Yoga for Health and Fitness

Yoga is an art and it is one of the most ancient forms that originated in India 5000 years ago. It is the union of spiritual, mental, and physical balances and teachings that assist to restore the spirit, stimulate the mind, and nourish the body.

Yoga is becoming popular nowadays and people are showing interest towards it due to its benefits. It can be practiced by anyone irrelevant of the age and gender and it is designed to satisfy the needs of everyone.

People are really getting excited about it because it is providing benefits to all those who practice it. They feel much better about themselves because yoga does not just act on the body to maintain its shape, but also on the mind of the person.

Practicing yoga with different poses and postures helps the body to become healthier and also good for the mind as it is one of the best ways of making the body and mind relax and unwind.

Exercise Motivation – Tips to Get You Moving

Why is it that only 20% of Americans exercise enough to make a significant impact on their health profile? No one would debate the proven benefits of consistent exercise; decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and osteoporosis, reduced blood pressure, maintenance of healthy body weight and improved body image, decreased depression, increased self esteem and improved stress management, just to name a few. The American College of Sports Medicine has coined the phrase, “Exercise is Medicine”. You would think that all of that would be enough motivation to get us out the door and to the gym on a daily basis. But even the most devoted exercisers sometimes have a hard time getting motivated to do their daily routine. Try the following tips to keep you motivated, excited and energized about your workouts.

• Create your personal wellness vision, by answering the questions, “If I were at my optimum level of health and well-being, what would that look like and feel like to me? Why does it truly matter?” When you can answer those questions, see your vision, and feel it in your heart, you will exercise even on the days you don’t feel like it. Whether it’s climbing mountains with your spouse when you retire, riding bikes with future grandchildren, avoiding debilitating back pain, or looking great in the newest fashions, your motivation will be linked to your personal reasons for staying fit!
• Try the buddy system. Enlist a friend or loved one in your quest for fitness. When you make a commitment to meet someone at the gym or track, and you know they are counting on you, you will make sure to get out the door.
• Find an activity that is fun. Whether it’s spinning, swimming, dance classes or ice skating, make sure you like what you do. Try new things, and mix up the old routines. Everyone gets bored of the same thing day after day.
• Create a challenge. Sign up for a race, a walk for charity, or contests at the gym. Having a challenge to work towards will inspire you to keep going.
• Build in a reward system. For each 5 pounds you lose, or for every 15 exercise sessions you complete, promise yourself a new exercise outfit, a massage, tickets to a play or concert or anything else that spells treat for you (except food, of course!). Whenever you feel like skipping a workout, remind yourself of the reward to come.
• Keep an exercise log. Writing down your workouts and seeing your growth and accomplishments over time can be incredibly rewarding. When you are just not in the mood, looking at your log and seeing a month ago you could only do 5 push ups and now you can easily do 15, will reinforce how far you’ve come.
• Hire a certified personal trainer. A good trainer can help you create a program that will assure that you achieve results, are exercising efficiently and safely, and encourage you to work through plateaus. Even a few sessions to learn a new routine will help ignite your enthusiasm and motivation.
• Couple exercise with another activity you enjoy. Walk on your treadmill while watching your favorite TV show, read while on the stationary bike, or jog the track with a friend. Listening to music or books on tapes on your iPod can make exercise more enjoyable.
• Change your self talk. When the voice in your head says, “I’m just too tired to exercise.”, talk back. “Exercise always makes me feel better, and I’ll feel more energized when I’m done.” Another common voice is the one that says, “I’ll do it tomorrow, or later today.” Answer, “You know you are just fooling yourself – get it done now and you’ll feel great!”
• Just do it! As the old Nike slogan goes, when all else fails, workout anyway. Give yourself permission to end your session after ten minutes if you still feel like exercise is a struggle that day. Seldom, if ever, will you not complete your workout.

Experiment with the above suggestions and see which ones work for you. Or mix and match and try out different tips each day. After a few weeks, notice whether you are feeling more motivated and being more consistent with your workouts. Remember, in order to live your vision and reach your health goals, there is no option. Exercise must be part of your life!
Ellen Goldman created EnerGcoaching, LLC, to help people struggling with issues such as weight loss, stress management, getting in shape, life satisfaction, and other health related problems that can be affected by lifestyle changes. Learn more about her fitness and wellness coaching programs, and receive two free quizzes to assess your readiness to make positive changes in your life

Fitness and Health Tips

Fitness and health tips including information on men's and women's health and wellness including advanced nutritional products for the immune system, joint health, weight loss and general health. All five components of fitness and health: strength training, weight management, cardiovascular exercise, nutrition, and flexibility training are discussed in the Muscle Fitness section of the site.

