Health and Fitness Oasis

Overweight and obesity in the US is increasing at a disturbing pace.  Every month more ideas turn up about the reason people can’t seem to manage to keep the weight off. Ideas include genetics, a heavy bone structure, a slow metabolisms and even contacting a virus.

But to be realistic, it is evident that if you are in a negative calorie balance you can lose weight. Put simply, if an individual eats less calories than they burn or they burn more calories than eat, they will lose weight.

Achieving this negative calorie burn can be accomplished using several different techniques.  The most common to eat less and exercise more.  But, before undertaking any fitness program to achieve your weight-loss goals individuals must consult with their primary care physicians to determine the level of exercise intensity and the length of time at which they should begin.  Your primary care physician will make suggestions based on your current health, fitness level and any interactions that exercise may have with the medications you might be on and any underlying medical conditions.

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It’s a fact that we will all get older, though aging doesn’t have to be the specter looming on the horizon that many fear. You can keep your body healthy through exercise. Combined with diet, excercise is one way to age gracefully. As we age, we lose muscle strength. It is a condition known as sarcopenia. Loss of muscle mass as well as strength can be a fatal combination in the aging population. Strength contributes to one’s balance and flexibility. Without it, a fall can result in a broken hip or arm instead of a possible sprain from catching yourself.

There are no quick fixes to getting into shape. But, you can begin an exercise program at any age and reap the rewards. For seniors, implementing an exercise program may help to reverse the effects of time on your joints, muscles and bones. For women especially, osteoporosis is a threat as you age. So, what types of exercises can you perform? Don’t worry – you won’t be doing any PT training any time soon. You can strive for that but not right away. When choosing your exercise, use these tips.

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If you have stairs you can climb them, but for those who do not, a stair stepper is convenience to those looking for this type of workout.   A stair stepper can range from taking up quite a bit of room and come with handrails.  However, they also make portable stair steppers without the rails and these are considerably more inexpensive and take up very little room.  Some things that you should think about when buying a stair stepper is cost, space, quality, and its features. 

Do you have only a limited amount of money to spend?  You can purchase a portable stepper for a reasonable price.  You can also purchase one with rails, but it will cost you quite a bit more even the least expensive.  There is quite a difference in price between the portable stair stepper and the stair stepper with rails.  If you have difficulty balancing yourself though the portable stair stepper could be unsafe for you.  Read the rest of this entry »

Glutamine occurs naturally in your body. It is an amino acid which your body produces in abundance. It can be found circulating in the blood stream and it is stored in the skeletal muscles. However, if your body is not getting enough glutamine to supply the rest of your body, it will steal it from the muscles’ supply. 

We don’t want this situation because glutamine then becomes what is considered as ‘conditionally essential’. Simply stated, even though your body can make glutamine, there are times when your body’s need for glutamine is greater than its ability to produce glutamine.

During periods of stress, including extreme exercise, glutamine is literally torn away from the muscles. This weakening can cause muscle wasting while also lowering your immune function. This results in the need to replenish the depleted amounts following exercise, as well as prior to bedtime.

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