Do You Have A Fitness Battle Plan?
In fitness, as in war, you want to be on the offensive, not the defensive and this means that rather than reacting to maladies as they occur, far better to be in good general physical condition; preventive maintenance is preferable to remedial effort every time. One general rule of thumb I use is energy is the basic coin of the fitness realm and without it is damned difficult to mount any kind of serious fitness effort.
To obtain energy to power through workouts is the first order of business: if you are tired all the time, exhausted by life and unable to get it together physically or psychologically, I would suggest two immediate lifestyle changes -- cut back on the amount of food and begin walking every morning. Overeating is an energy-sapping culprit. Too many calories, particularly the wrong kind, the type that cause insulin to spike or the type of nutrient that converts easily to body fat, will drain energy faster then leaving the car door open all night and keeping the lights on. Early morning walking, particularly done out of doors, is invigorating. Plus early AM power walking elevates the basal metabolic rate. The rate at which the body oxidizes calories is kicked up by cardio in general and most particularly by cardio done on an empty stomach.
Another trick of the trade is to have a cup of coffee or a caffeine-laced tea before the cardio walk. Caffeine on an empty stomach taken in combination with exercise accelerates the mobilization of trans-fatty acids. After an all-night sleep/fast the body is low on glycogen, the emulsified form of carbohydrate, when aerobic activity is performed the body will burned stored body fat to fuel the cardio activity. If you ever travel to a hardcore bodybuilding gym early in the morning you'll see all the hulking bodybuilders performing cardio. They are there to take advantage of this particular physiological anomaly and burn off body fat via pre-breakfast cardio.
In addition, hitting an aerobic-style exercise session before breakfast elevates to metabolism for hours after the conclusion of the session and elevating the heart rate in a systematic fashion improves heart and lung functionality and food digestion. Perhaps the strongest rationale for early morning cardio is that by doing it 1st thing it GETS DONE! Life has a way of throwing obstacles galore in our path as the day's events unfold and by hitting a walk around the neighborhood 1st thing, daily events and cumulative fatigue will not derail the session. Start with a comfortable walk at a comfortable pace and add one minute per session. If you power walk five times a week and start off with a 10-minute session, at the end of a month the session will be up to 30-minutes.
At that point, 30 minutes five times weekly, keep the frequency and the duration and consciously seek to increase the intensity, i.e. walk faster. This creeping incrementalism eases you into the game. In conjunction with the walking, cut back on the caloric intake. After calories are reduced, clean up the food selection. Again all this flows together in a loose momentum building effort. More walking, early morning walking, fewer calories, better selection?your energy will skyrocket and the effort will unfold in a sane rational fashion. After a month or two, add in some progressive resistance training and you'll be shot from a proverbial fitness cannon. The nice summer weather makes early outdoor walking a joyful experience and when we truly enjoy an activity we seek to repeat it -- this melding of enthusiasm with exercise is the long-term secret to fitness success.
Marty Gallagher is a former fitness columnist for washingtonpost.com. He is also a former national and world champion powerlifter. Marty's articles have been featured in Muscle Media, Muscle & Fitness, and Powerlifting USA magazines. His website, http://www.martygallagher.com, assimilates years of accumulated knowledge from the athletic elite and makes them accessible to the common person. The "Purposeful Primitive" way has been proven effective time after time after time for weight loss, increasing muscle tone, and complete physical transformation.
Latest News
 Oneindia | Exercise, sleep help women fight cancer WRAL.com, NC - I started swimming, and I exercise five times a week," Nemcheck said. Through her cancer battle, Nemcheck said she learned that exercise and sleep are keys ... Weight-Bearing Exercise Throughout Pregnancy Boosts Heart Health Women Who Lack Sleep Face Increased Cancer Risk Why You Need to Exercise, Sleep Well, and Brush Your Teeth |
Exercise Keeps the Brain Young U.S. News & World Report, DC - 21 (HealthDay News) -- In experiments in mice, exercise appears to reverse the decline in the production of brain stem cells usually seen with aging, ... |
 Telegraph.co.uk | Water aerobics help delivery go swimmingly Los Angeles Times, CA - Although more and more doctors recommend moderate exercise during pregnancy, studies have shown that expectant mothers usually fall short when it comes to ... Exercise 'helps women in labour' Aquarobics May Help Ease Labor Aquarobics 'eases birth pain' |
 Food Consumer | Exercise, sleep prevent cancer - studies Food Consumer, IL - By David Liu Ph.D. Saturday Nov 22, 20008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Exercise reduces a woman's cancer risk while insufficient sleep offsets the protective ... Latin Women More Likely to Be Unhappy With Breast Cancer Treatment ... |
4 Simple Steps to Start the Exercise Habit Planet Thrive, NY - by Leo Babauta I have to admit that I have my ups and downs with the exercise habit. So I know that it's not the easiest habit for most people, ... |
Health Department Sets Record For Mass Dispensing Flu Exercise Today's THV, AR - The Arkansas Department of Health set a new record for its Mass Dispensing Flu Exercise and immunized 123172 Arkansans against influenza last week. ... |
Exercise pays dividends for older adults Indianapolis Star, United States - But mostly we want to be fit and healthy to avoid diseases that are associated with poor diet and lack of exercise. Studies have shown that lack of exercise ... |
Exercise caution to prevent hunting mishaps Wausau Daily Herald, WI - Deer hunting season is here. Look in the woods and among the bare trees and falling leaves and you are likely to see a tree stand. ... |
Navy, Air Force link up for training exercise at Misawa Stars and Stripes, DC - "I’ve been involved in a lot of drills and exercises," the equipment operator said in a Navy news release, "but I’d never seen anything like this before. ... |
David S. Goldstein: The Exercise Corner: It's all technique! Norwich Bulletin, CT - Although there were plenty outlandish and ridiculous, but always thoroughly entertaining segments, there was one that stood out among the exercise genre. ... |
Resources
-
Golf Fitness Book - Golf Exercise Guide - Golf Training Workouts
Golf fitness Exercise training book providing golf workouts,golf stretches,golf exercises and golf swing tips to improve golf swing.
-
The Five Tibetan Rites: Chet Day's Annotated Version of Peter Kelder's Classic Tibetan Rejuvenation
The Five Rites: Chet Day presents an Annotated Version of Peter Kelder
-
Index
Lose 10lbs in just 10 days without starving, pills or complicated Exercise routines.
-
Building Muscle - The Truth
Top muscle building program available. Learn the truth about building muscle from a muscle gain expert.
-
Pilates Exercise Book, Instructions
Pilates Book, Pilates Download, Pilates Workouts and Pilates Instruction
-
Recreating Menstruation - PMS Symptoms Can Be Eliminated!
Gives women who suffer from PMS and other menstruation problems a simple Exercise they can do that will ELIMINATE their symptoms. Described in detail in the book,
-
Creatine: A practical guide.
Explode muscle growth with smart creatine use while avoiding adverse consequences
-
Melt The Fat - An Interactive Step-by-Step Exercise, Nutrition & Health Program
Melt the Fat & Gain a Life- A Total Life Makeover In 1 Complete & Interactive Program. Personal Trainer & Nutritionist Explains It All In Total Detail. Walk Away With A Fitness Routine & Eating Plan
-
Health-E-Meals.com - Quick and Healthy Recipes, Snacks, Fitness Tips, Motivation, Links.
Healthy Solutions for Your Busy Life. Health-E-Meals.com offers a free healthy cooking newsletter as well as other practical resources for making healthy living, eating and Exercise a part of your busy life.
-
Home Gym Shopping Secrets
Home Gym Shopping Secrets