Why Does Your Body Overheat?

One of the primary reasons why your body overheats is because of the weather. Naturally, your body can control your own temperature so that it stays at an acceptable level even when you’re working out. Sweating helps you cool down because it releases heat and it leaves a cooler feeling in its wake.

If the weather is very hot, your body might not be able to cope even if you are sweating. In fact, exercising in very warm temperatures makes your body work twice as hard to sweat because your body supplies more oxygen to your skin rather than to your muscles. You can even notice how harder it is to work out in the heat while doing this in an air-conditioned gym.

Another reason why your body overheats is because you lack fluids. Fluids are necessary to keep you cool and it provides the liquid that will eventually be the sweat that comes out of your body. Without the right amount of fluids, you will feel dehydrated which leads to a harder workout.

Risks of Overheating

An overheating body does not come without a cost. Here are some of the things you can experience if you get yourself into a heat emergency:

1. Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion occurs when you are experiencing heavy sweating. This is different from heavy sweating because of an intense cardio exercise. You will know if it’s excessive exhaustion when you just did low-intensity workouts yet you feel so tired and clammy. Sometimes, you might even feel nauseous.

2. Heat Cramps

Heat cramps are just like muscle cramps that you experience in your legs and your stomach. It is caused by loss of salt due to over sweating. When you sweat too much because it’s too hot, chances are that you lose all the salt in your body that can maintain muscle strength. Eventually, your workouts will start to deteriorate as a result of the loss of salt.

3. Heat Stroke

Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition wherein your body reaches above 40 degrees Celsius. You stand the risk of passing out or collapsing because you lack oxygen, water, and salt. When you feel that your body temperature is rising, stop your exercise and try to cool down.

Ways to Prevent Overheating During Exercises

Overheating is something you can avoid. By following these tips, you prevent any risks that can happen during overheating.

1. Drink plenty of water.

This is by far the simplest yet best advice you can get to avoid overheating. You don’t even need to be in a hot environment to need to drink lots of water. Water supplies oxygen to your body and without it, you will have a hard time moving around. It’s also the source of sweat.

Before you exercise, make sure that you drank enough water (not too much, though). You should also have cool water ready for your breaks.

2. Choose a cooler time of the day to exercise.

If you live in a naturally warm country, then this doesn’t mean that you should not exercise your entire life. Instead, you can choose cooler parts of the day when it’s conducive to exercise. Early morning or later at night are good workout times.

3. Avoid sugar and caffeine.

These two ingredients are responsible for making you lose fluids at a higher rate. If you are going on an exercise, make sure you steer clear of sweet drinks and coffee at least two hours before.

4. Wear light clothing.

Your attire also has a lot to do with keeping your body’s temperature. When you exercise, make sure that you wear loose clothing instead of tight ones so you can breathe properly through the heat. It also helps to have lighter colors for your sports attire.

5. Do not exercise under direct sunlight.

When it’s already hot outside, the last thing you should do is to exercise under the scorching sun. Choose a cooler place like an indoor gym or even your home to avoid direct sunlight.

The post What To Do When You Experience Overheating During Exercise appeared first on Health Constitution.

Almost every person, one estimate is about 95% of people who have experienced a muscle cramp once in their entire life. There are different reasons and types of muscle cramps. The good news is that now you can order magnesium chelate online for muscle cramp treatment with a natural product.

A cramp can bother you again any time even after getting resolved initially and properly. Cramp might be involving just a part of a muscle, the whole muscle or quite a few other muscles that are connected like fingers that bend together.

Muscle cramps are more common in elderly persons. They become a frequent feature of their life as they grow older. However, kids are also not safe from these muscle cramps.

The most commonly affected muscle is those in the backside of the lower leg and thigh’s front and back area. Usually, cramps occur in the back of your leg, abdominal wall, arms, or feet.

Skeletal muscles, that are under our control, can cramp, particularly legs and calf are among the common ones. Similarly, involuntary muscles are also subject to muscle cramps, including the uterus, bronchial tree, blood vessel walls, etc.

The severe pain of cramp cannot let you sleep at night or make it hard for you to walk or stand on your feet. The most common sign of muscle cramp is a sharp sudden pain that can last between a few seconds to 15-20 minutes or even longer.

Signs of Muscle Cramps

Some very prominent symptoms and signs of muscle cramps include:

• Swelling or redness on the affected area
• Feeling pain in the muscle
• Low or intense pain in the particular muscle or the joint when moved or used for any function
• Not able to move the affected muscle
• Feeling sensation in the muscle associated.

Causes of Muscle Cramps

There are various causes of cramps, some of them, are a result of the overuse of your muscles. It usually happens when you are doing exercise. Some of the main points include:

• Poor blood supply to the muscles
• Muscles are not enough stretched
• During exercise, some muscles worked too hard, and if you missed warm-up, this can become a common feature
• If you are active in hot temperatures
• Muscles are fatigued
• Dehydration is the main reason for triggering cramps since the body loses excessive fluids
• Deficiency of some important minerals like calcium, potassium, sodium, and magnesium also contribute to muscle cramps
• During exercise or any other physical activity, low blood circulation to lower body parts can cause muscle cramps either to your legs or feet.

