Saturday, June 22, 2013

Is it Okay to Exercise During Menstruation?

A common question among women's fitness groups is whether or not it is healthy to exercise during menstruation. While many fears and beliefs about our monthly cycle have changed over the years, whether or not strenuous activity is right for every woman is probably best determined on a case by case basis.

Each woman is different both physically and mentally. Women who have a heavy flow may find that increased activity causes them to bleed even more. Other women have reported a decrease in the length of their cycle and an alleviation of cramps by exercising straight through their monthly period.

While it is never good to bleed too heavily, foregoing a whole week of exercise is unacceptable to most women who have grown accustomed to a women's workout routine. As a personal trainer, I have found that by having some light exercises to offer to the ladies gives them an alternative to just sitting out the entire week. Instead of running, a brisk walk will keep your body stay active, without jostling your uterus and aggravating your symptoms. Strength training exercises are fine and you can lessen the amount of weights, squats or other exercises that might increase your blood flow.

If you are worried about the messiness of a heavy flow, you might want to wear a tampon when you exercise during your period. Just remember to keep it changed regularly to control bacterial infection. You might want to wear a pair of bike shorts under a pair of loose fitting shorts for protection against spills.

Women have come a long way from the times of our ancestors, when women were cordoned off during their time of the month. However, we still have the blessing of a body that is engineered for childbirth and therefore from the time of puberty until menopause a woman's body will automatically ready itself for the possibility of pregnancy. Although month after month it's hard to think of this time as something wonderful, without it, we wouldn't be much different than our male counterparts.

Keeping your body hydrated is very important to your women's fitness program but even more so during your period. A healthy diet that is low in sodium is also a must before and during your cycle. Salt tends to intensify bloating and inflammation, which trigger cramps and back pain that will make you feel worse. Exercise, especially walking helps to decrease inflammation and relieve bloating.

Intense exercise, such as those performed by professional or extreme athletes, may cause amenorrhea or the termination of your menstrual period. This is generally temporary and reverses naturally when the exercise regimen is moderated. Since there are many reasons for amenorrhea, consult your doctor if your period becomes irregular, to make sure there are not some other underlying health problems that you need to be aware of.

The important thing is to listen to your body and get to know it. If you feel you need to take it easy, then do so. Don't let your period be an excuse to get out of exercise, but don't push yourself to do something that your body is telling you not to. It's your body and your right to exercise, go out for a walk and if you feel like a slow jog, go for it.

However, if you feel you need to take a day off and rest, then by all means allow your body that time for rejuvenation. The following day, you'll probably feel better and will be ready to increase your women's workout routine.

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Planning An Exercise Program

Fun or Fitness

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.

If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you'll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.

What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:

o Frequency

o Intensity

o Type

o Time

Here's what each of these four things stand for:

Frequency refers to the number of times you exercise. For those new to training or those just wanting to lose weight, frequency is usually calculated within the context of a week. For example, your plan might be to walk 3, 4 or 5 times per week.

Intensity is the level of effort you put into each exercise. For aerobic exercises intensity is usually measured in terms relative to your maximum heart rate while the intensity of strength exercises is measured in terms of the amount of weight you use, the number of repetitions and sets you perform, and the amount of rest time you take in between sets.

Time is simply how long you exercise during each session. For example, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, cycling, etc) per session.

Type refers to whether you do aerobics or strength training during your exercise sessions and the specific exercises you select for each.

The F.I.T.T. principle and Weight Loss

Why are the basic F.I.T.T. principle concepts important if you are planning an exercise program to lose weight?

They're important because they help you to:

o Start with the right exercises and intensity.

o Measure your progress.

o Plan your exercise to maximize long term weight loss.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle isn't just important in your initial exercise planning, it is also crucial to your long term planning and weight loss and fitness success.

By increasing or varying any or all parts of the F.I.T.T. principle elements, you can:

1. Increase the number of calories you burn during each exercise session.

2. Improve your cardiovascular fitness and strength.

3. Help minimize overuse/over training injuries.

4. Build variety into your program.

F.I.T.T Principle Guidelines

Here are some basic F.I.T.T. principle guidelines for both aerobics and strength training to help you plan an exercise program.

Please keep in mind that these examples represent general guidelines only for those of us with low to moderate fitness levels. Use these guidelines to establish a program and then customize your program to fit your specific needs and goals as your experience and knowledge increases.

And remember to always consult your doctor before commencing any new exercise program and consult a fitness professional (personal fitness trainer, gym instructor, etc) if you require help.

Basic Aerobic Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise between 3 and 5 times per week.

Intensity: Maintain a heart rate of between 60 - 80% of your Maximum Heart Rate.

Your Maximum Heart Rate can be calculated using a Maximum Heart Rate test conducted by a fitness or health professional or estimated using the formula:

For Women (230 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate).
For Men (220 - Age = Maximum Heart Rate).

The best and most practical way to monitor your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor.

Time: Those of us with low levels of fitness should maintain our heart rates in our selected target zone for a minimum of 15 to 20 minutes, excluding warm-up and cool down periods.

Those with a good fitness base should exercise for between 20 and 60 minutes in their target heart rate zone.

Type: Exercises that involve as many muscles as possible and allow a relatively consistent level of intensity are best. Good examples of these include:

o Walking

o Jogging

o Cycling

o Swimming

o Rowing

o Hiking

Basic Strength Training Guidelines

Frequency: Exercise each body part 1 to 2 times per week. For lower intensity workouts or for those who have trained for some time, try exercising each body part 2 to 3 times per week. You can exercise different parts of the body on different days (called split routines) or you can train your whole body at each workout.

Intensity: Choose a weight that can be performed 10 to 15 times (repetitions) per set.

When you can perform more than 15 repetitions without rest, increase the weight slightly for your next workout.

If you are training your whole body each time you exercise, only do 1-2 exercises for each muscle group and perform 1-3 sets of each exercise.

If you employ a split routine try performing no more than 2-3 exercises per muscle group and 2-4 sets of each exercise.

Time: Beginners usually benefit from exercise sessions that last between 30 to 45 minutes. As you become fitter and stronger, you may want to increase your total workouts from 45 to 90 minutes. For most of us, particularly those with limited time, sessions of 60 minutes are typically ideal.

With rest between sets, try not to take longer than 2-3 minutes as a beginner. As you get fitter, try to reduce this time to 1 minute or less.

Type: Generally speaking, there are two types of exercises for muscles, compound exercises and isolation exercises.

Compound exercises use more than one muscle group to perform and are the most effective for those interested in losing weight. Examples of compound exercises include Bench press, Push-ups, Squats, Shoulder press and Deadlifts.

Isolation exercises use only one muscle group to perform and include Bicep curls, Tricep extensions, Leg extensions, etc.

For those new to resistance training, compound exercises are best. Once you have a base level of strength you can add isolation exercises to your workouts for variety and to help shape individual muscles.

Conclusion

No matter what your goal, current fitness level or exercise experience, you can employ the F.I.T.T. principle to plan an effective long term exercise program.

By using the guidelines above, you too can plan an effective regime that will help you to improve your cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and of course help you lose weight.

Using the F.I.T.T. principle in your exercise planning will ensure that you achieve your weight loss goals as efficiently as possible. Not only will you achieve your goals in the shortest possible time, you'll also enjoy your routine more because of the variety built into it. If that weren't enough, you'll also minimize the chances of experiencing annoying and painful overtraining injuries that can stall or stop your weight loss and fitness progress.

While anyone with the basic knowledge provided above can plan their own workout, if you are new to exercise or have an existing injury or ailment, we suggest you consult a personal trainer or other fitness professional. As well as designing a personal plan for you using the method above, they can help you rehabilitate or work around existing injuries, teach you the right techniques for each exercise in your program and advise you of when to modify your plan to take advantage of your new fitness levels.

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How Often Should I Exercise?

Fun or Fitness

People often email me asking how many days per week should they workout. For the average person wanting to lose weight and focus on fat loss, the answer is simple. They will get fantastic results by training hard only three days per week. Now for the average person, that should be manageable.

And yes, all three of those workouts should be done in less than an hour. Research shows that 20-30 minutes of interval training is more effective than 40 minutes of slow cardio for weight loss. Combine the intervals with 20-30 minutes of strength training. Do that 3 days per week, and pow, you'll lose fat fast. (With good nutrition too, of course!)

On off days, I encourage people to be as active as possible, but without making extra effort to go to the gym. Walking to do your errands for an hour is great, if you have the time. Just do some form of health-promoting exercise (which can mean a half hour walk, yoga, or aerobic training if you desire). The duration and intensity of these off-day workouts depends on your fitness level, your recovery capacity, and your nutrition plan.

