Benefits of Cycling – Get Out of the Car and Onto a Bike

Tens of millions of people commute to work every day.  Many choose to drive to work, while others elect to take a bus or train.  However, few people choose to cycle.  Cycling may be the best choice though and here are five reasons why it’s good to get out of your car and onto a bike.

Health Benefits

Cycling to work is a great way to help keep your body healthy and fit.  By cycling, you also cut down on the hours you spend at the gym before and after work, saving you not only money, but also time.  With so many people doing little more than sitting at a computer all day at work, exercise is becoming more and more important  to living well.  It’s your body that keeps you going day in and day out, so it’s importnt to keep it in good shape

Environmentally Healthy

Another benefit of cycling more instead of driving, is cutting down on carbon emissions.  One of the biggest sources of these emssions is car travel.  By using your car less you can directly contribute to reduced carbon emissions.

Saving Money

You are pretty much guaranteed to save money if you cycle to work and, in these difficult times,  who isn’t looking to save money.  You will save on fuel and maintenance bills for your car by cutting down on the mileage driven and if you’re using any kind of public transport, then you’ll almost certainly save money by riding your bicyle instead.

Thinking Time

Those who exercise regularly know how good it feels for your body but they also know it feels good for the mind, distracting you from your worries and concerns.  Cardiovascular exercise can also help with mental health, reducing both anxiety and depression.

Time Saving

Even though cycling is not usually thought of as the fastest way to travel, it clearly beats walking.  However, on commutes where there is a lot of traffic, cycling can be quicker than travel by bus or car if you don’t live too far away.  Even if it’s slower than your car journey, you will still get to work quickly, and you can enjoy the many other benefits of cycling by doing so.

Just Ten Minutes a Day – Flat and Toned Abs

Summer and swimsuit season is just around the corner. That means it’s time to start working on those flat abs you want so badly. Don’t have time to work out for hours every day?  Not to worry, with a little planning and ten minutes a day, you can have the flat, toned abs you want.

Step 1

Pay attention to your fuel.   Track what you eat and what you burn each day.  Abdominal fat is just that, fat.   If you want to see the muscles underneath and get rid of the bulge you’re going to have to consume fewer calories than you burn.

There are wonderful,  free and easy to use programs and iPod/iPhone applications that will help you track what you eat and what you burn each day. Use them to stay on track. One pound of fat is 3500 calories. That means that by simply burning 500 more calories a day than you eat you can lose a pound in 7 days.

Tracking what you eat will also help you see what foods fill you up longer and what foods burn quickly.   Quick burning foods mean you’re hungry soon after you eat them.   Aim for lean protein, lots of fiber and fruits and vegetables.

Step 2

Get moving!    Move your body;   it wasn’t designed to sit on a couch or at a desk all day.   Take the stairs, take a walk around the block, move your body and find a way to take at least 10,000 steps a day.  Studies have shown that people who take 10,000 steps a day lose weight faster and keep it off.  They’re healthier and thinner. You can be too!

Step 3

Okay, now you have pounds melting off just by tracking your intake and moving your body.  The next step is to work your core muscles, and you can do that in just ten minutes a day. The best fitness activities are ones that focus on your entire core, your back and stomach.   Sit-ups are great but they only work specific muscles in your abdominals.

Instead of sit-ups, spend ten minutes working through a low rep workout.   Do full crunches where your legs also come off of the ground, bridge, single leg abdominal press, plank pose, and side plank.  Move through each repetition slowly so you get the full benefit of the movement and hold the exercise for a few seconds before releasing it.  You’ll build muscle and burn more fat.  Repeat each exercise eight to ten  times then move onto the next exercise.

The good thing about these core exercises is that you don’t need any fancy equipment to do them.  All you need is ten minutes.  Get down on the floor during your favorite television show or do them right when you get up in the morning before your shower.

With commitment, a plan of action and a little bit of willpower you can have those flat abs you want.   Watch what you eat, get moving and find ten minutes each day to work your core muscles.   You’ll have that beach body in no time.

Stay Fit and Healthy On Your Lunch Break

What do you do on your lunch break each day?  Do you go out to a diner or restaurant with colleagues and friends, sit at your desk and work through lunch, or do you hang out and gossip in the break room? Are you also the person who is constantly complaining that you would exercise, but just can’t find the time? If so, that’s all about to change!  Let’s make over your lunch time and use it to sneak in a quick little workout too.

Start by packing something healthy for lunch.  Not only will you save time and money, you can also count on something healthy to eat that won’t weigh you down for the rest of the afternoon.   Salads, wraps, pitas and sandwiches packed with veggies, lettuce, tomato and lean meats are all great options.  Bringing your lunch should leave you plenty of time to work out before you eat.

Next, you want to scout out workout options around your office.  Is there a gym close by?  You may even be one of the lucky few that have a workout room right in your office building.  If not, check out the gyms that you can reach within five minutes from your office and consider joining one.

