Why the Role of Exercise in a Ketogenic Diet Succeeds

10/19/2022 Leave a comment

Exercise is vital whether following a low-carb, ketogenic lifestyle, or another health plan. However, regular physical activity can act more efficiently following a ketogenic diet.

Let’s face it- the primary reason you exercise is to look good, period. Sure, health benefits are a nice secondary benefit, but if we are brutally honest, it’s because looks matter to almost everyone.

A mere diet can never help you achieve the body you want, even though diet is essential in supplying the building blocks and setting the stage for your desired outcome.

Do you want to know exactly how exercise can help you while on the ketogenic diet? Read on and find out!

Combine the ketogenic diet and exercise for maximum results.

Exercise Improves Insulin Sensitivity

In many people, insulin sensitivity decreases with age, along with the level of physical activity. Sedentary persons are much more likely to have elevated blood glucose levels, record a higher level of insulin secretion over the day, retain excess body fat, and may likely pave the way to pre-diabetes. 

Exercise, especially weight-bearing, anaerobic activity, has been shown to improve the efficiency of insulin in response to blood glucose or amino acid levels and promotes the absorption of nutrients. 

When following the ketogenic diet, blood glucose levels are lowered, along with muscle glycogen stores, making the body more efficient at handling small bursts of glucose either ingested or produced via the Krebs cycle. 

Fat Burning Is Amplified

One of the most sought-after benefits of low-carb diets, specifically the ketogenic diet, is its marked effect on fat metabolism. In the absence of carbohydrates, insulin’s activity decreases markedly, paving the way for significantly increased levels of lipolysis. Excess insulin caused by eating too many carbs, for instance, can hinder fat burning and increase fat storage, which is a terrible scenario if you are trying to lose weight. So, be sure to choose keto-friendly foods that can help stabilize insulin and get regular exercise.

Are you not following a strict ketogenic diet? That’s fine. There are many variations of the ketogenic diet that are not as strict, but which still reap many of the benefits associated with it. For example, exercising first thing in the morning on an empty stomach place the body in a position to burn fat for energy, as glucose levels are depleted following 8 hours of fasting. Many athletes prefer to work out in the morning, which is the best time to amplify fat metabolism.

Exercise Promotes Muscle Gain

Well, this depends mainly on the type of exercise; weight-bearing, anaerobic types supply significantly more onus for muscle growth than steady-state aerobic varieties. 

Why is muscle growth significant? Muscle is the “powerhouse” in our bodies, better known as the mitochondria, and handles the literal burning and oxidation of ATP. The more muscle we have, either the more of these power units we have or, the larger they are. The result? Greater caloric burn while doing absolutely nothing, including enhanced fat burning. It is also crucial for you to keep exercising, as the adage, “use it or lose it,” is very much true.

Tweaking Keto

There are keto adaptions for bodybuilders, athletes, and others who perform intense exercise, where carb intake revolves around training. 

  • Cyclical Ketogenic Diet – Athletes, bodybuilders, weightlifters, and anyone taking part in high-intensity exercise use this plan, and it features short periods of high carb intake. Typically, five keto days are followed by two high-carb intake days. 
  • Targeted Ketogenic Diet – Bodybuilders also use this plan, athletes, and those who work out regularly to fuel intense workouts. Features high-load carb intake based on activities.

Exercise is a mandatory addition if you’re trying to extract maximum benefit from the ketogenic lifestyle. Your health will significantly improve, including your glucose and lipid profile, but so will your overall body composition. If you genuinely want to look your best, you will not reach it unless you incorporate aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic (weight-bearing) sessions. 

Exercise may seem difficult during the first two or three weeks of adapting to the ketogenic lifestyle, but once your body efficiently produces ketones, fat loss, strength, and muscle gains will ensue.

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How Plank Exercises Can Transform Your Body Shape Quickly

09/05/2022 Leave a comment

With so many complex exercise routines out there, it can be hard to find one that isn’t too complicated, time-consuming, or requires a lot of equipment. Ideally, it would be best if you tried doing exercises that will focus on a few muscle groups at once and that will help you achieve both your performance and aesthetic goals.

