10 Reasons To Drink More Water - Learn About The Health Benefits

10 Reasons To Drink More Water - Learn About The Health Benefits

reasons drink more waterHow much water are you currently drinking? Now I don't mean as in tea or coffee, I mean as in pure, clear, nothing-added-to-it water? Do you enjoy the taste of water or do you chug it down as something that you "have" to do? Do you know how much water you should be consuming everyday? Is it 56 ounces, 64 ounces or 112 ounces?

Everyone knows the common recommendation that you need to drink at least eight, 8 ounce glasses of water daily. But for many, especially those who are physically active, you need almost twice as much! When in doubt, shoot for ten 8 ounce glasses of water per day. I personally drink roughly 2 gallons a day!

Need some incentives to drink more water? Here are the top 10 reasons why you should be drinking more!

    Did you know that your body is made up of roughly 50-75% water? Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because your body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to rehydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water.

    The amount of water you need depends on a variety of factors, including the climate you live in, how physically active you are, and whether you're experiencing an illness or have any other health problems. Fun Fact: This means that 2/3 of your body weight is actually water, the rest is you!

    Dehydration. You should always want to stay in a state of hydration. This is especially important as being dehydrated can become extremely critical if not addressed. Your body loses fluids when you engage in vigorous exercise, sweat in high heat, or come down with a fever or contract an illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea. Fact: Even losing 20% of your total body water could result in death. If you're losing fluids for any of these reasons, it's important to increase your fluid intake so that you can restore your body's natural hydration levels.

    If you're ill, your doctor may also recommend that you drink more fluids to help treat other health conditions, like bladder infections and urinary tract stones. If you're pregnant or nursing, you may want to consult with your physician about your fluid intake because your body will be using more fluids than usual, especially if you're breastfeeding.

    reasons drink more waterWater does more than just quench your thirst and regulate your body's temperature, it also keeps the tissues in your body moist. You know how it feels when your eyes, nose, or mouth gets dry? Keeping your body hydrated helps it retain optimum levels of moisture in these sensitive areas, as well as in the blood, bones, and the brain. In addition, water helps protect the spinal cord, and it acts as a lubricant and cushion for your joints and cartilage tissues.

    Bloating or retaining water. This is a common concern for women, that feeling of being bloated or feeling like you're retaining extra water. Staying hydrated will help combat bloating while keeping you hydrated.

    Digestion. Your body's digestive system starts with the saliva, the basis of which is water. Proper digestion relies on enzymes that are found in your saliva to help break down foods and liquids, and to assist in dissolving minerals and nutrients. Water is also necessary to help you digest soluble fiber (this is a good thing), as fiber can dissolve easily and benefit your bowel health by making well formed, soft stools that are easier to pass.

    Adequate water intake enables your body to excrete waste through perspiration, urination, and defecation. The kidneys and liver use it to help flush out waste, as do your intestines. Water can also keep you from getting constipated by softening your stools and helping move the food you've eaten through your intestinal tract. However, it should be noted that there is no evidence to prove that increasing your fluid intake will cure constipation.

    Not sure if you're hydrated? Are you still thirsty after drinking water? Check your urine. Is it pale yellow to clear? How do you feel? If you're drinking enough, your answer will be YES!

    Water helps to keep your skin clear and youthful, your eyes bright, your smile brighter and your weight lighter!

The Benefits of Water in Review
Most people who are in good physical health get enough fluids by drinking water and other beverages when they're thirsty, and also by drinking a beverage with each of their meals, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you're not sure about your hydration level, look at your urine. If it's clear, you're in good shape. If it's dark, you're probably dehydrated. Now that you know how important the benefits are of drinking water, what are you waiting for?

Bodyweight Bodybuilding - 4 Body Weight Exercises For Maximum Muscle

A few years ago I gave up the iron game. 15 years of lifting heavy stuff in gyms made me bigger and stronger, but it was also causing 5 to 6 nagging reoccurring injuries and mental burnout. In a desperate attempt to alleviate my pains I turned to bodyweight style exercises for a solid month. At first, my goal was to lose as little strength and muscle as possible while I let my body and mind heal. I figured that if I worked really hard I might even be able to maintain my strength levels through such calisthenics training.

You can imagine how surprised and pleased I was to discover that I was bigger and stronger at the end of that month of doing nothing but bodyweight exercises! My injuries were almost all gone and my mind was flooded with fresh motivation, but never had I experienced such a rapid growth in strength and muscle.

It's now 3 years later and I'm still doing bodyweight style bodybuilding. I'm bigger, faster, stronger and far healthier than I ever was while worshiping the iron. This article isn't about how weight lifting is bad or that you should not do it. I have nothing against weight lifting and don't wish to discourage anyone from it. My goal is to spread my enthusiasm for these bodyweight muscle building exercises which are far more potent than people often give them credit for.

The heart of bodyweight bodybuilding consists of these 4 potent exercises:

Pull-Ups - Lat pulldowns can't hold a candle to the exercise that is the first choice for military and law enforcement personnel. The real beauty of the pull-up is that it's extremely functional and requires lots of stabilization, unlike using machines. It's also very friendly to your spine and lower back since your lower body just hangs in the air unlike using free weights. It's powerful, functional, and easy on the spine. What's not to love?

Dips - What, no pushups? Hey pushups are great, but when it comes to really blasting the heck out of your pushing muscles in a safe and effective way, I highly recommend dips. Some folks are afraid of shoulder issues with dips. Yes, you do have to be careful but later on I'll discuss some ways to help make dips super safe and comfortable.

Lunges - Squats are great, but the fact of the matter is that your legs were largely designed for mobility. In fact, most of the work your major leg muscles perform will be to move you from point A to point B. Lunges work your whole lower body in a mobile fashion. They are also great for making your heart rate sky rocket and improving stability in the hips and knees.

Single Leg Squats - Squats rule, we know that, but the basics of leg strength isn't doing squats with a million pounds on your back. It's squatting down and standing back up on one leg with rock solid control (while holding a million pounds).

All 4 of these bodyweight exercises share common traits that make them insanely effective at helping you build lots of muscle and functional strength.

    Each exercise pits your entire body against gravity. The most functional strength you can ever build is the ability to move your entire body in relation to the earth. If you can do that you can do anything as far as mobility and sports performance. It also ensures that every ounce of your body weight is used to create as much tension in the target muscles as possible.

