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Plant-Based Diets For Athletes

Plant-Based Diets For Athletes

We do team training at Habitat Health and Fitness in Lakeland, FL, so we work with many athletes. We also believe that inside every person is a hidden athlete waiting to emerge. Clients often wonder if plant-based diets could fit into an active, athletic lifestyle. The answer is yes, but it takes a lot of planning to ensure it contains all the nutrients necessary. There are as many ways to go plant-based as there are people. Each diet should be individualized and healthy.

Is a plant-based diet the same as vegan?

The answer is no. A plant-based diet could include animal products, such as eggs, milk, fish, and meat, but on a more limited basis. It could include fish, but not red meat or poultry. No matter what type of plant-based diet that's chosen, ensuring the food is healthy is the primary goal. Even if you're eating a plant-based diet, if it contains white bread, French fries, and highly processed snack food, you won't perform as well or get the health benefits you desire.

There are difficulties with vegan diets and some vegetarian diets.

The more rigid the plant-based diet, the more potential there is for too little iron and vitamin B12. People on vegan diets may lack calcium and need to know how to balance plant protein to ensure they get all essential amino acids daily. Including a variety of plant protein sources helps solve the problem with amino acids. To increase iron, focus on legumes, nuts, and dark green leafy vegetables. You need iron and B12 to deliver oxygen to the muscles. B12 is in nutritional yeast and fortified foods. Calcium is in milk products, but if those aren't part of the personalized diet, collard greens, kale, fortified products, and bok choy are also rich in calcium.

Many famous athletes eat a plant-based diet.

Athletes are choosing to eat more vegetables and cut back on meat. Some don't call it plant-based, just plant-focused. Why do they do it? It can promote weight loss to help you reach and maintain your healthiest weight. Many people say it increases their energy level and boosts their performance. It's why many collegiate and professional athletes choose a plant-based option. It can help lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation, improve your cholesterol profile, and improve digestion.

  • You won't get your desired results if you eat highly processed food. Stick with whole foods and food without added sugar.
  • Always check the source of protein when choosing meat substitutes. Pea and bean protein are good but avoid soy protein isolate or wheat gluten. Check the sodium content and amount of saturated fat.
  • A diet that's focused on plant consumption can help speed up the recovery process after a tough workout. A plant-based diet also may lower blood viscosity, making it easier to deliver oxygen to muscles and improving performance.
  • Identify the degree of plant-based diet that's right for you. It's often difficult to stick with a strict vegan diet, so opting for a more moderate form might be right for you.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Stay Hydrated This Summer

Stay Hydrated This Summer

The hot weather of summer should remind everyone to stay hydrated. Unfortunately, it doesn't always happen. In warmer weather, you sweat more. Unless you replace the lost liquid, it doesn't take long before you start to notice the symptoms of dehydration. Thirst is the first sign of dehydration, but not all people notice their thirst. Some think they're hungry when in reality, they're thirsty. Dark-colored urine, headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion, and dizziness are other signs of dehydration. You don't have to wait for the signs to appear if you carry water with you and sip on it frequently. It's one way to stay hydrated.

Some people don't like to drink water.

While other liquids and even juicy fruits can keep you hydrated, drinking water is best. Coffee and tea contain caffeine that acts as a diuretic, so you'll void more frequently. That can create a net sum of zero added fluid. Soft drinks also contain caffeine and high amounts of sugar or sugar substitutes. Sugar adds pounds, while artificial sweeteners can increase your waist circumference and add belly fat. If you don't like plain water, try infused water. It's water lightly flavored with fruit, herbs, or vegetables. Slice the fruit or vegetable or crush the herbs and put them in the water, let it remain for two hours, then remove and refrigerate. It has the essence of fruit, vegetable, or herb, but with no calories.

Do you forget to drink water?

There are phone apps that will remind you to drink, track your liquid intake, and provide rewards for reaching your goal. You can set your phone alarm to ring periodically to remind you to drink more water. Develop a schedule and create a habit of drinking more water. Make your schedule coordinate with your day. If you take a break at ten, drink a glass of water. You can even tie it into your restroom break. Think of it as an empty followed by a refill.

Think of all the benefits of drinking more water.

