arthritis how exercise effects

Arthritis - How Exercise EffectsWriten by Charles Snyder

This look at arthritis and exercise is a look at exercise from the point of view of one who has suffered with arthritis and has studied the philosophy of Natural Hygiene, in relation to how our bodies were designed to function.

You have heard the saying o pain no gain.

To a limited extent that is very true. As long as you don't do more damage in a day than your body can repair you can gain a lot by exercising.

As I have said in the article;

Arthritis has two main causes, inorganic minerals and uric acid.

Movement of the joints increases the flow of fluids in the joints. You could compare the difference between a sedentary lifestyle, and an active lifestyle, to that of a stream. When the stream is flowing rapidly, the sediment is washed down stream and the rock bed is fairly clean. When the stream gets backed up, the sediment settles out and the stones are covered with muck.

Exercise helps to flush out the uric acid and inorganic minerals from the joints. This will slow the brake down of cartilage and the formation of crystals in the joints.

If there are crystals in the joints, exercise will break them up and grind them down small enough to be flushed out.

Another benefit to exercise for the arthritic is that the increased flow of fluids to the joint brings more nutrients to the joints to aid in healing.

The author of the article Does-Running-Cause-Arthritis; http://www.runnersworld.com/article/printerfriendly/0,5046,s6-197-0-0-9247,00.html
Points out that exercise is a biomechanical process. It is not the same as a mechanical process.

We were designed to move. If we don't move our joints, like a stagnant stream, we accumulate a lot of garbage in our joints and connective tissue.

One caution. Start Slow.

We don't want to do more damage in one day, than you can repair in a night.

Before you start to run, if that is what you wish to do, I would suggest that you start with walking. Walk for a half hour. 15 minutes out and 15 minutes back. Keep doing that until you can walk 2 miles in that half hour before you try running.

If you have more pain the morning after you may want to slow down. However, Don'ts quit. Personally I would recommend the walking every day just to keep the fluids flowing in your joints.

If running is your goal you should work up to it. Don't try to run a marathon the first time out.

One final note; I have worked and exercised before and after overcoming arthritis. Before I stopped causing arthritis, it was easy to make it worse by overdoing it. I do not recommend taking painkillers, so you can hide the pain while you exercise. If you cannot feel the pain you can do great damage. I know from experience.

Since I stopped causing arthritis, exercise has never made the pain worse. It has only made it better the following day. You just have to be careful.

When I do too much of the things that cause arthritis, and the pain starts to return, exercise, along with removal of cause, always makes recovery time shorter.

I found the article I mentioned above while looking at a Blog about the article. There are other reader comments at this blog if you are interested.
http://completerunning.com/running-blog-mark/index.php/archives/2006/01/06/does-running-cause-arthritis/

Charles Snyder is a Health Minister. He had severe arthritis pain 23 years ago. He can be reached through his website about arthritis. He has a lot of information on how he overcame arthritis there.
http://arthritis-back-knee-pain-free-health-restored.com/

fabulous fitness secrets for busy moms 3 ways to exercise and save time

Fabulous Fitness Secrets for Busy Moms - 3 Ways to Exercise and Save TimeWriten by Pat Brill

The great thing about Moms is that we are magnificent at multi-tasking. Here are some great ways to stay fit while spending time with the kids. In this article we will provide plans that will ensure great exercise for Mom, great activity for the kids, and a wonderful opportunity for bonding.

One of the biggest challenges for Busy Moms is figuring out how to fit exercise into their daily regime. Children, Chores, and Commitments are the 3 Cs that are often hurdles on the way to health & fitness. Creativity, Compromise, and Control are the 3 Cs you need to get you back on track to feeling vibrant and fit.

There are going to be days when you just cant seem to find time to get out of the house and go to the gym. These are the days in which your Creativity needs to kick in full force. What do kids like? Kids enjoy activities where they usually burn their energy and yours. What more can you ask for? You have your own personal trainers at home! So, the next time your children feel restless, open the back door and participate in an exhilarating game of freeze tag to get your cardio in for the day. This will be fun, fast, and you are sure to work up a sweat and burn a few calories.

You may enjoy jogging daily, but bringing it up to kids is sure to be met with moans and groans. Heres a great way to Compromise. Tell your young children to load their bicycles and scooters into the back of the truck and take the whole crew up to the nearest track or trail. Your kids will have the chance to do something they enjoy, and you will get to exercise and still spend time with the family. Another trick thats sure to win in your favor is to tell your adolescents that instead of doing their chores, they are welcome to join you for a game of tennis. Toddlers and babies usually love outdoor activities, so compromise with them by taking them for a ride in their stroller. Just make sure in any outdoor situation to pack on the sunscreen.

Remember, although it may often appear otherwise, you are in Control of your daily schedule. Swimming is an invigorating activity that will give you that extra burst of energy to start your day off right. Your local YMCA or health club has swimming classes available for adults and children. Dive right in!

Copyright 2006 Pat Brill

Pat Brill is co-founder of http://www.SilkBow.com which supports Busy Moms with free gift ideas and helpful tips to meet the challenges of motherhood. SilkBow is the perfect place for the perfect gift.

exercise videos 10 reasons they work for you

Exercise Videos - 10 Reasons They Work for YouWriten by Kathy Ferneau

Exercise videos are an easy and inexpensive way to establish a structured exercise program.

Ever since the days of Jack LaLanne's black and white calisthenics, people have been working out in front of their TV sets. It worked in the 1950s, and it still works today.

Jane Fonda sparked a resurgence of exercise videos in the 1980s with her workout programs. Following her lead, vast numbers of fitness experts, former Olympic medalists, and all manner of athletes have produced exercise videos for private home use.

Outside of taking a walk down the block, nothing could be simpler than popping a video or DVD into the player and following the leader on the screen.

Take a look at the benefits:

1) Videos are very inexpensive. From zero dollars to 40 dollars at most. Try these sources:

-- Your local library

-- Rent from a video store

-- Check out the half priced book store

-- Buy on eBay

-- Buy used from Amazon.com

2) You can tailor the level or style of the program. You can find all levels and styles of exercise programs from mild stretching and yoga, to high-energy kick boxing and martial arts style.

3) No pricy gym or club memberships needed. While you may like a club's offerings or maybe the socializing, for many people they just don't work out.

4) Fancy designer outfits are not required. You can wear your old sweats or whatever feels comfortable. At a gym you may feel pressured into expanding your workout wardrobe.

5) You can follow videos in the privacy of your home. Practice as much as you need to--no one is watching! This is important for people who have a lot of weight to lose. Clubs are full of people who are already in shape.

6) Exercise videos fit into your schedule--you don't have to conform to the club's schedule. Want to work out at 5:00 a.m.? No problem.

7) No travel time. If you spend 20 minutes getting there and 20 minutes coming home, you are wasting a lot of time in the car.

8) Equipment is not needed, unless you want some. Some video programs use simple stretching ropes or dumb bell weights, but you certainly won't have to invest in any hydraulic equipment.

9) It's easy to vary your routine if you get bored. Start simple, then advance to a tougher program. Switch from dance style exercise to kick boxing to yoga, just for the low cost of a video.

10) You have the option to form a group if you want to. Is your church basement empty? Or maybe you have a large patio where friends could work out together. Then enjoy a low-calorie lunch afterward.

Exercise videos bring the studio and trainer to your home. Get started today!

Looking for diet and weight loss tips? Kathy Ferneau has created an excellent
resource for information on diets, healthy eating, and exercise.
Click here ==>http://www.lose-weight-diets.com

Get a free smoothie recipe e-book just for visiting!

http://www.lose-weight-diets.com/smoothierecipe.html

Check out Kathy's blog ==>http://www.lose-weight-diets.com/lose-weight-diets-news.html

exercises for bum cellulite

Exercises For Bum CelluliteWriten by Laurel Tevolitz

How many times have women looked in the mirror only to learn that you don't only have cellulite on the thighs, hips and stomach, but are also a victim of bum cellulite. The good news is just like any other type of exercises to eliminate cellulite, there are also exercises for bum cellulite included to work with these trouble spots. Cellulite is not only common to heavier women but skinny ones as well. The most important thing to remember when performing exercises for bum cellulite as well as any exercises to eliminate cellulite, is to be sure to make it part of a comprehensive program to make progress in improving the overall look of your body.

Cellulite is defined as a form of fat tissue that has pushed forth through connective skin fibers that via aging, hormones, poor diet and circulation as well as lack of exercise have allowed the body to break down over time. This causes the dimpling, bumping or whatever you'd like to call that growing and bulging appearance on the lower half of a woman's body.

Most fitness experts would agree that the best way to fight cellulite is through exercise (weight lifting and cardiovascular). Exercises for bum cellulite should be included as part of comprehensive exercises to eliminate cellulite, however, you cannot assume that a particular area of the body will improve overnight with strength training. You must also cut back on fat consumption and overall caloric intake in your diet as well as putting forth the effort to burn excess stored fat in those particular areas. In simple terms, complete muscle building exercises, but also incorporate speed walking, jogging, biking for the heart and lastly, clean up your diet and watch what you eat.

What exercises to eliminate cellulite are ideal to firm up areas that just won't budge? Consider some of the following:

• Leg Curls
  
• Squats
  
• Lunges
  
• Adductors
  
• Abductors
  
• Step Ups
  

All of these exercises for bum cellulite work on the butt (except leg curls/adductors - which are primarily thigh based) to firm, tighten and tone all areas under attack by cellulite.

