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The best way to lose weight is to use more calories than you take in. You can do this by following a healthy eating plan and being more active. Before you start a weight-loss program, talk to your doctor.
Safe weight-loss programs that work well:
- set a goal of slow and steady weight loss — 1 to 2 pounds per week
- offer low-calorie eating plans with a wide range of healthy foods
- encourage you to be more physically active
- teach you about healthy eating and physical activity
- adapt to your likes and dislikes and cultural background
- help you keep weight off after you lose it
 Labels: Health Benefits, Health fitness Exercise, physical Exercise, weight lose
Finding the Right Equipment
Before you make a final purchasing decision - consider these questions:
* Will the equipment help you achieve your desired goal - whether it's to build strength, increase flexibility, improve endurance, or enhance your health?
* Will you stick to the program? Keeping with an exercise program can be rough:
Think of all the basements, rec rooms and yard sales stocked with costly stationary bikes, treadmills and rowing machines that have gone unused and now serve merely as places to hang clothes. Before you buy, prove to yourself that you're ready to act on your good intentions.
 To help you choose the best equipment for your needs, check out consumer and fitness magazines that rate exercise equipment. Then test various pieces of equipment at a local gym, recreation center or retailer to find the machine or device that feels comfortable to you.
Shop around: Exercise equipment advertised on TV or in newspapers or magazines may be available at local sporting goods, department and discount stores. That can make it easier to shop for the best price. Don't be fooled by companies that advertise "three easy payments of ..." or "only $49.95 a month." The advertised price may not include shipping and handling fees, sales tax, and delivery and set-up fees. Ask about the costs before you close the deal.
Get details on warranties, guarantees and return policies: A "30-day money-back guarantee" may not sound as good if you're responsible for paying a hefty fee to return a bulky piece of equipment you bought.
 Check out the company's customer and support services. Call the advertised toll-free number to get an idea of how easy it is to reach a company representative and how helpful he or she is.
You may get a great deal on a piece of fitness equipment from a second-hand store, consignment shop, yard sale, or the classified ads. Buy wisely: Items bought second-hand usually aren't returnable and don't carry the warranties that new equipment does.
Whether used or new, home exercise equipment can be a great way to shape up — but only if you use it regularly. Don't be taken in by claims of quick, easy and effortless results: There's no such thing as a no-work, no-sweat way to a toned body. Labels: Aerobic Exercise, Exercise hypertension, Physical Activity safe, physical Exercise, Physical Fitness
A healthy lifestyle involves many choices. Among them, choosing a balanced diet or eating plan. So how do you choose a healthy eating plan? Let's begin by defining what a healthy eating plan is.
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a healthy eating plan:
* Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
* Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
* Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
* Stays within your daily calorie needs.
 Eat Healthfully and Enjoy It!
A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a variety of foods you may not have considered. If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat.
Fresh fruits
- don't think just apples or bananas. These are great choices, but try some "exotic" fruits, too. How about a mango? Or a juicy pineapple or kiwi fruit! When your favorite fresh fruits aren't in season, try a frozen, canned, or dried variety of a fresh fruit you enjoy. One caution about canned fruits is that they may contain added sugars or syrups. Be sure and choose canned varieties of fruit packed in water or in their own juice.
Fresh vegetables
- try something new. You may find that you love grilled vegetables or steamed vegetables with an herb you haven't tried like rosemary. You can saute vegetables in a non-stick pan with a small amount of cooking spray. Or try frozen or canned vegetables for a quick side dish - just microwave and serve. When trying canned vegetables, look for vegetables without added salt, butter, or cream sauces. Commit to going to the produce department and trying a new vegetable each week.
 Calcium-rich foods
- you may automatically think of a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk when someone says "eat more dairy products." But what about low-fat and fat-free yogurts without added sugars? These come in a wide variety of flavors and can be a great dessert substitute for those with a sweet tooth.
A new twist on an old favorite
- if your favorite recipe calls for frying fish or breaded chicken, try healthier variations using baking or grilling. Maybe even try a recipe that uses dry beans in place of higher-fat meats. Ask around or search the internet and magazines for recipes with fewer calories - you might be surprised to find you have a new favorite dish! Labels: Aerobic Exercise, Health fitness Exercise, physical Exercise, Physical Fitness
Vital at every age for healthy bones, exercise is important for treating and preventing osteoporosis. Not only does exercise improve your bone health, it also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance, and it leads to better overall health.
