Secret Recovery Tip Used By Top Endurance Athletes

Interested in enhancing recovery from training or injuries? I am sure you have heard of Epsom salt baths to ease pain and relieve inflammation, but have you heard of transdermal magnesium chloride mineral, also known as topical magnesium oil?

Muscle injuries, stiffness and tightness can be helped by nutritional support with topical magnesium oil because contraction and relaxation of muscle are dependent on adequate cellular levels of magnesium. Simply spray and rub the oil into a sore Achilles, Hamstring, or calf to decrease swelling. Soaking the feet in a magnesium chloride footbath is the single best thing-apart from stretching-that you can do to protect yourself from or recover from hamstring and other injuries.

I recommend rubbing the oil into an injured muscle a few times a day. For recovery, I recommend applying and the end of your training session.

A common complaint in a lot of runners and cyclist is muscle stiffness and tightness (mostly in the calf). Many times transdermal magnesium chloride mineral is the missing link when deep tissue therapy, electric muscle stimulation and ultrasound has failed to offer relief.

I even had transdermal magnesium chloride in my Special Needs Bags during my last Ironman Triathlon.

I also suggest trying to increase the amount of magnesium in your diet.This is because it has been reported that a stunning 19% of adults-one in five-consumes less than half of the US RDA for magnesium.

According to USDA food charts the five foods with the highest magnesium per typical serving are:

Halibut

Mackeral

Boiled spinach

Bran breakfast cereal

Almonds

Foods with highest magnesium per milligram, regardless of typical intake, are:

Cocoa

Bran breakfast cereal

Almonds

Cashews

Pumpkin seeds

Factors can impair your ability to get magnesium from the foods you eat, including:

Lowered magnesium availability in foods due to industrial farming practices

Dietary habits leading to low magnesium uptake, such as consumption of sodas and carbonated beverages

Excess stress or illness, which lowers the ability of the body to utilize magnesium

Mineral imbalances, such as excess calcium, which blocks cellular magnesium activity

Metabolic differences in individuals, such as excess magnesium excretion by the kidneys, sometimes resulting in magnesium losses and deficiency.

So, if you are interested in reducing muscle tightness and also increasing recovery time, increase the magnesium in your diet and rub some magnesium oil on those tired muscles after your training session.

Aerobic Weight Exercise - Combining the Greatest From Both Worlds

We have all heard of the benefits of cardio training and the great things it can do to burn calories, help your heart and generally keep you healthier and more vigorous. We also know of the benefits of weight training to build lean muscle for greater metabolism and losing weight. Most of what we have read revolves around is cardio or weight training better. This article is about combining the best of both worlds in an interval cardio training program that will yield the best from both, plus fight the boredom that will come on with too much routine.

The Mayo Clinic talks of interval training as a way to burn more calories while spending less time at the gym. It used to be what only high-level athletes did in their training sessions, but is now coming into vogue for the average exerciser. Interval training is merely alternating bursts of intense energy interspersed with periods of lighter activity. Cardio weight training will further throw weight training into the mix.

The advantages of this is to increase the number of calories you will burn, improve your aerobic capacity, build lean muscle as well as preventing you from losing interest. All this and you don't need any special or additional equipment. The interval of reduced activity should not be long, perhaps 30 seconds, as you don't want to sacrifice the aerobic advantage you've gained when you allow your heart rate to drop too long. When you bring weights into the workout, they should be smaller and the repetitions higher so as to not exhaust the muscles prematurely.

One aspect of this training that appeals to people is it can be customized by anyone to fit their individual needs. As long as both cardio and strength training are involved, whatever exercise routines you like can be incorporated into your agenda. The important thing is to raise your heart rate from the first exercise, don't take too long between segments, and keep cardiovascular activity prevalent throughout.

This is a suggested 20 minute circuit that will give you an idea of what you could do. Start with one minute of push-ups or bench-presses with light weights. Next you will do squats for one minute, followed by pull-ups for one minute. Three minutes on either a stationary bike or treadmill is your next stop, then one minute performing the military press. You will end the first half of the segment with stationary bike or jogging for three minutes.

The second half of the segment begins with triceps and leg extensions, and you will do each for one minute. Next you will do leg curls for one minute, and finish with two minutes of sit-ups and two minutes of crunches. The last-minute will be your stretching and cooling time.

If you're looking for ways to raise metabolism, this is the exercise agenda for you. This is only a suggested workout, and if you are just getting started it would be perfectly fine to ease into it on a more gradual basis. Also, you should feel free to substitute any other exercises that you choose that accomplishes the same thing. The important thing is to get out and do it, and as you go you will tweak it to the point that it will fit what works best for you.