Some medical conditions can be the reason for muscle cramps, for example:

• If you are suffering from a disease like spinal nerve compression, you may feel cramps in your leg muscles
• If you take alcohol
• Pregnant women
• Kidney patients
• Hypo-thyroid

Some medication can also cause muscle cramps, for instance:

• Furosemide and some water pills are responsible for removing liquid fluids from the body
• Donepezil that is used to treat Alzheimer patients
• Neostigmine for treating Myasthenia Gravis
• For HBP Procardia
• Evista used by osteoporosis patients
• Albuterol and Ventolin for treating asthma problem
• Tasmar help in treating Parkinson illness

Medicines for Treating Cholesterol

Here we have compiled some of the options that can help you in knowing the answer to how to solve your muscle cramps problem.

• Applying cold or hot wrapping to the sore muscle once the first symptom of cramp appears. You have the option of a warm cloth or heating pad, ice or cold cloth to ease the pain of the spasm.
• To alleviate the cramp you can also stretch the cramped muscle. For instance, if the calf muscle is a spasm, you can pull foot with your hands in an upward direction to stretch the muscle.
• If these remedies do not work, try to take some anti-inflammatory medicine like ibuprofen. This is supposed to help in soothing the stretched sore muscles.
• Mostly the muscle cramps disturb your sleep. If it happens, better consult your physician to prescribe some muscle relaxing medicine.
• Muscle cramps can cause an interruption in your sleep and you may suffer disruption in your sleep if you have a sudden muscle cramp. In this scenario, you need to consult your doctor about a prescription for your muscle relaxer. This medication will help you in relaxing your muscles and calming spasms. Your doctor can also prescribe some supplements if you have low potassium or calcium.
• Doctors usually do not recommend any medications for regular cramps, somehow, they consider some mild medications. But pregnant women are not prescribed any muscle relaxing supplements, rather they are advised to take a sufficient amount of magnesium and multivitamins.
• Some muscle relaxants are available in the market such as cyclobenzaprine, Norflex and baclofen. These are reported helpful in relaxing muscle cramps.
• Some people use quinine containing tonic water before going to bed and it benefits their cramps.
• In some recent years, physicians injected Botulism toxin to a limited group of muscles successfully. One session lasts for several months and you may repeat the injection if needed.
• If your muscle cramps persist after these remedies, you have to visit neurologist after getting your blood tested.
• You follow up with your physician to keep track of what activities or diseases need to be addressed to treat cramping muscles.

Natural Home Remedies Treat Muscle Cramps

• Some cramps can be cured if you stretch the involved muscle, for example, legs and feet cramps can be accomplished by stretching, standing or walking around.
• You should learn some stretches that can provide you instant relief when cramps occur.
• For leg cramps, you can sit in the blank, twist it around your foot and start stretching your toes keeping your knees straight.
• For lower leg muscle cramp, put your weight on your toes, lift your heels gradually. This gesture can soothe the cramped leg muscle, you can do it when you wake up early morning.
• To treat back muscle cramps, it is recommended to opt for a child’s pose yoga It is not only helpful in relieving the pain of back muscle but in also treating the thigh, ankle, and hips muscle cramps.
• For thigh’s back cramp, you can sit on the floor with stretched legs in front of you. Now you can glide your hands down onto your legs and stay for at least 30 seconds. Once you start feeling some burning sensation in the muscle, slowly go back to your normal sitting position.
• The technique for a calf muscle cramp, a person can stand from the wall about 2-3 feet. Lean the forearms against the wall with his knees and back in a straight position and his heels must be in smooth contact with the floor.
• Relaxing the ankle muscle, one can pull or bend one’s toes in an upward direction while lying in bed and meanwhile, the legs must be in a straight position as much as one can.
• For a hand’s cramp, press the hand on the wall putting fingers downwards and try to gently stretch the cramped finger/s.
• Massaging the cramping muscles often results in relaxing them, as applying heat or soaking in hot water.
• Fluid and electrolyte replacement is needed if the cramps are connected with the liquid loss due to some physical activity.
• Generally, medicines are not necessarily needed to treat any ordinary muscle cramp.
• After doing some stretching exercises, it is recommended to put a hot water bottle or heating pad on the affected area to promote blood circulation.

Tips to Prevent Cramps

The easiest way to prevent cramps is to limit any workout which can be the reason for your muscle cramps. You should also keep practicing in case you are suffering from cramped muscles.

