Category: Fitness

Multiple Benefits of Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy or PT is a popular conventional treatment procedure to cure and relieve from pain, injuries, and in the recovery process after the surgical process. The multiple benefits of physical therapy make it suitable for people of all ages that is the reason it is the first choice of recommendations by the doctors to cure any type of medical health concern except few (where surgery is the only option).

This treatment method offers multiple ranges of benefits with minimum risk factor involved in both diagnosing and treating several types of health conditions. It helps to restore the mobility and lost capability of the human body due to small to a major form of illnesses.

A physical therapist will analyze your condition thoroughly and one the basis of that particular analysis they will plan a special therapy program where the patient also has to participate very actively. This means as per different health issues and concerns the therapy procedures step will vary from patients to patients which is the ultimate reason for the success of this technique.

Though this treatment method takes time to relieve fully still it ensures complete relief at the end that is why it is preferred for treating those injuries, pain and other health issues which can be survived with the long term treatment methods like the PT.

People who undergo this recovery technique or process recover their old functionality capacity, mobility; stamina and endurance powers better than before after completion of this technique.

Also, it ensures that you won’t get any such injuries or fall, chronic diseases etc. in the future by strengthening and stabilizing all weaker portions of your body. This is the reason people who suffer from chronic pain or have normal mobility issue prefer physical therapy over surgery because of its effective result and popularity in reliving critical cases in the last few decades.

Different Benefits of Physical Therapy

multiple benefits of physical therapy

Helps in Avoiding Invasive Surgery Treatment

Physical therapy is quite capable to heal and relieve from injuries and from severe pain issues where surgery is another option. So with this effective healing method, it saves you from going through invasive, costly and unusual surgery trouble and cares afterward.

Moreover, even if surgery is must in certain cases there also a pre-surgery physical therapy will help you a lot by making your condition better before the surgery which will help the patient to recover faster with minimal pain and mobility issue.

In any kind of injuries and chronic pain conditions, physical therapy is proved as effective and beneficial as a surgical technique. The conditions where you can preferably avoid surgery and opt. for the physical therapy techniques include spinal stenosis, rotator cuff tears, degenerative disk disease, knee osteoarthritis, and meniscal tears.

Helps in Managing Pain

It is really difficult to live relaxing and in peaceful mode, if consistently mild to chronic from pain occurs in any body part. Here the role and importance of physical therapy lie which treats the core area deeply and relieves you from such pain completely.

Through different techniques and exercises of physical therapy, the patient not only gets relived out of chronic pain conditions but its effective procedures and exercise ensure that it won’t even occur in future if followed regularly in future as well.

The therapeutic exercises and manual techniques including joint and soft tissue mobilization, ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and taping restores the muscles and joint function and reduces the pain within a few days.

It Prevents Injuries in Future

Physical therapy technique locates the weaker areas of the body and starts the full treatment plan for strengthening all these endangered points under its complete healing process so that future risk of injury can be prevented.

The physical therapists are so well trained that just by physical examining of the skeletal or muscular weaker points of the body they can analyze whether it is prone to develop an injury in the future or not.

So accordingly they will prepare a proper therapy and exercises regimens in order to boosts and strengthen those weak joints and muscle groups of the body and save you from the danger of future severe injury due to fall or any other factors.

It Promotes Overall Fitness and Wellbeing

The physical therapy is a proven treatment technique which not only relives from current health condition but also teaches how to give proper care to the body so that it would remain fit and prevents the recurrent injuries and impairment problem.

The physiotherapist will guide you different exercise technique which will train your different body parts especially all vulnerable points so that there will be no risk of injury in these areas in the future. In this way, it ensures your total fitness and wellbeing which increases your year of longevity in a very healthy manner.

It Helps in Avoiding Prescribed Medications

The efficient physical therapy technique facilitates its patients to avoid using and purchasing costly prescribed medications by the doctors just like avoiding troublesome and costly surgery processes by curing all the pain areas with its planned individualized treatment methods.

This is really an amazing benefit for the users of PT otherwise they have to rely their whole life on fixed medications as it happens in special medical issues where dependency on medications is life long. Moreover, as it is a totally safe procedure so there is no headache of any side effect as generally associated with most of the medications consumption.

It cures the injury concern from depth by eliminating the underlying issue which causes to develop such pains in recurrent motion. Similarly, by strengthening the weaker areas of the body it eliminates the fracture and injury risk. In this way, it prevents the necessity of medications which are needed for boosting any weaker health issue or any recurrent pain, very proactively.

This is really a great benefit to treat pain after surgery which exists for a very long duration developing the need for pills consumption such as opioids. That is why physical therapy is the first recommendation by the Center for Disease Prevention and Control as a safe alternative to most of the prescribed medications.

It Improves Mobility and Balance

After a serious injury or any surgical process often people loses their normal mobility and body balancing power. It becomes difficult for them to stand on their feet and perform little day to day tasks like walking, eating, cooking and controlling their body balance.

Here the role of physical therapy takes its place as when an active intervention of therapeutic exercise and proper collaboration with the Physical therapist a designed treatment plan is started which helps in recovering the normal mobility of the patient as well as enhances the balance and coordination level of their body to prevent the risk of falls in future.

It makes your life much easier and normal than before and enables you to perform all necessary tasks of your life without any worry of stiffness in body or risk of injury in future by strengthening all the weaker bones and muscles group of the body.

It Helps in Recovery Process After a Stroke

Often a victim of stroke loses partial movement of their body parts and this doesn’t go off on its own even after the long period of stroke incidents. In this context, a patient can recover from his or her partial mobility trouble with the help of physical therapy.

The PT helps the patient to reduce and remove the movement issue of targeted body parts by strengthening it internally and increases its mobility, posture and balancing level slowly and gradually. It makes the life of a stroke victim much easier and normal that they can do all their tasks independently without taking help of others.

It Helps in Easing Heart and Lung Diseases

In the rehabilitation process or period of heart and lungs after a major heart attack, physical therapy helps a lot to make this recovery journey faster and successful. With its special treatment techniques, the affected person can perform the normal works of their life without any trouble in mobility and without affecting their internal health.

Though the physical therapy, in general, remains as a part of the rehabilitation process after a heart attack but in some special cases a patient needs to take separate PT treatment as per their condition. It strengthens the condition of the patient and reduces the risk of heart attack in the future.

It Helps in Managing Diabetes and Vascular Conditions

Physical therapy is also effective in managing diabetes and vascular health conditions. It reduces the sugar level and helps to maintain it in the normal state with its special physical therapy exercises which are based on individual case scenario.

For managing the level of diabetes the best combination of aerobic workouts and strength training workouts are instructed to the patients in order to uplift their overall health along with managing the blood sugar level and vascular conditions.

It Helps in Managing Aging Issues

With age, the normal bone density of people started to reduce which slowly gives birth to several bone-related health concerns like arthritis, osteoporosis, and the necessity of joint replacement etc. However, all these aging-related issues can be controlled and well managed with an active intervention of physical therapy treatment method.

This safe and effective conservative treatment method helps in easing joint pain by strengthening and boosting the bone density with therapeutic exercise and other special treatment techniques of PT. Also, it helps in the recovery journey after a joint replacement and ensures the normal living by easing all aging-related troubles if followed consistently.

It Helps in Managing Different Women’s Health Concerns

Physical therapy plays a crucial role in easing several types of women’s issues in a very safe and effective way. Above all, its benefit for the easy delivery process and post-partum care is really remarkable.

Apart from this, it is also beneficial in treating many types to major women’s health concerns like breast cancer, pelvic pain, urinary incontinence, lymphedema, fibromyalgia, constipation etc.