Here are nine specific Fitness and Health Tips:

Don’t Smoke -
One of the main reasons why people decide not to give up smoking, and sadly, the reason why some people take it up is the effect smoking supposedly has on weight gain or loss. It is true that smoking has been associated with an increase in metabolism it is a drug!! However it is a dangerous, addictive drug and surely the tiny effect it has on your metabolism is outweighed by the huge risk of dying from lung cancer.

Drink More Water -
You can live three weeks without food, However you can only live for three days without fluid, just think 3 days and its all over, one could suggest that water is fairly important! Your body is anywhere between 60 and 70 percent fluid. The fluid in your body is responsible for helping to keep every system of your body in good working order, including all of your metabolic processes. De-hydrate and everything slows down. The fluid in your body will also ensure that you can move well and be active. If you start to dehydrate, your body’s ability to do basic activities will slow down and your ability to exercise effectively or even enjoy exercise will be reduced. You will feel tired, lethargic and will probably get a headache.

Eat A Variety Of Foods -
For protection from the majority of illnesses such as heart disease and cancer you need a variety of foods that deliver that mix of nutrients and minerals. Aim to eat different colored fruits and vegetables. Try to eat a different food each month. Eat an apple a day as the apple pectin cleanses the body’s digestive system by removing toxins and therefore preventing degenerative health problems such as cancer.

Relax For 20 Minutes a Day -
Relaxing for at least 20 minutes a day will go a long way to reduce blood pressure and your reactions to stress. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable, Breathe slowly in and out of the nostrils breathing deeply into your abdomen. Say HAM as you inhale and SA as you exhale. These suggestions are charged with positive energy and will help you control your emotions. Try once a day for fantastic results.

Floss Every Day -
Flossing your teeth every day is the best way to prevent gum disease and protect your heart. Gum disease, which is left untreated, can lead to inflammatory reactions in the body that can trigger heart disease and stroke.

Drink More Tea -
Try drinking more tea instead of coffee to help protect your body from damaging effects of free radicals. Tea is a rich source of antioxidants that play a big role in protecting against some cancers and cardiovascular disease.

Get Active -
Aerobic activity not only burns calories but also increases your metabolism and can keep it elevated for several hours after a workout. You don’t need to spend hours each day on the treadmill or bike to reap the benefits. Exercising aerobically for as little as 20 minutes, three to five days a week will make a big difference. Extra movement throughout the day is also essential, take the stairs instead of the lift, lose the remote and move at every opportunity you can.

Get More Sleep -
Lack of sleep changes your hormone levels and capacity to metabolize carbohydrates so less sleep = slower metabolism. Studies have revealed that deep sleep causes cell repair and cell growth, which will speed up the metabolism and burn calories. So aim to get at least eight hours sleep a night.

Eat More Protein -
Protein stimulates the major brain chemical dopamine which keeps us alert, try chicken or tuna salads for lunch. Go for complex carbohydrates rather than white flour and sugar, as they will provide a sustained energy source as opposed to a quick hit. Another reason to leave simple carbohydrate out of the diet is that they have a negative effect on your skin and how it ages. The more sugar that is in the body the more you force a chemical reaction causing sugars to attach to proteins and this is very detrimental to your skin.

Why Should You Exercise? Tips for getting started on a fitness plan

Why Should You Exercise?
Studies have shown that regular exercise significantly increases life expectancy and improves overall health. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. It can reduce or improve symptoms of menopause, PMS, diabetes, as well as numerous other conditions. An improved self-image and increased energy level are frequent added benefits of exercise.

Regular exercise is also helpful in the prevention of one of the most common reasons for doctors office visits-- lower back pain. Special exercises for those with back pain are many times beneficial in reducing and/or eliminating lower back pain.

However, safe and injury-free workouts require certain precautions be taken before beginning a new exercise program including seeing your physician first, and for women fifty and over having an exercise stress test to check for any underlying heart problems.

Taking it slow and easy...
Walking offers the easiest, least expensive way to work out for most people. Research shows that people who go from a sedentary lifestyle to one which includes moderate amounts of physical activity derive the most health benefits from exercise.

It's important to start out slowly if you have been inactive for a long period of time. The speed and length of your walk should match your level of fitness. It may be necessary for you to start with just 10 or 15 minutes and increase your walking as you feel able.

A good way to measure weather you are working too hard is if you are unable to carry on a conversation-- if you can't talk-- slow down your walk! A healthy, injury-free walk is one in which you can easily continue talking while you walk.

Stretching for injury-free workouts...
According to a 1991 report, almost half of women are walking for exercise on a regular basis, but only 26% of women are doing stretching exercises.

Back and neck stretch
Stretching the back, neck and abdominal muscles before exercise can prevent sprained backs and necks.

Foot stretching
Foot pain can be prevented by gently stretching the Achilles tendon. Pull your foot backward and hold for 10 seconds, repeat 10 times. Properly fitted and appropriate foot ware is also important in preventing foot injury.

Stretching muscles
Gently stretch all major muscles prior to a workout to prevent muscle strains and pulls. Strengthen the muscles on the front of your thighs by contracting and relaxing the muscle with your knee straight. Contract to the count of ten and relax- repeat 10 times on each leg.

Shin stretching
Shin injury can be prevented with a slow warm-up before and stretching following each workout. Proper arch support is also important as is a soft workout surface-- grass, instead of asphalt.

Shoulder stretch
After-workout shoulder pain is prevented by standing straight and rolling the shoulders backward in a circular motion, also stand and hold the back of a chair while bending at the waist so that your back is parallel to the floor-- make 25 circles with your free arm and repeat on other side.

Elbow stretch
Forearm strength can be built up by doing reverse curls with light weights or squeezing a rubber ball.

Eating your way to injury prevention...
Proper nutrition for those who participate in endurance sports such as running, jogging, and bicycling includes consuming large amounts of carbohydrates before an event or work out session. Studies have shown that a depleted store of muscle glycogen results in fatigue, which results in injury.

A diet rich in carbohydrates (60 to 70 percent of daily calorie intake), increases the amount of glycogen stored in the muscles, however the carbohydrates must be consumed shortly before a workout in order to be beneficial. It is also a good idea to consume carbohydrates soon after a heavy work out.

What if I already have osteoporosis or another bone disorder?
Even people with bone and joint conditions can safely participate in a balanced program of moderate physical activity. Swimming is probably the best overall activity for those who are afflicted by diseases of the bones and joints-- no stress is put on the joints and the water offers exceptional, non-stressful resistance.

But I don't have time to exercise...
Your daily one hour can be broken up into segments of time-- perhaps, one hour of brisk walking in the morning and one hour of gardening or another physical activity in the evening. Keeping a daily activity record might help you to remember your daily workout.

Remember, any amount of exercise is better than none at all and once you establish an exercise routine, you will probably find yourself exercising beyond the minimum one hour, three to five times a week required for good health.

Womens Fitness Solution

A womens fitness program that is individually customized is usually very expensive because it usually requires hiring a personal trainer. It's a fact that most people cannot afford it because it can cost thousands of dollars.

But don't despair, finally there is an affordable womens fitness solution for women who want personalized training, exercise, weight loss, diet and nutrition advice, and it comes straight from some of the top fitness professionals.

Yes it's true you can actually achieve all of your fitness goals without spending a fortune.

We've recently discovered an incredible website that can personally help you do just that!

They can provide you with customized exercise and diet plans, hundreds of exercise instructions and video demonstrations, fitness tracking software, personal expert advice from 30 world-renowned womens fitness, medical, and nutrition experts, FREE calorie, fat, protein, and carb calculators, and so much more!

To date they have personally helped thousands of women, just like you, women of all ages, fitness levels, and backgrounds to look, feel, and perform at their very best (you'll find more than 750 Success Stories on their site)!

Whether you are a beginner or advanced, they'll help you avoid the common mistakes that waste your time, teach you techniques for making your routine much more effective, and guide you step-by-step to achieving new results again and again!

We HIGHLY recommend it, or your can continue reading more about this terrific fitness solution for women.

It's actually the only fitness website for women we've found that provides you with individualized training instruction, motivational coaching, personal advice, and 24-hours-a-day support for ALL your health, fitness, athletic and weight loss needs...without having to pay the hundreds or even thousands it would cost to hire a personal trainer.

That's pretty impressive support!

In fact you don't just get one womans fitness expert or coach, you get a whole team of THIRTY fitness professionals and coaches, standing by, poised to fulfill your every need at a moment's notice.

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"Sound Impossible?
Well It's Not"

I would maybe have the same doubts if I was in your position. But in actual fact this fitness website solution has been providing this type of unparalleled support and success since 1997 and they can back it up, unlike most.

My Name is Phil Beckett and for over sixteen years, I have been a professional fitness trainer, author and educator and I've seen every gimmick in womans fitness that you can imagine, so I really do know a legitimate womens fitness offer when I see it.

And believe me, you won't find anything better than what this womans fitness solution offers.

I'm sure you already know the value of fitness and all of the benefits of good health so I'm not going to get into a discussion about that here. It adds more years on your life and more "life to your years."

You can't put a price on that. If you disagree, ask someone who has lost their health what they would give to have it back.

Unfortunately hiring a professional womens fitness trainer to work with you two or three times per week might not fit into your budget. Most womans fitness trainers will cost you $40 to $50 per hour and top trainers in high demand will set you back $60 - $80 per hour or more.

In fact my own personal training rates start at $2000 a month. You can't do it for only one month and expect a major change in your fitness level or your physical appearance, either.

