Make Your Gym Sessions More Productive And Comfortable In The Right Gym Shoes

Getting a gym membership can be exciting whether you are looking forward to losing weight and shaping up, building muscles or simply getting fit. Whatever your reasons for going for some gym activities, you ought to remember that the shoes you select can have effects on how comfortable and productive you remain. A good gym shoe is one that does not keep reminding you that you are wearing it probably because it is too hot, too tight too heavy or because it pinches. You need to choose the right shoe to make sure that you give maximum concentration on  the gym workout.

Grip – This is very important especially when you are looking for weight lifting shoes. Shoes that offer a flat firm grip on the floor or ground gives you proper form and they keep you safe from skidding when lifting heavy weights. It is important to avoid thick soled high tech shoes when in the weight room for safety and effectiveness in the activity. Always look at the sole of your shoes and the anti-skid features it has to ensure that you select a pair that is bound to offer firm grip regardless of the gym floor that you get exposed to.

Support – This is another very important aspect of gym shoes especially for strength training and cardio sessions. Remember these are activities that consist of side to side shuffling and jumping and you therefore should look for a shoe that has ample support. Wide toe box high top sneakers can be great choices when you are looking for optimal movement. Look for shoes that offer ankle support and arch support as well to keep the aerobic movements swift and safe for you. Shoes that are able to keep your feet from inward rolling are best for treadmill time  so make sure you pay attention to this supportive feature as well.

Comfort – It is definitely something you must pay attention to. Choose high top sneakers that have ample cushioning to keep your feet comfortable whether you are strength training or lifting weight. A comfortable gym shoe should not only be cushioned but also light enough and breathable for your feet so that they don't end up feeling overheated and heavy as this can slow you down. Comfort also relies on the shoe size that you select. Make sure your workout shoes fit comfortably. Avoid choosing very tight shoes or very large ones because either way you will have a hard time keeping up with the gym demands.

Style – You might be going to the gym but you definitely do want to look stylish. There are so many stylish sneakers you can choose for your gym workouts so you do not have to compromise your sense of style just because you are hitting the gym, go for workout high tops! When you take time to weigh your options, you will find a gym shoe you love and one that matches your personality. Love the shoe to enjoy wearing it to the gym.

Bodybuilding sneakers are very important for any gym workout. Ensure you remain safe, productive and comfortable by selecting excellent gym shoes that have all important features included and get the right fit for your feet.

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7 simple ways to make your summer runs more enjoyable

Hot and humid days can make running a lot more challenging. Here are some simple tips to help keep your outdoor workout routine fun and safe throughout the summer months

Do it early

Studies show a direct relation between higher temperatures and lower performance for elite runners. For a 5K or 10K run, temperatures above 17 degrees Celsius can begin to hinder performance in female runners. In order to minimize the effects of hot summer days on your workout, schedule your run early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the temperatures aren’t as high.

Wear the correct gear

Try clothing made from technical fabrics designed to perform in the heat. Choose lightweight pieces that have vents or mesh to allow for maximum breathability,  fabrics that wick moisture in order to keep you dry, and itms that also have sun protection.

 

Don’t forget about your feet

It’s equally (if not more) important to wear socks that wick, cushion and keep you cool. Look for styles that feature padding around the ankle, in the heel and the ball of the foot, as well as some arch support, for added comfort. Toe socks are a great option to help prevent blisters from developing between your toes. For an extra oomph, dab a bit of peppermint oil to the soles of your feet before putting your socks on. Not only will this help keep your feet cool, but the oil’s antibacterial properties can help fight bacteria from developing during your run.

 

Kick hydration up a notch

It goes without saying that you need to pay extra attention to stay hydrated in hot weather. Although the amount of water you need varies depending on your body mass, the day’s temperature and the intensity of your workout, as a general guideline you should drink about half a litre of water before you start, and half a litre for every hour you run in order to maintain proper hydration. Make sure to not drink too much water as over-hydration can dilute your body’s blood sodium levels causing hyponatremia. The best way to know how much water you need to be drinking is to follow your thirst as your body is built with an amazing water-balancing mechanism.
A study has shown that adding a few drops of peppermint oil can also boost your performance by improving your blood pressure, heart rate and breathing.

