Potassium

While sodium is our principle extracellular cation (positively charged ion), potassium is our principal intracellular cation.
The normal functioning of the human body depends on an intricate balance of potassium and sodium concentrations. Potassium plays a critical role in nerve impulse transmission, maintaining cellular fluid volume and pH, muscle contraction, heart function and tissue growth and repair. Additionally, potassium helps our body hold onto calcium, while excessive sodium leads to both potassium and calcium loss (Rhoades and Pflanzer, 1996; Schauss, 1998).
Potassium is not as readily lost in sweat, partially because the composition of sweat is more similar to extracellular fluids, and potassium is primarily found intracellularly.
However, prolonged sweating in hot environments does lead to potassium loss through sweat, which may have significant consequences. The Committee on Military Nutrition Research, Food and Nutrition Board published a book called Fluid Replacement and Heat Stress. The chapter entitled “Potassium Deficiency as the Result of Training in Hot Weather” came to the conclusion that potassium loss in extreme training conditions may adversely effect blood flow, muscle function and energy storage, impairing both endurance and performance.

Source:

What Is A Cramp?

When you exercise, you sometimes feel a painful sensation in your muscles. This painful sensation is often referred to as a cramp. Cramps cause severe and sudden pain in the affected area and they usually happen during exercise or vigorous activities such as running or sprinting.

There are many things that can cause cramps. One of the most common causes is overextension. When your muscles are overused or suddenly used, they tighten. This is because they are not used to such movements. Another common cause is dehydration. When your body lack fluids, the blood becomes thicker and the blood circulation becomes less efficient. As a result, your muscles cannot get the oxygen they need leading to the spasms. In addition, dehydration can also be related to electrolyte imbalance. If the amounts of potassium, sodium and calcium in your body are not balanced, your muscles will experience cramps.

Cramps can be categorized into two main types. The first type is known as the true cramp. Most people experience this type as it is caused mainly by vigorous movements and injuries. True cramps may happen during or after an exercise routine depending on the severity of the activity. They also happen when your body is injured especially when broken bones affect the muscles around them. The second type is known as the rest cramp. Rest cramps happen not when the body is inactive. For instance, if you have been sitting for many hours, your muscles become inactive and the blood circulation in your body is altered. This type can be very disruptive especially when you are sleeping. Rest cramps can also be caused by dehydration or fluid loss. They usually happen during summer when the temperature is very high. This is because your body gives off too much liquid through sweating.

There are several ways on how you can prevent your muscles from cramping. The first way is to breathe properly. Deep breaths are always advisable especially when you are exercising. If you maintain a good breathing technique, your muscles will not lack oxygen. The second way is to drink water. Since dehydration is a major cause of cramps, you need to make sure your body has the right amount of fluids all the time. This is mainly important during the summer season. The third way is to eat potassium-rich foods. This is to balance the electrolytes in your body that will aid to healthier muscles. The fourth way is to drink milk. Your muscles also need calcium therefore you need to supply them adequately. The fifth way is to avoid inactivity. You need to move your body every few hours to help the muscles loosen up. The last step is to do warm-up exercises. Before you embark on vigorous exercise routines, you need to prepare your muscles by stretching.

These are the things that you need to know about cramps. Knowing them will help you avoid painful sensations when you exercise.

 Source:

Being Fit Feels Great, Go For It!

A good lifestyle is more a habit than anything else. People have gone mad these days for getting a fab bod like those supremely ripped people in the show business. Having an aspiration is good, but lust is not. Moreover, it can be worst if you are trying to copy someone. A good practice in this is whatever you want to be, should be based on your specific needs. If it is customized, it is easy for you to follow, because of your elements mixed in it. With all things said and done for building a fit physique, a healthy diet should not be missed at all for its highly nutritious benefits to the body, including its proper nourishment and strength.

Now come to the way of doing the workout that could be the most benefiting for a proportionate transitioning of your physique. The top on the list is the diet mentioned earlier. With other helpful practices, the diet becomes more effective. Those other practices count on to spend your day actively between getting out and going to the bed. The activities you can get involved in may include parts of sports, day or evening walk, and your routine miscellaneous works at home or workplace. You can fit in regular workout appropriately somewhere in your daily routine. However, the best suitable time will be in the morning or evening.

