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I am both humbled and honored to receive the THE LEADERSHIP AWARD 2022 for “Healthcare Innovator Enterprise of The Year- Sports & Fitness”.As a niche fitness offering backed by years of research and development, experience in exercise science and for innovating DRXFIT- THE PT HUB which, maintains a unique position among fitness brands spreading result oriented fitness lessons and awareness. Fitness is a way of life and you can enjoy the benefits of fit life throughout your lifetime by following our principles. Join us in helping spread the word among your family, friends and work colleagues. Stay fit. Stay health

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How To Increase HGH Naturally

HGH or Human growth hormone, is an endogenous hormone (secreted by human pituitary gland) and is responsible for growth and development in children. The secretion of growth hormone is highest in childhood years and decline as the person ages.

In the absence of growth hormone, children may not reach their normal genetic height. Researchers and scientists attribute aging signs to partial decline in the serum levels of growth hormone and currently research is underway to slow down the aging process with supplemental growth hormone formulations.

HGH or Human Growth Hormone is secreted by the anterior pituitary gland in the brain and it plays a vital role in the proper functioning of your body.Acting as your body’s foreman, HGH instructs your skeletal bone and muscle to grow larger and stronger while it speeds the conversion of excess fats into energy.In other words, it’s responsible for youth, vitality, energy and all of the health benefits we associate with youth.

HGH promotes growth in children and plays an important role in adult metabolism. The body secretes the hormone, in decreasing amounts, throughout our lifetimes. The amount of hormone in the body can be measured by levels of IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor). Growth hormone has a profound effect on all the cells of the body, more than any other hormone because it is the cell generator.

Although the amount of growth hormone your body produces is genetically determined , there are a few things you can do to make the pituitary gland produce more growth hormone naturally:

1) SLEEP PROPERLY AND RESTFULLY

In a normal individual, most of the human growth hormone is produced during deep stages of sleep. Research suggests that the quality and duration of sleep plays a very important role in the growth and development due to alterations in the production of growth hormone. An average of 7 to 9 hours of quality uninterrupted sleep helps in naturally increasing your hormone secretion. Although time of the day doesn’t matter but night-sleep is more helpful because of higher melatonin secretion (due to dark). You can improve your sleep quality by using methods below

Adjust the temperature of your room before going to bed.

Limit your soda, caffeine and water intake before bedtime.

If you have trouble sleeping, you can also get benefitted from aromatherapy, sound therapy and massage therapy.

2) LOSE BODY FAT

The amount of body fat you carry is directly related to your HGH production. Those with higher body fat levels or more belly fat will likely have impaired HGH production and an increased risk of disease.

In one study, individuals with 3 times the amount of belly fat had less than half the amount of HGH as lean individuals.

Interestingly, research suggests that excess body fat affects HGH levels more in men. However, lowering body fat is still key for both genders. One study found that obese individuals had lower IGF-1 and HGH levels. After losing a significant amount of weight, their levels returned to normal.

Belly fat is the most dangerous type of stored fat and is linked to many diseases. Losing belly fat will help optimize HGH levels and other aspects of your health.

3) STOP EATING BEFORE BEDTIME

Healthcare providers advice to avoid consumption of heavy meals 2 to 3 hours before bedtime. This is important for a number of reasons besides a higher risk of obesity and impaired digestion. This includes an impaired insulin response and resulting impairments in the secretion of human growth hormone. Serological testing indicates that the secretion of human growth hormone decreases when the insulin levels are high in the body.

4). FAST INTERMITTENTLY

As discussed previously, higher insulin levels in the serum eventually decreases the serum production of human growth hormone. For best results, intermittent fasting is suggested not only for a better blood sugar profile and optimal digestion, but also for the higher release of human growth hormone. The duration of intermittent fasting greatly varies, but(According DRS research) generally a fast of 12 t0 18 hours per day is generally considered sufficient thrice in a week for health benefits and to increase human growth hormone production

5). Exercise smarter

.It is known that your body increases HGH production with intense physical training.Keep your workouts short (try to finish your workout in 45-60 minutes or less) and heavy.Training for more than 90 minutes will decrease HGH and testosterone because of the increase of the stress hormone levels. ( Cortisol ) Some experts say that even intense cardiovascular workout can help increase the growth hormone,but it depends on the activity we are doing.Take the DRS XFIT workouts for example.6). Cleanse Your Liver

Liver is the primary and most important organ for detoxification of bodily wastes. If you have poor dietary habits, you are very likely to have an unhealthy liver (that may not produce any disease symptoms but it may stop your liver from performing to its full extent). In order to achieve the benefits of human growth hormone, it is very important to cleanse your liver. This can be achieved by limiting the intake of processed, toxic foods and eliminating alcohol and exogenous drugs from your diet.

Research suggests that all the HGH produced by the pituitary gland is taken up by liver and metabolized to produce IGF-1 (or insulin like growth factors) that is responsible for anti- aging, protein building, growth and development functions of HGH.

7) Laugh More :-)(As I always recommend )

Being happy is another way of increasing your human growth hormone levels (by suppressing the release of stress hormones). Indulge yourself in positive and fun activities like watching movies and having fun with friends. Researchers from Loma Linda University proved that the serum concentration of HGH increases 87% after watching a fun/ comedy movie.

8) Proper nutrition

.Eating lots of protein ( lean meats,eggs,cottage cheese), low glycemic carbs ( fruits, vegetables) and healthy fats (nuts,olive oil) , while reducing starchy and high glycemic carbohydrates can help you increase hgh and testosterone.Try to eat most of your protein about 2 hours before and immediately after your workout.

9) Supplements

Taking supplements like amino acids is shown to increase HGH levels in humans. Taking these particular amino acids may show an increase in HGH levels: – L Arginine, L Lysine, L Glutamine, Glycine, L Tyrosine and GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid)

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5 Reasons For Using HCG Diet For Losing Weight:

Weight loss is vast subject and complex too. Experts are coming up with new weight loss diet plan, drugs, or therapy on regular basis to address different weight loss needs of individuals around the world.

The body type differs according to the origin, age, and gender of the person. The weight loss pattern may also keep on changing as per the body type and hence there is constant need for innovation in this segment. The new addition made by the experts in the weight loss industry to overcome the issues like stagnant weight that would require advanced weight loss technique is HCG Diet Plan.

The idea of HCG diet is to add the HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) hormone to the body which would increase the metabolism and burn the stored fat. The HCG levels usually increase during pregnancy but here this hormones are artificially induced in the body. There are many reasons why one may go for this diet to lose weight and some key reasons are mentioned here.

1. Weight Loss Without Exercise

When you are suffering from obesity, it is difficult to indulge into vigorous workout regime. The doctors also don’t recommend any sort of physically straining exercise to the person suffering from excess weight as it would exert unnecessary pressure on heart and joints. HCG will increase your metabolism and hence naturally burn the fat without affecting you adversely.

2. You Are Not Starving

Many diet plans are really very difficult to follow and this is because there are lots of cuts on food intake. Enhanced HCG naturally burns your fat and utilizes it to meet with the calorie deficit. You will feel fuller for long and the standard HCG diet plan is also well-designed to avoid starving. Inclusion of some of your favorite foods in HCG diet would keep you away from food cravings.

3. Weight Loss Is Very Fast

As there is sharp increase in metabolism, sufficient reduction in calorie intake, and quick fat burning, those on HCG diet may start losing weight very fast. Some people may also get the weight loss of up to 1 lb per day. The HCG diet plans are offered from 15 days to 90 days and one would lose up to 90 lbs in the 90 days plan. To get the desired results, you would be required to follow the diet plan strictly along with regular HCG drops.

4. Keeps You Active And Energetic

HCG is the pregnancy hormone and hence it also imbibes energy in your body while helping you lose weight. You will get agile and active because of lighter body and extra energy offered by HCG. There would be visible difference in your entire lifestyle with this super hormone.

5. It Is Easy To Follow

Unlike many other weight loss diets, HCG diet is easy to follow and is quite fast in giving results. You don’t have to continue it for lifetime and hence the commitment to the diet will last for long. Once you take up this diet, the results would help you stick to it till the target weight is achieved.

