Fitness For Good Health

Factors That Put Your Life in Peril:

These days, topics related to health have gained much momentum than before. Technology, industrialization, urbanization, deforestation, malnutrition, population growth, etc., have their lethal effects on health if not checked properly. The rate with which mankind is progressing for a better future has some underlying adverse effects, which upon years of negligence will lead to an irrevocable loss, i.e., life. So, the maintenance of good health whilst facing present-day challenges is mind-boggling. However, there are few factors which will ensure a good health if ever they are followed. In the discussion to follow, all the useful tips for a healthy life are discussed at great length for your convenience. Follow them and stay fit!
What's Your Definition of Good Health?

It is very important to have an idea as to what constitutes a good health. Many have varied opinions and beliefs on this topic, but they certainly fail to understand the important essence of being healthy. Being healthy means a positive balance of body, mind and soul, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. So, the next time when you say you're completely healthy then make sure you are mentally, physically and socially sound.
Now that we know the definition of good health, the next step will be to find out ways to keep up good health. Good health combined by happiness will bring the quality of life. In order to attain good health one needs fitness in their regular life. Fitness directly correlates with one's health.
Purpose of Fitness:
The purpose of fitness is to give you a better and happy living. Fitness is a measure of a set of attributes that helps a person to carry out physical activities. It can be strength, flexibility, endurance, etc., that will be determined by a combination of regular activity and genetically inherited ability. Many think activities such as gym, swimming, sports and aerobics will make them fully fit. Though this notion holds sway, the effective way of gaining fitness is to do some activity that you really like and with all possibility stick to it.
It is not suggestible to do heavy regimens in the beginning of your fitness routine. This will only cause you to lose interest as it may leave you sore or weak. The best exercise to begin with is walking everyday. It will put all of your body parts to work, thereby, stimulating your hormone generation. The end result would be a complete fit body. In addition, take more fruits, dairy products, leafy vegetables and try to avoid cholesterol rich products. A healthy diet complied by perfect exercise will ensure 100% fitness.

As a fitness freak, I feel today's mechanized life has necessitated us to stick on healthy diet and sweat out for a while. You don't have to burn money on weight loss programs or on pricey fitness centres. A simple exercise like walking daily will do enough to keep you fit. In my further articles, I will unleash more regimens to attain perfection in your body.

Short Historical View of Asian Martial Arts

"The Ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant." Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957)

Asian Martial Arts are practiced for many reasons, including self-defense, sport, and as a mind-body exercise. If practiced properly, the martial arts are an excellent exercise,

as well as artistic expression. Some students enjoy severe training as a type of ascetic discipline, sublimation, and other train for just pure excitement. However, some arts have a greater risk of injury and would not be considered suitable as a health promotion exercise.

Most countries practice martial arts, either indigenous or borrowed. Most of the popular Asian martial arts that are practiced in the West can be traced to originally to Japan, Korea, China,

and India. The martial arts have evolved into the variations commonly seen today across the USA and Canada, in mini-malls and schools. Traditional arts, if practiced correctly and regularly, will improve the fitness of the exerciser.

There are some arts that are purely for sport or self defense and may not be suitable for health promotion.

Arts of India and China

India has a long history of martial arts. Indian epic religious texts such as the Mahabarata discuss martial skill. Stick fighting and hand-to-hand combat--e.g., Kalarippayat and wrestling--are true Indian arts. Some martial artists believe that the arts of India were transported to China.

Indian medicine and training methods also were taken to Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. Then they were combined with indigenous martial arts and medicine. There are also Greek and Persian technological, religious, medical, and philosophical influences on Chinese and Indian culture, and vice versa. For example, in 688 BCE the martial art of pankration was practiced in Greece.

Martial arts were practiced in pre-Buddhist India. Today there are hundreds of styles of martial arts practiced in China differing by region and clan. It is a popular myth that kung-fu exercises were brought by the Buddhist Monk Bodhidharma (Chinese:

 Tamo or Damo, Japanese: Dharuma) from India to the already existing Shaolin (Small Forest) Monastery in China. The first Buddhist temple in China was actually the White Horse Temple (68 AD). The arts were practiced in China hundreds of years prior to Bodhidharma's arrival.

"Bodhi" means awakened or enlightened. Bodhi also refers to the Bo Tree, a Banyan tree called the Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) that the Buddha was said to meditate under the bodhi tree and achieve enlightenment. The monks at that temple practiced what is called Ch'an Buddhism. In Ch'an

Buddhism, the focus was on meditation and direct experience of cosmic consciousness. Ch'an became what we know as Zen in Japan. The monks were said to be in poor health and weak when Bodhidharma arrived, so he taught them exercises to improve their health and fitness. There is a great deal of controversy over what these exercises were,

and there is no clear history as to when they were brought to the monastery, but most likely they were similar to physical yoga methods. There are hundreds of variations and, though usually practiced within the martial arts, they are also excellent as exercise methods.

The martial arts developed within the Shaolin monastery are called Shaolin ch'üan. Ch'üan (Quan) means fist--punching, or boxing in Chinese--and was the forerunner to the modern "hard style" kung-fu known as Wei Chia Ch'üan (Weijiaquan)--the"External Family Arts".

