3 posts tagged “health”
While browsing some of the latest news, I encountered this article about obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure as one of the leading factors that caused the decline in life expectancy among women in the US. According to the associate professor of international health at the Harvard School of Public Health, Majid Ezzati, "There is now evidence that there are large parts of the population in the United States whose health has been getting worse for about two decades." So in line with my previous posts, let me provide you with some information on how to deal with the three issues at hand.
Smoking - Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, according to the World Health Organization. Some of the diseases caused by smoking are: different cancers (especially lung cancer), cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, and respiratory illnesses like bronchitis. Smoking also causes cataracts which may lead to blindness, decline in cognitive functions, and the worst for males, impotence!
Like what the WHO categorized it as, smoking is preventable. There's really no need to smoke. If you're having trouble giving it up, read my previous post about breaking the bad habit.
Obesity - Like smoking, obesity also causes cardiovascular diseases and is a serious, growing public health problem. Obesity is caused by different factors such as genetics, but mostly because of overeating and a sedentary lifestyle (read: sitting around the whole day without exercise). Of course, knowing these, the best way to treat or prevent it is to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which includes exercise and a healthy diet. If you need tips on exercise and working out, read my earlier posts.
High Blood Pressure - Although no specific medical cause can be determined in essential hypertension, there are several contributing factors such as genetics, age, and insulin resistance among others. Although it can be treated with medication, the first step to take when treating it is exercise to improve blood flow. Less salt in your diet is also proven to be effective. Also, abstinence from smoking and drinking help in lowering blood pressure.
With last week's post regarding some tips to get started with working out, I've decided to also give you some reminders on how to get the most of your training. Of course, if you want that wonderful beach body that I, myself, wanted when I went on a trip to the Carribean, there are certain things you'll need to avoid when working out.
Skipping warm up - Warming up is the first thing you should do before working out. Skip that and you risk yourself getting injured or lose energy before you finish the program. Warming up helps release adrenaline, improves the movement of oxygen in the blood, and allows joints to move more efficiently. Also, since it increases the temperature of the muscles, it allows for greater elasticity of muscle fibers (which means less chances of developing cramps). Don't do too many warm-up sets, though; too much is also bad for you.
Skipping or not stretching enough - I've mentioned this in my previous post and I will say it again: without stretching first, your muscles are more susceptible to damage from the sudden jump from inactivity to hard activity. After warming up, stretch!
Lifting too much or increasing weight too early - I understand if you feel like you're in a hurry shaping up, I felt the same way when I started going to the gym. Pushing yourself too much by lifting too much weight than you can actually handle could be detrimental to your training program. First, since you'll be lifting more, you'll be using a lot more energy on a particular workout and may not have enough to finish your exercise. Second, you run the risk of getting injured.
Like what I suggested in my previous post, instead of jumping to a heavier weight, increase your sets and repetitions. When you feel the workout is getting easy, then it's time to increase the weight (but not too much).
Improper form - Like any exercise, gym workouts are done in a manner that requires a certain posture and a series of movements. If you want to get good results from your training, you should do the exercises as how they are meant to be done.
Forgetting to drink water - You'll be sweating a lot, that's a fact. So in order to replenish all the water in your body that you've lost while working out, drink a lot of water. Don't wait till you're feeling thirsty, the minute you do is actually the start of dehydration. When dehydrated, blood pressure is decreased and your heart and respiration rates would increase to compensate for it. In turn, the flow of oxygen and other nutrients in the blood would be reduced making them less functional.
Making up for absences - I know some people who try to make up for missing a workout period by doing more, moving it to another day during the week, or spending more hours in the gym during the following period. Here's an advice: don't do any of those. It's like going on a diet - if you ate more than what you were supposed to during one meal, you don't skip another meal to make up for it. The same goes for working out, if you happened to miss a day of working out, simply continue your regular routine and treat the absence as loss.
Improper diet and habits - Let's go outside of the gym for a change. Working out is only one part of the means to your goal (a healthy, beautiful body, of course). Outside of the gym and working out, it is equally important to eat proper meals and avoid habits such as smoking, or sleeping late. Those affect your training results so watch out.
Ergh. The thing about being a health buff is, by default, in your group of friends, you are instantly the expert in
so-and-so. (Though I do
admit, I enjoy a drink or two, even if it gives me a beer gut. My fridge is stocked with energy drinks and
stuff though.)
Being the guy that I am, I would want nothing more than see my friends wanting to improve their lifestyle, and, as much as a villain I would seem to be to some of them, being against most of their bad habits, it’s a necessary thing, if ever they want to follow my footsteps.
You may have heard of The Phoenix Theory
--- while I do agree that you need a catalyst to get started with working out,
the article sounds like … the makings of a superhero to me. At first, I thought that guys with the
awesome bods were just show-offs --- but realizing that, they weren’t born that
way, and that they worked long and hard for that, I found respect for working
out. Though shame is a pretty good
motivator for it, I started with vanity.
Yes, it was all because of the trip to the Caribbean
that I was going with my buds. I wanted
to look good!
If you’re having difficulty at the start (which is the
hardest part), it’s okay to go light on yourself. Forcing yourself to workout will only, only
lead to disaster! So, after taking in
the red pill and admitting you want change, here are some basic starter tips,
before you dive into a giant barbell.
Pick a gym far from your house – This is important. Others would opt for a gym that’s nearer
where they live, and, for the convenience, that’s good. But, if you work out near where you live,
wouldn’t it be as easy to work out, then revert to old habits when you’re
nearer the house? The fridge? If you just can’t opt for a far-away gym, or
if it gets to be too big a hassle, run.
Instead of taking the car to the gym, jog your way to and fro --- it’ll
add to the work out you just did, plus, if you really can’t get up, you could
always grab a cab. (Plus, you could take
your shower at home, if public showers freak you out.)
Stretch, stretch, stretch! – Most gyms make this a mandatory
before working out anyway, but I’ll discuss the importance anyway. Without stretching first, your muscles are
susceptible to damage from the sudden jump from inactivity to hard
activity. Which may lead to you never
getting to work out again, or worse … body damage.
If you’re working out with a buddy – Find one with the same
goals as you. If you’re with a real fun
bud, it’s easy to slink back to acting rowdy when you’re in a gym. (Or checking out the ladies, ohoho!) But you’re
not there for them, you’re not there for the girls either (unless you are,
sicko! :p ) --- you’re there for you.
It’s not in the effort, it’s in the reps – Says it all. There’s no use just jumping from 20 pounds to
50 if you only do 10. Start with smaller
weights, and smaller reps, gradually increasing every week / two weeks or
so. Start by increasing the number of
reps and when the next weight level starts feeling easy, it’s time to turn it
up!
Finally, pushing on – Set a goal you want to attain. A “300-esque” body, a certain weight --- just
keep pushing for that goal. Think about
it, if you add a protein supplement to the equation and you stop working
out? The weight’s gonna turn from muscle
to fffllaaaabbbbb.
Hope these tips help!
