5 Ways to a Healthy Lifestyle

With good food habits and daily physical activity you will be well on your way to a healthy life.  Easy to say, but sometimes not so easy to do!

Our busy lifestyles can be hard on our family’s health. Rushing to and from school and work can make it hard to find time to be physically active. We can also slip into the habit of choosing unhealthy snacks and take-away foods or spending our free time watching TV or in front of the computer.

However, these choices can be dangerous for our health and our children’s health – both now and in the long-term. That’s why it’s so important to stop, take stock and make a conscious decision to follow a healthy lifestyle.

What can I do?

There are five simple ways for your family to lead a healthy lifestyle and get back on track:

1. Get active each day

Regular physical activity is important for the healthy growth, development and well-being of kids and teens.

They should get at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including vigorous activities that make them ‘huff and puff’.

Parents should be good role models and have a positive attitude to being active.

2. Choose water as a drink

Water is the best way to quench your thirst – and it doesn’t come with the added sugar found in soft drinks, fruit juice drinks and other sweetened drinks.

Reduced fat milk for children over two years of age is a nutritious drink and a great source of calcium.

Give kids and teens whole fruit to eat, rather than offering fruit juices which contain less fiber.

3. Eat more fruit and vegetables

Eating fruit and vegetables every day helps kids and teens grow and develop, boosts their vitality and can reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.

Aim to eat two serves of fruit and five serves of vegetables every day. (This varies for boys and girls at different ages.)

Have fresh fruit available as a convenient snack and try to include fruit and veggies in every meal.

4. Switch off the TV or computer and get active

Sedentary or ‘still’ time spent watching TV, surfing online or playing computer games is linked to kids becoming overweight or obese.

Kids and teens should spend no more than 2 hours a day on ‘small screen’ entertainment.

Plan a range of active indoor and outdoor games or activities for your children, as alternatives to watching TV or playing on the computer.

5. Eat fewer snacks and select healthier alternatives

Healthy snacks help kids and teens meet their daily nutritional needs.

Snacks based on fruit and vegetables, reduced fat dairy products and whole grains are the healthiest choices.

Avoid snacks that are high in sugar or saturated fats – such as chips, cakes and chocolate – which can cause children to put on excess weight.

Link  http://www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/home/fact-sheets/5-ways-to-a-healthy-lifestyle.aspx

Best Workouts to Lose Belly Fat Quickly - Cardio, Abs and Obliques Workout

CALORIE BURN

136 to 204

MINUTES

17

DIFFICULTY

3

BODY FOCUS

UpperCoreLowerTotal

Equipment You'll Need

Workout Type

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Workout Details

Getting a tight and toned midsection can be difficult but it does not have to be time consuming. This 17-minute core workout is a great example of how you can get a really challenging workout in a very little amount of time.

Because getting a flat stomach is not only about working and toning your stomach we have kept this routine short and intense so you can couple it with another workout that targets the rest of the body and burns more calories like a kickboxing workout, HIIT routine, or a strength training routine. By coupling this abs routine with another workout you can drastically increase the number of calories you burn. We have also made this an ideal workout to lose belly fat by combining both abs and cardio.

Do keep in mind that just like any other muscle group in the body, you need to let your core muscles rest and recover, especially if you get them sore.

If you want to focus on quicker progress try doing this routine twice per day two to three days out of the week. If you don’t need to see quick results or you just want to maintain the tone you have, we suggest doing this workout 2 to 3 times per week just once per day. As mentioned above, this routine is intended to be coupled with other workouts to train the rest of the body and to increase your total daily calorie burn, so don’t forget to hit at least all of your major muscle groups through your upper and lower body.

If this routine’s primary focus was just the abdominal, oblique and lower back muscles, it would not burn a high number of calories per minute. We have used many full body movements to increase the calorie burn for this routine, however, as well as intervals of a simple bodyweight cardio move in between each core exercise to drastically bump up the expenditure. In this workout you can expect to burn anywhere from 8-12 calories per minute.

The following is a direct transcript of the workout in the above video with a short description of each exercise. Each exercise is done for 50 seconds straight through with a quick interval of jumping jacks between each, and only a 10 second break between each exercise to set up for the next movement.