When it comes to functional bodyweight exercises, planks are the ideal choice. They are practical and efficient total body exercises that you can do anywhere. On top of that, it will transform your body shape no matter how fit you are.

When most people see someone doing planks, they think it’s strictly an ab exercise. Plank exercises do target your abs but also work many more muscles. When performed correctly, planks will create tension throughout your whole body, thus activating all your core muscles.

Since all major core muscle groups are engaged when doing a plank, you will see your athletic performance improve. 

Performing planks will activate essential muscle groups and significantly improve your physical abilities:

  • Transverse abdominis – Helps you lift heavier weights.
  • Oblique muscles – Increases your ability for stable waist-twisting and side-bending.
  • Rectus abdominis – Responsible for helping you have that stunning six-pack look and can improve your athletic performance, especially when it comes to jumping.
  • Glutes – Provides you with a strong, well-shaped backside and a supported back.

Primary benefits that you can experience from doing planks:

You will reduce the risk of experiencing an injury in your spinal and back column since it’s an exercise that will allow you to build muscle without putting a lot of pressure on your hips or spine. Planks not only reduce back pain but also strengthen your muscles and support your entire back.

You will improve your posture. Most people don’t have a straight and stable posture these days. Doing plank exercises can help you keep proper posture by working your abdomen, which significantly affects the condition of your shoulders, back, chest, and neck.

You will boost your metabolism. By doing this, you will ensure that you burn calories even when you’re resting. Planks are much more effective when losing weight than traditional ab exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches. 

Doing 5–10-minute plank workouts at home before going to work in the morning will keep your metabolic rate high throughout the day.

You will become more flexible as this exercise stretches and expands all your posterior muscle groups while also stretching your toes, arches of your feet, and hamstrings.

You will improve your mental health. Planks stretch out muscle groups that contribute to tension and stress in your body, which relaxes your nerves and improves your overall mood. If you’re sitting in your chair for most of the day, tension will build up in your muscles. However, doing planks has a calming effect on all those muscles, and may even help alleviate anxiety!

The greatest thing about planks is that you can see tremendous results by doing them in 10 minutes or less every day.

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Does Walking Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat?

05/19/2022 Leave a comment

Getting regular exercise is essential if you want to stay fit and healthy. Walking is an ideal form of physical activity that is low risk and won’t cost you a penny. Walking is easy to do and it can be done anywhere. No equipment is needed. You just put on your sneakers and head outside.

You probably think an exercise so simple couldn’t possibly help you lose weight and belly fat. Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Walking actually has a ton of really great health benefits. Too many to name in this one article. However, I will focus on a few I know you will love.

Benefits of Walking

Walking helps improve overall health. You don’t have to walk hours a day to reap the numerous health benefits of walking. Just 10-minutes every day can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier. It can also help ward off diseases and improve your overall health and well-being.

According to the American Heart Association, walking can help reduce the risk of both breast and colon cancer. It can also help reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis.

Walking helps lower blood pressure. According to webmd.com, a Korean study shows that walking just 40 minutes a day lowered blood pressure in people with hypertension. If you don’t have time to do the full 40 minutes, you can break it up into 10-minute sessions throughout the day and reap the same health benefits, according to ACSM guidelines.

A brisk 30-minute walk a day is all it takes to shed pounds, tone your muscles and improve your health. If you haven’t worked out in a while, it’s okay to start off slow. Walking just 5- minutes a day is a great start. As you get stronger, you can increase the time to 10-minutes, 20- minutes, 30-minutes, and so on.

When you walk, or do any type of exercise for that manner, you release what is commonly referred to as feel good hormones. The technical term for these feel good hormones is endorphins. Working up a good sweat causes your body to release endorphins, which will give you an immediate boost in your mood. So, if you’ve had a stressful day at work, go out for a brisk walk and activate those happy hormones.

How Many Calories Can You Burn Walking?

