Hitting the gym or sipping a glass of wine?

08 Tuesday Aug 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

Tags

bone health, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, exercising, glass of wine, going to the gym, grapes, gym, heart health, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, muscle health, nuts, one glass of wine a day, polyphenols, red wine, resveratrol, University of Alberta, wine, workout, workout at the gym

wine-or-exercise-wp

Would you believe it’s the wine! That’s according to a study from the University of Alberta. They found that the polyphenols in red wine, nuts, and grapes may be just as good for us, if not better, than exercise. That’s because they all contain a compound called resveratrol, which improves bone, muscle and heart health in the same way a workout does. But before you break out the corkscrew, remember… the benefits only come from one glass a day – not the entire bottle. Also, it doesn’t mean you should stop exercising altogether.

Follow me on Facebook

You CAN do it!

27 Tuesday Jun 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, energy, exercise, exhausted, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, low enrgy, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, mental pep-talk, pep-talk, tired, workout, you can do it

push-workout-wp

Next time you feel your workout dragging, and your energy flagging, give yourself a mental pep-talk. According to the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, trying to convince yourself NOT to feel exhausted can actually make your workout feel HALF as difficult – and power you through. So, tell yourself things like: “You’re doing great!” “Keep pushing!” and “Feeling good!”

Follow me on Facebook

Get motivated at the gym with an audiobook!

12 Friday May 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

audiobook, burn calories, calorie burn, calories, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, download, exercise, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, motivate, motivating, motivation, muscles, workout

audiobook-gym-wp

If you’re having trouble motivating yourself to get to the gym – or go for a run – try this: Download an audiobook. A study from the University of Pennsylvania found that people went to the gym 50% more often when they had an audiobook to listen to.
And once you get to the gym, focus on exercises that use your legs. You’ll burn a lot more calories. That’s because our legs house the biggest muscles in our body – so working them increases our calorie burn.

The day of the week when we’re most likely to work out is:

02 Tuesday May 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, exercise, fitness, fitness brag, gym, inspiration, inspire, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, social media, Tuesday, Wednesday, workout

Tuesday. Or at least that’s the day we’re most likely to “fitness brag” on social media. And getting in a workout on a Tuesday is a good idea. Exercise psychologist Dr. Michelle Cleere says a workout early in the week can inspire you to keep it up. But if we don’t get a workout in by Wednesday, we’re more likely to blow off fitness for the entire week.

Do we really need to cool down after a workout?

28 Tuesday Mar 2017

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

benefit, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, cool down, cooldown, dizzy, enjoyment, exercise, faint, feel good, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, memory, mental, mental benefits, physical benefits, pleasure, recovery, remember, stretch, stretching, vivid, workout

cool-down-wp

Yes, but NOT because it helps our body recover faster. It’s because doing a cool-down makes us ENJOY our workout more. Kinesiologists from Iowa State University say people who do a cool-down remember their workouts as more pleasant than exercisers who don’t cool down. And it makes them more likely to continue working out. That’s because we tend to remember the LAST part of an experience more vividly than any other part. So if the last section of our workout was a feel-good cool-down session, we’ll think the ENTIRE workout was more pleasant. So what about any physical benefits? Well, doing a cool-down – say by walking after a run – can reduce the chances of dizziness or fainting. Because blood tends to pool in our lower extremities if we work out hard, and then stop cold. So spend 5 to 10 minutes doing an easier version of your workout – or some simple stretches – to get the mental and physical benefits.

Here’s the trick to getting motivated for exercise:

21 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, control, exercise, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, laces, motivate, motivation, motivational, New York Times, shoes, sneakers, trick

lace-up-sneakers-wp

Decide what you’re going to do before you lace up your sneakers – or pull into the gym parking lot. That’s according to New York Times columnist Charles Duhigg, author of “The Power Of Habit.” He says self-determination can override a lack of motivation. So tell yourself as you’re lacing up your shoes – “Today I’m running 3 miles.” Or as you drive to the gym, “I’ll start on the elliptical, then move to free weights.” Having a plan makes us feel in control. In psychology circles it’s known as “the internal locus of control.” It’s the feeling of being in charge of your life – versus feeling that outside forces are determining your course. And when we feel in control, we’re more likely to follow through.