17 Minute Abs Workout
Rolling Back Bow Toe Touch Crunch: Starting on your stomach, do a back bow then roll on to your back and do a toe touch crunch then roll back onto your stomach. Complete another back bow then roll in the opposite direction you did last time to complete another toe touch crunch ending back on your stomach in the starting position.

Alternating Side Plank Toe Touch Kick: This exercise can be done in either a full plank (from toes; harder) or a half plank (from knees; easier) This motion is similar to the previous exercise as you roll from doing a side plank on the left to a side plank on the right alternating back and forth each repetition.

Double Bird Dog Pull: From all fours (hands and knees on the ground) lift your left hand and right foot straight out parallel to the ground then pull that arm and leg in under your body crunching your abs then extend back out before letting that arm and leg drop to the ground and switching sides.

One Leg Jackknife Crunch: As with a regular jackknife crunch start from a prone position, bring your arms and legs up over your body crunching your hips and shoulders towards each other. The only difference here is that you only use one leg at a time.

V Sit Row: Start sitting on your tailbone, then lean back keeping your back perfectly flat extending your legs away from you for balance. Hold as close to a 45° angle as you can hold then in a rowing motion extend your arms out in front of your body then pull them back to your sides keeping your elbows up at shoulder height moving in a 90° angle from your chest.

Alternating Side Star Tuck: This exercise done from a side plank position starts with a side star reach followed by a hugging motion with the same arm you just had extended. Not only do you want to pull your arm underneath you but you also want to roll your shoulders down towards the ground before coming back up flipping to your other side and repeating the motion with the other arm.

Frog Leg Crunch: With the soles of your feet together and your feet up off of the ground crunch your shoulders up off of the ground extending your arms down between your legs while lifting your legs and hips up towards your shoulders.

Mt Top Russian Twist: Similar to a regular Russian Twist, you lean back to a 45° with a flat back and rotate left to right. This difference with this version is that you bring your arm high up over your head as you come back to the center and each time you rotate off to the side you drop your arms down close to the ground.

Oblique Jackknife Crunch: This exercise takes a jackknife crunch where you lay on your back and bring your arms and legs up over your body crunching your hips and shoulders together, and adds a slight rotation through the obliques. Each time your arms come up to meet your legs you want to bring your arms off to one side of your legs or the other slightly rotating your shoulders.

Seated Torso Circles: Sit back like you would for a Russian Twist, and then draw over your tail bone. You decide the difficulty on this exercise by choosing how large your range of motion is.

Link  http://www.fitnessblender.com/v/workout-detail/Best-Workouts-to-Lose-Belly-Fat-Quickly-Cardio-Abs-and-Obliques-Workout/dj/

Healthy Living: Simple steps to a better life

When you watch TV or read magazines you get the impression that most people spend their days as lean, mean exercise fanatics who compete in triathlons, eat tofu, and drink a gallon of rain water a day.

If you don't fit this profile, you are not alone. Consider:

• Seven out of 10 American adults don't exercise regularly, despite the proven health benefits, according to a 2002 study based on more than 68,000 interviews for the National Center for Health Statistics.
• 80 percent of people in the US older than 25 are overweight based on the body mass index (BMI), a national guideline computed through a combination of weight and height-according to a Harris Poll released in 2002.
• According to the American National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC), in 2000 the most common actual causes of death in the United States were tobacco (435,000), poor diet and physical inactivity (400,000), alcohol consumption (85,000).

The writing is on the wall - poor diet and physical inactivity is about as dangerous as smoking. So, why don't we exercise and eat right? For most of us, the answer is: time. Exercise and diet take time away from our work, our families, our lives.

Some of us have tried to fit exercise into our daily routines before and maybe even stuck with a program for a while, but finally saw too little gain for the effort and time it took.

Here's the good news: a healthy lifestyle won't consume you like it might have years ago. The science of healthy living has come a long way in recent years. Consider:

• Modest but regular exercise has proven to raise the body's metabolic rate, so that you burn fat even when at rest.
• New strategies of exercise and diet bring results much sooner than ever before, without drugs.
• A healthy lifestyle isn't only about working out and cutting out foods you like. It's also about applying a balanced approach to all areas of your life. For example, studies show that you can lose weight by simply watching less television.

Realistic health improvement for real people

We all know we should take better care of ourselves, but modern lifestyles with hectic work schedules, commuting, and family and social responsibilities make it difficult for us to live a healthy life.