Getting to your desired weight is now very easy with this well-researched HCG diet. All you need to do is go for it and enjoy the results that make you feel younger in no time.

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EASE IN MUSCLE SORENESS BY DOING THIS!

Today we will discuss a bit about muscle soreness. What it is, how it comes about, the myths and the realities.

Muscle soreness is probably the most debated topic in sports with or without weights. It manifests as a burning sensation, tightening pain and more or less unpleasant as soon as you move them the next morning.

Let’s try to reach the objective here.

Muscle soreness is, as I said, the feeling of pain that occurs after about 8 hours of forcing your muscles to the limit. Until recently, studies of fitness have claimed that muscle soreness occurs due to an accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles during exercise. The latest study has come to refute this.

The main reason for developing muscle soreness according to recent studies is that lactic acid is washed out at a rate of over 90% in the first hour of training. Also regarded as a valid explanation, is the appearance of microcellular muscle tears. This micro-trauma and oxidative stress are caused by free radicals produced during exercise effects on the muscle and connective tissue. Thus, once the nerve receptors have recovered there is a feeling of pain or muscle soreness. It occurs around 8 hours after the exercise, with the pain at its peak somewhere between 1 to 3 days and disappears completely after about 5 to 7 days, depending on rest and exercise intensity.

How do we train with muscle soreness? There are also some controversial theories such as “habit cures habit” that is partially true. In no way should you complete the next workout with immense power, especially when the muscles have been affected by muscle fever. Choose a workout to work other muscle groups, or complete a circuit-type training with less intensity on the affected muscle groups.

Muscle soreness is a gauge of the effectiveness of training. In general, you can use muscle soreness as an indicator of the effectiveness of training, but nothing is set in stone. It is not necessary to reach to the level of muscle soreness in order for an exercise to be effective. This is a genetic predisposition and pain tolerance of each individual. Overall, intense muscle soreness may be an indicative of a physically powerful workout too great for the muscle groups and a lack of muscle soreness may be evidence of a not so effective workout. Slight muscle soreness means a good workout. Again, these rules are not set in stone. Strength, appearance or absence of muscle fever varies from person to person.

How do you prevent muscle soreness or make it go away more rapidly?

The cure for muscle soreness is relatively simple. If you gradually increase the strength and endurance of your muscles and you stretch and warm up properly before the activity you will be engaging in, they will not get as sore and a cooling down session / stretching after training is just as important. Adding a good ratio of carbohydrates and protein, eating correctly and getting a good night’s sleep will help to rebuild those muscles after training.

Taking nutritional supplements and antioxidants in the diet is also a good measure. To speed up the passage of fever, besides a good diet and exercising properly is to have the sore muscles massaged followed by a warm bath in sea salt. Inflammatory pills or other medication is contraindicated except for aspirin.

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This Is What Happens To Your Body When You Stop Exercising

Getting in shape is hard work, so who wouldn’t want some down time? But don’t quit moving just yet, because letting all your hard work go down the drain is not your goal. When you stop exercising, your body goes through many physical changes that can be unhealthy for you.

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOUR BODY WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

A body at rest tends to stay at rest while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. Although this is a tenet of physics and momentum, it happens to be true for physical activity as well.

Those who make a healthy habit of exercise reap the rewards of feeling better so they tend to keep up the work. Once you slack off and stop exercising, your body experiences several changes for the worse.

FITNESS LEVEL CHANGES WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

For an athlete, the effects of not exercising are more profound than they would be for a recreational exerciser. Stopping a fitness regimen for a regular person might show health decreases over a month or two but an athlete will experience these negative health changes almost immediately.

WHAT HAPPENS TO HEART HEALTH WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

Your blood pressure is higher on the days that you don’t workout compared to the days that you do. If you go even longer without exercise, after a month of not exercising your blood pressure will return to where it was prior to starting any fitness routine.

It can take you longer to get back into your routine once you start due to the need to start slowly. When you go from a period where you have stopped exercising to beginning again, you increase your risk of cardiac events, such as heart attack. The Centers for Disease Control recommends starting a fitness program slowly after a period of inactivity to reduce this risk rather than going into an intense cardio workout.

EFFECTS ON YOUR BLOOD WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

VO2 Max, or your maximum capacity to carry oxygen in your blood, is one of the most immediate changes that doctors can measure in the body when you stop exercising. Your breathing rate increases as you exercise, increasing your VO2 Max. Without the increase in respiration, your ability to oxygenate your blood decreases.

“There are studies indicating a decline of 7 to 10% of VO2 after 12 days of sudden inactivity, 14 to 15% after 50 days, and 16 to 18% after 80 days ,Maximal values for cardiac output, stroke volume [the amount of blood pumped out of the heart during each contraction] and ability of mitochondria to extract oxygen each decline along the same lines while the heart rate increases.

Your blood sugar or glucose also increases when you stop exercising. Without muscles working to use up the excess sugar in your blood, that glucose stays in the blood. As a result, staying sedentary increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

EFFECTS ON MUSCLES AND JOINTS WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

When you exercise your muscles, tiny tears make them grow bigger and stronger as they heal. Without exercise, your muscles begin to atrophy, causing you to lose muscle mass and strength. Regular exercise gives you benefits of flexibility and coordination as well as strength.

When you stop exercising, you lose mitochondria which are the cells within your muscles that convert that oxygen into energy. In a British study, 2 weeks of immobilization decreased muscle mitochondrial content as much as 6 weeks of endurance training increased it.

Without that fat burning function of your muscles, your metabolism slows down. This can lead to weight gain or even just a change in body fat percentage. In findings published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, a 5-week exercise break boosted collegiate swimmers’ fat mass by 12 percent.

EFFECTS ON YOUR BRAIN WHEN YOU STOP EXERCISING

Your brain releases endorphins when you exercise, so quitting exercise means no more pleasure sensations from the runner’s high. The positive mood regulating effects of exercise will disappear once you stop exercising.

According to the CDC, “Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and may help you sleep better. Research has shown that doing aerobic or a mix of aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities 3 to 5 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can give you these mental health benefits. Some scientific evidence has also shown that even lower levels of physical activity can be beneficial.”

Regular exercise also helps memory function on the brain. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrated that exercise in older adults increased the size of the hippocampus, an area of the brain that helps with memory. Stopping exercise for as little as a week results in fewer brain cells growing in this area of the brain.

Avoid the negative health and fitness consequences of retraining your body by sticking with your workout. If you do need a break from exercise, try to still get a brisk walk in at least once per week to maintain some of the health benefits of exercise.

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How Much Should I Eat Per Day To Gain Muscle Mass?

In order to gain muscle mass, you should take in about 15 calories per each pound of your body weight. If you have 180 pounds, you should eat about 2700 calories per day to gain muscle mass.

Of course, if you’re doing exercises daily and you’re burning about 500 calories through your fitness routine, you will add 500 calories to your daily calorie intake. So in this case, a 180-pound man should eat about 3200 calories per day to gain muscle mass.

But if you want to gain muscle mass, you can’t just eat any kind of foods until you get those 2700 calories and then stop eating. You need to know what kind of foods are good for your body and for your muscle gain goal. You need to know how many carbs, proteins and fats you should eat in a day to get those 2700 calories in and to gain muscle mass.

HOW TO GAIN MUSCLE MASS

Here is how you can calculate your carbs, protein and fats intake for a day, if you want to gain muscle mass:

2 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. If you weigh 180 pounds, you should have about 360 grams of carbs in your daily food intake.

Between 1 and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If you weigh 200 pounds, you should have about 180 – 270 grams of protein in your daily food intake.

0.4 grams of fat per pound of body weight. If you weigh 180 pounds, you should have about 72 grams of fat in your daily food intake.

