Tread Fitness Issue 01
Tread Fitness covers all aspects of our health and fitness, including exercise, nutrition, recipes and more.
Tread Fitness covers all aspects of our health and fitness, including exercise, nutrition, recipes and more.
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Issue #1
NUTRITION
FOR A
STRONGER
YOU!
BONE HEALTH
Keeping your body structurally stable.
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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.
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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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Tread Media Branded Products
COMING IN 2022
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Publisher: Tread Strong Media
Chief Editor: Wayne Graves
Chief Copy Editor: Laurie Notch
Managing Editor: Dan Griffin
Contact:
Phone: (603) 606-0701
Email: contact@treadmedia.us
Address: 9 N River Rd PMB 612, Auburn, ME 04210
For other inquiries, contact the Tread Strong Media team
below.
Publisher/editor
Name: Wayne Graves
Email: wayne@treadmedia.us
Content manager
Name: Dan Griffin
Email: dan@treadmedia.us
Advertising
Tread Strong Media
For advertising inquiries, please use the contact
information below.
Phone: (603) 606-0701
Email: advertising@treadmedia.us
Copywrite 2021 Tread Media. All rights reserved. Written permission from the publishing company is required
to reproduce, copy, or reprint any part of the Tread Fitness magazine (in whole or in part). Tread Media does not
warrant or endorse any product, service, or company mentioned or referred to in Tread Fitness magazine outside
it’s own proprietary blends.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
• Vitamin B2 sources include brewer’s
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,
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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
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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
• Vitamin B15 sources include brewer’s
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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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• 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.
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