Why Running Reduces Fat!

Running is probably the most popular cardio workout in the world. People love it and do it to get fit and lose weight. But why does running reduce fat, really? What makes it such an effective workout? How can you achieve the best results with it? In this article, I'm going to answer these questions...

Why does running burn fat so fast?

Running is an effective workout for fat loss because it is an intensive form of exercise. With each step, you need to propel your entire weight forward, something which isn't so easy to do. It may seem easy because you've been doing it for years on a daily basis, but your muscles need to work quite hard for it.

In addition, running is a full body workout. You're moving your legs, arms, shoulders, and your stomach, chest, and back muscles all take part in the movement. This means that you're engaging multiple muscle groups, something that always makes the workout more calorie expensive.

Naturally, the amount of fat burned by running depends on many factors, mainly the intensity in which you do it. However, overall, it is one of the most effective fat burning cardio workouts you can find.

How can you make running more effective?

To get the ultimate results with running you need to take the following steps. Each of these can help you increase the number of calories that you burn in each workout.

1. Run uphill - Running in an incline will make any running workout that much harder. You will find it quite challenging as you're fighting against the gradient and your body will feel the extra intensity.

2. Run faster - This is the simplest way to make any running workout more effective. By running faster, you're burning more calories. Simple.

3. Do intervals - Running in intervals is a great way to boost the amount of calories that you burn. This will allow you to include extra-intensive parts in your workout and ensure that you push your body hard.

If you follow these tips, you will burn more fat with running.

But before you rush out to run, a few words of advice:

1. Wear comfortable shoes. Don't save on shoes. Make sure they're good and comfortable.

2. Avoid running downhill as this places a lot of tension on your knees.

3. Do a warm-up before you begin running and a cool down when you finish.

That's it. Now go and run.
For more running tips visit Running To Lose Tummy Fat
For other cardio workouts to burn fat visit Cardio Exercises To Burn Fat
John Davenport lost over 30 pounds in his twenties after being overweight most of his life. He now runs a weight loss forum and publishes a diet and fitness newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Davenport

 John Davenport

Smoking - A Child's Future

Smoking has been an obsession with most of us with such grave consequences as can hardly be imagined. Smoking is known to be detrimental to the social, mental and physical well-being of smokers as well as all those associated with the smoker. This is also called involuntary or secondhand smoking. Smoking a cigarette or a cigar could be as detrimental to someone's health as to a non-smoker. Passive smoking is known to have detrimental effects as respiratory disorders, pulmonary disorders, and even stomach ailments. The smoke exhaled or inhaled by a smoker contains more than 400 substances that have harmful effects on the user as well as those in contact with smokers. Smoke from cigarettes is believed to have carcinogenic effects on the individual in particular, and the society as a whole. Some of the carcinogens active for passive smokers could be enumerated as benzene; 1, 3-butadiene; benzo[a]pyrene; 4-(methyinitrosamino)-1-(pyridyl)-1-butanone.

All these chemicals could prove to be detrimental to the health of adults as well as children because people of all ages come in contact with a smoker's smoke in one form or the other. It is known to be equally harmful for toddlers, infants, teenagers and even adolescents. Everyone inhales cigarette smoke in one form or the other. It makes a very little difference if one opens the windows of the room for ventilation for smoke to find its way out. An adequate quantity of smoke always remains in the room to harm family members including children. Children from households that have smokers are more likely to fall ill than children from households that don't have smokers. Passive smoking, in a way, affects the development of children besides their school attendance in schools in developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Everyone falls prey to the demon of passive smoking regardless of his or her age, gender or class. Society is affected in a lot of ways by smokers.

Smoking by pregnant and nursing mothers could prove to be detrimental to the babies. In all cases of studies conducted, the offspring is found to be lighter and shorter than the ones who have parents who don't smoke. Incidents of placental abortion, prenatal mortality and premature labour are found to be more in case of mothers who smoke. Smoking of the mother may also cause congenital damage to the respiratory system of infants. Smoking parents are known to have children with reduced potency of the immune system.

Children are the most likely to suffer from the harms inflicted by the dragon of passive smoking, to say nothing of the effects of active smoking. They are at a developing stage of their lives, it is their proper development that should be the main concern of those posing to be guardians of the society.

