Wellness Sultana: walking //]]>
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts

Friday, 13 July 2012

Just 15 minutes walking per day extends life expectancy
July 13, 20120 Comments

How a 15 Minute Daily Walk Can Extend Your Life Expectancy If you are looking for an easy, drug-free way to extend your life expectancy while improving your overall health and wellness, a simple 15-minute daily walk can be your ticket to longevity. 



According to a recent report by researchers in Taiwan, study participants who walked about 15 minutes a day at a leisurely pace experienced a 14 percent reduction in their overall risk of mortality when compared to non-walkers. The study, published in the October 2011 issue of The Lancet  followed nearly half a million Taiwanese men and women between 1996 and 2008.


Researchers tracked the amount of self-reported exercise the participants engaged in, comparing exercise frequency and intensity with mortality rates, risk factors and life expectancy. Both men and women who reported walking for an average of 15 minutes daily enjoyed a life expectancy that was 3 years longer than study participants who did no exercise at all. 


The Swiss Stair Climbing Study


The life-extending benefit of low-intensity daily exercise was also shown by a Swiss study that asked participants to simply take the stairs rather than ride the elevator at work for a period of 12 weeks. During that time, study participants experienced a marked improvement in their overall fitness levels including reduced blood pressure levels, lowered body mass index readings and increased lung capacity. At the end of the 3 month study, participants had improved their overall fitness level to their point where their risk of a premature death was cut by 15 percent.


Other Benefits of Daily Exercise


While most doctors, physiologists and fitness professionals recommend at least 30-45 minutes of daily physical activity for optimal health and wellness, simply doing 15 minutes of low-impact, moderate exercise is clearly worthwhile. In addition to the extended life expectancy that the Taiwanese study attributed to short daily walks, low-volume, low-intensity activities like walking offers a host of physical and physiological benefits.


Exercise has been linked to a strong immune system, thanks to the increased circulation and white blood count that are the result of aerobic workouts. Daily exercise has also been proven to help reduce chronic stress, managing the way the body excretes stress hormones that can cause inflammation leading to cardiac disease, arthritis and weight retention. 


Finding Time For A 15 Minute Daily Walk 


For some people, taking a short walk after dinner has become a lifelong habit, while others head straight to the couch or their favorite lounge chair after a meal. While finding time to exercise can be challenging, with a little creative thinking, everyone can fit a 15 minute walk into their day. 


Look for opportunities to squeeze some moderate physical activity into your daily schedule. Simply parking at the furthest spot from a store entrance rather than jockeying for a spot next to the door will force you to take a few extra steps. Follow the example of the Swiss study by taking the stairs instead of riding the elevator, or walk to do short errands instead of driving. By adding just 15 minutes of exercise into your daily schedule you too can enjoy a longer, healthier life. 


About the Author: Warren Keith Nietes enjoys discovering and writing about new developments that greatly concern health and wellbeing, particularly those that are related to proper diet and exercise. During her free time, she helps in the blogging and administration activities of hostgator dedicated hosting site. Watch out for her next post for more new health discoveries.
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Wednesday, 23 May 2012

Body Hacks for a Longer Life
May 23, 20121 Comments

Who doesn’t want to live a longer, healthier life? Lifestyles that incorporate proper rest, diet and exercise enhance the body’s ability to prosper. Don’t forget the health benefits of wine, chocolate and sex as you lower your blood pressure, stop smoking and increase metabolism. Reading, hobbies and venturing into new activities promote a sharp mind.


70 million Americans carry sleep disorders, 30 million are depressed and one in three adults are classified as obese. Lifestyle change is imperative. Eating naturally helps. Winding down before bed allows you to slip into sleep. Exercising your heart and your head are non-negotiable.


Creativity, simplicity and patience are our friends. Changing eating habits one food at a time elicits confidence. Adopting fresh exercise routines as minimal as walking are life changing. Changing bed time routines from stress and activity to calm set the table for a restful night and promote strength for the next day.
Source: Health Degrees







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Wednesday, 4 April 2012

Exercise To Enhance Cancer Treatment
April 04, 2012 2 Comments
Over the past fifty years cancer treatments have advanced to help patients that suffer from even the most advanced forms of the disease. While these treatments can help to prevent further growth and save lives, they also can cause drastic damage to a person’s physical strength. Mesothelioma treatment and chemotherapy are intense, but there are ways to stay positive and preserve your physical strength during your cancer treatment and recovery.

In 1997, a team of researchers found that walking on treadmills and participating in strength training can decrease both fatigue and pain during chemotherapy treatments.

Exercising during cancer requires a different mental focus than it does when you are healthy. Instead of focusing on losing weight or toning muscle, the goal of exercise during cancer is to maintain your health. To get the most out of your exercise routine as you are fighting cancer, focus on cardiovascular activity and strength training.

