Jo's Health Corner: sports

Fitness Monday: Why We Do Cardio After Weights

Some of you may be surprised when you hear that we lift weights before we do any cardio exercises. Many have learned the opposite, that it is better to do cardio before lifting weights. So this post might come as a surprise to you.

Both strength training and cardio are very beneficial for health. Cardio stengthens the heart and improves the oxygen intake. Weight training does not only increase the metabolism, but it builds muscle and preserves bone mass. It also improves insulin sensitivity, stimulates growth hormone release, and raises testosterone, which is important for women too.

The common belief is to do cardio exercises first in order to burn fat. Unfortunately that is a mistake. What you need to do is to warm up and hit the weights so that you can build your skeletal muscle. The muscles are the body's furnace for burning fat. If you don't have muscles you lose your fat-burning capacity, strength, and power. The immune system and the functional muscles are working together. Glutamine antibodies, white blood cells, are produced by the muscles, and they are required for cell reproduction.

Cardio is actually catabolic, muscle wasting, which means that you don't build muscles when you run long distance. Weight training is anaerobic. Your glycogen levels are depleted after you have lifted the weights. This means that you now will oxidize the fatty acids more efficiently with cardio, especially with interval training.

When you do aerobic exercises after weight training the lactic acid that was produced during the resistance training is converted into reusable energy. It will prepare the body for the stretch routine.

So, you are more successful in peeling off that fat if you do cardio after weights.

Thanks for visiting!

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils. She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness together with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information. Explore her new aromatherapy new blog and find out how you can get her e-book for free. Johanna is also the founder of the new network blog, Living Well Moms, and her posts are published every Monday.

This post is linked up to WFMW

1:12 PM | Read more...

Essential Oils & Pain - Delayed- Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

I have had great success using essential oils when I've been sore from working out. My post Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Your Excuse to Skip the Next Workout? will explain more about this condition.

According to experts, it is wise to add antioxidants before and after training to minimize or reduce occurrence of DOMS. Remember, higher intensity training increases the risk of DOMS. Some antioxidants to consider are Pantothenic Acid, niacin, vitamin C & E, beta-carotene, COQ10, n-acetyl cysteine, zinc, selenium, grape seed extract and L-Glutathione. Rehydration drinks with electrolytes, carbohydrates and ascorbates may also be consumed.

Essential oils have a high antioxidant value in addition to the other healing properties.

Here are some of my favorite blends I use for over exercised muscles.

Hot Bath

Marjoram 3 drops

Lemon 2 drops

Follow with the massage oil below

Massage Oil for Over-Exercised Muscles

Eucalyptus 5 drops

Peppermint 5 drops

Ginger 5 drops

Dilute in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

More Blends:

Sore Muscle Blend

Juniper 8 drops

Wintergreen or Birch 10 drops

Lemon 8 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Sore Muscle Blend No.2

Cypress 9 drops

Rosemary cineol 4 drops

Lavender 8 drops

Elemi 2 drops

Valerian 2 drops

Other essential oils that I found are useful for us are nutmeg, black pepper, basil, spruce, Roman Chamomile, and peppermint.

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Check out my safety page to make sure you are aware of any contrindications before you use essential oils. Some oils are not suitable when suffering from certain conditions. Also, Read this Before You Start Using Essential oils. Some oils should not be applied prior to sun exposure so make sure you check this list before spending time in the sun.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

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Johanna is an aromatherapist and she is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information.

6:30 AM | Read more...

A Great Family Sport

We are trying to do a lot of things together as a family. My husband and I want our children to have fun doing activities without feeling the pressure of performing at their best at a very young age. We recently became involved in golf, which is something we never thought we would do. It is great fun, and we love the fact that the whole family can play at the same time. We have had our share of team sports with our oldest, and he is a natural athlete so he enjoyed it and has always done well on the teams.

Golf is a great sport because as I mentioned, the whole family can have fun at the same time. I really enjoy being outdoors with my family for hours. We have a lot of fun and we joke and laugh. The focus is to have fun. I also like the fact that just like bicycle riding or hiking, it can be scheduled at our convenience.

