Great Aerobic Exercises Tips and Tricks for You to RunWith

How’s the weight looking these days? Is the bathroom scaletaunting you

relentlessly? You know what; I’ll bet it’s flat out lying to you.Scales have a tendency to do that, right? Okay, this is highlyunlikely. But don’t you ever

feel that way? Our weight tends to fluctuate up and down, butit never

seems to reach that low number we’re looking for.

One day you think you dropped four pounds, but the next dayit’s right

back on. Now, you could scowl furiously at the scale, andchuck it out the

bathroom window. Or you could just adopt a good exerciseregime. The

latter may be a more health option. What you need is a newand improved

diet plan and good aerobic exercises.

How often do you exercise? This is an important questionthat everyone

should be asking themselves. Fitness is a key factor instaying healthy and

living well. You want to live well, right? Of course, we allwant to live

hospital-free lives.

Therefore good habits must be acquired, and at a youthful ageif possible.

It’s always prudent to start earlier, rather than later. In recentyears my

wife and I decided to better our diet. We are slim folks, butthat is not the

only aspect to consider.

A slim figure doesn’t automatically guarantee that you’rehealthy. Poor

eating habits can have powerful effects on your body andmind. Plus we

want our children to adopt healthy eating routines as well.On top of a

proper diet, we all began doing more exercises.

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This is something all human beings should seriouslyconsider. Just like a

machine, your body can really depreciate if you fail to everuse it. Sitting in a chair in a cubicle the entire day andwatching television in potato-couch

style the entire evening do not help much.

What we all need are some aerobic exercises; by that I meandecent ones

which make you really sweat and you’re breathing faster.You need to get

the heart pumping and muscles working. You not only burncalories, but

also make the body stronger and increase your stamina. Withregular

aerobic exercises, you also increase your energy levels.

This is ideal if you are a busy-body like me. I think it’s safeto say that we

could all benefit from being able to generate some moreenergy and last

for longer. The sad truth is that so many individuals are blindto this simple

fact: energy depends on diet and exercise. These are crucialfactors, folks.

Are you in search of some great aerobic exercises and cannotafford a

private consultation with that wel -paid personal trainer?Well, if this is the case, maybe you want to try the World-Wide-Web. On the Internet there

are abundant diet plans, workout regimes, and aerobicexercises ready at

your service.

It’s as good as having multiple personal trainers and as easyas punching

a few keywords in a quick Google search. What cha waitingfor? Time to

put on those athletic shoes and move your muscles!

Making Exercise More FunNothing beats waking up in the morning with the thought ofgoing to the

gym to lift weights or jog on the treadmill. After a hard day’swork, the

gym is one place you don’t even want to think about.Sometimes, even the

thought of exercising at home with your own equipment canbe less than

desirable.

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Sometimes, just trying to get and stay motivated to exerciseon a regular

basis can be a challenge. No matter how you look at it,exercise can be

downright boring and even tedious at times.

So, you may be wondering just how you can get themotivation you need

to exercise on a regular basis. If you’ve been wonderingwhat you can do

to make exercise more fun, you’ll find some ideas below thatjust may help

to make exercise more fun and a little bit easier. First thingsfirst, you

should exercise with a friend. You can challenge each other,help each

other out, keep each other motivated and on track, make eachother laugh

or just make a game out of your exercise programs.

You can also try something different. If you go to the gymeach and every

day and use the same piece of equipment or use the samepiece of

equipment at home, you should try mixing things up. Reverseyour routine

or just change the order of your exercises.

Go to a city park that has playground equipment and use the

slide, climb

on the monkey bars, do pull-ups, hang from your knees, justlet your

imagination guide you. You don’t always need to follow astrict routine, just

get out there and have fun working your muscles.

An outdoor circuit in the park is also something you can try.There are

some parks that have circuit courses set up with a plannedcourse where

all have to do is walk or jog to each station and then followthe

instructions.

If there isn’t a planned course, then you should do acombination of

jogging and walking, picking a distance of a couple ofhundred feet. Jog

about one-hundred feet and then drop and do a couple ofpush-ups, walk

the next one-hundred feet and then drop to do sit-ups.

You can also ride a bike around your neighborhood or hikeon a hiking

trail. A walk in the park or around your neighborhood is alsoa great way to

get some exercise.

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Doing yoga in the park or on a beach is also a nice andrelaxing way to

exercise both your body and mind. Playing a competitivesport is also

something you can try. A lot of cities have team activitiessuch as softball,

volleyball, tennis, soccer and so on.

