If you have fallen back into your old habit of grabbing a quick doughnut or pastry treat early in the morning for convenience, remind yourself one doughnut contains more than 300 calories and is high in carbohydrates, fats and sugars. That one seemingly innocent treat can send your blood sugar soaring.

Your body may feel a sudden energy surge, but this will be spent quickly. then your system will go through a rebound that can make you feel extremely tired and out of sorts.

This is the beginning of a seesaw effect in your body that is often fueled by snack foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. Remember how difficult it was to balance a seesaw perfectly on the playground? this balancing act is what you are forcing your body to do when you eat foods that contain no real nutrition, but are heavily loaded with unhealthy fats, sugars and simple carbohydrates.

So just exactly what do you need to eat if you want to get back on the path to good nutrition and health? For starters you need to avoid fad diets and stay clear of foods filled with empty calories, sugars and fats.

Here are a few basic guidelines to get you on the right track.

-Opt for a dietary program that is packed with whole grains, fruits, veggies as well as some healthy fats and oils.

-Be sure your daily meals contain good carbohydrates such as whole grains; do not eliminate all carbohydrates from your diet.

-Include plenty of fiber by eating a variety of fruits, veggies and whole grains.

-Choose lean, healthy protein sources such as poultry, nuts, fish and beans.

-Limit saturated and trans fats; choose oils that come from nuts, fish and plant sources.

-Select calcium-rich foods such as skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese and vegetables.

-Add color to your plate by choosing a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.

-Limit your use of salt and enjoy the rich, luscious flavors of the foods or add salt-free seasonings to enhance natural flavors.

-Plan ahead by creating a healthy shopping list or selecting restaurants that offer nutritious selections.

Often, making changes slowly can help you be more successful in creating new habits. Try incorporating one or more of these recommendations into your lifestyle each week. Over time, you will find that these nutritious choices will give you more fuel for your day and help improve your chances of successfully reaching your goals.

Walking is easy and simple and just about anyone can do it.

Walking does not need any special skills (we’ve been walking since we were toddlers), equipment, clothing, or warm ups and there are no fees to pay. all that is required is a pair of good quality, comfortable walking shoes (and for some people the advice of their doctor).

Health professionals recommend 45 minutes to an hour a day of walking (it doesn’t need to be done all at one time!)

The same professionals say people who walk have a better chance of living longer.

It sounds very encouraging, but walking must be done using common sense and with safety first in mind at all times.

The only solution for the pedestrian is defensive walking. here are some tips:

* Modern automobiles are quiet. So always look both ways in quick succession to make sure a car isn’t bearing down on you before you start across any street or road.

* Drivers make mistakes. Sometimes they don’t stop at intersections when they should. Or they don’t signal for turns. Anticipate these kinds of drivers.

* Cross the roadway only at intersections or designated crosswalks. and signal your crossing to motorists. an umbrella or newspaper works fine. Remember, you may not be as fast on your feet as you once were.

* Watch traffic carefully. Don’t count on cars to stop for you at the last moment. Wait for a long break in traffic.

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While we all want to get healthier, most of us find it hard to make big changes in our lives – especially when it comes to diet and exercise.

However, with heart and cardiovascular disease remaining the country’s number-one killer, it’s important to remember that a few simple lifestyle modifications and some dedication potentially can make a big difference in living a healthier life now and extending your golden years.

“Simply thinking positively will not get the job done,” says Joseph Piscatella, an authority on heart-healthy habits and best-selling author of ten books, including the new “Positive Mind, Healthy Heart: take Charge of your Cardiac Health, one Day at a Time.”

“You need to take action and keep on doing it in order to develop new habits,” he stresses.

If you’re just starting out adopting new lifestyle choices to strengthen your heart, you first need to set realistic goals. By setting explicit, achievable goals, you’ll have an easier time adopting good habits. Unrealistic expectations ultimately can do more harm than good.

Once you get rolling, here are a few points to help guide you to better heart health:

•Think of your Family: “Take some time to think about your kids or grandkids,” says Piscatella. “They need you to lead by example.” Motivation sometimes can be difficult to muster when starting to make significant lifestyle changes. what better way to push yourself than to think about how it might benefit your family?