Understanding the benefits of water can help you drink more. Drinking more water can help you lose weight. Studies show if you drink a glass of water before a meal, you'll eat less. It also helps you burn more calories by providing energy and boosting your metabolism. Consider water, your magic elixir that is the quicker-picker-upper. It outshines coffee in most cases. If you're fatigued, you may just be mildly dehydrated. Try a glass of water before getting a cup of coffee.

  • You can hydrate by eating watermelon or other high-water-content food. Hydration can also come from the food you eat.
  • The older you get, the faster you dehydrate. In seniors, dehydration can cause symptoms that resemble dementia and senility. If you're caring for a senior, give them liquids frequently.
  • Drinking water can help with the headache after a night on the town that included too much alcohol. The headache comes from the dehydration caused by drinking alcohol.
  • Regular hydration helps your skin look more youthful. It keeps it plump and prevents wrinkling and drying.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Health Benefits Of Carbohydrates

Health Benefits Of Carbohydrates

People working out at Habitat Health and Fitness know it takes more than just exercise to achieve their goals. It also takes a healthy diet. A healthy diet should include all macronutrients, including carbohydrates. Carbs get a bad rap. They're blamed for weight gain and various maladies. Not all carbohydrates are bad. Some provide health benefits you can't get any other way. The carbohydrate category is broad and includes both healthy foods like vegetables and fruit, and unhealthy ones like sugar and highly processed food.

Why are carbohydrates important?

Carbohydrates are one of the three categories of macronutrients. It's one of three categories, with the other two being protein and fat. broad. It includes starch, sugar, and fiber. Carbohydrates provide the body with energy. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs digest rapidly and spike the blood sugar. Complex carbs take longer to digest. Carbs can be fiber. There are two types of it, soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber bonds with water creating a gel. The gel not only adds moisture to excrement to make it easier to pass, but it also feeds the microbes in the gut that keep us healthy. Insoluble fiber doesn't digest but adds bulk to the stool.

There are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates.

Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates, and so are whole grains. Those are healthy foods. They contain fiber and other nutrients like vitamins and minerals. Highly processed foods and foods with added sugar are also carbohydrates, but they have no nutrients. They only provide energy---calories. They digest quickly, so they cause a spike in blood glucose and an increase in insulin. When that happens too often, it can cause insulin resistance, obesity, and other problems.

Carbohydrates aren't bad.

Eating too many of the wrong types of carbohydrates is unhealthy. That doesn't make all carbohydrates bad. You'll find many of the healthy carbs in the produce section of the grocery. These foods contain fiber, starch, and nutrients. Fiber prevents blood sugar from spiking by slowing sugar absorption. It feeds beneficial bacteria. Whole grains also contain fiber and other nutrients. All foods with fiber fill you up quickly and keep you feeling full longer, so they aid in weight loss. To be your healthiest, you need carbs in your diet, but they must be healthy carbs.

  • One type of starch is resistant starch. Like soluble fiber, it feeds the beneficial bacteria and the cells in the large intestine. Resistant starch helps prevent metabolic disease and colon cancer, increases insulin sensitivity, and aids in weight loss.
  • Foods high in carbohydrates provide nutrients that many high-protein animal products can't provide. They include phytonutrients, vitamin C, and fiber. Phytochemicals are plant compounds that play a vital role in health.
  • Food can fit into several categories at the same time. While nuts contain carbohydrates, they also contain protein and fat. Milk is the only animal product containing a significant amount of carbs.
  • Avoiding food with added sugar can help both the body and the mind. A diet high in sugar can affect cognitive functioning, memory, mood, and create cravings for even more sugar.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Side Effects Of Low-Carb Diets

Side Effects Of Low-Carb Diets

When people opt for low-carb diets, they hope the side effects will be weight loss. In many cases, they're right. Low-carb diets also have some negative side effects that range from uncomfortable to painful. Low-carb diets are designed to reduce the number of calories from carbs and increase calories from protein and fat. When you limit carbs, you limit sugary and refined products are removed from the diet. That alone can make a difference in overall good health and weight loss, and it's a positive difference. What are some of the negative side effects people experience?

Sometimes it's called the keto flu or induction flu.

