Category: Exercise (Page 34 of 34)

As if exercising wasn’t already important…

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune cited a publishing in the American Journal of Medicine that calculated more than 18 million American men over age 20 are affected by erectile dysfunction.

One common link to ED? Poor eating and not enough exercise:

Almost 90 percent of the studied men with dysfunction had at least one risk factor for heart disease, such as diabetes, hypertension, poor cholesterol levels or smoking. They also were less likely to have had strenuous exercise within the month prior to the study.

“This may be a powerful motivator for male patients who may be at risk for cardiovascular disease or who have diabetes,” said Elizabeth Selvin, lead author and a faculty member in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Epidemiology. “It’s another reason to get off the couch and exercise and eat well.”

Within that same article, it notes how men tend to put things off. Maybe hearing about potential sexual issues will start waking some of us up to a healthier lifestyle. I don’t know about anybody else, but having sexual problems down the road is nothing I want to contend with. If eating right and weekly exercise will keep my heart ticking and sexual life active, I’m game.

Fight the quit

So, I’m a few chapters into this book by Richard J. Machowicz called “Unleash the Warrior Within” and I stumble on something he refers to as “Verbal Command Request”.

Machowicz is a former SEAL member and the creator of Bukido, which is a training system designed to get over fears or obstacles that stand in the way of accomplishing what your really want in life. I’m always looking for books or articles that help me stay focused in life, and this one seems decent.??

Anyway, Machowicz refers to VCR as ‘a command you use on yourself or another that is structured in a specific way to elicit a known result’. Basically, a short phrase that you use to help you focus, relax or possibly build adrenaline.

I thought it was a little corny, but I’m at the gym yesterday busting out some dead lifts and my mind starts to quit. I’m fatiguing and I’m thinking of just moving on to something else. Just then, a phrase (maybe from a movie?) pops into my head: “Can’t quit, won’t quit”. Suddenly, my focus came back, I was rejuvenated and I finished out the rest of the set. I kept repeating the phrase throughout my workout and ended up having a great day at the gym. It’s like the phrase wouldn’t allow me to shut it down without finishing what I came to do.?

I thought I would share this, because we all battle mental demons on a daily basis. Our bodies are capable of so much if our minds are right. And you never know what will get you through a tough workout, a hard day at work or any other obstacle. So try the VCR method, you might be surprised. I know I was.??

Marathons and heart attacks?

Many physicians, including those whose study was published in the journal Circulation, believe there is such a thing as too much exercise.? 60 Boston Marathon participants were screned before the 2004 and 2005 races.? They showed normal cardiac function.

The same subjects were tested again after the races. 60% of them had elevated troponin levels.? Troponin is a marker in the blood used to help diagnose a heart attack, and to detect mild to severe heart injury.? Troponin tests are ordered primarily for people who have chest pain to see if there is damage to the heart.? 40% of the participants who had elevated trponin levels had levels at or above the decision limit for acute myocardial necrosis.? Meaning, some heart tissue, as in a heart attack, possibly died.??

Conclusion: DON’T OVERDO IT.? Extreme endurance events are associated with cardiac dysfunction in several studies, especially for those with less training.

Don’t let common workout myths detour your main goal

On a whole, we all have it within ourselves to want to be healthy, be fit and look our best. However, it’s easy to get sidetracked by bad advice or information overload. The most common problem some of us face is that we think we have to find a magical workout regime or a diet that’s tailor made for us.

The truth of the matter is that any workout that continuously challenges are body and mind will work. Don’t get hung up on what specific exercises will work best for you, because then it’s easier to lose focus. Just pick out a regime from a magazine or online article or talk to someone that you trust that has had success in the gym to build you a plan. Knowing the fundamentals in the gym, changing up your workout every four to six weeks and of course having a proper diet will get you on the right track. And keep you there.??

For more workout myths and facts, including whether or not muscle will turn into fat, sweating means you’re losing weight and if working out when you’re injured actually is beneficial, check out this article from msnbc.com.

New Year’s approaches

The New Year will be here before you know it.? Many?people are already thinking about possible resolutions.? Unfortunately, many do not follow through?with their resolutions.??A big contributor to failure is a lack of knowledge.??The vast majority of?people who?join a gym do not have the tools necessary to stay on track.

Equally important, and?Perhaps more important than the workout itself, are the following guidelines:

1. There is no “off season”
Understand that getting into shape has no down time. Losing body fat, gaining muscle or just wanting to be healthy must be a lifestyle. If you don’t make changes in your lifestyle, you are destined for failure.

2. Visualize your ultimate goal
Your mind can be your greatest ally on the road to success.

3. Big Goals, Little Goals
To reach your big goals, you must set small goals. These small goals must be made daily and weekly. Simply establish your nutrition and workout goals for each day and each week. Take your big goals and segment them into smaller, more attainable goals.

4. Keep a Journal?
In your road to fitness, you must track your successes and failures and constantly monitor your progress.

This goal setting process is essential if one wishes to attain?their fitness goals.? With the above guidelines, your chance of success is greatly improved.? Without them, you are doomed.

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