Workouts | Fitness Magazine

Showing posts with label Workouts. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Workouts. Show all posts

Thursday, December 3, 2015

How physical activity helps the elderly stay sharp

Older adults who regularly engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity perform better in mental tasks as they are more flexible in terms of brain functions, a new study says.
The findings could soon help doctors determine how physically active you are simply by imaging your brain.
"We looked at 100 adults between the ages of 60 and 80, and we used accelerometres to objectively measure their physical activity over a week," said one of the lead researchers Agnieszka Burzynska, professor at Colorado State University in the US.
The researchers also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe how blood oxygen levels changed in the brain over time, reflecting each participant`s brain activity at rest.
They evaluated the microscopic integrity of each person`s white-matter fibers, which carry nerve impulses and interconnect the brain.
"We found that spontaneous brain activity showed more moment-to-moment fluctuations in the more-active adults," Burzynska noted.
"In a previous study, we showed that in some of the same regions of the brain, those people who have higher brain variability also performed better on complex cognitive tasks, especially on intelligence tasks and memory," Burzynska pointed out.
The researchers also found that, on average, older adults who were more active had better white-matter structure than their less-active peers.
The new findings were reported in the journal PLOS ONE.

How you keep balance while jogging

Do you know why a jogger does not feel dizzy or lose balance while a roller-coaster rider can find his or her head spinning with no control over the abrupt dips and swoops? The secret is hidden in the sensory hair cells in your inner ear.
The reason for the difference lies in the vestibular organ (VO) located in the inner ear, which controls balance and posture, researchers have reported.
The VO senses ongoing self-motion and ensures that, while running, the jogger unconsciously compensates for the accompanying changes in the orientation of the head.
The team from University of Bordeaux in France and Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) of Munich in Germany revealed that cells in the spinal cord which generate the rhythmic patterns of neural and muscle activity required for locomotion also adaptively alter the sensitivity of the hair cells in the VO.
It enables them to respond appropriately to the broad range of incoming signal amplitudes.
"We are not really aware of what movement actually involves because our balance organs react immediately to alterations in posture and head position,” said neurobiologist Boris Chagnaud from LMU.
The hair cells, which detect the resulting changes in fluid flow in the semicircular canals in the inner ear, enable us to keep our balance without any conscious effort, he explained.
The capacity to adapt and respond appropriately to both slight and substantial displacements of the head in turn implies that the sensory hair cells in the inner ear can react to widely varying stimulus intensities.
The whole adaptation process is controlled by neurons in the spinal cord, which transmit signals to the VO via nerve cells just before the muscles carry out the next locomotory behaviour.
These signals thus notify the VO in advance about the temporal form of the impending movement.
The team now intends to study whether all the hair cells in the inner ear also respond to efferent information emanating from the spinal cord.
The results were reported in the online journal Nature Communications.

Exercise may help preserve mental sharpness in oldies

A new study has revealed about the connection between fitness level, brain activity and executive function in older adults.
The new study from a team at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois found that dual-task processing in a core executive function brain region is associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness and dual-task performance.
First author Chelsea Wong said that previous studies have shown that there's a relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and behavioral performance in older adults, adding that other studies have looked at cardiorespiratory fitness and brain function, but really linking all three of those hasn't been quite been done as explicitly as they did in this paper.
The team, led by Art Kramer, examined brain imaging and fitness level data from 128 adults between the ages of 59-80.
With functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans gathered in the Beckman Institute's Biomedical Imaging Center, the researchers found that certain regions of the brain were activated more when performing two simultaneous tasks compared to a single task.
The team found the overall relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness levels and higher executive function may be partially explained through activation in a region of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex and the supplementary motor area (ACC/SMA).
Kramer noted that this research adds to their growing understanding of the relationship among physical activity and cognitive and brain function--and suggests that people can improve the brain health by changing their lifestyle even as they age.
The study is published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Watch: This fitness app tracks how much you brag about your workouts

New Delhi: Every day we keep hearing about new fitness apps, which have now become very much part of our lives – from calculating the amount of calories that we consume to tracking the amount of the time spent in the gym to keep us fit.

