Saturday, May 30, 2009

Fitness Motivation: Revitalize Your Drive

By Kurt Schmitt

Is your fitness motivation not what it used to be? There are thousands of people in the same situation. People want to get in shape, but in the US, obesity affects a huge portion of the population.

Many people also confuse being skinny with being healthy. Research has found that you can be thin on the outside, but actually have an unhealthy build up of fat around your organs.

If you're being honest with yourself, you have to admit that you're at your best when you're physically fit. If you get tired walking up a flight of stairs, you know what I mean. Fit people are more equipped to handle daily challenges.

Poor fitness motivation affects most of us at one point or another. The fitness industry encourages it by selling billions of dollars worth of products, pills, and packaged food every year. This should tell you that without a doubt, most people are looking for the answer.

Part of the reason we see poor fitness motivation is what I would call commercial brainwashing, in addition to unrealistic expectations. Magic pills don't work. The truth is that reaching a true level of fitness involves proper nutrition and regular exercise. The very industry that promises solutions is partly to blame for your poor fitness motivation.

Have you been trying to get into shape? If you're having trouble, you may suffer from the following:

Not enough return for the effort. If you don't see results fairly quickly, you won't remain motivated. Makes sense, right?

Giving yourself choices can be a great motivator. But, the thousands of advertising messages pounding on you every week telling you that you can lose weight by buying a pill or a machine are not helping you. There are too many distractions. You have to find a plan that works for you and stick to it.

There are simply too many exercise programs and diet plans out there, all telling you that they're the best. There's Pilates, spinning, traditional cardio, and all kinds of celebrity backed fitness machines and diet companies.

You're working away on your treadmill getting no where, and in the back of your mind you think that maybe you should just throw it away and buy a pill that makes you skinny.

Lack of focus. Giving yourself excuses to cheat on your diet, or skip your exercise plan can sabotage your efforts. Worse yet, some of us go for years with no set plan or system to follow. We look back on the last five years and wonder how we gained 30 pounds. It's not really a mystery!

Below are ways to improve your fitness motivation:

One of the most important things you can do is shut out the noise. Stop watching infomercials, paying attention to celebrity endorsements, and listening to the myths.

You must find a plan that is right for you. Look for a method that includes boosting your metabolism, more efficient workouts, and proper nutrition. The old cardio workouts are out. Newer research from exercise physiologists and Dr. Al Sears, M.D. show better results from interval training.

Make a commitment. Don't hop from one program to another hoping to find that quick fix. Once you find a good program, stick with it. Success takes consistent time and effort.

Use tracking to improve. Measure your results against your goals and see what's working. Modify your plan if needed, and continue to do more of what works until you hit your target.

Shut out the noise of the commercials, and stop doing what isn't working. Find a solid exercise and nutrition program and commit to it. Then, track your progress and adjust as needed. Ultimately, your fitness plan needs to suit your life, not control it.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

Discipline and patience are key to fitness

By Chris Bouyez

In today's world of corporate rat race and fast paced lifestyle one thing that we do not fast pace is the inaction we have when it comes to fitness.

Our world has changed considerably since our forefathers inhabited the place. They used walk long distance and we do not even think of life without a car. They used gather at a community spot and chat for long hours and we get in front of the TV and do not bother to talk to our spouse of kids if our favorite game or drama series is on the air.

Everything happens from the remote and you need not even do any sort of fitness exercises at all during the day. The result is obesity and illness in us and our kids as well. TV and video games have made our life very miserable.

Our food habits have made sure that what ever we eat is now very dangerous. Since we do not exercise we have labeled everything as junk food.

Inaction is what we need to say good bye to. Not to despair there are various ways in which we can get that much needed exercise. A lot of things have been invented which can help us get exercise inside or outside our homes.

Will power, patience and perseverance are what you need to get into a particular routine. It is all about being disciplined enough and following a particular regimen. There is nothing which cannot be achieved if you are mentally tough.

There are now games and consoles in the market that will help you play games as well as get fit. There is definitely a new revolution sweeping across the world with this kind of games which combine fun with exercise. The underlying motto being that it will spur you out of inactive mode into active mode.

