Article Habitat » Nutrition

Hatha Yoga An Introduction

Bradley — Mon, 14 May 2012 03:23:00 +0000

?Some forms of exercise can be stressful for our joints. Yoga is a wonderful alternative. Practicing Hatha Yoga provides a way to gain flexibility, strength and, even, peace of mind.
There are many forms of exercise, but there is only one that can improve you physically, mentally and, if you choose, spiritually. Do you know what I’m referring to? Why, it’s yoga – of course!
Yoga practices date back centuries. In fact, in its truest sense, yoga is one of the classic systems of Hindu philosophy. However the type of yoga most familiar to Western cultures is Hatha Yoga, which is also known as physical yoga.
Hatha Yoga practice emphasizes developing proficiency in postures (or asanas). The postures range from very easy (even for beginners) to extremely difficult. Attaining proficiency, at whatever level is comfortable for the individual, then helps you to further develop a sense of peace and enlightenment.
When I began studying yoga, I did it because I thought it was interesting. I was curious how and why so many people were devotees. I also wondered what benefit would come from something that appeared so simple.
Frankly, my first few classes didn’t convert me. But over time, I found Hatha Yoga to be a source of physical, mental and spiritual improvement.
The physical aspects and benefits of yoga are the most widely known and accepted. Practiced gradually, and increased in duration and difficulty over time, the postures increase flexibility and improve physical condition.
Imagine standing tall, barefoot, legs together, hands in prayer position in front of the chest – this posture is the basis of many other postures. Your spine lengthens and your legs feel strong and rooted into the ground.
The mental improvements experienced through yoga practice are derived from the sense of serenity, comfort and harmony with nature felt during and after practice. Additionally, a period of rest is an important part of each practice session.
Let’s add to the posture above. You are still standing tall and straight, eyes closed, facing forward, breathing slowly and evenly – you can feel your mind calm more with each exhalation. Your tensions gradually disappear.
Finally, the spiritual improvement is a more subjective result. Some yogis (those who practice yoga), achieve great enlightenment and knowledge from their practice. Most, like me, simply gain a stronger belief in a Supreme Being.
This is more difficult to explain because even after many years of practice, some people never develop the spiritual sense of yoga. Perhaps the best way I can explain my feeling is a sense of understanding and contentment. Still standing in the posture above, your mind calm, you can hear the breeze gently rustling the trees and the birds singing. Even without opening your eyes, you can sense the warm glow of the sun and visualize wispy, white clouds in the bright blue sky.
Some people practice yoga simply for the physical benefits. Other people find yoga a way to relax and relieve stress. Still others seek the spiritual enlightenment. For whatever reason they are practicing, and Hatha Yoga has become much more popular in recent years. Classes are offered in a variety of places including: senior centers, schools, gyms and, of course, yoga studios.
Regardless of your age, or current level of fitness, yoga is a wonderful way to find physical, mental and spiritual well being.

