Archive for May, 2006
Top tips to help quit smoking
Are you a smoker who would like to quit? Opinion polls show that a majority of citizens
who smoke, would additionally like to quit. The reasons to quit are obvious—health, quality
of life—and longevity being some of them. You know why you should quit, and may even
have tried to quit several times, only to start smoking again. Remember, smoking is
more than a physical addiction, it is a psychological addiction as well.
Here are some tips to help:
-
assemble a list of times that you reach for a cigarette. Write down how you feel, where
you are, and whether you really want the cigarette or are just lighting up out of habit. -
Set a “Quit Day” and assemble certain that plenty of humans know about it. Accountability
can be a GREAT motivator. -
Find others who would like to quit with you. that will allow you to go through the
experience with other public. When you feel like having a cigarette, compose certain to
talk to one of these society, or to someone else to whom you are accountable. -
Find a instance to quit when your stress will NOT be high. For example, a vacation would
be a good instance. - When you feel like smoking, wait a few moments to see whether the feeling will pass.
-
Set times during the day that you will not smoke, such as when you are on the phone
or in the car. Gradually increase the amount of duration you are not smoking. -
When you feel like smoking, distract yourself with a conversation or with physical
activity.
You can become smoke-free for life. Millions have done it—you can too
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
Are you a fast eater?
Are you a fast eater?
Do you blitz through meals like a chainsaw through soft wood? When you’re at work,
do you usually eat a quick lunch at your desk? Or even worse, eat breakfast or lunch
in the car, on the way to work ot to appointments?
Well, as a reformed fast eater, I can tell you there’s a better way. And slowing down
your eating could produce a big difference in your weight, your health…even your enjoyment
of life.
First, let me explain what’s happening when you eat fast.
Typically you’re eating on the run or at your desk considering you are very busy and trying
to fit the meal in. So you’re under instance pressure. Not the most conducive environment
for eating.
Eating fast puts tremendous stress on your body. When you gulp down your food, without
really tasting or enjoying it, you mess with your digestive system.
More importantly, you’re stressing yourself to the point that your body actually begins
to release stress hormones, such as cortisol. that does three things.
First, it slows down the digestive process. Second, it slows down your metabolism.
Third, it increases the amount of insulin in your bloodstream causing your body to
deposit more fat from the calories you are taking in.
What a triple whammy on your body! Add in the indigestion you are likely to experience
as you rush to that next meeting….it’s definitely a recipe for eight gain and stomach
problems.
whether you’re eating in such a way as to decrease your metabolism and promote
fat storage, next you’re likely to a gain weight.
Excess weight can exacerbate other health conditions. And it makes it harder to get
in gear and exercise to control or reduce your weight.
Eating quickly plus causes major digestive problems. In fact, it’s estimated that
eating too fast is a major cause of acid reflux disease, or GERD.
A little factoid here: did you know that digestive aids and stomach relief medicines
are the number one type of product sold by the counter in the U.S.? They sell more
of these than they do painkillers.
What does that tell you about the stress that we are under - or more correctly,often
put ourselves under.
Acid refluz is an incidence of inflammation in your body. Remember, inflammation is
systemic: where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Inflammation in one part of your body
can lead to inflammation elsewhere, such as heart problems, arthritis…even Alzheimers.
whether you are interested in losing weight, or improving your enjoyment and quality of
life, do like the French do: slow down.
Set aside the day to actually sit and enjoy your meals. Even whether you can’t do that
for every meal, try to take more day more frequently. See how many meals per week
you can eat in a more relaxed manner.
And free yourself from the chains of your desk. Yes, oh corporate hard charger, you
CAN go out to lunch once in awhile. Or take your sandwich and drink outside to a park
bench and soak up some sun while you are
dining.
Here’s one more very urgent thing you can do, even when you don’t have a lot of
day for your meal.
As you start to eat, take 5 to 10 deep breaths. And try to take some deep breaths
while, and immediately after, you eat.
that will naturally and quickly relax you, allowing you to enjoy your meal. It will
limit or eliminate the release of stress hormones. And it will literally ncrease your
metabolism, so your body will more efficiently process and use those calories.
