Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Female Fitness
How To Look Like A Female Fitness Model
Do you pass by the magazine stands in the store and envy the bodies of the cover models? More and more women today are coveting this body type; strong and muscular while still being feminine. Gone are the days where strong women are seen as too masculine and unattractive. The female fitness body is here to stay.
Now, curves are back so long as they are created with muscle mass and have a softer appearance. Hot celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba are now gracing the covers showing off their new curves. What's more is that these women are garnering a great deal of male attraction - much more than their thinner counterparts such as Lindsay Lohan or Victoria Beckham.
Luckily, if you make some smart changes to your workout program you can get yourself on the road to looking like the next female fitness model, maybe even cover model!
First things first. Pink Weights.
If you want to add sexy curves to your body, you need not be afraid of heavier weights. Don't worry, you are not going to bulk up and begin bearing resemblance to Vin Diesel, as women simply do not have the testosterone in their bodies to be able to do this. In fact, in a very good situation, assuming sound training and great nutrition, a woman would be lucky to put on about half a pound of muscle mass per month. Not quite as scary as you thought right? And that is assuming everything is done right… many will experience a slower rate yet.
The problem with pink weights is that for most of you, they aren't challenging! You'd be surprised at how strong you already are if you'd just push yourself that little extra bit. So next time you're in the gym, pick up a ten pound dumbbell or if you're really ambitious, go for fifteen. You'll start noticing your body changing more in the next few weeks than in the last few years you've spent slaying away on the stairmaster.
Weights have the power to completely transform your body. They will make you a smaller, yet curvier version of your body now.
Don't be alarmed at your scale weight though as upon weight training your body weight may go up. Relax however, because one pound of muscle takes up much less space on your body than one pound of bodyfat does, therefore you may weigh more, but you will look smaller.
Next comes cardio.
Women have this tendency to just gravitate towards the cardio section of the gym. Whether it is the best place to check out the men lifting or it feels safer to them, whatever the reason, they go there and stay there - for hours at a time.
This is something that has to change. Think about how many hours of your life you've spent on that treadmill, stairmaster or elliptical machine. Do you really look that much different because of it? I'm guessing probably not.
Not only that, but how many of you put in your hour while watching TV or reading your favourite magazine? This is probably a good indicator that you aren't quite working as hard as you could be.
The truth of the matter is that your body will quickly adapt to all that cardio training that you are doing. So while before you might have burned a hundred calories running a mile, now you are only burning 80. Unless you continually add more and more time to get the same calorie burn, it is going to stop being an effective fat loss tool. And when you're already doing six hours a week, who really wants to spend MORE time doing cardio?
The secret is changing the format of your cardio from that of a comfortable steady-state session to one that's composed of high intensity intervals that will really kick you out of your comfort zone - and blast away body fat as well.
This is by far a more productive form of cardio to be doing so rather than wasting another hour of your life not really getting anywhere, next time you're in the gym for cardio, do twenty minutes, alternating thirty seconds going as hard as you possibly can with a minute and a half at a much easier pace to recover. It will be hard - I warn you. Stick with it for one month however and you will be extremely happy you did.
Online Muscle Fitness
Online Muscle Fitness
Muscle fitness can mean you have more powerful muscles that can lift heavier objects or muscles that will work longer before becoming exhausted (muscle strength endurance).
7 Secrets To Better Workoutsby Sean Barker, CPT
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1. Start your engines
As your old high school gym teacher might have led you to believe, stretching before weight training is not the best way to warm-up. Recent reports show that static stretching before exercise can reduce muscle strength. Stretching relaxes your muscles, so why would you want to relax your muscles when you need to lift explosively during weight training? The proper warm-up for weight training should involve 5-10 minutes of Dynamic mobility movements. These drills help improve active range of motion and activate the nervous system. Exercise like bodyweight squats, pushups and lunges help to fire up the nervous system, increase blood flow and fluid to the surrounding joints in preparation for intense lifting. In addition, a couple acclimation sets of the first exercise in your workout will get you prepared to train with your maximal weights.
