Health, Fitness, and Nutrition at LiftW8

Archive for April, 2008

What is an Elliptical Trainer?

An elliptical trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to simulate walking or running without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries.They offer a non-impact cardiovascular workout that can vary from light to high intensity based on the resistance preference. Most elliptical trainers work the user’s upper and lower body in order to elevate the heart rate.Elliptical trainers make ideal training equipment for trainees that need to minimize the impact on their bones and joints. Some of the better manufacturers include Sole, Epic, and Schwinn.

Arm Resistance Handles

While you really don’t need these for an effective workout, many people prefer them. Arm resistance helps to provide training for your upper body and results in an increase in calories burned. However, trainees must make sure they do not have to lean over while using them, which would diminish the effectiveness of the workout.

Variable Motion, Resistance, and Incline Settings

The ability of an elliptical trainer to move in a forward or reverse motion adds variety and challenge to your workout. This change in motion allows the trainee to work different sets of muscles and results in more calories burned overall.Elliptical trainers also reduce your risk of repetitive use injuries common with some treadmill and stair climber users.

Quality elliptical trainers will have a range of resistance and incline levels, which help to increase calories burned. In order to challenge their bodies, trainees typically increase the resistance and inclineas fitness levels improve. Look for an elliptical trainer that makes both resistance and incline changes simple so that interval training sessions can be easily incorporated into your workout.

Some of the top models such as Sole ellipticals, Epic ellipticals, and Schwinn ellipticalsoffer adjustable incline levels, variable motion, and variable resistance on many of their models.

Exercise Equipment

There is a variety of exercise equipment available today. You can choose from rowing machines, elliptical exercise equipment, free weights, treadmills, universal machines, cable machines, single-unit hammer strength exercise equipment, many more. Most of the newest cardiovascular machines are built with the purpose of minimizing the pounding stress on bones and joints,which you would receive from exercising outside. The latest resistance training machines are built to minimize injury, andmake it easier for new trainees to build an initial bit of strength before moving into free weights.

Machines

Machine-based exercise equipment offer a couple of benefits over free-weights. New trainees benefit from the unvarying range of motion and path of resistance. This is ideal at a time when they might not have superior stabilizer strength.Hammer-Strength exercise equipment are some of the most popular resistance-base machines today. Rowing machine exercise equipment and elliptical trainers offer a double benefit in the form of simultaneous lower and upper body training.

Free Weights

Free weight exercise equipment offers the biggest bang for the buck. Ideal for novice to advanced resistance training athletes, free weights are useful for building core strength, stabilizer strength, and improving overall muscular strength and bone density fora lifetime. Standard iron weight plates, a 45 lb olympic bar, and an adjustable bench are all that is needed to start aneffective home-gym. Other beneficial exercise equipment include all-in-one dumbbells, a pull-up bar, and a squat rack.

Cardiovascular

Cardiovascular exercise equipment provides the trainee with a way to burn extra calories without lifting weights.Our bodies can only handle a certain amount of weight lifting without overtraining. By utilizing cardiovascular fitness equipment such as elliptical trainers, rowing machines, and stair steppers, we are able to minimize the negative effects of high impact exercises such as running and jumping.

What is BCBS Health Insurance?

First off, health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. One of the top health insurance providers includes Blue Cross Blue Shield. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies nationwide provide healthcare benefits across the country and around the world.
 
Blue Cross and Blue Shield policy holders have access to the care they need, when they need it, providing peace of mind when at home or traveling abroad. See below, a list of the various healthcare policy coverage options available through either Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies or the Blue Healthcare Bank.

Types of Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Indemnity and Traditional Coverage
• Point-of-Service (POS)
• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
• BlueCard®: Away From Home Care Program (Traveling in US)
• BlueCard Worldwide® (Traveling Outside US)
• BlueWorldwide Expat (Living/Working Outside US)

Why Buy Blue Cross Blue Shield Health Insurance?

Blue Cross and Blue Shield is taking a leadership role in driving the research and national education initiative on rising healthcare costs through a program called Better Knowledge. The Better Knowledge campaign provides better healthcare knowledge for consumers, leading to better, more affordable healthcare. Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the leader in developing innovative solutions to help improve quality care and keep healthcare affordable.

What is Health Insurance?

Health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. Top health insurance providers include Humana, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Kaiser.

Why Buy Health Insurance?

