Posts Tagged exercise
Top 7 Time Wasters At The Gym
Posted by Patch Adams in Fitness on March 17, 2009
In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s nearly impossible to set aside the time you need at the gym each day. It seems there are always more “important” things to be doing. When you do get into the gym, avoid these 7 time wasters.
1) Believe it or not, one of the first things that wastes your time in the gym, is spending too much time at the gym. I realize that may not make sense, but it’s true. You don’t necessarily need to do cardio for 90 minutes everyday. Once you go beyond what your body needs, you’re wasting time.
2 – No more long rest periods between exercises. Usually this happens when you see a friend and you spend 10 minutes chatting about fitness. Talking about getting fit isn’t going to help you get fit. Don’t take as many breaks and instead schedule some time over coffee when you’re both of you are away from the gym.
3 – Plan your workouts. Make sure you know what exercises you’re going to do, how many reps you’ll do of each and how much weight you’re going to use. If you’re constantly trying to figure things out on the fly, you’ll double your time in the gym.
4. Not having a backup plan- There is nothing more frustrating then going to the gym with your plan in hand and someone is already using the machine! Having a backup plan ensures you spend more of your time in the gym exercising and less time feeling frustrated. If someone is using the chest machine, no big deal: Do push-ups instead.
5 – Get intense! Push yourself further than you thought you could go. Physical gains don’t happen when you’re barely pushing yourself. You need to be going to failure on almost every exercise. Even if you’re just building strength and have no interest in bulk, you should still work to failure, just at a higher level. Remember, bulk comes between 8 and 10 reps and strength comes when you’re doing between 12 and 15.
6) Form is vital. Doing too many “cheat” reps will kill your time in the gym. Focus on the right form and you’ll benefit greatly from every rep. Each time you do an exercise wrong, that’s one more wasted rep.
7. Not seeking the advice of a professional- If all the top athletes have coaches and professional trainers, don’t you think you could use their advice? Having a trainer will help you to get further along in your training then trying to do it by yourself. He or she will help you to use proper form, technique, rep ranges, tempo, rest intervals and exercise combinations to maximize your results and minimize your frustrations
I’m sure you didn’t relate to all seven items. You may only relate to one of them. If that’s the case, fix that one time and gain back some time for other areas in your life. If you could relate to them, focus on a few at a time and lean out your gym time while you lean out your body.
Children and Athletic Ankle Supports
Posted by Kenneth Elliott in Health on March 11, 2009
Sporting activities and athletic ankle supports are a good combination for children in sports. They help to keep children out of danger from major leg injuries that are common. Children are still growing and bone injuries can slow down bone growth on occasion, especially if the injury occurs on a growth plate. Athletic ankle supports can help to prevent major accidents from children landing in the wrong positions. They make sure that key ankle positions are maintained as to not allowing ankle injuries. There are still is a chance that a major ankle injury can happen but wearing athletic ankle supports are there for preventative measures.
When deciding on an ankle brace for your child it is important answer two questions in your mind. What is the brace made from and does the brace allow for total range of motion. In terms of total range of motion, for those children who have not had any previous ankle problems you would not want to purchase a brace that immobilizes the ankle. You would just want a brace that are designed to just provide pressure in key areas and keep the ankle in fairly the same place. Immobilizing ankle braces are a hindrance rather than a benefit if you were to purchase this kind of brace. A lightweight athletic elastic ankle support should be just fine for a child athlete.
So what is the best ankle brace to purchase? The best ankle supports are made of neoprene and they not only support your ankle but increase your bounce, make your landings softer and keep your muscles warm. Neoprene or polychloroprene is a family of synthetic rubbers that are produced by polymerization of chloroprene. It is used in a wide variety of environments, such as in wetsuits, laptop sleeves, electrical insulation, and car fan belts. It is also a synthetic rubber that is resistant to oils and aging.
Are you still thinking that you may not need ankle supports for you child. Maybe you are thinking that the high top sneakers that you brought yesterday are enough support needed. Yes, high top ankle sneakers do provide ankle support, but they just have the minimum support needed. Step up your security for your child and get the maximum support needed. Athletic ankle supports will provide what you need.
