Health Tips
Jazzercise can help ward off the signs of aging!
One obvious sign of aging is an increase in the fat layer. Starting at about age 35, we gain an average of a pound-and-a-half of fat each year! Why do we get fat? Fat tends to move in because muscle moves out. After age 35, we lose half-a-pound of muscle per year! Muscle is an extremely active, hungry tissue: one pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day--just to stay alive. Muscle never sleeps; even while you watch TV or take a nap, your muscles are burning calories! Lose muscle, and you burn fewer calories--which are then stored as fat. Fat really is “dead weight”: A pound of fat burns just two calories a day.
How do we keep from losing muscle? Of course... we keep Jazzercising!
Most weight loss programs fail because they require a wholesale change in lifestyle. Highly motivated individuals are tempted to bite off more than they can chew (no pun intended), and they simply can’t adhere to all the new eating and exercise habits they require of themselves.Why not try a new tactic this year? Instead of undertaking a major lifestyle overhaul all at once, tackle one or two small habits per week – or per month, if that is easier for you.
Adopt one or two of the following weight loss strategies at a time. You can revisit some of them in the weeks to come, for example adding a daily serving of fruit or vegetables or increasing the duration of your workouts, as you gradually but steadily move toward your weight loss goal.
Adopt one or two of the following weight loss strategies at a time. You can revisit some of them in the weeks to come, for example adding a daily serving of fruit or vegetables or increasing the duration of your workouts, as you gradually but steadily move toward your weight loss goal.
· Eat one more serving of fruits or vegetables a day. Not only will you add important nutrients and anti-oxidants to your diet, the extra fiber will leave you feeling satisfied for longer periods of time and the fruit or vegetable is likely to replace something less healthy on your plate.· Switch from white bread to whole wheat. Be sure whole wheat is listed in the ingredients. Enriched wheat flour is no better than white flour. Refined flours (often listed as enriched flour) enter the bloodstream more quickly and produce more rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels than whole wheat products that have a higher fiber content
· Replace one sugary soft drink per day with a serving of water or skim milk. When you do drink a soda, reduce your serving size. · Trade your mid-afternoon chips or cookies for a handful of nuts and dried fruit. Again, you’ll increase your fiber intake, and you’ll exchange saturated fats for healthier unsaturated ones. A Harvard University study also indicates that the fats from nuts aid in weight loss efforts.· Get seven to eight hours sleep every night. There's a growing body of evidence to show that sleep is instrumental to weight loss. A series of studies published in the “Journal of the American Medical Association” and the “Lancet” show that sleep loss disrupts complex and interwoven metabolic and hormonal processes, which can make weight loss far more difficult than it needs to be. · Pack your lunch and/or eat out one to two times less each week. You have much more control over the content of your meals and the portion sizes when you fix them yourself.· Shift from three large meals per day to five or six small ones. You’ll keep your hunger in check, learn to be satisfied with smaller portions, and keep your blood sugar levels on an even keel.
Slow down at mealtime. Make a conscious effort to eat more slowly and wait a longer period of time before reaching for second helpings. Chances are you’ll eat less without really trying.
Add resistance training to your week. Muscle burns calories, so strength training is a great way to boost your metabolism. Start slowly with one 15- to 30-minute workout per week, eventually building to two. Try lifting weights, attending a Pilates class or doing traditional calisthenics with a resistance tube or stability ball.
Jazzercise 2 to 3 times per week, cut your calories intake, eat healthy, live long.
IMPROVE YOUR OUTLOOK!
Don't be so quick to blame your exhaustion on something physical: It could be your emotions.
To feel energetic you need to eat healthfully, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. But what if you've done all those things, and you're still not performing at your peak? Your emotions may be to blame. According to a survey of endocrinologists, nutritionists and specialists in sports medicine conducted at The Chestnut Hill Institute, a center for research and psychotherapy in Boston, at least 70 percent of our perceived energy is attributable to our emotional state.
Here's an example of how emotions affect energy: You're running a race. It's the last mile. You're physically exhausted. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, your hope, desire and the sheer joy of accomplishment give you an extra boost; you pick up the pace and sail to the finish.
