All About Health

Add Physical Activity to Your Busy College Schedule

2010-01-05T22:52:00.000-08:00

Even when you understand the importance of exercise, it can still be difficult to find time. Thankfully, however, even busy college students can fit exercise into their daily schedule. Today, we will explore eight ways to exercise in college.

1. Walk/Bike to Class

If you live on or near your campus, you can use your feet or your bicycle as your primary means of transportation. Not only will this save you money by avoiding the many expenses surrounding driving, but it will also help you keep in shape.

If you do decide to bicycle, make sure you invest in a strong lock that will keep your bike safe while you are in class.

2. Park Farther Away

If you do drive a car, you can still exercise by changing your parking pattern. Rather than parking as close as possible to your destination, get in the habit of parking farther away and walking more.

Although walking may take a little longer, you will save time since you will not have to wait as long for a parking spot.

3. Take The Stairs

Rather than taking the elevator in a building, you can get some exercise by climbing the stairs.

This is one of the ways that my father gets exercise. Because he works on the fourth story of an office building, climbing the stairs everyday can be a good start to a workout.More...

Exercise in College

The hidden benefits of exercise

2010-01-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

As millions of people flock to the gym armed with New Year's resolutions to get in shape, medical experts are offering an additional reason to exercise: Regular workouts may help fight off colds and flu, reduce the risk of certain cancers and chronic diseases and slow the process of aging.

Physical activity has long been known to bestow such benefits as helping to maintain a healthy weight and reduce stress, not to mention tightening those abs. Now, a growing body of research is showing that regular exercise can boost the body's immune system, increasing the circulation of natural killer cells that fight off viruses and bacteria. And exercise has been shown to improve the body's response to the influenza vaccine, making it more effective at keeping the virus at bay.More...

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Healthy weight and Reduce stress

New Year's resolutions to get in shape

Rules Of Effective Weight Loss

2009-12-18T00:36:00.000-08:00

How to lose weight is directly affected by several factors. The factors include diet and exercise. They are the main two reasons for people being overweight and out of shape. Learning to change the current habits to modify the negative habits will promote weight loss and healthier bodies.

The first rule of every weight loss plan is to realize the weight will come off slowly if the correct weight loss plan is used. Do not use diets that will promise fast results since the results will not be lasting and the weight will come back. Know it took time to gain the weight so it will take time to lose it. Be patient with the weight loss process.

The second rule of weight loss is to create a plan that is easy to follow. Create a plan you can follow and is simple. With creating the plan comes the realistic weight loss goals. Do not try to lose the weight too fast since that will have negative effects on your health in the long run. Take the time to lose weight gradually and it will be more beneficial and healthier.More...

LA Weight Loss

When just looking strong isn’t enough

2009-12-18T00:31:00.000-08:00

by Marcus Martinez

The first thing you notice when you walk through any gym is that there are mirrors everywhere. Where there’s a wall, there’s a mirror. What do you think this tells you? Most people that go to the gym are simply going to look good. Performance and function in the training world take a back seat to being ripped and looking good.

Being functionally fit means that you have trained to improve your ability to perform your favorite activities, like a sport or hobby, and increase your effectiveness in everyday tasks, like picking up your child. Functional exercises improve strength, stamina, flexibility, and in essence, your ability to live.

The fact of the matter is that if a person is training to improve their performance, improved looks will soon follow. Setting goals and breaking them will get you started. For example, test your limits of pull-ups and try to do more next time you try. This is the path of functional performance training.

Training for functionality can be started simply with the following list:

1. Instead of traditional cardio machines, do hill sprints and jump rope intervals

2. Instead of isolating your muscles while exercising, do full-body exercises like pull-ups and squats

3. Instead of splitting your workouts into body parts, work your whole body with kettlebells and sandbags

About the Author:

About the author: Marcus Martinez can help you reach your fitness objectives. For fitness tips see his free training programs concerninghealth & fitness.
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LA Weight Loss

Drills To Make You Jump Higher

2009-12-18T00:03:00.000-08:00

If you want to jump higher and to make that highest jump you can ever do, then it is time for you to work on it. There are Drills To Make You Jump Higher, these can help you improve on your jump. Before you can achieve that high jump you wanted, then you have to do a lot of building up, strengthening to do. Jumping high is not about jumping. It takes a lot of effort in order to do it.

There are two important muscles that needs to be developed well in order to help you jump higher, the calf and quad muscles. There are specific drills for these muscles, drills to make you jump higher. Strong calf and quad muscles gives you the power to jump higher.

You can do a leg press workout, one can do with the help of a leg press machine. One pushes the leg up and down or outwards with body control. The best exercise will be wall sit. It is done by sitting on your back on the wall, keeping your quads parallel to the ground, maintaining a 90 degree angle. Stay on that position for a while until you feel that it starts to work on your muscles.

This author writes about Increasing Jumping Ability at How To Run Faster And Jump Higher

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LA Weight Loss

Why You Should Go Organic

2009-12-13T22:14:00.000-08:00

In today’s society – with an ever vigilant eye towards health consciousness – we are forever in search of those factors that will give us the edge in achieving maximum health. As we’ve learned, a healthy diet, a consistent regime of physical activity, and plenty of rest all has a profound impact on our overall vitality. Subsequently, there has been an overwhelming group of people that swear by the benefit of organic food.

Produced by organic farms, organic food is grown under strict government supervision. Under these guidelines, organic produce is grown and packaged without the use of any chemicals or pesticides. Traditionally grown, non-organic produce is subjected to a myriad of chemicals – most of which are have not been studied thoroughly enough to understand or contemplate their long-term effects on the human body.More...

Weight Loss CA

Why You Should Have a Varied Diet

2009-12-13T21:47:00.000-08:00

Weight Loss Foods

2009-12-10T21:44:00.000-08:00

Many people struggle to lose weight. It is not a secret. Unhappily, if people do not see any results from their regular diets and physical workouts they resort to crash diets. But this method can cause many health related problems and besides, it is not effective way of losing weight. If your body gets not enough food your metabolism is switched into “starvation mode” and tries to store the food it has.

A low metabolic rate makes your body unable to burn body fat as it should. And if you want to lose weight permanently you should be able to melt body fat. Diet specialists suggest eating six or eight small meals a day instead of three large ones. This provides your body with regular fuel to burn. It will allow you to avoid those cravings and overeating. There are several healthy foods that will help you to get rid of those unwanted pounds.

Beef is one of the fabulous weight loss foods. The protein contained in steak can help the individual to maintain muscle tissue during weight loss. An individual’s initial weight loss consists of muscle tissue and water weight. But, take into account that you will have to retain it, as you keep on melting excess pounds, because they assist your body in melting fat. It is suggested to eat four or six ounces of beef every day.More...

Focusing only on isolated exercises

2009-11-29T22:59:00.000-08:00

Exercises that train only a certain muscle group are called isolated exercise. This is another common mistake beginners make. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are a couple of examples of these exercises. In order to achieve muscle mass, the entire body must be included in the exercise regimen. Therefore, compound exercises must be implemented. These exercises allow the muscles to achieve higher weight which in turn forces them to adapt to the increase and grow.

Are you guilty of these common mistakes? Have you reached the dreaded plateau? These tips are very important in achieving your quest for muscle mass. Having the proper workout, technique and doing the research needed in order to do it correctly is the only way to acquire your goal. In addition, don't hesitate to ask an experienced bodybuilder for tips; they will be more than happy to share the knowledge.More..

Weight Loss Tips

WHAT IS DIETARY FAT?

2009-11-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

Dietary fat is probably the media’s least popular macronutrient. Everywhere you look people are being advised to consume less fat, buy low fat products or even avoid fat completely. However, despite this negative perception dietary fat is an essential part of your diet. It supplies your body with essential fatty acids (EFAs), provides energy, helps your body absorb certain vitamins, helps your body grow and supports a strong immune system.

Dietary fat contains more than double the calories of the other macronutrients with nine calories per gram compared with carbohydrates and protein which both contain four calories per gram.

