Aerobic Activity For Healthy Digestion: How Aerobic Activity Relieves Indigestion And Constipation

More than 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn. About 4 million Americans suffer from constipation. Between 10% and 15% of people around the world are afflicted with irritable bowel syndrome. Aerobic activity won't resolve all these problems in every case, but it can do a lot to help.

Anxiety, anger, and stress stimulate the overproduction of stomach acid in an inactive person because he does not have sufficient energy outlet for his emotions. These stomach acids are meant for the digestion of food, but since there is no food present, the stomach acid begins instead to eat away at the stomach lining. Eventually the result may be painful stomach ulcers. However, regular aerobic activity tends to relax the system and relieve anger and stress, partly because the destructive energy that fuels anxiety, stress and anger is diverted constructively to the parts of the body that need the energy for movement.

Constipation is a common affliction by which people have difficulty in eliminating body wastes through their bowel and have difficulty in producing three or more bowel movements per week. The entire digestive track is lined with special core muscles that move the food through the system as it is being digested and broken down. With age, and especially with inactivity, these core muscles become lax and have difficulty moving the material through and eliminating it. Aerobic activity conditions the body so that it can deliver a much higher concentration of oxygen to these core muscles so that they can move the material through and eliminate it more efficiently. The movements of aerobic activity also tend to stimulate the core muscles and help them pass the material through the system. Those who practice regular aerobic activity are rarely irregular (pun intended).

Aerobic activity can also help to relieve the discomfort of gas trapped in the bowels. As food is being broken down so that it can be absorbed into the blood, one normal byproduct of digestion is methane gas. This is normally no great problem since the movement of core digestive muscles along the bowels tends to eliminate these gases quickly. But since the core digestive muscles in an unconditioned person are lax, the elimination of gas from his system is inefficient. As a result, methane gas can build up in the bowels and may become quite uncomfortable or even painful. The movement of aerobic activity does much to aid the elimination of intestinal gasses and relieve the discomfort.

Mark Roof has experienced first hand the changes that aerobic activity has made in his own life, and he is eager to share the benefits with the world. There is more on the subject of Cardio Aerobics Exercise for healthy digestion, sleep, and psychological health. Or, if you want the whole story, please visit aerobicexcellence.com

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Swimming To Lose Weight - A Few Facts You Should Know

ByJonathan Dunsky

If you're wondering whether swimming is the right cardio workout for you to do in order to lose weight, this article is perfect for you. There are a few studies regarding the effectiveness of swimming for weight loss and how it compares to other cardiovascular workouts for the purposes of weight loss.

Let me start by saying that swimming is a wonderful sport. It works your entire body and combines cardiovascular stimulation with a strength one. There's no doubt that you can build a great looking body by swimming regularly. You only need to look at the stunning body of competitive swimmers to see how effective this workout can be.

If you like swimming then I highly recommend that you do it. I always favor doing workouts that you enjoy. It's more likely that you'll do more powerful and consistent workouts that way.

However, if you're not particularly partial to swimming and you just want to know which cardio workout is most effective for weight loss, you should know that there are a number of studies which show that swimming may not be the best choice for losing weight.

The reasons why swimming may be less effective for weight loss than walking or running is unclear. There are some theories but none has been proven. One likely reason may have little to do with the workout itself and a lot to do with what goes on afterward.

It seem that people who swim tend to eat more after their workout is completed than those who perform other sorts of cardiovascular workouts. This is something which is called post workout compensation and it refers to the fact that you can undo much of the effects of a workout by consuming too many calories afterward. Basically, if a particular workout tends to make you hungrier than others and if you burn a similar number of calories in each, then this is not the best workout for weight loss.

This tendency to overcompensate seems to be connected to the temperature of the water in which you swim. Swimming in cold water tends to make people hungrier than swimming in warm water does.

Does this mean that you shouldn't swim at all if you want to lose weight?

Not at all. As I said, is swimming is your thing then do it. You can lose weight with it. However, you may see faster results with other forms of cardio workouts.

To learn more about this issue visit Swimming For Weight Loss Research.

To learn more about how to not "undo" your workouts visit Post Workout Compensation Tips.

Jonathan Dunsky writes about health and fitness issues.

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Can I Lose Weight Through Cardiovascular Exercise?

Cardiovascular exercise does play prominent part in losing weight. It is really just one part of a three tier program that helps in dropping weight. Diet and strength training also play a big importance in our quest to drop a few pounds and get healthier. Regular cardiovascular exercise for instance improves your fitness by allowing our heart to get stronger which in turn makes it work more efficiently. A stronger heart also helps in the flushing out of toxins our bodies have either created or, from foods that we have consumed. By flushing out these toxins this in turns allows our bodies to run cleaner and promotes weight loss as well.

Cardiovascular exercise also helps to distribute oxygen throughout our bodies keeping our muscles stronger by building up stamina and allowing them to work harder and longer. It is a known fact today in the fitness world that bigger, stronger muscles built through strength and aerobic training combined, will burn more calories and increase your metabolism. A faster metabolism equates to burning calories constantly which helps in the war against fat and weight loss.

Cardiovascular exercise can be completed in many forms. Walking, swimming, and hiking for instance is just several that is considered aerobic. To get the most out of aerobic exercise and conditioning however, it should involve your legs such as running, or cycling. It is important to burn more calories to get the weight off, you should use aerobic exercise that is involving large muscle groups such as the legs and hips.

Getting your heart rate up is important for the exercise to be effective. During cardiovascular exercise your heart rate should be between sixty-five and eighty-five percent of your maximum heart rate. That is determined by subtracting 220 from your age. That number will tell you what your maximum heart rate is and important to determine how hard you can push yourself. Then multiply.65 by your maximum heart rate and that is the lowest number you should be working at, to get the higher number take.85 then multiply that by your maximum heart rate.

For instance a 54 year old male or female would take 220-54

Aerobic Activity For Better Sleep: How Aerobic Activity Resolved My Sleeping Disorder

Aerobic activity was the big factor in resolving my serious sleep disorder. Since we are all different, and since sleep disorders are very different, I don't expect your experience to be exactly like mine. But let me tell you my story so that you can determine for yourself whether or not aerobic activity might help your sleep the way it helped mine.

For about 19 years I lived as a missionary in South America. After being there for about two years I started to get very severe headaches. Trying to sleep them off didn't help at all. The more I slept the worse the headaches got. Eventually I was waking up with a splitting headache almost every day, and often they lasted all day. I went to a clinic for some physiotherapy, but that didn't seem to help at all.

