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Would a treadmill give more benefits regarding weight loss over an exercise bike

The formula to weight loss is simple one, which is to burn more calories than you consume. On the other hand, sometimes a treadmill can give more benefits regarding weight loss over an exercise bike. When you’re considering what types of exercises to do if you have a goal of weight loss, you’ll want to choose ones that help you burn more calories. You may want to build muscle or improve your cardiovascular system, but if you’re aiming to lose weight then you’ll want to ensure that the exercises you’re doing are able to burn more calories.

It’s important to remember that exercise bikes and treadmills have different functions that can result in one allowing you to burn more calories over the other.

Benefits of Exercise Bikes

Exercise bikes are stationary devices, they typically are focused on burning calories and cardiovascular health. A study worked with middle-aged adults suffering from Peripheral Artery Disease who were also vascular rehab patients. This particular study demonstrated that these patients were able to improve their blood pressure, reduce BMI and improve their motivation for exercise when working with exercise bikes. Exercise bikes are a less-strenuous form of exercise, so these patients are able to see some benefit to stationary bike exercise.

Treadmill Benefits

Research indicates that an average treadmill and a cycle burns about 10 calories per minute of use. Calorie burn is roughly equal for both forms of exercise on average settings. However, where the treadmill clearly outshines the exercise bike is in actual fat burning. Treadmills burn an average of 0.3 grams of fat per minute, while exercise bikes burn just over 0.15 grams of fat per minute. A treadmill can burn twice as much fat as an exercise bike.

Additional Benefits to Treadmill Exercise

The Peripheral Artery Disease study also compared the two groups in terms of their LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and observed another major difference. Between the vascular rehab patients doing treadmill exercises vs stationary bike users, the treadmill exercise group showed the most improvements in their LDL levels. Therefore, it’s clear that treadmill exercises have very well-known benefits to people looking to improve their overall health.

Helpful Tips

These calorie burn studies compare both forms of exercise in relatively simple terms. Remember that not all forms of bike and/or treadmill exercise are created equally. If you set the treadmill to a higher speed or the exercise bike to a more difficult level, then you’ll be able to burn more calories. You’ll want to consider setting an exercise bike to a more strenuous level if you choose to use one of these.

Bottom Line

A stationary exercise bike cannot fully replace a treadmill. However, exercise on a stationary bike can have many of the same benefits of a treadmill for your overall health. Consider using a stationary bike to supplement your exercise routine – perhaps you might want to divide your time between the treadmill and stationary bike. If you’re struggling to find motivation to exercise, then perhaps you might want to consider starting with a stationary bike.

September 18, 2022 by johnc Health Tips 0

Why is it important to keep your back and neck straight while performing a hamstring stretch?

why it's important to keep your back and neck straight during hamstring exercises

Your hamstrings are leg muscles, and specifically they are the “upper leg” muscles that are right above the knee. We place a lot of tension on our hamstring muscles on a daily basis when we walk, run, or lift heavy objects. Hamstrings are often a part of our exercise routine, so stretching these muscles can be helpful to avoid soreness or injury.

Even though stretching is designed to prevent injuries, there’s still a potential for injuring yourself if you stretch improperly. You’re potentially placing additional stress on other parts of your body such as your neck or spinal cord. Here is a quick overview of why you should keep your neck and back straight while doing a hamstring stretch, along with a few ideas for hamstring stretches that you can do.

Remember that your body operates like a machine. While hamstring stretches are useful, they also come with a slight risk of an injury to your spinal cord. By keeping your back and neck straight, you’re able to reduce these injury risks when stretching. Stretching does place pressure on your spinal cord, and over time this repeated stress to your spinal cord makes injury very likely.

Flat-Back

One common hamstring stretch (Also one of the easiest ways to keep your spinal column straight) is to lie down on your back and lift your leg in the air. You can interlock your hands in order to support your leg.

Using Rollers

Rolling your hamstrings with a foam roller is an easy way to increase the blood flow to these muscles. Foam rolling is like a massage for your legs. It’s not exactly a stretch, but foam rolling has many of the same benefits without putting pressure on your spinal cord.

Standing Stretch

While being careful to keep your neck and back straight, stand on one leg and elevate the other one slightly. This is a fairly easy one to do as you’re able to stand upright while doing it. A standing stretch is a simple and easy one to do.