2. Train What You Don't See
One of the most common complaints you hear from long time lifters is a chronic shoulder problem. This is mainly due to imbalances in their exercise selection where they perform more pressing exercises like bench presses than pulling exercise like bent over rows. You should be doing equal exercise volume in the horizontal push and pulls as well as the vertical push and pulls such as shoulder presses and chin-up variations. This will ensure proper balance for the muscles you don't see in your back to prevent tight upper back muscles, which contribute to most shoulder problems. Including some old school traditional pushups in place of bench presses also allow your scapula muscles in your upper back to move freely enhancing shoulder health unlike any lying bench press movements. Pushups are referred to as a "close-chain" exercise because during these movements, your hands or feet are in a constant, fixed position (usually on the ground) during the exercise.
3. The New Cardio
High intensity interval training has been proven to be nine times more effective than steady-state cardio for burning fat. You don't have to do cardio in the traditional form of what most people think. People were burning fat long before treadmills and stationary bikes with old-fashioned manual labor. You need to be doing high intensity exercise that revs up your metabolism each and every workout. You could run, sprint, swim, lift weights, do supersets with weights. Remember you don't really burn much fat when you are actually exercising, except for a small amount of fatty acids that are in your bloodstream. It's the calories your body burns during the other 23 hours of the day that count. With exercise and a clean diet you will put your body in a caloric deficit, which is still the ONLY proven way to melt off that unwanted fat.
4. Times Up
Standing around chatting about the news of the week for 5 minutes in between sets is not the most effective way to get a great workout. Keeping track and shortening your rest periods between exercises is an awesome away to burn calories and increase your conditioning. There is a BIG difference in "keeping track" of your time in your head and actually using your watch. Most people don't realize how short a 60 second rest period is once they start watching the clock. Increasing training density by shortening or eliminating some rest periods in between sets is a great way to get a lot of workout volume done in a short amount of time. Keep your headphones on to avoid unwelcome distractions and keep your eye on your watch!
5. Be Cool
You started your workout off right with a dynamic warm-up, now its time to call it a day with a proper cool down. This is when you should be doing some old school Static stretching, which basically consists of stretching a muscle as far as your flexibility will allow and then holding that position for 10-15 seconds. Static stretching is of value primarily for preventing or correcting excessive muscle tension and establishing proper muscle length at the joints, both of which will improve movement efficiency. This type of stretching is best performed post-workout or several hours after the exercise session. Always easy into a stretch while gradually increasing the range of motion as your flexibility improves.
6. Spice it Up
Most training research shows that your body begins to adapt to a training program after 6 weeks. More specifically, you adapt to the rep range before everything else. Like the saying goes, "variety is the spice of life". The same holds true for weight training. Ten reps might sound like a nice even number to aim for during each sets but that doesn't mean it's the most effective. For strength gains stick to the 1-3 rep range. For muscle growth work in the 4-6 rep range. For fat loss keep reps higher in the 10-12 rep range. Vary your workouts to prevent your body to adapting to the same training stress.
7. Failing To Plan
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". This rings true with a proper workout program as well. All of these workout secrets should be part of a long-term training plan. Certified personal trainers spend years learning proper methods for kinetics and exercise design. So why does everyone think they can just slap together a bunch of exercises and think it's going to get them the results they are after? Plan your workouts based on your goals. Are you looking to lose fat, build muscle or get stronger. It's better to focus on one in each training phase. The most common method most gym rats might use wither they know it or not is Linear periodization. This is when the reps are decreased and the loads are increased over a period of time.
Recent training research has shown that a method of structuring your workouts called undulating periodization - has proven to be more effective in inducing maximum muscle gains when compared to traditional linear periodization models. Rotating from heavy (4-6 reps), to medium (8-10 reps) to light (12-15 reps) all in the same week will ensure you make steady progress and prevent that dreaded training plateau.
Dental Health Tips
Baby-Bottle Caries
How early can a person have tooth decay? The answer is, as soon as a person has teeth erupted.
This means an infant under the age of 1 can start having tooth decay. Tooth decay that happens in infants is called Early Childhood Caries. ECC is a severe problem that causes debilitating tooth destruction in infants and young children.
The prevalence of ECC is estimated to be as high as 90 percent in some Head Start populations. However, by following the guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and by visiting a dentist for the first check-up by the child's first birthday, ECC can easily be prevented.
ECC is a specific form of severe decay found in the teeth of infants and toddlers who fall asleep with bottles of milk, juice or any sweetened liquid in their mouths. ECC is also known as baby-bottle tooth decay, nursing-bottle caries and milk-bottle syndrome. It is the only severe dental disease common in children under 3 years of age.