Called 'I'mFIT', this new fitness wristband will help you track the time you spend bragging about your workouts, reports Mashable.

Not only does it track your bragging, but this app prods you to post a status on your Facebook account before you even get off the elliptical.

Introducing I'mFit, a new fitness wristband that tracks how much time you spend talking about your workouts.

Video credit: YouTube/The Watercooler

Exercise improves fertility in women

Exercise and weight loss improves ovulation in women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common hormone disorder that often causes infertility, a new study says.

"The findings confirm what we have long suspected - that exercise and a healthy diet can improve fertility in women who have PCOS," said one of the study authors, Richard Legro, a professor at Penn State College of Medicine in Pennsylvania.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is the most common cause of female infertility. The condition occurs when a woman's body produces slightly higher than normal amounts of testosterone and other androgens, sex hormones associated with male traits.

The resulting hormone imbalance can cause irregular or absent menstrual periods, weight gain, acne, excess hair on the face and body, or thinning hair on the scalp.

Women with PCOS often take birth control pills to regulate the menstrual cycle and reduce the level of androgens in the body as past research has indicated that pretreatment with a short-term course of birth control pills can raise pregnancy rates among women with PCOS.

The latest study examined the differences in pregnancy outcomes among 149 women with PCOS who either took birth control pills, underwent lifestyle modification or a combination of the two interventions for a four-month period.

The participants were between the ages of 18 and 40.

The researchers found that women who participated in the lifestyle modification intervention and took birth control pills were more likely to ovulate than women who were assigned to take birth control pills.

"The research indicates preconception weight loss and exercise improve women's reproductive and metabolic health," Legro said.

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Five best exercises for heart health!

Exercises and physical activity are the words that take centre stage when it comes to healthy living, lifestyle, weight management, etc.

Our heart, which is a hard-working muscle, gets stronger and healthier if we lead an active life. And, yes, it's never too late to start exercising and you don't have to be a sportsperson. Even taking a brisk walk for half an hour a day can make a big difference.

But, you should also know that not all workouts are heart healthy.

While it's a good idea to consult your doctor before taking up any exercise to make sure that you are ready for whatever activity you have in your mind, here are five best heart-friendly exercises:

Aerobic exercise: For a healthy heart, experts recommend 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise on most days of the week. Aerobic exercise include – jogging, running, biking, etc.

Climbing stairs: This can be done both at home or at your work place. In order to get maximum heart health benefit from any aerobic exercise, one should aim to reach between 50 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, said experts.

Tai Chi: The gentle movements of tai chi, which is performed using slow rhythmic body movements combined with deep breathing and concentration, reduce stress and give many health benefits, including heart.

Dancing: Dancing your way to heart health can be a most enjoyable form of exercise. It is a great acivity for those at risk of cardiovascular disease. While it is up to you either to go for a high impact or low impact, a good aerobic beat is about 120 to 135 beats per minute.

Stretching: Stretching should be a part of your exercise plan. It can be tough for many, but doing this a couple of times a week will make you more flexible. One needs to be cautious while doing stretching exercises to avoid any discomfort or injury in the body.

When it comes to workouts, more is better for your heart

A new research has revealed that doing higher level of physical activity lowers the risk of developing heart failure rather than just following the US physical activity guidelines recommendation.

The research led by American Heart Association explained that the current US physical activity guidelines recommendation of a minimum of at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity a week was associated with only a modest reduction in heart failure risk, whereas increasing twice the minimum recommended dose helps to reduce the risk of heart failure.

The researchers explained that heart failure occurs when the heart is not able to supply adequate amounts of blood to the rest of the body and is characterized by shortness of breath and a reduced ability to exercise.

Jarett D Berry, senior author of the study, said that walking 30 minutes a day as recommended in the US physical activity guidelines, might not be enough for healthy heart, so one should do more physical activity to reduce the risk of heart failure.

The study noted that decreasing heart problems with increasing physical activity was consistent across all age, sex, race, and geographic location based subgroups studied.

The research is published in Circulation journal.