But you can begin to live a healthier life. You can start slowly and work in more healthy practices. Interestingly, even small changes can lead to big improvements over time. Begin modestly by making a commitment to starting to do something and to stay with it. As you proceed, remember to be proud of your accomplishments-you will be doing more than 70 percent of the population!

The doctor will see you now

Before embarking on a fitness program and making dietary changes, talk with your doctor about your plans. If you have prior health conditions, especially cardiovascular disease, your doctor may want you to avoid certain exercises. If you are on certain medications, your doctor may give you valuable information on avoiding drug interactions with certain foods such as grapefruit and with some herbal supplements.

A special word to smokers

If you smoke, you know you need to quit. Modern research links smoking to a vast array of cancers, as well as heart and cardiovascular disease. According to the American Cancer Society, smoking alone causes one-third of all cancer deaths.

The bottom line-if you are a smoker, stopping represents the single best health action you can take. Talk with your doctor-there are new treatments available.

Some basic health objectives

It can be hard to know where to start when you want to improve your health.
Here are three baseline objectives for a healthier lifestyle:

• Lose weight / Eat a more balanced diet
• Get more exercise
• Reduce stress

Lose weight / Eat a more balanced diet

Qualified health professionals agree the keys to losing weight are to eat less, eat a more balanced diet, and to increase your exercise level. In general, reducing your intake of protein and eating more fruits and vegetables is a good start. Try and reduce your intake of saturated fats common in fried foods. Your heart will thank you.

Here are some tips:

Eat a diet that contains lots of:

• Whole grains
• Fruit
• Vegetables

Ensure you are getting an adequate supply of:

• Vitamins-a daily multi-vitamin is good protection
• Calcium-many men and women do not get enough calcium in their diets, putting them at risk for osteoporosis.
• Water-many adults do not consume enough water each day

Reduce your consumption of:

• Fat
• Sugar
• Salt
• Processed foods
• Fast food meals
• Alcohol

Other Tips:

• Make your own nutritious lunch and take it to work. You'll save money and feel better too.
• Buy veggies for snacks, such as small washed carrots or apple slices, which you can put into re-sealable bags and take to work.

Consider diet supplements for weight loss and health

Despite our best efforts, it is hard to eat a balanced diet everyday. Consider taking one or more of the excellent vitamins and supplements available, but check with your doctor first before taking them.

Today, you can get the latest high quality vitamins and dietary supplements at low prices and without leaving your home by ordering over the Internet.

Avoid fad diets

Use common sense and follow the advice of government health authorities, university nutritionists and other well-accredited health care experts. Reliable nutrition advice is available free by contacting your local health department and talking with a nutritionist.

Be wary of the latest "Fad Diets" put forward by authors. Healthy eating is not rocket science-you need to eat a balanced diet that includes the four food groups:

• Vegetables-three or more servings per day
• Whole grains-five or more servings per day
• Fruit-three of more servings per day
• Legumes-two or more servings per day

This is well documented by decades of research. Sure, the fad diets may help you lose weight temporarily but at worst you could seriously damage your health and at best, you will likely gain the weight back if the diet is not sensible and sustainable.

Get more exercise

The second key to losing weight is to add more physical exercise into your lifestyle.
Exercise takes some effort and time, so it is fair to ask why you should bother. The key reasons include the following:

• Weight loss
• Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• Increased energy
• Increased bone strength
• Maintenance of muscle mass
• Reduced stress levels
• Better appearance

Research continues to show that any exercise is better than none. For example, regular walking or gardening may be beneficial in reducing your risk of heart disease.

Exercise

At a minimum you should strive for at least three 20-minute bouts of continuous aerobic (activity requiring oxygen) rhythmic exercise each week.

Other exercise levels will depend on your physical condition and goals. Consider a session or two with a certified personal trainer to accurately assess your current physical condition and plan an exercise regimen.

Easy ways for non-athletes to add exercise to their daily lives:

• Get off the bus a stop or two early and walk to work or home.
• If you drive to work, park in a new location and walk a few blocks.
• Take the stairs at work. Get off the elevator a few floors down and walk up a few flights.
• Ride a bicycle - you don't need a fancy bike, but you should always wear a helmet
• Walk - it's cheap and it works! The average person can walk three to four miles an hour. This makes many short trips to the store within walking distance, saving you money on gasoline and providing a health benefit at the same time.
• Try gardening - raking, weeding, and tilling will all give you exercise. If you have a small, level yard, consider a push mower. These mowers are quiet, cut the lawn beautifully, and give you exercise all at the same time.
• Enlist a friend to join you - have fun together and stay motivated.

