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What Are Free Radicals and How They Effect Your Health?

Rene — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:15:12 +0000

What Are Free Radicals ?

There is a lot of talk about free radicals and what impact they have on your health. But, to most people, they are nothing more than a medical term as they’re often explained in a way that is completely confusing (electrons, protons, sharing, etc.). So, here is an easy way to understand what free radicals are and how they affect your body.

A simplified explanation of free radicals

Think of your cells as a four walled room. Inside the room are wall studs (also known as protons). These are strength of the room or the foundation, if you will. The outside of the room is built with drywall which is held in place by nails (referred to as neurons). The nails are always used in even numbers and those numbers are determined by the number of studs (or protons) inside the room.

Sometimes there aren’t enough nails (protons) to have an even number, so the room shares with an adjoining room to use their nails to make a complete, strong room with the right number of nails. However, if it steals the nails from a room that is not built with the appropriate number of nails either, it winds up creating an unstable wall which is called a “free radical.”

This free radical doesn’t like to be unstable and will look to strengthen itself by stealing nails from its adjoining walls. When this happens, other free radicals form and the process continues, thereby creating a number of free radicals – or unstable rooms. Have enough of these and you now have an entire complex that isn’t strong enough to sustain itself.

Their effect on health

Obviously, unstable walls (or cells when it comes to your body) aren’t good as they crumble under pressure. This means that diseases and illnesses have an easier time taking hold and wreaking havoc as your body isn’t strong enough to keep them out.

One way to minimize the damage caused by free radicals is to get enough antioxidants. Nutrients such as vitamins C and E donate their electrons so that free radicals do not form, strengthening your body against anything that tries to make it unstable and weak.

Hopefully you now have a better understanding of free radicals and the effect they have on your health. Yes, it is a complex process, but one that is necessary to grasp nonetheless. Your health and wellness depend on it.

Best Distance to Run to Lose Weight

Rene — Wed, 22 May 2013 07:50:30 +0000

Do you want to lose weight and use running as your number one physical activity? If so, do you know how far you need to run in order to achieve your weight loss goals?

Running is one of the best cardiovascular exercises when it comes to dropping excess pounds. You can do it pretty much anywhere and it doesn’t require a bunch of expensive equipment. Just get a good pair of shoes, some weather appropriate clothing and you’re good to go. But, how far do you need to run to reach your goal weight?

Calculate Your Distance

Actually, the distance that you need to cover varies from person to person. Several factors, such as age, gender and current weight, affect how quickly you’ll drop those excess pounds. For instance, men have more lean muscle than women, so they tend to lose weight faster. Also, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you’ll probably get greater results going a shorter distance than someone who is close to their fitness goals.

To figure out how far you personally need to run for weight loss, you’ll have to know how many calories you’re burning. There are several online calculators to help you do this. Just enter your current weight and the number of minutes you run at a particular speed and it will give you an approximate calorie burn.

Remember that 3,500 calories equals a pound of weight. So, for example, if you want to lose one pound a week, aim for running to burn 500 calories a day. Or, if you want to lose two pounds, you’ll have to go a distance that earns you 1,000 calories and so on.

To keep your body guessing and advancing in fitness, you’ll also want to change things up from time to time. Alter the time you spend on the trails or vary the speeds in which you run. This will keep you from plateauing.

Any running is better than no running. So lace up those shoes and hit the trails. Do your body good.

How to Exercise Inner Thigh Adductors

Rene — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:12:02 +0000

The adductors are a rather large group of muscles situated on the medial (inner) side of the thigh. They originate at the nethermost extremity of the hip bone and spread down the interior of the thigh, fastening to the medial segment of the femur. There are five primary constituents of the adductor group. The pectineus is the utmost superior adductor. In addition to the pectineus, there is the gracilis, which fastens from the pubis symphysis to the tibia underneath the knee and forms the inner thigh, but is fairly weak in comparison to the pectineus. There are three muscles specifically termed ‘adductors’: the adductor magnus, brevis, and longus, all of which travel down the interior of the thigh, beginning at the anterior pubis area of the pelvis and continuing down the medial span of the femur. Out of the three, the magnus is the biggest, and covers the completest area of the inside of the thigh. As the name proposes, the primary action of the adductors is to adduct (or draw towards the midline of the body) and rotate the hip joint. The pectineus and gracilis rotate the leg inwardly, while the magnus and brevis rotate it outwardly.

