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The optimum time to exercise is any time that is right for you. Morning workout routines really get some people going, release endorphins, and also boost mood.

When you like beginning your day with a workout, or find that it is the only time you are able to fit it into your schedule, stick with it. Others find afternoon or evening workouts productive and stress-relieving.

When we wake up, our body temperature and blood sugar levels are low, so our muscles are not as “loose” as later in the day.

In a perfect world, our muscles are warmer and fueled by several meals (hopefully) later, well after we awake.

There isn’t really a “simple” answer to your second query. It will be helpful, though, to ask yourself the following questions – How hard do you workout (intensity)?

How long are your sessions (duration)? What are your exercise activities? How soon after you awake do you start exercising? Your answers are important in determining what may enhance your performance.

For some people , exercising with no fuel (food) in advance could cause lightheadedness, dizziness, and early fatigue. Research shows that eating before exercise, as opposed to exercising on an empty stomach, improves athletic performance.

If you’ve three hours until your workout, have a normal breakfast. Nevertheless, when you are going straight to a workout after waking up, here are a few suggestions

• If your exercise session is less than an hour, just snack on any foods that are easy to digest, like bread, crackers, or a banana.

• If your session is one hour or longer, get up a little earlier and have something small to eat – perhaps around 250 to 300 calories – such as toast and fruit or a small bowl of cereal and skim milk.

• Drinking some water before and during exercise is important for hydration.

When you eat before exercising, be sure you allow your body some time to digest and absorb the food. During digestion, our bodies send blood to the stomach to help out with this process.

When we exercise, our muscles need the blood flow, so our stomach becomes a second class citizen and digestion is slowed. If too much food is in the stomach while we are exercising, we could be uncomfortable.

Additionally take into account the type of food you eat and the activities you do. A few individuals tolerate liquids more easily because they leave the stomach more rapidly than solid food.

A few exercisers, like runners, for instance, would prefer not to have the internal “sloshing” around that liquids may cause.

General guidelines for eating before exercising are

• Three or four hours before exercising, a large meal is fine (600 calories or more).

• Two or three hours beforehand, a smaller meal is suitable (400 to 500 calories).

• One or two hours before, a liquid meal is appropriate (300 to 400 calories).

• With less than one hour, a small snack will do (200 to 300 calories).

In addition, people tolerate foods differently, and the composition of the food matters.

Fats stay in the stomach longest, followed by protein and high fiber carbohydrate, then low fiber complex carbohydrates, and in conclusion simple sugars, which are absorbed fastest.

Sugary foods, such as sodas and candy, are absorbed rapidly by the body and produce a sugar high within an hour of a workout. Along with a quick “sugar high” comes a quick “sugar low.”

Individuals who eat sugar 15 to 30 minutes before exercising may experience a “low,” with lightheadedness and fatigue, during their workout.

When you feel that you positively must’ve juice or some sugary snack before exercising, have it only five or ten minutes prior to deciding to begin.

This way, there is not enough time for your body to secrete insulin, a hormone which decreases blood sugar, causing fatiguing signs.

Since everyone reacts differently, attempt various strategies to determine what helps you the most. No matter what, drink water before, during, and after exercise.

And, have breakfast afterwards, particularly if you haven’t had anything to eat earlier, since this will replace glycogen stores and will keep you going all morning long.

As reported by researchers at the Mayo Clinic, social dancing provides the body with lots of health benefits.

It could help reduce stress, increase energy, and improve strength, muscle tone, and coordination.

Dancing can also burn as many calories as walking or riding a bicycle. One factor that decides how many calories you’ll use is the distance you travel while grooving to the beat.

In one study, scientists found that square dancers covered five miles in a single evening. That’s a lot of do-si-doing!

Other aspects of dance that contribute to your cardiovascular conditioning depend on how long, how often, and how intensely or vigorously you boogie and get down.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) recognizes the benefits of dance in lowering coronary heart illness risk, lowering blood pressure, and managing weight.

Another plus of dancing is that the weight bearing movements of your steps can strengthen the bones of your legs and hips, important for maintaining bone health as you age.

