What Causes Neck Pain After Working Out Your Shoulders?
Ouch! Neck pain makes workouts harder and everyday activities harder. Being physically fit and regular strength training may lower your risk of developing neck pain, but it doesn’t make you immune to a stiff or achy neck. You can develop neck pain for several reasons. Arthritis in the neck joints,…
How Effective is Training on an Unstable Surface for Building Strength?
Training on an unstable surface or platform is popular these days. Rather than planting both feet firmly on the ground when strength training, you instead stand or sit on an unstable surface such as a stability ball, a dome, balance board, or wobble board. Manufacturers of these products profit when…
What Are the Short and Long-Term Effects of Exercise on the Immune System?
We all want a healthy immune system, one that protects against nasty viruses and bacteria that cause stuffy noses, cough, and fever. However, we also need our immune system not to overreact and attack healthy tissues. How our immune system responds to threats depends on genetics and age, but lifestyle…
Can Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies Make It Harder to Lose Weight?
Micronutrients, like vitamins and minerals, don’t supply your body with energy like macronutrients (carbohydrates, fat, and protein) do, but you must have them in sufficient quantities for heath and survival. Vitamins and minerals are vital for many chemical reactions in the body and deficiencies can be harmful. If a deficiency…
5 Ways Coffee Can Impact Your Workout
How about a cup or two of coffee before your next sweat session? As with most things, there are pros and cons to chugging a cup of java before exercise. Should you or shouldn’t you? Let’s look at some ways caffeinated coffee can affect your workouts, good and bad. Coffee…
Do Dairy Foods Cause Inflammation?
Dairy foods are an outstanding source of calcium and protein. In fact, one reason people consume dairy foods is because of their calcium content. Calcium is a key component you need for healthy bones and to ward off osteoporosis and fractures. It sounds like a good reason to consume more…
5 Types of Low-Impact Workouts
Many of the most popular workouts are high impact in nature. High-impact exercise is where both feet leave the floor at the same time. Examples are running, sprinting, and any training that involves jumping. High-impact exercise boosts your heart rate fast since you’re working the sizeable muscle groups in your…
7 Ways to Improve Your Squat
There’s a reason so many people squat! It’s a basic, functional movement that you do every day when you lower your body to the ground to pick something up. We need to be strong and flexible to do those daily moves! Plus, few exercises are as effective at sculpting a…
Is Sprouted Protein Powder Healthier?
Protein, fats, and carbohydrates are the three macronutrients your body needs for energy and optimal health. Carbohydrates and fat supply energy while your body only uses a small amount of protein as a fuel source except under stressful conditions such as excessive exercise or starvation. Still, protein is a critical…
The 5 Worst Things You Can Add to a Salad
Salads are a healthy option and better for you than a plate of French fries. You can use a salad as a side dish or the main course and there are so many ways to make one. Yes, a tasty salad chock full of greens and other colorful veggies can…