The do’s and don’ts of workout

This generation is a conscious generation. Or maybe the word generation would be typecasting it all as today, from a budding 6 year old to the ones reaching the realm of 60’s- everyone wants to look good! But therein lies a very vital concern that one often overlooks- believe it or not, this very intent of looking good and not being healthy can be of immense threat!
A lot of us want to get rid of our body fats as soon as possible. While crash diets is the go-to option for most in the endeavor, some actually take to vigorous workouts- sadly with 80% dropout rate. What we do not understand is, it’s never a case of “this is not working out for me” as much as it being “you are doing it wrong”.
If you have been working out for quite sometime without any particular result, you’re probably making mistakes that prevent you from getting optimal results. Here are some exercise dos and don’ts from top fitness pros that’ll help you get the best of your workout.

Do’s of working out

Workout Everyday:Different people have different approaches in body training. But there is no denying the fact that one needs to workout everyday- seven straight, odd days. Make sure your workout routine has 30 minutes of cardio, strength training twice a week and toning- at a later stage.
Stay loose: If you are tightening your muscles while working out, it won’t work. Relax the muscles you are not working on and focus on the ones you are.

Warm up:Like cold dough, cold muscles won’t be as pliable! Warm up your muscles before leaping into a more rigorous workout.
Keep a bottle:Its always a good idea to keep a bottle of water with you while you are exercising and drink in between to avoid dehydration.

Don’ts of working out

Full stomach: Never work out on a full stomach. It can be fatal.
Get stuck on the treadmill: Just because you are comfortable with a certain exercise doesn’t mean you have become uber fit. It may be simply your body getting used to it! Try new exercises coupled with the ones, jog, walk, bicycle, you can do comfortably to keep your muscles worked. Cross training is very effective
Slouching:Posture is very important. It not only affects your mood but your performance as well. Be straight, loosen up and focus during your sweat session. The sloucher you are, the less you’ll receive in the way of benefits as slouching also keeps you from breathing deeply, which is necessary for delivering the oxygen your muscles need to work at full capacity.
Going Nuts With Food and Drink: If your workout lasts less than two hours, you possibly do not need energy bars or sports drinks. Plus, some bars are very high in calories which makes for the weight you have been trying to lose. Check the labels before buying the commercially promoted health drinks or stick to water and whole grain munchers.
With as little as this, you can get the best of your workout. Do the do’s and don’t the don’ts and be ready for a smooth workout habit that burns calories twice as fast and not your effort and energy!

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.

Yoga and its benefits

Believe it or not, Yoga has been practiced for more than 5,000 years, and currently, 11 million Americans enjoy its health benefits. A technique for prevention, cure, healing and focus, Yoga involve “asanas” which enables you to develop flexibility, strength and balance and therefore a healthy body and mind. 
Here are some benefits of Yoga and the areas that you can benefit from it. 

Yoga and Flexibility: Why the first 2 days are the most difficult

Yoga do not preach or inculcate in you a gymnastic spirit. The popular notion about Yoga is that one needs to stretch and swing their body a lot which makes a lot of us worry about whether we are too old or unfit or “rigid” for it. Truth is, no age is too old to improve ones flexibility.
Yoga works through asanas which in turn work by stretching your muscles. When your muscles work more than usual, it produces lactic acid in them which accounts for the stiffness and fatigue- a reason why most of us do not carry on with Yoga. What one should understand is this is also the phase when lubrication in the joints are increased- the outcome is a sense of ease and fluidity throughout the body!
Yoga also stretches the soft tissues of your body that surrounds your muscle- participants had up to 35% improvement in flexibility after only eight weeks of yoga. Live through the first 2 days and the benefits would be quick! 

Yoga and Strength: Yes it makes you stronger

If you are looking at strengthening your body, ashtanga and power yoga are your best bet as they are more vigorous than others and involves a lot of muscle movements. If you are looking at something more toned down with regards to the intensity of exercises, Iyengar is a good style to opt for. A Yoga style that focuses on less movement and more precise alignment in poses, Iyengar or Hatha Yoga provide strength and endurance benefits and when practiced correctly, build core strength in the deep abdominal muscles. 