Physical Therapy Steps and Plan for Recovery from Pain and Injury

Physical Therapists are trained and expertize doctors who treat several kinds of health issues out of which pain and injury management is foremost with its special treatment techniques.

They understand the special condition of the patient based on their past medical history, lifestyle and other essential factors and accordingly prepare a treatment plan to relive their condition without the intervention of surgery and prescribed medications by the doctors.

In the physical therapy method in general following steps and treatment, measures are taken in to account for relieving pain, injury and other health issues.

Physical Therapists can Diagnose a Condition

A trained physical therapist is able to diagnose your injury and ailments with his special skill and prevent the necessity of revisiting a doctor to diagnose your condition. They can assess your injury depth and proactively guide you for your recovery plan.

This saves money for a doctor visit and recommended diagnosis expenses by doing two things (diagnosis plus treatment) within a single cost incurred and visit.

Physical Therapists Provide Individualized Treatment Measures

A physical therapist doesn’t follow a monotonous treatment plan for every individual case. When a person visits for the treatment of any pain or for an injury issue they thoroughly understand their condition. On the basis of special case detail, they create an individualized treatment plan.

This is the reason this conventional treatment technique is the first reference by the doctors for easing from any long term chronic pain and for the rehabilitation after a surgery or any other major health issue where mobility get affected primarily.

Massaging

The physical therapist will use massaging in the regimen of healing pain, injury, and soreness of the affected area. The massaging given by them will not only help you in relieving from the pain and hurt incurred out of injury or fall but also it will ensure full safety which is not possible in the cases of self- massaging at home.

In this context, the patient should clearly inform the therapists about their self-care measures if they have done something before coming to them. This will help them to analyze the real condition and accordingly the massage session will proceed.

Stretching Method

In the stretching technique of PT, the tightness and soreness of all stiffed muscles and joints areas are released to ensure swift mobility and flexibility of these tight joints and muscle groups. This enables the patients to perform all normal activities of life without putting much stress and energy on their muscles and joints group.

A patient after completing of PT treatment becomes able to walk, climb, and work general day to day’s activities of their life normally.

Build Core Strengthening and Stability

In the physical therapy treatment procedure, the focus lies around strengthening and stabilizing the core areas of the body so that it won’t get a victim of chronic injury or overuse syndrome. The core areas of the body like pelvis and back are the primary target in this process.

With special exercise programs, these areas are strengthened fully such as pilates exercise program. This exercise will boost and stable these primary core body parts and make it stable. This is the reason even athletes choose pilates as the first choice of their fitness regimen.

Ice and Heat Application Technique

For warming up and cooling off different body muscles or an injured muscles ice and heat application techniques are used in the physical therapy. This technique helps in stimulating the blood flow and reduces swelling in the affected area.

This is one of the important aspects of the whole therapeutic treatment method which is only done by the trained physical therapists who knows well when to apply heat and when to apply cold.

Electrical Stimulation Technique

In the electrical stimulating technique electrical current is given to the affected area which stimulates the blood flow in the tissues of the affected zone which helps in relieving pain and soreness drastically. In this therapy, the alteration of nerve conduction is done which further alternate the muscle contractility. The ES technique helps in easing chronic pain issues.

Ultrasound

In the ultrasound PT technique, high range of sound waves is given to the deep tissues inside the body which helps in stimulating these tissues and increases the blood flow in it. With high stimulating and raised blood flow pain is relieved in a very safe and efficient manner.

The awareness of all these multiple benefits of physical therapy really helps a lot for anyone before deciding any treatment plans for a certain health issue, as because this much safety and cost-effective total healing are hardly possible through any other therapy or treatment method.

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5 Science-Backed Reasons to Exercise Outdoors

Exercise
Staying physically fit doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the gym. In a previous The Healthy Suggestions post, we pointed out that even doing a variety of household chores can help improve your fitness. However, another fantastic alternative is to head outdoors and exercise al fresco. In fact, plenty of scientific evidence points to how nature can be really good for your health and fitness journey.

1. It Provides Stronger Workouts

Studies have found that people exert more effort when exercising outdoors compared to working out in a gym. This is because we encounter a constantly changing and less structured environment when we are outside. In response, the body exerts more energy to adapt to the surroundings, like inclines, bumps, and obstacles — none of which happens on a treadmill. So if your goal is to reduce weight or be more physically fit, outdoor exercises will do more for you than just breaking a sweat.

2. It Improves Happiness

The sight of greenery can have a significant impact on your mood. According to research detailed on Tree Hugger, the simple act of noticing nature has an effect on personal well-being. The study found that a subject group was much happier when tasked to experience nature first hand than those who were asked to ‘human-built objects’. If acknowledging nature can already change your mood, what other benefits could it provide when you exercise while surrounding yourself with the outside world?

3. It Strengthens Your Immune System

There is a decades-old Japanese practice called Shinrin-yoku or “forest bathing.” This involves going for a walk in the forest and immersing yourself in its surroundings. While the activity is often done for the benefit of de-stressing, researchers have also found that regular forest bathing can actually improve your immune system.

Trees shower themselves in an antifungal, antibacterial compound called phytoncides. When inhaled by humans, these compounds can produce a specialized white blood cell that can deal with tumorous growths in the body. Hence, exercising outdoors can not only help you shed weight and build muscle; it will also boost your immune system and keep you from getting sick.

4. It Reduces Blood Pressure

Stress and blood pressure are directly linked since stress hormones cause the heart to beat faster and the blood vessels to narrow. The situation is worsened when you experience chronic stress. The outdoors can, therefore, provide therapy for those seeking to lower their stress levels while reaping the other benefits that exercise in general provides.

5. It Encourages Social Interactions

When empirical studies revealed that people tend to enjoy outdoor workouts more, psychologists suggested that the reason could be linked to the fact that the participants often exercised with others.

Social health forms part of a person’s wellbeing, and regardless of whether you are introverted or extroverted, social interactions can help reduce stress and increase happiness.

There are plenty of group workouts to enjoy outdoors, including yoga sessions at the park, hiking with friends, and cycling the countryside with a partner.

Making the Most Out of Your Outdoor Workouts

Given all these reasons to head outdoors, it’s important to note that there are some considerations to be made that you wouldn’t normally worry about at the gym.

For one, there are no drinking fountains or vending machines in most outdoor venues, so it’s important to bring your own water bottle that you can easily carry around with you. Opt for a soft flask that can carry the water you need without being too heavy or bulky.

Another consideration is the weather. It’s best to come prepared for any weather conditions, and bringing gear that’s suitable for the day. This can help you avoid risking any heat-related illnesses in the summer or freezing outdoors on colder days. Water can definitely help with the former, as is checking forecasts like the National Weather Service, which provides a handy guide on which temperatures can be dangerous for outdoor activity.
Meanwhile, cold weather will require you to dress in more layers and cover extremities like your head, hands, feet and ears in more frigid conditions. When it comes to outerwear, the lighter, the better. In this regard, Woman Within’s packable puffer jacket is lightweight and helps to insulate the body. It can be worn on its own on mildly cold days or layered underneath thicker clothing on extremely cold days out. On more unpredictable days, it can be folded up and stored in a bag, so you can put it on in case of a sudden chill.

Inspired to take your workout outdoors? Go and start plotting your preferred routes and spots for your exercise routines today.

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How Stationary Rowing Dramatically Improves Your Life

As far as home workouts go, not many can beat a good stationary rowing session. In-home rowing machines offer one of the most comprehensive ways to work your muscles, burn fat, and keep your heart strong, making it one of the best health investments you can make for your life.

Getting an in-home rowing machine has many benefits. One of these is working out in the comfort of your own home, especially if you prefer having your own exercise space where you can’t be bothered; others include pushing the muscles of both your upper and lower body, making it an awesome workout for shoulders and thighs. Most importantly, the full-body exertion means you are getting the complete profits of aerobic exercise, which is key to staying healthy and fit as the years go by.

