Why You Can't Build Muscles: The Intriguing Science Behind the Struggle

Building muscle is like baking an exquisite souffle, an artful science, demanding precision, patience and an infusion of biology (or maybe it's magic?). Yet sometimes our muscles stubbornly refuse to grow even with dedication at the gym and in protein shakes despite our best efforts. Though this may be tantalizingly frustrating at times, don't give up just yet. In this blog we will look at different reasons why they may be playing hide and seek with our muscles.

Nutrition: The Not-So-Secret Ingredient

Muscles are like plants and food provides their energy source. You cannot expect your arms to expand on an eating regimen similar to that of birds. Consuming an inadequate number of calories and key nutrients like proteins, carbs and fats are neglected (otherwise known as muscle starvation and lack of expansion). Part of muscle hypertrophy's science involves rebuilding muscle fibers broken down during exercise with fuel that provides it.

Overtraining: More Isn’t Always Merrier

Here is an interesting paradox for you: sometimes less is more. Overzealous workout routines can backfire. During intense physical exercise, muscles experience microtrauma that requires ample recovery time in order to strengthen through supercompensation. Overtraining may lead to fatigue that causes your body to prioritize repairs overgrowth, and may therefore hinder muscle advancements altogether.

Sleep as an Undercover Hero

Underestimating sleep is like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Any lack of restful z's not only gives your eyes puffiness but can seriously hinder muscle synthesis as growth hormone (which aids muscle repair and growth) spikes during deep sleep. Meaning missing your Zs may be why your muscles don't expand with every rep.

Genetic Lottery: Got the Short End?

Sometimes muscle-building ability comes down to genetics. While anyone can build their physique with practice and diet alone, our genetic makeup affects factors like muscle fiber type distribution, hormone levels and the efficiency of metabolic processes. Those possessing higher proportions of fast-twitch fibers typically find bulking up easier compared with those possessing predominantly slow-twitch muscle fibers.

Heavy Metals: The Unseen Saboteurs

While not often discussed in fitness circles, heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury may wreak havoc with your muscle-building efforts. Over time they may accumulate in your body leading to toxic build-up affecting metabolic processes and energy production. Chronic exposure might compromise overall health as well as hinder muscle repair and growth. So being conscious of environmental exposure as well as maintaining a clean diet may help mitigate their insidious effects while conducting regular heavy metal detoxification sessions can also prove invaluable.

Conclusion

You now possess a huge menu of factors that might explain why your muscles may be disappearing before your very eyes (or not even appearing?). Constructing those boulder shoulders requires more than brute strength alone. It requires an integrated approach with careful consideration given to nutrition, rest, consistency and adaptability. Before giving in to despair entirely, take another look at your strategy. Now is the time for reflection and revision as muscles like Rome don't grow overnight, but with the proper approach they could just transform from myth into reality.

Building Muscle: The Art and Science of Strength

Strength training goes far beyond lifting weights and eating protein. It is an art, science, lifestyle choice that requires dedication and strategy to succeed at. If your goal is to sculpt your physique, improve health or boost performance then understanding muscle building fundamentals is crucial to meeting those objectives quickly and more effectively. In this blog we'll look at all the important aspects of muscle building, from its science under the skin to best gym practices.

The Science of Muscle Growth

Understanding Muscle Hypertrophy

Muscle hypertrophy refers to the process of increasing muscle size through structured exercise. This growth occurs by breaking down and rebuilding muscle fibers during resistance training sessions. They then repair themselves over time to become stronger than before. Three factors play a pivotal role in stimulating this process: mechanical tension, muscle damage and metabolic stress. Mechanical tension occurs when lifting weights which stretches the muscle fibers and causes adaptation. Muscle damage results from microtears experienced during workouts, prompting our body to launch repair mechanisms to reinforce them. Metabolic stress, often identified with "burn" during physical activity, comes from an accumulation of metabolic byproducts which fuel growth. To maximize muscle gains, it's important to adopt an approach which integrates all these elements. This may involve engaging in varied routines with sets and repetitions that challenge muscles continually in order to promote hypertrophy for maximum results.

The Role of Nutrition

Your muscles rely on a diet rich in proteins for growth and repair. Eating protein provides essential amino acids important for muscle repair and maintenance. Its timing, however, is also critical in optimizing its development. Distributing protein intake evenly among meals ensures an ongoing supply of amino acids to aid in repair and hypertrophy, while pairing proteins with carbohydrates before and after workouts can significantly boost energy and recovery. Carbs serve as the main source of fuel, replenishing glycogen stores and supporting more effective exercise sessions. Fats may go underappreciated but play an integral part in supporting hormone production such as testosterone which plays an important role in muscle growth. By carefully balancing protein, carbohydrates and fats together into an effective dietary plan you can fuel workouts, optimize recovery times and support natural muscle building processes within the body.

Anabolic Supplements for Muscle Building

Anabolic supplements can be an invaluable asset when it comes to muscle growth and hypertrophy. Supplements such as protein powders, creatine and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) help the body's natural muscle synthesis pathways to function more effectively. Protein powders like whey and casein provide an easy and accessible way to increase daily protein consumption, providing muscles with essential building blocks needed for growth and repair. Creatine, another popular supplement, is well-known for enhancing strength and power by replenishing ATP stores within muscle cells, thus improving performance during high intensity workouts. BCAAs, in particular leucine, contain essential amino acids which may help enhance protein synthesis and decrease muscle breakdown, especially when consumed prior to or post-exercise. As much as anabolic supplements may help with muscle growth, they must also be integrated into an overall fitness and nutrition program for maximum effect. PharmaGear provides additional anabolic products, like testosterone boosters, to assist in muscle-building efforts.

Designing Your Optimal Workout Routine

Mix of Compound and Isolation Exercises

Within weightlifting, exercises can generally be divided into two distinct categories: compound and isolation exercises. Compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts are highly efficient exercises that involve multiple muscle groups simultaneously, providing an efficient workout that builds both overall strength and muscle growth. Exercise programs designed to develop core stability and increase functional fitness are critical, as they simulate natural movements that utilize all major muscle groups simultaneously. By contrast, isolation exercises target only certain areas. Focusing on correcting muscle imbalances and strengthening weaker areas is especially helpful for creating an overall more symmetrical physique. Examples of isolation exercises include bicep curls and leg extensions, where specific attention is focused on individual muscle groups for precise sculpting and detail work in any areas of lagging muscle tone. Integrating both compound and isolation exercises into your routine provides a comprehensive approach to fitness that strengthens both strength and muscular definition.

Progressive Overload Is Important

To stimulate muscle growth, it is vitally important that muscles are challenged on an ongoing basis, hence why progressive overload plays such a pivotal role. Progressive overload involves gradually increasing demands placed upon your musculoskeletal system so as to induce growth and encourage progress. Attaining this goal may involve lifting heavier weights, performing additional repetitions, increasing the number of sets or shortening rest time between sets. Adjust and intensify these variables regularly to prevent your muscles from becoming complacent, forcing them to adapt and respond to new stimuli. Progressive overload will help you reach your fitness goals more quickly by challenging you while maintaining proper form. By gradually pushing beyond your current limits while keeping proper form in mind, each workout should become slightly more difficult than the last. Doing this regularly will keep your muscles engaged and responsive for continued strength development over time, leading to noticeable gains both in muscle size and strength gains that will bring you closer towards meeting your goals.

