Aerobic exercise better for weight loss than high intensity interval training, research from the Charles Perkins Centre finds

Researchers find aerobic exercise has the best ‘fat furnace’ effect
High intensity training workouts not a magic bullet for weight loss

HIGH-INTENSITY interval training and Crossfit has been touted as the quickest way to get lean but according to new research, it’s no fast track to fat loss.

A world-first controlled trial has found regular continuous aerobic exercise yields better fat loss results than high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts for overweight people.

The trial was conducted by University of Sydney exercise physiologists Shelley Keating of the Faculty of Health Sciences eand Dr Nathan Johnson at the Charles Perkins Centre.

Forget the claims HIIT workouts can whip overweight people into shape in less time than regular aerobic exercise

Dr Keating said a growing number of people were substituting HIIT for regular aerobic workouts in their exercise routine.

“High-intensity burst training does deliver important benefits like increased fitness, but it doesn’t have a ‘fat furnace’ effect if you carry weight around the middle,” she said.

“The message is if you’re hitting the gym to lose weight and trim your waistline, stick with steady aerobic exercise to shift abdominal fat and see better results on the scales.”

Continue Here: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/inner-west/aerobic-exercise-better-for-weight-loss-than-high-intensity-interval-training-research-from-the-charles-perkins-centre-finds/story-fngr8h4f-1226916104243

Home workouts on the rise because of expensive gyms

Gym memberships can be expensive, especially when you work out cost per visit if you struggle to visit on regular occurrence.

In fact, new research has revealed that 61% of Britons partake in home workouts, compared to 21% who visit an actual gym for their exercise.

The top home workouts were revealed in the poll to be exercise DVDs, YouTube videos, running and workouts using exercise equipment you have in the house, like treadmills or bikes.

But if people don’t have gym equipment at home, they’re not opposed to making the most of the situation, using tinned foods as weights and stairs for exercises.

George Charles, spokesperson for VoucherCodesPro.co.uk, said the following: “It’s really good to see that plenty of people aren’t wasting their money on gym memberships and are getting inventive to work out at home instead. Using heavy objects from the kitchen cupboards as tins of beans and running up and down the stairs are fantastic ways to keep fit, as long as it’s done safely.

“There’s no point paying for a gym membership when you can throw on a pair of trainers and go running in your local area. However, those doing home exercise should be careful that they don’t end up spending a small fortune on the latest workout gear, DVDs and fitness gadgets or you may end up paying more than you would on a gym membership!”

Read more: http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/health/home-workouts-on-the-rise-because-of-expensive-gym-memberships-469015.html#ixzz31dZAXof2

Why Are Pregnant Women Criticized for Exercising?

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Sara Haley, a personal trainer and mom from Santa Monica, California, hits the gym six days a week — and it turns out that's a problem for her fellow gym members, who, Haley says, routinely harass her because she's 35 weeks pregnant.

According to a recent story published in the New York Daily News, Haley, who specializes in pregnancy fitness, incorporates a combination of pull-ups, tricep dips, dead lifts, and lunges into her workout routine. But the constant stares, whispers, and comments (“Wow, your butt is so big!” and “Those stretch marks are the worst I have ever seen!") in the gym make her feel as though she's being ganged up on. “It is an element of bullying,” the 35-year-old told the newspaper. “Some people have no filter all of a sudden when they see a pregnant woman training.”

And while Haley — who in April was named one of 50 hottest fitness trainers by Shape magazine — insists that exercise is encouraged during pregnancy, she doesn’t want to be viewed as herculean. “My favorite reaction in general, throughout my pregnancy, has been the classic eye contact with a big thumbs up,” she said. "I do appreciate the encouragement, but honestly, I'm just pregnant, not trying to save the world."




She's hardly the first pregnant gym-goer to cause controversy. Back in September, Lea-Ann Ellison of Los Angeles made headlines for participating in CrossFit, a high-intensity conditioning and core-strengthening exercise program that includes lifting barbells and dumbbells, tire-flipping, and using medicine balls. Ellison became an international sensation after photos of her lifting weights (She says they were staged for a pregnancy photo shoot.) hit the Internet and went viral.

