Fitness Anytime

Do you wish to lose weight while you sleep? Sounds like the easiest and most natural thing to do, doesn’t it? In fact, it is the most natural thing for us humans to do, because we are designed by default to sleep at night! Having not enough of sleep is becoming a common problem, affecting many stressful working adults, and possibly children. We know that there are some side effects attached to long-term sleep deprivation, but are we well informed about the dangers of not sleeping? Do you know what are the potential health problems that can occur when we are not getting our required sleep time? The easiest way to tell if there is a problem is to start looking for the symptoms. The most obvious symptom related to lack of sleep is WEIGHT GAIN!!! Experts from different medical universities found out that…. Our fat cells need sleep to function properly. Fat cells that lack sleep are metabolically groggy. It affects the metabolism of fats in the body, thus causing the fat cells to be less se...

Stress exists in every aspects of life. It can also appear in many forms such as emotional stress, physical stress and also mental stress. Let’s start with emotional stress which normally comes from friction in relationship such as quarrels, this will cause a chain reaction in your other aspects of life such as work life. Quarrels with family or friends tend to pull you down emotionally, bringing the negative emotions to work which causes you to lose focus at work and increasing error tendency. This will cause you underperform at work and losing opportunities at work. This negative emotional stress also affects your temper. Therefore you may want to control your emotional stress and NOT bring that to work or to any aspects of your life. Physical stress on the other hand is simpler and less complicated. It’s a stress that your body can feel; like feeling tired. Too much manual work such as lifting heavy goods will cause you to feel tired as lots of energy is required to get such tediou...

Every single health problem and medical condition in this world has its own share of complexities, and diabetes is certainly no exception. Coping with diabetes takes strength, courage and most importantly, the support and encouragement from the people around you. Whether it’s you, or someone dear to you, who is coping with this disease, the fact of the matter is that diabetes cannot be taken lightly.  It is always important to understand the disease by consulting medical professionals and doing your own research. What you must note, however, is the onslaught on inaccurate information that goes round on the Internet. To separate fact from fiction, we are here to straighten out the lies and uncover the truths behind this lifelong, chronic disease. Over-consumption of sugar causes diabetes Contrary to popular belief, Sugar is not responsible for the contraction of diabetes. Diabetes is caused by a range of factors, such as genetics, lifestyle, obesity, physical inactivity, and age. Di...

Ever felt like taking a vacation but having that nagging fear you will lose all your hard earned muscles? You are not alone. Many regular gym goers and endorphins junkies feel that they would come back from vacations smaller, weaker and lighter. But is this true? Will you lose your muscles without training for a week or 2? Muscles exist for a reason. They are dense fibers developed as an adaptation after sessions of stimulation in the gym to assist in the lifting of heavier weights next time you go back there. So, stimulation does help you to maintain and develop greater muscularity through time. This also explains why people are concerned that they will go back to looking scrawny or feeling weak after a long vacation of lesser activity. My take to this is: Stop worrying! There are in fact benefits to taking a vacation that goes beyond just the shopping gains. Joints recovery If you hit the gym 5 times a week, training a body part twice a week with the goal of a personal best in every ...

Dieting may be difficult to most of us. The endless cycle of restricting and controlling your food intake is frustrating and de-motivating. Crash dieting can lead to metabolic ruin. Shedding a few pounds may work miracles for your health, appearance and self esteem. But how do we do that… naturally? Sea kelp is a type of aquatic vegetable that can be a good addition to your diet if you’re trying to lose weight. Sea kelp, as with many types of land-based vegetables, is quite low in calories and contains little fat, so it can fit into a variety of weight loss meal plans.  It’s a fact that the Japanese are a lot healthier, and slimmer. They are much wiser than us when it comes to food, and using “food as medicine” is part of the culture. One major “slim factor” is a love of seaweed. Kelp is a particular favorite, and many Japanese even add it in supplement form besides enjoying them during meals. Sea kelp contains amino acids, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals and is a rich...

