The 6 Secrets to Transforming Your Legs—and Ultimately Your Whole Body

About a year ago, I decided to fully dedicate myself to transforming my legs. Which might sound funny, given that I’m the Fitness Director ofMen’s Health.

But let me give you some context: Here at MH, I specialize in making fitness videos. In fact, you can see me in our brand’s videos on Facebook Instagram, and, of course, MensHealth.com. (You can also see me in The Get Back in Shape Workout—a DVD program that will help you build a fitter, stronger body in just 28 days.)

Which is a lot of fun, but also has its drawbacks. Namely, lots of people like to share their opinions about how I look. Or more specifically, how my legs look. But not in a good way.

One day, I got fed up with all of the “someone skipped leg day” comments, and decided to do something about it. 

To be clear, I’ve never been one to skip leg day. However, my history of knee injuries had made it difficult for me to train my lower body as often or as hard as I want to. 

I struggled with patellar tendonitis from the ages of 14 to 21, and had four knee surgeries by the time I was 22. The last surgery actually ended my college football career. So throughout my 20s, I just decided to work around my past injuries and wear pants to cover up. 

But not anymore.

Above are before-and-after photographs of my transformation. It’s no coincidence that I’m doing stepups in the images—they are staples in my leg-changing program. 

When I first looked back at my old photos, the difference in my legs was shocking. What’s even more surprising? The change throughout my entire body. 

Related: Normal-Sized Guys Who Are Freakishly Strong Tell You How They Did It

Even though I purposefully trained my upper body less in order to allow my legs to catch up faster, I was leaner and more muscular up top.

And that’s a true testament to how much horsepower can be added to your metabolic engine by building more muscular hips and thighs. A bigger metabolic engine not only helps you lean out, but it also sets a daily calorie-burning foundation so you can maintain your results for the long haul.

Rather than share my actual program with you, I think you’ll benefit more by learning the 6 key training principles I followed. 

After all, the program I used was very specific to my needs. For instance, I really emphasized building my quads since that are needed the most work. But follow these guidelines, and I promise that your legs and body will change.

1. Squat every day
The squat serves as the foundation for all lower-body exercises. So if you want the best results, you need to spend time in a squat position daily. This doesn’t mean you need to squat heavy or even underload every day. 

But it does mean you need to 1) accumulate as many reps as possible of the squat, and 2) spend as much time as possible in a deep squat position. 

To start, I recommend squatting under load three times per week. As for the other days, you should do bodyweight squats and squat mobility work like spending 5-to-10 minutes in a deep squat.

It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. I like to rotate between barbell front squats, barbell back squats, box squats, and goblet squats. 

Be sure to mix the load and rep scheme within the same week or every couple weeks to prevent plateaus. Do heavy strength work in the 3-to-5 rep range, hypertrophy work in the 6-to-12 rep range, and endurance work in the 15-to-20-plus rep range. 

Related: The Fastest Way to Get Your “Ass to Grass” during a Squat

Personally, I like to do heavy work, and then perform higher-rep back-off sets within the same session. And even though it requires the use of lighter loads, I also like to take 2-to-3 seconds on the lowering portion of the squat, and pause for a count at the bottom of each rep. It’s a better strategy for muscle growth and longevity, in my opinion.

2. Get great at goblet squats
I already established the importance of squatting above. But a big problem for a lot of people is that squatting bothers their knees and back, and they don’t have the mobility to achieve the needed depth for optimum growth. 

That’s why I’m in love with the goblet squat. You can use either a dumbbell (easier) or kettlebell to do them, and it’s a lot more accessible and safer than the barbell variations. 

(For hundreds more tips and techniques that will transform your body and your mind, check out The Better Man Project—the cutting-edge book for men from Bill Philips, the Editor-in-Chief of Men’s Health.)

Plus, holding the weight in front of you provides a counterbalance that autocorrects your squat form, allowing you to naturally sit lower and more upright. This takes pressure off of your lower back and promotes greater growth in your glutes and quads. 

You can get great at goblet squats by committing to doing 100 sessions of 100 total reps over the next 6-to-12 months. You can break up the 100 reps into sets of 10 or 20 or whatever you’d like. Just hit that total. After 10,000 reps, your body and brain will never have to think about the best squatting pattern for your body again. 

You should also shoot for a goal of being able to do multiple sets of 10-plus reps with a weight that is about half of your bodyweight. (So a 200-pound person would use a 100-pound dumbbell).

3. Build up strength with Bulgarians
Single-leg exercises are the key to balance and symmetry between sides. They also unload your spine and improve your hip mobility and core stability. 

Recent studies have shown that the Bulgarian—or rear-foot-elevated split squat—may be just as effective as the regular squat for muscle and strength gains, while putting less stress on your back. (For more Bulgarian squat benefits, read Are Back Squats Safe?)

Do the Bulgarian split squat at least once a week. If needed, you can also use it in place of squatting all together. Your goal should be to perform multiple sets of 10-plus reps while holding a combined weight that is at least half your body weight. 

I also recommend spending 2-to-5 minutes per side mobilizing your quads and hips in the bottom position every single day. Also, be sure to mix in other classic single-sided lower-body moves like lunges, stepups, hip thrusts, and hip hinges.

4. Finish with 10 minutes of lunges or stepups
When I first started this plan, I could barely lunge for a couple minutes without stopping. But I built up to an hour straight of walking lunges. And I was able to walk just fine the next day!

Initially, my commitment was just to finish every leg workout with 10 minutes of nonstop lunges or stepups. I would mix between the two for variety since lunges hit your quads more, and stepups hit your hamstrings and glutes to a greater degree. 

Use just your bodyweight in the beginning and alternate between faster and slower tempos. You can either lengthen the time (from 10 to 20 or 30 minutes), or gradually add weight with dumbbells or a weight vest. 

