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top fitness tips…
you were afraid to ask!
OK, if you need serious exercise advice, you ask your trainer. But what about those other questions – you know, the basic stuff? Maria McHale gets the answers to 10 fitness questions we’ve all wondered about.
Fitness - Sláinte Magazine
Should I exercise with a cold? Almost certainly not, unless you have something very minor. There is evidence that raising your heart rate
and cramps, especially if the food is high in protein or fat, because they take a long time to digest. But don’t exercise on an empty stomach, either.
through physical exertion when you have a virus or cold can cause serious harm.
The general guideline is to eat a light,
Taking a couple of days away from the gym
carbohydrate meal (such as toast, a baked
may help you recover more quickly.
potato, pasta or bagels) two to three hours before you exercise. This should be a way
Should I eat before working out? Most people find that eating a meal
of topping up your energy stores and not the main source of energy itself.
too soon before exercising can lead to feelings of discomfort
Frequent, small meals and healthy, low-fat snacks are the best ways of making sure that the body’s energy levels are kept high.
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What causes a stitch and how do I get rid of it?
because they are running on
And you don’t have to run
an unforgiving surface like
What’s best, running or walking?
particularly fast to gain the
important part of any fitness
concrete,” he explains.
Many people don’t realise
benefit. In a US study of
programme. Some classes
Experts are unsure about
“Running shoes should be
this, but you can burn the
around 2,000 women
like yoga and Pilates work
before you want to fit into
the author of America’s best-
precisely what causes a
replaced every 300 to 500
same number of calories
joggers, the women who ran
predominantly on stretching
your dress (or bikini) are not
selling guide to reducing
stitch, the stabbing pain in
whether you run or walk –
the furthest distance each
and lengthening muscles,
recommended.
the side that commonly
about 100 mile for mile. The
week had the narrowest hips
but if you prefer to do your
occurs during physical
important difference is time,
and waist, regardless of how
own flexibility routine, then
Regular aerobic exercise is
aerobic exercise like jogging,
low-fat eating plan and
exertion, but it appears to
it takes longer to burn the
fast they ran.
be sure to stick to the
essential for reducing body
swimming or power-walking
regular aerobic workouts will
recommended healthy
fat. It has been shown to
combined with strength-
help muscle to form in
As you get fitter, however, try
guidelines or you could
raise your metabolic rate
training exercises is the
cellulite-ridden areas and fat
flexibility should form an
so panic diets and exercise
How do I get rid of cellulite?
the skin, giving it a bumpy
programmes just weeks
According to Joyce Vedral,
appearance,” she explains.
healthy rate of weight loss,
just beneath the surface of
“There’s no mystery to
cellulite “Bottoms Up”, a
getting rid of it. Weight-
combination of fat-burning
training exercises, a healthy,
occur most commonly in
same total calories if you
people who exercise too
walk. Walking for a mile
soon after a meal, or who
might take you 15 to 20
varying the pace and
easily end up with a strain
even after you stop working
proven way to get rid of
to disappear. Diet alone
take an inappropriate drink
minutes, whereas jogging
intensity as well as
rather than a nicely
out – so you are burning
dimpled thighs.
won’t do it and exercise
or food while they are on
will take only half as long, so
increasing the distance you
flexed limb!
calories while you sleep.
the move.
in one half-hour workout
cover. Fartlek running
you’ll get more benefit from
involves adding short bursts
Experts say don’t bounce
Try to do at least three, 30-
enlarged fat cells that join
of speed to your regular run.
when you touch your toes,
minute sessions a week of
together and attach
If you get stitches frequently
running because you’ll
when you run, try leaving
cover a greater
two to three hours between
distance.
eating and exercise. But
miles
because the condition is a
for maximum protection.”
result of the diaphragmatic muscles going into a spasm,
Do I need a sports bra?
you can lessen the likelihood
The answer to this is a
of it happening by
resounding yes, say experts.
strengthening your
A study at Herriot-Watt
You can burn the same number of calories whether you run or walk – about 100 mile for mile. abdominal muscles. If you
University showed that even
do get a stitch while running,
34A cups require support,
try bending forwards or
but that only around a
alone won't do it either.” “Cellulite is formed by
It increases your aerobic
but reach slowly down and
aerobic activities like cycling,
themselves to
threshold and burns extra
hold the stretch for between
aerobics classes, running,
connecting
ten and 20 seconds. Studies
swimming or power-walking.
fibrous tissue
calories than plain jogging.
have shown that the greatest
What’s the best way to stretch a muscle? Stretching to improve
gains in increasing your
Resistance work is
range of motion will occur if
important, too. Research by
you do no more than four
the American College of
repetitions of each stretch.
Sports Medicine
What’s the quickest way to drop a dress size?
some strength training two or three times
According to the British
a week.
recommends including
Nutrition Foundation, two pounds a week is a
twisting your trunk gently to
quarter of women wear the
WHeN IS THe BeST TIMe TO WORK OuT?
ease the pain.
right sort of bra when they
“Recent studies have shown that
work out.
muscle temperature and other
How often should I buy new trainers?
Since breasts are made up
later afternoon, so your body is ready
Choosing a well-cushioned
of fat and no muscle, their
to exercise,” says Dr. Michael
pair of trainers is definitely
natural support is in the form
Hastings, a Cambridge University
advised. Trevor Prior, a
of the Cooper’s ligaments,
physiologist who specialises in
leading podiatric surgeon,
which extend from the
chronobiology, the study of the
says that poorly-equipped
nipples to the pectoral
body’s natural rhythms.
runners and joggers are
muscles. These ligaments
often the ones who suffer
are stretched as the breasts
aches and pains.
bounce, and will lose
the ideal time to go to the gym,” he
elasticity for good if they are
adds (US research backs this up).
physical parameters reach a peak in
“For example, most joggers
not supported by a proper
get injured because they
sports bra, specifically
don’t replace their trainers
constructed to keep them
shoes often enough, not
in place.
“Between 4pm and 6pm is probably