Just Breathe

You should have lungs full of air at this point. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Proper breathing is often overlooked by beginners when exercising. Since our muscles require oxygen to be delivered through them, we must make sure that we breathe correctly. You will find that through proper breathing, you will actually add a few reps to each set, thus giving you a better workout! Proper breathing also allows the exchange of respiratory gasses namely oxygen and carbon dioxide.  So what is the proper way to breathe? First let's identify the main phases of a repetition. During the positive(concentric)  phase the primary working muscles are shortening (contracting.) This is where you will exert  force against resistance. Remember the machine, dumbell, etc., will not move itself. So you have to initiate the movement, perhaps to get the bar or dumbell off of your chest as in the bench press. Or to get your chest off of the ground as in the push-up.. This is where you exhale(Exert and exhale!). Don't remember this as the bar going away from you or up or down. Think in terms of exerting or resisting. Why? Because on pulling exercises you will exhale (exert) as the bar comes to you, ie. row or pull-down or as you go to the bar,  pull-up. In the negative(eccentric) portion of the movement you are resisting  weight or gravity. This is when you inhale. Proper directional breathing  will be especially important when doing heavy squats, deadlifts, or overhead lifts. Because the inhaled air will create a an intra-abdominal pressure, which will act to support the spinal column.    Ideally the breathing and tempo of the movement should match. For isometric stability exercises (the plank, superman, leg raise etc.) in which there is no change in length of the muscle you should inhale and exhale deeply. And if this seems overwhelming as you try to remember to maintain a  good posture  just breathe. 

The last bit of air is coming out now. And get ready to inhale as you lower the weight. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Before each set, you should also take a few deep breaths. This helps you focus on the set that is to follow, and it also brings more oxygen to your muscles before the set. Exhaling during abdominal workouts (crunches, for example) also helps because it allows you fully contract the abs by allowing the full expulsion of air out of the diaphragm. Let out a whole breath when you are in the tuck position, and feel the difference in the tightness of your abs as opposed to trying to tighten them while holding air in your lungs - big difference!

Below is a basic chart which shows when you should breathe in (inhale) and when you should breathe out (exhale) during basic exercises. All other exercises are derived from these basics and breathing will be the same. Pay close attention to the pushing or the pulling of the weight for the different exercises.

COMMON CHEST EXERCISES

BENCH PRESS - Inhale as you bring the weight down towards your chest. At the bottom, you should have a full breath of air, as you get a nice stretch in the pectorals. As you push the weight up, exhale that breath, finishing your exhale at the top of the movement, while you squeeze the chest muscles.

PUSH UP - Similar to bench presses. Inhale as your body comes towards the floor, and exhale as you go up towards the top of the movement.

PARALLEL BAR DIP - Inhale as you lower your body between the bars. Exhale as you lift your body up towards the top of the movement.

COMMON LEG EXERCISES

SQUAT - Inhale as you come down towards the squatting position. Exhale on the way up. Try controlling your breathing so you don't have to take multiple breaths during one repetition - this can cause dizziness.

LEG PRESS - Inhale as your knees come down towards your chest and exhale as you push out.

LEG EXTENSION - Inhale as your legs go towards the 90 degree position and exhale as you straighten your legs and squeeze your quads.

HAMSTRING CURLS - Inhale as you extend your legs and stretch your hamstrings. Exhale as you pull the weight up towards your hamstrings. Note, this is opposite of leg extensions; this can be said about any opposing muscles, biceps and triceps in particular.

COMMON BICEPS & TRICEPS EXERCISES

BARBELL BICEPS CURL - Inhale as the barbell goes down towards your lower body. Exhale as you pull the weight up, squeezing at the top of the movement.

TRICEPS CABLE EXTENSIONS - Inhale as your arms bend and the weight rises, exhale as you push the weight down towards your lower body. Note here again, that this is the opposite of the bicep curls.

COMMON SHOULDER EXERCISES

SIDE LATERAL RAISE - Inhale as you lower the weights to your sides, exhale as you lift the weights to the position parallel to your shoulders.

SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS - The breathing for this exercise is exactly like any other pushing exercise, like bench presses. You inhale as the dumbbells come down, and exhale as you push them up. This should help you see the similarities between exercises.

COMMON BACK EXERCISES

DEAD LIFTS - Inhale as you lower the weight towards the ground. At the bottom, complete your breath, then start exhaling as you lift the weight and squeeze the lower back muscles.

WIDE GRIP CHINS - Inhale as you lower your body to the hanging position. Start exhaling as you pull yourself up towards the bar, contracting the back muscles and exhaling fully at the top.

COMMON ABDOMINAL EXERCISES

CRUNCHES - Inhale as you lower your body on the floor, and exhale as you crunch up and squeeze the abs. Breathing is extremely important in abdominal exercises, not only for oxygen delivery, but also for getting a better contraction in the muscle.

MOST AB MOVEMENTS - Every other exercise is exactly the same as a basic crunch when it comes to breathing. Since the abs only involve the same pulling motion from different angles, breathing is the same.

Related articles

• How Breathing Can Improve Your Cardio Workout

Nutrition is the Foundation of Fitness

   I am sure that you have heard the phrases,  'you are what you eat.'  and  'garbage in, garbage out.' Well guess what, in terms of nutrition that is 100% true. Here is why. The human body is constantly replacing it's cells. In fact every seven years the human body will replace all of it's cells. Your body uses  nutrients and energy from foods to build and repair or replace damaged tissue with new tissue.  So every time that you eat, some of that food becomes a part of you. By the time you are 65 your body will have disposed of over 100,000 pounds of food.  By making healthier food choices today you will ultimately choose your health of tomorrow.