Recovery: The Hero

Importance of Rest

Building muscle is an ongoing process that goes well beyond gym time. Muscle growth occurs during rest and recovery periods as your muscles heal from intensive workouts. For optimal results, it is vital that you allow enough rest time after your sessions for repair and rebuilding to occur. Essential to this recovery phase is sufficient sleep, providing your body with time to repair tissues and synthesize proteins. Scheduling regular rest days is equally important to giving both mind and body the chance to recharge, reduce injuries risk and prevent overtraining syndrome. Active recovery sessions like light cardio or yoga can improve circulation and facilitate removal of metabolic waste from muscles, creating an environment conducive to muscle growth and adaptation. Ignoring this step could result in diminished performance or plateauing, thus strategic rest plays an integral part of reaching your fitness goals.

Stretching and Flexibility

Many individuals underestimate the significance of flexibility and stretching in helping build muscle mass. Stretching is an invaluable way to ease muscle tension and enhance range of motion, which ultimately enhances performance while decreasing risk for injury. Dynamic stretching as part of your pre-workout routine will help loosen and prepare the muscles for what lies ahead physically. After exercising, static stretches are equally important as they promote muscle relaxation and lengthening, helping the body transition smoothly into recovery mode. Maintaining a dedicated stretching routine helps your body remain flexible and responsive, which supports muscle-building goals. Spending the time to stretch properly may also improve posture and balance, both key components to maximizing the benefits of your workouts and seeing steady advancement in your fitness journey.

The Mental Muscle

Setting Realistic Goals

Goal-setting can motivate you to face even the toughest gym days, like leg day, with enthusiasm. Establishing realistic targets will keep your motivation high while providing an accurate measurement of progress. Goals should be tailored to fit seamlessly with your lifestyle and fit with your body type and ultimate objectives. By setting attainable milestones, you create a roadmap for your fitness journey that allows you to measure achievements along the way and celebrate successes. Balance ambition with pragmatism to ensure that your goals are sustainable and conducive to continued development. Doing this not only protects against unattainable expectations, but it can also create an enjoyable fitness experience that leads to personal development. Well-defined goals provide guidance toward continuous progress and personal advancement.

Staying Motivated

Long-term motivation involves more than simply sheer determination, it involves finding and nurturing what drives you as part of your fitness journey. Understanding what fuels you is important. Some find motivation through a supportive community that pushes their limits, while others draw strength from personal milestones that mark significant advancement. Exciting playlists can also add a boost of energy and excitement during workouts. By recognizing and engaging these motivators, you can maintain consistency in your routine and overcome fatigue when it inevitably surfaces. Harnessing these components to keep fitness journeys engaging and rewarding. Consistency comes from finding pleasure in the process. When you enjoy what you're doing, staying motivated becomes second nature. By linking passion with purpose, your fitness goals remain within reach while offering sustainable opportunities for personal growth and well-being.

What not to Do When Building Muscle

Overtraining

One of the key mistakes of muscle building is overtraining. While challenging muscles is important to growth and strength development, overdoing it without adequate rest can cause burnout and injury. Your muscles require time for repair and growth so be sure to incorporate rest days and get sufficient sleep in order to promote healing and maximize recovery.

Neglecting Nutrition

Another pitfall lies in failing to address nutrition. While protein is key for muscle repair and growth, consuming nutrient-rich foods is also important as improper eating habits may prevent muscle-building progress. Tracking calorie intake and selecting nutritious options are crucial steps towards successful muscle-building progress.

Skipping Form and Technique

Sacrificing form for heavier weights can be detrimental. Employing improper technique increases injury risks while diminishing workout effectiveness. Prioritize mastering proper form before lifting heavier loads for safe training sessions that maximize productivity.
Conclusion

Building muscle is more about the journey than the destination. It requires understanding science, mastering technique and an ongoing dedication to continuous improvement. No matter if you are an experienced gym-goer or just beginning with weights for the first time, the principles laid out here will guide your path to becoming the strongest, healthiest version of yourself. One which demands perseverance yet rewards not just physically but with improved resilience, mental toughness and confidence throughout life.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Exercise Routine

Getting fit is a worthwhile goal, and the only way to reach your goals is with an exercise routine. As you stay active and work out, your physical and mental health will improve. You’ll also be able to shape your body, which can be great for your appearance and self esteem.

But sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re doing when you’re exercising. You might feel as though you’re wasting your time, especially if you don’t see any results. Here are a few ways to make sure you’re getting the most out of your exercise.

Setting Goals

The first step is to actually set goals. Think about why you want to work out. If you want to just get healthier and be more fit, you will exercise differently than if you want to lose weight or build muscle.

Once you know what you want to achieve, think about the steps to get there. This will help you stay motivated. Set smaller, achievable goals. You might want to develop the strength and endurance to lift a certain weight, or you might want to be able to run a certain distance.

Once you’ve achieved those goals, up the ante.

Creating a Routine

One of the keys to a successful exercise routine is in the name. You need a routine. If you just exercise when you feel inspired to, or you feel like you should, you aren’t going to get anywhere. 

Everyone should exercise for at least half an hour every day. This doesn’t mean your routine has to be to go to the gym every day, although some people do that. If you’re lifting weights, try at least three times a week and build up from there.

The most important thing is to form habits. It’s no surprise that the more you work out, the more results you will see.

Eating Right

As well as exercising, you need to think about what you’re taking into your body. Your body needs protein to build muscle, as well as calories for energy and other nutrients to be healthy. Even fat has a part to play.

Your goals will come into play when thinking about what to eat. If you’re trying to lose weight, you need to lower your calorie intake. If you’re trying to gain muscle, you will need to increase the amount of protein you eat. 

You also need to think about how much you drink. You need to be well hydrated to be healthy and, if you’re working out a lot, you might sweat a lot and lose water that way. Electrolyte drinks can keep you hydrated and healthy. 

Rest and Recovery

Another thing to consider is how much rest you get. When you exercise, you’re actually damaging your muscles. It’s only when you rest and sleep that your muscles actually grow stronger and bigger. 

It stands to reason that resting is a vital part of reaching your goals. You can even overtrain and hurt yourself if you don’t rest when needed. Rest during sets and make sure you get plenty of rest after working out.

You can also recover more quickly by soothing your muscles. Ice baths can reduce soreness and inflammation. A massage after working out can also make your muscles less tense. By looking after your body and making sure you can recover between workouts, you will prevent injury and see better results.

Staying Motivated

Sometimes it can be easy to start working out, but hard to get motivated. One of the biggest mistakes people make is to jump to weights or exercises that are too difficult in an attempt to get better results. Then, when it’s too painful or difficult, they give up.

It’s a far better idea to work up to these levels. Spend your early days getting familiar with the movements of an exercise so you don’t injure yourself. Use lighter weights or even no weights until you know what you’re doing.

A more experienced person might be able to help you with this. A personal trainer or even a friend can guide you through movements. 