Yahoo Shine could not reach Haley for comment. However, the benefits of exercise during pregnancy have been well documented. For the mother, staying active promotes energy, sounder sleep, and may even help to prevent gestational diabetes and reduce the length of labor and the odds of requiring medical intervention during birth. And babies reap the benefits too. A University of Montreal study found that pregnant women who exercise for just 20 minutes three days a week boost their newborns' brainpower. And, according to research conducted by Kansas City University, pregnancy exercise improves newborns' heart health too.

And according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women can safely walk, swim, cycle, participate in aerobics, and run (provided they were runners before they were pregnant). "The general rule of thumb is, if it's a healthy pregnancy with no complications, we recommend that patients resume their pre-pregnancy exercise routines," Shahin Ghadir, MD, who is board certified in both obstetrics and gynecology and reproductive endocrinology and infertility, tells Yahoo Shine. "Otherwise, starting a new exercise routine can be a huge shock to the body."

In fact, taking up a new routine without being monitored by a doctor can lead to injury for both the mother and baby. If a pregnant woman isn't accustomed to exercising, Ghadir advises she start a regular walking routine.

For Haley, she has observed one interesting side effect after exercising throughout her pregnancy with her 3-year-old son, Landon — an appreciation of her workout music. “When Landon was born, the only thing that would stop him from crying was me playing hip-hop music, like Jay Z,” she told the New York Daily News. “I think he heard it in utero and was jamming along with me!”

https://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/pregnant-woman-sara-haley-excerise-174157988.html

Low blood sugar identified as a cause of marital strife

Low levels of blood sugar can increase the risk of irritation with your partner turning into a blazing row, according to a study suggesting a physiological basis for marital disharmony.

Scientists found that blood glucose levels could predict whether someone was likely to feel angry enough with a spouse to secretly stick pins in a voodoo doll, meant to represent them, in psychological tests.

People with low glucose levels were also more likely than individuals with high levels of glucose to blast their partners with loud noise if they competed against them in a game, according to a second experiment.

The findings support the theory that hungry people are more likely than well-fed individuals to be angry. They also provide a scientific basis for suggesting that diet may play an important role in situations where people spend time together, whether at home, in schools or in prisons.

"People can relate to this that when they get hungry, they get cranky. We found that being 'hangry' – hungry and angry – can affect our behaviour in a bad way, even in our most intimate relationships," said Professor Brad Bushman of Ohio State University inColumbus, Ohio.

The three-year study involved 107 married couples, who were assessed for their general relationship satisfaction in order to see how happy they were with one another overall.

Over a period of 21 days, each couple monitored their blood glucose levels in the morning and evening and were given a voodoo doll and 51 pins, which they were supposed to stick in the doll when they were on their own, depending on how angry they felt towards their spouse.

The study, published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences', showed a clear link between low levels of blood glucose and the number of pins a spouse stuck into the voodoo doll, Professor Bushman said.

"Even those who reported they had good relationships with their spouses were more likely to express anger if their blood glucose levels were lower," he said.

In a second experiment after the 21-day period, the couples took part in a laboratory test where they played a computer game against their partner, allowing the winner to blast their spouse with a loud noise through headphones.


BLOOD

In fact, the scientists had arranged it so that each individual played against a computer rather than their spouse without their knowing it, so that they were sure to lose about half the games they played.

Again, when blood sugar levels fell, individuals were more likely to give longer and louder blasts of noise than when sugar levels were higher.

Comparing the first and second part of the study, the scientists also found that those people who stuck more pins in the dolls were more likely to show real aggression as louder and longer noises.

Professor Bushman suggested that the effect could be explained by the energy needed to maintain the self-control to overcome aggression. With low blood glucose, there is a greater chance of losing self-control.

"It's simple advice but it works: before you have a difficult conversation with your spouse, make sure you're not hungry," he said. (©Independent News Service)

Irish Independent

How To Have A Healthy Heart

Here are “life’s simple seven “develop by the American Heart Association to enhance heart health and improve total well being.

1 Get active: All you need is thirty minutes a day of moderate exercise to lower your chances of having a heart disease. Aerobic activity improves your heart and makes your blood pressure drop, increase good HDL cholesterol, fights stress, curbs blood sugar,  reduce weight and improves confidence.

"Walking is a great way to improve heart health and it's free, easy and almost anyone can do it. Remember to include weekly strength training, flexibility and balance exercises.

2. Control cholesterol: the safe cholesterol level must be below 200 mg/dL. Cholesterol clogs the arteries and increases your risk getting a heart attack and stroke.

