tips

Naps: Not Just for Muscle Recovery.
Getting enough sleep is a priority for pro bodybuilders and it should be high on the list for everyone else as well. Even if you cannot find time for naps during the week, you8 should try to fit them in on weekends. Research published in the Harvard Health Letter shows daytime naps might benefit your health without interfering with sleep at night. Adding sleep during the daytime makes up for the normal, age-related decline in the quality of nighttime sleep, improves learning, memory and creative thinking, making you more productive. The ideal length for a daytime nap is 20-30 minutes. Schedule a regular naptime for yourself, as your mother did for you when you were young.

Shut off the TUBE
Researchers have found young adults who watch two hours or more of TV daily have poor muscular fitness, even if their overall physical activity level is high. The study was conducted on 870 men and women around 19 years. Their level of fitness was measured in a variety of ways and those who watched the most TV (two-plus hours daily, or 15 hours per week) did significantly worse in the tests. Americans’ television watching average 142 hours a month, or four-plus hours daily, suggesting adults in America have an even lower fitness level than the study participants. Limit your TV shows and keep moving instead of flipping channels. Source: American College of Sports Medicine.

50
The percentage of increased fat burning during a workout after a breakfast of whole grains and fresh fruit compared to a breakfast of refined carbs, according to research from the University of Nottingham (U.K.).

Don’t cut calories when sick.
The old saying was “feed a cold, starve a fever,” but we have since learned the importance of feeding your body during any sickness in order to keep up the strength to fight the germs. Research from Michigan State University (East Lansing) shows cutting calories makes flu-fighting more difficult. Flu season is no time for dieting. Continuing with a normal caloric intake when fighting off viruses leads to faster recovery and less severe effects than if you eat less than normal. Fuel your body to prepare cells for fighting off infection. Source: Journal of Nutrition.