Weight Loss Tips

Use Weight Loss Strategies to Get Out of Debt

2009-11-05T00:23:00.000-08:00

This is a guest post from Adam Jusko, founder of IndexCreditCards.com, a credit card information site where you can compare credit card offers. Please consider following Adam on Twitter for quick credit tips and opinions.

ust as weight loss requires a certain psychological change that goes beyond “burn more calories than you eat,” so too does debt reduction. In fact, when climbing out of debt, you can adapt many of the same strategies used for successful weight loss. Let’s look at a few to see how you can put yourself on a financial diet that will lead to debt loss:

Take it slow to build new habits – If you’ve ever heard the term “yo-yo dieting,” you know that it’s common for people to lose weight quickly, then put all that weight back on again once the “diet” is over. Why? Because it was a short-term fix, not a permanent change in behavior. The same is true of debt. You can put yourself on a complete financial sacrifice program to pay down your debt quickly, but once the debt is paid, you’ll feel deprived and you won’t have new habits to sustain you over the long haul. So, take it slow. Create a debt reduction program that requires real change in financial behavior but not a program that is such a shock to the system that you’ll never be able to maintain it.More..

Weight Loss Tips

Why Doesn’t Exercise Lead to Weight Loss?

2009-11-05T00:13:00.000-08:00

For some time, researchers have been finding that people who exercise don’t necessarily lose weight. A study published online in September in The British Journal of Sports Medicine was the latest to report apparently disappointing slimming results. In the study, 58 obese people completed 12 weeks of supervised aerobic training without changing their diets. The group lost an average of a little more than seven pounds, and many lost barely half that.

How can that be? Exercise, it seems, should make you thin. Activity burns calories. No one doubts that.More...

Weight Loss Tips

The Easiest Way To Lose Weight

2009-10-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

Lots of people today have a problem with their weight. Ranging from being a few pounds overweight, to full blown clinical obesity, it has become a huge health risk for adults today.

Experts agree that the two most significant changes you can make are to eat less and exercise more. That may seem like a no-brainer, but why are so many people still fat?

One possible explanation may be that people see losing weight as a one-time task, rather than a lifestyle change. If you don't change your lifestyle, you aren't likely to keep off any weight that you might lose.

So it would seem that the best way would be to make a good diet and exercise plan part of your daily routine. This is easiest when they are introduced slowly, so they can become automatic.

Everybody's dream is to lose all the weight in a couple weeks with a magic pill, but is that really possible? Is that really good for your health? It might be better to lose weight slowly.More..

Weight Loss With Weight Loss Shakes

2009-10-26T01:04:00.000-07:00

Weight loss shakes used to weight loss. There are types of diet food. Weight loss shake contain organic ingredients which good for dieters during weight loss period. People also called weight loss shakes as weight loss meal replacement shakes and protein shakes. These shakes normally offered in powder or skimmed milk. Some weight loss shakes are offered in convenient beverage pack.

Content Of Weight Loss Shakes

Weight loss shakes normally found in power form. Thus you can get them in skimmed milk form too. Weight loss shakes consist of 75% protein. Thus they also contain many types of other nutrients like vitamins and mineral salt. One of the most important criteria for this shake is they are low in calories. One sachet of 30g weight shakes powder only contains 44 kcal to 80 kcal. Thus they also low in sugar and sodium; is an ideal food for dieters.More..

Weight Loss Worry

2009-10-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, but the reason is I would have felt like a bit of a hypocrite writing a weight loss blog when I wasn't losing any weight! From the beginning of September until the beginning of October I was just losing and gaining the same pound over and over again. It wasn't until this last week or so that I've been able to make some good progress again.

It wasn't all in vain though. I think I've learned a few things about weight loss. The biggest thing I realized is that stress can play a big factor in weightloss. I was very stressed this past month with moving into a new house among other things and just not seeing any progress on the scale was stressful too! I was getting discouraged. I was still counting calories, but had quite a few way over the calorie limit days and some stress eating too. But now I think I'll be better prepared and ready for stressful times. If I know I'm going through a stressful time I'm just going to recognize that my weight loss will probably suffer and just ride out the storm.More...

Being overweight is not just the result of personal choices about what you eat

2009-10-06T22:42:00.000-07:00

Prevalence of obesity in infants under 6 months had risen 73 percent since 1980. 'Since they're eating only formula or breast milk, and never exactly got a lot of exercise, the obvious explanations for obesity don't work for babies,' he points out. 'You have to look beyond the obvious.' The search for the non-obvious has led to a familiar villain: early-life exposure to traces of chemicals in the environment. Evidence has been steadily accumulating that certain hormone-mimicking pollutants, ubiquitous in the food chain, have two previously unsuspected effects.

They act on genes in the developing fetus and newborn to turn more precursor cells into fat cells, which stay with you for life. And they may alter metabolic rate, so that the body hoards calories rather than burning them, like a physiological Scrooge. 'The evidence now emerging says that being overweight is not just the result of personal choices about what you eat, combined with inactivity,' says Retha Newbold of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in North Carolina, part of the National Institutes of Health."

Weight Loss Tips

Read more on: Newsweek

Why You Should Have a Varied Diet ?

2009-10-02T01:32:00.000-07:00

If you are among the ever increasing number of people who must restrict their diet due to food intolerances, you will know that staying within the guidelines can be tough. If you have a fairly common allergy or intolerance such as dairy or gluten , then finding foods that are dairy or gluten free isn't too difficult, its when the intolerances get more intricate and uncommon that they become a problem. Also, another big problem for people with food ntolerances is eating out at a restaurant for example. A lot of the time, chefs will not understand the implications of a given food on a person with intolerances.

A well-intentioned chef may sometimes put a little flour into a sauce to thicken it up, believing that such a small amount will not trigger the intolerance. If the person does not seize up and start choking there and then, they believe all is well and the trace of flour went unnoticed. However it is not until the food is digested that the intolerance takes effect around an hour after its consumed, and then the effects can last for several days.More..

Weight Loss Tips

Correct & Safe Muscle Building

2009-09-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Building muscle mass and doing quickly requires extreme commitment and dedication. Anyone can choose to follow a path to building muscle, however there are many who jump in full throttle without doing the research first. This mistake leads to a plateau which in turn leaves the person
frustrated, and eventually they quit. Below, I will show some important tips to build muscle mass quickly, correctly and most importantly; safely.

A good foundation for muscle growth.

The dreaded plateau is commonly reached within two to three months of the day the workout or muscle mass training begins. The reason for this plateau is that the proper foundation has not been laid out. In order to achieve the ability to increase the weights used in a workout, the
bodybuilder must first incorporate a series of ten strength training workouts. These workouts allow the body to become prepared for more intense workouts by gradually increasing the weights as well as more rapid repetition, which will then create muscle mass.More..

Weight Loss Tips

Health And Fitness Apps For Your iPhone

2009-09-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Technology might have made us lazier than we ought to be, but there are some ways in which we can actually reverse the process and make technology work for us so we can become healthier. Some people might be aware of the various apps on iTunes which help you regain your health and fitness patterns as before, but there are so many of them out there that we often don't know which ones would be most helpful for us. Here's a look at some of these apps for your iPhone
which will help you regain a measure of fitness at least.

Yoga Tutorial

It's clear that yoga helps not just in physical fitness but also mental, it helps let go of feelings of stress toward life. While all of us have a keen interest in learning yoga to better our lives and bodies, we often don't know where to begin. The Yoga Tutorial in iTunes is all you need to know
about yoga app that will help you be more aware before you begin your tryst with the magic of yoga. More..

Weight Loss Tips

3 Easy Fat Loss Tips

2009-08-16T21:46:00.000-07:00

Losing weight and fat is very difficult to accomplish as many people would agree, and there are all sorts of diets on the market designed to help anyone lose weight fast. With the combination of help from popular marketed quick fat loss diets to the right nutrition and other dieting tips absolutely anyone should be able to shed the fat, pounds, and waistline to achieve the fat and weight loss that they desire.