One of the best ways to stay motivated is to exercise with a buddy. You can encourage and push each other, and you’re more likely to stick to a routine if you don’t want to let someone down.

Always work towards the next goal. If you have something to work for, you will stay motivated until you reach it. Then, think about where you want to go next.

Struggling To Exercise? Don't Do It Solo

Around 20 to 30% of people have enough self-motivation to haul themselves to the gym a few times a week. It’s not always the most pleasant experience for them, but they do it anyway because they know it’s good for them. 

Unfortunately, there’s a much broader group of people who can’t sustain that sort of behaviour. They go to the gym for a few weeks in the New Year but struggle to maintain it into the spring and summer. 

For many, the problem is laziness. But that’s usually only a superficial and shallow response. The real causes often go much deeper. 

For example, many people struggle to exercise because there’s no one else there. As such, the entire exercise feels pointless and moot. 

In this post, we look at some of the reasons why you shouldn’t exercise alone. We also explore how doing it with others can help you discover new activities and take advantage of psychological rewards. 

Boost Motivation

For starters, being active with others boosts motivation. You’re more likely to get into something if you have someone else there to do it with you. 

You can sometimes generate your own motivation, but it is significantly more challenging. It’s not always easy to force yourself to go to the gym or go out for a run. It sometimes feels pointless and it’s boring for a lot of individuals. 

However, playing a sport or enjoying a cycle ride with someone else changes the dynamic. All of a sudden, it makes more sense. 

Improve Accountability

Exercising with someone else also improves accountability. You feel like you have to do it otherwise you might let the other person down. 

Improving accountability is challenging. But it’s possible if you have someone with you who’s honest and willing to put your needs first. You need an individual like this in your life to encourage you to keep going until you discover you enjoy the activity, whatever it happens to be. 

Find New Sports
Exercising with other people also helps you find new sports. You’re much more likely to discover interesting avenues to go down when you influence other people around you. It doesn’t all have to originate from you. 

Sometimes finding a new sport might mean buying gear from a cricket store or investing in a kayak. It could also involve purchasing abseiling equipment or upgrading your car to accommodate mountain bikes. 

Whatever it is, variety is the spice of life. Take advantage of it. 

Set Goals With Your Friend
Setting goals with your exercise buddy is another way to avoid the curse of solo exercise. It gives you both a focus and ensures that you’re on each other’s side. 

You can make your goals a public declaration or keep them between the pair of you. Whichever approach you use, ensure you write them down and keep a record. Then you can look back on them in the future with a sense of pride and achievement. Often, it is amazing just how far you can come in six months.

How to Get the Most Out of Your Workouts

Working out is a great way to improve your health and your physical appearance. But if you want to see real changes in your physique, you need to put work into it. A lot of people go to the gym and exercise, and this works well to help them stay fit and active, especially if they exercise regularly.

But what if you have specific goals? Simply working out without a plan won’t get you very far. You have to work with your workouts for the best results.

Create Goals

The first step to reaching your goals to to create goals in the first place. As mentioned before, sometimes the generic goal of simply being fitter can work. As long as you have an intensive workout of any kind, you will improve your basic fitness.

But if you have a specific goal, you need to create a plan to work towards it. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to increase your strength? Do you want to create a lean and strong physique, or would you rather bulk up and grow muscle mass?

Once you’ve identified your general goal, you should come up with smaller, more attainable goals. This will help you track your progress and stay motivated. So, if you want to lose weight, have an end weight in mind, then create smaller goals to lose certain amounts of weight. If you want to be strong enough to lift a certain weight, build yourself up by setting smaller weight goals to work towards and build yourself up.

Your goals will also help you to design a workout routine that will actually work for you. Not every workout is created equal, and some will achieve different results. For example, should you focus on high weight and low rep workouts to build strength and muscle mass, or would you rather increase endurance and strengthen lean muscles with low weight and high rep workouts?

Once you focus your goals, you can focus your workouts to suit those goals and help you to craft the physique you want. Any exercise is better than no exercise at all, but if you want to get the most out of your routine, you should focus your efforts.

Stay Motivated

For many people, the biggest challenge is motivation. Setting goals will help with this, but sometimes you need an extra push to ensure you keep going. By getting the most out of your workouts, you will see more results, which can give you a reason to keep working.

It can also help to have a workout buddy. They might have the same goals as you or not, but company is the best thing. They can encourage you, and because you’re holding each other accountable, you’re less likely to want to miss a workout session and let them down.

Eat Right

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to meet certain fitness goals is to only focus on the fitness side of things. But there’s more to it than what you do with your body to train it.

You also need to think about how you fuel your body. Your eating habits will directly influence the effectiveness of your workouts.You need to give your body the right materials to work with. 

For many people, this means increasing their protein intake, along with plenty of nutrients from fruit, vegetables, and healthy fats. Protein shakes and supplements can help you along, as they can be tasty and easy to put together. 

Again, depending on your goals, you might have different ways of eating. The obvious change is whether you’re trying to cut or bulk. In the former case, you want a calorific deficit and a very clean diet, but bulking means increasing your calorie intake to help your body build muscle.

Rest and Recovery

Believe it or not, constantly pushing your body to the limit isn’t the best way to build muscle. Your body actually builds muscle during the resting phase, because this is where it repairs the damage and adjusts to your needs.

You should give yourself a chance to recover between sets, as this allows you to work out for longer without exhausting yourself. You should also focus on recovery after the workout. This can prevent injury which can slow you down. 

Some people have different methods to help themselves along. For example, post workout support socks reduce the soreness in your feet and reduce swelling, so you can get back to your workout more quickly.

Why Focusing On Muscle Fitness Makes You Feel So Healthy

Focusing on the strength of your muscles can make you feel a lot healthier, both now and well into the future. It’s why repetitive lifting is such an effective exercise, even if it looks relatively low impact to the untrained eye. 

After all, when you feel like you can use your muscles, and you also like the way they make you look, you’re going to feel good in both your brain and your body. But these aren’t the only reasons muscle fitness makes you feel so healthy; check out the six points below to start investing in your muscle makeup.
You’ll Feel Physically Stronger

Feeling physically stronger has a very positive rebound effect on your entire body. When you can lift heavier things and push yourself further in day to day life, you’re going to feel a lot stronger just in yourself as well. Knowing this can improve your confidence and make you feel a lot more capable, which lifts your self esteem and makes life seem that bit easier. 

Muscle Building Requires Regular Exercise

If you’re focusing on building muscle, you’re going to be regularly exercising. This is going to improve a lot of things in your life, not just the size, strength, and flexibility of your muscles. You’re going to have a bit more energy, you’re going to sleep better, and you’re likely going to feel more positive when looking in the mirror as well.

Long story short, exercise is very good for you, and not just if you want to lose a bit of weight. It keeps your heart in good condition and pumping strongly for the course of your life. It also ensures your arteries stay unblocked and your blood doesn’t have any trouble making its way round your body. Keep things moving and your body will do the rest, and all because you’re focusing on muscle fitness. 

…and a Nutritious Diet

Another element of a healthy lifestyle! Combining a good diet with a great training regime to build muscles ensures you’re always in top condition and feeling healthy. 