•Forget Candy, try Fruit: Diet is a big part of enhancing heart strength. Eating only broccoli and carrots isn’t necessary, but remember that many snack foods are high in trans fats and calories. Substituting apples, bananas, and other fruits for fattier snack foods is a great way to kickstart your new healthy lifestyle.

•Try Walking: We do it daily, but not all of us do it enough. You don’t necessarily need to hit the gym – simply dedicating a small block of the day to a pleasant walk can make a major difference in getting your heart pumping. Once you’re comfortable walking, consider upgrading to a brisker pace. Eventually, you should feel a difference in your overall health.

•No More Crash Diets: The plight of dieters has been well-documented. according to Piscatella’s book, “Positive Mind, Healthy Heart,” 97 percent of crash dieters re-gain their weight and more within a year. This is particularly true of dieters attempting to drastically reduce daily calorie consumption. Simply choosing different types of foods and making gradual exercise changes is more sensible.

Before beginning any exercise program, consult your doctor.

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A lot of people suffer from asthma , myself included, and it’s great to hear that your condition doesn’t stop you from working out. That said, there are ways you can make exercising safer and more pleasant, so check out my tips below. Exercise during times of the day when your breathing is at its best. if you tend to wake up not being able to breathe, then a pre-work run may not be the best idea for you. Don’t forget the warm-up . Going right into a 10-mile bike ride may be too much for your lungs. Avoid exercise that makes you out of breath. along the same lines, avoid extreme interval training , especially if you suffer from exercise-induced asthma. while moving at different paces is OK when it comes to your breathing, you don’t want to move too fast so that you’re huffing and puffing and taxing your respiratory system. Stick to consistent speeds, or if you like varying your speeds, just do so at a pace that your lungs can keep up with. Always keep water nearby to stay hydrated. It’s also good to sip in case you start to wheeze or feel a tickle in your throat. Many people

who suffer from asthma experience runny noses when exercising, so be sure to keep tissues on hand. For other important tips read more. For exercise-induced asthma , my doctor recommended that I take a puff of Albuterol (rescue inhaler) before exercise to open my airways and prevent an attack. Talk to your doctor to see if they recommend that for you as well. if cold weather triggers your asthma, exercise indoors in the Winter months. if you’re determined to exercise outside, start off slow. Run a few minutes outdoors at first, and gradually build up your time to let your lungs get used to it. Also, wearing a neck warmer , scarf, or other protective layer over your nose and mouth may prevent symptoms, since it keeps the air you’re breathing moist. Dry air tends to cause a burning feeling and can trigger an attack. Don’t avoid exercise. if you’re worried that working out may trigger an attack, find a low-impact type of movement that’s easy on your lungs such as walking or yoga. if you have any other fitness tips for your fellow asthma suffers, please share them below.

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In my regular life, I’m pretty active. I do Pilates, take a dance class and walk almost everyday. so I think I am reasonably fit. But, this week, I’ve given up all those activities to take my place on the couch in front of the TV to watch our amazing Olympic athletes.

From the opening ceremonies to the close, I follow all the events with excitement, pride and awe. they are the epitome of excellence whether they win gold or come in low on the list. To have arrived at this event is a remarkable accomplishment. And besides their rigorous training routines, what they eat is part of their success. Now, the best of diets and the best of fitness isn’t going to make most of us Olympic athletes, but there is lots of evidence that what we eat can make a difference to our fitness and performance. here are 5 tips for eating for peak performance:

HEALTHY CARBS are the cornerstone of an active diet. they provide key fuel to your muscles, energy for exercise and the more rigorous the exercise, the more you need. since your body can only store a certain amount, you have to restock your stores before, after and sometimes even during a workout. The best carbs are the healthiest ones — whole grain breads, cereals, pasta, grains, fruits, vegetables.

FLUIDS are another key to peak performance. you should drink fluids through the day and within an hour before you start to exercise. During your work out, you must have fluids to replace the sweat you lose and then you should drink again when you are finished. good fluid sources include water, sports drinks, juices, soups, smoothies and watery foods like fruits and vegetables. Water is fine for events that are less than an hour long and low to moderate in intensity. For longer events and higher intensity, sports drinks are good options because they contain carbohydrate and minerals like sodium and potassium that get lost through exercise. If you drink juice while you are exercising, it should be diluted — one part juice to one part water.

