Tag Archives: resistance training

Resistance Training is Best Defense Against Type 2 Diabetes

obtaining a drop of blood

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, engaging in some form of physical activity every day may serve as the most effective way to lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, as well as the most important step in managing the disease in those that have already been diagnosed.

A 2024 study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that about 12.3% of U.S. adults have diabetes, most of whom are Type 2. Type 2 diabetes is recognized as elevated levels of blood glucose due to reduced insulin sensitivity resulting from a poor diet with excess carbohydrates and a lack of exercise. Type 2 diabetes can cause nerve damage, blindness, heart attack and stroke, among many other issues.

“With Type 2 diabetes, your body can no longer make or use insulin, the hormone which helps the body regulate glucose levels,” Dr. Sheri Colberg, a professor of human movement sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., specializing in exercise as it relates to diabetes told the WSJ.

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Posted on April 18, 2024 by Mariah Edwards-Heflin

5 Ways to Send Your Metabolism into Overdrive

Real fitness and weight loss results come from hard work. There are no short cuts when it comes to lasting results. They come from consistently hitting the gym and eating clean.

But what if I told you there are some simple things you can do to make sure you get the most out of your efforts?

Maximizing your healthy habits and boosting your metabolism naturally is easier to do than you think. It comes from making sure your metabolism (the sum total of the chemical reactions taking place in your body every day) is functioning optimally. These five tips will help keep your metabolism humming along and help maximize your hard work.

water

Drink a minimum of 64 oz. water daily. Being dehydrated doesn’t just impact athletic performance; it impairs the body’s ability to do many critical functions. Water works as a mineral source, temperature regulator, transporter, lubricant and a catalyst. Since almost every reaction in the body, including fat burning, needs water to happen your metabolism will slow down without proper hydration. (more…)

Posted on May 29, 2024 by Pamela

Kelly Sand Lost 59 Pounds by Kickboxing and Dropping the Cheat Day

I’ve never met Kelly Sand in real life, but she seems like the kind of person who would be the first to give you a hug if you were down and make you a batch of tasty, low-fat cookies for your birthday. Kelly is an exuberant champion for weight loss and a health-conscious lifestyle, though she admits it was a long time coming.

Kelly Sand Collage

Kelly remembers being aware of her weight when she was in middle school and was no longer able to share clothes with her smaller twin sister. She attributes the weight gain to simply being unaware of “how” to eat correctly. “I don’t think I ever really got a handle on my portions,” she explained. “I don’t think I stopped eating when I felt full. It wasn’t anything emotional; it just was there so I ate it and more than I probably should have.”

Later, an influx of new-ness into her life including marriage, the move to a new city, and a new job caused her to be depressed and withdrawn. Due to the lack of activity and poor diet choices, her weight crept even higher. While looking at Christmas pictures where she was sure she was, “sucking it in,” she realized that her current weight of 255 pounds could no longer be hidden. She had to get serious and make changes.

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Posted on November 16, 2024 by Dani Stone

‘Eat More, Exercise Less’ is Jonathan Bailor’s Mantra in The Smarter Science of Slim

“Long-term health and fitness is about the quality of food we eat and exercise we get, not the quantity.” This is how Jonathan Bailor sums up the research found in his new book, “The Smarter Science of Slim. Scientific Proof. Fat Loss Facts!” The book is full of research that points to so many flaws in our current beliefs on dieting and exercise. It’s research that men and women around the country have been relying on to help them finally breakthrough their weight loss; it’s also been assisting former Biggest Loser contestants after they leave the infamous ranch.

A catchy line throughout the book and the press info regarding the book is “eat more, exercise less.” It isn’t a catchy marketing line for Bailor to sell a diet pill, a weight loss device, or even a plan, it sums up the science and research he presents in the book.

Bailor explained that the science in his book is “shockingly different from marketing and common dieting myths.” It shows that the key to long-term fat loss and improved health is in the consumption of satisfying, unaggressive, nutritious foods like water-, fiber- and protein-rich non-starchy vegetables, nutrient-dense proteins, and whole food natural fats. When we eat this way, he explains that we’re too full for dry, low-fiber, and protein-poor starches and sweets, like bread, candy, cake, soda, and juice. (more…)

Posted on August 20, 2024 by Lacy

Bachelorette Emily Maynard Stays in Shape By Being a Mom

Bachelorette season 8 has got America talking about southern sweetheart and bachelorette Emily Maynard.

If you don’t know Emily’s heart-touching story, about six years ago Emily was engaged to a race car driver and the love of her life, Ricky Hendrick. But just six months after their engagement, he passed away in a tragic plane crash. Days after Ricky’s death, Emily found out she was pregnant with his child. Emily named her now six-year-old daughter Josephine Reddick “Ricki” Henrick.