It can be devastating for a child's self image if the child is not doing very well in a team sport at a young age due to the pressure of performing well. My husband and I decided to hold back on organized team activities with our youngest children until they are older. Honestly, with my experience in team sports I wouldn't be disappointed if they don't want to play. We have exposed Paola and Alexander to sports where they can grow as individuals without the pressure of competing with team mates. So far they have tried Track and Field, bicycle riding and now golf. We have not forbidden them to play team sports, but so far they haven't had a desire to do so.

Many young children start very young doing organized sports because it is thought that they have to in order to become the best. My oldest is an example that it is not true. He started his first football practice in 8th grade and immediately was able to start at the games. It is worth mentioning that he had lived most of his life overseas in Europe, and he had hardly ever been exposed to football on TV or real life.

Many team sports ask too much of very young children and they are singled out based on their talents at an early age. I think it is ridiculous to do so with young children before they have fully developed their co-ordination. I think children under 12 should just have fun playing sports and focus on learning skills instead of feeling the pressure of winning the games. I don't mind keeping scores when there's a game, but the focus seems to be the game only. Which often means that a very young child is categorized by her talent before she is fully developed. How can you honestly say if a 7 year old is talented or not? Perhaps, he or she is a late bloomer who needs more practice on co-ordination skills for example. At the age of seven this child may be singled out as not being good and that label will follow her for years.

When sports become too serious at a very young age the fun is taken out and the children don't think it is fun anymore. Instead of nurturing the future talents the children are burned out by the age of 14. More than 70% of the children quit their sports by the time they are 14. My husband is currently working on his Masters in Coaching Education and they focus a lot of what is happening in youth sports. It is a concerning what is going on in the youth sports programs today.

We are even allowed to bring our own furry caddy.

I think it is well known to you that my dog has allergies. Here in Texas they say the worse period is from October to about Easter time. Prancer, our newly appointed furry caddy, had her herbal cocktail before we headed out to the course. Her cocktail contains of noni juice, ALJ liquid herbal decongestant blend, Pau' darco for her yeast problems, and coconut oil. I always bring the Young Living RC blend with me in my purse in case she becomes congested. Luckily enough she doesn't become congested very often anymore. I also noticed that she responds well when I diffuse Thieves in the house. She also gets sprayed down with Purification Essential Oil Blend. Which I used as an insect repellent before we went out to the golf course last time since our tee time was early evening.

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5:28 AM | Read more...

Why Top Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts Use this Celloxygenating Formula (Cellfood)- Why You Should Too..

My husband and I were introduced to Cellfood a couple of years ago. After reading information about Cellfood we decided to give it a try. We realized that this is a very powerful product that is easy to use on the go. I just add some drops to water bottles in the morning, and I don't have to worry about how to get sufficient nutrients throughout the day.

So what is so great about Cellfood and why are top athletes around the world using it? Let's find out why professional athletes and health and fitness enthusiasts are using it. Oh, it is not just for active people, many with chronic conditions have reported improvement in health using Cellfood. Honestly, I think everyone should use it.

Cellfood broshure:

"Cellfood provides significant benefits to help support enhanced athletic performance in all sports and physical activities."

Cellfood is made from all-natural plant sources from clean seas and sea vegetation between New Zealand and Antarctica, and from fossilized plants and mineral springs. It contains 78 minerals, 34 enzymes, and 17 amino acids. It provides powerful electrolytes as well. For optimal performance in endurance sports the working muscles need oxygen, and Cellfood releases plenty of oxygen and hydrogen well needed.

It is a legal substance that is all natural, and it is an approved supplement for all level of athletic activity whether it is competition or fitness. None of the ingredients are banned in Olympic, International, collegiate or scholastic competition.

Cellfood is added to water or other liquid. Once ingested it weakens the electron bonds of water molecules in the body, and this releases hydrogen and oxygen directly into the cells. The nutrients in Cellfood are in pure and bioavailable form that reach deep cellular levels.

As you can see, Cellfood oxygenates, deeply detoxifies and nourish the cells.

