by thealpinepursuit | Sep 29, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Are you looking for the secrets to stay in incredible shape all the time? Well, there a a few key habits to build if you want to improve your overall fitness level. These 6 simple and easy ways to stay shape can have a substantial impact in your life.
True fitness is about being healthy and in sufficient shape to live the life you aspire to live. Do you want to be able to enjoy all of the activities on your bucket list? Or live a long enough life to spend more time with your family? The only way to accomplish these goals is to stay in shape.
In fact, all it takes is a couple simple and easy methods to add to your daily routine. Fitness has a direct impact on motivation, emotional well-being, and living a fulfilling life.
What does “staying in shape” mean?
The idea behind fitness varies depending on the person. To some it means going to the gym six times a week, where others view it as running ultra-marathons. The meaning behind fitness is different for each person.
However, the core reason behind fitness is the same for everyone. You want to become fit to feel and look better. The benefits of being active are decreasing pain in your body, improving your mood, and performing better, even if just with small tasks.
How to Stay Fit?
The idea behind staying in shape is simple. Exercise and diet. However, there is more that goes into your plan if you want to make a change that lasts.
The following tips are designed to be simple, easy, and manageable to add to your daily routine. As a matter of fact, the best course of action to create results is through consistent and frequent actions.
6 Easy Ways to Stay in Shape
A better performance does not have to be a time-consuming process. The addition of a few key tips can maximize your performance without skyrocketing the amount of time you have to spend training. Even with a busy life, you can easily add these habits into your day. Of course, all it takes is a little planning upfront.
1. An Easy Way to Stay in Shape is to Exercise Daily
The best way to create a better performing body is to exercise daily. This does not mean you have to spend hours at the gym. A well-designed 20-minute workout can have a great impact on your fitness when done over a period of time. It is all about being consistent.
There are many ways to train. Whether at a gym, outdoors, or at your house, there is a workout suitable for everyone. Depending on your fitness goals will determine your path. Just make sure to add a combination of strength, cardio, and flexibility training into your workouts.
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- Aim for a minimum of two weight training sessions a week (weights or body weight).
- 150 minutes of cardio a week (walking, running, biking, etc.) This does not have to be done in a formal workout. For example, decide to take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Try to do 2-3 stretching workouts per week.
Rest is key for growth. However, skipping your workout because you do not feel like it is not a legit excuse. The best advice is to stay active, as all movement will help you improve your fitness level. It does not matter how small.
2. Pay Attention to Your Nutrition
Nutrition is just as much a part of fitness as physical training. Nutrition is all about eating the right food at the right times. Nutrient dense foods provide the greatest impact with the least amount of food.
For example, foods like spinach or flaxseeds, are superfoods that provide the body with much more vitamins and minerals in every bite. It is all about picking the right foods. The key is to get the right amount of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and vitamins into your diet. You must supply your body with the essentials to see your fitness level grow.
Although, just as important as the type of food is when you consume these foods. Nutrient timing is supplying the body with the right nutrients at the best time. The body needs the right nutrients for you to be able to perform at your best. Life gets busy. Make it a priority to eat healthy throughout the day.
3. Quality Sleep Over Late Nights
You may lift weight at the gym, or run outside on the street, but your growth occurs when you sleep. Rest and recovery are crucial for growth. In fact, the avoidance to master this part of fitness will destroy your efforts in other areas of physical training.
With this in mind, make sure to get enough rest to recharge your body. Generally, most adults need between 6 to 9 hours of sleep. Although, this can fluctuate as hard training days will require more time for recovery. The best way to know the amount of sleep you need is to listen to your body. If you are constantly tired than something in your life needs to change, whether it be the hours spent sleeping, nutrition, or another factor.
4. Motivation is Crucial to Staying in Shape
Motivation is essential for any change. You will never be able to reach your goals, including fitness, without consistent effort. This means you need to find the reason why you want to create this change. Use this idea to push through your rough periods.
Of course, change is hard. It takes time and commitment. You need to be ready. In fact, it all starts with changing your approach. A shift in your mindset is the path to success with your fitness goals.
Fitness is challenging and will take time to see results. However, reaching your fitness goals is one of the best feelings. You have the power to reach them, all you must do is find and hold onto the motivation to get there. Stay positive and believe in yourself. If you do not actually believe you can make the change, than you will never reach your goals. Accomplishment comes from seeing the end point and believing you have what it takes to get there.
5. Stay Loose and Foam Roller
The best way to prevent muscular injuries is to stay flexible. The addition of a yoga, foam rolling, or stretching routine can have an amazing result. After all, injury will put you far behind.