PROTEIN is important for building and repairing muscles but for light exercise, eating a high protein diet is neither necessary or helpful. Protein-rich foods include poultry, lean meat, fish, eggs, lentils and beans, soy products, nuts and seeds and milk products. Eating these foods two to three times a day will provide the protein you need. Frequent, strenuous and/or prolonged exercise does increase your protein needs but you can generally meet this through diet. Excess protein does not build new muscles. Exercise plus extra calories to support the exercise are key.

The food you eat before you workout should provide energy for your working muscles. A carbohydrate-rich snack or meal will fuel your muscles but it’s good to experiment with food and drink so you don’t eat anything that upsets your stomach or interferes with your sport. an hour or two before you exercise, you should eat a snack that contains mostly carbohydrates and very little fat (it takes too long to digest). A banana, a fruit smoothie, small bagel or an energy bar are all suggestions. It’s not a good to exercise on a full stomach so if you have a large meal, wait a few hours so your food can digest.

Taking supplements will not provide you with more energy. The foods you eat, a well balanced diet, full of vitamins and minerals is what gives you energy and fuels your sport.

It’s happened to any or all people at some purpose or another: we tend to were doing so well with our weight loss diet or exercise regime. then suddenly we have a tendency to fell off the horse and set that if we tend to had already gone this far we tend to might as well offer up entirely.

There’s an old Chinese tale regarding a father and his son who lived on a farm. Together they raised sheep and cared for them. They lived off of these sheep and were able to create money from the sheep’s fur. Each day both the father and also the son walked around the sphere where they were raising the sheep to test {that the} fence was in good order. one night, the fence broke and some wolves sneaked into the sector and ate a number of the sheep.

The son cried out to his father saying that all was lost and that they were currently ruined! But the daddy simply picked up his tools and took his son to the fence to patch it up. Once the fence had been fixed, the daddy told his son that just as a result of there was a weakness within the fence it will not mean that it cannot be fixed nor that it’s impossible for them to keep raising sheep.

Your diet or exercise regime is like sheep, it’s invariably in danger of violated or destroyed. The fence represents your can power and your circumstances. It would possibly happen that you’re too busy to go to the gym or go jogging each morning for a period of time. It may happen that you simply were forced to stop at a fast food joint on the side of the high way. It may happen that you just collapse to eating some chips, some chocolate, or any one of your alternative cravings. But that does not mean you must provide up and let your sheep still be eaten by wolves. Once you have stuffed yourself with what you recognize to be unhealthy food: stop and assume about it. It isn’t the end of the world.

If you go finish up on a binge of food, you do not would like to eat more bad food to “get it out of your system”, to feel higher or to form certain it never happens again. You’ll be faced with times where you wish to eat one thing unhealthy, or you want to sleep in and skip your step class. no downside, however do not let that one incident ruin your motivation or your commitment to your diet or exercise regime. It happens to everyone, however if you are one in every of the folks who is able to choose yourself up and fix the fence you will be ready to keep losing weight and acquire healthier.

I hope this story has helped you to understand that not all is lost if your resolve waivers for on a daily basis or every week, or what have you. You are the boss of yourself and you’ll selected to come back to eating healthy foods and working out on an everyday basis while not any fear. Trust in yourself and create certain you keep your eyes targeted on the goal since that is what keeps us all motivated.

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Tagged as: body, diet, exercise, fat, fat loss, health, weight, weight loss

February is American Heart Month — Dr. Eric Herzog, M.D., a family medicine physician at Banner Churchill Community Hospital, shares some heart health tips.

Three of Hearts — Don’t gamble with your ticker. know the risk factors for heart disease and how to prevent them.

If you don’t believe the old adage that prevention is the best medicine, consider this: the power to control — and maybe even prevent — three of the biggest risk factors for heart disease lies in your own hands.

Those three risk factors are diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. just having one of these conditions increases the odds that you’ll develop heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

Even more significant, people with one of these conditions are more likely to be diagnosed with one or both of the others. and the risk of death from coronary heart disease increases 65 percent in people with all three conditions, according to a recent study conducted by the Heart Disease Prevention Program at the University of California, Irvine.

Fortunately, modern medicine offers excellent treatments for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

But nothing is as effective as the steps you can take on your own to control or prevent these conditions — steps that echo the same kind of good advice your mother may have given you when you were a child.

