An important component of keeping your body in top physical condition is your body fluid level. Without your body being in top physical condition, your workout will not be as effective and you will be more prone to injury.

As you exercise, your internal body temperature rises, leading to the body releasing internal fluid to the outside via millions of sweat glands and heightened respiration. As the high temperature sweat evaporates off your skin, heat is taken with it, allowing your body to cool down again.

That internal temperature regulation system is vital to remaining healthy, but losing too much of that fluid can also be problematic. Strenuous activity that is conducted during workouts can lead to a person losing 3 quarts or more of fluid per hour. As you lose more fluid, the performance of your body decreases.

Your cardiovascular system can also suffer from excessive fluid loss, as dizziness, muscle cramps, and even heat stroke can result.

Professional experts recommend that you regularly replace water and electrolytes (which includes sodium, potassium, and other minerals,) by drinking a sports drink (like Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) before, during, and after a workout. How much sports drink you should consume will depend on your body weight and type, your tendency to sweat, the external temperature you are working out in, and other variables, but here are some general guidelines to follow.

You should drink around 18oz (0.53 liter) a few hours before beginning your workout, then another 10oz (0.3 liter) around 15 minutes before starting your warm-up routine. For every hour you work out, you should drink at least 30oz (0.89 liter) more every hour you work out. Finally, after cooling down for a few minutes after your workout, you should drink another 20oz (0.59 liter.)

You should avoid caffeine-containing drinks while re-hydrating, as they will actually cause you to lose liquid due to the fact that they have a diuretic effect on the body. You should also avoid drinking alcohol for at least a few hours after a strenuous workout as well; not only does alcohol contain a high number of calories, it can also disrupt the smooth rate of cool-down as your body temperature changes.

You should avoid sports drinks that have high amounts of sugar, as you’ll be putting back a lot of calories you’ve burned off in your workout. Too much sugar can also unbalance cardiovascular regulation after a vigorous workout. This means you should limit your intake of soft drinks and concentrated fruit juices. You should also limit your intake of diet soft drinks, as they have a high level of carbon dioxide, which is not ideal for the best recovery from your workout.

You should look for drinks that replace magnesium (around 100mg per liter,) sodium, and potassium. Sodium and potassium are both essential elements for proper functioning of the heart and for regulating cellular electrical activity.

Isotonic drinks make excellent replacement fluids because they have been designed to closely match the body’s natural concentrations of needed vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which allows the body to absorb them much more easily, and as a result, quicker into your bloodstream, allowing you to recover from your workouts faster.

By proper rehydration, you can ensure peak performance throughout your workouts, avoid medical problems, and maintain your overall health.

Get all the help you need to lose weight with with the information at HealthyWeightLossGuide.com

An important component of keeping your body in top physical condition is your body fluid level. Without your body being in top physical condition, your workout will not be as effective and you will be more prone to injury.

As you exercise, your internal body temperature rises, leading to the body releasing internal fluid to the outside via millions of sweat glands and heightened respiration. As the high temperature sweat evaporates off your skin, heat is taken with it, allowing your body to cool down again.

That internal temperature regulation system is vital to remaining healthy, but losing too much of that fluid can also be problematic. Strenuous activity that is conducted during workouts can lead to a person losing 3 quarts or more of fluid per hour. As you lose more fluid, the performance of your body decreases.

Your cardiovascular system can also suffer from excessive fluid loss, as dizziness, muscle cramps, and even heat stroke can result.

Professional experts recommend that you regularly replace water and electrolytes (which includes sodium, potassium, and other minerals,) by drinking a sports drink (like Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) before, during, and after a workout. How much sports drink you should consume will depend on your body weight and type, your tendency to sweat, the external temperature you are working out in, and other variables, but here are some general guidelines to follow.

You should drink around 18oz (0.53 liter) a few hours before beginning your workout, then another 10oz (0.3 liter) around 15 minutes before starting your warm-up routine. For every hour you work out, you should drink at least 30oz (0.89 liter) more every hour you work out. Finally, after cooling down for a few minutes after your workout, you should drink another 20oz (0.59 liter.)