One day, while visiting at home, I remembered once overhearing a friend tell someone how vigorous aerobic activity had resolved a serious sleeping disorder that he had. His sleeping disorder was much different from mine, but I figured that it couldn't hurt giving it a try. I could never have imagined what a change it made! My headaches became fewer and fewer until they almost disappeared.

I was delighted with the results of the aerobic activity, but for a long time I couldn't figure out how it worked or why. Eventually I started to understand. The source of my headaches was the stiff muscles in my neck. The longer I slept the stiffer my neck became, and the worse my headaches grew. But with aerobic activity I was able to get to sleep much more quickly. I also got much more out of my sleep so that I didn't need to sleep nearly as long. So I was up and out of bed before my stiff neck turned into a headache.

Aerobic activity helps me to get more out of my sleep. I usually get about 6 hours of sleep each night, but I get more out of it than some people get out of eight hours of sleep each night. That gives me two extra productive hours each day, or 14 extra hours per week. That's almost like adding an extra day to my week! Nobody can be healthy without good sleep, but good sleep does not necessarily mean a lot of sleep. There are some people who regularly sleep ten hours each night and then are lethargic and unproductive all day long. Aerobic activity helps a person sleep quicker and better so that his waking hours are more productive.

Mark Roof has experienced first hand the changes that aerobic activity has made in his own life, and he is eager to share the benefits with the world. There is more on the subject of Cardio Aerobics Exercise for healthy digestion, sleep, and psychological health. Or, if you want the whole story, please visit aerobicexcellence.com.

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Aerobic Activity For Digestion Relief: How Aerobic Activity Relieves Irritable Bowel Syndrome

If you suffer with some of the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, you have lots of company. Irritable bowel syndrome afflicts 10% to 15% of all people worldwide. That would be about a billion people around the world who suffer from the same affliction. It affects about 1/5 of Americans, and is a little bit more common in women than in men. In many places around the world it is caused by poor living conditions. In places like the United States, Canada, Europe, and other industrialized nations, this affliction may have its roots in stress or bad eating habits.

Irritable bowel syndrome is a condition characterized by bloating, diarrhea, cramps, constipation and abdominal pain and discomfort. In America it usually develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. By this period of life people are starting to suffer the effects of unhealthy lifestyles like inactivity and bad eating habits. Especially where these symptoms are the result of inactivity, aerobic activity can often correct and reverse much of the damage.

The entire system of an unconditioned person is weak because his inactivity has caused his cardiovascular system to degenerate. Weakened lungs and heart provide the body with a very meager and inadequate blood-oxygen supply so that muscles cannot operate at full capacity. Aerobic activity conditions the body and greatly enhances the blood-oxygen supply to every tissue in the body, including the core muscles that move food and nutrition through the system. The result is that the body's digestive muscles can perform their function and eliminate waste more quickly and efficiently.

An experiment was conducted in Sweden to investigate the effects of Aerobic activity for the relief of irritable bowel syndrome. Participants who were suffering from the disorder were divided into two groups. The first group in the study continued with their normal habits and lifestyle. The second group did moderate or vigorous activity 3 to 5 times a week for periods of about 20 to 30 minutes. When the investigation was completed, 5% of participants in the inactive group reported a decrease in symptoms while 25% of participants reported that their symptoms worsened. In the active group, on the other hand, 51% of participants reported an improvement in symptoms while only 8% of participants reported that their symptoms had worsened.

If the investigation in Sweden had continued for an extended period, the results would probably have shown much greater improvements for those in the active group. When irritable bowel syndrome is the result of many years of inactivity, the body needs time to be reconditioned. A person will probably begin to feel the positive results of aerobic activity within a few days, but it will usually take several weeks to substantially strengthen the cardiovascular system and enrich the body's blood-oxygen supply. Aerobic activity may not be the answer for everyone, but it is a great help to most.

Mark Roof has experienced first hand the changes that aerobic activity has made in his own life, and he is eager to share the benefits with the world. There is more on the subject of Cardio Aerobics Exercise for healthy digestion, sleep, and psychological health. Or, if you want the whole story, please visit aerobicexcellence.com

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The 3 Best Cardio Workouts You Can Do for Youthful Skin

ByAnthony Knych

Cardio can be a very boring and monotonous way of exercising, but it really helps create a youthful glow, not only on your face but on the rest of your body too. This article will tell you the 3 best cardio exercises you can do for a youthful vibrant glow. We first want to make sure that before starting any cardio plan you are eligible to perform these types of exercises. So before you start any kind of exercise or cardio plan you most likely will want to consult with your doctor to see if everything within your body is working properly.

Lets now take a look at some cardio exercises that you can perform for more youthful and vibrant skin.

Jogging- A steady jog everyday for 30 minutes can do wonders on your skin. This form of exercise is not too intense. It makes your body work, but then relaxes it. By relaxing it, I mean it makes you feel accomplished. Any sort of cardio will do two things to you. It will get your heart pumping, which will allow more blood to be circulated all throughout your body. Which this will stimulate production of new cells, whether they are for facial or body skin repair. Secondly, it will remove any sort of toxins from your body. It causes your skin to sweat and release excess skin impurities and oils. Make sure when you are performing cardio that you drink a lot of water to rehydrate your body and your skin.

Swimming- This is not only a good form of exercise but it is also a form of skin drying. When you jump into a pool or at a lake, you come out and your skin feels tighter. When you do swim your heart also grows stronger and enables more blood circulation throughout the body. Like mentioned before this will create nothing but benefits for you and your body.

Sprinting- This form of cardio is performed by many athletes. What this form of cardio does is it creates specific bursts of work within your body. This form of cardio oxygenates your cells to get them ready for repair. Sprinting also makes your body create a balance within you. After you perform this kind of cardio you feel much better and more energized throughout your body. It will also help you get to sleep and stay asleep throughout the night time.

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Cardio Workouts That Can Be Done in Your Living Room

ByJohn Davenport

When you think about cardio you imagine a someone doing breaststrokes in a pool or cycling up a mountain road or simply running on a treadmill at the gym. However, cardio doesn't have to take you away from your home. You can easily do great cardio workouts in your living room. Let's see what are the options that you have.

The first thing you can do is use a workout program of some sort. You can find hundreds of workout DVDs that you can use in the comfort of you home to do cardio. There are aerobic dance videos, walking classes, and others. You have a lot of diversity and range of options to choose from. Try to find a program which is right for your current fitness level but is still a plan that you can grow with.

