8 Ways Exercise Keep You Yonger!

Here is great post from www.daveywaveyfitness.com. Read below.

Want to live a long, happy and healthy life? Research suggests that exercise might just be the fountain of youth for which you are searching.

Here are 8 age-defying effects of exercise:

1.Faster metabolism – and less body fat. Your metabolic rate is the rate and which your body burns calories to maintain itself. As we age, this rate decreases by a few percentage points each decade until around age 50 – though the amount of food we eat, often does not. As a result, a slower metabolism is one reason (of many) that people tend to gain weight as they age. By combining both strength training and cardiovascular exercise with good nutrition, you can reverse this.
2.Extends your life and it prevents debilitating disease and illness. Staying active has been linked to both an increase in longevity and decrease in diseases like type II diabetes and obesity. Exercise also has a positive effect on the body’s immune system, preventing illness like the flu or common cold which can become serious in older populations.
3.Builds stronger bones. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, to create stronger and denser bones, you must put pressure on them. Just like our muscles, bones adjust to the stress put on them. Load bearing exercises and cardio like walking, running and step classes have been proven to increase bone density – making osteoporosis or breaks less likely. Exercises like swimming and cycling are less effective as they don’t put as much pressure on the bones.
4.Younger cells. Researchers discovered that regular exercisers have longer telomeres – the DNA on either end of thread-like chromosomes. Telomere length is critical to the aging process – once telomeres get too short, cells stop dividing and die. This research suggests that the anti-aging benefits of exercise go all the way to the molecular level.
5.Improved balance. Earlier in 2010, my grandmother lost her balance on the stairs and took a terrible fall. Though it’s been 10 months, she still walks with a cane and the whole ordeal has aged her greatly. Working out regularly helps improve balance and prevent falls – and there are a number of exercises that target balance specifically.
6.Better flexibility. Yoga, or exercise programs that incorporate stretching, lead to dramatically improved flexibility. Like balance, flexibility helps prevent falls. And if you do take a tumble, being flexible can help minimize the risk of injury.
7.More energy. Ever notice how you feel even more tired when you oversleep? Feeling tired and lethargic is often the result of being inactive. Endurance exercises improve stamina and energy.
8.Improved mental health and brain functioning. Numerous studies have linked exercise to decreased stress, anxiety and depression and improved sleeping patterns and feelings of well being. Studies also show that exercisers perform better on mental tests than sedentary individuals.
Of course, if you extend the timeline out far enough, the survival rate for all of us eventually reaches zero. Exercise isn’t about escaping death; it’s really just about enhancing the quality and quantity of the time you spend on this planet. And more time on Earth = more time to share your love, touch lives and serve others.

2011 Trends for Women!

Here are some of the trends hitting the runways this season for spring and summer. I know still in the depths or winter but that is how fashion forward works. Remember that you can update your wardrobe easily by incorporating trendy pieces into you current look. It freshens things up.

COLOUR - Is back, well it never really left but it is coming with a huge statement. Bright (neon) or rich, solid or patterned colour is all good. Wear a couple colours or one bold colour with some neutrals

Men's Wear Pants - this is borrowed from the guys again and reinterpreted into the feminine silhouette. Pants are tailored but still flow very nicely.

Hyper Prints - Bold and incorporating the colour prints are huge. Some pretty incredible 2 D florals will be hitting the street for the spring. But any bold pattern works for this season.

Neo Athleticism - This moves from being a seasonal perennial to exerting a more profound influence, with an easy but controlled silhouette, primary hues, and glossy banding.

Lace - Lace gets a makeover, losing its fussiness. It’s primarily being shown in white or black.

Dance Inspired - Ballet emerges as the new way to dress for night, with a pas de deux for fragile fabrics and vivid colors.

Some ideas to help you in your shopping quest for spring summer 2011. Good luck and have fun!

2011–What is in it for you? What are YOU going to make out of it?

Happy New Year! We are now a few weeks into 2011, all returning back to the grind of regular life after many of us having some breaks during the holiday. Back to the “routine” for most of us.

Many of us have also set some New Years Resolutions. Hopefully not on the last minute before 2011 was rung in, and not under the influence of too wine, champagne, and whatever else one enjoys on the New Years Eve.

I myself have not yet set anything because I do things a little differently (I just heard many of you cough that know me). So below is my guide to setting New Year’s Resolutions (Goals). My times lines are different but you can time line it however you want. These are you goals, you need to OWN them to work towards them. The important part is setting something up and doing the work.

Resolutions and goals can be in many different facets of your life; love, relationship, career, education, health, wellness, social, knowledge, sport the list goes on and on.

Here is my guide to better New Years Resolution Results:

1. Assess the last year. Here you reflect on the year past, 2010. Take a subjective non judgemental look at how you did with your resolutions last year (that is if you set any). When you are look just make observations not judgments. Do not make anything negative because nothing good comes out of negativity. If you were not successful with your goals think why, only for a moment. Get into the habit of thinking "what NEXT" instead of "what if". Sometime life just happens and things change. That does not make you a failure by any means. It is also not an excuse as to why you did not complete it.