So if you note your body weight with W, here is the math behind gaining muscle mass (all number are for one day only):

CALORIES = W x 15 grams

FAT = W x 0.4 grams

PROTEIN = W x 1.5 grams

CARBOHYDRATES = W x 2 grams

Now that you know how many calories you should eat in a day to gain muscle mass, all you have to do is to find a perfect workout for you and add some physical activity in your daily schedule. This will increase your daily calorie intake with 100-500 calories, depending on the intensity of the workout you’re performing.

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Foods That Will Help You Get A Flat Stomach

Vitamin D rich foods such as eggs and salmon can help in the metabolism of fat. Cucumbers and dry fennel seeds reduce stomach bloating and also aid digestion. Greek Yogurt and olive oil reduces cortisol levels, a hormone that stores fat. Regular consumption of whole grains like popcorn, oats and wheat and adequate hydration can also help.

Stomach fat can be due to an array of factors. Lack of exercise, over sleeping the afternoons, as well as an unhealthy diet and lifestyle may collectively lead to this particular state. Here are the surprising foods for flat stomach, which will help you shed inches and pounds and also to banish the bloat.

Foods for Flat Stomach

Salmon: Salmon is an excellent source of Vitamin D. Insufficient blood levels of Vitamin D have been linked to obesity, including abdominal obesity. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon and other fatty fish can also help flatten your belly.

Eggs: If you want to lose some fat around the middle, eggs are a great way to start your day. Eggs provide Vitamin D and choline known for playing a role in fat metabolism.

Cucumbers: Cucumbers are loaded with water and naturally low in calories to help with hydration and weight management. One whole cucumber has just 45 calories and eating them can also help you fight belly bloat.

Fennel Seeds: Dried fennel seeds are very nutritious, containing fiber, magnesium, calcium and iron, and they have long been used as a digestive aid. Fennel helps to relax the gastrointestinal muscles, which helps trapped gas pass to alleviate bloating

Yogurt: Yogurt is a good source of calcium, a mineral that slows production of the hormone cortisol, which encourages belly fat.

Olive Oil: Healthful monounsaturated fats found in olive oil could potentially switch on genes related to the burning and storage of fat.

Whole Grains: Whole grains including quinoa, popcorn, oats and wheat — can help flatten your tummy. The USDA recommends healthy adults consume about six ounces of total grains per day, and that at least half of those grains should be whole grains.

Water: Drinking enough water is helpful to flatten your tummy. Water is essential for moving fiber through the GI system and preventing constipation.

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COFFEE VS. TEA – WHAT HAS BETTER HEALTH BENEFITS?

The vast majority of us drink some sort of caffeinated beverage. In fact, 90% of people in the world use caffeine in one form or another. 80% of Indian adults consume caffeine every day – the average adult has an intake of 200 mg per day, the amount in two 5-ounce cups of coffee or four sodas. Coffee and tea are two of the most popular caffeinated beverages in the world. Each offer an array of health benefits but which one is truly better for you?

ENERGY

It takes about 10 minutes for your body to feel caffeine’s effects. Caffeine makes your body release hormones that keep you active and awake, boosting your heart rate and blood pressure. On average, coffee contains double the amount of caffeine as tea. One 8 oz. cup of tea averages anywhere from 14 to 61 mg of caffeine while there is at least 95 grams of caffeine in an 8 oz. cup of coffee.

What is Better: Coffee

GENERAL HEALTH

A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that among older adults, those who drank coffee (caffeinated or decaf) had a lower risk of dying from diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other medical complications than non-coffee drinkers. Men who drank 2 to 3 cups a day had a 10 percent chance of outliving those who drank no coffee, while women had a 13 percent advantage. Many of us look at coffee just as a vehicle to get caffeine into our body, but we forget that the coffee bean itself has tons of different compounds and antioxidants. Coffee contains a good amount of vitamins and minerals. It is also the biggest source of antioxidants in the modern diet. While both coffee and tea are high in antioxidants that help neutralize harmful free radicals in our bodies, there are more antioxidants in a cup of coffee than in a cup of tea.

Tea also contains many health benefits, especially green tea. Green tea doesn’t oxidize (which is how black and oolong teas are made), so it contains more health-boosting antioxidants called catechins—especially the cancer fighter epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). EGCG is an antioxidant that recharges the white blood cells that prevent viruses from reactivating.

What is Better: Both

WEIGHT LOSS

The caffeine content found in coffee and tea gives you that much needed energy boost so you can have a more vigorous workout, resulting in more calories burned. In addition, consuming caffeine jumpstarts the process of lipolysis, which is when your body releases free fatty acids into the bloodstream. This occurs when your body is breaking down your fat stores to convert it into energy. In other words, caffeine can increase your metabolism and help you burn more fat. Caffeine has also been shown to slightly reduce appetite. However, drinking green tea daily could trim about an inch off your waistline in 12 weeks, according to a recent American Journal of Clinical Nutrition review. That’s because EGCG and caffeine in green tea can help shrink fat cells and makes muscle cells more active.

What is Better: Tea

MUSCLE GROWTH

While tea may be better for weight loss and burning fat, coffee is the winner when it comes to packing on lean muscle due to its higher caffeine content. Caffeine can stimulate your muscles and help you push through more reps. Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln reported that weight-trained men who drank coffee one hour before working out raised the number of repetitions they could complete on the bench press. In another study, they also reported that taking caffeine before a workout session allowed them to lift 5 more pounds than normal on the bench press.

What is Better: Coffee

BETTER MOOD

Coffee is more known to give you energy while tea has been linked to calming your nerves, which is due to the L-theanine found in tea. L-theanine is an amino acid responsible for increasing alpha brain wave activity, which promotes relaxation and decreased anxiety. In fact, according to a recent study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, tea drinkers experienced a decreased heart rate simply by smelling their tea.

What is Better: Tea

CONCLUSION

As you can see, both coffee and tea offer a range of health benefits and provide different types of better benefits from one another. While I don’t recommend drinking coffee and tea at all times of the day due to its caffeine content, a few cups a day is perfectly fine and may offer some real good health benefits. You should have no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day to really reap the true benefits of these beverages. If you are sensitive to caffeine intake then stick with decaff. You can still get many of those same health benefits from decaffeinated beverages. So enjoy your beverage and remember to take your coffee breaks or meditative tea breaks every so often; humans have been doing it for thousands of years.

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The Truth About Core Exercises

Grab your anatomy book and look up the word “core”. You won’t find  it. That’s because the entire concept of Core Exercises is a made up marketing term. Your “core”, as the term is commonly used, can refer to anything in your mid-torso. This includes muscles such as your rectus abdominis, your lower back, and the internal and external obliques. The truth is, there is nothing special about working these muscles that make them any more important than the muscles in your limbs, upper torso, or any other part of your body.

Working your ‘core’ is supposed to bring about a whole lot of health benefits. A simple Google search of “benefits of a strong core” brings up these results:

“Core exercises improve your balance and stability.”

“Core exercises train the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony. This leads to better balance and stability, whether on the playing field or in daily activities.”

“Core strength is the ability to support your spine and keep your body stable and balanced.”

“Core strength allows you to perform manual tasks safely and effectively in everyday life.”

Those seem like relatively innocent claims at first blush, but think about it for a minute. Consider the claim that “Core exercises train your muscles to work in harmony.” What on earth is it supposed to mean for your muscles to “work in harmony”? Have you ever experienced attempting to do a task and finding that one of your muscles simply fails to cooperate? If you experience that level of loss of executive function, you need a neurologist, not a yoga mat. What they are most likely trying to refer to here is your brain’s ability to learn skill patterns, and direct your muscles more efficiently. This is something that your brain learns to do through repeated action, not something that you can ‘train’ your muscles themselves to do, and not something that will come about due to a stronger torso.

Core strength is also often cited as being responsible for improving balance and coordination. An article by Reader’s Digest Best Health claims that “when you’ve got a strong core, ‘everything else will fit into place on top of it,’ meaning your overall fitness will improve, making you less prone to injury down the road.” This simply doesn’t make sense. Nothing in your body is going to “fit into place” and become stronger on its own without taking direct action to make it stronger. To strengthen your entire body and improve your overall fitness, you need to do a training regimen that targets your entire body.