Bacteria, which are found in the mouth, convert sugar into acids. These acids destroy the enamel and dentin of the tooth. The flow of saliva in the mouth helps to wash acids from the tooth surface during the daytime. However, when an infant is asleep, the flow of saliva is significantly reduced, and this allows acids to pool on the tooth. This, coupled with the sugars found in juices, milk or other soft drinks, will lead to early cavities.
The top four front teeth are most affected by ECC, which appears as white chalky marks on the teeth due to decalcification by the acids. If these teeth are left untreated, unsightly and often painful cavities will develop.
Baby teeth are important to a child for chewing and biting food, making a good smile, and speaking. However, the most important function of baby teeth is that they are holding space in the mouth for upcoming permanent teeth.
The first baby tooth erupts around 6 to 8 months of age, and usually all 20 baby teeth are erupted by the age of 2 or 2-and-a-half. Early loss of baby teeth can cause blocked eruption, drifting, crooking and crowding of the permanent teeth.
A child who prematurely loses baby teeth will have a very high chance of needing braces in the future. If an abscess or infection occurs around baby teeth with ECC, it may affect the development of the underlying permanent teeth.
The best treatment for ECC is prevention. But teeth affected by ECC can still be treated if intervention is early and the underlying causes are stopped.
The following are guidelines, developed by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, for preventing baby-bottle tooth decay:
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Don't allow a child to fall asleep with a bottle containing milk, formula, fruit juices or other sweet liquids.
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Comfort a child who wants a bottle between regular feedings or during naps with a bottle filled with cool water.
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Always make sure a child's pacifier is clean, and never dip a pacifier in a sweet liquid.
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Introduce children to a cup as they approach 1 year of age. Children should stop drinking from bottles soon after their first birthdays.
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See the dentist if any unusual red or swollen areas appear in a child's mouth, or any dark spot on a child's tooth.
Healthy adult teeth begin with healthy baby teeth. Knowing and following the AAPD guidelines, and visiting a dentist for the first check-up around the age of 1, are very important for preventing young children from getting ECC.
AIDS Prevention Info
AIDS is a condition caused by a virus called HIV that attacks a person's immune system, making it defenseless against diseases and infections. The full medical name for AIDS is Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome and the virus is called the Human Immunodeficiency Virus.
HIV is transmitted through all forms of unprotected sexual intercourse, i.e., vaginal, anal or oral sex without the proper use of a latex condom, and through sharing needles or syringes with someone who is infected with HIV. Because HIV can "hide" in the body for 10 years or more before it shows up as AIDS, you must never assume that just because you cannot "see" it in a person, it is not there!
Asthma Prevention Tips
Asthma Information
Asthma is characterized by coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing. Asthma symptoms can be triggered by several factors, including: allergens or irritants; viral or sinus infections; exercise; reflux disease (stomach acid flowing back up the esophagus); medications or foods; and emotional anxiety.
Caffeine and Asthma
If you feel an asthma attack coming on and don't have your inhaler handy, try a couple cups of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, or chocolate bars. The caffeine will help open your airways.
Controlling Your Asthma
If you find yourself using your quick-relief inhaler to stop an asthma attack more than twice a week, it may be time for a different medication. In fact, if you have to refill your inhaler more than two times a year or are awakened by asthma symptoms two nights or more per week, you also probably need a change.
Correct Inhaler Use
If you use an inhaler to treat your asthma, remember that it's not a breath freshener. You must deeply inhale the medication into your lungs and hold it for three to five seconds before exhaling slowly.
NSAIDs, Aspirin and Asthma
Asthma sufferers should use the non-aspirin pain reliever acetaminophen (Tylenol) because the use of aspirin and NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs), such as Advil/Motrin (ibuprofen) and Aleve (naproxen sodium), have the tendency to worsen asthma.
