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Caffeine is that magical drug that wakes many of us up in the morning and keeps us alert late in the day. But did you know that this widely-consumed drug can also enhance your exercise performance? In fact, athletes have been using caffeine as a performance-enhancer for more than 30 years, and many nutritional supplements and beverages are effective primarily for their caffeine content. Caffeine is a stimulant, and is…
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Gyms are great. I love putting on gym clothes, walking to my car, driving 20 minutes, finding a parking sport, doing 30 minutes of cardio, performing a weightlifting circuit, and then heading back out in the cold to drive home again (it’s really cold where I live right now). Since I have so much time to kill in my life, I try to take a one hour workout and turn…
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The rise in “functional” exercises in recent years, or that which emphasizes exercises that transfer to real-life movements, has produced a nation of fitter, more athletic women. The days of women going to the gym, lightly working out on a cardio machine, and performing a few resistance training exercises on machines are becoming a thing of the past. Instead, more and more women are performing high-intensity circuit training, and even…
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The next time you’re exercising, take some time to notice what your mind is doing. What are you thinking about, if anything? Are you focusing on the activity at hand, or are you lost in the sounds of your iPod? Are you aware of the sensations in your body, or are you intently focused on a newscast on one of the monitors above the treadmill? What you are focusing on during…
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This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.
Ever walked into the cardio room at your gym and instantly felt overwhelmed by the various types of machines strewn throughout it? Whether you are just starting out at the gym or have been a long time member, chances are there’s a cardio machine you…
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Winter is quickly approaching and now is the time to get in shape for your favorite winter sport. Not only will training and preparation allow you to enhance performance and perform longer, you will be less likely to incur an injury. Consistent exercise will definitely prove beneficial, but to maximize your accomplishments on the slopes, consider varying your routine to include exercises from the following categories.
Aerobic Exercise (Cardio)
Cardiovascular…
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Elliptical machines are the second highest selling fitness machine, second only to treadmills. But why? What is so great about the elliptical trainer? Who can benefit from this mode of aerobic exercise? Why is it not for everyone? I hope to at least begin to answer some of these questions through the following list of “pros” and “cons”.
PROS
Low impact – The elliptical puts less stress on the joints…
The following is a guest post by Rafi Bar-Lev who a fitness fanatic and the founder of the community fitness site, Passionate Fitness – Fitness Tips. Check it out!
There are probably millions of people in the world who are wrongly convinced that to get in amazing shape, they need to spend hours everyday in the gym. Fortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, it’s possible that spending…
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Running is one of the most basic forms of cardiovascular exercise. With swimsuit season around the corner, its time to hit the treadmill and get toned all over. Get the basics for running on the treadmill the right way first, then add some fun moves to build up your workout.
Treadmill Exercise
Walking and running on a treadmill can cut down on a lot of the impact and force through…
Everyone is looking for ways to decrease the amount of stress in their lives. Why not decrease the amount of stress in your exercise routine as well and find a new way to have fun. Aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease stress, increase blood flow and improve your psychological disposition. While repetitive, pounding aerobic workouts such as running, jumping, competitive contact sports or plyometric training can be stressful on…
The Anatomy
There is somewhere around 640 skeletal muscles in the human body. Skeletal muscle is a complex network of muscle fibers, connective tissue, nervous tissue, and blood vessels. The connective tissue forms a framework of support by surrounding individual muscle fibers, bundles of muscle fibers (called fascicles), and finally the individual muscles that are made up of these fascicles. Another type of connective tissue, called fascia, plays an integral…
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Have you ever noticed that professional athletes wear heart rate monitors when they train? I figured that since the pros are doing it, there must be a good reason for it. Here are my reasons why I wear one and why you should wear one too:
The Heart is the Most Important Muscle
I’m sure if you have been working out for a while, you are familiar with the concept…