So, what do you eat? It’s OK to have a bit of ‘junk’ food throughout the week, and it’s perfectly fine to enjoy a treat every now and then. However, do you have the kind of nutritious diet that supports your muscle building efforts? It’s often that people have to put a concentrated effort into packing their plate with as many vitamins and minerals as possible. 

But you’re not alone in diversifying your daily food groups. There’s a bit of support out there for people who want to work out and get the maximum out of what they’re doing and eating. The hardy workout supplement 3-AD prohormone is a great one for those looking to make large gains but can’t source the protein they really need to do so. 

And a nutritious diet looks a bit different to everyone. We all have our own unique dietary needs; some people need to fill their plate with superfoods like kale and broccoli, while others only need a couple spoonfuls three times a week. It’s up to you to find the balance, and you’ll know you’ve hit it when you start feeling good after eating your meals. 

Your Brain is a Muscle

Your brain is one of the biggest muscles in your body, and it’s quite possibly the most important one as well. It’s the hub that controls everything else in your body, which means when your brain feels good and feels like it’s working well, you’re going to feel healthy all over. 

Thankfully, there’s plenty you can do to support healthy brain function and even boost your cognitive ability; make sure you include these activities in your overall workout routine. Cerebral exercises are just as important! 

You should also consider eating more ‘brain foods’ on a regular basis. Leafy vegetables are a classic for this, as is a good cut of fried salmon. However, if you’re a little less stringent about your diet, simply cook up things you want to eat and your brain will be able to nourish itself well! 

Muscle Building Exercises Can Clear Brain Fog

If you experience brain fog quite often, and feel like you’re fighting your way through a pea soup that’s collected in your mind, try your hand at exercise. Exercising has been proven to help clear brain fog, especially aerobic exercise, which in turn helps you grow muscle in the long term. 

Brain fog can make you feel like everything in life is impossible. You’ve got no energy, you can’t think, and you’re struggling to get through the days without needing a nap. However, even if you don’t find that muscle building aerobic exercise really helps to clear the mist in the way, doing it in the long term can help to build your energy levels and make the fight against the fog easier. 

There are Many Ways to Build Muscle

Which means you’ll be focusing on multiple muscle groups in your body. This allows you to approach your health holistically, and prevents an overfocus on just one kind of muscle. You’re going to work on your body as a whole, and allocate your focus in a way that really works for you. 

That’s something you should always emphasize on bringing into a routine. The moment you realize you’ve been working out one set of muscles more than any other, move onto different movements, try out new circuits, have a go at a few new sports, and think about stretching more often. 

Muscle Fitness and You

Focusing on muscle fitness is key to a healthy, long life. Feeling strong and capable gives you the chance to work on other areas of your life, like your diet and the way you react to your emotions, which will help to strengthen the most important muscle of all: your brain! Keep the above points in mind and start working some strength training into your regular routine - it’s very good for you.

What Can You Do To Improve Your Performance As An Athlete?

Whether you have the prospects to make it to the next level, or even to play pro, or you’re simply looking to improve your game and test your limits, it’s important to be aware of the fact that there is almost always more than you can do as an athlete. While you need to be aware of your physical limits and work within them, you can find the steps for improvement that you need to excel. Here, we’re going to take a look at a few of those.

Take your fitness much more seriously

If you want to perform like a top-tier athlete, then you need to work out like an athlete, as well. This does not necessarily mean that you have to work out for twice as much time or anything, though you may have to up your hours if you’re currently not pushing yourself very hard. Instead, it’s all about working out with the right intentions, making sure that you’re working on muscle groups and aspects of fitness, such as stamina and cardio, that will actually improve your skills. It also requires you to be constantly pushing your limits, making sure that you’re not resting on your laurels, and setting new goals for yourself every time you reach a new level with your workouts.

Drill your skills constantly

Of course, the best athletes are not just those who are at the top of their game in terms of their physique. They are those who have developed the skills that allow them to excel in their particular field. This is both a mental and a physical endeavor. For instance, as a baseball player, then you might be able to benefit a lot from a baseball batting trainer, of course. However, you also need to be able to understand the strategy of the game, your place in it, and how to work in better sync with your fellow players, as well. You have to develop a holistic talent for the game while pushing the skills that you excel at.

Focus on the fuel your body needs

Nutrition is not just something that you should focus on as an athlete, it is going to be the thing that can either help you push your performance to the very top of your game, or hold you back and hobble you. This includes ensuring that you’re making use of the high-performance fuel that your workout needs, but also developing some discipline and making sure that you’re not taking shortcuts or eating things that can really diminish your physical performance when it comes to game day. If you want to make sure that you’re getting the best for your boy, then you might want to get in touch with a dietician who can offer you evidence-based advice on your diet.

Improving as an athlete is not, by any means, easy work. You have to push yourself hard, develop an iron discipline, and be ready to make sacrifices to free the time to work on your goals, but the rewards can certainly be worth it.

How to Lose Weight in the Gym

If you’re going to the gym with a specific goal in mind, it’s important to tailor your training to focus your efforts on this target. When that specific goal is to lose weight, guessing your way through a workout regime is unlikely to yield the desired results you envisioned. Fortunately, with modern gyms offering the latest technology in health and fitness, it’s never been easier to lose weight and track your progress using these facilities. Here are three things to keep in mind when looking to burn fat in the gym. 

Join a class 

Most gym memberships will give you access to free weekly classes led by qualified trainers. Working out in a social environment can help to boost motivation to help you reach your weight loss goals. Plus, you can receive expert advice while you’re exercising, to ensure you’re maintaining proper form when completing different movements. 

There are lots of different types of classes you can join. For weight loss, some of the most effective and popular are HIIT (high-intensity interval training), spin classes, circuit training and boxercise. If you don’t know whether your gym offers these classes, or are unsure when they take place, you’ll generally find the information on their website or app, or you can enquire with a member of staff on your next visit. 

Lift weights 

If your primary goal is to lose weight, you’ll likely focus more of your attention on the cardio corner of your gym, favoring the treadmills and cross trainers over free weights and resistance machines. However, weightlifting is a great way to burn excess calories. It isn’t just the process of lifting weights that helps you burn body fat; when your muscles are recovering and repairing themselves, they will be using up more calories beyond the session.

When using weights to lose body fat, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, it’s important to vary your sessions and the sorts of exercises you perform. After doing the same things at the same intensity for a prolonged period, your body will start to adjust and become more comfortable with these movements, meaning you’ll notice a slowdown in progress. Shock your body by changing the reps, weight, or range of motion for each exercise, as well as using different types of weights to train your body in a range of ways. Another technique is to reduce your recovery time between sets; this will force your body to work harder and help you to burn more calories in the process.

Be consistent 

Whatever exercises you do and whatever your desired outcome from going to the gym, the importance of being consistent can’t be overstated. It’s all about yielding more sustainable results that make a long-term difference, rather than focusing on short-term gains that come and go. Staying consistent is easier said than done. Particularly if you aren’t seeing results as quickly as you might’ve hoped, you may start to feel discouraged and lose that drive to go to the gym. 