As a result, dancing could be used as part of a rehabilitation program, of course with appropriate supervision.

While we might not all be hip-hopping into our nineties, dancing is one activity we can (hopefully) do for the rest of our lives… and the sociability it provides is part of its allure.

It is a excellent way to make new friends, be creative and expressive, and just plain old enjoy life. And, the best part of dancing is the fun you are able to have while you’re doing something excellent for your body.

Whatever your preference, there’s sure to be a style to get your toes tappin’! Whether it is belly dancing, funk, swing, ballet, jazz, tap, square, hip-hop, the hustle, the tango, or modern dance, classes are popping up all over.

Contact your local health club YWCA/YMCA, recreation/community center, or dance studio to see what they offer.

Well, now that you know that dancing is good for you, put on your dancin’ shoes and cut a rug!

Lots of sports and activities help to strengthen and tone legs. Some of these include running, swimming, cycling, blading, ice skating, skiing, and jumping rope, just to name a few.

Specific resistance exercises can help strengthen and shape specific muscles in the leg.

You might wish to begin by doing exercises that use your own body weight and require no special equipment. Here are a few

Lunge This exercise works the quadriceps (muscle of the front upper thigh).

(1) Stand with your feet together, keeping your head up and looking straight ahead.

(2) Be sure to take a long step forward with one foot, making sure this leg is at a right angle (don’t let your knee bend in front of your toes), and bend the knee of your back leg until it’s as close to the floor as possible.

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then little by little push back to a standing position.

(4) Repeat with the alternate leg going forward.

(5) Be sure that your movements are slow and controlled.

(6) Build up your repetitions over time.

(7) to raise resistance, you may hold hand weights alongside your body.

Heel raise

This exercise works your calf muscle (official term – gastrocnemius).

(1)Stand with the balls of your feet on a step — hold onto a wall or handrail for balance.

(2) Gradually rise up on your toes, pause for a second or two, and then decline.

(3) Progress slowly and gradually — don’t overdo it at first.

(4) Raise repetitions as you become stronger.

Toe raise

This exercise for your shin is in particular useful when you are a runner.

(1)Sit on a stool, bench, or chair with feet flat on the floor.

(2) Raise your toes toward the ceiling while keeping your heels on the floor.

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then slowly and gradually lower your toes.

(4) Raise repetitions as you become stronger.

Squat

This works the hamstrings, located in the back of your upper thighs. This exercise is difficult for beginners.

It’s best to do this in front of a mirror to check your form.

(1)Position your feet shoulder width apart, with your hands on your hips or the front of your thighs.

(2) Gradually lower your body until you’re in a “sitting” position. Your front thighs should be parallel with the floor. You might also feel muscle contraction in the rear end (you’re working these muscles as well!).

(3) Hold this position for a second or two and then slowly stand up straight.

(4) Increase repetitions as you become stronger.

(5) With increasing strength, you may also wish to add resistance by using a barbell, held behind your neck, that is resting on your upper back.

Lying side lift

To work the outside muscle of your leg called the abductors

(1)Lying on your side, little by little lift your top leg as high as you can while keeping it straight, and then little by little lower it.

(2) Repeat as many times as comfortable.

(3) Lie on your opposite side to work the other leg in the same manner.

To work the inner thigh muscle (adductor)

(1)Lie on your side, crossing and slightly bending your top leg over your bottom one. Make certain not to let your hips roll back — stay exactly on your side.

(2) Slowly lift your bottom leg as high as you can and then lower it gradually.

(3) Do this as many times as possible (without extreme pain).

(4) Repeat with your other leg.

(5) Some individuals like to use ankle weights for these exercises as they become stronger.

When you’ve access to a gym you may wish to use machines to accomplish the same exercises.

In particular useful ones are the leg extension (for quadriceps) and leg curl (for hamstrings). A seated leg press is also advantageous for quads and gluteal muscles.

When you use weights, don’t increase the load too rapidly because you could injure joints and connective tissue.

