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The Health Benefits of Anti-Fatigue Mats

January 17th, 2010

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Anti-fatigue mats are very beneficial to the health of people who have to stand in one place for an extended period of time. The reason these mats have so many benefits is pure physics — anti-fatigue mats counteract the massive forces exerted on the body’s pressure points, joints, limbs and muscles caused by gravity and the repetitive pounding by walking. Here are some of the problems presented by extended standing and walking and the solutions that anti-fatigue mats provide.

Standing for long periods of time, especially on hard surfaces, causes many physical problems. This includes weariness and pain. A well made anti-fatigue mat will cause the body’s muscles to slowly contract and expand as they conform to the anti-fatigue mat’s flexibility. This muscle movement increases the flow of blood and the amount of oxygen that is reaching the heart. Blood flow is facilitated, taking less energy away from the individual. In turn, this reduces fatigue for the entire body.

Standing on hard flooring for a long time is very fatiguing. It elicits major physical exhaustion because your body’s heart and muscles must work extra hard against gravity to maintain blood flow. Muscles in the legs begin to become stationary and constricted as they work harder to keep the body upright. The heart works harder at getting blood to these constricted areas. Blood flow is reduced while at the same time blood and fluids begin to accumulate in the lower extremities, causing varicose veins. The issues associated with standing for a long time have been researched extensively. The damage that standing for long periods of time causes to our body is severe and can lead to health complications as serious as stroke, cancer and heart failure.

Anti-fatigue mats increase comfort and reduce overall pain by absorbing the colossal amount of force exerted on a body from standing or walking. Anyone who is not in pain will definitely be more productive! Standing or walking on concrete is particularly damaging because concrete is rigid, providing no shock absorbency. Simply walking on a hard floor is like striking the heel with a hammer every time you take a step. These mats are like giant shock absorbers, which provide a cushiony surface to walk on. This reduces that “hammering” effect on the feet. The cushiony effect reduces pressure on specific points in the joints, connective tissue and muscles. The shock absorption that an anti-fatigue mat provides protects the body from the ravages of gravity and exertion.

Anti-fatigue mats can counteract the complications of long-term standing in so many other ways. They reduce problems like spinal compression. They reduce fatigue by providing better circulation and less pain in not only the feet, but also the legs, spine, back and neck. Other benefits of these mats include less doctor’s visits, less time off from work, fewer accidents due to slipping or fatigue and less worker’s compensation claims. The benefits are both short-and-long term. The gains are far-reaching. A little investment in anti-fatigue mats can bring great returns!

If you’re looking for great anti-fatigue, safety and entrance matting solutions, Mat Tech, Inc. has over 30 years of experience in the commercial matting industry. They provide customized products to meet your needs, including logo mats. Powered by SEO 2.0 Optimization ServicesArticle Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-health-benefits-of-antifatigue-mats-1736347.html

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Weight Loss Basics — A Medical Perspective for Lay People

December 31st, 2009

In order to achieve weight loss calorie metabolism must exceed calorie intake. Metabolism is a complex series of chemical actions in the body necessary to maintain life involving the utilization of energy from food known as calories. Simplistically speaking, metabolism is the burning of food energy. Therefore, if calorie burning exceeds calorie intake weight loss occurs.  Conversely, if calorie intake is greater than the number of calories burned weight gain occurs.

Life-sustaining bodily activities requiring metabolism include growth and development, various cell functions including digestion, healing, breathing, functioning of the immune system and many of the chemical reactions that occur in the tissues of the body as well as muscle movement.  When number of taken in exceeds the amount of calories utilized for the various life-sustaining activities, the extra calories are stored in the body. Unfortunately, one of the main forms of stored bodily energy is fat.

Approximately 100% of the calories in an average diet are derived from three main food types. Those food types are carbohydrates, proteins and fats. The calorie value of each food type is specified as number of calories per gram.  There are 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate and protein and 9 calories per gram of fat. Our bodies use more than just the energy from food but also the smallest chemical particles of the food, known as molecules, as building blocks for body parts and to make enzymes which are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in the body.  For this reason the total daily calorie intake cannot be from just one food type but must be balanced between carbohydrates, fats and protein.

Carbohydrates include simple sugars and more complex chemical particles known as starches and fibers which are present in foods such as grains such as rye, bread, potatoes and pasta. According to most authorities, carbohydrates should constitute between 50% and 55% of total daily calories.

The primary sources of protein in the diet are meat, beans, eggs, nuts, soybean, soybean products and milk products. Between 10% and 15% of the total daily calorie intake should be in the form of protein.

Because of the higher calorie content in fat, diets high in fat cause greater weight gain and are associated with more difficult weight loss. The amount of fat in the diet should be limited not only if weight loss is the goal but also because of the link between fat intake and diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Authorities generally recommend that less than 30% of daily calories should be in the form of fat.

