Should You Exercise If You Have A Cold?

Colds are more common in winter, but you don't necessarily have to stop exercising if you're feeling under the weather. According to Dr Keith Hopcroft, a GP from Basildon in Essex, use common sense and listen to your body.

"If your symptoms are not severe and you generally feel OK, then you can exercise. If you feel absolutely rotten, then it's best not to go."

However, it is important not to exercise if you have a fever. A fever is when your body's temperature is 38C (100.4F) or above and is rarely a symptom of a cold.

"If you exercise with a fever," says Dr Hopcroft, "it'll make you feel worse. In very rare cases, exercising with a fever can lead to the virus affecting your heart, which can be dangerous."

If you have asthma, take extra care when exercising in winter as cold air can trigger symptoms. Use your inhaler before you exercise and have it with you during your activity.

Keep Warm

If you're starting a new exercise regime, don't overdo it. Slowly build the amount of exercise you do. If you can't manage 30 minutes in one go, break it up into 10-minute chunks.

Always warm-up for up to 10 minutes before you start. Walk at a brisk pace, or jog to warm your muscles.

Make sure you're warm if you're going outside. Wear several layers to keep the heat in. A lot of heat escapes through your head, so consider wearing a hat as well.

Source:nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/pages/winterexercise.aspx

4 Ways Walking Adds Years To Your Life

Want to know the best workout for a longer, healthier future? You don't need a fancy gym or pricey trainer: A growing body of research proves that slipping on a pair of sneakers and going for a stroll is a great way to squeeze more quality years into your time on this planet. And you don't have to commit hours a day to benefit. According to a study published in the journal PLoS Medicine, walking for 11 minutes a day is enough to extend your lifespan by 2 years. Meanwhile, research from Australia's University of Sydney shows swapping one hour of sitting for an hour ofwalking can slash your risk of early death by about 14%—that could mean roughly 9 additional years!
 
Need even more motivation to start stepping? Read on to learn about the different ways this simple form of exercise can turn back the clock.

1. It counteracts the damage caused by sitting.

You've already heard that staying seated for long stretches can slow your circulation, raising your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health issues. But even a short stroll can counteract these harmful effects. In study published in the journal Experimental Physiology, researchers found that people who sat at a desk for 6 hours experienced reduced blood flow in their legs—and a 10-minute stroll was enough to reverse the effect.
 
For even more benefits, stretch your legs at least every hour. Researchers from the University of Utah School of Medicine that people who did a light-intensity activity, such as walking, for 2 minutes each hour had a 33% lower chance of dying during the study than those who didn't.

2. It safeguards your heart.

Walking gets your blood pumping, strengthening your ticker with each step. It can also help you blow off steam and reduce the amount of stress in your life, says James O'Keefe, MD, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. “Walking may protect your heart by as much as running.” In fact, Harvard scientists found that strolling for at least 3 hours a week can reduce your odds of heart attack and cardiac death by 35%.

3. It puts you on a path to a healthy weight.

An hour of brisk walking can torch up to 460 calories, making it an effective slim-down weapon. What's more, it can target the most harmful form of fat: Regular stepping can help shrink belly fat and increase insulin sensitivity, two precursors to diabetes. In fact, research shows that a 30-minute stroll a day can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by about 30%, while a one-mile daily walk lowers diabetics' odds of dying from the disease by 39%.

4. It can help your body repair its DNA. 

Walking and other forms of exercise can help put the brakes on the aging process. In a study from Germany's Saarland University, researchers found that regular walking increases activity of telomerase, an enzyme that helps the body mend its DNA. This effect could help you live longer, says study author Sanjay Sharma, MD. He estimates that just 25 minutes of brisk walking or slow jogging a day could buy you 7 additional years of life.
 

And that my friends are some of the reasons I am the biggest fan of walking daily :)









Source: prevention.com/fitness/4-ways-walking-adds-years-to-your-life

Get Moving!

Winter makes us all feel like being lazy and staying indoors watching a movie. Then come spring it is a mad rush to get into shape for the holiday season.

