Weight Control And Fitness Advice For Seniors

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

Are you at the stage where you think it is too late to start exercising and watching your weight? WRONG it is never too late to start correcting any excess in body fat or lack of energy, the latter probably caused by the former.

Weight Control And Fitness Advice For Seniors

Before retiring in 2000 I held a commercial pilots license and was a chief flying instructor. To retain my license I had to have a strict medical every six months so I was acutely aware of the necessity of keeping in good shape and understood the importance of keeping my weight under control to minimize the possibility of high blood pressure and all the other possible undesirable effects of being overweight. I had always been fairly active, played a lot of golf, skied annually, enjoyed swimming and walking so kept fit without any specific exercises or keeping to boring diets.

However, on retiring and due to traveling extensively plus partaking of all the delightful varieties of foods available I found my weight increasing considerably. I was very tempted to resign myself to this as a natural process due to aging but when I noticed that after playing eighteen holes of golf I was not interested in another nine and that the pit stops on the ski slopes were becoming more attractive and difficult to leave, I decided it was time to do something about it.

The crunch came when, while playing in a friendly soccer match I tore my Achilles tendon. This required surgery and afterwards six weeks in plaster and on crutches. It was another couple of months before I was able to walk comfortably without a stick and by this time my weight, mostly belly fat, had seriously increased. I was unfit and fed up. My physiotherapist had advised me to join a fitness center to workout regularly and to watch my diet. I spent a couple of months going to the gym, pumping iron, doing crunches and curls, pounding away on the treadmill and while feeling slightly stronger and fitter, did not experience loss of body fat. I was beginning to accept the likely fact that maybe I was just too old to lose my belly fat.

Fortunately someone at the gym suggested I hire a personal trainer. This I did and was started on a full body workout routine three times a week. Whereas before I had been randomly going from one exercise to another I was now on a monitored and varied workout which was designed to reduce my belly fat and at the same time to tone up my muscles. Even so it was some time before I saw any real results in loss of weight but as my trainer explained to me the reason for this was although I was losing my belly fat I was at the same time building up my muscles, which weigh more than fat. I had noticed by then that he was starting to cut back on the muscle building exercises and was concentrating more on the cardio work and that's when I began to see a regular reduction in my weight.

During this time my trainer had been trying to persuade me to talk to the dietitian at the club but I have always been opposed to diets having known so many people who had been on a range of them, some cutting out carbohydrates, others semi starvation etc. etc. Virtually everyone I knew either lost some weight but immediately put it back on when they stopped the diet, or got so depressed with being deprived of so many foods and drink they enjoyed that they adopted the attitude it was better to be fat and content than lean and miserable. I therefore continued to eat as I have always done with a good variety of meat, fish and vegetables in reasonable quantities and still enjoyed a regular pint of beer and wine with my meals.

As my contract with my trainer was nearing its end he naturally wanted to know if I was going to renew it. I told him I felt that I was capable of continuing on my own after all his excellent advice. He told me that although I might know the workout routine I was still ignorant of the best way to eat healthily and in particular what foods to avoid and this might lead to a gradual increase in weight, which if not checked would put me back to square one. He urged me to purchase a couple of books written by acquaintances of his who were professional trainers, body builders and qualified nutritionists and which were available for download on the internet. Having reviewed a number of books on the subject, the majority of which seemed a load of rubbish I was naturally doubtful but was confident my trainer would not risk his reputation by recommending them to me unless they were something special. I took his advice and these books were a revelation. Not only do they contain all the information required for any workout routine, whether it be to lose weight, to build muscles or great abs they also contain a wealth of information on how to eat healthily and give excellent advice to both male and females of all ages plus adaptable to suit your own requirements. I still eat more or less what I enjoy and have my usual beer a day with wine at dinner. What I have cut out are most of the foods that are bad for your health, there are not that many, many of which I was not aware of before.

It is not surprising that one of these books has become the best selling book on the internet of all time on ANY subject and that really speaks for itself. The combined price of these books is just a fraction of the cost of a good trainer for a couple of months and you have them available for reference for life or to pass on to your children or friends. I have read them both over and over and each time discovered something that I missed previously and think WOW how did I miss that?

