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Fitness Topics
(As appeared in the Summer (August), 2005 issue of Healthwise magazine.)
Men are increasingly concerned about looking better and living healthfully. Areas to focus on include: aerobics, strength training, flexibility, nutrition, skin care and teeth care. Following are 10 tips for improved health, wellness, and grooming.
Muscles, bones, joints, heart and lungs, skin and teeth — all play a vital role in looking and feeling good, and living a strong, healthy life. Use these tips to enhance the quality of your life.
Strength Training offers many more benefits than just "getting pumped." Other benefits include: stronger bones, ligaments and tendons, stronger heart, lower blood pressure, reduced cholesterol, higher metabolism and more.
TIP 1. Avoid the "no pain, no gain" approach. Pain means something is wrong. Instead, work your muscles to fatigue — when you begin to sense a burn or when you can no longer move the resistance without overcompensating (cheating).
TIP 2. Limit workouts to 75 minutes. Hormonal (e.g. testosterone and cortisol) levels change, diminishing the effects of working out beyond 75 minutes. Also, energy stores steadily decline to a point where you begin breaking down muscle protein for energy.
Aerobic exercises are most beneficial for your heart and lungs. Also, done with proper intensity, they burn more calories than any other form of exercise.
TIP 3. Vary your routine — alternate exercises with two or more options. (Doing the same exercise can lead to muscle imbalances and overuse injuries.) For example, alternate between cycling, race walking and step climbing.
TIP 4. Continually vary the intensity. Incorporate interval training. This will help to prevent adaptation, the point when your body would no longer generate as many benefits.
Maintain flexibility by stretching regularly. Tight muscles increase chances for injuries and limit your strength capacity.
TIP 5. Never stretch a cold muscle. Warm up aerobically, first. Perform activities that involve brisk, light-intensity, large-muscle movements for at least 6 to 10 minutes.
TIP 6. Work within your natural range of motion. Avoid the notion that more is better. For every joint, there is a point where a good stretch becomes dangerous. Overstretching can lead to serious injuries.
Be physically active. It's critical that you are active beyond just your workout routine. Three workout hours per week are not enough; there are still 165 hours remaining.
TIP 7. Regularly perform activities or sports that challenge your reflexes, demand the recruitment of a synergy of muscles and which require continual changes in direction (e.g. tennis, handball, Frisbee).
Healthful eating is the foundation for looking and feeling good and living optimally.
TIP 8. Maintain a balanced diet that incorporates all of the macronutrients: carbohydrates (55-60% of total calories), fats (25-30 %) and proteins (15%). Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains; avoid simple sugars and saturated fats.
Protect your skin. Beyond aesthetics, taking care of your skin is essential for health. As the largest organ of your body, skin protects from the environment and allows for respiration.
TIP 9. For outdoor activities lasting over 20 minutes, use suntan lotion with an SPF of 15 or higher. Apply it 15 to 30 minutes in advance, and reapply every two hours afterwards. (Throw out old sunscreen; they lose strength after 3 years.) Also, use skin cream daily.
Keep your teeth and gums healthy. Well-maintained teeth enhance any smile. More important is the need to prevent infections. Poor dental hygiene can result in a variety of infections, from teeth, gums and jaw to almost anywhere else in the body.
TIP 10. Brush your teeth after every meal, if possible. Rinse your mouth thoroughly when you can't brush after meals. Floss daily. Visit your dentist every 6 months.
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