eFitnessConnection.com - Blog

Both late sleepers and early risers have bigger waists and more body fat.  Lazy Sundays are as bad for your waistline as rising before dawn.  In a recent study, Canadian scientists revealed that sleeping for 5 to 6 hours per night makes you 69% more likely to accumulate pounds than if you sleep 8 hours.  What is more surprising is that snoozing for 9 to 10 hours increases your risk of becoming overweight by 38%.  Lack of sleep releases hormones that stimulate your appetite, but oversleeping means you will burn less energy in a day.  Plus, an Australian study found that dozing late on weekends leaves you more tired on Monday and Tuesday, compared with sticking to your work wake-up time.

University researchers discovered that eating vegetables may keep your brain young.  A study of 3,000 people age 65 and over, indicated that those who ate more than two servings of vegetables per day had a 40% slower rate of cognitive decline than those who ate one serving or less.  Specifically, green, leafy vegetables, like collard greens, kale, romaine lettuce, and spinach, were the most effective mental medicine.  Mostly the reason is:  They are all rich in vitamin E, a potent compound that fights the oxidative stress and inflammation that age your brain.  For even greater protection, toss your greens with olive oil.  Fat helps your body better absorb vitamin E.

A cup of coffee for your muscles?  Scientists at the University of Georgia revealed that taking a caffeine supplement (equal to 2 cups of coffee) after exercise reduces muscle soreness more than pain relievers can.  Caffeine blocks a chemical that activates pain receptors. 

Adenosine is a chemical released as part of the inflammatory response to injury.  The theory is that caffeine eases delayed muscle pain by blocking the activity adenosine.  This chemical can activate pain receptors in body cells, indicates the study.  The pain relief with caffeine was stronger than that from painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol) and naproxen (Aleve).

Ibuprofen, has shown inconsistent results in studies and it is unclear whether the drug, which is sold under brand names like Advil and Motrin aids delayed muscle soreness.

Before taking a couple of cups of joe before your workout however, it is recommended to take careful consideration of the possible side effects of caffeine.

The negative side effects of caffeine are: increased feelings of anxiety, heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, upset stomach, increased urination and disrupted sleep.

Though most people are ‘normal responders’ to caffeine, some are hypersensitive to it and are at higher risk of side effects.

On the other end of the spectrum are the caffeine-resistant types.

People who drink a couple of cups of coffee a day tend to become desensitised to caffeine, the study indicates, and it is unclear whether a dose of caffeine would aid their post-workout muscle pain.

Sculpt a stable, injury-resistant core.  Like a baseball team, a healthy body needs to be strongest right up the middle.  Plus, women think a tight midsection is hot.

The core -your abs, hips, and lower back- is the most important area of your body when it comes to injury prevention and overall performance.  For great results, train it early in your workout, while you still have the energy and focus to put forth your best effort. 

Chest pain is not the only ache that predicts cardiac trouble.  Migraines can signal an impending heart attack, indicates a new Harvard study.  Researchers tracked 20,000 men for 15 years and found migraine sufferers to be 43% more exposed to a heart attack than those unaffected by head pain.  Migraines have been tied to hypertension, high cholesterol, and inflammation.  Researchers indicate they are not sure if these cause migraines or if there is another, unknown factor.  If you suffer from severe headaches, ask your doctor to test your cholesterol, blood pressure, and C-reactive protein.

1. The last place your body deposits fat is in the shoulder, making it one of the easiest muscles to define.  If your shoulders don’t pop after working them out, then that is a sign that you might need to focus more on fat loss.
2. You may feel tight now, but you were born with tremendous shoulder flexibility.  Unlike the hip joint, which is anatomically similar to the shoulder, the shoulder socket is extremely shallow.  This allows the arm to move freely in all directions.  Do arm circles before your workout and stretch after your workout to maintain your range of motion.
3. The shoulder is the most unstable joint in your body.  As a result, weight-room mishaps are common-place.  Protect yourself by refining your bench-press technique – poor form causes more shoulder injuries than any move.  To stay out of trouble, keep your shoulder blades back and down as you raise and lower the weight.

Take some tasty almonds to the gym.  Snack on a handful before or after you work out.  Get pumped up knowing that studies show adding an ounce of almonds a day (about 23) to a diet low in saturated fat can help maintain a healthy cholesterol level.  Repeat daily.  Snacking on almonds always fives you a powerful lift.  They have protein, fiber and vitamin E, plus every crunch is cholesterol-free.

Also, almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats that are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.  Studies have found that nut consumption is linked to a lower risk for heart disease. Researchers estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction–45%–when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).

A few quick serving ideas:

1. Almonds and apple slices make a wonderfully simple, on-the-go power snack.
2. Make a delightful cold rice salad with almonds, fresh garden peas and currants.
3. Add sliced almonds to chicken salad.
4. Add a punch to plain yogurt by mixing in some chopped almonds and dried fruit.
5. Enhance a healthy sauté of curried vegetables with sliced almonds.

Any way you slice it, white bread isn’t a good choice.  When Italian scientists studied the diet records of 2,300 people, they concluded that eating more than four slices of white bread a day doubles your risk of developing kidney cancer.  The reason: White bread, like other refined grains, has a high glycemic index.  That means it raises blood sugar and insulin levels, which may spur the growth of cancer cells.  Consider this yet another reason to curb your carb intake, as well as to make sure the bread you do eat is made with 100% whole grains!

Do you want a harder core?  Then try a much harder exercise.  Canadian researchers have determined that your abs work nearly as hard when you do a plank on a Swiss ball instead of on the floor.  To perform a plank, get into a pushup position, but place your forearms on the floor or Swiss ball, then contract your abs and hold.  One advise:  unless you can hold a plank for 30 seconds, you should not attempt the Swiss-ball version.  That’s because trying the advance exercise before you’re ready could strain your back.  Pass the test?  Do three to five 10-second ball planks, resting on your knees for 2 beats between sets.

Summer is already here!  Get out and do some exercise.  There are many things you can do out and enjoy this nice weather.  Jogging for example.  All you need to jog is a good pair of running shoes. You can jog alone, with the dog, with a friend or even the kids and because it’s jogging (not running) you can do it with people of all fitness levels and no one gets left behind.

Tip: The best times to go jogging tend to be early morning and evening when it is cool. Jogging near lakes and rivers is also lovely as you get a refreshing breeze off of the water.

So get out and start running or jogging.  You will miss it when winter comes in again.