Fitness Tips

Fitness Tip 1: How many calories can I eat without gaining weight?
Here's a simple formula:
1. Divide your weight in pounds by 2.2
2. Multiply by 24 (This give you the number of calories you need to just be alive)
3. Factor in activity calories by multiplying number 2 (above) by 1.6
This is how many calories you can eat per day without gaining weight. To lose those extra pounds, you'll have to burn more calories than you eat, either by exercising more or eating less.

Fitness Tip 2: The easiest way to lower you cholesterol:
1. Eat more grapes. Grape skins contain a compound that helps lower cholesterol.
2. Use more garlic. It's a powerful cholesterol-buster. It also lowers your blood pressure.
3. Eat two carrots a day. This alone can lower your cholesterol 10 to 20 percent.
4. Walk for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week.

Fitness Tip 3: Top 6 sneaky weight-loss secrets:
Virtually everyone tries a diet plan and nearly everyone fails. In the real world, most of us find it impossible to stick with a diet...any diet! Those who do achieve weight loss through dieting invariably gain back more weight than they lost. The best way to achieve weight loss and weight control is to make small changes in your daily life that work for you personally.

Fitness tip 4: To stretch or not to stretch.
If you think that stretching is the smart way to start your workout, you're wrong. Stretching cold muscles can injure them. No matter what exercise you do, it is essential to warm up first, then stretch. The best technique for warming up is a less vigorous rehearsal of the sport or exercise you're about to perform. A walker for instance, would warm up by walking at a slow pace for 3-5 minutes. Specific rehearsal warm-ups are particularly effective in preparing both physically and psychologically for your workout. Perform gentle stretches after your workout, not before.

Fitness tip 5: Never too late to get fit.
Over 50 doesn't mean over the hill, even for people who have never exercised regularly. Despite years of sedentary living, it is still possible to become physically fit. A recent study found that people who had rarely exercised before could achieve fitness levels almost equal to people who had exercised regularly for 10 years.

Fitness tip 6: Why does it get harder to lose weight as I get older?
Changes that occur with age - in metabolism, body composition, nutritional needs and activity levels - make weight loss more difficult. As we age, our metabolism slows down and the body uses less calories to keep itself running. However, the real key is that we burn fewer calories simply because we tend to become less active. Physical activity and exercise, without a doubt, are the best ways to counter the metabolism slow down. Staying active - walking, jogging, cycling, gardening, weight training - helps keep a balance between the calories you take in and the ones you use up.

Fitness tip 7: How long do I need to exercise before my body starts burning up fat?
Though 15 minutes of exercise burns some fat, it generally takes at least 30 minutes of exercise for the body to draw significantly from fat reserves. If you're trying to lose weight, you should work toward a goal of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, such as walking, at least 3 times a week.

Fitness tip 8: Which is the best exercise for weight loss, walking or running?
A mile of walking burns about as many calories as a mile of running. It just takes longer. Plus, walking offers certain weight control advantages. Half of your body's fuel comes from body fat when you walk. During a run, less than a third of the calories you burn come from fat.

Fitness tip 9: What's the number one source of fat for women?
Surprisingly, it's not meat or sweets. The culprit is salad dressing which provides 9% of your fat intake. Try using fresh-squeezed lemon juice, pepper and a light sprinkling of salt. And watch out for "light" dressings. Many contain 40 - 50 calories per tablespoon!

Fitness tip 10: Cereal: shape counts.
The fiber in wheat bran has long been recognized as a defense against cancer, especially colon cancer. A new study suggests than in breakfast cereal, shape counts. While raw bran is an effective colon cancer deterrent, the study found that heated and processed bran is even more effective. Wheat bran that is shaped into short, crispy strips for commercial cereal (as in All-Bran and wheat and multi-grain Bran Chex) is more effective than either raw wheat bran or flaked cereal in reducing colon cancer.

Fitness tip 11: Whittle your middle.
Women who exercise gain less belly fat than those who don't. A recent study found that women who exercised for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, had 17 percent less belly fat than those who didn't. BEST EXERCISE? Walking.

Fitness tip 12: Are you a night eater?
Don't sweat it! In fact, you can eat whenever you please. Most women think that if they eat their dinner late in the evening it's going straight to their hips. According to a recent study, there's no need to worry. Researchers found that women who ate more than 52% of their calories after 5 p.m. were no more likely to be heavy than those who ate most of their calories early in the day. Even calories eaten after 8 p.m. had no extra effect. WHAT COUNTS: The total number of calories you consume per day and not what time you consume them.

