Archive for category: HOT NEWS

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The Spring Festival celebrations don’t truly end until after the Lantern Festival. During the holiday season, family feasts and gatherings follow one after another, with an abundance of chicken, duck, fish, meat, desserts, and snacks. It’s easy to fall into a cycle of overindulgence. After the holidays, mild symptoms may include bloating and indigestion, while more severe consequences can be rapid weight gain and gastrointestinal discomfort. In reality, eating well during the New Year doesn’t mean eating excessively. By mastering practical tips on “what to eat and how to eat,” you can savor festive flavors while maintaining your health. Keep this guide to sensible holiday eating handy.

01 Balance your meals and reduce heavy oils and salt.

To eat sensibly, first adhere to dietary principles and avoid blindly showing off meals. Keep these three key points in mind: balanced combinations, eating until 70% full, and reducing heavy oils and salt. Holiday meals often become unbalanced, typically featuring excessive meat and insufficient vegetables. Aim for a ratio of “1 meat, 2 vegetables, 1 staple food” per meal. For meat dishes, prioritize lean cuts like steamed, boiled, or lightly braised pork, fish, shrimp, chicken, or duck. Reduce intake of red-cooked, fried, or braised meats. as these dishes contain excessive fat and salt, which can strain the digestive system and blood vessels when consumed in excess over time. For grains, diversify beyond refined rice and wheat flour by incorporating whole grains, corn, sweet potatoes, and other options. This boosts dietary fiber intake, slows blood sugar spikes, and enhances satiety.

02 Master the Proper Way to Eat

Master the “right way to eat” and let your stomach enjoy the holidays stress-free. Many people tend to start with meat dishes and drinks before moving on to vegetables and staples during gatherings, a sequence that easily leads to overeating. The proper sequence is: Start with a bowl of light soup (like winter melon or mushroom soup) to awaken your digestive system. Then eat vegetables to replenish dietary fiber and prepare your stomach. Next, enjoy meat dishes for moderate intake of high-quality protein. Finally, finish with grains to wrap up the meal and satisfy your hunger. This order effectively controls portion sizes, prevents irritation from eating greasy foods on an empty stomach, and reduces indigestion and bloating.

Mastering the details of “how to eat” helps avoid hidden health pitfalls. First, control eating speed. Avoid wolfing down food during gatherings. Chewing slowly and thoroughly allows you to savor flavors while giving your brain sufficient signals of fullness. Aim for 20-30 chews per mouthful to prevent overeating. Second, avoid “seamless” snacking. Many people keep snacks within reach during the holidays, immediately reaching for candies, nuts, or pastries after meals, leading to excessive calorie intake. It’s advisable to maintain a 3-4 hour gap between meals. Opt for plain nuts or fresh fruit as snacks, controlling portion sizes each time to avoid overindulging in sweets or fried treats.

03 Pay attention to balancing diet and sleep patterns.

Also pay attention to pairing beverages with your schedule to support balanced eating. During the holiday season, minimize consumption of sugary drinks, strong tea, and high-proof spirits. Sugary beverages can lead to weight gain and blood sugar fluctuations, strong tea may impair nutrient absorption, and high-proof spirits can irritate the stomach and liver. Opt instead for plain water, lightly brewed tea, or porridge made from whole grains. Additionally, avoid staying up late, as it disrupts digestive rhythms and exacerbates indigestion. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is essential for keeping your digestive system functioning properly.

The true meaning of the New Year lies in family reunions and heartwarming feasts, not in overindulgence that compromises health. Balanced eating isn’t about deprivation; it’s about savoring delicious food while practicing moderation, balance, and scientific eating habits. May everyone enjoy the festive season with good food and drink while safeguarding their health. Experience the warmth of the New Year celebrations with a light, comfortable body, and kick off the new year in a healthy, vibrant state.

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Emotional fluctuations such as joy, anger, sorrow, fear, and fright are all intrinsically linked to the five major organs and six viscera. Therefore, improving one’s mood can be highly beneficial for middle-aged and elderly individuals experiencing a gradual decline in physical health.

01 The Importance of Improving One’s Mood

As middle-aged and elderly individuals experience declining physical functions and changes in brain activity, the synthesis and metabolism of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system weaken. This leads to reduced sensory perception, impaired consciousness, slowed reactions, and difficulty concentrating. Poor mental health not only affects organ function but also impacts skin health, causing dark spots, wrinkles, and accelerating skin aging. If it begins to affect physical health, it should sound an alarm for heightened vigilance.