The second thing that you can do is to purchase a cardio machine. As long as you have the space in your livingroom and you can comfortably place a treadmill, bike, or elliptical trainer in there, you can do pretty good workouts with such a machine. However, you need to be ready to spend hundreds or even in excess of $1,000 to buy a quality machine in good condition. So this may not be right for you at the moment.

What you can also choose to do is to perform bodyweight cardio exercises which can either be done at home or in a nearby park. You can get a pretty solid workout with the right exercises.

You may choose to use cheap equipment such as a jumping rope or an aerobic step. In the past I used to do feet switching on stairs for 30-45 minutes and I can tell you that I got great results with it.

However, you may also choose to combine a few of the following exercises: jumping jacks, running in place (with high knees), side to side jumps, squat jumps, lunge jumps, using a punching bag which you can hang in your living room, etc.

What I like to do is to take 5-6 jumping exercises and do them one after the other for a power circuit. Once this circuit is over (and it can be pretty tough), I rest for a minute and then repeat the circuit once more. You may choose to change the order of the exercises in each circuit. This is how you can do great cardio workouts in your livingroom.

For more way to do cardio in your livingroom visit Do Cardio Exercises At Home.
For great cardio exercises that require no equipment visit Bodyweight Cardio Exercises.
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life.

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Should I Do Cardio Everyday?

ByJohn Davenport

One of the main questions which you may have regarding cardio workouts is how often you should be doing them. What is the best frequency? Is it alright to do cardio every day?

This is not such an easy question to answer. There is no definite answer. It depends on your goals and the way you do your cardio workouts.

Let's take walking, for example. A lot of people make it a habit to take an evening walk of 30 minutes or so. This is an excellent habit with many potential health benefits. There is nothing wrong with being active on a daily basis. In fact, it's one of the weight loss tips I recommend the most.

You should note that the reason why you're able to perform such an activity day after day is that walking is usually a low intensity, low impact sport. It can help you burn extra calories and lose weight faster but it doesn't place a lot of stress on your muscles, joints or tendons.

It's a different matter when you do more intense workouts. For instance, let's say that you like running for 8 miles or more. Doing so every day is possible and there are people who do so, athletes definitely do, but it may be too much for you. Unless you have a particular cardio goal that you want to achieve, you may be placing too much strain on your body if you perform such a rigorous workout every day, and it's not really necessary either to lose weight or maintain proper health.

Another example may be if you do high intensity interval training workouts. Some may say that if you're able to perform such a workout every day it means that you're not pushing yourself as hard as you can during each of those workouts. Otherwise, you would have required a longer resting period.

So, in the case of more intense workouts, you may do better if your workout frequency was lower.

However, this doesn't mean that if you do engage in intense workouts that you can't do any cardio every day. You may still be able to do an intense workout on Sunday and take a leisurely walk on Monday. This is something you should consult your doctor about. You should also see how your routine makes you feel. If you find that it's too much for you, do less intense workouts or reduce the frequency of them.

To learn more about cardio visit Cardio Workouts To Burn Fat. For the best time to do cardio visit Do Cardio In The Morning.
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life.

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Aerobic Activity For Psychological Health: Aerobic Activity Improves Mental Fitness and Character

Aerobic activity greatly increases a person's blood-oxygen supply. The benefits extend to every part and tissue in the body, including the brain. The more oxygen the brain receives, the better it can function.

An inadequate supply of oxygen brings incoherent thoughts, dizziness, and fainting. Without oxygen, brain cells begin to die within about five minutes. I once had an aunt who suffered from chronic emphysema after smoking all her life. As she neared the end, she constantly complained about feeling confused. Of course, this was because her brain was receiving so little oxygen that she couldn't hold coherent thoughts.

An unconditioned person, who does not do regular aerobic activity but is otherwise healthy, will not experience the same dizziness and incoherency as someone with chronic emphysema, but his mind is far from working at the peak performance that it is capable of. In general, physically unconditioned students have a low academic aptitude and have difficulty learning, due in part to reduced memory power. Of course, there are many exceptions to this rule. Some unconditioned students may even excel academically, but the performance is not as good as what it might be.

Regular aerobic activity will tend to optimize the brain's oxygen supply. Even a slight increase in the oxygen level produces a noticeable improvement. With an enriched oxygen, supply the brain works much more efficiently. The mind is clearer and more alert. Concentration is more easily focused. Memory improves, making learning easier.

Regular aerobic activity can also dramatically affect a person's character and self-discipline. In military academies such as West Point it has long been noted unconditioned cadets have a much higher drop out rate because they are not able to absorb the training and discipline of military life. In general, their academic aptitude is also much lower.

Over time, the effects of regular aerobic activity produce a very conspicuous improvement in a person's self-image and sense of self-worth. This has a positive effect on a person's mind-set toward every goal set before him. The noticeable changes and improvements in his body bring a strong sense of accomplishment which translates itself into an attitude of self-confidence.

In military establishments like West Point, where discipline and fitness are a must, it has long been established that the best athletes are usually also the best students and become the best officers. Kenneth H. Cooper, the Air Force doctor who wrote the manual on aerobic activity for the U.S. Air Force and Navy (also used by the Royal Canadian Air Force), noted dramatic transformations in the disposition of the cadets. As they became conditioned by aerobic activity, introverts became extroverts, and those prone to anxiety became self-confident and were able to relax more easily.

Mark Roof has experienced first hand the changes that aerobic activity has made in his own life, and he is eager to share the benefits with the world. There is more on the subject of Cardio Aerobics Exercise for healthy digestion, sleep, and psychological health. Or, if you want the whole story, please visit aerobicexcellence.com

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Does Cardio Make You Gain Weight?

ByJonathan Dunsky

Recently I've been asked a question which I found very curious. I was asked whether cardio workouts make you gain weight. I was surprised because cardio is known as a way to lose weight not gain it.

At first I thought that my answer need not be longer than a single line long but then I thought that there may be more to this question and it deserves some clarification.

First, let's talk about the workout itself. It's true that some form of exercising can make you gain weight. This can be true for weight training where you build lean muscle tissue. As you add more muscle to your body your weight may increase even though your body fat may decrease. As most of us care about fat and not just weight, this is usually OK.

Cardio isn't a good way to add muscle to your body. So, you won't be gaining weight by doing cardio in that respect.