• Don’t go for a gym or involve in any physical activity after eating.
• If you have to participate in any sports or exercise, start with some warm-up and stretching exercises. Else you will injure your muscles for sure.
• Limit your caffeine intakes such as tea, coffee or chocolate.
• Drink sufficient amount of water to avoid dehydration because you lose a huge amount of water when doing some physical activity. So it is better to make sure you drink maximum liquid during the day.
• You can drink milk or orange juice and eat bananas to increase your calcium and potassium levels naturally.
• You can ask your doctor before taking some vitamins so your body can get the necessary nutrients and minerals.
• Eat food that is rich in potassium and magnesium mainly leafy greens, wearing warm sock before sleeping if you have cramps in your legs or foot.
• You can resume your activity once your cramp goes away, as this is not a serious illness.
• If someone got serious muscle cramps like deep vein thrombosis, he or she needs to seek some medical treatment on an emergency basis.
• However, for some regular muscle cramps, one should stay hydrated and maintain a healthy diet that can help treat muscle cramps.

Some Food to help Muscle Cramps

Many doctors and people believe that taking enough amount of magnesium supplements can help to avoid muscles cramp. Now some companies are marketing supplements having magnesium for treating muscle cramps.

Some natural foods that are high in magnesium include:

• Almonds
• Cashew nuts
• Peanuts
• Spinach
• Soymilk
• Black beans
• Potatoes baked with skin
• Brown rice
• Low-fat plain yogurt

Is there something SERIOUS about Cramps?

If you have leg or feet cramps resulting due to exercises or standing for ab uninterrupted longer duration, your body needs some rest to get rid of it. In such cases, the cramps usually resolve on their own and do not need any medical help. But if the cramps become persistent and the person could not sleep well, you need to see a doctor.

If you face some problems in going about your daily activities due to muscle cramps, you should take them seriously. It can impact a person’s quality of life. But if the condition remains for 2-3 days and you cannot see any difference in it, now this is the time to immediately visit the doctor and seek medical help. Additionally, if you are experiencing some sort of swelling or discolouration of the skin, better go for emergency guidance.

GC

The post How to Solve Your Muscle Cramps Problem? appeared first on Health Constitution.

If you do, you will find yourself weighing some extra pounds. Instead of feeling relaxed and happy after your vacation, you can end up worried and stressed on how you can lose the extra pounds once again. You might have to spend money on a new wardrobe since your clothes do not fit you anymore.

To prevent all these from happening, here are 10 tips on how to stay healthy while on vacation.

Wake up early

If you are up early, you can have the time to exercise or do some workouts. You can work out in your room, performing pushups, curls, crunches, and plunges. If you are vacationing somewhere where there are hiking or biking trails, you can take a long walk or rent a bike and spend 30 minutes cycling. This will make you sweat, improve your metabolism, and prepare you for the busy day ahead of you exploring or sightseeing.

Know how to indulge

Most people on a vacation eat in restaurants where people can be easily tempted to sample local cuisine. This is why you are on vacation so go ahead and indulge a little. But avoid eating foods that can make you guilty the whole day.

Have a huge and healthy breakfast before you venture outside. This will keep you full until lunchtime. If you eat in a restaurant, it is alright to give in to your cravings. Then, have a healthy and light dinner.

This means that you can have one meal in which you can eat whatever you want and two meals during which you consume healthy foods only.

Choose healthy airport snacks

Snack bars and coffee shops in airports used to sell mostly junk foods but that was in the past. With more and more passengers looking for healthy snacks, airport managers have realised they must offer healthy snacks as well. Nowadays, you can easily find healthy snacks in airports. Yogurt, fresh fruit juice, fresh fruits, and vegetable salads are sold. Stick to these snacks to prevent your calories from shooting up.

Pack your snacks

During vacation, there are several tours offered. There are hiking tours, boat tours, and other group activities that last the whole day. Some tours offer free snacks but most of them are not just good for you. To avoid getting tempted, pack your snacks. Bring fresh fruits and several bottles of water. Baked sweet potatoes, sandwiches filled with chicken or turkey breast meat, tomatoes, shredded cabbage and lots of onions are the best snacks that you can bring with you.

Use the hotel fitness facilities

Today, most hotels have fitness centers and guests can use them for free or for a small fee. Grab this opportunity to use the treadmill, the rowing machine or lift some weights. If you do not want to exercise outdoors, visit the exercise facility of the hotel where you are staying. You can easily sneak out and give your body a good workout.

Drink plenty of water

Keeping hydrated is important when you are on vacation. You have plenty of activities that can make you lose water through sweat. Always bring several bottles of water when you go sightseeing, exploring, or touring the different places in the area where you are spending your holiday.

Avoid drinking soft drinks or soda because they contain lots of sugar that can make you gain weight. If the water in your vacation place is not safe to drink, stock up on bottled water and keep them where you are staying.

Keep these tips in mind and enjoy a great vacation without ending up overweight and unhealthy. Avoid making your holiday as an excuse to splurge, drink too much, and be lazy to exercise. Part of the reason why you went on a vacation is to be free from stress and to improve your health. Ending up gaining more weight will defeat the purpose of your holiday.

Incorporate some simple exercises you can do in your hotel room

There are a lot of simple exercises that you can perform right in the comfort and privacy of your hotel room. This is especially true if you’re the kind of person who is quite shy to use the hotel’s fitness or gym facilities. The point in exercising is that you only need ample space to move about and be creative in the use of other items to address the lack of exercise equipment. For instance, don’t look for a dumbbell if you can have a bag full of stuff.

