Importance of Cooling Down

After vigorous aerobic exercise it is important to take 10 minutes or so to cool down gradually. Do not stop abruptly. For example, after a long run or jog, walk around and keep moving, rather than just stopping.Cooling down properly (moving around) redistributes the blood that may have pooled in the extremities when you end your workout, and it prevents muscle stiffness because it allows the metabolic wastes to be worked out of your muscles

Weight Training Twenty Minutes a Day

Take your time when toning your body. You can maximize the benefit of a biceps strength training exercise, a back strength training exercise, a chest strength training exercise, and so on, by doing them in small blocks of time every day. Although the USDA recommends at least thirty to sixty minutes each day, you don't have to spend all of it weight training—you probably do physical activity that counts as exercise every day (such as walking up stairs).

In your weight training routine, you don't have to work all your target areas at once. Instead, work one area a day for about 20 minutes. For example, your program might look like this:

• Monday: Chest and Back Weight Training for 20 min.

• Tuesday: Shoulder Strength Exercise for 20 min.

• Wednesday: Abs Weight Training for 20 min.

• Thursday: Biceps and Triceps Strength Training for 20 min.

• Friday: Grab Bag/Wild Card for 20 min.

• Saturday: Hip and Thigh Weight Training for 20 min.

• Sunday: Chest and Shoulder Strength Training for 20 min.

Choose a set of exercises for each day and follow your weight training program. You can vary it, especially as you add more reps to your arm curls, incline chest presses, shoulder presses, and kickbacks. Remember, you don't have to devote countless hours to working out to look and feel good.

Drinking Sodas

Coke or Pepsi? When you're training, neither. Go easy on the soft drinks in your sports nutrition diet. There has been some indication that drinking a lot of carbonated sodas, especially cola, can have an adverse effect on bone strength in teenage girls. (This would probably also be true of diet sodas.) This is very controversial and far from proven, but there is no doubt that it alters your body´s pH levels. But the possibility plus the proven fact that many people, especially teenagers, consume a large percentage of their calories as soft drinks, which have no nutritional value and displace a proper sports nutrition diet, should make you think twice about drinking a lot of soda. Like a sports nutition supplement, you don´t have to give up soda; just don´t make it a major part of your sports nutrition diet.

Sleep Benefits

Sleep duration and patterns can affect sports training and performance. Most people need 7 or 8 hours of sleep, and your body functions at its best when you have regular sleep patterns, generally sleeping at about the same time every night. So if your workouts, practices, or competitions aren´t going well, consider whether you´re getting enough sleep.

Places to Walk

Here's another reason Americans are fatter than Europeans. American cities, in general, are less walking-friendly than European cities. Distances, lack of sidewalks, and traffic make it harder to find good walking areas. Don't be discouraged from your fitness walking regimen. Look for high school tracks, paths in parks, industrial parks which often have lots of flat streets with sidewalks, shopping malls, golf courses, or playing fields where you can walk around the periphery, or any nearby open area. In the mall, walking for exercise is more fun when you're window shopping!

Strength Training and Resistance Bands

Get on the resistance bandwagon! Resistance bands are easier and more flexible than barbells, dumbbells or even hand weights. Your weight training routine will benefit from adding at least one strength training exercise that uses a resistance band.Try doing squats while pulling on the resistance band wrapped around a doorknob (this weight training exercise strengthens the butt, thighs, back, chest, triceps and biceps). Be careful in your resistance band strength training to:

• Secure the band around objects, otherwise the ends can come loose and possibly cause an injury

• Before and during every session of your weight training program, make sure your hands aren't damp,

sweaty or slippery If you're accident prone, look into buying a resistance band with safety features (the B-Lines Resistance Bands Upgrade Kit includes a door attachment with safety strap, so you can attach your band to a doorjamb or even a tree and pull, pull, pull without fear).