A health insurance policy is a renewable contract between an individual and an insurance company. When the individual files a health insurance claim, that individual (the policy-holder) pays a deductible plus a co-payment, which is usually anywhere between $5-$20. Usually there is a maximum out-of-pocket payment for any single year, and there can be a lifetime maximum. In the case of emergencies, health insurance can mean the difference a $100,000 payment or a $1,000 payment. Prescription drug plans are a form of insurance offered through many employer benefit plans in the U.S., where the patient pays a co-payment and the prescription drug insurance pays the rest.

Questions To Ask When Choosing a Health Insurance Policy

Q: How much will health insurance cost me and how can I trim costs?
A: $100-$600 a month. Trim costs by excluding unnecessary options.

Q: Are there deductibles I must pay before the health insurance policy begins to help cover my medical costs?
A: Yes, there are usually deductibles ranging from $500-$10,000.

Q: What does the health insurance policy cover and what doesn’t it cover?
A: Check with your policy administrator to get this information.

Q: How can we put all of this knowledge together, armed with a handful of health insurance quotes, to select the perfect policy?
A: Your best bet is to review a couple health insurance quotes and choose the deductible and options that are right for you based upon your needs.

What is Weight Loss?

When you think about weight loss,what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it hardcore cardiovascular exercise (cardio)? Is it intense weight training with machines and free weights? Or possibly a strict diet of vegetables and lean meats? The solution to effective weight loss is both simple and complex.The simplicity of it is this: weight loss consists of 70% diet and 30% exercise. The complexity ofweight loss is in designing an effective weight loss plan with each component in moderation.

Diet – Maximizing Weight Loss

The first step in designing a weight loss diet is to dispel your current definition of a diet.You are not going to get on a diet for 2 months and then go back to eating normal. From now on your diet refers to the way you eat on a daily basis. Instead of going on a fad diet, you will change your daily eating habits to that of a healthy adult. You will increase your protein consumption, decrease your fat and carbohydrate consumption, eat 5 small meals, and drink a gallon of water a day. These four actions will inherently function to both reduce your daily caloric intake,and increase the calories burned by the metabolic processes in your body. Remember, calories in must be less than calories out in order for your diet to work properly. Restricting calories for a couple weeks is a surefire way to kickstart your new healthy eat habits diet.

Exercise – Burn Off the Rest

The next step is to dispel your current definition of aweight loss exercise plan.You are not going to do endless hours of cardio. Have you ever noticed that most of the individuals that live on the cardio equipment are still rotund? The problem is that unless you are participating in 4 hours of cardio everyday, you are not going to be affecting permanent changes upon your body structure (and besides that, you would turn into a weak string bean doing cardio for 4 hrs a day). Lose weight now by strength training 3 days a week for an hour per session, and doing about 30 minutes of cardio on non-lifting days, twice per week.The strength training portion will be 80% free weights, 20% machines and other devices. Train your full body each day, the biggest muscle groups first.

Putting It All Together – Your Weight Loss Solution

Now put it all together. Effective weight loss will come from the combination of exercise and nutrition as outlined above, as well as living a proper lifestyle. Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, and try not to abuse substances such as nicotine and alcohol. Good luck with your weight loss!

Why is the Best Diet not always a Fast Diet?

Often, when we lose weight too quickly on a fast diet, we lose a higher percentage of muscle than bodyfat. This is exactly why some people get off their fast diets only to gain all the fat right back: because their metabolism is slower than it was before they lost the weight! We need to drop fat and keep metabolism UP, and here’s how:

From now on your diet refers to the way you eat on a daily basis. Instead of going on a fast diet, you will change your daily eating habits. You will increase your protein consumption, decrease your fat and carbohydrate consumption, eat 5 small meals, and drink a gallon of water a day. These four actions will inherently function to both reduce your daily caloric intake, increase the calories burned by the metabolic processes in your body, and control your cholesterol. It is your responsibility to exercise 3-5 times per week for 45 minutes, and eat fewer calories than your body uses in a day.