I exercise ALL year whatever the weather. This helps to keep my body in shape and my weight steady. The longer you keep up the exercise routine, the more it becomes a daily habit.

I enjoy cycling but when the weather is cold, wet and dark I admit that jumping on my bike becomes less likely. So what do I do instead? I walk and walk and walk. If it's cold and raining, guess what? Yep I still walk (we have this amazing invention called a coat). I pull on my hat, gloves, scarf and coat and get out there. 

I vary my pace between walking at a steady rate to walking as fast as I can to the point that my legs ache. I know that this will make my heart, metabolism and muscles work at their best over a short space of time exercising (typically I walk between 20-40+ minutes at a time).

Even if you only have time for a quick 20 minute walk per day DO IT. Walk steady for a few minutes, fast for a few minutes and continue with that momentum. It will burn calories and tone your legs and butt. Use your arms to power you on, listen to music, do whatever it takes.

Sometimes I might even use the stairs in my house and walk/run up and down 10-20 times, but more often than not I will get outside.

If I am out shopping, I will park as far away from the shops as I can. I will use the stairs instead of lift or escalator. Every day has an opportunity to get moving.

Now I like to watch a bit of TV like the rest of us but even then I use this time to exercise. I use dumb bells - every other day - to tone my upper body mainly. Using weights and getting toned muscles will help your body burn fat quicker. It also protects against Osteoporosis as you age. 

I hope I have got my point across that exercise doesn't need to be an expensive trip to the gym, 4 hours of intense exercise or an excuse for not doing something.

Get in to a regular habit of doing something on a regular basis. You will have more energy, feel healthier, fitter and younger. What's not to like about that? ;)

See for yourself the calories you can burn off by even just doing half of the steps below.....

The Incredible Results You Get From Walking 30 Minutes A Day

Taking a walk a day is kind of like that proverbial apple: There's a good chance it'll keep the doctor away. From helping you lose weight and de-stress to lowering your blood pressure and reducing your risk of many chronic diseases—going for regular walks is one of the best and easiest things you can do for your health, says Melina B. Jampolis, MD, author of the new book The Doctor on Demand Diet."Walking is the No. 1 exercise I recommend to most of my patients because it is very easy to do, requires nothing but a pair of tennis shoes, and has tremendous mental and physical benefits," she says. Here's what you can expect when you start walking for just 30 minutes every day, most days of the week.

1. Your mood will improve.

This one may seem obvious, but it's certainly a happy benefit for those who start walking regularly, says Jampolis. "As you continue to walk, you may notice your pants begin to fit more loosely around your midsection, even if the number on the scale isn't moving much," she says. "That's because regular walking can help improve your body's response to insulin, which can help reduce belly fat." Ariel Iasevoli, a personal trainer at Crunch gyms in New York City, adds that walking every day is one of the most effective low-impact ways to mobilize fat and positively alter body composition. "Daily walking increases metabolism by burning extra calories and by preventing muscle loss, which is particularly important as we get older," says Iasevoli. The best part? You don't have to slog it out on a treadmill at the gym to see these benefits. "One of my clients reduced her body fat by 2% in just one month by walking home from work each day, which was just under a mile," she says. 

2. Your creative juices will start flowing.

Whether you're feeling stuck at work or you've been searching for a solution to a tricky problem, research shows it's a good idea to get moving: According to a 2014 study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Learning, Memory, and Cognition, going for a walk can spark creativity. "Researchers administered creative-thinking tests to subjects while seated and while walking and found that the walkers thought more creatively than the sitters," says Jampolis.
 
3. Your jeans will get a little looser.

You know how sometimes it takes a glass of wine or a square (or three) of dark chocolate to blunt the edge of a rough day? Well, going for a walk is a zero-calorie strategy with the same benefits, says Jampolis. "Research shows that regular walking actually modifies your nervous system so much that you'll experience a decrease in anger and hostility," she says. What's more, when you make your walks social—you stride with, say, your partner, a neighbor, or a good friend—that interaction helps you feel connected, says Jampolis, which boosts mood. Finally, walking outdoors exposes you to natural sunlight, which can help stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)—making it a potential antidote for the winter blues, says Jampolis. 