Healthy Holiday Hints

Bradley — Sat, 05 May 2012 01:10:00 +0000

?Celebrating the holiday season doesn’t have to mean breaking your diet, running yourself ragged, or spending lots of money.
“It’s that time of year…” Ok, you’ve heard that a million times, but it’s one of my favorites. The holiday season can be tough for many people – diets are difficult to keep, there are too many things to do and not enough time, and don’t forget that not everyone finds this a “happy” time.
So let’s focus on a few suggestions to help us have a pleasant, healthy holiday season.
ENTERTAINING AND FOOD
First, let’s talk about food. There are so many tempting goodies around right now, all kinds of sweets and baked goods – tough to handle if you’re watching your diet. And how do you entertain guests without all these temptations?
Let me first suggest that if treats in your home or office are too tempting, get rid of them (or at least move them to where it’s not convenient for you to get at them). Always have lots of healthy snacks on hand – and remember not to skip meals – so it will be easier for you to resist the treats.
As far as entertaining, everyone will be pleasantly surprised when you offer different fare at your gathering. When guests arrive, offer whole-grain crackers and fresh fruit. Then, when it’s time for dinner, how about serving warm fresh bread and rolls with a healthy soup and green salad? If that doesn’t interest you, how about serving grilled chicken with some roasted potatoes or vegetables?
For dessert I’d suggest more fresh fruit; or if you must have sweets, get the richest brownies, fudge or cheesecake you can find and cut them into small pieces. A small serving of a very rich dessert is often all it takes to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Another thing to do is to move the focus away from food as much as possible. You can play games, take a walk to look at the holiday lights in the neighborhood, or go caroling instead of sitting around nibbling on treats as you chat.
HOLIDAY SCHEDULES
Do you find yourself running around more during the holidays and enjoying them less? We all run that risk, I think. When you feel that way, the important thing to remember is that you can only do so much and you should enjoy the holidays too. So consider making some changes in the way you do things.
First, you don’t have to find the “perfect” gift for everyone… try to shop with your heart and don’t feel obligated to base your gifts on price or some competition to be the “best.”
Also make time for yourself during the holiday season. And remember to eat right, get your normal amount of rest, and to exercise as you usually do. You won’t enjoy the season if you change your routine too much and feel tired or out-of-sorts.
NOT ALWAYS A “HAPPY” TIME
We all know that the holiday season isn’t pleasant for everyone Sure, it’s a time for friends and family, but some people are alone and lonely even at this time of year. So open your hearts and remember others. Invite your neighbors to visit, especially those who live alone, or visit them with a little gift.
When I first moved into my home, many years ago, a neighbor stopped by a few days before Christmas with a small basket that held a lovely plant. I’d never met her before that day. But it made me feel wonderful and welcome, and I’ve never forgotten the gesture or her.
How about inviting a few neighbors over or having an open house? This is the time to get to know those folks you’ve never met. You don’t have to do anything elaborate, a holiday-decorated house is always warm and inviting, so you don’t need much more. Have some holiday music playing in the background. For food put out some crackers, fruit and cheese, punch and coffee or tea. That’s all you need.
If you tend to feel depressed or lonely yourself during this season, there are some other things you can do to help lift your spirits. First, keep your expectations reasonable. If you set you expectations to high, you’re asking for disappointment.
You should also consider volunteering with a local group or church. So many programs, especially for children and the elderly, need volunteers. You’ll feel connected to others and a part of something special. Sharing in the happiness of others, especially seeing the joy you can bring just by being there, is a wonderful way to brighten your holidays.
These are, I’ll admit, simple ideas. But they’re meant to help show that celebrating the holiday season doesn’t have to mean breaking your diet, running yourself ragged, or spending lots of money.
Enjoy the simple pleasures, share your holidays with others, and remember to make time for yourself.

Getting in Shape through Fitness Workouts

Bradley — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:12:00 +0000

?Fitness programs consist of activities and schedules for us to follow in order for us to accomplish our goal either to lose or gain weight, and maintain our already health bodies. Without these fitness activities our fitness program will just remain a program. These are very crucial in getting in shape and maintain a healthy weight.

Doing fitness workouts does not need us a gym membership or fancy equipment but if we have already a membership with a fitness gym then we can take advantage of the equipments and utilize this to help us devise a consistent routine .

Effective fitness workouts consist of aerobic fitness, stretching, muscular fitness, core exercise and balance. Whether we are newbie on fitness workouts or a veteran is very critical to have well-rounded fitness workouts.

1. Stretching. Before we perform any fitness workouts, it is already a rule of the thumb to do stretching. This will improve the range and motion of our joints and most importantly it promotes good posture. Most aerobic exercises and strength training uses a lot muscles in our body and it causes them to contract and flex. Even if we are doing fitness workouts it is also best do stretching as this will promote and maintain flexibility.

2. Aerobic fitness, this can similarly name as cardiovascular endurance workout since this causes us to breathe faster and deeper. This maximizes the intake of oxygen in our blood. A well designed aerobic fitness can make our heart , lungs and blood vessels to carry blood throughout our body. The simplest aerobic fitness we can do is walking, jogging, biking and dancing.

3. Muscular fitness. This is another key factor of fitness workouts since this will increase the strength our muscles and bones and can maintain muscle mass when we are in reducing weight. There are already hundreds of resistance machines and free weight that we can choose we opt to do muscle fitness, we can even improvise these tools so as we could not spend hundreds of dollars in memberships or purchase of these items.

4. Core stability. Core muscles are the muscles located at our abdomen, lower back and pelvis. These muscles help us protect and connect upper and lower body movements. This is considered as the key element in fitness workouts.

5. Balance training. Strength, flexibility and aerobically fit, we can have all these but having a poor tends to deteriorate with age which can lead to injury.

Fitness workouts will never be effective if one of these elements is missing. These elements provide us a balance and well-rounded fitness workout.

