How To Stay Cool During The Summer

She is certainly thirsty. Summer is upon us and we love to get outdoors to enjoy the weather. These range of activities can include everything of hanging out with girls at an outdoor event to visiting the beach. If you are going to go outdoors and enjoy what  the summer has to offer, we have some hydration suggestions that you can use so you can get the most out of your activities without feeling thirsty or worse. Here is what we found.

Water makes up between 45 percent and 75 percent of your weight. For many, especially active folks, maintaining a healthy fluid balance can be difficult. However, keeping your body hydrated is vital for proper functioning.

Staying hydrated not only helps with your alertness, controlling appetite, and improving activity and sport performance, but it also keeps every day symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and dry skin at bay.


First Thing's First: Are You Properly Hydrated?

There are two simple ways to measure your hydration status. One method can be used anytime and the other is useful after performing physical activity. The first way to measure your hydration status is to examine the color of your urine. If you're hydrated, your urine will appear to be a very pale yellow--almost clear (keep in mind the water in the bowl will dilute it some). If your urine is much darker--like the color of apple juice or tea--this means that your body is dehydrated.

The other method is used to determine your sweat rate. To do this, weigh yourself naked before performing any exercise. Once you've finished exercising, weigh yourself naked again (sweat-soaked clothing will give you inaccurate results). For every pound lost, drink 16 fluid ounces to replace it. 

Are You Keeping Hydrated During Exercise?

To maintain proper hydration, it's important to drink before, during, and after exercise. When heavy sweating is expected, drink two to three cups of water two to three hours before exercise. Thirty minutes before exercise, drink five to ten ounces. During activity that causes a lot of sweat loss, drinking every 10 to 20 minutes can be beneficial. Those who sweat less can drink every 20 minutes. After exercise, weigh yourself to determine how much you will need to rehydrate adequately.



Are Sports Drinks Good for Rehydrating?

Water is generally the best drink to rehydrate with. However, sports drinks are appropriate after 60 to 90 minutes of intense activity or heavy sweating. Drinking sports drinks casually (when no exercise has been performed) may lead to weight gain since these drinks typically contain calories.

7 Great Tips to Staying Hydrated

If you're living a busy life, even simple tasks--like staying hydrated--can be difficult. So here are seven easy ways to keep your juices flowing.

1. Fruits and vegetables are great sources of water. Be sure to eat these daily, not only to stay hydrated, but to maintain optimal health.

2. Keep a large water bottle handy to encourage you to drink water wherever and whenever.

3. Have a glass of water before each meal.

4. After each trip to the restroom, drink a glass of water to replenish your fluids.

5. Set reminders on your phone, watch, or email to drink every hour.

6. Track your intake of fluids to make sure you get enough daily.

7. Add a slice of lemon, lime and/or basil to your water to give it some flavor without adding any extra calories.


 These are great ways to stay hydrated. Be sure to keep these tips in mind. Thank you to fitday.com for their useful suggestions. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!
Joseph A Jones & The Welllife Team

Getting Fit In The Summertime

Summer offers the chance to get outdoors and be seen. We want to look good for the summer and also get outside. So, it makes sense to stay in shape and enjoy the summer weather at the same time.  Here are some ideas for you brought to you by Web MD.



Swimming

Swimming is a wonderful cardiovascular conditioner that also helps tones arms and legs, and it's very easy on the joints, says Stuhr.In fact, it's perfect for people who have muscle or joint problems. The weightlessness of the water helps them exercise pain-free.Swimming will increase your stamina, can help ward off diabetes and high blood pressure, and relieves stress, Stuhr tells WebMD.

Equipment: A swimsuit and maybe goggles.

Pros: Most people already know how to swim; it's fun, refreshing, and forgiving of excess weight or physical disabilities.

Cons: Not everyone has easy access to pools, lakes, or the ocean. Swimming is not weight bearing, so you should pair it with other activities such as walking or lifting weights.



Walking

You say walking's too pedestrian? Actually, it's one of the best lifetime sports.
"It's easy on the joints, you don't need a lot of fancy equipment, and you can burn calories, even though it's a more modest amount compared to some other activities," says Stuhr.Current national guidelines recommend exercise (such as brisk walking) for 30 minutes, most days in a week.According to the guidelines, walking for 30 minutes, 5 days a week, at a brisk pace (about 4 mph) will help ward off chronic disease."Your risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure go down as a response to just increasing your level of physical activity," says Stuhr.Beyond that, if you're trying to lose weight, you should shoot for 60 minutes of walking most days of the week. To keep weight off, get 60-90 minutes of walking most days.
Sound daunting? The trick is to incorporate walking into your daily life and break the time into several manageable spurts. Consider walking the kids to school or the bus stop in the morning, hoofing it to pick up a bag of groceries or run errands at lunchtime, and walking the dog or taking a stroll after dinner each evening.

Equipment Needed: Good athletic shoes are all you need.

Pros: Walking is a weight-bearing exercise (which means it's good for bone health) and helps build cardiovascular endurance. Almost everyone can do it, regardless of fitness level.

Cons: You may not lose weight as quickly as with some other forms of cardiovascular exercise.

