10 Healthy Benefits of Daily Exercise

Many of us start off the new year with the best of intentions, but by February, our exercise goals for the year have often fallen by the wayside. Often this is due to setting unrealistic expectations about how quickly you will get fit or lose weight. After all, if you have been out of shape for years, it is probably not a very realistic goal to expect to be fit in 30 days! Instead, the way to keep your resolutions and continue to grow healthier and more fit is to commit to small, daily actions.

You probably know that proper nutrition and regular exercise can lead to an overall healthy body, inside and out. But how, specifically, does exercise benefit the human body? There are literally hundreds of advantages to daily exercise - far too many to list here. However, the following 10 benefits of staying active on a daily basis should provide enough motivation for you to make a commitment to exercise more frequently throughout the year.

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1 – Exercise Can Help You Control Your Body Weight – If you are trying to lose weight, exercise can help. Once you reach your ideal body weight, exercise on a daily basis helps you stay there.

2 – Exercise Creates Natural Energy – The oxygen and nutrients delivered by regular exercise keep your heart and respiratory system working properly. This releases natural energy stores which allow you to go all day long without tiring.

3 – You Sleep Better When You Exercise Regularly – Daily exercise, especially in the morning, leads to deep, healthy sleep patterns. You fall asleep quicker and stay asleep longer.

4 – Exercise Promotes a Healthy Sex Life - Regular physical activity leaves you energized, feeling and looking better. Exercise has been linked to a lower rate of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men, and actually enhances arousal in women.

5 – Exercise Is a Great Way to Meet People - As a healthy social activity, exercise is tough to beat. You get to meet and spend time with people who value exercise just like you do, and those partnerships can offer motivation on the days when you just don't feel like working out at all.

6 – Daily Exercise Reduces Your Risk of Heart Disease – Daily physical activity promotes the presence of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good" cholesterol. It also decreases your level of triglycerides. This combination lowers your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

7 – You Become More Productive in Everything You Do – Your increased energy and boosted mental function that come from regular exercise can positively impact every area of your life - from your job, to your relationships, and more!

8 – You Smoke and Drink Less – People that exercise regularly attend to cut back on the amount of tobacco they smoke, sometimes quitting altogether. The same is true with drinking adult beverages, whether your favorite poison is beer, wine or alcohol.

9 – You Learn to Prioritize What Is Important – Daily exercise means making a plan, and sticking to that schedule. This constant habit of prioritizing what is important to you can benefit your business and personal relationships as well as your physical fitness.

10 – Exercising Boosts Your Mood – A simple brisk 30 minute walk can help fight stress and anxiety. "Feel good" hormones are released any time you exercise, and lead to a calm, controlled feeling of wellness.

It would be hard to find any other single habit that can increase your health and well-being as much as exercise. If you're looking for some fun ways to incorporate more exercise into your life, be sure to check back every here Thursday for a new, fast, fun workout that will help you reap all of these benefits, without spending hours at the gym!

4 Reasons Why You May Need A Break From Exercise

If you've been working hard along with us to keep fit this holiday season, maybe it's time for a break! You've worked hard, but it is possible to overdo it, and it's okay to take a rest from your exercise routine once in a while.

Other than just needing a short rest, there are actually lot of reasons why you may need to take a break from exercise. If any of the following scenarios sound familiar to you, you might want to take a chill pill and slow down your physical fitness efforts.

You Are Overdoing It

You started to see some results, so you began exercising more frequently. More results appear, so now you are working out intensely every single day. Hey, it's great you are getting some results. But if you overwork your body, it will fail you.

That means that while you are recuperating, many of the results you achieved are lost. Scale back if you think you might be overdoing it with your exercise efforts. You only need 3 to 5 sessions of moderate to intense physical activity each week to enjoy the healthy benefits exercise offers.

You Are Becoming a Perfectionist

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If you spend a lot of time obsessing in front of a mirror about your physically fit body, you may need to dial back the exercise-ometer. Some people become way too laser focused on building the "perfect" body. Exercising and working out should be about physical and mental health, and not pushing each and every muscle on your body to a level of perfection that continues to seem just out of reach.