They are called "external" or "outside" arts because they came from India. The temple was disbanded and monks were purged several times during Chinese history; the last time was during the communist "Cultural Revolution" from 1966 to 1976. There are other "hard" styles, which are regional and classified by the area name. Regional versions include O'mei (Emei, Ermei), T'ai Shan, and Wu Tang (Wudang) styles. There are modern forms and traditional forms from each region.

The "Internal Family Arts," Nei Chia Ch'üan (Neijiaquan) are commonly thought to be based on Chinese philosophy, in contrast to the "Outside" Buddhist based art of Shaolin. The arts of t'ai-chi ch'üan, pa-kua chang, and hsing-i ch'üan were classified as Nei Chia Ch'üan,

 "Internal Family Arts," in 1894 by an association of several famous masters. In 1928, the three arts were called Wu Tang ch'üan (Wudang quan) by the Central Martial Arts Academy in Nanking. Wu Tang was the Taoist area and these arts came to be associated with Taoist philosophy.

 Wu Tang region has its own versions of martial arts that may have had no direct connection to the Nei Chia group. They were called Internal Arts or Wu Tang arts to contrast them with the Shaolin arts, due to philosophical and training differences. T'ai-chi ch'üan (taijiquan) is the most popular of the Chinese Internal Arts for health promotion.

Running Is Fun!

Well... for some of us it is. I really enjoy running but I know lots of people enjoy it the most once they have finished. I used to be like that too.

When I was younger and played football and cricket and basketball... in fact any sport that was on offer at school or in my local teams. I used to hate the training part of it.

 And especially running. I loved the running around during a game but the actual training and all the running you had to do to get fit for it was something I really did not like doing.

Fast forward some 20 or 30 years and I love running, can't get enough of it in fact. Running is fun to me. I know Joy likes finishing and the good feeling once you cross that line or finish that 5 k's or whatever particular type of running we do, but the actual act of running she is not all that thrilled about.

How can you make running fun?

You really can make running fun. If you are always running on your own it is hard work and not much fun at all. However if you join a running group or start entering fun runs and running with lots of other people it can be one of the best things you will ever do.

I entered my first fun run some 12 years ago now down in Melbourne. It was the Olympic Dream 10 K Run and I absolutely loved it.

The thrill of starting a run with some 10,000 other crazy runners and walkers like yourself is a real adrenalin rush and when you cross the finish line the sense of achievement you feel is real, emotional and so very exciting.

I have entered many events since and having met my partner Joy back in 2008, she is slowly getting into the addiction that comes with fun runs. I remember her first run over 5 k's when we were still living in Melbourne.

As she was approaching the finish line the announcer called out over the P.A "And now we have Joy Reynolds about to finish and cross the line. Well done, Joy!" The crowd cheered her home.

She certainly felt that thrill of crossing the line and finishing and although she was totally exhausted she loved the whole experience.

As I mentioned earlier many people don't like the actual running aspect of running but they love the sense of accomplishment.

We both run 5 k's every Saturday morning now in the Main Beach Parkrun. Parkruns are held all over the world. http://www.parkrun.com.au This is an event that is free to enter and was first started back in 2004 in Bushy Park, Teddington in England.

It has grown enormously since then. It is open to anyone of any age and any running or walking level.

And thanks to a fantastic volunteer program all the events are timed and free. I highly recommend getting involved or even starting your own Parkrun. Like I said, running is fun, at least it certainly can be.

There are literally thousands of fun runs held all around the world each year. Many charity runs and many just pure and simple for fun.

Why not get the kids (Great fun pushing a pram around a course!) the parents, friends or work mates and go and enter your first fun run? Parkruns are free and really are FUN! Once you do your first I have no doubt you will agree with me, RUNNING IS FUN!
 

Kevin McNamara is a motivational speaker, author. educator and Life Coach. He is rising to National prominence by delivering inspiring messages that encourage people to live up to their full potential by breaking the cycles of procrastination,

hopelessness and despair that many face daily through grief and depression. Kevin lost his daughter, Holly, to SIDS at 5 months of age and devotes his life now to helping others.

Kevin has a mission to help everyone he meets find their true calling in life and move from a place of mediocrity to GREATNESS!

Why High Intensity Interval Training Is Better Than Steady State Cardiovascular Training

Endurance training helps develop a stronger cardiovascular system, including heart, muscles, lungs and blood vessels, and can add years to your life.

 Cardiovascular endurance also enhances your heart's ability to control the oxygen flow to all of your muscles, improving your overall workout efficiency. You should aim for 30 minutes of daily activity for improved endurance performance.

Since the heart is a muscle, it can be strengthened just like the other muscles in your body. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of daily physical activity.

Just 30 minutes per day can improve your endurance, give you stronger muscles, better sleep and reduced stress levels!

Some examples of steady State endurance exercises (SSCT) include running, walking, swimming, bicycling, dancing, but any sport or exercise that can be performed for longer periods of time to get the heart pumping is considered SSCT.

There is a better alternative though. High intensity interval training (HIIT).
HIIT can boost athletic performance, improve the health of recreational exercisers, and provide the benefits of SSCT in less time and fewer workouts!

