Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Salt Lovers May Curb Hypertension With Exercise

salt-exercise-hypertension.jpgThere's some good news for salt lovers! According to some new research, people who exercise are less likely to have their blood pressure elevated by a high sodium diet.

A diet high in salt has been widely accepted as one of the leading factors contributing to hypertension, but this new research shows that some "salt sensitive" people may have found a loop hole.

The research was conducted by Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans who studied a group of people in Northern China consisting of around 1900 men and women with an average age of 38. None of the participants were on hypertension medication.

During the the first week of the study the participants were given a diet that delivered 3000mg of sodium daily. The next week they were all given a diet consisting of 18,000mg of sodium a day. Everyone's blood pressure was measured 9 times each week and the participants were asked a series of questions to determine their exercise level. Those that had a 5% increase in systolic blood pressure when switched to the high sodium diet were labeled as "highly salt sensitive".

The results showed that the people who were the most active had a 38% less risk of being highly salt sensitive than the least active group. Participants in the next highest activity group had a 17% lower risk and those in the next to least activity group had a 10% lower risk. The researchers concluded that those who exercised significantly reduced their risk of developing high blood pressure due to salt sensitivity. The researchers noted that while this study's results are promising, they need to be repeated and peer reviewed.

While this study is good news for all of the salt lovers out there, caution should be used before using the study as justification to consume more sodium. It's important to note that even those that exercised were still at risk, since exercise only reduced the risk by 38%.

People who exercise should still have their blood pressure checked regularly and adjust their sodium intake accordingly.


View the original article here

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

P90X Extreme Home Fitness Workout Program - 13 DVDs, Nutrition Guide, Exercise Planner

Tired of ineffective workouts that sound great but produce less-than-optimal results? Turn to the P90X Extreme Home Fitness system, a bundle of 12 sweat-inducing, muscle-pumping workouts designed to transform your body from regular to ripped in just 90 days. Hosted by personal trainer Tony Horton, the series of DVDs will help you get lean, bulk up, or grow stronger, with an endless variety of mix-and-match routines to keep you motivated. The secret behind the P90X system is an advanced training technique called "muscle confusion," which accelerates the fitness process by constantly introducing new moves and routines so that your body never plateaus and you never get bored. The more you confuse the muscle, the harder your body has to work to keep up. And the more variety you put into your workout, the better and faster your results will be. By breaking old routines and opening new doors, secondary and tertiary muscles are constantly being activated and developed.


In addition to the 12 DVD workouts, the P90X comes with a comprehensive three-phase nutrition plan, specially designed supplement options, a detailed fitness guide packed with valuable information on how to get the most from your program, a How to Bring It DVD that provides a quick overview of the system, a calendar to track your progress, online peer support, and much more.


The DVD Workouts
Each of the 12 highly diverse and intense DVD workouts focuses on either a specific set of muscle groups or a unique training technique.

  • Workout One: Chest & Back. This superset chest-and-back-blasting workout emphasizes two classic upper-body exercises--push-ups and pull-ups--to build strength and develop shape. The combination of these two push and pull movements will help you burn loads of calories while simultaneously attacking, strengthening, and developing multiple muscle groups.

  • Workout Two: Plyometrics. Get ready to go airborne. Offering more 30 explosive jumping moves, this intense cardio routine will keep you in the air most of the time. Plyometrics, also known as jump training, has been proven to dramatically improve athletic performance. If your sport involves a ring, rink, field, court, or track, this training will give you the edge. Just be prepared to "bring it" for a full hour when you leap into this workout, because there is no letting up.

  • Workout Three: Shoulders & Arms. Nothing rounds out the perfect physique like a pair of well-defined arms and shoulders, and with its potent combination of pressing, curling, and fly movements, this routine will leave you feeling stronger and looking sexier. Whether you want to build muscle mass or just slim and tighten what you've already got, these targeted shoulder and arm exercises will give you the results you want.

  • Workout Four: Yoga X. Yoga is a vital part of any fitness regimen, and is an absolute must for an extreme program like P90X. This routine combines strength, balance, coordination, flexibility, and breath work to enhance your physique and calm your mind. Yoga X will leave you feeling energized, invigorated, and maybe even a little enlightened.

  • Workout Five: Legs & Back. Get ready to squat, lunge, and pull for a total-body workout like no other. While the main focus of this workout lies in strengthening and developing the leg muscles (quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves), there are also a handful of great pull-up exercises to give your legs a quick breather while you work the upper body.

  • Workout Six: Kenpo X. Kenpo X was created to give P90X users a high-intensity cardiovascular workout packed with lots of punching and kicking combinations to improve balance, endurance, flexibility, and coordination. During this workout you'll learn some of the most effective ways to defend yourself, while at the same time getting your body in peak condition.

  • Workout Seven: X Stretch. Stretching is the one thing that will help you achieve a higher level of athleticism over a longer period of time. The X Stretch routine is an integral part of the program, as it helps prevent injuries and avoid plateaus. The extensive full-body stretches that make up this routine use disciplines from Kenpo karate, hatha yoga, and various sports to ensure that your body is fully prepared to meet all P90X challenges head-on.

  • Workout Eight: Core Synergistics. Each and every exercise in the Core Synergistics workout recruits multiple muscle groups to build and support the core (lumbar spine and trunk muscles), while at the same time conditioning your body from head to toe. Loaded with a variety of fun, unique, and challenging exercises, this routine will get you moving in all directions to maximize your P90X results.

  • Workout Nine: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps. Packed with an array of moves that target both large and small muscles, this workout will do wonders for your upper body. In just one full sequence you'll get a healthy dose of presses, flys, and extensions to push you to the brink. The results will be a stronger, leaner, and highly defined upper torso that will leave you looking awesome, with or without a shirt.