Aerobics exercise helps to control asthma

Washington D.C.: A new study has found that aerobics is really helpful for asthma patients and is effective in controlling asthma.

The researchers of American College of Chest Physicians did a 12-week supervised aerobic exercise program for patients with asthma and found that exercise yielded significant improvements in asthma control.

The researchers observed that patients, who performed aerobics exercise, had clinically and statistically improved asthma control (0.5 decrease in ACQ), short-acting bronchodilator (SABA) usage (nearly three times less per week), and depressive symptoms (four-point drop in BDI-II).

The study is published in Chest journal.

Do workouts to keep your brain young

The secret to a younger brain may lie in exercising your body, according to recent research.

INeuroimaging studies, in which the activity of different parts of the brain can be visualised, have provided some clues as to how does being physically fit affect our aging brains?

The exciting new study led by Dr Hideaki Soya from the University of Tsukuba in Japan and his colleagues show, for the first time, the direct relationship between brain activity, brain function and physical fitness in a group of older Japanese men. They found that the fitter men performed better mentally than the less fit men, by using parts of their brains in the same way as in their youth.

As we age, we use different parts of our brain compared to our younger selves. For example, when young, we mainly use the left side of our prefrontal cortex (PFC) for mental tasks involving short term memory, understanding the meaning of words and the ability to recognize previously encountered events, objects, or people. When older, we tend to use the equivalent parts of our PFC on the right side of the brain for these tasks. The PFC is located in the very front of the brain, just behind the forehead. It has roles in executive function, memory, intelligence, language and vision.

With tasks involving the temporary storage and manipulation of memory, long term memories and inhibitory control, young adults favor the right side of the PFC, while older adults engage both the right and left PFC. In fact, with aging, we tend to use both sides of the PFC during mental tasks, rather than just one. This phenomenon has been coined HAROLD (hemispheric asymmetry reduction in older adults) and reflects the reorganisation of the brain as compensation for reduced brain capacity and efficiency due to age-related structural and physiological decline.

Using clever statistical tests called mediation analyses to look at these interactions, the researchers found that aerobically fitter older men can perform better mentally than less fit older men by using the more important brain regions when needed. In fact, the fitter older men are using parts of their brains in the same way as when they were younger.

The study appears in NeuroImage.

Aerobics can keep Alzheimer's at bay

A new study has revealed that long-term aerobic exercise can prevent age-related brain changes.

Lead author Ileana Soto of The Jackson Laboratory said that their data suggested that normal aging causes significant dysfunction to the cortical neurovascular unit, including basement membrane reduction and pericyte loss.

In the study, the researchers provided mice with a running wheel from 12 months old (equivalent to middle aged in humans) and assessed their brains at 18 months (equivalent to 60 years old in humans, when the risk of Alzheimer's disease is greatly increased).

Young and old mice alike ran about two miles per night, and this physical activity improved the ability and motivation of the old mice to engage in the typical spontaneous behaviors that seem to be affected by aging.

The results showed that the exercise significantly reduced age-related pericyte loss in the brain cortex and improved other indicators of dysfunction of the vascular system and blood-brain barrier.

It also decreased the numbers of microglia or monocytes expressing a crucial initiating component of the complement pathway that others have shown previously to play are role in age-related cognitive decline.

Surprisingly, these beneficial effects of exercise were not seen in mice deficient in a gene called Apoe, variants of which are a major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease.

The study is published in the Journal PLOS

How drugs can help 'lazy' people exercise

Some psychoactive drugs dubbed as "doping for lazy people" can encourage sedentary people to exercise, experts suggest.

Physical exertion, along with excuses like lack of time, are some of the main perceived barriers to exercise. This is not surprising because humans are evolved to be "lazy".

"Reducing the perception of effort during exercise using caffeine or other psychoactive drugs (methylphenidate and modafinil) could help many people stick to their fitness plans," said Samuele Marcora, director of research at University of Kent.

The perception of effort is one of the main reasons why most people choose sedentary activities for their leisure time.

Compared to watching television, even moderate-intensity physical activities like walking require considerable effort.