Fasting Cardio Training - Does It Work

If you have been training for a while it is probable that you have heard of the concept of doing your cardio workout first thing in the morning before having anything to eat. By following this method you are ensured to burn more fat than you would when you train after eating.

This method of training was introduced in 1999 by sports training expert Bill Phillips, who indicated that working out on an empty stomach helps in burning more fat. This has made a lot of people rush to the treadmill before having a single bite.

Phillips supported his idea by a well known biological fact that after fasting for extended number of hours the circulation of sugar in the blood will be very low which leads to an extreme low level of glycogen (stored as carbohydrates). With the absence of glycogen the body does not have any source for energy and thus starts using fat for fuel.

In addition to that, the low levels of insulin, due to fasting, promotes the generation of fatty acids that will also be used as fuel to do the exercise.

This strategy was very popular in those days; after all who does not want to burn more fat and get leaner with the same amount of work?

Unfortunately the bad news is that this method does not work for the following reasons:

1. It does not give a deep thought about metabolism and how it works. The body's metabolism establishes a kind of equilibrium when burning fat and other substances in the body. When you burn more fat during exercise you will burn more carbohydrates afterwards, and vice versa. So who cares if fat burning is maximized during exercise if this will be switched over after the workout.

This is a shortsightedness of this program. When somebody wants to gauge the metabolism effect he should measure the long term effect, i.e. in days and not hour to hour.

2. Another thought about the breakdown of fatty acids. It is true that the breaking of fatty acids will be more when you do your cardio on an empty stomach but the rate of this breakdown is more than what you consume while working out. This leaves a number of fatty acids floating around in the blood system that will not be utilized in your workout.

These floating fatty acids will form again in the form of triglycerides which will again be deposited in the body leading again to the same results where you started, more fat cells.

3. The benefits of fasting cardiovascular training will have effect only on low intensity training and after training for extended time. Experiments were made where subjects were trained for 50% of their maximum heart rates, which corresponds the intensity of regular walking. These subjects did not burn more fat than those who trained after eating. The results started to shift in the favor of the fasting team only after 90 minutes of training leaving us wondering who will be able to train with no food for a couple of hours.

4. Fasting cardiovascular training does not take into consideration the excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or what publicly known as the after burn. This EPOC represents the calories that are burnt after finishing the workout. Studies have shown that this after burn is promoted further if a person eats before training. These calories burnt to produce energy come from fat.

5. Studies have shown that high intensity interval training (HIIT) does wonder in terms of calories burnt from fat. This high intensity is impossible to achieve when you are fasting. The body needs a good supply of glycogen to provide it with the energy needed to perform these HIIT.

6. Training when you do not have a good level of glycogen is catabolic in nature. Meaning you will be burning more of your muscle tissues. When you train on an empty stomach you tend to lose 10% of your total calories from protein, this is double what you would lose when you train after having a pre workout meal.

As a conclusion, doing your cardio exercises on an empty stomach does not have any advantages; in fact it might have negative effects especially for those who want to build muscles. This form of training will end up in making you lose muscle and decrease your fat loss.

I bet that you have a question in your mind now and that is 'what should I eat?' This will vary depending on the duration of the exercise and its intensity as well as when did you have your last meal, additionally there is the genetic factor.

As a rule of thumb, to provide your body with amply supply of energy and to prevent any muscle shrinkage you need to consume ¼ gram of carbohydrates and 1/8 gram of protein for every pound of your body weight. So, if your weight is 200 pounds you should consume 50 grams of carbohydrates and 25 grams of protein.

Training on an empty stomach is an old theory that has been challenged by many physical training specialists, since this theory was out to the public many studies has been made to contradict it. Having a nutritional pre workout meal that is rich in carbohydrates and proteins is essential for your fat loss and muscle building efforts.

How To Get Fit In A Fun Way With The Zumba Program

We try different exercise programs in order to lose weight. It could be by going to the gym or having exercise equipment's at home. These would most definitely enable us to lose weight and become fit. Exercise sessions could be made more interesting and fun filled, by going in for the dance form of workouts called Zumba.

Zumba was developed by Alberto "Beto" Perez in Colombia. It uses a mix of salsa, merengue, cumbia, samba, African beats and hip-hop music to give a tempo to the various steps used in the program. In the normal exercise routines, where music is used as a medium, you would move according to the music and at a certain pace. But with the Zumba dance form, the music keeps changing along with its rhythm. This makes the whole experience dynamic as your whole body is in motion. All the muscles in your body will get a workout as you will be using them during the performance of the various dance steps. This will accelerate burning calories and increase aerobic activity.