You Always Feel Sore

Anytime you exert physical force on your body, you tear your muscles. This is a natural reaction, and when you supply your body with proper nutrition, your muscles actually heal and grow back stronger than before. This is how you notice muscles building on your body after several sessions of exercise.

It is also natural to feel a little sore after you have played some intense sports or lifted some weights. However, it is unnatural to feel sore all over your body, day and night. If you constantly suffer aches and pains long after your physical fitness routine is over, you may be exercising too much.

You Develop an Unnaturally Short Fuse and Temper

Are your friends and family members constantly complaining about your temper? Do you lash out verbally at the people you love, sometimes for no reason at all? It could be because your natural cortisol levels are spiking.

Exercise produces cortisol. That "stress hormone" can cause you to become anxious and anything but relaxed. Excessive exercise can naturally lead to heightened anxiety, where you strike out at others in a sense of frustration because your body and mind are stressed out from not enough down time.

Keep in mind though, that this can also be a symptom of not exercising enough! Exercise can be a great stress-reliever that can actually make you happier and less short-tempered. You probably know whether exercising too much, or not enough, applies to you, but if you're an exercise-a-holic, this is a symptom to keep an eye out for.

Now, it's time for the holidays, so let's take a break this week, relax, and enjoy your Christmas!

We'll be back next week with some tips on setting healthy exercise resolutions for 2016, plus a great, fun, workout to kick off the New Year!

3 Weight-Loss Tips To Get The Body You Want

While not everyone has the time or the desire to go to the gym five times per week, there are many common weight-loss tips that anyone can follow to lead a healthier lifestyle - and build a healthier, leaner body.

When you combine the right eating habits with an active lifestyle, you will be on the path to getting the body you want.

Here are some of the easiest weight-loss tips that you can do on a daily basis:

1. Cut your calorie intake where you can

You can reduce your daily calorie intake by 10 – 15% simply by including more fruits and vegetables in your diet. The great thing about this is, you can eat as much as you want of these, and still cut calories! 

Some examples of healthy foods to include in your diet every day are: 

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* Broccoli
* Carrots
* Any green leafy vegetables
* Green beans
* Tomatoes
* Cucumbers
* Watermelon
* Apples
* Peaches
* Any kind of berry
* Fresh squeezed vegetable juices

Cut out processed foods, and include real, whole foods like fresh fruits and veggies, and your body will respond with better health and healthy fat loss!

2. Change your eating habits

There are several things you can do, which will reduce how much you eat.  You may not even realize how making these changes can have a significant impact.  Here are some of these changes that you can implement:

* Drink water before a meal –
While drinking a generous amount of water is always a good thing for promoting a healthy lifestyle and weight loss, having a glass before a meal will make you feel fuller before your meal begins.  As a result, you will eat less at your main course.

* Enjoy your meal by eating it slowly –
If you eat quickly, you are likely to eat more as your stomach has not yet told your brain that it has had enough.  Taking your time will give your body time to tell you that it has had enough to eat. If you're a foodie, check out the Slow Food Movement for inspiration!

* Eat spicy foods –
Spicy foods do two things.  First, they increase your metabolism, which allows you to burn more calories.  Second, because they're spicy, you'll eat more slowly, and drink more water.

* Eat a hearty breakfast and lunch, while having a lighter dinner –
Eat a breakfast that is balanced with protein and complex carbohydrates, such as muesli.  This will keep you feeling full longer.  Repeating this at lunch, will mean that you will not need to eat as much at dinnertime.  You also want to try to consume the bulk of your daily calories by the early afternoon.

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3. Incorporate activity as part of your daily life

Aside from your eating habits, the activities you do can help to shape your body.

Avoid using the word, "exercise," as it sounds like a chore.  So if you're going for a bike ride, instead think of it as a "nature outing."

Treat everything you do as a way of burning calories.  Parking a little farther from the store will allow you to do more walking.  Skip the elevators, and opt for the stairs whenever possible.  Walk or bike to the store instead of driving there.

What are some other things that you can do to lose weight?

Although not directly related to weight loss, here are a couple of other things that can impact weight loss:

* Keep yourself busy –
People will often overeat when they are bored, simply because they have nothing else to do.  So be sure to do something that will keep your brain busy.