    These exercises require minimal equipment and time. One of the secrets to building a lot of strength and muscle is to use methods that you can maintain a consistent program with for as long as possible. Many muscle building programs are great, but they require so much time and effort that the person only sticks with it for about 6 months to a year. These 4 exercises only require a set of gymnastics rings and maybe a pair of cheap adjustable dumbbells. This simple setup ensures that you'll be able to workout almost anywhere at any time thus making it far easier to stay consistent for years to come.

    bodyweight bodybuilding exercises muscleThese exercises are easy to load with extra weight. A little extra weight can go a long way with these 4 moves. Even an extra 30 pounds can feel like a ton when doing single leg squats. The dips and pull-ups are easy to load up with just a simple dip belt. You can even just use a length of rope or chain if you like. The leg exercises are easy enough to load up by simply holding onto something heavy. Weights, rocks, sandbags, chains, and even small children can work well for weighted lunges and squats.

    All 4 exercises require a lot of stability and control. You don't need stretch bands and balance disks to make exercise functional. All of these moves require balance and stability at every joint in your body. This is especially true for your power joints like your hips and scapula. This stability is also what helps to protect your joints and surrounding tissues. If you feel like something is tight or an issue, move slowly and spend a little extra time isometrically holding the weak points of the move. This will help ensure stable and healthy joints for years to come.

    These exercises will endlessly challenge your skill levels. Adding volume and intensity is fine, but the bulk of strength comes from learning to do your exercises with a higher level of skill and proficiency. You could do nothing but pull-ups and dips for the next 20 years and still learn how to improve your technique. There is no limit to how far you can go!

    These exercises evenly work the entire body through a satisfying range of motion. I have nothing against focusing on a few areas of the body. However, if you want as much muscle and strength as possible, then compound moves are where it's at. These moves work your entire body without leaving a single stone unturned. All of your major joints are flexed and extended in a large range of motion ensuring optimal muscular development and strength.

    Building a routine around these exercises is a piece of cake. You can do a full body routine with 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise. You can do upper body and lower body splits with 2 exercises in each workout. You can even do a simple 3 day split routine between push, pull and leg workouts.

So if you've ever wondered if you can make your strength training super simple, yet still very effective then I highly recommend these 4 bodyweight exercises. They work great on their own and can even be incorporated into a traditional weight lifting routine as well.

Make sure to visit my profile page on ShapeFit.com and let me know if you have any questions and I will help you out with any concerns about bodyweight based bodybuilding.

Even Your Fat Cells Need Sleep, According to New Research

In a study that challenges the long-held notion that the primary function of sleep is to give rest to the brain, researchers have found that not getting enough shut-eye has a harmful impact on fat cells, reducing by 30 percent their ability to respond to insulin, a hormone that regulates energy.

Sleep deprivation has long been associated with impaired brain function, causing decreased alertness and reduced cognitive ability. The latest finding — recently published by University of Chicago Medicine researchers in the Annals of Internal Medicine — is the first description of a molecular mechanism directly connecting sleep loss to the disruption of energy regulation in humans, a process that can lead over time to weight gain, [type 2] diabetes and other health problems. The study suggests that sleep's role in energy metabolism is at least as important as it is in brain function.

"We found that fat cells need sleep to function properly," said study author Matthew Brady, PhD, associate professor of medicine and vice-chair of the Committee on Molecular Metabolism and Nutrition at the University of Chicago.
Brady said body fat plays an important role in humans.

"Many people think of fat as a problem, but it serves a vital function," he said. "Body fat, also known as adipose tissue, stores and releases energy. In storage mode, fat cells remove fatty acids and lipids from the circulation where they can damage other tissues. When fat cells cannot respond effectively to insulin, these lipids leach out into the circulation, leading to serious complications."

Esra Tasali, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Chicago and co-senior author, led the recruitment of six men and one woman, all young, lean and healthy. Each volunteer went through two study conditions, at least four weeks apart. In one, they spent 8.5 hours a night in bed for four consecutive nights. In the other, they spent 4.5 hours in bed for four nights. Food intake, strictly controlled, was identical under both study conditions.

On the morning after the fourth night following both the long and short sleep conditions, each volunteer took an intravenous glucose tolerance test, which measures total-body insulin sensitivity. The researchers performed a biopsy, removing abdominal fat cells from the area near each volunteer's navel. Then they measured how these fat cells responded to insulin.

The researchers assessed insulin sensitivity at the molecular level by measuring the phosphorylation of a protein called Akt within fat cells. Akt phosphorylation is a crucial early chemical step in the cell's response to insulin.

After four nights of short sleep, total-body insulin response decreased by an average of 16 percent. The insulin sensitivity of fat cells decreased by 30 percent. This reduction is comparable to the difference between cells from obese vs. lean participants or from people with [type 2] diabetes versus non-diabetic controls.

They found that the sleep-deprived study participants had a decreased response to a range of doses of insulin. It took nearly three times as much insulin to provoke half of the maximum Akt response in volunteers who had been deprived of sleep.

"Sleeping four to five hours a night, at least on work days, is now a common behavior" said study author and sleep specialist Esra Tasali.

"Some people claim they can tolerate the cognitive effects of routine sleep deprivation," said co-author Eve Van Cauter, PhD, the Frederick H. Rawson Professor of Medicine and director of the sleep, metabolism and health center at the University of Chicago. "In this small but thorough study, however, we found that seven out of seven subjects had a significant change in insulin sensitivity. They are not tolerating the metabolic consequences."

The study was one of the first to bring together sleep research experts and biologists focused on energy regulation and metabolism in adipose tissue. The impetus came from a sleep-research graduate student, Josiane Broussard, PhD '10, lead author of the study and now a Society in Science-Branco Weiss fellow at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. She wanted to combine her interest in sleep and metabolism with research at the molecular level.

So she pulled together a team for this project that included the two sleep researchers, Tasali and Van Cauter, plus two specialists from the University of Chicago Kovler Diabetes Center, David Ehrmann, MD, and Brady, who studies how insulin regulates energy storage in fat and liver cells.

They focused on fat cells because of their direct links to metabolic disruption and weight gain. These cells store energy for the body, are exquisitely sensitive to insulin and help regulate appetite.

Witnessing the direct effect of sleep deprivation on a peripheral tissue such as fat at the cellular level "was an eye-opener," Broussard said. It helps cement the link between sleep and [type 2] diabetes and "suggests that we could use sleep like diet and exercise to prevent or treat this common disease."

Brady said the study opens up many new questions.

"What signals from sleep loss affect the fat cell? What effect does dysfunctional fat have at the whole-body level?" Brady wondered. "And if we can deprive healthy people of sleep and make them worse, can we take sick people, such as those with the common combination of sleep apnea, obesity and [ type 2] diabetes, improve their sleep and make them better? That's the missing link in the sleep-obesity-[type 2] diabetes connection."