There are a number of potential benefits to gain from participating in exercise during cancer treatment, including:

•           Reduced nausea
•           Improved quality of life
•           Improved self-esteem
•           Lowered risk of heart disease
•           Reduced risk for depression and anxiety

Cardiovascular Activity

Walking on a treadmill is one leading form of cardiovascular activity. It is important not to push your body too far as you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment. While many people are able to run, going for a brief brisk jog followed by a long walk on a treadmill is a great way to keep your heart rate up and rejuvenate your muscles during cancer treatment.

The treadmill is not the only option for cardiovascular activity. Take your walk outside and enjoy the trails or beaches in your community instead of confining yourself to a gym.

If walking is not ideal for you, then try riding your bike out in the sunshine instead. Stationary recumbent bikes are available at most gyms and are a great way to work your legs while using the stability of the bike to balance yourself during your workout.

Elliptical machines are another option for a cardio workout, as they will simulate running to get your heart rate up without causing any increased impact on your knees.

Strength Training

The American College of Sports Medicine considers strength training to be essential for chemotherapy patients in order to combat the possible bone and muscle loss that they are at risk for during their cancer treatment. Most gyms offer weight machines to help you during your workout. Weight machines can guide your workout, helping you to target specific muscles while reducing your risk for injury during your workout. However, you do not need fancy equipment for a good strength-training workout.

Push-ups, for example, are a great way to build your arm muscles using only your own body weight in the comfort of your own home.

To fit in a good strength-training workout, grab hand weights or resistance bands and find a spacious room to workout in. Holding the weights or resistance bands with your arms at your sides, begin doing arm curls, rotating each arm and doing as many repetitions as you feel comfortable for your strength level.

With resistance bands you can also focus on building strength in your lower body with leg extensions and leg curls, which can be done as you sit on the couch, lifting one leg and then the other.



For more information about the benefits of physical activity during cancer treatment, visit http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/SurvivorshipDuringandAfterTreatment/StayingActive/
physical-activity-and-the-cancer-patient




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Tuesday, 27 March 2012

How to keep active on holiday without packing a gym kit
March 27, 20120 Comments

It’s demoralizing to come back from your holiday and find that you’ve put on some pounds or that you are simply not as flexible or as strong as you were before. When you want to stay fit even when you are seeing the world, there are definitely options for you. While some people try to pack their weights and their scale for the road, check out some of these ways to stay in good shape even when you are off having a blast with your friends and family.

Go Swimming

If you are headed on a tropical vacation, you’re definitely going to bring your swimsuit. After spending all day at the beach, however, don’t forget that your hotel likely has a swimming pool as well. Swimming is a wonderful low-impact exercise, and it is a great way to relax after you have spent a lot of time running around during the day.

Walk Everywhere

When you are on holiday and you want to see the sites, check out areas where there is a lot of walking. Maybe you want to see the museums, or perhaps you’d like to walk around an old historic area and see what life was like years ago. A lot of walking is very good for you, and it keeps your level of energy high, even if you are not necessarily feeling the burn.

Eat In

If at all possible, get a hotel suite that has a kitchenette and purchase groceries from the local vendors. Not only will this give you the fun experience of seeing what the locals buy and eat, it will also cut down on the empty calories and sluggishness that you get from eating out all the time. This is also much better for your wallet.

Try New Exercises

Check out the area where you are going and see if they have any fun, physically-oriented classes that you want to take advantage of. For example, are you interested in hula dancing while you are in Hawaii, or water skiing on the Florida beaches? Exercise doesn’t need to take the form of weights or aerobics, so take the opportunity to learn more about the area you are in while staying in great shape.

Biking

If you are visiting a wonderfully scenic area, rent some bikes and see it from the road. A bike ride is a great cardio exercise, and you’ll find that there are plenty of opportunities for you to stop and see what your holiday area has to offer. This is a great family activity or a great activity for someone to do on their own. Small children can often be towed along on trailers, as well.

Take some time to think about how you can stay active while on holiday. You don’t want to get back and find that all of the work that you have put into your workout has disappeared, so take step to stay on top of things. 




Rosie writes on behalf of Reserve Apartments a serviced apartments website which can help you to find accommodation for your holiday or business trip. Looking for quality Edinburgh apartments? Visit ReserveApartments.co.uk for their latest offers.
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Saturday, 18 February 2012

Keeping and Regaining Natural Hair Color
February 18, 20120 Comments
Do you ever go to the mirror and see a gray hair on top of your head and just want to yank it out? It can happen when you are young and middle aged as well as when you are older. And, nobody wants to lose their natural hair color, but everyone has a certain age when they will most likely start to have gray hair. So, is there any hope of keeping your natural hair color longer or reversing gray hair? What are the alternatives? Most people choose to dye their hair when this dilemma starts to happen.

