The holidays are right around the corner. Is there a special someone you are needing a gift for? I bet this person spends all their time at the gym, running, or playing sports. In honor of the holidays, I have chosen a few  fitness-inspired gifts ideas for your special someone to unwrap this season. It might feel like sometimes this person already has everything but maybe not! Let’s take a peek inside these gift boxes and see what we can find.

TRACKERTRACKER

Fitness trackers are one of the most popular items this year for fitness goo-roos. They can track the miles you walked that day, the calories they burned, or even alarm them to get moving and stay fit. Something newly remarkable about these trackers is that some require users to plug in the wristband to sync the data to iphone users to track their daily improvements. How COOL! Maybe you can buy one with the Bluetooth powered wireless syncing system. In addition to the armband monitor, it measures quantity of sleep and physical activity (not to mention tons of other metrics like steps taken, calories burned, and the quality of sleep and activity).There is also an  online manager with an easy-to-use food log and charts that show weight changes and calorie balance!

EARBUDS EARBUDS

Ear buds are made with the athlete in mind. They’re lightweight, cordless, and have enhanced microphones for easy listening even with added base for background beat music. Their secure fit helps the buds stay in place inside your ear and remain comfortable even during high-intensity exercise such as cardio running on a treadmill. The on-ear controls allow the user to manage volume and pick up calls without getting tangled in a cord like some head phones.

SCALE SCALE

“While a standard body scale is significantly less expensive, it’s features pale in comparison to the comprehensive Withings Scale. This scale measures far more than body weight including heart rate, body composition, and carbon dioxide levels in the air. Even cooler, this scale helps users set goals and targets to keep users on track with their weight loss journey (McDermott).”

BODYROLLER BODYROLLER

Ever heard of a foam roller? They are very commonly used in therapy institutes for when athletes injure themselves. They are great with helping to relieve tension within the muscles as well as stretching out ligaments. With interchangeable balls to hit specific points of pressure, the AccuRoller massage stick promotes muscle recovery after hitting the pavement or logging time at the gym. Some of today’s recently released rollers have nylon straps that also help when it’s time to get a deep stretch inn.

FITNESS VIDEO FITNESS VIDEO

Listening and watching influential people in health and fitness can really help you achieve your goals. For example, intense 25-minute workout series videos are made up of interval training or extra muscle strength and calorie burning.

“One of the most top rated workout systems, the Jillian Michaels Body Revolution is a 90-day system with a focus on weight loss. With 15 DVDs plus bonuses including a fitness guide, customizable meal plan, recipes, menus, and resistance cable, this is the perfect gift for those who want to give working out at home a try. One muscle group at a time, repeated five days per week (McDermott).”

WORKOUT SOCKS WORKOUT SOCKS

  Available in both men’s and teen sizes, a three-pack of quick-dry socks are extra cushioned to protect the heals from chafing, and toes from runner’s toes, that nasty condition where toes get bruised and beat up from too much pressure and irritation inside a shoe. The embedded arch tab keeps socks snug for a comfortable fit and can help with extra support during your cold workout session. (McDermott)

 RUNNING GLOVES RUNNING GLOVES

Running gloves are great for the upcoming holiday season. They are soft and warm! These moisture-wicking running gloves are touch screen-compatible to change songs and check in on mileage mid-run. The gloves also feature a thermal reflective lining which helps keep the fleece even warmer during your outside jog. Forget those cold shaky runners’ hands and get warm this season with running gloves. (McDermott)

GEAR BEANIE GEAR BEANIE

Frostbit ears are a disaster waiting to happen when the snow comes your way. Many men love to participate in outdoor snow sports once the weather presents itself for such. Snowboarders, runners, skiers and all outdoor adventurers, having a  fleece hat keeps everyone warm with soft, water-repelling material that helps retain body heat and keep the head nice and dry.

What holiday gift will you get for your Gym Guy?

http://greatist.com/fitness/holiday-gift-guide-fitness-buffs

Alexandria Cummines

(Student at Old Dominion University)

(Fitness Model and Military Spouse)

RESOURCES

McDermott, Nicole. “The Essential Holiday Gift Guide for Fitness Buffs.” Greatist Greatist.com, 4 Dec. 2013.

Web. 20 Nov. 2014.

www.eatathomecooks.com

“Have your cake and eat it too(Spano 66)!”

Did you overeat this holiday season? I bet you eat all of the sweet potatoes, yams, buttered pees, cakes, cookies, and chocolates in sight. Did you completely forget about your diet? Some people say the holidays are my time to treat myself for all the hard work I have put into being healthy. Personally, the holiday season is my weakness for eating very fattening foods. I will diet a month before Thanksgiving just because I know I’m going to consume enough carbs to feed an army. Then, afterwards trying to jump right back into that harsh diet is not so easy after eating all the treats your heart could desire. So, what if I told you there was an alternative plan to your overeating this holiday season. Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy all those desserts and cupcakes and not feel guilty?

METHODS

First, let’s discuss meal skipping and fasting!

• Warrior diet- eating for four hours and not eating for 20.

• Every other day diet- eat 500 calories one day and splurging the next day or skipping food all together for 24hrs once or twice a week.

• Five-two diet- eats normally for five days without overeating, and then eats 30% of what you would typically eat on the other two days.

There are other ways to achieve the same type of diets listed above but all are considered a way of fasting. Partial or full restriction of eating is considered a common interminitive fasting technique.

Does fasting seem like a harsh process? If you think about it, you are consistently fasting without even realizing it. For examples:

• You don’t eat when you’re sleeping.

• You don’t eat at all after consuming a dinner meal.

• You don’t eat at all after a meal until the morning of the next day.

• Skipping lunch time helps with cutting down calories. Or vice versa, skipping dinner to cut back calories consumed from other meals during the day.