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Finding Your Own Personal Way To Sustainable Weight Loss

By Lena Hellsten

For many people, weight loss is an issue that feels like a struggle and almost impossible to achieve. Some goes from one diet to the other without getting the results they are seeking and wondering why its just not working out for them as they would like it to.

The reasons why some people arent able to lose weight is unique to each and everyone. However, there are certain similarities that can be used to discover what it is thats been holding you back and how to turn that into the reason why you now are able to gain your slim and fit body.

In most cased, the reason why some people just cant lost weight is because they have patterns of thought, believes and behaviors that do not support weight loss. At the core of everyone that is being in your experience are believes that forms programs that your unconscious responds to and then creates circumstances that supports those believes.

Most believes we carry with us have been inherited from our parents and peers throughout our lives. If there has been a strong emotional response together with the belief, it normally makes an even deeper imprint in our system. This might end up in an unconscious habit or pattern of behavior.

To give an example; Maybe someone was under-stimulated as a child and therefore was feeling bored a lot of the time. Then the person began to turn to food to give himself some sense of entertainment. This formed a habit and now, whenever the person feels bored, he grabs for something to eat. Since it is an unconscious pattern, he might believe that feeling bored and being under-stimulated is something he just is and do not even consider, at this stage, the possibility of changing this pattern.

If you would just tell this person that he has to stop eating as much, he might become very stressed and confused and straight away move back to the old behavior. Instead, if the person goes to the root and find a way to heal the cause of this feeling and this pattern, the need to do excessive eating can be released. This can be done in many ways; nlp and hypnosis, EFT, becoming aware of the pattern and starting to focus on what he really wants to mention a few.

When you release whats at the core of this pattern, the behavior thats related to it will no longer be triggered and excessive eating is no longer a problem.

This is one example of something that can cause overweight. Everyone has their own reasons and to experience successful weight loss its important to find what really works for you.

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

The Benefits of Strength Training

By USGSF Staff

Strength training is an important element of fitness and exercise. If you are trying to lose weight then it is essential that you incorporate some strength training activities into your routine. Losing weight is about burning calories. It is about burning fat and one way to do that is to build your muscles. Basically the more muscle you develop the more energy you burn, resulting in greater weight loss.

Strength training does not have to be a daily grind of lifting weights in the gym. There are many classes or exercise programs you can follow that will help with building your muscles. Most gyms have classes like total body fitness or group power lifting. Typically these types of classes use many types of weight training equipment including barbells, hand weights and resistance bands. The typical class lasts for about an hour.

Over all it seems to be women seem to enjoy these types of strength training classes more than men. Men typically enjoy working out the muscle groups by adding bulk. Strength training classes help to shape and tone your muscles into lean mass without the bulk. In addition, since the instructor pushes you along during the class at a very rapid pace, there is a bit of cardiovascular benefit as well. A final note about going to an instructor lead strength training class: they can ensure that you are doing the exercises with the correct form to help you avoid injury.

Lets say you do not care for classes there are many exercises that you can do from home using just simple hand weights will do just fine, and there are many strength exercises that require no equipment like the simple pushup. Find a DVD to follow along to help you with your exercise. A good program to follow will help keep you on track, motivated and more likely to do the exercises correctly without injuring yourself.

Many people go to the gym to lift weights. Typical regimens include alternating days of upper body work with lower body work. For instance, on Monday and Thursday you might work your upper body, while on Tuesday and Friday you might work your lower body. This gives the muscles time to repair and grow between workouts. Most weight lifting programs involve lifting in sets. For instance you might do three sets of ten repetitions of bench press exercises. It really depends on your goals how many sets and repetitions of each that you attempt to do.

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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Six Pack Abs Nutritional Facts

By Amanda Gamdana

Unfortunately the most frequent mistake that individuals constantly make is focusing on the abdominal workouts but forget about the nutritional needs in their attempt to eliminate the fat around the stomach. If that's what you're practicing, it is likely that 90 percent of your attempts are going to waste. Why is this so? Because as it comes down to developing six-pack abs for men, or achieving a flat, toned, and tougher abdomen for females, it's important to remember that you need to avoid fat as much as you have to get rid of it.

Consuming the proper kind of foods when you're doing a body or even a tummy exercise will aid you weight enormously. Therefore, don't believe it if they state you may consume anything you like just as long as you're doing the proper workouts.

Everyone has the ability to generate a great, toned midsection but this is only going to occur when you reduce the fat accumulated within the abdomen over the years. Pumping yourself hard by doing lots of sit-ups, crunches, leg elevations, and other types of body turning exercises won't be effective if you don't at least reduce the fat and exercise additional care as to what you eat.

In order for this training to work, you must follow a well structured nourishment program that can provide the needs of your body. When doing a program it is essential to remember that it must not just center on the quantity of sustenance requirements but additionally upon the timing when you consume the meals. That's critical in lowering fat as well as carving out distinguished, firmer abs so to help you reach your goal and carve out the six-pack abs, here are some basic principles which you can use as a guide to having the right nutritional program.

Low-carb, low-fat, increased protein, grapefruit, liquid, soup dieting and similar things might be helpful with lowering the weight but additionally on lowering your metabolism and losing your lean muscles - thus, will be harder for your body to function properly as well as on your physical workouts. You need to remember that the body needs all macro-nutrients for it to burn fat as well as function properly. Refined sugar, refined grains are simple carbs which the body does not require often. The things it requires are complex and natural carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole grains, beans, vegetables, yams, and oats among others.

Fish fats, virgin coco oil, olive oil, flax oil, natural nut butter, avocados, seeds and nuts are some of the required and nutritious fatty acids that your body needs to increase its metabolism as well as assist in reducing fat. It's therefore important that you eat sufficient amounts of this variety of food.

Protein is the thing which creates the fundamental body building ingredient for your muscles, so eat a sufficient quantity with each meal as it helps satiate the hunger longer and burn calories as the body processes it. Consume six smaller meals instead of the 3 large ones as this makes your body reduce additional calories as opposed to hindering your metabolic process if you don't take meals more often.

Consume plenty of water.

It is important in destroying wastes as well as poisons and most importantly, is vital for the procedure of reducing body fat - therefore, will help with forming the six-pack abs the way you want them to be.

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Healthy eating for children

By Alex Hendricks

Our kids may get older, but the desire to spend time with them never really goes away. Use these tips to make your family mealtime an enriching experience.

-Practice what you preach, and eat healthy so that your kids have a good example to follow. -Don't let your kids whine their way out of eating healthy. If you stand firm, they will get used to it. -If you let your kids help cook and shop for groceries, they are more likely to eat healthy if they chose the food.

If you follow the tips given here, you'll learn to make healthy food choices part of your family's routine. It's not always easy to do, because kids and parents are busy these days, and it just seems easier to get take-out.. Here are some ways to employ the strategies we just went over.

Family meals can be a comforting tradition for the whole family. Kids thrive on the predictability of knowing that the whole family is going to sit down and eat, and it gives parents a chance to catch up with their kids. Studies have found that kids who regularly sit down with their parents to eat are:

-more likely to eat healthy foods like veggies, fruits, and grains- and less likely to snack on "junk food" -much less likely to use illegal drugs or alcohol

When kids eat with their parents, they are more likely to try new foods, and their parents are modeling healthy choices. Teens, however, are independent by nature and they probably will be less than enthusiastic about a family dinner.As they age, they still need to rely on Mom and Dad for advice, discipline, and love. Family meals are a fine opportunity to get up to speed with what's going on in everyone's life. Try these tips:

-Invite your teen's friends over for a cookout. -Give them a say in what your family buys, cooks, and eats.

If your kids have sports or band practice, you might have to have a late dinner, or maybe you could go out for pizza once a week.

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Is There a Connection With Diabetes and Obesity?

By Jake Ryan

Due to the rise in obesity levels, diagnosis of type 2 diabetes have also steadily been on the rise. In fact, to date over 21 million Americans are afflicted with diabetes. Consequently, this disease is rising to epidemic proportions.

Type II diabetes happens when the body starts resisting insulin. When it does this the insulin is not converted into energy it is stored in the blood stream. Obesity is a cause of this because being overweight interferes with the bodys ability to process insulin and detect insulin.

There have been many studies done the connection between type 2 diabetes and obesity. These studies have found that if an individual can lose 5 percent of their total body weight then they will experience significant health differences. For most people this is only seven to ten pounds, and though it may take some work to accomplish, the benefits are unparalleled.

