Tread Fitness Issue 01

Issue #1

NUTRITION

FOR A

STRONGER

YOU!

BONE HEALTH

Keeping your body structurally stable.

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Issue #1 | Tread Fitness | 1

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contents

Issue #1

Cover Stories

66 | Your Bone Health

Our bones are vital to our health and every activity we

enjoy. Keeping our skeletal structure strong allows us

to enjoy life and be healthy.

30 | Nutrition for a Stronger You

What we eat affects our health and well being. Be

encouraged to maintain healthy eating habits to keep

away the health robbing diseases that keep us from a

long, enjoyable life.

Articles

40 | Building Endurance

Endurance may be more important in our healthy

lifestyle than we think. Enjoying the activities we love,

whether sports, hiking, surfing, or any number of

outdoor adventures, building endurance will help us

more fulfillment and joy in what we do.

28 | You Can’t “Spot Reduce”

Bus Have you ever tried get rid of a little problem area

by only exercising that one, but had zero luck getting

the results you hoped for? Well, there’s a reason for

that.

18 | Going Into Ketosis

Some call it a fad, some call it just another diet, others

call it a way to get results. Many lose weight and meet

their goals through a Keto way of life. Get introduced

to a new way of eating.


66 | Your Bone Health

40 | Building Endurance

46 | Too Much of a Good

Thing

Getting burned out from you level of

exercise? You’re not alone. Here’s

some tips on getting your motivation

back on track and reducing stress.

58 | Bioelectrical Impedance

Maintain muscle tone and body

composition.

66 40

62 | Let’s Play Fitness

24 | Fitness for Beginners

Starting out on a new journey can be

daunting. Here’s a few tips on where to

start in a new fitness program for those

just starting out.

62 | Let’s Play Fitness

Teaching children of all ages to move

and get natural exercise can set the

stage for their entire lives. Here are

some tips on getting the family moving.

52 | Metabolism Tips

Bus Do you want to look good and feel

good? We all know having a strong

metabolism is important to maintaining

good body weight.

54 | Make Healthy Meals

Discover quick healthy tips to cook

healthy meals for you and your family.

37 | Beauty and Fitness

We all want to look good, but real

beauty is not ONLY physical, but

internal as well.

62

30 | Nutrition for a Stronger You

12 | Stretching

Using stretching to stay safe and

strong, not only for your workouts, but

for every activity you do.

15 | Why Muscles Get Sore

Are you noticing your muscles getting

tight and sore? There is a reason for

this, which can be greatly reduced.

Find out how.

30



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Using regular stretching

to stay safe and strong

Simple stretches can be done everyday. It can be incorporated in the

lifestyle and the daily activities. It does not require much of your time.

The importance:

The body is flexible. It is supposed to be flexible. This flexibility is needed

for our simple, everyday tasks, such as picking something off the floor, or

reaching that book you need on the top shelf.

These are simple activities, nothing grand about them, you merely

stretched out a bit. However, if there are difficulties in doing such simple

motions, then you have to stretch your limits. You already need some sort

of stretching routine.

Studies about the benefits of stretching have had both good and bad

results. Some research suggests that stretching does not decrease muscle

pain immediately after exercise, while other research suggests that

holding the stretch slightly longer before a workout may slightly improve

performance.


What most research studies do not show

is whether the improvement is specifically

attributed to the stretching, or if it is caused

by the increased distance the muscles must

extend to reach the next level. Most athletes,

weightlifters and others realize the importance

of stretching, so their performance will

improve, but just how much of an effect can be

attributed to stretching remains somewhat of a

mystery.

Stretching is fairly easy and can be done by

any people, regardless of age. However, the

extent of stretching and flexing differs. The

muscles tighten as a person ages, which can

very well obstruct an on-the-go lifestyle. This is

why stretching regularly as part of a routine is

very important.


Stretching the muscles or joints provides

many physical benefits. When done properly,

it decreases the tension in the muscle or

joint, which provides an increase in flexibility.

The increase in range of motion provided

by stretching also helps to increase the

effectiveness of an exercise. Stretching is

also used to increase overall muscle and joint

mobility. It allows more muscles to be activated

during each repetition of an exercise, which

makes the body work harder and the muscles

work smarter.

Another benefit of stretching regularly is

improved flexibility. As previously mentioned,

stretching improves range of motion, which

allows more muscles to be activated during

each repetition of an exercise. Regular

stretching also helps to strengthen muscles

through elongation, which improves musclestability.

Regular stretching also helps to prevent

injury from occurring. By stretching regularly,

you are better able to avoid overexertion

and injury, which are especially important for

athletes who often work their whole bodies

into motion, frequently changing directions

during each repetition.

There are multiple mechanisms by which

stretching routines increase overall circulation.

The decreased blood flow to muscles is a

common cause of soreness, because increased

circulation allows the injured area to repair

itself more quickly. Additionally, increased

blood flow helps to improve the overall

strength of muscles through recruitment of

more muscle fibers. Finally, the decreased

blood flow that occurs with inflammation is

a mechanism by which stretching routines

increase blood flow to the injured area. The

increased circulation that is caused by an

improved blood flow helps to relieve pain and

prevent further injury.

One of the ways stretching can also help

prevent injury is because of its ability to

improve your posture. Proper posture is

important for your overall health, but many

people neglect their back pain and other


related problems, because they do not train

their bodies to follow proper posture.

Particularly in many of today’s modern jobs,

people spend a lot of time sedentary, even

slumped over a counter, or slouching in a chair.

Most of the time we don’t even think about it

until we’re riddled with back and joint pain.

In order to avoid this trap, it is important

to learn some stretching to improve posture.

Proper posture can improve your balance and

decrease your risk for back pain.

A few other benefits of stretching may

include:

1. Increase the Range of Movement

As one constantly do the stretching

exercises, the length of the muscles and the

tendons are also increased. This will help in

increasing the range of your movement. Thus,

the limbs and joints will be able to move,

way before an injury can take place. You are

definitely physically fit.

2. Increased Ability to Perform Skills

When you have a wide range of movement,

the more you will be able to do more things.

For example, you can jump high without feeling

any pain when you land back on the floor. This

will also help you start a new sport or improve

more if you are in one. Stretching in this aspect

also allows you to have a more active lifestyle.

4. Reduce Muscle Tension

If the muscles are given their regular

exercises and stretching, it is less likely that

they will contract. This will help you avoid

many future muscle pain or problems.

5. Enhance Energy

Being able to move more will also give you

more energy. Stretching will also help enhance

your awareness, like knowing that you have a

body that is capable of doing many things. As

such, you are going to be more driven to move

rather than letting yourself continue to break

down.

So, in conclusion:

Stretching is beneficial to improve your

flexibility, bone density, posture, and blood

flow. These various mechanisms are all related

to decreased risk for injury and pain. There

are numerous stretches that will increase

overall range of motion, improve your balance,

decrease your risk for injury, and improve your

posture.

If you do not know how to properly execute

a specific stretch, it is important to learn how

to correctly perform all stretches in order to

maximize the benefits of each stretch. Proper

stretching is a very important component of

healthy living.

3. Injury Prevention

One can prevent injury to joints, tendons

and muscles with stretching. When the

muscles and tendons are well-flexed, they are

considered in good working order. This will help

in a faster recovery and decreased soreness.

The muscles of the body will be able to take

more exhausting and rigorous movements with

less probability of being injured.