You can easily perform push-ups, modified kettle bell swing using a different item, squats, planks, or any other exercise routine. Use your imagination.

Take a walk, instead of going for a ride

We all feel the need to relax whenever we take a holiday vacation. As such, most of us would rather request from the hotel staff for transportation to bring us to wherever it is we want to go. Well, if you’re talking about several tens of kilometres away to your destination, then taking a ride is definitely a must. But, if you’re only talking about a few to several kilometres it is best to walk.

This way you are exercising the muscles in your legs while allowing you to take in as much of the breath-taking scenery as possible. This also helps replenish the air in your lungs, allowing you to feel more refreshed and rejuvenated afterwards.

Use the new environment as a place to work out

Does your hotel have access to a public beach? You can have your workouts right in the sand and do some sprint intervals. You can even create a modified triathlon of your own. Swim parallel to the shore for a distance of about 100 metres or so before hitting the road with your roller skates and finishing it up with a 2-kilometre sprint. If you’re heading to the mountains you can also think of more innovative ways to exercise.

The good thing about having a holiday vacation is that you’re presented with a lot of opportunities to stay fit even without the need for expensive exercise or gym equipment. Go biking or take a hike. You can also go on a coasteering adventure if you like. The important thing is to be physically active and not a couch potato.

Eat carbs later in the day, not during the day

This is quite tricky. Holiday vacations are almost always characterised by a lot of food choices that can get you an additional 5 kilogrammes by the time you wrap up your vacation. Your weight doesn’t have to suffer. What you need is to alter your eating habits a bit by putting carb-rich foods later in the day, preferably after working out.

It is observed that eating high-carbohydrate foods during the day can cause insulin levels to reach an unusual high. Unfortunately, any excess in carbs will be stored in fat cells leading to their growth.

This is because fat cells have been noted to be especially more sensitive to the increase in insulin during the day. On the other hand, consuming high-carbohydrate foods later in the day has the opposite effect. Muscle cells become especially sensitised to the presence of insulin, leading to muscle growth.

As such, it is advised that you take as few carbohydrates as possible during the day. Stick with protein-rich meals as well as fats. You can even bring your own protein-rich snacks when on the go.

Staying fit while on a holiday vacation isn’t really that difficult. One only has to stay focused on staying fit and everything else will fall into its rightful place.

The post 10 Tips to Stay Healthy on Vacation (Updated) appeared first on Health Constitution.

If you are going to spend 60 minutes working out, what’s the best way to spend them? That leads us to the question: what provides a better workout? Spinning or running?

What Is Spinning?

Spinning is essentially indoor cycling and is an energetic, effective way to burn lots of calories in a short timeframe. Spinning classes, where a group of people cycle together in unison, are very popular these days and can be very intense.

Whether it’s done at home or as a group, spinning is loved by many (and hated by others because of the high-level workout it provides.

What is Running?

Well, running is a pretty self-explanatory workout that we’ve done at one point or another. Whether it’s on the street, on your very own at-home treadmill, or at your local gym, running is the oldest and most basic way to burn calories.

Let’s compare them: Spinning vs Running

What Burns More Calories?

A 30-minute running session on a treadmill at 6mph for a person who weighs 155lb’s will burn around 350 calories.

The same adult can burn about 260 calories in 30-minutes on a Spin bike at a steady pace.

However, all of these numbers highly depend on the level of intensity you put in during your workout. And, while it’s easier to burn more calories while spinning, some people can burn just as many calories while running.

If you want to build muscle, spinning can help you build leg muscles. Many ‘spinners’ have large calf and thigh muscles, which is something appealing to people who want to focus on that part of their body.

What Feels Better?

Some people can find running to be hard on their joints, which makes them prefer spinning. It is gentler on your joints and your entire body because there is no direct impact with a surface.

On the other hand, cycling can be bad for your posture due to the stance you need to be in for long periods of time while on your stationary bike. Spinning can cause tight hips, a bad back, and cramps in your shins.

The Winner is…

The winner is really up to you and depends on what is available to you.

Whatever type of exercise you prefer and will enjoy doing more of is the routine you should choose. It will make you want to exercise more often and put in a better workout, which will allow you to see better results.

Why Not Do Both?

As long as you have access to a treadmill and spin bike, why not run and spin? They both target different areas of the body and can both have their benefits.

At the very least, you should try both of them for a short while to see what type of workout you prefer, what the results look like, and what is more accessible to you.

Spinning and running are both great workouts that can get you in shape quickly and effectively. Have some fun with both and you’ll be in tip-top shape before you know it!

GC

The post What Provides a Better Workout? Spinning or Running appeared first on Health Constitution.

Start with Very Specific and Realistic Goals

One of the most important ways to ensure sustainability in dieting and training is to have a very clear set of goals. Not only should they be clear; they should also be realistic.

Most people think that going to the gym is enough to help them stay healthy. However, without a goal to provide direction in your efforts, you may not be able to measure how far you have progressed. Goals are targets that you want to achieve within a certain period of time. It is for this reason that one should be very specific about one’s goals.

