Tag Archive for: 110 Self-Improvement boosters (free ebook)

Running: A Form of Workout for the Legs and the Body

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Are you in search of a perfect workout to achieve the perfect shape for the legs and body? You need not consult your fitness trainers nor check out exercise workout regimens. In fact, you do not need to spend significantly in enrolling in a gym membership.

The best workout that experts could recommend to you is running. It may sound a bit odd, but running up your stairs at work, home, or escalators should take a good part of your own physical training and rigorous daily routine.

workout

Running up several flights of stairs could serve as an effective cardiovascular exercise. Doing so could surely help your body burn thousands of calories per minute. If there are stairs at home or on your way to the office, consider running up or running down them. When you start the activity, be sure to do it right. Yes, there is a proper way to run so you would not injure yourself and your body would reap the benefits of the physical task.

The first thing you should do when you are running is to check your own body posture. The body definitely needs to be upright. The shoulders should stay relaxed throughout the activity. Raise your feet as high as you comfortably could and at the same time swing both of your arms as you continue moving up (as in running up the stairs) or down (running down).

To make the activity a good form of workout, run about 20 steps up before walking down to where you started. Do the task for several times until you recover your own breath. Try not to run double steps at once. It is normal to run out of breath and feel too tired when running. You would notice that when you run regularly or everyday, your body could manage to comfortably run longer. In the process, your hips, thigh, and your abdomen would get better shapes.

When running up or down the stairs, do not forget the fact that there surely are risks or dangers in doing so. Be very careful especially in putting your feet on each step of the stairs. When you walk down, do so quite slowly, not too slowly. You may use banisters if you are feeling too tired and at the same time shaky.

Running up you stairs could in fact physically train most of your body muscles all at the same time. If you do so regularly, your fitness level could further improve quickly. Expect your overall personality to also improve, especially your mood. This is because for sure, your life would get brighter and better if you see many inches vanish from your waist. Initially, try running once every week.

On the succeeding weeks, increase your workout. Run up to three times weekly. A 20-minute running session would definitely do your body good. However, as a form of warning, never run more than your body could actually endure. Do not compromise your overall safety when running.

 

How to Deal with Gluten Intolerance in Children

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Gluten intolerance is an issue that adults have trouble coming to terms with. It is even more difficult when it happens to a child. Parents will have their hands full just making sure that their kid eats what he or she is supposed to and avoids the gluten based foods. The good thing here is that it is easier to inculcate good eating habits in children.

Adults, who have been eating gluten containing comfort foods for years, often face withdrawal symptoms and irritation at having to give up their favorite foods. In most cases, you will not have such issues with children. If you guide them properly when young and explain the importance of eating the right foods, they will grow up with these habits.

Gluten intolerance

The first step will be to get your child diagnosed by a qualified doctor to see if they are gluten sensitive or have celiac disease.

There are a few common symptoms that are often displayed by children who are gluten sensitive.

  • Constipation, cramping and a bloated stomach
  • Lethargy, irritability and restlessness
  • Unexplained rashes on the elbows and shoulder area
  • Abnormal stools that are watery or large
  • Delayed growth

 

If your child is gluten intolerant, it is imperative that you immediately start them on a gluten-free diet. Most children will not understand what gluten sensitivity is. You will need to approach the subject in a manner that does not make them feel different or inferior.

Initially, it would help if the parent preparing the food is able to make two different versions of the same food. One gluten version and one gluten-free one. In this way, it will look like everyone is eating the same food. Over time, your child will grow to understand that their body doesn’t assimilate gluten in the same way that others do.

However, in the transitioning phase, it’s best to keep most things constant and yet maintain a gluten-free diet for the gluten sensitive child.

As the child reaches school going age, it would help if the parents spoke to the teachers and school administrators about the child’s gluten intolerance so that there will be other adults who can keep a discreet yet watchful eye on what the child eats.

It is a wonderful idea to prepare food at home for your child to bring to school. Do explain the importance of eating gluten-free foods to them. They will face many temptations at school. Friends who may eat candy and chocolates, birthday parties that they may get invited to, school camps, etc.

The best way to ensure that your child sticks to the rules is to educate them well on the topic. In some cases, the child may secretly wish to disobey their parents just to fit in with their peers. However, the old saying applies here. A burnt child dreads fire. When your child doesn’t feel too good after what he or she ate, they will automatically avoid consuming gluten based foods.

Ultimately, there is no need to be overly worried. As long as you do your best to cater to your child’s needs, they will grow up understanding their situation and will live a gluten-free life.

Tips For Long Distance Running

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Are you shooting for your first long distance running event? For some long-time runners, training for such an event—5 kilometer, 10 kilometer, half marathon, or marathon—is not so much of a problem. For first-time distance runners, however, training is quite laborious and boring.