Talk with an individual trainer to determine proper starting weights, correct form, and seat height before using any fitness center equipment.

Be certain to allow at least a day or two between resistance training sessions that focus on/use the same muscle (i.e., don’t workout your legs two days in a row).

The reliability of these calculations in figuring out the number of calories you expend during a workout depends on your size, body composition, workout intensity, and level of fitness.

If the machine doesn’t ask for your body weight, you can make certain the calorie count is not accurate.

Individuals who weigh less burn fewer calories than people who weigh more when doing otherwise equivalent workouts.

If the machine does ask for your weight, it’s giving you an approximate count of calories burned. the reliability of the numbers varies by manufacturer and depends on what formula the machine uses.

Excercise machines, like a lot of website calorie calculators, use various formulas to calculate the approximate number of calories burned.  

Some are more accurate than others – a number of sites have you plug in the weight, exercise mode, and time to calculate your caloric expenditure.    

For a rough estimate, this is fine. Nonetheless, you could also be interested in calculating more a more valid picture of calories burnes; here is a partial listing from a well-respected text, Exercise Physiology, by McArdle, Katch, and Katch   

Activity    Calories/lb/minute

Aerobics    

Moderate    0.065

Vigorous    0.095

Step    0.07

Cycling    

5.5 mph    0.033

10 mph    0.05

13 mph    0.071

Jump rope    0.06

Running    

11 min/mile    0.07

8.5 min/mile    0.09

7 min/mile    0.102

6 min/mile    0.114

Stairclimber    

Moderate    0.07

Vigorous    0.09

Stationary Cycling    

Moderate    0.055

Vigorous    0.09

Note – “Moderate” and “vigorous” are not specific terms. But typically “moderate” means you will notice some increase in the breathing or heart rate, and “vigorous” means you will notice a large increase in the breathing and heart rate.    

For  instance, moderate activity might include brisk walking, playing catch, or yoga.

Vigorous activity might include running, swimming, basketball, or soccer.

Also consider that a individuals who has a high percentage of lean body mass will spend more calories than a individuals with a greater fat mass, because lean tissue is more metabolically active.

In addition, as an athlete adapts to a certain mode of exercise, the muscles become more efficient and work becomes easier, causing slightly fewer calories to be used up.

So, you are able to keep your muscles guessing by cross-training or switching activities.

Technique also matters – for example, when you are leaning on an elliptical machine (putting your weight on your arms), you are decling your body weight load and burning far fewer calories than the machine says. the same holds true for a treadmill.

You are better off setting the machine at a lower intensity and swinging your arms at your sides (touching the side bars occasionally for balance).

When you’d prefer to put energy your into working out, rather than mastering the myriad ways of calculate calories burned, you can simply keep some general exercise guidelines in mind

• Participate in moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes, five or more days each week

• Participate in vigorous exercise for at least 20 minutes, three or more days per week

Beginners may begin with 10 to 15 repetitions. As you become stronger, you may perform more repetitions, or hold each contraction for five seconds, or longer.

This can get really tough! Since your stomach muscles are comprised of different sections, you are able to work each separately.

For the basic crunch, which works the upper portion of the abs

• Lie on your back, with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

• Beginners – cross arms over chest; others – rest hands behind the head. In either arm position, place your chin at a fist’s distance from your chest.

• Raise your chest and shoulders a few inches from the ground, keeping your feet and lower back flat on the floor. Exhale as you come up, inhale as you lower back down.

• Make certain to keep your movements slow and controlled, feeling the contraction in the midsection only. Fast jerky movements don’t work the muscle properly.

For the obliques (the muscles on either side of the center of your belly)

• Start in the basic crunch position.

• With hands placed lightly behind your head, raise your chest and shoulders, twisting your torso so that one shoulder moves towards the opposite knee.

• Lower and repeat with the other shoulder, alternating back and forth.

For the lower abdominals (the section below your navel)

• Start in the basic crunch position.

• Bring your knees up toward your chest in a 90. angle (forming an “L”).