The big idea behind strengthening your core to improve balance is that you can “stabilize” your spine by working the muscles there. However, balance is a skill. It has more to do with your brain than your muscles, because your muscles don’t make decisions. You don’t learn to balance while riding a bike by doing lots of squats and crunches, you learn to balance while riding a bike by riding a bike. Your brain learns which muscles to engage to keep you balanced. While there is some correlation between your ability to balance and function and the condition of your muscles, it is not more important to work your abdominal muscles in this regard. It is just as important to strengthen and tone your hips, shoulders, and legs.

This same flaw in logic is what brought us the idea of “spot reduction”. You don’t improve balance by targeting only one muscle, and you don’t get rid of fat by targeting only one area. Spot reduction is the idea that you can get rid of fat in a particular area of your body by concentrating your exercise in that area. But your body just doesn’t store and use energy that way. When your muscles need energy to work, they don’t just grab it from the nearest pile of fat. Fat is burned when the calories that you are using are outpaced by the calories you are taking in.

According to Matt Brzycki in A Practical Approach to Strength Training, “Managing your weight boils down to the mathematical interplay of two variables: caloric consumption and caloric expenditure. If you consume (eat) more calories than you expend (use), you’ll gain weight. If you expend (use) more calories than you consume (eat), you’ll lose weight.” What this means is that you are not going to get rid of your gut by exclusively doing crunches.

While it is certainly important to strengthen and improve your abdominal and lower back muscles, it is not more important than training any of your other muscles. In order to improve coordination, balance, performance, and health, you will see more results by strengthening your body in a balanced way with a strength training program that targets all of the major muscle groups by doing a comprehensive total body workout and not just Core Exercises.

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Science Backed Benefits of Weightlifting for Seniors

The aging process is a daunting and inevitable one. Which is why effort and action must be taken to improve the overall health, longevity, and quality of life. Despite this, 80% of adults are not engaging in enough physical activity to reach prescribed guidelines. In general, but especially for seniors, inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle are extremely dangerous. What are the dangers exactly? Increased risk of serious adverse health conditions such as blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, obesity, cholesterol issues, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cancer, depression, and death from any cause. In 2008 there were 5.3 million deaths worldwide caused by a lack of physical activity out of the 57 million deaths worldwide. Many people know weightlifting is hugely beneficial but think light walking or recreational activity is “good enough” for seniors. There is this misconception that older aged individuals should stay away from any strenuous activity that can build strength like weightlifting. Continuing on completely unaware of the benefits of strength training. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Because of this, I spent hours upon hours researching and reading over 200 scientifically backed, peer-reviewed studies, 126 of which were used specifically for this article. All in order to provide you with the benefits of strength training for older adults and elderly.

Physical Fitness for Healthy Aging: Is resistance training with weights safe? It is a good question. At any age there is a level of “danger” that comes with weightlifting in all of its forms. But are there greater risks or dangers for those who are in the older populations?  There have been hundreds, if not thousands, of studies with volunteers from ages 55-90 weight training. Training with weights, whether that be heavy or light, has been shown to be a safe, enjoyable, and beneficial activity for older adults and the elderly.But, as with all ages, there is always a risk of injury. To keep it safe, studies suggest using safe equipment, careful warming up and cooling down, and a focus on using the correct range of motion is important. You should be sharing your new or current physical endeavors with your doctor and get the two thumbs up from them as well.What about the type of training? The safest type of training focuses on progressive increases in intensity, much like the

Stronglifts DRS Workout

. The focus being on power development that increases the speed of force production.Through this training, the level of cardiovascular and musculoskeletal fitness improves. These improvements are a key factor in injury prevention among older adults and the elderly. This is especially true for seniors who hope to remain active in their favorite actities and sports. For example, strength training for golf is known to significantly aid in injury prevention.So not only is weightlifting safe, there are also ways to increase the level of safety of the activity. All while playing a major role in reducing the overall chance of injury.

10 benefits of weightlifting for age-related muscle loss/sarcopenia for seniors

As age increases, muscle mass and strength decreases.  From age 50 muscle mass begins to decrease by 1-2% annually. In your 50s, muscle strength starts to fall by 1.5% and from age 60 and older it begins to decrease by 3% annually. It is estimated that 5-13% of elderly people in the age range of 60-70 years old and 11-50% for those aged 80 or above suffer from sarcopenia (age-related muscle loss).This issue can lead to an increase in frailty and a significant increase in the risk of falls.The continued loss of lean muscle mass with age adds to the development of age-related metabolic dysfunction.Strength Training for Muscle Mass & Strength1. Although it may be obvious, picking things up and putting them down improves muscle mass and muscle quality.2.  While your building that muscle you are also experiencing Increases in general strength, maximal strength, and muscle power.Resistance Training Benefits For Endurance & Efficiency3.  Not only will you be building muscle, your overall endurance will have a boost as well. Weightlifting improves the endurance of the muscles themselves, aerobic conditioning, and walking speed. Participants also demonstrated an increase in VO2 max. The max amount of oxygen you can use during exercise. 4.  These improvements in endurance were also seen by increasing cycling economy and the overall gross efficiency, the amount of energy produced in relation to the total energy used. Think about gross efficiency as trying to start a fire. If you did it by rubbing sticks together it will take a great deal of energy to produce the fire. In comparison, just flicking a lighter and holding it on for a little requires less energy.The greater the gross efficiency the more energy produced in comparison to the energy used.Weight Training Benefits On The Cellular Level5. These endurance and efficiency improvements had some support on the molecular level. Support came from higher levels of blood lactate concentrations, hemoglobin, and capillary-to-fibre ratios. 6.  The increases in blood lactate and hemoglobin both play roles in increasing performance capacity.  While the increased capillary-to-fibre ratios allow for greater delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscles. All together empowering muscles to perform optimally.How Strength Training Improves Lifting & Life7. Long-term lifting is the best way to prevent age-related muscle loss from ever becoming an issue. 8.  One study found that strength-trained masters athletes (older adults with long-term strength training) have an overall higher muscle force-generating capacity and level of overall functional performance. Physically active adults with a consistent level of recreational activity were significantly outperformed by “The Masters”. So what if you weren’t ahead of the curve and have limited to no experience in weightlifting? Don’t stress, you don’t need to hit the gym five times a week for hours at a time.In fact, one study took the guesswork out for you. They even took it a step up by studying this in osteosarcopenia obesity. This is a new geriatric syndrome that is a combination of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and increased fat mass.9.  What they found was that by doing 1 set of exercises three times a week were enough to provide increases in strength, skeletal muscle mass, and decreased body fat over 12 weeks. Increasing that to 3 sets of exercises three times a week resulted in a dramatic boost in results.10.  All-in-all making weightlifting a valuable way to improve the overall quality of life and functional independence of those who are suffering from severe age-related muscle loss or sarcopenia. The VerdictWeightlifting is the most effective treatment to prevent, slow down, or partially reverse age-related muscle loss/sarcopenia. Don't forget about fending off the detrimental health issues that come with it as well.