SSCT is considered aerobic exercise (running, biking, rowing, swimming, etc.) for greater than 20 min. HIIT is considered a short amount of time exercising at maximum intensity followed by short rest.

Timing varies from method to method, but it usually follows a 2:1 ratio of intense exercise to rest. For example, Tabata (a form of HIIT) is 8 rounds of 20 seconds of intense exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.

Both methods increase stroke volume (amount of blood pumped per heart beat), heart contractility (force of each contraction), and left ventricle heart mass. Both of these variables increase blood flow and the amount of O2 supplied to your muscles. But HIIT:

• Improves stroke volume better than SSCT
• Improves VO2 Max more effectively, which is important for fighting heart disease
During aerobic exercise, mitochondria (energy factory of a cell) use O2 to manufacture adenosine triphosphate (ATP- the energy source of a cell) through the breakdown of carbs and fat. As mitochondrial density increases,

more energy becomes available to working muscles. HIIT leads to an increase in mitochondrial oxidative enzymes; thus, making your body more effective at breaking down carbs and fat for fuel.

HIIT also has greater excess post exercise O2 consumption (EPOC) after exercise sessions than does SSCT. O2 consumption (and thus caloric expenditure) remains elevated as working muscle cells restore physiological and metabolic factors in the cell to pre-exercise levels.

Join A Pregnancy Fitness Class - Becoming Healthy and Prepared

Ask any pregnant woman what worries she has with her pregnancy and she will likely scroll off a long list. Her concerns will range from maintaining a healthy weight gain to even knowing the right time to push; the list goes on and on.

If you are amongst the majority of would-be moms that are not what you call gym buff and fitness rat, then this would probably be the best time to be concerned about your fitness.

 After all, what you do to your body not only affects yourself but mainly the life inside your womb. It is important to stay fit and active all throughout the 9 months of pregnancy. Exercise is encouraged, but should be taken with great care and moderation.

For most pregnant women, especially for first-time moms to be, scouting to find useful information regarding daily health up to things to do on the big day is inevitable. But if you want to be the most prepared mom in the debut of your precious little angel, then attending pregnancy fitness classes may claim to address all your concerns.

As your pregnancy progresses, it would be safer for both you and your baby if you can enroll in pregnancy fitness classes. These classes not only strengthen and tone your muscles in preparation for your big day but it also allows you to be in a crowd of pregnant women. This way, you can socialize and share each of your experiences and get advices from one another.

Pregnancy fitness classes nowadays are composed of highly trained fitness professionals all geared towards making your pregnancy the safest and your body the fittest as in can possibly be. Pregnancy fitness classes not only focus on exercising and proper diet.

It also is a beneficial source of reliable information for your every question regarding labor and delivery. Pregnancy fitness classes are made up with various classes that can be attended.

It ranges from physically enhancing your body to even birth classes that teaches you the proper technique when your most anticipated time finally arrives.

Childbirth classes may prepare your mind for labor and delivery, but pregnancy fitness classes prepares you body.

This way you gain strength and endurance that will help you throughout your labor and finally the birth of your child. Pregnancy is just like being an athlete for an upcoming Olympic games, proper eating, regular exercise, and a positive mental attitude are equally needed for you to win.

A Terrific Way of Losing Weight: Walking

Creating some kind of personal exercise program is a fantastic way to get rolling losing weight. But you likely haven't worked out in a while, so you have no clue where to begin. It could even feel a little frightening, commitment wise. Fortunately, it's not that confusing or tough to do - simply start walking. You should make walking a huge part of your exercise plan.

There are lots of ways to fit walking into your day-to-day agenda. This is easy if you have a dog - merely take it for no less than 10 minute plus walk each day. After 7 days, you'll have walked a minimum of seventy minutes more than if you hadn't gone for walks at all.

You can double this by merely walking with your dog once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If you don't live too far away from work try walking there, or at least a part of the way.

For sure, irrespective of how far you are located from your office, you can work something out to get some exercise on the way there. Of course, you'll need to walk back at the end of your work day, too,

 so that doubles your exercise - which is great! But then, if you catch the bus to work, just use a bus stop farther away than the one you ordinarily use. It's not hard to incorporate walking in your daily life.

Walking is excellent for your body and overall health. The reason walking is so good for your heart and at helping you lose weight is that it is the best aerobic exercise.

There is no need for you to be concerned about overworking your joints or muscles like when running, because you can walk as slowly as you must. I have a brother who's one of those individuals who eats a ton of junk and fast food but never gets bigger. How does he do it?

 He tells me doesn't know, but he did tell me that he goes for a walk daily. When he reminded me of that, things suddenly became clear. Walking is simple exercise, so there really is no reason you shouldn't walk.

Try and get into the habit of walking daily since you'll have a better chance of sticking to it, and with the correct diet, you'll be able to lose weight with no problem. As you start to get used to walking,

you'll notice that you're decidedly feeling healthier and, because it's not that hard on you, your motivation will be enhanced as well. As you walk more and notice changes,

you'll want to do more or step up the level of intensity of your walks. Why should you hold back, if you feel like it? Once you get to the point where you're walking at a reasonably good pace and feel ready, You may be ready for jogging. After that, the sky's the limit.