4. You'll slash your risk of chronic disease.

The statistics are impressive: The American Diabetes Association says walking lowers your blood sugar levels and your overall risk for diabetes. Researchers at the University of Boulder Colorado and the University of Tennessee found that regular walking lowered blood pressure by as much as 11 points and may reduce the risk of stroke by 20% to 40%. One of the most cited studies on walking and health, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2002, found that those who walked enough to meet physical activity guidelines (30 or more minutes of moderate activity on 5 or more days per week) had a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, compared with those who did not walk regularly. "The physical benefits of walking are well documented," says Scott Danberg, director of fitness at Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa in Miami. With impressive results like these, there's a good chance you'll get a pat on the back from your doc at your next checkup. 

5. You'll keep your legs looking great

As we age, our risk of unsightly varicose veins increases—it's just not fair. However, walking is a proven way to prevent those unsightly lines from developing, says Luis Navarro, MD, founder and director of The Vein Treatment Center in New York City. "The venous system includes a circulatory section known as 'the second heart,' which is formed by muscles, veins, and valves located in our calf and foot," he explains. "This system works to push blood back up to the heart and lungs—and walking strengthens this secondary circulatory system by strengthening and preserving leg muscle, which boosts healthy blood flow." If you already suffer from varicose veins, walking daily can help ease related swelling and restlessness in your legs, says Navarro. "Also, if you are genetically predisposed to have varicose and/or spider veins, walking daily can help delay the onset."

6. You'll start to get more "regular."

If you currently praise coffee for keeping your digestive system going strong, get ready to start thanking your morning walk instead. That's because a regular walking routine can greatly improve gastric mobility, says Tara Alaichamy, DPT, a physical therapist at Cancer Treatment Centers of America. "One of the very first things an abdominal surgery patient is required to do is to walk because it utilizes core and abdominal muscles, encouraging movement in our GI system," she says.

7. Your other goals will start to seem more reachable.

When you become a regular walker, you will have established a regular routine—and when you have a routine, you are more likely to continue with the activity and take on new healthy behaviors. "I firmly believe that walking regularly can help you to accomplish other goals you set your mind to," says Kim Evans, a personal trainer and daily walker.

Source:prevention.com/fitness/benefits-walking-every-day?cid=soc_Prevention%20Magazine%20-%20preventionmagazine_FBPAGE_Prevention__Walking

Exercising In Winter

Here in the UK we are still enjoying a bit of warm sunshine. Many people exercise in the warmer weather but then fall out of routine as the darker, colder nights draw in.

Here are some tips to help you stay active......

More energy

Regular exercise will make you feel more energetic, which should make it a little easier to get out of your warm bed on cold, dark mornings.

Your body’s defences will also benefit. There is some limited research suggesting that moderate exercise can strengthen the immune system, thereby reducing the risk of coughs and colds. However, more research is needed in this area.

If the shorter days are affecting your mood, being active can improve your sense of wellbeing.

You may be tempted to eat more during the colder months. Exercising will help you manage your weight better and keep your body in shape.

Warm up

If you’re starting a new exercise regime, don’t overdo it. Slowly build the amount of exercise you do. If you can't manage 30 minutes in one go, break it up into 10-minute chunks.

Always warm-up for up to 10 minutes before you start. Walk at a brisk pace, or jog in order to warm your muscles.

Make sure you’re warm if you’re going outside. Wear several layers to keep the heat in. A lot of heat escapes through your head, so consider wearing a hat as well.

Stay safe

If you're exercising after dark, keep to well-lit areas and wear bright and reflective clothing. Ideally, exercise with a friend, but always tell someone where you’re going.

Avoid listening to music while running outdoors. Not hearing what’s going on around you can make you vulnerable.

If rain or ice is making exercise dangerous, do it another day. The weather might be better tomorrow, but an injury could take weeks to heal.

