Concept of Microworkout to Bring Work-Life Balance

A microworkout is a tiny spell of exercise that lasts just 1-5 minutes. It is often spoken about in conjunction with the term “kaizen.” Kaizen is the Japanese word for “improvement,” which has been co-opted to mean “making tiny changes to a process in order to yield huge results.” The philosophy is that a small action, when repeated daily, can add up to something profound.

 

This is the concept of the microworkout. While many people attempt to start 4-hour training programs to no avail, working out for just 5 minutes a day is far more achievable. Will the results be as great? Not to begin with no, but the point is that you’ll use this as a way to form new positive habits that you can then use to introduce hardcore training.

 

Likewise, you can use microworkouts two; three, or five times a day and that way distribute your training throughout the day. The result is that you exercise a fair amount, but in a far more palatable manner. Moreover, your metabolism stays rose throughout the day, and you don’t undergo those long, unhealthy periods of uninterrupted inactivity.

 

But there’s a similar concept that is even more effective. That is to train as a part of your daily routine. In other words, you’re turning your regular activities into microworkouts. For example, that means you’ll be performing calf raises on a curb while waiting for the bus, doing curls while carrying bags, or even doing tricep dips on the couch while watching television.

 

This type of training completely solves the issue of time. You don’t have to “fit in” your exercise, because you’re doing it at the same time as something you already would have done.

 

Better yet, it takes the idea of continually exercising throughout the day even further. This is actually how the human body is evolved to train. We are not intended to go through long periods of complete inactivity.

 

But can it be as effective? That depends on your approach and your goals. For weight loss, calorie burn is calorie burn no matter how the activity is distributed. 

 

For building and toning muscle, cumulative damage over a short period of time is often needed. That said, there are quick ways to accomplish this (such as with eccentric isometrics) and by understanding these concepts you can work effective training into and around your regular routine.

 

Importance of 10 Minute Full Body Workout

Kaizen means making small changes that can add up to big improvements in your life. In fitness, that often means using small workouts that can be just as impactful, but require a whole lot less time and effort. The result? You’re far more likely to do it and to stick to it.

 

This workout will train your full body and it only takes ten minutes. And you just need a single dumbbell. So if you have a few spare, why not give it a go now? And it takes just three movements:

 

Exercise One: One Handed Dumbbell Squats

 

To start, you'll be performing 10 squats with a dumbbell hanging in front of you. Keep your arm hanging down the middle between your legs, squat directly downwards and then push up through your legs.

 

Exercise Two: Dumbbell Swing

 

Now, while still squatting, you're going to start swinging the dumbbell directly upwards. This is essentially the same as a kettlebell swing with the obvious difference being that you're using a dumbbell, not a kettlebell. The movement is excellent for your legs, for your core and for your shoulders and it's also brilliant cardio.

 

Exercise Three: Half Burpee

 

Now you're going to put your dumbbell down and perform half burpees. This means you start on all fours and then jump forward with your legs close to your hands and then out into press up position. In other words, this is a burpee without the jumping part at the end. This is another great one that involves cardio, that trains the abs and that works the pecs and upper body.

 

Completing the Workout

 

To complete this workout, you're going to perform ten repetitions on each exercise. Once you've done that, you're going to switch immediately to the other side and do another round. Then you're going to pause for fifteen seconds and go again!

 

The astute among you may have noticed that this doesn't target every muscle group. Sure, there's no bicep curl in there and nothing for your rear deltoids. However, these are highly compound movements that will have an anabolic effect. Meanwhile, the whole body is working in unison through each of the exercises. When you combine these factors, you have a workout that involves the whole body to at least some extent and which encourages growth for that reason. Sometimes you don't need to target a body part precisely in order to trigger growth – you just need to shock the whole system into action.

 

So don't rely on this workout and if you only have one dumbbell… buy another! Use this as something a bit different though and as a lesson in creating training with low resources. No excuses!

 

The Value of Setting Daily Life Routine for Weight Loss

When people want to lose weight, they will typically focus on a few “big” things. That means their diet for instance, and it means the amount they exercise. Most of us will then conclude we need to exercise a little more, and eat a little less. Thus, we end up lifting weights or running a few times a week, and eating bland fat-free meals in the evenings.

 

But very often, this doesn’t result in the kind of results that you want to see. And why is that? It comes down to the fact that you will very often miss out on what actually matters more: the details. This is the “kaizen” approach – making small changes in order to see huge results.