Slow it down

As temperatures rise, the heart works harder to deliver blood to your muscles while also attempting to regulate body temperature, which can result in a higher heart rate at the same running pace. You’ll notice your pace automatically slows down as the days get hotter. Don’t fight it. You can safely run the same distance in the summer if you do so at a slower pace. Pay close attention to how you feel and add more walk breaks as needed.

 

Mind the chafing

Chafing can be worse in the summertime as sweat creates added friction between skin-to-skin and skin-to-clothing rubbing. Prevent this by wearing shorts that cover your upper thighs and a bra with flat or covered seams. Be sure the bra you’re wearing isn’t too tight as it can dig into the skin and chafe. You’ll also want to avoid clothing that’s too baggy since the added material can cause irritation. For other vulnerable areas, such as your underarms, apply sports lubricant or Vaseline.

Change your route

Temperatures in the city centre tend to be higher as concrete and asphalt retain more heat. Areas in shade and close to water, on the other hand, are typically cooler and breezier. Try taking your workout inside or outside of the city close to a wooded area with lots of shade, a lake, a river or the coastline. Not only will your environment feel cooler, it’ll likely be more picturesque, too.
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Vibram - The Five Finger Revolution

Every few years there is an innovation that takes the world by surprise and changes our way of life to a great extent. Vibram Five Fingers is one of those revolutionary innovations that aims and promises to refashion our idea of footwear. These thin, lightweight, and glove-like protective coverings for your feet give you the pleasure of walking barefoot, while at the same time ensure that your feet remains safe from rough edges.

The company Vibram has been in the shoe-business for more than 70 years now and is renowned for making high-quality soles. The Vibram Five Fingers are made of soft and elastic Polyamide soles that can be easily stretched to hug the outline of your feet. These Vibram soles can be washed in a machine so that you can keep them clean and fresh.

If you're one of those unfortunate people, who have to wear tightly laced shoes for long hours almost every day of your life, then you probably know how much of a burden shoes can become. The human feet have nothing less than 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons and ligaments within that little space. It is not for no reason, of course. Our feet is capable of great strength, quickness, and stamina-only, we have to hone their potential. Walking and running barefoot regularly ensures that our feet are exercised for improved performance. Shoes on the other hand change the shape of feet and make the muscles dormant. For runners and athletes, who wear running shoes, the calf muscles end up taking the burden of the pressure while the feet and the toe themselves are huddled up in foam.

Vibram Five Fingers was designed to reinvent the pleasure of 'barefooting.' It allows us to go back to the beginning, the way we were supposed to live. The moment we start using the Five Fingers to move bare feet, we experience a sudden resurge of a lot of abilities that we had lost due to years of forcing our body into unnatural movement. Gradually, we start to get back our original way of walking, the pain that we used to feel in our calf muscles or around our waist suddenly vanish, and most importantly we start feeling free and happy.

The Five Fingers from Vibram was originally designed to increase the potential and performance of runners, athletes, and other people involved in adventure sports. These people invest a lot of time, money, and energy into good shoes and exercise for their feet, while totally unaware that barefoot is the best way of movement. Vibram's Five Fingers have promoted the culture of barefoot running, and now many athletes world over find the Five Fingers their best choice. The increased grip, steadiness and quickness offered by barefoot moving with Vibram Five Fingers is useful for many, who have to make quick reflex-based movements or tackle rough terrain, muddy waters, slippery sands, and the like. The Five Fingers have already become popular among people involved in climbing, fitness training, martial arts, light trekking, yoga, canyoneering, running, pilates, sailing, boating, kayaking, surfing, flats fishing, travel, and Canoeing.

There are a few things in life that are just better in every aspect and leave no room for argument. Vibram's Five Fingers is one of them. It is a product that is not dependent on its looks but on its performance. It might be a good idea to test one of them on your feet.

Damian@FitnHealthy

The Complexity of Buying Running Shoes

Before the big names in running shoes created the modern approach in design and functionality, anyone who likes to buy a pair of athletic or running shoes would simply buy a generic brand and style common to everyone. 

