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Fitness fads that don’t work

It promised to blast away the fat, tone your arms, and give you a six pack overnight. All you’re left with is a receipt for the machine…

Exercise fads are big business, and probably more popular than ever as we live in the age of social media where looks are all-important. Everyone’s striving for the perfect body, in the fastest time possible.

The bottom line though, say experts, is that the fads don’t work. Diet and fitness trends are transient and seldom give long-lasting results. Cape Town coach, Roland Jungwirth points out that exercise “programming” is more than just exercise selection. “It needs to take your lifestyle into consideration and should be adapted accordingly. Although we can group most fitness goals into clear categories, the effectiveness of a plan to reach these goals depends on your current and previous lifestyle choices, and adherence to the plan.”

Which is where fads fade away: they seldom fit into our lifestyles; require a temporary change or shift in some area and are usually unrealistic in an everyday context.

5 fads you should avoid

1 Waist trainer
Known as a “body modifying lie”, the undergarment promises to flatten, tone and tighten your stomach, and cinch your waist for a Jessica Rabbit-style figure. They may contour your body to a tiny degree (some statistics say it could take about two years to see a 25% reduction in your tummy area). But health experts are not convinced. It’s not feasible to “spot reduce” a problem area, says Dr Stephen Ball from the University of Missouri. Besides the wasted hours struggling to breathe, you’re doing real damage to your organs. The corsets restrict the midsection of your body as your organs are tightly squeezed. This can cause digestive and breathing problems.

Instead: Try aerobic exercises like cycling, sit-ups, squatting, stair exercises, burpees, jogging in place, and planking. These work your midsection by toning your muscle core.

2 Shake weights
Can you fight the arm jiggle with this contraption? The device gives off a vibrating effect, that’s meant to tone your arms, shoulders, triceps, and biceps. It claims to be more effective than normal weights, but doesn’t really apply enough resistance to the muscles to be stimulated. And, you land up with other problems, namely nausea, impaired vision and hyperventilation, thanks to the continued vibrational exposure.

Instead: Get a regular dumbbell that’s meant for your muscle mass. Do tricep exercises that include curls, dips, kickbacks, extensions and push-ups.

3 Sauna suits
Melt off the fat! This garment made with waterproof fabric enthusiastically claims to spur on weight loss. Does it work? Not very well, as the weight you lose is temporary water loss. A full workout would help you lose weight by burning actual calories. These suits offer very little ventilation and can cause dehydration and overheating.

Instead: Cut down on sugar, refined carbs and processed foods first, as these are the main triggers for weight gain, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer. Add fruits, vegetables and protein to your diet to help boost your metabolism, increase energy and keep you regular. Drink plenty of water.

4 Vibrating platforms
What’s better than melting off the fat? Simply standing still and letting a machine “vibrate” the extra kilos off you. If it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it is. There simply isn’t enough proof and evidence to suggest that vibrations transmitted through a machine can shed fat and build muscle. At worst you’re causing yourself joint and nerve damage.

Instead: Do resistance exercises which aim to build strength, flexibility and improve your skeletal muscles in a healthy way.

5 Weight loss pills
They’ve stood the test of time so they’ve moved a little beyond whim status, but weight loss tablets are still bad news. Diet pills have a deserved reputation, thanks to their numerous side-effects that include an increase in your heart rate, palpitations, insomnia, nausea, restless, and dizziness. When used for a long time, you risk harming your organs and could have a heart attack, stroke and digestive issues.

Instead: Choose vitamins and herbal drinks to regulate your metabolism and energy while eating clean, controlling your portions, and keeping fit.

References

Battle of the sexes in the gym

The book title goes, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and it may be true at the gym too. When it comes to working out, gender plays a distinctive role in how we work out.

Research by Weight Watchers and published in Weight Watchers She Loses, He Loses: The Truth about Men, Women, and Weight Loss, found that men and women have different attitudes to weight loss and fitness. More men believe that exercise is enough to slim down, while women take more practical approaches by combining diet with fitness.

One of the key areas of differentiation was the enjoyment factor. More men than women actually enjoyed exercise. “This doesn’t mean women don’t know they need to be physically active or don’t do it. But with guys, to sweat is a badge of honour,” said the study.

From a purely physiological view, men and women are built differently, so different workouts will have different impacts for both sexes.

Hormone highs

Muscle mass and hormones are some of the major differences in women and men. Men have more muscle in comparison to women, making them physically stronger.