For many people, New Year's resolutions mean a return to high-volume cardio programs. But I urge restraint, caution, and conservatism. Trying to re-do your old running programs after some time off is a recipe for disaster.

If you plan on resuming a former running program, please start conservatively, especially if you are running on hard surfaces. Start easy. Build up in volume. Monitor your energy levels, strength levels, and mood. Be conservative, train consistent, and superior results will be yours.

And what about for beginners? How often should they workout?

Well, if you are the utmost of beginners, and haven't done any formal exercise in a long, long time, then simply do 3-6 bouts of 5 minutes of walking each day. Every day. Progress with your walking by increasing the time you walk and decreasing the number of "bouts" per day. For example, in week 3 of your exercise program, do 3 bouts of 10 minutes per day. And by week 6, you should be able to walk for 30 minutes straight. That is a place to get started.

At the same time, combine your walking program with a professionally designed bodyweight 3-day strength program that you can do at home (heck, most beginner exercises are even done lying on the floor!). After 6 weeks, you can increase the intensity of your workout, as outlined by your personal trainer. Eventually, you can progress into a more intense 3-day per week program.

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Exercise For Neck Muscles - How To Build Neck Muscles

Fun or Fitness

In almost all muscle work outs, the most overlooked area would have to be any exercise for neck muscles. Most people fail to give it much thought, but that can be a mistake for several different reasons. Let's take a look at how to build neck muscles and why it's so important.

Take a moment to think about how important your neck is in any sport or activity. It doesn't matter what sport it is, having a strong neck is important. It helps in preventing serious injuries to your neck. It can also help in preventing injuries to your spinal cord as well.

In any muscle work outs, a big strong neck just looks impressive. I mean, think about it for a minute, how often have you seen the guy with a huge chest, big arms, and a pencil shaped neck? It looks silly.

Now, what comes to your mind when you see a guy with big bulging neck? Well, if you're like most people it makes you think of someone as powerful and strong.

How to build neck muscles

There are quite a few exercises for neck muscles that you can utilize in your workout routine, but we just want to look at a couple that you can use real quick.

Please keep in mind that you must use pre-caution in doing any neck muscle exercises. Warm up before doing any exercises. Rotate your neck from side to side. To increase your flexibility you will always want to use a full range of motion.

1. Neck Flexion

This is a very good exercise for neck muscles that provides good results. Sit down in a chair and move your head back to where you are looking up at the ceiling. Now, place your hands behind your head and use them to build up resistance.

2. Neck Extension

This is another simple, but effective exercise. Take your hand and put it up against your forehead. Looking straight ahead, begin applying resistance. Slowly move your head down until your chin comes against your chest.

Although these two exercises for neck muscles may seem simple, they are very effective. As you get into the coming weeks, you can increase the resistance at your own pace. Building your neck muscles will not only help in making you look stronger, but will also help in the prevention of muscle injury.

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Fun or Fitness

Now, what comes to your mind when you see a guy with big bulging neck? Well, if you're like most people it makes you think of someone as powerful and strong.

How to build neck muscles

There are quite a few exercises for neck muscles that you can utilize in your workout routine, but we just want to look at a couple that you can use real quick.

1. Neck Flexion

2. Neck Extension

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The Best Mass Building Bicep Exercise

Fun or Fitness

Almost every day... without fail... someone sends me an email asking about bicep exercises.

The song is always the same... "how can I make my biceps bigger?"

Then the guy will go on to tell me that he's doing twenty sets of concentration curls, followed by twenty sets of dumbbell curls and a few more light sets to really get the pump.

That's what most guys do. And most guys will never stretch the tape measure beyond 16 inches.

So today, I'm going to give you some tips that you can use to build sleeve-stretching biceps.

Tip #1: Stop Torturing Your Biceps

Your biceps are a relatively small muscle group. They are no where near as large as the muscles in your legs, back and chest.

So why would you expect your biceps to be able to recover from the exact same workload that you inflict on larger muscle groups? It doesn't make any sense.

Because the biceps are a smaller muscle group, you need to work them hard and brief... and then let them recover. I recommend no more than three training sets for your biceps.

Tip #2: You Must Pick The Right Exercises

I don't know why... but people seem to love the concentration curl. Yet... it's one of the least effective bicep exercises. Why? Because this exercise severely limits the amount of weight you can use.

The most effective mass building exercises are the ones that allow you to safely move the most weight. That's why squats are a better mass-builder than leg extensions.

So when choosing bicep exercises... remember that you should be looking for exercises that will allow you to safely move the most weight.

With that in mind, here are my top four bicep exercises.

Best Bicep Exercise #1: Weighted Chin-up

This is the grand-daddy of bicep exercises. And for good reason. This exercise allows you to use the most weight. Plus, this exercise recruits extra muscle fibers because it involves moving your entire body instead of just moving your hands.

Do perform a weighted chin-up, place your hands on the chin-up bar relatively close to each other. Your palms should be facing you. Then simply pull your body up. When you can do ten reps or more, it's time to get a belt and start strapping some weight to your waist.

And when you're knocking out chin-ups with 90lbs around your waist... your biceps will be just about as big as they can get.

Best Bicep Exercise #2: Friction Barbell Curl

Not many people know about this exercise but it's one of my personal favorites. It's performed just like a typical bicep curl... grab a barbell and curl it. But on the way down, I want you to drag the bar down the front of your shirt. This will force your elbows back and make the negative portion of the exercise a little more efficient.

Best Bicep Exercise #3: Cable Curl

I don't do this exercise too often but I will rotate this exercise into my routine when I stop making progress with the other exercises.

Attach a straight bar handle to a low pulley machine and simply curl the bar. To make the exercises more difficult, bend slightly forward at the waist through the entire movement.

Best Bicep Exercise #4: Preacher Curl

This is another favorite of mine. It doesn't need much explanation. You must have a specialized preacher bench to perform this exercise. Simply sit at the preacher bench, drape your arms over the padding and curl the bar. I prefer an EZ-curl bar for this exercise. Also, I prefer to keep the rep count higher on this exercise as I personally see better results with higher reps.

If you haven't been able to make your biceps grow, give these exercises a try. Remember, the most important thing is to consistently get stronger. If you start out curling 100lbs and can add just two pounds to the bar every week, you'll be curling 200lbs in less than one year. And you'd better believe your biceps will be huge when you make that kind of jump.

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Fun or Fitness

It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones and firms muscles. Actually it accomplishes very little toning and firming. Resistance exercise (weight training) is where real toning and firming of muscles occurs.

Doing both aerobics and weight training is the optimal way to lose more fat and gain more muscle. If you are trying to lose weight, studies show that weight loss increases by 56 percent with aerobic and strength exercises combined.

Muscle may weigh more, but when you increase your muscle composition, the body is able to burn more fat, even when you are resting, because your metabolism is higher. A pound of muscle will use 350 to 500 calories per week to survive, while a pound of fat only needs about 14 calories per week. New studies have shown that building muscle helps your body fight disease better, too.

Strength training benefits everyone, no matter what age or sex, and is becoming recognized as an important component of fitness. Research is indicating that the muscle loss found in elderly people doesn't come from age, but lack of activity. Even a young person who doesn't get enough exercise can lose muscle mass and strength. Strength training, such as lifting weights or performing weight-resistance exercises, as little as twice a week can help maintain or increase muscle mass.

Strength training involving several sets of multiple repetitions using moderate weights will not result in huge muscles. Instead it builds bone mass and increases the metabolism, as well as toning and firming the muscles, giving a leaner look.

It is very important to do both aerobics and strength exercises. The aerobic exercises help your heart and lungs get stronger and help your body utilize oxygen more efficiently, which in turn helps with strength training and overall fitness. The strength exercise helps develop muscle, reduce body fat and maintain bone mass.

Aerobic Exercise is a type of exercise that elevates the heart rate and breathing for a continuous sustained period. This overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest.

There are many options to choose from today. Bicycling, aerobic dance, swimming, walking, and stepping are all examples of aerobic exercise. Which ones to chose depends on your physical condition, your history, your interests and your goals. Many experts believe it is better to alternate between 2 or more types, to get a better workout.

There are two main types of aerobics- high impact and low impact. It is better to alternate between high impact aerobics (which are harder on the body and may cause more damage) and low impact aerobics, such as walking and swimming. This is called cross-training, and helps reduce the chance or injury and overuse of certain muscles.

You will want to perform aerobic exercises at least 20 minutes a day for at least 3 to 4 days a week. If you are trying to lose body fat, or your physical condition is very good, then you may want to work longer at it. Try exercising up to 40 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week.

Remember there is no real need to go overboard. Moderate intensity is almost always better, and is more enjoyable. Low to moderate intensity is an especially good idea when starting out after a layoff or recovery from illness or injury, or if you are significantly overweight.

