Polar activity tracker (watch) review

Exercise programs can never be successful until and unless you equip yourself with all the required things. This includes the fitness supplements and gadgets. As of late, gadgets have been playing a vital role in improving the efficacy of exercise programs. One such gadget is the Polar Activity Tracker watch. The Polar Activity Tracker is Polar’s new do-it-all fitness tracker that tracks all day fitness metrics, sleep duration, and exercise.

The tracker has a colored touch screen display. It is waterproof so you can wear it while swimming and in the shower. It is currently available only in a black and a white band option. However, there will be more color options released soon. Now, it is said that  the Polar Activity Tracker is one of the simplest touch screen fitness trackers available today, and in my experience, that’s definitely true. Also, it is the easiest and most intuitive touch screen fitness tracker that I have ever used.

The tracker even boasts a couple of smart watch features such as call and text notifications delivered right to your wrist. Now, this fitness tracker features a polar loop along with a rectangular elongated design, some chrome edges and an overall well-designed built quality. Furthermore, it is the first and only fitness tracker to use a standard USB charging port to charge the internal battery.

The band is comfortable as it is made out of a soft latex, rubbery material. One of the nice things about the design is that even if the band does wear out, you can easily replace it. You can also set this device up with your computer, be it PC or Mac. Additionally, you can set it up with your Smartphone too which is something most users would probably want to do.

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The best features of this fitness wearable include the optical heart rate monitor, paired with a Bluetooth chest strap like the Polar H7. The bands have a nice, rippy texture on the inside which allows the optical heart rate sensor to sit on the wrist nicely and still to get accurate readings. The band is secured with a pin styled clasp and loop. Initially, I was concerned that the band would eventually become loose, but fortunately, that just did not happen.

The user interface of this device is pretty simple; you just push the button on the side and it will open up the watch menu which you can then just scroll down to set the training parameters. You need to select training and then select the type of workout you will be doing. While you are busy selecting the workout, the heart rate monitor begins to work in the background to acquire your heart rate.

The activity tracker band might be a little bit tighter than what you usually wear. However, it immediately comes alive and is the best optical heart rate monitor that you’ll find today. After every lift or high intensity interval training, you will be able to get quick and accurate results.

If you are someone who does any sort of lifting, any sort of high intensity interval training or cross fit exercises, then, in my opinion, the polar activity tracker will be a great watch choice for you.

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The Importance of Strength Training and Best Strength Training Exercises

According to studies, there is a type of exercise that strengthens your bones, improves your balance, benefits your heart, and even helps you lose weight. The type of exercise that allows you to do all of these is strength training. Contrary to the popular belief, strength training is so much more than bodybuilders lifting weights. Strength training benefits all sorts of people including those with health conditions such as heart problems and arthritis.

There are many benefits of strength training. This includes shedding a few pounds off your body, protecting your muscle mass and bone health, becoming stronger and fitter, developing better body mechanics, preventing some diseases, boosting your metabolism, and improving your energy levels/mood. If you want to achieve all the aforementioned benefits then you simply need to incorporate of the following four strength-training exercises in your exercise regime.

Bodyweight Squats

One of the best strength training exercises is bodyweight squats. In order to perform this exercise, station your toes in a forward facing direction and stand with your feet and hip separated apart. Without allowing you knees to surge ahead of your toes, sit back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Until your hamstrings, quads and glutes engage and come back up to standing, do not stop sitting back. It is important that you create 90-degree angle in your knees. 8 to 12 repetitions are what you need to complete. When this becomes easy, start adding weight to the exercise.

Single-Leg Deadlifts

Another great strength training exercise is single-leg deadlifts. In order to perform this exercise, lift the opposite leg behind you after bending one knee and hinging it forward towards the waist. It is important that you do all this while holding a barbell or free weight slightly in front of your body. Until the weights come below your knees, lower them and keep them very close to the top of your legs. Come back to the standing position after engaging the glute of the leg on the ground and your hamstring. Switch to the other leg after you’ve performed 8 to 12 repetitions.

