Sound Advice For Your Workout

Music moves us. Most fitness instructor’s and gym owners know that pumping up the volume on music will pump up energy. However, aside from setting a pace and helping time to pass more pleasantly, research shows that music can actually enhance physical performance, increase health, and help in healing the mind and body.

Music To Sweat To

According to modern research, music can affect concentration, endurance, energy levels, muscle tension, blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing. In fact, a study out of Ohio State University showed that listening to music even helped people with severe respiratory disease increase their fitness levels. Despite shortness of breath, which is the main symptom of the disease, by the end of the study the total walking distance covered by the music group was 24% higher than that walked by the non-music group.

Music also has the power to move our emotions, which can help us to move our perceptions and our bodies. Push play on a tune that moves you and you can increase positive emotions and lift spirits, thereby stimulating changes in brain chemicals that are associated with healing. It’s no accident that lively, rhythmic music is used to accompany exercise. Upbeat, fast tempos that feature simple harmonies and flowing rhythms may trigger joy and the positive physiological benefits that accompany it.

In the first study of its kind to mathematically quantify the emotional impact of music, music psychologist Emery Schubert, PhD, of the University of New South Wales, concluded that, “Among other things, loudness, tempo, and pitch have a measurable impact on people’s emotional response to music.”

Aside from hearing music for aerobics, cycling, and step classes, it is becoming common to see people working up a sweat to personally chosen music selections on CD and MP3 players - and with good reason. Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of working out to music. A study at Ohio State University confirmed that people using treadmills (known as deadmills by many) felt as though they were exerting themselves less when they jogged to music. Other studies have shown that exercising to music makes the physical output seem less difficult, allowing one to put in a longer workout.

People are motivated by different types of music. Most fitness trainers agree that hip-hop or pop songs that provide a beat and a fast pace are great for cardiovascular workouts. New or old, certain songs just motivate certain people. For weight training, a beat is not necessary, so many find they are driven by heavy metal music.

Music For Health and Healing

While research about music and health is a hot new subject, using the power of music in a health regime is old news. The great philosophers of ancient Greece, including the holistic physician, Pythagoras, as well as Plato and Aristotle, considered music indispensable for maintaining health of both the mind and body. Ancient healers used music to restore health that had been interrupted by disease.

Modern healers agree. Jonathan Goldman, author of Healing Sounds, The Power of Harmonics (Healing Arts Press, 2002), writes that, “Illness occurs when some sort of contra-vibration intrudes on the normal one. Sound can be used to change these disharmonious frequencies back to normal, healthful vibrations, thereby restoring health.” See these books on the healing power of sound.

The drumbeats of the Native American shamans have been used to slow brain waves to allow healing and the singing bowls of the Tibetans are used to produce healing vibrations. Modern music therapists use sounds and vibrations to elevate the mood, enhance peace and healing, and to relax the nervous system. Yoga and other means of relaxing the body have benefited from the use of music for years.

Barry Bittman, MD, a neurologist, author, producer/director and medical director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville,Philadelphia, studies and writes about the connection between music and health. He says that, “While scientists throughout the world are eagerly searching for specific music genes, it doesn’t take a genius to realize music, emotions, and our nervous systems are inseparable.”

The University of Hong Kong reports that children involved in music lessons remember words more readily and have improved cognitive skills in the area of math and science. This “Mozart effect”, as it has been dubbed, appears to have lasting results - the study showed that adults who had a musical education before the age of 12 had a better memory for the spoken word than those who were not musically influenced.

Don’t worry if you’re inexperienced, musically. The latest in healthful music is called recreational music-making. Hospitals, health clinics, wellness centers, long-term care facilities, support groups, women’s groups, men’s groups, and even corporations are benefiting from uninhibited music-making that doesn’t need to sound good as long as it feels good. The idea is to have fun and use the opportunity for self-expression and creativity. Toyota Motor Sales USA’s corporate headquarters in Torrance, California, for example, has a Toyota Drum Room where Toyota associates “beat” their stress, and also build team spirit.