Warm-up and cool down is important to reduce discomfort and the chance of injury. Warm up by starting slow and gradually build up to your top speed. Then slow down again at the end of your workout.

The whole idea behind aerobic exercise is to get up and get moving! Find something you enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life.

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Benefits of Cardiovascular Exercise

Fun or Fitness

Cardiovascular exercise, also called cardiorespiratory exercise and aerobic exercise, has been shown to have a number of health benefits when performed on a regular basis. These benefits may be realized by both those who are apparently healthy and those who suffer from various health problems.

Cardiovascular fitness promotes the loss of body fat and has been reported to actually decrease the appetite in many individuals. However, even if it doesn't reduce appetite, the calorie-burning effects of regular aerobic exercise can allow for substantial caloric intake. Many endurance athletes regularly consume between 3,000-5,000 calories per day and remain extremely lean. Cardiovascular training, when combined with a sensible diet, will definitely promote an increase in lean body tissue and a decrease in body fat percentage.

The skeletal system can be strengthened by weight-bearing activities such as fast walking and jogging. This can not only assist in reducing the risk for developing osteoporosis, it can also help to slow down the progress of the disease for those whose doctors recommend exercise.

Aerobic exercise is often part of treatment programs for diabetics whose blood sugar is well controlled. This is due to the fact that aerobic training increases the sensitivity of the cells to insulin so diabetics who exercise regularly require less insulin to effectively regulate blood sugar levels. In addition, studies have shown that persons with adult-onset diabetes have been able to significantly reduce or eliminate medications other than insulin by following a regular exercise program combined with a healthy diet.

Cardiovascular exercise is often a major component of the therapy for those who have suffered a heart attack and for those who are at high risk for coronary artery disease. Three of the primary risk factors for developing coronary artery disease are high blood pressure (hypertension), smoking and high blood cholesterol. Cardiovascular exercise can play a significant role in reducing risk associated with these three factors.

First of all, many people with high blood pressure are also overweight. Regular sessions of aerobic exercise will reduce body fat and lower blood pressure. Secondly, many people who smoke find the incentive to quit after embarking upon an aerobic exercise program. Thirdly, regular, brisk, cardiovascular training leads to an increase in the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL), also known as the "good" cholesterol.

Those with arthritis can benefit from aerobic exercise to help them maintain an ideal body weight. Therapy programs for arthritis sufferers should also include appropriate exercises to help maintain joint range of motion. This can be incorporated into an overall exercise program that includes cardiovascular exercise.

Cardiovascular exercise has also been shown to decrease clinical symptoms of anxiety, tension and depression. Regular aerobic workouts increase blood flow and assists the body in eliminating toxins which can make a person feel better.

On a physiological level, cardiovascular fitness decreases resting heart rate and increase heart volume. It increases maximum oxygen consumption, capillary density and blood flow to active muscles. It also increases total blood volume, allows for maximal ventilation and increases lung diffusion capacity.

Cardiovascular training serves as the foundation for other fitness programs. The conditioning and health of the heart and blood vessels are the basis for safety and performance in nearly all athletic endeavors.

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How To Exercise To Get Rid Of Fat Hip and Thighs

Fun or Fitness

Trying to lose weight in the thigh and hip area is one of the hardest challenges in weight loss. Women in particular have a tendency to accumulate fat in the thighs and it can get very unsightly especially when the thighs begin to get flabby.

Before you get into an exercise regime to remove that particular area of fat, understand that you will need to lose overall body fat and that focusing on only one area does not work. And although you will lose fat from all over your body, you will not lose it equally. If you happen to be pear-shaped woman, be patient about getting the results that you want because hip and thigh fat can be quite stubborn to get rid of. In other words you cannot spot reduce fat and hope to lose only your thigh fat or butt.

Cardio exercise is key to changing the size of your butt and thighs. Cardio includes exercises such as jogging, running, jump rope, climbing, jumping, cycling, kickboxing - anything that gets your heart pumping and increases heart rate.

In cardio exercise, your heart rate must get to at least 65% of its maximum. Your maximum is 220 minus your age, multiply that by 0.65 to the 65% maximum. You need to do this 5 days a week for between 30-60 minutes a day. Eating healthy diet is necessary for any successful weight loss.

Here are some specific tips on how to lose your thigh fat:

* The stepper is an effective way to lose thigh fat because it focuses on the butt muscles and because the gluteal muscle group is the largest muscle group in the body, more calories are burnt using this compared to the other cardo machines.

* Another great exercise for butt and thigh is squats. This can be done with dumbells or with just the weight of your body. You must do this properly and should not get too far forward otherwise it focuses excessively on the knee and front of the thigh.

* Weight training helps in well toned and sculpted thighs, and because the lower body has the largest muscle groups, these muscles can elevate metabolism benefits. With increased muscle in the thighs, you can burn more calories while running because the thighs are now more powered to run longer and faster.

* For an even effective reduction of fat on your thighs, cut down on your carbs intake like potato, rice, grains, pasta. Use brown carbs instead like sweet potatoes, whole grain bread; increase your lean protein intake such as chicken, egg whites, cottage cheese, protein shakes etc.

Just remember that your body responds in different ways to fat loss or gain, depending on your age, gender and genetic make-up. Generally men store fat in the mid-section while women store fat in their hips, buttocks and thighs. Accept that fact and then consult your doctor or fitness instructor on the most effective ways to exercise to remove stubborn fat in your hip and thighs.

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Common Reasons Why People Exercise

Fun or Fitness

It is probably common knowledge that you would want to do something to keep yourself in generally good health. But many confuse this with the idea of working out to lose weight or to resolve some other health problems. The truth is staying fit and healthy is also good for people that are already fit and healthy! This article will look into the reasons why people workout.

Three Workout Reasons

Reason #1 - Lose Weight
This is probably the most obvious reason that a lot of people workout. They do it to get rid of extra pounds and to resolve the health issues that go with extra weight. This works because they are utilizing a diet so that they restrict the amount of calories they are consuming and at the same time the exercise is allowing them to use more calories then they consume. The net effect is weight loss.

Reason #2 - Gain Weight
There are people that actually want to add some weight in the form of muscle for a number of good reasons. This will work by them utilizing a diet that has them add calories to what they consume daily and at the same time using their workouts to build muscle mass.

Reason #3 - Lifestyle
Some people who are already in shape and healthy actually workout because they enjoy it and it's a part of their lifestyle. They have found an exercise or set of exercises or sport that they enjoy participating in and they do it for the sheer joy of doing it. workout.

This article has briefly touched on the more common reasons why people choose to exercise. This included to lose weight, gain weight and enjoyment. Sometimes by getting and understanding of why people do certain activities can make it easier for you to do the same activities. Think about where you fit into this range of reasons the next time you find yourself exercising.

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Fun Facts About Exercise

Fun or Fitness

We all know the importance of adding a little exercise into our daily routine. Why then do seven out of every 10 of us fail to do it? I don't know about you, but for me the answer is simple: working out is hard! I hate taking time away from the fun stuff in life to squeeze into a pair of spandex shorts and sweat in the gym for an hour.

Sure, I know working out is good for me, and I bet that you know it is good for you too, but that does not seem to be enough to get us off the couch and into the gym - or at least walking the dog. If promises of a longer (healthier life) and a smaller waistline isn't enough to entice you to start exercising, maybe some of these fun facts - for and against exercise - will:

Fun Fact # 1: There is no need to follow an exhaustive exercise regime. Breathing will do the trick! Yes, breathing can help you lose weight. The more oxygen you take in, the higher your metabolism rate will be; the more calories you can burn; and the less hungry you will feel. Easting less and metabolizing more of the calories you do ingest are two of the greatest weight loss enticers known.

Fun Fact # 2: Playing with your children or grandchildren for just one hour can burn as many calories as walking briskly for the same amount of time. Now, which is more fun?

Fun Fact # 3: Eat just 13 packs of cookies (now admit it, that isn't all that difficult), and you will increase by one entire dress size. Now, how long will it take you to jog that extra weight off? More than 100 hours on the treadmill! If that does not keep you away from the cookie jar, I don't know what will.

Fun Fact # 4: Are you a soda-holic? Join the crowd. The average American adult downs 45 gallons of soft drinks every year. But did you know that that equals 21 pounds of body fat!

Fun Fact # 5: Eating spicy foods an hour or two before you work out can increase your metabolism by as much as 50% -- now that is a tastier way to burn more calories.

Fun Fact # 6: Standing up straight burns more calories than slouching - just one more reason for good posture. Stand up straight. Good posture burns more calories than slouching

Fun Fact # 7: Ditch the aerobics class if you want to lose weight. Opt instead for a little home improvement. It has been proven that painting a room; shampooing a rug or doing a bit of landscaping in the yard can burn twice as many calories in an hour than a medium-intensity aerobics class can!