Second, there is simply no way that the actual cardio workout that you're doing will make you gain weight. As you're working out, you are burning more calories than usual. Since weight gain requires you to consume more calories than you burn you can see that cardio makes it harder for you to gain weight.

But this isn't the whole story and there is an indirect way in which you may gain weight which relates to cardio. It isn't due to the workout itself but to what happens afterward.

What may happen, and is probably why I was asked that question in the first place, is that a lot of people tend to erase their accomplishments from the workout by consuming too many calories following it. They either feel very hungry after completing their workout session or that they psychologically feel entitled to eat more than they should. This is called post workout compensation and it may be big enough to actually undo all of the calories that you burned during the workout itself.

In some cases you may eat so much that you're actually consuming more calories than you burned during the workout. If you consider that, than cardio may indeed make you fat. However, this is true for all workouts. You need to make sure that you're also eating correctly and in moderation to get the results you're looking for. You won't lose weight otherwise.

So, cardio does not make you gain weight. Your eating habits may.

To avoid undoing your workouts visit Avoid Post Workout Compensation.
For more tips on how to do cardio right for weight loss visit Cardio Workouts That Burn Fat

Jonathan Dunsky lost over 30 pounds through proper nutrition and exercise. He now writes on health and fitness issues.

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The Best Cardio Tips For Newbies

ByJohn Davenport

So, you just started doing cardio or you're planning to, and you want to make sure to get it right. I'm sure that you have a lot of questions and things you are wondering about. This is what I hope to help you with in this article.

Let's cover some of the basic tips that you should know about how to do cardio correctly.

How to Choose a Workout

Picking the right cardio workout for you is the first major decision that you need to make. There is a range of opinion as to which is the best for of cardio for you to do. A good rule of thumb is that the more intense a workout is the better it is for fat loss purposes. So, running will prove more helpful than walking.

However, your choice of workout take into account two factors:

1. What you can physically do - If you suffer from certain injuries that make it difficult for you to engage in certain activities than you shouldn't force yourself. A shoulder injury may make rowing hard and knee issues may make walking better than running. You need to do a workout which is physically right for you.

2. Choose something you like - I wouldn't choose running over swimming just because the former is better for weight loss if swimming is your passion. You need to pick a cardio workout that you enjoy. The reason for this is simple: cardio is not a one time thing and you won't get results in a week or even two. You need to do it on a regular basis for a long time for it to be useful. So, you have to do something you love.

Equipment

You should have the necessary gear to do your workouts correctly. Shoes are the most important item as they can actually help reduce tension on your joints and tendons. You don't need a lot of equipment to start with. Other than shoes, I can think of little which is absolutely necessary.

Intensity Over Length

One misconception about cardio is that you need to do it for a certain length of time in order for it to be useful. This is not accurate. I would rather do a short but intense workout than a long and easy one. You need to push your body during your workouts to see fast results. How long you stay on a treadmill or a bike is not as important as the kind of workout you do.

So, pick a workout you like, have good shoes and gear to do it with and push yourself during your workouts. These are the cardio tips you need to know.

For more cardio tips visit Fat Burning Cardio Workout Tips.

To see how to get the maximum results from swimming visit Swimming Workouts For Flat Abs.

John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life.

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Is Cardio Good for Fat Loss?

ByJohn Davenport

20 years or so ago, if you were searching for a way to lose weight, you would most likely have been directed to get on the treadmill or the elliptical machine for 30 minutes at a minimum. This would have been considered sound advice and a sure way to get those unwanted pounds off. Those were the days in which cardio workouts reigned supreme as the one true way to lose weight.

In recent years, this point of view has been challenged. Some trainers even go as fat as create programs which include no trace of the sort of cardio workouts that we know. They claim that it is simply a waste of time to do cardio, at least the way it has been done in the past.

Which of these two points of view is correct? Is cardio good for fat loss or is it merely a waste of your valuable time?

The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle.

The basic rule of weight loss is that when you burn more calories than you consume, you lose weight. It's that simple. The more active you are, the more calories you burn so your overall calorie deficit can become bigger.

Cardio is an activity. When you perform a cardio workout you burn more calories than you would have done in an inactive state. So, cardio is good for fat loss because it does generate an increase in the amount of calories that you burn.

However, it is not the ultimate solution to weight loss that it was thought to be. There are other ways to train which may provide better and faster results.

The first of such methods is known as HIIT, or interval training. This is a form of cardio, but it is very different from the way most people do it. When you do intervals you do not spend an hour on a treadmill or a recumbent bike, exercising at a medium but steady pace.

When you do intervals you change your pace in short intervals, moving from high intensity to low. This has been shown to produce faster fat loss results than traditional cardio.

The second method is strength training. This is something that a lot of people, women in particular shy away from. This is unfortunate because weight lifting is excellent for fat loss as it boosts your metabolism.

The best way to get rid of excess body fat is to combine cardio with strength training. This is how you will achieve the quickest results.

For more tips on how to do cardio to get lean visit Cardio For Fat Loss.
To see how you can lose belly fat visit Flat Belly Solution.
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life.

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Aerobic Activity For Healthy Lungs: How Aerobic Activity Makes Lungs Work More Efficiently

Aerobic activity is defined by Wikipedia as "physical exercise that intends to improve the oxygen system and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process." The ability to absorb oxygen is what it's all about. The body of a well-conditioned person absorbs oxygen much more efficiently than the body of an inactive person.

The lungs of a normal-sized adult carry about 300 million tiny, microscopic sacks called alveoli. The walls of these sacks are only one cell thick and are each covered with a mesh of blood vessels. When the lungs fill with air the oxygen flows through the sack walls into the blood vessels and enters the blood stream. These 300 million microscopic alveoli have a combined surface area of about 150 square meters (about the size of a tennis court) through which the oxygen is absorbed.

The problem is that nobody can use all of his 300 million alveoli when he breathes. Everyone has a certain portion of his lungs which can never expel the air that is in them. The portion of the lungs which always retains its air is called "residual volume," and its purpose is to keep the lungs from collapsing. The portion of the lungs that is useful for breathing is called the "vital capacity." In an unconditioned body, a much smaller portion of the lungs is vital capacity and the residual volume is much larger than what it needs to be. As a body becomes conditioned with regular aerobic activity, the vital lung capacity increases substantially. In a well conditioned body the vital lung capacity will be about 75%.