Cellfood's unique water splitting technology has three significant benefits that are worth mentioning:

Released oxygen cleans cells, provides cellular energy around the clock, and stimulates cellular respiration.
Released hydrogen repairs, solidifies, and builds vital tissue cells and the immune system.
Free radicals are considered to be one of the major causes of aging and disease. Cellfood releases negatively charged oxygen molecules which will attract free radicals, they will join with them and form stabilized oxygen.
A clinical study of athletes in both 18-30 and 31-50 proved that Cellfood will reduce antioxidant stress. The oxidative stress of the younger group reduced by 27% and the free radical level in the 31-50 group reduced by 10%. Exercises create free radical activity so the free radical activity is higher in elite athletes to begin with.

Different ways that Cellfood helps the body:

Cellfood supports:

enhance energy levels
breathing function
removal of lactic acid for better athletic performance
nutrient absorption
helps faster recovery from injury
free-radical removal
bacteria/parasite elimination
cellular oxygenation
decreased heart rate
blood cell + platelet increase
alertness and mental focus
immune system function
ph balance
increase brain functioning, alertness, concentration
provides electrolyte activity
sustains endurance and stamina
enhances digestion and overall metabolism

As I mentioned earlier, I think everyone should take Cellfood. It is an amazing formula and it should be part of every natural health building program. Disease is a result of toxic overload and nutrient depletion, especially on a cellular level. As we've seen, Cellfood has the ability to neutralize free radicals, and provide nutrients on a cellular level.It's 129 nutrients provides food for building our cells. It is a product used by top athletes, people with health challenges, as well as being part of a preventative health building program.

Cellfood is an easy and cost effective oxygen therapy, and it does not create free radicals. Some oxygen therapies and products tend to flood the body with oxygen, creating harmful free radicals. Cellfood uses the free radicals to create more stable oxygen instead.

The nutrients in Cellfood:

Released Oxygen

Oxygen is vital to the healthy functioning of our body— it fuels all of its systems, fires its chemical reactions, and eliminates wastes and toxins. Cellfood enhances the critical bioavailability of oxygen to the body through its unique ability to 'dissociate' water molecules within the body— resulting in the release of abundant nascent oxygen, and hydrogen, directly to the cells.

Trace Minerals and Elements

Actinium, Antimony, Argon, Astatine, Barium, Berylium
Bismuth, Boron, Bromine, Calcium, Carbon, Cerium
Cesium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper
Dysprosium, Erbium, Europium, Fluorine, Gadolinium
Gallium, Germanium, Gold, Hafnium, Helium
Holmium, Hydrogen, Indium
Iodine, Iridium, Iron, Krypton,Lanthanum, Lithium
Lutetium,Magnesium,Manganese, Molybdenum, Neodymium, Neon, Nickel, Niobium, Nitrogen
Osmium, Oxygen, Palladium, Phosphorous, Platinum, Polonium, Potassium, Praseodymium, Rhenium, Rhodium
Rubidium, Ruthenium, Samarium, Scandium, Selenium
Silica, Silicon, Silver, Sodium, Sulfur, Tantalum, Tellurium
Terbium, Thallium, Thorium, Tin, Titanium, Tungsten
Vanadium, Xenon, Ytterbium, Yttrium, Zinc, Zirconium

Metabolic and Digestive Enzymes

Hydrolases, Carbohydrases: Maltase, Sucrase, Emulsin.

Nucleases: Polynucleotidase, Nucleotidase.

Hydrases: Fumarase, Enolase.

Peptidases: Aminopolypeptidase, Dipeptidase, Prolinase.

Esterases: Lipase, Phosphotase, Sulfatase.