Smoking before children presents an ideal culture where smoking is glorified. This way, children are more likely to take up smoking themselves. This could take the form of showing actors and actresses smoking in theatres or movies. Children look upon these protagonists as role models and fall prey to smoking themselves. This could explain the government's efforts at prohibiting the display of smoking and smokers in the media. The media attracts the innocent and vulnerable minds of children with a more potent force than the adults exposed to these shows. While the media aims at the presentation of a symbolic message through all its paraphernalia, the media intends to convey a negative image of the protagonists shown to be smoking, but in their innocence, children take the message at its face value. They absorb the message as it is shown.

Children fail to see the negative aspects associated with the glorification associated with the media and what the protagonists are shown to be doing. This brings about the need to initiate the change within the self if we want to bring about a change in the society. change can never be abrupt and subtle, it has to be gradual and slow. This would involve an accurate measurement of the extent of passive smoking one indulges in.

Incidents of pneumonia and bronchitis in children were found to be higher in cases where parents smoked cigarettes regularly. These effects of smoking are not related to birth weight or the socio-economic class of the parents. The only factor that pointed towards the situation was the smoking habit of the parents.

Measurement of the extent of passive smoking an individual has been exposed to is possible by measuring the levels of nicotine and cotinine in the body. Cotinine is held as a more reliable marker as compared to nicotine as it has a relatively longer half-life as compared to nicotine. The levels could be measured quite conveniently in blood, urine or saliva.

The problem could assume graver consequences if one is continuously and regularly exposed to the smoke of cigarettes. Passive smokers are four times more likely to contract heart and lung ailments as compared to those who are not exposed to cigarette smoke. Active smoking is even more frightening and has even more devastating effects on the health of smokers. There are several governmental and non-governmental organisations offering their services and counseling to smokers who wish to quit smoking.

The campaign should assume global merits and a global recognition because it proposes to bring about a change in the whole world. The campaign is supposed to bring about a revolution for children. It is expected to ameliorate the plight of children afflicted by smokers. These children don't smoke themselves, but they are the victims of passive smoking.

By Faisal Zafar Ansari

Cardio to Lose Stomach Fat - Look Great by Losing Belly Fat

Can Cardio Help You Lose Stomach Fat

Cardio is one of the best ways to lose stomach fat, behind a healthy diet and lower calorie intake. The problem however is that most people insist on doing long steady state cardio and are simply not getting anywhere. I'm not saying that jogging and running on the treadmill doesn't have its place it's just simply how you jog and use the treadmill that makes the difference. So if you have been thinking that cardio is not doing anything for you than you probably have been doing it all wrong.

Steady State Cardio to Lose Stomach Fat

Steady state cardio more often known as "normal cardio" seems to be what most trainers have the clients doing. They believe that doing cardio at a low intensity level will help to burn that calories the come from body fat. With this being said normal or low intensity cardio is one of the most popular forms of cardio and yet so many people are wondering why they have lost the pounds. Studies have shown that low intensity cardio does burn fat calories instead of burning carbohydrate calories for energy.

Losing Stomach Fat with High Intensity Cardio

High intensity cardio is not used as much as steady state cardio. The idea behind this type of cardio is the push your body to the limit of a short period of time followed by a brief period of rest. As you can imagine more people tend to choose the steady state cardio over this form. The only problem is that this form of cardio will give you great results in less the time of you do if correctly. Not only will your workouts be shorter but you will also maximize the amount of calories burned per workout. When you are burning more calories than you consume you are at a calorie deficit which means that you are losing fat all over including stomach fat.

Put Steady State and High Intensity Cardio Together to Lose Stomach Fat

The best way to lose stomach fat using a cardio routine is to perform HIIT for about 20 minutes 2-3 times per week. What you will want to do is get on your treadmill and walk at a moderate pace for about 5 minutes to warm-up. After your five minute warm-up you will want to increase the speed of the treadmill to a level that requires you to sprint. You will sprint for 30-45 seconds and then will decrease the level all the way down until you are simply walking. Make sure you decrease it low enough so that you are walking so that you get rest. Repeat up to 5-10 and end with a five minute cool down.
About the Author: Thomas S. Moore is an avid fitness consultant who gives sound advice to women who are looking to achieve a body that only most could dream about. Click here to see more information on how Jump Rope Cardio Also visit: http://www.waisthipsandthighs.com for other information on getting the body you've always wanted.