However, there are lots of tips and tricks to help you stay on track. One of the most effective ways to stay motivated is to set small, achievable goals that you can monitor as you go. Ticking off the little wins along the way will make the eventual target seem more achievable. As we mentioned earlier, another way to stay consistent is to train socially. This doesn’t have to be in a class – training with a friend can be just as effective. Not only is this a great way to hold each other accountable, but you will also be providing each other with encouragement to go that extra mile when performing an exercise. 

Your journey to better health

It’s often said that ‘muscles are made in the kitchen, not the gym’ – and this rings true when it comes to weight loss, too. However hard you work in the gym, to achieve sustainable results, it’s just as important to address your diet and other lifestyle factors. Taking a multi-faceted approach to weight management is the best way to yield life-changing results.

How to Get the Energy for Exercise

If you want to make sure that exercise is a major part of your life, you will need to ensure you have the appropriate amount of energy to do that. That can be one of the most challenging aspects of all this, although the good news is that the more you workout, the more energy you are actually going to end up having. However, you will also need to make a variety of other changes in your life if you are going to make this work as well as possible.

In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the things you can do if you want to have more energy to use on exercise. As long as you are doing some of the following, you’ll find that you feel so much more energetic in no time, and it’s amazing what a difference it can make all in all.

Eat Right

It probably goes without saying that you need to have a healthy diet if you hope to workout a lot and for the workout to be as effective as possible. Eating right can be something that you are struggling with, however, and a lot of people do find it difficult to get this right every time. However, there are some basic things that you can think about if you want to make sure you are doing this right, and it might be a simple thing to improve if you do.

For instance, you should certainly make sure that you are getting the full range of nutrients that you are keen on having and which are going to help you to workout more effectively and easily. That will include plenty of fruits and vegetables, healthy protein snacks to keep you going, and lots of other whole foods. You should also be careful to avoid processed food and junk food, and anything containing high amounts of fat or sodium.

If you do that, you’re going to find it so much easier to have the energy for exercise.

Get Your Eight Hours

Sleep is another hugely important thing that you need to think about if you want to have plenty of energy, so you should make sure that you are going to get as much sleep as you can. The ideal for an adult is to have eight hours of sleep every night, so this is what you should aim for. As long as you are getting that, or at least seven or so hours, you are going to find that you have so much more energy and that you are a lot more likely to exercise easily and with successful results.

There are certain things you can do to make it quite a lot more likely that you do get plenty of sleep each night. Keeping your caffeine intake low will help, as will avoiding drinking too much alcohol. And you will find that following the healthy diet outlined above makes a difference too. It’s also worth thinking about some of the simple changes to your bedroom that may help, from making the bed more comfortable to ensuring that the room is a good temperature.

As long as you are getting enough sleep, it’s going to be a lot easier to get plenty of exercise in your daily life, so you should absolutely make sure that you are thinking about this.

Make Use Of Energy Boosts

If you are trying to get the energy up just before the gym, then there are some energy boosts you might want to make use of which are going to help you out. For instance, although you might want to avoid having too much caffeine, a little bit in the morning before a gym session can help, and it’s no bad thing to try this. You might also want to try a healthy energy drink or a protein shake, for instance, which can have a similar effect.

It’s also true that if you exercise more, you are going to have more energy, so you might want to think about that as well. Try to include and incorporate more exercise into your daily life, and before you know it you are going to have so much more energy to spend on that exercise. This is a virtuous cycle that you will really want to have in your life, so it’s something you might want to think about.

Simple and Effective Methods to Manage Ongoing Pain

When you have to deal with ongoing pain, your quality of life can quickly become affected. Your sleep can become hugely disrupted and you may not be able to carry out all of your usual day to day activities. Finding a method of pain management that is simple and effective will be one of the best things you can do. Not only will this give you some sort of relief from your symptoms, but it will also help you to keep it under control in the future. Whether you’re trying more gentle exercise, or seeking out physical treatment from a professional, there will be a method out there that is well-suited to your issues. Don’t delay in finding the best course of treatment for you; here are some options below to help you get started.

Gentle Exercise

Depending on the type of pain you’re experiencing, you may find that gentle exercise is helpful for your symptoms. In many cases, some sufferers find that yoga, Pilates or even walking can help to reduce pain and improve overall mobility.

Professional Treatment

If you’re suffering with a very specific type of pain such as a neck or back issue, you may want to seek professional treatment. When it comes to Injury Wellness Relief you may find that a chiropractor offers the right type of treatment for you, and it’s an alternative to traditional medicine. If you’re trying to avoid medication, this would certainly be the ideal route for you to take.

Enhance The Quality of Your Sleep

When you don’t get the right amount of sleep each night, your symptoms could progressively become worse and worse. Overnight your muscles work hard to repair and restore themselves, so they need an adequate amount of time to achieve this. If you don’t already have a regular bedtime routine, now would be the perfect time to get started. Try to aim for around eight hours of sleep each evening and create an enjoyable routine that you know you can maintain in the long term.

Improved Nutrition

When you look at aches and pains in the body, you have to consider nutrition as a potential cure or solution to ease the symptoms. There are so many superfoods out there that have been proven to reduce inflammation and improve pain symptoms. Keeping a food diary may help you to pinpoint certain areas that require improvement in your diet. Including more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and lean proteins will always help with your overall health too.

As you can see, there are so many different methods for you to try out, and many of these will lead to an effective solution to your problem. If you are in any doubt regarding your health, make sure you seek out advice from a medical practitioner, who will be able to assess your individual case. The ideas above are simply there for you to explore and try out if they feel comfortable to you, so see how they fit in with your lifestyle and personal preferences.

Practical Tips to Fight Anxiety

I have been prone to anxiety since I was a teenager.

This has manifested in everything from low-grade general anxiety to full-blown panic attacks.

I’m now in my early 40s and over the years have developed a toolbox of tactics to manage anxiety. Below are the most effective strategies I’ve found to keep anxiety at bay:

Limit Caffeine

I love coffee — for me, it’s a great way to start the day and a potent concentration and performance enhancer. But I’ve realized that anything more than 2 cups per day can increase my anxiety, so 2 cups is my daily limit. Additionally, if there is anything specific I’m anxious about — for example, a job interview, work presentation, or sports competition, I avoid caffeine for at least a few hours beforehand. My anxiety will get me in ‘game mode’ all on its own, without needing an additional boost from caffeine.

Exercise

Arguably the most powerful anxiety-reducer in my life has been exercise. Specifically, cardio exercise that causes a good sweat has shown to lower my anxiety and improve my mood for many hours afterward. For me, that has come in the form of running — either outside or on the treadmill — but presumably any higher-intensity exercise would yield similar results. Weightlifting can be effective too, especially for body composition and overall confidence, but I’ve found that nothing compares to cardio exercise for anxiety reduction. Thirty minutes in the morning seems to do the trick.

Eat a Low-Glycemic Diet

Sugar can cause my heart rate to spike, mimicking feelings of anxiety. I’ve found that other foods that increase my blood sugar can have the same effect — including white bread and other starchy carbs, as well as salty packaged snacks. The foods that seem to make me the calmest are lean forms of protein (e.g. turkey and chicken) — and non-starchy vegetables (e.g. leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage, tomatoes, asparagus, etc.). Foods that contain healthy fats — such as avocado, extra virgin olive oil, and nuts — also don’t seem to be a problem.