For instance, you can aim to finish 5 sets of a particular exercise within one training session. In terms of dieting, you can have an initial goal of reducing the number of calories that you consume by about 10 per cent.

What is essential in these goals is that they are specific and measurable. Above all, they are also realistic. This should help you gain the confidence to continue with what you have already started. Once you get the hang of it, you can always revisit your goals and change them to make your fitness routine more challenging.

Manage Your Expectations

This is still a part of goal-setting. However, it is very important that it can merit its own discussion. It relates to how realistic your goal is.

For example, performing several sets of deadlifts in your first week is not only unrealistic. It can be dangerous, too. It becomes more realistic if you divide your main goal into smaller chunks.

Learning to perform the correct deadlift form in the first week is ideal. You can then deadlift for 1 to 2 days in the second two weeks. This will help you build consistency. By the time you reach the fourth week, you can start deadlifting a few sets at a time.

The same is true with eating. You may want to shave off 10 percent of calories first from your normal. This is more realistic than expecting to slash 50 percent of calories in the first few days of your fitness programme. It is possible, of course. However, there will be substantial effects on the other aspects of your health. These can dampen your motivation to sustain your efforts.

Choose Activities and Foods that You Enjoy

Another way you can apply sustainability in your fitness programme is by choosing activities that you love to do. Do not force yourself to work out in the gym if you do not want to. There are many activities that can make you fit without the need for any fancy equipment. You can run, hike, jog, swim, and climb the stairs.

As for your diet, you do not need to give up your favourite foods. The trick is to be mindful of the food items that are good for you and those that can undermine your fitness effort. It is still possible to enjoy fatty foods. The key is to substitute trans-fats and saturated fats with unsaturated versions.

Go for lean proteins. Always include a serving or two of vegetables and fruits in your meals. They do not have to be dishes themselves. Vegetables and fruits can be ingredients in your favourite foods.

Consider Working with a Fitness Coach

There will always be instances when you feel like giving up. A fitness coach can motivate you to keep on pushing yourself. There are now fitness coaches that offer online services. They provide a more convenient way of adhering to your fitness routines. This can help you achieve your fitness goals.

A fitness coach can help evaluate your progress and recommend changes to your existing fitness regimen. He or she can also provide invaluable feedback on how you can improve the sustainability of your fitness effort.

Health and fitness is not a one-time thing. It is ongoing. That is why it is important to have very clear goals and to engage in things that you love to make sure you are able to sustain your fitness efforts.

The post How to Apply Sustainable Fitness in Dieting and Training appeared first on Health Constitution.

Ben Simmons

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ben Simmons (@bensimmons) on Oct 9, 2019 at 7:46am PDT

IMAGE CREDIT: @bensimmons

Ben Simmons missed his entire rookie season due to a Jones fracture in his right foot. The number 1 pick got surgery during the off season then trusted the Sixers’ approach. “In no way, shape or form are we going to rush him back,” the former Sixers GM Brian Colangelo said. “We’re going to let the medical professionals dictate the course of action in terms of both rehabilitation, recovery and return to action.” Simmons was all-in on his team’s return-to-action protocol, and followed it to the letter. A season later Simmons won Rookie of the Year.

Rafael Nadal

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal) on Sep 22, 2019 at 2:53am PDT

IMAGE CREDIT: @rafaelnadal

Nadal has had a long history of injuries (e.g. knee, foot, wrist), and experience bouncing back from them. This year he dealt with a hip injury, and again he came back seemingly stronger than ever. Proof of this are the two Grand Slams Nadal won — the French Open (his 12th) and the US Open (his 4th). Those victories have propelled the Spaniard to a familiar spot. bwin Tennis reports that Nadal will end the year as world number 1 in the world, a feat that seemed improbable given his hip struggles back in April. The question is, how does Nadal bounce back so well after getting hurt? For one, he isn’t afraid to take a step back, especially if he doesn’t feel right. The 19-time Grand Slam champion pulled out of the Shanghai Masters because he “wasn’t going to be 100 percent.” This willingness to take a break means Nadal’s injuries don’t get worse, as he has enough time to heal and rehabilitate.

Sally Pearson

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Sally Pearson (@sallypearson) on Nov 25, 2019 at 12:36am PST

IMAGE CREDIT: @sallypearson

Pearson has battled numerous injuries throughout her career. And her secret to bouncing back from all of them is an unwavering self-belief. The Sydney Morning Herald’s profile on Pearson details how Australia’s track icon “never displayed the slightest suggestion of self-doubt in her career.” It seems simplistic that a positive mindset can help one overcome injuries. But that is certainly the case. Healthline explains that the glass half-full approach has plenty of benefits, including faster recovery from injury or illness, as well as a better life overall.

Tiger Woods

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tiger Woods (@tigerwoods) on Oct 27, 2019 at 7:44pm PDT

IMAGE CREDIT: @tigerwoods

Tiger Wood’s bad back made him a shell of his former self for years. But that didn’t deter him. Instead he kept at it, getting surgery after surgery to repair his bad back. He underwent two microdiscectomies in 2014 and 2015, then back fusion surgery in 2017. So began Tiger’s gradual ascent back to golfing relevance. He did what he had to do, which in this case was to have his back repaired. And that set him on the long road to recovery, culminating with a green jacket in this year’s The Masters.

