It's no secret that almost everyone wants to be healthy, wealthy, loved, youthful and happy. Certainly, everyone has a right to pursue these qualities. It is a distinguishing feature of human beings. There isn't a person who'd choose disease, poverty and misfortune over health, wealth and happiness.
Though every human wants to experience the good life not every member of society works hard enough to achieve the desirable goals. Some expect things to come their way effortlessly, and even more often they want others to do things for them -- maybe it is their parents, grandparents, uncles, spouses, siblings, friends, teachers, coaches, doctors or coworkers. The same people don't want to admit that the main reason for their failures is their own laziness and deep-rooted bad habits. At times, they seem to ignore this meaningful truth -- that life-long health and success can only be accomplished through a person's own initiative, skills, abilities and knowledge. There is no other way.
No one else can live your life for you. This also means that no one would ever do your work for you better than you would do it yourself. It is foolish to deceive yourself with fruitless expectations that someone will magically appear in front of you and take care of your life, your future, your plans and dreams in a more reliable manner than you could do it for yourself. Every person has to be in charge of his or her own destiny! Therefore, stop relying upon others and start being persistent. Show initiative. Be confident in the decisions you make. Don't treat yourself like a puppy. Feeling sorry for yourself when you have piles of work to do is an exercise in futility -- just do it!
It has been proven that bad thoughts can poison our well-being while destroying health; in contrast, good thoughts can improve the way we feel. That's why we must learn how to think in a positive, optimistic, productive way -- and not give in to fear, frustration or depression. It is wise to remember that there is an exit from every situation. To find that exit you have to have self-confidence and be a happy soul.
Start the new day with a smile. While standing in front of the mirror in the morning, recollect some pleasant events or people from previous days. After you fix a smile on your face, it can make it easier to be friendly with the people around you. People shy away from a frown, but are drawn to a smile. Now that you've put on a happy face, begin to hum your favorite tune. Make an effort to keep the signs of joy on your face throughout the day. Just as a person who is depressed has that dull look, a person who feels happy usually has a radiant shining in their eyes. The happy individual walks straight, breaths normally, and moves in a lively and expressive fashion. The outward appearance reflects the inner joy!
To be happy most of the time, stay away from the people who sow sadness and dissension. Don't get close to difficult people. Seek out cheerful people who may become your good friends. Keep focusing on the positive aspects of life and take positive action whenever possible. Get a good night's sleep. Laugh as much as you can. Be kind to others. Don't forget that love is your biggest need -- there is no substitute. So, put your life in your own hands, live according to these rules, and you will be able to change your life and start living as a new person.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Getting Started In Track and Field
Here are some tips for getting yourself started in this exciting, rewarding sport. When I stop to trace my steps in the sport of track and field, the first picture that comes to mind is of myself as a young child running pell mell through the woods (or a meadow or at the beach or wherever I happened to be at the time), jumping over logs, racing against the wind just for the sake of feeling my body exert itself, propelling itself forward. I can still recall the exhilaration I felt whenever I let myself run full tilt. I would pretend I was the fastest track athlete in the world, flying through the air, leaping with no thought for landing style or grace. I raced the wind. I was the wind.
Now, I'm much slower, and I'm usually pushing my two children in a running stroller, but the thoughts of breathtaking speed are still there. One of my greatest hopes is that my children will develop the same passion for track and field that I once held and still harbor somewhere in my aging body. In fact, as I was researching the Masters Track and Field site (http://www.masterstrack.com), I realized that, while I may not run quite so impetuously as I did when I was a child, I could still manage to compete in my current age group. The question is how to accomplish this without taking too much time away from the other aspects of my life such as motherhood, work, my marriage, etc.
To answer this, I've devised a simple formula of sorts that I'd like to share with you. Revise it as necessary to fit your life. To begin, I realized that I might need some support and encouragement to achieve my goal, so my first step was to discuss my plan with my husband and family. After all, I would need help not only with childcare while I'm training, but every so often I might need someone to jumpstart my motivation if I'm having a less-than-energetic day. This support can take many forms; so don't limit yourself to my solution.
Next, I came up with a concrete goal: to run more races. I plan to start with the shorter races such as the 5K and 10K. Once I feel comfortable with those and am in better shape, I will try a half-marathon and then the big one, the marathon. Since the big one is still several months ahead of me, I will concentrate on the first part of this goal.
