Tag Archives: Fitness

Ideal Workouts For Those New To Exercise

We all know we’re meant to exercise more but let’s face it, for most of us the thought of slugging our guys out down at the gym for an hour after work is not appealing. Then you’ve got finances and time constraints to factor in. If you have a family to look after exercise really does have to occur when you have time to fit it in and gym memberships aren’t cheap if you’re not going on a regular basis. Here are three easy exercises that anyone can do regardless of their current level of fitness at a time that’s convenient for them.

Pilates

Like yoga, Pilates takes the view that the mind and body both need to be exercised and strengthened. Pilates concentrates on the overall quality of the exercise rather than the quantity. This means you’re not performing the same movements over and over again (which is the part of exercise most of us hate). Pilates teaches correct breathing and helps you centre the body which is why it’s seen as such a good form of exercise for overall wellness. Of course its physical advantages are also easy to see, by concentrating on the overall quality of the movement and holding these positions you’re strengthening those muscles.  Pilates is about much more than just stretching, it’s about elongating the spine to lead to better posture and flexibility, although it’s been around for nearly a hundred years its only really stated to become really popular over the last ten years after been taken up by several notable celebrities.

Swimming

Most of us learn to swim as children and it’s a valuable skill to have. It’s hard to live your whole live without going near water and although it’s possible to drown in just a cup of water knowing how to swim could save your life. It’s also a very good form of exercise, like Pilates it strengthens and tones your muscles. Unlike Pilates it is a very repetitive sport but the tranquillity of the water makes it another great sport for promoting calmness and wellbeing. It’s a very cheap exercise (of even free if you have access to your own pool) and the natural buoyancy of the water means it’s a low impact sport which reduces the chances of injury. If you haven’t swam in a while it’s very important you take it easy to begin with, although it’s low impact it does work almost every muscles in your body which can be susceptible to injury. Our bodies will naturally float when submerged in water so theoretically anyone can do it which is why it’s a great exercise for anyone new to working out.

Tai chi

Tai Chi is another great way of getting in shape if you’re new to regular exercise. This ancient form of Chinese martial art is hundreds of years old and is popular all over the world. Its proper name is tai chi chan and it’s designed to teach grace and balance more than speed and power. You don’t need anything in the form of equipment, all you need is an open space and somewhere you can feel relaxed. Tai Chi is great for stress management as it help teach proper breathing through a series of slow motion martial art moves. One foot will usually remain on the ground at all times and the slow motion movements and the ongoing concentration on the move itself lend to it being a very clam and gentle form of exercise.

If you’d rather take up swimming from the privacy of your own back garden checkout World of Pools and H20 Fun for a great selection of swimming pools you can install in your own back garden

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Stationary Bikes For A Healthier You

One of the best things you could do for yourself is to constantly eat right and get an adequate amount of exercise. The latter may not seem or feel like a beneficial thing. However, with the right knowledge and equipments at hand, you will surely be convinced. To start with, look into the wonders of using stationary bikes. These are not new to the fitness scene. It has been around for quite a long time. However, what has changed is the introduction of a newly designed framework. You might remember or still feel the dreary effects of the upright bike on your back, neck as well as joints. That was the result of a poorly designed structure where the body had to lean forward and therefore, the longer that they had to stay on the bike, the longer the back and neck had to support weight. In the end, you feel more strain on those body areas than on your legs and abdominal section.

Fortunately, the recumbent design provides an even more gentle approach to the whole pedaling to fitness thing. You will find that it goes very easy on your joints as a low impact regimen. The added comfort of a cushioned back rest will also provide adequate support and therefore eliminate any unnecessary straining. You do not even have to pedal very intensely. You just need to maintain a steady pace a few minutes each day in order to achieve the figure and wellness that you want.

If you are interested, by now you might be thinking what you should buy. Well, the Schwinn recumbent exercise bike comes highly recommended from both fitness gurus and previous customers. They have found great satisfaction with the simple design as well as the latest technology that will provide you with different levels of resistance and preset programs. You can easily set those to your likings with the monitor screens so you will never get bored as well.

