Archive for the 'Exercise' Category

Problems With Ab Exercise

by Jim John

It can be difficult to choose a ab exercise program. Consulting with a physician to assist you in making this choice will be better for you in the long run. Regardless of whether your goal is to lose weight or to maintain a healthy weight, weight loss exercise programs are better when paired with healthy eating choices.

Prior to beginning a ab exercise program, you should decide what your target body weight is, and how much weight you want to be able to lose. You can then commit to an exercise plan that will help you lose the amount of weight necessary to achieve your goal. As you set your overall weight loss goals, you should also create mini goals to help you stay on track with regular exercise.

A personal trainer can be hired to assist in developing a ab exercise program. You can also make your own work out plan schedule by searching for online tools. Another option is to buy a ready made exercise plan like a computer program, chart, or book. These items can aid in tracking the goals for your exercise and diet.

By far, the best weight ab program includes cardiovascular work out sessions. Try incorporating cardio exercises into your daily routine as much as possible by walking, running, or biking. Once your body gets acclimated to doing cardio, it shouldn’t be hard to do this type of exercise five or six days per week in sessions of 20-25 minutes.

A ab exercise program can greatly benefit from the addition of strength training, if you can tolerate it. This can help you to tone your existing muscles, while building new muscles. In addition, strength training can help you burn calories and fat. Exercises such as push-ups are good examples of strength training. For those who are starting out, do 16 repetitions of one exercise per day.

Your body will tire of any workout that’s done repeatedly, so vary the exercises and routines in the weight loss exercise program you are doing in order to lose weight. That way, every muscle group will continue to work, because your body will not know what to expect. Switch between cardio and weight training exercises in order to get the desired results of training different parts of the body.

You can supplement your ab exercise program by keeping journals that track which foods you eat, how much exercise you get, and how you feel. You should stop exercising immediately if you feel faint or dizzy. As you gradually increase the amount of exercise you do, you will also increase your strength and endurance.

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Tai Chi Exercises

by Ray Lam

Tai Chi, or Tai Chi Ch’?an, is an ancient form of martial art, which is being increasingly used as an exercise due to its various health benefits. The word Tai Chi Ch’?an in Mandarin means “boundless fist,” or “supreme ultimate boxing.” Tai Chi basically stresses health, meditation and a soft form of martial arts. As a result, tai chi works to improve the muscular, skeletal and circulatory system. This is done by a number of slow motion exercises that instill awareness about the balance of, and within the body.

Tai Chi originated in China, where it is said that a Taoist monk by the name of Chang San-Feng witnessed a struggle between a crane and a snake. The crane attacked the snake with hard jabs of its beak, while the snake’s soft and flowing maneuvers won the battle. The snake’s movements were the inspiration for Tai Chi, which is now practiced not only in China, but all over the world.

There are various beginner and advanced courses offered, and a beginner course is just fine for those who wish to attain a normal level of fitness. Later, exercise videos can be bought for as less as $10 and one can continue practicing at home. The advanced courses deal in handling weapons such as a cane, spear and sword.

This graceful form of exercise has been known to help people regain strength, posture and balance. It can improve circulation while also bringing on a meditative state that assists in relaxation.

A study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (3-8-04) examined 47 previous studies on the health effects of Tai Chi, and found that Tai Chi showed positive effects on Respiratory and cardiovascular functioning; Blood pressure; Balance; Arthritis, flexibility and strength; Depression or mood; Immunity

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Caralluma Fimbriata: Move Over Hoodia!

by Barry Crewse

Caralluma Fimbriata. For most people, the question is…what is it? Just another Johnny Come Lately fad diet supplement? Well, maybe yes and maybe no. Let’s take a little journey and find out exactly what Caralluma is and what it is not.

Caralluma belongs to the cactus family and is known as a succulent. It grows wild in much of India and as far north as Afghanistan and the surrounding areas.

In India where it is most popular, it has been eaten by locals for hundreds of years and probably longer. The plants green follicles are most often boiled and salted before being eaten although it can be eaten raw as well. It is also made into chutney’s and used in making pickles as well.

