The Market Outfit

Covers days 9 thru 14

The great news is that at my Friday evening weigh-in I have lost 3 pounds (1.35 kilos) and that puts me 50% ahead of my target of losing 1 pound each week. My waist belt is feeling more comfortable as the new ‘one notch tighter’ position that was achieved last week so I am certainly achieving the major goal of measuring less.

The other thing that I’ve discovered is that my exercise sessions are now running for fifteen minutes three times each week rather than the originally recommended ten minute session. This is not due to me pushing harder, it is simply because my body seems to want to take more exercise. I think this extra exercise is a major reason why my weight loss is running ahead of schedule. Exercise should never be forced because some people have health problems that prevent them doing too much. You must discuss any new exercise regime with your doctor before getting involved; that’s just common sense.

It is at this stage of a weight loss program that many people become complacent and for this reason it is a good time to repeat the of the basics of the program. On the day before I started I set the following four goals:

- Each day I will nominate one item of food that will not be eaten that day.

- I will exercise three times each week for a minimum of ten minutes.

- Each day I will incorporate extra activities in my normal routine that will help improve fitness level.

- I will lose one pound (450 grams) each week.

The philosophy behind those four goals is:

- There is no point in nominating dairy products as the food you will avoid on a given day if you don’t consume dairy products, or your consumption is small. It is better to nominate something that you eat regularly. If you nominate potatoes for today then leave a space on your plate where potato would normally be served. This is what abstaining from one food item each day means.

- I exercise Monday, Wednesday and Friday. This is a formal exercise session for a minimum of ten minutes. The target is to raise your pulse rate by 50%.

- Increasing physical activity incorporates using stairs rather than the elevator, parking at the point furthest from the supermarket entrance, constantly asking whether you really need to use the car each time you plan to go out. This is an extension of your formal exercise program and must be used every day.

- Three thousand five hundred calories are equal to one pound (450 grams) of body weight. To lose one pound each week you must use 500 calories less each day. An adult body requires two thousand calories each day to function properly. In the western world the average adult consumes three thousand five hundred calories each day. It isn’t difficult to shed a simple five hundred calories each day. This done by a mixture of healthier eating habits and increased exercise levels. There is nothing more to losing weight.

Copyright © David McCarthy 2006. It may be reproduced in its entirety with no additions.

The invention of treadmill has helped millions of people to jog indoors. On a treadmill a person can walk, jog and run on different modes. A person can get all kinds of outdoor experience with a single machine. And more importantly it fits into a room.

Lets talk about how it works. It has a cushioning belt, a platform, a motor and a wide range of features. We can direct its speed to increase or decrease.

The cushioning belt is around 18 inches wide and 48 inches long. A tall person requires a belt of at least 20 inches width and 54 inches length. This should be very comfortable. Because on this belt you jog, walk or run.

The matching motor, which rolls the belt, is another basic part of the treadmill. A standard motor should have 1.5 horsepower. A very good motor is of about 2 horsepower. You can alter the speed of the motor according to your requirements. This kind of motor can work for hours and remains workable for years.

Incline is another important part of the treadmill. By making the treadmill inclined you can do calf workout and other cardiovascular exercise.

The monitor displays various current stats of the machine as well as the body. It shows time, body temperature, pulse rate, heart rate etc. Through the monitor we can use various features and control the speed of the treadmill.

For a complete workout of the body fitness rowers are the best. They exercise the entire body, much in the same that swimming does. Thus it’s a great cardio vascular exercise, which helps to lose the calories as well as tone up the body. The fitness rower uses air as a means of resistance. Fitness rowers come with a variety of resistance levels. Thus a person can have the workout required by them. Therefore athletes as well as the beginners use it. The smaller fitness rowers are meant for home use. They can also be folded and tucked away to increase the usage of the spaces inside the house.

The best fitness rowers are also the most expensive ones. The upper end of the fitness rowers is means for the gym. They have a variety of resistance levels as well as programs to suit the needs of all. A control panel is a must because this displays feedback readings when exercising (found on the best fitness rowers) thereby making the exerciser reach their optimum workout level.

Since stationary bikes and the like can’t be stowed away, the usual storability of rowing machines is one of the greatest benefits they have. It is not an all-encompassing rule because the larger more expensive machines, although space efficient are not foldable.