To give you that final push you need to start rowing, here are some of the main benefits of a stationary rowing machine:

Stationary Rowing

It’s great for your heart

Yes, stationary rowing is an incredibly effective way to burn fat and build muscle, but let’s take a minute to consider its cardiovascular benefits.

Seeing as it is a full work out that requires both strength and endurance from almost every muscle in your body, your heart and lungs get to really work to keep up with the effort you’re going through. This helps to build up their strength and resistance, making you less tired and prone to heart disease.

Just 30 minutes a day of rowing can help you dramatically improve your heart health, strengthen your lungs, and lower your cholesterol levels to keep your arteries free and your spirits up.

It helps you lose weight

Since rowing requires the work of so many muscles, it’s no wonder that it is a great way to burn calories and shed pounds. A regular stationary rowing regime will have you feeling the difference as soon as three weeks in, and keeping these workouts short and simple will help you stick to a routine without burning out.

A big requirement to keep your rowing on track is nutrition. Healthy meals are super important to maintain a high-performance level in a rowing machine, to stay full of energy, and to help you recover faster from each sprint. A good diet is the pillar of every weight loss program, so add this to your rowing for maximum results.

Keeps stress levels low

A well-known benefit of working out is how it improves your mood, but rowing really takes it to another level. This is because the more you exert your body, the more endorphins you’ll release, making you feel calm and satisfied even after a short session.

Be careful, though. Working too hard on the machine will burn you out easily, and pushing too far can lead to injury and fatigue, which are definitely mood killers.

Hard work on the rowing machine will leave you feeling accomplished and strong, improving your mood and energizing not just your body, but your mind.

It’s an economic workout

Investing in an in-home rowing machine can save you up a lot of money, time and energy. If you lead a busy lifestyle, you can just schedule 30 minutes of your day to work out in your own home, without having to pay for a gym membership or having to share your stress-relief methods with other people.

A rowing machine doesn’t take much space, it’s easy to assemble and will last you a very long time, giving you the chance to create the habit of working out and taking care of your health. Rowing builds up your body, your budget, and your healthy habits, so it’s a win-win on all fronts.

It’s fun

Okay, now that we’ve covered all the physical and mental benefits of stationary rowing, we can say that it’s just plain fun.

If you’ve never used the machine before, you can see it as an exciting new thing to try out, and if you’re a pro, then you already love the rush you get after a good sweat.

Rowing can be your whole workout, or you can add it as a warm-up or as the perfect finish to a brutal session. You can break up your rowing into rounds or sprints, dividing it into fast and hard rows and then a short rest period to get a good HIIT.

You can also make it low impact to go gentle on your joints or if you are recovering from an injury.

You really can’t go wrong with stationary rowing, so go ahead and feel like an athlete the next time you get on the machine.

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12 Ways To Improve Your Fitness

While thinking about the fitness goal the first thing that comes in our mind is exercising which we consider only mean to be fit whereas it is not fully true. For complete fitness of body and mind only exercising is not enough. It should be well synchronized with other important factors like your sleeping pattern, lifestyle, eating habit etc. So lets us discuss today some truly effective ways to improve your fitness.

Regarding workouts, we only believe that hitting the gym every day is enough to achieve our fitness goal and nothing else is required. However, if your workout plans will be unrealistic or unplanned then there is hardly a possibility to reach your goal with such unrealistic and unplanned measures.

For systematic boosts of your physical health through exercises makes sure that your body remains flexible to try all different types of workouts activities and each muscles group of your body are getting attention on each alternate day.

For boosting your heart health, stamina and endurance power cardio exercises are the best and safe possible mode. Whereas for toning and shaping your muscles and body heavy weight lifting or strength training exercises are the best possible option.

Again you have to take care of all important aspects of your life so that you can maintain consistency towards your fitness goal and you achieve the highest range of fitness with all respects.

12 Ways To Improve Your Fitness

1. Set Small-Small Goals

Be very realistic while setting goals and target for your fitness. For a successful target, achievement makes sure that you set only small-small goals. Once one goal is achieved then and only set another small goal.

In this way, you might take some more time to achieve your gal but there is hundred percent possibility of complete success with these really achievable small goals and target of your fitness journey.

Moreover, small goals will keep your mind and body focused and motivated all the time which is very important for keeping you on track and maintaining consistency towards all fitness efforts till the ultimate fitness goal is achieved.

Keep a fixed schedule for exercise no matter whether you perform it at a gym under trainer supervision or doing it at home yourself. Never skip this hour or schedule at any cost. Try to manage all your works either before or after this fixed schedule so that under any situation your consistency towards your fitness effort wouldn’t get affected.

2. Focus on Quick Spurts

Instead of focusing on quantity focus on quality that means don’t think how much time you invest in each day fitness workout instead think what benefit you are getting with each day input.

In order to attain maximum heartbeat, you don’t have to spend you’re daily 60 minutes or more in the gym training this you can do with a smart trick in the form of quick spurts. The prompt and rapid 30 seconds sprints offer the same rate of heartbeat that you will attain otherwise with 60 minutes moderate exercise practice.

This you can do with full concentration and focus towards your fast and speedy steps. Just forget about the external environment for a few seconds and lost yourself in the fire of speedy spurts movements.

This ensures a quality result with the least possible time investment which facilitates you to invest rest of your time in some other fitness training activities which are very important to achieve your goal at the shortest duration.

3. Focus on Full Body Exercises

For speedy result and overall fitness of your body focus only on exercises which covers your full body so that at a time you can manage to cover and boost all your body parts together. This smart trick is time-saving and beneficial to attain your target.

Full body exercises focus on the large muscle groups at the same time and reduce your effort that you otherwise have to put towards small and isolated workouts. Such full body exercises that you must include in your fitness plan includes push-ups, squat, bent over row, lat pulldown etc.

So save your time and energy by avoiding isolation exercises like bicep and triceps curls instead focus on full body exercises as mentioned above.

Another benefit of these time and energy savior exercises includes your real-time benefit when you can apply your force and energy towards conducting your day to day life activities and find yourself fit to participate actively in sports which is another fitness activity.

4. Be Consistent

Success in anything depends on the frequency and consistency of its practices and the same rule is applicable for improving your fitness goal as well. The best workout schedule which is always recommended by the fitness expert and trainers is 3 to 4 days in a week of the time duration between 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

Neither beyond this mentioned limit nor below this limit will work effectively for you. So considering it as a thumb rule and getting your goal at faster speed make sure that you practice exercises for at least 3 to 4 days in a week for a minimum 30 to 60 minutes.

This consistency towards your practice makes you perfect in different forms of workout and with time you can see improvements by in the form of better strength and endurance than before. Also, you will feel more committed towards your goal without any type of physical or mental stress.

5. Don’t Depend on Monotonous Workout Forms

Improvement of your fitness doesn’t mean that you should keep yourself fit with same and rigid form of a workout without experimenting for new workout techniques. Remember any stagnant thing get muddy with time whereas flowing and changing things adapt to any situation and remain fresh all the time.

The principal is to give yourself challenges of new and trendy workout forms. What you usually practice every day with time it will not bring any noticeable change in your fitness goal. Instead, when you indulge in new workout forms it puts new enthusiasm in you to learn and get expert in in new techniques of the workout.

When you will manage to cross a new level of success this will nurture an amazing feeling of happiness which is hardly possible through any monotonous workout practicing. Don’t be afraid of facing new challenges and always remain adaptable to a new height of fitness goal which is the ultimate mantra of overall fitness goal in all respect.

6. Search for Alternate Ways to Keep You Moving

For boosting your physical health don’t be solely dependent on your fixed gym session instead find little alternate ways that can keep your body more active in a day whenever it is possible.

