Daily Health Workouts

12 Ways to Avoid Gym Germs

08:37

Fight pesky gym germs with these tips to make sure you get strong at the gym

Make use of the sanitizing gel in most gyms and don’t touch your face between sets. Most colds are passed on through hand-to-nose contact.
Avoid touching the spout when drinking from the water fountain.
Bring your own yoga or Pilates mat. Make sure you wash it regularly.
Wipe down all equipment before and after use. Stash sanitizing wipes in your gym bag.
Always wipe down the handles on the elliptical with a sanitizing handwipe. Not only can this decrease your chance of transferring a variety of bacteria, but you’ll be able to burn more calories precisely because you’ll use the handles and engage your upper body muscles during cardio.
Wash your weight-lifting gloves routinely with detergent in hot water (and don’t touch your face when wearing gloves). Studies have shown that staph bacteria can bind to polyester, the material of choice for many weight-lifting gloves.
Always place a towel on any equipment that you are going to sit on.
Wear flip-flops in the locker room. The heat and moisture from showers, saunas and hot tubs creates a breeding ground for mold, bacteria and germs.
Cover up any open wounds with antibiotic ointment and a bandage before heading to the gym. Germs can enter the body through uncovered abrasions and lead to infections.
Do not share towels. It’s one of the fastest ways to spread bacteria.
Thoroughly wash your hands for at least 30 seconds after each workout.
Once home, always make sure to get out of your sweaty gear as soon as possible.

Ok, so you have your cardio down to a science: You know when, where, how long and how hard you have to work to get that feeling of pure adrenaline – when you know you’re taking your body to that next level of lean. But are you really in the zone? Although many experts dismiss the notion of a “fat-burning” zone, some studies show that in order to maximize fat loss, you must first reach your “fat burning zone.” That zone is defined as 35 to 69 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR).

To get started, here’s how to calculate your MHR.

As soon as you wake up, find your resting heart rate (RHR): Feel your pulse by pressing into your left wrist with your right index and middle fingers. Time yourself for 15 seconds, counting the beats of your pulse; multiply that number by four. This is your resting heart rate. Write it down.

Using your RHR, follow this simple formula to find your MHR and fat burning zone: 220 – age = MHR – RHR x .65 + RHR = 65 percent of MHR (ok, ok, here’s the breakdown)

health tips

Linking Brown Fat and Fat Loss

08:35

Until recently, scientists believed that brown fat existed only in children and babies. Studies now show that adults still carry brown fat cells and they could be a hot link to fat loss.

Your “baby fat” could be the answer to how your body ramps up its fat-burning potential. Until recently, scientists believed that brown fat existed only in children and babies, disappearing as they age. But studies now show that adults still carry these fat cells (found at the back of the neck, just below collar bone level) and they could be a hot link to fat loss.

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts have discovered that brown fat actually burns calories and uses energy, especially in colder weather. When there’s a chill in the air these cells are more active, unlike white-fat cells that just store energy and don’t burn off as effectively.

Science is still trying to unlock the secrets of fat-burning as it applies to obese or overweight people in the long-term – why some people gain more weight than others, for example – but this latest research may strengthen the link between brown fat and fat loss.

health tips

Double Your Fat-Loss

08:34

Find out how food journals can keep the pounds off!

Can food journaling really help you lose weight? According to a group of researchers involved in the Weight Loss Maintenance study, the answer is a resounding yes. In the study, which was conducted at four locations across the US including Johns Hopkins University and Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, nearly 1,700 overweight and obese Americans were asked to keep a daily journal of both food and exercise and attend weekly classes on healthy eating and moderate exercise. After six months, participants lost an average of 13 pounds. When researchers analyzed the data, they found that weight loss virtually doubled between those who kept a journal and those who didn’t.

According to J. Graham Thomas, Ph.D., Co-Investigator for the US-based National Weight Control Registry (which monitors the habits and behaviors of more than 5,000 individuals who have lost weight and kept it off for at least a year), “Keeping a food log ranks up there among the top three or four most important strategies people use to lose weight and keep it off.” In other words, in addition to cleaning up your diet and exercising regularly, writing down what you eat is one of the most important things you can do to lose weight and best of all, keep it off.

health tips

Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

08:32

Research shows people are more likely to overeat when they dine with others. Keep your diet on track

Food + friends = overeating

Eating with others tends to increase the amount of food we consume, by one-third to three-quarters more total calories. In one week-long study involving 63 women, researchers found that the average meal eaten alone consisted of 410 calories, while the average meal consumed with others was 591 calories. In another study, published in Appetite, the 78 women studied ate between 34 and 45 percent more calories when they consumed their food in a social setting.
So we know that our friends can persuade us to eat more, the question is: Why? Elizabeth Somer, author of Nutrition for Women (Owl, 2001), says, “There are a number of factors at play here. It could be that your guard is down, or that you’re focusing on your socializing so you end up unconsciously eating more food.” Also, when friends are involved, we tend to eat in restaurants where portions are bigger. Somer also believes there may be anthropologic reasons behind eating more when in a group. “There very well could be some instinctive thing based on thousands, if not millions, of years of evolution. When food is around, you need to compete with the group to make sure you’ve got your share. It’s an instinctive drive.”

health tips

Ways to Shed Fat and Have Fun

08:31

Bust out of your rut and try these fat-blasters on for size!

Sure, having to walk your four-legged friend will get you moving and burning calories, but there’s more to it than that. Studies show that having a pet helps relieve stress, a major contributor to your expanding waistline due to cortisol – the hormone released into your bloodstream in response to a fight-or-flight situation. Getting out with your furry companion is a great way to get a double dose of fat-fighting activity.

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12 Ways to Avoid Gym Germs

Fight pesky gym germs with these tips to make sure you get strong at the gym

Find Your Fat-Burning Zone

Find out your maximum heart rate to get the most out of your workouts.

Linking Brown Fat and Fat Loss

Until recently, scientists believed that brown fat existed only in children and babies. Studies now show that adults still carry brown fat cells and they could be a hot link to fat loss.

Double Your Fat-Loss

Find out how food journals can keep the pounds off!

Are Your Friends Making You Fat?

Research shows people are more likely to overeat when they dine with others. Keep your diet on track

Food + friends = overeating

Ways to Shed Fat and Have Fun

Bust out of your rut and try these fat-blasters on for size!

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