Do you treat your cool down in the same way that you treat your post-workout stretching? You know you’re suppose to, but you usually skip it.
Women’s Health Magazine decided to ask their experts if this golden rule was an established fact from science or just the automatic set-up of the treadmill. Here’s what they discovered:
“Cooling down is not a joke according to Adam Friedman, Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute expert.
Though not mandatory, it is helpful to cool down when you’re working at a high intensity—which is at or above 85 percent of your maximum heart rate*.
When you’re pushing hard, your blood is moving quickly around your body to provide nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. When you stop immediately, the blood can sometimes draw back into the stomach area, occasionally leaving you feeling dizzy or nauseous.
But even if you feel a bit woozy, it’s not necessarily dangerous or harmful to your body—just a little uncomfortable.
What about the idea it can relieve muscle soreness?
It might relieve cramping, says Jordan D. Metzl, M.D., sports medicine physician, Hospital for Special Surgery, but it’s a myth that cooling-down can ease muscle soreness.
“When you’re sore, it’s really because you’ve made tiny tears in your muscles,” says Metzl. “Cooling-down won’t help that, and it won’t really help from an injury perspective.”
To sum it up: The next time you hit the treadmill, don’t worry about completing the 5-minute cool-down unless you’ve really been pushing yourself and need that time to catch your breath and stretch out your rubber legs. “
One is good, but two are better when working towards your health.
Use these combinations to reach each goal faster and reap the promised health benefits sooner.
1. Protect your heart
Green Tea + Lemon
2. Boost brainpower
Exercise + Music
3. Rev Immunity
Pot Roast + Carrots
4. Flush Fat
Burger + Frozen Yogurt
5. Save Your Eyesight
Salad + Avocado
6. Build Muscle
Weights + Stretching
7. Avoid metabolic syndrome
Meditteranean diet + nuts
8. Fight Fatigue
Eggs + Orange Juice
9. Bolster your memory
Curcumin + Black Pepper
10. Sidestep skin cancer
Caffeine + Cardio
According to Sympatico.ca
Sore after your workout? Maybe you should have downed a cup of joe to avoid that feeling. A small study suggests that caffeine may be used as a natural way to preemptively avoid muscle soreness. Read more…
The lack of activity in winter will not only affect your waistline, but it can also cause your sex drive to plummet. So instead of sitting down for another night of re-runs and a bowl of salty chips, why not try out the yoga set designed to improve your love life and sex drive.
The beginner, intermediate and advanced DVD’S focus on 5 key areas: your breathing, flexibility and strength, PC muscles, blood flow and sexual-core muscles, using a fusion of different forms of yoga.
Not only will you benefit in the bedroom, but you will also feel and see the results in your figure and health from regular yoga practice.
Parent’s have been implementing this rule for years, “Don’t go swimming! You just ate!”
Recent research shows that this well-intentioned warning may be nothing more than an old wives tale. This warning is based on the misinformed idea that the stomach will take away some of the oxygen needed by your muscles while swimming.
Dr. Peter Wernicki, aquatics chair of the American Red Cross advisory council on first aid, aquatics, safety and preparedness, says it is true some blood is shunted to the gut in digestion, reports Helen Branswell.
“(But) any healthy person has plenty of blood and plenty of oxygen and they can do both,” he says from Vero Beach, Fla.
“If you really are going to vigorously exercise - any exercise - eating a large meal beforehand is not a great idea,” Wernicki adds. “It can make you uncomfortable. It might affect your performance somewhat. But it’s not going to make you drown.”
To read more from MedBroadcast about the hour rule click here.
FRESNO, CA–(Marketwire - January 4, 2008) - Each year, as the calendar changes from December to January, millions of Americans resolve to shed the pounds that were packed on during the holidays and take other steps to get healthy in the New Year. New Year’s resolutions are as much of a part of January as New Year’s Day itself, and in 2008 celebrity fitness trainer Valerie Waters and California Raisins want your New Year to be all about being healthy and feeling great.
“For most people, getting fit and healthy is at the top of their list of New Year’s resolutions,” said Waters. “It’s a great time of the year to set priorities and focus on good health for the entire year to come — and the key is getting into a healthy routine.”