If you don’t have a gym close by, or just don’t enjoy that type of workout,  bring a pair of comfortable shoes to work and go for a walk or even a jog on your lunch break.  Pick a road with a wide sidewalk and little traffic, or take advantage of any parks that are close by. If you are close to a park, consider carrying your lunch with you and enjoy a nice, relaxing lunch in the park at the end of your walk.

Even with good intentions to work out during your lunch break, you’ll be tempted to fall back into your old habits.  A workout buddy is one of the best remedies for this.  Ask one of your co-workers if he or she would like to join you during your lunch workouts.  You can motivate each other and hold each other accountable.  Of course having someone along while you work out at the gym or walk in the park, also makes things more fun and interesting.

If you can’t find a workout buddy, consider keeping a workout journal to hold yourself accountable for your workouts.  Listen to some music or audio books on your MP3 player while you work out to keep yourself entertained.  Before you know it,  working out at lunch time will become a habit that will energize you for the rest of your workday,  not to mention it will also lead you down a path to a healthier you.

Fitness Brings Natural Beauty

Fitness and beauty can be one and the same. Being fit and healthy will automatically make you look better. A healthy inside creates a healthy outside. Fitness through exercise can help you to maintain a healthy body weight and improve muscle tone.

Our looks reflect the sum total of who we are and how we live, and the best we can do in life is to make the best of what nature has given is, without excuse, apology, or pretense.

If we try to live otherwise, we find ourselves acting on a stage with other actors and actresses–great pretenders without real friends, without real lovers, without real relationships. While we realize that there is such a thing as “natural beauty,” which is beyond all standards of culture and history in some sense, there are also “relative” standards of beauty.

We all know about fads, styles, and adornments that are “in” one season and “out” the next. This includes cosmetics, hair styles, clothing, and even body weight and size.

These standards may vary from country to country, year to year, or even
among different age groups in the same country and year. For example,
full figures are considered the ideal in some historical periods, but slender figures are valued now–at least in Western countries.

The point is that cultural standards change–and we may choose to follow or ignore them–because the cultivation of natural beauty is not dependent upon fads.

In order to get along harmoniously, whether at the level of dating,
courtship, or marriage, men and women have to get past physical looks
and into the more important qualities that make up human relationships,
such as kindness, friendship, and areas of mutual interest.

There is such a thing as a beautiful personality. There can be beauty
in the way a person thinks. An attitude or smile can be beautiful. Love is certainly beautiful, and all of life is beautiful when we are in love.

A person is truly beautiful when he or she is healthy. Any disease or illness affects all parts of the body, sometimes for many years before the symptoms are manifested. If the body and mind are not healthy, then a person cannot feel or be truly attractive.

Good health brings a glow to the skin, a ring to the voice, a twinkle
to the eye, and a spring to the step that no beauty school can teach.

The 5 Psychological Phases Of Fitness

Whether you are a military special operations soldier, an athlete, or just a regular person seeking to lose weight, all groups experience similar personal obstacles. Those who succeed in their training programs learn to conquer self-doubt. That is the key to fitness!

Every day, excited people join fitness clubs determined to attend classes or workout for an hour a day, five days a week. This exuberance for vitality typically lasts for 10-14 days before self-doubt, sleeping in, and skipping workouts take over. In two short sentences, the first two psychological phases of fitness were described. The five phases of becoming fit are the following:

Excitement and Highly Motivated
Doubt Toward Goals
Conquer Doubt
Total Change in Energy Level / Confidence
Make New Fitness Goal / Challenge

The five phases are used to describe to people how they are going to feel in the near future about starting a fitness program whether as a beginner or as an advanced athlete preparing for Special Forces training. Typically, both the out of shape beginner and the advanced Special Operations candidate develop into their goals through the five phase process.

In Phase One of fitness, a person makes a decision to get healthy, or decide to serve their country as a Special Forces member. This phase takes 2-3 seconds, but it actually takes about 2-3 weeks to replace old, bad habits and to create new habits that will fuel your desire to obtain your goals. Hang in there at least three weeks. It takes 2-3 weeks to BUILD GOOD HABITS. This phase is filled with motivation and a general excitement about fitness and exercise. Statistics show that people who workout in the morning before work are twice as likely to complete the workout compared to those who wait until after work to exercise.

In the Phase Two, doubt enters and can either crush your progress or make you stronger. It is absolutely natural to have doubts about what you are undertaking. My advice is to start doubting as quickly as possible and get over it. Realize self-doubt is part of the process and it will be encountered again throughout your fitness journey. Even SEAL trainees doubt themselves, but those who become SEALs conquer their doubt. Likewise, those who lose 60-80 pounds in a year, conquer their doubt as well.

Phase Three is one of the most exciting phases when you realize you have conquered your doubt. You may reach this phase continually throughout your quest for fitness or Special Forces status, but once you do, you really can do anything you set your mind to. This is where the mind and body connect. Use the workouts to be a catalyst in all areas of your life: work, relationships, school, spirit, financial, and others. I am a firm believer that exercising your body will give you the stamina and energy to exercise your mind, spirit, and achieve those life long dreams you have for yourself.