Fitness rowers need to be assembled, before they can be made usable for workouts. Hence one should read the instructions manual carefully so as not to break any parts while assembling the fitness rower. The personal trainer or the gym instructor should be asked before . Ask around for the best available fitness rowers within a particular budgets. Sometimes the best fitness rowers are also available on discounts. Shop around before you purchase a fitness rower. This will enable you to negotiate for lower prices also and thus you can have savings.

If you enjoyed this article check out this list of best fitness rowers related articles. And here you’ll find our most recently added fitness rower article for your reading.

Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers

My grandmother used to be up at the crack of dawn–not because she had to, but because her body clock had shifted to a different time frame with increasing age. My step-mother used to complain that after Dad retired, he woke up every morning before six. The connection seems inevitable–older people do not need as much sleep as younger folks do. While changes in sleep patterns may explain this situation to some extent, they do not address a fundamental problem-lack of sleep is not only unhealthy but potentially dangerous to the senior population.

a)The body chronically deprived of sleep is a walking time bomb. Consider some of these statistics from the National Sleep Research Project.

b)Seventeen hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood-alcohol level of 0.05%.

c)Research estimates that fatigue is involved in one in 6 road accidents. The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill off Alaska, the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster and the Chernobyl nuclear accident have all been attributed to human errors in which sleep deprivation played a role.

d)As well, sleep compromises the immune system; it decreases your resistance to infections. A study at San Diego’s Veteran Medical Center discovered that reducing a person’s nightly normal sleep time by half decreases the activity of T-cells–the cells that destroy bacteria, viruses and tumor cells.

e)Young adults who are sleep deprived may be increasing their risk for diseases that accompany old age.

f)A recent study at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine suggests that sleep deprivation in older adults can lead to earlier death. The study involved tests that measured EEG sleep assessments. Results showed that those with low percentages of REM sleep were at the greatest risk. REM is an active period of sleep characterized by interval brain activity and rapid bursts of eye movement. REM is the brain wave stage of dreaming sleep (the theta stage) that is characterized by increased creativity, memory, healing and integrative emotional experience (what is usually called the “Ah-ha!” moment of insight and connection). There is no doubt that REM sleep contributes to the development of human imagination and consciousness.

There are, however measures that one can adopt to promote restful sleep. Like anything else, proper sleep can be encouraged through the maintenance of familiar and soothing routines– a ritual that is sometimes referred to as “sleep hygiene.”

1.Exercise: An exercise routine (30-40 minutes) four to five times as week is excellent not only for sleep promotion, but for cardiovascular health, weight maintenance, osteoporosis and diabetes as well. It’s like killing 5 birds with one stone! Both aerobic and resistance training can increase energy expenditure and lean body mass. As well, exercise is a natural mood enhancer because repetitive movement helps the body release its natural store of endorphins–the good feeling hormone.

2.Alpha and Theta-Wave CDs and relaxation music: Listening to soothing music or CD’s that help entrain your brainwave activities can definitely help you access Alpha and Theta brainwave states more readily. New technology is providing us with more accessible ways to tap into our subconscious mind and allow us to mould our behavior and emotions inside out.

3.Reduced liquids: Cut down on liquids in the evening as this will prevent frequent bathroom visits that interrupt sleep.

4.Reduced caffeine: Do not consume caffeinated products after 2 in the afternoon. Double check your medication as well; some drugs also disturb sleep. Anti-depressants, for example, can disturb normal sleep patterns and some barbiturates suppress REM sleep which can be harmful over a long period. Decongestants can also act as stimulants and beta blockers are known to cause insomnia.

5.Turn digital clocks away from your line of vision. Studies show that even the tiny luminous rays from a digital alarm clock can be strong enough to disrupt a sleep cycle. The digital light turns off a “neural switch” in the brain, causing levels of a key sleep chemical to decline within minutes.

6.Hot Bath: Researchers who studied female insomniacs (aged 60-70) found that those who had a hot bath before sleep spent more time in deep, slow brainwave sleep.

7.Avoid heavy, late meals that sit heavily in your stomach.

8.A glass of hot milk just before bedtime will also give your brain the amino acid tryptophan which the body converts to sleep-inducing chemicals.

9.Consult a doctor or dentist if you have a problem with sleep apnea, which can be controlled by a simple plastic appliance that fits in the mouth.

10.Last but not least, for those who are sleepless because of unresolved issues or problems–learn to make amends where changes can be made and lean to walk away (mentally and perhaps physically) when things cannot be changed. Pray and place everything in the hands of the Universe. Know that you are more than your problems.

