Exercise & Fitness Programs and the Role of Organics Clothing

Today, there is a growing emphasis on looking good, feeling good and living longer. Increasingly, scientific evidence tells us that one of the keys to achieving these ideals is fitness and exercise. But if you spend your days at a sedentary job and pass your evenings as a "couch potato," it may require some determination and commitment to make regular activity a part of your daily routine.

Medical studies and the experience of millions of people have demonstrated the importance of a regular and appropriate exercise and fitness program for improving physical, mental and emotional health, establishing proper weight, reducing stress, and increasing vitality.  Establishing an exercise and fitness program requires a lifelong commitment of time and effort. Exercise must become one of those things that you do without question, like bathing and brushing your teeth. Unless you are convinced of the benefits of fitness and the risks of unfitness, you will not succeed.  You should participate in a fitness program that you enjoy and have fun.

The key to a lifetime of fitness is consistency and fun. Here are some tips to help you make exercise a habit:

• Choose an activity you enjoy.
• Tailor your program to your own fitness level.
• Set realistic goals.
• Choose an exercise that fits your lifestyle.
• Give your body a chance to adjust to your new routine.
• Don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results.
• Don't give up if you miss a day; just get back on track the next day.
• Find a partner for a little motivation and socialization.
• Build some rest days into your exercise schedule.
• Listen to your body. If you have difficulty breathing or experience
  faintness or prolonged weakness during or after exercise, consult your
  physician.

Patience is essential. Don't try to do too much too soon and don't quit before you have a chance to experience the rewards of improved fitness.  As you undertake your fitness program, it's important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. It is influenced by age, sex, heredity, personal habits, exercise and eating practices. You can't do anything about the first three factors. However, it is within your power to change and improve the others where needed.

When establishing an exercise and fitness program, choose activities that you enjoy and that will improve:

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance - the ability to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout your body, and to remove wastes and impurities from your body tissues.  Dancing, running, biking, walking briskly, tennis and swimming all strengthen and improve the functioning of the heart, circulatory systems, and lungs.
• Flexibility - the ability to move joints and use muscles through their full range of motion. Gentle, stretching exercises such as yoga asanas and Tai Chi help tone and improve the overall smooth functioning of the body.

A Workout Schedule

Exercising regularly is very important.  How often, how long and how hard you exercise, and what kinds of exercises you do should be determined by what you are trying to accomplish. Your goals, your present fitness level, age, health, skills, interest and convenience are among the factors you should consider.   A vigorous exercise workout period should consist of:

1. Beginning with stretching to prepare muscles and your body for greater activity and to prevent muscle and joint damage;
2. Warm-up exercises to gradually increase cardiorespitory functioning and to prepare the body for increased exertions; 
3. Extended exercise and activity interspersed with periods of lesser activity.  Your levels of exertion should look something like a rollercoaster;
4. A cool-down period where you gradually decrease your level of exertion until your heartbeat and respiration have returned to normal levels.

Your body will lose larger amounts of water during exercise and water is very important for proper body functioning so always remember to drink some water during activity. 

Controlling Your Weight

The key to weight control is keeping energy intake (food) and energy output (physical activity) in balance. When you consume only as many calories as your body needs, your weight will usually remain constant. If you take in more calories than your body needs, you will put on excess fat. If you expend more energy than you take in you will burn excess fat.

Exercise plays an important role in weight control by increasing energy output, calling on stored calories for extra fuel. Recent studies show that not only does exercise increase metabolism during a workout, but it causes your metabolism to stay increased for a period of time after exercising, allowing you to burn more calories.

How much exercise is needed to make a difference in your weight depends on the amount and type of activity, and on how much you eat. Aerobic exercise burns body fat. A medium-sized adult would have to walk more than 30 miles to burn up 3,500 calories, the equivalent of one pound of fat. Although that may seem like a lot, you don't have to walk the 30 miles all at once. Walking a mile a day for 30 days will achieve the same result, providing you don't increase your food intake to negate the effects of walking

If you consume 100 calories a day more than your body needs, you will gain approximately 10 pounds in year. You could take that weight off, or keep it off, by doing 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily. The combination of exercise and diet offers the most flexible and effective approach to weight control.