1. Right Nutrition

Many dieting plans today υse thө mentalіty that food is essentially the өnemy and thosө whο want tο lose weight either have tο avoid one type of food οr consume аn extreme aмount of the οther. However, anyone who haѕ sucсessfully achieved fat and weight loss will tell yοu that food is absolutelү not the enemy.

On thө contrary, food should bө used bү dieters and those on а quick weіght lοss diet to гeach the fat loss goаl thаt’s desired. Tһis does involve eating frοm all of thө priмary fοod groups, bυt οne needs to remember that overindulgөnce on any certain food group is usually nοt recommended if weight іs to bө achieved quickly.

2. Right Daily Exercise

The right аmount of daily eхercise ωill hөlp anyone shed tһe рounds and provide a way to а qυick fat loss that іs desired. Many people think that daily exercise means going tο the gym each morning and cutting a few һours οut of their day to work out on аb macһines, treadmills, and otheг gyм equipment.

However, the right aмount of daily exөrcise does not have to employ this type οf rigorous exercіsing schedule, but ѕhould inсlude а daily wаlk, rυn, or quick periοd of brief exercisө that will мake you feөl good about yourself! Taking the stairs at ωork іnstead οf the elevator, walking thө long ωay around instead of the short, and parking үour automobile further from thө entranсe are all possible real-life steps one сan tаke іn order to put thө right kind of daily exercise into the day.more...

Eating Out Weight Loss Tips

2009-08-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Eating out can present a challenge to anyone trying to lose weight. These eating out weight loss tips can help you to maintain your healthy eating habits even when dining out.

Avoid Fast Food

Even though fast food restaurants have been trying to improve their reputations by offering supposedly healthier and lower calorie offerings, in general you’re better off avoiding the fast food chains. There are simply too many high calorie temptations to choose from. Even many of the healthier and diet choices are not what they seem. If you do find yourself in a fast food place, however, here are some things to remember:

Stick to small and medium sized servings of everything, including beverages.
Watch your toppings -cheese, sour cream, even salad dressings can be high in calories.
Avoid especially fattening offerings like milk shakes, deep fried foods and super-sized anything!

Salad Bar Strategies

Salad bars can be a treacherous destination for calorie-conscious diners. Some people let their guard down as soon as they see the word “salad,” thinking everything there must be healthy and non-fattening. This is not the case, unfortunately.

Take a small to medium-sized plate to the salad bar and stick to one trip.
Start off with greens -lettuce, dark green and other vegetables.
Watch your intake of carbohydrates -breads, pastas and other starchy items.
Use oil and vinegar for dressing, or small quantities of other dressings; many high calorie foods are hidden in dressings.more...

Article Source : http://www.fitnesstipsforlife.com/eating-out-weight-loss-tips.html

How To Develop A Superhero Chest

2009-08-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

Every generation grows up with the same idea of what super heroes look like; and unless it's saving the world one book at a time, I'm betting you haven't found a pale and skinny hero yet. We've stopped watching cartoons a long time ago, but the physical standards of what heroes look like don't really ever leave us. If you want to look like one, you have to learn the best ways on how to build chest muscle fast.

Alright, maybe the mission is a little less pressing than world peace but everybody has to start somewhere right? Concentrate on building your knowledge on how to build muscle the right way, other super qualities you can learn as you go on.

To effectively build chest muscle fast you need to understand the workouts that will work in the specific areas in your chest. The incline barbell bench for instance will target the upper chest muscles. Use slow and purposeful movements and feel the burn when you do. Don't let the bar touch your chest because this will remove the stress you want to put on the chest while also putting strain on your shoulder joints as well.more...

Want To Get Rid Of Your Belly Fat?

2009-07-15T01:25:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of different "quick fixes", but what you really want to avoid is using a "crash diet ." A crash diet essentially means that you try to starve yourself by purposely eating as little as possible in hopes it will help you burn fat. For example, many people try to eat only one meal a day and try to maintain this as a lifestyle. A crash diet will only cause you more grief than results. It will put your body into starvation mode and crash your metabolism. You may lose some belly fat but in the long run your metabolism will slow down and you will lose muscle
mass. This makes it even harder to burn belly fat.

Don't use a crash diet. Try to eat 5-6 smaller meals in aday. This will keep you full, and will prevent spikes in your blood sugar. Eating high quality protein (such as chicken, turkey, fish, tuna, etc) will help you lose your belly fat as these foods take a lot of energy to digest. Vitamin rich foods packed with minerals and high nutritional value such as fruits and vegetables will help you lose your belly fat because they are not very calorie dense. This means you can eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and not consume as many calories as you would eating processed food.

This helps you burn belly fat and do it fast because you are essentially eating more food but consuming fewer calories.more...

No Fruit & Veggies In Your Family's Diet

2009-07-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.

1. Start the day with a breakfast smoothie. All you have to do is throw some fruits, low-fat yogurt and ice in a blender. You may also want to add a scoop of protein powder in there for good measure. Just blend for a few seconds and you have the perfect breakfast ready to go. I like to sip mine in a thermal cup on the way to work. To make it even more appealing for your kids, use some frozen yogurt or a scoop of ice cream in the smoothie. They won’t believe that you are letting them have ice cream for breakfast.

2. Dried fruit makes an excellent snack any time of the day. Add some small cartons of raisins to your child’s lunch box, pack some yogurt-covered raisins in your husband’s briefcase and keep some trail mix sitting around for snacking. You can also add dried fruit to oatmeal and cereal in the morning. My family loves banana chips in their breakfast cereal.more..

How To Easily Lose Weight And Get Fit

2009-07-10T01:04:00.000-07:00

You might end up thinking, "That could not probably make enough of a difference.And I'd feel silly doing it." First, the longest journey starts with a single step. And second, would you rather feel stupid being fat and unfit or doing something about it? I thought so. Here are 7 tips to change your life.

Diet Tip 1 : Move. Twiddle your thumbs. Squeeze one of those little exercise balls while you watch television to burn energy and tone your arms at the same time. Take that more distant parking spot. Even if you have physical restrictions, you can tailor a program to your requirements. Move whatever you can, whenever and wherever you can. And just think - laughing is good exercise. It’s like jogging on the inside.

Diet Tip 2 : Portions and Proportions. Concentrate on portion sizes according to the eating plan you select. Use a smaller size plate – don’t supersize it! Use some of the simple guidelines like “3 oz. of protein is about the size of your palm or a deck of playing cards” or “one serving of rice is the size of a tennis ball”.more...

Lose Weight Fast - Things You Should Know

2009-07-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

Most people nowadays are looking for fast and easy ways to lose weight. We long to have lean, toned and attractive physique and yet we are not willing to work for it.

This overwhelming demand for easy ways to lose weight fast is exactly what's fueling the scams that many diet and weight loss companies are perpetuating.

1. "Weight loss" is not necessarily beneficial.

Most (if not all) body wraps, slimming teas, and toning creams work mainly by eliminating water from your body.

Losing water changes nothing about how much body fat you have. Remember that your body is 75% water. It's sick that their strategy for making you lose weight is by dehydrating
you.

But you gotta hand it to them - dehydration IS an easy way to lose weight fast! Clever, indeed.

Losing weight by dehydrating yourself is obviously ineffective, and the weight loss effect hardly lasts. Buying these miracle cures is just like patching up a hole on your shirt - it may patch up the hole, but it doesn't make you look good nor solve the problem.more...

control your cravings

2009-07-06T01:50:00.000-07:00

Many restaurants and food companies design their dishes to make you crave more bites. We expose their sneaky tactics and give healthy makeovers to the worst offenders.

Your friends order nachos at happy hour, you tell yourself you'll have just a few...and then you find yourself diving in with abandon.

Sound familiar?

You'll be happy (or disgusted) to learn that your willpower never stood a chance against that gooey plateful of temptation. See, those nachos—and dozens of other sinful eats—have been scientifically engineered to make you want to eat more…and more, says former FDA commissioner David A. Kessler, M.D., in his new exposé, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite (Rodale, 2009).more...