This study is "a valuable contribution to the understanding of the causal pathways by which reduced sleep duration may directly contribute to [type 2] diabetes and obesity," according to an editorial in the journal by Francesco Cappuccio, MD, DSc, and Michelle Miller, PhD, of the University of Warwick, in Coventry, United Kingdom. "These results point to a much wider influence of sleep on bodily functions, including metabolism, adipose tissue, cardiovascular function, and possibly more."

Is Dumbbell Fitness Strength Training Worthwhile?

This article will explain why dumbbell fitness strenght training may be exactly what you need. If you are looking for one piece of equipment that can build muscle, increase strength, accelerate your weight loss and increase your cardio workout look no farther than the dumbbell. The dumbbell has become lost in the sea of overly developed workout machines. It seems like every year a new technique for weight loss and strength training is developed. But the basic dumbbell is still the most versatile exercise equipment you can buy.

The very design of the dumbbell makes them extremely versatile. You can add weight as you progress in your strength training. You can use them for single arm exercises or bilateral arm exercises. Dumbbells can be used in chest development, arm development, leg muscle development and development of all the other major muscle groups.

Dumbbells can be used for heavy lifting to increase your strength. While most bodybuilders are looking to increase their muscle mass, the everyday man or woman is looking for exercises to build strength for the jobs and sports that they engage in everyday. This is where heavy lifting with the dumbbells come into play. Doing specific exercises with heavier dumbbells will build your strength and strengthen your core to stabilize your body. With dumbbell lifting you can improve your lung and heart function and burn off excess fat.

It is important to remember that the dumbbell training we are talking about is not the wimpy, lightweight, dumbbells that are advertised for toning and sculpting. We are talking about the good, old fashioned dumbbells that are heavy and have the ability to burn more fat and increase your strength in a very short amount of time.

It is important that you do warm up, stretching exercises before you start your dumbbell strength training. Warming up the muscles will enhance flexibility and help you to avoid damage. After your exercise, the proper cool down is vital to the repair and recovery of muscles so that they can be ready for the next session.

Eating a well balanced diet high in proteins will enhance your dumbbell strength training. Don't cut out the carbohydrates, because you will need those for energy and stamina. The most important thing that you can do for your body during and after a workout is to drink plenty of water. This will help flush your body of toxins that may have been released during your workout session.

The dumbbell may look like a simple piece of exercise equipment, but it is the best that you can get for strength training and fat burning. Follow an exercise regimen with your dumbbells that consist of slow lift sets, quick lift sets and a combination of the two. The results that you achieve will astound you and you will wonder why you haven't taken up dumbbell fitness strength training before now.

Understanding The Term Yoga

The term yoga is a common word in the Sanskrit language, which is the language in which most of the Yoga scriptures are written. It also happens to be one of the most versatile Sanskrit terms, having a whole range of meanings that extend from simple "union" to "team," "constellation," and "conjunction." It is derived from the verbal root yuj, meaning "to harness, yoke, prepare, equip, and fasten."

The male practitioner of Yoga is referred to as a yogin or yogi and the female practitioner as a yogini. Common synonyms are yoga-vid meaning "knower of Yoga" and yukta meaning "yoked one". Sometimes the word yoga-yuj, meaning "one who is yoked in Yoga" is used. A master of Yoga may be referred to as a yoga raj ("king of Yoga") or yogendra (from yoga and indra, meaning "lord").

In addition to yoga and yukta, the verbal root yuj also yields the old Sanskrit word yuga, denoting "yoke," which is the literal yoke placed on an ox and the yoke or burden of the years. It is probably in the latter, metaphoric sense that yuga is applied to the four great world cycles, which according to Hinduism, continuously revolve, thus creating history. At present we are believed to be in the final world age, the kali-yuga, in which spirituality and morality are at their lowest ebb. The kali-yuga is the Dark Age, which is destined to terminate in a convulsive cataclysm, accompanied by a major purging of humanity. Thereafter a new Golden Age will begin, starting the four-phase cycle all over again.

The term yoga is closely related to a number of words in various Indo-European languages, including the English yoke, the German Joch, and the Latin iugum, which all have the same meaning. In a spiritual context, the word yoga can have two primary meanings. It can stand for either "union" or "discipline." In most cases, both connotations are present when the term yoga is applied. Therefore, dhyana-yoga is the unitive discipline of meditation; samnyasa-yoga is the
unitive discipline of renunciation; karma-yoga is the unitive discipline of self-transcending action; kriya-yoga is the unitive discipline of ritual; bhakti-yoga is the unitive discipline of love and devotion to the Divine, and so on.

What does the term unitive mean? It describes Yoga's disciplined approach to simplifying one's consciousness and energy to the level where we no longer experience any inner conflict and are able to live in harmony with the universe. In addition, unitive specifically refers to the goal of many branches and schools of Yoga, which is to realize our essential nature, the Self (atman, purusha), by consciously uniting with it. This understanding of Yoga is characteristic of those teachings that subscribe to a nondualist metaphysics according to which the Self is the ultimate singular Reality underlying all events.

Yoga and Health: An Alternative Form of Exercise

Yoga has long been used as an alternative form of healthy exercise. Today, a variety of yoga schools have become popular, so if you want to try this technique of healing and preventative health, research them all before signing up for a class. Yoga can be very helpful if you are suffering from pain or disease, but, as always, discuss this change in your exercise regimen with your doctor before you begin so that you can be sure yoga will work for you.

Iyengar is the yoga of props and slow pose progression. Correct form is important, and so your instructor will stress this. It is an extremely useful kind of yoga for beginners to try, and people with disabilities or physical restrictions can also use Iyengar yoga. Props that are used help people overcome back and joint problems. Iyengar yoga, in short, teaches the fundamentals, and so this is an important kind of yoga to use if you are new to yoga.

Power yoga, or Ashtanga yoga, is the most athletic form of yoga and used by those who want a difficult work out. Flexibility, stamina, and strength are all heavily stressed with this form of yoga, and meditation is not as important and usually not taught at all. A warm temperature is beneficial to this style to lessen muscle strain, so power yoga can also be combined with hot yoga, which is a highly physical workout done in temperatures of 100 degrees or even more in some cases. Breath control is important here, and the progression is swift to maximize athletic benefit. Ashtanga yoga is not as beneficial for beginners and can be especially difficult for those who are not accustomed to exercising. Hatha yoga can be viewed as the opposite of this, and is a more relaxing kind of workout that is concerned not only with physical well being, but also with mental and spiritual healthiness. Most types of yoga include aspects of Hatha yoga, and these techniques are important for beginners to learn.