The program has different levels and you can choose the one which you find comfortable. The Zumba steps are such that, you will be gradually introduced to the dance form. There is no pressure at any level. You are after all dancing and enjoying yourself. The initial stage will be to just move your arms to a slow beat of music. The next level will be to move your legs and arms at the same time. As you progress, you will reach the stage when you move your whole body to a faster beat and get the benefits of a total workout. As the exercise form is dancing, there is no undue stress on any part of the body. This means that, there are no aches and pains which are generally associated while starting on a fitness program.

You will need the proper kit before embarking on the Zumba fitness program. This comprises proper clothing and the right kind of foot wear. A t-shirt or top and loose pants will provide the ideal combination to enable ease of movement while performing the various routines. The foot wear should also be comfortable and provide the required support for your feet.

Losing weight and becoming fit is something we all aspire for. If this can be achieved in a fun -filled way, then we certainly stand a chance to attain our goal.

The 4 Components of Fitness That Really Matter

Fitness is something that many people find difficult to comprehend, with all the information readily available to them, as with the general fitness enthusiast being uneducated it is no wonder why many begin to lose motivation, and become ever more frustrated when they find getting to their ideal fitness goals impossible.

The truth is many believe there is over 11 different components of fitness, however only 4 are really the ones that need to be discussed, learnt, and acted on in order to get to that fitness level you wish for.

Like anything to do with your health it is vitally important to consult your doctor, or have a fitness test at your local gym to find what level you currently are, what you should or should not participate in, and how long it shall take you realistically to reach your targets, using the components in a fitness program, coupled with the correct techniques, equipment and nutrition.

Strength Training- This is the ultimate activity that most people especially Women tend to ignore as they automatically think of body builders or similar athletes, which tends to put them off.

However this component is extremely important in toning the problem area's muscles which will allow fat to be burnt, and tighten the muscular frame to be defined, and with the introduction of resistant bands it has made this area a lot more favourable amongst Women.

Flexibility & Stretching- Correct and proper stretching allows you to prevent the body from injuries and over time provides the muscles to become supple, which can also help with recovery after a hard session or an active period.

Stretching should be introduced before and after into routines for at least 7 minutes, to get the heart rate to a high workout level which has shown to be the ideal time by sport fitness coaches, though you must hold each stretch for a longer period of time on a cool down to lengthen muscle fibre and tissue.

Speed, Agility & Balance- A must, and is gained from constant repetition of circuits and exercises, a very important factor to the body as it allows it to continuously improve over time.

Cardiovascular Endurance- This has to be the most important part of the 4 components, why?...

Because this is working on the powerhouse and engine of the body being the heart. As we all know the hearts duty is to pump blood around the body where needed, however increasing the respiratory system will allow your heart to pump blood that is rich in oxygen to prevent muscle fatigue.

Without a poor level of endurance exercises such as jogging, cycling, aerobics and swimming can become painful and difficult to complete or take part in at first as your body will burnout much faster thus reducing your length of training.

Introducing all the above components to your fitness plans is extremely important, as cardio workouts will allow the burning of calories, weight training increases the definition of the bodies natural shape and curves. While Flexibility, speed, balance and agility will assist in strengthening joints, and muscle ligaments while enhancing the core to adapt to different movements without the lack of performance required.

These fundamentals will provide the everyday habit and lifestyle change you will need over time that will provide you to go further in reaching your ideal fitness and health goals in the future.

James Harper is the founder of LifetimeFitness365 a company that educate it's community on the relationship between bad skin and physical fitness for women.

We understand you feel you have done everything to get into shape, and tried all the latest diet and fitness tricks yet to see any real results.

9 Things You Have To Know About Walking As Exercise

You know walking as exercise is good, but just could not squeeze it in your schedule?

Or you may have started a routine but got tired halfway?

You might be missing a lot!

There are lots of health benefits that one can get in walking for exercise. This is known to be a cure for ailments, makes stronger muscle and improves metabolism.

It is said that to get the best results; you must have a walking routine for a minimum of 40 minutes per day for 5 times a week.

There are many things you should understand about this type of exercise. Below are some examples...

9 Things You Have To Know About Walking As Exercise:

• Brisk Walking Burn Calories - you can burn excess calories by doing this exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, depending on the speed and weight of the person. For example, if a regular 125 lb person walks for 30 minutes with the speed of 3.5 mph a day, that person burns 108 calories. And if a 200 lb person does the same routine with the same speed and duration, he will lose 172 calories.

• Control Blood Pressure - University studies showed that walking is effective in decreasing the peak of blood pressure. A person who does their routine 3 days in a week helps their systolic blood pressure to decrease by 5 points.

• Memory Improvement - one benefit of this type of exercise in improving memory. Many research found out that as people grow older a part of the brain called "hippocampus" starts shrinking, which causes forgetfulness and memory loss. Walking helps in improving the memory by increasing the volume of hippocampus.

