posted October 31, 2008 by Karen under Health
We expect that as we become older and older, our intellectual performance can never be the same with its prime years. But why does this happen? And what can we do to avoid thinking like we are old-aged already?
THE PROCESS OF AGING
Our neurons are non-regenerative. That means they do not divide to reproduce more of its kind. Once they die, they can’t be replaced with another one. As we age, these brain cells of ours start to reduce in size and in number. This reduces our ability to call to mind some things that we have learned, including those in school, and even those details when we were younger.
A neurotransmitter called acetylcholine also declines as we age. This neurotransmitter is directly involved in memory and conveying of messages from a cell to another one. Moreover, because of the stresses that we have, the hippocampus, our memory bank, diminish in function.
As we get old also, we develop plaques and tangles that accumulate between and within neurons, respectively. Plaques are proteins that mount up in between neurons while tangles are fibers that grow within the brain cells. Too much of these two are thought to kill nerve cells, like in Alzheimer’s Disease, an age-related disease.
In addition to this, substances are created as a result of our lifestyle and environmental pollution. These substances called free radicals can damage our DNA and impede the production of energy which can cause early cell death.
STAY SHARP
To delay the signs of aging with regards to our mental capability, we should make a number of things a habit.
As they say, stress is inevitable in everyday life because we need it to overcome large and small obstacles. But, of course, stress has a lot more negative effects than good ones. So, avoid too much stress. According to some studies, stress does not only make you look older, it also accelerates the degeneration of your brain.
Those who are easily stressed have higher risks to cognitive impairment than those who are not. You should examine yourself and determine the best ways in which you can cope with the obstacles of the day. Praying is one of the best examples. Planning ahead of time can reduce possible stress. An hour of it can even reduce two hours of your working time.
To stay sharp, one must also have adequate sleep. A new research in Massachussetes General Hospital shows that adequate sleep can help you think well. Adequate sleep helps the brain collect different bits of information and have correct interpretation of them. On the contrary, if you sleep less than the required number, you would most likely have a bad performance and mood problems.
Another thing we should regularly do to preserve our brain functions is to meditate. Doing it actually improves attention, learning, and memory. Regular meditation can also help you slow down the shrinking of our gray matter. For the younger ones, a thought of it is quite ridiculous because meditating is just for the oldies. But a new study has shown that people who meditate earlier in life have better attention in their succeeding years.
One can’t end a roster of anti-aging recommendations without mentioning about eating right. It is true when the say that an apple a day can make you okay. Apples are rich in flavonoids that helps protect the brain cells from free radicals. These fruits also contain a good number of antioxidants that do not only make your skin look young, it also raise the levels of the neurotransmitter called acetylcholine that diminishes as we age.
Just for review, this neurotransmitter is very important for our memory and the ability of the neurons to transport messages from one to another.
Tags: young brain
The Meal
The sticky, short-grained rice is the main carbohydrate food in Japan. But Japanese eat as much fish that are rich in fatty acids which provide a greater amount of calories for most. Another main source of carbohydrates for the Japanese is the noodles, a quick, easy, and healthy snack.
Consumption of brain foods like eggs and seaweeds is also great. Egg consumption in Japan, in the form of omelets, custards, and soups, is higher than in America (40lbs to 34 lbs). Seaweed used in soups and sushi provides a good amount of iodine that is very important for normal functioning of the thyroid gland, which is, in turn, vital for optimal brain function.
The Japanese are also fond of eating magic potatoes which have natural anti-aging, life-enhancing components. Tofu is also a distinguishing feature in the Japanese diet. Tofu is one of the best sources of protein with anti-cancer and health-boosting benefits.
Contrary to the usual belief, the Japanese have great consumption of milk. They even consume an average of 180 pounds per year. Fruits are the popular dessert in Japan. In general, Japanese people don’t like sweet desserts. In addition, most Japanese shun fast, processed, and junk foods.
Healthy food
Despite the competitive lifestyle that they have, they still are among the healthiest people in the world- ‘coz after a hard work is a healthy meal. It is well-known that a Japanese meal is one of the healthiest among regional diets. Meals include the kind of foods that Japanese eat everyday to stay slim, healthy, and youthful while epitomizing a successful, on-the-go lifestyle.