Why muscles

get sore

As people age, they begin to complain more

of pains in their muscles and joints. They seem

to stiffen up with age, and such commonplace

activities as bending over for the morning

paper can make them wince.

Such pain can grip so fiercely that they are

sure it begins deep in their bones. But the

real cause of stiffness and soreness lies not in

the joints or bones, according to research at

the Johns Hopkins Medical School, but in the

muscles and connective tissues that move the

joints.

The frictional resistance generated by the

two rubbing surfaces of bones in the joints is

negligible, even in joints damaged by arthritis.

Flexibility is the medical term used to

describe the range of a joint’s motion from full

movement in one direction to full movement in

the other. The greater the range of movement,

the more flexible the joint.


If you bend forward at the hips and touch

your toes with your fingertips, you have good

flexibility, or range of motion of the hip joints.

But can you bend over easily with a minimal

expenditure of energy and force? The exertion

required to flex a joint is just as important as its

range of possible motion.

Different factors limit the flexibility and ease

of movement in different joints and muscles. In

the elbow and knee, the bony structure itself

sets a definite limit. In other joints, such as the

ankle, hip, and back, the soft tissue—muscle

and connective tissue—limit the motion range.

The problem of inflexible joints and muscles

is similar to the difficulty of opening and

closing a gate because of a rarely used and

rusty hinge that has become balky.

Hence, if people do not regularly move their

muscles and joints through their full ranges of

motion, they lose some of their potential. That

is why when these people will try to move a

joint after a long period of inactivity, they feel

pain, and that discourages further use.

What happens next is that the muscles

become shortened with prolonged disuse

and produces spasms and cramps that can

be irritating and extremely painful. The

immobilization of muscles, as researchers have

demonstrated with laboratory animals, brings

about biochemical changes in the tissue.

However, other factors trigger sore muscles.

Here are some of them:

1. Too much exercise

Have you always believed on the saying,

“No pain, no gain?” If you do, then, it is not so

surprising if you have already experienced sore

muscles.

The problem with most people is that they

exercise too much thinking that it is the fastest

and the surest way to lose weight. Until they

ache, they tend to ignore their muscles and

connective tissue, even though they are what

quite literally holds the body together.


2. Aging and inactivity

Connective tissue binds muscle to bone by

tendons, binds bone to bone by ligaments, and

covers and unites muscles with sheaths called

fasciae. With age, the tendons, ligaments, and

fasciae become less extensible. The tendons,

with their densely packed fibers, are the most

difficult to stretch.

The easiest are the fasciae. But if they are

not stretched to improve joint mobility, the

fasciae shorten, placing undue pressure on

the nerve pathways in the muscle fasciae.

Many aches and pains are the result of nerve

impulses traveling along these pressured

pathways.

3. Immobility

Sore muscles or muscle pain can be

excruciating, owing to the body’s reaction

to a cramp or ache. In this reaction, called

the splinting reflex, the body automatically

immobilizes a sore muscle by making it

contract. Thus, a sore muscle can set off a

vicious cycle pain.

First, an unused muscle becomes sore from

exercise or being held in an unusual position.

The body then responds with the splinting

reflex, shortening the connective tissue

around the muscle. This cause more pain, and

eventually the whole area is aching. One of

the most common sites for this problem is the

lower back.

measured these electrical signals in the

muscles of persons with athletic injuries, first

with the muscle immobilized, and then, after

the muscle had been stretched.

In almost every case, exercises that

stretched or lengthened the muscle diminished

electrical activity and relieved pain, either

totally or partially.

These experiments led to the “spasm

theory,” an explanation of the development

and persistence of muscle pain in the absence

of any obvious cause, such as traumatic injury.

According to this theory, a muscle that

is overworked or used in a strange position

becomes fatigued and as a result, sore muscles.

Hence, it is extremely important to know

the limitations and capacity of the muscles in

order to avoid sore muscles. This goes to show

that there is no truth in the saying, “No pain,

no gain.” What matters most is on how people

stay fit by exercising regularly at a normal range

than once rarely but on a rigid routine.

4. Spasm theory

In the physiology laboratory at the

University of Southern California, some people

have set out to learn more about this cycle of

pain.

Using a device, they measured electrical

activity in the muscles. The researchers knew

that normal, well-relaxed muscles produce no

electrical activity, whereas, muscles that are

not fully relaxed show considerable activity.

In one experiment, the researchers




Going into Ketosis

The Keto Diet

The keto diet has gained immense popularity over the last couple of years.

Thousands of the people who have tried it have made videos and written

articles saying how effective it is and how being in ketosis helped them shed

the excess fat effortlessly.

What is ketosis?

When you go on a keto diet, most of the calories consumed will come from

fat. When starting off, it’s recommended that you consume 70 to 75 percent

of calories in the form of fat. Bacon, coconut oil, salmon, butter, ghee, etc. are

highly recommended.


This alone makes many people panic

because they’ve been led to believe that eating

fatty foods is unhealthy and will raise their

blood cholesterol levels. In reality, it’s not fatty

foods that are the cause of the problem.

The real culprits are sugar, simple carbs and

processed foods.

When you’re on a ketogenic diet, you’re

training your body to use ketones as a fuel

source instead of glucose. Glucose is a ‘lower

grade’ fuel that has several detrimental effects.

Why ketosis works:

Ketones are a cleaner source of fuel and

are produced when your body uses fat for fuel.

This is why people who reach ketosis suddenly

experience mental clarity and more energy. It’s

as if a brain fog has been lifted and they have

abundant energy. There is often the worry that

the body requires carbs to function optimally.

In reality, the 20 to 50 grams of carbs

allowed in the keto diet is more than sufficient.

The human body is more than capable of

producing its own glucose by using the glycerol

properties of fat.

Do we really need carbohydrates?

The human body does not require carbs to

function optimally. While you may consume

vegetables for the fiber and micronutrients,

you really do NOT need carbs like bread, rice,

etc.

By weaning yourself off carbs and burning

glucose for fuel, you’ll avoid many diseases

such as diabetes, high blood pressure,

inflammation, etc. There is no long-term

danger to being on ketosis.

In fact, you’ll be healthier, leaner and have

much more energy. You’ll be at a very low risk

when it comes to getting diseases associated

with glucose. In fact, studies have shown that

cancer cells need glucose to thrive.

When your body is on the keto diet, the

cancer cells are starved of glucose and either

become dormant or just die. Ketosis is that


powerful.

Will ketosis cause muscle loss?

Contrary to popular belief, ketosis does

not cause muscle loss. In fact, it encourages it.

When you’re in a ketogenic diet and combine it

with intermittent fasting, your body produces

more growth hormone.

If you’re engaging in resistance training, you

will gain lean muscle. The body seldom burns

off muscle for fuel. Only during periods of

starvation when it has no choice will the body

choose to catabolize its muscle.

But what about cholesterol?

Here’s the truth – your body produces most

of its cholesterol. Yes, it does. Cholesterol is

used by the body to protect the cells. The fat

you eat in the keto diet doesn’t raise your

cholesterol levels.

Inflammation does. When the cells in

your body are inflamed, the body creates

cholesterol to soothe and protect them.

So what causes inflammation? Sugar and

processed foods. That’s what.

Now you can see that the real culprits are

hiding in plain sight. Fats have gotten a bad

rep, while carbs which are quickly converted to

glucose are hailed as healthy. Being in ketosis

actually reduced your bad cholesterol levels.

And that leaves us with the last worry that so

many people have…ketoacidosis.

