Athletes
The dietary needs of athletes are different than that of people who don’t partake in sporting activities. The best way for athletes to achieve their peak performance is by eating a balanced diet while paying particular attention to carbohydrates and proteins. Athletes achieve most from carbohydrates that are stored in the body. Exercise also increases the need for protein. In order to meet increased energy needs athletes require more than the minimum number of servings recommended for people.
Carbohydrates
During exercise the body uses carbohydrates to provide energy. In moderate exercise carbohydrates provide up to 40 or 50 percent of the energy requirement. As exercise intensity increases even more carbohydrates are used. The body breaks down carbohydrates during digestion to glucose, which is then stored in muscles. Complex carbs are best for long-term energy requirements. These foods include potatoes, pasta, cereals and other grain products. Simple carbohydrates can be found in fruits, honey, milk and sugar. For high-level athletes it is often recommended to eat a high-carb diet two to three days before the event.
Fats
Fat is another source of fuel for the body. Some fat is metabolized for use in moderate exercise in addition to that of carbohydrates. For exercise that lasts longer than about an hour the body starts to use more fats for energy. During prolonged aerobic exercise it is thought that as much as 75 percent of the energy used may come from fats.
Proteins
Protein is another, lesser source of energy for the body. Extra protein is stored in the body as fat. Exercise may increase the need for protein in athletes. For athletes the current recommendation is to eat 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kg of body weight each day. A varied diet should provide more than enough protein. Too much protein can be harmful to the athlete as it may increase the need for water consumption and lead to dehydration.
Water
Water is as important for the athlete as other nutrients. Exercise increases the need for water. Athletes should start their exercise routine well hydrated and continue to replace lost water during exercise. Electrolyte beverages can be used after exercise.
Vitamins and Minerals
Thiamin, riboflavin and B vitamins are used by the body in conjunction with carbohydrates and proteins to provide energy to the body. Most nutritionists believe that the body will get enough of these vitamins from a well-balanced diet. Minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium and sodium also play an important part in producing the body’s energy. Excess amounts of sodium should be avoided. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains provide an adequate supply of minerals to the body.
Working out with weights
Working out with weights is a quick way to stay fit. 20 minutes 3 times a week is all it takes to improve your physique. You can either do this at a gym or at home. You can hire a professional trainer or use videos and a manual.
If you are planning to work out at home, you can use a universal machine like a Bowflex. This will allow you to do a complete work out without having to keep too much equipment. The Bowflex is easy to use, as you do not have to lift weights to adjust the machine. It works by using rods to increase resistance. It is also simple to use. .
You will need to be careful when you use weights that you do not do too much too fast. This can cause strain and injury. It is wise to seek professional help from a trainer, to begin with, so that you know what to do. Manuals and videos are good to carry on with your routines.
You may of course want to go to the gym to do this. You will get expert advice here and be able to learn exactly how much weight to use and for how long. It is also necessary for you to monitor your stress levels carefully when working with weights so that you do not get undue strain. You should work up to your own levels and work at your own pace.
It is important to drink enough water. If you do not do this you will get build up of lactic acid, as your fat cells get broken down. This in turn leads to pain and aches in your muscles.
Diet is an important part of keeping fit and especially if you use weights. You should be careful to eliminate junk food and decrease carbohydrates and fats. You should increase fiber in your diet and also protein, minerals and vitamins.
As you can see it does not take too long to stay fit with weights and providing you understand the safty rules it is very effective.
The Importance Of Staying Fit
In the old days there were not that many ways to exercise available to the average person but now there are so many choices available that you can find it quite confusing. Added to this our lives have become so busy that it is hard to find time to look after ourselves and stay fit.
However staying fit is very important. When you are young you do not really think about your health, but if you do not take care, it will definitely come back on you as you age. The simple fact of aging will bring inevitable ailments in its wake. However if you are careless about your health when you are young these ailments will be more and you may find small things developing into much larger problems.