Fitness tip 13: Drink water…Lose weight!
Most people don't know that water is an excellent appetite suppressant. Many people mistake thirst for hunger and overeat as a result. The next time you want a snack, drink a large glass of water instead. If you're still hungry, chances are a smaller snack will tide you over until your next meal.

Fitness tip 14: Healthy Heart = Nuts!
Most of us know that nuts are high in fat so weight conscious people usually avoid them. But did you know that the fat in nuts is the good-for-you unsaturated fat? A recent study found that people who ate the most nuts had the lowest risk for any heart related disease. Most nuts are also high in other unsaturated fats and nutrients that might reduce heart disease.

Fitness tip 15: Avoid banana chips.
Banana chips are like potato chips. Maybe worse. An ounce of banana chips has about 150 calories, nearly 10 grams of fat (they're deep fried in coconut oil), plus lots of sugar.

Fitness tip 16: You're kidding! A peanut butter and banana sandwich?
That's right. A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat is very good for your heart. Peanuts, bananas and wheat germ provide high doses of vitamin B-6. According to new research, people with the highest levels of B-6 have the lowest risk of heart disease. Other good sources of B-6: chicken breast and baked potato.

Fitness tip 17: The best way to get your age-defying antioxidants.
Drink Concord grape juice. You'd have to eat 12 bananas, 11 peaches, or 41 cups of iceberg lettuce to get the antioxidant power of 6 ounces of Concord grape juice.

Here are several ways that will help you lose weight without suffering through an impossible diet:

1. Never skip breakfast.
Research proves that people who eat breakfast have the greatest success with weight control. Eating breakfast stabilizes your blood sugar level, boosts your calorie buning mechanisms and suppresses your appetite.

2. Add some spice to your life.
Introduce mustard and chili pepper to you menu. Also, pepper, garlic and onion. They satisfy your taste buds so you eat less. Best of all, they burn up as many as 45 to 75 calories after your meal.

3. Spoil your appetite.
Thirty minutes before a meal, eat a nutritious, low calorie snack. ( A slice of cantaloupe, a carrot, an orange, a pear, a slice of whole grain bread, etc.) It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive a message from your stomach. By the time you sit down to your meal, your brain will have received the message that you aren't hungry. You will east less without even thinking about it.

4. Play the right music.
Before sitting down to eat, turn on some relaxing music. Research proves that you will eat slower when dining to relaxing music. You'll also eat less.

5. Brush your teeth immediately after eating.
Brushing your teeth after a meal will help curb your appetite. Why? Because the mint toothpaste flavor overpowers your taste buds and you will be less likely to want more food or snacks.

6. Get enough sleep.
Many people eat not because they're hungry, but because they're tired. Don't take 15 minutes to eat a midday bowl of ice cream. Instead take a 15 minute relaxation break. Make sure you get the amount of sleep you need - 7 or 8 hours a night for most people.

29 Tips for Senior Citizens

One of the reasons Americans are living longer is they are in better physical condition than were their parents, primarily because today’s senior citizens are more aware of the need for exercise. To help encourage seniors to improve physical fitness, and do it safely, a group of experts gathered by the International Council on Active Aging (ICAA) has prepared 29 helpful suggestions.

“Too often,” says the ICAA, “people jump into exercise or try to do what they did 20 years ago, injuring themselves in the process. The 50-plus adult's physical capabilities and chronic diseases make this individual's needs different than those of a younger person.”

1. Get a checkup
Meet with your healthcare provider to see whether you'll need to consider any special modifications before starting an exercise program. If necessary, get a clearance to begin a program.

2. Know your options
Before starting any program, examine your options. Pick a program you know you will enjoy. Some individuals like to go to a gym and do a structured workout, while others enjoy a neighborhood walking club. Either will help improve your fitness, ability to function and quality of life-but only if you do it regularly.

3. Determine your participation style
Would you prefer taking a class or going solo? Are you a morning or night person? Does indoor fitness appeal to you, or would you prefer to play outside? Could you dedicate large blocks of time to physical activity or could you fit only shorter, more frequent intervals into your schedule? Be realistic about how you participate.

4. Start slowly
Many people are eager to get started and sometimes overdo it, which usually makes them sore and can make them want to stop. A good way to start slowly is to discover your baseline. Record all your activities during each waking hour or for two- or three-hour time blocks, tracking how much time you are sedentary (e.g. sitting at your desk) or active (e.g. walking to the bus stop). At day's end, count how many hours you have and have not been physically active. Then look at when you could fit some short (e.g. 10 minutes) bouts of brisk walking into your day.

5. Make a date
Find a buddy to exercise with you and keep you motivated. Whether it's a friend to walk with in your neighborhood or a personal trainer in a gym, that appointment makes it more likely you'll do the walk or workout.

