Best Time to Do Cardio – Find Out When the Best Time to Do Cardio Really Is

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People often ask ‘When is the best time to do cardio?’ This is an extremely popular subject that is asked time and time again in the world of fitness and cardio. In this article we will discuss when the best time to do cardio is and explain the pros and cons of each one.

Cardio without doubt is an important part of any training routine whether you’re training for fitness or whether you’re training for muscle and size. Cardio will strengthen your heart and lungs, help prevent a number of heart problems and diseases, strengthen your leg muscles and increase endurance levels.

cardio

Cardio can be performed at anytime of the day but which is really the most effective? When is the best time to do cardio? That’s take a look at some of the options:

Best Time to do Cardio – First Thing in the Morning on an empty stomach?

The best time to do cardio is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach according to a lot of people. Gym trainers, Personal trainers and even some sports scientists will all tell you that the best time to do cardio is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. The reasoning behind these claims is that when we wake up in the morning our bodies have gone a good 8 or so hours without food. This means that there are hardly any carbs left in our bodies to be burned/used as energy.

Carbohydrates are your bodies preferred energy source. If you start exercising, your body will be unable to burn carbs as energy as it simply hasn’t got any. Research shows that since your primary source of energy is not available your body will tap straight into your fat stores and use this as energy instead.

Therefore the calories you burn during your cardio will be coming from fat instead of carbs. Due to this theory, many will tell you that the best time to do cardio for maximum fat loss is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

There is of course another side to this argument and one which I feel holds a lot of truth. Performing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will not burn more body fat; instead it will burn off muscle. Here’s the thing. You wake up in the morning after a good 8 or more hours without food. Your body is currently in a fasting state and does not have a satisfactory amount of energy.

What your body needs right now is something to eat so it can refuel itself. Instead of doing this you choose to put it through a rigorous cardio workout and expend energy that it doesn’t really have. Two things to note here. When energy is not readily available and your body is forced to use an alternate source this doesn’t necessary mean it will go straight to the fat. The chances are that it will target your muscle tissue and burn that as energy.

Now I’m pretty sure you don’t want to be burning off muscle tissue when performing cardio, you want to be burning fat. The other point worth mentioning is that performing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach will have a negative impact on your performance due to your low energy levels meaning poorer results are likely to be made. You are not going to get optimum results if your body is not properly prepared to perform cardio.

What I am saying above is that the best time to do cardio may well be first thing in the morning but you should not be doing it on an empty stomach. Performing cardio on an empty stomach will limit your performance and increase the chances of your body burning off muscle tissue as energy.

If you like to get your cardio out the way with in the morning then get up and eat something. Get some carbs and protein in you about 30-40 minutes before your cardio. This doesn’t have to be a big meal just a healthy nutritious snack to get you through your cardio. You may then come back and have a proper breakfast.

Best Time to do Cardio – Right Before Weightlifting?

In my opinion the best time to do cardio is definitely NOT before a workout. If your main goal is to build muscle and strength then performing cardio before weightlifting should not be done. If your one of those performing cardio before your weightlifting routine then stop. You will likely see a huge difference in performance once you do. Going all out on cardio before you weightlifting routine will leave you feeling weak and tired.

Energy stores will be depleted and you will lack energy to lift heavy weights. Cardio will also cause protein synthesis to drop. Protein synthesis is your body’s ability to build muscle. If your performing your weight lifting routine straight after your cardio the longer protein synthesis will be lowered. The longer it is lowered means the less time your body can spend repairing and building muscle.

You don’t really want this if you’re looking to build quality muscle mass. You may now be thinking well what if I perform cardio earlier on during the day and then perform my weight lifting routine an hour or two later, is this okay? The answer to this is yes but I still wouldn’t recommend it. If you are set on doing this then you will need to take in adequate nutrition between cardio and weightlifting sessions to ensure your muscles get the valuable nutrients they need to begin the rebuilding and recovery process.

Energy stores will need to be replenished and protein synthesis will need to be elevated. Carbs and protein should therefore be consumed. Even if you follow these guidelines the chances are that your weights workout will still suffer and you may not be able to lift to your full potential.

Best Time to do Cardio – Right After Weightlifting?