These types of activities will not only provide you with goodexercise but

they will also help you to meet new people as well. Whenyou exercise try

to picture your muscles getting bigger.

Research has shown that if you focus all of your thought onyour muscles

that you are working, they will respond better. Try to watchthem work

with each repetition as your muscles contract and relax. Asyou can tell

there are plenty of ways you can make exercise more fun andinteresting.

You don’t need to follow the same routine day after day, asyou can do

many other things to get in some exercise. The importantthing is that you

should always try to incorporate exercise in any variousforms into your

everyday life and make these habits the kind of habits thatwill last a

lifetime.

Exercise with Best ResultsThe problem of setting the training at a certain moment in theday is more

serious than it appears to be. The choice of the period whenwe train

depends on more factors. It’s clear from the start that wecannot consider

the period of three hours after every main meal, because thisinterval must

be allotted to digestion only.

Considerable physical effort is totally unadvisable in thisperiod (blood must

not be directed to the muscles, since gastric digestion haspriority.

More exactly, people should train when their stomach isempty, but the

level of glycaemia must be constant.

Considering a normal awake – asleep rhythm, there are two

favorable

moments when we can set fitness programs and training ingeneral: one in

the morning, between (10-12), and the other one in theafternoon,

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between (4-9) so current practice in most of the sportsconfirms these

periods as best for training.

An argument for choosing one of these intervals is the bodytemperature,

which now gets to its maximum. The second period (16-19)is even better

than the first one from this point of view, because thetemperature is

higher and this enhances sport performance.

It is not advisable to train early in the morning, right afterwaking up and

before breakfast. However, there are authors who support theidea of

having the training in this period. The reserves of glycogenare limited after

the lack of food during sleeping and this is the reason forusing the adipose

tissue earlier in training than in other cases.

Unfortunately, at the same time, the stress hormones(cortisone) are

secreted abundantly, so besides the adipose tissue, there isthe risk of

losing precious muscular tissue. Another argument againstthis is the fact

that body temperature is very low in the hours of Morning, sono motion

parameters (force, resistance, speed, mobility, skill) can befully activated.

Thus, a prolonged and tiring warming up would benecessary, hindering

the actual training. Everybody agrees that training beforebedtime is not

advisable at all, because they delay sleep a few hours, givengrowth of

cortical activity and of body temperature.

The schedule can be adapted biorhythm and time zone andonce

automatism installed effectiveness of training will definitelyincrease.

Stretching For HealthLack of flexibility is now seen to be a major cause of generalhealth

problems and sports injury and is being linked to everythingfrom stress,

back pain and even osteoarthritis. It also means that nagginginjuries,

especially around the joints take longer to heal.

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Latest studies show that up to 60 percent of the generalpopulation with

bad backs and knees have tight hamstrings and hips and themain cause is

a lack of flexibility.

How to StretchBefore stretching, dress in loose clothing and try and acquirea five-foot

length of rope and tie a loop in the end. The purpose of this isto loop the

end of rope around the exercising appendage to squeeze thelast couple of

inches of stretch from the exercise.

Find a comfortable place to stretch either on your bed, acarpeted floor or

on a mat.

Isolate the muscle or group you want to stretch then contractthe muscle

opposite. This causes the isolated muscle or group to relaxstraight away

and when it does it is ready to stretch.

Gently and quickly stretch the isolated muscle until it can’tbe stretched any

further; now give yourself a gentle pull with your hands orrope. Go as far

as you can and then hold the stretch for no more than 2seconds then

release, do this for a total of 5 repetitions on the isolatedmuscle or group.

The reason for just a 2-second stretch is because when amuscle realizes

that it is being forced into a stretch it contracts to protectitself from being overstretched.

If you can beat this contraction you’ll be well on the way to agreater range

of motion.

Remember to hold for no more than 2 seconds, release,return to the

normal position and repeat for the five repetitions. Try not tohave any

hesitations between stretches and make it as fluid aspossible. Try to

stretch every day if possible, remember to:

Work one target muscle at a time.

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Contract the muscle that is opposite the targeted muscle,which will

relax in preparation of its stretch.

Stretch it gently and quickly.

Release it before it realizes that it has been stretched andgoes into

its protective contraction.

Below are two exercises that can be done straight awayeven while

you are at work to stretch that tension and stress from of yourbody.