Consider creating a home gym

More and more people are purchasing exercise equipment to use at home. The advantages include:

• No wasted time traveling back and forth to the gym
• Ability to use the equipment more often and at more convenient times
• Increased chance of participation by all family members

Here are some tips in selecting equipment:

Determine what goals you want to pursue-strength training, aerobic training or cardiovascular training before you look at equipment. Buy sturdy, quality equipment from known manufacturers. Purchase equipment that will meet your needs now and as you improve Buy from a reputable retailer, who has a large selection, low prices, and stands behind their products.

Reduce Stress

The good news is that by eating a healthier diet and exercising more frequently, you will have already taken two of the most important steps to helping your body fight stress.

Obviously sources of stress are a personal matter. Be alert to chronic stress you have trouble managing. This can sometimes lead to more serious conditions for both men and women, such as depression. If you feel you are having trouble coping, it is best to talk with your doctor.

If on the other hand, you have the everyday level of stress most of us face, you may want to try these stress-reducing tips:

• Make time for family and friends
• Avoid stressful thoughts by not listening or watching the news first thing in the morning and last thing at night
• Try listening to music or practicing meditation
• Take vitamins B6 and B12-they are excellent for fighting the effects of stress and most adults don't get enough of these important vitamins.

How can I get started on a healthier lifestyle?

If you are not living as healthy a life as you want right now, you may be wondering how you will find the time and the resources to make changes.

The good news is you don't have to make all the changes at once, but do resolve to make some improvements. Time is always an issue, but time taken to improve your health will yield big improvements in many other areas of your life.

There has never been a better time to start, because thanks to the Internet you can purchase quality heath care products and equipment, quickly and efficiently and save money too!

Link  http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/healthyliving.htm

Fitness program: 5 steps to get started

Fitness program: 5 steps to get started

Are you thinking about starting a fitness program? Good for you! You're only five steps away from a healthier lifestyle.

Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight — even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. And there's more good news. You can do it in just five steps.

1. Assess your fitness level

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording:

• Your pulse rate before and after you walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How long it takes to walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How many pushups you can do at a time
• How far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you
• Your waist circumference as measured around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone
• Your body mass index

2. Design your fitness program

It's easy to say that you'll exercise every day. But you'll need a plan. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:

• Consider your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another motivation, such as preparing for a marathon? Having clear goals can help you gauge your progress.
• Create a balanced routine. Most adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity — a week. Adults also need two or more days of strength training a week.
• Go at your own pace. If you're just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly. If you have an injury or a medical condition, consult your doctor or a physical therapist for help designing a fitness program that gradually improves your range of motion, strength and endurance.
• Build activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill, or read while riding a stationary bike.
• Plan to include different activities. Different activities (cross-training) can keep exercise boredom at bay. Cross-training also reduces your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Plan to alternate among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.
• Allow time for recovery. Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
• Put it on paper. A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.

Link  http://www.mayoclinic.org/fitness/art-20048269

How to Prevent a Stroke

Don't be the victim of a stroke. Here are six strategies that can reduce your risk.

• While there are risk factors for stroke you can't change (age, race, family history), there are many more that you can. Here are six ways to get started now.
  Keep your blood pressure low. High blood pressure (a reading of 140/90 mmHg or higher) increases your stroke risk by four to six times. If you have high blood pressure, take steps to lower it. Controlling blood pressure is one of the most important things you can do.
• 
  

Lower Your Cholesterol

A total cholesterol level of more than 200 mg/dL puts you at higher risk for stroke. "About half of all strokes are caused by plaque in the carotid arteries," says Richard Lee, M.D., surgical director of the Center for Atrial Fibrillation at Northwestern School of Medicine in Chicago. Those are the arteries that supply the brain with blood. Elevated cholesterol can lead to plaque formation. If diet and exercise don't bring your numbers down, talk to your doctor about prescription cholesterol-lowering drugs, called statins.

Find Out if You Have A-Fib

Atrial fibrillation, or a-fib, as doctors call it, is a condition where one of the top chambers beats out of sync with the rest of the heart. This allows blood to pool, which can lead to a clot that travels to the brain. A-fib accounts for about 20 percent of strokes. Few doctors even realize it's that high, Lee says.