Eat Less

I’ve found that restricting calories lowers my body temperature and creates feelings of calmness. Digesting food, especially big meals, can cause my body to work in overdrive, which also can mimic feelings of anxiety. I prefer to feel light, with my body and mind able to focus on the task at hand instead of digesting excessive food.

Obviously adequate nutrition is critical for good health, but overdoing it is not a good thing for anxiety. Eating a low-glycemic diet has caused me to naturally eat less, without consciously trying to do so. Similar to caffeine, I typically don’t eat much at least a couple hours before something specific I’m anxious about. This calms my body down going into a higher-stress environment.

Limit Alcohol

I enjoy a glass of red wine and find it to be a great way to downshift at the end of a long day. But the reality is alcohol feels good in the moment, but it spikes anxiety hours afterward and seems to increase anxiety the next day as well. Zero alcohol is probably the best for anxiety, but certainly anything more than 1–2 glasses per day can be especially detrimental. Alcoholic drinks that contain sugar (e.g. mixed drinks) or a lot of carbs (e.g. beer) are probably the worst for anxiety.

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Those are my top 5 tips to reduce anxiety. If I implement these 5 things daily, I can reliably manage my anxiety. On the flip side, when I am less disciplined in any area, my anxiety typically rises.

For many people, myself included, eliminating anxiety is not possible. But effectively managing anxiety is critical to maintaining a high quality of life.

If you struggle with anxiety, I hope these tips help you as well.

If you have other effective strategies for managing anxiety, I’d love to know about them in the comments!

Want to Avoid Heart Disease? Take 15,000 Steps Per Day

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Someone dies every 34 seconds in the U.S. from cardiovascular disease.

If you want to live a long and healthy life, you must avoid heart disease.

Fortunately, there is a simple thing you can do to drastically reduce your risk.

Take at least 15,000 steps per day.

A study of postal workers showed the stark difference in heart disease risk between those who walked all day as part of their jobs and those who had sedentary office jobs.

The study looked at over 100 postal workers in Glasgow, Scotland. Half of the group were office workers and the other half were walking/delivery workers.

Those who had delivery routes were much healthier — including smaller waist circumference, lower body weight, lower triglycerides, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and higher HDL (good) cholesterol.

Slashing heart disease risk is where physical activity really shined.

Walking more than 15,000 steps per day was associated with zero risk factors for heart disease.

The results were linear — the more steps per day, the lower the heart disease risk, culminating with zero risk at 15,000 steps per day.

On the flip side, the more sedentary time per day, the higher the disease risk. All important biomarkers moved in the wrong direction with more time sitting.

Taking 15,000 steps is equivalent to walking 7-8 miles, or spending 7 hours per day upright.

Of course this flies in the face of our current culture and most people’s working conditions.

But if you want to live longer, you need to push back against this default environment.

Most people sit at their desks for the bulk of the day. Most people get heart disease. Don’t be one of those people.

Find a way to take 15,000 steps per day and you can avoid the #1 killer.

Take your calls walking. Schedule walking meetings instead of sitting in conference rooms or coffee shops. Ditch your car and walk everywhere instead. Find a job that keeps you active or could at least involve an active commute to get there.

These things aren’t easy. But they are important.

It isn’t a complicated formula to eliminate heart disease risk.

All it takes is 15,000 steps.

The Best High-Performance Fuel for Athletes

I recently started working with a new Boston-based sports nutrition brand called Fastfood.

I was drawn to Fastfood by the founder Adam Melonas — a chef & IRONMAN triathlete who also runs a world-renowned food innovation lab in Boston.

Fastfood makes a range of high-performance fuel — including Galacto-Gels, Galacto-Gummies, and Hydrators — that deliver consistent energy without crashing, made with real food.

What makes Fastfood different is their Optimal Energy Release System — a blend of 3 carbs including Glucose, Galactose, and Fructose — formulated for consistent, time-released energy.

Galactose is a key component of the Optimal Energy Release System because of its consistent energy and recovery benefits.

Fastfood products are high performance, gut-friendly, and co-created and endorsed by many of the top professional athletes in the world.

If you’re wondering how to fuel properly, it’s recommended to consume 1 serving of Fastfood gels or gummies 45 minutes before you start training to bolster your body’s glycogen stores, plus 1 additional serving immediately upon starting exercise.

During training, start with 3 servings of gels or gummies per hour. Once you know how your body responds to higher levels of fueling, you can increase this up to 5 servings an hour to fuel higher power/speed sessions.

Aim for about 100mg of caffeine per hour (or 2 servings of Fastfood caffeinated gel, gummies, or hydrator), depending on your caffeine tolerance.

Stay hydrated! Consuming solely water will dilute the base level of electrolytes in your body. Fastfood recommends 1 scoop of Hydrator in a 750ml bottle of water per hour to constantly replenish electrolytes.

If you’re consuming Fastfood Hydrator, you should reduce your servings of gel or gummies per hour, as the Hydrator delivers 25g of carbs per serving.

When your workout is over, consume 1 final serving of fuel to aid recovery and replenish glycogen. Consume with protein for increased muscle recovery.

I’ve found Fastfood products really work to give me sustained, consistent energy for even my hardest and longest workouts.

Fastfood is running a special promotion for the next week, leading into their hometown Boston Marathon. Use discount code BOSTONMARATHON23 for 25% off your entire order through race day, Monday April 17. Get your fuel here.

How To Be in the Top 1% for Health

If you are looking for a no-nonsense way to get healthier, this article is for you.

The first place to start is with food.

It’s true that you can’t outrun a bad diet and what you put in your mouth arguably has the largest impact on your bodyweight and health.

According to the Top Rated Doctor in Dubai, when it comes to food, healthy eating revolves around real, whole foods. That means food with one or only a few simple ingredients that your great grandmother would recognize as food.

Whether you are a vegan, omnivore, or carnivore, that principle holds true.

If you are eating real, whole foods, there is limited damage you can do to your body.

Within the real, whole food spectrum, you want to focus on foods low on the glycemic index. Ideally the bulk of your diet will be foods with a glycemic index of 35 or lower.

The foods that meet that criteria are primarily non-starchy vegetables (leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, etc.), high-quality protein sources (meat, fish, poultry, eggs, beans, etc.), and healthy fats (nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil).

Base your diet around these foods. If these foods make up 90% or more of your diet, the occasional treat will not be problematic.

That’s it on the diet front. If you eat that way, you’ll be in the top 5% of healthy eaters.

Next on the health hierarchy is exercise. Exercise won’t necessarily help you shed pounds, but it will give you energy and vitality, and will help you live longer.

There is not a ‘best’ form of exercise that universally works for everyone. The best exercise is truly the one you will do consistently.

The key with exercise is consistency. You need to be exercising for at least 30 minutes per day, ideally every single day of the week. Our bodies were meant to move and if you’re sedentary for too long, your body will start to break down.

There are a zillion different types of exercise to choose from — walking, running, swimming, cycling, dancing, yoga, tennis, basketball, etc. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it regularly.