Since muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue, and exercise develops muscle to a certain degree, your bathroom scale won't necessarily tell you whether or not you are "fat." Well muscled individuals, with relatively little body fat, invariably are "overweight" according to standard weight charts. If you are doing a regular program of strength training, your muscles will increase in weight, and possibly your overall weight will increase. Body composition is a better indicator of your condition than body weight.

Lack of physical activity causes muscles to get soft, and if food intake is not decreased, added body weight is almost always fat. Once-active people, who continue to eat as they always have after settling into sedentary lifestyles, tend to suffer from "creeping obesity."

When To Exercise

The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and helps dissolve the day's worries and tensions.

Another popular time to work out is early morning, before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and energetic on the job.

Among the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal preference, job and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather. It's important to schedule your workouts for a time when there is little chance that you will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on your time.

You should not exercise strenuously during extreme hot, humid weather, or within two hours after eating. Heat and/or digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can be an overtaxing double load.

Selecting Exercise Clothing

Clothing is an important part of any exercise and fitness program.  The right exercise and active wear can improve our performance, enhance our sense of well-being and confidence, and help us enjoy the experience more.  Here are some general principals for selecting the most appropriate exercise clothing and active wear:

• All exercise clothing should permit freedom of movement, and should make the wearer feel comfortable and self-assured.
• As a general rule, wear lighter clothes than temperatures might indicate. Exercise generates great amounts of body heat. Light-colored clothing that reflects the sun's rays is cooler in the summer, and dark clothes are warmer in winter.
• Wear layered exercise clothing so that you can shed layers of clothing if you become too warm.
• In cold weather, wear a hat or wool cap.  Up to 40% of body heat is lost through your neck and head.
• In hot or sunny weather, wear a baseball or tennis cap to prevent the strong rays of the sun from baking the top of your head.  

Although the word "organic" is typically reserved for food produce, clothing made from organic materials is now starting to become a viable alternative to conventionally grown and manufactured clothes. At LotusOrganics we offer a wide selection of items, including exercise clothing, entirely made from organically produced fabrics.

Why Choose Organic Exercise Clothing?

For most individuals, the first reason to turn to organic clothes is their lack of chemical treatment. Conventional cotton is the most chemically treated crop on earth.  Many of the toxic chemicals used to grow cotton are known carcinogens.  Conventional garment manufacturing, also, uses vast amounts of toxic chemicals in the dyeing and finishing processes. All of these chemical steps stay with the final item, exposing wearers to a number of potentially toxic materials.

These chemical treatments have a secondary effect on the cotton. First of all, treatments shorten the fibers, making them more brittle and less durable. Secondly, they also affect the softness of the final material. Organic cotton does not go through these chemical procedures, resulting in a healthier, stronger and softer material that will easily outlast traditionally manufactured cottons.

At LotusOrganics, we have dedicated ourselves to offering shoppers quality and stylish exercise clothing, made only from the highest quality organic materials.  To improve the comfort and stretch, some exercise clothing contains Lycra, a synthetic material that adds stretch and versatility to exercise clothing.  Because Lycra, also known as Spandex, is a synthetic, it can be a problem for people for with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS).  We do offer some exercise clothing containing small amounts of Lycra - between 6% and 10% - in order to reach more people with the importance of organic cotton, but we are continually seeking other natural alternatives to Lycra for future exercise clothing fabrics.

At LotusOrganics, we strive to offer the best organic exercise clothing available online. As a growing company, we are constantly expanding our inventory, offering new items on a regular basis. Our prices are incredibly competitive, even when compared to traditionally fabricated garments. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that organic exercise clothing has a longer life span, making these items a better investment in the long term.

Several of our manufacturers produce exceptional lines of exercise clothing.  Blue Canoe specializes in exercise, activewear, and yoga clothing.  For people with chemical sensitivities, we offer many exercise and dance garments without latex.  For example, our Drawstring Pant is comfortable, relaxed, moves easily in activity, and has a drawstring tie at the waist.