Eons ago, the local people who ate this vegetable found that it seemed to contain properties that suppressed their appetite, quenched their thirty and gave their energy a boost as well. It became very popular as a portable “hunting food”. In the more arid regions of India it also became known locally as a “famine food” which sustained the population during times of low food production.

Modern science has now caught up with Caralluma Fimbriata and this new succulent cactus is making a booming appearance in the diet and fitness world. Not only does it appear to have the ability to suppress the appetite and give your endurance a boost but it also looks promising in lowering blood sugar levels as well.

Clinical researchers are discovering that the extracts of Caralluma actually act on the hunger centers within the brain reducing the feeling of being hungry. Further more, these studies have found that appetite suppression takes place without any known disturbances in the natural function of the neurotransmitters within the brain itself. This is surprisingly different than most appetite suppressants on the market today.

More recently, studies are finding that pregnane glycoside, an important extract of Caralluma seems to be not only an effective appetite suppressant but also a major player in the reduction of BMI, fat, blood glucose, blood pressure and a noticeable reduction in waste and hip circumferences as well.

The same studies have also concluded that there appears to be improvement in not only memory function, hearing and capillary health but also notable enhancement of the HDL/LDL blood ratio’s as well as controlling joint inflammation and others.

Caralluma Fimbriata is completely natural and contains no artificial ingredients. This supplement also does not contain any type of chemicals or preservative which are widely known to possibly interfere with your own body’s dieting processes.

There have never been any recorded instance of adverse reaction or toxicity in the extensive studies undertaken to determine it’s safety in human consumption. The fact that it has been eaten for centuries should be proof for certain of it’s benefits and long term positive effects on the human body.

If you haven’t heard much about Caralluma yet you will in the near future as this newcomer to the weight loss arena is poised to take the appetite suppression market by storm. I expect it will overtake Hoodia, which is not only more expensive but less effective and not as readily available.

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How To Get Rid Of Cellulite And Improve Your Health

by Gal Bishop

Near the beginning of each summer do you seem to find yourself asking how to get rid of cellulite on your hips and thighs?

Celluite is nothing new for most women but it causes much distress anyway. With nearly ninety percent showing some signs of orange peel skin on the legs and other areas, it is a definite area of concern and embarrassment for many.

Even though surgery is often thought to be the only way to remove cellulite, it’s usually not needed or even advisable. Rather, a healthy diet and exercise plan can help to reduce cellulite in the thighs, as well as in other areas of the body.

Luckily, the best part is you don’t need to spend a lot of money on cellulite reduction procedures. You can say no to liposuction and any other drastic measure you might be thinking about. While some widely available treatments will work when you first use them, you typically will need to continue using them for lasting results.

Diet And Exercise Continue To Help Get Rid Of Cellulite

Fat burning activities along with resistance training is the best way to smooth and firm the skin. Care must be taken, however, if you experience issues with your joints or have had previous injuries.

For those who must exercise with extra care, water workouts can be ideal. Here’s an example that may work for you…

Aqua walking - it’s tough on cellulite and easy on you and your joints. It’s less likely you’ll injure yourself with exercises in the water when compared with normal workouts. Begin by moving into the water about waist high and then start walking as briskly as you can. Keep your arms bent at your side and pumping as if you were walking though the neighborhood.

Consider getting shoes specially designed for walking in the water. They’ll help to protect your feet and keep you comfortable during your workout. Once your exercise sessions become easier, add some resistance weights designed for use in the pool for added benefits.

Once you’re finished with your walking workout, swim around a bit as a cool down and stretch. If you’ve been wondering how to get rid of cellulite and enjoy the water too, you’ll find this a fun way to workout and reduce cellulite at the same time.

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Abdominal Muscle Exercises - Which Ones Should You Use?

by Allison Thompson

When it comes to improving the condition of your abdominal muscles just by carrying out specific exercises that are designed to work on this group of muscles will not help you to achieve your ultimate goal. You also need to look at your genetic structure, how old you are as this ultimately determines the shape of abdomen you have whether you are a man or a woman. But having said this if you do use the right kinds of exercises then you will help to improve and strengthen your abdominal muscles.

