Fitness Posted

Fitness is the ability to make muscular effort for the physical activities without getting tired but improving the physical condition. Fitness is about: how to cope with the daily tasks dynamically, how to obtain energy to enjoy various activities, how to react immediately to the immediate situations and the ability to face and keep control over the stress and generally, how to bear with the situations where a physically non-capable person could not. Fitness is the basis for a good physical and mental health! Good cardiopulmonary condition It's the ability of the heart, the blood vessels and the lungs to transfer oxygen and nutrients throughout the body, especially in muscles and tissues during the exercise. Being in good cardiovascular condition, is directly related to health and the ability to enjoy long-time activities (swimming, jogging in the countryside, playing with our kids). Aerobic exercise improves the strength of the heart and protects us from heart diseases. Muscular/s...

Before you begin consult your fitness trainer and (if needed) your doctor. An estimation of your physical condition before exercise will help you start with the safest and most appropriate way. Afterwards the fitness consultant will help you determine your short and long term goals. Achieving the objectives increases our self esteem and our confidence. Do not worry if you feel a little nervous about starting a fitness program. Concentrate on the following parameters. Improving your aerobic capacity: there are numerous choices for aerobic exercise. Cycling, walking, dancing, aerobics, swimming are some of them. Try to do 30 minutes of cardio a day at least 3 times a week to reduce your body fat percentage and increase your balance and mobility. Improving your strength: the muscle stimulation improves our posture. Improving flexibility: you should exercises at a slow, steady manner while keeping the stretch for at least 30 seconds. Make sure you feel the muscles stretch and not the ...

Let's start with some terms related to weight, because weight adjustment seems to be the most "urgent" topic here.  Overweight  people weigh more than the average weight for their age and their body type, according to international standards. Obesity is the condition characterized by excessive fat storage. Obesity is not just about appearance. It's a disease that increases the chances for heart attacks and diabetes. Underweight people have lack of fat to such an extent that their health is endangered. Body composition . The percentage of body weight that is fat, compared to the percentage of lean body mass (muscle, bone, skin, organs and water). Local fat . The points with stored fat (thighs, abdomen). Fat stored in the abdomen is more dangerous for the health than fat stored in the legs. Energy balance characterizes a body that has the ability to keep the weight stable. Energy balance is achieved only with a proper calorie intake. This way the calories that we gai...

Below there are some basics of a Mediterranean diet. You can also use a food pyramid in order to eat healthily. Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, grains and seeds.  Limit the consumption of animal fat, choose to eat lean meat. Replace it with chicken, fish and vegetable protein. Eat less food which is rich in fat and replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated. Instead of full cream milk consume nonfat or low fat milk. (except children) Limit the consumption of food which are rich in cholesterol, like eggs and meat. Decrease the consumption of refined sugar and other products that are rich in sugar. Reduce the consumption of salt and don't eat too salted food. If you drink alcohol, do it sparingly. Eat the necessary calories from nutrient-rich foods in order to maintain an appropriate weight.

The food pyramid is a simple guide for selecting foods during a month, a week, a day. It includes six basic categories of foods (cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and poultry, fish). The food pyramid should be used in combination with counting calories received from fat. The use of the food pyramid will help us eat better every day. Start with cereal, rice, pasta, vegetables and fruits. Add 2 to 3 equivalents from the category of milk and 2 to 3 from the category of meat. Each one of these foods contains some but not all of the ingredients you need. No category of food is more important than another - to be healthy we need them all. We should consume fat, oils and sweets sparingly. Calories of energy nutrients Nutrients provide the following calories: 1gr=  fat 9 calories 1gr protein = 4 calories 1 gr carbohydrate = 4 calories Ratio of energy nutrients for healthy eating 30% fat 10% saturated fat 10% monounsaturated fat 10% polyunsaturated fat 12% protein 58...