To do this, I need to determine what kind of shape I am in currently. Because I try to run five days a week for anywhere from three to eight miles per run, I figure that I am in decent shape and ought to be able to handle a short race. So, I will choose my race, preferably one that is local and occurring within two to three weeks. There are many different places that I could check to find a race. Good suggestions include: a local specialty running shoe store (such as Fleet Feet), the Parks and Recreation office in my city, the Chamber of Commerce, a current edition of Runner's World Magazine, or a local running club.
While my current running schedule is sufficient for fun runs, should I decide to compete more seriously in races or other track and field events, there are a variety of places to find training tips and coaching. Many of these are easily accessed online. Check out the featured links on this Web site for some suggestions. And, good luck. May your feet be swift and may you feel like a child again.
Now, I'm much slower, and I'm usually pushing my two children in a running stroller, but the thoughts of breathtaking speed are still there. One of my greatest hopes is that my children will develop the same passion for track and field that I once held and still harbor somewhere in my aging body. In fact, as I was researching the Masters Track and Field site (http://www.masterstrack.com), I realized that, while I may not run quite so impetuously as I did when I was a child, I could still manage to compete in my current age group. The question is how to accomplish this without taking too much time away from the other aspects of my life such as motherhood, work, my marriage, etc.
To answer this, I've devised a simple formula of sorts that I'd like to share with you. Revise it as necessary to fit your life. To begin, I realized that I might need some support and encouragement to achieve my goal, so my first step was to discuss my plan with my husband and family. After all, I would need help not only with childcare while I'm training, but every so often I might need someone to jumpstart my motivation if I'm having a less-than-energetic day. This support can take many forms; so don't limit yourself to my solution.
Next, I came up with a concrete goal: to run more races. I plan to start with the shorter races such as the 5K and 10K. Once I feel comfortable with those and am in better shape, I will try a half-marathon and then the big one, the marathon. Since the big one is still several months ahead of me, I will concentrate on the first part of this goal.
To do this, I need to determine what kind of shape I am in currently. Because I try to run five days a week for anywhere from three to eight miles per run, I figure that I am in decent shape and ought to be able to handle a short race. So, I will choose my race, preferably one that is local and occurring within two to three weeks. There are many different places that I could check to find a race. Good suggestions include: a local specialty running shoe store (such as Fleet Feet), the Parks and Recreation office in my city, the Chamber of Commerce, a current edition of Runner's World Magazine, or a local running club.
While my current running schedule is sufficient for fun runs, should I decide to compete more seriously in races or other track and field events, there are a variety of places to find training tips and coaching. Many of these are easily accessed online. Check out the featured links on this Web site for some suggestions. And, good luck. May your feet be swift and may you feel like a child again.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Strength Training and Aging
Everyone describes Joe as 'the nicest man.' He exercises at my club nearly every day, happily chit-chatting with fellow members as he pumps iron almost effortlessly. A talented and busy photographer, Joe is the picture of health. Joe is also 79 years old.
The results have been astounding. Recent research has uncovered a simple truth that shatters our beliefs about growing old: Much of aging can be prevented, or even reversed, through strength training. In fact, when put on a regular strength program, even 85-year-old men and women can expect results comparable to those of their 25-year-old grandchildren.
It all became public news with a landmark study in 1994, published in the New England Journal of Medicine. One hundred frail nursing home residents, ages 72-98 were put on a 10-week strength program. As a result, muscular strength improved by 113 percent, walking speed increased 12 percent, and stair climbing power increased 28 percent. Several residents were even able to leave their canes behind. Around the same time, another study found that one year of strength training improved spinal bone density by six percent. This is a significant finding considering that bone density decreased by four percent in the control group.
Strength training and aging soon became a hot topic among exercise scientists, leading to a host of studies that, to date, boast the following incredible conclusions:
- Strength training can help prevent weight gain. In fact, it would be hard to keep weight off without it. Starting in midlife, we gain about 10 pounds each year. Much of this weight gain is due to a progressive loss of muscle and decrease in metabolism. Dieting can cause additional muscle loss, making the problem even worse! Strength training will boost metabolism and prevent the age-related decline in muscle, so that you can eat well, burn more calories (even at rest), and take off weight -- permanently.
- Strength training builds bone density in men and women. Along with dietary measures, it is the best thing you can do to prevent, or perhaps reverse, osteoporosis.
- Strength training improves balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls.
- Strength training can lower blood pressure.
- Strength training improves glucose metabolism by increasing insulin activity.
- Strength training can preserve physical function in those with chronic conditions such as arthritis, hypertension and heart disease, and promote independent living.