Why are people with diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure more likely to develop the other two? Researchers have pinpointed a constellation of risk factors — including these three conditions — that will cling together in one person at the same time. this is known as metabolic syndrome.

They’ve also determined that the underlying problem in people with metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. in the simplest terms, this means the body isn’t using insulin properly and secretes increased insulin as a result, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other conditions.

“Being overweight is the most powerful predictor of becoming insulin resistant. It’s more powerful than your genetic influences,” says Herzog. “And 64 percent of this country’s population is overweight.”

Diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure are all exacerbated or can be caused by being overweight. as people gain more weight, they become increasingly insulin resistant, which, in turn, makes it tougher to lose the extra pounds. It’s a vicious cycle that takes some determination to escape.

It’s worth the effort, however, considering the serious damage that can be done. Uncontrolled diabetes can cause vascular disease, which narrows the arteries that carry blood from the heart. it can also lead to macrovascular disease, which can block blood vessels. Ultimately, with either condition, the heart has to work harder to do its job.

This is the same problem caused by high LDL cholesterol (commonly referred to as “bad” cholesterol), which leads to the narrowing of blood vessels. High blood pressure enlarges and weakens the heart, making both the heart and the arteries more susceptible to injury.

Don’t just Sit There

Knowing that you can personally influence your own health is the good news. but for many people, that’s also the bad news.

“People always look for high-tech solutions, but it really comes down to what your grandmother told you: Get off your butt and don’t eat so much,” says Herzog

However, it isn’t always easy to convince people that they need to be vigilant about preventing diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, largely because the conditions generally don’t produce symptoms until they’ve progressed to a dangerous level.

Herzog emphasizes that lifestyle and diet are the best ways to conquer insulin resistance, which is proven to lower cholesterol, blood pressure and the high blood sugar associated with diabetes.

He advocates a “right foods” diet and regular exercise to help keep diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure at bay — not to mention a host of other health concerns, including cancer.

“Exercise is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet in terms of disease prevention,” he explains. “And people can protect themselves against our nation’s chronic diseases by harnessing the power of the right foods.”

They lack six-pack abs. they could lose a few. Yet they’re happy, body and soul. How are such people possible in body-centric America?

They exercise. they work out. It’s part of their routine. maybe not as often as they would like or think they should, but they do something.

Sure there are the long-term benefits like lowering your blood pressure, improved strength and endurance, a trimmer physique and the confidence that follows, increasing mental alertness, and reducing your odds of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. but exercise simply makes you feel good.

It is no sure-fire happy pill, and some say it has to be intense, or anaerobic (involving short energy bursts that cause the body to run out temporarily of oxygen), to bring on the psychological boost, but it is a part of the feel-good equation, experts say.

The problem with the perfect workout

Many Americans forget or ignore both the short- and long-term benefits and avoid exercise due to a sedentary lifestyle, allowing a “perfect” workout to be the enemy of one that is “good enough,” and boredom due to repeating the same exercise routine over and over, says Debbie Mandel, author of “Turn on Your Inner Light: Fitness for Body, Mind and Soul” (Busy Bee Group, 2003).

Two primary chemicals involved in making exercise feel good are cortisol and endorphins.

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the body under stress, such as anger, anxiety or fear, and it ultimately inflames and damages our organs. Exercise burns cortisol, and thereby makes us healthier and happier, Mandel says.

Endorphins are morphine-like hormone molecules that enter the brain’s neurons and park on receptors that normally send pain-signaling molecules back to other parts of the brain. Some say endorphins are even more powerful and yield a more euphoric feeling than opiate drugs such as morphine and opium, which park on the same receptors when introduced to the body.

Exercise stimulates the brain’s pituitary gland to release endorphins, an abbreviation for endogenous (meaning “produced within”) morphine, in the bloodstream.

Get started

Even with a stagnant gym membership or so-so discipline, individual episodes of intense exercise provides psychological boosts aside from the harder-to-see, harder-to-acquire physical and disease-fighting benefits of exercise.

A single exercise session lasting 20 or 30 minutes at 80 percent of your capacity brings on pain-relieving endorphins, according to work by Robert G. McMurray of the University of Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Mandel agrees that even one session makes you feel better and clears your head. “Once you make a commitment to exercise then you are motivated to keep feeling good every day. After about two weeks of exercise you stay on course,” she said in a recent email interview.