Thomas S. Moore

Best Cardio Exercise For Weight Loss

It is a known fact that weight loss is done when there is calorie burning and it is not about how hard the efforts you put or how tough exercises you carry on; in reality it's about consistently and regularly doing and completing whatever you have started. The cardio exercise is all about getting your heart rate high and then higher so that it starts pumping blood at superior speed which results into hard breathing and eventually burn calories. With this method you needn't to cut more calories from your diet rather u has to increase the time for doing that cardio exercise and you will have what you really needed.There are several cardio exercises but before you get started with those you will have to find out the high-impact activities that put on more stress on heart and stimulate its pumping speed and working.Likewise, walking fast or at average speed usually boost up heart rate more than the swimming or cycling.

Other way round, running, jumping or climbing are more high impact rate activities than walking. Another good practice might be to involve whole body including upper and lower body parts to accelerate the heart rate and to burn more calories.Coming to the point, that which exercise is best to be followed as cardio exercise. Well theirs is no single recommended or best-rated exercise as it is purely depends upon user's own choice and one's own body tendency that how much high rate and pressure is bearable.

So the main thing is to opt any high-impact exercise for cardio but do not even completely ignore the low-impact activities. Include the variety of exercises in your daily routine and be very regular to keep track of it because the basic point doesn't basically involve the faster heart rate it usually takes up the consistency level you achieve while doing it.The cardio exercises are being rated as the key to weight loss because it takes everything you need to burn calories very fast and the best suited time for doing cardio exercise is in the morning because the carbohydrates are at least amount in the morning.

By Adnan Akramz

Running Stairs - Cardio Workout For Women to Lose Weight Fast

Running Stairs Use To Be Fun Not A Workout

Remember when you were little and running up and down the stairs to see who was the fastest was just something that was fun to do. Never mind how many stairs or how tired you would be later, all you knew at that point is how much fun you where having with your friends. Now that you are an adult walking or running stairs seems to be more of a workout than anything.

Cardio Workout For Women

If you ever want to give yourself a full body workout and achieve a slim and sexy look then a running stairs cardio workout is for you. Ever notice how great and tone women who play sports look no matter what they eat? From soccer, track, volleyball, to basketball these women have to run up and down stairs several times per day for three to four days a week. Running stairs definitely kicks butt and melts away fat.

Running Stairs Burns Fat Fast

Running stairs is definitely not the easiest thing in the world to do nor is it really on too many women's to do list. However this is exactly why you should be going outside or in the gymnasium and doing them. Normally the only people you find going up and down stairs for a cardio workout are usually top athletes and other people you assume where already in shape before hitting the stairs. This cardio is hard to do but can be done in a short period of time since it can be done as interval training.

The Proper Technique for Running Stairs

1. Step on every other step
2. Use your entire body while running
3. Make sure you use the muscles in your quadriceps
4. Run on your tip toes
5. Make sure you use your arms to help with movement

Start Small and Work Your Way Up

Don't be in a rush to run up the entire gym when you first start out. Start with one flight of stairs and increase your speed as you become more accustomed. As you get in better shape and start increasing the difficulty of your stair workout. This could mean running more and more flights of stairs or simply running them faster. The more you do them the easier they will become and you will be getting fitter. Don't just use running stairs cardio for your workout but add them in your daily routine as well. Make sure you take the stairs at work or when you park your car in the garage.

By Thomas S Moore

How to Burn Calories While Cleaning the House

I've recently changed gyms, my old gym had no windows, was cramped and stuffy and I really didn't enjoy going. Surroundings make the difference so I've cancelled that contract and moved to the local leisure centre which has a big pool and big air conditioned rooms with large windows and natural light beaming in, so much better in my opinion and I'm looking forward to working out again.

To kick off my new found love for all things heavy and repetitive I have purchased a heart rate monitor which measures how many calories one can burn while working out. I've tested this in a spinning class where I burnt 1042 Cal in 45 min and in weight training where I got through about 450 Cal which is pretty good.

