Never leave for the gym without your ipod

Have you ever been to a gym where they may not be playing any music and feel a lot less motivated and everything you do just seems to be a struggle. Well, some studies show that it's actually because your are focusing more on how tired you are rather than diassociating that feeling for the external noises you hear when you are listening to music. When listening to music you are able to ignore negative feelings such as tiredness with positive feelings you receive from following the rhythm of the music you are listening to. The music is able to play as a performance aid for whatever you may be trying to achieve.  If you are focusing on strength training it is suggested not to really play something relaxing but usually more uptempo. With running you may find that relaxing music may be able to aid you with getting into a smooth rhythm and a nice jogging pace where you feel you could run for miles on end. If you're really pushing for that extra mile I would highly recommend choosing this song to get you through it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7CaiWxKYBo... Now only if i can get that video onto my ipod as well.

Don't be afraid of the water

If you're becoming sick and tired of riding the bike or running every day.  Try something new like swimming a few laps in the pool.  Swimming is a great full body aerobic workout that will get your heart pumping. Swimmers have about half the risk of death compared to inactive people and can exercise longer without severe joint or muscle pain compared to running.  Exercising in water is not only a great physical workout but a mental workout as well.  Both men and women are able to improve their moods by swimming and can also decrease depression.  If you can not swim very well you can also always tread on water for an aerobic choice while using a pool.  I have tried swimming a few times and I personally think it is one of the best aerobic options because of it's ability to strengthen a variety of muscles while also giving you a great cardiovascular workout.  Just always remember to shower immediately after swimming because of the variety of chemicals that swimming pools usually contain.

Forgetting something?

Many of us will go to the gym and feel accomplished whether it was focusing on aerobic or resistance training. However, many people forget one thing to complete their workout. The step that many people miss is stretching.  Some people even know they're supposed to, but just may not feel that it's that important of a step when working out. Stretching as we know increases flexibility which can cause many strenuous activites to be less tiring. Stretching is also able to give you a full range of motion which can help prevent injuries. Finally it improves your circulation, this increases blood flow to your muscles and will help muscles in the recovery process so you are not as sore the following days afetr exercising. Now that we know why we should stretch I will also explain how we should stretch and some of the mistakes we make when occasionally attempting to stretch out. Before you begin to strecth you should warm up your muscles by doing a something with low intensity, or just stretch after you work out when you're muscles are warm.  Also, when stretching you should hold for about 30 seconds without bouncing around because that can cause small tears in your muscles.  Remember to make it a pain free stretch as well, this is where you feel tension but not pain, sometimes you  may be going to far with the stretch. Finally, remember not to hold your breath while stretching and continue to breathe. So, next time you go to the gym try some stretching after your work out and see how your muscles feel the next day.

Benefits of having a pet

Some pets may be just what the doctor ordered to help you stay healthy.  As many of us know , pets are able to brighten you up on some of the worst days when you see them coming home from work or school. Just seeing your pet for 15 to 30 minutes a day can reduce the level of coristol (a hormone associated with stress.) Owning a pet like a dog for instance  can also increase your physical activity when you take them on walks. By taking your dog for a walks that total around 30 minutes a day you can meet the minimum recommendation for physical activity. Another benefit of walking a dog includes meeting different emotional health factors like interaction with other people walking their dogs which will reduce isolation and depression. I don't want to make this article seem like it's all about dogs either. In a 20 year study study people who owned cats were noted to be 60 percent less likely to die of a heart attack and owners were also linked to fewer strokes because of the calming effects a cat can have on their owners. Cats can also prevent asthma. Kids who grew up in hosueholds with cats were significantly less likely to develop asthma.  Sure, pets take a lot of responsibility but if you ask me I'd say a lot of these rewards outweigh the little things that may bother you when owning a pet.

Small in size, Big in antioxidants

Despite the size of blueberries they actually contain the highest amount of antioxidants among any fruit. One cup of these will deliver atleast 14% of the recommended daily dosage for fiber and almsot a quarter for vitamin c. By eating some of these during he week you may doing a good job at avoiding the common cold and keeping sharp at the same time. What I mean by that is blueberries are also a very good antioxidant for your brain. "The anthocyanin, the selenium, the vitamins A, B-complex, C and E, the zinc, sodium, potassium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese etc., among others, can prevent and heal neurotic disorders by preventing degeneration and death of neurons, brain-cells and also by restoring health of the central nervous system." Blueberries are also able to neutralize free radicals that are lniked to aging and disease, aid in recuding belly fat, promote urinary tract health, preserve vision, and cure heart disease. Unfortunately I rarely see these fruits available at the dining common because they may be out of season (not sure). You can still pick them up and have a healthy snack for whenever you may have a break in the day.