You should avoid caffeine-containing drinks while re-hydrating, as they will actually cause you to lose liquid due to the fact that they have a diuretic effect on the body. You should also avoid drinking alcohol for at least a few hours after a strenuous workout as well; not only does alcohol contain a high number of calories, it can also disrupt the smooth rate of cool-down as your body temperature changes.

You should avoid sports drinks that have high amounts of sugar, as you’ll be putting back a lot of calories you’ve burned off in your workout. Too much sugar can also unbalance cardiovascular regulation after a vigorous workout. This means you should limit your intake of soft drinks and concentrated fruit juices. You should also limit your intake of diet soft drinks, as they have a high level of carbon dioxide, which is not ideal for the best recovery from your workout.

You should look for drinks that replace magnesium (around 100mg per liter,) sodium, and potassium. Sodium and potassium are both essential elements for proper functioning of the heart and for regulating cellular electrical activity.

Isotonic drinks make excellent replacement fluids because they have been designed to closely match the body’s natural concentrations of needed vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, which allows the body to absorb them much more easily, and as a result, quicker into your bloodstream, allowing you to recover from your workouts faster.

By proper rehydration, you can ensure peak performance throughout your workouts, avoid medical problems, and maintain your overall health.

Get all the help you need to lose weight with with the information at HealthyWeightLossGuide.com

The top 5 fat burning exercises burn so many calories and melt away fat because they increase oxygen demands and get your heart rate way up by working several muscles at once. They should be done at a vigorous pace and with little to no rest in between exercises.

Remember to always consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.

1. Squat Presses: Target = Butt, Thighs, Shoulders, Triceps and Cardio
Hold dumbbells level with ears in the press position. Squat down until thighs are parallel to the floor. Stand back up and then press dumbbells over your head. Lower them back down and repeat 20 to 30 times for three to five sets.

2. Walking Lung Lateral Raise Curls: Target = Butt, Thighs, Shoulders, Biceps, Triceps and Cardio
With dumbbells at your sides, Lunge forward with your left leg then bring your right foot forward up to your left foot. Next Raise the dumbbells laterally out to your sides until they are level with your ears, and then lower them back to your sides. Next curl the dumbbells up and down with your palms up. Repeat, alternating legs, until 20 to 30 lateral raise curls are performed. Do three to five sets.

3. Up Down Push ups: Target = Butt, Thighs, Shoulders, Triceps Chest, Core and Cardio
Do one push up. Quickly jump feet forward to a squatting position. Jump high into the air, raising your hands above your head. Land with feet shoulder width apart, on the balls of your feet and drop back into a squat. Jump feet back to a push up position. Repeat 20 to 30 times in a fluid motion. Do three to five sets.

4. Cable Squat Twist: Target = Butt, Thighs, Shoulders, Core and cardio
Use a cable attachment with a handle and adjust it so it’s at eye level. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and grab the handle with both hands. While keeping arms straight and the weight on your heels, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. As you begin to stand up, twist to as far as you can to the right keeping your arms straight, hands at eye level. Bring the handle back to the middle then repeat 20 to 30 times to the right then do the same to the left. Do three to five sets.

5. Walking Lunge Push Ups: Target = Butt, Thighs, Shoulders, Triceps, Chest, Core and Cardio
Do alternating walking lunges for about 20 to 30 steps each leg, then immediately drop down and do as many push ups as you can. After your push ups, stand up, turn around and do alternating walking lunges back to the starting place. Repeat this until you complete three to six sets of push ups. Your goal should be to do about 25 push ups each set even if you have to do them from your knees.

Steve Hochman is the founder of Next Level Fitness, Irvine. We specialize in using our exclusive 3-in-1 Personal Training system to melt fat fast and build healthy toned bodies.
Personal Trainer Orange County, Irvine – Next Level Fitness

Whether you are running, cycling, paddling, performing aerobics routines or using cardio machines, the traditional method for monitoring exercise intensity is to measure heart rate. For the purpose of general fitness improvement, this allows you to determine whether you are working within your aerobic training zone – the intensity that most effectively improves the cardiovascular system without becoming uncomfortable and causing premature fatigue.

