These days, it seems almost un-American to not be stressed. It's not that we want to be mentally and emotionally fried all the time, it just ends up happening anyway.

Methods of battling back against these unwanted feelings frequently involve time commitments (i.e. joining a yoga class, meditating, exercising, speaking with a therapist, etc.), which can itself lead to more stress.  Before long, you have a vicious, stressed-out circle.

Find Some Time

Take a really close look at your daily and weekly schedule and eliminate anything that is not absolutely necessary and replace it with an activity (or inactivity) that will allow you to chill out for a little while. Research has shown that short naps taken during the day, for example, can have a profoundly positive affect on your health, stress levels notwithstanding. The same has been shown in studies on regularly performed meditation.

Do whatever you have to in order to stress less. Your body will thank you for it.

Posted by FitBlogger at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Harmful Side-Effects of the LighterLife Diet -- That's Fit

Researchers Find 'Potential Cure' for Type 1 Diabetes -- Six Until Me 

How the Obamas Work Fitness Into Their Healthy Lives -- FitSugar

Melissa Joan Hart's Post-Pregnancy Fitness Secrets -- FitCeleb

How Strong is Your Stomach ... on the Inside? -- Men's Health 

Stay Fit on the Road With This Workout -- Women's Health

What's Hoopnotic Hoopdancing?  Ask Beyonce -- MakeoverMomma

Don't Slip-Up and Forget to Get Your Potassium -- Diet Blog

Should You Spend Money on a Personal Trainer? -- Divine Caroline

Ever Wonder How to Make Dried Fruit?  Find Out How -- Mark's Daily Apple

Posted by FitBlogger at 03:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Researchers from the University of Georgia claim that caffeine may help reduce pain. 16 study volunteers were asked to consume caffeine or a placebo one hour before peddling on a stationary bike for 30 minutes.

The exercise was purposely designed to make the volunteers' muscles ache, presumably with a high resistance setting on the bike. After the 30 minutes was up, volunteers who consumed caffeine before the exercise reported less thigh muscle pain than those who received the placebo.

So does this mean you should down a few Red Bulls before heading off to the gym? I'm not sure, really. Especially when you take into account that another study revealed that high amounts of caffeine can restrict blood flow to the heart during exercise by up to 39 percent.

As always, the jury is still out on caffeine. What are your thoughts? Is it healthy or not?

Posted by FitBlogger at 02:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We frequently write about the importance of eating the right carbohydrates. You know, the perenial "good" carbs vs. "bad" carbs argument.

Good carbs are those that are slower-digesting; they rank low on what is known as the glycemic index. Bad carbs, by contrast, digest very quickly, causing a spike in blood glucose levels -- which is hence their high rank high on the GI. That all said, it's helpful to know when the best time to eat both types of carbs happens to be. And, yes, there is a good time to eat a bad carb.

When is that good time to eat a bad carb? Right after you've finished a resistance training workout. To help replenish your body and begin the rebuilding process, you should consume a source of fast-digesting carbs. Examples of such carbs are bagels, white bread, white rice, potatoes, and sugary drinks.

When is it a good time to eat a good carb? With every meal, really -- except for the one just mentioned. You may also want to avoid carbs of any kind in your last snack before heading off to bed, but that's up to you. Otherwise, strive to eat several servings of good carbs throughout the day. Examples of good carbs include beans, whole grains, and vegetables.

Don't buy into that "carb-starve" nonsense. Carbs are a vital part of a healthy, well-rounded diet. The key is to be discerning when it comes to which kind of carbs you eat and when you eat them.

Posted by FitBlogger at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Be it soreness or injury, many people discontinue their workout program soon after starting because they experience physical discomfort. Normal delayed-onset muscle soreness is what you feel the day (or the day after that) following intense exercise. Your muscles are not accustomed to such stress, so they feel very taxed by the new workload. This is, as stated before, fairly normal. Does it being normal make it suck any less? Not really, but if it makes you feel better, this is a sign that your muscles are becoming stronger.

What's not normal is pain, which is usually caused by injury. Unlike delayed-onset sorness, an injury can be felt almost immediately or within a few hours. And, unlike muscle soreness, it does not always go away within a few days. What's more, exercising while injured will almost invariably exacerbate the problem, whereas soreness can be dealt with with rest and light exercise.