Stretching is a great way to relieve tension in your muscles. It’s also able to prevent soreness before you exercise. If you stretch before exercise or in your day-to-day life, stretching is a great part of exercise if you do it right!

September 2, 2022 by johnc Health Tips 0

What are some good at-home exercises to build muscle fast as a skinny guy

some at-home exercises to build muscle fast as a skinny guy

Are you looking for some good at-home exercises to build muscle fast as a skinny guy, because you feel like you’ve run out of options and can’t make any progress? Want to be able to build your strength up faster?

As a skinny guy, you’re going to have a bit of an uphill battle to climb when building muscle. On the other hand, that does not mean it’s not impossible. It just means that you’ll need to put in a little bit of hard work in order to achieve your goals more quickly. Here are some exercise ideas that allow you to build muscle faster.

1. Planking

This is a very simple exercise which requires no equipment. Planking is similar to doing a pushup, except you hold this position for an extended period of time. This is something which you’ll have to build up a tolerance to over time, gradually increasing the amount of time that you are able to hold a plank for on a daily basis. However, the benefit of these planking exercises is that it’s able to exercise all muscle groups. It’s a great exercise for your arms, abdominal muscles, as well as legs. Research indicates that planks are safer than sit-ups for building abdominal muscle.

2. Squats

Squats are great for building your leg muscles. This is another great home exercise that you can do without equipment, but it’s something with a learning curve as you’ll have to perfect your form over time. Start in a level standing position, and move your hips and lower back in a downward motion while bending your knees. The most important part of doing squats effectively is that you’re also using good form. This form of exercise does come with a high risk of injury, which is why practice is highly important. It’s a good idea to ease into this as your comfort level builds.

3. Dumbbells

This is a very traditional exercise, but using dumbbells can be very effective for building muscle especially in the arms and upper body. These are muscle activators, as the pressure from these weights trigger your muscles to grow. Dumbbells can also be combined with squats if you’re looking for a little bit more of a challenge during your exercise routine. Most commonly, these are used in a sitting position with an underhanded lifting motion.

Final Thoughts

Remember that nutrition is a huge component of building muscle. In addition to doing exercises, you’ll also want to increase your protein intake. Protein from the foods that you eat form the building blocks of the muscles that you will build. However, your exercise routine is what is designed to help you build these muscles.

August 25, 2022 by johnc Health Tips 0

How Can We Calculate BMI (body mass index) with Height and Weight

how can we measure bmi (body mass index) with height and weight

Curious on how we can calculate BMI (body mass index) with height and weight, as well as what it’s useful for? Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measurement which uses a person’s height and weight in order to determine the amount of body fat the person has. The idea is that a taller person that is heavier will have less body fat than a shorter person who is heavier.

Limitations of Using BMI – and How Can We Calculate BMI (body mass index) with Height and Weight

One of the most widely-known limitations of body mass index is that it does not take body composition into account. Suppose you have two people, one of them is named Jake and the other person is Ryan. Jake and Ryan are both 5 Feet, 8 Inches tall. However, Jake is heavier (at 190 pounds) than Ryan (at 170 pounds) although both have the same 30 inch waist size and height.

The reason behind Jake’s heavier body weight is that he has a different body composition from Ryan with more lean muscle mass. Ryan’s BMI would be 24.9, while Jake’s BMI would be at nearly 29. BMI measurements would classify Ryan as being of a normal body weight, while Jake would be considered Overweight. However, the reality is that Jake has more muscle mass than Ryan which is not accounted for in BMI.

Furthermore, BMI does not adjust for other factors that create explainable differences between body weight and height. Age and Gender are often common contributing factors as to why two people of the same height and even similar body composition would have different BMI indexes based on weight.

How To Calculate BMI (body mass index) with height and weight

BMI Is relatively easy to calculate with a simple formula. If you’re in the US and you are measuring in inches and pounds, do the following:

Multiply your weight in pounds by 703. If you weigh 170 pounds, 170 x 703 = 119510
Using your height in inches (remember, 1 foot is 12 inches), find the square of this number by multiplying it by itself. If you are 5 feet, 8 inches tall, you would use the number 68 and multiply it by itself = 68 x 68 = 4624
Divide the first number by the second, and you will get the number 25.84

Here’s how to interpret your BMI:

Less than 18.5 is considered underweight
18.5 to 24.9 is normal weight
Overweight is 25 to 29.9
Obese is anything over 29.9

What Can It Be Used For?

