Corporate Rates on Gym Memberships

Most of the larger corporations offer special group rates on gym memberships in the local areas where they have offices or headquarters. These gym memberships can typically save corporate workers between ten and thirty percent on their fitness costs, and the gyms chosen by employers are typically businessman-centric.

That means their class schedules will revolve around your schedule, more often than not. You’ll be able to sneak in a yoga or pilates class at the crack of dawn, or enjoy some kickboxing after work during an evening session. These gyms know the importance of catering to people who need to get in and out of the gym before 8 — whether that’s 8 a.m. or 8 p.m.

Peak Hour Gym Memberships

And speaking of getting into, and out of, the gym at a certain time, corporate employees would be well-advised to look into gym memberships which only grant use of the facilities at peak hours. That means you can use your gym membership between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. during the morning, and between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. at night. Because this is a reduced period of usage, the rates will typically be lower.

And because the only people who require such a gym membership plan are those who work in corporate and executive offices, you will likely be around people in the same situation as yourself. It presents a networking opportunity inherent in the hours it allows you access to the facilities — and it’s much healthier than the typical “wine and dine” event your company sponsors for the same purpose.

Avoid the Elevators

If you work on any floor above the ground floor, it’s time to walk right past the elevator and take the stairs to your office. This is a great way to burn excess calories while doing something you do every day: going from the ground floor to the 15th floor to get started on your day’s work.

No one’s asking you to sprint the stairs; burning calories via extra walking or stair-climbing is easy to do at any pace. But you might want to plan ahead and add extra time to your morning routine. Stairs take a long time to traverse, especially if you’re not merely on your building’s third floor.

All the Small Things

Overall, it really could not be easier to stay in shape in the corporate world. Gym memberships that cater to businesspeople are everywhere, and peak hour plans can even save them money on maintaining good health. And the small things, like taking the stairs or walking a bit more to and from lunch, add up to a large number of burned calories that can be the difference between extra pounds and a little extra room in an old pair of dress pants.

This guest article was contributed by Jennifer Bell from Health Training Guide. Jennifer is a freelance writer and mother of 2 based in Los Angeles, CA. Check out her site to learn more about phlebotomist training and other exciting health careers.

Staying Fit and Healthy In the Corporate World is a post from: Worldwide Success

For example, a new study called Biomarkers & Prevention, published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, shows that regular coffee drinkers have 39% less risk of head and neck cancer.  According to the study, people that drink four of more cups of coffee a day have significantly fewer cancers of the throat and mouth.

Other recent studies have shown other health benefits of drinking coffee, including:

• Prevention of Memory Deterioration
• Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
• Reduced Risk of Prostate Cancer
• Reduced Risk of Liver Cancer
• Protection Against Brain Tumors

Additionally, coffee is an excellent source of antioxidants which help reduce cell damage and aging.  According to Joe Vinson, lead author of a study on antioxidants conducted by the University of Scranton, in Pennsylvania, “Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source.  Nothing else comes close”.

Yes, coffee does have its downside, primarily due to caffeine, which can increase heart rate, blood pressure and affect sleep.  But each person metabolizes caffeine differently.  Some people may be unable to handle the side effects associated with the consumption of caffeine, but others seem to experience no side effects.  Yet others deal with any potential side effects by managing their coffee consumption, whether limiting the number of cups consumed per day, or avoiding drinking it later in the day to avoid any potential impact to their ability to sleep.

Overall, coffee does seem to have a positive net effect on your health as shown by so many different studies.  So if you enjoy this amazing beverage simply for its tantalizing aroma and taste, now you have even more reasons to “wake up and smell the coffee”.

More Evidence that Coffee is Good for You is a post from: Worldwide Success

Don’t get me wrong.  There is fat that is bad for you and will eventually accumulate in your waist area (although not through a direct path!)  It is true that there are more calories packed in a gram of fat than in proteins or carbohydrates.  But this does not mean you should eliminate all fats from your diet!  It is important for you to understand that there is good fat and bad fat.  A substantial amount of the good fat in your daily diet is not only healthy, it will actually help you lose weight and reduce the type of fat that accumulates around your waist.