The best types of exercises to use for improving the condition of your abdominal muscles are those that involve resistance training in them. Just like the other major muscle groups to be found in your arms, legs and back those in the abdomen will react much better when resistance training is used.

Also choose those exercises which are actually going to make your muscles feel tired even though you may only have done 20 repetitions. Using these kinds of exercises will ensure that you are actually utilizing the muscles more effectively and the results that will be achieved are far better as well.

The most effective of all the abdominal muscle exercises a person should be looking to improve their condition are the standard and combination crunch and the reverse curl. But as well as exercising if you really want to see improvement in your stomach area you need to make changes to your diet. What is the point of exercising if you continue to eat the same kinds of foods which have actually caused you to put on weight in the first place. Below we provide some information on how you should carry out the exercises we have mentioned above.

In order to do the standard crunch you need to lay out flat on the floor (preferably with some sort of protection underneath you). Then you need to bend your knees and have your feet placed firmly on the floor. Once in this position you should now start to slowly raise your shoulders and head up off of the floor and concentrate on making sure that your ribs are moving towards your hips. If you find it difficult to keep your head level with your shoulders as you begin to raise them then a good tip is to pretend that you are holding something under your chin. When first doing this particular exercise it is better to place your hands on your chest as this will prevent strain being placed on other muscles, ligaments and tendons in your body. Only as your muscles become much stronger then should you attempt to raise up your body with your hands either beside or above your head.

The reverse curl exercise which many people use to improve the condition of their abdominal muscles is specifically designed to help improve the condition of the fibrous material that surrounds the lower and side abdominal muscles. As with the standard crunch you first need to lay down on the floor. Then you need to bring your knees up towards your chest and your feet at this type should also be completely off the floor. So really you should almost be in the fetal position, but at the same time your hips should remain touching the floor. Once you have got into a position that you are comfortable with you now need to start raising your hips off the floor, but to do this you will need to contract your ab muscles, plus do not assist in anyway by pulling on your knees. As your ab muscles contract so you will feel your knees even closer to your chest. Also it is important that whilst carrying out this particular because of the position you are in you may find that your legs want to swing to one side or the other so you need to concentrate closely to prevent this from happening.

After a while you may discover that doing the reverse curl or standard crunch becomes much easier as your muscles begin to become stronger. Therefore if you want to challenge yourself further and help to get your muscles much stronger and more condition then start to include the combination crunch in your abs workout. This particular exercise is much more difficult as it requires you to carry out the reverse curl and standard crunch together.

No matter if you are a man or a woman when it comes to improving the condition of your abdominal muscles you need to be aware that not all the exercises people use will work for everyone. Therefore it is important that you yourself spend some time looking at the ones that others are using and may be try a few of them out. It is only through trying them out are you likely to find the exercises which are ideally suited to you and your body shape. Also by doing this you will find that in the long run being able to achieve your goal of having great looking abs will be much more easily achieved.

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Why We Should Drink Eight Glasses Of Water Each Day

by Maria Esposito

Normally, approximately 2.5 litres of water is required daily for a fairly sedentary adult in a normal environment to replace the total loss of water that occurs though urine, faeces, skin and lungs.

This water loss needs to be replaced. One litre or so needs to be as water or other non dehydrating fluids such as cold herbal teas. A little under a litre will come from food intake. The body also makes about 300ml through its own oxidative metabolic processes.

If you don’t drink enough water, this is what happens.

1. Pulse rate and rectal temperature increases

2. Increase in respiration

3. Experience numbness and tingling in the fingers and toes

4. Increase in concentration of the blood

5. Reduced blood volume and more difficult circulation of the blood

The difficulty and problems of the blood circulation under such conditions leads to:

1. difficulties in breathing

2. gastrointestinal upsets

3. feelings of sickness and not wanting to eat

4. if it carries on for an extended period it will cause problems with muscle movement and unstable emotions

In an animal trial, restricted water intake led to irritablitiy and in some cases, bad temper.

