How Much Muscle Strengthening Activity Do I Need?

Besides aerobic activity, you should also engage in activities that strengthen your muscles on 2 or more days a week. Muscle-strengthening activity (also known as strength training) should work all the major muscle groups of your body, that is, the legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms.

Muscle strengthening activity helps to:

1. Develop stronger muscles and bones.
It increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

2. Control your weight.
As you gain muscle, your body's metabolism rate increases, thus enabling it to burn calories more efficiently.

3. Reduce the risk of injury.
Stronger muscles are able to support your joints better, and preventing them from injury. In addition, strength training increases neural functioning, improving reaction time, thus preventing injurious falls.

Muscle strengthening activity can be done either at home or in a gym.

Examples include:
* Exercises that use your body weight as resistance, such as push-ups, sit-ups, abdominal crunches, pull-ups and leg squats.

* Working with resistance bands. Resistance bands (or resistance tubing) is inexpensive, lightweight and can be bought at stores selling sports equipment.

* Lifting weights.
You can use either free weights such as dumbbells, or work out on the weight machines in a gym or fitness centre.

Muscle strengthening activities should be performed to the point at which it is difficult to do another repetition. A repetition is one complete movement of an activity, like lifting weights or doing sit-ups. You can:

* Perform the muscle strengthening activities on the same or different days that you do aerobic activity.

* Start once a week with lighter weights, completing at least 8-12 repetitions. Over time, start increasing the weight while performing the same number of repetitions.

Muscle strengthening activities should include 8-10 different exercises that work the various large muscle groups.

Let's get active!
Now that you know the types of physical activity for health benefits, it's time to get active. Use the recommendations as a guide to help you in your journey of health and fitness.

Everyone can enjoy physical activity. However, if you have not been active and have a medical condition such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or asthma, do consult your doctor on the type and amount of physical activity suitable for you.

Never Use Ginger If You Have Any Of These Conditions - It Can Cause Serious Health Problems.

Ginger root is an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and digestive superfood.

The spice is recommended as a natural medicine for many physical ailments due to its nutrients and health-supporting phytochemicals.

There are situations, however, in which ginger is a less-than-optimal supplement to your diet and can exacerbate an already existing problem.

When To Avoid Ginger Root

Here are some of the situations in which ginger should be avoided because of their risks.

1. Blood Disorders
Ginger root is a blood anti-coagulant that promotes circulation. In the case of some blood conditions like hemophilia (in which blood coagulation does not occur properly), thinner blood can exacerbate the condition, making a small cut into a possibly life-threatening hemorrhage.

Beneficial due to exactly these effects for cardiovascular disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and high cholesterol, it’s best to avoid ginger if you have a blood condition without discussing it first with your healthcare provider.

2. Taking Prescription Medications
A pharmaceutical is formulated to address a specific symptom and is designed to work in a certain way in the body. Drugs come with lists of warnings and potential side effects.

Because ginger root has medicinal properties, some pharmaceuticals don’t mix well with it. So to prevent any risks, side-effects, read the warnings and inform yourself as much as you can for your own safety.

Ginger is a natural blood thinner and reduces blood pressure; it also regulates blood sugar (1). Taken together with medication that is designed to do the same can mean too much of a good thing. Hence, ginger should not be taken with anticoagulants, beta blockers, aspirin, or insulin.

3. Pregnancy
Ginger root tea in early pregnancy has been found to relieve nausea and vomiting.

After the first trimester, however, ginger root should be taken infrequently in very small doses (if at all) because it can induce uterine contractions (2). This, in turn, may result in premature delivery or miscarriage.

On the other hand, it can be usedful when your delivery date has passed and you’re ready to meet your little one face to face.

4. Being Underweight
Ginger stimulates digestion, which is why it is so effective against an upset stomach and other gastrointestinal issues.

If you are significantly underweight, you want to slow digestion and absorb as many nutrients as you can from the food you eat.

High fiber content in ginger root moves foods through the digestive system and other compounds in the root can raise metabolism and promote weight loss.

Thank & God Bless You.