Walk for a Healthy Heart

Bradley — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:10:00 +0000

?Do it everyday (or most days) for thirty minutes or more. It will put a spring in your step and a glow on your cheeks, while getting your heart pumping and your blood flowing. It’s easy; doesn’t cost anything; and will make you feel great.
Only ten years ago, heart disease was a man’s issue – not so today. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) heart disease affects one out of two women. Equality of the sexes is here, but not in a beneficial way.
Here are a few sobering facts from the AHA:
• In 2007, coronary heart disease caused 1 of every 5 deaths. It is the single largest killer of American males and females.
• About 80 percent of coronary heart disease mortality in people under the age of 65 occurs during the first attack.
• Cardiovascular disease in 2007 caused 40.6 percent of all deaths (949,619 deaths or 1 of every 2.5 deaths). This is more deaths than were attributed to cancer (541,532), accidents (97,835) or HIV/AIDS (13,426).
The good news is this is preventable. The AHA says that staying physically active is one of the ways you can do something positive to prevent heart disease.
Physical inactivity is a significant risk factor not only in heart disease, but also high blood pressure, obesity and cholesterol level. So remaining physically active has many benefits.
A great way to stay physically active is to walk. Anyone can do it. It doesn’t cost anything. You can do it anywhere. You can do it alone or in a group. So what are you waiting for?
Most research indicates that walking thirty minutes each day (or most days) is going to make a difference. You should maintain a moderate pace, walking a mile in approximately 15-20 minutes. Here’s even more good news – you don’t need to do it all at once. Many studies suggest that two 15-minute segments also work.
The benefits are worth the effort. According to the book The 30-Minute Fitness Solution by JoAnn Manson, M.D. “Women who walk three hours or more per week cut their risk of heart disease by 40 percent.”
According to the Mayo Clinic website, “Another study, reported in the journal Circulation, found that older men who walked at least 2 miles a day cut their risk of heart attack in half. The farther the men walked, the lower their risk of heart attack.”
Additionally, brisk walking helps protect against even more than heart disease. Research is showing that it also helps protect against stroke, diabetes, osteoporosis, breast cancer and colon cancer.
Those who are more sedentary, and can’t exercise vigorously, can also see some benefit from lower-intensity activities. Some research is suggesting that activities like walking for pleasure, gardening, yard work, housework, touch football and dancing, when performed daily, “can have some long-term health benefits.”
For the greatest benefits, you should strive for brisk walking. But there’s no reason you can’t start out slow and build from there. Physical inactivity is the culprit. Do what you can and gradually increase your distance without increasing your pace. As you start to feel stronger, you can pick up the pace.
Anyone undertaking an exercise program, even brisk walking, should contact his or her doctor before beginning. Your doctor knows your medical condition and can advise you of the cautions or restrictions you should consider.
So, you see, you don’t have to run a marathon or spend hours each day walking or jogging to have a healthy heart. Just thirty minutes of brisk walking each day (or most days) at a moderate pace of 15-20 minutes per mile will help. And remember, if your excuse is that you don’t have the time, you can break that down into two 15-minute segments and still see the benefits.

Fitness Exercise Basics

Bradley — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 19:17:00 +0000

?Physical inactivity poses a great threat or risk for diseases relating to the heart. Most of us are not physically active enough to avoid this risk. Swimming, dancing, brisk walking or any other fitness exercise that helps burn fats makes our heart healthy and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases that is why fitness exercise is considered nowadays as necessity to life. This is not only well-suited for reducing weight thus it is good for keeping a reasonable body weight. Exercise also enables our lungs and heart’s mechanism to be more efficient in functioning naturally.

Aside from the tangible benefits that it provides, it keeps us looking good and feel good about ourselves and considering that it strengthens our bones and enables our lungs and heart to be more efficient and as a result it gives us the stamina to keep-up with the physical demands of our lifestyles. Since a lot of us are not physically active and prefer to just sit around most often, we are exposing ourselves to greater risks.

Fitness exercise works best if we commit ourselves to what we really intend to do with our body. It is recommended to do it consistently for about three to five times per week but this seldom happens if we not really committed on what really want to achieve. Thus, it is best for us to focus on what we know we can do rather than frustrate ourselves of not having done enough.

In doing fitness exercise it is best to start stretching, this allows our muscles to be more flexible to prevent muscle soreness and fatigue. It is best to start in gradual progression with emphasis on consistency rather than just doing repetitions of the exercise. What is more important here is the consistency of the routines as this will allow our body also to consistently metabolize excess calories and our muscles to take shape.

Weight lifting should always come first than cardio exercises since we might miss a critical part of the routine and spend it more on cardio. While doing cardio workouts it is best to keep track on your heart rate. It is advised to exercise at a maximum heart rate of 75-85% but a lot of us just want to maintain up to the 50% maximum rate to ensure that we are that safe rate. One of the best way to monitor our heart rate is to use a heart rate monitor or any exercise equipment with this feature.