By making a firm commitment to eating right, weight training and aerobic exercise it is important to remain determined, consistent and keep oneself motivated. It is very easy to give up if you are not feeling that something miraculous is happening overnight. By utilizing your cellulite product of choice and combining it with a good exercises for bum cellulite or exercises to eliminate cellulite for that matter, you will see the results you want. Just have patience and believe in yourself! It will happen!

Discover more information about exercises for bum cellulite and other tips on exercises to eliminate cellulite at our informative resource:
http://reducecellulite.blogspot.com

diabetic exercise is essential

Diabetic? Exercise Is EssentialWriten by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Thirty-five percent of all Americans will develop diabetes, which can cause heart attacks, strokes, blindness, deafness, impotence, amputations, kidney failure and sudden death. Three studies show why virtually all diabetics should exercise. The first study shows that exercising before a meal markedly reduces the rise in blood sugar that usually peaks 20 minutes after you eat (Lipids in Health & Disease, October 2005). The second shows that exercise lowers HBA1C in diabetics (Journal of Obesity, October 2002), while the third shows that exercise lowers high blood pressure (Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, August 2005)

When you eat, your blood sugar level rises. In diabetics, most of the damage is done within 20 minutes after you eat because thats the time that blood sugar levels are at their highest. The higher blood sugar rises, the more sugar sticks on cells. Once sugar is stuck on a cell, it can never get off. It is eventually converted to a poison called sorbitol that destroys the cell. This cell destruction causes all of the horrible side effects of diabetes.

Doctors measure the amount of sugar stuck on cells with a blood test called HBA1C. The first goal in treating diabetes is to use drugs and diet to get HBA1C below 6. Since blood sugar levels are highest 20 minutes after you eat, you should do everything possible to prevent the high rise in blood sugar that follows meals. The only places that your body can store sugar are in your muscles and your liver. After you eat, sugar goes from your intestines into your bloodstream. Then if your muscles are empty from exercise, the sugar can pass into your muscles. However, if your muscles are full because you do not exercise, the sugar has no place to go and blood sugar rises to very high levels to stick to cells and destroy your body.

Exercise is also vital for diabetics because it helps to control blood pressure. Eighty percent of diabetics die of heart disease, and anything that increases risk for heart attacks puts diabetics in danger. High blood pressure is a major risk for heart attacks and strokes. Since exercise lowers high blood pressure, it helps to prevent heart attacks and thus to keep diabetics alive.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

fitness tips how often should we exercise and how much

Fitness Tips - How Often Should We Exercise and How Much?Writen by Geri Stogsdill

Being a baby boomer, I am beginning to realize just how much I have neglected over the years to stay fit. Maybe I didn't eat all of the right things as I should have or opted to sit on the couch rather than getting up and doing something. Now that I am getting older, I am beginning to realize the importance of doing some type of exercise routine as I approach my senior years. You would think that if you started exercising when you were young, that you would still be exercising later in life. If not, you should begin again. As for me, I have never been consistent in exercising and now I am realizing just how important that really was even though I neglected to do so all those years ago. For older adults and seniors, some type of exercising is mandatory to staying healthy and independent. The National Institute of Health recommends four groups of exercises that will help you stay fit both physically and emotionally.

Strength exercises are recommended to build muscles and to increase your metabolism. Before doing strength exercises you need to know a few basic facts. You can affect your blood pressure if you hold your breath doing strengthening exercises. If you are using weights, avoid jerking motions. Use steady, smooth movements to bring the weights to the correct position. Don’t lock the joints in your arms and legs. Keeping them locked in a strained position can cause injury or pain. Breathe in as you relax, and out as you lift or push a weight. Fatigue and muscle soreness will occur after this kind of exercise is normal. If you experience exhaustion, painful muscle pulls, or sore joints, these are not normal.

An exercise that will strengthen your shoulder muscles is done with small weights. Sit in a chair with your back straight and keeping both your feet flat on the floor even with your shoulders. Raise both arms to your side, even with your shoulder. Hold that position for one second and slowly lower the arms to the side. Repeat this exercise eight to fifteen times. Rest, and then repeat the exercise. If you start this exercise without weights, you can add weights as you gain strength. Cans of soup make wonderful substitutions for weights and are easy to hold on to. Increase your weight by only one or two pounds at a time.

Balance exercises are used to help build leg muscles, and this helps to keep you from falling. Hip fractures caused by falling are the most common cause of admissions for seniors. Balance exercises will help you avoid these problems. A good program to follow is the practice of yoga. It focuses on concentration, balance, and meditation. It teaches you to listen to your body and adjust your exercise accordingly. In yoga, you can start at your own level and slowly build up to routines that are more difficult. Balance exercises can help you to stay independent longer by helping you avoid falling and the consequences of any fall.

Stretching exercises will give you more freedom of movement. This allows you to be more active in your senior years. Stretching alone will not improve strength or endurance.

Endurance exercises are any activity that increases your heart rate. It could be walking, jogging, biking, swimming, or even gardening. If it elevates your heart rate and breathing, you are doing an endurance exercise. Building up your endurance is very important. Start slowly, five minutes at a time, and build up as you become stronger and healthier.

How often should you exercise and how often? In the case of strength exercises, you should work all of your major muscle groups at least two times a week. Varying your routine will ensure that you don’t do the same muscle group two days in a row.

When working with weights, lift the minimum the first week and gradually build up weight and repetitions of the movement. You must challenge your muscles to get stronger. As your body adapts to each new exercise you can gradually add weights in one to two pound increments.

When lifting weights, lift or push the weight into place and hold it for one second, then use three minutes to lower the weight. Don’t let the weight drop, for maximum benefit; you should lower the weight slowly. If you are using weights and find that doing fifteen in a row are too many for you, reduce the repetitions, and build up gradually. If you are easily doing fifteen repetitions, then you need to increase the weight. Increase weight not repetitions for the most benefit. Continue to stretch your muscles as you wait to do the next set of repetitions.

It isn’t too late to start exercising and you will feel better! Maybe I did spend too much time over the years sitting on the couch and eating all the wrong things. I am now learning my lesson! Time is wasting . . . It is time to get off the couch baby boomers and start exercising!

Geri Stogsdill is a freelance writer specializing in healthy lifestyle information. For more healthy recipe as well as dieting, fitness and healthy living tips, visit us at http://www.healthy4liferecipes.com/healthyrecipes.blog

exercise tips motivation may not be 1 key

Exercise Tips - Motivation May Not Be #1 KeyWriten by Brad Howard

I help people all of the time with different problems when it comes to their workouts (and even life sometimes). Many of those times, these distinct problems are attributed to a much larger situation. I am a HUGE believer of getting to the source of a problem and NOT just treating symptoms.

Treating symptoms never lets the person understand what is actually going on and can be very self defeating. Imagine for a minute that you are allergic to peanut butter. Now, you
love peanut butter so you get a medicine to let you eat peanut butter to your hearts content.

Of course, the medicine costs money and carries all sorts of side effects. Wouldnt it make more sense to just give up peanut butter? After all, its the peanut butter that is the source of your problems. Taking the medicine is just an unnecessary step.

So, the best thing to do in most instances revolves around the source of a problem. But, for people trying to get in better shape, what are the primary problem sources? What exercise tips prove to really pay off?

Honestly, most of the underlying problems involve psychology and the way people perceive things. The leftover problems stem from either overflowing or faulty information.

Today, I want to go over motivation and why it might not necessarily be the 1st thing to focus on when beginning a new program.

Follow me here. (I'll get to the correlation at the end)

I think most people can relate to this.

You have an underperforming employee. Generally speaking, underperforming employees tend to fall into two categories -- those that need more training and those that have significant training but need to be motivated (I usually let these people go by the way as they tend to be a drain on the team).

Most of the time, an underperforming person gets lumped into the I need motivation category prematurely. However, looking further, we can see that our employee really just needs more training to ensure more confidence.

But, what do we do?

We say, Oh, you just need to be more motivated or come on, just think about how much money you can make.

Then, our motivated individual goes out, does a crappy job, gets discouraged, and then falls back into the same trap as before. It's a vicious cycle. (By the way, if you have an employee like this, chances are they need more training. It's a clear sign that you haven't been doing YOUR job, instead of them not doing theirs).

Think about it this way, if you have an idiot and you motivate them you don't get a lean, mean, employee: you've got yourself a motivated idiot! Imagine what kind of
destructive power that can have.

I've digressed a little. What does this have to do with working out?

A LOT!

If you are doing all of the wrong things and you get more motivated (i.e. work harder, more weight, reps, intensity), you are just going to trash your body, period.

Think about the motivated idiot.

Now, I'm not saying to get into information overload by any means. The easiest thing to do would be to grab a magazine or two from the grocery store and start with a few of the workouts inside. That way, you don't have to worry about your plan and can actually GET MOTIVATED with the right information.

This is very important.

Now, if this does not sound appealing, put something together yourself and get it critiqued by a qualified individual before you start. You might have a great majority of it right and realize drastic improvements with a few small tweaks.

Search out reputable sources (don't diet Google) and follow their advice.

**IMPORTANT**

Do not pick 15 people to follow and mash all of their teachings together. Pick one and follow him/her only. When you try to put more than one system together, you not only diffuse the power of the system, you put yourself into potential information overload from all of the different exercise tips.

