Children And Exercise

If you have a child of about 6 to 8 years old that wants to start exercising and lifting weights, you may be wondering what to do.  While some think it is perfectly okay for children to exercise, others think differently.

The fact is that it is  beneficial for your child to partake in exercise  or a weight training regimen, however there are few things you should keep in mind.

No matter how you look at it, children are not adults therefore you can't use the same methods and intensity for adults also for children, as children are different from adults emotionally, anatomically, and physically.

The skeletal bones of children don't get mature until they get to between 14 - 22 years of age.  Exercising during childhood can have a very critical effect on their bone health that can last for their entire lives. 

Children have immature temperature regulation systems due to their having a large surface area compared to their muscle mass which will cause them to be more susceptible to injury when they are not properly warmed up.

Children don't sweat as much as adults do, so they will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion.  Due to their low muscle mass and immature hormone system, it makes it harder for them to develop strength and speed. Their breathing and heart response during exercise are also different from that of adults, which will affect their capacity to exercise.

Before setting up exercise programs for children, first and foremost you should obtain a medical clearance.  The first approach to designing a program is to establish a repetition range of 8 - 12 and keep the work load appropriate for the range.

You should ensure that workouts are spread out enough to have at least 1 - 2 full days of rest between workouts. The main focus when working out should be on the form of every exercise performed, and not on the amount of weight being lifted.

Before weight training, warm up and stretching should be done.  Start your children off with light loads and then make adjustments accordingly.  No more than 3 non consecutive exercise sessions should be done in a week.   

You should also see to it that they drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.  Getting enough water is very important with exercise, as it is often times very easy to get dehydrated, especially with children.

Choosing The Right Exercise For You

The type of exercise you do depends on activities you like and the ones you dislike. Do you like using or buying exercise equipment or not, can you afford to pay gym membership subscription fees, these are some of the things you need to consider when choosing the type and place of exercise suitable to you.

If you choose activities you don't enjoy doing, it is likely you are not going to keep doing it for a long period of time.  Think about it - if you don't like jogging, it would be difficult for you to get up at 6 AM and go running.  If you can't find activities or sports you like doing, walking is a very good alternative.

Walking is a very great exercise, as it suits all levels of fitness.  Anyone can start a walking program at anytime. It is only the intensity and duration that differs.  Walking is also a social exercise, as it is not difficult to find a training partner to chat with while exercising.  Walking with a partner will make it less boring and fun to partake in.

No matter what exercise you choose you should start at a low intensity and build up over a period of weeks, this is very essential to the longevity of your exercise program.  If you start off too hard, you could end up with an injury which will require time off to heal and may discourage you from starting all over again.To make it more interesting, you should try walking a different course every few days.  You can also roster a different partner to walk with each day of the week.

If you don’t enjoy walking, then you may try a fitness center or gym.  They have loads of variety and normally have trainers on hand to answer any question you have.  When choosing a fitness center or a gym, make sure that they give you the needed good service.You should make sure that the equipment they use is up to date and well taken care of. 

If you still are not sure of what exercise or activity you should do, take a look at tennis, football, handball, and basketball. These are all good social activities in most areas, and you can even meet new friends.  Tennis is great for fitness although it is not for beginners.

You are advised to see your doctor before starting any new exercise program.

Alcohol,Exercise And Your Health

On Friday evenings after work, you go out and have a few drinks with friends to relax and wind down. Really you are not alone in the category of people who think they deserve to go out and have a few drinks and have fun with friends. However, there are some things that you should certainly have in mind before doing this.

If you are exercising on a regular basis, a few drinks of alcohol won't really hurt anything, right?  Before you decide to rush out to the local bar, there are a few things below that you should think about before you make your choice about going out to drink some alcohol.

Research has proven that small amounts of alcohol increase muscular endurance and the output of strength, however this type of benefit is short lived.  It is just a matter of minutes for the problems to start to surface.  All of the negative side effects associated with alcohol will easily outweigh any possible benefits that can be derived from it.  No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a poison that can really harm your body if you are not careful.