Mandel says you can ensure a psychological reward if you tailor your workout level to your stress level. “If you are highly stressed, you need to do a more intense workout which means longer than 30 minutes; if you are less stressed, then 30 minutes should suffice,” she says.

Heavy lifting

Some scientists say the feel-good benefits vary with the type of exercise. Research by Ed Pierce, now at Bridgewater College, and his colleagues shows that moderate exercise and light weightlifting or other resistance training, while critical for overall health, fail to bring on endorphins.

Alan Goldfarb of the University of North Carolina-Greensboro also says endorphins are only associated with heavy weightlifting or any kind of exercise during which you sprint (such as during running, biking, swimming).

Some experts say that tolerance to endorphins increases over time, but Mandel also says this varies with the person.

“Mostly, you get a consistent high from a workout to music and a workout that you enjoy,” she says. “It is important to realize that routine deadens the heart, and you have to change up your exercise regimen. The body always adapts and you need to challenge it. so, vary the intensity, cross train, take dance classes, try a new sport, use a personal trainer for a few sessions, etc. Keep it fresh, and you will get that high!”

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Staying committed to an exercise program is no easy task. Work, friends, loved ones, illness, holidays and the weather can all work against you. Don’t forget burnouts, injury and simply getting bored with your workout.

Here are some suggestions to keep your routine fresh, fun and effective. I’ve incorporated all of these exercises into my workouts and noticed the results. these tips range from traditional exercises to Yoga and Pilates postures.

Crunch, crunch, leg lift, leg lift and repeat; does this sound like your abdominal routine? if so you need to spice up your ab workout. Your body will adapt to your existing workout, to see continued gains, you need to shake things up.

• Flat Bench Abdominal Leg Pull Ins – the flat abdominal leg pull in is a Pilates based abdominal exercise. it works your abs and the surrounding stabilizing muscles. take this exercise to the next level by rotating your body 90 degrees (your body and the bench form a +). Lie flat, or as flat as your can, for 60 seconds, then proceed to do 20 leg pull ins. these are pretty challenging and your abs will burn, but you’ll thank me for this tip later. Remember, you can always modify this for beginners. Hold the prone position for 10, 20, or 30 seconds, then do 5 or 10 abdominal leg pull ins. if you ever feel discomfort, stop your exercise and take a break. if you have a weak lower back, place your hands under the small of your lower back for support.
• Chest Lift with Rotation – Chest lift with rotation is my new favorite crunch and is the real deal. you can take this exercise to the extremes by increasing the number of lifts. everyone should be able to get a great workout with this one. an example of the chest lift with rotation is available here.

Cardio

• Swimming – if you have access to a pool, you should take advantage of it. Swimming is a phenomenal exercise that works your whole body, improves cardiovascular conditioning, endurance, muscle strength posture, and flexibility all at the same time. It’s also the easiest workout on your body and joints. what if swimming laps isn’t fun enough for you? try diving; but please take swimming and diving lessons if you haven’t done this before.
• Sprint Intervals – Running is definitely a popular activity. the treadmills at my gym are always crowded and I see many people jogging along the rivers in NYC. however the majority of people who run avoid sprint intervals. Interval training stimulates fat loss, reduces stress and increases your metabolic rate. Simply run at a sprint speed for a minute (8 to 8.5 mph on your treadmill) then slow down to a jog for a minute (about a 6.0 mph). Do this about 5-6 times as a part of your regular running routine (which should be a minimum of 24 minutes).

Yoga

• Yoga Inversions – Inverted Yoga poses allow gravity to work for you. while in an inverted position, your spine elongates, which relieves pressure on the discs. Benefits include reduced back pain, improved posture and correct body alignment. Make sure you practice these poses on a soft surface. no one likes falling from a hand-stand onto a hard floor. in addition, inverted poses will work your entire body’s stabilizing muscles.

Keep it Fresh! use one or all of these exercises the next time you go to the gym. you need to keep your workout fresh to see continued gains and to avoid burnouts.

Why Exercise now?