Roll out your muscles. In fact, loose muscles are less prone to injury, able to be worked harder in the gym, and will have you moving around effortlessly.
The secret to combating tightness is the use of a foam roller. A foam roller is great for massaging and releasing tension stored up in all your muscles. Prior to any athletic activity, the use of a foam roller prepares the body. Key areas to hit are hamstrings, quadriceps, upper back, lats, and your hips. Just a short session with the foam roller can make all the difference.
6. Keep it Compound
Get the most for the time you spend in the gym. Compound exercises work many muscle groups at the same time. If you are looking to increase your physical performance, stick to compound exercises to get your body working in sync. The combination of muscle groups working together builds functional and performance strength.
For example, exercises like squats, dead-lifts, rows, presses, and lunges. Also, make sure to keep your core tight and add some additional abdominal and lower back workouts. This is the foundation of all your muscles. A weak core and lower back is asking for injury.
Staying in Shape for Adventure
These are all the ways fitness can improve your daily life. However, what if you want to add more adventure into your life? Fitness becomes even more important. By all means, adventure will push you to your physical limits at times. A focused, well-designed fitness routine is crucial for adventure.
So, you are ready to take a step forward into the world of adventure photography. Indeed, adventure will test your body in every way possible. There are many challenges out there, so creating a body ready is the key for success. Physical fitness is required for adventure travel and photography. However, a strong physical foundation is just the start into this new exciting life.
by thealpinepursuit | Sep 23, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Are you stuck in the planning phase of creating change in your life? Don’t worry, at the beginning it is very common. Change is a hard process that takes time to create. But no change can occur if you fail to start. There are several ways to implement these 5 steps to create momentum in your life right away.
Although, you know you need to begin it is usually a very hard step. With all the uneasy feelings it is understandable why it takes so long to get off the ground sometimes. Without action, it will always be just a plan. Plans are a great, but only when you actually start to implement them.
Momentum is hard to gain, especially at the start. However, once you start rolling there is less and less that will get in your way. Of course, you will experience setbacks, but you will gain more knowledge and confidence to find ways around those problems.
Dealing With Fear
One of the worst issues you will have to deal with is fear. For a long time you will wait to perform any action until you feel like the perfect moment occurs. However, it will never come. You have to stop worrying about being perfect.
Start with small goals and continuously learn as you go. You will never be ready to take the jump. If you were, then you probably should reach for a more difficult goal. The entire point of creating a change in your life is to reach for a goal that seems out of reach.
Hesitation, over analyze, and just plain fear will prevent you from moving forward. You will never reach your destination, or dream, if you let these three ideas get in your way. Get ready to push these reasons to the side! Here are the best ways to starting the train of momentum to reach a level you once thought was impossible.
5 Steps to Create Momentum
1. Understand why you are hesitating from pursuing the steps to create momentum in your life.
In order to move past inaction, you must understand what is holding you back. Until you acknowledge and understand the problem you will not move anywhere. Often, fear in some way is the culprit. Fear can cause inaction in many ways. Whether it is the fear of failure, making the wrong decision, or just the overwhelming feeling of not knowing where to begin, fear will hold you back.
The best way to dive deeper into what is holding you back is to ask yourself these questions. Make sure to write your answers down on a piece of paper. You will be amazed with the difference it can make when you have your answers written out in front of you.
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- How do you feel when you think about your goal?
- What is your largest fear with moving forward towards action?
- What is the worst-case scenario if you move towards your goal? How about if you do nothing and continue with your life?
- How will your life look different if you achieve your goal?
Of course, you need to obtain a baseline of knowledge to make an informed decision. But after this stop. Next, you are going to need to take action. Trying to gain too much knowledge can hinder your forward progression.
2. Know the difference between being nervous and jumping into a situation you are not ready for.
Any time you are creating a large change in your life you will have butterflies in your stomach. This is totally normal and a part of the process. However, an uneasy feeling is quite different from jumping into a situation completely out of your scope of experience.
For example, if you plan to get into better shape than there is a method to being successful. You would not just jump into running a marathon. For starters, this would be dangerous to your health and could cause you to quit before you even begin.
Rather, you need to take it slow with smaller goals before jumping into a task you are not ready for. It is great to have large goals, but without smaller ones you will fail. Once you have mastered these smaller goals you will be ready to expand.
Know the difference between feeling nervous and biting off too much. It can save you a ton of frustration. Ultimately, it will save you from giving up and never reaching your larger goals.