Yoga means concentration, relaxation and calm

We all suffer from “mind chatter” that can terribly affect our concentration. Certain styles of Yoga use specific meditation techniques that quiet the constant “mind chatter”. A condition arising out of dissatisfaction and stress, Yoga for concentration helps you calm your mind by reducing stress. Acting on biochemical responses, Yoga lowers the levels of hormone neurotransmitters — dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine, thereby creating a feeling of calm. Some research also points to a boost in the hormone oxytocin- the so-called “trust” and “bonding” hormone that’s associated with feeling relaxed and connected to others

Yoga and the Heart

Perhaps one of the most talked about areas of the health benefits of yoga is its effect on heart and heart disease. A technique long been known to lower blood pressure; you’ll be surprised to know that Yoga was a key component to the heart disease program designed by Dean Ornish, MD. The first of its kind to partly reverse heart disease through lifestyle and diet rather than surgery; on a biochemical level, several studies suggests a possible anti-oxidant effect of yoga that decreases cholesteroland triglyceride levels. Other than the aforementioned, Yoga is also said to have a positive effect on learning and memory, slow the aging process, increase a person’s sense of self-acceptance, and improve energy levels. While gymming will involve a lifetime of gymming equipments, one can practice Yoga anywhere- but make sure you are well trained by your trainer to do so or the effects could be pretty adverse.

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.

Four golden tips to lose weight forever

 

1. Begin at onceThe ideal time to start a diet is when you plan to do so; you do not need to assign the next Monday or a specific day. The idea of start a diet at the beginning of the week has no an extra benefit, on the contrary, it hold back the way to achieve the habit of eat to lose weight. The days indicated on a diet plan, only should be use as a useful guide to know when and what to eat.

2. Replace foodRemove from your refrigerator the more fatty foods (rich in saturated fat, sugar and condiment) and replace them with healthier but equally delicious foods.

3. Cover the needsDiets that make you starve eventually generate anxiety, and you end gobble up everything that is within your reach. Therefore, you should not get obsessed and keep in mind that is better to take a longer time to lose weight than to gain weight fast. The important thing is to follow a balanced diet that covers all nutritional needs and allows you to maintain the weight that you already accomplished.

4. Move your bodyTo lose weight you need to exercise regularly. Strength exercises tone the muscles while aerobic exercises (walking, jogging, swimming, and bicycling) help to keep your heart healthy; both are necessary. Remember that if you train your body, muscles will allow you to burn calories still at rest.

10 Ways to Detoxify Your Body

 

Feeling sluggish or out of sync? Having skin problems, aches and pains, or digestive problems? Straying from your healthier habits lately? Having trouble kicking off your weight loss? It might be time for a body detox.
Practiced for centuries by many cultures around the world — including ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems — detoxification is about resting, cleaning and nourishing the body from the inside out. By removing and eliminating toxins, then feeding your body with healthy nutrients, detoxifying can help protect you from disease and renew your ability to maintain optimum health.
"The body has its own natural healing system," says Peter Bennett, N.D., medical director of Helios Clinic in Victoria, B.C., and co-author with Stephen Barrie, N.D. and Sara Faye, of 7-Day Detox Miracle (Prima Health). "Detoxification enhances this system," he explains.

How does detoxification work?

Basically, detoxification means cleaning the blood. It does this mainly by removing impurities from the blood in the liver, where toxins are processed for elimination. The body also eliminates toxins through the kidneys, intestines, lungs, lymph and skin. However, when this system is compromised, impurities aren't properly filtered and every cell in the body is adversely affected.

A detox program can help the body's natural cleaning process by:
1) Resting the organs through fasting;
2) Stimulating the liver to drive toxins from the body;
3) Promoting elimination through the intestines, kidneys and skin;
4) Improving circulation of the blood; and
5) Refueling the body with healthy nutrients.

"Detoxification works because it addresses the needs of individual cells, the smallest units of human life," says Bennett.

How do you know if you need to detoxify?

Bennett suggests that everyone should detox at least once a year. A short detoxifying program or whole body cleanse is generally safe; in fact, scientific studies show that a detox is beneficial for health. However, Bennett cautions against detoxifying for nursing mothers, children, and patients with chronic degenerative diseases, cancer or tuberculosis. Consult your health care practitioner if you have questions about whether detoxing is right for you.

Today, with more toxins in the environment than ever, "it's critical to detox," says Linda Page, N.D., Ph.D., the author of Detoxification (Healthy Healing Publications). Page recommends detoxing for symptoms such as unexplained fatigue, sluggish elimination, irritated skin, allergies or low-grade infections; bags under the eyes; a distended stomach even if the rest of your body is thin; menstrual difficulties; or mental confusion.

Where do you begin?

First, lighten up your toxin load. Eliminate alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, refined sugars and saturated fats, all of which act as toxins in the body and are obstacles to your healing process. Also, minimize use of chemical-based household cleaners and personal health care products (cleansers, shampoos, deodorants and toothpastes), and substitute natural alternatives.

