Category Archives: Fitness

Personal Fitness Regime

Do you plan out your fitness regime each week? You should. With your own personal fitness regime.

Everybody knows that it is important to be fit. Your level of fitness is a major factor in your lifespan, and getting in shape should be a priority. Therefore you should consider your own personal fitness regime. There are plenty of celebrities, whether qualified or not, offering to sell you their latest fitness video or book, and more and more articles in newspapers and magazines about the cost of not having a daily workout; the impact on your health, the social effects of being unfit, and of course the fact that most fashionable clothes don’t come in plus sizes. Getting fit should be on your ‘to-do’ list all year round, and not just a New Year’s resolution that doesn’t make it past the first few days of January.

Personal Fitness Regime

It is easy to start a fitness regime, and then run out of enthusiasm. With a busy work schedule, and an equally busy social life, it’s a common enough occurrence that people drop out of exercising on the basis that they don’t have enough time. The most obvious answer to this, and something that most fitness instructors will suggest, is just to get out of bed a bit earlier, and use that time to exercise. Of course, to some this may seem like a nightmare, and not something to inspire them; nightowls should look for something to do in the evening, perhaps a late workout session at the gym, or installing some home exercise equipment so that you can watch TV as the same time as working out.728x90 Sign Up For Webinar

Not everyone is suited to a traditional fitness regime of steps and ‘dancercise’. You might find it rewarding to try other methods to keep fit, such as martial arts. It is not important how you get fit: only the results matter. If you find that you enjoy fencing, for example, then that will extend your enthusiasm for your fitness regime. Doing something that you hate, or which you feel stupid doing, won’t last very long. And that includes your personal fitness regime.

Keep your enthusiasm up in other ways, by working out to favorite tracks, or by keeping a log of how well you’ve done. You can work out with a friend and have a competition; or you can set yourself goals in your fitness regime, and reward yourself when you achieve them.

Fitness should be something that you work towards for all of your life, and a daily exercise routine will certainly help you achieve that goal. Even if your exercising consists of a short run every day, and you never end up with a full six-pack, that does not matter. Fitness is not about getting the perfect body, it is about a general physical state where you feel more energetic, and you feel good about the way your body looks and works.

Losing weight is typically one of the benefits of your personal fitness regime. To see how I was able to lose 40 – yes 40 – pounds, click here: http://bit.ly/1rLhW2c

Your Way To Health Inside And Out With A Treadmill

Treadmills offers a great alternative to walking outside as well as much more versatile than outdoor walking especially in choosing your terrain and walking attributes. Treadmills are a great investment because they are easy to setup, and use. There is no special training when using a treadmill that might be necessary when using weight training equipment or other fitness machines.

The price of treadmills is going to vary quite a bit. For a low end model of a treadmill the cost is treadmillgoing to range from$300 to$2000, for the high end people can easily drop over 5000 dollars for a deluxe model. The price varies usually due to the computer system that is present with in the treadmill. Many treadmills of the feature of recording stats including heart rate, time, calories, fat, and distance.

Another feature which should be taken into consideration is the horsepower of the treadmill. For the average consumer a treadmill should offer a continuous duty rating. While some treadmills may brag about their peak horsepower which could be extremely high this means at ideals conditions the treadmill might be able to achieve that. There for it is most important to know what the motor of the treadmill can be regularly and consistently. Treadmills can also be very noisy. If noise is a concern for you then seek out treadmills which have DC motors which are significantly quieter then the alternatives.

Treadmills

Treadmills should be strong and stable. When you are testing out a potential treadmills for purchase make sure you are dresses as if you are actually going to exercise and wearing your running shoes. Check the rails to make sure they are properly secured and you can easily wrap your hand around them. Other things to check is if the running path and belt are large enough for you to run on.728x90 Quite Possibly The Last

Another great feature of treadmills is that they are programmable and can be preset. This is a great way to make your exercise experience more enjoyable. Also a bottle holder and magazine rack are handy conveniences when doing a daily workout.