The Japanese have the pleasure of eating nutritious and satisfying foods without guilt, getting, fat, and looking old. Every day they eat at least seven servings of vegetables, including sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, seaweed, onions, and bean sprouts; at least two servings of anti-oxidant rich fruits; and two or more servings of soy foods. The Japanese also sip several cups of tea every day. They eat a serving of fish, consumed at more than 150 pounds in a year. Who would look old with that kind of meal?
Less Disease
A research of double Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling pointed out that almost all diseases and the body’s ability to fight them can be directly or indirectly linked to what humans eat or not. Statistics about the Japanese and other nationalities can prove this right.
Only six in 100, 000 Japanese women acquire breast cancer. That’s about 20 times less than the British women. 96% fewer Japanese men have coronary heart disease than the British male populace. (Breast cancer and heart diseases can be attributed to eating lots of fatty foods.)
Statistics show that Japanese have less Western diseases like diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart diseases, atherosclerosis, etc. These are thruths about the relationship between diet and disease in Japan.
Foods to Stay Young
A Japanese diet is the amazing secret of the locals to stay young and become vigorous. Many nationalities even notice that Japanese women in their forties still look like they are in their twenties. Well, you may not need your anti-aging creams, just a discovery of the Japanese fountain of youth.
The Land of the Rising Sun outweighs all other countries with regards to the proportion of the elderly. About 22% of the population in Japan is 65 or older. It has been estimated that by 2020, the ratio of the elderly to the children will be approximately 3 to 1. The Japanese are, in fact, the most long-lived people on this planet. With that said, Nihon jins must have placed a fountain of youth in their backyard. Well, at the dining table perhaps.
Benefits of Antioxidants
Antioxidants can help you look younger, live longer, and be at your optimum health. Foods rich in antioxidants like fruits and vegetables can give you great protection from coronary heart diseases, and age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Antioxidants can also strengthen our immune resistance to diseases such as influenza and other bacterial and viral infections.
These substances also reduce a person’s risk of acquiring cancer, an incurable disease. Antioxidants also prevent glaucoma and the age-related degeneration of our macula, the part of the eye that is dedicated for superior acuity vision. Antioxidants also beat down the passing of the aging clock making your skin and other organs rejoice.
Carotenoids, zinc, selenium, and the Vitamins A, C, and E are some of the main antioxidants. Glutathione is said to be the most powerful among all forms of antioxidants. They are naturally present in our body since we were young but depletes as we get older.
If antioxidant supplements are not your type, you may take some delectable bite of the super fruits such as blueberry and raspberry which are said to contain the most number of antioxidants.
So now that you have understood well how these miracle supplements work, you would realize why these wonder tablets cost a lot.
May you have a healthily long and young life!
The emerging market for products claiming to slow aging is undeniably astounding. Among these, supplements containing antioxidants perhaps give the best promises to the consumers. Aside from the fact that these are a wound to the pocket, antioxidant products offer a delight to those who would like to look young in a flash. But how does this “free-radical sponge” really work?
Free Radicals Defined
First identified by Moses Gomberg in 1900, free radicals are molecular species that are highly reactive. These tiny things play a role in chemical reactions including that of the human. As the cells produce energy (for function and survival), the also create oxygen molecules that are unstable because its electrons are unpaired. These unpaired electrons make this thing to be highly labile.
In the human body, if these unstable molecules go together with other molecules, they would kill their newly acquainted fellows, thereby speeding up the aging process. Drinking, the radiation coming from TVs and computers, drugs, and cigarette smoking spawn free radicals.
If we persistently have stress and do not take them away by way of exercise, we give way to the formation of free radicals. If we don’t have a good sleep at least seven hours, we are actually exciting production of more fee radicals.
A lot of changes in our body are as a result of the activities of the free radicals. They damage the DNA and impair other vital functions of cells, causing premature death to these cells. Over time, all these damages would mount up and cause our body to accelerate aging.
Upon breathing, oxygen induces a process called oxidation. And it is in here where free radicals form. This process is likened to the oxidation of metals. Once oxidized, aluminum turns to be white, iron becomes rusty, and copper transforms into green. In the same logic that oxidation damages metals; free radicals are also detrimental to our body.
How Antioxidants Work
Antioxidants are molecules that have the capability of preventing oxidation of other molecules (by the name itself: antioxidant). In the light of anti-aging, antioxidants prevent the formation of free radicals. Antioxidants are naturally occurring substances found in plants. If our body has an abundance of antioxidants, we will be able to prevent the harm brought about by free radicals.