2. Create new goals (or further and expand old ones, you do not necessarily need to reinvent the wheel just make it a better wheel). I prefer goals but really same thing as the resolutions. Be clear as to your goal. Being a nicer person is a great goal in theory but how are you going to decided that you are doing so. If you are thinking bad thoughts about a person but speaking nice things that does not really count so be sure to define things for yourself. Set something that is a reach but achievable. The more details the better. Keep in mind that some things are on going so there will not be a "completion date" per say, other may have an ended date or a complete on date. Just be clear with your objectives and realistic. Goals and resolutions may not be easy but should be achievable.

3. Make some kinds of accountability system for yourself. There are many ways to do this. Share it with friends and family. For myself personally I keep things to myself. To be accountable to me I write things down or do a vision board or something like that. Another great idea is to write it down and seal it in an envelope. Give it to a friend and ask them to mail it to you in X amount of months. That will be a little reminder at some check point of your year. Do something that works for you and will keep you on track what ever that may be.

4. Like Nike says JUST DO IT! We are all busy people. Things happened to everyone that is unexpected. But we all have and hour here or there that we can do stuff. Most of us do not NOT brush our teeth or forget to bath, shower, or eat. This should be the same way. Get into the habit of working towards your goal piece by piece and step by step. If you do a little bit everyday or once a week, that little bit adds up. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

In the long term these goal may look HUGE and overwhelming but think of them in the small step working toward the grand result. Keep it simple.

A great quote from a friend on facebook, not sure who originally said or wrote it but here it is:

"Success in life could be described as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals"

7 Tips :finding time to Workout!

From Blogger and Personal Trainer Davey at Davey Wavey Fitness. This is a post of his about finding time to workout and commit to your health.

In actuality, it’s not so much about finding time to workout as it is about creating time to workout. If you take a look at your typical schedule, there’s probably not a whole lot of time where you’re standing in your apartment doing nothing. We find uses for our time, whether it’s building our careers, spending time with friends, or even watching TV or playing on Grindr.

As such, most people can rightfully claim that they don’t have the time to workout. But as I’ve said before, either create time for exercise now – or find time for disease and health issues later.

So, how does one create time for exercise in the new year? It’s not as hard as it might seem. Here are a few tips:

1.Write out your schedule. Grab a few sheets of paper – and plot out your daily commitments, Monday through Sunday. Look for spots of available time.

2.Recognize that something else might need to go. Even after following tip #1, most people will find that they’re still hard pressed to find gym time. Tuesday nights might be great, for example, but that’s when Glee is on. If your schedule is fairly full, then there’s probably going to be a trade-off. Something else might need to go – and in the big scheme of life, few things are as important as health.

3.Schedule your gym times. Build standing gym-dates into your calendar. You’ll be able to plan around your allotted gym time, ensuring that you don’t overbook yourself.

4.Don’t cut into sleep time. Shaving a few hours off of your sleep time, either at night or early in the morning, is tempting – but it’s the worst place you can look to free up extra time (unless, of course, you’re already sleeping more than 8 hours). Most of us are living with sleep deficits as it is, so don’t cut time here. Note: You can shift your sleep times – i.e., get up at 6AM instead of 7AM, but only if you go to bed an hour earlier.

5.Sneak in a gym trip during your lunch break. If you have a gym near your place of employment, hit the weights and/or treadmill during your lunch hour.

6.Put an active spin on your existing commitments. Maybe your schedule is already booked, but there are opportunities to up the activity level for your existing commitments. For example, if you are meeting up with a friend – go on a hike, climb a rock wall or just take a walk. If you’re not willing to miss Glee, make use of the commercial breaks for exercise.

7.Maximize your workout. Going to the gym doesn’t need to be a 2 hour commitment. Give yourself a quality, efficient workout to make the most of your time.

We’re all busy. But “busy” is not a reasonable excuse to put off going to the gym.
I hope these tips help you manage your time and get the most out of your workout.

6 tips to releasing weight in 2011!

No surprise: Losing weight is the #1 most popular New Year’s resolution. So, here are six strategies (that work) to help you shed the extra pounds:

1.Drink lots of water! Water has a boatload of great benefits for your body. Among other things, it helps boost your metabolism and curb your appetite. Drink at least 8 cups a day.

2. Describe your body with words that lift it up. Avoid negative self-talk, or criticizing yourself – even when talking with others. “I am beautiful. I am releasing weight with ease,” is a healthier and more effective mantra than, “I look so fat today. I am disgusting.”

3. Look long-term, and avoid fad diets. If you go on a diet, you will eventually come off it. Real change is longer term – don’t look to fad diets for answers.

4. Replace emotional eating with a healthier alternative – like going for a walk. If you’re eating when you’re not hungry, and are unable to replace comfort foods with healthier alternatives or activity, then you may wish to seek professional help.

5. Stock your home with healthy foods. Buy foods that a caveman would eat: berries, unsalted nuts, some lean meats, vegetables, etc. It’s much easier to eat healthier foods when that’s what is available. After you eat a healthy meal or snack, bring awareness to your body’s reaction. How does it make your body feel to eat nourishing meals?

6. Understand the calorie deficit. Weight release occurs when the body burns more calories than it consumes. While the formula seems simple and straightforward, know that calorie deficits are most effectively achieved by working on both ends of the equation – eating healthier foods will result in fewer calories consumed, and regular exercise will result in more calories burned. Don’t try to release weight through starvation. It will slow down your metabolism, and likely result in long-term weight gain.