I wondered how many calories carpet cleaning burnt so today I used my watch while cleaning a 3 bedroom house in London, 3 rooms and stairs which took about three and a half hours without breaks from start to finished and all packed up. The results were amazing, 2568 Calories, wow!.

This got me thinking how can you turn mundane housework into exercise?
Take a look at these steps and see if you agree:

1. Hold that pose while cleaning the bath: When scrubbing the bath at all angles get into the squat position and hold it, don't rest on your haunches, keep yourself suspended and feel the burn.

2. Step up to the cob webs: Get yourself a two step block, similar to what kiddies use when helping out with the dishes. Get the duster and step up, dust, step down and repeat... Move along and repeat, I assure you once you get down the passage cleaning cobwebs your thighs will be burning.

3. Pump the arms when hanging laundry: Don't just lift and hang. Lift, lift, lift and hang, lift, lift, lift and hang. Just don't let the neighbour see you!

4. Vacuum with authority: Don't just pull your carpet cleaner around the room, pump those arms and clean every section of the carpet with more than three passes, including the the stairs where you can march on the spot one stair at a time while you clean roughly 3 steps up.

House cleaning and working out are not necessarily pleasures, but combining the two can lead to some fantastic results in both body and home. So go on and try it, get the heart rate up, get those carpets and windows clean, and get those guns!

By Warren Aldridge

Heart Rate Monitor

There has been a growing trend for people engaged in recreational running, biking, hiking to better measure their performance so that improve their personal best times. One of the key metrics for any athletic activity is your heart rate. By measuring your heart rate you can ensure that you are pushing yourself hard and getting the most out your workout.

Your HR monitor comes in two parts, the sensor strap is worn around your chest and the display is a wrist watch that allows you to easily keep track of your heart rate. The device is worn at the time of a workout or during an examination to keep a check upon the heartbeat rate. You can modify the wrist watch to output the data is a way that is more meaningful for you. It will also have functions that allow you to time your work out, set lap times and keep an eye on the time.

If you are looking to achieve a certain goal with you exercise such as lose weight or build your aerobic capacity then it is vitally important to measure your heart rate. By putting your heart in certain range outputs then you can be sure that your workout is targeted and effective. This will help you to better achieve your goals and ensure that you can stay healthy and enjoy your exercise more.

Heart monitors are fantastic at planning your exercise. During your workouts the heart rate has to be in constant check to validate your training or workout session, in order to formulate a regimen that benefits your body rather than wearing it out. A monitor will help you keep track of the exercises that you should do and the ones that you should skip.

A very high heart rate may counter your workout while a low heart rate throughout the exercise regimen hints at some heart ailment, which may need immediate medical attention. For example, a middle- aged person with a healthy lifestyle should have a heart rate close to 90- 153 heartbeats per minute during a workout session.

Once you reach a point where you heartbeat has reached to 85 percent more than its efficiency, your body starts to burn the carbohydrate reserve in your body rather than the body fat. This not ideal if you are looking to lose weight and may in fact be counterproductive.

With an efficient heart rate monitor, you will be able to keep the heartbeat rate below that level to benefit your body giving you the freedom to work out in the most targeted and focused way available.

The better HR monitors are easier to use and are completely wireless, high end models will let you download data from your workouts. This lets you map your workouts over months and years to see tangible evidence of your improvement.

Using a device to help keep track of the bodies performance and functions would be helpful in getting the best out of the workouts while also helping in monitoring any heart conditions for immediate medical care.


By Sam Philp

Reduce Your Calories If You Want to Lose Weight Without Exercise

If you are struggling to make it to the gym and haven't got much time to do much activity but still want to lose weight without exercise then you are going to have to look at your diet and in particular the amount of food you eat more closely to make sure you keep on track.

When you can't make the gym then its time to lower calories

I'm not proposing that you go on some crazy crash diet to lower calorie intake but look at the amount of food you have at each meal and workout how you can eat less than normal. Just eating a little less at every meal is not that difficult and can make a lot of difference. You should also find that, as your not exercising your appetite is not as strong.

3 cool little tricks to reduce calories and curb cravings

Now for some people eating less can be hard work so here are just a few little tricks I have used to help me cut down the amount of calories I eat to get lean.