These differences play out in weight loss, most noticeably, as men store their fat differently. With women it’s typically more spread out, so weight loss is slower while men tend to lose abdominal fat fast. On average, women have about 10% more body fat than men.

This doesn’t mean women need to hold back on the treadmill. Where it counts, a woman’s muscles and ligaments are still capable of doing the job of aerobics. “Women can get really strong, but their smaller skeleton and muscle mass, loose joints and lower testosterone generally prevent them from being able to build man-size strength,” explains American sports scientist, Tony Boutagy in an interview with ABC News.

That said, the man-size strength and muscles means that women don’t need to run screaming past the weights section. Contrary to popular belief, weight training does not make women big and bulky. This can only happen if you have the XY chromosome and it’s your distinct intention to build huge muscles – which takes time and effort. Strength training in fact, is proven to speed up weight loss and tone you all over.

Women will also tend to enjoy and do better at fast-paced, circuit workouts, explains Rich Sturla, an American fitness consultant. “Women are better built for these workouts, while men tend to more enjoy slower paced workouts. Women do tend to be less powerful than men due to lower overall muscle mass, lower lung capacity and smaller hearts. However, their ability to recover after high intensity exercise is often greater. This means that women will often need less rest time after exercise, and can get back into the next exercise sooner.”

Your age is also a helpful indicator of what you should be doing at the gym. Dr Michele Olson from the American College of Sports Medicine advises, “In the early years women need to focus on bones and men on aerobics. It’s important for younger women to take on activities with impact (like jogging, skipping and step aerobics) to develop good bone density. Bone density can fail women in their 40s while men tend to have robust bones until late in life.”

Benefits for both

Essentially, men and women still have the same bones, nerves, fibres and tissues so there’s no reason we can’t work out similarly.

Both genders should be doing cardio and strength training.

Yoga for instance, is not just a female thing. Women tend to be more flexible than men with longer, more elastic muscles, but yoga is a good equaliser to boost flexibility and tone muscles in men.

At all ages and stages, heart health is important, says Dr Olson. Women and men should both be doing low-impact cardio exercises like cycling and swimming.

What you get out of the gym depends on your attitude too, and here men and women could learn from each other. Most experts seem to agree that men “go harder” and turn workouts into intense events. Women train for effectiveness also, but are generally less forceful and extreme (think of the usual grunting suspects at your gym!).

In her book Strength Training for Women, author Lori Incledon, notes that men aren’t worried about how they look while they’re working out, which perhaps motivates them to work harder, resulting in a more efficient workout and results to boot.

And aren’t results what it’s all about at the end? “In most cases, men and women should exercise in a similar way, with the same guiding fitness principles,” reiterates Sturla.

References

How to train like an astronaut

If you think astronauts have a cushy job, just floating around aimlessly in space… think again! These men and women are some the strongest people in the world. They spend a lot of time in micro-gravity (weightlessness), which can be hard on the human body. According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), micro-gravity can cause your muscles and bones to deteriorate.

So, to protect against the damaging effects of space travel, astronauts need to stay fit and healthy. Wondering how they do it?

Try these NASA-approved exercises for stellar fitness.

For an astronaut core

In space, muscles get smaller and weaker over time. So, it’s important for astronauts to strengthen their core.

Strong core muscles can protect your spine, sustain proper posture, and prevent injuries. With resilient core muscles, you may also find that you can balance extra weight easier, and have better agility.

Here’s how to build your core like an astronaut:

1. Commander crunches

  • Lie on your back, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
  • Cross your arms over your chest, and point your chin to the sky.
  • Using your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your shoulder blade leaves the ground.
  • Lower your shoulders down to complete one crunch.
  • Do as many crunches as you can in one minute.

2. Pilot plank

  • Lie on your stomach.
  • Rest on your forearms, and make a fist with each hand.
  • Using your arm muscles, push your body off the floor, supporting your weight on your forearms and toes. Your body should be as straight as a board from your head to your feet.
  • Stabilise your body by tightening the muscles in your abdomen and back.
  • Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.

For tough muscles and bones

Astronauts need to perform physical work in space. Without gravity, certain movements are a lot easier, since your body doesn’t have to work against the force of gravity. However, the downside is that your muscles will deteriorate, if you don’t keep them working. These body weight exercises will help keep you strong with, or without gravity.

