The Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle
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If you want to get in shape but you’re too busy to hit the gym, you need to at least get yourself up and active. There are lots of ways to do this and they don’t need to be time consuming at all. Fitness Together offers one-on-one training and small group personal training sessions. Many people want to stay in shape and improve their health but have a difficult time maintaining a regimen that works for them. These simple steps will help you start a workout program that works for you and will enable you to continue, even when you don’t feel like making it to the gym. Remember that the Tulsa Personal Trainer’s at Fitness Together are here for you when you’re ready to adopt a more healthy lifestyle. We understand how to identify fitness needs and how to efficiently bring about the desired results and benefits that you’re looking for. We will put together an exercise plan to achieve your goals. You don’t have to worry about whether or not the exercises are done properly when you use the Tulsa Personal Trainer’s at Fitness Together. We avoid injuries and maximize the benefit of each motion you take.
The Importance of an Active Lifestyle
In the past couple of decades, we have been told that a healthy lifestyle is important. Scientists recommend we should be accumulating on average 60 minutes of exercises a day in order to maintain healthy levels. What exactly does that number mean? Over the course of a regular day, we should be doing some sort of physical activity that adds up to approximately 60 minutes. Whether it is in the gym, on the treadmill, a session with the Tulsa Personal Trainer, or just in the garden for the afternoon, adding physical activity is vital.
Cardiovascular Training – It is recommended to do cardio 2 or 3 times a week. Depending on your fitness level., cardio can consist of a nice walk with your dog, or a vigorous run on the treadmill. Ideally you are trying to increase your cardio capacity. which has many health benefits.
Resistance Training – Part of living an active lifestyle is by doing some sort of resistance training at least 2 times a week. That doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym and lift weights, you can easily do it at home by doing movements as simple as pushup and sit-ups, or by using something like resistance bands. Resistance training is just as important as cardiovascular activity and adds to your overall physical health.
Flexibility – After you exercise, it is recommended you stretch for roughly 10 minutes, holding each stretch for 15-30 seconds. Stretching is crucial to maintain flexibility and reduce the chance of injury from exercise.
Benefits of Exercise – So now we know that working out is important, but what are the actually benefits of living an active lifestyle?
Reduces the Risk of Dying Prematurely – Those living a healthy active lifestyle live longer compared those who are more sedentary.
Lowers the Risk of Developing Diabetes – Exercise keeps body fat in control and helps regulate sugar levels
Increase Muscular Strength – Having an increase in strength helps make daily activities less difficult.
Helps Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease – Regular exercise strengthens the heart, respiratory system, and lungs which aids to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Decreases Body Fat – Exercise along with a balanced diet will reduce body fat significantly.
As you can see there are many excellent benefits of living an active lifestyle. By adding a small amount of cardio, resistance training and some stretching to your daily routine, the overall benefits are almost endless. Essentially being healthy is about adding balance to your life. You don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to be considered active, you just have to add some extra activities to you routine. Call Fitness Together today and find out more about how to get your very own Tulsa Personal Trainer. We are here for you and we want to see the people of Tulsa live a more active lifestyle.
The Importance of Eating Well
Weight control is a common reason that you might consider eating healthily. Although following a balanced diet can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, this is only one benefit. Those who follow a healthy, well-balanced diet reduce their risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Aim to consume a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats.
Weight Loss or Maintenance – Use fruit, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains to replace high-fat, high-calorie foods. Staying within your required calorie range is vital for achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. The fiber in whole grains, fruits and vegetables help fill you up faster and keep you full longer than foods that are loaded with sugar. The longer you are satiated, the less likely you are to exceed your ideal calorie range.
Blood Sugar – Sugary foods, such as white bread, fruit juice, soda and ice cream, cause a spike in blood sugar. While your body can handle occasional influxes of glucose, over time this can lead to insulin resistance, which can go on to become type 2 diabetes. Complex carbohydrates, such as whole grain bread, oatmeal and brown rice, cause a slow release of sugar into the bloodstream, which helps regulate blood sugar.
Decreased Risk of Heart Disease – Regularly consuming high-fat foods can increase your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can cause plaque to buildup in your arteries. Over time, this can lead to heart attack, stroke or heart disease. Eating a moderate amount of healthful fats such as those found in olive oil, avocados, fish, nuts and seeds helps protect your heart.
Decreased Cancer Risk – Fruits and vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, which are substances that seek and neutralize potentially damaging cells called free radicals. Free radicals contain an uneven amount of electrons, making them highly unstable. As they seek out and steal electrons from healthy cells, they can cause damage. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by donating one of their electrons, turning the free radical into a stable molecule.
The Importance of Sleep
Sleep is a physical and mental resting state in which a person becomes relatively inactive and unaware of the environment. In essence, sleep is a partial detachment from the world, where most external stimuli are blocked from the senses. Normal sleep is characterized by a general decrease in body temperature, blood pressure, breathing rate, and most other bodily functions. In contrast, the human brain never decreases inactivity. Studies have shown that the brain is as active during sleep as it is when awake. Throughout an eight-hour sleep cycle, a normal adult alternates between two very different states, non-REM and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.
Sleep requirements vary from person to person-some people are naturally short or long sleepers. Thomas Edison, Martha Stewart, and Jay Leno have remarked that they sleep less than five hours a night. In contrast, Albert Einstein and Calvin Coolidge claimed they needed ten or more hours per night. Other well-known people such as Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill took naps throughout the day.
Some experts suggest that the best way to determine personal sleep requirements is by waking up without an alarm clock. The amount of time spent sleeping would be the personal requirement. Other experts suggest that an ideal amount of sleep is the amount needed to feel refreshed and well rested in the morning and alert all day. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of sleep a person needs does not decrease with age. The reality is that sleep patterns and circadian rhythms change as one ages. Infants spend 50% of their sleep time in non-REM sleep and 50% in REM sleep; it has been shown that deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormones, necessary for growing children. Adults spend approximately 20% in REM sleep, while elderly people may spend only 15% in REM sleep. Older adults tend to spend most of their sleep time in Stage 1 of non-REM sleep. Consequently, they have less REM sleep and report frequent awakenings.
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