremely tiring and demotivating, so rest for motivation too.

Improve Fitness

You really only need six simple exercises to improve fitness. These exercises are the push up, squats, leg raises, pull ups, bridges, and handstand push ups.

No Pain

When working out some soreness is normal, but pain is not. Working out is often uncomfortable as you are working to increase your endurance and limits; however, it should not be outright painful. If you ever experience severe pain when working out, stop what you are doing immediately. If the pain does not subside, head to the doctor, as you may have suffered an injury.

Cardio

A really good way to get fit is to join a boxing gym. Boxers are some of the fittest athletes in the world and by joining a boxing gym, you’ll have access to all of the resources they have. Hitting a speed bag is just one of the things you can do. One of the fitness exercises in boxing is skipping. It takes only a rope and enough space to swing it. This will definitely improve your cardio fitness if you practice it regularly. Try skipping for a minute, then resting a minute, working up to skipping 3 minutes (a full round) then a minute’s rest.

Marathon

One way to motivate yourself to get fit, is to sign up for a marathon. Participating in a marathon can be a once in a lifetime opportunity and you’ll definitely get fit from the training. If you have the discipline to train for a marathon, it can be a great way to get a high level of overall fitness.

Professional Help

Another way to get fit is to consult with a professional bodybuilder. A lot of bodybuilders have their own web sites where they offer a service that gives you the opportunity to pay to have your own consultation with them. You can get their experienced advice on your diet and workout routine. Working along with someone who has the knowledge and experience, especially if you are paying for their time, is a great motivation to attend the training sessions and work at it.

Personal trainers are often a valuable thing for those truly committed to raising their fitness. Personal trainers have a wealth of experience to draw from. Personal trainers don’t mesh with everyone’s style, but they can have a huge effect on a person’s fitness results.

Think Outside The Box

Think outside the box when it comes to your weight loss and fitness goals. Instead of doing the same boring things like running, walking, push ups, etc. try something fun. Why not take a dance class? There are tons of fun classes you can take that will whip you into shape. Yoga, martial arts, circuit training, sports are all different fun ways that can motivate you to improve your fitness.

Buddy System

A great way to help you get fit is to find a workout buddy. Workout buddies are great because they can lend you motivation when you need it and they can spot you when you’re lifting weights. If you’re going to be lifting heavy weights, a workout partner is strongly recommended. Or you could join a group fitness class. Try to get a friend to join with you so that you feel more obligated to go. This is so much more fun than working out alone and it will prompt you to work out more often.

Of course instead of a workout buddy, you could take the walkout buddy!

Measurements

Keep your body measuring on a regular schedule. You need to keep track of your progress after a set amount of time and keep doing it to see what is working and what is not. It is recommended that you measure every four weeks or so. Take measurements of waist size, body fat, etc. Seeing these numbers will give you motivation to stay on track and achieve your goals.

Use math as a motivation tool. Multiply the amount of times you are lifting a weight by the mass of the weight to get your exercise number. Try to improve on that number every time you work out to give yourself a challenge and to keep yourself coming back to the gym.

The longer you exercise, the more fat you will burn off at the gym. So, when you are working out at the gym or at home, make sure that you are listening to good music. Music should be uplifting, which can give you the motivation to push harder to reach your goal. Music is one of the most important things to add to your regimen if you desire to improve your level of fitness. Bring an MP3 player with you and listen to songs that are going to help your level of motivation. This can help stimulate adrenaline, which will increase the length of your workouts.

Meet That Challenge

Although getting fit will certainly be a challenge, don’t let that scare you off. If you follow the tips presented here and take things step by step, you will quickly find that you can reach all of the goals you have set for yourself. This will cause you to have more confidence and enjoy life more.

8 Tips To Get Fitter

Keeping fit does not mean you have to turn into an exercise buff or a vegan! Use these following fitness tips to add activity that you can handle in your everyday life. Being fit is a life long goal and even if you have fallen off the fitness wagon, you can jump back on! You just have to start. Start every day if you need to.

