Looking for that short burst of explosiveness in your game? Why not try the latest trend in performance-enhancing exercise equipment – vibrating platforms?

Gimmick or not it seems vibrating platforms have slowly garnered the interest of not only regular gym buffs but world-class athletes like tennis star Serena Williams and Justin Morneau of the Minnesota Twins.

Interest in vibrating platforms has even drawn the kinesiology professors and exercise physiologists into researching how these equipment improves athletic performance and how they should fit within the scheme of a person’s workout routine.

Basically the idea behind it is that a person stands on top of a plate vibrating not more than 50 times per second, experiencing what can “feel like the vibration in a seat over the wheel hub on a bus,” describes Dr. Hugh Lamont, a sports biomechanist at East Tennessee State University.

According to a report from the New York Times, researchers, while still wary of the potentials and benefits of vibrating platforms, have seen marked improvement in short-term performance of its users.

Some examples the story cites include subjects becoming slightly improved sprinters and jumpers after standing on the vibrating platform. This spike in performance however is short lived and cannot be sustained in the long term – good for a short distance dash but unsuitable for a 90-minute soccer match.

Beyond that however, researchers have been seeing how vibrating platforms can be integrated into an individual’s fitness regimen – such as during the warm-up process which is important for starting any effective exercise session.

If you want to know more about research into how vibrating platforms can improve athletic performance, the article “Would You Like a Shake With That Workout”, from the New York Times might be an intriguing read.

Are your kids healthy and fit? We sure hope so! However, many of their peers aren’t, according to an article at the MSNBC Health blog. It states that a big number of American kids aren’t getting the right amount of benefits from physical activities simply because many parents aren’t able to help them prioritize their health.

The research results quoted in the blog was done by the YMCA following a survey of more than a thousand American parents of children aged 5 to 10 years. It states that more than half of them had children who spent more time indoors, playing video games and watching television. In some ways, one can easily understand why this is happening. After all, it’s easier to keep track of your kids when they’re indoors where you are and it might feel safer that way. Also, if they’re working or playing on the computer they’re probably learning.

In fact, the YMCA’s US Director of Chronic Disease Prevention, Dr. Matt Longjohn said in that same article that, “There are many small things that make it very difficult for families to get an hour of physical activity a day. Among the factors you could blame are technology, time and money.”

However, he also stresses that it doesn’t really have to cost so much money to get your kids active. Simple things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a walk. The article goes on to say that you don’t even have to wait for a chunk of time, some physical fitness activities can be inserted into daily activities. “It can be smaller opportunities, minutes that can add up to preventing a disease,” the doctor added.

To learn more about the whys and hows of helping your kids get more active, please visit the article “Many children not getting enough exercise: study” at Health on MSNBC.

Editorial credits to Thomson Reuters.

Looking to lose weight and stat? A recent CNN Health blog talks about 51 methods you could try to get the excess flab off and your fitness on.

According to the article by Kate Ashford, these are the quickest ways to lose weight and some of these are activities you probably already do every day!

For instance, if you already do go to the gym, you can start running more, or you can try improving on the ways you do your other workouts. Lifting dumbbells slowly is one way, because “more muscle equals mega metabolism boost”, or you can wear a weighted vest while just moving around the gym it’ll speed up your calorie burning. You should also consider exercising to more up-tempo music, says the article. Jumpy, fast pop ditties might work but if you must insist on Mozart, find a disco remix.

Of course, losing weight has to do with watching what you eat and the article doesn’t shy away from reiterating that. Green tea or coffee, according to Ms. Ashford, is the perfect fuel for boosting your metabolism. Surprisingly enough, this article entitled “The 51 Fastest Fat Burners” also tells readers to consume more than 1,200 calories a day otherwise, the body may just go hungry. However, keep in mind that you still have to slowly cut calories.

Then of course, the piece also covers getting enough rest; keeping traditional work hours; and oddly enough, wearing jeans to work.

But that’s really still just the icing off the cake. To learn more about how you shed unwanted weight, read the entire article, The 51 Fastest Fat Burners and then afterwards you can check out CNN Health’s other stories on dieting, fitness, and nutrition.

By FitFarms Health and Fitness Editorial

Losing weight these days has been quite easy as various and wide approaches are developed and modified. Essentially, proper diet and physical exercises contribute in a most important way in losing weight. This time, let us dive deeper into different forms of exercises that would aid us in our plan to lose and shrug off these stored fats.

Physical exercise is any activity that involves and maximizes the use of the body. This activity enhances our overall health and wellness and physical fitness. Furthermore, it boosts the immune system and prevents the development of physical diseases and even the mental health problems. As it promotes health and wellness, it has been considered greatly as an approach of burning fats and losing weight. Let us take into consideration what types of exercise best suit your disposition.

The most common and one of the effective ways of losing weight are the cardio workouts, short for cardiovascular workouts, referring to the heart. These have been considered as one of the best ways to improve the feelings of well-being over the entire body. Its main benefit is weight loss as it involves the use of the large group of muscles like running, walking, rowing, and biking. Cardio workouts strengthen the level of endurance of the heart and increase the heart rate to burn calories and promote weight loss. Read more…

The article entitled “Diet: Good-for-You Things Come in Orange” by Roni Caryn Rabin in New York Times is very interesting. According to the study, people will have better chance of living a longer life and possibility to evade illness such as cancer if their bloodstream has a high level of alpha-carotene which can be found in orange color fruits and vegetables.

If you want to learn the health benefits of eating orange color foods or to simply know more about the study, click the rest of the article “Diet: Good-for-You Things Come in Orange” from NYTimes.com Health.

