Strength Training…the Key to Healthy Metabolism

strength trainingLooking to rebuild a healthy metabolism?

Look no further than strength training.

Muscle tissue in both men and women deteriorates at almost every stage of life. Strength training is the key to building and replacing that muscle.

Many people don’t realize that muscle is the “driving force behind your fat burning mechanism – your metabolism.

The equation is simple: The more toned muscle tissue you possess, the more efficiently your body will burn fat and the more of it you will continue to burn over time. [Read more…]

Unwanted, Unattractive Cellulite

celluliteCellulite can be defined as fat cells that have accumulated under the top layer of skin squeezed between connective tissue (and collagen) that attaches your muscle to your skin. Both thin and overweight people complain about cellulite.

Even though cellulite is a form of fat tissue there is a difference between it and the type of fat that insulates the body and protects the organs, muscles and nerves. Cellulite provides no cushion or padding and only occurs in certain areas of the body like the buttocks, abdomen, thighs and breasts. [Read more…]

The Importance of Exercising Your Core

stomach musclesYour six pack (or two pack or four pack) is a group of four sets of muscles with tongue twisting names; rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, external obliques and the internal obliques.

These muscle groups are positioned on the front and sides of your torso and are attached to bony surfaces on the rib cage and the pelvis.

The deepest of the abdominal muscles are the transverse abdominus. They provide stability to the core of the body by wrapping around the trunk holding all of your insides “inside.” These are the muscles that provide you with a tight, flat, tummy.

The internal and external oblique muscles run diagonally across the torso so you can rotate and move at different angles following the paths that the muscle fibers run in. [Read more…]

Child-hood Obesity is a Serious Problem

childhood obesityThe prevalence of childhood obesity has increased at alarming rates and is without a doubt, one of the most serious public health issues confronting us in the 21st Century according to the World Health Organization.

The truth is, eating habits are formed very early in life and can directly affect how healthy we are as we age.  Most children have developed their basic eating habits by the time they reach elementary school, unfortunately for many, these are not good eating habits. [Read more…]

8 Fat Loss and Abdominal Shaping Myths…

ab musclesIn order to lose fat properly there is only one method that has proven to work reliably and consistently and that one involves a lifestyle shift to healthy eating and proper exercise.

Unfortunately, this pits most of us up against our impatient and lazy natures. We want immediate gratification without having to put much effort into achieving it.

The issue with this type of thinking is that we get back exactly what we put in. Energy in…energy out. It is a very ordered and balanced system. Little energy in…little results out. Pretty simple formula. [Read more…]

Compound Exercises are Key

pushups4When putting together an exercise program the primary focus should be on compound movements.

Compound movements or exercises are those that involve using more than one major muscle group at once (and often across one or more joints in the process). The larger muscle group does the bulk of the work while the smaller muscle groups are supportive and secondary. [Read more…]

Exercise, Endorphins and Happiness

endorphins_calmStrenuous exercise is one of the ways that body releases endorphin’s. Endorphins are chemicals that reduce pain by interacting with receptors called neurotransmitters in the brain. They produce positive happy feelings in the body (very similar to morphine). When endorphins are released while exercising, they are often called “runners high”…energizing a positive outlook on life.

Let’s face it, anxiety, depression, and stress are real killers and there are obvious benefits derived both emotionally and physically when you have the ability to stay calm and collected. [Read more…]

Cardio verses Resistance Training

11032983_792258797532103_1410477182_nNumerous studies have shown that exercising too intensely…including cardio exercise causes negative effects on health while moderate-intensity cardio exercise actually boosts health and fitness.

The body perceives endurance exercise as a form of stress on the body and responds to this stress by increasing cortisol. Cortisol is the “flight or fight” hormone that results as a normal adaptive response to the physical demands of exercise. Chronic elevation of this hormone is associated with signs of aging such as loss of lean muscle, belly fat, inflammation and reduced immunity.

Cardio has long been associated with weight loss…however, the effects are deceptive. When you are on a calorie restrictive diet and you are performing extreme endurance exercise, your body turns to muscle as an energy source and the result is a depletion of your valuable muscle tissue. Not only that, but intense cardio will increase your appetite making your diet all the more challenging. [Read more…]

Creating a Short On Time Workout Session that Works

carolynhansensitness.comLet’s face it, most of us are finding it harder and harder to squeeze everything into our demanding modern day schedules.

That includes our exercise routine. There will always be those times when life just gets incredibly busy and you can’t get your workouts in. During these times, it’s helpful to have a back-up plan in place; a workout that you can turn to that’s incredibly fast paced but yet will still work the body efficiently and effectively.

As long as you are structuring things correctly, it is definitely possible to get a complete awesome workout in just 10 minutes time. [Read more…]

Stubborn Belly Fat is More Than Just Unattractive

bellyfat1Stubborn belly fat…it’s not only unattractive, but it is dangerous to your health.

Unfortunately, the sad truth is the average American carries around nearly 30 billion fat cells with abdominal fat the focus because of its relation and striking distance to the heart, liver and other important organs. The extra fat gathered in the abdominal area presses on organs, feeding them dangerous poisons and messing up their daily functions.

A study on the effects of weak abdominal muscles as opposed to those with the strongest abdominal muscles was conducted in Canada on more than 8,000 people in a span of over 13 years revealed that those with the weakest stomach muscles had a death rate at more than twice as those with strong stomach muscles. [Read more…]