Again, do some research and find one person to focus on. Youll see quicker results from your simple approach.

REMEMBER! Information overload = no results.

Moral of the story, get equipped with the right information from a singular source...

..and don't be a motivated idiot.

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Brad Howard is the author of the wildly successful book Health Club Secrets, How to Master the Art of Losing Weight Without Getting Ripped Off and has been in the industry for years. For more details, make sure to visit http://www.HealthClubSecrets.com
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Want more Brad? Be sure to log on to http://www.SmallAssForSale.com for information on the new book coming out soon. Find out about little known combinations and techniques that will send you weight loss results through the roof. 3 lucky people stand to win a free copy each month! Visit today!

caffeine during exercise

Caffeine During ExerciseWriten by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Caffeine can help you exercise longer. Your muscles
get much of their energy from sugar that they store inside their
fibers. When a muscle runs out of its stored sugar, it hurts and
cannot contract as effectively. Caffeine raises blood levels of
a fat called triglycerides, causes the muscles to burn more fat
for energy and thus spares the sugar inside muscles to prolong
endurance. This means that drinks containing caffeine can help
increase endurance during exercise.

When you take caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, or
cola and do not exercise, the caffeine can act as a diuretic and
drain fluid from your body. However, during exercise, caffeine
does not increase urination, so it does not take fluid from your
body. A study from the University of Connecticut showed that
caffeinated drinks are safe for most people when they exercise
(International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism,
Volume 12, Issue 2, 2002).

However, too much caffeine may cause problems for some people. Researchers at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario reported that caffeine may raises blood sugar levels in healthy people and diabetics, which cannot be reversed by exercise or weight loss (Diabetes Care, March 2005). Another study from the Netherlands showed that drinking coffee can raise blood pressure (Journal of Hypertension, May 2005). Moderation is always advisable.

Subscribe to my FREE weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition .

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports -- and the FREE Good Food Book -- at http://www.DrMirkin.com

exercise and kids the difference between training children and adults

Exercise and Kids: The Difference between Training Children and Adults!Writen by Ray Kelly

The greatest mistake a person can make when exercising with children is to treat them like little adults. Children are growing and developing rapidly. This means that certain physiological issues must be considered when they are exercising.

Bone Injuries That Affect Growth

When most parents think of children and weight training their first concern is the possibility of it affecting their growth. Contrary to popular belief, weight training will actually improve the bone and muscular systems. It is when children have a lack of qualified supervision that accidents occur. Actually, growth problems are extremely rare when children are given well-designed programs with qualified supervision. In fact, growth problems occur more frequently in dynamic sports such as Tennis, Swimming, and Baseball, than they do in weight training.

Another misconception about growth related injuries is that it will happen without you noticing it. It is actually quite painful because you are actually cracking the top of the bone. It will cease the growth in that bone only so if you get this injury in your upper left thigh (femur), only your left femur will stop growing. Your right femur will continue to grow.

Kids Have Higher Heart Rates and Lower Blood Pressure

A child has a smaller heart and less blood volume than an adult so the childs heart compensates by beating more often (per minute). A childs blood pressure is also less than an adult because this is directly proportional to body size. It reaches adult levels in their late teens.

Children Dont Perform Well Without Oxygen!

Children have a limited ability to perform anaerobic activities due to the limited production of the enzymes required for provide energy in the absence of oxygen.

Keep Kids Cool In The Heat

A childs sweat glands are not yet fully developed so they are less effective at cooling down through evaporation then adults. Make sure they drink lots of water and always exercise in light, cotton clothing.

Copyright 2005 Raymond Kelly

Ray has worked extensively in the health and fitness industry for over 15 years. He has a degree in Exercise Science and is a Level 2 Strength and Conditioning coach. Ray has been involved in athlete development for the Olympics and world championships for 10 years, also lecturing at coaching accreditation courses
Free Weight Loss Tips

health benefits of aerobic exercises

Health Benefits of Aerobic ExercisesWriten by Michael Russell

There are many health benefits to doing a regular daily aerobic workout. Taking part in any type of aerobic exercise greatly improves a person's health and fitness levels and of course, it can also be effective in weight loss since different types of aerobic activities help to burn more calories and for that reason can be combined with a healthy diet to produce even more health benefits. The term 'aerobics' means 'with oxygen' since you take in oxygen when you breathe and when you are exercising your breathing is faster and you feel quite warm and sweaty when you are working out as a result of taking in more air. This type of workout is extremely good for the heart and helps in delivering oxygen to different parts of the body.

What Type of Activities are Aerobic Workouts?

Aerobic activity can involve any type of exercise that raises a person's metabolism. Some of the more popular exercises include swimming, cycling, walking, jogging, running, stair climbing and general aerobic workouts. However, any kind of activity or exercise will help to improve a person's fitness level and aid in a person's weight loss. For instance, performing household chores such as vacuuming and cleaning can also contribute towards raising a person's fitness level.

What about dancing or bouncing on a trampoline, skipping, rowing, basketball or skating? These activities are also very good at burning calories.

In other words, any type of exercise will help you to get fitter as long as you do it regularly and it does not have to involve activities that are exhausting to perform. In fact, doing regular light or moderate aerobic activities is easier to maintain and gives better results since they are more likely to be kept up than aerobic exercises that involve high intensity workouts. In any case, it is always best to start at a lower level and gradually increase your activity levels when you get fitter.

For a person who is new to exercising or someone who finds it difficult to get themselves motivated or stick to any form of aerobic exercise, the best place to start is with doing something you enjoy for around thirty minutes a day three to five times a week. One of the easiest aerobic exercises to perform is walking since a person can start off doing a low intensity workout that is easy to keep up and then gradually progress to a more effective type of brisk walking. The only special requirement is a reasonably good pair of walking shoes and appropriate clothing. There are many people who enjoy performing this type of activity since it doesn't really feel as though they are doing any specific kind of aerobic exercise. Many have increased their fitness levels to the point where they actually enjoy going jogging or running.

The thing to keep in mind with exercising is that any type of aerobic activity is effective as long as it is adhered to regularly and when it is performed on the right fitness level to suit the person doing the exercises.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Aerobics

ab exercises do you want a six pack

Ab Exercises - Do You Want a Six Pack?Writen by John Gibb

Your abdomen (or abs) is important to you. It is a big muscle that contains your stomach, liver and intestines, your kidneys and bladder, and your reproductive organs, and helps to protect them all. Keeping it in good shape can help you to look toned (its a good way to get a six-pack, in other words), and also to feel better in yourself.

Luckily, ab exercises are easy to do. The most popular is probably the ab crunch, which is when you lie flat on the floor, bend your legs and then touch your knees with your elbows. You can also try the simpler sit-up, which is the same thing, only putting your head between your knees each time instead. Which one you find easier will depend on your body but its probably better for you if you practice whichever one you find the most difficult! This way you will tone-up your less-used muscles instead of focusing on ones that are already just fine.

You can also get various machines and gadgets that will help you in your ab exercises the number is increasing every day, in fact. Some of these are good, while others are just expensive rubbish. As a rule, dont buy anything that you havent tried out for yourself which means that you cant get that special deal from the shopping channel, unfortunately. Go to a shop and insist that you need to try out a few different ones before you make your decision, and if they refuse, just leave.

One last thing: it is important to realise that ab exercises are no good at all for losing weight. What you are doing is building muscle, not so much burning fat although some fat is burned, the effect is negligible, and ab exercises certainly have no special effect on an overweight stomach.

John Gibb is the owner of ab exercise guidance , For more information on ab exercises please check out http://www.ab-exercise-guidance.info

does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite or not

Does Exercise Eventually Get Rid of Cellulite or Not?Writen by Craig Weaver

Cellulite can make a lot of people cringe as they look at the condition of their body when cellulite has taken hold. Many people will ask does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite? The answer to that could be no or yes as it all depends on the situation and the exercises that are being performed to be honest. There is no one that can say for sure that you will get rid of cellulite in any one way or another. That is because everyone has a different body that will react in a different way then others. That is why so much of the world revolves around individual needs rather than a mass inclusion factor.

The people who know the exercise world best know that each person is different and they have to have a specifically crafted regimen of exercise to make sure that they are getting the most out of it. This is due to the fact that different exercises do different things and you would not want to be doing abdominal exercises for a thigh problem. So the issue of does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite is not really an issue unless you know what you are doing and why. So you would have to go about this kind of thing a certain way, like cutting out the foods that cause cellulite in the first place. Most people do not think of things like this when they are trying to lose the cellulite that they have but it is very important to say the least.

If you want to know does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite then you need to take a look at the fact that cellulite requires some specific things that not every body is doing these days. In the early days of research it was thought the cellulite was actually a foreign substance in the body and could be treated with medication but that is just no true to say the least. Thankfully that school thinking went out and people started to realize that they needed to do more than just take a magic pill. So there you have the answer to does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite? You need to do many things and exercise is just one of the many. A healthy diet that cuts out the foods that cause cellulite is another good idea.

Craig Weaver is the editor for http://cellulitereductioninfo.blogspot.com/ the number one resource for does exercise eventually get rid of cellulite

the most important accessory for your sports bike

The Most Important Accessory for Your Sports BikeWriten by Ma. Carla Ballatan

When it comes to accessorizing, riders and owners of motorcycles, particularly those that are new in this field, often spend their money in increasing engine performance. Oftentimes, they put their entire budget on performance motorcycle parts accessories like exhausts, fuel injection, mapping systems, and other components to help boost the motorcycle's engine.