Looking after our health and keeping fit becomes even more important as we get older. If we keep fit throughout our lives we will be able to combat the problems of old age better. This will allow us to enjoy our lives further and do more things.
Many people make excuses that they do not have time to stay fit and look after themselves but this is merely a poor excuse for neglecting your health. It takes as little as 20 minutes a day 3 times a week. This really is very little time when you think of what is at stake. It is just a question of organizing your day and prioritizing your tasks. When you do this you will find you have more free time, and certainly enough to spare for working out.
Another factor in keeping fit is diet. It does not take any time to eat better and healthier. It is just a question of taking a few minutes to think about it and deciding to change.
One thing that you do need to find time to do is get enough sleep. This is a very important factor in keeping fit. Most of us do not take enough care to get our correct amount of sleep and our health suffers because of it. it is very important to take time from your busy day to recuperate and sleep.
Quick ways to get a great 6 pack
Part of staying fit is getting rid off extra weight and fat. Working on getting good abs, or a “6 pack” is one way to do this. It does not take very long to do, just 20 minutes a day 3 times a week. It is easy to work this short time into your schedule and have some great abs to show for it.
The important thing to remember about abs is that you will be able to achieve your goals quicker if you keep these few points in mind:
You must reduce body fat: If you do not do this then your abs will just develop under the fat and will not be shown. The quickest way to reduce fat and keep it off is to change your diet. There is no need to go on the latest diet just change your eating habits. The easiest way to do this is to go natural. By this means you will reduce carbohydrates and fats plus increase proteins, mineral and vitamins. You can do this by cutting out junk food, sugar and refined foods. Instead, eat foods that are high in fiber and nutrients, like whole grains foods, fruits and vegetables.
Make sure you increase the protein in your diet: You can do this by taking protein supplements like whey. This is a natural product so is safe to use. You should be careful not to over dose on proteins as they can hurt your kidneys when too much is taken. You should take no more than 1 gram to every 1 oz of lean body weight per day.
Make sure you do a basic work out combined with abs crunches. As crunches alone will not get you the results you need. if necessary take advice from a professional trainer.
With these few points you can have a great 6 pack in about 6 weeks. As well as being fit and healthy you will also look good and have something to show for it. It is well worth your while to spend just a small part of your day to stay healthy and fit.
Quick cardio exercises
Cardio exercises will help you stay fit and do not take long to do. They are divided into slow and high intensity categories. The slow ones take a little more time (45 minutes) and the fast ones 20-30 minutes. It is best to do a combination of both. The whole routine will not take longer than 1 1/2 hours. When this is done on a daily basis you will find yourself in better health.
Here are some slow cardio work outs:
1. Brisk walks: This will be most effective when you walk at a good pace.
2. Step Aerobics: Adjust this to your own pace and resistance level
3. Bicycling: Can be done outside, weather permitting, or on an exercise bike.
4. Running: This is a popular workout and can be adjusted to your own pace
5. Swimming: this is fun to do and can be done outside, weather permitting, or in an indoor pool.
6. Stairs: Of course just walking up and down stairs a few times is also a good workout.
High intensity cardio workouts:
1. Skipping: is quick and easy to do. You will need to work up to 15-20 minutes a day, to make this effective
2. Sprinting: Taking short fast runs, together with jogging is very effective.
3. Spinning exercises: There are a number of these that can be done, you can do these at your local gym or practice some at home.
Cardio exercises do not take much time and little if any equipment. This makes them the ideal way to workout when you have a busy schedule. It is important to drink plenty of water when you workout and when you feel tired do not sit but walk around slowly.
Keep yourself fit by doing combinations of these cardio exercises. As you can se they do not take long and will keep you healthy and fit. This will enable you to feel better and surprisingly, have more energy to do more in your busy day. So have fun with these exercises and know that you are doing something that is good for you and will improve your health and well-being.
Organizing your time
A wise man once said that time is like money. Once wasted can never get back. There are many time management workshops conducted all over town and websites have been dedicated for the same. A lot of brouhaha goes on about time management and enough people have made money writing on this subject. This is no rocket science. It’s as simple as knowing what you are doing and when.
