Miss Fit Consulting, Personal Fitness Training & Nutrition Consultation in Calgary, Alberta

Don’t Fall for These 6 Happiness Myths… Learn How to Overcome Them.

If you’d like to be happier — who wouldn’t? — the first step may be to challenge your own views about happiness.

Maybe you think that to be happier, you need more than you have now — more freedom, more money, more love … fill in the blank. Or maybe you’ve convinced yourself that this is as good as it gets.

Such beliefs may be more myth than fact. Although a myth usually contains a kernel of truth, it can also sprout and grow, spreading seeds of doubt that can ultimately crowd out your own growth.

Here are six common myths about happiness that may actually be downsizing your happiness. The truth may set you free for a happier life, starting right now.

Finish reading article at http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/happiness-6-myths-and-truths

By Annie Stuart
WebMD Feature

Keeping physically active is key to a healthy lifestyle. But sometimes it’s best to check with your doctor before you start to exercise.  Regular exercise can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease, and strengthen your bones and muscles. But before you put on your workout shoes, you may want to talk to your doctor.

Although physical activity is perfectly safe for most people, sometimes it’s important to get a doctor’s OK before you exercise. Just when a person needs to see his or her doctor isn’t known. But most experts suggest you talk to your doctor before you start an exercise program if any of the following apply:

• You’ve had a heart attack.
• You have asthma or lung disease.
• You have diabetes or heart, liver or kidney disease.
• You feel pain in your chest, joints or muscles during physical activity.
• You have arthritis or osteoporosis.
• You’ve had joint replacement surgery.
• You experience symptoms such as loss of balance, dizziness or loss of consciousness.
• You take medication to manage a chronic condition.
• You have an untreated joint or muscle injury, or persistent symptoms after a joint or muscle injury.
• You’re pregnant.
• You’re unsure of your health status.

Source:  www.mayoclinic.com

Cross-training combines two or more types of physical activity. If it sounds intense, don’t worry. Cross-training is an easy way to add variety to your exercise program, whether you want to live a healthier lifestyle or you’re an advanced athlete who wants a more varied training regimen.

What is cross-training?

If you’re bored with the same old workout, you’re struggling to lose those last few pounds or you’re ready to add a new level of fitness to your routine, cross-training may help you meet your fitness goals. Consider these basic approaches to cross-training:

• Multiple activities. With this approach to cross-training, you combine two or more types of activity with the same goal — such as aerobic activity — in the same workout. For example, you might ride a stationary bike before your morning jog.
• Alternating days. As another option, you may choose to alternate two or more types of activity during the week. For example, you might swim on Monday and Wednesday and jog on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Simply pick various activities you enjoy and incorporate them into your exercise plan.

What are the benefits of cross-training?

Cross-training can help you improve your overall fitness and performance. But that’s not all. Cross-training can also:

• Reduce your risk of injury. Cross-training gives your bones, muscles and joints a rest from repetitive stresses. Alternating between a high-impact activity, such as running, and a low-impact activity, such as cycling, can help you avoid overuse injuries and reduce the risk of other injuries.
• Keep you interested. Exercise can be more fun when you’re not doing the same activity every day. The variety may help you stick with your exercise program.
• Help you burn extra calories. Cross-training can keep you exercising more regularly, which helps you burn more calories. Any fat you lose can improve your performance.
• Double as a backup plan. If your bike breaks down, you can still jog. If you hurt your ankle, you may still be able to swim.

Source:  www.mayoclinic.com

Having fun is the key to sticking with any exercise program. When something is fun, we usually welcome the chance to do it again. Patience and moderation are the keys to keeping workouts fun.  Most exercise dropouts push too hard and too fast to get themselves in shape. Impatience and shortcuts often cause injury and discouragement. It takes time to achieve weight loss and fitness goals, and it takes regular exercise to maintain fitness. This is why it is important to include regular physical activities in your daily lifestyle.

Here are some ways to make exercising more fun and rewarding:

• Socialize while you exercise. Invite a friend to exercise with you, or join an exercise class. Add picnics to your walks, hikes, or bike trips. Enter in fun runs or walks and other community events. Play ball or field games. Play tag with children or teach them a new game.
• Cross-train: Do a variety of exercise activities each week that work different muscle groups. This adds intensity to your program, minimizes the risk of injury, and gets you fit faster.
• Add recreational activities: Play in a sports league. Go out dancing. Try water sports. Take up tap dancing, rollerblading, martial arts, badminton, golfing, or some other activity that is enjoyable and will keep you physically active. Try a ropes course. Take a backpacking trip. Ride horses.
• Reward your accomplishments: Set realistic short-term and long- term fitness goals. Reward yourself when you achieve them. Whether your chosen reward is a massage, new shoes, or an evening out, make sure you give yourself those well-deserved pats on the back.

Always get a medical check-up before starting any exercise program. Work with a certified exercise leader to learn how to exercise safely. Do not try a new activity that is too demanding for your level of health. The risk for injury is too great. Get properly conditioned first, and then try the new activity.  There are plenty of ways to make fitness fun. Be creative.  Involve your whole family. Fitness can add years to your life and life to your years.

Source:  URL: http://www.uihealthcare.com /topics/exercisefitness/exer3102.html