If you are currently undergoing training, the following tips can help you get by and prepare you for an experience as exciting as long distance running:

long distance

  1. Take some rest days between the trainings. Doing so will give your body ample time to recover energy and reestablish muscle stamina. Some runners have a week or two of rest in between days of hard workouts. For relatively easy workouts, they schedule at least one day-off.

  2. Mind your pace. Running long-distance is less about running fast, but is more about covering as many miles as you can. To be able to do this, you need to conserve your energy and run slow during the first few miles. Change your pace as you progress and approach the finish line.

  3. Work on improving your speed. Allot two to three days of fast running per week. There will be times, however, that your body won’t feel like working at a faster speed. Don’t push, as your body is trying to recover energy.

  4. Increase your mileage. Successful distance runners increase their mileage at a gradual pace. Some of them add two to three miles after every week of training, while others have an easier approach, only adding a few more strides at the end of every run. But because your body works differently, you can design or look for a training plan that can help you increase your mileage at a proper intensity.

  5. Put some diversity. To take the monotony out of your training, make sure to run different routes from time to time, run at different paces in a single session, and run at different paces on given days. The thing is, because running is most likely the same each day, you need to make it a little more exciting, something you always want to look forward to.

  6. Have a running partner at certain points of your run. It’s okay to run solo, some runners even prefer it, but without someone to talk to the entire run, training gets impossibly boring. Try to catch up with someone, or agree to meet with a fellow runner halfway through the run. Of course, you have to be willing to change your pace to encourage small talks.

  7. Listen to music. Long distance running is a mental activity as much as it is a physical challenge, so you need to get motivated and inspired to keep your body moving. Music does it well by keeping your mind off the physical discomforts of running and relaxing your mental state. During a run, bring an mp3 player with you and load it up with inspirational or your favorite music. Make sure your player has enough battery life to last the entire run.

  8. Bring energy foods with you. Not only will they pump up your energy level, they also will give you something else to do other than running. It is also wise to have water or energy drink to keep you hydrated during your training for long distance running.

 

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.

Smart Ways To Prevent Running Injuries

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Incurring running injuries can pass as one of the greatest nightmares of many runners, which is why it is very important for every runner to be extra cautious down the road.

Many factors contribute to the runner’s tendency to get injured; still, there are many ways to prevent running injuries. Here are some:

running

  1. Commit yourself to a warm-up. The general rule in any type of workout: Warm-up before you go. Doing so gives you a chance to prepare your body for the oncoming work and prevents the likelihood of injuries. Before a run, loosen up your legs, walk for some minutes, then do some stretching. Similarly, cooling down at the end of the run is important to reduce muscle pain. Do this by closing your workout with brisk walking or slow running. Then, do stretches.

  2. Avoid overtraining. The surest way to incur injuries is to overtrain and overwork your body. Sadly, many runners, in an attempt to increase their mileage and intensity just too soon, pushes their body beyond its capability and so put their selves at a great risk of injury. Two things you need to remember. One, weekly mileage increase shouldn’t be more than 10%. Two, speed buildup is a gradual process. Next time you feel like going farther and faster, ask if your body is capable of the demands, then let sound judgment overtake you.

  3. Take some breaks. This is especially important if you feel soreness in your muscles or are overly tired. A day or two of missed run is better than subjecting your already fatigued body to a possibility of injury. Listen to your body well and take note of pain, or any other hint, that tries to communicate it is not up for the challenge.

  4. Use good shoes. You know you need to replace your shoes when they have reached around 300 to 400 miles. By then, their shock absorption has degraded and their soles have worn-out, leaving them unsafe for running.

  5. Keep from concrete surfaces. Not only are they hard, they also are not very good shock absorber. Instead, run on dirt or grass trails, or somewhere there is a soft surface. This will put less pressure on your legs. Also, avoid running up and downhill to prevent stressing your feet.

  6. Do cross-training activities. The purpose of cross-training is to develop and strengthen your running muscles through other physical means such as swimming, biking, and hiking. It is best to incorporate cross-training activities in your running program at least once a week. Remember, however, that cross-training activities are supposed to improve your stamina and not to stress your body out and leave you with less energy for running.

  7. Observe rehabilitation measures should you suspect any injury. Doing so will prevent injury complications and speed up the recovery process. You can do a massage and cold therapy to ease a minor injury. For more serious cases, consult with a doctor immediately. To further prevent running injuries, do not resume to running unless you are fully recovered.

 

The Right Start: Running Tips For Beginners

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Running is an enjoyable, low-maintenance sport that it is no surprise many are enticed to get into it. Many beginning runners, however, initially find running somewhat injurious and exhausting and so give up. Truth is, it can be, especially if the novice runners have not been properly educated.