"The cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat in your food spikes up your cholesterol, together with amount the body makes naturally,

3. Eat better. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables is the best way to make your body healthy. The American Heart Association also suggest consuming fish at least twice a week—Salmon and mackerel has omega 3 fatty acids that help lessens blood clothing in the arteries and help protect arteries  from being stiff.

4. Manage blood pressure. One of three adults suffers from blood pressure and most don’t know they have it. . High blood pressure is the most important factor that can lead to heart disease. The safe blood pressure should be less than 120 over 80. If your blood pressure is normal, your heart don’t work hard as much to pump blood through your arteries, arteries are elastic and are not over stretched and all your body tissues receives the right nutrients from a correct blood flow.

5. Lose weight: having an extra weight can increase your chances of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Reducing the pounds helps lower your risk.

6. Reduce blood sugar: Diabetes is a big factor for cardiovascular disease.  Having a healthy blood sugar level avoids diabetes which reduces your risk for heart disease. Diabetics should watch out for their blood sugar to avoid problems like heart disease.

7. Stop smoking: Smoking can lead to a lot of health problems such as heart disease, stroke and heart attacks.

Smoking and Breast Cancer

Young women who smoke have a higher risk of common types of breast cancer based on the latest study.

This study showed that women between 20 and 44 who smoked a pack of cigarette per day for at least 10 years is 60 percent more likely than those who smoke less to have estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

According to Dr. Christopher Li that there is a increase proof that breast cancer is another cause of smoking.

Prior researched showed evidence between smoking and cancer. This older studies have a different results for younger women who smoke.

Many unanswered questions were raised if smoking increased the risk of some forms of breasts cancers but not others. 

According to Li, a  senior author from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle that there are  sub types of breast cancer and they have examine how smoking affects its sub-type.This data came from Seattle who were diagnosed with breast cancer between 2004-2010.

Base on the data from National Cancer Institute, there is one in every eight women that can develop breast cancer but the risk is lower for younger ones.

Young women who smoked were 30 percent to more likely develop breast cancer compared to those who never smoked.

The findings showed that women who smoked for at least 15 years were 50 percent more likely to have estrogen receptor positive breast cancer than smoker for a few years.

Excessive Sugar in your diet can lead to heart disease

Eating foods loaded with lots sugar can help increase the risk of premature death from heart disease that is why citizens are urging Canadian and U.S. governments to offer dietary limits on sugar.

For an individual taking 2000 calories a day that is equivalent to drinking a bottle of soft drink in vending machines would reach the new level of the latest U.S. study that suggests the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD).

According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta "A higher percentage of calories from added sugar is associated with significantly increased risk of CVD mortality,"

This finding was based on the national health and diet surveys between 1988 and 2010 of more than 30,000 Americans with an average age of 44. The results suggest that a fatal heart risk is increased once added sugar intake goes beyond 15 per cent of total calories.

"Too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick," said Laura Schmidt, a health policy specialist at the University of California, San Francisco.

The American Heart Association suggest not more than 25 grams a day or six teaspoons of sugar for women (five per cent of a 2,000-calorie a day diet) and 38 grams or nine teaspoons a day for men (7.5 per cent of daily calories).

In 2005, a team of experts at the Institute of Medicine, suggest that the Canadian and U.S. governments, should limit sugar consumption to less than 25 per cent of total calories. The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests less than 10 per cent of the total daily consumption.

According to the study there were 831 people who have died from heart ailment in the span of the 15 year study. The study also included other factors that causes heart disease such as smoking, inactivity and excess weight into account.

Risk for Diabetes Decreased greatly by Exercise

A joint US-Danish study has established that women who works out 3 1/2 hours a week reduces the risk for diabetes by about 40% and even those who works out for only an hour cuts their risk by 13%.  

Muscle strengthening exercise improve glycemic control among diabetics. 

Best results were was seen in those who exercises 150 minutes aerobic activity per week and 60 minutes a week of muscle strengthening.

The findings of the study revealed that muscle-conditioning activities with aerobic activity prevent the development of diabetes in women.

This research emphasizes that indeed having a dynamic lifestyle while eating nutritious meals can reduce the risk of having diabetes mellitus type 2, which is lifestyle associated.

These days many people are becoming more health conscious and more active. Many are on the lookout for easy ways to work out. The only difficulty is in keeping with your plans and determination.

It is recommended that we have at least about 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise in a week.