Posted by FitBlogger at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In a study of 18 volunteers who performed intense workouts over a fourteen day span, nine of them also performed lighter sessions the next day. Researchers found that both groups reported equal amounts of muscle soreness, indicating that performing the light workout did not cause any additional pain or damage to the body during its recovery from the heavy workout the day prior.

Some doctors actually suggest doing a light workout to help alleviate muscle soreness, as keeping your muscles in motion may provide some relief.

You may also find some relief in your diet.  Research has shown that vitamin C may also help your muscles bounce back quicker.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham divided a group of volunteers into three groups. Group 1 took 400mg of vitamin C daily, group 2 took 400mg of vitamin E, and group 3 took a placebo.

After three weeks, each group was asked to perform a stepping exercise for 60 minutes, after which time the researchers measured their muscle strength and degree of fatigue. They found that the group who had been taking vitamin C exhibited 85 percent greater post-exercise recovery than the other two groups.

Whether you choose to take the day off, or ease the soreness through light exercise and eating a few oranges, still make sure that you don't perform a heavy workout on consecutive days (unless you are working completely different body parts on each day). 

Posted by FitBlogger at 02:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An article in the International Journal of Sports Medicine reports that people who work out tend to have fewer germ-fighting resistance molecules in their saliva after working out than before they start. So, to help stave off sickness, always wash down machines and equipment before using it, assuming that the person who used it before you didn't. Also, try to keep your hands away from your face if possible, and wash them with soap and water before leaving the gym for the day.

As for immune-boosting foods, try to consume a diet rich in vitamin C, zinc, and garlic, as all have been shown to have some semblance of affect on preventing and/or reducing the duration of a cold.

Posted by FitBlogger at 02:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It seems to make sense that the more water you drink, the more bloated you will become. Although this is probably true if you're talking about ridiculous (and potentially dangerous) amounts of water consumption, it's not true at all when you just mean average daily intake. In fact, the opposite is actually true. If you don't keep yourself properly hydrated, your body begins to retain water, making you look and feel more bloated.

This water conservation occurs naturally once our bodies switch into survival mode. If we're depriving ourselves of enough water, our body responds by replacing water at the first opportunity and then storing it. The end result can mean a bit of puffiness and softness to your physique.

The good news is that this is a very fixable problem. Drink more water -- at least 2 to 3 liters per day.  Not wearing a sailor costume (or is it a school uniform?) in public may also help.

Posted by FitBlogger at 09:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

1 - In a Yoga session, where it is performed with precision and purpose;

2 - Before and/or after a workout, when it is done as more of an afterthought;

3 - Not at all.

Save for the first way mentioned, stretching is something most people kind of do (or don't do) because they think they're supposed to. It loosens you up before exercising, and it helps ease muscle tension caused by a workout. But does it really do those things?

There's plenty of research that suggests stretching doesn't do anything in the way of preventing injury. What's more, some studies even show that pre-exercise stretching can reduce strength and power during a workout. Does that mean that we are just wasting our time?

Not entirely. Just as there's plenty of evidence suggesting that stretching is worthless, there's also plenty that demonstrate the myriad benefits. Most recently, the National Institute of Health released the results of a study showing that stretching and strength training twice a week may help reduce the risk of exercise-related injury by as much as 45 percent.

So, until we know for sure whether all that reaching, twisting, and contorting is either good or bad for us, I guess it's a personal judgment call. If it works for you -- great. Keep doing it. If you hate it, well, it seems as though you can safely do without it. Well, depending on which study you believe, that is.

Posted by FitBlogger at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Many people continue to turn to low-carb diets to help them lose weight. Is this a good idea? Yes and no.

Yes, if we're talking about eliminating mostly fast-digesting carbs, such as white rice, sweets, and sugary soft drinks.

No, if it means removing all carbs from our diet, even those that are shown to be quite good for us, such as whole grains and vegetables.

Whichever the case, many people still wonder if a low-carb diet of any kind is good for the heart.

It is indeed, says a study from the University of Connecticut. In fact, this same UConn study shows just the opposite: a low-carb diet may actually be good for your heart. According to researchers, study volunteers who limited their carb consumption were able to reduce their LDL cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol, and lower triglycerides.

But, this doesn't mean that you want to do that "carb-starve" nonsense. As stated before, just do your best to be choosy with your carbs, sticking with vegetables and whole grains as your primary sources.

Posted by FitBlogger at 09:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)