An alternate way of physical fitness will speed up your goal progression rate moreover you will not even feel overburdened with it.

For example, for keeping yourself more active you can try some more active works in your life such as choose stairs instead of a lift, park your car at a far place so that you have to walk a distance to reach it, pick your calls by standing on feet and keep moving till you talk etc.

These little but healthy changes in your regular life will bring a drastic change in your fitness level and keep your body more mobile even on the alternate days of workouts when you take a break for the rest purposes of your body and muscles.

7. Eat Balanced Diet Regularly

The term Fitness is not limited to a muscular body and curvy figure it covers your internal health as well which is only possible if you take care of your regular diet intake. Make sure your regular meal contains only a balanced diet which will be the finest combination of all essential nutrients that your body deserves for.

Take your meal on time and for your best performance during the workout session make sure that before starting your session you eat a healthy meal. Again after workout take a healthy drink and diet as it is peak time when your body can absorb and digest anything due to your raised metabolism power out of exercising.

Foods that should be a part of your regular meal includes fresh leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, nuts, seeds, health drinks, lean protein, omega 3 rich diets, whole wheat bread, brown rice etc. You can try these healthy foods on an alternate day by dividing into different meal time so that you won’t feel bored and can stay stick to this healthy and balanced diet routine.

8. Avoid Unhealthy Foods

While planning for your regular dietary intake along with counting the food intakes which are essential for you don’t forget to exclude those food items that you require to avoid for the sake of your fitness.

Prepare a chart of unhealthy diets for your health so that you can remain aware of what are those diets that you have to eliminate from your life for improving your fitness. Foods that must be avoided in order to remain healthy in all respect includes trans. fats such as candies, baked foods, sugary diets, and cereals etc.

Apart from this, another food product that you must avoid includes fried and highly processed snacks and other foods such as pizza, burger, French fries, frozen dinners, canned soup etc.

9. Don’t Smoke Ever

If you are not a smoker then it is well and good but if you are fond of this addiction then makes sure that you quit it soon. Smoking is harmful to your overall health and along with smoking you should never dream about achieving your fitness goal.

Smoking is the core of many chronic and life-threatening diseases which you cannot improve in spite of your hardcore exercising and healthy nutrition because damaging caused by cigarette’s each puff is not replaceable and healable through any other medium.

You can take the help of smoking quitting programs which will guide you how you can quit your addiction very easily through different counseling sessions and specialized training modes. Quitting smoking will complete half of your fitness improving goal itself and you can rapidly attain the best possible overall health and fitness with your other consistent effort.

10. Reduce your Alcohol Intake

If you are badly addicted to alcohol consumption then leave this bad habit as early as it is possible otherwise don’t expect that your fitness will improve with such an unhealthy behavior of your lifestyle.

Alcohol consumption in a moderate limit is not bad for health however you should know very well what is your moderation limit in order to attain its benefits. As per the nutrition specialists for men 2 glasses of drinks in a day and for women one glass in a day is enough and moderate limit.

Beyond this healthy limit intake, can affect your health negatively and cause you to develop many health-related concerns which are not good for your fitness goal.

People who drink alcohol excessively get obese with time and develop many other health issues like hypertension, high cholesterol, dehydration, fatigue and skin related problems like early aging signs etc.

So to keep yourself fit to make sure that you reduce your alcohol intake to a limited quantity. You can take the professional help if you find difficulty in quitting this unhealthy addiction by own.

11. Drink Plenty Amount of Water

Drink plenty amount of water every day as it is very essential and a natural way of keeping your whole body hydrated and energetic. A dehydrated body easily develops several health risks. Moreover, you cannot practice workout actively if your body remains dehydrated as you will feel energy-less.

While exercising you lose your internal body water through sweating so it gets dehydrated soon. So in order replenish it make sure that in between workouts you drink enough amount of water. Also, you can drink other health drinks to keep yourself energetic all the time.

For a healthy person and for improving your fitness 8 glasses of water consumption is a must or if possible you can drink more. Another benefit of drinking lots of water is that it will keep your stomach full temporarily which will prevent frequent cravings issue for unhealthy snacks and will help you in losing weight.

12. Always Track Your Progress Report

Tracking your progress report will help you to analyze your improvement rate by comparing your current fitness position with the time when you started your journey. This will always keep you motivated to achieve the highest possible goal and will keep you on track in every condition.

Prepare a note or journal and enter your each day effort and day end result in the form of your muscles growth, body weight, internal health position and any other things that you want to include in your regular or ultimate fitness list. This healthy practice will make your target easily achievable.

Try all above mentioned effective ways to improve your fitness and be consistent with them in order to remain fit and active throughout in your life.

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A Quick Guide to Common Protein Powder Ingredients

Many people add protein powder to their pre-workout smoothie, without taking a close look at the ingredients label. It’s important to understand the purpose of common protein powder ingredients, however, as it will help you optimize your workout and diet regimen. Ahead, find out what ingredients you want in your protein powder, and which ones you want to avoid.

Coco Powder

What you should be looking for

When you check the nutritional label on the back of your preferred protein powder, you’ll see a long list of multisyllabic, hard-to-pronounce ingredients. While these ingredients may be hard to parse at first, you’ll soon learn how to determine which ingredients are beneficial, and which ingredients are simply filler.

The first thing you should consider is the type of protein. Many experts consider whey protein to be the best option. This type of protein has a high concentration of amino acids, which promotes healthy muscle protein synthesis. Some people have a hard time digesting whey protein, however. In these cases, casein is a good substitute. This protein, derived from milk, also has an excellent amino acid profile. Casein protein releases slowly, while whey is fast acting. This means that it’s excellent for muscle recovery, but doesn’t deliver the immediate results of whey protein. Many bodybuilders mix opt for protein powders that combine whey and casein, as it boosts immediate and long-term results.

In any protein powder, the mixture of proteins is going to be the main attraction. Most powders contain other ingredients as well, which further enhance the muscle building process. Creatine is essential, as this peptide boosts energy levels within the muscle tissues. This helps users to train harder for longer. It’s also useful for recovery and muscle cell hydration. Many protein powders also contain fatty acids, which reduce inflammation and mitigate post-workout muscle soreness.

Bodybuilders should try to find a protein powder with carrageenan. This seaweed extract has numerous health benefits, from improved digestion to reduced cholesterol levels. The main reason it’s found in protein powders, however, is its potent antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect the cells in the body from free radicals—including muscle cells.

What You Don’t Want

When shopping for the perfect protein powder, there are also ingredients that you should try to avoid. This includes artificial sugars. Many protein powders are stuffed with sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame, but these sugar substitutes can wreak havoc on your metabolism. You should try to avoid standard sugar as well. It triggers the body’s desire to store fat, which isn’t a desirable side effect of protein powder. Stevia is the best protein powder sweetener, as it doesn’t have the metabolic effect of artificial sugar substitutes and doesn’t have the fat storing effect of sugar.

Male bodybuilders may also want to avoid soy protein. This form of the protein has plant estrogens, which can have a disruptive effect on male muscle gain. It can also increase inflammation levels, which can have a negative impact on the recovery process.

Using Protein Powder

Bodybuilders should also strive to choose a protein powder that’s easy to use. When it comes to protein powder, usability is defined by two characteristics: blend-ability and digestibility. Protein powders shouldn’t require a blender for even mixing. You should be able to throw a scoop into a water bottle, shake, and drink. If you can’t do this, it’s a sign that the protein powder is poorly made.

Finding a protein powder that’s easy to digest may require some trial and error. A powder that causes no bloating for one user may cause cramps in someone else. Before purchasing a powder, take a look at the types of protein included in the product. People with lactose issues, for example, should avoid powders that contain proteins derived from milk.

