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Motivational Tip

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I know, as a health professional how important it is to exercise to help maintain my fitness. My fitness journey has always been very patchy. Each time I stop it's always harder to start again than the time before. The key thing to remember is to just start, even if you don't feel ready or prepared. If you hesitate to start, the more time you will spend trying to be ready and you never will be until you  JUST DO IT!

How to Properly Warm Up Before an Exercise

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A proper warm-up helps lessen the risk of injury that comes with exercise. Why warm-up? Physiologically, warm up assists the circulatory system by pumping oxygen-rich blood to the active muscles. A proper warm-up should gradually increase your heart rate to prepare the body for increase exercise demands. When the muscles are warm, they are better able to absorb shock and are less susceptible to injury. Benefits of a proper warm-up: ·          Increased movement of blood through your tissues, making the muscles more pliable. ·          Increased delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles. This prevents you from getting out of breath early or too easily. ·          Prepares your muscles for stretching. ·          Prepares your heart for an increase in activity, preventing a rapid increase in blood pre...

Correct Use of Therabands for Squats and Side Steps

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Are you exercising in the most effective way? Many gyms and clinics use resistance bands but do not have any guidance on their usage. Stop and think what you're doing and what it's actually working. What are the biomechanics involved? When doing squats and side steps, the moving leg is the one doing less work and the one that is still is stabilizing the trunk. However, the question is, should the resistance band be put around the knees, ankles or toes? The hip muscles (gluteals) work harder as the band lowers down the leg (increased lever arm), but does it make a significant difference moving the band from the ankle to the toes? In a study using electromyography conducted by Cara L. Lewis and a physical therapist, they found that for most conditions it is better to step while squatting rather than standing and that the toe is the best place to put the band. For more information on the study, click on the link below. https://www.bu.edu/research/articles/theraband-hip...

12 Misconceptions about Exercise

1. Heavy weights bulk you up. It had long been claimed that to gain muscle you needed to lift heavy weights. Science has now shown otherwise. Maximal strength benefits are obtained from the use of heavy loads while muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size) can be equally achieved across a spectrum of loading ranges.  Women do not produce enough testosterone for enlargement to occur. In fact, only somebody types are genetically dispositioned to gain large muscle mass easily.  The best training split for muscle hypertrophy is a single muscle group per day. This is because it allows for maximum volume per muscle group with ample time for recovery (2-3 days). Research has shown that hypertrophy increases with the number of sets performed during exercise session 5-6 sets will have a greater impact than 3-4 sets. 7-8 (~28 sets) workouts per muscle group are ideal. This should be done with a higher intensity weight. 2. I don’t need to lose ...

Welcome!

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Welcome to my Health & Fitness Blog! This blog offers to my readers' key information on various aspects of exercise to incorporate into daily lives. If you like exercising or would like to start a fitness journey you'll feel right at home here. We provide an encouraging community of support. T his page is run by a 23-year-old young, female Physiotherapist who seeks to find inspiration and motivation to grow in her field of study.  Subscribe to my blog at ceefitnestblog.blogspot.com by clicking the subscribe button above, follow on Instagram and Twitter @ceefitnest. Stay tuned for more.