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You can check your heart rate by taking your pulse manually or by using a heart rate monitor. The workout heart rate for a man 55 years of age will depend on his physical condition and his exercise goals. You can improve your heart and lung capacity by beginning at a pace that raises your heart rate to half of its maximum. You can further benefit by pushing yourself to exercise at a pace that increases your heart rate to 70, 80 or even 90 percent of its maximum -- if you are fit enough....

After a day of meetings, errands or chores, your workout may be your only time to focus on you with no distractions. This 25-minute lower-body boxing workout video, led by Justin Blackwell, master coach at Los Angeles-based fitness studio BoxUnion, is the perfect opportunity to home in on your movement, breath and heart rate, not your daily to-do list. Advertisement "Nothing outside of this space matters right now," Blackwell says. "This is where we start to get into our zone....

While you are driving is a great time to work your stomach. Image Credit: Mint Images/Mint Images RF/GettyImages If only we could take all of the time we spent in the car and use it to exercise, we’d be a much fitter nation. You can make those hours count for something; being behind the wheel doesn’t have to be time spent completely sedentary. Advertisement Exercise While Driving You can do an ab exercise while driving....

Vegetables on a plate. Image Credit: AvigoPhotos/iStock/Getty Images Sugar is a naturally contained, or processed carbohydrate your body needs and uses for energy. While naturally occurring sugars are found in unrefined foods, processed sugars are added to a product. The addition of processed sugars assists in enhancing the products flavor in addition to improving the color and texture while helping preserve the integrity of the food item. Advertisement Forms of Sugar Naturally occurring sugars, or sugars contained within unprocessed foods, are considered intrinsic....

references Harvard Health Publishing: "Recovering from an ankle sprain" Clinics in Podiatric Medicine and Surgery: "Return to Play After an Ankle Sprain" The key to running after an ankle sprain is coming back to the activity slowly. Image Credit: PeopleImages/iStock/GettyImages Image Credit: PeopleImages/iStock/GettyImages Recovery Time Recovery Process Running After a Sprain Building Ankle Strength Draw the alphabet in the air, leading with your big toe. Perform ankle circles 10 times in each direction....

You won't always feel like exercising, so you may need to employ a few tricks. Image Credit: Drazen Zigic/iStock/GettyImages Unless you’re Jillian Michaels, you probably don’t wake up every day stoked to work out. Most of us need a little (or big) push to get moving, even if we love the way we feel after exercising. Advertisement While finding the motivation to get started is usually the hardest part, there are some ways you can trick your brain into making that process a little easier....

Jogging in place can help you lose some weight. Image Credit: mediaphotos/iStock/GettyImages Jogging in place can be an effective way to burn calories, helping you to lose weight. In fact, the University of Connecticut Health Center rates jogging in place alongside such other high-energy “bursts” of activity as jumping jacks and jumping rope. Advertisement It's easier to do than jogging outside or on a treadmill, and the fact that you can do it inside — away from the heat in summer and the cold in winter — can help you stick to this as an exercise routine....

Doing endless crunches won't give you a toned stomach if there is excess fat around your waistline. Image Credit: Mike Raabe/Corbis/GettyImages If a flabby chest and stomach aren’t exactly what you have in mind for your next trip to the beach, it’s time to get into the gym. The right mix of cardio and strength training exercises can burn excess fat and build lean muscle mass. And don’t forget your diet....

Blood pressure monitor on EKG Image Credit: megaflopp/iStock/Getty Images The body needs the mineral potassium to regulate muscle contraction. The heart, being a muscle, often responds to changes in potassium levels by developing irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. Normally, potassium levels in the blood range from 3.5 to 5.0 mill-Equivalents per Liter. Symptoms from low potassium, also called hypokalemia, normally don’t appear until levels drop to 2.5 mEq/L, according to “In a Page: Signs and Symptoms,” by Scott Kahan....

The overhead press works your shoulders. Image Credit: miodrag ignjatovic/E+/GettyImages If you’re looking for a way to work your shoulders, consider the overhead press, one of the most effective shoulder exercises you can tackle. That said, your shoulders aren’t working alone — and no single exercise will work all of this fairly complex joint. Advertisement Tip The primary movers for most variations of the overhead press are your anterior deltoids, assisted by your medial deltoids, pecs and triceps....

