John Is Fit

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7 Summer Activities to Help You Lose Weight Posted: 27 May 2012 07:14 AM PDT This is a guest post by Tracy Sheldon. As summer approaches, you're probably anticipating the chance to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. After being cooped up all winter, the sunshine will provide a welcome relief. It is a time to relax and soak up the rays. Summertime also affords the perfect opportunity to shed some of that extra weight you may have picked up laying around doing nothing. Following are a few summer activities you can engage in that may help you lose weight. Swimming Builds Stamina Although it may not seem like it, swimming is one of the best ways to tweak your muscles and lose weight. While you’re in the water, you may not be aware of sweating like you would be if you were on dry land, but you'll be burning calories at a rapid rate. Most champion swimmers have very little body fat, which is a testament to this form of exercise. Peddle Your Way to a Better You Riding a bicycle is a great way to take off the pounds. It is a highly efficient way to move your body from one point to another–the energy used to move you any particular distance is far less than it would be if you were walking or running, yet it is a great way to burn calories. Nothing Beats Jogging One of the most popular ways to lose weight, improve stamina, and build up your lung capacity is to go jogging. If you're not used to jogging, you'll want to start slow and rest when you get tired. A slow, steady pace will enable you to increase the distance you travel, and your speed. As you are able to go further and faster, the pounds will come off more quickly and you'll be able to put on more miles and burn even more calories. Go for a Hike Some of the more vigorous activities will surely burn calories quickly, but they may also tear down muscle tissue if you're not careful. A good way to build up muscle tissue and stamina without a tremendous amount of strain is to go for a hike. In fact, hiking is a great way to lose weight because, once you build up to it, you'll be able to walk all day without needing a great deal of rest–and the pounds will come off. Roll the Pounds Off with Rollerblades Moving your body along on wheels is a good way to lose weight because you're using muscles and building stamina, all while burning off those unwanted pounds. Rollerblading, also called inline skating, is a good way to do that. Try and develop a fluid movement of your muscles and the pounds will melt away. Be sure and wear the proper safety gear. Softball and Baseball are Fun Baseball is a favorite pastime. Its cousin, softball, is popular as well because the ball is easier to see and much more hittable. Although some people prefer to join a league in order to participate in a baseball or softball game, one of the best things about the sport is that you don't really need any type of organization to enjoy the game. All you need are a few friends, a bat, a baseball or softball, fielding gloves, and an open place to play. Most towns and cities have community parks with ball diamonds that are open to the public. Playing baseball or softball uses a variety of muscles, builds stamina, and will help you lose weight in the process. Play Some Tennis Another sport that will help you lose those unwanted pounds is tennis. It is an activity that will shed calories quickly, because you'll be using a variety of muscles–there is a lot of stop and go involved in tennis. Due to the fact that there are periods of relative inactivity, followed by bursts of tremendous physical exertion, you could easily pull a muscle if you're not in good shape. If you approach the sport slowly, you can build up your muscles, coordination, and stamina–and lose weight. Safety First The number and variety of things you can do to lose weight are nearly endless, but it may be a good idea to see a doctor before you begin vigorous physical activity, just to be sure you're in good enough shape to exert yourself. Good luck and have fun on your weight loss journey! Tracy Sheldon writes about boat insurance for BoatInsurance.org. photo by: epSos.de Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog 7 Summer Activities to Help You Lose Weight

How to Build Muscle Mass Posted: 27 May 2012 07:03 AM PDT This is a guest post by Payton Price. Getting healthy and staying that way is something that many people strive for. The best way to do that is to eat right and get plenty of exercise. Although losing a few pounds is a priority for some people, others would like to add weight for a variety of reasons. If you fit in this category, you most likely want to make sure the additional weight comes in the form of muscle, not fat. Following are a few tips on how to build muscle mass. Use Common Sense There are various ways to increase your muscle mass quickly, but some of them aren't very safe. In order to build your muscle mass quickly and safely, you'll need to use a little common sense. Do not use products that can prove to be detrimental to your overall health. Lift Weights The simplest way to build muscle mass is to lift weights. In fact, it is the single best way to increase muscle mass and strength. The act of lifting weights, especially if you do it regularly and correctly, will increase your muscle mass exponentially. Going to a gym to lift weights along with other people will help you learn how to do it the right way. Your muscles will get larger and you'll become stronger by increasing the amount of weight you lift and by doing repetitions of each lift. This combination of lifting more weight, and doing it repetitiously, will increase muscle mass quickly. No Pain, No Gain There is an old saying among weight lifters and athletes in general: no pain, no gain. What that means is that if your muscles aren't protesting after a workout, you're not working hard enough. Although you don't want to do any damage to your muscles by making them strain too hard, you want to make sure you're making them work. That's the only way to actually increase your muscle mass. If you overdo it, you could pull a muscle, or worse yet, tear it. If you damage your muscle, it could take a long time to heal, and you could end up having to start your exercise regimen all over again. Ever Increasing Weight In order to boost your muscle mass by lifting weights, you'll need to employ the no pain, no gain rule by increasing the amount of weight you lift on a regular basis. This will cause the muscles to grow larger and stronger. As you add more weight to your workouts, you'll realize a tremendous increase in strength. It's a repetitive process. Repetitions Count Along with adding more weight to your lifting routine, you should be sure and continue doing each exercise over and over again. This is referred to as doing reps, or repetitions. Each round of repetitions is called a set. You'll want to do a number of different sets that work on various parts of your body, especially the large muscles. If you don't belong to a gym, you may want to talk to some of your friends who already lift weights to find out which exercises will work best for you. If you do belong to a gym, consult with the people who work there. Ask them to help you work out a lifting routine that will help you reach your desired goals. Eat Healthy If you combine your regular weight lifting sessions with a healthy diet, your physical condition will improve immensely. Eating right is conducive to helping build muscle mass because your body will use the fuel you're supplying it with more efficiently. If you lift weights but fail to eat the right foods, you could end up gaining a lot of weight, but not all of it will be muscle. Consume Foods that Build Muscle You will want to avoid processed foods as much as possible. They contain a lot of excess calories that may add weight, but won't help build up your muscles. Instead, you should eat red meat, eggs, poultry, fish, and other natural foods that contain a lot of protein. You'll also want to eat fresh fruits and vegetables. You don't need to cut out fats altogether, but you'll want to eat foods that have the right kind of fats, such as nuts, olive oil, fish oil, (unprocessed) butter, or flax seeds. Follow these tips and add some dedication and you’ll have that muscle mass in no time. Payton Price writes about term life insurance for TermLifeInsurance.org. photo by: RightIndex Post from: John Is Fit - Personal Weight Loss Blog How to Build Muscle Mass

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