Excuse-proof your workout Studies have shown that regular exercise can actually increase your energy level. We make excuses to reduce our discomfort about not doing something, expert says Getting into the exercise habit can lead to a "healthy obsession" Top excuses for not exercising include lack of time and lack of energy (Health.com) -- We all have our reasons for not working out. "We make excuses to reduce what's called cognitive dissonance," says Dan Kirschenbaum, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University Medical School. That's not to say you're lazy; it's a normal response. Until then, here's how to overcome your top four gym deterrents (as revealed in a Health.com poll). Excuses for regular exercise She's doing what at 8 months pregnant? Michelle Obama: First lady of fitness Health.com: 30-minute workout, no gym required The excuse: I'm too pooped. The reality: It's the number-one reason you blow off workouts. Health.com: How to get more energy, from morning to night The key?
No time? Work out like a 'corporate athlete' Seven minutes. That's the amount of time it takes to complete the high-intensity circuit training program Chris Jordan designed to help his clients lose weight and get fit. Repeat the circuit two to three times and your workout is over. You'll sweat. "(High-intensity circuit training) is growing in popularity because of its efficiency and practicality for a time-constrained society," Jordan writes in the May/June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine's Health & Fitness Journal. Jordan is the director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute, where he developed the fitness programming portion of their Corporate Athlete program for business executives looking to improve their performance -- in and out of the office. A workout a day may keep cancer away The Human Performance Institute was formed more than 30 years ago by doctors Jim Loehr and Jack Groppel. "Business executives, much like athletes, have to perform under pressure. Excuse-proof your workout
Healthy Weight: Losing Weight: Improving Your Eating Habits | DNPAO | CDC Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to page options Skip directly to site content Get Email Updates To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Our Division CDCHealthy WeightLosing Weight Improving Your Eating Habits Language: English Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook Tweet When it comes to eating, we have strong habits. Making sudden, radical changes to eating habits such as eating nothing but cabbage soup, can lead to short term weight loss. REFLECT on all of your specific eating habits, both bad and good; and, your common triggers for unhealthy eating. Reflect, Replace, Reinforce: A process for improving your eating habits Create a list of your eating habits. Common triggers for eating when not hungry are: Opening up the cabinet and seeing your favorite snack food. Want to learn more? Losing Weight( is healthy weight loss and why should you bother? File Formats Help: Top
Healthy Weight: Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight: Portion Size | DNPAO | CDC Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to navigation Skip directly to page options Skip directly to site content Get Email Updates To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Our Division CDCHealthy WeightHealthy Eating for a Healthy WeightCutting Calories How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight Language: English Español (Spanish) Recommend on Facebook Tweet When eating at many restaurants, it's hard to miss that portion sizes have gotten larger in the last few years. ( This is also available as a Print-friendly game board brochure[PDF-816KB]( Portion control when eating out. Portion control when eating in. Portion control in front of the TV. Go ahead, spoil your dinner. Be aware of large packages. Out of sight, out of mind. Replace the candy dish with a fruit bowl. Related Resources File Formats Help: Top
Three Heart-Rate Monitor Mistakes Everyone Makes Avoid these and you will be well on your way toward getting the most out of your device. A heart rate monitor can be a useful piece of training equipment. Heart rate is a reliable indicator of exercise intensity, so training with one can help you work hard enough but not too hard in each workout. But using this type of device will not automatically make your training more effective. As with any piece of equipment, there is a right way to use a heart rate monitor, and there are numerous possible mistakes you can make with it. There are three mistakes in the use of heart rate monitors that are especially common. FILED UNDER: Training TAGS: heart rate monitors / Heart Rate Training / resting heart rate / speed workouts
Get In The Zone: The Pros Of Heart-Rate Training For Runners Learn how to utilize fat as fuel, improve efficiency and better gauge intensity by training in the right zones. When you think of an easy run, thoughts of runners cruising down the sidewalk, rocking out to the beat in their headphones at a comfortable clip probably come to mind. Unknowingly, however, most runners don’t really run all that easy on their easy runs. To help runners and other endurance athletes keep their easy runs easy and their hard workouts at the correct intensity, more and more coaches are relying on heart-rate training. RELATED: Three Heart-Rate Monitor Mistakes Everyone Makes During exercise, the body utilizes two primary sources of fuel, namely carbohydrates and fats. To determine an athlete’s metabolic efficiency and identify their target heart-rate training zones, Steinle uses treadmill and bike tests. RELATED: Using Heart Rate To Measure Overtraining FILED UNDER: Training TAGS: Heart Rate Training / interval workouts / Long Runs / Overtraining / Tempo Runs
Running 101: Training With A Heart Rate Monitor Heart rate monitors are useful, but hardly essential. Many runners wear heart rate monitors while they run. Should you? Heart rate monitors are not the essential training tools that some advocates make them out to be. When used properly, they can be valuable training aids. But even when used properly, they are subject to certain limitations and should not be relied on too heavily. The basic rationale for wearing a heart rate monitor while running is that heart rate is an indicator of exercise intensity. To do this, you first need to determine your individual heart rate response to running intensity. RELATED: The Pros Of Heart Rate Training Put on your heart rate monitor and jog for two to three minutes at a very comfortable pace. Heart rate-based training involves targeting different heart rate zones in different workouts. Each zone carries its own benefits and is appropriate for different types of workouts. Zone 5a is your lactate threshold intensity. About The Author:
Calculate Your Training Heart Rate Zones Heart-rate training indicates if your aerobic activity is too easy, just right, or too exhaustive an effort to keep pace with your training goals. Heart-rate training benefits everyone, from the beginning exerciser trying to lose weight, to individuals trying to improve their cardiovascular fitness, to the highly conditioned athlete preparing for the next competition. The key to making progress is to elevate your heart rate into the correct training zone, so your effort matches your goals. Here are seven easy-to-follow steps that will help you calculate your ideal heart-rate training zone. More: Target Heart Rate Calculator Calculate Your Maximum Heart Rate The easiest way to do this is a simple paper-and-pencil calculation. This method does not take into account your fitness level or inherited genes, which can make your true maximum heart rate 10 to 20 beats per minute higher or lower than the age-predicted number. More: How to Train with a Power Meter Determine Your Resting Heart Rate
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