4 Exercise Ways to Fight Allergies

Allergies are abnormal reactions by the immunity system to foreign substances in the body. They are a nuisance and manifest through various symptoms such as pain, itchiness, stuffiness, breathing difficulties, the fullness of ears, runny nose and many other symptoms. Fortunately, regular workouts can help to reduce allergy symptoms by enhancing blood flow in your body, which facilitates the eradication of allergens. Despite that you cannot entirely do away with your allergies, working out often can lessen your allergic symptoms since the enhanced circulation of blood due to physical activities prevent inflammation to the delicate tissues within your nasal cavity, mouth, lungs and other sensitive organs. The beauty of using exercises to fight allergies is that the activities do not have to be intense, but you need to ensure your blood is circulating. Too much intense activity may even aggravate the symptoms so do not push yourself so hard.

Here are some ways through which exercises can help fight allergies and enable you to feel well in a short time include:

1. Exercises Increase The Heart Rate

Working out for some time helps to raise your heart rate resulting in a better feeling and being energized. The extra energy resulting from the boosted heart rate is what a person experiencing allergic symptoms requires to feel relieved. To get the heart pumping and blood circulating efficiently, you need to do cardiovascular exercises. Some of the activities that are good include running, jogging, rope jumping, boat rowing, walking on the treadmill, volleyball, and others. Besides having an anti-allergy effect, these activities will help you to torch calories hence lose weight.

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2. Working Out Discharges Endorphins

Performing exercises releases endorphins the brain chemicals that eradicate pain and discomfort which help to deal with allergies. Doing exercises for a duration of say 20 minutes will trigger the release of the chemicals into the system making you experience better feelings as well divert your mind from the stuffy nose.

3. Exercising Opens Up The Lungs and Nose

You stand to gain from working out by having the very areas that allergies affect opened up. Among the familiar allergic symptoms is causing nose blockage and experiencing difficulty in breathing. A good workout session can cause the nose and the lungs to open up and alleviate some of the discomforts that the affected persons suffer. Also, workouts may complement any medication you are using thus yielding better results.

4. Exercising Enhances The Immune System

Exercising comes in handy in dealing with allergies by improving the immune system. Improved blood circulation due to exercising enables white blood cells to circulate faster thus enhance immunity. The body’s ability to fight diseases and other conditions is significantly increased.

Conclusion

Consistent exercising can help to keep allergic symptoms to the lowest possible level by increasing the heart rate, releasing endorphins, opening up the nose and lungs and by boosting immunity. You can work out for 20 minutes a day about thrice per week, and you will have got an excellent allergy management strategy.

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Best Cardio Alternatives Instead of Boring Treadmill

The workout is a common craze in youngsters as they want an attractive body muscle and curvy shape at the fastest possible time. Out of several workout machines, cardio is one of the most common and favorable ones however it will really be an amazing feeling if you can enjoy during exercise. In order to ensure this here, we have come up with the fun cardio alternatives to the boring treadmill.

Workout on treadmill ensures toned muscles and figure that you can perform for long hours but no one can deny to an undesirable fall on this workout machines resulting in an injury that may be fatal too. So to avoid such unforeseen accidents and circumstances you must try some energetic plus safe cardio alternatives that you can perform for several hours without getting bored.

fun cardio alternatives to the boring treadmill

If we say that workout is an immense and inseparable part of our daily life then this statement is not wrong. We cannot deny the benefits of workout for our health and overall improvement in regular lifestyle. However, regularity in anything causes boredom after a particular point.

This theory is equally applicable to your regular workout plans and activities too. So lets us discuss some better alternative forms of workouts that are basically alternatives of regular cardio including a boring treadmill.

Stair Workout

Stepping up and down on the stairs of an old-fashioned building will be a great replacement of the daily monotonous treadmill cardio exercise. You simply have to step up and down in the building through its stairs and it is enough to raise your heartbeat rate. This tones to your lower body muscles and improves your heart’s health.

Indoor Cycling

Cycling is another easy and fun full cardio alternative that tones to your complete body muscles. As you are practicing indoor cycling so there is no tension of fall and injury on a roadside even in the case you get to fall on the ground.

Simply paddling on the foot stand of your cycle in normal motion will kick your heart rate and you can practice for several hours without getting bored. So what a great fun full opportunity, when you are getting a chance to boost your muscle along with complete fun and safety.

Hot Yoga

Yoga has numerous forms and amazing steps which are quite capable to boost your body muscle along with lifting to your mental health. Hot yoga is one of those yoga forms that can well compete with the popular cardio workout i.e. treadmill. Apart from that, you bring dual benefits out of these yoga forms practice, one you are toning your muscles and another is you are releasing your mental stress.

Some popular forms of yoga needed tough physical poses which includes hot yoga, vinyasa, Ashtanga, power yoga etc. Though initially, you might face difficulty while practicing these intense forms of yoga but later on you will feel comfortable and can stick in it for a long time.

Yoga is one of the simplest and safest forms of workout to boost your body muscles along with healing your soul and spirit. It teaches to control your mind which is very important to balance your life with all respect.

Kick Boxing

A workout is all about releasing sweat from your body means excess the workouts, more sweating in turn high rate of metabolism which is important to manage your cardio health. Kickboxing ensures workout with fun which is easy in practice and you can stick on it for several hours without getting bored that means a perfect alternative to the boring treadmill.

Nonstop punch and kicks on the punching bags with small stepping, raise your mood and interest towards this cardio alternative workout when the count of punches get increased. It covers to almost your all muscle groups throughout your body and increases your heartbeat which is important for healthy heart and good pumping rate.

High Intensive Interval Training or HIIT

If your planning is to reduce your body weight at the fastest possible time then you must try HIIT workouts as these exercises are an amazing alternative to treadmill cardio workout that you can do with fun. It burns your calories level faster than the steady steps on the treadmill.

There are several HHIT workout forms, as per your choice and suitability you can select any one of them or can try alternative HIIT exercises for a change. Jump squat is one of the most effective HIIT workouts that tone your overall body muscle, however, the basic force is given to lower body part including gluten muscle, thigh, and leg.

HIIT will boost your heart rate and improve the blood circulation rate which is very beneficial for people with cardio health issues. Apart from this, there are so many other HIIT workout forms that you can choose as per your suitability.

Rowing

If you want some fun full change in your regular treadmill cardio workout then you must try rowing which is not only effective for reducing your body weight but also tones your body’s muscles. Another benefit of practicing rowing workout over the treadmill is its safety concern because it is much safer than the later one.

In rowing, you don’t have to worry about your legs injury and fracture which is quite possible on workouts which indulges your foot practice over a harsh or tight surface. Apart from that, it boosts your heart rate and tones more than 80% of your body’s muscles at a time as your whole body needs to involve in this workout.

Trampolining

Trampolining is another best alternative of treadmill cardio workout that raises your heart rate faster and higher than the treadmill workouts. Apart from this, its fun full steps will not let you bored even though you have spent several hours on practicing it on regular basis.

It is quite easy to practice it and with small time training, you can be an expert of this alternative cardio workout. Start practicing with little warm up like jumping jack in the middle of the trampoline and raise your speed after some time.

Enjoy the music at your gym while practicing this full of energy and easily performing workout every day for a change in your monotonous workout forms. It tones your whole body’s muscle and increases your heart rate which is very essential to balance your heart health and for preventing cardio related health concerns.

Dance Cardio

Workouts practicing can really be a matter of fun when you try some alternative workout plan instead of indulging in same or regular workout postures and practice such as the treadmill. Dance cardio is a wise alternative plan to change your mood and stay stick with your workout plan.