- Strength training strengthens the joints and is essential for retaining flexibility, especially in arthritic joints.
- Strength training boosts self-confidence, alleviates stress and counteracts depression.
- Strength training improves the quality of sleep.
- Strength training can increase bowel transit time, which may reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Older adults can improve their health, reduce risk of disease and literally transform their lives through a program of strength training. The implications of these findings are strikingly significant; given that by the year 2010 people aged 55-74 will outnumber 25-34-year-olds by 18 million. Furthermore, according to a report by the National Institute on Aging, delaying nursing home stays by only one month would result in a savings of four billion dollars annually.
You don't have to become a "gym rat" to benefit. Twice weekly sessions that work all the major muscle groups in the body are sufficient to notably improve health. It's important to get your doctor's approval before you get started; there may be medical considerations that affect choice of exercises and intensity of training.
Here's an excellent exercise to get you started at home: the "Squat." This exercise will work the muscles in your legs and buttocks. Begin by standing with a chair or bench behind you. Squat down to sit in the chair, keeping back straight, looking straight ahead. As soon as you sit, immediately straighten up to standing position. Perform a set of about 15 repetitions. When you have perfected this exercise, you can try it without a chair, being certain to keep back straight, weight in the heels, knees over ankles. You may want to join a gym or see a personal trainer to learn appropriate exercises and their proper execution.
It's never too late to start, never! With a strength-training program you can turn back the hands of time, at least a little bit. And like Joe, you may be able to enjoy a productive life through advancing years, in excellent health.
Fitness for Seniors: If You Do Not Use It, You Will Lose It!
Not long ago, it was 'accepted knowledge' that older people could not increase their muscle strength nor their muscle mass. Now, fortunately, this myth has been dispelled.
In 1989, researchers from Tufts and Harvard Universities undertook a study of older people in their late 80s and 90s. The researchers worked with a group of frail elderly residents at Boston's Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged. These residents had multiple functional problems, chronic conditions and were very sedentary.
At the beginning of the project, the project participants, whose average age was 90, were tested to determine the heaviest weights that they could lift with their legs. Following this initial test, they began a program of weight training. They did three sets composed of eight weightlifting repetitions, each for three days a week. They worked out with weights that were 80 percent of the maximum weight that they could lift.
After two weeks, they were retested and the weights were increased. At the end of six weeks, the group had increased their muscle strength on average by 180 percent. What is more, none of the participants had reached a plateau. As a result of their increased muscle strength, their average walking speed increased 48 percent, two participants no longer needed their canes and one participant was able to rise from a chair without using the chair arms.
All of the participants resumed their sedentary lifestyles at the end of the program. The researchers then retested them and found a 32-percent loss in maximum strength after only four weeks of de-training. The moral of this story is, "If you don't use it, you'll lose it." The happy ending is that you can regain your fitness and strength at almost any age. This will help you to retain or regain your independence and freedom while adding to your good looks.
Weight training is as essential to good physical health in your later years as is aerobic exercise. It strengthens your muscles and bones, and there are indications that it is helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. Weight training also increases the strength of ligaments and tendons so that less stress is placed on your joints. In the past, people with high blood pressure, heart disease and conditions such as arthritis were warned to avoid using weights. But researchers in the Tufts and Harvard study found that weight training had no adverse effect on blood pressure or heart function. They advise that strengthening your muscles, tendons and ligaments actually helps to ease pressure on the joints.
Weight training can either be with free weights such as barbells and dumbbells, or with specially designed equipment that works various parts of the body. Weight training can be used to increase your muscle strength or your muscle endurance.
If you have not worked with weights before, be sure to have a qualified person instruct you in their use and have him or her set up a program of exercise that includes the specified number of repetitions to be done in each set as you progress toward your goal. Muscle strengthening exercises should be done for at least 20 minutes, three times a week.
A program of calisthenics, isometric and stretching exercises combined with dance will enable you to develop muscle strength and endurance as well as flexibility and cardio-pulmonary fitness. Joining a class or renting or buying videos made by qualified instructors (not just movie stars) is a good way to get in shape and to avoid mishaps. Many dance classes, especially those in ballet, modern and aerobic dance include calisthenics, isometric and stretching exercises as part of the routine.