3. Challenge your fears to create momentum.
Do you feel as if you have anxiety? Fear works in one of two ways. One is great for you while the other is horrible. Your mindset will have a large impact on how you handle fear. Before looking at the two ways fear impacts your life, take some time to work towards building a growth mindset.
First, let’s start with the bad. Fear can stop you from ever taking action. The number one reason you never reach your goals is because you failed to even start. However, you are ready to start your journey to never let fear stop you. Fear was designed to keep you comfortable. It does not want you to do anything that scares you. Do not listen to this. If you let fear run this path in your life, then you will never create any type of growth.
The second path of fear can be an incredible way your brain keeps you safe. Although, you must recognize when fear is good verse bad. Fear can be great with preventing you from jumping into a situation you are not prepared for. When you use fear is this way, you reduce the number of bad decisions you make and reach you goals much more quickly.
Use this helpful technique to understand your fear. Every time you reach a point where you are scared, take a step back. Why do you feel scared? is it because you have never done this particular action before, or is it a way of your brain trying to prevent a horrible event from occurring? In one response you should push through your fear, and the other is only there to keep you in a comfortable position.
4. Anxiety will limit the momentum you can create in your life.
Anxiety is an awful condition that will hinder your goals, destroy your health, and ruin your relationships. You must learn to control your anxiety. Of course, anxiety is a part of life and you will always have at least some. But the important task is to know how to manage those emotions, so they do not control you.
You need to take a second and relax. Achieving success is near impossible if you have your emotions all over the place. To reduce your anxiety, you must pinpoint the source and fix it.
Anxiety affects your brain’s ability to respond appropriately. You need to be able to think clearly when it matters the most. The next time you find yourself in a stressful situation, try to take a step back and calm your nerves before you respond. The better you are at understanding and influencing your emotions, the more positive your outcome will be.
The simple response of taking deep breathes can go a long way. Whenever you feel the beginning of anxiety taking a hold of you, stop. Slowly begin to take deep breathes until you have control again. Repeat your deep breathing with slow exhales for as long as you need to. When you are in a stressful situation, the worst response you can have is one fueled by your negative emotions.
5. Create SMART goals so you know your direction in life.
You can never reach your destination without defining it in the first place. Your ability to take action comes from knowing what you want. The key to creating a direction in your life is to set the right goals. Each of these goals work as an outline of actions to achieve success.
Set goals. Do a little bit of research. And jump right in. You will never feel comfortable until you get some action under your belt and keep making movement in the right direction.
So, you are going to want to make sure you do some initial research, otherwise you may not be heading in the right direction. But after that, stop until you perform an action valuable towards reaching your goal. Too much research is horrible for your momentum if done in place of real action.
Gain the right amount of information to start on the right path, then take action. You will never be ready for change, so just get out there and make some type of action. That is the only way to reach any type of goal.
How to turn paralysis into momentum in your life?
Fear can stop you from achieving your true potential. The fear of taking action is one of the worst behaviors you can have in your life. If you are not careful, fear can keep you locked up in a comfortable position. Fear and comfort are what stops you from ever reaching your goals. So, use the above 5 steps to create momentum in your life and you will see the change right away.
The only way to reach the life you truly aspire to live is to make a breakthrough. The sooner you stop letting fear, comfort, and anxiety control your life, the quicker you start down your intended path. Take the time to learn how to create momentum in your life and there is nothing that will stop you.
by thealpinepursuit | Aug 25, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Are you looking to get into better shape for an incredible travel experience? If you are done being tired right after the start of an adventure, than check out these strategies to improve your fitness. These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to check off your next bucket list item!
The use of the right training methods will lead to an incredible transformation in your athletic performance. However, are you lost with where to start? With so many options, it is hard to know exactly what you should be doing.
Relax and take a step back. The best way to create results is to not over complicate the process. The key is to train smarter rather than just harder. You can become the new powerful version of yourself by just adding a few new training methods to your weekly routine.
6 Powerful Approaches to Your Fitness
Of course, when trying to get in shape the first battle is just showing up. But once you are in a routine, what’s next? There are six components that will force you to become a better performing athlete. All of these are crucial for heading out on an adventure. The skills that make you perform better are not just going to the gym and lifting some weights, or to walk on the stair stepper until your legs give out.
These powerful approaches to your fitness challenge you in a different way. In fact, if you have never challenged yourself with these fitness components than you must be open to a new form of training. However, it is important to continue to perform cardio and weight training to have the greatest overall effect on your performance. But including these components will improve your athleticism to a far greater level.
If you are dedicated to accomplishing a dream bucket list item than this is for you. It is a must in your training. The development of fitness past the basic requirements for health are where real change takes place. The use of these skill-oriented training techniques is what takes a good athlete to a great one.