1. Body weight squats

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your back straight, gaze forward, and rest your arms at your side.
  • Lower your body, bending your knees while keeping your back straight as if you’re about to sit.
  • As you go down, raise your arms forward for balance.
  • At the bottom of the motion, your upper legs should be close to parallel with the floor, and your knees shouldn’t extend past your toes.
  • To finish the squat, raise your body back to a standing position. This is one repetition.
  • Do 10 to 25 repetitions.

2. Push-ups

  • Lie on your stomach.
  • Place your hands on the floor, under your shoulders, shoulder-width apart.
  • Using your arms, lift your body off the floor until your lower body is off the floor and only your toes and hands are touching the floor. If this is too difficult, you may keep your knees on the floor.
  • Straighten your arms to raise your body. Do not lock your elbows.
  • Lower your body down to the ground. This is one repetition.
  • Do 10 to 25 repetitions.

For improved strength and coordination

Astronauts need good muscular strength and coordination to pull and push things during a spacewalk. For you, strong muscles and coordination can help support your weight, and move without falling over.

Here’s how to increase your muscular strength, and upper and lower body coordination:

1. Bear crawl

  • Measure a distance of about 12 metres.
  • Get down on your hands and feet, facing the floor.
  • Once in position, walk on all fours to the measured distance.
  • Rest for two minutes, then repeat twice more.

2. Crab walk

  • This is reverse of the “bear crawl”.
  • Sit on the ground. Put your arms and hands behind you, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the floor.
  • Lift yourself off the ground, facing upwards.
  • On all fours, travel the measured distance.
  • Rest for two minutes, then repeat two more times.

What do astronauts eat before they go into space?

The traditional pre-launch breakfast for NASA astronauts began with Alan Shepard. According to Robert Frost, a flight controller at NASA, Alan had steak and eggs for breakfast on the day of his flight, so most astronauts do today. Steak and eggs is deemed a good choice because it’s a good hearty breakfast for a busy day. It’s also low residue, which means it produces less waste to dispose of later.

But this isn’t mandatory. Astronauts can eat whatever they want, according to former astronaut Thomas David Jones. “We try to eat our favourite foods because we know space food can never match the variety, texture, and flavours of our favourite Earth dishes,” he says.

References:

 

 

Why running isn’t helping you lose weight

You run every day, but it isn’t showing on the scale. What’s the deal?

Unfortunately, running isn’t a magic bullet for weight loss. Sure, it burns more calories than any other form of exercise (360 to 380 calories per 30 minutes!), but it won’t automatically give you a leaner physique – especially if you push yourself too hard.

The more you exercise, the more your body naturally tries to compensate by altering your metabolism through protective mechanisms designed to prevent starvation and indefinite weight loss.

“The human body has a good capability for regulating its bodyweight,” explains Glenn Gaesser, professor of exercise science at the Arizona State University. “We all have a set-point range for our weight and, while the average person may consume three-quarters of a million calories per year, from year to year we weigh pretty much the same thing”.

Can’t outrun a bad diet…
Nutritionists and fitness experts frequently tell their clients (with good reason) that a bad diet cannot be “cheated” simply through running – or other exercises. Not unless you’re an Olympic-level athlete who needs a million calories because you’re burning just as many!

According to a study in the journal, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, when starting an exercise programme to lose weight, some people adopt “compensatory behaviours”, i.e. they eat more and move less when they’re not exercising. “An enhanced motivational drive or wanting food after exercise may explain why some people overcompensate when given access to food after exercise,” the study finds.

Many people overestimate the number of calories they burn through exercise, or look at the amount they burn and use it as justification to “eat back” those calories, says Kim Feeney, a sports dietician at the Arizona State University. This can undo all your best efforts, and explain why many people actually gain weight once they take up running.

In fact, weight gain is quite common as exercise can increase appetite, research shows. Exercise is thought to influence eating behaviour by modulating the pleasure you get from eating and the drive to eat.

The good news is that in the long run, exercise can regulate your appetite, making it easier to cut down on snacking and eat at set times of the day. In the short term, exercise stimulates brain areas linked with reward and dependence. This can make you crave high-fat, energy-dense foods, which can cancel out the benefits of running.

The harder you train, the more often you’ll get hungry. And, the more likely you are to increase your energy intake – consciously or subconsciously. With this increased hunger, it’s not uncommon to underestimate how many calories you’re consuming.