 

Why Workouts Often Don’t Work Out

 

Here’s the problem with going for a run or lifting weights: that is 40 minutes three or four times a week. That’s maybe 160 minutes per week.

 

There are 10,080 minutes in a week. That is a tiny splash in the ocean!

 

And if you aren’t seeing the weight loss you want to, then there is a good chance that the other aspects of your life aren’t particularly active. Maybe you sit in an office at work. Maybe you drive to and from that office. And maybe your evenings are spent sitting on the couch watching TV.

 

Either way, you aren’t really moving much. Meaning you isn’t burning many calories and your metabolism is slow.

 

Simply adding a little exercise and eating a few less calories isn’t going to result in a body transformation when your lethargy is endemic! 

 

This is where kaizen comes in: the process of focussing on the small details that add up to a LOT. For example, maybe you could start walking to and from the bus a stop further? That might only be a 6-minute walk but when you do it both ways, five times a week, it becomes 60 minutes of extra activity!

 

Likewise, you could decide to take the stairs instead of the lift, burning an extra 5 calories each time, you do. That might add up to 40 a day, and 200 per week (assuming your lift is in your office and you use it at lunch).

 

Maybe you decide to take up one physical activity in the week – like a game of ball with the dog. Maybe you choose to get up 5 minutes earlier and stretch.

 

And it’s these small changes throughout your day and week that add up. And THAT is how you see a body transformation.

 

How To Eat Healthy And Be More Successful

Eating Healthy food and having well balanced diet is one of the most important part of your life that can help you a lot in maintaining health, fitness and happiness. This is a common sentence that you might have come across many times in your life. But, how many of us realize its actual importance and incorporate a diet regime wherein we are eating right?

 

Even though we are trying hard we are not able to get it right.

 

This might be because we do not know how to eat right or we are not putting efforts in the right direction. Some of us are failing because we cannot control our mind to listen to the alarms. Yet, some of us are failing because we are not seeing the results of our efforts thus leading to depression and more bad eating habits.

 

So, how does one eat right and manage to live a life of good health and fitness?

 

Exercise Self-control to Avoid Over-Indulgence

 

Eating right can be correlated to both over eating and starvation.

 

You should not be either over eating nor should be starving yourself to death fearing gaining of weight. You should train your mind to eat right and avoid both the extremes as both can be harmful. If you are overeating, it leads to obesity and if you are starving yourself, the body might not be receiving adequate nutrition and this will lead to deleterious effects.

 

Eat Small Sized Meals

 

It is best to divide your meals correctly and eat in small proportions through the day. The ratio of eating should be correct so that the body is getting the right nutrition while it is not subject to starvation.

 

Eat Wholesome Foods

 

Whole foods are a great source of nutrients and dietary fiber which are very important for good health and fitness. So, it is best to use more of whole foods and less of processed or canned foods in your diet.

 

Avoid Junk Foods

 

Junk foods contain lots of unwanted calories that the body will tend to store as fat as this cannot be utilized by the body readily. So, even though you might have a tendency to gobble up these junk foods, it is necessary to exercise control and avoid junk to eat right.

 

Good Protein Intake and Reduced Fats

 

A good protein intake is essential for the body as this will help in the maintenance of the body and in muscle build-up and repair.

 

Watch the intake of fats and reduce fat intake although it is not good to go total zero as this too can have bad effects on health. In addition, the body should receive good intake of vitamins and minerals. So, make sure to include foods that are rich in these to meet the requirements of the body.

 

It is not easy to plan to eat right. One should have the determination to eat right and stick with it. Unless you do this, no matter what you try in terms of achieving fitness, you will fail.

 

4 Easy Ways to Stop Food Cravings

Cakes, cookies and chocolates are simply lovely, don't you think so? Those sweet tasting junk foods taste so great; they have you on a natural high. However, when you consume sweets, you’re feeling of elation isn't the only thing that's high, so is your blood glucose. When you feed into your cravings and savor those decadent sweets, your blood glucose goes off the charts which may leave you feeling tired, sluggish, and out of energy. If you abide by these easy tips, they'll help you to stop your food cravings before they begin.