The negative side of alcohol can reduce your strength, endurance, aerobic capability and recovery time, ability to metabolize fat, and even your muscle growth as well.  Alcohol will also have an effect on your nervous system and brain. Alcohol, if used for long term, can cause severe deterioration to the central nervous system.   Even with short term use, nerve muscle interaction can be reduced which will result in loss of strength.

Once alcohol gets to the blood cells, it can and probably will damage them.  Inflammation of the muscle cells is very common with users of alcohol.  Over a long period of time, some of these damaged cells  die which will result in less functional muscle contractions.  Drinking alcohol will also leave you with more soreness of muscles after exercise, which means that it will take you a lot longer to recuperate.

Alcohol also have many different effects on the heart and circulatory system as well.  When you drink any type of alcohol, you may start seeing a reduction in your endurance capabilities. Each time you take alcohol, your heat loss will increase, because alcohol will stimulate your blood vessels to dilate.  The loss in heat can cause your muscles to become cold, making you slower and weaker during your muscle contractions.

Drinking alcohol can also lead to digestive and nutritional problems.  Alcohol causes the release of insulin that increases the metabolism of glycogen, which spares fat and makes the loss of fat very difficult.  Due to alcohol interference with the absorption of several key nutrients, you can also become anemic and deficient with B type vitamins. 

Because your liver is the organ that detoxifies alcohol, the more you drink, the harder your liver has to work.  The extra stress alcohol places on your liver can cause serious damage and even destroy some of your liver cells.

Since alcohol is diuretic, drinking large amounts can put a lot of stress on your kidneys as well. During diuretic action, the hormones are secreted. This can lead to heightened water retention and no one who exercises will want this to happen.

If you must drink alcohol, drink it in moderation and never drink before you exercise, as this will impair your balance, coordination and judgment.  Think about your health and how you exercise - and you may begin to look at alcohol intake from a whole new prospective.

REASONS YOU MUST STICK TO YOUR EXERCISE PROGRAME

When you set out on an exercise quest, you are ready and determined to go. However most people give up when the going gets tough.With the following reasons in mind, you will keep going and not give up.


FEELING GREAT ABOUT YOUR BODY
You tend to be more confident when you have a better looking and fit body. This also help boost yourself esteem. The mirror becomes your friend regardless of where you are.


HEALTHY LOOKING
One of the benefits of regular exercise is good health.Sticking to your exercise program makes you look healthier internally and externally, always admired any time any where.


ATTRACTING THE OPPOSITE SEX
The first impression when you are meeting people for the first time is physical. When you are fit and good looking, you stand a better chance of getting more looks and admiration from the opposite sex.


STICKING TO YOUR GOALS
Sticking to your exercise program can help you cultivate the habit of following your set goals through. This is one of the best habits of successful people.


YOU WILL BE ENERGIZED
When you stick to your exercise program you become energized and strengthened. You will be able to carry out your day to day activities without easily getting tired and stressed up.


Always consult your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

BENEFITS OF EXERCISE TO HEALTH AND WEALTH

Generally people agree that health is wealth which is true. Health is paramount to wealth as long as both are concerned hence the saying that HEALTH IS WEALTH and not the other way round.

Regular exercising like jogging, skipping, running, swimming, cycling, playing sports, long walks and many more can improve your health, self confidence, quality of life and most importantly lower the risk of you developing serious health issues.

For you to be wealthy and keep your wealthy you must be healthy and for you to be healthy you need to have an active life style, be physically and mentally fit and alert. To achieve all these mentioned above exercise and fitness are major factors.

Engaging in exercise helps increase our energy level which actually mean that we will have more energy to work and do business. In other words exercise helps us to create wealth. People often say that health is more important than wealth but in practical they do the opposite. They spend much time at work and in business and give little or no time for exercise and other activities that will actually improve their health. This eventually breaks them down and they will be spending their wealth to regain their health. 
This cycle continues unless you strike a balance between their quest for wealth and staying healthy. To achieve this, apart from diet, a program of exercise should be an integral part of your daily or weekly activity that must not be ignored as it will enhance your physical, mental and internal well being.