The number of hours recommend to be spent at a fitness gym should not exceed more than an hour as this keep us from dreading the gym. Focusing on the exercise and our aim to accomplished will make our fitness exercise session more and more effective.

Staying healthy and fit only takes less than hour of our time to do fitness exercise though this may not only be enough it must be coupled with the right diet and supplements for better results.

Getting A Higher Vertical

Bradley — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:09:00 +0000

?Everyone dreams about flying like Michael Jordan. And although no exercise will give you his natural ability, anyone can gain another 6 – 12 inches on their vertical. The best ways to do this is increasing your flexibility and strengthening your legs.
Increasing Flexibility
To have any sort of high vertical your hamstrings and calfs need to be extremely flexible. You should be stretching at least 20-30 minutes two to three times a week as well as before your work out.
Strengthing Your Legs
• The best way to do this is use polymetric exercises to both elongate and strengthen your calfs and quads. Some basic polymetric exercises you can do are:
• Hop on 1 leg for 10 seconds and then switch. Do not rest more than 15 seconds between exercises.
• Do extremely long skips. Take off on one foot and try to jump as far as possible. Land on the same foot. Try doing this for 50 years and then switch. Do not rest more than 20-30 seconds between exercises.
• Do depth jumps. Professional volleyball players do this all the time. Get a sturdy box 12-30 inches high. With both feet shoulder width apart jump onto and off the box repeatedly. As soon as you hit and box jump off and as soon as you hit the ground jump on. You will feel this in your quads rather quickly. What this is doing is teaching your quads to become more explosive.
• At a basketball court, touch the net or rim (if you physically can) 30 times in a row as fast as you can. It is important that you touch the net or rim with both hands.
• Work Out. Leg extensions and squats are very good to build muscle in your legs. You will respond better to training if you have a solid foundation of muscle.
• Work your arms and abs?? As strange as it seems having strong arms and abs are extremely important in improving your vertical. Standard ab workouts are fine but try reverse curls for your arms. When you jump your arms move up and having strong arms will help your momentum.

Fitness Centers The Facts About Them

Bradley — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:28:00 +0000

?You’re feeling down because you see a pudgy person when you look into a mirror. But hey who wouldn’t feel the same way, right? You long to lose those excess pounds and be able to wear those clothes you’ve been longing to wear. So, you think of a place to do all the exercising but you are left with a question in mind. You don’t know anything about fitness centers; you search the Internet and stumble upon this article, and try to find the answers you need. So, you decide to read on and partially make a point to understand what happens in these centers.

So let’s start the ball rolling, on what you need to know about it. For starters, fitness centers can be found scattered all over the city you live in. It’s practically a place where you can keep yourself healthy, exercise and lose those pounds you’ve wanted to get rid of.

In most centers for one to be able to use their facilities, you’ll have to pay monthly membership fee. Most people would try scouting first to find the best offers which they could get from these centers before fully registering for their services. Most centers are equipped with treadmills, bikes, and weights for you to use.

Some well equipped centers even offer swimming pools and saunas to their members as a way to relax after a grueling exercise session. Centers also offer their members, trainers to help them plan their exercise session, but this will cost you extra since you will be paying for the trainer’s services.

If you’re a beginner and still needs guidance on exercise routines, it will be a good idea for you to get a trainer in order to know what you need to do when you exercise. You will need to know the right way to perform a certain exercise, and how to operate certain exercise equipment found in these fitness centers.

The fact that different center offers different plans and benefits to their members; it will be a good idea to know these facts before hand. To find one, you can search a directory and look for one; there will be several fitness centers that post their number on the yellow pages, or you could ask your friends for help to point your way on finding one. So, try to find a fitness center which gives you the best value for the fees that they need you to pay.

Truth behind Physical Fitness Optimization

Bradley — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:42:00 +0000

?People nowadays have misconceptions in what really is the essence of physical fitness. They are often led to believe that being physically fit means either muscle growth or aerobic skills. It’s as clear as daylight that the industry at present, focuses on making the most out of specializing skills instead of having the right attitude in what ‘health’ and ‘fitness’ is all about.

When we undergo physical training, we should always aim at becoming fit and healthy to make us improve, not superficially, but from within. Though muscles are a plus, bear in mind that we train to better equip ourselves and be able to meet the demands of daily life. To be better people who excel at almost anything life and circumstances might throw our way. Thus, body exercise is not developing muscle for physical enhancement. Rather, it should be done to optimize fitness and health.