Staying physically fit can give you a body that performs and looks like those of people years younger than your chronological age. At the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, physically fit men in their mid-50s were compared to inactive men in their mid-20s. The results were astounding. Active older men had lower resting heart rates (64 beats per minute vs. 85 beats per minute for the younger men), in addition to higher oxygen uptake during maximum exercise and slower heart beats in the first minute after exercise than the men in their 20s who did not keep fit. What is more, the older men weighed an average of 166 pounds compared to 192 pounds for the younger sedentary men.
As we age, it is important to pay more attention to our exercise programs. We lose muscle mass more easily the older we get, yet through consistent weight training and other forms of exercise, we will be able to keep it rather than lose it.
In 1989, researchers from Tufts and Harvard Universities undertook a study of older people in their late 80s and 90s. The researchers worked with a group of frail elderly residents at Boston's Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged. These residents had multiple functional problems, chronic conditions and were very sedentary.
At the beginning of the project, the project participants, whose average age was 90, were tested to determine the heaviest weights that they could lift with their legs. Following this initial test, they began a program of weight training. They did three sets composed of eight weightlifting repetitions, each for three days a week. They worked out with weights that were 80 percent of the maximum weight that they could lift.
After two weeks, they were retested and the weights were increased. At the end of six weeks, the group had increased their muscle strength on average by 180 percent. What is more, none of the participants had reached a plateau. As a result of their increased muscle strength, their average walking speed increased 48 percent, two participants no longer needed their canes and one participant was able to rise from a chair without using the chair arms.
All of the participants resumed their sedentary lifestyles at the end of the program. The researchers then retested them and found a 32-percent loss in maximum strength after only four weeks of de-training. The moral of this story is, "If you don't use it, you'll lose it." The happy ending is that you can regain your fitness and strength at almost any age. This will help you to retain or regain your independence and freedom while adding to your good looks.
Weight training is as essential to good physical health in your later years as is aerobic exercise. It strengthens your muscles and bones, and there are indications that it is helpful in lowering cholesterol levels. Weight training also increases the strength of ligaments and tendons so that less stress is placed on your joints. In the past, people with high blood pressure, heart disease and conditions such as arthritis were warned to avoid using weights. But researchers in the Tufts and Harvard study found that weight training had no adverse effect on blood pressure or heart function. They advise that strengthening your muscles, tendons and ligaments actually helps to ease pressure on the joints.
Weight training can either be with free weights such as barbells and dumbbells, or with specially designed equipment that works various parts of the body. Weight training can be used to increase your muscle strength or your muscle endurance.
If you have not worked with weights before, be sure to have a qualified person instruct you in their use and have him or her set up a program of exercise that includes the specified number of repetitions to be done in each set as you progress toward your goal. Muscle strengthening exercises should be done for at least 20 minutes, three times a week.
A program of calisthenics, isometric and stretching exercises combined with dance will enable you to develop muscle strength and endurance as well as flexibility and cardio-pulmonary fitness. Joining a class or renting or buying videos made by qualified instructors (not just movie stars) is a good way to get in shape and to avoid mishaps. Many dance classes, especially those in ballet, modern and aerobic dance include calisthenics, isometric and stretching exercises as part of the routine.
Staying physically fit can give you a body that performs and looks like those of people years younger than your chronological age. At the VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, physically fit men in their mid-50s were compared to inactive men in their mid-20s. The results were astounding. Active older men had lower resting heart rates (64 beats per minute vs. 85 beats per minute for the younger men), in addition to higher oxygen uptake during maximum exercise and slower heart beats in the first minute after exercise than the men in their 20s who did not keep fit. What is more, the older men weighed an average of 166 pounds compared to 192 pounds for the younger sedentary men.
As we age, it is important to pay more attention to our exercise programs. We lose muscle mass more easily the older we get, yet through consistent weight training and other forms of exercise, we will be able to keep it rather than lose it.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Journaling as a Tool for Body, Mind, Spirit Balance
No doubt about it, we live in a complex world full of a multitude of traditional and alternative approaches to almost every area of life. Opinions on the topics of health, wellness and fitness vary across a wide scale. But there is one concept upon which medical professionals, alternative practitioners, and health and fitness enthusiasts agree. It is the acceptance that there is a definite connection between the body's state of health or wellness to one's mental and emotional well-being, and to a person's sense of spiritual connection and expression. Simply stated, the body, mind, spirit connection does exist, and these days it is getting attention from nearly every corner.
When medical science cannot find the cause for a patient's symptoms, she is very often sent to a therapist who can assist in seeking the mental and emotional causes for illness or pain in the body. In turn, many therapists now look at the client's sense of spiritual connection and expression as well as psychological phenomenon in order to help discover the causes for unease. And more often than not, somewhere along the line, one person in the professional team will find needs that are not being met in one or more of these aspects of a person's life.
In this fast-paced world we have created, it is the rare individual who manages to keep all the balls in the air all the time. Sooner or later one area of life demands more than its equal share of our time and attention, and as we turn our focus to our need to lose weight, our desire to be in better physical shape, our wish to feel healthy, well-balanced, contented and fulfilled, some other area of our being gets shortchanged. We drop one of the body, mind, spirit balls that we have been juggling.
If it is our body that has been shortchanged, it will often manifest pain or fatigue, giving us every chance to pay attention before it goes into all out illness. If we are neglecting our emotional or mental needs, our relationships will likely suffer or fail to help us feel fulfilled, and off we go for counseling to see what is the matter with the people in our lives. How can we handle them better? How can we meet our needs and theirs too on only 24 hours a day? And in increasing numbers, people have been sensing the need for spiritual connection and expression in order to know and live as their best and whole selves.
So, what is the best way to deal with this delicate balance of Body, Mind and Spirit that makes us the magnificent beings we are capable of being? Today there seem to be as many different paths to personal wisdom in this area as there are people on the planet. Some will attend class after class seeking what they feel is missing from their lives. Some will try every vitamin, herb and alternative care program out there in an attempt to feel fit and energetic but never stabilize on one. Others will go from ashram to Buddhist Temple to Kundalini workshops in search of some enlightened one who can show them a simple way to contentment and a sense of self-fulfillment.
But individuals in growing numbers are seeking ways to access a deeper part of themselves, to enrich their day-to-day experiences and to give attention to each part of their sacred being. Many have found their way to take this inner journey through a process called "journaling."
What exactly is journaling? The answer to that question is as unique as each one who undertakes this form of practice. It can be as simple as keeping a diary of daily events, lists of symptoms or feelings, or as complex as telling your story and becoming the central character of your own life. Journaling is a natural process that anyone can make available to themselves and use in whatever way they choose to help create self-understanding, self-honesty and awareness of their body, their mind and their spirit, the roles that each of these aspects wants to play in enriching the journaler's experience of life.
This form of self-exploration through journal writing is an inexpensive, portable, creative outlet in which there are no rights, no wrongs, no authority except oneself, no rules and no censors. It is one place where we can look at what our body is feeling and be honest about our fears without panicking everyone around us. It is where we can rage against the injustices in our lives, calm ourselves enough to be honest about the part we play in those events, and examine the effect our emotions are having on our behaviors and the people we are drawing into our lives. It is where we can come to know ourselves as having our own answers, or at least having direct access to wisdom that we were not even aware we possessed.
Journaling can be done anywhere, any time. And any thought, any pain, any satisfaction, any relationship, any vision, anything can serve as a source of inspiration. The journaling experience can be a journey into the Self, a discovery of Self as your own best expert, a taking charge of creating wellness in your life rather than becoming victim of illness that you need to then work to rid your body of, a record of the thrill of sculpting your body into a more accurate expression of the splendid creation that you are.
To get started you do not need any special writing talent, misspelling and incorrect grammar are all right. All you do need is paper, a writing instrument and a desire no matter how small to express or to know your Self, to create an enriching balance in our life. You will not need to rearrange your life to benefit from this creative self-expression You don't even need large blocks of time. And yet the rewards can be so great.
When medical science cannot find the cause for a patient's symptoms, she is very often sent to a therapist who can assist in seeking the mental and emotional causes for illness or pain in the body. In turn, many therapists now look at the client's sense of spiritual connection and expression as well as psychological phenomenon in order to help discover the causes for unease. And more often than not, somewhere along the line, one person in the professional team will find needs that are not being met in one or more of these aspects of a person's life.
In this fast-paced world we have created, it is the rare individual who manages to keep all the balls in the air all the time. Sooner or later one area of life demands more than its equal share of our time and attention, and as we turn our focus to our need to lose weight, our desire to be in better physical shape, our wish to feel healthy, well-balanced, contented and fulfilled, some other area of our being gets shortchanged. We drop one of the body, mind, spirit balls that we have been juggling.
If it is our body that has been shortchanged, it will often manifest pain or fatigue, giving us every chance to pay attention before it goes into all out illness. If we are neglecting our emotional or mental needs, our relationships will likely suffer or fail to help us feel fulfilled, and off we go for counseling to see what is the matter with the people in our lives. How can we handle them better? How can we meet our needs and theirs too on only 24 hours a day? And in increasing numbers, people have been sensing the need for spiritual connection and expression in order to know and live as their best and whole selves.
So, what is the best way to deal with this delicate balance of Body, Mind and Spirit that makes us the magnificent beings we are capable of being? Today there seem to be as many different paths to personal wisdom in this area as there are people on the planet. Some will attend class after class seeking what they feel is missing from their lives. Some will try every vitamin, herb and alternative care program out there in an attempt to feel fit and energetic but never stabilize on one. Others will go from ashram to Buddhist Temple to Kundalini workshops in search of some enlightened one who can show them a simple way to contentment and a sense of self-fulfillment.
But individuals in growing numbers are seeking ways to access a deeper part of themselves, to enrich their day-to-day experiences and to give attention to each part of their sacred being. Many have found their way to take this inner journey through a process called "journaling."
What exactly is journaling? The answer to that question is as unique as each one who undertakes this form of practice. It can be as simple as keeping a diary of daily events, lists of symptoms or feelings, or as complex as telling your story and becoming the central character of your own life. Journaling is a natural process that anyone can make available to themselves and use in whatever way they choose to help create self-understanding, self-honesty and awareness of their body, their mind and their spirit, the roles that each of these aspects wants to play in enriching the journaler's experience of life.
This form of self-exploration through journal writing is an inexpensive, portable, creative outlet in which there are no rights, no wrongs, no authority except oneself, no rules and no censors. It is one place where we can look at what our body is feeling and be honest about our fears without panicking everyone around us. It is where we can rage against the injustices in our lives, calm ourselves enough to be honest about the part we play in those events, and examine the effect our emotions are having on our behaviors and the people we are drawing into our lives. It is where we can come to know ourselves as having our own answers, or at least having direct access to wisdom that we were not even aware we possessed.
Journaling can be done anywhere, any time. And any thought, any pain, any satisfaction, any relationship, any vision, anything can serve as a source of inspiration. The journaling experience can be a journey into the Self, a discovery of Self as your own best expert, a taking charge of creating wellness in your life rather than becoming victim of illness that you need to then work to rid your body of, a record of the thrill of sculpting your body into a more accurate expression of the splendid creation that you are.
To get started you do not need any special writing talent, misspelling and incorrect grammar are all right. All you do need is paper, a writing instrument and a desire no matter how small to express or to know your Self, to create an enriching balance in our life. You will not need to rearrange your life to benefit from this creative self-expression You don't even need large blocks of time. And yet the rewards can be so great.
Basics of Biomechanics, Muscle Physiology and Energy Systems for Athletes
Athletes who want to do their best need to have knowledge of at least some of the basic facts of anatomy, biomechanics, muscle physiology, and energy metabolism and how they influence strength training and endurance training programs. While most athletes may not need to know as much as the scientist in the laboratory, he or she needs to know enough to judge the suitability of different training methods for their given sport.
HOW THE BODY MOVES
The body moves when muscles contract. The muscles connect two or more bones that meet in articulating joints. One end of the muscle is attached by a tendon, a strong, rope-like cord made from collagen, to a bone at a point close to the center of the body. That point is referred to as the origin of the muscle. The other end of the muscle is attached by another tendon to a point on a bone further away from the center of the body. This point of attachment is called the insertion. The contracting muscle pulls the insertion point closer to the origin. The bones are used as levers to move the body and apply force to external objects. The bones are designed to fit together to provide ease of motion and stability. The ends of the bones are covered with articular cartilage that prevents friction from wearing down the parts of the bones that are in contact with each other. The bones are held together by ligaments and the joint capsule. Both are made of connective tissue, collagen fibers.
WHAT IS MUSCLE?
Muscles are comprised of long, thin cells collectively known as muscle fibers. The muscles contract when stimulated by a motor nerve. The motor nerve is comprised of bundles of cells called neurons that are designed to conduct changes in electrical charge along the surface of the cells. These charges are the result of the exchange of positive sodium ions on the outside of the cell membrane of the neuron for negatively charged potassium ions on the inside of the cell membrane of the neuron. Between each neuron are gaps called synapses through which the nerve impulse is conveyed via a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. When the receptor sites on the end of a cell are filled with acetylcholine molecules, the nerve impulse is conveyed along the surface of the neuron to the next nerve junction until the last neuron intersects the neuromuscular junction. The nerve impulse stimulates the receptor sites to release calcium into the muscle cells, causing them to contract. Each neuron stimulates a certain number of muscle fibers. The strength of the impulse is determined by the number of neurons conveying the command to contract, which determines the force of the contraction.
The contractile element of the muscle fiber is called the myofibril. The myofibrils are composed of a linear element called actin, which are linked to each other by cross-bridges called myosin. Under the electron microscope, the interior of the muscle fiber resembles an aerial view of rowing crews. The cross bridges pull together, shortening the cell. As the muscle fiber contracts, the cross-bridges unlink, then link to a position farther down the actin filament, creating greater contraction. Each cell is linked longitudinally to the next. The muscle cells become shorter and thicker around the middle as they contract. This makes the entire muscle change shape the same way.
These fibers are grouped into bundles surrounded by a sheath of connective tissue. At each end, the muscle tapers to a tendon. The muscle contraction is comprised of the directed contraction of a however many of the muscle fibers as is necessary to perform the function required. The force of the contraction is directly proportional to the percentage of the muscle fibers that are contracting, and the amount of force each individual fiber can generate. Individual muscle fibers either contract completely, or not at all. That is called the all-or-none principle. In essence, the contraction of a muscle cell is like the state of an electric light. It is either on or it is off.
Most natural movements of the body are multi-joint and use a number of muscle groups working together. The muscle(s) that provides most of the function for a particular movement is known as prime movers. Muscles that assist the prime movers are called secondary movers. Muscles that oppose the prime movers are known as antagonists, muscles that statically hold the body in position are known as stabilizers.
MUSCLE FIBER TYPES AND FUNCTIONS
Muscles are comprised of two basic types of contractile fibers. Type I muscle fibers are also known as the oxidative type or slow-twitch fibers. They don't contract very fast or forcefully, but have great endurance. This high level of endurance is due to the abundance of fat-burning enzymes to help use fat as a fuel in moderate intensity, long-term exercise. It doesn't grow (hypertrophy) to any large degree. The other basic type of muscle fiber is the Type II or fast-twitch fibers. There are two subtypes of type I fiber. Muscle Fiber Type IIb contracts rapidly and with great force, growing large when subjected to high workloads. But, this type of fiber fatigues rapidly. Type IIb fibers have an abundance of glycolytic enzymes to burn sugar as fuel without oxygen. Muscle fiber type IIa has capabilities intermediate between the other type I and type IIb, but can convert to Type I with extensive and long-term endurance training. Type IIa and Type IIb fibers are collectively known as Fast-twitch fibers. Every muscle of every person has some of all three muscle fiber types. However, some muscles have a predominance of whatever type of fibers best fulfill the function of those muscles.
Weight Training with low resistance tends to develop strength of contraction in Type I fibers, while not stimulating any training effect on Type IIb fibers. Type I fibers are the first to contract in any movement. When the speed and force of contraction increases, Type IIa fibers contract as well as Type I fibers. Type IIb fibers only contract when the greatest amounts of speed and force are required.
Type I muscle fibers do not experience much hypertrophy (growth) in the contractile filaments when exercised, they primarily increase the number and size of the mitochondria. Mitochondria are subcellular structures responsible for oxidative production of energy in the muscle cell. Type IIa and IIb fibers respond to high intensity exercise by increasing the amount of contractile proteins in the cells and the intracellular fluid. Endurance exercise doesn't produce much muscular growth, while anaerobic and strength training does produce significant muscular growth. This is because the Type II muscle fibers, which are more likely to exhibit hypertrophy than Type I, are only used during high intensity exercise.
One can use the metaphor of electric lights in an office building to compare the operations of each muscle fiber type. Let us now suppose that there are three different types of lights. The emergency lights that illuminate the emergency exit signs are just bright enough to be seen, these lights are not very bright, but are always turned on first and they last for a very long time. These first lights are comparable to the Type I muscle fibers.
The second type of lights are normal florescent office lights. They are more powerful, but burn out more frequently than the emergency lights. These are turned on for usual workday use. Those lights are comparable to the Type IIa muscle fibers. Then there are powerful spotlights that are only used when an unusual amount of light is required. These are very powerful and produce 1,000,000 candlepower, but can only be used for a very short period of time before they burn out. The spotlights represent the Type IIb muscle fibers. The emergency exit lights are used first, and continue to be on whenever the lights are used. The fluorescent office lights are turned on next, with the emergency lights still burning. Finally, the spotlights are used only when the greatest amount of light is required, assisted by all the other lights still burning.
