5 Fitness Lessons I Learned Being In The Military

by: Lee Smith
Can I share a quick secret with you?

You may not know this, but at the age of 30, I'm a war veteran. That's right, I served, sweated and ran (INCOMING!) when necessary in Iraq serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. During that time, I saw first- hand why America is proud to be the land of the free, home of the brave. If there's one thing I've learned about being in the military, it's that military members, no matter what they're background, all serve to better themselves, their country and to fulfill their sense of duty.

Now, when I first enlisted in the military is wasn't all roses - not by a long shot. The first few years were somewhat difficult for me simply because, well, it took some time getting used to. But over the years (wow, 7 years went by FAST!) I've come to realize there are a lot of lessons I've learned that I can not only apply to everyday life, but to training also. Here are few of those lessons I'd like to share with you:

1. Always focus on the goal

In any military unit you participate in whether you're active duty, guard, or reserve, you will be tasked to complete a mission. No good commander will ever send his people out without making sure they understand how important it is they focus on completing the objective. The same should go with your fitness program. Each time you step in the gym, you should know what you're there for. Everything you do during your workout should be to directly affect that particular goal.

2. Never Give Up

Far too many people give up well before they see any results. United States Marines live by, "SEMPER FI, DO OR DIE! HOOAH!!" (gotta love Marines). Although it's a very gung-ho way of looking at things, you shouldn't give up until you achieve the goal. Giving up before you've realized any progress is a sure-fire way to failure and you certainly shouldn't give up before you've actually seen results.

3. Plan your work, and work your plan.

That's a good ole' sayin' that's been around for quite a while. If you want to see what a truly confused individual looks like, just walk into any gym and ask someone who spends most of their time looking around what their workout plan is like.

As a Las Vegas personal trainer, I'm asked to write programs for people often. Now, don't think that a workout is just a "workout" to give you something to do. No sirree. A designed workout is a specific plan of action to help you achieve a particular goal, whether it's weight loss or weight gain. The best way to succeed with a fitness program? Follow it.

4. Take Time To relax and enjoy yourself

I'll never forget the time I deployed to Iraq. It was stressful, long, tedious, and an emotional roller coaster day-in and out. However, since my superiors realized this, everyone was given time off without being charged leave so they could rest and revitalize themselves. Now if you think about it, most of us need some time to unwind and relax after a hard day's work! Now, if you can imagine what that feels like to push your body hard for weeks and weeks on end without rest.

Eventually, your body would break down and that's not what you want. Your body can only take so much stress for so long so you need to take time off and relax. Usually 4-5 weeks into your program is ideal. Take a week off, relax, enjoy your time and come back the next week ready to go. You'll usually find that you're able to lift more and contract your muscles harder! And you know what that means...more results!

5. Make It A Part of your life

Although many people have a hard time admitting it, the military is a part of their life. It's been a part of mine for the past seven years. It hasn't been 'peaches-and-cream' the entire time, but the biggest lesson I've learned is to adapt the military to my way of life. You've got to do the same with your fitness program. Trying to "fit-in-a-workout-when-you-can" is difficult. However, if you make it a part of your life and you're able to always have time to train without thinking about it, you're on your way.
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The Best Nutition To Lower Cholesterol

by: Stewart Levison

There is a saying that goes. "We are what we eat." This is so true as the food being consumed may affect the cholesterol levels inside the person’s system. This makes this makes the person prone to high blood pressure or heart disease through age, which could leave the patient, paralyzed or dead.

The only thing to do before it is too late is to make some changes in the individual's diet. While many of the good stuff that people love to eat have high concentrations of LDL better known as bad cholesterol, this can all change by consuming those that have HDL or good cholesterol. Here are a few examples.

A good way to start a healthy diet is to have a breakfast. Instead of eating bread, the individual can consume oatmeal instead. Studies have shown this can lower the cholesterol in the body by more than 20. This can be purchased at the supermarket and eaten during anytime of the day such as dessert after a light meal or as a snack.

During lunch or dinner, the person must have some vegetables in the meal. Those who order can have fish or poultry instead of eating red meat. Such dishes are not high in saturated fats, which are healthier.

Those who love to cook at home can try mixing some healthy things ingredients in the meal. One example is garlic that has natural properties that can declog the arteries and again lower the odds of succumbing to heart disease.

Having a can of pork and beans is also good for the diet. This is because it contains soluble fibers that can combat the bad cholesterol in the person's body. There are not that many people who will do this but those who are able to eat even a half an onion daily will be able to increase the HDL and lower the LDL.

People are often told that fats are not good for the diet. This isn’t entirely true because this comes in many forms. There are fats that are healthy such as unsaturated ones and omega 3 fatty acids.

Monosaturated and Polysaturated ones are also effective since these are usually found in cooking oils. This means food preparation also plays a big factor in reducing lowering one’s cholesterol levels.

The individual should read the label at the supermarket and read the ingredients to find out if this is healthy for cooking.

Being a bit overweight or noticing a lot of bulges in the body is one way of knowing that the person is potentially at risk for succumbing to disease to high levels of cholesterol in the system.

If the individual is unable to make a proper dietary plan, a specialist can help make one so all the person has to do is follow it.

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