Knowledge of some technical information is also an important part of your progression towards getting fit. You can get help from latest fitness gadgets to know the amount of workout you are doing, the time you have been active, calories you're burning, and the kind of diet you need to consume to supply your body enough nutrients to last for another day of being active. These fitness gadgets come in forms of smart watches and bands, as well as you can find some really good fitness apps for the above purpose on the internet. Still, if you think that you need personal assistance for a customized plan for your fitness, there is always an option of joining the membership of a gym or health/fitness club.

Keep remembering that maintaining your fitness is also important that requires you keep exercising healthy practices. When you follow your daily healthy routine, it will boost your self-confidence and encourage you to stick on that as well. For the reason, that gaining the fitness is right and good but maintaining it is a tricky part because, you, being highly motivated before, do the hard work to see yourself of proportionate physique then, after getting that, you start losing the spirit and become unhealthy again. So do keep it in mind that fitness demands a lifetime process and you need to practice the healthy exercises constantly to lead a healthy and fit life. 

My best wishes, thank you!

 Source: 

Workout And Diet Tips To Start Off Your Weight Loss Journey

Even if your health is not at risk, there is a weight that you consider ideal; there is a way you wish you looked and sometimes it means taking up a workout routine and watching your diet to achieve what your heart desires. The good thing about weight loss is that nothing is impossible to achieve, you just have to set your mind to it and approach your goals in the most sensible way.

When it comes to losing weight, working out alone will not deliver the expected results. It is always best that you combine your workouts with the appropriate diet program so you maximize the results and reach your objectives easily and effectively for that matter. Here are a few top diet and workout tips that can help you begin your weight loss journey on a high.

Tip 1 - Choose the right time to exercise

Exercising is important and you should therefore choose a time of day that you find most suitable. Some recommend working out in the morning to kick start your metabolism, but it is just as rewarding to exercise at any other given time as long as you do it right. For instance, if you exercise in the morning hours, eat small amounts that digest fast so you can refuel your body. If you choose the evenings, then ensure that it is not that close to your bedtime so you do not end up disrupting your sleep.

Tip 2 - Factor in the fluids

Water is quite essential when working out and when you are working on your weight too. Ensure therefore, that you drink enough of it throughout the day. It keeps you hydrated and promotes bodily functions so your every effort with diet and the exercises pay off in the end. You might want to skip on caffeine, especially before or after exercises because it removes water from the system dehydrating you in the process. It is also important that you be cautious with energy drinks because most are loaded with sugar and caffeine.

Tip 3 - Vary your activities

Developing a fitness plan is very beneficial. When doing so, make sure that you vary the activities to keep your program interesting. It can get boring when you do the same thing day in day out. Keep things fresh by rotating between your favorite activities. Since you know the exact areas that you are targeting with your program, choose the best and exciting ones that will keep you going towards your objectives.

Tip 4 - Choose healthy foods and cook yourself

The best thing about cooking your food yourself is that you know exactly what goes into the meal and you are not taking chances. Bypass the high calorie foods and junk foods that are mouthwatering but end up dragging you back. Go for fresh produce and choose ingredients with care. You also want to cook more than you can eat so you have a healthy meal waiting for you even after you have had a busy day at work that could prompt you to eat fast foods.

Source:

Exercises and Workouts - Should You Use An Activity Tracker?

If you've been keeping track of the latest products to hit the fitness scene, there's no question you've discovered one or two of the latest "fitness trackers" now available.
What are these and why are they so beneficial? People everywhere are jumping on the bandwagon, picking up their choice of device.
Let's give you a brief overview of what you should know...
1. What They Are? These fitness trackers are basically small devices you wear on your body and will determine various fitness statistics such as how many steps you've taken, how many hours you're sleeping, how many floors you've climbed, and an approximation of how many calories you've burned.
Each tracker will offer slightly different metrics, so shopping around to find one that offers what you want to know most will pay off.
2. Will They Work? The question you might be now asking yourself however, is how accurate are these? Can you really rely on them?
The answer is yes and no. In a sense, they can be relatively accurate. Most are proven within about +/- 10 to 20% depending on the device, so they can give you a general idea of about how many calories you are burning.
For step counts, they do tend to be very accurate as they are basically just a pedometer.
The main thing to know though is they will not accurately assess calorie burn during certain activities such as cycling or weight lifting since there's no way to assess the calorie burn here. Ones that actually read body chemistry and have metal plates that touch the skin, may be slightly more accurate in this regard, but they will never be 100%.
3. How To Use Them Effectively. So if you want to use these, go ahead. Use them as a guideline only though. Still make sure you count your calories and track your body weight. Adjust as necessary. The tracker is better used as a baseline for measuring more active days with less active ones.
For instance, use it to help you reach a certain step count goal - 5000 steps for example. If you notice you're only at 3000 by evening, get up and do something to make up for the more sedentary day.
This over time can help you reach your weight loss goals faster and improve your health standing. For many people, they serve as an excellent wake-up call to see just how little you're actually moving.
So consider a tracker, but don't rely on one. When used properly though, they can be beneficial.