Trick 1. Around 20 minutes before any meal I have a handful of nuts such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc. This is effective because the nuts are nutrient dense full of fibre, protein, and healthy fats so your body gets satisfied and appetite is decreased. By having them 20 minutes prior to eating it gives time for your body to tell your brain that food has been received and to reduce the appetite. I have also found that an apple works well because it contains pectin, which is a type of soluble fibre.

Trick 2 - A number of studies have proved that the size of plate, bowl, and spoon you use can affect how much food and calories you eat. Basically what they found was that the larger the plate, bowls or even spoons the more food people would have. Therefore the trick is to get smaller versions of each and you should eat less. I have tried this and it does work but just so long as your not going looking for seconds or thirds!!

Trick 3 - Try to eat more slowly. This is hard to do especially when hungry but if you can start off eating normally then just take your time and chew more thoroughly and actually enjoy the food then you should find that you end up feeling fuller and less prone to overeat. The reasoning behind this is because as you take longer the brain has more time for the fullness signal to reach your brain and thereby shut off your appetite before you've eaten too much.

Intermittent fasting is the easy way to reduce calories

If all the above sounds like a lot of hassle then I suggest you think about intermittent fasting. This is the method of not consuming anything but water for a 24-hour period 2-3 times a week. By virtually eliminating almost a full days calories twice a week you can easily create the energy deficit over the course of a week that you need to lose weight successfully. This can be achieved by still eating what you normally would do on the other days. Obviously if you are doing no exercise at all then you would still have to make sure not to overdo it. The program that I follow to do this correctly is Eat Stop Eat by Brad Pilon and it has worked fantastically well for me.

I hope these tips help you to lose weight without exercise, however for long-term health and weight management then a combination of correct diet and exercise is always the best approach to take.
I am Howard Standring a Personal Trainer who lives in Southern Spain. I coach and advice men and women of all ages to help them achieve a lean attractive body that lasts for life.

By Howard Standring

A Great Six Pack Abs Diet

You do not have to go on a strict fad diet to get six pack abs. Instead just follow these guidelines to create an effective six pack abs diet for yourself.

1) Eat more. Remember you are trying to build some muscle around your stomach while burning fat. Avoid starving yourself and make sure you stay full all day without overdoing it. It is all about balance when trying to get six pack abs.

2) Eat healthy natural foods most of the time. Try to eat unprocessed foods at least 90% of the time. Some great choices are lean meats, nuts, beans, fruits, and vegetables. These are the kinds of foods that really promote fat loss.

3) Eat junk food sometimes. You can have about 3 cheat meals a week but make sure they are no bigger than your regular meals. They can be whatever you want. Eating pure crap sometimes really helps with fat loss. So you can indulge without feeling guilty.

4) Eat 5-6 small meals a day. Try to eat about every 3 hours. By doing this you will feel full and energized all day. Your belly fat will shrink and you will fuel your body up for workouts.

5) Eat protein with each meal. Having a source of protein like cottage cheese, chicken, salmon, or milk is important if you are trying build muscle since protein is the building blocks for muscle.

6) Limit carbs. Starchy carbs like bread, pasta, and oatmeal should only be consumed after a workout. Eat fruits and vegetables with each meal to get more carbs for energy. Fruits and vegetables are not loaded with calories like starchy carbs are but they provide your body with plenty of carbs.

7) Have healthy fats with each meal. Some great choices are peanut butter, olive oil, and salmon. Healthy fats help your body burn more fat. Just make sure to avoid trans fat from foods that are fried and processed. Saturated fat should be limited to about 10% when reading the food labels.

8) Drink water. Instead of having drinks loaded with calories like juice, soda, and alcohol drink water and tea which have no calories but help wash away your gut.

An example of a six pack abs diet.

You do not have to worry about calories or portion sizes too much. What is important is that you fill up on natural foods like the kinds mentioned above.

Breakfast - An omelet with spinach and tomatoes cooked in olive oil with an orange on the side.
Mid-morning snack - Smoothie made up of milk, frozen fruit, almonds, and some whey protein.
Lunch - A banana with spoonful of natural peanut butter and a cup of green tea.
Afternoon snack after workout - A bowl of oatmeal with milk, cinnamon, and an apple.
Dinner - Salmon cooked in olive oil with asparagus.
Night snack - Cottage cheese and red grapes

Don't forget you can have junk food as long as you eat clean like this for 90% of the time.