Similarly, a reduction in perception of effort would be very helpful to the many people who find exercise difficult as they are overweight and exercise after work in a state of mental fatigue.

"There is no opposition to the use of psychoactive drugs to help quit smoking or treat obesity, the negative perception of doping in sport may prevent the use of stimulants (a drug or substance that makes you feel more awake and active) and other psychoactive drugs to treat physical inactivity," stated Marcora.

Physical inactivity is responsible for twice as many deaths as obesity and a psycho-pharmacological treatment for physical inactivity can be considered seriously, the authors noted in a paper that appeared in the journal of Sports Medicine.

30 Min Fat Burning & Full Body Toning Workout – Bipasha Basu

30 Min Fat Burning & Full Body Toning Workout (Advanced ) – Bipasha Basu Fit & Fabulous You

Bipasha Basu does a full body advanced workout that will keep you fit and healthy and keep your body toned.

Loving yourself and pampering yourself has never been an easy task, the dusky diva of bollywood none other than Bipasha Basu, has made this very simple by introducing us to a repertoire of a fitness regime, called ""Fit & Fabulous You"".

In this video Bipasha tells us of how to do a rigorous 30 mins workout and burn the fat oout of you and at the same time increase the metabolism of your body. The routine helps strengthen the bones and improves muscle coordination.

30 Min Fat Burning Cardio Workout - Bipasha Basu

30 Min Fat Burning Cardio Workout - Bipasha Basu Unleash 'Full Routine' - Full Body Workout

Bipasha Basu is known to be the epitome of fitness and hardcore regime in Bollywood. In this video she tells us of how to do a rigorous 30 mins workout and burn the fat outta u. Unleash can help improve your lung,heart and circulatory function. The routine helps strengthen the bones and improves muscle coordination,It burns major calories and greatly assists in weight loss.

30 Min Total Body Workout for Weightloss - Bipasha Basu

30 Min Total Body Workout for Weightloss - Beginners Workout

Bipasha Basu does a simple yet full of life workout for beginners that guarantees a fitter body.

Loving yourself and pampering yourself has never been an easy task, the dusky diva of bollywood none other than Bipasha Basu, has made this very simple by introducing us to a repertoire of a fitness regime, called ""Fit & Fabulous You"".

In this video Bipasha tells us of how to do a rigorous 30 mins workout and burn the fat oout of you and at the same time increase the metabolism of your body. The routine helps strengthen the bones and improves muscle coordination.

30 Mins Aerobic Dance Workout - Bipasha Basu

30 Mins Aerobic Dance Workout - Bipasha Basu Break free Full Routine
Bipasha Basu herself performs a 30 mins hardcore dance aerobic workout and shows us her cool moves and a graceful way to lose weight. This 30-minute dance workout improves stamina, endurance and strengthens the abdominal muscles. A total body workout Break Free is a complete stress buster which allows you to have fun while you burn fat.

Simple ways to burn your belly fat fast!

Many of us struggle to get rid of that stubborn belly fat. But, do we adopt the right forms of exercise and eat the right foods that fight fat to yield great results?

Here are a few, yet simple tips that will help you lose stomach fat and get that sexy abs:

Avoiding sugar/sweetened beverages: Studies show that added sugar has uniquely harmful effects on metabolic health. It can lead to increased accumulation of fat in the belly due to the huge amounts of fructose content in it. Various studies also show that sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit juices, sports drinks are linked to a 60% increased risk of obesity in children.

Cutting down on carbs: Various studies have shown that when people cut carbs, their appetite also goes down, thereby supporting in losing weight. It is said that low-carb diets specifically target fat in the belly.

Eating foods rich in fiber: Eating plenty of fiber, especially viscous fiber, can have weight-loss benefits. The best sources of fiber are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.

Go aerobic: While exercise is important for various health benefits, aerobic exercise is effective at reducing belly fat. Numerous studies have shown that aerobic exercises like - walking, running, swimming, etc – can cause major reductions in belly fat.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Toned Butt and Thighs Exercise

You must have heard about the Lunge Exercise before ! ... it's an amazing exercise for toning up your thighs and your buttocks .
This exercise is easy and can be done during moving in the house from room to room .. it won't take 1 minute from your time .. and of course you can do it with other exercises while you are working out!
First Raise your hands up over your head Keep your arms straight and palms forward. (or you can just put them on your hips just like the picture) .