Kundalini is a more spiritual type of yoga exercise, and includes chanting, guided relaxation and meditations, and visualizations. It can be done by anyone of any religious practice, although yoga first began with Eastern religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Kundalini heals the body, emotions, and mind. Posture and breathing is important in this type of yoga, and those overcoming addiction have found Kundalini especially helpful.

Other kinds of yoga may also be beneficial to you and your health. Be sure to choose a routine that is not too easy or, on the other hand, too difficult. Talk with your doctor or a yoga instructor for more information.

Beginners Course About Using Free-Weights

Free weights are bars with weight plates on each end. The long bars are called barbells and the short bars are called dumbbells. It takes two hands to hoist a barbell. You can lift a dumbbell with one hand (although you might do some exercises using two hands on a single dumbbell).

Barbells and dumbbells are called free weights because they're not attached to any chains, cables, or weight stacks. You are free to do with them whatever you want, although we recommend using them for strength training.

At most gyms, you can find a wide array of dumbbells, lined up from lightest, usually 3 pounds, to heaviest, as much as 120 pounds. At larger gyms, you also find a selection of bars with plates welded to each end, starting with 20 pounds and increasing in 10-pound increments. Virtually every gym has bars without weight plates on each end. The bar alone usually weighs 45 pounds. To increase the weight, you attach round plates with a hole drilled through the center and secure the plates with clips called collars.

An assortment of these weight plates - typically from 2'/2 pounds to 45 pounds - sits on a rack near the bars. If you want to lift 75 pounds, you add a 10-pound plate and a 5-pound plate to each side of the 45-pound bar. After you're finished, be sure to remove these plates and put them back in their proper place. Otherwise, you risk unfriendly stares from the staff and the guy who uses the bar after you.

Free weights are a lot more versatile than machines. Whereas a weight machine is designed for one particular motion, a single pair of dumbbells can be used to perform literally hundreds of exercises. For instance, you can push dumbbells overhead to work your shoulders, press them backward to tone your triceps, or hold one in each hand while you squat to work your thighs and butt muscles. You can change the feel and emphasis of an exercise by simply changing the way you grip the bar or dumbbell.

Another important benefit of free weights is that they work your muscles in a way that closely mimics real-life movements. Machines tend to isolate a particular muscle so that the rest of your muscles don't get any action; free-weight training requires several muscles to move, balance, and steady a weight as you lift and lower it.

Free weight exercises allow you to strengthen muscles that wouldn't get much work if you were doing isolation exercises with machines. Some people find that they gain strength and increase in size faster when they do the majority of their exercises with free weights. Finally, you'll never look more impressive than when you're slinging around massive hunks of metal.

There are some drawbacks of using free-weights, however. For some novices, free-weight exercises are hard to get the hang of. You need more instruction than you do with machines - there are a lot more mistakes to make and injuries to avoid.

Also, free-weight exercises require more balance than machine moves. And If you're short on time, a free-weight workout probably will take you longer than a machine workout. Instead of simply putting a pin in a weight stack, you might have to slide weight plates on and off a bar.

And lastly, don't think that barbells and dumbbells are for advanced weight lifters only. Beginners can use 'em, too. However, anyone using free weights needs to be very careful, even with lightweights.

A Bodybuilder's Diet Plan Is Crucial To A Bodybuilder's Success

if you are a bodybuilder or are looking to become a bodybuilder, a bodybuilder's diet plan is crucial to your training. Lifting weights and sculpting your body will go nowhere if you do not follow a bodybuilder's diet, which provides the body with the energy necessary to develop strong muscles.

As a bodybuilder, you will be trying to increase your muscle, which also means increasing your weight. To do this, you will need to eat more. Weight loss emphasizes limiting your caloric intake. With bodybuilders, a lot of energy and calories are burned in the gym. Thus, it is necessary to replenish your body by eating healthy and in a way to increase your muscle mass.

As with any diet focused on healthy living, but especially with a bodybuilder's diet plan, you should stay away from fatty foods, especially the processed kind. Most overly salty or very sweet processed foods will contain fats that do nothing for your body. Trans fats are especially bad and can be found in most fast foods. They cannot be burned away through exercise; they sit in your body and too much trans fat in your system can lead to heart disease and obesity. Thus, rule number one is to stay away from fatty foods and fast food.

Another necessity in a bodybuilder's diet plan is a higher intake of protein. Lean meats can help build lean muscle mass, which is what a bodybuilder wants. This does not mean that you should cut out the carbohydrates, though. You will need carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates, to fuel your body's exercise and weight lifting. However, you should try to consume more protein than carbohydrates as a general rule of thumb.

Before you do a long exercise or lifting sets, you should try to consume a small snack of complex carbohydrates to give you the energy to get through your routine. Often times, those who skip the snack will feel dizzy or weak, as their blood pressure drops dramatically. The carbohydrates are good in this instance because they give you that boost of energy needed to get through your exercise routine without feeling faint or weak.

After you exercise, you should try to eat a balanced meal within an hour to an hour and a half of finishing your routine. You should be sure to include a significant portion of protein during this after-workout meal. Eating within this time frame allows your body to build back the muscles you have just tested faster and better. Remember, being a bodybuilder means a bodybuilder's diet plan is crucial to your training.

Why is Exercise Important?

 Have you ever heard the expression "use it or lose it"? It's true! If you don't use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases
Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina
When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!

Enhances Flexibility
Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight
Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life
Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.
How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.

15 Tips For Breaking Through A Plateau

You're exercising, eating well, and steadily losing pounds. Then all of a sudden... BAM! The scale seems stuck, week after week. Yes, the dreaded plateau. Don't think you're the only person this happens to (although most people DO believe this only happens to them) - nearly everyone trying to lose weight experiences a phase when the scale won't budge and there's still 5, 10, 15 pounds to go. So, when this happens, you've got a choice to make. You can either call your diet a success, or keep plugging away. If you've lost quite a bit of weight - even though you still have that last 10 pounds to go - and you're sleeping better, feeling good about yourself, have lots more energy, feeling good about how you look, then maybe you've already achieved your goal. But, if you REALLY have some more pounds to go, here are ten strategies you can use - try one or any combination - to melt the last 10 pounds.