1).Why Exercise?
2).The Best Bone Building Exercise
3).Exercise Tips
4).A Complete Osteoporosis Program
 1).Why Exercise?
Like muscle, bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger. Young women and men who exercise regularly generally achieve greater peak bone mass (maximum bone density and strength) than those who do not. For most people, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life. After that time, we can begin to lose bone. Women and men older than age 20 can help prevent bone loss with regular exercise. Exercising allows us to maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which in turn helps to prevent falls and related fractures. This is especially important for older adults and people who have been diagnosed with osteoporosis.
2).The Best Bone Building Exercise
The best exercise for your bones is the weight-bearing kind, which forces you to work against gravity. Some examples of weight-bearing exercises include weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, and dancing. Examples of exercises that are not weight-bearing include swimming and bicycling. Although these activities help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, they are not the best way to exercise your bones.
3).Exercise Tips
If you have health problems - such as heart trouble, high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity - or if you are age 40 or older, check with your doctor before you begin a regular exercise program.According to the Surgeon General, the optimal goal is at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most days, preferably daily.Listen to your body. When starting an exercise routine, you may have some muscle soreness and discomfort at the beginning, but this should not be painful or last more than 48 hours. If it does, you may be working too hard and need to ease up. Stop exercising if you have any chest pain or discomfort, and see your doctor before your next exercise session.
If you have osteoporosis, ask your doctor which activities are safe for you. If you have low bone mass, experts recommend that you protect your spine by avoiding exercises or activities that flex, bend, or twist it. Furthermore, you should avoid high-impact exercise to lower the risk of breaking a bone. You also might want to consult with an exercise specialist to learn the proper progression of activity, how to stretch and strengthen muscles safely, and how to correct poor posture habits. An exercise specialist should have a degree in exercise physiology, physical education, physical therapy, or a similar specialty. Be sure to ask if he or she is familiar with the special needs of people with osteoporosis.
 4).A Complete Osteoporosis Program
Remember, exercise is only one part of an osteoporosis prevention or treatment program. Like a diet rich in calcium and vitamin D, exercise helps strengthen bones at any age. But proper exercise and diet may not be enough to stop bone loss caused by medical conditions, menopause, or lifestyle choices such as tobacco use and excessive alcohol consumption. It is important to speak with your doctor about your bone health. Discuss whether you might be a candidate for a bone mineral density test. If you are diagnosed with low bone mass, ask what medications might help keep your bones strong. Labels: Health Benefits, Health fitness Exercise, physical Exercise, Physical Fitness
Regular exercise can be an effective way to treat some forms of depression. Physical activity alters brain chemistry and leads to feelings of wellbeing. Exercise can also be an effective treatment for anxiety. Some research studies indicate that regular exercise may be as effective as other treatments like medication to relieve mild to moderate depression. Generally, exercise has a place in treatment as part of a comprehensive approach to the illness.  Depression explained
Everyone feels sad from time to time, but depression is characterized by prolonged feelings of sadness, dejection and hopelessness. One in four women and one in six men will suffer from depression at some point in their lives.
Depression is a complicated illness, which can involve a number of contributing factors such as genes, environment, lifestyle, brain chemicals, psychology and personality.
Depression, health and heart attacks
On average, depressed people only exercise about half as much as people who aren’t depressed. This lack of cardiovascular fitness puts a depressed person at an increased risk of heart attack. It also seems that depression and exercise influence each other – a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of depression and depression increases the likelihood of a sedentary lifestyle.
 The brain chemical serotonin
Serotonin is an important brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that contributes to a range of functions, including sleep and wake cycles, libido, appetite and mood. Serotonin has been linked to depression.
Some researchers have found that regular exercise, and the increase in physical fitness that results, alters serotonin levels in the brain and leads to improved mood and feelings of wellbeing. Some research indicates that regular exercise boosts body temperature, which may ease depression by influencing the brain chemicals.
Other therapeutic benefits of exercise
Apart from changes in brain chemistry, there are other factors that may help explain the benefits of exercise:
- The person experiences a boost to their self-esteem because they take an active role in their own recovery.
- Some forms of exercise, such as team sports, are also social events.