Tags: Antioxidants
High Antioxidant Value
Blueberries, along with blackberries, strawberries, and plums, have the highest total antioxidant capacity of any food. It is being regarded as one of the “superfuits” having the promising combination of nutrient value, emerging research evidence for health benefits, versatility for manufacturing popular consumer products, and antioxidant strength.
Antioxidants are thought to aid in guarding the body against the detrimental effects of free radicals to cells and the chronic diseases associated with the course of aging. he antioxidants present in this fruit can protect the cell, so there is less chance for aging.
Blueberries contain 14 mg of Vitamin C and 0.8 mg Vitamin E per 1 cup of blueberries. Blueberries also contain anthocyanins and phenolics that can also act as antioxidants. With this, the effects of blueberries to the skin are copious.
Prevention of diseases
A serving of blueberries provides a relatively low glycemic load while providing a diverse range of nutrients, which also means there are fewer calories (good news for calorie-watchers) in a serving full of phytochemicals and nutrients such as iron, vitamins C and E. Because of the phytochemicals present, the risk of acquiring some deadly diseases may also be prevented.
Anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, flavonols, and tannins found in this wonderful fruit may help prevent cancer by inhibiting some cancer mechanisms. These components protect the DNA from damage and disintegration caused by free radicals.
At a symposium on berry health benefits, there have been reports that eating blueberries and other similar fruits like cranberries may improve the cognitive deterioration occurring in Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions of aging. Blueberries may help lower the damages of stroke.
Researches have also shown that blueberries may help prevent urinary tract infections (UTI), hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia that can also lead to potentially fatal heart disease.
With blueberries, your tongue, and more importantly your health would get the best out of it. Well, even without all these benefits in mind, who wouldn’t die for a serving of blueberries? Hmmmm… Anyone?
Better balance and coordination
Blueberries also have positive effects to balance and coordination. In a study by Dr. James Joseph of Tufts University, it was found that a diet loaded with blueberries counteracted poor balance and coordination associated with aging. In this study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, Joseph fed four groups of rats a normal diet. But among these groups were given blueberries, spinach, or strawberries.
For 18 weeks, the rats were tested for mental functioning, muscle strength, coordination, and balance. The two groups which were fed with strawberry and blueberry extracts performed well on these tests, but the group fed with blueberries executed the most improvement.
Not only that, findings also showed that blueberries improved the neuronal functioning of the rats. Dr. Joseph suspects the findings are a result of blueberries’ rich store of flavonoids — phytochemicals that have an effect on cell membranes. These findings suggest that nutritional intervention can offer hope to those suffering poor balance and coordination related to aging.
Neuron Protection
The compound anthocyanin, found in blueberries, is thought to slow down age-related loss in the mental capacity of humans. Those who eat more blueberries are thought to have better functioning in motor behavioral learning and memory.
Anthocyanin also gives blueberries their colour and might be the key factor of the blueberry’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. While it is thought that aging can decrease cognitive and motor functions, blueberries can be of huge help to improve mental functioning.
Tags: anti aging
posted October 5, 2008 by Karen under Health
Did you know that if women quit smoking when they were pregnant that infant deaths could be reduced by up to 10 percent? Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together.
The good news is that no can report that a woman who has smoked prior to her pregnancy is putting her baby at risk. However, smoking during pregnancy is very hazardous to an unborn baby.
Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester have been linked to 100,000+ miscarriages and 5,500+ infant deaths per year. Smoking also puts an expectant mother at risk for complications such as vaginal bleeding, premature rupture of the membranes, early delivery and more.
Evidence is showing that a pregnant mother who smokes may have a baby who has a low birth weight. Low birth weight and being born too small is a major cause of infant illness and perinatal death.
If you are pregnant and a smoker you should know that the best time to quit is during the first trimester. Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are not words that go together. Here are some tips that will help you get started on breaking the smoking habit.
Find out what motivates you to smoke. Is it the stimulation? Maybe you do it to relax? Do you use smoking as a way to relieve tension and stress? Maybe you smoke simply out of habit? Are you even aware of when you light up a cigarette or do you find yourself smoking out of habit? If you are able to find out what motivates you to smoke you can find a substitute to replace the smoking.
