Exercise

Physical exercise

A physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health. It is often practiced to strengthen muscles and the cardiovascular system, and to hone athletic skills. Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system, and helps prevent diseases of affluence such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. It also improves mental health and helps prevent depression.

Types of exercise

Exercises are generally grouped into three types depending on the overall effect they have on the human body:

• Flexibility exercises such as stretching improve the range of motion of muscles and joints.
• Aerobic exercises such as cycling, walking, running, hiking or playing tennis focus on increasing cardiovascular endurance.
• Anaerobic exercises such as weight training, functional training or sprinting increase short-term muscle strength.

Exercise benefits

• Physical exercise is important for maintaining physical fitness and can contribute positively to maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, and joint mobility, promoting physiological well-being, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system.
• Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression. Strength training appears to have continuous energy-burning effects that persist for about 24 hours after the training, though they do not offer the same cardiovascular benefits as aerobic exercises do.
• There is conflicting evidence as to whether vigorous exercise (more than 70% of VO2 Max) is more or less beneficial than moderate exercise (40 to 70% of VO2 Max). Some studies have shown that vigorous exercise executed by healthy individuals can effectively increase opioid peptides (aka endorphins, a naturally occurring opiate that in conjunction with other neurotransmitters is responsible for exercise induced euphoria and has been shown to be addictive), positively influence hormone production (i.e., increase testosterone and growth hormone),[6] benefits that are not as fully realized with moderate exercise.
• Exercise has been shown to improve cognitive functioning via improvement of hippocampus-dependent spatial learning, and enhancement of synaptic plasticity and neurogenesis. In addition, physical activity has been shown to be neuro protective in many neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases. For instance, it reduces the risk of developing dementia. Furthermore, anecdotal evidence suggests that frequent exercise may reverse alcohol-induced brain damage.
• Physical activity is thought to have other beneficial effects related to cognition as it increases levels of nerve growth factors, which support the survival and growth of a number of neuronal cells.
• Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise also work to increase the mechanical efficiency of the heart by increasing cardiac volume (aerobic exercise), or myocardial thickness (strength training, see Organ hypertrophy).
• Not everyone benefits equally from exercise. There is tremendous variation in individual response to training: where most people will see a moderate increase in endurance from aerobic exercise, some individuals will as much as double their oxygen uptake, while others will never get any benefit at all from the exercise. Similarly, only a minority of people will show significant muscle growth after prolonged weight training, while a larger fraction experience improvements in strength. This genetic variation in improvement from training is one of the key physiological differences between elite athletes and the larger population. Studies have shown that exercising in middle age leads to better physical ability later in life.

Common misconceptions

Many myths have arisen surrounding exercise, some of which have a basis in reality, and some which are completely false. Myths include:

• That excessive exercise can cause immediate death. Death by exercise has some small basis in fact. Water intoxication can result from prolific sweating (producing electrolyte losses) combined with consumption of large amounts of plain water and insufficient replenishment of electrolytes, especially salt and potassium (e.g. when running a marathon). It is also possible to die from a heart attack or similar affliction if overly intense exercise is performed by someone who is not at an appropriate level of fitness for that particular activity. A doctor should always be consulted before any radical changes are made to a person's current exercise regimen. Rhabdomyolysis is also a risk. Other common dangers may occur from extreme overheating or aggravation of a physical defect, such as a thrombosis or aneurysm.
• That weightlifting makes you short or stops growth. One caveat is that heavy weight training in adolescents can damage the epiphyseal plate of long bones.

Targeted fat reduction

Spot reduction is a myth that exercise and training a particular body part will preferentially shed the fat on that part; for example, that doing sit-ups is the most direct way to reduce subcutaneous belly fat. This is false: one cannot reduce fat from one area of the body to the exclusion of others. Most of the energy derived from fat gets to the muscle through the bloodstream and reduces stored fat in the entire body, from the last place where fat was deposited. Sit-ups may improve the size and shape of abdominal muscles but will not specifically target belly fat for loss. Such exercise might help reduce overall body fat and shrink the size of fat cells. There is a very slight increase in the fat burnt at the area being exercised (e.g. abs) compared with the rest of the body, due to the extra blood flow at this area.