Whether it’s to increase physical fitness, aid in healing, or simply to boost the enjoyment level of a workout, whatever your musical pleasure, it’s sound advice to take advantage of the beneficial link between music and wellness.

Vitamins: Should You Take Them?

First of all, this is not written against taking vitamins. This is written to help us better understand how vitamins act in our systems and how we do or do not gain from them. The intention is to help you determine if you should be taking a supplement or daily multivitamin of some sort. Ultimately, the choice as to whether or not vitamins can benefit you is up to you and your doctor.

Americans have taken an increasing interest in taking vitamins. In fact, more so than in any other Nation. As a result, we have the costliest urine in the entire world. Our body’s extract from the supplements taken the amount it sometimes may need and the rest is excreted through our urine.

Studies have now proven that most people who take vitamins regularly probably don’t need them. We just think we do to give us a quick fix that will allow us to eat and/or drink anything we want, relying on the vitamins to do the rest. The fact is, we are much better off getting our vitamins from the foods we eat. This way we are assured we get the entire nutrient value, whereas a vitamin limits you to one component of a food. For instance, an orange contains the important nutrients of carotene, calcium, fiber and simple sugars along with vitamin C. If you just take a vitamin C supplement, you miss out on these. The same example can be applied to milk and calcium. If you skip the milk and take a calcium supplement you lose vitamin D, phosphorus, magnesium and protein.

In regards to multivitamins, there are mixed results in studies done. Currently, there are several large studies underway in attempts to determine the possible benefits of taking a daily multivitamin. There have been some previous results that suggest a multivitamin can benefit our health, especially among the elderly in which such a supplement helped make them more resistant to disease. Harvard also has an on-going evaluation of 90,000 nurses for more than 15 years that suggests multivitamins appear to reduce the risk of colon and breast cancers. Therefore, a multivitamin is suggested under the following conditions:

*You are not eating a balanced diet for any reason. This occurrence is most common among the elderly who may have poor teeth, therefore trouble chewing, or those who cannot afford the right foods. Also, senior citizens who live alone have a tendency to eat a poor diet and would do well to take a daily multivitamin.

*You suffer from lactose intolerance. You can become deficient in vitamin D if you suffer the physical symptoms of intestinal gas, cramps, diarrhea and bloating when you consume milk or other dairy products. If you find yourself with this dilemma, a daily dose of at least 400 international units (IU) of vitamin D is recommended.

*You are over the age of 50. After this age, our stomachs cease in making enough stomach acid to digest our food. As a result, we need vitamin B12. You could get an appropriate amount of this vitamin by eating a bowl of high-fiber cereal every morning.

*You are pregnant, of childbearing age or nursing. In these cases, you are providing nutrition for two and need extra vitamins from a prenatal multivitamin.

*You have in your family history the following diseases: colon cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer or Parkinson’s disease. It is strongly urged you take extra vitamin E, 400 IU, all natural (this is important) daily as this could help protect you or help manage these disease.

*Your homocysteine levels are elevated. Homocysteine is a protein thought to be related to an increased risk of coronary artery disease. In such cases, supplements of folic acid as well as vitamins B6 and B12 are recommended.

*You suffer from iron deficiency anemia or are still menstruating. Be sure you are tested low in iron before taking an iron supplement. Too much iron can predispose you to heart disease, cancer and iron overload, called hemochromatosis.

*You have an intestinal condition such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or chronic pancreatitis. These ailments cause diarrhea, which interferes with absorption of the nutrients you eat.

*You are on a weight reduction diet. When dieting, foods are eliminated that you would gain nutrients from, especially if you are eating less than 1200 calories a day. When dieting, if you incorporate some exercise, you should go no lower than 1500 calories a day to adequately supply your body with proper nutrition.

*You are a strict vegetarian. Vegetarians lack in vitamin B12. Most multivitamins can replace what is missing in this case.

