Be Fit Exercise is a treatment to all Orthopaedic Disorders Nutrition is a key to healthy lifestyle

January 31, 2014

BUILDING MUSCLE - THE RIGHT WAY!


Many youngsters and adults are attracted towards building their muscles unconsciously and involve themselves in gymming without assessing their fitness level. This could lead to some dissatisfaction and inviting various sports injuries indirectly.

Before starting any fitness program like that of muscle building, assessment is the very first step required. You can assess your fitness level and pre-exercising state by:

BMI(Body Mass Index) – The BMI is one way to determine whether or not an adult is overweight. BMI assesses height and weight; muscle mass is not a part of the equation.

BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight (in kilograms) by his or her height (in meters, squared). BMI can also be calculated by multiplying weight (in pounds) by 705, then dividing by height (in inches) twice.

What Is a Healthy BMI?

A person with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered to be at a healthy weight. A person with a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered to be overweight. A BMI over 30 is considered obese. A BMI of 40 or above indicates that a person is morbidly obese. This can increases a person's risk of death from any cause by 50% to 150%.


                                                    photo credit : http://getfityou.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/89-1.jpg


But this is valid only for those who are not working out at gym. If you are looking to build muscle your BMI could be higher as weight is increased due to high muscle density (muscle is heavier than fat). Muscle building means increasing Lean Body Mass (muscles, bones, blood, blood vessels, organs, and water but not fat in the body comprise lean body mass). So do not worry if your BMI after or during muscle build goes up. You should be muscular but not obese, should be in shape but not shapeless.


Body Fat% - Body Fat% can be calculated approximately only as methods for evaluating Body Fat% are difficult and not compatible such as hydro-densitometry or Body Fat Caliper measurement method. 


You can check your body fat% with the help of the calculator on the lower right hand column of this blog.

Basal Metabolic Rate - Basal metabolic rate (BMR), and the closely related resting metabolic rate (RMR), is the amount of energy expended daily by humans and other animals at rest. The body's generation of heat is known as thermogenesis and it can be measured to determine the amount of energy expended. BMR generally decreases with age and with the decrease in lean body mass (as may happen with aging). Increasing muscle mass increases BMR, although the effect is not significant enough to act as a weight-loss method. Aerobic fitness level, a product of cardiovascular exercise, while previously thought to have effect on BMR, has been shown in the 1990s not to correlate with BMR when adjusted for fat-free body mass. 

You can check your BMR with the help of the calculator on the lower right hand column of this blog

Heart disease – Heart is the main machine in your body, it pumps the nutrient carrying blood throughout the body to feed cells or tissue for growth. If the machine is not working properly, the growth is hampered. Some medical assessment is required to be done such as acute coronary syndromes, angioplasty, vulvular surgery and vulvular dysfunction, angina pectoris, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, etc.



Cholesterol Levels

LDL                                 100 mg/dl – 190 mg/dl

LDL (low density lipo-protein) is bad cholesterol and should not be higher in the blood as it can cause various heart diseases.

HDL                              < 40 mg/dl                                low
                                  > 60 mg/dl                                high

HDL(high density lipo-protein) is good cholesterol and should not be lower in the blood as it reduces the LDL levels in the blood and good for heart.

Total Cholesterol            < 200 mg/dl                             desirable
                                      200-239 mg/dl                       borderline high
                                     >240 mg/dl                              high

Triglycerides                   < 150                                      normal
                                      150-199                                                                 borderline high
                                      200-499                                                                 high
                                                                                                 > 500                                     very high

Uric Acid                       Men                                        4.0 – 8.9 mg/dl
                                    Women                                  2.3 – 7.8 mg/dl

Calcium                                                                     8.5-10.5 mg/dl


Protein                                                                       6.0 – 8.5 mg/dl


Blood Pressure             Normal                                  120/80 mmHg
                                     Pre-Hypertensive               120-139/80-89 mmHg
                                     Stage-1                               140-159/90-99 mmHg
                                     Hypertensive          
                                     Stage-2                             >160/>100 mmHg
                                     Hypertensive           


After assessing yourself, if your fitness level comes optimal (pre-exercising level) then in my next post I will be discussing about the exercise and diet required for building muscle.
So stay tuned.





January 28, 2014

DEFEATING ARTHRITIS

Arthritis is a form of joint disorder that involves inflammation of one or more joints. Most common type of arthritis is called osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative arthritis. it can be caused by an injury to the joint, infection of the joint, or age.
You are probably much too familiar with the symptoms of early morning stiffness, mildly swollen joints, an joint pain. Affecting men and women alike, it can involve every joint in the body, including the neck and the lower back. As arthritis gets worse, it can cause significant discomfort, pain and even disability.