1. Balance is the Key to Increase Your Athletic Performance
How is your balance? If you find yourself fumbling around when you walk, than it is time to include some balance workouts in your weekly fitness routine. Balance is the even distribution of your body weight to remain steady.
Adventure requires stability. In fact, walking along steep cliffs, skiing down bumpy slopes, or riding a jet ski in choppy waters all benefit from a strong sense of balance.
Often, balance is forgotten. The importance of balance training stems to your ability to control your body position throughout dynamic conditions. No matter the sport, you will need to adapt your body position to stay upright. Your ability to stay aware of your body’s position can play a crucial role in your athletic performance. Just small improvements can have a huge impact on many other areas of your fitness training. An improvement in balance leads to improved coordination.
Here are great balance workouts to add to your routine:
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- One-Legged Strength Workouts (For example, single-leg deadlifts, single arm should press, or Bulgarian split squats)
- Workouts with the use of a Bosu Ball
- Standing/Single-Leg Yoga Poses (For example, tree pose or the handstand)
2. Coordination is the Way to Improve Your Adventure Performance
Okay, so you have your balance skills up to par. Now, it is the time to focus on moving all parts of your body in sync.
Coordination is the efficient movement of all parts of the body. Adventure requires smooth, accurate, and controlled muscle responses to the unpredictable situations thrown at you. It is all about the selection of the right movement at the right time. In other terms, you need to have a body ready to respond in a fluent manner. This will lead to an increase in athletic performance.
External conditions will require you to adapt your performance. As a matter of fact, this comes down to your coordination. The following coordination exercises are a great way to prepare for the unexpected.
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- Jump Rope
- Juggling (Hand-eye coordination to develop control, rhythm, and timing.)
- Slack Lining (Slack lining is the act of walking along a thin rope. This will require you to stay adaptive, as you will be constantly shifting all parts of your body to distribute your weight evenly. You must stay concentrated with every movement.)
- Are you ready to increase coordination while preventing injuries? In fact, joint stability and the prevention of knee, ankle, and foot injuries are a direct result of slack lining. You will become a well-rounded athlete with the use of this in your training program.
3. Enhance Your Speed
Are you ready to become faster? Speed is all about moving your body in one direction quickly. In fact, speed is a key component to reach your best athletic performance.
But why is speed important? Even if you do not plan to become a runner, speed can have a number of benefits when heading out to perform adventure travel. So, regardless of your specific end goal, there is a place for speed in your fitness training.
Changing conditions require the ability to adapt. Speed comes in handy at these times. The best way to increase your speed is with a high intensity interval training (HIIT) program.
The program can be altered to fit your specific speed goals. This type of training involves working at your maximum level of effort, followed by short periods of rest in between sets. The training aims to teach your muscles, cardiovascular system, and mind to work at high levels of intensity. The length and difficulty of each interval is entirely up to you. Here are some exercises to increase your speed:
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- Forward-Back Sprints (Place two cones in a straight line. Sprint forward to the opposite cone, then jog back to the starting cone.)
- Interval Runs (Interval runs consist of a sprint, slow jog while recovering, then repeat cycle for your desired length of time.)
4. Increase Your Athletic Performance With Power
Another component to support your athletic performance is power. Power is the combination of your speed and strength to create your maximum force. Essentially, the quicker you are able to create power, the better.
Power requires full-body strength and coordination. You are to work in sync with all parts of your body to create an effortless momentum. There are several strength workouts to include in your fitness routine to make sure you are building your ability to create powerful movements. Additionally, power works to strengthen your connective tissues as you build lean muscle. This is crucial for avoiding injury.
Adventure will put a high amount of stress on your body at times. Thus, make sure to prepare for this by adding power exercises to your routine.
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- Plyometric Box Jumps
- Weighted Sled Sprints
- Clean and Jerk Lifts
5. Work on Your Agility to Stay Adaptable
So, now it’s time to put together all four training skills thus far. Agility is the ability to move your body in a quick and easy manner. After all, moving your body requires the use of your balance, coordination, speed, and power.
When you are agile, you can prepare your body to be in the best position for the upcoming action. You have to be on your game. Action throughout your adventures will force you to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Your success will be dependent on how well you can handle these shifts.
Agility is important to staying safe and injury free while out there. Again, you must be ready to always change the position of your body if needed. The following agility workouts will have you ready for anything.
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- Ladder Drills (This is for quick foot speed and placement.)