Again I would advise against doing your cardio right after your weightlifting routine but if you have no other choice then this is far better than doing it before your weightlifting routine. The reason I say that is because when weight lifting your glycogen stores are not depleted as much as when you do cardio meaning you have a little more life and energy to exert. This will make your weight lifting workout more effective than if you did it straight after cardio but this is still far from ideal.

However, by performing your weight lifting routine first you can give everything you have into that one workout. What you can then do is perform your cardio later on during the day. At least 2 hours apart if you have the time. Within this time it is again important that you replenish energy stores and take in a nutritious meal consisting of carbs and protein. Fats can also be included if desired but make sure you get a good meal in to help your body get back to its original state.

Best Time to do Cardio – Later on in the evening/night?

Performing cardio later on in the day at night or early evening is fine as long as you have the motivation and energy to do it. A lot of people struggle with the fact that they finish work late and then have to get home and set out on a grueling 30 minute run. Many would rather get home and put their feet up, have something to eat and then head to bed.

If you struggle to fit cardio into your routine during the day and are not a morning person who can get up early and get their cardio completed and out the way with, then performing it in the evening or night is fine as long as you are motivated to do so. It can be far more tempting to skip late cardio sessions thanks to long and stressful days at work.

Chances are you will be less prone to doing this if you perform your cardio earlier on in the day such as morning or early afternoon if you have the chance to do so. One other slight downside of performing cardio later on in the day is that you don’t experience the full effect of your increased metabolism. Your metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories.

After cardio your metabolism will be raised for hours afterwards allowing you to burn more calories throughout the day even at rest! If you perform cardio at night shortly before you go to bed you won’t be getting the full benefit. The reason being is that your metabolism dramatically drops when you sleep making it less beneficial than if you had performed cardio earlier on in the morning. Morning cardio will raise your metabolism for the majority of the day giving you the full benefit of a raised metabolism.

Final conclusion on the best time to do cardio

The best time to do cardio is when you are energized and have your mind focused towards doing it. The important thing is to make sure you are actually doing it. If there is absolutely no way you can get around doing cardio before/after your workouts or late at night then don’t worry too much about it. It is not ideal but you will still reap the many benefits that cardio can bring you.

To experience the most effective gains from cardio I would recommend you perform it in the morning after eating something and on a non weight training day. If you weight train Monday, Wednesday and Friday then try your best to fit in your cardio and running work on the other days you have free. This way you can expect maximum performance in both cardio and weight lifting. The only thing I would say is to watch out for your leg workouts.

If running a day before your leg workout leaves your legs extremely sore and tired only perform a light cardio session on this day. The same goes for the day after your leg workout. If your legs are sore and tired perform a light session of cardio or alternatively don’t perform any at all. The best results are made when you have the most energy so bear this in mind.

Getting up early is not actually that bad once you get use to it. Get into the habit of getting up early for your cardio and you soon won’t have a problem with it. Getting up early and performing your cardio will get it out the way with for the rest of the day, increase your body’s metabolism throughout the day and help you burn more calories making early morning cardio one of the best times to do cardio.

10 Steps To Detoxification in a Technology-fueled World

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Technology. We live in a grand time of technological development. Computers, the Internet, cell phones, digital cameras and DVDs. But the human body has not ‘kept up’ with technology. Human beings certainly shouldn’t eat technology! But that is happening today as a result of the onslaught of chemicals in our foods and environments, and with the impending threat of chemical warfare.

This very second, your physical body is mysteriously functioning internally exactly the way human bodies functioned 10,000 years ago. Because our bodies today are the same as in the past, it is critical to eat, drink, and live the same as in years past – centuries past. But modern societies are adopting one of the most unnatural lifestyles known to mankind. Cancer rates and cardiovascular disease in the United States alone are among the highest in the world as a result of technology interfering with our food supply and living environments.

technology

SO WHY DETOX?

Have you ever washed greasy dishes without hot water or dish soap? The dishes don’t get clean, do they? When toxic metals and chemical food additives get inside your body, it takes a strong “cleanser” to scrub your body clean from the inside out. The combination of vitamins and minerals through detoxification work in this fashion to remove toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, fat deposits, and within your bloodstream. Natural cleansing is critical to remove body toxins, and protects from re-depositing them somewhere else in the body.
Toxins such as lead, mercury, and the side effects of aspartame’s by-products of formic acid and formaldehyde, block nutrients from getting into normal body cells in the same fashion a lead shield blocks radiation during an x-ray.