However, few people are good at checking heart-rates: they either cannot find their pulse quickly enough to get an accurate reading, or they make any of a number of pulse-taking errors. Also, in order to take a pulse, exercisers generally have to slow down or stop which disrupts their workout.

The other option is to use a heart-rate monitor, but such equipment can be expensive and uncomfortable.

Fortunately, there is an easier, less expensive way to monitor exercise intensity – by simply listening to your breathing.

LOWER AEROBIC ZONE RANGE
You can determine the lower level of your aerobic training zone (that level of intensity is often called the aerobic threshold) by listening to your breathing – when it becomes audible, you have entered the aerobic training zone.

UPPER AEROBIC ZONE RANGE
When are you working too hard? When you are breathing so hard you can no longer carry on a conversation without gasping. This shows that you have passed out of your aerobic training zone and crossed the lactate threshold. You are now in the anaerobic training zone – a level of intensity that results in the buildup, in your bloodstream, of lactic acid and other fatigue-producing by-products of energy metabolism.

BREATHING STUDY
Robert Goode, a respiratory physiologist at the University of Toronto, has confirmed the effectiveness of using breathing to estimate exercise intensity. He performed a study in which 30 subjects pedaled stationary bicycles while heart rates and respiration levels were monitored.

Their heart rates were checked when they were first able to hear themselves breathing. He found that this point corresponded to the lower range of intensity for improving cardiovascular fitness (the aerobic threshold). Even better, this threshold changed depending on the age of the subject – a phenomenon that we know occurs as people age. For example, the aerobic threshold corresponded to about 110 beats per minute for a 65 year-old, and 150 beats per minute for a 20-year old.

Other studies have shown that the lactate threshold corresponds to the level of exercise intensity that causes you to gasp when breathing. The lactate threshold is upper range of the aerobic threshold.

CONCLUSION
If you want to exercise aerobically, work hard enough so you can hear your breathing, but not so hard that you cannot speak without gasping.

REFERENCES
1. Joe Taylor (Editor), Heavy breathing. Active Living, May 1997.
2. Phyllis Gorney Cooper (RN, MN), Editor, for the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America, Aerobics: Theory and Practice, HDL Publishing, 1987.
3. Dick Moss, Editor, Physical Education Update, 2008.

Dick Moss (dm@peupdate.com) is the publisher of PE Update – a website that keeps physical educators and coaches up-to-date on over 40 sports, fitness and coaching topics. The website also provides a free newsletter, blog and sample articles. Check it out at: www.peUpdate.com

The amount of physical exercise you get during the day is one of the key ingredients in enabling you to fall asleep at night and get a good night’s rest. The more active you are during the day, the faster you will fall asleep at night and the more well-rested sleep you will get.

By exercising regularly, you’ll see an improvement in the quality of your sleep and the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. Regular physical activity may also better enable you to deal with the stress and worries of your life.

Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel after we’ve finished our workouts.

In order for your body to continue functioning in a healthy manner, you need to have a certain amount of physical activity during the day. This means you should not be exercising 3-4 hours before going to bed.

Ideally, you should exercise in the late afternoon or early evening hours, as this will allow you to expend your physical energy long before your body readies itself for sleep.

You should try to exercise for around 30 minutes at least 3-4 times a week. This can include walking or some similarly simple activity. You can include more strenuous activities like running as well.

The main goals of your workouts should be to increase your heart rate and increase the capacity of your lungs. By exercising on a regular basis, you will improve your overall health and your emotional well-being as well.

Running and walking are not the only physical activities you can utilize to increase your level of physical activity. If you are having trouble sleeping, aerobic exercises are your best option to help improve the quality of your sleep.

Running, biking, running/walking on a treadmill, dancing, and jumping rope are all good activities to help you increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your bloodstream.

