Xenus Fitness is a growing health and fitness directory. Our focus is to provide you with the knowledge and the resources to help inspire and educate you in achieving your health and fitness goals. Our aim is to create an environment where it is easy to navigate and source information about health and fitness also providing you with the largest database of health and fitness providers in Australia. We look forward to working with you to provide the facilities you require. Cheers Xenus Fitness
From exercise our bodies are exposed to small injuries and small tears to our tendons, ligaments and muscles. This is a good thing. If our body did not do this it would not improve. While our body is recovering from exercise, it is fixing these small injuries by building each tendon, ligament and muscle back stronger.
For example: Tug of war is a game to prove which team is strongest. Naturally the more people we have in each team, the stronger the team gets. Let’s imagine each person in the team is fighting against our natural movement. When we do not exercise for longer than one week, one team member dies, weakening the joint. When we are active, this produces one more team member. Naturally the more we exercise, the more people we can grow into our team and the stronger the team becomes at protecting our joints from injury.
The tendons, ligaments and muscles we have around our joints, helps to protect all joints in our body. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. If you feel the need to specifically train to strengthen your joints. We recommend talking to your physiotherapist or chiropractor, for specific exercises to help you prevent injury in the future.
For more great articles on why exercise is great! Please feel free to read the articles listed below:
Your body produces bone that has the potential to be as strong as granite and support four times more weight than concrete. The human body is truly amazing and we have the choice to experience this potential every single day of our lives. Like muscle, bone is living tissue that responds to exercise by becoming stronger.
As we exercise we place added pressure on our bones, for example doing a squat. This is a good thing. After this occurs, our bone cells (Osteoblast) migrate to the weakest area of the bone (The area of the bone that suffered the most from the added stress). When the cells reach the weak area, they will immediately start to begin creating a new layer of bone. This routine strengthens and improves our bone’s density. The bone cells manufacture and release proteins, mainly collagen, which is deposited in between the bone cells to increase bone strength in that area. These proteins eventually mineralize, giving bone its characteristic rigidity.
If we live long enough, every woman and most men will suffer from osteoporosis. After break our hip bone, suffering from osteoporosis, we must have a hip replacement immediately. Otherwise, there is a 20 % chance of dying from complications within a year from this injury. Not to worry, an Australian study shows that running strengthens the leg bones of both older and younger generations (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, October 2005.) However, the research found that bones that are only used during exercise are only strengthened by activity. Running strengthens leg bones, rowing strengthens arms and back, and lifting weights strengthen bones that are used during each lift.
Osteoporosis occurs when bones lose minerals, such as calcium, more quickly than the body can replace them, leading to a loss of bone thickness (bone mass or density). As a result, bones become thinner and less dense, so that even a minor bump or accident can cause serious fractures. These are known as fragility or minimal trauma fractures. Osteoporosis usually has no signs or symptoms until a fracture happens - this is why osteoporosis is often called the 'silent disease'.
To help prevent Osteoporosis is easy; all we have to do is exercise! Our bodies reach an average bone density peak at the age of 30. So if you are still young get active and go have fun! This will prolong the rate of bone degeneration as you become older. If you are passed this peak don’t stress, the longer we keep active the longer we will prevent the degeneration of our bones. Remember if you don’t use it you lose it, this quote is spot-on with regards to maintaining our bone density.
The best exercises for improving our bone density are weight-bearing activities, which force us to work against gravity. This includes weight training, walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, tennis, and dancing. Examples of exercises that are not weight-bearing include swimming and cycling. Although these activities help build and maintain strong muscles and have excellent cardiovascular benefits, they are not the best way to improve bone density. These exercises don’t place enough resistance on our body. If we have weak joints and are unable to perform the weight bearing activities, swimming and cycling are a great substitute and are better than sitting around doing nothing toward achieving our potential health.
Cheers, Xenus Fitness
For more information on why exercise is great for our bodies, please feel free to read the related articles below.
How great is exercising, it offers so many benefits and the best thing is that it’s free! This week we are looking at how it improves posture. Last week we learnt how exercise can improve and strengthen our lower back. Following on from this, strengthening our back is exactly what helps to improve our posture.
When we aren’t moving, our body gets lazy and starts using fewer muscles to support the frame.It does this to use less energy so you last longer, because when we aren’t active we usually have poor diets, lacking nutrients for energy.
Have you ever heard someone say after exercising? “Wow I feel amazing, and have sore muscles I didn’t even know I had”. This relates to when we exercise, we put more exertion onto our body’s systems. This creates added workload and your muscles need to all work together to perform the activity.
This principle is fantastic; this means that the more we exercise the more our muscle will be activated when we are relaxed. Improving our posture and reducing the risk of injures strains, stiffness and sore joints in the future.
We have good posture, when the muscles of the body are properly align, allowing for efficient and efficient movement. When our body’s muscles and joints are balanced and supported properly, we are better able to perform everyday activities, such as squatting to pick up laundry or running down a flight of stairs with more easy and fluid movement.
When we are poorly aligned, the joints in our body (e.g., shoulders, spine, hips, knees and ankles) do not function together properly. This will cause some muscles to work harder than others. Over time, those muscles become tense while the others weaken, creating muscular imbalances that slowly devolve into poor posture. As posture deteriorates further, joint movements become restricted and the differences between tense and weak muscles places greater stress on your joints, which then have to compensate. This will cause pain, stiffness and loss of movement throughout our joints. But fix these imbalances, and your posture (and the pain associated with it) will improve.