The impact of mood on physical health is undeniable. A relaxed and joyful state of mind not only revitalizes us but also promotes blood circulation throughout the body, enhances disease resistance, and contributes to overall well-being. It reduces the risk of common health issues in middle-aged and elderly individuals and helps maintain a positive attitude toward new experiences.

02 Exercise to Improve Mood

For middle-aged and elderly individuals, exercise is an excellent way to improve mood. Moderate-intensity exercise promotes the release of a peptide substance called endorphins, which can induce feelings of pleasure and excitement.

Exercise also serves as a distraction. It increases neurotransmitters, triggering feelings of pleasure. It allows for the timely release of negative emotions, enhances the experience of accomplishment, and fosters positive, uplifting moods. Post-workout benefits include a strengthened immune system and increased energy to pursue favorite activities.

03 Sports Suitable for Middle-Aged and Elderly Individuals

Regulating your mood through aerobic exercise—such as running, walking, playing basketball, or swimming—can be highly effective. On one hand, exercise helps prevent osteoporosis in middle-aged and elderly individuals; on the other, it allows participants to experience the joy derived from physical activity.

Take running, for instance. Regular running offers numerous health benefits. Running is an aerobic exercise that not only promotes blood circulation but also enhances cardiovascular function. It can also help eliminate harmful substances and toxins from the body to some extent.

During the sweltering summer, swimming is the most suitable exercise for the elderly. Water’s buoyancy reduces a person’s weight to just 10% of their actual body weight, allowing seniors to move effortlessly in the water without exerting much force. Swimming not only strengthens core muscles but also minimizes the risk of injury from falls during exercise. For seniors whose balance declines with age, swimming effectively reduces the likelihood of falls.

Finally, safety must be prioritized when middle-aged and elderly individuals swim.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

• Left arm corresponds to right leg, right arm to left leg.
• Keep elbows bent at about 90° and let the arms hang naturally at the sides of the torso.
• Swing arms back and forth as you run.
• Adjust swing amplitude according to leg stride: larger strides mean larger arm swings; faster leg turnover means faster arm swings.
  When upper and lower limbs work together in sync, the rhythm naturally emerges.

• Sprinting → high‑frequency breathing (e.g., one breath in and one out per step, or two steps inhale, one step exhale).
• Jogging → low‑frequency breathing (e.g., three steps inhale, one step exhale if speed is slow).
  Rapid inhalation can cause air to rush into the nasal cavity, throat, and trachea, sometimes leaving the mouth and throat dry; exhalation has no such drawback, so you can fully expel waste air from the lungs within one step. Let leg cadence drive breathing rate, and let breathing rhythm guide leg rhythm.

• Power comes from the thighs — lift them high to drive the lower legs forward.
• This lets the thighs control stride rhythm, increases stride length, and lets you run faster and more easily.
  During running, the key point of force application is the thigh; once the thigh is lifted properly, speed can be maintained effortlessly.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

The ankle joint is a very important joint in the human foot. It bears the greatest amount of body weight of any joint in the body — in simple terms, it supports almost our entire body. Although the ankle is capable of bearing our full body weight, it is also prone to sprains.

Ankle sprains are very common in everyday life. They often happen during intense exercise or from accidentally twisting the ankle — this is called an acute ankle sprain. Causes can include uneven ground, inadequate warm-up before exercise, or wearing unsuitable footwear for sports.

If an ankle sprain occurs, what should we do? Don’t panic — rehabilitation experts will teach you first-aid methods. Save them now!

01 Do Not Move It Randomly​

When you discover an ankle sprain, avoid moving the ankle unnecessarily. Protect the injured area as much as possible and do not overstretch the affected site, as this can cause secondary injury. Don’t take it lightly just because it seems like a minor issue — walking around casually after a sprain may worsen the condition, leading to ligament strain, which will make recovery more difficult.

02 Apply Cold Therapy​

Cold therapy is the best way to reduce swelling and also helps treat ankle sprains. Fix an ice pack to the injured area, applying cold for 10–20 minutes, then resting for 10 minutes. Repeat this cycle for up to two hours to achieve a swelling-reducing effect and relieve pain. Note: Experts advise against​ using heat. If possible, always use cold therapy — cold, cold, cold!

03 Immobilize the Injured Area​

After a sprain, be sure to immobilize the area with a bandage. Wrap the ankle with appropriate pressure to increase joint stability, promote capillary constriction, and reduce fluid leakage. This approach helps prevent long-term complications. Keeping the limb at rest is the best state for healing.

