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Can exercise lower cholesterol?
The jury is still out on whether exercise lowers overall cholesterol. Whether it does or not can often comes down to the interpretation of the research. A study may show that the effect is statistically significant, but clinically, it may drop only a few percentage points and not enough to...
Calories - how many and how long to burn them?
It is very difficult to measure exactly how many calories are burned during exercise as there are many factors to consider. Your body weight, the intensity of the workout, how fit you are and your natural metabolism will all effect the total. However it is possible to give an approximate...
Body oddities
Sneezing Sneezing is known as sternutation and it is a way of removing irritants from your nose. When particles such as dust or pollen pass through your nasal hairs and reach the nasal mucosa they trigger the production of histamine. Histamine, through the nerve cells in the nose, generates messages...
Arterial Fibrillation and Exercise
Before going into the details of the effect exercise has on the condition Arterial Fibrillation it is important to have a basic understanding of what AF is. What is Arterial Fibrillation? Arterial Fibrillation is an irregular heart beat. It can be caused by a faulty heart valve, Thyroid disease, high...
Fitness equipment for kids
You only need to look in any school playground today and you will see some overweight kids. Study after study has reported on the inactivity and lack of exercise our kids undertake today and how its leading to record levels of childhood obesity. Buying Fitness & Gym Equipment You may therefore...
Exercise reduces the risk of stroke.
Researchers at the National Public Health Institute in Finland conducted a study to find out if exercise cut the risk of stroke and it found that even moderate exercise produced positive results. They monitored 47,721 Finns aged between 25-64. They found that those who added physical activity as part of...
Exercise links to moods
Anyone who exercises regularly recognises the buzz you get after your workout. You feel better and more alive. Now a new study proves that exercise is directly linked to our moods and emotions. Featuring in the Archives of Internal Medicine the article describes the results of 3000 patients that were...
Exercise Does Not Have To Be Torture To Improve Health
There is no getting away from it; the UK is developing into a very unhealthy nation and the unhealthiest country in Europe. It is predicted that if things continue, by 2050 over 60% of the population will be morbidly obese. Children will be dying before their parents and the NHS...
Exercise and the Immune System
Over the years research has conclusively proved that exercise effect’s the immune system. Too much can lower it, making you susceptible to colds, flu and a general feeling of malaise. However regular exercise performed sensibly has the opposite effect, boosting your immune system and protecting you from a range of...
Exercise After 50 – More important to health than ever
This article will not be talking about exercise in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s because the betting is if you are reading this you are already staring at 50 something. You go through life thinking you are invincible then suddenly, often out of the blue, your body starts to let...
Even Light Exercise Helps Smokers Quit
Even short bouts of light exercise such as strolling can help smokers quit by reducing cigarette cravings and withdrawal symptoms, say scientists at the University of Exeter in the UK. The study was published in the April edition of the journal Addiction. The scientists suggest that a short session of...
Do personal trainers work?
46 women, strength training in a health club were split into two groups. Half of the women trained with a personal trainer and the other half worked out on their own. The study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research was for a period of 3 months. Those that...
Could there be a fitness pill in the future?
In 2008 scientists at the Salk Institute in California took mice that could only be described as coach potatoes and turned them into marathon mice after administering two specific drugs. The drug switched on a gene that triggered a process that increased their endurance without exercise resulting in them being...
Comparisons Between Machines & Free Weights
Comparisons Between Machines and Free Weights Advantages of Free Weights Free weights such as dumbbells and barbells are more effective in developing the small synergistic (helping) muscles and stabilising muscles. The movements made when using free weights follow a more natural path of motion, Free weights are more versatile Free...
Home leisure when money is no object
Want a Roman bath, a cinema or a state of the art gymnasium but do not want to upset the planners with a massive eyesore of an extension, well if you have the money, dig down. Leonard Blavatnik, a Russian-born oil tycoon bought 15 Kensington Palace Gardens, probably the most...
History of strength training
On the walls of the funerary chapel in Beni-Hassan in Egypt is a drawing. Depicted in this drawing are three figures, lifting what appears to be bags above their heads. Although no one can say with certainty that they are actually performing strength-training exercises the impression is very reminiscent of...
Heart Basics – What everyone should know when starting to exercise
This article is designed to give a very simple description on the heart, how it works and how to look after it when starting to exercise. It is intended for those who have very little knowledge of the human body but realise that it is in their interest to know...
Getting that ’six pack’
There is still no better way to strengthen and tone your stomach muscles than the basic sit up, whether you use one of the latest ab machines or by simply doing it the old fashioned way of someone holding your feet while you crunch. However do not expect instant results...
Functional strength training
The New Movement in Weight Training Weight training has always been a popular fitness activity and the reason for this is quite simple. The results are quick; it can improve your performance in athletic activities and dramatically improve strength, muscle tone, appearance and health. Conventional weight training methods achieve excellent...
Free weights explained
Weight Plates or Discs These are individual weights designed to fit onto the end of barbells and dumbbell bars. There are two types, standard plates and Olympic plates. Standard plates have a 1’ (2.54cm) hole in the middle of the plate to slide on to a 1” circumference bar. Olympic plates have a 2” (5.08cm)...