There should be no excuse for you to not walk a short distance daily. No matter how busy you may be, you can surely find 10 minutes here and there for a quick walk. Another possibility is to join a gym and use their treadmills for a half hour or so each day.

Make a Positive Difference in Your Life With Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

The beautiful thing about change is that it can begin right now. It's true. When you simply even finally make the decision to commit to making a change, trying something new or improving your life, change actually begins the moment you make the decision.

One truly positive way you can change and improve your life is through starting Jiu Jitsu training. So for anyone who is considering giving it a try and is ready to make a positive change, here are a few areas in your life you can expect a positive change.

1; Improve your body: Whatever your current level of fitness; whether you are a couch potato or a gym rat, you will see positive changes. Jiu Jitsu helps you work muscles you wouldn't normally even workout in any other type of fitness program or training. Plus you get an overall toning and strengthening workout unique to BJJ.

2; Improve your mind: Learn focus, patience and respect through this style of martial arts training. Training help students forget their stress for a while but also begin to improve patience and respect. It truly can be life changing.

3; Gain confidence: Even if you think you already are, there is something about the confidence you gain from training in Jiu Jitsu that you simply can't get anywhere else.

It comes from the combination of feeling better physically and mentally and also knowing you can defend yourself. It's all of that and more, but you have to experience to believe and understand it.

4; Self-defense: There really is no better way to train to defend yourself than through the art of Jiu Jitsu. In fact, many self-defense classes utilize maneuvers learned through BJJ. Part of the reasons is that you learn how to recover from and overtake and opponent from the most vulnerable position, on the ground.

5; Overall better physical health: There's more to being in good health than having ripped abs and less body fat. It's about more than just liking the way you look in jeans, too.

Good health means being able to reduce your risk of disease and prolonging your life. Not only that, but the years you add can be quality years. Don't just look and feel good; actually be in good health through this type of fitness training.

You will begin to see all these positive changes in your life as early as your very first class. Of course the longer you train the better the changes and results.

Learn the Ten Most Important Things About Stretching

At the start of every fitness program or sporting event, take the time to stretch out as this would prevent any injuries from occurring. Stretching, before the start of the workout program, warms up the muscles and it will help improve performance as you exercise.

 This article will show the importance of stretching and what you need to do to take proper precautions to avoid injuring yourself.

1. If you play sports, working out at the gym or have a home workout program, be sure that you stretch out before, during and after the workout or game. If you do not stretch, you are prone to injury at some point during a workout.

 I remember playing flag football with a group of friends in Mobile, Alabama. I did not take the time to stretch out or warm-up my muscles as a cold weather system had moved in the area. The end result was that I ended up pulling my hamstring on my left leg and it hurt no like no other. So remember to stretch before, during and after a workout.

2. You will get the full benefit of flexibility if you hold your stretching position for more than a minute.

3. The one important advice that I remember my football coach telling us is not to bounce in our stretches. If you are bending over to do some hamstring stretches, do not use an up and down movement as this will cause straining or even serious damage to your joints.

4. In a stretch position, move slowly from one part of the body to the other. Do not rush when you are stretching.

5. Stretch all the parts of your body, from the head all the way down to your feet. Do not neglect any parts of your body for any reason!

6. When you get up in the morning or getting ready for bed, do a series of stretches, even if you do not plan to workout.

7. Pay close attention to what your body is telling you because stretching may not be enough. There are many extreme home workout programs out there on the market that may be too much for your body to handle right off the bat, so know your limits of what you can do.

8. The human body takes about 9 months for it to develop in the womb and many more years after birth, so when you do your workout, don't get into the mindset that you will achieve immediate results overnight. It will take time and patience for your body to lose weight or gain muscle. Pick a day throughout the week in which you can rest your body and stretch out the muscles for proper recovery.

9. Do exercises, such as swimming, to help stretch and strengthen the upper portions of your body.

10. Select the type of music that you will want to exercise too. Music that contains high intensity beats has been proven to help motivate you throughout a workout. Even when you are stretching or warming-up, listen to your favorite music to help get you going.

In conclusion, to help avoid injury and a trip to the Doctor's office, stretch out your muscles before a workout or suffer the pain and agony of a pulled muscle or worse!

Learn the Benefits of Doing Moderate Exercises Every Day!

Traveling home from work, all that you think of is going home, kicking off the shoes, getting something to eat and spend the rest of the evening relaxing after a hard day's work.

 This sounds really good until those hopes and a planned evening are dashed to pieces when you see your children (7 for me) come running out of the house begging you to play some type of sport with them. Are you going to say no to them? Or are you going to mask that pretended "Yes" and then say to them that you are going to rest for a little bit and after awhile, that you will come out and play.

The question that I want you to think in your mind is this, "Why not play with your children after when your work is finished for the day?" All that exercise will do you some good as it will build up that much needed energy if you just play with your children for a ½ hour to an hour. It will make you feel good and not only that, you will strengthen your relationship with your children.