When you start a low-carb diet, particularly one that's extremely low in carbs, like a keto diet, you get flu-like symptoms. It starts in the first few days and can last a week or more. It has flu symptoms, like feeling exhausted, experiencing nausea, and sometimes feeling mentally disoriented and confused. A few people have symptoms of hypoglycemia---low blood sugar. It occurs after the body uses all the glucose and glucose stores, but still requires energy. It then breaks down fat to produce ketones for fuel. When there are no carbs in the system, insulin is reduced, which causes a release of water, sodium, and potassium. It can also cause the brain to have less fuel for a while, hence the brain fog.

When you're on a low-carb diet, you're cutting out many sources of fiber.

What happens when you don't have enough fiber in your diet? You get constipated. Not only does a low-carb diet create dietary changes that can usher in difficulties in the bathroom, but it also reduces the fiber in your diet. Low-carb diets reduce the amount of grain and other high-fiber foods, like beans. That lack of fiber causes constipation. When choosing carbs, choose food that provides fiber.

Ketosis causes halitosis.

Bad breath can be a big side effect of a strict low-carb diet, primarily the keto diet. When your body switches from using glucose to using ketones for food, acetone is produced. It is removed through urination or exhalation. It causes the breath to smell like nail polish remover, sickeningly sweet, or worse due to other by-products also exiting the body. No amount of brushing, flossing, or gargling can remove the smell.

  • If you're on an extremely low-carb diet, you can avoid flu-like symptoms if you drink bouillon or broth. Dehydration, low sodium, magnesium, or potassium can cause the problem. Increasing fluids can also help with constipation.
  • Muscle cramps are side effects of low-carb diets. Drinking more water and sometimes supplementing it with magnesium can help. If you have keto breath or strong-smelling perspiration, drinking more water helps that, too.
  • Heart palpitations or an elevated heart rate can occur when you initially start a low-carb diet. It's from dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Drinking broth or more water can help.
  • Athletes and people who exercise regularly may notice a reduction in their performance. Drinking a cup of broth or lightly salted water 30-60 minutes before activity helps. It will correct itself in a few weeks.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


The Difference Between Food Allergy And Sensitivity

The Difference Between Food Allergy And Sensitivity

Most people in Lakeland, FL, can identify some food that doesn't agree with them. A few live in fear because their reaction could be life-threatening. That's one explanation of the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity, or intolerance. It's how the body responds to the food and what triggers the reaction. The immune system triggers a food allergy. Food sensitivity, or intolerance, is triggered by the digestive system.

Your body can't adequately process food with food sensitivity.

People with sensitivities to food don't face life-threatening consequences. Their belly may bloat with gas, but their face and airways won't swell. All the action takes place in the digestive tract. If you're lactose intolerant, you can't process the sugar, which is lactose in dairy. Your body doesn't create the enzymes, or creates less than required, to digest the food. The result is that the dairy fails to digest in the small intestines, or only partially digests, and the watery undigested lactose moves to the colon. It ferments there and causes bloating, pain, and gas.

Food allergies start with the immune system and can have severe, life-threatening results.

The immune response to the body's foreign invaders is beneficial when the invader is a virus, bacteria, or fungus, but can be deadly if the body mistakes a specific food protein for an invader. It can trigger similar reactions, and produce antibodies to attack it, releasing chemicals into the system. In rare, but extreme cases, just touching the food can create a dangerous reaction. Breathing difficulties, digestive issues, and skin conditions like hives or swelling can occur.

Some foods commonly cause both reactions and sensitivities.

Food that's difficult to digest for some people due to enzymes includes dairy, due to too little lactase, the enzyme that breaks it down. It includes the inability to break down histamines in food like pineapples, cheese, bananas, chocolate, and avocados. Gluten is another protein the body may have difficulty digesting, just as food additives or preservatives are. People can be sensitive to naturally occurring chemicals or sugars, caffeine is one chemical example, and an onion is an example of a sugar. Some of the same foods are responsible for allergies. Eight foods are responsible for 90% of food allergies. They include milk, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, and soybeans.

  • While most food allergies are related to allergic antibodies, some aren't. Instead, they activate other parts of the immune system, are delayed, and don't cause life-threatening issues but primarily vomiting, diarrhea, or bloating.
  • Some conditions create a fertile environment for the development of food sensitivities. These are inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, and inflammatory bowel disease. Celiac disease can create conditions for other food sensitivities.
  • While digestive issues may be similar in food sensitivity and food allergies, food sensitivity doesn't cause skin conditions, swelling, hives, itching, difficulty breathing, dizziness, or death.
  • Skin pinprick tests can't determine every food allergy. A few allergies require the consumption of the offending food. People often refuse the test and avoid the offending food instead.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Are 1 Lb. Of Fat And 1 Lb. Of Muscle Equal?

Are 1 Lb. Of Fat And 1 Lb. Of Muscle Equal?

Do you want to look your best? People often focus on losing weight, but they also need to focus on the fat to muscle tissue ratio. The two aren't equal. A biological female weighing 130 pounds but has over 25% body fat will look far heavier than a counterpart weighing the same whose body fat is 14%. Even though the two are the same weight, the one with more muscle will look thinner.

Muscle tissue is denser than fat tissue.

If you created a container to hold precisely one pound of fat tissue and a container to hold exactly one pound of muscle tissue, the one containing fat tissue would have to be bigger than the one containing muscle. A pound of fat tissue isn't as dense as muscle tissue and requires more space to hold a pound. It weighs less per cubic inch. It's why working out makes you look thinner even if you don't lose a single pound. You've built a pound of muscle and lost a pound of fat. You'll look thinner the more muscle you have.

Fat plays a different role in the body than muscle does.

Fat is stored energy that is ready to use for energy if there's not enough food. Muscle performs a different function. It's necessary for movement and that movement can keep the body healthier and bones strong. Muscle tissue requires more calories for maintenance than fat tissue does. The more muscle tissue you have, the higher your metabolism and the more calories you'll burn even when you're at rest.

Too much fat plays a negative role in health.

If you're extremely muscular and at the high end of the weight chart, there's normally no effect on your health. In fact, you'll probably be healthier than the average person within the normal weight range. You'll have lower blood glucose levels, less inflammation, and better insulin sensitivity. Excess fat plays a different role in health, particularly if it's around the waist. A higher percentage of fat can increase the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, metabolic disorders, and diabetes.

  • You'll look better with a healthier fat to muscle tissue ratio. You'll have a more defined body mass that doesn't jiggle when you move. It doesn't matter what body shape you have lean; toned muscles add to its appearance.
  • Never try to eliminate all fat from the body. Fat plays an important role too. It's a matter of ensuring you don't have too much.
  • Diet alone isn't enough to achieve a good balance of body fat and muscle. Exercise that builds muscle tissue improves body composition. Strength-building workouts and a healthy diet can reduce body fat while providing many health benefits.
  • If you're doing strength training to build muscles, you're also increasing your output of calories, which can lead to even more weight loss. While cardio exercises are important, the calories burned come from both muscle and fat.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Signs You Need To Eat More Calories

Signs You Need To Eat More Calories

People who work out at Habitat Health and Fitness know that continuously eating more calories than you require causes weight gain. It's the first thing most overweight people learn about weight control. What most people don't search for are signs you actually need to eat more calories. It may sound like a dream come true, but it isn't. It's just as hard to gain weight as it is to lose it. Too few calories can interfere with the functions of the body and lead to critical health issues.

If you don't have enough energy to complete normal daily activities, you may need more calories.

Exhaustion from doing simple tasks can occur for several reasons. Some reasons are serious health conditions that require medical attention. One that can be prevented is the lack of calories. The body uses calories for energy. If there aren't enough calories, it uses body fat. Once the body fat is depleted, it breaks down the protein in the body for energy. All along, weight loss and exhaustion can become a problem, particularly over longer periods.

Too few calories can cause mood swings.

If your temper is shorter than usual or you're laughing one minute and crying the next, it could be from too few calories. A calorie deficiency can cause hormone levels to change, which can lead to mood changes, depression, and irritability. Besides low calorie intake, nutritional deficiencies can also occur. Each type of deficiency comes with its own side effects, which also are clues you're not eating enough.

While losing weight is one sign, gaining weight may be another.

Weight management is tricky. It requires balancing the number of calories consumed with the amount burned. If you consistently consume too few calories, it can slow your metabolism. That can cause weight gain or difficulty managing weight. Some people starve themselves for a while to shed extra pounds and then go back to normal dietary habits and immediately regain the weight and sometimes more. That can occur because of a slower metabolism caused by too few calories for lengthy periods.