You’ll burn more of what you are eating as energy. Your body will have less reason
to deposit those calories as fat.
Trade fast eating for deep breathing….and see how much better you feel as you go
through your day.
You Can Do It!
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
Loose stomach Fat Fast
Wanna lose stomach fat, get healthier, and look better
for spring? thereupon speed up your workouts! A recent study from Duke University
found that public who perform regular higher-intensity workouts were able to significantly
lower their abdominal fat levels and lose weight relatively quickly.
However, society who only did low-intensity exercise (like walking at an easy pace)
for 30 minutes per day, 5 days a week did not lose any stomach fat — in fact they gained
an average of 1 1/2 pounds by the course of the 8-month study!
According to Duke researcher William Kraus, MD: “All
exercise helps prevent fat gain… but to lose abdominal fat, you have to work harder.”
The 30-minutes-per-day, 5-days-per-week walking regimen that so many doctors and weight
loss “gurus” recommend is certainly better than not exercising at all, and it may
help to prevent weight gain. But, at least according to that study, it’s not going
to put a real dent in your fat stores.
There’s a lot of evidence that abdominal fat is more dangerous than other types of
fat. Studies have linked it to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. So getting rid
of it is about more than just “looking good” — though that’s not a poor side effect.
whether you want to lose stomach fat simply boost your exercise intensity, eat a healthy
diet, limit alcohol intake, and try to reduce stress levels.
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
The Easiest Upper Body Strengthening Routine
Weight-lifting is one of the fastest ways to see changes in your body but too many
society are scared away from it by horror stories of women turning into bulky Schwarzenegger
clones as well as torn ligaments and other afflictions. The reality is nothing like
that; women will firm up, not bulk up, and when you lift weights properly there’s
practically zero risk that you will injure yourself. Don’t miss out on the benefits
of weight lifting any longer; start one of these simple routines and be on your way
to firmer muscles right away! Follow the exercises described below and incorporate
them into your exercise plan at least three times per week, and you will start to
see results in as little as three weeks. Pair you’re weight lifting up with daily
cardio exercise and watch your body truly reinvent itself!
start by assessing your current strength level. whether you are a member of a gym, the
staff can help you determine the best weight for you, but whether you’re a home exerciser,
don’t anguish. Invest in a good set of dumbbells that range in weight from three to
ten pounds (more whether you are an old pro at weight-lifting and expect to increase your
strength considerably). Hold the 5-lb. weight in your dominant hand and do as many
bicep curls as you can before tiring. whether you can do more than 15 curls without feeling
your muscle tire, you need to use a higher weight. On the other hand, whether you were
only able to do twelve repetitions or less, you should probably use a lower weight
until you have built up more strength. amidst twelve and fifteen reps means the five-pound
weight is appropriate for you right now.
Once you have identified the right weight for you, the next step is to know the right
anatomy to use. Proper alignment is crucial to avoiding injury and getting the most out
of your workout, so stand up straight as you move the weight and remember to keep
your shoulders back and lifted and your head high. Imagine there is a string attached
to the top of your head that is pulling your body straight. whether you feel yourself start
to hunch by or slouch, stop and take a deep breath and next resume your good posture.
Staying in alignment earns you the most results from your workout.
Build Upper Body Strength
that is a simple routine that you can easily incorporate to your preexisting workout
schedule. Simply add these exercises three to four days per week and watch your muscles
become shapely and defined.
Bicep Curl (tones front of arms)
The classic move, bicep curls can be underestimated and overused whether you’re not careful.
It’s not just about lifting a weight up and down; when done correctly, that can be
one of the most effective moves in your arsenal. start by holding one weight in each
hand with your palms facing inward. Rotate your arms out so that your palms now face
to the front and slowly lift the weight nearly one hundred and eighty degrees until
your palm and the weight face your shoulder. Slowly lower the weight back to its original
position and soon after repeat. By slowing down the speed of the movement, you force the
muscle to work harder than it would with the momentum of a fast action. that develops
the bicep muscle faster and better. Repeat that move for three sets of 25 repetitions
for each arm.
