In the world of fitness, you hear a lot of confusing terms being tossed around. One pair that gets used more than most is aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Trainers love to say them and health magazines drop little reminders of them everywhere. The truth of the matter is most people don’t really know the difference or how the difference affects their workout. Until now.
We’re going to give you a super basic primer on the differences, and a bit of insight on how the two can help you achieve your winter workout goals and keep them sailing smoothly into the spring, summer and onto next fall.
Aerobic exercise refers to any and all exercises that use oxygen to create the energy required to break down glucose to use as a fuel. Aerobic exercises help build endurance and strengthen your heart. Common examples of aerobic exercises are as follows:
- Dancing to music or step dancing (fast movements)
- Treadmills
- Exercise bicycles
- Ski machines
- Air gliders
- Jogging
- Sports such as racquetball and handball
On the other hand, anaerobic exercise refers to exercise where your body must create its own energy. Anaerobic exercises are usually things that can only be done in short bursts, and not maintained for longer than a minute or two. Because of the intensity, anaerobic exercise not only strengthens your heart, but also your muscles and bones much more so than aerobic. Some examples are:
- Weightlifting
- Resistance Machines
- Dumbbells
- Resistance Bands
So which do you do? Simple … both. By combining both into your workout routines, you’re ensuring that you get the best of both worlds when it comes to endurance, strength and muscle. You’re making sure that your cardiovascular system as well as your muscles reap the benefits of your hard work. How much of each should you do? Talk to your doctor or trainer first to make sure that whatever plan you follow is custom suited to you, and you alone. Get out there and start going!
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
image via Amazon.com
Ladies and gentlemen, in case you haven’t noticed, I will be the first to alert you to a startling and easy-to-recognize fact: Technology is taking over. While workout-related videos have been around for a long, long time (think back to the days of Beta, VHS and probably even laser disc), they are exploding onto the scene even more today and are more accessible and more useable than ever before. With Netflix, Blockbuster Video and yes, even the Internet, we can now exercise to a whole slew of celebrities, or not, at the push of a button without even leaving our home. This, my friends, can be great, great news.
The only question that actually remains is this: Do workout videos actually work? Can they adequately replace the experience, the pressure and the commitment of going into the gym? The answer is yes. There are plenty of workout videos, DVDs and programs that can get your heartbeat racing, your sweat pouring and your muscles pumping. You can get the results you desire at home, and you can do it for a lot cheaper than a gym membership. Here are some of our favorites:
- Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred – She scares the heck out of you on The Biggest Loser. Why wouldn’t she scare the heck out of you in your own living room? This gets you moving, keeps you moving and leaves you sore.
- Women’s Health Perfect Body Workout with Amy Dixon – As the title suggests, this one is more suited to women. But all you guys out there, try it with 10-pound dumbbells and see how you feel the next day. Ouch.
- Women’s Health Ultimate Fat Burn! – Amy Dixon brings it back in this older, but still amazing workout DVD. If you want to sweat, a lot, this just might be your ticket.
- Billy Blanks Tae Bo Amped – If you want variety, this is your ticket to an amazing workout that combines kickboxing, aerobics and yes, Tae Kwon Do, to keep you guessing, sweating and feeling downright exhausted.
- YogaFit Ultra – Instant peace, instant calm and a great flow from workout to workout.
There you have it! Something for just about everyone. The best thing is these DVDs are incredibly inexpensive, incredibly accessible and designed to work for just about everyone at just about every fitness level, whether you are just starting out or are a well-toned workout machine.
Lets make 2010 the healthiest year yet. Even if you do belong to a gym, these workout DVDs are a perfect way to sneak in a great workout wherever you might find yourself.
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
In my last post, I said I’d follow up on what the Hosparus/Hospice training was like. Hospice offers two types of training based on the role you wish to assume. The first type is a more specialized daylong training session provided to those volunteers who will be working directly with patients and their families. You’re instructed on the rules and procedures with assisting with patient care and some of the more common situations you should expect.
Since my grandfather passed earlier in the year, I’m not able to interact directly with patient care so it was part of the more abbreviated half-day session for me. This is the second type of training in which the director thoroughly explains the rules of confidentiality and respect, and sets the expectations of volunteering for the organization.
We reviewed several forms and went through the volunteer handbook. All of this was done in a very thoughtful professional way, including a very well done and thought provoking video of how Hosparus/Hospice assists patients. The video had several interviews with former patients discussing what Hospice meant to them.