Try A Balanced Diet

This brings us to the food pyramid recommended by the health establishment. Here are the guidelines of the infamous food pyramid:

* Grains. Six to eleven servings a day are recommended. The grains should be refined which includes rice and other grains, breads, cereal and pasta. This sounds like an awful lot, but in reality, a serving is one piece of bread, one ounce of cereal or 1/2 cup of rice or pasta. If you eat a simple sandwich with two slices of bread for lunch, you’ve already gotten 1/3 of the minimum daily-required amount.

* Fruits and Vegetables. Five to nine servings a day are recommended. One piece of fruit, 3/4 cup fruit juice or 1/2 cup of cooked or raw vegetables or fruit all equal one serving.

* Low Fat Dairy Products. Two or three servings a day are recommended. This would include milk, cheese or yogurt.

* Protein. Two or three servings are recommended a day. Lean meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts are all excellent sources of protein.

Final Thoughts

If you have determined you need a supplement of some sort and your doctor concurs, be sure you only take them in the recommended doses. Too much of any supplement can be very harmful and detrimental to your over all health. For instance, an excess of vitamin A can cause liver disease, bone abnormalities and birth defects in an unborn child. Too much vitamin B6 can result in nerve injuries and balance problems. A vitamin D overdose can lead to kidney disease.

To summarize, most people who eat a balanced diet don’t need vitamins. For others, supplements may help reduce the risk of certain disease.

A GUIDE TO MAXIMUN DOSAGES

The following recommendations are from the Council for Responsible Nutrition. They consist of the upper limits of the listed vitamins and minerals. The only exception would be if your physician prescribes otherwise.

Vitamin A- 3000mcg
Vitamin B6- 200mg
Vitamin B12- 3000mcg
Folic Acid- 1000mcg
Vitamin D- 800 IU
Vitamin E- 1200IU
Calcium- 1500mg
Selenium- 200mcg
Zinc- 30mg

How To Get In Shape- 4 Crucial Keys

By Scott Abbett

Probably nowhere is there more dubious information than in the fitness industry. Not coincidentally, it’s doubtful there’s an area of life mired in more confusion with conflicting information than the simple context of ‘getting in shape’. One person tells you to eradicate all carbohydrates and spend your free time doing “cardio” (once called aerobics). Another tells you to put on mounds of muscle so you can someday burn hundreds of calories while sitting in front of the boob-tube clicking the remote. Still others get more esoteric by convincing you to “eat for your blood type”, or “exercise your core”. It seems that most experts in this field are more concerned with coming up with new gimmicks for outdoing each other than helping YOU get in shape.

But really, getting the body into better shape is fundamentally simple. We are considered to “be in good shape” when our body fat is low and our lean body tissue is relatively high. In other words – when our muscle to fat ratio is favorable, we are typically stronger, healthier, and of better appearance. Pretty simple – huh?

So where does the confusion set in? It starts in that typically ambiguous area where we need to reconcile fantasy with reality.

Yes… you do need to build muscle in order to maintain youth and burn calories more efficiently. But tossing some weights around a few days a week on some generic, regimented schedule will more likely waste your time than produce muscle.

Yes… you do need to improve eating habits. But neglecting to shift better eating practices into intuitive and subconscious desires through self-image enhancement will likely lead to unnecessary struggle and backsliding.

Yes… you should add some aerobic activity to your schedule so you burn more unwanted fat. But doing this haphazardly or overdoing it can cause inefficient wastes of time and counterproductive wastes of solid body mass.

And yes… you should start an effective workout regimen as soon as possible. However, you should probably procrastinate just long enough to make sure you’re mentally prepared to begin. False starts, followed by recidivism, can contribute to long-term self-doubt. That won’t help.

So let’s go over four crucial keys that I think you need to have covered in order to improve the shape of your body and get fit as quickly and efficiently as possible:

1. Make Sure You’re Mentally Ready.

What do I mean by being “mentally ready”? I mean that you know deeply in your mind that you’ve hit the point of resolve. Let me clarify this by illustrating the opposite of resolve.

