Strength training: Get stronger, leaner, healthier

By Mayo Clinic staff
________________________________________
Original Article:http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01710/?utm_source=FeaturedTopic&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HouseCall&pubDate=July%206,%202010
________________________________________
Strength training is an important part of an overall fitness program. Here's what strength training can do for you — and how to get started.
By Mayo Clinic staff
You know exercise is good for you. Ideally, you're looking for ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. If your aerobic workouts aren't balanced by a proper dose of strength training, though, you're missing out on a key component of overall health and fitness. Despite its reputation as a "guy" or "jock" thing, strength training is important for everyone. With a regular strength training program, you can reduce your body fat, increase your lean muscle mass and burn calories more efficiently.
Use it or lose it
Muscle mass naturally diminishes with age. "If you don't do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, you'll increase the percentage of fat in your body," says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., and co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center. "But strength training can help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass — at any age."
Strength training also helps you:
 Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
 Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body gains a bigger "engine" to burn calories more efficiently — which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.
 Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle helps protect your joints from injury. It also contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
 Boost your stamina. As you get stronger, you won't fatigue as easily.
 Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
 Sharpen your focus. Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve attention for older adults.
Consider the options
Strength training can be done at home or in the gym. Consider the options:
 Body weight. You can do many exercises with little or no equipment. Try push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats.
 Resistance tubing. Resistance tubing is inexpensive, lightweight tubing that provides resistance when stretched. You can choose from many types of resistance tubes in nearly any sporting goods store.
 Free weights. Barbells and dumbbells are classic strength training tools.
 Weight machines. Most fitness centers offer various resistance machines. You can also invest in weight machines for use at home.
Getting started
When you have your doctor's OK to begin a strength training program, start slowly. Warm up with five to 10 minutes of stretching or gentle aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Then choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after about 12 repetitions.
"On the 12th repetition, you should be just barely able to finish the motion," Dr. Laskowski says. "When you're using the proper weight or amount of resistance, you can build and tone muscle just as efficiently with a single set of 12 repetitions as you can with more sets of the same exercise."
To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group. When you can easily do more than 15 repetitions of a certain exercise, gradually increase the weight or resistance. Remember to stop if you feel pain. Although mild muscle soreness is normal, sharp pain and sore or swollen joints are signs that you've overdone it.
When to expect results
You don't need to spend hours a day lifting weights to benefit from strength training. Two to three strength training sessions a week lasting just 20 to 30 minutes are sufficient for most people. You may enjoy noticeable improvements in your strength and stamina in just a few weeks. With regular strength training, you'll continue to increase your strength — even if you're not in shape when you begin.
Strength training can do wonders for your physical and emotional well-being. Make it part of your quest for better health

保护心脏的10个建议 多吃复杂碳水化合物

心血管疾病仍然是令人闻风丧胆的健康杀手。近日英国《每日邮报》报道了一系列促进心脏健康的好方法。
1.警惕压力过大的几个症状。当一个人感到压力时，身体会释放减压物质，所以一般的压力对身体不会造成大伤害。但是当压力过大或长期侵扰身心时，心脏就会被“压”出毛病。如坐立不安、容易流泪、对日常的琐事力不从心、比平常更加犹豫不决、食欲大减、注意力难以集中、睡眠受到干扰等。别把这些症状不当回事，要及时采取行动为身体减压。

2.学会最佳的放松技巧。平躺，双臂轻松地置于两侧，深呼吸几次。接着收紧脚趾头部位的肌肉，数三下，然后放松。按照该方法放松身体的每一组肌肉群，整个过程均要保持深呼吸。锻炼完毕后，深呼吸放松，然后慢慢起身。

3.多吃复杂碳水化合物。碳水化合物是饮食的重要组成部分。复杂碳水化合物富含淀粉和纤维，到达体内后可以缓慢释放能量。全麦食品、谷类食品、糙米、燕麦片、荞麦和土豆都属于复杂碳水化合物。

4.别忽视自己的腹部不适。当心肌疲劳、受损、心律失常等情况出现时，心脏无法获取充足的血液。此时，一些人不会表现出胸闷、胸痛的典型症状，仅出现腹痛、消化不良、腹胀，特别是年轻人，应当注意。

5.抑郁情绪必须“消化”掉。抑郁的原因各种各样，但是如果你的心脏不好，那就更要小心了。统计数字表明，1/4的病人在心脏病发作后会出现抑郁情绪。这样反而对他们的康复不利。所以心脏病人患了抑郁症，应尽快寻求心理帮助。

6.运动比减肥更重要。经常锻炼的人，心血管发病率较低。如果“沙发土豆”每周抽3次时间跑上3200—4800米，就算不能减肥，患病风险也会大大降低。

7.心脏有问题也要锻炼。有心脏问题的患者绝对不是运动的“绝缘体”，心脏会从运动中获益。你所要做的只是寻求专家建议，挑选适合的运动，循序渐进地进行。

8.考虑服用他汀类药物。他汀类药物是近年来心脏研究领域的一项重大进展。它可以影响胆固醇的代谢，能将危害较大的低密度脂蛋白胆固醇降低20%—60%。此外，他汀类药物的副作用较小，能极大降低心血管疾病的死亡率。

9.最好别喝酒。虽然适度的酒精可以预防心血管疾病，但一般人很难把握酒量。酒精能直接损伤心肌，令心房扩大、干扰心脏的正常节律，造成房颤。

10.心脏检查不能忽视。如果你的年龄超过20岁，没有冠心病或糖尿病，则需要关注两个重要的指标：血液中总胆固醇水平和高密度脂蛋白胆固醇的含量。一般而言，总胆固醇水平低于5毫摩尔/升比较理想，5—6处于临界状态，存在一定风险。如果超过6，那么你就要采取降脂措施了。