Another deterrent to good health is stress, which triggers your body to release stress hormones into your system. While these hormones can provide the "adrenaline rush" to win a race or meet a deadline, in large amounts they create toxins and slow down detoxification enzymes in the liver. So it's a good idea to detox stressful life situations along with detoxifying your body. Yoga, Qigong and meditation are simple and effective ways to relieve stress by resetting your physical and mental reactions to the inevitable stress life will bring.

Which detox program is best for you?

There are many detoxification programs and detox recipes, depending on your individual needs. Many programs follow a 7-day schedule because, as Bennett explains, "it takes the body some time to clean the blood." His program involves fasting on liquids for two days, followed by a carefully-planned five-day detox diet to allow the digestive system to rest. He also advises supplements, herbs, exercise, and practices such as dry-skin brushing and hydrotherapy to enhance circulation.

Page recommends a 3-7 day juice fast (drinking only fresh fruit and vegetable juices and water) as an effective way to release toxins.
Other popular detoxing programs and natural body cleanses include:
• Cleansing supplement packages, which generally contain fiber, vitamins, herbs and minerals. There are several safe products on the market, with easy-to-follow instructions.
• A routine of drinking only water one day each week — an ancient practice of many cultures.

10 ways to help your body detoxify

After a detoxification program, you can cleanse your body daily through diet, supplements and lifestyle practices.

1. Eat plenty of fiber, including brown rice and organically-grown fresh fruits and vegetables. Beets, radishes, artichokes, cabbage, broccoli, spirulina, chlorella, and seaweed are excellent detoxifying foods.
2. Cleanse and protect the liver by taking herbs such as dandelion root, burdock and milk thistle, and drinking green tea.
3. Take vitamin C, which helps the body produce glutathione, a liver compound that drives away toxins.
4. Drink at least two quarts of water daily.
5. Breathe deeply to allow oxygen to circulate more completely through your system.
6. Transform stress by emphasizing positive emotions.
7. Practice hydrotherapy by taking a very hot shower for five minutes, allowing the water to run on your back. Follow with cold water for 30 seconds. Do this three times, and then get into bed for 30 minutes.
8. Sweat in a sauna so your body can eliminate wastes through perspiration.
9. Dry-brush your skin or try detox foot spas/foot baths to remove toxins through your pores. Special brushes are available at natural products stores.
10. What is the most important way to detoxify? "Exercise," says Bennett. "Yoga or jump-roping are good. One hour every day." Also try Qigong, a martial-arts based exercise system that includes exercises specifically for detoxifying or cleansing, as well as many other exercises with specific health benefits.

© Text: life.gaiam.com  

6 Steps to eliminate Your Love Handles

Let’s face it – unless our full-time jobs involve dancing or instructing at a gym, we all have love handles. Our partners think they’re cute, until they blow up to Aunt Marge a la Harry Potter proportions, and then all hell breaks loose. Stop hell from breaking loose, lose your love handles with these simple tips and exercises:

1. The Flutter Kick: Find a Yoga mat, lie on your tummy. Lift your feet and knees off the floor. Now “flutter kick” as if you’re swimming. Do this 15 seconds, then stop for 30 seconds. Repeat twice.

2. Cut down on the Sodium and Drink Water Sodium leads to water retention, which makes love handles more prominent. Drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day helps by suppressing the appetite and metabolize stored fat into energy. It also cuts down the water retained by sodium.

3. Do the Trunk Twist: Bend your knees slightly and stand with your feet as apart as your shoulders. Place your hands in front with palms facing upwards. Twist your body to the left as much as you can, then twist it to the right. Repeat until you’ve done enough reps.

4. Do Cardio-Vascular Exercises: No matter how many ab exercises you do, they won’t work unless you’re doing a strong cardio exercise – running, cross-trainer, cycling. Pick one you like and stick with it! If you can afford it, get a treadmill or cross-trainer at home. That way you can get your daily cardio requirement whenever you’re free.

5. Increase Your Protein Intake: Have one gram of protein per pound of body weight. Our body uses the most calories to burn protein, thus reducing more calories than retaining. It will help you control your weight like very few other food items!

6. Reduce your Alcohol Intake: This one is the most obvious one – alcohol is a lot of empty calories, and they go straight to your stomach. So drink in moderation, and have “light” versions. If you must drink, Vodka is the least calorific.

So good luck with those love handles! Once you’ve started practicing these tips, you’ll realize that they aren’t that tough to get rid of.

© Text: Healthy Times Blog.