In the fasting state, our bodies begin to break down or burn calories for fat, carbohydrate and protein stores stored in out bodies to maintain life-sustaining bodily activities at the cellular level. The set amount of energy required for sustaining life supporting chemical and biological bodily functions when our digestive tracts are inactive and we are not physically active is known as the basal metabolic rate (BMR), which is expressed as calories per day.  BMR decreases with age and is generally higher in males than in females. BMR also increases with increased muscle mass and decreases with obesity.

Because muscles cells and other tissue cells require more energy during physical activity, the body breaks down the sources of stored energy (particularly fat) during exercise resulting in weight loss occurs if the amount of energy utilized is not replaced or exceeded by the dietary intake of calories after or preceding the physical activity.  The increased metabolism associated with physical activity explains why exercise is so important in weight loss programs.

There are basically two forms of exercise, aerobic and anaerobic.  Brisk walking, jogging and playing tennis are examples of aerobic exercise. Weight-lifting is the most common form of anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is generally of moderate intensity and is sustained for extended periods. It involves increased breathing and greater burning of fat than does anaerobic exercising which is not sustained for extended periods of time but is of high intensity. Anaerobic exercising tends to be more associated with the use the nonfat body energy stores than aerobic exercising, and therefore is not as effective in producing immediate weight loss as is aerobic exercise in combination with a weight loss diet.

Although immediate weight loss is not usually seen with anaerobic exercising, scientific observations suggest that anaerobic exercising raises the BMR because of the resulting increased muscle mass. Therefore, in the long run, anaerobic exercise can be beneficial in achieving weight and might be more effective in maintaining weight loss once it has been achieved.

Because of the relationship between calorie intake, calorie burning and weight loss, the most successful weight loss programs include a combination of a well-balanced, healthy weight-loss diet and safe exercising. The use of a weight calculator might be extremely helpful in helping coordinate a weight loss diet and exercise in your weight-loss program.

 

Victor Battles founded Proactive Health Outlet, an online resource to assist you in becoming more involved in your healthcare and improving your health, obesity being a major focus. For more information on weight loss resources visit http://www.proactivehealthoutlet.com.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/weight-loss-basics-a-medical-perspective-for-lay-people-1650186.html

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Keep Yourself Cleansed and Healthy by Detoxifying Your Body!

August 16th, 2009

Everyday each and every one of us is exposed to all sorts of toxins and harmful substances that could be aggravating to our health. You can rest guaranteed that when someone says anything toxic is bad for you, that it is true. Almost every kinds of form of pollution or toxin that enters our body will eventually make its way into the colon as the body tries to eliminate these unwanted wastes.

Maintaining a healthy colon is one of the single most important steps you can take to detoxify your body of build up toxins and waste. Toxins are in the foods we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe practically everywhere. Toxins can include perfume, cigarette smoke, pesticides, alcohol, mercury, oral contraceptives, food additives, and cleaning supplies.

Over time these toxins start to build up to unhealthy stages and begin to overwork the bodies other ordinary systems which left unchecked overtime can apparent itself into various diseases and conditions. These chemicals that build up in our bodily organs are preventing them from functioning properly and leaving us vulnerable to sickness. The toxic weight or the buildup can overpower the natural capability of the body to detoxify and may lead to hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiency, and inefficient metabolism.

Toxins build up over time and the excess fecal matter will more than likely put pressure on your internal organs. This pressure can slow the natural muscle movement of the colon, leading to constipation and the accumulation of toxic waste in the bowels. These problems can eventually lead to more serious health issues.

The ultimate goal of detox diet is to encourage the secretion of stored toxins through the organs of removal the skin, intestines, liver, lungs, kidneys, and lymphatic system. As a type of diet, it calls for a change in habits an effort to detoxify the body by removing toxins and other contaminants. In doing so, you improve your health, energy, resistance to disease, mental state, and digestion on top of aiding you in weight loss.

When you cleanse your body you will see an overall improvement in your health. Also you will see an increase in stamina, energy, and lastly you will lose weight. Remember those toxins that are weighing you down, they will be gone and with those you will lose that sluggish lazy feeling that most of us fight through everyday. When you do cleanse you also end constipation, kill harmful parasites, you end fatigue, no more acne, and you also stop gas and bloating. This helps to rebalance bacteria in your stomach in improve your digestion process, which it helps reduce the amount of gas and bloating.

If your looking for a Polynesian fruit with awesome nutritional support for the over all body to cleanse and detox your body, try Pure Hawaiian Noni. Doing a Detox program or Colon Cleansing program is all about restoring your body to its natural state of health and liveliness.

Steven Johnson is interested in maintaining a vital, active, and healthy lifestyle. For information on alternative health supplements, along with other life-enhancing nutrients please visit his website Alternative Health Supplements.Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/keep-yourself-cleansed-and-healthy-by-detoxifying-your-body-1131152.html

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