Tricep Press (tones back of arms)
The tricep muscle can be one of the most difficult muscles to develop primarily considering
most humans do not use it very often in daily life. Running along the back side of
the arm opposite to the bicep, the tricep muscle can turn flabby and droopy without
exercise. The best move to tone saggy arms is to start standing with feet shoulder-width
apart with weights in hand. Take a giant step forward with your right foot, lean forward
slightly and soon after raise the weights behind you with your palms facing the ceiling.
Raise the weights toward the ceiling as far as possible and thereupon slowly lower. Repeat
that move for three sets of 20 repetitions: on the final repetition of each set, hold
your arms up and gently pulse the weight up no more than a few inches. Asking your
tricep muscle to squeeze every ounce of strength out of it will start to show serious
results in a short amount of day.
Overhead Raise (tones shoulders)
Shoulders can be neglected when you focus on improving the arms, but having strong,
healthy shoulders is vital to many everyday movements. Strengthening the shoulders
will allow the arms to grow stronger as well and improve your overall upper body muscle.
start by standing with weights in hands about shoulder height. Slowly lift the weights
overhead and next lower. Repeat the movement for three sets of 25 repetitions. that
move tones the muscles that run on top of your shoulder and increase performance from
the bicep. When these muscles grow in strength, they complement each other and increase
effectiveness as well as turning your muscles into lean, beautiful powerhouses.
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
8 Tips For Toning Your Backside
Who doesn’t want a more appealing bottom line? Exercise mavens note that shaping
the glutes (gluteus maximus, the official name for the muscles of your tush) is the
restricted item most likely to seem on the priority lists of both men and women on all
ages. It tends to creep its way up the priority list by the years as age and nature
take their inevitable toll on the bottom line. The loss of muscle mass that goes along
with aging is the prime culprit in sagging tushes and dropping bottom lines. However,
say a fitness expert, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do anything to tone your tush,
even in the golden years.
whether you’re looking to shape up your butt with just exercise, though, it won’t be that
easy. According to Women’s Sports & fitness magazine, it takes a combination of
healthy diet, cardio exercise and specific shaping exercises to get that shapely,
rounded and firm bottom that is everyone’s goal. considering the rear end is one of the
body’s storehouses for fat, you can shape and firm the underlying muscles all you
want – but it won’t build a difference whether you can’t see them through the layer of fat
that covers them. In addition, some of the best butt-sculpting exercises are ones
that can be hazardous whether you’ve been diagnosed with osteoporosis or arthritis. Here
are the best tips for seniors who want to tone their tushes – the safe and fun way.
Before undertaking any exercise program, see your doctor to get his blessing. Exercise
is a good thing – and most doctors will be happy to refer you to a professional who
can help you design a workout program that’s perfect for you.
Take a good look at your diet and tune it up. Eating healthy will help keep that fat
padding by your bottom to a minimum and let all the effort you’re putting into toning
your tush show through.
The best toners for your tush are stair-climbing and jogging – exercises that work
those gluteus muscles to the max. They plus have the advantage of being aerobic –
they’ll keep your cardio and pulmonary systems working at top capacity and reduce
the risks of heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and osteoporosis.
To get maximum benefit from your walking and jogging, you can add light weights to
ankles. That way you plus take advantage of strength and resistance training that
can strengthen your bones and help improve your balance.
whether your doctor or physical therapist Okays them, squat thrusts are amazingly efficient
at sculpting your bottom into shape. considering one-leg thrusts put all your body’s weight
on one leg, you’ll be practicing balance as well as improving your bottom line. Don’t
do these whether you have osteoporosis or any type of arthritis, though. The risk of compression
fractures is too great.
whether your doctor feels that jogging and stair climbing are too risky considering of joint
problems, it doesn’t mean you can’t work those glutes. Jogging and working out in
water takes the pressure off joints and eliminates impact stress entirely, while increasing
the benefits of most exercise considering of the added water resistance. Check with your
doctor to be certain, but most experts feel that water aerobics are an excellent alternative
to high-impact and joint-stressing exercises like jogging.