A body needs aerobic exercise to prepare it for the maximum stress that it will face. When a person is at rest his body expends very little energy and requires a relatively small supply of oxygen. But when a person exerts himself, his body may demand as much as 20 times the oxygen that it needs when the body is at rest. If the lungs are not capable of delivering the oxygen supply that the body needs, the heart may suffer serious damage or complete failure as it over works itself in an attempt to compensate for inadequate vital lung capacity.

The lungs have no muscles of their own. They depend on the surrounding muscles to inflate them as the diaphragm lowers and the rib cage expands. As a person conditions himself with regular aerobic exercise, these muscles become toned and acquire more tissue to make them stronger. Regular aerobic activity also programs the breathing muscles to work much faster. It is an experimental fact. An unconditioned person will normally be able to breathe about 10 times his vital capacity in one minute. After just six weeks of substantial aerobic activity, that same person will be able to breath 20 times his vital lung capacity in one minute.

Mark Roof has experienced first hand the changes that aerobic activity has made in his own life, and he is eager to share the benefits with the world. There is more on the subject of Cardio Exercise Training for healthy heart, lungs, and blood vessels. Or, if you want the whole story, please visit aerobicexcellence.com

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Road Running or Treadmill Running?

ByMark Tiffney

Most gyms are lined with treadmills yet, there is usually a road outside the gym, couldn't you just run there? It's free and at least you feel like you are moving.

So why are there so many treadmills in these gyms? And why are they always full?

Surely it's a question of taste? After all, it's the same thing isn't it?

Often you will hear how road running is a heavy impact activity which can cause damage to your knees. Treadmills are cushioned to absorb the impact and is therefore safer. You don't have to deal with the weather. The surface is even and you don't have to be mindful of your safety from muggers or inattentive drivers.

Yes, treadmills are the way to go, aren't they?

Let's look deeper.

What happens when we run?

Firstly we extend one leg out in front using our quadriceps (thigh muscles). Before bringing the foot down and make contact with the ground. At this point the posterior (rear) muscles take over pulling and flexing the leg to propel us forward as the other leg extends out to repeat the sequence.

So very simplistically, we are constantly performing leg extensions followed by leg curls, working the muscles on both sides of the leg.

However, on a treadmill this is not the case. We still extend our leg, but upon connecting with the belt of the treadmill, it takes over and rather than propelling our bodies forward with the posterior leg muscles, the belt does this for us by pulling the foot backwards. Essentially, as far as our leg muscles are concerned, we are doing half the work and are only using the anterior (front) muscles to do it.

This means, firstly, less calories burned due to fewer recruited muscles and secondly, the imbalance is likely to cause stress, particularly to the knee.

This goes somewhat against the argument that treadmill running is safer than outdoor running as far as your joints are concerned.

Further, according to a study by the University of East London (1998) the hip flexion angle increases significantly when running on a treadmill. Hip and knee flexion angles have to increase to bring the hip through the stride causing a tightening and fatigue of the hip flexor muscles. As a result technique alters automatically to counter this weakness causing poor form. This can also cause knee pain, compounding the issue of the imbalanced muscle development.

Researchers have also found that when the foot lands on the belt of a treadmill, the foot, ankle and shin, become temporarily part of the belt and move backwards from the centre mass of the body at the same speed. This means the shinbone is not as upright as with normal running and is forced into a greater range of motion, which in turn can lead to stress of both the bone and its supporting muscles (causing a tight feeling often referred to as shin splints).

All this is not to say running on a treadmill should be avoided entirely. As a means of warming up or an occasional CV workout it is as good as any.

Also, during the winter months in particular, the risks involved with running outside may well outweigh the benefits, in which case using a treadmill would be a good alternative to avoid losing progression.

If your concern is burning calories and you would rather stay indoors, I'd suggest you would get more benefit from circuit style training where a good balance of muscle groups can be catered for. You can get your heart rate up just the same and ensure opposing muscle groups are equally worked, which will not only burn more calories in the long run, but will help prevent injury and make you functionally fitter.

In short, treadmills have their place, but the next time you go to get on one, stop and have a look outside. There's a whole world out there to explore, places you miss in your every day commutes. Why not get some fresh air in your lungs, some vitamin D and all the additional benefits associated with road running? At least you'll feel like you're getting somewhere.

Dynamic Core Solutions is an International Coaching Health & Fitness Resource that can provide you with incredible, life & Physique Transformation result and the information on how to achieve them.

If you are interested in finding out more on fat burning, road running or general fitness information, head over to dynamiccoresolutions.com for more information and to find a more detailed version of this article.

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Exercises for Novices on the Mini Trampoline

ByMatthew E Harrison

Mini trampolines make exercising fun. They're terrific for workout enthusiasts at all levels. Mini trampolines provide all of the benefits of a concentrated plyometric exercise session minus the strenuous impact on joints which can occur with traditional jumping. Before you start with a regular mini trampoline fitness routine, we suggest that you practice some of these basic moves first to get yourself familiarized with working with the equipment and cut safety risks. Once you get the hang of these moves, stick around Mini Trampoline Headquarters for more trampoline workouts!

First you must master stepping off and on of the mini trampoline. If you cannot manage the mount and dismount, none of the rest matters! Make sure when you step on the trampoline, you put one foot directly in the center and then tilt your body slowly on to that foot until you can lift your other foot up with it. When you are ready to step off, it is best to step off to the rear with one foot. Make sure to look first before you take the step.

Once you are comfortable doing this, you can make it into an exercise, much like step aerobics. Basically you just step on to the trampoline with your right foot, bring your right foot up with it. After that step back to the ground with your opposite foot and bring your other foot down with it. Then repeat with you opposite foot. Go on with this slowly the start increasing the speed as necessary to get a great cardiovascular workout!

An additional move to master is simply bouncing up and down. In order to do this correctly while also not causing injuries make sure to keep yourself centered on the trampoline.

Begin by centering yourself on the trampoline with your feet together. Begin with short bounces in which your feet don't stop touching the trampoline. Continuing to bounce higher until your feet do leave the trampoline, however make sure not to bounce too high and be aware of where the ceiling is so you don't bump your head. Do not bounce more than a couple of inches off the trampoline because that is all that is needed to get the desired results.

A great move to include in your fitness program is running in place, walking or jogging. This is a great exercise for cardio that decreases the impact to your joints. First, begin by centering yourself on the mini trampoline. Next, lift one foot up at a time in a marching movement. The higher you lift your foot, the better workout you will receive. You can then speed up to a jog or run if you are able.