By now I can hear you thinking I have only written this article to promote these books and make some money. NOT entirely true. I am not like the majority of people marketing goods on the internet that assumes most people are suckers just waiting to be taken for a ride and who will purchase anything given the right sales pitch. As I told you I am now retired and as a hobby have taken to designing and publishing my own websites and as a further challenge to review and promote books on a large number of subjects. However these two books have helped me and a large number of my friends and acquaintances to maintain a standard of fitness and health that would have been unsustainable without the advice contained therein. Obviously, I make a small commission from each sale but more important to me is the satisfaction I get from all the thank you mail I receive from the many I have recommended this book to, in particular those of my own age who had nearly given up on the quest to keep their weight and fitness under control.

I hope I have made it clear that it is not easy to lose excess body fat; it is far easier to prevent it by regular exercise and moderate eating and drinking. To get rid of it requires desire, motivation and determination plus a lot of hard work. If you are looking for a quick or easy solution do not expect to find it in these books but beware of all those offering fancy diets that guarantee you will lose X amount of weight in a very short period of time. Sure anyone can lose weight by starving themselves but it sure as hell will come back with a vengeance and damage your health at the same time. Even more dangerous is to resort to pills or potions, again these may work initially but once you stop taking them look out for problems!

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For Weight Loss That Works Try a Fitness Bootcamp

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

Getting a workout routine going can be difficult. Often times, we quit our workouts due to scheduling difficulties or a lack of results. Working out is important though, as it helps us to both feel good and look good. Those who are looking for a workout routine that works should check out a fitness bootcamp.

For Weight Loss That Works Try a Fitness Bootcamp

One of the problems of working out for people is that they do not know how to exercise properly. Individuals can feel the pain they think is gain, but it is actually just pain and not really helping the body. There are quite a lot of workout videos that simply do not work, whether an individual is not able to do what the video trainer is saying, or what the video trainer is saying will not help the situation.

The reason an individual should begin weight loss with a boot camp program is that there are trainers teaching the individual how to properly do each workout. If a trainer notices that an individual is not doing the workout in a beneficial way, the trainer will tell the individual and correct the problem. Videos will not be able to assist an individual the way a live trainer can.

It is this direct feedback that makes a boot camp better than a video. With a video, when the going gets tough, the individual can just quit. The trainer on the video can only push an individual as long as the television's power is on. A live trainer, on the other hand, can offer support since the first weeks of a new workout program can be quite strenuous.

As well as having a supportive trainer, a workout program like this boot camp will also have group support. If you are looking to lose weight, chances are that many individual are looking to lose weight. This means that everyone is in the situation together, which means that each person empathizes with the others, allowing for a caring support system.

Having this kind of support system is very important in any endeavor. Everyone feels insecure at times and insecurity can cause an individual to quit. If there is a group mentality, the group will help each individual overcome their insecurity, because, in most cases, each member of the group also feels that same insecurity.

Exercising is very important, but if not done properly, it will not help. This is why becoming educated on workout techniques is so vital to exercising. Boot camp will help an individual get into shape and will teach an individual how to stay in shape. We would not know how to read or write a sentence properly if our teachers did not teach us and this situation is very similar.

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Are You A Beginner Serious About Fitness?

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

I've been barraged with inquires asking how best to set up fitness programs. I thought it might be appropriate to go over the basics of how best to design an effective fitness program. Any sensible body renovation plan need include three elements: progressive resistance training, cardiovascular training and nutrition/diet. Hemingway once quipped, "Quality writing is not interior design, it's architecture."

Are You A Beginner Serious About Fitness?

And so it is with physical renovation, we aren't rearranging the deck chairs on the cruise ship, we're erecting massive column and moving mounds of earth. The three core elements need be practiced in an even, balanced way: better to do a bit of each then emphasize one element to the exclusion of the other two. The Sisyphus-like mistake fitness acolytes repeat over and over, to their eternal detriment, is to grab onto one of the three core elements and dive into it with a frenzy that lasts about three weeks. Then frustration, boredom and above all else, lack of results, causes the fitness Sisyphus to chuck the whole effort yet again. It doesn't have to be this way. By structuring your fitness effort in a balanced way, tangible, irrefutable, unarguable results, measurable not imagined, can and will occur.

Elite athletes know that when all three core fitness elements are in place and practiced with due diligence, a physical synergy occurs and results exceed all rational and realistic expectations. The key to progress is balanced application. A plan without implementation is worthless and this approach is set into motion by intense physical and psychological effort. The entire fitness procedure is set into a time frame and through a process of reverse engineering; we start with a realistic goal and work our way backward to a starting point. Effort is synonymous with intensity. When we train we train hard. Effort, intensity, requires we bump up against current physical capacity in some way or another. There are a variety of ways to achieve this. Psychological intensity manifests itself as we apply discipline to adhere to the program guidelines: discipline is used to determine and regulate what we eat, how much we eat and when we eat it. Discipline is used in training to generate a heightened mental attitude during the actual physical training (psyche). When the three elements are present and applied evenly, a wonderful ebb and flow occurs, after a few weeks effort melts away and the process develops a momentum of its own. As results pile up enthusiasm supplants willpower.