If you have a cold

Colds are more common in winter, but you don’t necessarily have to stop exercising if you’re feeling under the weather. According to Dr Keith Hopcroft, a GP from Basildon in Essex, use common sense and listen to your body.

“If your symptoms are not severe and you generally feel OK, then you can exercise. If you feel absolutely rotten, then it’s best not to go.”

However, it’s important not to exercise if you have a fever. A fever is when your body’s temperature is 38°C (100.4°F) or above and is rarely a symptom of a cold. “If you exercise with a fever,” says Dr Hopcroft, “it’ll make you feel worse. In very rare cases, exercising with a fever can lead to the virus affecting your heart, which can be dangerous.”

If you have asthma, take extra care when exercising in winter as cold air can trigger symptoms. Dr Hopcroft recommends using your inhaler before you exercise and taking it with you during your activity.

Something you enjoy

Choose an activity that you enjoy. Now might be the time to try something new that you can do indoors, such as:

• archery
• badminton 
• bowls
• cycling
• dancing
• curling
• fencing
• fitness classes
• five-a-side football
• handball
• judo
• pilates
• racketball
• squash
• swimming
• table tennis
• tai chi
• yoga

You don’t even have to stop doing outdoor activities.

If you enjoy running, don't let cold weather put you off. 

You could take a long walk at the weekend or go for a bike ride. Just wrap up warm and be careful if it’s wet or icy. 

If being outside when it's windy, raining or snowing doesn’t appeal, rent a fitness video and try doing some exercise at home.

Source:nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Winterexercise.aspx

The Gift of Walking

A Five-Minute Walk Could Undo An Hour of Sitting

The evidence is overwhelming — sitting for long stretches of time can damage your health and a new study could tell us why. Researchers from Indiana University found it takes just one hour of sitting to decrease the blood flow from your legs to your heart by 50 percent. When you're parked in a chair, the muscles in your lower body don't contract to pump blood to the heart as effectively as they should, causing blood to pool in your legs. Eventually, this can lead to impaired blood vessel function — an early marker of heart disease.

And because many of us sit at a desk for at least eight hours a day, the damage done by sitting throughout each day could be even greater, says study author Saurabh Thosar. But there's an upshot — Thosar and his team discovered you can counteract the damage of sitting by taking five-minute walks every hour.

They asked a group of healthy men aged 20 to 35 to sit for three hours without moving their legs. Measuring the guys' arterial function every hour with a blood pressure cuff, they found that the ability for their arteries to expand and pump blood was reduced by 50 percent after the first hour.

The men then sat for another three hours, but took a slow five-minute walk (two miles per hour) every hour. This time, the tests showed no decrease in arterial function. "Five-minute walks prevented the decline of blood flow and arterial function during sitting," says Thosar. "[Walking] does not erase the effect of sitting, per se. Rather, it just does not allow sitting to be as harmful."

The jury's still out on whether you need to walk for at least five minutes to get these benefits or if a one- or two-minute stroll can stifle at least some of sitting's negative effects. Another question is if walking for more than five minutes or picking up your pace will help even more. "I do not have data to prove it, but my feeling is that even shorter walks or taking more breaks will be helpful as long as blood flow increases," says Thosar. 

Source:mensjournal.com/health-fitness/exercise/a-five-minute-walk-could-undo-an-hour-of-sitting-20141009#ixzz3buWQzrH5 

3 Ways To Burn More Calories On Your Next Walk

While a regular walking routine is a great way to stay in shape, nearly all fitness experts agree that mixing up your workout is crucial if you want to keep seeing results in the mirror and on the scale. An obvious way to increase your aerobic activity and challenge your body in new ways? Pick up the pace!

Want to take your walking workout to the next level? Follow this advice from celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak, author of 5 Pounds:

1. Brisk walking, meaning a speed of about 4 miles an hour, clearly burns more calories and increases oxygen intake more than a 2-miles-an-hour stroll. Gradually build up your speed by increasing the pace for a minute or two, reverting to your accustomed rate for 5 minutes, and so on. Over time, increase the length of the faster-walking periods until you're maintaining that rate overall. Compared with jogging, faster walking is easier on the hips and knees and diminishes the risk of injury.