To get the most out of running, it is important that every beginning runner knows everything about the sport and is prepared enough for it. Following are some running tips for beginners that will make an otherwise rigorous sport into a pleasurable activity.

running

  1. Consult with your physician. Remember that running is an intense physical activity and requires a great deal of your strength. Therefore, it is wise to ask your doctor if your body is up for the challenge. Your physician will consider your age, weight, fitness level, and special conditions (breathing or heart problems) to derive a sound decision. Having accurate information on your body will also help you in choosing a running program.

  2. Set attainable goals. Do you want to lose weight? Or lower your cholesterol level? Or join a marathon perhaps? Whatever your goals are, make sure to see them through. To keep you motivated, it is helpful to have a timeframe. If the goal, however, is not met at the appointed time, it’s okay. Don’t fret, but continue to try working on it. The key here is to avoid stressing yourself over a goal your body is not ready for.

  3. Have a running program. Three things you need to consider in selecting a running program: age, fitness level, and goals. These three will determine the distance you can handle. You have to realize, however, that as a beginning runner, you are not expected to run a mile. In fact, you won’t do much running at first. Especially if you are untrained, running a distance may make you an easy target for injuries. Run/walk program, which includes alternate walking and running for a particular time, is ideal for starters. As you progress week by week, you can increase the time for running and decrease the time for walking.

  4. Make a running log. Detailing all the basic information on your run, a running log will serve as a record of your progress. You can write the type of workout for the day, time, and distance. For instance, Day 1, you did a tempo run for 20 minutes, 3 kilometers. Day 2, you had long run for 45 minutes, 8 kilometers. If you want your log to be more detailed, you can also record your weight and pulse rate.

  5. Check your pace. This is perhaps the most important among the running tips for beginners. This is because many beginning runners injure themselves by breaking into fast running too soon. As a beginning runner, your goal is not speed, but increasing your running time. Maintain your running at a pace that enables you to keep a conversation; anything more than that is not advisable. When you go for slow, easy running, you are actually building your stamina, which will eventually enable you to run faster and longer distances.

 

Seven Psychological Benefits Of Running

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Running has been recommended by many doctors and therapists to people who are in the quest to improving their mental health. This is because running, like other exercises, unquestionably takes care of the mental health as efficiently as it does to one’s physical well-being.

There are many psychological benefits of running, but here are the seven most cited:

running

1. Reduces stress and anxiety

Runners are known to be less stressed and are more able to deal with their daily stressors effectively. This is attributed to the fact that running refreshes their thoughts, keeps their minds off worries, and gives them ample and non-distracted time to think, reflect, and concentrate. In addition, according to some reports, running is more efficient in addressing anxieties better than medications.

2. Enhances mood

When running, the body produces a substance called endorphin (endogenous morphine) that creates a different sense of euphoria. This state of euphoria is called runner’s high basically because after running, individuals are in a good mood, are happier, and indescribably feel better. Runner’s high is also believed to be responsible for the runners’ seeming “addiction” to running: Because they are always intensely post-euphoric, runners keep running every chance they get.

3. Improves confidence

The sense of achievement after finishing a run or completing a target distance boosts the runners’ confidence. This is especially true of people who are naturally competitive they regularly sign up for marathons and other running events. Improved confidence also comes to people who have noticeably lost weight and achieved more toned and firmer muscles through running.

4. Fights addiction

Running is conceived to be a natural tranquilizer, which is why therapists recommend it to those who are battling with their addiction. Many successful stories have been documented, saying that recovering patients use the time they would otherwise spend to satisfy their addiction in running. Through running, patients also become mentally stronger to resist the urge of alcohol, drugs, or anything they feel addicted to.

5. Develops mental alertness and focus

Because running keeps the mind on the “now,” the mind is trained to focus and concentrate. Running also relieves mental fatigue, sharpens memory, and improves overall mental stamina. Runners, in effect, are found to have better problem-solving skills and are more mentally alert than before.

6. Relieves depression

Running is found successful in treating clinical depression. The act of running, according to therapists, serves as a psychotherapy, which gives the patients their own space to heal and connect with their selves better. They also say it is a good distraction from all depressing things. Other than depression, physicians also find running an effective therapy for people with other types of psychological disorders.

7. Enhances coordination

The coordination of mind and body is improved with regular running. Whether running on a flat, paved surface or on an uneven trail, the mind is trained to harmoniously work with the body to prevent stumbling and tripping over. Like the other psychological benefits of running, better mind-body coordination is important in daily activities.

 

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.

 

How To Stay Motivated With Running

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As one ignorant non-runner said, running is boring, exhausting, and sometimes painful. Yet today, running is one of the most popular individual sports in the world, counting millions and millions of followers.