There are some non-aerobic exercises that can also help you overcome amnesia, including yoga and Tai Chi.

Yoga has a stimulatory effect on the nervous system, and especially on your brain. Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and different postures in order to increase the blood circulation to the brain, which will promote regular and restful sleep patterns. Performing Yoga on a regular basis will help you relieve tension and stress.

Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by Chinese monks. It involves slow and precise movements, making it ideal for people who have joint pain and/or are unable to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi promotes relaxation, which can help people overcome insomnia.

If you don’t have time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to add moments of activity into your schedule whenever possible. For instance, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator or bicycle to work instead of driving there 1-2 times a week. Park your car in a spot further away from your destination in order to increase the distance you walk to and from your destination.

These are just a few examples; it’s likely you can come up with more small ways to increase the amount of activity in your daily life. Remember – every little bit of activity helps to improve your health and sleep.

Get all the help you need to lose weight with with the information at HealthyWeightLossGuide.com

Ever since Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons got us moving in the 1980s to their aerobic’s videos, workout videos have been a part of most people’s exercise routines at one time or another. The selection of videos available today is so varied and vast that no matter what your choice of exercise, you can find a video to assist you. Workout videos are a great component in helping to achieve your fitness goals.

Using workout videos in your fitness routine is helpful in many ways. Everyone knows how hard it is to make the time to exercise and getting to the gym is a near impossibility for some people and exercise videos are readily available for you to watch in your home, any time of the day or night. Having a variety of fitness videos in your home make will make it easy for you to exercise and you can workout whenever you havee got a few spare minutes, while moving at your own pace.

Workout videos can also help you save money. Gym memberships can be very costly and not everyone can afford them, not to mention that the number of people who have gym memberships but never step foot into the gym is ridiculously high. It’s estimated that 50% of people who sign up for gym memberships either go infrequently or not at all. For many people it’s a big waste of money. For an investment of $10-$25 you can own a workout video and for four times that amount you can have a variety of workout videos to help you target different fitness goals.

Using an exercise DVD during your home workouts can help you avoid injury as well. Many exercise videos are taught by experts in their field. It’s beneficial to have a professional show you how to exercise correctly, and videos can provide professional assistance.

Fitness DVDs usually contain a warm-up and a cool-down session. These are very important in avoiding injuries, yet many people do not include them within their exercise routine because they are so easy to pass by if you don’t have someone to remind you and with your very own personal trainer in front of you on the TV it is impossible to forget. Also, many specific types of exercises require precise movements, and the instructor in a workout can demonstrate the correct movements.

If you are self-conscious, then working out at home with a DVD can be very helpful. You get the benefit of being in an exercise class without having to exercise in front of other people. Perhaps you are insecure about your weight or feel awkward trying to learn new moves or simply uncomfortable having other people see you exercise. Using fitness DVDs in your own home can solve this problem.

Workout videos can keep you from getting into a fitness rut. If you’veve got a variety of exercise DVDs: weight lifting, yoga, kick boxing, aerobics, Pilates, dance, walking, boot camp, then you can keep yourself from getting bored. If you’re tired of one video, you can put it aside for a while and try something different. After all it doesn’t take too long for a body to adapt and then plateau, so don’t be afraid to mix it up.

Workout videos can also cater to your level of fitness. If you are just beginning an exercise program and are not in the greatest shape, you can find many different workout videos for beginners. Once you gain endurance and stamina, you can move up to a more advanced level. There are also many videos that cater to those who have very specific fitness needs like senior citizens or women who are pregnant.

If you have kids, fitness DVDs can help you encourage them to exercise as well. If they see you exercising, they are more likely to live active lifestyles themselves and they may just join in with you. There are some workout videos created especially for children and you can join them when it’s their exercise time.

With a variety of exercise DVDs in your home video library, you have all of the help you need to get moving, get fit and get in shape.