BMI can be a great measurement which allows you to more accurately determine whether or not you’re overweight or obese. It’s not an entirely accurate measurement of your level of health and overall fitness, but it’s a great starting point. You may want to assess your BMI in combination with your body fat level to make a more accurate determination as to whether or not you’re at a healthy body weight.

Conclusion

Don’t rely on BMI by itself to determine whether or not you’re overweight. Use it in combination with self-assessments of your own health.

August 18, 2022 by johnc Health Tips obesity Resources 0

What is a good yoga routine for beginners?

Finding a good yoga routine for beginners is very difficult, especially if you are not naturally flexible. The great thing about Yoga is that it’s an exercise that can be done without any equipment. To get started in yoga, all you need is a mat. Much of what’s important to yoga is knowledge of what to do. The challenge to yoga is that if you’re not careful, you can easily injure yourself in the process. It’s better to start off simple and gradually advance your level of difficulty over time as you grow in your skillset.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga is based on a series of poses. The idea is that you’re holding your body in a stretch position for a specific period of time. Many people do yoga because they find it to be beneficial for their flexibility. Others enjoy yoga because they like the relaxation that yoga provides. The idea is to live in union with nature.

How Long Should My Sessions Last?

Generally speaking, you should practice it for as long as you feel comfortable with doing it. Some people may only feel comfortable doing it for 20 minutes, others may be able to do yoga for an hour or more. If you begin to feel uncomfortable during your yoga session, then if you try to push yourself too hard you risk an injury. A busy schedule can also make it very difficult for you to do any form of exercise. Remember that any amount of physical exercise can have a significant benefit to your overall health and wellbeing.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #1 – Tadasana

The Tadasana pose is a great pose because it is simply focused on stretching your body in a standing position. It’s relaxing, and a great way to gain additional focus and relax various muscles in your body. The objective is keeping your body in alignment, and it’s relatively painless.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #2 – Vrikshasana

This pose is great for improving balance, although it’s slightly more difficult than the Tadasana pose. Through the Vrikshasana pose, you’re balancing your body weight on a single foot.

Good Yoga Routine For Beginners – #3 – Hasta Padasana

Hasta Padasana is a great pose because it’s a simple stretching exercise. All you need to do is to bend forward and place your hands in front of you. This one is great for improving flexibility.

Over time, you’ll find that you will be able to do more complex yoga poses. However, it’s best to start off with simpler poses and give yourself a chance to improve your skills. Yoga is a great way to relax, and is a positive stress relief tool. It’s a great outlet for your creativity, and is also an opportunity to connect with other like-minded people if you choose to join in a group setting.

August 11, 2022 by johnc Health Tips Motivation Resources Stretching Yoga 0

Is Exercise or Nutrition More Important For Losing Weight?

exercise or nutrition more important for weight loss

The great news for you is that even just a moderate amount of daily exercise can help you lose weight. If your curious as to whether or not exercise or nutrition is more important for losing weight, the short answer is both are critical. According to a study by the ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) indicates that 250 to 350 minutes of exercise per week is able to produce moderate weight loss. This is certainly true in obese adults.

There is a “sweet spot” for weight loss. Combined with moderate dietary restrictions, 150-250 minutes per week is shown to produce moderate weight loss. Because this combines moderate amounts of physical exercise with moderate diet restrictions, it’s able to demonstrate that you’re able to achieve your weight loss goals without making extreme sacrifices.

It’s often very hard to find time to exercise as our lives are busy with multiple responsibilities. If you average the 150-250 minutes to a 7 day week, you’ll only need to find 21-35 minutes out of your busy schedule to exercise. If your mornings are busy, then you can split this time up throughout the day.

What Is Considered “Moderate” Exercise?

Moderate exercise is considered a medium-intensity physical activity. Moderate exercise can also be enjoyable, and even a part of your regular routine.

The most common form of moderate exercise is taking a brisk walk around the block. But, moderate exercise can also include vacuuming, dancing, swimming, or other similar activities where you are moving around.

Aside from weight loss, moderate intensity exercise is able to have additional benefits. Moderate intensity exercise also has an impact on other areas of your health. It’s shown to give your immune system a boost.

Aerobic Exercise Combined With Eating Less

Aerobic exercise is the exercise that “gets your blood pumping.” It’s jogging or running, dancing or hiking. Combining this with eating fewer calories will help you lose weight much faster. Even if it’s moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, combine this with eating less and you’ll be able to lose weight.

