Joseph Minetto | Importance of Exercise for Mental Health

Want to improve your mental health? Exercise. The most powerful, most accessible, and most affordable solutions to anxiety, depression, and all things negative mood. While many of us are aware of the importance of exercise for physical health-staying fit, reduce risk of diseases, weight control to mention a few. Do you know some amount of adrenaline pumps every day can be the answer to your mental and psychological well-being? The point is taking care of yourself can improve your mental health and one of the keys is exercise.

Also, exercise has been found to help boost self-esteem and cognitive function. A good way to alleviate symptoms of self-esteem and social withdrawal. Here, Joseph Minetto, a technology guru and fitness freak with great dedication to an active lifestyle explores more on the importance of exercise for mental health. It’s time to get your running shoes ready and get going for that morning jogging or the gym.

Mood booster

“If you are feeling low and demotivated, try going for a run,” Joseph Minetto says. “I have found that outdoor exercise like running can help free the mind and within a few minutes of exercise, you will feel lifted, active, and calmer. There is a strong link between exercise and the mood, and you feel the effect of mood enhancement when you are involved in physical activity,’ he adds.

An all-natural treatment to fight depression

This benefit is not only to boost your mood for a while. Research has also found that exercise can be a great anti-depressant. “This is something that has been ignored over the years in the psychological world but now gaining attention after much research has demonstrated the value of exercise in reducing symptoms of depression,” Joseph says. Evidence has shown that people that are active and alert are happier than the inactive ones. The fact is when we exercise, the “feel good” endorphins and natural-cannabis like brain chemicals, endogenous cannabinoids are released which helps to produce the feelings of happiness, improve the mood and boost your overall well-being. Moreover, exercise helps you to improve your social life especially when you exercise with a group or engage in team sports. You will get to connect with others, make new friends which helps to reduce the feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Tame the Flight, fight, and fright

When life sometimes takes its toll or you feel threatened by occurrences that tend to upset your life, your body tends to respond by creating a stress response which is also referred to as the “fight or flight” response. Then, you will be faced with uncomfortable situations when stressed such as fear, extreme anxiety, sleeping problems, lack of appetite, and many more. Joseph reasoned that regular exercise can help people that are stressed and prone to anxiety relieve stress and improve upsetting occasions. This is because exercise also imitates the effects of stress like the fight and flight response and produces the same physical reactions such as increase heart rate, or perspiration. Exercise can also counteract the anxiety, fear, and stress-induced hormones- cortisol and adrenaline which arise when in the bloodstream for prolonging times by using up the excess.

Increase confidence and self-esteem

Nothing beats well-toned muscles, weight loss, a shapely body, and improved physical appearance when it comes to exercise. All these feelings of satisfaction, accomplishment, and contentment about your body all contribute to boost confidence and increase self-esteem.

Rest well

Have you been deprived of your goodnight’s sleep due to stress and other mental issues? Exercise! Not only does exercise reduces stress as it tires you out, but it also raises the body temperature slightly which triggers tiredness and sleepiness. If you are having difficulty having a decent sleep, exercise, and watch yourself sleep like a baby.

Originally published at https://josephminetto.medium.com/

Joseph Minetto | 4-Week Weight Training Plan for Women

If you’re looking to lose weight or just maintain your physique, try cutting back on cardio for a few weeks to focus on these strength training exercises for women that increase metabolism and build lean muscle

Are you cardioing yourself to death? Yes, running, cycling, and hitting the elliptical religiously can absolutely help you drop pounds-especially when you have a lot to lose. But, at some point, you’re going to hit a plateau, says Joseph Minetto

To get past it, you need strength training in your life. Why? Lifting weights helps to amp your metabolism for long after your gym-time ends since the more muscle you have, the more calories you torch when working out and while sitting perfectly still.

If you’re new to weight training, don’t worry. Joseph created this four-week beginner strength training workout for women to help you to build a solid foundation of strength training and shift your body into a new place after all that cardio. The really great news? You only have to do this routine twice a week. Each week, the moves will stay the same, but we’ll make the routine harder by changing the program variables (like rest, sets, reps, or load).

Put at least two days of rest between strength training days, but you can do cardio on those rest days (to be clear: cardio isn’t bad, it’s just not the best method for long-term weight loss or maintenance.)

Now, stay with us: we’re going to break down the weekly gym workouts for you.

Strength Training for Women

4-Week Strength Training for Women Program

Week 1

Complete the exercises in each workout as straight sets. For example, you’ll do one set of leg presses, rest for 30 seconds, do a second set, rest, do the third set. Then, move on to the next exercise. You’ll complete all movements in both workouts this way.

Complete 12 reps of all movements for 3 sets each, and rest for 30 seconds in between each set. Choose a weight load where the last two reps of every set are extra hard, where you wouldn’t be able to do the thirteenth rep. You may find that you increase the weight load for each set while keeping the 12 reps for all three sets.

Week 2

This week, you’ll continue with the straight-set format for both strength training workouts. But now, you’ll complete 15 reps of all movements for 3 sets, and you will only rest for 15 seconds in between each set. Therefore, this week, you’ll complete more work in less time. This is a great stimulus to take your fitness to the next level.