Scott White is the owner of the corporations Personal Trainer | Personal Training Video Production Arizona and DUI Defense Lawyer Arizona

Could it be that nearly everybody (including me)dispensing advice on how much to drink is totally wrong? Apparently a new theory is being proposed that could change the drinking habits of endurance athletes.

During exercise, nobody disputes the fact that significant dehydration impairs performance and can lead to life threatening heat stroke. Knowing this, it is common practice among endurance athletes to keep their tanks full by drinking plenty of water, especially in the hours just prior to and during exercise. That still makes perfectly good sense. The question is, how much water should he or she drink throughout the day routinely? Should the athlete keep their body water supply topped off despite making frequent trips to the bathroom? There are some who think this practice actually may be working against them.

The body regulates fluid by producing vasopressin, an anti-diuretic hormone which signals the kidneys to preserve water. When the body becomes dehydrated, the concentration of sodium in the blood increases, triggering the production of vasopressin, which in turn signals the kidneys to conserve more water. If you drink more water than your body actually needs, blood sodium levels drop. Less vasopressin is produced, and rather than conserve water, the kidneys increase production of urine. It is a constant balancing act, with vasopressin playing a critical role. You can see the potential problem for somebody that pushes water all day long, even when they do not apparently need it or are not thirsty. No vasopressin when you might need it, as in during a long, hot race.

According to an article published in the December 2007 issue of Running Times, vasopressin is required by the kidneys to produce aquaporin-2, responsible for transporting water molecules from the kidneys back into the bloodstream. When you drink too much water and vasopressin levels drop, aquaporin-2 disappears. Overhydrating on a daily basis may cause your body to essentially become less effective at conserving water, not something a runner needs going into an important race.

To avoid this problem, the suggestion in Running Times is for runners to regularly perform sweat producing workouts,making sure not to OVER hydrate between workouts and races. The theory is that athletes who undergo periods of moderate dehydrate condition their kidneys to conserve water more efficiently, decreasing their requirement for fluid replacement during competition.

So what is an athlete supposed to do? Weigh yourself in the morning and before and after each workout. Monitor weight to make sure fluids are being replaced after a workout, but once weight is back up to normal and urine is being produced, there is no need to continue drinking excessively, unless you are thirsty.

Dave Elger is a well respected health and fitness authority and accomplished runner. For more information go to daveelger.blogspot.com.

We know cardio is essential to improve the cardiovascular system. This goes without saying. When many people don’t realize, is that cardiovascular exercise can be useful for losing weight as well as gaining weight; for increasing endurance as well as increasing power, size, and strength. The difference is in training energy systems. You can train your anaerobic energy system (builds power and strength) while participating in a cardio workout, just as easily as training you can train your aerobic energy system by performing super-high-rep circuit training on the weight machines (boo).

When trying to determine which form of cardio you should do, you need to evaluate your goals. Are you trying to:

* Lose as much weight as possible without regard for muscle or strength?
* Train for a specific athletic event such as track or a marathon?
* Improve leg power and leg speed along with cardiovascular endurance?
* Build as much muscle as possible in the shortest amount of time?

Endurance Cardio

If you want to be skinny and have high endurance but very little muscle you will probably want to do endurance running; long distance cycling; or use the elliptical trainer to prevent wear and tear on your ankles, knees, and hips. Other monotonous exercise equipment includes rowing machines, treadmills, stair climbers, and stationary bikes. These are all OK for burning calories and ‘toning’ but they will not make you stronger, faster, or more muscular.

Intense Cardio

If you want to be thicker, stronger, more powerful, and develop aesthetically pleasing muscle tone, you should give interval sprints or weightlifting complexes a try. When you use maximal force in your cardio workout, as you do with sprints, you are training the anaerobic energy system and facilitating neurological efficiency to those muscles. This will increase speed and strength, and will ultimately help you gain muscle. For you women out there, this will do a better job of ‘toning’ than those treadmills and stationary bikes.