How Many Calories Should I Reduce My Diet By?

Remember that 1 pound of fat is 3500 calories. So, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3500 calories per week in order to lose 1 lb of fat per week. Most experts generally agree that it’s safe to lose approximately 1 to 2 lbs per week. Furthermore, people losing weight at this rate are more likely to be successful.

Wrap-Up

Exercise and nutrition are equally important for losing weight. A combination of both is critical for losing weight at a sustainable weight. Try to avoid making drastic cutbacks, and you’ll be able to be successful in your goals.

August 3, 2022 by johnc Exercise Tips Health Tips Resources 0

Hang For 100 Seconds and Win $100? Scam?

Wondering if these hang for 100 seconds and win games are scams? Likely, you’ve seen these before (or something similar) in a park or state fair. You are able to pay $10 for the prospect of winning $100, which seems like a really good investment / gamble.

It catches your eye, because you feel confident in your ability to hang onto a pull-up bar for a minute or two. It doesn’t seem like a very long time, and you feel that you’re reasonably fit enough to do it. You’re probably thinking that it’s easy money for you to win.

What you might not know is that you’re hanging onto a pull up bar that has the ability to rotate with even the slightest move. This is the reason why most people don’t think about the chance that they could lose the money that they are spending to play these games.

Most Can’t Hang For Long

Furthermore, the average person can only hang on to a pull-up bar for 30 seconds. That’s far short of the 100-200 seconds that you’ll need to hang onto the pull up bar for to win the prize.

Improve Your Grip Strength

If you are interested in being competitive for these sorts of challenges, it might help to work on your grip strength. Grip strength is often overlooked, and having greater grip strength can help you in your day-to-day life. Ever try to open a pickle jar? That’s when grip strength will come to help.

You can try a few different grip strength exercises at home. Just grab something that you can squeeze, and you’ll be able to improve your hand’s grip strength. Improving your grip strength is what will help you hold onto these pull-up bars for a longer time, making it more likely for you to win.

July 21, 2022 by johnc Health Tips 0

Has anyone rehabbed their shoulder with resistance bands?

Has anyone rehabbed their shoulder with resistance bands? I will be surprised if you haven’t heard about them. Introducing them into your workout routine help to provide extra resistance. Resistance bands help to strengthen the shoulder and also improve the tone of the rotator cuff muscles. They have two major features; portable nature and variety. Resistance bands are not your typical gym equipment which occupy much space and are relatively fixed. They are lighter and can be transported easily. They also come in different varieties. Resistance bands occur in different resistance levels as well as different colors. It follows that lighter-colored bands provide much lighter resistance. The benefits associated with the use of resistance bands explain the rise in their popularity.

What are Resistance Bands?

They are flat or tubular bands used as fitness tools for developing mobility, strength, and stability. Their use in exercise routines began in the 1990s. Originally made from surgical tubing, resistance bands are used as supports in heavyweights exercises. They also provide the same effectiveness as exercising with free weights. The different variants of resistance make it possible to use the right resistance requirement for an exercise. Resistance bands maintain tension during workouts. The added resistance that they provide makes the routine more challenging. Resistance bands are used essentially for rehabilitation. They are majorly used to restore mobility, flexibility, and functional strength of muscle groups post-injury.

How Do Resistance Bands Work?

Resistance bands work by introducing additional resistance, which correlates to the difficulty level of the exercise. The extra resistance is provided without the use of additional weight. In an exercise, the resistance force provided by the resistance band is counterbalanced by the force of your body weight which is the opposing force. Therefore when fitted in place, you are able to either push or pull against resistance. This way, you build up flexibility and strength without stressing the joints. The elastic nature of the bands allows you to focus and improve specific body parts. Therefore isolated muscle groups can be exercised without the risk of further injury. Blood supply is also improved. In a nutshell, resistance bands hasten the rehabilitation process.

Benefits of Resistance Bands

The alternate stretch of the resistance bands and muscle contraction help to improve tone. The tension created by the stretched band initiates muscle contraction. More stretch, more resistance, and the tougher the exercise becomes. In the long run, your endurance builds up. Resistance bands provide resistance independent of the force of gravity. This means all movements pertaining to an exercise can be performed. Regardless of your age and level of fitness, resistance bands are highly effective. Using resistance bands, many workout routines can be done while seated.