A former coworker of mine spent most of his time being out of shape with a 40-inch waistline (I’ve been there too). When he finally told himself he’d had enough, he decided he wanted to add the occasional meal replacement shakes he’d seen me drinking to his daily menu. He handed me forty bucks and asked me to pick up a box for him the next time I was getting some for myself. Well, I did that. But when he asked me again several weeks later (after I’d gone through three boxes in the interim), it was clear to me that he hadn’t resolved to get in shape. He was just sticking his toe in and testing the water.

Unsurprisingly, he appeared to be getting in worse shape during the time he’d professed to be getting in shape. I’m not claiming this was due to an unwillingness to drink meal replacement shakes. Rather, the reluctance to pick up his own products was symptomatic of a lack of resolve – the results of which probably rearing their ugly head by way of other steps he wasn’t taking.

Without resolve, we don’t achieve anything significant.

2. Build Muscle With An Easily Measurable Feedback System.

That former coworker I mentioned (I know – I’m picking on him) was allowing himself to become deficient of muscle tissue while only in his mid-forties. This was undoubtedly making his fat loss a bigger uphill battle with each intermittent attempt he made at getting in shape. He’d been a non-muscular youth and now the unencumbered process of age-related muscle degradation was creating an ever-worsening ratio between his adipose tissue and muscle.

To turn this around, he needed an efficient and highly effective muscle building routine. Basically, he needed a routine that would be simple to use and that would provide easily measurable feedback to see whether progress is being made. That’s what’s needed for ongoing motivation.

If you want to really improve your body, don’t get in the habit of thinking any activity you do in the gym is conducive to reaching your goals. Like success at anything, you must have a simple method of planning and measuring your progress. Otherwise, you might as well spend that time you used at the gym to do something else.

3. Burn Body Fat With Low Intensity, Short Duration Cardio Exercise.

When I went through Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL Training in the Navy, we did high intensity aerobic exercise and calisthenics all day. Guess what… we didn’t really look all that great.

My former coworker used umpteen mile walks each day to try to lose fat. When he handed me the greenbacks for his second box of meal replacements, it was apparent that all the time spent walking wasn’t doing much except burning off what little muscle he had along with miniscule amounts of fat. Sure, walking is low intensity. But he was doing too much while slowing his metabolism with infrequent meals consisting of assumed-to-be-healthy foods – such as salad.

To really improve your body, you need to burn fat while building some muscle. Then you need to retain the muscle you’ve gained – not lose it. This creates efficient fitness gains. Keep your cardio work at low intensity for thirty to forty minute sessions.

4. Condition Better Eating Habits Into Your Self-Image.

Those who go on diets will go on and off diets indefinitely. Those who take on the eating habits of a high performance person and then adopt that self-image will not struggle to stay lean.

I used to crave junk food. Now I crave foods that make my body feel good, energetic and high performance. This is a matter of subconscious changes. That’s beyond the scope of this article, but I think you get the idea.

There you have it, four basic principles (or keys) you need to get in shape. Sure, you can fall for the latest fitness fads if you choose. But when you want lasting results, it always comes back to simplicity and diligent execution. You CAN have a better body.

Physical Fitness Means Living Better, Longer!

Regular exercise can provide the basis for good health and wellness. In the past health meant only the absence of disease or illness. Today we define health in terms of physical, mental, social and emotional wellness. The health, fitness, and medical experts now regard exercise, practiced on a regular basis, as essential for achieving and maintaining good health.

Being physically fit does not guarantee you health. However, exercise is an essential component of good health.

Exercise is the basis for living a full life. It will help you bring your body, mind and spirit into concert. The effort it takes for you to be physically fit will help you to discover the individual within yourself.

A question you might ask is, how much exercise do I need to realize some health benefits? Perhaps you are concerned only about living longer. A recent study by the Aerobics Research Institute indicates that even a little exercise appears to protect people from early death. The study analyzed the data of 13,334 men and women who were classified as healthy. Based on their treadmill testing results the participants were divided into five categories, ranging from least fit to most fit.