1. JOURNAL, JOURNAL, JOURNAL

This is one of the most powerful tools to help you stay on track or get back on track. Your journal can help you see where you are perhaps going over or under on your number of points for the day, or aren't getting in the Guidelines for Healthy Living requirements. Use your journal as a detective tool: Had a good week? Look over it at the end of the week and try and see what you think contributed to that success. Had a not so good week? Again, look over your journal to see what may have contributed to you playing a little looser with the program. Look at last week's journal for clues too, sometimes it takes a full week before the effects of a blown week show up. Using the journal on a consistent basis is the best way to make sure that you're really eating the amount of food that you think you're eating, which can be two different things sometimes.

2. Eating By the Numbers (Or are you getting in too many carbs? Protein? Not enough fat?)

Look at your food choices, are you really getting a wide variety of foods in? Remember, your body needs nutrients from lots of different sources and if you're eating the same things all the time or too much of one type of food, you're probably not getting the proper nutrition your body needs. How is your protein to carb ratio? Look at the Eating by the Numbers chart on page 5 of your Part 1 booklet for suggested guidelines of how to most nutritiously spend your points during the day. There are suggested ranges for someone under and over 200 pounds.

There's a helpful Excel spreadsheet on Rea's homepage: http://www.geocities.com/reamia/ that is called something like 123 Journal Food Groups that she's got set up for 28-35 points per day, but all you've got to do is input your points range and the suggested guidelines from the Eating by the Numbers chart for the various food groups. This can help too if you're one of those WW selection plan people who just don't like the Points system. You can use this to follow the points, but use it for the selections of the various food groups so that you keep a healthy balance in your points.

Take a look at your food choices as sometimes we have the attitude that as long as our points balance at the end of the day we're okay, but if we keep in mind the Guidelines for Healthy Living on page 3 of the Part 1 booklet (with further details explained about the guidelines on pages 54-57), we'll see that we still are asked to do a few steps to ensure we're spending our points in a way that keeps our bodies healthy. Your points might balance if all you ate was 3 hot fudge sundaes a day, but it wouldn't be giving your body the nutrition it needs. Beware of those empty points.

3. Weigh and measure portions

Too many times our portions have gotten bigger without us realizing it, using measuring cups and spoons and weighing out our portions can give us a better idea if our portions have suddenly grown bigger than we're counting. Remember, portion size does matter.

4. Read labels carefully

Are you counting your points right for the product that you're eating? I remind everyone of my jumbo dinner frank story where the serving size was half a frank! Who eats half a frank? I was counting 4 points when I should have been counting 8 points. If you're eating a bigger serving size than the one listed on the label you're probably eating more points than you calculated.

5. Remember, zero multiplied is not zero (okay, not when it comes to food points)

If you're eating one serving of fat free sugar free gelatin for 10 calories, okay, that's zero points, but if you're now eating 4 servings plus 2 tbsp of fat free whipped topping, you've got yourself one point! Beware of those hidden extras where we multiply portions, and beware of BLT's: Bites, Licks, and Tastes that never seem to get counted on any journal. These add up. Also, remember that if a food like high fiber cereal or bread, comes out to zero points according to the PointsFinder, you have to count one point! Trying to rationalize eating a whole box of cereal and saying that you consumed NO points is falling in that diet mentality where certain foods don't count.

6. Too many refined carbs?

Are you eating too many sources of simple and refined carbohydrates, the stuff that's heavily processed and no longer looks like its natural food source. Think of it as the difference between whole grain bread and processed white bread, brown rice vs. white rice, popcorn cakes vs. corn on the cob. Try to include more of the natural sources of carbohydrates in your diet stuff like beans, yams, potatoes, brown rice, and whole wheat anything rather than so many crackers, pretzels, and chips (even low fat chips). This is not to say you can't have any refined carbs, just try to limit the amount of them if you're having trouble losing weight.

7. Not enough fat?

Okay, this sounds counterintuitive, but according to the Eating by the Numbers chart and for good nutrition you should be actively adding in about 2-3 points of fat per day. This is stuff like vegetable oils, margarine, butter, regular or reduced fat (not fat free) salad dressing, avocados, regular or reduced fat (not fat free) mayonnaise, olives, and peanut or soy butter. I have personally met a number of people now who weren't losing and when I suggested they start actively adding in 2-3 points of fat per day they started losing again. Our bodies need enough fat in order to properly function. You think there's enough fat in my food already, right? Not when you're limiting your number of points in order to lose weight. We are often making much lower fat choices than we normally would have, and as a consequence our consumption of fat falls far below the recommended guidelines according to lots of nutrition experts of 30% of your total calories in fat per day. If you are limiting your fat intake to only the fat that's naturally in food and even then you're probably taking the skin off the chicken and drinking skim or 1% milk, then you might only be getting around 10% of your calories in fat per day, not enough for your body. So, the reason our bodies need enough fat in our diets each day as opposed to just feeding off of our body's fat stores is because fat contains an essential fatty acid: linoleic acid, that our body can't produce on its own. That fat is needed for proper metabolic and digestive function. Fat provides essential nutrients our bodies need, it transports fat soluble vitamins that our bodies need, it is needed for proper digestion and metabolic function, it helps us keep fuller longer, keeps our hair and skin nice, and is crucial for proper gallbladder function. If you're on a super low fat diet you can develop gallstones that are no fun and super painful.


8. Drink half your body weight in water each day

According to Barbara Levine, R.D., Ph.D., the Director of the Nutrition Information Center at the New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and reported in the June 1999 issue of Weight Watchers magazine, she says that overweight people need more water than the typical 8 cups a day rule. "Overweight people tend to need more water, because fat cells hold more water than other fat cells in the body. To determine the number of ounces of water you need per day, divide your weight by two. For example, a person who weighs 140 pounds should consume 70 ounces, or about 9 cups. Of course, this is an estimate. The best way to gauge whether you are getting enough water is to monitor the color of your urine. If you're drinking enough, it should be the color of pale straw. If it is a deeper yellow, you're not getting enough fluids" (page 16, June 1999). Lots of times we misinterpret thirst for hunger, try water first, wait 20 minutes, real hunger will not go away.

9. Make sure you're getting five servings of fruits and vegetables per day

Eating the zero point veggies can often help us to fill up so that we're not eating the other higher points foods instead. If you're hungry, try non-starchy veggies first. Lots of members make the Garden Vegetable Soup recipe in the Part 1 booklet and eat a bowl of that before dinner to fill up a bit so that you can get full on the smaller portions you'll be serving yourself. Try a glass of V8 juice before a meal during the summer when soup sounds too hot. Variety is good here too, try a new fruit or veggie each month to expand your repertoire.

