9 Tricks to end Energy Shortage

At FEDWW, we often get helpful tidbits to stay healthy and active on a weekly basis. This latest one was part of our weekly letter and i would like to share it with our blog:


"You've always suspected that there's more to the energy equation than getting 40 winks and eating three squares a day—and you're absolutely right. How optimistic, motivated, or engaged you feel—not to mention how many things you're trying to focus on at any given time—can bog you down or boost you up, according to experts. So we've gathered nine science-backed fixes that will send your strength and stamina soaring all day.

1. Leave Waffling To The Griddle
Energy crisis: Chicken or pasta? Seaside or mountain vacation? And of those 20 bathing suits you just tried on, which one should you actually buy? When everyday decisions feel like a chore, take comfort in knowing it's not just you. A University of Minnesota study found that when people were asked to choose from an assortment of things they could buy, they had less stamina and fared worse on math problems than those who were asked simply to look at the options. "Making choices pushes us back and forth, which is energy zapping," says Kathleen Vohs, PhD, lead author of the study.

Fuel up: Be brash. Research from the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany found that gut reactions—even in something as complex as the stock market—often yield the best results. If you're having trouble trusting your instincts, remind yourself that most decisions are reversible. And whenever possible, limit your options (especially if you're shopping for bathing suits).


2. Orange You Happy?
Energy crisis: Warm colors, such as red, yellow, and orange, are more energizing than their cool counterparts. That's because, according to ongoing research at the Eiseman Center for Color Information & Training, they're attention grabbing—which activates our brain circuitry. Your best bet for a dreary day's attire, then? "Orange," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It's a blend of red, which is adrenaline producing in the viewer, and yellow, which reminds us of the sun and feelings of exuberance."

Fuel up: Sneak orange into your wardrobe through colorful accessories such as jewelry, socks, or scarves, and stock your office with orange sticky notes and file folders. Another way? Keep an orange on your desk and then savor it as your afternoon snack.

3. Take A Technology Time-Out
Energy crisis: Write e-mails while reading a report and talking on the phone? We all do it, but technology is among the worst multitasking traps. A British experiment found that when people tried to juggle work and simultaneously keep up with their e-mail, their measured IQs dipped 10 points.

Fuel up: Find a few times during the day to close your e-mail and power off your phone. If work is especially busy, lunch can be your technology break. If even that feels impossible, set a 1-hour distraction-free window for when you first get home. The work may still be there an hour later—but you'll have all the more energy to handle it, stress free.



4. Regret Thee Not
Energy crisis: Still torturing yourself over that fight with your sister or your benign blunder at the office last week? It's understandable, but when you beat yourself up over the past, you're sucking your energy dry too.
"Regret is experienced as a major loss," says Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, PhD, chair of the department of psychology at Yale University, "causing us to shut down psychologically and physically. That leads to fatigue and a loss of motivation—in other words, feeling drained." Feelings of remorse can also cause your blood pressure to go up, and that translates into a bona fide loss of steam.

Fuel up: Put your regrets in context. A 2011 study in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin found that people who compared themselves with those whose lives appeared harder than their own were happier and reported fewer symptoms of being worn down—including suffering from the common cold.

5. Take A Leap
Energy crisis: There's a reason we jump for joy. Not only does this simple gravity-defying game get our heart rate up quickly, pumping oxygen throughout our bodies, but it also seems to have a positive effect on the mind. "Jumping as if you've won something or even bouncing on your bed a few times can help jolt your energy," says Elizabeth Lombardo, PhD, author of A Happy You: Your Ultimate Prescription for Happiness. "You're stirring up childhood enthusiasm, allowing yourself to feel a little silly, and breaking up the monotony of the day." All these things can trigger the release of feel-good endorphins, which have been associated with more verve—and a better state of mind.

Fuel up: Part of the secret of jumping is to indulge at unexpected moments—like at the watercooler. Another option: Let yourself dance with excitement when your favorite song comes on your iPod. Goofy? Maybe. But it feels great!

6. Embrace Your Social Network
Energy crisis: From answering e-mails to fielding instant messages, keeping up online can sap your joie de vivre and drag you down. But new research reveals that the Internet has a cuddly side too. Scientists have shown that when we're around loved ones, we release a chemical called oxytocin that promotes feelings of calm and well-being. Turns out, this happens when we interact with friends on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter too.

Fuel up: According to Paul Zak, PhD, director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University, even a few minutes on one of these sites should do the trick. And fear not: If new technology leaves you in the dark, you can reap the same benefits with a simple phone call to a friend.