Benefits Of Rebounder Workouts

Simple exercise like running, walking, and jogging do an excellent job of increasing a person’s blood circulation. The unfortunate side effect of these kinds of exercise is the effect they have on the joints, hips and knees. Rebounder workouts offer all of the normal benefits associated with aerobic exercises and basically eliminate any sort of damage done to muscles and joints just like yoga mats. A rebounder is normally about three to nine inches in total diameter, and it is basically a mini-trampoline. Anybody who is health conscious about their body really needs to own a rebounder. One of the most important benefits provided by a rebounder is increasing lymph circulation within one’s body.

Bouncing around on a rebounder could increase the flow in a person’s lymph by as much as 30 percent. The lymph found in the human body has a simple goal of refreshing and detoxing the human body. This piece of the human body is essential for the organs in the body to operate properly. A rebounder will tone up the body, and get rid of flabby thighs and jiggling stomachs. The needak rebounder will also tone up the muscles and burn excess fat. Standard exercises such as hopping, running, walking, and dancing can easily be performed using a rebounder. The greatest benefit that comes along with doing these exercises on a rebounder is the fact that it is soft and bouncy allowing for no straining of the body’s joints.

This proves to be an excellent benefit especially for people with a bit of age under their belt. Older people using a rebounder works wonders for them because as people age their body cannot withstand the intense impacts that come along with normal exercise like running or jogging. Older people can use a rebounder to receive the entire benefits younger people can using the soft touch from a rebounder. It is easy to obtain a complete full body workout using a rebounder with old people. The immune system in the human body absolutely needs to be in top shape to allow for defense against diseases.

When a person is bouncing on a rebounder they will experience a significant amount of what is called G-force. This strong force actually affects all of the cells in the human body. The immune cells in the body that are self-propelled end up becoming up to five times as active as opposed to when they are sitting still. Strangely enough these are also the cells that fight against viruses, bacteria, and cancer cells as well. This is proof that doing exercises on a rebounder will definitely add strength to a person’s immunity.

Mike has been blogging about health fitness and other topics for 5 years. Currently he is a staff writter for http://www.needakusa.com/ home of the needak rebounder.

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Why You Shouldn’t Overcomplicate Exercise

I’ve worked as a personal trainer for five years now and during my time in the industry both in a professional capacity and through training in my own time I’ve noticed a common trend amongst gym goers that consistently fail to get results. In my experience I find that people who want to build muscle and loose fat – that is 99% of males that enter the gym – make their task way more complicated than it should be by working themselves into a state of confusion about everything they listen to and read about muscle building and fat burning.

I can say with my hand on my heart that the reason most of these individuals are failing in their physique conquests is because they are talking, thinking and reading too much, and not doing nearly enough. Take two trainers, A and B, both are very enthusiastic:

Trainer A

A spends all his time reading all the literature on fitness that he can on muscle building, researching, talking to peers and personal trainers when he does go the gym, he takes everything he hears as gospel truth is unable to develop a consistent workout plan because he keep changing his mind about what ‘works’

Trainer B

B doesn’t pay much attention to any fitness publications in the media, instead of spending his time reading an in-depth study about whether or not you can emphasize the lower chest by doing decline bench presses, he gets in the gym, and works his ass off. He doesn’t worry about if what he’s doing was endorsed in the latest issue of muscle and fitness, or panic when he realizes he’s forgotten his protein shake.

Of these two types of trainer, B is poised to make quicker, more impressive gains. This is because trainer A’s body does not recognize that he spends hours research what ‘the best form of whey protein is’. B simply gets in the gym, moves some iron around, shocks his muscles, then goes home and eats some meat. While he could improve in some areas by swatting up on nutrition and work out plans, he is far more likely to make progress than A who over-thinks things.

Because of this restrictive mindset, trainer A will always find it hard to get out the blocks because he is so indecisive. I can tell you right now that success in the gym is not based on what you do (the types of exercises) but how often you do it. A consistent trainer doing 3×8 all the time will always trump the trainer that does powerlifting-type training for a week then switches to crossfit. The bottom line: Don’t worry, get in the gym, do your stuff, get out, swat up if you have time, love training.