Here's a quick test to tell if you have an irregular pulse, which can be a sign of atrial fibrillation: Press two fingertips on the opposite wrist and find your pulse. Don't worry about counting beats; just feel for an even, steady drumbeat. It helps to tap your foot along with each beat.

An irregular beat feels like an extra or missed beat. If you discover this, or if you ever feel like your heart races or flutters for no reason, see a doctor. The effects of a-fib can be controlled with medication or surgery.

Stop Smoking

Smoking doubles stroke risk. If you haven't tried quitting in a while, see your doctor. There are new tools to help you quit. You can also check out SmokeFree.gov, a smoking cessation resource sponsored by the federal government.

Watch Your Weight

Extra baggage overworks your entire circulatory system and raises stroke risk. More younger women are having strokes, and rising obesity rates likely are to blame.

"Abdominal obesity is a known predictor of stroke in women and may be a key factor in the midlife stroke surge in women," says Amytis Towfighi, M.D., of the neurology department of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

If you need to lose weight, aim to drop only 1 pound a week while exercising three times a week for 30 minutes at a time (brisk walking works great).

Control Your Diabetes

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are major risk factors for stroke. And strokes seem to cause more damage if they strike when your blood glucose levels are high. If you have diabetes, make sure you control your blood glucose levels as closely as possible.

Link   http://www.bhg.com/health-family/fitness/workouts-programs/how-to-prevent-a-stroke/

Opinions divided on benefits of stretching

Opinions divided on benefits of stretching

Experts are divided on how vital stretching is for general fitness and preventing injury.

Stretching relieves stiff muscles and can boost flexibility in the elderly and inactive but experts are divided on how vital it is for general fitness and preventing injury.

For older adults who lose flexibility through ageing, stretching can improve a range of motion and can make it easier to do everyday tasks such as reaching for items on high shelves.

Flexibility activities can also help reverse the chronically rounded shoulders and hands-on-keyboard posture of office workers tied to their desks.

But Dr Mike Bracko, an exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine, said research indicates that static stretching, which involves holding a stretch for 30 to 60 seconds, does not reduce injury and actually makes the muscle weaker.

"I would say that flexibility in and of itself is not that important a component of general fitness," he said.

Read: Are you flexible? 

Is flexibility essential?

Bracko, a hockey skating coach based in Calgary, Alberta, notes that while activities such as gymnastics and rock climbing require flexibility, others, such as boot camp or cycling, do not.

"A lot of people just doing normal fitness activities don't need a lot of flexibility. It depends on the person," he said, adding that muscles tend to get injured within the normal range of motion.

"The classic example is how sprinters strain hamstrings: the leg reaches forward, at some point hamstrings have to contract fast. That's when the muscle fails," Bracko explained. "(Stretching) can't deal with that."

But he said some studies show that dynamic stretching, which unlike static stretching is not sustained and which mimics the activity to be performed, decreases the risk of injury by preparing the body for the movement to follow.

No more than two seconds

Stretch Zone Inc., which was founded in 2004 and has studios in New York, Florida and the Caribbean, specializes in practitioner-assisted stretches that are activity-specific and dynamic.

"Nothing is held for more than two seconds," said Miami-based founder Jorden Gold. "All the studies show little correlation between static, long-held stretches and sports performance."

"With a sedentary lifestyle, the body picks up slack," he explained. "If, for example, I stretch hip flexors (which move muscles when running and walking), I'll feel lighter because the body is not fighting itself."

He said stretching can lengthen a muscle to 1.6 times its resting length.

Read: The science of stretching

Stretching still evolving

But Jessica Matthews, a California-based exercise physiologist formerly with the American Council on Exercise, said the science on stretching is still evolving.

"We all agree on a dynamic warm-up," she said, "(but) research on stretching for injury prevention is still not conclusive enough to make that correlation. There isn't clear-cut evidence to support one thing or another."

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends adults engage in flexibility training a minimum of twice a week.

Matthews believes flexibility training is commonly the most neglected component of fitness.

"Flexibility will increase with flexibility training," she said. "How much is unknown." 

Link  http://www.health24.com/Fitness/News/Opinions-divided-on-benefits-of-stretching-20140114