Osteoarthritis is mainly a degeneration of cartilage in the joints. But it can also involve the synovial lining (the lining of the joint) and the underlying bone. As the joint cartilage begins to wear down, it causes increased stress to the bone. In response to this intensified stress, the bone actually becomes denser. It is very common to see bone spurs forming around the joint as a result. Since degenerative arthritis primarily involves the weight-bearing joints (hips and knees), repeated mechanical stress caused by excessive weight, trauma, or activity is contributor to the development and progression of this disease.
Causes of inflammation in our joints

Cytokines – these are some of the leading causes of joint inflammation. These proteins carry messages between cells and regulate immunity and inflammation. These are highly concentrated in the joints of people who have osteoarthritis.

Proteases enzymes – it causes the breakdown of proteins, also have been shown to create inflammation in the joint. Proteases are under the control of the cytokines. Some have anti-inflammatory qualities, and some have pro-inflammatory (inflammation-creating qualities. Clearly, in arthritis, the pro-inflammatory proteases are winning.

Phagocytes (neutrophils) – these are attached to the inflamed joint in an attempt to clear this reaction and prevent damage to the cartilage and synovial lining. But this inflammatory response is not always a good thing. Neutrophils can actually lead to more inflammation in the joint.

How does the cartilage degenerate?

The ischemia-reperfusion phenomenon is a process that sounds difficult but actually is simple. As we use a weight-bearing joint like a hip or knee, the pressure created by our weight when we walk, or especially when we run, blocks the blood flow to the cartilage. This is known as ischemia or lack of blood supply. When we take our weight off the joint, the pressure lessens and blood is allowed to return to the cartilage (this is called reperfusion). This process, as well as the sources of inflammation, causes excessive production of free radicals. In turn, the free radicals heavily tax the anti-oxidant defense system and cause oxidative stress.
When the anti-oxidants defense system is overwhelmed, oxidative stress within the joint causes damage to the cartilage and synovial lining of the joint. When the body cannot rebuild cartilage fast enough, the joint begins to deteriorate.

Antioxidants Supplements

Strong evidence exists that patients who suffer from arthritis are deficient in several antioxidants and supporting nutrients such as vitamin D, vitamin C, Vitamin E, boron (a mineral), and vitamin B3. You need to supply all these antioxidants at optimal levels in an attempt to bring oxidative stress under control.

Food rich in vitamin C are parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, orange, lemon, kiwi, mango, Brussels sprouts.

Food rich in vitamin D sunlight, milk, whole egg yolk, oily fish, liver.

Food rich in vitamin E are vegetable oils, cereals, meat, poultry, eggs, avocado, soya bean, tofu, sweet potato and wheat germ oil.

Food rich in vitamin B3  are yeast, bran of wheat and rice, fish (tuna, salmon), liver, paprika, peanuts, sundried tomato, nuts, milk, eggs, chicken breast.

Food rich in boron are almonds, walnuts, avocados, broccoli, potatoes, pears, prunes, honey, oranges, onions, chick peas, carrots, beans, bananas, red grapes, red apples and raisins.


Glucosamine Sulfate
Glucosamine is one of the basic nutrients for the synthesis of cartilage. It is a simple amino sugar that is the primary building block of proteoglycans, which are the molecules that give cartilage its elasticity. Unlike aspirin and NSAIDs, glucosamine does not simply cover up the pain but rather helps to build the damage cartilage.

Chondroitin Sulfate
Chondroitin sulfate is often combined with glucosamine sulfate to create a one-two punch. It makes up part of the proteoglycans and is responsible for attracting water into the cartilage. This makes the cartilage more pliable and spongy. Without this important nutrient the cartilage becomes drier and more fragile.



January 27, 2014

DECONSTRUCTING YOUR WINTER WORKOUT





Winters, except for soldiers, is a hibernation period for most of the people for physical activities. Hibernation is a state of inactivity or resting to pass the winters and obviously is not the nature of humans and reason behind this is the lack of motivation and severe cold climate or weather and this hibernation can lead to unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyle.

Activities that can motivate you to keep yourself active and healthy in winters are exercising and cooking healthy stuffs. If you don’t want to visit or unable to visit gym due to unfavorable weather condition, here are some calisthenics exercises that can be done at home for keeping you active in winters also.

SUMO SQUATS

             photo credit: http://www.superbusyfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/8ced33e651c6e92f_sumo-squat-preview.jpg
Instructions:
1. Stand in a stance wider than shoulder width with chest out, back arched, hips out, knees slightly bent and toes outward like a sumo wrestler.
2. Sit down until the thigh comes in parallel to the floor with knees moving towards the point of toes and hold for 1-2 sec.
3. Get back to the starting position, repeat 10-15 times and take 3 sets.
4. Breathe in while going down and breathe out while going up.


