Around the time of menopause or just after, many women see their waistline increase in size. This comes as a surprise to women who are watching what they eat and working out almost every day. Even women who are relatively lean after menopause often wage a battle with belly fat and frequently notice a redistribution of body fat from their buttocks and thighs to their tummy and waistline. Why is an expanding waistline and belly fat such a problem after menopause and what can you do to control tummy fat after menopause?
What is it that motivates you to eat – or to overeat? Your appetite is regulated by a complex group of peptides including appetite hormones like leptin, produced by fat cells. Leptin turns off your appetite and reduces the desire to eat. Ghrelin, a hormone produced by the lining of your stomach has the opposite effect – it strongly stimulates the desire to eat. Think mad rush to the refrigerator! These hormones exert their effects on a portion of your brain called the hypothalamus.
Is aging a product of oxidative stress and free radicals – or IS it? This article discusses the evidence for and against the free radical theory of aging and the role free radicals play in health, aging and longevity.
What is mental toughness and how does it impact your ability to make fitness gains? Read on and discover why mental toughness is important for achieving exercise goals and how you can develop the ability to push through the burn.
There are advantages to working out first thing in the morning. There’s less chance you’ll “skip” if you get it done first thing. But what if you’re not a morning person? Here are some tips for making the transition to exercising in the morning – and loving it.
Do you have a strong hand grip or a weak one? The answer to this question is more important than you think. The strength of your hand grip says something about how strong you are and how much muscle mass you carry on your frame. It even says something about your overall health. Find out more.
One of the benefits of aerobic exercise is it improves aerobic capacity or the ability of muscles to use oxygen to make energy. An indirect measure of this is called V02 max. Have you ever wondered how much you can improve your aerobic capacity or V02 max? Find out more about maximizing aerobic capacity.
Can high-intensity exercise change bad fat to good fat? That’s what a new study shows. There’s a certain type of fat that’s less efficient than the fat you store on your hips and tummy. Instead of storing the calories you take in – it converts them to heat. Would you like more of this type of fat and less of the other? Exercise may be one way to get it. Find out why and how you can get the benefits.
Should you exercise when you’re on vacation – or take a break? Before leaving your exercise shoes behind, find out the pros and cons of working out when you’re away from home – and how to make it simple.
Most women don’t have to worry about getting bulky. Still, some women want to focus on strength without building muscle mass. Is that possible? This article talks about how training impacts muscle strength and muscle size and whether it’s possible to increase muscle strength without increasing size.