 

1. Take time to fix nutritious food

 

There's no secret in this fast-paced domain; it’s really easy and handy to get food on the go. And most of the time that fast food is filled up with sugar and fat. Have you ever questioned why you crave sugar after you consumed a “healthy” meal? Take some time daily to nourish your body, and this means merely cook healthy and nutritious meals at home. This way you know precisely what’s going in your mouth.

2. Abide by a healthy diet

 

Dieting means abiding by a healthy balanced food diet rather than cutting out various nutrients from your daily food intake to lose a couple of pounds. Adjust the time and amount of the food you’re having and take steps to improve your digestion and a better body.

 

3. Quit consuming bland food

 

I know you're trying to watch your figure, but sacrificing your taste buds is just not the most beneficial solution. Eating bland and tasteless food for days will increase your cravings for food. Begin getting some cooking tips books and try different sorts of food with different spices and herbs to sizzle your taste buds with delight.

 

4. Exercise if you would like to stop your food cravings

 

Instead of reaching for the bag of chips in your spare time, go for a healthy walk instead. Most of the time, you're probably eating because you're bored or you have nothing else to do, and tricking your mind that you need a sneaky snack to satisfy your craving. But, you just might need a release of energy, and you are able to release your energy by going on a brisk walk.

 

Most of the time it’s hard to stop cravings, and if you utterly must have that piece of chocolate, go for it. But, don’t gorge. Take a bitty bite and then move on try to eat less every time you feel like having some sweets, try to make your body get used to it. All the same, if you can always convince yourself to go for a succulent and juicy fruit to fulfill your sweet tooth it will be very helpful. Once you stop food cravings, you'll feel happier, more energized and balanced.

 

How to Motivate Yourself for Exercise

Exercise is one of the most essential requirements of the human body, perhaps just as essential as air and food. Without exercise, our bodies are going to wither away eventually. But it is saddening to see that a lot of people are making excuses to stay away from exercise. They mask their indolence with excuses such as too much work, no good company, too expensive, etc. However, should we not wake up and smell the coffee before it is too late?

 

If you find yourself making such excuses to keep away from exercising as well, then here are a few ways in which you can motivate yourself.

 

1.  Get educated on health and fitness. Speak to your doctor about the ill-effects of too much weight. Find out the sicknesses that can occur and the various things you cannot accomplish, things that a fitter person could accomplish quite easily. For many people, just knowing of the perils of lack of exercise could be a significant motivating factor.

 

2.  Seek your partner’s support. There is nothing better than a supportive partner in a weight loss campaign. They will do everything needed to motivate and encourage you to keep up with your desire of shedding weight. Just try opening out to them.

 

3.  Look at your pictures when you were younger. You were probably much slimmer then. Try getting into your old jeans if you still have them. Think of the things you were doing in those times that you cannot do today. Or, maybe, go visit an old school friend who you have not visited for ages. When they tell you how much you have put on, you will realize the difference. All these things will keep egging you on to do something about your weight.

 

4.  Think about the result that you can achieve if you lose weight. You will become a more attractive person and look years younger. More importantly, you will be healthier. You will be able to do things that you cannot do now. Life itself will have a new meaning for you.

 

5.  When you are into the program, make a weight loss chart for yourself and pin it up where you can see it every day. On this chart, mention your weight loss program. Write everything quite precisely, down to the last milligram. When you see weight is steadily getting shed off your body, you will feel encouraged to go on till the last ounce of needless body weight is removed.

 

These motivators can help you with your weight loss efforts. If you stay focused and think about the ways in which your life will be enhanced, you will probably need no other motivator for your weight loss program. 

 

Why Regular Exercise Is Such an Important Aspect of Personal Development

If you are on a quest to try and improve yourself, then you certainly cannot ignore one of the chief aspects of personal development—exercise. You must have already heard the adage A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body. If you want to be really fit and become a successful person, your body has to be just as fit as your mind is. Undermining any of these aspects takes you away from developing your body fruitfully.

 

There are several benefits of regular exercise that are specific to personal development, as you shall see…

 

1.  When your body is fitter, you look more attractive. A lot of people still equate good personality with an attractive body. Hence, you are pandering to one of the basest definitions of personal development. And, who’s complaining actually? Who doesn’t want to have an attractive body anyway?

 

2.  A healthier body means that you have more energy to accomplish things. You are able to work faster and produce better results. You can go ahead of your competitors. This you won’t be able to do if you lack stamina and get breathless on your way to the top. A modicum of exercise is needed to keep you moving on.