If toxins are present within your body, oxygen and the body’s “food supply” cannot get inside your cells to supply needed nutrients, nor can the cells’ waste products get out. Diseases, such as cancer, now have an environment in which to form. When these body toxins are removed, your body can then restore a healthy balance.

IDENTIFY, REMOVE, AND RESTORE

The basic philosophy behind any effective detox program is to identify, remove, and restore. Identify what toxins are at the root of your health problems.

Identify = hair analysis
Remove the toxins by cleansing your body.
Remove = detoxification
Restore lost nutrients.
Restore = nutritional supplements

Like pealing the layers off an onion, as each layer is removed through detoxification, the underlying layers reveal what’s really behind disease symptoms. The deeper you go toward removing the ‘core’ of the problem, healing becomes long-term reality.

TEN STEPS TO DETOXIFICATION

Begin with detoxing your body of all residual chemical toxins and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try these steps for yourself, and within 30 days your symptoms should improve if not completely disappear.

The Ten Steps:

Remove all chemicals from your diet.
Learn to ‘read’ your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

Do not overlook the fact that healing from disease and illness takes faith, personal strength, and perseverance. Curing illness and degenerative diseases with a mind-body approach might be considered old-fashioned and ineffective when compared to today’s high tech prescriptions, but it’s essential that human beings remember that the roots of disease and their cures are as old-fashioned as the body itself, and healing begins with SELF.

WHAT IS A HAIR ANALYSIS?

A hair analysis determines exactly what chemicals are inside of you, including radiation. Generic medical lab tests don’t identify deep tissue toxins nor nutrient depletion the same way a hair analysis does.

The protein in hair fiber holds the composition of the body tissues for a permanent period. By analyzing your hair fiber composition, you can tell what toxins have accumulated in the body tissues and what vitamins and minerals are depleted or too abundant causing imbalances in body function.

By detoxifying unnatural chemicals and by replacing specific vitamins individual to your needs, proper health can be restored using nutrition. The human hair analysis points out these levels, making the hair analysis the BEST tool out there.

The link below provides a sample hair analysis report of a twenty-year-old male toxic in mercury. Andy has been a vegetarian all of his life, and ate canned tuna most every day. His over-all toxins were low and his nutrients were fairly balanced, but his mercury level was dangerously high which, in turn, depleted his lithium stores. Lithium is a critical element that supports emotional and hormonal development.

Thinking he was on a ‘healthy’ diet, Andy would never have known the potential health dangers within his tissues and bloodstream without having a hair analysis performed. He is relieved to know he prevented future health problems, and now knows how to adjust his diet and supplement program to achieve optimum health.

Good nutrition works.

Take the time to determine at which point you may have gotten off track nutritionally and what ‘poisons’ you have been exposed to. Detox your body of all environmental and food chemicals you have been exposed to throughout your lifetime.

Restore depleted nutrients through proper supplements and whole foods.

Toxins are at the root of most diseases, and once they are removed, health and well being return. An effective detoxification plan removes the source of disease symptoms, such as aspartame or radiation poisoning, detoxifies toxic residue from the body, and replaces specific nutrients to regain a state of wellness.

Detoxing the body removes toxins from chemicals quickly and can actually remove most chemical toxins from your body tissues and body organs, from your water stores, and from fat stores within your bloodstream, along with assisting in the elimination of those toxins via the bowels and pores of the body.

Benefits of Whey Protein

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Whether you are young or old, age will never be an issue for obtaining the benefits of whey protein. This building block is considered to be highly valuable in the role of a nutritional plan to assist in improvement and maintenance of human body. In the market today, protein isolate has the purest form of protein compared to concentrate that contains about five to six percent of lactose. Whey protein is a natural nutrient containing essential amino acids that will enhance external physical appearance.

In physical performance, there is unmistakably an abundant harvest of the benefits from whey protein. Identified as the “Gold Standard,” this building block has been one of the ultimate partners of professional athletes who are working hard to have great biceps, firm abdomen and strong muscles, among others. Not only has the aftermath been observed, there were also studies that have proven the effects. Those who are seriously involved in sports are actually consuming at least 25 grams of this natural nutrient on a daily basis.

benefits

One of the benefits of whey protein is being able to acquire Branded Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s). BCAA’s are metabolized immediately to the tissues and are the first ones to be exhausted during vigorous periods of profuse sweating. When the building block will be in tandem with the BCAA’s, worn out levels of tilted cell membranes will be stocked up for the purpose of rebuilding and repairing.

