Category Archives: Fitness Diaries

Parts Of Your Body That Cholesterol Affects

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High cholesterol is a health condition that occurs when there is too much cholesterol in your blood. This condition can have an adverse effect on several parts of your body. Below are the parts of your body that can be adversely affected in people with high cholesterol:

The Arteries

High cholesterol can damage your arteries and cause a condition called atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis causes your arteries to harden. If atherosclerosis is left untreated, then an atheroma, or atherosclerotic plaque, will form. Atheroromas can rupture and lead to blood clots.

Your Heart

Studies have shown that people who have high cholesterol are twice as likely to develop heart disease as people with normal cholesterol levels. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia. If you have high blood pressure or diabetes, then your chances of developing heart disease will be even greater. Furthermore, high cholesterol can lead to a heart attack.

Your Brain

Untreated high cholesterol can lead to a stroke. A stroke is a condition that occurs when blood flow to the brain is impaired. A stroke is also known as a cerebrovascular accident. Inability to see, communicate normally and move one or more of the limbs are some of the many negative effects that can result from a stroke. It is also important to note that strokes can lead to deaths.

Lowering Your Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol, then you can reduce your chances of developing serious health problems by getting it under control. There are a number of things that you can do to lower cholesterol. Exercise is one way that you can lower your cholesterol naturally. You should try to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Exercise not only lowers your total cholesterol, but it also raises your HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is also known as the good cholesterol because it helps clean out your arteries.

You also want to make sure that you eat a healthy diet. Oatmeal, fruit, vegetables and whole grains should be the foods that you consume the most. Those types of foods are rich in fiber, which is a nutrient that helps reduce your cholesterol. You should try to eat salmon at least twice a week because it contains omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are another group of nutrients will help lower your cholesterol. If you do not like fish, then you can get your omega 3 fatty acids from other sources, such as flaxseed and walnuts.

If you cannot lower your cholesterol with diet, then you may be required to take medication. There are several types of cholesterol medications available, and your doctor will prescribe the one that is right for you.

Michael use to have high cholesterol and currently has it under control due to change of diet and life style. He likes writing blogs that may bring awareness to the situation as well as other interests such as travelling

40 Things to Try When You Don’t Want to Work Out

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SparkPeople members answer: “When I don’t feel like working out, I ___.”

  1. Do it anyway. (This was the most popular answer!)
  2. Tell myself to go for 15 minutes. If I still feel bad or unmotivated, I can quit. I have yet to quit.
  3. Look on Pinterest for motivation! (Check out Pinterest’s Fitness section and follow SparkPeople’s Pinterest boards.)
  4. Ask a friend along to the workout it helps us both with accountability.
  5. Do a heavy house cleaning (vacuuming, moving furniture, scrubbing) so I have a reason to work out.
  6. Watch a Crossfit video on YouTube. It always inspires me. Then I get it done.
  7. Take a 10-minute brisk walk.
  8. Take the dog for a long walk.
  9. Force myself anyway and feel better for it.
  10. Go to a yoga class. It gets me moving, and I always have fun!
  11. I sit by myself for a few minutes and think about all the things I can’t enjoy because of my poor health.
  12. Sometimes I find myself doing it just to get my fitness minutes for the month. Proof that SparkPeople works!
  13. Work out anyway…then bask in the awesomeness!
  14. Find something new to do! If you run then go for a swim or a bike ride. Maybe you are getting bored with the same routine.
  15. Complain about not feeling motivated, then go do it, since I don’t like hearing myself complain.

  16. I drag myself to the gym anyway. Before I realize it, an hour is passed and I’m glad I went.
  17. Post about your lack of motivation on Facebook, and get chewed out.
  18. Do it anyway because this is for me.
  19. Try to force myself to just do something for 1 minute (jumping jacks, squats, etc.). But usually I tell myself I will be happier that I did it instead of mad at myself for not doing anything.
  20. Put on my work out clothes, lace up my shoes and go for a walk. Once I’m out and moving I find my motivation.
  21. Do a SparkPeople workout video! They are always great workouts and I love that they are not super hard and complicated!
  22. Remember a time when I couldn’t work out, and how sad I was when I was heavier, and how I don’t want to feel sad again!
  23. Listen to some music—something with energy that I like. It’s funny how the right music can make you move even when you think you don’t want to, and it usually provides a mood boost, too (which is probably why I didn’t want to workout in the first place).
  24. Put my feelings aside and use logic and reasoning. My feelings then change after a good workout.
  25. Follow an “easy” DVD and tell myself I’ll do just one part of it. I end up doing it all usually.
  26. Put on my workout clothes!
  27. Do a workout at home instead of going to the gym.
  28. Remind myself why I started working out and how much better I feel and feel about myself when I am done!

  29. Do it anyway, just not as long.
  30. Remember how easy it is to loss fitness even after missing a few sessions.
  31. Put on my workout clothes first thing in the morning. Once I’m in them there’s no reason to not work out!
  32. Remind myself of one of Gods promises in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
  33. Think how good I feel after a workout! Nothing else gives me that same feeling!
  34. Go bowling.
  35. I go get my small weights and start toning up.
  36. Do something light and slow, like yoga.

  37. Start working out anyway, and then, I figure I’ve already started, so I may as well finish STRONG!
  38. Put on dance music and move!
  39. Call a friend to encourage me.
  40. Think of all the people who can’t and I go do it and am grateful that I CAN.