 

3.  Another very important benefit of regular exercise is that it keeps diseases away if not completely avoids them. You don’t need to call in sick as much as a person who doesn’t exercise would. You are healthier not only in body but also in mind, and that’s the reason why you can think better. Your plans and suggestions have a better chance of being accepted because you have formulated them in good health, something that your exercise-shirking rivals have not done.

 

4.  Exercise helps free up your mind. If you haven’t exercised already, try it now. Exercise early in the mornings, which is the best time. Even if you just work out on the treadmill for 15 minutes in the morning, you will feel rejuvenated. You will feel as though you can just run out and grab what you want to achieve. Also, it gives you time to think, to plan out things, which is very important. While the blood is pumping in the body, it is pumping in the brain as well. It is filling up those little grey cells and ideas are generated.

 

These are just four of the many benefits that regular exercise has. Invest your time wisely in exercise—if you are looking for personal development, you cannot afford to downplay its importance in your life. 

 

Superfoods for a Smooth Transition Into Change of Life

Menopause is a tough transition for a lot of women. It commonly begins to occur in late middle age when the efficiency of the ovaries starts to decline. Issues associated with the related estrogen deficiency that occur might include arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis, decreased skin elasticity and changes in the sympathetic nervous system that result in “hot flashes.” But, by including the following superfoods in your daily diet, symptoms may be alleviated, memory power maintained, and osteoporosis prevented. 

 

Tofu is a great protein alternative for meat and it may be very helpful in lowering your cholesterol and preventing cardiopathy. Tofu and other soy products might also help lessen the side effects of menopause, like hot flashes. 

 

Recent studies have shown that fiber may help reduce your risk of colon and other types of cancer, as well as diverticulosis. Women require approximately 30 grams of fiber daily. Navy beans come in at nineteen grams, so they’re a fantastic choice. Utilize them in your chili or soups, or try them for a nutritious side dish rather than the usual pasta or rice.  

 

As we grow older, we might find that our memory starts to slip a bit, and we discover ourselves forgetting things. By eating blueberries, we may actually be able to curb that short-term memory loss. Toss them on top of some plain yogurt for an excellent breakfast or snack choice. Yogurt, which is loaded with calcium, may help prevent osteoporosis. As an added bonus, it may help strengthen your immunity and support your weight loss efforts. Pick yogurts that contain high amounts of good bacteria like acidophilus, which may also help prevent yeast and urinary tract infections. 

 

Avocados are high in antioxidants like vitamin E, which is crucial element to protecting both your vision and skin. They likewise contain monosaturated fats, which have been shown to better the condition of hair and skin, which may suffer when a woman goes through menopause. Chunk up a nice ripe avocado for a delicious guacamole dip, or even try them on your sandwich with a tomato. 

 

Try likewise to avoid drinking a large sum of caffeinated drinks daily, and boost your body’s vitamin C absorption by teaming an orange with an iron-rich food like whole-grain oatmeal.

 

Diet Tips

Here are some weight loss diet tips that can be followed anywhere, everyday:

 

Make a delicious low-fat mayonnaise by combining one teaspoon of Dijon mustard or satay sauce with a low-fat yogurt.

 

Don't skip meals. Skipping meals slicks the body into relaxing the metabolism, attempting to conserve calories during a period where limited fats and fuel are available. Remember that eating increases the metabolism.

 

Stuff vegetables like capsicum and zucchini with flavored fillings or minced chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy and contain low fat.

 

Eight hours after waking up, our metabolism slows down that's why 30 minutes of exercise before dinner will increase the metabolism for about two to three hours. This produces an increase in burned fat even hours after the work out is over.

 

Add alfalfa or mung beans to salad to get extra iron. 

 

Great cooking and healthy eating begins with learning about nutrition and how to prepare healthy recipes.

 

Learn how to make the family favored recipes and make certain that fats, salt, and sugar are cut out. Substitute non-fat yogurt for cream, stir-fry without oil and use herbs and spices instead of salt to taste.

 

Consult the doctor before beginning an exercise or weight loss program.

 

Slowly eat and chew each bite during meals as this would decrease one's appetite.

 

Make certain that the right discipline is still practiced to promote consistency on the diet plan. This will lead eventually to a healthy life-style and a more fruitful living without the extra fat and extra pounds on the side.