Take into consideration the amount of space you have to devote to your treadmill this will determine which type of treadmill is bets for you. Remember to measure your space and bring home the dimensions of the treadmill first. Most exercise equipment looks small on the sales floor but can be too big for a normal sized room. Many treadmills fold up, if you are seeking a fold up model measure the space you have to house it and buy accordingly.

You Should Make Walking An Every Day Priority

No one needs to be reminded that the fitness craze has arrived in full bloom and hints to us that it’s not going away anytime soon.

You Should Make Walking An Every Day Priority

For the more, shall we say, “leisurely” type of person, this can cause a lot of guilt. “I’m going to start walking — next week.” “How hard can it be to just walk for 30 minutes? I can do that. I just You Should Make Walking An Every Day Priorityhaven’t had time.” We’ve all heard (and sometimes used) one of these excuses.

The one reason people don’t do what they don’t absolutely have to do is simple: They don’t want to, and they don’t have to. We grow up learning that death and taxes are the only two inevitables. Now they want us to exercise?

Exercise is thought of by many people as a forced kind of event, and walking hovers near the top of the list in the “boring” category. “I don’t want to just WALK! What’s the point, where’s the destination?” we ask.

Well, just like everything else, there are loopholes here aplenty; it’s up to the individual to make something so intolerably “boring” pretty interesting. It’s also imperative to your health that you rethink that statement and re-prioritize your life.

Just think of it this way: Do you place a high enough priority on yourself and your well-being? It never hurts to remind yourself of the health benefits you’d gain by walking regularly. It’s true — you will not notice these long-term benefits right away, you will notice these things: You’ll have more energy. You’ll sleep better. You’ll be fitter. And you’ll be happier.728x90 Sign Up For Webinar

Still not enough? OK. On those days you really can’t seem to set aside a half hour for a walk, you CAN walk. Find shorter segments of time where walking naturally fits into your schedule. If you’re used to driving everywhere, this may take a little rethinking. But consider this: If you have a short errand to do, a meeting to attend, or a child to pick up, walk. If you’re headed to see a movie, to worship, to a game, walk. Although it may take a few minutes longer than normal, remind yourself of your efficient use of time: you’re actually accomplishing several things at once. (This is a mental trick, but it works.)

Look, if our ancestors survived the Ice Age, it won’t kill you to walk in the rain. In our age of climate control and central air, we like our environment to remain comfortable at all times. But, come on, how “boring” is that?

Another trick is to think of walking as a basic human need, like sleep, shelter, and food. Then, after you complete your 30 minutes, reward yourself with any of the other three needs. Walk back home and go in the kitchen.

The key is to never demand too much from yourself. So what if the dishes aren’t done? Do them later. You’ll live longer and more healthfully if you walk instead of do the dishes! And doctors don’t prescribe doing the laundry a certain amount of times during the week. These are the “blocks” you put in front of yourself that keep you from walking.

It certainly isn’t easy to change our priorities in today’s hectic world, but it’s harder to begin “getting healthy” when it’s a little too late — and the house is spotless.

PS: I have been able to start walking daily. Learn more about how it has helped me lose 40 lbs: http://bit.ly/1rLhW2c

Exercise And Sleeping Better

The amount of physical exercise that you exert during the day is one of the key ingredients to helping you get a good sleep at night. The more active your body is during the day, the more Exercise And Sleeping Betterlikely you are to relax at night and fall asleep faster.

With regular exercise you’ll notice that your quality of sleep is improved and the transition between the cycles and phases of sleep will become smoother and more regular. By keeping up your physical activity during the day, you may find it easier to deal with the stress and worries of your life.

Research and studies indicate that there is a direct correlation between how much we exercise and how we feel afterwards.

Exercise And Sleeping Better

You should try and increase your physical activity during the day. The goal here is to give your body enough stimulation during the day so that you aren’t full of energy at night.

Your body requires a certain amount of physical activity in order to keep functioning in a healthy manner. It is also important to note that you should not be exercising three or four hours before you go to bed.

The ideal exercise time is in the late afternoon or early evening. You want to make sure you expend your physical energy long before it is time for your body to rest and ready itself for sleep.

You should attempt to exercise at least three or four times a week for a period of 30 minutes or so. You can include walking or something simple. If you prefer, you can include strenuous activities such as running as well.

