You can add many years to your life expectancy if you follow a healthy diet and exercise program, including weight training. First you should understand some of the basic principals of lifting weights in order to get the maximum benefits.If you are ever unsure about something, ask a personal trainer, or your fitness consultant for advice.

The first principal is slow controlled movements. Whenever performing a weight lifting exercise use slow controlled movements. If you lift the weight quickly then  much of the work at the beginning of the exercise is done using momentum, not muscles. If you want to get the most out of your program, you don’t want momentum to assist you. You will also ensure that you do not move outside of your body’s natural range of motion.

The second important principal to follow is posture. Many beginners do not pay attention to their posture when beginning a weight training program. This is often because they want to lift more weight. If you contort your body, or swing your arms to lift more weight, you are using larger muscle groups to help you complete the exercise, and not getting the full benefit. When lifting weights, use your muscles the way they were designed to be used, and you will have a greatly reduced risk of injury.

Now you’re exercising again, and it feels great. Of course, it felt great last year, too, when you went to the gym every morning for almost the entire winter! If it feels so great, why do you keep quitting? You may be able to make your physical activity more consistent by using some of these tricks.

1. Start Looking at Exercise Differently. This is the big one, from my perspective, says James Gavin, PhD, sport psychologist and professor at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. All movement is exercise. People need to give themselves more options. Take the dog for a walk, bike to the store, take five-minute stretch breaks. If you don’t count something as exercise unless it happens in the gym, goes on for 40 minutes or requires a shower afterward, you’re missing some of your best opportunities to stay active.

2. Think Small. This advice can be hardest for people who expect the most from themselves. Why bother walking around the block when you should be running your usual four miles? Because when you don’t have time to do all four miles, a brisk hike can keep you from feeling that you’ve failed.

3. Set an Agenda. It helps to challenge yourself with a learning or performance agenda, says Gavin. Set a goal, such as increasing the speed, frequency or duration of your activity. Maybe it’s time to train for a marathon–or take a walk up the hill in the backyard without getting winded. (It’s perfectly fine to think small for your performance agenda, too). Your trainer can help you determine appropriate goals.

4. Get off the Beaten Path. Have you ever tried snowboarding? Bowling? Swing dancing? Body surfing? Chi kung? How about reversing your power walk route? Exercising at a different time of day? Physical activity isn’t boring, but how you participate in it can be.

5. Use Your Brain. The active mind needs to be engaged, says Gavin. If you’re new to exercise, dissociate tactics, such as listening to music, watching TV or playing computer games may help you stick with it–but stay aware of sensations that could signal injury or overdoing it. As you become more experienced, associative strategies, such as focusing on your breath or concentrating on the movement of your body, can help you enjoy exercise more.

6. Get an Accountability Partner. Minneapolis lifestyle coach Kate Larsen suggests finding a friend, mentor or coach to keep you honest. You can either exercise with your partner, or simply check in with him or her to report your progress.

7. Plan to Stay Active. Don’t decide in the moment if you can make the choice beforehand, says Larsen. Plan to park farther from the office and put your walking shoes in the car the night before. Plan to take that new yoga class next week, and call the babysitter now.

8.Face Your Fitness Foes. Does vacation throw your exercising schedule out of whack? Do projects at work overtake your activity time? Do injuries sideline you? Boredom? Fear of success? Fitness foes can be beaten once they’ve been identified. You can change your vacation style, set work limits, get guidance for injury-free activity, find new challenges, or face your fears with counseling and support.

9.Go Tribal. Even if you are introverted, the presence of others in your exercise environment can be motivating. We pick up on other people’s energy, Gavin points out. We get into the tribal rhythms of being fully alive. Choose places and times to exercise where there will be other people who are actively involved in exercise.

10. Use a Script. We tell ourselves things like, Skipping this one little walk won’t matter all that much, according to Larsen. Next time, be prepared with an answer for this excuse. Use images of past successful experiences to remind yourself of how good exercise makes you feel. Or repeat a simple phrase to yourself, such as, Every little bit makes a big difference. If you use planning, flexibility and imagination, you won’t ever need to feel like a dropout again.

Reprinted with permission: of IDEA Health & Fitness Association

Fats are the most concentrated energy source we have in our bodies.A gram of fat gives us twice the amount of energy that a gram of carbohydrates does.This is why fats are the best fuel source for muscles to use during prolonged activity.Having adequate amounts of fat at each meal is important because they digest slower, creating a feeling of fullness that lasts longer. Fat also acts as a carrier for vitamins A,D,E and K. Fats aid in the absorption of vitamin D, making  calcium more available to bones and teeth, they also help convert beta-carotene into vitamin A, which is important for our vision. However  you should not have too much fat. Excessive intake of dietary fat can be dangerous, as large amounts of these fat soluble vitamins will be stored in excess fat. When weight loss occurs, these vitamins can quickly be released into the body, causing them to act like poison.

There are two different groups of fatty acids, saturated and un-saturated. Saturated fats generally come from animal sources while unsaturated come from plant sources. If you simply substitute unsaturated fats, you will see a reduction in blood cholesterol, because there is no cholesterol present in plant derived fats. Fats can also be high in omega-3 fatty acids, which can lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Good fat sources are extra-virgin olive oil, hemp oil, flax oil, salmon, sardines,tuna, almonds and walnuts.

