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‘Keeping Fit’

To most people ’stress’ brings to mind something unpleasant. But many psychologists write about stress as something that can have positive effects. Why the confusion? The reasons lie in how an individual evaluates his or her own mental and physical state. Read the rest of this entry »

Who hasn’t stressed over money? Some will reply: ‘those with a lot of it’. That’s an easy conclusion to draw when you are wondering how to make the mortgage payment. But the fact is that many people with large amounts often worry about it more. They may not stress over paying the house payment, but they often have investments that go south, money managers that prove untrustworthy and other problems. Read the rest of this entry »

During the holiday season – Christmas, Hanukkah and others – people will often experience elevated levels of stress. But it need not be so. There are, indeed, many pressures unique to the holiday season. Read the rest of this entry »

Aristotle helped define the standards of fitness 2,500 years ago when he taught that a thing that suits its purpose well is fit. Read the rest of this entry »

Static and dynamic stretching are two elements in a warm-up routine that help prevent injury and maximize performance. But, consider, why do we warm-up at all? And, are there other aspects to a good warm-up routine? Read the rest of this entry »

Most upper body exercises have as their goal to build strength. In order to maximize the beneficial effect of the routine, you’ll want to mix in some good cardiovascular workouts – spinning, jogging, etc – and alternate the activities with lower body work. Read the rest of this entry »

What kind of leg exercises you do will, of course, depend on your goal. Are you trying to build massive thighs or heart-shaped calves? Do you want to build strength, increase running endurance or improve balance and flexibility? Are you a weight-lifter, a jogger or a ballerina? Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone interested in fitness wants to have great looking abs – firm, rippled and well-toned, along with a trim waist. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist. Read the rest of this entry »

Flexibility training involves performing a series of exercises that help maximize range of motion and muscle stability. The benefits are improved blood flow in the muscles and lower risk of injury. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who has ever suffered from a major backache knows how central the back is, even in times you might think it isn’t important. Even something like squeezing a tennis ball, an action that involves a focus on the fingers, forearm and bicep will involve the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles. Read the rest of this entry »

Being flexible – having well lubricated joints and stretchable muscles – is one of the best ways to reduce the prospect of injury and give you the basis for a wide variety of workout routines. Read the rest of this entry »

Gyms offer a number of benefits, both practical and psychological. But there are a few caveats to consider before taking the plunge. Read the rest of this entry »

Individuals under 20 are naturally more flexible, have higher metabolic rates and more energy than those older. But they, too, need to exercise (in appropriate ways) to avoid injury and build strength and endurance, avoid obesity and stay fit. Read the rest of this entry »

Body fluid level is an important component of keeping it in top condition for best performance. Read the rest of this entry »

Perspiration isn’t generally considered desirable. It makes clothes wet and uncomfortable, it makes our skin unpleasant to touch and it often smells bad. But the biological fact is that sweating is essential to good health, especially during exercise. Read the rest of this entry »

Some of the major goals of exercise are to improve muscle tone, strength, and endurance. All of this is made possible by, and requires, the body’s energy production-and-use system. Central to that system is a complex molecule called ATP, Adenosine Triphosphate. Read the rest of this entry »

Few subjects in health or diet ever get put to a final rest. Present studies often contradict earlier ones, until no one knows what to think. One of the few areas that almost all serious studies seem to agree on is the relationship between exercise and the immune system. Read the rest of this entry »

Many factors contribute to the onset of diabetes, including genetic predisposition and diet. But exercise can help reduce the odds of getting and the severity of this disease. Read the rest of this entry »

Exercise throughout the entire nine months is healthy for most women – provided they exercise (pun intended) the proper caution. Read the rest of this entry »

During any exercise and diet regimen, losing the first few pounds is often very easy. That’s good because it’s a great motivator when you see results right away. But as you lose more, the rate of loss, and the speed with which you see visible effects, slows down. Read the rest of this entry »

Though stereotypes are dissolving with each generation, there are some that persist – in part, because they are based on real differences between men and women. Read the rest of this entry »

Exercise after surgery can be part of recommended physical therapy, or a return to pre-operative routines. In either case, done properly, exercise will help create flexibility, improve balance – by strengthening muscles that help stabilize joints – and keep the cardiovascular and other systems functioning well. Read the rest of this entry »

In generations past, exercise was believed to be mostly for the younger set. It was even believed that older people couldn’t increase muscle mass or strength if they wanted to. Studies at Harvard and elsewhere have now firmly put that myth to rest. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s a commonplace observation that as you age you have to work harder to keep the pounds off and to stay fit. One major reason is the inescapable biological fact that metabolism slows as we age. Inescapable for now, at least, until medical technology finds some safe way to alter it. Read the rest of this entry »

Most articles on fitness, when discussing routines and exercises will recommend consulting a physician first. That isn’t just a means of covering the author against potential legal action. Read the rest of this entry »

You can enjoy all the benefits of gym membership – a wide variety of equipment and facilities, good advice from staff and other members and the incentive to work out by making the gym a destination. Read the rest of this entry »

If your workout consists of more than just jogging, at some point you’ll want to invest in some fitness equipment. Which you select will, naturally, depend on lots of things – budget vs price, quality vs needs, type and interests and so forth. Read the rest of this entry »

From some trainers ‘No pain, no gain’ really means ‘you should feel some pain’. While mild discomfort is to be expected, especially for those just beginning a new fitness routine, pain is a natural warning sign. Pay attention to it. Read the rest of this entry »