Healthy B.P.M.

Some people procrastinate, as a way of life, tomorrow never gets here when it comes to making changes. So here’s the $20 million question, what are YOU waiting for? While it is true that proper mindset is crucial in making changes, it is also true that there is no magical date or time when it’s going to show up. This is true in regards to fitness more than any other area. There’s no denying that a vast majority of us are in denial. We have a thousand and one excuses for not getting started and even more for quitting. Different things spur individuals into action, whether it’s a less than favorable report from the doctor, or that dreaded three-way mirror in the fitting room.

How many times have we been advised to take the stairs instead of the elevator. It’s a quick way to add exercise into your day. It’s also great for creating lean legs and a tighter toosh. For some reason though most people ignore that simple piece of advice. Is simplicity the reason? Have we bought into the idea somewhere that you have to sweat like a pig to get a good workout. Taking the stairs won’t result in the body of your dreams in no time flat, but it’s a start. There is a way to take things to the next level, ha next level, get it?

Anyway, If you don’t feel like climbing the stairs at work or at home, invest in a stair stepper. Stair steppers or stair climbers became all the rage in the late 80’s. Because this workout is a weight bearing exercise as well as an aerobic one, you get more bang for your buck.

Speaking of Bucks
Research indicates that the top rated stair stepper is the Stair Master FreeClimber 4200 PT. Priced at $2500 it should be. This pricey machine has four built in programs, 20 levels of resistance, upper handlebars, a 300 lb capacity and a 15 year warranty. It runs on electricity so you’ll have to place your $2500 dynamo near a power outlet. Now for those of us without deep pockets there’s the Schwinn 305p coming in at $400. It doesn’t have any built in programs, has a small LED display and a mere 12 levels of resistance which by the way have to be hand set. No external power source required. $400 bones still too much? Mini-steppers range from $70-$100 and all you get is just what you need, independent steps that allow you to step up and down. It doesn’t get any more basic than that.

Dependent vs. Independent
Independent steps aren’t linked together so they move separately. This gives a better workout. It prevents you from cheating by allowing you to shift your weight from side to side. Dependent steps are linked so that when you push down on one step the other goes up; this tends to work one leg more than the other. Steppers are also available in motorized or manual versions. As the name indicates, motorized steppers have a motor that regulates movement of the steps. Impact on joints is kept to a minimum since movement of the steps is made by the machine. Manual steppers have pistons with air pressure to control the stepping motion. These machines are less expensive and quieter.

Another Good Reason
A workout on a stepper offers another good exercise to strengthen your back muscles. This happens as long as you don’t ruin your perfect posture by hunching over and supporting your upper body on your shoulders and wrists. Of all the cardio machines this one serves as the all time “Lounge O Matic”. As you have guessed by now, excessive leaning on handrails is the bane of my existence. Use the handrails only until you get your balance. I have to tell you again, “leaning on the handrails cuts the amount of calories you burn in half“. Swinging your arms may help with balance and posture.

Step Right Up
The correct depth for stepping is approximately 7”. This targets the large muscles of your thighs and buttocks and increases the calorie burn. Short, shallow tippy toe stepping works your calves. Incorporate a few minutes only at the end of your workout if you want to hone in on your calf muscles. Keep the whole foot on the pedal. Heels hanging off the back could result in injury, especially to the Achilles tendon. Stand tall and make an effort to keep your knees behind your toes.

Bear in mind fit buddies that this can be a high intensity workout. So if you’re new to cardiovascular activity this might not be the best piece of equipment to start on, but it’s a good one to work towards.

Check out this interesting web site I found via Armcurl.

Walk Score helps people calculate the walkability of an address by locating nearby stores, restaurants, schools, parks, etc. Your score will be a number between 0 and 100 and the walkability of an address depends on how far you are comfortable walking.

Tell me your walk score:)

Obesity is becoming such a heavy problem that even the President of the United States is making statements about the problem with American diet and how to solve it.

Picture courtesy: Betty Bowers

Say Bush “I also think that since we spend a lot of money on food in the education system, then we should insist upon better food,” he said. “A lot of the dietary problems are just obviously what people eat. And so it’s not just a lack of exercise…but a bad diet.” He is a rigorous mountain biker and feels younger than most Americans. He even encourages people to exercise more.

You must read Jimmy Moore’s post for more.

George Bush, Diet, Exercise, Healthy lifestyle

The diet managers are saying avoid restaurant foods. But if you eat smart even restaurant eating can be food for fun.

1.Drink a glass of water before the meal.

2.Order for sauces on the side; so you are in control of however much you take.

3.Opt for mustard sauce instead of mayonnaise, tomato sauce instead of cream-based sauces, brown bread as opposed to white.

4. For dessert have fruit.

5.Order before your friends do.

More interesting tips here.

The Size Police come in all shapes and sizes. You meet them in your extended families, in schools, in potential employers….and expectations of the perfect body are flaunted in gossipy magazines and Hollywood drama. Everyone secretly wants to be be perfect looking. Yeah I know they say “I’m happy with my body….” but there are moments when you wish or at least give up on wishing that you were perfect.

How do you deal with the Size Police?

Now if you are a certain size- be it fat or skinny- think about whether you are healthy or not. If not, then you have to work on yourself. Even if you are healthy, there is nothing wrong with leading a sensible enough healthy lifestyle. The point is your size is your problem. And if someone talks to you about the way you look like it’s a random topic(like the weather), I’d say pay no heed.

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Part of leading a healthy lifestyle has to do with being in control of your life. When you are not, you tend to see things falling apart.

One way to be in contol of your life is to quit your addictions. Easier said than done. Meera has written a great post about how she quit smoking for good. She tackled her problem using logic. When you smoke you spend an hour or two on your cigarrettes. That realization changed her approach.

