Every weekend I publish a recap of the best health and fitness articles I’ve read over the past week. Here are my favorites.
Alcohol: Not a Friend to Sleep
I always try to tell people about this when they say they’ve been having problems sleeping and then someone suggests they drink a glass of wine or have a couple beers before bed. Such destructive advice!
You won’t find much research online with claims that coffee is bad for you, because there are just so many benefits, but Jim Stoppani, PhD is suggesting that you get your caffeine through supplements instead. He says that coffee can increase cortisol levels, which is not a good thing for people trying to build or maintain muscle mass.
Remove the Tube and Pull Up: Your Toilet Paper Roll Is Now a Box of Tissues
I considered this a fitness related tip because I always blow my nose before every workout so that I can breathe clearly and without distraction. This is such a cool idea that I actually tried it right after reading about it. I had to tear up the inside a little bit to get the cardboard out, but it wasn’t difficult at all. I need to get one of those roll covers to make it look nice now.
How muscle fatigue originates in the head
Anyone who who has ever done an extremely strenuous workout probably already had some idea that muscle fatigue was somewhat triggered in the mind and not entirely from the muscle itself. According to this new study, the brain reduces muscle performance to prevent physiological limits from being exceeded. So next time you’re feeling a little tired, push yourself a little harder to see how much further you can really go.
Fitness May Lower Death Risk Even Without Weight Loss
A new study shows that your body doesn’t have to look good for you to live longer. As long as you continue to maintain or improve your fitness levels, you’re more likely to increase your lifespan. If you’re overweight and you aren’t seeing physical changes from working out, don’t give up, because you’re still doing yourself a lot of good.
The Ultimate Squat-Free Lower-Body Training Program
This is a great guide for those of you who hate squats. I used to hate squats too, but after reading continuously about how important they are, I kept doing them. I’ve seen so much progress in just the past 6 months that I actually don’t mind them much anymore.
FoodTrackerPro Keeps Track of Your Diet Without Forcing You to Count Calories
This app looks really cool. It actually reminds me a lot of the food tracking app that comes with the BodyBugg, which helped me easily track my calories and lose weight earlier this year. I haven’t tried it, but I think this app is probably worth the $1.99 price.
Wow, this is an incredibly in-depth post on how to train for a marathon. I personally don’t have any plans to run a marathon soon, but I have nothing against doing one. It’ll be good to be able to come back to this post when that time comes.
CrossFit – How to Build a Garage Gym Rogue Style – YouTube
Wouldn’t it be awesome to have your own personal cross-fit gym?
How to Ditch Your Junk Food-Filled Pantry and Reboot Your Diet
If you’re new to eating healthy or you just can’t stop cheating on your diet, you should probably read this. You’ll never get in shape if you keep junk food around the house.
Why Sugar Makes Us Sleepy (And Protein Wakes Us Up)
According to the studies mentioned in this article, consuming even a little bit of protein can cancel out the inhibitory effects of sugar and it’s even better if the protein is consumed after the sugar. I guess this means we should start eating dessert before dinner 😉
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