The difference between ketosis and

ketoacidosis:

Ketosis is a state where the body burns

ketones for fuel. Ketoacidosis on the other

hand, is a situation where your body has high

levels of sugar and ketones. This can be a lifethreatening

situation.

It usually only affects those who have type

1 diabetes because the body doesn’t produce

insulin to manage the sugar in the blood. Most

people who don’t suffer from type 1 diabetes

will not face this problem.


Ketosis is safe and the keto diet can be

maintained as a lifestyle choice. Most people

who go the keto way swear by it and never look

back. Do note that it’s best to speak to your

doctor before embarking on any diet.

Here’s 5 pointers that you should be aware

of before you start on a keto diet. Let’s see

what they are.

1. It’s NOT a diet, it’s a lifestyle

It may seem contradictory to hear this. After

all, everyone keeps referring to it as the keto

‘diet’. Yet, being on a keto diet is more of a

lifestyle change.

You’re now burning ketones for fuel instead

of glucose. Once you’re in this state, you’ll feel

healthier, more energetic and much better

overall. Ketones are a much cleaner fuel source

for the body. Contrary to popular belief, the

ketosis is safe in the long-term too. Once your

body is keto-adapted, you can be on it as long

as you want.

You may wish to start off slow with the

intermittent diet and aim for a 16 hour fast and

an 8-hour eating window. As you progress, you

can try to increase your fasting window to 18

hours or even 20 hours.

The longer the fasting window, the better

the results. Just ensure that you’re meeting all

your caloric requirements for the day.

4. Will exercise help?

During the first 4 to 5 days of your keto diet,

it’s best to relax and take things slow. You may

go for a 30-minute walk or so but avoid high

intensity training.

After your body has adapted to the keto

diet in a week, you may get back on track and

exercise as normal. Do note that while ketosis

can cause weight loss, being on an exercise

regimen will help to accelerate your progress

and bring you results much faster.

5. Don’t obsess over calories

2. Increase fat intake, then decrease it.

Initially, when embarking on the keto diet,

you’ll want about 75 to 80% of your calories

to come from fat. Your diet will be very high in

fat and you’ll want to consume not more than

20 grams of carbs. The reason for this is that

you’re trying to train your body to burn fat for

fuel. Extreme measures are necessary to put

your body in ketosis.

Once you’ve reached ketosis and been on

the diet for about 2 weeks or so, you can drop

your fat consumption to about 70 percent of

your daily caloric intake.

3. Use intermittent fasting for best results

The keto diet when combined with

intermittent fasting is extremely powerful

for weight loss. Not only will your appetite

decrease but being in a fasted state for 16 to 20

hours, will keep you in ketosis and put the body

in fat burning mode for most of the day.

The keto diet and intermittent fasting are

highly potent. You won’t need to obsess over

calorie numbers and so on. While it’s good

to have a rough idea of how many calories to

consume, you’ll not need to track things down

to the last calorie.

If you’re trying to lose weight, just aim for

a 400 to 500 calorie deficit daily and go about

your day without worry. The keto diet will still

shred your fats off.

When adopting the ketogenic diet and you’ll

discover how effective the diet is at aiding in fat

loss and boosting your overall health. Hoever,

with all major changes in diet and exercise,

always consult your doctor, particularly if you

in consistnt care, such as taking medications.

Be safe, be mindful, be healthy.







Basic Fitness For Beginners

Tips for starting out

Getting started is always the hardest part.

If you’ve been physically inactive for a while,

it’s hard to begin an exercise routine. The gym

can be an intimidating place if you don’t know

your way around. Where do you start if you

haven’t done a crunch or walked more than the

distance from your car to your desk at work?

Your main goal is to create an exercise

program as simple for you as possible. This

helps keep you motivated and able to keep

up. The versatility of the program means that

beginners can start off slow and work their

way up, or you could start off with something

very straight forward and work your way up to

harder levels as your fitness increases.

If you don’t have any past experience with

fitness, having a professional, or someone who

knows what they’re doing help you. It’s better

to suck up a little pride than injure yourself,

which will only make it more difficult to reach

your goals.

A few factors to consider:

Program Flexibility - A major feature of

your program should be that flexibility is built

into it. Workout programs typically either have

one set of workouts or very few, often very

specific workouts. As a beginner, this could be

incredibly boring and frustrating. It’s okay to


have a range of exercises on hand for each area

of the body. This will help vary your workouts

so that your fitness level never dips below a

certain point and boredom is never an issue.

But don’t get crazy! There are many people

who tell you add complicated movements, or

crazy gear and tools. To get best results, keep is

simple and straight forward.

Muscle Variety - A good fitness routine

should incorporate a variety of exercise types

(such as aerobics, push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups,

jumping jacks, etc.) to give you a wide range of

muscles to target and build. By doing so, you

will be able to work different muscle groups

during each workout, improving your overall

fitness and encouraging growth in all areas of

your body.

Exercises That Get Stronger - Another key

component of a fitness routine for beginners is

the fact that you are required to get stronger

during exercising. This may seem like common

sense, but many people overlook this simple

fact. You can’t walk up a hill or run on a beach

without getting stronger. The same is true

when it comes to exercising. Exercising will

force you to get stronger, which means that

you’ll get healthier overall by continuing to

exercise.

Lifting Weights - As previously mentioned,

most fitness routines for beginners will include

some form of weight-lifting. This is simply

because the goal of fitness, especially for

beginners, is to get stronger, and therefore you

must lift more weights in order to do so. Lifting

weights can be extremely intimidating at first,

but once you get the hang of it you will find

that it’s actually a lot of fun.

Keep in mind, this doesn’t have to be at a

gym. You can do resistance training at home

with home equipment, or even using your body

weight to give you the resistance you need.

This is especially effective for beginners.

Rep Speed - Another important part of any

effective fitness routine for beginners focuses

around the concept of repetition. Repetition is

the key to muscle building strength and mass

and it will enable you to build much larger


muscles. To start off, you should do as many

reps as you can, with a slow steady pace. As

you become accustomed to doing reps, you

should increase the speed and eventually

move to increase the weight. If you are lifting

heavy weights, it’s a good idea to warm up and

stretch before working out.

Here’s a few tips on getting started with a

new fitness routine:

1. Start slowly. Your level of fitness during

your senior year of high school is still

fresh in your mind. You could lift 200

pounds over your head, do the splits, run

a 6-minute mile, and still have energy left

for the dance after the football game.

However, you’re not 18 anymore.

* Perform workouts that match your

current physical condition. Hurting

yourself is the fastest way to ensure that

you never get in shape.

2. Stress yourself, but not too much. The

perfect workout will stress your body

enough than it must adapt, but not

so much that your recovery time is

lengthened or you hurt yourself.

* There’s great news: you don’t need

to do much at first to see real results if

you’ve been switching back and forth

between sitting at a desk and sitting

on the couch. A short walk on the

treadmill will provide a lot of benefit.

If you haven’t done a push up in 20

years, doing push-ups against the wall is

enough.

3. Enjoy the advantages of being a

beginner. You can get more results from

10 minutes of easy exercise than a highly

fit person can get from 90 minutes of

hard work.

4. It’s all about consistency. A mild, daily

workout will do more for your fitness

than one hard workout each week.

Instead of focusing on your effort, focus

on making it to the gym regularly.

5. What you eat is important. Assuming you


want to lose weight, what you eat is far

more important than the exercise you

perform. It’s easy to eat more calories in

an hour than a professional athlete can

burn off in three hours. Pushing yourself

away from the table might be the best

form of exercise.