Fact of the matter is, if you don’t burn more calories than you consume, you won’t see any progress. Keeping track of your calorie intake is essential to losing weight – whether you’re a runner or not.

Run on?
Running uses the muscles in your legs, bum and core. These are key muscles for burning calories. If weight loss is your ultimate goal, running can help you achieve this. However, running in itself won’t make the fat fall off.

To burn more calories and boost fat loss, consider adapting your running regime to include more high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE). According to a study in the Journal of Obesity, HIIE may have greater potential than steady-state exercise (like running, jogging and cycling), in reducing visceral fat. The study also found that just 20 minutes of HIIE, three times a week for 12 weeks, resulted in significant reductions in total body, abdominal, and trunk fat. What’s more, HIIE may have a suppressive effect on appetite.

Gaesser also recommends investing in an activity tracker. That way you can check that you’re still maintaining the same number of steps and overall activity when you’re not running.

References:

How and when exercise is bad for you

Exercise seems to be the answer for everything. But could you ever get too much of a good thing? Of course. Here are the ways in which training can be bad for you:

Exercising while you’re sick
Why it’s bad for you
Don’t exercising while you’re not feeling 100%. When you have a fever, your heart must work extra hard to help you cool down. By adding exercise to the mix, can overheat your body. Furthermore, some viruses that infect your nose and throat can also infect your heart muscle. By exercising with a viral infection, your heart muscle can become infected, and cause permanent damage. This damage can cause

When is it safe?
Mild to moderate physical activity is safe if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal blockage. If you have a fever, however, listen to your body and rest until your fever has gone.

Alternatively, take the “neck test”

  • If your symptoms are from the neck up, you can exercise. Just be aware that medications can increase your heart rate: combined with exercise this can cause your heart to pump harder than normal. You may become short of breath and have difficulty breathing. Slow down and don’t push yourself too hard, or you may feel worse. Instead of going for a run, take a walk, for example.
  • If your symptoms are from the neck down, you’ve got a deep chest cough or a fever, do not exercise. You most likely have inflamed tissue in the lungs and exercise will make this worse, rest is the best course of action.
  • If you do exercise and have difficulty breathing before or after the session or generally feel worse after exercise, then STOP. Take a few days off until you feel better. It won’t interfere with a strict training program, but a heart infection will!

 

Exercising an injury
Why it’s bad for you
“I hurt my [insert body part here], but I need to keep training!”
Sound familiar? Overuse injuries are just that, overuse! They happen when you do the same action over and over again. After a while, the muscles or joints start getting tired and experiencing more stress than they should. The most common causes of overuse injury are:

  • Training errors: doing “too much too soon”. Going too fast, exercising for too long or simply doing too much of one type of activity
  • Technique errors: overloading certain muscles. With the wrong posture, you’re not helping, but harming your body. Get a trainer to help you do things right.

If you don’t stop and slow down, the sequence of events are: strain> stress> sprain > tear/rupture > permanent damage. Once it’s strained, take a step back, slow down, correct your posture, so you can prevent permanent damage!

When is it safe?
If you experience any pain while exercising, stop that exercise and re-check your technique and equipment. Pain during exercise is a sign of straining not training!

In most cases, rest allows the injured joint or muscle to recover from the stress and make a full recovery. It is possible that you may need to visit a physiotherapist or biokinetic to help you train correctly.

 

Exercising when you already over-exercise
Why it’s bad for you
Just as doing too little exercise can be harmful to your health, doing too much can be too! Excessive exercise lowers the immune system and increases inflammation. It has also been linked to

  • poor body image concerns
  • anxiety
  • depression

When is it safe?
Signs and symptoms of over-training include:

  • Ongoing muscle pain and stiffness and regular injury
  • Higher than normal resting heart rate
  • Getting sick regularly
  • Depression and irritability
  • Loss of motivation
  • Weight loss

The definition of “too much” varies from person to person. Some of us can exercise strenuously for years without any problems, while others can’t go for a month without an injury. There’s no way to say exactly what the upper limit of exercise is for everyone but being aware of the symptoms of over-training can help.

For most people, taking the Goldilocks approach is best: not too little, not too much but just the right amount!