  • Workout 10: Back & Biceps. With a host of curls and pull-ups, this routine will make it fun to flex those powerful biceps. But don't worry, ladies--by using lighter weight, you can focus on toning and tightening these showcase arm muscles without adding the size that most guys covet. Additionally, this workout also provides some great back definition that everyone can appreciate. Regardless of your goals, you will achieve them in dramatic fashion if you dig in and max out your reps.

  • Workout 11: Cardio X. This low-impact cardio routine can be used in a variety of ways to meet your P90X goals. Use it in addition to your standard P90X workload when you want to burn some extra calories, or as a substitute if your body needs a break from the program's high-impact workouts. Whatever your reason for using Cardio X, you'll find it a fun, full-throttle, fat-burning workout that will leave you feeling lean and mean.

  • Workout 12: Ab Ripper X. The combination and sequence of movements in this unique workout taps into not only abdominal strength, but true core strength as well. Master these 11 highly effective exercises and you will achieve vital abdominal muscle strength to benefit your overall health and physical performance. You'll also develop that highly coveted six-pack as you take Ab Ripper X to full throttle. It's extreme work that's better than any machine in any club.



P90X Fitness Guide
This is your road map and your plan of attack for using P90X. Learn guidelines for getting started and essential tips for how to make the most of the program. The fitness guide provides you tips to reduce your chance of injury; a fit test; recommended supplements and equipment; detailed instructions for stretching, warming up, and performing exercises; and guidelines to help you select which P90X phase to complete, whether Classic, Doubles, or Lean.

The Nutrition Plan
Following the P90X nutrition plan is just as vital to your overall success as any of the extreme workouts in this program. Specifically designed to work in tandem with the P90X workout routines, this three-phase eating plan recommends the perfect combination of foods to satisfy your body's energy needs every step of the way. P90X is not about quick fixes or miracle diets. It's about selecting the healthy foods that you want to eat, and determining the portion amounts that will provide your body with the right amount of fuel to excel during exercise. The P90X nutrition plan offers three phases. Phase 1 is the Fat Shredder, a high-protein-based diet designed to help you strengthen your muscles while simultaneously and rapidly shedding fat from your body. Phase 2 is the Energy Booster, a balanced mix of carbohydrates and proteins with a lower amount of fat to achieve additional energy for performance. And Phase 3 is the Endurance Maximizer, an athletic diet of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and lower fat, with the emphasis on more carbohydrates. You'll need this combination of foods as fuel to get the most out of your final few weeks and truly be in the best shape of your life.

Tools to Keep You Motivated

  • P90X Calendar to set your workout goals, track your progress, and stay motivated.
  • Free Online Support Tools for access to fitness experts, peer support, and motivation.

What's in the Box?
12 DVD workouts, nutrition plan, fitness guide How to Bring It DVD, a calendar to track your progress



Price: $150.00


Click here to buy from Amazon

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Monday, February 21, 2011

Return to Cycle 1 of the 17 Day diet

Well I finished up three cycles of the 17 day diet 16 pounds lighter and only 15 pounds from my goal weight.  I'm returning to the accelerate cycle to try to get as close to that goal weight as possible. I plan to kick the exercise into high gear to speed up the weight loss this time (I lost 10 the first time).  Hopefully 17 days to where I want to be...



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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Another pound gone! Review of "Start Walking at Home" with Leslie Sansone




Image courtesy of Alal/morguefile.com
Happy to report that I finally lost another pound, bringing my total weight loss on the 17 Day Diet to 14.5 pounds.  This is day 44, ten days into the achieve cycle.  Just as I was losing faith in the diet's principles the numbers on the scale change!  Yesterday, I walked my pup and exercised inside for a total of 45 minutes, which I plan to continue every day going forward. I am getting very close to the healthy weight I used to be for most of my life....only 17 pounds left. I am the most confident I've felt in years.



Since I've renewed my commitment to exercise as I am losing weight on the 17 Day Diet, I'm sharing an article I wrote about one of my favorite walking workouts with Leslie Sansone.  If you are in need of a workout that isn't complicated, but works, try this one (and you can order it from Amazon....See My Favorites in the sidebar):



Review of "Start Walking at Home" with Leslie Sansone

Stay in Shape with This Easy Walking Exercise Routine!

In my continuing quest to find a variety of workouts that will motivate me to stay on track with my weight loss and fitness routine, I decided to Leslie Sansone's walking workout routines. Leslie Sansone has over 75 in-home walking videos and she owns Studio Fitness in New Castle, Pennsylvania. This workout review is of her 1 and 2 mile workouts featured in her "Start Walking at Home" series, which I tried on exercise TV. I found them both easy to follow and energizing!



The simple act of walking has inherent health benefits for everyone. The American Heart Association (AHA) endorses a regular walking routine to prevent heart disease and claim that brisk walking for 30 minutes can reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. If you like the idea of a walking routine to get or stay in shape, check out AHA's "My Start" walking site, where you can sign up for newsletters, connect with "sole mates" that share your quest, plan a routine and track your miles from walking, as well as enter your daily food intake. Additionally, if you don't have one, purchase a pedometer to track your steps during a walking program. You'll find yourself taking the longer route when you have that step counter clipped to your waistband!



Exercise Video Reviewed:Start Walking at Home



Instructor: Leslie Sansone

Exercise Level: Beginner to Mid-level

Total Workout time: 20 minutes for the 1 mile, 30 minutes for the 2 mile

(5 minutes warm up and cool down included)

Equipment needed: Just your athletic shoes!

Estimated calories burned (using Calorie Count's Database): 130 - 1 mile / 185 - 2 mile



Continue reading review: Start Walking at Home






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