Four years after the death of Ricki’s father, Emily jumped back into the dating world and appeared on season 15 of The Bachelor. She turned out to be the winner on the show by winning over bachelor Brad Womack’s heart. Although the couple got engaged on the season finale, they eventually called off the wedding due to a number of reasons. But now, Emily’s back to find true love as Bachelorette Season 8’s woman to win over. (more…)

Posted on July 21, 2024 by Danielle

Miss USA 2024 Stays Fit with Zumba and a Small Meal Diet

As millions watched on Sunday evening, the new Miss USA was officially crowned. Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island managed to beat out her 50 other competitors by stunning judges with her charm, enchanting looks and bubbly personality.

The new Miss USA is an Italian beauty who comes from a big family, and says she spent her summers at band camp where she played the cello for nearly 13 years.

Culpo’s deep love of music, that’s also shared by her parents, led her to perform at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Culpo admitted that she wasn’t always the beauty queen type and that as a child she was a bit on the chubby side. Although she naturally blossomed after a growth spurt later in life, she credits her now-toned 5-foot-7 physique to much discipline and dedication to her diet and fitness regimen. (more…)

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Dana

3 Tips for a Sharper Mind and Sculpted Body

Michael Gonzalez-Wallace is the author of Super Body, Super Brain. You can read more from him at www.superbodysuperbrain.com or pick up his book Super Body, Super Brain.

Use it or lose it.

If we don’t use our muscles, they will wither in atrophy and if we don’t use our brain, our brain will shrink. If the brain is not used, different brain areas will slow down leading to a faster decline in cognitive abilities such as multitasking, learning, memory or movement. A study from Harvard University concluded that lack of brain activity between different areas of the brain means faster aging.

However, what if I told you that is possible to be faster mentally or in better physical shape now than you were 5 or 10 years ago? For the last 10 years, we have being seeing a brilliant phenomena called brain plasticity. Brain plasticity is the brain’s capacity to rewire or regenerate itself, and the key is stimulation. Anytime you stimulate the brain, you are strengthening existing connections and creating new powerful networks. In other words, you are strengthening your brain like a muscle.

According to Dr John Ratey Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard University, exercise is the ultimate way to improve brain plasticity. Nice! But plasticity doesn’t only affect our brains- but affects our muscles as well. Muscle fiber plasticity refers to the capacity of our muscles to change shape, form and structure and there is no age limit, you just need to be consistent with a resistance training program.

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Posted on August 4, 2024 by GuestBlogger

Reebok EasyTone Launches New Clothing Line

Image via Reebok.com

Reebok may just be trailblazing a new era in women’s fitness fashion – clothing that looks good and inspires you to move with more intention.

Reebok EasyTone is best known for their their line of toning shoes, which are specially designed to tone a woman’s rear, calves and thigh muscles and improve posture.

Just recently, the fitness giant launched a new line of women’s fitness apparel that features the same toning capabilities as its super popular, bum-slimming shoes.

According to Reebok, “the new EasyTone Apparel Collection is an innovative performance line that uses Resistone bands to create resistance as you move. Designed to tone and strengthen upper body muscles and improve posture and body alignment, EasyTone tops can be worn to work out or under everyday clothing.” (more…)

Posted on December 6, 2024 by heather

Benefits of Strength Training for Kids Outweigh Risk

The old school of thought for kids lifting weights was that it should be off limits, since it was an injury risk. However, recent research counters this long-held thought process, saying that school-age children and adolescents can enjoy the benefits of strength training.

Experts say that the benefits of decreased body fat, increased bone density, and improved sports performance with limiting injury risk in those sports all generally outweighed any risks. And, it’s not just about lifting weights. Kids can do strength training using exercise machines, elastic bands or body resistance.

“Since resistance training in children and adolescents is known to be safe and to be associated with several health benefits, children and adolescents should be generally encouraged to participate in a resistance-training program,” said Michael Behringer from the German Sport University Cologne. (more…)

Posted on October 28, 2024 by Jason

A Beginner’s Guide to Resistance Training

resistance trainingOne of the first steps to getting into shape is setting up a resistance training program to go alongside your cardiovascular program. Resistance training is defined as a specialized method of training that improves and increases muscular endurance. Machine weights, cables, free weights, and resistance bands are among the few specialized types of training.

  • Machine weights are a great way to start due to the controlled movements of the machine. All you really need to worry about is how much weight and how many repetitions.
  • Cables are a little bit tougher than machine weights because your movements are not controlled, thus allowing the body to be susceptible to injury if not performed correctly. Cables offer hundreds upon hundreds of different exercises for every muscle group of the body. I use cables for a huge portion of my personal workouts as well. (more…)
Posted on January 25, 2024 by Matt

Best Ankle Weights Workout

As I was walking to work the other morning, a lady with ankle weights and dumbbells in her hands power-walked right on by me.ankle weights

First off, this added resistance during aerobic activity strains the joints and can cause injury to the ligaments and tendons. Secondly, it just silly.

So, if you are guilty of this, please do your joints and your body a favor by hitting regular non-weight/resistance bearing cardio followed up by your weight training. (more…)

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Matt