You may publish this article in your newsletter, on your web site, or other publications, so long as the article’s content is not altered and the resource box is included. Add byline and active link. Notification of the use of this article is appreciated, but not required. Total word count included resource box is 1374.

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It is recommended that adults over the age 35, who never have exercised before, obtain medical clearance. This is necessary for the protection of the individual’s health and from any fitness professional’s legal perspective. Also, the questionnaire consent/waiver form in Appendix A should be completed for further legal protection and for the medical doctor’s perusal.

VALUE OF A STRESS TEST

A stress test should be completed by all mature adults and individuals age 35 or older who are sedentary. Individuals who possess one or several coronary risk factors, such as high HDLs, a smoker, high BP, or if the individual has not seen a physician within the last 5 years should undertake a stress test.

A stress test becomes even more crucial for those over 65 as it is difficult to determine the over 65’s tolerance for activity. It also is necessary to determine presence or absence of myocardial ischemia (a temporary deficiency of blood supply to the heart caused by an obstruction), either prior to an exercise program, while in relatively good health, or as a post-coronary test to indicate damage levels and a therapeutic program. A stress test is not a substitute for complete history and yearly physical examinations, but it is a viable test that can pick up on problems that would preclude a person’s participation in an exercise program or indicate required modification of a program in accordance with physical problems.

Fitness professionals or physicians should explain in advance to the individual to be tested what is involved. This helps to increase motivation and for the individual to exercise for longer and with less anxiety. The individual will need to:

-Wear proper clothing (tracksuit) and comfortable running or walking shoes.

-Refrain from eating for 2-3 hours prior to the test, so that digestion does not interfere with optimal blood flow.

-Refrain from smoking for at least 1-2 hours, since smoking can impair cardiovascular capacity.

WHAT OCCURS The stress test conducted by the physician can be performed with a motorized treadmill, bicycle or arm ergometer. Often if the individual suffers from lower body maladies, or if a return to work after an illness involves strenuous upper body activity, the arm ergometer may be used to produce a more accurate test.

The stress test is designed to challenge the body to a safe but necessary level to reveal irregularities that are unlikely to show when at rest. Usually an undiagnosed heart disease appears only during vigorous exercise. The narrowed coronary arteries may supply enough blood to the resting individual, but, as oxygen needs rise, electrocardiographic abnormalities indicate a problem. The physician will look for evidence of ischemia and its effects in rhythm disturbances (tachyarrhythmias or bradyarrhythmias), aortic and mitral valve disease, significant hypertension, and myocardial disease.

The stress test usually will not take more than 10 minutes. Exercise for longer will measure endurance rather than aerobic capacity (VO2max). During any physical activity, the body responds as follows:

-Heart rate increases

-Systolic BP increases

-Diastolic BP remains the same or decreases

-Cardiac output increases

-Systemic vascular resistance decreases

-Coronary blood flow increases

-Myocardial O2 demand increases

The client is tested at 85-90% of predicted maximal heart rate, although some doctors do not advance the test this far as they feel it is unnecessary to do so - usually as a safety precaution. Doctors even may stop the test once the client reaches his or her target heart rate. There is one serious drawback to this approach. There is variability in maximal heart rate of individuals within each specific age group. For example, the predicted heart rate of a 60-year old at 85% maximum heart rate is approximately 132 bpm. Because there is a standard deviation, some individuals being in better health and others in worse health for any age group, or at least less tolerant to exercise strain, it is possible that some people may have a maximal heart rate well above or below 132 bpm. If an individual’s heart rate is above or below the age-specific level, the result will be unreliable in that it is difficult to determine the safety or severity of the test. The strain may not be enough, or too much. Therefore, it is necessary for the physician to motivate the client safely to his or her limits to determine the proposed intensity of the exercise program, and for the client, or the client’s personal trainer, to know at what level the body was stressed sufficiently.

VO2max is another important consideration of the stress test and this correlates well with physical fitness at least in a cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular sense. The amount of oxygen consumed by the myocardium is dependent on oxygen demand: heart rate, contractility, and wall tension. The individual will exercise until the oxygen demand by the myocardial cells exceeds the ability of the stenotic coronary artery to deliver oxygen. In other words, exercise continues until the coronary reserve has been exhausted. At this point, ischemia is induced and exercise must be terminated. During the exercise test, if the individual experiences pectoral angina, intense dyspnea or unusual changes on the electrocardiogram, or significant rhythm change due to a heart block or ventricular disturbance, an unsupervised exercise program may be contraindicated.