• Using only your abdominal muscles, not your hips or legs, move your knees slightly toward your chest as you exhale.

• Return to the starting position.

• Repeat.

• This is a very small movement – do not bring your knees up to your face.

If you’re properly working your abs, but are disappointed with the results, remember that weight training a specific muscle group doesn’t reduce the fat over that area.

Cardiovascular exercise and proper diet can help reduce body fat. Regrettably, we have no control where fat loss (or fat storage) occurs.

A number of individuals are predisposed to carry a little extra padding in their midsection. Others, because of the way their internal organs are situated, appear to have a bit of a “tummy.”

Don’t focus too hard on one area. Instead, engage in a selection of exercises and strive for overall fitness.

Spinning (it is a registered trademark name when referred to as the exercise) is generically known as indoor, stationary cycling.

Originated by Johnny G. (for Jonathan Goldberg, the Spinning guru) in 1987, these high intensity classes have sprung up all over the United States. Although gym are calling these classes by various other names, most offer similar workouts.

An instructor leads the normally 45 to 60 minute class, normally to some sort of motivating music. Participants ride on specially designed stationary bicycles and are able to control their own resistance, or level of difficulty.

A few instructors take the class on an imaginary ride, describing changing scenery, like mountains or flat roads. Other leaders encourage the class through various cycling techniques.

Often the music inspires participants to work towards a high fitness level.

These classes can be very difficult. A good instructor ought to be able to help beginners adapt the exercises to suit their ability.

Since these bikes are much different than outdoor ones, it takes a few classes to get the feel of them.

Some valuable suggestions when trying an indoor cycling class include

• Arrive early for your first class. If it’s your first time, tell the instructor and have him or her help you set up the bicycle. You need to properly adjust the seat and handlebar heights, as well as the distance between the seat and handlebars.

• Ask the instructor to review proper form. Prevent leaning on the handlebars – it puts too much pressure on your shoulders and wrists.

• Bring a full bottle of cold water with you, along with a towel – you will sweat a lot!

• Go at your own pace – don’t try to “compete” with others. Even if the instructor acts like a drill sergeant, take it easy until you’re comfortable with the techniques involved. You will undoubtedly be sore after the first few classes.

• Wear bike shorts or some sort of long shorts or knee-length leggings.

• Have fun and enjoy, but don’t overdo it – overuse training injuries can occur with this activity, as with any other form of exercise.

The early bird gets the,  metabolism boost? Although it’d be excellent when exercising before breakfast gave you an additional incentive, this is just a rumor.

Working out in the morning (or before eating) offers no additional or superior rewards to exercising at other times of the day.

Nevertheless, this does not mean you should stay in bed and bypass the workout. In general, any time you exercise, you’ll raise your metabolism during the exercise session and for some time afterwards.

Studies have shown that the more intensely you exercise, the longer your metabolic rate stays raised.

The magnitude and duration of this increase varies from individuals to individuals, and from workout to workout.

A common misconception is the belief that training on an empty stomach leads to increased fat burning. During exercise, muscles burn a combination of carbohydrate and fat.

As one becomes more fit, her or his muscles utilize a greater percentage of fat for energy.

Another consideration to think about before running out the door without breakfast is that lots of people are in low-energy mode when they first wake up because of low blood sugar levels.

When you go right into exercising on an empty stomach, this won’t help you burn more fat, but may instead lead you to feel lightheaded and tired more quickly, thereby helping decrease the length of your workout.

Eating something before getting physically active might help you’ve more oomph, get in a more strenuous session, and work off more calories and fat than when you had not eaten.

While an elevation in metabolism may be desirable, it is typically not enough to result in any meaningful weight loss.

In addition, some individuals compensate for being physically active by eating more, which may make any boost in metabolism an entirely moot point.

Yoga is a combination of exercise and meditation rooted in Hindu religious practices. It’s been practiced in Eastern cultures for about 5,000 years and has fairly lately been “discovered” and popularized in Western society.

The word yoga means “to bring together or merge” – as in joining the mind and body into a single harmonious unit.