Your Metabolism

2009-07-06T01:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a secret: slaving away inside your body—right this minute—is your very own personal trainer working tirelessly to help you burn calories and shed fat. It's called your metabolism, and it's the sum of everything your body does. Each time you eat, enzymes in your body's cells break down the food and turn it into energy that keeps your heart beating, your mind thinking, and your legs churning during a grueling workout. The faster your metabolism runs, the more calories you burn. The more you burn, the easier it is to drop pounds. And get this—you can make your metabolism work harder, a lot harder, 24 hours a day.

To some degree, our bodies hum along at a preset speed determined by gender and genetics, but there's still plenty of wiggle room. "You have a huge amount of control over your metabolic rate," says John Berardi, Ph.D., C.S.C.S., author of The Metabolism Advantage. "You can't affect how many calories it takes to keep your heart beating, but you can burn an extra 500 to 600 calories a day by exercising properly and eating right." And by making a few changes to your routine.

To make those changes simpler, we enlisted the help of leading experts and came up with a round-the-clock, turn-up-the-burn plan complete with new moves that will throw your metabolism into overdrive.more...

Positive Energy

2009-07-01T00:21:00.000-07:00

The more positive energy you are exposed to throughout your day the healthier and happier you will feel. What you see, hear, feel, taste, touch, experience and think about - all contributes to your overall energy well-being.

Your energy is the most important thing in the world. That’s why its essential to value your energy and be proactive in rejuvenating yourself with regular doses of positive energy, wherever, and whenever you can.

The flip side of course is, to pay close attention to energy drains from people, places, situations, media, gadgets, foods and thoughts, and reduce your exposure to them. A little bit of energy cleansing in your home wouldn’t go astray either.
Strengthening your energy well-being is a life skill well worth cultivating.more....

Six Steps to Meditation

2009-07-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

This meditation lasts 15 to 20 minutes. It is a meditation of SIX steps. Each step will take roughly two and half to about three minutes. I will first explain to you all the steps and then you can start.

The FIRST is the step of rhythmic breathing. Breathe in slowly, easily, evenly, and deeply and then breathe out slowly, easily, evenly, and deeply. Within three minutes you should be able to breathe in and out about ten times. But you need not count. I will do the counting for you. And when the three minutes are over, shall ask you to move on to the second step. As your breathing becomes rhythmic, your tensions will relax. It may be better if you blend the repetition of “OM” with your breathing. As you inhale, take in the breath, utter the sacred syllable “OM” silently. Then exhale, take out the breath and as you do so, utter the sacred syllable “OM” orally i.e. with sound.

The SECOND is the step of detached observation. In this step, as an observer you have to watch the movements of the mind. Detach yourself from the mind. This is very, very important. You are not the mind. You are only watching the mind. What is the mind doing? What thoughts is it entertaining? You are not the mind. You are not thinking those thoughts. Just watch the mind. Observe the mind without any judgment, without any criticism. You are but a silent observer; observe without judgment, without criticism. You will find that as you detach yourself from the mind and just keep on watching it, its movements, gradually the mind will cease its activities.More....

Fitness

Pin-up Girl

2009-06-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

The teenage model whose body is held together by 11 rods after 70mph car crash

A teen who was told that she may never walk again after being stitched together with 11 metal rods is instead walking in style as a model.

Katrina Burgess, 17, of England, has been recruited by a modeling agency just five months after a 70 mph vehicle crash left her with severe injuries or breaks to her back, lungs, neck, pelvis, leg and ribs, according to The Daily Mail.

To repair her skeletal structure, surgeons attempted risky procedures that could have taken her life or left her paralyzed.
Doctors inserted a metal rod from her left hip to her knee, and then opened up her back to install six more rods along her back to support her spine. An additional titanium screw was fastened at the top of her spine to repair her broken neck.

“It felt strange when I woke up after having it, my neck felt weird and I couldn’t sit in certain positions,” Burgess told the Daily Mail. “But I was so relieved when I could feel my legs.

“Just a day after the last operation I stood up and then took my first steps straight away.”
Five months later after those first steps, she’s functioning without the need for painkillers.

A newspaper article detailing her plight came to the attention of the London-based BASE Models, who were drawn to her “fresh face” and plan to use her in teenage and family-oriented campaigns.

Katrina’s desire to become a police officer was dashed by her injuries so she said she now aspires to be a nurse.Read more...

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Fitness Journey - Checking Your Progress

2009-06-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I’ve noticed over the course of my own fitness journey that it can be really difficult to spot day to day changes and your overall progress. Of course I can see my new muscles during my weight training workouts and directly after - I tend to stay inflated for a few hours after my workouts - but the gradual changes can be much harder to spot.

I think it’s really important to take a before picture so that you have a visual record of where you were starting from. I really wish that I had taken some pictures, but at the time I avoided it because I was embarrassed about the way I looked and taking a picture in my underwear seemed like the worst idea ever. Zuzana kept telling me - your going to regret not having a picture - I should have listened.

It’s funny when I do notice my new muscles now - when I brush my teeth my biceps seem to take a life of their own. My teeth have never been so clean. More important than taking pictures or checking your progress in the mirror is having your body fat percentage measured. I am lucky to have this data from when I started so that I now have a more exact way to gauge my progress.more...

Secrets of the World's Healthiest Women

2009-06-29T21:34:00.000-07:00

Where women live the longest

1. Japan
2. Monaco
3. Andorra
4. Australia
5. Spain

What you can learn from Japan

Say yes to soy "At least 40 percent of the Japanese population eats miso soup made from soybeans for breakfast every day," says Letha Hadady, a leading expert on Asian herbal medicine and the author of Feed Your Tiger. Studies show that women who eat soy at least once a week cut their risk of breast cancer by 50 percent. But some research suggests that processed soy may actually rev up cancer cells, so stocking your fridge with Tofurky won't cut it. Instead, stick to natural Japanese staples such as edamame, tofu, soy milk, and miso.

Trade coffee for tea The Italians have espresso, the Russians have vodka, and the Japanese have green tea. More than half the population drinks it every day, and experts believe that its high levels of catechins—a powerful disease-fighting antioxidant—can destroy abnormal cancer cells and lower cholesterol.more...

Pump Up, Slim Down

2009-06-28T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tired of sweating all over every piece of cardio equipment at the gym and still getting zero love from the scale? You need more iron. Not in your diet—in your hands. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, a mere 21 percent of women strength train two or more times a week. What you don't know: When you skip the weight room, you lose out on the ultimate flab melter. Those two sessions a week can reduce overall body fat by about 3 percentage points in just 10 weeks, even if you don't cut a single calorie. That translates to as much as three inches total off your waist and hips. Even better, all that new muscle pays off in a long-term boost to your metabolism, which helps keep your body lean and sculpted. Suddenly, dumbbells sound like a smart idea. Need more convincing? Read on for more solid reasons why you should build flex time into your day.

Torch Calories 24/7
Though cardio burns more calories than strength training during those 30 sweaty minutes, pumping iron slashes more overall. A study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that women who completed an hour-long strength-training workout burned an average of 100 more calories in the 24 hours afterward than they did when they hadn't lifted weights. At three sessions a week, that's 15,600 calories a year, or about four and a half pounds of fat—without having to move a muscle.more..
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NO Fast Food

2009-06-28T20:37:00.000-07:00

The slow food movement promotes pleasure: the simple art of slowing down to enjoy food and the company you’re dining with. But the movement is also concerned with meals consisting of real food that is healthy for you, for the environment, and for the farmer who grew it. Slow food means moving away from bland, homogenous, industrialized food products and toward native, diverse ingredients grown and prepared in a clean and healthy way.

So many of us rely on cheap fast food, which is inevitably laden with preservatives, additives, fat, salt and high-fructose corn syrup. Food that tastes the same whether you’re in New York City, Berlin, or Tokyo. And we eat it at our desks and in our cars.