As a group, however, they serve as stabilisers of the leg and pelvis when some degree of pressure is applied. As this group of muscles is critical to providing a balanced link between the lower body and the torso, keeping them strong and healthy is of vital importance.

So, what is the best approach for training these muscles? Well, in an ideal world training them as a group is functionally superior to training them in isolation. However, there is no harm in auxiliary exercises based on isolating them individually. As a result, an example of both a great compound and isolation exercise for this important group of muscles is provided below.

Compound Exercise – The Squat

The basic full squat is the overall best lower body strengthening exercise as it engages all the individual muscles and trains them in a functional manner (in unison) that mimics typical human movement. For overall development, a foot stance shoulder-width apart with toes pointed out slightly is recommended. However, it one wanted to place an emphasis on the inner thigh, then what you could do is place your feet (relatively) wide apart (wider than shoulder-width) with the toes pointed out to a larger degree.

Isolation Exercise – Thigh Adductor/Inner Thigh Machine

In order to isolate and train the adductors individually, there really is no better way to do this than to make use of the inner thigh machine. As the name clearly implies, the movement allowed by this machine is restricted to moving the legs towards the midline of the body. As one of the primary functions of the various adductor muscles is to do just that, the thigh adductor machine is one piece of hardware that cannot be overlooked!

Bibliography

Ackland, Timothy R., Bruce Elliott, and J. Bloomfield. Applied Anatomy and Biomechanics in Sport. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2009.

Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle. “Resistance Training Exercises: Thighs.” NSCA Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd Edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008.

Schwarzenegger, Arnold, and Bill Dobbins. “The Thighs.” The New Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Watkins, James. Structure and Function of the Musculoskeletal System. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010.

Increasing Running Speed – Kinetic Bands

Rene — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:30:08 +0000

Increasing Running Speed – Kinetic Bands

Kinetic Leg Bands Speed Increase

Competitors who can travel faster than their opponents have a distinct advantage. For instance, a faster athlete may be able to get to a ball more speedily than a challenger or may even outpace a pursuer. And so, athletes in most sports place quite a bit of importance on speed. Speed is frequently quantified by using linear (straight-line) sprinting over an expanse between 37 and 91 metres (40 and 100 yards).

Linear sprinting is a bodily skill that most people have executed since their second year of life with some degree of adeptness. For years, many trainers thought that linear speed was generally related to genetics and could not be considerably improved by training. However, suitable training does cultivate running speed, even at the elite level. The amalgamation of stride rate (the number of strides per unit of time) and stride length (the distance covered in a single stride) principally governs linear speed. Thus, athletes can expand upon linear speed by improving stride rate while preserving stride length, increasing stride length while sustaining stride rate, or doing a mixture of both.

Another vital factor contributing to optimum speed is joint flexibility. To elaborate on this notion, if the hamstrings are disproportionately tight, sportspersons may not be able to bring the knee up as high for the period of the recovery point of sprinting, thereby hampering hip flexion and speed. Likewise, tight hip flexors may limit the ability to lengthen the hip through the full required range of motion, thereby tumbling power output during the ‘triple-extension’ period of propulsion. Apt flexibility of the involved joints subsidises movements that are more fluid and synchronised, resulting in longer and faster strides and greater speed.

Kinetic bands address all of these dimensions that allow for optimum running speed. These are bands that one attaches to each leg, above the knee, and are colour-coded for varying degrees of intensity. These types of bands are repeatedly used by athletic trainers and are also used in physical therapy to fortify fast-twitch muscle fibres (those responsible to power production, leading to greater stride length and rate) and for skill development via sport-specific drills. As a result, strengthening these muscle fibres will improve one’s overall athletic performance. Furthermore, kinetics bands can facilitate various types of stretching (enabling greater degrees of flexibility), improving stamina, agility, and proprioception.

Bibliography

Cissik, J.M. (2004). Means and Methods of Speed Training, Part I. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 26(4), 24-29

Enoka, R. (2002). Neuromechanics of Human Movement (3rd edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Flynn, T.W., & Soutas-Little, R.W. (1993). Mechanical Power and Muscle Action during Forward and Backward Running. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther, 17(2), 108-112.

Myers, Jasmine. “Kinetic Bands.” Web. 7 May 2013.

