Improve mental sharpness through physical exercise

Studying is only one way of enhancing brainpower. Not everyone recognizes that exercise boosts mental sharpness. Garry Y. Itkin explains this connection in today's blog, hoping to inspire everyone to embrace an active lifestyle for a healthier brain.

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Physical exercise has a direct and indirect influence on memory and thinking, notes Garry Y. Itkin. The direct results of exercise are reduced insulin resistance and inflammation and stimulating the release of growth factors -- brain chemicals affecting the overall health of brain cells. Indirectly, exercising leads to better mood and sleep. It also reduces stress and anxiety. Studies also show that people who exercise regularly have greater volume around their prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex -- parts of the brain that control thinking and memory.

Aside from making you smarter, exercise also protects the brain from shrinkage, notes Garry Y. Itkin. According to a 2013 research, exercise induces neurogenesis, which is the formation of new brain cells around the hippocampus. Additionally, in another study, men who practice a healthy lifestyle are seen to have a 60% less chance to have cognitive impairment and dementia as they age. Such healthy behaviors include not smoking, regular exercise, a diet of fruits and vegetables, and low to moderate alcohol consumption.

 

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Garry Y. Itkin suggests the following exercises to boost your brainpower:

1. Aerobic exercise improves brain function, as well as helps repair damaged brain cells.

2. Morning exercises before going to school increase brain activity, which prepares you mentally with good retention skills to answer complex problems.

3. Dance classes are an excellent alternative if you want to combine body movements and cardio.

4. Circuit workout, which is a good option for some solo crunch time at the gym, spikes heart rate and helps constantly redirect attention, which is another way to train focus.

5. Jumping jacks, though quite basic, are still effective for brain improvement exercise.

Is CrossFit a viable fitness avenue for college students?

Before getting into it, Garry Y. Itkin wants to set one thing aside first – while CrossFit is a bit too pricey for the average college student, he explains that CrossFit workouts can be done almost anywhere if a person takes time to study the principles of it before attempting the intense routines.

Now that that’s over and done with, here are some important points of CrossFit, so college students may correctly gauge if the sport is for them or not.

CrossFit can be quite a shock for the first few times.

Anybody who’s trained in CrossFit can testify how challenging their routines are, especially if people don’t know what to expect. It’s high intensity interval training (HIIT) with weightlifting and bodybuilding elements. It is truly an activity that pushes people to their limits.

CrossFit may compromise form over repetition.

Arguably, one of the more controversial flaws of CrossFit is that CrossFitters have become increasingly obsessed with reaching their target number of reps that they forego proper form. Of course, this also compromises practitioners’ safety. What Garry Y. Itkin suggests is that people focus on form and not worry so much about the reps.

CrossFit has a great community behind it.

CrossFit’s biggest strength is its community. According to Garry Y. Itkin, the community is incredible tight and supportive. CrossFitters support each other in every workout and every event. This is what so many people find most appealing about it and this is why it attracts so many newcomers.

The perils of yoyo dieting.

While fitness enthusiast Garry Y. Itkin has seen more than his fair share of diet fads come and go, he still believes that nothing will ever compare to a well-balanced meal that doesn’t eliminate food groups, and has all the nutrients people need.

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That being said, Garry Y. Itkin believes that some diet fads are worse than others. Take, for instance, yoyo dieting.

Yoyo dieting is when people significantly cut back calories, only to increase intake immensely, hence the term yo-yo. In the last few decades, a lot of people have gone through this type of diet in a bid to lose weight, with very few reporting lasting success.

The reason for the failure, they say, is the sheer difficulty to adhering to an increasingly low-calorie diet. This affects their commitment to the diet, prompting them to return to their normal eating pattern, which ultimately causes them to gain more weight in the process.

For people who insist on trying out the yoyo diet, Garry Y. Itkin urges all of them to simply look at the evidence. A majority of people who’ve tried it have already cautioned others about the fad. It also has to be said that yoyo dieting alters the body’s metabolic rate so much that it gives the body no other choice but to gain weight.


The fact of the matter is, body composition is also said to change with yoyo dieting, causing a person to gain more fat and lose muscle.

Partner up: Getting other people into fitness.

Garry Y. Itkin is a college student and a fitness enthusiast. He has kept himself in shape the past few months by working out at home and writing blogs on fitness and health. He has written a series of articles that he'll be releasing to educate and inform readers on fitness and health, as well as helping them stay fit and healthy during today's global pandemic.