6. Find a workout buddy. It’s not easy to

make it to the gym or to put on your

running shoes each day. Knowing

that someone else is counting on you

increases your compliance.

7. Get expert help. Get some professional

guidance if you’ve never exercised

before. Learn effective techniques and

have your coach design an intelligent

program for you.

8. Keep it simple. A few exercises are

enough to provide all the benefits you’ll

ever need. The basics never go out of

style.

9. Make it fun. Love basketball? Join a

basketball league. Find a form of exercise

that you enjoy. Unless you’re training for

a bodybuilding contest, there are many

forms of exercise that can fit the bill of

increasing your fitness.

10. Be well-rounded. Flexibility,

cardiovascular fitness, and strength are

all important, especially as you age.

If all you do is run, your flexibility and

strength will suffer. Ensure that you’re

hitting these three areas of concern.

11. Focus on progress. Just a little bit of

progress each week can keep your

motivation high. Enjoy the fact that

beginners make great progress!

have a large following, it doesn’t mean they’re

not giving bad advice.

Just to be clear, there is a difference

between a fitness influencer and fitness

professional. Do your research before you put

faith in someone, you’re safety could be at risk.

That said, take your time and enjoy the

journey.

Get excited and start on a new exercise

routine today. You don’t even need to join

a gym. A pair of walking shoes and a set of

exercise bands are enough to get started.

Again, I can’t stress this enough, get some

expert advice for an effective plan. There are

free programs and videos online, although

I would suggest using a lot of caution. Just

because they say they’re a professional, or they




Why You Can’t

“Spot Reduce”

People have problem areas. Even people

who have achieved their ideal body weight

will still have problem areas. It could be the

love handles, the flabby arms, the sagging

skin or the hips. Then you will find the market

offering all sorts of products, from creams and

applications to get rid of the fats to gadgets

and machines to tone the arms, thighs or the

abs. However, there is one reality check you

have to make. You cannot spot reduce. The

attempt to do so is not going to work and it will

not be for your good.

Why Can’t I Spot Reduce?

The market misinforms the public of the

benefits that can be expected from their socalled

revolutionary products when in fact

there really are no revolutionary results to look

forward to.

1. Healthy Diet Is Important

Diet is an important element to get rid of

the undesirable body fats. The foods that you

eat have calories and cholesterols that get


stored in your body, probably amassing on

those problem areas of yours. The diet is the

main culprit for presence of fats.

So no matter how much you depend on

those gadgets in the market, it will remain

defenseless if you keep indulging in sweets,

fatty foods or junk foods.

2. Spot Reduction Is a Mere Myth

It is not healthy to believe what those

people say about the productivity of spot

reduction efforts. The products you see on the

market require nothing but merely attach or

apply them on the problem areas. What about

your other body parts? What about the other

requirements of the body?

In any healthy endeavors, you must be on

the top of your physiology. You should know

what it takes to achieve a goal. For example, if

you want sixpacks in your stomach, you have to

know what it takes to get them.

Some people out there would claim that

if you want to improve the look of your

stomach, you simply have to concentrate on

abdominal exercises or use the gadgets that

will do the exercise for you. Again, you cannot

spot reduce. You cannot achieve the goal with

simply doing that one abdominal exercise.

The fat can not just come off on its own by

just using a gadget. Genetics has to do with it.

Diet has to do with it. Lifestyle has to do with

it.

The truth is, before you can even aim for

the six-packs on the stomach, you will have to

take away the fats first.

So doing 500 crunches a day will only

exhaust you but it will not get rid of those fats.

Your body will not burn the fats stored in that

spot you are targeting. Actual workouts can

actually address this. With this, the fats are

burned one at a time, and not just in one area.

It has a more integrated system of reducing

the fats in the body. Then you will also have to

gain body mass. At this point, the only way you

can only get rid of the fats and get some body

mass is to have a healthy diet and do cardio


exercises.

Only after surpassing the diet and cardio

requirements can you focus on the abdominal

exercises. This is the only proper time to really

focus on working out for the six-packs.

3. There Are No Shortcuts

Miracle diets, pills and potions are mere

shortcuts that will lead you to a dead end. If a

healthy body is aimed, you have to work for it.

You have to earn it.

We truly are living in a fast world with the

advancement of technology, but your body still

is very much natural. Thus you will still have

to be grounded to what is naturally required

by the body, healthy diet, regular exercise and

considerable amount of time to develop that

desirable state.

4. Health and Fitness Require Commitment

Your dedication to the health of your body is

a lifelong commitment. Even if you achieved a

good body now, it will not remain so forever if

you abuse on your diet and lifestyle. It needs to

be loved and taken care of, regularly.

That is why if you will depend on the

spot reduction claims, it will really bring you

nowhere. You can only hope, but you cannot

expect. So if you aim for the healthy body; get

an exercise program for your self and make

some changes in your diet. Give your self a

holistic development. Improve not only the

body, but your outlook in life as well.

Do It the Proper Way

With all these points raised, the bottom line

is to simply get healthy the proper way. The

saying still holds true. No pain, no gain. So do

not be a victim of the misleading information

and empty promises thrown upon you. Simply

know the proper options. Take the matter into

your own hands and enjoy the benefits of a

healthy body.





Nutrition for a health

what you eat matters

It is essential that a person is aware of what

constitutes good food health vitamin intake.

The federal drug administration produces a

recommended daily allowance for the majority

of vitamins which it regards as a good food

health vitamin intake. These figures vary

according to a person’s age, sex and some

other factors so that the good food health

vitamin intake for a young woman is going to

be different to that of a man in his seventies.

The food health vitamin intake amounts of

certain foods are included in the nutritional

labeling. This labeling is important for a person

to consider and helps ensure that they are

receiving the correct food health vitamin

intake from the foods that they eat. The

nutritional information is often represented

as a percentage of the recommended daily

allowance of each vitamin and mineral and can

help assess the value of the foods in the quest

for good food health vitamin intake.

There are also a number of items that a

person may want to restrict in their diet as

part of their good food health vitamin intake.

Again, the nutritional labeling of certain foods

can help a person to see how high a product

is in these undesirable contents. Salt and fat,

for example, may be items that a person wants

to consider limiting as part of their good food

health vitamin intake even though they are

not strictly vitamins. The majority of people

actually refer to nutrients when they use the

word vitamin and food manufacturers are

aware that a person is looking at minerals

and other items when they are considering

their good food health vitamin intake. Fiber is

another element that many people are more

aware of as forming an essential part of a

balanced diet and is necessary for good food

health vitamin intake.

Each vitamin has its own essential functions

that contribute to a person’s general health

and well-being, as well as their own sources for

each. It is important to have a balanced diet

to ensure that the required amounts of each


ier you

vitamin are obtained.