10. Increase the frequency or intensity of your physical activity

Are you exercising? If not, know that you'll be much more successful at losing the weight and keeping it off if you are also physically active. Find something that you enjoy doing and just do it! Start with a five minute walk out of your door, look at your watch after five minutes start heading back, just like that you've done 10 minutes! Next week start adding in a couple of extra minutes, try walking for 7 minutes out of your door, and 7 minutes back, you've now done 14 minutes. Keep adding until you're up to at least 10 minutes out and 10 minutes back.

If you're already active, are you exercising at enough intensity? If you can easily carry on a conversation while exercising (you should be able to speak, but it should take a bit of effort) you're not challenging your body enough. Your body becomes really efficient at adjusting to the amount of physical activity you're doing, so you regularly have to adjust either the intensity of your workouts or the frequency in order to continue to reap the maximum benefit from physical activity.

Try strength training in order to build lean muscle tissue. As we get older we lose lean muscle tissue, which depresses your metabolism; in addition severely restrictive diets where we eat too few calories can cause us to lose weight but lots of it is lean muscle, which also depresses our metabolism. If we build muscle tissue this can help us to reverse that process and to make us trimmer and stronger.

11. Move the furniture around

Do you always have your biggest meal at dinner? Try eating your biggest meal for lunch or even for breakfast, with smaller meals for the remaining meals. If you regularly eat most of your points at one meal your body converts the rest of the food into stored energy...fat...so that if you balance your points out throughout the day better you can actually give your metabolism a boost by keeping it revving throughout the day instead of only one spike at dinner. Food actually helps to boost our metabolism, that's why it's important never to skip meals. There's a saying that you could help to lose weight by eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. This gives us the majority of our points early in the day when our bodies can use them because we're active instead of right before bed if we eat them at dinner.

12. Try varying your number of points

Do you always eat at a certain number of points per day? Your body gets very efficient at predicting its intake and adjusts itself accordingly. Keep it guessing. Try mixing up the number of points you have...low one day, middle the next, back to low, then high end of your points.

Special note: If you're very active never eat at the low end of your points, your body may think it's starving, always eat middle to high end of your points and take those extra food points you earn with the PointsBooster (you'll get one after you reach your 10% goal) if you need them...let your hunger be your guide. Remember, you can trade exercise points for food points once you have earned more than 2 points of activity in one day, trade them for food on a one-to-one basis.

13. Take your measurements and look for other non-scale signs of progress

Often even when the scale isn't moving, we're still improving our health and our bodies, which will show up in other ways other than the scale. Have your measurements gone down? How are your clothes fitting? Can you climb a flight of stairs without being winded? Has your cholesterol gone down? Can you walk now for 20 minutes when before you were huffing and puffing at 5 minutes? How do you feel? Have you reached your 10% goal? Hold that keychain in your hands as a measure of your success.

14. Are you on an attitude plateau?

Are you just tired of feeling like you're going to be doing this forever? Does that translate into that right now your desire to lose weight is equal to your desire for freedom from counting and having to think about points and healthy food choices? If so, then that mental attitude might be the culprit in that you're following a more relaxed adherence to the program but you think you're still doing it to the letter. Remind yourself of why you started this process, look at how far you've come. Is your goal still the same? Is it that you're scared of success, are okay with how you look right now, have you become complacent? Ask yourself these kind of questions honestly. If you're tired of the weight loss routine or have become complacent, try spicing up your food plan by trying more interesting meals and snacks, adding new foods, trying new recipes or new restaurants. Set new goals, setting a new goal can continue to challenge yourself. Pretend like it's your first week on program all over again, try to recapture that enthusiasm that you had in the beginning! You can do it as long as you don't give up!

15. Consider maintenance

A plateau that lasts a long time can be the practice to show you that you can maintain your weight. Sustaining weight loss is a challenge in itself. Consider doing the maintenance process so as to take a break from weight loss. Taking a break from weight loss and focusing on keeping the weight off can be the best thing to do, especially if a vacation or stressful situation is what is keeping you from continuing on your weight loss journey. It's better to gain some ground, then hold it, then go back and gain more ground than to give up because then you lose all of the ground you've gained (lost!).

A Walk A Day . . .

The popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing by leaps and bounds. Low risk and easy to start, walking has proved its health benefits in numerous studies. An eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than those who rarely exercised.

A regular walking program can help:

    Reduce blood cholesterol
    Lower blood pressure
    Increase cardiovascular endurance
    Boost bone strength
    Burn calories and keep weight down

Get Ready
A walking program is simple to start. All you need are comfortable clothes and shoes. Layer loose clothing, keeping in mind that exercise elevates the body's temperature. Shoes specifically designed for walking are best.

Every workout should begin with a brief warm-up and a few simple stretches. Walk around the house or in place for a few minutes to get the blood flowing to the muscles before you attempt to stretch them. Although walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, don't forget to stretch your back, shoulders and arms. This will help to loosen up any tension you may be carrying and make your walk more enjoyable as well as more effective.

Get Moving
Beginning walkers can make their workouts less strenuous by limiting how fast and far they walk. Keep in mind the following:

1. Walk short distances. Begin with a five-minute stroll and gradually increase your distance.

2. Forget about speed. Walk at a comfortable pace. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and shoulders relaxed.

3. Swing your arms naturally, and breathe deeply. If you can't catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills.

4. Be sure you can talk while walking. If you can't converse, you are walking too fast.

Get Fit!
Walking is one fitness activity that allows you numerous options. Once you have reached a point where you can walk a few miles with relative ease, you can start to vary the intensity. Walking hills, in addition to increasing your cardiovascular endurance, is a great way to tone the legs. Concentrate on lengthening your stride or increasing your speed. And don't forget to reward yourself after each workout with a few minutes of relaxing stretches to help prevent sore muscles.

Listening to lively music while you walk is also a great way to energize your workout. But if you wear headphones, keep the volume down and watch out for traffic that you may not hear.

Keep track of your progress. Many experts recommend that you walk a minimum of 20 minutes a day. But there are no hard and fast rules. Fit walking into your schedule whenever you can. That may mean two 10-minute walks each day, or even hour-long walks two to three times a week. The best schedule is one that keeps you walking and keeps you fit!

Top 10 Tips For Staying Motivated With Your Workout Plan

Are you finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning for your daily walk -- and are you making up excuses to skip the gym on the way home?

Even the most dedicated exercisers occasionally get bored with their routine. Waning motivation, cutting short and not having your old enthusiasm are signs of a stale exercise regimen.

But that doesn't mean you can't re-energize your routine. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) has worked out the following 10 tips for staying motivated to stay active.