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Fun or Fitness

The best exercise for the stomach is probably not the one you're thinking of. It's not the traditional sit-up or ab crunch. It's not even ab related.

So before you go out and buy the Gut Buster 2000, you should know that the best exercise you can do for your stomach won't cost you a red cent.

All you need are your two feet because the exercise that I'm talking about is none other than walking or jogging.

If you've found that your stomach is flabbier than you'd prefer it to be, it's likely there are other parts of your body that need firming up as well.

Your body cannot just eliminate fat in one area. So if you are trying to crunch your way to a flatter stomach without exercising the rest of your body, you'll never see results.

To achieve a flat stomach, your entire body has to get leaner. Read that sentence again.

Start by doing cardio exercises to get your heart rate up and improve your metabolism. A good fast-paced walk three times per week is a great way to accomplish this. Not only does this burn calories, but it's good for your heart.

Did you know that a good, consistent cardio workout can increase your metabolism by up to 24 hours? Yep, it's true!

A Quick Exercise for Your Metabolism

Below is a sample workout that you can do to help give your metabolism a quick boost. It will help your body burn calories more efficiently if performed regularly.

1) Perform 30 seconds of hard exercise (i.e. run in place as fast as you can)

2) Perform one minute of moderate exercise (i.e. a casual jog or brisk walk).

3) Repeat this process 10 times.

4) Cool down for 3-5 minutes

Remember...

In addition to a healthy diet, walking and/or jogging is one of the best stomach exercises you can perform because it raises your metabolism enough to burn excess calories all over your body.

Total body fitness is the key to a flat stomach, not just spot toning one area. Why not kick-start your fitness program with a nice, fast-paced walk 3-4 times per week? Your stomach and the rest of your body will say, "Thank you." :)

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Jelq Exercise From Start to Finish

Fun or Fitness

The penis jelqing exercise is very popular amongst men who want to enlarge their penises. The jelq exercise is performed by manually forcing blood into the penis to expand the volume of blood chambers in the penis. When done persistently and frequently over long periods of time, this practice will permanently enlarge the blood chambers in the penis to result in permanent increases in penis length and girth.

Below is a jelq exercise routine that many men have experienced good results with.

1) Soak a towel in hot (but not scalding) water, wring out the excess, wrap it around your penis and hold for two minutes. Repeat three times or more. This will encourage blood circulation in your penis to minimize chances of damage during jelqing later.

2) Before starting the jelq exercise, make sure your penis is not in the fully erect state. Otherwise you risk damaging your penis, by causing a vein to burst for example.

3) Apply several drops of vaseline to your penis and spread it over your entire penis. Do not use soap or shampoo as lubricant instead of vaseline - otherwise you would end up with a sore penis.

4) Make a tight ring around your penis base with your thumb and index finger and slide all the way upwards until you reach the penis head. Do the same using your other hand. Repeat over and over with one hand after the other. Make each stroke last approximately two seconds.

5) If ever you get an erection, stop jelqing and slap your penis against your thigh to discourage it from fully erecting. Continue jelqing once the erection goes away.

6) For the first week, do 200-300 jelqs a day using medium strength. For the second week, do 300-500 jelqs a day using full strength. After the second week, work up to 500 or more jelqs a day for as many as you like without feeling any discomfort.

One piece of advice: be on constant lookout for any discomfort or other signs of trouble while performing the jelq exercise. Signs of trouble may include pain, bruises and blisters. At the first signs of trouble, stop jelqing immediately, take a 1-2 day break and do not resume until the problem goes away. Even without experiencing discomfort, you should take days off from jelqing regularly, for example 1-2 days off after 5 days of jelqing. By performing the jelq exercise above consistently, you should be able to achieve noticeable gains in penis size in a matter of weeks or months.

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Best Exercise To Burn Fat

Fun or Fitness

What is the best exercise to burn fat? Any exercise that gets your heart rate into your targeted heart range. If you want to lose weight, you need to exercise hard enough to increase your pulse rate enough to burn fat more efficiently.

The exercises that get your heart rate into your targeted heart range will increase your metabolism and that's what burns fat. So if you find the best exercise to burn fat you'll lose weight.

Losing weight has more health benefits other than just making you look better. By losing 10-15% of your body weight you can reduce your risk of heart attack, reduce your cholesterol level, and get healthier overall. So how do you start?

Your first hurdle that you will need to overcome is commitment. If you want to lose weight, then you have to commit to a good cardio workout routine.

This means that you will have to exercise at least three to four times a week for 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you commit to one month of regular exercise, you will find that at the end of that month you will have more energy, be in a better mood and you will probably have lost a few pounds. Commitment is one of the keys to finding the best exercise to burn fat.

Mix it up. Keep your exercise routine exciting and vary it so you will keep interest in your workout routine. Finding an exercise that burns fat is not that difficult.

Any exercise can burn fat if you get your heart rate in the targeted zone. This can include running, walking, hiking, playing basketball, spinning, interval training, or anything else that you can think of.

Make it fun and you will enjoy it and have a much better chance of sticking to it. Changing your routine around will help you to stay interested and committed. Make sure that you work your entire body for maximum results.

A full body exercise workout can include adding some weight training into your workout. If you enjoy walking and jogging, then you could add some weight training for your arms and shoulders to make it more of a full body workout.

Or you could alternate running and jogging days with weight training days. Alternating exercise is a great way to ensure that you work your entire body.

If you can find a few exercises that you enjoy doing, then you can alternate them to make a workout routine that you will love. Think about what you enjoy doing and then work to create the best exercise to burn fat for you.

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Fun or Fitness

You've decided you want to exercise at home. There are hundreds of pieces of home cardio equipment available. The most popular are treadmills and exercise bikes. In deciding between the two, you should compare long-term sustainability, the effectiveness of the workouts, and safety.

Overcoming Boredom

The biggest obstacle to a home exercise routine is sticking with it. You don't have to drive to a gym, so your home fitness equipment is more convenient. The problem is that other distractions are just as convenient at home. The key is to make your routine fun. You want to look forward to your daily workout. You have to be realistic. Playing with the heart rate monitor or watching the calorie counter go up will only be fun the first couple of times you exercise.

o Treadmill vs. Boredom

On a treadmill, you walk. Walking isn't that fun. You can walk at different speeds, but that isn't really much more fun. If you get a treadmill that offers an incline, that keeps it a bit more interesting. Walking uphill isn't exactly fun, but it's different. It presents a challenge.

You can't really read on a treadmill because you are bouncing up and down. You can't keep your eyes on the same sentence, and you usually end up with a headache. Basically, the only thing fun to do on a treadmill is watch television or movies. If you are really into TV or movies and are able to put your treadmill in front of a television, you can probably keep your treadmill workout from becoming too boring. Problems consist of commercials, the noise coming from the machine, and again, the bouncing.

o Exercise Bikes vs. Boredom

Exercise bikes are unique in that many of them come programmed with various biking routines. You simulate different courses that require you to sprint, pedal uphill, and perform at different levels within one workout without having to keep pressing buttons and changing everything. You can even select random programs so you don't know what's coming, which really keeps you on your toes. Some exercise bikes can even be plugged into televisions and video games to let you interactively pedal through visual courses.

On upright exercise bikes, you run into some of the same problems as treadmills as far as reading is concerned. Recumbent bikes, however, allow your hands to be free to hold a book or magazine, video game controller, or phone. Multi-tasking during an exercise bike workout keeps it from becoming boring and allows your workout to more easily fit into a busy schedule.

Defeating boredom to successfully keep up a long-term exercise routine is much easier with an exercise bike than a treadmill.

The Calorie Factor

In a study conducted by Nordic Track, young, healthy people used various exercise machines and did cardio workouts. Although they felt they used the same intensity on all machines, they burned the most calories on treadmills and ski machines.

On average, most people burn about 750 calories per hour on a treadmill. The same people are likely to burn about 550 calories per hour on an exercise bike. So it's a no-brainer, right? You should get a treadmill because they burn more calories.

Well, not exactly. You can't get so caught up in which machine burns the most calories. You have to take a lot of other factors into consideration. How likely are you to sustain a treadmill routine as opposed to an exercise bike routine?

Because exercise bikes are usually more fun than treadmills, you are much more likely to stick with it long-term. This means that even though you can burn more calories on a treadmill, you are also more likely to stop using it altogether.

You might also find it difficult to use it long enough per workout session to get the full benefits. Most people find it easier to workout for 20 minutes on an exercise bike than 20 minutes on a treadmill. You have to think about that. If you are likely to only do 10 minutes on a treadmill but can easily do 20 minutes on an exercise bike, you will burn more calories per session on an exercise bike.