You need to move your whole body on different steps and movements as per your instructor’s direction on some popular beat of songs and pop music that not let you feel bored even if you crosses more than an hour. It tones your whole body muscles and impacts your cardio health by raising and lowering your heart rate. It is a safe fun full cardio alternative that you must not miss.

Benefits of Cardio Workouts for Health

Cardiovascular workouts forms tend to increase your heart rate as well as increases your blood circulation level throughout the body, which is the key to a healthy body and lifestyle. However the benefit of cardio workouts is not limited to improving your heart health, instead, it is much more than that. So let’s discuss some most vital health benefits that you get after doing cardio exercises.

Increases Metabolism Rate

Our body metabolism rate plays an important role in managing the functionality of different body parts. When you do an intense cardio exercise your body’s metabolic rate automatically gets increased which not only speeds up the functionality of your heart system but at the same time raises the productivity level of all your body parts which indulges in that workout session.

HIIT is the most prominent example of a cardio workout that simply stimulates to your metabolism rate and boosts to your immunity power, blood circulation, growth system and most importantly helps in managing your body weight to the desired level. Those who want to lose their weight or want to gain body weight, cardio is the most suitable workout to achieve their target.

Improves Your Heart Health

Cardio is primarily focused on improving your heart’ functionality which is one of the most important parts of your body and needs to work properly for ensuring a healthy and diseases free life. Cardio workouts raise your heart rate and increase its pumping fluency which is important for purifying and well circulation of blood all over the body.

Only 20 to 30 minutes of cardio exercise every day is enough to ensure your good health and most importantly for preventing the heart-related health risk which comes under the category of severe forms of diseases and often life-threatening too.

Enhances your Recovery Power

Our body is not a machine after all it is made by living muscles and blood vessels so it hurts, injured and pains when you perform an intense weight lifting exercise. The soreness and stiffness occurring in the muscles after such workout take time to get recover completely and for another day workout it really needs courage and strength.

This reduction in the recovery power or ability of your body can be enhanced by performing some fun full cardio workouts after practicing an intense weight lifting workout. A small session on the treadmill or in trampoline is enough to lift your muscle strength as your reduced rate of blood circulation get a good flow and you feel the energy for another day’s gym workout as usual.

Balances the Hormonal Level

Hormones throw an immersive impact in your health as well as your lifestyle. So it’s very essential that your body hormonal level remains in a balance for a balanced lifestyle and for healthy living. Regular cardio workouts help in releasing the stress bursting hormones which reduce the problem of stress and depression, two severe mental health concerns.

Apart from this, it also prevents the issue of fatigue and tiredness by keeping you energetic all the time. You can see the is difference easily in people that those who perform regular cardio workout remains more happy and successful in their life than those who never do such workouts and live a sedentary lifestyle.

Prevents Obesity and Diabetes

Obesity or excess body weight is one of the most common health problems by which every second person you can find affected. It not only hampers your external look and appearance but also helps in the growth of other chronic health issues such as obesity, hypertension etc. However, with cardio workouts on daily basis, you can combat all these issues with this single remedy.

Regular cardiovascular exercise prevents the storage of glucose in your body by utilizing it in the different functions of your body. Moreover, an increased metabolic rate obtained by cardio exercises burns the extra fat and calorie in your body which helps to reduce your body weight and keep your sugar level in proper balance.

Boost to Your Brain Health

Out of several benefits of cardiovascular exercise brain boosting or uplift is one of them which is easily possible by maintaining regularity in this workout. Just like other body parts brain also don’t remain untouched from getting benefited out of cardio exercises.

It is said that due to regularity in your body movement one important brain area called hippocampus which works as storage for memories and knowledge gets increased that means an increase of your IQ level, sense, and reduction in forgetfulness. This brain-boosting feature is hardly possible with other fitness workouts and that is the reason cardio workouts are so beneficial and important for people of all ages.

Enhances Your Skin Health

Cardio workouts work as a natural therapy for your skin health by enhancing its condition and beauty with all respect. It prevents aging-related problems and reduces aging signs such as fine lines, wrinkles, sagging, dryness etc. An indulgence in regular cardio exercise increases the blood flow in your skin and that speeds up your skin repairing process which is vital for a healthy, glowing and fresh skin.

Enhances the Sleeping Quality

Cardio exercise along with other physical activity impacts a lot to your sleeping quality. A regular cardio workout increases your recovery power and releases stress hormones from your body which is vital for a sound and long hours sleep.

This is the reason people who have sleeping deprivation issues like insomnia are often suggested to do cardio workouts in their daily life for improving their sleeping pattern. This is a natural and effective way to get sound and healthy hours sleep which is key for a healthy lifestyle.

After knowing amazing benefits of cardio workouts we are sure that you must not ignore this worthy and healthful workout for boosting your overall health. Also, for more fun and refreshment you should definitely try to the fun cardio alternatives to the boring treadmill.

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10 Ways to Boost Your Metabolism

Boosting metabolism is the holy grail of weight watchers everywhere, but how fast your body burns calories depends on several things. Some people inherit a speedy metabolism. Men tend to burn more calories than women, even while resting. And for most people, metabolism slows steadily after age 40. Although you can’t control your age, gender, or genetics, there are other ways to improve your metabolism. Here are 10 of them

1. Build Muscle

Your body constantly burns calories, even when you’re doing nothing. This resting metabolic rate is much higher in people with more muscle. Every pound of muscle uses about 6 calories a day just to sustain itself, while each pound of fat burns only 2 calories daily. That small difference can add up over time. After a session of strength training, muscles are activated all over your body, raising your average daily metabolic rate.

2. Step Up Your Workout

Aerobic exercise may not build big muscles, but it can rev up your metabolism in the hours after a workout. The key is to push yourself. High-intensity exercise delivers a bigger, longer rise in resting metabolic rate than low- or moderate-intensity workouts. To get the benefits, try a more intense class at the gym or include short bursts of jogging during your regular walk.

3. Fuel Up With Water

Your body needs water to process calories. If you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who drank four. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened beverage before every meal and snack. Also, snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, which naturally contain water, rather than pretzels or chips.

4. Should You Try Energy Drinks?

Some ingredients in energy drinks can give your metabolism a boost. They’re full of caffeine, which increases the amount of energy your body uses. They sometimes have taurine, an amino acid. Taurine can speed up your metabolism and may help burn fat. But using these drinks can cause problems like high blood pressure, anxiety, and sleep issues for some people. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t recommend them for kids and teens.

5. Snack Smart

Eating more often can help you lose weight. When you eat large meals with many hours in between, your metabolism slows down between meals. Having a small meal or snack every 3 to 4 hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories over the course of a day. Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less at mealtime.

6. Spice Up Your Meals

Spicy foods have natural chemicals that can kick your metabolism into a higher gear. Cooking foods with a tablespoon of chopped red or green chili pepper can boost your metabolic rate. The effect is probably temporary, but if you eat spicy foods often, the benefits may add up. For a quick boost, spice up pasta dishes, chili, and stews with red pepper flakes.

7. Power Up With Protein

Your body burns many more calories digesting protein than it does eating fat or carbohydrates. As part of a balanced diet, replacing some carbs with lean, protein-rich foods can boost metabolism at mealtime. Good sources of protein include lean beef, turkey, fish, white meat chicken, tofu, nuts, beans, eggs, and low-fat dairy products.

8. Sip Some Black Coffee

If you’re a coffee drinker, you probably enjoy the energy and concentration perks. Taken in moderation, one of coffee’s benefits may be a short-term rise in your metabolic rate. Caffeine can help you feel less tired and even increase your endurance while you exercise.

9. Recharge With Green Tea

Drinking green tea or oolong tea offers the combined benefits of caffeine and catechins, substances shown to rev up the metabolism for a couple of hours. Research suggests that drinking 2 to 4 cups of either tea may push the body to burn 17% more calories during moderately intense exercise for a short time.