The benefits of this type of extracurricular activity are:

1. You will have a good attitude.

2. Mental clarity.

3. Suppresses the appetite.

4. You will be able to solve problems quickly.

5. You will get a good night rest.

6. You will be in control of yourself by implementing self-discipline.

7. Your view on life will change drastically.

8. If you are ever depressed, exercising is the answer as it will uplift your spirit.

So, there are some benefits of taking the time to play with your children when you come home from work. There will be many health benefits that will come from it such as an increase in muscular and cardiovascular strength.

Taking the time to play with your children was just an example of what you can do to build energy and reap the benefits that come with physical activity. Here are some more exercises that you can do with your family or individually:

A. Go for a short or long walk. It doesn't matter if you live in the city or out in the country, take full advantage with what you have. For those who are married and have children, make it a family activity to walk every day. If you are not married, offer an invite to your girlfriend or boyfriend to go walking with you.

B. I discovered the power of Yoga last year and I have truly enjoyed the health benefits from doing Yoga. Before that, I thought Yoga was really weird, so I stayed away from it. I was truly wrong and found it quite enjoyable and challenging.

 It will not only stretch and strengthen the muscles, but it will also enliven your spirit and can give you the energy that you need to make it throughout the day.

C. Get involved with some type of competitive sport. Get a one-on-one basketball game going with a friend, play a game of football with friends and family or play a game of softball.

D. When I was working at Heinz Frozen Food in Pocatello, Idaho, I have had the benefit of joining up with Gold's Gym because the 2 companies struck a deal, where if you worked at Heinz, the membership costs of joining Gold's would be very cheap. Ask around your workplace to see if the company you are employed offers exercise programs.

E. Doing chores and cleaning up around the house can also be considered moderate exercising. So get washing those dishes and rake the yard!

In conclusion, do everything in your power to make exercising a big part of your life. You will reap the benefits of a long and healthy life when you keep moving and eat healthy!

High Intensity Training … Is It Right For You?

If you are looking for a new workout that delivers results trade out the 45-minute treadmill routine for some high intensity training that takes half the time.

High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, can be defined as a 10- to 20-minute workout that alternates short, intense bursts of activity with moderate-exertion recovery periods. It is one of the best ways to stimulate your hormones for a fat burning benefit that lasts for hours after the workout is completed. 

High-intensity training also strengthens your heart and helps you to build and sculpt muscles, while improving your overall women’s fitness.

Here’s what you can expect when beginning any high-intensity interval training class. A HIIT workout consists of a warm-up period of exercise, followed by six to ten repetitions of high intensity exercise, separated by medium intensity exercise, and ending with a period of cool down exercise. 

The high intensity exercise should be done at near maximum intensity. The medium exercise should be about 50% intensity. The number of repetitions and length of each depends on the exercise. The goal is to perform at least six exercises, and the entire HIIT workout should last about fifteen minutes but not more than twenty.

Workouts aren’t meant to be comfortable. Research shows that brief and intense workouts trump slow and steady. An exercise that is actually producing results should challenge your body to be better, stronger, leaner, and longer.

 If you are wondering if your workout is intense enough, you need only to look to your body for clues. Good indicators are sweating, increased heart rate, and lactic acid production during exercise. Lactic acid produces that burning feeling in your muscles. 

You really do need to feel the burn. Moderate muscle soreness for up to a few days post-workout is also a good sign, but not the kind of pain that results from an overstressed muscle.

For overall muscle health, stretch your muscles to strengthen them and improve flexibility. This will help to minimize injuries. 

Many times when women start a new exercise program they become overzealous and exercise so intensely that they end up hurting themselves. 

Injuries can then disrupt your otherwise healthy women’s fitness program, not to mention causing intense pain.

Now is the time to take your workout to the next level. Whether you choose to increase weights, prolong the amount of time you workout, or go for the gold and actually get it done this year,

 consider high intensity interval training as a way to take your body from great to fabulous. You just might lose some weight and will certainly boost your confidence.

Working Out While Sick - Good Idea Or No?

If you exercise regularly, you know what it's like to wake up and feel sick, then immediately wonder if working out that day is a good idea or not. If bed rest and fluids are a generally prescribed plan, how can exercise make sense? And yet, some doctors say that it won't have any effect on the severity or duration of your cold symptoms. Some will tell you yes, go exercise, but others will say no - what's the right answer?
Exercise is commonly known to be good for boosting your immune system, and certainly when you're sick it's your immune system that needs boosting. However, there are times when a workout might have a negative effect on your body. When you exercise, your heart rate increases, no matter what type of exercise you're doing, i.e. yoga, weights, cardio and so on. Your core body temperature also increases, causing you to sweat more, thus depleting you of water. When you're healthy this is all right, of course, but when you're sick it can have a negative impact. Fluids when you're sick help you to flush out the toxins, to cool down a fever, and to carry away other germs that might cause a future illness (remember that when you're sick you're even more vulnerable to other germs!). Plus, increasing your core body temperature when you're already running a fever can be dangerous - even deadly.
But if you're clearly not running a fever, it might be okay to do a light workout, according to some. If you're merely congested and sneezing, light exercise might help you feel a little better, but be sure not to over-exert yourself. And if you think you might be contagious, consider others around you - sneezing on your fellow yogis might not be appreciated! And this is a good time to get in the habit of wiping down the machines you're using at the gym - before AND after you use them. Decreasing the spread of germs helps everyone.
And certainly if you have symptoms such as chest congestion, muscle aches, chills, and abdominal upset, you may have the flu. In this case it is definitely advisable to rest until your symptoms disappear - exercising while you have the flu can prolong the illness or even make it worse. Skipping a workout or two might get you better faster than if you were to workout with the flu.
If you're not sure how bad your symptoms are, whether or not you have a fever or think you might be contagious, just take some time off. It could be better for you in the long run. Pun intended.

