Some of us leave no stones unturned in ensuring that we follow a healthy lifestyle to improve our overall health and well being, in addition to being a good example to follow. But, once in a while, along the way we unknowingly might take a detour on our journey of well being despite reading so many fitness blogs and books. This is when we need a well researched article stating fitness truths that help in altering our lifestyle habits.
It is important to note that implementing a new way of living is a lot easier said than done; however, once this journey begins, there is no looking back. Slowly and gradually, you will learn and unlearn a lot and know what works and what doesn’t.
In this article, we’ll cover 10 fitness truths that might help you rethink a few aspects of your existing lifestyle. Take a clear look at these below mentioned fitness truths!
A sedentary lifestyle can increase your overall food intake.
It’s true. Sitting for a prolonged period of time may trigger irresistible food cravings than if you were moving around. A lot of fitness experts reckon that individuals must set reminders to get up and stand for a while. For instance, if you are sitting in front of your computer for quite a while, consider getting up in between for a few minutes. Also, while watching television, make sure you get up during the commercials.
It is a good idea to set reminders to do the same, and there are plenty of mobile apps available to help you set reminders.
It is imperative to decrease your sitting time.
Sitting for longer hours can cause irreversible effects on our brain and body. As soon as we sit, our calorie burning drops to 1 per minute. In addition, enzymes that help break down fat drop by 90 percent. A particular research suggests that individuals with sitting jobs have twice the rate of cardiovascular diseases than people with jobs that involve standing. Therefore, ensure that you opt for an early morning jog or brisk lunchtime walk in order to avail health benefits. In addition, when you plan your daily routine, make sure you cut down on your sitting time and increase your fit time.
Sleeping well is of utmost importance.
A sound sleep is of utmost important for your overall well being. Lack of sleep most often results in poor health, particularly deformed skin. While we sleep, our body is busy doing a lot of good things for us. To name a few, our muscles are recovering, our skin is relaxing, and our brain is resting. If we don’t sleep well, none of this happens, resulting in poor health. Besides, lack of sleep can also result into an insufficient release of human growth hormone (HGH), an essential hormone that helps in increasing muscle mass and skin thickness.
An eight hour sleep is profoundly significant for good health.
Lack of sleep can cause weight gain.
Another incredible fitness fact is that skipping sleep can cause weight gain. As per a study from American Journal of Epidemiology, women who slept less than seven hours were more susceptible to gaining weight. Other researches have shown that even partial sleep deprivation can boost the production of hormone ghrelin, which triggers hunger. In the past 50 years, the annual percentage of obese adults in the U.S. have risen. During these times, the average amount of sleep that each adult gets at nights has dropped. So can we safely conclude that our sleep loss is contributing to the obesity epidemic?
Driving Without Sleeping can be Hazardous
As per a recent AAA Foundation study, drowsy drivers are involved in an estimated 21 percent of fatal crashes. The same study also discovered that more than a third of drivers report having fallen asleep while driving at some point of time in their lives, and more than one in ten has fallen asleep behind the wheels in the previous year.
A few of the obvious warning signs include yawning, frequent blinking, missing exits, difficulty remembering the past few miles driven, and drifting constantly from the lane. The consequences of drowsy driving can be hazardous. It reduces attention, slows down the reaction time and creates indecisiveness.
Zinc does help in losing weight.
Firstly, it is important to note that zinc is an incredibly vital mineral known to provide excellent nutritional value to our body and brain. Lack of it can lead to several physical and mental problems.
There are studies involved depicting a strong correlation between zinc and loss of weight. A study in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that low zinc levels have strong links to a decrease in metabolic rates. Besides, a couple of empirical research also suggests that deficiency of zinc generally makes the body store excess fat.
Zinc can be easily found in grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts.
Running is not bad for the knees.
Many of us tend to believe that running makes our knees go week and more vulnerable to injuries. It is, however, vital to note that none of these beliefs hold any significance. There is no evidence found to support such a belief system. A Stanford University study found that older runners’ knees were no less healthy than the knees of non-runners.
Contrary to the regular belief, running does not cause arthritis or directly causes any sort of damages to the knee. Also, how you run, the surface you run, and what kind of shoes you wear are all vital factors in developing knee problems.
In fact, running helps in slowing down the process of aging.
Almost any form of physical activities will slow down the aging process, a new study discovers. Science has discovered that running will slow down the aging process along with providing a stronger heart, more efficient blood flow and an overall positive outlook on life, all of which offset a few of the negative effects of aging.
As a matter of fact, running plays a pivotal role in slowing down the process of aging, as per the Stanford University School of Medicine that studied 500 older runners for more than 20 years.
The same study also found that runners who are elderly have fewer disabilities along with increased longevity and are half as likely as aging non-runners to die early deaths.
Your 1 hour is less than 5 percent of your day!
This particular stats can come in handy for those who hate going to the gym or despise running. Look at it from this way: a 1 hour of your day is only 5 percent of your day. Does this not make it easy for you to hit the gym or go for that run on a daily basis?
Looking at this stat this way will completely change your thinking towards working out or exercising. On a regular basis, putting an hour aside to exercise does seem like hard work, but thinking that it is only 5 percent of your day will make it easier for you to motivate yourself to get up and start exercising.
Most of the gym memberships go in vain.
Around 70 percent of gym memberships fail. In other words, most of the adults who sign up for expensive memberships at their local gyms don’t go to the gym on a daily basis. Generally speaking, we don’t run short of excuses for not going to the gym. If you hate going to the gym, make sure that you perform a few workouts at home.
Nevertheless, if you fall in the category of the remaining 30 percent who goes to the gym regularly, ensure you carry natural body wipes along. These body wash wipes will come in handy if you need a substitute for post session showers.
A Quick Wrap
Following a disciplined and well researched lifestyle is of paramount importance in our lives. It is advisable to garner as much information as you can about your anticipated lifestyle choices well in advance to avoid making incorrect choices.
Good luck!