    
    Vary your routine or change your scenery! A new variation on your favorite activity -- cardio kickboxing instead of Step aerobics; power yoga instead of working on machines -- may be enough to reinvigorate a stale routine. If you've always exercised indoors, move your workout outside for a welcome change of scenery.
    Try something entirely new! Make it something you never dreamed you'd do. If you've always stuck to solitary pursuits, sign up for a team sport. Or tackle something you've shied away from... maybe even rock climbing!
    Find a workout buddy! Exercise companions add a social element to any routine. Ask a friend to be your workout partner -- you won't skip a workout if someone is waiting for you.
    Set a new goal! Working out to stay in shape is fine, but setting a goal -- such as finishing a 10k race or completing a rough water swim -- will give your daily workouts more meaning.
    Treat yourself to a workout gadget or accessory! Heart-rate monitors, aquatic toys and other exercise gadgets can make your workouts more fun and challenging.
    Keep an exercise log to track your progress! Unsure if your making progress toward your goals? Then start a workout log. It allows you to keep track of your goals, monitor your progress and adjust your routines as necessary.
    Don't berate yourself if you miss a workout! Life is full of obstacles. Unexpected appointments, illness and setbacks are bound to happen sooner or later. Don't let a few missed workouts turn into a month of unfulfilled resolutions.
    Reward yourself! Reaching a fitness goal or milestone is a great excuse to treat yourself to something new. A massage, an evening out, or some other "indulgence" may be the key to staying motivated.
    Focus on how good exercise makes you look and feel! You know that incredibly satisfied and healthy feeling you get immediately after a workout? Remember it! And use it to motivate yourself the next time you're thinking about blowing off that next workout!
    If all else fails... take a break from exercise! Sometimes a lack of motivation is your body's way of telling you to take a break. If anything hurts, or if your energy is running low, take a break for a few days before resuming your workouts. A little "R&R" may be just what your body needs to renew your motivation.

How to Choose a Health Club

When shopping for health clubs consider the following:

• Location
For your fitness program to be a success, exercising has to be convenient or it won't become a realistic lifestyle change. The closer and easier it is to get to (and park your car), the better. Of course, you don't want to join a health club that doesn't suit you just because it's close to your home or office, but if you're joining a health club that isn't convenient to get to, you're a lot more likely to find an excuse to stop going.

• Try Before You Buy
Sales staff are very good at selling the many benefits of their health club, but you need to spend some time trying the equipment and "feeling" the atmosphere. Ask for a day pass or trial membership--health clubs have nothing to loose and everything to gain by this. Be sure to try out the club at the time that you would normally workout--you'll get a better feel for how crowded it is. Notice if there is much of a wait for equipment, how helpful the staff is, and if the equipment is well maintained. You may even ask a few members what they like about the club.

• Make Sure They Have What You Want
Make a list of the things that are important to you, such as personal training, childcare, aerobics classes, etc., and make sure the health club has what you need. If classes help to motivate you and the health club doesn't offer the classes you need, sticking with your exercise program won't be realistic. Try the class and make sure it is enjoyable, challenging and educational. Just the same, if you have children, make sure the health club has childcare or it will be tough to make it to the club.

• Member Profile
Find out what the members are like; see if the atmosphere is comfortable. If you're a beginner, some clubs may be intimidating. Select a club where you feel comfortable and welcome.

• Staff
Make sure there is always someone available to answer your questions, to show you a new exercise, or how to use a piece of equipment. Are they friendly, helpful and knowledgeable?

• Costs and Contracts
Find out exactly what the membership fee includes; personal training, classes, pool, towel service, lockers, childcare, etc. Are there extra costs for additional services? This should play a big part in your decision to join a certain health club.

Some health clubs have a one-time initiation fee and require purchasing a minimum of three months up front. Depending on your budget, you may want to find a club that allows you to go on a month-to-month basis. In addition, find out if the health club debits the funds directly out of your Visa or checking account. This can make it easier to pay membership fees but make sure that it's easy to cancel if you decide you don't like the club. Be sure you read the contract before you sign so you're not "locked" into paying even if you move out of town or change health clubs.

Also, have a clear idea of what you can afford to pay and stick to your budget no matter what sales incentives are offered. And don't be afraid to bargain. If they're asking $49 a month and all you can afford is $39, offer $39 (if they've met previous criteria) and let them know you're prepared to join then and there.



• Need help choosing a health club that will best suit your needs?

The health clubs in the Global Health & Fitness (GHF) directory offer outstanding services: a large selection of high-quality equipment, health and fitness knowledge, and other attractive amenities such as steam room/sauna, Jacuzzi, massage therapy, and more. However, health clubs vary greatly, not only in services and equipment available but also in pricing structure.

Many join a health club with great intentions and then windup unhappy and dissatisfied. Starting a health and fitness program is hard enough--don't make it more difficult by joining a health club that doesn't meet your needs.

Three Things Every Exercise Program Should Have

1. What you should know to design a safe and effective exercise program
A complete fitness program must include aerobic exercise, muscular strength and endurance conditioning, and flexibility exercise. Aerobic exercise does good things for your cardiovascular system and is an important part of weight management. Muscular conditioning can improve strength and posture, reduce the risk of lower back injury, and is also an important component of a weight management program. Flexibility exercise is needed to maintain joint range of motion and reduce the risk of injury and muscle soreness.

2. Aerobic exercise can be as simple as walking
Walking is a weight-bearing aerobic exercise. So are jogging, rope skipping and dance-exercise. Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups in a continuous, rhythmic fashion for sustained periods of time. There are also non-weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as bicycling, stationary cycling, swimming and rowing.

Keep the pace comfortable.
A very important aspect of your exercise program is the intensity. You should exercise at a comfortable pace. You can measure your exercise heart rate to check the intensity of your exercising, or you can take the 'talk test.'

To measure your heart rate, take your pulse as soon as you stop exercising. Count your heartbeat for 10 seconds, then multiply that by six to convert it to a one-minute heart rate. If you keep your exercise heart rate within a range of 55 percent to 80 percent of an estimated maximum heart rate (220 minus your age), you're doing well.

The talk test is easier to accomplish. Just exercise at a pace that allows you to carry on a conversation while you're exercising.

How often should you exercise?
Three to four days of aerobic activity is fine for general health maintenance. If you're trying to lose weight, aim for four or more days a week, being sure you take off at least one day a week.

How long should you exercise?
Work up to 20 or more minutes per session for general health maintenance. For weight loss, gradually work up to 45 minutes or longer at low to moderate intensities in a low- or no-impact activity.