• Vitamin A sources include milk, eggs,

butter, yellow fruits & vegetables, dark

green fruits & vegetables, liver

• Vitamin B1 sources include brewer’s

yeast, whole grains, blackstrap molasses,

brown rice, organ meats, egg yolk


yeast, whole grains, legumes, nuts, organ

meats, blackstrap molasses

• Vitamin B3 sources include lean meats,

poultry & fish, brewer’s yeast, peanuts,

milk, rice bran, potatoes

• Vitamin B4 sources include egg yolks,


organ meats, brewer’s yeast, wheat

germ, soybeans, fish, legumes

• Vitamin B5 sources include organ meats,

egg yolks, legumes, whole grains, wheat

germ, salmon, brewer’s yeast

• Vitamin B6 sources include meats, whole

grains, organ meats brewer’s yeast,

blackstrap molasses, wheat germ

• Vitamin B7 sources include egg yolks,

liver, unpolished rice, brewer’s yeast,

sardines, legumes, whole grains

• Vitamin B8 sources include who1e

grains, citrus fruits, molasses, meat,

milk, nuts, vegetables, brewer’s yeast

• Vitamin B9 sources include dark-green


leafy vegetables, organ meats, root

vegetables, oysters, salmon, milk

• Vitamin B12 sources include organ

meats, fish, pork, eggs, cheese, milk,

lamb, bananas, kelp, peanuts

• Vitamin B13 sources include root

vegetables, liquid whey


yeast, rare steaks, brown rice, sunflower,

pumpkin & sesame seeds

• Vitamin B17 sources include whole

kernels of apricots, apples, cherries,

peaches, plums

• Vitamin C sources include citrus, cabbage

family, chilli peppers, berries, melons,

asparagus, rose hips

• Vitamin D sources include salmon,

sardines, herring, milk, egg yolk, organ

meats, sprouted seeds, sunflower seeds

• Vitamin E sources include cold-pressed

oils, eggs, wheat germ, organ meats,

molasses, sweet potatoes, nuts

• Vitamin F sources include vegetable oils,

butter, sunflower seeds

• Vitamin K sources include green leafy

vegetables, egg yolks, safflower oil,

blackstrap molasses, cauliflower

• Vitamin Q sources include pinto beans,

legumes, soybeans

• Vitamin T sources include sesame seeds,

raw seeds, butter, egg yolk

• Vitamin V sources include raw cabbage,

sauerkraut, leafy vegetables

If a person is on a restricted diet for any

reason then they need to pay even more

attention to their good food health vitamin

intake. Obviously, some foods contain different

nutrients to others and this is applicable to

vitamins as well and it may be more difficult

for a person to achieve their good food health

vitamin intake if they are unable to eat certain

foods.

Vitamin supplements can form an essential

part of a good food health vitamin intake

for people who are unable to obtain their

vitamins from their normal diet. It is also

worth remembering that the good food health

vitamin intake for a person varies throughout

their life depending on their general health.





BEAUTY & FITNESS

We all want to look good to one degree or

another. The feeling of “I like what I see in the

mirror” give us a little boost in the morning.

We generally don’t like the ulternative.

Keeping a healthy, fit body can certainly

make a person feel and look better. Beauty is

not only physical, such as with those muscles

you worked so hard for, but it’s also internal.

Healthy is beautiful, and the heightened selfesteme

can surely bring out that internal

beauty that would otherwise be hidden.

Other factors harm that internal beauty as

well.

Work, no matter what kind, produces stress.

Take some time out to do something special,

like lying in a hot tub, shopping or watching

a movie. Studies have shown taking time off

from stress helps one from looking haggardly.

Give up some vices, such smoking or heavy

drinking. For people who don’t smoke, it is best

to stay away from people who do since studies


have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk

of developing cancer due to secondary smoke

inhalation.

Lastly, it is best to always start the day with

a positive outlook. A smile can do a lot and it is

contagious in a positive sense. It brightens the

day of not only the smiler, but others as well.

Physical exercise is beneficial, but our

attitudes and personal nature can change

everything around US.





Building Endurance

A few keys for thought

The pressures of daily life can be daunting,

and with demanding careers and raising a

family, working out is probably the last thing on

your mind at the end of a busy day. However,

physical fitness can benefit you in more ways

than you think.

Being physically fit is not only about

conquering marathons in record time and not

only about looking your best on the beach

-- even though looking your best is always a

bonus. Being physically fit can help you live a

longer, more fulfilling life, it can benefit your

body, your self-esteem and help you deal with

the stresses of daily life.

Isn’t it ironic how you always manage to

find the time to watch TV, time to catch up

on your favorite program or the time to get

together with friends? Yet when it comes to

going to gym or getting physical, you can easily

come up with at least 10 different reasons why

you’re either too busy or just don’t have the

time to break a sweat.

These excuses can get in the way of our

desire to participate in activities, such as

sports, or any outdoor adventure that may

require a higher level of endurance. It may not

seem important, but endurance in our sporting

or outdoor activities may need our attention

more than we bargain.

Some thoughts on building endurance:

Building Endurance is very important for

athletes and for people who want to maintain

a healthy lifestyle. You will not build endurance

if you do not train hard, but you will also not


reach your fitness goals if you are not willing

to put in the effort. The problem is that most

people try to do too many exercises that they

are not interested in, which prevents them

from building long-term stamina. In this article

I will outline two specific exercises you can use

to help increase your stamina.

Running is the one exercise that is the most

effective for building endurance for runners.

For this reason, many runners incorporate

running into their fitness routine. Of course,

there are many runners who prefer swimming

or cycling, but runners can greatly benefit

from running in their fitness routines. Here I

will review two different ways to improve your

running endurance.

Interval training is an effective way to start

building endurance for runners. It involves

short bursts of high-intensity exercise, followed

by low intensity exercise for the remainder

of your workout. For example, you might

start by running fast for a few minutes then

jog for another few minutes. This second

interval exercise is designed to exhaust

your lower heart-rate, which allows you to

gradually increase your intensity for the next

few minutes. Your body will burn a lot more

calories during the Interval Training session, so

it is very effective for building endurance. As an

added benefit, interval training is a great way

to increase your overall fitness levels because

you constantly change up the intensity level of

your workout.

Power walking is another way to improve

your endurance training and can be especially

helpful if you suffer from knee or back pain. If

you are doing interval or heart-rate training,

it will likely be helpful for your overall fitness

goals. If you want to get the most out of your

endurance training session, you should start

out by taking a jog around your local park.

Power walking will allow you to get the most

out of your time and be as convenient as

possible.

Finally, the most important thing that you

need to do in order to start building endurance

and improving your overall fitness levels is


to make sure you are getting plenty of sleep.

Research has shown that a person’s overall

fitness levels decrease by up to twenty percent

during sleep deprivation. Also, a lack of sleep

weakens the muscles in the immune system

and decreases the body’s ability to fight off

colds and infections. A balanced diet, moderate

alcohol consumption, and moderate smoking

are also important aspects of a healthy

lifestyle. By getting seven to nine hours of

rest each night, you will find that you will feel

better and be able to recover faster following

an intense fitness routine.

Lactate Threshold (LT) plays an important

role in building endurance. The level of LT

is influenced by genetics, age, and stress.

The lower your LT is, the harder it is for you

to exercise your muscles. If your body mass

index is 40 or greater, you may have to begin

a specific training program geared towards

increasing your LT. A one-hour training session

three times per week with an emphasis on

heart-rate training is the best way to increase

your LT.








Too Much of a Good Thing?

Staying motivated when you don’t want to

We have all heard the term “over training,”

or “burn out.” These terms may mean different

things to different people, depending on what

activity or sport is involved. Mostly it means

too much, too often and too intense.

If you have been weight/resistance training,

you will understand how great it is to see your

body change so dramatically and how easy

it would be to increase training intensity and

frequency too quickly. Of course, rationally we

all know this is a mistake. But the desire for an

even better shape and “feel good” chemicals

(endorphins) can cause us to do just a bit too

much.

Here’s the big secret that’s NOT a secret,

but sometimes people act as though it is: You

DON’T have to work out multiple hours a day

to be healthy or look good!