The goal here is to increase your heart rate and strengthen the capacity of your lungs. By adding a regular exercise activity to your daily schedule will help you to improve your overall health and help you emotionally as well.

Along with running and walking there are several other physical activities that you can add to your daily life to increase your level of physical activity. If you are battling not sleeping, you’ll find aerobic exercise to be the best.

Your goal with exercise is to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches your blood stream. Overall, there are many types of aerobic exercise for you to choose from. The activities include running, biking, using a treadmill, dancing, and jumping rope.

There are some non aerobic exercises that you may find beneficial to help you solve your amnesia problem.

Yoga Yoga is an exercise that has a stimulatory effect on your nervous system, especially the brain. Yoga utilizes breathing techniques and yoga postures to increase the blood circulation to the brain, promoting regular and restful sleeping patterns. The regular practice of yoga will help you to relax as well as relieve tension and stress.

Tai Chi Tai Chi is an ancient art of breathing and movement that was developed by the Chinese monks. The movements involved are slow and precise, which is ideal if you have joint pains or you are unable to participate in high aerobic exercises. Research has shown that Tai Chi can help with insomnia by promoting relaxation.

If you discover that you don’t have any time to exercise on a regular basis, you should try to sneak moments of activity into your schedule. Whenever possible, you should take the stairs instead of the elevator, as little things like that will do wonders for your body.

You should also park your car around the corner and walk that extra block or two to get to your destination. As you may know, there are many small things you can add to increase the activity in your life. Your overall goal here is to have a healthy and well balanced life – with plenty of sleep.

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The Power of Stretching

Stretching gives one the ability to have explosive power available at one’s fingertips without the need to warm up. Of course most of us are not martial artists or agents. But, you’ll be happy to The Power of Stretchingknow there are plenty of other benefits.

Your muscles ache from a good stretch. This is quite normal and is part of the process. Stretching has seemingly been with us and particular with athletes since the beginning of time.

A very key point to good stretching is to hold the stretch for at least seventeen seconds. This is a pearl of wisdom gleaned from a ballet teacher a few years back. She said that any stretch under 17 seconds was just not effective.

The Power of Stretching

The 17 second rule is exceeded in the high intensity Bikram’s yoga where stretches are held for about 30 seconds. Don’t forget the high level of heat that is used in Bikram’s to extract that last little bit of stretch out of your muscles. An interesting twist that is not necessary to gain benefits from stretching. But, it can’t hurt, right?

So what kind of benefits can you expect from stretching? That’s an easy one. Have you ever seen the movie, Blood Sport? Did you know that Frank Dux could truly stretch his body to the extreme. The actor that played him was quite elastic as well.

Great elasticity is also something you might see in well trained Spetsnaz(Russian)agents. They often work out with Russian kettlebells too. They are for superior strength gains and the ability to withstand ballistic shocks.

Why are stretching and flexibility considered important to these people? Stretching gives one the ability to have explosive power available at one’s fingertips without the need to warm up. Of course most of us are not martial artists or agents. But, you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of other benefits.

Let me give you an example. After learning to sit in the full lotus position for long periods of time, my ankles became very flexible. One day I was walking along and my left foot fell into a pothole. This mishap pushed my ankle sideways to about 90 degrees from it’s normal position.

Amazingly, this didn’t even hurt, not one bit. If my ankle hadn’t been so flexible, I may have suffered a sprained ankle. At the very least, it would have hurt for days.

Key point: stretching helps us to avoid injuries. Not only that but if you do have a muscle, tendon or ligament injury it should heal faster, theoretically speaking.

Stretching actually grows the ligaments, tendons and muscles being stretched. They really grow longer over time.

Check with your physician before undertaking any type of exercise, including stretching.

PS: Stretching can be part of an overall fitness program including proper nutrition. Here is more information on sports nutrition.

Why Walking is the New Running

There is a word that most overweight people dislike, it is a word that turns people off and Why Walking is the New Runningmakes their mind switch to another channel to avoid thinking about it.

Unfortunately it is a key part to weight reduction and something that when done correctly can be the cause of your success.

The word is……………..

Exercise!