8 Benefits of weightlifting for fighting obesity and increasing metabolism in seniors

As we age, the levels of important hormones begin to change. Your muscle mass decreases. Along with other critical factors that lead to the inevitable decrease in metabolism. This, in turn with poor health behaviors and a sedentary lifestyle, leads to the increase of fat mass and damaging of your metabolic health. With this come greater risks for functional capacity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary abnormalities, cancer, urinary incontinence, cataracts, and more.Burning fat no matter your age1.Not only will hitting the weights provide gains in the muscle department, it is also an extremely effective strategy for burning fat. Studies demonstrated significant decreases in total fat mass, intra-abdominal fat, and visceral fat. 2. Although both men and women saw increases in fat-free mass and fat loss, women tend to lose more intra-abdominal and subcutaneous fat. Increasing metabolism to speed up weight loss3. Another avenue that weightlifting enhances weight loss is through increasing metabolism. 4.  One study demonstrated an increase in metabolic rate by 7% and a decrease in fat weight of 1.8kg over 10 weeks of training. So not only will you be losing weight and gaining muscle, it will also increase the level of calories your body is burning on its own while active and resting.5. Another way it will help burn fat and boost metabolism is by how weight training significantly increases levels of the hormone isrin.6. Isirin is a hormone that plays a role in converting “white fat” into “brown fat”. White fat is used as an energy reserve in the body, insulation, and as a cushion for our organs. But excess white fat is that fun little tummy pouch we have all dreadingly poked at in the mirror. Whereas brown fat contains a large number of mitochondria and blood vessels which plays a role in burning fat and generating heat. By increasing levels of isrin, you are increasing levels of brown fat and increasing overall fat burning potential.Benefits of increased muscle massThere is more to this “building muscle” thing than just being in shape and stronger.7. Having higher muscle mass is actually associated with a lower mortality risk in people with heart disease. Lower mortality risk is a benefit everyone loves, which we will dive into greater detail later on in this article.8. Volunteers in the age range of 61-80 were able to add 2.4 pounds of muscle and saw their physical age reduce by an average of 5 years. Allowing them to literally feel younger and be healthier.The verdictWeightlifting will help fight obesity, increase muscle mass, reduce fat, boost metabolism, improve overall body composition, and even reduce risks for developing type-2 diabetes.

11 Benefits of weightlifting for reducing risk factors for falls and improving functional independence for seniors

Being able to be functionally independent is a major quality of life factor. The more functional independence you have the less likely you are to experience a fall. Approximately 9,500 deaths in older American adults are connected to a fall each year. On top of this, the vast majority of minor or serious injuries are connected to falls. Those that experience fall will do so again within six months.So it is clear, any way to reduce these risk factors and improve functional independence is critical.Balance and movement control1. Starting with the basics, when standing or moving, you need to be able to have solid balance. Training with weights demonstrated consistent improvement in static and dynamic balance. There is another aspect of biological functioning that also degrades with time and lack of activity. That is your neuromuscular functioning. This is your body’s ability to control movement, proper movement, knowing where your body and all limbs are at all times, understand the amount of effort being put into moving, and balance.2. Working with weights improves the age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning. 3. Those who have been lifting throughout the years as a way of life have protection against any age-related declines in neuromuscular functioning.Maybe you are concerned about how much time, energy, and intensity will it require to get these benefits? Do you have to be moving hundreds of lbs on your back, day in and day out, for hours at a time?4. This is the best part. Three separate studies were able to show that both low and high-volume weight lifting geared towards improving strength slowly but surely will improve neuromuscular functioning. Not to mention all of the functional benefit that comes with it! 5. These improvements were demonstrated through improved balance, greater functional capacity, and proper movement. Mobility and flexibility6. Another important factor to consider is flexibility. Having proper flexibility at the joints ensures greater functional capabilities. This and safety while doing various movements when up and about. 12-weeks of training was able to improve flexibility in essentially every joint movement. 7. Increasing the frequency of weightlifting provides greater improvement in frontal hip flexion. Functional capabilitiesThis is all sounds great but how is this going to actually benefit you in the day-to-day activities of your life?8. First off, you can move with greater ease and grace. For example, weightlifting was able to improve step length, step speed, and improve single-step balance recovery by 15-30%. 9. As your strength increases the benefits begin to appear in general functionable capabilities. One study demonstrated that it led performance and time to complete various tasks improves. Specific tasks studied were climbing stairs, rising from chairs, and going from standing to sitting. 1.0 Weight training is as effective as aerobic-based training in improving physical skills and functional capabilities. 11. Whether you have not had a serious fall yet or you already have a history of falls, there still seems to be a lingering fear of falls. This fear can hold elderly and older adults with limited functional capabilities back from doing the simplest activities or tasks. Thankfully, weightlifting has been shown to reduce the fear of falling whether the volunteer had a history of falls or not. The verdictThe science is clear. Weightlifting will help reduce tons of risk factors for falls, improve functional independence, functional capacity, and quality of life. Making weightlifting a necessity in the growing older adult and elderly populations.

7 Benefits of weightlifting for quality of life for seniors

Growing old can be a difficult and scary process. Improving the experience of aging, the health of the older populations, and the quality of life is a valuable endeavor. When these objectives are achieved, it can empower older adults and elderly to live a fuller, more engaged, and active life.Pain free living1. Thankfully, training helps improve the overall quality of life. One way is by reducing the level of general aches and pains as well as disorder-specific pain.2. That is exactly the point. Reducing pain levels allows for greater ease of movement, fewer restrictions when moving, and in general, feeling better with less negative stimuli coming from your body. Mental and emotional3. On top of being able to move around with less pain, improving strength and muscle through weight lifting improves health-related factors. Which can improve physical capabilities as well as the emotional and mental state. 4. Now with these improved physical functional capabilities you are able to lead a more engaged and active lifestyle.5. Being more active, engaged, and having more social interaction is the golden ticket that improves mental and emotional health on various levels.6. Weight training also innately improves mental, emotional, and cognitive health through biological mechanisms that enhance the quality of life.Urinary incontinence7. Other areas of quality are less obvious, for example, urinary incontinence. 25 million adults in America suffer with urinary incontinence and 75-80% of those are women.124 23% of women over the age of 60 struggle with incontinence. Frail older women who struggle with this issue who underwent weight training saw a 50% reduction in daily leaks. VerdictMore engaged and active lifestyle. Less pain. Improved cognitive, mental, and emotional health. Weightlifting is a crucial aspect of improving the quality of life of older adults and elderly.

5 Benefits of weightlifting for improving osteoarthritis and bone health for seniors

Over 30 million adults in the US struggle with osteoarthritis. Factors like obesity, previous injuries, muscle weakness, bone density, and joint health play a role in the development of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. With this diagnosis comes a great deal of pain from moving, stiffness, loss of flexibility in the joints, and overall impeding a pain-free life.  Osteoarthritis1. Weightlifting has been shown across several studies to reduce the pain for those afflicted with osteoarthritis.2. On top of that, they were able to demonstrate an improvement in function for those with osteoarthritis. 3. This included a significant reduction in levels of the measure of disability and general physical performance. Bone healthEvery year that adults do not perform weight training or general strength and muscle building activities, they may experience a reduction in bone mineral density. This reduction can range anywhere from 1-3%. This alarming statistic shows how the combination of aging, a sedentary lifestyle, and any other potential bad health behaviors can accumulate into a great deal of issues down the road.4. To counteract this there is a major need for weightlifting. This is because it was demonstrated to help improve bone mineral density and overall bone health.5. In fact, weight training alone or in combination with impact-loading types of training are the most osteogenic, bone producing, activities one can do. VerdictWeightlifting is a critical aspect of reducing the pain of osteoarthritis, improving bone health, reducing chances of injury, improving frailty, and is even prescribed for the prevention of diseases like osteoporosis.

5 Benefits of weightlifting for cardiovascular health for seniors

According to the CDC, 1 in every 4 deaths, or 610,000 people die of some form of heart disease in the US every year. It is the leading cause of death for both men and women with around 735,000 individuals in the US experiencing a heart attack each year.With aging, there tends to be less and less physical activity. On top of this, there is a deterioration of the cells that maintain the natural beating pace of the heart, and increased rigidity of the heart. All leading to reduced or slowed flow of blood throughout the body. With other factors playing a role in this issue, it becomes a major focus and cause of concern for the aging population.Blood Pressure1. Weightlifting is known to improve many factors of cardiovascular health, with one being blood pressure. Showing the ability to decrease both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Lipid PanelIt is also known to significantly improve your lipid panel which is detailed in systematic reviews and many specific studies.2. High-Density Lipoprotein or HDL (good) cholesterol can be difficult to improve. With that said, weightlifting has been shown to improve HDL (good) cholesterol by 8% to 21% on average. 3. Low-Density Lipoprotein or LDL (bad) cholesterol was shown to decrease 13% to 23% on average due to weight training.4. Levels of triglycerides also reduced an average of 11% to 18%.Inflammation5. On a more detailed point, researchers also noticed that weight training reduced levels of several inflammatory molecules. Specifically, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and c-reactive protein.These molecules in the body are all produced in response to inflammation. They are critical markers that are measured to assess the level of disease and predict future potential cardiovascular events. Some, like interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha, can also cause further damage when present at consistently higher levels. VerdictWith heart disease leading to 1 in 4 deaths , weightlifting is vitally important for the aging population to build not just muscle but a healthier heart and cardiovascular system.

