It’s time for the second Quick Tip of the year! This one goes out to all those people who you see in the gym cycling/treading/stepping away to glory as sweat drips down by the bucketful from their bodies! (Not a very pleasant sight is it?!). If you ever wondered why you don’t sweat as much (or you are actually one of them), then know this:
“You Don’t Have To Sweat To Get A Good Workout”

Smart Fitness on MSNBC Health has the scoop:

Everyone doesn’t sweat the same amount or under the same circumstances. Some people sweat just sitting at their desks and others don’t bead up until they’re midway through a high-impact aerobics class.

The topic arose when answering an question on the optimal gym temperature (it’s about 68-72 F, by the way). The fact is that perspiration is just the body’s natural reaction to increased temperature as is sensed by the individual. The body is able to achieve a certain level of cooling by the evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin - a natural phenomenon known as thermoregulation.

Now, of course everyone perceives temperature a little differently and consequently, different people sweat differently. The amount of sweating has no bearing on the success of the workout and in fact, a person who sweats excessively has to be particularly careful that he/she remains well hydrated with plenty of water.

So just forget about how much you are sweating when you workout and focus instead on high-intensity, shorter duration cardio-vascular exercises and don’t forget to hit the weights as well!

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At the risk of making you feel selfish, I want to give you this piece of fitness advice today in the form of a Quick Tip:

“Pay Yourself First”

What does that mean? Well, ever found that the reason you are not able to spend more (any?) time in the gym, visit more produce stores for fresh foods, read a book or even just sit still for a few minutes and meditate (if you are that kind of person) is simply because you have no time? Pay Yourself First just means that you have to make some time just for yourself everyday to get those things done that are important to you.

Think about how most of us save for retirement: We pay ourselves first! A portion of our paycheck is deducted at source and automatically squirreled away for the future. And guess what - we somehow manage to make do with what is remaining. Yes, if we didn’t save for retirement, we could have that car right now or that house a year earlier. Yet somehow, at least in the finance world, we seem to be making the right choices and realizing what is more important. There will always be needs and desires, but a steady consistent approach to saving for our future is of paramount importance!

So why then don’t we take that same approach toward health and fitness - which are of even more importance because, honestly, without them what’s the use of saving for the future? There will always be chores that need to be finished, lawns that need to be mowed, snow that needs to be shoveled, deadlines that need to be met and in general “tasks that need to get done”. Ten years down the raod, you certainly don’t want to look back and think “Didn’t I have half-an-hour a day back then to take better care of my body”?

So take some time off today for yourself. Get outdoors, get to that gym, take the time to eat and live well.

“Pay Yourself First”

(More QuickTips)

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