The test may be stopped for reasons other than reaching a VO2max upper threshold or having chest discomfort; fatigue, dyspnea, and musculoskeletal problems may cause the mature adult to discontinue exercise. The test also will be terminated if the blood pressure drops as the work increases. Blood pressure is recorded before the test, at an exercise peak, and at recovery. Diastolic BP should remain constant, but could increase slightly because of anxiety. It then could decrease once the test begins. Systolic BP usually increases by 60+/-25 mm Hg in males 50-64 years of age, and by 40+/-20 mm Hg in women in the same age group. For example, if the systolic BP fails to increase, or initially increases then drops by more than 20 mm Hg during exercise, then it may indicate severe left ventricular dysfunction. Should the systolic blood pressure fall more than 30mm Hg, then an unsupervised exercise program may be contraindicated.

Sometimes the stress test shows heart complications when, in fact, extrinsic factors are responsible, and this will cause a false-positive result. These include:

-Hypertension

-Fasting

-Drug use (e.g., antidepressants) - the physician will take into account the effects of any medication the individual may be taking

-Malfunctioning ECG recording equipment

-And a host of other minor heart complications that should not stop an individual from participating in an exercise program.

It will be up to the physician to remove the causative agent and re-test the patient. This especially is necessary to discover if the patient is asymptomatic or has the potential for a high exercise capacity. A false-negative test resulting from an extrinsic factor is even more disturbing as this would indicate failure to diagnose the presence of abnormal coronary arteries. It then is up to the physician to rely on other test procedures and for the individual or the fitness professional to monitor progress carefully and to supply the physician with any information in regard to physical difficulty during exercise.

If the test is performed properly, and there is a negative ECG response to exercise, the test does not indicate coronary disease necessarily. Rather, it implies a risk factor that must be taken into consideration when an exercise program is created, and that there must be close monitoring of the individual’s health and fitness level.

CONTRAINDICATIONS FOR A STRESS TEST

-Acute myocardial infarction (heart attack)

-Uncontrolled congestive heart failure

-Acute inflammatory cardiac disease, e.g., active rheumatic heart disease, myocarditis

-Acute asthma or pneumonia

-Blood pressure greater than 240/120 mm Hg and uncontrolled

-Acute renal (kidney) disease

Is the world a complete blur for you without your glasses or contact lenses? And when you do get your glasses on, do you resent the lack of freedom in all your movements? Perhaps it’s time you went in for corrective eye surgery.

Most corrective eye surgery is technically known as refractive eye surgery, an elective procedure intended to correct common eye disorders, or refractive errors, such as myopia (near-sightedness), hyperopia (far-sightedness) and astigmatism (distorted vision).

Where does laser eye surgery come in?

Laser refractive surgery is rapidly becoming the most technologically advanced and popular method available today to correct refractive errors, primarily because it provides near-total precision and predictability. However, there are still a relatively small number of ophthalmologists in the US who are trained in laser refractive surgery and in the calibration and operation of the laser.

The excimer laser, which is used in this type of surgery, received FDA approval in 1995 for correcting mild to moderate nearsightedness. At present, the excimer laser is approved for use in procedures called photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and laser in situ Keratomileusis (LASIK).

Photorefractive Keratectomy

Performed with local anesthetic eye drops, PRK is a refractive surgery that reshapes the cornea by removing tiny amounts of tissue from the outer surface with a computer-controlled ultraviolet beam of light. The beam is so precise that it can notch a strand of human hair without breaking it. The procedure is the commonest form of laser eye surgery, takes only a few minutes, and you can get back to normal life in a couple of days.

Is Laser Surgery for You?

