Expert-recommended fitness tips to boost women's health

In today’s stressful lifestyles and busy schedules, health often takes a backseat, and we seldom give time to our body to refresh and revitalize. Cases of osteoporosis, arthritis and heart disease in women have been on the rise across the world, and it is a warning bell for you to pay heed to your health and fitness. Ms. Althea Shah, Fitness Expert and VP Marketing, Gold's Gym India shares exercise and diet tips to boost your health. Getting started Fitness doesn’t mean running for an hour every day or lifting heavy weights or practicing yoga. Fitness means being strong and flexible, having cardiovascular endurance and achieving a positive body composition through a positive lifestyle. There are five essential components of fitness that needs to be taken care of:

• Body Composition – what your body is made up of
• Cardiovascular Endurance – the health of your heart
• Muscular Strength – your body’s strength
• Muscular Endurance – Your body’s ability to sustain long physical activities
• Flexibility – The ability to move your body in various positions

These can be very easily achieved by following the following principles in your day to day life. Learn- Well if you are reading this article you obviously are already doing this. Research is the key to building a better body. If you don't do enough research and believe one source as gospel, you will probably spend the rest of your life doing hours of cardio & taking fat burners pills. Expand your knowledge by visiting credible Web sites (bookmark this site) and reading articles or viewing videos and reading health and fitness magazines. Rest well - Resting is crucial to boosting your fitness levels. Listen to your body. If you are tired or not feeling too energetic take time off to rest. Spend a couple of days or even a week away from your routines if you feel you are too exhausted. Drink lots of water – Drink water like a fish. It will flush your system and hydrate your skin and muscles. Your muscles are comprised of 70% water, so you need water if you are trying to build muscle. Get used to having at least 3 liters of water per day. Contrary to popular belief, drinking more water does not make your body retain it. It will instead speed up your body's ability to lose fat. Do cardio - Whether your goal is to improve your general health or your body shape cardiovascular training should be included into your fitness regimen. Look at cardiovascular exercise as a way to improve your overall physical health. Cardiovascular exercise done on a regular basis keeps blood circulating properly, the heart pumping strong and helps to boost your breathing capacity while improving your endurance. A consistent practice also reduces your blood pressure, reduces glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, and increases good cholesterol (HDL) and decreases total cholesterol. Go for strength training- A proper strength-training program is essential if your goal is weight loss, loss of body fat, toning and firming, and building lean muscle tissue. It not only helps you burn calories during the activity but also 5-6 hours after you exercise. You will have a high basic metabolic rate (BMR) and a better posture. Plus, strength training also increases the strength of bones and connective tissue, increases muscle mass, and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Here are strength training tips for women to burn more calories and lose weight quickly. Diet Eat fibrous foods- Eat fibrous foods to improve digestion and boost weight loss. Increasing fiber intake from vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, and other raw vegetables will add fiber, minerals and vitamins with very few calories. They will add bulk to your diet while reducing appetite. Avoid alcohol- Avoid alcohol or keep it to a minimum. Alcohol contains nearly seven calories per gram and is quickly metabolized and stored as fat. Plus, alcohol provides you with empty calories and you get no other nutritional benefit as you would from the carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables. Consume plenty of protein- Let's face it, muscle is protein you can't build muscles without an adequate supply of protein. You should consume anywhere between one to two grams of protein per kg of bodyweight. The best way to do this is to break the supply of protein into smaller servings throughout the day for better absorption and assimilation. In short, eat your protein and get it from good sources such as chicken, fish, lentils and egg whites. Consume more milk and dairy products as it provides calcium for building bones and preventing osteoporosis, especially during menopause. Eat antioxidant-rich foods- Include 3-4 servings of fruit and vegetables for healthy skin and hair. Eat nuts that provide antioxidants and essential fatty acids. You should include these 10 antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. You may also like to read:

• Workout tips for women of every age group by fitness guru Mickey Mehta
• 15 health problems all women should be aware of!

Image source: Getty Images

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