Exercise

Warm Up To Work Out

Suppose you were told that you only had to add an extra five to 10 minutes to each of your workouts in order to prevent injury and lessen fatigue. Would you do it? Most people would say yes. Then they might be surprised to learn that they already know about those few minutes called a warm-up. If done correctly, a pre-exercise warm-up can have a multitude of beneficial effects on a person's workout and, consequently, their overall health.

What happens in your body?
When you begin to exercise, your cardio respiratory and neuromuscular systems and metabolic energy pathways are stimulated. Muscles contract and, to meet their increasing demands for oxygen, your heart rate, blood flow, cardiac output and breathing rate increase. Blood moves faster through your arteries and veins, and is gradually routed to working muscles. Your blood temperature rises and oxygen is released more quickly, raising the temperature of the muscles. This allows the muscles to use glucose and fatty acids to burn calories and create energy for the exercise. All of these processes prepare the body for higher-intensity action.

Specifically, a gradual warm-up...

• Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body temperature

• Produces faster, more forceful muscle contractions

• Increases your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working muscles more quickly  

• Prevents injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles

• Gives you better  muscle control by speeding up your neural message pathways to the muscles  

• Allows you to work  out comfortably longer because all your energy systems are able to adjust to  exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood

• Improves joint range  of motion

• Psychologically  prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your arousal and focus on  exercise
  

Where to begin
Your warm-up should consist of two phases: 1) progressive aerobic activity that utilizes the muscles you will be using during your workout, and 2) flexibility exercises. Choosing which warm-up activity to use is as easy as slowing down what you will be doing during your work-out.
For example, if you will be running, warm up with a slow jog, or if you will be cycling outdoors, begin in lower gears.
An ideal intensity for an aerobic warm-up has yet to be established, but a basic guideline is to work at a level that produces a small amount of perspiration, but doesn't leave you feeling fatigued. The duration of the warm-up activity will depend on the intensity of your workout as well as your own fitness level.
After the aerobic warm-up activity you should incorporate flexibility/stretching exercises. Stretching muscles after warming them up with low-intensity aerobic activity will produce a better stretch since the rise in muscle temperature and circulation increases muscle elasticity, making them more pliable. Be sure to choose flexibility exercises that stretch the primary muscles you will be using during your workout.

Make the time
In order to fully reap the benefits of the time you are spending exercising, you must warm up. Taking those extra few minutes to adjust to increased activity will ensure a better performance from your body and, in turn, will make your workout more efficient, productive and, best of all, enjoyable.

Successful Weight Control

It's not just cutting calories
Eating less, or cutting back on fat in your diet, won't keep the weight off. What you really need to do is strike a good balance between the number of calories you consume and the number you burn. And the only way to do that is to exercise. Don't groan! By exercising, you can lose weight while you eat more calories than if you simply went on a diet. Regular physical activity is much more effective at keeping the weight off in the long run than any diet.

One choice is aerobic exercise
With aerobic exercise, you can lose weight without drastically reducing the calories you consume or sacrificing important nutritional needs. One reason for this is because aerobic exercise not only elevates your metabolism while you're exercising, it can also keep it elevated even after you're done, depending of course on how long and how strong you exercise. You've probably heard about exercise programs that actually turn your body into a "fat-burning machine." Aerobics can do that. An aerobic program you stick with can help you lose weight easier because it can stimulate your body and make it burn calories. If weight control is your goal, some types of aerobic activity will work better than others. Low-impact aerobics, like walking, step aerobics and low-impact aerobic dance are your best bets. Some good no-impact aerobic activities you can benefit from include swimming, bicycling and rowing. If you're just getting started, begin with as little as 15 minutes of low-impact aerobics three times a week. Gradually increase to 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity four times a week.

Strength training = weight management
Your muscles burn calories during physical activity. What you may not know is your muscles also burn calories when your body is at rest. Increase your muscle mass, and you'll be increasing your body's capacity to burn calories both during activity and at rest. Add to that the research that shows diets that restrict calories substantially can cause the loss of lean muscle mass, along with the loss of fat. By incorporating strength training into your activity program, as well as following a moderate diet, you'll be able to maintain lean muscle mass while you lose fat. Start any strength-training program with one set of exercises and a weight that allows you to complete eight to 12 repetitions. Your program should exercise your legs, arms, chest and upper back. If you want to strengthen your stomach and lower back, increase the number of repetitions with weights that offer less resistance.

Success means good eating and good exercise
Follow a moderate low-fat diet and an exercise program that combines aerobic activity and strength training. That's the key to losing weight -- and keeping it off. Begin slowly with exercises you find comfortable and build as your body becomes accustomed to the activity level. Don't start out too hard or too fast. Chances are you may injure yourself or quit before you've done yourself much good. And remember, you can't lose weight overnight. Set a realistic weight-loss goal for yourself -- like one to two pounds a week -- eat healthy, get going on a program of regular physical activity, and you'll be delighted by what you accomplish. Maintaining a lower, healthier body weight is something you can accomplish. So start now and keep on going!

Source: American Council on Exercise