It is important that you add in some strength training at least 1–2 times per week, especially as you get older. Your muscle starts to break down as you age, so it’s essential to maintain your physical strength as much as possible against these forces.

Exercise for 30 minutes every day, including at least 1–2 strength training sessions per week. Do that and you’ll be in the top 5% of all people in your age group for cardiovascular fitness and strength.

Diet and exercise are the big rocks. Follow these simple principles and the health puzzle starts to fall into place.

The next place to focus is sleep. You’ve heard a lot about sleep and you know it’s good for you. It helps your body repair and cleanse itself. The simple advice is to sleep for at least 7 hours per night. Give yourself an hour to wind down before bed to make falling asleep easier. During this time, just read a real, physical book until you’re tired enough to fall asleep.

Finally, find a way to manage the emotional stress in your life. Eliminating stress is not realistic, so you just need to find ways to cope and enjoy life in spite of stress. For instance, if you have poor mental health and addiction, seeking support from a dual diagnosis treatment center can put you on the pathway to better health. Or, reducing your workload to reduce stress and overwhelm can make you feel more relaxed. Furthermore, there are lots of daily habits to achieve better health and less stress, including yoga, meditation, walks in nature, having a cup of tea with a friend, etc. Even a glass of wine for happy hour counts. Finding a way to ‘down shift’ is one of the common habits among the longest-lived people in the world.

That’s it.

Diet, exercise, sleep, stress management. Oh, and water too. Drinking healthy bottled water with the right pH level, and drinking enough of it, can make a difference.

These are the pillars of health and no-nonsense tips to be in the top 5% in each area.

If you’re in the top 5% in each individual area, you’ll be in the top 1% for overall health.

I hope this article helps you to live longer, better.

How to Avoid Most Chronic Diseases

Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes of disability and death in the United States.

If you want to live a long and healthy life, you need to prevent or significantly delay the onset of these diseases.

Fortunately, lifestyle can play an important role in keeping these conditions at bay. There are several things you can do minimize risk.

First and foremost, it is essential not to smoke. If you are a smoker, your risk shoots way up and it’s possible none of the other lifestyle habits will make a difference.

Assuming you don’t smoke, here are 4 more powerful ways to avoid chronic illness:

1. Maintain a healthy body weight & good body composition

You want to maintain a BMI that is within the healthy range, but weight alone is not enough. It is important to also have good body composition, characterized by having a higher percentage of muscle and lower percentage of fat (visceral fat is especially problematic). The rest of this list will help you achieve this objective.

2. Eat real, whole foods, higher in protein and lower in carbs

Eat real, whole food and stay away from the packaged and processed stuff. Specifically avoid added sugar and refined grains — simply eliminating these 2 elements from your diet will significantly improve your health. That means you’ll be eating a relatively lower amount of carbs than the Standard American Diet. Consider following the 30/30 Diet to ensure you get enough protein to maintain lean muscle. I recommend eating at least 30 grams of protein at every meal and 15 grams of protein at each snack.

3. Exercise including both Aerobic and Resistance Training

Exercise 6–7 days a week. Do aerobic exercise on most of the days (e.g. running, cycling, swimming) and resistance/strength training at least 2 times per week. Complex activities like racket sports are especially great because they tax your mind and body at the same time. Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day, but health benefits increase as you get up to 90 minutes. 30 minutes is good, 60 or 90 minutes is better.

4. Practice Time-Restricted Eating

When your body is digesting food, it can’t do its other self-repair and maintenance functions. This means if you eat around the clock, your health will suffer. Practice time-restricted eating by confining all of your caloric intake within a specific time period. There is some evidence that earlier time windows are better than late, as it can be problematic to eat too close to bed. A good eating window might be 9am — 7pm, cutting off food 3 hours before a bedtime of 10pm. That means you would be fasting for 10 hours between dinner and breakfast, giving your body a chance to heal itself.

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Research indicates that genetics only account for 20-30% of lifespan, with lifestyle making up the other 70–80%.

By following these lifestyle choices, you will give yourself the best chance to avoid chronic disease, living both longer and better.

Racket Sports Shown to be the Healthiest Sports, Again

Racket sports provide the ideal combination for health.

Sports such as tennis, squash, badminton, and racketball simultaneously tax the cardiovascular system and the brain, delivering greater health benefits than aerobic exercise alone.

Racket sports build up your fitness while also requiring complex movements (front to back, and side to side) and quick strategic thinking. That combination of high-intensity training, strength building, flexibility, and mental toughness is rare among other sports.

Additionally, racket sports can be played at any age, and they bring you together with other people for social connection, which we know is beneficial for health.

It should therefore come as no surprise that racket sports were once again shown to reduce the risk of death more than any other type of sport.

A study conducted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), just published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), showed that many types of physical activity lower the risk of death for older adults — but racket sports top the list with a 27% lower risk of death from heart disease.

Playing racket sports regularly was shown to reduce the risk of death from any cause by 16%, slightly better than Running which came in 2nd with a 15% risk reduction. Other sports analyzed included Cycling, Swimming, Walking, Golf, and Aerobic Exercise.

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These results are consistent with a previous large study published by the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which looked at the link between 6 different types of exercise (Racket Sports, Swimming, Aerobics, Cycling, Running, Soccer) and the risk of early death.

Over 80,000 people were included, ranging in age from 30 to 98. The study — which spanned 9 years — showed that people who regularly played racket sports were 47% less likely to die (nearly 20 percentage points better than swimming, which came in 2nd with a 28% lower risk of dying).

These studies are not outliers. Another recent analysis of more than 8000 people over a period of 25 years determined that tennis can extend your life by nearly 10 years. This was far greater than the longevity gains of other healthy sports such as soccer (4.7 years), cycling (3.7 years), swimming (3.4 years), jogging (3.2 years), and going to the gym (1.5 years).

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Numerous types of activities can produce health and longevity benefits.

But racket sports consistently rank as the best sports for a longer life.

Start playing racket sports today and you could wind up living a decade longer.

Lift Weights, Live Longer

We know that regular aerobic exercise is associated with longer life, but the relationship between strength training and longevity has been less clear.

Until now.

A systematic review and meta-analysis, just published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, provides the strongest evidence to date that resistance training is associated with reduced risk of dying from any cause, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

A total of 10 studies were included in the meta-analyses, finding that doing any resistance training at all lowered the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%, cardiovascular disease mortality by 19%, and cancer mortality by 14%.

A little strength training was determined to go a long way.

A maximum risk reduction of 27% was observed at around 60 minutes per week of resistance training.

Mortality risk reductions actually diminished at higher volumes.

This is in line with the current Physical Activity Guidelines, which call for 2 days of muscle strengthening activity per week as part of an overall exercise routine.

Just 2 days of strength training per week, 30 minutes per session, can lower your risk of dying by 27%.

That’s an excellent return on investment.

See you in the gym!

Want to Live as Long as Possible? This is How Much to Exercise

How much exercise should you do?

More.

A new study analyzed physical activity and medical records for more than 100,000 people over 30 years to determine the optimal amount of exercise for longevity.

The results showed that adults who did 2–4 times the recommended amount of physical activity lived the longest.