So just going strictly by the numbers, treadmills burn more calories. If you easily get bored or have tried and failed to stick with exercise routines in the past, you might want to consider burning less calories per hour in favor of a sustainable long-term exercise bike regimen.

Your Safety

The biggest difference between exercise bikes and treadmills is overall safety to your body.

The first case of safety is the most basic. You can fall off of a treadmill. It's very difficult, however, to fall off of an exercise bike. In fact, you would probably have to try to fall when riding an exercise bike. While you might be thinking you'd have to be pretty clumsy to fall while walking, it happens more than you'd think. People get involved with watching television or the beat of music. One wrong step and you can seriously injure yourself. It's also possible to spill water or sweat on the treadmill track, causing a safety hazard you might not notice until after you've slipped.

Another safety hazard is injury from the activity itself. A treadmill puts quite a bit of stress on your joints, especially your knees and ankles. Even if you invest in a treadmill with some degree of shock absorption, when you eventually get to a jogging or running point, you can put severe orthopedic stress on your body, even up to three times your body weight. People with existing conditions such as arthritis will find a treadmill painful at times due to this stress. Otherwise healthy individuals can sustain injury and possible long-term damage over time.

Exercise bikes put much less stress on your joints. A properly positioned exercise bike supports your weight and still allows you to receive the benefits of a higher impact cardio workout. Upright bikes can sometimes stress your back in the way you have to bend to reach the handlebars. Recumbent exercise bikes, however, can actually improve existing back pain by forcing proper posture and giving support as you exercise. On any exercise bike properly used, your knees and ankles are not stressed as they are on a treadmill.

The less you stress joints, the less likely you are to sustain an injury during your workout. You are also less likely to be sore afterwards. Most importantly, a non-workout injury doesn't always have to halt your exercise routine on an exercise bike. If you hurt your back or neck, you will find the support of a recumbent exercise bike will keep you from having to stop your exercise regimen altogether. Let's face it - if you have to stop, you are less likely to start again.

An Exercise Bike is Better for Your Health than a Treadmill

As you can see, both pieces of home fitness equipment have advantages. While the treadmill continues to be the most popular piece of home gym equipment, most people are more likely to faithfully use an exercise bike. This means you're more likely to have to dust a treadmill until it gets the garage sale sticker.

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The "Best" Frozen Shoulder Exercise

Fun or Fitness

The most frustrating problem I encounter when treating a patient with frozen shoulder is apathy. When the patient arrives for their first therapy session they are usually in desperation mode because of the sleepless nights they have encountered over the past 6 months due to shoulder stiffness and pain. They are willing to do just about anything short of cutting off their arm to get rid of the pain and return function... at least that's what they say to my face during this all important first visit. "What's the best frozen shoulder exercise?" is usually one of the first questions I get, and the patient's apathetic expressions begins when I begin explaining that frozen shoulder treatment consists of a combination of exercise and rest, performed in multiple but brief sessions throughout the day. "Do you think going to a chiropractor would help me more?" has been another question on more than one occasion. "Not necessarily, sir" is the reply followed by "their are many techniques to treating your stiff shoulder, most of which are pretty good, but the important thing is that you are somewhere taking action".

Now I'm not trying to sound like a "self-help" guru, but taking daily action is the absolute crucial first step someone with frozen shoulder can do to help speed recovery. Despite popular belief, just resting the shoulder only makes it more stiff and painful when you have to move it.

Now the next most important step is to avoid making it worse. Now as I just wrote the previous line, I can almost here the sarcasm laden reply of thousands of web surfers as they say "ya think?" However this is not as obviously simple as it seems. You see, in the world of injuries and recovery, my wife is known as a "tester". If she happens to have an injury such as a painful shoulder, neck, etc... then everyday, no, several times a day she "tests" that injury to see if it still hurts. For instance if reaching overhead pinches or hurts her shoulder, she will repeat this movement throughout the day to see if "it's getting any better". The point of all of this is to emphasize that if you happen to be a type "A" personality, then bulling your way through the day using your painful shoulder is not the answer.

This is not to say that you will not feel pain throughout the day during specific frozen shoulder exercise, because you definitely will. The important concept here is to realize the difference between "damaging" pain and "non-damaging" pain. Now I can go into a whole section on the difference between the two (which is out of the scope of this article), but basically "damaging" pain is pain you feel when, obviously, damage is being done to soft tissue, ligament, or bone. Damaging pain is often described with words such as "sharp", "tearing", "nerve pain", and "shooting". Most people automatically stop when encountering damaging pain (although some low-pain-threshold people will push through damaging pain).

By contrast, non-damaging pain is is pain felt due to shortened muscles, ligaments, soft tissue, connective tissue, or tendons and is often described with words such as "achy", "dull", "pulling", and "pressure". Certainly there are many more words to describe these two types of pain, but these are the ones I have encountered over thousands of patient visits over the years. The point of all of this is that if you do exercise and do not push through non-damaging pain with frozen shoulder exercise, you WILL NOT improve your chances of recovery. A trained physical therapist can help give you the best combination of frozen shoulder exercise to maximize your recovery.

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Best Exercise to Lose Belly Fat

Fun or Fitness

The best exercise to lose belly fat is not what you think. You can do sit ups till the cows come home and never see substantial weight lost. Your first exercise should be reducing your carbohydrate and fat intake. Once you have cleaned up your diet, you can start seriously thinking about the best exercise to lose belly fat. I would focus not on one, but three abdominal workouts.

First you should buy an inexpensive workout ball, the type you blow up. You will want to use this for three main exercises. You will want to target three sections of your abs muscles. The rectus abdominus which is the section responsible for the much coveted six pack look, the transverse abdominus located on the side and the external oblique which is also located near the side.

All three of these combines are the best exercise to lose belly fat. You need to understand something right now. You can sit on your exercise ball and do one sit up after another and never gain the results you desire. You need to learn proper muscle contraction at the top of every repetition. Now, let's look at three varied movements which will really begin to help you lose belly fat.

Sit on the exercise ball with your butt and have your legs flexed and shoulder width apart. Place your hand across your chest. Make one repetition and squeeze the abs and the crunch position, I mean really squeeze them. Do this 25 times and you will start to feel the burn. I always commit to three sets of 25 reps. Lie on your back and place the exercise ball between your ankles. Raise the ball towards the sky and squeeze the abs. Lower the legs and squeeze the abs once more. Follow the same rep pattern as #1. Lie on your back and put the exercise ball under your knees like you would if you were lying on the floor watching TV and you had your legs on the couch, only this time your couch is the exercise ball. Lift your chin towards your knees with your hands across your chest and squeeze your abs at the top. Then slowly lower your chest while maintain tight abs. Follow the same repetitions as the exercises one and two.

These are the best exercises to lose belly fat. Plus, you should couple these with healthy eating habits and you are well on your way to a leaner and healthier you.

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Five Kinds Of Exercise That Help Bring On Labor

Fun or Fitness

Exercise is frequently recommended as a natural method to induce labor. Exercise is especially helpful in getting your baby to descend, and in encouraging him or her to engage better. There are at least five types of exercise you could do when your pregnancy is full term, to encourage your baby to get born.

Walking as a method for natural labor induction

Walking keeps you upright and helps your baby to descend. This exerts downward pressure on the cervix, taking you closer to cervical effacement and dilation. The pressure your baby's head places on your cervix also increases local release of oxytocin, which in turn brings on labor.

In addition to helping your baby to get into the right position, walking is also good for you. Walking is excellent cardio-vascular training, and can be done by most people; besides it doesn't require a gym or any special equipment. Walking improves blood circulation, respiration, as well as muscle tone. It keeps you fit to cope with the onset of labor, and be ready to welcome the newborn.

If you can, walk in the mornings when the air is fresher and less polluted. Wear comfortable shoes and also carry a big umbrella. It's good to have one, in case you want to lean on something to relieve any strain on your back. And of course, it's useful if it gets too sunny, or starts to rain.

Does climbing stairs really help to start labor?

It's often said that in hospitals midwives ask you to walk upstairs and down, in order to get the early stage of labor to go faster.

Climbing stairs has the same effect that walking does. It helps your baby to engage better, your cervix to dilate, and also increases the oxytocin level in the cervical area. Additionally, lifting your legs, one after the other, in order to move on to the next step opens up your pelvis. This makes more room for your baby and helps in bringing on labor. The slight swinging motion and small accelerated movements while going up, and the little bumps while stepping down, all help your baby to position himself or herself better for the labor.

Remember, it is important that you don't exhaust yourself climbing stairs, trying to get faster into labor. You should know your own limits, and must listen to your body signals.

How about swimming in order to bring on labor?

Swimming is another excellent exercise that helps bring on labor. The breaststroke especially is said to have this effect.

Remember to wear goggles and follow proper swimming techniques. If you keep your head above the water all the time while swimming, your spine will curve unnaturally. This is likely to strain your back, which is already coping with the extra weight of your belly.