Core work

Core work is another important strength training exercise. You can use any one of the hundreds of exercises meant for strengthening core. Some of the best exercises include reverse crunch, bicycling, planks, and crunches. All of them are equally effective and you need to make them a part of your daily workout routine.

Single-Leg Squats

The final exercise that I am going to recommend is single-leg squats. In order to perform this exercise, sit with your hips back, bend your knee, balance yourself on one foot, and squat down. Extend your leg back to standing after your knee is down in a 90 to 110 degree angle. Rest the toes of your hovering foot on the ground if you find this too challenging. Switch to the other leg after completing 8 to 12 repetitions.

You can achieve all the benefits of strength training by making the above-mentioned exercises a part of your exercising routine.


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The Importance Of Manipulating Training Variables And The Best Ways ToDo It

A quiescent period in training is something that everyone inadvertently experiences. Everything is going well with you losing fat, gaining strength, and looking better when all of a sudden things take a new twist, and you hit a rough patch. Rarely changing their training variable is what causes most people to suffer from this rough patch.

If you want to progress in training without getting injured then there are a few things you need to consider, known as training variables, whether you’re a beginner or an elite trainer. The variables that are the most important and the ones you need to manipulate include volume, load (weight) lifted, and muscle actions to build muscle. Following are the ways of manipulating training variables.

Manipulating Volume Variable

The best technique for manipulating the volume variable is the progressive overload. Increasing the total number of sets or repetitions for a particular workout can overload volume. In order to manipulate the volume variable, start by increasing the number of repetitions and then add an entire set.

Keep the sets and weight same for the next workout if you’re doing a chest fly at 5 sets of 10 reps for 40 pounds. You can increase the number of repetitions to 12. However, a sudden increase in volume can be taxing for your body so refrain from adding an entire set.

Increasing the volume by adding a set to each exercise if you’ve been doing 5 sets at 14 reps of 4 exercises will increase your training session volume by 56 repetitions. If your body or fitness levels do not allow you to deal with rapid changes then this increase in volume may not be suitable for you.

Manipulating load (Weight) Variable

Dialing the weight up is the only way of progressively manipulating it. The weight will become easier to lift as you become stronger. This will automatically encourage you to increase the weight on the bar. Increase the resistance in the following training session by 2.5% or 5 lbs if you’re able to easily handle the prescribed weight through all your reps.

Manipulating Muscle actions

The isometric, eccentric, and concentric actions of a lift are what muscle actions include here. A standard concentric focused routine is what most programs employ. However, employing other muscle actions will allow you to enjoy a number of benefits. Focusing on the eccentric action of a lift will provide you with a greater stretch than a concentric focused routine and will also increase the time under tension.

Furthermore, you will be able to increase volume and strength by performing supra-maximal or circa-maximal eccentric overload. However, the greatest benefit of employing different muscle actions is avoiding a rough training patch.

If you want the desired training success and results then it is important for you to know the ways of manipulating training variables. By understanding these ways, you will be able to avoid a rough training patch and will ensure your training success.


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Exercise tips for people with asthma

Today, approximately twenty million Americans suffer from asthma. People with asthma can suffer from a shortness of breath and other health problems when they exercise. Fortunately, this has not prevented people from exercising and there’s good reason for that. Asthma, including exercise-induced asthma, will not be a hurdle for you if you keep a few basic things in mind.

Following are some exercise tips for people with asthma.

Use asthma medications

Approximately 15 to 20 minutes before you start your work out, inhale the medication such as albuterol to reduce your asthma symptoms. It is important that you talk to your doctor and explain them your symptoms. Before performing a diagnosis, the doctor will probably ask you to undergo some tests. The first few times you exercise, take the inhaler slow and easy (if the doctor has prescribed you an inhaler). Your doctor may prescribe you fitness supplements meant for asthma patients as well. Listening to your body is important. The pace and lengthy of your exercise is something you should gradually increase over time. Stop exerting yourself if you feel airways tightening or chest pain.