In the case of stepups, you can look to increase the box height. I credit my increased size and vascularity in my legs to all the lunges and stepups I did. They also dramatically improved my recovery ability between sets and workouts. 

The legs respond very well to high-volume endurance training. And when combined with the heavier-loaded work prescribed above, you get the best of both worlds. 

I should also mention that this protocol melts fat, bulletproofs your knees, boosts hip mobility, and improves your running mechanics and conditioning. 

Before this, I couldn’t run for a minute without feeling some pain in my knees. After doing it, I can now run with ease and without pain for a full hour. (And I actually kind of enjoy it.) 

(Pounding the pavement not for you? Here are 10 Exercises That Burn More Calories than Running.)

5. Deadlift heavy at least once a week
Deadlifting isn’t for everyone. But if you can do it safely and without pain, I highly recommend you deadlift at least once per week. 

It’s a total-body strength and muscle builder and it adds slabs of meat to your back, hips, and hamstrings. This extra strength and muscle provides the balance your body needs to look and perform better. 

If you can’t make it work with conventional or sumo deadlifts, try trap bar deadlifts or rack pulls instead. You could also perform straight-leg deadlifts. 

Keep the reps between 1 and 5 for most of your sets, pull from a dead-start with a pause, and reset between each rep. Focus on progressively adding weight over time. Save the high-rep metabolic work for swings and squats. 

Related: 10 Secrets to the Perfect Deadlift

The goal here is raw strength and good form. If deadlifting just isn’t an option for you or it’s not worth the risk, then learn how to do swings properly and focus on that instead. 

You’ll still build your backside and you can get a whole lot of miles out of swings because of their low impact on your legs.

6. Pay attention to your glutes
Your glutes are truly the center of the fitness universe. They drive all key movement. 

And I learned from my friend and world-renowned expert Bret Contreras that “the thrust is a must!” I did barbell hip thrusts at least once a week, and actually built up to doing 5 reps with 625 pounds. 

Besides building up my butt like never before, this set the foundation for my gains in squats and deadlifts. Start with your body weight and do sets of 10-to-20 reps. (For more ways to work your butt, check out The 17 Best Glutes Exercises.)

Your next goal: Do multiple sets of 10 reps of the barbell version with a load equal to your bodyweight.

If you don’t want to do the loaded version because you think it looks ridiculous, then progress to the single-leg version. No matter how strong you get, 10 reps of those are always super challenging and will burn your butt in a serious way.

Home Remedies for Weight Loss

Some of the home remedies for weight loss include regular exercise, yoga, a proper diet, inclusion of fruits and vegetables to your diet, switching from sugars to alternatives, along with avoiding meat intake, crash diets, and special diets.

What is Obesity?

Obesity is the condition which is characterized by having more body fat than normal. Obesity has become a major issue for many people in the recent times. Overweight is a complaint from many people, especially from people living in urban areas. Specifically, it is found in people with less or no physical activity.

Obesity is a rampant problem in the world today, and it seems like everyone has their own special tips and tricks for losing weight. According to average daily human calorie needs, men need 2500 calories per day and women need about 1800 to 2000 calories per day. However, on average, we tend to consume more than 2500 calories per day and excess of energy is not used by the body and is instead stored in the form of fat.Obesity can be linked to many diseases in the long run, including high cholesterol levels, heart diseases, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, severe back problems, and poor mobility. In women, obesity can cause reproductive problems like infertility and irregularity in their menstrual cycle.

How Many People Are Obese?

A study was conducted on obesity by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), United States from the year 1985 to 2010. The study has revealed that about one-third of the adult population in the United States is obese and about 12.5 million children aged between 2 – 19 years are obese. This is a matter of concern because the numbers continue to grow. Adults suffer from obesity due to lack of physical activity and diet.

Obesity in Children: Childhood obesity is actually a sweeping phenomenon that is endangering the lives and the future of millions of children around the world. Research suggests that kids familiar with unhealthy food logos are more likely to be overweight. Fortunately, due to the rising numbers of obese children, there has been a major increase in awareness and health solutions for childhood obesity. These range from dietary management, healthy exercise habits, emotional support, and recreational lifestyle changes. Research study suggests that stress, diet, hormones and child obesity are interrelated and good stress coping skills, healthy environment and healthy diet may help in preventing risk of obesity in children.

How to quickly shed weight!

Unfortunately, many of the trendy ways to lose weight are not the healthiest approach, and crash diets can actually be terribly dangerous for your long- and short-term health. While the best weight loss solution involves patience, determination, and resilience, combined with a proper diet plan, exercise, and lifestyle alterations, there are a few shortcuts that you can implement if you need to lose weight in a hurry.

Some of these methods of losing weight quickly can be extended for long periods of time and be completely healthy, while others should probably be utilized for a quick drop in weight before being replaced with more consistent and sustainable weight loss solutions. The key to losing weight quickly is maintaining a diet that brings in less calories than you are burning, while eliminating those stumbling blocks that so often break a diet within a few days of beginning.  Apart from healthy foods, chewing may also aid in weight management. Research suggests that increasing the number of chews before swallowing may help to reduce food intake and aid in weight management. If you put these methods to good use, you’ll be shedding the pounds in no time – and doing it in a healthy way too!

Home Remedies for Weight Loss

Some simple home remedies for healthy weight loss include the following:

Quit Smoking – Although many people say that they replace their smoking habit with snacking to satisfy their “oral fixation”, smoking also keeps you from feeling healthy and going to the gym. If you feel more able to go jogging, workout for longer periods, and actually improve your long-term health, you are much more likely to take the positive steps to enact that change.