If you don't know the right techniques, don't let that stop you! If you can swim a little bit, it becomes surprisingly easy to learn the proper technique for swimming breaststroke. Contact a swimming teacher for a lesson.

Immersing your body in water, when you are heavily pregnant, is truly a joyous experience. The water supports your body and takes off weight from your feet and joints. If you are suffering from swollen feet at the end of your pregnancy, the slight pressure of water will relieve this common problem comfortably.

It is indeed worth going to the pool or to the beach to enjoy the benefits of water and of swimming, to help bring on your labor and to get relief from swollen feet!

Does squatting help in starting labor faster?

Squatting opens your pelvis and makes labor easier, because it helps your baby to move down the birth canal and also creates more room for him or her to be born. Squatting can help you to get to labor faster, in case it doesn't start because the baby is too high.

The squatting position helps your baby to descend and engage into your pelvis. After your baby has engaged well, it's less probable that she or he will be able to turn anymore. This means that you should squat only when your baby is in the right position for birth. This position is called the anterior position in which the baby is head down and facing your back. If your baby is in a posterior position -- back against your back -- or in the breech position head up, it's important not to encourage him or her to descend. Your baby has to turn into the optimal, anterior birth position before you do any squatting.

Swinging -- could exercise for natural labor induction be more convenient?

Using a swing results in a small G-force that encourages your baby to descend. To try this type of physical exercise in starting your labor, find a safe swing in which you can be stably seated.

All these exercises can be the last bit of natural encouragement your full term baby needs to be born. It's always good to exercise. It's never too late, and even a little of physical exercise goes a long way, and is an improvement on doing nothing at all. Exercise helps your labor to start and also keeps you fit. When you are physically in good condition, you will feel great and are able to resist stress and illnesses much better. So, go for a walk around your block, or to the nearest park to use a swing!

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Golf Fitness Exercises For Women Golfers

Fun or Fitness

Golf fitness exercises can be useful for the woman golfer in terms of enhancing the foundation of the swing, rotation in the backswing, speed development in the downswing, and a consistent quit position. Learn how golf fitness exercises can benefit the woman golfer. Lowering scores and production the game more enjoyable.

It is well known in expert golf how integral golf fitness exercises are for success at the top levels. Men on the Pga Tour and women on the Lpga Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of expert players many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions such as; what are the best exercises to heighten golf fitness levels, are flexibility exercises and stretches best than other forms of golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This article is to furnish some answers for you on the topic of golf fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines and television how Lpga women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize fitness programs to benefit their play on the course. Is there a variation between the Lpga player and the amateur woman in relation to golf fitness training? The write back is no. Yes, the women on the Lpga Tour are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the Lpga player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and neural systems are the same. The expert player has the same amount of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman's expert player has the same skeletal structure as the female amateur, and nervous ideas as well. Granted the Lpga player has more refined and effective swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the ideas and structure of a golf fitness schedule for any woman is similar. Before discussing the specifics of a schedule for women it is significant to understand a few important principles. The first principle to understand about a fitness schedule is sports specific. Sports exact is a term describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program. Sport exact training naturally states the schedule utilized by the woman athlete is geared towards enhancing them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely associated to sports exact training is cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the utilization of exercises to create the woman golfer in the positions, movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of cross specificity training is a exchange of training result to the field of competition. naturally stated, a exchange of training result is the potential of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a direct benefit on their carrying out on the course.

For example, golf flexibility exercises will attempt to heighten the flexibility within the player. As the player improves their flexibility parameters in relation to the swing. She may be able to generate a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her drives. This benefit is an example of a exchange of training result onto the golf course. In summary, the three ideas that aid in the development of a golf fitness schedule for women are; sports specific, cross specificity training, and exchange of training effect. Many supplementary ideas exist that are used as guidelines in the development of a fitness program, but these are three significant ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness schedule for woman. exact corporal components within the body are needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember, it is the body performing the biomechanics of the swing. In order for the swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required. These are the actual corporal components within the golfer a fitness schedule looks to create and heighten in relation to the golf swing.

The swing requires the body to move through a long range of appeal for an effective movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the potential of the core to coil and uncoil while the swing. In order for these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development of permissible flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the movements in the swing to create flexibility. The majority of these flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in constant motion. It is crucial to create a range of appeal in a dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these exercises is to generate a range of appeal in the core for the golf swing. Flexibility is the first corporal component requiring development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a garage body throughout the whole swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens when we do not stay balanced while the swing. enhancing the equilibrium and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a best golf swing. best equilibrium equals a best Swing. Even subtle movements are consistency killers; thus we need to create and allege equilibrium for a consistent swing.

Balance is associated to the efficiency of the nervous ideas and strength of the muscular ideas working together. The development of greater equilibrium in the core and swing is the result of two types of exact exercise. The first challenges the nervous ideas creating greater efficiency. The second are exercises that generate increased strength in the core. The composition of these two types of exercises permit for the body to allege posture, promote effective weight transfer, and generate power in the swing. The result is a more consistent, accurate, and marvelous swing. This is the second component included with a golf fitness program.

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots scatter.

Proper durableness training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We furnish this through a series of exercises developing durableness in the whole body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes. Addition durableness leads to lower scores. This is the third corporal component of the golf fitness schedule for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball. More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels of power within the muscular ideas of the body is achieved through the implementation of power exercises. These types of practice aid in creating higher power outputs of the muscles complicated in the golf swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness schedule for women.

In summary a golf fitness schedule for the Lpga or amateur woman golfer is relatively the same. Golf exercises for the woman golfer are sports specific. The exercises are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and requirements of the swing. The exercises within a woman's golf fitness schedule induce a exchange of training result onto the course. The swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness schedule for women will look to heighten these corporal components of the body. The end result is an improved swing equating to lower scores and more enjoyment on the course.

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8 Key Training system For Fitness and Sports Training

Fun or Fitness

The 8 Training ideas are research-based guidelines that can help you accelerate your training advance and optimize your results. Knowing how to apply these ideas gives you an educated basis on which you can make informed decisions about designing your fitness or sports training program. The ideas can also help you evaluate the merits of fitness tool and personal training services.

All of the ideas complement each other. For best results, they should be applied in concert throughout every phase of training.

1. Principle of Specificity suggests that your body will make adjustments according to the type of training you accomplish and in the very same muscles that you exercise. How you train determines what you get.

This principle guides you in designing your fitness training program. If your goal is to heighten your comprehensive level of fitness, you would devise a well-rounded agenda that builds both stamina and comprehensive body strength. If you want to build the size of your biceps, you would increase weight loads on bicep curls and linked exercises.

2. The Principle of Overload implies that you must continually increase training loads as your body adapts over time. Because your body builds and adjusts to your existing training regimen, you must gently and systematically increase your work load for prolonged improvement.

A ordinarily thorough guideline for weight training is to increase resistance not more than 10% per week. You can also use percentages of your maximum or estimated maximum level of performance and work out within a target training zone of about 60-85% of maximum. As your maximum performance improves, your training loads will increase, as well.

3. The Principle of saving assets that you must get adequate rest between workouts in order to recuperate. How much rest you need depends upon your training program, level of fitness, diet, and other factors.

Generally, if you accomplish a total body weight workout three days per week, rest at least 48 hours between sessions. You can accomplish cardio more oftentimes and on successive days of the week.

Over time, too tiny saving can ensue in signs of overtraining. Excessively long periods of saving time can ensue in a detraining effect.

4. The Principle of Reversibility refers to the loss of fitness that results after you stop training. In time, you will revert back to your pre-training condition. The biological principle of use and disuse underlies this principle. Plainly stated, If you don't use it, you lose it.

While adequate saving time is essential, taking long breaks results in detraining effects that may be noticeable within a few weeks. Requisite levels of fitness are lost over longer periods. Only about 10% of force is lost 8 weeks after training stops, but 30-40% of stamina is lost in the same time period.

The Principle of Reversibility does not apply to skills. The effects of stopping custom of motor skills, such as weight training exercises and sport skills, are very different. Coordination appears to store in long-term motor memory and remains nearly perfect for decades. A skill once learned is never forgotten.

5. The Principle of distinction implies that you should consistently change aspects of your workouts. Training variations should always occur within ranges that are aligned with your training directions and goals. Varying exercises, sets, reps, intensity, volume, and duration, for example, prevents boredom and promotes more consistent revision over time. A well-planned training agenda set up in phases offers built-in range to workouts, and also prevents overtraining.

6. The Principle of replacement suggests that workout activities can heighten the performance of other skills with tasteless elements, such as sport skills, work tasks, or other exercises. For example, performing explosive squats can heighten the vertical jump due to their tasteless movement qualities. But dead lifting would not replacement well to marathon swimming due to their very different movement qualities.

