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.
I’m not sure if any of you are anything like me. In the unfortunate event that you are, especially when it comes to workouts and motivation, you most likely require some serious musical assistance to get your heart rate racing and your muscles pumping. The songs I just found on Fox News’ “Winter Playlist” might not appeal to everyone. That’s fine. But one thing is true: They all get you thinking warm. They get your adrenaline pumping and push you a little bit further, harder and stronger to keep fit during the doldrums that can be December-February.
So, what are the songs suggested to heat the blood, fuel the fire and keep you running/lifting/snowshoeing/skiing just a bit longer? Glad you asked. Check out the 7 songs Fox News suggests and the 7 songs FitSugar thinks will do the trick:
Fox News:
- “Rock’n'Roll Train” by AC/DC
- “So What” by Pink
- “Keeps Getting Better” by Christina Aguilera
- “Feels Like the First Time” by Chris Daughtry
- “Hot ‘N Cold” by Katy Perry
- “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock
- “Disturbia” by Rihanna
FitSugar:
- “Never Ever” by Ciara
- “Ego” by Beyonce
- “Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson
- “Forever” by Drake
- “Life in Marvelous Times” by Mos Def
- “Empire State of Mind” by Jay Z
- “Whatcha Say” by Jason DeRub
There you have it! As I mentioned, these songs might not suit everyone’s fancy, so listen with caution. Some of you might feel more at home rocking out to Metallica, while others might choose a more Josh Groban themed workout. To each his/her own, but just make sure you choose something that keeps you motivated to finish your workout with strength and enthusiasm. It’s not easy working out in the winter, but with the right soundtrack, you might just get through it!
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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.
OK, an experiment here . . . how about everyone raise your hand who has ever made a New Year’s resolution that has anything to do with your physical fitness, overall health or exercise plans? Yep, just as we thought, almost every single person you can possibly imagine. We all do it. We all start the New Year with the loftiest goals, the most honest intentions and the purest of plans. Then something happens. I don’t know whether it’s Super Bowl Sunday or just the dog days of January and February, but something changes and we fail to live up to those aforementioned promises. Life.
I have news for all of you sitting with your hands raised in the air: it doesn’t have to be that way. Nope, we can do better, we can be better and we can stick to our New Year’s resolutions. We can, and we will. I just prowled around the Internet looking for all the best advice on how to actually stick to our fitness-related resolutions. I think I found four tips to make 2010 the most foolproof fitness year yet. According to reports, here are the top four ways to make sure you keep your promises when it comes to your fitness and exercise goals:
- Make Time For You – “Start making yourself a priority. Let people around you know that you’re hoping to make a big fitness change in your life and ask them for their support.”
- Write It Down – “Studies show people who write things down – from what they eat to how they feel before, during and after exercise – are more likely to stick to a new healthy living plan. So, before you start any routine, go to your local bookstore and buy a journal to track your fitness goals (or keep one online).”
- Set Realistic Fitness Goals – “Talk to your doctor before starting any fitness regimen to help you set realistic fitness goals. Make an appointment with a qualified personal trainer who can assist you in breaking your larger New Year’s resolutions into smaller more tangible fitness targets and tasks. “
- Enlist Your Friends – “Get your friends to hop on the fitness train with you. People are more likely to stick to a fitness regimen if they have someone to support them. While hiring a personal trainer works, a more cost-effective and emotionally significant way to do this is to work out with a friend. “
There you have it! Head over and check out the full awesome article for more details, but we’re confident that if you follow those tips, you’ll be happier and healthier. You don’t have to let winter drag you down. We’re here to help make sure you don’t!
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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.
Have you noticed what time of year it is? The countdown has official begun to Christmas, one of the biggest and most expensive holidays of the entire year, and the number of days you have left to actually get some shopping done is dwindling. That said, we’re here to make your life a bit easier and offer up some healthy, fun and inexpensive gifts that can fill those stockings, pad the base of that tree and make the fitness freaks in your life abundantly happy. In the event they don’t exactly love exercise or fitness, heck, maybe this will be the key to their New Year’s resolutions!
These gifts range in price from about $10 to about $100, so no matter who you’re shopping for, or how much you want to spend, you’re going to be able to find a gift that will work. Try some of these on for size and I can almost guarantee that each and every person on your Christmas list will wake up happy on Dec. 25!
- Heart rate monitors
- Exercise balls
- Stainless steel water bottles
- Adjustable weight dumbells
- Yoga mats
- Gym bags
- Year subscription to a sports or fitness magazine
- Exercise headphones
- Wii Fit
- Exercise DVD programs
- Gym membership
Any one of these gifts will certainly put you at the tip top of the Secret Santa scale this year, and the best news is that they won’t break the bank. Do you have any other gift ideas that we failed to mention? Any fitness and healthy lifestyle stocking stuffers that will ensure that we’re not getting lumps of coal in return?
Sound off, we’d love to hear your “go-to” gifts that never fail to disappoint and always impress. Anything new and popular this year we shouldn’t overlook? Let’s hear what you’ve got!
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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 PolarUSA
When it comes to exercise one truth will always remain: It’s very easy to spend a whole lot of money. Unfortunately, there’s a bit of a secret that a lot of people won’t tell you, and even more people don’t want you to know: You don’t have to spend a lot, to get a lot. That’s right, while a gym membership or the most expensive equipment might work for some people, it doesn’t have to be that way for you, you can make a very simple upgrade to your workout that doesn’t have to cost a great deal of money, but will show great results. How, you ask? Simple, add a heart rate monitor.
While I’m sure just about everyone, everywhere has seen heart rate monitors in action, whether in a gym or on The Biggest Loser, or even using one themselves, a surprisingly few number of people actually own one. By adding a heart rate monitor to your workout routine, you’re making sure that you’re not only getting to your target heart rate, the zone in which your body is at its optimal fat burning and heart strengthening, but you’re staying there long enough to make those workouts actually work for you. There are a lot of different kinds that do a lot of different things but basically, I found this general primer on which to pick depending on what you need it for:
- “For Weight Loss: Try a HRM that tracks time spent in your heart rate zone and calories burned such as the Polar F6.
- For Athletes: Consider a HRM, like the Garmin Forerunner, that offers multi-sport support, workout feedback and advanced features such as GPS and downloadable data.
- For Techno-Phobes: Look for a basic model that offers your heart rate with one-button functionality like the Polar FS1
- For General Fitness: Try one that helps you improve fitness with information about intensity and training zones, like the Polar FS3.”
See, for under $100 you can add something that will help you for the rest of your life. There are simple steps that can be taken towards a healthier lifestyle, they don’t all have to break the bank. Monitoring your heart rate might seem too simple to see big results, but trust me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!
Popularity: 8% [?]
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.
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