Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Fitness Tips For Fathers


Men’s fitness does not naturally work itself out when fathers have a lot on their plate. Between a stressful day job and family obligations, often times single fathers end up taking their own physical condition and emotional state for granted. Being available to their children is important to them, but without taking good care of their own well being they run the risk of jeopardizing not only their health but the peace of mind of being active in their kids lives. A parent can not properly and fully nurture their children if they can’t function as care providers to their own selves. Here are important reminders every single dad should know when it comes to their fitness and health.

EXERCISING REGULARLY

Busy dads are often hard pressed to find available time for exercise, but by taking 10,000 steps a day will ensure the minimum required physical activity to keep active and in shape. Working dads can first aim for 3,000 then work their way up for a good cardio routine. Doing stretches as little as 5 minutes a day encourages flexibility, while keeping the heart rate up 60 minutes every week does wonders for a busy fathers stamina and endurance. To keep muscle tone, get into a strength training exercise with some 15 to 30 pound dumbbells for about 30 minutes every other day will do the trick. As men get older muscle tissue starts to get a little lean, and dads know that parenting requires all the energy and strength they’ll need in keeping up with their kids.

DAILY VITAMIN INTAKE

People do not get enough of the daily required amount of vitamins and minerals from food like they used to. As men get older, the risk of losing bone and muscle mass increases and nutrients that rebuild muscle and bone are of dire importance. Men under the age of 50 can benefit from daily multivitamin intake. These essential vitamins consist of the following: vitamin D (1000 ui) that promotes the immune system and helps fight off cancer; calcium (600 mg) for bone regeneration coupled with magnesium (200 mg) for better absorption of calcium; 2,500 units of vitamin A (retinal) which has antioxidant properties that neutralize free radicals. Although not a vitamin, studies show the benefits of taking 2 baby aspirins (162 mg total) will fight off cancer and heart disease.

EATING RIGHT

Proper nutrition is key to a single dads longevity. We have to be mindful of what we eat by making the right food choices and avoiding those that have no health benefits. A lot of the free radicals that wreak in the body increases as a man gets older, so eating 5-7 fist fulls of anti-oxidant rich fruits and veggies a day are weapons against these agents that accelerate aging. Brain degeneration is another risk factor as a man ages and eating food strong in Omega 3 fats (found in salmon and some nuts) is a way to prevent this from occurring. A daily intake of 12-25 grams of fiber helps the body eliminate harmful toxins. Avoidance of  high-sugar, high-fat proteins in food is recommended. Not only should we want to eat healthy, but also create a healthy lifestyle for our kids as well.

MONITORING HEALTH

The importance of keeping track of ones state of well being cannot be stressed enough. A dad has to know the condition his body is in- if his waistline is not more than half of his height in inches, his blood pressure reading (with a systolic value not greater than 140, while the diastolic no greater than 90), his cholesterol levels (LDL less than 100 and HDL greater than 40) and blood sugar level. As single dads, we need to take responsibility for our health by knowing what kind of medical health checks we need and when to have them administered. The standard medical exams include: an annual executive check-up, a dental check-up every 6 months, and bi-annual eye-exam. Single dads age 45 and older will benefit from having an echo-cardiogram, a stress test, and a colonoscopy. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the best way to avoid an illness is to nip them right at the bud before they even strike.

SLEEP SHOULDN'T BE UNDERESTIMATED

A lot of guy’s often boast that they’ll get enough shuteye when their dead, or tell themselves that sleep is for the weak. The lack of sleep makes the body vulnerable to illness and zaps the life out of any activity  or work during the waking hours. Getting enough sleep at the right times every night is important- sleep gives the body a chance to recuperate, and it uses that time to rebuild internal damage caused by daily activities bringing wear and tear to tissue and cells. That all being said, how well you take care of yourself will reflect on how attentive your kids will be towards their own health as they mature
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Thursday, June 7, 2012

8 Tips For Exercising In The Summer Heat

Summer weather in our valley makes it difficult to go outside and have fun. Still some of you love to keep your fitness routine of swimming, running or cycling. But the summer heat can be a real problem if you're not careful. The biggest problems are staying hydrated and maintaining your body's electrolytes and salt. When you sweat, your body loses water, electrolytes and salt. This delicate balance of water and electrolytes is crucial to keep your body functioning properly. If you don't drink enough water, you can get dehydrated and suffer from light-headedness and nausea. If you drink too much water without replenishing your electrolytes, you can experience hyponatremia. This can lead to confusion, nausea, muscle cramps, seizures or even death in extreme cases. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to exercising in our desert's heat:


1. The time of day is important. Avoid exercising from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. It's the hottest part of day. Generally, the early morning is the best time to workout, especially if it's going to be scorcher that day.


2. Wear loose, light-colored. The lighter color will help reflect heat, and cotton material will help the evaporation of sweat. You may also want to try specially designed, "hi-tech" running shirts and shorts. They are often made from material meant to keep you cool.