10. Avoid Crash Diets

Crash diets — those involving eating fewer than 1,200 (if you’re a woman) or 1,800 (if you’re a man) calories a day — are bad for anyone hoping to quicken their metabolism. Although these diets may help you drop pounds, that comes at the expense of good nutrition. Plus, it backfires, since you can lose muscle, which in turn slows your metabolism. The final result is your body burns fewer calories and gains weight faster than before the diet.

5 Benefits of keeping Yourself Physically fit

For most people, the word “getting fit” conjures up images of intense workouts and rigorous physical activity. Luckily, it doesn’t have to. You don’t need to spend countless hours in a gym to keep physically fit. In fact, you can keep fit by doing ordinary everyday household chores around the house.

Every time you wash the car, go swimming, walk up a flight of stairs or play baseball in the backyard, your fitness is improving. When you’re fit and healthy, you not only look good, you feel good. Keeping physically fit early on in life has numerous benefits.

  1. It Strengthens the Heart – Like any other muscle in the body, the heart gets stronger and more efficient the more its put to the test through regular exercise or physical activity. A stronger heart helps keep heart disease – the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Health – at bay.
  2. It Helps Keep Arteries and Veins Clear – Regular exercise helps to reduce the buildup of cholesterol in the blood. Your blood vessels become much more flexible, and your blood pressure reduces. This, in turn, helps to reduce the chances of getting a heart attack or a stroke.
  3. It Strengthens Your Lungs – Over time, your lungs take in less oxygen as a result of inactivity or old age. Regular exercise increases lung capacity, and their ability to efficiently take air in and out of the body. As a result, more oxygen is taken in, as carbon dioxide is expelled.
  4. It Reduces Blood Sugar Levels – Exercise keeps your blood sugar low by preventing sugar from building up in your bloodstream. With exercise, muscles take up more glucose from the bloodstream to use it for energy. This then reduces the risk of getting diabetes.
  5. It Controls Weight Gain –Engaging in physical activity keeps you from being sedentary. Often, living a sedentary life means you take in more calories than you need. Over time, these excess, unused calories accumulate in your body as fat. As a person who is physically active and diet conscious, you burn more calories than you take in which gets rid of excess fat in the body and lowers weight. The less the fat, the better for your heart.

Whey Protein vs. Collagen Protein. Which one is better?

Whether you’re a fitness aficionado working on building lean muscle, or someone simply trying to bolster your overall health, the notion of the perfect protein powder likely looms large in your daily routine. Many protein powders are whey-based, but today, collagen proteins also are emerging as a viable alternative to whey for athletes, muscle mass, and health seekers. What are the differences between whey and collagen protein powders, and which is the right one for you?

What is whey protein and where does it come from?

Whey, a water-soluble protein complex derived from milk, is a highly functional food with many of health benefits. Whey protein is one of the two proteins found in milk, with the other being casein. When a coagulant (usually renin) is added to milk, the curds (casein) and whey separate. This was the very thing that Miss Muffet consumed on her tuffet in the days of old.

What are the health benefits of whey?

The biological components of whey, including lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptide, and immunoglobulins, demonstrate a veritable rainbow of immune-enhancing properties. This is the major difference between whey protein and plant proteins like hemp protein. It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein that is absorbed quickly into the gut. This is unlike soy protein, which is a skewed glutamate profile and higher allergy risk. Pea protein and sprouted brown rice protein, however, have the closest amino acid profile to whey but still not as high. This is why whey protein is popular for those seeking to gain lean muscle mass or use it as a meal replacement shake. This superstar protein also as the ability to act as an antioxidant, as well as an antihypertensive, antitumor, hypolipidemic, antiviral, antibacterial, and chelating agent. It is believed that whey protein supplementation works its magic by converting the amino acid cysteine to glutathione, a potent intracellular antioxidant.

Whey proteins may lower blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure, due to bioactive peptides called lactokinins. A number of clinical trials have successfully been performed using whey in the treatment of HIV, cancer, hepatitis B, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, and as an antimicrobial agent. Whey protein also has shown great benefits in the arena of exercise performance and enhancement. It is very useful for hitting targeted daily protein goals.

Whey is absorbed faster than other forms of protein, which means it also increases muscle protein synthesis used to break a fasted state. Whey also confers a large dose of the amino acid L-cysteine, which can alleviate deficiencies that occur during aging and diabetes, as well as other conditions. Whey itself does not reduce fat, but taking in more protein often assists with fat loss efforts. Whey does not harm the kidneys or liver, but it can magnify pre-existing damage. People with damaged livers or kidneys should exercise caution when increasing protein intake quickly and without a physician’s guidance.

What is the difference between whey concentrate and whey protien isolate?

There are three main types: whey concentrate, whey protein isolate and hydrolysate. Whey concentrate is the most popular and least expensive and is popular amongst athletes and bodybuilders. Whey is rich in a branch-chained amino acid called leucine, which promotes muscle growth.

  • Whey protein concentrate contains low levels of fat and low levels of carbohydrates. Protein percentages range from 30% to 90%.
  • Whey protein isolate is more processed than whey protein concentrate to remove all fat and lactose, and offers 90% protein.
  • Whey protein hydroxylate in considered “predigested” in that it has already undergone partial hydrolosis- a process necessary for the body to absorb protein. It requires the least amount of digestion of the three types.

What are the side effects of whey protein?

A majority of side effects occur primarily with excessive use. According to Harvard Medical School’s Health Blog, a person prone to kidney stones should the limit the use of protein to a safe margin. Excessive use of whey protein can promote kidney stones in susceptible individuals. Weight gain can also result, as can stomach cramps, nausea, and acne.

Whey protein is likely safe for most adults when used in amounts recommended by the manufacturer. Whey protein is possibly safe when taken by mouth as a single dose of up to 50 grams, or when 30 grams is taken by mouth daily for six months.

Whey protein may cause abnormal heart rhythms, changes in cholesterol levels, headache, increased diabetes risk, increased fracture or osteoporosis risk, kidney dysfunction, liver damage, stomach or intestine symptoms (acid reflux, bloating, constipation, cramps, gas, increased bowel movements, movement problems, nausea, reduced appetite, swelling of limbs, and upset stomach), and thirst.

Whey protein may lower blood sugar levels. Caution is advised in people with low blood sugar, and in those taking drugs, herbs, or supplements that affect blood sugar. Blood sugar levels may need to be monitored by a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, and medication adjustments may be necessary.

Whey protein may increase the risk of bleeding. Caution is advised in people with bleeding disorders or in those taking drugs that may increase the risk of bleeding. Dosing adjustments may be necessary.

Whey protein may interfere with the way the body processes certain drugs using the liver’s “cytochrome P450” enzyme system.

Whey protein may cause low blood pressure. Caution is advised in people with low blood pressure or in those taking drugs or herbs and supplements that lower blood pressure. Avoid in people with known allergy or sensitivity to milk or milk products, including cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, and mare’s milk.

Can You Use Whey Protein During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding?

There is a lack of scientific evidence on the use of whey protein during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Only approved sources of whey protein should be used in infant formulas. Allergic reactions have been reported with exposure to whey protein, including diarrhea, failure to thrive, infant colic, and rash.

What is collagen protein?

Another popular form of protein powder is collagen protein. Collagen is naturally found in bone broth. Collagen protein powder is derived from beef hide. It contains 19 amino acids. Collagen is the key structural protein that ensures the cohesion, elasticity, and regeneration of all of our connective tissues; its the essential glue holding our bodies together. The peptides in collagen, when digested, are quickly drawn to cells called fibroblasts that synthesize collagen in the human body. New collagen fibers grow in both density and diameter, potentially improving the strength, elasticity, and moisture of the skin.