For college students it is essential to manage their time so that they can study for a longer time as well as feel relaxed. Bring time-saving techniques into your lives with dozens of self-assessments, charts, checklists, and planning worksheets to evaluate and use time more productively.
For working persons prioritizing their schedule and knowing their goals and ambitions can give the right perspective. Once your goals are identified, you can very easily set a timetable for yourself. Try to delegate work effectively. Indecision and dilly dallying over matters should be avoided. Plan your day the night before so that you are clear in your mind as to what to expect the next morning. Lack of planning leads to stress and fatigue. Be firm and learn to say ’No’ at work place. Keep your telephonic conversations to the minimum. Wasting time on phone always delays and piles up the work.
Keep visitors and friends for weekends. Sometimes when you have inadequate information the job on hand gets delayed. Keep yourself updated and work with complete information in hand.
Fortunately these are strategies you can use to manage your time, be more in control and reduce stress, but you can analyze your time and see how you may be both the cause and the solution to your time challenges.
At home also all these above mentioned techniques can be put into practice. Talking on the phone with friends and relatives can delay many jobs. You can always keep something in the oven and then speak on the phone. These way two things can be done simultaneously. Make time for a visit to the beauty salon (leave your laundry on the way) and to a gym to keep your body and mind in tune together. This is very essential in today’s hectic world.
Being a homemaker is no mean task. It requires the skill sets of a successful manager. So organize your schedule and see that you have enough time to even see your favorite flick at a nearby cinema hall.
Motivating yourself
Where there is a will, there is a way!
Children, naturally remain active, and it takes a while before they compose themselves and walk straight on the road, instead of hopping, skipping and jumping from one room to another under the same roof!
Even as adolescence, the pressure of remaining slim and acquiring an hour-glass figure, especially in case of women is so overwhelming, that even a favorite flavor of ice-cream becomes a taboo. However, after marriage and a couple of children, we enjoy plunking down the office chair, in front of the idiot box, and dream we too possessed the kind of figure Jane Fonda would be envious of! As complacency sets in, lethargy overtakes our enthusiasm to kick the flab.
However, when mid-life crisis begins, men and women begin to respond to the wake-up call and begin a routine of early morning jogs, join yoga to combat lethargy, cut down on fats to reduce cholesterol etc. At this stage, the reason for being weight conscious is ‘Health’. But what a world of a difference a slim and trim body can make if people were weight conscious even in their 30’s!
How to get motivated? First of all, to get into shape like any other goal, we need to actually want it. Gyms across the globe advertise their claims and the younger generation enrolls and enjoys the strenuous exercises along with earth shattering music. Wanting a shapely figure every once in a while is not sufficient. Jessy who started bulging after a delivery, aimed at shedding the accumulated pounds? She shopped for dresses that were a tad too tight for her and were expensive, pretty and alluring. She’d display them prominently in her wardrobe and glance at them often. No, she wasn’t a shopaholic. Wanting to get into those enticing dresses made her control her weight and gradually she started using those attractive clothes. That was a novel way to get motivated.
Liz pasted the pictures of her favorite models on her refrigerator and each time she felt the need to stock her refrigerator, she’d think of the portraits and control her temptations. Yet another young woman who wanted her husband to mind his bulging paunch used to openly admire other slim and trim men. The poor self-conscious man felt so insecure that, he enrolled for a weight reduction program and ensured that his wife was all eyes for only him.
To get started we need to want it first. And if there aren’t other hormonal or health reasons, we can have ingenious ways of getting motivated, but being goal-oriented is the catch!
Finding time to workout
‘Time and tide wait for no man’, a saying most of us are familiar with but don’t know how to manage it. I have heard many people saying there is no time for exercise. This is due to lack of organizing your time schedule.