References
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/overuse-injury/art-20045875?pg=2
http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2012/12/too_much_exercise_could_be_bad.html
http://www.onlinejacc.org/content/65/5/411
http://www.berkeleywellness.com/fitness/exercise/article/hazards-too-much-exercise

Cut 9 years from your age

Regular exercise boasts an impressive list of benefits. It keeps your heart and brain healthy, boosts your mood and strengthens your muscles and bones. But new evidence suggests that certain types of exercise can also help keep you younger.

The impact of ageing on the body
Besides a bit of grey hair and the odd wrinkle, there are several changes that happen inside the body as you get older. Two of these changes are:

  1. Telomeres get shorter

Telo – whats? Telomeres are the protein endcaps of your chromosomes (DNA). They’re like your biological clock and they’re very closely correlated with age. That’s because each time a cell replicates, you lose a tiny bit of the endcaps. Therefore, the older you get, the shorter your telomeres.

  1. Mitochondrial activity slows

Mitochondria are the “batteries” of your cells. It is their job to generate energy and to make your cells more efficient in using this energy. As you get older, these mitochondria slow down, essentially slowing you down too!

 

You’re only as old as you feel!
New evidence suggests that the more physically active you are, the LESS biological ageing takes place within your body. In other words, you may have celebrated 40 birthdays, but your body is only blowing out 30 candles! There is once catch: you must be willing to sweat! A series of new studies have found that high intensity exercise rejuvenates ageing cells. And you thought botox was the only option?

These studies found that people who had very high physical activity levels had telomeres that were biologically 9 years younger than those who were sedentary (read: couch potatoes), and 7 years younger than those who were only moderately active. When it came to mitochondrial activity, high intensity exercise boosted the ability of the mitochondria to generate energy by up to 69%!

What is high intensity training?
Exercise intensity refers to how hard your body is working during physical activity and is typically described as low, moderate, or vigorous. Your body has an in-built system to measure your intensity – your heart. Your heart rate will increase in proportion to the intensity of your exercise.

High intensity interval training (#HIIT) workouts involve short intervals of maximum intensity followed by recovery periods of low intensity. Provided you stick with the pattern of alternating high intensity exercise with recovery, the actual type of exercise used can be whatever gets you moving. For example, cycling at the gym, sprinting outside, climbing stairs, or even using your own body weight at home through burpees and jump squats.

While it’s true that ANY exercise is good exercise, compared to low/moderate intensity exercise, high intensity exercise has additional benefits to both health and fitness. High intensity training:

  • Is more effective at improving glucose control and insulin sensitivity
  • Is more effective at enhancing the body’s ability to take up and use oxygen
  • Is fast and efficient, offering similar physiological benefits to much longer, lower intensity workouts

High intensity exercise guidelines for newbies
The great thing about high intensity exercise is that you can squeeze an entire workout into a fraction of the time. However, for that reason, it is not something you can do while reading a mag or chatting to a friend. It’s hard and intense, and risk of injury for someone just starting out is relatively high. Follow these guidelines to ensure you get the most out of your workout:

  • Before you start, chat to a professional to make sure you have your technique right. Sacrificing form for figures is never a healthy strategy!
  • Start out slow. Gradually increasing both number of intervals and intensity allows your body to adapt without injury
  • Don’t forget rest days. Your body might be feeling young, but it still needs to recover (plus, muscle is rebuilt during recovery)
  • Workout with a partner. Keep each other’s form in check and motivation levels high!
  • Use the “talk test”. Not sure if you’re pushing yourself? During the intervals, you should be unable to speak in full sentences

References
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743517301470
https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/01/26/sweaty-answer-to-chronic-illness/?_r=0
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/byu-hlo051017.php
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2123825-best-anti-ageing-exercise-is-high-intensity-interval-training/

Start your morning with a bang!

Kick off those blankets and don’t even think of hitting the snooze button! Get your day started on a high with a bout of exercise.

Morning glory
Doing any workout will jump-start your mornings. It’s also helpful to work out first thing and tick the task off your list, allowing you to coast through the rest of the day. Some studies point out that exercising in the morning allows for a clearer focus on the day ahead. Exercising boosts endorphins and other mood-elevating substances which help lift your spirits. Exercising early in the morning also regulates your appetite for the rest of the day.

Before working out in the morning, make sure you warm up!