Being physically fit is not only about

conquering marathons in record time and not

only about looking your best on the beach,

even though looking your best is always a

bonus. Being physically fit can help you live a

longer, more fulfilling life, it can benefit your

body, your self-esteem and help you deal with

the stresses of daily life.

However, injuring yourself, or taking

things to a point where you get nauseated


just thinking about your next activity isn’t

beneficial, or even sensible. This can hurt your

goals, or even set you back, which only harm

you in the long run.

Keep things more realistic.

First, rest is very important. Muscles need rest

between workouts. Working the same muscles

in the same way too often results in injury and

a reduction in performance. When a muscle is

overtired, the load is taken into the joint. Joints

are not designed for load they are designed for

movement. Tendinitis and joint pain are pretty

common indicators of over training.

Second, vary your workouts. This is why

fitness instructors recommend doing different

sports or fitness activities. But for “die hard”

weight lifters, variation can be accomplished


in a variety of ways. One common way is to

work different muscle groups in different days.

Another method is to change the way in which

a particular exercise is performed so as to train

the muscles differently. An example of this

would be to change the speed of the lift from

workout to workout, like very slow one day,

the faster the next time the muscle group is

worked.

Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, keep

a realistic schedule that matches your goals.

If you’re going for the Olympics, than by all

means, train long days. If you’re a regular

person who wants to get or stay in shape, you

can easily keep quality workouts with 30 to 60

minutes a day. You don’t even have to exercise

every day to see results, especially if you

maintain a healthy diet.


Keep reminding yourself of the benefits of

keeping yourself active. It...

• Helps to relieve stress, depression and

anxiety

• Increases your ability to concentrate,

think faster and become more sharp

• Helps reduce blood pressure

• Lowers the risk of developing colon

cancer

• Keeps your heart healthy and reduce the

risk of heart disease

• Helps with gaining muscle, which can

build and maintain strong bones

• Increases flexibility, which can help

prevent injury and help with muscular

tension.

Just 30 minutes to an hour of physical

fitness a day can be a major health investment.

You don’t have to be in a gym to be fit. You

can enjoy fitness with your kids, your spouse,

family or friends by coming up with fun,

physical activities such as going for walks,

swimming, mountain biking or hiking to

mention a few.

Stress and Exercise

Before we can wrap things up, we should

also consider the heavy issue of stress. A

big part of motivation, or lack of, are the life

stresses that affect us, perhaps even daily.

Like taxes, stress is a part of everyone’s

life. The “experts” tell us that some stress is

good, because without it there would be no

motivation to do anything! However, if you are

like me, serious stress and anxiety makes me

feel bad physically, sometimes to the point of

not wanting to do basic things...like eat. This

can’t be good!

For most of us, stress is low-level most of

the time. Our daily tasks and relationships

give us a bit of stress, but not major anxiety.

The body’s response to low-level stressors

is designed to motivate us to action with a

slightly raised heart rate and increased mental

clarity, similar to the response to caffeine.

In times where stress levels go higher, the

responses are what many people call the “fight

or flight” response. The body sends blood to

the extremities to get ready for action! These

responses are normal and good for you, except

when the stress levels remain high for a long

time. When the body perpetually stays in a

stressed state, the systems begin to break

down. Think of it like a car engine where the

throttle is stuck and the engine is constantly

“revved up”. Not only will it consume A LOT

of gasoline, but the mechanical parts will wear

out faster.

So what to do to protect ourselves from

this? RELAX of course….and EXERCISE. Exercise

helps us relax both physiologically and, if it’s

enjoyable, provides a mental escape from the

stressor. The physiological effects of exercise

include release of morphine-like chemicals

(which include beta-endorphins) that give us

a sense of well being. Have you ever heard

the term Runner’s High? This is caused by the

release of “endorphins” into the blood. Since

these chemicals stay in the blood for several

hours after stopping the activity, the “feel

good” feeling remains for a while.

OK, so we know why exercise can help

with anxiety and stress. But what are some of

the ways regular exercise keeps us healthy in

normal, low-level stress, times?

Here’s some from the top of my head:

• Using a daily dose of natural “feel

good” chemicals is better than drugs or

alcohol!!

• Looking fit, healthy and strong (It’s ok to

admit that looking good makes you feel

good!)

• Feeling good from accomplishment and

improvement.

• Escaping from the daily grind for an hour

– change of scene.

• Keeping the body systems prepared to

handle high-level stress.


The key to lowering stress with exercise is

that you ENJOY the exercise that you choose to

do. If you hate going to the gym, it’s not going

to lower your stress. In fact, it probably will add

some! Also, studies are showing over and over

that even low intensity exercise helps anxiety,

so any activity you enjoy is good.

For me, when I am under stress, nothing

works better than hopping on a mountain bike

and peddling away my troubles. Some people

have a healthy sense of achievement from

competitive sports, which helps make them

feel less stressed! Maybe yours is dance, or

hiking, or swimming.

The bottom line? To decrease the effects

stress on your body, in turn helping your

energy, motivation and passion, pick a fitness

or sports activity you enjoy, do it regularly and

HAVE FUN.






Metabolism Tips

Metabolism is the rate by which the body

produces and consumes energy and calories to

support life.

Many people would give a lot to increase

their metabolism. Having a high level of

metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat

and lose weight fast with the least amount of

activity.

There are several factors that affect the

metabolism of a person, such as the amount of

muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one

consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet

and activity levels.

Metabolism slows down due to the

following: loss of muscle because of not

enough physical activity, the tendency of the

body to cannibalize its own tissue because

there is not enough food energy to sustain

it, and the decrease of physical activity that

comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up one’s

metabolism:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is

only natural that metabolism decreases along

with age, but it is possible to counter the

effects. The amount of muscle a person has

is a very strong determinant in the ability to

burn calories and shed fat. So, it goes without

saying that exercise is essential. Build strength

and resistance by working out at least twice

a week, preferably with weights. Do easy


exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks

such as walking the dog and using the stairs

in place of the elevator can already take off

calories. The key is to match the amount of

eating to the amount of activity one has.

2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring

the importance of breakfast. Metabolism can

slow down considerably if breakfast is taken

during mid-morning or if one waits until the

afternoon to eat. If you’re trying a fasting

regimen, do it properly, don’t just skip to skip.

A good, protein rich breakfast can help keep

your energy up so you can stay active.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to

store fat. It is recommended that a person

consumes food that helps sustain an even

level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive

exercise 2-3 times a week should be to stabilize

blood sugar.

4. Sleep more. According to research, it is

riskier for people who do not get enough sleep

to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated

during the last couple of hours of slumber.

Sleep helps your body to function properly, so

find ways to get some sleep if this has been a

problem for you.

5. Increase water intake. Water flushes

out toxins that are produced whenever the

body burns fat. Most bodily functions involve

water. The lack of water may cause the body

operations to decrease its speed, producing

unneeded stress as a result.

people swear by it, others not so much. Again,

as with all health issues, learn and understand

your body. People tend to skip meals to lose

weight, which many times is a big mistake

since it slows down metabolism. If you want to

try intermittent fasting, learn to do it properly,

don’t just skip meals randomly. Proper

nutrition throughout the day is still necessary.

8. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare

the right amount of food to be consumed at

the designated intervals. Do not commit the

mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or

emotional, triggers the release of a steroid

called cortisol, which decreases metabolism.