The research team followed these people to determine how their level of physical fitness related to their death rates. After eight years the inactive group (least fit) had a death rate more than three times greater than the very active group (most fit). However, the most interesting finding was that the death rate for group one (inactive) was two and one half times greater than that for group two (walking 30 minutes a day). Thus, in terms of reducing premature death, the study strongly suggests that a minimal amount of exercise tends to lower the risk of premature death from heart disease, cancer and other health-related causes.

In a similar study done strictly with men, findings were similar. The study consisted of 12,138 middle-aged men. The report results were that moderate levels of exercise resulted in one-third fewer deaths from all causes (including heart disease) compared to those who were sedentary.

These studies suggest that moderate exercise seems to be adequate for helping you to live longer and live life at your fullest potential. But, being physically fit is more that striving to live longer. Being physically fit is striving to live better. People exercise to maintain good physical appearance, have more energy to carry out daily tasks, sleep better, be able to eat nutritious foods without worrying about weight gain, improve their performance in a favorite sport or pastime, and, enjoy the feeling of being physically fit and possessing good health.

Consider the fitness truths listed below.

These statements are what physical fitness and exercise is all about. Physical fitness is not getting by in life, it is about living every day to your fullest capacity. This goal is within the reach of anyone who educates themselves regarding fitness. Fitness exercise is for everyone. If you’ve had unhappy experiences in athletics or physical education in the past, take heart. Not having the ability to be a great athlete isn’t what is important, reaching a point where you become the best YOU can be, is.

Fitness Truths

* Your body was made to be active.
* Your body cannot handle the stress of sitting and standing all day.
* Your body thrives on activity.
* You need to use energy to gain energy.
* A physically fit body is more able to function at its full potential.
* Fit people tend to feel good about themselves.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Most people have no idea how much water they should be drinking, and most Americans live from day to day in a dehydrated state.

They don’t drink enough water.

Without water, we would be poisoned to death by our own waste products and toxins resulting from metabolism.

Water is vital to digestion and metabolism, acting as a medium for various enzymatic and chemical reactions in the body. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood, regulates body temperature and lubricates our joints (which is particularly important if you’re arthritic, have chronic muscular-skeletal problems or are athletically active).

We need water to breathe and as a matter of fact, we lose approximately one pint of liquid every day just by exhaling.

If you are not in “fluid balance” you can impair every aspect of your body’s physiological functioning.

Dr. Howard Flaks, Beverly Hills:
“As a result of not drinking enough water, many people encounter such problems as excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness (particularly after exercise) and water retention.”

Proper water intake is the key to weight loss,” says Dr. Donald Robertson, Scottsdale, Arizona. “If people who are trying to lose weight don’t drink enough water, the body can’t metabolize the fat, they retain fluid, which keeps their weight up, and the whole procedure we’re trying to set up falls apart.”

“I’d say the minimum amount of water a healthy person should drink is 10 eight-ounce glasses a day,” he continues, “and you need to drink more if you are overweight, exercise a lot, or live in a hot climate. Overweight people should drink an extra eight ounces of water for each 25 pounds that exceeds their ideal weight.”

Your water intake should be spread judiciously throughout the day, including the evening. Dr. Flaks cautions against drinking more than four glasses in any given hour. Always check with your physician before embarking on a water intake increase program.

You may ask, “If I drink this much water, won’t I constantly be running to the bathroom?” Initially, yes, because of the hypersensitivity of the bladder to increased fluids. But after a few weeks, your bladder calms down, and you urinate less frequently, but in larger amounts.

There is a difference between pure water and other beverages that contain water.

Water is water. Obviously you can get it by consuming fruit juice, soft drinks, beer, coffee or tea. Unfortunately, while such drinks contain water, they also may contain substances that are not healthy and actually contradict some of the positive effects of the added water.

Dr. Jerzy Meduski, Los Angeles, California: “Beer contains water, but it also contains alcohol, which is a toxic substance. Beverages that contain caffeine, such as coffee, stimulate the adrenal glands; fruit juices contain a lot of sugar and stimulate the pancreas. Such drinks may tax the body more than cleanse it.”

Another problem with these beverages is that you lose your taste for water.

The way to interpret all of this, therefore, is that the recommended daily water intake means just that–WATER!