Current guidelines call for adults to engage in at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate physical activity or 75–150 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both.

The good news is that simply meeting the lower end of these recommendations helps you live longer.

The analysis showed that meeting the guidelines for vigorous physical activity was associated with a 19% lower risk of death and hitting the moderate intensity recommendations resulted in a 20–21% lower risk of death.

That’s a pretty good return on investment for under 30 minutes of exercise per day.

But going above and beyond is even better.

Doing 2–4 times the recommended amount of vigorous physical activity (150–300 minutes per week) was associated with a 21–23% lower risk of death from all causes.

Engaging in 2–4 times more than the recommended amount of moderate physical activity (300–600 minutes per week) led to a 26–31% lower risk of mortality.

Going above 4x the recommendations (300 minutes of high intensity physical activity or 600 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity) was not shown to be harmful, but it didn’t yield any additional health benefits.

The study concluded that performing 150–300 minutes per week of vigorous physical activity, 300–600 minutes per week of moderate physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both, is optimal to maximize lifespan.

A good idea is to take up a sport as this will help you get your exercise in at least a few times per week. Think carefully about what sport might be best for you, and which you think that you will enjoy the most. Do your research, and ensure that you get as much information before you get started.

Consider what types of exercise you could do in order to really test your body’s strength and resilience. For example, Team Ropes are a great piece of equipment to have when it comes to sports, especially where rodeo events are concerned.

If you decide to take up running, which can be an incredible sport to raise your fitness level, make sure to choose a smooth route. While it’s important to challenge yourself, tripping on uneven terrain could lead to a bad injury that could hinder your exercising for a long time. If you’ve been a victim of uneven terrain already, speak to an injury lawyer, especially if it’s on pavement that should have been fixed. A claim could help you get the treatment you need to get back to exercising sooner.

You can look at a site like Pitchmarks for example if you decide to take up golf to get ideas for your game, and reviews.

Very few people achieve this level of physical activity. It is a worthy goal to be one of them.

These 5 Healthy Habits Can Add Nearly 15 Years of Life Expectancy

The United States spends the most money on health care per capita (over $12,000), yet has one of the lowest life expectancies (79.1 years) of all developed countries (rank: #46).

Perhaps this is because we focus so much of our effort on treating diseases instead of preventing them in the first place.

While potent life-extending drugs may be on the horizon, there is a lot we can do today to prolong healthy lifespan.

Researchers from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health conducted a massive study to determine the impact of healthy habits on life expectancy, drawing upon data from more than 120,000 people over a span of 34 years.

The findings showed that 5 specific healthy lifestyle habits produce significantly longer lives. Meeting the criteria for all 5 of these habits at age 50 correlated with living 14 years longer for women and 12 years longer for men. That would mean over $100 trillion in health-care savings, according to Harvard biologist David Sinclair. Here are the 5 habits:

1. Eating a Healthy Diet

Characterized by eating more healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats, and omega-3 fatty acids, and less unhealthy foods like red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, trans fat, and sodium.

2. Regular Physical Activity

Doing at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.

3. Maintaining a Healthy Body Weight

Defined as having a normal body mass index (BMI), which is between 18.5 and 24.9.

4. Not Smoking

Defined as never having smoked.

5. Moderate Alcohol Intake

Measured as between 5–15 grams per day for women and 5–30 grams per day for men. A typical drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (e.g. 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits).

Based on the data, if you check the box for all 5 of these habits by age 50, you can expect to live to about 93 if you’re a woman and 88 if you’re a man.

Conversely, people with none of these habits are far more likely to die prematurely from cancer or cardiovascular disease.

The more healthy habits people had the better, but anything is better than nothing. The researchers found that just one healthy habit — and it didn’t matter which one — extended life expectancy by 2 years in men and women.

These findings are consistent with previous research. A 2017 study showed that people 50 and older who had a normal weight, never smoked, and drank alcohol in moderation lived on average 7 years longer. And a 2012 large-scale analysis of over 500,000 people found that more than half of premature deaths were due to lifestyle factors such as poor diet, inactivity, obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, and smoking.

A drug rehab can also help kick this addiction.

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If you want to live as long and healthy a life as possible, don’t wait until you have a disease.

Start incorporating these 5 healthy habits into your life now.

True longevity drugs seem to be coming, but that will only matter if you live long enough to see them.

How Much Exercise You Should Do Each Week

The World Health Organization recently updated its guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behavior. This marks the first update the WHO has made to the guidelines since 2010.

The new guidelines call for adults (ages 18–64) to do 150–300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, per week (or some equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous exercise). Additionally, resistance training at moderate or greater intensity — involving all major muscle groups — should be done at least 2 times per week.

This equates to about 30–60 minutes of total exercise per day. That amount of activity has been shown to have a range of health benefits, including reduced risk for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and all-cause mortality (dying from any cause). Additionally, exercise at these levels improves mental health (including anxiety and depression), brain functioning, and sleep quality.

Adults over 65 should place extra emphasis on functional balance and strength training at moderate or greater intensity at least 3 times per week, to improve overall physical functioning and bone health, as well as to prevent against falls.

Children and adolescents (ages 5–17) should be averaging 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic activity per day, as well as activities that strengthen muscle and bone at least 3 times per week. Kids who meet these levels are shown to have improved cardiometabolic health (blood pressure, lipids, glucose, and insulin levels), bone health, mental health (reduced symptoms of depression), and cognitive functioning (academic performance).

Unfortunately, the guidelines report that 27.5% of adults and 81% of adolescents do not meet the recommendations for aerobic exercise, and there has been no overall improvement in global levels of activity over the last two decades.

It may feel like a huge undertaking to meet these new guidelines, but it is important to note that any amount of physical activity is better than none and you can work your way up to these optimal levels. Start with small amounts of exercise and gradually increase frequency, intensity, and duration over time. Brisk walking is a great place to start.

Another worthy goal across the board is to simply limit sedentary behavior. Although the WHO guidelines do not specifically call out the maximum amount of time you should be sitting per day (due to limited evidence for specific thresholds), less is more in this regard. Every time you go to sit, simply ask yourself if you could be standing or moving instead.

Overall, the new guidelines are very similar to the 2010 version, which confirms the continued strong evidence for exercise’s role in improving health. In terms of what’s new, the previous guidelines called for exercise to be done in bouts of at least 10 minutes, but that has now been removed. This change reflects the evidence that exercise of any session duration is associated with better health, including reduced all-cause mortality. A little bit really is better than nothing at all.

The second big change is these new guidelines now specify a target range of physical activity, compared with the previous version that focused on simply achieving the lowest end of the range. This edit acknowledges that the more exercise you do the better, but going above the upper limit does not necessarily produce additional benefits.

The WHO does not specify the types of exercise that are optimal for health, beyond incorporating the overarching categories of aerobic exercise and muscle strengthening. The best type of exercise is likely the one that you enjoy doing and can do consistently over time. For me, that currently includes a mix of running, squash, and resistance training on a weekly basis.

I firmly believe that regular exercise has the power to change your life more than any other habit. These WHO guidelines provide a very concrete and practical formula to improve your overall health and well-being.