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A Few Ideas on Eating Lean and Low Fat Protein

Protein is a beneficial addition to your diet but often comes with high calories and loads of saturated fat. Despite its downsides, it is necessary to eat enough protein to ensure that your mind, muscle and body are adequately provided with the nutrients needed to stay healthy. If you are a fitness nut and are concerned about the amount of fat in your daily protein intake consider lean and low fat options. If you like to exercise and improve your fitness level you will need an ample supply of protein to repair your muscles. It is recommended that men consume between .4 and .8g of protein per pound of body mass ( 1 ). .4 is an absolute minimum and .8 for an athlete. - White vs. Dark Mean Chicken: Chicken is a main staple. There is a difference between legs ad breast. Eating white meat chicken with mostly spices versus marinated is the best alternative. - Lean Beef: Lean beef versus regular beef is best as it substantially reduces the overall amount of saturated fat

Today is International Yoga Day

Yoga is an ancient practice that is at least 5,000 years old. Today marks the first International Yoga Day where millions of people will practice yoga across the globe for a day of health and peace. It was an event called by the  Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. Some have criticized the politicization of yoga, but the overall idea could be a good one if it takes on the right objectives.   Considering that 75% of people in the U.S. are overweight or obese and people have become decensitized to violence a little yoga won't hurt anyone. As a nation we are becoming globalized and engaging in a practice that connects us to the rest of the world in our desire to be of good mind and body is positive.  Yoga is a practice that is part spritual and part physical. Depending on the type of yoga one practices they can expect to increase focus, reduce stress, improve flexibility and strengthen their muscles. Each person moves through a sequence of actions that speed up the heart and s

Practicing Self-Defense to Complete a Full-Body Workout

Mixing hobbies and fitness is beneficial for achieving multiple goals with the least amout of energy. Self-defense classes can be fun and raise your skill level but in and of themselves don’t necessarily increase your fitness. Mixing kickboxing with cardio, stretch and strength training can help in getting in shape while moving through martial art belts quickly. Practicing kicks, blocks, and combinations works well for raising a heart rate. Combining this with squats, jumping jacks, burpees and other fat blasting efforts will get anyone huffing and puffing quickly. All that effort will raise the heart rate and improve fitness levels while having fun.  There is a growing body of evidence that interval training has a higher impact on weight loss and health than a consistent heart rate found in activities like jogging (1). Short bursts of energy with interval periods of rests has a high success rate. The cycle is repeated throughout the entire fitness session of 40, 50 or 60 minutes.

Biking-Working Out While Commuting

Making the decision to put effort into biking is an important one that can do wonders for physical fitness goals . The reasons may be many , but it is possible to save on cost , improve fitness , use time wisely , and help the environment all through the activity of biking. The hardest part about biking is getting the courage to set out on a daily commute. I am the type of person who jogs or does kickboxing/ martial arts 40 minutes every morning and then heads to work . My daily commute takes around 20 minutes in the car . The total commute time and working out is 1 hour . Biking into work is approximately 40 minutes which gives me a net plus of 20 minutes saved in the morning . The time saver in the morning makes it easier for me to wake up, have a cup of coffee , and make my way to work without being in too much of a rush . Considering the mild weather of San Diego , which neither gets to

Eating and Fitness-Seeking Alternatives of Habit

You are busting your rump at the gym and running five miles a day , but you are not achieving your fitness goals . The result is you are not losing weight , staying the same , or worse gaining weight ! The problem isn’t how much you work out but what you put in your mouth . Finding healthy alternatives will make a big difference in whether or not you will be able to achieve your desired body shape . If you look at the average person in this country you will find that approximately 75% are overweight or obese . The problem has become such an epidemic that laws and regulations are being passed to counter the danger . This may be one of the first generations to decline in lifespan. The problem lies in many areas and can be broken down into sedentary lifestyle and overeating. There are many ways to further break this down into average calories burned and the type of food eaten . Between the t