Landscape, Gardening Chores And Your Health
Posted by Sal Haneson in Fitness on February 27, 2009
When you think about gardening thoughts of tasty fruits and vegetables come to mind. Or maybe you imagine a garden full of beautiful flowers. Have you ever thought about all of the exercise that goes along with gardening?
You might be asking yourself, how much exercise can really be gained from gardening? When you begin to think about all of the work that goes into preparing a garden you come to the realization that gardening can be quite rigorous. From digging holes to pulling weeds, a lot of exercise can occur from daily gardening.
You may not be an exercise fanatic. In fact, you may dread the gym and hate the sight of a treadmill. The good news is that you don’t have to be at the gym to exercise. Take up gardening. The great thing about getting your exercise from gardening is that you will not only see physical results, but you will also reap the benefits of what you have planted.
Because gardening can be strenuous make sure you stretch before working that green thumb. Many gardeners make the mistake of spending too much time hunched over. This is very bad for your back. Many times in the garden you will be lifting potting soil and other heavy objects. That’s why it’s imperative that you stratch so as not to hurt yourself.
One of the best exercises in the garden is weeding and pruning. You will burn a ton of calories pulling those weeds. You should be careful to take breaks if you are bending over all day.
Exercise can also happen in the lawn. Mowing the grass is a great way to get some exercise. If out have a self-propelled mower try to just push the mower instead. Push mowing is wonderful exercise. If you are seeking a cardio workout, pushing a lawn mower for an hour or so will really get the heart pumping. You will also feel the burn in you arms, legs and chest.
You can’t go wrong using gardening as a way to get in shape or lose some weight. You will have a great time and end up being a healthier person because of it. And before you know it, you’ll have a healthy lush landscape to be proud of, along with your new waistline.
Weight Loss Products for Wedding and Proactol
Posted by Ricardo daryans in Health on February 24, 2009
No matter how long you have until your wedding day will might be struck by how much weight you want to lose in time. Regardless of your goal, these are a couple of points to remember.
People often turn to dietary supplements and one that is quite propular is Proactol. What are the details of this supplement and does it do everything it says it will?
Basically, Proactol was developed for use as a dietary additive that can boost your ability to lose pounds. When looking at the packaging, it proposes to help you reduce your food craving and to burn off 28% of your fat intake. The benefits of taking proactol is multifold; including weight loss and higher energy levels as well as better flexibility and lower cholesterol levels.
The prickly pear or Optuntia Ficus India Cactus is one of the most often and well known ingredients in Proatctol, it is sometimes listed as Neopuntia. Neopuntia is a plant fiber taken from the prickly pear.
When you are thinking about figuring out whether Proactol is something that might work for you, it is important to understand how this supplement works. The main gist of its effectiveness is the prickly pear, which is known to be rich in vitamins B1 and B2, as well as pathothenic acids and niacin. Prickly pear is known to stimulate weight loss, and this is considered a positive for this supplement.
On the other hand, it is important to consider the possible negitives of taking this supplement. Those who take prickly pear too often can have stomach problems, it can also be problematic fot those with kidney problems or elevated cholesterol. It is strongly recommended that women avoid it if they are breast feeding.
Keeping that in mind, it can be a tricky decision to decide if you want to take Proactol or not. But, should you give your body something that may be difficult for you to handle just as you are entering a very stressful time?
Remember, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is proper diet and execise. Dietary supplements can give you a boost, but only a good diet and exercise will get you the results you desire.
Think it twice before using Proactol and decide on your needs before the big day!
Achieving Your Fitness Resolutions This Year
Posted by Nate Rifkin in Fitness on February 20, 2009
Here’s 5 things successful goal-setters do that can help you finally get in shape this year:
1. Keep your goals to yourself.
You don’t want other people who aren’t as committed to their health to bring you down with their negative energy. If the wrong person finds out you want to lose a few inches from your waist or exercise every day, this could happen. Don’t let it.
2.Figure out WHY you want to accomplish your goal.
If you want to drop 20 extra pounds, think about why. And dont think this is obvious stuff either. What you need to know is what personally motivates you and gets you emotionally involved. Is it because you want to look better? Have more energy? Attract a new mate? Re-attract and old one? Figure it out.