Muscle and fat tissue

Some people incorrectly believe that muscle tissue will turn into fat tissue once a person stops exercising. This is not literally true — fat tissue and muscle tissue are fundamentally different — but the common expression that "muscle will turn to fat" is truthful in the sense that catabolism of muscle fibres for energy can result in excess glucose being stored as fat. Moreover, the composition of a body part can change toward less muscle and more fat, so that a cross-section of the upper-arm for example, will have a greater area corresponding to fat and a smaller area corresponding to muscle. This is not muscle "turning into fat" however — it is simply a combination of muscle atrophy and increased fat storage in different tissues of the same body part. Another element of increased fatty deposits is that of diet, as most trainees will not significantly reduce their diet in order to compensate for the lack of exercise/activity.

Excessive exercise

• Exercise is a stressor and the stresses of exercise have a catabolic effect on the body - contractile proteins within muscles are consumed for energy, carbohydrates and fats are similarly consumed and connective tissues are stressed and can form micro-tears. However, given adequate nutrition and sufficient rest to avoid overtraining, the body's reaction to this stimulus is to adapt and replete tissues at a higher level than that existing before exercising. The results are all the training effects of regular exercise: increased muscular strength, endurance, bone density, and connective tissue toughness.
• Too much exercise can be harmful. The body parts exercised need at least a day of rest, which is why some health experts say one should exercise every other day or 3 times a week. Without proper rest, the chance of stroke or other circulation problems increases, and muscle tissue may develop slowly. It has also been noted by the medical field that expectant mothers should never exercise two days consecutively.
• Inappropriate exercise can do more harm than good, with the definition of "inappropriate" varying according to the individual. For many activities, especially running, there are significant injuries that occur with poorly regimented exercise schedules. In extreme instances, over-exercising induces serious performance loss. Unaccustomed overexertion of muscles leads to rhabdomyolysis (damage to muscle) most often seen in new army recruits. Another danger is overtraining in which the intensity or volume of training exceeds the body's capacity to recover between bouts.
• Stopping excessive exercise suddenly can also create a change in mood. Feelings of depression and agitation can occur when withdrawal from the natural endorphins produced by exercise occurs. Exercise should be controlled by each body's inherent limitations. While one set of joints and muscles may have the tolerance to withstand multiple marathons, another body may be damaged by 20 minutes of light jogging. This must be determined by each individual.
• Too much exercise can also cause a female to miss her period, a symptom known as amenorrhea.

Nutrition and recovery

• Proper nutrition is at least as important to health as exercise. When exercising, it becomes even more important to have a good diet to ensure that the body has the correct ratio of macronutrients whilst providing ample micronutrients, in order to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.
• Proper rest and recovery are also as important to health as exercise; otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise. Hence, it is important to remember to allow adequate recovery between exercise sessions.
• The above two factors can be compromised by psychological compulsions (eating disorders such as exercise bulimia, anorexia, and other bulimias), misinformation, a lack of organization, or a lack of motivation. These all lead to a decreased state of health.
• Delayed onset muscle soreness can occur after any kind of exercise, particularly if the body is in an unconditioned state relative to that exercise.

Exercise and brain function

In the long term, exercise is beneficial to the brain by:

• Increasing the blood and oxygen flow to the brain
• Increasing growth factors that help create new nerve cells and promote synaptic plasticity
• Increasing chemicals in the brain that help cognition, such as dopamine, glutamate, norepinephrine, and serotonin

Categories of physical exercise

• Aerobic exercise
• Anaerobic exercise
• Strength training
• Agility training

Food additive

Food additive

Some claim that food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, colorants, preserving agents, and flavourings may cause health problems such as increasing the risk of cancer or ADHD.

Junk food

• That is unhealthy and/or has little or no nutritional value. The term is believed to have been coined by Michael Jacobson, director of the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, in 1972. The term has since come into common usage.
• Junk food contains high levels of refined sugar, white flour, trans fat and polyunsaturated fat, salt, and numerous food additives such as monosodium glutamate and tartrazine; at the same time, it is lacking in proteins, vitamins and fibre, among other healthy attributes. It is popular with suppliers because it is relatively cheap to manufacture, has a long shelf life and may not require refrigeration. It is popular with American consumers, as well as other consumers from all over the world, because it is easy to purchase, requires little or no preparation, is convenient to consume and has lots of flavour. Consumption of junk food in America has been associated with obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and dental cavities. There is also concern about the targeting of marketing to children.