1. Lie down on the floor with your buttocks against a walland your legs

straight up the wall. Slowly flex your toes towards yourknees, hold for two

seconds and repeat five times. This wil loosen up your lowerback and

stretch your hamstrings and hips giving instant relief for tiredbacks.

This exercise can be done while at the office anytime youstart to feel that

stress and tension building up.

2. Sitting in a chair and putting one leg out straight, flex yourtoes towards

your knee, now lean towards that foot, stretching your handstowards it

and letting your head and shoulders follow, hold for twoseconds and

repeat five times. This will create a stretch right across yourlower back

and neck.

Active-Isolated Stretching (AI)

Olympians have been employing Active-Isolated Stretching(AI) now for

about 10 years, but it has only recently been brought to thepublic’s

attention. I have used this technique on my clients for quite awhile now

with great success, while adding renewed life and spring totired out

muscles.

AI stretching prevents injury, as conventional stretching cancause real

harm such as muscle pulls and tears. AI stretching does whatstretching is

supposed to do; it transports oxygen to sore muscles andquickly removes

toxins so recovery is faster.

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It also works as a deep massage technique because itactivates muscle

fibers during the actual stretch.

Six Steps to a Positive Body Image

A positive body image is one that we should all strive for.This is when you

know yourself and who you are. You have a very trueperception of your

size, shape, and weight. You see yourself as you are in thepresent. You

accept yourself, even though you may be overweight.

You believe in yourself and love yourself while still strivingfor something

better. When you have a positive body image, no time isspent obsessing

about food, weight, calories, exercise, etc. You are proud ofwho you are

and feel comfortable in your own body.

Many people that suffer from binge eating disorder do nothave positive

body images. Instead, they have very distorted images of howthey see

themselves. Here are six ways to create a positive bodyimage for you.

1. Create a list of people that you admire Write down whyyou admire

each person. As you are writing the characteristics you like,take notice of

what you are writing down.

For example, let’s say that you have a high regard for Oprah.Your list

might include her generosity towards people, her willingnessto support

what she believes in, and her strong character that went forsuccess no

matter what background she came from.

You do not admire Oprah because of her looks; you admireher for the

difference that she has made in the world. For hercontribution to society.

How she has touched and changed so many lives.

2. Remember a time in your life when you felt great about

YourselfTravel back in your life to a time when you were happy withyour body.

Maybe this was high school or college. Whatever the time,just close your

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eyes and remember how you felt. Let these good feelingsradiate within

you.

3. Write down what you like about yourself now

Take out a piece of paper and write down everything that youlike about

yourself: your legs, your eyebrows, your smile, your hair,etc. The key here

is to focus on the likes of you instead of the many dislikes.Start

appreciating what you do like about yourself. This will makeyou feel better

overall.

4. Notice how you carry yourself when you walk

Do you walk with your head down looking at the ground? Doyou slump

your shoulders? Perk up! Start walking and making eyecontact with

people. Hold your head up high. Walk with your shouldersheld back.

5. Start exercising if you haven’t exercised in a while, startsoff slow. Go for a walk outside on a nice day. If you are usedto exercising, keep it up

and change up your routine so that you don’t get bored. Whenyou

exercise you begin to feel good about yourself, even if it isfor 15 minutes.

Start off slow and work your way up.

6. Hang out with positive people Take a look at the peopleclosest to

you. Are they positive or negative people? Chances are if

they are negative

this attitude will reflect on you and your attitude. Try to limityour time

with any negativity as this will only make you feel bad aboutyourself. You

will focus on the things that you do not like about yourself.

Start feeling good about yourself and learn to acceptyourself. Little by little you will notice changes that haveoccurred. Learn to be on your side

instead of always being against yourself. Put your shouldersback and quit

thinking about what you’re not. Love the person you are andthe person

that you are becoming.

Health is wealth

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By being physically fit, it can make a person look lean bothinside and out.

There is a lot a person can do such jogging or walking in themorning,

playing basketball or any other sport with friends but if aperson wants to

have muscles and look lean, the best thing to do will be tosign up and

workout in a gym. Just like taking any medicine, one shouldfirst consult

the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Physical exercise is beneficial because it helps maintain andimprove one’s

health from a variety of diseases and premature death. It alsomakes a

person feel happier and increases one’s self esteempreventing one from

falling into depression or anxiety. It has also shown to makea person with

an active lifestyle live longer than a person who doesn’t.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular andweight training

exercises. This helps burn calories and increases the muscleto fat ratio

that will increase ones metabolism and make one either gainor lose

weight.

