What does athletic mean to you?

When you hear the word athletic what comes to mind? A runner? A swimmer? A weight lifter?

What does it take to be considered athletic? The average person is active for about two hours a week, which is just below the recommended two and half hours a week. The average athlete works out 1-2 hours a day with a rest day each week, so about 10 hours week. And the type of training depends on what they’re preparing for, but across the board most athletes incorporate strength training and cardio into their workout regimes. And high intensity interval training (HIIT) is a common go-to training style across the board.

In addition to athletes using HIIT, there are many benefits being seen through recent fitness studies on this style of training. Beyond it being one of the best ways to train, it has benefits on the cellular level. HIIT combined with weight training can improve cellular function and slow the aging process at a cellular level. So not only will you look athletic and fit, you’ll also feel younger and better! But back to the image that comes to mind..

When you hear athletic, do you think about muscles or just a slim body? Do you like the athletic body or do you prefer a little more cushion? Do you think athletic is sexy or scary?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

What does athletic mean to you? was originally published on Self Evolve

Barre it all

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to try a few free Barre classes at two different The Barre Code locations and this is my review. I went into these Barre classes thinking “how hard can it be?” and needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was sweating and…

Barre it all was originally published on Self Evolve

Running for beginners

Are you looking to increase your cardio? Are you looking to get into running but don’t know where to start? Do you hate running but want a runner’s body? If you answered yes, this article is for you. Some background on me, I used to hate running with a passion. Despite being good at it,…

Running for beginners was originally published on Self Evolve

Track Your Fitness

If you’re like me, you like to track how many steps you take in a day. If you run like me, you also like to know how far and what your pace is while running. Cherry on the top? I also want to know what my heart-rate is in order to make sure I’m not…

Track Your Fitness was originally published on Self Evolve

Sexercise

While you may have heard that regular exercise helps reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases, it can also help in the bedroom. According to new research, exercise can help both men and women improve their sex life. Exercise is being found to be a natural Viagra for men, the higher a man’s fitness level the higher their sexual satisfaction and performance. Research in women has found that those who are physically active report greater sexual desire, arousal and satisfaction than women who are sedentary.

What can be the cause of this? Scientifically: increased blood flow from exercise helps men and women alike. Also, physical activity (especially strength training) leads to increased levels of testosterone which may boost sex drive in men and women. Just be sure to not overtrain, which can have the opposite effect! But non-scientific reasons include an enhanced self-image that comes with exercising regularly. Men and women who exercise may be more likely to feel sexually desirable, which leads to better sex. So can greater strength, flexibility and stamina that result from exercise. In a sense you can get in a loop of exercising and a healthy sex life. Win-win for everyone involved.

Also, another thought: increased stamina leads to longer sex which burns about 3 to 4 calories per minute (men burn more than women). And cardio, done. What are your thoughts on exercise benefits? Do you see a difference in the bedroom? Or elsewhere?

Sexercise was originally published on Self Evolve