Custard Apple - Health Benefits
Custard Apple - Health Benefits | |
Custard Apple or Seethaphal is a tropical fruit tree that grows easily. It was first culivated in West Indies. Its botanical name is 'ANNONA SQUAMOSA'. It is very popular in India. The pulp of the fruit is mixed with milk to make custard. As it has the taste of custard it is called 'Custard Apple'. The fruit has a peculiar aroma. Custard Apple is used to make Jams, Jellies and sherbets. The plant is propogated by grafting as well as through the seeds. Grafted plants produce fruits from the first year itself. The plant usually flowers between March and July. The fruits should be plucked before they are ripe and stored for ripening. Custard apple promotes digestion and is used as a cure for vomiting, diarrhoea, dysentry and vertigo. The unripe fruit is dried and powdered and is used as a cure for treating lice. The fruit is low in calorie content and contains minerals like iron, phosphorous, calcium and riboflavin. The plant is a evergreen shrub and reaches a maximum of 6 mts. The plant bears flowers in the mature branches and the fruits develop in the mature branches and are usually round. The flesh is white and creamy with a sugary taste. The seeds are black in colour with a shine. The seeds are not consumed for they are slightly poisonous. |
Breakfast and mental health
Parents, please note, just by adding a piece of an apple or a glass of hot milk to your child’s breakfast you could protect them from depression, anxiety and disobedience, a new study has claimed. A team at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth has carried out a study of more than 800 students and found that a complex breakfast is directly linked to better mental health in kids.
According to lead researcher Therese O’Sullivan, this may be because mental functioning is actually affected by the absorption of a variety of nutrients. Cereal and milk in particular supply calcium iron and B vitamins that assist neurotransmitters, chemicals needed to transfer information in the nervous systems that are directly responsible for behavior and mood. For their study, the researchers enlisted over 800 14 year old girls and boys and analyzed their breakfast intake over three days. They found that just one in four teens ate a high quality breakfast containing three or more of the five food groups, cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and meats and alternative like beans, nuts and eggs. Those who ate from more food groups for their morning meals scored higher on a child behavior checklist, with an improvement in mood seen for every extra food type added the study revealed.
It didn’t matter what they added, just that they added something different like a banana to their cereal to make that meal more complete with vitamins and minerals. From what we found, that makes a huge difference. “For every additional food group added the mental health status improved markedly across the sample, ”the Age quoted O’Sullivan as saying.
TIPS FOR GOOD HEALTH
We take our feet for granted but scarcely give a thought to how best to keep them healthy. Until of course, something goes wrong.
The human foot is one of the most complicated parts of the body, each foot has 332 joints, eight arches, 26 bones, more than a hundred muscles, ligaments, and tendons that all work in unison to allow movement. Foot disorders must be diagnosed and treated early, as they often have the potential to become very painful and incapacitating.
There are three common foot problems that when treated early will save you from a lot of pain, and more importantly, form more complications..
Corns and Calluses
Anybody who ever worn uncomfortable shoes has probably had foot corns and calluses problems. Foot corns are a result of too much pressure being applied on the foot's skin, such as when the bones of the feet press against tight shores and also press against each other. This foot condition is fairly easy to treat. Doctors often prescribe wider shoes or cushion pads to relieve pressure.
Infected Toenails
Sometimes, the things you do to clean your toenails can do more harm than good. Over clipping and digging deep into the sides can cause nails to throb, swell, and become infected and lead to a more serious foot problem called ingrown toenails. Podiatrists usually remove the nail spike and clean the area. In the worst case, you may have to undergo simple surgery.
Athlete's Foot
Fungi are attracted to warm and moist areas of the body such as the feet – usually between sweaty toes. The fungi latch onto the foot and cause itch and peel. If untreated early, the fungi can even spread to the toenails and lead to what is called as Athlete's Foot. There are many over-the-counter anti-fungal sprays, creams and powder available to treat this condition.
How to fight Dengue? Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever
How to fight Dengue? Causes and Prevention of Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is a flu kind of illness spread by mosquito bites. Dengue and dengue hemorrhagic fever are caused by any of the dengue family virus. This is also widely known as 'Break bone fever' due to the severe joint pain caused during the attack. Dengue can be diagnosed by blood test. The infected person as such cannot spread the infection but can be a source to spread it.
Dengue hemorrhagic fever is often complicated and severe. This rather can be termed as a complication dengue fever. Those bitten by the mosquito can get dengue fever and those already infected once if infected again are prone to higher risk of getting dengue hemorrhagic fever.
Dengue is an infectious disease causing frequent epidemics. There are various factors that contribute like lack of effective mosquito control, lack of public health systems to control the epidemic, the increase usage of plastic items which are the breeding sites of the mosquitoes.
Dengue is spread by the bite of an 'Ades' Mosquito. This mosquito bites the infected person and then bites someone else who is not affected thus transmitting the infection. These mosquitoes are active during the day time and spread the infection during day time. These mosquitoes live among human beings and breed in discarded tyres, flower pots, water stores etc.