In weight management, there are several benefits of whey protein that will also facilitate in avoiding the cancer and diabetes as well as complications in the heart. Since time immemorial, diet has always played a necessary role in programs that will look after the body mass. Frequent digestion of the building block will then create a positive impact because the natural nutrient is already in the uncontaminated kind with no traces of carbohydrates or fat.

According to the research done by physician Donald Layman, who also happens to be a professor in University of Illinois (UI), leucine is among the benefits in whey protein which can stir up the loss of unwanted calories. The building block also stabilizes the level of blood glucose by keeping the process of absorption very slow. This is then the reason why a person will not be able to feel much hunger because the insulin has already reduced and makes the burning of fat much simpler.

The Many Benefits Of Running

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For most people, running is exhausting, boring, and sometimes painful. However, you see today so many people running as if their lives depended on it. (That is actually true to a point.)

There are many reasons why people engage themselves in running these days. Foremost of which is to stay in shape or to reach their ideal body weight. Studies show that the potent combination of correct diet and the right exercise is the most effective method in losing weight.

running

Weight loss

For all its boring features, running is very effective in allowing a person to burn an average of 100 calories for every run mile. Biking and walking, on the other hand, only burn a fraction of these calories in the same amount of time.

While we burn around 2000 to 5000 calories every day doing nothing, running 5 miles a day burns an additional 500 calories.

The speed in running has little or no effect on the number of calories burned. Rather, it is weight that counts. A 220-pound person running an 8-minute mile burns 150 calories. A person weighing 120 pounds running the same pace burns a measly 82 calories.

Understand that a person needs an excess of 3500 calories in order to gain a pound. This means you need to burn that much number of calories in order to lose a single pound.

Overall health

Another motivation that drives runners is the health benefits they get. Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries. During a run, the arteries get exercised as well, what with all the blood moving about.

Running also maximizes the lung’s potential, keeping it strong and powerful. Deep breaths force the lungs to use more tissues, but half of both are unused. Running makes the lungs use almost all of its tissues.

Running also strengthens the heart and helps prevent heart attacks. During a run, the heart muscles are exercised, thus keeping it fit and strong by itself.

The heart of an inactive person beats 36,000 more times every day compared to that of a runner. The reason is simple – the runner’s arteries are wider and blood flows smoother.

Endorphin

Most runners keep this secret to themselves: running gives an intense exhilaration and euphoria right after a run. And they are addicted to the feeling and it motivates them the most.

Science had already found out the nature of this natural high: beta endorphins. These are released by the body’s neurons intended to relieve the pain after a run. It creates a feeling of extreme happiness and exhilaration and can be so intense it often can replace other addictions to drugs, alcohol, including appetite for food.

Natural tranquilizer

There is a trend for doctors now to recommend to their patients suffering from clinical depression and other psychological disorders to try running. This is based on studies that show running as a natural tranquilizer. Patients are reported to be less tense, less confused, less depressed, and less fatigued.

Whatever your reasons for running are, it is a safe bet that it is one of the best natural disease-fighters man had discovered. What’s more, it’s free and it’s delirious as well.

 

Black Tea Nutrition

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The basis of black tea nutrition is simple but true: Antioxidants promote well-being. The more antioxidants you consume, the better to boost your body’s natural disease prevention processes.

The Camellia sinensis plant where black tea and all other “real” teas come from has leaves rich with antioxidant-acting phytochemicals called polyphenols. This means that black tea nutrition beverages are good sources of antioxidants for your body.

black tea

History records tea as long as four, nearly five, thousand years ago. According to one Chinese legend, the Emperor Shen Nung was boiling water one day when the leaves of a nearby plant fell into the pot. This created the first pot of tea.

In the new millennium, scientific evidence is supporting the link between black tea nutrition and health benefits. Besides polyphenols, black tea nutrition is also a source of several major antioxidants, including flavonoids, which could neutralize the free radicals in the body, helping to maintain healthy cells and tissues. Flavonoids are special phytochemicals found not only in tea leaves, but in apples, onions, and other fruits and vegetables as well.

