YIKES: The average treadmill has 74 times more bacteria than a public bathroom faucet, according to equipment reviews site FitRated.
Fight Back Against Gym Germs
Follow this quick checklist to stay healthy while you exercise.
Cover any cuts or broken skin with a bandage before you go to the gym.
Wash your hands before and after your workout.
Wipe down machines before and after use.
Bring your own water bottle, towels, and exercise mat.
Never share your towels.
Don’t sit on the locker-room bench naked.
Always wear flip-flops in the locker room and shower.
Don’t shave at the gym or immediately before going there.
Whenever possible, shower at home after your workout.
Keep dirty clothes and sneakers in separate gym bag compartments or place sweaty duds in a plastic bag.
Wipe down your gym bag with a disinfectant spray and wash gym clothes after each use.
Examine your skin weekly. If you find a painful red spot or a bump, see a doc. It could be a MRSA infection, which needs immediate treatment.
exercise
🍎 Health Hack: #6 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Change Your Perspective
Lifestyle changes start with taking an honest look at your eating patterns and daily routine. After assessing your personal challenges to weight loss, try working out a strategy to gradually change habits and attitudes that sabotaged past efforts. Move beyond simply recognizing your challenges — Plan how you’ll deal with them to succeed in losing weight. Setbacks happen. Don’t quit. Start fresh the next day. It won’t happen all at once. Stick to your healthy lifestyle and the results will be worth it.
🍎 Health Hack: #5 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Get Active, Stay Active
Exercise can help burn off the excess calories you can’t cut through diet alone. Exercise also offers numerous health benefits, including boosting your mood, strengthening your cardiovascular system and reducing your blood pressure. Exercise can also help in maintaining weight loss. Studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity. . . . One of the best ways to lose body fat is through steady aerobic exercise — such as brisk walking — for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Any extra movement helps burn calories.
🍎 Health Hack: #4 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Enjoy Healthier Foods
Adopting a new eating style that promotes weight loss must include lowering your total calorie intake. . . . One way you can lower your calorie intake is by eating more plant-based foods — fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Strive for variety to help you achieve your goals without giving up taste or nutrition.
- Eat at least four servings of vegetables and three servings of fruits daily.
- Replace refined grains with whole grains.
- Use modest amounts of healthy fats, such as olive oil, vegetable oils, avocados, nuts, and nut butters and oils.
- Cut back on sugar.
- Choose low-fat dairy products and lean meat and poultry in limited amounts.
🍎 Health Hack: #3 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Set Realistic Goals
Over the long term, it’s best to aim for losing 1 to 2 pounds (0.5 to 1 kilogram) a week. Generally to lose 1 to 2 pounds a week, you need to burn 500 to 1,000 calories more than you consume each day, through a lower calorie diet and regular physical activity. Depending on your weight, 5 percent of your current weight may be a realistic goal. Even this level of weight loss can help lower your risk for chronic health problems, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If you’re 180 pounds (82 kilograms), that’s 9 pounds (4 kilograms). When you’re setting goals, think about both process and outcome goals. “Walk every day for 30 minutes” is an example of a process goal. “Lose 10 pounds” is an example of an outcome goal.
🍎 Health Hack: #2 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Find your inner motivation
No one else can make you lose weight. . . .Make a list of what’s important to you to help stay motivated and focused, whether it’s an upcoming beach vacation or better overall health. Then find a way to make sure that you can call on your motivational factors during moments of temptation. Perhaps you want to post an encouraging note to yourself on the pantry door, for instance.. . . . Pick people to support you who will encourage you in positive ways, without shame, embarrassment or sabotage. . . . If you prefer to keep your weight-loss plans private, be accountable to yourself by having regular weigh-ins, recording your diet and exercise progress in a journal, or tracking your progress using digital tools.
🍎 Health Hack: #1 of 6 Weight Loss Strategies
Make a commitment
Long-term weight loss takes time and effort — and a long-term commitment. Make sure that you’re ready to make permanent changes and that you do so for the right reasons. To stay committed to your weight loss, you need to be focused. It takes a lot of mental and physical energy to change your habits. . . . Make a plan to address other stresses in your life first, such as financial problems or relationship conflicts. While these stresses may never go away completely, managing them better should improve your ability to focus on achieving a healthier lifestyle. Once you’re ready to launch your weight-loss plan, set a start date and then — start.
🍎 Health Hack: Fuel for Your Run
Pre-run snacks boost blood glucose levels, and can top off muscle carbohydrate stores — essential fuel for longer, harder runs. The more time for digestion, the larger the snack. For a snack two hours ahead, go for something rich in carbohydrates such as a bowl of cereal, peanut butter sandwich or small smoothie. This can help power your run and prevent hunger. Typically, 50 to 75 grams of easily-digested carbohydrates can be consumed two hours before a run without causing any stomach upset. . . . When short on time, go for lighter snacks that your body can digest quickly. Consider a handful of dry cereal or a slice of toast with jam. Aim for 15 to 25 grams of carbohydrates in the hour before a run. You also can pop in a carbohydrate gel or half an energy bar for easy digestion if you don’t have access to easy snack foods.
❤️ Health Hack: Want a Better Brain?
The benefits of your exercise program might just be in your head. Turns out that all the work you do to build a better bicep helps your brain, too. . . . You can actually build a stronger brain through exercise. These are just a few of the remarkable findings that might motivate you to either recommit to your fitness regimen or get started today. When you exercise, you . . .
- Feel better.
- Enhance learning.
Sharpen memory.
- Improve vision.
SOURCE: Mayo Clinic
🍎 Health Hack: Almonds for a Healthy Heart
Almonds
One Of the World’s Healthiest Foods
Almonds are rich in healthy fats, fiber and protein, these nuts are made for more than snacking. Use slivered almonds as a topping for oatmeal or yogurt, add them to muffin recipes, or use almond flour in place of regular flour in pancakes.
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