The question is, how best to construct a customized training template that synchronizes fitness with the realities of my life? How best to construct a nutritional game plan? How much time will this require each week? How long will this take? How do I structure the actual workouts? How do I deal with the food preparation? All are issues necessary to consider. Before considering details first design a skeletal structure.

Progressive Resistance Training: Optimally done with free weights (for a variety of physiological reasons) progressive resistance training, lifting weights, is not an option. There are 600-plus muscles on the human body and weight training is the best way to tone, strengthen and build muscle. Weight training is critical for muscle health and function. Free weight training is better than training with machines. The idea is to devise an exercise sequence, a series of exercises that purposefully targets as many muscles as possible within the time confines of a session. Train the target muscle intensely and thoroughly then rest that muscle until its healed and recovered before training it again.

Muscle tissue is an active, living tissue and requires fuel in the form of calories to live. Since a pound of muscle requires 30-40 calories per day to survive, by adding 10-pounds of muscle (quite doable, particularly for a beginner) the body will burn an additional 300 to 400-calories per day. This is the number of calories a person would burn in a 30 to 40-minute aerobic session. Adding muscle boosts the basal metabolic rate and a fast metabolism trumps a slow one every single time.

Cardiovascular Training: Separate and a distinct, aerobic exercise builds and strengthen our innards, the internal plumbing. The efficiency of the pumping and cleansing organs are improved by repeated cardio exercise. As a direct result of the increased heart rate arterial pathways are flushed and scoured as torrents of blood are forcibly pumped through the veins. Heart and lungs pump oxygen-saturated blood, nutrient enriched, to living tissue. On the return trip, blood removes muscle waste products, toxins and fatigue-inducing lactic acid.

Purposefully elevate the heart rate to a predetermined target and once the increased HR is achieved, maintain the elevated rate for a specified period of time. Repeated aerobic exercise bestows a multitude of benefits. Endurance and stamina increase dramatically. Digestion and food assimilation improve and when a regular cardio regimen is combined with a performance-eating program, excess body fat is mobilized and burned as fuel. As with progressive resistance, the idea is to systematically increase our performance ceiling. By continually seeking to improve, regardless the cardio mode selected, we trigger the adaptive response and reap real results.

Performance Eating: This phrase is better than 'dieting' as dieting implies depravation, starvation and destructive denial. If you train hard, as hard as you are supposed to, you need to eat enough calories to support the level of intense effort. The mistake most personal trainers make is to overwork their clients then underfed them. Too much effort combined with too few calories trigger the continual secretion of cortisol into the bloodstream. This catabolic hormone signals the body that a starvation situation exists and gives permission for the body to start cannibalizing muscle tissue to cover any caloric shortfall.

This is why crash dieters might lose tremendous amounts of body weight but still end up fat. They have become miniaturized versions of their old fat self - just considerably lighter. Optimally we eat high quality nutrients continually throughout the day. Optimally the trainee hovers right at the caloric breakeven point (everyone is different) and optimally the caloric cost of exercise pushes the trainee ever so slightly into negative energy balance. Done this way, stored body fat is called up from caloric storage depots around the body. Muscle mass is built and body fat is systematically oxidized. Again, calorie control is the initial goal. Once caloric content is gotten to the breakeven point, exercise creates a slight deficit. Fat is burned off while muscle is built.

Balance is the Key: In order to generate initial momentum available training time should be allotted equally. The beginner should divide available training time in half. If, for example, a person had four cumulative hours per week available for the body renovation effort, a realistic training split could be structured as follows:

Day I weight train 60-minutes

Day II cardio 30-minutes

Day III cardio 30-minutes

Day IV off

Day V weight train 60-minutes

Day VI cardio 30-minutes

Day VII cardio 30-minutes

Total weights 120-minutes

Cardio 120-minutes

Structure first - then content: Devise the template before beginning to tinker with the actual content. In the progressive resistance portion of our training, our hypothetical beginner would devote two cumulative hours per week. Twice a week this individual would perform a progressive resistance routine one-hour in length that would attack as many muscles as possible, hopefully using a well-thought out free-weight program consisting primarily of compound multi-joint exercises. Cardio would be performed four times per week in 30-minute sessions.