Should Yoga be Part of Your Corporate Wellness Plan

Yoga is a sport that is in perceptual search for health and tranquility . Through stretching, breathing and focus one is able to calm their mind and strengthen their body . Because yoga requires almost no equipment and can be practiced by people of any fitness level it is a solid exercise that is included in a growing number of corporate wellness programs . Wellness enthusiasts can expect to find physical and mental advantages when they engage in this ancient practice . Wellness programs are becoming a popular way to reduce corporate costs associated with obesity, ill health , and disease . According to a study published in the Harvard Business Review, Johnson & Johnson saved $2.71 per $1 dollar spent on wellness. Well ness programs can include anything from smoking cessation to healthy eating . Yoga seems to tie all the different health improvements initiatives together in an unbrella practice . Physical

A Saturday Evening of Fitness with Tennis

The tennis racket that was leaning against the wall for the past few months finally got some use. It seemed to be much useful on the court than as a cheap form of house decoration. Health is becoming important to me and so is the opportunity to meet interesting people. Tennis provides an appropriate balance between fitness and fun so that I can sustain movement toward my fitness goals. It wasn’t a particularly warm afternoon for Southern California; somewhere near a breezy 60 degrees. A sweatshirt would have been appropriate in most casual outdoor situations. Within a few minutes, you will no longer think about a sweatshirt; or even the outside temperature. Chasing that green furry ball is all the heat needed to keep warm. Tennis is a fast sport and requires sprinting from one side of the court to the other. The quick dashes, stops, and arm movements  of your muscles, heart and arms.  It is one of those full-body workouts that doesn’t feel like you're doing anything until it

Melt Calories Playing Beach Volleyball

Volleyball is one of those sports you do n’t move more than a few feet but still reap all of the benefits of a solid work out. It won’t take much time for you to build up a good lather of sweat when you jump , bump , and spike the ball over the net . Within minutes , your heart rate will be into its fat burning zone , and the calories will start melting off. You can burn as much as 450 calories in an hour playing volleyball. It is comparable with swimming and running . Your heart rate will rise , lower , and rise again as you wait for the ball and run to keep it from hitting the ground . Raising and lowering your heart rate has been known to strengthen your cardiovascular system . It is hard to find sports that are both fun and fitness packed . Volleyball not only gets your heart rate up but also improves muscle tone . Natural jumping jacks , burpees , and sprints are built into the spo

Tennis as the New Fitness and Social Sport

Having fun, getting in shape, and meeting interesting people makes for some of the best fitness routines that will keep you on track. Tennis is one sport that helps you stay motivated while expanding your social network.   Doctors recommend that everyone gets a few hours of high intensity exercise in per week. That won’t be hard to obtain if you find a group that meets a couple of times a week. Tennis is a highly cardiovascular sport that shreds pounds.  Constant running and stopping will put your heart rate into the target zone improving your blood flow and strengthening your heart. As a social sport tennis will introduction to lots of new people quickly.  Players rotate to try out new teams and experience new challenges. It won’t take long before you gain some new friends. There are plenty of places to find tennis activities. You can visit recreation centers and ask about tennis activities, search online for clubs,  or make a call to the city’s recreation department. Te

Volleyball as a Fun and Fitness Sport

Volleyball is one of those popular past time sports that can improve coordination, health, and strength while still having fun.   Engaging in volleyball on a regular basis helps to significantly improve your overall fitness without engaging in routine activity. Jumping, bumping, setting, diving, spiking all contribute a coordinate body that can adjust, shift and move to keep a ball in the air.  Coordination: It takes time to build the coordination to play volleyball well. At first you will notice that the ball you hit doesn’t move in the direction intended. Over time and with continuous practice you will get better and so will your overall coordination as you learn to connect mind and body into a coordinated activity. Weight loss:   A 155 lb. person who engages in beach volleyball for a half hour will burn 298 calories versus 149 for jogging ( 1 ). Volleyball is one of the most intensive sports that requires significant amount of energy to ensure to keep a ball in play.