7. List Your Missions Accomplished
 Energy crisis: Who hasn't had a day when it feels like you can't do anything right? Luckily, remembering what you did well is the perfect antidote. This past fall, researchers at the University of California, Riverside, asked Japanese office workers to write down three good things that happened to them at work each week. They also asked others simply to write down tasks they'd performed.
"We found that the people who had recorded feel-good achievements moved more," says professor Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, author of The How of Happiness.
"There's a logic to this: We know that thinking about things you're proud of can induce a positive mood and that a positive mood is associated with more energy."

Fuel up: Try this trick whenever you need a boost. Actually writing down your list gives you something to reread (letting you experience the effects all over again), but you get the same happy results if you scrap the pen and paper and tell a friend.


8. Chill Out—Literally
Energy crisis: If you have ever jumped in a cold lake and felt a surge of electricity run through you, you won't be surprised to learn that cold water can invigorate our minds, according to researchers at the University of Chicago.
"When we exposed people to ice water, they performed better on a standard alertness test," says James Zacny, PhD, an anesthesiologist at the University of Chicago Medical Center. This may happen because when we encounter a stressor, our bodies often release noradrenaline, which is—you guessed it—an energizing hormone.

Fuel up: Dr. Zacny suggests running cold water over your wrists for a minute or two to rev yourself up. Because skin is covered in nerve endings, splashing cold water on your face works well too.


9. Get In Mint Condition

Energy crisis: Minty aromas can help people exercise longer and complete clerical tasks faster and more accurately, studies show. "Mint stimulates a primal response to odors we can also 'feel,'" says Pamela Dalton, PhD, MPH, a senior research scientist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia. "Such smells make us more vigilant, leading to greater energy."

Fuel up: If you're up for venturing beyond packaged mints, gum, and tea, keep an ounce of fresh mint on hand, and use it as a garnish for drinks and in salads. Dr. Dalton—who keeps a spearmint plant growing indoors year-round (to release the scent, just brush your fingers through the leaves)—also suggests wearing minty lotion. The cooling sensation it gives your skin coupled with the tingle it puts in your airways can be invigorating."

15 Minute Workout: Drill your Core

Sure, you could prep for a shirtless beach debut by working your upper back and core, but that may not burn the flab in front of those muscles. That's what this workout can do. "Done as a timed circuit, these three exercises have a metabolic component that can help you grow lean," says its creator, Chris Bathke, C.S.C.S., owner of Elemental Fitness Lab in Portland, Oregon.

Do this:
Set a timer to beep every minute. Do a set of the first exercise, and rest until the timer beeps. Do the same with the next two exercises. Repeat the cycle 5 times.

1. Inverted row, 8 reps

Use a squat rack to secure a barbell about 3 feet above the floor, and position yourself on the floor beneath it. Grab the bar using an overhand grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart. Hang from the bar with straight arms. Your heels should be on the floor and your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Pull your chest up to the bar, lower yourself slowly back down, and repeat. Do 8 repetitions.
2. Rotational squat, 5 reps per leg

Stand with your legs straight and toes pointed forward. Step back diagonally and to the right with your right foot, your toes now pointed out. Keep your torso upright, your elbows bent, and your eyes forward. This is your starting position. Drop into a deep squat, keeping your right foot flat on the floor while letting the toes of your left foot rise; extend your arms in front of you as you squat down. Return to the starting position. Do 5 repetitions, switch legs, and repeat.

3. Renegade crawl, 8 reps

Assume a pushup position but with your hands grasping dumbbells or kettlebells placed on the floor. Pull the weight in your right hand to the right side of your abdomen, and then set it down a few inches forward of where it started. Do a pushup with your hands staggered. Now repeat the row with your left arm, and do another pushup. Do 4 rows with each arm and a total of 8 pushups. Drag your feet forward as you progress so the weight ends up beneath your shoulder.

Want to quit smoking? Get pumping, study suggests

Lifting weights or resistance training can build muscles, tighten, and tone, and a US study announced August 9 shows it may also help smokers kick the habit.

Although prior research on exercise and quitting smoking has yielded some mixed results, researchers from the Miriam Hospital's Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, affiliated with Brown University in the US, report their study is the first to examine the effect of resistance training, rather than cardiovascular workouts, on quitting smoking.

The new study is published online in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

According to the findings, 25 male and female smokers who completed a 12-week resistance-training regimen as part of a smoking cessation program were twice as likely to quit compared to the control group. Smokers in the study were between the ages of 18 and 65 and reported smoking at least five cigarettes a day for the past year or more.