6 Benefits of weightlifting for cognitive functioning in seniors

Unfortunately, as you begin to age, your cognitive function can start to decline. You may have experienced this as you aged or have seen loved ones go through this process. Although there is no cure-all for this, anything that can be done to improve it is of great value for the overall quality of life.Brain Health: Boosting Your Memory and Cognitive Functioning1. Those with prior memory compromise or mild cognitive impairment saw improvements in memory and overall cognitive functioning.2. What about those who didn’t have prior issues? Older adults who are cognitively healthy also saw an improvement in memory from weight training.3. In case you were wondering, weight training is just as beneficial as aerobic-based training in improving levels of confusion. 4. But when it comes to improving cognitive functioning as a whole, moderate and high-intensity resistance training delivers and does so significantly better than aerobic-based training.Molecular levels5. You see, training promotes an increase of a very important molecule in the brain. This molecule is known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF for short.6. BDNF helps existing neurons survive to help prevent the deterioration of the brain. It also encourages the growth of new neurons and synapses. Therefore, it plays a vital role in various areas of cognitive health such as in learning, memory, and higher level thinking.VerdictWeightlifting is an integral part of maintaining healthy cognitive functioning to empower the older population to live a more independent and engaged life.

6 Benefits of weightlifting for mental health in seniors

As decreases in functioning, energy, independence, and ability to do some of the things us youngins’ take for granted begin to occur with age. It can start to take a toll on mental health. Everything from depression, anxiety, reduced self-esteem, and more start to come into play.Depression1. This is where training with weights provides some hope yet again. Weight lifting can lead to significant reductions in depressive symptoms in healthy older adults and the elderly. This was also the case in specific issues such as wheelchair-bound older adults with dementia. So how much can weightlifting improve depressive symptoms?2. Well, one study used the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression to measure. They found that when doing high-intensity training 61% of the volunteers and 29% of the low-intensity training volunteers had over a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms. Anxiety3. Improving strength through weightlifting is able to improve levels of anxiety and levels of tension. Psychological well being 4. Doing daily light training and training in general was able to improve volunteers’ self-perception of physical well being, functional competency, physical condition, body satisfaction, and self-esteem. So clearly, even just keeping it light and simple can be enough to make some great progress in this department.5. Weightlifting is also just as effective at improving mood, tension, and levels of fatigue as aerobic-based training. Lastly, one study compared the impact of the amount of sedentary time and level of intensity of the training mental health composite scores.6. They found, regardless of what level of intensity the training, that reducing the amount of sedentary time markedly improved the volunteers’ mental health scores. Additionally, the higher intensity also seemed to outperform the low-intensity training groups. VerdictHaving at least daily light training up to consistent high-intensity training are valuable ways to improve the overall mental health of the aging population.

2 Benefits of weightlifting for reducing mortality risk in seniors

All the research above suggests weightlifting is going to help you live a much more functional, independent, and more engaged life through the aging process. In the previous sections, we discussed some ways it will help in the health department with some more to come as well.These next two come from massive research undertakings in the form of two studies and are probably the most powerful benefits of all.1. One European study enlisted 334,161 individuals and followed up with them over 12.4 years. Among the vast amount of data they discovered, they found that those doing as little as 20 minutes of light exercise daily could reduce a person’s risk of early death by as much as 30%.2. The National Health Interview Survey data from 1997-2001 was linked to the National Death Index. The survey responses, demographics, past medical history, and other health behaviors were all collected and analyzed. What they found was that adults 65 and older who reported doing the prescribed amount of strength training (twice a week) had a 46% lower odds of all-cause mortality than those who did not. This percentage remained even after adjusting data for all past medical history and other health behaviors.67The vast amount of data that these studies drew their conclusions begs the question, can anyone really afford to not be exercising in the form of weight training?

11 Benefits of weightlifting for glycemic control and type 2 diabetes in seniors

Glucose levels1. Weightlifting reduces resting blood glucose levels.2. Weight training is the better choice for improving glycemic control than aerobic exercise. This is true in healthy adults and adults with type-2 diabetes. Insulin resistance & sensitivity3. Insulin resistance is a common factor in the development of pre-diabetes and then diabetes. This means that the cells are unable to use insulin efficiently and therefore do a poor job of absorbing glucose from the blood. Simply put, weightlifting helps reduce entire body insulin resistance. 4. It also has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity for up to 24 hours and the amount of glucose uptake by muscle cells for one week. Meaning a single bout of training can help use insulin more efficiently and utilize more glucose for energy in muscles. Rather than going through the unfortunate and complex process of being converted into fatty acids stored in fat tissue.Molecular level5. Participants in studies demonstrated reduced levels of HbA1c, a fancy term for the number of red blood cells that have been bonded by a molecule of glucose.6. Training was also shown to increase hSGLT3 mRNA transcript levels by a factor of 10. This molecule is believed to play a crucial role in sensing glucose levels. This then would lead to signaling the body for a more appropriate response and effective transporting of glucose. This increase in hSGLT3 was correlated with reduced glucose toxicity and improvements in insulin resistance.7. A molecule known as glucose transporter type-4 (GLUT4) increased in density in response to weight training. What does that mean?When you eat and glucose(sugar) levels in our blood increase and insulin is released in response. When insulin attaches to receptors on the plasma membrane (exterior side of the cell), the cell takes GLUT4 “out of storage” and moves it to the plasma membrane. Once GLUT4 is there it will begin  transporting and absorbing glucose into the cell.All this means that training increases GLUT4 density (amount on the outside of the cell) leading to higher levels of glucose absorption into muscle cells and adipose tissue.8. Another study found that the training was able to reduce the level of serum blood glucose in type 2 diabetes mellitus at a higher level than in non-diabetics. This improvement was correlated with higher levels of miR-146a circulating in the blood. This molecule is typically downregulated in diabetes and although not yet fully understood, seems to play a role in regulating inflammatory molecules as well as a mediator in other important biological processes related to diabetes.9. Inflammation is a critical factor to consider in the disease state of diabetes. Thankfully, putting work in at the gym helps reduce systemic inflammation significantly. Specifically, they found that it reduced interleukin-6, Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-a), and C reactive protein (CRP).Molecules such as TNF-a and interleukin-6 play a role in increasing insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and potentially further inflammation which only worsens the state of diabetes. Whereas higher levels of CRP have been shown to be correlated with poorer glycemic control and increased glycosylated hemoglobin.10. The hormone adiponectin increases in levels in response to weight training. Produced and secreted by adipose tissue, the role of adiponectin is to help in regulating glucose levels and breaking down fatty acids.11. I know these molecule names are getting confusing...but they are important which is why I have to tell you that training also increases interleukin-1 beta and TGF-Beta1 in older adults with type 2 diabetes.Interleukin-1 beta plays an inflammatory role where it can lead to the loss of beta-cell mass and beta-cell death (beta-cells are what produced insulin) in the pancreas as well a potential amplifier of cardiovascular events.As for TGF-Beta1, it also is out for the blood of beta-cells by inhibiting the growth of new beta-cells and inducing beta-cell death.  Reducing interleukin-1 and TGF-Beta1 can help improve glycemic control, proper beta-cell functioning, and growth of new, functioning beta-cells.VerdictWeightlifting is a powerful tool for helping improve the health status in type-2 diabetes and prevent developing diabetes to the point that studies have shown training being able to reduce the required dosage of prescribed medications.