So what are these good fats that we are talking about?  Their fancy name is monounsaturated fats.  You don’t have to remember these long fancy names.  Just remember the foods that contain these good fats: nuts, seeds, avocados and olive oil.  Studies have shown that these foods, despite of their high caloric density, actually prevent the accumulation of fat in your body.

Here are some of my favorite foods high in fat that help combat the fat in your body:

Almonds

If I had to pick just one nut to eat, it would be almonds.  A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that dieters who ate 3 ounces of almonds every day improved their weight and body-mass index by 18% compared to 11% for dieters that did not eat almonds.  Almonds are high in alpha-linolenic acid which speeds the burning of fat in your body.

Avocado

Avocado is considered one of the world’s healthiest fruits because of its rich nutritional content, including vitamin K, dietary fiber, potassium, folic acid, vitamin B6, vitamin C and copper.  Avocado is packed with oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is good for you, helping reduce the accumulation of fat and cholesterol.   Enjoy your guacamole!

Olive Oil

Mediterranean diet is considered to be one of the healthiest in the world.  A key ingredient of the healthy foods enjoyed by the people of the Mediterranean is olive oil.  Olive oil contains a high quantity of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as antioxidants.  Studies have shown that olive oil protects against heart disease and lowers cholesterol.

In addition to these foods that are rich in monounsaturated fat, I would also recommend that you add the following fruits and spice to your diet to help your further combat the amount of fat in your body:

Berries

Research from the Arizona State University has shown that strawberries and raspberries can increase the effectiveness of exercise in burning fat by as much as 30%.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon helps improve your body’s metabolism resulting in less accumulation of fat.

Bananas

A banana contains 422 milligrams of potassium which limits belly-bloating sodium in your body.

If you consume healthy amounts of the foods above mixed with 30 minutes of cardio exercises at least 3 days a week you will notice a significant improvement in your body mass composition.  If you can add a couple of days of strength exercises with weights, it will be even better.  Avoid processed foods that contain white starch, and anything that has refined sugar such as cereals and sodas.   You can drink coffee, but do not add sugar. 

Try this for 30 days.  You will be surprised with the results.

Eat Fat to Reduce Fat is a post from: Worldwide Success

Can it be true that only half of Americans are eating the right amount of food required to maintain a healthy lifestyle?  It is no wonder that health care costs in the US are going through the roof. 

According to the report, at the current rate, obesity will cost the US $344 billion in health care costs by 2018, or the equivalent of 21% of health care spending.  Based on the projections, by that time 43% of American adults will be obese. 

The definition of obese is someone who is roughly 30 pounds over a healthy weight.  According to Kenneth Thorpe, chairman of the department of health policy and management at Emory University in Atlanta, “obesity is going to be a leading driver in rising health-care costs.”

Thorpe used Census statistics, weight data and medical expenditure information to make some astounding conclusions:

• An obese person will have an average medical bill of $8,315 by 2018
• More than half of the population in several states could be obese by 2018, including Oklahoma, Mississippi, Maryland, Kentucky, Ohio and South Dakota
• If the obesity rate continues to rise at the current rate until 2018, only Colorado will have less than 30% of the population who are obese

Maintaining a healthy diet that provides your body with right nutrients that it needs to perform at an optimum level is critical to your success.  Eating too much or not enough could have a significant negative impact in your ability to live to your full potential.   

As shown by these statistics the trends in the US are discouraging.  If we are to maintain our edge in an ever more fiercely competitive world, this is an area that needs to be addressed with upmost importance by the leaders of this nation.

One in Three Americans is Obese, One in Six is Hungry is a post from: Worldwide Success

In this article we will give you a some very important pointers to help to select a fitness program that will not only get you to the fitness level desired, but that will also make it easier to sustain it for a long time, assuring long-term success.

There are basically two components to any successful fitness program: dieting and exercising.  Let’s examine some key aspects of these two components that will increase the probability that your initiative will not turn into another failed attempt to change your body.