These methods are helpful tips to help navigate your diet plans during this holiday season. They can also help with easing the mind of consuming some of those overcarbed foods. (Spano 68)

BENEFITS

The benefits of discipline eating are simple. Think about when you were younger. Your parents probably served you exact portions of all your food groups at certain times throughout the day. When we grow up and get pushed into adulthood our eating seems to not be a priority. We may fit in it when we can or eat on the go with our new busy lifestyle. Problem with this is we are not always watching what we are consuming. Be careful to still give your body all of its necessary food groups and drink water on a regular basis. In the end, this will help with your body’s responses to over consuming food and how your body breaks response. So, over that holiday season your body will notify you when it is full and you are less likely to over consume all those goodies. (Spano 69)

DRAWBACKS

A lot of people have lost weight from fasting but there are definite problems with this type of approach. Think about it in this way, if you are fasting while training you will lose weight by cutting calories but you will later gain the weight back in muscle. If you fast for 20 hours a day, chances are your body will break down the muscle with fat to meet your energy demands. This is unhealthy because you cannot make this up by feeding. Other issue can be medical complications such as:

• Urinary stones

• Abnormal Heart Rhythm

• Drop in Blood Pressure

• Blurred Vision

• Fainting

• For diabetics it can be Dangerous

• Lower blood count

Going without food for hours on end can defiantly have its drawbacks and not be for everybody. (Spano 69)

GETTING RESULTS

Results can vary. Results come from eating healthy and the right amount of foods for long periods of time. The eating you do over the holiday dinner table isn’t going to be detrimental to your dieting plan. If you have been dieting and working out for months, one weekend of splurging on those unhealthy foods is fine. Think of it as treating yourself for all the hard work you have done, but once the holiday is over your body will be right back into its routine of diet and exercise.

Lastly, enjoy that yummy holiday food guilt free! Treat yourself for one weekend and I bet you will still see results that come from months of hard work and determination.

Alexandria Cummines

(Medical Student at Old Dominion University)

REFERENCES

Spano, Marie. “The Holiday Recovery Diet.” FitnessRX 1 Dec. 2014: 66-70. Print.

treadmillreviewfinder.wordpress.com

                      The birds and the bees do it often but men do it any time they can get a chance to. A stereotype, yes, but women truly believe it! Men’s sex drive is not only stronger than a woman’s but it’s much more straight forward. Men’s connection to sex is a spark of sexual desire. This sexual desire is driven by what other than a woman’s body type and shape. The sexier the shape of the female, the more sexual drive is influenced by the man!

This is where fitness and training play a big role in sex between partners. Women and men try to achieve the “ideal” slim but toned body shape when they are on a fitness regimen. This leaves the female body with extenuated curves and the men’s testosterone levels risen …making sex more desirable! (Alvear)

http://www.webmd.com/sex/features/sex-drive-how-do-men-women-compare

Your Sex Drive

                     Something to consider in training is your sex drive. How will training impact how frequently you want to have sex?

Higher testosterone levels in males increases their sex drive.

“When a man participates in heavy weight training, the levels of testosterone in his body will shoot up —Do note that overtraining is one of the biggest killers of testosterone, so taking this point too far and doing a very large volume of weight lifting will actually work against you and your testosterone levels.

Getting on a proper program where you are doing maximum sets per workout will help to ensure that you aren’t going overboard. Additionally, be sure that when you are lifting, you are lifting heavy amounts. The weight is really the key here — just be sure you are still using proper form and not overdoing it (Bayer).”

Sex and Strength

                          The next point, how will having sex affect your strength and workout performance? Certain men and women are so focused on their training that they want to be sure that their sexual experiences are not going to have a negative impact on their sessions in the gym.

Generally speaking, having frequent sex won’t impact your weight-lifting performance. If anything, it should increase your workout performance. Once again, sex causes a release of the hormone testosterone, and the more testosterone one has circulating throughout the body; the more muscle tissue can be built. (Bayer)

Indirect Effects

                       Finally, the last thing to take into consideration is the indirect effect of training on your sex life.

For those of you who are trying to reach extremes and taking your body fat levels to low single digits, this can definitely impact what your sex drive levels are like. At very low levels, most men will start to find that their desire for sex drastically decreases. Furthermore, those on very low-fat diets may notice a similar occurrence as well.

Being sure to monitor your body fat levels closely and ensure that you are getting enough rest in between training sessions is extremely critical to your general health and your sexual drive.

Another indirect effect of training that can impact your sex life in a positive way is the stress reliever working out provides. Many men and women use weight lifting as a way to rid themselves of stress they are experiencing, and since stress is one of the biggest aspects for a decreased sex-drive, this will obviously have a beneficial effect. (Bayer)

Train for Sex

                      The next time you are debating about whether your training may be impacting your sex life, keep these factors in mind. You’ll likely find that regular training enhances your sex life, not only by giving you more energy and thus making you more sexually inclined, but ultimately enhancing you sexual performance with your partner.

If you do feel like you’re having sexual problems, first try taking a full week off from your training program. You might find that this in itself is enough to remedy the situation. If that still doesn’t work, consider speaking to your doctor.

In conclusion, it’s not hard to see how these factors would go hand in hand. By helping your testosterone levels and keeping a fit and healthy lifestyle, will in turn help your overall sexual drive and physic. Ultimately keeping your partner sexual satisfied as well as yourself. (Bayer)

Alexandria Cummines

(Medical Student at Old Dominion University, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing/ Body Nutrition, and Former Figure Model for Total Fitness and One Fitness)

Resources

Alvear, Mike. “What Types Of Bodies Do Men Prefer?”      The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 18 Dec 3. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.

Bayer, Jeff. “Training at the Gym and Sex.” AskMen. Web. 8 Nov. 2014.