Exercise Mistake Proven to Damage Your Heart?

Research effectively shows that years of strenuous cardiovascular exercise can damage your heart.

The vast majority of those who exercise are choosing to do some form or aerobic or cardio activity. This research now supports the notion that this choice is likely not your best one over the long run.

Conventional cardio may actually be counterproductive... So, although most people who read this are not exercising nearly enough, it’s still important to understand that it is indeed possible to over-exercise—especially if your primary focus is on traditional cardio.

The point is, too much of something that is normally good for you can have the reverse effect.

Unless you’re engaged in high-level or elite endurance training, this information may be of little value—you certainly shouldn’t use it to further avoid exercising at all! Exercise is absolutely necessary for high-level wellness, but reducing your risk of heart disease is usually not the main reason you exercise.

You exercise because it makes you feel better, and for most, it helps keep your weight at an optimal level. It’s also one of the best treatments for insomnia and reducing insulin resistance, as well as being a wonderful aid in the treatment of depression. So the reasons to exercise are many.

If you start slow, and most importantly, listen to your body, you shouldn’t run into the problem of exerting yourself excessively.

If you’re a serious athlete, however, you may want to reconsider how you train.

6 Tricks to Double Your Calorie Burn

1. Combine upper and lower body: For example, instead of standing there doing biceps curls with dumbbells, add simultaneous stationary lunges.

2. Shuffle with your walk: During a 30-minute power walk, include 5 intervals of side shuffles lasting 60 seconds to 2 minutes each.

3. Insert cardio blasts: Instead of resting or texting between sets on the weight machines, do 25 to 30 jumping jacks, alternating knee lifts, or front kicks.

4. Wear a weighted vest: This will double your burn while walking, hiking, running, or taking a cardio class.

5. Do drop sets: For weight training, start off each set with the heaviest amount you can lift for 10 to 15 reps; then drop the weight 50 percent and continue to 25 reps.

6. Bump up your weights. While taking a sculpting class, push yourself to use 2 to 3 pounds more than you normally would. It will make an incredible difference.

The German Secret to Fat Loss

Back in the 30s, two Germans, a track coach and a doctor, discovered a breakthrough in fitness and fat loss. They realized that doing a short burst of activity followed by a short rest was the best way burn fat fast and to exercise.

Using the their technique, athletes sprinted 200 meters and then rested for a short period.

Then they repeated it, doing the exact same thing. And again.

Their atheletes broke world record after world record and saw tremendous fat loss. The first man to run the mile in under 4 minutes, Roger Bannister, used this type of workout.

It's now called called high-intensity interval training.

But few people are conditioned enough to do it.

Could most of us sprint the length of 2 football fields and then be ready to do it again after a 90-second break? I'd venture to say, no.

But progressivity is a better way to do it and you can burn fat in minutes a day.

No need to start with a high-intensity workout, rather we work our way up. How? We just have to tax ourselves a little bit more as it becomes easier.

Yes, you can get the benefits of high-intensity training, regardless of the level you start at, meaning that you can expand your lung capacity, protect your heart, and see a lot of fat loss by making small, incremental changes along the way.

First, pick an activity that you enjoy. Something like bicycling and swimming that will give your heart and lungs a bit of a challenge. Your beginning workouts will depend on your current level of fitness.

Some guidelines:

Begin with light stretching and a light warm-up before each session.

Make it 20 minutes every other day.

Take it easy and increase gradually.

Increase the intensity of the exercise as you get into better shape,

Later, break the 20 minutes of exercise into shorter "mini-intervals" of exercise and rest periods.

Use shorter and shorter intervals. This way you can easily and gradually up the intensity.

Follow all 20-minute sessions with a light activity "cool down" for a couple of minutes to help reduce muscle soreness after exercise.

As the going gets easier, put your focus on increasing the intensity. As your body adapts, take it up a notch. You should never feel lightheaded.

Being slightly winded and panting is what you're striving for and you'll begin to see that fat loss you desire!