The first thing that you can do to help you increase your energy levels is to get on a consistent meal plan. Organizing your food intake into scheduled events throughtout the day helps to ensure that that there is enough energy coming in to sustain your physical daily requirements.
Once your food is under control then you can look to supplements to help ensure that all of your daily requirements are met. Start off with a good multi-vitamin once a day. This should help to top-off all of your essentials and then, I would also add a B-vitamin on top of that. These are the most effective for helping to increase energy levels! Taken with breakfast, they also help to reduce stress.
Ginseng can be a good compliment to your energy boosting process. This has to be taken consistently everyday for several days before you can benefit from it though. It is most effective when taken in tea and should help to energize your body and fuel your workouts.
©2009 One80.com. All Rights Reserved.
Step 1: Hip Extension
Feel the burn in your hamstrings and glutes with this exercise. On a step or platform, lie facedown with hips on the edge of the step, legs straight with toes resting lightly on the floor. Squeeze the glutes and hamstrings and straighten the legs until they are level with the hips. Hold for 2-3 seconds, and lower letting toes lightly touch the floor. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Step 3: Outer Thigh Leg Lift
When you work your outer thigh, you’re actually working your butt. This exercise can be done standing or lying on your side. While standing, simply lift the leg out to the side, a few feet off the floor. Keep hip, knee and foot in line and foot flexed. Repeat 8-12 times on each leg. For more intensity, add a 1-5 pound ankle weight
Step 4: Deadlift
Deadlifts are great for your hamstrings, butt and lower back, but form is critical! Stand with feet hip-width apart, weight in front of thighs. Keeping back flat and abs in, tip forward from the hips and lower your torso until bar hits mid-shin. Squeeze butt to raise back up. Keep the bar close to your legs through the entire movement–don’t bend the knees! Do 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
©2009 One80.com. All Rights Reserved.
If you are looking to get the most out of your workout in the shortest time possible then you may want to go it alone. A recent study in the journal of Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise found that individuals are more likely to push themselves to the max when they workout alone. It seems that when you don’t have to worry about someone else’s pace, strength or ability that you workout at a higher intensity.
But thats not to say that there are definite perks of a fitness buddy. People who workout with a friend stay in the gym twice as long and tend to hit the gym more regularly, probably because time flies when you are having fun. The pace at which they workout at, however tends to suffer, and we can chalk that up to talk time. It seems that if you can manage the chit chat then you will be able to push yourself hard and stay int he gym for a longer time.
©2009 One80.com. All Rights Reserved.
When we think about vitamin C we automatically think orange juice, and while orange juice is a fantastic source of vitamin C it may not be the only juice high in this important vitamin. Vitamin C is a great way to fight off the common cold which is so important this time of the year when we surrounded by people who are coughing and sneezing.
According the scientist at the Journal of Food Chemistry orange juice is not the only way to get your daily requirements of vitamin C. This is great news if you don’t like the taste of orange juice or perhaps you have a little one who is super picky. In this study it was found that 100% pure apple juice and grape juice contains as much vitamin C as you usual orange juice. Just remember to limit yourself or your children to one serving (6 oz) a day as juice can be very high in sugar and can increase your risk fro diabetes and weight gain.
©2009 One80.com. All Rights Reserved.
One of the most underrated calorie burning activities is hiking. Hiking burns tons of calories because you’re typically going up steep mountains and maybe even getting into thin air, which requires lots of energy. Also, walking up an incline automatically gets your glutes more involved and, if you’re wearing a backpack, you’re really getting a workout. This can be especially enlightening because you get to see nature at its best.
A 140-lb person burns about 390 calories in about an hour while hiking making it a very good fat burning activity. You continue to move at a low intensity for long durations forcing your body to rely on your fats as the main source of fuel. Running uses more carbohydrates as fuel and is great for the cardiovascular system but does not burn as much fat directly.
©2009 One80.com. All Rights Reserved.
