Archive for overweight
Exercise and Heart Health
Posted by: | CommentsWe all know that regular exercise is good for us, but sometimes we feel like we have to be marathon runners to benefit from it. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t in any shape for a marathon or triathlon, but here’s the good news: I heard a news story last week about how regular, moderate exercise really benefits the heart.
I have a healthy heart now, and after seeing my dad go through treatments for an aneurysm, heart bypass and a valve replacement, I would like to do what I can now to avoid having heart disease in the future. None of that was any fun at all.
Recently I’ve been improving my physical activity routine. Last fall I was spending too much time in my desk chair and not enough on my bicycle seat, you know what I mean? Just because you fall into some bad routines doesn’t mean you can’t try to do better. Now (just about) 5 days a week I have a good morning routine: walk the dog, 20 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes on the exercise bike. It certainly won’t get me in shape for the triathlon, but it makes me feel good. When I combine it with a heart healthy diet, it’ll help prevent me from becoming overweight, which carries its own risks, and will help me prevent heart disease.
Watch What you Eat After Exercise
Posted by: | CommentsMany people start the day on jogging trails or on treadmills, believing that working out is the best way to lose weight.
However, recent research says that what you eat after exercise is just as important as the workout itself.
According to Jeffrey Horowitz of the University of Michigan, what you consume affects the body’s metabolism.
In his recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, he wrote that “Exercise enhanced insulin sensitivity, particularly when meals eaten after the workout session contained a relatively low carbohydrate content.”
According to Science Daily, “Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier for the body to take sugar from the blood stream to tissues like muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel.”
For the experiment, nine healthy sedentary men, all between 28 to 30 years old, spent four separate sessions at the University of Michigan Hospital.
They were given different regimens: some did not exercise and ate meals to match their daily calorie expenditure; some exercised for approximately 90 minutes at moderate intensity, and then ate meals that matched their caloric expenditure composed of carbohydrate, fat and protein.
The third group exercised for approximately 90 minutes and ate food with a relatively low carbohydrate content, but with enough total calories. The fourth group exercised for approximately 90 minutes at a moderate intensity and then ate relatively low-calorie but high carbohydrate content meals.
There was an increase in insulin sensitivity following exercise. However, when participants didn’t consume many carbohydrates after they worked out, their insulin sensitivity significantly increased.
According to Science Daily, “Impaired insulin sensitivity is a hallmark of Type II diabetes, as well as being a major risk factor for other chronic health problems, such as heart disease.”
Dr. Horowitz told the Science Daily that “Although weight loss is important for improving metabolic health in overweight and obese people, these results suggest that people can still reap some important benefits from exercise without under-eating or losing weight.”