Use a scarf to breathe through

You can pre-warm the air as you breathe harder by breathing through a scarf during an exercise or training regime.

Perform a pre-workout warm up

Warming up before you workout is an easy and fun activity. However, the biggest benefit of a pre-workout warm up is that it prepares your body for the exercise or training regime. Whether you brisk walk or jog, the purpose of a warm up is to get your blood flowing and lungs working so that you are prepared for more arduous exercise. The difference a ten-minute pre-workout warm up will make to your health is something that will surely surprise you.

Avoid Interval training

Avoiding interval training is something people suffering from asthma must ensure. Moving at different paces is unlikely to cause any breathing issues for you. However, you’ll end up huffing, puffing, and challenging your respiratory system if you switch too fast. Therefore, it is important for you to either maintain a consistent speed or choose a pace your lungs can keep up with if varying your speed is what you prefer.

Exercise indoors especially during the winters

For asthmatic people, exercising indoors is always a good option, especially if their asthma is triggered by cold weather. Allergens, such as air pollution and pollen, and cold air are the two factors that aggravate asthma. If people with respiratory problems are exposed to these factors, their health is bound to deteriorate.

Perform aerobics

Research has proven that exercise programs such as aerobics improve your health and quality of life. This includes a range of benefits for asthma patients. Aerobics help to improve self-confidence, neuromuscular coordination, and fitness. Therefore, performing aerobics is something people with asthma must consider.

For asthma patients, exercise is a challenging activity. However, using the aforementioned tips can help them to overcome their troubles and make exercising easy.


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6 Frequently Asked Questions About Low Carbohydrate Diets

Today we will be discussing the 6 most frequently asked questions about low carbohydrate dieting. Let’s have a look!

What is the concept behind low carbohydrate diets?

There are a few variations between all the low carbohydrate diets, but the most common theme is the reduction of insulin and blood sugar production, which allows your body to use stored body fat as energy. Apart from that, these diets also provide better control on eating and other health benefits.

What is the link between blood sugar and low carbohydrate diets?

Low carbohydrate dieting is all about blood glucose (blood sugar). Essentially, we consume low carbohydrate diets for keeping our blood sugar stable and normal. To completely understand the link, it’s useful to familiarize yourself with how blood sugar is processed by the body.

Are low carbohydrate diets and high protein diets the same?

People mostly use the terms low carbohydrate diet and high protein diet interchangeably. For instance, they believe that the Atkins diet is a high protein diet. Of course, most low carbohydrate diets are higher in terms of protein as compared to typical diets. But technically, low carbohydrate diets put the emphasis on the reduction of carbs. It is possible to consume a low carbohydrate diet which has a typical protein intake, or a high protein diet which has a considerable amount of carbs.

Why do individuals stay/go on low carbohydrate diets?

What generally attracts people to such diets is the hope of blood sugar control and weight loss. However, the individuals who find these diets suitable mostly discover several other types of benefits. People usually find that they have mental clarity, control over eating, and more energy. What’s more, improvements in terms of health indicators including blood pressure, triglycerides, and glucose are also reported.

Is low carbohydrate dieting for everyone?

Despite the fact that most of the individuals can benefit from a reduced intake of refined grains and sugar, people vary in terms of their tolerance for carbs. According to a recent study carried out in the journal Obesity Research, individuals who had insulin resistance experienced better results with health factor improvement and weight loss while on a low carbohydrate diet, whereas the insulin-sensitive group experienced better outputs on a low fat/high carb diet.

Can I switch to a diet which is both low fat and low carb?

Probably not. You have to eat SOME thing. A few of the people whose systems don’t require a lot of calories are capable of supplementing their protein intake with small doses of both fat and carbs. Most of the fats aren’t quite the demons we thought they were for years. With smart choices, one can consume a lot of fat as a part of their healthy diet.