The weight loss industry generates a lot of revenue each year, estimated at around 50 billion dollars.  Most diets are aimed at reducing calorie intake. Short periods of calorie restriction are sometimes encouraging to the person dieting because with them comes initial weight loss, but it is often the wrong kind of weight. Most of the weight lost in the first few weeks of a calorie restrictive diet is water and carbohydrate lost from muscle tissue, and not a reduction in fat.There are some disadvantages to calorie restrictive diets including; loss of lean body mass, possible malnutrition, metabolic disorder, and fatigue. Other diets that don’t work are high fat diets, and high protein diets. The only way to safely lose body fat, is to combine a healthy diet without excess calories, fats or sugar and regular exercise.  One of the most asked questions “How many calories do i need?”. There is no easy answer. Calorie requirement is dependant not only on your height and weight, but on your lean body mass, daily activity level, and metabolism. A guideline you can follow is: For weight loss; current body weight in lbs x 10= number of calories you can consume daily, For weight maintenance; Current body weight in lbs x 12= number of calories you can consume.It is  important to remember that healthy weight loss will happen gradually, at a rate of no more than 2 pounds per week. People who want to lose weight need to remember that it is a lifestyle change, and a lifetime commitment.

Cardiovascular training equipment has become the most popular feature of health clubs today. Unlike the cardio equipment of the past, today’s equipment is user friendly, and requires little instruction, or experience.

However, using the equipment properly is important, to provide maximum results for the user, in a safe and efficient manner. How do you select the type of cardio equipment that is right for you? One option is to try them all, provided you do not have any injuries that prevent usage of certain equipment. It is also a great idea to vary the type of equipment you use. If you use he bicycle one day, try the stair climber the next day. Or try alternating different pieces of cardio equipment in the same session, you will get a lot of variety in your program, and it will help the time pass by more quickly.

A few tips for using cardiovascular equipment:

-For proper seat position on the bicycle with one foot on a pedal in the bottom position, if the seat is in the proper position, you should have a slight bend in the knee.

–When using the stair climber remember that the pedals will move as soon as you step on them. Maintain an upright position, do not slouch or put all your weight on the handles. The pedals should remain in the middle position, not to high, and not touching the floor.

- When using the treadmill start out standing on the side rails. Turn treadmill on, when you first step on the treadmill hold the handrails for support, then step on the treadmill. while walking let your arms swing naturally.

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The benefits of physical activity are possible for people of every age, not just the young. Having a physically active lifestyle throughout your entire life has significant benefits which include:

-decreased chance of cardiovascular disease

-improved cholesterol levels

-lower blood pressure

-decreased risk of several forms of cancer

-relieves arthritis

-improves sleep

Moderate physical activity can also help in recovery from heart attack and stroke. Possibly the greatest benefit of physical activity is the increased quality of life for older people. Exercising can improve self esteem,provide more social interaction, and improve with feelings of independence.

How physically active you are determines how healthy you will be in the years to come. Rather than treating diseases once they surface, we should be combating them with good diet and exercise. There is no reason you cannot envision yourself being independent and healthy long past midlife. Your doctor can advise exercises that will be good for you, and a fitness consultant or personal trainer at  your fitness club can help design an exercise program.

Dieting is not easy.  If it were, we would probably all  be thin.  Since we are not, here are some tips that successful people use to lose weight so that others can benefit, too.  Not all of these will be new to you, however it never hurts to hear it again if you’re having difficulty getting started or staying  on track.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 1 : DRINK 8-10 GLASSES OF WATER EACH DAY

Okay, for many people this is a big problem.  Water doesn’t taste all that great generally because water doesn’t really “taste” like anything.  Drinking water 8  to 10 times each day gets easier the more you actually do it.  It is simply a matter of conditioning your taste buds, and yourself, so that it becomes easier to do.  Once you get started, you will begin to crave water.   To begin with, you should drink a glass of water in the morning first thing, before you eat.  This is probably the easiest glass you will drink all day and it will help you remember to drink water all day long.  Better yet, why not drink two glasses?  If you really cannot bear the taste of water, try using a water purifying pitcher or filter.  You can also add a few drops of lemon or lime to your water - but not sugar or sweetener.  Ice also helps.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 2:  EAT BREAKFAST

Do not skip breakfast.  If you need to go to bed a little earlier so that you can get up 20 minutes earlier each morning - do it!  Breakfast is so important to your good health and to weight control.  According to Dr. Barbara Rolls, a  professor of nutrition at Penn State University, “Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn’t rev back up until you eat again.”  Eating breakfast is not only good for overall weight loss, it will help you stay on track with your diet the rest of the day.  You are more likely to binge on  something sweet and in the “bread” group if you skip breakfast.  You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge or some high- fiber, low starch fruit around.  If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it.

SUCCESS TIP NO. 3:  EAT AT LEAST 3 MEALS AND 2 SNACKS EACH DAY

This can be one of the hardest adjustments to make.  After all, you are busy!  You already have a “full plate”.  When do you have time to worry about filling your plate with more frequent meals?  Just like eating breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating more often.  This will also help you curb your bad-carb intake by making sure that your snacks are planned and occur regularly throughout the day.  Really, it will just take a minimal investment of planning time at the grocery store and at home each morning before you head out for the day to make some healthy food choices and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals