Counter Assertion

For hundreds of years, mankind has recognised the soothing, remedial effects of bathing. Several decades ago the medical profession acknowledged the benefits of hydrotherapy and began to prescribe the use of whirlpool baths as an effective treatment of many common physical ailments, a course of action that is now often used in clinics and hospitals around the world.

Hydro massage relieves the effects of stress, balances your bodies negative reaction to tension, relaxes muscles, lowers your heart rate and helps blood pressure and circulation return to normal.

Like a tightly compressed sponge, a tense muscle retains less fluid than one that is relaxed. This lessens the circulation of blood and increases the pressure placed on your heart. It can leave you feeling tired and aching, reducing your precious energy levels and making you feel irritable and lethargic.

Whirlpool hydro massage eases tense muscles and increases circulation, allowing the bodies cells to receive much-needed oxygen and energy-producing nutrients. Metabolic waste products are removed and your blood count increases, resulting in even better oxygen distribution.

Relaxing in a whirlpool bath will help dissolve the tensions that build up in every day life,
your heart rate will settle, warm circulating water will help ease the nervous system and slow the natural rhythm of your body resulting in deeper breathing and a peaceful revitalising nights sleep.

Remember that your body has to last the whole of your life, so why not choose a whirlpool bath relax, lie back and let the soothing sensation of whirlpool hydrotherapy help you to look after your most precious possession.

Liz Cooper is part of the team working at http://www.clickbathrooms.co.uk

A startling statistic has been circulating over the Internet. This stat claims that half of all those who want to lose weight don’t exercise. While this might seem mind-boggling at first, it is not entirely surprising, when you stop to consider what American culture has become.

In the early days of the republic, the majority of Americans did hard labor on farms. They were used to exercise during their normal workday, so they ate large meals in order to give them the energy they needed to complete their tasks. There weren’t any Oprah Winfreys around back then to question their eating habits.

In the 19th century, Americans began moving into cities to take factory jobs. Again, they spent much of their time on their feet. Many walked to work and to school, so exercise was a part of their normal routine. They didn’t have to worry about doing Pilates or strength training, since ordinary life afforded many opportunities to exercise.

Fast-forward to today. Many people have sedentary jobs, working on computers, working at desks, working at cash registers. They have little opportunity during their work days to move, let alone get up and stretch. At home, they may spend much of their time sacked out in front of a television set, or on their home computer.

However, studies have proven that the best weight loss plan combines sensible diet with exercise. Certainly, you can reduce your calorie intake. But it is also important to boost your metabolism, and that is best done through an exercise routine. Since you must burn a phenomenal amount of calories in order to lose pounds, exercise is crucial to long-term weight loss success.

But what if you don’t enjoy exercise? How can you possibly start an exercise program?

In short, you need motivation. This can come from a variety of sources. For instance, you might want to play your favorite up-tempo music during your exercise drills. This can provide the incentive you need in order to get moving. Another motivator can be to exercise with your children in tow. This could mean doing jumping jacks with your kids, or jogging while you push a stroller. You might also consider joining a “Mommy and Me” exercise class. Another winning strategy is to employ the services of an exercise buddy. This can be your mate, a friend, or even your mother. You can encourage each other, helping each other to overcome various hurdles to regular exercise.

Another strategy is to base your exercise program on something you really enjoy. Even those of us who are not athletic usually have some physical activity that we look forward to, whether it’s volleyball or tennis, bowling or swing dancing. The type of activity isn’t as important as the fact that you are engaging in it regularly.

If at all possible, you should add strength training to your exercise regimen. Lifting weights can boost your metabolism, causing you to burn calories while also adding muscle to your frame. Strength training can also help you to guard against osteoporosis and other health problems.

You might also consider hiring a personal trainer. He or she can act as your coach, urging you on when you feel like quitting. A trainer can provide you with the inspiration necessary to achieve your weight goals. It has also been shown that those who employ a trainer reach their optimum weight faster than those who do not.

You should also prioritize exercise. You should mark it in your daily planner and stick to a regular exercise schedule. The important thing is to make exercise a regular part of your life. It should not be limited to special occasions, or those times when you are in the mood. It needs to be as regular as breathing.

In order to be a healthy person, you simply need exercise. And exercise is also beneficial to your mind as you begin your weight loss program. It can clear your head and help you to work out your frustrations. In short, it can give you a sense of accomplishment that will put you in the right frame of mind when trying to shed weight.

Taking those first few steps towards establishing a Fitness Lifestyle can very well be intimidating, especially if the decision is made to sign-up for a gym membership. In fact, deciding on even using a gym can be a double-edged sword of sorts. On one hand, there are many of us who feel that we’ll become more motivated towards exercising regularly if we do sign-up for a gym membership. After all, you’re now investing more money into your health so you certainly don’t want to just throw that money away. Additionally, there are typically many more people working out at the gym than anywhere else, so you’ll probably be more likely to get caught up in the ambience and energy of others exercising as well. However, on the other hand, because there can be so many people working out at the gym, you may feel intimidated beginning those first steps towards getting back in condition in front of others. When you stop to consider all of the pros and cons with signing up for a gym membership, you may find that making this decision was a more daunting task than you first thought.

Fortunately, there are many gyms and fitness facilities available now to accommodate virtually every factor and consideration involved in your own decision making process. From the large fitness clubs such as Bally’s and 24-Hour Fitness to the local YMCA or university health centers, and from the private one-on-one training studios to even mobile Personal Training trailers, chances are excellent that a gym can be found to match your own personal preferences. What’s important to keep in mind is that every gym and fitness facility has it’s own unique personality and subsequently, there’s a gym to match your own unique personality as well. Therefore, with a little gym shopping savvy and factors that we’ll providing you for consideration, you’ll be on your way towards locating a gym that’s a perfect match for you!

Presented here then is a brief summary of several factors for you to consider when shopping for the gym that’s right for you:

1) Location

Typically, you’re better off when your gym is near to your home or work. The greater the distance that you’ll have to travel to exercise, then the greater the chance that you may find an excuse not to. At the same time, don’t let location be your sole determining factor, as it’s important that you don’t join a gym that you dislike simply because it’s nearby.

2) Management Attitude

When you walk into your gym, I strongly believe that you should never feel like only a dollar sign or a second-class citizen. Look for honesty, sincerity, politeness, and above all, respect. The vast majority of gyms that I have stepped foot into are operated by managers and staff members that genuinely enjoy their jobs and genuinely enjoy assisting their clients. However, if you feel like a gym is not interested in your needs at all, then you may wish to keep looking.

3) Hours

How does your own personal schedule fit in with the gym’s? If conducting early-bird workouts is your best option, then at what time does your gym open up? What if you can only workout late at night? Is your gym a 24-hour gym? Is it open 7 days a week?

4) Price

This factor is actually most people’s first consideration when searching for a gym. As this issue can be largely affected by your own personal taste and budget, I would simply propose the following points to consider. First, look at the entire package before you just consider the cost. Being the cheapest gym around does not necessarily make it the best fit for you. You do sometimes get what you pay for. Secondly, be mindful of the contracts you sign. There are fitness chains that have been notorious for absolutely locking you into a long-term contract and then making it nearly impossible to cancel should you decide to withdraw at a later date. If you are not convinced that you’re going to stick with regularly working out at a gym, you may then prefer to sign a short-term contract instead even if it costs more per month.

5) Sanitation

For me, this is a direct reflection on management. Bathrooms, showers, pools, saunas, tanning beds, and the gym equipment should be cleaned on a regular basis. Granted, while club members are working out, no gym will ever be 100% perfect, but as long as a club still places an emphasis on proper hygienic practices, then it demonstrates responsibility and concern for their members.

6) Client Volume

If you’re just beginning a gym membership for the first time and feel a bit insecure about working out for the first time, you may (or may not) prefer a smaller gym or even a personal training studio. Also, the best gym in the world for you may still be the wrong fit if you’re going to have to regularly wait in line to exercise on a piece of equipment. A crowded gym can result in irritable attitudes and inefficient workouts. Your best bet may be to locate a fitness facility with the proper combination of number of members and number of equipment that will allow you to maintain a steady workout.

7) Environment

Do you prefer an “Iron Dungeon” with a perpetual cloud of hand chalk and chorus of loud yells and grunts? Or do you prefer a club that feels more like a Singles joint where the clients seem more concerned with meeting the members of the opposite gender? Just like the design of the gym’s building, a gym’s environment can come in all versions as well. If you feel uncomfortable upon your initial walk-through, you may wish to continue looking at other gyms and fitness facilities nearby. When you sign up for a gym membership, it’s vitally important that you sign up at one that you feel comfortable at and enjoy the atmosphere because if you don’t, then there’s a good chance that you won’t succeed in regularly working out there.

There are still many additional factors not listed here you may wish to consider before selecting the gym of your choice such as amenities, the equipment itself, and the clientele. Just be sure to give yourself a little bit of time to shop around and determine which choice is best for you based on your needs and tastes. I truly believe that signing up for a gym membership is an outstanding investment on your physical and emotional health and is well worth the time and money spent to locate the one that’s the best match for you. Most gyms and fitness facilities today are ran by professionals in their field who enjoy their jobs and there is a good chance that this high level of enthusiasm will only energize you further.

So shop around, it’s well worth the effort!

About The Author

Nathan Boyd is author of the highly rated ebook, “The Fitness Lifestyle” and the current Director of Pro Fitness of Texas. Nathan encourages everyone in their pursuit of becoming physically fit and maintaining it for a lifetime. All questions and comments are always welcomed!

http://www.weightloss-cookies.com/page4.html

weightloss@weightloss-cookies.com

Pranayama, also known as yogic breathing is the method of silencing the breath. Prana has been defined as the air which flows through the body. Pranayama is made up of three parts: controlled inhalations, controlled exhalations and holding of the breath. When you do all three parts, it is called sahita, while doing only the holding breath without the other two is called kevala. You should start with sahita till kevala comes into being. This is a technique that controls all that is associated with prana.

Our breathing is made of two acts of inhalations and exhalations. These acts are followed in cycles where inhalations and exhalations succeed each other, where you take in air into the lungs and then release some of it back from the lungs. In between the inhalation and exhalation, there is a short gap which usually escapes our attention. This act is called respiration and is usually completed in four seconds in the resting phase. We usually respire nearly fifteen times a minute. You can take in about 400 cubic centimeters or 0.4 liters in a minute. When you do deep inhalations, you take in additional 1.6 liters of air and 2 liters in all. At the time of deep exhalations, you throw out all these 2 liters of air but still your lungs contain another 1.5 to 2 liters of air.

Thus, the total lung capacity of the human body for a normal individual is about 5 liters. The amount of air that you can exhale through deep exhalation after a deep inhalation is called as Vital Capacity. Dividing this number by the weight of the body gives you the Vital Index, which shows the capacity to breathe as well as the vitality of the body and its efficiency in the body’s functions. Regular practice of yogic breathing has been shown to increase yogic breathing. This raises the vitality of the body and efficiency of the bodily functions.

Copyright 2005 Arina Nikitina

There’s one thing that most people forget about when it comes to weight loss. The truth is it’s even more important than the right diet or effective exercise. It’s motivation.

Weight loss is not easy and you need a real drive force to move you towards your goal.

Sit back, relax and think for a second. Do you really WANT to lose weight? Are you ready to change your lifestyle? Do you have enough motivation to lose weight?

To lose weight all you need is three things: desire, belief, and motivation. If you have all three I can guarantee you a success.

1. Desire: Do you really WANT to lose weight?

Are you sure your desire is strong enough? Are you ready for some changes? Are you willing to sacrifice? How committed you are to achieving your goal? Under what condition will you give up?

What if you wanted to lose weight so badly that you knew with absolute certainty that you would absolutely, positively never ever give up?

There’s one little trick to help you intensify your desire. Take a piece of paper, and write down all the reasons why do you want to be slimmer. Write down all the benefits of being slim. Try to write down at least 15. The more reasons you’ll find, the stronger your desire will get.

2. Belief: Do you BELIEVE in yourself?

If you don’t believe you can reach your goal… you won’t.

You have to believe that you can do it. Can you picture yourself being slim? Do you have any doubts in your mind that you can achieve what you want?

There is nothing impossible in loosing weight. Everyone can do that. And you are no exception.

3. Motivation: Are you MOTIVATED enough to follow your plan every day?

In order to achieve you goal you have to keep yourself motivated. There are three effective techniques that will help you to stay on track.

- Remember your reasons and benefits.

Take the list of benefits you wrote before. Read it. Read it every morning before you get up. Read it whenever you need stimulation.

Think about your wish, stay connected with your goal. When you are able to keep your mind on success you will be virtually certain to reach that success.

- Visualize yourself being slim

Close your eyes and relax… Create a clear mental picture. Visualize yourself being slim. How it feels? Do you feel satisfied? Happy? How others look at you? What are they saying?

Try to make the picture as realistic as possible. When you continually see yourself in possession of your goal, your subconscious mind will move you into actions that align with the mental image you hold. Visualize your goal at every opportunity.

- Use affirmations

Affirmations are the words we say to ourselves. It is the simple repeating a positive phrase in front of the mirror, in the car, or writing it on paper.

First, develop a couple of affirmations that are the most motivational to you. For example, it can be something like:

“My body is strong and healthy.” “I enjoy eating foods that are delicious and full of vitamins and minerals.” “I love the burst of energy I get after exercising.” “Every day, I am burning calories and getting closer to my weight goal.” “My healthy lifestyle empowers me.”

Then repeat it as often as you can. While driving, cooking, brushing your teeth… Say it loud, add emotions. Listen to your affirmation. Feel it.

The trick is not to force yourself, but listen to yourself.

Get motivated first and you won’t have to struggle trying to make yourself exercise or keep away from that doughnut. Your desire will keep you committed to your goal.

Magnesium is a mineral that serves many vital purposes in the body. There are more than 300 biochemical processes in the human body that require magnesium. From the heart to the bones, some of the body’s most fundamental systems and structures depend on this important mineral. Both day-to-day and long-term health and well being require sufficient intake of magnesium.

Magnesium is important to bone health and structure. Indeed, fully half of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. One important contribution magnesium makes to the bones is to assist in the production of the hormone calcitonin, which increases the level of calcium in the bones. Magnesium also controls the acidity of the blood, which is beneficial to bones, as high acid levels can weaken bone structure.

Magnesium plays a role in controlling the neuromuscular activities of the heart and helps to keep the heartbeat regular. It also helps to keep blood pressure levels within the normal range. For these reasons, researchers have been investigating the ways that magnesium could affect heart disease treatment and prevention.

There is also interest in magnesium in relation to diabetes. That is because magnesium is necessary for insulin secretion and function, and plays a role in controlling blood sugar. It serves to assist in turning blood sugar into energy, as well.

Working in partnership with a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, magnesium serves a wide range of purposes. It is essential to the health and functioning of the body’s neurological system and muscular system, serving - among other purposes - to enable the contraction of muscles and nerves.

It is important to maintain adequate levels of magnesium in the body, as serious help problems can result from deficiencies of this essential mineral. Adult males need about 350mg of magnesium per day, with adult women requiring 280mg daily, with an increase of up to 420mg per day while pregnant or breastfeeding. Children, depending on size and weight, need between 130mg to 240mg per day.

Deficiency in magnesium can cause a variety of symptoms of varying severity. These include significant calcium loss, heart spasms, irregular heartbeat, nervousness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, muscle contractions and spasms, fatigue, and feelings of weakness, both in general and in the muscles.

Consuming the standard recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients is essential to good health and the proper functioning of the body and its many systems. Unfortunately, most people do not achieve this through diet alone. Using nutritional supplements to make up the difference between what you should eat and what you really do eat is an effective and safe option, provided that you do so with the understanding that the standard recommended dosage should be used, unless advised otherwise by your personal health care provider. The body’s systems are based upon a delicate balance of chemicals, and too much can often be as harmful as too little. A licensed nutritionist can help you to make a supplement plan best suited to your individual dietary needs and health goals.

Water is your most important nutrient. Everyone knows that the majority of our body is water. Here are some facts. babies are 70% water, adults are 50-60% water and in breaking your body down, Blood is made up of 83 percent water, bones are 22 percent water, and muscle is 75 percent water. So water is really important.

Most people do not drink much water if any at all. In fact both Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig both have their customers drink between 8 and 10 glasses of water a day and most people find that they lose 2-10 pounds in the first week on their diet, primarily from the water loss.

Hydration is a very interesting thing. If you do not drink enough water your body seems to retain it to protect itself, once you start to drink a LOT of water you will find that for the first few days you will be running to the bathroom every hour but your body quickly adapts and you regulate quite well. When drinking your water you will also find that your concentration gets better and you are more attentive. I have also found a very interesting attitude amongst others around me, when they see you increasing the water in your diet they will in a very condescending tone tell you that yes in fact drinking water is good for you. You are going to see this with many of the new habits that you pick up that people will seem to know these things and sometimes feel guilty to see someone else follow through on them.

There is always a few strategies for getting yourself to make these changes that are som important. I do not just drink a lot of water in the morning and then forget about it until the next day. Instead, I drink three cups of water first thing in the morning and then at 10, 12, 3, 5, and later in the evening I try to have a big glass of water. I time this water so that I drink it at the same time as I have a meal. Some say that you should not drink water with a meal as it will hamper your digestion of that meal but I have not run into this myself.

Finally just one thing that I have found is that I kick start my day by drinking about 3 glasses of my water first thing before I get on my bike to start my day.

Anyone who has ever become involved in exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has probably heard the term “target heart rate” or “target heart range” or THR. This is a very important concept for anyone who is involved in an exercise program or someone who wants to start a program. Unfortunately, some exercise professionals gloss over this concept and don’t let people know just how important it is. My wife belongs to a Jazzercise group and she tells me that the instructors hardly bring up the need for monitoring your THR during an exercise session (my wife wears a heart rate monitor to keep checks on her THR all the time, so I guess I’ve had a positive influence on her in that respect). I sure am glad that I’m not the insurance company handling the liability insurance for this group. You see, not monitoring your THR can actually be dangerous. And, not only can it be dangerous for mature people, but it can also be dangerous for younger people too.

So, let’s look at the concept of THR and why it is so important. Under normal circumstances, the human heart can only beat so many beats per minute. If it goes above or below these certain parameters, it usually means that something is wrong, and that’s one of the reasons we need to know what it is. For the average person, a simple rule of thumb to determine your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to subtract your age from 220 (women can use 210). Example: a 60 year old male can calculate his MHR by taking 220 - 60 = 160, so his MHR is 160. A 60 year old female would take 210 - 60 = 150, so her MHR is 150. Keep in mind that this is just a rule of thumb. If you want to find out what your exact MHR is, you will need to have a doctor put you through an aerobic exercise test to exhaustion (a “max test”), which isn’t usually worth while for most of us. When I was in graduate school they would put me through a “max test” about once every other week to give the other students a chance to see how all the equipment worked and what they needed to do to run everything properly. They used me because I was a well conditioned triathlete and a little stupid too. Believe me, those tests are tough, and you don’t want to go through one unless you absolutely have to.

The reason you need to know your MHR is that it is used to determine your THR for different exercise goals. What do we mean when we say “different exercise goals”? Some people are going to exercise just to stay or get healthy. Others will want to exercise to lose weight. And, still others may be exercising to increase their aerobic or anaerobic capabilities for a certain sport (swimming, sprinting, marathons, etc.). Whatever these goals are, the THR to achieve them is going to be different. If someone just wants to use aerobic exercise to help become or stay healthy, a good THR for them might be 65% - 80% of their MHR. Using our 60 year old male whose MHR is 160, his THR for staying healthy would be 160 x 65% = 104, 160 x 80% = 128, so his range would be 104 - 128 heart beats per minute (this is measured by taking your pulse). If he wants to lose weight, he might use a THR of 60% - 70% of his MHR because this level will burn more fat. And, don’t forget, monitoring your heart rate isn’t only to achieve your exercise goals. It is important that you keep track of your heart rate so that if anything unusual starts to happen while you’re exercising you will be able to stop.