Thirst

It has been demonstrated that under intense physical activity a male will only drink voluntarily around 50% as much water as what is required to replace losses from urine and sweat. Only after rest and food do the cravings for the required amount of water return to replace the fluid deficit.

Hot Drinks

After drinking hot liquids, the internal temperature of the body rises, resulting in sweating. This cools the body down. This is sometimes used in the practice of medicine when an increase in body temperature is required for a short time, or whether sweating is required. So it is preferable to choose cool or cold drinks rather than hot ones to replace fluid losses, particularly if hot drinks are the only types of drinks that are normally chosen.

Drinks containing sugar

During physical activities lasting less than 90 minutes, water is generally the beverage of choice, however, the inclusion of small concentrations of carbohydrate (6%-8% carbohydrate) have been shown to better sustain power output over water alone during physical activities that produce fatigue in 60 minutes or longer.

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Perfect Abs - The Right Abdominal Muscle Exercises To Do

by Allison Thompson

When it comes to improving the condition of your abdominal muscles just by carrying out specific exercises that are designed to work on this group of muscles will not help you to achieve your ultimate goal. You also need to look at your genetic structure, how old you are as this ultimately determines the shape of abdomen you have whether you are a man or a woman. But having said this if you do use the right kinds of exercises then you will help to improve and strengthen your abdominal muscles.

The best types of exercises to use for improving the condition of your abdominal muscles are those that involve resistance training in them. Just like the other major muscle groups to be found in your arms, legs and back those in the abdomen will react much better when resistance training is used.

Also choose those exercises which are actually going to make your muscles feel tired even though you may only have done 20 repetitions. Using these kinds of exercises will ensure that you are actually utilizing the muscles more effectively and the results that will be achieved are far better as well.

When you want to improve the shape of your abdominal muscles the best types of exercises you should be using are the standard and combination crunch ones as well as the reverse curl. However along with exercising you should also be looking closely at your diet as well. You will not be able to achieve your ultimate goal of having a great looking stomach if you find yourself still eating the same types of food which caused you to put on the weight in the first place. Below we take a look at the exercises mentioned and the ways in which they should be carried out.

With the standard crunch you will first need to get yourself in to a prone position on your back on the floor. It might be wise to put a mat or blanket underneath you especially if you are laying on a wooden floor. Then slowly raise your legs up until your feet are flat on the floor and your knees are bent. As soon as you are in this position comfortably you should start to raise your shoulders up off the floor and make your ribs move towards your hips. But you need to actually prevent your should from raising up above your shoulder level and the easiest way to do this is by pretending that you are holding on to a piece of fruit which has been placed under your chin. When first using this exercise and to avoid putting too much strain on your body you should place your hands on your chest. Then as your muscles begin to grow stronger then you can choose to place your hands either at the side or above your head.

The reverse curl exercise which many people use to improve the condition of their abdominal muscles is specifically designed to help improve the condition of the fibrous material that surrounds the lower and side abdominal muscles. As with the standard crunch you first need to lay down on the floor. Then you need to bring your knees up towards your chest and your feet at this type should also be completely off the floor. So really you should almost be in the fetal position, but at the same time your hips should remain touching the floor. Once you have got into a position that you are comfortable with you now need to start raising your hips off the floor, but to do this you will need to contract your ab muscles, plus do not assist in anyway by pulling on your knees. As your ab muscles contract so you will feel your knees even closer to your chest. Also it is important that whilst carrying out this particular because of the position you are in you may find that your legs want to swing to one side or the other so you need to concentrate closely to prevent this from happening.

After a while you may discover that doing the reverse curl or standard crunch becomes much easier as your muscles begin to become stronger. Therefore if you want to challenge yourself further and help to get your muscles much stronger and more condition then start to include the combination crunch in your abs workout. This particular exercise is much more difficult as it requires you to carry out the reverse curl and standard crunch together.