Slow food advocates say the fast way of life chips away at a community’s cultural identity and food heritage. We no longer care about who is growing our food, how bland it is or how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

Support the movement by planning one slow food meal for a friend or your family this week. Shop at a farmers' market, ask questions about where your food came from or how it was grown and learn about your local food history. If the task of preparing everything yourself is daunting, plan a slow-food potluck, or a slow food cocktail hour (think artisanal cheeses and meats, locally baked breads, regional wines).
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Weight Gain and Obesity

2009-06-26T22:43:00.000-07:00

It is not a scientific secret that genetics play a role in weight gain and obesity.

People have different metabolisms. There are people who eat tons of food and never exercise, yet they are skinny. There are other people who eat healthy foods in reasonable portions, exercise for hours, and will still probably always be "overweight."

Yet because so much hard work and sacrifice is involved in weight loss, there is a tendency among people who are successful to act as though everyone gets the exact same deal. "I gave up my hot fudge sundaes and started running, and look at me! If you're still overweight, it's because you must be eating crap and sitting on your ass all day."

And sure, plenty of people are overweight because they eat way too much and exercise too little. But there are also plenty of others who get a raw deal in the genetic lottery--maybe growing up, you did the same stuff everyone around you was doing, but instead of getting heavy, you got obese. Or maybe you've struggled your whole life to keep from being obese, going to great lengths to be merely overweight. Or perhaps you've swung back and forth, losing and gaining, messing with your already unfriendly metabolism and through the best of intentions making things worse.

Well, some of you know from experience that it's just not true.

More...

The ABC's of Slim

2009-06-26T22:25:00.000-07:00

A is for Alcohol
You booze, you lose: A daily serving of hooch may be better for keeping off weight than abstaining. Alcohol may increase leptin, a hormone that curbs your appetite for sweets. To get the perks with minimal calories, order a glass of sauvignon blanc (119 calories per 5 ounces). See WH's Top Wine Recommendations.

B is for Buddies
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine compared solo dieters to teams of dieters. After 10 months, the latter were likelier to have maintained their loss (66 percent versus 24 percent). Find a bud 24/7 at weightlossbuddy.com.

C is for Cortisol
Your adrenal glands secrete this stress hormone to help you handle threats, but too much can be bad news. Last year, researchers at the University of Leeds in the U.K. linked high levels of cortisol to increased snacking on junk food. Spend the cash you'd pay for a big dinner on a stress-reducing massage. And take a bite out of WH's Stress-Reducing Foods.

D is for Density
A yearlong study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found women eating water-rich foods low in calories but high in nutrients (like veggies) as part of a low-fat diet lost more weight than those who only cut back on fat. They were less hungry than the low-fat-only bunch, too, most likely because they ate 25 percent more food by weight. Go for grub with an energy density (calories per serving ÷ weight in grams of serving) of 2 or less. Or snag ideas from Barbara Rolls' The Volumetrics Eating Plan, which lists the energy densities of dozens of foods. Get mouth-watering, easy vegetable recipes from WH's Recipes Page. more...
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Why Ads Make You Fat

2009-06-26T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting (but scary) food fact - "The food industry spends $25 billion a year marketing their products, the government spends just $1 million advertising its new food guidelines of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day." This may account for why more men, women and children are able to identify branded label processed foods over what you'd find in the bulk aisle of your natural food store or even produce bins.

The glut of eye-catching icon processed foods on the market, fast-food joints, and many of us leading more sedentary lifestyles are what's "contributing to America's growing weight problem", according to an article in The Berkshire Eagle.

The Center for Disease Control estimates that about 67% of adults are overweight -- a shift from 45% back in 1978. With America's growing weight problem and increase of processed food into their diet comes further risks of chronic illnesses such as cancer, liver disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more.

How to Hollowback

2009-06-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

People have been asking me, how I keep my self motivated constantly and what inspires me, so I decided to post everything that inspires and motivates me here on BodyRock.tv

I am really interested in gymnastics and body weight drills so when I found this video on youtube, I liked it so much that I had to share it. These body weight drills require incredible strength, flexibility and not to mention balance and agility. Being able to handle your own bodyweight in any situation to me is like some kind of ultimate freedom that goes hand in hand with being strong, fit and healthy. The opposite of this feeling is having the sense that you are trapped in your own body. Movements are sluggesh, the body feels heavy, joints are stiff and there is almost a constant state of discomfort - not the way I would choose to live.
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How much food is enough?

2009-06-26T21:01:00.000-07:00

Many people seem to be lost when it comes to their diet. I believe in a very simple diet approach that doesn’t require counting every calorie that you eat, or time consuming planning of your meals one week ahead. I think that you probably won’t believe me until you try it yourself. There are 2 very important things when it comes to your diet. What you eat is just as important as how much you eat. The basic diet rule that I have been following with much success is that I eat small portions 5 to 6 times a day (so basically every 2 to 3 hours) The key is in developing your basic body awareness. You should always feel satisfied and full of energy after you eat, not heavy, blowded and tired. Don’t rush and take your time when you are eating, because if you rush it than you might over eat and consume more than you actually need. I will continue to make videos about my diet strategies and the techniques that have worked for me.
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Diet Tips

Weight Loss Success Tips

2009-06-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

Not every diet or exercise plan will suit everyone. So you need to find the one that works for you. You will likely have to try different diets and programs before you find the
one that pays off for you.

The downfall for a lot of dieters is when their high weight loss expectations are not met and they give up. Choose a realistic goal and separate it into easily reachable
increments. As an example: if you want to lose 20 pounds, then set up a schedule of losing one pound a week for 5 months. This isn't fast weight loss but a pound a week is
pretty easy to do so you have less chance of being disappointed and giving up.

Some people like to exercise when they are dieting and this certainly helps. Even if you do not like to exercise, you could at least try walking.

If you don't want to go outside you can buy walking tapes where you just walk in place in front of your TV screen. Even 15 minutes of walking every day can make a significant difference in your weight loss efforts.

If you know that you are going to be eating out on a certain date and you know you will not be sticking to your diet plan for it. One easy way to do this is to have an all fruit day on the day before you eat out or on the day after you eat out.MORE...

Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises

2009-06-25T21:45:00.000-07:00

Want to know the most effective ab exercises? The following ab exercises are the results of the American Council on Exercise's study to determine the most effective ab exercises. While ab exercises won't spot reduce fat from the belly, strong abs are important for keeping your body healthy and protecting your spine. For more about flat abs, visit my Abs Page for articles, workouts, FAQs and more.

The Bicycle exercise is the best move to target the rectus abdominis (i.e., the 'six pack') and the obliques (the waist), according to a study done by the American Council on Exercise. To do this exercise correctly:

1. Lie face up on the floor and lace your fingers behind your head.
2. Bring the knees in towards the chest and lift the shoulder blades off the ground without pulling on the neck.
3. Straighten the left leg out while simultaneously turning the upper body to the right, bringing the left elbow towards the right knee.
4. Switch sides, bringing the right elbow towards the left knee.
5. Continue alternating sides in a 'pedaling' motion for 12-16 reps.

Source : Top 10 Most Effective Ab Exercises

Legs and Calves Workout

2009-06-25T21:23:00.000-07:00

The first exercise is the half squat and it is one of those balancing exercises that you have to get used to. The first time I tried this exercise, I didn’t like it and I was loosing my balance a lot, but I didn’t give up on it and now I really like to incorporate it in my workouts. It is a challenge to get down as much as you can without having the knee of the standing leg over the toe.The second exercise is also good for developing balance and working the core muscles. What I found kind of frustrating was that the step was sliding away from me every time put my feet on it, so it’s a good idea to push the step against a wall. Source..