Interval Sprints

With interval sprints, you can sprint on a flat surface, up hills, or up stairs. Sprint for 30 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, repeat 10 times. On your first sprint workout you might want to consider sprinting for 20 seconds, walking for 180 seconds, and repeating only 5 times. Each workout should become progressively harder. At one point in my training, I was sprinting stairs, timed by a stopwatch, for between 50-70 seconds and only resting enough to walk back down the stairs.

Complexes with Weights

With complexes, you will want to string together several compound exercises like deadlift, hang cleans, push press, and back squats, into one constant exercise. Do 5-7 reps with perfect form, rest 30-60 seconds and repeat 5 times. There are about 1000 different exercise combinations that you can turn into complexes so be creative.

Final Word

Don’t forget to stretch and drink lots of fluids during and after the workout. I recommend Gatorade. If you get tired of all this stuff, give thai kickboxing or jumping rope a try… again, be creative. There are so many forms of cardio that you can do, if you get bored just search the Internet for new ideas or invent something new. remember that short intense bursts are for strength and speed, and anything else is for endurance. Cardiovascular exercise can make or break your training, so make sure you’re not wasting your time performing the wrong type of cardio.

Steve Hanson has 10 years experience in the fields of exercise science and sports nutrition. He writes articles on all forms of athletic training and nutritional theories. View the blog to learn more about your favorite exercise and nutrition topics.

Project Swole :: Powerlifting | Conditioning | Weightlifting | Strongman | Diet | Nutrition | MMA | Martial Arts

You can lose weight quickly. You can shed fat from your belly and under your arms with rigorous but smart exercise. You can get a lean, athletic build. You can even show off your muscles by losing that pesky layer of fat that obscures your tone and definition. It is not a matter of training for hours on end every day. It is a matter of making every minute of your exercise as efficient as possible. When training your heart while shooting for fast calorie loss, interval based cardio training is the key.

Low Intensity Vs. High Intensity Cardio Training
There are two camps when it comes to cardio training; one buys into the low intensity philosophy. They say, walk, don’t run. The high intensity people, on the other hand, say run, don’t walk. Lets explore both arguments.

It is true that, during low intensity cardio exercise, such as walking or light biking, more calories are burned directly from fat. The only problem is, with low intensity cardiovascular exercise, your overall calorie burn isn’t enough to truly make a difference in your overall weight loss and body fat reduction.

High intensity cardio training, on the other hand, burns many more calories in a much shorter time period. Some fitness enthusiasts take this to the extreme by pushing themselves as fast and as far as they possibly can. A competitive athlete might sprint flat out for as long as possible, increasing his or her distance and time on the track with every workout. This method works well for some, but is not practical for all.

Tools For Effective Interval Based Cardio Training
Interval based cardiovascular training is a more sensible method of burning a high volume of calories in a short time period. To train with cardio intervals, you will need two things: a heart rate monitor and your maximum heart rate (MHR). Your MHR relates to your age and sex. You can get your MHR by using the following calculations:

For men: MHR = 202 – (.55 x age)
For women: MHR = 216 – (1.09 x age)

These calculations are the results of research conducted at John Moores University in Liverpool in 2007. Research results were reported in the Int J Sports Med 2007; 24.

To practice, lets calculate the MHR for both a 36-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman.

A 36-year-old man calculates his MHR with this equation: 202 – (.55 x 36) = 182.

A 28-year-old-woman calculates her MHR with this equation: 216 – (1.09 x 28) = 185.

Once you have calculated your MHR, you will need a heart rate monitor. You can purchase an inexpensive model from any sporting goods store or from an online vendor. With all the right tools in place, you are ready to workout using interval based cardiovascular training.

Using Interval Based Cardio Training
Any cardiovascular exercise will do. You can run, speed-walk, bike, stair-step, work on an elliptical, jump rope, or any other from cardio exercise. High impact cardio exercise such as running can be harmful on the ankles and knees over time. You might consider using low impact exercises like biking or elliptical to guard against unnecessary wear and tear on the body.

