P90x - The Ultimate Body Workout

If you're looking for a new workout challenge or just want to get into better overall shape then look no further - P90x does just that!  This program will transform your body over a 90 day period and leave you feeling great and full of energy.

What Is P90x?

P90x is a home fitness program coupled with a nutritional program to help get you into phenomenal shape in just 13 weeks.  Before you start the program it's always best to seek a thorough strength, balance, and flexibility assessment from a qualified professional  so you can avoid any unwanted injuries.  Once you're cleared let the good times begin!

Fitness Program

The workouts are approximately 45-60 minutes long and you do them 6 days per week.  Three days a week you add in 15 minutes of abdominal exercises after you workout which really helps transform your stomach into that 6 pack that you always wanted.

There are various workout regimens that you'll rotate between so you can rest assured that you won't get bored.  You'll go between the following as you work your way through the program:

1)  Strength/Resistance Training
2)  Cardio
3)  Yoga
4)  Plyometrics - "Jump training"
5)  Stretching
6)  Abdominal exercises
7)  Martial Arts

5 Exercises That Are Easy On Your Joints

Exercise!  There's that word again.  The one that many of us would like to throw under the rug and forget about every time it comes up.  This is especially true if you have joint issues.  The Arthritis Foundation has recently reported that 46 million Americans experience some sort of joint condition.  That's nearly 1/6 of the U.S. population!

Maybe you've suffered a previous injury to a particular joint or maybe you have arthritis or your joints constantly ache.  Or perhaps you shy away from exercising because you don't want to do anything that's going to take a toll on your joints in the long run.  Whatever the case may be you can improve your joint health and overall well-being for that matter by participating in some form of low impact exercises.

Here are 5 forms of exercise that provide excellent options for those trying to stay fit with rickety joints:

1)  Walking

• Walking is a great form of a light cardio workout that's easy on the joints.  It gets the blood flowing which improves oxygenation and this helps you think clearer and feel more energetic.
• Try to reach for a goal of walking 30 minutes a day or 3 hours a week.  If you can't do this then start off with a smaller increment of 10 or 15 minutes and work your way up.
• Check out new trails in your neighborhood or local parks or beaches.  Some sunshine, fresh air, and new scenery are always great ways to boost your spirits and leave you with a smile once you've finished your walk.

2)  Swimming

• Swimming is a very low impact form of exercise and provides a great workout.  You can typically burn in excess of 500 calories per hour by swimming.
• Another great way to get in shape in the water is to join a water aerobics class.  Water aerobics will help you with your cardiovascular fitness as well as strength, flexibility, and balance.
• Swimming is a great way to stay cool in the summer and nothing beats a good workout on a hot summer day without the feeling of being drenched in sweat.

3)  Cycling

• Taking a bike ride is a fantastic way to break up your day and keep it easy on the joints.  Many neighborhoods have bike paths or trails that you can ride on to avoid traffic congestion on the roads.
• Bicycling is a great cardio workout but also works out your entire body especially the lower body.  Your legs, hips, and glutes will gain muscle tone while your waist sheds a few sizes if you cycle on a regular basis.
• Cycling can be a fun social outing as well that you can enjoy in the company of friends and family.

4)  Stretching Exercises

• There are a variety of stretching exercises that can benefit your joint health.  These include yoga, pilates, and other various stretching exercises.
• Pilates is a great way to work your core muscles and increase your joint flexibility along the way.  It's best to start with a low intensity workout first if you haven't tried pilates before.
• Yoga includes a multitude of different body poses that really give your entire body a good stretch. A beginners course is easy on the joints and will soon lead to increased flexibility and strength for both your muscles and joints.  And it's a great stress reliever too!

5)  Tai Chi

• Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that is not as popular in western cultures but serves as an excellent form of exercise to relieve joint pain.
• Tai Chi involves a number of slow, low impact movements that work on your range of motion, stretching, and flexibility while improving your muscle and ligament strength and endurance.
• Tai Chi is also a wonderful stress reliever as it focuses on a calmness throughout the workout.

So there you have it!  Five easy ways to give your health a boost while remaining easy on your joints.  Don't forget to check with your physician before starting any new exercise routine to ensure that it is safe to do so with any specific medical conditions that you may have.

Have fun and enjoy your workout!

If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!

by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

The Wonderful World of Yoga

Our world has quickly become one of less overall movement and more of just doing nothing when it comes to physical activity.  Just think of the typical day for most people.  We sit at home, we sit at work, and we even sit when we go out to enjoy ourselves (eating out, watching movie, etc.)  In fact, the CDC reports that only about a third of us engage in regular leisure-time physical activity.  That's a lot of us who are doing a lot of nothing.