Every person is different and will burn a different number of calories from walking. The number of calories you burn will depend on three main factors: your current weight, the intensity of your walk, and the duration of your walk.

Someone who weighs 150 pounds and walks a normal pace for 60 minutes can burn as much as 250 calories.

A 200-pound person, on the other hand, can burn as much as 330 calories. The average person will burn up to 140 calories per mile walked.

To burn more calories and fat, simply walk more often and/or add in some hills to increase the intensity when you’re physically ready to do so.

You can also add in some strength training during your walk by incorporating exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats every five minutes. Do each exercise for one minute, then continue walking until you’re ready to do the next group of strength exercises.

Another idea is to bring a resistance band along to target more muscle groups and add more variety to your walking workout.

By combining walking and strength training, you will burn more fat and calories long after you’ve finished exercising.

How to Achieve the Best Results

To get the most out of your walking, you should focus on walking with good posture and letting your arms swing slightly as you walk.

Engage your abdominal muscles with every stride. This will build up your core strength and protect your spine.

To help you stay on track, consider asking a friend or family member to go along with you on your walks.

Purchase a pedometer so you can track your steps throughout the day.

For best results, aim to walk at least 30-minutes a day. However, remember to start off slow if you are just getting back into the swing of things.

As you get stronger, you can increase the amount of time and intensity of your walks.

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Protect Young Athletes From Dehydration

09/14/2021 Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Derrik Mealiffe CC-BY-SA 2.0

Many children play sports outdoors during the summer. Dehydration can be a risk when the weather is hot, and the kids are playing. Children who engage in vigorous exercises such as running, baseball, softball, and soccer can become dehydrated quickly. Protective clothing and padding can contribute to dehydration and overheating by holding in heat and preventing the evaporation of sweat. Children who may be especially susceptible to heat-related illness include those who are overweight, rarely exercise, have a condition like diabetes, and children who have recently had a cold or flu. Dehydration can increase the risk of heatstroke, heat exhaustion, and heat cramps. Most team coaches are trained to prevent dehydration by providing water and drinks to restore electrolyte balance in young athletes but don’t rely entirely on your child’s coach. There are steps you can and should take to make sure your child remains hydrated during a game.

Make sure that your child drinks plenty of water before and during a game or practice session. Take your own bottled water and sports drinks to the game or practice, and make sure that your child hydrates at each break in the game. Learn the warning signs of dehydration and take action immediately if you think a child may be succumbing to a heat-related illness. Dehydration symptoms include a dry mouth, headache, thirst, cramps, dizziness, and fatigue. Ensure your child knows how to recognize the signs of dehydration and report symptoms to the coach or you immediately. Dehydration can result in confusion and loss of consciousness if left untreated.  

You can easily prevent dehydration by providing children with plenty of water or healthy electrolyte drinks before, during, and after practice and games. Talk with your child’s team coach about dehydration prevention and the warning signs of dehydration. Games and training sessions should be canceled or moved indoors when the temperature and humidity are high.

Resources

Bolero Advanced Hydration

http://www.gobolero.com

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Midlife Metabolism Boost

05/29/2020 Leave a comment

In simple terms, metabolism is the chemical action of transforming nutrients in food into energy.

Metabolism is a complex set of chemical reactions between enzymes in your cells and the food you eat. Your metabolism is responsible for using energy or storing that energy as fat cells for use later.

Unfortunately, many of us tend to store more energy than we use, particularly after age 40, and you may notice that you can’t eat everything you used to eat without gaining weight.

These changes usually occur because of a slowing of the metabolic processes that convert food into energy, and a natural slowing of your metabolism combined with less physical activity than when you were younger.

There are ways you can stimulate your metabolism after age 40 to lose weight and maintain your weight. Be selective about what you eat. You could probably eat cheeseburgers, French fries, and ice cream when you were younger without worrying about gaining 10 pounds.

After age 40, you have to be pickier about what you eat. There are foods you can eat that will help stimulate your metabolism without sacrificing the enjoyment of food. Cut back on the junk food and add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. You can get the carbohydrates and protein your body needs for energy and strong muscles and bones by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and lean meats.