Finding a fitness buddy can motivate you to keep working out. By finding someone to work out with, you can have someone to talk to, hang out with, and hold yourself accountable to. You are less likely to skip out on a workout if you are supposed to meet someone there.
In order to get the most out of your weight lifting fitness routine, be sure to only use a weight belt when it is absolutely necessary. Wearing a weight belt can actually diminish the strength needed in your abs and back, leading to a higher possibility of injury in the future.
Running is one of the best forms of exercise you can do to get into shape. Try your best to at least attempt a jog every other day or so. You can slowly increase your pace and before you know it, you’re burning a lot of calories. When it comes to running it’s all a mind-set, so get your mind strong and your body will follow.
One very important tip for living healthy is to get an adequate amount of exercise. You should aim to do both aerobic training and strength training at least three times per week. Doing both of these can help reduce cardiovascular risk, obesity, and diabetes. Exercise has also been proven to reduce stress and depression.
If you dread the very idea of performing multiple sets of chin ups, try looking at it this way: rather than focusing on the effort needed to pull your entire body weight up, think about the effort needed just to pull your elbows down. Surprisingly, this makes the entire workout seem somewhat easier.
When playing baseball or softball, you can hit more home runs by swinging at high pitches with a small uppercut. When swinging high in this manner, you are using your hip and midsection muscles to assist in the power of your swing instead of simply using your hands and arms to power the ball.
A great fitness tip is to start doing chin-ups. Chin-ups are one of the best exercises you can do because they target more than one muscle group. They are great for building up your lat muscles, biceps, forearms, and even your abdominal muscles. They are very effective just by using your body weight. If you can’t lift your full weight at first, use a step or find one of the machines that gives you a boost, then start toning it down as you get stronger.
Exercise at least once a day. Exercising decreases body fat and tones and strengthens muscles, therefore causing weight loss. Start off by doing strenuous exercise for about five minutes, then each day after, add a little more time, working your way up to 30 minutes. Once you are able to exercise for 30 minutes, try exercising for a longer period of time or more strenuously.

As you have read, being fit and adding a little fitness in your life is not going to be that hard! You can add these simple activities throughout your day and gradually make yourself a fitter and healthier person by engaging in these simple activities to get you going!

Fitness Motivation

Some people think you need iron self-discipline to follow your chosen fitness routine. But really, it’s all about tapping into your own desires for fitness and being creative about that. Here are some tips for keeping your fitness routine in the front of your brain, every day, so your inner couch slouch can’t make you “forget” it.

Keep It In Sight

Lay out your fitness gear each night before you go to bed, so it’s the first thing you see when you get up. Whether its trainers or shorts, make those the first thing your sleepy brain can lay its hands on when you get up. If you have exercise items in your house, like a yoga mat or exercise ball, place them where you will use them as move round the house. Put coloured dots or stickers on your bathroom mirror or inside a cupboard door to remind you to balance on one foot while cleaning your teeth, for instance. Keep dumbbells next to your phone so you can use them while talking. Put an exercise routine sheet on the coffee table, so you can practise stretches or body weight exercises while watching the TV.

Get The Right Clothes

That doesn’t mean squads of money on a new fashion look, it means having enough of the useful stuff. If you are going to lay out your exercise clothes each night, you need to have them clean and ready to go. Get a few extra sets of shorts, tops or whatever, so you don’t have to think about where your clean set is. Make exercise an important part of your life. You know you wouldn’t skimp on clothes for work or social events. You say you think exercise is important? Then demonstrate your commitment to it, make exercise just as important as your work or social lives.

Get An Exercise Buddy or Group

Find someone, or a group of someones who want the same exercise goal as you. You won’t want to let them down and that can push you to attend classes or go for a jog or cycle when your couch slouch would rather stay in bed. You also get a social workout in the same time, which can help with moods and feelings, more so than similar social interactions on media.

Keep A Fitness Journal

If you don’t know where you started or how you are doing, then how will you know whether you are achieving your goals? Keep a record. You can keep your journal or record physically or online. And you can share it or not as you choose. Keeping an online record of your fitness routine in a place where others can see it can keep you committed and accountable and help you feel supported in your decision to exercise. You may find an exercise buddy or some cheerleaders to keep you going when motivation is low. If a journal or social record keeps you committed then make it a part of your daily routine. If you want something less exacting, keep a motivation chart where you can tick off the reps or the minutes or the miles. You can always transfer the info to social media or a journal later. It’s keeping the records that keeps you going.

Painful Penalties

You know that failing to exercise has health implications down the line but if those far-off negative consequences don’t lift you off your franny, then set some public commitments to pay a penalty or make a donation to a cause you don’t support if you fail to achieve your goal or stick to your routine. Whatever your goal, to lose a certain amount of weight or to exercise so many times a week or run or swim a certain distance daily or weekly, if you post it publicly, together with your chosen penalty, you can help yourself stick to your chosen path because the immediate negative consequences and tougher to you than getting your exercise done. There are sites where you provide your credit card info and you get charged if you don’t reach your goal!

Challenge Your Friends To A Contest

This takes the exercise buddy or group a stage further. Hold a competition between yourselves to see who can achieve your joint goals best, whether that is to lose a percentage of body weight, raise money for charity from entering sponsored events, move the greatest number of miles or laps, whatever floats your boat and suits your fitness levels. Of course, there is no point in setting a competition for the greatest number of marathons run if none of you can run any but you could enter local 5K and 10K runs or fun runs or even stage your own events. If you want to increase the sense of competition, charge a fee, pool a kitty or set some money aside and announce the results regularly, whether it’s each week, each month or every couple of months. That keeps the motivation and the sense of competition high. Competition is fun, provided it doesn’t get TOO serious and you are all encouraging each other. If you have to do it yourself, create a motivation chart for your own goals, record what you do and pay yourself for each goal you achieve daily, weekly, etc. The amount soon adds up to a nice sum you can use to treat yourself.

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