What is the difference between whey and collagen?

The primary difference between collagen and whey proteins are the amino acids: collagen is very high in proline and glycine, and glycine combines with glutamine and cysteine to support the production of glutathione, your body’s most powerful antioxidant. Glycine also stimulates stomach acid production, which leads to better digestion. This is what makes bone broth so healing to the gut along with the naturally occurring gelatin. Collagen, however, only has 8 out of the 9 essential amino acids whereas whey has all the essential amino acids. Whey has a higher level of the BRCAA’s leucine, isoleucine, and valine.

What are collagen peptides?

Collagen peptides are small bioactive peptides created by breaking down the molecular bonds between individual collagen strands to peptides, or hydrolysis. Collagen peptides are a cold-soluble, easily digestible and highly bioactive form of collagen. Bovine collagen provides significant doses of types 1 and 111 collagen, the major components of nails, skin, tendons, ligaments, bones, gums, eyes, hair, teeth, blood vessels and nails. It is high in glycine, which is crucial to building healthy DNA and RNA strands and forming creative. It provides proline, an amino acid which promotes joint and cardiovascular health. The absorption rate of hydrolyzed collagen is said to be over 90% compared to only 27% or less in food. Collagen makes up to 90% of bone mass, and taking it can improve bone metabolism. The arrival of collagen peptides on the scene also stimulates osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation. Bones are living tissues, and collagen helps contribute to their continued strength and flexibility.

Collagen Speeds Exercise Recovery Time

High-quality protein from collagen speeds up recovery time for torn muscles, joints, tendons, and ligaments: Did you know collagen is required to heal connective tissue and muscle injuries? Scientists have identified collagen as the key component for regenerating strength and flexibility in torn joints, muscles, and ligaments. Collagen synthesis rates in connective tissue and muscles during healing of an injury have been shown to be significantly higher during the first three weeks immediately following injury.Therefore, collagen supplementation has benefits for proper healing of joints, muscle, and ligaments.

Collagen boosts athletic performance

Collagen protein powder is ideal for post-workout nutrition due to its high amino acid content: Collagen protein powder supports the body’s protein needs during and after exercise. Supplementation products such as collagen contain 18 amino acids and 8 of the 9 essential amino acids that can only be found in dietary proteins. Collagen contains 20% glycine and 8% arginine, which are key amino acids for the synthesis of creatine- an important molecule for muscular contraction.

Collagen promotes weight loss

Collagen protein helps with weight loss and is more filling than other types of protein. Research has shown collagen protein is more satiating than other protein types, keeping you full longer so you eat less. One clinical trial found collagen to be 40% more filling than the same quantity of whey, casein or soy. Another study among obese and diabetic patients found intake of hydrolyzed collagen stimulated the release of satiating hormones into the blood. Individuals who supplemented with collagen consumed 20% less at their next meal than those who consumed other types of protein.

Collagen bolsters bone and joint health

Collagen builds stronger bones and prevents bone fractures: We lose up to 50% of our bone strength during aging due to collagen breakdown. Scientific studies show that it’s the collagen in our bones that absorbs the energy from any bone impacts. The more collagen present in our bones, the tougher our bones are, which decreases fracture risk. Supplementation with collagen improves bone strength by stimulating new bone cell growth to replace worn and damaged bone cells. Improves joint mobility and flexibility. Supplementing with collagen can improve flexibility in movements such as knee extension and total mobility throughout daily activities.

Clinical studies have shown collagen peptides improve mobility and flexibility in both arthritic patients and in athletes. After collagen supplementation, subjects have been able to exercise for longer durations before experiencing joint pain. A 24-week clinical trial showed potential improvement of joint pain in athletes who were treated with the dietary supplement collagen hydrolysate. The results of this study have implications for the use of collagen hydrolysate to support joint health and possibly reduce the risk of joint deterioration in a high-risk group. Despite the study’s size and limitations, the results suggest that athletes consuming collagen hydrolysate can reduce parameters (such as pain) that have a negative impact on athletic performance. Future studies are needed to support these findings.

Collagen alleviates arthritis symptoms such as joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation

Multiple clinical studies have shown supplementation with collagen leads to significant reductions in arthritis that causes joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. One trial demonstrated a 70% response rate for significant or noticeable improvement in joint pain among patients who supplemented with collagen, and in another study, collagen proved 25% more effective in reducing osteoarthritis pain and stiffness compared to other anti-inflammatory supplements, such as glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.

Collagen strengthens joints and ligaments and prevent injuries

Daily collagen supplementation improves the strength and size of our tendons, joints, and ligaments. Studies have shown collagen supplementation decreases tendon and ligament injury rates. One study that measured effects of daily intake of collagen peptides on the structure of the Achilles tendon found a significant increase in collagen fiber diameter, suggesting improved strength of the tendon as a result of collagen supplementation.

Collagen prevents ulcers and heartburn

Collagen is critical for proper digestive system function. By regulating stomach digestion, it can help prevent heartburn and ulcers. Additionally, collagen peptides in the GI tract pull in water and attract acid molecules, aiding in the breakdown of food particles and helping move food through the GI tract. It also is an important component in the process of repairing lesions in the intestinal lining. Proper intestinal healing requires an increased collagen supply, and studies have found decreased collagen levels in individuals with digestive imbalances. Additionally, glutamine, one of the amino acids in collagen, has been recognized as the key amino acid in preventing inflammation in the gut lining and healing leaky gut syndrome.

Is collagen the fountain of youth?

Reduces skin wrinkles and hydrates skin: Collagen is the essential component of the dermis layer of skin. Supplementation with collagen has been shown to increase skin flexibility and hydration and reduce the depth of facial wrinkles. In a study among women ages 40 to 60, supplementation with collagen for eight weeks showed a 28% average increase in skin moisture levels, and 91% of subjects reported less dry skin after supplementation. Additionally, science has shown oral collagen supplementation more effectively improves skin than topical creams and lotions. Collagen molecules in topical products are too big to be absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Studies have shown oral ingestion of collagen peptides is immediately absorbed into the blood and then delivered to skin cells to increase skin-collagen expression.

Collage builds strong, healthy hair, nails, and teeth

The growth of hair follicles is dependent on the collagen matrix in the dermal layer of our skin. Without adequate collagen, the total number and thickness of hair follicles can be reduced. Loss of collagen as we age may be a significant contributor to hair loss. Collagen is essential for healthy nail growth and the major structural component of teeth and the connection between teeth and gums. Collagen loss with age can cause increased tooth sensitivity and decreased tooth strength.

What are the side effects of collagen protein?

The most commonly reported side effects of collagen supplements are hypercalcemia- too much calcium in the body (this occurs primarily with marine sources, however), constipation, bone pain, abnormal heart rhythms and allergic reactions in some since animal collagen is not exactly the same as human collagen.

The Best Whey Protein and Collagen Products

1. Promix Whey Protein

Promix is grass-fed, cold-processed, antibiotic free, hormone free, no artificial sweeteners, colors, flavors, preservatives and tested exceedingly low in heavy metals. This is your checklist when choosing a whey protein. Buying in bulk allows you to get grass-fed whey at $1.00 a serving.

2. Vital Proteins Pastured-Raised Collagen Peptides

Vital proteins use high quality, Non-GMO, Pasture-Raised, grass-fed beef collagen. Easily mixes into water, smoothies, coffees etc.

3. Multi Collagen Peptides Powder

Vitauthority’s Multi-Collagen Powder is a multi-type collagen supplement featuring four natural sources of collagen: hydrolyzed bovine, chicken, fish, and egg collagen peptides. Multi-Collagen Protein provides multiple types of collagen (Types I, II, III, V and X).