- Cone Drills (Cone drills can include sprints, slides, backpedals, and quick changes in direction to have you staying on your toes.)
- Dot Drills (Start by jumping from one dot to the next in a X-shaped pattern. Include four dots to have you constantly changing your weight and direction.)
- Lateral Plyometric Jumps (Jump from side to side over a line in the middle.)
- Shuttle Runs (Sprint from cone to cone. You will have frequent changes in your direction to keep you adaptable.)
6. Quick Reaction Time Will Increase Your Athletic Performance
Are you interested in decreasing the time it takes you to respond? After all, reaction time is the amount of time it takes for you to adapt to something happening in your environment. The ability to respond successfully takes practice.
A short reaction time develops as you build up muscle memory. The best way to improve is to get out and perform that specific action. By all means, a close connection between your mind and body will not occur until you become familiar with your new experience. This is the best path to shortening your reaction time.
Reaction time is a mental challenge, rather than just a physical one. The more knowledge and practice you have towards a specific sport, the better your reaction time. With this in mind, preparation is key for having a strong reaction time. The best way to be ready for change is to anticipate what is to come. For example, while skiing snow conditions are constantly changing when out in the mountains. Your reaction time is in response to recognizing changes in the conditions from your previous experience. After all, it is hard to adjust your performance when you lack the practice and experience.
Thus, reaction time is the combination of improving all other areas of your athletic performance. As a matter of fact, the only way to make giant leaps in your reaction time is to get out there. The more experience you have the better you will become.
Live a Life of Adventure Filled With Your Bucket List Items
These 6 powerful ways to increase your athletic performance will have you ready to take on the world. If you are serious about improving your fitness, add these strategies to your weekly routine. After all, a life of adventure will push your mental and physical boundaries and you need to be ready for it. Check out more tips at The Alpine Pursuit – Fitness.
by thealpinepursuit | Aug 11, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Are you looking to create an incredible experience on an upcoming adventure? Let’s face it, adventure will break you down if you are not ready. The big culprit is endurance. Are you worried about becoming tired too quickly? Well, here are the best tips and strategies to improve your endurance for adventure.
Adventure is very rewarding. However, if your endurance is not up to par, then it can quickly turn into an awful experience. You must put in the initial work to fully enjoy your adventure. Think about it. In order to capture these amazing experiences, you are going to want to make sure your fitness level is up for the challenge.
So, follow these steps below. You may think the answer is clear, but with so many options out there what do you really need to do? Start by breaking down your endurance training into three parts: frequency, duration, and intensity. Get started today with the following guideline so you are ready for any upcoming adventure.
What is Endurance?
Are you tired of being tired? The answer is to increase your endurance.
Cardiovascular endurance is a measure of how well you can perform. This is crucial when performing high intensity exercise for an extended period of time. Your endurance determines how well your muscles, heart, and lungs work while out on an adventure.
Endurance training helps you reduce your fatigue, as you supply your body with the right amount of oxygen and nutrients. In fact, this type of training can make all the difference when it matters the most. If you are looking to challenge yourself in the outdoors, then increase your endurance training. It is important for this to be a core part of your weekly fitness routine.
There are so many different ways to train for an adventure. Just pick one. Exercises include walking, running, row machines, climbing stairs, or just heading out on an adventure. Whatever you choose, just get active!
What are the Benefits?
The benefits of improving your endurance level create many healthy changes within your body. All these positive changes allow for your success out on an adventure. Here are the top benefits for why improving your endurance will help you adventure farther and harder than ever before.
- Your heart pumps more efficiently. This leads to better functioning muscles, less fatigue, and a delivery of oxygen to all parts of your body.
- Stronger lung performance. You will find it easier to breathe while moving quicker. These are huge on long and strenuous days.
- Stronger muscles ready for a challenge.
- A unified body. Your body’s ligaments, tendons, and bones will all be able to handle more stress. In return, you will experience less fatigue and injuries.
How to Improve Your Endurance for Adventure?
So, now after the basics you are ready to tackle the problem. How to improve your endurance?
There are a few key points to hit during your endurance routine. First, you must provide real effort. You cannot give up early because you become tired. The last few minutes will be the hardest, but this is where the real change happens.
Second, you need to be consistent. Results will not happen from one intense week. If you are ready to produce results than it will take time and dedication. However, you have it. Just remember the reason why you are starting in the first place.
Finally, you need to have a warm-up and cool down routine. You will perform your warm up prior to the bulk of your workout. After your training, use the last portion of your workout as a cool down to lower your heart rate.
Endurance Training Factors
Warm-Up
It is a simple approach that will leave you ready for the hardest challenges.