No matter if you are a man or a woman when it comes to improving the condition of your abdominal muscles you need to be aware that not all the exercises people use will work for everyone. Therefore it is important that you yourself spend some time looking at the ones that others are using and may be try a few of them out. It is only through trying them out are you likely to find the exercises which are ideally suited to you and your body shape. Also by doing this you will find that in the long run being able to achieve your goal of having great looking abs will be much more easily achieved.

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Why Beginners Opt for Walking On Treadmills For Weight Loss

by Torri Tompson

If you are thinking about what you can do to get in shape and lose weight, you should consider walking on treadmills. Many people have walked their way to fitness and weight loss-and away from bad health-using treadmills. Treadmills are great machines for someone who is new to exercise because they are made to accommodate any person’s fitness condition and they grow with you.

One of the main reasons that people opt for walking on a treadmill, instead of going somewhere to walk or walking outside, is having your own treadmill takes away exercise excuses. You can’t blame Mother Nature for not working out, and you can’t say you are too tired to travel to your walking destination, when a treadmill is in your home. Another reason many people purchase their own personal treadmills is they can workout when it’s convenient to them-day or night.

A question that is on the minds of many people who are beginning a walking workout program is how much time they should walk. How long you should walk for will be based on your health and fitness condition and what your goals are. Most health professionals and exercise experts recommend that people try to walk 30 to 60 minutes at a pace that will bring their heart rates up to 50 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate.

To get your approximate maximum heart rate you simply have to apply the formula of 220 minus your age. Let’s say you are 35 years old, then you would take 220 minus 35 and you would get 185. Fifty to seventy percent of that is 93-130. According to the expert guidelines, your goal should be to keep your heart rate between 93-130 beats per minute throughout your workout.

If that sounds too strenuous, you do have options. You can cut those minutes in half and walk twice a day, or cut them into three or four blocks of walking time. Whatever works for you is fine. The most important thing is you are getting up and moving more days of the week than you are not. Also be sure that regardless of how long you workout, you maintain a heart rate between 50-70 percent of your maximum heart rate for optimal results.

In a short amount of time you will find that your walking program will become easier and easier. This means you are getting in better fitness condition and your maximum heart rate has increased. When this happens, it’s a sign that you should intensify your walking program and go to the next level. Keep your heart rate at 60-70 percent of your new maximum heart rate and you will continue to get a stronger cardiovascular system, too.

No matter your fitness condition or your age, it’s always a good time to start getting healthy. Walking on a treadmill is a great way to do it, too. They serve as personal trainers as they keep up with your calories, walking distance and speed, heart rate and more. The great news is as your endurance increases, so can your workout on a treadmill.

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Pre-Teen Obesity: An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth 100 Pound Cure

by Dorthy Weatherbush

Whether you live on the west coast or the east coast, the silent killer called obesity is aggressively moving through our communities. More than likely, if you are not directly affected, the chances are that you have friends or family members who are loosing control of their weight.

In reality we can all agree that having excess body fat would work to your advantage if you lived in Siberia. Why? Because there, you have to work for your food, brave the cold and brutal weather conditions just to survive. Today in America you almost don’t have to work to do anything. With the advent of remote control entertainment systems, pizza delivery and wireless telephones, the average American never has to leave the sofa.

This becomes even clearer when we witness the growing problem of children with obesity. Nutrition counselors agree that for every 3 to 5 pounds a child is over their normal weight level before they reach puberty, that child will become on average 15 to 30 pounds before they reach the age of thirty. To add to this, Type II diabetes is now become one of the fastest growing diseases among teens.

Preteens, tweens and teenagers are also prone to body image dysmorphia, driven by peer pressure, social imaging and just the changes their body is going through. Being a teenager is hard enough as it is; it’s even worse when you’re carrying 40 or 60 extra pounds of body weight and alarmingly, the fastest growing market segment for diet products like SlimFast and MediFast are teenaged and younger girls.