Eliminate White Grain Food – Anything made of white grain is going to make you gain weight, because it is composed mainly of carbohydrates, which are quickly digested, are high in sugar, and leave you feeling unsatisfied and likely to eat even more. These empty calories are the opposite of what you want to consume to lose weight fast!

Eat Slower – People who eat slower consistently consume less calories and don’t suffer from obesity nearly as often. Slow down your eating time, allowing your stomach to digest and feel full throughout the meal, which will help you only consume what your body actually needs.  Research suggests that increasing the number of chews before swallowing may help to reduce food intake and aid in weight management.

Smaller Meals at Regular Intervals: Eating in small quantities at regular intervals can be a very good idea for losing weight naturally. By eating smaller quantities, you will be supplying a more limited amount of energy that is equivalent to your body’s energy requirement. Also, eating in small cups and bowls can help in eating less food per meal.

Drink Water – We all get thirsty, but sports drinks, sugary juices, or alcohol don’t fill us up in the same way that an equivalent amount of calories from food will do. Eliminate those other types of liquid and switch out for water, which has no carbs and no calories, boosts your metabolic rate, and increases urination (which actually helps you lose more water weight).

Increase Your Vegetable Intake – Vegetables, unlike white grain foods, are made up of complex carbohydrates, which means they take a much longer time to digest, leaving you feeling full and satisfied for longer. Recent study suggests that Thylakoid found in spinach can curb cravings and hunger which can further help in weight loss. Furthermore, since vegetables are composed of a high percentage of water, they stimulate urination and a release of excess water weight.

Eliminate Fast Food – Fast food may be a quick solution when we are on the go, but in reality, they are some of the least healthy foods for our body, including huge amounts of sodium, carbohydrates, and fat. Make time in your schedule for healthier options. Also, we tend to eat fast food quicker, due to additives and the mentality of eating something on the run, which increases your chances of overeating.

Do Cardio Throughout the Day – Don’t only exercise once a day; you want to keep your metabolism working at a high clip throughout your waking hours, so break up your workouts into smaller periods spread out over the day. This way, your body will continue burning calories more consistently and at a higher rate for longer.

Drink Coffee Before a Workout – While some personal trainers might not suggest this as the best option, if you are trying to lose weight, the caffeine will give you an extra boost of energy, pushing you to work out a bit harder and longer, squeezing out a couple hundred extra calories with each workout.

Mushrooms – Mushrooms are often turned to as a meat substitute, because they can fill a similar role in your diet, but they are a low-calorie and low-fat alternative. Studies have shown that people who replace meat with mushrooms even once a week show significant weight loss in a short period of time.

Get Enough Sleep – Your body needs a certain amount of sleep, and when it doesn’t attain its optimal amount, it will try to satisfy that lack with other things, such as craving food. Furthermore, you will be more likely to be active during the day, less likely to skip the gym, and less prone to go for a high-sugar energy-boosting meal to give you that extra push.

Yogurt – The healthy gut microflora that is included in healthy forms of yogurt helps to optimize your nutrient absorption, reduce fat intake, and speed up your digestion. It also helps you feel full without boosting your calorie intake.

Yoga and exercise – By exercising different parts of your body, your entire metabolism will be improved. For example, alternate push-ups, sit-ups, and lunges every day, so your body doesn’t feel like its getting in a routine. You’re also less likely to “hide” fat in certain body areas if you don’t neglect them! Also include yogaas that may help reduce weight.

Oat Bran – Bran is one of the highest fiber foods out there, which helps not only to feel full, but also speeds up your digestive system and eliminates waste effectively, so you lose weight in that way, while also preventing unnecessary overeating. Bran also absorbs fat, thereby lowering your overall cholesterol content and boosting your metabolism.

Skip the Salty Snacks – High-sodium foods might be exactly what you crave when you are on a diet, but salt causes your body to retain water, and increases your blood pressure, making you feel exhausted and more likely to sit on a couch and snack even more.

Olive Oil – Some people balk when they hear that olive oil can help with weight loss, but the types of fat included in olive oil, particularly oleic acid, actually trigger feelings of satiety in your body, reducing your chances of overeating.  Plus, the beneficial omega-3 fats in olive oil will help increase energy and eliminate dangerous cholesterol that can exacerbate weight gain.

Nutritious Food- People wanting to lose weight can opt for low-energy density food, including fruits, vegetables, fish, grains, beans, and lean meat. Inclusion of vitamin C rich food such as lemon Indian gooseberry also helps in losing weight. For sufficient protein requirements, soya and sprouts can be included in your diet.

Switch from Sugar to Honey- Adding sugar to fruit juices, coffee, tea will increase calorie consumption as studied by Malik et al, 2006. Instead of sugar, it is advisable to switch to honey. Honey contains fructose and glucose in near equal proportions and it does not add too many calories to the body.

Honey and Lime- Consuming honey with lime is also recommended for weight loss. Honey with lemon and warm water is a good way to start your day. Honey has a significant role to play in weight loss in naturopathy.

Green Tea- Green tea is another way of reducing weight. Green tea is known to contain a powerful antioxidant named epigallocatechin gallate. This antioxidant is known to stimulate the fat-burning process in the body, so it is highly recommended for weight loss programs as found by Kao, Hiipakka and Liao in their research.

Cabbage- Cabbage is considered to be one of the negative calorie vegetables because it is believed that it takes more calories to digest than the calories actually found in cabbage. Cabbage can be added to vegetable juices and salads for effective weight loss to take place.

Prunes- Research conducted by the University of Liverpool suggests that intake of prunes as part of a weight control diet can improve weight loss.

Avoid Sodas and Diet Drinks– Many people have the habit of drinking soda when they are thirsty. Sodas contain added sugars which add to your weight. Even diet sodas contain sugar in smaller quantities. Instead, it is advisable to drink other liquids, such as water, lime water, and fresh fruit juices. .