Why Walking is the New Running

Now stay with me here, switch your mind back on to what I am saying stay, in this same frame.

The reason most overweight people do not like the ‘E’ word is because they have set up in their mind that in equals pain and like most people they will do anything to avoid pain. There is a better way and you can find the better way when you begin to understand that there are different ‘types’ of exercise (hey, don’t disappear – stay with me now)

At the lowest level there are 2 forms of exercise, these are;

· Aerobic

and

· Anaerobic

Aerobic exercise causes your heart and muscles to work very hard, pumping blood round your body at a high rate to get the oxygen to the muscles in order for them to keep working.
A side effect of this is that it produces acid in your muscles, lactic acid to be precise. It is this lactic acid that causes you muscles to stiffen up after you have finished, causing you pain. Lactic acid also stays in your system for a long time as your body finds it hard to break it down. If your body cannot break the acid down it wraps it up and stores it as fat!

The main type of aerobic exercise that people do on a regular basis is running, yes this helps build fitness but if you want to reduce your weight you can only concentrate on building fitness once you get down to a sufficient weight.
What you should concentrate on to start with is reducing your weight and nothing else, fitness comes later.

This is where anaerobic exercise comes in.

Anaerobic exercise causes the heart to work harder than normal which still pushes the blood and oxygen around the body but does not work the muscles as hard and therefore does not create lactic acid.
Further more anaerobic exercise helps in releasing stored fat and acid and helps it into the waste system so that the body can get rid of it. Remember you cannot ‘burn’ off your weight. The phrase ‘burning off calories’ is a myth!

The weight you get rid of has to leave your body somehow and it is through your waste system that this happens.

So, what is the best form of anaerobic exercise? I hear you ask

Well, as the title of this article suggests it is walking.

My suggestion to you is that you walk for 1 ½ hours at least 3 times per week and that should be broken down into the following;

· 15 minutes warm up walking at a pace slightly faster than your normal walking pace
· 60 minutes walking at a high pace that gets your heart pumping
· 15 minutes warm down walking at your normal walking pace.

If you cannot manage that to start with find your own level and start there and slowly build up to this level.

Remember the warm up and warm down though as this is vital.

Enjoy your walking.

Yours truly,

Graham Nicholls

PS: Are you interested in losing weight? Click here to check out my story how I lost 40 lbs.

Yoga Positions for Beginners

The only way to keep up with the latest about Yoga Positions for Beginners is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Yoga Positions for Beginners, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.Yoga Positions For Beginners

Yoga positions for beginners are so easy to learn. If you have not experienced any yoga session or have not seen one, that is not a problem.

Practitioners have talked about the unification of the mind, body and spirit. They claimed that this will be acquired through the practice of yoga exercises and techniques.

Yoga Positions for Beginners

If it is your first time to hear of yoga, you will of course wonder how these exercises are done and how it looks like. Since you are a beginner, you will also definitely ask what kind of positions will be best for you.

Yogis have believed that the mind and the body are bonded into a unified structure. This belief has never failed and changed through time. Yoga has extensively performed an amazing procedure of healing oneself through harmony. This can be successfully done if you are in a proper environment.

With the great effects of yoga, the doctors have been convinced that yoga has some therapeutic results and can be recommended for people who have illnesses that is hard to cure.

If you have some illness that has been with you for a long time, you can practice the yoga positions for beginners and apply it to yourself.

If you want to practice the yoga positions for beginners, you must believe that yoga is effective and will help you to be cured or be refreshed.

Yoga is not just a recent application. It has been practiced and applied a long time ago and up to the present, the people are benefiting a lot from it.

Those of you not familiar with the latest on Yoga Positions for Beginners now have at least a basic understanding. But there’s more to come.

Investigations and researches have been implemented to prove that yoga can be helpful in the healing process.

Therefore, it has been proved that the yoga positions for beginners are extremely effective and useful when it comes to maintaining a high level of joint flexibility. Although the yoga positions for beginners are just simple and basic, it can slowly bring up a healthy lifestyle and bring more when it is practiced over and over again.