Abductors Exercises Outer Thigh Muscle

Rene — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:34:47 +0000

An abductor muscle is any muscle which transports a body part away from the body’s midline or sagittal dimension (which splits the body vertically into right and left halves). This type of undertaking is known as abduction. Abductor muscles are located throughout the human body, from noticeable positions like the outer thigh, to less anticipated places, for instance the eyeball. They work in collaboration with adductor muscles, which move body parts back in the direction of the midline. Commonly, the term abductor muscle is associated with the hip area, a place of recurrent and throbbing injuries for athletes. The hip abductors encompass a system of four muscles, namely the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius

, the gluteus minimus

, and the tensor fasciae latae. Working together, they serve to abduct the thigh at the hip joint.

Exercises to strengthen the hip abductor muscles can help to diminish the chance of leg injury stemming from physical activity. In unison with the adductors, the abductors maintain the stability of the lower body whilst also ensuring proper traction of the knee during movement. Even the slightest weakness in either of these can alter the traction of the knee, causing a hefty amount of damage to the fragile joints within the knee.

Compound Exercise – The Squat

The basic full squat is the overall best lower body strengthening exercise as it engages all the individual muscles and trains them in a functional manner (in unison) that mimics typical human movement. For overall development, a foot stance shoulder-width apart with toes pointed out slightly is recommended. However, it one wanted to place an emphasis on the outer thigh, then what you could do is place your feet close together (within shoulder-width) with the toes pointed straight.

Isolation Exercise – Thigh Abductor/Outer Thigh Machine

In order to isolate and train the abductors individually, there really is no better way to do this than to make use of the outer thigh machine. As the name clearly implies, the movement allowed by this machine is restricted to moving the legs away from the midline of the body. As one of the primary functions of the various abductor muscles is to do just that, the thigh abductor machine is one piece of hardware that cannot be overlooked!

Bibliography

Ackland, Timothy R., Bruce Elliott, and J. Bloomfield. Applied Anatomy and Biomechanics

in Sport. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2009.

Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle. “Resistance Training Exercises” NSCA Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 2nd Edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics, 2008.

Schwarzenegger, Arnold, and Bill Dobbins. “The Thighs.” The New Encyclopaedia of Modern Bodybuilding. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1998.

Watkins, James. Structure and Function of the Musculoskeletal System. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2010.

Reducing the risks of Diabetes Mellitus

Rene — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:29:27 +0000

How to Reduce the risks of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases categorised by a disproportionately high (or unrestrained) blood glucose level. Chronic uncontrolled diabetes is connected with long-term damage to several body organs, counting the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels. Diabetes is the foremost cause of impaired vision (if not full-blown blindness), renal failure, and lower extremity amputations (toes and feet). The major types of diabetes mellitus are type 1 and type 2. Type 1, formerly known as insulin-dependent, is linked with pancreatic beta cell obliteration by an autoimmune process, typically leading to absolute insulin deficiency. Exogenous insulin by either injection or pump is essential for survival. Type 2, formerly known as non-insulin dependent, is characterised by insulin opposition in peripheral tissues and an insulin secretory shortage of the pancreatic beta cells. This is the most common form of diabetes mellitus (comprising a whopping 90% of cases). The treatment customarily embraces diet modification, weight control, regular exercise, and oral hypoglycaemic agents. Irrespective of the type, diabetes mellitus is a condition that poses numerous problems for the inflicted individual.

As a result, if possible, it is best to take the proper steps to ensure that one’s risk is at its lowest possible level! So, how does one reduce the risk of acquiring these diseases? Well, the main points to consider are eating a healthy, balanced diet, and undertaking some form of physical activity. The standard recommendations pertain primarily to aerobic endurance exercise, where no less than 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, is needed every week. Correspondingly, this would be a 12 to 16 on a 6 to 20 RPE scale!

Resistance training is equally beneficial as, depending on the modality of training, maximum quantities of blood glucose are being utilised by the exercising musculature, and blood chemistry homeostasis is maintained.

Now, when we refer to a healthy, balanced diet, what do we mean? The standard recommendations include a focus around all major food groups. This, in essence, means that one should consume plenty sources of protein (meat, fish, tofu, eggs, beans, among others), hefty starchy foods (potatoes, wholegrain pasta, rice, and bread), dairy, and plenty of fruit and vegetables (a minimum of five a day).

Bibliography

American College of Sports Medicine and Diabetics Association. 2010. Position stand: Exercise and type 2 diabetes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 42 (12): 2282-2303.