There are some natural solutions that you can try in order to: not have your hair color turn gray so fast. You might think that having hair turn gray is your genetic fate, but it is possible to increase or decrease this likelihood. You can have premature gray hair at a young age, or you can regain your natural hair color back at an older age. Here are some helpful tips.

  1. Avoid Sugar - Sugar depletes vitamins and minerals. And, when that happens, you won't have the various essential nutrients that your body needs to help you keep your natural hair color. It has also been found through various studies, that regular white table sugar is a form of narcotics, like alcohol. It gives people an initial high and can be very addictive. Have you ever seen someone who has been     alcoholic? They tend to look a lot older than their actual age.
  2. Use Sprouts as Part of Your Daily Meal Plans - There is a lady named Ann Wigmore who was able to regain her natural hair color back through growing and eating sprouts. She wrote a book called Sprouting, where she explains all the benefits of sprouts and how to sprout various types of seeds. Sprouts have a much higher degree of nutrition than the original seed. They are alive with enzymes, and are very usable by the body. She and others have followed a raw diet plan which includes sprouts, and they were able to get their original hair color back.
  3. Eat Foods that are High in Minerals - Getting enough nutrients in your diet will help you have the proper nutrition and healthier head of hair. Getting your minerals through supplements is one of the worst ways to increase minerals in your body. Many of these supplements are nothing more than powdered rocks. They aren't recognized by the body as a digestible form of food. It's far better to get your minerals from foods you eat. Plants are able to assimilate the minerals from the ground, and humans assimilate the minerals from the plants in a natural form. The two best food sources for extra minerals are dark greens and molasses.                              
  4. Learn How to Handle Stress - Too much stress in your life can bring on some premature aging, unless you learn how to deal with it effectively. It's important to do whatever you can to maintain good health. Working too much and not sleeping or relaxing enough is not good. Having too many worries about the choices your children make can really tax your mental health. If you don't learn some helpful coping strategies this can be aging. People joke about stresses causing them to get gray hair, and it's really true.
  5. Take a Brisk Walk for 30 Minutes Daily - Exercising daily will do a lot to promote youthfulness, reduce the risk of diseases, and even help to prevent premature aging. People that exercise everyday feel happier and have a more youthful glow and energy. Active people get proper circulation, which helps to fight off free radicals.
The best strategy for maintaining natural hair color, as long as possible, is to practice healthier eating, exercise regularly, get sufficient sleep, and have a positive mental attitude. If you already have gray hair and would like to reverse it, try an improved diet that includes plenty of sprouts and raw foods.

About the Author: Janet Hailstone is a nutrition and cooking instructor for Community Education at Dixie State College in Southern Utah. She has a blog at NutriBuff.com and recommends Treadmill Coupons deals on youthful exercise equipment.
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Saturday, 3 December 2011

Are The Elliptical Machines Bad For Your Knees?
December 03, 2011 2 Comments

An elliptical machine, also known as a cross trainer, is a piece of equipment that is commonly used in walking and running exercises.

A common question asked by many is whether elliptical machines have a bad effect on the knees? The truth is that elliptical machines are beneficial to one's general health as they help burn excess calories in the body. As for the knees, they help in building strong muscles for a perfect knee fitness for those with weak knees. This will provide stability when walking, running or standing for long hours.

Unlike other machines, an elliptical machine has a reduced impact, which is not bad for the knees. While training with this equipment, the foot doesn't leave the paddle so the strain in the joints is far reduced. In fact, working on an elliptical machine is highly recommended for people who have suffered knee injuries before. Minimal workout on this machine will help heal the destroyed knee ligaments in a shorter period of time.

Research done by leading institutions like Harvard University highly recommend the use of elliptical machines to patients who have knee injuries. Studies show that elliptical machines reduce the likelihood of knee joint complications, heal the muscles around the knees, and make them strong as they were before.

The majority of body therapists and physical trainers have included an elliptical machine workout in their programs, especially to patients who have suffered knee damage. They claim that regular exercise on these machines help reduce the amount of pain on the wounded knees and slowly regains motion as the knee heals within the required period of time. For knees that may seem to have changed their position, an elliptical machine workout helps return the knee back to the original point with no strain at all.

Though good for knees, elliptical machines should be set to the standard settings of one's preference and ability. Patients with knee injuries should follow the advice of their physicians so as not to damage their knees permanently. A prolonged rigorous workout may damage your knees with time or cause unending pain to them. They also may not be the best solution to those who want faster results to heal their knees within a short period of time.

If you're wondering whether an elliptical machine is bad for your knees, the facts speak very reassuringly for themselves. If carefully used, the impact on your knees is positive and with long lasting benefits.
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About the author: K. M. Morgan is the blogger behind the reviews of elliptical machines blog. It's a free website he uses to share reviews  about the best selling elliptical machine brands (i.e. Proform elliptical reviews) to help people compare the products available on the market and save money.
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