Kayaking

Kayaking is primarily an upper-body sport, but it also works the muscles of the center of your body, back, and stomach.In fact, "many beginner kayakers fatigue early because they rely mostly on their arms rather than their core," says Brian Clark, a kayaking enthusiast and residence life management area coordinator at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.Beginners should start by taking a class or clinic in a pool or flat-water location."You'll learn how to roll the kayak, paddling technique, read the river and what to do for problems like getting pinned against rocks," says John Benson, director of the Sewanee Outing Program at Sewanee, the University of the South, in Tennessee.To prepare your body for kayaking, pay attention to working out your shoulders, abs, and lower back. It's also important to work on your flexibility, Clark says. Pilates and yoga are helpful for this.

Equipment: A kayak, a helmet, a, personal flotation device, and safety gear such as throw ropes. A neoprene or wet suit is good to have in cooler weather.

Pros: If you love the water, kayaking is a fun and scenic way to work out.

Cons: Equipment is expensive, and you need training before you hit the water on your own. For most of us, this is a weekend-only activity.


Jogging/Running

Jogging is terrific for your heart and lungs, and it improves your stamina. If you're trying to lose weight, it can burn calories more quickly than walking."On the negative side, running does put more stress on the joints -- the knees, ankles, and hips," says Stuhr.The key is to start slowly. The general rule is to increase your time or distance by no more than 10% each week."The reason we make that suggestion is not because the heart and lungs can't handle it, but the joints and muscles are a little slower to adapt to the stress of vigorous exercise," Stuhr says. Too much too soon, and you can develop tendinitis or a variety of muscle or joint problems.

Equipment: It's important to get a good pair of running shoes, and, for women, a quality sports bra. Pay attention to the surface on which you run. Paths and grass are softer, but they're uneven and could have holes. Concrete is harder, but good shoes help absorb shock.

Pros: Running is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. A 150-pound woman can burn 306 calories running for 30 minutes at 5 mph (a 12-minute mile). A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999 found that aerobic exercise like running may be as effective as medication for treating depression in some people.

Cons: Running can be hard on muscles and joints and can cause injuries such as shin splints and tendinitis.

Cycling

Not only is bicycling an excellent cardiovascular exercise, but you can really explore your community by cycling to different neighborhoods or in parks, bike paths, or trails. Many people cycle to commute to work.

While running tends to target the hamstrings (the muscles in the back of your thighs), cycling uses the quadriceps (the muscles on the front of the thighs) more.

It's important to make sure your bike is fitted properly to your body; otherwise, you'll put too much stress on your back or knees.

"I recommend finding a bike shop or a demo program where you can try a bike out," says Tonya Laffey, a professional mountain biker and founder of MTB Chick Racing. "I would highly recommend getting a fit kit, which measures you for the bike."

When you're getting started, you want a softer seat but not one that is too wide, or you won't be able to get behind it, Laffey tells WebMD. If you're a woman, try a women's racing saddle. It will be more comfortable but may take some time to get used to.

If your gym offers spinning classes, they can help you prepare for biking outdoors.

It's also a good idea to learn basic bike repair, Laffey says.

Equipment: You need a bike, a helmet, and gloves with a little palm padding, which will absorb vibration and cushion your hands in a spill.

Pros: Biking is fun, can be used as transportation, and works different muscles than walking or running.

Cons: Equipment can be expensive. Cycling isn't weight-bearing exercise (the type that helps build healthy bones), so you'll need to couple it with strength training or another form of weight-bearing activity for optimum fitness.

Now you can get outside and be active this summer. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!
Joseph A Jones & The Welllife Team

Effective Exercises for Women

        

              No Pain No Gain! We have heard this numerous times when we are completing our workout and wonder if these exercises are really helping. You want to do exercises that work in multiple ways and cut out unecessary routines.Well, fitbie at msn.com has done a wonderful job in describing  effective exercises that work in many different directions.

             The secret to shaving time off your workout without sacrificing results: doing dynamic combo moves that target at least two muscle groups (think quads and biceps) in each rep, says Paul Katami, group fitness manager at Equinox fitness club in West Hollywood, California, who created this routine. "They are great time-savers and also challenge your stabilizer muscles, which help improve core strength and balance."

            While you can use a dumbbell for these moves, a kettlebell's weight isn't evenly distributed, so your muscles have to work harder to steady the bell with each lift or swing.

            Three or four times a week, do two sets of this circuit with an eight-to 10-pound kettlebell. Complete the prescribed reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next with little or no rest.

Swing with Leg Raise

                                                   step 1                           step 2                (Sets 2 / Reps 15)

1. Start in a half squat, holding the kettlebell between your knees, arms straight and chest up.
2. Swing the weight overhead, arms straight, and raise your right leg straight out to the side. Return to start and repeat with the left leg. That's one rep. 

Lateral Lunge with Biceps Curl

                                  Step 1                                Step 2                          (Sets 2/ Reps15)

1. Hold the bell in your right hand, step to the left, and lower into a side lunge.
2. Curl the weight up toward your left shoulder.Reverse the move to return to standing.That's one rep.

           

Squat to Rotational Press

                                                   Step 1                                Step 2              (Sets 2 /Reps 10)

1. Hold the bell at your chest and lower into a squat, chest up and back flat.
2. As you stand, rotate your feet and torso to the left, pressing the weight over your left shoulder. Return to standing and repeat, rotating to the right side. That's one rep.     

        We hope this helps you to do more effective exercises while you are on your health journey. If you would like to contact us with any questions or feedback, you can reach us by email.

Thank you for visiting!

Joseph A Jones & The Welllife Team