Conley, M.S., and R. Rozenek. 2001. National Strength and Conditioning Association position statement: Health aspects of resistance exercise and training. Strength and Conditioning Journal 23 (6): 9-23.

“Diabetes Mellitus.” Professional Guide to Diseases. 10th ed. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2013. 587-595.

McAdle, W.D., F.I. Katch. 2009. Sports and exercise nutrition. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Spicy Asian Chicken Steak Recipe

Rene — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:10:51 +0000

Pan fried spicy chicken steak with Asian mixed salad. This is a simple recipe that takes minutes to prepare, all you need to do is marinade the steaks before cooking. The marinade was easy, I used red Thai curry paste, crushed garlic, lime juice, fresh chopped ginger, paprika, sweet chili sauce and soy sauce. You can tweak the marinade to your liking, if you like spicy then more curry paste, chili sauce and paprika. Mix and leave rest for 30 minutes before cooking.

Gluten, wheat and dairy free.

Ingredients

Always best to use free range chickens when possible.

2 large fresh Marinaded chicken breasts,

Method

Place frying pan on High heat and add a little olive oil. Leave for 2 minutes make sure the oil is piping hot before sealing the chicken. Make sure that you don’t burn the chicken fry for one minute each side then reduce the heat of the pan.
Cook for a further 5 minutes medium heat on each side, whilst cooking start make the bean salad recipe below.

Salad

100g fresh cabbage – washed
2 Grated carrots – peeled and tailed
1 Handful fresh chopped mint
1 Onion halved and sliced

Method

Chop and prepare all vegetables then place in a large bowl, once completed place to one side and make the dressing below.

Dressing

1/4 cup Sesame oil
2 tbsp Thai sweet chili dressing or 1/4 chili finely diced
1 tbsp Honey
4 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Toasted black sesame seeds
2 tbsp Rice vinegar or lemon juice

Recipe followed should take 20 minutes to prepare and cook.

Fitness Holidays

Rene — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:15 +0000

As the nomenclature refers to, fitness holidays place emphasis on health and wellness by virtue of physical exercise and entertaining challenges (so as to boost one’s metabolism). Sedentary lifestyles can exacerbate health problems, particularly as one ages. So, by challenging yourself and having fun simultaneously, whether it’s hiking in the great outdoors, playing a recreational game of tennis, partaking in a yoga retreat (among other things), one can enhance his or her strength and stamina, whilst also serving to reduce copious levels of accumulated stress. From active to adventure trips, such as boot camps to rounded fitness retreats, there is a rather large selection of approaches to this particularly unique concept.

Speaking from experience, there are some physical activities that exercising in a gym cannot compare to. Having said that, let’s have a look at one of the most enticing fitness retreats I have come across!

LeSport WellFit Programme (The BodyHoliday) – St. Lucia, Caribbean

The WellFit Programme, situated in St. Lucia, the Caribbean, is a custom-built fitness retreat coordinated by ex-Olympic decathlete champion Daley Thompson, and former Gladiator Kate Staples. Each of the activities takes place at dissimilar locations around the resort. The programme itself takes complete advantage of everything the resort has to offer, making use of all facets of the landscape to benefit the training session with a balance of cardio and strength training, core reinforcement, fitness yoga, jogging, flexibility training, obstacles, and skipping (among other things). The resort itself boasts a bountiful variety of facilities, namely an 18-hole championship golf course, fitness centre (with spinning bikes, studios, and three distinct pools serving different purposes), tennis courts, and a diving centre. The most amazing thing about this programme is the staggering selection of activities. On one end, you can rappel down the River Doree (for a rather spectacular surge of adrenaline), take a stab at fencing (or even archery) and on the other, you can partake in windsurfing, water-skiing, and recreational boxing on the beach. To sweeten the pot further, upon arrival (the journey from Heathrow Airport is about an eight and a half hour flight), the individual receives an immediate relaxation treatment at the Spa.

Quite frankly, if you are looking for the ultimate health and fitness holiday experience, then look no further!

Bibliography

“Fitness Holidays | Health and Fitness Travel.” Health and Fitness Travel | Wellness & fitness holidays, detox & spa breaks. Web. 13 May 2013. .

“Fitness Holidays | Wildfitness.” Fitness Holidays | Wildfitness. Web. 13 May 2013. .

“The BodyHoliday, LeSPORT – St. Lucia | Health and Fitness Travel.” Health and Fitness Travel | Wellness & fitness holidays, detox & spa breaks. Web. 13 May 2013.