If you are a working woman with kids or a college student then mornings are busy with breakfast and leaving for school and work. If early in the morning you can squeeze some time before others get up you can go for a quick walk, which will keep you feeling fresh and nice the whole day. As soon as you get up take deep breaths a couple of times and then start with your routine. A few stretching exercises and head movements are enough to start the day with.
Evening after work you can join a gym near your work place so that you can save time. This will rejuvenate not only your body but also your mind. A little time to yourself everyday will go a long way in keeping you fit. Always remember that you need to take care of yourself. Nobody else can do it for you.
Weekends are ideal to join a spinning class or aerobic class. If you are living in an apartment block with a swimming pool and club house, don’t hesitate to use the pool, if not daily at least on weekends. Your kids can also join you and you can spend quality time with your family as well as exercise your body.
Very big businessmen who like to keep themselves fit run in the mornings as early as 4a.m. with security guards in tow. This keeps the mind and body fit and the mood upbeat for them to face their boardroom battles.
Yoga and meditation are also good to keep yourself fit. Some must have had childhood passion for dance but never pursued it due to various reasons. An hour or two during weekends can keep you in shape as well as learn an art, which you so desired. Ultimately there is plenty of time to do everything you wish. It’s only your will and initiative that is required in organizing your schedules as per priorities and activities. This way you end up with enough time in your hands to work out and maintain your hourglass figure much to the envy of your friends and relatives.
Stop procrastinating and get proactive!
If you’ve found yourself putting off important tasks over and over again, you’re not alone. In fact, many people procrastinate to some extent – but some are so persistently affected by procrastination that it stops them from achieving things they’re capable of and disrupts their careers. This leaves a trail of negative thoughts on the mind of the individual and he/ she sulks.
My mother always told me ‘tomorrow never comes’; whatever you wish to do, do it today. We are always postponing issues simply because we are not sure of ourselves or just lazy. Whatever the reason procrastinating is not good in anything including workouts.
Once you can manage your time schedule half your battle is won. When you procrastinate ask yourself why? And you will see that the reason is not so convincing and you may rethink the issue. Usually people procrastinate and put things off which you should be focusing on right now, usually in favor of doing something that is more enjoyable or you’re more comfortable doing.
Procrastinators often work longer hours than others but they invest their time in the wrong tasks. The main reason for this behavior is the fear of failure; poor organizational skills and they camouflage it by saying they are not in ‘mood’!
The first step to overcome procrastination is acceptance. If you realize that you are procrastinating, you should immediately stop what you are doing and tell yourself so.
Secondly analyze and find out the reasons and motivate yourself positively. Believe me peer pressure always helps. Part of the solution is to develop good time management, organizational and personal effectiveness habits. These help you to establish the right priorities, and manage your time in such a way that you make the most of the opportunities open to you.
There is a saying in Hindi, the Indian language “If you are thinking of doing a task tomorrow, do it today, and if you’re thinking of doing it today, do it now”. Be proactive, drive away your demons and get yourself to manage your life in a positive and healthy way.
Setting your goals
Most of us are good at setting goals in our life. Only we don’t follow them. Whether it is in our career or home front or with fitness regime to lose weight setting goals is very important. There are many ways to do it.
The tried and tested method is to write down your goals in a piece of paper and see whether it is realistic. For example if you are overweight do not set an unrealistic time for yourself to shed weight. Write your goal out in complete detail. Write it in a positive way so that when you read it later also you feel motivated to work out.
By all means, make sure your goal is high enough. Shoot for the moon; if you miss you’ll still be in the stars. Make sure the goal you are working for is something you really want, not just something that sounds good.
Setting a goal to join an aerobics class and attend it three times a week makes the weight loss goal a part of the program. You will have set a goal that is achievable almost immediately. This gives you a sense of accomplishment, which is an incentive to setting and achieving the next goal.
Work out with friends or family for added motivation. This way you can have healthy competition and your work out sessions also become interesting. Initially it’s not necessary to work out every day, since your body is not used to the stress. Exercising every other day is a safe and realistic goal.
While setting goals ensure that it is balanced and goes well with your values. Being unrealistic or over ambitious will kill the spirit in you to achieve what you set out to do.