• Reduce Hip and Limb Fracture - it is a weight-bearing exercise that helps in increasing the density of the bones especially in the hips and lower back. As you grow older, this exercise will reduce the risk of hip and limb fracture.

• Decrease Depression - walking for exercise alerts chemical release in the brain linked to feeling happy, and calming it by raising the body temperature. This exercise will serve as a distraction, boost social interaction, and become a therapeutic form of relaxation.

• Control Type 2 Diabetes - it is said that physical activities are necessary in controlling type 2 diabetes. Walking routine plus a diet therapy is useful for patients with diabetes, since it decreases absolute hemoglobin value, improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control.

• Good for Immune System - according to studies, this type of exercise helps in our body's immune system by fighting off viral illnesses like flu and colds. It is said that a moderate-paced routine between 30-40 minutes a day will increase the levels of immunity boosters present in the body.

• Increase Stamina - durability and air intake in the lungs are improved when you do this type of exercise routine. And it will make your heart stronger, power up your energy level, give your leg more strength and have an active lifestyle.

• Minimize Risk of Heart Attack - brisk walking can reduce the risk of heart diseases. Studies show that walking 1.5 miles a day cut the risk of having the disease in half compared to those who do not.

CV Vs Aerobics And Almonds Vs Cashews

Here are my bad numbers: My blood pressure is 109/70 and that is at the doctor's office. So I am nervous, waiting for my cancer blood tests results. I've seen it as low as 99 over 50s. My pulse runs as low as the 50s sometimes. How does one cite those as bad numbers? Those are athletic type numbers. That is the problem.

My LDL and total cholesterol are high. This is probably due in large part to heredity. AND MY LACK OF CV. Exercise that is. I have wondered why I can't get my cholesterol numbers where I want them. I have given up. So I asked my oncologist what I could do. My BP and pulse are so good. What could I possibly do better? I hike I bike I play tennis I do tai chi. I think nothing of climbing a thousand vertical feet.These are all great aerobically. My last oncologist would have nothing to do with discussing Lipid Panels. But this new friend told me to do 30 minutes of CV most days and eat almonds.

Isn't aerobics as good as CV? For some things yes. For some things aerobics is better.

But for flushing the arteries of LDL, moderate cardiovascular exercise is the only way to go. How did I not know? I never realized that I could be in good shape with a dangerous arterial flow issue.

Luckily my LDL is the large buoyant kind. Or the good bad kind. Yes now there is not just good and bad cholesterol but also GOOD AND BAD bad cholesterol. Got it? Here, it's easy. Divide your triglycerides by your HDL (or if you prefer divide HDL into triglycerides). If that number is 2 or less you are good. Less than 2 supposedly means large buoyant LDL (good) instead of small dense LDL (bad). My very bad numbers are 240 total and 170 LDL. My HDL is a little lower than I would like, as over 60 is optimal. My triglycerides are very low (probably thanks to aerobics). Anyway my triglyceride to HDL ratio is very good. I'm large and buoyant at 140 lbs.

Here's the thing: I think that my blood pressure and heartbeat are so low that I do not pump the cholesterol out of my arteries. "Why should we move even if we are buoyant?" they say. Well I don't like their attitude. I don't want an over abundance of any LDL and so now they will get moving with 30 minutes of cardiovascular moderate exercise most days, I hope. For me, at 60 years of age, that means a consistent pulse of 88 to 112. To get this formula subtract your age from 220. This leaves 160 for me. 55% to 70% of 160 is my moderate CV exercise number FOR A HALF HOUR STRAIGHT. I've worked much harder than this temporarily on a vertical climb or on a mountain bike, but not for 30 minutes straight. It should be "can't carry on a conversation, I'm gasping too hard through my mouth" for 30 minutes.

I will try to blow the LDL away. Hope it works.

Oh yeah, almonds. Did you know that what you eat doesn't have as much to do with cholesterol as you think? I do not even eat an average of 1/4 the "healthy" amount of cholesterol per day on my "anti-cancer" diet. Yet my cholesterol is high.My stupid liver is making the stupid stuff just like all of our stupid livers. Give the liver a brain will ya? It's so important that it could use one. So my liver is no doubt over producing. Oh yeah, almonds (a handful unsalted daily). They block LDL production. Not cashews buddy.

I want to proclaim "heredity schmeredity". I don't want to believe I can't beat genetics, at least partially.

I hate almonds. I love cashews. I hate moderate cardiovascular exercise. I love aerobics. Oh well, do what you are told. At least I can still have porter and garden fresh tomatoes (when my IBS isn't acting up).