04 Elevate the Affected Limb​

When sleeping, reduce pressure on the injured area by placing a pillow or soft cushion under the ankle. This promotes blood circulation in the foot and leg.

The above are the first-aid steps for ankle sprains. Experts remind us that medication cannot replace later-stage rehabilitation. After managing the acute phase of an ankle sprain, appropriate functional exercises and rehabilitation training should be performed. If the sprain is severe, seek medical attention promptly so a doctor can determine the next treatment plan.

It’s also important to note: when running or participating in sports, it’s best to wear ankle braces and perform a proper warm-up. This is the best and lowest-cost preventive measure. Don’t wait until you sprain your ankle to regret it — that would be a loss rather than a gain.

If you have any queries or suggestions, please feel free to reach out via email to info@harisonfitness.com. We will do everything in our capacity to ensure that you love your experience with us.

The chest fly is one of the core foundational exercises for chest training. Its primary movement logic involves the upper arms moving forward from behind, targeting the pectoral muscles while also engaging the anterior deltoids. The bench fly serves as its fundamental form, with variations like the butterfly machine fly and the cable fly evolving from it. Mastering the fundamentals of the chest fly can significantly enhance the contraction sensation in the chest muscles and improve sculpting results.

01. Supine Flying Bird: The go-to exercise for beginners to master chest squeezes

The Flying Bird exercise derives its name from the wing-flapping motion of the arms, making it the most accessible foundational chest-pressing movement. Its step-by-step breakdown is clear, and the force application is precise.

1. Starting Position: Lie flat on your back, chest lifted, shoulder blades naturally retracted to establish a foundation for chest muscle engagement.

2. Starting Position: Grasp dumbbells with hands, arms extended naturally, elbows slightly bent—never lock them straight.

3. Core Activation: Engage your chest as the power source, palms facing each other. Pull hands toward the center, feeling the pectoral muscles contract. Slowly return to starting position, maintaining a steady pace throughout.

02 Key Points for the Lying Fly Exercise

To maximize the effectiveness of the lying dumbbell fly exercise while avoiding joint injuries, strict adherence to movement details is essential. The core focus revolves around the elbow joints and range of motion.

1. Keep elbows naturally flared outward. Avoid pinching elbows together to generate force, as this may lead to insufficient pectoral muscle activation.

2. Maintain a slight bend in both elbows throughout the movement. Perform the exercise solely through shoulder joint action, excluding elbow joint involvement to reduce joint stress.

3. Control the range of motion. When lowering the weights, avoid excessive descent. Stop when a natural stretch is felt in the chest muscles to prevent shoulder joint compression.

03Incline/Decline Bench Variations: Incline Bench / Decline Bench

Flat bench flyes focus on overall chest sculpting. Using an incline or decline bench for flyes allows for precise targeting of specific chest areas, catering to diverse sculpting needs. The incline bench flye targets the upper pectoral muscles more effectively, making it ideal for building upper chest mass. The decline bench flye, on the other hand, focuses on developing the lower pectoral muscles, helping to sculpt the lower chest line and create a fuller, more balanced chest shape. The execution technique remains consistent with the flat bench flye; only the training equipment needs to be adjusted.

04 Butterfly Machine + Gantry Frame, Enhanced Power Generation in the Pull Phase

After mastering the basic supine fly, you can try fixed-machine and gantry-style chest flys to reduce compensatory movements and further enhance pectoral muscle contraction tension. Both variations adhere to the core principle that “the closing position determines the training focus.”

1. Butterfly Machine Chest Fly: Utilizing fixed equipment allows for easier focus on the chest muscles. Seat height determines the targeted area: – A higher seat position brings hands together below the chest, emphasizing the lower chest. – A lower seat position brings hands together higher up, primarily targeting the upper chest.

2. Cable Chest Fly: Offers greater flexibility, maintaining continuous tension on the chest muscles. Bringing hands together higher targets the upper chest, while a lower position stimulates the lower chest. This is a common chest-strengthening exercise in gyms.

Regardless of the chest fly variation chosen—whether incline dumbbell flyes, cable chest flyes, or cable pulley chest flyes—one universal principle remains inviolable: Maintain a constant slight bend in the elbows throughout the entire movement. The arm opening and closing motion should be performed solely through the shoulder joints, with the elbow joints never engaging in the effort. Only by adhering to this principle can the chest muscles become the true primary movers, preventing compensation and ensuring training effectiveness. To maximize efficiency in chest fly exercises, understand the synergistic muscle logic: the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi are opposing muscle pairs. Contraction of the pectoralis major pulls the arms forward, while contraction of the latissimus dorsi pulls them backward.