I'm sure I don't have to tell you that exercise and regular physical activity is good for you.  But did you know that a recent meta-analysis study showed that regular moderate physical activity reduced overall death rates by nearly 20% in men and 24% in women compared to those who were only mildly physically active¹.  For anyone who enjoys living that's certainly motivation to get busy.  And moderate physical activity isn't the chore that you might think it is.  You can achieve this by doing simple things like walking, biking, or practicing yoga on a regular basis which brings us to our topic of discussion today.


Yoga is a combination of physical exercises and poses, breathing practices, and meditation techniques that have many positive health benefits associated with it.  Let's go over a handful of health benefits you can obtain from practicing yoga:


1.  Stress Reduction - Yoga has long been touted as an excellent stress reliever and who doesn't need less stress?  A study of employees at a British university showed marked improvements in feelings of clear-mindedness, composure, elation, and energy along with increased life purpose and satisfaction, and feelings of greater self-confidence during stressful situations by participating in just one 60 minute yoga class per week².

2.  Increased Flexibility - Yoga has been shown to increase lower body flexibility in older adults by as much as 34%³ but anyone who practices yoga is bound to see their flexibility increase regardless of age.

3.  Increased Muscle Tone & Strength - The variety of poses and stretches will work muscles that you didn't even know you had and you'll see a lot more definition as a result as well as increased strength.

4.  Better Posture - Yoga works a lot of your core muscles that are located in your abdomen and lower back which lead to better overall posture.

5.  Breathing - Your breath is the connection between your body and your mind and helps you relax as you learn how to synchronize both breath and movement together.  Individuals who practice yoga on a regular basis were shown to have better lung capacity and pulmonary function than both athletes and individuals leading a sedentary lifestyle⁴.

6.  Weight Loss - A study of 15,550 individuals found that yoga practice for 4 or more years was significantly associated with weight loss in overweight individuals⁵.

7.  Other Health Benefits - Yoga has been proven to improve type 2 diabetes⁶, hypertension⁷, arthritis⁸, and can even lower cholesterol⁹.

As you can see there are a number of reasons why you should start practicing yoga if you haven't already.  Yoga has made its way from its origin in India to the western world and is now becoming part of our everyday fitness language.  And it's not just for women anymore either.  Plenty of guys are now giving their yoga mats a run for their money.  Even professional athletes such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Shaquille O'Neal  have practiced yoga to increase their performance come game time.

If you're looking for some excellent resources where you get some more in depth information on yoga then check out these sites below:

ABC-of-Yoga

YogaWiz

Yoga Journal

So what are you waiting for?  Grab a friend, sign up for a yoga class, and get started today towards a healthier you!

Now I'd like to hear from you.  Have you thought about doing yoga?  Do you regularly practice yoga as part of your workout routine?  What benefits have you seen from doing yoga?  What different types of yoga have you done?  Do you have any advice for those who are new to yoga?

Have a wonderful day everyone!

If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!

by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

References:
1 Löllgen H, Böckenhoff A, Knapp G. Physical activity and all-cause mortality: an updated meta-analysis with different intensity categories. Int J Sports Med. 2009 Mar;30(3):213-24.
2 Hartfiel N, Havenhand J, Khalsa SB, Clarke G, Krayer A. The effectiveness of yoga for the improvement of well-being and resilience to stress in the workplace. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2010 Apr 6.
3 Schmid AA, Van Puymbroeck M, Koceja DM. Effect of a 12-week yoga intervention on fear of falling and balance in older adults: a pilot study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2010 Apr;91(4):576-83.
4 Prakash S, Meshram S, Ramtekkar U. Athletes, yogis and individuals with sedentary lifestyles; do their lung functions differ? Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Jan-Mar;51(1):76-80.
5 Kristal AR, Littman AJ, Benitez D, White E. Yoga practice is associated with attenuated weight gain in healthy, middle-aged men and women. Altern Ther Health Med. 2005;11:28–33.
6 Agte VV, Tarwadi K. Sudarshan Kriya yoga for treating type 2 diabetes: a preliminary study. Altern Complem Ther. 2004;10:220–2.
7 Bijlani RL, Vempati RP, Yadav RK, Ray RB, Gupta V, Sharma R, et al. A brief but comprehensive lifestyle education program based on yoga reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. J Altern Complem Med. 2005;11:267–74.
8 Badsha H, Chhabra V, Leibman C, Mofti A, Kong KO. The benefits of yoga for rheumatoid arthritis: results of a preliminary, structured 8-week program. Rheumatol Int. 2009 Oct;29(12):1417-21.
9 Mahajan AS, Reddy KS, Sachdeva U. Lipid profile of coronary risk subjects following yogic lifestyle intervention. Indian Heart J. 1999;51:37–40.