You've been rescued by emotional energy more often than you realize -- every time you're tired or sick but your optimism keeps you going. You've also been dragged down by emotional fatigue -- you're perfectly healthy, but worry, envy, discouragement or stress eat away at your inner resources, leaving you feeling drained. Fortunately, you have the option of managing your emotional energy. You simply need to take measures to boost it, just as you do for your physical stamina. Here's how.
Keep it new. High-energy people are always trying things they've never attempted before, even when the old and familiar patterns seem good enough. They never let themselves get stale.
action items
- Every week, add something new to your life. Try a food you've never eaten; take an alternate route to work, the store or the gym; listen to a recently released CD; read a new genre of book.
- Do something you do all the time in a different way. Are you a Jazzercise devotee? Take a class with a new friend, or get a book or video on a new activity you haven't done before.
- Once every month or two, get radical. Take up a new sport; change your hair color or cut; get away for a long weekend to a new place.
Just do it!
Benefits Of Jazzercise
·
· Less Conversion Of Sugar To Fat
· Increases Stroke Volume of Heart
· Decreases Resting Heart Rate
· Avoid Senility - Increases Oxygen Delivery To Brain
· Increased Oxygen Pickup In The Lungs
· Increases Fat Burning Enzymes
· Fat Deposits Release Fatty Acids Better
· Better Control Of Hunger
· Decreases Body Fat
· Increases Ability To Handle Stress (Biochemical)
· Increases Muscle Mass
· Easier To Exercise
· Increases Aerobic Threshold (Endurance)
· Higher Level Of Exercise Possible
· More Calories Burned
· More Fat Calories Burned
· More Calories Required At Rest
· Decreases Load On The Heart
· Decreases Muscle Dependence On Sugar
· Decreases Incidence of Hypoglycemia
BRAINPOWER!
Strengthen Your Mental Acuity with Exercise
Exercise may be as healthy for your mind as for your body. Whether you are in need of creative inspiration or interested in improving your concentration and memory, regular physical exercise can help, says Judi Sheppard Missett, founder and CEO of Jazzercise. Physical activity affects our body, mind and spirit in ways that boost brainpower
Stay Healthy
Follow a balanced diet and enjoy Jazzercise 3-4 times a week.
TIME FOR A FITNESS TUNE-UP?
After a long holiday season, chances are your nutrition and exercise plan could use a tune-up. Beginning Jan. 1, most people are looking for a fresh start to a healthier lifestyle, but the task can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, adopting subtle changes in exercise or nutrition habits can produce results – changing both will speed things along.
Simple Ways to Get Started
First, create an environment for success!
· Revamp your refrigerator and pantry, trading salty snack foods and leftover holiday cookies and candies for healthier choices such as dried fruits, nuts, low-fat yogurt, vegetables and whole grain crackers.
· Drink water instead of sugary soft drinks, specialty coffees or alcohol.
· Find a workout partner, Jazzercise or fitness facility. Any one of these options can keep you motivated and help you carve out an exercise program that feels comfortable and satisfying.
Set appropriate goals.
· Focus on health rather than weight loss. Instead of vowing to lose 20 pounds, commit to rather than the result, you’ll improve your chances of success and get the desired weight loss results as well.
· Make your goals measurable, such as making your own lunch for four weeks rather than going out to eat.
· Have an end date for each goal when you will evaluate your success and establish new objectives.
Educate yourself.
· Learn about proper portion sizes, the correct balance of foods the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, calorie content, etc.
· Keep a food and fitness diary. Not so you can reprimand yourself for slip-ups, but so that you have a realistic view of what you’re eating and how much you’re walking for 30 minutes three times a week for four to six weeks. If your goals center on the process exercising. If you include extra information, such as time of day, emotional state and environment (office vs. home; alone vs. with friends) you can also learn what triggers certain behaviors.
·How to Stay on Track
Of course, even the best intentions can get derailed. For most individuals, starting a fitness program isn’t the problem -- sticking with it is! Most setbacks are caused by life changes, including marriage, having a baby, switching jobs, or even the changing seasons. By anticipating what these changes will bring, however, you can prepare some coping strategies. BOTTOM LINE: KEEP JAZZIN
For more health tips visit the official Jazzercise site at
http://www.jazzercise.com
If you have any questions please consult your physician.