The plank is a body-weight static exercise in which abdominals and mid-back muscles are engaged in order to stabilize the whole body. It is an excellent exercise to strengthen the core and to improve endurance of the stabilizing muscles. The core muscles are the ones responsible for maintaining posture and body alignment, meaning that they essentially work as stabilizers. The problem is that stabilizers are generally prone to weakness; a weak core compromises balance and movement efficiency, which can lead to chronic pain and injuries in the long run.
Seven Strategies to Make Change Last
A new year is beginning and here we go again, making lists of things we want to change in our lives, things we would like to achieve, or behaviors in which we would like to engage. Virtually anyone can put together an endless list of resolutions, but only a few will actually pursue any of those items. It is easy to dream about the perfect world, although making it happen is a whole different story. Sometimes we even plan to take action, but the slightest bump in the road completely sidetracks us. By spring, we don’t even think about it anymore.
Do You Get Enough Water?
Water plays several vital roles in the body. It allows nutrient transportation to the cells and waste removal from body tissues. It acts as a shock absorber in joints, lubricates the digestive and respiratory tracts, and helps body temperature regulation. In addition, water is the perfect medium for several chemical reactions. You can find water both inside and outside body cells. Some are obvious such as blood, tears, and saliva; others, not so much. Did you know that muscle tissue is composed of 75% water? Even bones (20%) and teeth (10%) contain significant amounts of water.
Preventing Muscle Loss
Our body is composed of over 600 skeletal muscles, which may contribute from 40% to 50% of total body weight. Most skeletal muscles are attached to bony structures and are under our conscious control. These muscles perform essential tasks such as movement and breathing, postural control and body alignment, and heat production.
Weight-Loss versus Fitness Level
A recent study points out that fitness level may be a better predictor of health and longevity than weight-loss alone. This is great news for people who are physically active but have a hard time losing weight. Yet, this is still a controversial subject. On one side, there are the weight-loss specialists and a great part of the scientific community urging people to lose weight. On the other side, a few researchers such as Dr. Linda Bacon, PhD and Dr. Glenn A. Gaesser, PhD who believe that America’s weight obsession is doing more harm than good. The question is: “Can weight-loss alone deliver all the health benefits largely advertised by the industry or is it just a vanity issue?” Moreover, should it be pursued no matter what or are there limits that should not be crossed? I’ll give you the facts and you’ll make your own conclusions.
Smart Snacking
Physiologically speaking, the human digestive system was designed to receive and process food every four hours or so in order to keep energy levels steady. That’s why we often get the munchies in the middle of the afternoon, between lunch and dinner time. Hunger is the physiological drive to eat, regulated by internal mechanisms. When we haven’t eaten for a while, body cells become deprived of fuel, which stimulates the feeding center in the brain to signal us to eat. Therefore, snacking is a way to maintain our energy levels.
Heart-Healthy Habits
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. The term cardiovascular disease (CVD) encompasses several ailments affecting the heart and blood vessels such as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease (heart attack and angina), heart failure, stroke, and congenital cardiovascular defects.
Five Steps to Your Fitness Success
The year is finally coming to an end. This is a good time to reflect on our goals, what we were able to accomplish and what didn’t go very well. Reviewing past experiences allows us to see things from a different perspective, which may offer some important insights about our perceived successes and failures. For instance, did you accomplish your fitness goals for the year? Or did you start well but lost your incentive at some point? Don’t feel embarrassed if you couldn’t stick to your exercise plan. Studies report that the dropout rates from standard exercise programs are as high as 50% during the first six months. This doesn’t mean that you are lazy or are not cut out to exercise. Virtually anyone can become a regular exerciser if he/she observes and respects a few rules.
Nutrient of the Week: Calcium
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body; 90% of it is stored in the bones. Even though calcium is the main mineral of bones and teeth, it is also found in body fluids where it is involved in other important roles such as muscle contraction, nerve function, blood clotting, and maintenance of normal blood pressure. Besides that, adequate calcium intakes are linked to reduced risk of certain cancers, kidney stones, hypertension, high blood cholesterol, and obesity.
Osteoporosis: The Silent Disease
Osteoporosis is characterized by the progressive loss of bone mass, which increases susceptibility to fractures, especially in the hips, spine, and wrists. It is considered a silent disease because most people won’t feel their bones getting weaker and will only discover the disease after experiencing a fracture caused by a minor fall or sudden movement. However, as the disease advances, structural changes occur, causing a permanent deformity of the spine known as dowager’s hump. This deformity causes muscle fatigue and pain, and limits activities of daily living. It is also associated with the loss of 15% of one’s height.