But once they experience track riding, the illusion of power as the most important component to gain speed fades fast. In fact, too much of it without taking into consideration the other factors may just make your motorcycle more than you can handle. Many have experienced that it could actually make one slower than the others with less powerful bikes.

So what performance motorcycle parts accessories should you invest in? Here are some suggestions of expert riders of motorcycles:

Suspension
Lance Keigwin of Star Motorcycle School and Hare Racing, suggests that riders should take full note of the suspension. This is one component that can increase speed in motorcycles, according to Keigwin. Unfortunately, most riders often overlook this factor. He further explained that some of the stock bikes today may perform under regular conditions; however, when pushed beyond the average riding situations, their performance becomes questionable. I do not suggest, however, that you spend a fortune in full suspension components; instead, I suggest you work with your stock suspension and use components that may improve the stock equipment like the gold valve emulators, Keigwin added.

Tires
According to Keigwin, tires are another important component when it comes to handling motorcycles. Simple knowledge of how the different types of tires help maneuverability may also help you be a faster and smoother rider, he suggests.

Keigwin further suggests reducing weight from unsprung parts such as wheels, rotors, sprockets and engine parts. He said that this technique helps in handling the motorcycle better. His opinion is that some of the weight of the components may create the effect that makes the motorcycle go straight. However, by installing lighter components, according to Keigwin, helps in improving considerably the handling of the motorcycle. For him, Power is almost at the end of my list of priorities; right before cosmetics.

Handling factor

The handling factor also comes as a priority above power and cosmetics. This is according to Alex Florea of AFMotorsports. Florea said that to an average rider, several things may not be so visible. This includes installing taller tires without adjusting the geometry. This may cause riders to loose stability and may need to adjust the triple clamps on the forks to make up for the difference. With regards to slicks, he suggests that DOT tires are better investments.

Granny's Mettle is a 30-something, professional web content writer. She has created various web content on a diverse range of topics, which includes digital printing topics, medical news, as well as legal issues. Her articles are composed of reviews, suggestions, tips and more for the printing and designing industry.

Her thoughts on writing: Writing gives me pleasure pleasure and excitement that you have created something to share with others. And with the wide world of the Internet, it gives me great satisfaction that my articles reach more people in the quickest time you could imagine.

On her spare time, she loves to stay at home, reading books on just about any topic she fancies, cooking a great meal, and taking care of her husband and kids.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.motorcyclepartsbin.com

fitness and exercise for children

Fitness and Exercise For ChildrenWriten by Barbara King

Fitness and exercise are important. We all know that, and had that lesson drummed into our heads in school. But, how much attention do we pay to our children when it comes to fitness and exercise? In our modern day, too many children spend the majority of their time either on the couch in front of the television, or in their rooms on a computer or playing a video game. Fitness and exercise, a natural part of childhood in past generations, is something that the modern child and the modern parent have to work at on a daily basis.



If your child is lacking in fitness and exercise think about enrolling your child in an after school sports program of some sort. Soccer is a popular fitness and exercise method, and in the proper season so is hockey, softball, baseball, lacrosse, football, tennis, and even golf. Many parents find that their children enjoy swimming and as one of the best methods of fitness and exercise in the world, swimming should be encouraged. This can be simple playing or exercising in the water, or formal swimming laps in an Olympic sized pool. Both methods of fitness and exercise are great.



Those who live in rural areas may find fitness and exercise to be easier to come by than those who live in urban areas or in the suburbs. In a rural area, a child has fields to play in, woods to explore, and sports like fishing, as well as chores like feeding livestock. For the rural lifestyle fitness and exercise is more ingrained. For children living in the city, fitness and exercise can be explored at the nature center, at the Y or health club, and with after school activities. Even simple games like four squares and playing with a jump rope can be good forms of fitness and exercise.



Wintertime seems to be a time when many people, both children and adult, forsake their fitness and exercise programs. That is too bad because that makes it all that much harder to get back into shape when spring comes around. Fitness and exercise is something that should be pursued all year long. During the winter sports that keep a person indoors, like bowling, are good choices. Also indoor health clubs and activities like mall walking in groups are good choices for fitness and exercise. Whether a person is a child or an adult, fitness and exercise should not be overlooked.

Author: Barbara King

Owner: A Moms Shop You can find outdoor play equipment, bicycles and wheel toys as well as plenty of indoor toys and activity games.

best abdominal exercises to get the sexy six pack you deserve

Best Abdominal Exercises to Get the Sexy Six Pack You DeserveWriten by Rajesh Shetty

The key to getting those sexy abdominals lies mainly on what abdominal exercises you choose to perform.

Here are the best yoga Exercises for Removing Abdominal Fat Permanently!

1)Dhanurasana-Bow Posture

Technique:

1. Begin lying down on the stomach, reach back and grasp the ankles. Inhale.

2. Lifting legs, head and chest, arch the back into a bow. Retain breath, then exhale and lie flat.

3. Repeat three or four times.

More advanced:

While in the Bow position, rock back and forth, then from side to side. Slowly release and exhale.

Benefits:

1. Massages abdominal muscles and organs. 2.Good for gastrointestinal disorders, constipation, upset stomach, sluggish liver. 3.Reduces abdominal fat.

Warning:

Not for persons suffering from peptic ulcer, hernia, or cases of thyroid or endocrine gland disorders.

2) Naukasana-Boat Posture:

Position:

Lie on the back as in Shavasana position, stretch the legs with your feet together and raise them about 10 to 12 above the ground.

Stretch the arms around the head on the ground and raise the arms along with the chest upwards after taking a deep breath, while balancing on the buttocks at the same time.

Now, let both the arms lie horizontally to the ground with fingers pointing towards the knees. The body in this position looks like a floating boat.

Breathe normally in this position and return to Shavasana position slowly after 10 to 30 seconds. Perform Naukasana at least 8 to 10 times per session.

Benefits:

It helps strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, neck and shoulder. It also relieves constipation.

Caution:

Severe backache and hip joint disorders are contra-indication for this asana.

3) Kapalbhati:

This is one of the best abdominal exercises for removing abdominal fat.

How to do it.:

Sit comfortably in a cross-legged position.Breathe normally for about a minute. Once composed, you can begin.

First, Exercise the diaphragm by exhaling suddenly and quickly through both nostrils, producing a puffing sound. Don't focus on inhalation. It will be automatic and passive.

The air is exhaled completely from the lungs with a sudden, vigorous stroke while simultaneously drawing inwards the abdominal muscles.

The breath should be expelled fully. Inhaling is automatic - the abdominal muscles will relax automatically.

This abdominal exercise should be done in three rounds, each consisting of 10 strokes (for the beginner). Each round should take about a minute.

A little rest can be taken in between the rounds as convenient. Throughout the exercise, the chest should be kept still without expansion or contraction. Only the diaphragm is used for breathing and not the upper chest.

Over a month, the number of strokes per minute can be gradually increased from 10 to about 30.

Benefits:

Clears toxins from your body and lungs.Tones the abdominal muscles and burns fat.

Practising the above mentioned yogic exercises regularly will take 10 minutes of your time daily, but they have a profound, long-term effect on your overall health and fitness.

Abdominal flab lost in this manner doesn't return easily and you remain happy and young for a long long time. Hence it's definitely a smarter way to look sexy and stay healthy.

Get more cutting edge fat burning secrets in my Free 5 day email ecourse delivered straight to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter at: www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm

Rajesh Shetty

Expert in weight loss principles of Ayurveda Medical Science
and Author of the Best selling book,
Proven weight loss secrets revealed.

http://www.eweightlosstips.com/weightlossltr.htm

exercises to help you get firm

Exercises to Help You Get FirmWriten by Bob Blick

Here are some exercises to help keep your body firm.
Try to do them about 3 times a week.

Toe Raises

Want some impressive looking calves? Here's how to get them.

Start out simply standing on the ground flatfooted, toes pointing straight ahead. Hold on to something to balance yourself, and begin raising up as high as you can on your toes. As with most exercises here, you will do them slowly. Lower yourself to the starting position, then repeat. High reps are best here. Try to work up to at least 25 reps. Then add sets, 2 - 3.

To make this a little tougher as you progress, do them one leg at a time. You can also turn your feet in and out in order to work different parts of your calves. A set of 25 reps with feet pointing forward, then out, then in, would give you a nice workout.

For an even tougher workout, and to really make those calves grow, place your toes on the edge of a 2x4, or on the stairs, and lower the heels as far as possible. Then raise up on your toes, again as high as you can, and repeat. Again, 25 reps is what you'll be shooting for. This will really make the calves burn.

But please, start out slowly. Don't do too many reps at one time in the beginning, or you won't be walking the next day or two.

Wall Squat

If this hurts your knees... discontinue!

Stand straight with your back pressed against a wall. Feet should be about shoulder width. Lower yourself down into a sitting position, still leaning against the wall. (Be certain the front of your feet are in front of your knees... if not, move your feet forward.) Hold this position for about 30 seconds, then return to the start. Gradually build up to 3 reps.
This will add some size and muscle to your legs in a hurry!

Crunch

A good one for those troublesome abs. Lie on the floor on your back with your feet up on the couch or a chair or something. Your buttocks should be as close to the couch as possible. To ease the strain on your neck, take a towel and fold it lengthwise, then place it behind your head, grasping both ends. The back of your head should lie comfortably in the towel. Lock your elbows against your side.
Now very slowly raise your head and shoulders off the ground a few inches. Don't pull with the towel. Allow your abs to do the work.