3. Remind yourself of this reason when you lose motivation.
Whenever you start slacking off after a few weeks or you just don’t feel like putting the effort in anymore, recall your reason for making this goal. Set your sights on that and you can find the power to keep moving forward.
4. Don’t do this alone.
Your habits reflect the habits of those around you. Getting around healthy people will make achieving your goals easier. Being around unhealthy people gets you up for failure.
5. If you screw up, don’t worry about it.
If you don’t exercise as consistently for a few days, relax. If you eat a few too many cheat meals, don’t worry. Feeling bad won’t do any good. Just keep moving forward and you’ll be all the better for it.
If you take advantage of these five secrets, 2009 WILL be the year you achieve the body of your dreams.
Best Mid-Level Shiatsu Massage Chairs
Posted by Steve Esquire in Health on February 14, 2009
Are you looking for the best but do not want to spend a fortune on a massage chair? We come across this situation many times. As a response from many of our customers, we have put together the short list of the best massage chairs in the mid range market. There are so many massage chairs to choose from. If you are looking, here are the best and forget the rest!
Based on our testing and many of our customer’s recommendations, we have assembled the list of the top three mid level massage chairs available today. These massage chairs not only deliver value, but also awesome massage therapy. We also will point out their warranty coverage so you get a complete snapshot of each of the massage chairs.
The top massage chairs that we selected also happened to come from the best massage chair manufacturers. This is no coincidence. The best just keep making the best and they are hard to beat. These manufacturers are Omega, Panasonic and Sanyo. They put a premium on research and provide therapeutic massage chairs built for the long term. They back them with comprehensive warranty coverage. They add exciting extras whether technological or stylistic. So let us start with the best of the best.
Omega OM-510 Prestigio: The Prestigio is the most striking design in massage chairs with its glossy wood armrests and highly varnished designer side table. But looks aside, the OM-510 is a massage therapy machine. This massage recliner provides an invigorating and thorough massage therapy. It provides deep penetration to give you excellent relief.
The Prestigio comes with an air massage system. The air massage system covers your buttocks, thighs, calves and feet. The feet are taken care of with a reflexology massage that helps to provide full body relaxation. You can relax for a long time with the comprehensive warranty on the OM-510. You get 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts and labor and 90 days in home service. This is an amazing value for a mid range massage recliner.
Sanyo SA 5000: The SA5000 is the mid range model from Sanyo. The SA 5000 has many of the same features as its higher end model the DR7700. This recliner comes with the GK roller system. The GK rollers literally reach out over the shoulders. This unique function helps to provide the shoulder with a thorough and relieving massage.
The SA-5000 also comes with a physical shape sensor. This shape sensor tracks your body as it moves in the chair and adjusts the massage rollers for maximum effectiveness. You also get the stiffness detector, which can determine areas of stress and tension in the body and then focus the massage on those areas automatically. The SA 5000 warranty comes with the following coverage: 3 years on the roller mechanism, 1 year parts and labor and 1 year in home service. This mid range model provides you with an arsenal of automatic features to relieve your tensions.
Panasonic EP30003: Panasonic is known to push the limits of replicating massage therapy techniques. The EP-30003 introduces a new massage therapy called Junetsu. Junetsu means ultra fine kneading. This kneading style massage makes small circular motions that then penetrate deeply in one area at a time. This is an excellent massage to take knots out of your back. This is a deep tissue style massage that is very relieving as it penetrates through the muscle.
One unique function in the mid level massage chairs is the lower body traction system put into the EP 30003 massage chair. The traction system works via the leg rest. The leg rest will grab hold of your feet and then rise horizontally. It then slowly lowers to 3 successively lower positions. This helps to elongate the leg muscles to increase the range of motion of your joints. The EP30003 comes with the following warranty coverage: 3 years parts, 1 year labor and 1 year in home repair service. This is a good, solid chair built by Panasonic massage chairs.
There you have it. These are the best of the best in the midrange massage chair market. These massage chairs provide thorough and effective massage therapy. They are designed with advanced technological features. You get solid warranty coverage which will give you years of soothing massage therapy. These are the massage chair recliners to scout out for the mid range models.