Exercise Naturally Builds Stronger Bones

Your bones are constantly being rebuilt in a dynamic process involving the removal of old bone through osteoclasts and regeneration of new, healthy bone by osteoblasts. Load-bearing exercise works to build stronger bones by stimulating cells responsible for the synthesis and mineralization of bone (osteoblasts).

Weight-bearing exercise is actually one of the most effective remedies against osteoporosis, because as you put more tension on your muscles it puts more pressure on your bones, which then respond by continuously creating fresh, new bone.

A good weight-bearing exercise to incorporate into your routine (depending on your current level of fitness, of course) is a walking lunge, as it helps build bone density in your hips, even without any additional weights. Running and jumping are also effective, as is weight training. As recently discussed in the New York Times:

"Sprinting and hopping are the most obvious and well-studied examples of high-impact exercises. In one recent study, women ages 25 to 50 who leaped like fleas at least 10 times in a row, twice per day for four months, significantly increased the density of their hipbones.

In another, more elaborate experiment from 2006, women who hopped and also lifted weights improved the density of their spines by about two percent compared to a control group, especially if the weight training targeted both the upper body and the legs. Women whose weight training focused only on the legs did not gain as much density in their spines." ... read more...

Intermittent Fasting - Key to Healthy Weight Loss

Intermittent Fasting and High-Intensity Exercise Is a Potent Combo for Weight Loss

When it comes to shedding unwanted pounds and reworking your fat-to-muscle ratio, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) combined with intermittent fasting is a winning combination that’s hard to beat. When you combine these two strategies, especially if you exercise in a fasted state, it effectively forces your body to shed fat because your body's fat burning processes are activated by exercise and lack of food. The good news is that you don’t have to keep on intermittent fasting forever if it doesn’t appeal to you long-term. Also if you are already your ideal weight, then there really isn’t much need to exercise fasting as it will limit your performance.

If you need to lose 50 pounds, you’re looking at about six months or so of intermittent fasting, after which you can revert back to eating more regularly. The caveat is that you also need to pay attention to the quality of the food you eat. Since both HIIT and intermittent fasting help shift your body from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel, it’s important to feed your body the right nutrients. Even on non-fasting days, it’s important to eat a diet that is:

.... read more...