By FitFarms Health and Fitness Editorial

Everyone aims to improve their fitness level and there are many options to do this. One of the classic exercise activities that people choose is aerobics. Like any other workout, the starting and preparation phase is very essential because it allows your body to adjust while doing the exercise.

Jumping into fitness training such as aerobics without preparing your body can lead to setbacks, such as muscle strains or even injuries. In order for your body to adapt the demands of aerobics, you should do warm up before beginning the training and do cooling down subsequently.

When you warm up before performing any workout activities, it allows you cardiovascular system to intensify gradually as it increases the blood flow to your muscles and elevates your body temperature. If properly executed, it will not only condition your body for the whole exercise routine but it also loosens your stiff muscles when doing heavier lifts.

In warming up, choose an activity that uses the same muscles you will use during the exercise. For instance, if you are planning to have skipping rope as an exercise, try skip slowly for about five minutes then gradually increase your skipping abilities. If with injured muscle, stretch the affected side after warming up. Then, hold the stretch for half a minute. Remember to keep it gentle to avoid inflicting pain; sudden or aggressive movements would contribute to another injury.

The importance of cooling down after workout is parallel to warming up. It slows your pace from a workout routine particularly the aerobics routine. Cooling down gradually decreases the temperature of the whole body’s muscles and lessens the chance of acquiring muscle injuries, soreness and stiffness. Also, it enables your heart to return to its beating rate and your breathing returns to normal condition. After exercise, continue the activity by gradually decreasing its intensity for ten minutes. For example, after your 30-minute session of jogging, cool down by reducing your pace then walk.

Stretching is another important aspect of aerobics. Your muscles are warm and receptive to stretching after you cool down. It will not only increase your flexibility, it will also improve your circulation and helps maximize your joints’ range of motion. In stretching, focus on those muscles and joints that your routinely use such as the calves, thighs, hips, lower back, neck and shoulders. Stretch and hold one side for about half a minute, then do the stretch on the other. You will feel tension while stretching, and if it hurts already, back off the point where pain is not elicited. Remember to relax and breathe freely during the whole stretching.

It can be challenging for those who finds time for a regular aerobic workouts, particularly those who have limited time because of their busy and hectic schedule. If tempted to skip the warm-up and cool-down routine, be creative. One must consider doing it prior to the workout routine to prevent occurrence of injuries while exercising. Keep it in mind that the time you spend preparing for the routine is as important as the routine itself. Help your body adjust the demands of workout. With these, you will surely enjoy aerobics while staying healthy and fit.

About the Author

FitFarms are fitness and weight loss retreat camps based in the UK and the Middle East. FitFarms run women only and man only courses that are designed to kick start a healthier lifestyle. FitFarms Fitness Camp in UK have been voted Best UK Weight Loss Boot Camp by The Sunday Times and awarded No. 1 Weight Loss Camp by Virgin.

By Gillie Sutherland

Working out without ingesting any food to produce energy is not a good idea. Thus, food is important while exercising. Eating the right food as well as observing the proper timing of meals does matter. Ingesting a large amount of food before working out is not a good idea because it will make you feel nauseated and sluggish that will result to muscle cramps. This occurs because your body’s energy will work on digesting the foods that you eat hence the blood flow in the digestive system increases, leaving fewer amounts to the muscles.

Skipping a meal before working hard is not good either. Exercising with an empty stomach can cause low blood sugar, which will make you feel weak and light-headed. Ingesting the right foods that will provide you energy will help fuel your workout. In fact, eating a light meal prior to exercise may increase your fat-burning potential.

Having a meal or a snack prior to workout is necessary to produce energy needed for consumption while working out. Meals rich in carbohydrates like bread, pasta, fruits and vegetables are preferred before starting the exercise. Then, wait for about two to three hours before starting to workout. If you did not able to follow the timing and you begin to feel hungry, pick a small snack like a fruit or some fruit juice. Also, eating after work out is significant as well. This is to restore the energy that your muscles used when exercising. A post-workout meal should be consumed two hours after the workout, and it must be composed of some protein, some carbohydrate and some healthy fats. Read more…

Topics about weight loss and fitness are like hot cakes nowadays. It sells regardless of the way it is communicated. It can be weight loss tips through word of mouth, blog posts, articles, news, research, and so on. Unfortunately, people do not verify this information hence myths about weight loss and fitness are quite rampant.

So, take time to read the article “Fitness Myths” by Rich Maloof in MSN and check whether the knowledge you have are just myths or not.

Read more about “Fitness Myths” article from MSN Health and Fitness.

A very inspiring and interesting article to read entitled “Fitness begins with an attitude makeover” written by Nanci Hellmich in USA Today tackles that the pursuit to fitness starts from the mind.

A change in thinking can lead to change in behavior. In return, you will have a different approach in achieving your desire to be fit and healthier.

The article even mentions alternative activities that family can enjoy instead of spending a lazy weekend consuming high calorie foods.

Learn more about “Fitness begins with an attitude makeover” from USA Today.

Some health enthusiasts keep one day in a week for indulgence, a day for their favorites but forbidden foods which are oftentimes high in calorie and fat content. Others overeat for certain season of the year like Christmas until New Year and then punish their selves with strict diet and rigid exercise.

If you are on the same situation, then think again. The article “Short-Term Overeating Could Make Long-Term Weight Loss Tougher” by Alan Mozes in Business Week tackles about the potential difficulty of losing those accumulated weight.

Read more about “Short-Term Overeating Could Make Long-Term Weight Loss Tougher” from Business Week.