And don't lift too high off the ground... you'll get a backache. Just a few inches will do. Squeeze your stomach at the top and hold for a second or two, then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position. That's 1 rep. Work your way up to about 25 reps. Remember to do these slowly and squeeze at the top.

Your goal will be 2-3 sets of 25 reps.

This sounds complicated, but it's not. Grab the towel, put it behind your head, lie down and get in position, and you'll get the idea.

Push-Ups

One of the top overall exercises you can do with no equipment. But, do them correctly for best results.

Lie face down and place your palms on the floor next to your shoulders. Keeping your back straight, push yourself up until your elbows are locked. Eyes look straight ahead. Tighten your muscles and hold for a second or two, then slowly lower yourself down until your body almost touches the floor. Repeat. Each time up and down counts as 1 repetition. Do as many as you can. Build yourself up to 3 sets of 20 to 25 repetitions.

Be sure to do this movement slowly and flex the muscles at the top of the movement. This will help build your arm muscles, back muscles, shoulders, neck; what a terrific overall exercise!

Triceps Dips

This will tone up and build the triceps, (the back of the arms). Well defined triceps go a long way towards giving you that strong arm look.

A solid workout bench works out best; a chair works, but there's too much chance to topple over. I'll use a bench as an example; you can figure out what works best for you.

The bench is in back of you. Reach back and bend down until you can place your hands on the bench, palms facing back, hands about shoulder width apart. Place your feet in front of you; you'll be leaning on your heels with your toes pointing straight up in the air. Begin to slowly lower your body as far as you can. You'll feel the strain on your triceps. Push yourself back up to the starting position, again, very slowly. That's 1 repetition. Do 3 sets of 10 - 12 repetitions. If you're ambitious and want to really get those triceps to grow, do 3 sets of 25 reps 3 times a week, with your feet resting on a chair.

This is an outstanding exercise! Remember, the secret is slow movements. If you don't feel pumped up after this one, you are doing them wrong.

Bob Blick has written several ebooks on exercise. You can get lots more exercise tips and advice by visiting TudeFitness.com

safety tips for pocket bikes

Safety Tips for Pocket BikesWriten by Ivar Rudi

A pocket bike is a great way to have fun no matter if you are child or an adult. There is a lot of fun to be had when you are driving one of these fun motor vehicles. However you have to make sure that you are practicing great safety measures so that everyone involved is safe and sound while they are driving around on their pocket bike.

Anyone that is on a pocket bike needs to wear a helmet and other protective gear. You should make sure that you are wearing knee and elbow pads as well as eye gear. When you are on a pocket bike, you may find that you want to protect your eyes so that nothing gets in them while you are on the go. You should wear these items not only for your safety but also because it is the law.

Check your pocket bike before each ride. You should carefully go over the bikes frame to make sure that everything is in good working order. You will have to check the tires, the motor and the brakes. These are very important items on your bike and it will be necessary to keep them in good working order. Also check the lights if any and the seat and handle bars to be sure that they are tight and ready for your ride.

When you are riding at night, make sure that you are wearing the proper clothing. Wear bright colored clothes to allow the other drivers around the visibility to see you. You should have some kind of reflective items on your bike as well for even better visibility.

Do not ride alone. When possible ride with another person to ensure safety. You never know when you could break down or get into trouble. It is always better to ride in a pairs no matter what you are doing. A pocket bike ride is no different. Not only for safety but because you will have more fun when you are riding with someone too.

Know your pocket bike. Before you start going out on rides you should get to know your bike. Learn how to position your bike in the right ways so that you are feeling safe and secure. Make sure that you know how to operate the bike in the proper way so that you are practicing safety and fun at the same time. There is no rush and you should take the time to learn as much as you can about your pocket bike so that you are prepared for anything.

Use common sense when you are using your pocket bike. Do not try foolish stunts that could be potentially dangerous. You should keep in mind that this is not a toy and that you should use it in the same way that a car or motorcycle would be used. Safety is always first and you should be aware of the other drivers on the road. You are not out to impress anyone on your pocket bike. These bikes are all about having fun the safe way.

Copyright 2006 - Ivar Rudi. Ivar suggests you find great market for less by shopping online today. For more information and resources about this subject check out: http://www.pocketbikes-guide.com/ and also: http://www.mini-chopper.org/

how to choose the right bike rack for your car

How to Choose the Right Bike Rack for Your CarWriten by Roland Young

Firstly, there are two sources of professional advice you have available to you concerning roof racks. Your cars manufacturing company will often have put together a list of recommended roof-rack models and suppliers, with fitting information and particular concerns that may be relevant. A quality manufacturer should not have a problem with discussing these kinds of things with you, so try giving them call.

Your second source of advice is your local roof-rack shop. A well-established business will offer impartial advice designed to get you and your bikes on the road safely and securely. However, even when taking advice, its good to have some decisions made beforehand, and to be aware of the safety and ergonomic considerations involved in choosing the right rack.

Load - Are you likely to need to carry more bikes in the future? If your family is going to grow, or youre likely to get friends involved in biking and will need to transport more than you do presently, be sure to select a model with a flexible carry-load.

Car Model - Its highly unlikely that youll find one bike rack to fit two cars, so if you have more than one car choose which one you are likely to want to use. If you are not taking it to the bike rack shop, note down all the make and model details and take them with you.

Durability - Spend money based on how long you want it to last, quality racks will last years, but if you only want it for a few one-off trips then buy in the lower price-range.

Positioning - Youve got a few choices (depending on your car make and model) of where to fit the rack. Some areas are common sense, and some add extra functionality or access to your car. Heres a run-down of the different ways a bike rack can be positioned, and details on the pros and cons of each.

Front bumper racks: Not normally recommended, and only suitable for vehicles with a high front-end. If positioned too high they can interfere with drivers vision, and they also collect every single bug you come across on your way down the motorway. You will also need to check that these kinds of racks are acceptable in your area, as they are illegal in some areas and countries.

Roof mounted racks: A secure position which will carry at least 4 bikes, and can take many more depending on your vehicle. The rack can also provide a surface for attaching a roof-box, which can carry luggage, sports equipment and your bikes under cover. This method of carrying can also prevent damage to the bikes with the upright, clamped position. Youll pay slightly more for the benefits of this bike-rack, and may have to use a small ladder to actually get your bikes off and on to the set-up.

Vehicle-rear racks: The most common form of rack used, you can normally carry about 3 bikes, and the rack is attached using straps and metal hooks. Bikes are often very close together, and the use of foam pipe-insulator as a protective wrap is recommended. Bikes must be securely strapped to prevent bounce, and access to the boot is often completely cut off.

Tow ball mount: Installed with a square mounting post inserted into a square pipe bolted to the underside rear of your car these tilt down when empty to allow for tailgates and rear doors. If you want one that can tilt down while loaded, youll need to pay extra for a load-bearing model. You can get 2 to 5 bikes on the bike rack.

Rear ball-hitch racks: This set-up can usually only carry a maximum of 2 bikes due to weight limitations, and usually clamps onto a hitch-ball or bolt through the hitch-ball mounting hole on the bumper or hitch tongue.

On a camper: Some roof-mount racks will adapt to a camper roof, and you can also get ladder-mount racks for the rear. There are some receiver hitch racks that fit in between the back of your vehicle and the front of your camper. A roof mount or ladder-mount would be the best choice. Some people simply strap their bikes to the roof, but you can easily damage the fibreglass so this is not recommended.

Sports car interior: You can get brackets to ensure your bike doesnt shift around when carrying it inside your vehicle, and presuming you have enough room this is a cheaper and safer option (less chances of thieves getting their hands on the bikes).

Its also a great idea to make use of all the magazine and Internet sources out there constantly testing roof rack and roof-bars to find the best option. For example, this article targets the 6 best roof-bars, and this site provides customer reviews of bike-racks.

Overall, the two best choices are the rear bike-rack and the roof-mount. If you know youre only ever going to be transporting bikes, and want to be able to free them quickly and without fuss, a rear hitch rack may well provide the speed and flexibility you need. If you may be wanting to transport luggage, snowboards, skies or other paraphernalia in the future, a set of roof-bars and a roof-box are the best idea. They provide all-weather protection and security for whatever you want to carry, and can be left on the car without making any doors inaccessible. Thule is leading the way with roof-bars and roof-boxes at the moment (although you do pay a little extra for that quality), so take a good look into their models.

And finally, now you have the basics in mind and have likely decided what type of bike-rack you are looking for, find a reliable dealership to ask advice or track down the best deal on the Internet and email them for recommendations and help.

About the Author: The Gearbox is based in Exeter and is a well-established Internet and store-based supplier of roof racks and roof boxes internationally. With equipment for almost every make and model of car, they can provide professional advice on getting the right rack for your vehicle, and offer a free on-site fitting service. You can find them at http://www.roofracks-roofboxes.co.uk or you can email them at info@roofracks-roofboxes.co.uk

how to make exercise fun

How to Make Exercise Fun!Writen by Gabe Mirkin, M.D.