7. The Principle of Individualization suggests that fitness training programs should be adjusted for personal differences, such as abilities, skills, gender, experience, motivation, past injuries, and bodily condition. While general ideas and best practices are good guides, each person's unique qualities must be part of the exercise equation. There is no one size fits all training program.

8. The Principle of equilibrium is a broad conception that operates at different levels of salutary living. It suggests that you must say the right mix of exercise, diet, and salutary behaviors. Falling out of equilibrium may cause a range of conditions (e.g., anemia, obesity) that work on health and fitness. In short, it suggests all things in moderation.

If you go to extremes to lose weight or build fitness too quickly, your body will soon respond. You could experience symptoms of overtraining until you accomplish a salutary training equilibrium that works for you.

For fitness training, equilibrium also applies to muscles. If opposing muscles (e.g., hamstrings and quadriceps in the upper legs) are not strengthened in the right proportions, injuries can result. Muscle imbalances also conduce to tendinitis and postural deviations.

Keep these 8 Training ideas in mind as you originate and carry out your fitness training program. They can help you make wise exercise decisions so you can accomplish your goals more fast with less wasted effort.

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Dance Fitness Shoes - selecting a Shoe For Zumba Class

Fun or Fitness

One of the most often asked questions I get as a Zumba trainer is regarding the type of shoe to wear. Zumba is a cardio practice class that combines both dancing and fitness moves. A regular dance shoe will not have the shock absorption for the impact of exercise, and an athletic shoe that is strictly for training may not have the lightness and movement capabilities needed for dancing.

The respond is to get a dance-fitness or dance-aerobic shoe. With the increased popularity in dance-fitness classes such as cardio salsa, hip-hop fitness and Zumba, the shoe manufacturers have come out with a great assortment of aerobic type training shoes geared to the dance-fitness enthusiast. These shoes have multi-directional retain and very microscopic tread on the sole. They are lightweight and make it easy to pivot and glide over the floor.

When selecting the right shoes for your feet, read the reviews or descriptions online. If you have a wide foot, narrow foot, or high arch, for example, there may be a brand of shoe that is better great for you. Nike and Ryka brands have a favorite choice of dance aerobic shoes to select from.

Adding a well-cushioned insert to the shoe will make it much more comfortable. Take out the insert that the shoe comes with and place in one that is designed specifically for cross training or aerobics. Replacing the inserts often will increase the life of the shoe itself.

Athletic shoes should be supplanted every 3 to 6 months, depending on how much mileage you put on them. When you feel your knees and legs begin to ache after practice it could mean that it is time to get a new pair of shoes.

In summary, the best shoe for a dance-fitness class is one that is lightweight, supportive and has microscopic tread on the sole. Find one specifically made for dance-fitness or dance aerobics. When you are wearing the right shoes you will have a better practice experience, you will stick to your exercising and you will have more fun.

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The Five Components of health related Fitness

Fun or Fitness

In order to properly design a fitness program we must first understand the five components of health-related fitness. These are:

1: Cardio respiratory durability - the body's quality to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues and organs and the quality to use them over sustained periods of time. This component is visible while long-distance running or swimming.

2: Muscular drive - the quality of your muscles to exert force. This component is visible when lifting or fascinating heavy objects such as doing a weightlifting workout.

3: Muscular durability - the quality of your muscles to exert force or to perform repetitive movements over prolonged periods of time. This component can be tested by doing sit ups or push-ups

4: Flexibility - the quality to move our joints and muscles straight through their full range of motion. This can be seen when doing stretches or splits.

5: Body aggregate - this refers to the ratio of lean muscle to fats in the body. A good fitness program should contain each of these five components of health-related fitness. You should begin each workout session with 5 to 10 minutes of stretching and low intensity warm-ups. Cardio respiratory durability can be improved by doing at least 20 minutes per session of aerobic activity. This can be in the form of jogging, bicycling, brisk walking, rowing, swimming or playing tennis or racquetball. Lifting weights whether free weights or drive machines will help you heighten your muscular strength. Muscular durability can be improved by doing push-ups sit ups or pull ups. Flexibility can be improved by doing 10 minutes of stretching exercises a integrate times per week.

By including each of the first four components in your fitness program you will heighten the fifth component by increasing the whole of lean muscle in your body and reducing the whole of fats.

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Fun or Fitness

The 5 components of corporal fitness are often used in our school systems, condition clubs and fitness centers to gauge how good a shape we are truly in. The 5 components that make up total fitness are:

Cardiovascular endurance
Muscular strength
Muscular endurance
Flexibility
Body mixture

Total fitness can be defined by how well the body performs in each one of the components of corporal fitness as a whole. It is not sufficient to be able to bench press your body weight. You also need to settle how well you can deal with running a mile etc.
A closer look at the private components:

Cardiovascular endurance is the potential of the heart and lungs to work together to contribute the needed oxygen and fuel to the body while sustained workloads. Examples would be jogging, cycling and swimming. The Cooper Run is used most often to test cardiovascular endurance.

Muscular strength is the estimate of force a muscle can produce. Examples would be the bench press, leg press or bicep curl. The push up test is most often used to test muscular strength.

Muscular endurance is the potential of the muscles to perform continuous without fatiguing. Examples would be cycling, step machines and elliptical machines. The sit up test is most often used to test muscular endurance.

Flexibility is the potential of each joint to move through the ready range of petition for a definite joint. Examples would be stretching private muscles or the potential to perform safe bet functional movements such as the lunge. The sit and reach test is most often used to test flexibility.

Body mixture is the estimate of fat mass compared to lean muscle mass, bone and organs. This can be measured using underwater weighing, Skinfold readings, and bioelectrical impedance. Underwater weighing is thought about the "gold standard" for body fat measurement, any way because of the size and cost of the tool needed very few places are set up to do this kind of measurement.

Why the need for corporal fitness testing?

As stated earlier the 5 components of corporal fitness report how fit and wholesome the body is as a whole. When you have the battery of tests performed you will receive facts on the definite areas you made need to work in. A very definite goal oriented fitness program can be advanced from the test battery.

If body mixture is of (higher fat compared to muscle mass) there are many condition connected diseases and illnesses you have a higher chance of contracting. It is foremost to join wholesome eating habits with your practice program.

If you scored low on the cardiovascular test you would have a higher chance of being at risk for heart connected illnesses and would not do well with activities that require longer times to complete. You would participate in things such as long bike rides, swimming and jogging for extended periods of time to definite this component.

The next three tests can have results that are isolated to definite joints and muscles of the body or sway the body as a whole.

If you score low on the flexibility tests, you have a greater chance of decreased performance in daily living activities/sports and a higher risk of injury. You may also perceive low back pain. It would be foremost to included flexibility training into your workout everyday.

If you scored low on the muscular endurance test you fatigue early into the practice or activities of daily living. Many exercises that require high reps and low weight would be implemented into your training program.

If you scored low on the muscle strength test you do not have sufficient strength to perform well in sports, resistance training and activities of daily living. Your fitness program would have a progressive strength training component added that would allow you to come to be stronger with petite chance of injury over time.

Fitness testing has its limitations - while it gives you a good idea of where your body is, it does not paint the entire picture. As stated earlier some of the above tests are only testing definite body parts. Other foremost factors such as balance and agility are not tested. It also requires the potential to perform the tests. It would be hazardous for person who is in poor condition and does not practice to participate in fitness testing.

Before deciding to endure fitness testing, make sure you know why they are being done and settle that it is safe for you to participate.

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Fun or Fitness

The point of physical action for older adults is being studied more frequently, with many conclusions showing that the more active older adults are, the more likely they are able to prevent the onset of diseases. Exercise has proven beneficial in preventing heart disease and to control other conditions such as arthritis and diabetes.

In order for older adults to contend a healthy lifestyle and help them get the Exercise they need, there's a fun clarification older adults are raving about in Utah, called the Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program. SilverSneakers is the nation's leading fitness schedule designed exclusively for older adults, and is ready at no additional cost to eligible Medicare members. In Utah, this schedule is offered to eligible members of Humana and SecureHorizons by UnitedHealthcare.

This unique schedule allows older adults to take fee of their condition and contend an active, independent lifestyle. "The long-term condition benefits of regular Exercise for older adults are compelling," says Steve Lindstrom, Healthways senior vice president of Active Living. "In expanding to helping seniors stay physically healthy, SilverSneakers also offers a great way for them to socialize, meet new friends and have fun."

Every enrolled member of SilverSneakers receives a membership at any participating fitness center, where members can take advantage of conditioning classes, Exercise equipment, pool, sauna and other amenities. At each fitness center, there is a specially trained senior consultant to introduce the member to the schedule and acquaint the member with the site.