Joe is an experienced personal trainer and is currently working as a freelance copywriter for a company that sells cheap washing machines . You can follow him on twitter @ joe__johnson__

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Work-out Review: Insanity vs P90X

Losing weight has been made more fun these days. With many types of routines combined into a basic work out, one can be able to shed pounds for a little time. Within two months or so, one can see his body slimmer and muscles developed to its fullest. Two popular work-out routines which are competing for the being the “toughest” and most effective weight loss program is the Insanity and P90X. The Insanity vs P90X war has been going on from some time, and experts are raving about this competition to see which one is the best workout among all.

Primarily, it is advantageous to look at these two routines. One can only decide which the best is as both of the routines are different in their own. They have special sets of exercises and strategies that has been studied and proven effective by many exercise experts. If you are among those who are looking for a good work-out routine, you might want to try either of these. Read on below, and find out which one suits you best.

Insanity work-out is a 60-day routine which involves two phases. First is the basic phase where the body learns to acquire the exercises. The second level is more extreme, hence named as the “Max” level. In this stage, intense work-outs are made. Insanity routines involve cardio, balance, plyometrics, calisthenics, and other sports drills. There are about ten different work-outs, and each session runs from 45 minutes to an hour and fifteen minutes. The good thing about this strategy is that no equipments are needed. One will only use his body balance and weight for each session.

P90X is a three month program that is divided into three different phases. Each phase includes a cool down period where one’s body is meant to recuperate from any change of work-outs during the whole period. P90x includes 12 workouts, ranging from resistance routines to cardio and then finally to yoga. This means that routines involve the whole body, and must be practiced for six days in a week. Opposite of the Insanity, P90x requires equipments such as weights, resistance bands and a pull up bar for stretches.

The Insanity vs P90X have different ways of manipulating one’s body into its fuller strength. Insanity requires great physical preparations, for it begins in an intense pace. Warm ups are also necessary to follow; being flexible is needed for anyone who chooses this routine. P90x however, requires greater commitment as it takes a longer time to finish. The preferences of the person who wants to get into these exercises are prioritized. One can choose between an extreme overdrive in exercising; or a longer, gradual, longer session that needs more willpower.

Be sure to check out TweakFit fitness blog for more tips on how to lose weight.

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Planning your Fitness Regime

Planning your Fitness Regime

We all know that exercise is an extremely important part of our lives. Yet we are reluctant to follow it religiously everyday. There are plenty of excuses and reasons for such reluctance, but none hold the water, as it is actually a result of lack of planning. Celebrities have their life planned out by helpers and assistants, so maybe it is a bit easier for them. But then you are not as busy as them, hence you can surely plan out your own exercise schedule.

There is no task which can be executed successfully without a plan; the same goes for exercise and fitness.  We are not ignorant of the benefits that accrue from fitness. A fit and energetic body helps us to lead a healthy life. It strengthens us and boosts our immunity system. Both our personal and professional lives get more enthusiastic and cheerful. Moreover, it keeps us in shape. All these benefits sound very attractive but in order to attain them, following a planned workout schedule is must.

Some crib that workout takes up lot of time. Nothing more could be farther from truth. While doing one’s regular work, each one of us perform some extra work because we consider them a priority. The moment we decide that staying fit is be a priority for us; we would take out time for it too. The benefits should be sufficient enough to make exercise a priority and an integral part of our daily lives.

The best way to start is to find a place in your house where you will feel most comfortable. It could be a spot next to the window in your living room, or the place next to your bed, maybe the kitchen and even the garage. Make this your fixed zone and keep your equipment, if you are using any, nearby so that at other times they do not come in the way; whereas during workout they should be readily available.

Then once you are in your zone, forget everything and everyone for just 15 minutes. Do your exercise, that’s it. Feel free to do any form of exercise, the one that appeals to you the most. The moment it is over, go on to your next task.

Once you have decided and planned your schedule, you will follow it just as you did your dance classes or match practices. Once regularity seeps into your daily schedule, very soon you will also start enjoying the benefits. You might end up exercising for an hour. Who knows!