There is no secret to achieving toner and tighter abs; we all know that the best way to a flatter tummy is through a combination of both regular exercise and a healthy diet, yet many of us can’t seem to get it right. You see, knowing it theoretically isn’t enough to get you there. Here are 9 practical tips to doing it right. Watch Your Posture Ever noticed how slouching causes tummy rolls and unsightly creasing? By simply straightening up and sitting upright, you instantly look slimmer and more confident without even having to break a sweat! That’s how easy it is. Maintaining a good posture as part our your everyday ab-building, tummy-trimming routine will help strengthen your abdominal muscles and get you well on your way to a flatter and firmer stomach. Fight the Fat While working hard on defining those ab muscles, you mustn’t forget about getting rid of that excess belly fat either. After having put in all that effort into your abs, you certainly wouldn’t want your fat tummy to get ...

There’s no denying about the positive effects proper dieting and regular exercise have on the reading on your scale. Weight loss aside, exercise is vital in keeping yourself fit and healthy. Dieting, however, isn’t necessarily a must for weight loss. If you are one who loves eating yet hate the thought of giving up your favorite food, here are some wonderful ways to help you lose weight without dieting. Schedule Your Meals In a nutshell: do not starve, do not skip meals and eat on time. When you intentionally cut back on your food, your body goes into starvation mode. One might be under the impression that not eating will lead to weight loss. Truth is, hunger builds up and there’s a very high chance you’ll only end up overeating at the next meal to satisfy that hunger. The same goes for skipping meals.  Whether you skip meals with the intention of losing weight or because of your busy schedule, putting your body through long periods of going without food will result in overeating, ...

A simple search on the Internet reaps page after page of results on diets from weight loss and muscle building to even body firming. There is a particular diet, however, that has been kept under wraps for too long: the teeth-whitening diet. You don’t necessarily have to feel the pinch from spending hundreds of dollars on teeth-whitening kits nor thousands on dental bleaching procedures. Oh yes, believe it or not, there are several better, more economical solutions to ridding stains and getting healthier and whiter teeth. Likewise, you might actually be surprised to know that these magical fixes have always been in our homes and right under our clueless noses. Like they say, mother knows best. Mother Nature, that is. Natural teeth-whiteners are aplenty. In fact, they can be easily found at our nearest farmers’ market and practically any supermarket in our city. Unfortunately, not many are aware of what they can actually do for us. So, the next time you consider spending your paycheck on...

The bench press is not only a measure of upper body strength but also one of the most popular exercises when it comes to building an impressive upper body. Therefore it comes as no surprise that abounding this popular exercise are also many myths and ‘bro-scientists.’ The most common thing you hear from people is that you have got to go as low as possible to reap the most benefits out of this exercise. ‘Your bar has got to touch your chest!’ One such well-meaning dude will say as he looks at you in his tightly muscled shirt. ‘Bounce the bar off your chest!’ Another bespectacled dude in his ‘bodybuilding.com’ T-shirt hollered at you as you inadvertently looked to him as the spotter in the wee hours of the empty gym. The question is, is it necessary for you to go as low as possible during the bench press? The Mechanism Of The Bench Press The bench press is done while you lie on your back and lowers the bar until it is almost level to your chest before you push it back till your arms are ...

Known as orange peel syndrome and cottage cheese skin, cellulite is public enemy number one to most women and it causes many women to spend hundreds on possible cures. Cellulite is caused when fat cells swell and the surrounding fibrous tissue changes in texture, becoming slightly thickened and contracted. It is this subsequent pulling effect that is liken to orange peel. Even slim people may suffer from cellulite. Do a pinch test, does your skin look like this? So what are the causes of cellulite? Research shows that 70% of cellulite is caused by lifestyle and 30% is genetics. Let’s take a look at our lifestyle now. In today’s society, we usually have to be desk bound due to our work most of the times. This sedentary lifestyle allows little movement, and thus the accumulation of fat cells. If you are under high stress, it will cause an increase in the level of catecholamine’s, which have also been associated with the evolution of cellulite. Emotional stress has been known to weaken co...