Millions of patients have experienced total freedom from any kind of eyewear after laser surgery, but there are cons too, as with every surgical procedure. It is best to find out whether you are eligible for laser eye surgery. Here’s a checklist so you don’t end up with worse eyesight than you had before you went in:

- People who are slow healers or have ongoing medical conditions like glaucoma or diabetes are not good candidates for laser surgery

- Those with uncontrolled vascular disease, autoimmune disease, or people with certain eye diseases involving the cornea or retina are also poor candidates, so make sure you have a long chat with your doctor before you opt for surgery

- Pregnant women should avoid refractive surgery of any kind because the refraction of the eye may change during pregnancy

Facts you should know

- You needn’t worry if your pain threshold is low, since there is hardly any discomfort during surgery. Once the anesthetic wears off, the degree of pain varies from individual to individual, but any irritation is minor and usually vanishes within hours

- Worried about when you can return to work? Usually in one to three days post-surgery, but a better idea is to wait until you feel up to it

- Convalescence is minimal, and usually you can be driven home about 30 minutes after surgery. Typically, your eyesight improves within 3 to 5 days

- According to numerous surveys in the U.S. and worldwide, the effects of surgery appear permanent. As people age, however, their vision deteriorates naturally, so re-treatment may be necessary

- Laser surgery does not really restrict your activities, except you should not rub your eyes after surgery. Other than that, you can do whatever work you feel up to provided you follow doctor’s orders

The risk factor

In one word, minimal, but there have been a handful of cases where complications resulting from laser eye surgery have resulted in corneal transplants. So here goes:

- There is about a 0.1 percent chance of the cornea becoming infected after PRK, which usually means added discomfort and a delay in healing, but no long-term effects within a period of four years

- It is as yet not possible to definitely predict how your eye will respond to laser surgery. As a result, you may still need lenses after surgery for good vision. In some cases, a second procedure can improve the initial result

- Some patients find that their best vision with corrective lenses is worse than it was before the surgery. This is a result of either irregular tissue removal or development of corneal haze

- However, corneal haze is part of the normal healing process after PRK. In most cases, it has little or no effect on the final vision. However, some cases of excessive haze interfere with vision. As with under-correction, this can often be corrected by additional laser treatment.

- In some patients the effect of surgery gradually fades over several months. In such cases, a re-treatment is once again usually sufficient

- Some patients experience the halo effect, an optical effect noticed in dim light. As the pupil enlarges, a second faded image is produced by the untreated peripheral cornea. This can interfere with night driving. However, recorded cases are extremely rare.

As of now, a number of other lasers for eye surgery are being tested to determine their safety and efficacy. Such tests may allow for clinical studies involving the excimer laser and the correction of farsightedness, provided the FDA grants approval, which is something a potential patient should always check.

Making pizza from scratch, at home, isn’t really as hard as you might think—and once you learn just a few secrets about how to make a great pizza crust, you might never want to “order in” again! First, there is the matter of a recipe for pizza dough. Most of them call for very similar ingredients, basically water, yeast, oil, and flour. Some have a little more oil, some use less oil and add an egg. Whichever recipe you use, making the pizza dough goes fairly quickly and doesn’t need to rise for hours like bread dough.

Here’s a tip: If you aren’t familiar with working with recipes that call for yeast, you might not know that yeast has to “proof”—that is, activate. You do this by combining it with water water (about 110*), and usually a little bit of sugar (1 teaspoon or less). After you combine the yeast, warm water, and sugar, you need to let this mixture “rest” for about 5 minutes. This allows the yeast to activate or “proof.”

Don’t just assume that you can run hot water from your tap and it will be “warm” enough, without being “too hot.” A small cooking thermometer is handy to have. It might be easier to heat up water to 110* rather than run hot water and then try to cool it down (especially if your water heater is set at 120* or above). I put room temperature water in a Pyrex measuring cup and heat the water in the microwave. After a while, you’ll know exactly what setting and how long it takes to heat up the water.

After the yeast has proofed, stir in the other ingredients, following the recipe. You’ll probably have to knead the dough a bit to mix all of the flour in, so that you have a smooth and dry mound of pizza dough. Be very careful about kneading the pizza dough—it is easy to knead in too much flour. As long as the dough isn’t actually sticking to your fingers, it is OK.

Once the dough is ready, let it “rest” for about 5 minutes. That’s right, just let it lay there. This gets the rising process started.

Hand form, or use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to the desired size.

After experimenting with the different types of pizza pans and stones that are available, I have concluded that the one-ply pans with holes in them are the best. This helps to bake a crust that is nicely done on the bottom without being burnt, and yet leaves the dough nice a “chewy” in the middle. Depending on your preference for pizza dough, you can experiment by first baking pizza on regular cookie sheets. After that you can get inexpensive pizza pans at dollar stores or discount stores like Wal-Mart to continue to experiment until you find the pan you prefer.

