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Living Well for better stamina and
endurance
Living
well is not just a matter of maintaining good health. Making the right
lifestyle choices and truly ?living well? means we have better stamina and
endurance to handle the daily challenges and ?curve-balls? that life seems to
toss our way.
Regular exercise can increase our physical endurance and help us to ward
off unwanted illness. Some experts believe that exercise can even delay the
aging process.
While we can?t totally do away with the effects of aging, we can certainly
reduce our stress and prevent the loss of muscle tone by adding exercise to
our Living Well? routine?along with a healthy diet.
What do athletes know about exercise and Living
Well??
The professional athlete would not step out onto the field without first
taking care of himself. Athletes know that eliminating negative lifestyle
choices, nourishing the body with healthy foods and vital nutrients, and
replenishing the body with water and health supplements, can lead to better
performance during training or competition.
With these three simple steps, a healthy diet, and some exercise, we can
perform our best in our daily activities and have the increased energy that we
would like for our recreational time. We may even build extra strength and
endurance to prepare for those times of stress in our lives.
Healthy lifestyle choices
We can begin by thinking about some of the lifestyle choices that we make
each day, and how they impact our ability to perform well at work, school, or
play. Athletes traditionally make ?living well? decisions by eliminating:
smoking, fast-foods, excessive soda consumption, too much caffeine, drug
abuse, excessive alcohol intake, and lack of sleep. We could add to the list:
high stress, living or working near pollutants, physical inactivity, poor
emotional outlook on life, lack of fiber, fruits, vegetables, and other
complex carbohydrates for a healthy diet.
Eliminate
The importance of water
For both the athlete and the weekend exerciser, elimination continues
beyond healthful lifestyle choices. Virtually everyone agrees that flushing
the body with plenty of water?before, during, and after exercise?is critical.
This helps to prepare the body for exercise prior to the event and helps to
fend off dehydration during exercise. Water helps to regulate body temperature
and allows for good circulation and muscle function.
Plenty of pure, clean water also helps to rid the body of harmful toxins.
Toxins accumulate in the body on a daily basis. Every day we are exposed to
heavy metals, chemicals, molds and fungus, all of which must be flushed from
our system. To flush the body of toxins, adults should drink at least eight or
more glasses of water per day.
The importance of fiber
A diet high in fiber, fruits, and vegetables will also aid in the
elimination of toxins through the body and help you to feel better during
exercise. Regular meal times and bowel movements are critical for those who
are serious about their training routine.
As a general rule, adequate fiber intake helps to regulate rapid highs and
lows in blood sugar during exercise. Starting an exercise routine hungry or
light-headed will not allow you to perform your best. Adjust your fiber intake
to best suit your needs and the intensity level of the exercise.
Nourish
A healthy,
well-balanced diet will provide all of the energy that the body needs for
physical activity. Vital nutrients come from foods that offer complex
carbohydrates, such as vegetables, fruits and grains; as well as proteins
found in low-fat meats, poultry, fish and legumes. Instead of loading up on
carbohydrates prior to exercise, try to make a well-balanced diet your goal
every day.
For the pre-exercise meal, experts recommend eating no more than 800
calories in the form of a small, high-carbohydrate snack, such as cereal with
a sliced banana, a low-fat bagel, or a baked potato with soy yogurt and a
vegetable topping. A post-workout snack might consist of fruit, fruit juice,
followed later by a meal of mixed carbohydrate and low-fat protein.
Nourishing the body also means getting plenty of rest after the activity.
So, take time to sit on the bench and give yourself plenty of praise for a job
well done, while enjoying that refreshing sip of well-deserved water!
Replenish
Water is the winning combination for exercise. As we?ve mentioned,
replenishing the body with water is important ?before, during, and after? the
sporting event. It is vital in the replenishing of lost fluids, and helps to
get the muscles moving.
Refueling the body takes other forms as well. The after workout meal (as
described above) will help to replace depleted stores of nutrients and allow
the body to repair microscopic damage to muscle fibers. After adequate rest
and a good meal, you may consider the use of dietary supplements to replenish
the body with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Vitamins and minerals do not
provide energy, but are essential in regulating chemical reactions within the
body.
Just remember that you can?t totally do away with the aging process or
quickly dismiss years of exercise neglect, but with good lifestyle choices and
a consistent effort, you can take steps toward improved health by truly Living
Well?.
AIM products to try for your
Living Well? routine:
Eliminate?with AIM Herbal
Fiberblend? for better colon health; featuring a unique combination of soluble
fibers and cleansing herbs, to help your body detoxify naturally.=
Nourish?with AIM Garden Trio?, including AIM BarleyLife?, AIM
Just Carrots?, AIM RediBeets?. Perfect refreshment when mixed with juice or
water?and an excellent way to get extra vitamins and nutrients into the diet.
Replenish?with AIM Proancynol? 2000. Combines green tea,
grape seed extract, alpha-lipoic acid and other powerful antioxidants to help
fight free radicals and maintain a healthy immune system.
Replenish?with AIM CellSparc 360?, featuring coenzyme Q10
(CoQ10) with tocotrienols and fish oil to provide total cardiovascular support
Copyright ? AIM International, Inc. Used
with permission.
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