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Articles by Mikki Reilly

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22 articles by Mikki Reilly · showing 22

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By Mikki ReillyJun 16, 20081 topic

Flexibility vs Mobility

There seems to be a bit of confusion around the concepts of flexibility and mobility. So let's begin with a couple of definitions. Flexibility is the ability to flex, extend, or circumduct a joint through its intended full range of motion. So we're talking about the length of the tissues here, nothing more.nnMobility, or joint mobility, is the ability to move a joint through its full range of motion, with control. So mobility is based on active movement while flexibility invo

Primary topic: Stretching

7,710 views3/5 (1)

By Mikki ReillyMay 25, 20081 topic

A Maverick's Guide to: Booming Fitness

In the past, aging has often meant a gradual loss of health and vigor as the years progress. But with the recent advances in research on aging, we now know this slow decline is no longer inevitable. With the right exercise and nutritional program, even an unfit person can turn around most of the consequences of aging.nnWe know, for example, that VO2max, the single best measure of cardiovascular fitness, decreases about 10 percent per decade once youâve reached 30 years of a

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

911 views

By Mikki ReillyMar 30, 20081 topic

Intermittent Fasting

In years past, the practice of fasting was usually associated with religious or spiritual customs and traditions. But now, a growing number of fitness enthusiasts are beginning to include intermittent fasts in their lives, depending on goals and circumstances, as a way to lose fat and improve overall health and longevity.nnIntermittent fasting (IF) makes perfect sense from an evolutionary point of view. Our paleolithic ancestors went through regular cycles where food was eith

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,551 views

By Mikki ReillyMar 19, 20081 topic

6 Meals vs 3 Meals A Day

One of my clients recently asked me if I think it's better to eat six small meals a day or the more traditional fare of three larger meals. Some may ask: Why would anyone want to eat six meals a day?nnThe idea comes from the world of body building where it's believed that a positive nitrogen balance is the key to muscle growth. And, that the way to maintain a positive nitrogen balance is make sure you get sufficient protein, along with carbohydrates, at frequent intervals thr

Primary topic: Nutrition

2,402 views

By Mikki ReillyFeb 5, 20081 topic

Burn Fat Faster With Shorter Workouts

The most frequent reason I hear for not working out is: I don't have time. With that in mind, I'd like to suggest a couple of ways to effectively work your muscles and increase fat burning while spending less time in the gym.nnThe simplest way to decrease your time in the gym is to increase the "density" of your workouts. Workout density refers to the amount of work you perform in a specific period of time. One way to do this is to use supersets. nnMost weight training routin

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

962 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 15, 20081 topic

The Deadlift Is A Functional Exercise

I was working with one of my clients on his deadlift recently. And after he completed a nice set of five reps, I commented that the weight was 235 pounds. Then another gym member, who overheard our conversation, asked my client if he was "powerlifting." nnSure, the deadlift is a powerlifting exercise, which is used to measure strength at competitive meets. But it's also one of the most functional lifts available, as few exercises are more useful; we all deadlift every time we

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,080 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 14, 20081 topic

the Secret to Fat Loss: Intervals!

If youâre one of the many people struggling to keep up in the fast-paced world of cell phones, pagers, and laptops, with little time left for fitness, then intervals may be just what youâre looking forâ¦nnFor years, weâve all heard if you want to lose fat you need to spend endless hours on a treadmill or riding a bike. But thanks to new discoveries in cardiovascular training, thatâs no longer the case as comparisons have shown that intervals (short bursts of get-out-

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

965 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 10, 20081 topic

Set Smart Goals

Why? Because goal setting works. Research studies have shown a direct correlation between goal setting and enhanced performance in both sports and business. nnOne reason is that goals act like a roadmap. They take you from where you are to where you want to be. Think of it as a long term strategy that can be broken down into a bunch of smaller steps. This can make seemingly impossible tasks doable. nnAnother reason is that any major accomplishment requires motivation and pers

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

990 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 9, 20081 topic

Plyometrics Develop Speed And Quickness

One of the well-known consequences of aging is the loss of lean muscle mass. In particular, the type II muscle fibers (fast twitch) decrease the most - the ones we use for speed and quickness.nnPlyometrics, or "jump training" is great method for developing these muscle fibers. This technique was pioneered in Russia back in the 1960s and gained worldwide recognition when the east European athletes dominated the competition at the Olympics in the 60s and early 70s.nnThe Russian

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,160 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 8, 20081 topic

Three Steps To A Leaner, Stronger Body

Do you have an image of your ideal body in your mind?nnPerhaps you'd like to increase the size and strength of your upper body... Or maybe you want to lose that spare tire around your middle... And then again, you may want to look sharp in your business suit for presentations. Whatever it is, this program will transform the image you have in your mind into a reality, if you follow these three steps.nn Resistance Training nnThe cornerstone of the program is resistance training

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

968 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 7, 20081 topic

Challenge Your Balance

Letâs face itâ¦ everything these days is about balanceâ¦ from diets to exerciseâ¦ right down to balancing opposing muscle groups. But the type of balance weâll discuss in this article is more fundamental. Itâs the human function we depend on every day of our lives to get out of bed, to walk, or to play just about any sport â the ability to control your body as it moves through space. Simply defined, it's the ability to sustain your equilibrium (not fall over) when