Now you are ready to bake the pizza. Here’s a tip: pre-bake just the pizza crust for about 6 minutes before you load on the sauce and toppings. This helps to cook the crust enough so that the sauce won’t sink in too much, leaving a gooey crust.

After you’ve pre-baked the crust, remove it from the oven and load it with sauce and meat toppings (be sure that anything other than pepperoni is pre-cooked, such as sausage or ground beef). If you like onions and peppers, then here’s another tip: pre-cook them so that the onions are almost transparent and the pepper is limp. Load on the onions and peppers. Sprinkle on oregano or any other spices that you desire.

Return to the oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes. This is long enough to heat the sauce and other toppings.

Remove from the oven and add the cheese. (If you are like me and like Hawaiian pizza, add the pineapple now, too.) Return to the oven for about 3 minutes, or just long enough to melt the cheese without burning it.

Once the pizza is baked, I like to slide it onto a pizza stone that I’ve sprinkled with cornmeal. Then, I let the pizza cool for about 5 minutes. The cornmeal keeps the bottom of the crust from getting soggy, and sure adds a nice “zest” to the taste of it! Cut with a pizza cutter (or kitchen shears—which work great!).

Enjoy with your favorite beverage!

For an illustrated tutorial on making pizza dough and then baking the pizza, go to:

http://jansdough.janktheproofer.com/Make-Pizza-tutorial.htm For a free recipe for Jan’s Dough Sourdough Pizza Crust, go to:

http://jansdough.janktheproofer.com/Pizza-Crust.

The Importance Of Fitness by John Mac

Did you know that if you are physically inactive that you increase your risk of heart disease by the same amount as if you smoked ? In the UK it is estimated that 70% of the adult population can be classed as physically inactive. In the US 60% of adults do not participate in the recommended level of physical activity & 25% are not active at all. In Australia 33% of the population are said to be so inactive that they gain no health benefits at all & the risk to the community from their physical inactivity, and therefore lack of fitness, is great.

For thousands of years physical activity and your level of fitness have been linked to good health. Due to the advance of science in this day & age this link can be proven, with overwhelming evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to die early or to experience major illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes & colon cancer.

Fitness is therefore a major, if not the major, factor in the type of health you are likely to enjoy. Regular exercise will improve your level of fitness and improve the way you look and feel. In conjunction with a balanced diet regular activity can help you maintain a healthy weight. It can even increase self confidence and reduce the risk of depression.

In order to maintain ones fitness it is recommended that you should use up approx 200 calories per day for most days of the week. This equates to 30 minutes of exercise which can be all in one go or even in 3 10 minute stints.

Here are some suggestions to help maintain your fitness.

Walk up the stairs (even part of the way) instead of taking the elevator. Walk up moving escalators. For short journeys leave the car and walk. Do the house work at twice the speed. Try DIY such as painting or do some gardening such as raking the leaves. Get off the bus or subway a couple of stops early and walk the rest of the way.

Here are some benefits you will get from improved fitness through exercise.

Increased levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol. Lower high blood pressure. Help improve body composition by burning fat. Promote healthy blood sugar levels. Promote bone density. Boost the immune system. Improve mood and reduce the chance of depression.

Improving your level of fitness needn’t be hard work, find some activity that you enjoy, maybe with your partner, family or friends. Stay motivated, keep a diary of your activities so you can look back and see how far you have come. Post inspirational quotes or stories at work or around the home. Set goals, both long and short term, rather than say you want to be fit for the summer, commit to going to the gym or aerobic class at least once a week.

Goals should be SMART Specific Measureable Achievable Realistic Time based

Picture where you want to be, maybe competing in a local fun run or race, get out an old pair of jeans or a dress that no longer fits & picture yourself wearing them/it.

Remember that exercise releases chemicals to the brain such as serotonin which has a great effect on your mood, helping to reduce anxiety, stress and depression. So even if you don’t feel like exercising, remind yourself that you will feel better after.

(c) John Mac 2006

When you are working out on rowing machines or any other type of exercise equipment its possible to hurt yourself. As you travel the road to fitness you will find that you experience many aches and pains. The best way to avoid this is to work out properly.

Before you begin workout you must begin the warm-up and cool-down exercises that go with it. To warm up do some simple stretches or yoga. This will stretch out the muscles and limit your risks of sprain. In a cool-down routine you would do a similar set of stretches after your workout to ease your muscles and help to prevent cramps.