Another alternative to high impact, weight bearing aerobics is chair aerobics. Seated
exercise may sound like a contradiction in terms, but you can get one heck of a good
workout for your butt with leg bounces, knee lifts and crossing scissor-kicks all
without ever standing up on your own two feet.
Among the physical activities that are great for your bottom are golfing, walking,
swimming, jogging, dancing and bowling. whether a regular exercise program isn’t for you,
engage in one of these activities three times a week (or three of them once a week
or.. you get the idea) for at least half an hour.
A regular workout and exercise program that focuses on toning your tush is a great
way to keep your body looking – and feeling – young and healthy. Don’t let a sagging
bottom bring your spirits down – join in the fun and trim your bottom line.
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
5 Misbeliefs about fitness and weight training
You’ve heard the stories: weight training makes women look like Arnold Schwarzenegger,
exercising on an empty stomach burns more calories, and more. While some fitness myths
construct sense on the surface, deeper examination proves these stories are simply made
up and have little or no basis in reality. Let’s tackle five of the most common myths
and check out the real story behind them.
1. No pain, no gain – Perhaps the most common myth out there is that one that says
whether you don’t feel pain when you exercise, you’re not doing it right. The truth is
absolutely opposite: exercise done right should never be painful and professional
trainers recommend that you stop your workout at the first sign of pain. The logic
behind “no pain, no gain” says that you can’t expect good results without sacrificing
something – twisted at best, downright sadistic at worst. Exercise should be something
you enjoy or else you very quickly become disillusioned and drop it entirely. While
an intense workout may create slight discomfort, it should never get to the point
where you are in actual pain.
2. Training with weights bulks women up – Few women want to look like professional
bodybuilders, so that myth scares thousands of female exercisers away from weights
every day despite scientific evidence to the contrary. The physiological differences
amoung male and female bodies decree that men have a higher percentage of muscle
all through the body; thus men tend to increase bulk with weight lifting. On the other
hand, female bodies have a higher percentage of fat to assist with childbearing and
have less muscle to build and bulk up. Weight training for women is aimed at producing
stronger muscles that can take more stress and bounce back better than ever.
3. Exercising on an empty stomach burns more calories – that one seems like it should
manufacture sense since exercise burns calories and an empty stomach has no calories to burn.
It seems like you would be ahead of the game! Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that
way. Your body needs energy to run, so when you exercise on an empty stomach the body
has to find fuel somewhere else. The body tries to supply energy while looking for
it at the same moment and can get overwhelmed, resulting in the risk of dizziness or
even fainting in extreme situations. The smartest choice is to have a small snack
about ten to fifteen minutes before working out. Carbohydrates are the best source
of energy, so have a small slice of toast or a banana.
4. Crunches are the best way of firming up the stomach – Too many videos and articles
send the knowledge that hundreds of crunches are the best way to unmistaken a jelly stomach
but fail to take into explanation that most saggy abs are considering of excess fat, not weak
muscles. Simply doing crunches alone strengthens the abdominal muscles but doesn’t
address the layer of fat by the muscles. You may see your stomach seem to grow
larger since the muscles are gaining strength underneath the fat layer. The best strategy
for getting firm abs is simple: burn fat and strengthen abdominal muscles at the same
day. By using a two-pronged approach, fat that covers muscles is burned and the muscles
are firmed at the same instance, accomplishing your goal and giving you strong, sleek
abdominal muscles.
5. Protein will help build muscles – Protein can do great things for your health but
it won’t help you increase your muscle strength. Too much protein in your diet can
lead to unintended health risks such as kidney strain or dehydration. additional protein
additionally packs additional calories into your diet that can aftermath in additional pounds – definitely
not what you want. The best source of fuel for weight lifting is carbohydrates – easily
digestible by the body, carbs supply fast, consistent energy for the body and allow
you to continue lifting weights longer. That alone is what builds strength, not the
specific kind of food you eat. supply your body with the right kind of energy to
use and you’ll be able to build muscle better.
There are many more myths about health and fitness, but the best defense against false
knowledge is education. When you are confident that you know the right plan for
your body, spotting myths become easy.