No Crash Diets- Crash diets do not help in burning excess of fat. They actually trigger the body to break down its own muscle mass, which is not good for the body. Even if there is a slight reduction in weight with crash diets, results have shown that people have gained more weight in the long run.

Weight Loss Solutions for Kids

Apart from the weight loss remedies mentioned above there are dozens of potential ways to handle childhood obesity, these are some of the most common and successful techniques for reducing childhood obesity and promoting weight loss.

Diet Management: By urging children to eat more fruits and vegetables, you can inspire a much healthier lifestyle that is actually fun for kids! Replace soda and sugary drinks with water, milk, or fruit juices.  Healthy after-school snacks and eating 4-5 small meals per day can help keep their appetite satiated, without resulting in the binge eating of unhealthy foods that can result in childhood obesity.

Give Them Freedom: Allow children to make healthier choices as an alternative ad do not teach them about the complicated rules of calorie counting and nutrition as that may make them feel guilty without solving anything.

Be a Role Model: Obesity often runs in families because children do what their parents do. For this reason, if you want to help your obese child lose weight, be a role model! Eat healthier foods, but also, start riding your bike more often – become more active and fit. Try to get your children to be active for at least 60 minutes per day and promote activities like football, baseball, or any other group activity. Also , try to prepare more meals at home, particularly breakfast and dinner, when your children are at home.

Limit Sedentary Activities:  Sedentary activity not only promotes snacking, eating, and obesity, but also decreases the physical movement and activity of the children. So limit activities such as watching tv playing video games and other sedentary activities

There are plenty of other options that can be applied to your child’s lifestyle and behavioral patterns, but these listed above have been tried and true, and can definitely solve the problem of childhood obesity for members of your family.

Drink That Melts Belly Fat Faster Than Running-Results in 6 Days!

You want to lose belly fat, but you are tired of doing exercises. We suggest trying this powerful natural drink to help you reduce the stubborn fat accumulated around the abdomen without doing any workout.

Why this drink is so special for melting your belly fat? The secret why this beverage is so beneficial for all those who want to reduce the abdominal fat is due to the careful selection of its ingredients.

Catechins found in blueberries activate fat-burning genes in abdominal fat cells to assist with weight loss, and belly fat loss in particular.  According to research at Tufts University, regularly ingesting catechins increases abdominal fat loss by 77 percent and double total weight loss.

Spinach-kale combination is perfect choice for all those who want to get rid of the belly fat. They are rich source of calcium and we all know how important getting enough calcium is to our bone strength and health, but what else does this element do for us? Calcium also helps promote the burning of fat in our body, instead of the storage of it.

Flax seeds-almonds is an ideal fat melting combination. Loaded with Omega-3 fats, these ingredients have been proven to increase fat-burning properties in the human body.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen blueberries
• a handful of spinach
• 1 kale leaf
• 2 tsp. ground flax seeds
• 1 banana
• 1tsp. ground almonds
• 1/3 cup water

Preparation:

Mix all the ingredients in a blender and consume the drink 3 times a day, always 

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

The health benefits of physical activity include a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, certain types of cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer, stress, anxiety, and depression. It is beneficial in improving general well being, brain health, weight loss, and Parkinson’s disease.

Doctors, medical experts, and general practitioners all advise people to take up a routine of physical activity and dietary changes to increase health. Exercise helps to burn up any excess calories. One can take up not just strict exercise regimes, but also simple physical activities such as brisk walking, using the stairs more often, and even household chores. This is particularly true about patients with a history of stroke.

Physical activity or exercise for most urban people has been on a steady decline for many years now. Lack of considerable physical activity has been attributed to the development of many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, osteoporosis, mental stress, and the risk of certain cancers such as colon cancer and breast cancer. These diseases are considered lifestyle diseases due to the fact that their development is directly related to a lack of physical activity.

In many cases, people start working out or begin consistent physical activity only after being diagnosed with diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypercholesterolemia. People do take physical activity or exercise seriously at that point and benefit a lot from such activities. However, it can be said that being active after being diagnosed tends to be closer to damage control than actually beneficial in real terms.

Issues with Current Lifestyles

If we observe very young children who are at least 5 years old, they are physically very active and are lean and thin. This is due to the fact that they are expending the right amount of energy in comparison to what they are gaining through their diet. However, those children who are not physically active begin gaining weight even at an early age.  According to a recent study, physically fit kids have faster and more robust neuro-electrical brain responses during reading than their less-fit peers.

The improvements in technology and the resultant sedentary lifestyles are a major source of blame for our decline in health around the world. We hardly have any physical activity today, as most of our jobs involve sitting in front of a desktop for several hours and commuting in a vehicle. Even after reaching home, many people choose to sit around and watch TV or surf the Internet. With such inactivity, we do not burn even a fraction of the calories we consume.

In recent times, health and fitness products on the market often boast about proper equipment and machines that facilitate exercise. With the cost of these machines being high, many people are disheartened, discouraged, and avoid exercise altogether.

Another major issue that people find when taking up exercise or physical activity is time. In our busy day-to-day lives, allocating a definite amount of time can be difficult. However, it is our health which is at stake, after all. Anything material can be gained, but when good health is lost, it might not make a difference whether we’ve gained something material or not.

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In reality, anyone can take up any kind of exercise regime and very easily begin being active. Some people may not be able to start actual exercise regimes due to preexisting conditions like heart diseases. In such cases, they can consult their doctors for the kind of physical activities that they can begin to reduce the risks of being inactive, while still remaining healthy in terms of their other conditions.

Health Benefits of Physical Activity

Let us look at some of the health benefits of physical activity and exercise that can be achieved. A study conducted on the relationship between physical inactivity and the development of chronic diseases and premature death has revealed some interesting facts which include some of the following.