Dieting

In order for you to be successful with any long-term dieting program you need to make sure to incorporate the following items in your diet:   

1. No hunger – if your diet makes you feel hungry all the time it is almost guaranteed to fail.  No one can sustain self-inflicted hunger for very long.
2. Don’t self-deny your favorite foods – if you really want to stay on a diet for a long period of time, it is very important that you take a break from it once a week.  You should follow your diet strictly, but once a week you should take a break from it and eat as much as you want of any of your favorite foods.  This not only has a positive psychological impact, but it also prevents your body from slowing your metabolism.
3. Keep it simple – the best diets only have a few rules.  If it is too complicated, or if it involves too many measurements or restrictions, you will quickly give up on it.

 Exercising

By the same token, use the following rules in order to sustain your exercising program for a long period of time:  

1. Practice your favorite sport – the best type of exercise is one that you do for pure joy, and not just to stay in shape.  Choose a sport that you enjoy and practice it as much as you can.
2. Keep any gym-type exercises to 30 minutes – for the days when you cannot practice your favorite sport, or for resistance type exercises, you may have to go to the gym or work on some exercise equipment at your residence.  For these types of exercises, if you keep them to 30 minutes a day you will be much more likely to not skip it when you don’t feel like exercising.  Thirty minutes is relatively easy to sustain and you will more likely just do it.
3. Just like with dieting, you should have a day off every week when you do not exercise at all.  This has a positive psychological impact, just like the break from dieting, and it also helps your body recover.

These are very simple concepts, but they are extremely important for the success of your fitness program.  Success many times is found in the simplest forms and doesn’t necessarily require sophisticated programs.  Follow the simple rules above and you will notice that it will be a lot easier to stay with the your fitness program to achieving long-term results.

A Lifelong Fit and Healthy Body is a post from: Worldwide Success

First there is the lack of money to spend on weight loss investments.  For instance, many people are cancelling their membership to the gym, and not too many people are in a position to make a significant investment on exercise equipment.  Additionally few people feel comfortable spending whatever discretionary dollars are available on weight loss programs like Jenny Craig or NutriSystem. 

In addition to the lack of disposable income, many people are not in the right state of mind to focus on weight loss.  Besides, there is a general feeling of guilt lingering around.  At a time when many people are losing their jobs, their houses, and even their dignity, is it right to be so concerned about a few extra pounds?  The idea of spending time right now on activities considered “fun” but that could also help you lose weight, such as practicing sports, may not be comfortable to some.  However, as explained in the article Play Time in the Recession is Critical to Your Success, this is the wrong attitude.  Self-denial is not going to make the problem any better for you or anyone else.  In fact, it is likely to make it worse.

In times like these when people are over-stressed and worried about their future, it is particularly important to pay attention to fitness and weight loss.  The last thing you need on top of everything else that is going on is having to deal with an illness.  Besides, if you don’t pay attention to your body, your mind is not going to be as effective as it can be, just at the time where you need to be at your very best.

So how does one go about losing weight on a dime?  It is actually quite simple.  You don’t need any sophisticated equipment or weight loss program to lose the pounds.  Here are some ideas you ought to consider:

1. Practice an inexpensive sport that you love – basketball, swimming, soccer and many other sports can be practiced relatively inexpensively or even for free.
2. Get a pedometer – For a small $25 investment you can keep track of how many steps you are taking every day, which will motivate you to do more. 
3. Join an inexpensive gym – there are many bargains out there as gyms are cutting prices to attract customers.  If you feel the need to be surrounded by like-minded people reaching for the same goals in order to stay motivated this may be a good option.
4. Join an inexpensive or free website to get advice and motivation – sites like sparkpeople.com can be just what you need in order to stay in the game.
5. Avoid eating out – if you cook at home you will tend to not only eat better but also save money.
6. Find a partner to join you on your weight loss journey – finding someone to partner with can be very effective in keeping you motivated and costs you nothing.

Losing weight does not have to be expensive.  With a little imagination there is a lot you can do to increase your caloric output and to eat better.  The key is to find the right ingredients to keep you motivated, whether it is a partner, a website or the gym.  Find what works for you by experimenting with different ideas until staying in shape becomes a routine that you don’t even have to think about.