The post How the World’s Top Athletes Came Back Stronger After an Injury appeared first on Health Constitution.

1.  Engage in Age-Appropriate Levels of Physical Activity

Everybody needs to exercise to maintain optimum health and fitness levels – and research has demonstrated that exercise can extend independence for older adults. Victoria’s Better Health Channel reports that the amount of physical activity you actually need depends on your age. For Australians older than 65 years of age, they recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity per day.

What kind of exercise do you need to engage in for best results? According to Julie Moberg at the University of Michigan Extension in the United States, there are 4 different types of exercise:

• Endurance training
• Strength training
• Balance exercises
• Flexibility exercises

Ideally, your exercise programme should incorporate all 4 of these types.

In the United States, researchers from Harvard University determined that older adults who followed an exercise programme consisting of walking plus strength training, flexibility exercises, and balance training exercises had an advantage in maintaining their mobility as they aged. The study participants who followed this exercise programme were able to reduce the total time that they suffered from major disability by 25 percent over the duration of the 3-and-a-half-year study. The participants also enjoyed substantially reduced incidences of disability.

2.  Guard Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a syndrome that can ruin your independence by causing cognitive decline and memory loss. Its causes are poorly understood, and clinical researchers have yet to discover a cure for it. Yet, the vast body of research that has been conducted on this condition does reveal some actions you can take that may decrease your chances of suffering from Alzheimer’s disease:

• Design a life for yourself that includes a strong sense of purpose.
• If you aren’t already bilingual, study a second language.
• Keep your brain engaged with mentally stimulating activities such as crafts, reading books, playing games or participating in social activities.
• Listen to music or take a music appreciation course.
• Make sure you get enough vitamin D.
• Brew your own black tea, green tea or oolong tea from tea leaves and drink it frequently.
• Eat omega-3-rich foods such as fish and flaxseed.
• Enjoy blueberries

In some cases, researchers have determined that consuming these foods or engaging in these activities has correlated with fewer incidences of Alzheimer’s disease for the subjects of various studies that have been conducted. While correlation does not effectively prove causation, it is possible that some of these activities may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease. The linked news articles and studies provide more information about the methodologies the researchers used and their conclusions.

3. Avoid Toxins That Can Ruin Your Health

There are countless toxins that can harm your body and your mind and also have the potential to ruin your independence as you age.

For example, let’s talk about smoking. Everybody knows that smoking cigarettes can cause or contribute to lung cancer – but fewer people are aware that smoking appears to increase a person’s risk of contracting eye diseases including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), which can lead to blindness. Obviously, severe vision loss or blindness would have the potential to substantially limit your capacity for independent living and should be avoided to the greatest extent possible.

Smoking can also adversely contribute to a broad variety of other damaging health conditions and diseases including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It can also cause hearing loss and many other health problems.

Smoking can also negatively influence your mental health. Researchers have found that smokers have a significantly greater risk of suicide attempts, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and schizophrenia than non-smokers do.

If you’re a cigarette smoker, and you hope to preserve your long-term independence as you age, it is of utmost importance that you take action to quit. If you have friends who smoke, avoid breathing secondhand smoke from their cigarettes.

Cigarette smoke isn’t the only toxin that can ruin your health and compromise your independence as you age. Mold, pesticides and many other substances can also cause harm. To preserve your health and independence, it’s beneficial to avoid all known toxins to the best of your ability.

4. Seek Out the Right In-Home Carer

Obviously, it’s ideal to be your own caretaker for as long as possible. However, there are circumstances in which this might not be possible. If you suffer a fall, a car accident or some other accident, there may come a time when you need to seek outside help from a carer. There is no shame in this.

The Australian government offers a Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP) to older Australians who need some support but wish to remain living at home independently. If you need short-term help while recovering after a fall, or help with things like showering and preparing meals, or help with installation of ramps or handrails to help you feel more secure at home, this programme might be an excellent option for you.

There are also options for people who need longer-term support while continuing to live at home. Growing numbers of older Australians are choosing to age in place at home via home care packages rather than transition to permanent residential care. And, in general, older Australians tend to be more satisfied with home care services than they are with residential care. Depending on your situation, it may be viable for you to remain at home with a full-time or part-time carer rather than moving to an aged care facility.

Finding the right carer can pose a whole new set of challenges. You have numerous options ranging from government-subsidised packages to private carers to not-for-profit care providers to voluntary care by relatives or friends. The Australian government gives accreditation to worthy aged care providers, but no formal academic qualifications are required to become an aged carer. It can be hard to know who to trust with the critically important task of caring for you.

If you choose to take advantage of a government-subsidised care option, one of the first steps is to request an assessment. The results of your assessment would determine what level of support you’d be eligible for, and what your next steps to get started might be.