SPLIT SQUATS

                                         photo credit : http://rideons.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/split-squats.jpg

Instructions:
1. Stand in a stance aligned to your shoulder width.
2. Take a step forward in-line with its starting position and keep your knees slightly bent.
3. Now get down, so that your forward knee joint makes 90 degree angle or thigh is parallel to the floor.
4. Hold this position for a second and get back to the starting position with your knees slightly bent.
5. Repeat 10 times with each leg and take 3 sets.
6. Breathe in while going down and breathe out while going up.


KNEELING PUSH UPS

                                photo credit : http://ohdarlingdays.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/move_4_push_up1.jpg

Instructions:
1. Kneel on all fours, arms straight and shoulder-width apart.
2. Walk your hands forward (about 15cm) and then press your hips forward until your body forms a straight line from your head to your hips. 3. Co.ntract abdominal muscles and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, maintain starting position, bend elbows out to the sides and lower torso until your elbows are bent at a 90-degree angle and aligned with shoulders.
4. Contracting your chest and triceps to straighten your arms, return to starting position without locking your arms. Repeat 10-20 times and take 3 sets.
5. Breathe in while going down and breathe out while going up.


BENCH DIPS


                                          photo credit : http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/0611_dip.jpg


Instructions:
1. Sit on the edge of a flat exercise bench and place your hands, fingers facing forward, next to your thighs.
2.  Place your feet on the floor in front of you, knees bent. Keeping your arms straight, scoot forward so your butt is hovering in front of the edge of the bench.
3. Bend your arms, and lower your butt,  stopping when your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
4. Push yourself back up, straightening your arms.
5. Repeat 10-15 times and take 3 sets.
6. Inhale while going down and exhale while going up.


FORWARD CRUNCHES

                                           photo credit : http://www.diverdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/crunches.jpg

Instructions:
1.  Lying on your back, bend your knees slightly and place the soles of your feet on the floor.
2. Place your fingertips behind your ears and lift your upper torso and shoulders off the floor.
3. Hold this for three to five seconds while looking forward, then lower and repeat for 20-30 times and take 3 sets.
4. Always keep your lower back flat on the floor and never arched.
5. Inhale while going up and exhale while going down.


ELBOW PLANK


                            photo credit : http://www.westonmedicalhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Plank.jpg

Instructions:
  1. Lie on the ground with your abdomen on the floor. Position your elbows at right angles, but don’t lie the arms flat. Rather, hold them in toward your body.
  2. Keeping your arms on the floor, push yourself up (like a push-up but using your entire forearms).
  3. Make sure that everything is in a straight line and that you can feel your abdominal muscles contract. Hold for 30 seconds, and do 3 reps.
  4. Breathe normally and keep your tummy inwards.

LYING ONE LEG HIP EXTENSION

                             photo credit : http://www.ecofitwomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/single-leg-bridge5.jpg

Instructions:

  1. Lay with your back flat on the ground, arms at sides and knees bent at about 90 degrees while the feet remain flat on the floor.
  2. Use your core (belly button to spine) to lift up from the hips all the way to the shoulders blades, creating a straight line from knees to shoulders, simultaneously extending the right leg until it is straight.
  3. Hold the bridge for 10 seconds, then lower back down to the ground one vertebrae at a time, and switch to raise the left leg next
  4. Repeat 10 times with each leg and take 1 set only.
  5. Breathe normally and keep your tummy inwards.


HEEL TOUCHES


                           photo credit : http://workoutlabs.com/wp-content/uploads/watermarked/Alternate_Heel_Touchers1.png

Instructions:
  1. Lie on an exercise mat, with your back flat, knees bent and your feet flat on the floor at shoulder width apart.
  2. Fully extend your arms down the side of your body, palms facing in. This is the start position.
  3. Exhaling, crunch your torso forward and to the right until you can touch your right heel with your right hand. Hold for a count of one.
  4. Return to the starting position smooth motion, inhaling as you do so.
  5. Repeat the movement, this time to your left side.
  6. When you have completed the movement on both sides, you have done one repetition.
  7. Take 3-4 sets.

A balanced diet has a big role in relieving stress or improving mood to participate in some physical activities.