Most people who start a new exercise program drop out within the first two to three months. You are much more likely to continue exercising for the rest of your life if you find an activity that you love. When you are just starting out, it may be hard to visualize how exercise could ever be fun, because now it just seems like plain hard work. But as you get more endurance, meet like-minded people, develop your skills and start to pass a few people instead of always being the last/slowest/least coordinated you will start to see that exercise can be much more than a chore. Here are some tips for making your exercise program more enjoyable:

- ADD MUSIC. That's what many people enjoy most about aerobic dancing or spinning classes. Moving to your favorite sound is much more inspiring than silence. Almost any sport can be done to music. Safety caution: if you add music outdoors with a iPod, radio or CD player, make sure wearing earphones does not interfere with your safety. You should always be able to hear what's going on around you.

- ADD PEOPLE. Find an exercise partner or a class, go to a gym, or join a club. You will find local clubs for almost every major sport or recreational activity. Get involved! You are much more likely to continue your program if it's a sociable time and other people count on your participation.

- GO PLACES. Exercise indoors when you must, but on beautiful days, take your exercise outside and enjoy the scenery at the same time. Use your activity as an excuse to explore your area's parks, monuments, historic spots and natural beauty. Go on a weekend tour or vacation with others in your sport. Or just breathe the fresh air in your back yard.

- BECOME AN EXPERT. Whatever activity you pick, you will enjoy it more if you learn all about it -- the latest fashions and equipment, who's who among the professional and amateur stars and so forth. Search the web for interesting sites; join a discussion forum. Every activity has its enthusiasts and you will be amazed at how friendly and helpful they are.

REWARD YOURSELF. When you finish a particularly vigorous session, get a massage. Sit in a whirlpool or sauna. Go out to (a healthful) lunch with your exercise partner. Set goals and plan special rewards for yourself when you reach them.

Read my Good Food Book FREE, with 100 healthful recipes.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health, and nutrition.

how to maximize bodyweight exercises with the training evolution

How To Maximize Bodyweight Exercises With the Training EvolutionWriten by Joe Driscoll

Its a familiar story. Youve been doing a bodyweight exercise routine, or even weight training, and youve peaked and cant seem to make any more gains. Now youre bored with the routine and thinking of doing what most do when faced with this dilemma, quitting.

Before you do that, let me introduce you to the secrets of the training evolution, and how you can use it to make incredible gains in your training.

Nearly all traditional exercise is one-dimensional, this is true for bodyweight exercises as well as weight training. Even in an exercise that appears to have a lot of movement, youre rooted to the ground in a stable atmosphere, such as the pushup.

With pushups, the movement is all up and down, and this is true for the:

1 Arms

2 Shoulders

3 Hips

What normally happens is when you peak is this type of exercise, your body has learned and adapted to the motion completely, but this motion is really nothing like the challenges you are faced with in everyday life, even in something as simple as walking. Life isnt balanced, so training shouldnt be.

If you were to plug the pushup into a training evolution, it would look like this:

1 The basic pushup

2 Pushup, feet on stability ball

3 Pushup, feet on stability ball, hands on balance disks

This pushup example is a very simple example. The training evolution for many exercises can sometimes contain up to 15 or more stages.

By exercising in this manner, you continue to force the body to adapt and dont allow it to peak and become stagnant. Not only that, but by using the stability ball and balance disks you are now exercising in unstable atmospheres. Doing this will get the smaller micro-muscles of the spine engaged. These muscles can be referred to as the athleticism muscles and will increase your:

1 Quickness

2 Reactions

3 Strength

4 And much, much more...

In this manner of exercising, its most important not to rush the training evolution. Only go to the next stage when youre ready. Youll know when youre ready when a stage becomes easy and is no longer challenging.

About the Author: Joe Driscoll is a former Martial Arts world champion and the author of Conditioning and Beyond and several other books on fitness, conditioning and Martial Arts Training. Find out more about Joe and his training concepts at http://www.FightingShape.com

3 great weight loss exercises

3 Great Weight Loss ExercisesWriten by David Olsen

Its a given that effective weight loss is much more then simply going on a diet. To really lose weight and (hopefully) keep that weight off, you need to add exercise to the equation. For Most people, weight loss exercise means aerobics running, jogging, kickboxing or some other type of routine where you get your heart racing for 30 to 45 minutes.

Its true, that one hour of aerobic exercise probably burns more calories than one hour of weight training. However, the calories burned during exercise are only part of the story. When youre finished lifting weights, your muscles need repair themselves; this repair process burns additional calories. Further, the result of this repair process is additional muscle mass, and guess what --muscles burn calories, even if youre just sitting around. Recently, Curves Fitness centers revealed the results of two separate studies that prove just that. The studies showed that participants were actually burning, on average, an additional 265 calories per day, because of the additional muscle mass. Meaning they could actually eat more everyday without gaining weight!

Want to really pack some muscle on? Try adding these three exercises to your fitness routine. All three are compound exercises meaning they work multiple muscles simultaneously.

The Squat: One of the toughest exercises you can do, the squat, as its name implies, involves squatting down to an almost sitting position, then pushing yourself back up. Squats can be performed with or without added weights. Simply stated, the squat packs muscle on your lower body, muscle that will be burning calories for you, even while you sleep.

The Deadlift: Another great lower body exercise that also hits your shoulders and arms. Using a barbell, you start in an almost kneeling position, keeping your spine straight. You grip the weight(s) about shoulder width apart, then slowly push up until youre standing with the weight at about waist level. After a momentary pause, you slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

The Bench Press: Here we work the upper body, especially the chest and shoulders. This exercise can be performed using either a barbell or dumb bells. You start by lying on a bench, grip the weights at about shoulder width, press up until just before your arms lock, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

All three of these great exercises have multiple variations; beginners should start with very low weight and practice the exercise to get proper form. Better yet, invest in an hours worth of personal trainer time and have him/her get you started and help you develop an ongoing plan.

David Olsen is the founder of 40Something Fitness, the website that helps you defy middle-age. Visit us for more muscle and fitness articles today.

exercise the right way dumbbell lunges

Exercise The Right Way - Dumbbell LungesWriten by Richard Mitchell

Other articles in this series looked at a number of exercises, mainly from the perspective of developing a comprehensive muscle building program. Sometimes we take things for granted, especially when it comes to performing the basic exercises that constitute the core of most bodybuilders' training regimes.

It is useful, therefore, to describe in detail the processes involved in actually doing these exercises. This will help beginners to start out using the correct techniques before moving on to potentially more dangerous heavy weights. If it also helps more experienced lifters to redress some of the little faults that have almost imperceptibly crept in over the years, all the better.

In this article we'll take a close look at dumbbell lunges.

MUSCLES TARGETED: quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings

STARTING POSITION

Stand with feet flat and placed less than shoulder width with toes pointed slightly outward.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the hands facing inwards.

EXERCISE TECHNIQUE

Step forward, keeping the back straight.

Bend the knee of the lead leg until it reaches a 90 degree angle. The knee of your back leg should be roughly two or three inches off the ground at this point.

Push forcefully with your lead leg and return to the starting position.

Repeat the exercise with your other leg and continue to alternate until you reach the intended number of repetitions.

You should note that varying the length of the step will change the emphasis of this exercise. A longer step will place greater emphasis on the hamstring and gluteal muscles. A shorter step will place greater emphasis on the quadriceps muscles.

OTHER EXERCISES WORTH CONSIDERING

A similar effect can be achieved by performing Barbell Lunges.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Exercises to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

exercise and children what you should know

Exercise and Children, What You Should KnowWriten by Jim O'Neill

Your child of lets say eight years old tells you he or she wants to start exercising and that he or she wants to start lifting weights. Now you might want to know if this is really a good idea, if it is safe and if it will benefit your child or if it is not something that is recommended for children to do.

The long and short of it is, yes, it is beneficial to your child to partake in a weight training program but here are some things to keep in mind when getting your child into a weight training program.

Children are not miniature adults and so you cannot use the same methods on growing children as you can with adults as children are different from adults anatomically, physiologically and emotionally. Children have immature skeletons. Their bones do not mature until age 14 to 22 years old. In girls, exercise during childhood can have critical effects on bone health that can last for their whole lives.

Children are often vulnerable to growth related overuse injuries such as Osgood schlatter's disease. Children have immature temperature regulation systems due to having a large surface area compared to their muscle mass which makes them more susceptible to injury when not properly warmed up.

Children do not sweat as much as adults so they are also more susceptible to heat exhaustion as well as heat stroke. Their low muscle mass and immature hormone system makes it harder for them to develop strength and speed and their breathing and heart responses during exercise are different from an adult's which affects their capacity for exercise.

Now, boys and girls can greatly improve their strength with weight training but as opposed to adults, neurological factors instead of muscle growth factors are mostly responsible for these gains. When considering a program for a child, medical clearance should be obtained first and foremost. The best first approach for designing a program is to establish a repetition range of 8 to 12 and keep the work load appropriate for that range.

Workouts should be spread out to have at least 1 to 2 full days of rest between each workout and the main focus on every exercise performed should be on form and technique, not on weight lifted. Some guidelines to consider are: warm-up and stretching should be done before weight training. Start with light loads and make appropriate adjustments from there. No more than 3 non-consecutive exercise sessions should be done in a week and see that they drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise.

Always remember that if at anytime your child is sick, has an injury of any kind or seems tired or non-energetic, do not have them exercise until you are sure they are better or until they have seen a doctor and have clearance from them.