Mini trampolines are astonishingly great for taking your yoga routine to the next level. To begin, keep steady on one foot, with your other foot just raised slightly. Hold this posture as long as possible. Next you can extend your other leg out to the side, in front of you, and behind you. After you can do that, you can take a shot at some popular standing poses such as the tree pose or the chair pose. Working on these will increase your balance since you will be doing them on a flexible surface.

After you conquer these simple workouts you'll be ready to move on to more advanced mini trampoline exercise routines.

For more information on how to get the most out of your mini trampoline, including workout videos, reviews, and information, visit Mini Trampoline Headquarters online.

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The Best in High-Intensity, Fat Burning Cardio Workouts

Doctors and exercise specialists continue to emphasize the importance of a cardio workout and how important it is to good heart health. Fat-burning, high-intensity workouts strengthen the muscles as well as the heart, and they improve circulation as well. Besides the goal of cardio health, these workouts also help with toning the body and to weight loss as calories are burned.

Almost every health club, gym, and local Y offer high-intensity cardio programs for people of all ages. Even community centers, schools, and churches sometimes offer these to anyone interested in joining the group. There are also DVDs that you can use in the privacy of your own home and TV shows that you can use as a guide to your workout as well. If you belong to a health club or a gym, they usually provide the service of a private trainer to design a high-intensity, fat-burning cardio workout for you. If you want to continue having the private trainer work with you, you can pay an extra fee to learn the exercises that you need to do for this purpose.

There are also businesses like TRX that offer custom-designed or package workout programs. Their equipment is an exercise band that doesn't require any experience using this style of device. Using this exercise band can burn calories and tone your body while you get a healthy cardiovascular workout.

This type of exercise is called a suspension training activity. After you attach the TRX band to a door, a beam, tree, or other sturdy place, you begin your workout. You actually use your own body weight and gravity to reach target areas that need workouts. The advantage to this workout equipment is that it is easy to take wherever you go, and you can exercise with it anywhere as well, as long as there is something strong to hook the band onto.

This method was first used for military training. It is an effective fat-burning exercise that is safe for almost anyone. After the military realized how good the band is for cardiovascular workouts, it was redesigned for use by civilians. The TRX suspension training was chosen by the company that designed the belt because it can be used to exercise anywhere at any time. No more excuses that someone can't get to the gym so they can't exercise. Now it can be done no matter where the person is. The band is great to take along when traveling because there is always a tree, door, post, or other stable place to attach the band for a workout.

To make it even easier, the workout kit has a DVD included that shows exactly how to use the band the right way. It shows how to do exercises that require various intensities as well. Even athletes who are in top shape can benefit from using it, and it is easy for the beginner as well.

A company such as TRX will ship the belts and exercise packs across the United States, and they only charge a $5.00 shipping fee. Their equipment provides an easy way to tone and build muscles and lose weight while doing a cardio workout.

Discover more about this easy to use method of exercise and how it can help you improve your muscle tone and strength, as well as drop pounds of unwanted fat.

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Why Cardio Can Make You Stay Fat

ByKatrina Eden

Do you follow all the rules in order to lose weight? Do you perform some quality cardio exercises more hours than you are required to do it to burn calories? Do you always make sure you are in the "fat-burning" zone?

If you are living this kind of lifestyle, you are in big trouble!

Why Is Cardio Exercise Making You Fat?

Here is one scary trend that others fail to see - people are trying to spend many hours in treadmills or bikes but in the end, they gain more weight rather that lose some. So, what else can you do if you are not seeing any results by walking and running daily? On the other hand, why is that when you reduce the amount of cardio slimming down is just so easy?

This is because you need to do too many cardio exercises in order to lose fat.

You Just Cannot Beat Your Programming

Cardio exercise can guarantee you results in a short period but the effect can also be shortlived as wellCardio exercise is a kind of exercise that requires many repetitions. It is easy for our body to adjust to this kind of exercise. It does not really matter how much effort you put into doing the exercise, what matters is what your body does with it.The only way to lose more fat from cardio is to do more amounts of cardio.Aside from it not being practical, it may also have negative effects on you.Doing repetitive cardio exercise can result to fats being stored in your hormonal system. It is known that it is easy for your body to store some fats in times of crisis. Spending many hours on cardio each day has the same effect as well. In nature, you would only be on the move for a period of time. If you had a threat to your survival: to your food source, your safety, or your shelter.

How to Shed Fat and Keep It Off

Doing a functional fitness routine with squats, lunges, bends, pulls, pushes or twists will be a great help.Make this routine a daily habit for you and mix different routines or add more fat loss motivation to what you are doing.Do not eliminate cardio - it will be to your advantage if you are training your anaerobic fitness system ( a routine that will be great both for your metabolism and muscle growth) and aerobic (which is good for your heart and overall health but not good enough for fat loss). Some cardio training can be a great combination to your weight and functional training like interval training, which is great for weight loss and exercise. For instance, set aside some time to run for 20 minutes then jog or walk for recovery. This and other variations of interval training should be done in order for your training to become effective. You can do this by changing the time of the routine or gaps between the routine and the recovery and so on.

You can do 20 minutes cardio each week 2-3 times just like what I do - which are all interval based. I combine it with 30-45 minutes weight training 3-4 times each week. If you do this, you can get lean fast!

Remember -

Life is now. Do not waste yours on the treadmill.

Oh - and Press play.

Check out my blog Body Incredible for fat loss, nutrition and for motivational tips. And if you'd like to learn what it really takes to be in exceptional shape as a busy woman, visit Woman Incredible

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Zumba Clothing - Important Outfit So That You Get The Most Out of Zumba Fitness Dance

BySelina Foos

Zumba is a dance based workout routine that is great for a fun weight loss program. Many people have taken a liking to it and it has grown to become more and more popular in times of today.

It's a blend of upbeat Latin music which incorporates a high energy dance routine that is a combination of altered meringue and salsa moves. While people all over the world indulge in this fun workout, not all of them realize that it's important to dress right for zumba and for any form of exercise so as to avoid constricted movements.

For women, it's important that you begin with support. So wear a good sports bra during zumba dance sessions to restrict breast movements. It's important because you wouldn't want to damage your muscles which will lead to saggy breast and stretch marks on your skin as well. A good sports bra can also help prevent chaffing and wick away your sweat as well.

If you're unsure about what a good sports bra is like then go to a professional at any department store and get measured and fitted for one. In order to do not only the zumba but any exercise, you need the right bra. It can be quite costly so avoid high end brands and go for something that is cheaper on and light on your wallet. You should invest in a few bras so that you can rotate them frequently so they last longer and you'll never run out.