A person who has never worked out before should do itgradually. Doing it

too much for the first time can make one pull a muscle orhave an injury

making it worse. Endurance will never be built in a day anddoing it

repeatedly will surely be good to the person.

Focusing on certain portion in the body can help make itimprove. A good

example is going to the gym and doing a workout more oftenin a specific

area such as the abs can give one a chest pack.

But beauty is not only about having muscles which is whatpeople can see.

It is also about enhancing the beauty within.

Start a Weight Training Exercise Program Today

Although there are many sites that claim that they will showyou weight

training exercises online, in reality this is not the way to go.

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If you want to start a weight training exercise program, youreally need to

be working with someone else. There are many optionsavailable. You can

go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get

one of those

machines, but if you do not do your weight training exercisewith proper

safety precautions, it is quite possible for you to get seriouslyinjured.

I recommend doing your weight training exercise at the gym.There are

several good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and tellyou some of the

very best ones. First of all, you can get a spot at the gym. Ofall of the

weight training exercise injuries, most of them could havebeen avoided

with a proper spotter.

This is especially true with free weights which can injure oreven kill you if

you are forced to drop them based on muscle fatigue. This isthe most

important reason to go to the gym, but it is really far from the

only one.

The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for yourweight training

exercise when you do go to the gym.

With all of those people around you dedicating their time togetting in

shape, there is just no way will you feel like slacking off inyour weight

training program while you are at the gym. Many gyms evenhave personal

trainers available, who will help you to meet your personalbest, by

working you harder than you will yourself, and helping tochart your goals.

They can even suggest which weight training exercises youshould use and

how many, to strengthen the muscle groups which interestyou.

Before you start doing weight training exercise, however,

you should do

some cardiovascular stuff. While you can get by quite wellwithout weight

training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to yourhealth.

You will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and evenhave more energy

if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep youactive. We do not

stay young forever, but those of us who get adequate aerobicexercises do

stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you startdoing that,

then you can add your weight training exercise program.

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The Effects of Exercise on Body Temperature

If you are having trouble sleeping, and you don’t alreadyhave a regular

exercise program, you should start one if you want to sleepbetter.

Exercise is beneficial to sleep in several ways. For example,exercise raises

the body temperature rhythm and allows your bodytemperatures to ‘peak’

at a higher level.

This, in turn, increases your energy level during the day, soyou’ll feel more

motivated and alive. And just as body temperature reach itsmaximum at a

higher level through exercise; the body’s temperature wilalso drop further

and more easily. This lets you sleep more deeply withoutinterruption.

A regular exercise routine prevents your body’s temperaturerhythm from

remaining relatively level throughout the day. With anappropriate body

temperature rhythm, you will find that you can get a deepsleep even if

you’ve had a stressful day or can’t perform your regularexercise on a

certain day.

Exercise also delays the drop in the body’s temperature inthe evening, and

this delay lets you remain awake and alert for a longer timewithout feeling

drowsy or tired. And, as everyone knows, exercise is a greatstress reliever,

and stress is one of the main reasons for the development ofsleep

disorders.

If you don’t already have an exercise program, you reallyshould consider

starting one right away. The best time to perform exercise isin the

morning because it encourages a quick rise in temperature.

You should

avoid exercise for three hours before you go to sleep, sinceyour body’s

temperature will likely still be rising, and you could findfalling asleep or

sleeping deeply to be more difficult.

You don’t have to run right out and join a gym in order to getregular

exercise. It is possible to obtain the benefits that exercisebrings through

its effects on your body temperature by taking less dramaticactions.

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Research shows that even moderate exercise during the dayhas many

healthful benefits.

If you can’t seem to get motivated to exercise on a regularbasis, you

should find a less intense, but physical, activity you enjoyseveral times per

week. The activity could include such things as taking a briskwalk, going

for a bike ride, or going rollerblading.

All of these activities will have a significant effect on yourbody

temperature and encourage its rhythm to function at beneficiallevels.

A flexible body is:

More efficient

More easily trained for strength and endurance

Enjoys more range of motion

Stays balanced more easily and is less prone to injury

Recovers from workouts more quickly, and feels better.

Exercise BallsExercise balls are one of the most innovative ways toexercise. These little

balls will catch every one’s fancy due to their shape and veryattractive

colors. The real benefit of these balls, which wereintroduced by a group of

Swiss medical therapists, is a substitute of support duringexercise.