* Get adequate sleep and a nap -
Sometimes your body will feel hungry when, in fact, all it wants is a twenty-minute rest.  Try having a nap, and you will likely find that you are not hungry when you wake up.

In conclusion, you do not have to be a gym rat to make changes that will benefit your overall health.  Following these weight-loss tips will jumpstart you on the road to success.

3 Mind-Body Exercises That Benefit Your Heart

One of the best ways to ensure good heart health is to engage in exercises that focus on the mind and the body. Most of us think that a good physical health is the only indicator of a healthy heart. However, research shows that our mood, stress levels and general outlook in life have major effects not only on the body but the heart as well. Simply put, preventing heart disease requires you to exercise regularly, make smarter food choices and engage in activities that reduce stress.

Here are 3 mind-body exercises that can improve heart health:

Yoga (Photo credit: natalielucier)

1.) Yoga- Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Aniston, Adam Levine and Michelle Williams are all hooked on yoga for a good reason. This practice relaxes the mind and body by using different disciplines, poses and breathing techniques. One of the key goals of yoga is to help a person achieve a state of peacefulness. Practicing yoga regularly can help you manage stress and anxiety effectively.

People who lived in the ancient times used yoga to improve their tranquility and spiritual insight. Today, people are also seeing its other benefits to one's health. According to some studies, yoga can help lower blood pressure, increase lung capacity, promote blood circulation and improve respiratory function and heart health.

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2.) Pilates- this form of exercise was developed by Joseph Pilates. His desire to overcome physical limitations through physical fitness gave birth to the concept of Pilates- leave the body invigorated rather than drained of energy. The main objective of this discipline is to balance flexibility and strength. It focuses on uniting the mind, body and spirit through natural movements.

Unlike traditional cardiac rehabilitation programs, the exercises involved in Pilates significantly improve functional capacity in patients with heart failure according to some studies. A 16-week study was conducted to prove the effectiveness of Pilates in improving heart health. Patients with heart failure did Pilates in combination with 30 minutes of aerobic exercises. The result was lowered resting heart rate and improved oxygen levels in the blood.

Tai Chi (Photo credit: Nney)

3.) Tai Chi- this exercise is also known as moving meditation. It combines slow, controlled movements with mental concentration to help you focus. Tai Chi challenges the body and it improves life energy flow. Research suggests that this form of exercise can improve heart function. It can also lower blood pressure and stress levels.

Tai Chi is perfect for those who are looking for a low-impact exercise that do not put a lot of stress to the muscles and joints. It is generally safe for all ages and fitness levels. You do not need any equipment to practice Tai Chi and you can be indoors or outdoors.

These three types of exercise provide great benefits for both the mind and the body - both of which promote overall health and a strong, healthy heart. Plus they are a lot of fun, and make you feel great!

Balance Your Life & Get Fit With Yoga

After a surge of interest during the consciousness-conscious '60s, yoga began to fall out of favor. Exercisers apparently lost patience with the activity, which offers slow but steady results, and turned to the fast pace and quick shape-up of aerobics. Now yoga is back - but less mystical than in the past, less reminiscent of gurus in pretzel positions, and more attractive than ever to people who are interested in working out rather than working toward some spiritual goal (although there are certainly many forms of yoga that can help with that as well).

People in various yoga asanas.  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Once you step out of the metaphysical, yoga is a great stretch and flexibility program. Yoga is increasingly being used by those who are having a trouble in balancing their work and personal life. A stressful working environment and a hectic schedule has an unhealthy impact on the personal lives of modern day executives and so many are turning to yoga to bring about peace of mind and a better work-life balance.

Also, many disgruntled runners, weight trainers and aerobic dancers complain that instead of reducing the stress in their lives, their exercise regimes add more.

People rush to work out every day at lunch, force themselves to keep up and then rush back to work. Although being active in just about any form has health benefits, in some ways these forced, fast-paced workouts are somewhat counterproductive. Yoga is less competitive, less stressful, and above all gives a wonderful feeling of well being.

