With the year coming to an end, the guys at ForMen.com thought it might be worthwhile to take a look at some of the top health breakthroughs of 2015. The people over at Men’s Journal have put together a great list, and we’ve highlighted some of them for you below.
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- Intervals
Hundreds of studies last year confirmed that metabolic conditioning is the best way to get fit quickly. Interval-style workouts recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers and challenge the cardiovascular system more than steady cardio, explains McMaster University’s Martin Gibala, a top researcher of the method. This results in higher calorie burn and more muscle tone in less time. Here are two ways to add intervals to your training.
For cardio, choose an activity — running, cycling, jumping rope — and maintain a relaxed pace for 30 seconds. Then go moderately hard for 20 seconds. End with 10 seconds all out. Rest for two minutes to reset, and repeat the full one-minute cycle for five total rounds. In a recent study, this formula helped recreational runners shave an average of 38 seconds off their 5K times.
For strength, while lifting weights builds muscle, and bike intervals push you aerobically, strength-training intervals give you the best of both worlds, says Simon Lawson, instructor at the Fhitting Room in New York City. A good routine will challenge muscles and jack heart rate. Lawson’s go-to: Do 30 seconds of dumbbell overhead presses, then 15 seconds of jumping jacks (your active recovery). Repeat this 30/15 sequence for renegade rows (push-up position while holding dumbbells; pull one weight at a time to your rib cage), and dumbbell front squats. Do the whole thing three times total. Once it feels easy, try 45 seconds of work and 10 seconds active recovery.
- Sleep
Everybody is talking about this one. It seems that 7 hours and 46 minutes is the magic number. One recent study suggests that workers that got 7 hours and 46 minutes of sleep a night took less sick days than workers who did not. In a separate report published this summer, people who regularly logged seven or more hours of sleep and were exposed to a cold virus had only a 17 percent chance of getting sick; the risk for those who slept five hours or less was 45 percent. Besides crumbling immunity, research shows that sleeping fewer than five hours per night can decrease testosterone production 15 percent, which stifles sex drive, tanks mood, and prohibits muscle-building.
- Bad Foods That are Good Again
Last February, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, a panel of the nation’s top nutritional experts, updated its guidelines for a healthy diet and exonerated three common food villains.
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Eggs: For decades Americans were told to limit cholesterol to protect their hearts. But the panel says that no good evidence connects clogged arteries to cholesterol-rich foods like eggs. What really protects your heart: curbing sugar. A reduced-sugar diet lowers blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol levels, an October study found.
Red Meat: The recent recalls of bacteria-infected beef and a World Health Organization report that found processed meats are linked to cancer risk may make you think twice about eating a steak. However, experts on the panel contend that if you stick to 16 ounces or less a week of grass-fed, unprocessed meat, a rib eye can really be part of a healthy diet.
Coffee: Science has long questioned the morning cup of joe because of caffeine’s tie to heart problems. But with an overwhelming amount of research proving that regularly drinking coffee may actually lower Type 2 diabetes and heart disease risks, the panel went as far as to recommend the stuff. The caveat: no cream and sugar, and little to no milk.
- Blood Pressure
For years heart doctors agreed that ideal blood pressure was 120 over 80 or lower. But in 2015, experts warred over how high that top number — systolic blood pressure — could go before it signaled trouble. Some said 140; others argued 150. Turns out that both were too high. In September, researchers halted a 9,300-person trial because it had already become clear that lowering systolic BP to 120 reduced risk of heart attack and stroke 30 percent more than merely bringing it down to 140 did. “For every small reduction in blood pressure, you get a significant decline in heart risks,” says Dr. Ralph Sacco of the American Heart Association. “This is the new level you should aim for.” And you don’t have to rely on statin drugs to help you do it. Lose weight, increase high-intensity exercise, ease off booze, and eat more fruits and vegetables and, Sacco says, your BP should start to fall.
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- Processed Foods Are the Worst
Every health institute has condemned processed foods. But what are they, really?
What They Are: Any food that has been frozen, mixed, pressed, pasteurized, or in any way altered from its natural state is considered processed.
Why They’re Bad: Processing isn’t what makes food unhealthy (olive oil is processed, for example). What’s harmful are the lab-created sugars, chemicals, and fillers that are often added.
How to Avoid Them: Don’t be fooled by foods with healthy-sounding additives: juice concentrates, enriched flours, and sugars like fruit nectar and brown rice syrup. It’s all junk.
For those of you that make New Year’s Resolutions, we hope this came in handy. ForMen would like to take this opportunity to wish you the best for 2016 and will continue our pledge to provide you with great tools and tips to make your life better. Look Good. Feel Good. Enjoy Your Life.
Curated article from:
Men’s Journal