Working out with the exercise balls will strengthen and toneall of the

major muscles of the body. The soft texture of the balls makeit an ideal

choice for yoga positions, using dumbbells for muscle toning,or working on

heavy duty weight training equipment. The advantage ofexercise balls is

that they are durable and maintain shape well under pressure.

The documentation with the balls will provide test loadfigures for how

much weight the exercise balls will hold. The advantage hereis the fact

that the balls provide soft yet firm support that doesn’t harmyour body.

You can find exercise balls in several different colors andfinishes.

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You can even get a ball that matches the texture of your room.They are

simple to store and you can even roll them under your bed ora table if you

prefer. When you aren’t using them you can let the kids playwith them.

These balls are a lot of fun for kids, as they are very soft andwon’t cause

them any harm.

Medical equipmentThese balls were originally developed for use in medicaltherapy; the

exercise ball is used to support the body during exercise.This ball will

provide support to the body when you do a specific exercisein a specific

position and still need to maintain balance. Most balls aremade of burst

proof latex or another material that is very safe to use.

There are many postures with yoga and muscle toningexercise that can

only be done with the help of support. For these postures,exercise balls

are quite useful. The exercise ball will introduce an elementof stability to

the exercise that you won’t normally get with the floorexercise.

Your body responses automatically to instability to keepbalance on the

exercise ball. This will help in strengthening the muscles thataren’t actively participating in the exercise. An exercise ballis also very useful for

physiotherapy treatment. Exercise balls will help to get rid ofback ache

and spinal disorders.

The small range of motion and adjustment of balance of thespine that is

induced by exercising with the exercise ball will help reduceback pain.

The Swiss ball exercise is for people with back pain toprovide them with a

simple way to restore movements after an episode of backpain. It also

results in improved muscle strength, greater flexibility, and awide range of

motion of the spine during treatment.

The Best Way to Get a Flat Firm Stomach

When it comes to our bodies, we all have one place oranother that we are

somewhat unsatisfied with. You always hear people saythings like “I hate

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my thighs” or “my butt is too big”. Of course some of thesethings are said

in jest, but there is still discontent hidden in there.

Despite it all though, the one thing that has become almost anobsession

today is the way our abs look. It seems that everyone islooking for those

ever elusive “six pack abs”, but much like Ponce De Leon’ssearch for the

fountain of youth, it seems like it is impossible to find.

Now, while there is no “magical formula” for attaining a flat,firm, and

toned stomach, there is something you can do that if doneregularly, will

get you the results that you are looking for. To get theseresults, stomach

crunches need to be done daily but keep in mind that stomachexercises

alone will not burn the fat off of your midsection.

Keeping your calories in check along with doing yourcrunches everyday

will be the way for you to see that flat, chiseled, sexystomach. Crunches

are easy to do, and if done properly, are very effective fortoning those

abs. Here is a step by step breakdown of the proper way toget the most

out of your crunches.

Lie flat on your back on the floor with your legs bent to abouta 90-degree

angle with both your rear and your feet flat on the floor.

Place your hands

behind your head making sure not to interlock your fingers.You can make

your hands into fists so you do not pull up on the back of yourneck.

The next thing to do is to pick a spot on the ceiling directlyabove you. This

should be done in order to ensure that you do not bend yourneck during

the duration of the movement. Do not take your eyes off thisspot! The

most common mistake while performing a crunch is too muchstress on the

neck as a result of pulling on it with the hands.

The next step is to stabilize the low back. This can be doneby tightening

the muscles in the abdomen. Slowly curl forward and upusing your

abdominal muscles only. There should be no bending at the

waist. Keep

your abdominal muscles firm for the entire duration to ensurelow back

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stabilization. Keep your focus on that spot on the ceiling toprevent neck

pain as a result of stress.

At the top position your shoulder blades should only bebetween 4-8 inches

off the ground. There is no need to go any further. Pause atthis top

position. This whole movement should be performed slowlyand take about

2 seconds to perform. Pause at the top position for 1-2seconds to ensure

full contraction of the abdominal muscle.

Slowly return to the starting position keeping your abscontracted.

That is all there is to it. The crunch is not a very bigmovement because

you are working your abs only. A full sit-up does not workyour abs better

than the crunch because once you are past the crunchposition, your abs

are fully contracted and it is your hip muscles that arestraining to lift you

up, not your abs.