By Peter Jayson

Boosting Your Metabolism the Single Most Effective Way

Let's admit it, everyone wants to cut at least a few extra pounds. Actually turning that dream into fruition tends to be quite the challenge. As you probably have already come to find out, there is no secret technique that will make you shed weight over night. Instead, there are two tried and true techniques for cutting the fat, diet and exercise. Both of these techniques have one endgame in mind: metabolism of calories. If we focus on the endgame, fat loss suddenly becomes passive and effortless. Make the goal boosting your metabolism instead of burning fat, and the rest will fall into place.

There are countless numbers of techniques for boosting your metabolism, but there is one that reigns high above the rest. The strategy is called high intensity interval training, or HIIT. For those of you who have never heard of this, the process is quite simple. Take for example jogging. If you were to apply HIIT to jogging, you would begin by warming up for 5 minutes. Next, begin sprinting for 30-60 seconds. After the sprinting, you would slow to a jog or fast walk for an equivalent amount of time. Continue this for 15-20 minutes in intervals and your session is over. Your calorie burning, however, is not over.

High intensity interval training keeps the body burning extra calories for up to 72 hours after the exercise. Without going into too much detail, the added stress elevates levels of catecholamines and growth hormone, the fat fighting hormones. It's been reported that levels of these fat fighting friends stay far above baseline for the next 3 days! This means no matter what you do for the next 3 days after your session, you will burn more calories than you would have had you not performed interval training. Need I mention the amount of calories you burn during the actual session? In addition to the melting fat, you'll also notice an overall increase in daily energy. This is normal and due to the boosting of your metabolism. The fat fighting components of this exercise add up exponentially, with boosting your metabolism at its core.

Follow a high intensity interval training workout beginning today. Do it every other day for the next month. Watch your fat loss efforts finally begin to pay off as you begin boosting your metabolism.

By Daniel Broderick

How to Find the Time to Walk - 3 Secrets

When walking for pleasure or competition, it can be hard to find time to walk. Work, family, friends, housework and other activities keep all of us busy 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, finding time to walk can be done if you are committed to your exercise plan.

First, you need to get rid of the "all or nothing" mentality that will hinder your success. Many people believe if something happens and they can't do a regular work out - for example a 30 minute walk - then there is no reason to do anything at all.

Studies have shown that it is better to consistently walk each day for a few minutes than to walk 30 minutes four days one week and do nothing the next. If you normally walk 30 minutes, and can only fit in 15 minutes at lunch time, then be flexible rather than not walking at all on day.

Second, plan walking into your daily life. Make it a "must do" like eating and sleeping, not an optional activity. To be healthy you need food, water, sleep and exercise. Depending on your fitness goals you may walk for 5 minutes a day or over an hour and no matter how busy you are, you can fit walking into your lifestyle.

Sit down with a calendar and schedule your walking so you know when you will walk, and for how long. You can plan 10 minutes before work, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes after work.

Or perhaps you need to get a walk in before everyone is up in the morning, so you schedule it for 5 am. If you are planning to do an endurance event such as a half marathon, you should follow a specific 12-16 week plan with a minimum of 3 short walks and one long walk each week.

When you have a predetermined schedule, you will be more likely to continue to walk when things come up because you can adjust your schedule accordingly. For example, if you know you will have to work late, then you either move your workout to earlier in the day, later in the evening, or switch it to a "rest" day.

Third, set realistic goals with your walking so you have something to work towards. When you have a goal, you will want to make time for walking.

If you are just starting a walking program, set a time or distance goal for 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks. If you have been walking for months, you could enter a 5K or 10K race and strive for walking at a specific pace, e.g., 17, 16 or 15 minute miles.

Walking is a sport that is very enjoyable and can help anyone increase their fitness level. Be flexible and gentle with yourself and work around your other commitments in life. Schedule walking into your daily life to get the most health benefit of consistent exercise, and finally, create goals to motivate you to keep walking when you don't really feel like it!

By Dorthy Sterrenberg

Too Much Computer and Screen Time Leading to Poor Concentration

New research finds that too much computer, TV or time spent playing the video game unit can increase the risk of poor concentration in both children and young adults. Most parents can tell you this isn't the first research to point out the potential down side of too much screen time.