The yoga positions for beginners are very interesting and exciting to perform. Beginners will never find it hard to keep up with the exercises because it is just simple. The technique of yoga gives a very big contributing factor to our internal glands and organs. It also includes the parts of the human body which is barely stimulated.

If you want to learn the yoga positions for beginners, you can learn it easily at home or at school where yoga is taught.

Some basic yoga positions for beginners include standing poses, seated poses, forward and backward bends, balance and twisting. These yoga positions for beginners are not that far from those who are used to practicing yoga. Only that the extreme poses and positions are handled at the latter part of the exercise.

The time duration in executing the positions are also lessened because a beginner cannot fully cope up with a longer time exposure in practice. Rest is required of the beginner so that he will not be drained easily to prepare the body for further positions.

Since you are a beginner, the most important thing you should understand is self discipline. Yoga is not just doing yoga and executing the poses. If you haven’t mastered the basics yet, do not jump into the complex stages and positions because you will not feel the essence of executing the yoga positions for beginners.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

PS: More than just yoga – what you put in your body can make a difference. Click here to check out some of the best supplements money can buy.

Your Body Is An Engine

Growing up around surface coal mining and machines with engines, I learned a lot about how engines work and the basics that they need. Now today learning about nutrition I find some similarities. Stay with me here. It will make sense, I hope. The needs of your body are similar to Your Body Is An Enginethe needs of the engine in your car. These needs are Fuel, Air, and Spark. By the way, you must have realized by now that I am a very simple minded person with a very simple mind. To simplify, this article I will address just one of these needs. Fuel.

Compare this: Your car engine needs fuel. So does your body.

Your Body Is An Engine

The gasoline you put in your car has to be clean with no pollutants. If it is contaminated you will experience symptoms. Lack of power especially when needed like going up a hill, spit sputter and backfiring, your engines way of saying ”Help!!” I am not getting the nutrients I need and it may even stop running all together. (Bad, very Bad if this is your body.) To fix the symptoms, all that is needed (if you do this soon enough) is to purge the engine of the impurities and make sure that the new fuel is clean and proper.

Your body is an engine and is no different, if what you eat is contaminated you will experience the symptoms of being tired, no power, you can also spit, sputter (vomit), and backfire (diarrhea). Again the cure is as easy as giving the body the clean and proper foods it needs. AHH, but now you may ask what are the proper foods.

Remember when you were taught that there were four basic food groups? We were instructed to eat from all four-food groups to get a balanced meal.

1. Dairy
2. Meat
3. Grain
4. Fruits and vegetables. Sounds easy EXCEPT

YOUR DIET CAN AND DOES CAUSE ILLNESS. SAY WHAT? TED

Have you ever suffered from one of the following? Indigestion, heartburn, tiredness, headaches, mood swings, aching joints, constipation, allergies, hypoglycemia, diabetes, high blood pressure, yeast overgrowth, just to name a few.

The problem may not be just the foods you are eating, but what Foods you are Mixing together that is causing a TOXIC CONDITION in the body, especially in the digestive tract.

OH, now you have really done it. This is sounding too confusing.

Learning about Nutrition is an in-depth study, but you can learn the basic do’s and don’ts.

Here is one easy example, Fruits: The rule for fruit is to eat it alone or leave it alone.

Don’t mix with other food groups.

I was taught very young that if you aren’t learning you are dying. Is it worth the effort??

When you first get up in the morning, are you still tired? Look in a full body mirror, look close, do you like what you see? Is your life abundant and Healthy?

PS: Are you interested in learning more about the fuel that your engine could use? Click here to check out some of the best.

Walking Your Way to Better Health

It is an accepted fact that exercise is an important part of any successful weight loss plan. Every muscle you have can burn calories, so the more you work them, the more calories you burn. So, don’t just depend on dieting alone. Move that body and do some exercises to achieve that weight and that body you have always dreamed about.

Walking your way to better health

Walking Your Way to Better HealthWalking is great exercise to lose weight. Moreover, it does not require any expertise or equipment and you can do it free anytime you feel like it. However, to be beneficial, you should do it regularly.Make walking a daily habit or at least 3 to 5 times a week depending on your schedule.