Your warm-up should be used to get your blood pumping and your muscles ready. Simply, start with a mild 5-to-10-minute walk. Nothing too crazy. Next, perform a quick stretch to prevent pulling any muscles.
Now you are ready to start the bulk of your endurance training.
Endurance Workout
1. Frequency
Your target should be at least 150 minutes a week. Additionally, aim for half that time to be performing high intensity exercise that reaches a higher heart rate. You should space out your endurance sessions between 3 and 5 per week. Typically, you will want to take rest days in between hard days, or perform a less intense workout like a stretching yoga routine.
The key is consistency.
2. Intensity
The intensity of your training must match the adventure you plan to accomplish. The level at which you train will decide your performance. Thus, you better be giving it your all. Otherwise, you will not be able to perform any better when you get out on your adventure. You will be at the same level.
You can measure your effort by tracking your heart rate. First, you will want to calculate your maximum. In fact, it is super easy to figure out with this equation: 220 – your age = maximum heart rate. This is telling you the number of times your heart beats within a minute. The following intensity levels are based on your maximum heart rate.
Intensity Levels in Target Heart Rates
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- Mild: Under 50% of your max heart rate
- Moderate: 50 to 70 % of your max heart rate
- Hard: 70 to 85 % of your max heart rate
All target heart rate ranges were from the Mayo Clinic. However, since consistency is the key to producing results, you will want to avoid burnout. Beware of pushing yourself too hard. You can always add more intensity into your training if it becomes too easy. To add intensity, you can take shorter breaks, increase speed, and use weighted vests.
3. Duration
For cardiovascular benefits, aim for at least 20 to 60 minutes at your targeted heart rate. After all, you will see more benefits in your training if stay within your range for a longer period of time. However, keep in mind this does not include your warm-up and cool down.
Cool Down
A cool-down should be done after intense exercise. You are going to want to give your body a chance to recover and lower your heart rate back down to your resting state. It is important to do this gradually as your body needs some time to readjust your blood flow. Again, all you need is a 5-to-10 minute session at a much slower pace.
Why You Should Improve Your Endurance for Adventure?
As a a matter of fact, as your endurance improves so does your enjoyment while on an adventure. Your ability to perform strenuous activities for an extended period is crucial for success. Many adventures will push you outside of your comfort zone, thus having the stamina to perform well is required.
By all means, it is hard to enjoy something when you are physically exhausted. Cardiovascular training will keep you in great shape while getting you one step closer to achieving your adventure goals.
Do you want to take it a step farther? The best way to be ready for adventure is to be well-rounded. Check out The Most Efficient Workout for Adventure Athletes or The Best Yoga Poses to Improve Your Fitness to take on any challenge.
by thealpinepursuit | Jul 28, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Do you love spending time in the outdoors? The hard part is to stay healthy while always on the go. The need to refuel your body is crucial to keeping up with all the demands of every adventure. While out exploring, power pack your diet with these 21 foods to replenish your lost electrolytes.
Electrolytes are important for athletic performance. In fact, the key to performing well while out on an adventure comes down to providing your body with everything it needs. Making a few changes can set you apart. You will feel and perform better.
What Are the Benefits of Adding Electrolytes in Your Diet?
Electrolytes are electrically-charged minerals. The right balance is vital for you to create a well-performing body. Electrolytes are found in a variety of healthy foods, or as a supplement you can add to your water.
Electrolytes work with water in your body to perform at your highest level. If you want to be ready to take on any adventure, make sure to add these into your diet. Otherwise, you will significantly decrease your performance.
The benefits are seen throughout your entire body. There are a number of different reasons to add electrolytes to your diet. After all, you will not be able to function properly without them. They are essential for:
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- Controlling your fluid balance
- Maintaining your blood pressure
- Helping your muscles contract
- Maintaining the correct acidity of your blood
- Keeping a safe heart rhythm
However, if you are not careful you can quickly run into health problems. The most common imbalances are of sodium and potassium. An imbalance of electrolytes can cause the following:
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- confusion
- headaches
- fatigue
- muscle weakness and cramping
- nausea
- vomiting
- diarrhea
Imbalances can be caused by low or high levels. There is a healthy range of all electrolytes within your body. Otherwise, you will not be able to perform at your best.
Pounding headaches and muscle cramps are the worst. It is hard to enjoy any activity when you feel like crap. After all, this is why it is so important to add healthy foods to your diet. The balance of electrolytes within your body can prevent feeling like this.