How to Overcome the Weight Lifting Plateau

The weight lifting "plateau" is among the most frustrating obstacles almost every weight lifter will encounter at one point or another. Sometimes, just putting your time, sweat and tears into your old gym routine isn't enough. If you're not mixing up your regular gym routine, your progress is bound to slow and you'll reach the dreaded plateau. Not to worry though - proactively changing your routine will beat the plateau before it even starts.
Plan to Mix it Up
There are countless ways to plan on changing your routine, but I'll list a few here to steer you in the right direction. Feel free to experiment with these and make adjustments as you feel necessary.

• Have 12 different weight lifting routines, one for each month.
• Set aside 1 week each month to do something different. Return to your regular routine for the next 3 weeks, and then do something different again for that 1 week.
• Alternate between 2 different routines every 2 weeks.

How to Adjust your Routine
Again, these are just some suggestions and some may work better for you than others, but they should get you thinking.

• Adjust your sets to reps ratio. If you're currently doing 3 sets of 12 reps for each exercise, switch it up and try 4 sets of 9. This simple adjustment is easy to make because you'll be using the same equipment at the same weight, but it can have a huge impact on your muscle building efforts.
• Slow it down. Drop the weight a few notches and do the lifts extra slowly. As you start the lift, do a slow count to three (remember to breathe out). Then, when you're coming back down, do the same slow count to three. This forces your muscle fibers to work in ways they're not used to, which is important.
• Do supersets. A superset is when you do two (or more) exercises in a row without stopping. They can work two different muscle groups or the same one - it's up to you. Be prepared to feel your heart rate jump during these!
• Get back to basics. Weight lifters are frequently tempted to forget their good old staple exercises as they get stronger. However, the push-up, chin-up, and squat are still some of the most effective exercises you can do to get stronger and build muscle.
• Change the weight. Obviously it will be difficult to increase the weight if you're experiencing a plateau, but this is another great way to mix up your routine before you hit that point. You can try increasing the weight and decreasing the number of reps for a set or even decreasing the weight and increasing the number of reps/sets. You can also try starting at a low weight and increasing the weight at the end of each set or you can try the opposite and start with a high weight and decrease the weight after each set.

This clearly isn't an exhaustive list of everything you can try to mix it up, but these are some good strategies that will confuse your muscles into getting bigger and stronger.

Exercise Equipment That Works

It is easy to find exercise equipment, the problem is finding exercise equipment that works. There are a number of things to consider when choosing exercise equipment. Depending on how it is used, every piece of equipment could technically work, but that doesn't mean that it will work for you. Exercising in your home is different than going to a gym, so there is no reason to think that you should build a whole gym. Instead, you need to make sound decisions and choose the equipment that will give you the maximum results, while taking up the least amount of space. This doesn't mean that a large piece of equipment wouldn't be a good choice, it just means that you need to consider a variety of aspects. Here are a few things to consider when trying to find exercise equipment that works.
1. Matches Your Desires
When choosing the exercise that works best for you, it is essential that it matches your desires. Everyone has their own personal goals and specific accomplishments that they want from their workout. It doesn't matter how great a piece of equipment is, if it won't help you get to where you want to be. It can't just work, it has to work for you.
2. Gets Used
Another thing to consider when finding exercise equipment that works is whether or not you will use it. One of the biggest factors that will affect this is time. There is equipment that focuses more on isolating muscles, especially to build muscle mass. While they can work, your entire workout will normally be much longer than if you used equipment that emphasizes full-body exercises. For some people this is fine, however others simply don't have the time. It doesn't matter how great a piece of equipment is if you never use it.
3. Makes You Work
Exercise equipment that works is still governed by your physiology. If it doesn't actually make you work, then you aren't going to get results. There are a lot of products that claim to be "easy" or require very little effort on your part and people love to try them out. The truth is that none of these products have any lasting power because they simply don't work. Exercise takes effort on your part, so if you use your equipment and don't feel like you have really done much, then you probably haven't.
While there is some exercise equipment that works and some that doesn't, a large part of the equation is to. This means that it is just as important that you will actually use the equipment, if not more important. There are a lot of different ways that you can tell if a piece of equipment has the potential of helping you. Some of the tell-tale signs that it will work for you includes: matching your desires, it is something that you will actually use, and it makes your body work. If you can immediately tell that it doesn't meet one of these criteria, then you should probably keep looking. If it does, then it may be exactly what you need.