Replace highly processed foods, such as white flour and frozen dinners, with fresh, whole foods. Whole foods, or unprocessed foods, make your digestive system work harder to digest and stimulate your metabolism. Your digestion will also improve with the addition of natural fiber and help you feel full so that you eat less.

Balance your diet by taking out foods that make you feel sluggish with foods that energize your body. Replace processed flour, sugars, and other carbohydrates with natural foods that will boost your metabolism. Add green tea and water to replace sugary sodas. Switch potato chips and fatty dips with fresh vegetables and low-fat fresh dips, such as guacamole or low-fat sour cream-based dips. Cut out candy and replace it with sweet, fresh berries and fruits.

Exercise will also help to boost your metabolism. Any form of exercise is good for your body. Start slowly if you have been inactive for a long time and get a complete check-up from your doctor. When you receive the all-clear, start by walking or riding a bike for a few minutes each day. Increase the amount of time you spend exercising by 5 to 10 minutes each week until you can exercise at least 30 minutes each day.

Try some weight lifting or other strength training exercises to increase your muscle mass. Muscle requires more energy than other tissues. The more muscle you have, the higher your metabolism will be to provide nutrients to muscle tissue.

Simple changes that include substituting bad foods for healthy foods and exercising will boost your metabolism and keep it working at a peak level throughout your life.

 

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5 Ways Exercise Improves Your Emotional Health and Quality of Life

07/04/2018 Leave a comment

Many people may suffer from mood swings, whether it is from stress, or negative feelings about life and life situations, or possibly sadness from mild depression.

Negative changes in mood can also be a side effect of prescription medication, chronic pain, or even insomnia. If you are someone that needs help with your mood, and wants to feel better, an ideal way to accomplish this is through exercise.

What Exercise Can Do For You

Exercise can help improve your mood because of the changes it causes in your body, self-image, and your mind. How exercise can start to improve your mood will differ depending on what was making you feel not your best.

Here is a list of ways that regular physical activity can work to help you feel more positive about yourself and your life.

  1. If you are depressed: Exercise releases endorphins, which produce feelings of euphoria, well-being, and happiness. Other neurotransmitters, like serotonin, also helps to elevate mood. When you commit to working out on a regular basis, it provides structure to our days and distracts us from negative thoughts. Sometimes all you need is a good 30-minute run or walk in nature to lift your spirits.
  2. If you have poor body image: Regular exercise can offer up results that make you feel like you have accomplished something, instead of being stuck in a sedentary lifestyle. After a while, you may also see changes in your body, which can help your self-esteem and self-worth soar.
  3. If you have too much stress: When you’re fully engaged in a workout, you tend to focus on how your body feels, such as the movement of your muscles, your effort, your pacing, getting air in your lungs, etc. Thus, exercise helps to divert your attention from the stressful thoughts and concerns of the day and is redirected to the present moment. The physical movement gives your stressed out mind a break. Your brain has a chance to clean out all the cluttered thoughts, so you can concentrate on one task. At the end of your workout, you may feel like you’ve been through a meditation session with renewed energy and increased clarity.
  4. If you have trouble sleeping: If you work hard during your exercise session, then it should wear you out enough to allow your body a good night’s rest. You will often find that working up a good sweat can also reduce insomnia by decreasing anxiety, arousal, and stressful thought patterns. Examples of aerobic exercises that are good for sleep include walking, swimming, jogging, dancing, and cycling.
  5. If you have chronic pain: The right type of exercise can help with some of the agony you experience day to day and could alleviate symptoms in some situations. For instance, low-impact exercises, such as yoga, and weight training can be great for people that have joint pain.

How Much Exercise to Do

There is no dispute that exercising is a great thing to do for too many reasons to count, but it isn’t completely obvious how much should be done for best results.

Experts recommend that the average person complete 30 minutes of exercise, 5 times a week. This means you should be doing a 30 minute workout of medium intensity to maximum intensity. Of course, you don’t have to start with 30 minutes.