Final Word

Has anyone rehabbed their shoulder with resistance bands? Resistance bands are the most effective and highly recommended rehabilitation aid. Unlike weights, they exert no pressure on your joints. They restore muscle tone and functional strength. A return to full fitness post-injury occurs much faster using resistance bands.

July 20, 2022 by johnc Exercise Tips Stretching 0

Will Kettlebell Swings Replace Deadlifts?

If you’re sick of going to the gym, you might be looking for new exercises that you can perform at home. Kettlebell swings are a great example of an exercise that use many different kinds of muscles at once. Will kettlebell swings replace deadlifts? Many think that there are some significant benefits to kettlebell swings that deadlifts cannot provide.

What are Kettlebell Swings?

A kettlebell swing is a lower-body exercise. As the name of the exercise suggests, the exercise can be performed with a kettlebell. It’s where you grasp a kettlebell with your hand, lift it off the ground, and swing it forward and backward. It’s an exercise which does not require a lot of physical space or equipment. It’s also fairly easy to master.

What are Deadlifts?

Deadlifts are slightly different from kettlebell swings. In a deadlift, a loaded barbell is placed flat on the ground, with a person standing directly behind it. The person lifting the weight uses an overhand grip in order to lift the barbell, while being careful to lift with their legs.

What are the benefits of kettlebell swings?

Kettlebell swings are a great exercise because they are designed to move more muscles in your body at once. They are great for providing that full-body workout that many other exercises can’t provide. Not only are you exercising your muscles while doing kettlebell swings, you’re also getting your blood to pump faster. As long as you keep your back straight, you should be able to see some great benefits to kettlebell swing exercises.

Why Can They Be Done at Home?

Kettlebell swings are the perfect at-home exercise. They require very little equipment and space. However, you might want to be in a fairly open space to ensure that you don’t accidentally damage something in your home. They’re also very easy to do and can become a habit.

How Many Should I Do? How Heavy of a Kettlebell Should I Use?

The answer to both of these questions depends on your own personal preferences. Some people are looking for more of a challenge and may want to do 200 with a 50 lb. kettlebell. Others might want to scale back a bit and do 20 kettlebell swings with a 20 lb. kettlebell. What’s most important is that you do what is most comfortable to you.

Final Word

Will kettlebell swings replace deadlifts? Kettlebell swings and deadlifts are two different kinds of exercises. Deadlifts are aimed at the “bodybuilder” types looking to build up muscle. However, kettlebell swings can make a great day-to-day exercise. You may prefer kettlebell swings to deadlifts if you are looking for a whole body exercise that is easy to do.

July 8, 2022 by johnc Exercise Tips 0

Yoga to increase brain power – What is yoga in the eastern sense and how does relate to mindfulness

what is yoga in the eastern sense and how does it relate to mindfulness

Writings on Yoga date back to the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Hindu text dating back to 400 BCE. It calls Yoga a union and a pureness of soul. Yoga is a state where the body and head are held immovable. It’s a very relaxed state of peace and relaxation. The benefits of it are not immedate. Yoga is an activity which has its benefits in the long run with regular practice.

Yoga Writings

Later in 400 CE, Patanjali wrote 195 Yoga Sutras which is a 4-part text designed to describe the practice of Yoga. It begins with instructing one on the value of clearing the mind, and offers an explanation of forms of knowledge, sleep, memory and thought. It instructs one that the voice of god is Om, and that repetition of om can be used in order to clear the mind. Furthermore, distractions of the mind are major obstacles to obtaining a state of relaxation.

Overall, the trend of the ancient texts is that mindfulness is a state of having a clear mind. It’s a state of being fully present in what you are doing. Yoga in the eastern sense was originally developed as a means of allowing people to clear their minds for prayer.

How Is Yoga Able To Increase Brain Power

Modern times are often chaotic, stressful and confusing. That is why many people are looking to the wisdom from the past for reducing their stress levels. There is well-documented research which indicates that Yoga is positive for the brain. Yoga has led to an increase in the amount of Grey matter found in brain MRI scans. Grey matter impacts self-control, decision-making and speech.

If you decide to practice yoga over the years, you’ll find that your brain will improve as you age. You’ll have more self-control and greater decision making ability.

June 27, 2022 by johnc Health Tips Stretching Yoga 0