When Should You Change Your Running Shoes?

Rene — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:31:33 +0000

Are you still wearing the same running shoes you wore in 1987?

Are you still wearing the same running shoes you wore in 1987? If so, you may be doing more damage than good. There are some things you need to understand about running shoes so you know why changing them at specific intervals is so important.

Running Shoe Basics

Running shoes have a shelf life, much like any other product you purchase. You can’t just buy a pair and expect them to last forever. Their soles start to thin, similar to tread on a tire. Also, their cushion becomes less supportive, like how a pillow flattens over time.

If you don’t change them at regular intervals, you risk injury. Your muscles and joints aren’t properly supported and your body can quickly start to feel the effects (in your feet, legs and back). And, if you continue to run despite the aches and pains you feel, you can do some major damage that may prohibit you in the future from running altogether.

What Experts Think

So, how often should you change them? There are a lot of different opinions by experts in the field, but most of them agree that they should be swapped out once they have 500 miles on them. For some people that may take a few years, whereas for others it may only be six months or so (sometimes less).

Ultimately though, it depends on the quality of the shoe. If you tend to buy cheaper footwear, you may want to change them every 300 miles. If you buy top of the line running shoes, you can probably wear them 600-700 miles before they should be chucked in the garbage.

If you don’t know how many miles you’ve put on yours, there are some other “tests” you can use. For instance, try pushing on the inside sole. If it has no cushioning, then it’s time to let them go. Or, if your shoes are starting to fall apart that is another great indicator that they’re past their prime.

It is also recommended that you have two pairs of running shoes and go back and forth between them. This allows your feet to experience different levels of cushioning and support, keeping you from experiencing injury due to repeated exposure to just one type.

Throw out those shoes from the 1980’s and get some new ones. Your feet, back and entire body will thank you.

Speed Ladders for Footwork Training

Rene — Wed, 15 May 2013 07:52:55 +0000

Instructors commonly use ladder drills to assist athletes in developing quick feet, body control, and kinaesthetic mindfulness, in addition to improving essential movement abilities. Most agility ladders are constructed of elastic rungs that are bound to nylon straps to fashion boxes. Characteristically, the boxes are set around 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 centimetres) away from each other. However, the box size can be modified by sliding the rungs up or down the straps. Trainers may desire to occasionally vary the size of each box so that athletes are required to fine-tune their stride length and foot placement. Making these adjustments in foot placement mimics the action requirements of competition.

Normally, an athlete completes one pass by going down the ladder, leading with one foot, and then reversing, leading with the other. This guarantees training of equal nature. Coaches can change passes to meet the necessities of the individual or group. When carrying out these drills, athletes must progress from simple drills to those that are more intricate. At the outset, one should focus on performing each drill as fast as possible! In other words, individuals should execute each exercise as swiftly as possible without obstructing proper control or position.

Here are a couple of examples pertaining to basic drills:

One in the Hole

The individual stands at the end of the ladder with hips and shoulders parallel to the steps and at that juncture, steps into the first box of the ladder with one foot. Afterward, he or she then steps into the subsequent box with the opposite foot and duplicates the process all the way down the ladder. The sportsperson repeats this drill, this time starting with the opposite foot.

Cha-Cha

The individual stands adjacent to the first box with hips and shoulders perpendicular to the sides of the ladder. With the leg nearest the ladder, he or she advances laterally into the far half of the first box and then moves the other foot into the same box. With the first leg, the individual then steps to the exterior of the ladder (opposite side of the beginning point) and follows with the trailing foot. The individual takes an additional step to the side with the first leg and then steps slantwise into the far half of the second box, leading with what was, beforehand, the trailing foot. Now, he or she steps into the second box with the trailing leg (previously the leading leg). The athlete carries on this pattern to the end of the ladder, advancing into, and out of the boxes and alternating the leading leg all the way through.

Bibliography

Brown L.E., & Ferrigno, V.A. (2005). Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness (2nd edition). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Cissik, J.M., & Barnes, M. (2004). Sport Speed and Agility. Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice.

McHenry, P., & Raether, J. (2004). 101 Agility Drills. Monterey, CA: Coaches Choice.

Plisk, S.S. (2008). Speed, Agility, and Speed Endurance Development. In T.R. Baechle & R.W. Earle, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd edition. pp. 458-485). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.