Interval based cardio training breaks your workout into sections (intervals) of time. These intervals alternate between low intensity and high intensity. Your heart rate during exercise acts as a guide to tell you when to switch from low intensity to high intensity mode or from high intensity back to low intensity mode. To exercise using interval based cardio training, follow the eight steps below:

1. Put on your heart rate monitor and begin exercise. Start with one to two minutes of exercise at a light, warm up speed.

2. After a short warm up, kick it in gear. Push yourself as hard as you can. Keep an eye on your heart monitor. Your goal is to hit around 80% of your MHR. If you MHR is 185, you should shoot for 148 to 160 or so.

3. Once you hit 80% of your MHR, maintain your current intensity/speed to keep your heart rate at 80% of your MHR for one minute.

4. At the one-minute mark, drop the intensity of your exercise. Your goal is to drop your heart rate by twenty beats per minute. If, during your high intensity interval, you kept your heart rate at 148 (80% of your MHR), you should shoot for a heart rate at around 128 during your low intensity interval.

5. Maintain your low exercise intensity to keep your heart rate at 20 less than 80% of your MHR for one minute.

6. After a minute of low intensity exercise, kick it in again to raise your heart rate to 80% of your MHR.

7. Continue this pattern, alternating between a high intensity interval for one minute and a low intensity interval for one minute for as long as you like.

8. Finish your interval based workout with a one to two minute, low intensity cool down.

Usually twenty minutes of interval based cardiovascular exercise is enough to keep your metabolism pumping, to lose weight, and to keep your heart in good condition. You should experiment with the frequency and length of your interval based training. Put yourself a cardiovascular exercise schedule for two weeks, perhaps working out for 20 minutes on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Weigh yourself at the beginning of your schedule and again at the end. If, while maintaining a healthy diet, you have not lost weight, try increasing the length or frequency of your cardiovascular workouts. You should see a weight loss difference; if you don’t you need to change your routine until you get on a steady fat loss track. With some experimentation, you will find your way to obtaining a slim, athletic body.

Craig Nybo is the president of TOTALhuman.com, a company dedicated to improving YOUR quality of life with advanced, highly efficient exercise programs.

OK, so sweat isn’t particularly the nicest of topics to talk about. People spend vast amounts of money on deodorants to stop themselves from sweating. It’s no wonder either because sweating can turn smelly and make our clothes wet and uncomfortable to wear. The thing is though that our bodies need to sweat in order to be able to keep in good health.

But why should this be? Sweating is so horrible, surely it can’t be good for you? Well, the reason we sweat is because humans need to intake water for a variety of reasons. Water is essential for tissues and cells in our body and it allows important elements such as salt and sugar to be transported throughout the body. Besides these reasons, water also acts as our bodies own thermostat so that you can keep to the optimum temperature for health.

In order for your body to be able to maintain your body in equilibrium you’re body goes through the process of homeostasis. To be able to do this body temperature is extremely important. If the temperature of your body becomes too high you experience a fever and even heat stroke. When your body gets too cold then you suffer from chills. Both of these conditions should be avoided in order to stay healthy.

Also perspiration isn’t the primary method of homeostasis it’s very important for body temperature control. When we exercise all the different chemical reactions increase in speed which causes the internal temperature of your body to increase. Your body is always aiming for equilibrium which is about 98.6F/37C. Sweating causes the heat to be carried out from your body through the skin.

It’s also said that by sweating you are expelling lots of toxins from your body so it’s important that you do some exercising that is designed to make you sweat. There are so many different types of exercise that allows you to do this. Cycling, running, rowing, boxing and weightlifting all allow you to achieve this.

In addition to sweating out toxins you’re body also releases many different good hormones that increase your levels of happiness. This is why some people exercise instead of taking anti-depressants. There have been many studies on the effects of exercise and one of them found that people with gastroenteritis (GI) have had their symptoms greatly reduced when they have been exercising more. How you choose to get more exercise is up to you. Some people like to join a gym whilst others prefer to go hill walking and enjoy the outdoors.

April Kerr is keen on exercise and has created website Best Elliptical Trainers which has details of Reebok elliptical trainers and Schwinn elliptical trainers.