6. Set specific short and long-term goals
Make goals as specific as possible. For example, On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I will do a brisk, 10-minute walk in the morning before my shower, at lunch time and after dinner. Being specific means you are planning for activity in your day and making it a priority. Long-term goals are also important. Is there an activity you would like to do that you feel physically incapable of at the moment, but may be able to do with a little effort? Set a long-term goal to help you do it.

7. Make a list
List the benefits you expect from your physical activity program, then make sure these are realistic and reasonable. Many people expect enormous benefits, such as losing 30 pounds in a month. When these benefits don't materialize, they feel disappointed and relapse because they feel like they've failed. Try to make the benefits about things you can control, rather than an outcome (such as weight). Build your list of benefits as you increase your physical activity-you'll be surprised at how long your list becomes.

8. Make another list
List all the reasons to be physically active-things like decreasing stress or depression, stronger bones, greater strength and flexibility to help maintain independence, increased energy, better sleep, etc. Keep this list in a visible place as a daily reminder of the long-term rewards.

9. Invest in your health
Do you want to spend money on joining a program? Or would you prefer to develop a program you can do for little cost, using objects or props in your home or office? Both options are available.

10. Checkout the facility you want to join
Does the facility feel friendly? Can you change clothes comfortably? If the facility has a pool, what is its water temperature? About 84-86°F is comfortable for moderate to vigorous activity, while warmer temperatures are nice for range-of-motion and relaxation programs. Does the pool or workout room have an easy and safe exit/entry? Ask to try various programs, so you can decide which program feels the most comfortable and fun.

11. Checkout the staff
Are the people who work in the facility friendly and interested in you? Are they qualified to work with older adults? Do the staff members each have a college degree in health? Do they offer pre-exercise fitness assessments, with periodic updates? Are they interested in helping you learn how to modify exercises to fit your fitness level and conditions? Do they encourage social interaction? Talk to mature adults who currently participate in their programs to build a complete picture.

12. Make choices
To move forward, we need to leave some things behind. What are you willing to give up to make room for exercise? Bad habits? Nonproductive activities? Non-beneficial relationships?

13. Every step counts
Wear a step counter throughout the day to count how many steps you take. Less active people tend to take about 4,000 steps or fewer per day. Aim to do 250 to 1,000 additional steps of brisk walking, until you reach 8,000 to 10,000 steps in a day.

14. Keep moving all the time
Stretch, walk, march in place, stand and sit as many times as possible when you're talking on the phone or during TV commercials.

15. Do your own house and yard work

16. Create a support network
Tell friends and family about your new goals and ask for their support and encouragement. Involving others often helps us to keep our commitments. Consider scheduling telephone reminders from your support network to help keep you on track.

17. Know your challenges
List things that keep you from being active and come up with a solution for each. Recognize that challenges can be overcome.

18. Use the principles of progressive overload and specificity
Exercise in a way that makes your muscles work harder than they are accustomed to, but in a gradual and progressive manner. And understand that you get what you train for, so exercise according to your desired outcomes.

19. Join a class
Select an exercise class appropriate for your health status and ability. Check with your local YMCA, JCC, hospital-based fitness program, city recreation program or health club to view the course offerings. Visit the local arthritis foundation for a list of all aquatic and land-based classes designed for those with arthritis conditions.

20. Wear the right shoes
Foot comfort and support is important for all impact physical activities. If you have arthritis, diabetes or orthopedic problems, you can remain physically active with the help of appropriate shoes.

21. Participate in events
Once you're more physically fit, set a goal to participate in a charity event. Prepare to walk, run or bike to raise money for a special cause. Ask a friend to be your exercise and event partner.

22. If it hurts, don't do it
Work around pain, not through it.

23. Focus on the major muscle groups in the legs, chest and back

24. Do balance exercises, as well as strength exercises

25. Keep a journal
Record activities that have become easier to do in your life, as well as those that may be more difficult. Instructors can help you progress and modify exercises, if needed.

26. Make your car work for you
Park at the outer edges of the grocery store parking lot, rather than looking for the space closest to the door. Walk up the first flight of stairs in a high-rise, rather than waiting for the elevator. Add another floor every week. Walk to the grocery store or other services when possible.

27. Reach up
Take items from the highest shelf you can reach in the kitchen and wash them. Do a different cupboard each week.

28. Follow a well-rounded program
Include all five components of a successful program: warm-up, flexibility, cardio, resistance and cool-down.

29. Reward yourself
Once you've reached your goal, treat yourself to something that reminds you what a good job you've done and encourages you to continue. Make it something that feeds your spirit, but is not necessarily food or an expensive purchase.