3. Sunscreen is a must. Use SPF 45 just to be safe. It's important to protect your skin. You can get burned and suffer sun damage to your skin even on cloudy days.


4. Stay hydrated. Before you go out, drink a glass or two of water. Think about taking a hydration pack with you. Take a drink every 15 minutes, even when you're not thirsty. When you're done with your workout, have a few more glasses of water.


5. Replenish your electrolyte and salt intake while exercising.


6. If possible, choose shaded trails or pathways that keep you out of the sun.


7. Check the weather forecast before you start your workout. If there's a heat advisory, meaning high ozone and air pollution, you might want to take your workout indoors. These pollutants can damage your lungs.


8. Most importantly, listen to your body. Stop immediately if you're feeling dizzy, faint or nauseous.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

How Positive Thinking Affects Physical Fitness

Every minute, someone makes a decision to incorporate a fitness program into their life.  And every minute, someone falls off of that same fitness program and loses all motivation to maintain a healthy lifestyle.  This happens because of negative self-talk. Here you’ll learn why negative self-talk can keep you from getting the results you want in your fitness programs.

Negative self-talk is a destructive habit that forms an essential defense mechanism that we often develop to protect ourselves.  Many people end up talking themselves out of actions that may be scary or uncomfortable.  "I can't do this" is really just a way of saying, "I don't want to deal with the experience of doing this."  We are all strongly influenced by our feelings, which often determine how we respond to certain challenges and what actions we ultimately take.  If the feelings are uncomfortable, uncertainty, fear, and negative self-talk arise; then, we often decide not to take any action at all.


Many people assume that if a past experience produced a certain result, nothing can be done to change that experience in order to produce a different result.  For example, "I've tried every fitness program and diet there is.  I know what I should do; I just can't do it." Please understand that you can make the choice not to repeat old patterns of eating poorly, staying inactive and thinking negatively.  You have the ability to choose the emotions you have.  If you don't like feeling guilty, frustrated, or doubtful, you can choose not to feel that way.  You, and no one else, must decide what is best for you.  To become successful at making healthy choices, you must avoid negative self-talk, and start practicing positive thinking.

Positive or negative self-talk can play a big part in your decisions.  Be on the "look-out” for negative self-talk and notice how it influences your choices.  Notice how it can negatively affect your efforts to change.  For example, perhaps you've just returned from a week's vacation where you took a break from exercise and tedious calorie counting.  You tell yourself, "I feel so fat and out of shape; I'm back where I started."  You feel guilty and frustrated.  "I don't have enough will-power to start all over again.  Maybe I'm just meant to be overweight and out of shape."  Feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, you give up.

First, reflect on the feelings you had before you decided to give up.  Your negative self-talk may overshadow the positive, healthy habits you learned before your vacation.  Ask yourself if these feelings are reasonable.  Are you really back to ground zero?  Of course you’re not.  You accepted change and developed a new way of living; these skills will be yours forever.  The vacation might even have done you some good; everyone needs a break sometime.  It's time now to tell yourself: "It felt good eating whatever I wanted and taking a break from exercising; I had a great time.  But now I'm going to focus on the reduced-calorie strategy, exercise program, and active lifestyle I enjoyed before my vacation.  There is no reason to beat myself up; I'll just take it one day at a time."  Rethink your previous decision and take action that will move you forward, towards more positive change.

Here are some steps you can take to keep a positive attitude and rid yourself of negative thoughts: 


•       Step #1: Every morning when you wake up, say something positive about yourself and your commitment to live a  healthier lifestyle.  For example: “I like myself and I’m committed to a healthier lifestyle.”

•       Step #2: After your workouts, always have a positive attitude about the workout and the way you are feeling at that particular moment.  Your endorphins will be peaking and this will help to promote a positive outlook. 

•       Step #3: Praise yourself for the hard work and commitment you made to complete your routine.  Even if it wasn’t the best workout you’ve ever had, it was still a workout.  “Something is better than nothing” is the attitude you need to have. 

•       Step #4: Spread your positive energy to the rest of the world.  Compliment at least one person daily.  The compliment can be about someone’s shoes, tie, smile, eyes, or something that just pops out at you about that person.  When you do this, more positive energy will come into your life.  This is called the Law of Giving and Receiving.  If you put positive energy out, it will come back to you.  If you put negative energy out, it will also come back to you.

•       Step #5: Before you go to bed, say something positive about yourself and reaffirm your commitment to live a healthier lifestyle. As you begin to understand your reasons for negative self-talk, you'll find yourself recognizing it more and more quickly when it occurs.  Eventually, as you practice, you'll be able to recognize and stop negative self-talk before it interferes with your decisions. It is very important to practice positive thinking and to remind yourself that you're a worthwhile person.  Consistently acknowledge that you are making positive changes to improve your health.  You should be proud of yourself.  Visualize yourself as capable, happy, and confident.  These positive feelings will help the process of change.

Good luck, stay positive, and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy lifestyle!



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