Things To Remember When Squatting

Squats have a reputation with the unenlightened (people who don't squat!!) as being bad for your body. Usual complaints are "they're bad for your knees" "they hurt your shoulders" blah blah blah...
If you squat properly and regularly, your fitness and strength with jump forward in leaps and bounds. The movement of squatting is something your body is designed to do, even looking from just a mechanical perspective. All the joints bend in the right direction! Keep in mind these few pointers and you will come to no harm while squatting.

• Warm Up- exercising any of your muscles without warming up is a recipe for disaster. Do a short stint on the treadmill first, then STRETCH! Most people miss out this vital part of warming up, its considered boring and pointless. When you have 200 kilos on your back, you want your muscle to working in perfect order.


• Bend your knees, not your back- many new squatters have a habit of bending at their hips to try to get the weight lower. Ideally, you want to keep your back as static as possible. The power needs to come from your legs.


• Page 3- a good example of how to hold yourself when squatting can be taken from page 3 of the Sun newspaper. Chest out, bum out, head up. Try to look about 15-20 degrees above parallel. This will bring your head and shoulders up and help keep your chest forward and your back straight. Bum out means think about pushing your butt backwards, not bending your knees. If you think about this you are more likely to keep your back strong.


• Bar placement- find a place to rest the bar on your back that is comfortable. To begin with you may find that on top of your shoulders/traps is best, but after a while I would recommend resting the bar a bit lower, just below the tops of your traps and on the very tops of your triceps. This improves your back position and really helps out when the weight starts to go up


• Feet- its easy to forget about your feet. Most people jus use them for standing on. When squatting, they are the power transfer point from your legs to the floor. Place your feet about shoulders width apart, facing forwards or slightly out. When pushing at the bottom of the movement, try to push your feet through the floor.


• Get angry- you legs are strong, they can take a lot, get pushing!

Hopefully these few tips will help improve your squatting and help you become even more of a beast than you already are!!

Exercises for a Lean Body

I love to travel and I especially like to see gyms and the fitness industry in other countries. During my recent trip to Seoul, South Korea I met a great trainer, Cody Hunter from New Zealand. He is the owner and head trainer of Reebok Crossfit Sentinal a company that specialises in group training for expats. One of the main reasons I respect Cody is his ability to take what he needs from a specific method. He doesn't fall into the trap that many trainers do, that there is only one method to get in shape. He inspired me to write this article as he and I were discussing the physique that most of our clients aspire to have.
When people commence personal training they usually have an idea in their mind of how they want to look. The initial conversation usually goes something like this: "I don't want to look like him" the client explains to me as he points at a picture of IFBB pro Branch Warren on a magazine cover. "He's too big!" I have heard a statement like this numerous times and my reply is always the same, "You couldn't look like him even if you wanted to!" The names that usually follow are Brad Pitt in Fightclub, Cristiano Ronaldo, Daniel Craig etc. I would say this athletic type physique is the most common physique goal I see as a personal trainer. The good news is this athletic look is a lot easier to achieve than the muscle mass and grainy striations Branch Warren displays. As this athletic look is probably the most popular physique goal of trainees embarking on personal training I thought I would outline some key exercises that are extremely useful for attaining this type of look.
Snatch grip deadlift
The snatch grip deadlift variation is rarely seen in commercial gyms. It is derived from Olympic lifting, as most of the best exercises are. Strength and conditioning expert Charles Poliquin has described this as the best exercise to increase muscle mass. This movement will build the width of your upper back as well as the powerful muscles of the posterior chain (lower back, glutes and hamstrings). One important factor you need to remember with this exercise, and any major compound movement, is that it is not just about the working muscles but also about the hormonal response it elicits. In the example of the snatch grip deadlift this hormonal response is massive which will provide growth for your whole body. Be conservative with your load selection for this one as the form can be tricky. Maintain a neutral posture and drop your hips low. If you have flexibility issues start in a rack with the bar below your knees. Also, feel free to use straps if you're using this movement for purely aesthetic purposes.
Close grip chin up
Back width is key to an athletic look. If you are born with a thick ribcage you will always struggle to attain this V-shape. However, although you cannot change the size of your ribcage you can increase the muscle mass on your shoulders and upper back. What you really need to focus on for this is the latisimuss dorsi muscle, specifically the lower fibres. The key to recruiting any muscle is to fully stretch the working muscle through performing a lengthening contraction before the shortening contraction. Put simply, you need to get a full stretch on your lats before you contract them. One of the best exercises to do this is the close grip chin up. It is important to keep your elbows in front during the movement to really target the lower fibres of the lats and to get a full stretch by lowering yourself until your upper arms in line with your ears. Chin-ups too difficult, then use a lat-pulldown whilst applying the same rules until you graduate to the real thing.
Press up
The press up is an excellent athletic movement and with the right variance can be used to build the whole of the pectorals. There are endless variations of this popular exercise, which work the chest, shoulders & triceps. The distribution of the load for each of these muscle groups is different depending on which variation you adopt. For example, a closer hand position will work the triceps more, whereas placing your hands in a wider position will have more of the load distributed on the chest. Another little known fact is the press up is excellent for shoulder health. Unlike a traditional bench press, press ups work the serratus anterior muscle which is a key component of shoulder stability. There are literally hundreds of variations of the press up and this exercise is worthy of a whole article in itself. Plus this is an exercise that requires zero equipment, so if stuck in a hotel room or a foreign jail use the opportunity to become a press-up expert.
Barbell thrusters
The barbell thruster is a combination of two Olympic lifting movements, the front squat and the push press. A little known fact about the front squat is that, apart from the obvious lower body benefits, it actually works the abdominals as well. Maintaining the upright position places stress on the rectus abdominus making this a complete full body movement. The limitation of this exercise is that the load you can front squat will be considerably lower than what you can military press (It should be if you ever train your legs not just your chest and arms!). Therefore, the load is restricted to what you can military press.This exercise won't do much for your leg strength but it does function well as a full body conditioning movement particularly in a fat-loss routine. The shoulders, triceps, abdominals, glutes and quads are all working in this exercise. If time is an issue for you this is a great way to provide a stimulus for a lot of major muscle groups in one go.
Decline reverse sit-up
Undoubtedly if I asked my personal training clients the muscle group they would like to fully develop it would be the abdominals. Unfortunately you can have the most developed rectus abdominus (six-pack being the technical term) in the world but if your body-fat is high you won't be able to see them. With this said I disagree with coaches that do not recommend direct abdominal work for bodybuilding. If you are training for aesthetics purposes you need to train your abs and train them hard, but only once your body-fat is low enough for them to show through. I have seen trainees (note, not my clients) get their body-fat down below 10% but their abs didn't stand out because they didn't train them. One of my favourite exercises for training the abs is the decline reverse sit-up. This movement contracts the lower fibres first and will fully develop your abs. Focus on rolling the hips and really try to squeeze the abs as you lift your knees up.
So there you have it, some simple but effective exercises to get you an athletic look. Doing these exercises is the easy part, organising these movements into a consistent training plan is the hard part. Obviously dietary control is crucial to getting lean. Enjoy!