All they actually have to determine is their shoe size, preference in color and brand. Other than that, it was simple and easy to buy without much trouble.

However, with concerns regarding injuries and constant research and development, many manufacturers like Nike and Asics have created modern running shoes to cater to every possible need of a runner or athlete. 

We all know how an athlete's career can be put on hold if he or she suffers a major injury on or off the field. The importance of having the right gear and keeping performance at its best are given more value in designing the perfect pair of shoes for every type of runner or athlete.

This may be great for many runners out there, but the whole process of buying, trying out different type of shoes and knowing your running profile and style becomes more complex than simply buying off the rack. Here are some tips on how you can easily determine which pair of running shoes to buy.

Answer the Where and How?

There are different types of shoes for various runners. Identify the common place where you run and how you run. Different kinds of shoes are used when running on pavement, treadmill, or challenging trails. You would also have to know if you need more cushion or more lightweight design to cater your running profile.

Many shoe stores and websites nowadays promote proper buying of running shoes. You can learn from there if you are a regular pronator or moderate to heavy pronator. Pronation is defined by how much your foot rotates when you run. 

The more your foot rotates, the heavier pronator you are, and there's a specific type of running shoes ideal for a type of runner. The idea behind this is to reduce injuries and muscle strain to be able to provide the best running experience and performance to any runner. 

A heavy pronator would need more cushioning to prevent excessive rotation or movement while regular pronators can benefit well from lightweight designs with less cushioning. You can check with a local salesperson for assistance when you're about to buy a pair of running shoes. 

Be patient. For a first-time buyer, it would take some time for the salesperson to figure out your foot type and running profile. 

Some stores even have a designated area where you will be tested on how you run and what your running style is. 

Going through this process may be a bit of a trouble for some, but it will be beneficial in the long run. You will be preventing future injuries because of an inappropriate pair of shoes, and you will have less to worry about injuries, blisters, and muscle strain.

The next time you'll buy your next pair of shoes, you won't have to go through the process again and just take note of your running profile and style for future reference. 

Knowing how expensive running shoes are these days, you need to put more effort in your choices. It might be complex now but finding out what's best for you will be more value spent for every dollar.

Damian@FitnHealthy

4 Practical Tips On How to Run 5K Faster

You have been doing your regular 5K runs for quite some time and now you think that you need to step up your level and take the distance seriously. Running 5K is the most common racing distance but speeding up is still challenging no matter how fit you are. 

If you are up to beating your record by finishing a 5K run faster, there are some things you need to do in order to improve and run 5K faster.

 

1. Keep your pace at the start
How you start your race will determine the condition on how you’ll finish it. If you start too fast, you lungs will not be capable to take enough oxygen for the whole period and hurt you in the process. Starting too slow, however, can push you far back to other runners where catching up can be quite difficult. It is advisable to run at a comfortable pace where you are neither too fast nor too slow. You will know that you are at the right speed when you can still talk and breathe out using your nose for the first mile. When you are already breathing using your mouth at an early stage that means you have started too fast.

2. Train uphill
Running uphill is simply tiring and at times, punishing. When you run uphill, you are running against gravity which normally makes you slower. Doing a speed burst as you tackle this uphill will strengthen your legs and give you that desired speed. The good thing about consistently running uphill is you’ll be surprised that you’ll able to run 5K faster in an open, plain field without even knowing it. It will definitely give you pains at the start, but those hurt muscles will get used to it and will one day interpret it as an ordinary discomfort that you’ll be able to train uphill regularly. So incorporate uphill training if you really want to run 5K faster in the next race.

3. Take the needed breaks
Running 5K faster is quite tedious and tires your muscles faster. During your 5K course that incorporates uphill running, sprinting and walking, you will definitely need breaks in between. You have to let your body recover for a few minutes before gunning for another spring or uphill burst. A revitalized body will keep you more pumped up in your next sprint. It may initially take an hour or two in your first days of training, but giving yourself the needed breaks can free you up from injuries. Just listen more intently to your body. 