Week 3

We’re going to mix it up this week. Instead of straight sets, you’re going to complete your strength training workout in a circuit style.

This week, you’ll complete 1 set of each exercise for 15 reps, then you’ll immediately move on to the next movement with no rest in between. For example, on the day 1 workout, you’ll perform your first set of leg presses for 15 reps, then you’ll immediately go to the goblet squat and perform 15 reps and then continue on to the next exercise with no rest in between movements. At the end of these four movements, you’ll rest for one minute, then complete the circuit two more times.

Week 4

This week you’re going to continue with the circuit-style sets; this time you’ll perform only 12 reps of each movement, but there are two (tough!) changes: You’ll complete a total of 4 full circuits (that’s four sets of each exercise for both workouts) and there will be no rest in between each circuit. This week is all about keeping you moving. After you finish the last movement of either workout, you’ll immediately return to the first movement and begin a new circuit.

Originally published at https://josephminetto.medium.com/

Build Your Dream Home Gym With Joseph Minetto

The reality has finally set in. The entire world is on a lockdown, a pandemic has taken over, most places are closed. Reading clubs stick to kindles, so now you know the bookworms are no more in libraries. The music bands and school choirs have their own online concerts, so now you know the auditoriums are empty. The popular kids are busy ringing each other up so now you know you won’t face their bullying in the hallway. The jocks. though? Yes, the bulky rugby players, the flexible cheerleaders, they can’t possibly exercise virtually, can they? There’s absolutely nothing for them to do, or is it?

Well, according to Joseph Minetto, a fitness freak and gymming enthusiast, there is plenty. ‘And..’, he adds in, ‘there is absolutely no time to lose.’ ‘Fitness is a lifestyle and not a hobby. Keeping fit is a priority and not an aesthetic’, he says. We have long enough missed out on our fitness centered routines, staying back and doing absolutely nothing productive. Empty packets and boxes of snacks lie in a corner and soda cans roll out from behind the couch. And, our gym buddy, knows it full well.

So what can you do, in this time when every gymnasium is closed and sports fields have been abandoned? Joseph Minetto is here to find a solution and thus put a period to all your excuses.

 If you’re one of the privileged ones who have a spare room ready to be converted into a fantastic space or a garage that could be dedicated to your passion, you have the opportunity to go all out with big equipment like treadmills, rowing machines or even a multigym.  But even if not, Joseph can make it work even with a small empty space or bedroom as well.

Home Gym

Here is a list of equipment that could help you to build your dream home gym without going hard on your pocket, and glow up during this quarantine:

1. Medicine Ball

Generally used by trainers to get athletes back to their feet after injury, the medicine ball has now become popular for fitness and sports as well. These versatile balls range in weight from one to ten kilos, and are a great piece of kit for jump training exercises as well as core strength movements. When choosing a weight, pick a ball that’s heavy enough to slow the motion, slower than if you weren’t using any weight at all. Make sure it’s not so heavy that your control, accuracy, or range of motion (or the person next to you) takes a hit.

 2. Plyometrics Box

Plyometrics, also known as “jump training”, are boxes  that are used as a platform to jump on and off. It involves exercises where muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time. It is absolutely great for building speed and explosive power. It increases stamina and core strength. They can be used for squats, bench dips as well as non jumping exercises.

3. Pull Up Bar

The pull-up is the finest upper-body bodyweight exercise there is. Even though beginners may find it tough to start with, it’s perfect for building muscle in arms, back and shoulders. It strengthens the core as well. You can also do a number of basic gymnastic exercises on a pull up bar to enhance your workout. Plus they can be hooked over or fitted inside any doorway and then easily stored.

4. Dumbbells

The number exercises that can be done with dumbbells are endless. Not that but also, they’re cheap and usually adjustable so you can change the weight to suit you.  Usually, hex shaped dumbbells with black rubber coating last the longest and are comfortable to workout with. It’s a good idea to get a few different weights to accommodate the different exercises on your workout.

5. Kettlebell

A must-have piece of equipment for your home gym, the kettlebell is versatile, and gives amazing results. From squats to push-ups, a kettlebell workout can burn up to 20 calories per minute – about as much as running a 6-minute mile. It uses muscles in your body from head to toe, and it focuses a lot around your core and increases flexibility. A 2kg weight is perfect for beginners, and both men and women can use them as part of their workout routine. All that needs to be done is to choose a weight that works for you.

6. Skipping/Jumping Rope

If you haven’t used a skipping rope since your school days, then here’s a little surprise! There’s a reason boxers use skipping ropes in their training. It makes up a fantastic cardio and is great for coordination. Skipping can give you a full-body workout that uses your abs to stabilize the body, legs (calves, hamstrings, quadriceps) for jumping and upper body (forearms, deltoids) for turning the rope. They are low in cost and are a small piece of kit to store away. But they can have a big impact on your exercise routine.

Durable and lightweight ropes work best for beginners while weighted ropes are preferred for advanced level workouts.

And there you go, your dream home gym is done, all thanks to Joseph Minetto. Now that you are all set, make sure to not look back and work hard to achieve your fitness goals.