Doing a hundred of these a day is not the key here. Doing twoto three

sets of 15 to 20 of these at a slow and deliberate pace withgood form is

what is recommended for maximum benefits and minimumrisk of injury.

Trying To Get Back In Shape

If you have taken a layoff from your exercise program it’stough to get

motivated to start back into your training regimen again.

What you have to

do is set some realistic attainable “written “goals to helppush you.

The reason I have emphasized “written” is because if youdon’t write your

goals down they are merely wishes. Studies have provenover and over

that writing your goals down is powerful.

Let’s look at some examples. If you want to get back intorunning, walk

first. Depending upon your level of fitness you may only startwith fifteen

or twenty minutes. If you have some level of fitness start with30 minutes

and gradually increase it.

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Once you have been walking for a couple of weeks ease backinto running

by alternating walking and running. Walk for ten minutes andrun for five

and so on. As you increase your level of fitness and yoursoreness lessens

increase the running until you get back to running for thirty toforty five

minutes at a time.

If you have been involved in weight training in the past andhave taken a

layoff of more than a couple of months you really need totake it slow

coming back.

With weight training, if you push too hard too early you canend up

damaging supporting tendons and ligaments. The key is not torush in

trying to use the same weights you were using and do lesssets.

What I do after a long layoff is go to the gym and ride the

stationary bike

for 15-2o minutes first to warm my body up. Next, I willchoose only one

body part per day to exercise. If you are an older person orhave a larger

frame you may want to continue this type of program evenafter your

initial break in period.

Let’s look at working the chest for example. If I were benchpressing 300

pounds prior to my layoff I will begin my first work out with135 pounds

and do 3 or 4 sets of high reps in the 15-20 range. Adjustyour weights

accordingly.

Then I may do 3 sets of flat dumbbell fly’s again with higherreps so as not

to place too much stress on my tendons and ligaments.

Follow these same guidelines for all body parts and increasethe weights

and reps slowly and within a month you will be right back tohard training

again and working towards your goals.

How Exercise Can Help With Anti-Aging

In our quest for the fountain of youth people have taken up anew form of

treatment, Anti-Aging Clinics. Here you can get injections ofhuman growth

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hormone HGH and injections of nutrient supplements;however a simpler

and perhaps easier away to do this is by changing your dietand exercising.

Strength training has been proven to help the body naturallyproduce HGH.

The more you train the more your body produces HGH.Strength training is

taking exercises to specifically strengthen certain muscles.You can do this

by spending 20 minutes a day 3 times a week at your localgym or fitness

center.

Or if you have some simple equipment you can do this athome. Just some

simple squats can stimulate the body to make HGH and helpyou lose

weight as well. It will take about 24-48 hours for your bodyto build up

HGH.

Research has found that for every hour you work out yourbody will make

$10,000 worth of beneficial chemicals that it needs. Thismeans that with

some simple exercise you will not even need to go to anAnti-Aging Clinic

your body will produce the chemicals naturally.

Try to strength train on a regular basis. As well as getting theHGH you will

also improve bone mass and get more oxygen to your bodytissues and

organs. This will help them function better. You will feelbetter when you

lose weight in this way as well. This is what the HGHinjections at the Anti-

aging clinic will do for you. However nothing beats thenatural treatment

that your body can do for you.

So instead of jumping on the bandwagon and running to thenearest Anti-

Aging clinic, give yourself a break and let your body do it thenatural way.

Strength training coupled with diet will go a long waytowards achieving

your goal of not only a great looking body but also verypossibly prolonging

your life.

As well as exercise try to adjust your diet to a healthier onewith more

fruits especially berries and whole grain cereals. Try to addsome fish to

your diet (not shellfish) to make a complete diet. Cut downred meats, salt,

fats and refined sugar and you will find your body rewardsyou as you feel

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better and have more energy. This change of diet coupledwith strength

exercises will also help you to lose and keep off thosepounds.

You can also add natural nutritional supplements to your dietto ensure you

are getting enough of the essential nutrients. These, whentaken at a

proper level will also help the anti-aging process.

Walking For Health andFriendshipMany studies show that walking is good for your health, butsometimes it

helps to get out of the “around the block” rut and intosomething more

challenging and fun.

Long-distance walking events help get you in shape–and ifyou walk for a

good cause, your stroll can raise funds for groups that needit. An added

bonus: Walking as part of a team can increase the enjoyment,keep you

focused and build great friendships.