4. Sprint you way down the finish line
Burst through the finish line. If you are running the last 500 meters of your race, increase your speed. A lot of runners benefit from the sudden adrenaline rush nearing the finish line and you too will find it challenging as you push yourself to your limits. After all those training days, you can definitely change the pace halfway and sprint the last 500 meters. Just go for it!
Again, there will be birth pains to improve your speed in a 5K run. If you’re used to running 8min per kilometer, that’s 40 minutes for your 5K run. If you want to run 5K at a faster speed, gun for 5min per kilometer at an average. 

Depending on your age, agility and determination, you can still run 5K faster than your normal speed. Just keep on training!

 Damian@FitnHealthy

10 Psychological Benefits Of Running

The physical advantages of running has long been established. Some people run to build muscle, while others run to lose weight. However, aside from the physical impacts running can do to us, there are several psychological benefits of running. Scientific studies found significant improvements in people’s mental health due to this particular physical activity. 

Here are the 10 benefits.

1. People who run find it easier to deal with anxiety. While running, the activity of serotonin receptors in the brain is greatly reduced thus decreasing anxiety levels and creating an antidepressant effect for many people.

2. Improved IQ. A Swedish study found that people who engage in aerobic exercises such as running have better cognitive functions and memory. This is attributed to the belief that running helps increase the blood flow and circulation to the brain, giving way to the formation of new brain cells.

3. Positive attitude. Runners are found to be more optimistic, more friendly and exude more patience and energy. 

 

4. Running has also been included in addressing clinical depression. It is found that the more people run, the less depressed they feel. It certainly is a good yet cheaper alternative remedy for this disorder.

5. Running also helps in building up stress resistance. Running significantly reduces  stress through the excretion of endorphins, often called the happy hormones.

6. Better concentration is also among the psychological benefits of running. Particularly, running outdoors give the individual more focus on the things he has to deal with and is most likely able to come up with solutions to problems.

7. Studies also found that people who run regularly are happier. 72% of them claim that they are happy, while people who said they were only slightly happy or not happy tend not to engage in any physical activity.

8. Running also presents positive self-image and higher confidence. Achieving running milestones, may it be in terms of performance or physical improvements, gives a runner more confidence. The number or calories burned or number of races finished represents the hard work and achievement a runner can be proud of.

9. Furthermore, according to several studies, the endorphins released by the brain during running gives a certain “high.” This so-called “runner’s high” is responsible in making people happy and stress-free. For that reason, running has been popularly integrated in psychological treatments.

10. Running encourages creativity. We may encounter mental blocks from time to time and the best way to shake this off is through indulging in physical activities. Since one is able to concentrate more while running, the mental problem-solving also commences. Furthermore, aside from mood elevation which also greatly helps with creativity, runners find more inspiration especially in their creative endeavors through running.

Indeed, the number of psychological benefits of running are considerable. Not only does it boost the physical body, but also nurture the psychological processes of a person. Running only proves that it is the cheapest and more convenient pill against several psychological issues, and the more a person immerses himself in running, the more he will reap its benefits for the body and the mind.    

 

Damian@FitnHealthy

 

10 Psychological Benefits Of Running

The physical advantages of running has long been established. Some people run to build muscle, while others run to lose weight. However, aside from the physical impacts running can do to us, there are several psychological benefits of running. Scientific studies found significant improvements in people’s mental health due to this particular physical activity. 

 

  

Here are the 10 benefits.

1. People who run find it easier to deal with anxiety. While running, the activity of serotonin receptors in the brain is greatly reduced thus decreasing anxiety levels and creating an antidepressant effect for many people.

2. Improved IQ. A Swedish study found that people who engage in aerobic exercises such as running have better cognitive functions and memory. This is attributed to the belief that running helps increase the blood flow and circulation to the brain, giving way to the formation of new brain cells.

3. Positive attitude. Runners are found to be more optimistic, more friendly and exude more patience and energy.

4. Running has also been included in addressing clinical depression. It is found that the more people run, the less depressed they feel. It certainly is a good yet cheaper alternative remedy for this disorder.