Indeed, the healing aspects of yoga are key to its renewed popularity. The strained knees, aching backs and neck pains generated by the push for fitness and the stress of making it in a competitive world have inspired many to turn to yoga instead. Some orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors and neurologists are now referring patients to specific yogis during treatment.

Growing interest in the mind-body connection is fueling a major comeback of the ancient practice, boosted by research suggesting yoga can reduce stress and blood pressure, improve work performance, and even slow the effects of aging.

Several yoga techniques are now being taught in mainstream hospitals and businesses; books about them are brisk sellers and many discussion groups have sprung up on the Internet.

US Army 52844 Soldiers learn to connect mind, body, soul through breathing (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Even the Army is interested - it has asked the National Academy of Sciences to study meditation, yoga, and other new age techniques that might enhance soldiers' performance.

Details differ, but a common theme is relaxing the body while keeping the mind alert and focused - on an object, sound, breath or body movement. If the mind wanders - and it always does - you gently bring it back and start again. Yoga exercises include holding and/or moving through postures that tone and strengthen muscles throughout the entire body, while increasing flexibility and range of motion.

Stress-related problems and musculo-skeletal pain account for 60% to 90% of U.S. doctor visits, and mind-body approaches often are more effective, and cost-effective, than drugs or surgery. For example, in one study of people starting a regular yoga practice, 34% of infertile patients got pregnant within six months, 70% of insomniacs became regular sleepers, and doctor visits for pain are reduced by 36%.

Yoga can be a great addition to your exercise regimen, and can help balance your life in many different ways, which is of utmost importance in living a healthy, holistic lifestyle.

Visit our website for more on holistic living: http://www.newholisticliving.com/.

Weight Loss Stalled? Don’t Give Up

For most Americans, their New Year’s resolution list includes “lose weight”. Whether you have a little or a lot to shed, it’s important to stay motivated. Some people give up a few months into the year, but for those die-hard fans of a better body, you keep at it day after day waiting for the first glimpse of change.

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When it happens, not only do you notice, but so do family, friends, and co-workers. This reinforcement along with the dropping numbers on the scale, spur you on to victory.

Then, one day, the numbers stop falling. You are still thirty pounds from your goal and the scale refuses to budge. What should you do?

One thing you definitely should NOT do is give up. Look at it this way: You aren’t losing weight, but you aren’t gaining weight either. Plateaus are experienced several times over the course of a weight loss program. In the beginning, weight loss is steady because it’s new to the body. Your increased metabolism and decreased caloric intake work to shed those pounds. Water loss accounts for at least the first ten pounds of weight loss. As your body works to adjust to your physical activity, more calories are burned which translated into more weight lost. Plateaus come when the body has become accustomed to the routine. Don’t stress. Giving up will put you right back at square one.

First of all, throw out the scale (if it was expensive, just pack it away in the back of the garage). You may have heard this before, but it’s true: Muscle weighs more than fat. If weight training has been a component of your weight loss program, then as the muscle mass increases so will your weight. You may still be losing fat, but the weight of the increased muscle balances everything out. But you're still getting healthier. Increased muscle mass also means an increase in metabolism, which keeps you burning fat longer and on a more consistent basis, even when you're not working out.

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To jump off of your current plateau, examine your diet and exercise program. If your fitness routine hasn’t changed since the beginning, consider making a few changes. Try a new activity. If you’re used to aerobics five times a week, switch to the treadmill or an elliptical trainer, try Yoga, Pilates, or weight lifting. Muscles need to be challenged on a regular basis in order to grow, and switching up your routine is one of the best ways to shake your body out of that rut - plus it's more fun when you have a wider variety of activities to choose from anyway!

Also consider what you are eating. If you’ve been having a free day more than once a week you could be taking in too many calories. Go back to what you were doing at the start of the program. Keep journals for a couple of weeks to track what works for you and gets the scale moving again.

Remember, change one thing at a time. When you change something, give the change a full thirty days, and then check the results. Weight loss isn’t always easy, but it is rewarding to reach your goal, and will give you a healthier body and a healthier life.

For some tips for staying motivated and having fun with your workouts, be sure to visit this blog regularly, and also check out this website for some helpful resources: http://www.newholisticliving.com/exercise.html