If you go through the private system, choosing a carer can be a bit bewildering. There’s no government-sponsored website providing official ratings of carers (although, in some cases, the Aged Care Quality website might be able to help you determine whether a particular provider has had horrific complaints lodged against them and should be avoided). But, otherwise, it’s up to you to figure out who you want to work with.

One of the most important criteria in choosing the right carer is whether you like the person and can get on with him or her in a productive way.

When you interview potential carers, be sure to ask about their experience and qualifications. If possible, it’s beneficial to choose a carer who has completed at least a certificate III in aged care. The absence of such a qualification doesn’t necessarily mean a carer isn’t qualified; but one who has successfully completed this course is more likely to be familiar with all the details of the commonwealth’s high standards for aged care.

There is nothing wrong with seeking out help when you need it. Choosing the right in-home carer can be empowering for older Australians. It’s one of the best options for those who wish to live independently at home for as long as possible.

These are our top 4 tips for staying healthy, fit and independent as you age. Following these suggestions is likely to empower you to remain mobile, live in your own home longer and avoid a move to an aged-care residential facility.

This is a guest post.

The post 4 Tips on How to Stay Healthy, Fit and Independent as You Age appeared first on Health Constitution.

What is Online Fitness Training?

Online fitness training is similar in many ways to traditional fitness programs. The only difference is the platform upon which one learns the essentials of the fitness program. Traditional programs require individuals to meet their personal trainers at a certain venue. They also need to adhere to a fixed schedule.

Such a setup is disadvantageous to people who lead very busy lives. They may not be able to meet their fitness commitments without making significant changes in their daily routine. There is also the issue of having to go to the gym of the personal trainer. The gym may not be very accessible to some people. One also has to consider the cost of hiring a personal trainer.

An online fitness training program addresses these concerns. It gives the person the absolute freedom when it comes to achieving his or her fitness goals. It is very flexible and cost-effective, too. The person does not have to go to any gym or meet the personal trainer at a particular date and time. He or she can train whenever and wherever he or she feels like it.

How Online Fitness Training Works

The major difference between traditional and online fitness training program is the location or placement of the training. The different teachings in a traditional program occur in a physical venue. Online programs occur over the internet.

Everything about fitness gets delivered via the internet. It can be as straightforward as email coaching. The personal trainer sends learning materials via electronic mail. He can include a variety of attachments or links to videos that the person can open in his or her free time. Correspondence can occur through email.

There are also fitness coaches who utilize a variety of internet platforms to make the training more engaging. Some can utilize video messaging platforms to make the training more personalized. The fitness coach can also provide special apps that the client can use to track his fitness progress. He can also use these to access a variety of workouts and communicate with the coach.

If the client has problems understanding or executing a particular training exercise, he can always send a message to the fitness coach. The coach, meanwhile, can respond and provide a more detailed explanation. In many cases, the coach will provide videos for the person to learn from.

The person can access all of these materials using a variety of platforms. It can be on his personal computer, tablet, or smartphone. As long as the device can connect to the internet, then he can access these learning materials wherever he may be.

Components of Online Fitness Programs

Different online fitness coaches and trainers observe different methods when it comes to helping people achieve their fitness goals. However, they do share three basic things: fitness coaching, nutrition coaching, and communication.

Fitness coaching is an essential component of online fitness programs. Most coaches provide an app for people to use. These apps allow clients and their respective coaches to keep track of their fitness progress. If the client is not doing his part, the coach can send him a friendly reminder or to motivate him further.

Online fitness trainers also provide nutrition coaching. Sensible dieting is a key element to maintaining good fitness and health. It makes no sense pumping iron and running several miles every day if one cannot make a conscious effort to modify the way he eats. An online app can also help keep track of the client’s dietary patterns.

Communication is also critical to any form of fitness training, be it online or the traditional method. Online communication methods can take the form of video chat, email, instant messenger, and the like. These tools can facilitate better and more efficient communication between the coach and his client.

Online fitness training works by eliminating the many issues that one can have from traditional fitness programs. It is versatile, cost-effective, and very convenient for anyone who wishes to lead a healthier and fitter life.

The post How Does Online Fitness Training Work? appeared first on Health Constitution.

• Set Rewards

Setting rewards works as well when you are in a relationship as it does when you are alone. Like with any form of goal setting, this is a major motivator. It can be a great way to make fitness fun by setting rewards with your other half. Why don’t you plan to go out to celebrate the completion of your fitness goals for a weekend or take a fancy night out? It will definitely make you want to work harder to achieve your goals. 

• Outdoor Dates

Instead of going on the usual movie nights, try something new. Taking the dog out together, walks around the park, going for a sauna, and cycling are great ways of talking, creating intimacy and getting closer. These definitely tend to burn more calories than conventional date venues, so it’s a win-win.

• Have a Healthy Recipe Day

A good way to spend some time together while implementing a healthy lifestyle is to make a healthy dinner day one night a week, where you prepare a nutritious meal together. Cooking together is a very fun activity (which in itself can be an aphrodisiac). Maybe try an alkaline salad!

