Cant Lose Weight? Try Interval Training...By Kirsten Whittaker

If you’re ending 2008 pretty much at the same fitness level as you began the year and can’t lose weight, you’ll have the benefit of some new understanding about weight loss as you re-set those goals for 2009.

During the year just past there was some solid research about exercise that tossed out the notion of those long, grueling workouts as the way to see weight loss results.

Instead we learned that intense interval training is very beneficial for losing weight. Research shows that it’s the intensity of the workout that matters when it comes to subcutaneous weight loss, not the length of time the workout lasts. Still the myths persist that workouts need to be long, single intensity sessions to be effective.

Beyond helping with weight loss by burning calories, interval training improves cardiovascular fitness and also speeds your metabolism. The reason the shorter intervals seem to work is that your body needs fuel (calories) to do anything and keep your muscles alive and healthy.

When you do endurance cardio workouts, like long runs for example, the body ends up turning to the muscle tissue to fuel the activity. That’s not what you want. Since metabolism is mostly based on lean muscle mass, long workouts reduce that, and defeats the purpose of all that effort.

Of course to be effective the training must be intense. No stretching and leisurely walking. The activity must make you sweat, push your limits of endurance and strength. There are two levels of interval training, and beginners should stick with a program that calls for working out at a greater intensity for 2-5 minutes, then going back to a comfortable stage for 2-5 minutes.

Interval training also pushes your metabolic rate up, not just during the workout, but for as much as 36 hours afterward. You may lose, like some study subjects in a comparison of 30 vs. 60 minute workouts, three times the weight in half the time. Now that’s results!

Before you start any exercise program, talk with your own doctor (especially if you’re over 40 or have any chronic health issues) to be sure being active is right for you. Once you get the all clear, you can design your own interval workout pretty easily.

Start with a solid ten minute warm up. After this, increase the intensity of your activity so that it feels harder. Keep going at that intensity for a full minute or two, then slow down (working up to the 2-5 minute period of intensity) and follow this with a 2-5 minute lower intensity session to recover.

Repeat this pattern for 30 to 40 minutes, then finish with a 5 minute cool down. You don’t want to sprint for one minute then collapse for two, instead aim for high activity that’s moderately difficult and a low interval that is moderately easy.

You can do this type of training with just about any sport. Running. Cycling. Swimming. Weight training. Whatever you like. If you’re a total novice, a session with a professional trainer at a local gym or health club can help you develop an interval training program that’s both safe and effective. You’ll soon change ‘I can’t lose weight’ into ‘I can lose weight’.

About the Author: Next just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more health tips including more on what to do if you can't lose weight and get 5 free revealing health reports.

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Healthy Choices about Blood Pressure And Cholesterol

High blood pressure or Hypertension is usually caused by narrowing of the arteries. There are two major causes of narrowing of the arteries. One is inflammation caused by hormones released into the blood stream during highly stressful activities. This is a natural response your body goes thought during stress to protect itself in the case of injury. Some people experience this when they get a blood pressure check up. This is why if your blood pressure reads high your nurse well check it two or three times to see if the pressure is stable, or if it changes. If its stable you have high blood pressure if it fluctuates you have a case of the nerves. The second cause is high levels of blood fats known as cholesterol.

We have in our blood stream a kind if trucking system that carries sugar and fats from our liver to our cells and waist produces back from our cells to the liver. The carrying agents, or trucks, are called cholesterol. They are made buy the liver and the number and percentage of the three types of cholesterol play a big factor in the health and quality of a parsons life.

HDL cholesterol or high density lipoprotein are known as good cholesterol the larger the percentage of your overall cholesterol level that HDL cholesterol represents the better. A low level in men would be forty or lower, in women fifty or lower, and a good count would be sixty or above. High density lipoprotein can be caring large amounts of fats in your blood stream. Fat does not dissolve in your blood steam so it must be carried to and from your cells.

LDL cholesterol or low density lipoprotein is known as bad cholesterol the larger the number of these cholesterols in your blood stream the worse of you are. The optimal number is one hundred or lower. One hundred to one hundred and thirty is considered normal. One hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty is considered borderline. One hundred and sixty to one hundred eighty are considered high. One hundred eighty to two hundred is considered very high.

Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the blood steam and are associated with a high carbohydrate diet. These fats are also a telltale sign for a higher than normal LDL cholesterol number.

LP cholesterol is a genetic variation of LDL cholesterol and is associated with free fats in your blood stream.

The problem with having a lot of LDL, LP, and Triglycerides in your blood stream is that they cause Atherosclerosis which is the plaque buildup that causes the narrowing and hardening of your arteries. Which is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

There are some very important minerals and acids found in supplements that can go a long way to help prevent Atherosclerosis and controls your blood pressure. Calcium helps muscles, including your heat, to expand and contract. It also helps your nervous system to regulate your blood pressure. Magnesium found mostly in green vegetables is essential for cellular health. Malic Acid found in apples helps support magnesium absorption. It’s also an important part of the Krebs cycle which increases ATP, an enzyme that supports muscle health and growth. Chric Acid help’s in the Krebs cycle to remove carbon dioxide from your cells. It also helps maintain the alkaline levels in your body. Fighting of the acidic effects from coffee, soda and alcohol. Glycine is a non essential amino acid helpful in the production of RNA and DNA. It also helps brain function and promotes a healthy prostate gland.

These minerals and acids which promote the muscle and cellular health of your vascular system along with a low carbohydrate diet well lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the plaque buildup that causes Atherosclerosis. Exercise to strengthen your vascular system is always a good thing, but you don’t have to over do it. Feeding your vascular system what it needs and not over feeding your body what it does not need is one of those healthy life choices that we all need to make