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If you’re like most people, time is a commodity you don’t give up lightly.  This can often be a difficult thing to overcome for those looking to lose a few lb’s.  In a perfect world, we would all have time to commit to a full hour of training each day to reach our ideal physique.  Unfortunately, we typically have to pick and choose our workout routines to fit our busy schedules.  This begs the question then, as to what is the most effective form of short period exercise for losing weight?  A recent study out of North Carolina just might have the answer you are looking for.

The study followed 119 overweight or obese men and women between 18 – 70 years old over a period of eight months.  The subjects were divided into three groups: one engaged in a vigorous aerobic exercise protocol, the second in a resistance protocol and the third a combination of the two.  Each group exercised three days per week, with the aerobic group going for 45 minutes at 70 – 85% maximum heart rate, the resistance group doing 8 – 12 reps on eight resistance machines targeting all muscle groups, and the combination group doing all of the above.  At the end of the study, each participant was assessed for weight, waist circumference, body composition and cardio fitness.  These figures were then compared to the results from the baseline tests completed at the beginning of the study.

The researchers found that those participating in the aerobic and combination groups lost significantly more weight than those that only did resistance training.  In fact, some of the resistance participants actually gained weight due to the increase in muscle.  Researchers did find that the combination group was able to decrease their measurements and fat percentage, as well as increase their lean muscle, allowing for a larger decrease in body fat percentage.

In essence, if you have the time for it, try to combine aerobic and resistance-based exercise to see the best results.  If you’re crunched for time like most folks however, aerobic exercise is the answer for getting rid of those unwanted lbs in your limited free time, and stay away from resistance alone.  That is, unless you don’t mind bulking up instead of slimming down.  Now hit the gym and get that heart rate up!

We’ve all been told that diets high in sugar, salt and calories (also known as the “cafeteria diet”) are a quick way to put on weight, and should be avoided whenever possible.  A new study lends credence to this train of thought, indicating that it can also significantly increase one’s risk of metabolic syndrome and even stroke.

The researchers in the Canadian study gave sedentary rats unlimited access to healthy food pellets and water.  They were also offered the same access to a selection of “junk food” items, including cookies, cupcakes and sausage, as well as a sucrose solution that simulated soft drinks.  The rats in the study were at an age about the equivalent of 16 – 22 years old in humans at the time of the study.

Researchers found that, like many humans, the rats tended to prefer the junk food to the healthy options.  They also found that within two months of beginning the study, most of the rats had developed most of the symptoms associated with metabolic syndrome (high cholesterol/blood sugar/blood pressure and obesity).  This lead the researchers to believe that there will soon be an increasing number of strokes and heart disease/dementia patients in people in their 30’s and 40’s if current dieting trends remain unchecked.

So next time you reach for that cookie, try to remember that it may be doing more than just going to your hips.  Instead, treat yourself to some fresh fruit or other healthy snack.  You will thank yourself time and again when you start approaching that mid-life crisis.

Nobody likes to be stressed out at work.  It can be simply exhausting.   And as if that wasn’t enough, a new report indicates that it can actually have a physical impact on your cardiovascular health as well. A recent meta-analysis combined the data from 13 similar studies of a combined 198,000 people to find that those who indicated stress in the workplace were at a nearly 25% increased risk of suffering from Coronary Heart Disease (CHD).

Factors such as quantity of work, having sufficient time to complete tasks, decision-making freedoms, and overall demand of the job were considered and evaluated against study-specific median scores.  The statistical associations remained consistent, even when results were adjusted to compensate for age, sex and socioeconomic status.  The researchers indicated that lowering stress levels, particularly those related to work, could have a dramatic affect on preventing a person’s risk of CHD.  They also indicated that nutrition, exercise and hereditary factors also play an obvious role in the risk of CHD, and that all factors need to be considered together to gain a better perspective on one’s predisposition to CHD.

If you have ever said something along the lines of “this job will be the death of me,” you may not be too far from the truth.  When your stress levels start to rise, it is important to take a moment to collect yourself and approach the situation with a calm, collected mindset.  This will help to keep those stress levels to a minimum.  There are plenty of other methods you can take to reduce stress levels, including meditation, time management techniques and more, so check them out!  They just might save your life!