To improve our posture, it is always best to start with our back. Our back supports the spinal cord, the essence of our movement.
To analyse our alignment, strip down to a pair of shorts, ladies wear a crop top or bra, so you can analyse your shoulders. Then ask a friend to take two full-body photos, one from the front and one from the side. Keep your muscles relaxed but stand as tall as you can, with your feet hip-width apart. Now compare your photos with our photo to diagnose your posture problems.
This is an extremely basic diagnosis, if you are concerned with your posture, we recommend you consult with you chiropractor or physiotherapist.
Would you be surprised to hear that there really aren’t any fitness goals you can achieve without it?
The above question may seem extreme, but the simple truth is, you just cannot get healthy without eating healthy. You can exercise from the time the rooster crows until the cows come home, but if you make a run through your local drive-through afterwards, you just are not going to get anywhere fast.
Food is the big ticket to good health. If you eat garbage, your body will show it. If you eat whole, healthy and fresh foods, your body, skin and soul will glow with health that gives you endless energy.
THREE METHODS FOR EATING CLEAN
METHOD 1
There are many people simply looking to remove the chemicals from their diets and bodies, and therefore eat clean. Their focus is NOT on losing weight, but on general health.They avoid processed foods of all kinds, yet eat only when the need arises or three times per day.
METHOD 2
(I believe this is the most common/popular method at the moment)
1 - Eat Lots Of Plants – Eat food that is straight from nature. (Some people say “as close to the way nature made it as possible”. But I think that leaves too much wiggle room – in my humble opinion) Eat mostly foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine, and you’ve pretty much got it covered. The idea is to stay away from anything that humans (food corporations) have altered in any way.
2 - Include Meats - Eat meats that are whole and straight from the butcher. Don’t buy pre-packaged meat products because you never know what’s in them. When possible, buy whole meats and grind them yourself. You’d be surprised what’s in ground turkey meat! You can also select a few turkey breasts and ask that the butcher grind them for you. Many butchers are more than willing to accommodate.
3 - Enjoy Grains - Eat grains that are still complete and haven’t been broken down into “glue”. Stick to brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains.(For a list of foods to stock your pantry with, check out this list.)
4 - Read Labels I don’t know how many breads I’ve picked up at the store that say they are whole grain. But when I take a look at the ingredient list, white flour is the second ingredient after whole wheat flour!
5 - Eat Fewer Ingredients. Try not to purchase foods that have more than 3-6 ingredients in the ingredient list. And be sure you recognize each and every ingredient. If you find a “mystery ingredient” such as “spices”, contact the company! Ask them what they consider to be spices. If it’s anything other than honest-to-goodness herbs and spices, avoid it! And remember, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
6 - Eat 5-6 small meals per day. This may seem like a lot at first. But remember, you are eating smaller portions. If you really have a hard time with this, prepare your regular three meals and a snack for the day, and divide lunch and dinner in half. You’ve instantly got 6 small meals!
METHOD 3
There is also another method of eating 3 regular meals and squeezing in 1 snack for a total of 4 meals. You eat every four hours instead of every 2-3. This concept is from Jillian Michaels and the theory behind it is that if you eat every 2-3 hours, your insulin stays continuously spiked and you end up with a higher chance of diabetes.
IN CONCLUSION
Clean eating may feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you have a lot of changes to make. My advice is to take baby steps. Make little changes every day and don’t beat yourself up if you make mistakes. We all do. Just realize that it’s what you do the majority of them time that counts.
Why is exercise a good remedy to promote a healthier back for a longer life? How do we achieve this and how does exercise promote this? When we are active, our body will naturally function more effectively and efficiently. This is great, because this natural movement increases the transportation of vital nutrients to our organs. This will promote healing and overall conditioning of our body.
To keep balance through any activity we use the support of our core muscles. The more we exercise the stronger these muscles become. The key to preventing back problems and pain, [1] depends on the muscular endurance of the core muscles and correct movement patterns.
When the lower back is arched inward this is called a neutral spine. When the spine is in this position it is able to distribute the weight evenly throughout the lower back. [1] This distribution of load helps to prevent injury and allows for efficient movement. When we exercise the constant functioning of our core supporting muscles in our mid-section strengthens these muscles. This is called abdominal bracing. Our mid-section protects the spine by bracing the muscles around it, supporting the spine and preventing injury. Keeping active and promoting the strength of our spine will protect our lower back through any activity.
To improve the strength of our mid-section and lower back to prevent future injuries, we would recommend Reform Pilates or Normal Pilates. Normal Pilates is a class taken on the floor at a gym or studio. Reform Pilates is performed on a special piece of equipment, conditioned to focus on strengthening our core muscles. We recommend attending Reform Pilates classes at Pilates studios before purchasing equipment. Pilates also improves flexibility and is a great way to meet people who also enjoy exercising in a group environment.
If low back pain is already present, an evaluation by a physician or a physical therapist is recommended. If you have not tried Pilates go out there and give it a try. It’s a great way to try something new, without being strenuous on the body and promotes a stronger back for a healthier future. If you would like to attend a Pilate’s class, please feel free to search the Xenus Fitness Directory.
If low back pain is already present, an evaluation by a physician or a physical therapist is recommended.