It was definitely not a feel good video, but it left you feeling very proud of what each volunteer brings to the team and appreciating what a huge impact they have with helping patients finish their lives with care and dignity. There’s no way you could watch this video and not identify with the importance of the program. I found myself feeling very fortunate for what I have and the life I live.
One of the interesting things the director mentioned was the longevity of the volunteers supporting the program. Several folks have been helping out from five to 10 years. They often transition into multiple roles as their interests change. This is very unusual for a volunteer organization since charities usually experience high turnover and limited flexibility of choices in supporting roles. I was glad to hear this since I tend to like variety and different challenges and I’m pretty open to help out where I can.
I finished my training and left the office feeling good knowing I had made the right decision to volunteer. I’m waiting to be contacted for volunteer opportunities, but I’ll probably help out with event planning, the thrift store or public speaking. I think I can add the most value in one of these areas, but we’ll see what comes up. I’ll cover that in my next post.
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
I have a problem with going to bed at night, which means I’m usually pretty interested in any sleep-realted study.
So I was all over an article that Anahad O’Connor at The New York Times recently wrote about the connection between activity and sleep latency in children, Really? The Claim: Exercise More During the Day, and You Will Sleep Better at Night.
Apparently a longitudnal study was published this year that shows a correlation between a child’s activity during the day and how long it takes to fall asleep at night.
The findings: It takes an extra three minutes for kids to fall asleep, per every hour of sedentary activity during the day. This can lead us to believe that physical activity leads to better sleep.
So how do you get more physical activity? Here are some things I’ve started doing:
Walk more — Walking is easy and free. When it’s nice outside, I walk around the neighborhood with my kids. When I go to work everyday, I walk from my car to the office. I even like to get up and just wonder around the office throughout the day. The point is to just get up move around.
Play more — My daughter is three now and can play games inside like hide and seek and tag. We also like to play loud music and dance around together. Follow the leader is an easy game to play, and we can end up spending a good half hour marching around the kitchen table together to the funky beat.
Exercise more — This may sound offputting but it doesn’t have to be hard work. I now spend 30-45 minutes three times a week watching TV on an eliptical machine. I’ve found that watching football, basketball or even MMA while being active makes it easy to keep going psycologically.
Those are my tips. What are yours? How do you stay active during the day to fall asleep easier at night?
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
Let’s face facts for a moment here: We live in a world where the focus every day is trying to shift back to a healthy lifestyle. With heart disease running rampant, obesity on the rise and diabetes taking over, people everywhere are learning the hard way just how important it is to stay healthy, stay fit and stay on top of their diets. This Web site itself is proof positive that people care, people want to learn and people want to help. That said, there’s a lot of advice floating around about the need for proper diets, new types of dieting, fad diets, crash diets and a whole slew of other diet-related things. There’s one question, however, that many doctors around the country are hoping you’re asking yourself: Are You Getting Enough Protein?
The reason this question needs to be asked, and the reason it’s such a tough one to answer, is that the answer is different for everyone. Based on your height, weight, activity level, age and health, the number could be vastly different between people who are otherwise remarkably similar. As a rule of thumb, the more you exercise, the more protein you’re going to need. But there are exceptions. Pregnant women, for instance, usually need more protein. The bottom line is many of us are not getting enough protein, and if we were, we’d quickly find out that the right amounts of the right kinds of protein can help curb appetite, improve weight loss and stave off chronic illnesses. Now, before you go out and start chewing on a fat steak, you should realize that it’s the right kind of proteins that make all the difference, and getting the right amounts.
For starters, why don’t you take the Protein Quiz? Simply enter your age, height and frame size. A second page will ask about your physical activity. Simply click to the next page for details about how many grams of protein you need each day to fuel your body to its optimal level. Not only that, there’s a helpful little protein calculator that gives you the protein amounts of common foods. Handy, no?
So, step right up and figure out if you’re getting what you need to stay properly fueled. Remember, research is pouring in that proves that healthy amounts of protein might just change everything in your healthy lifestyle. What do you have to lose . . . except that holiday weight?
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DISCLAIMER ALERT: The ideas expressed in this post came out of my own head, were researched by my own eyes and were expressed by my own hands. They are not intended to serve as medical advice in any way, shape or form. And they do not reflect the views of Humana Inc. or any of its subsidiaries. I take full responsibility if you think this post is awesome or not awesome.