Tips on Buying a Home Treadmill

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Because of my quest to be healthy (really healthy) this year, the subject of investing on a treadmill has come up more than once. I work from home and do not know how to drive, so going to the gym is a negative (and there aren’t even gyms around our neighborhood). I have been reading on various nordictrack treadmill reviews to help us choose which model to buy.

Note that I am on a lookout for a quality and heavy duty home treadmill. There are a lot of cheaper ones in the market but I am concerned that 1) they will not be able to hold my weight 2) they do not measure heart rate and calorie burn accurately 3) they easily break down and repairing them would not be an option or will cost more than the initial buy. This is why we prefer to invest on quality treadmills even if they are slightly more expensive. I am sure it will be worth it.

Here are some guidelines I can share with you if you are on the lookout for a treadmill too:

nordictrack-t7.0
NordicTrack T7.0 Treadmill
1. Read as many nordic track treadmill reviews as possible. You can search online for real consumer feedback or customer reviews.
2. Decide the space available to you for putting up the treadmill. Treadmills are available in two types – folding and non-folding. In general, folding models come in a price range of $500 to $2000, with majority of them priced between $700 and $1500. For a normal workout, these machines are ideal and serve the purpose of regular exercising perfectly well.
3. Make that the buttons and controls are easy to read, easy to operate, and entirely user-friendly.
4. Find out the period of warranty for the treadmill and also the facilities for after sales service by the manufacturer/supplier in your area.

But most of all, make sure you use your treadmill!

Reasons to Hire a Personal Trainer for Your Fitness Program

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Every year, losing weight or becoming healthy is one of the top resolutions or goals people make. While most unfortunately forget about their goal, stop mid-way or fail, there are others who take this goal to heart and commit to taking steps to change their lifestyles and be healthier.

It is not easy to stop bad habits. Besides deciding for yourself, you need to have the discipline and motivation to continue setting good habits and accomplishing them every day. Having the right people help and motivate you is important. Sometimes having someone to be accountable for is a big push for you to stay committed. This is where personal trainers come in. People often go to the gym without any idea how to develop a fitness program that is tailored to their needs or the goals they want to accomplish. For example, wanting to have a well-chiseled body requires a different workout program than wanting to have a lean one.

Why a Fitness Trainer?

A fitness trainer is an expert who can develop a customized training program for you.

1. He would be able to develop an exercise regimen that fits your specific goals. He would analyze where you stand now in terms of fitness and develops a fitness plan accordingly.

2. He can also teach you the exercises that will work on your problem areas and help you achieve your desired goals.

3. He could also give the tips and strategies for achieving your target. If you have a fitness trainer of your own, then there is no need for you to go to a gym and he will be there to guide you in your fitness training process. However, gyms also have in-house fitness trainers you can hire for some one-on-one time when going for your workout sessions.

Choosing Your Personal Fitness Trainer

When it comes down to choosing a trainer, you need to make sure you pick someone with whom you are comfortable working with and someone you have confidence in. He can help you to achieve your goals. A trainer should motivate and support you, give you constructive feedback, be patient and be continuously working with you to ensure your program is giving the results you desire.

Make sure your trainer has certification. When you choose your personal trainer, you should make sure that they are educated, and have gone through some kind of program and have a certification. It would be nicer if he also knows CPR or has a first aid knowledge and certification.

Check if the trainer has adequate experience, training and education in the field of physical fitness.

Your trainer should be able to give you his undivided attention and be able to prepare a program that will help you get to your goals with more focus on the areas that require great attention.

The trainer you choose should be able to track your development through various assessments. If there is no progress, then he/she would design new exercise programs, which would be beneficial in achieving your goal.

The program he designed should be cost-effective. He would work around in giving you the best results with training.

 

About the Author:

One of Martha Blythe’s goals for 2013 is to become healthier. She has decided to get back to the gym and hire a Chandler personal trainer to develop her fitness program.

 

100 Reasons to Exercise

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Planet Waves is no match for the iTunes music list I am building up to help me workout and train.

I want to share this article I read today:
100 reasons to train today:

Because it makes you feel confident
Because it helps you get stronger
Because exercise helps combat depression
Because you’ll feel proud of yourself
Because you have goals you want to reach
Because you’ll feel bad if you don’t
Because you want to move forward, not backward
Because it burns more calories than not working out
Because it improves your heart health
Because you want a great butt
Because it prevents diabetes
Because you want to be a good example to your kids
Because you want to feel good in your clothes
Because it reduces your risk of cancer
Because your body was made to move
Because you want to be an athlete
Because you want to look better
Because it lifts your mood
Because you want to stand taller
Because it reduces back pain
Because it feels good
Because it makes you feel accomplished
Because you spend most of your day on your butt
Because swimsuit season is always coming
Because strong is the new skinny
Because dieting only works so much
Because it strengthens your bones, too
Because it helps you lose weight
Because it allows you to eat more food
Because it’s the best way to spend “me” time
Because it helps you de-stress
Because it’s cheaper than therapy
Because you want a strong core
Because you want to take care for yourself Continue reading →

Workout Music

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I am in a workout music downloading session the past week. I have been downloaded some mean N’ Sync and Backstreet Boys tunes all week, plus some dance tunes I’d rather not name lest they reveal my true age. Let’s just say that hearing those cool Gemini strings in the background is better from me than booming bass beats.

What is your workout music?

Let me leave you with three fitness truths you can do everyday:

Source: skinnyms.com via Gina on Pinterest