More benefits to sticking to a morning routine include:

  • Good for your heart rate. Exercise helps lower your risk of heart diseases, lower your cholesterol level, and minimise high blood pressure.
  • Manage your weight. Maintains your bone mass, stamina and improves the quality of your health and longevity.
  • Increases mental sharpness. Stress levels are lower and you have more energy.
  • Better sleep. The body is triggered to produce cortisol, a hormone that keeps you alert when you exercise; this also helps you get through the day and experience deep sleep later in the night.
  • Good diet. Enhances your metabolism.

Exercise also regulates your blood pressure and controls blood flow to the muscles.

Get going
Pick a realistic time, preferably an hour or two before your day begins. Make sure you’ve had a decent night of sleep. Start with as many reps of the following. Get a good sweat from them! You can try these at home.

  • Take a walk or jog.
  • Jumping jacks.
  • Push-ups.
  • Squat jumps.
  • Jumping lunges.

Exercising in the afternoon has its perks too. Your muscle strength and the rate at which they can repair themselves is at its peak. Your body is warmer and more flexible. On the flip-side, the gym may be too busy in the afternoon and you could find yourself distracted and impatient. By the time your workout session is over, you may feel more energised, making it hard to fall asleep. In this case, exercising is better in the morning. You’ve completed your healthy deed for the day!

 

References

Exercise like someone half your age

Think back to when you were in your teens or twenties. You were fit and flexible, and ready to take on any physical challenge. Now you’re a little older and your body isn’t quite as resilient and can’t share the same sentiment. The good news is that you can still exercise. In fact, regular exercise will give your body the boost it needs to stay strong and supple and help you get through normal daily activities.

Try these quick wins and enjoy the benefits.

Flexibility
Your muscles, ligaments, and tendons weaken as you age. Cartilage, the connective tissue that cushions the joints, also tends to diminish over time. These changes can make the joints stiffer and restrict movement.

Improve your range of motion and stay flexible with these exercises:

Sideways bend

  1. Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, and arms at your sides.
  2. Slide your left arm down your left side as far as comfortable. You should feel a stretch on the opposite side as you lower your arm.
  3. Hold for two seconds.
  4. Repeat with your right arm down your right side.
  5. Do three stretches on each side.

Hip marching

  1. Sit upright on a stable, solid chair that doesn’t have wheels.
  2. Keep your back away from the chair, feet flat on the floor, and knees bent at right angles.
  3. Hold on to the sides of the chair.
  4. Lift your leg with your knee bent as far as comfortable.
  5. Gently put your foot down again.
  6. Repeat with the opposite leg.
  7. Do five lifts with each leg.

Strength
As you age, you lose muscle and bone mass. Strength training can help preserve your muscles and prevent bone loss, lowering your risk for back pain, arthritis, and osteoporosis.

Try these:

Bicep curls

  1. Grab a pair of light weights. Anything that’s two to five kilograms will do.
  2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and keep your arms at your sides.
  3. Slowly bend your arms up until the weights reach your shoulders.
  4. Lower the weights slowly, and repeat.
  5. Do five curls with each arm.

Mini squats

  1. Rest your hands on the back of a chair for stability.
  2. Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
  3. Slowly bend your knees as far as comfortable.
  4. Keep your knees face forward, and aim to get them over your big toe.
  5. Keep your back straight.
  6. Gently come up and squeeze your buttocks.
  7. Repeat five times.

Balance
Taken a fall recently? These exercises may help you find your balance and reduce your risk of falling again.

Heel to toe walk

  1. Stand upright, and place your right heel in front of your left toe.
  2. Do the same with your left heel.
  3. Keep your gaze forward.
  4. Brace your fingers against a wall for stability.
  5. As you go along, move away from the wall.
  6. Try to do at least five steps.

One leg stand

  1. Stand facing a wall.
  2. Stretch your arms out in front of you so that your fingertips touch the wall.
  3. Slowly lift your left leg, keeping your hips level.
  4. Hold the lift for five to 10 seconds.
  5. Then gently place your foot back on the floor.
  6. Do three lifts on each side.

Good to know

  • Before you start any exercise, talk to your doctor first. Ask about how much and what type of activity you can do, and how intensely you should do it. There may be certain exercises you need to avoid.
  • Exercise in loose, comfortable clothing, and proper fitting shoes.
  • Keep water nearby.
  • Start off slowly. Once you get into it, gradually increase the intensity. Pushing yourself too hard may lead to an injury.
  • Stop immediately if you feel dizzy, unwell, or feel any sort of pain.