Jim O'Neill gives you tons of valuable information on the subjects of weight loss, fitness, and nutrition to make it easy for you to live a healthy lifestyle. Sign up now for his free 7 part mini e-course at: http://www.mrgymfitness.com/minicourse.php

a 30 minute lean body exercise program

A 30 Minute Lean Body Exercise ProgramWriten by Ben Greenfield

So you can make it to the gym almost every daybut you just dont have the time when youre there. To really get optimum fat-burning and lean-muscle-building results, you have to devote at least an hour every time you show up, right? Not necessarily - with the following program, you can achieve great results with just a half-hour workout. This program is perfectly designed for the individual who can easily devote 30 minutes a day to exercise no more, no less. The goal of this workout program is a lean body with impressive muscular tone.

The workout is based on a recovery concept. Your body actually responds to a
workout during the rest and recovery period following exercise. It is during this time
that the muscle rebuilding and repairing response takes place, as well as the
cardiovascular adaptations that boost the metabolism and allow your body to more
efficiently use oxygen and maintain fitness. By using a push-pull cycle combined
with a light-heavy pattern, this workout allows for optimal recovery and maximum
results.

Each lifting day is completed as a circuit, moving from one exercise to the next with
minimal rest. Every circuit is completed a total of five times. Five sets, which may
seem high for volume, will fatigue the muscle to a much greater extent than fewer
sets, which is one of the reasons this routine achieves results with a relatively small
number of exercises. To allow for good lifting form, a 45-60 second rest is
recommended after each circuit. Your heart rate will stay very high during this
routine.

For the cardio on lifting days, attempt to maintain as difficult an effort as possible
for 10 minutes. Several examples would be a hard run on the treadmill, sprint or hill
climb on the bike, or fast feet combined with high resistance on the elliptical
trainer. On the days that incorporate 30 minutes of high intensity cardio intervals,
use a 1:2 work/rest ratio, which means you push at a very hard effort for a certain
period of time, then recover at an easier effort for half the time of the hard effort.
For instance, perform a treadmill sprint for 2 minutes, and slow to a jog for 1
minute. As long as you go for 30 minutes, you may adjust the length of your cardio
intervals as desired. Typically, the longest interval you should complete is 5 minutes
long (which would be paired with a 2.5 minute recovery effort). Warm-up/cool-
down is recommended, but not completely necessary.

For the purposes of this workout, the core abdominal routine is treated as an
entirely different movement, since it is difficult to classify torso work as pushing or
pulling. Instead, abdominal work is divided into upper, lower, and rotational torso
routines, retained the 5 set theme and spaced with optimal 48 hour recovery
periods between each workout.

The entire program is completely outlined on the next page

Day 1 Heavy Pull + Upper Abs: (begin with 10 minutes high intensity cardio)

Complete 5x circuits
Barbell Clean or Bent Row 8 reps heavy weight
Pull-Up 8 reps heavy weight
Barbell Deadlift 8 reps heavy weight

Upper Abs 5 sets incline crunch with medicine ball

Day 2 Light Push: (begin with 10 minutes high intensity cardio)

Dumbbell Chest Press 10 reps medium weight
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 10 reps medium weight
Barbell Back Squat 10 reps medium weight

Day 3 30 High Intensity Cardio Intervals with 1:2 work/rest ratio

Lower Abs 5 sets hanging leg raises

Day 4 Heavy Push: (begin with 10 minutes high intensity cardio)

Incline Chest Press 8 reps heavy weight
Barbell Push Press 8 reps heavy weight
Dumbbell Walking Lunge 8 reps each leg heavy weight

Day 5 Light Pull: (begin with 10 minutes high intensity cardio)

Lat Pulldowns or Light Pull-ups 10 reps medium weight
Seated Row or Standing Narrow Grip Row 10 reps medium weight
Low Back Extensions or Leg Curls 10 reps medium weight

Rotational Abs 5 sets cable torso twist to each side

Day 6 - 30 High Intensity Cardio Intervals with 1:2 work/rest ratio

Day 7 Rest or 30 Cardio with 1:2 work/rest ratio

Like any new exercise routine, your body will adapt to a different workout within
4-8 weeks, so make sure to continually change your choice of exercises, and do not
simply rely on the exercises provided in this article. If you enjoy this routine, you
may be interested in similar workouts that a personal trainer can provide. Be sure to
check out the online personal training website Pacific Elite Fitness at
www.pacificfit.net. Remember the fastest, most easily maintained results occur
with an exercise program that is tailored to your personal health and exercise
history. Working with a personal trainer is the best way to get fit, and scheduling is
flexible, inexpensive, and easy with online personal training solutions, so try it out!

Personal trainer and fitness coach Ben Greenfield runs the online training website
Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Sport Science and
Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and
Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning
Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained
professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of
individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online
personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net or visit
http://www.pacificfit.net

how to stay motivated and stick to your exercise program

How to Stay Motivated and Stick to Your Exercise ProgramWriten by Jonna Reynolds

Ask the Coach: Tips on Sticking to Exercise

Q: I want to start exercising again, but everytime I start I end up dropping out for one reason or another. How can I get motivated and stick to it this time?

A: Its hard to start again if you feel like you are bound to fail. Take the time to review what was right and what was wrong with your approach last time. Try to learn from your mistakes. For example:

Did you do too much too quickly? Pace yourself. Start small and build up to more intense workouts later, when your body is ready. It's not very motivating to be in pain after your first work out. Remember, any activity you're doing now is more than you were doing before.

Were your goals realistic? Don't promise yourself you're going to work out for an hour every day, and then get down on yourself when you fall short. Set goals that you know you can achieve and slowly increase as you are successful.

Did you make it a priority? If you are not used to exercising, your life will not just MAKE time for it. You will need to make it a priority. Schedule time for it just like you would with another commitment. Exercising at a set schedule (day & time) will help you to develop a habit more quickly.

Were you clear on WHY you want to exercise? When we choose to change a behavior for an unclear or short term goal, we tend to drop out. It is important to have a real clear vision of why you are doing this. You know that there will be times that you don't feel like exercising. This reason or vision will need to be strong enough to get you through those times.

Remember: You can do it! You can't see it when you lower your cholesterol or reduce your risk of diabetes, but that doesn't mean you aren't doing yourself a great favor! A longer, healthier life is definitely worth the exercise.

Jonna Reynolds, of Evolve Weight Loss Coaching, works with clients to discover the root of their weight loss challenges by combining her expertise in exercise physiology, nutrition, behavioral psychology and life coaching techniques. To learn more about Evolve or sign up for free monthly tips, visit http://www.evolve4life.com or call (480)248-2428

antiaging nutritional products and exercise help maintain good health

AntiAging Nutritional Products and Exercise Help Maintain Good HealthWriten by Terry Price

Scientists have overwhelmingly concluded that exercise, whether it is daily or every second or third day, is a critical lifelong discipline that people should adopt to prevent coronary heart disease and other serious physical ailments later in life. There are many antiaging practices that you can adopt on a daily basis that will help you to live a productive, happy, disease-free life, and exercise certainly contributes. According to a recent Scottish study that was reported in a recent edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, a single session of exercise improves the level of healthy blood vessels and reduces unhealthy lipid levels in men.

Exercise is only one component among a variety of daily disciplines required to maintain good overall health. As we age, our skin sags, and sometimes we are afflicted with disease later in life. Finding a good anti aging supplement, eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables, and anti aging nutritional products go a long way to maintaining your good health.

This Scottish group studied 20 middle-aged male subjects, ten who were lean and 10 who were obese. They measured blood lipid levels and the reactivity of blood vessels after a fatty meal twice in each subject, a week or two part. In the two groups of men studied, in the afternoon before the measurements were taken on each subject, they walked on a treadmill for 90 minutes, they did no exercise the day before the other test. Triglyceride blood levels improved by 25% in both groups of subjects, and it also improve blood vessel function by 25%! The study also concluded that when a fatty meal was consumed it increased the triglyceride levels and worsened blood function in all of the subjects. However, the negative effects of this dietary intake was significantly blunted by the input of exercise the day before. Regardless of what anti aging supplement, or lifestyle you choose for yourself, exercise is very important.

Terry Price is an expert author and a regular contributor to: http://www.antiaging-supplement-products.com/anti-aging-nutritional-products.html : If you are looking for an extreme home spa pedicure in minutes, then the power exfoliator is for you! http://www.antiaging-supplement-products.com/131-power-exfoliator.html

abdominal exercises for beginning bodybuilders

Abdominal Exercises For Beginning Bodybuilders.Writen by Richard Mitchell

The abdomen contains the muscles that most beginners struggle with because they take a long time to develop and need a low level of body fat to be seen. The abdominal muscle group consists of three main muscles:

1. Rectus abdominis - commonly known as the abs, this is a large flat muscle wall that runs from the lower chest to the pubic bone.

2. Obliquus abdominis - commonly known as the obliques, this muscle runs diagonally along the side of the mid-section from the lower ribcage to the pubic area. The internal obliques lie underneath the external obliques.

3. Transversus abdominis - this is a thin strip of muscle that runs horizontally across the abdomen.

You can target these muscles effectively by performing the following exercises:

1. Crunches - 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the upper abs.

2. Pelvic tilts - 3 sets of 15-20 reps.This exercise will target the lower portion of the abdomen below the navel.

3. Side bends - 3 sets of 15-20 reps. This exercise will work the obliques.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your abdominal exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

Richard Mitchell is the creator of the bodybuildingadvisor.com website that provides guidance and information to athletes at all levels of bodybuilding experience. Go to Bodybuilding Advice to learn more about the issues covered in this article.

the danger of new tires on highperformance motorcycle race bikes

The Danger of New Tires on High-Performance Motorcycle Race BikesWriten by Lance Winslow

If you own a race bike you need to be very careful with your bike when you put on a new set of tires. It pays to ride them and wear them in before you get too nuts and by wearing them in, I mean the sides too.