  • Ironically, even though exhaustion may be one sign, the inability to sleep is another. This instinct came from early man who remained awake to hunt when there were too few calories in his diet.
  • If you notice your hair is thinning, it might be from too few calories and the nutrients you aren't receiving from not eating the foods providing calories.
  • Infertility can be a problem if you eat too few calories. It can promote hormonal imbalances causing periods to cease. Low calorie intake or low body fat percentage interferes with hormones and signals the body that pregnancy shouldn't take place.
  • If you're always feeling cold, tired, or hungry, make sure your calorie count isn't too low. It can cause all three things to occur. Too few calories can also cause constipation.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness

 


Herbs And Other Remedies To Decrease Stress

Herbs And Other Remedies To Decrease Stress

Clients at Habitat Health in Lakeland, FL, love working out. They say it helps them decrease stress. There are often stressful times when exercising isn't possible. Some have asked for alternative remedies, such as herbs, mental focus routines, or other possibilities that don't require putting on gym clothes and working up a sweat.

Stop the stress before it becomes a problem.

Early man faced many threats, such as a wild animal or an enemy. Those stressors required man to either run or fight. The stress triggered hormones that changed the body, allowing man to do those two things more successfully. Today different types of stressors not requiring running or fighting exist. The body's response is still the same, even though the stressed person's response isn't. That causes the changes to be unresolved and creates serious health issues. Learning techniques to prevent the fight or flight response, such as breath focus, mindful meditation, or guided imagery can do that.

Have a cup of tea to relax your nerves.

All types of tea from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant, traditional black, white, or green tea, help relax the body and provide relief. They all contain L-theanine, but green tea has the most. L-theanine reduces stress hormones and increases hormones that calm the brain. Several herbal teas are beneficial for reducing stress. Lemon balm, from the mint family, has a lemony smell when crushed. Like other members of the mint family, it's easy to grow but quite invasive once it starts. Chamomile, motherwort, valerian, and passionflower are a few others.

Eat food that helps reduce stress.

Eating sweet potatoes, swiss chard, or organ meats helps reduce stress. Swiss chard contains magnesium. Magnesium has a calming effect and a deficiency can cause panic attacks and anxiety. You can absorb magnesium through the skin, so taking a bath in Epsom's salts---magnesium sulfate---can be so relaxing. Sweet potatoes contain potassium, vitamin C, and other nutrients that reduce the stress response. It's the vitamins B12, B6, folate, and riboflavin in organ meats like liver that help lower stress levels.

  • An anti-inflammatory diet that's high in B vitamins and devoid of foods that contain added sugar can help nerve functioning and keep stress levels lower. Food containing garlic can also reduce stress.
  • Increase food with omega-3 fatty acids, like fatty fish or flax seed. Prison studies showed that when food with omega-3 fatty acids increased and omega-6 reduced, incidences of violence diminished.
  • Eat food that's good for your gut microbiome. It plays a role in mental health and stress. Probiotic foods include kimchi, yogurt, and sauerkraut. Add prebiotic foods with soluble fiber to feed the beneficial bacteria.
  • Two stress-relieving foods many people love include dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds. The dark chocolate must be at least 90% cacao. Both contain magnesium.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


The Importance Of Cooling Down After You Exercise

The Importance Of Cooling Down After You Exercise

There are many articles about warming up before exercise. It's important to warm the muscles to get them pliable and avoid injury. However, cooling down after exercise is just as important, but it's often skipped. Why? In some cases, people don't realize it's important, but in most cases, they're tired and mentally done with anything that involves moving one more minute. It doesn't have to be that difficult. You can cool down, without significantly adding to your workout time.

When you first finish your workout, your circulation is increased.

The increased circulation sends the blood supply to all parts of the body, warming every muscle. Much of the blood remains in the limbs. If you suddenly stop, it can cause the blood to pool in the extremities. If you suddenly stop, it can lead to blood pooling in the arms and legs because of reduced circulation. When that happens, there's not enough for the brain and people feel dizzy, weak ,or faint. In most cases, it's not a medical emergency, if you have a pre-existing condition, it can be. It can also cause injuries from falling.

Taking a few minutes to cool down can aid in recovery.