2. Jogging isn't the best choice for everyone. Unlike brisk walking and running, which are more horizontal in nature and therefore not as likely to jar your torso, jogging involves moving your body up and down, which taxes your joints more. For some people, if done too long or too often, it can lead to injury. On the other hand, if you like to jog, be sure to wear shoes that give you the right support. If you're a runner, feel free to continue and/or blend it with walking.

3. Short bursts of fast running burn the most calories of all these activities. Research shows that a combination of sprinting and walking is even more effective than jogging. Like walking, sprinting is more likely to encourage good posture than jogging. Sprint interval training is a subcategory of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), which alternates low-intensity (walking or jogging) and high-intensity (sprinting) aerobic activity. As you get stronger and fitter, you can try a single 30-second burst a day, then two bursts a day, and finally three a day. Then you can increase the bursts to 45 seconds and later 60 seconds long. Always warm up before sprinting by taking a short walk or run. Again, listen to your body.

Source:prevention.com/food/cook/healthy-recipes-runners-world-cookbook

Pear Shaped Body

Everything you need to know if you're blessed with a gorgeous pear shaped body

What is a pear body shape?

The curvaceous pear usually has a small upper body with lean arms and a narrow waist. All the body fat is distributed around the lower stomach, hips, thighs and bottom, and the hip measurement will be bigger than the waist and chest. However, this isn’t always a bad thing: wide hips are a traditional sign of fertility, and are considered extremely desirable in many cultures around the world.

What happens when pear shapes gain weight?

Pears are more prone to cellulite than other shapes due to the concentration of fat around their hips. They have, however, less chance of developing medical conditions like heart disease. Pear shapes are fortunate in that they have the potential to make a big difference to their bodies if they follow the correct training programme

What type of exercise should pear shapes do?

The classic pear-shaped woman has a well-defined waistline and an enviably flat tummy, so most of their training programme should be focused on their bottom and legs. Cardio exercise will help get rid of excess body fat, but it’s the toning exercises that will help pear shapes fit comfortably into skinny jeans. Choose cardio exercises (e.g. swimming or cross-trainer) that involve the whole body, rather than legs only, to prevent your legs from bulking.

Which celebrities have pear shapes?

Jennifer Lopez, Kate Winslet and Coleen Rooney are great examples of celebrities who have made the most of their shape without having to resort to extreme crash diets.

What else should pears know about their shape?

Research shows that women with a hip measurement of 40 inches (size 14) or more appear to have some level of protection against heart disease that is absent in slimmer people. That’s because hip fat contains a natural anti-inflammatory called adiponectin, which prevents arteries swelling up and becoming blocked. Storing fat around the hips also has far fewer health risks than storing fat around the waist, although, as with all body shapes, it’s important to maintain a weight that’s healthy for your height.

Source:womensfitness.co.uk/health-and-wellbeing/970/pear-shaped-body

How to Burn Calories by Walking With a Weighted Backpack

When you wear a weighted backpack, you burn more calories because you have to work harder to carry the extra weight. For example, a 150-pound person walking at a rate of 4 mph for 30 minutes burns 175 calories. Add 5 pounds and the same individual burns 181 calories, according to the HealthStatus website. Walking with added weight also puts stress on your joints, including your back and knees. The key to burning calories by walking with a weighted backpack is to ensure that you get the maximum burn with the minimum risk of injury.

Step 1

Use a backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip strap. The hip strap will keep the backpack from bouncing and moving as you walk and protect your back and shoulders. The padding will prevent the straps from digging into your shoulders.

Step 2

Unzip the backpack and open it all the way. Lay the weights lengthwise inside the strap side of the bag and arrange them from the center out.

Step 3

Use duct tape to tape the weights inside the bag to keep them in place. You want the weight evenly distributed from top to bottom. Do not let the weights lay in the bottom of the bag, which can pull you off center. Having the weights in the bottom of the bag can also press against and irritate your hips and lower back.