Every site offers customized SilverSneakers classes which allow the member to heighten their strength, flexibility, equilibrium and endurance. Additionally, condition schooling seminars and other events that promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle are available.

"It's those leading extras such as social events, condition schooling seminars and condition screening for such conditions as high blood pressure, cholesterol and flu shot availability that play such an leading role in the comprehensive success of the program," said Mr. Lindstrom. Members also have the chance to take advantage of the national reciprocity feature of the program, which allows passage to any of the certified 2,600 plus participating locations over the nation while traveling.

SilverSneakers was designed specifically to encourage Medicareeligible individuals to growth their levels of physical action and motivate them to continue to be active. As of September 2007, the SilverSneakers schedule is offered in 49 states at no additional cost to more than 3 million Medicareeligible individuals through its national network.

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Fun or Fitness

The significance of corporal activity for older adults is being studied more frequently, with many conclusions showing that the more active older adults are, the more likely they are able to prevent the onset of diseases. Rehearsal has proven beneficial in preventing heart disease and to control other conditions such as arthritis and diabetes.

In order for older adults to mouth a salutary lifestyle and help them get the Rehearsal they need, there's a fun clarification older adults are raving about in Utah, called the Healthways SilverSneakers Fitness Program. SilverSneakers is the nation's prominent fitness schedule designed exclusively for older adults, and is ready at no supplementary cost to eligible Medicare members. In Utah, this schedule is offered to eligible members of Humana and SecureHorizons by UnitedHealthcare.

This unique schedule allows older adults to take payment of their health and mouth an active, independent lifestyle. "The long-term health benefits of quarterly Rehearsal for older adults are compelling," says Steve Lindstrom, Healthways senior vice president of Active Living. "In addition to helping seniors stay physically healthy, SilverSneakers also offers a great way for them to socialize, meet new friends and have fun."

Every enrolled member of SilverSneakers receives a membership at any participating fitness center, where members can take advantage of conditioning classes, Rehearsal equipment, pool, sauna and other amenities. At each fitness center, there is a specially trained senior consultant to introduce the member to the schedule and apprise the member with the site.

Every site offers customized SilverSneakers classes which allow the member to heighten their strength, flexibility, equilibrium and endurance. Additionally, health schooling seminars and other events that promote the benefits of a salutary lifestyle are available.

"It's those prominent extras such as communal events, health schooling seminars and health screening for such conditions as high blood pressure, cholesterol and flu shot availability that play such an prominent role in the thorough success of the program," said Mr. Lindstrom. Members also have the occasion to take advantage of the national reciprocity feature of the program, which allows way to any of the certified 2,600 plus participating locations over the nation while traveling.

SilverSneakers was designed specifically to encourage Medicareeligible individuals to growth their levels of corporal activity and motivate them to continue to be active. As of September 2007, the SilverSneakers schedule is offered in 49 states at no supplementary cost to more than 3 million Medicareeligible individuals straight through its national network.

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corporeal Fitness And salutary Eating - A simple Plan For Surfing Success

Fun or Fitness

Physical fitness is a must for good surfing. How do you get in shape and put in order yourself for the surfing season? How do you stay in shape to be ready when the next good swell arrives? What are the ingredients for you to be physically fit? In this article, I will lay out a plan that will be suitable for the majority of the surfers. Corporeal fitness should be incorporated in your surfer's lifestyle.

For the majority of surfers, your surfing is microscopic to weekends and for most of you, the surfing season, which is regularly spring, summer, and the autumn time of the year. Some of you who are deeply occupied with work and raising a young house will only surf when you are on vacation or at most once a week or every other week. Many of you live a long way from your surf spots, which makes it very difficult for you to get in the water.

The prominent thing is for you to be in good Corporeal condition to paddle and surf when the occasion arises. Once you have the allowable surfboard type and surfing accessories, you need to be in decent shape so that when you get in the water you have enough energy to paddle out into the break and get a good wave count. If you are exhausted from the initial paddle out and are not able to keep paddling out straight through the surf after each wave, you are going to have a terrible session. What a bummer.

How do you put in order for surfing if you are a weekend or vacation surfer? You stay in the gym with a good workout regimen, you do cardiovascular exercise and you learn to eat properly.

What is a good workout for surfing? I believe that every muscle group should be worked out each week. The muscle groups are the chest, shoulders, back, legs, arms and core. Your workout regimen will depend on the time you have available. If you can spend an hour in the gym 5 days a week, you can do a distinct muscle group each day. If you can make it only 3 days a week, you will have to duplicate up on the muscle groups during each workout.

Some of you can only go to the gym one or two days a week. What do you do? Well, you are going to have to supplement your workouts in the gym with exercises and or workouts at home or in your office. The main thing is to "just do it" as Nike says.

I would advise that when you initially start working out with weights that you hire a professional instructor if you can afford to do so. If you cannot afford a trainer, workout with a friend who is customary with weight training or go online and research workouts for the distinct muscle groups. One very prominent thing to remember is to start out with very light weights and do a lot of repetitions. You are not doing this to be a body builder. You are working out to get and claim all parts of your body in good Corporeal condition. You want to build muscle tone and not muscle mass.

Working out at home or in your office can be very effective also. You can do pushups, abdominal crunches, leg squats and all kinds of exercises with bungees. You can also practice pop-ups where you lay flat on your stomach and with your arms you pop-up to your feet and take a surfers stance in one motion. It is very prominent for you to get your shoulders, back, legs and core muscles in good shape. In addition, you should also take fast walks or even running during your work breaks, that is, if there is a shower installation available. You need to build up your wind by doing cardiovascular exercising because paddling your surfboard requires lung capacity and endurance.

Eating properly is also another key to good Corporeal conditioning, good condition and good surfing. Not eating properly will succeed in whether being overweight or being too skinny and underweight and weak. If you do not eat properly, your body will not be strong and you will not have the durability necessary for surfing.

Here is a sample menu of daily allowable eating:

General Menu Suggestion: (See special note below)

Start each day with 1 or 2 cups of green tea

Meal #1. 1/3 Cup Oatmeal w/small banana (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), shot of honey, and soy milk, 4 egg whites fried in olive oil (first 4 months) (1 egg yoke after), one pineapple spear (mango, papaya, grapes)

#2. 1 cup brown rice, one tomato, 2 stalks celery (or green beans, spinach or broccoli), one bbq'd skinless chicken thigh with fat trimmed off or meat substitute, sliced mango or pineapple if available.

#3. One bbq'd skinless chicken thigh, meat, or fish, ½ boiled yam/potato/brown rice, green beans, spinach or broccoli, tomato

#4. Afternoon snack: celery stalks/apple with peanut butter or walnuts/almonds and dried cranberries

#5. Salad with tomatoes, scallions, chopped celery, hard boiled egg, 2 table spoons cottage cheese, one skinless chicken thigh. (or as an alternative, a bowl of broccoli, tomatoes,onions, avocado, chopped chicken with balsamic vinegar dressing, walnuts/almonds and dried cranberries) Mix it up!

#6. ½ cup cottage cheese with blueberries, blackberries, or tomato and celery, scallions, broccoli (all optional)

You can substitute wild ocean fish (also, canned tuna fish or salmon) for chicken. You can also eat lean meat about once a week.

Drink 8 oz. Glass of room climatic characteristic water with each meal, except at night... Drink water all day in the middle of meals! You can substitute green tea.

Note: all cooking is done with extra virgin olive oil.

Special Note: Gals, smaller kids, and Baby Boomers may want to cut these portions to smaller quantities.

No Sugar, Bread, Booze, Soft Drinks, Avoid Processed Food, Etc.

This sounds boring, but once you get acclimated you will enjoy the food and wonder how you could have abused yourself by eating the "normal" way. Once in a while it's Ok to have a hamburger and French fries or you beloved dessert, but keep it to a minimum.

Take this menu as a hint and not gospel. I give this to you from personal feel and at the guidance of my personal instructor who is trained and very knowledgeable in nutrition. I changed my eating habits four years ago and adopted the menu I laid before you. Over a duration of time, I lost 30 lbs and my waist size dropped 4 inches. I have been able to claim my weight and my surfing and daily life has improved greatly.

I believe that allowable eating is in fact more prominent than Corporeal training, but the two go hand in hand. If you look nearby you, you will see the majority of the population abusing their bodies by over eating. It is very hard on one's body to be carrying nearby extra baggage in the form of weight. It's hard on your joints and makes Corporeal performance like surfing very difficult.

Get in shape, stay in shape and enjoy your surfing sessions. Enjoy how you look and feel. Carry Corporeal training and allowable eating over to your everyday life style and you will be surfing waves with more precision and you will by all means; of course be Surfing Life, feeling much better physically and mentally.

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