Are you more active than your spouse?

15 Thursday Dec 2016

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

active, active lifestyle, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, couch potato, exercise, gym, healthy, husband, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, slacker, spouse, University of Hartford, wife, workout, workout queen

workout-queen-potato-wp

If you’re a workout queen married to a couch potato – don’t give up hope. Because your active lifestyle can keep your spouse healthy too – even if he never joins you at the gym. That’s the gist of research from the University of Hartford. They found that even if your husband never works out, he’ll be subtly influenced by your healthy behavior and end up being more active overall… So don’t give in to his slacker lifestyle – keep going. You’ll both benefit.

Breathing hazards at the gym!

25 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

air pollution, breathe, breathing, cancer, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, contaminants, fitness, gym, illness, indoor air pollution, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, medicine ball, Pilates, pollutants, rubber mats, V-O-C, VOC, volatile organic compounds, weights, workout, Yoga

locker-room-VOC-wp

It’s not the stinky locker room you need to worry about at the gym – it’s the indoor air pollution! University of Lisbon research shows the air in weight rooms and studio spaces can be teeming with illness-causing pollutants. In fact, researchers found that 82% of the fitness centers tested had high levels of volatile organic compounds – or V‑O‑Cs. Which are released from the rubber mats, medicine balls, plastic-coated barbells, yoga blocks, and foam pilates noodles. They’re compounds that can irritate your airways, and even cause cancer. And since most of us breathe heavily at the gym, we’re more likely to breathe IN those contaminants.

What’s better at the gym:

27 Friday May 2016

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

complete workout, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, core, ergometer, exercise, gym, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, row, rowing, rowing machine, spin, spinning, total-body workout, workout

rowing-machine-wp

Spinning or rowing? According to exercise physiologist John Porcari, if you want a total-body workout, you can’t beat a rowing machine…also known as an ‘ergometer’. It works your legs, rear, shoulders, back, arms and core all at once. And all you need is 20 minutes to get a complete workout… One and done. Spinning is good – but it mostly works your legs.

Sometimes it’s hard to pry yourself out from under the covers to hit the gym.

13 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by ConnieSellecca in Intelligence for Your Life

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

brain, buddy, Connie Sellecca, conniesellecca, endorphins, exercise, friend, friends, get out of bed, gym, hippocampus, inspire, intelligence for your life, intelligenceforyourlife, Kansas State University, memory, morning, motivate, motivation, working out, workout, workout buddy

wakeup-gym3-wp

So here are 3 science-based ways to increase your exercise motivation…

•Start by telling yourself you only have to workout for 7 minutes. And if you want to give up after that, give yourself permission. But you probably won’t give up. That’s because it only takes 6 minutes for your body’s feel-good endorphins to kick in once you start working out.

•Listen to your gym playlist on the way to the gym. It stimulates the brain’s hippocampus – which is where we store our memories. And because you’re used to hearing those songs when you work out, it primes you to get in an exercise mood.

•Workout with someone who’s 40% more fit than you. In a study from Kansas State University, people who did that worked out harder and longer than they would have if they exercised alone. It works because we’re competitive by nature…We compare ourselves to others all the time – whether we’re aware of it or not. Plus, it also gives us a sense of camaraderie that’s motivating. So why 40%? Researchers say that’s a sweet spot where your workout buddy is good enough to inspire you – but not so out of your league that you can’t keep up.

ConnieSelleccaBlog

~ Intelligence for Your Life

Tag Archives: gym

Hitting the gym or sipping a glass of wine?

You CAN do it!

Get motivated at the gym with an audiobook!

Do we really need to cool down after a workout?

Here’s the trick to getting motivated for exercise:

Are you more active than your spouse?

Breathing hazards at the gym!

What’s better at the gym:

Sometimes it’s hard to pry yourself out from under the covers to hit the gym.