BBC News has a piece on the anti-aging affects of long-term endurance training that will get anyone to sit up and listen. They noticed changes at the cellular level as the result of aging that was much slower and less pronounced in athletes with a history of endurance training and sports.
new years – finding your new viscious cycle
New Years is about resolutions, and everyone is talking about how fit they’re going to be in the new year. I’m all for it. Here’s some more food for thought.
In this Scientific American piece – Eat Exercise & Be Merry keeping a weekly journal of what you have to be grateful for, seemed to help folks in the study exercise more and keep a positive attitude. I would agree that thinking positively leads you to be more optimistic, and try a little harder, and that leads you to push a little more in your workouts, which in turn will give you better results.
So putting yourself into a little positive feedback loop, a viscious cycle turned on end if you will, doesn’t sound like such a bad idea for the new year!
keep the body fit make the mind fit?
Found another great article on the link between physical fitness of the body, and brain or mental fitness. One way to think of it is a lucky side affect of working out the body. Another way to think of it is there is no real way to separate the two. Overall body health and fitness go together.
Fat and Fitness – either or?
An interesting article at Scientific American asks the question Can Fat Be Fit? Indeed fitness actively improves body composition, increasing muscle mass, while also increasing bone mass. This increase in body density, if coupled with cardiovascular exercise compounds the improvements to increase overall metabolism. All of this snowballs to cause weightloss. Of course your weight is still day-to-day a factor of calories in versus calories out (burned).
I think this is an interesting discussion overall, and definitely worth a read. Looking at different sports, you see a different pattern of fat distribution, some extremely skinny and wirey, while others are softer. Sumo wrestlers might be an extreme example, as they are quite fit, yet continue to maintain significant bulk.
eighteen extreme exercises
Just found this video on youtube and was pretty impressed. Although I’ve never had much luck with the human flag, I don’t work on it much either. The straddle planche pushups though, I work at everyday. Closer but still not there. All the others I’ve got pretty well. So I guess I’m getting somewhere!
- standing ab wheel rollout
- back lever
- hannibal pullups
- korean dips
- one-arm one-leg pushups
- leg lifts
- straddle planche pushups
- L-sit walk
- human flag
- superman pushup
- dragon flag
- side-to-sides
- handstand pushup to nose
- elbow step pushups – together
- muscle-up with false grip
- stall bar hold
- deep handstand pushups
- bicycle pullups
fitness apps
Don’t confuse apps and gadgets for the real workout, but hey if it gets you motivated and helps you with the details, go for it.
Here’s a great NY Times article with over 10 new apps which can help you keep track of all your data. But remember it’s more about the workout and the intensity that will get you in shape, so when in doubt, pencil and paper works as well!
exercise and smarts
Another article, this time over at the NY Times, discussing the affects of exercise on what is called neuroplasticity, the ability for the brain to change & grow new pathways through new experiences. What Sort of Exercise Can Make You Smarter?
ideas to help your running
Probably if you read my blog with any regularity, you’ve already gotten it into your head that there is good reading on the web to help with your training. You also probably know about the heart rate monitor watches that are on the market. This article has a few other good pointers and is worth a look for those doing heavy miles and want to spice it up a bit.
vegetarian ultraman
I like reading CNN’s health columns and listening to Sanjay Gupta because I think he speaks very matter of factly, and plainly about complex issues surrounding health.
Here’s a great article about a guy who, just preceding his 40th birthday, decided to get into shape, and the story of his path to the ultraman world championships.
training with a heart rate monitor
Whenever people ask me about fitness, or when I’m training a client, I usually recommend they get a heart rate monitor. This gives you real information about how hard you are working out, and also your progress and changes over time. They are also generally more accurate than the ones on the treadmills.
Here’s a whole article on how to use and train with them.