It may be worth every penny you spend but what if you can't afford it or just don't want to pay that kind of money.

Thanks to the Internet, and to the ingenuity, creativity and hard work of one individual and a dedicated team of womens fitness professionals, there's now a solution to this dilemma so affordable you almost can't afford not to take advantage.

This online womens fitness solution is not designed to replace a trainer or to replace exercise. Obviously, you have to get out of your chair and exercise.

What this womens fitness solutions does for you is complement and add to your fitness efforts at home or at the gym.

There are so many benefits to this amazing fitness solution for women.

Here are just 3 big ones.

Womans fitness benefit #1 - You get thirty womens fitness & health experts to answer all of your questions and help you - at the click of a mouse.

In short, you get the to "pick the brains" of medical doctors, physical therapists, strength coaches, fitness competition experts, womans fitness gurus, weight loss experts, exercise physiologists, accomplished athletes, fitness celebrities and certified personal trainers.

As an example if you have any aches, pains and chronic injuries that are interfering with your specific womens fitness program you can get on your computer and email one of the medical doctors, physical therapists, or injury prevention and rehabilitation experts to get quick answers and advice.

If you are pregnant and want to stay fit through your pregnancy, and regain your pre-baby figure quickly afterwards then you can email the pregnancy exercise expert and find out how.

Want to compete in your first bodybuilding contest? Email one of the GHF bodybuilding experts and they will walk you through the contest prep and help guide to your first trophy.

If you have zero motivation or are discouraged by your lack of results in the past, you can once again email one motivational experts for help.

Womans fitness benefit #2 - Fast, reliable, personal service.

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Womans fitness benefit #3 - Unlimited informational resources, interactive womens fitness tools, online personal training - all of which are worth much more than the initial cost.

Here are some of the extra womens fitness benefits that are also included:

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Women's Health and Fitness

Do you want information on women's health issues and women's health questions? This site is your resource for reliable answers to questions about women's fitness, women's diets and women's health supplements.

The Editors of this Women's Health Questions site can help you cut through the confusing jumble of information out there. We research and find the most useful, helpful facts for you and write about them in plain language.

Our mission is to help inform you about the pros and cons of fitness plans, health products and services, supplements, diet programs and exercise routines, while avoiding any potential problems.

You'll also learn about the best natural acne treatments, how to get the most affordable health insurance, the best online nursing schools, diet products, fitness plans, tummy exercises, the benefits of recumbent exercise bikes, helpful exercise equipment reviews and more.

Do you have questions about weight loss programs? Take a look at our women's diets information. You will also find a review and opinion of popular diet plans such as the Atkins diet, the very popular South Beach diet, the Nutrisystem plan, and the 1800 calorie diabetic diet.

Interested in dietary supplements? See our reviews of vitamin supplements, mineral supplements, herbal supplements, distilled pharmaceutical grade fish oil, facts about natural serotonin and the benefits of calcium supplements and pomegranate juice.

Get answers to women's health questions such as how much water to lose weight, how many calories burned per pound of fat what are negative-calorie-foods. Learn surprising nutrition facts such as the benefits of turmeric, Starbucks nutritional facts and Popeyes Chicken nutrition information. Discover green tea benefits for weight loss, whey protein research, tummy flattner exercises, how to get vitamin discount coupons from Swansons Vitamins, and much more.

You will find our early signs of pregnancy symptoms checklist, your pregnancy week by week, the most accurate pregnancy tests, and the facts about public cord blood donation after childbirth.

Here you will also learn helpful details about how specific protocols may benefit a variety of women's health issues, such as women's fitness, and how fish oil pills can help womens heart health, a look at diabetes supplies, eye Lasik surgery, and sleeping disorders. Info on laser hair removal and home remedies for yeast infections and drug addiction treatment, facts about gout, signs of menopause, pms, and where to get those pink cancer bracelets that everyone is wearing to show their support of breast cancer research. See if Sedu hair irons are healthy for hair or not, and get Sedu hairstyle tips to make sure you take care of your hair when you "iron" it. We even tackle the touchy subject of How to get rid of bedbugs.

Learn which dietary supplements really are helpful and which ones are low quality or are just sales hype. We also warn you about potential problems or side effects of some dietary and herbal supplements and how you can avoid them. The supplement industry is not carefully regulated in the US and some products may contain less or more of what is stated on the labels.

If you find this women's health questions website helpful, please send off an email to recommend this site to your friends. We also offer some pages in Spanish, such as the pregnancy symptoms page here: Síntomas de embarazo.

Today can be the beginning of a better life of improved health and fitness for you. Set a goal to make your wellness a top priority. Remember, somebody loves you. Stay healthy and fit. We'll be here to help you and encourage you in reaching your health and fitness goals.

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