Pull your shoulder blades together. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Step forward with one leg, taking a slightly larger than normal step (if you are doing this at home .. careful from the furniture around you).
Keep the ball of your other foot on the ground and use it to help keep your balance.
The back knee must also be bent and lowers to 1-inch from the ground.
Lower your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
Keep your upper body upright and your low back flat.
Push with your front leg to return to the starting position.
You can do this exercise for like 12 times .. and increasing it gradually as you get used to it ... and you can just do it while you are walking inside your house ...
if you have any problems with your knees you need to be careful, and ask your physician about it (or your doctor).
Enjoy it ;)

Easy 45-Minutes 4 Fat Burning Workouts

Exercising is a great way to increase your metabolism and get rid of your body fat. This is because during an exercise, your muscles work harder and need more energy to keep up the exercise intensity. Fat is a major energy source for your body and thus, during an exercise, your body begins to break down your body's fat stores for energy. Fat-burning exercise does not need to be a constant pace, aerobic exercise you do five times a week. A well-designed workout that unites strength training and aerobic conditioning is a great way to increase your metabolism and fat-burning. Do the workout described here two to three times a week and eat a healthy diet for optimal results.

Heart Rate and Fat-Burning

Your exercise heart rate changes according to your exercise intensity. As a general rule, when your exercise at moderate intensity your heart rate is between 60 to 70 percent of maximum. This is called the fat-burning zone. You might have heard that exercising in this zone is optimal to burn fat for energy. However, there are two sides to this statement. Although most of the calories you burn come from burning fat, you will not burn as many calories as you would when exercising at higher intensity. In addition, high-intensity exercise keeps your metabolism higher for a longer time after the exercise is over; thus, you will burn more calories and fat, even at rest. The 45-minute workout described below will make your heart rate alternate between 60 to 90 percent of maximum for increased calorie-burning.

Sprint Interval Training

Sprint interval training, or SIT, is an exercise form that unites short but very high-intensity sprints with longer, low-to-moderate-intensity intervals. SIT improves your glycogen and lipid metabolism and can give you results in considerably shorter amount of time than typical endurance training. A study published in the "Journal of Physiology" in January 2008 showed that SIT exercise elicited similar adaptations in skeletal muscle metabolism as moderate-intensity exercise, but took less time. You can use SIT for any of your typical aerobic exercise routines, including running, bicycling, swimming, skiing and walking. The 45-minute exercise described below is based on interval training and will spike up your intensity and heart rate for short durations.

20-Minute Aerobic Blast

This 45-minute interval exercise will make you burn fat during and after the workout. In addition, you will strengthen your muscles and improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system. Do the first part of your 45-minute fat-burning exercise on a treadmill or elliptical. Start with a five-minute warm-up at low intensity. For the next 15 minutes, alternate between moderate-intensity and very high-intensity intervals. Do a two-minute, moderate-intensity interval and a 30-to-60-second, high-intensity interval at close to maximum effort. You can increase your intensity by running faster, or increase resistance by raising your incline. Follow your heart rate throughout the exercise. Try to raise your heart rate 80 to 90 percent of maximum during your high-intensity sprints.

25-Minute Strength Training Blast

Take a few minutes break and drink water before moving to the second part of your fat-burning workout. Do the following ten exercises back-to-back at a fast pace without taking any breaks: lunges, push-ups, squats, bench presses, shoulder presses, abdominal crunches, biceps curls, jumping jacks, triceps curls and sit-ups. Perform an exercise as many times you can in 60 seconds and then move immediately to the next exercise. After the 10-minute workout, take a short break, drink water and repeat one more time. Your heart rate should remain between 60 to 80 percent of maximum throughout the workout. Stop or lower your intensity if you start feel lightheaded or dizzy during the exercise. Pick weights that allow you to do the moves at a fast pace but still give resistance to your muscles.

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