A really convenient way to keep track of your target heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. These can cost anywhere from about $60 up to $250 and more depending on how many bells and whistles you want. You can also just take your pulse at your wrist or neck (how to do that is food for another article), several times during an exercise session to make sure you stay within your range.

Knowing your THR and MHR is very important, both for safety and for appropriate exercise goal setting. Learn what they are, and monitor them regularly.

©2005 Thomas D. Manfredi, MS

Bodily fitness is being able to deal with and handle the daily stresses of life, good physical and mental health, especially when maintained by proper diet, exercise, and habits. Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes is a part of overall fitness. Fitness refers to the condition of good physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Fitness of the body occurs when all the body processes, physical and mental are functioning as the peak levels What does it take to achieve complete body fitness? It requires more than simply taking a trip to the gym, or a walk in the park.

Many factors come into play when we consider our body’s fitness. The daily intake of food, vitamins, and water are absolute necessities, and most often the items thought about. What about the conditioning of our body to deal with life each day?

Does our physical exercise have anything to do with the fitness of our body? Absolutely. For one condition without regard to the other, is not a complete whole. The body includes all of our physical processes, our mind, and our physical being as a whole. When we give thought to the fitness of the body, most often we contemplate our physical condition as it applies to our cardiovascular needs and our weight. But our bodies are much more than heart and a nice figure. What about all of our other organs? Are they fit? How do we maintain a fitness of the entirety? Daily physical exercise that benefits the body as a whole, taking time to rest and restore what has been depleted from our body over the course of the day, and making sure that we adequately supply our entire body with the nutrition necessary for healthy function.

If we use our resources wisely and educate our selves about the things our body needs to maintain fitness, over the course of our life, it isn’t a difficult thing to attain. But you cannot abuse your body for years, and then hope for immediate results in trying to attain overall fitness. It didn’t become unfit overnight, and it won’t become fit again that quickly.

Proper attention to the physical needs of each part of your body results in the fitness of the whole. Every part of your physical body exists to work in unison with another part of the body. Two hands are necessary for optimal functioning of the limbs, two feet, two eyes, etc. The physical body is designed to work better than any machine invented to date. It is more complex and powerful than any piece of equipment we have on the market. It takes more abuse than believable, and continues to operate, even without the daily requirements being met, for several days. It is a fascinating machine, as machines go. But it is an even more fascinating subject, when we choose to care for our bodies as the temples they really are. They house our mind and soul, and when the body is fit, it does its job tremendously well.

Inversion tables are available from a range of companies. They are known to release tension from the back and stimulate the joints especially the ankles. Most inversion table have a tether strap to fasten the feet. They can be rotated at even a 90-degree angle. In this position, its even possible to do squats and sit ups. The table can also be motorized and therefore will need no adjustments. It’s not necessary to do full inversion if one is not comfortable with it. This is meant for athletes and those at the expert level.

Many feel that inversion may cause a rise in the blood pressure and the pressure in the eyes of a person when doing this physical study. However according to latest research, it has been concluded that you are as much as risk as you when you are up. Our body has natural mechanisms, which prevent damage while we are upside down. Even Yoga has exercises, which make you hang up side down, and Yoga is known to have positive effects.

The mat is usually of nylon material that can be easily washed. The table can also be stopped at any point where the person is comfortable. Inversion tables are required to meet the standards that are set for medical equipment. The inversion table should also have firm handlebars, which are non-slip. This helps the user to mount and dismount the inversion table. It’s important that the motion of the inversion table is smooth and therefore there should be good roller bearings, which will aid in the smooth jerk free motion.

Inversion tables will come with their own guides for the user and will also have at least a two-year warranty for most parts of the inversion table. You can look at the inversion table reviews as well as ratings on various websites before you decide to purchase one.

If you enjoyed this article check out this list of inversion tables related articles and here you’ll find our most recently added inversion tables for your reading.