Exercise Right!
with Jacques Courseault, M.D.

How to exercise effectively

Jacques graduated from Tulane Medical School and has seven years of experience as a personal trainer. He is combining his personal training experience with his medical education to bring you exercise information, both how to exercise and why it's great for you, based on solid evidence-based medical principles.

With Dr. Courseault as your guide, you'll learn how to make the most out of your exercise, whether you're just getting started or have been exercising for years.

 

The First Step to Success: Committing to More than Yourself
A lack of motivation to exercise regularly is the number one reason why most of us begin an exercise program that simply does not last. With efficient 10-30 minute workout routines, most of us can honestly find the time to exercise. However, many of us have difficulty sticking with this small commitment because of a lack of motivation, which must come from both environmental and internal factors.

How to Begin an Exercise Regimen
Exercising is an important lifestyle change that you should begin making if you haven't already. The purpose of this article is to get you from sitting in your computer chair, to the point where you are seconds away from sweating, burning calories and improving your overall health.

Walk Your Way to Better Health
Walking is a simple, low-impact exercise that you can do to improve your health and fitness. No instruction manual is needed, and a walking coach will not be necessary. Walking is one of the first natural exercises that you learn to do from a young age.

How to Begin a Walking Program
Now you want to know how to begin and maintain an enjoyable walking program that will improve your health and not waste your time. Follow these instructions and use these simple tips to build a personalized walking program that you will love.

Eating and Exercise: What to eat and when to eat it
Some days your workout is full of energy and other days you wonder if you have enough energy to make it through the first few exercises. You may want to take a closer look at what foods you are eating and when you are eating them. Properly managing your meals, snacks and beverages before and after exercise can have a huge impact on your workout intensity and how well your body recovers from your workout.

Weight, Lean Body Mass and Exercise
You have finally made a commitment to regularly exercise, build up strength and tone your muscles. You step on the scale a few weeks later to find that you have not lost or maybe even gained weight! You figure that something is wrong with the scale, because your pants are too big and you look and feel thinner. Chances are that your scale works just fine.

How to Exercise with Disabled or Weak Legs
Spending long hours sitting in a wheelchair or in a bed can not only be uncomfortable, but can also lead to weight gain, weakened muscles, joint and muscle stiffness and weakened heart and lungs. Thus, moving as much as possible is very important for anyone with disabled or weak legs.

How to Conserve Muscle Mass During Weight Loss
Conserving muscle mass, or lean body mass (LBM), is essential to maintaining a healthy body composition during periods of weight loss. Muscle supports your joints, helps you to perform daily activities, keeps you looking toned and boosts your resting metabolism, or the energy you expend at rest.

How to Build Muscle Mass
Performing a search for "How to Build Muscle Mass" leads to bodybuilding sites, muscle supplement ads or vague advice on how to get "ripped." Your time is too valuable to waste on confusing recommendations that may or may not produce sustainable results. Advice for increasing muscle mass should be based on years of research by reputable organizations.

How to Build Muscular Endurance
Improving muscular endurance takes a back seat to increasing muscle mass when discussing methods of resistance training. However, muscle endurance is just as important, because it allows muscles to exercise for an extended period of time before becoming fatigued.

Exercise Ideas: Play Video Games!
Video games aren't just for kids! According to a recent report, 53 percent of American adults play video games, and one in five adults (21%) play every day or almost every day. While sedentary behavior is linked to chronic diseases and obesity, new, active video games systems may help you meet your weekly exercise recommendations.

Related Articles

Exercise and Supplements
Those of you who are regular readers know that I don't believe the research supports taking vitamins. In the past I have used the premise of "doesn't help but probably won't hurt" when it comes to vitamins.

Ask Dr. Gourmet: Can you exercise if you have GERD / Acid Reflux?

Exercise Trumps Heredity
Studying identical twins is very important because they help scientists separate what has a genetic cause and what is caused by a person's environment or their lifestyle.

Diet and exercise good for older adults, too
The elderly are especially susceptible to what is known as "metabolic syndrome," an observed combination of risk factors that, taken together, represents an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Decreasing the Risk of Gestation Diabetes
Gestation diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious illness with potentially serious consequences. Can you do anything to decrease your risk of getting GDM? Yes!

 
 

 

How to eat healthy

This series of brief essays will help you understand the overall How and Why of eating healthy in the real world. Each Monday Dr. Harlan will explain another element of eating healthy in simple, easy-to-understand terms that you can apply to your real life. Just read these in order and you'll know how - and why - to eat healthy.