The resistance-training group engaged in two 60-minute training sessions per week for 12 weeks. The full-body routine involved 10 exercises, with researchers gradually increasing weight and intensity every three weeks.

How does it work? Exercise of any type produces neurotransmitters including dopamine, a feel-good chemical that can provide the same positive mood as smoking. But science has yet to provide concrete practical exercise recommendations for kicking the habit, because the benefits of a workout aren't that long lasting, researchers say.

Still, exercise does your body good in myriad ways, so hitting the gym could be a smart move in terms of eliminating nicotine addiction from your life. Dr. Nora Volkow of the National Institute on Drug Abuse in the US told health and fitness website Livestrong.com that exercise can help relieve stress and reduce depression, two key factors that can help you fight off an addiction or any other bad habit.

What's the best type of exercise to help with addiction? George Washington University in the US advises doing something you enjoy. Just about any type of exercise can enhance energy, burn fat, and lift your mood by releasing vital endorphins and dopamine. Also, try yoga or Pilates to quiet your mind and relax frayed nerves.

Learn more about exercise tips to help you quit smoking: http://www.livestrong.com/article/387911-exercises-to-quit-smoking/#ixzz1FwAgHNQ7

Access the new study here: http://ntr.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/8/756

Benefits to The Rowing Machine for a great Cardio Workout

I found this article on MSN about the pros to the Cardio Rowers like the Concept II that we carry at fitnessplus.com; see below for an interesting read that may want you to switch up your cardio routine:

"NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Overshadowed by rows of treadmills and elliptical trainers, the rowing machine is vertically challenged, usually solitary and often consigned to one of the darker corners of the gym.

But experts say if you take time to explore this wallflower of the fitness center, you'll discover a smooth operator that's easy on the joints and endowed with a powerful burn.

"It's probably the best piece of workout equipment in the gym," said Dr. Timothy Hosea of the American College of Sports Medicine. "It's a total fitness machine. Unlike running or elliptical, where you use your legs, you exercise every major muscle group in the body in a smooth, controlled manner."

Hosea, an orthopedic surgeon based in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has rowed since college. He said the rowing machine actually burns more energy per hour than running or swimming.

"The average person can easily burn 700 to 750 calories per hour going at a pretty moderate pace," he said.

So why is the rower ignored? Hosea thinks part of the problem may lie in the less-than-dignified position of the exerciser.

"When you're rowing you're sitting down, and everyone's towering over you," he said.

Then there's the learning curve. In the gym physical prowess rules, but the rowing machine requires patience.

"It takes time to learn proper technique," Hosea said. "It looks really easy but people don't know how to row in an efficient manner, so tend to avoid that machine."

Power in rowing comes from the legs, Hosea said, but many people think it depends more on the arms and back.

"They get discombobulated if they don't understand that you drive with the legs first."

Another mistake, he added, is putting so much resistance on the machine that core strength is compromised, and the lower back is stressed.

Tiffany Boucher, a personal trainer at an Equinox fitness center in New York City, suspects even some of her fellow trainers don't know how to use rowing machines properly.

"You don't have a lot of people coming from a crew or rowing background," she said. "People walk, climb and run on a daily basis, but they have no experience with that movement."

Trainer Jenn Burke said she rarely uses the one rowing machine at the Crunch gym in New York where she works, even though it burns a lot of calories quickly.

"If you do it on a regular basis you can start to see changes in two to three weeks," she said. "But you have to have good technique."

But Richard Louis, another Crunch trainer, uses the rower with clients.

"For some people one-half hour of cardio is unthinkable," he said. "This gets them to start with short periods."

Louis likes to do intervals.

"Row hard for 30 seconds, rest for 30 seconds and gradually increase rowing and decrease rest," he said. "Work hard, back off."

Tom Spring, a Detroit-based trainer who works with high-risk populations, seniors and the chronically ill, uses rowing machines and recommends them, but he cautioned that the under-instructed are at risk for back issues.

"I cringe when I see the way people sometimes use rowing machines," he said. "That said, rowing machines are underutilized. There needs to be a call to action for trainers to become more comfortable."

Boucher agrees. "Done correctly it's really a great workout," she said. "I just think people don't often think about it.""


Here at Fitness Equipment Depot Worldwide we have a great selection of rowing machines available at a fraction of the retail price! You can find them in addition to other great machines at www.fitnessplus.com!