The average person has approximately 50% Type I fibers and 50% Type II fibers. Some people tend to have a predominance of one type and therefore have a greater potential to develop the performance characteristics possessed by that fiber type. Those who have a high percentage of Type I muscle fibers have an easier time developing endurance, while those who have a high percentage of Type II muscle fibers develop greater strength, speed and muscle size.
People with a high neuromuscular efficiency can contract a greater percentage of their muscle fibers with more synchronization than most other people. These people can generate more speed and force out of the fibers they possess. That can explain the unusually great strength seen in some average or small people. Other factors include leverages created by the insertion point of the muscle into the bone, and the relative lengths of limbs. These factors determine how much of the force is delivered in usable form to the object or body part on which the force is exerted.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Dangers of Fad Diets
Fad diets can be attractive if you want to get slim and trim for a holiday or a coming wedding. If you are really lucky and persistent, you will be in good shape in time but the honeymoon will be short lived. You may find the weight piling on even before the holiday is over. This is because what you actually lose is water and not fat. The loss of water from the body results in lowering of weight but as soon as the water accumulates in the body you tend to gain your lost weight.
What are fad diets?
Fad diets are diets that emphasize a particular food or a type of food. This means that such diets put you on one kind of food for days at stretch. Hence a fad diet goes completely against the principles of good nutrition, which implies eating a wide variety of foods every day so as to include all the nutrients daily. Remember no one food is rich in a particular nutrient that helps you stay healthy. So deficiencies tend to set in if you are on a fad diet for a long period.
The success of fad diets
Fad diets work great in the beginning as initial results show a weight loss. However, no matter what the claims, fad diets can never make up for healthy eating habits. Fad diets require you to take in special pills and foods that are formulated to increase urination. In this way, a lot of water is lost from the body. But along with water you also lose a number of vital vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body. The amount of weight you lose is proportional to the density of water. The density of water is 1g/cubic cm. So, if you lose 1 liter of water, you will lose 1 kg of weight.
Some fad diets, though unbalanced, work well in people but lack the taste and nutrition of a healthy diet. You may enjoy it initially and adhere to it strictly but soon you will find it difficult to maintain such an unappealing and boring diet. In due course of time you may find yourself weighing less, but the minute you start eating some goodies you will add on to the already existing fat cell and gain weight, which will not be easy to lose.
Fad diets are dangerous
Fad diets can lead to death. Shocking, isn't it? But it is the truth. This is because these diets lack the nutrients and the energy that the body needs. A diet too low in calories can lead to a feeling of tiredness, irritation and muscle cramps. Lack of proteins and carbohydrates also results in dizziness, fatigue and many other illnesses.
Hence the next time you want to lose weight, avoid fad diets and lose weight in a healthy and sustained manner.
What are fad diets?
Fad diets are diets that emphasize a particular food or a type of food. This means that such diets put you on one kind of food for days at stretch. Hence a fad diet goes completely against the principles of good nutrition, which implies eating a wide variety of foods every day so as to include all the nutrients daily. Remember no one food is rich in a particular nutrient that helps you stay healthy. So deficiencies tend to set in if you are on a fad diet for a long period.
The success of fad diets
Fad diets work great in the beginning as initial results show a weight loss. However, no matter what the claims, fad diets can never make up for healthy eating habits. Fad diets require you to take in special pills and foods that are formulated to increase urination. In this way, a lot of water is lost from the body. But along with water you also lose a number of vital vitamins and minerals, which are necessary for the proper functioning of the body. The amount of weight you lose is proportional to the density of water. The density of water is 1g/cubic cm. So, if you lose 1 liter of water, you will lose 1 kg of weight.
Some fad diets, though unbalanced, work well in people but lack the taste and nutrition of a healthy diet. You may enjoy it initially and adhere to it strictly but soon you will find it difficult to maintain such an unappealing and boring diet. In due course of time you may find yourself weighing less, but the minute you start eating some goodies you will add on to the already existing fat cell and gain weight, which will not be easy to lose.
Fad diets are dangerous
Fad diets can lead to death. Shocking, isn't it? But it is the truth. This is because these diets lack the nutrients and the energy that the body needs. A diet too low in calories can lead to a feeling of tiredness, irritation and muscle cramps. Lack of proteins and carbohydrates also results in dizziness, fatigue and many other illnesses.
Hence the next time you want to lose weight, avoid fad diets and lose weight in a healthy and sustained manner.
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