Weight Training for Health

Do you do 20 to 30 minutes of cardio a few days a week to keep your health in check? Even if you do, cardio isn’t enough to keep you healthy and strong as the decades pass. New physical activity guidelines from the American College of Sports and Medicine and the American Heart Association encourage Americans to strength train in addition to getting regular cardiovascular exercise. They suggest at least two training periods a week to work out the major muscle groups.
From my own perspective, I would certainly agree with this. Resistance training, a.k.a. strength training can payoff in a lot of different ways: burning more calories and reducing body fat, allowing one to add more muscle tissue which results in a heightened ability to burn more calories and reduce body fat, and stronger bones (resistance training improves bone density).
Of course, not everyone is cut out for hitting the barbells and dumbells (a variety of factors, including age and level of infirmity, could affect whether nor not this type of activity is suitable for an individual). Fortunately, strength training doesn’t necessarily have to mean bodybuilding or lifting free weights (i.e. anaerobic activity). Strength training can involve the use of machines and various resistance activities that work toward a similar goal, which is to make sure that the major muscle groups are "worked out" sufficiently.
Cardiovascular exercise is a definite must. But as research continues to indicate (and validate what strength training enthusiasts have known for decades) muscle training is also needed to keep a person strong, fit and healthy.

Your Blood Pressure

Bread Helps Your Blood Pressure

Here’s some news to make your heart sing: When you pick the right bread, your blood pressure wins!
Three grains recently tested had blood pressure benefits: whole wheat, barley, and brown rice. Look for them in whole-grain breads, cereals, and other grain-based goodies.
The Whole Story
In a study, all three grains were good for lowering blood pressure in middle-aged people with mildly high cholesterol and prehypertension. How? Chalk up another one for fiber. Both the soluble and insoluble fiber in grains reduce blood pressure -- and soluble fiber takes a bite out of cholesterol, too. High cholesterol and high blood pressure often occur together, and the combo is doubly dangerous for your heart and blood vessels. But you can get your act together with these heart-helping steps.
Better Tasting Fiber?Whole grains don’t have to taste boring and bland. Whip up a couple of these special recipes to increase the yummy factor in high-fiber foods:
- Asian Brown Rice: With just a few ingredients, this recipe gives you interesting
       taste and texture.
- Barley-Black Bean Salad: Try this easy, hearty dish for lunch.
- Apricot-Wheat Germ Muffins: The nutty wheat germ is a delicious play against
       the sweet-tangy dried apricots.
RealAge Benefit: Choosing whole grains rather than processed grains can make your RealAge 1.2 years younger if you are a man and 2.3 years younger if you are a woman.

Can Sitting too long make you fat?

Apparently it can according to an article that I read on the Abc News website (linked below). Amazingly, scientists who conducted a test using a radioactive tracing substance found that when animals were sitting down, fat did not get burned but, instead, became stored in adipose tissue. Even worse, prolonged sitting had the effect of drastically suppressing levels of the enzyme, lipase, which is essential to the body's ability to get rid of dietary fat. These results came from animal studies, of course. But---when the same study experiment was extended to human volunteers, scientists found the same results: metabolic rate was reduced; lipase levels were suppressed; good cholesterol (HDL) was lowered.
So, how do you counteract the effects of being sedentary, particularly if you are heavily engaged in sedentary activities (work, school, and recreational activities such as video games). Move your legs. Literally. If you are engaged in sedentary activity for prolonged periods, get up once in a while and walk around. If your work is sedentary, get up once in a while and actually take a walk. And, if you don't get much physical activity from sport or recreation after work or school, consider taking walks before your day begins or after it ends. Diet, of course, is always important. But, as we can see, physical activity and maintaining one's health and fitness is equally important.

Sharpen Your Memory

A Fun Way To Sharpen Your Memory

Put down that irksome, unsolvable crossword puzzle, and cut yourself some slack for blanking on the final round of Jeopardy.
There may be a simpler way to hone your mind. Try calling a friend. Staying in touch with friends and loved ones could slow the pace at which your memory dwindles with age.
Strong Connections
In a study of 16,638 older adults, people who were married, active in volunteer groups, and in regular contact with friends, family, and neighbors had slower declines in memory than their less social counterparts. In fact, declines in the most socially active types were about half of those in the least social group.
Nurture Your Ties
How do social ties bolster a waning memory? Researchers aren’t exactly sure, but it’s possible the greater sense of meaning and emotional acceptance that social connections foster may support healthy brain chemistry. Now, check out these other strategies for staying sharp:
- Okay, maybe you like crossword puzzles. That’s great, because they really do a mind good.
- Test your ability to remember digits.
- Remember names, grocery lists, and to-do lists better.
RealAge Benefit: Learning a new game that requires brainpower can make your RealAge 1.3 years younger.