The majority of flavonoids are released from the tea leaves after 2 minutes of steeping. But the amounts and potency of flavonoids you get from black tea nutrition may depend on the variety, the manufacturing process, and the brewing conditions. Other antioxidants in black tea nutrition include tannins, catechins, theaflavins, and theaburigins. All these antioxidants add to the health benefits in black tea nutrition.

In processing black tea, the leaves of the tea plant undergo four different steps. First, the leaves are harvested and allowed to wither. Afterwards, they are crushed or rolled in order to release the essential oils, polyphenols, and beneficial compounds to coat the surface of the leaves. Then, they are exposed to the air, heat, and humidity in a process called “fermentation” or oxidation, after which, they are allowed to dry.

The oxidation process causes the polyphenols in black tea nutrition to change into the chemical theaflavin, which is the reason why black tea has that brown, reddish color and brisk flavor. When theaflavins bind with other chemicals in black tea, they are transformed into theaburigins which give black tea its characteristic black or dark brown color. But more than lending black tea nutrition its color and flavor, these chemicals are also great antioxidants that help protect the arteries, thus reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

A recent study at the American Heart Association showed just how black tea nutrition could help reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Scientists have observed earlier that abnormal dilation of the arteries (a condition associated with stroke and heart failure) is caused by the lessening of nitric oxide production. Black tea apparently has an effect on nitric oxide, maintaining its normal production so the arteries begin to dilate normally.

Black tea is also said to contain fluoride, a compound that helps reduce plaque and prevents tooth decay. In addition, flavonoids in black tea nutrition partially inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron from plant food.

 

4 Steps To Better Health

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It’s possible to learn HOW to better your health in only 4 steps and this article will show you how. Each step is a bite-sized nugget of healthy living information you can actually use.

Let’s get started…

health

Step 1: Nutritional Supplements

In my opinion, they are very necessary and very beneficial- especially when combined with healthy eating habits. It’s very difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs through food alone, but combining proper nutrition with nutritional supplements is very powerful.

That being said, the one supplement everyone should be taking is a good multi vitamin/mineral. Look at it as added insurance- eating well is crucial, but now that you’re also taking a multi, you can rest assured you’re getting the nutrients your body needs.

Step 2: Nutrition

Good nutrition is SO important. You are what you eat…remember that. Make a conscious effort to gradually improve your eating habits, eating more of the good foods (nuts, berries, peanut butter, olive oil, greens, chicken, whole grains, etc.) and less of the bad foods (fried food, saturated fat, fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, etc.). Reading the label of what you’re eating will tell you a lot.

You may think you lack the needed will power, but you’ll be amazed at what happens when you start to gradually improve your eating habits.

Step 3: Exercise

Exercise is the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to better health. There are so many benefits of exercising, including stronger bones and improved libido- it’s a no brainer to start doing it. Your goal should be to exercise 3-5 times a week with a combination of cardio exercises and strength training (but no more than 1 hour per workout session).

It’s been measured that if you add 3 pounds of muscle to your body, this added muscle will burn as many calories as if you ran 1 mile. Muscle burns calories!

Step 4: Stress Management and Sleep

Stress management and getting good sleep each night round out your path to better health. Until you find a way to manage your stress, it will continue to do damage to your body. Two tips you might want to implement include prioritizing your day each morning and practicing deep breathing exercises (yes, you probably already knew this, but have you tried it?).

Getting enough sleep each night is equally important when you consider your body uses this time to repair itself. You should aim for 7-9 hours each night. Two tips you might want to implement include exercising and avoiding late night eating.

Now that you have the basics, expand on this information. Step 1 research more about Nutritional Supplements, Step 2 research more about Nutrition and so on. I guarantee after the 4 steps you’ll feel more confident about reaching your health & fitness goals.

Eating Healthy For Vegetarians

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The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style of eating. The rules still apply with healthy eating, although you should add variety, balance, and moderation.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat, whether it be hamburgers, hot-dogs, chicken, or even fish. Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of food they are or aren’t willing to eat. For example, Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh yet they will eat eggs and most dairy products. A Vegan on the other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of animal origin.

healthy

Because they don’t eat meet, vegetarians will often wonder how they’ll get enough protein. Although you may not realize it, the average American actually consumes more protein than he actually needs. For the lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein. Vegans on the other hand, get their protein from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

Along the lines of beans, there are several to choose from, including green or red lentils, peanuts, split peas, pinto, soy, kidney, and many more. Some of them you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in chili, re fried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and rice, and pinto beans. Although some beans taste good as they are, others are available with different flavors to help enhance their taste. Nuts are high in protein, although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which means you should enjoy them in moderation. By having one cup of cooked beans, you’ll get the same amount of protein as eating two ounces of meat!