On the positive side of things, I want to let you know that there is hope. There is an easy way to solve this downward trend.

Remember when you were a kid? You know, before video games like the Nintendo Wii. You actually had friends who played outside with you. You had energy and used it.

When you were thirsty, mostly you grabbed milk, sometimes orange juice, not sodas. Cookies were a treat, not a staple of your diet. Snacks were things like apple wedges or an orange, maybe some peeled carrots.

Contrary to the popular belief, it is possible to training children to eat healthy foods. Caffeine laced drinks are a prime example. Researchers have uncovered an alarming link between drinking diet sodas and consuming high fat luncheon meets with cases of certain brain cancers. If you gain nothing else from this article, at least follow this one tip, please, do not allow your kids to drink soft drinks. Remember, water first before any juices or milks.

Another simple trick is to schedule snack times along with family style meals. As an example, rather than Johnny eating a snack whenever he is bored, you establish certain times during the day when he will have a snack and what his choices are. By doing this early, it minimizes the impulse eating and helps children make proper choices.

Also, make it a habit to make your time after meals an active one. Rather than eating a big meal and head up stairs to sleep, why not take the family for a nice walk in the park or around the block. You’ll have time to connect, the children will release a lot of their built up energy and they will learn that an active lifestyle is part of a healthy routine. Not only will you feel better, you’ll also connect with your kids.

Start early with your children. Sit down with them and honestly and directly explain why living a healthy lifestyle is important. If you are reading this today, you are the future of your family. An always remember, nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels.

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All About Saunas

by John Johnson

Sauna bathing is an ancient past time although the activity is quite popular in the modern world as well. Let’s explore the history of saunas and learn how they work.

The purpose of a sauna is to provide wet or dry heat sessions that promote both relaxation and perspiration. This takes place in a small room where bathers remove their clothing and assume a comfortable position while the hot temperature (greater than 80 C) penetrates their pores. The opening of the pores and sweating make it possible for impurities to easily be removed from the body. The detoxification has not only physical benefits, such as an improved immune system, but also psychological benefits, including a reduction in stress.

“Sauna” is world that developed in ancient Finland and means a traditional Finnish bath. The earliest saunas were dug in slopes in the ground and used by the Finns to keep warm during the cold winter months. Stones were heated to very high temperatures and water was poured over them in order to create heat and moisture in the form of steam. Because of the extreme heat, individuals would remove their clothes for comfort.

As time passed, the sauna evolved and began to feature a metal woodstove along with a chimney. Steam vapor was also generated by spraying water onto the heated stones. Air temperature was typically set between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius but on occasion exceeded as much as 90 degrees Celsius.

Often the Finns would use a ‘vihta’, a bundle of birch branches with fresh leaves, to gently swat themselves and other bathers to improve the experience. This practice not only aids in blood circulation, but adds a pleasant birch scent to the sauna.

Saunas provide stress relief in two ways. One is the natural relaxation you’d experience when spending time in a dry or wet sauna. The other way in which a sauna relieves stress is by releasing chemicals from the body. When your skin heats up during a bath, large quantities of chemicals that cause stress are expelled from the body. Thus, in addition to reducing the amount of chemicals in the body, the sauna bath also slows the formation of chemicals.

The opening of the pores also makes it easier to remove toxins from the body. Toxins travel through your sweat glands and are released with your perspiration. As noted earlier, a sauna creates a high amount of perspiration and therefore is excellent for detoxification.

In Finland sauna bathing is practiced regularly as Finns regard saunas as the natural and superior method to cleanse the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. The sauna was and continues to be an essential aspect of daily life. Families in Finland traditionally bathed together in the sauna at home. It is interesting to note that Finnish women used to give birth in the sauna.

When the Finns migrated to the different parts of the globe they shared their knowledge of sauna designs and customs. They taught other cultures about the sauna’s health benefits which helped the sauna to evolve further. Eventually, this led to the development of electric sauna stoves and far infrared saunas which became quite popular. Since then various cultures around the world have been recognizing, adopting and improvising the sauna.

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