Decreased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Research conducted for some years on middle-aged men and women indicate the benefits of physical activity in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease has been reported to have decreased by about 20% to 35% for both men and women who reported increased levels of physical activity while those people with very low levels of physical activity showed an increased risk of cardiovascular disease up to 95%. This was about primary prevention. Secondary prevention was also reported for patients with cardiac disease. A minimum amount of physical activity with energy expenditure of about 1600 kcal to 2200 kcal showed a halt in the progress of coronary heart disease and a reduction of plaque in heart disease patients.

Lowered risk of Type 2 Diabetes: Studies suggest that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes decreases with an increase in physical activity. The risk of type 2 diabetes is particularly high in those who are overweight after a change in lifestyle. Physicians suggest that moderately intense and intense physical activity that cause you to break a sweat can reduce the risk of development of type 2 diabetes. Moderate weight loss and changes in diet, when coupled with moderately intense physical activity, further decreased the risk of diabetes in overweight patients. A minimum of 150 minutes per week of moderately intense physical activity is recommended for such people. In secondary prevention, for those people who’ve already been diagnosed of diabetes, at least 2 hours of walking per week has been recommended. It has been reported to be effective in reducing the risk of death caused by diabetes by 39% – 54% in many cases. Studies on physical activities showed that both aerobic and resistance training were effective in reducing diabetes.

Reduced Risk of Cancer Development: Research shows that moderate or routine physical activity has been reported to be effective in reducing the incidence and development of certain cancers, such as colon and breast cancer. Physically active men and women showed reduced risks of about 30% to 40% in colon cancer and a 20% to 30% reduction in  breast cancer in women. There has also been evidences that the recurrence of cancer and deaths were also reduced thanks to physical activity. Studies on patients with cancer showed increased survival rates of up to 73% in patients that participated in considerable levels of physical activity.

Research suggests that exercising an hour daily reduces the risk of contracting breast cancer in women of any age and any weight. Research also suggests that physical activity and healthy diet may help to reduce risk of cancer.

Osteoporosis:  Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disorder which is often reported in middle-aged men and women. Osteoporosis is particularly observed more in women than in men. Research on the relationship between osteoporosis and physical activity revealed that exercises, particularly weight bearing and resistance exercises showed increased bone mineral density and a reduced risk of osteoporosis, particularly in middle-aged men, women, and in people of advanced age. Physical activity has also been reported to have reduced the risk of fractures, which often affects aging people. Physically active people had a lower risk of fractures compared to physically inactive people. Therefore, exercise is recommended to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

Improvement in Psychological Well-Being: The psychological or mental health of a person is also very important along with physical health. Regular exercise has also been reported to be effective in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. The relationship between physical activity and mental well-being had no connection with socioeconomic standards, age, or gender. This pattern was particularly observed in physically active women and men who are 40 years of age and above.

Improves Brain Health: Apart from mental health discussed above, brain health also plays a crucial role in the overall health of an individual. Studies have shown that brain health can be improved through physical activity and the fruits of physical activity can be realized in later stages of life, when brain health can be affected in a more noticeable way. A recent researchsuggests that activities such as climbing a tree and balancing on a beam may help to  improve cognitive skills. Moderate to heavy physical activity from an early age has benefits such as improved learning and mental performance, stimulation of neurogenesis, increased resistance to brain injury, and improvement in brain plasticity processes.

Weight Management: There is an obvious inverse relationship between weight gain and low physical activity, as well as weight loss and high physical activity. In fact, the best way to lose weight is to be physically active. Studies suggest that moderate physical activity may not be sufficient to lose weight, but being very active i.e., physical activities with energy expenditure of about 2500 kcal/week were very effective in weight control in the long run.

Exercise for Kids: In recent times, the number of children playing outdoors has been decreasing. A sedentary lifestyle in children is increasing weight gain and obesity. Lack of physical activity has been a major concern and studies suggest interventions to increase physical activity in obese children.  In fact, anything to motivate children to take up exercise or physical activity is a good thing. Other evidence shows that obese children with a lack of exercise are at a higher risk for developing coronary artery disease and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Parkinson’s Disease: Parkinson disease is a degenerative disorder originating in the central nervous system. The symptoms include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement, difficulty in walking, and in later stages of life, dementia can set in. How and why Parkinson disease manifests is not known to science but research is ongoing to find the cause. One such research study pointed out that the risk of development of Parkinson’s disease was lower for people who were physically active in their early life from childhood through adulthood. However, highly strenuous physical work must be avoided, as it can increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease in the future.

Helpful During Pregnancy:Physical activity during pregnancy is known to be good for overall health. Moderately intense physical activities like aerobics qne brisk walking help in maintaining good health of the heart and lungs during pregnancy. Many pregnant women experience mood swings, but being physically active is also known to improve mood during pregnancy. Being physically active during pregnancy does not mean exercising all at once, but rather, spreading the activities out over the whole day can be beneficial. When starting any activity during pregnancy, one should remember to start slowly and increase the intensity over time. According to CDC, being active during pregnancy does not increase the risk of premature delivery, does not decrease the body weight of the baby, and does not affect milk production.

Controls Arthritis: The Center for Disease Control has now stated that physical activity is highly beneficial as a pain reliever. According to CDC, moderately intense activity or lower activity reduces the risk of disability in arthritis in most cases. Both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities are known to work well for people with arthritis. In October of 2008, the Department of Health and Human Services released Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in which lot of focus was put on physical activity to counter arthritis. (Physical Activity and Arthritis, CDC).

Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass: Loss of skeletal muscle mass, also known as sarcopenia, due to aging is a degenerative disease that can affect people in the later stages of life. Generally, sarcopenia develops between 65 – 80 years of age and this one of the reasons for low strength and fractures occurring so often in older people. A study has shown that the intensity of sarcopenia can be reduced by maintaining a good diet, vitamin supplementation if required, along with regular physical activity. Of these, the study has emphasized exercise to be a better intervention to sarcopenia through aging and predominantly sedentary people.

Controls High Blood Pressure: Physical activity is also helpful in lowering blood pressure. Blood pressure is one of the diseases that has been held responsible for increasing the risk of stroke and heart disease. Today,scientific reports suggest that aerobic exercises are very helpful in lowering blood pressure in patients suffering from hypertension and normal people as well. There is evidence that increased levels of physical activity plays an important role in controlling blood pressure.

Lowers High Cholesterol Levels: A high level of cholesterol has been linked to coronary heart disease. However, cholesterol is essential for many bodily functions to take place, such as building up cell membranes, producing hormones, and the formation of bile acids. The secret here is that there are certain types of cholesterol which can do good and bad things to our body. The good cholesterol is HDL or high density lipoprotein cholesterol, while the bad cholesterol is LDL or low density lipoprotein cholesterol. The key is to keep the good cholesterol levels high and bad cholesterol levels low. Research indicates that being physically active can be very helpful in increasing the good or HDL cholesterol levels and lower LDL or bad cholesterol levels.

Physical Activity – Daily Routine

Try to allocate 20 minutes to half an hour every day for physical activity. Take up simple physical activities such as brisk walking, warm up exercises, cycling, yoga, and such other aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercises increase the rate of your heartbeat, so heart patients must consult their doctors for appropriate exercises. Do not overdo any activity when you are just beginning. Exercises require time for your body to get accustomed to. The heart also needs to be accustomed because it is probably not used to rigorous activity.

The first set of exercises must be warm up exercises because warm up exercises relax your muscles and make for easy movements in those muscles that haven’t been used in a while. These include stretching exercises, bending exercises, etc.

The next exercise is walking and later, brisk walking. Brisk walking is a good way to break a sweat as it consumes calories beyond normal walking. Also, taking up brisk walking will gradually improve the heart and lung capacity . This is a preparation for the next set of complex exercises that you must take up to realize their full benefits.

The next exercises include sprinting. One should not start sprinting or running from the start, as it can put a lot of pressure on the heart. Our muscles and heart must get accustomed to the exercise regime, so slow and steady development is advised.

How much physical activity is enough to reduce risk of diseases and premature death?

Researchers have been able to compute optimum amount or volume of exercise, which includes frequency, duration, and intensity of exercises in order to obtain the minimum health benefits. An estimated energy expenditure of about 1000 kcal per week is regarded as the minimum amount of exercise that a person should participate in. Some studies indicate that expending about 2000 kcal per week has been noted to be of a medium level and has been associated with increasing life expectancy by 1-2 years. These energy specs are for young and middle-aged people. For elderly people, lower than the minimum energy expenditure of 1000 kcal per week has also been reported to have positive effects.  A minimum energy expenditure of about 500 kcal per week has been recommended for those older populations.

Health Benefits of Playing Sports

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Some of the health benefits of playing sports include the efficient functioning of the heart, controlled diabetes, lower cholesterol levels, improved blood circulation, lower hypertension, and lower stress levels. It helps in weight management, the toning of muscles and the strengthening of bones. It also brings positive energy, discipline, and helps in building self-esteem and mutual respect.

Playing Sports is More Than Fun!

Playing sports is a favorite activity for many people around the world. It provides us with enjoyment and also freshens up our mind. However, playing sports is actually more than mere running, jumping, or kicking a ball on the field. Indulging in sports helps our body to function smoothly and more efficiently. Sports involve the activity of each and every muscle of our body. This strengthens the body and promotes good health.

Sports in Today’s World

The United Nations Sports for Development and Peace can be regarded as one of the forerunners in sports all over the world, along with the International Olympics Committee and various other sports development authorities across the globe. The main motto of organizing sports by these organizations is to promote peace and brotherhood among nations. The United Nations Sports for Development and Peace believes that sports are not just leisure activities, but a fundamentally enforceable right all over the world, as well as a very effective tool in promoting humanitarian, developmental, and peace-building activities.

The United Nations Sports for Development and Peace invites sports celebrities or sports superstars to act as goodwill ambassadors to promote awareness about various troubling issues. According to the United Nations, the mass appeal of the players is particularly helpful in bringing attention to various issues such as HIV/ AIDS, education, food and agriculture, drugs, crime, and refugees.

Some Facts About Playing Sports

According to the United Nations Sports for Development and Peace, physical activity plays an important role in the development of overall health and prevents various diseases. Apart from preventing diseases, playing sports is an excellent physical activity and thus aids in improving the functional capabilities of body. Sports are not only beneficial to young people, but also for older generations. However, it is always good to start early. Kids should be encouraged in participating in playing sports at school or at social events. This helps in obtaining the maximum amount of positive results of playing sports involving physical activity. Many older people find improved alertness over time if they engage in sports.

Make Sports a Part of Your Lifestyle

Playing sports should not be limited to the field of your school, college, or community. Even when you’re at home or working, sparing at least 30 minutes for any sport you love can be very helpful. It is not advisable to only see sports as a strenuous activity that you are doing for the sake of health. Instead, take it as a hobby and enjoy it. If you have a family, encourage your family members to be a part of your sport too. This will give a boost to the overall health of the family. Activities such as cycling, swimming, running, and even walking are some of the physical activities that can be done on a daily basis. It must not be forgotten that playing sports alone will not give you a healthy body and mind. Many other factors such as nutritional intake, the stress levels in your life, or even the clothes or shoes that you’re wearing must also be considered. In many countries, playing sports has become a part of the treatment for certain diseases.