Also, people tend to eat excessively when

stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used

as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to

stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has

no undesirable side effects when too much is

consumed. This, of course, is to be added to a

good diet. Don’t drink tea thinking it overrides

bad habits.

Achieving the desired body weight is never

impossible if one has the determination and

patience needed to stabilize the metabolism

level, which plays an important role in weight

loss. A person needs to realize that eating right

and working out is not just a passing fancy, but

a way of life.

6. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to

consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to

3 hours apart. However, research also shows

this can very from person to person. Know your

body. If you feel weighed down after a large

meal, split things up a bit.

7. Skipping meals. There is a big debate

going on, whether to fast or not to fast. Some



Make Healthy Meals

4 Easy Tips

For many people, making healthy recipes

seems too difficult and time consuming...

But with some advanced planning and

some basic knowledge of nutrition, it is easy

to create a week’s worth of healthy meals

that you and your family will love. The key to

creating delicious and healthy meals for the

family is planning...and lot’s of it!

Planning ahead of time an entire week of

healthy recipe meals is the best way to create

dishes you can be proud of, while keeping cost

and time commitment to a minimum. So below

are amazing tips you can use to make healthy

meals all the time.

Tip #1:

Using convenient appliances such as slow

cookers and microwaves can be a huge time

saver when planning and preparing meals.

There are many delicious and healthy recipes

that can be started in the morning and left

to cook all day in a crock pot or slow cooker.

These are great choices for working families.

In addition, making the meals ahead of

time on the weekend and heating them in

the microwave is a great way to stretch both

your food and your time. There are many

microwavable healthy meals you can make

at home, and single serving microwave safe

containers allow every member of the family to

eat on their own schedule.

When planning the meals for the week, it is

a good idea to create a chart listing each day’s

menu and each days’ schedule. Here’s a smart

tip...plan the quickest and easiest to prepare

meals for the busiest days of the week.

Tip #2:

Get your family involved in creating the

week’s meal plan by asking for their input and

noting everyone’s favorite foods. It is still very

important to eat healthy meals, so that (of

course) does not mean eating pizza every night

or having ice cream for dinner. But involving

your spouse and children in healthy recipe

planning, you’ll help to increase their interest

in healthy eating right away.

It is also a good idea to get your entire

family involved in the preparation of the meals.

Even children too young to cook can help out

by setting out the dishes, chopping vegetables,

clearing the table and washing the dishes.

Tip #3:

Cooking large quantities of healthy food

recipes - and freezing the leftovers - is a easy

way to save time. Cooking large amounts of

stews, soups, pasta, chili and casseroles can

be a huge time saver. Making double and

even triple batches of these staple foods, and

freezing the leftovers for later use, is a great

way to save both time and money.

When freezing leftovers, however, it is

important to label the containers carefully,

using freezer tape and a permanent marker.

Try to keep the oldest foods near the top to


avoid having to throw away expired items.

Stocking up on meats when they are on

sale is another great way to use that valuable

freezer space. Stocking up on such easily frozen

foods as chicken, turkey, ground beef, steaks,

roasts and chops is a great way to make your

food dollar stretch as far as possible while still

allowing you and your family to enjoy delicious

healthy meals every day.

to stock up. Buying several cases of canned

vegetables when they are on sale, for instance

can save lots of money and provide the basic

ingredients for many nutritious, easy to

prepare meals.

I hope you found these tips easy as pie!

Tip #4:

Keeping a well stocked pantry is as

important as keeping a well stocked freezer.

Stocking the pantry with a good supply of

staple items like canned vegetables, canned

fruits, soup stocks and the like will make

healthy recipe preparation much faster and

easier.

Stocking the pantry can save you money

as well as time. Grocery stores are always

running sales, and these sales are a great time






Bioelectrical Impedance

Muscle Tone and Body Composition

Bioelectrical impedance is a method for

measuring body composition based on the rate

at which an electrical current travels through

the body. Body fat causes greater resistance

(impedance) and slows the rate at which the

current travels.

Physical fitness is the state of good health

and well being and, more importantly, the

capacity to perform many aspects of daily

activities, jobs and sports.

Physical fitness varies from individual to

individual, but there are common components

that help create the ideal physical condition.

People who are physically fit tend to be

healthy, happy and mentally strong. They may

have lower rates of serious illness and death

and have higher average life expectancies than

those who are not fit. Physical fitness improves

self-image and can reduce stress. Physical

fitness has become an essential part of society

and its necessity cannot be ignored.

The first component of a good physical

fitness plan is to stay active. People need to

move around and do physical activity for at

least 30 minutes each day. People who are

not active will find it more difficult to remain

motivated, get up the motivation to exercise,

and stick to a program. People who stay active

also have a greater chance of losing weight and

getting into better shape.

A second component of a good fitness

plan is exercise. Exercise strengthens the body

and improves muscle tone, reduces body fat,

and builds bone density and muscle strength.


Aerobic exercise, such as walking, is a very

common form of exercise for maintaining

overall fitness. Strength training, such as

weightlifting, builds strength and bone mass,

which helps prevent future joint problems and

bone loss.

The flexibility and cardiovascular fitness

can be improved through a combination of

regular cardiovascular exercise and stretching

exercises. Stretching exercises to help

improve flexibility and range of motion, while

cardiovascular exercises increase heart rate

and improve lung capacity and function. These

two components of fitness can also lead to

weight loss, although this benefit of physical

activity should not be relied solely on as a

fitness strategy alone.

The final component of a complete

fitness program is body composition. Body

composition, which is often referred to as

percentage body fat, reflects the ratio of

total fat to muscle mass in a person. A high

percentage body fat has been shown to be

a major contributing factor to poor health.

Therefore, a diet and exercise plan should be

designed to reduce overall body fat. Exercise

and proper dieting can then be used to reduce

body composition.

There are a number of guides, books, and

websites available on how to improve your

bioelectric impedance, muscle tone, and body

composition. Some of these guides provide

free information that includes diet tips and

exercise tips to help you achieve your goals.

Others are commercially available and provide

professional advice to help you improve your

bioelectric impedance, muscle tone, and

body composition. The cost of these products

depends on how extensive the information

is and the amount of information that is

provided. Regardless of where you obtain your

information or how much it costs to purchase

such materials, it is important to become fit

and healthy so that you can live a long, disease

free life.






Let’s Play Fitness

Getting children involved

Making fitness fun really helps motivate

everyone in your family. You may have heard

that this is an effective approach, but maybe

you aren’t sure how to implement it in your

family. Although young children don’t need

to be pumping iron, they can still learn good

habits that extend into their later years.

Here are some ideas for various age groups

in the family, and some suggestions of fitness

games and activities for that age.

Babies

Babies can’t walk yet, but young babies

enjoy watching movement. Put on some music

and have your family move to entertain the

baby! One of the safest things you can do is

dance with scarves. Babies love the swirling

movement of brightly colored cloth, and if

someone drops his or her scarf, it won’t hurt

anyone. Ribbons are another safe and colorful

option. Family members can dance around the

baby and get exercise in the process.

Toddlers

Toddlers are naturally active and they want

to move and explore. Encourage this with

games. One idea is to set up “stations” around

the house and/or yard. One station may have

crafts, another sand - still another could have

water play. Toddlers can move from one to the

other and stay active at each one. Once again,

dancing is a fun option. Toddlers like rollicking


empty plastic bottles set up at the end of a

hallway; run races; rake leaves into a pile and

jump in them. Don’t be afraid to get creative

here!