The nutrients of concern for vegans, who avoid all types of animal food, are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. In the average North American diet, the primary source for B12 is animals. To have an adequate intake of B12, vegans should reguarly consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods, which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products or milk.

For calcium, vegans can rely on orange juice or soy milk, as they are fortified with calcium. Beans and leafy green vegetables will also contain some calcium as well.

Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is something you should always do. This is very important for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy. If you control what you eat, you’ll have many years of healthy eating ahead of you.

 

10 Fun Ways To Become More Active – Every Day

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You know you should be getting some sort of exercise, you know of all the health benefits that come with a more active lifestyle. You’ve tried the whole Gym thing, but it just wasn’t for you. The temptation to just sit in front of the TV, to curl up with a good book, or to spend a little extra time at your computer is just too big. Who wants to head to the gym right now anyway?

There are many other options to get more active that don’t include jogging, weight lifting or other “traditional” ways to work out. Here are a few ideas to get you moving

active

1) Chase your Kids around the Yard
You’d be surprised at how much of a work out you’ll get playing catch with your kids. Time will fly while you are having fun and your children will enjoy the extra time with you. Just get out there and play.

2) Turn up the Music and Dance around the Living Room
While you’re dusting, putting up dishes, straightening up the kids’ rooms, or after you’ve been sitting around for too long, just play some of your favorite upbeat music and dance around in the house. Not only will you get your heart rate up, but you’ll also have more fun doing some of those chores.

3) Plant some Flowers
When the weather is nice, just get out there and plant some flowers. Or you could start a little vegetable garden, trim some hedges, cut the grass, or plant a tree. You get the idea. Just get out there, enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, and play in the dirt. Yes, this actually counts as exercise in our book.

4) Go for a Walk with a Friend
Take a walk and invite a friend to come along. I’ve had some of the best conversations while on a walk. Getting to chat with a friend makes the time fly by and before you know it you’ve been walking for 30 minutes.

5) Listen to some Music or an Audio Book while You Walk
Again, keeping your mind on something else will make the time fly by and you’ll get some extra fun out of your walk. You may even want to consider getting an MP3 Player. You can easily add what you want to listen to and go for your walk.

6) Sign up for a Yoga or Pilates Class
Consider starting a yoga or Pilates class. Both of these workouts are pretty low impact and won’t leave you sweaty and sore (mostly). You may also enjoy meeting some new people in the class.

7) Take some Dance Lessons with your Partner
Ok, here is the tough part: Convince your partner to take some dance lessons. Dancing will give you quite the workout and it’s just plain fun and of course romantic. Think about all your options here. You can pick from anything from Ball Room Dancing, to Line Dancing, to Latin etc. Pick something that sounds fun to you and go for it. You’ll enjoy the extra one on one time with your partner as well.

8) Go for a Swim at Your Local YMCA or Aquatic Center
Swimming makes for some great exercise. It is low impact and easy on your joints. Start by swimming a few laps, or play in the pool with your kids.

9) Go for a Bike Ride
Take the entire family on a bike ride. You can ride through your neighborhood in the evenings or plan a longer trip for the weekend. Pack a picnic for extra fun and start peddling.

10) Go for a Hike
Look for some hiking trails in your area and go for a hike. This could be a fun activity for you and a friend, or take the entire family along. Start with some easy trails and work yourself up to some longer or steeper trails.

Go ahead, pick one or two of the activities and get moving. I’m sure you’ll come up with plenty of versions of your own. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy, so you’ll stick with it. Get out there and get moving today.

2 Ways to Start Burning Fat Quickly

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1. Start Exercising first thing in the morning.

As soon as you wake up in the morning workout for at least 30 min to an hour. Studies show that working out in the morning has been shown to burn up to 3x as more fat as opposed to working out at any other time during the day.

start

Here’s Why:

During the day your body’s main source of energy is the carbohydrates that you get from eating your meals. As you sleep at night for 6 hours your body uses up all those carbohydrates as energy for various bodily functions that go on even while you sleep. When you wake up in the morning your body doesn’t have any carbohydrates as energy to use and it will look to burn body fat instead for energy.