Step 4

Zip up the backpack and put it on. Adjust the shoulder straps so that the bag is centered on your torso, and secure the strap around your hips.

Step 5

Walk outdoors or on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes plus a five-minute warm-up and cool-down. Keep your shoulders in line with your hips and your chin level with the ground. Pump your arms as you walk to increase your heart rate.

Step 6

Incorporate hills and stairs into your routine. Hills and stairs will raise the intensity and increase the number of calories you burn.

Step 7

Do intervals. Walk at a rate of 3 mph for two minutes, then speed up to 4 mph for one minute. Alternate between fast and slow for at least 30 minutes.

Warnings

• If you feel pain in your knees, ankles or hips, reduce the amount of weight or stop using the weights altogether.

Tips

• Start with one to five pounds of added weight and work your way up as you get stronger. Do not add more than 20 pounds to your backpack.
• If you do not have room to tape all of the bars inside the backpack, you can use the outside pockets as well. Just make sure the weights are evenly distributed and that none of them rest or swing against your lower back or hips.
• If you do not have weight bars, use flexible, sand-filled ankle weights. You can put the ankle weights in the bottom of the backpack but, as with the weight bars, you should evenly distribute the weight.
• Consider using a walk vest, which is specifically designed for weighted walking with its own weights and evenly spaced pockets..

Things You'll Need

• Backpack with hip strap
• 1-pound weight bars
• Duct tape

Source: livestrong.com/article/494473-how-to-burn-calories-by-walking-with-a-weighted-backpack/

Walking For Weight Loss - Quick Tips

Ways To Fight A Sedentary Lifestyle

Wash The Dishes

That’s right—instead of (barely) moving from table to couch, get up and clean your kitchen after dinner. You will be standing up and doing the dishes, then engaging in more physical activity as you clean the counter tops, sweep the floor, etc. This will help you continue the increased physical activity you began at work (assuming you begin doing the above), and engaging in physical activity after eating helps lower blood sugar levels as well as the risk of insulin resistance in the long run.

If you’re eating out (which you should do less, especially if trying to lose weight, because eating out tends to lead to overeating), plan to take a nice walk after your dinner. You can continue conversations with companions while walking.

Get Up During Commercial Breaks.

If you watch television at home, you can use commercial breaks as more time for physical activity. Standing up and doing something during commercial breaks—whether it be folding clothes, doing a few push-ups or sit-ups, or any number of other activities—will break up the extra sedentary time that tends to accrue during most, if not all, screen-based activities.

Go for a Run.

You don’t have to be a running guru to reap the benefits of running. A recent study found that running for as little as five to ten minutes per day at slow speeds (less than six miles per hour) was associated with significantly reduced risks of death from all causes and from cardiovascular disease.

Do some gardening.

Any gardener can tell you just how much physical effort is involved in every kind of gardening activity, and the American Heart Association considers general gardening to be one of many forms of exercise that fall under the category of moderate-intensity physical activity. Most gardeners find that gardening is not only mentally and spiritually stimulating, but that it is a fantastic physical activity as well—one that can prevent obesity.

Park Farther Away.

Whenever you can do so safely, make it a point to park a little farther away from your destination so you have to walk a few steps more. Every step counts, and these extra steps will add up throughout the day to increase your overall physical activity. Wondering how many steps you’re taking on a daily basis? A number of pedometers are now on the market in every shape and colour, it seems, and tracking your steps may help you get more active and lose more weight in the long term.

Better yet: Walk, Bike, or Take Public Transport.

Mode of transportation has now been found to be associated with overweight and obesity. Active modes of travel such as walking or cycling have greater health benefits and greater potential to prevent obesity. Even public transit seems to be associated with lower body mass index (BMI) than driving your own car to work.

If you can do many or all of the above, you will be well on your way to staying in motion, which is key for lifelong health.

Source: obesity.about.com/od/Preventing-Obesity/fl/9-Ways-to-Fight-the-Sedentary-Lifestyle.htm