Health Benefits of Playing Sports

Playing sports has many health benefits, many of which are explained in greater detail below.

Healthy Heart: Playing sports helps with stretching ability. Theheart benefits the most from playing sports. Your cardiovascular health improves by playing sports and there are less chances of any malfunctioning of your heart. The heart also needs exercise and during sports, the heart has to pump more blood.  Thus, the heart gets its required share of working out when one is playing sports.

Controls Diabetes: Playing sports helps the insulin to perform in a better manner. This helps diabetic people to make most of the insulin present in their body. Also, physical activity helps in reducing the risk of type 2diabetes. It can also help in weight management, since it burns excess calories.

Weight Management: Obesity is a big issue faced by millions of people across the world. This issue can be dealt by indulging in loads of sports or similar physical activities. Fat gets bur.nt and calories are shed through rigorous the physical activity involved in sports. People who are regular players of any sport are naturally leaner and fitter.

Lowers Hypertension: Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, may result in stroke or heart disease. This makes thecontrol of hypertension absolutely necessary. Hypertension can be prevented by being physically active or by playing sports. Physical activity or sports can keep your heart and blood vessels healthy and prevent hypertension from developing.

Lower Cholesterol Levels: Sports also help in maintaining lower levels of bad cholesterol. Some experiments showed that compared to athletes, bad cholesterol levels in sedentary people were much higher, while good cholesterol levels were significantly higher in athletes.

Improved Blood Circulation: Blood circulation gets better when you start playing sports. This helps in the proper circulation of nutrients all over your body. The body remains well oxygenated. Thus, it remains more healthy and active. Apart from blood circulation, being physically active can also increase the amount of hemoglobin and the volume of blood.

Stronger Immunity: Regularly indulging in exercise and sports makes the body immune to many diseases that usually affect a person due to weak immunity. When a person exercises, the rate at which white blood cells reach every body part increases significantly. The exact manner that sports increase immunity is not known yet. Playing sports increases sweat production and may also remove toxins. This also helps the body to remain healthy. Due to the rise in body temperature, the chances of bacterial growth also lessens.

Muscle Toning: Muscles are the part of body that participate most actively when you play sports. Sports are actually the best form of working out for muscles. Toned muscles are always desirable and that’s what you get when you play sports. The endurance of muscles also increases with time and this helps you in gaining a stronger body. Both inner and outer muscles get toned up when one plays any sport. For example, running involves working out both the inner and outer thigh muscles.

Stronger Bones: Playing sports is beneficial in strengthening not only the muscles, but also the bones in your body. Bones get their strength from bone density and aging decreases bone density, which can result in osteoporosis. Taking up sports is perhaps one of the easiest ways to maintain bone density and strength for people of all ages.

Other Benefits of Playing Sports

Positive Energy: Sports can bring positivity into your life, if played in a healthy manner. It refreshes the mind and helps in developing a positive and fresh outlook towards life.

Self Esteem: Playing any particular sport helps in building self esteem. When one improves in any particular sort or skill, one feels good about it.

Discipline: Discipline becomes a natural part of life when one starts spending time playing sports. This is because sports inspire the person to live life by certain rules and regulations and move towards a positive end. Children who indulge in sports feel healthier and develop better and healthier relationships with other people because a positive, team-based outlook is instilled in them.

Mutual Respect: Playing sports builds mutual respect. It helps you to respect people even if they have a negative attitude towards you, which is a useful skill at all ages.

Inducing Calmness: Sports train your mind to think calmly and find new strategies to deal with problems without getting too hyper.

Teamwork: Playing sports helps you to build good relationship with people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse traits. It encourages teamwork and thus helps in preparing you to work with different people in a harmonious manner.

Goal Setting: Goal setting means that every person needs to have an idea about what he/she wants, whether that is in a game or in life. Sports may help in goal-setting and will improve performance level in other areas of life.

Being Careful and Healthy!

Play under expert supervision: It is very important to be careful when participating in physical activities likesports. Playing them by implementing the wrong techniques can have harmful effects on your health. Try playing sports under the supervision of experienced players in the beginning and take their advice on how to play the game without getting hurt.

Stretching and warm up exercises: Stretching and warm up exercises are a must in order to prevent cramps and sprains. Stretching prepares the body, brain, and mind for the physical activity involved in the sport. The blood flow increases in the muscle when one stretches and this increases the elasticity of muscles, which prevents muscle injuries

Stay hydrated: It is very important to remain well-hydrated in order to prevent dehydration from affecting the quality of your performance and your health. One must carry sufficient amounts of water if any sport is planned somewhere away from home. Drink water throughout the session in small quantities.

Acclimation: Acclimation is an important factor to be considered while playing in hot and humid conditions. While playing in hot and humid conditions, there is a chance of developing heat-related illnesses, wherein the body struggles to bring down its body temperature. Under such conditions, one must stop the game, drink plenty of water, and try to cool down.

Avoid playing on rainy or stormy days: Playing any kind of sport on a rainy or stormy day is not advisable due to the risk of lightning, while the slippery ground can also result in injuries.

Concussions: One should be very alert about concussions. Every minor injury should be paid equal attention. Ignorance and arrogance are both harmful when you are playing sports. Rest is also important when one experiences concussion, but not until you see a doctor. Head injuries are very serious things!

Relax after the game: It is important to cool down after playing any sport. It helps the body to become calm again. The heart rate normalizes and the muscles relax. Cold fluids should be consumed after playing an intense sport. It helps in cooling down the body and also helps in preventing heat-related illnesses. These types of illnesses are serious issues that affect many people, even professional athletes. It causes nausea, unsteadiness, and in certain instances, it can even make a person collapse completely. Prevention is the only way that this kind of situation can be dealt with, so make sure you drink plenty of water and keep your temperature down!