Scientific research has proven that exercising regularly can greatly improve overall physical health, and even help boost lifespan. Benefits of exercise seem to include a reduced probability of heart disease, cancer, dementia and bone disease. Additionally, exercise helps with weight loss, which can lead to an improved body image and a higher confidence level. But starting an exercise routine can be daunting, especially if you have lived your entire life without exercising regularly. you may not even know where to begin. People who have grown up exercising may not understand the questions that a first-time exerciser may have. If no one tells you, it can be hard to know basics like where to begin or how to find the time. Exercising without the proper instruction can actually cause more harm than good, especially if you strain yourself and attempt exercises that you are not physically ready for yet. so we have put together a simple guide addressing some of the basic questions a first-time exerciser may have. with a little research, you can be enjoying the health and weight loss benefits of a solid exercise routine in no time at all!

Stretch now or Regret It Later

Begin some simple stretches. This will prevent injury from tight muscles and tendons once you begin your exercise. Slowly try to touch your toes in order to stretch out your thigh and calf muscles. Hang your head down and then slowly rotate your neck so that your head passes over one shoulder, than rolls back, then passes over your other shoulder. This is a good way to stretch your neck and upper back. for your lower back, rotate your hips 360 degrees. you may also want to stretch your shoulders by rolling them back and forth 360 degrees.

Start slow And Simple, Then Build Up

Again, especially if you don’t have much exercise experience, it’s important for you to figure out your limits, but without going over them! you need to have a complete understanding of what your body is capable of when you begin your fitness regimen. As far as exercise goes, walking and jogging are two of the cheapest and easiest places to start. many Americans live very sedentary lifestyles, often only walking as far as the front door to the car every day. Of course, if that sounds like your daily routine, you’re one of the people who need to start exercising!

Many people like to begin their health and fitness career by taking a brisk walk around the block or down the street, and see how you feel. you may only be able to go fifteen minutes for starters, but gradually build up. try to find a pace that would still allow you to carry on a conversation without feeling winded.

How much Should I Exercise?

Most personal trainers recommend exercising for one hour per day, five days a week. That may sound like a lot at first, and many people will stress out about fitting this time commitment into an already packed daily routine. There’s no shortcut around this, and the truth is that you have to start a new exercise and fitness routine for YOU. This could mean setting your alarm clock an hour earlier, or it could mean skipping or pushing back movie plans so that you can exercise in the evening. Figure out what works best, and what you’re more likely to stick to. some people can find the time to get out at lunch to exercise, but this will depend on your work commitments. The important thing is to be consistent. you can train your body to follow routines (some studies show that starting a new habit takes about two weeks.) If you spend fifteen minutes stretching and thirty minutes walking or jogging every day at 7pm, you’ll soon find that your body expects the activity every day at that time. you will also likely find that you have more energy and that you’re sleeping better.

Try not To Bore Yourself

Establishing a routine is one thing, but doing the exact same thing almost every day can definitely get boring. This is why it’s important to mix up your exercise routine. If you jog, try a different route. If it’s warm enough, try bike riding or swimming if there are facilities available. many physical trainers suggest that, after taking one month to establish a basic physical fitness routine, you enroll in classes if possible. something like kickboxing, yoga, tennis or step aerobics can help you learn new fitness tricks and can also work out muscle groups that may be neglected in your standard routine. many community centers offer free or cheap lessons if money is an issue, so check there first. But of course, just like with your beginning routine, start slow and let your body get used to the new activity.

If, like many, you work during the week, then weekends can be a good time to give yourself an exercise treat. on the weekend, you may have time to get out for a longer hike or a bike ride, or to take a lesson in the middle of the day.

Good Carbs, Bad Carbs

You may have heard confusing things about carbs and exercise. Professional athletes are always talking about “carb loading” right before a big race or game, but if you eat a bowl of spaghetti, you’ll find yourself feeling sluggish and gaining weight. Carbs definitely do provide the energy needed for muscle contraction, which is what happens when you exercise. The common exercising wisdom is that simple carbs derived from sugars will give you an immediate energy boost, while complex carbs from grains and pastas will be stored and used over time, since they take longer to break down. until you get into a more serious, high-impact exercise routine, you will probably be best off having a piece of fruit or a sports drink about 15 minutes before your workout. Since excess carbs are stored as fat, a gentle workout probably won’t burn through complex carbs fast enough, which could lead to weight gain. As you scale up your fitness routine, you may want to change your eating habits as well.

Now you’ve got some basics on how to start exercising. taking charge of your physical health can be one of the most rewarding decisions you ever make!