New Year - New You
Although Waters is known for helping her celebrity clients get in tip-top shape for television and movie roles, she believes that the basics of getting in shape and staying healthy in the New Year are the same for all of us. Waters offers the following healthy living tips for the New Year:
Get Motivated! Stay Motivated!
Studies show that motivation increases as you practice it, just like your strength increases the more you work your muscles. Waters added, “Start acting more motivated and you can become more motivated.” Following are Waters’ top five motivators:
1. Set a deadline. Few things will get you more committed than a deadline.
Whether it is your Hawaii vacation next month, or a self-imposed
deadline, circle that date, and start counting down!
2. Know where you are. Before you start your regimen, take your
measurements and weight. Write them down, so you can monitor your
progress. Seeing the numbers change will be rewarding and inspire you.
3. Know where you’re going. Set a clear and specific goal that is
measurable. For example, “I will weight 130 pounds by March 1″ or
“in six weeks I will be able to run a mile.” This helps you stay
focused and know when you’ve reached your goal. A statement such as,
“I want to be in better shape,” is too vague to truly motivate.
4. Try something new. If you’ve never taken a boxing class, hip-hop dance
classes, or Pilates, then do it! You’ll get in a workout, and have a
blast learning something new.
5. Get a workout buddy. Having someone to hold you accountable can make
a huge difference. Plus, you can motivate each other and share in the
pain… and the rewards!
Countdown to a New You!
To kick 2008 into high gear, California Raisins is announcing its New Year, New You sweepstakes. Consumers can go to www.LoveYourRaisins.com to enter to win a trip for two to Los Angeles where the winner will receive a one-on-one fitness training session with Valerie Waters. The trip includes round trip air transportation as well as ground transportation and hotel accommodations; a total sweepstakes value of $2,000. A complete set of sweepstakes rules and entry information is available online at www.LoveYourRaisins.com.
While registering for the sweepstakes, be sure to sign up for a complimentary California Raisin tote (while supplies last) filled with a California Raisin t-shirt, California Raisin snack packs, magnet and tips from Valerie Waters. The tote is perfect for packing a healthy lunch or taking to the gym.
“We are thrilled to continue working with Valerie Waters to kick-off a healthy 2008,” said Karla Stockli, Vice President of Marketing, California Raisin Marketing Board. “We hope that with her fantastic tips, you’ll find a healthy new you, in the New Year.”
And, here are some additional tips from Waters to keep a healthy routine going throughout the year:
– Eat more fiber. Beside the health benefits, fiber actually keeps you
feeling full longer which makes it easier for you to follow a healthy
eating plan. Sadly, most Americans consume less than half the daily
recommended 32 grams. The best way to get your recommended daily dose of
fiber is to spread it throughout the day by including fiber in each meal,
and by adding California Raisins to your morning oatmeal, lunchtime salad
or a snack is an easy solution.
– Get the family on board! Sticking to a healthy eating and exercise
plan is easier if it is a shared goal. Teach your kids that there is a
reward in the effort. For example, if you plan on exercising three times
per week, give yourself a check mark or gold star each time you or your
child completes the workout. At the end of the month, give yourself a
reward for a 90 percent or better completion. Your reward could be a movie
out, a new CD or even just a night off from the household chores. It won’t
be long before the reward is the increased self-esteem for sticking to a
desired goal.
– Start today with one wise choice. Many people get overwhelmed trying
to overhaul their lifestyle. They decide all at once to clean up their
diet, start exercising, quit smoking, quit caffeine, and learn to meditate.
Three days later they stop because it’s too hard. Start with one thing,
and make it a habit. Maybe it’s exercising three times per week. After a
couple of weeks, it won’t be such an effort. It’ll just be what you do.
Then add another good habit like bringing your healthy lunch to work every
day.
– Get the family involved when it comes to food. A great way to get the
entire family involved is a shared outing to a Farmers Market. Have each
person choose one new fruit or vegetable for the family to try. And, check
out our website www.LoveYourRaisins.com for new recipe ideas.
About the California Raisin Marketing Board
The California Raisin Marketing Board was created by a State Marketing Order in 1998 and is 100 percent grower funded. Its mission is to support and promote the increased use of California-grown raisins and sponsor crop production, nutrition and market research. To learn more about the California Raisin Marketing Board, visit its website at www.LoveYourRaisins.com.
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