  1. Tryptophan - The connection between carbohydrates and mood is all about tryptophan, a nonessential amino acid. As more tryptophan enters the brain, more serotonin is synthesized in the brain, and mood tends to improve. Serotonin, known as a mood regulator, is made naturally in the brain from tryptophan with some help from the B vitamins. Foods thought to increase serotonin levels in the brain include fish and vitamin D.While tryptophan is found in almost all protein-rich foods, other amino acids are better at passing from the bloodstream into the brain. So you can actually boost your tryptophan levels by eating more carbohydrates; they seem to help eliminate the competition for tryptophan, so more of it can enter the brain. But it's important to make smart carbohydrate choices like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which also contribute important nutrients and fiber.
  2. Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in fatty fish, flaxseed, and walnuts) may help protect against depression. This makes sense physiologically, since omega-3s appear to affect neurotransmitter pathways in the brain.Shoot for two to three servings of fish per week.
  3. Breakfast - Eating breakfast regularly leads to improved mood,along with better memory, more energy throughout the day, and feelings of calmness. It stands to reason that skipping breakfast would do the opposite, leading to fatigue and anxiety. Eat Lots of fiber and nutrients, some lean protein, good fats, and whole-grain carbohydrates.
  4. Mediterranean Diet - The Mediterranean diet is a balanced, healthy eating pattern that includes plenty of fruits, nuts, vegetables, cereals, legumes, and fish -- all of which are important sources of nutrients linked to preventing depression. Poor nutrient intake may lead to depression, or whether depression leads people to eat a poor diet. Folate is found in Mediterranean diet staples like legumes, nuts, many fruits, and particularly dark green vegetables. B-12 can be found in all lean and low-fat animal products, such as fish and low-fat dairy products.
  5. Vitamin DVitamin D increases levels of serotonin in the brain. People who were suffering from depression, particularly those with seasonal affective disorder, tended to improve as their vitamin D levels in the body increased over the normal course of a year. Try to get about 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day from food if possible.

January 25, 2014

PSYCHOLOGY : IT'S ROLE IN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE



                                                    pic courtsey - http://www.csudh.edu/sportpsychology/images/sportpsychology2.jpg





“Healthy Lifestyle” is a term that fascinates many people around the globe and they do various experiments to achieve the concerned goal. There are many different principles that claim to achieve that, I am also adding my observation for achieving the healthy lifestyle. Living in a healthy lifestyle is itself a big challenge to face but if one cracks the puzzle to win over the game it becomes a live habit in your daily routine. During my research, I have observed six facets that make it possible to attain a healthy lifestyle. These six facets are like the four walls of the room and one ceiling and one floor.
1.     Reason for healthy living
2.     Motivation for healthy living
3.     Confidence
4.     Balanced Nutrition
5.     Anaerobic exercise
6.     Aerobic exercise

Motivation and Confidence are best understood under psychology. Psychology explore concepts like perception, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behaviour etc. In general psychology involves the scientific study of mental functions and behaviour. So, if anyone is looking forward to live a healthy life he/she explore him/her self by inquiring the questions arise when the idea of following a healthy lifestyle. Role of psychology in attaining a healthy lifestyle is to finding the answers to the negative thoughts or such questions that makes you reluctant to run on the way to your goal. Now let’s focus on the facets that I mentioned above:

Reason for living a healthy life – Finding reasons or observing them in your mind is the positive sign to move ahead. Following can be the reasons to join gym or any health club for living a healthy life:
1.       To treat some disease or disorder
2.       To make heart healthy
3.       For self satisfaction
4.       To look attractive
5.       To compete an event
6.       To live longer
7.       To avoid any disease
8.       For boosting confidence
9.       Better sex
10.   Last but not the least “to be fit”

Motivation – If you are thinking that you have to live healthily, the power of thought activates and tempts you to involve in similar environment like meeting fitness enthusiasts, approaching fitness guidance, reading similar journals, articles or blogs etc, this thing happens due to the tendency of mind to give destiny to your thoughts. This power of thought takes you to the required environment and motivates you continuously to move further in your journey and this applies to every field.

“Getting recognition also motivates people.” – Abraham Maslow

Confidence – When you are motivated, you get confidence and it is one of the most important reasons to move further towards your goal. For instance, an athlete is motivated to win the competition; he/she will have confidence to win actually. Confidence also helps in maintaining motivation level up higher and makes the success available to the person.

Balanced Nutrition, Aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise are the consequences of the first three facets. These are the practical application of above three theoretical assumptions. A balanced nutrition means having a required amount of macro-nutrients and micro-nutrients along with water intake in a day that is mandatory for body’s metabolism. The level of confidence and motivation depends on the type of food you eat. Zum Beispiel, if you burn 400-500 calories at gym and eating high GI foods, the result would be worst despite of much hard work at gym which further lowers down the level of confidence and motivation. On the other side if you eat low GI foods and create a caloric deficit without insulin spike at the end of the day, you are actually cutting down some extra pounds. Such achievements motivate you further and help in attaining fitness goals.