The Different Electrolytes
There are seven different electrolytes. Each works to support your health in their own way. The key is to add each of the electrolytes into your diet with a variety of healthy foods. Besides for bicarbonate, as it is produced within your body. Thus, you do not need to get this one through your diet.
1. Sodium
2. Potassium
3. Calcium
4. Magnesium
5. Chloride
6. Bicarbonate
7. Phosphate
How Much Electrolytes Do You Need?
A healthy diet is important to keep the right levels. However, you must keep in mind other conditions that will lead to fluctuations in your electrolyte levels.
Indeed, there are several factors to consider when you attempt to replenish your electrolytes. The following factors determine your needs on each adventure.
As you age, you become more susceptible to imbalances. So you must monitor more closely. Additionally, medications can have a drastic impact on your levels. For example, diuretics will cause a shift in your levels more frequently. As you age, you generally take more medications so be aware of this side effect.
The actual activity will play the most crucial role in determining the amount of electrolytes you need in your diet. This includes the length, intensity, and type. The longer and more difficult an activity, the more electrolytes you will need to replenish your levels.
Another key point is to always check the weather. Hot and humid climates cause for you to lose the most. In fact, humidity prevents your sweat from evaporating properly causing you to sweat more. Thus, pay attention to the weather to plan for the amount of electrolytes you will need. Cold weather can also provide a false sense of hydration. Generally speaking you will feel a decreased need to consume water and electrolytes. Do not wait until you are thirsty to replenish your body.
21 Foods to Replenish Your Electrolytes
After all, foods and supplements are your main source to recharge your body. If you are looking to improve your performance than you are going to want to add these foods to your diet. For the most part, intense exercise will require you to consume more electrolytes than normal.
Building a healthy diet takes work. However, the right foods will help you reach your fitness goals. Electrolytes are a major part of that success. A variety of healthy foods is the best way to replenish your lost electrolytes. Additionally, always make sure to have a healthy meal before performing a hard workout.
The following 21 foods are perfect to add to your diet. While some are just food options, others are a combination.
1. breakfast smoothie (berries, scoop of protein, collagen, and almond milk)
2. chia seeds
3. sunflower seeds
4. nuts (almonds, cashews, and peanuts)
5. almond butter wrap
6. strawberries
7. blueberries
8. bananas
9. oranges
10. tomatoes and cucumber salad
11. overnight oats (with coconut or oat milk)
12. coconut water
13. raisins
14. olives
15. baked sweet potatoes
16. beef jerky
17. dark leafy greens salad (kale and spinach)
18. natural protein bars
19. broccoli
20. avocados
21. yogurt and granola
Additionally, try adding a natural electrolyte supplement to your water. Some extra electrolytes can be great to keep up with the demands of intense exercise. Also, adding a little flavor to your water can help you drink more. Just make sure to not overdo it.
Tips to Replenish Your Electrolytes
Generally speaking, a few tips can be what you need to keep your electrolytes in balance. For the most part these important tips will make all the difference in your performance.
Eat a balanced, healthy diet.
Drink plenty of water, but don’t overdo it. Too much water can cause an imbalance.
Use a natural supplement to give yourself a boost.
Try to avoid the hottest parts of the day.
Replenish yourself with fluids and electrolytes before, during, and after your activity.
You can avoid electrolyte imbalances by eating a healthy diet and drinking enough water. If you’re an athlete, sports drinks may be a good way for you to quickly replenish your electrolyte levels. However, just be careful to pick a supplement with the right ingredients.
In conclusion, electrolytes assist with a number of functions within your body so you are able to reach your optimal performance.If you are looking to reduce headaches, fatigue, and soreness than you are going to want to add these 21 healthy foods to your diet. After all, the secret to performance in through your diet.
by thealpinepursuit | Jul 14, 2021 | Healthy Lifestyle, Personal Development
Are you struggling with achieving your fitness goals? The key to create lasting change is to take small actions on a daily basis. These 9 powerful changes to become more fit will take time to perfect. However, getting started today will leave you feeling and looking better right away.
Congratulations on taking the first step towards getting in better shape. Your daily choices have a huge impact on the direction you will head in the future. This is why picking the right habits is crucial to your success.
The choice to become more fit is a decision only you can make. Although it is up to you to make the change, knowing the right direction can be tough. Try out some, or all, of these habits to watch your fitness level skyrocket.
Powerful Changes to Becoming More Fit
1. Finding Your “WHY” is a Powerful Step to Becoming More Fit
Why do you want to get into shape? The “why” behind your actions will help you tremendously through your fitness journey. Whenever you reach plateaus, get lazy with hitting your workouts, or just stop making the gym a priority the reason behind why you started will be what lifts you out of your rut.