 

Setting Slim Down Targets

If you wear a size 14 and you blow a bundle on designer size 8 dresses as motivation, you will probably end up feeling guilty, frustrated, and angry if you are not slinking around in it a month later. 

 

In reality, you will do much better setting smaller, achievable targets for yourself. If you must try the new-clothes strategy, go down a size at a time, and do not buy anything you have to take out a second mortgage to pay for. Because, if you continue to remorse on losing weight fast, you will end up incorporating fad diets or those that offer quick weight loss.

 

For most people who are not aware of this fact, there are no such things as quick weight loss diets and there is no nippy weight loss for people who want to be slimmer than what their body can provide. The trouble with many individuals is that they tend to opt for nippy fixes wherein fact these things are not effective in the least.

 

Today, there are enough of weight-loss strategies that are guaranteed to backfire. This is because these nippy fixes instilled on certain diet plans are not effective because it doesn't employ the correct principle and the right attitude in slimming down.

 

These quick weight loss diet plans are known as fad diets because that's exactly what they're, just a fad. In time, when fashion is over and popularity wanes down, individuals will realize that the diet they have depended on is not reliable at all.

 

To know more about these fad diets that are selling like hotcakes in the market today, here is a list of some telltale signs that would tell you not to try it even once. Does your diet plan call for you to skip meals? If it does, then, it's a fad diet. Refrain from food completely isn't a healthy habit. It may even cause some dangerous complications or problems especially for people who are sick with diabetes. 

 

Skipping meals will only cause a hypoglycemia, or the condition wherein your blood sugar is genuinely low, and will probably only be effective in making you eat twice as much at the next meal.

 

Exercise is crucial to the human body. It is important in the proper blood circulation and other activities of the human body system. Therefore, diet plans that do not require you to exercise are nuisances. People are born to move. But then again, exercise alone is not sufficient. Hence, it would be better if diet and exercise will go hand-in-hand

 

There's no better time to start losing weight. If you want to really lose those excess fats, you have to lose weight now. Delaying tactics will not get you anywhere and will only make the problem worse. So, if your diet plan suggests a certain timeframe for you start losing weight, chances are, you are following the trend of fad diets.

 

Tea

One popular weight loss supplement available in the market today take the form of tea. Stores all over sell slimming tea, dieter's tea and others but all of them are actually the same. They may appear to be effective, but what isn't seen may actually harm you.

Among the effects of drinking dieter's tea is frequent bowel movement. This gives individuals the feeling of body cleansing. These individuals may get toxins out of their body but it is not exactly the only thing that slenderizing tea actually does to the body. Slimming tea contains herbs which are natural laxatives. These include aloe, senna, rhubarb root, cascara, buckthorn and castor oil. These are products which are derived from plants and are used since the ancient times because of their potency in treating constipation and causing bowel movement.

The reason for this is that laxatives don't act on the small intestines where most of the calories are absorbed. Instead, they work on the large intestines. If taken in large amounts for prolonged periods, it can affect fat absorption of the body. This may lead to greasy diarrhea and loss of weight. Abuse of laxatives is common practice among people who suffer from bulimia and anorexia nervosa. 

While weight loss can be guaranteed by overdosing on laxatives, it may also cause permanent damage to the gastrointestinal tract and the weakening and softening of the bones, a condition known as osteoporosis. Drinkers of slimming teas may actually condense the product because they're less expensive and taste better than other laxatives sold in the market. Others, such as those with eating disorders like binge-eating syndrome and anorexia nervosa drink dieter's tea because they work fast and produce watery stool and having loose consistency.

Women may even be more susceptible to the burdens of slimming teas. Although they may not be known to interfere directly with the woman's menstrual cycle and fertility, they should look out if drinking them causes them to rapidly shed off weight. It's also not safe for pregnant women to be absorbing laxatives of any kind. Wise and responsible herbalists also discourage the use of senna and other herbal products with laxative properties for pregnant women and women who are trying to conceive. 

Adverse effects of misusing laxatives in the form of slimming down tea generally occur when taken in more than or longer than recommended. These include nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, fainting, rectal bleeding, electrolyte disorder and dehydration as well as injury and worse, death. It was also described that excess use of stimulant laxatives cause severe constipation and anguish for long periods (as much as for decades) due to the colon losing its function. It finally led to surgery removing the colon altogether.