Copper Enzymes: Tyrosinase, Ascorbic Acid, Oxidase

Iron Enzymes: Catalase, Cytochrome oxidase, Peroxidase

Enzymes containing coenzymes 1 and/or 2: Lactic Dehydrogenase, Robison Ester, Dehydrogenase

Enzymes which reduce cytochrome: Succinic Dehydrogenase

Yellow Enzymes: Warburg's Old Yellow Enzymes, Diaphorase, Haas Enzyme, Cytochrome C reductase

Amidase: Urease

Mutases: Aldehyde Mutase, Glyoxalase

Desmolases: Zymohexase, Carboxylase

Other Enzymes: Phosphorylase, Phosphohexisomerase, Hexokinase, Phosphoglumutase

Amino Acids

Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cystine, Glutamic Acid
Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Lysine, Methionine
Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan
Tyrosine, Valine

Electrolytes

Electrolytes support the healthy electrical integrity of the body's natural colloidal systems, including the blood itself. They impart a negative charge to the red blood cells, separating them to restore their maximum functioning.
More information on:
Cellfood.Com

10:16 AM | Read more...

The Endurance and Anti- Fatigue Potential of Noni Juice

First of all, what is Noni and where does it come from?

Noni grows in most tropical regions around the world but the highest quality noni fruit comes from the South Pacific. It is an evergreen shrub and its white flowers turn into white creamy fruit the size of a small potato. In Polynesia they have used most parts of the plant for centuries but it is the fruit that is used for the juice. Encapsulated Noni made from the roots, fruit and leaves is also available.

Morinda critrifola and Morinda officinalis are the species with all the health benefits. Over 150 compounds with therapeutic value have been identified by scientists. The two compounds Anthraquinones and scopoleptin have according to Isa Navarre been helpful against bacteria, inflammation, fungus, and allergies. Terpenes is another compound found in Noni fruit that helps rejuvenate cells according to Navarre. Dr. Ralph Heinicke also discovered and named another compound proxeronine. Proxeronine helps the body make xeronine which Dr. Heinicke also discovered. Xeronine is an alkaloid that is very important since it strengthens and regulate protein in our cells.

The WR Terrell Owens made noni well known to the public when he admitted he was drinking noni juice as he healed from his sprained ankle and broken leg. From an athlete's point of view noni has many benefits. An athlete put a lot of stress on its body, and it is important to supply the body with sufficient nutrients.

Stimulating an immune respone is one of the major benefits of noni. It contains phytonutrients which nourish the cells, organs and tissues. Antioxidants counteract the harmful effects of free radical damage caused by strenuos exercise, aging, pollution and other chemicals. It is also anti-inflammatory and alkalizing which are valuable properties when doing sports. An acidic body is more likely to become injured, and training causes a mild inflammation.

Interestingly enough a study has been done to investigate noni's endurance and anti-fatigue potential. Morinda Citrifolia was historically used to increase endurance during long trips on the sea.

In one study, Noni juice increases athlete endurance via antioxidant mechanism, by Brett J. West, C. Jarakae Jensen, 40 highly trained athletes (ages 18-27) were divided into two groups of twenty.

One group consumed blackberry juice while the other group consumed noni juice. 100 ml of either blackberry or noni juice was consumed for three weeks. At the beginning of the experiment for each athlete, the time-to-exhaustion in the treadmill (increasing resistance), urine chemiluminescence analyses and blood analyses were tested. This was also done on day 10 and 21.

The time-to-fatigue of the blackberry group didn't increase, but in the noni juice group in increased by 22%. The blood analysis showed that the lactate level increased in the blackberry group on day 21. In the noni juice group the chemiluminescence decreased by 25%, which showed an great decline in lipid peroxidation. Which was credited to noni juice's antioxidant activity. According to the authors of the study, "this confirms the hypothesis that improvement in physical performance and energy is associated with noni juice's antioxidant properties." Jensen and West further state that this demonstrates noni's ability to improve endurance in highly trained athletes.

My oldest son started his football practice yesterday so I decided to give him an extra boost of NSP's Noni Juice.

Other benefits are that it promotes healthy skin and joints as well, a great bonus for a 16 year old football player.

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2:43 PM | Read more...

Dr. Colgan's Power Program

My husband and I are big fans of Dr. Michael Colgan and we have most of his books. Dr. Colgan has a lot of cutting edge information about sport nutrition, healthy aging, power training, and hormonal health. He always backs up his information with science which makes him very credible. He has his own institute where he does his own research in sports nutrition. Over the years he has worked with thousands of professional athletes.