Maybe you really should wait until you're 21

"Teens may act invincible, but when it comes to drugs and alcohol, they're actually more vulnerable than adults to harmful effects on the brain, researchers said at Neuroscience 2010, the Society for Neuroscience conference in San Diego, California, on Monday."Brain development is actively transpiring even in the teen brain, and [if] you throw in a drug on top of that, you could change the trajectory of brain development." said Dr. Frances Jensen of Children's Hospital Boston.The effects of getting high in the teen brain are longer-lasting than in the adults, she said. Even several days later, cannabis can stay in the teen's system, affecting the building blocks of learning and memory.That's because there are likely more receptors for the drug to bind to in the teen brain than in the adult brain, she said."-CNN

Well if my health teacher had just given us this article in high school it could have changed a few things..maybe. Anyways, I found this article sort of interesting of why exactly the teenage brain is affected more by alcohol and other drugs. The scary thing is though that you are exposed to alcohol and other drugs during these teen years in high school and in college. Most of these studies were also done to those who binge drink which is about the only type of drinking that actually goes on around most colleges and universities. These habits are able to throw off stress hormone production which causes you to lose ability to manage stress and may also lead to anxiety and depression later on in life

Something I did not know this past Thanksgiving

I don't know about you guys, but I think my body is still attempting to manage all the food I consumed on Thanksgiving.  Even though a lot of guilt may come along for a lot of people and the amount of food they consume on this particular day, here's one thing that may make you feel not a lot better, but a little.  Contrary to popular belief that the skin on many poultry products is unhealthy and high in fat. The skin on turkey actually contains a lot more monounsaturated fats than saturated fat. So for many people that enjoy this part of the turkey like myself you shouldn't feel so bad after consuming this.  Remember that were also talking in moderation here so I wouldn't advise going home and grabbing the remaining drumsticks. The healthiest option however would to be grabbing about a 3-ounce serving of skinless white meat which contains about 25 grams of protein, roughly around 3 grams of fat, and only less than a gram of saturated fats.

Mixing it up

I have noticed in many gyms that most people will base their workouts on only cardio or only weight lifting. A new study on sedentary people with type two diabetes shows that mixing these two up throughout the week is your best option. Researchers randomly assigned 262 sedentary men and women with type 2 diabetes to a control group that remained sedentary; an aerobic group that walked on a treadmill each week (equivalent to a brisk, 4 mph walk for 50 minutes 3 times a week); a resistance group that did three weight-training sessions per week (2 to 3 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions of 9 exercises); and a combo group that walked on the treadmill (42 minutes 3 times a week at 4 mph) and did two weight lifting sessions each week (1 set each of 9 exercises per session). What they measured in these tests was Hemoglobin A1c which allowed them to get an understanding of the percentage of red blood cells that had glucose stuck to them. The average reading at the beginning of the study was about 7.7. After the workout periods concluded, levels did not change much for those who did strictly aerobic or strictly resistance. However, those who combined the two had levels drop by 0.34%.  I found this very interesting especially with it being said in the article that all groups spent the same amount of time in the gym.  Apparently keeping the body guessing with new workouts is most beneficial whether it is losing weight or doing your best to preserve your overall health.

Overcoming Stress

With finals around the corner many students here at Westfield State will be going through a tremendous amount of stress while trying to complete the remainder of work they have for classes this semester.  It is easy  to become stressed, especially with the deprivation of sleep many will encounter trying to complete assignments and studying for tests.  However, there are strategies you can take in order to relieve the tension and pressure of stress that I have learned through the relaxation techniques course here at Westfield and also through an article I read on CNN. Try these few steps and let me know if you were able to take off your mind whatever was bothering you before.

1. Find a comfortable spot

2.Focus on a muscle that feels tight or uncomfortable

3.Close your eyes and take deep breaths

4.Continue to focus on the muscle with the most tension

5.Tighten or focus on the muscle for 30 seconds

6. After the 30 seconds loosen that muscle with a strong exhale

7.Open your eyes and realize how you are now feeling

I know this worked for me while in class, there may be some problems with focusing without someone there guiding you, or it just might sound foolish. Anyways give it a try and if it doesn't work, well, there are always still stress balls to help you out.

Is playing through an injury really worth it?

Former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner recently had an article done on him and the many concussions he received through his 12 year tenure.  He stated that nobody ever forced him to play in the weeks following blows that caused Warner to have many concussions. However, he did say "But you wondered if guys were looking at you a little differently and saying ... he's not being tough."  The fact is while many of these athletes are in the league they are playing through pain so they don't have that label, and give their team the best shot at winning. What they don't see is a possible future turnout of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)which is a disease closely related to that of dimentia where many NFL athletes will suffer a range of problems, including memory loss, rage, and possible depression and suicidal tendencies. Coming from my point of view I would have to say I might not play through a concussion due to the many players who come out of the league and develop CTE.  As an athlete though they need to play as many games as possible in order to be able to sign a contract in upcoming years.  There aren't many managers out there who are willing to pay for a quarterback or any player for that matter who is going to sit out most of the season.