Must-read: The Last 4 Health Tips You Will Ever Need
Posted by Dana R. Arevalo
Written by
Sergeant Michael Volkin
In the age of the Obesity Epidemic, thousands of new diet
fads coupled with an overload of health and fitness information, there are
really only a few key tips you need to keep in mind to stay healthy and
fit. If you Google “best health tips”
you will get over 1.3 million results. How is anyone supposed to sort through
1.3 million results?! Even if you do, how will you know which tips are true and
which aren't? I've refined these tips
down to only the best of the best. The
tips below are not only true; they are timeless, meaning they will be true for
generations. So if you know nothing
about fitness or are an expert trainer, keep these tips in mind to be in top
shape.
1) You Are What
You Eat – The next time you want to put yourself in a bad mood, go grocery
shopping and actually look at the nutrition labels, ingredients and packaging
claims on the food you normally buy. Products
are often labeled "natural," yet have high-fructose corn syrup in
them. In fact, natural products can technically have pesticides in them and not
even be mentioned on a nutrition label.
This is actually allowed according to the FDA. I could go on with shocking statements about what
is omitted from nutrition labels, but the bottom line is always try and cook
your own unprocessed food. When
possible; steam or boil your food. Your
body will thank you in both the short and long term.
2) Stay Hydrated
– This is one tip I can’t stress enough.
Many experts recommend drinking eight glasses of water a day. Although healthy, this is a general guideline
that has simply been passed down from generation to generation without any real
scientific merit. The proper consumption
of water aids in digestion, absorption, circulation, creation of saliva,
transportation of nutrients, maintenance of body temperature and more. When you
feel your mouth is a bit dry, it means your body has been craving water for
about 20 minutes. To answer the question all you beer lovers are asking right
now, yes beer is mostly water but it also contains alcohol, which causes
dehydration. A major—yet hardly ever
discussed—advantage to water is the positive affect it can have on
dieters. Those on a diet should be extra
vigilant about drinking water. Doing this will reduce your urge to drink
calories from other liquids, and it is much easier to drink calories than eat
them. In addition to these benefits,
water is also great for energizing muscles, flushing toxins out of your body
and keeping your skin looking healthy.
3) Embrace
Nano-Sport Periodization – Day after day I see the same people in the gym
doing the same exercises over and over and over. Your body has an amazing ability to adapt,
thus reducing the effectiveness of your workouts over time, unless you change
your routine often. Nano-sport Periodization is a phrase I coined for my
fitness product Strength Stack 52,
a deck of bodyweight fitness cards that keeps workouts dynamic and
challenging. Nano-sport Periodization
will ensure your workouts are efficient, dynamic and effective. First, let’s define Nano-sport Periodization:
Nano:
Small or mini
Limit your workouts to 30 minutes or less.
Many scientific studies claim 1 high intensity and fast workouts are
the most beneficial for a healthy body.
Sport: Playing a game with a
challenging component
Have you ever played a sport with friends
and realized after a half hour you are dripping with sweat and have burned more
calories than you did all week in the gym? That’s because the power of a
challenge brings out the best in people. A challenge stimulates your mind
to force your body to another level. That’s because competition is fun,
doesn’t adhere to a routine and stimulates a desire for you to win. It is human
nature to be competitive and incorporating competition in your workout will
push you harder.
I cringe when I see people in the gym with
workouts printed that have pre-designated rep counts. Using an arbitrary number to determine the
end of the set is not beneficial. For
each set you should be testing your limits, not stopping when you reach a
pre-designated number.
Periodization: Dividing exercises into
segments of varying intensities
Almost every city in America now has CrossFit
gyms, a term that hardly anyone knew existed 10 years ago. CrossFit focuses on multi-joint and full body
exercises, which has proven to be beneficial to your health and an efficient
way to get an effective workout. By working
out in a group, as CrossFit enthusiasts do, you are getting out of your comfort
zone and varying your workouts either by endurance, strength, time, or a
combination of one or more of those.
4)Recovery
is Key – Last but not least, let’s discuss recovery. One of the most common causes of injury to
athletes is over training. Resting properly allows your body to repair muscles
and tissues. Between sets at the gym, rest 30 to 90 seconds, this allows your
muscles to recover with the proper oxygen and blood flow needed to repair
properly. Workouts with multi-joint movements require more rest than workouts
with single joint movements. If you are
sore the day after your workout, you don’t need to take the day off. The soreness you are experiencing is called
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness). DOMS is caused by microscopic tears
inside the muscles. First, determine how sore you are. If your muscles are sore to the touch or if
you feel your range of motion is limited then take a day of rest or better yet,
stretch your muscles. If you are just lightly sore, then do a light aerobic or
weight lifting workout.
If you are sore before any physical activity, spend 5 to 10 minutes cycling to
warm up your muscles and increase blood flow.
Be cautious about lifting weights when you are sore. Lift weights no more than 30 percent of your
one-rep max to prevent exacerbating the soreness and causing injury.
[This article was authored by Sergeant Michael Volkin, best-selling author of military books and inventor of Strength Stack 52 fitness cards. ]
Further Reading
Anderssen and Stromme. Physical activity and health – recommendations. Tidsskr
Nor Laegeforen, 2001; DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11875902
Burgomaster et al. Six sessions of sprint interval training increases muscle
oxidative potential and cycle endurance capacity in humans. The Journal of
Physiology, 2005; DOI: http://jap.physiology.org/content/98/6/1985.full
Chmidt et al. Effects of long versus short bout exercise on fitness and
weight loss in overweight females. Journal of the American College of
Nutrition, 2001: DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11601564
Jakicic at al. Prescribing exercise in multiple short bouts versus one
continuous bout: effects on adherence, cardiorespiratory fitness, and weight
loss in overweight women. International Journal of Obesity and Related
Metabolic Disorders, 1995; DOI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8963358
Little et al. A practical model of low-volume high-intensity interval
training induces mitochondrial biogenesis in human skeletal muscle: potential
mechanisms. The Journal of Physiology, 2010; DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2009.181743
Talanian et al. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training
increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal
of Applies Physiology, 2007: DOI: http://jap.physiology.org/content/102/4/1439.full.pdf
Trapp et al. Metabolic response of trained and untrained women during
high-intensity intermittent cycle exercise. American Journal of
Physiology, 2007; DOI: http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/293/6/R2370.short