DOMS----delayed onset muscle soreness---is a condition that happens approximately 24 to 48 hours after a workout. It causes sudden pain that's almost unbearable. It can happen after an intense strength-building exercise or after a long run. It causes abnormal muscle contractions that occur due to microtears in the muscle. A California State University study following participants after strength training showed that cycling sessions to cool down reduced the potential for DOMS dramatically. The conclusion was that the mild circulation and stretching of cool down aided in muscle relaxation, lowering the risk.

Cooling down helps avoid injuries.

Just like warming up helps prevent injuries, the same is true of cooling down, but not as directly. When you warm up, you loosen the muscles, an intense workout adds to that flexibility. After working out, leg muscles can feel like jelly. The warmed muscles are pliable, making it the perfect time to do range-of-motion stretching as a cool-down exercise. You'll improve your range of motion while your muscles are more flexible.

  • Stretching after a workout can be a cool down must be the correct type of stretching. Dynamic stretching, such as lunges, should be part of a warm-up. Static stretches that stretch and hold, like the cobra pose from yoga, are excellent for cooling down.
  • Lactic acid can build up in the muscles after an intense workout. Ten minutes of cool-down exercises can help remove this waste byproduct from muscles and prevent burning pain and nausea.
  • Static stretches, mild bicycling, and swimming are good exercises for cooling down. You can also modify your intense exercise, like walking after a run.
  • If you aren't sure whether your body has cooled down enough, your heart rate will tell you. Cooling down allows the heart rate and breathing to return to normal, lowering body temperature and increasing endorphins.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness


Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise

Health Benefits Of Regular Exercise

People exercise for many reasons. Some like the energy it gives them or the exhilaration felt after working out hard. Others appreciate the changes it makes in their bodies and how good they look. Most people know that working out also provides health benefits when it's done regularly. Even when people exercise to lose weight, better health is often one of the reasons for weight loss. While seeing body changes doesn't happen overnight, you'll often notice more energy relatively quickly and feel less stress almost immediately after a workout. That's because exercise is a stress buster. It burns off stress hormones and sets your body back to normal.

Muscle mass diminishes as you age unless you exercise.

The more muscle mass you have, the higher your metabolism is. Muscle mass requires more calories to maintain than fat tissue, so it burns more calories 24/7. Around the mid-30s, the body starts to lose muscle mass unless effort is put into maintaining it. Exercise is important to keep both muscles strong and protect the bones. When the muscle tugs on the bones, it uptakes more calcium, making them stronger. If you lack muscle mass and don't do weight-bearing exercise, there's no tug and the bone loses calcium, causing osteoporosis.

Exercising can reduce the ravages of aging.

Everyone gets old eventually and it's far better than the alternative. What you want to avoid is premature aging, while maintaining the ability to live on your own. Exercising regularly helps you do that. Not only does it promote circulation to all parts of the body, but it also lengthens the telomeres. The telomeres are at the end of DNA and help prevent it from unraveling and cellular death. It acts much like an aglet on a shoelace. It shortens with each replication, but exercise can make telomeres longer.

The risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease is lowered when you exercise regularly.

Regular exercise helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes and can reverse insulin resistance. Studies show that all types of exercise are good, but strength training is especially good for regulating blood sugar levels. According to studies, four months of strength training reduced body fat, built muscle, and improved blood glucose levels, but it also does much more. It helps you lose weight, which lowers blood pressure, too. Just by losing as little as 2.2 pounds, you can lower your blood pressure by one millimeter of mercury. Weight training also helps shed pounds around the mid-section called visceral fat. That also helps reduce insulin resistance and lower blood pressure.

  • Are you suffering from chronic back pain or arthritis? The good news is that you can help relieve that pain with exercise. It helps build ligaments, muscles and tendons around the joints to relieve pressure, reduce weight, and relieve tightness in the back.
  • If digestive issues bother you, exercise can help. It improves the movement of food through the digestive system and increases beneficial microbes in the gut that produce enzymes that boost digestion, immunity, and mental health.
  • Poor posture can lead to many health conditions. If you slump over, your breathing is affected and acid reflux is more likely. Exercise improves posture, which also reduces the risk of back pain.
  • Stem cells aid in repairing all parts of the body. Adults still make stem cells, and exercise increases production. Exercise also improves angiogenesis, maintaining the right amount of blood vessels. Making too few causes heart disease, but too many can lead to cancer.

For more information, contact us today at Habitat Health & Fitness