Find something that will motivate you to quit smoking. This is very easy for a pregnant woman. Your motivation is to have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.
Find a method that will help you to quit smoking. Talk with your OB/GYN and find a way that you can quit together. Many expectant mothers chose to quit smoking cold turkey. Others wean themselves off of cigarettes during the first trimester simply because smoking makes them feel ill.
If you like smoking because it keeps your hands busy, try to do something else with your hands. You can suck on a lollipop, play with a pencil, knit, play a musical instrument, paint your fingernails and more.
If you smoke for the oral gratification, find something to replace it. This can include chewing on gum, veggies, popcorn, or simply placing a toothpick in your mouth.
If you smoke because it stimulates you, why not walk instead? Walking can give you an energy boost and help clear your head when you are feeling tired.
If you simply smoke because it is a habit, try to develop a new habit to take its place. Every time you feel like smoking you can go brush your teeth or go to a certain area in your home to relax and listen to music. If you smoke in certain situations or when you eat or drink certain foods, avoid those situations, foods and drinks for a while.
Pregnancy and smoking and first trimester are simply words that do not fit together. Not only do they sound strange on paper, but they are dangerous words to put together in life. Remember, if you can get past the first few days of withdrawal they will be worth it. Not only will your baby be healthier, but you will be healthier.
Tags: smoking
posted October 5, 2008 by Karen under Health
Diets are so tempting to go on, and there are many that come out each year and many people go for it, especially women (they are big suckers for these, well so are guys). However, I know somewhere in the back of their mind that they know that the diet won’t work because they have been on so many before.
Since the 1950s, the United States government has been working to put the perfect nutritional program for optimal health. They also invested in numerous of studies for health and nutrition and we all know that these theories on health fluctuate back and forth just like pendulums.
This flawed method is known as the food pyramid. Well, the thing is people have to listen to their own body to determine what they need at times, and how much. What I focus on is a permanent way of eating, not temporary regimes.
I cringe when people ask me the fastest way to lose weight. Most people can lose weight quickly, but the problem is they don’t maintain it, and eventually will gain it back. Some diets may work temporary, you may lose a couple of pounds, but that is all you will lose, and sooner or later you will gain all that weight back and possibly more!
The reason why diets don’t work is because it’s not biologically able to fit into your body. What? This means that all diets are depriving you of one or more molecules that your body needs to survive. For instance, the Atkins diet deprives you of carbohydrates and gives you excessive amounts of proteins. This is not the correct balance for a healthy human being, and you need carbohydrates in order to function properly. The big problem is that Americans eat way too many carbohydrates.
The excess carbohydrates in your body will be converted into fat. The molecules of life are basically organic compounds. Organic compounds contain carbon and at least one hydrogen atom (organic chemistry).A Living organism consists primarily of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. We get most of our oxygen and hydrogen in the form of water.
That’s why it’s essential for you to drink enough water. I know many people will ask the standard question, how much water should I drink? Well that all depends on too many factors. It’s obvious that a 5’0 foot 120 pound woman will require less water than a 6’0 180 pound male simply because of the size difference. However, the strategy that I went by, especially when I was participating in sports is to drink enough water until your urine is crystal clear. If your urine is yellow, that is a good indicator to drink more water, especially after a strenuous workout because you don’t want to take the risk of dehydrating yourself.
So, diets don’t work because it’s simply depriving your body of the essential things it needs in order to survive and function properly. Your diet should never be depriving; it should give you a balance of essential nutrients. On the other extreme, you should never, and I do mean never be stuffed. A good well balanced diet should consist of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats or lipids.
Diet Products
Okay, there are so many diet drinks and products in general on the market that it is too hard to keep track of all the items. A lot of Americans are drinking diet sodas in the false hope of losing weight. Something was very interesting that just popped into my mind; I use to work in an elementary school and one day I saw one of my female students drinking a diet Pepsi to be precise.
When I asked her why is she drinking this, she responded because I’m trying to lose weight. I found this very disturbing because she was only eight years old, which shows that eating disorders can even start in childhood. There have also been numerous additions of artificial sweeteners, one of the biggest one currently is Splenda!