Before you start walking, do some warm up stretching exercises. Stretch only as far as you feel comfortable so as not to pull any muscles. Start with a modest goal, like 15 to 20 minutes at a leisurely pace. Gradually extend the duration and the speed. Walk up one or two gentle slopes. Your walk should be comprised of three segments: warm-up, exercise pace and cool-down.

  • Walk with your chin up and your shoulders held slightly back.
  • The heel of your foot should touch the ground first. Roll your weight forward.
  • Swing your arms as you walk.
  • To avoid stiff or sore muscles or joints, start gradually. Over several weeks, begin walking faster, going further and walking for longer periods of time.
  • Walk on soft ground whenever possible.
  • Quench yourself, drink 8 to 10 ounces of water for every 20 to 30 minutes of the activity.

The more you walk, the better you will feel. Plus, walking also uses more calories; thus, burning more fats. Its benefits include giving you more energy, making you feel good, helping you to relax, reducing stress, helping you sleep better, helping control your appetite and increasing the number of calories your body uses.

To lose weight, it’s more important to walk for time than speed. Walking at a moderate pace yields longer workouts with less soreness leading to more miles and more calories spent on a regular basis.

When deciding to lose weight as part of your walking routine, I can recommend these products. In fact, check out my story on how I lost 40 lbs: http://bit.ly/1rLhW2c

A Few Simple Ideas to Mix Up Your Exercise Routine

Every now and then I catch myself stuck in the same routine and my workout starts to get a little boring. Here are just a few things that I do to put a little variation into my workouts to keep them interesting, and keep me going back to the gym.

Every now and then I catch myself stuck in the same routine and my workout starts to get a little boring. I know this is starting to happen when it gets easy to miss my regular workout. Recently, I noticed this had happened when I easily talked myself out of going to the gym for almost 2 weeks straight. Obviously, something needed to change. So here are a few ideas that I use from time to time just to spice up my workout. Give them a try, and I’m sure you’ll find some new excitement to your workout as well.

Mix up your exercise routine

Change your Grip!

Mix up your exercise routine This is a small change compared to most of the others you can do, but one way to spice up your workout from time to time is to change the way you’re gripping the bar when doing barbell or machine exercises. One of my favorite grips is the palm grip. In fact, I’ve read several articles from fitness trainers and other professional athletes that suggest that on exercises like the bench press, you should only be using a palm grip.

So what is a palm grip? Let’s use the bench press as an example for the palm grip. Many of us have been guilty of using a standard grip on this exercise, myself included. A standard grip would be where you wrap your hand around bar as if you were holding a baseball bat. If you want a more effective bench press, try not wrapping your thumb around the bar. You might think that you’ll lose some stability by doing this, but I’ve never had that problem. You might have to bend your wrist a little more to compensate, or lower the weight just a little bit. The main benefit to using a palm grip on this type of exercise is that by putting your thumb in this position, you are reducing the amount of effort that your forearms will put into the exercise. Therefore, you chest and tricep muscles will have to work even harder to do the lift. Try this, and I’m sure you’ll notice a difference the next time you perform a bench press.

Try Trisets!

You’ve probably heard of super sets, where you do two exercise consecutively without resting in between. Have you ever tried doing three different exercises? This works extremely well with bicep exercises. The benefit to doing a triset with a bicep workout, is it allows you to hit the bicep really hard in three different ways. Here’s an example of a bicep triset: standing barbell curls, hammer curls, reverse barbell curls. You’ll also notice in this sequence that you have to change your grip with each set of the triset. This is the best way to utilize a triset. Here’s an example of a triset with triceps: straight bar cable push downs, rope cable push downs, reverse cable pushdowns. Again, the key here is to change the grip on each exercise. Give these a try, and I’m sure you’ll feel a new pump in whatever body part you utilize them with!

Change you Split!

Have you been following the same split routine for two long? Has your split routine consisted of chest and triceps, back and biceps, or something similar for several months? Try reversing your split or doing a 5 day split instead of a 3 day split. Do chest and biceps, back and triceps just to mix it up a little.

These are just a few basic ideas, but its always a good idea to mix up your routine on a continual basis. That way you can keep your body guessing and growing to adapt to the changes in stress that you place on your muscles.

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