The LiftW8 Diet – To kickstart your new diet if you are overweight, you will follow a restricted eating plan for 3 months or until you are within 10 lbs of your desired bodyweight. Multiply your current bodyweight by 10 to find your daily caloric intake goal. Increase that number by 100 at the end of each week if you lost more than 5 lbs, decrease that number by 100 if you lost less than 1 lb. You should eat 40% protein, 40% fat, and 20% carbohydrates (from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables), along with plenty of water and a multivitamin supplement. Eat 3 small meals and 2-3 snacks every day. A+

Low Carb Diet – The basic concept of a low fat diet is to replace the simple carbohydrates in sugary and starchy foods, with high protein, high fat, complex carbohydrate foods. Low carb dieting forms the basis for most successful personalized weight loss diet strategies. A-

Atkins Diet – An extreme version of the low carb diet that sets a limit on the amount of carbs in a day to 20 grams coming only from fibrous sources. This is generally considered to be a moderately dangerous diet, which should only be followed for a month at a time. C+

Low Fat Diet – Since fat has significantly more calories than carbohydrates and protein, this diet aims to keep calories low and eliminate harmful trans fats and saturated fats from the diet, opting to eat mostly carbohydrates instead. The low fat diet craze is single handedly responsible for the rise in Type II diabetes in Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers. F

Zone Diet – The zone diet centers on a 40:30:30 ratio of calories obtained daily from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, respectively. This is a good diet to follow, as long as proper food choices are selected, for healthy lifetime eating habits. There is also some scientific evidence to suggest that this ratio is ideal for controlled fat loss. B+

South Beach Diet – The South Beach diet focuses on limiting ‘bad’ fats and ‘bad’ carbohydrates from the diet and instead focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. The South Beach Diet does not focus on counting calories or nutrient ratios, making it less favorable for fat loss but more favorable for proper daily eating habits. B-

What is Sexual Health?

Sexual intimacy is at the heart of what it means to be human, and sexual health is at the core of sexual intimacy. Sexual health is the condition of being able to engage in safe sexual activities. While this involves being free of sexually transmitted diseases, sexual health also incorporates disorders that may affect your sexual performance, such as infertility and erectile dysfunction. While these diseases and disorders may not be able to be cured, they can be treated, and you, your partner, and your health care provider can undertake strategies to addresses these sexual health issues. Pregnancy, reproduction, and methods of birth control are also important components of your sexual health. The emotional dimension of sexual health is also important; the psychology of sexual identity and sexual orientation can be critical to fulfilling sexual relationships.

Why do we need proper sexual health?

Good sexual health is crucial to having satisfying sexual relationships. The consequences of unsafe, irresponsible sex range from annoying sexually transmitted diseases to unwanted pregnancies to life-threatening sexual diseases. However, if you are able to address the emotional dimension of your sexual life, if you employ strategies to address sexual and reproductive disorders, if you reduce the risks of disease and unwanted pregnancy, you are engaging in the sort of responsible behavior that allows you to fully enjoy your sexual relationships. Better sex and better relationships are the result of better sexual health. Taking control of your sexual health is the first significant step toward paving the way for being able to relax and enjoy your sexual relationships. Remember that sex is supposed to be fun! Enjoying your sexual life means not being ashamed of the questions you may have or the past you came from, because knowing and embracing sexuality is key to maintaining your sexual health, and key to having enjoyable sexual relationships!

How can we put together a plan to maintain proper sexual health?

Communication is key when it comes to maintaining good sexual health. Communication with both your partner and your health care providers is essential. Being able to discuss what you want out of your sexual relationship is important in satisfying the emotional dimension of sexual health. You and your partner both need to be able to talk openly and honestly about potential sexually transmitted diseases and about issues of possible reproduction. Being comfortable talking to your doctor or nurse is necessary, as they are at the frontline of the maintenance of your sexual health. There is no reason to be shy or embarrassed. These health care providers are not only professionals, but they have also treated many people before you, and like you, they share the goal of keeping you in the best sexual health possible. Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases is important for maintaining proper sexual health. Local clinics often provide sexual health services at reduced costs, and in some cases, no cost. Safe, responsible sex is the cornerstone of good sexual health. Use condoms, know what types of birth control are available to you, and be smart about the sexual activities you engage in.

What is Health Education?

Health education is the study of human health including dietary and fitness concerns as well as common diseases. Most health education classes also include information on proper exercise programs so that people can stay physically fit. You can read about health education in books at the library or online. Medical professionals are a great source for health education, and regular physical checkups are important to maintaining knowledgeable about your body’s current state of health. Properly educated personal trainers and nutritionists can also offer a wealth of health education about ways to stay healthy from nutritional and physical perspectives.