Weight Loss on a Dime is a post from: Worldwide Success

Change is hard.  We all know that.  Therefore, it seems logical that in order to be effective in making changes in your habits you should take small steps towards the desired behavior.  The rationale behind this way of thinking is that if you take small steps you will break down the barriers into smaller, more manageable chunks, making it easier to absorb the impact of change.

Despite the seemingly logical approach to taking several sequential small steps, in many cases this approach is very ineffective.  This is due to the fact that small changes lead to small results, and small results are not very motivating.  When it comes to change, the motivation to initiate it and stick to it is one of the most important factors to success. 

To simply put it, small changes that lead to small results are not very exciting.  Big, bold, audacious changes are exciting.  And it’s the excitement that will get you motivated to make the change.  Besides, the biggest barrier to change is the anxiety and fear of the change, not the change itself.  So if you make the change one step at a time, you are extending the pain, like in Chinese torture.  But if you take all the changes at once you will realize that the changes were not as bad as you once imagined, and now the fear and anxiety is gone because you don’t have any more changes to deal with in the future in order to achieve you desired state.

Let’s look at an example.  Suppose you are trying to improve your health and fitness and you decide to change your habits.  Let’s say in order to reach the health and fitness levels you are looking for you decide to do the following:

• Stop eating fast food
• Exercise regularly
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Reduce alcohol consumption
• Reduce the size of your portions
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep per night

If you decide to take one these changes at a time, before you attempt to take the next one, you probably will not feel or see very significant results in the short-term.  But if you make all these changes at once, the impact will be significant enough to make you feel and see a difference, and that will lead to success because you will be excited and motivated by the changes.

The fact that these changes should be big, audacious, and done simultaneously does not mean you should do something unreasonable or unsafe.  We are not taking about running a marathon if you have never run around the block before.  We are not talking about starving to death in order to lose weight.  We are talking about changing your approach from serial to parallel.  We are talking about approaching the change from multiple angles and hitting them all at once.

At first you may be concerned about you ability to take on so many changes in one shot.  But the best way to experience the power of changing all your habits at once is to try it.  The next time you want to make some significant change in your life, try this:

• Brainstorm all the things you can do bring you closer to your desired state
• Don’t limit yourself to the obvious and try a few bold, audacious ideas 
• Write down the complete list of ideas from the exercise above
• Go cold turkey and do all of them at once

This approach may make you feel uncomfortable at first, but once you start seeing the results, you will be hooked.  Start making bid, bold, audacious changes, all at once, and you will be amazed at your rate of success.

Change All Your Habits at Once for Success is a post from: Worldwide Success

The açaí secret started being shared in the surfing community in the trendy beaches of  Rio de Janeiro, Brazil about 10 to 15 years ago.  In the last 3-5 years the news about the great health benefits of this little fruit started spreading across the United States and today many companies are selling everything from juices to smoothies, to sorbet made out of açaí.  Companies like Sambazon, Amazon Thunder and Bossa Nova a just a few of the brands that you will find in healthy stores across the country.

So, what exactly are the benefits of consuming this wonder berry?  Açaí provides you with greater stamina, is good for your digestive system, and helps you increase your mental focus.  Açaí has an almost perfect essential amino acid complex and trace minerals that combined are essential to proper muscle contractions and regeneration.

Studies have shown that Mediterranean diets, which generally consume a large quantity of red wine and olive oil, is good for a healthy heart, brain and skin.  Well, açaí happens to contains 30x the amount of antioxidants found in red wine and an essential fatty acid which is similar to what is contained in olive oil, so you can make your own deductions.

Açaí is also said to reduce cholesterol, help you sleep better, and, as a study at the University of Florida suggests it may even help fight cancer cells.

To make the story about açaí even better, local communities in the Amazon rainforest can make more money harvesting açaí than cutting trees for other economic activities.  In addition to helping promote the preservation of the Amazon rainforest, the sale of açaí products have  a positive economic impact to the indigenous people of the Amazon.

If you are looking to improve your health, and simultaneously help preserve the environment, açaí maybe the perfect choice for you.  

Here is to your health and to your success.