Get Outdoors!

Spring is here, summer is coming, and the outdoors is calling. This is such a great time of year because, interspersed with colder days and even snow (for some of us), the promise of warmer weather is in the air. Spring also signals newness - gardens are planted, flowers begin to bloom, birds and wildlife return with offspring in tow. There is a sense of possibility in the air.
With all of that going on, lots of us find ourselves longing to be outside. According to the latest research, there are lots of good reasons to do that. So, to inspire you along those lines, here are some findings on the benefits and rewards that outdoor exercise gives us.

• It's free! You don't need a membership to join, and it's accessible by simply stepping out your front door. Plus, it's available anywhere at any time. You don't have to drive to the gym, or work around a class schedule. One of my favorite ways to see a city when I travel is to put on my running shoes and go for a run. Obviously, I check out a route before and make sure the area is safe, but that's it. I have had some of my best experiences in new places this way.


• Research studies suggest that we work harder, expending more energy and therefore calories when we exercise outdoors as opposed to, say, a treadmill or stationary bike. Changes in terrain, wind resistance, running uphill or down - these factors all force our body to adapt, resulting in greater energy demands. If your time is limited and you want to burn more calories, exercising outdoors is the way to do it.


• It's more fun. Studies have been done in which volunteers went for two walks for the same time or distance - one inside, on a treadmill or a track, the other outside. In virtually all instances, the participants reported enjoying the outside activity more. Compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments seemed to produce greater feelings of vitality and wellbeing, and decreases in tension, anger, and depression. Volunteers also reported greater energy and satisfaction with the outdoor activity, and an associated desire to repeat the activity again.


• It's good for your mind. Being outside in nature gives you changing scenery that is stimulating mentally, as well as motivating. Whether you work out at home or in a gym, indoor scenery is not going to vary much. Outdoor activity wakes up your body and your mind. It's simply more interesting, which gives your brain a workout, too.


• We've heard this a million times and it's true - Sunshine, light and fresh air are good for you! Sunlight is known as a mood booster, and the vitamin D you get is a bonus. It makes your bones stronger and supports your immune system. Vitamin D obtained from moderate exposure to the sun is considered the best source for the human body. Also, if you are going to be outdoors for any length of time, you need sunscreen with a high SPF, and a hat. Really, what's better, the AC blasting at the gym or the smell of nature and clean air?

Remember biking around the neighborhood or exploring parts unknown when you were a kid? If you've ever had the experience of running on a beach, or skiing down a mountain in bracing cold air, you know how much fun the outdoors can be. It's play. If you find your workouts have gotten stale, or you've been getting bored with the indoor track, take your workouts outside. You may discover a whole new world.

Suzanne Levy is a Life Coach and the Owner at Evergreen Life and Wellness, in Evergreen, Colorado. She works with women and men looking to achieve Optimal Health and Well-Being at every stage of their life, working particularly with individuals navigating transitions in their life. These can include re-careering or loss of position, empty nests, loss of spouse, relocations, navigating between one's own family obligations and responsibilities to aging parents, beginning anew after leaving behind an unhealthy lifestyle, or looking ahead to planning the next chapter - or adventure - of their life. Visit Suzanne at http://evergreenlifeandwellness.com for more information and to receive her 7 Day Get Started Plan.