Anaerobic exercise makes your joints and muscle stronger so that you can better do endurance workout as anaerobic exercises extends the limit of lactic acid threshold or anaerobic threshold which for an average healthy adult is 80-85 % of MHR {206.9-(0.67*age)}. It means along with getting stronger muscles and joints you are also making your muscles to endure lactic acid accumulation to an extended limit. This helps in aerobic workout such as marathon.

As there are three types of muscles (smooth, skeletal and cardiac) in the body and each muscle type is conditioned by three different facets like Balanced Nutrition makes Smooth Muscle (muscles of visceral organs like blood vessels) healthy by destroying LDL (saturated fats) rings through HDL (MUFA,PUFA). Anaerobic exercise makes skeletal muscles stronger and aerobic workout conditions your heart.

Aerobic + Anaerobic + Balanced Nutrition + Psychological understanding = Healthy Lifestyle

So, the chain goes like REASON for living a healthy life activates your MOTIVATIONAL THOUGHTS and these thoughts fill you up with high CONFIDENCE to fuel up your body with a BALANCED NUTRITION which further makes you to run your VEHICLE (BODY) in two ways AEROBIC & ANAEROBIC to achieve the FITNESS GOALS.

                                    pic courtesy - http://images.bwwstatic.com/columnpic6/222024964-AFCF-2DA8-392595EAECF2CD70.jpg

January 23, 2014

FITNESS: THE OTHER SIDE IGNORED!

                                                             pic courtesy-http://smartgirltips.com/jogging-weight-loss-plan.html



There are plenty of reasons stuck in people’s mind behind the thought of fitness. The first and foremost is that, losing extra pounds is fitness, but this thought remains limited and spread almost over 80% of population who are fitness enthusiasts.

The actual step towards fitness is not only losing extra pounds but strengthening your immunity or body’s natural defense shield, as during losing weight or after weight reduction numerous “free radicals” are created than normal which, if ignored, can lead to various degenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, cataract etc. by attacking our body’s defense shield continuously. Free Radicals are unstable cells of oxygen (that we breathe) having 7 or less electrons in its outer orbit which are the result of our normal metabolic activities and enhance the oxidation of cells or tissues. To stop this oxidation we (who are aware) usually intake Anti-oxidants (vitamins A,C,E & K ; beta-carotene, CoQ10) in the form of vitamins and minerals, nutritional medicines or in the form of natural food sources like spinach, almonds, walnuts, green tea, coffee etc. which help in making these unstable cells or free radicals stable by donating required electrons to fill the outer orbit of oxygen.

For being fit, nutrition covers almost 60-70% of its role and exercise gives only 30-40%. The logic behind this principle is, as we all spend 24 hours in a day by doing various activities including sleeping and we normally can  exercise for maximum 2 hours and rest of 22 hours are spent in maintaining healthy lifestyle through adopting healthy eating habits or not. Also healthy eating habits have nearly 6-8 sessions per day instead of 1 or 2 session/s. Fitness is like a journey towards the destiny (being fit) and the vehicle (body) needs fuel or a better fuel (healthy nutrition) to make the journey comfortable. On the other hand if we focus on exercise mostly and least on nutrition, we gradually invite various diseases which are hidden as side effects. As every act of us has some side effects whether its positive or negative, exercise also gives side effect as the production of free radicals that can only be neutralize by anti-oxidants which are almost ignored. It’s like the impurities in the carburetor that can hampers your journey (fitness) by stopping or slowing down your vehicle (body).

I am quoting some benefits of healthy nutrition :

  1. Lowers cholesterol levels (VLDL/LDL)
  2. Maintained Blood Pressure
  3. Clean blood circulation
  4. Healthy colon and digestive system
  5. Healthy visceral organs
  6. Remain active
  7. Improved metabolism
  8. Treat some hormonal disorders like PCOD/PCOS, Thyroid etc.

Without above mentioned benefits one can’t run or walk on the way of fitness. Many fitness experts claim that exercise improves blood circulation or make the heart healthy, here the question arises if there is not much space in the blood vessels for blood to circulate (due to LDL rings and it can only be reduced by HDL that is taken not made through exercise) throughout the body, the recipient cells or tissues like muscles will not get proper nutrition and will remain deficient.

So, the ignored side is the first and the foremost step to attain healthy nutritional lifestyle and trigger  further thoughts of a smart physical workout. In my next post I will be discussing the role of psychology or thought power that can be very helpful in a healthy lifestyle.

Stay fit, stay happy!
Nitin

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