LotusOrganics.com also has some wonderful exercise clothing from Earth Creations.  Earth Creations uses earth clay dyes which are more kind to people with chemical sensitivities.

We also have some purely comfortable and wonderful exercise clothing produced by Of The Earth and Indigenous Designs.

Exercise Clothing from LotusOrganics.com

Here are some related products that might be of interest to you:

• Active Short - a stretchy, comfortable short that is perfect for biking, hiking, jogging, volleyball ... any sport of activity where you need to move and not worry if your shorts are keeping up with you.
• Ballet Neck Top - a gorgeous neckline and fitted top that is wonderful for dance and yoga.
• Boot Cut Legging - a stretchy but loose-fitting full-length pant with an elastic waistband.  Great for yoga, exercise, dance or casual wear.
• Capri Legging - comfortable and great looking capris that fall just below the knee.  Wonderful for many activities and occassions.
• City Tank Top - versatile tank top with gently squared front neck and built-in bra top for added support and comport.
• Crop Contour Pant - a favorite crop pant of hemp and organic cotton with a touch of lycra for stretch.  These are soft and dyed in subtle earth clay colors.
• Double Cross Camisole - a camisole top that can go anywhere.  Double spaghetti straps cross-over in the back.  Inside bra for comfort and support.
• Drawstring Pant - this loose fitting organic cotton pant is ideal for yoga, exercise, meditation, or general casual wear.
• Embroidered Bell Bottoms - these bell bottoms look great and feel wonderful.  The embroidered front panel adds a touch of elegance and beauty.
• Embroidered Boat Neck Top - comfortable and classy sleeveless top  that can go from the yoga asanas to on-the-town with style.
• Embroidered Camisole - elegant full embroidered front with inside bra and spaghetti straps.
• Embroidered Jane's Bra Top - perfect for dance, exercise, yoga and even casual wear.
• Embroidered Jane's Tank Top - a favorite tank top with wide straps and a cross-over bodice.
• Harmony Top - long-sleeves and crossover bodice that falls slightly past the waist.
• Hemp Drawstring Pant - these will give you lots of wear and always look terrific.  Drawstring tie is on left side above the pocket.
• Jane's Bra Top - a wide band that won't ride up and crossover design provide comfort, support and great looks.
• Light Drawstring Pant - organic cotton drawstring pant with a slightly flared leg and low-rise waist.
• Lotus Top - simply beautiful and can go anywhere.
• Ming Tee Top - a very popular, long sleeve hemp/organic cotton top with an oriental print on front.
• Ming Vanyasa Pant - hemp / organic cotton pant with elastic waist band.  These will move any way that you need to move.  Comfortable and great colors.
• Organic Cotton Rolldown Pant - a beautiful pant for exercise or casual wear.  The waist can be worn rolled down for a very contemporary look.
• Organic Cotton Sport Shirt - three quarter length raglan sleeves make this top very sporty.
• Organic Cotton Sweat Pant - There probably has never been a more comfortable or better looking sweat pant
• Organic Cotton Sweat Shirt- ...and the sweatshirt top is super soft and warm.
• Roll Top Legging - these roll top leggings are very form fitting and stretchy so you can move any direction with comfort and ease.
• Sheer Tank Top - classic styling and comfort allow you to wear this tank top anywhere.
• Slit Top - three quarter length sleeves and a ballet neck.  This top will move with you and always look great.
• Sport Tank Top - a high-cut neck and racer back design give this tank a unique and athletic look.
• V Neck Tank Top - sleeveless, organic cotton tank top in beautiful low-impact dye colors with contrasting colors on hems.
• Workout Shorts - truly unique shorts because they are actually two shorts-in-one.   A loose outer short over a stretchy, fitted inner short make these shorts comfortable and discreet.
• Yoga Bra Top - the perfect workout bra top for under other tops or for wear by itself.
• Yoga Flair Pants - a cropped, flair leg and stretch waistband for comfort and good looks.
• Zen Top - another of our favorites with a slightly oriental look.
• Zippy Vest - sleeveless zip-up vest that is great for after yoga or exercise class ... or anytime.