In other words you need to do some low speed turns with the bike low to the ground a scraping the pegs before you go out and burn thru the canyon at race speeds or do any high speed turns on the street. Why? Well because new tires do not grip as well and a little bit of oil on the ground, some highway markings or debris on the canyon road can cause you to lose control.

If you lose the front in you will dump the bike, high side or send your butt flying head first. If you lose the back end you might be able to recover and if not you bought yourself some more high-tech plastic and please do tell me you have never been down before. We are all grown up here. We know that there are two types of riders; those who have crashed and those who will. So, lets cut the crap right now.

Look your last spill cost you some money didnt it and you felt somewhat stupid didnt you? Well, then to prevent a spill from the Danger of New Tires on your High-Performance Motorcycle Race Bike, get those tires broken in before you go bonsai on the next ride, alright, deal?

Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

exercise and too much water

Exercise and Too Much WaterWriten by Tom Manfredi

We are constantly reading articles and hearing in the news about drinking plenty of water to stay healthy. In fact, many of us dont drink enough water. It is recommended that the average person drink at least eight - 8 ounce glasses of water (64 ounces) per day to stay properly hydrated. One of the easiest ways to make sure you do this is to fill a large container (like an empty one gallon milk jug) with the amount of water you want to drink for the day and make sure you finish it by days end. Half a gallon equals 64 ounces, so filling a one gallon jug at least way will help you meet your minimum daily goal.

But remember, you can get too much of a good thing. Believe it or not, there is actually such a thing as drinking too much water. When you drink too much water, it can reduce the level of sodium in your body. This condition is called hyponatremia. This situation usually arises when people drink too much water during heavy, prolonged exercise like a marathon or long, extremely strenuous hike. This phenomenon has been found in Grand Canyon hikers and Boston marathon racers.

What happens is that an exerciser takes in large amounts of plain water and sweats out a lot of fluid that contains sodium and other electrolytes needed in the body. In extreme cases this can cause a dangerous electrolyte imbalance. When that happens, water enters the bodys cells, which causes them to swell. If swollen, brain cells start pressing against the skull. The result can be brain damage, paralysis, coma, and sometimes death.

This problem can also happen in people who are taking medications for hypertension (high blood pressure) or in people who suffer from hypothyroidism (under active thyroid). This happens because both of these situations can increase sodium loss.

So, make sure you drink plenty of water, but keep in mind that too much of a good thing can sometimes cause problems.

*******************

Online fitness coach Tom Manfredi is the creator of the site fitness-after-50. He has a master's degree in exercise physiology and over 20 years of practical exercise experience.




This site is designed with the mature adult in mind. There is a lot of information available on the site for anyone looking to start or restart a sensible exercise program. Learn more by going to fitness-after-50.com

blood doping for boosting exercise performance

Blood Doping for Boosting Exercise PerformanceWriten by David Petersen

As with any athletic event focusing on the extremes of human exercise performance, the Winter Olympics have allowed the ugly head of cheating in sport to rise again. Recently, police raided the Austrian ski teams residences in Torino on suspicion of blood doping to improve athletic performance. What is blood doping anyway and how does it improve athletic performance? This article provides some basic information on blood doping, explains the mechanisms for its ability to greatly improve exercise performance and provides pros and cons for its use.

Doping in sports

Although the word hints at a relationship, doping actually has nothing to do with dope (the street word for marijuana). If this were the case, it may be that snowboarders would be under investigation instead of skiers!

Doping for exercise performance improvement refers specifically to lood doping - a means of cheating by artificially boosting red blood cell counts.

The doping procedure works like this:

A doctor draws up to 4 units (about 4 pints) of blood from the athlete's body - essentially making him/her anemic (low blood cell count)

The withdrawn blood is then centrifuged (spun very quickly) to separate the red blood cells (RBCs) from the other main component of blood plasma.

The athletes RBCs are stored under refrigerated conditions (the shelf life of RBCs is about 40 days)

The anemic condition stimulates the athlete's body to increase production and release of a hormone called EPO (erythropoietin)

EPO stimulates the replenishing of the lost RBCs

The athlete is given about 4 weeks to fully replenish their RBC count to pre-drawing levels

The athletes stored RBCs are then re-infused into the athletes body, boosting the RBC level higher

Why do athletes participate in blood doping and what is the logic behind it?

Quite simply - blood doping can quite significantly improve performance in long duration, endurance-type exercise such as cross-country skiing, skating and running.

The logic for its use it to boost the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood above normal levels providing more oxygen to the working muscles - allowing for a greater power output and a decreased susceptibility to fatigue.

RBCs contain a protein called hemoglobin the primary transporter of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body including the working muscles. So if you boost the number of RBCs you also boost the amount of available hemoglobin to bind and deliver oxygen.

The pros to blood doping use:

It is highly effective and is estimated to improve endurance exercise performance at the elite level by about 4%

It boosts VO2 max (maximal oxygen uptake) and reduces lactate buildup

The ergogenic (exercise performance boosting) effect with blood doping is immediate, making it ideal for a pre-main event performance - making pre-event detection more difficult

It may be easier to regulate hematocrit (percent composition RBCs of total blood volume) a tightly regulated ceiling is placed on this value and is used for detection of both blood doping (and EPO use)

It probably decreases the perception of effort during exercise allowing for improved performance

The cons to blood doping use:

The blood doping process is quite laborious and quite severely decreases the training capacity of the athlete in the first few weeks after blood donation as the athlete is essentially anemic and cannot exercise as hard.

1. Health risks

With the increase in hematocrit the heart needs to work much harder to pump the higher viscosity blood - increasing the risk of overload damage to the heart such as myocardial infarct (heart attack)

There is an increased risk of developing life-threatening blood clots (stroke, heart attack, lung clot)

Blood doping involves transfusion using needles and sometimes donor blood, so there is a greater risk of infections such as hepatitis A and B and even AIDS

Since the athletes RBCs are externally stored, there is a greater risk to the athlete if this has been done incorrectly (e.g. storage at the incorrect temperature, tampering, confusion/mislabeling)

2. Status risks

Detection of the use of blood doping may defile the athletes reputation

Detection may result in him or her being banned from competition, as sport regulating agencies such as the IOC and several cycling governing bodies strictly forbid it.

Actually, blood doping in sports has become less popular recently due to the increased availability of recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) which as explained in an article on this website produces exactly the same effect as blood doping but is easier, less riskier and more effective (boosts endurance performance by about 6%).

In conclusion, this article has shown that although blood doping and rEPO may quite significantly boost endurance exercise performance, it carries with it risks to the athletes health and status. It is unfortunate, but with increases in modern technology and molecular biology, it is likely that even these forms of cheating will someday be replaced with safer and less detectable methods.

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles, information and exercise video clips can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.

get some exercise

Get Some ExerciseWriten by Chris Biggs

Once you have been diagnosed with diabetes, the first thing you here from your doctor is to get some exercise. Pretty soon everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and pointing out to you just how important it is to get some exercise. I know, I suffer Type 2 diabetes, but I have learnt how to control the disease, and getting exercise is an important part of that control. At first you think how can I possibly exercise, it was probably this mindset, and lack of exercise, that brought on the disease. You are probably well overweight, a major contributor to the disease, and the feelings of apprehension set in, how can I possibly exercise.

While you may be thinking thats easier said than done, you may be surprised to learn that exercise isnt necessarily about no pain no gain. Regular physical activity can become an enjoyable part of your day with long term benefits to your diabetes and your overall health. You will even lose weight. It is as important to a diabetic as is giving up smoking. Regular physical activity is certainly worth the effort with the following benefits.

For the person with diabetes

Improves the bodys response to insulin.

Can therefore lower glucose levels.

Lowers blood pressure and improves cholesterol levels.

Reduces the risk of heart disease.

Lose Weight.

Other benefits and positives

Reduces stress and tension.

Increases energy levels

Strengthens bone structure.

Improves mental outlook.

Increases fitness levels.

Improves sleeping habits

It is recommended that you aim to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing some form of moderate intensity physical activity. Moderate intensity physical activity means you will notice your heart rate increase, and you may have a light sweat. If you are not breathing more quickly than usual, it is not helping. If on the other hand you are gasping and unable to talk, you are overdoing it. If you are trying to lose weight, 30 minutes may not be enough, but it is an excellent place to start. Also, read everything you can on the subject of diabetes information and I can suggest http://www.health4diabetes.com is a great resource.

My form of activity was walking and playing tennis and golf. Initially I started on flat walks of 25 30 minutes, and then once fit boosted it to about 45 minutes walking more quickly, and took to the hills. I am lucky to have both flat and hill sectors in my neighbourhood. I have lost 8 Kg (17.5lb), feel fit and strong, and currently have the diabetes under control. I know I cant cure the disease, but I can live with it and not have to suffer.

You have just been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and told to get some exercise. You are unfit and overweight. Where do you start. The writer is a diabetic well experienced in this dilemma.
http://www.health4diabetes.com