Grade school

In grade school, kids can enjoy more

organized games. Families can throw Frisbees

and balls together, or learn/practice sports (like

catching, kicking, throwing, hitting a ball with a

bat, etc.). You can sign the family up for lessons

together, too, like tennis, ice skating, horseback

riding, or martial arts.

Middle School

music, and older family members can dance

along, too.

While toddlers are too young to go on long

hikes and walks, you might consider taking your

toddler on a bike ride in an attached safety

seat. You can also pull your toddler in a wagon

and take a walk, or purchase a specially-made

backpack that will hold a toddler. The whole

family can participate.

Preschoolers

This is another naturally active age.

Preschoolers can play games like Follow the

Leader or hide-and-seek. Preschoolers may

enjoy jumping rope, throwing and kicking a

ball, or playing age-appropriate sports. There

are so many simple games you can do at home

with preschoolers - make a bowling alley with


Most middle school-aged kids wouldn’t be

caught dead playing games with their parents.

So you have to be a bit sneakier with this age,

and focus more on their peers. For example,

dance parties with their friends would be a

great way to have fun and get fit.

Middle schoolers like trying to be

independent, so encourage (safe) activities

when you won’t be directly present, such

as a camp-out in your yard and/or a short

hike where you can keep an eye on everyone

without being noticed. Middle schoolers might

enjoy playing interactive computer games with

their friends, too - the sort of games where

everyone ends up getting a workout.

High School

In high school, kids might find organized

sports and lessons fun. At this age, kids

definitely like hanging out with their peers

rather than their parents, so encourage fun

and active events with friends. If your high

schooler is reluctant, get with the parents of

your child’s friend. See if you can get your kids

to join a sports team or start lessons of some

sort together.





YOUR BONE HEALTH

Protecting Your skeletal Structure

A vital component of a healthy lifestyle is

protecting your skeletal integrety. The skeletal

structure supports all of the organs, muscles,

and nerves that together make us who we are.

When something goes wrong with the skeletal

structure, the result is pain. As well as directly

affecting how you feel, it can also affect the

functioning of the rest of your body system.

Bones are amongst the most important

parts of your body and provide the framework

in which all the organs and muscles work.

Bones are constantly being broken down

and replaced throughout our lives. These

constant breaks down, or degeneration, occur

as a result of a lot of different factors, including

physical stress, diseases, or accidents.

Osteoporosis is a major problem for

many people as they get older, and it can

lead to a loss of bone density and increased

susceptibility to fractures.

Our skeletal structure is built mostly of fat,

although some muscle exists. The muscular


structure is built around the bones, so it is the

skeleton that gives the shape to our bodies.

Muscle is needed to keep the bones in place,

but as we grow older, muscle becomes less

important. As a result, bone loss occurs at a

faster rate than usual.

Preventing osteoporosis is therefore an

important part of a healthy lifestyle. Avoid

harmful substances such as tobacco smoke.

Eat a healthy diet and include lots of calcium,

protein, Vitamin D, and whole grains in your

daily diet. Exercise regularly. Avoid carrying

extra weight around your body as this puts

unnecessary pressure on your joints. These

simple things alone can go a long way toward

preventing osteoporosis.


There are a number of supplements that

are available which can be used to help in the

prevention of osteoporosis. However, these

supplements are not a substitute for good old

fashioned exercise. In fact, the two go hand

in hand. It is always recommended that you

do regular exercise even when you are not

experiencing any pain or problems with your

bones. Reducing your level of activity will help

prevent further bone deterioration and injury.

Protecting Your Skilled Bone Mechanism, or

skeletal structure, is one of the most important

aspects of preventing osteoporotic bone loss

in older age. Osteoporosis is a disease caused

by the breakdown or reduced quality of our

bones; as a person gets older, the quality

of their skeletal structure starts to decline,

causing a loss in bone mass and increased

susceptibility to fractures. Preventing

osteoporosis naturally is all about preventing

osteoporotic fractures. This means that we

need to make sure that our skeletal structure

stays healthy throughout life, and that we are

eating the right foods at the right times.

The skeletal structure is made up of

multiple interrelated systems. We have joints,

tendons, and ligaments that all work together

to allow us to move freely and effortlessly.

We also have the cartilage that cushions and

supports the ends of our joints. And finally, we

have the skin that protects these structures,

allowing us to move comfortably and

effortlessly without fear of injury.

All of these systems break down with age.

This means that as we get older, the rate of

bone loss increases at an accelerated rate. As

a result, the risk of developing osteoporotic

fracture increases dramatically. This is

why preventing osteoporosis is extremely

important.

So what causes the changes that

cause bone loss with age? Primarily, it is a

combination of increased weight, decreased

muscle mass, decreased mineral intake,

decreased mineral retention, decreased blood

flow to the body, and decreased collagen.

These conditions contribute greatly to the


increased risk of fracture. But there is one more

cause that can have a detrimental effect. Our

sedentary lifestyle can lead to significant bone

loss through lack of activity.

We all need vitamin D, phosphorus, and

calcium in order to maintain healthy bones

and a healthy body. But as we age, our ability

to absorb and properly use these minerals

decreases. As a result, the bone mass that we

had as children begins to erode at a rapid rate.

This is why high-calcium foods are so important

in preventing osteoporosis. Low-calcium foods,

on the other hand, are bad for bone health

because they reduce bone mass even more.

Bone mass is affected by several factors,

some of which are in your control, while others

are genetic based and are not.

• Calcium intake. Not getting the

recommended amount of calcium daily,

either through food or supplements,

means a diminished amount of bone

density. But that is not the whole story.

Adults age 19 to 50, and men 51 to 70,

should get at least 1,000 milligrams of

calcium per day. For men over age 70

and women over age 50, the amount

increases to 1,200 milligrams per day.

Healthy food high in calcium include

dairy products, fatty fish like tuna,

salmon and mackerel, dark leafy green

vegetables and soy products.

• Vitamin D. Not getting enough of this

vitamin slows down the absorption

rate so even if you are getting enough

calcium, it might not be getting into

your bones. Just 15 to 20 minutes of sun

exposure gives you more than enough

vitamin D – around 10,000 IUs. If you

can’t get exposure to the sun at least

twice a week, ensure you get at least

600 international units (IUs) if between

19 to 70 and 800 IUs for adults age

71 and older, either through food or

supplementation.


• Exercise. There is a direct connection to

being physically active and a lowered risk

of getting osteoporosis. Be sure to get at

least 150 minutes per week of weightbearing

activity.

• Genetics. If you have a parent that has

osteoporosis, or you are of Caucasian

or Asian descent, your risk of getting

osteoporosis is already elevated. The

only way to counteract it is by building

up your bones while young to gain

maximum density.

• Unhealthy habits. Study results have

shown a link between smoking and

excessive drinking of alcohol in regard

to bone density loss. They believe it is

because these two unhealthy habits

interfere with the absorption of calcium

into the bones.

• Hormones. This is again something that

for the most part is out of your control.

In women, the absence of their monthly

period before menopause, due to low

estrogen, contributes to bone density

loss. In men, low testosterone causes the

same effect. In both genders, too much

thyroid hormone can cause low bone

density also.

In order to avoid this degradation, we need

to supplement our diets with the right kinds of

calcium. Calcium citrate is one of the best kinds

of calcium for our body. It is absorbed quickly

and its bioavailability is excellent. Calcium

carbonate is even better. But for this purpose,

you need to consume foods like leafy green

vegetables and dairy products.



www.treadmedia.us





Tread Fitness Issue 01

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