But what is a walking team? In the Avon Walk for BreastCancer, teams

include two people or dozens-women and men, neighbors,colleagues,

family, spouses or new acquaintances, from the same town oracross the

country-who share a commitment to taking personal steps(literally) in the

fight against breast cancer.

One team that takes humor in stride is the “Back of the PackWalkers.” It

consists of nearly 10 women who come together each yearfor the Avon

Walk for Breast Cancer in Washington, D.C. They walk inmemory of a

friend, Robyn Cain, who lost her battle with breast cancer in2004. Team

Captain Candi Hoffman says that “after spending so muchtime together,

training and at the Walk, I consider the girls on my team to besome of my

closest friends.”

“Team Maureen” is a fixture at the Avon Walk Chicago, with

team

members participating as walkers, volunteers andcheerleaders, all in bright

green shirts. According to Donna Lahey, “Team Maureen”Walker Captain,

the 2006 team has 64 members from age 1 to 81. The team isnamed for

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Maureen Buescher, who died of breast cancer in 2002. Itincludes family

and friends who walk for their own health and the health ofall women.

Mike McElduff has put a unique spin on the team concept byleading “Team

Peggy’s Spirit,” named for his mother, at all eight Avon Walkevents across

the country from April to October. “Peggy’s Spirit” includesMcElduff’s

siblings, friends and solo walkers who are seeking

camaraderie as they

tackle the long walk.

The 24 Hour Fitness PathThe Twenty Four Hour fitness center is like your one stopshop to

everything about fitness and your well-being. Imagine it asthe Walmart of

the fitness industry. Twenty Four Hour fitness centers arelocated in a

number of areas in the state. All of them have equipment’swhich cater to

weight training as well as cardio vascular equipment’s.

A variety of fitness gear is also available. Twenty Four Hourfitness centers

all have locker rooms and – believe it or not – babysittingaccommodations.

Over all, the Twenty Four Hour fitness center is a complete,clean and

extremely well maintained facility that especially caters toall your fitness

wants, needs and preferences.

Join UsIt is very easy to get started on your path to fitness. TwentyFour Hour

fitness centers have over three hundred clubs located in thewhole nation

and are open for twenty four hours. There is no long termcontract to sign

up in. You have the option to pay monthly, but you are offereda complete

personal training package that suits your body type, bodyweight and built

so you are ensured with a service that is truly personalized.

Which club do you belong in?

Twenty Four Hour fitness center gives you the option tochoose the specific

type of club that you desire. The active club involves a groupexercise as

well as free weights and cardio machines to work off that fat.

The sport

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club also includes everything in the active club but withadditions such as

basketball, heated pools and whirlpool.

The super-sport club also includes the amenities found thosein the active

club and the sport club but with more additions such asmassages, a sauna

as well as a steam room. The ultra-sport club is the works. Itincludes most

of the amenities found in the active, sport and super sportclub, plus a day

spa, courts for racquetball as well as an executive lockerroom.

The Path to PerformanceIt all depends on what you want to achieve. In Twenty FourHour fitness

centers, a uniquely specialized fitness program is availableto anyone who

simply wants to improve their performance in a specificsport or is seriously

training for competition. The program is designed byathletes.

The Performance program includes a menu plan specificallycustomized for

those intense workouts. A resistance training is alsoavailable as well as a

full cardio workout. After your exercise, a metabolic rate testis conducted.

This program is designed for those who wants to get startedas soon as

possible but has no clear and specific idea how. This isclearly the best

option for them because all the information on nutrition,resistance training

is learned through this program. This is the foundation oneneeds in order

to have results that would last your body a lifetime.

The Components of FitnessA regular exercise, an intense workout is just part and parcelof your path

to health, fitness and wel -being. There are other factors thatshould just

as well play a part and which Twenty Four Hour fitnesscenter teaches you.

Food intake is one of them. A menu is provided to those whofollow the

performance path. This details what you should or should noteat, or at

least eat less of, if not completely avoid. Cardio is also oneas this

enhances your endurance to stress and exercise.

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Vitamins and supplements are a necessity unless you are surethat you are

able to receive the proper amounts of iron, calcium, vitamin

C or D or E in

a day. If not, it is best to take them in. Resistance training is afeather in

your fitness cap and is a necessary tool for being healthy,wealthy and

wise.