3. Strength conditioning gives you a choice
Pick calisthenics, free weights or machines. Just be sure that your strength training includes exercises for every major muscle group, including the muscles of the arms, chest, back, stomach, hips and legs.

Start with a weight that's comfortable to handle and keep it up for eight repetitions. Gradually add more repetitions until you can complete 12 repetitions. For greater strength conditioning, add more weight and/or more repetitions, in sets of eight to 12, when the exercise becomes easy.

Stretch for flexibility
Proper stretching involves holding a mild stretch of 10 to 30 seconds while you breathe normally. Always warm up before you stretch. Like strength conditioning, flexibility exercises should include stretching for all the major muscle groups.

One last thing to remember . . .
Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you're over 40, or have cardiovascular risk factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.

10 Steps To Help You Avoid Losing The Thrill

What's your excuse for not making it to the gym on a consistent basis? Locker room too smelly? Eye candy not sweet enough? Music volume making your ears bleed? Feeling intimidated by buff bodies crowding the free-weight area?

Most people start off strong with an exercise program, and then within a few weeks they've got an excuse for not being there.

The majority of people will stop participating in a new workout program within the first 90 days which is why health clubs that are packed in January can seem virtually empty by March.

Which brings us to you.

If you're starting a new exercise program, you're probably very excited about it, which is great. But that excitement is going to wear off, at which point you'll begin to notice how much time and effort a workout plan really requires.

And that's the point where you may be tempted to start pulling back, or even to quit entirely. But we're not about to let that happen. Follow these steps from the very beginning, and you'll be one of those dedicated gym members who really get their money's worth.

1. Make workouts a key part of your schedule. Many people see exercise merely as recreation, not a necessity, which means it's the first thing to go when daily schedules get crunched. YOU NEED TO DECIDE that working out is as important as ANYTHING in your life, even as important as LIFE ITSELF.

If you don't, as soon as the initial excitement of a new program is over, everything else will get in the way; business appointments, family obligations, TV, sitting on your duff. Write your workout times into your calendar and stick to them just as you would a vital business meeting.

2. Keep it mellow. You're a lot more likely to keep your program for the long term if you avoid letting going to the gym become a hassle. Choose a gym you can get to in a reasonable amount of time at the time of day you're going to train.

If you're fighting gym traffic, you'll be a lot less motivated. Find a place where you won't have to line up to use the equipment you want. And unless you'll be going at the end of the day and can wash up at home, make sure it has clean showers and a comfortable changing environment.

3. Don't bite off more than you can chew. Many people often start out too aggressively, going to a level that's higher than they're capable of. As a result, they injure their muscle fibers, so for 48 hours they're walking around like a mummy. Then they stop going to the gym because they find themselves dreading the pain.

Many people don't realize that long, drawn out workouts is NOT better. You're not giving your body enough time to recover between workouts. 60 minutes TOPS (if you're doing a strength and aerobic workout), or about 30 minutes of a strength OR aerobic workout. Make those minutes COUNT! You can still workout daily as long as you keep your workouts short.

4. Set achievable goals. It's inevitable that as you start a new program, you picture yourself looking like the models on TV or in the magazines. But if you set your sights too high, you may find yourself discounting the gains you are making. When you're starting out, go over your long-term goals with a trainer or coach, and decide what you can achieve based on your workout schedule.

Then, instead of looking far into the future, give yourself intermediate weekly and monthly goals, such as doing an extra rep or lifting 10 more pounds. If you always have new goals to shoot for, it stays interesting.

REMEMBER: You're not exercising to lose weight. You're exercising because of HOW YOU'LL FEEL as a RESULT of exercising regularly. You WILL get leaner, you WILL have more energy, you WILL have a higher self-esteem. If you don't achieve the goals in the time you first set, it's not the goal that's wrong. It's the time frame that was wrong. Keep focused on your goals.

5. Chart your progress. Gains from one workout to the next can be subtle, and the only way to know how well you're really doing is to write everything down. Keep a journal of your workouts, as well as what you eat. Even people who are diligent don't remember exactly how well things went if they keep everything in their head.

When you write it down, you can compare results, see what is and isn't working, and see that as time goes on YOU'RE REALLY MAKING PROGRESS.

6. Mix it up. Doing the same workout over and over again gets old fast, and your results won't be as good as if you try a variety of exercises. Instead of doing 40 minutes daily on the treadmill, try every darn aerobic machine in the gym and go on hiking, in-line skating and bicycling adventures whenever you get a chance.

Change your weight training routine regularly to keep things interesting and to help break through plateaus. A lack of variety leads to staleness. A good rule of thumb is to change your sets, reps, weight, and rest periods every 3-4 weeks. You'll have more fun if you learn new tools and keep doing different things.

7. Go one on one. One reason working out can seem less enjoyable than playing sports is that it lacks interplay with others. But there are lots of ways to have some spirited competition in the gym, whether it's racing >> on treadmills or competing (safely) with your weightlifting buddy. When two guys are on the same regimen, they can make things more fun by having "mini-contests."

Try going as many reps as you can on a certain weight. Or see who can lift the most weight for 4-5 reps. Just make sure the contest rules specify doing the exercise right, since sacrificing form to lift more weight can be dangerous.

8. Work with a trainer or coach.Workouts seem easier and are more effective with a professional proddingyou on; plus, you're more likely to feel obligated to show up (especially if he's going to charge you anyway). When there's someone watching you and keeping an eye on your progress, there's incentive to keep going. If you can't afford to hire a trainer for every workout, just do it every couple of weeks or once a month and have him/her help you set goals for you to reach in between.

Also, consider getting a training partner - just make sure it's somebody who will show up every time, is dedicated as you are... in other words, a clone of you.

9. Force yourself to hang in there religiously for the first three months. Nothing sustains motivation better than results. However, whether you're a beginner or a competitive bodybuilder, your muscles must be given enough time to adapt to the growth and recovery periods that strength training requires.

Though you may see some results, like increases in strength, early on, noticeable changes in your physique CAN take up to three months. (NOTE: This DOESN'T mean that everyone will take this long to see results. I've had clients see results in the first couple of weeks; some waited a few months before things fell into place.)

It also takes that long to establish a rhythm and discipline to your training schedule, but after three months of dedication, you'll be a lot less likely to fall off the training wagon.

10. As soon as you miss a workout, re-motivate yourself. This is the danger zone, the time when most people start giving up. You've missed one workout, so what's the big deal about skipping another, or all of them? Before you know it, your whole program could go down the tubes. If you miss a workout, you miss a workout. It's over. You can't bring it back. So it makes NO sense to beat yourself up about it.