It’s perfect because it’s made from sugar but don’t have any of the harmful effects of sugars. Well, sorry to bring in the bad news but that is not any where close to the real truth. In a matter of fact Splenda is more harmful than the natural sugar. Okay, I can’t go a day without seeing any female drinking some type of diet product.
Before you put something in your body you might want to know all of the possible harmful effects it might posses. Any diet soda drink is going to contain either aspartame or Splenda. Lets start with aspartame, this is a more older artificial sweetener, it was out there long before Splenda. Some sweeteners that use aspartame are, NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel. In a matter of fact, Equal Corporation filed a lawsuit against Splenda because of false advertising in their trademark slogan “comes from sugar so it tastes like sugar.” Isn’t that something?
Aspartame
Aspartame was not approved by the FDA until 1981 because of all the adverse effects it caused on laboratory animals. Aspartame produces three by products which are methanol, formaldehyde, and formate. Methanol under the chemical formula CH3¬OH is also the weakest type of alcohol. Methanol is a poisonous substance commonly used in anti freeze.
It is very similar to the drinking alcohol except in a slight variation of the chemical formula. It is light, colorless, odorless and flammable. The second by product, Formaldehyde under the chemical formula of H2¬C0 is a product of combustion. It can be found in the smoke exhaust of an automobile, and tobacco smoke. It is also used in lots of home products such as carpets, plywood, and insulating foams. The last by product is formic acid (sometimes called methanoic acid) under the chemical formula CH2O2 or HCOOH which is another result of combustion. Some long term effects associated with the consumption of aspartame are:
? Brain lessons
? Blindness
? Hearing loss
? Epileptic seizures
? Migranes
? Irrability
? Insomina
? Incresed blood pressure
? Menstrual variations
? Gradual weight gain
? Birth defects
? Multiple Sclerosis
? Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
? Alzheimer’s Disease
Splenda
Splenda has a terribly deceiving marketing scheme in which it states “made from sugar so it tastes like sugar.” This artificial sweetener has become the nation’s top selling sweetner in an exteremely short period of time, mainly asa result of the Atkinds diet. The chemical formula is C12H19Cl3O8. Splenda does start out as table sugar (or sucrose C12H22O11 );
however by the entire chemical alternating it becomes sucralose, which is very different from sugar and is about 600 times sweeter. They do this by subsutiting three chlorine atoms for three hydrogen oxygen group. Although sucralose is made from sugar IT IS NOT A SUGAR and your body doesn’t recognize it as a carbohydrate so it isn’t metabolized. Here’s a short list of the side effects associated with surcalose. No warning signs are currently used for sucralose on food items so make sure to read the ingredients:
*Sruken thymulus gland in labortary animals( 40 percent shrinkage)
*Aborted pregnancies
*Extreme Diarrhea
*Burning/dried eyes
*Stomach cramps
*Heavy acne
*Headaches/migranes
*Seizures
*Depression
*Vomitting
If it doesn’t occur in nature naturally, than please take my advice, DON’T CONSUME IT!!!
posted October 4, 2008 by Karen under Health
Every single time I go to the gym, I see the same patterns, no matter which gym I go to in the country. What I observe is that most women use only cardio equipment,(I refer to them as the cardio bunnies). They are on the cardio machine before I come, while I’m working out, and when I leave. They are pretty tough.
On the other hand, I see that most men use only weights. Sadly, most of them need to be doing some cardio to get rid of that pot belly. With that being said, both exercises are great. It’s one more step closer to improving your total health and fitness. However, both combined into a program is better.
Now, most women will be intimated by using weights because they don’t want to grow big bulging muscles. Well, it’s physically impossible for women to get big muscles naturally. Women contain the hormone estrogen while men contain the hormone testosterone. Testosterone is the hormone needed to grow big muscles. When you do see those big bodybuilding women on T.V they are taking male hormones or, testosterone no if, ands, or buts about it.
All bodybuilders take steroids it’s not a secret. I’m not taking anything away from them because they still work very, but a human body doesn’t get that muscular naturally. It’s going against nature. So do you ladies feel better know? So, to make your weight loss and overall body appearance more appealing you need to add some weights.
*Note. The more lean muscle mass you have the more calories you burn.*
When your trying to lose weight you should have an open mind about trying new types of exercises, because the more time you spend doing something you’re already good at, the more your body gets adopted to it. Once your body gets adapted to something, you plateau and that means you won’t see no numbers drop on the scale. So yes, that could explain why your thighs are not looking any smaller after all that time you spend on the cycling machine.