Honestly, it is easy to become unmotivated at some point. Having a strong reason for pushing through the struggle will keep you locked in on your overall goals. You will succeed. All you need is the piece of motivation to make sure you will never quit.
Figure out your reason and hold on to it. During difficult times, you will be happy you have it at the front of your mind. However, you must dig deep for the reason. A superficial intention will not hold well during the rough patches. So, make sure it is real.
2. Create a Plan
Failing to create a plan makes it impossible to reach a goal. How will you manage to get where you want to go, if you have not defined the destination? The failure to plan is the worst move to make if you are serious about changing your fitness.
No matter your goals, all it takes is to quickly write them down on a piece of paper. Post this plan where you can see it every day. It will be a great reminder when you are feeling lazy or unmotivated to train. Remember, you can always change your goals. But it is a huge mistake to never clearly define them in the first place.
You must know your goals to achieve them.
3. Stop Making Excuses if You Want to Become More Fit
Excuses are just a reason to slack. Stop allowing yourself to use them. They will never help you create progress, decrease your motivation, and completely remove your sense of accountability.
After all, one of the hardest parts of your fitness plan is to actually start. It takes time to become disciplined. Once you get in a routine, it will become easier. With that in mind, the more you exercise, the more likely you are to continue. However, time is required to gradually build up your fitness tolerance. Avoid the quick rush to go all out. This will leave you burnt out and ready to quit.
Ease into improving your fitness. One of the most powerful changes to become more fit is to be consistent over an extended period of time.
4. Start Every Morning the Right Way
A great start to the day involves a nutritious wake up. Every morning is a great time to supply your body with the right foods to get it ready for the day. Along with a huge glass of water of course.
In fact, starting your day with a health shot is perfect for getting your vitamins, staying healthy, and boosting your energy. A health shot primes your body to perform throughout the day. For example, try out this combination for your morning wake-up:
Option 1: Lemon, Turmeric, Local Raw Honey, and Cayenne Pepper
Option 2: Lemon and Ginger
A little spice to your morning routine and you will be ready to tackle the day. Also, a great boost of energy and immune support. More health shot options.
5. Stop Hitting the Snooze
Set your alarm and wake up. Simple tricks, like counting down or putting your phone across the room, are great methods to avoid hitting the snooze.
Get up and be productive. Dedication and accountability start with waking up when your alarm goes off. An early start to the day leads you to success, especially if this is the time you head to the gym.
6. Powerful Changes to Become More Fit Involve Focusing on Muscle Over Weight
Focus on gaining muscle rather than just losing weight. Keep in mind muscle weighs more than fat. The number on the scale may not change but if your body composition is improving, you will see an incredible change in your overall health.
Stop paying attention to the scale and look in the mirror. An improvement in body composition is way better than a lower number on the scale. Lean muscle is superior.
7. Short Can Be A Powerful Change
You no longer have an excuse to skip a workout. Just 15-minutes of quality exercise can have a substantial impact. Quality triumphs quantity. You do not have to spend hours at the gym. However, it will take some time and dedication to the right training mechanism to become fit.
Short, intense, and explosive workouts can provide the greatest value for your time. Along with less time spent training, your body is continuing to burn fat hours after your workout. High intensity is a great path to faster results with a limited amount of time.
A short workout can be part of your powerful changes to become more fit. No matter the length, consistent workouts is the key to change. Every person can find a spare 15 minutes throughout their day. However, if you want to further improve your physique you will have to put more time in at the gym.
8. Eat More Vegetables & High-Quality Protein
I know you may not like this one but vegetables should be the focus of your diet. Vegetables are packed with most of the nutrients you need to stay healthy. So, increasing the number of meals with vegetables is a great place to start. Try to keep a variety in your diet.
Another key point is to consume high-quality protein. A variety of sources is best for getting all of the essential amino acids. Whether you are vegetarian or consume meat, the focus should be to get enough protein to build lean muscle. However, if you do eat meat it is important to buy organic and high-quality.
9. Add a Yoga Routine to Prevent Injury to Improve Your Fitness
The prevention of injury can have a powerful effect on becoming more fit. Yoga is the perfect answer. As a matter of fact, yoga can enhance your flexibility, movement, and keep you healthy. Injuries will prevent progress. So, add a yoga routine to your fitness plan to stay feeling great.
In fact, it is easy to neglect this portion of fitness. However, avoiding a yoga routine could be setting yourself up for problems down the road. If you are serious about becoming more fit, you must avoid injuries in order to stay in shape.