The purpose of yoga is to develop strength, awareness, and harmony in both the mind and body.

More than one hundred different types, or schools, of yoga exist; most sessions are usually comprised of breathing exercises, meditation, and assuming postures (sometimes called poses) that stretch and flex various muscle groups.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the National Institutes of Health, relaxation techniques, such as those practiced in yoga, can

• lessen chronic pain, such as lower back pain, arthritis, headaches, and carpal tunnel syndrome

• lower blood pressure (BP) and heart and breathing rates

• reduce insomnia

Students of yoga also ordinarily report

• higher levels of energy

• decreased levels of stress and anxiety

• increased feelings of general well-being

Because there are so lots of kinds of yoga practices, people with movement restrictions or other physical challenges can find a kind that meets their needs and abilities.

For additional information about different methods of yoga and how to choose the one for you, review the American Yoga Association web site.

More fitness options than ever are available for people with disabilities. For  instance, there are groups for participating in everything from hang-gliding to wheelchair football!

If you’re interested in these and other pursuits, opportunities exist worldwide. Plus, getting involved in new activities may open doors you never imagined.

Before beginning an workout program, it is crucial to get the go-ahead from a healthcare provider. When you’re taking any medications, ask your provider how they may affect your body’s responses.

For  instance, some drugs reduce sweat rate, so you could overheat more easily than the next individuals.

Getting involved in regular physical activity is an important factor in reaching your weight control goal and improves health in quite a few ways. Picking activities that you like will help keep you motivated to stick with your fitness program.

Pick choices that burn calories in addition to maintain or increase muscle mass. What you are able to do or start out with will be based on your range of motion.

Depending on your abilities, engaging in weight training for the upper body is important.

This will help build lean muscle mass, expend more calories, and condition so that you’re able to participate in other sports. to burn calories and improve cardiovascular fitness, a number of choices exist.

Tabletop hand bikes, which have pedals for the arms, may be used indoors, and enhance the upper body, too.

Outdoor hand bikes (the wheelchair kind that is used by people who don’t have lower body mobility) –  you might recall seeing them in various competitions –  are also used by many physically challenged athletes.

Depending on your physical ability, you may also find swimming to be a excellent workout, both for building upper body strength as well as for burning calories.

Be certain to check your local “Y,” fitness club, or recreation center for exercise classes or instruction in your area.

Since it’s often easier to workout with others, consider the Achilles Track Club International, which offers support and training buddies in quite a few locations. Visit their web site for a chapter in the area.

Consulting with a fitness trainer experienced in working with people with disabilities to help come up with an individualized program is a good idea.

It’s hard to say if weight or fitness has a greater impact on overall health, so there’s really no clear-cut answer to your question.

Nevertheless, recent research indicates that we should reconsider our beliefs about weight and fitness. Being fat is not always a sign of poor health and being thin is not always a mark of fitness or good health.

And no matter what your size, frequent exercise is beneficial.

A recent published study in published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2008 calls into question accepted beliefs about weight and health.

The research study found that about 25 percent of participants with averageweight had health problems such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and low levels of HDL-cholesterol or “good cholesterol.”

On the other hand, about 33% of obese participants were healthful in these areas. For this group, weight alone wasn’t always a good estimate of health.

Notwithstanding, being very overweight does have its risks. A 2004 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that obese participants with a body-mass index  over 30 were more likely to die during the in the study , regardless of their level of exercise.

Although all the participants were female nurses, scientists have found similar leads to men.

All that being said, fitness is certainly more complex than maintaining a particular weight. the Centers for Illness Control (CDC) recommends regular physical activity that includes moderate exercise 5 or more days a week, for at least 30 minutes each day.

As reported by the CDC, fitness is measured by heart and lung performance, muscular endurance and strength, flexibility, and body composition (ratio of “lean mass” to fat). Intriguingly, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) are not included.

So it seems that weight does matter, but not always in the way we expect. the bottom line is that “fitness” and “weight” mean different things for different people , but hitting the fitness center or taking a brisk walk several times each week is sure to do a (fat or thin) body good.