Some couples go out for a romantic date and my husband and I do Colgan's Power Program together. I guess it is a matter of priorities.I can assure you we are having a lot of fun working out together.

So, what is the Power Program?

The Power Program is different than many other strength strategies since it is based on that you grow power without gaining excess mass. Many strength building programs make people slower, bigger and less powerful.

The first thing to consider when doing the Power Program is not to do the program during the competitive season if you are an athlete. The training is divided based on that athletes have about six months of competitive season per year. That leaves 25 weeks divided into an 8- week Extension- Connection Cycle, a 10 week Strength Stabilization Cycle, and a 7 week Power Cycle to train for power. You can adapt the program to your individual need which is what Dr. Colgan does to the athletes at the Colgan Institute.

It is important to strengthen the connective tissues and joints before you gain muscles since starting off with heavy weights leads to injuries. Therefore the program starts with an 8 week Extension- Connection Cycle. This cycle focuses on full extension, multi-joints exercises which trains the connective tissues and the joints to to rotational movements they were designed to do.

The Strength-Stabilizing Cycle. A common mistake seen today is that many are using isolation machines in the gyms that hold the body in place, which make it impossible to strengthen the stabilizers. Stabilizers are muscles that hold the joint in the right place of motion. Athletes for sure develop impressive quadricep strength but the stabilizers fail to take the increased stress put upon them. Incorrect leg training like this will eventually lead to decreased sprinting speed. As Colgan says in his Power Program book " Weight training makes you faster, a lot faster, but only if you do it right." The Strenght-Stabilizing Cycle is a very important part of the Power Program. 10 weeks are dedicated to stabilize the joints to withstand more stress once more strength is added, and to increase the strength of the prime movers. It is no wonder that professional athletes go to the Colgan Institute.

Colgan says that nobody should do whole body weight exercises like deadlifts and high pulls, unless they have trained for three to six months doing the extension, connection and stabilization cycles. After all, Colgan has worked with over 10,000 athletes. Young athletes make the mistake by doing whole-body high pulls or deadlifts without training for several months doing the extension, connection and stabilization first. They are using many muscle chains at the same time, as well as using their connective tissues, arm and shoulder joints at their fullest extension. A few weeks later they are surprised that their lower backs or rotator cuffs are not keeping up.
This cycle brings together all the previous weight work done in the earlier cycles and it is 7 weeks long. It will link the strengthened connective tissues and joints to the strengthened stabilizers and prime movers, it is done as Colgan says " in a network of complementary muscle chains that permit smooth, efficient transfer of power from the ground, or any fixed point of limb connection."

Colgan Institute offers classes in the Power Program for anyone interested in becoming an instructor. You can also try to find an instructor near you. For more information about Dr. Colgan and the Power Program go to Colgan Institute.

Thanks for visiting!

Johanna is an aromatherapist and an independent distributor of Young Living Essential Oils. She is passionate about educating people about health, essential oils, real food, natural remedies, and nutrition so they make healthier choices in their lives. She received her aromatherapy education at the American College of Health Care Sciences. Johanna also runs Naturally Sports & Wellness with her husband.
Follow Johanna on twitter and facebook for more health tips and information. Explore her new aromatherapy new blog and find out how you can get her e-book for free. Johanna is also the founder of the new network blog, Living Well Moms, and her posts are published every Monday.

8:38 AM | Read more...

Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) Your Excuse to Skip the Next Workout?

It is very common that beginners of a new exercise program experience delayed muscle soreness. This is not the same as the acute pain when experience a muscle sprain or strain. It feels the worse the first couple of days after the exercise. Many often use it as an excuse not to exercise at all, or to skip the next training.

So why does it happen?

It was thought among experts that DOMS was caused by the lactic acid, the by-product of anaerobic metabolism (glycosis). However, it is now believed that the free radicals hydroperoxides, ammonia, and hydroxyl radicals cause hydroxyproline damage. Hydroxyproline can be found in the connective tissue. It is a constituent of the collagen.