For you to take advantage of this morning fat burning opportunity you have to exercise first thing in the morning. Don’t eat breakfast because if you do you’ll just give your body some carbohydrates as a source of energy instead of the body fat that you want to burn for energy.

Another great thing about working out first thing in the morning is that your metabolism gets revved up after your morning workout. Morning workouts keep your metabolism elevated throughout the day. An elevated metabolism throughout the day only means that you’ll burn more calories and lose more weight. If you workout at night you may still burn fat while you workout but as soon as you go to sleep your metabolism will slow down and you’ll miss out on all the extra fat that you can burn during the day if you had exercised in the morning. When you sleep your metabolic rate is always at its slowest.

Other reasons why its good to exercise first thing in the morning is that you get the workout out of the way, and working out in the morning will also reduce your level of stress throughout the day.

Advanced Tip: Want to burn even more fat? Add another workout to your daily routine 4-6 hours after your morning workout. Keep your already high metabolism higher by adding a 2nd workout during the day.

If you’re seriously thinking about adding a 2nd workout to your daily routine then try to do your cardio workouts in the morning. Mostly fat calories are burned doing cardio at a moderate intensities. Make your 2nd workout of the day a workout with weights. Mostly carbohydrate is burned doing weight-training workouts. The muscle that you build from weight training will also help you burn fat. 1lb of Muscle burns 50 calories a day or 1lb of fat every 70 days. Not only will you be burning more calories, you’ll look better – whatever your weight is.

2. Eat Breakfast

Another way to keep your metabolism revved up all day long is to eat breakfast. After you workout in the morning as discussed earlier, just have breakfast and you’ll give your body the perfect 1-2 combination to jump start your metabolism.

Eating breakfast in the morning is what gets your metabolism started. Don’t skip breakfast and wait until mid-morning or afternoon to eat, your metabolism will run slower causing you not burn any extra fat.

Think about this way-Your metabolism is a fireplace that’ll burn fat all day long for you if you operate it correctly. When you eat breakfast you are basically throwing a log onto that fireplace to get it started burning fat.

Eating breakfast will help stop those cravings you may have later on in the day and along with working out in the morning, eating breakfast will also keep you energized throughout the day and lower stress levels.

Advanced Tip: Instead of eating only 2 more meals during the day like lunch & dinner, try to eat 4-5 more small mini-meals spaced 2-3 hours apart during the day. Remember the fireplace? By eating these mini-meals you’ll be throwing just the right amount of “wood” on the fireplace to keep your metabolism burning calories throughout the day. Don’t shut down your metabolism by eating big lunches or dinners, keep that metabolism of yours burning fat all day long.

Morning Checklist

  • Workout for at least 30min after waking up in the morning
  • Eat a healthy breakfast
  • Burn fat & lose more weight during the day

Use these 2 tips to reveal that six-pack, fit into that dress for an upcoming event like a wedding or reunion, or to impress that special someone. Whatever your fitness goal is these 2 tips above will surely help you reach them.

The Healthiest Foods You Can Get

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The following is a list of the healthiest foods that you can get. This will help you get an idea as to what foods are the best for your body.

healthiest foods

Fruits

Apricots
Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to
prevent radical damage and also helps to protect
the eyes. A single apricot contains 17 calories,
0 fat, and one gram of fiber. You can eat them
dried or soft.

Mango
A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C,
which is nearly your entire daily dose. This
antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also
boost your immune system.

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is
almost twice the recommended dose. Half a melon
contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly
twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower
blood pressure. Half a melon contains 97 calories,
1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato
A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,
and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily.
A tomaton contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only
1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables

Onions
An onion can help to protect against cancer. A
cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3
grams of fiber.

Broccoli
Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer,
and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-
carotene. One cup of chopped broccoli contains
25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach
Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend
off macular degeneration, which is a major cause
of blindness in older people. One cup contains
7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts

Peanuts
Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of
heart disease by 20 percent. One ounce contains
166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of
fiber.

Pinto beans
A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25
percent of your daily folate requirement, which
protects you against heart disease. Half a cup
contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams
of fiber.

Skim milk
Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for
good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve
allergies. You also get calcium and vitamin D as
well. One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0
fiber.

Seafood

Salmon
All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and
tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids,
which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,
4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity
boosting zinc. A 3 ounce serving of crab offers
84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.