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With some parts of the world opening up again, Garry Y. Itkin shares his insights on getting other people into fitness with you.

First off, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that it’s imperative when looking for people to work out with you that you guys share some similarities.

While it’s always great to meet people who love fitness, when looking for a workout partner, it’s important that he or she have the same mindset and goals as you. It’s hard to work out with someone who’s bulking up if you’re routine is geared towards weight loss. It’s also next to impossible to be with someone who’s way too serious about lifting when you’re easy-going and you just want to have fun, or vice-versa.

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Also, look for people with the same level of commitment as you. It’s very frustrating to depend on someone who isn’t really into fitness, Garry Y. Itkin adds. However, when do you find your perfect workout match, working out will be as much of a joy as anything else you do in life.

Why yoga belongs in a fitness program.

Garry Y. Itkin has helped college students over the past few years achieve peak health. He does this mainly by imparting his vast knowledge of fitness, wellness, nutrition, exercise, and ideal diets.


In today's blog, Garry Y. Itkin looks at what he believes to be one of the most underrated fitness routines in fitness – yoga. He also makes his argument as to why yoga belongs in any fitness regimen.


Garry Y. Itkin explains that yoga is an exercise routine that originated in India. Through the practice of yoga, people strike a number of poses that help promote better health and fitness through better blood and oxygen circulation, strength and balance, and proper posture, among others. On top of that, yoga has been known to provide many mental health benefits to its practitioners.


And it is an amazing supplement to any training regimen.


While not as intense or dynamic as other workout programs, yoga fits in perfectly, especially during rest and active recovery days. Garry Y. Itkin says that the poses that yoga lets a person do allow for blood to bring much-needed nutrients to the muscles and all the other parts of the body, aiding in recovery and healing.


In addition to all this, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that a yoga session is extremely easy to set up. All one needs is a yoga mat and free space.

Everyday objects that can be used for exercise.

    If there’s one thing Garry Y. Itkin knows about college life in the U.S., it’s that it’s incredibly expensive. Because of all the expenses college students face in school alone, they have very little left in their budget for anything else, including health and wellness.

However, Garry has come up with ways to maintain a health and fitness lifestyle minus the heavy price tag that often comes with it, and he has shared these ways via his series of blogs.

For today’s blog, Garry lists a number of everyday things at home or in a dorm that college students, or anyone else for that matter, may use for exercise. 

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Plastic bottles and containers

Water and soda bottles, and other household containers, when emptied, by themselves, may be virtually weightless. However, put water in them and they become good substitutes for light dumbbells. Garry Y. Itkin recommends ones that can be gripped easily or with handles.

Stairs

Many fitness enthusiasts use good old-fashioned stairs for their cardio routines. Going up and down a flight of stairs is great exercise. When done repeatedly under time, it can really burn calories and fat, and boost heart and lung capacity.

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Chairs

A good sturdy chair can be used to many different exercises. From chair squats (for those who have trouble doing full squats) to chair dips, chairs are one of the most overlooked equipment in terms of fitness, adds Garry Y. Itkin.

Some exercises for upper body toning without weights.

Living the college life truly presents you with limited options to do the things you want to do. However, in the case of freshman biology student Garry Y. Itkin, this has not stopped him from doing one of the things he is passionate about, which is fitness. In this blog, he shares some exercises that can help you tone your upper body, without using any equipment. 

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1. Push-up Push-ups are very popular for those who really want a good workout on the major muscle groups of the body, but with a limited space to do it. This particularly strengthens the shoulders, abdominal muscles, and the chest. For beginners who may find this a tad too challenging, decrease the resistance and use your knees as your fulcrum instead of your feet, suggests Garry Y. Itkin.

2. Plank The plank is simple enough to understand because all you really need to do is use up the same space as you would in doing pushups, and hold your position while remaining as motionless as a wooden plank. However, this is not simple to undergo because it really challenges your core. That’s what makes it effective in sculpting and strengthening your abdominal muscles. 

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3. Triceps box dip This exercise specifically targets your triceps, shoulders, and chest. Sitting on the floor, you can start with your back facing a step or a chair with your feet extended forward. Place your hands on top of the chair with your fingers pointing towards your body, and gently lift yourself up. This will surely tone your arms perfectly in the long run, shares Garry Y. Itkin.

The simple fact is, you don’t really need a lot of space or equipment to be at the top of your fitness game. What’s more important is your commitment to go through the motions with these simple upper body exercises.