Exercise and AsthmaIf you suffer from asthma, you probably think that you can’texercise

properly or safely. Contrary to what many think of thissubject, there are

ways that you can get in shape and exercise, even if yousuffer from

asthma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is marked bycharacteristics such as

coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.Asthma

tends to occur with people who are genetically orenvironmentally

predisposed to the condition.

Some of the triggers that may start or make an attack worseinclude

exposure to allergens, viral respiratory infections, airway

irritants, exercise, and exposure to things such as dust mitesor cockroaches.

You can prevent asthma attacks by doing the following: 1.Bathe your pets

weekly.

Don’t smoke or permit smoking in your home.

When mold or pollen counts are high, you should stayinside with air

conditioning.

Wash your bedding and any stuffed toys at least once perweek in hot

water.

Wash your hands every chance you get.

Get a flu shot.

Wear a scarf over your mouth and nose in the wintermonths.

Be proactive and know your triggers and how you shouldavoid them.

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Now that you know what you know about asthma, you may bewondering

where exercise fits in. As most doctors will tell you, youshouldn’t give up

on sports or exercise at all. You just have to be smart abouthow you play

and take special pre cautions to avoid attacks.

Almost all doctors agree that the best way to prevent attacksduring

exercise is to keep your inhaler and medication close by. Youshould never

use the inhaler more than 3 times during a game or exercisesession. If

you are up the previous night with coughing and wheezing,it’s always best

to go light with your exercise the next day.

For something known as IEA (Exercise Induced Asthma), thesymptoms are

somewhat different, in the fact that they appear after 6 – 10minutes of

exercise and will often be worse in cold or dry air.

If you have IEA, there are several activities that you canenjoy such as

swimming, walking, biking, downhill skiing, and team basedsports. There

are many activities for you to choose from, to ensure you getthe exercise

you need as well.

Keep in mind that the condition of asthma isn’t “all in yourhead”; it is a

real physiological medical treatment that will requiretreatment to prevent

and treat. Even though your doctor will be your best friend intreating

asthma, you are the one who can prevent your symptoms.

Always be smart, take your medication, and be proactive.Don’t let it put

you in a life of misery – as you can enjoy exercise just likeeveryone else.

What Everyone Needs To Know About Exercise andBlood Pressure

Although regular aerobic activity is important to the healthand wellbeing of

everyone, far too many people make the crucial mistake ofassuming

painful, strenuous workouts are the most productive way toexercise.

The startling fact is that moderate exercise – with the primeexample being

walking – may be an even more effective way to exercise,especially if you

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need to lower your blood pressure, and definitely if you’rejust beginning

your fitness program.

Before starting any new fitness program – especially if you

haven’t

exercised in a while or if you have medical problems – youshould always

consult your doctor first. Your doctor might even suggest youchange some

of your lifestyle habits such as your diet or medications inaddition to

starting an exercise program.

A doctor’s prior approval is especially important since someactivities can

cause your blood pressure to rise to potentially dangerouslevels. Recent

research shows that vigorous exercise in unfit individualsmay actually be

harmful and should be avoided unless tolerance to theexercise has been

built up over a reasonable period of time.

On the other hand, numerous studies have proven people whoexercise

moderately and regularly are more likely to have bloodpressures in the

healthy ranges.

Different types of exercise obviously depend on your fitnesslevels, but

cycling, walking, swimming, are excellent choices forstarting a fitness

program. For each of these options, you can easily controlyour work level

and your progression so that you keep your blood pressurewithin a

healthy range during the activity and eventually lower yourresting blood

pressure, too.

Progression is vital to the success of your fitness program.Start slowly so

that your body has time to adjust and adapt. Remember, oneof the main

reasons people give up and quit new fitness programs after

just a few

weeks it that they try to work too hard, too soon.

If you decide to start a walking program, for example, startslowly by

walking two or at most three times a week for ten to fifteenminutes at a

time at a leisurely pace. Gradually increase either your paceor time each

week. After a couple of months, you can increase the numberof weekly

sessions, too.

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If you decide to join a health club, you should start with aqualified

personal fitness professional who will take all medicalhistory into account

and help you design an appropriate fitness program.

Uncontrolled high blood pressure leads to many different

medical problems

such as stroke, coronary disease, and kidney disease, so it’scrucial you do

everything you can to control your blood pressure. Gradualprogression is

the key to keeping your blood pressure under control,maintaining your

weight loss, avoiding injury and ensuring long term success.

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