If you are new to the game, start with 10 minutes of exercising at a time, and keep pushing yourself until you can do the full half hour.

What Types of Exercises Work?

Studies show that lifting weights and aerobic activities help the most when trying to get the full benefits of working out.

Here are some examples:

  • Running or jogging
  • Sports
  • Dancing
  • Elliptical machines
  • Cycling
  • Fitness classes
  • Step aerobics
  • HIIT
  • Tabata
  • Circuit Training
  • Bodyweight exercises
  • Swimming
  • Martial arts
  • Hiking or walking
  • Household chores
  • Any rigorous activity that elevates your heart rate

Once you know the benefits and what to do, exercising doesn’t seem like that big a deal. Even the busiest people should be able to find half an hour a day to devote to their mental health, and as a bonus incentive, regular exercise can help you live a longer and happier life.

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Make Exercise and Good Nutrition a Family Affair

11/14/2016 Leave a comment

Family exercising together.

Have you ever noticed that it’s much easier to stick to a exercise or diet plan if you have someone in the trenches with you? Have you ever been the person eating carrot sticks and celery while watching someone else eat fat-drenched carbs with sugar on top? Why not make exercise and good nutrition a family affair?

Get Rid of the Junk Food

Starting with food, which is often the most difficult part of the willpower bandwagon, if the whole family is working on eating healthy foods, you can just keep those sinful temptations out of the house. Consider avoiding the junk food aisle all together and purchasing healthy alternatives for snacks.

Whole grain crackers, pretzels, yogurt, string cheese, nuts, apples, carrots, celery, kale, berries, bananas and other fruits are healthy alternatives that often cost less in the long run and are chock-full of vitamins, dietary fiber and low in calories and fat. Experts recommend placing the healthy alternatives at eye-level in the cupboards or refrigerator so that the healthy items are the first thing a person sees when they look for a snack.

Look for Healthy Alternatives to Family Favorites

If your whole family is working on good nutrition, you can look for healthy alternatives to your favorite dishes. Enjoy baking? Often substituting pumpkin or applesauce for the butter or oil can work well in muffin, cake or brownie recipes. It replaces the fat, adds flavor and vitamins and is an easy swap.

Use cooking spray instead of high calorie oils in your cooking, and add more green leafy items, more vegetables and fruits to your meals, which can make a big difference as well. Does your family enjoy spaghetti dinners? Consider swapping the heavy pasta for lighter alternatives – spaghetti squash is a vitamin-rich alternative. Eight minutes in the microwave, top with your favorite marinara sauce and you’d hardly know the difference. Yet the difference between them is huge — 31 calories in spaghetti squash versus 158 in spaghetti per serving.

Family Fitness

Why head out to the gym on your own if you can bring the whole family? Often a gym will offer a substantial discount for a whole family membership, and many gyms even provide childcare and play rooms for smaller children. Older children will enjoy shooting baskets, running around the track, and your pre-teens and teens will enjoy learning to use the weight machines and free weights.

Exercise doesn’t have to stop at the gym. Gearing up for a 5K? Why not register the spouse and kids as well? They’re likely to be there to cheer you on anyway, but if you’re all in it together you can prep for it together and eat healthy in preparation together.

Maybe you’re not a runner. Family walks after dinner are a nice way to wind down and hear about each others day. Weekend hikes, skiing, biking or paddling trips are excellent ways to commune with nature and create memories your kids will have with them forever.

What is the best thing about involving the whole family in healthy eating and exercise? Making healthy choices now will make all of you healthier in the long run and will help to establish wonderful fitness and eating habits in your children that they will continue throughout their lives. Studies show that children who are active do better in school, have more confidence and even do better on some tests. With the multitude of benefits for everyone, why not get everyone involved?