To achieve best results, there should be balance in all aspects. If we only focus in one part of it, there is always a possibility that our weak points might overrule our strength. We become engrossed on that one certain aspect that we might fail to address an issue in our life, career or relationship.
Balance plays a big role in making us adequate to deal with negative circumstances. Having knowledge of what is the truth and committing ourselves in it, gives us positive results like strength, proper mindset and fitness optimization. Not only do we look good in the outside but best of all we have a body that carries out well.

What comprises the truest essence of Physical Optimization should be strength that endures tiptop body condition and fitness that goes beyond limits.

If we find ourselves guilty of the lack of these, it’s best not to procrastinate. Go ahead, make pertinent changes!

Efficient muscle building

Bradley — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:02:00 +0000

?You want to build muscles to look like superman, you visit the gym religiously to workout all of your muscles and a couple of months later, you still end up looking just about the same as you were when you started. Why?

The reason is simple. If you want to be successful in your muscle building quest, you have to understand the science of muscle building. If not, you will be wasting your time in the gym or worse, even develop injuries because you did not approach your workout in a scientific way. For example, do you know that there are a few different types of muscle fibers? Some of these fibers have the ability to grow big and give you massive increases in strength while other fibers known as endurance muscle fibers allow for sustained usage but generally stay small in size.

Now can you imagine what will happen if you spend most of your time in the gym working out these smaller type of muscle fibers? It is not these smaller fiber type muscles cannot increase in size; it is just that you need to train them a little differently. Your forearms and calves are good examples.

It happens quite often that when people do not notice any significant gains in muscle size due to faulty workout programs, Many a times, when people’s workout methods are wrong and their muscles don’t grow, they pin it down on genetics. Complaining about your genetics just convinces your brain into believing that you will not be able to build nice muscles. And you know what? With this mindset you really won’t be able to build big muscles because you will neither be working out hard enough nor finding out more about the science of building muscle since you think that you are in a hopeless at it. You need to put yourself in the right frame of mind as genetics is not everything.

While you may not be able to become a professional bodybuilder, there is no reason why you can’t build a handsome muscular body. You can still build reasonably big muscles and get ripped, regardless of your genes. There are two main factors that will decide whether you are going to build bigger muscles or not. How smart you work and how hard you work. If you are working out smart and hard, nothing can stop you from getting that fabulous body which you dream about.

You must understand the science of bodybuilding and not just lift weights randomly. You must also know how to eat correctly in order to feed and boost muscle growth. A little knowledge combined with a lot of hard work yields the best results. You will surely be rewarded with a vastly improved physique!

Eating to Prevent Heartburn

Calvin — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 03:14:00 +0000

?Eating to Prevent Heartburn

It has been documented on several researches that pregnant women experience heartburn most of the time. Now, before we discuss how to possible prevent this, it is important for you to understand what heartburn is. Now, contrary to its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. Your heart is not in fire or whatever crazy idea you might think of. When we say heartburn, we refer to the scenario wherein the acids in your stomach reflux and rise to your esophagus. One in every four women will experience this during pregnancy. This is mostly because the pressure of your uterus constricts the stomach.

This article will try to discuss with you ways on how you can prevent this during pregnancy. Hopefully, after you have read this article, you will be among the 3 in every four women that do not experience this at all.

You can start by taking it slow when eating your food. Your stomach will be able to digest your food better and it does not need to work extra hard. Added to that, you will be able to enjoy your food more. Also, eat way before bedtime. Your body will not be able to digest your food properly while you are asleep so make sure you give your body enough time to digest what you ate before heading straight to bed.

You also have to keep you food intake small. If you eat a heavy meal, the stomach will have to work doubly hard to digest this. Big meals also tend to stuff the stomach and may easily cause the heartburn. The more contents of your stomach, the more chances it will rise and reach your esophagus.

You must also keep the fluids and solid intake separate. When too much fluid is mixed with food, it may affect the stomach, which will cause the heartburn. It is best to eat sitting straight up. Do not eat while on bed, or if you really must, have your head supported and raised by pillows.

The amount you weigh will also affect your heartburn. You have to make sure you do not exceed the recommended weight increase because the bigger you are, the more chances your stomach will get squeezed and cause heartburn.

Remember that heartburn is not a must for pregnant women. You can avoid this, just be sure you take care of your body and eat right. There is an old saying that if you experience heartburn during pregnancy, your baby will have a head full of hair. I do not know if that has any factual basis, but let me assure you that even without heartburn, your baby could still have that head full of hair.