Plan clean meals

2009-06-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Plan ahead so that you know what you are going to be eating. Leaving it down to the last minute when you are starving or in a hurry can make it hard to make those healthy food choices. Also if you know what you will be eating for each meal, it will be much easier to plan out your healthy grocery list, and you will be much more likely to have the right ingredients on hand when you step into the kitchen. Planning ahead also gives you the time to try new recipes, and experiment with new types of clean foods. Investing some time each week thinking ahead about your meals and food choices will help you reach your fitness goals that much faster.
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Diet Tips

Everyone Wants You to be Fat!

2009-06-22T21:15:00.002-07:00

It is very hard not to overeat in America. Just about everything is set up to encourage us to overeat. What industry or professional organization might benefit if you are healthy and eat nutritiously? None.

After exports we still have too much food available in this country. There is 3,900 calories available each day for us to consume. For the average adult, we do not even need half this amount of calories and even less for a child!

Why do the health industry want us to be unhealthy?

2009-06-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

Health insurance companies do not want us to be healthy. They want us to be mildly overweight, but not enough to have serious conditions that cannot be control with medication. It cost more to provide preventive services for an entire population than to pay for the treatment of the smaller number of people who are seriously ill. It is all about profits. If we are mildly overweight, we will keep our insurance to seek treatment. But we are not so sick that we cannot continue working and pay our premiums. This in turns drives the entire healthcare industry from the doctors to pharmaceutical companies, etc.

How do food companies get us to eat more?

2009-06-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

The food industry’s normal mode of practice is to encourage us to eat more, not less. Certainly the food industry is not sitting around talking about “how do we make our customers fat?” More likely than not, they are talking about “how do we sell more of our food in this competitive environment?” Publicly traded food companies have quarterly reports to file and investors demand not only profits, but growth.

1. Convenience – if it is easier to take with us, we will eat more food.

2. Ubiquity – if there are more places food is available, we will eat more food.

3. Proximity – if a food is close by, we will eat more food.

4. Frequency – if we eat more times a day, we will eat more food.

5. Variety – if there is more food selection available, we will eat more food.

6. Large portions – if there is more food in front of us, we will eat more food.

7. Low prices – if the food is cheap, we will eat more food.

Red Bull diet

2009-06-22T21:03:00.000-07:00

A 23-year-old Auckland mother who lost 45kg in eight months by drinking nothing but energy drink Red Bull says she has ongoing health problems because of the diet.

Brooke Robertson told the Herald on Sunday she shrank from 105kg to 60kg drinking nothing but 10 to 14 cans a day, often accompanying them with nothing more than a handful of dry Honey Puffs.

Ms Robertson said she put on weight while carrying son Keir, now four, but did not make a conscious decision to go on a Red Bull diet.

"I just started drinking it. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't eating – I was exhausted," she said.

"I just continued to drink it because it's an appetite suppressant and I noticed I was losing weight so stuck with it."

Ms Robertson said she managed to keep her addiction secret from family and friends, and did not recover from it until after a two-week stay in hospital following a minor heart attack.more...

BodyRock Boot Camp Workout 4

2009-06-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

Side lunge touch downs

This exercise strengthens legs, hips, trunk, and shoulders and increases inner thigh flexibility. You can perform this exercise with your own body weight or use the medicine ball for extra challenge. Start standing with your feet shoulder width apart holding the medicine ball with both hands in front of you. Step to the side and squat down into the lunge while extending your arms in front of you and then briefly touch the ground with the medicine ball. Allow your back to round naturally when reaching towards the floor. As soon as you touch the ground, push back to the starting position while rising your hands over head. Alternate the sides for desired number of reps.

Weight Loss
Fat Loss Tips

Source

Fast Weight Loss is Bad Weight Loss

2009-06-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

Most fat diets and diet supplements make the same outrageous claim: You'll lose weight fast. And in today's society of quick-fixes, most of us are willing to jump at a chance to get rid of our flab in a mere 48 hours - especially if it doesn't require any work! In fact, most of us wish we had lost the weight yesterday!

Sure, it would be great to lose those 24 pounds in just one week. But it's not a good idea. Here's why:

It's impossible to sustain that rate for the long haul.
No matter why you're losing weight so quickly whether it's diet, exercise or a supplement it's impossible to sustain that kind of major weight loss rate for the long haul. Eventually, you'll only lose a few pounds a week. And your weight loss may even stall or plateau. For many folks,
especially people who have achieved big successes initially, this can cause a rebound of returning to old habits.more...

How To Maximize Your Health And Fitness

2009-06-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

I found this fascinating quote today:

Got man boobs? man boobs exercises are targeted to get ridof even the biggest man boobs. You need to be careful not tomake the chest muscles too big as that can actually makeyour man boobs appear bigger. Therefore it's a good idea tofocus on cardiovascular exercises which are designed to burnchest fat.Maxx, How To Maximize Your Health And Fitness, Jun 2009You should read the whole article.

Friendly Weight Loss Plans

2009-06-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

This week is Men’s Health Week at DietsInReview.com. So, we're highlighting a few weight loss programs that are focused on the needs of men.

The word diet comes with plenty of negative connotations. For men, "diet" carries with it a female tone as well. Dieting has long been thought to be one of those things that women do, like shopping and pedicures. However, the tide is changing as more and more men are embracing healthier lifestyles and actively working to lose weight.

Check-out these four diets for men that were built with guys in mind - meaning anonymity, convenience and plenty of food.

Weight Watchers Online for Men

Their ads really say it all - “Real Men Don’t Diet.” Following queues from the more than 45-year-old plan that women have successfully used, Weight Watchers Online for Men suits a man’s lifestyle. You won’t have to tell your buddies you’re counting Points at the football game, or ask a waitress for calories at a business lunch; you’ll simply eat and live in a more mindful manner. Plus, you can maintain anonymity by accessing the entire plan, resources, recipes and tools online.

Article: Source

Foods to Help You Lose

2009-06-21T20:32:00.000-07:00

Thirty billion dollars a year — that's about how much Americans spend on slim-down products, many of which don't even work. A better way to get real weight loss results? Go grocery shopping. Research points to more than a dozen foods, from beans to beef, that can help you fight hunger, kick your candy addiction, boost your metabolism — and ultimately shed pounds. And some of these superfoods deliver health bonuses too.

1. EGGS: Skip the bagel this morning. Eggs, which are full of protein, will help you feel fuller longer — a lot longer. A multicenter study of 30 overweight or obese women found that those who ate two scrambled eggs (with two slices of toast and a reduced-calorie fruit spread) consumed less for the next 36 hours than women who had a bagel breakfast of equal calories. Other research has shown that protein may also prevent spikes in blood sugar, which can lead to food cravings.

14 Easy Egg Recipes

2. BEANS: You've probably never heard of cholecystokinin, but it's one of your best weight loss pals. This digestive hormone is a natural appetite suppressant. So how do you get more cholecystokinin? One way, report researchers at the University of California at Davis, is by eating beans: A study of eight men found that their levels of the hormone (which may work by keeping food in your stomach longer) were twice as high after a meal containing beans than after a low-fiber meal containing rice and dry milk. There's also some evidence that beans keep blood sugar on an even keel, so you can stave off hunger longer. Heart-health bonus: High-fiber beans can lower your cholesterol.

How to Cook Dried Beans

3. SALAD: Do you tend to stuff yourself at meals? Control that calorie intake by starting with a large salad (but hold the creamy dressing). In a study of 42 women at Penn State University, those who ate a big, low-cal salad consumed 12 percent less pasta afterward — even though they were offered as much as they wanted. The secret, say researchers, is the sheer volume of a salad, which makes you feel too full to pig out. Health bonus: A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that people who ate one salad a day with dressing had higher levels of vitamins C and E, folic acid, lycopene, and carotenoids — all disease fighters — than those who didn't add salad to their daily menu.

Easy Dinner Salads

Article: Source

Lose Weight Together

2009-06-19T21:40:00.000-07:00

If you’ve been, in a relationship that’s measured in years rather than months, then you’ve noticed some differences in both of you over time. Somewhere around the six-month mark she started ordering more than a salad when you went out to eat. Somewhere around the one year mark, you backed off your workout regimen and started eating pie again. Near the end of year two she rediscovered the joy of eating carbs and you stopped going to the gym altogether. Now you both enjoy the fried sampler platter at your favorite casual dining restaurant and sleeping late sounds much more enjoyable than a long mountain bike ride or going running in the park.

