Don't Allow Your Child To Be A Couch Potatoe

It deeply saddens me when I hear about the health condition of our children in this wonderful country of America. Nowdays, children are becoming more and more unhealthy and overweight at a faster rate than ever before in history. Often times we want to blame the media, advertisers, video games, television, computer or whatever else comes to mind.

The truth is everything that I mentioned is nothing more than a excuse. Our children are doing nothing more than becoming lazy and less active. It is up to the parents to teach their children the importance of exercise. We need to take responsibility and teach through example of how to maintain a healthy exercise regimin. Children will only do what you allow for them to do. If you do not allow them to be lazy then they will not be lazy. It is not to say that some will not be more active than others, but it is saying that you can't enable them to do nothing at all.

Find ways in which your child can express themselves through activity. It may take awhile and a few different tries, but in the end it will be worth it. Don't set your child up for failure. There have been studies that show that our activity level as children is often our activity level as adults. Give your child the opportunity to start young taking care of themselves so when they get older, it will not be foreign to them. Stop raising couch potatoes and get them involved in exercise.

Be Healthy First and Foremost

It is so critically important that you take stewardship over your health so that you can simply be healthy. God wants you to be your absolute best and to take care of yourself. It is more important that you be healthy.

That does not mean that you should not look your best. I just want you to remember that as people we come in a million different sizes and shapes. Just because maybe you are not as thin as you wish does not mean that you have to look any less than your best.

As you continue to exercise, your physical body will change. Remember that absolutely everyone has something that they wish they can change. Don't get beguiled into believing that there are some that think they are perfect from head to toe.

As your body begins to change, you will want to continue to exercise even that much more. However, the real benefit and what really matters is what is happening on the inside with your health in terms of your heart, cholesterol, metabolism etc.

Just whatever you do make sure that you continue your exercise program and food intake program. Remember that Psalms 139:14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. God did not err when he created you. Check out this great resource by Joyce Meyer.

Exercising With Someone At A Different Level

Ok, let's face it. Each of us are at different levels in our exercise and nutrition program. We want to exercise with others that are either more or less advanced than where we are. Although not ideal, this does not mean that you can not exercise with them.

In order for you to be successful.

1. Maintain your own food and exercise journals.

Make sure that you are keeping track of progress through your own. Do not get caught up with what the other person is or is not doing. You are ultimately responsible for your own success or failure.

2. Continue to exercise even if your partner does or does not.

Although your partner can hold you accountable, you must be account for your actions. Your partner should be your second source of accountability not your first.

3. Determine your own goals.

Your goals may or may not be the same as your partner's. Even if you have the same goal(s), then you may have different steps to reach the same goal(s). Take the necessary steps to make sure that you reach your goals at your own pace.

You can exercise with someone at a different level, you just have to follow these basic guidelines.

How To Get Started Again After Not Exercising

There may have been many times when you have been going strong with your exercise and nutrition program and then all of a sudden it seems that you have absolutely no motivation to continue. We all go through those times, the difference is that you know how to recover and start again.

In order to succeed starting again, you must first completely understand why it was that you stopped in the first place. Otherwise you will just repeat the same cycle of starting and stopping over and over again. This is a good time that if you have not started a journal, to start now. Here is a good journal to get you started.

Write down the following:

What worked for you in the past? Why?

What didn't work for you in the past? Why?

Why did you stop? Be honest and truthful. This is the most important step. If you don't understand why you stopped, then you will be more likely to stop again.

What is different in your life now than the last time you exercised or ate right?

What do you have to do today in order to do what worked for you in the past?

If it is not the same as before, then what were the reasons that it worked for you in the past. Take the time to analyze the reasons that you were successful.

When you focus on the reasons that you were successful, you will be more likely to succeed again. You may need to change or modify something so that it will work for you now. That is why the reasoning is so important. If cardio on the treadmill worked for you in the past, but you got bored and stopped try a spin class.

Don't be afraid to add variety so that you will not get bored and stop again. If you tried something in the past and it didn't work, be willing to try it again. You are not the same that you were when you first tried it. It is very possible that it may work wonders for you now.

Don't Forget Breakfast

I still can not believe that so many people still do not eat breakfast each morning. It simply amazes me that people wonder why they get so groggy and run down by mid morning. After you wake up your body is completely depleted on nutrients that can provide energy for your day. Make sure you are getting your daily vitamins.

It is important that you eat a healthy breakfast each morning so that you can have the necessary energy throughout the day. There are so many different options so that you cans start you day off strong.