When picking out your zumba outfit, go with something that won't get in the way of your workout. It's fairly alright to wear tees but use one that isn't tight so that it gives you enough room to move and stretch without constricting your movements but it shouldn't be too big that it falls off your shoulder and interferes with your movements.

Regular exercise pants or shorts is good too. So long as the material gives you stretching space, it works well. It's also important that these clothes have got wicking material to absorb perspiration and reduce chaffing on your skin. Also, cotton clothing is good for workouts too, especially light cotton clothing which is
breathable material.

As for your feet, you need a good pair of thick socks that fit snugly. Many people tend to use regular skin socks which are thin, this isn't good because it leaves sweat on your skin that will irritate your skin with all the heat and sweat. You need a nice thick pair to act as a barrier against blisters and to keep your feet comfortable as you rapidly move around.

Shoes can vary based on the place of your workout, but generally you need a pair that gives you grounded support, strong stability and a pair that will cushion your movements. It's also important that the shoe doesn't have too much traction as that could impede dance footwork.

If you've gotten very serious about zumba and will be doing it for a long period of time, then visit a sports shop to get the clothing that have been specifically designed for zumba. They come in a variety of sizes, colors and designs as well. They mostly consist of fun tank tops, tees, cargo pants and sports bras.

Check out the Zumba Exhilarate Discount Code blog for the latest Zumba discounts and deals. Selina Foos is a health fitness trainer and freak. Her free time is mostly use to keep track of fitness deals online.

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Zumba Shoes - How To Select A Good Pair

BySelina Foos

Highly influenced by Latin culture, the Zumba was founded in Columbia by a fitness instructor. He took the steps from meringue and salsa, modified them, combined them and created a whole new dance spontaneously to the beat of Latin music.

The zumba was then taken over to the United States of America where it was nurtured and transformed into a great popular workout that has become the interest of many. To do the zumba the right way, you need the proper shoes. So here are some simple tips on how to pick the right pair of shoes for your
zumba workout.

Before anything else, you should know that you should stay away from all sports shoes, the basic running shoes included. They're great for the gym and other forms of workout but a big no-no when it comes to dance.

This is so because they're solid, tough and has firm soles which can cause great injury since zumba is a light and flexible work out that requires much movement. The best of all shoes to use would be cross trainers or shoes made specifically for dancing. Even ballet shoes would work because there are no threads on it.

Your zumba shoes should be lightweight without any grips whatsoever on the soles. This is because the zumba has various moves, a lot which requires you to turn, twirl and pivot around and you would need to be able to do this without your feet sticking on the floor. They should be able to bend comfortably with your feet so as to not cause injury.

Besides that, when picking out a pair of shoes for zumba, you need to pay attention to the type of soles in the shoe. It's important that you pick a pair that has got shock absorbing soles to cushion your feet as you jump and bounce around. You want your shoes to take the fall, not your feet.

Besides that, for added comfort and protection you can also buy a gel insole to insert into your shoe. The gel insole can be bought from any fitness shop, pharmacy or shoe shop. It's affordable and gives you that extra comfort which is very important if you plan on dancing away for a long time.

When shopping for your pair of shoes, don't walk into the first store and grab the first thing that fits. You should check out various stores and compare quality, prices, type, flexibility and so on. Try on various shoes and walk in them for a little bit to see what they feel like. You need to be comfortable in your shoes.

As you go hunting for your shoes, be sure to wear a good pair of socks not only for hygiene purposes but also so that you'd be able to tell how well the shoe fits with your socks. If you find a good pair that you like, don't just stop at one pair but buy two instead. This will give you the chance to alternate between the two pairs so that they will break in at the same time and the less usage will allow it to last longer.

Check out the Zumba Exhilarate Discount Code blog for the latest Zumba discounts and deals. Selina Foos is a health fitness trainer and freak. Her free time is mostly use to keep track of fitness deals online.

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Incredible Metabolism Boost: Sprint-Based Cardio

ByKatrina Eden

One thing you need to know: Your ticket to burning those body fats and losing weight quick is to perform the best type of cardio, which is sprint-based cardio.

A study conducted by the University of New South Wales shows that in as short as 20 minutes doing 8 seconds of sprinting using your stationary bike and 12 seconds of light cycling, you could lose fat 3 times more than those who do non-stop cardio for 40 minutes. The study further states that interval training burns fats not just from your skin but also from deep within your muscles. This makes your muscles more lean and toned.

Do you want to know the best part about this? Interval training is a very effective approach to lose that extra weight on your butt and legs!

Does it Work?

Doing endurance cardio, or cardio alone, will not be enough to lose those fats without incorporating some interval training. You might end up having patella-tracking syndrome. it is a condition where your kneecap begins to head off the knee edge. This was the result of doing cardio alone. Because of this, I had to cut cardio workouts for 6 months. This is when I discovered how great weight training is. By the time I get back to my cardio workouts, I gave it a different twist by incorporating interval training. Giving at least 20 minutes or less of exercise and alternating sprints (with recovery periods in between) will surely lose that unwanted fats on your body.

Why I Love Interval Training for Fat Loss

It is more 'engaging' compared to endurance training. You are excited to get back to the session each time after your recovery period. You are working so hard that you will not notice you completed the intense 20-minute session at the end of the workout.
You will save a lot of time doing this.
You can achieve a leaner and stronger muscle with interval training. Even though a sprinter's and a marathon runner's body are both sturdy, I would still prefer the sprinter's body. It looks sturdier, leaner and toner.
You can avoid corrective exercise later in life. As Bikram Choudray, founder of Bikram Hot Yoga, says "You can mess with the Gods, but you cannot mess with your knees." Think of the same thing for your hips. The main difference between endurance cardio and interval training is that endurance cardio wears your body down while interval training makes your body stronger.
As mentioned before, it is an effective way to lose those fats on your legs and butts.

If you have not tried interval training before, give it a go now. Try some variations and do what works for you best. You cannot go wrong with performing intervals on your workouts. It is actually effective if you change the variations from time to time. You can also change the time you spend on each variation and recovery but do not go beyond 20 minutes.

Additionally, just the thought of spending only 20 minutes of your time on a workout is enough reason for you to get moving and it is a great weight loss motivation - no excuses!

Life is Now. Press Play.