To have a workout that targets for weight loss you must do about thirty minutes of cardio, and about twenty minutes of weight lifting. Since most women are not professional weight lifters, there is no reason for women to lift heavy. However, the weights shouldn’t be so light that you don’t even feel like your lifting anything.
The right amount of weight is something that’s not too strenuous but not too light. On a scale ranging from 1 through 10 with one being the lowest and ten being the highest the right amount of weight should fall around the five categories.
What do Women look for in a Gym?
When picking a gym there is a number of indicators you should look at before joining. No, it is not mandatory for you to join a gym. You can still lose weight at home and get some toning in if you have some free weights roaming around. However, there are some advantages the gyms have such as an “all weather atmosphere.” That means that you can exercise in any given weather, no excuses. Whether it’s cold or warm you can still get your behind in the gym.
Most gyms offer wide varieties of weights and cardio equipment so you won’t get bored doing the same exercises. Also, most gyms offer aerobic classes which are something that is very popular with females. If you do decide to join a gym, than here are some precautions to follow before you sign anything.
First, a gym should have adequate space and up to date equipment. I wouldn’t join a gym that uses plastic weights instead of iron weights. There should also be enough equipment so that people don’t have to wait a long time just to finish there routine. Next, I hope this should be common sense but take a tour around the gym and look at the weights and inside the locker room. The place should be very sanitary. If the bathroom showers have fungus growing on it, I would quickly reconsider.
There also should be extra facilities such as a pool, sauna, swimming pools, basketball courts, etc. Also look at the personal trainers they have there and ask if they have proof of certifications or some type of 4 year degree related to exercising such as kinesiology or exercise physiology. If they have a certification, make sure that the certification is from a reputable national organization. It is way too easy to get a personal trainer certification online these days without having any type of knowledge or experience in the field. Here’s a quick list of some popular national certifications:
* ACE
* ISSA
* NASA
*NCSM
Also, don’t be fooled by the appearance of personal trainers, because I have seen a wide range of personal trainers’ type. Some are very lean and muscular, but don’t have much knowledge on what they are doing. Some, are overweight, but seem very knowledgeable. Which one do you pick? It’s a trick question, because for the lean personal trainer some people are born with good genetics. He may be lean and muscular but that doesn’t necessary mean that they are “fit,” nor does it mean that they are very knowledgeable about what they are doing.
Also, the overweight personal trainer may be very knowledgeable, but that knowledge isn’t helping him out very much. So, a good personal trainer for 1 has to be physically in shape, just take a quick look at all the great world known fitness leaders. Gilad, Tabeo, Cory Everson, they all are fit, and their programs are very good. That’s a pretty good indicator that the program is working.
Also, a well rounded personal trainer has to be knowledgeable, that includes proper training techniques, goal setting, workout optimization, and nutrition. So, just because your trainer is “buff” still ask about their other qualifications. A good well-rounded personal trainer will have multiple certifications, but they all are not certifications about personal training. Some might also be a certified dietician, nutritionist, or even a certified massager.
Last but not least, a gym should have affordable pricing. Make sure to do research on the gyms around your area and compare the prices and the quality of facilities. Make sure to take in account the location of the gym from your house and if they charge members for parking, because believe it or not, some gyms actually do that.
Types of Weights
In a gym you will see a variety of weights. But to break it down there are two types of weights. They are machine weights, and free weights. A machine weight is any weight that is located on a machine and allows you to pull, push, or curl in a predetermined range of motion. A popular example of machine weight is the bow flex machine. A free weight is a weight that allows you to move through various range of motion, and also requires balance, coordination, and stabilization when using it.
An example of a free weight is dumbbells. Which of these are better? Well, there is no scientific proof that states that one is better than the other. Many fitness professionals argue that machine weights are safer to use, but I have pulled muscles using the lat pull down machine.
In my opinion I have gotten the best results using free weights because they are the closer to the natural movements that a person will use in there life, whether it is to pick up something you drop, or a specific movement that will help increase your power for a particular sport.
Make sure your gym, has a lot of free weights such as dumbbells and also an modest amount of machine weights such as pull-down machines. They should also have some non-weight equipment such as stability balls and tubes to add some more variety to your workout.
Tags: womens health