3 Benefits of weightlifting for improving sleep in seniors

Despite what is common now in our society and culture, “burning the midnight oil” should not be some form of badge of honor. Lack of sleep is a serious issue and health concern. Proper sleep is crucial for improving mental, physical, and emotional health no matter what age you are.Sleep quality1. A single session of resistance training was able to improve sleep latency, the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, as well as sleep consolidation. The last one there, sleep consolidation, is important for proper functioning of the brain’s role in memory and learning.2. On top of that is was able to improve general sleep quality, sleep latency, and scores on the month-long

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

.Sleep apnea3. Lastly, combining training with some light walking can reduce the severity of obstructive sleep apnea. Although it doesn’t cure you of sleep apnea, any improvement will allow for greater levels of proper breathing, reduce the amount of disruption of normal sleep patterns, and the other issues that can stem from this disorder.The verdictWeightlifting improves sleep which is a necessity for all people of any age, but especially as we age as issues with memory, learning, cognitive functioning, and overall health become a bigger concern.

3 Benefits for age-related mitochondrial impairment in seniors

The mitochondria are “the powerhouse” of the cell. Found in every cell in the body, except red blood cells, they are responsible for producing the energy for the cell to do their jobs.You have probably seen fad products, articles, or programs all around enhancing your mitochondria. But what does that mean and why does it matter?Here is a little scenario to help show why improving your mitochondrial health is extremely valuable for overall health and longevity.Think about a typical city as being the human body and the major components being cells. Let’s say the police force, fire department, hospital workers, and emergency medical technicians are all individual cells. Then, we make it so all of the people that fill these roles can only get four hours of sleep a night, eat 1,000 calories, drink two cups of water a day, and no coffee *gasp*. It is clear that this city would be in severe danger, would have an increase in accidents, less success in solving crimes, putting out fires, or saving people’s lives.This is the exact same thing that happens in the body with mitochondrial impairment. If the cells in your brain aren’t producing enough energy to do their job well, they will be doing their job as well as the sleepy-eyed, emaciated, and most definitely hangry ambulance driving EMT. That’s no good.This can show its face in the form of reduced performance, impaired health, and a myriad of other aspects of life.Age-related mitochondrial impairmentThankfully, weight training can help.1. It does this by decreasing the amount of oxidative stress in the mitochondria and increasing complex IV of the electron transport chain (ETC). This oxidative stress at higher levels can cause a cascade of biological mechanisms to occur in the cell that leads to cell death. Whereas complex IV plays a critical role in the functioning of mitochondria. Disorders, where this complex is defected, is severe and typically fatal. By increasing complex IV it allows for greater functioning as well as decreasing the level of oxidative stress.2. These two benefits are believed to be powerful enough to improve overall functioning in daily activities as well as potentially prevent worsening of disease states.3. The issue of age-related mitochondrial impairment and the corresponding muscle weakness was shown to be able to be partially reversed through six months of resistance exercise training. Therefore, incorporating weight training into your lifestyle as early as possible will help prevent or postpone this issue for as long as possible. The verdictMitochondria are what allow our cells to function and perform their jobs which weightlifting can help preserve healthy mitochondria, form new ones, and prevent the death of others.

The Benefit of weightlifting for seniors with hip fractures

The CDC states that over 300,000 adults 65 years of age or older are hospitalized for hip fractures. Now clearly weightlifting can’t magically reverse this issue but could it help?Recovery1. Adults recovering from hip fractures were shown to improve muscle function, symmetry in sit-and-stand tasks, and general physical functioning due to weightlifting.The verdictUsing weight training when recovering clearly needs the okay from your doctor, proper supervision, training, and guidance but can be beneficial for recovering from hip fractures.

It is time to make a change for the better

Start by talking with your doctor. Reach out to find a Health coach in your area. Or at least take the time and effort to learn how to best workout on your own. Set a plan in place and take action! Starting is as simple as doing body weight exercises right now. Through slow, consistent progression, you can graduate to using weights and increasing those weights over time.

[drxfit]

Should I use Ice or Heat?(Common Injury Question)

It’s a question a lot of people have when training:

“I’m hurting after that workout yesterday, so do I ice it or use heat?”

It’s inevitable: you stretch and stay hydrated but you still sometimes get injured during a workout. So what do you do with the nagging pain, do you ice it or use heat?

Cryotherapy (cold therapy) and thermotherapy (heat therapy) have long been the choices for relieving pain, but they are appropriate for different situations.

Much of the choice depends on the person and the injury, but a little basic knowledge about each strategy can help you make the right choice every time.

What Happens When You Ice?

First, let’s take a look at what icing actually does to your body. Skin receptors pick up different sensations, like pressure and temperature. Our skin has more cold receptors than heat receptors.

When the skin senses a cold temperature, it activates the cold receptors and these block some of the sensation of pain.

Icing also causes vasoconstriction—the narrowing of blood vessels. This decreases the blood flow and helps to slow down the inflammatory response. When an injury is inflamed, the area may be swollen, red, and warm to the touch. Applying ice helps to reduce or even prevent the inflammatory response.

When to Ice…

There are a few different situations in which you should use ice:

If the injury is acute, or sudden, you use ice to help relieve and prevent swelling by reducing blood flow to the area. For example, if you sprain your ankle working out, reach for a bag of frozen peas to reduce the swelling. The sooner you ice, the better the effect will be.

Ice can also be helpful for many soft tissue injuries. For example, ice after a tough exercise to relieve muscle soreness and shorten recovery time.

Icing is also a useful way to recover from surgery by reducing swelling around the site; just don’t put ice directly on the incisions.

When icing an injury or after surgery, do it as soon as possible and for up to 72 hours for the greatest effectiveness. If swelling persists, see your doctor.

When Not to Ice…

Icing is not always the best solution. There are some situations in which you should avoid the cold pack:

Stiff joints. Do not use ice to relieve stiffness. Doing so will actually increase stiffness.

Pre-workout. Don’t ice before you exercise because it will mask pain, causing you to end up with more damage. An exception is if you need to stretch for therapy and recovery purposes, icing beforehand can help increase your range of motion and reduce pain.

High blood pressure. If you have high blood pressure, icing can raise both your systolic and diastolic blood pressure because of the decrease in blood flow in blood vessels.

Wounds. Don’t apply ice to open wounds. Cold doesn’t help wounds heal any faster and, in fact, could impede the healing process.

Poor circulation. If you have problems with circulation, such as Raynaud’s, take care when icing.  The vasoconstriction can decrease circulation even more.

Anesthesia. Don’t ice areas that have been treated with local anesthesia. You won’t be able to feel pain, which means you could be damaging nerves or getting frostbite without realizing it.

Chronic Injuries. Ice is best if used for acute injuries. Icing chronic injuries, such as low back pain, is not beneficial.

How Long and How Often Should You Ice?

If icing is the right choice for your injury, there are a few things you should know before you get started.

Don’t ice for more than 20 minutes at a time. It isn’t beneficial once past a certain point. Icing for 15-20 minutes is optimal.

There is also some evidence that icing intermittently can be helpful for pain relief in acute soft tissue injury, so if needed, you can even do two 10 minute sessions.

The length of time to ice the injury can also depend on the injury and the person icing. If the injury isn’t deep, you don’t need to ice for as long. The deeper the injury the longer you need to ice.

For example, a finger injury needs less ice time than a hamstring injury. You should also make sure you leave enough time in between icing applications for your temperature to return to normal.

If you have any sensitivity to cold you may not be able to ice as long. Icing for too long can cause frostbite and tissue damage. If your skin starts to turn red and splotchy you may have iced for too long and it’s time to stop.

A Few Icing Strategies

There are a few different methods you can use to ice injuries. Frozen ice packs are easy to use and will mold to the shape of the body part you are icing.

Ice cups are another easy way to use cryotherapy. You can even make your own with paper cups. Just add water and freeze. Apply the ice at the top of the cup to your injury site and tear back the paper as the ice melts.

You can use a wrap to hold ice or a cold pack to your body. This helps keep it in place, but as an added bonus the compression from the wrap makes the ice more effective.