The shoulder press is an easy exercise to mess up. Image Credit: Chainarong Prasertthai/iStock/GettyImages We’ve all seen someone at the gym pressing huge dumbbells overhead, arching their back dramatically in order to get that last rep. And while it’s fine to push yourself in your workouts, your form should always come first. In particular, doing shoulder presses with improper form can injure your shoulders and back. Advertisement Although it seems like a straightforward exercise, there are more than a few mistakes you might be making while performing this move....

A high-protein diet can result in side effects that sometimes involve your skin and eyes. Image Credit: Aamulya/iStock/GettyImages A wide range of high-protein diets have become popular in recent years. They can help with weight loss and manage conditions like diabetes and epilepsy. Yet, regardless of whether it’s the Atkins diet or a stricter ketogenic diet, a high-protein diet can result in side effects that sometimes involve your skin and eyes....

This 5-day workout plan strengthens every muscle group and allows you to recover at least two days a week. Image Credit: FlamingoImages/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Flex your biceps (the gym-goer's version of "raise your hand") if building muscle is one of your fitness goals. That ​should​ be everyone since increased muscle mass can strengthen bones, improve body composition and even reduce the risk of certain diseases, says exercise physiologist Jim White, RDN, owner of Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios....

Crunches won't give you the best abs but these moves will. Image Credit: Lyndon Stratford/iStock/GettyImages Endless crunches aren’t just boring. At a certain point, they also become ineffective in your quest for six-pack abs. Advertisement Besides doing ab exercises to sculpt the abs of your dreams, you'll also want to build a strong core, which is much more than just your abs. It includes your hips, lower back and glutes — muscles crunches neglect....

Buttermilk is available in almost every dairy case in every supermarket, but it remains tragically unappreciated. Too sour for use on cereal or in your morning coffee, buttermilk can take your baked goods from “good” to “great” or from “great” to “extraordinary,” adding not just flavor but improving texture and color. Take full advantage of this dairy ingredient after learning a few things about it. Tangy Taste The first and most obvious effect of baking with buttermilk is the taste of the final baked good....

A linear relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity exists. Image Credit: Cavan Images/Cavan/GettyImages A linear relationship between heart rate and exercise intensity exists. As exercise intensity increases, so does the heart rate. So one way to measure the intensity of your workout is to gauge how hard your heart is working. Advertisement For example, a brisk walk around the track will increase your heart rate, but a jog around the track will really get your heart pumping....

Running should challenge you physically -- but should not cause you to vomit. Image Credit: mheim3011/iStock/GettyImages You have just finished an intense running session when your stomach begins to rumble and you feel nauseous. This can lead you to vomit, which may make you feel better temporarily — but can later lead to a host of problems. Advertisement Some people view throwing up after exercise like a badge of honor, as if you have exercised your hardest....

Virtual races allow runners and cyclists to compete from anywhere and track and report their performance. Image Credit: Nastasic/E+/GettyImages A virtual race allows you to race whenever you want, wherever you want, and provide your own tracking information for your distance and time. You could run a half marathon on your basement treadmill or go for a 50-mile bike ride through your favorite neighborhoods, all in the competitive spirit. This is obviously radically different from an in-person racing experience....

A treadmill should not be noisy when operating. Image Credit: andresr/E+/GettyImages Having a treadmill at home can save time and make your workout more convenient. However, maintaining your own equipment can be a hassle. Advertisement A treadmill workout should not create a symphony of squeaks, screeches and whines. If you're experiencing loud noises while operating your treadmill, maintenance may be required. To prevent operational issues that can result in costly repairs, perform routine maintenance on the belt, motor and other components as recommended in your treadmill model's instruction manual....

Migraine sufferers should stick to fresh cheeses. Image Credit: samael334/iStock/GettyImages If you’re a migraine sufferer, you already know how debilitating those headaches can be. But what you may not know is there’s a possible connection between some types of dairy and migraines. Aged cheese, like gruyere, havarti, parmesan and even some cheddars, can trigger migraines within hours. Advertisement Tip Migraine sufferers should stick to fresh cheeses, like mild cheddar, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, American cheese, Colby and Monterey Jack....