This number does not even include yet those who are engaged into serious competitive running. How do they keep themselves motivated and stay at that?

running

Loss of motivation

Because it is a solitary performance at most, running sometimes CAN be boring, exhausting and painful. Some runners (newcomers and veterans alike) declare that it can be difficult sometimes to stay motivated on a regular basis.

Loss of motivation is triggered by many things, including boredom, muscle pains, and most of all, lack of time. Some other times in your running years you were probably attacked by lack of motivation.

It starts out slow (skipping a run or two) and without your knowing it, gradually moves to a point where you notice you are not running regularly anymore.

Goals

One of the better ways to fight loss of motivation is to set realistic goals. One of the more common goals to stay motivated is simply to complete a race.

Choosing your race, training for it, and finally competing in it is another good source of motivation. Your selection should depend on your personal goals. If motivation is your only goal, perhaps choosing to compete in those periodic short races is the best option.

Setting realistic goals is the easiest way for a runner’s motivation to stay up and intense enough.

Of course, you can always choose your favorite distance (5K or 10K or a marathon). The choice itself, the thought, and the actual preparations and the competition proper are enough factors to keep you busy (training) and motivated (prestige and awards) enough.

Other runners are motivated by setting bigger goals to their training (if competing) or in just plain running. They set up faster times, or longer distances as their next goals.

Naturally, they will not get it right the first time. The attempts of bettering them are very good motivators.

Variations

Runners can also stay motivated by adding some variety into their program. They can vary the courses (and terrain) they are running (jogging across the woods or the tracks), distance, speed and intensity (doing sprints in straight tracks and jogging in curves) among other things.

Running with a friend (in twos or threes) can sometimes perk up an otherwise monotonous activity. Thinking of someone going with you on a run can sometimes be a very good motivation to do it. Working alone makes staying in bed in a cold morning seems extremely tempting.

Off times

Occasionally, runners have to take some time off from running. This may look counter-intuitive but it is effective.

One way is doing some cross-training which can also help you stay in shape other than running. (This is aside from the fact that you DID take some time off from running.)

Add to your workout schedule a week for every two months perhaps of not running at all but doing another physical activity of your choice. The break from running makes you feel recharged and raring to go back running.

 

Running For Weight Loss: Six Facts You Should Know

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Because of the intense physical demands, running is proven to be an effective way to lose weight. And to some people, losing weight is their primary reason for sticking to a running program.

But to effectively shed pounds, it is important to know a few facts about running for weight loss.

running

  1. Running replaces body fats with muscle tissues. The latter, however, are denser and heavier than fats. Therefore, a few weeks into your running workout, you will discover that you don’t drop pounds, you actually gain weight. It’s okay. This only means that your running is working effectively. With continuous efforts, you will eventually lose the excess pounds.

  2. Running is an efficient calorie-burner. In a study, it is reported that people who underwent a planned exercise burned 2,800 calories a week and dropped 30 pounds. On average, a 150-pound individual burns 100 calories per mile, and if a runner is committed to running five miles per day, he can lose more or less 500 calories daily, and 2,500 after five workouts a week. And that would mean a significant loss. But take note that caloric expenditure varies depending on body weight. A 110-pound runner may lose 80 calories per mile; a 200-pound may burn 150. Also it is important to remember that as the weight drops, the amount of calories to burn likewise drops.

  3. Losing weight is all about burning more calories than you consume. Therefore, there is something to be said about watching what you eat. Remember that to lose a pound, you need to burn 3,600 calories, so stay away from foods that would give you higher calories than that. While you are on your running regimen, cut down on coffee, alcohol, chocolates, fast foods, and junk foods. You should instead consume more carbohydrates.

  4. Running is effective if done regularly. If you are serious about losing weight, you need to commit to a regular running schedule and stick to it. One thing you need to keep in mind: running several days a week is more effective than one-day running, regardless of the length of time. Though daily running is ideal for losing weight, three or four days can meet the goal.

  5. Intense running, or running at a fast pace, is effective in weight reduction. It has always been believed that slow running ushers you in the fat-burning zone. That, however, is negated by recent researches. According to studies, intense running in fact burns more calories. But because it is likely to be more injurious, intense running is best done for shorter periods and should be scheduled, at the most, twice a week.

  6. Running program needs to be modified to achieve the desired weight. You have to understand that the body gets used to the hard work overtime, becomes efficient, and therefore burns fewer calories. The body, in effect, stops losing weight. To achieve your desired weight, you need to incorporate changes in your regimen from time to time. Three things you can do: run at a higher speed, increase the distance, or run for longer periods. Remember, running for weight loss can be a little tricky, but if you stay attuned to your body, it becomes fairly manageable.