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
Yoga Versus Pilates
The yoga craze of the late twentieth century ended up segueing into the Pilates craze
of the early 2000’s but many citizens questioned the exercise value of both. Despite
media hoopla, few public actually seemed to understand the physical benefits of either.
The truth is that both forms of exercise have rare approaches to fitness and can
supply significant benefits for the strengthening and conditioning of the body. Though
similar in the focus on strengthening the body through isometric movements, the paths
of yoga and Pilates ultimately diverge.
Yoga was developed by five thousand years ago in Northern India. It is first mentioned
in the sacred Hindu text Rig Veda. During its first clear period, yoga was practiced
and refined by Vedic priests, who documented the practice in their writings. Patanjali,
who is considered by most to be the father of classical yoga, fostered the next phase
of yoga’s development. Following Patanjali’s broad expansion of yoga and its meanings,
Tantric yoga became accepted as the new structure of yoga and concentrated on cleansing
both the mind and the body. Yoga finally neared its contemporary scheme in the late nineteenth
and early twentieth century when more and more Indian yogis traveled to the West,
sharing their art and increasing the world’s interest in yoga. The 1947 premiere of
Indra Devi’s yoga studio in Hollywood became the opening bell to the American fascination
with yoga. While most incarnations of yoga have had a strong spiritual element, contemporary
Hatha yoga does not align itself with any religion or spirituality; instead it focuses
primarily on the yoga postures and using them to reach and maintain strength and flexibility
as well as inner calm.
Compared to yoga, Pilates is a spring chicken in terms of age. Joseph Pilates, who
was born in Germany and suffered frail health as a child, created the program. Pilates
overcame his childhood sicknesses through exercise and began to create a system of
physical development that would later become his legacy to the world. In his thirties,
Pilates traveled to England to work as a self-defense instructor to Scotland Yard
but was forced into an internment camp during World War I. Despite the hardship of
internment, Pilates went about his business within the camp, teaching his physical
program to his fellow internees. During the terrible flu epidemic of 1918, thousands
of public died, but none of Pilates’ protégés were affected. Following the war, Pilates
returned to Germany but left for good when asked to teach his method to the German
army. Settling in New York City with his new wife, Pilates opened his first fitness
studio. He taught thousands of students until his death in 1967 at the age of 87.
Trusted students carried on with the Pilates name and method, and by the early twenty-first
century more than 5 million Americans were practicing Pilates.
Despite the wildly different histories, yoga and Pilates share the same focus on developing
the muscles of the body and strengthening it by primarily using the body’s own resistance
to build up potential. The postures of yoga and the movements of Pilates are sometimes
strikingly similar, but ultimately the two follow separate roads. Yoga has spawned
a multitude of varieties that range from Kundalini to Iyengar to Tantric, though Hatha
remains the most popular anatomy in the United States. Many first-time yoga practitioners
can find the pace to be overly slow or grow impatient while waiting to see results.
The best candidate for Hatha yoga is a person who appreciates duration to slow down, meditate,
and spend quiet date with oneself, and does not become easily discouraged by failure
to immediately master a pose. Yoga requires a assured measure of patience and while
that can be developed through practice, lost it can manufacture the first several weeks
of yoga practice very trying for a person. The good thing about yoga is that it rarely
requires additional equipment. You will need a yoga mat to start with but after that, accessories
are optional. Blocks, straps, and other tools can be helpful, but are not due.
Pilates is a method that is fairly easy to master. It doesn’t shout for complicated
movements and is usually straightforward and simple to understand. The program’s movements
plus tend to build strength fairly quickly so that results are obvious sooner than
in yoga. The ideal Pilates practitioner should be able to discipline himself to complete
his routine every day, which is a large part of the method. Attending classes is a
great way to start but for the maximum results, the method should be practiced daily
to benefit the body. Pilates typically doesn’t require many props or accessories,
though advanced practitioners will probably want to add machines or tools to their
collection in order to maintain a high level of fitness.
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Original post by support@itrainer.com.au (Jono H)