Three in five (62.1%) of Australians of 30-65 years perceived what they usually eat to be healthy, while 90% of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet.

• Take a Fitness Class Together

Nothing beats actual exercise so why not go for it with your loved one? Tell your partner that you want to try a class and you would be more comfortable with them. You can laugh as they attempt yoga for the first time and help each other out after class as well. 

Not only will this be a new experience, you will also have cute couple stories to share with others later. Fitness classes also make for a great place for you and your loved one to connect and bond. So if you’ve been complaining of not being able to spend more time together, fitness classes could just be the thing to look into!

• Limit Eating Out

Remember we told you to go on a fancy dinner as a reward? But try to keep it limited to once or twice a month. When you are in a relationship, going to restaurants becomes a norm. Don’t know how to spend your date night? You almost immediately think of going to a fancy restaurant. How about you try watching a movie at home after cooking your own meal together? You will save money and cut back on calories as well.  

• Health Insurance

When you first get married, there are numerous exciting new experiences to look forward to as a couple. Insurance probably isn’t on this list. The important thing to look into is insurance for couples which would ensure you are covered in case of any emergencies regarding your health and fitness.

Couples, however, are typically able to access higher rates and higher coverage than either significant other would have individually. If either of you came into the wedding with minor kids, your insurance desires may decline because the spouse’s financial gain can help contribute to the monetary desires of the children.

• Go on a Healthy Eating Plan Together

It can be difficult to go on a diet on your own and stick to it without support. Dieting with your significant other is a great idea. Since you eat all or most of your meals together, you can encourage each other to make healthy choices and support one another. Remember to keep a sustainable and realistic goal – you don’t want to start grumpy fights with your partner over food choices!

Either way, try to remember how important staying fit is. Motivate your partner so that you can enjoy a long and healthy life together. 

This is a guest post.

The post Fit for Life: 6 Ideas to Staying Fit & In Shape with Your Other Half appeared first on Health Constitution.

Sometimes, all you need is the right exercise equipment to get bigger and stronger biceps. One such equipment is the curl bar. Here is how you can use this exercise tool to achieve better gains in your biceps muscle-building routine.

Keep Your Wrists in a Semi-Supinated Position

It is important to know the difference between a curl bar and a barbell or a dumbbell. The curl bar looks a lot like a barbell, except that the handle is not a straight bar. Instead, the curl bar features an undulating handlebar that will allow you to hold it in a semi-supinated wrist position.

In an ordinary barbell, you will be gripping the bar as if your palms will be facing straight forward. This is the normal anatomical position of a supinated wrist.

In holding the curl bar, your wrist will still be facing forward. However, it will also face a little bit towards the side of the body. This is the semi-supinated wrist position. This position stabilizes the wrist joints.

Make Sure that the Biceps are Doing the Lifting

Always start with both arms as straight as possible. You should also feel the tension in your triceps. You can then start squeezing the biceps to initiate the lift.

This zeroes in the work on the biceps. The key here is to eliminate the effects of momentum. You would want the muscles to do the work for you without the aid of momentum.

As you raise the curl bar, make sure that the biceps retain their tension. As soon as you reach the top of the maneuver, squeeze the biceps as hard as you can.

You can then start to lower the curl bar in a deliberately slow manner. Whenever lowering the curl bar, make sure to extend your arms to the starting position before you go for another rep. Do not forget to exhale as you lift the curl bar. This allows you to focus your attention on the tightening of the biceps.

Keep the Elbows Tight

One of the secrets of the successful use of a curl bar is keeping the elbows tight. If you are going to perform the lift standing, then the elbows should stay right on your sides.

Under no circumstances should any of your elbows move forward or upward. Doing so will rob tension from the biceps. Remember, the biceps have to do the work if you want them to grow bigger and stronger.

If you are going to perform the lift sitting on a preacher bench, your elbows should still be tight. It is important that the back of the upper arms and the elbows are flush against the bench padding throughout the duration of the lifting.

If you are having difficulty lifting the curl bar without moving your elbows, then it could be because the weight is heavier than what you can lift. Remove some of the weight plates and try again. It is important to keep the elbows tight so that the biceps will do the work.

Retract the Shoulders

In addition to keeping the elbows tight, it is also important to retract the shoulder blades. In the same vein, it’s important to raise the chest in an effort to keep the torso in an upright position.

This will help prevent the tendency to hunch forwards. Doing so will create poor posture which can increase the pressure on the wrist joints and reduce their range of motion.

It is also important to keep the shoulders back if ever you are in a sitting position. This will help prevent you from leaning forward. This position allows you to maintain a lifting posture that is safe.

Maintain the Alignment of the Head and Neck

Always look in front of you. Raise your chin to help maintain the alignment of the head and neck. Avoid the temptation to drop your chin towards the chest. This can add pressure to the upper spine and neck, which can result in the rolling of the shoulders forward.

Using a curl bar is as easy as lifting a barbell or a dumbbell. However, it is important that you focus on making the biceps do the work.

The post Ways On How To Use A Curl Bar appeared first on Health Constitution.