Could Knowing Your BMI Save Your Life?

<br/><a href='http://www.fitlink.com/bmi-calculator'>BMI Calculator</a>

What is BMI?

Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).^{1, 2} BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems               

BMI	Weight Status	How reliable is BMI as an indicator of body fatness? The correlation between the BMI number and body fatness is fairly strong; however the correlation varies by sex, race, and age. These variations include the following examples: 3, 4 ·        At the same BMI, women tend to have more body fat than men. ·        At the same BMI, older people, on average, tend to have more body fat than younger adults. ·        Highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness.       It is also important to remember that BMI is only one factor related to risk for disease. For assessing someone's likelihood of developing overweight- or obesity-related diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute guidelines recommend looking at two other predictors: ·        The individual's waist circumference (because abdominal fat is a predictor of risk for obesity-related diseases). ·        Other risk factors the individual has for diseases and conditions associated with obesity (for example, high blood pressure or physical inactivity)
Below 18.5	Underweight
18.5 – 24.9	Normal
25.0 – 29.9	Overweight
30.0 and Above	Obese

How is BMI used?

BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.

For example, here are the weight ranges, the corresponding BMI ranges, and the weight status categories for a sample height.

Height	Weight Range	BMI	Weight Status
5' 9"	124 lbs or less	Below 18.5	Underweight
	125 lbs to 168 lbs	18.5 to 24.9	Normal
	169 lbs to 202 lbs	25.0 to 29.9	Overweight
	203 lbs or more	30 or higher	Obese

If an athlete or other person with a lot of muscle has a BMI over 25, is that person still considered to be overweight?

According to the BMI weight status categories, anyone with a BMI over 25 would be classified as overweight and anyone with a BMI over 30 would be classified as obese.

It is important to remember, however, that BMI is not a direct measure of body fatness and that BMI is calculated from an individual's weight which includes both muscle and fat. As a result, some individuals may have a high BMI but not have a high percentage of body fat. For example, highly trained athletes may have a high BMI because of increased muscularity rather than increased body fatness. Although some people with a BMI in the overweight range (from 25.0 to 29.9) may not have excess body fatness, most people with a BMI in the obese range (equal to or greater than 30) will have increased levels of body fatness.

It is also important to remember that weight is only one factor related to risk for disease. If you have questions or concerns about the appropriateness of your weight, you should discuss them with your healthcare provider.

What are the health consequences of overweight and obesity for adults?

The BMI ranges are based on the relationship between body weight and disease and death.⁵Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for many diseases and health conditions, including the following: ⁶

      ·        Hypertension
·        Dyslipidemia (for example, high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels  of         triglycerides)
·        Type 2 diabetes
·        Coronary heart disease
·        Stroke
·        Gallbladder disease
·        Osteoarthritis
·       Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
·        Some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

For more information about these and other health problems associated with overweight and obesity, visit Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.

References

¹Mei Z, Grummer-Strawn LM, Pietrobelli A, Goulding A, Goran MI, Dietz WH. Validity of body mass index compared with other body-composition screening indexes for the assessment of body fatness in children and adolescents. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2002;7597–985.

²Garrow JS and Webster J. Quetelet's index (W/H2) as a measure of fatness. International Journal of Obesity 1985;9:147–153.

³Prentice AM and Jebb SA. Beyond Body Mass Index. Obesity Reviews. 2001 August; 2(3): 141–7.

⁴Gallagher D, et al. How useful is BMI for comparison of body fatness across age, sex and ethnic groups? American Journal of Epidemiology 1996;143:228–239.

⁵World Health Organization. Physical status: The use and interpretation of anthropometry. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization 1995. WHO Technical Report Series.

⁶Clinical Guidelines on the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.

Traumatic brain injuries are not exclusive to football players and fighters

 Research presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) concluded that ‘heading’ a soccer ball could lead to traumatic brain injury. In soccer terminology ‘heading’ is when a soccer player fields the ball with his head. This technique is essential to the game. And is the focal point of many practice drills.  Like football these injuries appear to be cumulative, yet they are caused by a much lesser force. "Heading a soccer ball is not an impact of a magnitude that will lacerate nerve fibers in the brain," said Michael L. Lipton, M.D., Ph.D., associate director of the Gruss Magnetic Resonance Research Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and medical director of MRI services at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "But repetitive heading could set off a cascade of responses that can lead to degeneration of brain cells."

Why are so many people obese?

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    One question that I frequently get is why are so many people overweight? This can be summed up quite simply, we eat too much and move too little. Over the last 150 years advances in technology, industrialization, and automation have decreased the need for physical work, allowed a greater amount of leisure time and at the same time increased food availability. In one way these advances are positive, however there have been negative impacts on the population’s health. Obesity and overweight in both children and adults has become a global epidemic in industrialized countries and some developing nations. The prevalence of obesity is as high as 50% in some nations around the world. Recent data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination survey showed that 30.5% of US adults are obese and 64.5% of the adult population is overweight. National surveys in the US have shown that the prevalence of childhood obesity has more than doubled since the early 1960s. These increases in childhood obesity may lead to far greater numbers of adult obesity in the future.