If you are injured on rowing machines limit the activity which initially caused your injury. If this was working out for too long or setting the tension too high reduce the one or other, or both. Though try to get back to exercising as soon as you can because exercise has actually been shown to speed up the healing process.

When you get a cramp from using rowing machines, you can try to get up and slowly walk around to ease the cramping. Sometimes you can stretch the cramp out until the muscle stops seasoning.

You can use alternating hot and cold on the injury to keep it from swelling up and hurting. Ice will slow down blood flow initially and keep it from swelling. A hot pack will seep in and ease the pain, relaxing muscles. Be sure to alternate every five to ten minutes.

Lastly for cramping, muscle pain and pinched nerves you can gently massage the area to ease away pain. This also helps to work out any kinks that may have occurred during your exercise routine. Be sure to check out some rowing machine reviews to see what others suggest to help prevent minor and major injuries.

Read more rowing machines articles and rowing machines reviews news or visit our rowing machines site.

The primary reason we need to eat food is to provide fuel for the body. This fuel comes from the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. To explain it simply, food is broken down to produce energy, and it takes many chemical processes for that to occur. Molecules are removed, heat is produced, but basically all that is left in the end is water, carbon-dioxide, and energy.

But it’s far more complicated than that. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, each get converted to energy but each take a different path.

Before I start on how fat is burned (or broken down), let me first explain a few key terms in the process of converting food to energy:

ATP: Adenosine Tri-Phosphate is energy. It’s what the body uses as fuel at the cellular level. It can be produced using oxygen (aerobic), or without the presence of oxygen (anaerobic).

Glycolysis: An anaerobic process where glucose is converted to pyruvic acid.

Pyruvic Acid: If oxygen is available it is converted into acetyl CoA. If no oxygen is available it is converted into lactic acid.

Acetyl CoA: All this potential energy can only be achieved if it enters the Krebs Cycle, and to do this it must first be converted in to acetyl CoA.

Krebs Cycle: This is an eight step cycle that amongst other things, removes hydrogen and carbon-dioxide. It also produces a small amount of ATP.

The Electron Transport Chain: The final process in the breakdown of foods. This is where most of the ATP is formed.

How Fat Is Broken Down

There are a number of fats in the body but it’s the triglycerides, or “neutral fats”, that are usually converted to energy. The triglycerides come from both stored fat (from within fat cells and skeletal muscle fibers) and diet (the foods we eat). This single triglyceride will eventually produce 441 ATP molecules. When compared to the 38 ATP that are produced by glucose, you can easily see why fat is considered a much richer source of energy.

Step 1: The break-down of triglycerides To be used for energy a triglyceride needs to be broken down into its basic units: one molecule of glycerol and 3 molecules of fatty acids. This process is called Lipolysis.

Step 2: Conversion to acetyl CoA Although they both have the same outcome, the glycerol and fatty acids each follow a different path. Their goal is to enter the Krebs Cycle, but first they must get converted to acetyl CoA.

Step 2a: Glycerol to acetyl CoA Glycerol, which is a basic sugar, follows the glycolytic pathway (glycolysis). During this process it is converted into pyruvic acid. For entry into the Krebs Cycle, the pyruvic acid must be converted to acetyl CoA.

This is done in 3 steps:

i) One carbon is removed from the pyruvic acid and released as carbon dioxide, which is released from the cell and exits via the lungs.

ii) Hydrogen atoms are removed and will later exit be used to produce more energy.

iii) What’s left is called acetic acid, and it is combined with coenzyme A to form Acetyl CoA

Step 2b: Fatty acids to acetyl CoA Fatty acids are converted into Acetyl CoA via a process called beta-oxidation. During this process the fatty acid chains are broken apart, forming two acetic acid molecules. Each of these are then fused to coenzyme A, forming acetyl CoA.

Step 3: The Krebs Cycle At this point both the glycerol and the fatty acids have been converted to Acetyl CoA and are now ready for the Krebs Cycle. As the Acetyl CoA is broken down, carbon-dioxide and hydrogen are removed. Once again the carbon-dioxide exits the body via the lungs. However, the hydrogen moves on to the final stage.

Step 4: The Electron Transport Chain The Electron Transport Chain is the final process in the break down of food. Each of the hydrogen molecules that were removed during the previous processes have been transported here. They now combine with oxygen to form water (H20), with the resulting energy from this reaction causing the formation of ATP.