Sometimes having kids is an opportunity to change. If you assume responsibility as a parent then quitting habits like drinking could help. Living with parents on a high could cause stress in children and lead them to pursue binge-drining habits or experience mental trauma later on. Read this.

control, self-control, bine drinking, smoking, addiction, stress, trauma, childhood problems

If you think you are the boss when it comes to your health, then chances are you will work harder on keeping yourself fit. Statistics reveal that less and less people are taking health into their hands and are pessimistic about any durable change that they can produce. Read this story.

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I stumbled on to this excellent Book review on a book called RETHINKING THIN :
The New Science of Weight Loss — and the Myths and Realities of Dieting. You have to read it as the writer Gina Kolata looks at a lot of fat issues like

-The Thinness obsession:Kolata thinks that sometimes being fat is out of your control and that society is blowing body image perceptions out of proportion…I’d say shrinking it to size zero.

-The Weight Loss Industry that is making millions out of obese people’s heartaches.

-She tracks different dieters and fads and looks at fattening factors.

You can get an excerpt here.

Gina Kolata, fat, obesity, thinness obsession, weight loss, childhood obesity

Sometimes taking simple tests helps to prevent major future repercussions. A simple blood sugar test, measured after a person has fasted for at least eight hours, can indicate whether you have diabetes. Research(read Finding Whether Diabetes Lurks ) says:

“Readings above 126 milligrams of glucose per tenth of a liter of blood indicate diabetes; anything below 100 is considered normal. Intermediate levels reflect impaired glucose metabolism or pre-diabetes”.

How often do you get that medical check up? This article on men’s health Are Routine Check-Ups Really Necessary? indicates how frequently check ups are needed.

More on screenings you are better off taking here.

Something that stops me from all those doc visits is fear but it’s always better to save time by detecting problems earlier on. How many of you get those tests done?

longevity, blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, check-ups, health, lifestyle

I was doing some research on coffee and I was kind of surprised that there so many cool kinds of coffee around. What started as the story of an Ethiopian goatherd observing his coffee-bean-crunching goats has now spurned off into a lucrative part of the world economy.

Check out some coffee health links….it’s not all that bad for you unless you are an insomniac!

Dietitians look at health effects of coffee

Check out the coffeescience website if you want to know how coffee affects every aspect of your health.

What’s your favorite coffee- Starbucks or the regular home brew?

coffee, Starbucks, health, lifestyle

If an employee is obese, s/he might cost the company more money.An obese employee has more reasons to take sick leave and suffers from more work-related injuries. So the compensation that comapnies invest in their employees just shoots up!

Check this out:Study: Fat workers cost employers more

This calls for a change in the way employers treat their employees. While depriving employees of their health, they create more expenditure and liability. Obesity is one area. But what about the work culture in general?People work day in and day out, without time for their families, without time to read their favorite books or even to have a simple stroll in the park. Life has lost its quality. The excuse:MONEY.

But if companies are losing money with sick employees, they would have it good to enrol their employees in gyms and create an easier work culture and friendlier environment. Benefits all.

fat, obese, lifestyle

Do you want to live to be a hundred?

I’m not sure about that one.Think about a life without your parents and with your kids all grown old and your spouse probably history. And all those aches and pains. And all that loneliness.

Research has it that people who do reach that age and are still reasonably healthy have a better outlook toward life. They seem to be more positive and are hard working. A life devoid of smoking and drinking helps but only to a point. Destiny and genetics intertwine. You can’t plan how old you’ll grow but you can try to lead a healthier life. Controlling the way stress affects you is an important factor in aging gracefully.

Read this story:What are my chances of living to 100?

old age, death, health, lifestyle

Now that the trans fat debate has lost its steam, another one coming up is: We all know that trans fat is deadly in large quantities; so what Next? What replaces trans fat? The answer is that there is no healthy replacement yet. What is being used is saturated fat and that is almost as bad.

Since the average American has five times as much saturated fat as trans fat, s/he’s still in the obesity danger zone. and runs the risk of a variety of disaeses like stroke,diabetes and heart disease. The key is Eat Healthy and that means cut down on Saturated fats too.

This is where reading your food labels (even after you figure out that the item is trans fat-free) helps.

I loved this article: Are trans fat substitutes really healthier?

health, obesity, trans fat, saturated fat, cholestorol, diet, fat

How did Butler end up looking like King Leonidas of the 300 hall of fame?

He worked out crazy for four months. He had help from a world class mountaineer and a Venezuelan body builder. The 300 Spartan workout which is hitting headlines in a big way isn’t that easy. Imagine doing “25 pullups, 50 deadlifts with 135 pounds, 50 pushups, 50 jumps on a 24-inch box, 50 floor wipers 50 single-arm clean-and-presses using a 36-pound kettle bell, and 25 more pullups. All this, in addition to utilizing other unconventional yet equally taxing training methods, such as tire flipping and gymnastics-style ring training”(Excerpt from this fantastic article by Jeff O’Connell:Spartan Workout Secrets from the Star of 300). At the end of the sweat-till -you -are -dead routine, you end up looking like a comic book super hero with fantastic chiselled abs and superhuman physique.

The Spartans were a clannish lot who had the highest standards of perfection of the body. Legend has it that weak Spartan babies were often abandoned as it was a sure sign that they were unfit for their future life as warriors. I guess the twenty first century is a better place to be in. We debate and discuss body image problems. We create dialogues and market products. We never give up on imperfection. We profit from it:)

Some misconceptions about the 300 workout that Mark Twight(one of the fitness trainers at 300) has clarified here.

Spartan 300 workouts, Gerard Butler