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

954 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 5, 20081 topic

Reverse The Effects Of Aging

The Free Radical Theory of Aging is probably one of the most popular theories of aging. Itâs about how oxidative stress brought on by free radicals results in aging and the development of a variety of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders and some cancers. nnA free radical is an atom with an unpaired electron. The nucleus of an atom is surrounded by a ring of paired electrons. Sometimes an atom loses an electron (referred to as oxidation), leaving th

Primary topic: Aging and Longevity

Aging and Longevity

1,101 views3/5 (1)

By Mikki ReillyJan 4, 20081 topic

Women And Metabolism

One of my clients recently reminded me of some of the myths about women and diet and exercise that are so prevalent in our society. One of which is the idea that women need to starve themselves to lose weight, when in fact, women need to eat to boost their metabolic rate to burn fat. nnMetabolism is simply the way your body uses energy and there are three factors involved. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) burns calories sustaining vital functions like heart rate, breathing and

Primary topic: Dieting and Weight Loss

Dieting and Weight Loss

920 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 4, 20081 topic

Women And Cardio

One of the the most pervasive myths around women and fitness is that women need to do a lot of low intensity cardio (aerobics) to be lean and improve body composition. The truth is that performing excess cardio will only make you fatter in the long run. nnOne of the reasons is that too much aerobic exercise increases stress hormones, which leads to overeating, and down regulates growth hormone, the hormone that signals your body to build muscle and burn fat. nnHigh volume aer

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,009 views

By Mikki ReillyJan 2, 20081 topic

The Leg Curl Is A Useless Exercise

In the traditional gym setting, the leg curl is often considered a staple of lower body strength training. It's an isolation exercise (a single joint movement), knee flexion, that's used for strengthening the hamstrings. nnThis exercise is useless because you never use this particular muscle action, isolated knee flexion, lying on your stomach, in everyday activities and sports. So the leg curl is non-functional; there's no purpose to it.nnIn activities such as running, jumpi

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

2,512 views

By Mikki ReillyDec 30, 20071 topic

Challenge Your Balance

Letâs face itâ¦ everything these days is about balanceâ¦ from diets to exerciseâ¦ right down to balancing opposing muscle groups. But the type of balance weâll discuss in this article is more fundamental. Itâs the human function we depend on every day of our lives to get out of bed, to walk, or to play just about any sport â the ability to control your body as it moves through space. Simply defined, it's the ability to sustain your equilibrium (not fall over) when

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

898 views

By Mikki ReillyDec 28, 20071 topic

Eat And Train Like The Hunter-Gatherers

At first glance, it's not obvious that we have anything in common with our Paleolithic ancestors. Civilization has completely changed the way we live our lives. But because our DNA evolves so slowly, our genes have not changed over the past 40,000 years; we have the genetic blueprint of our Paleolithic ancestors.nnConsequently, our bodies are expecting to see the same foods and activity patterns they did 40,000 years ago. And when they don't, we run into trouble. Anthropologi

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,953 views

By Mikki ReillyDec 24, 20071 topic

Stress, Cortisol And Weight Gain

Despite the abundance of information on diet and exercise in the media, Americans are continuing to get fatter. According to a recent analysis, an estimated 30 percent of adults - over 60 million - are obese, defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, and, an estimated 65 percent of adults are overweight or obese, defined as having a BMI of 25 or higher.nnWhile increased food portion sizes, consumption of high-fat fast foods, and lack of exercise are the most

Primary topic: Nutrition

1,111 views

By Mikki ReillyDec 24, 20071 topic

Essential Fatty Acids Control Inflammation

There's been a lot of research on the aging process recently and the latest findings suggest that low-grade inflammation is the cause of many of the modern degenerative diseases, like coronary heart disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes and some cancers.nnInflammation is a normal part of the body's immune system. When you burn your finger, for example, white blood cells secrete a number of inflammation promoting chemicals to fight germs and rid the body of damaged cells. Then once t

Primary topic: Nutrition

954 views

By Mikki ReillyDec 24, 20071 topic

Good Carbs Bad Carbs

In past years, it was thought that simple carbs were the bad carbs and complex carbs (which come from starchy foods) were the good ones. But the distinction between the two is really meaningless. All carbs get broken down into glucose in our bodies. What's important is how quickly they get broken down.nnWhen a carbohydrate is broken down into glucose, that glucose enters the bloodstream. The body senses the rise in glucose and responds by secreting insulin. Insulin has many f

Primary topic: Dieting and Weight Loss

Dieting and Weight Loss

1,101 views

By Mikki ReillyApr 12, 20071 topic

Flexibility: the Benefits

If the idea of having supple muscles and smooth, fluid movements â movements that convey youth and health, regardless of age â sounds appealing, then add flexibility training into your life, if you havenât done so already, so that you may begin to enjoy the many benefits. nnFlexibility is defined as the measure of a joints movement through a normal range of motion. A flexible joint has the ability to move through a greater range of motion so youâre much less likely to

Primary topic: Fitness and Exercise

Fitness and Exercise

1,054 views

By Mikki ReillyApr 11, 20071 topic

The Secret to Fat Loss: Intervals!

If you’re one of the many people struggling to keep up in the fast-paced world of cell phones, pagers, and laptops, with little time left for fitness, then intervals may be just what you’re looking for…n nFor years, we’ve all heard if you want to lose fat you need to spend endless hours on a treadmill or riding a bike. But thanks to new discoveries in cardiovascular training, that’s no longer the case. Comparisons have shown that intervals (short

Primary topic: Aerobics

1,827 views4/5 (2)

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