Açaí, a Wonderful Healthy Food is a post from: Worldwide Success

Here is what Esther Lopez-Garcia, the lead author of the Harvard School of Public Health report has to say about how coffee can help you live a healthier life:

“Our results suggest that long-term, regular coffee consumption has several beneficial health effects.”

If results of this study, showing that drinking coffee lowers the risk of heart disease is not enough to get you excited about the health benefits of coffee, take a look at these other studies that show additional benefits:

• In 2000 a study conducted by researchers at the Mayo Clinic showed that coffee consumption is linked to reduced rates of Parkinson’s disease. 
• In 2004 researchers at Harvard reported that regular coffee drinking reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• In 2005, a study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that coffee may prevent the most common type of liver cancer.

These are all reaffirming studies that combined make a strong case for the regular consumption of coffee.  However, one must be careful with the amount of caffeine consumed by drinking coffee.  Excessive caffeine consumption is known for detrimental short-term health effects such as anxiety and insomnia.

Despite of the suggested connections between regularly drinking coffee and living longer, it is obvious that coffee alone will not extend your life.  A healthy lifestyle consisting of a well-balanced diet and regular exercise are other essential components of a long and healthy lifestyle.

Living a healthy life is one of the most important things you can do in your pursuit of success.  Just the fact that you care enough about your health to make it a priority in your life is in itself a strong indicator that you are likely to be a successful person.  The skills required to prioritize and manage your health, as well as the discipline required to watch what you eat and exercise regularly are the very same skills that will help you be successful in business and in other aspects of your life.

Enjoy your cup of java!  To your health and success!

Coffee is Good for You is a post from: Worldwide Success

being fit means you will be more productive, more mentally alert and more confident.  All of these factors combined will help you become a more successful person.  A new book by Dr. John Ratey called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain suggests that regular physical activity makes the brain function better and might combat depression and anxiety, validating the importance of exercise for your success.

Dr. Ratey, who is a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, is taking the positive correlation of physical activity and the better functioning of the brain to a new level of understanding.

Here is how Dr. Ratey describes how exercise improves how the brain functions:

“A fast-paced workout boosts the production of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor.  I call it Miracle-Gro for the brain, and physical activity is one of the best ways to release this brain nourishing protein.”

Dr. Ratey also explains that exercising increases the production of cells in the hippocampus, the region of the brain involved in learning and memory.  To prove his point, he refers to an example in the Naperville school district in Illinois where a physical education teacher made the kids in the school run a mile every week and graded the kids on their effort instead of skills.  The new exercise routine had a tremendous positive impact in the kids’ learning abilities.  The results were that Naperville kids achieved sixth place in math and first in science on a worldwide test that compares how kids from different countries do in these subjects.

Not only does exercise help you become smarter, it also has a significant impact in your ability to deal with stress, which is essential in your quest for success.  Studies have shown that exercise helps short-circuit the normal response to stress which is higher blood pressure and increased heart rate.  People that work out on a regular basis are much more resistant to this type of stress response and are more likely to stay calm in situations that would have triggered an unhealthy response in the past.

If being stronger, smarter, and less stressed isn’t enough motivation to get you going on an exercise program, you should also note that regular exercise is a good medication against anxiety and mild to moderate depression.  Here is what Dr. Ratey had to say about the effects of exercise on your mood:

“I first noticed the link between exercise and mood disorders because I had a number of patients who ran marathons.  They told me they started to feel depressed after they stopped training.  The more you move your body, the more you can jump-start the brain and, in some cases, end the cycle of worry, anxiety and the blues.”

In addition to the benefits above, a regular workout can also help control addictions as the workout helps redirect the brain away from the substance of abuse and fights the impulse to reach for the substance.  It can also help you better focus and concentrate.  Dr. Ratey points out that he had several patients that timed their workout period to help them concentrate later in the day.

A vigorous workout can also help revitalize an aging brain.  Several studies have shown that exercise prevents cognitive decline and delays the onset of Alzheimer’s.  It can also prevent the age-related brain fogginess that often develops by age 65.

The benefits of exercising have been proven scientifically.  If you are serious about achieving success, getting on a regular exercise program is an excellent way to boost your chances of reaching your goals.

Spark Your Brain for Success is a post from: Worldwide Success