Phase Four is the total identity change and self-confidence realization period for most people. You now associate yourself with fit and healthy people. Now, you are fit in mind and body. Your example will inspire others. Be a role model to another heavy person or aspiring Special Operations soldier. People will be amazed by your new work ethic at work and play. Eating healthy is now a habit for you too. In fact, eating fast food or unhealthy snacks makes you feel slightly ill. This is because your body will naturally crave healthy foods as you subject yourself to a long-term physical fitness routine.

Phase Five is the next step, but the journey never ends. Set and conquer goals for yourself. Whatever you like – run, swim, bike, weight lift, etc. Challenge yourself to run a 10k, bench press 300 lbs, do a triathlon. The options are unlimited, after all fitness is a journey – not a destination.

Healthy Fitness For Older Adults

Older adults across the country are increasing their physical activity in new ways. According to Physical Activity and Health, A Report of the Surgeon General, “Older adults can obtain significant health benefits with a moderate amount of physical activity.” Benefits include a reduced risk of heart disease, improved stamina and muscle strength, and a lowered chance of falling and fracturing bones. Additionally, physical activity can foster improvements in mood and a sense of well-being. Senior living communities are leading the way, offering an array of exercise and health programs that encourage residents to enhance their physical fitness.

One group of luxury retirement communities across the country offers fitness programs for all levels. From aquacise classes to tai chi, residents of Classic Residence by Hyatt communities are encouraged to engage in physical activity.

With the influx of new exercise and diet recommendations, older adults are taking advantage of new services and educational opportunities. For example, residents have shown great interest in tai chi, a martial arts form that enhances balance and body awareness through slow and precise body movements. Tai chi significantly reduces the risk of falls among older adults by nearly 50 percent, states a study reported in the Journal of American Medical Association by the National Institute on Aging.

“Members of the group have noted several health benefits: increased muscular strength, improved balance, better memory, more manageable hypertension control, and a general feeling of well-being,” said resident Beatrice Rose, M.D., M.P.H.

A personalized, three-day-a-week resistance training program helped resident Fred Donnelly to lower his body fat composition from 21 to 10 percent in one year. “The fitness program has enabled me to maintain my weight and my good health,” Donnelly noted.

Diet is another essential aspect of overall health. For many older adults, food just isn’t as enjoyable as it once was. The usual methods of enhancing flavors, such as adding salt and butter, are off limits for those on restricted diets.

To offer residents great-tasting and healthy food, the luxury retirement company has partnered with Dr. Susan Schiffman from the Taste and Smell Lab at Duke University to develop a natural way to enhance the flavor of food. The result is a breakthrough in cooking technique, Classically Pleasing Cuisine®, which uses all-natural ingredients to enhance food’s aroma, flavor and tenderness with no added salt.

With a combination of good exercise, healthy eating habits and routine health screenings, older adults are minimizing their risk for illness and improving their overall health.

Healthy Fitness For Older Adults

Older adults across the country are increasing their physical activity in new ways. According to Physical Activity and Health, A Report of the Surgeon General, “Older adults can obtain significant health benefits with a moderate amount of physical activity.” Benefits include a reduced risk of heart disease, improved stamina and muscle strength, and a lowered chance of falling and fracturing bones. Additionally, physical activity can foster improvements in mood and a sense of well-being. Senior living communities are leading the way, offering an array of exercise and health programs that encourage residents to enhance their physical fitness.

One group of luxury retirement communities across the country offers fitness programs for all levels. From aquacise classes to tai chi, residents of Classic Residence by Hyatt communities are encouraged to engage in physical activity.

With the influx of new exercise and diet recommendations, older adults are taking advantage of new services and educational opportunities. For example, residents have shown great interest in tai chi, a martial arts form that enhances balance and body awareness through slow and precise body movements. Tai chi significantly reduces the risk of falls among older adults by nearly 50 percent, states a study reported in the Journal of American Medical Association by the National Institute on Aging.

“Members of the group have noted several health benefits: increased muscular strength, improved balance, better memory, more manageable hypertension control, and a general feeling of well-being,” said resident Beatrice Rose, M.D., M.P.H.

A personalized, three-day-a-week resistance training program helped resident Fred Donnelly to lower his body fat composition from 21 to 10 percent in one year. “The fitness program has enabled me to maintain my weight and my good health,” Donnelly noted.

Diet is another essential aspect of overall health. For many older adults, food just isn’t as enjoyable as it once was. The usual methods of enhancing flavors, such as adding salt and butter, are off limits for those on restricted diets.

To offer residents great-tasting and healthy food, the luxury retirement company has partnered with Dr. Susan Schiffman from the Taste and Smell Lab at Duke University to develop a natural way to enhance the flavor of food. The result is a breakthrough in cooking technique, Classically Pleasing Cuisine®, which uses all-natural ingredients to enhance food’s aroma, flavor and tenderness with no added salt.

With a combination of good exercise, healthy eating habits and routine health screenings, older adults are minimizing their risk for illness and improving their overall health.

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