Any movement that is new can cause tearing and swelling that leads to soreness. However, it is mostly the eccentric muscle contractions that lead to DOMS. Eccentric muscle contractions are movements that cause the muscles to forcefully contract while it lengthens. Going down the stairs, lowering weights, running downhill, and the downward movements of squats and push ups.

Stretching, hydration, pre-workout warm up, and massage are some things that may reduce DOMS. It is wise to add antioxidants before and after training to minimize or reduce occurrence of DOMS. Remember, higher intensity training increases the risk of DOMS. Some antioxidants to consider are Pantothenic Acid, niacin, vitamin C & E, beta-carotene, COQ10, n-acetyl cysteine, zinc, selenium, grape seed extract and L-Glutathione. Rehydration drinks with electrolytes, carbohydrates and ascorbates should also be consumed.

As an Aromatherapist I mix up my own blends to use to tone muscles and prevent soreness. Essential oils have a high antioxidant value in addition to the other healing properties. Go to my post Using Essential Oils for DOMS to learn more about my essential oil blends for DOMS.

Thanks for visiting!

Life As I See It [Fitness, Health and Happiness]

8:28 PM | Read more...

Essential Oils and Sport

The essential oils may be used to tone and condition joints, both before and after exercise. They are a wonderful addition to a sport program and can for example be used in a bath to soothe and relax your aching body after a hard exercise. Essential oils can also be put in a invigorating foot bath for tired, aching feet.

Before the training you want to increase the circulation and after the training you want to release waste.

The musculoskeletal system is often misused and abused by physical wear and tear. Aromatherapy is very effective in treating musculoskeletal problems. Essential oils used in bath or massage have an almost immediate effect on muscle tissue. Some essential oils bring warmth to the body and can provide pain relief.

Properties of oils
According to Battaglia, many oils with anti-inflammatory properties also have analgesic properties. Eucalyptus, cajuput, sweet marjoram, peppermint, rosemary and thyme linalol are some of these oils.

Rubefacient oils are used to promote circulation to the muscle tissue and skin. This will not only bring warmth to the area but may also give relief from pain and it has an anti-inflammatory effect as well.

According to Battaglia, some rubefacient oils are black pepper, cajuput, ginger, juniper berry, spike lavender, rosemary, sweet marjoram and thyme.

Juniper berry, grapefruit, lemon and rosemary are considered detoxifiers and may aid in detoxifying the system of acid waste.

How I use
Essential oils can be mixed with a carrier oil and be used before or after the work out. For example I like to use analgesic and rubefacient oils like black pepper, ginger, peppermint, rosemary and cinnamon in a blend before an event in order to keep the muscles warm and to prevent injuries. I also like to make my own ointments and add the same oils. See my post on how to make your own ointment.

If you like to know how to dilute the essential oils in carrier oils you can go to my post about massage. You can also add essential oils to aloe vera gel, body lotion or make a body spray if you think it is too greasy with massage oil. Massage oils have different properties and they enhance the absorption of the essential oils. Here is a list to make it easier to choose the right oils.

I often use warm and cold compresses for my son's football injuries, it is a great way to use essential oils when doing sports. According to Battaglia, cold compresses have historically been used for treating, sprains and swelling and hot compresses have historically been used to reduce muscular or rheumatic pain. He also says, alternating warm and cold compresses may be used to speed up heeling in pulled muscles, sprained ligaments and bruises. He suggests to add 8-10 drops of essential oils to 4-8 oz of water and dip gauze, cloth or cotton wool into it and wring it out, cover the area being treated. Follow the RICE method when injured, Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

Some of the rubefacient and analgesic oils require some precaution if used in massage or in bath. Make sure to read the safety information for each oil.

Before you leave:

I recommend that you always perform a skin patch test when you try a new oil.

Not sure how to apply the oils? Visit these pages to learn how to apply the oils:

Topical Application

Inhaling Essential Oils

Are You Diffusing the Oils Correctly?

How to Dilute Essential Oils

Vita Flex Technique