Health is dependent on exercise, wealth is dependent on health. EXERCISE! BE FIT!.......Give your health the required attention so that you can keep your wealth.

MAKE YOUR HOME A BETTER GYM

The explosive growth of home exercise equipment is an ample proof that home exercise is the new phenomenon in fitness and living an active life style. Great results can be achieved exercising at home as long as you determined, focus know what you are doing.

Your rug/carpet or an exercise mat, some light weight dumbbells, exercise tubing, determination and commitment are all it takes to get a good result exercising at home. Individuals with erratic work schedule, stay-at-home moms and individuals who work from home can simply set up a gym atmosphere in the comfort of their homes as this is a perfect solution to their exercise and fitness needs. 
 Determination, commitment, self motivation and discipline are very vital factors for you to get very good results exercising at home since you will be on your own.

The intimidating social atmosphere of a health club or a paid gym, waiting in line for equipment coupled with the fact that most people flirt more and exercise less discourage people from exercising at health clubs or gym. A hectic schedule, a long stay in transit and domestic engagements can also discourage you from exercising at home. However studies have shown that people exercising at home are more likely to stick to their program than those exercising at a club.

To obtain the best result, warming up for about 10 – 15 minutes with light aerobics exercise, walking, jogging, cycling, taking deep breaths and stretching before starting strength training is necessary as it helps the muscles relax and rejuvenate. An exercise like pushups, abdominal, stretching and some flexibility exercises does not require equipment.

Get that physical outlook and internal wellness; be fit while relaxing at home. Make your home your gym now.

HOW TO FIT EXERCISE INTO YOUR DAY

One of the major problems facing humans no matter their age, race or religion today is how to strike a balance between their job, family and well being. Some people work in different organization while others engage in one form of business or another. In all they want to take care of any need of theirs whenever it arise. This makes it difficult if not impossible for them to engage in one of the best activities that will help them remain healthy “EXERCISE”.

However, one should not compromise when it comes to issues regarding health and wellbeing generally. Exercise should be made a routine and kept like an appointment just like your job and/or business. The busy and tight work schedule is always a discouragement to exercising. Most people complain that when they get home after the day’s work coupled with other house chaos at home they become too tired to engage in exercise.

No matter how busy you are, endeavour to fit exercise into your work day to get energized. The following tips will be very useful for you to fit exercise into your work day.

WAKE UP EARLY. You can exercise in the morning before going out for the day. Exercising in the morning helps keep your mood elevated, recharges you physically, mentally and emotionally. It helps you get ready to face and seize the day. Make it a point of duty to wake up early in the morning to exercise before heading out for work or any other business.

EXERCISE WHILE WAITING. Another way you can fit exercise into your busy work day is to exercise while waiting for something else to happen. When running a copy you can stretch your arms and legs, walk around, while waiting for the micro wave you can step side by side, run or jog in place and squat. Instead of going to the closest rest room, go to the distant one.

USE THE STAIRCASE. Using the staircase instead of the elevator is another sure way of getting good doss of exercise at work or home. Studies have shown that using the staircase reduces the risk of developing heart disease. Try skipping a step when using the stairs it is good for the thighs.

MULTI-TASKING. You can multitask to get some exercise at work or home. You can do calf raises, squat; stretch your arms legs while brushing your mouth. In the shower you can do flexibility exercises and pushups. In the office you can during break hours you can walk around the office premises. When you have a cause to reach out to a colleague, walk to his or her office instead of calling or sending a mail. When going to the office in the morning you can stop a bus stop before your office and walk the rest. At the car park you can get a little exercise before proceeding to the office or stepping into the house.

These words from Mahatma Gandhi says it “Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn’t have it in the beginning.

CUT OUT those EXCUSES NOW!......NEVER give up!……..YOU will surely get their.