Check out my blog Body Incredible for fat loss, nutrition and for motivational tips. And if you'd like to learn what it really takes to be in exceptional shape as a busy woman, visit Woman Incredible

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The 6 Pack Muscle

It is evident enough amongst most men and women that doing a lot of sit-ups and crunches does not give you a 6 pack and more importantly it does not make you lose fat. This is because of the muscle called rectus abdominis, which is divided into three (it's actually divided into four) rows and further divides the middle part to make two columns that result in a 6 pack, and sometimes depending on your genes it may result in an eight pack. This muscle is already there in your body, but it is covered by a layer of fat which makes it hard or impossible for the rectus abdominis to be seen or appear when needed. This layer of fat is what we are fighting against when we work-out and diet for a sexy and chiseled 6 pack.

To strengthen your rectus abdominis and lose body fat will require time, perseverance, dedication and patience, at the end of the day it will be worth it. Let me give an example of a few exercises that will ensure a good 6 pack if taken with a balanced diet.

Crunches:

Lie down on your back; straighten your arms so that they are aligned to your body, take a deep breath and slowly begin to bend your knees and at the same time pull your shoulders towards your knees, you can put your hands on the sides of the forehead as you do as many crunches as you can, when taking brakes do not take more than two minutes, and be careful of the pain in the neck if you do more than required. If at all the pin persists for more than two days, do yourself a favour, go see a doctor.

Leg Lifting:

Leg lifting helps a lot with building the last two stubborn abs at the bottom of the abdomen, they ensure that you get a full six pack. Lie down on your back, bend your knees slightly and slowly start to lift both of your legs up to the 90 degree position. Do it several times guarding against any unpleasant pains.

Sit ups:

Bend your knees slightly as you lie down, lift your body up to the 90 degree position and release to go back to the original position, do several guarding against any unpleasant pains. You can also adjust from that by holding weights on your hands, then cross your arms at your chest and do the same process several times till satisfied.

Squatting:

Stand up; raise your hands to a position parallel to the ground, adjust your feet to a wide stance, to distribute stress on your back and knees evenly. Bend your knees to allow downward movement until your quads are parallel to the ground, make sure that your back is flat as you keep balance. This can also be done by weights to strengthen those quads and hamstrings. Squats generally contribute a lot to fat loss and making sure that your body can burn the belly fat for a more staggering 6 pack.

This article was written by Motobaki Mokoatle the owner of Perfect Abs HQ.
How to get a perfect 6 pack

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How to Lose a Pound a Week

ByTerrimaria Brough

There are many ways to lose a pound a week. The truth is it can be done in half a week, but a pound a week is fine. The idea is simple, if you're burning off more calories than you consume, off comes the weight.

The best way to lose a pound a week, or even the necessary way, is to burn off 500 calories a day more than you eat. This may seem a lot of work to start with but when you come to think of it, 500 calories can be burnt off in just half an hour on an exercise bike. Half an hours work, seven times a week, pound lost. You have to remember that you burn calories simply by everyday tasks such as walking, sitting, taking out the trash and anything else you might be doing. So as long as you are not putting weight on before you start trying to lose weight any extra exercise you do will start burning the calories and you will start to lose weight.

Aerobic exercise is the key. Aerobic exercise is anything that may increase your heartbeat and will result in burning calories. This will not only help you to lose weight but will also help regulate blood pressure and well being. It is advised that we exercise like this for at least 20 minutes a day to stay healthy. Aerobic exercise can come in many forms. Favourite ways that people exercise aerobically tend to include:
RunningWalkingSwimmingCyclingDancingSkipping

My favourite way to exercise like this is simply the 'exercise bike'. This is for many reasons. Although outdoor cycling can be seen as more fun or more adventurous, the weather does not always permit this!

On an indoor bike I can read a book, watch the television, listen to music or simply just cycle. The exercise bike usually comes with a built in control that allows the user to adjust the level or tension of cycling in such a way as to mimic up hill or down hill or anywhere in between. This is particularly useful if you want to tone muscle whilst losing those all important calories. by selecting a harder setting you can quite easily tone whilst you are exercising aerobically. Also the exercise bike will allow you to keep track of calories burnt which helps you set realistic targets whilst ensuring you reach your goal of 500 calories.

So, the idea is to burn 500 calories a day extra, doing whatever you love best (or are willing to have a go at!) by sometimes only half an hour to an hours workout and in 1 week you can expect to lose a pound in weight. Good luck and have fun and in no time at all you will be wearing those clothes you never thought you would fit into!

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Which Comes First in a Workout: Cardio or Weight Training?

Both cardio and weight training exercise are vital to building a sculpted physique, but when you are crunched for time and need to fit both into your allotted workout time at the gym, which should you perform first?

Here is the number one rule: ALWAYS DO WEIGHT TRAINING FIRST. The majority of gym-goers tend to break this rule and perform cardio exercise first, followed by weight lifting. This is not the most efficient way to train the body and will hinder your muscle growth and fat loss efforts. Here are a few reasons why.

Weight training requires the highest amount of physical energy and stamina. Therefore it is a no-brainer that you want to do the most labor-intensive task first when your energy is highest and you have the most strength.

Weight lifting relies heavily on your glycogen stores, or stored energy in the muscle tissue. You will not be able to lift as heavy of a weight or perform as many repetitions if you do cardio first because it will deplete some of your stored energy and you will be too tired to perform your best at lifting weights. And if you are not putting forth the most energy towards lifting weights, your muscle growth will be reduced.

Most people go to the gym and perform exercise to lose weight. Doing weight training first is also a great way to increase fat burning. When you do weight training first, you are burning up the stored energy in your muscles, your glycogen. After a weight training session, your glycogen is depleted at this time and the body has very little energy stored in reserve. Then you hop on the cardio machines and start increasing your heart rate. Your body needs energy to keep going and if there is no more glycogen in storage, the body will start to break down the fatty tissue reserves and use it for energy.

If you are still not convinced, try this challenge: Pick a day you normally go to the gym and do cardio first then do weight training. Now pick another day to go to the gym and do weight training first followed by cardio. Make sure you are doing the same exercises and for the same duration for both days. You should notice more energy for your weight training program when done first, and since cardio requires much less energy, you will still be able to get through your cardio session without much decrease in performance.

Try it for yourself!

Melody Loo is an active figure competitor and personal trainer. She has been exercising for over 10 years and has studied exercise science, nutrition and kinesology. Learn about her Figure Competition Diet and what it takes to become a figure competitor.

Read more about weight lifting and bodybuilding at Competition Diet.

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