In this latest work a team of psychologists compared subjects who spent less than two hours a day watching TV or playing video games to those who watched more. The two hour time limit is the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics for kids over 2 years old.

The research team looked at two different age groups, 1,300 children in the third, fourth and fifth grades over a period of 13 months. They also studied 210 college students in a one-time evaluation. Video game and TV time were reported by both the children and their parents, teachers were reporting the attention problems for the students, including if a child had trouble staying on task, paying attention, not interrupting other children's work or showed problems in other ways that can signal issues with attention. The college students offered a self-report on attention issues.

Middle school students spent an average of 4.26 hours each day watching TV or playing a video game. Older students spent 4.82 hours a day in front of the screen. Those who did more than the AAP recommendation were from 1.6 to 2.2 times more likely to have attention issues that were outside the norm according to Swing. Middle schoolers were a bit less likely to have attention problems than college students.

The worrisome thing for many in the medical world is that ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is ten times more common today than it was just two decades ago. While experts believe that the condition has some genetic basis, it is also likely that things in the environment (food additives, sugar) are contributing to the rise in numbers. Excessive use of media is another of the suspected culprits.

Both video games and TV are equal culprits according to the research.

But since we can't un-invent all the entertainment that takes place on the screen, we must learn to understand and adapt to it. Anyone familiar with MTV has had a good long while to become accustomed to the sped up pace, quick edits every second or two. The pacing of other shows and movies has sped up too. These faster paced shows/games increase the risk of attention issues because the young mind becomes primed to accept that pace. Real life doesn't happen fast enough to hold attention.

Games that feature problem solving instead of more fast-paced action are probably the best choice. And while no expert can give you an exact number of hours when screen time leads to poor concentration, the AAP guidelines of no more than two hours a day are a sensible reference point. Sorry kids.
FREE Bonus Secret Health Reports - For a limited time you can grab 5 FREE essential health reports from Daily Health Bulletin and click the link now to discover simple steps you can take to overcome poor concentration and improve brain power.

By Kirsten Whittaker

What is the Best Cardio to Burn Fat?

As we all know, nutrition and exercise are both important to help shed fat. When it comes to exercise, ignore what the "experts" and "gurus" try to claim. You can't beat cardio (aerobic) exercise when it comes to fat loss.

Introducing a couple of cardio sessions per week will do wonders for you. With all the modern equipment today, you have an incredibly wide choice, including: treadmill; stepper; bicycle; cross-trainer (a.k.a. orbital or elliptical machine); rowing machine. Alternatively, you can simply go jogging.

Don't think you have to spend hours on cardio training though. You can get great results with sessions as short as 20 minutes. But please note that you have to train properly! And when I say "properly", I mean hard!

The best cardio to burn fat is at a level which is challenging. When you start finding it too easy, it's time to ramp up the intensity, otherwise you'll get stuck in a rut. This is exactly the reason why so many people don't get results, even though they train often, and for a very long time.

There are, broadly speaking, two kinds of cardio: steady-state (where you stay at about the same intensity for the full duration) and interval training (where you alternate between periods of high intensity and recovery). Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so don't listen to anyone who tries to say one is better than the other.

The best cardio to burn fat is a mix of both, and a good training program will incorporate both.
About the author:

Dr. Nick Hallale created the Apollo Program to help people who cannot lose weight after reviving the secrets of ancient Greek athletes. Visit his site to learn his tummy workout and diet secrets.

By Nick Hallale

Home Workouts - Bodyweight Cardio Advantages Over Cardio Machines

Home workouts such as bodyweight cardio and cardio machines are very popular methods of working out at home. Home workouts are designed to provide you with more spare time and flexibility in your life. Bodyweight workouts are workouts that you can perform without weights while using your body as resistance. Bodyweight cardio is putting these bodyweight exercises together in circuits to provide you with a cardiovascular workout as well a strength workout. Cardio machines such as elliptical machines, treadmills and exercise bikes are popular forms of cardio that people usually resort to when they are overweight and want to burn fat in the comfort of their own home. Advantages that Bodyweight Cardio has over Cardio Machines:

* No equipment required - No need to take up half of the living room just so you can workout each day.