Classification

What constitutes unhealthy food may be confusing and, according to critics, includes elements of class snobbery, cultural influence and moral judgement. For example, fast food in North America, such as as hamburgers and French fries supplied by companies like McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut, are often perceived as junk food, whereas the same meals supplied by more up-market outlets such as California Pizza Kitchen or Nando's are not, despite often having the same or worse nutritional content. Some foods that are considered ethnic or traditional are not generally considered junk food, such as falafel, gyro, pakora, gyoza or chicharron, though all of these foods have little nutritional value and are usually high in fat from being fried in oil. Other foods such as white rice or roast potatoes are not considered junk food despite having limited nutritional content compared to wholegrain foods. Similarly, breakfast cereals are often regarded as healthy but may have high levels of sugar, salt and fat.

Hostess Twinkies

• Some types of chips that are said to be "junk food" may actually be partially harmful because they may contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. It should also be understood that the detrimental effects of the empty calories may outweigh the benefits of the unsaturated fats. These foods tend to be high in sodium, which may contribute in causing hypertension (high blood pressure) in people sensitive to its effects with an existing electrolyte imbalance or inability to excrete sodium properly.
• In the United Kingdom, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) do not use the term "junk food", and describe food as "HFSS" (high fat, sugar or salt) instead, based on a nutrient profiling model[3]. They state that "HFSS foods can form part of a balanced diet, but research shows that children's diets contain too much fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables."
• Eating a poor diet when pregnant or breastfeeding may cause long-lasting health damage, 

Healthy Weight “Pyramid."

It's suggestions are:

• An unlimited number of servings of fruits per day, with a minimum of three servings.
• An unlimited number of servings of vegetables per day, with a minimum of four servings.
• Four to eight servings of carbohydrates per day.
• Three to seven servings of protein and dairy per day.
• Three to five servings of fats per day.
• And up to 75 calories of sweets per day.
• Make sure that you eat five different types of fruit and vegetables every day. Every day also make sure that you eat at least one thing from each of the different food groups: Carbohydrates, Fruit and vegetables, Protein, Dairy, and Fats. Remember to eat the most fruit and vegetables, and the least fats.
• Too much salt gives you high blood pressure; a high fat diet will give you hard and narrow arteries that could lead to heart attacks and strokes, possibly even death.
• Fruit and vegetables contain antioxidants which will keep you healthy as long as you team them up with regular daily exercise. Your efforts to eat healthily will go to waste if you do not take part in regular daily exercise.
• Having fibre in your diet will help regulate your digestive system.
• Remember to keep track of what you're eating. Having a healthy diet is all about watching what you intake and what you're using. It takes about three months to get the diet right. You need to figure out how many calories you're burning a day and then how many you're taking in. If this is all too much math or you don't feel like writing this all out, just keep track of what you are eating and then go to your nearest hospital and a Registered Dietician will help you figure out what you need to be taking in. The reason you should do this is because often times people don't really know what they should be eating, and they guess; and sadly when they guess they normally guess wrong.

Healthy Diet

Healthy diet is said to include:

1. Sufficient calories to maintain a person's metabolic and activity needs, but not so excessive as to result in fat storage greater than roughly 30% of body mass. For most people the recommended daily allowance of energy is 2,000 calories, but it depends on age, sex, height, and weight.

2. Sufficient quantities of fat, including monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat, with a balance of omega-6 and long-chain omega-3 lipids. The recommended daily allowance of fat is 65-80 grams.

3. Maintenance of a good ratio between carbohydrates and lipids (4:1): four grams of the first for one gram of the second.

4. Avoidance of excessive saturated fat (20grams recommended limit)

5. Avoidance of Trans fat.

6. Sufficient essential amino acids ("complete protein") to provide cellular replenishment and transport proteins. All essential amino acids are present in animals. A select few plants (such as soy and hemp) give all the essential acids. A combination of other plants may also provide all essential amino acids (except rice and beans which have limitations).