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Dengue fever starts suddenly accompanied by headache, severe joint pain ,rashes, nausea and lack of appetite. The illness can last up to 10 days and the complete recovery could take about four to six weeks. Widely the dengue infections result in relatively mild illness however in some cases it may lead to the dengue hemorrhagic fever. In the complicated stage the blood vessels start to leak and cause bleeding through mouth, nose and gums. This is most prevalent among children and young adults. This stage requires close medical attention.
Heart Care and Cholesterol Control
AN INDULGENT LIFESTYLE AND AN INADEQUATE DIET ARE TWO MAJOR CAUSES OF HEART DISEASE. TO STAY FIT HERE ARE A FEW MEASURES OF CARE AND CONTROL
Heart Diseases and Hypertension which lead to heart or other organ failures has been on the rise for the past 2 decades. People above the age of 40 have been suffering from such problems due to their unbalanced dietary habits. Its always advisable to control these factors if you want to reduce your risk.
Preventing Coronary Diseases
When there are excess deposits of fat, cholesterol or other substances in the inner wall of arteries, the arteries narrow and harden into a condition known as astherosclerosis, the most common cause of heart trouble. A planned diet and regular exercise are the key to prevent atheroclerosis.
Friendly and Unfriendly FATS
FAT should not exceed 30 per cent of your total calorie intake, which includes a maximum of 10 per cent saturated fat and 10 per cent mono-unsaturated fats. Saturated fatty acids in full-cream milk and red meat increase your cholesterol level. Use non-fat or low-fat milk and milk products instead of full-cream milk and avoid sources of saturated fatty acids like lard, butter, cream, palm oil, coconut oil, ghee and vanaspati
Mono-unsaturated fats that lower cholesterol as well as prevent formation of blood clots are present in olive, canola, peanut and mustard oils. It’s best to use these while cooking.
Omega-3, a fatty acid that prevents atherosclerosis is present in foods like herring, mackerel, salmon, tuna, soyabean, walnuts and butternuts. Take these regularly in small quantities to prevent atherosclerosis.
Diet control and weight loss
Weight loss can be achieved in many ways. You can achieve weight loss by diet control, exercising, yoga, medicines, etc.
The best way is to follow a combination of all these to ensure that your daily routing life is not affected in any way.
The thumb rule is very simple "be happy". Always try to come out of stress and other worries. Feel free and flying. Most of us feel very heavy and tired only because of our mind. Mind is the cause of all diseases. Your confidence is what will talk about your fitness.
Know all, follow what your want. You are the best judge for yor life.
Nutritious and Healthy food
In the normal course of life, we forget to take necessary nutrition that is required for our body and hence we tend to get into many life style diseases. It is very essential for a person to know and understand the benefits of nature's creation like fruits, vegetables, nuts,etc.
You can find useful articles on nutrition and health benefits of various fruits and vegetables. Read on and add these to your daily life. The value of food is more when it is taken in a systematic manner and also by understanding the benefits of every bite we take.
Breakfast and mental health
Parents, please note, just by adding a piece of an apple or a glass of hot milk to your child’s breakfast you could protect them from depression, anxiety and disobedience, a new study has claimed. A team at the Telethon Institute for Child Health Research in Perth has carried out a study of more than 800 students and found that a complex breakfast is directly linked to better mental health in kids.
According to lead researcher Therese O’Sullivan, this may be because mental functioning is actually affected by the absorption of a variety of nutrients. Cereal and milk in particular supply calcium iron and B vitamins that assist neurotransmitters, chemicals needed to transfer information in the nervous systems that are directly responsible for behavior and mood. For their study, the researchers enlisted over 800 14 year old girls and boys and analyzed their breakfast intake over three days. They found that just one in four teens ate a high quality breakfast containing three or more of the five food groups, cereals, fruit, vegetables, dairy products, and meats and alternative like beans, nuts and eggs. Those who ate from more food groups for their morning meals scored higher on a child behavior checklist, with an improvement in mood seen for every extra food type added the study revealed.
It didn’t matter what they added, just that they added something different like a banana to their cereal to make that meal more complete with vitamins and minerals. From what we found, that makes a huge difference. “For every additional food group added the mental health status improved markedly across the sample, ”the Age quoted O’Sullivan as saying.