exercise
Fitness Hack: A Surprising Connection Between Pushups & Heart Health
In a 10-year study published in February, researchers reported that men who can do 40 pushups have a whopping 96% lower risk of heart disease than guys who can’t muster 10. The average man in the study: Nearly 40 years old and overweight, but not obese. All 1,562 men were physically active firefighters rather than office workers. The study’s results strengthen the case that muscle-building promotes heart health. “Resistance training is super important,” says Kaiser Permanente sports medicine specialist Robert E. Sallis, MD, who was not involved in the study. “It seems to have the same benefits as cardiovascular exercise.”
Source
Health Hack: Step it Up
“Being active also is important to a healthy lifestyle. And it’s important in preventing serious problems like heart disease and diabetes. However, before you increase your activity level, talk to your doctor. Your weight is determined by the balance between the energy you take in (what you eat and drink) and the energy you use (physical activity). Every step counts. Studies have shown that every step you take helps you manage your weight and improve your overall health. You may want to track your steps with a step counter (pedometer) or an activity tracker. This can encourage you to increase your daily activity. The more steps you take per day, the better.”
Source
Longevity Hack: Want a Healthy Brain?
“Observational studies have consistently found that older people who get regular exercise are less likely to decline mentally and/or develop dementia. Aerobic exercise such as running or cycling seems especially beneficial, but any activity can help, including strength training, walking and tai chi, which have all been the focus of recent studies. Exercise probably benefits the brain just as it helps the cardiovascular system—by improving blood pressure, blood flow, weight, cholesterol levels and blood sugar. In addition, brain scans show that aerobic exercise can actually improve brain activity and produce new brain cells and connections between them.”
Source
Fitness Hack: Tune in To Music
“Running with music is a great way to get in a groove (just make sure it’s not blasting too loudly, or you won’t hear those cars!). To pick the ultimate iPod playlist, think about what gets you going. “I know several elite athletes that listen to what we’d consider ‘relaxing’ music, such as symphony music, while they do a hard workout,” says Andrew Kastor. So don’t feel like you have to download Lady Gaga because her tunes are supposed to pump you up—go with any music that you find uplifting.”
Source
Fitness Hack: It’s a Team Approach
“A workout buddy is hugely helpful for keeping motivated, but it’s important to find someone who will inspire—not discourage. So make a list of all your exercise-loving friends, then see who fits this criteria, says Andrew Kastor, an ASICS running coach: Can your pal meet to exercise on a regular basis? Is she supportive (not disparaging) of your goals? And last, will your bud be able to keep up with you or even push your limits in key workouts? If you’ve got someone that fits all three, make that phone call.”
SOURCE
Longevity Hack: What You Choose to Do Is Important to Your Longevity
“Stressful events didn’t predict future health, either. “Some people had a lot of stress, but aged very well,” says Vaillant. “But how you deal with that stress does matter quite a bit.”
In fact, rather than obsessing about your cholesterol or even the genetic hand you were dealt, the Harvard study found that you’d be better off becoming preoccupied with the following factors that turned out to be most predictive of whether you’d move successfully through middle age and into your 80s:
Avoiding cigarettes. Good adjustment or coping skills (“making lemonade out of lemons”). Keeping a healthy weight. Exercising regularly. Maintaining strong social relationships (including a stable marriage). Pursuing education”
SOURCE
Health Hack: Fuel Your Body With The Right Stuff
“Not getting enough vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can compromise your health and your performance. Yet fueling up for activity is as easy as following the well-established rules of a healthy diet: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, consume lean proteins, eat healthy fats, get your whole-grain carbohydrates, and drink plenty of fluids, especially water.”
SOURCE
Fitness Hack: Big Dividends Await Those Who Exercise
The Impact of Physical Activity on Your Health
Regular physical activity can produce long-term health benefits. It can help:
- Prevent chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and stroke (the three leading health-related causes of death)
- Control weight
- Make your muscles stronger
- Reduce fat
- Promote strong bone, muscle, and joint development
- Condition heart and lungs
- Build overall strength and endurance
- Improve sleep
- Decrease potential of becoming depressed
- Increase your energy and self-esteem
- Relieve stress
- Increase your chances of living longer
When you are not physically active, you are more at risk for:
- High blood pressure
- High blood cholesterol
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Cancer
Health Hack: It’s A Balancing Act
Balance exercise is one of the four types of exercise along with strength, endurance and flexibility. Ideally, all four types of exercise would be included in a healthy workout routine and AHA provides easy-to-follow guidelines for endurance and strength-training in its Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults.
SOURCE
