Exercise

Fitness and exercise technique and news. (253 posts)

Is The Human Body Meant For Distance?

Running a marathon is an accomplishment that many people have on their "to-do" lists. And to sure, it IS quite a feat. But is the physical stress of running a marathon more than our bodies should ever handle?

The wisdom-du-jour suggests that any form of cardio - especially long slow distance and running in particular "destructive" to the body. Pop diet/exercise books of late accuse long slow distance cardio from causing everything from debilitating joint pain to back hair to the economic woes. If you run long distances, you probably order the "Filet o fish" and think monopoly is a strategy game.

A very intriguing article in the New York Times suggests that we humans are in fact suited for running long distances. Here's the gist...

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17 comments · November 3, 2009

Exercise Makes Cigarettes less Desirable to Smokers

Exercise does some pretty amazing things for your health. It probably wouldn't come as much of surprise that exercise can help smokers quit. This particular study - from the University of Exeter is unique however in that it shows the effect of exercise on images of smoking. Let's explore!

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5 comments · October 31, 2009

Listening to Podcasts Can Help You Lose Weight

Better Planet

Some experts believe tuning into podcasts that give advice on diet and exercise help people lose weight, but only certain kinds.

Boring health lectures are a good start, but informative and "entertaining" soap-opera-like podcasts stick with you, and offer better results.

I guess it's like those tapes that teach you another language while you sleep. "Miguel buys fish at la pescaria."

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12 comments · October 29, 2009

Hate Climbing Stairs? These People Don't

These are the piano stairs, a fun little experiment by -- who else? -- TheFunTheory.com. The basic idea behind their initiative is that making something fun is the most effective way to change someone's behavior.

Before the stairs were altered, we clearly see the majority of people using the escalator. But when the stairs become a giant, working piano, 66 percent more people used the stairs. Why? Because it's fun!

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15 comments · October 27, 2009

Belly Fat Makes It Hard to Breathe, Raises Asthma Risk

Spare tire, gut, muffin top, love handles, or chub, no matter what you call it. Nobody wants belly fat, it's everybody's nemesis.

And the woes of a tummy aren't limited to keeping your favorite designer jeans in the closet.

Abdominal fat can sack your health, leading to things like heart disease and diabetes, and now you can add asthma to the list too.

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11 comments · October 22, 2009

Exercise Alone Won't Help You Lose Weight

Since the 1980s, health experts and governments have been urging people to exercise more in order to lose weight. But more research has led many current health experts to conclude that exercising has little or no impact on weight loss. » more

13 comments · October 21, 2009

17 Home Truths Every Health Freak Needs to Hear

Every once in a while you just have to vent. I had to get the following off my chest;

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39 comments · October 19, 2009

Which Strength Training is Best: Single or Multiple Sets?

If you've been keeping even a distant eye on the bodybuilding community, you've likely come across discussions (read: heated debates) on the issue of single vs. multiple sets.

Single set training, a variation of which is referred to as HIT (High Intensity Training), is characterized by maximal efforts performed in one set. Multiple set training, also termed "volume training," is lifting which involves multiple sets of usually sub-maximal efforts.

For the casual observer and the less seasoned lifter, the question might simply be "How many sets are optimal for strength gains?"

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39 comments · October 12, 2009

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