References:

Want to get fit? Pump up the volume

Your legs feel like jelly and you can’t seem to hold on to the exercise bike for a minute longer. Suddenly your favourite song comes on and you’re motivated again. Nobody really enjoys sweating it out at the gym, but music could be that extra push you need to keep going.

Why does music make you want to move?

It’s a good distraction
Notice how time flies when you’re busy or distracted? Jamming to your favourite tunes while working out will distract you from aches or pains and make your workout seem shorter.

It keeps you going
The motor area of your brain which tells you to move will be stimulated. This will keep you moving at a steady pace during your workout.  Research by the American Council on Exercise also confirms that rock, hip hop and R&B music (especially if it has a pounding tempo) can really rock your cardio workout. “Higher tempo certainly seems to drive the intensity of exercise performance,” said Dr Cedric Bryant, chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise (ACE).

It turns up your dial
Think of music as ear plugs to block out negative thoughts. Working out on can improve your mood, so when paired with mood-lifting music, it’s a winning combo to forget the day’s woes. Tune in and power through your workout!

It makes you want to boogie
Research shows that music excites your brain and prompts movement. This is beneficial because it will motivate you during a workout and improve your mood as your body releases endorphins.

It makes for a fun run
In time, you will associate gym with listening to your favourite tunes. This will go a long way in you enjoying working out and actually sustaining your efforts for the long term.

It raises your heart rate
If your playlist makes you want to dance; you’re on the right track. Up-tempo songs will boost your heart and breathing rate. Bonus: listening to music for just 30 minutes a day can lower your blood pressure, says a report by the American Society of Hypertension.

Top tips

  • Watch the volume as you could damage your ears in the long term.
  • Choose upbeat songs for the energetic parts of your workout to keep you motivated and songs with slower tempos for when you are cooling down.

References

Got flu? Don’t exercise!

You’ve finally gotten into the groove of your workout and you’re seeing a bikini body in the making. But now you feel the flu coming on. What now? Resist the urge to throw on your gym gear or hit the road for your daily run. Depending on how sick you are, all you’d be doing is harming your health further, which could lead to even more dangerous conditions. Here’s how to rest effectively and know when to call it quits.

Flu symptoms can easily be confused with those of other conditions. Talk to Hello Doctor if you have any symptoms you’re not sure about.

Stop when you have a fever A high fever drains your body of moisture and so does a workout. If you combine the two, your body won’t be hydrated enough and you will struggle to recover from being sick.

Test your limit If you can barely lift your head from the pillow, this is a clear indication that you probably aren’t going to be able to lift weights any time soon. Use your ability to do simple everyday tasks that involves movement to determine if you’d be able to cope with a workout.

Change the intensity If you aren’t too sick, do gentle exercises and once you are healthy again, you can get back on track with your normal routine.

Keep others in mind When you are sick you probably think your illness mainly affects you, but it could affect others too as you are contagious. If it’s going to take considering others for you to stay home and rest, then so be it. Keep in mind that you can spread germs for up to seven days, so at least wait until your fever breaks.

Sleep it off If you’re struggling to keep your eyes open, take the hint. Medication can often lead to drowsiness; don’t fight it. Go with it and snuggle up for a sleep. Your body needs rest to recover.

Good to know                                                                              

  • If you only have a slight fever and would like to do a few light exercises, ask one of our doctors first. What may seem mild to you could still be potentially harmful.
  • Exercising for 30 minutes at least three times a week can help build up your defenses against illness and infection.
  • If you can do light exercise, rather do it at home than at the gym, where you can spread your germs to others. When you work out at the gym, avoid peak times when more infected people may be working out. Carry a towel to wipe down and sanitise the equipment before you use them.

References:

The exercises your injury needs

You used to be a regular at the gym. Then you hurt your ankle and had to stay away. It’s been a few months and you’re now fully recovered and ready to get back in the game again. But you’ve lost some muscle and motivation in the process. Now what? Should you just give up all hope of having that perfectly toned and honed body?

Continue reading “The exercises your injury needs”

Why that workout shouldn’t wait till the weekend

A recent study suggests that training on weekends only (also known as being a ‘weekend-warrior’) can decrease your risk of death. Well, that’s good news, right? Sure – if your only life goal is to ‘not die too soon’. But, what if you want to stay healthy, live it up, enjoy pain-free movement? Then you need to read the full story.

Continue reading “Why that workout shouldn’t wait till the weekend”