7. Essential micronutrients such as vitamins and certain minerals.

8. Avoiding directly poisonous (e.g. heavy metals) and carcinogenic (e.g. benzene) substances;

9. Avoiding foods contaminated by human pathogens (e.g. E. coli, tapeworm eggs);

10. Avoiding chronic high doses of certain foods that are benign or beneficial in small or occasional doses, such as

·         foods that may burden or exhaust normal functions (e.g. refined carbohydrates without adequate dietary fibre);

·         foods that may interfere at high doses with other body processes (e.g. refined table salt);

·         Foods or substances with directly toxic properties at high chronic doses (e.g. ethyl alcohol).

WEIGHT LOSS TIPS FOR TEENAGE GIRLS

Overweight and obese teens have increased chances for numerous medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and menstrual abnormalities. A nutritious food plan combined with simple lifestyle changes can help ensure your long-term weight loss success.

Weight Loss Plan For Teen Girls:

Food and Beverage Choices:

Be choosy about the foods and beverages on your weight loss plan. A healthy plan is centered on the basic food groups. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy and lean meats or beans should all be represented. Look for a rich variety of foods that you enjoy. Examine recommendations for unsweetened beverages and water consumption as well. An assortment of wholesome beverage and food options will keep the plan flexible, practical and enjoyable.

Ditch Junk Foods:

Be it, weight loss programs for men or women, one cannot under estimate the importance of eating healthy food. Teenage girls need to understand that junk foods not only promote weight gain but also lack nutrition. Junk foods are loaded with unhealthy fats and so their consumption makes a person obese, which eventually leads to increase in weight.

Weight loss programs for teenage girls will never work unless fast foods are excluded from the diet. Hamburgers, pizzas, hot dogs, processed meat and potato chips might have a lip smacking taste but they only add unhealthy fats to the body. Eating of fried foods such as chicken nuggets, as well as sugary foods such as pastries has to be avoided, if one is serious about losing weight.

Kick The Junk:

The easiest way to lose weight is to remove most of the junk from what we consume in a day. That includes the fries (yes!), the pizzas, the chocolates, the chips, the colas, the golgappas, the list is endless. Don’t we all know how much damage these things did to us? It was all this that caused those pimples on your face and gave you sleepless nights. It is not advisable to say never have all these; just reduce the portion and frequency when it comes to eating junk food.

Prefer Healthy Foods:

A low calorie diet is also required to lose weight in a healthy way. However, that doesn’t indicate one has to starve to reduce body fat. A high fiber diet works best in reducing weight. Eating fiber rich foods gives a feeling of fullness that lasts longer, which can help to curb unhealthy habits such as overeating. Also, fiber foods are not at all easy to digest. A slowed digestion rate is known to reduce hunger pangs.

This in turn decreases overall calorie intake, thereby promoting weight loss. Vegetables like lentils, peas, salads and dry beans as well as fruits like oranges and grapes are high in fiber and therefore an integral part of weight loss diet. On the whole, one should eat plenty of vegetables and fruits to boost fiber intake. Brown rice, wheat breads and oats are also useful addition to a fiber rich diet.

Calorie Intake:

While calorie requirements vary with size, activity level and gender, the average teen girl burns about 1,800 calories per day, according to the American Heart Association. You need to burn more calories than you consume in order to lose weight. A realistic weight loss plan limits calorie intake through guidelines about portion size and the number of servings allowed per day.

Exercise:

One of the most important aspects of healthy weight loss programs for teenage girls is exercise. In order to burn excess fat that is causing weight gain, it is essential to start an exercise routine. Exercising for 40-45 minutes every day can go a long way in managing healthy weight. So, which are the physical activities or weight loss exercises for women that can be included to melt those extra pounds? Fast walking, running, aerobic exercises, cycling and swimming are some of the physical activities that can help to get that perfect shape.

Advice:

Consult your health care provider before you start your weight loss plan, especially if you have a health concern, such as diabetes or an eating disorder. Your health care professional should be able to provide you with additional information and possible resources. Check in periodically after you begin your weight loss program as well. Report health concerns, challenges or lack of progress, as these may be warning signs of an underlying condition.