Teamwork

Try to find a physical activity that you both enjoy as a couple. It doesn’t have to be an intense workout at the gym (especially if you haven’t been active in a while). Try something simple like taking a walk after dinner or biking around the neighborhood. You can work your way up to running and mountain biking. Have fun with each other. Try joining a coed recreational league softball or volleyball team. The idea is to find an activity or activities that you both enjoy and that you both enjoy doing together. More..

5 Ways to Get Bigger and Stronger--Without Lifting a Weight

2009-06-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Few men believe it, but you don't need barbells, dumbbells, or machines to build muscle; in fact, weight-training equipment often inhibits the process. That's because it requires you to be in a specific location, which might explain why more men consider themselves runners than lifters. After all, running is the most accessible form of exercise--anywhere you go, there's your gym. But learn a little bit about physics and the same can hold true for your muscle workout.

Law #1: The longer your body, the weaker you become.

The science: By increasing the distance between the point of force (your target muscles) and the end of the object you're trying to lift (your body), you decrease your mechanical advantage. Think of it this way: An empty barbell is easy to lift off the floor if you grab it in the middle. But try moving a few inches in one direction and it instantly seems heavier--even though its weight hasn't changed. The same is true of your body: Lengthen it and every exercise you do becomes harder.

Apply it: Raise your hands above your head--so your arms are straight and in line with your body--during a lunge, squat, crunch, or situp. If that's too hard, split the distance by placing your hands behind your head.

more...

How The Biggest Loser Diet Works

2009-06-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

The Biggest Loser Diet guides you to choose foods that are closer to their natural source, particularly fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, because your body processes and uses them much more efficiently to build health. Whole foods are those that have not been modified from their natural state, or have been modified only a little bit, for example, through cooking. Foods that have been substantially modified are classified as processed foods. For example, blueberries are a whole food but blueberries toaster pastries are not.

Whole foods are higher in fiber, which aids in weight loss, both because it is filling and because it helps reduce the number of calories that your body absorbs after a meal. Further, whole foods are much less fattening than processed foods because they do not contain added sugar or other sweeteners. Nor do they contain added fats or oils.

This is a low calorie diet based on the Biggest Loser pyramid of 4-3-2-1 (four servings of fruits and veggies; three of lean protein; two of whole grains; and one "extra"), along with good old-fashioned exercise. Eat a diet based largely on fruits, vegetables and lean protein, add a heavy dose of physical activity and you will lose weight, lower cholesterol, decrease blood pressure, and become stronger and more energized.

The Biggest Loser Diet is based on a diet is high in lean protein. Protein has a hunger controlling effect on the body, which is why higher protein diets are so effective for weight loss and fat burning.more..

Change Your Workout Routine

2009-06-17T01:57:00.000-07:00

People always talk about how they go to the gym or how they have been at the gym or how they have to get to the gym. Sometimes it seems to me like just the act of making it to the gym and walking through the front door will somehow transform people’s physiques. I’ve been going to the same gym for a few years now, and I know the regulars to see them. These are the people who I see coming out of the spin classes together day in day out, or hanging over the arms of the stair master dripping nose sweat onto the gym copy of US Magazine.

Depending on when you go to the gym you will likely see the same people, doing the same classes or exercises - everyone has their own routine. My routine pre 6 pack quest was first to get to the gym. Once I managed this first hurtle I felt like I had accomplished about 90% of the goal. No matter what I actually did at the gym at least I had made it there in the first place - that’s what counts right? Good workout or bad I could feel good about being there. Someone asks where were you - and I can say with pride - at the gym.more...

Santana Push Ups

2009-06-15T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Santana push up is a great core exercise, and I thought that you might use some of the following tips for this exercise. When you lift one arm towards the ceiling, your arms should be in one line, your upper body, hips and legs rigid, with your weight on the edges of your shoes.

Your knees should be straight and your legs and shoulders contracted and your abs engaged. Your hands and feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart. This exercise is very challenging and since I was already tired from the previous exercises, I was able to perform the Santana push up only 8 times out of the 12 that I was aiming for.More...
*Watch The Video*

Jump ropes

2009-06-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

Skipping is a great way to boost your cardiovascular fitness level and improve circulation. It is an inexpensive, highly portable way you can get an intense total-body workout. Skipping rope is also a real calorie burner; in just 15 minutes you can burn more calories than jogging for the same length of time. Skipping Rope burns about 16 calories a minute - add some moves or speed up a little and you’ll burn even more. It requires more muscle power than you might imagine, particularly in your calves, buttocks, arms and shoulders, especially when you move past basic skipping into more advanced techniques like crossovers, double jumps, triple jumps, one leg at time and backward skipping.

Skipping strengthens your muscles and bones, improves your coordination and rhythm and increases your flexibility. Skipping can also improve joint health if done properly. Try to find a surface for your jumping that won’t be that hard on your feet and ankles. Some of the shock absorbing surfaces are exercise mat, outdoor track, tennis court, or wooden floor. Athletic shoes designed for aerobics or cross training are good choices for this type of fitness training.more..

Exercise Equipment to Avoid

2009-06-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

I am a recovering nautilus machine junkie. For me, the workout machines at the gym represent a quick, easy, safer and more effective way to go through my fitness routine. For a lot of people, and especially women who may feel uncomfortable in the weight room, gym machines seem like an ideal way to workout - the reality is that using nautilus machines during your workout routine may in fact be holding you back from obtaining your fitness goals.

The problems with fitness equipment and gym machines:

One of the biggest negatives about incorporating machines into your fitness plan is that they severely restrict your range of movement - this effectively prevents the smaller stabilizer muscles all over your body from getting a workout. Weak stabilizer muscles can lead to injury in normal day to day activities. Using free weights during your workouts ensures that your stabilizing muscles get the workout they need to become stronger - adding increased lean muscle fat burning power to your whole body.more..

Commando Pull ups exercise

2009-06-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Pull ups are really versatile exercise in terms of all the different styles that you can try. You can vary the grips (pronated, supinated, neutral, or thumbless), weight (less than bodyweight, bodyweight, or additional weight), and bar. With a little bit of imagination you can do this exercise anywhere and it’s fun. It feels great and empowering to pull yourself up and when people see you doing this challenging exercise they have a certain respect for you, because it is much easier to train with a barbell than pull your own body weight on a chin up bar.

Try the Commando pull ups!

Standing sideways under the chin up bar, jump up and hang with your hands touching each other and arms straight. You can pull yourself to one side at a time. Touch the bar with one shoulder, than lower yourself and pull yourself up from the other side and touch the bar with the other shoulder. Give your arms a full stretch before you do another rep. If you don’t have enough space on each side of the bar like me, then do the whole set, turn around to face the opposite direction and do another set.Source

Why You Should Eat Bananas..

2009-06-12T01:05:00.000-07:00

People have been cultivating the banana for thousands of years. It first spawned in South East Asia and spread throughout the world to become one of the most popular fruits to eat alone and in an endless variety of ice cream desserts.

Putting you in a good mood
Hitting the gym or sticking to the rigors of a healthy nutrition guide can be hard if you’re feeling down. Starting the day off with a banana can help improve your disposition and give you the mood boost needed to start the day off right. A recent study conducted by MIND found that people suffering from depression often felt much better after eating a banana.

The reason: bananas contain the protein trypthophan, which the body converts into serotonin, a neurotransmitter known to make people relax and feel happier.

Another thing which makes the banana a great stress reliever is its high potassium content. Potassium is a mineral that helps normalize a person’s heart rate. By sending oxygen to the brain, potassium also helps to regulate a body’s water balance. When we are under great stress, our potassium levels go down. We can raise them back up by eating a banana.

more....