* Very little cost or none at all - Bodyweight cardio is free unless you purchase a workout dvd or book. You may invest in some push-up bars, pull-up bar, bands or exercise ball to get more out of your workout but they are not necessary. A cardio machine will cost at least a couple hundred up to a couple thousand dollars. You could be enjoying a nice vacation with that money or put it to good use.

* Workout can be done anywhere - Do your workouts outside, inside, on your vacation. It is up to you. You can not drag your cardio machine outside or take it on vacation with you.

* Workouts are shorter - Your doing more work in less time. Spend more time doing things you love.

* More focus on the exercises - You will get better results if you are focused on your workout. Watching TV while you are on a cardio machine does not give you any focus on the task at hand. You need to challenge yourself to get a true cardiovascular workout.

* Better Results - You'll be burning fat all day long after your bodyweight workout. Your whole body is getting a workout. Your body gets a better hormonal response when you are using more muscles therefore burning more fat and for a longer time. Treadmills and bikes will only give your legs a workout.

* Excitement - This is definitely more exciting then a boring cardio machine. It is hard to have fun running on a treadmill or riding a bike inside.

* Workout Versatility - Bodyweight Cardio workouts can be modified or you can change the whole workout when it starts to get stale. I change up my workout every 4 weeks. It keeps it from getting boring and your muscles will react better when you change your workout. You can do some different exercises or rotate the order of them. Cardio machines are set in stone as far as what you can do with them. You are always doing the same movements and using the same muscles.

* Workout with a partner - This is a great way to challenge yourself. You can motivate each other. This is hard to do with cardio machines unless you have 2 of them which would take up a lot of space.

Try some bodyweight cardio today with this free bodyweight circuit.

1. Jumping Jacks (25 reps)

2. Bodyweight Squats (25 reps)

3. Push-ups (25 reps)

4. Running on the spot - knees high in the air (30 seconds)

5. Lunges (10 reps per side)

This is just my advice on home workouts with bodyweight cardio. Remember to take it easy and do not over do it if you have not worked out in a while. Please remember to consult your Doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
If you are looking to start a bodyweight cardio routine Turbulence Training Bodyweight Cardio 3 is the Bodyweight Cardio workout that I am currently using.

Turbulence Training Workout Review has a FREE bodyweight workout available if you would like to pick it up. Give it a try and see how you like it.

By Darren Letourneau

Swimming Workout Tips For Weight Loss

Swimming is a great workout for losing weight. It is s definitely different from running or riding a bicycle. A swimming workout challenges you in many different ways, and results in a lot of benefits if you do it enough. Swimming is considered a full body aerobic workout that helps tone muscle, improves strength and flexibility.

When you swim in the water, you are using your arms and legs to propel yourself through the water. Water isn't easy to go through and provides resistance, which can be equivalent to using weights in the gym. You constantly have to breathe as you push yourself through the water, which is something many people don't concentrate on as much when working out outside the water.

If you want to start a swimming workout routine for weight loss, the best way to start is to get in the water! Start at one end of the pool and try to get to the other side. See how you feel after you get to that other side. If you feel out of breath, you might want to start in the middle of the pool and swim to one end. Always start slowly and don't push yourself to hard. Most likely you're a beginner to working out in the water, and you don't want to discourage yourself.

Another workout you can do is a low jump rope in the water. Pretend your arms are a jump rope and start from one end of the pool and jump over your arms like a jump rope. This workout requires you to push yourself forward and use your arms, resulting in a nice cardio workout. Make sure you do this exercise in the shallow end of the pool. If you're not a strong swimmer, that shouldn't discourage you from swimming workouts. You can buy a swimming board, hold on and kick yourself around the pool using your legs. Another option is to hold onto the end of the pool and use your legs to kick. A simple workout that doesn't require you to know how to swim is to try ru
nning from one end to the pool to the other. You'll see how hard it is, and realize you're going in slow motion. That's a good cardio workout right there!
Swimming for weight loss is a great workout routine in the summertime, and not only will you get a great workout that doesn't make you sweat, but it's a workout that you'll feel as you're doing it!Susan Jane is a fitness enthusiast and enjoys blogging about her personal experiences in health and fitness at WorkinOnMyFitness.com. She enjoys having fun when she works out such as swimming for exercise, various workout DVDs, and running.

By Susan Jane