 

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Why You Need Back Exercises

04/11/2016 Leave a comment

Most of us these days have a desk job, where we sit and work at the computer for long periods of time, and the demanding schedule makes it very difficult to squeeze in regular exercise. Also, most of us are not in the habit of eating healthy, well-balanced meals. All these factors combined can result in a lot of physical problems, the most common of them being backaches. They start as an uncomfortable knot somewhere along the spine, which is mostly taken care of in the weekend massage appointments. However, ignoring back pains can be risky. Therefore, regular back exercises are advisable.

How to Exercise the Back

There are quite a few effective back strengthening exercises, but the exercises listed below will give you a great start.

Hip Bridge:  This exercise involves lying down on your back with your arms long at your side, your feet directly under your knees, and slightly closer than hip width apart. Next, try to lift your back while making a straight line from shoulder to knees and holding the position for a couple of seconds, and then repeat 8 – 10 times.

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Bird Dog: In this exercise, you have to get on your hands and knees on the floor; part your knees hip width and hands shoulder width. Maintaining the position, stretch the left leg and right hand out and hold the posture for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat with alternating pattern.

bird-dog-

Side Plank:  While lying on your side, use the support of your elbow to lift up your body weight. The upper leg should be directly on top of the lower leg and straighten knees and hips. Hold the position for roughly 30 seconds or longer, if you can. Repeat a few times on alternating sides.

side_plank

 

Lunge:  Keeping your upper body straight, shoulders back and relaxed with core engaged, step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at roughly a 90-degree angle. Your front knee should be directly above your ankle, and make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor. When you push back to the start position, keep your weight in your heels.  Repeat a few times on alternate legs.

 

 

Bodyweight_Walking_Lunge

Benefits of Back Exercises

Back exercises not only help to strengthen your back, but also helps to release the excessive pressure the spine handles due to long hours of sitting on a chair. The stabilizing abdominal muscles and lower back muscles are strengthened, which also helps to improve the balance of muscles, their coordination and stability. A stronger abdomen helps to extend greater support to the spine.

While regular back exercises are definitely beneficial, try to avoid sitting too long by taking mini breaks throughout the day to stretch and take short walks to relieve stress and tension.

 

Photo credit:

Hip bridge exercise from workoutlabs.com

Bird-dog exercise image from  workoutlabs.com

Side plank exercise image from workoutlabs.com

Lunge exercise image from workoutlabs.com

 

 

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Live Longer and Age Gracefully

03/08/2016 Leave a comment

Photo credit: National Cancer Institute [Public domain]

As you grow older, it is very important to understand the changes your body is going through and how to care for it well. The process of aging often involves a number of concerns about how to live longer and age gracefully. Learning useful health tips for 50+ will help you make informed choices as you grow older, so read on to live a healthy life!

Make Healthy Eating a Priority

Aging brings with it a number of potential health problems such as blood sugar irregularities and heart conditions. While some of these problems are genetic and are therefore not possible to avoid completely, it is possible to prevent them from worsening by eating conscientiously. It is important to prioritize healthy eating as you grow older, and maintaining a balanced diet is imperative if one wishes to live longer.

Eat foods that are rich in minerals (especially calcium & magnesium), vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Focus on vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and lean meats to ensure that your body is well-balanced nutritionally.

Some of the vegetables that you should include in your daily diet are kale, collard greens, squash, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli. Fruits that you should consume include mixed berries, apples, oranges, peaches, pears, cherries, watermelon and grapes.

You should also try to consume more whole grain foods, such as whole wheat, oatmeal and brown rice. Whole grains are known to have very low fat content, and they contain good amounts of protein, fiber, minerals and vitamins that can benefit your health in numerous ways. Other healthy food choices include eggs, cheeses, and yogurts, as these foods can help control hypertension and improve bone health.

When you are over 50, you should eat lean meats, such as turkey and chicken, and fresh fish because they contain less cholesterol and fat. Also, choose heart-friendly oils, such as olive oil, to do your cooking, and be sure to drink plenty of water every day to keep your body well-hydrated.

Exercise will Keep Aging Bones and Joints Healthy

A number of people tend to avoid exercise as they age, as the desire to look fit diminishes. However, the need to incorporate exercise is among the most important health tips for 50+, regardless of whether one wishes to look healthy or not. What is important to keep in mind if one wishes to live longer, is the fact that bones and joints will lose their strength as age catches up, which is why it is important to exercise them on a daily basis.