Older people: People who are not used to being very active physically should not indulge in intense sports sessions right away. This will adversely affect their health, especially obese and elderly people. Older people should actually start with small sessions because the body tends to lose its muscle capacity with age. As you well know, any sport that involves physical activity tires the body. Consulting a physician from time to time also helps in remaining updated about one’s body and helps check any adverse effects of the physical activities you may have planned.

Obese people: Obese people should indulge in sports in a controlled manner. This is because they are more susceptible to sports injuries. Injuries can lead to soft tissue damage, infections, and can cause serious problems that can have long-term effects. Several research studies suggest that people who are obese are more prone to ankle injuries because of excess impact weight on that joint.

Playing sports is definitely a very helpful means to remain healthy and having fun at the same time, so choose a sport of your own and make your lifestyle a whole lot healthier and a lot more fun!

How to get relief from pain during labor and delivery?

Delivery is the toughest time for every lady on this earth. Along with the pleasure of having a newborn, she also suffers from great pain in the labor room. By hearing about the pain during the delivery every lady becomes frightened. They must be thinking about the ways to get relief from the pain. There are many institutions that provide the childbirth classes. Relaxation with breathtaking techniques is taught to every pregnant lady so that she does not feel much pain during the delivery time. The pain during the pregnancy period may differ from one woman to another. Some women get great relief with the techniques taught in the pre motherhood classes. But, for some ladies this is not enough. Rather, they need more medications.

Comfortable child birth with less pain

There are several ways of getting your child out in this world with less pain. You can easily find it out with a little research on the techniques. You can also speak to your doctor to get the medication that will be very likely to avail relief during the delivery. Some ladies are very strong and make their mind give birth to her baby through the natural birth. But another group of ladies are not strong mentally as well as physically. They decide to take the baby out of the stomach by Caesar.

Getting a pain medicine before entering into the labor room is another way of getting pain relief in the labor room. It is also important to know the options about the medications available and other techniques to get some pain relief during delivery time.

Analgesic

While delivery, your doctor can provide you with systematic analgesic which is a wonderful remedy of pain. This is a fluid injected into the vein of individual lady to create numbness in her entire body. Analgesic is very effective in acting well in entire body rather than for a particular part of the body. All we all know that the pain during the pregnancy period is very natural. It can hardly be eradicated completely. It is possible to make your pain little less, but, getting it removed totally is not possible. There are medicines to provide relief from pain. But, this might lead to contractions and slow down of labor.

Spinal block

Another effective way of relief from pain during the labor is through the process of spinal block. An injection or medicine is provided for one time to the pregnant lady and there after the effect lasts for around 2 hours approximately. Women giving birth to the baby through her vagina are provided with a spinal block. This pain relief injection is even provided to individuals when the lady is going to give birth to the baby through Caesar. When the situation is such that the baby needs to be taken out from the womb of the mother through the forceps spinal block will be an important process.

Epidural block

This is the way of relieving pain to the lady by making the lower half of the lady’s body free from pain. Rather, the person will get no feeling in the lower half of her body. At the lower back portion of the patient’s body, the analgesiolist injects with the small space outside the spinal cord. Numbness will be provided to the patient as long as the doctor needs the portion to get numb. When the delivery takes place through the vagina, it helps in lessening the pain of the uterine contraction. It is safe to provide low dosage of medicine as this will not affect the baby much. High dose can even keep the baby under risk of waking up normally.

Local Anesthesia

Another common way of creating numbness is injecting local anesthesia in the recital of the vaginal area. This will not make you senseless totally. Rather, you can see everything when you are giving birth to the baby and at the same time you will also not feel any pain. Combination of Spinal as well as Epidural block will be another important way of providing pain relief to a lady who is fighting to give birth to the baby. This is much more effective and will help getting pain relief faster without risk.

Breathing exercise

Breathing exercises to riding out pregnant woman’s contractions. During labor pregnant women should blow out deep breaths that helped to get rid of contractions. Breathing will be very helpful for pregnant women during the tough contractions.

Relax your birthing muscles

Relaxing all of your muscles while only your uterus contracts eases the discomfort and speeds the progress of labor. If you feel tensed anywhere in your body, especially in your neck and face, this tension will spread to the pelvic muscles that need to stay loose during a contraction. Tense muscles hurt more than relaxed ones and they tire sooner. Chemical changes within an exhausted, tense muscle actually lower the muscle’s pain threshold, and you hurt more than if the muscle were working unopposed. The pain results when tight muscles resist the relentless, involuntary contractions of your uterus. Exhausted muscles soon lead to an exhausted mind and that increase your awareness of pain during childbirth and decreasing your ability to cope with it.

Changing position may help with labor pain

Change the position during labor may give you comfort by helping to improve your circulation. Sitting upright is the most comfortable position for you and help to speed up contractions in early labor. Squatting helps you in later stages of labor. Sitting on a birthing ball which in large size may help to reduce labor pain. If your back hurts, then lay on your hands and knees. Rocking back and forth are also works better to relieve pain.

Natural pain relief methods

Acupuncture: Acupuncturist places small needles into certain areas of the body, making your body respond a certain way in ancient Chinese practice. Although, this is an idea of using needles to lessen pain that may seem odd, you may find that this technique increases relaxation during labor that help you feel better to handle labor pain.

Hypnosis: Hypnosis works by suggesting that you are in control. It is ease when you believe you can control your pain. Some women learn to use this method for themselves, called self-hypnosis.

Reflexology: Reflexologies’ applies pressure to certain parts of the body, usually the soles of the feet. The pressure can affect other parts of the body. Reflexology may help relieve muscle tension and promote relaxation.