Although managing Type 2 diabetes can be very challenging, it is not a condition you must just live with. Make simple changes to your daily routine - include exercise to help lower both your blood sugar levels and your weight.

CLICK HERE to find out more about   Activity Tracker.

Source:

 

Resistance Band Exercise For Beginners

The resistance band is an amazing product that has a very unique physical property which is known as variable elastic potential. Basically the way it works is that the more you stretch the band the more resistance that is applied, and the faster it will snap back. You will find that the resistance bands because of the elastic approach it will build up the speed in your body in comparison to weights.

Resistance band exercises are a great alternative to any type of fitness exercise that creates impact on the body, since it virtually has no impact. An instance where it may be useful for example is with multiple sclerosis patients who can barely walk will be able to utilize the resistance bands to keep the blood flowing through their legs by doing a few stretches with the band wrapped around one of their feet. The resistance band provides a great alternative for all individuals in society.

Advantages Of Resistance Bands -

o Excellent for muscle build up and toning of the muscles.

o Increases one's flexibility and range of motion.

o Eases the discomfort for sufferers of any movement disabilities due to its low impact activities.

o Great for rehabilitation patients who need to recover from an injury.

o Resistance bands can be used by all types of people, varying in heights, weight and age. This includes children as well!

o Use can be instant as there is no setup time, so therefore faster results will occur.

o Very inexpensive so affordable by all.

o Very portable ensuring your workouts can be undertaken in all types of environments.

o Resistance bands can be purchased in varying resistances, so as you improve you can opt for a more difficult band.

o Core muscles are engaged during your workout unlike other traditional strength training exercises.

o Can target the hard to hit muscles unlike most weight routines. In particular the fast twitch fibre muscles in your body are targeted.

o Can shorten the length of the resistance band and this can make the exercise harder to do.

o Can implement sport focused activities such as trying to improve your golf swing or pitching a baseball. Really builds the muscles in the areas that you should be focusing on for these sports.

Obviously a resistance band workout is not going to get all the results that you need. Because it's more a toning exercise you need to combine the workout with mild aerobic exercises as well as a healthy diet. By doing this you will notice results much faster, and obviously achieve better results.

Just like with all pieces of fitness equipment you need to warm up your muscles and joints before applying any type of resistance. A warm up can be for example performing the exercise without the exercise band. There are so many different resistance band exercises that this article would not be able to cover them in such a short time. If you search the term "resistance band exercises" on Google you will have an unlimited source of workout images and routines at your fingertips. Don't hesitate any longer, pick up a resistance band today and start achieving results in the different parts of your body today!

 Source: 

Protection from Autumn's Viruses

    Autumn couldn't come at a better time. With the beginning of the fall season comes cooler temperatures and a welcome change from summer's heat waves.

However, these changing temperatures also bring germs that cause allergies, colds and the flu. Do you ever wonder how doctors and teachers stay healthy when they're in constant contact with sick patients and children? They have to make a conscious effort to keep themselves healthy even though they are surrounded by germs in their classrooms and offices. The same goes for massage therapists, who are also at an increased risk of catching airborne germs due to the nature of their business. There's no sure-fire way to prevent catching a cold, but taking a few extra precautions will help ward off germs heading in your direction.

A healthy immune system will help stave off an impending illness. Obviously, a healthy, nutritious diet and plenty of sleep will protect your body from becoming stressed and worn down, making you more susceptible to catching a cold. Other behaviors can also affect how likely you are to get sick, such as drinking and smoking. Regular exercise, something as simple as walking a few times per week, has been proven to help strengthen the immune system. In addition to eating healthy foods, consider supplementing your diet with vitamins. Another important step is to make sure you allot yourself enough time for sleep and other fun activities, because when you're happy and well rested, your body will be healthier. Making these simple changes to your everyday lifestyle will help bolster your immunity.


Source:

How to Cook Healthy Food! 10 Breakfast Ideas, Lunch Ideas & Snacks for ...