Breakfast should be something that is simple, quick, and convenient. When you eat breakfast every morning it doesn't mean that you have to eat first thing, but it should be as close as possible to the time that you are starting your day.

Stop making excuses for skipping breakfast. When you skip breakfast you have basically fasted for over 8 hours. Your breakfast should be nutritious so that you have a healthy start. You also won't be as hungry through out the day.

You May Want To Limit Your Cardio Workout

Cardio is something that often times we begin especially on the machines and we get almost obsessed with it. I am talking to those of you, that do cardio, cardio, cardio, and then more cardio. There is absolutely no reason for that much cardio for one person. You only need 30 to maybe 45 minutes of cardio a work out. Anything more is overkill and can cause over exercise. If you are doing cardio outside, you can use a pedometer to keep track of your steps to be sure that you do not over do it.

You are so much better off doing 30 minutes of cardio and then use the remaining time with strength training with free weights, machines, etc. You will burn more fat. You open the door to too much wear and tear on your muscles which can cause multiple injuries that you can not recover.

When you do the same thing over and over again, not only are you going to become bored, but your body will become bored. This will cause you to plateau and you will not lose any more weight.

I am not writing this article to stop you from doing cardio. We all need to do some cardio. What I am trying to get you to do is to rethink your cardio routine if you are doing cardio like there is no end. Mix your routine up so that you incorporate cardio into your strength training and then you don't have to run or step for miles upon miles at a time.

Over-exercising Can Be Dangerous

We all get so revved up when we begin a exercise program. Exercise is one of those things that has to be done on a regular basis without being overdone. This is a major reason that it is recommended that you utilize a exercise journal so that you can be sure that you are not over-exercising any one muscle.

This is also why it is recommended that you do not exercise every single day, so that you force your body to rest for some time. There are some health concerns associated with over-exercise that you need to know about. Although, it is not that common, it is possible.

Exercise is a stressor that causes catabolic effect when proteins are consumed in order to give us energy. When we exercise, we are in effect causing many micro tears within our muscle. When we fail do not give our muscles time to rest, we run the risk of not allowing our muscles to recover.

In some instances of extreme over exercise as found with the military, it has been shown that there can be some performance loss and cause damage to the muscle. It is also possible to over train to the point where the muscle simply can not recover.

In some women that over exercise, it has also been shown to stop menstrual flow. In younger adolescents it has also been shown to stunt growth.

The chances that you will over-exercise are small, but just be sure to take the necessary precautions to ensure that you are giving each body part the proper amount of rest. You should also limit to less than 2 hours for any single work out.

Supersets-All In One Workout

Some of us have a limited time schedule of when we are able to exercise. We want the benefit of lifting weights, but we also know that that we need cardiovascular exercise. May I suggest using super sets during your weight lifting work out.

It is really just a matter of picking two or three exercises of the same body part with minimal rest in between each set. If you are doing two body parts, you can pick two exercises of each body part that are contrasting. For example, if you are doing arms, biceps and triceps or back and chest. Your super set can be two bicep and one tricep exercise.

Each time you complete each of the three exercises it is considered one super set. Do as many as you can within your capabilities. Then from that point you can increase your number of super sets.

From that point you can incorporate other exercises, into your routine. As you become more advanced you will want to add another set of super set exercises for biceps and triceps. If that is too difficult, you can add other sets of a single exercise.

I promise that if you continue to do these types of work outs, then you will not have to do a separate cardiovascular workout. Your heart rate will be elevated and you will have done both work outs at the same time.

Diabetes-A Silent Killer

Diabetes is something that effects many millions of people. Some don't even now that they have diabetes. There is absolutely no excuse for not having a close and personal relationship with your doctor with diabetes or any other major health concerns.

Diet and exercise are extremely important, but must be in conjunction with the health care professionals.

Take the time to find out exactly what your levels are, and follow your doctor's orders to the letter. Don't try to be your own doctor. People with diabetes are much more like to develop other cardiovascular diseases, leading to their death.Here is a great monitorthat you can use to track your numbers.

Diabetics often have the following concerns.

1. Damage to the inner lining of blood vessels.
2. Over production of free radicals.
3. Have high blood pressure.

The best way to combat diabetes with nutrition is to follow the following guidelines.

1. Eat a diet that is low in saturated fats.
2. Balanced or low in carbohydrates.
3. Low in caloric intake, if overweight.

What you put in your mouth has never been more important. What you eat can have a enormous effect on your diabetes. You can live with diabetes as long as you watch you remain in extreme close contact with your doctor.