The initial goal could be to elevate the heart rate, regardless to the cardio mode selected, to perhaps 60-70% of age-related heart rate maximum. Over each subsequent week for between 6 to 12 weeks, all benchmarks are pushed upward. Poundage or reps would be conscientiously increased and simultaneously the baseline heart rate would be stair-stepped upward. The adaptive response is triggered as a result of applied intensity and effort. The number of daily feedings is increased. By spreading the day's calories out over 5-6 feedings the metabolism increases and nutrient assimilation is vastly improved. Stored body fat is mobilized and oxidized.

Who ever said it would be easy? The physical transformation process is not easy but it is doable - assuming you can muster the discipline and gumption. First devise the game plan then allot your time, line up your tools, visit the grocery store and pull the trigger. The devil is in the details but unless you understand the training template and grasp the requisite balance between the three irreplaceable elements, nothing of much physical significance will occur. Architecture first (synergistic balance) then deal with the interior design (component content) - otherwise you'll become immersed and tangled in one area to the exclusion of the other two irreplaceable elements.

Like Sisyphus pushing that boulder up the steep hill, sooner or later willpower fails and it all rolls back down the hill. Think hard about the architectural structure of our fitness effort and after everyone absorbs the concept of balance into his or her marrow, then consider content specifics within each leg of the Fitness Triad.

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7 Ways to Stay Motivated For Fitness

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

Here are seven ways you can maintain motivation for fitness. As Fall and winter approach, there are many ways to be fit, but how to get motivated you ask? Use the following 7 steps consistently, and you will begin to see the benefits to staying active.

7 Ways to Stay Motivated For Fitness

1. Be your own farmer. Cultivate a winning attitude by focusing on all the times in the past you have been successful. Turn off the inner voice that says, I can't? It's negative self talk that your sub conscious is hearing, thereby creating a negative habit. Look at those around you who have accomplished success. They have done so by the drive they have to succeed. It's not luck. It's diligence on their part. Go to the times you were successful, and recall what it felt like. Picture where you were, and hold that image in your mind. Remember how good it felt.

2. Substitute any unrealistic /images with goals that are achievable. Quit looking at the ads on T.V. or in magazines. You know the ones. All those smiling, slim, bronze-bodied young individuals. Do yourself a favor; be realistic. Yes, you have to do the work. So use the aid of your imagination to create what is best for you. Start with visualizing how you would look, after losing 10 pounds. How would you feel? How would your clothes feel? Begin to hear your friends commenting positively about your progress. Now how does that feel? Your mind, along with your sub conscious, is creating a focus on what you want. This is not fantasizing. This is visualizing a realistic goal. Keep running the Movie. With this inner drive to see yourself in this new way, you have guidance to lead you to your goals.

3. Discover the environment that suits you best. What is it you like? A co-ed gym? Something just for women, or maybe a private studio with your own fitness trainer? If you head to a large open co-ed gym with the music pounding away, thinking you'll 'put up with' all the noise, yet you know you'd like something quieter, chances are you won't return. Looking for something like yoga, perhaps? Source out what is available. Do your homework. Ask to take a tour of any facility. You'll be shown around , and be able to get a feel for the place, before you lay out the money. Enjoy the surroundings, and you will stick to your goal effortlessly.

4. So what kind of work out is best for you? There are several camps for fitness. Ask yourself what is your goal here? Is your goal to tone and build muscle, or to lose weight? Each require a certain focus on routine. What if you want to become stronger and trimmer. Go with a combined routine. Mix it up a bit, with running, cycling, or swimming. Targeted weight training is good, too. Bottom line is you have to feel comfortable doing the program. If it is uncomfortable, don't do it. Look for something else that appeals to you. There are ton of options out there.

5. Grab a buddy. Why not consider a workout partner, if you know you need a push! It's fun to combine two people's energy, and look forward to the social part of getting your fitness in. Be sure to look for a buddy who has the same goals you do, and both of you will win.

6. Work your mind first, before you hit the gym ! You can start your mind's workout before you hop out of your car. Begin by adding up all the positive reasons you are going. And how great you will feel following today's workout. Remember how all the tension you have drains away while you work out. You like that! Project in your mind's eye the visualization of how the gym will look today, the people there, all the sounds, how you'll feel during your workout, and following it. The purpose is to get yourself in the mood.