Why Do We Need Health Education?

Health education is important to study as your health will ultimately determine the quality of your life. Diabetes, obesity, and other common diseases are especially important for people to understand and be able to prevent or control some of these diseases. Obesity in children has never been at a higher rate; therefore it’s more important now to teach children healthy eating habits to prevent diseases such as diabetes. Many schools are now implementing healthier menus in their cafeterias in order to help the health of their students.

Where Can We Find Quality Health Education?

Millions of health education books and websites are available to read about health, nutrition, and weight loss. The biggest problem with those health education resources is knowing which are of top quality. The best way to find good quality information on health education is to shop around. Don’t buy the first book you see about health education or believe the first website that you visit. On most high-quality heath education websites, you can get a list of quality books that you can use to educate yourself. Many popular health websites have legitimate information on proper health.

What is Health?

In 1948, in its constitution, the World Health Organization (WHO) defined health as follows:
 
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
    - Wikipedia
 
You can read about health in books at the library or online. Medical professionals are a great source for health knowledge, and regular physical checkups are important to your body for maintaining a proper state of good health. Educated personal trainers and nutritionists can also offer a wealth of knowledge about proper health and strateigies to stay healthy from nutritional and physical perspectives.

Why Do We Need Proper Health?

Good health is important as it will ultimately determine the quality of your life. Diabetes, obesity, and other common diseases are especially important for people to understand and be able to prevent or control some of these diseases. Obesity in children has never been at a higher rate; therefore it’s more important now to teach children healthy eating habits to prevent diseases such as diabetes. Many schools are now implementing healthier menus in their cafeterias in order to help the health of their students.

Where Can We Find Quality Health Information?

Millions of books and websites are available to read about health, nutrition, and weight loss. The biggest problem with those resources is knowing which are of top quality. The best way to find good quality information on this topic, is to shop around. Don’t buy the first book you see about health or believe the first website that you visit. On most high-quality heath websites, you can get a list of quality books that you can use to educate yourself.

What is a Sport?

A sport is a competitive activity, which is governed by a set of rules or customs. The term sports commonly refer to activities where the physical or mental capabilities of the competitor, and/or equipment qualityare the sole or primary determiner of the outcome (winning or losing).

Ancient Sports

Ancient artifacts and structures suggest that individual and organized sports have been in existance since 4000 B.C. Cultures from the Ancient Chinese, to Ancient Egypt, to Ancient Greece, all participated in sporting events. A number of sports, including swimming, fishing, javelin throwing, high jump, and wrestling, were well-developed and regulated several thousands of years ago in ancient Egypt, as indicated by Ancient Egyptian monuments. Persian sports such as the martial art Zourkhaneh, had a close connection to warfare skills, as did the popular polo and jousting.

A wide range of sports had been established by the time of Ancient Greece and the military culture and the development of sports in Greece influenced one another considerably.In fact, sports have become increasingly organized and popular since the Ancient Greeks began the first Olympic Games, which in ancient times were held every four years in a small village in the Peloponnesus called Olympia.With the rise of industrialization, mass media, global communication, and captialism, sports began to turn professional, and citizens were able to follow the exploits of their favorites teams and playerson a daily basis. Thus begat the current popular trend of professional sports in the twenty first century.
 

Modern and Popular Sports

The most popular sports in America in the early 2000s include American football, baseball, softball, soccer (football), basketball, and hockey.
 
American Football – American football comes from a variety of football played in the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century called rugby football, in which the majority of the plays involve handling the ball rather than kicking it. The National Football League (NFL)is the top professional football league in the world.
 
Baseball – Organized baseball in the United States originiated for playing informal team gamesin the 1830s, with the Philadelphia Olympics club. Semiprofessional baseball started in 1869 with the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the popularprofessional baseball league, although baseball is quickly growing in popularity in Japan.
 
American Soccer (Football) – Sometime during the 2nd and 3rd centuries B.C. in China, there is evidence of the earliest form of the technique of kicking a ball, although the first rules for modern soccer were drafted inEngland in 1848. Major League Soccer (MLS) is the popularAmerican soccer league, although soccer (football) is much more popular in England and othernon-US countries.
 
Hockey – Hockey is any sport in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a disc-shaped puck or ball, into an opponent’s net or goal, using a hockeystick. The popular professional hockey league is the National Hockey League (NHL) basedin North America.