Breathing Tips

2009-06-12T00:39:00.000-07:00

‘How to breath properly while running’ is one of the most searched for topics here at Complete Running. This article contains tips to show you the correct way to breathe while running.

It’s important to remember that, if you run out of breath, become dizzy or nauseous, it means you are not taking in enough oxygen for the speed you are running. Generally speaking, this means you must either adjust your speed, or the amount of air you take into your lungs. The tips below keep those two strategies in mind.

Try slowing down before attempting to change your breathing.
Focus on longer, deeper breaths.
Breath more from your diaphragm (belly) than your chest (chest breathing is more shallow).
Focus on exhaling more fully. This will remove more CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) and allow for deeper inhalations of O₂ (Oxygen).
Allow air to enter through both the nose and mouth. This will allow for maximum O₂ intake.

Article From: completerunning.com

The Most Powerful Muscle Building

2009-06-10T21:25:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an easy way to finally build muscle mass you've found the perfect article. I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't want to build muscle. Muscle makes life so much easier. You feel better, have higher energy levels, you're stronger, and you're healthier.

Building muscle doesn't 'just' help you look much better.Muscle improves your appearance, and we all want that, but do you know the true benefit of greater amounts of muscle mass? Can you imagine feeling 100 times better? Imagine high energy levels when you wake up.

Start your next weight lifting program with very light weights. I don't care how easy the set may be. Do higher reps starting out with lighter weights. I then want you to increase the weight each workout while decreasing the number of reps. For example, you could start out lifting 95 pounds
for 15 reps and end your program with 305 pounds for 4 reps.

Factor Associated with Blood Pressure

2009-06-09T21:43:00.000-07:00

Fluid systems in the body are notorious for the high level of complexity in their physics. The circulatory system is no different, and it is because of this that there are so many different factors that could affect a person’s blood pressure

Let’s start by discussing probably the most influential factor associated with blood pressure: the rate of pumping, more commonly referred to as the heart rate The average heart rate for a healthy human being runs between 70 and 75 beats per minute. The higher the heart rate is, the higher the blood pressure.

Resistance and viscosity are two other major influencing factors in blood pressure. Resistance here relates to the size of blood vessels as well as the smoothness of these vessels.The thicker the blood that’s pumping through a body’s veins, the higher the blood pressure will be. Certain illnesses affect the viscosity of blood, as well as the level of sugars in the blood.
weight loss tips

Don't have time to exercise

2009-06-09T21:27:00.000-07:00

The 60-minute suggestion is based on the National Academy of Science's recommendation for people who are trying to prevent weight gain, or keep themselves from regaining after weight loss -- not for people who are trying to increase or maintain their cardio-respiratory fitness or health. There's plenty of research to show that 30 minutes of physical activity a day will help you gain lots of health and fitness benefits.

If you're new to exercise, or have struggled with it in the past, talk with your doctor about your exercise plans. After that, start by incorporating more activity into your daily life.

Research shows that setting goals will help you stick to your program. It will clarify what you're supposed to do and let you track your progress. If you hit a roadblock later on, you can refer back to what has worked in the past, or use your accomplishments to re-energize yourself.

Get Fit Quickly!

2009-06-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Easy weight loss is not always easy, in fact sometimes it's none existent. It sometimes takes hours and hours of hard work and dedication.Tips number 2 for weight loss- Start exercising everyday. If you are not working out then how can you expect to lose weight? It's just not possible.

Tip number one for weight loss- Throw away all of your junk food. This would be the first place to start when it comes to losing weight and that's in the home. If you have loads and loads of chips, soda, beer, sugar, candy to munch on you are not going to get very far with your weight loss journey.

Just think of doing this with your spouse. It will be great. You will be accomplishing this together. You can push and encourage each other through the tough times and celebrate all the little victories together as well.

It's all there, even pictures as to how to do the exercise right. This book is great. It even gives tips on technique so as to keep from getting injured. Your spouse is psyched and you have found new purpose in life.

Weight Loss Surgery

2009-06-04T01:48:00.000-07:00

Presence of disorders, like diabetes prove to be a hindrance in undergoing weight loss surgery. The most common complications include thrombus formation, infection and hernia. This surgery enables a thinner individual. It either reduces the amount of food intake or decreases the digestive capacity. This surgery results in immediate weight loss, in addition to a proper dietary regimen and exercise.

Lot of sophistication is involved in decreasing the risk and improvising the outcome. Severe obesity results in a higher mortality rate and hence this weight loss surgery is recommended. Weight loss surgeries are of two types, namely, Restrictive operation and Malabsorption procedures.

About 1 cup of food can be consumed without any complication. In course of time, the stomach is capable of stretching again, after surgery. Increased mobility and improvement in the quality of living are the greatest merits. A wholesome personality change with a new perspective or outlook of life is seen in individuals.

Maximize Your Weight Loss Results

2009-06-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

Most of us want to lose weight and get fit. Starting an exercise program or joining a gym always seems like a great first step but if you have ever spent any time at a gym you
will notice that not everybody there makes progress on his or her fitness goals.

In order to see the best results you will need to keep your heart rate in that zone while you are doing your workout.Another important aspect to losing weight and maximizing your fat loss at the gym is to lift weights.

If you want to maximize your fat loss the most important fundamentals should be to incorporate some HIIT into your cardio routine, start a good weight-training program and improve your diet. If you do all of these basic things you will see results quite quickly.

Fat Free Yogurt and Weight Loss

2009-06-02T01:12:00.000-07:00

Fat Free Yogurt Aids in Weight Loss - According to recent reports, studies have shown that fat free yogurt may actually trim pounds off your tummy. For someone like me (who has battled the buldge since childhood), this was music to my ears! Most days I try my best to have a yogurt for a mid-morning snack. Bored with your yogurt routine? Try spicing it up with Bear Naked granola, cereal or even fruit. Just a minor change will keep you from succuming to routine!

What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it helps you lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle?

While there are dozens of “fat-free” yogurt brands on the shelves, be careful when you are choosing. It may be free of fat, but it could be loaded with sugar. For example, Columbia Fat-free Vanilla yogurt is low in calories, but it has 20+ grams of sugar!

FREE FAT LOSS TIPS

2009-06-02T00:08:00.000-07:00

We were at my Nan's house and I got to see 2 of my cousins (and one of their little girls) who I don't see a lot - one lives in New Zealand and the other in Griffith. So it was great to see them.

But the real cool thing was spending the time with my extended family and laughing about how daggy we all looked (good old early nineties fashion was missing something I think!) and just enjoying each others company.

Before I get I give you my free fat loss tips (it's a present that you definitely want to get your hot little hands on!), I just want to tell you about a trip down memory lane I had today.

After a lot of hard work getting all of these people on board I have some special news for you. You see, I selected some of the world's premier fat loss experts to contribute some of their closely guarded fat loss secrets so therest of the world can benefit!

The Free Fat Loss Tips website is where 13 other experts fromAustralia, The United States, Canada and The UK, join me on this new site that is dedicated to spreading the truth about fat loss once and for all.

Diet To Melt The Fat Off

2009-05-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

There is not a person on this planet that wouldn't mind losing a little or a lot of weight. If you want to lose the pounds that you not only have to exercise but you most importantly have to eat a healthy diet and that should be straightened out first. I hope this article gives you a little outline of some healthy changes you can do.

Make sure to eat at least some healthy fats in most of your meals, yes there is a thing as healthy fat. Try to eat a high quality protein sources with each meal and snack that you eat. Low-carb diets can be beneficial depending on your goals, I do believe that one of the main reasons that so many individuals struggle to lose weight for most of their lives is due to eating excessive processed carbohydrates such as refined grain-based starches and refined sugars on a daily basis.

You must begin an exercise routine. Even if it is only a 20 min. walk. You must burn more calories than you take in if you want that body fat to melt off.

Eating enough protein at most of your meals also helps your body in controlling blood sugar and insulin levels by helping to slow the breakdown of ingested carbohydrates.