Whenever we hit the gym or go for a morning run, we usually do it with one of these goals in mind: build muscle, lose weight, get fit, look good, or to improve our cardiovascular health. There’s not one bit of doubt that the above-mentioned will be results you will notice from working out regularly. Then again, haven’t we preached enough about what exercise can do to your body and physique? Instead of stating what is now common sense to most of us, we will be delving deeper into the hidden enclaves of the human mind and reveal what exercise can do for our mental health. Increases Relaxation If you have always thought that exercise stimulates brain activity, well, you’re absolutely right. Exercise increases your level of alertness and raises your body’s core temperature, but as your body temperature begins to fall back to normal a few hours later, you’ll also notice your mind slipping into a state of calmness and relaxation. If you often find yourself having trouble sleeping, having a m...

Our daily morning chow-downs are more than just meals. Breakfast, when taken sensibly, is a fuel powerhouse that provides our mind and body with the energy they need. Starting your day with a healthy, well-balanced meal also kick starts the production of the enzymes that are vital for the metabolism of fat and keeps you feeling fuller as you go about your day. Then again, it’s not simply about eating breakfast and eating less throughout the day. It’s about eating what’s right and avoiding what isn’t. Here are 8 common morning diet crimes that should get you thinking at your next breakfast. Taking the Convenient Route We often find ourselves scurrying around the house in the morning, hurrying to get the kids off to school on time, and rushing to get to work before your boss steps in. Worrying about breakfast is probably the last thing on your mind. Along the way, you decide to just grab a convenient donut or two, a packet of chips, or a candy bar even. Don’t take the convenient route at...

Many of us who are trying to diet might face this problem of snacking at night. There are a wide variety of food available in Singapore, with many eating places opened till the wee hours of the morning. This causes many of us to indulge in having supper. However by eating the bulk of your food in the evening or at night, when your activity level is low, causes the body to store more fats . Your body also does the bulk of its maintenance, healing, and repair work while you sleep, so the quality of the food you eat close to bedtime is also important. Research shows that our internal clock, the circadian system, prompts us to reach for sweet, starchy, and salty foods in the evenings, especially around 8:00 pm. Throughout history, this built-in need to feed may have helped our ancestors store fat to survive when food was scarce, but today, it can take a hefty toll on your health and your waistline. So, how do you fight the craving? Firstly, change your schedule slightly. For example, inst...

There is far more to weight loss and calorie burning than meets the eye. Slaving away in each and every one of us is something called ‘metabolism’. Our metabolism works tireless around the clock – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – to burn calories, shed fat and help us lose weight. How effectively we burn these calories and drop the pounds, however, depend very much on the speed of our metabolism.  This speed varies from individual to individual. Men tend to have a faster metabolism than women, even in the state of rest; and most people, men and women alike, over the age of 40, experience much slower metabolism than those who are younger and more active. Age and gender aside, other factors such as genetics and lifestyle also affect your metabolism. While some of these factors are beyond our control, here are some ways you can help give your metabolism an added boost. Keep Yourself Hydrated Our body needs water not only to function but also to fuel its calorie burning activities. Even...

Headaches are one of the most common ailments. Some of these triggers may surprise you, but the more causes you are aware of, the better chance you have at preventing and/or relieving headaches. Stress As anyone with a screaming boss or an overpowering colleague can attest, having someone constantly breath down your neck is a sure trigger of an excruciating headache. When our stress levels are raised, the nerve sensitivity in our brain spikes, and this makes us a lot more vulnerable to succumbing to throbbing headaches and migraines. Whether it’s work, deadlines, examinations, or relationships, stress just isn’t healthy for you. Take a deep breath whenever life gets a little too tough to handle and find stress-relieving methods that work best for you. Cold Cuts Processed meats seem like the most unlikely culprits, but they’re still culprits nonetheless. Not only do they contain tyramine, but also food additives such as nitrites. Put these two together and it might spell trouble for som...