7. Make a date with yourself! Create a regular schedule and honor this as you would any other important appointment or commitment. If 60 minutes several times a week is unrealistic, then back the number down to 30 minutes. Don't overlook something as simple as going for a walk.

Got a dog? Great! Pat yourself on the back, and take the dog out! Have fun and create a large workout / fitness calendar somewhere in your home where you are apt to see it. Honor yourself by marking off the days you plan to do your activity, then use a bright color to cross off completed activities! Each time you look at the calendar, you are reminded of all your successes. Bring the family into the game. They can help you stay on track. After all, when you feel better, everyone around you will pick up on your new found energy and zest for life. That's a good thing ! Feeling like the obligations that crop up are more important than working out? Well, as you work on your self image through fitness, you can't help but release work related stress, and find a way to solve your problems. So don't shelve the fitness.

Here's an important fact to remember; any and all negative energy is consumed ( burnt up) while you are engaged in physical activity. Stress actually disappears. Science has proved that endorphins, called peptides, are released during activity. They react with the opiate receptors in the brain to make you feel better. If you tend to be a workaholic, use something time sensitive, like hitting the gym on the way home, a reason to leave work on time ! Grab your fitness buddy and go and burn up all the day's stress!

If you do miss the occasional workout, it's important not to beat yourself up. Be understanding with yourself, and show respect. It's not the end of the world! Make the decision to get back on the horse, and have fun doing it. You're worth it!

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Fitness For Men Over 50 - Workout Routines For Obese Men Aged 50 Plus to Burn Fat and Lose Weight

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

Fitness for men over 50 is extremely important. Due to aging, most people encounters different types of diseases like Diabetes and high blood pressure that can be dangerous for them. In order to stay disease free and fit, one should shed those extra fats from their body. Men over 50 should be more conscious about their health. They should regulate their sleeping and eating habits and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Most men at this perform fewer activities and hence their metabolism slows down.

Fitness For Men Over 50 - Workout Routines For Obese Men Aged 50 Plus to Burn Fat and Lose Weight

In order to generate metabolisms, they should take up cardio workouts. These exercises help us to burn fat. Your body remains active due to more supply of blood and good blood circulation. Your overall health is affected by a good workout regimen. Nutrition also plays a pivotal role in order to lose weight. Eating fat burning diets like acai berry supplements can be a good idea. You can also undergo colon cleanse for removing those toxic substances.

Workout Routines For Obese Men Aged 50 Plus To Burn Fat And Lose Weight

. Men over 50 should carry out mild exercises such as brisk walking, jogging and hiking. Walking generates metabolism in your body to burn fat. In order to lose weight healthily, drinking water is equally important. Water consumption hydrates your body and keeps your digestive tract clean. It also maintains your body temperature.

. Another great workout for men over 50 is hiking. You can explore nature and its tranquil beauty by performing this cardio workout. It will help your body to burn fat.

. Yoga is the best way to shed those extra pounds. It not only helps your body for weight loss but also rejuvenates your mind, body and spirit, which is extremely necessary to maintain the fitness for men.

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Fitness For Cheerleading - Think Overall Fitness

Workout Routines To Lose Weight :

Being physically fit as a cheerleader has many benefits. In addition to your overall feeling of well being, your cheerleading experience will be safer and you will have the strength you need. There are some excellent exercises you need to do to strengthen your legs and upper body, but to get good overall fitness for cheerleading you must try many things.

Fitness For Cheerleading - Think Overall Fitness

Do a variety of exercises and challenge yourself in different ways. This will keep your body and your mind from getting bored with the same old stuff each day. Below are some different exercises or challenges you should mix in with your regular workout routine to help reach your cheerleading fitness goals.

Make sure your eating good daily. Do not try any quick fix weight loss strategies because they will not last. Eat healthy foods in moderation and cut out as much junk food as you can.

Work out at least 3 times per week. As you get stronger you can add a day or two but be careful that you do not over train yourself because it can make you prone to injury and you can burn out. You do not want to start losing energy as a cheerleader.

Do not forget to work your abs. A strong midsection will help you by protecting your back and giving you more stability. Also, toned abdominals look great anyway.

Don't leave out the cardio. This will help you maintain your weight and give you more endurance. You can get your cardio from running, stair climber machines or riding a bike.

Don't be in a hurry to achieve your fitness goals. It takes time and there is no over night fix. Keep at it and try new stuff to break up the monotony and add some excitement.

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