If you are sensitive to the cold, add a barrier, like a thin cloth, between the ice or cold pack and your skin. This will protect your skin, but may cut back on the effectiveness. When icing for muscle soreness after exercise, you can take an ice bath, but these are not for the faint of heart.

Ice is great for a lot of injuries, but what about heat? There are some situations in which heat beats cold.

What Happens When You Use Heat?

Heating is often used as a therapy to help relieve pain and promote healing. When you heat an injury, the warmth causes vasodilation—the widening of blood vessels. This increases blood flow to the injured tissue, which in turn increases the amount of oxygen and speeds healing. As a bonus, heat therapy is soothing and relaxing.

When to Heat…

Heat therapy is best used for injuries that are past the acute stage. After 72 hours, or after the swelling has gone down from the initial injury, use heat to trigger the healing response.

If you have a chronic or reoccurring injury, you can also use heat for pain relief. Heating also can help with stiffness; the increase of blood flow from the vasodilation can help to increase flexibility.

When Not to Heat…

As with icing, heat is not right for every situation. Heat shouldn’t be applied to a new or acute injury. This can cause an increase of blood flow to the injury and create more inflammation. Don’t add heat to any injury that is swollen or inflamed.

How Long Should You Use Heat?

You can apply heat for 15 to 30 minutes, but the time may vary depending on the method of heat you use. Always have a barrier in between your skin and the heat pack. This is important to prevent burning. If it feels too hot, add another layer.

Check for comfort every so often to be sure that you aren’t getting burned. The applied heat should not be so hot that you feel uncomfortable.

How to Apply Heat

Applying a heat pack to the injured area is a good way to transfer heat. Again, you will need a barrier between your skin and the heat pack. You can also use a Jacuzzi for some hot water, which is the best option for whole-body heat therapy.

Both heat and ice have their place in training. Know how each one affects injuries and you will be able to make the right therapeutic choice for yourself and for your training clients. Some situations may be more complicated, and if you aren’t sure what to do, follow the advice of a doctor or physical therapist.

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SUPER-SLOW WEIGHT TRAINING FOR SUPERIOR MUSCLE GROWTH

If you’ve never tried super-slow weight training, you’re missing out on a superior method of muscle growth. Learn more about this effective training method and what “super-slow” really means.

What if I told you super-slow weight training could work your cardiovascular system to the same intensity as sprinting while also building muscle and superior strength and the same time? What if I also told you that you could improve your insulin sensitivity and growth hormone production simply by changing your routine and how you structure your sets and repetitions? Do you think that would be something you might be interested in?

Here is what you need to know:

Traditional steady state cardio is very hard on the body and can lead to chronically high levels of cortisol and cause the body to cannibalize hard earned muscle.

Fast twitch muscles store the most glycogen, so in order to discourage fat storage we need to deplete our excess glycogen store and focus on working these motor units.

Traditional weightlifting may not adequately stress muscles enough to optimally trigger the adaptive response needed to stimulate growth.

So, how can you address the limitations above, stimulate growth hormone production, build muscle, and get a far superior cardiovascular workout? Easy, simply replace all or part of your normal routine with full body super-slow weight training sessions.

WHAT ARE SUPER-SLOW WEIGHT TRAINING SETS AND REPS?

Unlike regular weight training sets where you complete a certain number of reps, super-slow sets are usually done for time, with the goal being to do one continuous set for one to two minutes without stopping. Also, instead of using a speed of 1 second up and 1 second down, super-slow sets use a speed of 3 to 5 seconds up and 3 to 5 seconds down, or even 10 seconds up and 10 seconds down.

So what are the benefits of super-slow reps?

Below are four primary benefits of using super-slow reps and sets:

BENEFIT #1: CONTINUOUS TENSION

Using super-slow reps keep the muscles under continuous tension causing all muscle fibers and motor units to be recruited in the movement. This causes a superior pump and a deeper level of fatigue.

BENEFIT #2: SUPERIOR AEROBIC STIMULUS

Super-slow reps provide a superior aerobic stimulus by causing your body to circulate a large amount of blood and oxygen in an attempt to supply the muscles with enough fuel to maintain the movement. (If you do these sets properly you will feel like you have been sprinting)

BENEFIT #3: FAST TWITCH MUSCLE FATIGUE

Super-slow reps deeply fatigue fast twitch muscles which can cause an increase in the muscles ability to store glycogen. This can help normalize blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. The result is that your body may resist turning excess sugar to fat helping you to stay lean.

BENEFIT #4: TRIGGER GROWTH HORMONE

Super-slow reps can trigger a superior growth hormone response by getting your muscles closer to complete failure. This signals your body to build more fast twitch muscle fibers. Researcher Dr.Suresh believe that this may have an anti-aging effect on the body due to every cell in the body receiving additional growth hormone. As we age, the body experiences “somatopause,” a natural process where our HGH production declines. It becomes incredibly important over the age of 30 to stimulate these systems in the body regularly to help build new tissue.

So what is the overall take away? Super-slow reps can provide a far superior cardiovascular workout to steady state cardio. It may also provide a greater stimulus for muscle growth than traditional reps and sets due to the deep level of fatigue that is created. There are a three things to keep in mind though: 1) high intensity reps like these are not meant to completely replace your normal routine. It is a tool to be used periodically to jump start growth and improve cardiovascular health; 2) super-slow training is very hard on body, so increased rest is recommended between sessions; and, 3) You will need to use a much lighter weight to ensure that you can control the weight through the full range of motion.

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Choosing Home Fitness Equipment

Now more than ever we’re looking for ways to fit in exercise. For some of you, that means moving from the gym to your living rooms and basements. Working out at home might be the answer for your busy schedule, but how do you know what fitness equipment you’ll need?

There are plenty of choices out there for home exercise: Free weights, weight training machines, home gyms…and then there’s cardio equipment, which is a category all its own. It’s hard to know where to begin, but the list below offers some ideas for what to think about before you buy home fitness equipment.

Will You Use It?

Before you buy anything, remember this: Starting with something you’ve never tried before could make it harder to succeed. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy things that interest you, but keep in mind that buying equipment is no guarantee you’ll use it.

Think of activities you enjoy and start there. For example, if you hate bike riding, a stationary bike may not be a great choice. Start small. Invest in a good pair of shoes and dumbbells or resistance bands.

Your Budget?

When planning your gym, know exactly how much you have to spend. Exercise gear doesn’t need to be expensive, but it should be quality. If you’ve got 3000 rupees available, consider an exercise ball, resistance bands and a few sets of dumbbells. If you’ve got more to spend, you might consider a home gym or a bigger piece of cardio equipment, like a treadmill or elliptical trainer.

What Do You Enjoy Doing?

Many of us buy things or do things because of others. For example, your friend says, “I started jogging and I lost 10 lbs!” Meanwhile, you loathe jogging. The more you like something, the more often you’ll do it and the harder you’ll work. Try to stay in line with your fitness personality. If you like no-impact activities, try an elliptical trainer, climber, or bike. Enjoy swimming? Try your local community pool, DRS, or health club, which will give you a variety of choices for exercise.

There is no perfect exercise. One activity is as good as another, provided that you enjoy it.

Your Space

This is often an overlooked issue. Having a treadmill is cool, but what if there’s nowhere to put it? And, what are you going to do with that barbell set you just bought?

Before you buy anything bigger than resistance bands or a few dumbbells, figure out where you’ll put everything. Having an empty garage is great, but will you use it when it’s 100 degrees outside? Will your spouse really be okay with having to climb over the treadmill to get to the bathroom? Are you okay with taking out a ceiling tile if that elliptical trainer was taller than you thought? Measure how much space you have to avoid future problems.

Don’t Be Seduced By Quick-Fix Gadgets

There are people in this world who will promise you anything to get you to buy their products. Try to avoid any products that promise outrageous results with very little effort (e.g., “Lose 10 pounds in just minutes a day!”) or that only work for one muscle group.

For example, you’re better off buying an exercise ball, which you can use for core work, weight training and balance exercises. than an ab gadget that only works your abs. Many infomercials products are expensive and you can get more effective workouts with a basic set of dumbbells and good, quality exercises.