5. Running also helps in building up stress resistance. Running significantly reduces  stress through the excretion of endorphins, often called the happy hormones.

6. Better concentration is also among the psychological benefits of running. Particularly, running outdoors give the individual more focus on the things he has to deal with and is most likely able to come up with solutions to problems.

7. Studies also found that people who run regularly are happier. 72% of them claim that they are happy, while people who said they were only slightly happy or not happy tend not to engage in any physical activity. 

 

8. Running also presents positive self-image and higher confidence. Achieving running milestones, may it be in terms of performance or physical improvements, gives a runner more confidence. The number or calories burned or number of races finished represents the hard work and achievement a runner can be proud of.

9. Furthermore, according to several studies, the endorphins released by the brain during running gives a certain “high.” This so-called “runner’s high” is responsible in making people happy and stress-free. For that reason, running has been popularly integrated in psychological treatments.

10. Running encourages creativity. We may encounter mental blocks from time to time and the best way to shake this off is through indulging in physical activities. Since one is able to concentrate more while running, the mental problem-solving also commences. Furthermore, aside from mood elevation which also greatly helps with creativity, runners find more inspiration especially in their creative endeavors through running. 

 

Indeed, the number of psychological benefits of running are considerable. Not only does it boost the physical body, but also nurture the psychological processes of a person. Running only proves that it is the cheapest and more convenient pill against several psychological issues, and the more a person immerses himself in running, the more he will reap its benefits for the body and the mind.     

Damian@fitnhealthy

Vibram Five Fingers Sport Foot Wear For Barefeet Running

Vibram five fingers sport foot wear is a type of shoe made by the popular and experienced Vibram company. Originally developed as a "barefoot substitute" for nautical and ice climbing, the foot wear has thin, elastic soles that are contoured to the profile of the human foot. It was named by Time Magazine as one of their best inventions of 200 and is becoming popular amongst barefoot runners.

Vibram announces that common running shoes alter the natural bio-mechanics of running. Specifically, they dispute that a raised, cushioned heel causes the heel to smack the ground solidly.

In difference, they declare that a "barefoot" method running and walking is safer, may lead to fewer injuries, and is bio-mechanically more firm from an energy and force distribution standpoint. 

 

 

Vibram advertises that use of the five fingers can toughen muscles in the feet and legs, improve range of movement in ankle, improve balance and pro-proception, and improve posture.

Beneficial Reasons to Put on Five fingers foot wear

Vibram five fingers is something else than any other footwear on the globe. Not only do they bring you nearer to your surroundings, five fingers foot wear bring a number of encouraging health benefits-by leveraging all of the body's normal bio-mechanics, accordingly you can move as nature planned. 

Gently Spreads Your Toes - by way of a wider foot base you toughen your foot muscle, increase range of motion, and intensify general foot health.

Enhances Range of Action in Ankles, Feet and Toes - no more 'cast' in a shoe, the foot and toes move more as you would expect. 

Provides strength to the Muscles in the Foot and Lower Legs - wearing Five fingers foot wear will quicken and improve muscles in the feet and lower legs, enhancing general foot health and reducing the danger of injury.

Stimulates Neural Function Crucial to Balance and Agility - when dressed in Vibram Five fingers foot wear, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send out valuable information to the brain, enhancing sense of balance and suppleness.

Enhances Pro-proception and Body Consciousness - those same neurological receptors enhance body consciousness, sending messages concerning body mechanics, form, and movement.

Eliminates Heel Raise to Make straight the Spine and Enhance Posture - By lowering the heel, our body-weight becomes uniformly distributed across the foot-bed, promoting correct posture and spine alignment that can aid in lower back pain. 

Improved Running Efficiency - studies has shown that running barefoot results in a 4% increase in effectiveness. 

 

Moderate Risk of Bunions - regular shoes press our toes together. Five fingers foot wear gently broaden them and encourages the large toe to work. 

Allows the Foot and Body to Move Naturally, That Just Feels Nice!!

Try the Vibram five fingers sport foot wear as you will be pleasantly surprised!

Source Terry Glass | GO