While setting goals see to it that it is not contradicting with your other goals. For example don’t keep a work out schedule of one hour per day when you need to shed only a couple of kilos. Let your goal be in tune with what you want to achieve. Goals keep changing for all of us as time passes and each and every goal is like a stepping-stone to reach the other goal. They give you long-term vision and short-term motivation. They focus your acquisition of knowledge and help you to organize your time and your resources so that you can make the most of your valuable time. Setting goals and achieving them helps build your self-confidence and makes you successful in all your endeavors.
Quick ways to work out – Spinning
Spinning offers a unique and fun workout for all people of all ages, at all levels of fitness. Work out is like your daily dose of supplements. Just as we do our daily routine, work out should also be a part of your daily schedule. For busy people who do not have time to visit a gym, spinning is the best alternative. United States Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice is an avid spinner. She works out everyday and the days she is unable to due to her tight schedule she does a couple of minutes of only spinning to keep in shape. She has maintained herself well, though a little over fifty years of age now.
Spinning helps in reducing the excess at the hips, stomach, thighs and butt. The idea here is to be physically and mentally fit, is the basis of spinning. A person can burn an average of 500 calories in a 40-minute spinning session. Nowadays there are many spinning classes all over the country.
A spinning class consists of a warm-up, a 40-minute moderate to high intensity cardiovascular work out, a cool-down and stretching. Typically, the cycles are set up in separate rooms and the instructor vocally guides riders through various levels of difficulty, describing a mental journey for the participants to visualize. There is soothing music in the background, which makes a person feel relaxed.
There is a heart rate monitor, which is attached to the person while spinning. This gives exact readings of the pace and intensity with which a person is spinning.
Some people by nature who are structurally big made and have a tendency to put on find spinning the best way to reduce weight. Spinning classes are all over the country now and the best ones not only help you in weight reduction but also in keeping your mind relaxed to face a busy day. Many people I have spoken to say that spinning class is the only hour to escape and do something good for their mind, body, and spirit.
The classes provide such a tranquil feel that it is impossible not to escape from your routine, taking time out of each busy day for yourself and working towards your goals.
These classes make you feel stronger, healthier, and more confident. It’s not only a good form of work out but also fun to pedal your way to happiness.
Planning your work out routine
Fitness is just not a fad. It should be a way of life and you should enjoy it thoroughly. Exercise is not only for the body but also to rejuvenate your mind and soul. So it’s very important that you plan out your routine first. Explore your fitness habits, aims and goals. For some it’s enough if they walk a mile or two everyday. For others it might be different. If you don’t have time to go to a gym walking is the best form of exercise to start with. Buy yourself a good pair of walking shoes and start walking. You can make friends while walking and this motivates you further.
Instead of wasting your money enrolling in a weight loss program, hire a fitness video from your lending library and start working out at home. Try getting a massage for yourself once in a while. This really helps relaxing your body and mind. Even a steam bath or sauna, Jacuzzi after a cool shower, a facial and head massage with a couple of light stretching exercises while soaking in a bubble bath can help in reconnecting your physical and mental being.
Another excellent exercise is gardening. Weeding out and mowing the lawns is a very good form of exercise. Plants have a soothing effect on the nerves. Instead of taking the elevator use the staircase. This is another exercise you can do without taking time out for a work out.
Swimming and cycling are two good ways to exercise your whole body. Once you decide what needs to be done, a thirty minute work out per day is good enough to lose the flab and remain chic and trim.
Having a balanced diet will also help in maintaining your weight. Resist temptation to eat sweets and ice creams. Stick to soups, vegetables and fruits. There are many low calorie foods that have flooded the market. Check out your nearby store to get your desired stuff.
All these above mentioned exercises are easy to do and save time. You need not worry and look at your watch to reach the gym on time for your work out. At the same time when you see Angelina Jolie’s figure, the pangs of jealousy would have vanished, as you would be no less slim and beautiful.