For some people fat is distributed differently than others. People who are most at risk for diabetes is when extra fat is being held on the midsection. These are the people most at risk for diabetes.

The best thing that any individual can do for themselves in this situation is to take a serious look at their diet and lifestyle. First and foremost, any individual will want to get themselves up off the couch and moving. Exercise must be an integral part of any health individual's lifestyle. Additionally, you will want to take a look at what types of foods you are eating. Your diet should be filled with lean protein sources and hearty fruits and vegetables.

The next thing you have to do is watch what type of carbohydrates you are having in your diet. The most healthy carbs are complex carbohydrates that provide the body with longer lasting energy. Compared to simply carbs with white flower that burn very quickly.

To conclude, there is obesity can be a cause of diabetes. You can avoid this by eating healthier and exercising regularly though. Treat your body with the respect it deserves.

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Weight Loss Programs and Extreme Diets Will Never Work

By Erin Upshaw

A lot of people are just like you. They are overweight and simply tired of trying exercise and diet programs that ultimately never work. Everything starts out all right, but after a while, it just gets too hard. Then you feel guilty that you have failed once again.

Are you one of these people? Are you curious as to why you aren't able to stick with your weight loss plan? You are not alone, many other people feel this way. Many factors can explain why you are not able to stick to your weight plan. I hope this article will help you do just that.

Your weight loss program failed because it was bogus. Extreme diets will burn you out, making it hard to maintain consistency. Exercises using absurd movements and consuming limited types of foods is not sustainable in the long haul. You have to choose an exercise and diet program that you will enjoy doing in the short term and for the long term in order to drop that weight for good.
A lack of support from family and friends causes many to quit their diets. Maybe your family and friends didn't provide the support you needed in order to say no to that bite of rich dessert. It could be possible that your friends had no faith in you or your diet. A fact of life is that support is critical when focusing on weight loss. Try joining a weight loss group with others that are in the same situation, or consider hiring a personal trainer that will keep you motivated towards your goals.

Another reason could be that you were dieting incorrectly (i.e. not exercising, or over exercising and under eating). The goals were never reached and you quit out of disappointment and frustration. Diet and exercise must be done together to experience effective weight loss. A workout plan must include both diet and exercise.

It could also be that you didn't give the program enough of a chance to work. Changes in your body take time. It may take several weeks to see the numbers on the scale change very much. Your body is very set in its ways and you have to stick with a diet and exercise program that is going to force it to change and adapt. Find a good program and be patient, and you will see results.

A final reason for you to quit your weight loss program could be that you lacked a bona fide commitment. It is impossible to begin a new lifestyle with only half the motivation. Diet and exercise plans require full mental commitment. You will find yourself taking shortcuts around your diet and become frustrated when the scale goes up not down. Personally commit to this workout plan from day 1 and don't look back. Remember that if you continue to do what you always did then you will get what you always got.

Most people advertise all kinds of secrets to weight loss, but the secret never really was a secret. It's the one truth that we all know; a lifestyle with a healthy diet and exercise are what will help us all lose weight and stay in shape. There are no secret tricks or shortcuts to becoming healthy. You've just read the trick for yourself. You will not find a "fat buster" cure besides a healthy diet and exercise. Do your research, pick a workout plan that you will enjoy, and stay with it. Remember to aim for realistic and achievable goals and you will be sure to shed those unwanted pounds.

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When you want to investigate more about belly fat loss then check for more at body fat lose.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Why Building Muscle Is Always A Good Idea

By James Hanson

Do you want to build on your body strength? Or do you just want to enhance your physique? Well, there are lots of methods to do this, and muscle building training gives you a little bit of both. There are still a lot of other ways to get the same results, as well.

The natural way to achieve muscle is by a clever combination of diet and exercise. Eating the right foods and getting into an exercise routine which works out the right areas that can give you the results that you desire. What's more, you have the potential to convert any additional body fat that you may have into body muscle.

Some people claim that taking muscle-enhancing drugs can help you along, but this is generally not a good idea simply because it's not a natural way to grow muscle. When you're unsure about a certain drug or supplement, take the time to consult with your doctor just to make sure you won't be hurting your health down the line.

One of the best ways to build muscle is by lifting weights, simply because you can choose which parts of your body to work out. When deciding to lift weights, make sure you start with a weight you can handle - if you try a weight that's too much to handle, you can end up hurting yourself, so be careful!

Beginning your weight lifting workout with an iron bar is easy enough. When you feel it's too light, slowly add more and more weight to constantly work your body out to its limits. The idea is to work just a little more than what you can normally handle. By doing the extra repetition or the extra set, you'll be opening the doors to muscle growth - soon you'll find you can lift more and more weight with every workout.

It is not only lifting weights which hold the key to building muscle. Focusing on sit-ups, pull-ups and push-ups will put pressure on your body in all of the right places.

Eating a proper diet is also crucial in ensuring you get the results you want. Make sure your diet is protein- and carbohydrate-rich, and that you take energy drinks during your workouts. These practices could also be helpful in maintaining your muscles, as without a proper diet, your body would return to what it was before. Dividing your meals into smaller, more frequent ones is another key in maintaining your physique.

You'll need to remember to maintain your workout regimen for as long as you want to keep building muscle. It's easier to lose muscle mass than gain it. When you know your limits, you'll be able to gauge just how long and how hard you need to work out - and, of course, when to stop.

One of the key things to remember to build muscle is that you need to give yourself an all-round workout, so changing your routine every month or so will make sure that you exercise all of the areas you need to and make sure that your efforts give you the best results.

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Friday, May 15, 2009

Middle-Age Fitness Made Simple

By Thong M. Dao

There is without a doubt that fitness over 40 is a matter of discussion in most doctors' offices, social groups and between friends. People may sound off as they can no longer climb stairs due to tender knees.

You may hear of a friend with heart disease or raised cholesterol, or an acquaintance may have been diagnosed with diabetes or elevated blood pressure.

Fitness programs are a good way to relax yourself and have a less stressful life with a lot less diseases. Increasing physical fitness levels help to build up muscle strength which in turn supports joints and helps lower arthritis-related pains.

Sadly, only 40% of individuals in the US get the suggested amount of exercise and 75 percent are sedentary. This statistical data is gradually increasing as is the number of those who are suffering stress induced illnesses such as cardiac disease, strokes, increased cholesterol levels, raised blood pressure, and blood sugar disorders such as diabetes.

Fitness over 40 programs should not be limited to the gymnasium; it needs to become a life style. Remember any physical activity that raises your coronary rate and breathing for at least thirty minutes at a time is a worthwhile work out. There are several things you can do to get fit such as taking a 30 min walk outside or getting on a treadmill, a bicycle ride, rowing a boat, using one of those work out balls or if you dare, try a trampoline.

To start an over-forty fitness program, you should address and think about changing your habits including nutrition and diet.

Including extra fruits, whole grains and vegetables into your diet is an essential part of anyone's fitness over 40 plan. You may possibly achieve from assistance of a weight consultant who can guide you one step at a time to a life style change in the way you are eating.

Your health can be improved greatly if you work to get 5 - 7 servings of fruits and veggies a day, drink ample amounts of water and cut white flour from your diet.

Besides the importance of exercise, get your nutrition and your diet right in order to improve your health. Cardio and strength training are important components of any program designed for people over forty.

Physical exercise that improves the cardiovascular system includes bicycling, jogging, walking, swimming, jumping rope, and using a trampoline or exercise ball. You'll have a better time and stick with it longer if you vary your training and work out with friends.

Should you do the strength training aspect of a program, you should skip a day before performing it again - as an example, if you do it on Monday you should not do it again until Wednesday.

Two to three days per week, strength training can be done at home with hand weights or at the gym. Not only will strength training improve your figure, it will also increase the strength of your joints and diminish your chances of getting osteoporosis.

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Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Many Benefits of Stretching

By Pat Lowe

One of the most beneficial forms of exercise is stretching, particularly when done regularly. The reason is that it gives the body many valuable benefits. Experts have been extolling the virtues of stretching exercises for many years now. Millions of instructional stretching DVDs are sold each year.

If they knew the benefits they could get from regular stretching, more people might be interested in taking up this activity. The major benefit of stretching is that it improves your body's flexibility. When you do the exercises correctly, you strengthen the tendons attaching the muscles to the bone; this impacts almost all the body's muscles.

There is usually a lower chance of suffering muscle sprains and strains if you stretch often. The reason for this is that the body's muscles get used to moving in various directions. In addition, they become resilient enough to handle unexpected movements, which can lead to injury of the muscles or tendons. You can also improve body strength with regular stretching. This is achieved by the continual challenges placed on the muscles.

Because stretching is a low impact exercise, it is appropriate for people of all ages to do. Stretching exercises for seniors and people with limited mobility help them to regain lost strength and rebuild their muscles. The exercises are also appropriate for young children. Many places have classes where parents and their toddlers can stretch together in a group setting.

Your body responds to the exercise it gets from stretching by increasing its flow of blood. A variety of illnesses and disease can benefit from this. Your body eliminates wastes more rapidly due to improved blood flow. In addition, it improves the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to your major organs, such as the brain. Also, blood flow throughout the body to the muscles becomes faster. The health and strength of the muscles are improved dramatically.

Stretching is among the few exercises that benefits the whole body. Plus, the frequency or length of the exercises doesn't really matter. Doing stretching exercises frequently will provide a bigger benefit and faster results. But even moderate stretching can improve the health of the person doing the exercises and give their body more mobility.

The benefits associated with these low impact exercises are more than enough reason for everyone to stretch on a regular basis.

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Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Helping Your Child to Lose Weight

By Mae Summerville

I think we can all agree that everyone needs to eat a balanced diet. For a developing child this is especially true. When a child becomes obese they face a myriad of physical and emotional problems. I hope to give you a few pointers so that you can assist your child in losing weight and maintaining it.

Because of the nature of the physical maladies that accompany obesity you need to take action immediately to help your child lose weight. These physical conditions include diabetes, heart ailments, cancer, and asthma. Many of these conditions once they develop are chronic conditions as so will stay with your child throughout the remainder of their life. You can help now to mitigate the effects of obesity on your child's health now and in the future.

The emotional problems are just as acute and damaging. They include taunting, bullying, behavior problems, and depression. Teenagers are very cruel by nature and so a child who has a weight problem can expect to get an inordinate amount of bad attention from their peers. This can further damage a child because it makes it hard or even impossible to develop proper social skills.

There are things you can do to help a child lose and maintain their proper weight.

1. Search the net, magazines, and books and come up with a plan to serve healthy, nutritious meals to your family. Also learn to prepare foods in ways that reduce calories. Grilling is much better than frying when it comes to meat preparation. Once you become an expert you can prepare great tasting meals that are low in caloric intake.

2. Serve reasonable portions. When you cook be sure and only cook enough for the people being served. Do not overcook. Incorporate plenty of vegetables in your meals. Check the calorie amounts for foods and for higher calorie ones serve smaller portions.

3. Do not have high calorie snacks and junk out for your child to eat. If other family members can and like junk food make them buy it and store it out of sight of others.

4. Consider having your child join a weight loss group geared towards teens. This will not only help them lose weight but it will also help them develop their social skills. Remember teens are most heavily influenced by their peer group.

5. Become an expert in diet and nutrition. Encourage your child to also become educated in the proper foods to eat.

6. Always encourage your child to exercise. Their bodies are still developing and so they need to get up and be active. Limit the amount of time they can play videos or watch TV. Try and make it a family activity to exercise daily. Be sure and tell the child that exercise will increase their metabolism and will help increase their endurance and help them lose weight.

Always use positive reinforcement to help your child lose weight. Teenagers are very impressionable and so you can and should assist them in forming a well rounded sense of themselves. Knowing that you care and are willing to actively participate in helping them loose weight will go a long way to easing or eliminating the emotional impact of being obese.

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Friday, May 8, 2009

You Cannot Go Wrong With Pilates Fitness

By Dori Clayton

Some people just have a flair for dancing. Their bodies seem to look like they are not made of bones as they display fluid and flexible movements that are so pleasing to the eyes. The Pilates fitness movement has its roots with these professional dancers.

Joseph Pilates worked with dancers to help them achieve an essential balance. Dance performers are usually subjected to a lot of strenuous movements that bring injury to the body. What aggravates the situation is that the actions have to be executed as fast as possible that it creates a strain on the delicate joints.

Pilates
differs from the usual forms of fitness training one typically finds offered to gym members. It focuses on slow, deliberate movements that strengthen the muscles in the midsection of the body. The rest of the body benefits when the core is strong. By slowing the pace the way Pilates does also gives it the chance to relax and heal.

Fast, repetitive movements can lead to injury of one kind or another. Pilates not only never incorporates fast, repetitive movements, it focuses on strengthening the midsection. This also prevents injuries as the body begins to move more fluidly and flexibly, thanks to a strong core. This is because Pilates helps to strengthen the muscles in the abdomen, and the ones closest to the spine, as well.

Although Pilates instructors are always coming up with new routines and movements, this is acceptable. Pilates fitness does not have to stick to any defined rules, other than that the movements be slow, deliberate and target the core muscle groups. It is because the risk of injury is practically non-existent and the effectiveness of the exercises that has made Pilates such a success among health enthusiasts the world over.

Pilates
fitness is also for those who have lived longer in this planet and whose wisdom has grown but whose body has weakened. Definitely, they cannot be expected to jump up and down or lift heavy weights. With Pilates fitness, they can concentrate on their mind on executing the moves while working up a sweat towards a stronger body. Add this up with some relaxing breathing exercises and the mature ones feel young again.

Even celebrities have taken to Pilates and even endorsed it. Celebrities are always in the public eye and are under constant pressure to be both slim and toned. Pilates allows them to achieve both but with benefits of toning seem to be the main reason why celebs love Pilates so much. After all, they need that chiseled body to keep up appearances.

Thanks to Mr. Joseph Pilates we can all enjoy an exercise program that will not result in injuries and will deliver the desired results. For weight loss, toning, strengthening and well-being, you too, should join the multitudes and give Pilates fitness a try today!

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You are invited to visit WinsorPilatesFitness.com to discover the wonderful benefits of Pilates Fitness and Winsor Pilates. You too can benefit from Pilates Fitness from home via a great collection of Pilates Video and DVDs. Shop online for your Pilates Fitness gear and home equipment.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

How To Lose Pounds Without Suffering

By Amber Mollangan

Trying to figure out how to lose pounds easily? Maybe you have been working hard to lose but you've been finding it a real difficult journey. Taking off a few pounds really doesn't have to be so hard if you know some of the best weight loss methods for taking off pounds the healthy way.

You see, it actually only takes simple changes in your life to help you lose weight. It's not about a magic pill out there or any special piece of exercise equipment. Let's take a look at some of the simple methods that you can use to lose weight.

One of the simple things to do if you want to know how to lose pounds is to start paying attention to calories. A pound of fat is about 3500 calories, which means you have to be able to burn off that many calories to lose any weight. To do this you can cut back a bit on calories you eat and increase calories burnt by activity.

You may want to start keeping a journal with everything you eat each day. This can help with weight loss, since you'll start to know what you eat each day. This helps you to see where you make your mistakes. Then you can make corrections so you will help yourself better lose weight.

Although you don't want to limit your diet too much so you feel deprived, you should cut back on foods that are full of fat or sugar. Let yourself have a treat from time to time, but work hard to have limits on what you are eating. This will help you lose weight too.

Drinking plenty of water is one of the best ways that you can simply lose weight. Many people are not aware of how important water is. Drinking at least 64 ounces of water each day can help you to flush out fat and waste, get rid of toxins, and lose some weight.

Avoiding drinks that are full of empty calories is important too. Teas with sugar, sodas, and high sugar juices should be avoided if you want to quickly and easily lose weight. The sugar can make you crave more sugar as well, so leave these drinks alone.

Want to know how to lose pounds? Stop eating in front of the TV. Never eat a meal or even snacks while you watch the tube. Most people eat a whole lot more than they think they do when eating in front of a television, which can make you gain weight.

Getting active in small ways can help with weight loss. Work on putting more activity into your day, such as walking whenever you can, taking the stairs, or playing with your kids. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to work in some simple activity into your everyday life.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Lose weight to be healthy

By Joshua Seth

Think about this: What if being overweight was as lethal as being a smoker? What if it could literally kill you?

We all know how bad smoking is for your health. It can take years off your life. We beg our loved ones not to destroy their health by smoking but think nothing of carrying around a little extra weight ourselves, right?

Well guess what, according to a new study conducted at Oxford University, obesity can be as serious as smoking!

If your thoughts are this is some outrageous claim cooked up in a lab, consider this:

They conducted the study for more than ten years. They studied over one million people during that time, 100,000 of their people died.

Let me summarize the results of the study for you:

People with a BMI from 30 to 35 lost about 3 years of life. People with a BMI over 40 lost about 10 years of their life.

Obesity was shown to increase the risk of dying from a heart attack or a stroke by two thirds, increase the chance of death by diabetes by up to 400%, and increase the chance of dying from cancer by a sixth.

Not good odds if you're overweight.

Please, for yourself and for your family, start taking steps to lose weight today. It truly is a matter of life or death. To help, I've made $97 worth of special reports, MP3s and videos available to you for Free at http://www.7weightlossgifts.com.

Use this as a wake up call to get moving and do something good for yourself today. There is Zero cost to you and it could save your life. Click on the link below to be taken to your Free weight loss downloads.

About the Author:
Joshua Seth, internationally famous hypnotist, is the author of The Weight Loss Hypnosis Solution and you will get the first 40 pages for free when you claim your 7 weight loss gifts at 7 weight loss gifts.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Shopping for Healthy Groceries Made Simple

By Alex Pastlin

Every year, millions of dollars are spent on advertising foods that might not be the best choices for your heart and health. Yet, healthy food is out there and available. A wise shopper must learn where to look and how to go about making healthy choices.

Grocery stores offer a lot of choices when it comes to food and that can be overwhelming. It doesn't necessarily have to be, however.

Before you go to the store, create a grocery list. You can't eat in a healthy way if you don't have all the ingredients you need for your meal. This can also save confusion, later, when you're in the store.

As you're making out your list and planning your menu, remember the food pyramid. Making sure that you have the correct amounts of vegetables, whole grains, dairy, fruits, lean meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and beans is important to your overall health.

You don't have to eat organic to be healthy. As long as you eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, you're doing well. Try adding these to your list instead of the canned variety. To get a good deal, and help out your local economy, consider visiting your local farmer's market.

If you and your family are big pasta and rice lovers, try switching to whole grain. Although the taste might take some time getting used to, it holds more fiber which is a healthy alternative.

When choosing meats, try to purchase lean cuts, as well as skinless poultry. The skin usually holds the most fat. When it comes to fish, salmon is generally a good bet because it's healthy and doesn't have a "fishy" taste to it.

You don't have to fill your entire plate with protein, either, which is good for your budget. The USDA only recommends that of your plate be protein, with the rest being fruits and vegetables and whole grains. That doesn't even have to be meat-it can also be beans, tofu, eggs, or nuts.

The healthiest food options are usually located around the edges of the store. This is where you will find your breads, produce, and meats. The junk food aisles tend to be in the center of the store.

If buying canned food, watch for items that do not contain a lot of salt. Canned fruit that is packaged in fruit juice is also a healthy choice.

Seasonality plays a part in produce. Fruits and vegetables tend to cost less, and are tastier, when they are in season. Some fruits, such as strawberries, can be frozen, too, and used in the off-season instead of purchasing them later when they are more expensive.

As long as you snack in moderation, snacking throughout the day isn't necessarily unhealthy. Make sure, however, that you balance out unhealthy snacks with healthy snacks. Along with the cookies and other "junk food" that you snack on, be sure to have on hand a supply of apples, bananas, and nuts.

Last, but not least, although pre-packaged food looks more convenient, it is usually filled with sodium and saturated fat. When shopping for healthy choices, it's always better to purchase the ingredients and prepare your food yourself. In the long run, you'll end up paying about the same amount of money, but your menu will be much healthier.

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Friday, May 1, 2009

Welcome!

Welcome to Your Fat Loss Guide!

My goal is that every article posted here will help at least one person who reads it. I think that you will find some very useful and hopefully interesting information from each post.

Whether you are trying to lose weight, live a healthier life, or looking for diet tips, you will get a little of everything here. Let this be your guide.