Get at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout; water aerobics, low-impact strength and cardio workouts, such as Pilates or Yoga, or maybe try a simple 30-minute power walk, which is also a fun and refreshing way to stay fit as you age.

Supplements Keep Signs of Aging at Bay

Increasing one’s intake of certain supplements, especially those abundant in antioxidants, will ensure that wrinkles, crow’s feet, and sagging skin will be limited in appearance. Eating healthy and incorporating supplements into one’s diet will ensure that your daily nutritional needs are being adequately met.

Before you choose supplements for yourself, consult your doctor or a nutritionist to find out which kinds of supplements you need and the proper dosage for your body.

Enjoy Rejuvenating Body Therapies

The various little aches and pains that an aging body experiences can be kept at bay thanks to a vast range of therapies, which are available at spas and special centers. A number of treatments are available which increase the skin’s elasticity and restore its natural balance, while others focus on tackling issues pertaining to back, shoulder, and joint problems. One has the option to choose from yoga or aromatherapy based treatments based on personal need. It is a good idea to indulge in these treatments at least once a week in order to reap the full benefit of the processes.

Aging with grace can be an enjoyable experience thanks to the incorporation of a disciplined lifestyle, a balanced diet, the incorporation of healthy supplements, and relaxing therapeutic processes.

 

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Top 4 Health Benefits of Mud Runs and Obstacle Courses

01/22/2016 Leave a comment

My first obstacle mud run, the Makahiki Challenge.

If you enjoy taking on new challenges and pushing your mental and physical capabilities to the next level, then you have to try an obstacle course or a mud run at least one time! Your stamina, agility and heart will be put to the test, as these obstacle mud runs are far from ordinary. While you’re having a blast splashing in A LOT of mud, you will also have many hurdles to overcome like climbing over slippery walls, hauling sand bags, crawling through barriers, pulling heavy tires, and swinging from ropes. Some of the most popular mud runs and obstacle courses are the Tough Mudder, Warrior Dash, Spartan Race, and the Makahiki Challenge in Hawaii. You can participate in these obstacle challenges alone, with family or friends, or with a team. Just be ready to step out of your comfort zone and muttle through lots of filthy fun obstacles.

Here are some of the top health benefits of running in obstacle courses:

Shape up or ship out! If you’re up for the challenge, these obstacle mud runs will get you in the best shape of your life. You’ll improve your strength, endurance, balance, flexibility and burn a ton of calories! Running on different terrain, lifting, pulling, climbing, crawling, jumping, and swinging through obstacles will definitely improve your overall fitness, and exercise will never be boring again! The key is to never give up and keep challenging yourself. When you’re ready, take it to the next level. Staying fit mentally and physically will impact your life in so many positive ways, plus you’ll have loads of fun along the way.

Get stronger, faster, and go longer. Climbing 12 ft. walls, carrying heavy objects, crawling under barb wires, traversing muddy waters, and holding onto ropes will absolutely test your physical limits, especially your strength and endurance abilities. The more obstacle races you do, the better you’ll get. As you get stronger, you’ll be able to go faster and farther than the previous race. Before you know it, you’ll be an avid obstacle course racer and reaching a level of fitness you never thought was possible.

Better balance and coordination.  Whether you’re scaling up and over walls or trying not to sprain an ankle while carrying a heavy object in the slippery mud, you will find yourself constantly struggling to maintain balance and coordination. Your entire body, including your brain, muscles, and senses are working overtime to make sure you stay on your feet.

Make things happen! When you cross the finish line, it will give you a great sense of accomplishment and inspire you to become a better athlete. Overcoming difficult physical and mental challenges will also give you the confidence to tackle anything that comes your way. You can  participate in training programs for obstacle runs to get you physically and mentally prepared for the next race.  So, challenge yourself to continually improve your overall health and fitness, but don’t forget to have FUN.

 

 

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