- Physical activity burns up stress chemicals, like adrenaline, which promotes a more relaxed state of mind.
- An enjoyable bout of exercise may be distracting enough to break the vicious cycle of pessimistic thinking. Labels: Exercise hypertension, Health fitness Exercise, physical Exercise
 Think about answers to the following four questions. You can write your answers on a sheet of paper. Your answers will be your roadmap to your physical activity program.
What physical activities will you do?
List the activities you would like to do, such as walking, energetic yard work or housework, joining a sports league, exercising with a video, dancing, swimming, bicycling, or taking a class at a fitness or community center. Think about sports or other activities that you enjoyed doing when you were younger. Could you enjoy one of these activities again?
 When will you be physically active?
List the days and times you could do each activity on your list, such as first thing in the morning, during lunch break from work, after dinner, or on Saturday afternoon. Look at your calendar or planner to find the days and times that work best.
Who will remind you to get off the couch?
List the people—your spouse, sibling, parent, or friends—who can support your efforts to become physically active. Give them ideas about how they could be supportive, like offering encouraging words, watching your kids, or working out with you.
When will you start your physical activity program?
Set a date when you will start getting active. The date might be the first meeting of an exercise class you have signed up for, or a date you will meet a friend for a walk. Write the date on your calendar. Then stick to it. Before you know it, physical activity will become a regular part of your life. Labels: Anaerobic Exercise, Exercise hypertension, Health Benefits
Interrupting the sedation of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) to engage them in brief physical therapy may lead to better outcomes, a new study suggests.As noted by researchers writing in the May 13 online edition of The Lancet, weakness and neuropsychiatric disease are often complications of the immobilization caused by long-term sedation in the ICU.
 The new randomized, controlled trial involved 104 patients who were on mechanical ventilators for less than 72 hours but were expected to continue on ventilation for another 24 hours. A team led by Dr. John Kress of the University of Chicago assigned 49 of the patients to daily interruption of sedation and early exercise and mobilization, while the other 55 patients received standard care.The team then tracked patients after discharge for signs of "independent functional status" -- the ability to walk unaided and carry out six tasks of daily living.
According to the Chicago researchers, 59 percent of those who got the early exercise achieved that functional milestone over four weeks of follow-up, compared to 35 percent in the standard care group. Early physical therapy also cut the rate of delirium episodes in half and reduced the number of days in which patients required a ventilator."A strategy for whole-body rehabilitation -- consisting of interruption of sedation and physical and occupational therapy in the earliest days of critical illness -- was safe and well-tolerated, and resulted in better functional outcomes at hospital discharge, a shorter duration of delirium, and more ventilator-free days compared with standard care", the researchers wrote.
Writing in an accompanying commentary, Dr. Stephan M. Jakob and Dr. Jukka Takala, of University Hospital, Switzerland, noted that "exercise should have a central role in the treatment of critically ill patients... Although physiotherapy is commonly administered to patients in intensive care during recovery from critical illness in the USA, the frequency and type of physiotherapy greatly varies between the type of hospital and clinical scenarios”. Labels: Health fitness Exercise, physical Exercise, Physical Fitness
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" Green tea extract reduced blood glucose in animals, helping prevent type 2 diabetes". Labels: Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise, Fat burners, Health Benefits, Health fitness Exercise
 Aerobic exercise gets the heart working to pump blood through the heart more quickly and with more force than normal. As blood is pumped faster, it must be oxygenated more quickly, which quickens respiration. Aerobic exercise strengthens the heart and boosts healthy cholestrol levels. Low impact aerobics include walking and swimming. Running, tennis and dance are high impact aerobics.
The word aerobic literally means "with oxygen" or "in the presence of oxygen". Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body. As the heart muscle becomes stronger and more efficient, a larger amount of blood can be pumped with each heartbeat. As a result, a fit individual can work longer, more vigorously and achieve a quicker recovery at the end of the aerobic session.
What things should I keep in mind before starting aerobic exercises?
There are three factors that you should keep in mind before starting any aerobic exercise.
Frequency: most experts believe that 3-5 times per week of aerobic activity is fine.
Duration: 20-60 minutes of an exercise session is considered optimal.
Intensity: This refers to the percentage of your maximum heart at which you work. Experts believe that achieving 60-90% of age-specific maximal heart rate should be the target of an aerobics session. Another simple measure of working at optimal intensity is the so called 'talk test’. You should be able to talk without gasping for air while working at optimal intensity. If you cannot, you should scale down. On the other hand if you are able to even sing then you should step up. Labels: Aerobic Exercise, Aerobic Exercise Rules
MOST very large people can do some or all of the physical activities in this booklet. You do not need special skills or a lot of equipment. You can do:
* Weight-bearing activities, like walking, climbing stairs, and golfing, which involve lifting or pushing your own body weight.
* Nonweight-bearing activities, like swimming and water workouts, which put less stress on your joints because you do not have to lift or push your own weight. If your feet or joints hurt when you stand, nonweight-bearing activities may be best for you.
* Lifestyle activities, like gardening or washing the car, which are great ways to get moving. Lifestyle activities do not have to be planned out ahead of time.
Remember that physical activity does not have to be hard or boring to be good for you. Anything that gets you moving around—even for only a few minutes a day—is a healthy start to getting more fit.
Walking (Weight Bearing)
The walking that you do during the day (like doing chores around the house or in the yard) can help you become more fit. But regular, steady walking that makes you breathe heavier can help you to be healthier. It will give your heart and lungs—as well as your leg muscles—a good workout.
Do I need to see my health care provider before I start being physically active?
You should talk to your health care provider if you:
* Have a chronic disease or have risk factors for a chronic disease, such as asthma or diabetes.
* Have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or a personal or family history of heart disease.
* Are pregnant.
* Are a smoker.
* Are unsure of your health status or have any concerns that exercise might be unsafe for you.
Chances are your health care provider will be pleased with your decision to start an activity program. It is unlikely that you will need a complete medical exam before you go out for a short walk.
If you are not active now, start slowly. Try to walk 5 minutes a day for the first week. Walk 8 minutes the next week. Stay at 8-minute walks until you feel comfortable. Then increase your walks to 11 minutes. Slowly lengthen each walk by 3 minutes—or walk faster.
Tips for Walking
* Wear comfortable walking shoes with a lot of support. If you walk frequently, you may need to buy new shoes often. You may wish to speak with a podiatrist about when you need to purchase new walking shoes.
* Wear garments that prevent inner-thigh chafing, such as tights or spandex shorts.
* Make walking fun. Walk with a friend or pet. Walk in places you enjoy, like a park or shopping mall.
To learn more, read the brochure walking...A Step in the Right Direction from the Weight-control Information Network (WIN). (This publication is available in English and Spanish.)
Dancing (Weight Bearing or Nonweight Bearing)
Dancing may help:
* Tone your muscles.
* Improve your flexibility.
* Make your heart stronger.
* Make your lungs work better.
You can dance in a health club, in a nightclub, or at home. To dance at home, just move your body to some lively music!
Dancing on your feet is a weight-bearing activity. Dancing while seated lets you move your arms and legs to music while taking the weight off your feet. This may be a good choice if you cannot stand on your feet for a long time.
See the list of additional resources at the end of this booklet for seated workout videos.
Water Workouts (Nonweight Bearing)
Exercising in water:
* Helps flexibility. You can bend and move your body in water in ways you cannot on land.
* Reduces risk of injury. Water makes your body float. This keeps your joints from being pounded or jarred and helps prevent sore muscles and injury.
* Keeps you refreshed. You can keep cool in water—even when you are working hard.
You do not need to know how to swim to work out in water—you can do shallow-water or deep-water exercises without swimming.
For shallow-water workouts, the water level should be between your waist and your chest. If the water is too shallow, it will be hard to move your arms underwater. If the water is deeper than chest-height, it will be hard to keep your feet on the pool bottom.
For deep-water workouts, most of your body is underwater. This means that your whole body will get a good workout. For safety and comfort, wear a foam belt or life jacket.
Many swim centers offer classes in water workouts. Check with the pools in your area to find the best water workout for you. Labels: Physical Activities for Large Persons...
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To help you choose the best equipment for your needs, check out consumer and fitness magazines that rate exercise equipment. Then test various pieces of equipment at a local gym, recreation center or retailer to find the machine or device that feels comfortable to you.
Check out the company's customer and support services. Call the advertised toll-free number to get an idea of how easy it is to reach a company representative and how helpful he or she is.
